scholarly journals Changes in a soil microarthropod community in the vicinity of dominant tree species under trampling management at the Safari Zoological Center, Israel

Acarologia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Rentao Liu ◽  
Roy Meller ◽  
Yosef Steinberger

Tree-canopy and trampling management are reported to influence soil arthropod abundance and diversity. However, there is limited understanding of their interactive effects on a soil microarthropod community at the Safari Zoological Center, central Israel. This study assessed the spatial influence of three dominant tree species (Cupressus sempervirens, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and Tamarix aphylla) under contrasting trampling and enclosure treatment on soil microarthropod abundance and diversity during a wet Mediterranean winter. There was a significant interactive effect of tree species and trampling management on soil moisture, organic matter, pH, and soil density, with an individual effect of tree species or trampling management on soil electrical conductivity and water-holding capacity. There was a significantly greater abundance of total microarthropods under enclosure than under trampling in open spaces and beneath the E. camaldulensis canopy, with the greatest abundance found in the open spaces under enclosure. However, there were no significant differences in the average abundance of total microarthropods between trampling and enclosure beneath either the T. aphylla or C. sempervirens canopy. The soil Acari diversity indices (i.e., taxon richness, Shannon index, and evenness index) were significantly greater under enclosure than under trampling in open spaces and beneath tree-canopy habitats, with the exception of taxon richness beneath the C. sempervirens canopy. We concluded that the trampling activities had a detrimental effect on soil microarthropod abundance and soil Acari diversity in some cases only. The distinctive canopy architecture of some tree species (i.e., T. aphylla and C. sempervirens) has ecophysiological attributes which could mediate the effect of trampling on soil microarthropods.

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kungolos ◽  
P. Samaras ◽  
A. M. Kipopoulou ◽  
A. Zoumboulis ◽  
G. P. Sakellaropoulos

The effects of three common agrochemicals, lindane, methyl parathion and atrazine, on crustacean Daphnia magna, alga Selenastrum capricornutum and marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri were investigated in this study. Methyl parathion was the most toxic compound towards all three organisms, while lindane was more toxic to Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri than atrazine, and atrazine was more toxic to Selenastrum capricornutum than lindane. Among the three aquatic organisms, Selenastrum capricornutum was most sensitive in detecting lindane and atrazine toxicity, while Daphnia magna was most sensitive in detecting methyl parathion toxicity. The interactive effects of the pesticides were also investigated. The interactive effect between lindane and methyl parathion on survival of Daphnia magna was synergistic, while the ones between lindane and atrazine and between methyl parathion and atrazine were generally additive. The interactive effect of the three pesticides applied together on Daphnia magna was synergistic. The interactive effect of the three pesticides on the growth of Selenastrum capricornutum was antagonistic with few cases of addition, while the effect of all the three pairs of pesticides on algal growth was also antagonistic. The interactive effect of lindane and methyl parathion on Vibrio fischeri was additive.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1963-1986
Author(s):  
Tilottama G. Chowdhury ◽  
Feisal Murshed

