River Floodplains as Habitat and Bio-Corridors for Distribution of Land Snails: Their Past and Present

Abstract River floodplains of Czech rivers serve as refugia to woodland or hydrophilous gastropods, in current intensively agriculturally utilised, urbanised and largely fragmented landscape. This habitat often form one of the last refuge and replace the natural habitat of these species. River floodplains also represent linear bio-corridors in landscape and allow gastropods to spread through the landscape in both directions, up and down the stream. We showed based on available fossil mollusc successions that development of the floodplain mollusc fauna took place quite different way in various river floodplains, depending on their specifics and geographical location, because especially the ones situated in the chernozem area of the Czech Republic had very different history in comparison with those in higher altitudes. The species richness and composition of recent floodplain malacofauna arises from historical development of particular area/site and depends also on environmental factors such as an elevation, humidity gradient, vegetation type and its biomass, light conditions of the site and soil reaction. Recently, the invasive plants represent a serious problem for current floodplain ecosystems; species richness and abundances of terrestrial mollusc floodplain assemblages are changing due to their effect. The impact on gastropods is species-specific and was described for the following species: Impatiens glandulifera, Fallopia japonica subsp. japonica, F. sachalinensis, F. ×bohemica.

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Benthic Community Assessment of Commercial Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Gear in Delaware Inland Bays

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116480 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6480

Author(s):

Melanie Fuoco ◽

Scott Borsum ◽

Zohreh Mazaheri Kouhanestani ◽

Gulnihal Ozbay

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Benthic Community ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Eastern Oyster ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Inland Bays ◽

Oyster Aquaculture ◽

Indian River ◽

The Impact ◽

Delaware Inland Bays

Oyster aquaculture is one of several methods for the restoration of Delaware Inland Bays; however, little is known about its potential impacts on the benthic community of the bays. In this study, water quality parameters were measured and polychaetes were collected from 24 sampling locations at Rehoboth, Indian River, and Little Assawoman Bays from July to October 2016 and 2017. We aimed to assess the impact of Eastern oyster farming under different stocking densities (50 and 250 oysters/gear) and distances away from the sites where the off-bottom gears are implemented (under gears, one meter, and five meters away). No significant impact was detected on polychaetes’ abundance and richness in regard to the presence of oyster gears. The number of polychaetes and species richness was significantly higher in Little Assawoman Bay in comparison to the Indian River and Rehoboth Bays. Results showed that the Ulva lactuca bloom that happened in 2016 could negatively impact the low abundance and richness observed in the polychaetes community. Similarly, the values of polychaetes abundance and species richness did not change significantly in samples that were taken far from the oyster gears. Dominant polychaetes families were Capitellidae and Glyceridae contributing to more than 70% of polychaetes’ number of individuals. Our results help to understand the role of oyster aquaculture in restoring the viability in the natural habitat of the Delaware Inland Bays.

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Avian diversity in a fragmented landscape of central Indian forests (Bhopal Forest Circle)

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.6528.13.5.18177-18188 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 18177-18188

Author(s):

Amit Kumar ◽

Yogesh Dubey ◽

Advait Edgaonkar

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Community Dynamics ◽

Bird Species ◽

Vital Role ◽

Fragmented Landscape ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Forest Patches ◽

The Impact

With increasing fragmentation of natural areas and a dramatic reduction of forest cover in several parts of the world, quantifying the impact of such changes on species richness and community dynamics has been a subject of much concern. Therefore, this study intends to assess avifaunal biodiversity in fragmented forests. Forest patches between the sizes of 10ha and 700ha were identified in Bhopal Forest Circle (BFC), which covers the Vindhyan plateau. Forest patches were classified based on their size and degree of isolation. A sample of 21 forest fragments was selected using proportional sampling. Bird surveys were conducted using the point count method at each site. Three replicates were taken at each site. Avian species richness of each patch was calculated. The results suggest that species richness is positively associated with the size of the forest patches. Larger forest patches such as Binapur (166ha, Chao 1= 73), Sayar (107ha, Chao 1= 78) and Kalyanpura (133ha, Chao 1= 80) had relatively high species richness, except for patches including Narsinghgarh (393ha, Chao 1= 28) and Singota (184ha, Chao 1= 45) with high levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Smaller forest patches were found to have fewer bird species, although small forest patches with lesser degrees of anthropogenic disturbance such as Lalghati (99ha, Chao 1 = 62), Lasudli (16ha, Chao 1 = 65), Ghot (36ha, Chao 1 = 53), and Nasipur (23ha, Chao 1 =52) were more diverse than other patches. These patches were more protected due to being sacred groves (Lalghati and Lasudli) or under private ownership (Ghot and Nasipur). A total of 131 bird species were recorded from all the sampled forest patches. These results suggest that forest patches embedded in an agrarian landscape play a vital role in conserving biodiversity, hence conservation efforts should also be focused on these forest fragments.

