scholarly journals Chronosequences of ant nest mounds from glacier forelands of Jostedalsbreen, southern Norway: Insights into the distribution, succession and geo-ecology of red wood ants (Formica lugubris and F. aquilonia)

The Holocene ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 1113-1130
Author(s):  
Jennifer L Hill ◽  
Amber E Vater ◽  
Andrew P Geary ◽  
John A Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Model ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Ant Nest ◽  
Southern Norway ◽  
Formica Lugubris ◽  
Mound Size

Red wood ant nest mounds were investigated on terrain deglaciated since the mid-18th century at three outlet glaciers of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap in southern Norway. Chronosequence methodology was combined with a geo-ecological approach in the context of autecology. Size and composition of 168 mounds, most of which belonged to Formica lugubris, were related to terrain age, vegetation characteristics and physical habitat types using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) linked to segmented bubble plots and inferential statistical techniques. Substantive insights include (1) colonisation occurs 50–80 years after deglaciation; (2) mounds up to 100 cm high occupy the glacier forelands with a density of 2.5–4.6 mounds/hectare; (3) the positive correlation between mound size and terrain age is weakened by the presence of numerous small mounds attributed to the expansion of polydomous colonies by budding; (4) although mounds are mostly composed of plant remains (litter), they contain up to 17% mineral material (mostly gravel) on relatively young terrain; (5) mound size and composition are related to the number of trees ( Betula pubescens) occurring within 5 m of each mound, which reflects the availability of biological resources for mound thatch and ant food, the latter being primarily honeydew from aphids; (6) where aphids are present on trees, the mounds tend to be relatively large, reflecting the presence of ant–aphid mutualism; (7) mounds are larger on moraines and till plains than on outwash deposits, probably reflecting the enhancement of tree growth because of greater moisture availability and soil fertility in the former habitat types; (8) a strong southerly preferred aspect in mound orientation indicates the importance of direct solar radiation in maintaining internal mound temperatures and (9) glacier-foreland landscapes are not simply time-dependent chronosequences reflecting succession but the product of spatio-temporal dynamics involving biotic and abiotic interactions, which we summarise in a conceptual geo-ecological model. The main methodological implications are that chronosequences can be used to investigate the autecology of keystone species using a geo-ecological approach and multivariate analysis.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports: An Ecological Approach to School Psychology Service Delivery

2021 ◽  
pp. 009862832110242
Author(s):  
Susan M. Loftus-Rattan ◽  
Mahri Wrightington ◽  
Jenlyn Furey ◽  
Jessica Case
Keyword(s):  
School Psychology ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
School Psychologists ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Tiered System ◽  
Main Components

Introduction: School psychologists work to support the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional well-being of students in schools. Their roles have become increasingly diverse in recent years due to the implementation of Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) frameworks in schools throughout the United States. Statement of the Problem: Despite a national shortage of school psychologists, psychology students are often unaware of the profession or may have an outdated understanding of the role of school psychologists. Psychology students may also be unfamiliar with the MTSS framework, which promotes research-based, data-driven, equitable, and culturally responsive practices through a systemic, ecological approach to service delivery in schools. Literature Review: We review the main components of a typical MTSS prevention and intervention framework and describe the various roles of school psychologists and other key stakeholders within this model. Teaching Implications: This review and supporting resources can be used to introduce the field of school psychology to students. Additionally, it can be used to generate discussions regarding the provision of evidence-based and equitable academic and psychological services to students in the school through an ecological model. Conclusion: This article will help students gain an understanding of school psychologists’ roles within a current MTSS educational service delivery model.

scholarly journals Features of the specific composition of weeds on the territory of Vsevolozhsk (Leningrad region)

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-316
Author(s):  
E. N. Mysnik
Keyword(s):  
Common Species ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Leningrad Region ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Specific Composition ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Artificial Origin

