Mite fauna associated with Cecropia pachystachya Trec. (Urticaceae)—the importance of the plant as reservoir and dissemination means for predatory mites

Cecropia pachystachya Trec. (Urticaceae) is a common pioneer plant from South America, which is found on both degraded and preserved environments. Pioneer plants are able to disperse into agricultural environments and to introduce species of mites different from those present amongst the cultivated plants. This study evaluated the mite fauna present on plants of C. pachystachya associated with 18 forest fragment sites in the Northwest region of the state of São Paulo, a region where only 3% of the native vegetation is preserved. High species richness (82 species) and abundance (3,631 specimens) of mites were recorded on the plants, with high variation in species composition among the sites sampled. Regardless the species composition, most of the sites showed predominance of species considered predators, indicating that C. pachystachya provides some type of food for these mites. The data obtained in the study suggest that this plant can be an important reservoir of predatory mites and could facilitate their dissemination from preserved environments to degraded areas or crops.

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The fish fauna of streams in the Madeira-Purus interfluvial region, Brazilian Amazon

Check List ◽

10.15560/11022 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 768 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniela de França Barros ◽

Jansen Zuanon ◽

Fernando Pereira De Mendonça ◽

Helder Mateus Viana Espírito Santo ◽

André Vieira Galuch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Neotropical Region ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Taxonomic Group ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Species Richness And Diversity ◽

High Species Richness

Small headwaters streams of the Neotropical region usually have high species richness and diversity. This study aimed to investigate the species composition and abundance of fish fauna in the headwaters streams of the Madeira-Purus interfluvial plain in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 22 streams of 1st to 3rd order were sampled during two expeditions at two separate locations in April-May and July of 2007. A total of 5508 fishes were captured using hand and small seine nets, belonging to 78 species, 22 families and six orders. Characiformes was the most diverse taxonomic group in the samples, followed by Gymnotiformes and Siluriformes. Our findings indicate that the fish fauna of streams in the Madeira- Purus interfluvial plain is both rich and diverse and should be considered during the implementation of strengthened environmental conservation strategies in this region.

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Corrigendum to: Fish in the matrix: effects of landscape on community-structure patterns of the ichthyofauna of streams in Cerrado

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf19281_co ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (9) ◽

pp. 1219

Author(s):

Thiago Bernardi Vieira ◽

Leandro Schlemmer Brasil ◽

Naiara Raiol Torres ◽

Tatiana Lima de Melo ◽

Elto Aparecido Moreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Community Structure ◽

Species Composition ◽

Indicator Species ◽

Matrix Effects ◽

Native Vegetation ◽

Generalist Species ◽

The Matrix ◽

Structure Patterns

This study aims to identify species richness and composition patterns of the ichthyofauna in different landscape matrices (forest, pasture and eucalypt crops) and to evaluate the variation of species composition in different matrices, identifying possible indicator species. We selected 21 streams; 7 were surrounded by native vegetation, 9 surrounded by pasture and 5 by eucalypt crops. We tested whether there was difference in the composition and species richness. In addition, we used the indicator value (IndVal) to verify if there were species faithful and specific to some land use and land cover. Streams located in forest presented the highest estimated species richness, followed by streams in pasturelands and eucalypt matrices. There was no difference between the composition of fishes in different matrices, but we observed a relationship between Phenacorhamdia somnians (Mees, 1974) and pasture matrix. The results indicated that the change in land use may benefit some generalist species such as Phenacorhamdia somnians.

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Fish in the matrix: effects of landscape on community-structure patterns of the ichthyofauna of streams in Cerrado

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf19281 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (9) ◽

pp. 1211 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thiago Bernardi Vieira ◽

Leandro Schlemmer Brasil ◽

Naiara Raiol Torres ◽

Tatiana Lima de Melo ◽

Elto Aparecido Moreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Community Structure ◽

Species Composition ◽

Indicator Species ◽

Matrix Effects ◽

Native Vegetation ◽

Generalist Species ◽

The Matrix ◽

Structure Patterns

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Richness of Thalloid Liverworts in Bilaspur, Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve and Lafa hills, Chhattisgarh (India)

Plant Science Today ◽

10.14719/pst.2019.6.3.469 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 287-298

Author(s):

Ashvini Kumar Dixit ◽

Mery Aradhna Kerketta

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Protected Area ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

