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After ocean entry, juvenile Japanese chum salmon migrate northeastward to the Sea of Okhotsk. However, some juveniles originating in rivers along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido were reported to migrate in the opposite direction (westward). We compiled historical data to determine which river‐origin juveniles migrate westward and to what extent. Then, the ocean‐entry conditions and growth rates of 398 juveniles from two rivers along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido were estimated with otolith daily‐increment analysis. Many juveniles migrated >100 km westward from multiple natal river mouths. Juveniles collected to the west of their natal rivers tended to enter the ocean earlier than those collected to the east, and many did so before sea surface temperatures reached 5°C (the lower limit of the empirically favorable temperature range). In the west, many small juveniles were collected soon after ocean entry, suggesting that they migrated passively with the Coastal Oyashio, a westward cold current. By contrast, juveniles collected in the east tended to grow faster in length and have a lower body condition factor at capture, possibly due to growth‐dependent mortality during their migration against the flow of the Coastal Oyashio. Moreover, many juveniles in the west were exposed to temperatures near 13°C (the upper limit of favorable temperatures) at capture. In recent years, there has been a shortening of the favorable water‐temperature period and a drastic decline in adult chum returns in the region. There is hence concern that the likelihood of abortive migrations for juveniles transported westward will increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Boat Detection (VBD) data have been widely used to study the patterns of fishing grounds and their linking to fishery targets, particularly species mainly caught by jiggers. In line with most species in the Ommastrephidae family, the population of Todarodes pacificus is made up of various splinter cohorts concerning the timing and location of hatching. Therefore, the satellite‐recorded fishing grounds consist of groups with complex age structures and different migration directions within cohorts. This study examined the age composition of harvestable stocks (age spectrum) of T. pacificus in the Japan Sea based on an early life history individual‐based model of T. pacificus and VBD data. Using the age spectrum, we analysed the relationship between fishery effort and the age of the target group. It was found that jiggers most prefer individuals around 310 ± 20 days. Furthermore, the correlation between ambient water temperature and fishing effort revealed that T. pacificus migrated to colder waters, reaching the coldest waters at 250 ± 7.5 days before moving back towards warmer waters. We discussed a possible way to use the age‐temperature relationship to analyse the flow of VBD distributions to record the movements related to the migration of the fishing target. The results show migration‐like trajectories, which are initially parallel to the isotherm, gradually deflect towards lower temperature sides over several months, sharply turn for about a month and then move back with a slight angle to the isotherms. The method provides a potential framework to improve our understanding of the active migration of oceanic squid.

