scholarly journals Insects and spiders on Acacia mangium (Fabaceae) saplings as bioindicators for the recovery of tropical degraded areas

2024 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Lima ◽  
G. L. D. Leite ◽  
P. F. S. Guanabens ◽  
M. A. Soares ◽  
J. L. Silva ◽  
...  

Abstract Acacia mangium is a pioneer species with fast growth and frequently used in the recovery of degraded areas. The objectives were to evaluate insects and spiders, their ecological indices and interactions on A. mangium saplings in a tropical degraded area in recovering process. The experimental design was completely randomized with 24 replications, with treatments represented by the first and second years after A. mangium seedling planted. Numbers of leaves/branch, branches/sapling, and ground cover by A. mangium saplings, Hemiptera: Phenacoccus sp. and Pachycoris torridus; Hymenoptera: Tetragonisca angustula and Trigona spinipes, Brachymyrmex sp., Camponotus sp. and Cephalotes sp.; Blattodea: Nasutitermes sp. and Neuroptera: Chrysoperla sp.; abundance, species richness of pollinating insects, tending ants, and the abundance of Sternorrhyncha predators were greatest in the second year after planting. Numbers of Hemiptera: Aethalium reticulatum, Hymenoptera: Camponotus sp., Cephalotes sp., Polybia sp., T. angustula, T. spinipes, tending ants, pollinating insects, Sternorrhyncha predators and species richness of tending ants were highest on A. mangium saplings with greatest numbers of leaves or branches. The increase in the population of arthropods with ground cover by A. mangium saplings age increase indicates the positive impact by this plant on the recovery process of degraded areas.

2020 ◽  
Vol 43:1 ◽  
pp. 7350-7365
Author(s):  
Joseph Blaise Pando ◽  
Denis Djonwangwé ◽  
Olivier Balti Moudelsia ◽  
Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo ◽  
Joseph Lebel Tamesse

Pour déterminer la richesse spécifique, la fréquence relative, les produits alimentaires recherchés, les insectes pollinisateurs et l’impact de ces insectes sur les rendements, deux traitements ont été formés à partir du marquage de 240 boutons floraux en 2015 et 2017 chacun selon la présence ou l’absence de protection contre les insectes. Les observations ont été faites sur les fleurs de Abelmoschus esculentus en libre pollinisation du 11 au 22 septembre 2015 et du 7 au 19 septembre 2017 à Wourndé et Palar respectivement. La diversité spécifique des insectes floricoles de gombo était de 17 et 20 espèces respectivement à Wourndé et à Palar. L’indice de Jacard (J = 0,15) révèle une similarité entre les deux sites, preuve que les conditions environnementales sont similaires dans les deux habitats. Les insectes butinaient les fleurs du gombo de 8 h à 13 h, avec le pic de l’activité de l’ensemble de visites de ceux-ci situé entre 10 h et 11 h. Les insectes développaient un comportement très élaboré lors de la récolte du nectar et/ou du pollen et la consommation du pétale. On peut regrouper ces insectes en pollinisateur majeur (Lipotriches collaris), pollinisateurs mineurs [Sphecodes albilabris, Camponotus flavomarginatus, le Vespidae (1 sp.), Lasioglossum albilabris, Seladonia sp., Lasioglossum albipes, Lipotriches pulchriventris et le Formicidae (1 sp.)] et pollinisateurs occasionnels. La comparaison des rendements des fleurs non protégées à celui des fleurs protégées des insectes ont montré que les insectes ont un impact positif sur ce rendement. L’influence de ces insectes est estimée à 9,57%, 7,18% et 4,34% pour le taux de fructification, le nombre de graines/capsule et le pourcentage de graines normales respectivement. Afin d’améliorer le rendement de A. esculentus, il est conseillé de préserver les insectes floricoles non nuisibles dans les champs de gombo en évitant les traitements aux pesticides pendant la période de floraison lorsqu’ils ne se justifient pas. ABSTRACT To determine the species richness, the relative frequency, desired food products, the pollinating insects and impact of these insects on the yields, two treatments were formed from the marking of 240 flower buds in 2015 and 2017, differentiated according to the presence or absence of protection against insect’s activities. Observations were made on free-pollinated Abelmoschus esculentus flowers from 11 to 22 September 2015 and from 7 to 19 September 2017 in Wourndé and Palar respectively. The specific diversity of the flowering insects of okra was 17 and 20 species respectively in Wourndé and Palar. The Jacard index (J = 0.15) reveals a similarity between the two sites, proof that the environmental conditions are similar in both habitats. The insects foraged the flowers of the okra from 8h to 13h, with the peak of the activity of the set of visits of them located between 10 h and 11 h. The insects developed a much elaborated behaviour during the harvest of the nectar and / or the pollen and the consumption of petal. These insects can be grouped into major pollinators (Lipotriches collaris), minor pollinators [Sphecodes albilabris, Camponotus flavomarginatus, Vespidae (1 sp.), Lasioglossum albilabris, Seladonia sp., Lasioglossum albipes, Lipotriches pulchriventris and Formicidae (1 sp.)).] and occasional pollinators. By comparing the yield of unprotected flowers to that of insect-protected flowers, it appeared that insects have a positive impact on this yield. The influence of these insects is estimated at 9.57 %, 7.18 % and 4.34 % for the fruiting rate, the number of seeds / capsule and the percentage of normal seeds respectively. To improve the yield of A. esculentus, it is advisable to preserve the flower-dwelling insects in okra fields by avoiding pesticide treatments during the flowering period when they are not justified.


