scholarly journals Elevational Patterns of Blowfly Parasitism in Two Hole Nesting Avian Species

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 591
Author(s):  
Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Parasite Abundance ◽  
Coal Tit ◽  
Elevational Variation ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
High Elevations

Climate change is predicted to cause shifts in parasite distributions, leading to encounters with new hosts. Mountains offer a natural experimental background to study how parasite distributions vary across climatic gradients. Parasite abundance is generally assumed to decrease with ascending elevation, as colder climates may preclude several parasites to complete their life cycles. The present study analyses the elevational variation in the prevalence and intensity of the blowfly Protocalliphora azurea found in the nests of two hosts—the coal tit (Periparus ater) and great tit (Parus major)—in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). Protocalliphora azurea adults are free-living flies, while their larvae are nest-dwelling parasites that feed on nestling blood. In contrast to initial predictions, P. azurea larvae were less prevalent at lower elevations. In Mediterranean environments, the colder and damper climate of medium and high elevations might favour this parasite. Alternatively, greater anthropogenic perturbation in lowland environments may have a negative impact on the parasite. The findings also show that the two host species had similar parasite loads. As coal tits are half the size of great tits, this suggests that the coal tits were more severely parasitised. In conclusion, the generalised assumption that parasite abundance decreases with elevation does not hold true for the present case and elevational parasite patterns probably depend on specific host–parasite systems and climatic conditions in the mountains.

scholarly journals Host-parasite interactions under extreme climatic conditions

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Martinez ◽  
S. Merino
Keyword(s):  
Host Density ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Physiological Tolerance ◽  
Environmental Alteration ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Principal Factors ◽  
Parasitic Interactions ◽  
Lower Magnitude ◽  
Host Parasite

Abstract The effect that climatic changes can exert on parasitic interactions represents a multifactor problem whose results are difficult to predict. The actual impact of changes will depend on their magnitude and the physiological tolerance of affected organisms. When the change is considered extreme (i.e. unusual weather events that are at the extremes of the historical distribution for a given area), the probability of an alteration in an organisms’ homeostasis increases dramatically. However, factors determining the altered dynamics of host-parasite interactions due to an extreme change are the same as those acting in response to changes of lower magnitude. Only a deep knowledge of these factors will help to produce more accurate predictive models for the effects of extreme changes on parasitic interactions. Extreme environmental conditions may affect pathogens directly when they include free-living stages in their life-cycles and indirectly through reduced resource availability for hosts and thus reduced ability to produce efficient anti-parasite defenses, or by effects on host density affecting transmission dynamics of diseases or the frequency of intraspecific contact. What are the consequences for host-parasite interactions? Here we summarize the present knowledge on three principal factors in determining host-parasite associations; biodiversity, population density and immunocompetence. In addition, we analyzed examples of the effects of environmental alteration of anthropogenic origin on parasitic systems because the effects are analogous to that exerted by an extreme climatic change.

scholarly journals The life-cycle of the avian haemosporidian parasite Haemoproteus majoris, with emphasis on the exoerythrocytic and sporogonic development

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikas Ilgūnas ◽  
Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas ◽  
Dovilė Bukauskaitė ◽  
Rasa Bernotienė ◽  
Tatjana Iezhova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Biting Midges ◽  
Vector Identity ◽  
Bayesian Phylogeny

