scholarly journals First Report on the Benthic Invertebrate Community Associated With a Bronze Naval Ram From the First Punic War: A Proxy of Marine Biodiversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Flavia Gravina ◽  
Edoardo Casoli ◽  
Luigia Donnarumma ◽  
Jacopo Giampaoletti ◽  
Federica Antonelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Benthic Assemblages ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Informative Role ◽  
Colonization Patterns ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate Community

Historical traces of organisms on the seafloor, such as shells and tubes, constitute the ecological memory of ancient benthic assemblages and serve as an important resource for understanding the assembly of modern communities. Archeological shipwrecks are particularly interesting submerged substrata for both their archeological and biological implications. For the first time, we studied the species composition and life-history traits of dominant organisms in the benthic assemblage on a bronze Carthaginian naval ram, which sank more than two thousand years ago in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. By comparing the species composition of the ram assemblage with those of the surrounding habitats, we inferred possible colonization patterns for the ram and discussed the informative role of the shipwreck as a proxy of marine biodiversity. The ram assemblage was rich in species, including both sessile (bryozoans, serpulid polychaetes, and few bivalves) and motile (gastropods) species. Sexual reproduction with free-spawning fertilization and long-duration larvae characterized most species. The long submersion time of the ram, together with the reproductive strategies, growth forms, and motility of the dominant species were key factors shaping the community of the ram. The ram itself offers an archeological artifact of inestimable value, but our analysis revealed it to be an effective collector of fauna from the surrounding seabed. The ram community hosted species from a range of nearby natural habitats (mostly coralligenous, detritic bottoms, and zoosteracean meadows) and thus served as a proxy for marine biodiversity on the surrounding seabed. We conclude that the presence of many species on the ram that commonly occur in adjacent habitats of great environmental value was informative and highlight the important marine biodiversity in the area of the Aegadian archipelago.

Do predaceous stoneflies and siltation affect the structure of stream insect communities colonizing enclosures?

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1519-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara L. Peckarsky
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Insect Communities ◽  
Composite Effect ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate Community

Experiments in Colorado and New York streams assessed the effects of predaceous stoneflies on benthic invertebrate community establishment in enclosures providing uncolonized habitat. Aspects of prey community structure measured were density, species richness, relative species abundance, and body size. Unexpected inorganic sediment deposition allowed evaluation of direct effects on Colorado stream benthos and indirect effects on predation. Predaceous perlids and perlodids consistently reduced the density and, therefore, rate of prey community establishment in enclosures. Although New York perlids disproportionately reduced densities of some prey species, Colorado stoneflies caused nonsignificant declines in individual prey species densities, the composite effect of which was a significant whole-community response. Predators did not affect prey species richness nor change the taxonomic composition (species additions or deletions) of communities colonizing enclosures. However, the relative abundance of prey taxa differed significantly between cages with and without predators. Most species showed no size differences between individuals colonizing enclosures with predators and those colonizing control enclosures, with a few interesting exceptions. The deposition of silt eliminated the predator effects on prey density, as well as directly causing significant reductions in many Colorado benthic populations. This result demonstrates that abiotic disturbances can periodically override the effects of predation on stream insect communities colonizing enclosures.

Mixtures of metals and hydrocarbons elicit complex responses by a benthic invertebrate community

2004 ◽  
Vol 310 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod N. Millward ◽  
Kevin R. Carman ◽  
John W. Fleeger ◽  
Robert P. Gambrell ◽  
Ralph Portier
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate Community

Bird Use of Fields Treated Postharvest With Two Types of Flooding in Tulare Basin, California

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Fleskes ◽  
Daniel A. Skalos ◽  
Melissa A. Farinha
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Central Valley ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Density Estimate ◽  
Habitat Conservation ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Effective Option ◽  
Tulare Basin

