scholarly journals Species richness of lichen functional groups in relation to land use intensity

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia STOFER ◽  
Ariel BERGAMINI ◽  
Gregorio ARAGÓN ◽  
Palmira CARVALHO ◽  
Brian J. COPPINS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Lichen Diversity ◽  
Relative Species Richness ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Managed Landscapes

Changing land use has a major impact on lichen diversity. This study attempts to identify patterns or trends of lichen functional groups along a land use gradient, ranging from natural forests to open agricultural landscape. In eight countries, covering six main European biogeographic regions, lichen vegetation was assessed according to a standardized scheme. Data on reproductive, vegetative and ecological traits was compiled and relative species richness for all classes of all traits calculated. Relationships between the land use gradient and relative species richness of trait classes were analysed. Open and intensively managed landscapes harbour more fertile species while sterile species are relatively more important in forests. This finding is also supported by analyses of different classes of dispersal propagules. The importance of species with the principal photobiont Trebouxia s.l. increases linearly with intensification of land use. A converse pattern is revealed by species with Trentepohlia. Concerning substratum specialization only generalists show an effect along the land use intensity gradient. Their relative species richness decreases from landscapes dominated by forests to open agricultural landscape. A considerable decline in the rare lichen species richness as a result of land intensification is predicted.

scholarly journals Annual litterfall dynamics and nutrient deposition depending on elevation and land use at Mt. Kilimanjaro

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 5635-5646 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Becker ◽  
H. Pabst ◽  
J. Mnyonga ◽  
Y. Kuzyakov
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Nutrient Deposition ◽  
Leaf Litterfall ◽  
Rainfall Seasonality ◽  
Intensively Managed

Abstract. Litterfall is one of the major pathways connecting above- and below-ground processes. The effects of climate and land-use change on carbon (C) and nutrient inputs by litterfall are poorly known. We quantified and analyzed annual patterns of C and nutrient deposition via litterfall in natural forests and agroforestry systems along the unique elevation gradient of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Tree litter in three natural (lower montane, Ocotea and Podocarpus forests), two sustainably used (homegardens) and one intensively managed (shaded coffee plantation) ecosystems was collected on a biweekly basis from May 2012 to July 2013. Leaves, branches and remaining residues were separated and analyzed for C and nutrient contents. The annual pattern of litterfall was closely related to rainfall seasonality, exhibiting a large peak towards the end of the dry season (August–October). This peak decreased at higher elevations with decreasing rainfall seasonality. Macronutrients (N, P, K) in leaf litter increased at mid elevation (2100 m a.s.l.) and with land-use intensity. Carbon content and micronutrients (Al, Fe, Mn, Na) however, were unaffected or decreased with land-use intensity. While leaf litterfall decreased with elevation, total annual input was independent of climate. Compared to natural forests, the nutrient cycles in agroforestry ecosystems were accelerated by fertilization and the associated changes in dominant tree species.

scholarly journals Influence of Land-Use Type on Forest Bird Community Composition in Mount Kenya Forest

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel N. Mahiga ◽  
Paul Webala ◽  
Mugo J. Mware ◽  
Paul K. Ndang’ang’a
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Forest Biodiversity ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Plantation Forest ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Plantation Forests ◽  
Relative Species Richness

Few studies have explored how human land uses influence and support persistence of forest biodiversity in central Kenya. In the case of the Mount Kenya ecosystem, farmlands and plantation forests are significant land-use types. Using point counts, we assessed bird communities in natural forests, plantation forests, and farmlands in the Nanyuki Forest Block, Western Mount Kenya. Bird point counts were undertaken during two sampling periods (wet and dry season). Compared to farmlands and plantation forest, natural forest had the highest overall avian species richness and relative species richness of all except one forest-dependent foraging guild (granivores) and nonforest species, which occurred frequently only on farmlands. Plantation forest had the lowest relative richness of all avian habitat and foraging guilds. Conversely, specialist forest-dependent species mainly occurred in the structurally complex remnant natural forest. Our study underscores the importance of remnant natural forests for the persistence and conservation of forest biodiversity and risks posed by replacing them with plantation forests and farmlands.

