scholarly journals Vegetation Characteristics and Recent Successional Trends of Sand Dune Habitats at the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Coasts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Magdalena Valcheva ◽  
Desislava Sopotlieva ◽  
Iva Apostolova ◽  
Nadya Tsvetkova
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Vulnerable Habitats ◽  
Substantial Decline

Coastal dunes are valuable and vulnerable habitats that require scientific exploration and understanding of their natural processes; therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the current vegetation characteristics of dune habitats along the Bulgarian Coast in terms of species richness and cover of typical psammophytes and different non-psammophytic plant groups, and to analyze how they respond to certain environmental drivers. Data were collected from 12 dune systems. The research was focused on embryonic, white and grey dunes. The field work was conducted throughout July and August 2017. The vegetation was sampled at 154 phytosociological plots (5 m × 5 m). To understand how the vegetation responds to different drivers, we tested the correlation of defined species group richness and cover in relation to (1) the soil pH and EC values, (2) the distance from inland to the sea and (3) the range of different categories of land cover in the surrounding area. In order to track temporal vegetation changes, we compared the cover of defined species groups between 2003 and 2017. We registered a total number of 269 vascular plants, 12 bryophytes and 5 lichens. The strongest presence in all dune types, both in species richness and cover, was the group of grass- and shrubland plants. Weeds and ruderal plants had significant coverage in grey dunes, while the richness and cover of forest and alien plants were negligible among the studied dune habitats. The comparison of data between 2003 and 2017 revealed a substantial decline in the cover of psammophytes. We observed a clear pattern regarding the share of species richness of psammophytes and non-psammophytes among different locations. We detected that grey dunes were the most affected by the penetration of non-psammophytes.

Molecular phylogenetics, PCA, and MFA recover a new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from an isolated sandstone massif in northwestern Cambodia

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4949 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-288
Author(s):  
L. LEE GRISMER ◽  
PETER GEISSLER ◽  
THY NEANG ◽  
TIMO HARTMANN ◽  
PHILIPP WAGNER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Phylogenetics ◽  
Mitochondrial Gene ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Multiple Factor Analysis ◽  
Base Pairs ◽  
Nadh Dehydrogenase Subunit 2 ◽  
Habitat Island

The integrated results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) analyses, principal component analyses (PCA), and a multiple factor analysis (MFA) recover a new, widely allopatric species of the Cyrtodactylus intermedius species group. Cyrtodactylus kulenensis sp. nov is endemic to the Phnom Kulen sandstone massif of the Phnom Kulen National Park, Siem Reap Province, in the lowlands of northwestern Cambodia. A phylogenetic analysis from a short read (275 base pairs) of the mitochondrial gene NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) from C. kulenensis sp. nov. was aligned with 1449 base pairs from all other species in the intermedius group.  The analysis recovered C. kulenensis sp. nov. as the sister species to a lineage composed of populations from the widely separated hilly regions of Sa Keao and Sakaerat in eastern Thailand. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate analyses (ANOVA) using combinations of meristic (scale counts), mensural (morphometric), and categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 52 specimens encompassing all species of the intermedius group clearly demonstrate C. kulenensis sp. nov. is significantly different and discretely diagnosable from all other species in the intermedius group. This new discovery further highlights the herpetological diversity and high levels of range-restricted endemism in basin-habitat-island landscapes throughout Indochina and the continued need for field work in the landscapes that remain unsurveyed. 

scholarly journals Biodiversity and conservation of terricolous lichens and bryophytes in continental lowlands of northern Italy: the role of different dry habitat types

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (13) ◽  
pp. 3533-3550
Author(s):  
Gabriele Gheza ◽  
Silvia Assini ◽  
Chiara Lelli ◽  
Lorenzo Marini ◽  
Helmut Mayrhofer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Vegetation Dynamics ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Dry Grasslands ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Terricolous Lichens ◽  
Landscape Scales

Abstract In dry habitats of European lowlands terricolous lichens and bryophytes are almost neglected in conservation practises, even if they may strongly contribute to biodiversity. This study aims at (a) testing the role of heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands for lichen and bryophyte diversity and conservation in lowland areas of northern Italy characterized by high human impact and habitat fragmentation; (b) detecting the effect of environmental drivers and vegetation dynamics on species richness and composition. Lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants, and environmental variables were recorded in 287 circular plots for 75 sites. Our results indicate that heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands host peculiar terricolous lichen and bryophyte communities that include several species of conservation concern. Thus, each habitat provides a complementary contribution to lichen and bryophyte diversity in continental lowland landscapes. Furthermore, in each habitat different factors drive species richness and composition with contrasting patterns between lichens and bryophytes. In terms of conservation, our results indicate that management of lowland dry habitats should act at both local and landscape scales. At local scale, vegetation dynamics should be controlled in order to avoid biodiversity loss due to vegetation dynamics and wood encroachment. At the landscape scale, patches of all the three habitats should be maintained to maximize regional diversity.

scholarly journals Bat Species Richness and Community Composition along a Mega-transect in the Okavango River Basin

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina M. Weier ◽  
Mark Keith ◽  
Götz G. Neef ◽  
Daniel M. Parker ◽  
Peter J. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Total Activity ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Miombo Woodlands ◽  
Human Land Use ◽  
Functional Community ◽  
Okavango River

