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CONTENT - International Society of Zoological Sciences

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ICZ2008 – Abstracts S18<br />

Wildlife Depredation on Livestock in Medog County, Tibet,<br />

China<br />

Guangpu Guo 1 , Endi Zhang 2 , Pengju Wu 3 and Min Chen 2<br />

1<br />

School <strong>of</strong> Life Science and Technology, Tongji University,<br />

Shanghai, 200092 China<br />

2<br />

School <strong>of</strong> Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai,<br />

200062 China<br />

3<br />

Dongguan University <strong>of</strong> Technology, Dongguan Guangdong,<br />

523808 China<br />

The importance <strong>of</strong> the eastern Himalaya as an important center <strong>of</strong><br />

biological diversity has long been recognized. Yarlung Tsangpo<br />

River flows eastward through southern Tibet before looping north<br />

then toward the plains <strong>of</strong> India. And it flows all through Medog<br />

County. The style <strong>of</strong> life and work affected the environment while<br />

the wildlife brings them damages.<br />

The main depredated livestock were cattle, horses, mules and pigs<br />

and the main predators was tigers, and also bears and wild dogs.<br />

Most depredations (91.37%) occurred in 1990s and in Gedang<br />

Xiang. There were 97.37% families who suffered from losing<br />

livestock. Even though the depredation occurrences were not<br />

significantly different between months and seasons, they showed<br />

an increasing trend from spring to winter.<br />

Horses and mules were depredated most by tiger during<br />

1990~1999 with an average <strong>of</strong> 10.60 ± 10.15 heads per year, and<br />

it showed a significant difference among months with the most<br />

occurrences in November (18.82%) and the least from August to<br />

September (1.18%, 2.35% and 1.18% individually). Cattle also<br />

killed mostly in November but less in May (0.77 ± 1.91) and<br />

September (1.14 ± 1.05). Livestock were preyed by tiger mainly in<br />

grassland and forest-grass with cattle also in forest-shrub-grass<br />

environments. There were 29.47% depredated livestock dragged<br />

by tiger for a certain distance.<br />

Wild dogs were <strong>of</strong>ten in groups <strong>of</strong> 2~7 individuals and mainly<br />

preyed on cattle and pigs; black bear preyed mainly on cattle. It is<br />

supposed that there would be 5 tigers in Gedang Xiang in those<br />

years.<br />

Mediterranean molluscs: an inventory in Port-Cros national<br />

park, France<br />

Elsa Marangoni and Pierre Noël<br />

Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, DMPA / BOME -UMR n°<br />

5178, CP 53, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, France<br />

Molluscs appeared some 600 MY ago and started diversification.<br />

Eight classes are recognized presently viz. Solenogastra,<br />

Caud<strong>of</strong>oveata, Polyplacophora, Monoplacophora, Gastropoda,<br />

Cephalopoda, Bivalvia and Scaphopoda. most <strong>of</strong> them<br />

represented within the 2045 species or so recognized to be<br />

present in the Mediterranean. This work presents preliminary<br />

results about the inventory <strong>of</strong> molluscs Port-Cros national park and<br />

its surroundings.<br />

A collection gathered by Priest Olivier all along the second half <strong>of</strong><br />

XIXth century in Porquerolles Island was studied first; it includes<br />

some 274 species. It is one <strong>of</strong> the few shell collections from XIXth<br />

century for Mediterranean.<br />

Quite a number <strong>of</strong> shells were also obtained from the "Miladou"<br />

wreck, a roman ship, lying 42 m deep since 100 yrs BC in the Port-<br />

Cros national park. When she sank, some <strong>of</strong> the shells were on<br />

board (obvious for species from Red Sea), and some others could<br />

also have settle there as larvae later on. Subsequently, octopuses<br />

living in amphora brought also their own contribution... A total <strong>of</strong> 36<br />

species were present. It is well known that Humans were<br />

interested long ago by sea-shells for different reasons: food,<br />

decoration, jewel, money, religion... The question <strong>of</strong> the origin <strong>of</strong><br />

these shells will be discussed.<br />

Our own findings brought other species not reported yet from the<br />

studied area. This work is a contribution to the knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />

marine biodiversity in southern France<br />

- 67 -<br />

Vertebrates <strong>of</strong> Buçaco’s National Forest, Centre <strong>of</strong> Portugal<br />

