Restored meadow harvestman communities (Opiliones) in the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area, Czech Republic

Biologia ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Slavomír Stašiov ◽  
Karel Tajovský ◽  
Květoslav Resl
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Plant Succession ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Successive Formation ◽  
Seed Mixture ◽  
Forest Habitats

AbstractHarvestman communities inhabiting plots treated differently for grassland restoration were investigated at the Výzkum site near Malá Vrbka village (Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area). Harvestman were sampled by pitfall trapping from 1999 to 2003 on plots sown with native haymeadow seed mixture, also on plots where narrow strips of regional seed mixtures were sown either within a matrix of commercial grass mixture or within vegetation cover in natural regeneration state and on plots in a natural regeneration state. Additionally, harvestman were collected in a field under permanent crop rotation and in a neighbouring xerothermic deciduous forest. In total, 5,086 individuals of harvestman representing 15 species from three families were obtained. Phalangium opilio was dominant (78%) and P. opilio, Rilaena triangularis and Zachaeus crista were the most frequent species. The results confirmed colonisation and subsequent development of harvestman communities on meadows in various state of restoration, including plots with spontaneous plant succession. Nevertheless, biotope character and successive formation of plant cover evidently influenced the structure of harvestman communities. The highest number of taxa (12) was recorded on plots with natural regeneration; the lowest one (9) was recorded in the field with permanent crop rotation. The highest values of diversity and equitability indices of harvestman communities were found in neighbouring forest habitats representing possible sources of harvestman migration.

Monitoring of natural regeneration in a mixed deciduous forest

1999 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Tabari ◽  
N. Lust
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Seedling Stage ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Humus Layer ◽  
Beech Stand ◽  
Regeneration Phase

Monitoring  of natural regeneration in a dense semi-natural mixed hardwood forest on the  base    of ash, beech, oak and sycamore occurred over 3 years in the Aelmoeseneie  experimental    forest, Belgium. 40 permanent plots (4 m x 5 m) were selected in three  various humus types,    located in an ash stand and in an oak - beech stand. In all plots abundance  and top height of all    broad leaved regenerated species were determined at the end of the growing  seasons 1995 and    1998. In addition, the seedlings which appeared in the plots during 1996  and 1997 were    identified and followed up.    This study proves that in the investigated sites natural regeneration is  drastically poor and    diversity is low, in particular where the humus layer is more acidic (mull  moder) and the litter    layer is thick. No regeneration phase older than the seedling stage (h <  40 cm) is developed on    the different humus types. On average, total number of seedlings in 1995  amounts to 38    units/are in the ash stand and to 63 units/are in the oak - beech stand.  Survival rate over a 3-    year period is 37% and 42% respectively in the ash and oak - beech stands.  Total ingrowth    during the growing seasons 1996 and 1997 is virtually poor, indicating 16  and 8 units/are    respectively in above mentioned stands. Survival rate of occurring  seedlings, as well as the ingrowth of new seedlings are notably different (P < 0.05) according to the soil conditions of the    ash stand. Generally, the low presence of seedlings and the lack of  regeneration older than the    seedling stage reveal that the regeneration development encounters with a  critical problem. The    continuation of this process would likely result in a progressive  succession by the invasive and    the unwanted tree species.

scholarly journals Local changes in communities of wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Apiformes): 30 years later

2014 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Józef Banaszak ◽  
Halina Ratyńska
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Plant Succession ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Quantitative Changes ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Bee Communities ◽  
Forest Habitats

ABSTRACT Changes in communities of wild bees (Apiformes) were studied in relation to changes in vegetation in six permanent plots (natural forest habitats in the Wielkopolska National Park, and semi-natural habitats in the agricultural landscape near Turew) at the end of four decades (starting from the late 1970s). In 2008-2010, as many as 100 species of Apiformes were recorded there, which is more than reported in earlier decades. The most stable bee communities were those in forest habitats (oak-hornbeam forest, oak forest). Substantial qualitative and quantitative changes in vegetation and bee communities were recorded only after the renaturalisation of a former xerothermic grassland, which had become overgrown with shrubs and trees as a result of plant succession. Human interference (e.g. the felling of some trees growing along a road, clearance of understorey shrubs, ploughing of roadside margins) at selected refuge habitats in the agricultural landscape led to short-term fluctuations in bee abundance and diversity, but an increasing trend in abundance was noted.

