scholarly journals Yearlong association of Apis dorsata and Apis florea with flowering plants: planted forest vs. agricultural landscape

Sociobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mudssar Ali ◽  
Asif Sajjad ◽  
Shafqat Saeed
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Mangifera Indica ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Calotropis Procera ◽  
Apis Dorsata ◽  
Planted Forest ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Floral Constancy

The yearlong association of two native honey bee species (Apis dorsata and A. florea) with 49 plant species was recorded in a planted forest and adjacent agricultural landscape at Multan, Pakistan. The study resulted in 588 interactions of A. dorsata with 40 plant species and 454 interactions of A. florea on 38 plant species. The most visited plants species by A. dorsata included Helianthus annuus, Citrus reticulata, Trifolium alexandrinum, Moringa oleifera and Calotropis procera, while the most visited plant species by A. florea included C. procera, Mangifera indica, T. alexandrinum, Coriandrum sativum and H. annuus. The peak abundance of bees and floral resources (i.e. number of plant species in flowering and abundance of floral units) was recorded during early March to late May followed by a gradual decline until December. Monthly abundance of both bee species was positively related to the floral resources, negatively related to relative humidity while it was not significantly related to temperature. The current study may serve as a baseline to track the degradation in ecosystem service of cross pollination and making new conservation strategies at local scale while future research should focus on tempo-spatial variations in foraging preferences, floral constancy and effect of foraging competition on crop pollination in different ecological regions of Pakistan.

scholarly journals Flowering plant composition shapes pathogen infection intensity and reproduction in bumble bee colonies

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (21) ◽  
pp. 11559-11565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn S. Adler ◽  
Nicholas A. Barber ◽  
Olivia M. Biller ◽  
Rebecca E. Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Pathogen Infection ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Infection Treatment ◽  
High Infection

Pathogens pose significant threats to pollinator health and food security. Pollinators can transmit diseases during foraging, but the consequences of plant species composition for infection is unknown. In agroecosystems, flowering strips or hedgerows are often used to augment pollinator habitat. We used canola as a focal crop in tents and manipulated flowering strip composition using plant species we had previously shown to result in higher or lower bee infection in short-term trials. We also manipulated initial colony infection to assess impacts on foraging behavior. Flowering strips using high-infection plant species nearly doubled bumble bee colony infection intensity compared to low-infection plant species, with intermediate infection in canola-only tents. Both infection treatment and flowering strips reduced visits to canola, but we saw no evidence that infection treatment shifted foraging preferences. Although high-infection flowering strips increased colony infection intensity, colony reproduction was improved with any flowering strips compared to canola alone. Effects of flowering strips on colony reproduction were explained by nectar availability, but effects of flowering strips on infection intensity were not. Thus, flowering strips benefited colony reproduction by adding floral resources, but certain plant species also come with a risk of increased pathogen infection intensity.

scholarly journals Invasive plants in the Brazilian Caatinga: a scientometric analysis with prospects for conservation

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-520
Author(s):  
Anderson Silva Pinto ◽  
Fernanda Kalina da Silva Monteiro ◽  
Maiara Bezerra Ramos ◽  
Rubenice da Costa Correia Araújo ◽  
Sérgio de Faria Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Calotropis Procera ◽  
Scientometric Analysis ◽  
Invasive Plant Species ◽  
Parkinsonia Aculeata ◽  
Consistent Information

Understanding the impacts caused by invasive plant species, especially in regions where studies are scarce, is of great importance to the development of management and conservation strategies. Amongst the biomes present in Brazil, the Caatinga (Dry Tropical Forest) stands out for having had few studies dealing with biological invasions by plants and animals. An evaluation of scientific production can provide a means by which the progress of invasion-related studies can be assessed, as well as identify research gaps and provide a broad overview of the importance of invasions in this biome. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform a scientometric analysis to evaluate the development of scientific research over the years on exotic and invasive plant species in the Caatinga. We found 46 papers dealing with invasive plants in the Caatinga published over a 14-year period. The main objectives of most of the papers focused on identifying the main strategies used by plants in the process of invasion and characterising the invaded environment. A total of 28 species were cited as invasive for the Caatinga, with Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC., Cryptostegia madagascariensis Bojer, Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton and Parkinsonia aculeata L. being the most cited species. Although studies on the subject are incipient, there is already important information about the dynamics of the invasiveness of plant species in the Caatinga, which can serve as a basis for new studies, as well as for the development of management policies, based on consistent information. Biological invasion, dry forest, exotic species, northeast Brazil, scientometry, semi-arid

scholarly journals Pollination Potential of Riparian Hardwood Forests—A Multifaceted Field-Based Assessment in the Vistula Valley, Poland

