Abstracts from conferences

I am currently putting together a scholarship application and need to include abstracts from my past conferences. It took me a while to find them. Not the most well-written abstracts, but here they are, just in case if I ever forgot about them.

-----

"Examining the roost selection of Formosan Tube-Nosed Bat, Murina puta, in the Taipei Zoo Forest," Taiwan Tech Trek 2008 Academic Conference, August 2008.

From June to August of 2008, we studied the roost characteristics of the Formosan Tube-Nosed Bat, Murina puta. Roost conservation is important for M. puta, because they are considered a threatened species and endemic to Taiwan. Our sampling area was the Taipei Zoo Forest, a temperate forest region spanning 14.4 hectares. To capture the bats, harp nets were left overnight in the forest. Radio transmitters were glued to the captured bats, which were released at dusk, their usual feeding time. Upon release, the bats were tracked for a maximum of twenty-one days in which the location, temperature, luminance, and moisture of their roost area were recorded. To prevent disruption of bat roosts, data such as roost length, area, and height were collected after the bats moved to other locations. Upon analyzing our data and past data, we found that tube-nosed bats prefer to roost in Alpinia speciosa K. schum second to dead tree ferns, Cyathea lepifera, and its primary roost selection. This is the first study in Taiwan to track bats in their specific roosts, and thus can be used as an example for future research on other bat species. Through this study, we can make more knowledgeable decisions for the preservation of M. puta and conservation of its natural habitats in Taiwan.

-----

“Primary investigation on the breeding biology of Taiwan Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis) in Taipei Botanical Garden,” Taiwan Tech Trek 2009 Academic Conference, Taiwan, August 2009.

The breeding biology of Muller’s Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis) was studied in Taipei Botanical Garden (TBG), Taipei City, Taiwan during the breeding season of 2009 (ongoing). The breeding activities of Muller's Barbet began in April and likely to end in September based on last year’s observation. Muller’s Barbet is a monogamous species, and both parents share duties in nest excavation, egg incubation, and chick rearing. The average clutch size was 3.07 eggs (n = 13), and it took an average of 15.8 incubation days (n = 5) for the eggs to hatch. Once hatched, the nestlings required an average of 28.0 brooding days (n = 4) for them to develop and fledge. On average, 56.7% of the eggs successfully hatched new nestlings (n = 10), and the mean fledgling success rates were 52.4% (n = 7) and 77.8% (n = 7) relative to the number of eggs laid and number of nestlings hatched, respectively. Overall, out of the 13 clutches with eggs, 6 clutches successfully produced one or more fledglings. In TBG, a total of ten nest trees were located, and the predominately tree species was Cinnamomum camphora (40%). Most of the nest cavities of Muller’s Barbets were located inside dead branches or trunks of either living or dead standing trees, with the exception of a nest cavity in a living branch of a Cordia dichotoma tree. Overall, this study provides a source of information for future researches on the ecology of Muller’s Barbet and the effect of green spaces on urban biodiversity.

Thank you, my friends in Taiwan

As the rain continues to pour from the sky without any indication of stopping, my desire to go outside is close to zero. Plus my temporary work in downtown is terminating tomorrow, so my mood is quite gray and black and crazy at the moment.

Then the sign of hope and strength arrived in a brown envelope today! Inside are all of my friends' well-wishes from Taiwan, a wedding invitation (that I missed - Congratulations, Kai & Cindy!), and the latest issue of Forestry Research Newsletter which has an article of me receiving the 3rd price award for my internship project a couple of months ago!

I do not what to say except thanks everyone! And this will be a source of energy for me to stay determined and strong for the long road ahead.

Cheers and I wish the best of luck to you all too!

368 days ago (2009-01-11) ...
367 days ago (2009-01-12) ...
365 days ago (2009-01-14) ...
.

Good-bye, 2009. Hello, Year of the Tiger!

As I leave 2009 behind full of good (some bad, but mostly good) memories, I am also looking forward to 2010 - because I was born in the Year of the Tiger!

