Structural dynamics of Populus euphratica forests in different stages in the upper reaches of the Tarim River in China.

We selected four Populus euphratica Oliv. forest plots (100 m × 100 m) in the upper reaches of the Tarim River in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Each of the four forest plots was chosen to represent a different growth and death stage of P.

Effects of Supplementary Feeding on the Breeding Ecology of the Buff-Throated Partridge in a Tibetan Sacred Site, China.

Our goal was to document effects of year-round supplemental feeding on breeding ecology of the Buff-throated Partridge, Tetraophasis szechenyii, within a Tibetan sacred site. We evaluated effects of supplemental feeding used as religious/cultural practices which could potentially aid conservation of endangered phasianids. We compared fed breeding groups to neighboring nonfed groups.

DNA barcoding revises a misidentification on musk deer.

As an endangered animal group in China, musk deer (genus Moschus) have attracted the attention of deer biologists and wildlife conservationists. Clarifying the taxonomic status and distribution of musk deer species is important to determine the conservation status for each species and establish appropriate conservation strategies. There remains some uncertainty about the species determination of the musk deer in the Guandi Forest District of Shanxi Province, China.

Effectiveness of three turacos as seed dispersers in a tropical montane forest.

We studied the effectiveness of three species of turacos, the Great Blue Turaco, the Ruwenzori Turaco, and the Black-billed Turaco, as seed dispersers in a tropical forest in Rwanda. For each species of turaco, we examined two factors affecting the effectiveness of seed dispersal: (1) the proportion of ingested seeds dispersed away from the parent tree and (2) the distances seeds were dispersed. To estimate these measures of effectiveness, we systematically observed the foraging activities of focal birds over a 14-month period.

Competition in Umbra-Perca fish assemblages: experimental and field evidence.

One potentially important effect of interspecific competition in freshwater fish communities is to increase predation intensity from gape-limited piscivores by lowering growth rates of prey species. We investigated the operation and consequences of competition between central mudminnows (Umbra limi) and yearling yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in a system where size-limited predation on mudminnows by larger perch is a principle structuring mechanism. During laboratory experiments in which mudminnows foraged for patchily-presented food in the presence and absence of yearling perch, the food intake of mudminnows decreased at both the population and individual-fish levels when perch were present.

The effect of accessibility on rates of fruit removal from tropical shrubs: An experimental study.

In a series of field experiments using Costa Rican rain forest plants, we examined the effect of accessibility on fruit removal rates. We compared the effects of fruit placement in terminal and axillary infructescences on diurnal and nocturnal removal rates, visitation rates, and incidence of fruit damage. We used three different species of berries (Phytolacca rivinoides, Psychotria brachiata, and Psychotria pitteri) and worked in three different habitats (fallow fields, treefall gaps, and forest understory) and in two different seasons (July-September, a season of fruit abundance and December-January, a season of fruit scarcity.