scholarly journals Increase in abundance and species richness of flies (Diptera, Brachycera) in the Lake Engure Nature Park, Latvia: effects of climate warming?

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 46-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viesturs Melecis ◽  
Aina Karpa ◽  
Kristaps Vilks
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Positive Temperature ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Long Term Ecological Research ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
June July

Abstract The article discusses changes in species richness and numbers of flies (Diptera, Brachycera) in the Lake Engure Nature Park (LENP) during 1995-2012. The study was performed within the framework of the National Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network of Latvia. During the period of study, a statistically significant increase in positive temperature sums (> 4 °C) was observed at the local meteorological station (R2 = 0.489; P < 0.01). Insects were collected three times per season (June, July, and August) by entomological sweep net from twelve sample plots, which represented a variety of habitats of the LENP - dry xerophytic, mesophytic and humid hygrophytic ones. In total 411 species from 35 families were identified. Dry sample plots showed a statistically significant increase in species richness and/or numbers of flies during the period of study. Humid sample plots did not show any statistically significant trends except for two grassland plots where large herbivores were introduced in 2005 for grassland management purpose. Pooling the data from all sample plots, except those grazed by large herbivores, yielded a statistically significant trend of increase in species richness of flies (R2 = 0.647; P < 0.01). Among the main trophic groups zoophagous species showed the largest number of statistically significant positive trends mostly within the dry sample plots. For several sample plots significant positive correlations were recorded between species richness of zoophagous flies and annual sums of positive temperatures. It was hypothesised that climate warming may have an indirect effect via interaction with other environmental factors such as moisture regime, nitrogen pollution, and vegetation structure.

Plant diversity and species richness of Ljubljana marsh grasslands under the influence of different cutting and fertilizing regimes

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Sinkovč
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Significant Negative Effect ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Cutting Regimes ◽  
N Rates ◽  
Exploitation Intensity ◽  
Plot Design

The botanical composition of grasslands determines the agronomic and natural values of swards. Good grassland management usually improves herbage value, but on the other hand it frequently decreases the plant diversity and species richness in the swards. In 1999 a field trial in a split-plot design with four replicates was therefore established on the Arrhenatherion type of vegetation in Ljubljana marsh meadows in order to investigate this relationship. Cutting regimes (2 cuts — with normal and delayed first cut, 3 cuts and 4 cuts per year) were allocated to the main plots and fertiliser treatments (zero fertiliser — control, PK and NPK with 2 or 3 N rates) were allocated to the sub-plots. The results at the 1 st cutting in the 5 th trial year were as follows: Fertilising either with PK or NPK had no significant negative effect on plant diversity in any of the cutting regimes. In most treatments the plant number even increased slightly compared to the control. On average, 20 species were listed on both unfertilised and fertilised swards. At this low to moderate level of exploitation intensity, the increased number of cuts had no significant negative effect on plant diversity either (19 species at 2 cuts vs. 20 species at 3 or 4 cuts). PK fertilisation increased the proportion of legumes in the herbage in the case of 2 or 3 cuts. The proportion of grasses in the herbage increased in all the fertilisation treatments with an increased numbers of cuts. Fertiliser treatment considerably reduced the proportion of marsh horsetail ( Equisetum palustre ) in the herbage of the meadows. This effect was even more pronounced at higher cut numbers. The proportion of Equisetum palustre in the herbage was the highest in the unfertilised sward with 2 cuts (26.4 %) and the lowest in the NPK-fertilised sward with 4 cuts (1.4%).

scholarly journals Effect of tree species identity and related habitat parameters on understorey bryophytes – interrelationships between bryophyte, soil and tree factors in a 50-year-old experimental forest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaja Rola ◽  
Vítězslav Plášek ◽  
Katarzyna Rożek ◽  
Szymon Zubek
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Habitat Factors ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Old Trees ◽  
Habitat Parameters

Abstract Aim Overstorey tree species influence both soil properties and microclimate conditions in the forest floor, which in turn can induce changes in ground bryophyte communities. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of tree species identity and the most important habitat factors influencing understorey bryophytes. Methods We assessed the effect of 14 tree species and related habitat parameters, including soil parameters, vascular plant presence and light intensity on bryophytes in monospecific plots covered by nearly fifty-year-old trees in the Siemianice Experimental Forest (Poland). Results The canopy tree species determined bryophyte species richness and cover. The strongest differences were observed between plots with deciduous and coniferous trees. Soils with a more acidic pH and lower content of macronutrients supported larger bryophyte coverage. We also found a positive correlations between vascular plants and availability of light as well as bryophyte species richness. Conclusion Tree species identity and differences in habitat conditions in the forest floor lead to changes of ground bryophyte richness, cover and species composition. Consequently, the changes in the dominant tree species in the stand may result in significant repercussions on ground bryophyte communities. We indicated that the introduction of alien tree species, i.e. Quercus rubra, has an adverse effect on bryophyte communities and suggested that the selection of tree species that contribute to the community consistent with the potential natural vegetation is highly beneficial for maintaining ground bryophyte biodiversity.