2023 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. S. Mota ◽  
G. L. Demolin-Leite ◽  
P. F. S. Guanabens ◽  
G. L. Teixeira ◽  
M. A. Soares ◽  
...  

Abstract Fertilization with dehydrated sewage sludge can speed up the recovery process of degraded areas due to nutrients concentration, favoring the development of pioneer plants such as Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Beth (Fabales: Fabaceae) and the emergence of insects. This study aimed the evaluation of chewing, pollinating insects, predators, their ecological indices and relationships on A. auriculiformis plants fertilized with dehydrated sewage sludge. The experimental design was completely randomized with two treatments (with and without dehydrated sewage sludge) and 24 repetitions. The prevalence of chewing insects Parasyphraea sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Nasutitermes sp. (Blattodea: Termitidae), and Tropidacris collaris (Stoll, 1813) (Orthoptera: Romaleidae), defoliation, and ecological indices of abundance of Coleoptera and Orthoptera were observed on fertilized A. auriculiformis. Acacia auriculiformis plants, with a superior number of branches/tree, revealed greater abundance of Coleoptera and Orthoptera, species richness of pollinating insects, defoliation, numbers of Parasyphraea sp. and T. collaris. The ones with larger leaves/branches displayed greater abundance of species richness of Coleoptera and Diabrotica speciosa (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Therefore, the use of A. auriculiformis plants, fertilized with dehydrated sewage sludge, is promising in the recovery of degraded areas due to the ecological indices increase of chewing and pollinators insects and spiders in the analyzed area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Vistolina Nuuyoma ◽  
Daniel Opotamutale Ashipala

Introduction: In nursing education, it is expected that students take theoretical and practical courses. Practical components are an integral part of learning in nurses’ training, which is effected through placement of students in different clinical settings. In Namibia, hospitals, clinics and health centres are popularly utilized as a clinical environment for placing nursing students at all levels of studies. However, little is known on how students experience the placement at the health centres. In 2016 Nursing students from a satellite campus were placed at a health centre.Methods: The study followed qualitative research principles, and it was explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. Data were collected from reflections submitted by second year nursing students from a UNAM satellite campus upon completion of their two weeks placement at a health centre in 2016. Data were analyzed using content analysis as a data analysis strategy. Trustworthiness of this study was ensured by applying the criteria of Lincoln and Guba, namely: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of the study.Results: The five themes that emerged from the study are: ‘interpersonal factors’, ‘students’ reactions to the learning context’, ‘enablers of students’ learning at a rural health centre’, ‘challenges experienced by students’, and ‘recommendations made by students on learning in a rural health centre’.Conclusion: It is evident that good interpersonal interaction between nursing staff, students and patients appear to have a positive impact on learning. Students reflected on limited supply of equipment, and limited cases available as challenges experienced during their placement. Furthermore, students made suggestions to improve placements in a rural health centre.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. p32
Author(s):  
Moussa Tankari ◽  
Ayodele Adebayo Allagbé ◽  
Abdou Maiguéro

