scholarly journals New Insight Into the Mechanism of Ecological Effects of Artificial Habitats: Elucidating the Relationship Between Protists Associated With Artificial Reefs and Adjacent Seawater

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruolin Li ◽  
Yu Guo ◽  
Chuanxin Qin ◽  
Shuo Zhang ◽  
Dongping Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Artificial Habitats ◽  
Topological Features ◽  
Initial Fixation ◽  
Α Diversity ◽  
Carbon Transfer

Artificial habitat deployment can restore natural habitats or supplement existing natural habitats. The effect of resource proliferation and protection is obvious. However, few reports have addressed the biological community association between artificial habitats and adjacent environments. Here, Illumina sequencing of 18S rDNA was performed, and the diversity, community structure, and co-occurrence networks of protists in different layers of artificial reefs (ARs) and adjacent seawater (WAR) were described to verify that constructing ARs in Bailong Pearl Bay improves local spatial heterogeneity and functional diversity. In terms of the degree of species interaction, the protist communities were ranked as follows: surface and bottom of WAR > ARs and WAR > different layers of ARs. The α-diversity of protists associated with ARs and WAR decreased with an increase in depth. Protist diversity was greater in WAR than in ARs. β-Diversity analysis revealed significant differences in protist community structure between WAR and ARs (P < 0.05), and the upper layers of ARs and the middle or bottom layers of ARs differed. The key topological features of protist networks showed more positive interspecific interactions in the AR-associated protist community, a higher degree of niche differentiation, and higher complexity and stability. The keystone protists in the bottom seawater layer displayed community functions that were biased toward initial fixation in the ocean carbon cycle. The AR-associated protist community tended to participate in carbon transfer in the food chain and decomposition and utilization of dissolved organic matter (DOM). This study revealed significant differences in protist community structure between ARs and the adjacent environment, and the ecological functions of the key phyla were found to be related. In conclusion, protist communities in WAR may provide food sources for AR-associated heterotrophic protists. A variety of key phyla associated with ARs have biological roles in the carbon pump via their ecological characteristics.

Bird community structure in natural and urbanized habitats along an altitudinal gradient in Pauri district (Garhwal Himalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India

Biologia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Naithani ◽  
Dinesh Bhatt
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Altitudinal Gradient ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Forest Habitat ◽  
Rarefaction Analysis

AbstractIn the Indian subcontinent there is hardly any study that compares the bird community structure of urban/suburban areas with those of forest habitat. The present survey identified diverse assemblages of birds in the Pauri district at different elevations. A total of 125 bird species belonging to 40 families including two least count species (Lophura leucomelanos and Pucrasia marcolopha) were recorded during this survey in the forest and urbanized habitats of Pauri District (Garhwal Hiamalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India. The high elevation (Pauri 1600–2100 m a.s.l.), mid elevation (Srikot-Khanda 900–1300 m a.s.l.) and low elevation (Srinagar 500–900 m a.s.l.) contributed 88.8%, 63.2% and 58.4% of the total species respectively. Rarefaction analysis and Shannon diversity index showed that the high elevation forest habitat had highest bird species richness (BSR) and bird species diversity (BSD) followed by the mid and then the low elevation forests. BSR and BSD fluctuated across seasons at all elevations but not across habitat types. Present study provides a base line data about avian community composition in urbanized and natural habitats along altitudinal gradient in the study area. This information may be useful to the conservation biologists for the better management and conservation of the avifauna in the Western Himalaya, a part of one of the hot biodiversity spots of the world.

scholarly journals Do syntopic host species harbour similar symbiotic communities? The case ofChaetopterusspp. (Annelida: Chaetopteridae)

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e2930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temir A. Britayev ◽  
Elena Mekhova ◽  
Yury Deart ◽  
Daniel Martin
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Intraspecific Interactions ◽  
Mean Intensity ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
Symbiotic Community