I like tigers. They are one of my favorite animals in the world, mostly because of my birth sign, but also because it is the 3rd animal of the cycle (my favorite number) and because it is yellow (my favorite color) and black.

I even had the chance to see and touch one in-person when I assisted in the health check-up of captive tigers when I was an intern in Taipei Zoo two summers ago. I don't think I will ever forget the moment.

Photo taken on 2008-08-25.

While tigers, the largest of all cats, is one of the most charismatic species in the world and one of the first animals that come to mind when we think about the jungle, we need to bare in mind that it is also one of the most threatened. There is only 1 species of tiger and 9 subspecies, and 3 out of the 9 subspecies have already gone extinct in the past century.

There are more fundamental information about tigers on the WWF website that I think people might be interested in. Afterward, donate, raise awareness, tell your children, do whatever, but please think about this animal as we move into the Year of the Tiger. Me personally would like to see these animal still living in the world many more Chinese Zodiac cycles down the road and perhaps even see them in the wild (like I always read about in the Walk the Wildness blog, an excellent blog to check out) - safe and surviving.

Happy New Year to all!

365 days ago (2008-12-31) ...
.

Exploring the Silver-Dragon Cave at night (2009-10-16)

I was helping my mother cleaning the house today, so I didn't have time to go out and wildlife watch. So here's a continuation of my trip in southern Taiwan after watching the sunset in Guanshan (2009-10-16).

After having mouth-watering dumplings for dinner, we headed back to our dormitory. And after getting some rest, we went to explore a public-accessible cave in the Kenting Botanical Garden. Since the whole area is closed off during the evening, we were the only people able to go into it. The cave is called Silver-Dragon Cave and it is a natural limestone cave.

Below were some of the species we saw. I tried to identify most of them and asked for help on forums and so forth, but not all were identified.

Pancala Snail (Pancala batanica pancala). Taiwan has more than 170 snail species, and the Pancala Snail is an endemic subspecies found only in the Hengchuan Peninsula. This special snail has the special trait of being left handedness. I just Googled an interesting information about "handedness" in snails here - for interest's sake.


Next is a large cave-dwelling cricket called Ceuthophilus maculatus. Or maybe a different species in the same genus, I am not totally sure. But it sure is cool to see such large insects crawling on walls all around you in a narrow cave.


This is a mammal that I was very surprised and happy to see in a cave - Formosan Tube-nosed Bat (Murina puta) - an animal that I researched in in the summer of 2008! You can read about my stories from that summer here - good times! It is surprising because it should be a forest dwelling bat, not cave-dwelling, but I guess since the cave is surrounded by forests, it is much safer in a cave than in the furled plant leaf. This species is easily identified by its pointy nostrils (clearly seen in the picture). Wow!


Then we encountered a female Geothelphusa albogilva. It is a freshwater crab endemic in Taiwan and most common in the Hengchuan Peninsula.


The cave itself is fairly narrow and short, and pretty soon we entered the forest and started shining lights everywhere to see some wildlife. We didn't have much luck and the only animal we saw was this small Stejneger's Narrow-mouthed Toad (Micryletta stejnegeri). They are fairly easy identified with their small body size (2 ~ 3-cm) and their dark metallic gray or brown color.


After a while, we gave up and returned back to the cave and to our mopeds. On the cave wall, we spotted this Hekou's Gecko (Gekko hokouensis) - it has alternating dark and light patterns running from the middoral to the tail, and it's tail is more rounded rather than flattened.


Then we saw a large unidentified Heteropoda spp. hiding in the cracks of the cave. Wow.

After we came out of the cave, our light shone on a Acanthaspis immodesta. Neat insect to see before we conclude our adventure and head back to the dorm for a shower and sleep.

365 days ago (2008-12-28) ...
.

Escape to my memories (2009-10-16) - Guanshan Views

With the dark heavy clouds and a flood warning in effect here in the Lower Mainland, I wish it was snowing instead raining. Or even better, I wish that I am in some place warm and sunny. So I guess I will continue with my days from my trip in southern Taiwan.

