scholarly journals Degradative succession of the insects in small rodents in subtropical systems

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e7511124558
Author(s):  
Bruna da Silva ◽  
Suéle Santolin ◽  
Renan de Souza Rezende

We evaluated the insect succession in small rodent carcasses on the soil extracts (surface vs. buried) in two areas (riparian vs. agricultural) and two seasonal periods (spring vs. summer). Daily, the rodent carcasses were weighed and the insects present were collected in them for counting and family level identification. We also measured the air and soil temperature daily, in addition to the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. The total of 11,059 individuals from 28 taxa was collected. The most abundant taxa were Calliphoridae (70%), Formicidae (20%), Muscidae (2%), and Sarcophagidae (2%). Insect richness was higher in spring in riparian vegetation areas; however, decomposition and insect abundance were greater in spring in agricultural areas by the high temperature measured. Vespidae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, and Calliphoridae decreased over time with abundance peaks respectively at 3, 7, 7, and 8 days in riparian vegetation areas. Calliphoridae decreased abundance over time with a peak at five days, but Armadillidiidae increased with peak at 6-9 days in agricultural areas. Decay and insect abundance was high in agricultural areas, mainly on the soil surface. Insect richness was high in riparian vegetation areas, especially on the soil surface. Only the superficial layers of soil presented taxon indicators and all decreased over time with abundance peaks of Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Muscidae at 5-8, 7, and 7 days, respectively. This abundance peak of insect families help to understand the degradative succession of the insect community in small rodents in subtropical systems of the neotropical region.

Oecologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry P. Andreassen ◽  
Janne Sundell ◽  
Fraucke Ecke ◽  
Stefan Halle ◽  
Marko Haapakoski ◽  
...  

AbstractMost small rodent populations in the world have fascinating population dynamics. In the northern hemisphere, voles and lemmings tend to show population cycles with regular fluctuations in numbers. In the southern hemisphere, small rodents tend to have large amplitude outbreaks with less regular intervals. In the light of vast research and debate over almost a century, we here discuss the driving forces of these different rodent population dynamics. We highlight ten questions directly related to the various characteristics of relevant populations and ecosystems that still need to be answered. This overview is not intended as a complete list of questions but rather focuses on the most important issues that are essential for understanding the generality of small rodent population dynamics.


Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Mboumba ◽  
Maxime R. Hervé ◽  
Véronique Guyot ◽  
Frederic Ysnel

Abstract The study contributes to the knowledge of species composition and biogeographical affinities of savannas rodent in Gabon. Unlike small rodents in Gabonese forests, there is little data on the diversity of small rodents in Gabonese savannas. The diversity and distribution of rodent murid communities was studied in four different types of savanna in Gabon: Coastal Basin (South-West), Lopé/Okanda (in the Center), Batéké Plateaux (Southeastern) and Ngougnié/ N’yanga (in the South). A total of 428 individuals representing six species were captured over 11,920 trap nights. Trap success was highly variable (2.2–6.9 %). The most abundant species were Mus minutoides (69%) followed by Lemniscomys striatus (21.5%). Indices of species richness varied from 2 to 5 and diversity (Shannon and Weaver) was low in the four savannas with the highest value at Ngougnié/N’yanga (H′ = 1.2). Species distributions show that Gabonese savanna small rodents conform to four distribution types, with one species known from Zambesian savannas exhibiting austral affinities (Pelomys campanae: occurs in three southern savannas). This new information provides important insight into the biogeography of small rodents at a local and regional level. Moreover, the correspondence analysis highlighted an influence of local ecological factors on population abundance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrez Zribi ◽  
Erwan Motte ◽  
Nicolas Baghdadi ◽  
Frédéric Baup ◽  
Sylvia Dayau ◽  
...  

The aim of this study is to analyze the sensitivity of airborne Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) on soil surface and vegetation cover characteristics in agricultural areas. Airborne polarimetric GNSS-R data were acquired in the context of the GLORI’2015 campaign over two study sites in Southwest France in June and July of 2015. Ground measurements of soil surface parameters (moisture content) and vegetation characteristics (leaf area index (LAI), and vegetation height) were recorded for different types of crops (corn, sunflower, wheat, soybean, vegetable) simultaneously with the airborne GNSS-R measurements. Three GNSS-R observables (apparent reflectivity, the reflected signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), and the polarimetric ratio (PR)) were found to be well correlated with soil moisture and a major vegetation characteristic (LAI). A tau-omega model was used to explain the dependence of the GNSS-R reflectivity on both the soil moisture and vegetation parameters.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Cislaghi ◽  
Paolo Fogliata ◽  
Emanuele Morlotti ◽  
Gian Battista Bischetti

