A review of the cave fauna of Canada, and the composition and ecology of the invertebrate fauna of caves and mines in Ontario

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 1197-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart B. Peck
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Invertebrate Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Invertebrates ◽  
Cave Fauna ◽  
Seasonal Basis ◽  
Total Community

Caves and cave-inhabiting faunas of Canada are reviewed. Four species of troglobitic (cave-limited) crustaceans (Amphipoda and Isopoda) are known from Alberta and British Columbia, and one troglobitic mite from Alberta. A study of the subterranean fauna of Ontario involved investigating 35 caves and mines. Collections of 1274 invertebrate specimens contained 301 species in 5 phyla, with spiders and insects being most numerous. Diptera were the most abundant insects with 140 species, mainly in the families Culicidae, Mycetophilidae, and Tipulidae. The fauna is predominantly composed of trogloxenes, in the "parietal association." Few troglophiles and no troglobites were found. The fauna is most abundant in individuals and richest in species diversity within the first 10 m of the entrances, just inside the dark zone, and at 12–14 °C. The total "community" of terrestrial invertebrates does not show significant preferences in either caves or mines for precise locations on environmental gradients of light, temperature, or relative humidity. Faunal movements and changes occur on a daily and a seasonal basis. There is no clear difference between the faunas of "old" caves and those of "young" mines. The cave and mine faunas are generally scavengers or predators recruited from nearby forest litter and soil populations. None of the species were significantly outside their previously known distributional range.

scholarly journals Terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Polish caves – a summary of 100 years of research

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 45-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Kocot-Zalewska ◽  
Paweł Domagała
Keyword(s):  
Invertebrate Fauna ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Terrestrial Invertebrate ◽  
Cave Fauna ◽  
History Of ◽  
Detailed List ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

The year 2018 is particularly important in the history of zoological research in Poland. A hundred years ago, Kazimierz Demel published the first work concerning the terrestrial cave fauna of caves in the Ojców area. In this paper we present the extent of research on the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Polish caves in the last 100 years. All accessible research papers that have been published during this period were analysed. Based on published literature, 593 species of terrestrial invertebrate were recorded in Polish caves. Additionally, detailed list of species of individual taxonomic groups was provided.

Species diversity and forest health in northwest British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 892-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J Woods
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Root Disease ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Interior Spruce ◽  
Dothistroma Needle Blight ◽  
Needle Blight

Forest management in the Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) zone of the Kispiox TSA in northwest British Columbia has focused on two tree species. Interior spruce (Picea engelmanni Parry ex Engelm. × Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Dougl. ex Loud.) have dominated plantations, while historically, western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), true firs (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. and (Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex Forbes) and western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), have dominated the landscape. Tomentosus root disease (Inonotus tomentosus (Fr.) Teng) and Dothistroma needle blight (Mycosphaerella pini Rostr. in Munk) are the principal diseases affecting interior spruce and lodgepole pine plantations, respectively. Tomentosus root disease was found in 92% of spruce-dominated stands 100 years and older in the study area. The annual recruitment of dead interior spruce and lodgepole pine tree volume due to the disease in those stands is 4.29 m3/ha or 51 990 m3. The incidence of Tomentosus root disease in ten randomly selected spruce leading plantations aged 25–30 years ranged from 0.6% to 10.4% and averaged 5.9% of the host trees. Dothistroma needle blight was the most prevalent pest in a survey of 100 randomly selected lodgepole pine plantations and has caused considerable crop tree mortality. The disease has even caused mortality in 55-year-old lodgepole pine trees. Maintaining species diversity is essential to long-term forest health. Intensive planting of interior spruce and lodge-pole pine in this study area appears to have exacerbated disease problems. Key words: forest health, species diversity, interior spruce, lodgepole pine, Tomentosus root disease, Dothistroma needle blight

Relative abundance and movement of the carabid beetle Scaphinotus angusticollis in managed coniferous riparian forests of southwestern British Columbia

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne L. Lavallee ◽  
John S. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Carabid Beetle ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Broad Distribution ◽  
Terrestrial Invertebrates ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Terrestrial Insects

Riparian reserves designed to protect stream ecosystems are valuable to the conservation of riparian obligate and forest-preferring species; however, there have been few studies of terrestrial invertebrates with more general habitat requirements. To characterize the use of riparian reserves by terrestrial insects, we examined the ecology of Scaphinotus angusticollis Mannerheim, a large and abundant carabid beetle with a broad distribution in coniferous forests of western North America. Population sizes and movement behaviour of S. angusticollis were contrasted among clearcuts, 30 m reserves, and unharvested riparian forests near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with three sites per habitat type. The relative abundances of S. angusticollis were as high in 30 m reserve habitats as they were in unharvested forests, whereas populations in clearcuts were approximately half the size of those found in 30 m reserves. Beetle distributions relative to nearby streams were similar across habitat types. Beetles moved twice as far in 30 m reserves than in clearcuts, suggesting there are differences in this beetle’s perception of reserve habitat. This study provides evidence that 30 m riparian reserves offer habitat that maintains population sizes and facilitates movement of terrestrial insect species like S. angusticollis at levels similar to that of unharvested riparian forests.

