scholarly journals Influence of landscape structure on the abundance of Desmodus rotundus (Geoffroy 1810) in northeastern Yucatan, Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (17) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Beatriz Bolívar-Cimé ◽  
Rafael Flores-Peredo ◽  
Scarlett Aislinn García-Ortíz ◽  
Rene Murrieta-Galindo ◽  
Javier Laborde
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Semideciduous Forest ◽  
Desmodus Rotundus ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Vampire Bat

Although the transformation of landscapes by human activity can negatively affect the populations of several bat species, other species may benefit from these transformations. One of such species is the vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, which can often be found in landscapes dominated by livestock activities. Furthermore, there are certain structural landscape characteristics that could be positively influencing the abundance of the vampire bat. To assess this possibility, eight sampling sites in northeastern Yucatan, Mexico were monitored from June 2010 to February 2012. Four sites were located in forest fragments amongst a highly fragmented landscape dominated by pastures dedicated to livestock activities, and four sites were located within continuous tropical semideciduous forest with almost no fragmentation. Forest fragmentation was characterized around the sampling sites within a 2.5 km radius using SPOT images from 2010, and five landscape variables were calculated using FRAGSTATS. The results showed that landscape heterogeneity and an agricultural aggregation index both had a significant effect on the abundance of the vampire bat. Our results showed that D. rotundusabundance in northeastern Yucatan, Mexico was favored by extensive pastures as well as by landscape characteristics associated with intense forest fragmentation. However, the presence of some remnants of forest cover probably enhance the movements and persistence of this species. To reduce the negative impact of the vampire bat presence in these areas dedicated to livestock ranching activities, effective preventive vaccination campaigns could be an important strategy. 

scholarly journals Hurricane Maria in the U.S. Caribbean: Disturbance Forces, Variation of Effects, and Implications for Future Storms

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Van Beusekom ◽  
Nora Álvarez-Berríos ◽  
William Gould ◽  
Maya Quiñones ◽  
Grizelle González
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Luquillo Experimental Forest ◽  
Landslide Occurrence ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

The impact of Hurricane Maria on the U.S. Caribbean was used to study the causes of remotely-sensed spatial variation in the effects of (1) vegetation index loss and (2) landslide occurrence. The vegetation index is a measure of canopy ‘greenness’, a combination of leaf chlorophyll, leaf area, canopy cover and structure. A generalized linear model was made for each kind of effect, using idealized maps of the hurricane forces, along with three landscape characteristics that were significantly associated. In each model, one of these characteristics was forest fragmentation, and another was a measure of disturbance-propensity. For the greenness loss model, the hurricane force was wind, the disturbance-propensity measure was initial greenness, and the third landscape characteristic was fraction forest cover. For the landslide occurrence model, the hurricane force was rain, the disturbance-propensity measure was amount of land slope, and the third landscape characteristic was soil clay content. The model of greenness loss had a pseudo R2 of 0.73 and showed the U.S. Caribbean lost 31% of its initial greenness from the hurricane, with 51% lost from the initial in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) from Hurricane Maria along with Hurricane Irma. More greenness disturbance was seen in areas with less wind sheltering, higher elevation and topographic sides. The model of landslide occurrence had a pseudo R2 of 0.53 and showed the U.S. Caribbean had 34% of its area and 52% of the LEF area with a landslide density of at least one in 1 km2 from Hurricane Maria. Four experiments with parameters from previous storms of wind speed, storm duration, rainfall, and forest structure over the same storm path and topographic landscape were run as examples of possible future scenarios. While intensity of the storm makes by far the largest scenario difference, forest fragmentation makes a sizable difference especially in vulnerable areas of high clay content or high wind susceptibility. This study showed the utility of simple hurricane force calculations connected with landscape characteristics and remote-sensing data to determine forest susceptibility to hurricane effects.

The Change of Tangshan Nanhu Wetland Landscape and Ecological Quality Assessment

2011 ◽  
Vol 474-476 ◽  
pp. 200-204
Author(s):  
Ai Hong Guo ◽  
Cheng Jun Wang ◽  
Su Juan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Construction Land ◽  
Assessment Index ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Rs And Gis ◽  
Index Index

Landscape characteristics and dynamics change are studied based on RS and GIS from 1993 to 2007. The results show that there is a big change in Tangshan Nanhu wetland subsidence in the last 15 years. Construction land, water bodies, woodland regional landscape pattern instead of the landscape of construction land and farmland. The change is caused by mining production and land reclamation activities mainly. Take the forest cover index, grass cover index, wetland index, index of landscape heterogeneity, landscape diversity, biological abundance index and Poor index of ecological as assessment index, use analytic hierarchy process to determine the weight of indexes, evaluate Nanhu area eco-environmental quality. The results show that: From 1993 to 2000, there is a slight decline in environmental quality; and since 2000, environmental quality has become better and better.<b></b>