Simple Summary: Green lacewing is an important natural predator of many crop pests. In this study, we conducted 10 years of monitoring from 2012 to 2021 to determine the aerial migration patterns of green lacewing species using a suction trap on Beihuang Island (BH), a small island in the center of the Bohai Strait that serves as a seasonal insect migration pathway in eastern Asia. Overall, there were significant interannual and seasonal differences in the densities of the main species, and the sex ratio varied among different months, with more females being captured than males. It was determined that the green lacewings primarily originated from Shandong Province through trajectory analysis. This study provides valuable insights into the migration dynamics of green lacewings in eastern Asia, which is helpful for biological control in the region. Many insects, including green lacewings, migrate seasonally to exploit suitable breeding and winter habitats. Green lacewings are important natural enemies of insect pests worldwide. Here, four dominant green lacewing species, Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto), Chrysopa pallens (Rambur), Chrysoperla furcifera (Okamoto), and Chrysopa formosa Brauer, were investigated for their ability to migrate between northern and northeastern China across the Bohai Strait from late May to late October each year. Furthermore, there were significant interannual and seasonal differences in the number of migratory green lacewings collected. The number of green lacewings in spring was significantly lower than that in summer and autumn, and the highest average number of green lacewings occurred in June. In addition, there were differences in the sex ratio of migrating green lacewings between months, with a greater proportion of females than males. Finally, the seasonal migration trajectories simulated by the HYSPLIT model revealed that the green lacewings captured on Beihuang Island primarily originated from Shandong Province. Accordingly, these findings contribute to our understanding of green lacewing migration in eastern Asia and aid its incorporation within integrated pest management (IPM) packages for several crop pests. Furthermore, long-term tracking of migrant insect populations can reveal ecosystem services and trophic dynamic processes at the macroscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Boat Detection (VBD) data have been widely used to study the patterns of fishing grounds and their linking to fishery targets, particularly species mainly caught by jiggers. In line with most species in the Ommastrephidae family, the population of Todarodes pacificus is made up of various splinter cohorts concerning the timing and location of hatching. Therefore, the satellite‐recorded fishing grounds consist of groups with complex age structures and different migration directions within cohorts. This study examined the age composition of harvestable stocks (age spectrum) of T. pacificus in the Japan Sea based on an early life history individual‐based model of T. pacificus and VBD data. Using the age spectrum, we analysed the relationship between fishery effort and the age of the target group. It was found that jiggers most prefer individuals around 310 ± 20 days. Furthermore, the correlation between ambient water temperature and fishing effort revealed that T. pacificus migrated to colder waters, reaching the coldest waters at 250 ± 7.5 days before moving back towards warmer waters. We discussed a possible way to use the age‐temperature relationship to analyse the flow of VBD distributions to record the movements related to the migration of the fishing target. The results show migration‐like trajectories, which are initially parallel to the isotherm, gradually deflect towards lower temperature sides over several months, sharply turn for about a month and then move back with a slight angle to the isotherms. The method provides a potential framework to improve our understanding of the active migration of oceanic squid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many migratory birds exhibit interannual consistency in migration schedules, routes and stopover sites. Detecting the interannual consistency in spatiotemporal characteristics helps understand the maintenance of migration and enables the implementation of targeted conservation measures. We tracked the migration of Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and collected spatiotemporal data from individuals that were tracked for at least two years. Wilcoxon non-parametric tests were used to compare the interannual variations in the dates of departure from and arrival at breeding/nonbreeding sites, and the interannual variation in the longitudes when the same individual across the same latitudes. Whimbrels exhibited a high degree of consistency in the use of breeding, nonbreeding, and stopover sites between years. The variation of arrival dates at nonbreeding sites was significantly larger than that of the departure dates from nonbreeding and breeding sites. Repeatedly used stopover sites by the same individuals in multiple years were concentrated in the Yellow Sea coast during northward migration, but were more widespread during southward migration. The stopover duration at repeatedly used sites was significantly longer than that at sites used only once. When flying across the Yellow Sea, Whimbrels breeding in Sakha (Yakutia) exhibited the highest consistency in migration routes in both autumn and spring. Moreover, the consistency in migration routes of Yakutia breeding birds was generally higher than that of birds breeding in Chukotka. Our results suggest that the northward migration schedule of the Whimbrels is mainly controlled by endogenous factors, while the southward migration schedule is less affected by endogenous factors. The repeated use of stopover sites in the Yellow Sea coast suggests this region is important for the migration of Whimbrel, and thus has high conservation value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soaring bird migration often relies on suitable terrain and airflow; therefore, route selection is vital for successful migration. While age and experience have been identified as key factor influencing migration route selection among soaring raptors in the African-Eurasian Flyway, how they shape the migration route of soaring raptors in East Asia is still largely unknown. In this study, we investigated potential variations in the routes and timing in autumn migration of juvenile and older soaring birds, using count data of Greater Spotted Eagles (Clanga clanga) from two coastal sites and two inland sites in China. From 2020 to 2023, we recorded a total of 340 individuals, with the highest site averaging over 90 individuals per autumn, making it one of the world's top single-season counts and thus a globally important site for this species. We found that 82% and 61% records from coastal sites were juveniles, significantly higher than inland sites (15% and 24%). Juveniles at all four sites exhibited markedly earlier median passage time than non-juveniles, with brief overlapping in their main migration periods. Both coastal sites are located on the tip of peninsulas stretching southwest, requiring long overwater flights if crossing the Bohai Bay or Beibu Gulf, which would be energetically demanding and increase mortality risk. Experienced individuals may have learned to avoid such terrain and subsequent detour, while juveniles are more prone to enter these peninsulas due to lack of experience and opportunities for social learning, or following other raptor species that are more capable of powered flight. Our findings highlight the importance of age and experience in migration route selection of large soaring birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration is an adaptive life‐history strategy across taxa that helps individuals maximise fitness by obtaining forage and avoiding predation risk. The mechanisms driving migratory changes are poorly understood, and links between migratory behaviour, space use, and demographic consequences are rare.Here, we use a nearly 20‐year record of individual‐based monitoring of a large herbivore, elk (Cervus canadensis) to test hypotheses for changing patterns of migration in and adjacent to a large protected area in Banff National Park (BNP), Canada.We test whether bottom‐up (forage quality) or top‐down (predation risk) factors explained trends in (i) the proportion of individuals using 5 different migratory tactics, (ii) differences in survival rates of migratory tactics during migration and whilst on summer ranges, (iii) cause‐specific mortality by wolves and grizzly bears, and (iv) population abundance.We found dramatic shifts in migration consistent with behavioural plasticity in individual choice of annual migratory routes. Shifts were inconsistent with exposure to the bottom‐up benefits of migration. Instead, exposure to landscape gradients in predation risk caused by exploitation outside the protected area drove migratory shifts. Carnivore exploitation outside the protected area led to higher survival rates for female elk remaining resident or migrating outside the protected area.Cause‐specific mortality aligned with exposure to predation risk along migratory routes and summer ranges. Wolf predation risk was higher on migratory routes than summer ranges of montane‐migrant tactics, but wolf predation risk traded‐off with heightened risk from grizzly bears on summer ranges. A novel eastern migrant tactic emerged following a large forest fire that enhanced forage in an area with lower predation risk outside of the protected area.The changes in migratory behaviour translated to population abundance, where abundance of the montane‐migratory tactics declined over time. The presence of diverse migratory life histories maintained a higher total population abundance than would have been the case with only one migratory tactic in the population.Our study demonstrates the complex ways in which migratory populations change over time through behavioural plasticity and associated demographic consequences because of individuals balancing predation risk and forage trade‐offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural enemies are important in pest control. However, control by natural enemies is hindered by the migration of rice planthoppers. Therefore, comigration and interactions between Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) and Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) and five predator species, Chrysoperla sinica Tjeder, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Episyrphus balteatus, Syrphus corollae (Fab.) and Chrysopa pallens (Rambur) in eastern Asia were investigated. Results: From 2012 to 2021, the migration patterns of two rice planthoppers and five natural enemy species were monitored by suction trapping on Beihuang Island, Shandong Province, China. Both planthoppers and the five natural enemies regularly comigrated from late April to late October each year. There were significant interannual and seasonal differences in the numbers of two rice planthoppers migrating across this island. Simulated seasonal migration trajectories indicated different source areas for the two rice planthoppers, which mainly originated in northeast, north and east China. The biomass of planthoppers was significantly positively correlated with that of the ladybug H. axyridis in all migration periods, and significant differences in the ratio of rice planthoppers to natural enemies among months. A time‐lag effect between seasons was obtained when natural enemies and pests comigrated. Conclusion: Migration was coordinated between rice planthoppers and natural enemies in East Asia. When natural enemies and rice planthoppers comigrated, time lags between seasons were observed. The unique insights into the migration patterns will help to increase understanding of the occurrence of rice planthoppers in eastern Asia and provide an important theoretical basis for regional monitoring and management of rice planthoppers. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis is an economically important cephalopod in the South China Sea. This species demonstrates rapid growth and has a complex population structure and a wide range of migration. It is an important predator and prey in its ecosystem. Statoliths are hard cephalopod tissues, and the biogeochemical information they contain is an effective material for analyzing the characteristics of the organism's life history. The migration route of S. oualaniensis is not clear. Using a ratio of trace elements to predict and calculate a range of potential habitat sea areas, this study found that the winter stock of S. oualaniensis hatched in the southern South China Sea, and the larvae then migrated northwest during the summer monsoon. The summer–autumn stocks hatched in the northern South China Sea, and the larvae migrated southward under mesoscale closed, anticyclonic circulation in the northern South China Sea. These results provide insight into the migration of S. oualaniensis in the South China Sea. Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (Lesson, 1830) is a pelagic species with a complex population structure and wide migration range. The trace elements in statoliths are effective indicators for reconstructing the life history of an individual. In this study, the trace elements in statoliths were determined via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and a multiple regression tree (MRT) model was used to trace the migration of S. oualaniensis and identify its potential habitats in the South China Sea. Na, Mg, Fe, Sr, and Ba were the effective trace elements, with significant differences found among stocks (p < 0.05). The MRT was divided into five clusters representing five life history stages. The Mg:Ca and Sr:Ca ratios decreased initially and increased thereafter, and the Mg:Ca, Sr:Ca, and Ba:Ca ratios differed significantly among the stages of the life history in each stock (p < 0.05). The hatching water temperatures for the winter and summer–autumn spawning populations were 28.05–28.88 °C (temperature at 25 m) and 27.15–27.92 °C (temperature at 25 m). The winter stock hatched in the southern South China Sea, and the larvae then migrated northwest during the summer monsoon. The summer–autumn stocks hatched in the northern South China Sea, and the larvae migrated southward under the mesoscale closed anticyclonic circulation in the northern South China Sea. These results provide insight into the migration of S. oualaniensis in the South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the spatiotemporal distribution of raptor migration in the Philippines. Located at the center of the East-Asian Oceanic Flyway, the archipelago is an ideal site to conduct raptor migration surveys. To augment knowledge of raptor migration in the region, we identified two watch sites and conducted surveys in spring 2015 and 2016 to determine the timing and abundance of raptors migrating through northern Luzon. We recorded 62,088 raptors in 2015 at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, over 34 survey d, and 36,443 raptors in 2016 at Sanchez Mira, Cagayan over 25 d. Grey-faced Buzzards (Butastur indicus) and Chinese Sparrowhawks (Accipiter soloensis) dominated the counts. The relatively low abundance of migrants compared to other sites along the flyway, and variation between our two count sites/years partly reflected the influence of variable and relatively limited survey periods and effort. Despite this limitation, we gained important insights about migration routes and timing in this part of the East-Asian Oceanic Flyway. Preliminary data on migration patterns are important to understand migration strategies. With additional data, we can build models of route and habitat suitability and use them for species and habitat conservation. Se sabe poco sobre la distribución espaciotemporal de la migración de aves rapaces en Filipinas. Ubicado en el centro de la Ruta Migratoria Oceánica del este de Asia, el archipiélago filipino es un sitio ideal para realizar estudios de migración de aves rapaces. Para aumentar el conocimiento sobre la migración de estas aves en la región, identificamos dos sitios de observación y realizamos estudios en la primavera de 2015 y 2016 para determinar el momento y la abundancia de aves rapaces que migran a través del norte de Luzón. Registramos 62,088 rapaces en 2015 en Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, durante 34 días de estudio, y 36,443 rapaces en 2016 en Sánchez Mira, Cagayán, durante 25 días. Butastur indicus y Accipiter soloensis dominaron los conteos. La abundancia relativamente baja de migrantes en comparación con otros sitios a lo largo de la ruta migratoria, y la variación entre nuestros dos sitios/años de conteo reflejaron en parte la influencia de censos realizados en periodos y con esfuerzos variables y relativamente limitados. A pesar de esta limitación, obtuvimos información importante sobre las rutas migratorias y el momento de migración en esta parte de la Ruta Migratoria Oceánica del este de Asia. Los datos preliminares sobre los patrones de migración son importantes para comprender las estrategias migratorias. Con datos adicionales, podemos construir modelos de rutas y hábitats aptos y utilizarlos para la conservación de especies y hábitats. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Domestic cattle have spread across the globe and inhabit variable and unpredictable environments. They have been exposed to a plethora of selective pressures and have adapted to a variety of local ecological and management conditions, including UV exposure, diseases, and stall-feeding systems. These selective pressures have resulted in unique and important phenotypic and genetic differences among modern cattle breeds/populations. Ongoing efforts to sequence the genomes of local and commercial cattle breeds/populations, along with the growing availability of ancient bovid DNA data, have significantly advanced our understanding of the genomic architecture, recent evolution of complex traits, common diseases, and local adaptation in cattle. Here, we review the origin and spread of domestic cattle and illustrate the environmental adaptations of local cattle breeds/populations.

