Timothy Moermond

• PhD in Biology from Harvard University
• University of Wisconsin-Madison and then Sichuan University

We selected four Populus euphratica Oliv. forest plots (100 m × 100 m) in the upper reaches of the Tarim River in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Each of the four forest plots was chosen to represent a different growth and death stage of P. euphratica forest: juvenile forest, mature forest, dying forest, and dead forest. In each plot...

The Endangered giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca is one of the most threatened mammals. The species has experienced declines in its population and habitat as a result of human disturbance. We investigated the influence of human disturbance on habitat use by giant pandas in the Daxiangling Mountains, in China's Sichuan Province. We mapped all signs...

Our goal was to document effects of year-round supplemental feeding on breeding ecology of the Buff-throated Partridge, Tetraophasis szechenyii, within a Tibetan sacred site. We evaluated effects of supplemental feeding used as religious/cultural practices which could potentially aid conservation of endangered phasianids. We compared fed breeding g...

Sichuan Hill Partridge (Arborophila rufipectus) is a globally endangered species endemic to China. However, the genetic diversity of this species was poorly studied due to lack of molecular markers. We used 454 pyrosequencing to discover microsatellites from the A. rufipectus genome in this study. A total of 6280 di-nucleotides, 8139 tri-nucleotide...

Cattle foraging within tropical dry forest (TDF) is a common practice in West of Mexico. Effect of cattle exclosure on structure and dynamics of tropical dry forest was analyzed using four years’ record in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Sixteen permanent plots were randomly established at four sites of TDF (eight plots with live...

Abstract As an endangered animal group in China, musk deer (genus Moschus) have attracted the attention of deer biologists and wildlife conservationists. Clarifying the taxonomic status and distribution of musk deer species is important to determine the conservation status for each species and establish appropriate conservation strategies. There re...

The benefits of communal roosting are unlikely to be acquired equally by all roosting birds, and it has been suggested that individual ordering during roost formation can be determined by factors such as social status. However, to date there have been no published data on this issue among precocial, cooperative breeders. We examined social ordering...

Efforts have been made to investigate the phylogeny of the family Bovidae; however, the relationships within this group still remain controversial. To further our understanding of the relationships, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the Himalayan goral, Naemorhedus goral, an IUCN Redlist near threatened conservation dependent species. Then w...

To determine the effects of eco-factors on the regeneration of arrow bamboo in giant panda habitat, a field study was conducted in the Baozuo and Gonggangling Nature Reserves, Sichuan Province, China. A total of 183 quadrats (10 m×10 m) and 717 small quadrats (1 m×1 m) were investigated within the study site. Bamboo seedling density was used as an...

The Miyaluo captive forest musk deer population (Sichuan Province, China) is one of the largest captive breeding populations in the world. In order to evaluate the genetic quality and provide available genetic management strategy, seven polymorphism microsatellite loci were applied to assess the genetic variation of the Miyaluo forest musk deer. Th...

Resumen. Las reservas de la biósfera enfrentan el doble objetivo de proteger ecosistemas ejemplares y proveer a las comunidades locales con oportunidades de desarrollo. Las pesquerías de subsistencia están presentes en muchas áreas protegidas en México, pero son poco conocidas. Los pescadores de subsistencia tienen pocas oportunidades para expresar...

Four prey-capture behavior patterns of Anolis lizards are described here: approach-pause-strike, stationary-strike, jump-strike,.and stalk-strike. The latter two are described for the first time and appear to be used principally by two morphological groups of species which hunt predominantly on narrow surfaces. The occurrence of each prey-attack me...

We investigated the relation between temporally varying resources, diet composition, and seed-handling behaviors in a group of blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis doggetti) in a tropical montane forest of Rwanda. Changes in diet composition were related to concurrent phenological studies of fruit-producing trees, and density and abundance of tree res...

Entrained phenology patterns of tropical trees are expected to be sensitive to short-term fluctuations in typical rainfall and temperature. We examined 47 mo of data on the flowering, fruiting, and new leaf phenology for 797 trees from 38 species in the Tai National park, Cote d'Ivoire. We determined the timing of the phenology cycles in relation t...