scholarly journals Plant colonization, succession and ecosystem development on Surtsey with reference to neighbouring islands

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5521-5537 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Magnússon ◽  
S. H. Magnússon ◽  
E. Ólafsson ◽  
B. D. Sigurdsson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Plant Succession ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Nutrient Input ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity

Abstract. Plant colonization and succession on the volcanic island of Surtsey, formed in 1963, have been closely followed. In 2013, a total of 69 vascular plant species had been discovered on the island; of these, 59 were present and 39 had established viable populations. Surtsey had more than twice the species of any of the comparable neighbouring islands, and all of their common species had established on Surtsey. The first colonizers were dispersed by sea, but, after 1985, bird dispersal became the principal pathway with the formation of a seagull colony on the island and consequent site amelioration. This allowed wind-dispersed species to establish after 1990. Since 2007, there has been a net loss of species on the island. A study of plant succession, soil formation and invertebrate communities in permanent plots on Surtsey and on two older neighbouring islands (plants and soil) has revealed that seabirds, through their transfer of nutrients from sea to land, are major drivers of development of these ecosystems. In the area impacted by seagulls, dense grassland swards have developed and plant cover, species richness, diversity, plant biomass and soil carbon become significantly higher than in low-impact areas, which remained relatively barren. A similar difference was found for the invertebrate fauna. After 2000, the vegetation of the oldest part of the seagull colony became increasingly dominated by long-lived, rhizomatous grasses (Festuca, Poa, Leymus) with a decline in species richness and diversity. Old grasslands of the neighbouring islands Elliđaey (puffin colony, high nutrient input) and Heimaey (no seabirds, low nutrient input) contrasted sharply. The puffin grassland of Elliđaey was very dense and species-poor. It was dominated by Festuca and Poa, and very similar to the seagull grassland developing on Surtsey. The Heimaey grassland was significantly higher in species richness and diversity, and had a more even cover of dominants (Festuca/Agrostis/Ranunculus). We forecast that, with continued erosion of Surtsey, loss of habitats and increasing impact from seabirds a lush, species-poor grassland will develop and persist, as on the old neighbouring islands.

Influence of agricultural management form on the species structure of harvestman (Opiliones) communities

Biologia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Slavomír Stašiov ◽  
Lucia Uhorskaiová ◽  
Marek Svitok ◽  
Lenka Hazuchová ◽  
Vladimír Vician ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Species Structure ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Conventional Form ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Agricultural Cooperative ◽  
Growing Seasons

AbstractThe paper is aimed at evaluation of the influence of two different agricultural management forms on harvestman (Opiliones) communities structure in relation to the optimization of land use on the model territory of Agricultural Cooperative (AC) Očová (Central Slovakia). The research was carried out using pitfall trapping through growing seasons from 2005 to 2007. Harvestmen were captured at four pairs of sites (8 sites in total). For each pair of sites the cultivation of the same crop with application of two different forms of agricultural management (conventional form and sustainable form with basic sustainable agro-environmental scheme) was characteristic. In total, 667 individuals of 8 species of the Phalangiidae family were captured during the research. The research results confirm the influence of management form on the structure of harvestman communities only partially. The obtained data indicate that the management form plays a significant role, especially in such agrocoenoses, in which the same crop is cultivated for several years (e.g., sites with alfalfa or permanent lawn), i.e., on the sites without ploughing or use of other similar agrotechnical measures. In these cases, the sites with the sustainable agro-environmental scheme showed higher diversity and equability of harvestman communities than the sites with the conventional form of agrotechnical management. Harvestman communities structure on sites with crop rotation and repeated ploughing was more influenced by additional factors than by the agricultural management form.

