Simultaneous effect of habitat remnancy, exotic species and anthropogenic disturbance on orchid diversity and abundance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Martín-Forés ◽  
Samantha L. Bywaters ◽  
Ben Sparrow ◽  
Greg Guerin
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Ecological Condition ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Surrounding Areas

Orchids are potentially useful as ecological indicators because of their sensitivity to habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbance. While many studies explore the effect of single factors on orchid diversity, few investigate how the extent, configuration and condition of surrounding habitat affect whole orchid communities. Here, we unravel the effect of biological invasions, anthropogenic disturbance (i.e. grazing pressure, ecological condition), habitat fragmentation and climate on an Australian orchid community. We sampled 39 plots across nine sites in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Australia. We recorded the number of orchid species and number of individuals per species in mid-winter, early-spring and late-spring to account for the effect of season on species visibility, with 115 surveys in total. We ranked grazing intensity and ecological condition, and estimated cover of exotic species. We analysed the response of richness and diversity through generalised linear mixed models, and differences in species composition through non-metric multidimensional scaling. We also explored fruiting success in two species associated with floral resources in the surrounding habitat. Habitat configuration in the surrounding landscape had different effects at increasing radii. Patch-level orchid diversity was positively correlated with habitat edges in the immediate area, and with habitat cohesion at medium scales, whereas diversity was negatively correlated with increasing habitat area across larger surrounding areas. Orchids co-existed with exotic species but were negatively affected once exotic cover exceeded 20%. Species composition was correlated with both exotic cover and level of disturbance. Fruiting success was unrelated to floral resources of the surrounding vegetation, although associated with certain bee-attracting species. Our findings reveal a complex relationship between orchid communities and their surrounding environments suggesting that while orchids benefit from a somewhat disturbed landscape, they fail to thrive once exotic cover exceeds 20%. These idiosyncratic responses suggest orchid diversity may be unreliable as early-warning indicators of habitat disturbance.

scholarly journals Does EO NDVI seasonal metrics capture variations in species composition and biomass due to grazing in semi-arid grassland savannas?

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 4407-4419 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Olsen ◽  
S. Miehe ◽  
P. Ceccato ◽  
R. Fensholt
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Modis Ndvi ◽  
Coarse Resolution

Abstract. Most regional scale studies of vegetation in the Sahel have been based on Earth observation (EO) imagery due to the limited number of sites providing continuous and long term in situ meteorological and vegetation measurements. From a long time series of coarse resolution normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data a greening of the Sahel since the 1980s has been identified. However, it is poorly understood how commonly applied remote sensing techniques reflect the influence of extensive grazing (and changes in grazing pressure) on natural rangeland vegetation. This paper analyses the time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI metrics by comparing it with data from the Widou Thiengoly test site in northern Senegal. Field data include grazing intensity, end of season standing biomass (ESSB) and species composition from sizeable areas suitable for comparison with moderate – coarse resolution satellite imagery. It is shown that sampling plots excluded from grazing have a different species composition characterized by a longer growth cycle as compared to plots under controlled grazing or communal grazing. Also substantially higher ESSB is observed for grazing exclosures as compared to grazed areas, substantially exceeding the amount of biomass expected to be ingested by livestock for this area. The seasonal integrated NDVI (NDVI small integral; capturing only the signal inherent to the growing season recurrent vegetation), derived using absolute thresholds to estimate start and end of growing seasons, is identified as the metric most strongly related to ESSB for all grazing regimes. However plot-pixel comparisons demonstrate how the NDVI/ESSB relationship changes due to grazing-induced variation in annual plant species composition and the NDVI values for grazed plots are only slightly lower than the values observed for the ungrazed plots. Hence, average ESSB in ungrazed plots since 2000 was 0.93 t ha−1, compared to 0.51 t ha−1 for plots subjected to controlled grazing and 0.49 t ha−1 for communally grazed plots, but the average integrated NDVI values for the same period were 1.56, 1.49, and 1.45 for ungrazed, controlled and communal, respectively, i.e. a much smaller difference. This indicates that a grazing-induced development towards less ESSB and shorter-cycled annual plants with reduced ability to turn additional water in wet years into biomass is not adequately captured by seasonal NDVI metrics.

