It is important to know the age of nestling birds for many ecological and behavioural studies. Various methods have been developed for individual species; most are based on measurements of growth in wings, tarsi or heads/bills, or observations of changes in size, plumage and behaviour over time. However, techniques for aging nestlings have not been established for most avian species. This paper sets out two methods to age nestling Carnaby's cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus latirostris, an endangered species endemic to southwestern Australia. One method is based on the physical changes in size and plumage during the 10 to 11 weeks of the nestling period, and the other on the relationship between the length of the nestling's folded left wing and its age developed from data obtained from nestlings of known age. The estimated age of nestlings may be used to extrapolate egg-laying, hatching and fledging dates by taking the 29 days of incubation and the 76 days of the nestling period into account. The method of estimating nestling age based on length of folded left wing provides a more accurate estimate of nestling age than observations of changes in nestling size and plumage. However in situations where it is not possible to handle nestlings, the observation method should provide a reasonable basis for calculating the commencement and end of the breeding season, the length of egg-laying and nestling periods; important population parameters specified for monitoring under the species' recovery plan.
The primary goal of restoration is to create self-sustaining ecological communities that are resilient to periodic disturbance. Currently, little is known about how restored communities respond to disturbance events such as fire and how this response compares to remnant vegetation. Following the 2003 fires in south-eastern Australia we examined the post-fire response of revegetation plantings and compared this to remnant vegetation. Ten burnt and 10 unburnt (control) sites were assessed for each of three types of vegetation (direct seeding revegetation, revegetation using nursery seedlings (tubestock) and remnant woodland). Sixty sampling sites were surveyed 6 months after fire to quantify the initial survival of mid-and overstorey plant species in each type of vegetation. Three and 5 years after fire all sites were resurveyed to assess vegetation structure, species diversity and vigour, as well as indicators of soil function. Overall, revegetation showed high (>60%) post-fire survival, but this varied among species depending on regeneration strategy (obligate seeder or resprouter). The native ground cover, mid-and overstorey in both types of plantings showed rapid recovery of vegetation structure and cover within 3 years of fire.This recovery was similar to the burnt remnant woodlands. Non-native (exotic) ground cover initially increased after fire, but was no different in burnt and unburnt sites 5 years after fire. Fire had no effect on species richness, but burnt direct seeding sites had reduced species diversity (Simpson's Diversity Index) while diversity was higher in burnt remnant woodlands. Indices of soil function in all types of vegetation had recovered to levels found in unburnt sites 5 years after fire. These results indicate that even young revegetation (stands <10 years old) showed substantial recovery from disturbance by fire.This suggests that revegetation can provide an important basis for restoring woodland communities in the fire-prone Australian environment.
The School of Management at the University of Bath has offered and concurrently run four different MBA (Master of Business Administration) degrees. They differ in length, content, and in the audiences for which they cater. Course delivery varies in style of presentation and geographical location, that is, the extent to which the course is university campus-based. This article looks briefly at the design and delivery of the four courses, and asks what can be learned from the experience of tailoring MBA education to four different groups of people. In the article we shall look at the four MBA courses from the perspective of five authors, all of whom have taught on two or more of the courses, and who in most cases have been involved in the design of more than one of them. These four courses have been designed and delivered by staff from the same group of academics, and approved by the same Board of Studies. We believe that they offer an equivalent level of educational attainment. However, we also see ourselves as bespoke tailors, providing courses specifically to fit the needs of the prospective students on those courses, rather than as mass producers of off-the-peg degrees.The article is divided into three main sections. In the first we consider the main characteristics of each of the MBA courses. In the second we reflect on and evaluate the similarities and differences between the courses, and our experience of running them. Finally the conclusion draws out the main themes from our findings.The MBA Courses a. The Full Time MBA This is the longest-established programme. It had its origins in an MSc in Business Administration which began in the early 1970s. The course runs for
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