Ant Communities Resist Even in Small and Isolated Gypsum Habitat Remnants in a Mediterranean Agroecosystem

Natural and seminatural habitat remnants play a crucial ecological role in intensified agroecosystems. Assumptions on the conservation value of small and poorly connected fragments in a hostile matrix come from generalization obtained from a limited number of taxa, mostly plants, and vertebrates. To date, few studies have analyzed the effect of fragmentation on ant communities in Mediterranean agroecosystems, despite the importance of this group of animals on several key ecosystem functions and services. Here, we analyze the effects of fragment area and connectivity on ant communities in gypsum outcrops in a large cereal agroecosystem of Central Spain. Ant communities were described by their species composition, abundance (total number of occurrences), and number of species, standardized both by area (species density), and abundance (species richness). Observed number of species was relatively high in comparison with other studies in the Mediterranean, and we found no effects of fragment characteristics on species density, species richness and species composition, which implies that even small and isolated patches do have a value for ant conservation. Moreover, total number of occurrences were higher for smaller and more isolated fragments. This finding contrasts with the results reported for other taxa in similar gypsum habitats and suggests that certain ant traits and strategies make them particularly resistant to fragmentation and capable to take advantage of small habitat patches. Given the important ecological role played by ants, we recommend the preservation of these small habitat fragments in the management plans of agroecosystems in these drylands, especially in those cases in which intensification of agricultural practices greatly diminish natural habitat availability.

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Herpetofauna of Stara Zagora, Southern Bulgaria: Species composition and distribution along the natural habitat-urban areas gradient

Trakia Journal of Sciences ◽

10.15547/tjs.2018.04.002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 270-274

Author(s):

Dian Georgiev ◽

Dilian Georgiev

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Urban Area ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Central City ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Crop Farming ◽

Species Composition And Distribution

Herpetofauna of Stara Zagora city is characterized by exceptional species richness. In the this urban area and its adjacent territories, twenty-nine species from 13 families and four orders of class Amphibia and class Reptilia were found. From all species encountered in the studied region, 21 were established in suburban zones. Ten species were registered in residential areas and their adjacent territories, and 18 species – in city parks. An obvious increase in number of species and their spread to the peripheral and central city areas was observed. The least number of species (5 sp.) was observed in construction areas, areas of intensive crop farming (6 sp.) and around administrative buildings (6 sp.).

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Scavenging in the Anthropocene: Human impact drives vertebrate scavenger species richness at a global scale

10.26686/wgtn.12469334.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

E Sebastián-González ◽

JM Barbosa ◽

JM Pérez-García ◽

Z Morales-Reyes ◽

F Botella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Human Impact ◽

Large Scale ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Global Scale ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽

Latitudinal Patterns

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across the Earth is one of the most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining the species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer in tropical areas; however, despite decades of research, a general consensus has not yet emerged. In addition, global biodiversity patterns are being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim to describe large-scale patterns of species richness and diversity in terrestrial vertebrate scavenger (carrion-consuming) assemblages, which provide key ecosystem functions and services. We used a worldwide dataset comprising 43 sites, where vertebrate scavenger assemblages were identified using 2,485 carcasses monitored between 1991 and 2018. First, we evaluated how scavenger richness (number of species) and diversity (Shannon diversity index) varied among seasons (cold vs. warm, wet vs. dry). Then, we studied the potential effects of human impact and a set of macroecological variables related to climatic conditions on the scavenger assemblages. Vertebrate scavenger richness ranged from species-poor to species rich assemblages (4–30 species). Both scavenger richness and diversity also showed some seasonal variation. However, in general, climatic variables did not drive latitudinal patterns, as scavenger richness and diversity were not affected by temperature or rainfall. Rainfall seasonality slightly increased the number of species in the community, but its effect was weak. Instead, the human impact index included in our study was the main predictor of scavenger richness. Scavenger assemblages in highly human-impacted areas sustained the smallest number of scavenger species, suggesting human activity may be overriding other macroecological processes in shaping scavenger communities. Our results highlight the effect of human impact at a global scale. As species-rich assemblages tend to be more functional, we warn about possible reductions in ecosystem functions and the services provided by scavengers in human-dominated landscapes in the Anthropocene.

