Could Ornamental Plants Serve as Passive Biomonitors in Urban Areas?

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 137-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabina Rossini Oliva ◽  
Pasi Rautio
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ornamental Plants

Nutritional Value of Habitat for Moose on Urban and Military Lands

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph H. Welch ◽  
Perry S. Barboza ◽  
Sean D. Farley ◽  
Donald E. Spalinger
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Model Potential ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Winter Diet ◽  
Nutrition And Diet ◽  
Moose Population

Abstract Moose Alces alces are large and conspicuous animals valued for wildlife watching and hunting opportunities. However, near urban areas they can cause collisions with vehicles and damage to garden and ornamental plants. We studied a population of adult female moose that lives in and around both urban and industrial development on an active Army and Air Force base adjacent to Anchorage, Alaska, to evaluate nutrition and diet, map habitat quality, and model how habitat development affects the number of moose the landscape can support. Population density was moderate and hunter harvest was high in our study area, so we hypothesized that moose in our study area would be in similar condition to other healthy populations in Alaska. We also hypothesized that, in our study area, shrublands would support more moose than any other habitat type and that areas disturbed for urban development would be crucial to maintaining the local moose population. Rump fat depths, blood chemistries, and pregnancy rates in November and March for moose in our study area were consistent with populations in good to moderate condition. Microhistology of composite fecal samples indicated that willows Salix spp. dominated the summer diet, whereas the winter diet was divided among willows, birch Betula spp., and cottonwood Populus balsamifera. Low concentrations of available nitrogen in winter stems limited the number of moose that could be supported in our study area. Shrublands were the most valuable habitat type for moose, theoretically supporting 11–81 times more moose per hectare than any other habitat type. Shrublands were more concentrated within the developed portion of our study area than the surrounding undeveloped portions of the military base; and the access to shrublands in clearings, greenbelts, and parks sustains the productivity of this moose population despite the many disturbances of an urbanized landscape. Our habitat values can be used to model potential impacts of habitat modification on the number of moose the landscape can support.

scholarly journals The Flowering, Pollen Production, and Insect Visitors in the Ornamental Shrub Potentilla Fruticosa L. (Rosaceae)

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bożena Denisow ◽  
Sebastian Antoń ◽  
Grażyna Szymczak
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Pollen Production ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Potentilla Fruticosa ◽  
Full Flowering ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Pollen Productivity ◽  
Ornamental Shrub ◽  
Insect Visitors

Summary Urban areas have a specific ecological environment and may help to sustain local pollinator populations by the cultivation of different ornamental plants with entomophilous flowers. This yearlong study examined the flowering pattern, abundance of flowering, pollen production as well as insect visitation of two cultivars of the ornamental shrub Potentilla fruticosa L. (‘Maanleys’ and ‘Blink’), grown in Lublin; a city in south-eastern Poland. P. fruticosa ‘Maanleys’ bloomed from the middle of May to the first decade of September and P. fruticosa ‘Blink’ from June until October. The pattern of diurnal flowering was similar for both cultivars and showed plasticity in the season. Flowers opened most intensively in the morning hours, and 80 - 90% of the daily installment of newly opened flowers expanded by 8.00 h GMT +2h. A delay in the peak of diurnal flowering was noted between the spring/summer and summer/autumn periods. The most intense blooming fell in the 2nd month of flowering. The mass of pollen produced per flower depended on both the number of anthers and the efficiency of archesporial tissues. The pollen output varied from 1.4 to 7.2 mg per 10 flowers (‘Maanleys’) and from 2.6 to 4.5 mg per 10 flowers (‘Blink’). The mass of pollen produced per individual shrub was substantially related to the abundance of blooming. The average estimated pollen productivity in the full flowering phase was low; 1 g (‘Maanleys’) and 1.5 g (‘Blink’) per 10 m2 of shrub crown. The flowers of Potentilla fruticosa attracted numerous insects, mainly solitary bees (33 - 43%), dipterans (31 - 42%), lepidopterans (4 - 14%), bumblebees (3 - 15%), and honey bees (3 - 4%). The Potentilla fruticosa ‘Maanleys’ and ‘Blink’ are propagated for specific ornamental arrangements and due to a long flowering period may be used in small urban courtyards for both decorative value and as a pollen delivering plants.

