Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.3
S. Lahrouz, M. Dakki, I. Mansouri, R. El Hamoumi
Due to its ongoing decline, the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) is considered “endangered” and is, therefore, included in the IUCN Red List. It has been estimated that the species declined from 100,000 individuals in the early 20th century to only 8,000–13,000 individuals in the early 2000s. In order to investigate the trends and phenology of this species, we conducted fieldwork during the breeding and wintering seasons from 2011 to 2022 in Merja Fouwarate and at Lake Sidi Boughaba in Northwest Morocco. Our data show that the lowest numbers of individuals were observed in September, followed by a gradual increase throughout the autumn, reaching peak levels in the winter months between December and February. These peaks were observed in January at both locations in Merja Fouwarate, with 280 and 314 individuals recorded in 2021 and in 2022, respectively. At lake Sidi Boughaba, the peaks were lower, with 176 individuals recorded in 2021 and 120 individuals in 2022. In contrast, duck numbers declined throughout the spring, reaching their lowest point between March and May. In the course of the eleven-year observation period, the population of the species clearly increased. The population of Merja Fouwarate increased by 14.5 and 3.67 individuals on average each year, while that of Lake Sidi Boughaba increased gradually from 2011 to 2018 before declining in the years that followed.
{"title":"Discovering the secret lives of White-headed Ducks: Unveiling population trends and phenology at Morocco’s two best wintering and nesting sites, Merja Fouwarate and Lake Sidi Boughaba","authors":"S. Lahrouz, M. Dakki, I. Mansouri, R. El Hamoumi","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.3","url":null,"abstract":"Due to its ongoing decline, the White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) is considered “endangered” and is, therefore, included in the IUCN Red List. It has been estimated that the species declined from 100,000 individuals in the early 20th century to only 8,000–13,000 individuals in the early 2000s. In order to investigate the trends and phenology of this species, we conducted fieldwork during the breeding and wintering seasons from 2011 to 2022 in Merja Fouwarate and at Lake Sidi Boughaba in Northwest Morocco. Our data show that the lowest numbers of individuals were observed in September, followed by a gradual increase throughout the autumn, reaching peak levels in the winter months between December and February. These peaks were observed in January at both locations in Merja Fouwarate, with 280 and 314 individuals recorded in 2021 and in 2022, respectively. At lake Sidi Boughaba, the peaks were lower, with 176 individuals recorded in 2021 and 120 individuals in 2022. In contrast, duck numbers declined throughout the spring, reaching their lowest point between March and May. In the course of the eleven-year observation period, the population of the species clearly increased. The population of Merja Fouwarate increased by 14.5 and 3.67 individuals on average each year, while that of Lake Sidi Boughaba increased gradually from 2011 to 2018 before declining in the years that followed.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69857850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.9
T. T. Shameer, Anant Shankar, Nandani Salaria, Sreehari Raman, R. Sanil
A camera trap study was conducted in the mangrove of Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, the eastern coast of India, to understand the assemblage, temporal segregation and dial activity pattern of small and medium-sized mammals. Forty-one pairs of passive infrared camera traps were deployed and monitored for 30 consecutive days, making a total of 1,230 trap days effort. The study reveals that the jackals accounted for 40.5%, while fishing cats and jungle cats accounted for 6.09% and 2.42% of all recorded animals, respectively. The analysis of the relative abundance index shows that the jackal is the most abundant mammal in the sanctuary (36.74). Free-ranging dogs, humans and cattle were recorded mostly during the daytime. The jackal showed a higher temporal overlap with the fishing cat (0.76, 95% CI (0.59–0.93)) and the jungle cat (0.72, 95% CI (0.62–0.82)). The jungle cat showed peak activity at dawn, while fishing cats showed peak activity at dusk. Both species temporally overlapped with the bimodal activity of the jackal. Moreover, the available prey may be shared between the three dominant predatory species by minimising the competition (effective resource partitioning). The anthropogenic threats can be a reason for a comparatively lower abundance of the fishing cat, and necessary steps are sought to protect this ecosystem.
