10 research outputs found
Comparing post-release survival and habitat use by captive-bred Cabot’s Tragopan (Tragopan caboti) in an experimental test of soft-release reintroduction strategies
Background: Restoring a viable population by reintroduction is the ultimate goal of a large number of ex situ conservation projects for endangered animals. However, many reintroductions fail to establish a population in the wild, partly because released animals cannot acclimate to the native environment of the release site, resulting in very low survival rates. Acclimation training is a technique to resolve this problem, although it does not have positive results in all species. We tested whether acclimation training and soft-release could improve the reintroduction success for captive-bred Cabot’s Tragopan (Tragopan caboti), an endangered pheasant in southern China. Methods: Reintroduction of captive-bred Cabot’s Tragopan was carried out in the Taoyuandong National Nature Reserve, China from 2010 to 2011. We built a soft-release enclosure for acclimation training in the typical montane habitat of this pheasant. Nine birds were acclimated to the environment of this release site in this cage for more than 50 days before release (“trained birds”), while 11 birds remained only in the cage for 3 days prior to release (“untrained birds”). Released birds were tagged with a collar radio-transmitter. Results: Post-release monitoring revealed that the survival rate of trained birds was higher than that of untrained birds after 50 days (trained: 85.7%; untrained: 20.0%). Cox regression analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the mortality rates between the trained and untrained birds. In addition, a survey of the habitat of the experimental and the control groups showed significant differences in habitat selection between the groups. Conclusion: Our study suggests that pre-release acclimatization training is an important factor that can lead to improved survival and habitat selection of captive-bred reintroduced tragopans
Nematode parasites of Pescada Gó, Macrodon ancylodon Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Osteichthyes, Sciaenidae), from Vila dos Pescadores, Bragança-PA, Brazil
Seasonal variations in spatial usage by the estuarine dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (van Bénéden, 1864) (Cetacea; Delphinidae) at its southern limit of distribution
Dendroecological Studies with Cedrela odorata L., Northeastern Brazil
Northeastern Brazil is home to the Caatinga Forest, characterized as a Tropical Dry Forest (TDF), and the Dense Ombrophilous Forest (the Atlantic Forest) predominates near the coast. In the Caatinga, the climate is semiarid, with <600 mm of mean annual precipitation and a mean annual air temperature of 27 °C ± 6 °C. The precipitation presents a seasonal pattern, with a rainy season concentrated in the first half of the year and at least 6 months of dry season, with volumes <50 mm/month. The climate in the Atlantic Forest has a milder air temperature and a mean rainfall of 1450 mm/year. In both regions the tree species, Cedrela odorata L., widely studied in dendrochronology, presents populations in farms, with several individuals per hectare. In recent decades, 10 chronologies of C. odorata have been produced and compared to precipitation and other environmental factors, and their competition with lianas and support of the herbivorous process has been noted. This chapter presents the potential of C. odorata for dendrochronology in Northeastern Brazil; the anatomy of true rings with marginal parenchyma associated with vessels differed from the false rings by the absence of vessels. Absent rings were also observed. Nine chronologies had correlations above the critical level of 0.51 (0.51?0.79) and sensitivity between 0.547 and 0.771. The correlation between all series (rbt) of all chronologies had values between 0.27 and 0.68 and expressed population signal (EPS) above 0.85 (between 0.88 and 0.98). In both biomes, several populations of C. odorata have resulted in climate-related chronologies that showed the seasonal rainfall from May to July induces metabolism and growth rings formation. We also presented the methodology used for tropical dendroecology studies and the relationship between plant growth and environmental conditions.Fil: Lisi, Claudio Sergio. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Alves Pagotto, Mariana. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Anholetto, Claudio Roberto. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Carvalho Nogueira, Francisco. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Lima Santos, Helberson . Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Costa, Clayane Matos . Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Romany Nunes Menezes, Ítallo . Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Roig Junent, Fidel Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Filho, Mario Tommasiello . Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi