Invasive alien plants in Bangladesh: taxonomic inventory, impact assessment and management issues

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreepat Jain ◽  
Krzysztof Banaś ◽  
Mariusz Salamon ◽  
Bartosz J. Płachno
Keyword(s):  
Life Form ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Tropical Asia ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Form Representation ◽  
Management Issues

Abstract The establishment of a database of naturalized species is the first step in understanding the development and spread of invasion, and serves as a stepping-stone for further detailed studies on the biology and impact of individual species on the ecosystem. Preliminary dataset for such a database of Bangladesh is provided here. The inventory of invasive alien flora comprises of 54 species from 48 genera and 24 families. 54% species originate from South America, 17% from Tropical Asia, Tropical Africa and North America - 5% each, Australia and the Mediterranean region - 2% each and China - 1%. With regard to life form representation, herbs constitute the largest share (63%), followed by trees (13%), shrubs (9%), climbers (8%) and grass (7%). Combating plant Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Bangladesh is very difficult due to the absence of (1) a cataloged list of identified plant IAS, (2) properly carried out case studies on economic and ecological impacts, (3) unstructured programs on management efforts, (4) awareness campaigns and (5) and coordination between different nodal ministries and agencies. As combating IAS requires an integrated approach, all relevant departments must integrate their approaches, establish a national focal point, education and strictly monitor and implement legal instruments.

scholarly journals Mixtures of chemicals are important drivers of impacts on ecological status in European surface waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Posthuma ◽  
Werner Brack ◽  
Jos van Gils ◽  
Andreas Focks ◽  
Christin Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Chemical Mixtures

Abstract The ecological status of European surface waters may be affected by multiple stressors including exposure to chemical mixtures. Currently, two different approaches are used separately to inform water quality management: the diagnosis of the deterioration of aquatic ecosystems caused by nutrient loads and habitat quality, and assessment of chemical pollution based on a small set of chemicals. As integrated assessments would improve the basis for sound water quality management, it is recommended to apply a holistic approach to integrated water quality status assessment and management. This allows for estimating the relative contributions of exposure to mixtures of the chemicals present and of other stressors to impaired ecological status of European water bodies. Improved component- and effect-based methods for chemicals are available to support this. By applying those methods, it was shown that a holistic diagnostic approach is feasible, and that chemical pollution acts as a limiting factor for the ecological status of European surface waters. In a case study on Dutch surface waters, the impact on ecological status could be traced back to chemical pollution affecting individual species. The results are also useful as calibration of the outcomes of component-based mixture assessment (risk quotients or mixture toxic pressures) on ecological impacts. These novel findings provide a basis for a causal and integrated analysis of water quality and improved methods for the identification of the most important stressor groups, including chemical mixtures, to support integrated knowledge-guided management decisions on water quality.

scholarly journals Variable impact of late-Quaternary megafaunal extinction in causing ecological state shifts in North and South America

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 856-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Barnosky ◽  
Emily L. Lindsey ◽  
Natalia A. Villavicencio ◽  
Enrique Bostelmann ◽  
Elizabeth A. Hadly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Ecological State ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Large Animals ◽  
Short Time

Loss of megafauna, an aspect of defaunation, can precipitate many ecological changes over short time scales. We examine whether megafauna loss can also explain features of lasting ecological state shifts that occurred as the Pleistocene gave way to the Holocene. We compare ecological impacts of late-Quaternary megafauna extinction in five American regions: southwestern Patagonia, the Pampas, northeastern United States, northwestern United States, and Beringia. We find that major ecological state shifts were consistent with expectations of defaunation in North American sites but not in South American ones. The differential responses highlight two factors necessary for defaunation to trigger lasting ecological state shifts discernable in the fossil record: (i) lost megafauna need to have been effective ecosystem engineers, like proboscideans; and (ii) historical contingencies must have provided the ecosystem with plant species likely to respond to megafaunal loss. These findings help in identifying modern ecosystems that are most at risk for disappearing should current pressures on the ecosystems’ large animals continue and highlight the critical role of both individual species ecologies and ecosystem context in predicting the lasting impacts of defaunation currently underway.

A Study of Cyber Security Issues in Sri Lanka

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-72
Author(s):  
Ruwan Nagahawatta ◽  
Matthew Warren ◽  
William Yeoh
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cyber Security ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

Cybersecurity is focused on helping the community to make knowledgeable decisions on its adaptation and mitigation. This survey evaluated the level of cybersecurity awareness and discernment amongst university students in Sri Lanka. The study was based on primary data collected through a questionnaire on awareness and the perception of cybersecurity from respondents at universities in Sri Lanka. The results indicated that experience and the level of cybersecurity awareness among university students in Sri Lanka are not significantly low, but there are some knowledge gaps with new threats. Further, the results showed that university students in Sri Lanka were able to identify cybercrime as a threat. These findings necessitate building awareness and developing capacity to improve student's knowledge on the cybersecurity subject especially if universities are to be used as a key focal point in cybersecurity awareness campaigns in Sri Lanka.

Grasses of the Precambrian Shield region in eastern lowland Bolivia. II. Life-form and C3–C4 photosynthetic types

1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Killeen ◽  
Paul N. Hinz
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Campo Rupestre ◽  
Granite Outcrops ◽  
Bunch Grass

ABSTRACTA life-form classification from Neotropical Gramineae is proposed for 113 native species from eastern lowland Bolivia. A factor analysis was performed on a correlation matrix of 51 vegetative attributes to identify ‘character suites,’ which were then used as the basis for the classification. The principal types are arboreal, liana, shrub-like, forb-like, bunch grass with basal foliage, bunch grass with basal and caulescent foliage, caespitose annuals, elongate rhizomes, turf grass, stoloniferous, and decumbent (the last category is further divided into subgroups: -perennial, -indefinite, -floating aquatic, and -vine-like). A key component of the life-form classification is the morphology of leaf blades, with five major patterns recognized: elongate and inrolled, elongate and conduplicate, elongate and flat with an attenuate base, short and broad with an amplexicaule base, and short and broad with a pseudopetiole.The distribution and relative abundance of three major photosynthetic categories were compared with life-form and habitat preference. Photosynthetic type of individual species was identified based on leaf anatomy. C4-(XyMS −) species predominated in cerradao, cerrado, campo rupestre, valleyside campos, and seasonally inundated savanna, as well as on granite outcrops. C4-(XyMS + ) species were relatively rare in all habitats, but were significantly more abundant in the xeric microenvironments of granite outcrops. C3 species predominated in semi-deciduous forest and increased in relative abundance in wetland habitats. Caespitose annuals and bunch grass species were predominantly C4 type, while arboreal and liana species were uniformly C3 type. Grasses classified as decumbent or shrub-like were predominantly C3 type, while rhizomatous, stoloniferous, and forblike grasses were a mixture of C3 and C4 type.The intent of the study was to group morphological characteristics objectively in order to derive a life-form classification specific for the Gramineae. Comparisons of the relative abundance of the various life-forms in a broad range of habitat types provide a descriptive assessment of the adaptive value of these characteristics.

scholarly journals Integrated Approach of Malicious Website Detection

2011 ◽  
pp. 64-67
Author(s):  
Krishnaveni Raju ◽  
C. Chellappan
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Internet Security ◽  
Malicious Code ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Display Mode

With the advent and the rising popularity of Internet, security is becoming one of the focal point. At present, Web sites have become the attacker’s main target. The attackers uses the strategy of embedding the HTML tags, the script tag to include Web-based Trojan scripting or redirector scripting, the embedded object tag which activates the third-party applications to display the embedded object and the advanced strategy is the ARP spoofing method to build malicious website when the attackers cannot gain control of the target website. The attacker hijacks the traffic, then injects the malicious code into the HTML responses to achieve virtual malicious websites. The malicious code embedded in the web pages by the attackers; change the display mode of the corresponding HTML tags and the respective effects invisible to the browser users. The display feature setting of embedded malicious code is detected by the abnormal visibility recognition technique which increases efficiency and reduces maintenance cost. Inclusion of the honey client increases the malicious website detection rate and speed. Most of the malicious Web pages are hence detected efficiently and the malicious code in the source code is located accurately. It can also handle End-User requests to know whether their webpage is free of Malicious codes or not.

scholarly journals Patterns in the alien flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a comparison of Asteraceae and Fabaceae

2020 ◽  
Vol 153 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-389
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Bordbar ◽  
Pierre Meerts
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Trait Divergence ◽  
Native Flora ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

