scholarly journals Behavior-specific occupancy patterns of Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) in three Great Basin study areas and significance for pinyon-juniper woodland management

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Boone ◽  
Chris Witt ◽  
Elisabeth M. Ammon
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Metric Dimension ◽  
Inventory Analysis ◽  
Woodland Management ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Occupancy Patterns ◽  
Juniper Woodland ◽  
Pinyon Jay

AbstractThe Pinyon Jay is a highly-social, year-round inhabitant of pinyon-juniper woodlands in the western United States. Range-wide, Pinyon Jays have declined ~ 3 – 4% per year for at least the last half-century. At the same time, large acreages of pinyon-juniper woodland have been removed or thinned to improve habitat for Greater Sage-Grouse or other game species across much of the Great Basin, which is home to nearly half of the global population of Pinyon Jays. Occupancy patterns and habitat use of Pinyon Jays have not been well characterized across much of the species’ range, and obtaining this information is necessary for better understanding the causes of ongoing declines and determining useful conservation strategies. Our goal of this study was to identify the characteristics of areas used by Pinyon Jays for several critical life history components and to thereby facilitate the inclusion of Pinyon Jay conservation measures in the design of vegetation management projects. To accomplish this, we studied Pinyon Jays in three widely separated study areas using radio telemetry and direct observation, and measured key attributes of their locations and a separate set of randomly-selected control sites using the U. S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory Analysis protocol. Data visualizations, non-metric dimension scaling ordinations, and logistic regressions of the resulting data indicated that Pinyon Jay occupancy was concentrated in a distinct subset of available pinyon-juniper woodland habitat, and further that Pinyon Jays used different habitats, arrayed along elevational and tree-cover gradients, for seed caching, foraging, and nesting. Caching was concentrated in low-elevation, relatively flat areas with low tree cover; foraging occurred at slightly higher elevations with moderate tree cover, and nesting was concentrated in somewhat higher areas with greater tree cover and higher stand density. All three of these Pinyon Jay behavior types were highly concentrated within the lower-elevation band of pinyon-juniper woodland close to the woodland-shrubland ecotone. Because woodland removal projects in the Great Basin are often concentrated in these same areas, it is critical to incorporate conservation measures informed by Pinyon Jay occupancy patterns into existing woodland management paradigms, protocols, and practices.

scholarly journals Behavior-specific occurrence patterns of Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) in three Great Basin study areas and significance for pinyon-juniper woodland management

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0237621
Author(s):  
John D. Boone ◽  
Chris Witt ◽  
Elisabeth M. Ammon
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Principle Components Analysis ◽  
Woodland Management ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Juniper Woodland ◽  
Occurrence Patterns ◽  
Pinyon Jay

The Pinyon Jay is a highly social, year-round inhabitant of pinyon-juniper and other coniferous woodlands in the western United States. Range-wide, Pinyon Jays have declined ~ 3–4% per year for at least the last half-century. Occurrence patterns and habitat use of Pinyon Jays have not been well characterized across much of the species’ range, and obtaining this information is necessary for better understanding the causes of ongoing declines and determining useful conservation strategies. Additionally, it is important to better understand if and how targeted removal of pinyon-juniper woodland, a common and widespread vegetation management practice, affects Pinyon Jays. The goal of this study was to identify the characteristics of areas used by Pinyon Jays for several critical life history components in the Great Basin, which is home to nearly half of the species’ global population, and to thereby facilitate the inclusion of Pinyon Jay conservation measures in the design of vegetation management projects. To accomplish this, we studied Pinyon Jays in three widely separated study areas using radio telemetry and direct observation and measured key attributes of their locations and a separate set of randomly-selected control sites using the U. S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory Analysis protocol. Data visualizations, principle components analysis, and logistic regressions of the resulting data indicated that Pinyon Jays used a distinct subset of available pinyon-juniper woodland habitat, and further suggested that Pinyon Jays used different but overlapping habitats for seed caching, foraging, and nesting. Caching was concentrated in low-elevation, relatively flat areas with low tree cover; foraging occurred at slightly higher elevations with generally moderate but variable tree cover; and nesting was concentrated in slightly higher areas with high tree and vegetation cover. All three of these Pinyon Jay behavior types were highly concentrated within the lower-elevation band of pinyon-juniper woodland close to the woodland-shrubland ecotone. Woodland removal projects in the Great Basin are often concentrated in these same areas, so it is potentially important to incorporate conservation measures informed by Pinyon Jay occurrence patterns into existing woodland management paradigms, protocols, and practices.