As a part of the ecological approach, weeds are considered as plants of secondary habitats of natural and artificial origin with disturbed natural vegetation cover. Such habitats are also available in the territory of settlements. Therefore,the study of the specific composition of weeds in the territory of settlements is an important area of scientific research. Thepurpose of this study is to identify the features of the specific composition of weeds depending on the type of habitat in thecity of Vsevolozhsk (Leningrad Region). Аs a result of the study, new data were obtained on the weeds distribution in different types of habitats within the city. For comparison, harvested clogged areas and lawns were selected, 59 and 66 species wereidentified on them, respectively. Species compositions of weeds of comparable habitat types have significant similarities in thetaxonomic structure and composition of species groups which dominate in occurrence (14 common species). The proportion of young (annual and biennial) and perennial species of weeds on the compared types of habitats varies slightly. Together,15 species from the compositions of the dominant species groups are dominant in the fields of the Leningrad Region, whichdemonstrates the relationship between the different components of the weed flora of the Leningrad Region. As a part of the ecological approach, weeds are considered as plants of secondary habitats of natural and artificial origin with disturbed natural vegetation cover. Such habitats are also available in the territory of settlements. Therefore,the study of the specific composition of weeds in the territory of settlements is an important area of scientific research. Thepurpose of this study is to identify the features of the specific composition of weeds depending on the type of habitat in thecity of Vsevolozhsk (Leningrad Region). Аs a result of the study, new data were obtained on the weeds distribution in different types of habitats within the city. For comparison, harvested clogged areas and lawns were selected, 59 and 66 species wereidentified on them, respectively. Species compositions of weeds of comparable habitat types have significant similarities in thetaxonomic structure and composition of species groups which dominate in occurrence (14 common species). The proportion of young (annual and biennial) and perennial species of weeds on the compared types of habitats varies slightly. Together,15 species from the compositions of the dominant species groups are dominant in the fields of the Leningrad Region, whichdemonstrates the relationship between the different components of the weed flora of the Leningrad Region.

scholarly journals Music Therapy, Social Policy and Ecological Models: A Located Example of Music in Australian Schools

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Hew Dale Crooke
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Model Approach

While music therapy courses rarely cover the finer points of social policy, a basic knowledge of how this system of governance works can be highly beneficial for those wanting to maximise their presence and impact in a given field. Taking an ecological approach, this article presents how music therapy as a discipline and practise can be seen as located within a structure of policy. Further, it illustrates how understanding this structure can help practitioners and researchers capitalise on the opportunities they provide, and work around the barriers they impose. It does this by providing a background of the ecological model approach, and discussing how this approach can be useful for thinking about the relationship between music therapy and social policy. It then uses the policy situation surrounding music in Australian schools to give a grounded example of how understanding this situation can help position music therapy to meet key policy goals at national and localised levels. It is hoped that increased awareness, and an example of how it can be applied, will empower music therapists to learn about policies in their specific areas, and capitalise on the opportunities they provide.

scholarly journals Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Approach to Understand Academic Advising with International Community College Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Leaf Zhang
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
International Students ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Qualitative Research Design

This study focuses on advising international students in a Texas community college. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, I explored how academic advising with international students was shaped by individual backgrounds and environmental influences. I utilized a qualitative research design and analyzed information collected from interviews with 20 academic advisors and 15 international students at the community college. The findings of the study revealed factors in each subsystem of the model that may exert an important impact on international students’ experiences in advising and academic success. The findings can provide a valuable lens for advisors to better understand the challenges of working with international students and unveil forthcoming experiences for prospective international students

scholarly journals Metodyka waloryzacji przyrodniczej. Część I: Zastosowania w ochronie przyrody

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 55-77
Author(s):  
Piotr Matyjasiak
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Red Lists ◽  
Community Interest ◽  
Special Protection

The aim of this paper is to review the method of valorization of natural resources as applied in nature protection and spatial planning. Various valorization indices are discussed, including natural resources of special protection concern (species and natural habitat types of community interest, species legally protected in Poland, species, and ecosystems included in red lists, keystone species, flagship, and charismatic species), indicators of the conservation status of ecosystems and landscapes (indicator species and other indices of the degree of naturalness of ecosystems and landscapes), and components of ecological networks (ecological corridors and patches). Emphasis was placed on the need to include issues of ecological connectivity in the valorization of natural resources.

scholarly journals Environmentally-induced DNA methylation is inherited across generations in an aquatic keystone species (Daphnia magna)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Feiner ◽  
Reinder Radersma ◽  
Louella Vasquez ◽  
Markus Ringnér ◽  
Björn Nystedt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Daphnia Magna ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Gene Frequencies