Dung longevity influences the fate of endozoochorically dispersed seeds in forest ecosystems

Botany ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (11) ◽  
pp. 779-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Jaroszewicz ◽  
Ewa Pirożnikow
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
European Bison ◽  
Plant Establishment ◽  
Seed Content ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Seedling Germination ◽  
Forest Habitats

Many studies show large discrepancies between the potential (studied in the greenhouse) and realized (studied in the field) effects of endozoochory. The influence of environmental conditions on the fate of endozoochorically dispersed seeds and subsequent plant establishment is still not well understood. We addressed this issue by studying the viable seed content of the dung of European bison ( Bison bonasus L.) by means of seedling germination in the greenhouse and in two forest habitats in Białowieża Primeval Forest. The number of seedlings and the number of plant species that emerged from 1 L of feces were positively correlated with dung longevity. Generative shoots were produced by plants only in coniferous forest. Their number was positively correlated with dung longevity and with light availability. Germination of seeds from bison feces was higher in coniferous forest than in deciduous forest but did not differ between open- and closed-canopy plots within the same habitat. We conclude that (i) seed germination and plant establishment after endozoochorous dispersal is influenced by dung longevity; (ii) the number of generative shoots produced by endozoochorously dispersed plants is influenced by dung longevity and light availability; (iii) seeds of some plant species, present in dung, stay viable for at least 3 years.

scholarly journals Seabirds and seals as drivers of plant succession on Surtsey

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 115-130
Author(s):  
Borgthór Magnússon ◽  
Gudmundur A. Gudmundsson ◽  
Sigmar Metúsalemsson ◽  
Sandra M. Granquist
Keyword(s):  
Plant Cover ◽  
Plant Succession ◽  
Present Species ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Grey Seal ◽  
Breeding Area ◽  
Vegetation Development ◽  
Dense Patch ◽  
First Time

Plant colonization and succession on Surtsey have been monitored since 1965. In 2019, the 75th species of vascular plants was detected on the island, 62 species were present and about 40 species had established viable populations. Over the last decade colonization has slowed down and the number of present species not increased. The rising number of seagulls breeding on the island after 1985 had a great impact on plant colonization and vegetation development. While most parts of the island remained barren, a grassland area (13 ha in 2018) developed in the main seagull breeding colony on the southern part of the island. This development is attributed to transfer of nutrients from sea to land by the seagulls. In recent years a dense patch of vegetation, 2 ha in 2018, has also developed on the low, northern spit of the island, where a few pairs of seagulls breed in the spring and grey seals haul out and breed in the fall in considerable numbers. In a survey conducted during the grey seal pupping period in 2019, the seal abundance and spatial distribution was mapped accurately for the first time. The results show that the dense vegetation of the spit and seal distribution are clearly overlapping. The continuous shrinking of the island and its spit has led to an increasing concentration of the seals in their breeding area. Based on a literature survey we estimated the nitrogen (N) input from sea to land by the grey seals as 9-13 kg N/ha in 2019. This compares to an estimated input of 5-30 kg N/ha/yr by the seagulls breeding in the same area during 2015-2019. Within the grey seal and seagull breeding area on the spit of the island, a distinct community of shore plants has developed. Measurements of plant cover and biomass in permanent plots on Surtsey in 2018 and 2019 show that development on part of the spit is reaching a similar state as in the old gull colony on the southern part of the island. This suggests that the grey seals along with the seagulls are important drivers of plant succession on the northern spit. Further research on the effects of the seals on nutrient transfer from sea to land and ecosystem development on Surtsey is recommended.

scholarly journals Spatial variation of seed rain in deciduous tropical forest

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e879997956
Author(s):  
Cleide Brachtvogel ◽  
Zefa Valdivina Pereira ◽  
Sandro Menezes Silva
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Ecological Process ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Functional Attributes ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Species Composition And Distribution

