This study has been an attempt to gain a batter understanding of the factors involved in variation in aggressive behavior and clutch characters in the red grouse. Variation in physical clutch characters and chick behavior are described. Analysis of the relationships between these characters showed few overall correlations and thus did not indicate a small number of unitary causative factors behind the variation. Comparison of hens breeding in captivity showed that good chick survival resulted from a heavy hen parent. A study of breading over one generation demonstrated that egg weight, hatch weight and growth to 4 days showed varying degrees of maternal inheritance but no indication of genetic inheritance to any significant degree. Observations on groups of chicks from hatch to maturity showed no organized social structure based on aggressive behavior that might influences the dominance interactions of adults. The dominance remings of adult cocks were measured in small, temporary groups, and these rankings were stable for at least a year on retesting. Dominance was negatively correlated with late juvenile growth and positively correlated with comb size which is an indicator of testosterone activity. More dominant birds were also older, and moulted their primary feathers earlier. A model for the development of aggressive behavior is proposed in which external influences depress growth, thereby accelerating moult and increasing androgen production, which in turn determines adult dominance through aggression. This is discussed in relation to the model of population limitation by territorial behavior in the red grouse.

This thesis describes a three year field study of a red deer stock on glen Dye estate in North-east Scotland. The general aim was to relate the ecology of the deer to their management. The fertility of hinds was high, and puberty - at 14 months - was earlier than has generally been found in Scotland. There was a 29 - 44 loss of foetuses or calves from mid-pregnancy till two months post partum, mainly in hinds breeding for the first time. Despite this high reproductive rate, the stock decreased by 65 since 1961, and data from 1965 suggest that this was due to shooting. The reason why the deer were heavily culled - on and off Glen Dye - is that many deer left the estate in winter and conflicted with other land interests there, mainly forestry and agriculture. I studied several environmental factors that may have been associated with this seasonal change in dispersion. There was no evidence of any differences in the species or chemical composition of the food from deer shot on Glen Dye than from deer shot on those areas outside the estate where they had gone in winter. Grasses were important foods throughout the year and forced the largest part of the rumen contents in summer. Heather was the most important species (in terms of quantity) in winter. An experiment was devised to relate the proportions of heather in the food to those found in the rumen contents. There was no difference between the proportions (dry weight) of heather in the food and in the rumen, or between the proportions of heather found in the rumen after different periods of rumination. The proportions of heather in the rumen differed significantly between two individual deer on the same diet, particularly at the higher intakes of heather. There was no evidence that disturbance from shooting, or the effects of other animals, wore associated with the changes in dispersion of the deer between summer and winter. Areas that the deer occupied in winter were more sheltered from wind (the main weather component affecting sheltering behaviour in winter) than areas they had left. The occupied areas were also near accessible low ground which the deer favoured in times of snow. However, the deer's traditional home range behaviour dictated to which of these sheltered areas they went in winter. Recommendations for deer management have been made, based on this field study; they involve the reopening of sheltered, mature woodlands that were previous wintering areas for the deer.

No description available.

No description available.

In this study we followed hairy-eared dwarf lemurs (Allocebus trichotis), a small nocturnal strepsirrhine primate, using radio-tracking during a one year study. Our aim was to clarify the behavioural ecology of the species and in particular to determine habitat use, social organisation and seasonal activity cycle. We conducted field work between January and December 2007 in the Analamazaotra Special Reserve, Andasibe, central eastern Madagascar. After capturing and measuring eleven individuals, we followed two males and two females for eight months and two additional females for three months. Adults weighed about 77 g, measured 13-14 cm and had a 12-15 cm tail. The much larger home range of Allocebus trichotis compared to other Cheirogaleidae (mean: 15 ha (MCP), 5 ha (kernel)) could be due to the highly insectivorous diet or the use of patchily distributed gum-trees. Each focal animal used four or five different tree holes and shared these with conspecifics and occasionally with white-tailed tree rats (Brachytarsomys albicauda). Tree holes were in living trees with average diameters at breast height of 32 cm, at median heights of 7 m. Tree holes could have antipredator and thermoregulatory functions and might be a limiting resource. Hairy-eared dwarf lemurs mainly used the small branch niche, five to ten meters above ground. Their diet was gummivore-insectivore. We propose a dispersed pair-bonded multi-male/multi-female social system with a monogamous or slightly promiscuous mating system. During the colder drier season, most animals decreased activity and entered periods of daily torpor, especially the heavier ones. The mating season probably lasted from October to December with births between December and February. Although this study presents crucial data on a rare nocturnal species, its small sample sizes call for additional research. Continued efforts are needed to assess the conservation status of this Data Deficient species. Fortunately, this and recent studies prove the feasibility of research on small nocturnal strepsirrhine primates in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar.

