Prevalence and consequences of ants and other arthropods in active nests of Midwestern birds

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (8) ◽  
pp. 696-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Gibson ◽  
A.V. Suarez ◽  
D. Qazi ◽  
T.J. Benson ◽  
S.J. Chiavacci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Tapinoma Sessile ◽  
Odorous House Ant ◽  
Ephemeral Resources

Many organisms build nests which create unique microhabitats that are exploited by other animals. In turn, these nest colonizers may positively or negatively influence nest owners. Bird nests are known to harbor communities that include both harmful and possibly beneficial species. We quantified the nest arthropod communities of 10 bird species in Illinois, USA, along a land-use gradient, focusing on ant prevalence. We found eight ant species in nests, and for three species, at least part of their colonies inhabited nests. The odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile (Say, 1836)) was the most common species and maintained the largest colonies in nest material. Forest-cover percentage surrounding bird nests best predicted ant-colony presence. There was little evidence that ant presence influenced abundance or prevalence of other arthropods within nests with the exception of Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum (Linnaeus, 1758)) nests, where a negative association between T. sessile presence and abundance of fly larvae was found. Breeding success did not differ between nests with and without ant colonies for any bird species. Ant species that exhibit polydomy and nomadism may be more likely to occupy ephemeral resources like bird nests than other ants. How widespread this phenomenon is and the degree of commensalism that both parties experience is unclear and warrants further investigation.

Functional evenness of bird communities varies along the elevational gradient in Europe: Conservation implications

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Morelli ◽  
Yanina
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Functional Evenness

ContextThe negative association between elevation and species richness is a well-recognized pattern in macro-ecology. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate changes in functional evenness of breeding bird communities along an elevation gradient in Europe. MethodsUsing the bird data from the EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds we estimated an index of functional evenness which can be assumed as a measure of the potential resilience of communities.ResultsOur findings confirm the existence of a negative association between elevation and bird species richness in all European eco regions. However, we also explored a novel aspect of this relationship, important for conservation: Our findings provide evidence at large spatial scale of a negative association between the functional evenness (potential community resilience) and elevation, independent of the eco region. We also found that the Natura2000 protected areas covers the territory most in need of protection, those characterized by bird communities with low potential resilience, in hilly and mountainous areas.ConclusionsThese results draw attention to European areas occupied by bird communities characterized by a potential lower capacity to respond to strong ecological changes, and, therefore, potentially more exposed to risks for conservation.

Implication of Socio-economic Factors on Land Use and Forest Cover Changes in and Around Magamba Nature Reserve in Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-117
Author(s):  
Solomon Jeremiah Sembosi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Rural settlements in mountainous regions are a typical process that occurs in many places around the world and have a number of implications on the landscape. Among them is a threat it possesses to the conservation and management of Afromontane ecosystems. This study assessed the socio-economic factors that drive the changes in land use and forest cover and the extent of land use and vegetation cover in and around Magamba Nature Reserve. Focus group discussion, direct field observation and household survey were used to acquire socio-economic information that impacts land use and forest cover. Through the use of Remote Sensing and GIS methods Landsat satellite images of 1995, 2008 and 2015 were employed to identify the extent of the changes in land use and forest cover. The perceived factors for the changes include education level, unemployment, landless/limited, landholding, population pressure, expansion of built-up areas and agricultural land at the expense of other land covers. This study revealed the transformation of natural forest and associated vegetation from one form to another. There was a decrease in natural vegetation from 61.06% in 1995 to 26.02% in 2015 and increase in built-up areas by 6.69% and agricultural areas by 4.70%. This study recommends conservation monitoring and strong law enforcement relating to natural resources so as to promote sustainable use of resources to rescue the diminishing ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Investigating impact of land-use and land cover changes on hydro-ecological balance using GIS: insights from IIT Bombay, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aman Srivastava ◽  
Pennan Chinnasamy
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Ecological Stability ◽  
Barren Land ◽  
Ecological Balance ◽  
Lulc Changes