Milena Matos and Carlos Fonseca 1<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Biology/CESAM, University <strong>of</strong> Aveiro, 3810-193<br />

Aveiro, Portugal<br />

Buçaco’s National Forest (wall fenced area with approximately 105<br />

ha) constitutes an exclusive natural heritage in Portugal and in the<br />

World, due to its history, architecture and nature values.<br />

Biologically, it represents one <strong>of</strong> the best dendrological collections<br />

in Europe. However an unknown fauna is associated to the<br />

amazing and well-described flora diversity. The only faunistic study<br />

<strong>of</strong> this forest took place more than 100 years ago, comprising a<br />

survey/inventory <strong>of</strong> the animals present at that time.<br />

The vertebrate species (except Chiroptera) identification as well as<br />

the assessment <strong>of</strong> each vertebrate local distribution was<br />

conducted in this forest during the last three years. To reach these<br />

goals, several methodologies were applied for each group <strong>of</strong><br />

vertebrates.<br />

117 species (fishes: 5, amphibians: 10, reptiles: 14, birds: 66,<br />

mammals: 22) were confirmed in this forest ecosystem and their<br />

distribution mapped.<br />

The occurrence <strong>of</strong> several protected and endemic species from all<br />

presented vertebrates groups (e.g. Chondrostoma oligolepis, the<br />

gold-striped salamander Chioglossa lusitanica, the Schreiber’s<br />

green lizard Lacerta schreiberi, the booted eagle Hieraatus<br />

pennatus and the Lusitanian pine vole Microtus lusitanicus)<br />

reinforces the importance <strong>of</strong> this natural area in terms <strong>of</strong><br />

Portuguese fauna’s conservation.<br />

This study will provide the basis for further investigations focused<br />

on regional biodiversity and habitat fragmentation, among other<br />

subjects.<br />

The knowledge and science education <strong>of</strong> Buçaco’s National<br />

Forest’s biodiversity can contribute to the environmental<br />

sensitization <strong>of</strong> the visitors (more than 100 thousand/year) in what<br />

concerns to the maintenance <strong>of</strong> natural balances and the<br />

protection <strong>of</strong> ecosystems.<br />

Does Thermo-period influence growth and activity <strong>of</strong> the asp<br />

viper?<br />

Catherine Michel and Xavier Bonnet<br />

CEBC CNRS, UPR 1934, Villiers en Bois 79360 Beauvoir sur Niort,<br />

France<br />

Daily and seasonal variations <strong>of</strong> ambient temperatures determine<br />

activity and metabolism <strong>of</strong> animals. The vast majority <strong>of</strong> species<br />

are ectotherms and cannot maintain constant their body<br />

temperature through physiological means; the effects <strong>of</strong> ambient<br />

temperatures apply with force in these organisms. We<br />

experimentally examined the influence <strong>of</strong> thermo-period<br />

(temperature fluctuations) on the behaviour and physiology <strong>of</strong> a<br />

reptile, the aspic viper (Vipera aspic). This snake faces strong<br />

natural daily and annual temperature variations. During three<br />

months, we placed four groups <strong>of</strong> snakes under 4 contrasted<br />

thermal regimes: 1) a 2400h natural regime, 2) a 1200h<br />

accelerated regime, 3) a slow 4800h regime, and 4) a stable<br />

regime. For the first 3 groups, the ambient temperature fluctuated<br />

from 19°C to 29°C (mean=23°C) to mimic daily variations recorded<br />

during the peak <strong>of</strong> activity in the field (e.g. May). For the fourth<br />

group, the temperature was maintained at 23°C. Overall, the mean<br />

temperature over the whole experiment (3 months) was <strong>of</strong> 23°C for<br />

each <strong>of</strong> the four groups. For that, we used four climatic chambers<br />

where both temperature and hygrometry were controlled. We<br />

recorded locomotor activity, feeding success, digestion efficiency<br />

and growth rates. There was no significant effect <strong>of</strong> thermo-period<br />

on activity (p=0.163), digestion efficiency (p=0.850), ecdysis<br />

frequency (p=0.290), body mass changes (p=0.982) and growth<br />

rate (p=0.999). This study suggests that mean temperatures might<br />

be determinant, but not fluctuations. This notion challenges the<br />

simplistic paradigm that suggests that maximal body temperatures<br />

chosen by reptiles correspond necessarily to thermal optimum.

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