蘇格蘭動物相
蘇格蘭動物相通常指的是的生活北歐地區古北界的動物。儘管該地區一些體型較大的哺乳動物在信史時期因獵殺而滅絕,但隨着人類的活動也引入了各種野生動物。蘇格蘭多樣化的溫帶環境裏居住着62種野生哺乳動物,其中包括野生貓科類動物、大量的灰海豹、港海豹以及世界上棲息地最北的寬吻海豚 [1][2][3]。
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Harbour_seal_breast_feeding_1150144.jpg/220px-Harbour_seal_breast_feeding_1150144.jpg)
蘇格蘭動物相中生活許多棲息地為沼澤地的鳥類,其中包括黑松雞和紅松雞。該地區還擁有着北方塘鵝和海鳥的國際重要築巢地[4]。其中金雕是該地區的代表動物[5],後來白尾海雕和鶚也在最近重新回到了這片土地。其中是蘇格蘭交嘴雀是該地唯一的特有脊椎動物 [6][7][8]。
蘇格蘭是世界上海洋生物最豐富的地區之一。據估計,蘇格蘭的海洋生物總數超過4萬種[9]。達爾文山林是1998年發現的深海冷水珊瑚礁的主要棲息地。在內陸,有近400名基因獨特的大西洋鮭生活在蘇格蘭的河流中[10]。在該地區的淡水中發現的42種魚中,其中一半是自然發現的,而另一半則是透過人類引進的。
參考文獻
編輯- ^ Thompson, P.M.; Corkrey, R.; Lusseau, D.; Lusseau, S.M.; Quick, N.; Durban, J.W.; Parsons, K.M. & Hammond, P.S. An assessment of the current condition of the Moray Firth bottlenose dolphin population. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report (Perth). 2006, (175).
- ^ Matthews (1968) p. 254.
- ^ Mammals. Scottish Natural Heritage. [1 January 2007]. (原始內容存檔於2006-12-30).
- ^ Fraser Darling and Boyd (1969) pp. 7, 98–102.
- ^ Benvie (1994) p. 12.
- ^ In the past, this claim has been made on behalf of other species such as the red grouse (now considered to be a sub-species of willow ptarmigan) and Irish stoat (Mustela erminea hibernica), also now considered to be a sub-species of stoat. Loxia scotica 's position as a true species is a matter of debate but the current consensus is that it does have this status (see for example Miles and Jackman (1991) pp. 21–30 and Benvie (2004) p. 55.) The position of the freshwater fish the vendace Coregonus vandesius is disputed, with many authorities considering it to be a synonym of Coregonus albula.
- ^ Adams, William Mark (2003) Future Nature (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館). British Association of Nature Conservationists p. 30. Retrieved 14 July 2009. This source lists the UK's endemic species as being "14 lichens, 14 bryophytes, 1 fern, 21 higher plants, 16 invertebrates and 1 vertebrate (the Scottish crossbill)."
- ^ Perhaps because endemic vertebrates are all but absent from the UK neither SNH nor JNCC appear to provide a definitive "list" but it is clear that the Scottish crossbill is the only endemic bird, (Gooders (1994) p. 273. and "Scottish Crossbill: Loxia Scotica" (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) (pdf) JNCC. Retrieved 7 July 2009.) and that there are no endemic freshwater fish (Maitland, P. and Lyle A.A. (1996) "Threatened freshwater fishes of Great Britain" (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) in Kirchofer, A. and Hefti, D. (1996) Conservation of Endangered Freshwater Fish in Europe. Basel. Birkhauser.) or mammals ("The British Mammals list" (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) ppne.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2009.) in Britain. There are too few amphibians and reptiles native to the UK for there to be any doubt that no endemic species exist. The position is implied, although not stated by SNH in their Information and Advisory Note Number 49 "Priority species in Scotland: animals" (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) Retrieved 7 July 2009. See also Myers, Norman (2003) "Conservation of Biodiversity: How are We Doing?" (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) (pdf) The Environmentalist 23 pp. 9–15. Retrieved 7 July 2009. This publication confirms there is only one "endemic non-fish vertebrate species" in the British Isles, although it fails to identify the species concerned.
- ^ Inshore Fisheries in Scotland. The Scottish Government. [24 August 2008]. (原始內容存檔於2012-08-31).
- ^ Protecting and Promoting Scotland's Freshwater Fish and Fisheries. Scottish Executive. [13 January 2007]. (原始內容存檔於2009-08-29).