CONTENT - International Society of Zoological Sciences

S18 ICZ2008 - Abstracts
Status of terrestrial bird’s communities in cuban ecosystems
during the winter residence
Hiram González 1 , Alejandro Llanes 1 , Daysi Rodríguez 1 , Eneider
Pérez 1 , Bárbara Sánchez 1 , Patricia Rodríguez 1 , Ramona Oviedo 1 y
Alina Pérez 2
1Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, 2 ECOVIDA, Cuba
In our study it was determined the influence of the different types
of forests and regions in the distribution, composition, abundance
and status of residents and migratory bird’s communities during
the winter residence between the years 1993 and 2003. We
worked in 33 localities of 10 regions of Cuba to evaluate the
terrestrial bird’s communities. The methods of circular plots and it
captures with ornithological mist nets were applied. It was
evaluated the structure and composition of the vegetation types by
means of the method of vegetation plots. We banded 13846 birds
of 104 residents and migratory birds’ species and it was
demonstrated by the counts and captures that there are significant
differences in the richness and abundance of bird’s communities
between sampling areas and the same ones they are given
fundamentally by the migratory birds. The variables of the
vegetation with more influence in the composition and abundance
of bird´s communities are the height of the forest, the canopy
covering, the density of trees and of bushes. The migratory birds
presented a high fidelity to the winter territories, because 93.7%
used the same microhabitat every year. The most important
regions for the birds during the winter residence were Zapata
Swamp, the Peninsula of Guanahacabibes, Coco Key, Pinares of
Mayarí, Sabinal Key and the Alejandro of Humboldt Park, which
are proposed as Importance Birds Areas.
Status of birds of important birds area of Alejandro de
Humboldt park, Cuba
Hiram González Alonso 1 , Eneider Pérez Mena 1 , Daysi Rodríguez
Batista 1 , Patricia Rodríguez Casariego 1 , Alejandro llanes Sosa 1 ,
Gerardo Begué Quiala 2 y Arturo Hernández Marrero 1
1
Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática
2
Unidad de Servicios Ambientales, Parque Alejandro de Humboldt,
Cuba
We have carried out evaluations of birds communities in five types
of vegetation in the localities of Cupeyal del Norte, Piedra la Vela
and Baitiquirí inside the National Park Alejandro of Humboldt,
using the methods of surveys, circular plots and geo-referencing.
The samplings were carried out in the months of December,
January and March during 2005 to 2007.
Based on species richness and relative abundance of their
populations, we demonstrate considerable similarity among avian
communities in the different forested ecosystems, relative
abundance, diversity (H´) and the indexes of Simpson and
Equitativity (J´) were always obtained in the evergreen forest and
the pine forests. Also, the largest numbers of endemic and
threatened species were detected in the evergreen forest and pine
forests. We determined the distribution of the threatened species
inside the Park, and in particular the abundance of pairs of Bee
Hummingbirds (Mellisuga helenae).
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Wild Felids densities in mountain ecosystems of Costa Rica:
differential abundances and methodological issues
Jose F. Gonzalez-Maya 1 , Diego Zarrate 2 , Catalina Amaya-Perilla 3
and Jan Schipper 4
1
Proyecto de Conservación de Aguas y Tierras, Las Alturas, Coto
Brus, Costa Rica
2
ProCAT Colombia, Calle 127 b # 45-76, Bogotá, Colombia.
3
ProCAT Colombia, Calle 127 b # 45-76, Bogotá, Colombia.
4
IUCN - Global Mammal Assessment. Virginia, USA.
Mountain ecosystems are important areas for felid species
conservation in Mesoamerica because they represent an important
habitat for these animals and for general biodiversity. However,
this habitats still mostly unknown about population, ecology and
conservation status as a result of numerous causes - including
logistics and isolation. The present study was carried out in the
Talamanca region Costa Rica, an important mountain ecosystem
of high endemicity and both biological and cultural importance for
Mesoamerica. During 2006 and 2007, camera-traps were
deployed in the study area in three sampling arrays on an
elevation gradient (between 1000 and 2000 m). The minimum
convex polygon covered by the cameras was 3.92, 19.08 and
75.66 km 2 respectively. Different buffer distances were calculated
using the data from each sampling and the integrated data of the
maximum distance moved (MDM). Jaguar estimates vary from
5.42 ± 2.30 to 11.54 ± 3.40, puma density vary from 4.30 to 44.01
individuals/100 km 2 and ocelots density vary from 6,35 to
15.90/100 km 2 . Differential densities and abundances were
determined due to elevation and other environmental and
ecological variables; including prey exploitation and habitat quality
for each species. Current results indicate a good jaguar, puma and
ocelot densities in the region however, the methodology still needs
to be corrected for neo-tropical cat samplings and this type of
ecosystems. A continued research is needed in the area in order
to understand density patterns across the area and the influence of
human variables on the distribution of felids and prey species.
Effects of Experimentally Increased Stress Hormones levels
on Survival in a long-lived bird: the Black-legged Kittiwake
Aurélie Goutte 1 , Frédéric Angelier 2 , Borge Moe 3 , Claus Bech 3 and
Olivier Chastel 1
1 Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé-CNRS, 79360 Beauvoir
sur Niort, France ; 2 Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National
Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA; 3 Norwegian
University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim,
Norway
The life-history theory predicts the existence of a trade-off between
the current reproductive episode and survival (i.e. future
reproduction) but the underlying mechanisms are poorly
understood. Often considered as the ‘stress hormone’,
corticosterone (CORT) is thought to allow energy storing and
adjust reproductive behaviour and physiology appropriately to the
conditions encountered. Plasma levels of CORT rapidly rise in
response to stressful conditions, which shifts energy investment
away from reproduction and is believed to favour long-term
survival. However, bearing elevated CORT levels over a prolonged
period of time may compromise survival by impairing
immunocompetence, cognitive abilities and increasing proteolysis.
In the present study, we investigate the relationship between
annual survival probability and experimentally increased
corticosterone levels in Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla.
Corticosterone levels were higher during the two first days after
implantation in CORT-implanted birds than in control ones, and
then return to the initial level. Furthermore, CORT-implanted birds
had a higher annual mortality rate than control ones. These results
show that transitory high levels of corticosterone have strong
consequences on survival. We suggest that the exogenous
implantation of CORT might inhibit the endogenous secretion of
CORT. This negative feedback would reduce the abilities of
individuals to adopt an adequate behaviour in order to cope with a
stressful perturbation, and thus would compromise survival.