82 research outputs found
Bayesian modelling reveals differences in long-term trends in the harvest of native and introduced species by recreational hunters in Australia
Context: Little is known about wildlife harvesting by licensed recreational hunters in Australia, where both native and introduced species are hunted. It is important to understand harvest trends to assess sustainability for native species and implications for population control of introduced species.
Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse trends in hunter participation, activity and efficiency, and wildlife harvest, including effects of climate, in Victoria, Australia, for three game species groups: introduced deer, native waterfowl (ducks) and one native grassland species, stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis).
Methods: Telephone surveys of a random sample of licenced Victorian hunters were performed annually from 2009 to 2019. Hunters were asked to quantify their hunting effort and the number of animals harvested. The respondents’ answers were analysed to estimate measures of hunter success, activity and efficiency. Bayesian modelling was applied to these data, accounting for changes over time, differences between survey periods for all licence types, and random effects for over-dispersion. The effect of climate on game bird hunter activity and harvest was estimated, as measured by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Results: Over 11 years, annual deer harvest (all species) increased exponentially, at a mean annual rate of 17% (95% credible interval: 14–21%), and the number of deer hunters increased at 8% (5–11%). In contrast, for ducks and stubble quail, hunter numbers remained relatively unchanged, with no evidence of consistent change to total harvests over time, unrelated to changes in environmental conditions or regulations. The annual duck harvest was influenced by ENSO and hunting regulations. The annual stubble quail harvest exhibited ‘boom-and-bust’ dynamics, with an exceptionally large harvest immediately after a La Niña season.
Conclusions: Long-term monitoring of harvest trends in south-eastern Australia revealed stark differences between introduced deer and native birds: harvest of deer increased rapidly whereas equivalent rates for game birds were either stable or declining. Seasonal effects had a strong influence on game bird harvest. Environmental and regulatory conditions were influential for harvest outcomes for ducks and stubble quail.
Implications: This study filled a key knowledge gap around managing harvesting of game species, but increased scrutiny is warranted in this field
Measurements of exclusive B_s^0 decays at the Y(5S) resonance
Several exclusive decays are studied using a 1.86 fb-1 data sample
collected at the Y(5S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric
energy e^+ e^- collider. In the decay mode we find 10
candidates and measure the corresponding branching fraction. Combining
the B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)-} \pi^+, B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)-} \rho^+, B_s^0 -> J/\psi \phi
and B_s^0 -> J/\psi \eta decay modes, a significant signal is observed.
The ratio \sigma (e^+ e^- -> B_s^* \bar{B}_s^*) / \sigma (e^+ e^- -> B_s^{(*)}
\bar{B}_s^{(*)}) = (93^{+7}_{-9} \pm 1)% is obtained at the Y(5S) energy,
indicating that meson production proceeds predominantly through the
creation of pairs. The and meson masses are
measured to be M(B_s^0)=(5370 \pm 1 \pm 3)MeV/c^2 and M(B_s^*)=(5418 \pm 1 \pm
3)MeV/c^2. Upper limits on the B_s^0 -> \gamma \gamma, B_s^0 -> \phi \gamma,
B_s^0 -> K^+ K^- and B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)+} D_s^{(*)-} branching fractions are
also reported.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, published in Phys. Rev. D76, 012002 (2007
Measurement of the near-threshold cross section using initial-state radiation
We report measurements of the exclusive cross section for , where or , in the center-of-mass energy range from the threshold to with initial-state radiation. The
analysis is based on a data sample collected with the Belle detector with an
integrated luminosity of 673 .Comment: Presented at EPS07 and LP07 conferences, published in PRD(RC
Search for Resonant Decays at Belle
We report measurements and searches for resonant decays where is a
meson or
the X(3872) particle.Comment: accepted by Physics Letters
Search for B+ -> D*+ pi0 decay
We report on a search for the doubly Cabibbo suppressed decay B+ -> D*+ pi0,
based on a data sample of 657 million BBbar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S)
resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e+ e- collider.
