scholarly journals A Significance of Land Cover - Why Wisents Succeed to Outlive Aurochs?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Augustyn ◽  
Kajetan Perzanowski
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Bison Bonasus ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Late Medieval ◽  
Central Eastern Europe ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Suitable Habitats ◽  
Biological Differences

Abstract Context Two native European large herbivores: the aurochs (Bos primigenius) and the wisent (Bison bonasus) lived simultaneously until late Medieval Ages. A rapid decline of aurochs occurred between XV and VII centuries, while wisents lived in the wild until early XX century. Aurochs went extinct despite their strict protection, imposed by Polish kings. Since XV century, radical changes in land cover occurred all over Europe, which could influence the survival of those species. Objectives We aimed to present differences in geographical distribution and occurrence of aurochs and wisents, and identify major changes in land cover of Europe since Medieval Ages. Considering those, we were trying to explain differences in the survival of so closely related and biologically similar species. Methods We compared distribution and incidence of traditional geographical names associated with both species in central-eastern Europe, with historical changes in land cover there. Considering biological differences between aurochs and wisents we attempted to identify possible reasons for such difference in their survival. Results Since aurochs were predominantly true grazers, having higher preference towards open landscapes, they apparently were stronger affected by the loss of suitable habitats due to the development of agriculture. Wisents being more flexible could survive in forests avoiding encounters and conflicts with people. Conclusions Changes in land cover may be critical for the survival of endangered species, even strictly protected. This issue has to be seriously considered in nature conservation planning and in the evaluation of habitat quality for wildlife.

scholarly journals Realities of rarity: climatically and ecologically restricted, critically endangered Kandian Torrent Toads (Adenomus kandianus) breed en masse

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhava Meegaskumbura ◽  
Nayana Wijayathilaka ◽  
Nirodha Abayalath ◽  
Gayani Senevirathne
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Suitable Habitats ◽  
Wide Geographic Distribution ◽  
Forest Habitats

Endemic to Sri Lanka, genus Adenomus contains two torrent-associated toad species whose ecology and natural history in the wild is virtually unknown. Adenomus kelaartii is relatively common, with a wide geographic distribution. Its sister species, A. kandianus, however, is restricted to two isolated populations in fast-disappearing montane and sub-montane forests. Formally declared extinct after not being recorded for over a century, a few A. kandianus were rediscovered in 2012 and redescribed as "the world's rarest toad". Here we report the results of a two-year study of the occurrence, habits and habitat associations of adult and larval A. kandianus using both general surveys and quadrat sampling. We show this to be a secretive species with a patchy distribution. Non-breeding female toads dwell in primary-forest habitats, but after heavy and sudden downpours they form large mating congregations in large streams. Amplexed pairs swim synchronously, enabling them to traverse fast currents. Egg-laying sites remain unknown, but the ability to dive and vocalize underwater, and characteristics of the eggs, suggest that they lay eggs in dark recesses of the stream. Tadpoles show microhabitat partitioning within the stream, with the greatest diversity of stages in slow-flowing rocky areas. The more robust stages possessing sucker discs exploit rocky-rapids, while metamorphic stages inhabit stream margins. We use DNA-barcoding to show the existence of two disparate toad populations. Distribution modeling with forest-cover layers added, predict a very small remaining area of suitable habitats. Conservation of this climatically and ecologically restricted species hinge largely on the preservation of high-elevation primary and riparian forests and unpolluted torrents.

Green infrastructure maintenance is more than land cover: Large herbivores limit recruitment of key-stone tree species in Sweden

2017 ◽  
Vol 167 ◽  
pp. 368-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Angelstam ◽  
Simen Pedersen ◽  
Michael Manton ◽  
Pablo Garrido ◽  
Vladimir Naumov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Infrastructure Maintenance

scholarly journals Spontaneous gene flow from rapeseed ( Brassica napus ) to wild Brassica oleracea

2006 ◽  
Vol 273 (1605) ◽  
pp. 3111-3115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline S Ford ◽  
Joël Allainguillaume ◽  
Phil Grilli-Chantler ◽  
Giulia Cuccato ◽  
Charlotte J Allender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Brassica Napus ◽  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Brassica Oleracea ◽  
Brassica Rapa ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
Wild Relatives ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
In The Wild

