scholarly journals Assessing the Ecological Functionality and Integrity of Natural Ponds, Excavated Ponds and Stormwater Basins for Conserving Amphibian Diversity

2021 ◽  
pp. e01765
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Smalling ◽  
Sara E. Breitmeyer ◽  
John F. Bunnell ◽  
Kim J. Laidig ◽  
Patrick M. Burritt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Functionality

scholarly journals Host-finding behaviour in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1722) ◽  
pp. 3260-3269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico D. Brown ◽  
Isabella D'Anna ◽  
Ralf J. Sommer
Keyword(s):  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Host Finding ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Pristionchus Pacificus ◽  
Defective Mutant ◽  
Ecological Functionality ◽  
La Réunion Island

Costs and benefits of foraging have been studied in predatory animals. In nematodes, ambushing or cruising behaviours represent adaptations that optimize foraging strategies for survival and host finding. A behaviour associated with host finding of ambushing nematode dauer juveniles is a sit-and-wait behaviour, otherwise known as nictation. Here, we test the function of nictation by relating occurrence of nictation in Pristionchus pacificus dauer juveniles to the ability to attach to laboratory host Galleria mellonella . We used populations of recently isolated and mutagenized laboratory strains. We found that nictation can be disrupted using a classical forward genetic approach and characterized two novel nictation-defective mutant strains. We identified two recently isolated strains from la Réunion island, one with a higher proportion of nictating individuals than the laboratory strain P. pacificus PS312. We found a positive correlation between nictation frequencies and host attachment in these strains. Taken together, our combination of genetic analyses with natural variation studies presents a new approach to the investigation of behavioural and ecological functionality. We show that nictation behaviour in P. pacificus nematodes serves as a host-finding behaviour. Our results suggest that nictation plays a role in the evolution of new life-history strategies, such as the evolution of parasitism.

scholarly journals Urban Green Zones Planning Concept and Ecological Functionality (Through the Example of Poltava, Ukraine)

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.2) ◽  
pp. 522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Smoliar ◽  
Viktor Bredun ◽  
Olha Toronchenko
Keyword(s):  
Steppe Zone ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Town Planning ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Atmospheric Air ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Ecological Functionality

In the article major peculiarities and problems in architectural and planning decisions concerning Poltava urban greening are represented, and ways of solving them are suggested. The town’s green zones appropriation, their ecological, town-planning, sanitary and hygienic, recreational, and in case of some of them nature-sanctuary importance is considered. Structure and economical constituents of Poltava urban green zones planning, which represents average town urban ecosystems   in the central (forest-steppe) zone of Ukraine, is analyzed. Maps and figures depicting typical schemes of manufacturing, transportation structure, density of population and urban greening are provided. Outraging of acceptable concentrations in dust and formaldehyde while analyzing urban atmospheric air pollution level according to the data obtained from stationary sites, is shown. These proves importance of taking into account consideration of interdependence between levels and locating of town’s natural resources polluting sources, first of all atmospheric air, with urban territory greening planned decisions. Based on materials concerning study of green zones ecological functionality effectiveness peculiarities, the concept of Poltava urban green zones planning is suggested. Modern town architectural and planning decisions ecological aspects should be integrated into local strategies and development programs, town general lay-outs, transportation systems planning, strategy referring environmental protection, and require local self-government and state support.  

scholarly journals Belowground fungal community diversity, composition and ecological functionality associated with winter wheat in conventional and organic agricultural systems

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9732
Author(s):  
Sigisfredo Garnica ◽  
Ronja Rosenstein ◽  
Max Emil Schön
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Conventional Farming ◽  
Total N ◽  
Ecological Functionality ◽  
Organic Farming Systems

Understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on belowground fungal communities is crucial in order to preserve biological diversity in agricultural soils and enhance their role in agroecosystem functioning. Although fungal communities are widely distributed, relatively few studies have correlated agricultural production practices. We investigated the diversity, composition and ecological functionality of fungal communities in roots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growing in conventional and organic farming systems. Direct and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications spanning the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA from pooled fine root samples were performed with two different sets of fungal specific primers. Fungal identification was carried out through similarity searches against validated reference sequences (RefSeq). The R package ‘picante’ and FUNGuild were used to analyse fungal community composition and trophic mode, respectively. Either by direct or cloning sequencing, 130 complete ITS sequences were clustered into 39 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (25 singletons), belonging to the Ascomycota (24), the Basidiomycota (14) and to the Glomeromycota (1). Fungal communities from conventional farming sites are phylogenetically more related than expected by chance. Constrained ordination analysis identified total N, total S and Pcal that had a significant effect on the OTU’s abundance and distribution, and a further correlation with the diversity of the co-occurring vegetation could be hypothesised. The functional predictions based on FUNGuild suggested that conventional farming increased the presence of plant pathogenic fungi compared with organic farming. Based on diversity, OTU distribution, nutrition mode and the significant phylogenetic clustering of fungal communities, this study shows that fungal communities differ across sampling sites, depending on agricultural practices. Although it is not fully clear which factors determine the fungal communities, our findings suggest that organic farming systems have a positive effect on fungal communities in winter wheat crops.