Abstract Background Haemoproteus parasites (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) are cosmopolitan in birds and recent molecular studies indicate enormous genetic diversity of these pathogens, which cause diseases in non-adapted avian hosts. However, life-cycles remain unknown for the majority of Haemoproteus species. Information on their exoerythrocytic development is particularly fragmental and controversial. This study aimed to gain new knowledge on life-cycle of the widespread blood parasite Haemoproteus majoris. Methods Turdus pilaris and Parus major naturally infected with lineages hPHYBOR04 and hPARUS1 of H. majoris, respectively, were wild-caught and the parasites were identified using microscopic examination of gametocytes and PCR-based testing. Bayesian phylogeny was used to determine relationships between H. majoris lineages. Exoerythrocytic stages (megalomeronts) were reported using histological examination and laser microdissection was applied to isolate single megalomeronts for genetic analysis. Culicoides impunctatus biting midges were experimentally exposed in order to follow sporogonic development of the lineage hPHYBOR04. Results Gametocytes of the lineage hPHYBOR04 are indistinguishable from those of the widespread lineage hPARUS1 of H. majoris, indicating that both of these lineages belong to the H. majoris group. Phylogenetic analysis supported this conclusion. Sporogony of the lineage hPHYBOR04 was completed in C. impunctatus biting midges. Morphologically similar megalomeronts were reported in internal organs of both avian hosts. These were big roundish bodies (up to 360 μm in diameter) surrounded by a thick capsule-like wall and containing irregularly shaped cytomeres, in which numerous merozoites developed. DNA sequences obtained from single isolated megalomeronts confirmed the identification of H. majoris. Conclusions Phylogenetic analysis identified a group of closely related H. majoris lineages, two of which are characterized not only by morphologically identical blood stages, but also complete sporogonic development in C. impunctatus and development of morphologically similar megalomeronts. It is probable that other lineages belonging to the same group would bear the same characters and phylogenies based on partial cytb gene could be used to predict life-cycle features in avian haemoproteids including vector identity and patterns of exoerythrocytic merogony. This study reports morphologically unique megalomeronts in naturally infected birds and calls for research on exoerythrocytic development of haemoproteids to better understand pathologies caused in avian hosts.

scholarly journals First record of Diplotriaena henryi Blanc, 1919 from the coal tit, Parus ater with new report from the great tit, Parus major in the Middle East

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-241
Author(s):  
I. Mobedi ◽  
M. Sehhatisabet ◽  
E. Razmjou ◽  
S. Shafiei
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
First Record ◽  
Great Tit ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
Coal Tit ◽  
Parus Ater

AbstractSeven males and thirteen female Diplotriaena henryi Blanc 1919 were collected from body cavities (heart, sternum, and chest) of tits (one Parus major and three Parus ater) in plain woodland of Noor, in Northern Iran.

scholarly journals Decline in the frequency and benefits of multiple brooding in great tits as a consequence of a changing environment

2009 ◽  
Vol 276 (1663) ◽  
pp. 1845-1854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arild Husby ◽  
Loeske E.B. Kruuk ◽  
Marcel E. Visser
Keyword(s):  
Life History Traits ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Double Brooding ◽  
First Clutch ◽  
Second Clutch ◽  
Reproductive Events

For multiple-brooded species, the number of reproductive events per year is a major determinant of an individual's fitness. Where multiple brooding is facultative, its occurrence is likely to change with environmental conditions, and, as a consequence, the current rates of environmental change could have substantial impacts on breeding patterns. Here we examine temporal population-level trends in the proportion of female great tits ( Parus major ) producing two clutches per year (‘double brooding’) in four long-term study populations in The Netherlands, and show that the proportion of females that double brood has declined in all populations, with the strongest decline taking place in the last 30 years of the study. For one of the populations, for which we have data on caterpillar abundance, we show that the probability that a female produces a second clutch was related to the timing of her first clutch relative to the peak in caterpillar abundance, and that the probability of double brooding declined over the study period. We further show that the number of recruits from the second clutch decreased significantly over the period 1973–2004 in all populations. Our results indicate that adjustment to changing climatic conditions may involve shifts in life-history traits other than simply the timing of breeding.

A PROMISING ASSORTMENT OF TREES AND SHRUBS FOR LANDSCAPING IN VOLGOGRAD CITY

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
E.N. Tyukhtina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Ecological Situation ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
High Level ◽  
The City ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

The article deals with one of the most relevant topics of the modern city and ecology - the problem of landscaping in Volgograd. The city is characterized by an industrial urbanism, with a high concentration of population, saturation of production facilities and vehicles, which contributes to a high level of negative impact on the environment. The pace of greening of the city lags behind the pace of construction of the residential sector, and the existing green spaces do not meet the sanitary and hygienic, aesthetic requirements. The prospects of this problem are determined, the existing green spaces are considered, data on the climatic conditions of the city and the ecological situation are given. Improvement in the field of landscaping is associated with the scientifically sound placement of green spaces, taking into account all the factors that affect the growth and development of plants in the urban environment. Unfortunately, due to the uneven distribution of the assortment of trees and shrubs, the species composition of the central streets and squares of the city is extremely poor. The study focuses on the role of the botanical garden in urban landscaping and aims to create recommendations for the sorting of tree and shrub plants for urban landscaping. As a result of the analysis of the assortment of ornamental plants of the open ground of the botanical garden, the article proposed species and varieties of woody and shrubby plants that have passed the introduction tests for more than 5-10 years. Recommendations for sorting are aimed at improving the ecological situation of the city and greening the recreation areas of citizens. The proposed list of tree and shrub species cannot fully solve the problem of greening the city, but it will help to significantly enrich the composition of tree and shrub plants.

