scholarly journals Anthropophytes in the flora of different spatial units within old rural settlements of the Lubuskie Lakeland, western Poland

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Jasińska ◽  
Andrzej Brzeg ◽  
Maria Wojterska

AbstractStudies of the flora of villages in a connection with the surrounding landscape are rare and mostly limited to the built-up area and its general location in a geographical region. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the diversity patterns of flora against the background of local landscape units in the rural areas and to analyse them in the context of village transformation. The study comprised 30 villages of medieval origin representing the oval-shape type, with differently preserved structure of built-up area and cultivated fields, located in the Lubuskie Lakeland. The terrain within a buffer zone of 200 m in width, located outside of the built-up area, was divided into spatial complexes. In each of these complexes, floristic lists were compiled. The structure of surrounding landscape within the buffer zone of 1 km in width, measuring from the village centroid, was analysed using ArcGIS.The recorded flora comprised 767 taxa of spontaneously occurring vascular plants. Extremely rare and common species were the most numerous. Native species distinctly prevailed over alien in all types of spatial complexes and the majority of them occurred in the habitats transformed by man. There were noted altogether 244 species of anthropophytes.The index of anthropophytization of flora (WAnt) showed that both types of built-up areas (transformed and non-transformed) reached the highest values, slightly higher than fields and central green. Index of flora modernization (WM) showed the same pattern. Only water bodies were strikingly different from other complexes in respect to both indices (WAnt - significantly lower values, while WM - much higher). Differences in the floristic composition of transformed and non-transformed villages were not significant at the level of whole village. The villages were still harbouring rare species from the group of relics of former cultivation and archaeophytes, but observations conducted since 2007 confirmed that they have been decreasing in number. The percentage of groups of species with different affinity toward urban areas have shown that in the studied rural areas, the share of urbanophilic species is still very low as compared to the dominant group of urbanoneutral and moderately urbanophobic species.

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
Oludare Oladipo AGBOOLA ◽  
Olalekan Oluwatoyosi SALAMI ◽  
Stephen OYEDEJI

Floristic composition of vegetation communities of 27 plots established along a line transect in the four major directions was investigated in the vicinity of an Iron and Steel factory in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The aim of the study was to document the plant species composition (biodiversity) of the plant communities found within the 350 m perimeter of the facility in the study area, which will serve as a reference data, as there was no reported study for the area prior to the establishment of the factory. Plant species were identified to species level in a 10 x 10 m plot and the occurrence of each species was described in semi-quantitative terms. The vegetation is heterogeneous in nature having 31 species of tree saplings and climbers, 26 of shrubs, 15 of herbaceous plants and 4 of grasses. These 107 plant species belong to forty six (46) plant families. The dominant families included Apocynaceae and Papilionaceae (9 species), Sapindaceae (8 species), Euphorbiaceae (6 species), Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, Sterculiaceae and Verbenaceae (4 species). Among the diverse species recorded, Chromolaena odorata formed a ticket in almost all the plots. Other common species included Albizia zygia, Alchornea laxiflora, Aspilia africana, Cnestis ferruginea, Combretum sp., Icacina tricantha, Ipomoea involucrata, Momordica foetida, Panicum maximum, Paullinia pinnata, Simicrata welwitschii and Vigna gracilis. The index of similarity of the plots ranged from 6.1 to 71.8%. The potential and vulnerability of the species were highlighted. Adherence to and enforcement of environmental regulations was recommended for preservation of the native species.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1967-1987
Author(s):  
Souleymane Ganaba