Effect of grazing intensity and number of grazings on herbage production and seed yields of Trifolium subterraneum, Medicago murex, and Ornithopus compressus

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
DJ Conlan ◽  
BS Dear ◽  
NE Coombes
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Ornithopus Compressus ◽  
The Impact

The impact of grazing intensity and number of grazings was assessed on the growth and seed production of 5 annual pasture legumes [Trifoliunz subterraneum var. subterraneum cv. Karridale, var. brachycalycinum cv. Clare, var. yanninicum cv. Trikkala; Medicago murex (murex medic) cv. Zodiac; Ornithopus compressus L. (yellow serradella) cv. Avila]. There were 7 grazing treatments: an ungrazed control; and 2 grazing intensities (light and heavy), each for 3 periods of grazing (winter, winter-early spring, winter-late spring). Tethered sheep in small experimental plots were used to provide controlled herbage removal across all cultivars through winter and winter-spring grazing. This grazing system resulted in significantly different levels of herbage being present in the light and heavy grazing treatments following each grazing period. Grazing had variable effects on seed production: <35% increase for Trikkala, and no significant effect for Karridale. Both cultivars continued growth and seed production late in the season after grazing pressure was removed on 8 November. Seed yield of Clare was reduced by 46-49% by heavy grazing treatments. Seed yield of murex medic was not significantly affected by grazing, while that of serradella was reduced by 30-55% by grazing late in the season. The seed yield responses show that cultivar and species responses to grazing may be highly variable. Under favourable spring conditions, Trikkala, Karridale, and murex medic can be grazed heavily until late in the season without adversely affecting seed yield, whilst Clare and Avila cannot.

Effects of Rabbit and Kangaroo Grazing on Two Semi-Arid Grassland Communities in Central-Western New South Wales

1989 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 375 ◽  
Author(s):  
JH Leigh ◽  
DH Wood ◽  
MD Holgate ◽  
A Slee ◽  
MG Stanger
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Present Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Grassland ◽  
Wide Range

The effects of rabbits and kangaroos, and rabbits alone, on the biomass and species composition of a native grassland dominated by Stipa nitida/nodosa, Danthonia caespitosa and Aristida contorta, and a grassland dominated by the exotic species Hordeum glaucum, Vulpia spp., Medicago laciniata and the native Erodium crinitum growing at Yathong Nature Reserve in central New South Wales was monitored between 1979 and 1985. Rabbits generally favoured the grassy component; kangaroos also favoured grasses but less so. Changes in non-grass species composition due to grazing was generally insignificant. Changes in species composition due to seasonal differences in rainfall was highly significant. No new species appeared on plots exclosed from grazing for 10 years, suggesting that the grazing by livestock, rabbits, and kangaroos in the past has determined the present species composition. The annual biomass consumption by rabbits averaged over 6 years was 100-200 kg ha-1, which is equivalent to reducing the carrying capacity by one sheep for every 2-4 ha rabbit-infested area. In the native grassland the spatial pattern of rabbit grazing, as indicated by faecal pellet distribution, biomass removal, and percentage of 'unpalatable' species in the pasture, shows greatest grazing pressure to be within 50 m of the warren, grazing intensity dropping off from there to 300 m the greatest distance studied. From the start of the study 'palatable' species, especially grasses, were at their lowest density within 50 m of the warren; this appeared to be a historical effect of grazing. No patterns were discernible in the pasture dominated by introduced species. Little change in species composition of these grasslands can be expected under a wide range of grazing pressure, except close to rabbit warrens.

