A high level of outcrossing in the vulnerable species Prosopis rubriflora in a Chaco remnant

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fábio M. Alves ◽  
Ângela L. B. Sartori ◽  
Maria I. Zucchi ◽  
Ana M. G. Azevedo-Tozzi ◽  
Evandro V. Tambarussi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Effective Size ◽  
Cattle Breeding ◽  
Seed Collection ◽  
Related Individuals ◽  
High Level ◽  
Progeny Array ◽  
Pantanal Wetland

Prosopis rubriflora Hassl. is a tree species typically found in chaquenian areas, mainly with an arborised phytophysiognomy in the southern region of the Pantanal wetland. This species has become vulnerable in recent decades as a result of considerable increases in anthropogenic activities such as cattle breeding, and this vulnerability has also been observed in several other native species. The goal of this study was to estimate the mating system of P. rubriflora in a Chaco remnant by analysing 10 microsatellite markers. Samples were collected over 2 years (2010–213 seedlings and 2011–180 seedlings), and the results suggest that the mating system of P. rubriflora is preferably allogamous. A progeny array was predominantly composed of half-sibs (from 76 to 79%), full-sibs (from 15%) and self-half-sibs (from 6 to 9%). The outcrossing rate between related individuals was significant in 2011 but not in 2010. The average co-ancestry coefficient () ranged from 0.158 to 0.162, and the variance effective size (Ne) ranged from 3.05 to 3.13. The number of seed trees required for seed collection (m) to retain an effective size of 150 in progeny array samples was 48–49. The high levels of outcrossing of P. rubriflora appear to be related to several mechanisms that avoid selfing and due to the behaviour of native pollinators, which clearly contribute to the gene flow of the species.

scholarly journals Long Term Interactions of Native and Invasive Species in a Marine Protected Area Suggest Complex Cascading Effects Challenging Conservation Outcomes

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Charalampos Dimitriadis ◽  
Ivoni Fournari-Konstantinidou ◽  
Laurent Sourbès ◽  
Drosos Koutsoubas ◽  
Stelios Katsanevakis
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
High Level

Understanding the interactions among invasive species, native species and marine protected areas (MPAs), and the long-term regime shifts in MPAs is receiving increased attention, since biological invasions can alter the structure and functioning of the protected ecosystems and challenge conservation efforts. Here we found evidence of marked modifications in the rocky reef associated biota in a Mediterranean MPA from 2009 to 2019 through visual census surveys, due to the presence of invasive species altering the structure of the ecosystem and triggering complex cascading effects on the long term. Low levels of the populations of native high-level predators were accompanied by the population increase and high performance of both native and invasive fish herbivores. Subsequently the overgrazing and habitat degradation resulted in cascading effects towards the diminishing of the native and invasive invertebrate grazers and omnivorous benthic species. Our study represents a good showcase of how invasive species can coexist or exclude native biota and at the same time regulate or out-compete other established invaders and native species.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Impacts of Anthropogenic Activities on a Large River Using Longfin Eel as a Bioindicator

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8412
Author(s):  
Olivier Champeau ◽  
James M. Ataria ◽  
Grant L. Northcott ◽  
Gen Kume ◽  
Andrew Barrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
River System ◽  
Large River ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
Bioindicator Species ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Anthropogenic Stressors ◽  
Residential Land Use

The Matāura River is the sixth largest river system in New Zealand and has long been subject to agricultural, industrial, and residential land use activities. The catchment has economic value and is of great cultural importance for local Māori, who have concerns over potential adverse impacts that anthropogenic stressors exert on the health of the river. There is a dearth of information on the impacts of these stressors towards the health of native species such as the longfin eel Anguilla dieffenbachii. This study assessed the environmental status of the Matāura River using biological and chemical methodologies incorporating A. dieffenbachii as a bioindicator species for exposure to multiple anthropogenic stressors. A range of biomarkers were measured in caged and wild-caught eels (when available) to characterize site-specific responses to anthropogenic stressors. While there was no clear indication of cumulative impacts moving from pristine headwaters to the lower reaches of the Matāura River, biomarkers of xenobiotic metabolization were induced in A. dieffenbachia and there was evidence of chemical contamination in sediment and tissue samples.

scholarly journals New Methods for the Assessment of Flow Regime Alteration under Climate Change and Human Disturbance

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 2435
Author(s):  
Pengfei Shi ◽  
Jiahong Liu ◽  
Tao Yang ◽  
Chong-Yu Xu ◽  
Jie Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Flow Regime ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Time Warping ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Range Of Variability Approach ◽  
Dynamic Time ◽  
High Level

