Diversity of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Rural Settlements and Degraded Seasonal Deciduous Forests

Abstract Biting midges are widespread in Brazilian natural ecosystems. However, deforestation and other activities that impact the environment are reducing natural habitats where biting midges proliferate. The objective of this study was to verify whether there is variation in the composition, richness, abundance, and seasonality of biting midges between wild and rural environments, in a forest area with intense deforestation. Biting midges were captured using 6 traps installed at an average height of 1.5 m in the peridomicile, intradomicile, and deciduous seasonal forests, once a month from May 2012 to April 2013. In total, 2,182 specimens of 13 species of the genus Culicoides were captured. Species richness was similar in the intradomicile (13 species), forest (12), and peridomicile (11), but species diversity was greater in the peridomicile (H’ = 0.803) compared with the intradomicile (H’ = 0.717) and forest (H’ = 0.687). The order of species dominance varied between the forest (Culicoides paucienfuscatus Barbosa > Culicoides leopodoi Ortiz > Culicoides foxi Ortiz > Culicoides ignacioi Forattini) and peridomicile + intradomicile habitats (C. paucienfuscatus > C. foxi > C. filariferus Hoffman > C. ignacioi). The activity of these dipterans was strongly influenced by meteorological variables, as biting midges are predominant in the rainy season (80.7% of specimens), when higher rainfall, relative humidity, and lower temperatures prevail. The abundance of biting midges was higher in the peridomicile + intradomicile (83.7% of specimens) compared with the degraded forest (16.3%), a result that reflects the loss of forest habitat due to intense and progressive deforestation.

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DISTRIBUTION OF SOSNOVSKY HOGWEED (HERACLEUM SOSNOWSKYI) ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE SECONDARY RANGE IN THE EUROPEAN PART OF RUSSIA

Russian Journal of Biological Invasions ◽

10.35885/1996-1499-2021-14-2-2-15 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 2-15

Author(s):

L. A. Arepieva ◽

E. I. Arepiev ◽

S. G. Kazakov

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Land ◽

Arable Land ◽

European Part ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Heracleum Sosnowskyi ◽

Secondary Range ◽

European Part Of Russia ◽

Southern Border ◽

Kursk Region

The distribution of the Sosnovsky hogweed on the southern border of the secondary range in the European part of Russia on the example of the Kursk Region is investigated in the work. It is revealed that Sosnovsky hogweed grows mainly in the western part of the Region in the vicinity of places where it was cultivated in fields in the second half of the twentieth century. The analysis of invader occurrence in anthropogenic and natural ecosystems of the Region revealed patterns of distribution that are characteristic of invasive species at initial stages of their secondary range formation: most of the foci are present in anthropogenic and semi-natural habitats; medium-sized foci predominate (from 100 sq. m. to 1 ha); the greatest number of foci was found in the areas located along roads. The intensive distribution of hogweed in settlements of the Region, especially with pronounced depopulation processes, was revealed. Among natural and semi-natural habitats, most of the foci were found along the banks of reservoirs. In forests, hogweed is found mainly in small groups of vegetative rosettes on the outskirts, with the exception of areas with a strong anthropogenic impact, where multiple foci with generative shoots are formed. At present, hogweed is not found on arable land due to the intensive cultivation of agricultural land in the Region. Plant communities with Heracleum sosnowskyi in the Kursk Region are represented by 4 syntaxons: association Urtico dioicae-Heracleetum sosnowskyi , association Rudbeckio laciniatae - Solidaginetum canadensis variant Heracleum sosnowskyi , association Chelidonio-Aceretum negundi variant Heracleum sosnowskyi , derivative community Heracleum sosnowskyi [ Agropyretalia intermedio-repentis ].

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Sustainable use of wild plant species: A research bibliography

Social Change ◽

10.1177/004908570303300313 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 33 (2-3) ◽

pp. 204-221

Author(s):

Ghazala Shahabuddin

Keyword(s):

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Plant Species ◽

Sustainable Forest Management ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Nature Protection ◽

Plant Resources ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Field Methods

During the last few decades, there has been a growing realisation that biodiversity conservation cannot be successful without the active involvement of the people living close to and dependent on natural ecosystems for their survival and livelihoods. Consequently, there has been a gradual broadening of the global conservation agenda from strict nature protection to include the sustainable use of natural resources, which is now reflected in governmental policy the world over. However, as conservationists strive today towards the harmonisation of people's needs with biodiversity conservation, one of the most elusive, yet critical, goals for them has been the sustainable extraction of plant resources from the wild. Hundreds of plant species continue to be extracted from natural habitats for use as food, medicine, fuel and fodder in households and for commercial sale, both legally and illegally. As a consequence of unmonitored extraction and over-exploitation, many plant species populations are reported to be declining in the wild. In the face of increasing pressure on forest resources, it has become more important than ever before to devise quantitative management policies for sustainable plant use so that both forests and the livelihoods of millions of rural people who are dependent on them, can be sustained. One of the major stumbling blocks for conservationists in developing countries, who are attempting to design and implement sustainable forest management systems, is the lack of information on the state-of-the-art in this field, especially that relating to field methods, data analysis, data recording and monitoring systems. In order to fill this lacuna, a comprehensive bibliography of studies undertaken so far in the science of sustainable use from terrestrial ecosystems is presented here. The scope of this bibliography includes sustainable