scholarly journals Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (44) ◽  
pp. E10397-E10406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradford C. Lister ◽  
Andres Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Long Term Ecological Research ◽  
Maximum Temperatures ◽  
Forest Arthropods ◽  
Arthropod Abundance

A number of studies indicate that tropical arthropods should be particularly vulnerable to climate warming. If these predictions are realized, climate warming may have a more profound impact on the functioning and diversity of tropical forests than currently anticipated. Although arthropods comprise over two-thirds of terrestrial species, information on their abundance and extinction rates in tropical habitats is severely limited. Here we analyze data on arthropod and insectivore abundances taken between 1976 and 2012 at two midelevation habitats in Puerto Rico’s Luquillo rainforest. During this time, mean maximum temperatures have risen by 2.0 °C. Using the same study area and methods employed by Lister in the 1970s, we discovered that the dry weight biomass of arthropods captured in sweep samples had declined 4 to 8 times, and 30 to 60 times in sticky traps. Analysis of long-term data on canopy arthropods and walking sticks taken as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research program revealed sustained declines in abundance over two decades, as well as negative regressions of abundance on mean maximum temperatures. We also document parallel decreases in Luquillo’s insectivorous lizards, frogs, and birds. While El Niño/Southern Oscillation influences the abundance of forest arthropods, climate warming is the major driver of reductions in arthropod abundance, indirectly precipitating a bottom-up trophic cascade and consequent collapse of the forest food web.

The short-term effects of an extensive and high-intensity fire on vertebrates in the tropical savannas of the central Kimberley, northern Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Legge ◽  
Stephen Murphy ◽  
Joanne Heathcote ◽  
Emma Flaxman ◽  
John Augusteyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
In Fire

We report the effects of an extensive (>7000 km2), high-intensity late-dry-season fire in the central Kimberley, Western Australia, on the species richness and abundance of mammals, reptiles and birds. Five weeks after the fire we surveyed 12 sites (six burnt, six unburnt); each pair of sites was closely matched for soil type and vegetation. The species richness and abundance of mammals and reptiles was greater at unburnt sites, especially for mammals (with a 4-fold difference in abundance between burnt and unburnt sites). There was an indication that reptiles immigrated into unburnt patches, but mammals did not. There were also species-specific responses to the fire: Rattus tunneyi and Pseudomys nanus were much more abundant in unburnt sites, whereas Pseudomys delicatulus was caught in equal numbers at burnt and unburnt sites. Diurnal reptiles were more abundant at unburnt sites, but nocturnal reptiles were equally common at burnt and unburnt sites. Avian species richness and overall abundance was similar between burnt and unburnt patches, although a few species showed preferences for one state or the other. The overall high trapping success for mammals (18% across all sites; 28% in unburnt patches) contrasts with the well documented mammal collapse in parts of northern Australia and seems paradoxical given that our study area has experienced the same increase in fire frequency and extent that is often blamed for species collapse. However, our study area has fewer pressures from other sources, including grazing by large herbivores, suggesting that the effects of these pressures, and their interaction with fire, may have been underestimated in previous studies.

How do climate warming and plant species richness affect water use in experimental grasslands?

2006 ◽  
Vol 288 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 249-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. De Boeck ◽  
C. M. H. M. Lemmens ◽  
H. Bossuyt ◽  
S. Malchair ◽  
M. Carnol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Plant Species Richness

scholarly journals УГРУПОВАННЯ ПІДСТИЛКОВИХ НЕМАТОД ЛІСІВ МЕЗИНСЬКОГО НАЦІОНАЛЬНОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ПАРКУ

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
T. M. Zhylina ◽  
V. L. Shevchenko
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Taxonomic Structure ◽  
Formaldehyde Solution ◽  
Nematode Communities ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
June July ◽  
Exposition Time

The taxonomic structure of the nematodes and the thickness in the forest litter of the Mezin National Nature Park were studied. Samples were collected during 2008-2010 and 2014 (June – July) in 21 forest ecosystems. Nematodes were extracted by a modified Baermann's method from the sample of 5 g. The exposition time was 48 h. Extracted nematodes were fixed in the triethanolamine–formalin (TAF, 2 % triethanolamine, 7 % formaldehyde solution, 91 % water), and mounted on the temporary hydroglyceric slides. To describe the taxonomic structure of nematode communities we calculated the proportion of each order (family) in the community as the ratio (in %) of the individuals of each order (family) to the total number of nematodes. 46 nematode species belonging to 36 genera, 21 families and 10 orders were identified. The average number of nematodes was 4256 per 100 g of substrate. The number of nematodes varied from 220 to 11920 specimens per 100 g in separate samples. Most of the identified species (78.26 %) belong to the four orders: Tylenchida (10 species), Plectida (9 species), Rhabditida (9 species), Dorylaimida (8 species) or 21.74 %, 19.57 %, 19.57 % and 17.39 % of the species composition, respectively. The orders of Enoplida, Triplonchida, Araeolaimida, Mononchida, Monhysterida and Teratocephalida are represented by 1 to 2 species (4.35 – 2.17 % of the total number of identified species). In terms of quantitative representation, species of Plectida are dominant (proportion in the community 43.15 %). This proportion was 2.5 times higher than the number of representatives of Tylenchida (17.07 %), Dorylaimida (17.01 %) and Rhabditida (16.44 %). Comparatively, the largest number of species found belong to the families Plectidae (9 species), Cephalobidae (6 species), and Tylenchidae (5 species). Only six nematode families were represented in the forest litter samples, namely: Plectidae (with proportion in the community 43.15 %), Dorylaimidae (with proportion in the community 13.74 %), Aphelenchoididae (with 8.99 %), Panagrolaimidae (with 8.17 %), Tylenchidae (with 5.90 %), Mesorhabditidae (with 5.48 %).