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 907
Author(s):  
Andrzej N. Affek ◽  
Edyta Regulska ◽  
Ewa Kołaczkowska ◽  
Anna Kowalska ◽  
Katarzyna Affek
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Vistula River ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Nesting Sites

Riparian forests with oaks, ashes and elms, now highly fragmented and rare in Europe, are considered hotspots for ecosystem services. However, their capacity to provide pollination seems to be quite low, although reports from in-situ research supporting this view are scarce. Our goal was therefore to thoroughly assess their pollination potential based on multifaceted field measurements. For this, we selected six test sites with well-developed riparian hardwood forests, located in the agricultural landscape along the middle Vistula River in Poland. We used seven indicators relating to habitat suitability (nesting sites and floral resources) and pollinator abundance (bumblebees and other Apoidea) and propose a threshold value (AdjMax) based on value distribution and Hampel’s test to indicate the level of pollination potential for this type of riparian forest. The obtained AdjMax for bumblebee density was 500 ind. ha−1, for Apoidea abundance—0.42 ind. day−1, while for nectar resources—200 kg ha−1. We demonstrate that the investigated small patches of the riparian hardwood forest have a higher pollination potential than reported earlier for riparian and other broadleaved temperate forests, but the indicators were inconsistent. As forest islands in the agricultural landscape, riparian hardwood forests play an important role in maintaining the diversity and abundance of wild pollinators, especially in early spring when there is still no food base available elsewhere.

scholarly journals Improving the knowledge of plant potential biodiversity-ecosystem services links using maps at the regional level in Southern Patagonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamina Micaela Rosas ◽  
Pablo L. Peri ◽  
María Vanessa Lencinas ◽  
Romina Lasagno ◽  
Guillermo J. Martínez Pastur
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Southern Patagonia

Abstract Background Biodiversity supports multiple ecosystem services, whereas species loss endangers the provision of many services and affects ecosystem resilience and resistance capacity. The increase of remote sensing techniques allows to estimate biodiversity and ecosystem services supply at the landscape level in areas with low available data (e.g. Southern Patagonia). This paper evaluates the potential biodiversity and how it links with ecosystem services, based on vascular plant species across eight ecological areas. We also evaluated the habitat plant requirements and their relation with natural gradients. A total of 977 plots were used to develop habitat suitability maps based on an environmental niche factor analysis of 15 more important indicator species for each ecological area (n = 53 species) using 40 explanatory variables. Finally, these maps were combined into a single potential biodiversity map, which was linked with environmental variables and ecosystem services supply. For comparisons, data were extracted and compared through analyses of variance. Results The plant habitat requirements varied greatly among the different ecological areas, and it was possible to define groups according to its specialization and marginality indexes. The potential biodiversity map allowed us to detect coldspots in the western mountains and hotspots in southern and eastern areas. Higher biodiversity was associated to higher temperatures and normalized difference vegetation index, while lower biodiversity was related to elevation and rainfall. Potential biodiversity was closely associated with supporting and provisioning ecosystem services in shrublands and grasslands in the humid steppe, while the lowest values were related to cultural ecosystem services in Nothofagus forests. Conclusions The present study showed that plant species present remarkable differences in spatial distributions and ecological requirements, being a useful proxy for potential biodiversity modelling. Potential biodiversity values change across ecological areas allowing to identify hotspots and coldspots, a useful tool for landscape management and conservation strategies. In addition, links with ecosystem services detect potential synergies and trade-offs, where areas with the lowest potential biodiversity are related to cultural ecosystem services (e.g. aesthetic values) and areas with the greatest potential biodiversity showed threats related to productive activities (e.g. livestock).

scholarly journals Short-term study on the yak dung seed bank on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: effects of grazing season, seed characteristics and forage preferences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shulin Wang ◽  
Fujiang Hou
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Seed Shape ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Foraging Preferences ◽  
Seed Characteristics ◽  
Yak Dung

Abstract Aims Viable seeds in herbivore dung constitute the dung seed bank, and the contribution of livestock dung to this seed bank in grazing pastures is often overlooked. Grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape), and forage preference are the main factors that affect the size and composition of the dung seed bank and ultimately affect grassland ecology. However, how these three factors interact is unclear. Methods We collected yak dung as well as seeds of the common plant species from warm- and cold-season alpine meadows in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and explored how grazing season (warm and cold), seed characteristics (size and shape) and foraging preferences (temporary cages method) affects yak dung seedling density, richness and diversity in an alpine pasture. Results Forty-three plant species (mainly perennials) germinated from yak dung. Dung seedling density, richness, and diversity did not differ significantly between the two grazing seasons. Small to medium-sized spherical seeds (seed size < 10 mg, shape index < 0.5) had the greatest germination potential. Conclusions Yaks vary their forage preference depending on the season (phenological period), and endozoochory occurs throughout both grazing seasons. Seed shape and size directly regulate the dung seedling density, richness, and diversity. Dung seedlings increase the heterogeneity of the aboveground vegetation near the microsites of the dung pieces and therefore promote grassland patching. Our study demonstrates that grazing season, seed characteristics, and yak forage preferences affect the dung seed bank in grazing ecosystems.