scholarly journals Effect of Climatic Factors on Stem Biomass and Carbon Stock of Larix gmelinii and Betula platyphylla in Daxing’anling Mountain of Inner Mongolia, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilawar Khan ◽  
Muhammad Atif Muneer ◽  
Zaib-Un- Nisa ◽  
Sher Shah ◽  
Muhammad Amir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inner Mongolia ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
High Temperature Stress ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Larix Gmelinii ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Betula Platyphylla ◽  
Stem Biomass ◽  
Annual Minimum Temperature

Climate change has become a global concern for scientists as it is affecting almost every ecosystem. Larix gmelinii and Betula platyphylla are native and dominant forest species in the Daxing’anling Mountains of Inner Mongolia, playing a major role in carbon sequestration of this region. This study was carried out to assess the effect of climate variables including precipitation and temperature on the biomass of Larix gmelinii and Betula platyphylla forests. For this purpose, we used the climate-sensitive stem biomass allometric model for both species separately to find out accurate stem biomass along with climatic factors from 1950 to 2016. A total of 66 random plots were taken to attain the data from this study area. Larix gmelinii and Betula platyphylla stem biomass have a strong correlation with annual precipitation (R2 = 0.86, R2 = 0.71, R2 = 0.79, and R2 = 0.59) and maximum temperature (R2 = 0.76, R2 = 0.64, R2 = 0.67, and R2 = 0.52). However, annual minimum temperature (R2 = 0.58, R2 = 0.43, R2 = 0.55, and R2 = 0.46) and annual mean temperature (R2 = 0.40, R2 = 0.22, R2 = 0.36, and R2 = 0.19) have a relatively negative impact on tree biomass. Therefore, we suggest that both species have a very strong adaptive nature with climatic variation and hence can survive under drought and high-temperature stress climatic conditions.

scholarly journals Trends in crop production as a factor of ensuring food security of the Perm Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 213 (10) ◽  
pp. 81-92
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Shalaeva
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sown Area ◽  
Perm Region

Abstract. Goal. The assessment of the main trends in the activity of agricultural producers in crop production was carried out in order to substantiate the possibilities of the Perm Region for self-sufficiency with the main types of food resources in the presence of adverse effects of natural and climatic conditions. Methods. A statistical analysis was carried out using grouping and comparison methods based on the official statistics of the Perm Region for 2016-2020. Results. In accordance with the social and geographical specifics of the Perm Region, on the territory of which rural areas predominate, the largest volume of crop production is produced in the households of the population (up to 58 %), whose activities are characterized by the lowest level of stability and are more susceptible to the negative impact of natural and climatic conditions. The activity of agricultural organizations (share up to 36 %) and farms (share up to 8 %) is more stable. A higher level of dependence on natural and climatic conditions was revealed in the field of potato production, a lower level – in the field of grain and vegetables production of protected soil. The risk is reinforced by the fact that up to 70 % of the natural volume of potatoes and more than 80% of vegetables are produced in households. With a decrease in the total sown area by 1.2 %, there is a decrease in the sown area of potatoes by 15 % and vegetables by 6 %. The identified trends allowed us to identify the risk of reducing the level of food self-sufficiency of the Perm Region with potatoes and vegetables. The insecurity of domestic potato consumption in the Perm Region is, according to preliminary data, 13 % in 2020. The presence of risk was also revealed for vegetables, the internal consumption of the region was provided with vegetable products of its own production by an average of 56% during the study period. The results obtained allow us to identify the directions of optimization of the Perm Region strategy in solving the problems of food self-sufficiency. Scientific novelty. The dynamics of factors of crop production (structure, yield, acreage, intensification) is assessed taking into account the social, geographical, natural and climatic specifics of the Perm Region through the prism of the impact on the regional food balance and the level of self-sufficiency of the region with potatoes and vegetables.

