The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. Fr...The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. From June 2009 to September 2010 we conducted an investigation of 13 relatively isolated habitats or sites, selected from each of the 13 nature reserves in southwestern Guangxi, with the least amount of anthropological activity and the largest presence of the original vegetation, in order to study the distribution of birds on forest fragments. The distribution patterns of the birds and the factors which affect them were analyzed by using the 'BINMATNEST' software and the Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, to determine: 1) whether nested patterns of birds in the karst area of southwestern Guangxi exist or not and 2) which factors are correlated with the nested patterns and the effect of these factors on forming nested patterns. The results show that the birds had statistically significant nested patterns in the karst area and the specificity of the habitat of the birds had a significant effect on the nested patterns. We suggest possible reasons for these results, based on the characteristics of the seasonal tropical rain forests in the study area and on neutral theory. We also urgently recommend that close attention be paid to the protection of the diversity of the environment for birds in all fragmented habitats.展开更多
Rocky habitats are regarded as biodiversity hot-spots. Along with high species diversity, diverse ecological relationships can be observed in these habitats. Large groups of bird species use rocks in various ways： as...Rocky habitats are regarded as biodiversity hot-spots. Along with high species diversity, diverse ecological relationships can be observed in these habitats. Large groups of bird species use rocks in various ways： as perching/roosting sites, breeding or foraging habitats, information exchange sites, display arenas or as sources of minerals and water. Because of the inaccessibility of these environments, their role and importance to animals has been underestimated. We evaluated the use of rocky habitats by birds in the Tatra Mountains （49°13′N; 19°57′E, Carpathians, central Europe）. Rocky habitats were used by 29 bird species, eight of which used cliffs directly （i.e. for nesting, foraging or resting）. The number of species recorded as using cliffs was correlated with the surface area of the cliff face. A total of 2o forms of rocky habitat use were recorded, in five behavioural categories： vocalization, foraging, perching, flight and nesting. Prevailing behaviours were flying by a rock face, circling above the face, and vocalization on a tree/shrub growing next to a rock. Rocks provide a nesting habitat for specialized petrophilic species and permit the existence of numerous ecological relations between species and habitats. The results of this study show that rocky habitats support the diversity of ecological relationships.展开更多
基金financed by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30970381,31172123)
文摘The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. From June 2009 to September 2010 we conducted an investigation of 13 relatively isolated habitats or sites, selected from each of the 13 nature reserves in southwestern Guangxi, with the least amount of anthropological activity and the largest presence of the original vegetation, in order to study the distribution of birds on forest fragments. The distribution patterns of the birds and the factors which affect them were analyzed by using the 'BINMATNEST' software and the Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, to determine: 1) whether nested patterns of birds in the karst area of southwestern Guangxi exist or not and 2) which factors are correlated with the nested patterns and the effect of these factors on forming nested patterns. The results show that the birds had statistically significant nested patterns in the karst area and the specificity of the habitat of the birds had a significant effect on the nested patterns. We suggest possible reasons for these results, based on the characteristics of the seasonal tropical rain forests in the study area and on neutral theory. We also urgently recommend that close attention be paid to the protection of the diversity of the environment for birds in all fragmented habitats.
基金financed in part from state funds allocated to science (Project No.N30509732/3259)
文摘Rocky habitats are regarded as biodiversity hot-spots. Along with high species diversity, diverse ecological relationships can be observed in these habitats. Large groups of bird species use rocks in various ways： as perching/roosting sites, breeding or foraging habitats, information exchange sites, display arenas or as sources of minerals and water. Because of the inaccessibility of these environments, their role and importance to animals has been underestimated. We evaluated the use of rocky habitats by birds in the Tatra Mountains （49°13′N; 19°57′E, Carpathians, central Europe）. Rocky habitats were used by 29 bird species, eight of which used cliffs directly （i.e. for nesting, foraging or resting）. The number of species recorded as using cliffs was correlated with the surface area of the cliff face. A total of 2o forms of rocky habitat use were recorded, in five behavioural categories： vocalization, foraging, perching, flight and nesting. Prevailing behaviours were flying by a rock face, circling above the face, and vocalization on a tree/shrub growing next to a rock. Rocks provide a nesting habitat for specialized petrophilic species and permit the existence of numerous ecological relations between species and habitats. The results of this study show that rocky habitats support the diversity of ecological relationships.