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Assessment of the influence of the spatial environment on the socio-economic development of the municipality

Voprosy regionalnoj ekonomiki ◽

10.21499/2078-4023-2019-40-3-148-155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 148-155

Author(s):

K. N. Yusupov ◽

V. M. Timiryanova, ◽

Iu. S. Toktamysheva ◽

A. F. Zimin,

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Socioeconomic Development ◽

Statistical Data ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

The State ◽

Municipal District ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

Spatial Environment ◽

The Impact

The article presents a methodology for assessing the impact of spatial environment on the socioeconomic development of municipalities. It relies on existing tools for assessing the state and potential of the geographical location of municipalities. An integrated approach allows to determine the potential of the interaction of the municipality with the neighbors of the first and second order. The methodology was tested on statistical data on the Blagovarsky municipal district.

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Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80362-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cheng Gong ◽

Liangtao Li ◽

Jan C. Axmarcher ◽

Zhenrong Yu ◽

Yunhui Liu

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Plant Species Richness ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Landscape Features ◽

Habitat Islands ◽

Local Plant ◽

Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

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The Psychosocial and Somatic Effects of Relocation from Remote Canadian First Nation Communities to Urban Centres on Indigenous Peoples with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073838 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3838

Author(s):

Denise Genereux ◽

Lida Fan ◽

Keith Brownlee

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Well Being ◽

First Nation ◽

Urban Centre ◽

The Impact

Chronic kidney disease, also referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a prevalent and chronic condition for which treatment is necessary as a means of survival once affected individuals reach the fifth and final stage of the disease. Dialysis is a form of maintenance treatment that aids with kidney functioning once a normal kidney is damaged. There are two main types of dialysis: hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Each form of treatment is discussed between the patient and nephrologist and is largely dependent upon the following factors: medical condition, ability to administer treatment, supports, geographical location, access to necessary equipment/supplies, personal wishes, etc. For Indigenous Peoples who reside on remote Canadian First Nation communities, relocation is often recommended due to geographical location and limited access to both health care professionals and necessary equipment/supplies (i.e., quality of water, access to electricity/plumbing, etc). Consequently, the objective of this paper is to determine the psychosocial and somatic effects for Indigenous Peoples with ESRD if they have to relocate from remote First Nation communities to an urban centre. A review of the literature suggests that relocation to urban centres has negative implications that are worth noting: cultural isolation, alienation from family and friends, somatic issues, psychosocial issues, loss of independence and role adjustment. As a result of relocation, it is evident that the impact is profound in terms of an individuals’ mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Ensuring that adequate social support and education are available to patients and families would aid in alleviating stressors associated with managing chronic kidney disease.

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Do Long-Term Natural Disasters Influence Social Trust? Empirical Evidence from China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147280 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7280

Author(s):

Yao Li ◽

Haoyang Li ◽

Jianqing Ruan

Keyword(s):

Natural Disasters ◽

Natural Disaster ◽

Social Trust ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Household Survey ◽

Flood Frequency ◽

Psychological Characteristics ◽

The North ◽

The Impact

The natural environment is one of the most critical factors that profoundly influences human races. Natural disasters may have enormous effects on individual psychological characteristics. Using China’s long-term historical natural disaster dataset from 1470 to 2000 and data from a household survey in 2012, we explore whether long-term natural disasters affect social trust. We find that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between long-term natural disaster frequency and social trust. We further examine the impact of long-term natural disaster frequency on social trust in specific groups of people. Social trust in neighbors and doctors is stronger where long-term natural disasters are more frequent. Our results are robust after we considering the geographical difference. The effect of long-term natural disasters remains positively significant after we divide the samples based on geographical location. Interestingly, the impact of long-term flood frequency is only significant in the South and the impact of long-term drought frequency is only significant in the North.

