scholarly journals Management Options for Ixodes ricinus-Associated Pathogens: A Review of Prevention Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Černý ◽  
Geoffrey Lynn ◽  
Johana Hrnková ◽  
Maryna Golovchenko ◽  
Natalia Rudenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Tick Activity ◽  
The Usa

Ticks are important human and animal parasites and vectors of many infectious disease agents. Control of tick activity is an effective tool to reduce the risk of contracting tick-transmitted diseases. The castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) is the most common tick species in Europe. It is also a vector of the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis, which are two of the most important arthropod-borne diseases in Europe. In recent years, increases in tick activity and incidence of tick-borne diseases have been observed in many European countries. These increases are linked to many ecological and anthropogenic factors such as landscape management, climate change, animal migration, and increased popularity of outdoor activities or changes in land usage. Tick activity is driven by many biotic and abiotic factors, some of which can be effectively managed to decrease risk of tick bites. In the USA, recommendations for landscape management, tick host control, and tick chemical control are well-defined for the applied purpose of reducing tick presence on private property. In Europe, where fewer studies have assessed tick management strategies, the similarity in ecological factors influencing vector presence suggests that approaches that work in USA may also be applicable. In this article we review key factors driving the tick exposure risk in Europe to select those most conducive to management for decreased tick-associated risk.

scholarly journals Seasonal Population Abundance of Bactrocera Dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Selected Districts of Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Simphiwe Mnguni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Bactrocera Dorsalis ◽  
Invasive Potential ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Important Pest ◽  
Trap Catches ◽  
Seasonal Population

The fruitfly Bactrocera dorsalis is an economically important pest that requires management for the sustainability of agriculture in South Africa. This pest has spread from the country's Northern parts within a decade, where it has completely established and spread to other neighbouring provinces. The pest spreads at various rates due to different factors given biotic and abiotic factors. Understanding factors that influence pest prevalence will assist with practical management strategies. Temperature is one of the factors that assist the invasive potential of B. dorsalis. KwaZulu Natal province is among the hotspot provinces in the country besides Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Trap catches in Northern KwaZulu Natal, uMkhanyakude and King Cetshwayo districts show that the seasonal populations of B. dorsalis are continuously present all year round, even with the application of management options to reduce pest populations. Host availability plays a significant role in the invasion and total outcompeting of other native fruitflies e.g. Ceratitis punctata.

scholarly journals The critical role of abiotic factors and human activities in the supply of ecosystem services in the ES matrix

One Ecosystem ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Maebe ◽  
Hugues Claessens ◽  
Marc Dufrêne
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Matrix Model ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Trade Offs

In Western Europe, ecosystems have been shaped to maximise the supply of one specific biomass provisioning ecosystem service (ES), such as food or timber, with detrimental impacts on other ES. The ES approach has therefore been established to better understand the multiple interactions between human society and ecosystems. A variety of methods have been developed to assess ES and their relationships, for instance the ES matrix model based on land cover classes. This popular, flexible and simple method allows combining different data sources and easily comparing ES. However, in general, this method poorly takes into account landscape heterogeneity while abiotic factors and human activities seem to play an important role in ES supply. The objective of this paper is twofold: (1) to extent the methodology based on the ES matrix model by including abiotic factors and human activities and (2) to test the impacts of these two types of factors on ES supply and their relationships. The assessment focused on the capacity of the forest to supply six ES depending on six types of soil ranging from productive soils to more constraining or less productive soils (i.e. abiotic factors) and two contrasting forest management strategies (i.e. human activities). This amended ES matrix was applied on one hand, to map the supply of ES and their relationships in four municipalities in the Ardenne ecoregion (Southern Belgium) and on the other hand, to investigate the impacts of three scenarios (i.e. three different management strategies) on ES supply and their relationships. The amended ES matrix shows large differences in ES supply between the two forest management strategies on the more constraining and less productive soils, creating differences in the spatial pattern of ES. The changes in ES supply amongst the three scenarios and the current supply were quantified to identify the best management options. In conclusion, one particular forest is not like another in terms of ES supply and their relationships. To capture this heterogeneity, we propose an amended ES matrix including abiotic factors and human activities. The maps, based on this matrix, allow identifying the hotspots (i.e. high capacity to supply different ES) and coldspots (i.e. low capacity to supply different ES or strong trade-offs between provisioning ES and regulating/cultural ES). Forest management should be adapted to the abiotic conditions, in particular in the coldspots, to ensure a more balanced supply of ES.

Large-scale mapping of the catenas vegetation in Subarctic tundra

1995 ◽  
pp. 3-21
Author(s):  
S. S. Kholod
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Block Diagram ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Ecological Barriers ◽  
Functional Zones