Abstract We surveyed birds on grain and nongrain fields in the Tulare Basin of California treated postharvest with two types of flooding that varied in duration and depth of water applied (flooded-type [FLD] fields: <1 cm–1.5 m for >1 wk; irrigated-type [IRG] fields: <1–15 cm water for <1 wk at a time). Our goal was to compare use of these field types by birds to guide habitat conservation in the region. During 19 August–6 December 2005, we counted a total of 80,316 birds during 23 surveys of 5 FLD fields (four wheat, one alfalfa) and 8,225 birds during 38 surveys of 33 IRG fields (23 cotton, 4 tomato, 3 wheat, 1 alfalfa, 1 oat, 1 fallow). We recorded 14 waterfowl (13 duck, 1 goose), 29 other waterbird (coots, shorebirds, grebes, pelicans, herons, egrets, gulls, terns), and 14 nonwaterbird (passerines, raptors, and vultures) species on FLD fields compared to 5 duck, 14 other waterbird, and 9 nonwaterbird species on IRG fields. Species composition differed by field type; waterfowl comprised a greater percentage (FLD vs. IRG, 16.2% vs. 1.3%), other waterbirds a similar percentage (80.4% vs. 71.6%), and nonwaterbirds a lower percentage (3.5% vs. 27.1%) of birds on FLD than on IRG fields. The modeled density estimate of waterfowl was 108 times greater on FLD than IRG fields and 7.4 times greater on grain than nongrain fields. The density estimate of other waterbirds was 11.8 times greater on FLD than IRG fields and 4.4 times greater on grain than nongrain fields. The density estimate of nonwaterbirds was 14.3 times greater on grain than nongrain fields but did not differ by flood type. Long duration (i.e., >1 wk) flooding increased waterbird use of grain fields in the Tulare Basin more than in the northern Central Valley. Thus, even though water costs are high in the Tulare Basin, if net benefit to waterbirds is considered, management programs that increase availability of FLD fields (especially grain) in the Tulare Basin may be a cost-effective option to help meet waterbird habitat conservation goals in the Central Valley of California.

Cascading effects of flow reduction on the benthic invertebrate community in a lowland river

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 717 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Graeber ◽  
Martin T. Pusch ◽  
Stefan Lorenz ◽  
Mario Brauns
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Lowland River ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Flow Reduction ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate Community

Effluent Characterization, Water Quality Monitoring and Sediment Monitoring in the Metal Mining EEM Program

2002 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-228
Author(s):  
Roy Parker ◽  
Charles Dumaresq
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Community Surveys ◽  
Metal Mining ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate Community ◽  
Sediment Monitoring

Abstract The metal mining Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program will require mines to conduct effluent characterization and water quality monitoring on an ongoing basis. Samples will be collected four times a year, and will be analyzed for a range of parameters. This information will be used to aid in the design and interpretation of fish surveys and benthic invertebrate community surveys. There are also a number of water quality monitoring methods that may be used to help determine the cause of any effects identified by the EEM program. Mines will also be required to collect sediment samples for determination of particle size distribution and total organic carbon. This information will be used in the design and interpretation of benthic invertebrate community surveys. A range of sediment monitoring techniques are available to aid in the determination of the causes of effects on the benthic invertebrate community.

scholarly journals Coral species composition drives key ecosystem function on coral reefs

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1921) ◽  
pp. 20192214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Richardson ◽  
Nicholas A. J. Graham ◽  
Andrew S. Hoey
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Algal Turf ◽  
Benthic Assemblages ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Visual Occlusion

Rapid and unprecedented ecological change threatens the functioning and stability of ecosystems. On coral reefs, global climate change and local stressors are reducing and reorganizing habitat-forming corals and associated species, with largely unknown implications for critical ecosystem functions such as herbivory. Herbivory mediates coral–algal competition, thereby facilitating ecosystem recovery following disturbance such as coral bleaching events or large storms. However, relationships between coral species composition, the distribution of herbivorous fishes and the delivery of their functional impact are not well understood. Here, we investigate how herbivorous fish assemblages and delivery of two distinct herbivory processes, grazing and browsing, differ among three taxonomically distinct, replicated coral habitats. While grazing on algal turf assemblages was insensitive to different coral configurations, browsing on the macroalga Laurencia cf. obtusa varied considerably among habitats, suggesting that different mechanisms may shape these processes. Variation in browsing among habitats was best predicted by the composition and structural complexity of benthic assemblages (in particular the cover and composition of corals, but not macroalgal cover), and was poorly reflected by visual estimates of browser biomass. Surprisingly, the lowest browsing rates were recorded in the most structurally complex habitat, with the greatest cover of coral (branching Porites habitat). While the mechanism for the variation in browsing is not clear, it may be related to scale-dependent effects of habitat structure on visual occlusion inhibiting foraging activity by browsing fishes, or the relative availability of alternate dietary resources. Our results suggest that maintained functionality may vary among distinct and emerging coral reef configurations due to ecological interactions between reef fishes and their environment determining habitat selection.

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

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document