scholarly journals HÁBITAT DE Hodomys alleni (RODENTIA: MURIDAE) EN LA SELVA BAJA CADUCIFOLIA EN LA REGIÓN CENTRAL DE COLIMA, MÉXICO

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Paulina Arias-Caballero de Miguel ◽  
Daniela Medellín ◽  
Yolanda Domínguez Castellanos ◽  
Gerardo Ceballos
Keyword(s):  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Mexican Pacific ◽  
La Selva ◽  
Brosimum Alicastrum ◽  
Depth Feature

RESUMENSon pocas las áreas de selva baja caducifolia y selva mediana subcaducifolia en México y en este tipo de vegetación se encuentra uno de los pocos géneros monotípico de roedores, Hodomys alleni, una especie endémica de los bosques secos tropicales del Pacífico mexicano y también es una especie amenazada debido a la pérdida de su hábitat. El estudio se realizó en la selva baja de Colima, México, se capturaron 303 individuos, incluyendo 11 especies de roedores y 1 marsupial, H. alleni está representado sólo por un 17% de la muestra total. Los resultados revelaron que la distribución y selección del sitio de construcción de madrigueras de H. alleni están directamente relacionados con la profundidad del suelo, característica que resultó ser la más importante en determinar dicha selección. También se estableció una relación entre la muestra de 65 madrigueras y su ubicación en el suelo (43% huecos en el suelo, 51% en la base del árbol o tocón con materiales orgánicos y 6% entre las rocas sin material orgánico) todas estas estrechamente relacionadas con la profundidad del suelo, cubierta arbórea y área de suelo desnudo. 491 individuos de árboles fueron cuantificados constando de 60 especies. De las cuales 9 especies representan el 50% de la muestra total, siendo Acacia macilenta la especie más abundante y Albizia sp., Bursera sp., y Brosimum alicastrum las especies encontradas con mayor frecuencia alrededor de las madrigueras. Por otra parte las etapas reproductivas de H. alleni parecen estar fuertemente relacionadas con la estacionalidad (lluvias y secas), como en muchas otras especies que habitan en los bosques tropicales secos. Por otro lado, se encontraron hembras con mayor peso corporal y mayor longitud durante la estación seca y en ambas temporadas en comparación con los machos. Sin embargo, se necesitan más estudios para recopilar nueva información que pueda fortalecer nuestro objetivo de crear estrategias de conservación para estas y otras especies que dependen fuertemente de la estructura y la estacionalidad de estas pocas y frágiles selvas secas que aún perduran.Palabras clave: Hodomys alleni, selva baja, selva mediana, madrigueras, Colima.ABSTRACTFew areas of deciduous forest and deciduous tropical forest in Mexico and in this type of vegetation is one of the few monotypic genera of rodents, Hodomys alleni, an endemic species of tropical dry forests of the Mexican Pacific and is also a kind threatened due to habitat loss. The study was conducted in the lowland rainforest of Colima, Mexico, 303 individuals were captured, including 11 species of rodents and one marsupial, H. alleni is represented only 17% of the total sample. The results revealed that the distribution and site selection burrowing H. alleni are directly related to soil depth feature that proved to be the most important in determining that selection. A relationship between sample 65 burrows and its location on the ground (43% holes in the ground, 51% at the base of the tree or stump with organic materials and 6% among the rocks without organic material) was also established these closely related to soil depth, tree cover and area of bare ground. 491 trees were quantified individuals comprising 60 species. Of which 9 species represent 50% of the total sample, being the most abundant haggard Acacia and Albizia species sp., Bursera sp., and Brosimum alicastrum species most frequently found around the burrows. Moreover reproductive stages of H. alleni appear to be strongly related to the seasonality (rainy and dry), as in many other species that live in dry tropical forests. Furthermore, females have a greater and longer body weight were found in the dry season and in both seasons compared with males. However, more studies are needed to gather new information that can strengthen our goal of creating conservation strategies for these and other species that depend heavily on the structure and seasonality of these few and fragile dry forest that still survive.Key words: Hodomys alleni, deciduous forest, semi deciduous forest, burrows, Colima.

