Effect of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Floristic Homogenization in the Floodplain Landscape: Insights from the Taxonomic and Functional Perspectives

Anthropogenic disturbances pose significant threats to biodiversity. However, limited information has been acquired regarding the degree of impact human disturbance has on the β-diversity of plant assemblages, especially in threatened ecosystems (e.g., floodplains). In the present study, the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on plant communities of floodplain areas (the Miya River, Mie Prefecture, Japan) were analyzed. The taxonomic and functional β-diversity among different degradation levels were compared, and the differences were assessed by tests for homogeneity in multivariate dispersions. In addition, the effects of non-native species and environmental factors on β-diversity were analyzed. As revealed from the results, anthropogenic disturbance led to taxonomic homogenization at a regional scale. The increase in non-native invasions tended to improve homogenization, whereas at a low degradation level, the occurrence of non-natives species was usually related to taxonomic differentiation. Furthermore, though the increase in non-natives and environmental parameters significantly affected the β-diversity of the floodplain area, environmental factors may be of more crucial importance than biotic interactions in shaping species assemblages in this study. The previously mentioned result is likely to be dependent on the research scale and the extent to which floodplains are disturbed. Given the significant importance of floodplains, the significance of looking at floodplains in the different levels of degradation was highlighted, and both invasion of non-native species and environmental factors should be considered to gain insights into the response of ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbance. The findings of this study suggested that conservation programs in floodplain areas should place more emphasis on the preservation of natural processes and forest resources.

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An inter-dependence of flood and drought: disentangling amphibian beta diversity in seasonal floodplains

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf16391 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (11) ◽

pp. 2115 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Leonardo F. B. Moreira ◽

Tainá F. Dorado-Rodrigues ◽

Vanda L. Ferreira ◽

Christine Strüssmann

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Explanatory Variable ◽

Biotic Interactions ◽

Ecological Role ◽

Β Diversity ◽

Amphibian Community ◽

Dry Seasons

Species composition in floodplains is often affected by different structuring factors. Although floods play a key ecological role, habitat selection in the dry periods may blur patterns of biodiversity distribution. Here, we employed a partitioning framework to investigate the contribution of turnover and nestedness to β-diversity patterns in non-arboreal amphibians from southern Pantanal ecoregion. We investigated whether components of β-diversity change by spatial and environmental factors. We sampled grasslands and dense arboreal savannas distributed in 12 sampling sites across rainy and dry seasons, and analysed species dissimilarities using quantitative data. In the savannas, both turnover and nestedness contributed similarly to β diversity. However, we found that β diversity is driven essentially by turnover, in the grasslands. In the rainy season, balanced variation in abundance was more related to altitude and factors that induce spatial patterns, whereas dissimilarities were not related to any explanatory variable during dry season. In the Pantanal ecoregion, amphibian assemblages are influenced by a variety of seasonal constraints on terrestrial movements and biotic interactions. Our findings highlighted the role of guild-specific patterns and indicated that mass effects are important mechanisms creating amphibian community structure in the Pantanal.

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Pengaruh faktor lingkungan terhadap pertumbuhan beberapa aksesi Dioscorea alata L terpilih koleksi kebun raya purwodadi

Jurnal Agro ◽

10.15575/10594 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 25-39

Author(s):

Abban Putri Fiqa ◽

Titik Helen Nursafitri ◽

Fauziah Fauziah ◽

Shofiyatul Masudah

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Light Intensity ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Dioscorea Alata ◽

Limited Information ◽

Weed Species ◽

Trial Site ◽

Water Yam ◽

Nutrition Source

Uwi (Dioscorea alata L.) merupakan jenis tanaman umbi-umbian berpotensi nutrisi. Namun pemanfaatannya sebagai bahan pangan alternatif masih jarang, karena keterbatasan informasi potensi nutrisi dan sistem budidaya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan faktor-faktor lingkungan yang berpengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan uwi. Penelitian dilakukan di lahan percobaan di Kabupaten Pasuruan, pada tujuh aksesi yang dipilih berdasarkan hasil penelitian sebelumnya, yaitu aksesi nomor 28, 36, dan 86 (Pasuruan), 42 dan 43 (Nganjuk), 57 dan 66 (Malang). Parameter lingkungan yang diamati meliputi suhu udara, kelembaban udara, intensitas cahaya, pH tanah, kelembaban tanah, jumlah dan jenis gulma. Hasil pengamatan dianalisis secara deskriptif dan statistik dengan uji Biplot menggunakan software Past 3. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa intensitas cahaya dan jumlah jenis gulma merupakan faktor lingkungan yang paling berpengaruh pada pertumbuhan tanaman uwi. Terdapat tiga grup aksesi tanaman uwi berdasarkan perbedaan faktor lingkungan yang mempengaruhi pertumbuhannya. Aksesi 42, 43 dan 57 dipengaruhi oleh suhu dan kelembaban udara, aksesi 28, 36 dan 66 dipengaruhi oleh intensitas cahaya dan aksesi 86 dipengaruhi oleh pH tanah. Analisis deskriptif menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar gulma yang tumbuh merupakan tanaman invasif yang mempengaruhi pertumbuhan tanaman komoditas. Aksesi nomor 42, 43 dan 57 direkomendasikan untuk dibudidayakan di lahan sub optimal dengan kondisi pH asam dan minim air.AbstractWater yam (Dioscorea alataL.) is one of the tubers potentially as nutrition source. However, its utilization as the source of food alternative is still rare causes by limited information about its nutritional content and cultivation. The research aimed to determine the environmental factors effects the growth of water yam. The study was conducted in the trial site at Pasuruan with seven selected accessions of water yam based on previous research i.e. accessions number 28, 36 and 86 (Pasuruan), 42 and 43 (Nganjuk), 57 and 66 (Malang). The observed environmental parameters were the number and type of weeds, temperature, humidity, light intensity, soil pH, and soil moisture. The observations were descriptive and statistically analyzed using Biplot test with Past 3 software. The results showed that the light intensity and the number of weed species are the environmental factors that have the most affected on the growth of water yam plants. Accessions 28, 36 and 66 are affected by light intensity, accession 86 is affected by soil pH, and accessions 42, 43 and 57 are affected by air temperature and humidity. Most of the weeds grown in the study area are invasive species, which affect the growth of cultivated crops, so weeding is needed. Accession number 42, 43 and 57 adaptively grow in sub-optimum land with acidic pH conditions and minimum water capacity.

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Predicting the Presence of Leptospires in Rodents from Environmental Indicators Opens Up Opportunities for Environmental Monitoring of Human Leptospirosis

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13020325 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 325

Author(s):

Leon Biscornet ◽

Christophe Révillion ◽

Sylvaine Jégo ◽

Erwan Lagadec ◽

Yann Gomard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Sampling Site ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Environmental Indicators ◽

Small Island ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Infection Prevalence

Leptospirosis, an environmental infectious disease of bacterial origin, is the infectious disease with the highest associated mortality in Seychelles. In small island territories, the occurrence of the disease is spatially heterogeneous and a better understanding of the environmental factors that contribute to the presence of the bacteria would help implement targeted control. The present study aimed at identifying the main environmental parameters correlated with animal reservoirs distribution and Leptospira infection in order to delineate habitats with highest prevalence. We used a previously published dataset produced from a large collection of rodents trapped during the dry and wet seasons in most habitats of Mahé, the main island of Seychelles. A land use/land cover analysis was realized in order to describe the various environments using SPOT-5 images by remote sensing (object-based image analysis). At each sampling site, landscape indices were calculated and combined with other geographical parameters together with rainfall records to be used in a multivariate statistical analysis. Several environmental factors were found to be associated with the carriage of leptospires in Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus, namely low elevations, fragmented landscapes, the proximity of urbanized areas, an increased distance from forests and, above all, increased precipitation in the three months preceding trapping. The analysis indicated that Leptospira renal carriage could be predicted using the species identification and a description of landscape fragmentation and rainfall, with infection prevalence being positively correlated with these two environmental variables. This model may help decision makers in implementing policies affecting urban landscapes and/or in balancing conservation efforts when designing pest control strategies that should also aim at reducing human contact with Leptospira-laden rats while limiting their impact on the autochthonous fauna.

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Longitudinal zonation of larval Hydropsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae): abiotic environmental factors and biotic interactions behind the downstream sequence of Central European species

Hydrobiologia ◽

10.1007/s10750-021-04602-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Márk Ficsór ◽

Zoltán Csabai

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Biotic Interactions ◽

Life Cycles ◽

Longitudinal Distribution ◽

Central European ◽

European Species ◽

Longitudinal Gradients ◽

Species Specific ◽

Behavioural Aspects ◽

Abiotic Environmental Factors

AbstractThe aim of this review is to summarize the literature knowledge about how abiotic environmental factors and biotic interactions affect the sequentially overlapping longitudinal distribution of Central European species of the net-spinning freshwater caddisfly larvae of the genus Hydropsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae). In this relation, several physical and chemical parameters of water are discussed, as well as different species-specific traits, behavioural aspects and the interaction of coexisting species. Longitudinal gradients of river networks, especially annual temperature range, flow velocity and the particle size of suspended food material play a crucial role in forming the downstream succession of characteristic species, while increased levels of organic pollution, nutrients, salinity and heavy metals facilitates the presence of more tolerant ones. Several species-specific traits, such as respiration range, net-building frequency, head capsule size or optimal net-building velocity correlate with the position of a given species in the sequence. Coexistence of species with similar ecological demands in the overlapping zones of distribution is facilitated by differences in feeding and net-building habits, microhabitat preferences and staggering life cycles, but complicated at the same time by means of inter- and intraspecific territorial behaviour, such as fighting for the ownership of larval retreats or the practice of stridulation.

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Risk and Environmental Factors Associated with the Presence of Canine Parvovirus Type 2 in Diarrheic Dogs from Thessaly, Central Greece

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10050590 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 590

Author(s):

Maria Kantere ◽

Labrini V. Athanasiou ◽

Alexios Giannakopoulos ◽

Vassilis Skampardonis ◽

Marina Sofia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Gastrointestinal Disease ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Canine Parvovirus ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Working Dogs ◽

Canine Parvovirus Type 2

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) primarily infects dogs, which are the main host reservoir, causing severe gastrointestinal disease associated with immunosuppression. The present study was conducted in Thessaly, Greece and aimed to identify risk and environmental factors associated with CPV-2 infection in diarrheic dogs. Fecal samples were collected from 116 dogs presenting diarrhea and were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of CPV-2 DNA. Supplementary data regarding clinical symptoms, individual features, management factors and medical history were also gathered for each animal during clinical evaluation. Sixty-eight diarrheic dogs were found to be positive for the virus DNA in their feces. Statistical analysis revealed that CPV-2 DNA was less likely to be detected in senior dogs, while working dogs, namely hounds and shepherds, had higher odds to be positive for the virus. Livestock density and land uses, specifically the categories of discontinuous urban fabric and of human population density, were identified as significant environmental parameters associated with CPV-2 infection by using Geographical Information System (GIS) together with the Ecological Niche Model (ENM). This is the first description of the environmental variables associated with the presence of CPV-2 DNA in dogs’ feces in Greece.

