Daniela Simeonovska-Nikolova - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Daniela Simeonovska-Nikolova

The habitat distribution and vocal activity of three anuran species were studied in three localit... more The habitat distribution and vocal activity of three anuran species were studied in three localities in the protected area of Rupite. The heavy-built terrestrial species P. viridis and P.syriacus were found only in ponds, while the semi-aquatic P. ridibundus also occupied flowing waters. We observed increased nocturnal activity in the area around the thermal springs. This probably was due to the higher and relatively constant water temperature. We did not observe any activity of P.syriacus, however, in one pond we found numerous dead specimens. The reasons for the observed ecological and behavioral characteristics are discussed. INTRODUCTION Nearly every aspect of amphibian physiology and behavior is affected by temperature. While locomotion in some species is relatively temperature independent over a narrow range of temperatures [13], aerobic metabolism is temperature dependent in all amphibians and generally increases in a linear fashion as temperature increases [16]. Body tempera...

Figure 2. Harsh calls produced by Apodemus agrarius at (A) threatening postures and (B) harsh cal... more Figure 2. Harsh calls produced by Apodemus agrarius at (A) threatening postures and (B) harsh calls (the second, third and fifth signals) alternated by calls, resembling clucks (the first and fourth signals).

Figure 1. Median number of amicable, offensive, and defensive behaviours displayed by males (blac... more Figure 1. Median number of amicable, offensive, and defensive behaviours displayed by males (black and grey bars), and females (dotted and hatched bars) during male–female encounters. Sex-specific significant statistics, Mann-Whitney U test: * p,0.05.

Figure 1. Examples of the vocal sounds produced by Apodemus agrarius in response to (A) opponent ... more Figure 1. Examples of the vocal sounds produced by Apodemus agrarius in response to (A) opponent approach and (B) during attacks and fights.

Figure 3. Examples of the calls resembling clucks: (A) shorter and more rapidly modulated and (B)... more Figure 3. Examples of the calls resembling clucks: (A) shorter and more rapidly modulated and (B) longer and slightly modulated.

Figure 5. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Damianitsa. Circle indicates group kurtmuell... more Figure 5. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Damianitsa. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square - ridibundusa; asterisk - ridibunduss.

Figure 1. Map of studied localities.

Figure 6. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Kresna. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri;... more Figure 6. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Kresna. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square - ridibundusa; asterisk - ridibunduss.

Figure 3. Distribution pattern of calls based on call characteristics. Circle indicates group kur... more Figure 3. Distribution pattern of calls based on call characteristics. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square – ridibundusa; asterisk – ridibunduss.

Figure 4. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Rupite. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri;... more Figure 4. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Rupite. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square - ridibundusa; asterisk - ridibunduss.

Figure 2. Indicative oscillograms and sonagrams of the mating calls of Pelophylax kurtmuelleri (A... more Figure 2. Indicative oscillograms and sonagrams of the mating calls of Pelophylax kurtmuelleri (A) and Pelophylax ridibundus (B) showing the number of pulse groups, frequency and amplitude.

Over the past decade, efforts to value and protect ecosystem services have been promoted by many ... more Over the past decade, efforts to value and protect ecosystem services have been promoted by many as the last, best hope for making conservation mainstream. Here, we present the results from the evaluation of the maintenance ecosystem services, provided by the agroecosystems in Bulgaria. The evaluation was conducted on a range of national, European and international databases following the methodology of MAES and classification system of CICES adapted by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water. During the study, 213857 agroecosystems were evaluated referring to their capacity to maintain pollinators, natural pest control, soil quality and atmospheric carbon sequestration. The capacity of agroecosystems to provide the above mentioned ecosystem services was ranged from moderate to very high, tending the mountainous agroecosystems to be more beneficial than that located in the plains and lowlands. The intensive management of the latter in order to achieve perceived efficiencies in the production of agricultural goods reduces their importance for local and regional ecological processes.

In Bulgaria Apodemus sylvaticus and Apodemus flavicollis are sympatric and in many regions syntop... more In Bulgaria Apodemus sylvaticus and Apodemus flavicollis are sympatric and in many regions syntopic, but how individuals occupy the habitat when they co-occur, and how they interact is not enough studied. The purpose of this work was to study the spatial distribution of both species during breeding season in a syntopic habitat in Southwest Bulgaria and character of their interaction to insight into the nature of their cohabitation. It was found that A. flavicollis was dominant and its number was almost double compared to that of A. sylvaticus. In both species in the rocky patches the number of juveniles was close to that of adults, while the tree-shrub patches were dominated by adults. In the interspecific male-male and female-female dyadic encounters high aggressiveness was not demonstrated. Therefore, it could be assumed that sharing of the habitat by two syntopic species may be enhanced by the use of olfactory cues.

