Biodiversity Commons^™

First Records And First Proven Breeding Of Lesser Grey Shrike, Lanius Minor, In Mongolia, Markus Deutsch, Axel Bräunlich

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

During a trip to the Dzungarian Gobi in southwestern Mongolia, a group of German birdwatchers found several territorial lesser grey shrikes, Lanius minor, and documented an active nest. The species had not previously been recorded from Mongolia. Observations were made near Bulgan gol (Bulgan river; nest coordinates: 46°6’N 91°32’E, 1190 m a.s.l.) in Khovd aimag (Khovd province) on June 24, 2006. Besides two territorial pairs, of which a female could be photographically documented on the nest, at least four more territorial adults were found within an area of about 1.5 km². Based on these records, an abundance …

Numbers, Distribution And Social Structure Of Kiang (Equus Kiang Moorcroft 1841) Population In The Southwestern Part Of Tibet, China, Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In September - October 1998 we made an extensive survey in southwest Tibet to study numbers, distribution and social structure of the kiang population in this remote part of its range. Kiangs were sighted between 29º 40’ and 32º 50’ N, and 81º- 86º E. They preferred broad flat valleys with lakes at an altitude from 4,000 up to 5,000 m. Small kiang groups and solitary animals were sighted in Transhimalaya. There were no kiangs in Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River valley, in the sand desert near Ali and in the Clay Mountains near Tsada. Seven old kiang corpses were found along …

Some Information On The Ecology Of Khulan (Equus Hemionus Pallas, 1775) In The Western Part Of The South Gobi Province, Mongolia, D. Tsendjav, S. Purevsuren

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This short study provides information on the density and distribution of khulans in September 2003 and speculates about factors that negatively influence the khulan population in the sums of Khurmen, Bayandalai, Noyon, Sevrei, and Gurvantes in the South Gobi province.

Turkmenian Kulan (Equus Onager Kulan) Captive Population, Anna Mekarska

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The Turkmenian kulan (Equus onager kulan) is critically endangered, fewer then 1,500 animals are left in the wild. In 2004, there were additional 570 Turkmenian kulans living in captivity: 156 specimens in Euro-Asian zoos, 83 in Askania Nova Reserve and 331 in Canyon Colorado Equid Sanctuary. Population size in EAZA region is decreasing both in terms of numbers and genetic parameters. Those facts underline the urgent need for coordinating development of Eurasian kulan’s captive population. From 2004 onwards, large efforts to create healthy breeding groups in zoos raised bigger interest in this species in European zoos.

Identification Of Herder-Wild Equid Conflicts In The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area In Sw Mongolia, Petra Kaczensky, N. Enkhsaihan, O. Ganbaatar, Christian Walzer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In protected areas of Mongolian overgrazing, competition with wild ungulates and poaching are important management concerns. The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in SW Mongolia is a re-introduction site for the Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), a stronghold of the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), and remains an important grazing area for seminomadic herders. We show the power of simple inventory and monitoring methods to assess herder-wildlife conflicts, by combining data of: (1) human and livestock demographic data, (2) migration patterns, of semi-nomadic herders, (3) monthly surveys of wild- and domestic ungulates, and (4) …

Biodiversity In Space And Time: Towards A Grid Mapping For Mongolia, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe, Henrik Von Wehrden, Nayamsuren Batsaikhan, Ravčigijn Samjaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In the future, grid mapping of animal and plant organisms will also play a major role in Mongolia. Based on geographical coordinates, a grid with a resolution of 100 x 100 km was created, which contained 561 cells. Methods and level of current understanding are exemplified by means of two raptors and three mammal species. This establishes a basis for an initial project, which will summarize all breeding occurrences of raptors based on all records, publications, or diary notes. For the first time, the short toed eagle was verified in Mongolia as a breeding bird in 2004. By 2006, ten …

Kiangs (Equus Kiang, Moorcroft 1841) In Sikkim, India, Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Between the 5^th and 10^th of March 2001 we completed a 450 km route by car in Northern Sikkim. During the trip along the southern slopes of the Himalayas and Sikkim Plateau we didn’t see a single kiang. According to the local people and military personnel in Sikkim, kiangs are known only in the outer limits of the Sikkim Plateau, where wild animals have a possibility to migrate free over the Chinese-Indian border. In winter only small groups of kiang incidentally come to the Sikkim Plateau from South Tibet. But in May more of them come there and …

Current Status Of The Khulan (Equus Hemionus) In The Trans-Altai Gobi, Enkhbileg Dulamtseren, Adiya Yadamjav, Dovchindorj Ganbold, Mijidorj Batmunkh

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Since 1975, 25 wildlife surveys have been conducted in the Trans-Altai Gobi. In this paper we summarize results from the last 11 surveys, conducted between October 2000 and April 2005, and discuss our findings together with results from previous surveys.