AbstractThe present study, for the first time, examined land-use land cover (LULC), changes using GIS, between 2000 and 2018 for the IIT Bombay campus, India. Objective was to evaluate hydro-ecological balance inside campus by determining spatio-temporal disparity between hydrological parameters (rainfall-runoff processes), ecological components (forest, vegetation, lake, barren land), and anthropogenic stressors (urbanization and encroachments). High-resolution satellite imageries were generated for the campus using Google Earth Pro, by manual supervised classification method. Rainfall patterns were studied using secondary data sources, and surface runoff was estimated using SCS-CN method. Additionally, reconnaissance surveys, ground-truthing, and qualitative investigations were conducted to validate LULC changes and hydro-ecological stability. LULC of 2018 showed forest, having an area cover of 52%, as the most dominating land use followed by built-up (43%). Results indicated that the area under built-up increased by 40% and playground by 7%. Despite rapid construction activities, forest cover and Powai lake remained unaffected. This anomaly was attributed to the drastically declining barren land area (up to ~ 98%) encompassing additional construction activities. Sustainability of the campus was demonstrated with appropriate measures undertaken to mitigate negative consequences of unwarranted floods owing to the rise of 6% in the forest cover and a decline of 21% in water hyacinth cover over Powai lake. Due to this, surface runoff (~ 61% of the rainfall) was observed approximately consistent and being managed appropriately despite major alterations in the LULC. Study concluded that systematic campus design with effective implementation of green initiatives can maintain a hydro-ecological balance without distressing the environmental services.

scholarly journals Landscape controls on riverine export of dissolved organic carbon from Great Britain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Williamson ◽  
Andrew Tye ◽  
Dan J. Lapworth ◽  
Don Monteith ◽  
Richard Sanders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
River Systems ◽  
C Cycle ◽  
Global Land ◽  
Doc Export

AbstractThe dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export from land to ocean via rivers is a significant term in the global C cycle, and has been modified in many areas by human activity. DOC exports from large global rivers are fairly well quantified, but those from smaller river systems, including those draining oceanic regions, are generally under-represented in global syntheses. Given that these regions typically have high runoff and high peat cover, they may exert a disproportionate influence on the global land–ocean DOC export. Here we describe a comprehensive new assessment of the annual riverine DOC export to estuaries across the island of Great Britain (GB), which spans the latitude range 50–60° N with strong spatial gradients of topography, soils, rainfall, land use and population density. DOC yields (export per unit area) were positively related to and best predicted by rainfall, peat extent and forest cover, but relatively insensitive to population density or agricultural development. Based on an empirical relationship with land use and rainfall we estimate that the DOC export from the GB land area to the freshwater-seawater interface was 1.15 Tg C year−1 in 2017. The average yield for GB rivers is 5.04 g C m−2 year−1, higher than most of the world’s major rivers, including those of the humid tropics and Arctic, supporting the conclusion that under-representation of smaller river systems draining peat-rich areas could lead to under-estimation of the global land–ocean DOC export. The main anthropogenic factor influencing the spatial distribution of GB DOC exports appears to be upland conifer plantation forestry, which is estimated to have raised the overall DOC export by 0.168 Tg C year−1. This is equivalent to 15% of the estimated current rate of net CO2 uptake by British forests. With the UK and many other countries seeking to expand plantation forest cover for climate change mitigation, this ‘leak in the ecosystem’ should be incorporated in future assessments of the CO2 sequestration potential of forest planting strategies.

Bewirtschaftung von tropischen Sekundärwäldern

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Tropical Asia ◽  
Land Use Systems ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Primary Forests

AbstractManagement of secondary tropical forests: a new perspective for sustainable use of forests in Asia. The decline of primary forests in the tropics is leading to a reassessment of the role secondary forests might play within the context of tropical forest management. Recent research has shown that secondary forests in the tropics can be both rich in species and complex in terms of stand structure. There is, moreover, a growing recognition of the importance of secondary forests for traditional subsistence economies in the tropics and of their economic potential for land use systems in the future. Management of secondary forests in Asia as an alternative to the extraction of timber from primary forests but also as one among other options to intensify traditional land use systems has a potential for the future especially because of the existence of vast tracts of valuable secondary forest cover, and because of the store of traditional knowledge that can still be found in tropical Asia.

scholarly journals An assessment of the distribution, population size and conservation status of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus: a Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta endemic

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
ESTEBAN BOTERO-DELGADILLO ◽  
NICHOLAS BAYLY ◽  
CAMILA GÓMEZ ◽  
PAULO C. PULGARÍN-R. ◽  
CARLOS ANDRÉS PÁEZ
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Environmental Niche ◽  
Coffee Plantations ◽  
Habitat Transformation ◽  
Elevation Range ◽  
Area Of Occupancy