We find no significant signal and set an upper limit of Br(B+ -> D*+ pi0) < 3.6
x 10^-6 at the 90% confidence level. This limit can be used to constrain the
ratio between suppressed and favored B -> D* pi decay amplitudes, r < 0.051, at
the 90% confidence level.Comment: 5pages, 2figures, submitted to PRL (v1); PRL published version (v2:
minor corrections in the text
Observation of Ds1(2536)+ -> D+pi-K+ and angular decomposition of Ds1(2536)+ -> D*+K0S
Using 462/fb of e+e- annihilation data recorded by the Belle detector, we
report the first observation of the decay Ds1(2536)+ -> D+pi-K+. The ratio of
branching fractions B(Ds1+ -> D+pi-K+)/B(Ds1+ -> D*+K0) is measured to be
(3.27+-0.18+-0.37)%. We also study the angular distributions in the Ds1(2536)+
-> D*+K0S decay and measure the ratio of D- and S-wave amplitudes. The S-wave
dominates, with a partial width of Gamma_S/Gamma_total=0.72+-0.05+-0.01.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.D 16 pages, 6 figures, 3 table
Search for lepton-flavor-violating decays at Belle
We have searched for neutrinoless lepton decays into and ,
where stands for an electron or muon, and for a vector meson
(, , , or ), using 543 fb
of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy
collider. No excess of signal events over the expected background has
been observed, and we set upper limits on the branching fractions in the range
at the 90% confidence level. These upper limits
include the first results for the mode as well as new limits that
are significantly more restrictive than our previous results for the , , and modes.Comment: 7 pages, 16 figure
Improved measurement of CP-violating parameters in rho+rho- decays
We present a measurement of the CP-violating asymmetry in rho+rho- decays
using 535 million BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB
e+e- collider. We measure CP-violating coefficients A = 0.16 +- 0.21(stat) +-
0.07 (syst) and S = 0.19 +- 0.30(stat) +- 0.07 (syst}. These values are used to
determine the unitarity triangle angle phi_2 using an isospin analysis; the
solution consistent with Standard Model lies in the range 53 < phi_2 < 114 deg.
at 90 C.L.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, presented at JPS/DPF 2006 (Added KEK, BELLE
preprint numbers, submitted to PRD(RC)
Search for new charmonium states in the processes e+ e- --> J/psi D(*) D(*) at sqrt{s} ~ 10.6 GeV
We present a study of the X(3940) state in the process e+e- -> J/psi D* Dbar.
The X(3940) mass and width are measured to be (3942 +7 -6 +- 6)MeV/c^2 and
Gamma=(37 + 26 - 15 +- 8 MeV. In the process e+e- -> J/psi D* D*bar we have
observed another charmonium-like state, which we denote as X(4160), in the
spectrum of invariant masses of D*+ D*- combinations. The X(4160) parameters
are M= 4156 + 25 - 20 +- 15 MeV/c^2 and Gamma = 139 + 111 -61 +- 21 MeV. The
analysis is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 693 /fb
recorded near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+
e- asymmetric-energy collider.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Contribution paper for conferences EPS2007 and
Lepton Photon 2007, Belle-Conference-070
Search for \bar{B}^0\to\Lambda_c^+\bar{\Lambda}_c^- decay at Belle
We search for the doubly charmed baryonic decay
, in a data sample of
events accumulated at the resonance with the Belle
detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. We find no significant signal
and set an upper limit of at 90%
confidence level. The result is significantly below a naive extrapolation from
assuming a simple Cabibbo-suppression
factor of . The small branching fraction could be attributed
to a suppression due to the large momentum of the baryonic decay products,
which has been observed in other charmed baryonic two-body B decays. trend
observed in other charmed baryonic two-body B decays.Comment: 12 page, 5 figures. Contribution paper for conferences EPS2007 and
Lepton Photon 2007, Belle-Conference-070
- …