The Guinea–Congo lowland rain forest: an overview

1996 ◽  
Vol 104 ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Rain Forest ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
The Other ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Lowland Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
The Impact

In a paper entitled ‘Africa – the odd man out’ Richards (1973) pointed out that of the three main regions of tropical rain forest he recognised, namely American, African and Indo–Malaysian, the African rain forest stands out as distinct from the others. He took this view largely on the comparative poverty of its flora, the wider distribution of African plants, and the poor representation of certain plant groups such as palms, orchids and trees of the family Lauraceae. In addition, Africa is relatively poorly endowed with some life forms such as lianes and epiphytes. He attributed the uniqueness of tropical Africa to a number of possible factors. In the first place, differences may be due to climate since the uniformly high rainfall, humidity, temperatures, and absence of a regular dry season that occur in parts of the other two tropical regions are evidently rare or lacking in Africa. A distinct dry season, often of over two months, is nearly always present, and even in the central Congo basin there is usually at least one month when rainfall is less than 100 mm. Secondly, the impact of human beings on vegetation has been longer and more sustained in Africa than elsewhere, so much so that the presence of any truly primeval or so-called virgin forest is very questionable. However, it is unlikely that present day climatic factors and human interference can wholly account for the unique position of African rain forest, and historical reasons must also be sought. Thus it seems probable that the vicissitudes of climate, recorded as arid and pluvial periods in African lake sediments, have been much greater than those in the other two regions in question.

Herpetofauna of a northern Australian monsoon rain forest: seasonal changes and relationships to adjacent habitats

1988 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Martin ◽  
W. J. Freeland
Keyword(s):  
Rain Forest ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Australian Monsoon ◽  
Monsoon Rain ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Forest Habitats ◽  
Monsoon Forests

ABSTRACTThe herpetofauna of a floodplain monsoon rain forest in northern Australia is composed primarily of species from non rain forest habitats. The majority of frog species use rain forest as a seasonal refuge, and there is a marked increase in numbers during the dry season. Faunal richness lies within limits expected on the basis of the length of the dry season and species richnesses of non-Australian faunas. There are few lizard species and an abundance of frog species (none of which is a rain forest specialist) in comparison to rain forest herpetofaunas in other tropical regions. The impoverished lizard fauna, and the paucity of rain forest specialists may be because (a) seasonal invasion of rain forest by frogs prevents evolution of, or colonization by, specialists or (b) rain forest specialists may not have been able to cross semiarid habitats separating the Northern Territory from eastern Australian rain forests. The herpetofaunas of monsoon forests in Cape York Peninsula may provide a means of distinguishing between these hypotheses.

Effects of native pigs (Sus scrofa) on woody understorey vegetation in a Malaysian lowland rain forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
KALAN ICKES ◽  
SAARA J. DEWALT ◽  
S. APPANAH
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Sus Scrofa ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Lowland Rain Forest ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Wild Pigs ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Impact

Large mammals often play important roles in determining the structure and composition of plant communities. This study focused on the extent to which wild pigs (Sus scrofa) influence the dynamics of tree seedlings and saplings in a lowland rain forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve in West Malaysia. Native wild pigs are common in the study area and may significantly influence growth and survivorship of woody plants in the understorey through several activities namely, nest building, soil rooting and seed predation. To test experimentally the impact of pigs on the plant community, eight 49-m2 exclosures were constructed. After 2 y, the number of recruits inside exclosures was three times greater than in unfenced control plots. Stem density was highly correlated with species richness, which also increased significantly inside exclosures. Height growth of plants was greater in the exclosures by 52.5% for trees between 1 and 7 m tall. Trees less than 1 m tall, however, exhibited no differences in growth. Mortality of plants also did not differ between treatments. The observed differences between exclosure and control plots can be attributed to soil-rooting and seed predation, suggesting that these two behaviours of wild pigs are important to plant dynamics in the understorey.