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Relationships between Environmental Factors and Pathogenic Vibrios in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00697-10 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 76 (21) ◽

pp. 7076-7084 ◽

Cited By ~ 119

Author(s):

C. N. Johnson ◽

A. R. Flowers ◽

N. F. Noriea ◽

A. M. Zimmerman ◽

J. C. Bowers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Water Column ◽

Vibrio Vulnificus ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Pathogenicity Factor ◽

Hemolysin Gene ◽

Thermostable Direct Hemolysin ◽

Pathogenic Vibrios ◽

Abundance And Distribution

ABSTRACT Although autochthonous vibrio densities are known to be influenced by water temperature and salinity, little is understood about other environmental factors associated with their abundance and distribution. Densities of culturable Vibrio vulnificus containing vvh (V. vulnificus hemolysin gene) and V. parahaemolyticus containing tlh (thermolabile hemolysin gene, ubiquitous in V. parahaemolyticus), tdh (thermostable direct hemolysin gene, V. parahaemolyticus pathogenicity factor), and trh (tdh-related hemolysin gene, V. parahaemolyticus pathogenicity factor) were measured in coastal waters of Mississippi and Alabama. Over a 19-month sampling period, vibrio densities in water, oysters, and sediment varied significantly with sea surface temperature (SST). On average, tdh-to-tlh ratios were significantly higher than trh-to-tlh ratios in water and oysters but not in sediment. Although tlh densities were lower than vvh densities in water and in oysters, the opposite was true in sediment. Regression analysis indicated that SST had a significant association with vvh and tlh densities in water and oysters, while salinity was significantly related to vibrio densities in the water column. Chlorophyll a levels in the water were correlated significantly with vvh in sediment and oysters and with pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus (tdh and trh) in the water column. Furthermore, turbidity was a significant predictor of V. parahaemolyticus density in all sample types (water, oyster, and sediment), and its role in predicting the risk of V. parahaemolyticus illness may be more important than previously realized. This study identified (i) culturable vibrios in winter sediment samples, (ii) niche-based differences in the abundance of vibrios, and (iii) predictive signatures resulting from correlations between environmental parameters and vibrio densities.

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The impact of environmental variables on the spread of COVID-19 in the Republic of Korea

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85493-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yong Kwan Lim ◽

Oh Joo Kweon ◽

Hye Ryoun Kim ◽

Tae-Hyoung Kim ◽

Mi-Kyung Lee

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Republic Of Korea ◽

Metropolitan Region ◽

Health Concern ◽

Ozone Level ◽

The Republic ◽

The Impact

AbstractCorona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic and is a major public health concern worldwide. In this study, we aimed to determine the role of environmental factors, such as climate and air pollutants, in the transmission of COVID-19 in the Republic of Korea. We collected epidemiological and environmental data from two regions of the Republic of Korea, namely Seoul metropolitan region (SMR) and Daegu-Gyeongbuk region (DGR) from February 2020 to July 2020. The data was then analyzed to identify correlations between each environmental factor with confirmed daily COVID-19 cases. Among the various environmental parameters, the duration of sunshine and ozone level were found to positively correlate with COVID-19 cases in both regions. However, the association of temperature variables with COVID-19 transmission revealed contradictory results when comparing the data from SMR and DGR. Moreover, statistical bias may have arisen due to an extensive epidemiological investigation and altered socio-behaviors that occurred in response to a COVID-19 outbreak. Nevertheless, our results suggest that various environmental factors may play a role in COVID-19 transmission.

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Arthropod community structure in pastures of an island archipelago (Azores): looking for local–regional species richness patterns at fine-scales

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1079/ber2004289 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 111-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

P.A.V. Borges ◽

V.K. Brown

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Local Scale ◽

Local Species Richness ◽

Β Diversity ◽

Arthropod Species ◽

Α Diversity ◽

Local Species ◽

Richness Patterns

AbstractThe arthropod species richness of pastures in three Azorean islands was used to examine the relationship between local and regional species richness over two years. Two groups of arthropods, spiders and sucking insects, representing two functionally different but common groups of pasture invertebrates were investigated. The local–regional species richness relationship was assessed over relatively fine scales: quadrats (= local scale) and within pastures (= regional scale). Mean plot species richness was used as a measure of local species richness (= α diversity) and regional species richness was estimated at the pasture level (= γ diversity) with the ‘first-order-Jackknife’ estimator. Three related issues were addressed: (i) the role of estimated regional species richness and variables operating at the local scale (vegetation structure and diversity) in determining local species richness; (ii) quantification of the relative contributions of α and β diversity to regional diversity using additive partitioning; and (iii) the occurrence of consistent patterns in different years by analysing independently between-year data. Species assemblages of spiders were saturated at the local scale (similar local species richness and increasing β-diversity in richer regions) and were more dependent on vegetational structure than regional species richness. Sucking insect herbivores, by contrast, exhibited a linear relationship between local and regional species richness, consistent with the proportional sampling model. The patterns were consistent between years. These results imply that for spiders local processes are important, with assemblages in a particular patch being constrained by habitat structure. In contrast, for sucking insects, local processes may be insignificant in structuring communities.

