scholarly journals Do the assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in nearshore waters of Western Australia vary among habitat types, zones and seasons?

Author(s):  
M.D. Wildsmith ◽  
I.C. Potter ◽  
F.J. Valesini ◽  
M.E. Platell

Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled seasonally in the subtidal and upper and lower swash zones at two sites in each of six nearshore habitat types on the lower west coast of Australia. The habitat types, which differed mainly in the extent of their exposure to wave activity and whether sea grass and/or nearshore reefs were present, had been distinguished quantitatively using values for a suite of seven statistically-selected enduring environmental characteristics (Valesini et al., 2003). The core samples yielded 121 species representing eight phyla, among which the Polychaeta, Malacostraca and Bivalvia were the most speciose classes, contributing ∼38, 23 and 10%, respectively, to the total number of individuals. The total number of species and mean density of macroinvertebrates at the most protected habitat type (1), i.e. 70 and 209·2 individuals 0·1 m−2, respectively, were far greater than in any other habitat type. Habitat type influenced species composition to a greater extent than either zone or season. Furthermore, the extents of the differences among the species compositions of the six habitat types statistically matched the extents of the differences among the values for the suite of enduring environmental characteristics that distinguished each of those habitat types. Overall, the species composition at habitat type 1 was the most distinct, containing five abundant species of polychaetes that were adapted to deposit-feeding in calm waters with high levels of organic material and which were rare in all other habitat types. In contrast, the fauna at the most exposed habitat type was characterized by four crustacean species and a species of bivalve and polychaete, whose mobility and tough external surface facilitated their survival and feeding in turbulent waters. The zonal differences in faunal compositions among habitat types were greatest in the case of the subtidal zone. The faunal compositions differed among zones and seasons only at the most protected habitat type.

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2572
Author(s):  
Milan Glišić ◽  
Ksenija Jakovljević ◽  
Dmitar Lakušić ◽  
Jasmina Šinžar-Sekulić ◽  
Snežana Vukojičić ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to investigate the floristic composition and diversity of seven urban habitat types in 24 Serbian cities with different climatic affiliation. In each of the 24 cities, we selected 1 ha plots representing a habitat from one of the following groups: square, boulevard, residential area with compact and with open building pattern, city park, and sites with early and mid-succession vegetation stages. All vascular plant species that occur spontaneously in these plots were observed. Data on the main climatic characteristics were collected for each plot, and data on the life forms were obtained for each species recorded. Diagnostic species were identified for each habitat type analyzed, and alpha, beta and gamma diversity were calculated. A total of 674 taxa were recorded in the studied area. Significant differences were observed in habitats by diagnostic species and by life form representation. The lowest alpha and gamma diversity and the dominance of therophytes were observed in habitat types with intensive anthropogenic impact, whereas the highest number was recorded in mid-successional sites and residential areas with a compact building pattern. The analysis showed that habitat type influences species composition much more than climate.


2006 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
pp. 545-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Roughley ◽  
Darren A. Pollock ◽  
David J. Wade

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess the similarities and differences between selected bioindicator groups within tallgrass prairie and adjacent aspen forest. Based on pitfall trapping from 1998 to 2000, species richness and abundance of ground beetles and spiders were examined across a tallgrass prairie – aspen forest ecotone located near Winnipeg, Manitoba. The abundance of spiders and ground beetles was higher in the forested portion of the transect than in the prairie section. There were 639 specimens of ground beetles collected, representing 53 species; 19 species were found only on the prairie, 19 species were found only in the forest, and 15 species were found in both habitats, although the abundance of most species was too low to confidently assign them to either habitat type. Excluding single records in any sampling year yielded 9 prairie species, 5 forest species, and 10 species found in both aspen forest and tallgrass prairie. The five most abundant species of ground beetles were Agonum placidum (Say), Pterostichus caudicalis (Say), P. femoralis (Kirby), P. melanarius (Illiger), and Synuchus impunctatus (Say). There were 4499 specimens of spiders collected, representing 92 species; 25 species were found only in the prairie, 15 species were unique to the aspen forest, and 52 species were found in both habitats. Excluding single records in any sampling year yielded 26 prairie species, 15 forest species, and 22 species found in both habitats. The five most abundant species of spiders were Pardosa moesta Banks, P. distincta (Blackwall), Agroeca ornata Banks, Centromerus sylvaticus (Blackwall), and Alopecosa aculeata (Clerck). Our study concurs with other studies in demonstrating that there are distinct assemblages of both groups of predators in each of the two habitat types.


