scholarly journals Avian malaria, ecological host traits and mosquito abundance in southeastern Amazonia

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 144 (8) ◽  
pp. 1117-1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN FECCHIO ◽  
VINCENZO A. ELLIS ◽  
JEFFREY A. BELL ◽  
CHRISTIAN B. ANDRETTI ◽  
FERNANDO M. D'HORTA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Malaria ◽  
Transmitted Disease ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Nest Location ◽  
Mosquito Abundance ◽  
Flooding Season ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

SUMMARYAvian malaria is a vector transmitted disease caused byPlasmodiumand recent studies suggest that variation in its prevalence across avian hosts is correlated with a variety of ecological traits. Here we examine the relationship between prevalence and diversity ofPlasmodiumlineages in southeastern Amazonia and: (1) host ecological traits (nest location, nest type, flocking behaviour and diet); (2) density and diversity of avian hosts; (3) abundance and diversity of mosquitoes; and (4) season. We used molecular methods to detectPlasmodiumin blood samples from 675 individual birds of 120 species. Based on cytochromebsequences, we recovered 89 lineages ofPlasmodiumfrom 136 infected individuals sampled across seven localities.Plasmodiumprevalence was homogeneous over time (dry season and flooding season) and space, but heterogeneous among 51 avian host species. Variation in prevalence among bird species was not explained by avian ecological traits, density of avian hosts, or mosquito abundance. However,Plasmodiumlineage diversity was positively correlated with mosquito abundance. Interestingly, our results suggest that avian host traits are less important determinants ofPlasmodiumprevalence and diversity in southeastern Amazonia than in other regions in which they have been investigated.

scholarly journals Integrating Spatiotemporal Epidemiology, Eco-Phylogenetics, and Distributional Ecology to Assess West Nile Disease Risk in Horses

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1811
Author(s):  
John M. Humphreys ◽  
Angela M. Pelzel-McCluskey ◽  
Lee W. Cohnstaedt ◽  
Bethany L. McGregor ◽  
Kathryn A. Hanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Vaccination Programs

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is the causative agent of West Nile disease in humans, horses, and some bird species. Since the initial introduction of WNV to the United States (US), approximately 30,000 horses have been impacted by West Nile neurologic disease and hundreds of additional horses are infected each year. Research describing the drivers of West Nile disease in horses is greatly needed to better anticipate the spatial and temporal extent of disease risk, improve disease surveillance, and alleviate future economic impacts to the equine industry and private horse owners. To help meet this need, we integrated techniques from spatiotemporal epidemiology, eco-phylogenetics, and distributional ecology to assess West Nile disease risk in horses throughout the contiguous US. Our integrated approach considered horse abundance and virus exposure, vector and host distributions, and a variety of extrinsic climatic, socio-economic, and environmental risk factors. Birds are WNV reservoir hosts, and therefore we quantified avian host community dynamics across the continental US to show intra-annual variability in host phylogenetic structure and demonstrate host phylodiversity as a mechanism for virus amplification in time and virus dilution in space. We identified drought as a potential amplifier of virus transmission and demonstrated the importance of accounting for spatial non-stationarity when quantifying interaction between disease risk and meteorological influences such as temperature and precipitation. Our results delineated the timing and location of several areas at high risk of West Nile disease and can be used to prioritize vaccination programs and optimize virus surveillance and monitoring.

The Influence of Proximity of Plantation Edge on Diversity and Abundance of bird species in an exotic pine plantation in north-eastern New South Wales

