scholarly journals Different land-use types equally impoverish but differentially preserve grassland species and functional traits of spider assemblages

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina M. Pinto ◽  
Pamela E. Pairo ◽  
M. Isabel Bellocq ◽  
Julieta Filloy
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Original Vegetation ◽  
Seminatural Grasslands

AbstractLand-use change is one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss by introducing environmental modifications, which excludes native species unable to adapt to the novel conditions. Grasslands are among the most threatened biomes; understanding the influence of different land-use types on native species is crucial to achieving sustainable management policies. We hypothesized that land-use types that partially conserve the original vegetation cover would show higher taxonomic and functional diversity and similarity with native assemblages than land-use types that replace the original vegetation cover. We compared the taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversity of spider assemblages between soybean crops, eucalypt plantations, and cattle fields with seminatural grasslands. Through null models, we assessed the standardized effect sizes to test differences in the strength of environmental filtering among land-use types. Environmental changes introduced by different land-use types resulted in assemblages differentiated in species and trait composition, taxonomically and functionally impoverished with respect to seminatural grasslands. All land-use types drove species replacement and trait loss and replacement of grassland spiders. Each land-use showed a characteristic species and trait composition. Most of the grassland traits were not lost but were under or over-represented according to the land-use type. Only in soybean crops the formation of spider communities would be mainly driven by environmental filtering. Changes in land-use decreased species diversity and modified the composition of spider species and functional traits leading to differentiated spider assemblages. As spider species and traits varied among land-uses, a mitigation measure against grasslands biodiversity loss could be the development of productive landscapes with a mosaic of land-use types, as each of them would provide microhabitats for species with different requirements. Because land-use types mainly led to the rearrangement of grassland functional trait values, most of spider functions might be conserved in mosaics of land-use types.

scholarly journals Is coexistence between non-native and native Erythrinidae species mediated by niche differentiation or environmental filtering? A case study in the upper Paraná River floodplain

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa S. Pereira ◽  
Fábio T. Mise ◽  
Luiz F. C. Tencatt ◽  
Matheus T. Baumgartner ◽  
Angelo A. Agostinho
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Similarity Theory ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Limiting Similarity ◽  
Environmental Filters

ABSTRACT The limiting similarity theory predicts that divergence in the functional traits of native and introduced species is an essential component in species establishment, as introduced species must occupy a niche that is unoccupied by resident species. On the other hand, the environmental filtering hypothesis predicts convergence between introduced and native species, as both possess traits that make them adapted to the local abiotic environment. Morphology, spatial co-occurrence, diet, feeding selectivity, and niche breadth and overlap of Erythrinidae were evaluated to detect possible mechanisms acting in the coexistence between non-native and native species. Native (Hoplias sp. B and Hoplias cf. malabaricus) and non-native (Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus and Hoplias mbigua) species presented differences in morphological traits, spatial co-occurrence, diet, selectivity, and niche breadth and overlap. The mechanisms mediating species coexistence seem to vary according to species. The absence of spatial and feeding overlap suggests that non-native species H. unitaeniatus occupy a different niche than native species, supporting its successful establishment without eliminating the native species. However, low feeding overlap and similar morphologies between non-native and native species of Hoplias point to environmental filters; in this case, the non-native H. mbigua is able to establish due to similarities in functional traits.

scholarly journals Understanding land-use response of bird communities in an arid ecosystem of India

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Varun ◽  
Sutirtha Dutta
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
List Type ◽  
Thar Desert ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Bird Richness