This paper aimed at measuring the impacts of using the process approach to teach second-year English major students at the English Department of Université de Zinder (henceforth, UZ) essay writing. Drawing on the pre-test-post-test repeated measures design, this study examined the written essays produced by the EFL students before and after the writing class. These pre and post tests were scored based on a criterial fair copy, and the scores were compared by means of an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to check whether there were any statistically significant differences between the mean scores. The findings revealed that the process approach had a positive impact on the participants’ essay writing skills. Also, employing Classroom Observation, the article attempted to qualitatively measure student engagement in the writing class. The findings further exuded that the EFL students observed were cognitively involved in the learning activities conducted in the class. Based on the foregoing findings, this study recommends that the process approach to (the teaching of) writing be adopted and used to teach writing in EFL classes across/in Niger.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Lin Chen ◽  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Xiang-Yu Li ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Gadi V.P. Reddy ◽  
...  

AbstractBeetles are visible members of food webs in tea plantations, with high species richness and abundance. Many tea pests, as well as natural enemies, are members of this order, so a knowledge of how groundcovers affect beetles can aid pest management. We collected beetles in a replicated field experiment in the Wuyi Mountains, Fujian Province China. Tea was intercropped with Paspalum notatum or Chamaecrista rotundifolia, or rows were cleared to bare ground, or in the control they were left unmanaged to allow weeds to grow naturally. Sampling, done by sweep netting and vegetation beating, was conducted monthly, between May 2006 and April 2008, and Coleoptera abundance, biomass, species richness and assemblage structures were compared between groundcover treatments. Total beetle abundance and species richness were significantly higher in tea intercropped with C. rotundifolia and bare ground than in naturally grown weedy control. Whilst there was no difference between predator assemblages among treatments for any measure, herbivores were more abundant, weighed more, and were more diverse in C. rotundifolia treatments than in weedy control. Biomass and species richness were also greater in plots with P. notatum groundcover than those in weedy control. We found that beetle assemblages varied both seasonally and with ground cover treatment, but the potential pest control impact of more species-rich beetle assemblages was mixed, and further work is needed to gain information on trophic groups with potential benefits for use in non-insecticidal pest management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enric Tello ◽  
Joan Marull ◽  
Roc Padró ◽  
Claudio Cattaneo ◽  
Francesc Coll

Could past land uses, and the land cover changes carried out, affect the current landscape capacity to maintain biodiversity? If so, knowledge of historical landscapes and their socio-ecological transitions would be useful for sustainable land use planning. We constructed a GIS dataset in 10 × 10 km UTM cells of the province of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) for 1956 and 2009 with the changing levels of farming disturbance exerted through the human appropriation of photosynthetic net primary production (HANPP), and a set of landscape ecology metrics to assess the impacts of the corresponding land-use changes. Then, we correlated them with the spatial distribution of total species richness (including vascular plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). The results allow us to characterize the main trends in changing landscape patterns and processes, and explore whether a land-use legacy of many complex agroforest mosaics maintained by the intermediate farming disturbance managed in 1956 could still exist, despite the decrease or disappearance of those mosaics before 2009 due to the combined impacts of agroindustrial intensification (meaning higher HANPP levels), forest transition (meaning lower HANPP levels) and urban sprawl. Statistical analysis reveals a positive impact of the number of larger, less disturbed forest patches, where many protected natural sites have been created in 1956–2009. However, it also confirms that this result has not only been driven by conservation policies and that the distribution of species richness is currently correlated with the maintenance of intermediate levels of HANPP. This suggests that both land-sharing and land-sparing approaches to biodiversity conservation may have played a synergistic role owing to the legacy of complex land cover mosaics of former agricultural landscapes that are now under a serious threat.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Stevovic ◽  
Milica Miloradovic ◽  
Ivan Stevovic

Purpose – This paper aims to define and theoretically analyse the performance of modern methods investigated to speed up the recultivation process of degraded areas, and apply it into the mining basin, open pit mines, tailings and all other areas, which need environmental quality improvement. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents methods of conservation and substitution of natural resources for the purpose of faster land recultivation (reclamation) in degraded coal mine areas. Two types of methods have been developed: forest slope recultivation and agricultural recultivation of flat landfills. Indicators of positive changes include: changes in chemical properties of tailings, increase in biogenic properties and changes in biodiversity. Findings – The research results show that the application of these methods, along with the holistic approach and adequate investment, can significantly contribute to the length of recovery process and accelerate it. Research limitations/implications – Mining basin Kostolac is used as a model test. The results can be applied on all mining basin, open pits and any degraded area. Originality/value – All results and conclusions were drawn, based on the original measurements and experiments. Stake holders, wanting to manage environmental quality after exploitation in mining basin, applying those methods, can find the value of this paper.


