The impact of dissemination on teenegers

Several things can influence us when our opinion is being shaped. Media, traditions and superstitions can be harmful factors of influence. The most receptive and vulnerable age group is the 8-14 year old teenagers. During this period outside impacts are playing decisive role to shape their personality (these effects can predict what kind of person they will become). We have done an attitude survey in this age group. Our question was as follows: Can significant difference be detected between "treated" school group and "control" school group due to the dissemination? A paper-based questionnaire was used, about bats and what children think about bats. The questionnaire included 22 items based on the works of ADDAMS & LINDSEY (2009) and LETENYEI & NAGY (2007). The questionnaires were summarized as "treated" and "control" groups, then Microsoft Excel was used to perform Chi-square tests. From 22 questions only four were shown significant difference and three differences out of four were shown in the control group. The wrong answers percentage was increased all the three times. Treated group was shown strong significant difference (p=0,001) in one question (“How do you relate to bats?”). In this case the positive attitude has been increased due to the dissemination. Since there is not any significant difference in the vast majority of these questions (before and after the dissemination), the effect of the dissemination is questionable. Presumably, there will not be increase in the population’s knowledge, but the emotional attitude can be changed with dissemination

Hair determination and identification from bird nests

The aim of our study was to test a new noninvasive method, the bird-nest analysis in urban environment. The study area (Merzse-swamp) is located in the south south-west of Budapest. The area is bordered by the M0 motorway (from East), the Ferihegy Airport (from South) and the suburb of the 17th district (from East). We have collected 13 nests and we have found mammalian hairs in 9 nests (69,23%). From one nest an average of 5,31 (SE=5,31) hairs were found, from this 3,77 (SE=4,17) were able to be prepared and 2,85 (SE=2,91) were categorized. We have created 13 categories from the data. 5 of these were species categories (Talpa europea, Mustela nivalis, Homo sapiens, Lutra lutra and Myoxus glis), 3 of them were twin-species (Rattus rattus-Rattus norvegicus, Muscardinus avellanarius-Dryomis nitedula and Oryctolagus cuniculus-Lepus europaeus). These species cannot be exactly identified just by hair morphology (supplementary data is needed, e.g.: area of distribution). 3 genera were identified (Canidae spp., Chiroptera spp. and Apodemus/Microtus sp.). Finally, there are 2 categories for unidentifiable hairs („not hair”: revealed during the microscope study, „unidentifiable”: data deficient). The most common species were Homo sapiens and Mustela nivalis. In the case of one species (Lutra lutra) we think it would be necessary to confirm the presence with other observations (visual observation, footprints and remains of preys). According to our study it has been demonstrated that the nest-analysis can be a useful technique to researchers and urban wildlife management experts. References from hairs and practice are necessary to get familiar with the method

The impact of dissemination on teenegers

Several things can influence us when our opinion is being shaped. Media, traditions and superstitions can be harmful factors of influence. The most receptive and vulnerable age group is the 8-14 year old teenagers. During this period outside impacts are playing decisive role to shape their personality (these effects can predict what kind of person they will become). We have done an attitude survey in this age group. Our question was as follows: Can significant difference be detected between "treated" school group and "control" school group due to the dissemination? A paper-based questionnaire was used, about bats and what children think about bats. The questionnaire included 22 items based on the works of ADDAMS & LINDSEY (2009) and LETENYEI & NAGY (2007). The questionnaires were summarized as "treated" and "control" groups, then Microsoft Excel was used to perform Chi-square tests. From 22 questions only four were shown significant difference and three differences out of four were shown in the control group. The wrong answers percentage was increased all the three times. Treated group was shown strong significant difference (p=0,001) in one question (“How do you relate to bats?”). In this case the positive attitude has been increased due to the dissemination. Since there is not any significant difference in the vast majority of these questions (before and after the dissemination), the effect of the dissemination is questionable. Presumably, there will not be increase in the population’s knowledge, but the emotional attitude can be changed with dissemination

Hair determination and identification from bird nests

The aim of our study was to test a new noninvasive method, the bird-nest analysis in urban environment. The study area (Merzse-swamp) is located in the south south-west of Budapest. The area is bordered by the M0 motorway (from East), the Ferihegy Airport (from South) and the suburb of the 17th district (from East). We have collected 13 nests and we have found mammalian hairs in 9 nests (69,23%). From one nest an average of 5,31 (SE=5,31) hairs were found, from this 3,77 (SE=4,17) were able to be prepared and 2,85 (SE=2,91) were categorized. We have created 13 categories from the data. 5 of these were species categories (Talpa europea, Mustela nivalis, Homo sapiens, Lutra lutra and Myoxus glis), 3 of them were twin-species (Rattus rattus-Rattus norvegicus, Muscardinus avellanarius-Dryomis nitedula and Oryctolagus cuniculus-Lepus europaeus). These species cannot be exactly identified just by hair morphology (supplementary data is needed, e.g.: area of distribution). 3 genera were identified (Canidae spp., Chiroptera spp. and Apodemus/Microtus sp.). Finally, there are 2 categories for unidentifiable hairs („not hair”: revealed during the microscope study, „unidentifiable”: data deficient). The most common species were Homo sapiens and Mustela nivalis. In the case of one species (Lutra lutra) we think it would be necessary to confirm the presence with other observations (visual observation, footprints and remains of preys). According to our study it has been demonstrated that the nest-analysis can be a useful technique to researchers and urban wildlife management experts. References from hairs and practice are necessary to get familiar with the method

Guard hairs' applicability in carnivore related monitoring programs

With noninvasive methods we can avoid direct contact with animals, because of this, researchers' presence will not bias the results of the survey and animals can avoid stressful situations. The use of noninvasive techniques probably dates back to the origin of humans, the knowledge on traces and scats can be considered as noninvasive methods, but we can gather useful information from mammalian hairs too. A hair can be a useful data source to gather infromation on certain predators' diet (ex. scat analysis, prey remains) or to receive some basic faunistical data on a given area (ex. birdnest analysis), but it can be a good tool for forensic science too. There are certain features of a hair that can be used for identification, such as lenght, shape, color (macroscopic), medulla pattern with and without oil preparation, and cuticula impression in gelatin (microscopic). These features were examined by a light microscope (400x magnification). Hair samples from 11 predator species kept in safari park - occured in Hungary were studied. Hair was collected from 4 body region individually (dorsal, lateral, abdominal, snout). Thus 44 independent, anonym samples were sent to three experts to identify the species by the hair. Four species were identyfied with success over 50% (Brown bear 75%, European badger 67%, Lynx 58%, Raccoon dog 58%) in total. Raccoon and grey wolf were identyfied in the least range (17%-17%). Regarding the different body parts, there were significant differences in identifying hair samples with success of certain species. It was easier to identify the species by dorsal cover hair (61%) than by the lateral hair (55%). The rate of success by examining hair from the abdomen and snout is only 21% and 24%. Unsuccessful identification was 9 out of 44 samples (hair from abdomen in 5 cases, hair from snout in 4 cases). Researchs was supported “Sustainable Conservation on Hungarian Natura 2000 Sites” (registration number SH/4/8) Swiss-Hungarian partnership program. Report was supported by the Ministry of Human Resources. (Research Faculty) (registration number: 7 629-24/2013/TUDPOL)