High Elevation ◽

Current Status ◽

Aquatic Habitats ◽

Microhabitat Distribution ◽

High Species Richness

A survey of bryophyte diversity in Bilaspur District (Chhattisgarh) and nearby areas has brought to light an unexpectedly rich bryoflora. Liverworts have a great diversity which includes both leafy and thalloid forms. Presence of 24 species of thalloid liverworts was recorded collectively from protected area Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere reserve (AABR) as well as other regions of Bilaspur district and Lafa Hills, Korba. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of elevation on the diversity of bryophytes in regional scale. For the study each location was mapped zone wise on 21 micro plots ranging between altitudes 230 m to 1011 m. Using presence or absence of species, bryophyte species richness was compared at each altitude. These zones exhibit high species richness at mid–high elevation (around 525-1000 m) with an average 4-6 species of distribution rate. It is observed 83% of liverwort population as terrestrial, 10% as epiphytic, 7% grows in aquatic habitats and below 5% recorded as ubiquitous at various altitude ranges. Species composition shows variability along the elevation and microhabitat distribution which shows homogeneity of liverwort population. This study reveals the current status of liverworts in Bilaspur region.

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Diversity and habitat preference of medium and large-sized mammals in an urban forest fragment of southwestern Amazon

Iheringia Série Zoologia ◽

10.1590/1678-476620141042168174 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 104 (2) ◽

pp. 168-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Luiz H. M. Borges ◽

Armando. M. Calouro ◽

André L. M. Botelho ◽

Marcos Silveira

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Urban Forest ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Common Species ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Palm Trees ◽

High Species Richness ◽

Mammal Diversity

We assessed the species composition and abundance of medium and large-sized mammals in an urban forest fragment in the Brazilian Amazon, and recorded the preference of some species for particular phytophysiognomies. We placed nine transects with 20 sand plots each in three phytophysiognomies: open rainforest with a dominance of bamboos (OFB), open rainforest with palm trees (OFP), and dense rainforest (DF). We calculated species abundance as the number of records/plot.day, in a total of 2,700 plots.day. We recorded twelve mammal species; Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Dasyprocta fuliginosa (Wagler, 1831) were the most abundant. The results differed among phytophysiognomies: DF presented the highest mammal diversity, whereas the species composition of OFP was less similar than that of other phytophysiognomies. Rodents showed higher preference for OFP and Sylvilagus brasiliensis was more abundant in OFB. The study area showed high species richness, with the occurrence of mesopredators, but there was a predominance of common species adaptable to disturbed environments, which reflects the severe isolation degree of the forest fragment and the hunting pressure that is still present.

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Disentangling the Ecological Determinants of Species and Functional Trait Diversity in Herb-Layer Plant Communities in European Temperate Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12050552 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 552

Author(s):

Janez Kermavnar ◽

Lado Kutnar ◽

Aleksander Marinšek

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Functional Trait ◽

Forest Stand ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Herb Layer ◽

Bud Bank ◽

Tree Species Composition ◽

Stand Characteristics

Forest herb-layer vegetation responds sensitively to environmental conditions. This paper compares drivers of both taxonomic, i.e., species richness, cover and evenness, and functional herb-layer diversity, i.e., the diversity of clonal, bud bank and leaf-height-seed plant traits. We investigated the dependence of herb-layer diversity on ecological determinants related to soil properties, climatic parameters, forest stand characteristics, and topographic and abiotic and biotic factors associated with forest floor structure. The study was conducted in different forest types in Slovenia, using vegetation and environmental data from 50 monitoring plots (400 m2 each) belonging to the ICP Forests Level I and II network. The main objective was to first identify significant ecological predictors and then quantify their relative importance. Species richness was strongly determined by forest stand characteristics, such as richness of the shrub layer, tree layer shade-casting ability as a proxy for light availability and tree species composition. It showed a clear positive relation to soil pH. Variation in herb-layer cover was also best explained by forest stand characteristics and, to a lesser extent, by structural factors such as moss cover. Species evenness was associated with tree species composition, shrub layer cover and soil pH. Various ecological determinants were decisive for the diversity of below-ground traits, i.e., clonal and bud bank traits. For these two trait groups we observed a substantial climatic signal that was completely absent for taxonomy-based measures of diversity. In contrast, above-ground leaf-height-seed (LHS) traits were driven exclusively by soil reaction and nitrogen availability. In synthesis, local stand characteristics and soil properties acted as the main controlling factors for both species and trait diversity in herb-layer communities across Slovenia, confirming many previous studies. Our findings suggest that the taxonomic and functional facets of herb-layer vegetation are mainly influenced by a similar set of ecological determinants. However, their relative importance varies among individual taxonomy- and functional trait-based diversity measures. Integrating multi-faceted approaches can provide complementary information on patterns of herb-layer diversity in European forest plant communities.