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
GN Curry
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Feeding Guild ◽  
South Wales ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Plantation Life ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Data were collected in summer and winter in a 15-year-old plantation of Pinus taeda, at Clouds Creek, north-eastern New South Wales. In summer, diversity and abundance of bird species declined over a distance of 900 m into the plantation. However, in winter this progressive decline in bird densities was limited to within the first 200 m of the plantation periphery. At greater distances into the plantation, the floristic and structural characteristics of the vegetation (including windrows) were of more importance than the proximity of the plantation edge in accounting for variations in the abundance and diversity of birds. Food for insectivorous birds (the dominant feeding guild) is probably restricted in the plantation because few local species of invertebrates are likely to be adapted to living on exotic pines; invertebrate mobility as well as abundance is probably less in winter, so that fewer invertebrates enter the plantation from adjacent native forest. Windrows are an important habitat feature contributing to the diversity and abundance of birds within plantations, probably serving as 'corridors' through the alien habitat of exotic pines, thus enabling birds to range further into plantations. For approximately 40 per cent of the plantation life cycle, the influence of proximity of plantation edge on diversity and abundance of bird species is probably of limited importance, particularly in winter. Reducing plantation size in order to increase the diversity and abundance of bird species is not realistic, because plantations would have to be very small. Instead, emphasis should be placed on increasing the structural and floristic diversity of plantations by creating a broad range of successional stages throughout the plantation complex, by enhancing the habitat value of windrows, and by retaining native vegetation within and near plantations.

Theoretical Ecospace for Ecosystem Paleobiology: Energy, Nutrients, Biominerals, and Macroevolution

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Bush ◽  
Sara B. Pruss
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Early Cambrian ◽  
Nutrient Cycles ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Extinction Selectivity ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Selective Extinction

Changes in nutrient cycles and energy fluxes (i.e., ecosystem dynamics) likely drove numerous trends and disruptions in the history of life. Advances in geochemistry offer great insights into paleoecosystem function, as does an understanding of the biogeochemical roles played by ancient organisms. A theoretical ecospace that describes the chemical exchanges between organisms and their environments is presented. Previous descriptions of ecospace principally described spatial and physical aspects of ecology; the new ecospace description broadens the concept to encompass a wider range of ecological processes that control abundance and diversity of fossil organisms. Organisms require materials from the environment for generating energy and building tissues, and these factors are broken down, ultimately specifying particular substances acquired from the environment. Different organisms require specific substances in different amounts depending on factors such as physiology, environmental conditions, etc.; thus, physiological ecospace describes an organism's sensitivity to ecosystem/earth system perturbations and trends. Several examples relating to organisms' requirements for skeletal minerals are reviewed, and a new analysis of extinction selectivity related to ocean acidification is presented. Selective extinction of heavily calcified metazoa is demonstrated to have occurred at least eight times during the Phanerozoic, including the early Cambrian, Frasnian (Late Devonian), and Aptian (Early Cretaceous). Multidimensional structure of ecospace occupation (e.g., correlations among ecological traits) strongly controls the effects of an extinction such that the same kill mechanism applied at different times will affect the ecological composition of the biosphere in a variety of ways.

scholarly journals Host alarm calls attract the unwanted attention of the brood parasitic common cuckoo

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Attila Marton ◽  
Attila Fülöp ◽  
Katalin Ozogány ◽  
Csaba Moskát ◽  
Miklós Bán
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Context Dependency ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Primary Host ◽  
Nest Location ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Vantage Points

AbstractIt is well known that avian brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species, called hosts. It remains less clear, however, just how parasites are able to recognize their hosts and identify the exact location of the appropriate nests to lay their eggs in. While previous studies attributed high importance to visual signals in finding the hosts’ nests (e.g. nest building activity or the distance and direct sight of the nest from vantage points used by the brood parasites), the role of host acoustic signals during the nest searching stage has been largely neglected. We present experimental evidence that both female and male common cuckoos Cuculus canorus pay attention to their host’s, the great reed warbler’s Acrocephalus arundinaceus alarm calls, relative to the calls of an unparasitized species used as controls. Parallel to this, we found no difference between the visibility of parasitized and unparasitized nests during drone flights, but great reed warblers that alarmed more frequently experienced higher rates of parasitism. We conclude that alarm calls might be advantageous for the hosts when used against enemies or for alerting conspecifics, but can act in a detrimental manner by providing important nest location cues for eavesdropping brood parasites. Our results suggest that host alarm calls may constitute a suitable trait on which cuckoo nestlings can imprint on to recognize their primary host species later in life. Our study contributes to the growing body of knowledge regarding the context-dependency of animal signals, by providing a novel example of a beneficial acoustic trait intercepted by a heterospecific and used against the emitter.