scholarly journals Agriculture is the primary driver of tree cover loss across the Forestière region of the Republic of Guinea, Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maegan Fitzgerald ◽  
Janet Nackoney ◽  
Peter V Potapov ◽  
Svetlana Turubanova
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Change Detection ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Forest Change ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Detection Model ◽  
Primary Driver

Abstract Biodiversity hotspots are conservation priority areas that feature exceptionally high levels of species endemism and high levels of habitat loss. The Guinean Forests of West Africa hotspot, home to a quarter of all the mammal species of Africa, has experienced high levels of forest loss within its protected areas. Here, we analyzed tree cover loss and its proximate drivers within Guinée Forestière, a high biodiversity region within the Guinean Forests of West Africa hotspot, both inside and outside protected areas. Using Landsat analysis ready data and a regionally calibrated, annual forest change detection model, we mapped tree cover loss occurring across this region from 2000 to 2018. We quantified the area of tree cover loss and identified proximate drivers using a statistical sample of reference data. The total tree cover loss in Guinée Forestière between years 2000 and 2018 was 10,907 km2 (SE 889 km2), which consists of approximately 25% of the region’s total land area. Of this total loss, 364 km2 (SE 91 km2) occurred within protected areas of high biodiversity value. Tree cover loss was not consistent across high biodiversity areas and did not appear to be related to protected area classification. Smallholder agriculture (subsistence and cash crop farming) was the primary driver of tree cover loss across Guinée Forestière. This research provides multitemporal spatial data on tree cover dynamics that is required for effective implementation of sustainable management and biodiversity conservation strategies within the broader socioecological landscape of Guinée Forestière. We also highlight important limitations to consider and address when using remote sensing to automate change detection across landscapes.

scholarly journals Postbreeding Movements of American Avocets and Implications for Wetland Connectivity in the Western Great Basin

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Plissner ◽  
Susan M. Haig ◽  
Lewis W. Oring
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Radio Transmitters ◽  
Recurvirostra Americana ◽  
A Site

Abstract Wetlands in the western Great Basin of the United States are patchily distributed and undergo extensive seasonal and annual variation in water levels. The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is one of many shorebird species that use these wetlands as breeding and migratory stopover sites and must adjust to variable conditions. We used radio telemetry to determine postbreeding, premigratory movement patterns of avocets throughout the region. In 1996 and 1997, 185 breeding adults were captured and fitted with radio transmitters at five breeding areas in Oregon, California, and Nevada. Regular aerial and ground surveys were conducted at the five main study areas from June through September, or until all avocets had left a site. Other wetlands in the western Great Basin also were surveyed by aircraft for the presence of radio-marked birds. Fifty-six percent of radio-marked avocets were still detected in the region at least eight weeks after capture. Each of these individuals was detected at an average of 2.1 lakes (range 0 to 6), with 74% found at more than one lake system. Forty radio-marked individuals moved at least 200 km between wetlands prior to migration, most of which dispersed northward. Male and female patterns did not differ significantly. Overall, movements may be associated with a prebasic molt, exploitation of a superabundant food source in northern lakes, and reconnaissance for future breeding efforts or staging sites. These results also demonstrate wide-ranging patterns of dispersal in this species and suggest a need for the consideration of large-scale habitat connectivity issues in establishing conservation strategies for shorebirds in the western Great Basin.

Response of Two Sagebrush Sites to Low-Disturbance, Mechanical Removal of Piñyon and Juniper

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carson Baughman ◽  
Tara A. Forbis ◽  
Louis Provencher
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Ecological Effects ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Downy Brome ◽  
Pinus Monophylla ◽  
Juniperus Osteosperma ◽  
Mechanical Removal ◽  
Tree Thinning ◽  
Utah Juniper ◽  
Aerial Seeding

