Diversity of Bee Assemblage (Family Apidae) in Natural and Agriculturally Intensified Ecosystems in Uruguay

Abstract Bees (Family Apidae) hold a key role as pollinators in a wide range of angiosperm communities. South America suffered strong modifications during the last decade due to increasing anthropic activities and the expansion of agricultural areas, particularly the boom of soybean. The goal of this research was to know the current diversity of bees in South and Low Littoral regions in Uruguay. Specimens were collected in the seasons 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 on natural meadows, cultivated grasslands, soybean fields, among others flowering communities. Collected specimens were classified following taxonomic keys. Forty-five bee species or taxa were distinguished belonging to the subfamilies Megachilinae (11), Apinae (22), Halictinae (7), Colletinae (2), and Andreninae (3). Most taxa were classified up to genus and 14 to species level. Bee diversity was higher for the South region, with traditional agriculture and rangelands, than that of the Low Littoral region where an increasing agricultural land use took place during the last decade, particularly soybean. In addition, this research aimed to study the presence of native bees and the introduced Apis mellifera (Apinae) in a soybean field at four transects located at 0, 50, 100, and 200 m from the crop border in both seasons. Native bee species were only present at 0 and 50 m, pointing to the relevance of natural edge plant communities for their preservation. This is the first survey on native bee diversity in Uruguay to be regarded as a baseline and the setup of conservation strategies.

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Observations of native bumble bees inside of commercial colonies ofBombus impatiens(Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the potential for pathogen spillover

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2018.28 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 150 (4) ◽

pp. 520-531 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

B.J. Hicks ◽

B.L. Pilgrim ◽

E. Perry ◽

H.D. Marshall

Keyword(s):

Newfoundland And Labrador ◽

Bumble Bees ◽

Bumble Bee ◽

Native Bees ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Nosema Bombi ◽

Crithidia Bombi ◽

Native Bee ◽

Bee Diversity ◽

Polymerase Chain

AbstractMany fruit producers use commercial colonies ofBombus impatiensCresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to supplement crop pollination by native bees. A small number of Newfoundland (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) farmers forego purchasing new colonies and, instead, purchase previously used colonies from crops in other provinces. This practice has potentially dangerous implications that may adversely affect future native bee diversity in Newfoundland. This study is the first to record the presence of native bumble bee species inside the colonies of new and pre-used commercialB. impatiensand the first to look at diseases in native bumble bees from Newfoundland. Polymerase chain reaction and taxon-specific oligonucleotides were used to screen the commercial and native bumble bee species for pathogens.Crithidia bombi(Lipa and Triggiani), Apicystis bombi(Liu, Macfarlane, and Pengelly),Nosema bombiFantham and Porter, Nosema ceranaeFrieset al., and species ofAscosphaeraOlive and Spiltoir, were detected in native bumble bees that were collected from inside the new and pre-used commercialB. impatiens.Crithidia bombi,A. bombi, andN. bombiwere also detected among native bees that were collected away from the commercial colonies.Nosema apis(Zander) andMelissococcus plutonius(White) were not detected in any of the bees tested. The mixing of native bumble bees inB. impatienscolonies increases the potential for pathogen spillover and spillback that may threaten the small and vulnerable island bee fauna.

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Site specific agricultural soil management with the use of new technologies

Global NEST Journal ◽

10.30955/gnj.001203 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 59-67

Keyword(s):

New Technologies ◽

Digital Interface ◽

Appropriate Treatment ◽

Wide Range ◽

Soil Variation ◽

Soil Information ◽

Remote Sensing Techniques ◽

Agricultural Areas

The Soil Science Institute of Thessaloniki produces new digitized Soil Maps that provide a useful electronic database for the spatial representation of the soil variation within a region, based on in situ soil sampling, laboratory analyses, GIS techniques and plant nutrition mathematical models, coupled with the local land cadastre. The novelty of these studies is that local agronomists have immediate access to a wide range of soil information by clicking on a field parcel shown in this digital interface and, therefore, can suggest an appropriate treatment (e.g. liming, manure incorporation, desalination, application of proper type and quantity of fertilizer) depending on the field conditions and cultivated crops. A specific case study is presented in the current work with regards to the construction of the digitized Soil Map of the regional unit of Kastoria. The potential of this map can easily be realized by the fact that the mapping of the physicochemical properties of the soils in this region provided delineation zones for differential fertilization management. An experiment was also conducted using remote sensing techniques for the enhancement of the fertilization advisory software database, which is a component of the digitized map, and the optimization of nitrogen management in agricultural areas.

