Water Buffaloes grazing behaviour at the Lake Kerkini National Park, Northern Greece

Abstract The monthly variation of Greek water buffaloes’ grazing behaviour was investigated at the Lake Kerkini National Park in Greece. Direct observations were carried out on six female buffaloes for two consecutive days every month for a one-year period, and the time spent (in minutes) on their grazing-related activities (feeding, moving, wallowing, standing, ruminating, drinking, and lying) was recorded. Moreover, social and aggressive interactions and self-grooming were recorded as number of events. Also, the daily distance travelled by buffaloes was recorded with a handheld GPS. Buffaloes travelled on average 6.9 km/day, and they walked their longest distance in June (10.7 km/day) and their shortest in September (2.9 km/day). They spent more time (P<0.05) on feeding (309.2 min/day) compared to moving (121.7 min/day), wallowing (27.9 min/day), standing (20.2 min/day), ruminating (15.4 min/day), drinking (4.7 min/day) and lying (4.2 min/day). Greek water buffaloes seem to be sociable rather than aggressive animals as they devote to these activities on average 18.2 vs 0.5 events/day. We can conclude that the animals adjust their grazing behaviour to climatic conditions and the availability of forage resources.

Download Full-text

Soil respiration and its relationship with litter contributions in a wooded mountain soil

South Florida Journal of Development ◽

10.46932/sfjdv2n2-098 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 2382-2397

Author(s):

Francisco Prieto García ◽

Judith Prieto Méndez ◽

Beatriz Valdes Prado ◽

Eliazar Aquino Torres

Keyword(s):

Soil Respiration ◽

Carbon Flux ◽

National Park ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Mountain Forest ◽

Tropical Mountain ◽

Wooded Area ◽

Ecological Conservation ◽

One Year

ABSTRACT Soil respiration in forest ecosystems is considered to be the second most important carbon flux between the biosphere and the atmosphere. In tropical forests, the factor that most influences soil respiration is the temporal variation in temperature, and in water content or precipitation; the soil temperature is relatively constant. The behavior of the RS was established, and this ecological process was estimated and modeled for a tropical mountain forest in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. It has contributed to strengthening the theoretical framework for the restoration and ecological conservation of this forest, considered a National Park, this has been the main objective of this work. Its relationship with the climatic parameters and factors that regulate CO2-soil-atmosphere fluxes in an annual cycle was analyzed. The daytime respiratory rate was slightly higher (average of 3.54 tmCO2/ha) than the nocturnal one (average of 3.35 tmCO2/ha), depending on the ambient temperature and the climatic conditions. The humic acid found in the soils was classified for the mountainous wooded area of the Chico National Park. Andosols are humic soils and humic acids were classified predominantly as type A. According to the results obtained, with only one year of evaluation, it should be noted that it is necessary to carry out a greater number of evaluations, at least during a period of 5 to 10 years and for different seasonal periods, in order to strengthen the responses found for this ecosystem.

Download Full-text

Phlebotomine Sand Fly Fauna andLeishmaniaInfection in the Vicinity of the Serra do Cipó National Park, a Natural Brazilian Heritage Site

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2015/385493 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Rosana Silva Lana ◽

Érika Monteiro Michalsky ◽

Consuelo Latorre Fortes-Dias ◽

João Carlos França-Silva ◽

Fabiana de Oliveira Lara-Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Local Data ◽

Phlebotomine Sand Flies ◽

Serra Do Cipó ◽

Heritage Site ◽

One Year ◽

The One ◽

Favorable Conditions

In the New World, the leishmaniases are primarily transmitted to humans through the bites ofLeishmania-infectedLutzomyia(Diptera: Psychodidae) phlebotomine sand flies. Any or both of two basic clinical forms of these diseases are endemic to several cities in Brazil—the American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) and the American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL). The present study was conducted in the urban area of a small-sized Brazilian municipality (Jaboticatubas), in which three cases of AVL and nine of ACL have been reported in the last five years. Jaboticatubas is an important tourism hub, as it includes a major part of the Serra do Cipó National Park. Currently, no local data is available on the entomological fauna or circulatingLeishmania. During the one-year period of this study, we captured 3,104 phlebotomine sand flies belonging to sixteenLutzomyiaspecies. In addition to identifying incriminated or suspected vectors of ACL with DNA of the etiological agent of AVL and vice versa, we also detectedLeishmaniaDNA in unexpectedLutzomyiaspecies. The expressive presence of vectors and naturalLeishmaniainfection indicates favorable conditions for the spreading of leishmaniases in the vicinity of the Serra do Cipó National Park.

