bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Automated present weather observations: a new concept for analysing the effects of meteorological variables
Authors: Merenti‐Välimäki Hanna‐Leena , Laininen Pertti 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe observation and analysis of the difficulties and differences, as well as possible errors, in the information output by automated stations is a complicated process. In observing the present weather the human observer is, for example, able to code many different codes at the same time. A period of mixed winter precipitation events is recognised as a significant challenge in assessing the reliability of automated Present Weather Sensors (PWS). The period of difficult winter conditions presented in this paper was unique in the whole two‐year test period. Earlier studies have mostly been based only on liquid precipitation.This paper presents two basic ideas: the first is to compare many simultaneous human‐observed codes with one PWS code; the second is to use logistic regression to compare the observations. A wide variety of weather variables are used as candidates for ‘methodical error’. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
MONIM: the new Met Office Night Illumination Model
Authors: Revell S. J. , Hignett P. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThis paper describes a new model developed by the Met Office to predict night‐time light levels. The Met Office Night Illumination Model (MONIM) predicts light levels both in the visible (photopic) range and in the waveband to which night vision goggles (NVGs) are sensitive. The model will be used operationally for support of night‐time flying operations. The model is described in detail and its light‐level forecasts are compared with observations. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Sky view factor analysis – implications for urban air temperature differences
Authors: Svensson Marie K. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThis study identifies the use of the sky view factor (SVF) in urban climate studies. In addition, it relates air temperature differences to the SVF and examines these differences with respect to the height at which fish‐eye photographs are taken for the calculation of the SVF. The study focuses on night‐time air temperature patterns within the urban canopy using data collected during clear, calm nights from sixteen permanent stations and from car measurements. Fish‐eye photographs taken at two levels (2 m above ground and at ground level) are compared and shown to be statistically different. The results of the study performed in Göteborg, Sweden, indicate a fairly strong relationship between air temperature and SVF. The permanent stations used indicate that it is better to use fish‐eye photographs taken at ground level. The relationship is determined by means of regression analysis. The SVF variation in urban areas and the importance of SVF in relation to other central parameters such as thermal admittance are also discussed. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Prediction of southern Indian winter monsoon rainfall from September local upper‐air temperatures
Authors: Kumar O S R U Bhanu , Naidu C V , Rao S R L , Rao B Ravi Srinivasa 
Published: October 2004

AbstractAn attempt is made to establish a probable link between mean September upper‐air temperatures at Indian stations and the ensuing winter monsoon rainfall over eight individual meteorological subdivisions of southern India where the winter monsoon accounts for a large percentage of mean annual rainfall. For this purpose, linear correlations between the winter monsoon rainfall of the subdivisions and the mean September upper‐air temperatures and vertical temperature differences at the Indian stations have been evaluated using the data set for the period 1959 to 1988. The inter‐correlations between the significant parameters were calculated and then tested to derive multiple linear regression equations containing the best combination of predictor variables. There is a significant positive relationship between the winter monsoon rainfall over Tamilnadu and the mean temperature difference at 500–300 hPa levels at Nagpur in September. Secondly, the winter monsoon rainfall over Coastal Andhra Pradesh is significantly negatively correlated with the mean September temperature over Visakhapatnam at 700 hPa. The most significant inverse relationship exists between the winter monsoon rainfall over Rayalaseema and the mean September temperature over Visakhapatnam at 850 hPa. By using significant parameters, algorithms have been formulated and tested for each subdivision for six succeeding years, 1989–94. These results assisted to some extent in the prediction of winter monsoon rainfall over subdivisions of South India. Finally, stationarity is tested by evaluating another set of multiple linear regression equations using the data set for the period 1965–94 and then testing the algorithms on the preceding six years. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Pavements in the sky: the skybridge in tall buildings
Authors: Wood Antony 
Published: October 2004

Since the World Trade Center Towers collapsed in full view of the watching world (FEMA, 2002), the improved safety of tall buildings has become of prime importance globally (Pearson, 2001). International groups such as the UK-based ‘Safety in Tall Buildings Working Group’ (Roberts, 2002), and Arups High Rise (Wainwright, 2002) which are considering these safety implications have made recommendations for improvement in three general areas:
structural systems, especially with respect to progressive collapsefire proofing, to structure and fabricevacuation systems, concentrating specifically on vertical evacuation systems such as elevators and stairs.