<p>River channels and floodplains have been highly modified over the last 70 years to mitigate flood risk and to gain lands for agricultural activities, settlements and soft infrastructures (e.g., cycle paths). River engineering measures simplified the geomorphologic complexity of river system, usually from braided or wandering channels to highly-confined single-thread channel. Meanwhile, rivers naturally adjust and self-organise the geomorphologic function as response of all the disturbances (e.g., flood events, river-bed degradation, narrowing, control works) altering sediment and water transfer, exacerbating bank erosion processes and streambank failures, and exposing bare sediment that can be subsequently colonized by pioneer species. In this context, river management has to address river dynamics planning sustainable practices with the aim to combine hydraulic safety, river functionality, and ecological/environmental quality. These actions require the detection of river processes by monitoring the geomorphological changes over time, both over the active riverbank and the close floodplains. Thus, remote sensing technology combined with machine learning algorithms offers a viable decision-making instrument (Piégay et al., 2020).</p><p>This study proposes a procedure that consists in applying image segmentation and classification algorithms (i.e., Random Forest and dendrogram-based method) over time-series high resolution RGB-NIR satellite-images, to identify the fluvial forms (bars and islands), the vegetation patches and the active riverbed. The study focuses on three different reaches of Oglio River (Valcamonica, North Italy), representative of the most common geomorphic changes in Alpine rivers.</p><p>The results clearly show the temporal evolution/dynamics of vegetated and non-vegetated bars and islands, as consequence of human and natural disturbances (flood events, riparian vegetation clear-cutting, and bank-protection works). Moreover, the procedure allows to distinguish two stages of riparian vegetation (i.e., pioneer and mature vegetated areas) and to quantify the timing of colonization and growth. Finally, the study proposes a practical application of the described methodology for river managers indicating which river management activity (including timing, intensity and economic costs) is more appropriate and sustainable for each studied reach.</p><p> </p><p>References: Piégay, H., Arnaud, F., Belletti, B., Bertrand, M., Bizzi, S., Carbonneau, P., Dufour, S., Liébault, F., Ruiz‐Villanueva, V. and Slater, L.: Remotely sensed rivers in the Anthropocene: state of the art and prospects, Earth Surf. Process. Landf., 45(1), 157–188, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4787, 2020.</p>


Author(s):  
Fernando Gomes de Souza ◽  
Valdinar Ferreira Melo ◽  
Wellington Farias Araújo ◽  
Thiago Henrique de Castro Araújo

Currently in Brazil, the main form of erosion is caused by the impact of raindrops on the soil surface, triggering the process of water erosion and causing serious damage to agricultural areas. This study evaluated losses of soil, water, organic carbon and nutrients in different cultures, bare soil and savanna under natural rain. The experimental design was completely randomized with five treatments (bare soil - BS, cowpea bean - CB, Brachiaria brizantha - BB, corn - CO and natural savanna – SN) with three replications; The treatment of bare soil (BS), followed by the treatment cultivated with cowpea bean  (CB) showed higher losses of soil, water, organic carbon and nutrients; The highest losses of soil, water, organic carbon and nutrients in the treatment of bare soil (BS) occurred during the period of greatest erosivity; but for treatments CB, BB and CO, the highest losses occurred during the establishment of the crop, in view of the lower soil cover. Soils cultivated with Brachiaria brizantha - BB, corn - CO and in the Natural Savana - SN area were more efficient in reducing soil and water losses during all months evaluated. Plant cover produced by the (SN) treatment and by the (BB) and (CO) treatments acted to reduce the harmful effects of erosion, minimizing losses of nutrients and organic carbon. The soil should be well protected during periods when rainfall presents the highest values of erosivity index.


2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 438-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Husrev Mennan ◽  
Bernard H. Zandstra

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of depth and duration of burial on seasonal germination, primary and secondary dormancy, viability, and seedling emergence of ivyleaf speedwell (Veronica hederifoliaL.) seeds. The seeds were buried at 0, 5, 10, or 20 cm and retrieved from the field at monthly intervals. The exhumed seeds were germinated at 5 C. In the second experiment, seeds were stored in the laboratory after harvest and tested for germination at monthly intervals. In each experiment, nongerminated seeds were treated with triphenyltetrazolium chloride at monthly intervals to test their viability. The effects of stratification and burial depth on seedling emergence were observed for 1 yr. The seeds exhumed from the soil were dormant at the beginning of the experiment and exhibited dormancy/nondormancy/conditional dormancy cycling throughout the experiment. Depth of burial and time affected seed germination. Seeds retrieved from the soil surface germinated well initially, but germination decreased as depth of burial increased. In the dry storage experiment, seeds had a high level of primary dormancy, and viability decreased over time. Seedling emergence decreased when depth of burial increased. Seedlings emerged nonuniformly throughout the year and demonstrated typical winter annual characteristics.


