scholarly journals Root Systems Research for Bioinspired Resilient Design: A Concept Framework for Foundation and Coastal Engineering

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Stachew ◽  
Thibaut Houette ◽  
Petra Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Coastal Engineering ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Systems Research

The continuous increase in population and human migration to urban and coastal areas leads to the expansion of built environments over natural habitats. Current infrastructure suffers from environmental changes and their impact on ecosystem services. Foundations are static anchoring structures dependent on soil compaction, which reduces water infiltration and increases flooding. Coastal infrastructure reduces wave action and landward erosion but alters natural habitat and sediment transport. On the other hand, root systems are multifunctional, resilient, biological structures that offer promising strategies for the design of civil and coastal infrastructure, such as adaptivity, multifunctionality, self-healing, mechanical and chemical soil attachment. Therefore, the biomimetic methodology is employed to abstract root strategies of interest for the design of building foundations and coastal infrastructures that prevent soil erosion, anchor structures, penetrate soils, and provide natural habitat. The strategies are described in a literature review on root biology, then these principles are abstracted from their biological context to show their potential for engineering transfer. After a review of current and developing technologies in both application fields, the abstracted strategies are translated into conceptual designs for foundation and coastal engineering. In addition to presenting the potential of root-inspired designs for both fields, this paper also showcases the main steps of the biomimetic methodology from the study of a biological system to the development of conceptual technical designs. In this way the paper also contributes to the development of a more strategic intersection between biology and engineering and provides a framework for further research and development projects.

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

Aspects of the Water, Electrolyte and Carbohydrate Physiology of the Silvereye, Zosterops Lateralis (Aves).

1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
IJ Rooke ◽  
SD Bradshaw ◽  
RA Langworthy
Keyword(s):  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Tritiated Water ◽  
Free Water ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Water Influx ◽  
Zosterops Lateralis ◽  
Total Body ◽  
Free Ranging

Total body water content (TBW) and TBW turnover were measured by means of tritiated water (HTO) in free-ranging populations of silvereyes, Zosterops lateralis, near Margaret River, W.A. Birds were studied in their natural habitats during spring and summer, and compared with a vineyard population in summer. In the natural habitat TBW content was found to be 77.6% in spring, which was not significantly different from that measured in summer (78.3%). Birds in vineyards in summer, however, were dehydrated, with a TBW content of 69.4%. Calculated rates of water influx for spring, summer and summer vineyards birds were 1.44,2.20 and 0.65 ml g.day-' respectively. These water turnover rates are much higher than those of any other bird yet studied. Dehydration was marked in the vineyard birds, with a significantly lower TBW content and an average net water loss of 0.63 ml day-'. Laboratory studies showed that silvereyes have a low tolerance to sodium loading. Their tolerance is, however, quite adequate for them to drink the most concentrated free water available to them in the field. Ingestion of concentrated sugar solutions of up to 25% did not provoke an osmotic diuresis and thus cannot account for the dehydration and negative water balance of vineyard birds.

scholarly journals Rapid Assessment and Ground Truthing of Habitat Composition and Analysis of Semi-Natural Habitat Diversity of Proposed Greenway Developments

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Julien Carlier ◽  
James Moran
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Matrix Composition ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Land Use Intensification ◽  
Ground Truthing

Across Europe, Greenways upcycle disused railway infrastructure into non-motorised public infrastructure, often with limited consideration to potential ecological synergies. Pre-development, disused transport corridors become relatively undisturbed and potentially host diverse semi-natural habitats. The study objectives were 1) to produce a highly detailed and accurate dataset using remote sensing with rapid assessment techniques for ground truthing and 2) subsequently examine habitat diversity existing along a proposed Greenway. A 7000 ha study corridor was based on a disused railway proposed as a transfrontier Greenway connecting the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The study applied a rapid-assessment virtual validation techniquealongside remote sensing and accuracy assessment. Inter-relationship between seminatural habitat diversity and land-use intensification was examined. Remote sensing accuracies of 89% and 99% for a real and linear habitat classification were obtained. Degrees of land-use intensification were observed throughout the corridor, highlighting the importance of maintaining and enhancing remaining semi-natural habitat that exists along the proposed Greenway route. Through understanding the landscape matrix composition and semi-natural habitat diversity, European Greenwayscan achieve multi-functionality for ecosystem conservation, forming integral components of Green Infrastructure.

scholarly journals Metodyka waloryzacji przyrodniczej. Część II: Zastosowania w praktyce ocen oddziaływania przedsięwzięć na środowisko

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 75-96
Author(s):  
Piotr Matyjasiak
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Proper Time ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Ecological Connectivity ◽  
Resource Service