Carl Hagenbeck Und Die Przewalskipferde, Klaus Gille, Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

First paragraph:

Was den unmittelbaren Anstoß für CARL HAGENBECK gab, 1901 den Import von Przewalskipferden zu initiieren, ist nicht bekannt. In seiner Autobiographie „Von Tieren und Menschen“ (1908) verweist er selbst auf eine Anregung durch den Herzog von BEDFORD (S. 212), die ihn zu diesem Unternehmen bewogen habe.

Assessment Of Non-Metric Skull Characters And Age Determination In The Asiatic Wild Ass Equus Hemionus: A Methodological Approach, Hermann Ansorge, Annegret Stubbe, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Michael Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The report presents the first information on the use of non-metric skull characters and age determination by tooth section for Asiatic wild asses. It was initiated by a collection of more than 400 skulls of the Asiatic wild ass from the Bordzongijn-Gobi 2002-2004. The methodological overview gives a first research prospect in Asiatic Wild Ass concerning the use of non-metric skull characters as a morphological tool for assessing genetic variability, determining epigenetic divergences and evaluating fluctuating asymmetry. The time course of tooth eruption and replacement in the Asiatic wild ass is described with regard to its use for age determination. …

Territorial Behaviour Of Kiang (Equus Kiang Moorcroft, 1841) In Ladakh (India), Natalia V. Paklina, Chris Van Orden

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The observations of kiang behavior were made in Navokar Valley northeast of Tso Kar Lake (Ladakh, India) between July 30 and November 22, 2001. In the breeding season (end of July until the end of August) adult kiang males kept not overlapping, protected territories (about 10 km²), and marked by single defecation and urination marks. There were adult females with and without offspring on the territories (up to 12 animals, including the male). The distance between male and females on the territories was usually hundred times bigger, then a distance between stallion and his harem in horses. Females …

Semi-Wild Population Of Kulans In The Bukhara Breeding Centre And Their Co-Habitation With Przewalski’S Horses, Karim Bahloul, Olga B. Pereladova, Natalia V. Soldatova, Ekaterina V. Sidorenko, Antoine J. Sempere

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Asiatic wild asses and Przewalski's horses initially inhabited steppe, semi-desert and desert areas, but Przewalski's horses became extinct in the wild, and kulans are under threat of disappearance. The Bukhara Breeding Centre (Uzbekistan) was created in 1976 for conservation and reintroduction of wild ungulate species. In 1977-1978, five kulans (two males and three females) from Barsa-Kelmes Island on the Aral lake were introduced to the reserve. The group increased to 25-30 animals in 1995-1998, when five Przewalski's horses from Moscow and St. Petersburg zoos were introduced to the same territory. We analyzed the home ranges, preferred habitats and social interactions …

Social Networks In Wild Asses: Comparing Patterns And Processes Among Populations, Daniel I. Rubenstein, Siva Sundaresan, Ilya Fischhoff, David Saltz

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Asiatic wild asses inhabit some of the most arid environments in the world. All live in fissionfusion societies, but demography varies and the deserts in which they live often differ in subtle ways. Characterizing details of social structure of wild ass populations has been a challenge and has made it difficult to determine causes and consequences of any differences that might exist. We use network theory to compare the social structures of two populations of Asiatic asses/ onagers inhabiting the Negev desert, Israel and khur of the Little Rann of Kuch, India and show that populations differ in important structural …

An Overview On The State Of Equus Hemionus In Whole China, Weikang Yang

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The wild ass in China is divided into two species: Gobi khulan (Equus hemionus) and kiang (Equus kiang). Maps and charts of the distribution and population sizes in China and Mongolia of each species are shown from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Boletín De Grupo De Especialistas En Crácidos 23-28 (2007-2009), Iucn, Birdlife International, Cracid Specialist Group

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

Volume 23 (Spring 2007)

Registros de anidamiento del pavo de cacho (Oreophasis derbianus) en el Volcan Atitlán, Guatemala, Knut Eisermann, Andy Burge, y Gerardo López

Registros de ninhos de Oreophasis derbianus no Vulcão Atitlan, Guatemala, Knut Eisermann, Andy Burge, e Gerardo López

Nesting records of horned guan (Oreophasis derbianus) on Atitlán Volcano, Guatemala, Knut Eisermann, Andy Burge, and Gerardo López

El redescubrimiento de la chachalaca de la Isla Utila (Ortalis vetula deschauenseei), Sheri L. Glowinski

Redescoberta do aracuã da Ilha Utila (Ortalis vetula deschauenseei), Sheri L. Glowinski

Rediscovery of the Utila Island …

Wpa News 78 (2007), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2007), number 78

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Wpa News 80 (2007/2008), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2007/2008), number 80

Published by the World Pheasant Association

2007 Plant Community Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Banner & Scotts Bluff Counties, Nebraska, Robert F. Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

To facilitate conservation efforts within the BUL, vegetation surveys were conducted from July 5 to August 30, 2007 to provide additional information concerning the distribution and quality of native plant community and rare plant species occurrences within the area.