{"title":"Temporal segregation of small feline predators and canids in the estuarine mangrove delta of Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, India","authors":"T. T. Shameer, Anant Shankar, Nandani Salaria, Sreehari Raman, R. Sanil","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.9","url":null,"abstract":"A camera trap study was conducted in the mangrove of Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, the eastern coast of India, to understand the assemblage, temporal segregation and dial activity pattern of small and medium-sized mammals. Forty-one pairs of passive infrared camera traps were deployed and monitored for 30 consecutive days, making a total of 1,230 trap days effort. The study reveals that the jackals accounted for 40.5%, while fishing cats and jungle cats accounted for 6.09% and 2.42% of all recorded animals, respectively. The analysis of the relative abundance index shows that the jackal is the most abundant mammal in the sanctuary (36.74). Free-ranging dogs, humans and cattle were recorded mostly during the daytime. The jackal showed a higher temporal overlap with the fishing cat (0.76, 95% CI (0.59–0.93)) and the jungle cat (0.72, 95% CI (0.62–0.82)). The jungle cat showed peak activity at dawn, while fishing cats showed peak activity at dusk. Both species temporally overlapped with the bimodal activity of the jackal. Moreover, the available prey may be shared between the three dominant predatory species by minimising the competition (effective resource partitioning). The anthropogenic threats can be a reason for a comparatively lower abundance of the fishing cat, and necessary steps are sought to protect this ecosystem.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69858669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.2
Swastik Mahato, Sudipta Mandal, D. Das
A year-long study was conducted in the dry deciduous ecoregion of Purulia, West Bengal, India from March 2018 to February 2019 to document the diversity, species composition, and occurrence of odonata species in different seasons. Direct search and opportunistic sighting methods were used in combination at five selected sites, namely, the Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University campus, Saheb Bandh, the Surulia Deer Park (Mini Zoo), Ketika, and the Kansai river-side. A total of 11,471 individuals belonging to 8 families and 40 species were recorded during the study period. Anisoptera (dragonflies) were represented by 29 species belonging to 4 families, whereas Zygoptera (damselflies) were also found to be represented by 4 families but only 11 species. Libellulidae were found to be the largest family represented by 24 species, while the ground skimmer Diplacodes trivialis was the most dominant species. Species richness was the highest in the post-monsoon, whereas the Shannon diversity index was found to reach maximum values in winter. Overall, we conclude that the town of Purulia and its adjoining area with its patchy vegetation and extreme weather conditions have moderate odonate diversity.
{"title":"Diversity and seasonal occurrence of odonates in the dry deciduous ecoregion of Purulia, West Bengal, India","authors":"Swastik Mahato, Sudipta Mandal, D. Das","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.2","url":null,"abstract":"A year-long study was conducted in the dry deciduous ecoregion of Purulia, West Bengal, India from March 2018 to February 2019 to document the diversity, species composition, and occurrence of odonata species in different seasons. Direct search and opportunistic sighting methods were used in combination at five selected sites, namely, the Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University campus, Saheb Bandh, the Surulia Deer Park (Mini Zoo), Ketika, and the Kansai river-side. A total of 11,471 individuals belonging to 8 families and 40 species were recorded during the study period. Anisoptera (dragonflies) were represented by 29 species belonging to 4 families, whereas Zygoptera (damselflies) were also found to be represented by 4 families but only 11 species. Libellulidae were found to be the largest family represented by 24 species, while the ground skimmer Diplacodes trivialis was the most dominant species. Species richness was the highest in the post-monsoon, whereas the Shannon diversity index was found to reach maximum values in winter. Overall, we conclude that the town of Purulia and its adjoining area with its patchy vegetation and extreme weather conditions have moderate odonate diversity.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69857525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.4
Abdelwahab Chedad, Abdelhakim Bouzid, D. Bendjoudi, O. Guezoul
Despite the lack and irregularity of rainfall, high temperatures, and limited food resources, desert areas, with their oases and wetlands, are considered to be an essential stopover for birds and an important place for their wintering and breeding. In this study, we made a list of all the birds recorded in the M’Zab region at Ghardaïa (Algerian Sahara) from 2015 to 2022 using the point count method. We found 203 species (69 of which were waterbirds), belonging to 23 orders and 48 families. The most abundantly represented were Passeriformes, with 18 families and 91 species (44.83%). 84.24% of the species occurred in wetlands, followed by pre-urban areas (40.39%), palm groves and agricultural crops (39.90%). As for the phenological status of the recorded birds, 51 are breeding species, of which 38 are sedentary, 10 are migratory, and three are occasionally nesting waterbirds. There are 122 non-breeding species, of which 81 are passage visitors and 41 are wintering species. Status of the remaining 30 species is uncertain.
