Ski tourism stresses European capercaillie
March 12, 2008Swiss, German and Austrian scientists said ski tourism might be harming capercaillie -- an old world grouse -- by affecting their ability to breed.
The researchers said ski tourism is raising stress levels among capercaillie -- a species whose numbers are substantially declining across central Europe.
The scientists said they used a new technique to assess the impact of ski tourism on capercaillie. Working in the Southern Black Forest in Germany, they collected the birds' droppings before and after the start of the ski season and analyzed them for levels of the breakdown products of the stress hormone corticosterone.
The researchers found levels of the breakdown products of the stress hormone were significantly higher in birds living in areas with moderate or high levels of ski tourism.
"Ski tourism affects both habitat use and stress hormone levels in capercaillie and this could adversely affect their body condition and overall fitness," said Lukas Jenni of the Swiss Ornithological Institute, one of the study's authors. "Because of this, we recommend that managers keep forests inhabited by capercaillie free from tourism infrastructure and retain undisturbed forest patches within skiing areas."
The research is reported in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
-
New York state may soon suffer outsize effects from climate, says report
Nov 17, 2011 |
4 / 5 (4) |
12
-
Winter sports threaten indigenous mountain birds
Jan 11, 2011 |
3 / 5 (2) |
0
-
Ohio lake's algae dangerous to swimmers, economy
Jul 02, 2010 |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
-
Climate change increases hazard risk in alpine regions: research
Jun 15, 2010 |
2.3 / 5 (3) |
1
-
Ski tourism stressing capercaillie
Mar 03, 2008 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
-
Fast photon control brings quantum photonic technologies closer
9 hours ago |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (33) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (5) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Do some geologists actually act a lot like Randy Marsh?
Feb 11, 2012
-
Discrepancy between oxygen and carbon-dioxide levels
Feb 09, 2012
-
where gems are found in the world
Feb 09, 2012
-
Wind Waves in Reservoir ~ Wind run-up and Wind set-up
Feb 08, 2012
-
Balance of oxygen in the atmosphere
Feb 01, 2012
-
The case for a methanol-based economy
Jan 30, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - Earth
More news stories
Missing dark matter located: Intergalactic space is filled with dark matter
Researchers at the University of Tokyos Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU) and Nagoya University used large-scale computer simulations and recent observational data of gravitational ...
41 minutes ago |
4 / 5 (4) |
3
|
Scientists discover reason for Mt. Hood's non-explosive nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- For a half-million years, Mount Hood has towered over the landscape, but unlike some of its cousins in Oregons Cascade Mountains and many other volcanoes around the Pacific Rim ...
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
11 minutes ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
|
Planck mission steps closer to the cosmic blueprint
(PhysOrg.com) -- ESA's Planck mission has revealed that our Galaxy contains previously undiscovered islands of cold gas and a mysterious haze of microwaves. These results give scientists new treasure to mine ...
9 hours ago |
5 / 5 (8) |
2
|
Scientists say Obama Mars cuts to hit research (Update)
The United States will scale back Mars exploration under a proposed budget by President Barack Obama released Monday that has some scientists fuming over the risk of a NASA brain-drain.
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
6 hours ago |
5 / 5 (3) |
23
China's pollution related to E-cars may be more harmful than gasoline cars, researchers find
Electric cars have been heralded as environmentally friendly, but findings from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, researchers show that electric cars in China have an overall impact on pollution that could be more harmful ...
7 hours ago |
2.9 / 5 (9) |
13
|
Plants use circadian rhythms to prepare for battle with insects
In a study of the molecular underpinnings of plants' pest resistance, Rice University biologists have shown that plants both anticipate daytime raids by hungry insects and make sophisticated preparations to ...
Sensing self and non-self: New research into immune tolerance
At the most basic level, the immune system must distinguish self from non-self, that is, it must discriminate between the molecular signatures of invading pathogens (non-self antigens) and cellular constituents that usually ...
Radiation treatment transforms breast cancer cells into cancer stem cells
Breast cancer stem cells are thought to be the sole source of tumor recurrence and are known to be resistant to radiation therapy and don't respond well to chemotherapy.
Cut your Valentine some slack
If the one you love usually forgets Valentine's Day, but this year makes a romantic effort, you should give him credit for trying.
WSU chemist applies Google software to webs of the molecular world
The technology that Google uses to analyze trillions of Web pages is being brought to bear on the way molecules are shaped and organized.
Exercise in early 20s may lower risk of osteoporosis
Physical exercise in the early twenties improves bone development and may reduce the risk of fractures later in life, reveals a study of more than 800 Swedish men carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of ...