The aim of this paper is (i) to review the method of valorization of natural resources as applied in the environmental impact assessment, and (ii) to develop recommendations on how valorization expertise should be prepared in order to be comprehensive and transparent. Valorization is the proper time to carry out identi>cation of the possible negative environmental impacts and damages of a planned project. It is recommended to perform valorization due to the state (numbers) and functions (quality) of natural resources. This approach is related to the concept of environmental damage, which is defined as a measurable adverse change in a natural resource or measurable impairment of a natural resource service (which means the functions performed by a natural resource for the benefit of another natural resource or the public). Valorization of natural resources should include an assessment of potential environmental damage, including an impact on the local biodiversity, the ecological connectivity, the N2000 network, and the legally protected areas. The valorization of natural resources should be performed at the following thematic levels focusing on the role of the area under consideration due to: (1) the implementation of the objectives of protection of Nature 2000 network and its overall coherence, (2) the implementation of the objectives of protection of legally protected areas other than N2000, (3) the maintenance of the ecological connectivity in a context other than the coherence of Nature 2000 network, (4) the maintenance of species and natural habitats with favorable conservation status, (5) the conservation of species and natural habitat types that are not legally protected.

scholarly journals THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS OF AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 96-99
Author(s):  
Vladimir Grigor'ev ◽  
Dan Chuong Fam Thi ◽  
Rustam Nizamov ◽  
Igor' Grigor'ev
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
World Market ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Socialist Republic ◽  
National University ◽  
The Government

Aquaculture is one of the most promising and dynamically developing types of agricultural production, especially in countries with warm climates. The research was carried out to analyze the current situation in aquaculture in Vietnam to clarify the existing problems and prospects of this industry. When collecting materials, we used statistical data from the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as well as information from representatives of the Institute of Economics and Business of the Vietnam National University (Hanoi). In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, aquaculture is well developed and continues to actively expand, annually increasing the production of products that are in significant demand on the world market. One of the most important problems of the industry is the threat to natural biodiversity, primarily due to the reduction of the natural habitats of the inhabitants of rivers and mangroves. An equally important problem is the strong dependence of the production of products, primarily shrimp, on foreign markets, which today is objective and insurmountable. Due to the use of chemicals and antibiotics in aquaculture, especially in natural conditions, environmental degradation is possible. Among the promising areas for the development of the industry is the convergence of natural ecosystems and agriculture, a good example of which is the cultivation of shrimp in mangroves without destroying the forest cover. It is possible to switch to aquaculture as an adaptation to changes in the ecological situation, primarily to the salinization of river deltas. As a result of a decrease in the profitability of fishing in the natural habitat of fish and shrimps, an increase in their populations in natural conditions is possible

scholarly journals Different Cultivation Environments Affect the Yield, Bacterial Community and Metabolites of Cordyceps cicadae

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoying Zeng ◽  
Dan Mou ◽  
Li Luo ◽  
Wenlin Zhong ◽  
Lin Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Bacterial Community Composition ◽  
Pinus Massoniana ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Entomogenous Fungus ◽  
Cordyceps Cicadae ◽  
Glass Bottles ◽  
Different Growth Stages

Cordyceps cicadae is an entomogenous fungus with important uses in traditional Chinese medicine. However, its wild resources have not met consumers’ demand due to excessive harvesting practices. Artificial cultivation is therefore an important alternative, but research on cultivating C. cicadae in natural habitats has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to explore the viability of cultivating C. cicadae in a natural habitat, in the soil of Pinus massoniana forest. We assessed and compared the yield, metabolite contents and bacterial community composition of C. cicadae grown in the Antheraea pernyi pupae at different growth stages, and under different cultivation conditions, in the soil of a natural habitat and in sterile glass bottles. Our results showed that cultivating C. cicadae in a natural habitat is feasible, with up to 95% of pupae producing C. cicadae fruiting bodies. The content of nitrogen compounds (amino acids) in C. cicadae cultivated in a natural habitat was significantly higher than in glass bottles, while the yield and carbon compound (mannitol and polysaccharide) and nucleoside (cordycepin and adenosine) contents were lower. Different bacterial genera were enriched in C. cicadae at different growth stages and cultivation environments, and these bacterial genera were closely related to metabolites contents during growth. This study demonstrated the viability of a novel cultivation method of C. cicadae, which could be used as an alternative to wild stocks of this fungus. These findings provided new insights into the growth mechanism of C. cicadae and its interaction with soil microorganisms.

scholarly journals Different resource allocation in a Bacillus subtilis population displaying bimodal motility

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Syvertsson ◽  
Biwen Wang ◽  
Jojet Staal ◽  
Yongqiang Gao ◽  
Remco Kort ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Exponential Growth ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Feedback Regulation ◽  
Bet Hedging ◽  
Hedging Strategy ◽  
Negative Feedback Regulation ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Motile Cells