{"title":"Avifauna of M’Zab region (Ghardaïa, Algerian Sahara): checklist and overview of the current status","authors":"Abdelwahab Chedad, Abdelhakim Bouzid, D. Bendjoudi, O. Guezoul","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.4","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the lack and irregularity of rainfall, high temperatures, and limited food resources, desert areas, with their oases and wetlands, are considered to be an essential stopover for birds and an important place for their wintering and breeding. In this study, we made a list of all the birds recorded in the M’Zab region at Ghardaïa (Algerian Sahara) from 2015 to 2022 using the point count method. We found 203 species (69 of which were waterbirds), belonging to 23 orders and 48 families. The most abundantly represented were Passeriformes, with 18 families and 91 species (44.83%). 84.24% of the species occurred in wetlands, followed by pre-urban areas (40.39%), palm groves and agricultural crops (39.90%). As for the phenological status of the recorded birds, 51 are breeding species, of which 38 are sedentary, 10 are migratory, and three are occasionally nesting waterbirds. There are 122 non-breeding species, of which 81 are passage visitors and 41 are wintering species. Status of the remaining 30 species is uncertain.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69857805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.6
Krishnakumar Nagarajan, D. Ramesh, D. Boominathan, Sanket Bhale, P. Chanchani, R. Balasundaram
The study aims to assess the population status and density of the Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in the Erode Forest Division, Tamil Nadu. The Erode Forest division has numerous villages within its boundaries and is exposed to associated biotic pressures. In order to improve the management practices of the wildlife in the area and to enhance its conservation, it is relevant to assess its status. In 2018 and 2020, we estimated the population density of the leopard in the entire forest division using 2 km2 sample grids and the camera trapping method. In each grid, we deployed a pair of camera traps, the cumulative number of trap-nights being 22983 (10732 trap nights in 2018 and 12251 in 2020). We analysed the obtained data using spatially explicit capture-recapture models (SECR). The surveys yielded 198 images of the leopard in 2018 and 272 images in 2020, of which 48 and 44 leopard individuals were identified in the respective years based on the rosette pattern. The density estimates were 5.16 (SE = ±0.89) and 4.00 (SE ± 0.72) individuals/100 km2 in 2018 and 2020, respectively. We found that in some regions overlapping with the human-use area, leopard densities were high, indicating that the species successfully exploits areas near human habitation and highlighting its high potential for interaction with humans. This baseline estimate and insights will help prioritize management actions, strengthen large mammal conservation beyond the boundaries of protected areas (PA), and plan human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures to enable the persistence of large carnivores in multi-use forests.