scholarly journals Prioritization and Selection of High Biomass Energy Producing Plant Species at Boset District, Central Ethiopia: An Ethnobotanical Approach 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinsae Bahru Yifru ◽  
Berhane Kidane ◽  
Amsalu Tolessa
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Calotropis Procera ◽  
Sampled Data ◽  
High Biomass ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Acacia Senegal ◽  
Selection Of Species ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Background: In Ethiopia, about 92.3% of all the biomass energy is consumed by domestic households and the demand is growing from 10-14%. However, there are little/no practical experiences or documented indigenous knowledge on how traditional people identify and select high biomass producing plant species with short rotation periods at Boset District. Therefore, the present study was aimed at: (1) selecting and documenting high biomass energy producing plant species at Boset District; (2) identifying major predictor variables that influence the prioritization and selection of species; and (3) develop a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to predict the selection of species. Methods: A total of 96 informants comprising 59 men and 37 women between the ages of 18 and 81 were sampled. Data were collected using structured interviews, guided field walk, discussions and field observations. Results: Collected data indicated that 88.5% of the informants involved in firewood collection, while 90% practiced charcoal making. A total of 1533.60 Birr per household on average was earned annually from this activity. A total of 25 firewood and/or charcoal plant species were identified and documented at Boset District. Of these, Acacia senegal, Acacia tortilis and Acacia robusta were the three best prioritized and selected indigenous high biomass producing species. Prosopis juliflora, Parthenium hysterophorus, Azadirachta indica, Calotropis procera, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Lantana camara and Senna occidentalis further grouped under introduced fuelwood species. Prediction of GLM assured sampled Kebeles and source of income generated from fuelwood species positively and significantly (p<0.001) related to selection of species. Higher efficiency to provide energy and heat; little or no smoke or soot; easier to cut and split the wood and easier availability were some of the main selection criteria. Conclusions: This study provides valuable information in selection and documenting of high biomass producing plant species for proper management and sustainable use at Boset District. The three most selected species (A. senegal, A. tortilis and A. robusta) should be further evaluated at laboratory to determine their energy values.

scholarly journals Short Communication: The fruit plant species diversity in the home gardens and their contribution to the livelihood of communities in rural area

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elfrida ELFRIDA ◽  
Albian Mubarak ◽  
Adi Bejo Suwardi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Mangifera Indica ◽  
Plant Species Diversity ◽  
Home Gardens ◽  
Improve Food Security

Abstract. Elfrida, Mubarak A, Suwardi AB. 2020. Short Communication: The fruit plant species diversity in the home gardens and their contribution to the livelihood of rural communities in Tenggulun Sub-district, Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 3670-3675. Home gardens have a significant potential to improve food security and offer a contribution to household income for communities in rural areas. The aim of this study was to assess the diversity of fruit plant species in the home gardens and their contribution to the livelihood of rural communities in Tenggulun Sub-district, Indonesia. The study was conducted in three villages of Tenggulun Sub-district, Aceh Tamiang District, namely Tenggulun, Selamat, and Simpang Kiri. Extensive field surveys, plant collections, and interviews with local communities were conducted, involving 350 households, using random sampling methods. A total of 39 fruit plant species consisting of 23 genera and 17 families were recorded at the three villages. Sixteen species, i.e., A. muricata, A. jiringa, Artocarpus integer, Averrhoa bilimbi, Baccaurea motleyana, Carica papaya, Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus hystrix, Garcinia mangostana, Mangifera indica, Manilkara zapota, Musa x paradisiaca, Nephelium lappaceum, Psidium guajava, Spondias pinnata, and Syzygium aqueum were the most frequently recorded in all of the villages. In addition to being used as food, the fruit plants in the study area were also used as medicines, fodder, fuelwood, and household items. The fruit plant species have a significant role in supporting household livelihoods to improve food security and potentially offer a household income for the rural community in the study area.

scholarly journals Diversity and composition of plant species in the forest over limestone of Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, Bohol, Philippines