Download Full-text

Eighty years of change: vegetation in the montane ecoregion of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x02-112 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 32 (11) ◽

pp. 2010-2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Jeanine M Rhemtulla ◽

Ronald J Hall ◽

Eric S Higgs ◽

S Ellen Macdonald

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Vegetation Change ◽

Fire Regime ◽

Reference Conditions ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Jasper National Park ◽

Closed Canopy

Repeat ground photographs (taken in 1915 and 1997) from a series of topographical survey stations and repeat aerial photographs (flown in 1949 and 1991) were analysed to assess changes in vegetation composition and distribution in the montane ecoregion of Jasper National Park, in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. A quantitative approach for assessing relative vegetation change in repeat ground photographs was developed and tested. The results indicated a shift towards late-successional vegetation types and an increase in crown closure in coniferous stands. Grasslands, shrub, juvenile forest, and open forests decreased in extent, and closed-canopy forests became more prevalent. The majority of forest stands succeeded to dominance by coniferous species. Changes in vegetation patterns were likely largely attributable to shifts in the fire regime over the last century, although climatic conditions and human activity may also have been contributing factors. Implications of observed changes include decreased habitat diversity, increased possibility of insect outbreaks, and potential for future high-intensity fire events. Results of the study increase knowledge of historical reference conditions and may help to establish restoration goals for the montane ecoregion of the park.

Download Full-text

Notes on distribution and relative abundances of some animal species, and on climate in the Kruger National Park during prehistoric times

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v32i1.467 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ina Plug

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Animal Species ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Archaeological Sites ◽

Animal Population ◽

Faunal Remains ◽

The Past ◽

Relative Abundances ◽

Insight Into

Faunal remains obtained from archaeological sites in the Kruger National Park, provide valuable information on the distributions of animal species in the past. The relative abundances of some species are compared with animal population statistics of the present. The study of the faunal samples, which date from nearly 7 000 years before present until the nineteenth century, also provides insight into climatic conditions during prehistoric times.

Download Full-text

Seroepidemiology of Chlamydia Pneumoniae in Northern Greece

European Journal of Inflammation ◽

10.1177/1721727x0900700303 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 139-144

Author(s):

D. Chatzidimitriou ◽

M. Exidari ◽

G. Gioula ◽

P. Papakonstantinou ◽

A. Melidou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chlamydia Pneumoniae ◽

The Elderly ◽

Healthy Population ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Igg Antibody ◽

Northern Greece ◽

Specific Antibodies ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Iga Antibodies ◽

One Year

The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae was evaluated in a group of an apparently healthy population in northern Greece. Serum samples were obtained over a period of one year (June 2006 to May 2007) from 530 individuals (300 males and 230 females, aged from 1 month to 90 years). The sera were tested for specific antibodies to C. pneumoniae by two commercial methods, an ELISA and a micro-IF assay based on the principles of MIF. The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae was 53.2% and 45.9%, respectively, and was found to be unrelated to gender, even in the elderly >61 years old. The IgG antibody prevalence was low in children under 5 years old (7.7%), sharply increased by the age of 20 (40%) and continued to increase, gradually, to reach 80.1% in the elderly. IgA antibodies also increased with similar kinetics to IgG, although at a lower level (3.8–66.1%). Our results show that infection with C. pneumoniae is common in northern Greece. The high prevalence of IgA specific antibodies reported in the present study is due to primary infection at a young age, while in the elderly is probably due to infection or reinfection, although the option of persistence cannot be excluded.