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 351
Author(s):  
Annery Serrano Rodríguez ◽  
Miguel Ángel Morón Ríos ◽  
Alejandro Barro Cañamero ◽  
Gabriela Molina

The Cuban archipelago has 79 Phyllophaga species with a 98.6 % of endemism, which makes the group ecologically and economically important, as some species are classified as crop pests. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the composition and structure of the Phyllophaga assemblages with their habitat type, considering both plant structure and level of human habitat disturbance. A total of 17 locations were sampled in Western Cuba during the rainy seasons of the period from 2011 to 2015; these differed in habitat types (forests and agroecosystems). Samplings followed standard methods and were made once with a light trap screen in each locality. A total of 1153 individuals of 24 Phyllophaga species were collected. The total abundance of collected individuals varied between 10 and 306, and species richness between two and nine species. The most abundant species was Phyllophaga dissimilis (Chevrolat) which also had the highest frequency of occurrence. Generally, less anthropized sites reflected richer and equitative communities; although these characteristics appeared in two sites that showed intermediate degree of disturbance. The non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that the most similar samples were those of the very anthropized sites; this similarity was given mainly by the abundance of Phyllophaga dissimilis, P. insualepinorum and P. puberula. Besides, the geographical distance was not related to the similarity of these assemblages.


2006 ◽  
pp. 111-128
Author(s):  
Maritess Labrador ◽  
Teofanes Patindol

This study determined the distribution and abundance of avifauna on the foothills of Mount Pangasugan using the standard transect method. A total of 46 avifaunal species belonging to 12 orders and 27 families with 24% endemism were found in the three selected sites based on habitat types, degree of disturbance and elevation range. Most represented order is Passeriformes while the most represented family is Columbidae. Patterns of distribution and abundance of avifauna tend to be associated with habitat type and degree of disturbance. The most abundant and most frequently encountered species are the generalists, which can tolerate various degree of disturbance in a wide range of habitats; the least frequently occurring and least abundant species are mostly endemic interior species which prefer relatively intact forest at higher elevations where disturbance is very minimal. These specialist groups of avifaunal species, which are mostly internationally recognized as threatened, show unique association with particular habitat type, thus considered to be highly sensitive to habitat change. Protection of the remaining forests in Mount Pangasugan is deemed necessary for the survival of these interior species.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syarron Hudiwaku ◽  
Toto Himawan ◽  
Akhmad Rizali

Abstract. Hudiwaku S, Himawan T, Rizali A. 2021. Diversity and species composition of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Lombok Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 4608-4616. Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are pests of several horticultural crops that can reduce the quality and quantity of fruit production. Information on fruit flies in Lombok Island, Indonesia, is still limited. However, it is predicted to have a high diversity of fruit flies because this island belongs to the Wallacea region. The aims of this research was to study the diversity and species composition of fruit flies in different habitat types in Lombok Island. The research was carried out on two habitat types, i.e., tropical rainforest and orchard with each habitat type consisted of three different sites that located spread across Lombok Island as replication. The research was carried out on two habitat types, i.e., tropical rainforest and orchard, with each habitat type consisted of three different sites spread across Lombok Island as replication. A sampling of fruit flies was conducted using parapheromone traps from March to June 2020. Twenty-two species and 210,267 individual fruit flies were collected from all locations during the study period. The most dominant species were Bactrocera carambolae, Bactrocera limbifera, Zeugodacus caudatus, and Bactrocera dorsalis. Based on the ANOVA, habitat types significantly affected the abundance but not the species richness of fruit flies. The visualization results obtained from the NMDS ordination indicated a difference in the species composition of fruit flies between the two habitats. In conclusion, habitat types are an essential factor in shaping the community of fruit flies in Lombok Island.