To assess whether closely related host species harbour similar symbiotic communities, we studied two polychaetes,Chaetopterussp. (n = 11) andChaetopteruscf.appendiculatus(n = 83) living in soft sediments of Nhatrang Bay (South China Sea, Vietnam). The former harboured the porcellanid crabsPolyonyxcf.heokandPolyonyxsp., the pinnotherid crabTetriassp. and the tergipedid nudibranchPhestillasp. The latter harboured the polynoid polychaeteOphthalmonoe pettiboneae, the carapid fishOnuxodon fowleriand the porcellanid crabEulenaios cometes, all of which, exceptO. fowleri, seemed to be specialized symbionts. The species richness and mean intensity of the symbionts were higher inChaetopterussp. than inC.cf.appendiculatus(1.8 and 1.02 species and 3.0 and 1.05 individuals per host respectively). We suggest that the lower density ofChaetopterussp. may explain the higher number of associated symbionts observed, as well as the 100% prevalence (69.5% inC.cf.appenciculatus). MostChaetopterussp. harboured two symbiotic species, which was extremely rare inC.cf.appendiculatus, suggesting lower interspecific interactions in the former. The crab and nudibranch symbionts ofChaetopterussp. often shared a host and lived in pairs, thus partitioning resources. This led to the species coexisting in the tubes ofChaetopterussp., establishing a tightly packed community, indicating high species richness and mean intensity, together with a low species dominance. In contrast, the aggressive, strictly territorial species associated withC.cf.appendiculatusestablished a symbiotic community strongly dominated by single species and, thus, low species richness and mean intensity. Therefore, we suggest that interspecific interactions are determining species richness, intensity and dominance, while intraspecific interactions are influencing only intensity and abundance. It is possible that species composition may have influenced the differences in community structure observed. We hypothesize that both host species could originally be allopatric. The evolutionary specialization of the symbiotic communities would occur in separated geographical areas, while the posterior disappearance of the existing geographical barriers would lead to the overlapped distribution.

scholarly journals Effect of Urbanization on Vegetation in Riparian Area: Plant Communities in Artificial and Semi-Natural Habitats

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Cao ◽  
Yosihiro Natuhara
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Impervious Surface ◽  
Riparian Areas ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Artificial Habitats ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

Riparian areas are local hot spots of biodiversity that are vulnerable and easily degraded. Comparing plant communities in habitats with different degrees of urbanization may provide valuable information for the management and restoration of these vulnerable habitats. In this study, we explored the impact of urbanization on vegetation communities between artificial and semi-natural habitats within two rivers with different levels of development. We compared species richness, types of vegetation, and composition patterns of the plants in our study. In artificial habitats, the sites with relatively high levels of urbanization had the highest species richness, while in semi-natural habitats, the highest species richness was recorded in the less urbanized sites. Furthermore, every component of urbanization that contributed to the variation of species richness was examined in the current study. In artificial habitats, the proportion of impervious surface was the strongest predictor of the variation in species richness and was associated with the richness of alien, native, and riparian species. In semi-natural habitats, most of the richness of alien and native species were associated with the distance to the city center, and the number of riparian and ruderal species was significantly related to the proportion of impervious surface. Moreover, we found that a high level of urbanization was always associated with a large abundance of alien and ruderal species in both artificial and in semi-natural habitats. We recommend the methods of pair comparison of multiple rivers to analyze the impact of urbanization on plant species in riparian areas and have suggested various management actions for maintaining biodiversity and sustainability in riparian ecosystems.

scholarly journals How do food sources drive meiofauna community structure in soft-bottom coastal food webs?

2018 ◽  
Vol 165 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. H. van der Heijden ◽  
J. Rzeznik-Orignac ◽  
R. M. Asmus ◽  
D. Fichet ◽  
M. Bréret ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Soft Bottom ◽  
Meiofauna Community

Artificial Reefs in Marseille: From Complex Natural Habitats to Concepts of Efficient Artificial Reef Design

2010 ◽  
pp. 81-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Charbonnel ◽  
F. Carnus ◽  
S. Ruitton ◽  
L. Le Direac’h ◽  
J.-G. Harmelin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Reef ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Natural Habitats

Facing the future: the importance of substratum features for ecological engineering of artificial habitats in the rocky intertidal

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise B. Firth ◽  
Freya J. White ◽  
Meredith Schofield ◽  
Mick E. Hanley ◽  
Michael T. Burrows ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Trend ◽  
Ecological Engineering ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Taxon Richness ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Artificial Habitats ◽  
Warming Climate ◽  
North And South

