Phenology of Stipa krylovii Roshev. and Stipa tianschanica var. klemenzii Roshev., species dominating the vegetation communities of Hustai National Park

Includes bibliographical references.Presented at the Building resilience of Mongolian rangelands: a trans-disciplinary research conference held on June 9-10, 2015 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.Hustai National Park (HNP), which is one of the important parts of the Mongolian Special Protection Areas network, was founded in 1992 with the purpose of reintroducing the Takhi horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). HNP vegetation phenology research was first done in 1999 and since 2003 has been conducted each year between 24th of April and 24th of September, every 10 days. The purpose of this study is to identify, with the help of dominant species, the response of vegetation growing period to climate changes and to clarify features of species' phenology changes. As a result of the research we identified and recorded general trends of dominant vegetation phenology stages and how these changes respond to environmental factors (air temperature and precipitation). Comparison of the phenology stages of the two grasses dominant in the mountain steppe and steppe communities, Stipa tianschanica var. klemenzii Roshev. and Stipa krylovii Roshev. identified that the May and June precipitation amount had a significant effect on the beginning of the species' spring growing period (p<0.027). The results show that the vegetation growing period of the species has been increasing in the mountain steppe communities

In Memoriam, Academician Prof. Dr. Osor Shagdarsuren (1929-2010)

Academician, Professor Osor Shagdarsuren passed away due to apoplexy on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the age of 81. He was one of the most respected Mongolian ornithologists, biologists, and educators. The Mongolian scientific community has lost one of its greatest members, the premier Mongolian ornithologist

In-house Production Method for DNA Ladders to Determine Nucleotide Fragment Sizes up to 1500 Base Pairs

The human genome project was recently completed after running for 15 years and revealed the presence of 30,000 genes in the human genome with a total nucleotide length of 3.2 billion base pairs (bp). Many novel methods and techniques have been developed in the field of molecular biology and molecular genetics as a result of intensive research, where basic analysis is impossible without the use of DNA size markers or DNA ladders. This research aimed to establish an in-house method to produce DNA size markers detecting up to 1500 bp size. DNA size markers are commonly used consumables in molecular biology laboratories. In this study, we report preparation of a DNA size marker consisting of 12 fragments from 100 to 1500 bp. DNA fragments were amplified by PCR and PCR products were then ligated in the cloning vector pDYNE TA V2. Our procedure for DNA size marker production could be simple, time saving, and inexpensive.nbs

Do Bar-Headed Geese Train for High Altitude Flights?

Exercise at high altitude is extremely challenging, largely due to hypobaric hypoxia (low oxygen levels brought about by low air pressure). In humans, the maximal rate of oxygen consumption decreases with increasing altitude, supporting progressively poorer performance. Bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) are renowned high altitude migrants and, although they appear to minimize altitude during migration where possible, they must fly over the Tibetan Plateau (mean altitude 4800 m) for much of their annual migration. This requires considerable cardiovascular effort, but no study has assessed the extent to which bar-headed geese may train prior to migration for long distances, or for high altitudes. Using implanted loggers that recorded heart rate, acceleration, pressure, and temperature, we found no evidence of training for migration in bar-headed geese. Geese showed no significant change in summed activity per day or maximal activity per day. There was also no significant change in maximum heart rate per day or minimum resting heart rate, which may be evidence of an increase in cardiac stroke volume if all other variables were to remain the same. We discuss the strategies used by bar-headed geese in the context of training undertaken by human mountaineers when preparing for high altitude, noting the differences between their respective cardiovascular physiology.publishe

Geographic variation in bar-headed geese Anser Indicus : connectivity of wintering areas and breeding grounds across a broad front

The connectivity and frequency of exchange between sub-populations of migratory birds is integral to understanding population dynamics over the entire species range. True geese are highly philopatric and acquire lifetime mates during the winter, suggesting that the number of distinct sub-populations may be related to the number of distinct wintering areas. In the Bar-headed Goose Anser Indicus, a species found exclusively in Central Asia, the connectivity between breeding and wintering areas is not well known. Their migration includes crossing a broad front of the Himalaya Cordillera, a significant barrier to migration for most birds. Many Bar-headed Geese fly to breeding areas on the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau (TQP), the highest plateau in the world. From 2005 2008, 60 Bar-headed Geese were captured and marked with satellite transmitters in Nepal (n = 2), India (n = 6), China (n = 29), and Mongolia (n = 23) to examine their migration and distribution. Distinct differences were observed in their migration corridors and timing of movements, including an apparent leap-frog migration pattern for geese from Mongolia. Measurements of geese from Mongolia were larger than their counterparts from China, providing some evidence of morphological differences. Alteration of habitats in China, including the warming effects of climate change on glaciers increasing runoff to TQP wetlands, may be changing goose migration patterns and timing. With the exception of one individual, all geese from Qinghai Lake, China wintered in the southern TQP near Lhasa, and their increasing numbers in that region may be related to the effects of climate change and agricultural development. Thus, our findings document both morphological and geographical variation in sub-populations of Bar-headed Geese, but their resilience to environmental change may be lost if migratory short-stopping results in larger congregations restricted to a smaller number of wintering areas