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THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS

Vestnik of Kazan state agrarin university ◽

10.12737/2073-0462-2021-96-99 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 96-99

Author(s):

Vladimir Grigor'ev ◽

Dan Chuong Fam Thi ◽

Rustam Nizamov ◽

Igor' Grigor'ev

Keyword(s):

Forest Cover ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Strong Dependence ◽

World Market ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Socialist Republic ◽

National University ◽

The Government

Aquaculture is one of the most promising and dynamically developing types of agricultural production, especially in countries with warm climates. The research was carried out to analyze the current situation in aquaculture in Vietnam to clarify the existing problems and prospects of this industry. When collecting materials, we used statistical data from the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as well as information from representatives of the Institute of Economics and Business of the Vietnam National University (Hanoi). In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, aquaculture is well developed and continues to actively expand, annually increasing the production of products that are in significant demand on the world market. One of the most important problems of the industry is the threat to natural biodiversity, primarily due to the reduction of the natural habitats of the inhabitants of rivers and mangroves. An equally important problem is the strong dependence of the production of products, primarily shrimp, on foreign markets, which today is objective and insurmountable. Due to the use of chemicals and antibiotics in aquaculture, especially in natural conditions, environmental degradation is possible. Among the promising areas for the development of the industry is the convergence of natural ecosystems and agriculture, a good example of which is the cultivation of shrimp in mangroves without destroying the forest cover. It is possible to switch to aquaculture as an adaptation to changes in the ecological situation, primarily to the salinization of river deltas. As a result of a decrease in the profitability of fishing in the natural habitat of fish and shrimps, an increase in their populations in natural conditions is possible

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Ixodid ticks on dogs in southern Mozambique

Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research ◽

10.4102/ojvr.v71i4.231 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 71 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

L. Neves ◽

Sonia Afonso ◽

I.G. Horak

Keyword(s):

Tick Species ◽

Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽

Ixodid Tick ◽

Ixodid Ticks ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Rural Settlements ◽

Genus Level ◽

Rural Environments ◽

Haemaphysalis Leachi ◽

The City

The objective of this study was to determine the species and distribution of ticks infesting domestic dogs in southern Mozambique. To this end 89 collections were taken from dogs and the geographic coordinates of the localities at which they were made noted. Fifty-eight of these collections were from animals in the city of Maputo and 16 from animals at rural settlements close to Maputo. A further 15 collections were made from dogs in rural environments north of Maputo. Ten ixodid tick species, of which one was only identified to genus level, were recovered. Rhipicephalus sanguineus was the most numerous of the ten species, and its prevalence and intensity of infestation were significantly higher on city dogs than on rural dogs (P< 0.01), whereas the converse was true for Haemaphysalis leachi (P< 0.01). Including the city of Maputo, the exact localities at which nine tick species were collected, were recorded.

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Synoptic representation of P.oceanica ecosystem services in the Italian seas

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-15329 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sergio Scanu ◽

Simone Mellini ◽

Daniele Piazzolla ◽

Simone Bonamano ◽

Emanuele Mancini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Leaf Area ◽

Posidonia Oceanica ◽

Average Height ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Habitat Directive ◽

Area Index ◽

Long Run ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Object Of Study

This work analyzes and quantifies the value of ecosystem services in the P.oceanica meadows of the Italian seas, defining methodological approaches and creating synoptic maps through the use of GIS. Ecosystem Services can be defined as benefits provided to mankind by natural ecosystems. Their contribution is essential for human progress and of fundamental importance in the long run.Posidonia oceanica was chosen as the object of study because its meadows represent one of the Mediterranean "climax community". P. oceanica is, therefore, one of the most important ecosystem in the Mediterranean and has been indicated as "priority habitat" according to the Habitat Directive (Dir. N. 92/43 / EEC), which groups together all the Sites of Community Importance (SCI) that need to be protected.The method of evaluating the ecosystem services for P.oceanica is derived from what reported in Costanza et al. (1997) applying the specific site approach for the definition of benefits and services (Marcelli et al. 2018).The identified benefits for P.oceanica are carbon sequestration, oxygen production, erosion protection, bioremediation and food production.P.oceanica data are organized from the dataset collected by the Italian Institute for the Protection of the Environment and Research (ISPRA) for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and include parameters such as coverage and shoots number (m2), average leaf area, leaf area index, average number of leaves, average height of the rhizomes, average foliar and rhizomes production. The data were used for the calculation of the benefits of P. oceanica which are represented in synoptic maps through GIS with the creation of the Atlas of the values &#8203;&#8203;of ecosystem services in the Italian seas.