The mound-building mouse, Mus spicilegus, is an outdoor species from south-eastern Europe. Socio-... more The mound-building mouse, Mus spicilegus, is an outdoor species from south-eastern Europe. Socio-spatial associations in the field and behavioural experiments in the laboratory reveal a monogamous mating system. To insight into the pre-mating period, which gives to females the opportunity to evaluate the quality of males, we investigate the reaction of sexually naïve females to an unfamiliar social partner and behavioural responses of females and males, who had a partner and offspring to experimentally introduced conspecific intruders of the opposite sex. Sociosexual behavior of mice was studied in two groups of pairs: 1. pairs without sexual experience and 2. sexually experienced pairs. The mice used in this study originated from a stock of wild mound-building mice captured in Northern Bulgaria and bred in captivity for three generations. Each pair was placed in glass breeding cage (50 x 50 cm). During the first 24 h after the formation of the group, the interactions between the pa...

TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, 2017

Peninsula, Caucasian region, and Middle Asia). Thus, in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan the g... more Peninsula, Caucasian region, and Middle Asia). Thus, in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan the glass lizard prefers habitats with dense vegetation (Yakovlieva, 1964; Alekperov, 1978; Arakelyan et al., 2011), while in Crimea it prefers habitats with rocky slopes with shrub communities and avoids dense vegetation (Shcherbak, 1966). In Middle Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) the glass lizard's populations are closely associated with rivers and oases (Paraskiv, 1956; Said-Aliev, 1979; Bogdanov, 1986). Wetlands were determined to be an important element in habitat preferences of the species in Uzbekistan (Siroitchkosky, 1958). P. apodus is defined as a typically daily active animal, avoiding the hot part of the day. Similar observations were also made by Muskhelishvili (1970). According to this author during July the animal was rarely noticed and in August it was not seen at all. The studies of Meek (1986) on the activity of the glass lizard in ex-Yugoslavia show that it was active in both sunny and cloudy and even in rainy weather. It is evident that the data of the habitat preferences and the activity of the European glass lizard are controversial, and the information is dated, mainly from the Caucasian and the Middle Asian and Crimean regions.

Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 2006

To gain insight into the social organization of Apodemus agrarius the social relationships were s... more To gain insight into the social organization of Apodemus agrarius the social relationships were studied in male-male, female-female and male-female dyadic encounters during spring and autumn. The striped-field mice were captured from a wild population in NorthWestern Bulgaria. A total of 47 adult A. agrarius individuals were tested in the laboratory experiment. The experiments were carried out in 50 x 50 cm glass cages. The results showed that in the spring the aggressiveness was increased and males were more aggressive than females. Probably the higher aggressiveness of males contributes to increasing of their reproductive success. The events such as following, nose-anal, nose-body, were observed more frequently in male-female encounters than in male-male and female-female ones. This confirms the essential role of odours in reproduction. In the autumn the amicable events, demonstrated by striped-field mice were significantly more than those, registered in the spring. On the basis of these findings it could be assumed that the changes in the social behaviour of A. agrarius are linked with the seasonal variation in its life-cycle and reproductive strategies.

North-Western Journal of Zoology

Anthropogenic noise can induce different responses among acoustically communicating amphibians, s... more Anthropogenic noise can induce different responses among acoustically communicating amphibians, such as leaving their burrows in response to high-decibel sounds or changing their locomotion activity when subjected to higher levels of stress. To understand how the Marsh Frog Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas 1771) responds to anthropogenic noise in its natural habitats, we conducted laboratory and field experiments. In laboratory experiments we tested whether their locomotion is affected by different levels of exogenous noise, and in the field - whether proximity to noise source (e.g. a busy road) influences call characteristics. In the laboratory we observed the locomotion activity of 25 Marsh Frogs and recorded the distance covered during three 10-minute periods: control, noise level of 50 dB and noise level of 70 dB. The results from the laboratory experiments indicated that the animals’ locomotion activity was affected during periods of noise influence. A tendency for differentiation...