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Relating environmental variables with aquatic community structure in an agricultural/urban coldwater stream

Ecological Processes ◽

10.1186/s13717-021-00312-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel T. L. Myers ◽

Richard R. Rediske ◽

James N. McNair ◽

Aaron D. Parker ◽

E. Wendy Ogilvie

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Fish Community ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Urban Land ◽

Urban Land Use ◽

Aquatic Communities ◽

Natural Stream ◽

Longitudinal Gradients ◽

Agricultural Areas

Abstract Background Urban areas are often built along large rivers and surrounded by agricultural land. This may lead to small tributary streams that have agricultural headwaters and urbanized lower reaches. Our study objectives assessed are as follows: (1) landscape, geomorphic, and water quality variables that best explained variation in aquatic communities and their integrity in a stream system following this agricultural-to-urban land use gradient; (2) ways this land use gradient caused aquatic communities to differ from what would be expected for an idealized natural stream or other longitudinal gradients; and (3) whether the impacts of this land use gradient on aquatic communities would grow larger in a downstream direction through the agricultural and urban developments. Our study area was an impaired coldwater stream in Michigan, USA. Results Many factors structured the biological communities along the agricultural-to-urban land use gradient. Instream woody debris had the strongest relationship with EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) abundance and richness and were most common in the lower, urbanized watershed. Fine streambed substrate had the strongest relationship with Diptera taxa and surface air breather macroinvertebrates and was dominant in agricultural headwaters. Fish community assemblage was influenced largely by stream flow and temperature regimes, while poor fish community integrity in lower urban reaches could be impacted by geomorphology and episodic urban pollution events. Scraping macroinvertebrates were most abundant in deforested, first-order agricultural headwaters, while EPT macroinvertebrate richness was the highest downstream of agricultural areas within the urban zone that had extensive forest buffers. Conclusion Environmental variables and aquatic communities would often not conform with what we would expect from an idealized natural stream. EPT richness improved downstream of agricultural areas. This shows promise for the recovery of aquatic systems using well-planned management in watersheds with this agricultural-to-urban land use pattern. Small patches of forest can be the key to conserving aquatic biodiversity in urbanized landscapes. These findings are valuable to an international audience of researchers and water resource managers who study stream systems following this common agricultural-to-urban land use gradient, the ecological communities of which may not conform with what is generally known about land use impacts to streams.

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Phenotypic Characterisation for Growth and Nut Characteristics Revealed the Extent of Genetic Diversity in Wild Macadamia Germplasm

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11070680 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 680

Author(s):

Thuy T. P. Mai ◽

Craig M. Hardner ◽

Mobashwer M. Alam ◽

Robert J. Henry ◽

Bruce L. Topp

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Growth Traits ◽

Principal Component ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Wild Germplasm ◽

Phenotypic Characterisation ◽

Wide Range ◽

Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Wild Accessions

Macadamia is a recently domesticated Australian native nut crop, and a large proportion of its wild germplasm is unexploited. Aiming to explore the existing diversity, 247 wild accessions from four species and inter-specific hybrids were phenotyped. A wide range of variation was found in growth and nut traits. Broad-sense heritability of traits were moderate (0.43–0.64), which suggested that both genetic and environmental factors are equally important for the variability of the traits. Correlations among the growth traits were significantly positive (0.49–0.76). There were significant positive correlations among the nut traits except for kernel recovery. The association between kernel recovery and shell thickness was highly significant and negative. Principal component analysis of the traits separated representative species groups. Accessions from Macadamia integrifolia Maiden and Betche, M. tetraphylla L.A.S. Johnson, and admixtures were clustered into one group and those of M. ternifolia F. Muell were separated into another group. In both M. integrifolia and M. tetraphylla groups, variation within site was greater than across sites, which suggested that the conservation strategies should concentrate on increased sampling within sites to capture wide genetic diversity. This study provides a background on the utilisation of wild germplasm as a genetic resource to be used in breeding programs and the direction for gene pool conservation.

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Body size, sex and high philopatry influence the use of agricultural land by Galapagos giant tortoises

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605320001167 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Kyana N. Pike ◽

