scholarly journals Effects of restoration and management of Mediterranean traditional water systems on Odonata alpha diversity: a long-term monitoring survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
José C. Monzó ◽  
José R. Verdú
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Traditional Irrigation ◽  
Monitoring Survey ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Water Uses

AbstractThe progressive abandonment and disappearance of traditional water uses and management of wetlands during the twentieth century has led not only to a loss of identity, heritage, and landscape values, but also to significant declines in the diversity and abundance of many organisms. Here, we take advantage of an existing project for the restoration and management of traditional irrigation infrastructures in the wetland of El Prado (Pinoso, south-eastern Spain) to evaluate the spatio-temporal effect of this action on the alpha diversity and abundance of Odonata. The wetland was organized in different sectors according to the coverage of riparian and aquatic vegetation, width and depth of watercourses, ditches and ponds, water flow, and restoration and management. Odonates were sampled every month for ten years. We used alpha diversity to measure biodiversity using Hill’s number diversity. To analyse how alpha diversity measures varied across all sectors sampled over the years, we determined diversity-time relationships. To assess the effects of the different variables on odonate biodiversity we used partial least squares regressions. Our results showed that restoration of traditional water infrastructures, encouraging the increase of aquatic vegetation cover, an adequate and regular management of riparian vegetation naturalizing the margins, as well as reducing speed of water flow have a positive effect on odonate diversity and abundance. Our study provides useful information for conservation and management of semi-arid wetlands and its associated water infrastructures by showing which actions are most successful to enhance biodiversity in one of the priority habitats for conservation in Europe.

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal responses of butterflies to global warming on a Mediterranean island over two decades

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pau Colom ◽  
Anna Traveset ◽  
David Carreras ◽  
Constantí Stefanescu
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Island Ecosystems ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractIn recent decades, efforts have been made to understand how global warming affects biodiversity and in this regard butterflies have emerged as a model group. The most conspicuous sign that warming is affecting the ecology of butterflies are the phenological advances occurring in many species. Moreover, rising temperatures are having a notable impact – both negative and positive – on population abundances. To date, patterns have generally been analysed at species level without taking into account possible differences between populations, which, when they are noted, are mostly attributed to large-scale climate differences across a latitudinal gradient. In this work, we use a long-term database of butterflies from the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) to investigate how phenology and population dynamics have been affected by climate warming during the past two decades. In addition, we assess how responses are modulated by habitat characteristics and by species’ biological cycles. Our results show that species respond differently to warming at a local scale depending on season and habitat, and that coastal habitats in the Mediterranean region are particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the effects of temperature could be partially offset in more inland habitats such as forests and deep ravines. The positive effect of temperature on ravine populations during the summer suggests that butterflies disperse across habitats as a response to rising temperatures during the season. This type of dispersal behaviour as a response to warming could be especially important in island ecosystems where the possibilities of modifying altitudinal or latitudinal distributions are often severely limited.

scholarly journals Plankton in waters adjacent to the Laje de Santos state marine conservation park, Brazil: spatio-temporal distribution surveys

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marília Bueno ◽  
Samantha Fernandes Alberto ◽  
Renan de Carvalho ◽  
Tânia Marcia Costa ◽  
Áurea Maria Ciotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Zooplankton Biomass ◽  
Adjacent Area ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Term Monitoring

Abstract The coastal marine plankton plays a major role in ecosystem functioning by linking pelagic and benthonic environments through energy fluxes. Understanding the dynamic of planktonic organisms is also crucial for conservation and management purposes. Plankton was sampled at ten sites in the waters of the PEMLS and the adjacent area, on four different occasions through 2013 and 2015 in order to identify key planktonic groups and protocols for long-term monitoring. Ninety taxa of zooplanktonic organisms were found with holoplanktonic copepods and cladocerans dominating samples. Zooplankton biomass, mortality and taxonomic composition varied both in space and time. Surface chlorophyll-a concentrations varied spatio-temporally. A protocol for monitoring the plankton of the waters in and adjacent to the PEMLS is suggested based on biomass and mortality of zooplankton and biomass of phytoplankton using periodically in situ calibrated ocean color satellite imagery.

scholarly journals Quality evaluation of rapeseed oils used as engine fuels

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-136
Author(s):  
Marek Světlík
Keyword(s):  
Rapeseed Oil ◽  
Oxidation Stability ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Storage Test ◽  
Oil Distribution ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Maximum Particle ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Term Monitoring