Climate change and anthropogenic activities do collectively lead to an alteration of the flow regime, posing a great influence upon the structure and persistence of native biotic communities within river ecosystems. The range of variability approach (RVA) method is commonly used to evaluate the flow regime alteration. However, it was reported to underestimate the degree of flow regime potentially. In this study, two new assessment methods/metrics for evaluating the process behaviors of the flow regime are developed based on Euclidean distance and dynamic time warping (DTW) distance. They are then integrated with the metric of RVA, generating two composite metrics that represent both frequency and process changes of the flow regime. The new methods/metrics were applied to identify the flow regime alteration in a typical basin in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, China. The results show that the composite metrics consistently reveal a high alteration degree of flow regime in the basin. The decreased biological integrity of fish demonstrates the reasonability of the high-level overall alteration to some degree. The updated methods enable more scientific evaluation for the complex hydrologic alteration under a changing environment.

scholarly journals Germination and performance of seven native wildflowers in the Mediterranean landscape plantings

2017 ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Scarici ◽  
Roberto Ruggeri ◽  
Maria Elena Provenzano ◽  
Francesco Rossini
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Mediterranean Environment ◽  
Seed Collection ◽  
Marginal Areas ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Aesthetic

The use of native species in landscape design is a choice related to environmental sustainability and it contributes to the aesthetic appeal of urban and marginal areas. However, to date, the lack of knowledge of the ecological characteristics and agronomic practices of these species, represents a limit for their use. This study aims to obtain information about germination ecology, morphological traits and ornamental value of 7 selected perennial native taxa, with potential use in meadows seed mixtures for the Mediterranean environment. Seed germination for each taxon was assessed under different conditions (temperature, photoperiod and pre-treatment) in a controlled environment, while data on plant performances was collected from field plots. In general, the dormant seeds showed a positive response to pre-treatment with gibberellic acid (GA3) and chilling within a period of about six months from the time of seed collection. The dependence of germination on light and temperature was observed in most of the tested taxa. Differences in plant height and flowering dynamics gave practical directions in terms of combining seeds of different species to create and maintain a wildflower meadow in low-maintenance areas. Crepis bursifolia L. and Hypochaeris radicata L. were the only two species, which showed good persistence during the two-year field study and met the aesthetic requirements of low-input Mediterranean landscaping. Our study by adding original findings to the limited knowledge available on wildflower sowing in the Mediterranean environment, contributes to the development of sustainable strategies in the greening projects designed for those peculiar climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic transport of species across native ranges: unpredictable genetic and evolutionary consequences

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 20160620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Hudson ◽  
Frédérique Viard ◽  
Charlotte Roby ◽  
Marc Rius
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Genetic Patterns ◽  
Geographical Distances ◽  
Anthropogenic Transport

Human activities are responsible for the translocation of vast amounts of organisms, altering natural patterns of dispersal and gene flow. Most research to date has focused on the consequences of anthropogenic transportation of non-indigenous species within introduced ranges, with little research focusing on native species. Here, we compared genetic patterns of the sessile marine invertebrate, Ciona intestinalis , which has highly restricted dispersal capabilities. We collected individuals in a region of the species' native range where human activities that are known to facilitate the artificial spread of species are prevalent. Using microsatellite markers, we revealed highly dissimilar outcomes. First, we found low levels of genetic differentiation among sites separated by both short and large geographical distances, indicating the presence of anthropogenic transport of genotypes, and little influence of natural geographical barriers. Second, we found significant genetic differentiation in pairwise comparisons among certain sites, suggesting that other factors besides artificial transport (e.g. natural dispersal, premodern population structure) may be shaping genetic patterns. Taken together, we found dissimilar patterns of population structure in a highly urbanized region that could not be predicted by artificial transport alone. We conclude that anthropogenic activities alter genetic composition of native ranges, with unknown consequences for species' evolutionary trajectories.

Effective size of two feral domestic cat populations (Felis catus L.): effect of the mating system

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Kaeuffer ◽  
D. Pontier ◽  
S. Devillard ◽  
N. Perrin
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Felis Catus ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Effective Size

scholarly journals Effects of abiotic variables on the distribution of fish assemblages in streams with different anthropogenic activities in southern Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 643-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Salete Daga ◽  
Éder André Gubiani ◽  
Almir Manoel Cunico ◽  
Gilmar Baumgartner
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Urbanization Gradient ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Matrix Correlation ◽  
Abiotic Variables ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Distribution Of Fish

Studies on fish assemblages in streams point out, that understanding the relationship between species and their environment is crucial for conservation. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of changes in abiotic variables on the composition and structure of fish assemblages in Neotropical urban streams from southern Brazil with different levels of urbanization. The composition and structure of fish assemblages showed significant differences along the urbanization gradient observed in the streams. Tolerant and non-native species were found in more urbanized sites. A matrix correlation revealed a relationship between abiotic variables and the spatial pattern of structure and composition of fish assemblages. Abiotic variables, such as total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity, determined the distribution of fish assemblages. Streams without urban influence exhibited intrinsically low species richness, suggesting that they are highly susceptible to species loss and diversity reduction. Thus, changes in water quality or hydrological conditions induced by urbanization may intensify these impacts.

scholarly journals Remediation of Heavy Metals from Soil by Eco Approaches

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Manish Batham ◽  
Jot Sharma ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Biodegradable Materials ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Heavy Metal Remediation ◽  
High Level