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal patterns of thermal anomalies and drought over tropical forests driven by recent extreme climatic anomalies

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1760) ◽  
pp. 20170300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan C. Jimenez ◽  
Jonathan Barichivich ◽  
Cristian Mattar ◽  
Ken Takahashi ◽  
Andrés Santamaría-Artigas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
The Other ◽  
Extreme Drought ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Temperature Anomalies ◽  
The Impact

The recent 2015–2016 El Niño (EN) event was considered as strong as the EN in 1997–1998. Given such magnitude, it was expected to result in extreme warming and moisture anomalies in tropical areas. Here we characterize the spatial patterns of temperature anomalies and drought over tropical forests, including tropical South America (Amazonia), Africa and Asia/Indonesia during the 2015–2016 EN event. These spatial patterns of warming and drought are compared with those observed in previous strong EN events (1982–1983 and 1997–1998) and other moderate to strong EN events (e.g. 2004–2005 and 2009–2010). The link between the spatial patterns of drought and sea surface temperature anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific is also explored. We show that indeed the EN2015–2016 led to unprecedented warming compared to the other EN events over Amazonia, Africa and Indonesia, as a consequence of the background global warming trend. Anomalous accumulated extreme drought area over Amazonia was found during EN2015–2016, but this value may be closer to extreme drought area extents in the other two EN events in 1982–1983 and 1997–1998. Over Africa, datasets disagree, and it is difficult to conclude which EN event led to the highest accumulated extreme drought area. Our results show that the highest values of accumulated drought area over Africa were obtained in 2015–2016 and 1997–1998, with a long-term drying trend not observed over the other tropical regions. Over Indonesia, all datasets suggest that EN 1982–1983 and EN 1997–1998 (or even the drought of 2005) led to a higher extreme drought area than EN2015–2016. Uncertainties in precipitation datasets hinder consistent estimates of drought severity over tropical regions, and improved reanalysis products and station records are required.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on the terrestrial tropical carbon cycle: patterns, mechanisms and implications’.

scholarly journals Īmān, Islām, taqwā, kufr, shirk, and nifāq: Definitions, examples and impacts on human life

IIUC Studies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
Md Mahmudul Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Shed Light

The Holy Qur‟an encompasses the comprehensive code for mankind to live a rewarding life in this world, to rescue from the Jahannam and to enter the Jannah in the Hereafter. Īmān, Islām, taqwā, kufr, shirk, and nifāq are, the six significant terms, used in the Noble Qur‟an frequently. All of them represent the characteristics of human beings. The possessors of these characters will go to their eternal destination; the Jannah or Jahannam. The Jannah is the aftermath of īmān, Islam and taqwā. On the other hand, kufr, shirk, and nifāq lead to the Jahannam. This study intends to present the definitions and examples of these six terms according to the Qur‟anic statement, and then shed light on the impact of each character on human life quoting the evidence from the Holy Qur‟an and the Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The possessors of these six remarkable terms are entitled successively as mu'min, muslim, muttaqī to be rewarded Jannah and kafīr, mushrik, and munāfiq to be punished in Jahannam. IIUC Studies Vol.14(2) December 2017: 85-98

Road construction enables establishment of a novel predator category to resident anuran community: a case study from a primary lowland Bornean rain forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Konopik ◽  
Karl-Eduard Linsenmair ◽  
T. Ulmar Grafe
Keyword(s):  
Rain Forest ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Lowland Rain Forest ◽  
The Road ◽  
Brunei Darussalam ◽  
Immigrant Species ◽  
The Impact

Abstract:For a total of 17 mo, we investigated the impact of a road constructed through pristine tropical lowland rain forest, on the composition and structure of the resident anuran community in the Ulu Temburong National Park (Brunei Darussalam). One year after road construction, eight new anuran species had immigrated into the impacted area. Encounter surveys were conducted and radio-transmitters attached to a total of 16 frogs to identify habitat use and distribution of the largest (>130 mm SVL) immigrant species (Limnonectes ingeri) in comparison with a similar sized resident congener. A strong preference for roadside habitat was found for the immigrant. However, several incursions of more than 500 m beyond the road into the pristine forest were also recorded. Over 200 stomach content samples as well as stable nitrogen isotope ratios of 76 individuals were used to assess the trophic ecology of the two species. Invertebrate diet composition did not differ. However, the immigrant species ate over 400% more frogs than its resident congener and had a significantly higher δ15N ratio, indicating a higher position in the food web. This suggests that L. ingeri acts as a new top frog predator in the system and indicates that it may have a significant negative impact on the local anuran community. Overall, road construction in the absence of logging has led to the immigration of new frog species with impacts far beyond the linear disturbance of the road itself.