Journal of Natural History, 2013

The habitat distribution and vocal activity of three anuran species were studied in three localit... more The habitat distribution and vocal activity of three anuran species were studied in three localities in the protected area of Rupite. The heavy-built terrestrial species P. viridis and P.syriacus were found only in ponds, while the semi-aquatic P. ridibundus also occupied flowing waters. We observed increased nocturnal activity in the area around the thermal springs. This probably was due to the higher and relatively constant water temperature. We did not observe any activity of P.syriacus, however, in one pond we found numerous dead specimens. The reasons for the observed ecological and behavioral characteristics are discussed. INTRODUCTION Nearly every aspect of amphibian physiology and behavior is affected by temperature. While locomotion in some species is relatively temperature independent over a narrow range of temperatures [13], aerobic metabolism is temperature dependent in all amphibians and generally increases in a linear fashion as temperature increases [16]. Body tempera...

Figure 2. Harsh calls produced by Apodemus agrarius at (A) threatening postures and (B) harsh cal... more Figure 2. Harsh calls produced by Apodemus agrarius at (A) threatening postures and (B) harsh calls (the second, third and fifth signals) alternated by calls, resembling clucks (the first and fourth signals).

Figure 1. Median number of amicable, offensive, and defensive behaviours displayed by males (blac... more Figure 1. Median number of amicable, offensive, and defensive behaviours displayed by males (black and grey bars), and females (dotted and hatched bars) during male–female encounters. Sex-specific significant statistics, Mann-Whitney U test: * p,0.05.

Figure 1. Examples of the vocal sounds produced by Apodemus agrarius in response to (A) opponent ... more Figure 1. Examples of the vocal sounds produced by Apodemus agrarius in response to (A) opponent approach and (B) during attacks and fights.

Figure 3. Examples of the calls resembling clucks: (A) shorter and more rapidly modulated and (B)... more Figure 3. Examples of the calls resembling clucks: (A) shorter and more rapidly modulated and (B) longer and slightly modulated.

Figure 5. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Damianitsa. Circle indicates group kurtmuell... more Figure 5. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Damianitsa. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square - ridibundusa; asterisk - ridibunduss.

Figure 1. Map of studied localities.

Figure 6. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Kresna. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri;... more Figure 6. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Kresna. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square - ridibundusa; asterisk - ridibunduss.

Figure 3. Distribution pattern of calls based on call characteristics. Circle indicates group kur... more Figure 3. Distribution pattern of calls based on call characteristics. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square – ridibundusa; asterisk – ridibunduss.

Figure 4. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Rupite. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri;... more Figure 4. Distribution pattern of calls for locality Rupite. Circle indicates group kurtmuelleri; square - ridibundusa; asterisk - ridibunduss.

Figure 2. Indicative oscillograms and sonagrams of the mating calls of Pelophylax kurtmuelleri (A... more Figure 2. Indicative oscillograms and sonagrams of the mating calls of Pelophylax kurtmuelleri (A) and Pelophylax ridibundus (B) showing the number of pulse groups, frequency and amplitude.

Over the past decade, efforts to value and protect ecosystem services have been promoted by many ... more Over the past decade, efforts to value and protect ecosystem services have been promoted by many as the last, best hope for making conservation mainstream. Here, we present the results from the evaluation of the maintenance ecosystem services, provided by the agroecosystems in Bulgaria. The evaluation was conducted on a range of national, European and international databases following the methodology of MAES and classification system of CICES adapted by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water. During the study, 213857 agroecosystems were evaluated referring to their capacity to maintain pollinators, natural pest control, soil quality and atmospheric carbon sequestration. The capacity of agroecosystems to provide the above mentioned ecosystem services was ranged from moderate to very high, tending the mountainous agroecosystems to be more beneficial than that located in the plains and lowlands. The intensive management of the latter in order to achieve perceived efficiencies in the production of agricultural goods reduces their importance for local and regional ecological processes.

In Bulgaria Apodemus sylvaticus and Apodemus flavicollis are sympatric and in many regions syntop... more In Bulgaria Apodemus sylvaticus and Apodemus flavicollis are sympatric and in many regions syntopic, but how individuals occupy the habitat when they co-occur, and how they interact is not enough studied. The purpose of this work was to study the spatial distribution of both species during breeding season in a syntopic habitat in Southwest Bulgaria and character of their interaction to insight into the nature of their cohabitation. It was found that A. flavicollis was dominant and its number was almost double compared to that of A. sylvaticus. In both species in the rocky patches the number of juveniles was close to that of adults, while the tree-shrub patches were dominated by adults. In the interspecific male-male and female-female dyadic encounters high aggressiveness was not demonstrated. Therefore, it could be assumed that sharing of the habitat by two syntopic species may be enhanced by the use of olfactory cues.