Complex habitat requirements and conservation needs of the only extant Baroniinae swallowtail butterfly
Authors: León‐Cortés Jorge L. , Pérez‐Espinoza Francisco , Marín Linda , Molina‐Martínez Arcángel 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe unique butterfly species, Baronia brevicornis, perhaps the oldest taxon in the Papilionidae, is known to have a very restricted distribution in Mexico. Populations are restricted to southern Mexico in deciduous scrub forest where its host‐plants, Acacia trees (Leguminosae), are common and widespread. Little is known of the conservation implications of its relationship with its host trees. We recorded fine scale population data for larval and adult B. brevicornis in 22 km2 of fragmented landscape in southern Mexico. Habitat associations determined from over 1319 transect walks reveal that B. brevicornis exhibited an extremely localised distribution, occupying < 1% of the study area and being mostly associated with Acacia woodlots. Detailed analyses of habitat requirements for larva and/or adult B. brevicornis suggest that it lays its eggs on Acacia pennatula and A. macracantha (two newly recorded larval host‐plants), that eggs were laid disproportionately on Acacia trees with long branches (χ2= 17.7, P < 0.001) and that the probability of finding adult B. brevicornis between occupied and un‐occupied Acacia woodlots increased with host‐plant density (χ2= 18.4, P < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that conservation recommendations for B. brevicornis must consider the condition of the Acacia habitat network, given that Acacia is mostly associated with human‐managed grazing systems. Effective conservation will require the establishment of connected networks of patches where natural dynamics can produce new habitats, as well as the creation of new habitats within colonisation distance. This research provides a rare case study of conservation biology of a Neotropical insect, emphasising the importance of using ecological information to provide management recommendations.
Monitoring the conservation status of an endangered amphibian: the natterjack toad Bufo calamita in Britain
Authors: Buckley John , Beebee Trevor J. C. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractAdequate monitoring of amphibian populations will be increasingly important if global declines are to be understood and, where possible, reversed. The natterjack toad, Bufo calamita, is the rarest British amphibian and has been the subject of substantial conservation efforts. Monitoring strategies have aimed to quantify both the total numbers of populations and the status of individual populations. Between 1970–1999 the number of natterjack populations increased from 43 to 48 because successful translocations (11) outnumbered extinctions (6). Efforts to monitor individual populations increased over the period 1970–1999. Between 1990–1999 there were no detectable trends in B. calamita population size or breeding success in Britain, although power to detect any trends over 10 years was low. Calling activity and short‐term trends in spawn counts were unreliable predictors of long‐term population viability in the absence of extra information such as toadlet production. Long periods (> 10 years) of spawn counts are needed to demonstrate trends that are reflective of real population changes at the national level. Efforts to develop reliable methods for monitoring B. calamita in Britain could provide useful guidelines for work on some other declining species of amphibians.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Amazonian crocodilians
Authors: Farias Izeni P. , Da Silveira Ronis , de Thoisy Benoit , Monjeló Luis A. , Thorbjarnarson John , Hrbek Tomas 
Published: October 2004

AbstractWe used the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to study the population genetic structure of Melanosuchus niger (Brazil: Negro and Purus Rivers, Lake Janauacá; French Guiana: Kaw River swamps), and Caiman crocodilus (Brazil: Purus River, Lake Janauacá; French Guiana: Kaw River swamps). We found 10 haplotypes in M. niger and 9 haplotypes in C. crocodilus. Nested clade analysis indicated that isolation‐by‐distance was an important population dynamic in M. niger, but was unable to differentiate between isolation‐by‐distance, historical fragmentation or range expansion in C. crocodilus. Fu's Fs statistic supported the hypothesis of a demographic expansion in one out of four and two out of three sampled localities of M. niger and C. crocodilus, respectively. Populations of M. niger in central Amazonia also appeared to show differentiation that was correlated with water type. These results are compatible with the life‐style of these two crocodilians; C. crocodilus is a habitat generalist and appears to disperse rapidly to newly available habitats, while M. niger is a more sedentary habitat specialist. Both species appear to be recovering from unregulated over‐harvesting, however, their responses are life‐history and, potentially, ecologically‐dependent.
