scholarly journals Spider assemblages on tree trunks in primeval deciduous forests of the Białowieża National Park in eastern Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-85
Author(s):  
Marzena Stańska ◽  
Tomasz Stański ◽  
Joanna Hawryluk

We analysed spider assemblages of tree trunks in an oak-lime-hornbeam forest, an ash-alder riparian forest and an alder carr in the primeval stands of the Białowieża National Park. Spiders were collected from June 1998 to October 2000 using bark traps. A total of 2,182 spider individuals, belonging to 43 species and 14 families was collected. The forest types differed in the spider abundance and species richness. The differences probably resulted from different tree species and different environmental conditions in the forest types. The most numerous species in oak-lime-hornbeam forest and in alder carr was Amaurobius fenestralis, whereas Anyphaena accentuatawas the most abundant species in ash-alder riparian forest. Four species (Amaurobius fenestralis, Anyphaena accentuata, Segestria senoculataand Neriene montana) were collected in each month (March – October), whereas most species were recorded sporadically or in some periods.

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Marzena Stańska ◽  
Tomasz Stański ◽  
Maciej Bartos

The Białowieża Forest is an important biodiversity hotspot on a European scale, and therefore its preservation should have a high priority. However, forest management conducted over a large area of the forest, intensive logging, and elimination of dead trees pose serious threats to many species in the forest. The main aim of this study was to determine the species composition of spider assemblages inhabiting tree branches of the Białowieża Forest and to compare their species richness and the abundance of individuals (adults and juveniles) between managed and primeval stands. Between April and November 2000, we sampled three forest types (oak–lime–hornbeam forest, ash–alder riparian forest, and alder carr) in protected primeval stands within the Białowieża National Park and in managed stands. We collected 1761 specimens from 14 families and identified 41 species. Tree branches were inhabited mainly by juveniles. Species richness was smaller in managed stands compared to primeval stands. The highest number of species was found in primeval alder carr. Our study shows a negative effect of forest management on spider assemblages in terms of species richness. We emphasize the important role of alder carr forests as potential biodiversity hotspots.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-83
Author(s):  
MAHEDI HASAN LIMON ◽  
SAIDA HOSSAIN ARA ◽  
MOHAMMAD GOLAM KIBRIA

Natural regeneration is an indicator of a healthy forest, hence, understanding the influence of site factors on natural regeneration is a significant concern for ecologists. This work aimed to assess the impact of site factors on natural tree regeneration at Khadimnagar National Park (KNP). Biotic factors (tree density, tree species richness, and basal area), physical factors (elevation, canopy openness), and soil properties (bulk density, moisture content, soil pH, organic matter, sand, silt, and clay) data were investigated from 71 sample plots to examine their effects on natural regeneration density and richness in KNP. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was done to predict both regeneration density and regeneration richness. The results showed that soil pH (p<0.001), canopy openness (p<0.001), tree species richness (p<0.01), and bulk density (p<0.01) had a significant effect on regeneration density, explaining 42% of the total variation. Regeneration richness was driven by four factors: tree species richness (p<0.01), soil pH (p<0.001), elevation (p<0.01), and canopy openness (p<0.01) with a model that explained 60% of the total variation. This study observed that soil pH, tree species richness, and canopy openness are the main controlling factors that influenced both the density and richness of regenerating species in KNP. Therefore, these findings have implications for natural resource management, especially in selecting suitable silvicultural systems in a tropical forest under protected area management where enhanced tree cover and conservation of biodiversity are needed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Do Thi Ngoc Le ◽  
Nguyen Van Thinh ◽  
Nguyen The Dung ◽  
Ralph Mitlöhner