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9519
Author(s):  
Zhen Ni ◽  
Xiumin Yan ◽  
Liang Chang ◽  
Xin Sun ◽  
Donghui Wu ◽  
...  

The Songnen Plain of China was once an important grassland used for sheep grazing, but it has largely been degraded to bare saline-alkaline land (BSAL). BSAL consists of plant-free areas characterized by high soil pH values (up to 10) and salt and alkali (e.g., Na+ and Ca2+) contents, as well as low soil organic matter and water contents; thus, very few soil faunal species can survive on BSAL. The recovery of degraded ecosystems provides a great opportunity to investigate the reconstruction of belowground soil faunal communities. Collembola are a class of widespread and abundant soil fauna that can colonize this harsh environment. Habitat changes on BSAL promote aboveground revegetation, which greatly facilitates the recovery of Collembola. A soil transfer experiment on the BSAL of the Songnen Plain was conducted to study the effects of habitat and Collembola morphological traits on the recovery process of Collembola. Defaunated and with-fauna soil blocks were transferred among three habitats: BSAL, reclaimed arable land, and naturally revegetated grassland. The recovered Collembola in the transferred soil blocks were compared two, seven, and 12 weeks after the start of the experiment. The results showed that (1) the majority of the Collembola, regardless of their morphological traits, recovered in the defaunated soil blocks within 2 weeks; (2) generalists and habitat-preferring species recovered faster than specialists; (3) the average total abundance, species richness, and community composition of Collembola recovered to the natural levels in 2 weeks; and (4) 12 weeks after replacement, the highest average total abundance and species richness of Collembola were found in the arable land. Our results indicate that the majority of Collembola in this study, regardless of their dispersal type, which is related to their morphological traits, are fast dispersers, and their recovery speeds are mainly affected by habitat preferences. We suggest that the reclamation of BSAL to arable land rather than its natural recovery to grassland aids in the recovery of Collembola in degraded grassland systems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Dwi Listia Rika Tini

This study aims to explain the Development of Productive Economic Business Programs in Sumenep Regency in the context of empowering women and improving the quality of women as development resources.  The Development of Productive Economic Business Program is an effort of Sumenep Regency in order to build a better economy going forward related to the village economy.  The method used in this study is a qualitative analysis method in which references are the basis for analysis.  The Productive Economic Business Program Policy in Sumenep Regency is implemented under the auspices of the Community and Women's Empowerment Agency (BPMP) in the form of craftsmen business groups that utilize Natural Resources and Human Resources in each Village.  This phase of UEP development activities is carried out through an empowerment process carried out over a period of 3 (three) years and the phasing plans are 1) First Year (2013), namely the Growth Stage;  2) Second Year (2014) Development Phase and 3) Third Year (2015) Independence Phase.  From the UEP development activities that have a positive impact on women in rural areas, they can make money and help husbands without having to work far outside the home.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luu Hon Vu

The research surveyed the learning beliefs of Chinese as a second foreign language for English majored students of Banking University Ho Chi Minh city. Based on the theory of beliefs in foreign language learning by Horwitz (1985), we conducted a questionnaire survey with 177 students. The questionnaire results indicate that: firstly, Chinese is relatively easy to learn; secondly, children have better language learning capacity than adults; third, focus on phonetics, vocabulary and culture, not grammar; fourth, learning Chinese is useful for yourself. Female students focus on phonetics more than male students. Second-year students focus on phonetics more than third-year students, but not more grammar like third-year students. Unlike students from the central region, students from the northern and southern regions said that they must come to China to learn Chinese. The belief that "Chinese language is easy to learn", the confident and proactive attitude of using Chinese language has a positive impact on students' learning results.


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