scholarly journals A novel biome concept and classification system based on bioclimate and vegetation – a Neotropical assay

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 159-175
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Navarro ◽  
José Antonio Molina
Keyword(s):  
Classification System ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hierarchical Classification ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Tropical Ecosystems ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
Ecological Functionality

The knowledge of biomes as large-scale ecosystem units has benefited from advances in the ecological and evolutionary sciences. Despite this, a universal biome classification system that also allows a standardized nomenclature has not yet been achieved. We propose a comprehensive and hierarchical classification method and nomenclature to define biomes based on a set of bioclimatic variables and their corresponding vegetation structure and ecological functionality. This method uses three hierarchical biome levels: Zonal biome (Macrobiome), Biome and Regional biome. Biome nomenclature incorporates both bioclimatic and vegetation characterization (i.e. formation). Bioclimate characterization basically includes precipitation rate and thermicity. The description of plant formations encompasses vegetation structure, physiognomy and foliage phenology. Since the available systems tend to underestimate the complexity and diversity of tropical ecosystems, we have tested our approach in the biogeographical area of the Neotropics. Our proposal includes a bioclimatic characterization of the main 16 Neotropical plant formations identified. This method provides a framework that (1) enables biome distribution and changes to be projected from bioclimatic data; (2) allows all biomes to be named according to a globally standardized scheme; and (3) integrates various ecological biome approaches with the contributions of the European and North American vegetation classification systems. Taxonomic reference: Jørgensen et al. (2014). Dedication: This work is dedicated to the memory of and in homage to Prof. Dr. Salvador Rivas-Martínez.

scholarly journals Resilience in Diet-quality Strategies of Mixed Native and Non-native Herbivore Communities in Semi-arid and Sub-humid Savanna Ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stoklasová Lucie ◽  
Pavla Hejcmanová
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
African Savanna ◽  
Ecosystem Shift ◽  
Ecological Functionality ◽  
Humid Savanna ◽  
Ecosystem Changes ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract The global climate change processes are expected to impact African savanna ecosystems in their ecological functionality and availability of food resources for herbivores. To understand the feeding responses of large savanna herbivores placed to space-constrained and two environmentally distinct (semi-arid versus sub-humid savanna) conditions, we investigated the diet quality of five species living in a mixed community of species native and non-native for the West African savanna and compared them between the two sites as a proxy for a potential ecosystem shift due to climate change. Grazers and mixed feeders maintained diet quality in most nutrients at similar levels, while browser’s diet had lower nitrogen and fibres, specifically lignin, and more calcium in semi-arid savanna. Our findings suggest that adaptation to different ecosystems with no possibility to leave the area required changes in feeding behaviour across feeding types to maintain diet quality, especially mixed feeders escaped the competition with zebras for grasses in sub-humid savanna by switching to browse. Pure browser experienced reduced diet quality in drier environment and may potentially become susceptible to ecosystem changes. Conservation strategies should facilitate both, animals’ adequate behavioural responses together with nutritional resilience in changing savanna landscapes.

scholarly journals Quantification of the morphodynamics and ecological functionality of a Mediterranean river

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 02042
Author(s):  
Margot Chapuis ◽  
Amine Ait Elabas ◽  
Katia Souriguére ◽  
Franck Compagnon ◽  
Vincent Mayen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Application ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
River System ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
River Systems ◽  
Restoration Project ◽  
Mediterranean River ◽  
Downstream Reach ◽  
Ecological Functionality ◽  
Points Of View

The Var River (South-East France) was extensively modified (channelization, dams…) on the 21th century and is currently undergoing an ambitious restoration project to restore its 'natural' active braiding pattern on the downstream reach of the river. As part of the feedback evaluation of the project, this study aims at: (1) quantifying the morphological evolution of the bed that is recovering from sediment discontinuity; (2) identifying and/or developing hydromorphological and ecological indicators which quantify improvement in the river system from hydrosedimentary and ecological points of view. We used LiDAR and orthophoto datasets and performed analyses for unchannelized braiding rivers [1, 2]. Active width (Wrestored = 242 ± 19 m vs. values ranging from 103 ± 53 to 163 ± 53 m for 'unrestored' reaches) and normalized bed relief index values (BRI*restored = 0,003 ± 0,001 vs. 0,003 ± 0,003 to 0,007 ± 0,004 for 'unrestored' reaches) indicate a combination of low roughness and wide active width. Thus the 'restored' reach shows a different set of indices compared to nearby 'unrestored' reaches, suggesting these tools are promising in discriminating 'restored' vs. 'unrestored' reaches. Adapting existing methods from 'natural' to 'channelized' braiding rivers widened the potential application of the tools developed by Lallias-Tacon [2] to modified braiding river systems.

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