Plasmodium prevalence across avian host species is positively associated with exposure to mosquito vectors

Parasitology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 142 (13) ◽  
pp. 1612-1620 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW C. I. MEDEIROS ◽  
ROBERT E. RICKLEFS ◽  
JEFFREY D. BRAWN ◽  
GABRIEL L. HAMER
Keyword(s):  
Host Species ◽  
Avian Malaria ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Relative Number ◽  
Parasite Prevalence ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Malaria Vectors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
Vector Borne

SUMMARYThe prevalence of vector-borne parasites varies greatly across host species, and this heterogeneity has been used to relate infectious disease susceptibility to host species traits. However, a few empirical studies have directly associated vector-borne parasite prevalence with exposure to vectors across hosts. Here, we use DNA sequencing of blood meals to estimate utilization of different avian host species by Culex mosquitoes, and relate utilization by these malaria vectors to avian Plasmodium prevalence. We found that avian host species that are highly utilized as hosts by avian malaria vectors are significantly more likely to have Plasmodium infections. However, the effect was not consistent among individual Plasmodium taxa. Exposure to vector bites may therefore influence the relative number of all avian Plasmodium infections among host species, while other processes, such as parasite competition and host-parasite coevolution, delimit the host distributions of individual Plasmodium species. We demonstrate that links between avian malaria susceptibility and host traits can be conditioned by patterns of exposure to vectors. Linking vector utilization rates to host traits may be a key area of future research to understand mechanisms that produce variation in the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens among host species.

scholarly journals Ecological traits affect the response of tropical forest bird species to land-use intensity

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1750) ◽  
pp. 20122131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Newbold ◽  
Jörn P. W. Scharlemann ◽  
Stuart H. M. Butchart ◽  
Çağan H. Şekercioğlu ◽  
Rob Alkemade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Human Land Use ◽  
Average Probability ◽  
Land Use Intensity Gradient

Land-use change is one of the main drivers of current and likely future biodiversity loss. Therefore, understanding how species are affected by it is crucial to guide conservation decisions. Species respond differently to land-use change, possibly related to their traits. Using pan-tropical data on bird occurrence and abundance across a human land-use intensity gradient, we tested the effects of seven traits on observed responses. A likelihood-based approach allowed us to quantify uncertainty in modelled responses, essential for applying the model to project future change. Compared with undisturbed habitats, the average probability of occurrence of bird species was 7.8 per cent and 31.4 per cent lower, and abundance declined by 3.7 per cent and 19.2 per cent in habitats with low and high human land-use intensity, respectively. Five of the seven traits tested affected the observed responses significantly: long-lived, large, non-migratory, primarily frugivorous or insectivorous forest specialists were both less likely to occur and less abundant in more intensively used habitats than short-lived, small, migratory, non-frugivorous/insectivorous habitat generalists. The finding that species responses to land use depend on their traits is important for understanding ecosystem functioning, because species' traits determine their contribution to ecosystem processes. Furthermore, the loss of species with particular traits might have implications for the delivery of ecosystem services.

Can correlated population trends among forest bird species be predicted by similarity in traits?

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne M. Hoare ◽  
Adrian Monks ◽  
Colin F. J. O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Indicator Species ◽  
Species Concept ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Using Data