Effects of trapping effort and trap shyness on estimates of tiger abundance from camera trap studies
Authors: Wegge Per , Pokheral Chiranjibi Pd. , Jnawali Shant Raj 
Published: October 2004

AbstractCamera trapping has recently been introduced as an unbiased and practical method for monitoring tiger abundance. In a high density area in the Royal Bardia National Park in lowland Nepal, we tested this method by trapping very intensively within a 25 km2 area to determine the true number of animals in that area. We then tested the effect of study design by sub‐sampling the data set using varying distances between trap stations and by reducing the number of trapping nights at each station. We compared these numbers with the density estimates generated by the capture–recapture models of the program CAPTURE. Both distance between traps and trapping duration greatly influenced the results. For example, increasing the inter‐trap distance from 1 to 2.1 km and reducing the trapping duration per station from 15 to 10 nights reduced the number of tigers captured by 25%. A significant decrease in trapping rates during successive 5‐night periods suggested that our tigers became trap‐shy, probably because of the photo flash and because they detected the camera traps from cues from impression pads 50 m from the traps. A significant behavioural response was also confirmed by the program CAPTURE. The best capture–recapture model selected by the computer program (Mbh) gave precise estimates from data collected by the initial 1 km spacing of traps. However, when we omitted data from half the number of traps, thus decreasing the sampling effort to a more realistic level for monitoring purposes, the program CAPTURE underestimated the true number of tigers. Most probably, this was due to a combination of trap shyness and the way the study was designed. Within larger protected areas, total count from intensive, stratified subsampling is suggested as a complementary technique to the capture–recapture method, since it circumvents the problem of trap shyness.
Faecal DNA typing to determine the abundance and spatial organisation of otters (Lutra lutra) along two stream systems in Kinmen
Authors: Hung Chih‐Ming , Li Shou‐Hsien , Lee Ling‐Ling 
Published: October 2004

AbstractIn this study, non‐invasive molecular methods were used to investigate the abundance and spatial organisation of otters (Lutra lutra) in Kinmen. DNA samples were extracted from fresh spraints collected seasonally along two streams from February to November 2001 and genotyped using a panel of 7 microsatellites and the SRY gene. Out of 343 spraints, 222 were successfully genotyped and 38 different genotypes (19 females and 19 males) were identified. Thirteen of these were residents that were identified in more than one season and 25 were floaters that were only identified in a single season. The average number of otters per km found along the two streams (1.5–1.8 for all otters, or 0.8–1.1 for residents only) was higher than that estimated in other studies. Female residents lived in exclusive group ranges and the ranges of male residents overlapped with no more than one group range of female residents. Otters appearing in the same range tended to be more closely related to each other. This study demonstrates that non‐invasive molecular methods can be used to reveal a more comprehensive estimation of size and structure in an otter population.
Do different habitat preference survey methods produce the same conservation recommendations for lesser kestrels?