Research on the environmental risks of gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to wild relatives has traditionally emphasized recipients yielding most hybrids. For GM rapeseed ( Brassica napus ), interest has centred on the ‘frequently hybridizing’ Brassica rapa over relatives such as Brassica oleracea , where spontaneous hybrids are unreported in the wild. In two sites, where rapeseed and wild B. oleracea grow together, we used flow cytometry and crop-specific microsatellite markers to identify one triploid F 1 hybrid, together with nine diploid and two near triploid introgressants. Given the newly discovered capacity for spontaneous introgression into B. oleracea , we then surveyed associated flora and fauna to evaluate the capacity of both recipients to harm cohabitant species with acknowledged conservational importance. Only B. oleracea occupies rich communities containing species afforded legislative protection; these include one rare micromoth species that feeds on B. oleracea and warrants further assessment. We conclude that increased attention should now focus on B. oleracea and similar species that yield few crop-hybrids, but possess scope to affect rare or endangered associates.

scholarly journals Deciphering the many maps of the Xingu – an assessment of land cover classifications at multiple scales

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Kalacska ◽  
J.P Arroyo-Mora ◽  
O Lucanus ◽  
L Sousa ◽  
T Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Remotely Sensed ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
The Many

AbstractRemote sensing is an invaluable tool to objectively illustrate the rapid decline in habitat extents worldwide. The many operational Earth Observation platforms provide options for the generation of land cover maps, each with unique characteristics, as well as considerable semantic differences in the definition of classes. As a result, differences in baseline estimates are inevitable. Here we compare forest cover and surface water estimates over four time periods spanning three decades (1989–2018) for ∼1.3 million km2 encompassing the Xingu river basin, Brazil, from published, freely accessible remotely sensed classifications. While all datasets showed a decrease in forest extent over time, we found a large range in the total area reported by each product for all time periods. The greatest differences ranged from 9% (year 2000) to 17% of the total area (2014-2018 period). We also show the high sensitivity of forest fragmentation metrics (entropy and foreground area density) to data quality and spatial resolution, with cloud cover and sensor artefacts resulting in errors. We further show the importance of choosing surface water datasets carefully because they differ greatly in location and amount of surface water mapped between sources. In several of the datasets illustrating the land cover following operationalization of the Belo Monte dam, the large reservoirs are notably absent. Freshwater ecosystem health is influenced by the land cover surrounding water bodies (e.g. Riparian zones). Understanding differences between the many remotely sensed baselines is fundamentally important to avoid information misuse, and to objectively choose the most appropriate dataset for conservation, taxonomy or policy-making. The differences in forest cover between the datasets examined here are not a failure of the technology, but due to different interpretations of ‘forest’ and characteristics of the input data (e.g. spatial resolution). Our findings demonstrate the importance of transparency in the generation of remotely sensed datasets and the need for users to familiarize themselves with the characteristics and limitations of each chosen data set.

scholarly journals Bison bonasus bonasus as a museum exhibit in the 18th – early 20th centuries

2018 ◽  
Vol 322 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Fedotova
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
European Bison ◽  
Bison Bonasus ◽  
Museum Exhibit ◽  
The Status ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Russian Empire