Abstract Why and how new migration routes emerge remain fundamental questions in ecology, particularly in the context of current global changes. In its early stages, when few individuals are involved, the evolution of new migration routes can be easily confused with vagrancy, i.e. the occurrence of individuals outside their regular breeding, non-breeding or migratory distribution ranges. Yet, vagrancy can in theory generate new migration routes if vagrants survive, return to their breeding grounds and transfer their new migration route to their offspring, thus increasing a new migratory phenotype in the population. Here, we review the conceptual framework and empirical challenges of distinguishing regular migration from vagrancy in small obligate migratory passerines and explain how this can inform our understanding of migration evolution. For this purpose, we use the Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) as a case study. This Siberian species normally winters in southern Asia and its recent increase in occurrence in Western Europe has become a prominent evolutionary puzzle. We first review and discuss available evidence suggesting that the species is still mostly a vagrant in Western Europe but might be establishing a new migration route initiated by vagrants. We then list possible empirical approaches to check if some individuals really undertake regular migratory movements between Western Europe and Siberia, which would make this species an ideal model for studying the links between vagrancy and the emergence of new migratory routes.

Abstract Backgroud The greatest contribution of the Silk Road is to communicate among different countries and nationalities, and promote two-way cultural exchanges between the East and the West. We now have clearer understanding about how material civilization and religious culture of Central Asia and West Asia spread eastward along the Land Silk Road. However, there is controversial about how crops migrate along the Land Silk Road. Results We summarize archaeology, genetics, and genomics data to explore crop migration patterns. Of the 207 crops that were domesticated along the Land Silk Road, 19 for which genomic evidence was available were selected for discussion. Conclusions There were conflicting lines of evidence for the domestication of Tibetan barley, mustard, lettuce, buckwheat, and chickpea. The main reasons for the conflicting results may include incomplete early knowledge, record differences in different period, sample sizes, and data analysis techniques. There was strong evidence that Tibetan barley, barley, wheat, and jujube were introduced into China before the existence of the Land Silk Road; and mustard, lettuce, buckwheat, chickpea, alfalfa, walnut, cauliflower, grape, spinach, apple, cucumber, mulberry, and pea spread to China via trade and human migration along the Land Silk Road.

The distribution of the early life stages of Larimichthys polyactis indicates the availability of suitable spawning and nursing grounds and enables a better understanding of the distribution of its geographic subpopulations and isolation. Large‐scale quantitative ichthyoplankton surveys of L. polyactis were performed from March to July 2018, and a numerical hydrodynamic model was applied to explore the spatiotemporal distribution and habitats of L. polyactis early life stages adjacent to the Changjiang River Estuary. Two distinct early life stage distribution patterns were found. One occurred during March and April in the deep waters seaward of the Changjiang River bottom plume front, to the east and southeast of the Changjiang River Estuary. The other occurred in May and June throughout the entire water column in coastal waters to the east and north of the Changjiang River Estuary. Rising seasonal temperatures, and the local dynamic processes such as the Changjiang River plume, determined the transitions between the two distribution patterns. A potential fish larval migration route from the southern deep shelf waters to the northern coastal waters within the motor‐trawl prohibition line was suggested. This study contributes to our understanding of the mixture of habitats used by the two L. polyactis subpopulations in the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a small collection of isolated crocodilian teeth recovered from shallow marine Eocene deposits of Turnu Rou (Porceti), Romania. The teeth probably represent an attritional assemblage that could have belonged to several individuals of various sizes and ages, provided with heterodont dentition of at least five morphotypes (slender caniniform, triangular-lanceolate shaped, enlarged conical, slender conical, and low crowned). We assigned the isolated teeth to Gavialoidea based on a number of morphological characters shared with representatives of early gavialoids, known from the early-middle Eocene of western Europe or North Africa. The gavialoids from Turnu Rou represent a new group for the Paleogene of Romania that probably reached the territory of southern Transylvania in the Middle Eocene. Possible scenarios for the origin of southern Transylvanian gavialoids imagine an existence of a western-eastern European route or a migration route direct from North Africa and an ancestor close to the morphology of Maroccosuchus from the region of western Tethys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration is an important part of the life history of avians. Understanding the migration routes of birds is of great significance to unravel the migration strategies and mechanisms of birds and helps to conduct important conservation work at key sites. Currently, there are still some deficiencies in the migration research of long-lived endangered birds such as cranes. In August 2018, two pairs (n = 4) of sibling juvenile White-naped Cranes (Antigone vipio) were tracked in Mongolia. Based on the tracking data, unusual migration routes of White-naped Crane were recorded during the juvenile and subadult stages. Three individuals died when exploring a new route during autumn migrations. These individuals used completely different spring migration routes each year in the juvenile and subadult stages, with the longest migration distance being approximately 4,495 km. There were significant differences in migration durations and stopover durations (P = 0.01) between spring and autumn migrations. Evidence of nocturnal migration by White-naped Cranes was recorded, and the longest continuous flight time recorded exceeded 19 hours. The results of this study will contribute to further understanding and research on the migration of this vulnerable species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of a fossil of Enhydritherium terraenovae in upper Miocene fluvial deposits in Juchipila (Mexico), nearly 200 km away from the nearest coast, together with other known occurrences of the same species in Florida and California, made possible to envision an alternative to the Panamanian and Polar routes of migration through fluvial systems in Mexico. In order to cross from one ocean to the other, individuals of E. terraenovae must have passed the continental divide, which is a physiographic feature that separates surface waters that flow into the Atlantic and Pacific versants. Two vast endorheic regions, which together span more than 400,000 km2 in area, currently dominate drainage systems in northern and central Mexico. The endorheic regions are broadly bounded by two mountain ranges and coincide with the arid and semi-arid regions of the Chihuahuan desert. These closed basins are an additional obstacle for migration. However, drainage systems are constantly varying and adjusting to changing conditions imposed by climate, tectonic activity, volcanism, and pronounced asymmetries in topography and rainfall distribution. The migration route across Mexico for Enhydritherium terraenovae in the late Miocene (≥6 Ma) could have been facilitated by one or more river captures that inverted the flow direction near the headwaters of a drainage system that debouched either into the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific coast. Biologists studying fresh water fish faunas in the southern part of the United States and in northern and central Mexico have documented several living species that occur in both the Rio Grande and in the Mezquital rivers, two drainages that are not presently connected, drain in opposite directions (i.e. towards the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California, respectively) and are separated by the endorheic regions. Furthermore, systematic studies of fresh water fish faunas in the region has numerous examples of endemicity and allopatric speciations that are interpreted as evidence of several events of drainage system rearrangement either by stream capture, beheading, or river diversion or by fragmentation caused by formation of closed basins by faulting, volcanic activity or isostatic rebound in the footwall block of normal faults. The western boundaries of the extensive endorheic regions in Mexico are controlled mainly by a highland produced by intense felsic volcanism during the Sierra Madre Occidental activity (Eocene – Miocene), and the eastern hydrological divide coincides with mountains associated with the fold and thrust belt produced by the Hidalgoan orogeny in early Cenozoic time. Normal faulting associated with Basin and Range extension formed additional closed basins. Another major factor in the formation of the endorheic regions is the terminal Miocene climate change, which caused runoff reduction and lowered the rivers capacity of erosion. Opening of the Gulf of California changed the overall slope of rivers draining into the Pacific in northwestern Mexico triggering the capture of rivers formerly confined to the closed basins or draining to the Gulf of Mexico. Quaternary normal faults have been documented a few tens of kilometers from the hydrological divides of the endorheic regions, suggesting that in some regions there is an active tectonic component in their formation. The location of the crossing point for the otters is uncertain as the fossil record is scant and investigation on the evolution of drainage systems through time in Mexico is in the early stages. However, it is argued that there is a fair chance that the crossing occurred via the Mezquital river capture near Durango city. Isotopic age of the sediments where the Enhydritherium terraenovae fossil was collected, imply that the capture must have occurred in the late Miocene.