AbstractIn the Great Basin of the western United States, expansion of Pinus monophylla (singleleaf piñyon) and Juniperus osteosperma (Utah juniper) out of historic woodlands and into Artemisia spp. (sagebrush) shrubland communities can facilitate the invasion of exotic downy brome (Bromus tectorum) and lead to decreases in ecological and economic values of shrublands. This expansion has, therefore, been the focus of management efforts, including the thinning or removal of trees in areas that were historically shrubland. Our study examined the effects of tree thinning at two sites located in eastern Nevada, near the center of the Great Basin. Such projects can be controversial, so our goal was to estimate and document the ecological effects of low-disturbance tree thinning at these two sites. Both sites were mechanically thinned using a feller-buncher and were aerially seeded with native grasses. Aerial seeding had no apparent effect at either site. The site that had lower tree cover before treatment (Ely, NV) showed an increase in native forbs and a small increase in invasives. The site that initially had very high tree cover and low shrub cover (Mt. Wilson, NV) showed increases in native forbs and species diversity and a substantial increase in invasives. We conclude that low-disturbance methods for thinning encroaching trees can have positive ecological effects in shrublands but that the initial cover of both trees and native herbaceous species should be considered to determine the potential of the site to recover naturally from the seedbank and the risk of invasion by downy brome.

scholarly journals Using stochastic epidemiological models to evaluate conservation strategies for endangered amphibians

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (133) ◽  
pp. 20170480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Drawert ◽  
Marc Griesemer ◽  
Linda R. Petzold ◽  
Cheryl J. Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Large Fraction ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Host Density ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Demographic Stochasticity ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Time Treatment ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Fungal Load

Recent outbreaks of chytridiomycosis, the disease of amphibians caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), have contributed to population declines of numerous amphibian species worldwide. The devastating impacts of this disease have led researchers to attempt drastic conservation measures to prevent further extinctions and loss of biodiversity. The conservation measures can be labour-intensive or expensive, and in many cases have been unsuccessful. We developed a mathematical model of Bd outbreaks that includes the effects of demographic stochasticity and within-host fungal load dynamics. We investigated the impacts of one-time treatment conservation strategies during the disease outbreak that occurs following the initial arrival of Bd into a previously uninfected frog population. We found that for all versions of the model, for a large fraction of parameter space, none of the one-time treatment strategies are effective at preventing disease-induced extinction of the amphibian population. Of the strategies considered, treating frogs with antifungal agents to reduce their fungal load had the greatest likelihood of a beneficial outcome and the lowest risk of decreasing the persistence of the frog population, suggesting that this disease mitigation strategy should be prioritized over disinfecting the environment or reducing host density.

Application of “R” principles to enhance the efficiency of water usage in construction sites

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.G.A.S. Waidyasekara ◽  
Lalith De Silva ◽  
Raufdeen Rameezdeen
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Water Usage ◽  
Construction Operations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Use Efficiency

Purpose Water conservationists have been promoting a hierarchy of measures to preserve water resources in the face of decreasing freshwater availability in the world. However, applicability of water hierarchy to the construction industry is yet to be investigated. To fill this knowledge gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate water usage, water use efficiency, and conservation measures relevant to the construction operations. Design/methodology/approach A triangulation-based mixed-methods approach was adopted for the collection and analysis of data. First, four case studies were carried out to explore the current practices and the possibilities of applying the water hierarchy to the construction operations. This was followed by a questionnaire survey, administered among construction professionals to obtain their views and to verify the findings of case studies. Findings Strategies such as reuse and recycling were found to be less applicable and least preferred by the construction professionals compared to reduce, replace, and eliminate. Based on the research findings, three enabling measures, namely, regulation, responsibility, and reward, were found to enhance the effectiveness of these conservation strategies. Practical implications Knowledge on preferences of different water conservation measures among the construction professionals and their effectiveness on construction site could help the construction companies to device strategies to mitigate water wastage and enhance water use efficiency. It could also help policy-makers to develop guidelines that would have higher probability of acceptance among construction stakeholders. Originality/value The study proposes an extended water hierarchy (3R.6R) by integrating three enabling measures discussed above for the construction project sites.