AbstractEnvironmental stress can result in epigenetic modifications that are passed down several generations. Such epigenetic inheritance can have significant impact on eco-evolutionary dynamics, but the phenomenon remains controversial in ecological model systems. Here, we used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on individual water fleas (Daphnia magna) to assess whether environmentally-induced DNA methylation can persist for up to four generations. Genetically identical females were exposed to a control treatment, one of three natural stressors (high temperature, zinc, microcystin), or the methylation-inhibitor 5-azacytidine. After exposure, lines were propagated clonally for four generations under control conditions. We identified between 70 and 225 differentially methylated CpG positions (DMPs) between controls and F1 individuals whose mothers (and therefore they themselves as germ cells) were exposed to one of the three natural stressors. Between 46% and 58% of these environmentally-induced DMPs persisted until generation F4 without attenuation in their magnitude of differential methylation. DMPs were enriched in exons and largely stressor-specific, suggesting a possible role in environment-dependent gene regulation. In contrast, treatment with the compound 5-azacytidine demonstrated that pervasive hypo-methylation upon exposure is reset almost completely after a single generation. These results suggest that environmentally-induced DNA methylation is non-random and stably inherited across generations in Daphnia, making epigenetic inheritance a putative factor in the eco-evolutionary dynamics of fresh-water communities.Author summaryWater fleas are important keystone species mediating eco-evolutionary dynamics in lakes and ponds. It is currently an open question in how far epigenetic inheritance contributes to the ability of Daphnia populations to adapt to environmental stress. Using a range of naturally occurring stressors and a multi-generational design, we show that environmentally-induced DNA methylation variants are stably inherited for at least four generations in Daphnia magna. The induced variation in DNA methylation are stressor-specific and almost exclusively found in exons, bearing the signatures of functional adaptations. Our findings imply that ecological adaptations of Daphnia to seasonal fluctuations can be underpinned by epigenetic inheritance of DNA methylation without changes in gene frequencies.

scholarly journals How to decrease the negative effects of medium intensity disturbances on arthropod communities

Web Ecology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-21
Author(s):  
G. Györffy ◽  
L. Körmöczi
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Optimal Time ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Insect Communities ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Mesic Grassland ◽  
Optimal Rotation ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract. One of the major goals in nature conservation practice is to optimise the timing or the method of treatments or both. We studied the response of the Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Homoptera) assemblage to annual mowing in three different locations along an elevation gradient of a mesic grassland. Several weeks after mowing, the total number of imagoes and larvae decreased considerably, and the relative abundance differences between populations at different elevations also decreased, reflecting the density dependent effect of this treatment. The rate of changes in species composition was greatest in the microhabitats with more comfortable microclimates, in the opposite direction of the alteration of abundance, perhaps interfering with the migration. By the next spring the fauna of the wettest habitat proved to be the most sensitive to mowing and the most different from the others. The overall similarity of the insect communities increased, i.e. the community-level biodiversity decreased due to homogenising effect of mowing. In a heteromorphous habitat, the variability of spatio-temporal dynamics of the populations makes it impossible to find either single optimal time or optimal rotation plan for treatment based on the habitat types. For this reason, we suggest mowing in stripes parallel to the elevation gradient, which would mean synchronous treatment of each microhabitat instead of randomly chosen patches, where the execution is problematic. It is easier to keep the ratio of treated to untreated areas at 50%. Stripes should be narrow enough to provide the possibility of migration to favourable habitat patches, and should not hinder mechanical mowing. Suggested width of stripes is 10–15 m for Auchenorrhyncha.

An Ecological Approach to Practice with Single-Parent Families

1985 ◽  
Vol 66 (8) ◽  
pp. 482-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina U. Howard ◽  
Frank C. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Model ◽  
Single Parent ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Role Orientation ◽  
Single Parent Families

Six components of the ecological model help practitioners understand the dynamics of single-parent families and devise preventive and interventive strategies to resolve post-divorce problems. The role orientation of the parent is emphasized.

Effects of discharge regulation on slackwater characteristics at multiple scales in a lowland river

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina E. Price ◽  
Paul Humphries ◽  
Ben Gawne ◽  
Martin C. Thoms
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Channel Morphology ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Lowland River ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Discharge Regulation ◽  
Patch Characteristics

The spatial and temporal dynamics of physical habitat in rivers is driven by the interaction between channel morphology and discharge. However, little is known about how altered discharge affects the dynamics of habitat patches such as slackwaters. This study investigated the influence of discharge on the availability, stability, quality, and diversity of slackwaters in a southeastern Australian lowland river. The area, spatial configuration, permanence, and within-patch characteristics of slackwaters of two reaches in a regulated section and two reaches in a largely unregulated section of the river were compared. There was less slackwater area and it was less permanent at higher discharges and in the two regulated reaches than at lower discharges and in the largely unregulated reaches. Individual slackwaters were more homogenous in relation to within-patch characteristics in the regulated than in the largely unregulated reaches. However, variability in the spatial configuration of slackwaters and within-patch characteristics and diversity at the reach scale were not related to discharge. We suggest that channel morphology, rather than discharge, is the main driver of these characteristics.

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