After enjoying the beaches and a wonderful seafood lunch, we headed to Guanshan (Guan Mountain) where we were trying to see one of the phenomenons we were here for - The Raptor Migration! I will get to the migration in later posts, but while in Guanshan we were able to enjoy the beautiful setting sun across the Taiwan Strait.

Sunny views!

Many raptors flying and hovering in the sky, where they will head to the forests in Manjhou Township for the overnight rest.

Too bad there were too many clouds that day.

Otherwise we would had a really nice view of the sunset. But this wasn't bad either.

365 days ago (2008-11-15) ...

PS - You can read a short and informative summary about the Raptor Migration here - "A Brief History of Grey-Faced Buzzard Conservation in Taiwan" by Mark B. Wilkie. It has more information that I originally know before.
.

Beaches...in Taiwan (2009-10-16)

After we completed our search of potential cavities in Sheding Nature Park, we headed to the next town for some lunch. Along the way, we stopped by several beautiful beaches and captured images of the beautiful warm sunny day. I can just imagine them if I close my eyes and think back...

Below are photos from South Bay Beach where we stayed for a little while collecting some shells and wrote our names in the sand...

I am no hermit crab expert, but after searching and comparing, I think I found a Wrinkled Hermit Crab (Coenobita rugosus) while we were at White Sand Bay, which was a famous backdrop for well-known Taiwanese movie "Cape No. 7".

Wrinkled Hermit Crab

Wrinkled Hermit Crab on top of a sand-hill. It was roughly about 5-cm in diameter.

Ahh! Good times!!

365 days ago (2008-11-08) ...

.

Stripe-tailed Rat Snake in Hengchun Research Center!

Richmond is still being a wet, gray, gloomy, and not-outdoor friendly place. So I continued to shift my attention to the sunny Pingtung County of southern Taiwan.

After a very educational and fruitful day at NMMBA, we returned to our reserved dorm in Hengchun Research Center, which is another place belonging to the governmental organization - Taiwan Forest Research Institute (TFRI).

The following Friday morning (10/16), we were ready to leave the research center and began our tasks. But before we even left the place, we saw a beautiful snake crossing the trail. It was a Stripe-tailed Rat Snake (Elaphe taeniura)!

It was aware of our presence when we approached, and acted very scary!

E. taeniura (Colubridae) is not a poisonous snake, although it can grow up to 250-cm. This one was at least 150-cm and very beautiful. It has a olive-yellowish color with black diamond patterns on the first half of the snake, and then a stripe running down the rest of its body.

The patterns.

Another common name for E. taeniura is Beauty Snake. It used to be commonly found in Taiwan, but because of its beautiful patterns and suitable length and width, it was captured to make belts during the times when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. It is also common pet to be kept. Currently, E. taeniura is a protected species in Taiwan.

Another distinct feature of this species is the black brow. What a beauty and an excellent start to the day!

Oh yeah! Happy Halloween to all!!

365 days ago (2008-10-30) ...

.

Think back to two weeks ago...at NMMBA

As the rain continues to fall here in Canada, I sit warmly indoors trying to do work.

Then I think back to two weeks ago, where my co-workers and I were at sunny southern Taiwan visiting the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium (NMMBA). What an fantastic place! Personally, I think it is several times better than the so-called world famous Vancouver Aquarium. Besides the more reasonable ticket price, NMMBA is huge! With two different buildings full of exhibits and displays and wide spaces and gorgeous views to the ocean, one full day is not enough to see everything.

A beautiful water playground for both children and adults to enjoy.

A real-sized Whale Shark model (Rhincodon typus)

A more realistic Whale Plaza right front of the main building showing Sperm Whales and Humpback Whales! Here is someone's post (in Chinese) about the constructions for this particular plaza.

Here's one of the Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) performing its well-known breaching courtship ritual.

Outside the second main building was a beautiful artscape named "Giant Squids Swim Freely" by Arthur Yang - it featurs five giant squids swimming and "symbolizing the all-encompassing ocean".