scholarly journals Aspects Concerning the Impact of Climate Aridization on Forest Ecosystems (Case Study)

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-75
Author(s):  
Nedealcov Maria ◽  
Donica Ala ◽  
Brașoveanu Valeriu ◽  
Grigoraș Nicolae ◽  
Deomidova Cristina
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Aridity Index ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Climate Aridization ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Assessment activity and surveillance of the forests health, held at the global, regional and local level, has continuously developed, culminating in the current period with interdisciplinary and extensive scientific researches, that evaluate the effects of the main factors on forest ecosystems state, in particular, air pollution and climate change. Scientific researches have shown that among trees ecophysiological processes, forest life processes and meteorological parameters there are direct dependences, particularly in the case of trees supply with water during the growing period (May-July), with major influences for critical months (July and August), which have a decisive impact on growth, vitality and production of organic matter in forests. Dry years, from the beginning of the third millennium can lead to a decrease of mesophilic forests area (beech, sessile oak and penduculate oak), which will tend to retreat towards the center of the area (central Europe) in favor of thermophilic forests with pubescent oak. It was determined that a most significant negative impact of climate aridization will feel the forest ecosystems from Southern and central regions of country (conditioned by the mean air temperature (July-August), monthly rainfall (May-August), evapotranspiration and geographic latitude), and less - the Northern part of the country (Forestry Aridity Index calculated for 3 experimental stations revealed variations of this index between 7.8 - 8.3 - in the Central part of country, and 8.4 - 8.6 - for Southern part of country). At the same time the impact of climate change will determine the spatial and temporal dynamics of pests and pathogenic species. The phenomenon of climate aridization was expressed also through the impact of the Microsphaera alphitoides disease, intensity of “mildew” attack being based on the climatic conditions of the study region. Obtained data, for confirmation, were correlated with indications of bioindicators, present in the study region.

Limitations and Impacts of Agricultural Production on the Savanna Belt: the Nigerian Case

1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chijioke C. Onyebuchi
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Ecological Principles ◽  
Nigerian Savanna

It is not enough simply to identify the limiting factors to agricultural production, supply the appropriate inputs and then expect to be able to meet food demands. It is essential also to protect the environment in which food is grown, especially in areas of fragile ecosystems and harsh climatic conditions, in order to ensure both increased production and stability of the production base. In the Nigerian savanna belt, traditional and mechanized large-scale farming systems are both practised, and they combine with unfavourable climatic conditions to exert a strong negative impact on the environment. Here, these interactions are examined and the case is made for incorporating fundamental ecological principles and concepts of sustainability into farming systems, in Nigeria and elsewhere.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOGENIC IMPACT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DANGEROUS GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS OF THE NORTHERN CAUCASUS

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-450
Author(s):  
Irina Malneva ◽  
Nina Kononova ◽  
Muhtar Hadzhiev
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Northern Caucasus ◽  
North Caucasus ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Technogenic Impact ◽  
The North ◽  
Geological Processes ◽  
Rock Formations ◽  
Operational Forecasts

The article presents an assessment of technogenic impact on the development of hazardous geological processes in the mountainous regions of the Northern Caucasus in the current century. Technogenic impact is determined by the stability of rock formations that make up the Krasnodar Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria, and North Ossetia relative to the impacts of other forces. It is also noted that the activity of hazardous geological processes is largely determined by the interaction of climatic conditions, which determine their speed, and technogenesis. Examples of problematic territories of the North Caucasus are given. To assess climatic changes and major catastrophes, a typology of atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere was developed under the leadership of B.L. Dzerdzeevsky. Typification materials from the period between 1899 and 2018 are posted in the public domain, at www.atmospheric-circulation.ru. The largest catastrophes, in which landslides and mudflows became more active, and the interaction of natural and man-made factors in these disasters are considered.Hazardous geological processes can disrupt the sustainable development of individual regions with their negative impact on the environment. The assessment of their danger is therefore of special current relevance. The article considers the possibility of predicting catastrophes associated with these processes. Long-term forecasts of landslides, mudflows and other processes continue to be important. The methodology of such forecasting was previously developed in sufficient detail. The greatest importance is assigned to operational forecasts that will make it possible to warn of possible danger hours or even days ahead.

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