Life history correlates of fecal bacterial species richness in a wild population of the blue titCyanistes caeruleus

Four structural types of cerrado vegetation were examined to test the following hypotheses: (1) there are predictable changes in woody plant density, species richness and life-history strategies from one structural type to another; and (2) plant species composition in the less-rich structural types represent particular and impoverished subsets of those found in the richer ones. The study was conducted at Fazenda Palmares (5°33′S, 42°37′W) Piauí State, Brazil. A 47% decrease in woody plant density between cerradão (forest) and the least-dense type of cerrado sensu stricto (scrub) was associated with a 40% decrease in species richness. The percentage of lower-layer species was reduced by 29% in the least dense type of cerrado sensu stricto compared to cerradão. The proportion of species that flower and fruit during the rainy season was also reduced by one third. Species were not distributed as impoverished subsets along the cerradão–cerrado sensu stricto gradient. It is argued that the reduction in woody plant density and richness is partly due to factors limiting the occurrence of species with particular life-history strategies. The species composition of structural types is affected by the ‘mass effect’ and also by surrounding biotas, which provide species that colonize particular types of cerrado vegetation. Both these processes reduce the likelihood that the species composition in the poorer structural types are simple subsets of those present in the richer types.

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Soil microbial diversity in organic and non-organic pasture systems

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11184 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11184

Author(s):

Mohan Acharya ◽

Amanda J. Ashworth ◽

Yichao Yang ◽

Joan M. Burke ◽

Jung Ae Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Microbial Diversity ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Soil Microbiome ◽

Organic Soils ◽

Pasture Management ◽

Soil Microbial Diversity ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Organic Systems ◽

Microbiome Diversity

Understanding the effects of organic pasture management on the soil microbiome is important for sustainable forage production since soil microbiome diversity contributes to improved nutrient cycling, soil structure, plant growth, and environmental resiliency; however, the soil microbiome response to pasture management is largely unknown. This study assessed the soil microbial diversity, richness, and community structure following 10 years of pasture management (organic or non-organic) of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Soil samples were collected from 0–15 cm in July and August from 2017–2018 and soil nutrient properties (nutrients, carbon, nitrogen, and pH) quantified and correlated with soil microbial diversity. Overall, greater soil bacterial species richness (P ≤ 0.05) occurred in organic relative to non-organic (conventional) systems. Management affected bacterial species richness (Chao1), with greater richness occurring in organic pasture soils and less richness occurring in non-organic systems (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, management affected bacterial evenness (Simpson’s index), with a more diverse community occurring in organically managed soils relative to non-organic pastures (P ≤ 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed statistically significant and biologically consistent differences in bacterial taxa in organic compared with non-organic soils. Therefore, there was a shift in bacterial community structure in organic relative to non-organic soils (P ≤ 0.05). Additionally, soil nutrients (Fe, Mg, Ni, S, Al, K, Cd, and Cu), pH, C, and N were correlated with one or more dominant bacterial phyla (Gemmatimonadetes, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria). Overall, pasture management affected soil microbial diversity, with greater diversity occurring in organic than non-organic systems, likely owing to applications of organic poultry litter in organic systems compared to non-organic management (use of inorganic-fertilizers and herbicides). Results indicate that when pastures are converted to organic production systems, soil microbial richness and diversity may increase, thereby resulting in enhanced soil microbiome diversity and overall ecosystem services.

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Southern leaf blight disease severity is correlated with decreased maize leaf epiphytic bacterial species richness and the phyllosphere bacterial diversity decline is enhanced by nitrogen fertilization

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2014.00403 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Heather C. Manching ◽

Peter J. Balint-Kurti ◽

Ann E. Stapleton

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bacterial Diversity ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Nitrogen Fertilization ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Leaf Blight ◽

Maize Leaf ◽

Southern Leaf Blight ◽

Blight Disease

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Calcium effects on life-history traits in a wild population of the great tit (Parus major): analysis of long-term data at several spatial scales

Oecologia ◽

10.1007/s00442-008-1222-8 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 159 (2) ◽

pp. 463-472 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Teddy Albert Wilkin ◽

Andrew G. Gosler ◽

Dany Garant ◽

S. James Reynolds ◽

Ben C. Sheldon

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Wild Population ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Parus Major ◽

Great Tit ◽

Calcium Effects ◽

Term Data

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Metagenomic profiling of gut microbiota in urban and rural rats: A comparative study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-211015/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rafig GURBANOV ◽

Uygar KABAOĞLU ◽

Tuba YAĞCI

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Food Sources ◽

Control Group ◽

Laboratory Rats ◽

Food Variety ◽

Wild Rats

Abstract Mammals have a symbiotic relationship with various microorganisms called microbiota throughout their lives. These microorganisms are known to affect the host's physiology, health, and even mental balance. In the harbor of the densest and most diverse microorganisms in mammals, the curved structure of the intestines and their rich nutrient content are effective. The development of the gut microbiota is regulated by a complex interaction between host and environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle. Herein, it is aimed to elucidate the changes in the gut microbiota of rats living in urban and rural habitats. All taxonomic changes in the gut microbiota of wild rats belonging to Rattus rattus species caught from urban and rural areas of Western Anatolian (Bilecik province) were examined comparatively by 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing technique. Laboratory rats were used as a control group for comparison. Thus, 2000 different bacterial species were identified in gut microbiota. According to the Shannon and Simpsons values calculated, laboratory rats showed the highest species diversity. When the similarities of microbiota profiles were compared with the principal coordinate analysis (PcoA), bacterial populations showed variability among different habitats. The comparison of species richness between the groups with the species rarefaction technique revealed higher species richness in all wild rats, especially in the rural habitat, compared to laboratory rats. Food sources were determined as the most important factor contributing to species richness and diversity. While the increased food variety boosted species richness, species diversity was increased due to the diminished food variety.

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