Uroteuthis edulis (Hoyle, 1885) was one of the important loliginid squid resources in the East China Sea. This species has a complex population structure and a wide range of migration. Statolith trace elements were widely used in the study on individual life history and the reconstruction of habitat. In this study, the trace elements in the statoliths of the four seasons cohorts of U. edulis in the East China Sea were determined with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The clustering analysis on the trace element ratios in different growth stages was carried out with Euclidean distance method and the optimal relationship between trace element ratios and water temperature was established to predict and calculate the areas and probability of potential habitats. The ratios of Mg:Ca, Sr:Ca, and Ba:Ca in each stock firstly decreased, then increased, and reached the minimum values in the sub-adult stage. The spring and winter stocks were clustered into one group, whereas the summer and autumn stocks were clustered into one group. There were significant differences in the ratios of Mg:Ca, Sr:Ca, and Ba:Ca among the clustering group (P < 0.05). The calculation results of the models indicate that hatching water temperatures of the winter–spring and summer–autumn stocks were, respectively, 19.34 to 23.91°C (55 m) and 15.91 to 19.43°C (25 m). The winter–spring stock hatched in the waters of northeastern Taiwan and the paralarva migrated to the northeastern seas along the Kuroshio Branch Current in the western continental shelf of the East China Sea and the Taiwan Warm Current. The summer–autumn stocks hatched in the waters of Zhoushan, Zhejiang of China, and the paralarva migrated to the central East China Sea under the influence of the Yangtze River, and then followed the Taiwan Warm current to reach the northeastern waters for feeding migration. This study provides the basis for revealing the migration mechanism and strategy of U. edulis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional DNA-based identification of human remains relies on the system of matching STR profile of the deceased with the family references or antemortem samples. In forensic cases without any available samples for the comparison, the body remains unidentified. The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) approach in the forensic cases of five drowned individuals recovered on the Western Balkan migration route. Besides capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based genetic profiling (aSTR, Y STR, and mitochondrial control region sequencing) of postmortem samples, we applied ForenSeq DNA Signature Prep Kit/Primer Mix B on MiSeqFGx platform and concomitant ForenSeq Universal Analysis (UAS) software. The assay showed high reproducibility and complete concordance with CE-based data except in locus DYF387S1. Allele and locus drop was evident in 2.9% of total SNPs that slightly reduced the completeness of the data. We endeavored to predict the phenotype of the tested samples and accurate biogeographical ancestry of European individual. UAS was less informative for the remaining samples assigned to Admixed American cluster. Nevertheless, the application of FROG-kb and Snipper tools along with admixture analysis in STRUCTURE and lineage markers revealed likely Middle Eastern and North African ancestry. We conclude that the combination of the phenotype and biogeographical ancestry predictions, including paternal and maternal genetic ancestry, represent a promising tool for humanitarian identification of dead migrants. Nevertheless, the data interpretation remains a challenging task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgroud: The greatest contribution of the Silk Road is to communicate among different countries and nationalities, and promote two-way cultural exchanges between the East and the West. We now have clearer understanding about how material civilization and religious culture of Central Asia and West Asia spread eastward along the Land Silk Road. However, there is controversial about how crops migrate along the Land Silk Road. Results: We summarize archaeology, genetics, and genomics data to explore crop migration patterns. Of the 207 crops that were domesticated along the Land Silk Road, 19 for which genomic evidence was available were selected for discussion. Conclusions: There were conflicting lines of evidence for the domestication of Tibetan barley, mustard, lettuce, buckwheat, and chickpea. The main reasons for the conflicting results may include incomplete early knowledge, record differences in different period, sample sizes, and data analysis techniques. There was strong evidence that Tibetan barley, barley, wheat, and jujube were introduced into China before the existence of the Land Silk Road; and mustard, lettuce, buckwheat, chickpea, alfalfa, walnut, cauliflower, grape, spinach, apple, cucumber, mulberry, and pea spread to China via trade and human migration along the Land Silk Road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why and how new migration routes emerge remain fundamental questions in ecology, particularly in the context of current global changes. In its early stages, when few individuals are involved, the evolution of new migration routes can be easily confused with vagrancy, i.e. the occurrence of individuals outside their regular breeding, non-breeding or migratory distribution ranges. Yet, vagrancy can in theory generate new migration routes if vagrants survive, return to their breeding grounds and transfer their new migration route to their offspring, thus increasing a new migratory phenotype in the population. Here, we review the conceptual framework and empirical challenges of distinguishing regular migration from vagrancy in small obligate migratory passerines and explain how this can inform our understanding of migration evolution. For this purpose, we use the Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) as a case study. This Siberian species normally winters in southern Asia and its recent increase in occurrence in Western Europe has become a prominent evolutionary puzzle. We first review and discuss available evidence suggesting that the species is still mostly a vagrant in Western Europe but might be establishing a new migration route initiated by vagrants. We then list possible empirical approaches to check if some individuals really undertake regular migratory movements between Western Europe and Siberia, which would make this species an ideal model for studying the links between vagrancy and the emergence of new migratory routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-distance migratory birds travel more rapidly in spring than in autumn, as they face temporal breeding constraints. However, several species travel slower in spring owing to environmental influences, such as food availability and wind conditions. GPS trackers were attached to 17 Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) inhabiting northeastern Mongolia, to determine their migration routes and stopover sites in spring and autumn. Differences between spring and autumn migrations, migration-influencing parameters, and the effect of spring stopover site temperatures were analyzed. Six swans completed perfect tours between their wintering and breeding sites, and these data were used for analysis. Spring migration lasted 57 days, with 49.2 days spent at 3.7 stopover sites. Autumn migration lasted 21.5 days, with 17.5 days spent at 1.0 stopover sites. Thus, the swans traveled more rapidly in autumn than in spring. Migration distance, number of stopovers, migration speed, and straightness were important migration determinants in both spring and autumn. Migration distance, stopover duration, number of stopovers, daily travel speed, travel duration, and migration speed differed significantly between spring and autumn. During spring migration, the temperature at the current stopover sites and that at the future stopover sites displayed significant variations (t ​= ​1585.8, df ​= ​631.6, p ​