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Can anthropic fires affect epigaeic and hypogaeic Cerrado ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) communities in the same way?

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v64i1.18239 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 95 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ernesto Oliveira Canedo-Júnior ◽

Rafael Gonçalves Cuissi ◽

Nelson Henrique De Almeida Curi ◽

Guilherme Ramos Demetrio ◽

Chaim José Lasmar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Recovery Time ◽

Fire Effects ◽

Control Area ◽

Control Group ◽

Ant Communities ◽

Fire Event ◽

Biological Communities ◽

One Year

Fire occurrences are a common perturbation in Cerrado ecosystems, and may differently impact the local biodiversity. Arthropods are one of the taxa affected by fires, and among them, ants are known as good bioindicators. We aimed to evaluate the effect of anthropic fires on epigaeic and hypogaeic ant communities (species richness and composition) in Cerrado areas with different post-fire event recovery periods. We conducted the study in four Cerrado areas during two weeks of 2012 dry season: one unburned and three at different post-fire times (one month, one and two years). We sampled ants with pitfall traps in epigaeic and hypogaeic microhabitats. We collected 71 ant morpho-species from 25 genera. In the epigaeic microhabitat we sampled 56 morpho-species and 42 in the hypogaeic microhabitat. The area with the shortest recovery time presented lower epigaeic ant species richness (4.3 ± 2.00) in comparison to the other areas (8.1 ± 2.68 species on one year area; 10.3 ± 2.66 species on two years area; 10.4 ± 2.31 species on control area), but recovery time did not affect hypogaeic ant species richness. Regarding ant species composition, fire did not directly affect hypogaeic ant species, which remained the same even one month after fire event. However, two years were not enough to reestablish ant species composition in both microhabitats in relation to our control group samples. Our study is the first to assess anthropic fire effects upon epigaeic and hypogaeic ants communities; highlighting the importance of evaluating different microhabitats, to more accurately detect the effects of anthropic disturbances in biological communities. We concluded that ant communities are just partially affected by fire occurrences, and epigaeic assemblages are the most affected ones in comparison to hypogaeic ants. Furthermore the study provides knowledge to aid in the creation of vegetation management programs that allow Cerrado conservation.

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Environmental filtering and spillover explain multi-species edge responses across agricultural boundaries in a biosphere reserve

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-71724-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

J. van Schalkwyk ◽

J. S. Pryke ◽

M. J. Samways ◽

R. Gaigher

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Environmental Filtering ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Habitat Specificity ◽

Induced Changes

Abstract To ensure integrity of protected areas we need to understand how species respond to anthropogenic borders. We investigate, from a metacommunity perspective, the direct and indirect mechanisms by which transformed areas affect distribution patterns of ground-living arthropod assemblages inhabiting an extensive protected area adjacent to fruit orchards in an important biosphere reserve. Arthropods and environmental variables were sampled along transects perpendicular to natural-orchard edges. Influence of distance from orchard boundary, degree of impermeability of the boundary, orchard habitat quality (local scale land-use intensity), and edge-induced changes in local environmental variables on arthropod species richness and composition in non-crop habitats were assessed. Arthropod groups were assessed in terms of habitat fidelity: species associated with natural habitat (stenotopic species), those within crop habitat (cultural species), and those showing no preference for either habitat (ubiquitous species). Spillover resulted in higher cultural species richness near edges, but not higher overall species richness. Environmental filtering was important for stenotopic species composition, which was influenced by edge-induced changes in environmental variables. Ubiquitous species composition was determined by orchard impermeability. Increased orchard habitat quality was associated with higher cultural and ubiquitous species richness. The effects of orchards on assemblages in natural habitats can be variable, but predictable when using species habitat specificity in conjunction with a metacommunity framework. High intensity orchards may act as sink habitats, especially for species that readily disperse between crop and natural habitats. Here we recommend that local buffer strips are > 85 m wide, which will reduce the influence of cultural species spillover on sensitive natural ecosystems.

