Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis.

The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect of body size and digestive system in determining movements of 30 populations of hindgut fermenters (equids) and ruminants across biomes. Selection for intermediate forage biomass was negatively related to body size, regardless of digestive system. Selection for proximity to surface water was stronger for equids relative to ruminants, regardless of body size. To be more generalisable, we suggest that the FMH explicitly incorporate contingencies in body size and digestive system, with small-bodied ruminants selecting more strongly for potential energy intake, and hindgut fermenters selecting more strongly for surface water.

Abiotic and biotic factors controlling the dynamics of soil respiration in a coastal dune ecosystem in western Japan.

In this study, we examined the abiotic and biotic factors controlling the dynamics of soil respiration (Rs) while considering the zonal distribution of plant species in a coastal dune ecosystem in western Japan, based on periodic Rs data and continuous environmental data. We set four measurement plots with different vegetation compositions: plot 1 on bare sand; plot 2 on a cluster of young Vitex rotundifolia seedlings; plot 3 on a mixture of Artemisia capillaris and V. rotundifolia; and plot 4 on the inland boundary between the coastal vegetation zone and a Pinus thunbergii forest. Rs increased exponentially along with the seasonal rise in soil temperature, but summer drought stress markedly decreased Rs in plots 3 and 4. There was a significant positive correlation between the natural logarithm of belowground plant biomass and Rs in autumn. Our findings indicate that the seasonal dynamics of Rs in this coastal dune ecosystem are controlled by abiotic factors (soil temperature and soil moisture), but the response of Rs to drought stress in summer varied among plots that differed in dominant vegetation species. Our findings also indicated that the spatial dynamics of Rs are mainly controlled by the distribution of belowground plant biomass and autotrophic respiration.

Health effects of dust storms: subjective eye and respiratory system symptoms in inhabitants in Mongolia.

The cross-sectional study described here aimed to investigate potential health effects associated with dust storms in Mongolia. The authors surveyed the subjective symptoms of the eyes (e.g., bloodshot eyes) and respiratory system (e.g., coughing) among inhabitants in different living environments (urban and desert) immediately after a dust storm. The subjects studied lived either in an urban area (n = 36 residents), or a desert area (n = 87 nomads). Information concerning eye and respiratory system symptoms was obtained by face-to-face household interviews. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed on the relationships between the subjective symptoms and the different living environments adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status. The occurrence of lacrimation, an eye symptom, was higher among the desert area participants compared to those residing in the urban area. Results suggest that the occurrence of eye lacrimation is related to dust storms.

Health-related quality of life and recognition of desertification among inhabitants of the Loess Plateau region of China: findings for city and village communities.

This article elucidates the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) the recognition of desertification among people living in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China. HRQOL was assessed with a three-dimensional survey of general health perception, vitality, and general mental health based on a 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). Scores for general health perception were approximately the same in the city and the village communities. Vitality and mental health scores were significantly lower for women in the village communities than for other groups. In the village communities, HRQOL was significantly and positively correlated with income. The inhabitants of the village communities were more satisfied with their life situation than those in the city, in spite of the economic gap between them. Levels of recognition of desertification were lower in the village communities than in the city.

Movements of dams milked for fermented horse milk production in Mongolia.

Airag, (Fermented horse milk) is a traditional milk product in Mongolia. Herders separate foals from their dams and tie them at a milking site during the daytime to produce airag. To evaluate the effects of horse management on the movement of dams, we tracked three dams in a herd in camp 1 during summer and camp 2 during autumn of 2013 and analyzed their movements during the milking (daytime) and non-milking (nighttime) periods in an area famous for its high-quality airag. Dams were gathered every 1.7 ± 0.0 h between 07.46 and 15.47 hours at the milking sites and milked 4.6 ± 0.2 times/day during the study period (86 days). Daily cumulative and maximum linear distances from the milking sites were longer (P < 0.01) during the non-milking period than during the milking period. Daily home ranges were 91 and 26 times greater during the non-milking period (P < 0.001) in camps 1 and 2, respectively. The greater range during the non-milking period would reflect the spatial distributions of water, salt and forage. The dams initially used similar areas and gradually shifted their daily home ranges after several days. This shift suggests that the dams grazed farther afield as forage availability declined around the milking site. For better airag production and sustainable pasture use, our results provide insights useful for evaluating the effects of milking management on vegetation and soil in those pastures, for selecting the appropriate milking times and frequency, and for choosing the right timing to shift milking sites.

Fragmentation of the habitat of wild ungulates by anthropogenic barriers in Mongolia.

Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation caused by anthropogenic activities are the main factors that constrain long-distance movement of ungulates. Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) and Asiatic wild asses (Equus hemionus) in Mongolia are facing habitat fragmentation and loss. To better understand how their movements respond to potential anthropogenic and natural barriers, we tracked 24 Mongolian gazelles and 12 wild asses near the Ulaanbaatar-Beijing Railroad and the fenced international border between Mongolia and China between 2002 and 2012. None of the tracked gazelles crossed the railroad, even though gazelles were captured on both sides of the tracks at the start of the study. Similarly, we did not observe cross-border movements between Mongolia and China for either species, even though some animals used areas adjacent to the border. The both species used close areas to the anthropogenic barriers more frequently during winter than summer. These results suggest strong impacts by the artificial barriers. The construction of new railroads and roads to permit mining and other resource development therefore creates the threat of further habitat fragmentation, because the planned routes will divide the remaining non-fragmented habitats of the ungulates into smaller pieces. To conserve long-distance movement of the ungulates in this area, it will be necessary to remove or mitigate the barrier effects of the existing and planned roads and railroads and to adopt a landscape-level approach to allow access by ungulates to wide ranges throughout their distribution.