scholarly journals Checklist of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of an urban area of Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone in Bahia, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. e959
Author(s):  
Caique Dantas ◽  
Thamara Zacca ◽  
Freddy Bravo
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
New Records ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Insect Fauna ◽  
Urban Fauna ◽  
Forest Ecotone

The butterfly inventories carried out in urban landscapes in Bahia are still scarce. Urban areas with remnants of native vegetation in association with ornamental plants can provide several resources that are favorable for the development and shelter of various animal species, including insects, even with the high anthropization that occurs in these environments. In this work, we aim to investigate the urban fauna of butterflies at the Campus of the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), an area of ​​Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone located in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. Monthly samplings were carried out with entomological net and standardized traps with different attractive baits, between May 2019 and January 2020, in addition to review of the material previously deposited at the Entomological Collection Prof. Johan Becker located at the Zoology Museum of the UEFS (MZFS). In total, 114 species of Papilionoidea were recorded, with Nymphalidae being the richest family (45 species), followed by Hesperiidae (32), Lycaenidae (21), Pieridae (10), Papilionidae (3) and Riodinidae (3). Thirteen species are new records for Bahia and eight species are new records for Northeast Brazil. The results demonstrate the extreme relevance of the conservation and preservation of urban green areas for the maintenance of butterflies species and, consequently, the associated insect fauna.

Purification Effects of Artificial Vegetated Floating Bed on Polluted Water

2012 ◽  
Vol 599 ◽  
pp. 441-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Qiang Li ◽  
Ying He Jiang ◽  
Zhao Hua Li
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Polluted Water ◽  
Test Plant ◽  
Do Concentration ◽  
Removal Efficiencies ◽  
Thalia Dealbata ◽  
Strong Ability

Four species of ornamental plants, namely Thalia dealbata Fraser ex Roscae, Hydrocotyle vulgaris L., Iris pseudacorus L. and Canna indica L. were planted on the ecological floating bed, respectively, so as to study their effects of removing pollutants from polluted water. The experiment lasted for 42 days. The results indicate that the four plant species are adaptable to grow in polluted water and their fresh weights, heights and roots increased significantly at the end of the experiment. The growth rates are in the sequence of Canna > Thalia dealbata > Iris > Hydrocotyle vulgaris. The four test plant species have different effects on DO concentration in water, and the influence degrees are in the sequence of Hydrocotyle vulgaris > Thalia dealbata > Canna > Iris. All of the four plant species have a strong ability to remove NH4+-N, TN, TP and CODcr,, which is higher than that of the control treatments (P<0.05). The efficiencies of removing NH4+-N TN, TP and CODcr, by Hydrocotyle vulgaris , Thalia dealbata , Canna and Iris are 96.83%, 90.32%, 82.75% and 78.73%; 78.98%, 76.15%, 70.87% and 62.43%; 62.28%, 56.57%, 60.00% and 54.84%; 93.99%, 92.96%, 92.45% and 92.39%, respectively. Seeing that they have significant removal efficiencies on pollutants, the four plant species are recommended as ornamental plants applicable to ecological restoration engineering of polluted water in urban areas.

scholarly journals Native and non-native plants attract diverse bees to urban gardens in California

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Frankie ◽  
Ingrid Feng ◽  
Robbin Thorp ◽  
Jaime Pawelek ◽  
Marissa Helene Chase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
The University

Bees visit native and non-native plant species for pollen and nectar resources in urban, agricultural, and wildland environments. Results of an extensive survey of bee-flower collection records from 10 California cities from 2005-2011 were used to examine host-plant records of native and non-native ornamental plants to diverse native and non-native bee species; five cities were from northern California and five were from southern California. A total of 7,659 bees and their floral host plants were examined. Of these, 179 were Apis mellifera and 7,390 were non-Apis. Only four other non-native species (all in Megachilidae) were recorded in the survey, and together they accounted for 402 individuals. These bees have been databased in preparation for deposition in the University of California-Berkeley Essig Museum of Entomology. We identified 229 bee species and 42 genera visiting native and non-native plant types in urban areas. Of the 229 species, 71 bee species were collected from only native plants; 52 were collected from only non-native host plants; and 106 were collected from both types of plants. Native bee species were common on native plants and non-native plants, but there were substantially more non-native bee species visiting non-native plants compared to native plants. Flowering periods in months were similar for both types of plants, but non-natives tended to flower later in the year. We propose that using native and non-native plants improves habitat gardening by increasing opportunities for attracting a richer diversity of bee species and for longer periods. Knowing basic bee-flower relationships in an area is key to planning a bee habitat garden with a variety of plant types, regardless of their geographic origin. 