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Experiences of nurses caring for respiratory patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey study

BMJ Open Respiratory Research ◽

10.1136/bmjresp-2021-000987 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. e000987

Author(s):

Nicola J Roberts ◽

Carol A Kelly ◽

Kate A Lippiett ◽

Emma Ray ◽

Lindsay Welch

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Working Environment ◽

Survey Study ◽

British Thoracic Society ◽

Healthcare Team ◽

Free Text ◽

The Impact

BackgroundNurses have been at the forefront of the pandemic response, involved in extensive coordination of services, screening, vaccination and front-line work in respiratory, emergency and intensive care environments. The nature of this work is often intense and stress-provoking with an inevitable psychological impact on nurses and all healthcare workers. This study focused on nurses working in respiratory areas with the aim of identifying and characterising the self-reported issues that exacerbated or alleviated their concerns during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAn online survey was developed consisting of 90 questions using a mixture of open-ended and closed questions. Participant demographic data were also collected (age, gender, ethnicity, number of years qualified, details of long-term health conditions, geographical location, nursing background/role and home life). The online survey was disseminated via social media and professional respiratory societies (British Thoracic Society, Primary Care Respiratory Society, Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists) over a 3-week period in May 2020 and the survey closed on 1 June 2020.ResultsThe study highlights the experiences of nurses caring for respiratory patients during the first wave of the pandemic in early 2020. Concerns were expressed over the working environment, the supply and availability of adequate protective personal equipment, the quality of care individuals were able to deliver, and the impact on mental health to nurses and their families. A high number provided free-text comments around their worries and concerns about the impact on their household; these included bringing the virus home, the effect on family members worrying about them, mental health and the impact of changing working patterns, and managing with children. Although both formal and informal support were available, there were inconsistencies in provision, highlighting the importance of nursing leadership and management in ensuring equity of access to services.ConclusionsSupport for staff is essential both throughout the pandemic and afterwards, and it is important that preparation of individuals regarding building resilience is recognised. It is also clear that psychological support and services for nurses and the wider healthcare team need to be available and quickly convened in the event of similar major incidents, either global or local.

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Facilitation Effects of Haloxylon salicornicum Shrubs on Associated Understory Annuals, and a Modified “Stress-Gradient” Hypothesis for Droughty Times

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9121726 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 1726

Author(s):

Nasr H. Gomaa ◽

Ahmad K. Hegazy ◽

Arafat Abdel Hamed Abdel Latef

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Water Availability ◽

Stress Gradient ◽

Growing Season ◽

Annual Species ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Dry Seasons ◽

The Impact ◽

Haloxylon Salicornicum

Perennial shrub-annual plant interactions play key roles in desert regions influencing the structure and dynamics of plant communities there. In the present study, carried out in northwestern Saudi Arabia, we examined the effect of Haloxylon salicornicum shrubs on their associated understory annual species across four consecutive growing seasons, along with a record of the seasonal rainfall patterns. We measured density and species richness of all the annual species in permanent quadrats located beneath individual shrubs, as well as in the spaces between shrubs. During wet growing season H. salicornicum shrubs significantly enhanced the density and species richness of sub-canopy species, whereas in the relatively dry seasons they exerted negative effects on the associated species. In all growing seasons, the presence of shrubs was associated with enhanced soil properties, including increased organic carbon content, silt + clay, and levels of nutrients (N, P and K). Shrubs improved soil moisture content beneath their canopies in the wet growing season, while in the dry seasons they had negative effects on water availability. Differences in effects of H. salicornicum on understory plants between growing seasons seem due to the temporal changes in the impact of shrubs on water availability. Our results suggest the facilitative effects of shrubs on sub-canopy annuals in arid ecosystems may switch to negative effects with increasing drought stress. We discuss the study in light of recent refinements of the well-known “stress-gradient hypothesis”.

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