Purpose This paper proposes that categorization flexibility, operationalized as the cognitive capacity that cross-categorizes products in multiple situational categories across multiple domains, might favorably influence a consumer’s evaluation of unconventional options. Design/methodology/approach Experimental research design is used to test the theory. An exploratory study first establishes the effect of categorization flexibility in a non-food domain. Study 1 documents the moderating role of decision domain, showing that the effect works only under low- (vs high-) consequence domain. Studies 2A and 2B further refine the notion by showing that individuals can be primed in a relatively higher categorization flexibility frame of mind. Study 3 demonstrates the interactive effect of categorization flexibility and adventure priming in a high-consequence domain. Study 4 integrates the interactive effects of decisions with low- vs high-consequence, adventure priming and categorization flexibility within a single decision domain of high consequence. Findings Consumers with higher- (vs lower-) categorization flexibility tend to opt for unconventional choices when the decision domain entails low consequences, whereas such a result does not hold under decision domain of high consequences. The categorization flexibility effects in case of low-consequence decision domain holds true even when consumers are primed to be categorization flexible. Furthermore, with additional adventure priming, consumers show an increased preference for unconventional options even under a decision domain with high consequence. Research limitations/implications This study could not examine real purchase behavior as results are based on cross-sectional, behavioral intention data. In addition, it did not examine the underlying reason for presence of cross-domain categorization flexibility index. Practical implications The results suggest that stimuli may be tailored to consumers in ways that increase the salience and the perceived attractiveness of unconventional choices. Further, data reinforce the notion of cross-categorical interrelations among different domains, which could be leveraged by marketers. Originality/value This study represents the first documentation of the potential ways by which unconventional product choice might be a function of individuals’ categorization flexibility level across different types of decision domains. The findings yield implications that are novel to both categorization and consumer decision-making literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2640
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zubair ◽  
Akash Jamil ◽  
Syed Bilal Hussain ◽  
Ahsan Ul Haq ◽  
Ahmad Hussain ◽  
...  

The moist temperate forests in Northern Pakistan are home to a variety of flora and fauna that are pivotal in sustaining the livelihoods of the local communities. In these forests, distribution and richness of vegetation, especially that of medicinal plants, is rarely reported. In this study, we carried out a vegetation survey in District Balakot, located in Northeastern Pakistan, to characterize the diversity of medicinal plants under different canopies of coniferous forest. The experimental site was divided into three major categories (viz., closed canopy, open spaces, and partial tree cover). A sampling plot of 100 m2 was established on each site to measure species diversity, dominance, and evenness. To observe richness and abundance, the rarefaction and rank abundance curves were plotted. Results revealed that a total of 45 species representing 34 families were available in the study site. Medicinal plants were the most abundant (45%) followed by edible plants (26%). Tree canopy cover affected the overall growth of medicinal plants on the basis of abundance and richness. The site with partial canopy exhibited the highest diversity, dominance, and abundance compared to open spaces and closed canopy. These findings are instrumental in identifying the wealth of the medicinal floral diversity in the northeastern temperate forest of Balakot and the opportunity to sustain the livelihoods of local communities with the help of public/private partnership.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 403
Author(s):  
Lara A. Roman ◽  
Indigo J. Catton ◽  
Eric J. Greenfield ◽  
Hamil Pearsall ◽  
Theodore S. Eisenman ◽  
...  

Municipal leaders are pursuing ambitious goals to increase urban tree canopy (UTC), but there is little understanding of the pace and socioecological drivers of UTC change. We analyzed land cover change in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States) from 1970–2010 to examine the impacts of post-industrial processes on UTC. We interpreted land cover classes using aerial imagery and assessed historical context using archival newspapers, agency reports, and local historical scholarship. There was a citywide UTC increase of +4.3 percentage points. Substantial UTC gains occurred in protected open spaces related to both purposeful planting and unintentional forest emergence due to lack of maintenance, with the latter phenomenon well-documented in other cities located in forested biomes. Compared to developed lands, UTC was more persistent in protected open spaces. Some neighborhoods experienced substantial UTC gains, including quasi-suburban areas and depopulated low-income communities; the latter also experienced decreasing building cover. We identified key processes that drove UTC increases, and which imposed legacies on current UTC patterns: urban renewal, urban greening initiatives, quasi-suburban developments, and (dis)investments in parks. Our study demonstrates the socioecological dynamism of intra-city land cover changes at multi-decadal time scales and the crucial role of local historical context in the interpretation of UTC change.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
Elena Gagnarli ◽  
Giuseppe Valboa ◽  
Nadia Vignozzi ◽  
Donatella Goggioli ◽  
Silvia Guidi ◽  
...  