scholarly journals Selenium-induced improvements in the ornamental value and salt stress resistance of Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R. Br.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-221
Author(s):  
Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak ◽  
Katarzyna Rubinowska ◽  
Jolanta Molas ◽  
Weronika Woch ◽  
Renata Matraszek-Gawron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Stress ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Stress Resistance ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Salt Resistance ◽  
Phytotoxic Effect ◽  
Salt Stress Resistance

AbstractOrnamental plants growing in urban areas are often exposed to salt stress that negatively affects their decorative value. Enhancement of their salt resistance to retain a high decorative value despite salt stress has therefore high practical importance. In our study, the exposure of Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R. Br. to NaCl-induced moderate (40 mM) or severe salt stress (80 mM) resulted in a number of stress responses including reduced growth parameters, decreased concentration of photosynthetic pigments, and an increase in the accumulation of anthocyanins and free proline. These changes were partially compensated for by the application of selenium (5 µM as Na2SeO4) to the growth medium. However, the beneficial effect of selenium on the growth and physiological parameters of P. scutellarioides was manifested only at the moderate level of salt stress. Under the severe salt stress, the application of selenium was not able to alleviate the phytotoxic effect of NaCl.

scholarly journals Establishment of Organic Terrace Garden and Cultivation of Nutritious Vegetables

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 464-468
Author(s):  
K. Chitra ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Neem Oil ◽  
Farm Yard Manure ◽  
Home Gardening ◽  
Organic Vegetables

In urban areas garden spaces are reduced in size everyday due to human impact on ecosystem. People living in urban and peri-urban areas don’t have enough space for kitchen gardening or home gardening. The only places that one can grow their own vegetables are terraces and balcony. The main aim of this study is to create awareness on all aspects of growing own organic vegetables and establishment of organic terrace garden. For the establishment of organic terrace garden, space was selected in the department of Botany, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. The area was covered by using green shade nets. Different sizes of grow bags were selected for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, greens and medicinal plants. The organic fertilizers and manures like vermicompost, Farm Yard Manure, panchagavya, NPK consortium were used. Neem oil was used to control the pests. Drip irrigation setup was placed in the terrace garden for irrigating the plants. The ornamental plants were planted in the hanging pots and plastic pots to beautify the environment. Students are motivated and trained for the establishment of organic terrace garden and cultivation of vegetables.

Phytoremediation of contaminated soils using ornamental plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianv Liu ◽  
Xin Xin ◽  
Qixing Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Organic Pollutant ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Landscape Design ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Accumulation Ability

Phytoremediation has attracted increasing attention and is a promising technology for addressing soil contamination problems. Unlike other kinds of remediation plants, ornamental plants grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects have been an important source of remediation plants in recent years. In addition to beautifying the environment, some ornamental plants can not only grow well but also accumulate or degrade contaminants when growing in soil contaminated with heavy metals or organic pollutants. Especially in contaminated urban areas, it is comparatively rare and commendable when remediation plants with ornamental value are applied. In this review, we summarized the current research on the phytoremediation of contaminated soils using ornamental plants, evaluated the phytoremediation capacity of ornamental plants in heavy-metal and organic pollutant-contaminated soils, and highlighted specific ornamental plants with a strong accumulation ability and tolerance to pollutants. The findings related to the main mechanisms of the phytoremediation of contaminated soils were explained. Enhancement measures aimed at promoting the bioavailability of contaminants and the tolerance of ornamental plants were also reviewed in this article. It is hoped that this study will draw attention to a new path for phytoremediation technology.

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