Coastal defences are proliferating in response to climate change, leading to the creation of more vertical substrata. Efforts are being made to mitigate their impacts and create novel habitats to promote biodiversity. Little is known about the effect of aspect (i.e. north–south directionality) and inclination on intertidal biodiversity in artificial habitats. Artificial and natural habitats were compared to assess the role of aspect and substratum inclination in determining patterns of biodiversity at two tidal heights (high and mid). We also compared grazing activity between north- and south-facing surfaces in natural habitats to examine the potential for differential grazing pressure to affect community structure and functioning. Results were variable but some clear patterns emerged. Inclination had no effect on biodiversity or abundance. There was a general trend towards greater taxon richness and abundance on north-facing than south-facing substrata in natural and artificial habitats. On natural shores, the abundance and grazing activity of ‘southern’ limpets (i.e. Patella depressa) was greater on south-facing than north-facing substrata, with possible implications for further range-expansion. These results highlight the importance of incorporating shaded habitats in the construction of artificial habitats. These habitats may represent an important refuge from grazing pressure and thermal and desiccation stress in a warming climate.

Are artificial reefs an appropriate solution to protect the Danube Delta coast?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Dinu
Keyword(s):  
Wave Climate ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Artificial Reefs ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Danube Delta ◽  
Marine Geology ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Wave Heights ◽  
The Impact

<p><strong>Are artificial reefs an appropriate solution to protect the Danube Delta coast?</strong></p><p>Irina Dinu<sup>1</sup>, Vicente Gràcia<sup>2</sup>, Manuel García-León<sup>3</sup>, Adrian Stănică<sup>1</sup></p><p> </p><p><sup>1</sup> – National Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology (GeoEcoMar), 23-25 Dimitrie Onciul St., 024053, Bucharest, Romania</p><p><sup>2</sup> - Laboratory of Maritime Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (LIM-UPC), Campus Diagonal Nord, Building D1, 1-3 Jordi Girona St., 08034 Barcelona</p><p><sup>3</sup> - International Centre for Research of Coastal Resources (CIIRC), 1-3 Jordi Girona St., Mòdul D1, Campus Nord, 08003 Barcelona, Spain</p><p> </p><p>The Danube Delta coast is part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, thus being aimed to preserve its typical natural habitats. Over the last decades, human interventions along the Danube River, as well as coastal navigation and harbour protection works on the Romanian coast have determined the reduction of sediment supply along the Danube Delta coast, which is nowadays affected by erosion on its widest part.</p><p>Sustainable management plans for the Danube Delta coast include the use of working-with-nature solutions.</p><p>In this work, the effect of artificial reefs on the wave heights along the Danube Delta coast is studied. The results of a previous wave climate study and a wave model have been used for this purpose. Simulations have been performed for different setup of artificial reefs and for extreme storms with various return periods. The effect of sea level rise has also been taken into account.</p><p>Our results show that artificial reefs are significantly effective in reducing the wave heights along the Danube Delta coast. However, further detailed analysis concerning the impact of such a coastal protection solution is still needed.  </p>

Formation forest fitotsenozov Volga River right banks

10.12737/3833 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ульданова ◽  
Railya Uldanova
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Jaccard Coefficient ◽  
Coastal Forest ◽  
Coastal Forests ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Volga River ◽  
Floristic Similarity ◽  
Α Diversity ◽  
Mixed Grass

The coastal forests, presented by valuable deciduous and coniferous forests, grow in the northeastern and eastern parts of the Volga region of the Republic of Tatarstan, skirting the high right bank of the Volga River. They contribute to the maintenance of biological diversity in nature. The study of the formation of coastal forest phytocenoses, their species diversity and the modern state is now urgent work, and development activities for the conservation of natural habitats of plants, improve the sustainability of forest ecosystems are perspective direction. According to research of the forests of the right bank of the river Volga, we present the structure of coastal forest ecosystems. The association of forest ecosystems to the various elements of the relief was installed. The types of soil and litter were presented. The estimation of α-diversity of vascular herbaceous plants and ß-diversity of the studied forest ecosystems were reported. The largest number of species of vascular plants in coastal forests are: oak plant communities; a second group includes birch plants, pine and willow; the third group - the lime and larch; the fourth group - maple plant communitie. The ß-diversity index (Whittaker’s index) of plants in the studied forests varies between 2.2-6.8. The Jaccard coefficient of floristic similarity between forest ecosystems varies from 0.01 to 0.30, which confirms the diversity of generated by coastal forest ecosystems. The greatest diversity of plants was found in forests of ash and mixed grass, mixed grass willow, oak and lime-grove, maple, ash and mixed grass larches, birch wood. The forestry activities in coastal areas should be aimed at creating productive, sustainable forest ecosystems with a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna.

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