Fantastic!

Scurrying toward the "Water of the World".

At the end of the day, we enjoyed the beautiful view and waited for the sun to set.

Good times!
.

Missing the sunny days in southern Taiwan...and the good memories

The weather here in Canada is cloudy and gloomy, and the forecast predicted rain for the upcoming weeks. Sigh.

I rarely, if not ever, post photos of people in my blog, mainly because I'm not very good at taking people pictures and because I rarely had good subjects. I was just sorting through some of my better photos from my work trip and had two photos of people in it, and both were of my good friend, Sammy.

Sammy is a nice and smart girl with a bright future ahead of her, and I wish her all the best. Plus, I want to thank her for the times that I told her to hold her pose so that I can take her photos. Thank you!

Go! Go! Go!

365 days ago (2008-10-28) ...

.

Announcement

Just like this time last year in Canada, today's weather in Taipei was gray and gloomy, and I was inside the office all day trying to finish my paper.

Before my work terminates, I will be going to southern Taiwan for a work trip. I shall be away from Taipei and blogging from tomorrow (Thursday) to Sunday. So I wish an early happy weekend to everybody.

Ciao!

Edit: Thought I post a photo of me enjoying the beautiful southern weather during the trip! Fantastic! More to come in other posts!

365 days ago (2008-10-14) ...
.

Removing Nest Logs

Last time this year, I learned about the banded woolly bear. This time I am learning about barbets in Taiwan. How interesting is that!?

I saw a Brown Shrike again while visiting my friends doing their noise research in the morning.

Today my supervisor presented the preliminary results of our data to the fellow researchers in our division and we received several interesting comments and suggestions.

Afterwards, my co-workers and I headed to the botanical garden to remove some of the nest logs that we attached to the trees in TBG. They attached these nest logs before the breeding season hoping to attract some barbets able to excavate nest cavities in these nest logs (as it was proven successful elsewhere in Taiwan by a man interested in conserving the barbets). However, after one breeding season, there was not a single nest cavity excavated (except for a very small attempt at the start of the season). I believe there are enough live trees in TBG to be used as nest trees so the barbets do not bother on nesting in these nest logs. It feels wonderful to be outside again doing hard work.

Tree number 1.

Removing the wires and nails.

Me on the ladder photographing the conditions of the logs, as well as the attaching wires and nails.

Very little rust on the attachments after six months.

However, fungi did well on these dead logs.

Tree number two.

Scaling the height and planning.

Up we go.

Nest logs removed.

Remember the Grey-streaked Flycatcher mentioned in the earlier posts? Well, after removing the logs, I saw a group of photographer nearby and guess what they were photographing? The flycatchers!

Hooray!

Well, aren't you glad to see me.

After work today, my friends and I went to a special screening of "Julie & Julia", which I thought was a good movie, especially for food enthusiasts.

What a fulfilling day. Sadly, I am leaving in 12 days.

365 days ago (2008-10-12) ...
.

Day Trip to Taichung

Today I went to Taichung with a couple of good friends to visit an art exhibit by one of the friend's elementary school friend. The art gallery was a real gem hidden in the crowded rural street market, and the exhibit was wonderful with fantastic large paintings of simple outside scenes.

No photographing inside the gallery, so I only took a photo of the outside poster.

Afterwards we went to National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung City, and coincidentally we arrived on the last day of the Darwin 200 exhibit. Being biologists, the three of us were very excited to be fortunate enough to catch this exhibit.


The museum is well-known for its permanent exhibit of "Age of Dinosaurs", which I visited everytime I was there when I was young.

The newer part of the museum is the indoor Botanical Garden. Sadly, we only had enough time to see the Darwin display in the main building before closing time. So we took photos of the garden from the outside only.

I can only imagine how fantastic the inside must be!

HUGE butterfly!

Closing time...

Another wonderful day today with close friends and happy memories.

365 days ago (2008-10-11) ...
.