scholarly journals Diet of the southern ravine salamander Plethodon richmondi

2021 ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Stacy J. Gadd
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Gastric Lavage ◽  
Spring Season ◽  
Eastern Kentucky ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Prey Items

The diets of many small North American Plethodon species are poorly studied despite their important roles in forest ecosystems. Using a non lethal gastric lavage method, we examined the spring-season diet of 31 southern ravine salamanders (Plethodon richmondi) from a second-growth forest in south-eastern Kentucky (USA). We recovered and identified a total of 452 prey items from 14 different prey groups. The three most important prey groups were Formicidae (ants), Acari (mites and ticks), and Collembola (springtails). Together, these groups accounted for more than 80 % of all prey items. Examining the diets of terrestrial salamanders may help us better understand their roles in the regulation of invertebrate communities and the transfer of accessible nutrients back to the soil.

scholarly journals Dynamic Responses of Ground-Dwelling Invertebrate Communities to Disturbance in Forest Ecosystems

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla Perry ◽  
Daniel Herms
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Gap Formation ◽  
Invasive Insects ◽  
Salvage Logging ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Debris Accumulation

In forest ecosystems, natural and anthropogenic disturbances alter canopy structure, understory vegetation, amount of woody debris, and the properties of litter and soil layers. The magnitude of these environmental changes is context-dependent and determined by the properties of the disturbance, such as the frequency, intensity, duration, and extent. Therefore, disturbances can dynamically impact forest communities over time, including populations of ground-dwelling invertebrates that regulate key ecosystem processes. We propose conceptual models that describe the dynamic temporal effects of canopy gap formation and coarse woody debris accumulation following disturbances caused by invasive insects, wind, and salvage logging, and their impacts on ground-dwelling invertebrate communities. Within this framework, predictions are generated, literature on ground-dwelling invertebrate communities is synthesized, and pertinent knowledge gaps identified.

Trophic ecology of large pelagic fish in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
pp. 1402 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. V. Albuquerque ◽  
A. F. Navia ◽  
T. Vaske ◽  
O. Crespo ◽  
F. H. V. Hazin
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Saint Paul ◽  
Pelagic Fish ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Main Prey ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Saint Peter ◽  
Prey Items

Trophic relationships of large pelagic predators can determine the structure and dynamics of oceanic food webs. The feeding habits and trophic ecology of five large pelagic fish (Acanthocybium solandri, Coryphaena hippurus, Elagatis bipinnulata, Thunnus albacares and Thunnus atlanticus) in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago were evaluated to determine whether there is a trophic-niche overlap or resource partitioning among them. Eighty prey items found in 1528 stomachs were identified and grouped into Cephalopoda, Cnidaria, Crustacea, Gastropoda, Teleostei and Tunicata. Exocoetidae and Scombridae were the main prey in the diet of Acanthocybium solandri. In C. hippurus, Cheilopogon cyanopterus and Exocoetus volitans were the most important prey items, whereas C. cyanopterus was the main prey for T. albacares. Thunnus atlanticus consumed a great proportion of invertebrate species, with shrimps of Sergestidae family being particularly important. The gastropod Cavolinia sp. was the most important prey for E. bipinnulata. The five species had a high trophic specialisation and a high trophic level (>4.4), whereas most dietary overlaps were consistently low. The most important factor for diet dissimilarity was the consumption of Exocoetidade. All species were classified as top predators with varied diets, indicating their structural and functional importance in the food web of the Archipelago.

Population diet variation and individual specialization in the poison toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris (Vellard, 1947)

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Fernanda Quiroga ◽  
Marcos Vaira ◽  
Maria Ines Bonansea
Keyword(s):  
Entire Range ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Specialization ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Defensive Strategies ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Diet Variation ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractFew studies have investigated the level of individual variation in diet composition of poisonous frogs and toads. We compare the diet composition of three populations of a poisonous toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris, and predicted that toads within a population might be constrained to forage on particular types of alkaloid-containing prey and consequently diets among populations might not diverge from each other. Most important prey categories in the diets of the three populations consisted of the same ground-dwelling arthropods. We found evidence for individuals consuming different arrays of prey types in all populations implying that this “generalist” species is actually comprised of individuals eating different sets of the available range of prey. Formicidae, Acari, and Coleoptera were all important alkaloid-containing prey items in the diets of all populations and individuals, although there were differences in their order of importance among populations and individuals use different sets of the entire range of alkaloid-containing preys. Future research should evaluate individual diet variation in other poisonous anurans taxa given that shifts in diet composition might have important implications for understanding the consequences of alternate foraging strategies in the evolution of defensive strategies among species.

scholarly journals Measuring Environmental Change in Forest Ecosystems by Repeated Soil Sampling: A North American Perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 623-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory B. Lawrence ◽  
Ivan J. Fernandez ◽  
Daniel D. Richter ◽  
Donald S. Ross ◽  
Paul W. Hazlett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
North American ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
American Perspective ◽  
North American Perspective