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Ammonia emissions from beech forest after leaf fall – measurements and modelling

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-9-15633-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 15633-15665

Author(s):

K. Hansen ◽

L. L. Sørensen ◽

O. Hertel ◽

C. Geels ◽

C. A. Skjøth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Beech Forest ◽

Deciduous Forests ◽

Leaf Fall ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Area Index ◽

Model Calculations ◽

Plant Area Index ◽

Plant Area ◽

Dynamic Description

Abstract. The understanding of biochemical feed-back mechanisms in the climate system is lacking knowledge in relation to bi-directional ammonia (NH3) exchange between natural ecosystems and the atmosphere. We therefore study the atmospheric NH3 fluxes during a 25 days period during autumn 2010 (21 October–15 November) for the Danish beech forest, Lille Bøgeskov, to address the hypothesis that NH3 emissions occur from deciduous forests in relation to leaf fall. This is accomplished by using observations of vegetation status, NH3 fluxes and model calculations. Vegetation status was observed using plant area index (PAI) and leaf area index (LAI). NH3 fluxes were measured using the relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) method. The REA based NH3 concentrations were compared to NH3 denuder measurements. Model calculations were obtained with the Danish Ammonia MOdelling System (DAMOS). 57.7% of the fluxes measured showed emission and 19.5% showed deposition. The mean NH3 flux was 0.087 ± 0.19 μg NH3-N m−2 s−1. A clear tendency of the flux going from negative (deposition) to positive (emission) fluxes of up to 0.96 ± 0.40 μg NH3-N m−2 s−1 throughout the measurement period was found. In the leaf fall period (23 October–8 November), an increase in the atmospheric NH3 concentrations was related to the increasing forest NH3 flux. The modelled concentration from DAMOS fits well the measured concentrations before leaf fall. During and after leaf fall, the modelled concentrations are too low. The results indicate that the missing contribution to atmospheric NH3 concentration from vegetative surfaces related to leaf fall are of a relatively large magnitude. We therefore conclude that emissions from deciduous forests are important to include in model calculations of atmospheric NH3 for forest ecosystems. Finally, diurnal variations in the measured NH3 concentrations were related to meteorological conditions, forest phenology and the spatial distribution of local anthropogenic NH3 sources. This suggests that an accurate description of ammonia fluxes over forest ecosystems requires a dynamic description of atmospheric and vegetation processes.

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Environmental evaluation of suitability of recultivated land in a manganese quarry for the existence of soil biota

Biosystems Diversity ◽

10.15421/011748 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

Author(s):

I. М. Loza ◽

V. I. Chiorna

Keyword(s):

Biological Diversity ◽

Soil Biota ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Ecological Functions ◽

Environmental Evaluation ◽

Bulk Layer ◽

Environmental Properties ◽

Reclaimed Soil ◽

Actual Acidity

The challenge of degradation of natural ecosystems because of human activity is considered by the world community to be the most serious problems facing mankind. As a result of mineral extraction, man-made landscapes and environmentally ruined areas replace natural habitats and agroecosystems; a whole spectrum of man-made processes are typical for such landscapes, which leads to a decrease in species richness and biological diversity within such areas. Degraded territories formed in the process of coal mining are often partially restored through remediation measures. During the implementation of the technical stage of remediation, substrates with different potential fertility having different environmental properties and quality are used. However, in quality assessment of remediated soils insufficient attention is paid to restoration of the environmental properties of the soils, namely their suitability for the existence of soil biota, which ensures the soil’s sustainability and vitality. The main indicators determining the productivity of remediated lands and the degree of their suitability for the existence of soil biota are values of actual acidity and degree of salinity. An assessment of the quality of reclaimed lands of the Ordzhonikidzevsky ore mining and processing enterprise was carried out on the example of the Zaporizhsky open-cast mine with the aim of assessing the possibility of their economic use and suitability for the existence of soil biota , as well as to make recommendations for further rational use. It was found that main characteristics of the study area (capacity of bulk humic layer, content of humus in the bulk layer, content of physical clay in the bulk humic layer and in the subsoil, average soil density in the meter bulk layer, salinity of the bulk humic layer and subsoil, composition and properties of subsoil), of the Zaporizhzhya quarry's reclamation is suitable for the further settlement and successful existence of the soil biota. It is concluded that as a result of the technical stage of reclamation, an artificial reclaimed soil was obtained, which according to its characteristics is similar to the primary zonal soils that were located in this area prior to mining; the recultivated soil has somewhat lower fertility and greater salinity at the lower horizons, but is capable of performing ecological functions and can not only be used for economic purposes, but also perform ecological functions, serving as an environment for the existence of soil biota.