Conservation of a migratory species requires knowledge not only of its breeding range, but also of its migratory path and non-breeding range. Except for timing, other aspects of the migration of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet ( Corthylio calendula ) remain largely unstudied, with no published data on migration routes. Breeding populations of this species in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades mountain ranges, as well as those in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S., have experienced significant declines, whereas Rocky Mountain breeders have increased. Understanding the winter range and migratory pathways used by different breeding populations may be key to explaining these contrasting population trends. Song dialects of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet differ regionally among various breeding populations, and these dialect regions were previously mapped. Because this kinglet sings during spring migration and winter, we obtained archived, non-breeding-season recordings of song and assigned each to one of those regional song dialects. This allowed us to assess the likely winter ranges and migration pathways of different breeding populations. This approach offers some advantages over typical methods of tracking movements. Birds do not need to be captured; one can easily obtain data over large ranges and from many individuals; and it can be applied to species, such as this kinglet, that are too small to permit use of most tracking devices. We were able to assess likely winter range and spring migration routes for populations that breed in the eastern U.S. and Canada, the interior of Alaska, and for the subspecies C c. grinnelli that breeds along the Gulf of Alaska and western British Columbia. We found that kinglets breeding in the eastern portions of the range wintered in the southeastern and south-central U.S., and that their spring migrations occurred across a broad swath of the eastern U.S. Interior Alaska breeders wintered mostly in California, and the subspecies C. c. grinnelli wintered from the southernmost parts of their breeding range, south as far as northwestern California. We obtained too few winter recordings from birds using the dialects of kinglets breeding in the interior west (Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada and Cascades ranges) to determine their winter range, and spring recordings were also sparse from those regions. It is likely that those interior-west breeders winter mainly in Mexico, an area with very few archived recordings. We also analyzed unpublished banding data for the Ruby-crowned Kinglet that, although providing little information about breeding-wintering range connectivity, were consistent with the migratory pathways we determined from song dialects.

Understanding bird migration strategies is crucial for identifying the habitat of birds. Recently, GPS tracking has been utilized to identify bird migration routes. The Chinese egret Egretta eulophotes is a migratory bird distributed in East Asia; most populations breed on uninhabited islands off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Location tracking devices were attached to two juvenile Chinese egrets from an uninhabited island in the Chilsan Archipelago off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. GPS tracking was used to identify their autumn migration route and their home range and habitat type in breeding (postfledging/pre-migration stages) and wintering sites (post-migration stage). The two egrets crossed the East China Sea to Taiwan. The signal for one bird was lost, whereas the other rested and then moved to the Philippines for winter. The home ranges of the two birds were reported using kernel density estimation (KDE). During the post-fledgling stage, the results showed KDE 95% (90.46 km2) / KDE 50% (26.29 km2,) and KDE 95% (45 km2) / KDE 50% (5.56 km2). While during the pre-migration stage, it showed KDE 95% (34.40 km2) / KDE 50% (8.84 km2) and KDE 95% (43.98 km2) / KDE 50% (5.92 km2). In the Philippines wintering site (post-migration stage), the home range of the bird was KDE 95% (15.14 km2) / KDE 50% (3.39 km2). For the first time, we identified the autumn migration route and habitat home range type of juvenile Chinese egrets. Further investigation is needed to identify the migration routes and habitats of additional individuals and establish a management plan for the conservation of Chinese egrets' habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén), is an important pest of rice. It is suspected of migrating over the sea from China to Japan. However, where in China it comes from and how it affects Japanese populations remain unclear. RESULTS: Here, we studied the genetic structure of 15 L. striatellus populations sampled from Japan and China using single nucleotide polymorphisms generated by the double digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing technique. We found weak genetic differentiation between the Chinese and Japanese populations. Our data revealed migration signals of L. striatellus from China to southern and northern Japan. However, the source regions of the immigrants remain unclear due to the low genetic differentiation between populations. Our results also pointed to the possibility of backward gene flow from Japanese to Chinese populations. We suspect that the south‐eastern wind associated with the East Asian summer monsoon may facilitate the reverse migration of L. striatellus from Japan to China. Interestingly, we found that the X chromosome displayed relatively higher genetic differentiation among populations and suffered more intensive selection pressure than autosomes. CONCLUSION: We provide genetic evidence of transoceanic migration of L. striatellus from China to Japan and found that the X chromosome can aid the deciphering of the migration trajectories of species with low genetic differentiation. These findings have implications for forecasting the outbreak of this pest and also provide insights into how to improve the tracking of the migration routes of small insects via population genomics. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light dusky rockfish Sebastes variabilis is a rare fish species in the waters at East Kamchatka, rarely recorded in trawl catches. They aggregate in the areas with complicated bottom topography and active water dynamics with the depth from 118 to 316 m. Their maximum catches are recorded off Capes Gowen, Olyutorsky, and Kronotsky. The light dusky rockfish body length varies from 34 to 50 cm, and body weight — from 0.53 to 1.78 kg. Some issues related to the migration routes of this species to the shores of Kamchatka are discussed.