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Organisation de la richesse et de la composition floristiques d'îles de la Méditerranée occidentale (sud-est de la France)

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b97-135 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (2) ◽

pp. 321-331 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Frédéric Médail ◽

Éric Vidal

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Plant Species ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Mediterranean Islands ◽

Plant Dispersal ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Continental Islands ◽

Species Area ◽

Species Area Relationship

The effects of physiographic variables (area, isolation, elevation, and substrate) and habitat diversity on plant species richness and composition have been investigated on some Mediterranean islands (southeastern France). The number of species - area relationship is significant but there are more diverse vegetation patterns on smallest islands (area smaller than 3.5 ha and, ultimately, 0.2 ha). Although the species composition is positively correlated to the distance from the continent, the effect of isolation is not so obvious because of the small distance of these continental islands from the continent. Some islands nearest to shore show very different plant species composition, suggesting a nonselective plant dispersal through some narrow stretches of sea. Habitat diversity represents one of the major explanatory factors of the species richness; nevertheless, it is not possible to settle between the two hypotheses effect of habitat diversity versus effect of area per se because of the correlation between the two factors. Key words: Mediterranean islands, insular biogeography, number of species - area relationship, isolation, habitat diversity, islets.

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Species composition of aquatic invertebrates of the Viliya River

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Biological Series ◽

10.29235/1029-8940-2018-63-4-401-408 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 401-408 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. D. Moroz ◽

V. M. Baichorov ◽

Yu. G. Hihiniak

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Aquatic Invertebrates ◽

High Water ◽

Wastewater Discharge ◽

Aquatic Animals ◽

Number Of Species ◽

The Town

The results of studies of macrozoobenthos and pleustonic aquatic invertebrates complexes of the Viliya River have been considered in the article. 92 species and forms related to 3 types of aquatic animals which are Mollusca – 15 species and forms; Annelida – 2 and Arthropoda –75 have been detected. The analysis of the species composition has shown in all studied sites that the species richness was within the range of 29–30 species. At the place of wastewater discharge from the town of Vileika, a species richness decrease and the number of Diptera and Oligochaeta increase has been observed. The relatively high number of species with rheophilic and oxyphilic properties such as representatives of the Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera orders groups indicates a fairly high water quality in the investigated sites of the Viliya River. Rare and protected for Belarus and Europe.species have been found.

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Species richness and identity both determine the biomass of global reef fish communities

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-27212-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan S. Lefcheck ◽

Graham J. Edgar ◽

Rick D. Stuart-Smith ◽

Amanda E. Bates ◽

Conor Waldock ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Reef Fish ◽

Ecosystem Functioning ◽

Fish Community ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Rocky Reef ◽

Community Biomass ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Declining Species

AbstractChanging biodiversity alters ecosystem functioning in nature, but the degree to which this relationship depends on the taxonomic identities rather than the number of species remains untested at broad scales. Here, we partition the effects of declining species richness and changing community composition on fish community biomass across >3000 coral and rocky reef sites globally. We find that high biodiversity is 5.7x more important in maximizing biomass than the remaining influence of other ecological and environmental factors. Differences in fish community biomass across space are equally driven by both reductions in the total number of species and the disproportionate loss of larger-than-average species, which is exacerbated at sites impacted by humans. Our results confirm that sustaining biomass and associated ecosystem functions requires protecting diversity, most importantly of multiple large-bodied species in areas subject to strong human influences.

