scholarly journals Archaeobotanical evidence for a massive loss of epiphyte species richness during industrialization in southern England

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1724) ◽  
pp. 3482-3489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Ellis ◽  
Rebecca Yahr ◽  
Brian J. Coppins
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Southern England ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
Industrial Landscapes ◽  
Post Industrial ◽  
First Time ◽  
Epiphyte Species

This paper describes a novel archaeological resource—preserved epiphytes on the timber structure of vernacular buildings—used, to our knowledge, for the first time to quantify a loss of biodiversity between pre-industrial and post-industrial landscapes. By matching the confirmed occurrence of epiphyte species for the pre-industrial period, with a statistical likelihood for their absence in the present-day landscape (post-1960), we robustly identified species that have been extirpated across three contrasting regions in southern England. First, the scale of biodiversity loss observed—up to 80 per cent of epiphytes—severely challenges biodiversity targets and environmental baselines that have been developed using reference points in the post-industrial period. Second, we examined sensitivity in the present-day distribution of extirpated species, explained by three environmental drivers: (i) pollution regime, (ii) extent of ancient woodland, and (iii) climatic setting. Results point to an interacting effect between the pollution regime (sulphur dioxide) and changed woodland structure, leading to distinctive regional signatures in biodiversity loss.

scholarly journals Biodiversity and conservation of terricolous lichens and bryophytes in continental lowlands of northern Italy: the role of different dry habitat types

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (13) ◽  
pp. 3533-3550
Author(s):  
Gabriele Gheza ◽  
Silvia Assini ◽  
Chiara Lelli ◽  
Lorenzo Marini ◽  
Helmut Mayrhofer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Vegetation Dynamics ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Dry Grasslands ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Terricolous Lichens ◽  
Landscape Scales

Abstract In dry habitats of European lowlands terricolous lichens and bryophytes are almost neglected in conservation practises, even if they may strongly contribute to biodiversity. This study aims at (a) testing the role of heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands for lichen and bryophyte diversity and conservation in lowland areas of northern Italy characterized by high human impact and habitat fragmentation; (b) detecting the effect of environmental drivers and vegetation dynamics on species richness and composition. Lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants, and environmental variables were recorded in 287 circular plots for 75 sites. Our results indicate that heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands host peculiar terricolous lichen and bryophyte communities that include several species of conservation concern. Thus, each habitat provides a complementary contribution to lichen and bryophyte diversity in continental lowland landscapes. Furthermore, in each habitat different factors drive species richness and composition with contrasting patterns between lichens and bryophytes. In terms of conservation, our results indicate that management of lowland dry habitats should act at both local and landscape scales. At local scale, vegetation dynamics should be controlled in order to avoid biodiversity loss due to vegetation dynamics and wood encroachment. At the landscape scale, patches of all the three habitats should be maintained to maximize regional diversity.

Quantifying the loss of lichen epiphyte diversity from the pre-industrial Exmoor landscape (south-west England)

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 711-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca YAHR ◽  
Brian J. COPPINS ◽  
Christopher J. ELLIS
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Lichen Diversity ◽  
Industrial Landscape ◽  
South West ◽  
High Figure ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
A Site ◽  
Epiphyte Species ◽  
South West England

AbstractAcross much of lowland Britain, lichen diversity has been dramatically affected by the Industrial Revolution, including the lasting legacy of pollution, and changes in land use including the loss, intensification, or abandonment of traditional woodland management. We sampled preserved epiphytes on historical timbers in vernacular buildings to reconstruct pre-industrial lichen species occurrence for a site in Exmoor, south-west England, and used these data to quantify biodiversity loss that appears related to shifts in woodland composition. A total of 33 lichen epiphyte species were collected from pre-industrial structural timbers, and these were compared with modern lichen occurrence. Based on a direct comparison with species presence-absence in the same 10 km target grid-square,c. 31% of species recorded from the pre-industrial landscape had disappeared from the post-1960 landscape. Based on statistical inference comparing historical records with present-day biogeographical distributions, up to 38% of species could be inferred to be lost. This study presents a surprisingly high figure for these losses for a region in Britain usually recognized as having a relatively unpolluted environment and a diverse set of lichens. Of 12 species that were inferred to be lost, nine are predominantly found on nutrient-rich bark, and in our study onUlmus, the dominant timber in the archaeological samples. We conclude that shifts in phorophyte distribution and abundance may be more important in this region than previously understood.

scholarly journals Temperature and Prey Species Richness Drive the Broad-Scale Distribution of a Generalist Predator

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Danai-Eleni Michailidou ◽  
Maria Lazarina ◽  
Stefanos P. Sgardelis
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Generalist Predator ◽  
Distributional Patterns ◽  
The Future ◽  
Grass Snake ◽  
Broad Scale

The ongoing climate change and the unprecedented rate of biodiversity loss render the need to accurately project future species distributional patterns more critical than ever. Mounting evidence suggests that not only abiotic factors, but also biotic interactions drive broad-scale distributional patterns. Here, we explored the effect of predator-prey interaction on the predator distribution, using as target species the widespread and generalist grass snake (Natrix natrix). We used ensemble Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) to build a model only with abiotic variables (abiotic model) and a biotic one including prey species richness. Then we projected the future grass snake distribution using a modest emission scenario assuming an unhindered and no dispersal scenario. The two models performed equally well, with temperature and prey species richness emerging as the top drivers of species distribution in the abiotic and biotic models, respectively. In the future, a severe range contraction is anticipated in the case of no dispersal, a likely possibility as reptiles are poor dispersers. If the species can disperse freely, an improbable scenario due to habitat loss and fragmentation, it will lose part of its contemporary distribution, but it will expand northwards.

