The aim of this study is to report the length-weight relationship parameters （a and b） for some economically important fish species from Iranian freshwaters. The length-weight relationships （LWR） are calculated fo...The aim of this study is to report the length-weight relationship parameters （a and b） for some economically important fish species from Iranian freshwaters. The length-weight relationships （LWR） are calculated for six freshwater fish species collected during 2006 and 2007 in Iran. The values of the exponent b in the LWR （W=aL^b） vary between 2.985 and 3.543. The LWR with high correlation coefficient （r^2） is significant for all the species. These parameters axe of great importance to evaluate the relative condition of populations, biology, species management and their fisheries and stock assessment. The application of the length-weight relationships presented here should be limited to the observed length ranges.展开更多
Hybridization presents a unique challenge for conservation biologists and managers. While hybridization is an important evolutionary process, hybridization is also a threat formany native species. The endangered speci...Hybridization presents a unique challenge for conservation biologists and managers. While hybridization is an important evolutionary process, hybridization is also a threat formany native species. The endangered species recovery effort for the red wolf Canis rufus is a classic system for understanding and addressing the challenges of hybridization. From 1987-1993, 63 red wolves were released from captivity in eastern North Carolina, USA, to establish a free-ranging, non-essential experimental population. By 1999, managers recognized hybridization with invasive coyotes Canis latrans was the single greatest threat to successful recovery, and an adaptive management plan was adopted with innovative approaches for managing the threat of hybri- dization. Here we review the application and results of the adaptive management efforts from 1993 to 2013 by comparing： （1） the numbers of wolves, coyotes, and hybrids captured, （2） the numbers of territorial social groups with presumed breeding capabili- ties, （3） the number of red wolf and hybrid litters documented each year and （4） the degree of coyote introgression into the wild red wolf gene pool. We documented substantial increases in the number of known red wolves and red wolf social groups from 1987-2004 followed by a plateau and slight decline by 2013.The number of red wolf litters exceeded hybrid litters each year and the proportion of hybrid litters per year averaged 21%. The genetic composition of the wild red wolf population is estimated to include 〈 4% coyote ancestry from recent introgression since reintroduction. We conclude that the adaptive management plan was effective at reducing the introgression of coyote genes into the red wolf population, but population recovery of red wolves will require continuation of the current management plan, or alternative approaches, for the foreseeable future. More broadly, we discuss the lessons learned from red wolf adaptive management that could assist other endangered species recovery efforts facing the c展开更多
Species distribution models are increasing in popularity for mapping suitable habitat for species of management con- cern. Many investigators now recognize that extrapolations of these models with geographic informati...Species distribution models are increasing in popularity for mapping suitable habitat for species of management con- cern. Many investigators now recognize that extrapolations of these models with geographic information systems （GIS） might be sensitive to the environmental bounds of the data used in their development, yet there is no recommended best practice for ＂clamping＂ model extrapolations. We relied on two commonly used modeling approaches： classification and regression tree （CART） and maximum entropy （Maxent） models, and we tested a simple alteration of the model extrapolations, bounding ex- trapolations to the maximum and minimum values of primary environmental predictors, to provide a more realistic map of suit-able habitat of hybridized Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. Findings suggest that multiple models of bounding, and the most conservative bounding of species distribution models, like those presented here, should probably replace the unbounded or loosely bounded techniques currently used [Current Zoology 57 （5）： 642-647,2011].展开更多
文摘The aim of this study is to report the length-weight relationship parameters （a and b） for some economically important fish species from Iranian freshwaters. The length-weight relationships （LWR） are calculated for six freshwater fish species collected during 2006 and 2007 in Iran. The values of the exponent b in the LWR （W=aL^b） vary between 2.985 and 3.543. The LWR with high correlation coefficient （r^2） is significant for all the species. These parameters axe of great importance to evaluate the relative condition of populations, biology, species management and their fisheries and stock assessment. The application of the length-weight relationships presented here should be limited to the observed length ranges.
文摘Hybridization presents a unique challenge for conservation biologists and managers. While hybridization is an important evolutionary process, hybridization is also a threat formany native species. The endangered species recovery effort for the red wolf Canis rufus is a classic system for understanding and addressing the challenges of hybridization. From 1987-1993, 63 red wolves were released from captivity in eastern North Carolina, USA, to establish a free-ranging, non-essential experimental population. By 1999, managers recognized hybridization with invasive coyotes Canis latrans was the single greatest threat to successful recovery, and an adaptive management plan was adopted with innovative approaches for managing the threat of hybri- dization. Here we review the application and results of the adaptive management efforts from 1993 to 2013 by comparing： （1） the numbers of wolves, coyotes, and hybrids captured, （2） the numbers of territorial social groups with presumed breeding capabili- ties, （3） the number of red wolf and hybrid litters documented each year and （4） the degree of coyote introgression into the wild red wolf gene pool. We documented substantial increases in the number of known red wolves and red wolf social groups from 1987-2004 followed by a plateau and slight decline by 2013.The number of red wolf litters exceeded hybrid litters each year and the proportion of hybrid litters per year averaged 21%. The genetic composition of the wild red wolf population is estimated to include 〈 4% coyote ancestry from recent introgression since reintroduction. We conclude that the adaptive management plan was effective at reducing the introgression of coyote genes into the red wolf population, but population recovery of red wolves will require continuation of the current management plan, or alternative approaches, for the foreseeable future. More broadly, we discuss the lessons learned from red wolf adaptive management that could assist other endangered species recovery efforts facing the c
文摘Species distribution models are increasing in popularity for mapping suitable habitat for species of management con- cern. Many investigators now recognize that extrapolations of these models with geographic information systems （GIS） might be sensitive to the environmental bounds of the data used in their development, yet there is no recommended best practice for ＂clamping＂ model extrapolations. We relied on two commonly used modeling approaches： classification and regression tree （CART） and maximum entropy （Maxent） models, and we tested a simple alteration of the model extrapolations, bounding ex- trapolations to the maximum and minimum values of primary environmental predictors, to provide a more realistic map of suit-able habitat of hybridized Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. Findings suggest that multiple models of bounding, and the most conservative bounding of species distribution models, like those presented here, should probably replace the unbounded or loosely bounded techniques currently used [Current Zoology 57 （5）： 642-647,2011].