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of different landscape features on post-fire forest recovery with multitemporal remote sensing data: the case of Mount Taygetos (southern Greece)

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Christopoulou ◽  
Giorgos Mallinis ◽  
Emmanuel Vassilakis ◽  
Georgios-Pavlos Farangitakis ◽  
Nikolaos M. Fyllas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Basement Rock ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Fires affecting large areas usually create a mosaic of recovering plant communities reflecting their pre-fire composition and local conditions of burning. However, post-fire recovery patterns may also reveal the effects of landscape heterogeneity on the natural regeneration process of plant communities. This study combines field data and remote sensing image interpretation techniques to assess the role of various landscape characteristics in the post-fire recovery process in a mountainous region of Greece burned by a severe wildfire. Remote sensing techniques were used to accurately map secluded, large burned areas. By introducing a temporal component, we explored the correlation between post-fire regeneration and underlying topography, soils and basement rock. Pre-fire forest cover was reduced by more than half 8 years after fire. Regarding the dominant pre-fire forest trees, Abies cephalonica did not regenerate well after fire and most pre-fire stands were converted to grasslands and shrublands. In contrast, Pinus nigra regenerated sufficiently to return to its pre-fire cover, especially in areas underlain by softer basement rock. The use of different time series of high-resolution images improved the quality of the results obtained, justifying their use despite their high cost.

scholarly journals Effects of Forest Fragmentation on the Vertical Stratification of Neotropical Bats

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Silva ◽  
Ricardo Rocha ◽  
Adrià López-Baucells ◽  
Fábio Z. Farneda ◽  
Christoph F. J. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Vertical Stratification ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Forest Strata ◽  
Neotropical Bats ◽  
Artibeus Lituratus

Vertical stratification is a key component of the biological complexity of rainforests. Understanding community- and species-level responses to disturbance across forest strata is paramount for evidence-based conservation and management. However, even for bats, known to extensively explore multiple layers of the complex three-dimensional forest space, studies are biased towards understory-based surveys and only few assessments of vertical stratification were done in fragmented landscapes. Using both ground and canopy mist-nets, we investigated how the vertical structure of bat assemblages is influenced by forest fragmentation in the experimentally fragmented landscape of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Central Amazon, Brazil. Over a three year-period, we captured 3077 individuals of 46 species in continuous forest (CF) and in 1, 10 and 100 ha forest fragments. In both CF and forest fragments, the upper forest strata sustained more diverse bat assemblages than the equivalent understory layer, and the midstory layers had significantly higher bat abundance in fragments than in CF. Artibeus lituratus and Rhinophylla pumilio exhibited significant shifts in their vertical stratification patterns between CF and fragments (e.g., R. pumilio was more associated with the upper strata in fragments than in CF). Altogether, our study suggests that fragmentation modulates the vertical stratification of bat assemblages.

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

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.

scholarly journals Does landscape context affect pollination-related functional diversity and richness of understory flowers in forest fragments of Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karoline Baptista de Lima ◽  
Patrícia Alves Ferreira ◽  
Milton Groppo ◽  
Renato Goldenberg ◽  
Emerson Ricardo Pansarin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Information Criterion ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Forest Fragments

Abstract Background How landscape modifications affect functional diversity of floral characteristics pertinent to pollinators is poorly known. Flowers possess functional traits that sometimes coevolved with pollinators, crucial for the maintenance of both pollinator and plant communities. We evaluated how richness and functional diversity of available understory flowers respond to forest cover and landscape heterogeneity in a multiscale analysis. Plants in bloom were sampled from 25 landscapes in the understory of Atlantic Forest fragments in Brazil. Species were classified into functional groups regarding flower characteristics relevant to pollination. Landscape heterogeneity and forest cover were measured in buffers ranging from 200 to 2000 m from sampling units and their correlation with plant richness and functional diversity was assessed using generalized linear models and further model selection through Akaike’s second-order information criterion. Results Plants’ richness and functional diversity were affected negatively by forest cover. The former responded to forest cover at a regional scale while the latter responded at a local scale. Higher landscape heterogeneity increased richness and functional diversity. Conclusions Our results showed that forest cover and landscape heterogeneity are important to support biodiversity related to pollination, mostly due to the availability of diversified resources and nesting sites associated to different land-uses for pollinators and flowering plant communities. These findings should highlight, along with forest cover, landscape heterogeneity as an environmental management priority in rural tropical areas for mitigating the loss of plant biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem functioning.

