scholarly journals Urbanization Negatively Affects the Species Composition of Native Ladybirds in Central Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Skuhrovec ◽  
Alois Honek ◽  
Zdenka Martinkova

We evaluated the differences in frequency (percentage of sampling sessions where the species was recorded) and abundance (mean number of individuals per 100 sweeps) of native species of ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in the center of Prague, Central Europe, and in its outskirts. Between 2016 and 2019, coccinellids were sampled on Tilia stands using a standardized sweeping method. Twenty-one species were identified in the total sample of 2,761 adults that were collected in 504 sampling sessions. Species richness was significantly higher in the outskirts than in the center, where seven species were absent and two species were found only once. In contrast, only five species were more abundant in the center than in the outskirts. Communities of native coccinellids were poorer in species, and most species were less abundant in the center than in the outskirts.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Yamile Guidetti ◽  
Sebastian Dardanelli ◽  
Fátima María Lourdes Miño ◽  
Guillermo César Amico

Abstract The lack of seeds represents one of the highest difficulties to overcome for the ecological restoration of areas that have been deforested. This study evaluates the effectiveness of artificial perches in increasing the abundance and species richness of bird-dispersed seeds and the similitude of seed rain composition (origin and habit of plant seeds), of deforested areas with and without artificial perches in relation to woodland remnants that serve as seeds source. The experiment took place in two sites of the Espinal ecoregion, Argentina. We found that in deforested areas, perches increased seed abundance and species richness in the seed rain in comparison with deforested areas without artificial perches. The species composition under artificial perches was similar to the seed rain dispersed in the woodland. However, a decrease in the richness of native species was significant in the deforested area, probably due to behavioral differences between opportunistic and obligate frugivorous. Seed of trees and shrubs species were well represented in the seed rain under artificial perches. Results from this study contribute to the understanding of nucleation and recovery mechanisms used by nature that reflect ecosystem resilience. We recommend using artificial perches in deforested areas with potential for recovery because it is an efficient technique to promote the entry of birds and increase seed rain, preserving features of the original environment. However, using artificial perches should be avoided in sites with potentially invasive non-native species.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Laurie Strommer ◽  
Sheila Conant

Efforts to restore forests for ecological and economic benefit in Hawaii are converging on koa (Acacia koa), an endemic dominant or codominant canopy tree common across broad elevation and moisture gradients. We quantified plant species composition and forest structure in koa reforestation areas (KRAs) and in nearby intact native forest on Hawaii Island. Total species richness and percentage native species richness were lower in the plantation forests than in the intact forests, although species richness in the KRAs at one site was not significantly different from that in intact forest. Tree, sapling, and seedling densities differed between KRAs and forest sites at one site. At another, the native forest and one KRA had similar tree and seedling densities and similar canopy height and percentage canopy cover. Total stand basal area was greatest in the intact forest at both sites, although the basal area for the KRAs at one site exceeded those for intact forest at the other. Koa plantings can be structurally similar to intact forests though species composition differs. Our results suggest that koa forestry can facilitate native understorey development in some cases.


2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 597 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Kirkpatrick

Few temporal studies document vegetation change in Australian temperate grassy woodlands. Floristic and structural data were collected from 68 randomly located sites in the Queens Domain, an urban grassy woodland remnant, in 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2000 and a search made for rare species. Species of conservation significance were concentrated at highly disturbed sites, whereas vegetation types of conservation significance decreased in area as a result of increases in the numbers of Allocasuarina verticillata, which caused a change in many unmown areas from Eucalyptus viminalis grassy woodland to E. viminalis–A. verticillata woodland/forest or A. verticillata open/closed forest. Structural changes were associated with changes in species composition and an increase in native-species richness. Increases in tree cover occurred where fires were most frequent, possibly as a result of the lack of mammalian herbivores. The frequencies of herbs and annual grasses were strongly affected by precipitation in the month of sampling. Half of the species that showed a consistent rise or fall through time were woody plants, approximately twice the number expected. In the dataset as a whole, species-richness variables were largely explained by varying combinations of variables related to moisture availability, altitude and the incidence of mowing. The strongest influences on species composition were the same, although slope and time since the last fire also contributed to multiple regression and generalised linear models. Compositional stability was positively related to native-species richness, whereas high levels of exotic-species richness occurred at both low and high levels of native-species richness. The maintenance of native-plant biodiversity on the Domain requires such counterintuitive measures as the maintenance of exotic trees and the control of native trees, demonstrating the contingencies of conservation management in fragmented vegetation that consists of a mixture of native and exotic species.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1927-1938
Author(s):  
Kátia Emidio da Silva ◽  
Sebastião Venancio Martins ◽  
Carlos Antonio Alvares Soares Ribeiro ◽  
Nerilson Terra Santos ◽  
Celso Paulo De Azevedo ◽  
...  