SummaryThe Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus is one of 19 endemic bird species found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) in northern Colombia but until recently it was considered a sub-species of the Ruddy Foliage-gleaner Automolus rubiginosus. Consequently, published information on its distribution and ecology is lacking, and while it is classified as near- threatened, this designation was based on limited quantitative data. To improve our knowledge of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner’s geographical distribution, elevation range, population density, habitat use and conservation status, we analysed both historical and recent site locality records and carried out variable distance transects within forested habitats and shade coffee plantations. We modelled the environmental niche of the species and subsequently estimated its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, as well as population size. Our results consistently showed that the distribution of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner is more restricted than previously considered, both geographically and by elevation (we redefine elevation range as 600–1,875 m). This suggests that the species is more at risk of habitat transformation and combined with our estimates of population size (< 10,000 individuals), it is likely that the species will be uplisted to a higher threat category. More positively, and contrary to published accounts, we found that approximately 40% of the species’ range lies within protected areas. Nevertheless, we recommend the implementation of strategies to maintain forest cover on the western flank of the SNSM and further research to better define the species’ habitat needs and population dynamics.

scholarly journals Contrasting responses of above- and belowground diversity to multiple components of land-use intensity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaëtane Le Provost ◽  
Jan Thiele ◽  
Catrin Westphal ◽  
Caterina Penone ◽  
Eric Allan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Trophic Groups ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Belowground Diversity ◽  
Landscape Level

AbstractLand-use intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. However, understanding how different components of land use drive biodiversity loss requires the investigation of multiple trophic levels across spatial scales. Using data from 150 agricultural grasslands in central Europe, we assess the influence of multiple components of local- and landscape-level land use on more than 4,000 above- and belowground taxa, spanning 20 trophic groups. Plot-level land-use intensity is strongly and negatively associated with aboveground trophic groups, but positively or not associated with belowground trophic groups. Meanwhile, both above- and belowground trophic groups respond to landscape-level land use, but to different drivers: aboveground diversity of grasslands is promoted by diverse surrounding land-cover, while belowground diversity is positively related to a high permanent forest cover in the surrounding landscape. These results highlight a role of landscape-level land use in shaping belowground communities, and suggest that revised agroecosystem management strategies are needed to conserve whole-ecosystem biodiversity.

scholarly journals Qualifying Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Service in Central Himalaya Transboundary Landscape Based on Google Earth Engine

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Changjun Gu ◽  
Yili Zhang ◽  
Linshan Liu ◽  
Lanhui Li ◽  
Shicheng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Forest Cover Change ◽  
Sacred Landscape ◽  
Lulc Changes ◽  
Google Earth Engine

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes are regarded as one of the key drivers of ecosystem services degradation, especially in mountain regions where they may provide various ecosystem services to local livelihoods and surrounding areas. Additionally, ecosystems and habitats extend across political boundaries, causing more difficulties for ecosystem conservation. LULC in the Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL) has undergone obvious changes over the past four decades; however, the spatiotemporal changes of the LULC across the whole of the KSL are still unclear, as well as the effects of LULC changes on ecosystem service values (ESVs). Thus, in this study we analyzed LULC changes across the whole of the KSL between 2000 and 2015 using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and quantified their impacts on ESVs. The greatest loss in LULC was found in forest cover, which decreased from 5443.20 km2 in 2000 to 5003.37 km2 in 2015 and which mainly occurred in KSL-Nepal. Meanwhile, the largest growth was observed in grassland (increased by 548.46 km2), followed by cropland (increased by 346.90 km2), both of which mainly occurred in KSL-Nepal. Further analysis showed that the expansions of cropland were the major drivers of the forest cover change in the KSL. Furthermore, the conversion of cropland to shrub land indicated that farmland abandonment existed in the KSL during the study period. The observed forest degradation directly influenced the ESV changes in the KSL. The total ESVs in the KSL decreased from 36.53 × 108 USD y−1 in 2000 to 35.35 × 108 USD y−1 in 2015. Meanwhile, the ESVs of the forestry areas decreased by 1.34 × 108 USD y−1. This shows that the decrease of ESVs in forestry was the primary cause to the loss of total ESVs and also of the high elasticity. Our findings show that even small changes to the LULC, especially in forestry areas, are noteworthy as they could induce a strong ESV response.