scholarly journals Water availability, bedrock, disturbance by herbivores, and climate determine plant diversity in South-African savanna

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hejda ◽  
Jan Čuda ◽  
Klára Pyšková ◽  
Guin Zambatis ◽  
Llewellyn C. Foxcroft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
South African ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
African Savanna ◽  
Shrub Species ◽  
Large Herbivores

AbstractTo identify factors that drive plant species richness in South-African savanna and explore their relative importance, we sampled plant communities across habitats differing in water availability, disturbance, and bedrock, using the Kruger National Park as a model system. We made plant inventories in 60 plots of 50 × 50 m, located in three distinct habitats: (i) at perennial rivers, (ii) at seasonal rivers with water available only during the rainy season, and (iii) on crests, at least ~ 5 km away from any water source. We predicted that large herbivores would utilise seasonal rivers’ habitats less intensely than those along perennial rivers where water is available throughout the year, including dry periods. Plots on granite harboured more herbaceous and shrub species than plots on basalt. The dry crests were poorer in herb species than both seasonal and perennial rivers. Seasonal rivers harboured the highest numbers of shrub species, in accordance with the prediction of the highest species richness at relatively low levels of disturbance and low stress from the lack of water. The crests, exposed to relatively low pressure from grazing but stressed by the lack of water, are important from the conservation perspective because they harbour typical, sometimes rare savanna species, and so are seasonal rivers whose shrub richness is stimulated and maintained by the combination of moderate disturbance imposed by herbivores and position in the middle of the water availability gradient. To capture the complexity of determinants of species richness in KNP, we complemented the analysis of the above local factors by exploring large-scale factors related to climate, vegetation productivity, the character of dominant vegetation, and landscape features. The strongest factor was temperature; areas with the highest temperatures reveal lower species richness. Our results also suggest that Colophospermum mopane, a dominant woody species in the north of KNP is not the ultimate cause of the lower plant diversity in this part of the park.

scholarly journals Effect of Grazing System on Grassland Plant Species Richness and Vegetation Characteristics: Comparing Horse and Cattle Grazing

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Schmitz ◽  
Johannes Isselstein
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Grazing Cattle ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Forage Value ◽  
Grazer Species

Horses are of increasing relevance in agriculturally managed grasslands across Europe. There is concern to what extent grazing with horses is a sustainable grassland management practice. The effect of longer-term horse grazing on the vegetation characteristics of grasslands has received little attention, especially in comparison to grazing cattle. Our study analyses the relative importance of grazing system (grazer species and regime) and grassland management for vegetation characteristics in grasslands as indicator for sustainable management. We monitored grassland vegetation in western central Germany and compared paddocks grazed by horses under two different regimes, continuous (HC) vs. rotational (HR), to paddocks grazed by cattle (C) under similar trophic site conditions. We observed more plant species and more High Nature Value indicator species on HC compared to C. The vegetation of C was more grazing tolerant and had higher forage value than HC. Regardless of the grazing regime, the competitive component was lower, the stress-tolerant component higher and the floristic contrast between patch-types stronger on HC and HR paddocks compared to C. Species richness was strongly influenced by the extent of the floristic contrast. Our results emphasize the potential of horse grazing for biodiversity in agriculturally managed grasslands.

DIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY OF LAND SNAILS IN GUNUNG HALIMUN SALAK NATIONAL PARK (GHSNP) IN JAVA, INDONESIA

Zoo Indonesia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayu Savitri Nurinsiyah ◽  
Ita Faizah ◽  
Yogi Prasetio ◽  
Tedi Setiadi ◽  
Ristiyanti Marsetiowati Marwoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
National Park ◽  
New Records ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Tropical Montane Forest ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
June July

The land snail fauna of the largest tropical montane forest in Java, the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park (GHSNP), was surveyed during the dry season (June-July) in 2015, concentrating on four park’s resorts, i.e. Cikaniki, Mt. Botol, Cisarua (Halimun area) and Cidahu (Salak area). In total, 399 specimens representing 43 species were collected. Prior to the surveys, 48 land snail species were known from the GHSNP. Fifteen new records for the GHSNP were discovered so 63 species are now known to inhabit the Park. This number represent 25% of the total land snail fauna of Java. 21 of the species found in GHSNP are endemic to Java. The species richness of the plots in GHSNP was correlated with soil pH and the composition of the land snail communities was correlated with elevation, annual mean temperature, and amount of deadwood.

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