As humans continue to modify natural habitats in Africa, particularly outside of protected areas, the survival of many chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) populations is dependant on their ability to adapt to human-dominated landscapes, and the willingness of local people to share their environment and resources with these large mammals. Unless hunted, chimpanzees may persist in anthropogenically-modified habitats including forest–farm mosaics, but competition and conflict can characterise their relationship with people. Conservation strategies are needed to facilitate successful coexistence. However, few studies have examined human–ape sympatry in detail. This thesis explores the ecological and behavioural adaptation of a previously unstudied chimpanzee community to an increasingly ‘agriculturalised’ landscape at Bulindi, Uganda. These chimpanzees live in exceptionally close proximity to farmers that exert unsustainable pressure on small unprotected forests. Research was conducted during 21 months between February 2006 and January 2008. Quantitative ecological methods were used to characterise the apes’ habitat and measure seasonal food availability. Indirect methods (e.g. faecal analysis and nest mapping) were employed to investigate chimpanzee diet and range use, supplemented by opportunistic behavioural observations. Riverine forests at Bulindi are rich in chimpanzee foods, but are rapidly being destroyed by people. Important foods in the apes’ diet include both wild and cultivated items; chimpanzees increased consumption of cultivars during the low forest fruiting season. Unique among studied populations in Uganda, Bulindi chimpanzees use tools to dig up subterranean bee nests for honey. Interviews were conducted to survey residents’ attitudes towards chimpanzees and forests. Chimpanzee behaviour is widely perceived by residents to have undergone recent negative changes, including increased crop-raiding and ranging into village areas, which correspond to major land-use changes (i.e. commercial logging and agricultural intensification). Further, adult males exhibit frequent human-directed aggression, apparently in response to harassment and intensifying competition with humans. Most residents fear chimpanzees. Because of poverty, insecure land tenure, inadequate law and policy enforcement, and corruption, local people currently have little incentive to maintain forest on their land. The study concludes that, under present conditions, chimpanzees will not survive at Bulindi or in similar unprotected forest–farm landscapes regionally without immediate, effective intervention. Recommendations for the conservation and management of chimpanzees in human-dominated landscapes are provided.

Madagascar has long been recognized as one of the world’s priority global hotspots for biodiversity conservation. Its herpetofauna, in particular, is extremely species-rich and diverse with high levels of endemism. By far the most important threat to its continued survival is the relentless destruction of its primary habitats. Socioeconomic factors in combination with particular aspects of Malagasy culture have led to the exploitation of natural resources which have already had an impact at a national level. Conservation strategies are in place to protect this unique fauna. However, in practice they are constrained in part by a lack of information regarding the distribution, abundance, natural history, and habitat requirements of threatened species. Accessible information, generated by baseline herpetological surveys, is particularly lacking for several key regions such as the northern province of Antsiranana. The first study in this research programme represents a review of modern herpetological survey work (1994-2007) in Madagascar and serves to highlight why Antsiranana was selected as a region of focus. The following three studies are focused on baseline herpetological survey work that was conducted in several key sites of conservation importance throughout the province. A further three studies provide an account of six species (previously unknown to science) that were discovered and described as a result of this survey work. The remaining two studies provide an insight into the impact that anthropogenic habitat alteration is having on lizard abundance, diversity and community composition in the extreme north of this island. Overall, these studies represent an advancement of the knowledge regarding a threatened herpetofauna. They elucidate a number of issues pertaining to broader questions of conservation biology in Madagascar that have been traditionally confounded by a lack of evidence.