The effects of disturbance regimes on the spatial patterns of the five most abundant species were investigated in three sites in a tropical forest at Xuan Nha Nature Reserve, Vietnam. Three permanent one-ha plots were established in undisturbed forest (UDF), lightly disturbed forest (LDF), and highly disturbed forest (HDF). All trees ≥5 cm DBH were measured in twenty-five 20 m × 20 m subplots. A total of 57 tree species belonging to 26 families were identified in the three forest types. The UDF had the highest basal area (30 m2 ha−1), followed by the LDF (17 m2 ha−1) and the HDF (13.0 m2 ha−1). The UDF also had the highest tree density (751 individuals ha−1) while the HDF held the lowest (478 individuals ha−1). Across all species, there were 417 “juveniles,” 267 “subadults,” and 67 “adults” in the UDF, while 274 “juveniles,” 230 “subadults,” and 36 “adults” were recorded in the LDF. 238 “juveniles,” 227 “subadults,” and 13 “adults” were obtained in the HDF. The univariate and bivariate data with pair- and mark-correlation functions of intra- and interspecific interactions of the five most abundant species changed in the three forest types. Most species indicated clumping or regular distributions at small scale, but a high ratio of negative interspecific small-scale associations was recorded in both the LDF and HDF sites. These were, however, rare in the UDF.


2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koustubh Sharma ◽  
Raghunandan Singh Chundawat ◽  
Joanna Van Gruisen ◽  
Asad Rafi Rahmani

Abstract:At the landscape level, the four-horned antelope is confined to tropical dry deciduous forests and within these, their distribution is patchy. Various factors have been proposed as determinants for their patchy distribution within landscapes, but none provided an adequate explanation. We hypothesized that availability of a constant supply of forage influenced the species distribution. We found that the four-horned antelope mainly fed on fruits and flowers, and that a total of 60% of the tree species in Panna Tiger Reserve bore fruits at different times of the year. High tree species richness in habitat patches was considered a surrogate for constant supply of forage for the four-horned antelope. Data from 547 sighting locations between 2002 and 2006 and six spatial layers were analysed using maximum entropy to produce a probability distribution model for the four-horned antelope in Panna Tiger Reserve. Our model predicted that habitat patches summing up to only 9.5% of the 543 km2 of Panna Tiger Reserve had high probability of distribution (>0.5) of four-horned antelope. Although all variables contributed to the distribution model of the four-horned antelope, explanatory power was highest for tree species richness within habitat patches. The distribution of four-horned antelope within tropical dry deciduous forests can be treated as an indicator of high tree diversity and hence habitat quality.


1992 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Rob Gradstein ◽  
Noris Salazar Allen

A bryophyte inventory along an altitudinal gradient on Cerro Pirre (1200 m), Darién National Park, Panama, demonstrates that the different rain forest types along the gradient (inundatedlowland, hillside-lowland, submontane, montane elfin forest) have very different species assemblages. The montane forest has the largest number of exclusive species and the largest bryophyte biomass. Species richness is greatest in the submontane forest. The bryophyte flora of Cerro Pirre is not exceedingly rich in species owing to the rather low elevation of the mountain and the seasonal climate in the adjacent coastal plain. Nevertheless, the distinct altitudinal diversification and the occurrence of a considerable number of rare hepatic taxa, demonstrate the importance of Darién National Park as an area of plant conservation. Forty hepatic species are reported as new to Panama.


2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 111-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Marek Matuszkiewicz ◽  
Elena Bielonowska ◽  
Anna Kowalska ◽  
Nadjeżda Cariewska ◽  
Jarosław Baranowski ◽  
...  

Abstract During geobotanical studies in the north-eastern border of hemi-boreal zone, in Valday (NW Russia), rare eutrophic deciduous forests dominated by oak Quercus robur were observed. A comparison of these forests with the model of European deciduous forest in Białowieża National Park (NE-Poland) indicates a great similarity. Therefore, eutrophic deciduous forests in Valday can be classified to the Querco-Fagetea class, the Fagetalia sylvaticae order and to the Capinion betuli alliance, despite the absence of hornbeam Carpinus betulus in the region. Rarity of eutrophic deciduous forests in Valday region results probably from strong anthropogenic pressure in the past.


2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Groen ◽  
Frank van Langevelde ◽  
Claudius A.D.M. van de Vijver ◽  
Navashni Govender ◽  
Herbert H.T. Prins