{"title":"Population status and density estimate of Leopard Panthera pardus fusca in dry thorn forests of southern India","authors":"Krishnakumar Nagarajan, D. Ramesh, D. Boominathan, Sanket Bhale, P. Chanchani, R. Balasundaram","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.6","url":null,"abstract":"The study aims to assess the population status and density of the Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) in the Erode Forest Division, Tamil Nadu. The Erode Forest division has numerous villages within its boundaries and is exposed to associated biotic pressures. In order to improve the management practices of the wildlife in the area and to enhance its conservation, it is relevant to assess its status. In 2018 and 2020, we estimated the population density of the leopard in the entire forest division using 2 km2 sample grids and the camera trapping method. In each grid, we deployed a pair of camera traps, the cumulative number of trap-nights being 22983 (10732 trap nights in 2018 and 12251 in 2020). We analysed the obtained data using spatially explicit capture-recapture models (SECR). The surveys yielded 198 images of the leopard in 2018 and 272 images in 2020, of which 48 and 44 leopard individuals were identified in the respective years based on the rosette pattern. The density estimates were 5.16 (SE = ±0.89) and 4.00 (SE ± 0.72) individuals/100 km2 in 2018 and 2020, respectively. We found that in some regions overlapping with the human-use area, leopard densities were high, indicating that the species successfully exploits areas near human habitation and highlighting its high potential for interaction with humans. This baseline estimate and insights will help prioritize management actions, strengthen large mammal conservation beyond the boundaries of protected areas (PA), and plan human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures to enable the persistence of large carnivores in multi-use forests.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69858340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.10
Salman Khan, M. A. Khan, Ankita
The striped snakehead Channa striata is a valuable food fish and has a high market value. The feeding and natural breeding grounds of this economically important fish species have been reduced due to increasing anthropogenic activities and habitat alterations in the Gangetic River system. The present study was undertaken to assess the feeding and reproductive biology of C. striata, which is widely distributed in India and many other Asian countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, China, etc.). A total of 400 fish specimens were collected from three sites on three different rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. Feeding habits, feeding intensity, gonadosomatic index, fecundity, maturity stages based on macroscopic studies, and sex ratio were examined. C. striata was found to be a carnivorous species (dominantly piscivorous). The feeding intensity varied according to season and fish size, with a higher intensity being observed during pre-spawning and post-spawning seasons. The reproductive biology of the striped snakehead from the Gangetic River system demonstrated that the gamete maturation occurred during May to July. The fecundity of C. striata ranged from 3652 to 48,450 eggs. Fecundity was linearly correlated with body length, body weight, and ovarian weight. The average ratio of males to females was observed to be 1:3.2.
{"title":"Feeding and reproduction of striped snakehead Channa striata (Bloch, 1793) inhabiting the Gangetic river system","authors":"Salman Khan, M. A. Khan, Ankita","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.10","url":null,"abstract":"The striped snakehead Channa striata is a valuable food fish and has a high market value. The feeding and natural breeding grounds of this economically important fish species have been reduced due to increasing anthropogenic activities and habitat alterations in the Gangetic River system. The present study was undertaken to assess the feeding and reproductive biology of C. striata, which is widely distributed in India and many other Asian countries (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, China, etc.). A total of 400 fish specimens were collected from three sites on three different rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. Feeding habits, feeding intensity, gonadosomatic index, fecundity, maturity stages based on macroscopic studies, and sex ratio were examined. C. striata was found to be a carnivorous species (dominantly piscivorous). The feeding intensity varied according to season and fish size, with a higher intensity being observed during pre-spawning and post-spawning seasons. The reproductive biology of the striped snakehead from the Gangetic River system demonstrated that the gamete maturation occurred during May to July. The fecundity of C. striata ranged from 3652 to 48,450 eggs. Fecundity was linearly correlated with body length, body weight, and ovarian weight. The average ratio of males to females was observed to be 1:3.2.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69857838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.8
V. R. Suresh, M. Naskar, M. Brahmane, A. K. Prusty, D. Panda, Bijoy Kumar Behera, A. M. Sajina, S. K. Sahu, D. Meena, K. Lal
Morphological differentiation in the Indian major carp, Labeo catla, in the Ganga and Narmada rivers was studied using image-based morphometric and multivariate analytical techniques. Twenty-three truss-network-based distances connecting 11 anatomical landmarks on the fish were measured from the digital images of the specimens collected from seven stations, four of which were set up along the river Ganga, and the other three stations along the river Narmada. For analysis, five stations were considered, as the samples from the three stations on the River Narmada were pooled and treated as a composite sample (Narmada). The multivariate analysis of variance showed evidence for significant morphometric differences between samples collected from the Ganga and those from the Narmada rivers. The subsequent Linear Discriminant Analysis explained 86% of the variability between the stations by two discriminant functions. This fact suggested the existence of three morphometrically different populations of the species along the Ganga. These populations were predominantly distributed in the middle stretch of the river (Ganga_Middle), the Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretch, and the Padma stretch, which are isolated by a barrage that does not allow free bidirectional movement of fish. The important discriminating morphometric characteristics were traits from the head and caudal region as well as the body depth of fish. The relatively narrower angles of snout profiles and lower body depths of the studied fish in populations from the Padma and Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretches of the River Ganga led to more pointed snouts and slenderer bodies. Morphological differentiation can be used as an environmental predictor that, in turn, would be of use in developing effective management strategies for the fish species of stock management concern.