Skinks and burrowing crayfish as prey items of the Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis in south-eastern Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 57-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie La May ◽  
Martin O’Brien ◽  
Con Boeke ◽  
Kathy Costello ◽  
Geoff Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Prey Items ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Abundance and biology of warty oreo (Allocyttus verrucosus) and spiky oreo (Neocyttus rhomboidalis) (Oreosomatidae) off south-eastern Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Lyle ◽  
D. C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Continental Slope ◽  
Reproductive Biology ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Species Overlap ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Prey Items ◽  
South Eastern Australia ◽  
Depth Distributions

The distribution, abundance, size structure, reproductive biology and diet of warty oreo, Allocyttus verrucosus (Gilchrist), and spiky oreo, Neocyttus rhomboidalis (Gilchrist), from the continental slope region (400-1200 m depth) of south-eastern Australia are described. The depth distributions of the two species overlap, with spiky oreo being more abundant in intermediate depths (600-800 m) and warty oreo abundance peaking at greater depths (900-1200 m). There was evidence of size structuring with depth. Warty oreo juveniles and subadults were comparatively more abundant in depths of less than 1000 m and adults dominated at greater depths. In spiky oreo, juveniles were largely restricted to the depth range of 700-900 m. Size at 50% maturity in females was 28 and 35 cm for warty and spiky oreos, respectively. Males mature at slightly smaller sizes. Spawning occurs in May–June for warty oreo and between August and October for spiky oreo. Just prior to spawning in warty oreo the sexes appear to segregate by depth, with females becoming progressively more dominant with depth. Both species are benthopelagic feeders, consuming a range of prey items including crustaceans, fish and squid. Salps were also an important component of the diet of spiky oreo.

scholarly journals Trophic ecology and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a caatinga area of northeastern Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo B. Ribeiro ◽  
Eliza M. X. Freire
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae ◽  
Prey Items

This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variation in diet composition and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825), as well as measurement of the foraging intensity (number of moves, time spent stationary, distance traveled and number of attacks on prey items) in a caatinga patch on the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Hymenoptera/Formicidae and Isoptera predominated in the diet of both species during the dry season. Opportunistic predation on lepidopteran larvae, coleopteran larvae and adults, and orthopteran nymphs and adults occurred in the wet season; however, hymenopterans/Formicidae were the most important prey items. The number of food items was similar between lizard species in both seasons; however the overlap for number of prey was smaller in the wet season. Preys ingested by T. hispidus during the wet season were also larger than those consumed by T. semitaeniatus. Seasonal comparisons of foraging intensity between the two species differed, mainly in the wet season, when T. hispidus exhibited less movement and fewer attacks on prey, and more time spent stationary if compared to T. semitaeniatus. Although both lizards are sit-and-wait foragers, T. semitaeniatus is more active than T. hispidus. The diet and foraging behavior of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus overlap under limiting conditions during the dry season, and are segregative factors that may contribute to the coexistence of these species in the wet season.

Feeding habits of the sandskate Psammobatis extenta (Garman, 1913): sources of variation in dietary composition

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 395 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Matías Braccini ◽  
Jorge E. Perez
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Prey Diversity ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Prey Items

Understanding the variation in the diet of skates is crucial for determining their roles in marine ecosystems. The diet of 458 sandskates, Psammobatis extenta, from Puerto Quequén, Argentina was quantified to determine whether there was geographical, sexual, ontogenetic, and/or seasonal variation in dietary composition. Cumulative prey-diversity curves reached a stable level at ~30 stomachs and thus the sample size was large enough to describe the overall diet of the sandskate. The diet comprised a variety of small invertebrates, suggesting that the sandskate is a secondary consumer (trophic level of 3.5). The most important prey items were gammarids, shrimps and, to a lesser extent, polychaete worms. A significant correlation was found between the diets of sandskates from south-eastern Brazil and Puerto Quequén, suggesting that in both locations they used similar resources and would have similar ecological roles. No difference was found between the diets of males and females, but ontogenetic and seasonal patterns were detected. Small sandskates preyed largely on gammarids and shrimps but consumed fewer polychaetes and brachyurans than larger individuals. In summer and winter, the most important prey item by number was gammarids, whereas the consumption of shrimps peaked in autumn. This ontogenetic and seasonal pattern indicates that large and small sandskates are versatile predators that can shift their diets in response to prey abundance.

scholarly journals Diet of Chiasmocleis cordeiroi Caramaschi and Pimenta, 2003 from the Atlantic Rainforest in southern Bahia, Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (30) ◽  
pp. 52-56
Author(s):  
Indira Maria Castro ◽  
Caio Vinícius de Mira-Mendes ◽  
Mirco Solé
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
The State ◽  
Atlantic Rainforest ◽  
Prey Category ◽  
Taxonomic Level ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Southern Bahia ◽  
Prey Items

We studied the diet of a Chiasmocleis cordeiroi population in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Frogs were collected at night after an explosive breeding event and were transferred to the lab where they were measured, weighed and had their stomach contents retrieved following a stomach flushing protocol. Individuals were later released back into the pond from which they had been collected. Stomach contents were measured and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. The most important prey category in the diet of C. cordeiroi was Hymenoptera (Formicidae), as has been already observed for other microhylids. The large number of prey items in the stomach and the low niche amplitude suggest that C. cordeiroi is a specialist using an active foraging strategy to detect its prey.

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