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Microalgae of Protected Lakes of Northwestern Ukraine

Polish Botanical Journal ◽

10.1515/pbj-2017-0008 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 61-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Yuriy Malakhov ◽

Olha Kryvosheia ◽

Petro Tsarenko

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Algal Species ◽

Ecological Network ◽

Phytoplankton Assemblages ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Microalgal Species ◽

Bile Lake ◽

Comprehensive Study

AbstractThe paper reports the first comprehensive study of microalgal species composition in four lakes of Volhynian Polissya (northwestern Ukraine), in which 271 species (279 intraspecific taxa) of 11 microalgal phyla were identified. Four dominant phytoplankton assemblages were determined for each lake. Bacillariophyta and Charophyta formed more than half (59.2%) of the taxonomic list, accounting for 94 and 66 species respectively. Desmidiaceae was the most diverse family, with 44 species (47 intraspecific taxa) of microalgae. The four lakes are highly dissimilar in species richness and composition, having only 8 (2.9%) species in common. Lake Cheremske had the highest number of algal species – 137 (144). Lake Bile, Lake Somyne and Lake Redychi were much less diverse, with 105, 79 (80) and 75 (78) species respectively. Morphological descriptions, original micrographies and figures are presented for a number of species, including some not previously documented in Ukraine: Chromulina cf. verrucosa G. A. Klebs, Eunotia myrmica Lange-Bert. and E. tetraodon Ehrenb. The lakes, which are almost pristine or are recovering, maintain diverse and valuable algal floras, making them important sites in the Pan-European ecological network.

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SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FISH FAUNA IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF QUANG NGAI PROVINCE

Tạp chí Khoa học và Công nghệ Biển ◽

10.15625/1859-3097/18/2/8562 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 166-177

Author(s):

Le Thi Thu Thao ◽

Vo Van Quang ◽

Nguyen Phi Uy Vu

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Coastal Waters ◽

Similarity Index ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Sampling Location ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Central Vietnam ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

Three surveys were carried out in May, August and December 2014 at 7 sampling location to determine species composition of fish fauna in the coastal waters of Quang Ngai province (the Central Vietnam). A total number of 178 species of fishes were identified belonging to 125 genera, 68 families and 13 orders. Analysis of community structure of fish fauna showed that Perciformes order was the most popular, making up 71.9%; Tetraodontiformes (8.4%); Pleuronectiformes (5.6%). Serranidae family was the most abundant with 14 species, making up 7.9% of the total number of species; Carangidae: 12 species (6.7%); Lutjanidae, Gobiidae had the same number of species with 9 species (5.1%); Scombridae: 7 species (3.9%); Soleidae: 6 species (3.4%); Haemulidae, Mullidae, Tetraodontidae: 5 species (2.8%);... Cluster analysing based on the Bray-Curtis similarity index of nine fish faunas (Thai Binh, Son Tra, Thu Bon, Quang Nam, Nha Phu-Binh Cang, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh) showed that fish composition of the coastal estuaries of Tra Vinh and Ben Tre had the highest similarity (80%), subsequently fish fauna of Quang Ngai had similarity with that of Nha Phu-Binh Cang (39%), Quang Ngai and Quang Nam (42%), Quang Nam and Nha Phu-Binh Cang (41%), Quang Nam and Son Tra (38%), Thai Binh and Ben Tre (37%), Quang Ngai and Son Tra (36%). The result was also classified into two distinct groups of 7 fish faunas: Group 1-Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Thai Binh; group 2-Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Nha Phu-Binh Cang and Son Tra. The species richness (Margalef’s index) of Quang Ngai (34.2) was less abundant than other areas, the highest species richness belonged to Tra Vinh (38.2), Thai Binh (38.0), Quang Nam (37.8), Nha Phu-Binh Cang (35.1), Son Tra (30.9), Ben Tre (29.4). The diversity of species composition according to the level taxa in each region showed the characteristic of each fish fauna.

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