The Okavango River Basin is a hotspot of bat diversity that requires urgent and adequate protection. To advise future conservation strategies, we investigated the relative importance of a range of potential environmental drivers of bat species richness and functional community composition in the Okavango River Basin. During annual canoe transects along the major rivers, originating in the central Angolan highlands, we recorded more than 25,000 bat echolocation calls from 2015 to 2018. We corrected for possible biases in sampling design and effort. Firstly, we conducted rarefaction analyses of each survey year and sampling appeared to be complete, apart from 2016. Secondly, we used total activity as a measure of sample effort in mixed models of species richness. Species richness was highest in the Angola Miombo Woodlands and at lower elevations, with higher minimum temperatures. In total, we identified 31 individual bat species. We show that even when acoustic surveys are conducted in remote areas and over multiple years, it is possible to correct for biases and obtain representative richness estimates. Changes in habitat heterogeneity will have detrimental effects on the high richness reported here and human land-use change, specifically agriculture, must be mediated in a system such as the Angolan Miombo Woodland.

scholarly journals Is ‘re-mobilisation’ nature restoration or nature destruction? A commentary

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1093-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Delgado-Fernandez ◽  
Robin G. D. Davidson-Arnott ◽  
Patrick A. Hesp
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Bare Sand ◽  
Mechanical Removal ◽  
Nature Restoration ◽  
Dune Form ◽  
Reduced Mobility

Abstract Coastal dunes are experiencing increases in vegetation cover and reduced mobility levels in many sites around the world. Ecology-led approaches to coastal dune management perceive this change as ‘undesirable’ because the increase in plant cover leads to a reduction in partially vegetated to bare sand habitats and the species depending on them. This has generated a shift in the management paradigm where the objective is to revert this trend by intervening in the landscape, with actions ranging from re-introducing grazing and mowing, to mechanical removal of dune form and vegetation (dune ‘rejuvenation’). In some cases, such as many coastal dunes in Britain, this has also led to low controls on visitor pressure and allowing/promoting human trampling as a ‘natural’ way to free up areas of bare sand. This commentary critically analyses the main principles (and terminology) underlying this relatively recent shift in management paradigm, and questions assumptions such as ‘bare sand is good’ and/or ‘mobility is natural’ in the context of dune evolutionary cycles and responses to abiotic and biotic drivers. We review the limitations and dangers of this approach and argue that it is not sustainable given the current climatic and environmental conditions, and that it can increase the risk of coastal erosion and force dune systems to deviate from adapting and changing to direct/indirect drivers. Finally, we present the benefits of a management approach that focuses on minimizing human impacts so that natural processes continue to occur.

Exploring anthropogenic and natural processes shaping fern species richness along elevational gradients

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Marini ◽  
Enzo Bona ◽  
William E. Kunin ◽  
Kevin J. Gaston
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Elevational Gradients ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Fern Species

Environmental drivers of ant species richness and composition across the Argentine Pampas grassland

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina S. Ramos ◽  
M. Isabel Bellocq ◽  
Carolina I. Paris ◽  
Julieta Filloy
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Argentine Pampas

scholarly journals α- and β-Diversity Patterns of Macrophytes and Freshwater Fishes are Driven by Different Factors and Processes in Lakes of the Unexplored Southern Balkan Biodiversity Hotspot

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1984
Author(s):  
Anthi Oikonomou ◽  
Konstantinos Stefanidis
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Compositional Variation ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Diversity Patterns ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Α Diversity

Disentangling the main drivers of species richness and community composition is a central theme in ecology. Freshwater biodiversity patterns have been poorly explored; yet, it has been shown that different freshwater biota have different, often contrasting responses to environmental gradients. In this study, we investigated the relative contribution of geographical and environmental (habitat-, climate- and water quality-related) factors/gradients in shaping the α- and β-diversity patterns of macrophytes and fish in sixteen natural freshwater lakes of an unexplored Balkan biodiversity hotspot, the Southern Balkan Peninsula. We employed generalized linear modeling to identify drivers of α-diversity, and generalized dissimilarity modeling to explore commonalities and dissimilarities of among-biota β-diversity. Species richness of both biota was significantly associated with lake surface area, whereas macrophytes had an inverse response to altitude, compared to fish. Both species turnover and nestedness significantly contributed to the total β-diversity of macrophytes. In contrast, species turnover was the most significant contributor to the total fish β-diversity. We found that the compositional variation of macrophytes is primarily limited by dispersal and ultimately shaped by environmental drivers, resulting in spatially structured assemblages. Fish communities were primarily shaped by altitude, highlighting the role of species sorting. We conclude that among-biota diversity patterns are shaped by different/contrasting factors, and, thus, effective/sustainable conservation strategies should encompass multiple aquatic biota.

New and noteworthy records of Rodentia (Erethizontidae, Sciuridae, and Cricetidae) from Paraguay

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1784 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
GUILLERMO D’ELÍA ◽  
ISMAEL MORA ◽  
PHIL MYERS ◽  
ROBERT D. OWEN
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Oriental Region ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
The Family

Extensive field work conducted in Paraguay since 1995 allowed us to present the first records for this country of the family Sciuridae (Sciurus urucumus), the genus Bibimys (B. chacoensis), and the species Akodon paranaensis, in addition to the first formal mention of Oxymycterus misionalis, and noteworthy records of Cerradomys maracajuensis, Pseudoryzomys simplex, and Sphiggurus spinosus. These records demonstrate that the mammal fauna of the Paraguayan Oriental Region is more similar in species richness and composition to that of adjacent regions of Argentina and Brazil than previously realized.

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