2014 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Józef Banaszak ◽  
Piotr Szefer

Abstract Patterns in bee assemblages consisting of 52 core (most abundant) species in farmland in the Wielkopolska region of W Poland were analysed. The entomological material was assessed during earlier research in 1978-1993 from 18 plots in three habitat types: shelterbelts, roadsides and forest patches. At the scale of the refuge habitat size analysed here, an increase in area only slightly enhanced bee species richness. The bee assemblage structures of roadsides and forest patches differ significantly, but their indicator species do not form any well-defined ecological groups. In non-linear forest patches, the bee community structure was more homogeneous than on roadsides. These two habitat types differed significantly in their species composition. Nine significant indicator species were found, but they did not share any ecological characteristics. Three factors were found to affect significantly the responses of individual bee species in the agricultural landscape: the degree of isolation of the refuge habitat, the edge ratio, and roadsides as a refuge habitat type. A large part of the regional diversity is due to the heterogeneity of habitats within the landscape. Habitat area has little influence on the diversity of wild bees, at least within the size range analysed here. We concluded from this study that, regardless of the habitat type, the density of bees from the summer phenological period is affected by the number of food plant species. Point forest patches are habitats where summer species from the genus Andrena and the cleptoparasitic genera Nomada and Sphecodes achieve their highest abundances. Roadsides negatively affected abundances of wild bees and there were no characteristic species for this type of habitat. We hypothesised that this might be related to the specific ecological part played by this type of habitat.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. IJIS.S24232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Mei Liu ◽  
Pei-Pei Yang ◽  
Peng Cheng ◽  
Hai-Fang Wang ◽  
Li-Juan Liu ◽  
...  

This study describes the aquatic habitats, species composition, and the insecticide resistance level of the mosquito Culex pipiens pallens in Shandong Province, China. A cross-sectional survey of mosquito larval habitats was conducted from May to November 2014 to determine the species composition and larval abundance. Larvae were collected using the standard dipping technique, and a total of four habitat types were sampled. The fourth instar larvae of Cx. pipiens pallens collected in each habitat type were tested for resistance to five insecticides according to a WHO bioassay. A total of 7,281 mosquito larvae were collected, of which 399 (5.48%) were categorized as Anopheles mosquito larvae ( An. sinensis), 6636 (91.14%) as culicine larvae ( Cx. pipiens pallens, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. halifaxii, and Cx. bitaeniorhynchus), 213 (2.93%) as Armigeres larvae, and 33 (0.45%) as Aedes larvae ( Aedes albopictus). In addition, a total of 1,149 mosquito pupae were collected. Culex larvae were distributed in all habitats investigated. Tukeys HSD analysis showed that roadside drainages were the most productive habitat type for Culex larvae. Armigeres species were found only in drains, Aedes only in water tanks, and Anopheles in water that was comparatively clear and rich in emergent plants. Bioassay showed that the maximum resistance level of Cx. pipiens pallens was to deltamethrin, while it was lowest to plifenate. The productivity of various mosquitoes in different habitat types is very heterogeneous. It is particularly important to modify human activity and the environment to achieve effective mosquito vector control. For effective larval control, the type of habitat should be considered, and the most productive habitat type should be given priority in mosquito abatement programs.


Author(s):  
Zhixin Hu ◽  
Xu Sun ◽  
Yongjiu Cai ◽  
Liyun Guo ◽  
Qiankun Chen ◽  
...  