AbstractThe Indian Thar desert has lost much of its grasslands over the last few decades, mainly due to land-use change from pastoralism to agriculture. Expanding croplands and intensifying grazing pressures are popularly hypothesized to be major drivers of biodiversity loss in the region. Our study aims to investigate the effects of contemporary land-use change on bird communities of the Western Thar Desert.We surveyed 58 randomly laid line transects in a c2000 sq.km study area, to quantify parameters of bird community structure in three predominant land-use types viz. protected grasslands, rangelands, and non-irrigated croplands. Fieldwork for the study was conducted in the dry season (winter and summer) between December 2018 and April 2019.During winter, overall bird richness and abundance were highest in protected grasslands followed by non-irrigated croplands and rangelands. Protected grasslands also had a higher abundance of diet and habitat specialists. Compared to protected grasslands, density was lower in non-irrigated croplands and rangelands for 35% and 10% of species, respectively. A majority of the negatively affected species were insectivorous grassland specialists.Contrary to the pattern in winter, overall bird richness, abundance, community composition, and guild structure in summer were similar across three land-use types. Only one of the 17 analysed species had lower density in modified land-use types.Overall, protected grassland was the best habitat for birds and was specifically important for specialists, particularly during the winter. Rangelands and fallow croplands sustained most generalists at comparable densities but had severe negative impacts on specialists.Synthesis and application: Our results point out that low-intensity agro-pastoral land-uses can supplement, but not replace, protected areas in conservation of Thar desert’s avifaunal diversity. Our results are consistent with the idea of managing dryland habitats as agro-grassland mosaics with embedded protected areas, in order to reconcile human needs and biodiversity conservation at a landscape scale.

scholarly journals Evidence for the importance of land use, site characteristics and vegetation composition for rooting in European Alps

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erich Tasser ◽  
Sonja Gamper ◽  
Janette Walde ◽  
Nikolaus Obojes ◽  
Ulrike Tappeiner
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Vegetation Composition ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Key Species

AbstractPlant rooting strongly affects most hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological processes in terrestrial ecosystems, as it presents the main pathway for carbon, water and nutrient transfer from soil to the atmosphere and is a key factor in stabilizing the soil layer. Few studies have actually investigated the link between phytosociological and structural vegetation composition and diversity in soil rooting parameters. Our study provides a comprehensive evaluation of plant cover and diversity effects on rooting parameters dependent on different land-use types along a north–south transect in the Eastern Alps. We conducted field studies of root biomass, rooting density and rooting depth for the six main land-use types: intensively and lightly used hay meadows, pastures, arable land, agriculturally unused grasslands and forests. The variation in rooting parameters was explained by different aspects of species and functional richness, species and functional composition, functional traits, abundance of key species and site variables depending on the land-use types. Our results showed that different characteristics of biodiversity explained the variance in root parameters (mass, density and depth) to a high degree (determination coefficient R2 values varied between 0.621 and 0.891). All rooting parameters increased with increasing plant species richness, as well as with a higher diversity of plant functional traits. The inclusion of site parameters significantly increased the explained variance, while we could not find evidence for key species and their abundance to provide additional explanatory power. Allowing the effects to vary depending on land-use types turned out to be a necessity supporting the importance of considering land-use types for rooting. The findings indicate that vegetation composition has a clear relationship with rooting parameters across different habitats in the European Alps. As the effect of plant composition differs with respect to the land-use type, rooting can be monitored by land management to achieve the desired benefits. For example, intensified rooting through extensive management decreases erosion risk and increases carbon uptake.

Similarities in recruitment but differences in persistence in two related native and invasive trees: relevance of regenerative and vegetative attributes

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula A. Tecco ◽  
Ana E. Ferreras ◽  
Diego E. Gurvich ◽  
Guillermo Funes
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
The Other ◽  
Leguminous Trees ◽  
Invasive Trees ◽  
The One