Nomadic life is a way of life with annual relocation in which a group of people moves with their cattle from winter tents to summer pastures and returns to their winter camps in the cold season. The most important characteristic of nomadic life is movement to meet the needs of their life style. This relocation requires certain conditions which overshadow all aspects of nomadic life such as architecture, culture, mood, and even physical characteristics. The nomadic way of life is based on the pattern of movement and settlement which means that the part of nomads’ lives, about two to three months, is being spent moving along the path and the rest, about four to five months, in the "summer" residence and ultimately about four to five months, in the "winter" residence. Thus, during this relocation, two different lifestyles are formed for the nomads, one along the migration route and the other during the settlement in the summer and winter camps. The settlement structure of the nomads in each of these two periods is subjected to different conditions. The study of the physical-spatial system of the nomadic settlement in these two periods and the challenges related to them are the subjects of the present study. Accordingly, the main research questions can be posed as follows: -What are the most important challenges regarding the shape of nomadic settlements along the migration route and what the conditions of accommodation in summer and winter resorts are? - What are the main principles which form the spatial organization of nomadic settlements, the migration route and summer and winter camps? The research method is as follows: Four Boyer-Ahmad tribes were selected as random samples and their places of residence were visited in two winter and summer areas as well as along the migration route and ultimately, the research information was extracted and analyzed. The research is of qualitative type and based on a case study of nomadic lifestyle. Data collection was done in the form of direct observation as well as in-depth and semi-structured interviews with the residents of these tribes. The present study examines residential patterns in two contexts by considering the length of the migration route and summer and winter accommodation and the analysis is based on these two axes in the form of two separate observations. In each follow-up, introducing the way of nomads’ life in that case is accompanied with analyzing the system governing the spatial establishment and the shape of their habitat. Finally, the results showed that finding a suitable place to live for a few days on the Ilarah route is the most important challenge for nomads on the Koch route. Therefore, in that situation, applying the natural elements to create suitable conditions for multi-day accommodation is inevitable as the nomads use rocks and natural barriers to create more enclosure to ensure animal safety, consider proximity of water sources for livestock and family members, the existence of a suitable pasture for a few days' accommodation and the use of sunlight and good wind to provide comfort in the tent. However, in the settlement of nomads in summer and winter camps, the emphasis on different levels of territory is considered as one of the main factors in shaping the physical-spatial system of nomadic settlements. The issue of different levels of territory can be considered in both objective and subjective dimensions. In the objective dimension, territory includes the area owned by nomadic families and in the subjective dimension, levels of private, semi-public and public domain due to the spatial arrangement of blacklists in the camp residence are considered.

Ommastrephes bartramii is one of the important commercial fishery species in the North Pacific Ocean. It always migrates for a long distance in order to spawning and feeding. Understanding its migration route can be the basis for the sustainable development of the fisheries and scientific management of this species. Cephalopod statoliths contain a wealth of ecological information, which can provide useful information for studying spatio-temporal distribution. In this study, the statolith elements of winter-spring and autumn cohorts of O. bartramii in the North Pacific Ocean were measured by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The differences in both composition and concentrations of elements between winter-spring and autumn cohorts were analyzed and the migration route were reconstructed. The analysis showed that the highest concentrations of elements in different cohorts was calcium (Ca). The concentrations of Ca, strontium (Sr), sodium (Na), iron (Fe), barium (Ba), and lithium (Li) showed significant differences between two cohorts (P < 0.01). Mg, Ba, Sr, and Na were selected as the key elements in the two cohorts based on random forest method. Five clusters were obtained through chronological clustering, representing the five ontogenetic stages. Different cohorts selected different elements to fit the regression model with the corresponding water temperature. The high probability of occurrence in a particular area represented the possible optimal squid location based on a Bayesian model, and the potential migration routes of the different cohorts were reconstructed. This study shows that statoliths microchemistry can provide useful information for identifying the distribution and migration of oceanic squid.

The Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) is a globally threatened bird species living on the coast and islands of Liaoning, northeastern China, mainly in summer. To further protect the breeding population of Chinese Egrets, it is important to understand the current protection status of their distribution sites at pre-migration period and migration routes. Thirty-three individuals were tagged with satellite transmitters at Fantuo Island in Changhai and Xingren Island in Zhuanghe, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, in July of 2016, 2017, and 2018, to identify important distribution sites during the pre-migration period, as well as detailed migration routes. The results showed that coastal mudflats in Liaoning and the west coast of North Korea were important feeding and roosting sites for fledgling Chinese Egrets from August to September. The home range sizes in August were significantly larger than in September. The eastern coast from Shandong to Guangdong, as well as Taiwan, China, and Manila Bay and Galileo Islands in the Philippines, were important stopover sites during fall migration. Specifically, we found that the egrets’ autumn migration could be divided into four routes, i.e., sea-crossing migration (SCM), coastal migration (CM), inland migration (IM), and mixed migration (MM). The migration distance, timing, speed, and straightness of the four routes also differed. The SCM routes were the straightest, and had the fastest migration speed and shortest travel time, while the IM routes had the lowest straightness and speed, and the longest duration. Manila Bay and Bohol Island in the Philippines, the west coast of Tanintharyi in Myanmar, and the Zengwun River Estuary in Taiwan, China, were wintering sites. Our findings on the key distribution sites along pre-migration and fall migration routes, including some stopover sites, have important implications for the conservation of and global action plan development for the vulnerable Chinese Egret.

Knowledge of migratory bird requirements is critical to developing conservation plans for vulnerable migratory species. This study aimed to determine the migration routes, wintering areas, habitat uses, and mortalities of adult Chinese Egrets (Egretta eulophotata). Sixty adult Chinese Egrets (31 females and 29 males) on an uninhabited offshore breeding island in Dalian, China were tracked using GPS satellite transmitters. GPS locations recorded at 2 ​h intervals from June 2019 to August 2020 were used for analysis. A total of 44 and 17 tracked adults completed their autumn and spring migrations, respectively. Compared with autumn migration, tracked adults displayed more diverse routes, higher number of stopover sites, slower migration speed, and longer migration duration in the spring. Results indicated that migrant birds had different behavioral strategies during the two migratory seasons. The spring migration duration and stopover duration for females were significantly longer than those for males. A positive correlation existed between the spring arrival and spring departure dates, as well as between the spring arrival date and stopover duration. This finding indicated that the egrets that arrived early at the breeding grounds left the wintering areas early and had a shorter stopover duration. Adult birds preferred intertidal wetlands, woodlands, and aquaculture ponds during migration. During the wintering period, adults preferred offshore islands, intertidal wetlands, and aquaculture ponds. Adult Chinese Egrets showed a relatively low survival rate compared with most other common ardeid species. Dead specimens were found in aquaculture ponds, indicating human disturbance as the main cause of death of this vulnerable species. These results highlighted the importance of resolving conflicts between egrets and human-made aquaculture wetlands and protecting intertidal flats and offshore islands in natural wetlands through international cooperation. Our results contributed to the hitherto unknown annual spatiotemporal migration patterns of adult Chinese Egrets, thereby providing an important basis for the conservation of this vulnerable species.

Most long-distance migrating passerines that breed in Europe spend their winters in Africa, with only a few species migrating eastward to spend the non-breeding period in South Asia. The use of the Indo-European flyway is rare and has been poorly studied so far. However, it is extremely interesting as within that system we are currently witnessing a recent range expansion of European breeding long distance migrants and thus the lengthening of migration routes. It may therefore conceal a unique migratory strategies and behaviour that can help us to understand the underlying factors and mechanisms determining the evolution of migration routes, strategies and breeding range extinction. Based on light-level geolocator we reveal a first track of the Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) migration, providing insight into the migration pattern, timing and behaviour of the species that recently has extended its migration routes. Unexpectedly, the studied individual did not retrace a recent range expansion that runs north and east from the Caspian Sea but followed a migration route running south form the Caspian sea, suggesting possible presence of an alternative species range expansion. The overall migration distance between the breeding site in Poland and the non-breeding site in Pakistan was about 10,420 km and included two endurance movement phases (920 and 2240 km) covering 30% of the whole journey length, with an average movement speed of 574 km/day. We explain this migration behaviour as an adaptation for crossing the ecological barriers imposed by arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the scarcity of records, the Asian evolution and migration of Diaceratherium, a large extinct genus of rhinoceros of the Teleoceratini, remain unclear. The skeleton described herein, from the early Miocene Shanwang Basin in China, is identified as Diaceratherium shanwangense, a species originally defined based on upper cheek teeth. This skeleton features a large body, short horn-bearing nasal bones, moderately retracted nasal notch at the P3 level, and the metapodials that are less massive than those in other previously identified species of Diaceratherium. Mammalian fossils reported from the Oligocene–Miocene transition of the Old World, such as Dorcatherium and Amphicyon, have indicated a migration route between Europe and Eastern Asia via Southern and South-eastern Asia, namely along the southern margins of the Tibetan Plateau. However, the fossil remains of Diaceratherium reported in this study were discovered in eastern China, which represents the second accurate record of the genus in Asia (together with its presence in Kazakhstan). Consequently, given the temporal range and geological distribution of Diaceratherium, we propose that the expansion of this genus to the eastern part of the continent occurred via a route following the northern margins of the Tibetan Plateau, which if verified, represents an alternative expansion route differing from the established routes of other mammals.