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Managing Alien Plants for Biodiversity Outcomes—the Need for Triage

Invasive Plant Science and Management ◽

10.1614/ipsm-09-042.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Paul O. Downey ◽

Moira C. Williams ◽

Leonie K. Whiffen ◽

Bruce A. Auld ◽

Mark A. Hamilton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Native Species ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Alien Plants ◽

Plant Management ◽

Policy Reforms ◽

Management Decisions ◽

Alien Plant ◽

Triage System

AbstractRecognition that alien plants pose a significant threat to biodiversity has not always translated into effective management strategies, policy reforms, and systems to establish priorities. Thus, many alien plant management decisions for the protection of biodiversity occur with limited knowledge of what needs to be protected (other than biodiversity in a generalized sense) or the urgency of actions. To rectify this, we have developed a triage system that enables alien plant management decisions to be made based on (1) the urgency of control relative to the degree of threat posed to biodiversity, compared with (2) the likelihood of achieving a successful conservation outcome as a result of alien plant control. This triage system is underpinned by a two-step approach, which identifies the biodiversity at risk and assesses sites to determine priorities for control. This triage system was initially developed to manage the threat posed by bitou bush to native species in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It has subsequently been improved with the national assessment of lantana in Australia, and the adaptation from a single to multiple alien plant species approach on a regional scale. This triage system identifies nine levels of priority for alien plant management aimed at biodiversity conservation, ranging from immediate, targeted action to limited or no action. The development of this approach has enabled long-term management priorities to be set for widespread alien plants that are unlikely to be eradicated. It also enables control to occur in a coordinated manner for biodiversity conservation at a landscape scale, rather than as a series of individual unconnected short-term actions.

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Floristic study and assessment of the environmental factors governing the distribution of riparian plants in the Zat sub-Basin: Tensift Watershed, Morocco

Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences ◽

10.35759/janmplsci.v45-2.3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 7900-7915

Author(s):

Mostakim Lahcen ◽

Fetnassi Nidal ◽

Ghamizi Mohamed

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Phosphorus Concentration ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Riparian Plants ◽

Emergent Plants ◽

Significant Difference

Measuring the phytodiversity and determining environmental factors affecting the abundance and distribution of riparian plants of Zat sub-basin in Morocco were carried out in this study. A hypothesis was tested whether there is any statistically significant difference in environmental parameters and plants communities among the Zat River and its tributaries. For this purpose, water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, salinity, electrical conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, nitrate and phosphorus concentration, and riparian plants diversity were estimated at 17 stations along the Zat River and its tributaries during the periods (2018 and 2019). The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Pearson correlation were preformed to assess the relationship between environmental parameters, and the distribution and abundance of riparian plants inventoried. The presence of 113 species was recorded, distributed between 43 families and 97 genera, 9 of which were floating-leaved, 24 submerged, and 80 emergent plants. The rare and threatened species inventoried were represented by 7 taxa, whereas 6 species are reported as endemic. Raunkiaer classification showed a dominance of therophytes (38.39%) over the other groups. According to CCA, the abiotic parameters (DO, elevation, salinity and nitrate concentration) were statistically significant parameters governing the distribution and abundance of the riparian plants inventoried. The results obtained reveal the state of the riparian vegetation in the Zat subBasin, therefore we can consider them as a reliable component for the assessment of the ecological status of the aquatic environment.

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