The contamination of soil by anthropogenic activities is of great concern in recent times. There is an urgent demand of reliable and eco-friendly approaches for remediation of this concern. The current techniques for heavy metal remediation from contaminated soil are costly, time consuming, and harmful for the environment. Toxicity of heavy metals can reduce plant growth, and a high level of presence of these heavy metals is a risk factor to human and plant health. Heavy metals neither biodegradable materials nor are created. They occur naturally in the earth crust, and they reach the environment by human activities. Organic compounds can be degraded, but metals cannot degrade, and therefore effective cleanup requires its immobilization to reduce or remove toxicity. Recently, research focuses on cost-effective technologies to clean polluted areas. Vermiremediation and phytoremediation are two such useful techniques. In these eco-friendly techniques of remediation, the target plants accumulate, volatilize the contaminants, or convert them into some nontoxic forms, thus remediating the soil.

scholarly journals SPATIAL MODELING OF THE THREAT OF DAMAGE TO THE PEATLAND ECOSYSTEM IN THE MAINLAND OF BENGKALIS REGENCY, RIAU PROVINCE

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-208
Author(s):  
Rizki Atthoriq Hidayat ◽  
Muhammad Hanif
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Data ◽  
Spatial Modeling ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Euclidean Distance ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Engine Modeling ◽  
Gis Data ◽  
High Level ◽  
High Threat

Peatlands are the stretch of ecosystem landscape with unique characteristics, both physically, chemically, and biodiversity. Anthropogenic activities in peatland use and disasters pose a threat to the preservation of the peatland ecosystem, which has impacts toward abiotic to the element of biodiversity (biotic). The purpose of this research is to model how the threat of the peatland ecosystem by using spatial data modeling. The method in this research using cloud-based GIS data analysis from Google earth engine, modeling distance parameter to variable modeling of interaction among landscapes on the peatland, and weight sum the value over raster-based spatial layer to determinate the thereat in the peatland ecosystem. The results of this study found zones where hot spots often occur. Modeling with euclidean distance to all modeling variables (except temperature) gives a clear effect on how the threats from each landscape interact with each other. We found that the threat of peatland damage in the high threat class dominates the plantation area reaching 30.9% of the total peatland area, whereas the forest landscape only has a high threat with a percentage of 1.9% and a low threat which the ecosystem is stable and natural reaching over 34.7 %. From this model, we succeeded in bringing up the idea to determine the priority area for policies where need to be done in handling the protection of peatland ecosystems, especially in plantations where the highest percentage of the ecosystem threat is in the high level with integrated peatland management. Keywords: Peatland ecosystem, landscape, threat

scholarly journals Suitability of Eight Northeastern U.S. Native Shrubs as Replacements for Invasive Plants in a Difficult Landscape Site with White-tailed Deer Pressure

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pragati Shrestha ◽  
Jessica D. Lubell
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Aesthetic Quality ◽  
Lindera Benzoin ◽  
Japanese Barberry ◽  
Parking Lot ◽  
Native Shrubs ◽  
High Level ◽  
Deer Grazing

Nursery and landscape professionals are interested in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)–resistant native plants to replace invasive species used in difficult landscape sites, such as parking lot islands, which are dry, nutrient-poor, and exposed to sun and heat. Eight native shrubs [creeping sand cherry (Prunus pumila var. depressa), elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), round leaf dogwood (Cornus rugosa), northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sweetbells (Eubotrys racemosa), and virginia rose (Rosa virginiana)] were planted in a large commuter parking lot on the University of Connecticut campus to evaluate their suitability for use in difficult landscapes. The non-native, invasive shrubs ‘Compactus’ winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus) and ‘Crimson Pygmy’ japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) were also planted as controls representing non-native species typically planted in such sites. Aesthetic quality ratings for sweetbells matched the controls (rating of 4.5 out of 5.0) and plants exhibited a high level of white-tailed deer resistance. Virgina rose and creeping sand cherry had similar aesthetic quality to controls, despite light grazing of plants by white-tailed deer. Elderberry was damaged by moderate white-tailed deer grazing and snow load, but plants regenerated to 485% of initial size in one growing season with white-tailed deer exclusion. Gray dogwood, round leaf dogwood, and northern spicebush exhibited the least resistance to white-tailed deer grazing. Both dogwood species had lower aesthetic quality than the controls, and round leaf dogwood had the lowest survival rate (68%) after 2 years. However, several individuals of gray dogwood, round leaf dogwood, and northern spicebush that were less heavily damaged by white-tailed deer grew into attractive shrubs after white-tailed deer exclusion. Highbush blueberry had significantly lower aesthetic quality than controls and only 75% survival after 2 years, indicating that this species is an unsuitable replacement for invasives in difficult landscape sites. This study identified the underused native shrubs sweetbells, virginia rose, and creeping sand cherry as suitable replacements for invasives in difficult landscape sites with white-tailed deer pressure.

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