The mound-building mouse, Mus spicilegus, is an outdoor species from south-eastern Europe. Socio-... more The mound-building mouse, Mus spicilegus, is an outdoor species from south-eastern Europe. Socio-spatial associations in the field and behavioural experiments in the laboratory reveal a monogamous mating system. To insight into the pre-mating period, which gives to females the opportunity to evaluate the quality of males, we investigate the reaction of sexually naïve females to an unfamiliar social partner and behavioural responses of females and males, who had a partner and offspring to experimentally introduced conspecific intruders of the opposite sex. Sociosexual behavior of mice was studied in two groups of pairs: 1. pairs without sexual experience and 2. sexually experienced pairs. The mice used in this study originated from a stock of wild mound-building mice captured in Northern Bulgaria and bred in captivity for three generations. Each pair was placed in glass breeding cage (50 x 50 cm). During the first 24 h after the formation of the group, the interactions between the pa...

TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, 2017

Peninsula, Caucasian region, and Middle Asia). Thus, in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan the g... more Peninsula, Caucasian region, and Middle Asia). Thus, in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan the glass lizard prefers habitats with dense vegetation (Yakovlieva, 1964; Alekperov, 1978; Arakelyan et al., 2011), while in Crimea it prefers habitats with rocky slopes with shrub communities and avoids dense vegetation (Shcherbak, 1966). In Middle Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) the glass lizard's populations are closely associated with rivers and oases (Paraskiv, 1956; Said-Aliev, 1979; Bogdanov, 1986). Wetlands were determined to be an important element in habitat preferences of the species in Uzbekistan (Siroitchkosky, 1958). P. apodus is defined as a typically daily active animal, avoiding the hot part of the day. Similar observations were also made by Muskhelishvili (1970). According to this author during July the animal was rarely noticed and in August it was not seen at all. The studies of Meek (1986) on the activity of the glass lizard in ex-Yugoslavia show that it was active in both sunny and cloudy and even in rainy weather. It is evident that the data of the habitat preferences and the activity of the European glass lizard are controversial, and the information is dated, mainly from the Caucasian and the Middle Asian and Crimean regions.

Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 2006

To gain insight into the social organization of Apodemus agrarius the social relationships were s... more To gain insight into the social organization of Apodemus agrarius the social relationships were studied in male-male, female-female and male-female dyadic encounters during spring and autumn. The striped-field mice were captured from a wild population in NorthWestern Bulgaria. A total of 47 adult A. agrarius individuals were tested in the laboratory experiment. The experiments were carried out in 50 x 50 cm glass cages. The results showed that in the spring the aggressiveness was increased and males were more aggressive than females. Probably the higher aggressiveness of males contributes to increasing of their reproductive success. The events such as following, nose-anal, nose-body, were observed more frequently in male-female encounters than in male-male and female-female ones. This confirms the essential role of odours in reproduction. In the autumn the amicable events, demonstrated by striped-field mice were significantly more than those, registered in the spring. On the basis of these findings it could be assumed that the changes in the social behaviour of A. agrarius are linked with the seasonal variation in its life-cycle and reproductive strategies.

North-Western Journal of Zoology

Anthropogenic noise can induce different responses among acoustically communicating amphibians, s... more Anthropogenic noise can induce different responses among acoustically communicating amphibians, such as leaving their burrows in response to high-decibel sounds or changing their locomotion activity when subjected to higher levels of stress. To understand how the Marsh Frog Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas 1771) responds to anthropogenic noise in its natural habitats, we conducted laboratory and field experiments. In laboratory experiments we tested whether their locomotion is affected by different levels of exogenous noise, and in the field - whether proximity to noise source (e.g. a busy road) influences call characteristics. In the laboratory we observed the locomotion activity of 25 Marsh Frogs and recorded the distance covered during three 10-minute periods: control, noise level of 50 dB and noise level of 70 dB. The results from the laboratory experiments indicated that the animals’ locomotion activity was affected during periods of noise influence. A tendency for differentiation...

Journal of Natural History, 2013