Seed rain is an ecological process and its functional attributes are essential for maintaining the dynamics of natural regeneration. The objective of this research was to evaluate the spatial variation of the seed rain in a toposequence of a Seasonal Deciduous Forest defined by three elevations: (Base 512 m; Slope: 534 m and Top: 559 m). 15 collectors of 1 m² were installed at each elevation level. Data were collected monthly from September / 2017 to February / 2019. The seeds were classified according to the dispersion syndrome, habit and size. Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) was used to verify the variation in species composition and distribution. We identified 20,217 propagules, belonging to 65 species and 30 families, in addition to 4 morphospecies, which represents 449 seeds / m². The families with the highest species richness were Fabaceae, Sapindaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Of the 65 species sampled, 71% were arboreal. Zoochoric species predominated (78%) and very small seeds corresponded to 53% of the sample. We demonstrate that, on a small spatial scale, the relief represents an important source of heterogeneity in the vegetation component, since the topographic gradient influenced the composition and distribution of the functional attributes of the seed rain.

scholarly journals Ecological value of different vegetated strip types in providing valuable insect-rich habitats for grey partridge chicks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Volpato ◽  
J. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Significant Decline ◽  
Chick Survival ◽  
Farmland Birds ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Grey Partridge ◽  
Key Resources ◽  
Grass Strip

The intensification and specialisation of agriculture has contributed to farmland wildlife decline, including farmland birds. Grey partridge is a farmland species which has experienced a significant decline across Europe in recent decades. Chick survival rate is a key determinant of grey partridge population change and depends essentially on the availability of insect food. In this study, ground-dwelling and canopy-dwelling insects were collected using pitfall trapping and sweep netting methodologies, respectively, on different strip types in an area established for the conservation of grey partridge. The aim was to further our understanding of the value of different vegetated strip types in providing insect-rich habitats for grey partridge chicks. Overall, wildflower strip (WS) provided the greatest insect abundance. Significantly more ground-dwelling insects were found on WS, natural regeneration (NS) and leguminous strips (LS) than on grass strip (GS). Canopy-dwelling insects were also significantly more abundant on WS compared to all other strip types. This study highlights that WSs may represent important habitats in providing insect-rich food for grey partridge chicks and sowing these strips may therefore play a key role in decreasing chick mortality and supporting grey partridge conservation. It also demonstrates that other different vegetated strip types may still provide strip-specific insect taxa, in addition to other valuable resources. This study recommends a complex mosaic of different strip types to provide key resources for grey partridge, such as insect and plant food, nesting habitats and overwinter cover.

Using native annual plants to restore post-fire habitats in western North America

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Herron ◽  
Jayne L. Jonas ◽  
Paul J. Meiman ◽  
Mark W. Paschke
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Annual Plant ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Perennial Plant ◽  
Seed Mixture ◽  
Annual Plant Species ◽  
Seed Mixtures

Increasing fire frequencies and uncharacteristic severe fires have created a need for improved restoration methods across rangelands in western North America. Traditional restoration seed mixtures of native perennial mid- to late-seral plant species may not be suitable for intensely burned sites that have been returned to an early-seral condition. Under such conditions, native annual plant species are likely to be more successful at becoming established and competing with exotic annual plant species, such as Bromus tectorum L., for resources. We used a field study in Colorado and Idaho, USA, to test the hypothesis that native annual plant species are better suited to post-fire restoration efforts compared with perennial plant species that are commonly used in traditional seed mixtures. Replicated test plots at three post-fire sites were assigned one of four treatments: (1) native annual seed mixture, (2) standard perennial seed mixture, (3) combination of annual and perennial and (4) an unseeded control. Seeding native annuals with perennials resulted in a slight reduction in exotic plant cover, suggesting that it is potentially beneficial to include native annual plant species in restoration seed mixtures.

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