The Amazon region is one of the most diverse areas in the world. Research on high tropical forest diversity brings up relevant contributions to understand the mechanisms that result and support such diversity. In the present study we describe the species composition and diversity of 15 one-ha plots in the Amazonian terra firme dense forest in Brazil, and compare the floristic similarity of these plots with other nine one-ha plots. The 15 plots studied were randomly selected from permanent plots at the Embrapa Experimental site, Amazonas State in 2005. The diversity was analysed by using species richness and Shannon’s index, and by applying the Sorensen’s index for similarity and unweighted pair-group average (UPGMA) as clustering method. Mantel test was performed to study whether the differences in species composition between sites could be explained by the geographic distance between them. Overall, we identified 8 771 individuals, 264 species and 51 plant families. Most of the species were concentrated in few families and few had large number of individuals. Families presenting the highest species richness were Fabaceae (Faboideae: 22spp., Mimosoideae: 22spp.), Sapotaceae: 22spp., Lecythidaceae: 15 and Lauraceae: 13. Burseraceae had the largest number of individuals with 11.8% of the total. The ten most abundant species were: Protium hebetatum (1 037 individuals), Eschweilera coriacea (471), Licania oblongifolia (310), Pouteria minima (293), Ocotea cernua (258), Scleronema micranthum (197), Eschweilera collina (176), Licania apelata (172), Naucleopsis caloneura (170) and Psidium araca (152), which represented 36.5% of all individuals. Approximately 49% of species had up to ten individuals and 13% appeared only once in all sampled plots, showing a large occurrence of rare species. Our study area is on a forest presenting a high tree species diversity with Shannon’s diversity index of 4.49. The dendrogram showed two groups of plots with low similarity between them (less than 0.25), and the closer the plots were one to another, more similar in species composition (Mantel R=0.3627, p<0.01). The 15 plots in our study area share more than 50% of their species composition and represent the group of plots that have the shortest distance between each other. Overall, our results highlight the high local and regional heterogeneity of environments in terra firme forests, and the high occurrence of rare species, which should be considered in management and conservation programs in the Amazon rainforest, in order to maintain its structure on the long run.


NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Pétillon ◽  
Kaïna Privet ◽  
George K. Roderick ◽  
Rosemary G. Gillespie ◽  
Don K. Price

We assessed how assemblages of spiders were structured in small Hawaiian tropical forest fragments (Hawaiian, kipuka) within a matrix of previous lava flows, over both space (sampling kipuka of different sizes) and time (comparison with a similar study from 1998). Standardized hand-collection by night was carried out in May 2016. In total, 702 spiders were collected, representing 6 families and 25 (morpho-)species. We found that the number of individuals, but not species richness, was highly correlated with the area of sampled forest fragments, suggesting that kipuka act as separate habitat islands for these predatory arthropods. Species richness was significantly lower in the lava matrix outside the kipuka compared to the kipuka habitats, although there was no statistical difference in species composition between the two habitats, largely because of similarity of non-native species in both habitats. Over the last 20 years, the abundance of non-native spider species substantially increased in both kipuka and lava habitats, in marked contrast to the vegetation that has remained more intact. With endemicity of terrestrial arthropods reaching over 95% in native forests, non-native predatory species present a critical challenge to the endemic fauna.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1615-1621 ◽  
Author(s):  
WIRYONO . ◽  
YANSEN . ◽  
ADITYA . ◽  
DAVID JUARA LAMHOT ◽  
JURIAH HUTAHAEAN

Wiryono, Yansen, Aditya, Lamhot DJ, Hutahaean J. 2018. Short Communication: The species diversity and composition ofroadside trees in five cities in Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 19: 1615-1621. Roadside trees make living in a city more enjoyable dueto their aesthetic values and ecosystem services. The ecological benefits of roadside trees may be enhanced by increasing the speciesdiversity and the proportion of native species. The objective of this study was to know the species diversity and composition of roadsidetrees in the cities of Palembang, Bengkulu, Curup, Pematang Siantar and Argamakmur, in Sumatra Island, Indonesia, varying in size andaltitude. Data of trees were collected from selected streets and analyzed to determine the species richness (S), Shannon-Wiener index ofdiversity (Hʹ) and Ellenberg index of community similarity (ISE). The results showed that the species richness in a city ranged from 7 to26, with the diversity index between 1.05 and 2.08. The large and medium cities had higher S and Hʹ. More introduced species werefound, both in number of species and number of individuals, than the native ones. The similarity among cities in species compositionranged from 47 to 82%. Overall, Swietenia macrophylla, an introduced species, was the most abundant species. The S and Hʹ values ofall cities were considered low and the composition of tree species did not support the conservation of native species. It is, therefore,essential to increase the species diversity of street trees, especially by planting native species.