Ecological theory predicts that the success of exotic plants in new environments depends on a combination of both regenerative and vegetative attributes. Identifying those attributes may benefit from approaches that specifically compare related exotic and native species, thereby overcoming strong habitat dependence and phylogenetic bias. Gleditsia triacanthos L. (Fabaceae) is described as an aggressive woody invader in a broad range of ecosystems of Argentina, where it coexists with other leguminous trees. In the present study, we assessed whether the success of G. triacanthos in the lower areas of Chaco woodlands of central Argentina is determined (1) by differences from the dominant native, Prosopis alba, in its combination of several attributes that enhance the invader’s competitive ability, (2) by differences from P. alba in few key attributes that facilitate its spread, or (3) by strong functional similarities in response to environmental filtering by the invaded system. Our comparison of 19 functional traits of both species showed that regenerative and vegetative trends may vary independently, and that two contrasting strategies seem to underlie the success of G. triacanthos in this region. On the one hand, the invader might benefit by sharing regenerative attributes with the native relative that dominates the community, which is evidently a successful way of recruiting in the system. On the other hand, as recruitment is ensured, the species differs in several vegetative attributes, which may enhance its competitive ability in terms of growth rates and nutrient uptake.

scholarly journals Soil greenhouse gas emissions under different land-use types in savanna ecosystems of Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 2149-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Wachiye ◽  
Lutz Merbold ◽  
Timo Vesala ◽  
Janne Rinne ◽  
Matti Räsänen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Grazing Land ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Soil Co2 Emissions

Abstract. Field measurement data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are still scarce for many land-use types in Africa, causing a high level of uncertainty in GHG budgets. To address this gap, we present in situ measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) emissions from the lowlands of southern Kenya. We conducted eight chamber measurement campaigns on gas exchange from four dominant land-use types (LUTs) comprising (1) cropland, (2) bushland, (3) grazing land, and (4) conservation land between 29 November 2017 and 3 November 2018, accounting for regional seasonality (wet and dry seasons and transitions periods). Mean CO2 emissions for the whole observation period were the highest by a significant margin (p value < 0.05) in the conservation land (75±6 mg CO2-C m−2 h−1) compared to the three other sites, which ranged from 45±4 mg CO2-C m−2 h−1 (bushland) to 50±5 mg CO2-C m−2 h−1 (grazing land). Furthermore, CO2 emissions varied between seasons, with significantly higher emissions in the wet season than the dry season. Mean N2O emissions were highest in cropland (2.7±0.6 µg N2O-N m−2 h−1) and lowest in bushland (1.2±0.4  µg N2O-N m−2 h−1) but did not vary with season. In fact, N2O emissions were very low both in the wet and dry seasons, with slightly elevated values during the early days of the wet seasons in all LUTs. On the other hand, CH4 emissions did not show any significant differences across LUTs and seasons. Most CH4 fluxes were below the limit of detection (LOD, ±0.03 mg CH4-C m−2 h−1). We attributed the difference in soil CO2 emissions between the four sites to soil C content, which differed between the sites and was highest in the conservation land. In addition, CO2 and N2O emissions positively correlated with soil moisture, thus an increase in soil moisture led to an increase in emissions. Furthermore, vegetation cover explained the seasonal variation in soil CO2 emissions as depicted by a strong positive correlation between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and CO2 emissions, most likely because, with more green (active) vegetation cover, higher CO2 emissions occur due to enhanced root respiration compared to drier periods. Soil temperature did not show a clear correlation with either CO2 or N2O emissions, which is likely due to the low variability in soil temperature between seasons and sites. Based on our results, soil C, active vegetation cover, and soil moisture are key drivers of soil GHG emissions in all the tested LUTs in southern Kenya. Our results are within the range of previous GHG flux measurements from soils from various LUTs in other parts of Kenya and contribute to more accurate baseline GHG emission estimates from Africa, which are key to reducing uncertainties in global GHG budgets as well as for informing policymakers when discussing low-emission development strategies.