Flat-cutting loosening in the system of fallow cultivation of chernozem soil and weediness of crops

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (92) ◽  
pp. 78-84
Author(s):  
G. Koval ◽  
M. Kaliyevskiy ◽  
V. Yeshchenko ◽  
I. Martyniuk ◽  
N. Martyniuk
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Wild Mustard ◽  
Spring Crop ◽  
White Campion ◽  
Investigation Methods ◽  
Top Soil

The article presents the results of field experiments, where on the basis of podsolized heavy loamy chernozem the influence of replacement of mouldboard ploughing with nonmouldboard cultivation over top soil weediness, weediness at the beginning and end of spring crop vegetation and weed species composition before harve sting were studied. Investigation methods of main fall ploughing under spring crops of five-course rotation: soybeans–rape–wheat–flax–barley at the depths of 15-17, 20-22, 25-27 cm were conducted after post-harvest field tillage. Analysis of data on contamination of the top soil with weed seeds have shown that with the replacement of fall main mouldboard ploughing gwith nonmouldboard cultivation the figure before sowing of all crops withdifferent tillage depthat crop rotation average increased by 131-132%. It caused the increase of actual weed infestation of all crops and at the beginning and end of spring crop vegetationafter different depths of fall nonmouldboard cultivation compared with ploughing at crop rotation average it was 120–132 and 123-138%respectively. Species composition of weeds afterthe replacement of main fall mouldboard ploughing with nonmouldboard cultivation remained mainlyunchanged; although in rape plantings the proportion of white campion and early spring weed sincreased, in wheat plantings– wild mustard andscentless mayweed, insoybean plantings– late spring weeds, in flax plantings– white campion, and in barley plantings– scarlet pimpernel.

Long-term changes in fish pond management as ‘an unplanned ecosystem experiment’: importance of zooplankton structure, nutrients and light for species composition of cyanobacterial blooms

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Pechar
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
Fish Stock ◽  
Fish Ponds ◽  
Single Filament ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Water Blooms

The study presents data on the species composition of cyanobacterial water blooms in Czech fish ponds from the 1950s to the 1990s. Since the 1950s, a shift from large-colonial Aphanizomenon flos-aquae var. flos-aquae through Microcystis aeruginosa and small-colonial species of Anabaena to single-filament species (Planktohrix agardhii, Limnothrix redekei, Aphanizomenon gracile) or single-cell forms (Microcystis ichtyoblabe), has been observed. The changes in the species composition of the water blooms are closely related to changes in fishery management (increase in fish stock, increase in application of organic fertilizers). At present the high predation of fish upon zooplankton results in elimination of large colonial blooms of A. flos-aquae associated with large filtering zooplankton (Daphnia). Low grazing pressure of zooplankton, low light conditions and low N:P ratios are suitable conditions for mass development of the small species of cyanobacteria. High pH is not necessary to achieve cyanobacteria dominance.

scholarly journals Pollination Potential of Riparian Hardwood Forests—A Multifaceted Field-Based Assessment in the Vistula Valley, Poland

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 907
Author(s):  
Andrzej N. Affek ◽  
Edyta Regulska ◽  
Ewa Kołaczkowska ◽  
Anna Kowalska ◽  
Katarzyna Affek
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Vistula River ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Nesting Sites

Riparian forests with oaks, ashes and elms, now highly fragmented and rare in Europe, are considered hotspots for ecosystem services. However, their capacity to provide pollination seems to be quite low, although reports from in-situ research supporting this view are scarce. Our goal was therefore to thoroughly assess their pollination potential based on multifaceted field measurements. For this, we selected six test sites with well-developed riparian hardwood forests, located in the agricultural landscape along the middle Vistula River in Poland. We used seven indicators relating to habitat suitability (nesting sites and floral resources) and pollinator abundance (bumblebees and other Apoidea) and propose a threshold value (AdjMax) based on value distribution and Hampel’s test to indicate the level of pollination potential for this type of riparian forest. The obtained AdjMax for bumblebee density was 500 ind. ha−1, for Apoidea abundance—0.42 ind. day−1, while for nectar resources—200 kg ha−1. We demonstrate that the investigated small patches of the riparian hardwood forest have a higher pollination potential than reported earlier for riparian and other broadleaved temperate forests, but the indicators were inconsistent. As forest islands in the agricultural landscape, riparian hardwood forests play an important role in maintaining the diversity and abundance of wild pollinators, especially in early spring when there is still no food base available elsewhere.

scholarly journals Joint Impacts of Drought and Habitat Fragmentation on Native Bee Assemblages in a California Biodiversity Hotspot