Chocolate Is a Product of the Cacao Tree

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
Dale Walters
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Theobroma Cacao ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Sustainable Cultivation ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cacao Tree

This chapter looks at both the Theobroma cacao tree and its cultivation. It covers cacao botany: its unusual habit of cauliflory, where the flowers, and hence the pods, arise directly from the trunk and main branches of the tree; pollination of its flowers, which is linked with the ecology of the rain forest in which it grows; and dispersal of its seeds, which is almost unique in its dependency on vertebrate animals such as monkeys, bats, and squirrels. The chapter also deals with the cultivation of cacao, mostly by smallholder farmers on individual, family-managed farms, typically 0.5 –7 ha in size, in the lowland tropical regions of Latin America, West Africa, and Indonesia. Finally, the chapter examines the impact of the increasing demand for chocolate on the push towards the intensification of cocoa cultivation, threatening to shift production even further from the traditionally managed, sustainable cultivation systems of the past.

scholarly journals The relationship between the diamondback moth, climatic factors, cabbage crops and natural enemies in a tropical area

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gallo Sow ◽  
Karamoko Diarra ◽  
Laurence Arvanitakis ◽  
Dominique Bordat
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Plutella Xylostella ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Diamondback Moth ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT The impact of abiotic and biotic factors (rainfall, temperature, host plant and natural enemies) on population dynamics of the Plutella xylostella L. diamondback moth was investigated. The experiments were conducted during the rainy and dry seasons for two years (June 2009-April 2011) on unsprayed cabbage plots in Malika (Senegal). Every 10 days, 10 cabbages were randomly selected. Plutella xylostella larvae, pupae and parasitoid cocoons were recorded on each plant. Before each sampling, the diameters and ages of plants were recorded. Temperature and rainfall were also recorded during this study. Larvae and pupae of P. xylstella were higher for the dry season than the rainy season. There was a negative correlation between temperature and P. xylostella populations, and a strong relationship between P. xylostella populations and the age of cabbages. Females oviposited on young cabbages where the presence of young larvae was important, whereas older immature stages were mainly found in older cabbage plants. Parasitoid populations were higher for the dry season than the rainy season. High temperatures did not increase the pest populations and parasitism rate. There was no effect found on pest, plants and natural enemies due to rainfall. There was a positive correlation between pest populations and parasitism. Four Hymenoptera species were found: Oomyzus sokolowskii, Apanteles litae, Cotesia plutellae and Brachymeria citrae, but they were not efficient to control the P. xylostella populations. These results are important for understanding the factors that promote or inhibit pest populations and their natural enemies, and therefore essential for effective crop protection.

scholarly journals PEMBUATAN MINUMAL HERBAL “TEH SECANG” UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KESEHATAN DAN PEREKONOMIAN MASYARAKAT DESA TANJUNG TAMBAKREJO BOJONEGORO

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34
Author(s):  
Ari Abi Aufa
Keyword(s):  
Social Service ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Basic Needs ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The People ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Village

Covid 19 has changed various orders in social life. Human beings, who are actually social creatures, are prevented from interacting each other, which results in obstructing efforts to fulfill the basic needs of human life. People must adjust the way they interact with each other to avoid the possibility of contracting Covid 19. But on the other hand, people still have to work to make ends meet for themselves and their families. The community of Tanjung Tambakrejo Bojonegoro village cannot be separated from the impact of Covid 19. This social service uses the ABCD method, which is service that focuses on the use of assets owned by the village to improve their lives. The existing assets in these areas are sometimes neglected and not fully utilized by the local community due to their ignorance. Therefore, this method is taken to reintroduce existing assets in the community so that they can be used to improve their lives. Based on the survey conducted, it was found that various vegetable assets have not been maximally utilized, one of which is Caesalpinnia sappan L. Through various research conducted, it turns out that Caesalpinnia sappan L can be used as a warm drink that is both delicious and healthy. Based on this, the people of Tanjung village were then taught how to make herbal drink made from Caesalpinnia sappan L, and how to sel it online to improve their health and also their economy.    

Cyber-Synchronicity

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 52-67
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Smith
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Virtual Communication ◽  
Community Theory ◽  
The Impact

Communication affects us as human beings, whether via virtual worlds or the material one, and involves a variety of issues. Some are issues both worlds have in common, while others are unique, depending on the individuals involved, the communities inhabited, and the mediums utilized. Prior research has demonstrated that, for inhabitants who reside both in the virtual and the material, there is significant effect on the experience of both worlds stemming from both worlds. This study combines Gergen's Saturated Self theory, Hamman's Virtual Community theory, and Van Manen's four phenomenological existentials to posit both an additional four existentials unique to virtual communication and a theoretical model that can be used to chart the impact of each world upon the other. The Cyber-Synchronicity model will aid in a deeper understanding of the meaning and impact of synchronous and synonymous participation in a virtual community.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document