Stephen Blake ◽

Freddy Cabrera ◽

Iain J. Gordon ◽

Lin Schwarzkopf

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Large Male ◽

Gps Data ◽

Santa Cruz Island ◽

Santa Cruz ◽

Agricultural Areas ◽

On Farm ◽

Human Wildlife Conflict ◽

Privately Owned

Abstract As agricultural areas expand, interactions between wild animals and farmland are increasing. Understanding the nature of such interactions is vital to inform the management of human–wildlife coexistence. We investigated patterns of space use of two Critically Endangered Galapagos tortoise species, Chelonoidis porteri and Chelonoidis donfaustoi, on privately owned and agricultural land (hereafter farms) on Santa Cruz Island, where a human–wildlife conflict is emerging. We used GPS data from 45 tortoises tracked for up to 9 years, and data on farm characteristics, to identify factors that influence tortoise movement and habitat use in the agricultural zone. Sixty-nine per cent of tagged tortoises used the agricultural zone, where they remained for a mean of 150 days before returning to the national park. Large male tortoises were more likely to use farms for longer periods than female and smaller individuals. Tortoises were philopatric (mean overlap of farmland visits = 88.7 ± SE 2.9%), on average visiting four farms and occupying a mean seasonal range of 2.9 ± SE 0.3 ha. We discuss the characteristics of farm use by tortoises, and its implications for tortoise conservation and coexistence with people.

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Optimal Solutions for the Use of Sewage Sludge on Agricultural Lands

Water ◽

10.3390/w13050585 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 585

Author(s):

Catalina Iticescu ◽

Puiu-Lucian Georgescu ◽

Maxim Arseni ◽

Adrian Rosu ◽

Mihaela Timofti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Chemical Characteristics ◽

Optimal Solutions ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Agricultural Areas ◽

The Impact ◽

Made In

The use of sewage sludge in agriculture decreases the pressure on landfills. In Romania, massive investments have been made in wastewater treatment stations, which have resulted in the accumulation of important quantities of sewage sludge. The presence of these sewage sludges coincides with large areas of degraded agricultural land. The aim of the present article is to identify the best technological combinations meant to solve these problems simultaneously. Adapting the quality and parameters of the sludge to the specificity of the land solves the possible compatibility problems, thus reducing the impact on the environment. The physico-chemical characteristics of the fermented sludge were monitored and optimal solutions for their treatment were suggested so as to allow that the sludge could be used in agriculture according to the characteristics of the soils. The content of heavy metals in the sewage sludge was closely monitored because the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer does not allow for any increases in the concentrations of these in soils. The article identifies those agricultural areas which are suitable for the use of sludge, as well as ways of correcting some parameters (e.g., pH), which allow the improvement of soil quality and obtained higher agricultural production.

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Phylogeographic Investigation of an Endangered Longhorn Beetle, Callipogon relictus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in Northeast Asia: Implications for Future Restoration in Korea

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12060555 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 555

Author(s):

Ji-Hyoun Kang ◽

Dae-Am Yi ◽

Alexander V. Kuprin ◽

Chang-Do Han ◽

Yeon-Jae Bae

Keyword(s):

South Korea ◽

Mitochondrial Gene ◽

Northeast Asia ◽

Haplotype Network ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Genetic Characteristics ◽

Linear Pattern ◽

Wide Range ◽

Longhorn Beetle ◽

High Level

The longhorn beetle, Callipogon (Eoxenus) relictus Semenov, is the only remnant species found in the Palearctic region, while all other Callipogon species are distributed mainly in Central America and partly in South America. This species has been placed in the first category (as ‘critically endangered’) of the Red Data Book in Russia and designated as one of the top-priority target species among all endangered invertebrate species for restoration in South Korea since 2006. Although its restricted distribution in Northeast Asia with a high conservational value has been highlighted, genetic features of C. relictus from different geographic regions remain unexplored. We first investigated the level of genetic diversity and phylogeographic patterns of C. relictus to evaluate the current conservational status and the feasibility of the implementation of a restoration program. The average genetic divergence of mitochondrial gene COI based on Kimura-2-parameter distance among the four regions in Russia, China, North Korea, and South Korea was 2.2%, which lies within the range of intraspecific levels. However, two separate clades with 3.8% divergence were identified, despite no geographical clustering of haplotypes. The linear pattern of the haplotype network with a high level of haplotype and nucleotide diversities suggests that the wide range of currently fragmented populations might be the remnant of genetically diverse populations in the past. This study will provide crucial information on the genetic characteristics and phylogeographic history of C. relictus, which will help to establish conservation strategies for this cherished insect species in Northeast Asia.

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STATE AND PROSPECTS OF PROCESSING OF SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS OF WINE-MAKING IN UKRAINE

Food Science and Technology ◽

10.15673/fst.v15i1.1974 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

L. Osipova ◽

O. Radionova ◽

L. Tkachenko ◽

T. Abramova

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Acid Soil ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Wine Making ◽

Secondary Raw Materials ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Wide Range

