White-nose syndrome(WNS)has caused recent catastrophic declines among multiple species of bats in eastern North America.The disease's name derives from a visually apparent white growth of the newly discovered fung...White-nose syndrome(WNS)has caused recent catastrophic declines among multiple species of bats in eastern North America.The disease's name derives from a visually apparent white growth of the newly discovered fungus Geomyces destructans on the skin(including the muzzle)of hibernating bats.Colonization of skin by this fungus is associated with characteristic cutaneous lesions that are the only consistent pathological finding related to WNS.However,the role of G.destructans in WNS remains controversial because evidence to implicate the fungus as the primary cause of this disease is lacking.The debate is fuelled,in part,by the assumption that fungal infections in mammals are most commonly associated with immune system dysfunction.Additionally,the recent discovery that G.destructans commonly colonizes the skin of bats of Europe,where no unusual bat mortality events have been reported,has generated further speculation that the fungus is an opportunistic pathogen and that other unidentified factors are the primary cause of WNS.展开更多
Temperate forest ecosystems are important habitats for many bat species. However, these habitats are increasingly affected by anthropogenic disturbances, particularly urban development, leading to landscapes with vary...Temperate forest ecosystems are important habitats for many bat species. However, these habitats are increasingly affected by anthropogenic disturbances, particularly urban development, leading to landscapes with varying land cover composition and configuration. Limited research has examined how forest and urban landscape composition and configuration influence bat activity and diversity. Using a multi-year statewide bat acoustic monitoring dataset from North Carolina, USA, we investigated the effects of forest and urban composition and configuration at multiple spatial scales on bat activity and diversity. First, we constructed single-variable landscape index regression models and found that both the composition and configuration of forests and urban developments influenced bat activity and diversity in a species-specific manner. Next, we applied a hierarchical partitioning approach to compare the relative contributions of composition and configuration indices in explaining variance in bat activity. For big brown bats and hoary bats, evergreen forest and urban development composition indices contributed the most to explaining activity variance. In contrast, for eastern red bats, evening bats, and tricolored bats, deciduous forest fragmentation indices describing landscape configuration were the most influential factors. Silver-haired bat activity variance was primarily explained by an evergreen forest fragmentation index. Lastly, urban development configuration indices were the strongest predictors of Mexican free-tailed bat activity and total bat activity. These results suggest that forest and urban landscape configuration should be considered in conservation and management planning for North American temperate forest ecosystems, particularly in regions that have not experienced drastic deforestation in recent decades.展开更多
To cope with seasonal changes in food availability,animals need to optimize their behaviors,including shifts in temporal activity patterns and spatial use in habitats.Most studies focused on the temporal activity patt...To cope with seasonal changes in food availability,animals need to optimize their behaviors,including shifts in temporal activity patterns and spatial use in habitats.Most studies focused on the temporal activity pattern or habitat use in two-dimensional(2D)space.However,studies on the simultaneous changes in temporal activity patterns and habitat use in three-dimensional(3D)space are limited.In this study,we used the great evening bat(Ia io)to investigate differences in the activity pattern and space use during the summer and autumn.We collected and analyzed the Global Positioning System(GPS)data and activity data obtained from accelerometers.The results showed that bats displayed seasonal variations in their movement patterns.Specifically,compared with summer,I.io individuals were found to extend their foraging duration and adopt a low-energy consumption pattern of activity in autumn.Furthermore,there was a notable increase in the vertical extent of the 3D habitat utilization range for these bats,although the 2D habitat size in autumn remained similar to that in summer.These changes manifested both temporally and spatially,potentially as a response to the reduced availability of insect resources from summer to autumn,and the arrival of migratory birds in autumn as an alternative food source.Our results suggest that I.io seasonally adjust their foraging strategies and spatial use from two to three dimensions.Our study provides important insights into the seasonal behaviour dynamics of bats during summer and autumn,which may contribute to understanding their ecological strategies and inform conservation efforts.展开更多
This paper presents an analysis of the changes of the longitudinal and lateral profiles in the meander- ing reach of the Lower Wei River over the period from October 1973 to October 1976 during the course of degradati...This paper presents an analysis of the changes of the longitudinal and lateral profiles in the meander- ing reach of the Lower Wei River over the period from October 1973 to October 1976 during the course of degradation.Analysis results indicated that retrogressive erosion and subsequent downstream erosion occurred in the reach due to the lowering in the Tongguan elevation and the inflowing water carrying low sediment con- centrations.At the end of the degradation,the main channel widths of the majority ...展开更多
文摘White-nose syndrome(WNS)has caused recent catastrophic declines among multiple species of bats in eastern North America.The disease's name derives from a visually apparent white growth of the newly discovered fungus Geomyces destructans on the skin(including the muzzle)of hibernating bats.Colonization of skin by this fungus is associated with characteristic cutaneous lesions that are the only consistent pathological finding related to WNS.However,the role of G.destructans in WNS remains controversial because evidence to implicate the fungus as the primary cause of this disease is lacking.The debate is fuelled,in part,by the assumption that fungal infections in mammals are most commonly associated with immune system dysfunction.Additionally,the recent discovery that G.destructans commonly colonizes the skin of bats of Europe,where no unusual bat mortality events have been reported,has generated further speculation that the fungus is an opportunistic pathogen and that other unidentified factors are the primary cause of WNS.