Approximately 50,000 acres were surveyed representing approximately one third of the Wildcat Hills west of Hubbard’s Gap Road. Landowners were contacted and permission to access their properties granted prior to field surveys. Nebraska Natural Heritage Program (NHHP) Ecological Community Survey Forms were completed to document plant communities, and NHHP Rare Plant Survey Forms were completed to document rare plants (S1 and …

Multifunctional Rural Landscapes: Economic, Environmental, Policy, And Social Impacts Of Land Use Changes In Nebraska, Twyla M. Hansen, Charles A. Francis, J. Dixon Esseks, J. Allen Williams Jr.

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The conversion of farmland near cities to other human uses is a global trend that challenges our long-term capacity to provide food, fiber, and ecosystem services to a growing world population. If current trends continue in the United States, the population will reach 450 million by the year 2050. At the same time, an accelerating change in land use will reduce today’s two acres per person of farmland to less than one acre per person. This is scarcely enough to produce food for our domestic population, without any food available for export – even assuming advances in technology. We need …

A Scent-Station Survey Of Medium-Size Mammals On The Callaway Preserve, Harris County, Georgia, Anna-Maria Giacobello

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this project was to determine the relative abundance of medium- sized mammals on the Callaway Preserve in Harris County, Georgia, using the scent- station technique, to determine species preference in regard to habitat, to compare relative abundance of species in regard to habitat, and to compare habitats in terms of the species present. Thirty-six scent-stations were established on the property and monitored to observe the presence of coyotes, raccoons, armadillos, foxes, opossums, and skunks. Of the total number of visits to the scent-stations, 36.36 % were coyotes, 18.18% were foxes 22.73% were armadillos, and 22.73% were raccoons. …

Possible Use Of Foresight, Understanding, And Planning By Wolves Hunting Muskoxen, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

On Ellesmere Island in 2006, arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos) were observed making a two-pronged approach to a herd of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and, on another occasion, ambushing muskoxen. Both observations seemed to provide evidence that the wolves were using foresight, understanding, and planning. Although the possible use of insight and purposiveness has been documented in captive wolves, the present report is one of the few to document the possibility that freeranging wolves use these other three mental processes.

En 2006, sur l’île Ellesmere, des loups arctiques (Canis lupus arctos) ont été observés en …

Annual Arctic Wolf Pack Size Related To Arctic Hare Numbers, L. David Mech

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

During the summers of 2000 through 2006, I counted arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) pups and adults in a pack, arctic hares (Lepus arcticus) along a 9 km index route in the area, and muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) in a 250 km² part of the area near Eureka (80° N, 86° W), Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. Adult wolf numbers did not correlate with muskox numbers, but they were positively related (r² = 0.89; p < 0.01) to an arctic hare index. This is the first report relating wolf numbers to non-ungulate prey.

Pendant les étés 2000 à 2006, j’ai compté les jeunes loups arctiques et les adultes (Canis lupus arctos …

Mist Netting Bias, Species Accumulation Curves, And The Rediscovery Of Two Bats On Montserrat (Lesser Antilles), Roxanne Larsen, Karen A. Boegler, Hugh H. Genoways, Will P. Masefield, Ronan A. Kirsch, Scott C. Pedersen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Mist nets are commonly used to survey bat populations and to estimate bat biodiversity, but several studies have found that mist net capture data and methods are biased due to a number of factors, including size and placement of nets, and the frequency at which investigators check their nets. Despite the wealth of literature and anecdotal reports, few investigators have quantified the interactions of bats with mist nets directly. We employed night vision camcorders to monitor bat behavior when bats encountered a mist net and then utilized these data to reevaluate years of survey data collected on Montserrat, Lesser Antilles. …

Hydrologic Connectivity And The Contribution Of Stream Headwaters To Ecological Integrity At Regional Scales, Mary C. Freeman, Catherine M. Pringle, C. Rhett Jackson