Authors: Franco A. M. A. , Catry I. , Sutherland W. J. , Palmeirim J. M. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractThe analysis of habitat selection underlies many conservation recommendations. Different researchers use different methods, therefore there is a need to examine whether the results are consistent. This study examined habitat selection by lesser kestrels, Falco naumanni, a globally threatened species, using two methods: visual sighting data from a 35‐km transect and radio‐telemetry of 33 birds. Habitat use and spatial ecology were studied across all of the breeding season in a pseudo‐steppe area, where traditional agro‐grazing systems are still present but some areas have been transformed into pine plantations. Telemetry data indicate that, in good quality habitat, lesser kestrels prefer to forage close to the colony. Furthermore, the home ranges obtained were smaller than those for lesser kestrels using intensively managed habitats or more forested areas. Habitat availability was determined within a 4‐km radius of the colony and habitat preferences were determined using compositional analysis. Both methods were found to produce similar results, but telemetry provided a larger number of significant differences between habitats. Before the chicks hatched, lesser kestrels preferred grazed fallows, ploughed fields and cereal, while after hatching cereal stubble was the preferred habitat. In steppe habitats the protection of such foraging habitats within a 3‐km radius from the colonies could be a very effective conservation measure.
Estimation of tiger densities in the tropical dry forests of Panna, Central India, using photographic capture–recapture sampling
Authors: Karanth K. Ullas , Chundawat Raghunandan S. , Nichols James D. , Kumar N. Samba 
Published: October 2004

AbstractTropical dry‐deciduous forests comprise more than 45% of the tiger (Panthera tigris) habitat in India. However, in the absence of rigorously derived estimates of ecological densities of tigers in dry forests, critical baseline data for managing tiger populations are lacking. In this study tiger densities were estimated using photographic capture–recapture sampling in the dry forests of Panna Tiger Reserve in Central India. Over a 45‐day survey period, 60 camera trap sites were sampled in a well‐protected part of the 542‐km2 reserve during 2002. A total sampling effort of 914 camera‐trap‐days yielded photo‐captures of 11 individual tigers over 15 sampling occasions that effectively covered a 418‐km2 area. The closed capture–recapture model Mh, which incorporates individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities, fitted these photographic capture history data well. The estimated capture probability/sample, p̂= 0.04, resulted in an estimated tiger population size and standard error (&#x004e;̂(SÊ&#x004e;̂)) of 29 (9.65), and a density (D̂(SÊD̂)) of 6.94 (3.23) tigers/100 km2. The estimated tiger density matched predictions based on prey abundance. Our results suggest that, if managed appropriately, the available dry forest habitat in India has the potential to support a population size of about 9000 wild tigers.
Ecological impact of inside/outside house cats around a suburban nature preserve
Authors: Kays Roland W. , DeWan Amielle A. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractWhile subsidised populations of feral cats are known to impact their prey populations, little is known about the ecological impact of inside/outside hunting cats (IOHC). We studied IOHC around a suburban nature preserve. Mail surveys indicated an average of 0.275 IOHC/house, leading to a regional density estimate of 0.32 IOHC/ha. A geographical model of cat density was created based on local house density and distance from forest/neighbourhood edge. IOHC hunted mostly small mammals, averaging 1.67 prey brought home/cat/month and a kill rate of 13%. Predation rates based on kills brought home was lower than the estimate from observing hunting cats (5.54 kills/cat/month). IOHC spent most outside time in their or their immediate neighbours' garden/yard, or in the nearby forest edge; 80% of observed hunts occurred in a garden/yard or in the first 10 m of forest. Radio‐tracked IOHC averaged 0.24 ha in home‐range size (95% minimum convex polygon (MCP)) and rarely entered forest. Confirming this, scent stations detected cats more often near the edge and more cats were detected in smaller forest fragments. There was no relationship between the number of cats detected in an area and the local small mammal abundance or rodent seed predation rates. Cold weather and healthy cat predator populations are speculated to minimise the ecological impact of IOHC on this area.
Behavioural trait assessment as a release criterion: boldness predicts early death in a reintroduction programme of captive‐bred swift fox (Vulpes velox)
Authors: Bremner‐Harrison S. , Prodohl P. A. , Elwood R. W. 