An Equable Glaciopluvial in the West: Pleniglacial Evidence of Increased Precipitation on a Gradient from the Great Basin to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts

1979 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip V. Wells
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Chihuahuan Desert ◽  
Source Area ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Yucca Brevifolia ◽  
Juniper Woodland ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Summer Rain

Dated macrofossil evidence documents the widespread occurrence of woodland in what are now desert lowlands of southwestern North America from the last pleniglacial (ca. 20,000 yr B.P.) to late glacial/Holocene transition (12,000–8000 yr B.P.). The composition of the Pleistocene woodlands indicates that they had already differentiated geographically in modern form, though immensely more extensive than today. The pinyon-juniper woodland (Pinus monophylla, Juniperus osteosperma) of the Mohave Desert province had not yet penetrated the central Great Basin, but extended from southern Nevada south through the vast lowlands of the Mohave and westernmost Sonoran Deserts to southeastern California and Baja California. The strongly xerophytic Mohavean woodland was characterized by a very well-marked altitudinal and latitudinal zonation with juniper-Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) sorting out below pinyon-juniper woodland, and with live oaks restricted to the upper level along the lower Colorado River drainage. Southeastward, the Sonoran Desert province was similarly zoned, but with the more slender-leaved Pinus edulis var. fallax as pinyon and with more live oaks in the upper zone. However, the pleniglacial woodland of the Chihuahuan Desert province was almost unzoned, inasmuch as the less xerophytic species of pinyon and live oaks prevailed over the entire span of available elevation; the pinyon was the very slender-leaved P. cembroides var. remota.The overall paleozonation indicates a strong northwest-to-southeast gradient of increasing summer rain with decreasing distance from the monsoonal source area over the Gulf of Mexico, as at present, but augmented pluvially along the same gradient. A key piece of evidence is the counterintuitive latitudinal-zonational anomaly between about 30 and 40° N in southwestern North America; the lower limits of modern vegetational zones are depressed with decreasing latitude (e.g., ca. 500 m lower at 34° than at 36° N). The axis of the gradient actually extends from northwest to southeast, paralleling the monsoonal gradient of increasing summer rain, which no doubt causes the apparent anomaly. During the Wisconsinan glacial, the latitudinal anomaly was greatly steepened, a fact requiring a pluvial increase in precipitation over the Southwest. The monsoonalpluvial pattern is supported by the Neotoma record of a northwest-to-southeast gradient of increasing diversity of evergreen oaks requiring summer rain, and by a parallel segregation of pinyon species. Equability of seasons during the last glacial is also suggested by the Neotoma macrofossil data.

scholarly journals Insect threats and conservation through the lens of global experts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Miličić ◽  
Snežana Popov ◽  
Vasco Veiga Branco ◽  
Pedro Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Expert Opinion ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Land Protection ◽  
Hard Data ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Insect Biodiversity ◽  
Biogeographic Regions ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Effective Conservation

AbstractWhile many recent studies have focused on global insect population trends, all are limited either in space or taxonomic scope. Since global monitoring programs for insects are not implemented, biased data are therefore the norm. However, expert opinion is both valuable and widely available, and should be fully exploited when hard data are not available. Our aim is to use global expert opinion to provide insights on the root causes of potential insect declines worldwide, as well as on effective conservation strategies that could mitigate insect biodiversity loss. We obtained 753 responses from 413 respondents with a wide variety of expertise. The most relevant threats identified through the survey were agriculture and climate change, followed by pollution, while land management and land protection were recognized as the most significant conservation measures. Nevertheless, there were differences across regions and insect groups, reflecting the variability within the most diverse class of living organisms on our planet. Lack of answers for certain biogeographic regions or taxa also reflects the need for research, particularly in less investigated settings. Our results provide a first step towards understanding global threats and conservation measures for insects.

scholarly journals Portuguese Archives and Libraries: a Century of Preservation and Conservation Practices for the Control of Biodeterioration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria da Conceição Lopes Casanova ◽  
Ana Catarina Pinheiro
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Art Collectors ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Historic Review ◽  
Paper Conservation

Biodeterioration has been a central subject for libraries and archives. Throughout the ages, different preventive and curative conservation measures were adopted to manage biodeterioration in Portuguese institutions, but the problem persists. A historic review of different methodologies used to prevent biodeterioration in the Portuguese context is presented and compared to international trends. It focuses on theories and practices of paper conservation on par with their evolution and a comparison between the art collectors' world and Libraries and Archives is also made. Biodeterioration management has always been a major concern, namely amid librarians and archivists, among the first ones to endorse the implementation of preservation policies. Although preservation awareness has a relatively long history, it is vital to encourage a better understanding of it at the decision-making level. In fact, the implementation of preventive conservation strategies continues to be unsatisfactory, despite the current sustainability issues and the dangers of handling contaminated documentation.

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