The paper discusses the Białowieża bison (Bison bonasus bonasus) as a museum exhibit in the 18th – early 20th centuries, basing on the analysis of archival documents, mainly from St. Petersburg. One of the last remnants of extinct megafauna once roaming through Europe, by the Early Modern time it had been eliminated in the most part of its previous range. In the 16th–18th century, it had the status of a natural curiosity and an exclusively royal game. In the 18th century, the carcasses of the European bison from the imperial menageries went into the cabinets of curiosities where they became the objects of study for naturalists. By the late 18th century, the last population of the European lowland bison had survived in Białowieża Primeval Forest, which became a part of the Russian Empire with the Third partition of Poland. The attention of the Imperial family, which preserved the system of protection of the European bison and the forest where they lived, ensured the survival of the species till WWI. The development of zoology and zoological collections provided a new status to the Białowieża bison – the status of a valuable gift of the Russian Tsar to a scientific community. To receive such a precious gift, a scientific community had to use its diplomatic and bureaucratic channels, to recruit a naturalist willing to travel to Białowieża, to organize a hunt, to process the skin and bones, and finally, to deliver this massive package to a museum. Nevertheless, throughout the second half of the 19th century, most requests made by European and Russian naturalists were granted and the majority of zoological museums received the European bison from Białowieża, either in form of a stuffed animal, a skeleton, or at least a skull. The transformation of the 17–18th century Kunstkammern into research zoological institutions and the development of taxidermy went in parallel with the transformation of the European bison as a museum exhibit. Stuffed animals became anatomically accurate; new expositions included habitat groups, and some institutions amassed extensive collections for comparative study. The presence of the European bison almost in every major European museum made them well known for wider public. In 1919, the last Białowieża bison was killed in the wild, but the popularity of this species helped the restitution of the animal. Nowadays, the “old” specimens are of interest not only from a historical point of view, but also as a source of samples for genetic research.

scholarly journals Holling meets habitat selection: functional response of large herbivores revisited

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Dupke ◽  
Anne Peters ◽  
Nicolas Morellet ◽  
Marco Heurich
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Functional Response ◽  
Discrete Choice Models ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Functional Responses ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Land Cover Types ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Background Holling (Can Entomol 91(5):293–320, 1959) was the first to describe a functional response between a predator’s consumption-rate and the density of its prey. The same concept can be applied to the habitat selection of herbivores, specifically, the change in relative habitat use with the change in habitat availability. Functional responses in habitat selection at a home-range scale have been reported for several large herbivores. However, a link to Holling’s original functional response types has never been drawn, although it could replace the current phenomenological view with a more mechanistically based understanding of functional responses. Methods In this study, discrete choice models were implemented as mixed-effects baseline-category logit models to analyze the variation in habitat selection of a large herbivore at seasonal and diurnal scales. Thus, changes in the use of land cover types with respect to their availability were investigated by monitoring 11 land cover types commonly used by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany. Functional response curves were then fitted using Holling’s formulas. Results Strong evidence of non-linear functional responses was obtained for almost all of the examined land cover types. The shape of the functional response curves varied depending on the season, the time of day, and in some cases between sexes. These responses could be referenced to Holling’s types, with a predominance of type II. Conclusions Our results indicate that Holling’s types can be applied to describe general patterns of the habitat selection behavior of herbivores. Functional responses in habitat selection may occur in situations requiring a trade-off in the selection of land cover types offering different resources, such as due to the temporally varying physiological needs of herbivores. Moreover, two associated parameters defining the curves (prey density and predation rate) can aid in the identification of temporal variations and in determinations of the strength of the cost-benefit ratio for a specific land cover type. Application of our novel approach, using Holling’s equations to describe functional responses in the habitat selection of herbivores, will allow the assignment of general land cover attraction values, independent of availability, thus facilitating the identification of suitable habitats.

scholarly journals An Overview of Vulture Conservation in Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Ishana Thapa
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Drug ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Local Extinctions ◽  
Vulture Conservation ◽  
Chitwan National Park ◽  
Gyps Bengalensis ◽  
Conservation Breeding ◽  
Grave Danger

Two species of vulture White-rumped Gyps bengalensis and Slender-billed G. tenuirostris are in grave danger of extinction with rapid decline throughout their ranges in Nepal with the complete loss of breeding colonies and local extinctions increasingly taking place. Nepal Government has already banned veterinary drug diclofenac which is the major cause of decline due to poisoning in food supply. Meloxicam has been widely promoted as the safe replacement of Diclofenac. Captive population have been established at Kasara, Chitwan National Park for future reintroduction. To reduce mortality in the wild in situ measures have been initiated through establishment of vulture restaurants as safe feeding sites. Key Words: Critically endangered, Diclofenac, Meloxicam, Conservation, Breeding centre, Vulture restaurant DOI: 10.3126/init.v3i0.2502 The Initiation Vol.3 2009 p.114-118  

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