Vine species diversity across environmental gradients in northwestern México

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1853-1874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Molina-Freaner ◽  
Reyna Castillo Gámez ◽  
Clara Tinoco-Ojanguren ◽  
Alejandro E. Castellanos V.
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Northwestern Mexico

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variability of abundance size-spectra in streams across North America

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Pomeranz ◽  
James R. Junker ◽  
Jeff Wesner
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Stream Communities ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Total Community ◽  
Increasing Temperature

Accepted version of this manuscript can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15862 The distribution of abundance and biomass within ecological communities is related to trophic transfer efficiency from prey to predators. While it is considered to be one of the few consistent patterns in ecology, spatiotemporal variation of this relationship across continental-scale environmental gradients is unknown. Using a database of stream communities collected across North America (18-68° N latitude, -4 to 25°C mean annual temperature) over 3 years, we constructed 162 mass-abundance relationships (i.e. size spectra). Size-spectra slopes declined (became steeper) with increasing temperature. However, the magnitude of change was relatively small, with median slopes changing from -1.2 to -1.3 across a 29°C range in mean annual temperature. In contrast, total community biomass increased 3-fold over the temperature gradient. Our study suggests strong conservation of abundance size-spectra in streams across broad natural environmental gradients. This supports the emerging use of size-spectra deviations as indicators of ecosystem health.

scholarly journals Database of Romanian cave invertebrates with a Red List of cave species and a list of hotspot/coldspot caves

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Teodora Moldovan ◽  
Sanda Iepure ◽  
Traian Brad ◽  
Marius Kenesz ◽  
Ionuț Cornel Mirea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Systematic Position ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Red List ◽  
Gis Application ◽  
Cave Fauna ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Unique Species

The increasing human impact in Romanian caves raises the urgency of publishing a correct database of the strictly-adapted cave fauna. Previous attempts at indexing cave fauna and classifying caves by using their fauna opened many questions regarding the use of an incomplete list of cave species and mixed lists of troglobionts/stygobionts with troglophiles/stygophiles for ranking caves with priority for protection. It has also become obvious that there is a need to publish a list of Romanian cave species that are under threat. Cave species in Romania (and elsewhere) are endemic on small ranges, are unique and must be considered as important units for conservation. A cave must be equally protected if it has one or more rare and strictly endemic cave species. Although not exhaustive, we here provide the first checklist of Romanian troglobionts/stygobionts developed in the framework of the DARKFOOD and GROUNDWATERISK projects, coordinated by the “Emil Racovita” Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The GIS application was used to complement the checklist of cave species with data on caves and surface environments above the caves. Until complete data on species diversity and population sizes are made available for each cave, measures of conservation can be implemented, based on the presence/absence of cave species, while classifications of caves for protection, based on the number of species, must be avoided. We also propose a list of Romanian caves with fauna that are under threat and a tentative Red List of Romanian troglobiont/stygobionts. This is the first database with identified troglobiont and stygobiont species of Romania, with a critical analysis of their distribution inside the country. A list of caves that need protection for their rare and unique species and a tentative Red List of Romanian cave fauna are also added. A total of 173 species were identified, of which 77 troglobionts and 96 stygobionts are currently registered in 366 caves. The database is divided into two parts, one part with a list of troglobionts, their revised systematic position, cave name, cave code and geographic region; and the second part with the same information on stygobionts. The database represents the contribution of many active researchers, who are the authors of this paper and of review publications of many other authors of the "Emil Racoviță" Institute of Speleology.

scholarly journals Plant Community Analysis along Environmental Gradients in Moist Afromontane Forest of Gerba Dima, South-western Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abyot Dibaba Hundie ◽  
Teshome Soromessa Urgessa ◽  
Bikila Warkineh Dullo
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Community Types ◽  
Western Ethiopia

