- Apply for Authority
- P-ISSN2765-2203
- E-ISSN2765-2211
- KCI Candidate
Abstract
This study was conducted from March 2018 to December 2019 to identify bird diversity and environmental correlates within the Mulchat-oream wetlands in the Jeju Islands of South Korea. A total of 255 individual belonging to 37 species were recorded form Mulchat-oream. The observation produced a species diversity of 3.14, species richness of 6.54 and species evenness of 0.88 in 2018, and in 2019, the observed species diversity was 3.02, species richness was 6.56 and species evenness was 0.84. The highly dominant species are composed of Passeriformes. The absence of diverse submerged plants, deep water depth and isolated geographical locations makes difficult for aquatic birds to prefer this area, and this has resulted in the dominance of Passeriformes. The appearance of the birds was the lowest in the winter and highest during the summer. The analysis showed that the species richness and evenness increased with an increase in temperature and precipitation. However, the number of species appearing during Mulchat-oream significantly dependent on the temperature ( <0.001, df=2). To date, there has been little research on bird diversity together with environmental factors for the Hallasan National Park. This study shows the environmental factors and seasonal patterns that affect bird population.
Abstract
Xuan Thuy and Con Dao are natural Ramsar sites in Vietnam with different ecosystems, geography and topography. Avian fauna in these two Ramsar sites were recorded over a 2-year period from 2018 to 2019. A total of 234 bird species belonging to 57 families and 16 orders were confirmed in Xuan Thuy, while only 71 species involving 32 families and 12 orders were found in Con Dao. In total, 25 endangered species have been found in these two national parks based on the IUCN Red List. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Baer's Pochard are the most endangered species ranked as Critically Endangered, whereas Nicobar pigeon, which is endemic to Con Dao, is the only endangered bird species here. This study provides the list of bird species of international importance identified in these two wetlands.
Abstract
Seed dispersal supports community structure, maintains genetic connectivity across fragmented landscapes, and influences vegetation assemblages. In the Philippines, only two seed dispersal studies have compared different dispersal agents. We examined the seed dispersal patterns of water, wind, birds, and bats in the Caliraya Watershed, Philippines. We aimed to determine the floral species that were dispersed and how the forest characteristics influenced seed dispersal. By running seed rain traps and drift litter collection from March to June 2022, we analyzed 14,090 seeds in a privately owned study site within the watershed. Water did not exclusively disperse any species and acted as a secondary disperser. Seed density (seeds/trap) was significantly higher for bird-dispersed (n=166) and bat-dispersed (n=145) seeds than for wind-dispersed (n=79) seeds (One-way analysis of variance [ANOVA]: F2,87=16.21, P<0.0001). Species number (species/trap) was significantly higher for bird-dispersed (n=3.7) and bat-dispersed (n=3.9) seeds than for wind-dispersed (n=0.2) seeds (One-way ANOVA: F2,87=16.67, P<0.0001). Birds dispersed more species because they are more diverse and access a wider variety of fruits, unlike bats. Birds and bats target different fruits and provide separate seed dispersal services. Generalized linear model analyses revealed that the number and basal area of fleshy fruit trees most strongly influenced the bird seed dispersal patterns. Therefore, we recommend a three-way approach to restoration efforts in the Caliraya Watershed: (1) ensure the presence of fleshy fruit trees in restoration zones, (2) assist the establishment of mid-successional and wind-dispersed trees, and (3) intensify the conservation efforts for both flora and faunal diversity.
Abstract
A filarial nematode was found in a blood sample of an Anas falcata individual collected in South Korea in 2018. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences placed the nematode as a novel genus of the family Onchocercidae and as closely related to Mansonella species, Chandlerella quiscali, and filarial nematodes recently reported in avian species. However, different phylogenetic relationship was observed in the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 and 12S rRNA-based phylogenetic trees, which might indicate the filarial nematode found in this study was not defined to belong to the known specific genera of the family Onchocercidae. The screening of 105 additional avian blood samples retrieved only one 12S rRNA-targeting polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive sample, which indicates that filarial nematode infection is rare in wild birds or that it occurs below the detection limit of PCR in blood samples. Nevertheless, considering the recent findings about ancient interactions between birds and human pathogenic filarial nematodes and their pathogenic potential in several avian species, additional exploration of novel filarial nematodes in wild birds remains necessary.
Abstract
Recent studies revealed that many animals identify individual humans. In this account, we review previous literatures on individual human recognition by wild or domestic animals and discuss the three hypotheses: “high cognitive abilities” hypothesis, “close human contact” and “pre-exposure to stimuli” hypothesis. The three hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. Close human contact hypothesis is an ultimate explanation for adaptive benefits whereas high cognitive abilities and pre-exposure to stimuli hypothesis are proximate explanations for mechanisms to perform such discriminatory behaviour. We report a case study of two bird species in a human-free habitat. Long-tailed skuas, which are known for having high cognitive abilities, exhibited the human discriminatory abilities whereas ruddy turnstones did not display such abilities toward approaching humans. This suggests that highly intelligent species may have this type of discriminatory ability so that they could learn to identify individual humans quickly by pre-exposure to stimuli, even in a human-free habitat. Here, we discuss that human recognition is more common in species with rapid learning ability and it could develop for a short period of time between an intelligent species and human.
Abstract
The Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus; family Charadriidae; genus Charadrius) is a small bird that moves from continent to continent depending on the season. On the Kentish Plovers, phylogenetic studies have been widely conducted to classify different species or subspecies and to determine the time of speciation. However, the perspectives on the interspecific or intraspecific relationships in the phylogenetic analysis of Kentish Plovers remain debatable. Here, we reviewed the differences between the Kentish and Snowy Plovers (C. nivosus) in terms of their morphology, ecology, and genetic information. Particularly, their differences in genetic information can be well demonstrated; however, the intraspecies differences in the populations that live in different environments can relatively be poorly explained. We suggest that not only genetic features but also morphological, ecological, and behavioral traits are important when comparing the Kentish Plovers with other species, such as the Snowy Plovers, in phylogenetic studies. Furthermore, we suggest that phylogenetic studies on the subspecies of the Kentish and Snowy Plovers should be conducted for their better identification.