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Cumulatively, headwater streams contribute to maintaining hydrologic connectivity and ecosystem integrity at regional scales. Hydrologic connectivity is the water-mediated transport of matter, energy and organisms within or between elements of the hydrologic cycle. Headwater streams compose over two-thirds of total stream length in a typical river drainage and directly connect the upland and riparian landscape to the rest of the stream ecosystem. Altering headwater streams, e.g., by channelization, diversion through pipes, impoundment and burial, modifies fluxes between uplands and downstream river segments and eliminates distinctive habitats. The large-scale ecological effects of altering headwaters are amplified by land uses that alter …

4th International Galliformes Symposium (October 14-21, 2007 : Gengdu, Sichuan, China): Abstracts, World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Conference Proceedings

Introduction

Scientific programme committee chairman's introduction, Stephen J. Browne

Conserving Asia's Galliformes: Progress and challenges, Philip J. K. McGowan

An introduction to research and conservation of China's Galliformes, Zhang Zhengwang and Zheng Guangmei

China talks: session 1

Conservation hotspots and gap analysis of Galliformes in China, Ding Changqing, Zhang Cheng’an and Philip J. K. McGowan

Roosting behavoiur of buff-throated partridge Tetraophasis szechenyii, Xu Yu, Ran Jianghong, Zhou Xin, Yang Nan, Yue Bisong, and Wang Ying

A study of the genetic structure and molecular phylogeography of the Tibetan snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, An Bei, Zhang Lixun, Ruan Luzhang, …

Termite Resource Partitioning Related To Log Diameter, Deborah A. Waller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The termites Reticuliterines virginicus and R. flavipes are sympatric in forests along the eastern United States from Florida to Maryland. These congeners construct subterranean nests, forage on surface and buried wood, and appear to have very similar ecological requirements. In the present study, I examined host-wood selection by these species in a coastal forest over two years. Logs inhabited by R. virginicus had significantly greater diameters than those used by R. flavipes. It is not known whether this pattern resulted from species-specific differences in preference for host size or competition for preferred logs. Host-wood temperature did not differ for …

Identifying Economic Indicators For Ecosystem-Based Management:, Scott Norris

Publications

In America and across the world, the use of ecosystem-based management is

increasing. One of the primary challenges faced in using this method of management is the integration of economic data and environmental information. This report explores the use of a new tool for integrating economic data, ecosystem-based economic indicators, in a case study of Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, an estuarine environment located in Monterey County, CA. Research and literature reviews were used to detail the economic activities of the area, in order to identify possible indicators,criteria for evaluating the indicators, and potential sources of indicator data. After …

Evaluating Diet Composition Of Pronghorn In Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jaret D. Sievers, Jonathan A. Jenks, Chad L. Sexton, Daniel E. Roddy

The Prairie Naturalist

The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) was reintroduced into Wind Cave National Park (WCNP), South Dakota, in 1914, and thus, has inhabited the Park for nearly a century. During the 1990's, a decline in the population raised concern for the continued existence of pronghorn inside WCNP; an investigation into the observed decline was initiated. Primary objectives of our study were to evaluate diet composition and forage selection by pronghorn in WCNP. Microhistological analysis was conducted on 58 fecal samples collected opportunistically from pronghorn during 2002. Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), common juniper (Juniperus communis), and northern bedstraw …

The Prairie Naturalist, Volume 38, Number 4, December 2006, Elmer J. Finck, Hilary Gillock

The Prairie Naturalist

Full issue of The Prairie Naturalist (December 2006), volume 38, number 4.

Amphibians and Reptiles in a MixedGrass Prairie in Northwestern North Dakota by Robert K. Murphy, Robert F. Danley, and Patricia K. Moore, pages 207-212

Morphometrics of Six Turtle Species from South Dakota by Sarah J. Bandas and Kenneth F. Higgins, pages 213-222

Evaluation of Habitat Enhancement Structure Use by Spotted Bass by Stanley L. Proboszcz and Christopher S. Guy, pages 223-238

Evaluating Diet Composition of Pronghorn in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota by Christopher N. Jacques , Jaret D. Sievers, Jonathan A. Jenks, Chad L. Sexton, and …

Evaluation Of Habitat Enhancement Structure Use By Spotted Bass, Stanley L. Proboszcz, Christopher S. Guy

The Prairie Naturalist

Habitat enhancement is a common and effective method used to positively influence fish populations. However, there is a paucity of speciesspecific evaluations of stream habitat enhancement structures for warmwater fishes. We evaluated use of half-log, rootwad enhancement structure, and simulated undercut bank (LUNKERS) by adult and juvenile spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) in natural and experimental streams. Enhancement structures were installed in Otter Creek, Kansas. Adult spotted bass use of natural and enhancement structure was documented weekly during summer and fall of 2001 and 2002 with radiotelemetry. Mean total length (TL) of adult fish was 292 mm (SE = …