{"title":"Morphometric differentiation of Labeo catla (Hamilton 1822) (Cyprinidae) in rivers: Possible adaptation to hydrology","authors":"V. R. Suresh, M. Naskar, M. Brahmane, A. K. Prusty, D. Panda, Bijoy Kumar Behera, A. M. Sajina, S. K. Sahu, D. Meena, K. Lal","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.8","url":null,"abstract":"Morphological differentiation in the Indian major carp, Labeo catla, in the Ganga and Narmada rivers was studied using image-based morphometric and multivariate analytical techniques. Twenty-three truss-network-based distances connecting 11 anatomical landmarks on the fish were measured from the digital images of the specimens collected from seven stations, four of which were set up along the river Ganga, and the other three stations along the river Narmada. For analysis, five stations were considered, as the samples from the three stations on the River Narmada were pooled and treated as a composite sample (Narmada). The multivariate analysis of variance showed evidence for significant morphometric differences between samples collected from the Ganga and those from the Narmada rivers. The subsequent Linear Discriminant Analysis explained 86% of the variability between the stations by two discriminant functions. This fact suggested the existence of three morphometrically different populations of the species along the Ganga. These populations were predominantly distributed in the middle stretch of the river (Ganga_Middle), the Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretch, and the Padma stretch, which are isolated by a barrage that does not allow free bidirectional movement of fish. The important discriminating morphometric characteristics were traits from the head and caudal region as well as the body depth of fish. The relatively narrower angles of snout profiles and lower body depths of the studied fish in populations from the Padma and Bhagirathi-Hooghly stretches of the River Ganga led to more pointed snouts and slenderer bodies. Morphological differentiation can be used as an environmental predictor that, in turn, would be of use in developing effective management strategies for the fish species of stock management concern.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69858096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.5
Aziz Zahri, Nabil Errabhi, Wafae Squalli, I. Mansouri, N. Radouane, S. Ezrari, Houria Nekhla, Lazraq Abderrahim, Lahsen El Ghadraoui
The genus Dociostaurus includes at least five species in the Mediterranean Basin. Some of them can damage agricultural fields and pastures. However, these species are almost not characterised by quantitative traits. To fill this gap, we used the geometric morphometrics method to characterise different morphological structures and flying organs of the most observed species of the genus Dociostaurus, namely D. maroccanus (Thunb, 1815), D. dantini (Bolivar, 1914), and D. genei (Ocskay, 1832), in Morocco. Results revealed that D. maroccanus has greater dispersal structures and other body organs, which are suggested to play a direct role in flying performance. On the contrary, D. dantini and D. genei, known as wandering species, have tiny structures, principally the tegmina and wings used for limited flights. In addition to their importance in the characterisation of studied species, these measurements could be used as a practical tool in their identification, particularly where the use of genetic approaches is not possible. Similarly, these results could serve as the first data for the implementation of potential comparative studies and population management of these pest species, especially D. maroccanus. Finally, further morphometric studies will be needed to create a database for taxonomic identification.