Download Full-text

Habitual Stone-Tool Aided Extractive Foraging in White-Faced Capuchins, Cebus Capucinus

10.1101/351619 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Brendan J Barrett ◽

Claudio M Monteza-moreno ◽

Tamara DOGANDŽIĆ ◽

Nicolas Zwyns ◽

Alicia IBÁÑEZ ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tool Use ◽

National Park ◽

Resource Limitation ◽

Stone Tools ◽

Cebus Capucinus ◽

Hermit Crabs ◽

Stone Tool ◽

Extractive Foraging ◽

First Case ◽

One Year

ABSTRACTHabitual reliance on tool use is a marked behavioral difference between wild robust (genus Sapajus) and gracile (genus Cebus) capuchin monkeys. Despite being well studied and having a rich repertoire of social and extractive foraging traditions, Cebus sp have rarely been observed engaging in tool use and have never been reported to use stone tools. In contrast, habitual tool use and stone-tool use by Sapajus is widespread. We discuss factors which might explain these differences in patterns of tool use between Cebus and Sapajus. We then report the first case of habitual stone-tool use in a gracile capuchin: a population of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus imitator) in Coiba National Park, Panama who habitually rely on hammerstone and anvil tool use to access structurally protected food items in coastal areas including Terminalia catappa seeds, hermit crabs, marine snails, terrestrial crabs, and other items. This behavior has persisted on one island in Coiba National Park since at least 2004. From one year of camera trapping, we found that stone tool use is strongly male-biased. Of the 205 unique camera-trap-days where tool use was recorded, adult females were never observed to use stone-tools, although they were frequently recorded at the sites and engaged in scrounging behavior. Stone-tool use occurs year-round in this population, and over half of all identifiable individuals were observed participating. At the most active tool use site, 83.2% of days where capuchins were sighted corresponded with tool use. Capuchins inhabiting the Coiba archipelago are highly terrestrial, under decreased predation pressure and potentially experience resource limitation compared to mainland populations– three conditions considered important for the evolution of stone tool use. White-faced capuchin tool use in Coiba National Park thus offers unique opportunities to explore the ecological drivers and evolutionary underpinnings of stone tool use in a comparative within- and between-species context.

Download Full-text

On the epidemiology of helminth parasites in Hangul Deer Cervus hanglu hanglu (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Cervidae) of Dachigam National Park, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.5179.13.1.17517-17520 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 17517-17520

Author(s):

Naziya Khurshid ◽

Hidayatullah Tak ◽

Ruqeya Nazir ◽

Kulsum Ahmad Bhat ◽

Muniza Manzoor

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

National Park ◽

Helminth Infection ◽

Dry Season ◽

Helminth Parasites ◽

Wet Season ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Dictyocaulus Viviparus ◽

Dachigam National Park ◽

One Year

A one-year study conducted to ascertain the prevalence and risk factors associated with helminth infection in Hangul Deer Cervus hanglu hanglu at Dachigam National Park revealed that 40.45% (89 of 220 samples) were infected with four helminth species including Heamonchus contortus, Trichuris ovis, Dictyocaulus viviparus, and Moneizia expansa. The study signified that the infection was more prevalent during the dry season (summer and autumn) as compared to the wet season (winter and spring). The overall prevalence of Heamonchus contortus was the highest (23.18%) followed by Trichuris ovis (8.18%), followed by Dictyocaulus viviparus (5.45%), and Moneizia expansa (3.63%). The present study should be of importance in conserving the erstwhile state animal, listed as Critically Engendered in 2017 by IUCN.

Download Full-text

Effects of life history stage and climatic conditions on fecal egg counts in plains zebras (Equus quagga) in the Serengeti National Park

Parasitology Research ◽

10.1007/s00436-020-06836-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 119 (10) ◽

pp. 3401-3413

Author(s):

Peter A. Seeber ◽

Tetiana A. Kuzmina ◽

Alex D. Greenwood ◽

Marion L. East

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

National Park ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Life History Stage ◽