This article contributes a brief review of the ethnobotany and ontogeny of Heteropsis spp. (Araceae), reports the distribution and density of Heteropsis spp. in a tropical lowland rainforest in southern Venezuela, and explores the environmental variables that correlate best with the observed Heteropsis densities. Heteropsis occurred on 26% of the 4...

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), otherwise known as pygmy chimpanzees, are the only two species of the genus Pan. As they are our nearest relatives, there has been much research devoted to investigating the similarities and differences between them. This book offers an extensive review of the most recent observations to com...

We present the first systematic field study on the feeding ecology of the mountain monkey (Circopithecus l'hoesti), a semi-terrestrial guenon. We compare our results with findings from a concurrent study of blue monkeys (C. mitis doggetti, which have an overlapping home range) conducted over ten months in the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda. The mou...

We examined temporal variability in the handling and dispersal of seeds by two sympatric species of monkeys, the arboreal blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis doggetti) and the more terrestrial mountain monkey (C.l'hoesti). Ten months of data on phenological patterns and foraging behavior, including details of seed handling based on scan sampling data,...

We studied the effectiveness of three species of turacos, the Great Blue Turaco, the Ruwenzori Turaco, and the Black-billed Turaco, as seed dispersers in a tropical forest in Rwanda. For each species of turaco, we examined two factors affecting the effectiveness of seed dispersal: (1) the proportion of ingested seeds dispersed away from the parent...

We studied the foraging ecology of three sympatric turacos (Great Blue Turaco [Corythaeola cristata], Ruwenzori Turaco [Musophaga johnstoni], and Black-billed Turaco [Tauraco schuetti]) in a tropical montane forest in Rwanda between November 1991 and December 1992. All three species fed primarily on fruit, Whereas Black-billed Turacos were strictly...

We studied nutritional characteristics of plants in the diets of three closely re- lated, highly frugivorous turacos that inhabit a tropical montane forest in Rwanda: the Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata), the Ruwenzori Turaco (Musophaga johnstoni), and the Black- billed Turaco (Tauraco schuettii). The first two species also consume leaves....

The phenology of 568 trees of 49 species producing fleshy fruits was studied in a montane forest in Rwanda between January 1991 and January 1993. Fruiting peaked during the major wet season in March-May, but remained high during the major dry season in July-August. A period of reduced fruiting occurred in the beginning of each calendar year during...

Examined the effectiveness with which Andropadus latirostris and A. tephrolaemus (Pycnonotidae) dispersed seeds of a tropical pioneer forest tree, Maesa lanceolata (Myrsinaceae). Andropadus tephrolaemus and A. latirostris were the most common visitors to M. lanceolata in Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda, and accounted for 49.1% and 17.3% of all animal visits...

Risk of predation is presumed to have a strong influence on the selection of feeding sites and items by birds. We conducted an experiment to test how the selections of particular feeding sites and items are influenced by food quality, food quantity, and predation risks. Free-ranging wild Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were presented with food items...

Begins with a general description of fruits and frugivores at La Selva and compares them with other tropical forests. Then addresses the following questions: What factors influence fruit choice? What is the role of fruit handling in successful dispersal? How do spatial and temporal variation in fruit abundance affect frugivore populations? Given in...

Chapter starting on page 73 of book, available for free at https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/sab/sab_013.pdf .

Paramyxovirus type 2 (PMV-2) isolated from wild birds is often considered non-pathogenic, but nothing is known about its effects on overall behavior and fitness of free-flying birds. Domestically bred, African cut-throat finches (Amadina fasciata), a species from which PMV-2 has been isolated in the wild, were inoculated with a Central American fie...

We observed five Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) in premontane rain forest at 1060 m in Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Costa Rica, between 31 Dec. 1986 and 7 Jan. 1987, but saw none in lower montane rain forest at 1500 m. We saw one quetzal at 1500 m on 20 Feb. 1987, but did not record any at 1060 m. These observations represent the...

This provides a recipe for a banana-based diet and tips on how to acclimate wild birds into captivity.

We plotted the density distributions of 41 land-bird species along a 1,200-km transect spanning 7°28′ (865 km) of latitude through relatively uniform bottomland deciduous forest in middle North America. Standardized counts and observations at 12 survey stations, closely matched in habitat structure and widely distributed along the route, provided p...

