scholarly journals La paradoja de mezquites (Prosopis spp.): La invasión de especies o potenciadores de la biodiversidad?

2017 ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Golubov ◽  
María C. Mandujano ◽  
Luis E. Eguiarte
Keyword(s):  
Keystone Species ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Semiarid Environments ◽  
High Species Diversity ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
Associated Species ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Arid And Semiarid

Arid and semi-arid environments contain relatively high species diversity and are subject to intense use, in particular extensive cattle grazing. The expansion of perennial species in to the grasslands decreases the value of the rangeland, because it makes necessary to control the shrubs, which is not practical in the long term. This paper is a bibliographic review of the ecological importance of the Prosopis (mequite) genus. We compiled information on all the species associated to mesquite (ca. 208 genera and 600 species from different taxa) and we propase that it is important to conserve the mesquites in order to maintain the diversity of the other associated species. We also stress the importance of mesquite as a keystone species in the balance of nitrogen and carbon in the arid and semiarid environments soils. We conclude that the conservation of the mesquites is very relevant, in particular in areas where people want to remove them and convert the environment to grasslands.

scholarly journals Oil Pollution Affects the Central Metabolism of Keystone Vachellia (Acacia) Trees

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6660
Author(s):  
Marco Ferrante ◽  
Anuma Dangol ◽  
Shoshana Didi-Cohen ◽  
Gidon Winters ◽  
Vered Tzin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Desert Ecosystem ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Central Metabolism ◽  
Adult Trees ◽  
Metabolite Profiles ◽  
One Year

Vachellia (formerly Acacia) trees are native to arid environments in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where they often support the local animal and plant communities acting as keystone species. The aim of this study was to examine whether oil pollution affected the central metabolism of the native keystone trees Vachellia tortilis (Forssk.) and V. raddiana (Savi), as either adults or seedlings. The study was conducted in the Evrona Nature Reserve, a desert ecosystem in southern Israel where two major oil spills occurred in 1975 and in 2014. Leaf samples were collected to analyze the central metabolite profiles from oil-polluted and unpolluted adult trees and from Vachellia seedlings growing in oil-polluted and unpolluted soils in an outdoor setup. We found that oil pollution had a stronger effect on one-year-old seedlings than on adult trees, reducing the levels of amino acids, sugars, and organic acids. While adult trees are mildly affected by oil pollution, the effects on young seedlings can cause a long-term reduction in the population of these keystone desert trees, ultimately threatening this entire ecosystem.

Control of Hakea Preissii (Meissner) and Associated Species by Fire in Degraded Semi-Arid Rangelands.

1993 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Holm ◽  
KR Shackleton ◽  
EJ Speijers
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Untreated Control ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Plant Survival ◽  
Arid Rangelands ◽  
Associated Species ◽  
Semi Arid

Hakea preissii has been identified as an undesirable increaser which has invaded formerly productive semi-arid pastoral lands of Western Australia. This paper reports a study designed primarily to assess the susceptibility of H. preissii to fire and to assess the effects of fire on the associated plant community. Plant survival was assessed by comparing the response to a low and high fue fuel load with untreated control plots. Fire intensities of 2900 and 9300 kwlm were achieved with fuel loads of 500 g/m2 and were sufficient to kill 98% of H. preissii by two years after the burn. A fire intensity of 240 kwlm was achieved with 150 .g/m2 fuel load and was sufficient to kill 53% of H. preissii plants. Other perennial species, more highly regarded as sheep feed, including Scaevola spinescens, Rhagodia eremaea, Enchylaena tomentosa and Maireana tomentosa, were killed by fire while Eremophila "crenulata" and Senna species, which are regarded as undesirable increasers in this environment, were generally unaffected by even the most intense fie.

scholarly journals Wild Plants for the Phytostabilization of Phosphate Mine Waste in Semi-Arid Environments: A Field Experiment

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Hamza Zine ◽  
Sara Elgadi ◽  
Rachid Hakkou ◽  
Eleni G. Papazoglou ◽  
Laila Midhat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Field Experiment ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Mine Waste ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Wild Plant Species ◽  
Phosphate Mine ◽  
Semi Arid

The management of mine waste has become an urgent issue, especially in semi-arid environments. In this context, and with an aim to inhibit the oxidation of the sulfide tailings of the abandoned mine of Kettara in Morocco, a store-and-release (SR) cover made of phosphate mine waste (PW) was implemented. In order to guarantee its long-term performance, phytostabilization by local wild plant species is currently the most effective and sustainable solution. This study aimed to assess the growth performance and phytostabilization efficiency of five local wild plant species to grow on the SR cover made of PW. A field experiment was conducted for two growing seasons (2018 and 2019), without amendments and with the minimum of human care. PW and the aboveground and belowground parts of the studied plant species were collected and analyzed for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) were also calculated. Despite the hostile conditions of the mining environment, the five plant species showed promising growth performances as follows: Atriplex semibaccata > Vicia sativa > Launaea arborescens > Peganum harmala > Asparagus horridus. The five plants showed high accumulation capacity of the trace elements, with the highest concentrations in belowground tissue. Principal component analysis distinguished A. semibaccata as having a high concentration of Cu and As, while Asparagus horridus had higher concentrations of Cd and Zn. In contrast, P. harmala, V. sativa, and L. arborescens demonstrated affinity regarding Ni. According to the BCF (<1) and TF (<1), these plant species could be used as effective phytostabilizers of the studied trace elements. The present study showed that local wild plant species have a great potential for the phytostabilization of PW, and could ensure the long-term efficiency of SR cover.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Amphibian Fauna of the Semi-arid and Arid Grassland Habitats in and around the Mayureshwar, Rehekuri, and Karmala Wildlife Sanctuaries in Maharashtra, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-136
Author(s):  
Nikhil Dandekar ◽  
Varun Kherr ◽  
Chaitanya Risbud ◽  
Mayuresh Kulkarni ◽  
Makarand Ketkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Population Status ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Semiarid Environments ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Grassland Habitats ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Arid And Semiarid