Gastrointestinal Parasite ◽

Serengeti Ecosystem ◽

Life History Stages ◽

Lactating Females ◽

Host Life

Abstract In wildlife, endoparasite burden can be affected by host life history stage, environmental conditions, host abundance, and parasite co-infections. We tested the effects of these factors on gastrointestinal parasite infection in plains zebras (Equus quagga) in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, using fecal egg counts of two nematode families (Strongylidae and Ascarididae) and the presence/absence of cestode (Anoplocephalidae) eggs. We predicted higher egg counts of Strongylidae and Ascarididae, and increased likelihood of Anoplocephalidae infection in individuals (1) during energetically costly life history stages when resource allocation to immune processes may decrease and in young zebras after weaning because of increased uptake of infective stages with forage, (2) when climatic conditions facilitate survival of infective stages, (3) when large zebra aggregations increase forage contamination with infective stages, and (4) in individuals co-infected with more than one parasite group as this may indicate reduced immune competence. Strongylidae egg counts were higher, and the occurrence of Anoplocephalidae eggs was more likely in bachelors than in band stallions, whereas Ascarididae egg counts were higher in band stallions. Strongylidae and Ascarididae egg counts were not increased in lactating females. Strongylidae egg counts were higher in subadults than in foals. Regardless of sex and age, Ascarididae infections were more likely under wet conditions. Co-infections did not affect Strongylidae egg counts. Ascarididae egg counts in adult females were higher when individuals were co-infected with Anoplocephalidae. We present evidence that parasite burdens in plains zebras are affected by life history stage, environmental conditions, and co-infection.

Download Full-text

Flat Glass or Crystal Dome Aperture? A Year-Long Comparative Analysis of the Performance of Light Pipes in Real Residential Settings and Climatic Conditions

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12093858 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 3858 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Magda Sibley ◽

Antonio Peña-García

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Flat Glass ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Long Term Effect ◽

Different Types ◽

The Difference ◽

The Aesthetic ◽

One Year ◽

The One

This paper presents the first comparative study of its type of the performance of light pipes with different types of apertures: a flat glass versus a bohemian crystal dome. Measurements were taken at 20-minute intervals over a period of one year in the bathrooms of two newly built identical houses of the same orientation located in Manchester, UK. The comparative analysis of the data collected for both light pipes types reveals that the crystal domed aperture consistently outperforms the flat glass one. Furthermore, the difference in the recorded horizontal illuminance is most marked during the winter months and at the end of the one-year experiment, indicating that the crystal dome has better performance for low incident winter light and higher resistance for the long term effect of weathering and pollution. This study provides strong evidence based on long term real measurements. Such evidence informs architects’ decisions when weighing up the aesthetic considerations of a flat glass aperture versus the higher illumination levels afforded by a crystal dome aperture with higher resistance to weathering and pollution.

Download Full-text

Methodology to Determine Photovoltaic Inverter Conversion Efficiency for the Equatorial Region

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10010201 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 201

Author(s):

Azhan Ab. Rahman ◽

Zainal Salam ◽

Sulaiman Shaari ◽

Mohd Zulkifli Ramli

Keyword(s):

Conversion Efficiency ◽

Peak Power ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Equatorial Region ◽

Photovoltaic System ◽

Energy Yield ◽

Peak Efficiency ◽

Pv Systems ◽

One Year ◽

Equatorial Climate

Photovoltaic inverter conversion efficiency is closely related to the energy yield of a photovoltaic system. Usually, the peak efficiency (ηmax) value from the inverter data sheet is used, but it is inaccurate because the inverter rarely operates at the peak power. The weighted efficiency is a preferable alternative as it inherently considers the power conversion characteristics of the inverter when subjected to varying irradiance. However, since the weighted efficiency is influenced by irradiance, its value may not be appropriate for different climatic conditions. Based on this premise, this work investigates the non-suitability of the European weighted efficiency (ηEURO) for inverters installed in the Equatorial region. It utilizes a one year data from the Equatorial irradiance profile to recalculate the value of ηEURO (ηEURO_recal) and to compare it with the original ηEURO. Furthermore, a new weighted efficiency formula for the Equatorial climate (ηEQUA) is proposed. Validation results showed that calculated energy yield with ηEQUA closely matched the real energy yield of 3 kW system with only 0.16% difference. It is envisaged that the usage of ηEQUA instead of ηmax or ηEURO will results in a more accurate energy yield and return of investment calculations for PV systems installed in Equatorial regions.

Download Full-text