Context Many conservation decisions rely on the assumption that multiple populations will respond similarly to management. However, few attempts have been made to evaluate correlated population responses to management or to identify traits that could be used to predict correlations. These assumptions are central to the use of the ‘population indicator-species concept’ (the idea that population trends of one species can be used as an index of trends in other species) for measuring the effects of key ecological drivers. Aims We investigated correlations among bird population trends in a mixed podocarp–hardwood forest in New Zealand in which introduced mammalian pests are controlled. We analysed trends in the abundance of 18 bird species (primarily passerines) over a 10-year period, using data from 5-min bird counts. Methods We used a Bayesian modelling approach to identify short-term correlations in population trends among species and to investigate whether ecological traits can be used to predict these correlated trends. Key results Population increases were detected in 9 of the 18 bird species over the 10-year period of the study. Population trends were correlated for 10% of species pairs (of which 81% were positive correlations). Correlations among seven of the nine species that increased in abundance were always positive; these species form a potential indicator pool. However, traits were not useful for predicting correlated population trends. Conclusions Bird species affected by a shared ecological driver (predation) can exhibit correlated population trends when introduced predators are controlled, but correlations cannot be predicted by similarity in ecological traits. Implications We advocate for testing consistency of correlations at multiple sites so as to validate the evidence-based use of the population indicator-species concept as a cost-effective alternative to monitoring whole communities.

scholarly journals Temporal changes in mosquito abundance (Culex pipiens), avian malaria prevalence and lineage composition

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Lalubin ◽  
Aline Delédevant ◽  
Olivier Glaizot ◽  
Philippe Christe
Keyword(s):  
Culex Pipiens ◽  
Avian Malaria ◽  
Malaria Prevalence ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Mosquito Abundance

scholarly journals Short Communication: Bird community and it’s conservation implications in Gunung Tunak Nature Park, Lombok, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
GITO HADIPRAYITNO ◽  
AGIL AL IDRUS ◽  
I GDE MERTHA ◽  
M LIWA ILHAMDI ◽  
I WAYAN SUANA
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Index ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Bird Fauna ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Abstract. Hadiprayitno G, Al Idrus A, Mertha IG, Ilhamdi ML, Suana IW. 2019. Birds community and it's conservation implications in Gunung Tunak Nature Park, Lombok, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1753-1757.  Bird community is an important indicator of ecosystem health. A study was conducted in Gunung Tunak Nature Park to analyze the composition of bird species and the abundance and diversity of bird species. Data were collected by survey method from May to August 2017 on three trails. The bird fauna of  Gunung Tunak Nature Park consisted of 32 species belonging to 27 families and 10 orders. The order Passeriformes accounted for the dominant family and species, with an abundance of 61.6%. The species with the highest abundance is Zosterops chloris (13.9%), following by Orthotomus sepium (12.2%), and Streptopelia chinensis (10.4%). While the diversity index was 3.03, indicating that the bird community in Gunung Tunak Nature Park is still well preserved. Five species are of high conservation priority based on protected by Indonesian Law, Endemicity of Wallacea, and the IUCN Red list i.e., Megapodius reinwardt, Pitta elegans, Caloenas nicobarica, Lalage sueurii, and Dicrurus densus.

scholarly journals Avian Ecological Diversity as an Indicator of Urban Forest Functionality. Results from Two Case Studies in Northern and Southern Italy

2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-86
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sanesi ◽  
Emilio Padoa-Schioppa ◽  
Leonardo Lorusso ◽  
Luciana Bottoni ◽  
Raffaele Lafortezza
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Urban Planning And Design ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Point Count Method

Greenspaces and forest trees contribute to a number of environmental functions in urban environments, such as the survival of urban-dwelling species (e.g., bird species). This paper analyzes the relationship between greenspace characteristics (structural and spatial attributes) and the diversity of avian ecology species. This provides research findings coming from two studies conducted in Italy. Using point-count method, a quantification was done of the abundance and diversity of bird species in a number of greenspaces having different structural attributes (e.g., vegetation type, tree height) and spatial characteristics (e.g., location, connectivity). Results showed positive correlations between greenspaces with a more diverse and mature forest vegetation and the number of specimens and species observed in the two studies. A positive correlation appeared also between distance to the city centre and richness and abundance of bird species. Finally, we discuss some of the main implications for enhancing the functional attributes of greenspaces by using avian ecological indicators to inform ecologically sound urban planning and design.

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