The role of competition in structuring animal communities is currently hotly debated. One of the crucial assumptions underlying the concept of resource partitioning as a function of competition is the jack-of-all-trades, master of none principle: differences in morphology and behavior results in the different abilities to use different resources an...

One potentially important effect of interspecific competition in freshwater fish communities is to increase predation intensity from gape-limited piscivores by lowering growth rates of prey species. We investigated the operation and consequences of competition between central mudminnows (Umbra limi) and yearling yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in a...

Bird-dispersed plants of the tropical rain forest understory are widely spaced and produce sparse crops (most with fewer than 10 ripe fruits available at any one time). Such plants probably disperse the greatest proportion of their lifetime output of seeds in the short periods during which they occur in treefall gaps. There, environmental condition...

The morphology of fruit-eating birds has a strong and complex influence on their selection of fruits. Through a series of aviary experiments, we examined the fruit-selection behavior of frugivorous birds. Among the species we tested, there were two fairly distinct groups, separated on the basis of their morphology and foraging behavior. One group,...

A large number of neotropical bird species in many families regularly eat fruit. We discuss the physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations associated with eating fruits. Fruits present a number of difficulties for the frugivores, such as the low protein to calorie ratio, the watery bulk, and the undigestible seed mass. Although we fin...

The effects of prey size, individual behavioral differences, satiation, and experience on handling time were tested experimentally on five captive Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) feeding on Tenebrio mollitor larvae. While prey size and individual differences had the largest effects, all four factors significantly influenced handling times. For eac...

The influence of distance between fruiting plants on choice patterns of four species of tanagers and two species of manakins was experimentally tested in a lowland rain forest in Costa Rica. Paired clusters of two fruit species (Miconia affinis and Urera caracasana) were presented on each of two perches separated by selected distances ranging from...

Using manakins (Pipridae) and tanagers and saltators (Thraupinae and Cardinalinae), 3 types of paired choice tests were presented to birds: a) 'fruit type' trials involving fruits of different species, size and ripeness; b) 'fruit accessibility' trials and c) 'behavioural titrations' in which berry type was balanced against accessibility in series...

Quantitative observations were made of forage site location and food-gathering behavior of Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) and hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) cohabiting a talus slope in northwestern Montana. Although their feeding sites showed much spatial overlap, ground squirrels more frequently selected areas with new-gro...

In a series of field experiments using Costa Rican rain forest plants, we examined the effect of accessibility on fruit removal rates. We compared the effects of fruit placement in terminal and axillary infructescences on diurnal and nocturnal removal rates, visitation rates, and incidence of fruit damage. We used three different species of berries...

A conceptual model of Anolis-habitat interactions is proposed to explain the existence of the series of Anolis ecomorphs in the Greater Antilles. The use of perches, type of movement among perches, and the morphology of 7 species of Anolis lizards from 2 sites in Haiti were compared. Movements of anoles through the habitat are assumed to be constra...

1. A series of seven species of Anolis lizards was studied at two sites in southwest Haiti (Ducis, 350 m, and Les Platons, 750 m). Data consisted primarily of continuous observations of individuals. 2. Species differed in their structural microhabitats by the heights and diameters of their perches. Species occupying larger perches and perches highe...

A complex pattern of color changes is described for Anolis coelestinus involving three basic background colors--gray, green, and brown--and three types of patterns--solid, striped, and mottled. This complex set of changes within one individual cannot be explained given the models and mechanisms for color change described for Anolis carolinensis. In...

Seed dispersal is a critical step in the natural regeneration of tropical forests. The pattern of dispersal of tree seeds is likely to have an important influence on the future tree species composition of the forests and hence on the natural diversity associated with those tree species. Animal seed-dispersers are considered to be important agents f...

We observed five Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) in premontane rain forest at 1060 m in Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Costa Rica, between 31 Dec. 1986 and 7 Jan. 1987, but saw none in lower montane rain forest at 1500 m. We saw one quetzal at 1500 m on 20 Feb. 1987, but did not record any at 1060 m. These observations represent the...