scholarly journals Position in the distributional range and sensitivity to forest fragmentation in birds: a case history from the Atlantic forest, Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUIZ DOS ANJOS ◽  
ROBERT D. HOLT ◽  
SCOTT ROBINSON
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Endemic Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Endemic Birds ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Small Forest

SummaryWe tested the hypothesis that endemic bird species of the Brazilian Atlantic forest are more sensitive to forest fragmentation than non-endemics in a fragmented landscape in northern Paraná state of southern Brazil. Levels of sensitivity (high, medium, and low) were previously determined in the landscape based on the occurrences of bird species in 14 forest fragments. We evaluated 112 forest bird species and found that endemic species were more sensitive than non-endemics. Among the endemic species, highly sensitive species tended to have smaller geographic ranges. In a second analysis, we determined that birds at the edges of their geographic ranges in northern Paraná were more vulnerable to forest fragmentation. Combining both factors we found that endemic birds at the edge of their ranges were the most sensitive to fragmentation. Our results suggest that endemics and species at the edges of larger ranges might need larger tracts to ensure their continued existence within that region. Our results, however, also indicate that even small forest fragments may have considerable value for non-endemics and for species closer to the centres of their ranges.

scholarly journals Effects of fragmentation on Thamnophilus stictocephalus (aves, Thamnophilidae) in semideciduous forest of Alter-do-Chão, Pará

2005 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Dantas ◽  
T. M. Sanaiotti ◽  
A. L. K. M. Albernaz
Keyword(s):  
Relative Density ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
The Other ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Biomass Density ◽  
Semideciduous Forest ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Fragmentation Processes

Effects of fragmentation on biodiversity have received much attention in recent decades, as fragmentation can greatly reduce viable areas for living organisms. We studied its effect on Thamnophilus stictocephalus (Thamnophilidae), an understory bird, in semideciduous forest fragments in Alter-do-Chão, Santarém, Pará. We tested whether the density of Thamnophilus stictocephalus was a function of fragment size and shape, density of vegetation, or arthropod biomass. Density of Thamnophilus was positively related to fragment size, but not to the other factors analyzed. Arthropod biomass was positively related to fragment size. The density of T. stictocephalus in fragments was significantly higher than it was in continuous forest. Fragmentation processes had a pronounced effect on the relative density of T. stictocephalus.

scholarly journals Spatial Analysis of the Drivers, Characteristics, and Effects of Forest Fragmentation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3246
Author(s):  
Zoe Slattery ◽  
Richard Fenner
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Agricultural Expansion ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Remote Imaging ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
High Level

Building on the existing literature, this study examines whether specific drivers of forest fragmentation cause particular fragmentation characteristics, and how these characteristics can be linked to their effects on forest-dwelling species. This research uses Landsat remote imaging to examine the changing patterns of forests. It focuses on areas which have undergone a high level of a specific fragmentation driver, in particular either agricultural expansion or commodity-driven deforestation. Seven municipalities in the states of Rondônia and Mato Grosso in Brazil are selected as case study areas, as these states experienced a high level of commodity-driven deforestation and agricultural expansion respectively. Land cover maps of each municipality are created using the Geographical Information System software ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension. The resulting categorical maps are input into Fragstats fragmentation software to calculate quantifiable fragmentation metrics for each municipality. To determine the effects that these characteristics are likely to cause, this study uses a literature review to determine how species traits affect their responses to forest fragmentation. Results indicate that, in areas that underwent agricultural expansion, the remaining forest patches became more complex in shape with longer edges and lost a large amount of core area. This negatively affects species which are either highly dispersive or specialist to core forest habitat. In areas that underwent commodity-driven deforestation, it was more likely that forest patches would become less aggregated and create disjunct core areas. This negatively affects smaller, sedentary animals which do not naturally travel long distances. This study is significant in that it links individual fragmentation drivers to their landscape characteristics, and in turn uses these to predict effects on species with particular traits. This information will prove useful for forest managers, particularly in the case study municipalities examined in this study, in deciding which species require further protection measures. The methodology could be applied to other drivers of forest fragmentation such as forest fires.

scholarly journals Surveying the Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) Serum Proteome: A Resource for Identifying Immunological Proteins and Detecting Pathogens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin A. Neely ◽  
Michael G. Janech ◽  
M. Brock Fenton ◽  
Nancy B. Simmons ◽  
Alison M. Bland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Desmodus Rotundus ◽  
Serum Proteome ◽  
Vampire Bat
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