Abstracts » Zoology and wildlife conservation

The hen harrier and the grouse

Article Abstract:

The hen harrier, Circus cyaneus, is a rare British bird of prey, found only on Scottish moorland. Loss of habitat and human persecution means that there are only some 600 breeding females in the UK. The hen harrier is unpopular because it eats red grouse chicks and adults, causing problems for the grouse-shooting industry. A study of the population dynamics of hen harriers shows that nest success on grouse moors is lower than elsewhere and that the hen harrier population would be unsustainable were it not for other breeding habitats.

Environmental aspects, Habitat (Ecology), Habitats, Birds of prey, Raptors (Birds), Nature conservation

---

Density-dependent populations

Article Abstract:

Chaotic dynamics resulting from a deterministic but nonlinear relation between population densities do not undermine standard techniques for finding population density-dependence. Chaos brought about by first-order equations does not preclude verifying density-dependence by the standard technique. However, the rebuttal view is that this defense of the standard techniques does not deal with how noise in some behavioral parameters can cause the techniques to fail if nonlinearities are powerful enough.

Models, Population density, Chaos theory, Chaotic systems, Nonlinear theories

---

Ethics and amphibians

Article Abstract:

The marking system used for frogs for identification is showing adverse effects on toe including inflammation and infection of feet and limbs. Robert May is drawing attention towards the rights of non-human animals and is expecting that these effects should be explicitly recognized in future studies.

United States, Public affairs, Ethics, Ethical aspects, Animal experimentation, Research ethics

Some parts © 2013 Advameg, Inc.