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La vegetación del Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán

Botanical Sciences ◽

10.17129/botsci.1625 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 25 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alfonso Valiente-Banuet ◽

Alejandro Casas ◽

Ariel Alcántara ◽

Patricia Dávila ◽

Noe Flores-Hernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Gradients ◽

Deciduous Forests ◽

Aquatic Environments ◽

Altitudinal Distribution ◽

Species Dominance ◽

Columnar Cacti ◽

Plant Associations

The plant associations of the phytogeographic province of Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley are described and classified according to the species dominance and physiognomy based on field samplings of 500 m2. The altitudinal distribution of the associations was determined conducting 250 m2 samplings located every 100 m altitude in throughout five environmental gradients. A total of 29 plant associations were recognized including nine associations dominated by columnar cacti, four types of deciduous forests, three types of Izotal, and six type of shrublands. Mountainous arboreal vegetation includes five types of forests, as well as a Mountainous lzotal. The vegetation associated to aquatic environments along rivers and springs include Galery forests and "Tulares". The pronounced heterogeneity of Tehuacan-Cuicatlán Valley determines the diversity and the distribution of the vegetation associations.

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Pteris vittata (Chinese ladder brake fern).

10.1079/isc.119837.20203482711 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jeanine Vélez-Gavilán

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Native Species ◽

Pteris Vittata ◽

Native Range ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Vast Number ◽

Brunei Darussalam ◽

The Tropics ◽

European Mediterranean Region

Abstract Pteris vittata is a herbaceous fern native to the tropics and subtropics of the Old World. It is mostly found in disturbed and urban areas, usually growing on limestone substrates, including buildings walls, pavement cracks and tombs. Although no details are available on its introduction to areas outside its native range, the dispersal of the species occurs naturally through air-borne spores or by its occasional use as an ornamental. It is reported as an urban weed in the European Mediterranean region and in Lucknow in India. In Azerbaijan it is categorized as a species that has the ability to self-sustain for a certain period of time, but not invading natural ecosystems. P. vittata is categorized in Florida, USA as an exotic species that has increased in abundance or frequency but has yet to alter natural plant communities. P. vittata is reported as invasive on Diego García Island, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Micronesia, Guam, Palau, USA (Florida and Hawaii), Cuba and Brazil. Although there are no data available on its effects on natural habitats or native species, it is still regarded as an invasive species due to the vast number of spores produced.

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A Future for a Rural Past: An Investigation of Rural Communal Life in New Zealand, through an Architectural Analysis of Rural Halls

10.26686/wgtn.16997077 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

James Grosvenor Morgan

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Social Life ◽

Early Years ◽

Rural Settlements ◽

Skill Sets ◽

Architectural Analysis ◽

Communal Life ◽

Rural Environments ◽

Rural And Urban

Since the early years of colonisation, rural settlements in New Zealand have undergone much change. The built infrastructure that once supported close-knit rural communities has become largely obsolete, degenerating into disrepair. Within this context of rural decline, my thesis explores the relation between rural buildings and communal living. In so doing, I offer a conceptualisation of a new rural facility, as an incubator for new communal experience, appropriate for bringing rural and urban dwellers together. My focus is specifically community centred on rural halls within Taranaki's Stratford District. In offering a critical analysis of their demise, I contend that rural halls in New Zealand have undergone this change through processes of urbanisation. Urban dwelling has given rise to a lack of agricultural knowledge, providing a disassociation between urban residents and their earlier ties to the landscape and farm practices. The development of new forms of social life has aided an increase in the degree of physical separation between individuals and their neighbors. The traditional physical sense of belonging to a close-knit rural community has been transformed if not destroyed. Belonging to a community is, I contend, a vital psychological requirement for humans. My theoretical stance is that buildings can and do support a sense of community. From a regenerative perspective, there is arguably a trend of moving back to rural environments as people seek out alternative ways of dealing with the overbearing issue of contemporary urban living. The built rural infrastructure may be of importance to New Zealand's current and future generations. This thesis explores the possibility for a reinterpretation/adaptation of rural New Zealand halls in expressing physical rural 'communal life' in a contemporary context. Critical Regionalist and Adaptive Reuse architecture theories are utilised to test this contention. The design ventures a new archetype, a new hub for a rural settlement that will include new facilities, whilst extending and reworking the traditional social roles of rural halls. Through fostering a renewed form of communal life and providing an environment that fuses rural and urban skill-sets, this facility is intended to breath new life into these former rural communities and in particular, the abandoned rural halls.

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