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilbert Aureo ◽  
Tomas Reyes ◽  
Francis Carlo Mutia ◽  
Reizl Jose ◽  
Mary Beth Sarnowski
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Importance Value ◽  
Accumulation Curve ◽  
Representative Species ◽  
Special Area ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Common Plant ◽  
Management And Conservation

Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape (RSPL), considered the last frontier within the Central Visayas region, is an ideal location for flora and fauna research due to its rich biodiversity. This recent study was conducted to determine the plant species composition and diversity and to select priority areas for conservation to update management strategy. A field survey was carried out in fifteen (15) 20 m x 100 m nested plots established randomly in the forest over limestone of RSPL from July to October 2019. Three hundred and sixty eight (368) species of plants were identified up to species level. This represented 327 angiosperms, one gymnosperm and 40 pteridophytes. Common plant families with more than 10 representative species were Moraceae, Meliaceae, Lauraceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Annonaceae, Araceae and Lauraceae. There were 93 (28%) endemic and 46 (14%) threatened species (vulnerable to critically endangered) observed. The cluster analysis and species accumulation curve suggests that plant species are not homogeneously distributed which implies that different management and conservation strategies should be implemented across RSPL. These results not only indicate the importance of RSPL, but also highlights areas with higher diversity and concentration of threatened and endemic species as a special area of concern. Furthermore, areas with high biodiversity value were recommended for immediate protection, while areas with low biodiversity value were recommended for reforestation programmes using species with high importance value.

scholarly journals Behavior, ecology and territory of the chestnut-bellied hummingbird, Saucerottia castaneiventris, in the xerophytic vegetation of the Chicamocha canyon of Colombia

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-520
Author(s):  
Gerson Marcel Peñuela Díaz ◽  
Ludy Archila-Durán ◽  
Jorge Parra ◽  
Juan E. Carvajal‑Cogollo
Keyword(s):  
Rainy Season ◽  
Aloe Vera ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Territorial Defense ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
Near Threatened ◽  
Opuntia Dillenii

The Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird Saucerottia castaneiventris is an endemic hummingbird of Colombia, currently categorized as Near Threatened (NT) globally and as Vulnerable (VU) in Colombia. We characterize the territorial defense and foraging behaviors of S. castaneiventris hummingbird during different seasons of the year, and we determined the size of the S. castaneiventris territory and its relationship with floral abundance at different times of the year. We made four field trips between 2008 and 2009 and registered 19 individuals from S. castaneiventris. Of these, 10 were in the rainy periods, distributed in five territories (one male and one female for each). Eight were in the dry period (July), distributed in four territories. And one individual was in the dry period of February, which did not settle in any of the identified territories. Territorial defense occupied a large part of species’ time. The nectar drinking, and insect hunting were the most frequent activities. The most common floral resources were Opuntia dillenii, Tillandsia sp. and Aloe vera. The hummingbirds Chlorostilbon gibsoni and Doryfera ludoviciae shared habitats with S. castaneiventris and there were fluctuations in encounter rates between the seasons (C. gibsoni ER: 20–7.5 and D. ludoviciae and ER: 0.0–2.5). Territories ranged between 1800 and 3800 m2 for the dry season and between 1500 and 6500 m2 for the rainy season. Our results provided primary information on the ecology of S. castaneiventris and form the basis for the formulation of conservation strategies for the species and for its habitats..

scholarly journals The Draft Genome Assembly of the Critically Endangered Nyssa yunnanensis, a Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations Endemic to Yunnan Province, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weixue Mu ◽  
Jinpu Wei ◽  
Ting Yang ◽  
Yannan Fan ◽  
Le Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Yunnan Province ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Small Populations

Nyssa yunnanensis is a deciduous tree in family Nayssaceae within the order Cornales. As only 8 individuals in 2 sites recorded in Yunnan province of China, the species was listed as the China&rsquo;s national grade-I protection species in 1999, and also as one of 120 PSESP(Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations) in Implementation Plan of Rescuing and Conserving China&rsquo;s Plant Species with extremely Small Populations(PSESP) (2011-2-15). N. yunnanensis was also been evaluated as Critically Endangered in IUCN red list and Threatened Species List of China's Higher Plants. Hence understanding the genomic characteristics of this highly endangered Tertiary relict tree species is essential, especially for developing conservation strategies. Here we sequenced and annotated the genome of N. yunnanensis using 10X genomics linked-reads sequencing data. The de novo assembled genome is 1474Mb in length with a scaffold N50 length of 985.59kb. We identified 823.51Mb of non-redundant sequence as repetitive elements and annotated 39,803 protein-coding genes in the assembly. Our result provided the genomic characteristics of N. yunnanensis, which will provide valuable resources for future genomic and evolutionary studies, especially for conservation biology studies of this extremely threatened tree species.

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