In Burkina Faso, insufficient or partial information exists on the forest potential of urban areas, marked mainly by the introduction of many exotic species. The objective of this study was to assess the floristic diversity of city trees, to reveal the benefits and risks associated with their properties in a context of climate change, increasing demography and accelerated urbanization. Surveys on 49 urban municipalities were conducted from 2015 to 2020 to identify and describe species at different phenological stages to enable photographic image recognition. Confirmations are made with floras, previous works and documentary compilations. The analyses relate to the biological diversity of species, their origins and uses. The floristic diversity of Burkina Faso's city trees consists of 251 species belonging to 174 genera and 58 families. It is comprised of 178 introduced species and 73 native species. The most represented families are Arecaceae with 7.97% of species, Euphhorbiaceae (7.57%), Moraceae (6.37%), Fabaceae - Mimosoideae (5.98%), Apocynaceae (5.98%) and the Fabaceae - Caesalpinioideae (5.58%). The most common species are Khaya senegalensis, Mangifera indica and Azadirachta indica. This work has helped to characterize the city trees of Burkina Faso. It will update the flora of the country, which is enriched with 36 new exotic species.Keywords: Urban tree, characterization, biological diversity, communes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. QUINTERO-PERTÚZ ◽  
E. CARBONÓ-DELAHOZ ◽  
A. JARMA-OROZCO

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to determine the richness and composition of weed communities associated with banana plantations in Magdalena department, Colombia. Between September 2016 and May 2017, a total of 164 hectares were assessed over four agroecological zones (Alta, Media, Baja and Norte); in each zone, three representative farms were selected where, through zigzag paths, botanical collections were made in cultivated lots. Information on life cycle, growth habit and origin of each species was included. The floristic composition was represented by 204 species distributed among 143 genera and 54 families. Poaceae, with 31 species, was the family with the highest species richness, followed by Fabaceae (12) and Asteraceae (11). From the total species recorded, 113 are perennial (55%) and 91 are annual (45%); 141 species are herbaceous (68%), 38 are climbers (20%), and 25 are arboreal or shrubby (12%). Native species predominate over introduced species. The species richness does not differ significantly between the sampling zones, but the weed community composition does. The presence of common species reported as important weeds worldwide was recorded in the four zones. However, some species were recorded in only one of the zones, generating a differential composition pattern. Comparison with local inventories showed changes in the composition of the weed complex over time. The presence of various species not previously considered weeds in the banana crops of this region is highlighted.


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 962
Author(s):  
Yarelys Ferrer-Sánchez ◽  
Fernando Abasolo-Pacheco ◽  
Alexis H. Plasencia-Vázquez ◽  
Idael Ruiz

The island of Cuba has the greatest diversity of birds in the Caribbean, and at the same time, a large number of endangered species. Illegal trade is one of major threats in Neotropical islands, because birds are captured for domestic and international illegal market. This study was undertaken with the aim to characterize the domestic market, in which captive wild birds are used as pets in the central region of Cuba. For this, a census and random survey to identify, and describe wild bird richness and abundance in 10 localities of urban and rural environments, was undertaken from August to November 2014, and from June to October 2015. Our results detected that at least 24 species and 973 individuals from six orders and 11 families were captive. The best represented order was Passeriformes (13 species), followed by Accipitriformes (four species). The best-represented families were Thraupidae (3.3 ± 0.33) and Cardinalidae (2.6 ± 0.45). Besides, the localities of Patria (17), Morón (13) and Bolivia (13) in the urban area had the highest richness. The richness of residents (5.80 ± 0.68) was higher than the endemics (1.70 ± 0.30) and migrants (2.70 ± 0.52), while the richness of endemics (2.5 ± 0.29) and residents (7.75 ± 0.63) was higher in urban areas. There were more captive species with Least Concern category (6.20 ± 1.02), but the Endangered category predominated in rural areas (12.5 %). The most common species were Passerina cyanea, Melopyrrha nigra, Tiaris olivaceus and Passerina ciris. A total of 46 % of the species were classified with a tendency to decrease, 33.3 % to increase and 20.8 % to stability. The abundance of species with a tendency to decrease (63.4 ± 22.13) was higher than those that tend to stability (14.8 ± 9.9). The actual traffic will lead to species extinction, mainly parrots and raptors, threatening several ecological services. Illegal trade should be addressed as an environmental, economic and social problem. Strategy for controlling this unsustainable trade was proposed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Ferreira da Costa Gomes ◽  
Cláudia Torres Codeço ◽  
Leonardo Soares Bastos ◽  
Raquel Martins Lana

