The Oriental Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus orientalis)is one of the most commonly used hosts for the parasitic Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus).However,as hosts that feed unrelated parasitic nestlings may suffer extra repro...The Oriental Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus orientalis)is one of the most commonly used hosts for the parasitic Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus).However,as hosts that feed unrelated parasitic nestlings may suffer extra reproductive costs,they may be less willing to care for nestlings that have prolonged nestling periods.To test this hypothesis,the duration of feeding by Oriental Reed Warblers under natural conditions for their own nestlings was compared with the duration of feeding under natural conditions for Common Cuckoo nestlings and for artificially prolonged cuckoo nestlings.The results showed that Oriental Reed Warblers did not starve,drive away,or desert any of the nestlings in the experiment,and neither parent was left alone.Our experimental study indicates that both Oriental Reed Warbler parents were willing to care for nestlings with a prolonged nestling period(up to 30 days,twice the average duration time that the Oriental Reed Warblers fed their own chicks in natural conditions).However,further experiments and observations are required in other host bird species to examine whether both parents or one of the parents may exhibit the behavior of abandoning nestlings with a prolonged nestling period.展开更多
Due to drought, low soil fertility, little rain fall, elevated levels of evapotranspiration, salinization of the soil and a lack of ground water, the problem of desertion of agricultural areas has developed in KSA in ...Due to drought, low soil fertility, little rain fall, elevated levels of evapotranspiration, salinization of the soil and a lack of ground water, the problem of desertion of agricultural areas has developed in KSA in recent years (e.g. Tabuk region). In the Saudi Arabia, agricultural land abandonment’s negative impact on the composition of perennial vegetation, soil quality, and the structure of population was investigated. In the several abandoned fields of the research region, eleven species of perennial plants pertaining to nine families, eleven genera were found. Following the use of the ordination of detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), four plant communities were found. Zygophyllum hamiense, Prosopis farcta, Seidlitzia rosmarinus, Traganum nudatum. The indicators were Pulicaria undulate, Calligonum comosum. Populations of Calligonum comosum and Zygophyllum hamiense were found to be either negatively skewed or inversely J-shaped, indicating fast-growing populations with strong reproductive potential, according to demographic research. Traganum nudatum, Prosopis farcta and S. Rosmarinus, on the other hand, have a nearly symmetrical size-frequency distribution (like a bell in shape). The current research highlights the importance of managing deserted agricultural fields in order to restore and improve range lands having adapted native plants to regional conditions like little water demand.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.32270526 to WL,32260253 to LW and 32101242 to LM)。
文摘The Oriental Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus orientalis)is one of the most commonly used hosts for the parasitic Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus).However,as hosts that feed unrelated parasitic nestlings may suffer extra reproductive costs,they may be less willing to care for nestlings that have prolonged nestling periods.To test this hypothesis,the duration of feeding by Oriental Reed Warblers under natural conditions for their own nestlings was compared with the duration of feeding under natural conditions for Common Cuckoo nestlings and for artificially prolonged cuckoo nestlings.The results showed that Oriental Reed Warblers did not starve,drive away,or desert any of the nestlings in the experiment,and neither parent was left alone.Our experimental study indicates that both Oriental Reed Warbler parents were willing to care for nestlings with a prolonged nestling period(up to 30 days,twice the average duration time that the Oriental Reed Warblers fed their own chicks in natural conditions).However,further experiments and observations are required in other host bird species to examine whether both parents or one of the parents may exhibit the behavior of abandoning nestlings with a prolonged nestling period.
文摘Due to drought, low soil fertility, little rain fall, elevated levels of evapotranspiration, salinization of the soil and a lack of ground water, the problem of desertion of agricultural areas has developed in KSA in recent years (e.g. Tabuk region). In the Saudi Arabia, agricultural land abandonment’s negative impact on the composition of perennial vegetation, soil quality, and the structure of population was investigated. In the several abandoned fields of the research region, eleven species of perennial plants pertaining to nine families, eleven genera were found. Following the use of the ordination of detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), four plant communities were found. Zygophyllum hamiense, Prosopis farcta, Seidlitzia rosmarinus, Traganum nudatum. The indicators were Pulicaria undulate, Calligonum comosum. Populations of Calligonum comosum and Zygophyllum hamiense were found to be either negatively skewed or inversely J-shaped, indicating fast-growing populations with strong reproductive potential, according to demographic research. Traganum nudatum, Prosopis farcta and S. Rosmarinus, on the other hand, have a nearly symmetrical size-frequency distribution (like a bell in shape). The current research highlights the importance of managing deserted agricultural fields in order to restore and improve range lands having adapted native plants to regional conditions like little water demand.