Few studies document amphibian species composition from arid and semiarid environments. Scatteredbodies of water in the semi-arid and arid landscape around Pune, Maharashtra, India, could be viable amphibian habitats; however; information on amphibians using these bodies of water is not available. In a preliminary study, we assessed the amphibian diversity and population status in three wildlife sanctuaries and surrounding areas near Pune. We also compared the use of artificial and natural ponds by amphibians and surveyed the amphibians for the presence of the chytrid fungus.

scholarly journals The burying and grazing effects of Plateau pika on alpine grassland are small: A pilot study in a semi-arid basin on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuhua Yi ◽  
Jianjun Chen ◽  
Yu Qin ◽  
Gaowei Xu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Alpine Grassland ◽  
Plateau Pika ◽  
Grazing Effects ◽  
Considerable Controversy ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. There is considerable controversy about the role of Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) in alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). It is on one hand considered as a keystone species, on the other hand poisoned. Although significant amount of efforts have been made to study the effects of Plateau pika at a quadrat scale (~ m2), our knowledge about its distribution and effects at a larger scale is very limited. In this study, we investigated the direct effects, i.e. burying and grazing, of pika by upscaling field sampling at a quadrat scale to a plot scale (~ 1,000 m2) by aerial photographing. Altogether, 168 plots were set on 4 different types of alpine grassland in a semi-arid basin on the QTP. Results showed that: 1) the effects of burying by pika piles on the reduction of vegetation cover, biomass and soil carbon/nitrogen were less than 10 %, which was much smaller than the effects of bald patches; and 2) pika consumed 8–21 % of annual net primary production of grassland. We concluded that the direct burying and grazing effects of pika on alpine grassland were minor in this region. Quadcopter is an efficient and economic tool for long-term repeated monitoring over large regions for further understanding the role of pika.

scholarly journals Exogenously Used 24-Epibrassinolide Promotes Drought Tolerance in Maize Hybrids by Improving Plant and Water Productivity in an Arid Environment

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
El-Sayed M. Desoky ◽  
Elsayed Mansour ◽  
Mohamed M. A. Ali ◽  
Mohamed A. T. Yasin ◽  
Mohamed I. E. Abdul-Hamid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Tolerance ◽  
Agronomic Traits ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Net Photosynthesis ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme Activities ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Maize Hybrids ◽  
Semi Arid

The influence of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR24), applied to leaves at a concentration of 5 μM, on plant physio-biochemistry and its reflection on crop water productivity (CWP) and other agronomic traits of six maize hybrids was field-evaluated under semi-arid conditions. Two levels of irrigation water deficiency (IWD) (moderate and severe droughts; 6000 and 3000 m3 water ha−1, respectively) were applied versus a control (well-watering; 9000 m3 water ha−1). IWD reduced the relative water content, membrane stability index, photosynthetic efficiency, stomatal conductance, and rates of transpiration and net photosynthesis. Conversely, antioxidant enzyme activities and osmolyte contents were significantly increased as a result of the increased malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage compared to the control. These negative influences of IWD led to a reduction in CWP and grain yield-related traits. However, EBR24 detoxified the IWD stress effects and enhanced all the above-mentioned parameters. The evaluated hybrids varied in drought tolerance; Giza-168 was the best under moderate drought, while Fine-276 was the best under severe drought. Under IWD, certain physiological traits exhibited a highly positive association with yield and yield-contributing traits or CWP. Thus, exogenously using EBR24 for these hybrids could be an effective approach to improve plant and water productivity under reduced available water in semi-arid environments.

Changing perceptions of the effect of plant phenolics on nutrient supply in the ruminant

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 829 ◽  
Author(s):  
JB Lowry ◽  
CS McSweeney ◽  
B Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Acute Toxicity ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Nutrient Supply ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Plant Phenolics ◽  
Ruminant Nutrition ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Hydrolysable Tannins ◽  
Semi Arid

Mammalian metabolism of plant phenolics, initially studied in monogastric animals, gave an emphasis to their toxic and antinutrient effects. Subsequent studies in tropical ruminants and wild herbivores have highlighted the high levels than can occur in some diets and the extensive microbial modification and degradation that can occur in the tract. This paper reviews aspects of plant phenolics as they relate to ruminant nutrition in tropical or semi-arid environments in which some forage plants contain high levels of phenolic compounds. Effects range from occasional acute toxicity of hydrolysable tannins, to acetate-releasing microbial degradations that apparently enable certain phenolics to act as nutrients. The most important and complex effects are those due to tannin-protein interactions. Although these can clearly reduce feed intake, nutrient digestibilities, and protein availability, many of the interactions are still not understood. The diverse effects of plant phenolics on nutrient flow probably result from the balance between adverse effects on some organisms and the rate at which they are degraded or inactivated by other organisms, and improved animal performance can likely be obtained by manipulation of rumen microbial metabolism.

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