{"title":"Geometric morphometrics of three species of the genus Dociostaurus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from the Middle Atlas of Morocco","authors":"Aziz Zahri, Nabil Errabhi, Wafae Squalli, I. Mansouri, N. Radouane, S. Ezrari, Houria Nekhla, Lazraq Abderrahim, Lahsen El Ghadraoui","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.5","url":null,"abstract":"The genus Dociostaurus includes at least five species in the Mediterranean Basin. Some of them can damage agricultural fields and pastures. However, these species are almost not characterised by quantitative traits. To fill this gap, we used the geometric morphometrics method to characterise different morphological structures and flying organs of the most observed species of the genus Dociostaurus, namely D. maroccanus (Thunb, 1815), D. dantini (Bolivar, 1914), and D. genei (Ocskay, 1832), in Morocco. Results revealed that D. maroccanus has greater dispersal structures and other body organs, which are suggested to play a direct role in flying performance. On the contrary, D. dantini and D. genei, known as wandering species, have tiny structures, principally the tegmina and wings used for limited flights. In addition to their importance in the characterisation of studied species, these measurements could be used as a practical tool in their identification, particularly where the use of genetic approaches is not possible. Similarly, these results could serve as the first data for the implementation of potential comparative studies and population management of these pest species, especially D. maroccanus. Finally, further morphometric studies will be needed to create a database for taxonomic identification.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69858248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.1
W. Dahmani, Abdelwahab Chedad, M. Hammou
Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti (Vieillot, 1824), is one of Algeria’s most discreet and rare birds. During the monitoring campaign, which was run between 2015 and 2022 using the point count method, a pair of Dupont’s Larks was spotted in Aïn Dheb (South of Tiaret, Western Algeria) on July 27, 2016, with another dubious sighting of a single individual being recorded in the same locality in the second week of May 2022. This newly documented locality is important because it likely expands the currently known range of this rare species in Algeria.
{"title":"A new locality of Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti in Algeria","authors":"W. Dahmani, Abdelwahab Chedad, M. Hammou","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.1","url":null,"abstract":"Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti (Vieillot, 1824), is one of Algeria’s most discreet and rare birds. During the monitoring campaign, which was run between 2015 and 2022 using the point count method, a pair of Dupont’s Larks was spotted in Aïn Dheb (South of Tiaret, Western Algeria) on July 27, 2016, with another dubious sighting of a single individual being recorded in the same locality in the second week of May 2022. This newly documented locality is important because it likely expands the currently known range of this rare species in Algeria.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69857613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.35513/21658005.2023.1.7
G. Kopij
The breeding densities of three dove species: Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis, Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola, and Mourning Collared Dove Streptopelia decipiens were studied by means of the territory mapping method in 400 ha of acacia savanna in northern Namibia. About half of the study area comprised cultivated fields, orchards, sport fields and human settlements. The study was conducted in February–June 2020, after a prolonged drought in 2017–2019. During the drought, most doves vacated their territories and ceased to breed, but breeding populations recovered rapidly. The overall population density of all species was the highest in February/March (30.3 pairs / 100 ha), intermediate in April (27.8), and lowest in May/June (23.5). Population densities were higher in the man-modified than in natural savanna. While the population densities in natural savanna significantly increased with the advance of the dry season, in man-modified savanna the densities decreased slightly.
{"title":"Population development of three sympatric dove species in African acacia savanna following a drought","authors":"G. Kopij","doi":"10.35513/21658005.2023.1.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.1.7","url":null,"abstract":"The breeding densities of three dove species: Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis, Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola, and Mourning Collared Dove Streptopelia decipiens were studied by means of the territory mapping method in 400 ha of acacia savanna in northern Namibia. About half of the study area comprised cultivated fields, orchards, sport fields and human settlements. The study was conducted in February–June 2020, after a prolonged drought in 2017–2019. During the drought, most doves vacated their territories and ceased to breed, but breeding populations recovered rapidly. The overall population density of all species was the highest in February/March (30.3 pairs / 100 ha), intermediate in April (27.8), and lowest in May/June (23.5). Population densities were higher in the man-modified than in natural savanna. While the population densities in natural savanna significantly increased with the advance of the dry season, in man-modified savanna the densities decreased slightly.","PeriodicalId":38366,"journal":{"name":"Zoology and Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69858405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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