The Sumatran elephant is seriously threatened by extinction throughout its range. Here, conservation issues threatening the future survival of Asian elephants in Sumatra, and Aceh in particular, are analyzed and evaluated. The impact of deforestation on the prevalence of elephants living in isolated subpopulations scattered across Sumatra was addressed by analyzing the spatial patterns of deforestation and habitat use of elephants. Deforestation data was obtained from remotely sensed imagery and elephant habitat use was assessed by means of ecological niche modelling. The Sumatra-wide impact of deforestation on elephant population survival was analyzed by comparing the historic distribution of elephants to their current distribution. The observed incidences of population extinctions were then compared to spatial pattern of land cover change and anthropogenic influences. Moreover, the occurrence of crop raiding by elephants was evaluated against the spatial configuration of the forests and forest disturbances. Finally, the effectiveness of different forest conservation strategies was assessed. Niche modelling revealed that elephants are mainly confined to closed canopy habitats located within landscape depressions and along the forest edge. Surprisingly, elephants were found over a wide range of elevations and were found at locations within rugged terrain. Since deforestation in Aceh was mainly concentrated within the same areas forming the most optimal elephant habitat, elephants are likely to become displaced from their natural ranges. Also, crop raiding incidents appeared to be most frequent in areas which recently had been cleared, but still had undisturbed or secondary forest patches in the direct vicinity. These findings, together with the observation that elephant population survival was significantly reduced in areas which had little forest cover over an extended period of time, suggest that deforestation is the main factor leading to elephant extinctions. To safeguard the survival of elephant populations into the future, conservation strategies should attempt to integrate elephant habitat requirements into land use plans while simultaneously considering human economic interests. Conserving forest by reducing access appears to be the most effective measure to reduce illegal logging. The application of buffer zones along the forest edge in which limited resource extraction is allowed is therefore more likely to reduce deforestation as compared to the investments needed to actively protect the forest.

No description available.

Many species require habitats that are naturally patchily-distributed and ephemeral, but human activities fundamentally alter the rate and scale of habitat change. This thesis describes the development of a new metapopulation simulation model applicable to a broad range of species that depend on dynamic habitat. I apply the model to two' case studies, both involving butterfly species that use early-successional habitats and that are UK BiodiversIty Action Plan priority species. I describe. two methods for parameterising the model for a particular metapopulation in a particular landscape. One method uses parallel disturbance ar:d population presence data for a few consecutive years; the other derives population parameters and landscape parameters from separate data sources. In the first case study, I found that the BAP target for Heath Fritillary (Melitaea athalia) populations in the Blean Woods, Kent, could either be met by approximately doubling the coppicing effort, or by concentrating the existing effort into one of the larger woodland blocks. In the second case study, I found that the rate of heathland burning in the South Stack area of Angl~seywas not enough by itself to sustain the metapopulation of Silver-studded Blues (Plebejus argus). However, the metapopulation is probably saved from extinction by the existence of permanently-suitable habitat close to the coast. I have also elucidated an important phenomenon in metapopulations with dynamic habitat: the relationship between patch occupancy and patch connectivity can be obscured by the temporal changes in habitat. This has important implications for the debate about whether many real populations actually fit the metapopulation paradigm because the existence of metapopulation dynamics is often determined by testing the connectivity-occupancy relationship. The simulation model, 'MANAGE', is an important new tool for integrating landscape-scale information, and answering conservation questions, in a field which is relatively new and unexplored.