<p>Benthic macroinvertebrates play important roles in shallow lake ecosystems. Several studies based on qualitative comparisons of the amount of macrophytes were carried out to relate benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages to habitat conditions in shallow lakes. Our main aim was to analyze the effects of habitat type and trophic state on taxonomic composition and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates in lowland shallow lakes based on quantitative classification of habitat types. The benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were investigated in eight shallow lakes of eastern China in four seasons. A total of 33 species was collected from these lakes, including four Oligochaeta, eight Chironomidae, eight Gastropoda, four Bivalvia and nine other miscellaneous species. According to the ratio of the dry weight of macrophytes to the dry weight of phytoplankton, the study lakes were separated into three lake types; macrophyte-dominated, transitional, and algae-dominated regions. The total abundance of macroinvertebrates was significantly higher in the group of algae-dominated regions than in the macrophyte-dominated regions. Scrapers had the highest abundance in the macrophyte-dominated regions. Univariate and multivariate analyses results showed that abundance, biomass and characteristic species of benthic macroinvertebrates were affected by their habitat types. The abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates showed significant positive correlations with the trophic state index (TSI). TSI and turbidity were significantly correlated with DC1 (Axis 1 of detrended correspondence analysis), while Chlorophyll <em>a</em> and the ratio of the dry weight of macrophytes to the dry weight of phytoplankton were significantly correlated with DC2. The findings indicated that the habitat type and trophic state were the key factors determining the structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in lowland shallow lakes. Our study was one of the few studies that had demonstrated the distinct influence of habitat type on macroinvertebrate assemblages in shallow lakes according to the ratio of the dry weight of macrophytes to the dry weight of phytoplankton.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 13680-13689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alembrhan Assefa ◽  
Chelmala Srinivasulu

An ecological survey was conducted to assess the species composition and abundance of rodents in Kafta-Sheraro National Park, Ethiopia from June 2017 to April 2018 covering wet and dry seasons.  Rodents were trapped using Sherman live traps from five selected habitat types—natural forest, bushland, grassland, farmland, and human settlement.  A total of 209 individuals of rodents belonging to seven species were captured over 2940 trap nights, and three species of rodents were only observed.  The trapped rodent species include Mastomys natalensis, Stenocephalemys albipes, Rattus rattus, Mastomys awashensis, Acomys cahirinus, Arvicanthis niloticus dembeensis, and Mastomys erythroleucus.  Lemniscomys striatus, Hystrix cristata, and Xerus rutilus were only sighted during the study.  Mastomys natalensis was the most abundant species (41.1%), followed by Stenocephalemys albipes (26.3%) and Rattus rattus (18.2%), whereas Mastomys erythroleucus (1.4%) was the least abundant species.  The abundance of female (59.8%) was higher than male (40.2%).  Of the total trapped rodents, 52.2% were adults, 32% sub-adult and 15.8% young.  The abundance of rodents was varied among habitat types and between seasons.  The results of the study revealed that the park has diverse species of fauna including rodents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-241
Author(s):  
Jocieli de OLIVEIRA ◽  
Sara M. ALMEIDA ◽  
Fernando P. FLORÊNCIO ◽  
João B. PINHO ◽  
Dalci M. M. OLIVEIRA ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Changes in environmental characteristics can affect habitat use by birds, impacting the number of individuals, number of species, and changing species composition and functional structure of assemblages. Metrics that evaluate the functional structure of biological assemblages constitute a complementary tool to the traditional taxonomic approach, because they quantify the differences between species by means of functional traits. We assessed the effect of environmental characteristics on the taxonomic diversity (species richness, species composition and number of individuals) and functional structure (functional richness, functional evenness, Rao’s functional diversity, and community-weighted mean traits) of bird assemblages in northern Mato Grosso state, in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We sampled birds in 32 plots. At each plot birds were captured using mist nets, and eight environmental variables were measured: canopy openness, leaf litter, elevation, number of trees in three classes of DBH, soil clay content, and distance to nearest stream. To evaluate functional structure, we measured seven morphological traits from individuals of each bird species. Habitat variables had a significant effect on taxonomic diversity. However, the general functional structure was not affected. Elevation and distance to nearest stream were the main variables driving changes in taxonomic diversity and had a minor effect on functional richness. The other metrics of functional structure were not significantly affected by the set of environmental variables. Our results suggest that the sampled bird assemblages exhibit some functional tolerance (redundancy) to small-scale environmental variation, implying certain resilience to ecosystem modification.


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