1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1835-1841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olof Pehrsson

The duckling production of the Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis) was studied between 1969 and 1974 in Torne Lapmark in northern Sweden. The degrees of relationship among various indices of reproductive output, climatic factors, and fluctuations in small rodents were estimated. Total brood and duckling production were calculated. A correlation between first observations of broods and time of arrival of spring indicated that the Oldsquaw breeds as early as possible, an adaptation to the utilization of ephemeral lakes. Peaks in duckling production correlated well with peaks in the abundance of small rodents but not as well with climatic variables. Twice as many ducklings were produced during the rodent peak years as during the intervening years, and the densities of the Oldsquaw population were highest the year after these peaks in brood production. The positive correlation between duckling production and population size in small rodents seems to be analogous to grouse–rodent cycles, and both are best explained by the predator-shift or the alternative prey hypothesis.


Plant Disease ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 100 (9) ◽  
pp. 1823-1830 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. E. Kimber ◽  
J. G. Paull ◽  
E. S. Scott ◽  
C. B. Dyson ◽  
J. A. Davidson

The temporal and spatial dynamics of Cercospora leaf spot on susceptible and resistant lines of faba bean grown in or at defined distances from soil with residues infested by Cercospora zonata were examined in South Australia in 2005 and 2006. The disease was first observed on susceptible seedlings 49 days after sowing (DAS) in soil that had been sown with faba bean every 3 years since 1997 (positive soil zone for C. zonata) but was delayed by 1 week in adjacent soil (0 to 16 m away) with no history of cultivation of faba bean (negative soil zone). The incidence of diseased seedlings from 49 to 63 DAS showed a gradient from 4 to 16 m from the infested soil and was significantly greater for susceptible plants grown in the positive versus negative soil zones in field trials conducted in 2005 and 2006 (92 versus 30% in 2005, χ21 = 32.2, P < 0.001; 98 versus 55% in 2006, χ21 = 12.1, P < 0.001). The incidence of Cercospora leaf spot on the resistant line 1322/2 was significantly less (χ26 = 171.7; P < 0.001) than on the susceptible line ‘Farah’ at that time in both years, with fewer than 5% of the seedlings showing the disease. However, a gradient was shown at 70 to 84 DAS, where disease incidence was significantly greater on line 1322/2 in the positive soil zone than on plants in the negative soil zone in both years (62 and 18%, respectively, with χ21 = 27.9, P < 0.001 in the 2005 trial; and 47 and 6%, respectively, with χ21 = 33.3, P < 0.001 in the 2006 trial). At peak disease severity on Farah, Cercospora leaf spot mean leaf area diseased (%LAD) was severe (85 ± 4.3%) on leaves of the three nodes closest to the soil surface, and much less severe (1 ± 0.6%) in the upper canopy. Defoliation combined with %LAD was used to describe the loss of photosynthetic leaf area (%LPLA) in both cultivars, on both soil zones, in each year. Nonlinear regression analyses using a logistic model described disease development over time on susceptible plants grown in infested soil (e.g., for +12-m blocks within infested soil, y = 2.66 + 46.08/[1 + exp(−0.23 × [X − 40.92])] in 2005 and y = 0.49 + 5.02/[1 + exp(−0.14 × [X − 28.30])] in 2006, where X = DAS and y = %LPLA, with both regressions significant at P < 0.001), whereas an exponential model (e.g., for −12-m blocks from infested soil, y = 0.23 + 0.77 × 1.04X in 2005 and y = 0.44 + 0.56 × 1.04X in 2006, both at P < 0.001) best described disease gradients with increasing distance from the inoculum source. Paired t tests of %LPLA at 77 and 98 DAS showed significant differences in disease severity in the positive versus negative soil zones and a steep gradient in %LPLA from 0 to 4 m from the inoculum source. The role of infested faba bean residue in survival of C. zonata over time was also examined using a pot-bioassay and in situ field assay. When residues were removed from the soil surface or depleted rapidly by animal grazing, the amount of C. zonata inoculum in the soil was significantly less (P < 0.001) than for soil with residue remaining on the soil surface. C. zonata survived in soil and remained infective for at least 30 months after harvest of an infected faba bean crop.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-128
Author(s):  
Fahruni Fahruni

Peatland agroforestry management that is commonly carried out by the community is the burnt peel system. Where peat is peeled and burned, it is then used as a planting medium. Over time, this system will reduce the land surface. But there is a different system. Through the method without combustion by adding organic material above the soil surface. So as the land surface does not decrease, it will even increase in height. This study aims to (1) determine the ecological value of land with a peel-burn system and the addition of minerals without fuel, (2) determine the effectiveness of the peatland management system. The variables observed / measured in this study were (1) the content of macro nutrients (N, P, K) from the system pattern of management of firewood peel and the management system of mineral soil addition. (2) Agroforestry patterns implemented by farmers at the study site. The results showed that the method of agroforestry without burning provides more nutrients than peeled fuel. Increased soil pH is also higher than burnt peel. This method is more environmentally friendly because the peat ecosystem is maintained and the most important thing is the height of the land surface continues to increase during the exploitation time.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document