1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 605 ◽  
Author(s):  
KA Wood

A total of 8262 birds of 57 species was counted in a degraded public reserve and adjacent residential area during 61 paired transects in 1990. Most of the reserve was remnant wet sclerophyll forest (5 ha) and subtropical rainforest (0.4 ha), whereas a variety of mature native and introduced trees and shrubs were present in the 55-year-old suburb. Species evenness was similar in the habitats of the reserve and residental area but not species richness, number of individuals or composition of the avifauna. In all seasons, the reserve was richer in species but poorer in absolute numbers of birds. Thirteen native species were reserve specialists, six species (five introduced) were suburb specialists and 17 species showed only slight habitat preference. Excluding silvereyes, which showed little preference for either habitat, there were twice as many regularly occurring species that preferred to use the reserve rather than the residential area but only half the number of individuals. Nine specialist species are at risk of local extinction because their populations in the reserve are critically small [range: 80 (brown gerygone, Gerygone mouki) to 5 birds (eastern whipbird, Psophodes olivaceus)]. Seventeen species have become locally extinct since Europeans arrived in 1816. Conservation of the avifauna is discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeetikasiddhu Jeetikasiddhu ◽  
Himanshu Pandey Lohani ◽  
Gunjan Pathak ◽  
Buddh Raj Kaushal

Investigations were carried out on the species composition of spiders in different agricultural crops viz. red lentil, wheat and mixed vegetables (cabbage, carrot, potato, tomato, pea, black eyed beans) at Mangoli in district Nainital of Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, India. The sampling was done using handpicking, ground hand collection, aerial hand collection and sweep netting method. The investigation revealed the presence of 44 spider species belonging to 16 families and 33 genera. The most dominant species was Argiope pulchella comprises highest numbers of individuals (32) and most dominant family was Araneidae (9species). The highest number of individuals was observed from mix vegetable field (296) followed by wheat (209) and red lentil (181). Based on foraging behaviour, the collected spiders were classified into 7 ecological guilds and majority of collected spiders were orb weavers (37.73%). Diversity indices: Shannon-Weiner’s diversity and species richness of spiders were found to be higher in mixed vegetables crop (3.57, 6.67) followed by wheat (3.47, 6.36) and red lentil crop (3.40, 6.15), respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-110
Author(s):  
Vladimír Vician ◽  
Karol Kočík ◽  
Branko Slobodník ◽  
Marek Svitok ◽  
Slavomír Stašiov

Abstract The paper presents the results of studies on the communities of Carabids from the land registry area of the Očová village (Podpoľanie region, Central Slovakia). The research was carried out in two consecutive vegetation periods on two different agricultural plots with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.): the first of them (locality Nadhájniková) was managed intensively, and the second one (locality Koteľnice) was characterized by a nature-friendly, low-input agro-environmental management form, without application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. On the studied sites, the observed species composition of Carabidae was similar. Neverthe-less, the higher total number of individuals and the higher species richness were typical for the nature-friendly managed plot in Koteľnice. On both plots, the highest abundances were reached in Poecilus cupreus, Pterostichus melanarius and Pseudoophonus rufipes. On the intensively managed plot in Nadhájniková, however, the abundances of all these species were markedly lower. Our results suggest that the studied component of epigeic fauna finds better ecological conditions on the sites with the nature-friendly management form.


Author(s):  
M.D. Wildsmith ◽  
I.C. Potter ◽  
F.J. Valesini ◽  
M.E. Platell

Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled seasonally in the subtidal and upper and lower swash zones at two sites in each of six nearshore habitat types on the lower west coast of Australia. The habitat types, which differed mainly in the extent of their exposure to wave activity and whether sea grass and/or nearshore reefs were present, had been distinguished quantitatively using values for a suite of seven statistically-selected enduring environmental characteristics (Valesini et al., 2003). The core samples yielded 121 species representing eight phyla, among which the Polychaeta, Malacostraca and Bivalvia were the most speciose classes, contributing ∼38, 23 and 10%, respectively, to the total number of individuals. The total number of species and mean density of macroinvertebrates at the most protected habitat type (1), i.e. 70 and 209·2 individuals 0·1 m−2, respectively, were far greater than in any other habitat type. Habitat type influenced species composition to a greater extent than either zone or season. Furthermore, the extents of the differences among the species compositions of the six habitat types statistically matched the extents of the differences among the values for the suite of enduring environmental characteristics that distinguished each of those habitat types. Overall, the species composition at habitat type 1 was the most distinct, containing five abundant species of polychaetes that were adapted to deposit-feeding in calm waters with high levels of organic material and which were rare in all other habitat types. In contrast, the fauna at the most exposed habitat type was characterized by four crustacean species and a species of bivalve and polychaete, whose mobility and tough external surface facilitated their survival and feeding in turbulent waters. The zonal differences in faunal compositions among habitat types were greatest in the case of the subtidal zone. The faunal compositions differed among zones and seasons only at the most protected habitat type.


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