The conservation of migratory species poses significant challenges that may be countered by detailed knowledge about the sites used by migrants throughout the annual cycle. We present the first GPS‐tracking data on the migration of declining Caspian terns Hydroprogne caspia breeding in the Baltic Sea. For 39 Caspian terns from colonies along a latitudinal gradient from 57 to 65°N, we identified key migratory routes, stopovers and wintering areas. In autumn these seabirds migrated using coastal and freshwater stopovers along six routes to reach their wintering areas across the Sahel, the Nile River Basin and the southern Iberian Peninsula. In spring, adults returned to the breeding grounds in the Baltic using a time optimizing strategy by reducing time at stopover by 78%, whereas most subadults remained sedentary and some performed only partial return migrations. Of the stopover sites used in both seasons, 58% are protected and have a reported management plan. Conservation strategies in wintering areas, stopover sites that are not protected or had not been previously recognized, and the inclusion of the species in important migratory flyways across Europe and Africa will be important to prevent further population declines of a species that depends on aquatic habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology, Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is a vulnerable species and the only species that lives in the plateau. Five migration routes of different populations have been identified, but for cranes wintering in Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet, the migration route and breeding/summering area are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatio-temporal migration patterns of black-necked cranes in this area and to identify important areas for conservation. Methods In 2016, we fitted seven black-necked cranes in Nyingchi with GPS-GSM satellite transmitters to record their migration routes. We used ArcGIS 10.2 to visualize important stopover sites and the ‘ggplot’ function in R to analyze the migration patterns. Results From March 2016 to May 2019, we recorded nine spring migration and four autumn migration tracks from five individuals. Four individuals spent the breeding/summering season in Qinghai Lake, while the other spent the breeding/summering season in the Jinzihai Wetland of Dulan County, Qinghai Province. Detailed spatio-temporal information showed that the spring migration lasted 8.7 ± 4.6 days and covered 1,182.5 ± 90.4 km, while the autumn migration lasted 30 ± 10.6 days and covered 1,455.7 ± 138 km. Basom Lake and the Shazhuyu River were the most important stopover sites during the spring and autumn migrations, respectively. The cranes spent 4.4 ± 3.7 days in Basom Lake and 26.3 ± 10.7 days in the Shazhuyu River. The black-necked cranes mainly migrated during the daytime (>85 % of the fly points), and 81 % (17/21) of all stopover and roosting sites were in the valley or at lakeside swamps. Only 17.7% (516 / 2,914) of the data points for stopover and roosting sites were in protected areas. Main conclusions Our study revealed the breeding/summering areas and migration routes of the black-necked cranes wintering in Nyingchi. These results contribute to a better understanding of the annual spatio-temporal migration patterns and the development of conservation plans for this vulnerable species.

Reasons for rapid rise of pink salmon landings in the Sakhalin Bay (Okhotsk Sea) in the early 21 century are analyzed. Dependence of its juveniles and adults numbers on the number of their parents is well described with Ricker equation, and the recruitment depends linearly on the number of juveniles in the river. Several factors of the pink salmon reproduction are compared between the early 21 century and previous period. There is found that recent in­crease of the catches could not be reasoned by favorable changes of environments, decreasing of juveniles mortality either in the river or in the sea, extending of spawning grounds, growth of spawning stock or number of juveniles. The only possible reason for significant rise of the landings could be an increasing by-catch of transitory stocks.

FOLLOWING THE USE of Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis as foster parents in a conservation program for the endangered Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus in Sweden 1981-1999, mixed breeding pairs of the two species were established in the wild. We find indications that this was related to shared moulting habits of the two species in the Bothnian Sea during late 1990s. Starting in 2003, five mixed pairs produced at least 49 free-flying hybrid off- spring until 2013, when the last breeding was confirmed. Reported numbers of hybrids did not increase in parallel to the production of young hybrids over time. After 2013, the number of hybrids started to decrease in Sweden and the Netherlands. Lower numbers of hybrids than expected can partly be explained by management actions taken, but may also be associated with low survival due to genetic outbreeding. Mixed pairs and their offspring entirely adopted the migratory habits of Barnacle Geese, overlapping very little with sites used by Lesser White-fronted Geese. We find no evidence that the hybrids ever posed a serious threat to Lesser White-fronted Geese breeding in Fennoscandia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides new insights for the hatchery released Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis), including proportion, dynamic migration route, after they were released into nature for stock enhancement using a new strategy quite different than ever. Chinese shrimp were sampled at 22 survey stations during two investigation voyages acrossing 74 survey stations in the Bohai Sea from July 16 to August 9 in 2015. Among 289 sampled individuals during the second voyage, totally 155 shrimps were identified as hatchery shrimp released into the Laizhou Bay at mid-May in 2015 based on finger-print of eight SSR (simple sequence repeats) markers, and the proportion of hatchery released shrimp in recapture samples were from 41.30%–85.71% in each station with an average value 53.63%, which verified a previous view point that up to 90% of autumn season Chinese shrimp landing in the Bohai Sea were composed of hatchery released. Meanwhile, the dynamic migration route of hatchery released shrimp revealed that part of released shrimp migrated heading northwest along the west coast of the Bohai Sea up to the Bohai Bay but just remained at the Laizhou Bay until over-wintering migration at mid-October when they initiate over-wintering migration. Present unnatural spring season shrimp fishing model cut the throat of spawner shrimp chance to swim back to their respective spawning plants at each spring, it still no chance to clarify whether the hatchery released shrimp could replenish to the reproduce population and complete a whole life cycle as same as their natural relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology / Yingyong Shengtai Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