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Biodiversity hanging by a thread: the importance of fungal litter-trapping systems in tropical rainforests

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2011.1115 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 397-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jake L. Snaddon ◽

Edgar C. Turner ◽

Tom M. Fayle ◽

Chey V. Khen ◽

Paul Eggleton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Leaf Litter ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Habitat Complexity ◽

Tropical Rainforests ◽

Dramatic Reduction ◽

Experimental Removal ◽

Crucial Component ◽

High Species Richness ◽

Vital Resource

The exceptionally high species richness of arthropods in tropical rainforests hinges on the complexity of the forest itself: that is, on features such as the high plant diversity, the layered nature of the canopy and the abundance and the diversity of epiphytes and litter. We here report on one important, but almost completely neglected, piece of this complex jigsaw—the intricate network of rhizomorph-forming fungi that ramify through the vegetation of the lower canopy and intercept falling leaf litter. We show that this litter-trapping network is abundant and intercepts substantial amounts of litter (257.3 kg ha −1 ): this exceeds the amount of material recorded in any other rainforest litter-trapping system. Experimental removal of this fungal network resulted in a dramatic reduction in both the abundance (decreased by 70.2 ± 4.1%) and morphospecies richness (decreased by 57.4 ± 5.1%) of arthropods. Since the lower canopy levels can contain the highest densities of arthropods, the proportion of the rainforest fauna dependent on the fungal networks is likely to be substantial. Fungal litter-trapping systems are therefore a crucial component of habitat complexity, providing a vital resource that contributes significantly to rainforest biodiversity.

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Species richness and species composition of fungal communities associated with cellulose decomposition at different altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau

Journal of Plant Ecology ◽

10.1093/jpe/rtp028 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 217-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

D. Hirose ◽

T. Shirouzu ◽

M. Hirota ◽

T. Ohtsuka ◽

Y. Senga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Species Composition ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Cellulose Decomposition ◽

Different Altitudes

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Seasonality in a taxocoenosis of molluscs from soft bottoms in the Bay of Cádiz (southern Spain)

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315401004829 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 81 (6) ◽

pp. 903-912 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Jose L. Rueda ◽

Manuel Fernández-Casado ◽

Carmen Salas ◽

Serge Gofas

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Correspondence Analysis ◽

Dominant Species ◽

Southern Spain ◽

Soft Bottom ◽

Soft Bottoms ◽

High Species Richness ◽

Bay Of Cadiz ◽

Bay Of Cádiz ◽

Autumn And Winter

The macrofauna of molluscs associated with soft bottoms in the Bay of Cádiz (southern Spain) was studied monthly from February 1994 to January 1996. The number of species (63) is high for a soft bottom and is related to environmental characteristics (growth of macrophytes) and the biogeographical setting of the studied area. Corbula gibba (∼90%) was the dominant species in this taxocoenosis together with the gastropod Nassarius pygmaeus and the bivalves Pandora inaequivalvis, Parvicardium exiguum and Macoma melo. The most frequent species during the two years was also the bivalve Corbula gibba (100%) followed by the gastropods Nassarius pygmaeus, Tricolia tenuis, Rissoa membranacea and the bivalve Macoma melo. Total abundance of the taxocoenosis in both years reached higher values in spring. The dynamics of the ecological indices such as diversity or evenness, and the species richness showed a similar pattern in both years, with low values of diversity and evenness together with high species richness in spring and summer months and the reverse in autumn and winter. The qualitative correspondence analysis of monthly samples shows an ordination related to seasonality in both studied years, however the values of Jaccard's coefficient do not indicate significant boundaries among the monthly samples. The quantitative correspondence analysis shows an ordination and grouping of samples related to the biology of species, particularly with the recruitment of C. gibba, the dominant species. The existence of similar trends in the structure of the taxocoenoses over both years, and the seasonality highlighted by the qualitative correspondence analysis, seems to indicate a certain stability of the ecosystem.

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