Abstract:In this paper, we investigate which factors determine tree clustering in Southern African savannas. This was tested by measuring clustering of trees using the T-squared sampling method in plots of the Kruger National Park experimental burning programme in South Africa. Fire return interval is the main treatment in these plots, but also several auxiliary determining parameters like clay content in the soil, diameter of tree canopies, understorey composition, tree species diversity and average annual rainfall were measured while sampling. In the Kruger National Park 48 plots distributed over four different landscape types and with three different burning treatments (never, once every 3 y and annually) were sampled. First, we related the clustering of trees to these environmental variables. When looking at the most abundant species in each plot, the analysis revealed that clustering is mainly correlated with clay content in the soil. This analysis also showed that fire frequency had a positive effect on the clustering of tree species that are not very abundant. We suggest that less abundant species might be less resistant to fire and therefore adopt a mechanism of clustering to exclude grass fires under their canopy. Finally, we tested the effect of clustering on the impact of fire on trees by analysing the relationship between the distance of a tree to its nearest neighbour and its canopy diameter. We found that clustering reduces the damaging effect of fire on trees. Our study contributes to understanding of savanna functioning by showing which processes are relevant in the distribution of savanna trees.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Francis Lado ◽  
David Gwolo Phanuel Mogga ◽  
Richard Angelo Lado Benjamin

The study was carried out to determine patterns of birds’ species richness, alpha and beta diversities; and abundance in Badingilo national park using a 10 m fixed-radius point count method. A total of 2670 individuals were recorded from 182 points in the park. The highest expected number of species (Jack1 estimator) was observed in the Riverine habitat and least was in the Agriculture and Human settlement habitat type. The total number of species observed in the park was 63; however Jack1 estimator indicated that there were 68 species in the park. The majority of the birds observed during the study were resident species, few migratory and Palaearctic bird species. Few birds observed in the park were abundant. The most abundant species was the village weaver (381 individuals), and the rarest species were black-bellied bustard, barn owl, black scimitar bill and tree pipit (one individual each).


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro A. Muñoz ◽  
Paulina Chacón ◽  
Fernanda Pérez ◽  
Elizabeth S. Barnert ◽  
Juan J. Armesto

Vines and epiphytes contribute importantly to the biodiversity of temperate rainforests of southern South America. However, compared with their tropical counterparts, these functional groups have received less attention. We evaluated diversity, floristic composition and relative abundance of vascular epiphytes and vines within a humid temperate forest in northern Chiloé Island, southern Chile. We assessed whether epiphyte and vine species exhibit preferences among host tree species and tested whether species richness on tree hosts differs from that expected by chance, by comparing observed frequencies of occurrence (FO) and species richness with randomly simulated frequency distributions generated under the assumption of no epiphyte preferences. Finally, we tested for associations of epiphyte and vine species with host tree size (trunk diameter at breast height). Eleven species of ferns and nine angiosperms (seven vines, one epiphytic angiosperm and one shrub) were recorded growing epiphytically in a sample of 499 trees. The most abundant species were three vines, Luzuriaga polyphylla (Hook.) Macbr., Griselinia racemosa (Phil.) Taub. and Mitraria coccinea Cav., and five species of filmy ferns (Hymenophyllaceae). Most epiphytes and vines (65%) showed preference for one or two tree species, with seven species being overrepresented on Podocarpus nubigena Lindl. hosts and 10 underrepresented on Drimys winteri J.R. et G.Forster. Epiphyte and vine species richness was significantly lower than expected by chance on D. winteri and higher than expected on Nothofagus nitida (Phil.) Krasser. Three epiphytic ferns showed preferences for large-sized trees, while frequency of occurrence of three common vines was independent of host tree size.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sylvester Kacholi

A survey to determine the variation in species and structural composition of trees along the edge-interior gradient was done in the Kilengwe forest in Morogoro region, Tanzania. The forest was categorized into three habitats, namely, edge (0–100 m), intermediate (100–200 m), and interior (>200 m) depending on the distance from the forest margin. A total of six plots of 0.04 ha each were randomly placed in each of the habitats whereby all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm were inventoried. A total of 67 species representing 26 families were recorded. Fabaceae was the most speciose and abundant family. Brachystegia spiciformis was the most abundant species. Of the recorded species, 10.45% were common in the three habitats while 8.95%, 13.43%, and 26.86% occurred exclusively to the edge, intermediate, and interior habitats, respectively. The forest interior was significantly rich in terms of species richness, diversity, density, and basal area than the edge and intermediate habitats. The edge had significantly higher number of stumps/ha. In summary, the results suggest that edge/intermediate and interior are contrasting habitats in terms of tree species richness, diversity, and structural composition. Moreover, the forest edge and intermediate habitats were found to be characterized by high anthropogenic activities compared to the forest interior habitat.


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