scholarly journals Annual litterfall dynamics and nutrient deposition depending on elevation and land use at Mt. Kilimanjaro

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 10031-10057 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Becker ◽  
H. Pabst ◽  
J. Mnyonga ◽  
Y. Kuzyakov
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Nutrient Deposition ◽  
Rainfall Seasonality ◽  
Intensively Managed

Abstract. Litterfall is one of the major pathways connecting above- and belowground processes. The effects of climate and land-use change on carbon (C) and nutrient inputs by litterfall are poorly known. We quantified and analyzed annual patterns of C and nutrient deposition via litterfall in natural forests and agroforestry systems along the unique elevation gradient of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Tree litter in three natural (lower montane, Ocotea and Podocarpus forests), two sustainably used (homegardens) and one intensively managed (shaded coffee plantation) was collected on a biweekly basis from May 2012 to July 2013. Leaves, branches and remaining residues were separated and analyzed for C and nutrient contents. The annual pattern of litterfall was closely related to rainfall seasonality, exhibiting a large peak towards the end of the dry season (August–October). This peak decreased at higher elevations with decreasing rainfall seasonality. Macronutrients (N, P, K) in leaf litter increased at mid elevation (2100 m a.s.l.) and with land-use intensity. Carbon content and micronutrients (Al, Fe, Mn, Na) however, were unaffected or decreased with land-use intensity. On the southern slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the annual pattern of litterfall depends on seasonal climatic conditions. While leaf litterfall decreased with elevation, total annual input was independent of climate. Compared to natural forests, the nutrient cycles in agroforestry ecosystems were accelerated by fertilization and the associated changes in dominant tree species.

Field Margin Weed-Species Diversity in Relation to Landscape Attributes and Adjacent Land Use

Weed Science ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn M. Sosnoskie ◽  
Edward C. Luschei ◽  
Mark A. Fanning
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Shape Index ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Field Margin ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Modeling Strategy

The importance of managing weeds in seminatural habitats that are adjacent to farm fields is unclear. Weedy-margin vegetation may harbor pests or pathogens and may ALSo serve as source populations for ongoing immigration of weeds into the field. It is ALSo possible, however, that margin vegetation provides habitat for organisms that consume weed seeds or suppress the likelihood of pest or pathogen outbreak. We examined the nature of margin habitat using spatial-scaling of Weed-Species richness as an ecological assay. In 2003, we recorded the occurrence of weedy species along the perimeters of 63 fields in Wisconsin. The fields were distributed within six counties that differed in topography, geological history, local climate, and soil type and which spanned the range of variability in the agricultural landscape. We identified seven habitats that differed in geology and land use. The relationship between species richness and margin class was estimated using an analog of the power law. Additionally, we investigated broadscale correlates of habitat heterogeneity at the field level, using a modeling strategy that included additional explanatory factors logically connected to plant diversity. Using a model-confrontation approach, the survey supported the inclusion of two topographical diversity indices, elevation gradient and a field-shape index, into our model. Our broadscale survey provides information on one of a suite of important considerations needed to make decisions about the importance of managing weeds in field margins.

scholarly journals Land use intensity, rather than plant species richness, affects the leaching risk of multiple nutrients from permanent grasslands

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 2828-2840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin H. Klaus ◽  
Till Kleinebecker ◽  
Verena Busch ◽  
Markus Fischer ◽  
Norbert Hölzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Leaching Risk

Diversity and body size of dung beetles attracted to different dung types along a tropical land-use gradient in Sulawesi, Indonesia

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahabuddin ◽  
Purnama Hidayat ◽  
Sjafrida Manuwoto ◽  
Woro A. Noerdjito ◽  
Teja Tscharntke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Habitat Disturbance ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Habitat Types

