What do we know about the counteracting of scrub encroachment by herbivorous mammals?

Herbivorous mammals affect the development of scrub to a varying extent; their influence depends on animal species and density. In the previous centuries, the area covered by scrub was limited due to agricultural use of the dunes and the artificially larg

Waste management: Equine carcass disposal

Understanding the perceptual world of horses

From the viewpoint of experimental psychology, there are two problems with our current knowledge of equine perception. The first is that the behavioral and neurophysiological research in this area has enormous gaps, reflecting that this animal is not a co

Tree colonisation of abandoned arable land after 27 years of horse-grazing: The role of bramble as a facilitator of oak wood regeneration

The impact of horse-grazing on natural tree regeneration on abandoned arable fields was studied in ‘Baronie Cranendonck’, a 98 ha nature reserve near the Dutch-Belgian border. The study area comprised a vegetation mosaic of Corynephorus grassland and dry

Wildlife encounters by Lewis and Clark: A spatial analysis of interactions between native Americans and wildlife

The Lewis and Clark journals contain some of the earliest and most detailed written descriptions of a large part of the United States before Euro-American settlement. We used the journal entries to assess the influence of humans on wildlife distribution a

The relationships between brain regions and forelimb dexterity in marsupials (Marsupialia): A comparative test of the principle of proper mass

A behavioural index of forelimb dexterity and comparative statistics were used to analyse the relationships between proximal (shoulder, upper and lower forelimb) and distal (wrist, forepaw, digits) forelimb dexterity and four aspects of brain morphology (

The population dynamics of a tropical possum, Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis Collett

The population ecology of Trichosurus vulpecula has been studied extensively in temperate Australia and in New Zealand. This paper provides the results of a trapping study of a population of the northern brushtail possum (T. vulpecula arnhemensis Collett

The interacting effects of ungulates and fire on forest dynamics: An analysis using the model FORSPACE

The effects of interactions between the density of ungulates and forest fires on forest dynamics were studied on an area of 1188 ha called Planken Wambuis. The vegetation consists mainly of heathland and Scots pine forest but also includes oak, beech and

The behaviour of Yakut horses at summer pastures in Altai Mountains

Succession in a insects community inhabiting horse dung

The results of studying the succession in the community coprophilous insects on horse dung are reported. The general nature of the succession of adult insects on dung depends little on type pastures. The rate of successional changes depends on the biotopi

Social relationships in a group of horses without a mature stallion

1. The social relationships in a group of Icelandic horses without a mature stallion were studied. The horses were all familiar to each other. Mutual grooming and play relationships, spatial associations, dominance-subordinate relations and the effect of

Social and sexual behaviour of horses under semi-natural and stable conditions in relation to their reproductive efficiency: A review.

In mares kept under stable conditions, oestrus detection is mainly based on mare’s behaviour towards a teaser stallion. Weak or equivocal signs of oestrus in mares may be one of the reasons of decreasing reproduction indices in horses in recent years in Poland. Social aspects of horses’ sexual behaviour under natural conditions and the impact [...]

Researching feral horse ecology and behavior: Turning political debate into opportunity

Funding for biological research on feral horse populations is often motivated by political debate. Thus, research may start too late to contribute substantially to decisions about population monitoring and management, or to resolve public debate. Feral ho

Preliminary study of the development of the flehmen response in Equus caballus

The flehmen response is commonly seen in most ungulates as well as in several other species (e.g. felids). The behavior is most often thought to be part of the sexual behavioral repertoire of males. One reigning hypothesis suggests that this behavior allo

Phylogeny, form and function of the canine teeth in the horse.

The canine teeth of the horse developed phylogenically from the simple, pointed, short-rooted tooth form of the leaf eating, in pairs living, Eocene horse dagHyracotherium and served up to the Oligocene as a means of defense (self preservation). In the Miocene the living conditions of the dagMerychippus changed and they took to eating grass and [...]

Possible mechanisms of mammalian immunocontraception

Ecological and conservation programs in ecosystems around the world have experienced varied success in population management. One of the greatest problems is that human expansion has led to the shrinking of wildlife habitat and, as a result, the overpopul

Indirect effects of feral horses on estuarine communities

Livestock have grazed on salt marshes for centuries and have dramatic effects on marsh vegetation. Most studies examining the effects of livestock on salt marshes have focused on the effects on plants rather than on salt marsh fauna or ecological processe

Home range and habitat use of free-ranging Przewalski horses at Hustai National Park, Mongolia

Przewalski horses (Equus ferus przewalskii), also known as takhi, were first re-introduced to the wild in Hustai National Park, Mongolia, in 1994. Since then the number of free harems increased to a maximum of seven; there are currently six (October 2000). The size of the home range of each of the harems changed among years [...]

Hiking versus multi-use trails as corridors for exotic plant invasion

Horses ARE companions, but