Knowing the diet of endangered wild animals is a prerequisite for species-specific conservation and habitat management. The Sichuan partridge is a globally endangered Galliformes species endemic to the mountains of southwest China. Existing information on the diet of this species is biased and fragmented owing to traditional observation methods. Little is known about their dietary composition or how they respond to temporal variations in food resources throughout the year. In this study, a dietary analysis was performed on 60 fecal samples using DNA Metabarcoding of invertebrates and plants to determine the primary animal and plant components of the diet across 3 critical periods of adult life history (breeding, postbreeding wandering, and overwintering). Preys from the dipteran order, followed by the lepidopteran and araneaen spp., were the predominant, animal-derived foods. , , , , and spp. supply a large abundance of fruits and seeds for this omnivorous bird. Substantial temporal dietary changes among the 3 periods and a general shift toward lower dietary diversity during the breeding season were observed, suggesting that the Sichuan partridge can adjust their diet according to the availability of food resources and their own needs. Characterizing the composition and seasonal changes in Sichuan partridge diets informs the habitat management of native flora (the plant taxa that can generate berries and seeds, such as , , , and , which are likely of conservation interest) to achieve full life-cycle conservation.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoac071 | DOI Listing |
Int J Biol Macromol
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Education; College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China. Electronic address:
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) causes chronic respiratory disease (CRD), posing a significant threat to global poultry production. Current preventive strategies face limitations, emphasizing the need for alternative approaches such as breeding for disease resistance. This study identifies the matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) gene as a key factor in CRD resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFoods
October 2024
Agro-Food Science and Technology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China.
This study aimed to compare the effects of incorporating fermented feed into daily diets on the slaughter performance, meat quality, and flavor compounds of 120 domestic chickens over a 140-day period. A total of five groups (n = 24), including the control group (CK) of the Guangxi Partridge chickens received a standard base diet. The other four groups were provided with pellets that had been added with 10% fermented banana peel (Pe-10), 20% fermented banana peel (Pe-20), 10% fermented banana pulp residue (Pu-10), and 20% fermented banana pulp residue (Pu-20).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hered
August 2024
Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Species conservation can be improved by knowledge of genetic diversity and demographic history. The Sichuan hill-partridge (Arborophila rufipectus, SP) is an endangered species endemic to the mountains in southwestern China. However, little is known about this species' genomic variation and demographic history.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
November 2023
Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
Pheasants are widely distributed in the southwest of China, but many of them are endangered due to habitat fragmentation and environmental changes. Genetic diversity is crucial for species to maintain their evolutionary potential, and thus it is important to develop universal genetic markers for facilitating the assessment of genetic diversity and planning effective conservation actions in these endangered species. In this study, 471 microsatellite loci which are common among eight pheasant species were screened based on genome data, and 119 loci were selected to develop microsatellite markers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
November 2023
College of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China.
This research aimed to investigate the effects of supplements containing fermented feed made from Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus by-products (CSFBP-Fermented feed) on the growth performance, immunological function, and gut health of broilers. 1080 cyan-shank partridge birds aged 47 days were chosen and casually distributed to four groups, each with 6 replicates and 45 birds per replicate. The experimental groups were provided with 1% (group T2), 3% (group T3) and 5% (group T4) of CSFBP-fermented feed in the basic diet, while the control group (group T1) received the basic diet.
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