Samples from six reference decentralised facilities and one industrial production unit of rapeseed oils were taken for the evaluation of the influence of production processes to the properties specified in the technical standard; in the laboratories, the properties limited by the standard for rapeseed oils were determined. In addition, long-term monitoring of changes in the oxidation stability in the storage test of rapeseed oils additived in the quantities of 200, 400 and 600 mg.kg−1 of the Baynox antioxidant was started. The results confirmed that the critical points in the rapeseed oil production process consist in the contamination with ash-forming elements, such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and overall impurities. Not only in the case of hot pressing, but also in two-step cold pressing of rapeseed it is necessary to reduce the content of ash-forming elements using additional processes, such as degumming, neutralisation and whitening. The safety step consisting of filtration down to maximum particle size of 1 μm must be always in place before the oil distribution. A positive effect of the Baynox antioxidant was clearly proved. As 200 mg.kg−1 of Baynox was added, the oxidation stability value increased from 8 to 9.05 hrs immediately after the pressing with a consequent decrease to 6 hrs after 270 days. With using of addition 400 ppm Baynox decreased oxidation stability under 6 hours not until after 390 days of storage. With addition 600 ppm Baynox the oxidation stability of rapeseed oil even after 510 days of storage makes 6.5 hours. The quality monitoring brought about necessary findings and knowledge for the optimisation of the rapeseed oil production and distribution as engine fuels. In addition, it serves as an initial supporting document for the creation of the necessary quality control system.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Increasing Illegal Livestock Grazing over Three Decades at Moyowosi Kigosi Game Reserve, Tanzania

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1325
Author(s):  
Nyangabo V. Musika ◽  
James V. Wakibara ◽  
Patrick A. Ndakidemi ◽  
Anna C. Treydte
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Temporal Consistency ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Game Reserve ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Global Increase ◽  
Term Monitoring

The global increase of livestock has caused illegal intrusion of livestock into protected areas. Until now, hotspot areas of illegal grazing have rarely been mapped, long-term monitoring data are missing, and little is known about the drivers of illegal grazing. We localized hotspots of illegal grazing and identified factors that influenced spatio-temporal patterns of illegal grazing over three decades in the Moyowosi Kigosi Game Reserve (MKGR), Tanzania. We used questionnaires with local pastoralists (N = 159), georeferenced aerial survey data and ranger reports from 1990–2019 to understand the reasons for illegal grazing in the area. We found that hotspots of illegal grazing occurred initially within 0–20 km of the boundary (H (3) = 137, p < 0.001; (H (3) = 32, p < 0.001) and encroached further into the protected area with time (H (3) = 11.3, p = 0.010); (H (2) = 59.0, p < 0.001). Further, livestock herd sizes decreased with increasing distance from the boundary (R = −0.20, p = 0.020; R = −0.40, p = 0.010). Most interviewees (81%) claimed that they face challenges of reduced foraging land in the wet season, caused by increasing land used for cultivation, which drives them into the MKGR to feed their livestock. We conclude that there is spatio-temporal consistency in the illegal livestock intrusion over three decades, and hotspot areas are located along the boundary of the MKGR. We suggest focusing patrols at these hotspot areas, especially during the wet season, to use limited law enforcement resources effectively.

Implementation of a long-term monitoring program of the ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) population on Oleron Island

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Grillet ◽  
Marc Cheylan ◽  
Jean-Marc Thirion ◽  
Florian Doré ◽  
Aurélien Besnard
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Site Occupancy ◽  
R Package ◽  
Monitoring Method ◽  
Heterogeneous Distribution ◽  
Monitoring Survey ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Management And Conservation ◽  
Term Monitoring

AbstractThe ocellated lizard Timon lepidus (Sauria; Lacertidae) has declined throughout most of its range. Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss seem to be mainly responsible for the species' decline. The ocellated lizard population of Oleron Island, confined to a longshore dune of 140 ha, is the subject of a long-term monitoring study established in 2007. The monitoring method consists of 70 plots (50 × 50 m) randomly placed within a study area divided into six distinct zones. Three surveys were conducted in the study area over the spring season of 2007. During each survey, we counted the individuals in each plot. These counts were analyzed with the PRESENCE 2.0 and the R package Unmarked software using two different modeling approaches, the 'site-occupancy model' and the 'N-mixture model'. Estimates resulting from our analyses indicated the proportion of occupied plots to be 0.76. Our results indicated that the ocellated lizard has a highly heterogeneous distribution on Oleron Island, with parts of the dune sheltering clusters of lizards, and other areas totally unoccupied. The population size was estimated to be 516 individuals (95% CI 248-783). The relative abundance of ocellated lizards on the island can be principally explained by the presence of permanent shelters (used both during winter and the lizards' active period), including rabbit and rodent burrows and artificial shelters. This monitoring survey will be replicated every three years to enable us to calculate the species' colonization and local extinction probabilities. These results will help in evaluating and guiding management and conservation measures.

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