Gallers as leaf rollers: ecosystem engineering in a tropical system and its effects on arthropod biodiversity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cássio Cardoso Pereira ◽  
Vinícius da Fontoura Sperandei ◽  
Nathália Ribeiro Henriques ◽  
Álvaro Augusto Naves Silva ◽  
Geraldo Wilson Fernandes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Arthropod Biodiversity ◽  
Tropical System

Patterns of Evolution of the Ediacaran Soft-Bodied Biota

2014 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitriy Grazhdankin
Keyword(s):  
High Energy ◽  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Inner Shelf ◽  
Sedimentary Environments ◽  
Burrowing Activity ◽  
Ecological Associations ◽  
Channel Systems

When each of the Avalon-, Ediacara-, and Nama-type fossil assemblages are tracked through geological time, there appear to be changes in species composition and diversity, almost synchronized between different sedimentary environments, allowing a subdivision of the late Ediacaran into the Redkinian, Belomorian and Kotlinian geological time intervals. The Redkinian (580–559 Ma) is characterized by first appearance of both eumetazoan traces and macroscopic organisms (frondomorphs and vendobionts) in a form of Avalon-type communities in the inner shelf environment, whereas coeval Ediacara-type communities remained depauperate. The Belomorian (559–550 Ma) is marked by the advent of eumetazoan burrowing activity in the inner shelf, diversification of frondomorphs, migration of vendobionts from the inner shelf into higher energy environments, and appearance of tribrachiomorphs and bilateralomorphs. Ediacaran organisms formed distinctive ecological associations that coexisted in the low-energy inner shelf (Avalon-type communities), in the wave- and current-agitated shoreface (Ediacara-type communities), and in the high-energy distributary systems (Nama-type communities). The Kotlinian (550–540 Ma) witnessed an expansion of the burrowing activity into wave- and current-agitated shoreface, disappearance of vendobionts, tribrachiomorphs and bilateralomorphs in wave- and current-agitated shoreface, together with a drop in frondomorph diversity. High-energy distributary channel systems of prodeltas served as refugia for Nama-type communities that survived until the end of the Ediacaran and disappeared when the burrowing activity reached high-energy environments. This pattern is interpreted as an expression of ecosystem engineering by eumetazoans, with the Ediacaran organisms being progressively outcompeted by bilaterians.

scholarly journals Manipulation of host behaviour by parasites: ecosystem engineering in the intertidal zone?

1998 ◽  
Vol 265 (1401) ◽  
pp. 1091-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Thomas ◽  
F. Renaud ◽  
T. de Meeûs ◽  
R. Poulin
Keyword(s):  
Intertidal Zone ◽  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Host Behaviour

scholarly journals Avian ecosystem functions are influenced by small mammal ecosystem engineering

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith Root-Bernstein ◽  
Andres Fierro ◽  
Juan Armesto ◽  
Luis A Ebensperger
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Ecosystem Functions

scholarly journals Biogeomorphic feedbacks and the ecosystem engineering of recently deglaciated terrain

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah R Miller ◽  
Stuart N Lane
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Ecosystem Engineer ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Soil Development ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Biotic Factors ◽  
Successional Stage ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors

Matthews’ 1992 geoecological model of vegetation succession within glacial forefields describes how following deglaciation the landscape evolves over time as the result of both biotic and abiotic factors, with the importance of each depending on the level of environmental stress within the system. We focus in this paper on how new understandings of abiotic factors and the potential for biogeomorphic feedbacks between abiotic and biotic factors makes further development of this model important. Disturbance and water dynamics are two abiotic factors that have been shown to create stress gradients that can drive early ecosystem succession. The subsequent establishment of microbial communities and vegetation can then result in biogeomorphic feedbacks via ecosystem engineering that influence the role of disturbance and water dynamics within the system. Microbes can act as ecosystem engineers by supplying nutrients (via remineralization of organic matter and nitrogen fixation), enhancing soil development, either decreasing (encouraging weathering) or increasing (binding sediment grains) geomorphic stability, and helping retain soil moisture. Vegetation can act as an ecosystem engineer by fixing nitrogen, enhancing soil development, modifying microbial community structure, creating seed banks, and increasing geomorphic stability. The feedbacks between vegetation and water dynamics in glacial forefields are still poorly studied. We propose a synthesized model of ecosystem succession within glacial forefields that combines Matthews’ initial geoecological model and Corenblit's model to illustrate how gradients in environmental stress combined with successional time drive the balance between abiotic and biotic factors and ultimately determine the successional stage and potential for biogeomorphic feedbacks.

Cover Crops Enhance Natural Enemies While Help Suppressing Pests in a Tea Plantation

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Chen ◽  
Pei Yuan ◽  
Min-Sheng You ◽  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Xu Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Vigna Sinensis ◽  
Free Products ◽  
Tea Plantation ◽  
Tea Plantations ◽  
Trifolium Repens L ◽  
Arthropod Biodiversity ◽  
Sustainable Pest Control

Abstract Tea is an economically important crop, consumed by billions of people. Despite the increasing market for pesticide-free products, the use of pesticide in tea is still high. In order to investigate whether intercropping promotes biological control organisms, Chamaecrista rotundifolia (Pers.) Greene, Indigofera hendecaphylla Jacq., Trifolium repens L., and Vigna sinensis (L.) were separately intercropped with free weeding as control in a tea plantation at Yangli, China. Arthropods were collected by taking sweep-net samples, and treatment effects on assemblages were investigated. The combined species richness of all arthropods and that of parasitoids was significantly increased in intercropped treatments while the species richness of herbivores and predators was only greater in C. rotundifolia and I. hendecaphylla intercropped treatments. Compared with control, the combined abundance of all arthropods, and that of herbivores was lower, while the abundance of parasitoids and its taxa was greater in all intercropped treatments. The abundance of predators and its taxa was greater only in tea plantations intercropped with C. rotundifolia or I. hendecaphylla. Of the herbivores, the abundance of Empoasca onukii Matsuda, Sternorrhyncha, Aleyrodidae, and Pentatomidae was greater in the areas intercropped with C. rotundifolia in comparison with the control, but the abundance of Thysanoptera and Geometridae caterpillars was lower. The recorded increase in the abundance of beneficial arthropods may explain the lower abundance of Thysanoptera or Geometridae caterpillars detected in the intercropped tea plantations. Our results indicate that intercropping has the potential to enhance arthropod biodiversity, and to provide an option for sustainable pest control in tea plantations.

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