Research advances of Galliformes since 1990 and future prospects

Abstract

Background: Galliformes are widely distributed throughout the world and economically important to humans as domesticated animals or gamebirds. They are at a unique position for advancing knowledge and techniques of wildlife conservation as the barometer of the status of applied ecology. Populations of many galliform species have declined mainly due to habitat loss and over-hunting. An assessment of knowledge of Galliformes could help to provide guidelines for future research and conservation strategies. Methods: Using the Web of Science search engine, we conducted a literature review of galliform-related articles published from 1990 to 2016. We used the "research area" option to filter articles focused on the zoology, environmental sciences ecology, biodiversity conservation, forestry, behavioral sciences, reproductive biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, cell biology, genetics and heredity, evolutionary biology, physiology and developmental biology. We then checked duplication based on the title, abstract and full text. In addition, we examined the reference lists of selected studies to include the publications that were missed by above searching. Results: We retained 1874 articles related to the Galliformes from the initial 243,128 publications that were found. About 91.4% focused on one or two species, and 85.0% were conducted within a short duration, typically 1-2 years. The majority of the articles concentrated on macroscopic ecology (55.5%), mainly focusing on habitat selection or habitat use. With recent advances of molecular biology, the studies of taxonomy and phylogenetics rose quickly in last two decades. The study of physiology and biochemistry was no longer limited to simple description but expanded to the mechanisms of phenotype and micro-evolutionary potential. An additional area receiving increasing attention is the conservation of Galliformes, with the assessment of the conservation status and conservation management effectiveness of Galliformes (e.g. species diversity and genetic diversity) becoming the focus. Conclusions: The studies on Galliformes have made great achievements since 1990, but there are still gaps, particularly in macroscopic ecology, molecular genetics, and conservation. There is an urgent need to enhance long-term monitoring and analysis of population dynamics, and applying different disciplines to galliform conservation. Moreover, life history information of many galliform species is still lacking, which has hindered conservation efforts and effectiveness. In addition, multidiscipline studies and new technologies are not common for galliform studies, and should be encouraged.

Drivers and Consequences of Partial Migration in an Alpine Bird Species

“…spruce grouse Falcipennis canadensis (Herzog & Keppie, 1980) and blue grouse Dendragapus obscurus (Cade & Hoffman, 1993). Tian et al (2018) emphasized the lack of research on long-term monitoring and life history information in many Galliformes species in which reduces the success of conservation, here I present the first study to quantify explicitly partial migration in ptarmigan. Partly in line with my first hypothesis, I found that body size (weight) affected the decision to migrate or to remain resident, but this effect was only found among juvenile birds.…”

Preparing captive-bred birds for reintroduction: the case of the Vietnam Pheasant Lophura edwardsi

“…However, demographic data on Vietnam Pheasant are very sparse and, on wild birds, non-existent. Other Lophura pheasants can furnish missing parameter values, but among galliform genera receiving research attention in the past 30 years Lophura has had the least (Tian et al 2018), and in any case the few results can be highly variable-e.g. Siamese Fireback L. diardi occurring at a density of 5.6 birds per km 2 in Thailand (Suwanrat et al 2014) but Kalij Pheasant L. leucomelanos averaging 321 birds per km 2 in Hawai'i (Zeng 2014).…”

Spermatozoa Survival in Egg Yolk-Based and Soybean-Based Extenders at Ambient and Chilling Temperature in Domestic Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)

“…Populations of many galliform species have declined mainly due to habitat loss and over-hunting [ 1 ], including those in captivity [ 2 ]. Notably, the Congo peacock ( Afropavo congensis ), which inhabits the forested areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) [ 3 ].…”