Abstract:Dung beetles are a functionally important component of most terrestrial ecosystems, but communities change with habitat disturbance and deforestation. In this study, we tested if dung beetle ensembles on dung of introduced cattle and of the endemic anoa, a small buffalo, are affected differentially by habitat disturbance. Therefore, we exposed 10 pitfall traps, five baited with anoa and five baited with cattle dung, per site in six habitat types ranging from natural and selectively logged rain forest to three types of agroforestry system (characterized by different management intensity) and open areas (n = 4 replicate sites per habitat type) at the margin of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. We found 28 species, 43% of which were endemic to Sulawesi. Species richness, abundance and biomass declined from natural forest towards open area. Large-bodied species appeared to be more sensitive to habitat disturbance and the ratio of large to small-sized dung beetles declined with land-use intensity. Although selectively logged forest and cocoa agroforestry systems had lower species richness compared with natural forest, they appeared to maintain a high portion of species originally inhabiting forest sites. The similarity of dung beetle ensembles recorded at forest and agroforestry sites reflects the high similarity of some habitat variables (e.g. vegetation structure and microclimate) between both habitat types compared with open areas. Species richness and abundances as well as species composition, which was characterized by decreases in mean body size, changed with land-use intensity, indicating that dung type is less important than habitat type for determining ensemble structure of these Indonesian dung beetles.

Semi-natural grassland continuity, long-term land-use change and plant species richness in an agricultural landscape on Öland, Sweden

2008 ◽  
Vol 84 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 200-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotten J. Johansson ◽  
Karin Hall ◽  
Honor C. Prentice ◽  
Margareta Ihse ◽  
Triin Reitalu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Natural Grassland

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variation in small mammal abundance and diversity under protection, pastoralism and agriculture in the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica T. Shilereyo ◽  
Flora J. Magige ◽  
Joseph O. Ogutu ◽  
Eivin Røskaft
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Serengeti Ecosystem ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity

AbstractLand use is an important factor influencing animal abundance, species richness and diversity in both protected and human-dominated landscapes. Increase in human population and activities intensify changes in habitat structure and hence abundance, species richness and diversity. We investigated the influences of land use and seasonality on small mammal abundance, species richness and diversity in 10 habitat types distributed over protected, agricultural and pastoral landscapes in the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. We used live traps (n = 141) and capture-recapture methods in each of 10 fixed plots distributed across three landscapes for a total of 28,200 trap nights of effort. Trapping was carried out in the wet and dry seasons for two consecutive years (April 2017 to October 2018). Small mammal abundance was higher in the pastoral than in the protected and in the agricultural landscape. Abundance was higher in the dry than the wet season across all the three landscapes. Species richness and diversity were higher in the protected, middling in the agricultural and lowest in the pastoral landscape. The high abundance in the pastoral landscape was due to the numerical dominance of two species, namely A. niloticus in the shrubland and M. natalensis in the cropland habitat, resulting in low species richness and diversity. Abundance was more evenly distributed across all habitats in the protected area due to less disturbance. The low abundance in the agricultural landscape, likely reflects disturbance from cultivation. High species richness and diversity in the protected area indicate high habitat heterogeneity while high species diversity in the agricultural landscape was likely due to high food availability during and soon after harvests. These findings emphasize the importance of protection in maintaining habitat heterogeneity for wildlife. They also reaffirm the need for buffer zones around protected areas to cushion them from intensifying human activities.

scholarly journals On the relationship between farmland biodiversity and land-use intensity in Europe

2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1658) ◽  
pp. 903-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Kleijn ◽  
F Kohler ◽  
A Báldi ◽  
P Batáry ◽  
E.D Concepción ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
N Input ◽  
Arable Fields ◽  
Relative Cover

Worldwide agriculture is one of the main drivers of biodiversity decline. Effective conservation strategies depend on the type of relationship between biodiversity and land-use intensity, but to date the shape of this relationship is unknown. We linked plant species richness with nitrogen (N) input as an indicator of land-use intensity on 130 grasslands and 141 arable fields in six European countries. Using Poisson regression, we found that plant species richness was significantly negatively related to N input on both field types after the effects of confounding environmental factors had been accounted for. Subsequent analyses showed that exponentially declining relationships provided a better fit than linear or unimodal relationships and that this was largely the result of the response of rare species (relative cover less than 1%). Our results indicate that conservation benefits are disproportionally more costly on high-intensity than on low-intensity farmland. For example, reducing N inputs from 75 to 0 and 400 to 60 kg ha −1  yr −1 resulted in about the same estimated species gain for arable plants. Conservation initiatives are most (cost-)effective if they are preferentially implemented in extensively farmed areas that still support high levels of biodiversity.

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