Sustainable agriculture largely depends on soil biodiversity and requires efficient methods to assess the effectiveness of agronomic planning. Knowledge of the landscape and relative pedosite is enriched by data on the soil microarthropod community, which represent useful bio-indicators for early soil-quality detection in land-use change (LUC). In the hilly Maremma region of Grosseto, Italy, two areas, a >10ys meadow converted into a vineyard and an old biodynamic vineyard (no-LUC), were selected for evaluating the LUC effect. For maintaining soil vitality and ecosystem services by meadow, the vineyard was planted and cultivated using criteria of the patented “Corino method”. The aim was to evaluate the LUC impact, within one year, by assessing parameters characterizing soil properties and soil microarthropod communities after the vineyard was planted. The adopted preservative method in the new vineyards did not show a detrimental impact on the biodiversity of soil microarthropods, and in particular, additional mulching contributed to a quick recovery from soil stress due to working the plantation. In the short term, the adopted agricultural context confirmed that the targeted objectives preserved the soil quality and functionality.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heike Heklau ◽  
Nicole Schindler ◽  
François Buscot ◽  
Nico Eisenhauer ◽  
Olga Ferlian ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bhawna Adhikari ◽  
◽  
Bhawana Kapkoti ◽  
Neelu Lodhiyal ◽  
L.S. Lodhiyal ◽  
...  

Present study was carried out to assess the structure and regeneration of Sal forests in Shiwalik region of Kumaun Himalaya. Vegetation analysis and tree canopy density was determined by using quadrat and densitometer, respectively. Density of seedlings, saplings and trees was 490-14067, 37-1233, and 273-863 ind.ha-1 respectively. The basal area was 0.12-5.44 m2 ha-1 reported for saplings and 25.4-77.6 m2 ha-1 for trees. Regeneration of Sal was found good in Sal mixed dense forest followed by Sal open forest and Sal dense forest, respectively. Regeneration of Sal was assisted by the presence of associated tree species as well as the sufficient sunlight availability on ground due to adequate opening of canopy trees in Sal forest. Thus it is concluded that the density of tree canopy, sunlight availability and also associated tree species impacted the regeneration of Sal in the region.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Fazeli Falavarjani ◽  
Forozan Irandust

Today’s diverse community often includes culturally rich environments that contain cues pertaining to more than one culture. These cultural cues can shape cognitive processes, such as creativity. This study aims to investigate the interactive effects of Openness to Experience, Extroversion and Multicultural Experience (including the real and desired experiences) on creative problem-solving ability using the quantitative method on a diverse sample of international students (N= 102). The findings indicate that the interactive effect of extensive multicultural experience and Openness to Experience predict the creative solution. It means the multicultural experience is beneficial for individuals to foster creative ability when they are highly open to experience, whereas, among those who are not open, more extensive multicultural experience do not lead to enhancement of creating the correct solution. Furthermore, this interaction term was not pronounced among the extroverted individuals. Implications of these findings for promoting creativity in learning environments are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 1611-1624
Author(s):  
Worasit Sangjan ◽  
Sindhuja Sankaran

HighlightsTree canopy architecture traits are associated with its productivity and management.Understanding these traits is important for both precision agriculture and phenomics applications.Remote sensing platforms (satellite, UAV, etc.) and multiple approaches (SfM, LiDAR) have been used to assess these traits.3D reconstruction of tree canopies allows the measurement of tree height, crown area, and canopy volume.Abstract. Tree canopy architecture is associated with light use efficiency and thus productivity. Given the modern training systems in orchard tree fruit systems, modification of tree architecture is becoming important for easier management of crops (e.g., pruning, thinning, chemical application, harvesting, etc.) while maintaining fruit quality and quantity. Similarly, in forest environments, architecture can influence the competitiveness and balance between tree species in the ecosystem. This article reviews the literature related to sensing approaches used for assessing architecture traits and the factors that influence such evaluation processes. Digital imagery integrated with structure from motion analysis and both terrestrial and aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems have been commonly used. In addition, satellite imagery and other techniques have been explored. Some of the major findings and some critical considerations for such measurement methods are summarized here. Keywords: Canopy volume, LiDAR system, Structure from motion, Tree height, UAV.


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