scholarly journals Locally rare species influence grassland ecosystem multifunctionality

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1694) ◽  
pp. 20150269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Soliveres ◽  
Peter Manning ◽  
Daniel Prati ◽  
Martin M. Gossner ◽  
Fabian Alt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Ecosystem Multifunctionality

Species diversity promotes the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality). However, the relative functional importance of rare and common species in driving the biodiversity–multifunctionality relationship remains unknown. We studied the relationship between the diversity of rare and common species (according to their local abundances and across nine different trophic groups), and multifunctionality indices derived from 14 ecosystem functions on 150 grasslands across a land-use intensity (LUI) gradient. The diversity of above- and below-ground rare species had opposite effects, with rare above-ground species being associated with high levels of multifunctionality, probably because their effects on different functions did not trade off against each other. Conversely, common species were only related to average, not high, levels of multifunctionality, and their functional effects declined with LUI. Apart from the community-level effects of diversity, we found significant positive associations between the abundance of individual species and multifunctionality in 6% of the species tested. Species-specific functional effects were best predicted by their response to LUI: species that declined in abundance with land use intensification were those associated with higher levels of multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of rare species for ecosystem multifunctionality and help guiding future conservation priorities.

scholarly journals ALTERAÇÃO NA COBERTURA FLORESTAL DA REGIÃO NOROESTE DA AMAZÔNIA MATOGROSSENSE

Nativa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 520
Author(s):  
Luani Rosa de Oliveira Piva ◽  
Rorai Pereira Martins Neto
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Landsat 8 Oli ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
The Past ◽  
Landsat 5 Tm

Nos últimos anos, a intensificação das atividades antrópicas modificadoras da cobertura vegetal do solo em território brasileiro vem ocorrendo em larga escala. Para fins de monitoramento das alterações da cobertura florestal, as técnicas de Sensoriamento Remoto da vegetação são ferramentas imprescindíveis, principalmente em áreas extensas e de difícil acesso, como é o caso da Amazônia brasileira. Neste sentido, objetivou-se com este trabalho identificar as mudanças no uso e cobertura do solo no período de 20 anos nos municípios de Aripuanã e Rondolândia, Noroeste do Mato Grosso, visando quantificar as áreas efetivas que sofreram alterações. Para tal, foram utilizadas técnicas de classificação digital de imagens Landsat 5 TM e Landsat 8 OLI em três diferentes datas (1995, 2005 e 2015) e, posteriormente, realizada a detecção de mudanças para o uso e cobertura do solo. A classificação digital apresentou resultados excelentes, com índice Kappa acima de 0,80 para os mapas gerados, indicando ser uma ferramenta potencial para o uso e cobertura do solo. Os resultados denotaram uma conversão de áreas florestais principalmente para atividades antrópicas agrícolas, na ordem de 472 km², o que representa uma perda de 1,3% de superfície de floresta amazônica na região de estudo.Palavras-chave: conversão de áreas florestais; uso e cobertura do solo; classificação digital; análise multitemporal. CHANGE IN FOREST COVER OF THE NORTHWEST REGION OF AMAZON IN MATO GROSSO STATE ABSTRACT: In the past few years, the intensification of anthropic activities that modify the soil-vegetation cover in Brazil’s land has been occurring on a large scale. To monitor the forest cover changes, the techniques of Remote Sensing of vegetation are essential tools, especially in large areas and with difficult access, as is the case of the Brazilian Amazon. The aim of this work was to identify the changes in land use and land cover, over the past 20 years, in the municipalities of Aripuanã and Rondolândia, Northwest of Mato Grosso State, in order to quantify the effective altered areas. Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI digital classification images techniques were used in three different dates (1995, 2005 and 2015) and, later, the detection to the land use and land cover changes. The digital classification showed excellent results, with kappa index above 0.80 for the generated maps, indicating the digital classification as a potential tool for land use and land cover. Results reflect the conversion of forest areas mainly for agricultural activities, in the order of 472 km², representing a loss of 1.3% of Amazon forest surface in the study region.Keywords: forest conversion; land use and land cover; digital classification; multitemporal analysis.

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