Background and aims – This work provides the first pattern analysis of the alien flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R. Congo), using Asteraceae and Fabaceae as a case study. Methods – Based on herbarium collections, existing databases, and literature data, a database of 38 alien species of Asteraceae and 79 alien species of Fabaceae has been assembled. Patterns in the introduction pathway, phylogeny, life form, morpho-functional traits, geographic origin, and occurrence in D.R. Congo are explored. Key results – America is the main source continent in both families, but Asia is also an important donor of Fabaceae. Taxonomic spectrum discrepancies between the alien and the native flora reflect the continent of origin. Sixty-six percent of alien Asteraceae have been accidentally introduced, most of which being annual weeds of disturbed soil. In contrast, 90% of alien Fabaceae have been deliberately introduced for forestry, agriculture, or environmental purposes, most of which being phanerophytes. Traits were compared between pairs of congeneric alien and native species. For Asteraceae, a sharp discrepancy was found in the life form spectrum (aliens: mostly therophytes; natives: phanerophytes). For Fabaceae, alien species had larger leaves and larger pods compared to their native congeners. The number of specimens in collections was positively correlated with the time since the date of first collection for both families. The Guineo-Congolian region has the highest number of alien Fabaceae, while alien Asteraceae are overrepresented in the Zambezian region.Conclusions – Contrasting patterns between alien Asteraceae and Fabaceae in the flora of D.R. Congo in terms of life forms, trait divergence compared to the native flora, and occurrence, reflect the divergent biological attributes and relations to humans of the two families. The striking discrepancies between the two families call for analyses of patterns of alien flora at family level and warn against global generalisations.

The Chemicals Reactions and its Behavior against Related Bioinorganic Materials

2018 ◽  
pp. 07-12
Author(s):  
Mr. Shruti Timande
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Bladder ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Organic Structure ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Kidney Liver ◽  
Complex Organic ◽  
Single Living

Bioinorganic mixes or materials assume the earth shattering job in every single living life form. Fake organs are commonly characterized as any gadget, machine or complex organic structure which is mostly or totally manufactured in nature and that could be embedded or coordinated into human body to play out the errands of a specific organic structure which has been harmed and ought to be supplanted because of some clinical reasons. Different fake organs like bone, heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, skin, urinary bladder, sound-related brainstem embed, bionic contact focal point, cochlear embed, direct acoustic cochlear embed, retinal embed and visual prosthetic parts have been created. In this paper we are neglecting about counterfeit biomaterial and organs.

Preliminary Data on Alien Flora from Oltenia – Romania

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Daniel Răduţoiu ◽  
Ion Stan
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Alien Plant Species ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Vascular Flora ◽  
Alien Flora ◽  
Invasive Status

Abstract This paper presents the list of alien plant species from Oltenia (Romania). For each taxon we mentioned and analysed the life form, the invasive status and the residence time. The collected and presented data highlight the expansion of the area of some alien species not mentioned previously in this part of the country and also the presence of a new subspontaneous species in the vascular flora of Romania, namely Lagurus ovatus.

Taphonomy of Tidal Flat Molluscs in the Northern Gulf of California: Paleoenvironmental Analysis despite the Perils of Preservation

1987 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 200-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franz T. Fürsich ◽  
Karl W. Flessa
Keyword(s):  
Tidal Flat ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Tidal Currents ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Time Averaging ◽  
Intertidal Environment ◽  
Paleoenvironmental Analysis

Taphocoenoses can be powerful indicators of ancient environments, even in depositional settings in which rates of sedimentation are low and tidal currents are strong.The rich subtropical mollusc fauna of the northern Gulf of California exhibits a distinct zonation across an extensive tidal flat at Bahia la Choya (Sonora, Mexico). The distribution of live faunas is largely controlled by substrate, energy level, availability of food, and period of submergence. Despite strong tidal currents and the effects of time-averaging, the distribution of taphocoenoses closely reflects the distribution of the live communities. Indeed, the zonation of individual species is often reflected in the distribution of their shelly remains.The outer flat, middle flat, inner flat, tidal channel, and salt marsh subenvironments within the tidal flat complex can be defined by the taxonomic composition, trophic/life habit groups and taphonomic attributes of their taphocoenoses. Gastropods dominate on hard and firm substrates (rocky flats, channel and marsh) while bivalves prevail on sandy substrates. Herbivores are most common on rocky and shelly substrates; detritus feeders occur on the firm substrates of the inner flat and marsh; suspension-feeders predominate in sandy and rocky bottoms. Shell abrasion, encrustation and boring decrease landward.We tested an integrated approach to paleoenvironmental analysis by examining a Pleistocene shell bed from Bahia la Choya. Taxonomic, ecologic and taphonomic criteria suggest deposition by a storm event in a very shallow subtidal to lowest intertidal environment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document