Published: October 2004

AbstractReintroduction of captive‐bred animals is a key approach in conservation attempts for many endangered species, however, post‐release survival is often low. Rearing conditions may be unlike those encountered upon release and the animals may not have had experiences necessary for survival in the wild. Animals may also habituate in captivity to stimuli that may pose a danger after release and/or there may be selection for behavioural traits, in particular reduced fearfulness, that may not be suited for the wild. Here, variation in boldness was assessed in captive‐bred swift fox (Vulpes velox) and tested for influence on survival after release. Radio‐tracked individuals that died in the 6 months following release were those judged previously as bold. In the presence of novel stimuli in captivity, they had left their dens more quickly, approached more closely to the stimuli and shown more activities indicating low fear than did those that survived. These individuals were less suited for release. Future selection of release‐candidates on the basis of behavioural variation should enhance the success of reintroduction programmes.
Diversity and classification of mycorrhizal associations
Authors: Brundrett Mark 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACTMost mycorrhizas are‘balanced’mutualistic associations in which the fungus and plant exchange commodities required for their growth and survival. Myco‐heterotrophic plants have‘exploitative'mycorrhizas where transfer processes apparently benefit only plants. Exploitative associations are symbiotic (in the broad sense), but are not mutualistic. A new definition of mycorrhizas that encompasses all types of these associations while excluding other plant‐fungus interactions is provided. This definition recognises the importance of nutrient transfer at an interface resulting from synchronised plant‐fungus development. The diversity of interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and plants is considered. Mycorrhizal fungi also function as endophytes, necrotrophs and antagonists of host or non‐host plants, with roles that vary during the lifespan of their associations. It is recommended that mycorrhizal associations are defined and classified primarily by anatomical criteria regulated by the host plant. A revised classification scheme for types and categories of mycorrhizal associations defined by these criteria is proposed. The main categories of vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal associations (VAM) are and of ectomycorrhizal associations (ECM) are‘epidermal’epidermal ECM occur in certain host plants. Fungus‐controlled features result in categories of VAM and ECM. Arbutoid and monotropoid associations should be considered subcategories of epidermal ECM and ectendomycorrhizas should be relegated to an ECM morphotype. Both arbuscules and vesicles define mycorrhizas formed by glomeromycotan fungi. A new classification scheme for categories, subcategories and morphotypes of mycorrhizal associations is provided.
Sexually transmitted diseases of insects: distribution, evolution, ecology and host behaviour
Authors: Knell Robert J. , Webberley K. Mary 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACTSexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of insects are known from the mites, nematodes, fungi, protists and viruses. In total 73 species of parasite and pathogen from approximately 182 species of host have been reported. Whereas nearly all vertebrate STDs are viruses or bacteria, the majority of insect STDs are multicellular ectoparasites, protistans or fungi. Insect STDs display a range of transmission modes, with‘ pure’sexual transmission only described from ectoparasites, all of which are mites, fungi or nematodes, whereas the microparasitic endo‐parasites tend to show vertical as well as sexual transmission. The distribution of STDs within taxa of insect hosts appears to be related to the life histories of the hosts. In particular, STDs will not be able to persist if host adult generations do not overlap unless they are also transmitted by some alternative route. This explains the observation that the Coleoptera seem to suffer from more STDs than other insect orders, since they tend to diapause as adults and are therefore more likely to have overlapping generations of adults in temperate regions.STDs of insects are often highly pathogenic, and are frequently responsible for sterilizing their hosts, a feature which is also found in mammalian STDs. This, combined with high prevalences indicates that STDs can be important in the evolution and ecology of their hosts. Although attempts to demonstrate mate choice for unin‐fected partners have so far failed it is likely that STDs have other effects on host mating behaviour, and there is evidence from a few systems that they might manipulate their hosts to cause them to mate more frequently. STDs may also play a part in sexual conflict, with males in some systems possibly gaining a selective advantage from transmitting certain STDs to females.STDs may well be important factors in host population dynamics, and some have the potential to be useful biological control agents, but empirical studies on these subjects are lacking.