The analysis of the current state of processing of secondary raw materials of wine-making in Ukraine is given. It is proved that the latter is a rich source of biologically active compounds, including phenolic ones, which makes it possible to use it for the production of a wide range of products (raccoon, polyphenol extracts, tartaric acid, beverages, fertilizers, grape oil, cake, vitamin D, animal feed, food powder, abrasives) with high consumer value for various industries: food, pharmaceutical, perfume and cosmetics, chemical, feed, etc. In the light of modern research, the role of phenolic compounds as essential nutrition factors that cannot remain out of the field of view of physiologists, pharmacologists, and food hygiene specialists is shown. However, currently in Ukraine there are no specialized enterprises for complex processing of secondary raw materials of winemaking; traditional technologies are not effective from a technological, economic and environmental point of view, which indicates not rational use of resources and loss of material resources; there are no systematic studies on physical and chemical, microbiological, Toxicological composition in order to determine the optimal direction of its use. A limiting factor is also the lack of comparative analysis of innovative domestic and foreign technologies for processing secondary raw materials of winemaking. In the vast majority of cases, in particular, combs and pomace are taken out of control to agricultural land without special treatment, which leads to acid soil erosion and pollution of the environment with metabolites of micromycetes, increasing one of the global problems of mankind-environmental. At the present stage of technological development, there are a number of innovative developments in the field of processing secondary raw materials, in particular grape pomace, in order to obtain biologically active additives, the limiting factor for the introduction of which is the lack of domestic and expensive imported equipment. A promising way to solve the existing problems is to create a mechanism that will unite the interests of wineries (producers of secondary raw materials of winemaking), processing enterprises (producers of products from secondary raw materials of winemaking), scientists and potential consumers of innovative products. Consolidation of the above-mentioned institutions and enterprises is possible by creating clusters for the development and implementation of innovative technologies and equipment

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A new species of genus Hexacentrus Serville, 1831 from Taiwan (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Hexacentrinae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4933.4.5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4933 (4) ◽

pp. 543-556

Author(s):

PO-WEI CHEN ◽

HUI-CONG XIE ◽

XUE WU ◽

CHU-ZE SHEN ◽

ZHU-QING HE

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Gene Tree ◽

Species Level ◽

National Museum ◽

Type Specimens ◽

As Species ◽

Wide Range ◽

Similar Appearance ◽

One New Species ◽

A New Species

There are 29 species or subspecies in genus Hexacentrus occurring in Asia, Africa and Australia. Because of its similar appearance, it is not easy to distinguish them by traditional methods. In this study, we collected samples and sequenced COI genes from wide range. By reconstructing the gene tree, we found one new species, H. formosanus Chen et He sp. nov., from Taiwan. The new species is similar to H. expansus or H. inflatissimus, but differs from the former in male Cu2 vein of left tegmina curved and slender, and spectrum of male left tegmina slender and subsquare; differs from the later by body size smaller and female tegmina narrow and short. The type specimens are deposited in National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan (NMNS). H. japonicus hareyamai is treated as species level, H. hareyamai stat. nov.

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Reducing leaching using the threshold nitrate root-uptake phenomena

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8780 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Kurtzman ◽

Beeri Kanner ◽

Yehuda Levy ◽

Ido Nitsan ◽

Asher Bar-Tal

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Root Zone ◽

Threshold Concentration ◽

Wet Season ◽

Annual Crops ◽

Wide Range ◽

Irrigated Crops ◽

Winter Crops ◽

Leaching Fraction ◽

Direct Results

Reducing nitrate leaching from agricultural land to aquifers is a high priority concern for more than a half a century. Theory and observations of a threshold concentration of nitrate in the root-zone (Cmax), from which the leachate concentration increases at higher rates with increasing root-zone nitrate concentration, are presented. Cmax is derived both by direct results from container experiments with varying nitrogen (N) fertigation, and as calibration parameter in N-transport models beneath commercial agricultural plots. For five different crops, Cmax ranged between 20-45 mg/l of NO3-N derived from experiments and models. However, for lettuce, which was irrigated with a large leaching fraction, a Cmax could not be defined. For the crops irrigated and fertilized in the warm/dry season (corn and citrus) experiments show a dramatic change in leachate concentrations and simulations reveal a wide range of sensitivity of leachate NO3-N concentration to Cmax. Annual crops that are irrigated and fertilized in the cool/wet season (e.g. potato in Mediterranean climate) showed a distinct Cmax yet less dramatic than the summer-irrigated crops in the container experiment, and smaller impact of Cmax in models. Simulations showed that for summer-irrigated crops maintaining fertigation at C<Cmax has a significant effect on deep leachate concentrations, whereas for the winter annual crops the simulations revealed no threshold. It is suggested that for summer-irrigated crops fertigation below Cmax robustly serves the co-sustainability of intensive agriculture and aquifer water quality, for the winter crops it is suggested but benefits are not robust. For short season, small root-system crops (lettuce) efforts should be made to detach the crop from the soil.

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