From July to November 2018, 10 Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) juveniles were tracked using GPS-GSM satellite transmitters to study their migration routes and stopover sites in Yanchiwan Nature Reserve, Gansu Province, China. By the end of the autumn migration in November 2018, more than 25,000 GPS locations had been obtained during tracking. Migration routes, migration distances and stopover sites were determined, and the stopover home range was estimated for each individual. Individuals moved away from Yanchiwan during 2-25 October 2018 and migrated through Da Qaidam, Golmud City, Qumarleb County, Zadoi County, Zhidoi County, and Nagqu City. In mid-November 2018, the birds arrived in Linzhou County, Tibet, China to winter. The migration routes of all individuals were the same, and the average migration distance was 1,500 ± 120 km. Da Qaidam Salt Lake was an important stopover site, with an average stopover duration of 27.11 ± 8.43 d, and the average stopover range of the Black-necked Cranes at Da Qaidam was 27.4 ± 6.92 km2. Through field monitoring and satellite maps, the main habitats were determined to be grasslands and wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the complexities of avian migration is important for ecological and conservation biological studies. While much progress has been made in studying relatively small-sized birds, migratory behavior of large and long-lived species such as cranes is not fully understood and experimentation on such species is difficult. In December 2015, four hand-reared Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) subadults were found in northeast China, which is not the normal wintering ground for this species. Using GPS-GSM transmitters, migration performance of four hand-reared and three wild Red-crowned Cranes was monitored between 2015 and 2018. Wild individuals followed a north-south migration route along the east coast of China, while hand-reared cranes took an abnormal west-east migration route for the first two years. After reaching sexual maturity in 2017, one of the hand-reared individuals rectified its abnormal migration route and obtained a regular north-south migration route. Results indicate that it is critical to include experienced migrants in the releasing group to guarantee correct migration direction when implementing re-wilding projects in Red-crowned Cranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration route of oceanic squid provides critical information for us to understand their spatial and temporal variations. Mark-recapture and electronic tags tend to be problematic during processing. Cephalopod hard structures such as the beak, containing abundant ecological information with stable morphology and statolith-like sequences of growth increments, may provide information for studying spatio-temporal distribution. In this study, we developed a method, which is based on elemental concentration of beaks at different ontogenetic stages and sampling locations, to reconstruct the squid migration route. We applied this method to Ommastrephes bartramii in the North Pacific Ocean. Nine trace elements were detected in the rostrum sagittal sections (RSS) of the beak using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). For those elements, significant differences were found between the different ontogenetic stages for phosphorus (P), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Sodium (Na), P and Zn were chosen as indicators of sea surface temperature (SST) and a regression model was estimated. The high probability of occurrence in a particular area represented the possible optimal squid location based on a Bayesian model. A reconstructed migration route in this study, combining all the locations at different ontogenetic stages, was consistent with that hypothesized in previous studies. This study demonstrates that the beak can provide useful information for identifying the migration routes of oceanic squid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monarch butterflies in eastern North America have declined by 84% on Mexican wintering grounds since the observed peak in 1996. However, coarse-scale population indices from northern US breeding grounds do not show a consistent downward trend. This discrepancy has led to speculation that autumn migration may be a critical limiting period. We address this hypothesis by examining the role of multiscale processes impacting monarchs during autumn, assessed using arrival abundances at all known winter colony sites over a 12-y period (2004-2015). We quantified effects of continentalscale (climate, landscape greenness, and disease) and local-scale (colony habitat quality) drivers of spatiotemporal trends in winter colony sizes. We also included effects of peak summer and migratory population indices. Our results demonstrate that higher summer abundance on northern breeding grounds led to larger winter colonies as did greener autumns, a proxy for increased nectar availability in southern US floral corridors. Colony sizes were also positively correlated with the amount of local dense forest cover and whether they were located within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, but were not influenced by disease rates. Although we demonstrate a demographic link between summer and fine-scale winter population sizes, we also reveal that conditions experienced during, and at the culmination of, autumn migration impact annual dynamics. Monarchs face a growing threat if floral resources and winter habitat availability diminish under climate change. Our study tackles a long-standing gap in the monarch's annual cycle and highlights the importance of evaluating migratory conditions to understand mechanisms governing long-term population trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a period of 205 years, there have been carried out dozens of censuses of nests and nesting bird individuals, summerings and non-nesting bird individuals, winterings and wintering bird individuals, the determinations of migration routes in the Caspian region and across the Caspian Sea, in Central and Southern Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Russia. Until the early XXI century, the main flamingo nesting sites were located in the Caspian region and along the Caspian Sea within the Russian Empire / USSR / Commonwealth of Independent States. It was found that such a geographical distribution of flamingo nesting sites was established until 1930 by the relative stability of the global climate conditions in northern Eurasia that have caused the stand of water level in the Caspian Sea. During this period, in the northern part of the Asian population the monitoring of the flamingo had the form of collecting mainly qualitative information. Amongst these are the determination of the locations of breeding sites, summerings and winterings; the bird's abundance was characterised mainly using the epithets. The next period (from 1931 to 1977) was caused by the development of anthropogenic influences and by changes of global climatic conditions in northern Eurasia, which have caused a decrease in the water level in the Caspian Sea. Environmental effects of the hydrological regime changes were the most significant in the shallow north-eastern part of the Caspian Sea. The breeding sites and the summerings (that were located there) had changed dislocation. Sometimes such a dislocation was observed over a wide area, up to the complete loss of breeding sites and summerings. During this period, the observations had the character of quantative information collecting and clarification of qualitative data: determination of new locations of breeding sites, duration of their existence, location of summerings and winterings, sizes of flocks and groupings, and disappearance reasons of the flamingo from former habitats. The persistent reduction of the Caspian Sea area, as well as the drying up of several sea gulfs, had caused the emergence of permanent breeding colonies on the lakes of Central Kazakhstan (Lake Shalkartenize, Lake Tengiz). The decrease in the level of continental waterbodies in Central Kazakhstan had caused an increase of their nesting and feeding properties: formed shoals became the sites of feeding and breeding of flamingos. Significant annual and long-term fluctuations of the water level in the lakes had become the reason of the periodic disappearance of flamingo colonies on certain lakes and their emergence of those on other lakes. During 1978–2015 the monitoring of flamingos in the northern part of the range of the Asian population were aimed at obtaining qualitative and quantitative indicators of nesting sites, summerings and winterings in conditions of increasing of the Caspian Sea level, the fluctuations of the water content in Central Kazakhstan, the refinement of migration dates, the spring and autumn migration routes. The placement of the major part of flamingos on the water bodies of Central Kazakhstan by the end of the XX century has contributed to the final formation of the flight route, which had connected these habitats with areas previously populated along the Caspian Sea. In the early XXI century the permanent reproductive centre in the northern part of the Asian flamingo population remained the breeding colony on Lake Tengiz. Available data have formed the necessary information base for further quantitative and qualitative assessment of the northern part of the Asian population over three time periods caused by the state of the Caspian Sea, waterbodies of the Caspian region and Central Kazakhstan, each of which had specific characteristics that determine the placement of nesting colonies, summerings, winterings, routes of seasonal and inter-seasonal migrations in the northern part of the range of flamingos and beyond.

Mallard is a dominant waterfowl species wintered in Korea. We researched the mallard spring migration route, stopover sites, and breeding sites. We used cannon nets in Central Korea to catch and attach 10 wild trackers (WT-200). The mallards’ spring departure dates were from the end of March to early April. The spring migration route varied by individual mallards, with most moving through the North Korean east coast. Breeding sites were distributed among the interior of Northeastern China. The average distance to the breeding areas was 1,265 km [standard deviation (SD)=491 km] and the average days spent from wintering site to breeding site was 25.3 days (SD=19.2 days). The mallards used several stopover sites when on the spring migration route (average 3.3±2.1, range 2–9). The time spent at the stopover sites was a minimum of 1 day to a maximum of 16 days. Wintering mallards in Korea showed various individual trends regarding spring migration timing, migration route, stopover sites, and usage days.