Abstract Background This study was carried out in Gerba Dima Forest, South-Western Ethiopia, to determine the floristic composition, species diversity and community types along environmental gradients. Ninety sample plots having a size of 25 × 25 m (625 m2) were laid by employing stratified random sampling. Nested plots were used to sample plants of different sizes and different environmental variables. All woody plant species with Diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 2.5 cm and height ≥ 1.5 m were recorded in 25 m X 25 m plots. Within the major plots, five 3 m x 3 m subplots (9 m2) was used to collect shrubs with dbh < 2.5 cm and > 1.5 m height. Within each 9 m2subplots, two 1 m2 subplots were used to collect data on the species and abundance of herbaceous plants. Hierarchical (agglomerative) cluster analysis was performed using the free statistical software R version 3.6.1 using package cluster to classify the vegetation into plant community types. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) ordination was used in describing the pattern of plant communities along an environmental gradient. Result One hundred and eighty plant species belonging to 145 genera, 69 families and comprising of 15 endemic species were recorded. Cluster analysis resulted in five different plant communities and this result was supported by the ordination result. RDA result showed altitude was the main environmental variable in determining the plant communities. The ANOVA test indicated that the five community types differ significantly from each other with regard to EC and K. Conclusions The studied forest can play a significant role in biodiversity conservation since it harbours high species diversity and richness. Thus, all Stakeholders including Oromia Forest and wildlife enterprise (OFWE) and the regional government should work to designate the forest as a biosphere reserve and being registered under UNESCO.

scholarly journals Insects Associated with Cucumbers (Cucumis SativusL.) At Bamunka-Ndop(North West Region, Cameroon)

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 145-159
Author(s):  
Esther Nadine Otiobo Atibita ◽  
Champlain Djieto-Lordon ◽  
Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Cucumis Sativus ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
North West ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
West Region ◽  
Stems And Leaves

Studies on insects associated with cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) in Bamunka-ndop (North-West, Cameroon) under field conditions were conducted in 2017 and 2018 from April to July. The insect species diversity, the relative abundance, the frequency of visits and guilds were recorded on the plant from 7 am to 6 pm in a 2 hours time slots. Insects were found on the stem, leaves and flowers of Cucumber. There were 10 insect species belonging to 4 Orders. Out of these, four species belonged to Hymenoptera (54.15%), whereas the Coleoptera (33.18%), the Orthoptera (7.83%) and the Diptera (4.84%) owned two species each. Formica sp. being the most represented insect (24.42%) followed by A. mellifera (21.66%). Nectarivorous, pollinivorous, stems and leaves feeders and flowers and leaves feeders were found on the crop. The peak of activities of all the insect species was situated between 10 am and 12pm even though the temperature and the relative humidity of the study site appear not to affect their activities on the plant. These studies therefore indicated that the insects associated to cucumber should be exploited to work on their activities on cucumber and enhancing yield and quality of the fruits.

Pelagic species diversity, biogeography, and evolution

Paleobiology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 26 (S4) ◽  
pp. 236-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Airborne Spores ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Population Exchange ◽  
High Dispersal ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Parapatric Speciation

Pelagic (open-ocean) species have enormous population sizes and broad, even global, distributions. These characteristics should damp rates of speciation in allopatric and vicariant evolutionary models since dispersal should swamp diverging populations and prevent divergence. Yet the fossil record suggests that rates of evolutionary turnover in pelagic organisms are often quite rapid, comparable to rates observed in much more highly fragmented terrestrial and shallow-marine environments. Furthermore, genetic and ecological studies increasingly suggest that species diversity is considerably higher in the pelagic realm than inferred from many morphological taxonomies.Zoogeographic evidence suggests that ranges of many pelagic groups are much more limited by their ability to maintain viable populations than by any inability to disperse past tectonic and hydrographic barriers to population exchange. Freely dispersing pelagic taxa resemble airborne spores or wind-dispersed seeds that can drift almost anywhere but complete the entire life cycle only in favorable habitats. It seems likely that vicariant and allopatric models for speciation are far less important in pelagic evolution than sympatric or parapatric speciation in which dispersal is not limiting. Nevertheless, speciation can be quite rapid and involve cladogenesis even in cases where morphological data suggest gradual species transitions. Indeed, recent paleoecological and molecular studies increasingly suggest that classic examples of “phyletic gradualism” involve multiple, cryptic speciation events.Paleoceanographic and climatic change seem to influence rates of turnover by modifying surface water masses and environmental gradients between them to create new habitats rather than by preventing dispersal. Changes in the vertical structure and seasonality of water masses may be particularly important since these can lead to changes in the depth and timing of reproduction. Long-distance dispersal may actually promote evolution by regularly carrying variants of a species across major oceanic fronts and exposing them to very different selection pressures than occur in their home range. High dispersal in pelagic taxa also implies that extinction should be difficult to achieve except though global perturbations that prevent populations from reestablishing themselves following local extinction. High rates of extinction in some pelagic groups suggests either that global perturbations are common, or that the species are much more narrowly adapted than we would infer from current taxonomies.

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