Abstract Background: To achieve the goal of malaria elimination, it is important to determine the role of human mobility of maintain parasite transmission. The Alto Jurua basin (Brazil) has one of the largest prevalence of malaria vivax and malaria falciparum in the Amazon. The goal of this work was to estimate the contribution of human commutation on the persistence of malaria in this region using data from a origin-destination survey.Methods: Data from the origin-destination survey was used to describe the intensity and motivation for commutation between rural settlements and urban areas in two municipalities, Mancio Lima and Rodrigues Alves. The relativetime-person spent in each locality per household was estimated. A logistic model was fitted to estimate the effect of commuting on the probability of getting malaria for a householder from a zone of residence commuting to another zone.Results: Our main results suggest that this population is not very mobile. 96% of household reported spending more than 90% of the annual person-hour at localities within the same zone of residence. Study and work are the most prevalent motivations for commuting, 40.5% and 29.5% respectively. Spending person-hours in urban Rodrigues Alves conferred relative protection to the residents of urban Mancio Lima. On the other hand, spending time in urban Rodrigues Alves conferred protection against malaria for those living in urban Mancio Lima. The opposite effect occurs for those spending time in the rural areas of both municipalities.Conclusion: In the alto Jurua region, the place one lives is a stronger determinant of malaria risk than the place ones commute. These municipalities of a hotspot of Plasmodium transmission, thus understanding the main fluxes is essential to planning control strategies because the probability of getting malaria is dependent on the intensity of transmission of both, the area of origin and the area to which the displacement take place. The natural conditions for the circulation of pathogens such as the Plasmodium spp, combined with the pattern of mobility of humans in the Amazon, make clear the need of disease control perspective change. It is essential that intersectoral public policies be the basis for health mitigation actions.


NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Katherine Duchesneau ◽  
Lisa Derickx ◽  
Pedro M. Antunes

Since 2007, more people in the world live in urban than in rural areas. The development of urban areas has encroached into natural forest ecosystems, consequently increasing the ecological importance of parks and fragmented forest remnants. However, a major concern is that urban activities have rendered urban forests susceptible to non-native species incursions, making them central entry sites where non-native plant species can establish and spread. We have little understanding of what urban factors contribute to this process. Here we use data collected by citizen scientists to determine the differential impacts of spatial and urban factors on non-native plant introductions in urban forests. Using a model city, we mapped 18 urban forests within city limits, and identified all the native and non-native plants present at those sites. We then determined the relative contribution of spatial and socioeconomic variables on the richness and composition of native and non-native plant communities. We found that socioeconomic factors rather than spatial factors (e.g., urban forest area) were important modulators of overall or non-native species richness. Non-native species richness in urban forest fragments was primarily affected by residential layout, recent construction events, and nearby roads. This demonstrates that the proliferation of non-native species is inherent to urban activities and we propose that future studies replicate our approach in different cities to broaden our understanding of the spatial and social factors that modulate invasive species movement starting in urban areas.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Baranchukov ◽  
Elena Korobova ◽  
Alexander Silenok ◽  
Irina Kurnosova