Population trends and migration routes of the East Asian Bean Goose Anser fabalis middendorffii and A. f. serrirostris

Our ability to define the population status, migration routes and seasonal distribution of Bean Geese Anser fabalis throughout the annual cycle in East Asia is severely compromised by the presence of two subspecies (Eastern Taiga Bean Goose A. f. middendorffii and Eastern Tundra Bean Goose A. f. serrirostris), which are difficult to differentiate in the field. In this analysis, using tracking data from telemetry-tagged geese, count survey data and expert knowledge, we attempt to update existing knowledge of the ranges covered by both subspecies of Bean Goose in East Asia. We suggest that, in summer, the Eastern Tundra Bean Goose ranges from the Taimyr Peninsula in the west to the Anadyr River in the east. Taiga Bean Geese breed further south in the taiga zone, and results indicate that they occur in north-western Mongolia, Yakutia and the Kamchatka Peninsula during the summer months. The winter distribution of both subspecies extends through China, Japan and South Korea. Tracking data from 154 individuals revealed a major overlap in the migration routes of Tundra Bean Geese wintering in China, South Korea and Japan, but discrete flyways for Taiga Bean Geese wintering in different regions. Long-term ground surveys carried out in the wintering range showed that numbers of Bean Geese in China and South Korea have increased significantly, to number 253,100 and 88,300 individuals respectively, of which roughly 10% are considered to be Taiga Bean Geese, about which subspecies we need to know more. Numbers of Japanese-wintering Bean Geese are slowly rising, currently numbering c. 10,300 (c. 900 Tundra Bean Geese and c. 9,400 Taiga Bean Geese). On the basis of these national and flyway estimates, derived from counts over the last five years, we identify new key wintering sites for the species in East Asia. Distributional changes at sites in China showed that wintering Bean Geese (most likely of the Tundra form) have become more widespread and numerous in the Yangtze River floodplain since the early 2000s. We argue for future strengthening of international cooperation to continue tracking and monitoring of Bean Geese, to provide a sound scientific basis for the effective management and protection of the flyway populations of both Bean Goose subspecies throughout East Asia

Two distinct flyways with different population trends of Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii in East Asia

Two of the most fundamental ecological questions about any species relate to where they occur and in what abundance. Here, we combine GPS telemetry data, survey data and expert knowledge for the first time to define two distinct flyways (the East Asian Continental and West Pacific flyways), migration routes and abundance for the Eastern population of Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii. The Eastern population is the largest flyway population, supporting c. 77% of Bewick’s Swan numbers globally. GPS telemetry data showed that birds breeding in the Russian arctic from the Yamal Peninsula to c. 140°E (including the Lena and Yana Deltas), winter in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China (which we label the “East Asian Continental flyway”). Bewick’s Swans breeding from the Indigirka River east to the Koluchin Bay winter in Japan, mostly in Niigata, Yamagata and Ishikawa Prefectures (the “West Pacific flyway”). There was no overlap in migration routes used by tagged individuals from the two flyways. Counts of Bewick’s Swans in the East Asian Continental flyway during the 21st century have shown wide between-year variations, reflecting incomplete coverage in earlier years. Bewick’s Swans in this flyway currently numbers c. 65,000 birds based on extensive wintering survey coverage, compared to c. 81,000 in the early 2000s, based on less complete coverage. Chinese-wintering swans now concentrate mainly (c. 80%) at Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province and Hubei Lakes (mostly in Longgan Lake), compared to a more widespread distribution both within Poyang and throughout the Auhui Lakes in 2004 and 2005. In contrast, Bewick’s Swans of the West Pacific flyway now numbers c. 40,000, compared to just 542 in 1970. This population has shown no significant overall change since 2004, when it numbered c. 45,000 birds. Small numbers within this population probably also winter in South Korea. These results provide our first basic understanding of the winter distribution of Chinese- and Japanese-wintering Bewick’s Swans in relation to their breeding areas, confirming the need to coordinate future research and monitoring in the two flyways, as well as the need for more information on swans wintering in South Korea