基金funding support from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission,and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro,as part of a collective effort for the North American Bat Monitoring Program(NABat).
文摘Temperate forest ecosystems are important habitats for many bat species. However, these habitats are increasingly affected by anthropogenic disturbances, particularly urban development, leading to landscapes with varying land cover composition and configuration. Limited research has examined how forest and urban landscape composition and configuration influence bat activity and diversity. Using a multi-year statewide bat acoustic monitoring dataset from North Carolina, USA, we investigated the effects of forest and urban composition and configuration at multiple spatial scales on bat activity and diversity. First, we constructed single-variable landscape index regression models and found that both the composition and configuration of forests and urban developments influenced bat activity and diversity in a species-specific manner. Next, we applied a hierarchical partitioning approach to compare the relative contributions of composition and configuration indices in explaining variance in bat activity. For big brown bats and hoary bats, evergreen forest and urban development composition indices contributed the most to explaining activity variance. In contrast, for eastern red bats, evening bats, and tricolored bats, deciduous forest fragmentation indices describing landscape configuration were the most influential factors. Silver-haired bat activity variance was primarily explained by an evergreen forest fragmentation index. Lastly, urban development configuration indices were the strongest predictors of Mexican free-tailed bat activity and total bat activity. These results suggest that forest and urban landscape configuration should be considered in conservation and management planning for North American temperate forest ecosystems, particularly in regions that have not experienced drastic deforestation in recent decades.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32371562,32171489,32301289)Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Project(20250102310JC)Special Foundation for the National Science and Technology Basic Research Program of China(2021FY100301)。
文摘To cope with seasonal changes in food availability,animals need to optimize their behaviors,including shifts in temporal activity patterns and spatial use in habitats.Most studies focused on the temporal activity pattern or habitat use in two-dimensional(2D)space.However,studies on the simultaneous changes in temporal activity patterns and habitat use in three-dimensional(3D)space are limited.In this study,we used the great evening bat(Ia io)to investigate differences in the activity pattern and space use during the summer and autumn.We collected and analyzed the Global Positioning System(GPS)data and activity data obtained from accelerometers.The results showed that bats displayed seasonal variations in their movement patterns.Specifically,compared with summer,I.io individuals were found to extend their foraging duration and adopt a low-energy consumption pattern of activity in autumn.Furthermore,there was a notable increase in the vertical extent of the 3D habitat utilization range for these bats,although the 2D habitat size in autumn remained similar to that in summer.These changes manifested both temporally and spatially,potentially as a response to the reduced availability of insect resources from summer to autumn,and the arrival of migratory birds in autumn as an alternative food source.Our results suggest that I.io seasonally adjust their foraging strategies and spatial use from two to three dimensions.Our study provides important insights into the seasonal behaviour dynamics of bats during summer and autumn,which may contribute to understanding their ecological strategies and inform conservation efforts.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (50409002)by the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of the Natural Science Foundation of China (50221903).
文摘This paper presents an analysis of the changes of the longitudinal and lateral profiles in the meander- ing reach of the Lower Wei River over the period from October 1973 to October 1976 during the course of degradation.Analysis results indicated that retrogressive erosion and subsequent downstream erosion occurred in the reach due to the lowering in the Tongguan elevation and the inflowing water carrying low sediment con- centrations.At the end of the degradation,the main channel widths of the majority ...