<p>Thyroid cancer is one of the most important medical problems. The disease often occurs in regions that have been exposed to radiation and where there is insufficient iodine in nature. Adequate intake of iodine is necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland and the development of the mammalian fetus. Thus, in 1990, a special International Council for Combating Iodine Deficiency Disorders was established at WHO. Since 1990, the incidence of thyroid cancer in the world has increased by 169% (Dang et al., 2020). It can be assumed that such an increase is associated with early detection of the disease. However, in countries with high human development index (HDI), where the detection rate of the disease is 4-5 times higher than in low HDI countries, this indicator does not correlate with mortality from thyroid cancer. In our opinion, this is because the food sources must be considered. As local foods to the diet varies significantly between urban and rural areas, it is important to compare cases of thyroid cancer in them. For example, in rural areas of the United States, the overall incidence of thyroid cancer is 14% lower than in cities (McDow et al., 2020).</p><p>For the Bryansk region (the most affected by the Chernobyl accident in Russia) data on thyroid cancer also show a difference: in 27 regional centers (67% of the population), an estimate of the thyroid cancer incidence is 20.9 per 100 000 people per year (period from 1990 to 2019), while for other localities the rate is much lower (16.3). However, mortality from thyroid cancer in rural areas is 46% higher than in urban areas (0.89 and 0.60, respectively). Using a specialized GIS developed to study natural and man-made geochemical factors responsible for the spread of endemic diseases, we zoned the territory according to evaluated risk (Baranchukov et al., 2019).</p><p>Assessment of the risk of thyroid cancer turned out to be more effective for rural settlements (excluding the most contaminated area, where special measures were taken): the correlation between the calculated total natural and man-made risk and the incidence of thyroid cancer was significant and higher in rural areas (r=0.54, p=0.05, n=25) than in the main urban areas (r=0.27; p=0.17). The result of the study shows that the prevalence of thyroid cancer is associated, first of all, not with the level of diagnosis, but with the structure of nutrition, which ensures the entry of elements into the human body.</p><p>This study was funded by RFBR and BRFBR, project #20-55-00012.</p><p>References</p><p>Deng Y et al. Global Burden of Thyroid Cancer From 1990 to 2017. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e208759. Published 2020 Jun 1. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.8759</p><p>McDow AD, et al. Impact of Rurality on National Trends in Thyroid Cancer Incidence and Long-Term Survival. J Rural Health. 2020 Jun;36(3):326-333. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12374. Epub 2019 May 17. PMID: 31099945</p><p>Baranchukov V et al. Application of Geoinformation Technologies for minimization of thyroid gland diseases in the impact areas of the radioiodine fallout, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-9000, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-9000, 2020</p>


Author(s):  
Ozan Hovardaoglu ◽  
Seda Calisir-Hovardaoglu

This chapter investigates the influences of rural aging on traditional agricultural production in rural areas in Turkey concerning the traditional family as a social structure of accumulation. Traditional agricultural production in Turkey, which is generally characterized by subsistence farming, relies mostly on the unpaid family worker for survival. The influences of migration tendency of younger family members to urban areas and aging which becomes a physical challenge to remaining family members on traditional family seem to be prevalently studied and argued in the literature. As a new variable, this research focuses on the influences of a specific population, who recently returns to their rural origins from urban areas after retirement. It is found in this research that reverse migration does not only contribute to the increase of elderly population rates in rural settlements and thus rural aging; it also has direct impacts both on agricultural production and traditional family structures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-317
Author(s):  
Mihaela Hărăguș ◽  
Ionuț Földes

This paper aims to provide descriptive results about demographic trends (natality, mortality, and migration) and their effect on age structure in Romania in the past 30 years. We focus on analysing rural areas, since, while having a negative natural growth and negative net external migration values, internal migration has further affected rural areas by increasing the rate of population decline in many localities. Apart from describing rural areas at a general level, we also differentiate various rural localities according to two criteria, namely inclusion in functional urban areas of every county seat and the existence of marginalised communities within localities’ administrative territory. This differentiation allowed us to portray population characteristics within the broader context of uneven economic development across Romania. Various well-developed cities, known as magnet cities, contribute not only to an increase of population volumes in the surrounding rural settlements but also to other demographic discrepancies between the growth poles and the peripheries. Keywords: rural areas; demographic change; functional urban areas; marginalized communities.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. CLARE GUPTA

SUMMARYA growing body of ‘people and parks’ literature examines the interactions between protected areas (PAs) and people who live around them. This study of Chobe National Park (Botswana), which has one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, highlights a PA's influence beyond its buffer zone and provides a more detailed understanding of the complex dynamics within a PA buffer. Overall net population growth in the areas adjacent to Chobe National Park (hereafter referred to as the ‘buffer’ area) does not preclude outmigration from certain Park buffer areas where declining agricultural opportunities have pushed working-age residents in search of work to urban areas around and beyond the Park. At the same time, skilled workers have moved to some of these rural Park buffer villages to take advantage of new civil service positions. The PA also influences long-time rural dwellers’ social and economic exchanges with urban kin and exacerbates dependence relations, placing economic strain upon urban migrants. In this way, the economic and social effects of PAs are neither uniform across their borders nor limited to those borders. These outcomes have important implications for biodiversity conservation in rural areas as they suggest that population growth may not be an accurate proxy for threats to biodiversity, if new and long-term residents come to rely on less resource-intensive livelihood practices.


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