To cope with sudden changes in their environment, bacteria can use a bet-hedging strategy by dividing the population into cells with different properties. This so-called bimodal or bistable cellular differentiation is generally controlled by positive feedback regulation of transcriptional activators. Due to the continuous increase in cell volume, it is difficult for these activators to reach an activation threshold concentration when cells are growing exponentially. This is one reason why bimodal differentiation is primarily observed from the onset of the stationary phase when exponential growth ceases. An exception is the bimodal induction of motility in Bacillus subtilis, which occurs early during exponential growth. Several mechanisms have been put forward to explain this, including double negative-feedback regulation and the stability of the mRNA molecules involved. In this study, we used fluorescence-assisted cell sorting to compare the transcriptome of motile and non-motile cells and noted that expression of ribosomal genes is lower in motile cells. This was confirmed using an unstable GFP reporter fused to the strong ribosomal rpsD promoter. We propose that the reduction in ribosomal gene expression in motile cells is the result of a diversion of cellular resources to the synthesis of the chemotaxis and motility systems. In agreement, single-cell microscopic analysis showed that motile cells are slightly shorter than non-motile cells, an indication of slower growth. We speculate that this growth rate reduction can contribute to the bimodal induction of motility during exponential growth. IMPORTANCE To cope with sudden environmental changes, bacteria can use a bet-hedging strategy and generate different types of cells within a population, so called bimodal differentiation. For example, a Bacillus subtilis culture can contain both motile and non-motile cells. In this study we compared the gene expression between motile and non-motile cells. It appeared that motile cells express less ribosomes. To confirm this, we constructed a ribosomal promoter fusion that enabled us to measure expression of this promoter in individual cells. This reporter fusion confirmed our initial finding. The re-allocation of cellular resources from ribosome synthesis towards synthesis of the motility apparatus results in a reduction in growth. Interestingly, this growth reduction has been shown to stimulate bimodal differentiation.

scholarly journals Bees use anthropogenic habitats despite strong natural habitat preferences

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Á. Collado ◽  
Daniel Sol ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitats ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Northeast Usa

ABSTRACTHabitat loss and alteration is widely considered one of the main drivers of the current loss of pollinator diversity. Unfortunately, we still lack a comprehensive analysis of habitat importance, use and preference for major groups of pollinators. Here, we address this gap analysing a large dataset of 15,762 bee specimens (more than 400 species) across northeast USA. We found that natural habitats sustain the highest bee diversity, with many species strongly depending on such habitats. By characterizing habitat use and preference for the 45 most abundant species, we also show that many bee species can use human-altered habitats despite exhibiting strong and clear preferences for forested habitats. However, only a few species appear to do well when the habitat has been drastically modified. We conclude that although altered environments may harbor a substantial number of species, preserving natural areas is still essential to guarantee the conservation of bee biodiversity.

scholarly journals The Policy Implementation Impact on Region Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2S9) ◽  
pp. 649-657
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Hindrance Factor ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Management Effectiveness ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Agricultural Plant

The land function alteration happens massively at Kecamatan Cimenyan, an area in North Bandung Region or known as Kawasan Bandung Utara (KBU). KBU areas are important because it is located traverse 4 different regions, such as Bandung, Kabupaten Bandung, Kabupaten Bandung Barat, and Cimahi. The main function KBU areas to the cities and districts are very important, especially for water infiltration. It means that these areas are become the main water conservation land and also a flooding prevention area, not only for Bandung Raya region, but also for West Java Region. Land function alteration that happen in Kecamatan Cimenyan are encompass forest, plantation, dry land agricultural plant or known as TPLK conversion and water conservation land alteration into housing development, hotel chain business, and even change into mining area. That leads to environmental changes, such as soil erosion and sedimentation, overflowing river that leads to floods. It’s all because the water conservation areas are getting smaller and smaller each day. Thus, this research aimed to analyse the policy implementation factors that affect the region management effectiveness, hindrance factor, and also the administration efforts at Kecamatan Cimenyan Kabupaten Bandung. An explanative method was used to analyse this research, and used cluster sampling to select the sample from 9 village and kelurahan in KBU region, Kecamatan Cimenyan Kabupaten Bandung in particular. And on every stage sampling are taken by simple random sampling method. The data of this research are examine using structure equation modelling (SEM), a procedure based on methods of successive interval. This research disclosed that the policy implementation that based on communication dimension, resources, disposition/support attitude and bureaucratic structure have a significant impact on the region management effectiveness. And the most significant dimension to determine the effectiveness of the region management was support/disposition dimension then followed by others dimension.

6. Oikos

2018 ◽  
pp. 103-127
Author(s):  
Erle C. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Global Force ◽  
Ecological Parameters ◽  
Baseline State

Human reshaping of ecology has been driving the Anthropocene transition since its very first beginnings. ‘Oikos’ explains that the Anthropocene poses even greater challenges for those working to conserve and restore natural habitats. What does ‘natural habitat’ even mean on a planet transformed by humans? The complex dynamics of human–environment interactions make it a challenge to detect whether a significant ecological change has occurred. The ‘historic range of variability’ or ‘baseline’ state of ecological parameters needs to be characterized. If human societies are now operating as a global force that is transforming Earth to the detriment of both humanity and non-human nature, what, if anything, is to be done about it?

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