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Keng-Lou James Hung ◽  
Sara S. Sandoval ◽  
John S. Ascher ◽  
David A. Holway
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Relative Magnitude ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Drought Event ◽  
Fragmented Habitat ◽  
Native Bee

Global climate change is causing more frequent and severe droughts, which could have serious repercussions for the maintenance of biodiversity. Here, we compare native bee assemblages collected via bowl traps before and after a severe drought event in 2014 in San Diego, California, and examine the relative magnitude of impacts from drought in fragmented habitat patches versus unfragmented natural reserves. Bee richness and diversity were higher in assemblages surveyed before the drought compared to those surveyed after the drought. However, bees belonging to the Lasioglossum subgenus Dialictus increased in abundance after the drought, driving increased representation by small-bodied, primitively eusocial, and generalist bees in post-drought assemblages. Conversely, among non-Dialictus bees, post-drought years were associated with decreased abundance and reduced representation by eusocial species. Drought effects were consistently greater in reserves, which supported more bee species, than in fragments, suggesting that fragmentation either had redundant impacts with drought, or ameliorated effects of drought by enhancing bees’ access to floral resources in irrigated urban environments. Shifts in assemblage composition associated with drought were three times greater compared to those associated with habitat fragmentation, highlighting the importance of understanding the impacts of large-scale climatic events relative to those associated with land use change.

The effect of early spring grazing and dairy cow grazing intensity on particulate phosphorus losses in surface run-off

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-176
Author(s):  
D. A. McConnell ◽  
D. G. Doody ◽  
C. T. Elliott ◽  
D.I. Matthews ◽  
C. P. Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cow ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Particulate Phosphorus ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Phosphorus Losses

The loss of native terrestrial small mammals in large urban reserves in the Australian Capital Territory

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Buckmaster ◽  
W. S. Osborne ◽  
N. Webb
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Indirect Detection ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Australian Capital Territory ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
Australian Capital ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals

Urban development can alter species composition and diversity within an area through biotic homogenization, the introduction of exotic species, and localized extinctions of native species. In this study we examined the composition and diversity of small terrestrial mammals within nature reserves surrounded by urban landscapes and compared this with previous surveys of these reserves and nearby non-urban reserves with similar vegetative and geomorphological characteristics. A combination of live trapping and indirect detection techniques was employed in eight reserves in the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding New South Wales to determine current species composition. Compared with previous studies and the non-urban reserves, the urban reserves appear to have lost two-thirds of their native terrestrial small mammal species in the past 26 years. Exotic species were present in all urban reserves, but were only associated with areas characterized by human-induced disturbance in non-urban reserves. Possible causes of this disparity in native species diversity between urban and non-urban reserves are discussed.

Rangeland condition in relation to environmental variables, grazing intensity and livestock owners' perceptions in semi-arid rangeland in western Iran

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 367 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Faramarzi ◽  
S. Kesting ◽  
J. Isselstein ◽  
N. Wrage
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Western Iran ◽  
Range Condition ◽  
Rangeland Condition ◽  
Semi Arid

Rangeland condition has often been assessed in relation to either botanical, edaphic, environmental or management factors. In this investigation, we analysed the interaction of soil and topographic variables, management and range condition against the background of a sociological survey of livestock owners in western Iran to better understand the main influencing factors of rangeland quality in the area. In four grazing areas in Kermanshah differing in grazing pressure, environmental variables and livestock owners’ perceptions on range condition, investigations of botanical composition, soil and topographic variables were carried out on 43 main plots. To evaluate range condition, four factors were considered, namely litter frequency, herbage palatability, amount of biomass, and percentage of bare soil. A questionnaire was used to obtain information about management practices, the perception of livestock owners on range condition and suggested solutions to problems in the different grazing areas. The range condition scores showed that the condition of the sites was either fair or poor. Of the soil and topographic factors, only north-facing aspect explained part of the variation in range condition scores. High grazing intensity was associated with poor range condition. To improve the rangeland condition, measures influencing water availability and a reduction of grazing pressure seem to be more relevant in the study area than fertilisation or seeding.

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