scholarly journals Recent decline in vegetative regeneration of bamboo (Yushania alpina), a key food plant for primates in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yntze van der Hoek ◽  
Faida Emmanuel ◽  
Winnie Eckardt ◽  
Innocent Kwizera ◽  
Mia Derhé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
National Park ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Vegetative Regeneration ◽  
Bamboo Shoots ◽  
Gorilla Beringei Beringei ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Abstract The African montane bamboo Yushania alpina provides both habitat and food for many species in the Albertine Rift region. In Volcanoes National Park (VNP), Rwanda, it is especially important as a key food resource for the Endangered mountain gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei and Endangered golden guenon Cercopithecus mitis kandti. We examined temporal and spatial variation in bamboo shoots regeneration and consumption by primates, monitored between 2013 and 2018 in 82 16-m2 plots located along transects in VNP. Our analyses revealed a decline in vegetative regeneration of bamboo in recent years, which is mirrored by a decline in bamboo shoot consumption by primates; but an increase in proportional intake. Local declines in regeneration are potentially due to high intensities of herbivory, decreased amounts of rainfall during growing seasons, and natural processes that form part of the life cycle of bamboo. Moreover, spatial variation in bamboo regeneration can be explained by elevation, as well as by stand-level variation in soil acidity, vegetation density, and the density of dead bamboo culms. We discuss the potential mechanisms underlying observed temporal and spatial variations and outline possible effects of a decline in bamboo regeneration for primates and other aspects of biodiversity in VNP.

scholarly journals Causes of variations of trace and rare earth elements concentration in lakes bottom sediments in the Bory Tucholskie National Park, Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariusz Sojka ◽  
Adam Choiński ◽  
Mariusz Ptak ◽  
Marcin Siepak
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Bottom Sediments ◽  
National Park ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Geochemical Processes ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Geochemical Indices

AbstractThe objective of this study was to analyse spatial variability of the trace elements (TEs) and rare earth elements (REEs) concentration in lake bottom sediments in Bory Tucholskie National Park (BTNP); Poland. The following research questions were posed: which factors have a fundamental impact on the concentration and spatial variability of elements in bottom sediments, which of the elements can be considered as indicators of natural processes and which are related to anthropogenic sources. The research material was sediments samples collected from 19 lakes. The concentrations of 24 TEs and 14 REEs were determined. The analyses were carried out using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to determine the spatial variability of the TEs and REEs concentrations, indicate the elements that are the indicators of natural processes and identify potential anthropogenic sources of pollution. The geochemical background value (GBV) calculations were made using 13 different statistical methods. However, the contamination of bottom sediments was evaluated by means of the index of geo-accumulation, the enrichment factor, the pollution load index, and the metal pollution index. The BTNP area is unique because of its isolation from the inflow of pollutants from anthropogenic sources and a very stable land use structure over the last 200 years. This study shows high variability of TE and REE concentrations in lake sediments. The values of geochemical indices suggest low pollution of lakes bottom sediments. It was found that TEs originated mainly from geogenic sources. However, the concentrations of Li, Ni, Sc, Se, Be, Se, Ag, Re, Tl, Cd, Sb and U may be related to the impact of point sources found mainly in the Ostrowite Lake. Almost all REEs concentrations were strongly correlated and their presence was linked to with geochemical processes. The elements allowing to identify natural processes and anthropogenic pollution sources were Cr, Co, Cu, Ag, Cd, Zn, Bi, Re, Ba, Al and Rb in TEs group and Nd, Gd, Yb, Lu, Eu, Dy and Ce in REEs group. The analysis shows high spatial variability of TE and REE concentrations in lake sediments. The values of geochemical indices point to low pollution of lakes sediments. The anthropogenic sources only for two lakes had an impact on concentrations of selected TEs and REEs. The analyses allowed to identify elements among TEs and REEs documenting geochemical processes and those indicating anthropogenic sources of pollution.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic paleoecology: macroecology within an evolutionary framework

Paleobiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-177
Author(s):  
James C. Lamsdell ◽  
Curtis R. Congreve
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Evolutionary Rates ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Variation ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

The burgeoning field of phylogenetic paleoecology (Lamsdell et al. 2017) represents a synthesis of the related but differently focused fields of macroecology (Brown 1995) and macroevolution (Stanley 1975). Through a combination of the data and methods of both disciplines, phylogenetic paleoecology leverages phylogenetic theory and quantitative paleoecology to explain the temporal and spatial variation in species diversity, distribution, and disparity. Phylogenetic paleoecology is ideally situated to elucidate many fundamental issues in evolutionary biology, including the generation of new phenotypes and occupation of previously unexploited environments; the nature of relationships among character change, ecology, and evolutionary rates; determinants of the geographic distribution of species and clades; and the underlying phylogenetic signal of ecological selectivity in extinctions and radiations. This is because phylogenetic paleoecology explicitly recognizes and incorporates the quasi-independent nature of evolutionary and ecological data as expressed in the dual biological hierarchies (Eldredge and Salthe 1984; Congreve et al. 2018; Fig. 1), incorporating both as covarying factors rather than focusing on one and treating the other as error within the dataset.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document