Urban forest fragmentation can highly influence pollinator-plant interactions in close contrasting habitats of a local herb, Ajuga decumbens (Labiatae)

In the late 1960s, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s capital shifted from Karachi to Islamabad, officially named Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). In this aspect, the ICT is a young city, but undergoing rapid expansion and urbanization, especially in the last two decades. This study reports the measurement and characterization of ICT land cover change dynamics using Landsat satellite imagery for the years 1976, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2016. Annual rate of change, landscape metrics, and urban forest fragmentation spatiotemporal analyses have been carried out, along with the calculation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 11.3.1 Land Consumption Rate to the Population Growth Rate (LCRPGR). The results show consistent increase in the settlement class, with highest annual rate of 8.79% during 2000–2010. Tree cover >40% and <40% canopy decreased at an annual rate of 0.81% and 0.77% between 1976 to 2016, respectively. Forest fragmentation analysis reveals that ‘core forests of >500 acres’ class decreased from 392 km2 (65.41%) to 241 km2 (55%), and ‘patch forest’ class increased from 15 km2 (2.46%) to 20 km2 (4.54%), from 1976 to 2016. The LCRPGR ratio was 0.62 from 1976 to 2000, increasing to 1.36 from 2000 to 2016.

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Fitossociologia e aspectos ecológicos da comunidade arbórea do Bosque Rodrigues Alves - Jardim Botânico Amazônia, Belém, Pará, Brasil

Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física ◽

10.26848/rbgf.v13.2.p510-526 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 510

Author(s):

Arthur Viana Lau ◽

Gracialda Costa Ferreira ◽

Mário Augusto Jardim

Keyword(s):

Forest Fragmentation ◽

Urban Forest ◽

Botanical Garden ◽

Forest Tree ◽

Species Level ◽

Diameter Distribution ◽

Ecological Groups ◽

Tree Community ◽

Ecological Aspects ◽

Number Of Individuals

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a fitossociologia e os aspectos ecológicos da comunidade arbórea do Bosque Rodrigues Alves localizado no município de Belém, Pará. Foram amostradas todas as espécies arbóreas com DAP ≥ 5 cm e estimada a altura. O material botânico foi identificado em nível de família, gênero e espécie no Herbário Felizberto Camargo (FC) da UFRA e calculado os parâmetros fitossociológicos, estratificadas as classes de diâmetro e da altura e determinado os grupos ecológicos e a síndrome de dispersão para cada espécie. Os resultados registraram 9.683 indivíduos em 54 famílias, 191 gêneros e 336 espécies. Fabaceae (66 spp.), Sapotaceae (22 spp.), Malvaceae (16 spp.) e Burseraceae (15 spp.) obtiveram o maior número de espéies e Nectandra cuspidata Nees o maior número de indivíduos (474). Aproximadamente 77% dos indivíduos ocuparam as três primeiras classes de altura e a distribuição diamétrica em J-invertido características de florestas tropicais. Phytosociology and ecological aspects of forest tree community of Bosque Rodrigues Alves - Amazon Botanical Garden, Belém, Pará, Brazil A B S T R A C TThis study aimed to analyze the phytosociology and ecological aspects of the tree community of Bosque Rodrigues Alves located in the municipality of Belém, Pará. All tree species with DBH ≥ 5 cm were sampled and the height estimated. The botanical material was identified at family, genus and species level in UFRA Herbarium Felizberto Camargo (FC) and calculated the phytosociological parameters, stratified the diameter and height classes and determined the ecological groups and dispersion syndrome for each species. Results recorded 9,683 individuals in 54 families, 191 genera and 336 species. Fabaceae (66 spp.), Sapotaceae (22 spp.), Malvaceae (16 spp.) and Burseraceae (15 spp.) obtained the largest number of species and Nectandra cuspidata Nees the largest number of individuals (474). Approximately 77% of individuals occupied the first three classes of height and diameter distribution in J-inverted rainforest characteristics.Keywords: Fitogeografy, urban forest, forest fragmentation.

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Determining socioeconomic drivers of urban forest fragmentation with historical remote sensing images

Landscape and Urban Planning ◽

10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.04.009 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 117 ◽

pp. 57-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Chongfeng Gong ◽

Shixiao Yu ◽

Heather Joesting ◽

Jiquan Chen

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Forest Fragmentation ◽

Urban Forest ◽

Remote Sensing Images ◽

Socioeconomic Drivers

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Averting robo-bees: why free-flying robotic bees are a bad idea

Emerging Topics in Life Sciences ◽

10.1042/etls20190063 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (6) ◽

pp. 723-729

Author(s):

Roslyn Gleadow ◽

Jim Hanan ◽

Alan Dorin

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Computer Simulation ◽

Food Security ◽

European Countries ◽

Plant Interactions ◽

Plant Insect Interactions ◽

Native Habitat ◽

Insect Pollinators ◽

Insect Interactions

Food security and the sustainability of native ecosystems depends on plant-insect interactions in countless ways. Recently reported rapid and immense declines in insect numbers due to climate change, the use of pesticides and herbicides, the introduction of agricultural monocultures, and the destruction of insect native habitat, are all potential contributors to this grave situation. Some researchers are working towards a future where natural insect pollinators might be replaced with free-flying robotic bees, an ecologically problematic proposal. We argue instead that creating environments that are friendly to bees and exploring the use of other species for pollination and bio-control, particularly in non-European countries, are more ecologically sound approaches. The computer simulation of insect-plant interactions is a far more measured application of technology that may assist in managing, or averting, ‘Insect Armageddon' from both practical and ethical viewpoints.

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