Land-Use Is More Important Predictor of Native Abundance and Diversity Than Invasive Tithonia Diversifolia - Evidence From a Tropical Savanna

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quadri Agbolade Anibaba ◽  
Rahila M Yilangai ◽  
Zingfa W Wala ◽  
Sonali Saha
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Important Predictor ◽  
Tithonia Diversifolia ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Abstract Invasive alien species (IAS) and land-use represent major threats to native plant communities around the globe. However, studies on IAS and potential ecological impacts in the context of land-use are limited in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a set of 45 plots in Jos metropolis in central Nigeria, we assessed the abundance of invasive Tithonia diversifolia (Hemls.) A. Gray, and its relationship with abundance and diversity of native plant species among land-use types. Abundance of T. diversifolia was the highest in farmland when compared to riparian and roadside land-use types. Also, the abundance and diversity of native species were lowest in farmland when compared to the roadside and riparian plant communities with increased T. diversifolia abundance. We showed that while T. diversifolia has low impact on native species, land-use type is an important predictor of native abundance and diversity. Although T. diversifolia has benefitted from the disturbances across land-use types, we found a very weak negative estimate of T. diversifolia effects on native species. These results consolidate existing evidence that land-use transformation in sub-Saharan Africa provides opportunities for alien plant invasion and native species decline. More important is the preservation of land-use types, which will result in a synergy of conservation effort - both reducing T. diversifolia abundance and preserving native plant abundance and diversity in central Nigeria.

scholarly journals Leaf Functional Traits Vary in Urban Environments: Influences of Leaf Age, Land-Use Type, and Urban–Rural Gradient

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuebo Su ◽  
Bowen Cui ◽  
Yunjian Luo ◽  
Jia Wang ◽  
Xuming Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Age ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Land Use Type ◽  
Leaf Functional Traits ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
The City

An increasing number of studies have focused on the response and adaptation of plants to urbanization by comparing differences in leaf functional traits between urban and rural sites. However, considerable uncertainties remain because differences in land-use type have not frequently been taken into account when assessing the effect of urbanization on leaf traits. In this study, we sampled the needles of Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) in areas with three land-use types (roadsides, parks, and neighborhoods) along an urban–rural gradient in Beijing, China to determine the effect of urbanization on leaf functional traits. There were significant differences in the values of leaf functional traits between the needles of the current and previous year and across land-use types. Pines growing on roadsides had leaves with smaller length, width, and area, as well as lower stomatal density, compared with those growing in parks and neighborhoods. This implies that on roadsides, plant capacity to acquire resources (e.g., light and carbon dioxide) was degraded. Stomatal density, leaf width, and leaf P concentration increased with increasing distance from the city center, while leaf K concentration decreased with increasing distance from the city center. Importantly, there were significant differences in the urban–rural gradient of leaf functional traits between leaves of different ages, and across land-use types. Leaf age was the most important factor influencing leaf nutrient traits, while land-use type was the most important factor influencing leaf morphological traits in urban environments. Thus, considering the effects of the plant characteristic and land-use type on traits is important for assessing the urban–rural gradients of plant functional traits.

LAND USE TYPES AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICTS: A CASE STUDY IN HUONG VINH COMMUNE, HUONG TRA TOWN, THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE

2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (4B) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trần Thanh Đức
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Soil Analysis ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Clay Loam ◽  
Total N ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Total P

This research carried out in Huong Vinh commune, Huong Tra town, Thua Thien Hue province aimed to identify types of land use and soil characteristics. Results showed that five crops are found in Huong Vinh commune including rice, peanut, sweet potato, cassava and vegetable. There are two major soil orders with four soil suborders classified by FAO in Huong Vinh commune including Fluvisols (Dystric Fluvisols<em>, </em>Gleyic Fluvisols and Cambic Fluvisols) and Arenosols (Haplic Arenosols). The results from soil analysis showed that three soil suborders including Dystric Fluvisols<em>, </em>Gleyic Fluvisols and Cambic Fluvisols belonging to Fluvisols were clay loam in texture, low pH, low in OC, total N, total P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> and total K<sub>2</sub>O. Meanwhile, the Haplic Arenosols was loamy sand in texture, poor capacity to hold OC, total N, total P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> and total K<sub>2</sub>O

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