scholarly journals The genera Turnera and Piriqueta (Passifloraceae sensu lato) in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

Rodriguésia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andréia Zelenski ◽  
Rafael Louzada
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
New Record ◽  
National Park ◽  
The State ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Taxonomic Treatment ◽  
Semideciduous Seasonal Forest ◽  
First Time

Abstract A taxonomic treatment of the genera Turnera and Piriqueta in the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, is presented. Fourteen species of Turnera and six species of Piriqueta were found in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga, of which nine are endemic to Brazil. Turnera pernambucensis is threatened and restricted to the Atlantic Forest of Pernambuco, while T. joelii is a new record for the state. The species predominate in steppe savanna and semideciduous seasonal forest, but several of them grow naturally in anthropized areas. Catimbau National Park is the locality with the highest species richness. Tristyly is recorded for the first time in Piriqueta guianensis. Identification keys, descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and comments about habitat, flowering, fruiting, and morphological relationships are provided.

scholarly journals The longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of National Park «Kremenetski Hory»

2020 ◽  
pp. 129-140
Author(s):  
Iryna Dovganyuk ◽  
Andrew M. Zamoroka
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
National Park ◽  
Longhorn Beetles ◽  
Different Types ◽  
First Time

The fauna of the longhorn beetles of ecoregion of Kremenetski Hory and the eponymous National Park was studied very poorly. In the most recent catalogue of Cerambycidae of Western Podillya it was listed only 13 species for the ecoregion. Including other sources, to date, it was known 17 species of the longhorn beetles. In the current study we identified 59 species of the longhorn beetles, 42 of which are reported for the first time for National Park «Kremenetski Hory» and the ecoregion in general. Under our proposed prediction the Cerambycidae species richness should reach 100-120 species. We also presented result of quantitative study of the longhorn beetles within different types of ecosystems of National Park «Kremenetski Hory». We revealed that 10 species are the most abundant on the studied territory.

scholarly journals THE FIRST DATA ON THE MEIOBENTHOS OF LAKE NERO

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
V. Gusakov
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Quantitative Structure ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Volga River ◽  
Volga River Basin ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
First Results ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
First Time

The paper provides the first results of a study of the qualitative and quantitative structure of the community of bottom meiofauna (meiobenthos) in shallow, hypereutrophic Lake Nero (Volga River basin, Yaroslavl region, Russia). In the samples, collected in early September 2017, 106 representatives from 16 systematic groups of aquatic organisms were found. About half of them had not been previously recorded in the lake's fauna. The species composition of Gastrotricha, Nematoda, Tardigrada, Acari, Harpacticoida, and Ostracoda was analyzed in the water body for the first time. It is established that at the end of the vegetation season, the lake's meiobenthos characterizes by relatively high species richness, diversity, and quantitative parameters. The circle of the main (dominant) community members in the studied period was outlined.

scholarly journals Algae and Cyanobacteria Diversity and Bioindication of Long-Term Changes in the Hula Nature Reserve, Israel

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 583
Author(s):  
Sophia Barinova ◽  
Alla Alster
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Organic Pollution ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
International Importance ◽  
First Time ◽  
Lake Hula

Lake Hula, the core of one of the most extensive wetland complexes in the Eastern Mediterranean, was drained in 1951–1958. However, about 350 hectares of papyrus marshes were allocated in the southwestern part of the previous lake and became the Hula Nature Reserve status, the first of two wetlands in Israel included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. The list of algae and cyanobacteria species of Lake Hula was compiled by us for the first time based on data from publications of 1938–1958, as well as our research in the Hula Nature Reserve, obtained within the framework of the monitoring program for 2007–2013. The list includes 225 species and intraspecies of algae and cyanobacteria belonging to eight phyla. The dynamics of the species richness of algae and cyanobacteria flora for 1938–2013 are shown. Species-bioindicators of water quality have been identified, and the change in their composition by ecological groups for a period of about a hundred years has been shown. Based on the species richness of algae communities, water quality indices were calculated with particular attention to changes in trophic status during the study period. The algae flora of Lake Hula and Hula Nature Reserve was found to be similar, but bioindication has revealed an increase in salinity and organic pollution in recent years.

scholarly journals New records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province of Iran with taxonomic comments

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsalan Khalili-Moghadam ◽  
Lech Borowiec ◽  
Alireza Nemati
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
New Records ◽  
Species Status ◽  
Messor Barbarus ◽  
New Synonym ◽  
First Time

Abstract The ant fauna from the Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province of Iran was surveyed. As a result, a total of 28 ant species belonging to 11 genera of Formicidae were collected and identified. Species status is proposed for Messor barbarus subsp. mediosanguineus Donisthorpe, 1946, the species status of Messor platyceras Crawley, 1920 is restored with Messor platyceras var. rubella Crawley, 1920 as a new synonym of the nominotypical form, and Camponotus oasium ninivae Pisarski, 1971 is removed from synonyms of Camponotus oasium Forel, 1890. The genera Messor Forel, 1890, with seven species and Cataglyphis Förster, 1850 with six species, have the highest species richness. Messor mediosanguineus Donisthorpe, 1946, Pheidole koshewnikovi Ruzsky, 1905 and Camponotus oasium ninivae Pisarski, 1971 were recorded in Iran for the first time.

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