One of the most difficult tasks in large-scale vegetation mapping is the clarification of mechanisms of the internal integration of vegetation cover territorial units. Traditional way of searching such mechanisms is the study of ecological factors controlling the space heterogeneity of vegetation cover. In essence, this is autecological analysis of vegetation. We propose another way of searching the mechanisms of territorial integration of vegetation. It is connected with intracoenotic interrelation, in particular, with the changing role of edificator synusium in a community along the altitudinal gradient. This way of searching is illustrated in the model-plot in subarctic tundra of Central Chukotka. Our further suggestion concerns the way of depicting these mechanisms on large-scale vegetation map. As a model object we chose the catena, that is the landscape formation including all geomorphjc positions of a slope, joint by the process of moving the material down the slope. The process of peneplanation of a mountain system for a long geological time favours to the levelling the lower (accumulative) parts of slopes. The colonization of these parts of the slope by the vegetation variants, corresponding to the lowest part of catena is the result of peneplanation. Vegetation of this part of catena makes a certain biogeocoenotic work which is the levelling of the small infralandscape limits and of the boundaries in vegetation cover. This process we name as the continualization on catena. In this process the variants of vegetation in the lower part of catena are being broken into separate synusiums. This is the process of decumbation of layers described by V. B. Sochava. Up to the slope the edificator power of the shrub synusiums sharply decreases. Moss and herb synusium have "to seek" the habitats similar to those under the shrub canopy. The competition between the synusium arises resulting in arrangement of a certain spatial assemblage of vegetation cover elements. In such assemblage the position of each element is determined by both biotic (interrelation with other coenotic elements) and abiotic (presence of appropriate habitats) factors. Taking into account the biogeocoenotic character of the process of continualization on catena we name such spatial assemblage an exolutionary-biogeocoenotic series. The space within each evolutionary-biogeocoenotic series is divided by ecological barriers into some functional zones. In each of the such zones the struggle between synusiums has its individual expression and direction. In the start zone of catena (extensive pediment) the interrelations of synusiums and layers control the mutual spatial arrangement of these elements at the largest extent. Here, as a rule, there predominate edificator synusiums of low and dwarfshrubs. In the first order limit zone (the bend of pediment to the above part of the slope) one-species herb and moss synusiums, oftenly substituting each other in similar habitats, get prevalence. In the zone of active colonization of slope (denudation slope) the coenotic factor has the least role in the spatial distribution of the vegetation cover elements. In particular, phytocoenotic interactions take place only within separate microcoenoses of herbs, mosses and lichens. In the zone of the attenuation of continualization process (the upper most parts of slope, crests) phytocoenotic interactions are almost absent and the spatial distribution of vegetation cover elements depends exclusively on the abiotic factors. The principal scheme of the distribution of vegetation cover elements and the disposition of functional zones on catena are shown on block-diagram (fig. 1).

scholarly journals Influence of Bagging on the Development and Quality of Fruits

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
Muhammad Moaaz Ali ◽  
Raheel Anwar ◽  
Ahmed F. Yousef ◽  
Binqi Li ◽  
Andrea Luvisi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Market Value ◽  
Quality Attribute ◽  
Export Markets ◽  
External Appearance ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Main Determinants

Fruit quality is certainly influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, and a main quality attribute is the external appearance of the fruit. Various possible agronomical approaches are able to regulate the fruit microenvironment and, consequently, improve fruit quality and market value. Among these, fruit bagging has recently become an integral part of fruits’ domestic and export markets in countries such as Japan, China, Korea Australia and the USA because it is a safe and eco-friendly technique to protect fruits from multiple stresses, preserving or improving the overall quality. Despite increasing global importance, the development of suitable bagging materials and, above all, their use in the field is quite laborious, so that serious efforts are required to enhance and standardize bagging material according to the need of the crops/fruits. This review provides information about the effects of bagging technique on the fruit aspect and texture, which are the main determinants of consumer choice.

scholarly journals Strategic retreat for resilient and equitable climate adaptation: the roles for conservation organizations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mali‘o Kodis ◽  
Marci Bortman ◽  
Sarah Newkirk
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Private Property ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Policy Paper ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Government ◽  
Conservation Organizations

AbstractAs climate change accelerates the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, damage to public and private property is also increasing, putting exorbitant strain on governments and communities. Societies across the world are working to adapt to climate change, but climate adaptation is currently inadequate to meet the needs of the people left increasingly vulnerable and the places that risk being irreversibly changed or destroyed. One tactic of climate adaptation is strategic retreat, sometimes referred to as managed retreat. Strategic retreat is the process by which the government or another entity purchases (buys out) developed properties that are at risk of destruction or have been destroyed by natural disasters. The structure is most often demolished, and the land is placed under a permanent easement to prevent future development. What happens next is dependent on the entities involved in the buyouts, and can range from derelict, vacant lots to full restoration of ecosystems and their abilities to mitigate flood damage. Sometimes recreational amenities, such as trails or park infrastructure, are prioritized and funded as well. Conservation organizations can leverage their expertise in conservation planning, land acquisition and restoration, policy advocacy, and partnership development to improve the implementation of strategic retreat so that nature and people can thrive in the long term. In this policy paper, we review ways that conservation organizations have and can continue to engage in buyout processes to ensure positive outcomes for communities and nature. Conservation organizations must also evolve their approaches to climate adaptation to integrate equity and redress historical injustices in land use, and contribute towards improving strategic retreat for a more just and resilient future across disaster-prone communities. This work focuses on the context of disasters and climate adaptation in the USA, though many of the principles presented are applicable around the world.

scholarly journals Effect of Environmental Factors on the Germination and Emergence of Drunken Horse Grass (Achnatherum inebrians)

Weed Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Yonghuan Yue ◽  
Guili Jin ◽  
Weihua Lu ◽  
Ke Gong ◽  
Wanqiang Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Western China ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Achnatherum Inebrians ◽  
Water Ph

Abstract Drunken horse grass [Achnatherum inebrians (Hance) Keng] is a perennial poisonous weed in western China. A comprehensive understanding of the ecological response of A. inebrians germination to environmental factors would facilitate the formulation of better management strategies for this weed. Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions to assess the effects of various abiotic factors, including temperature, light, water, pH and burial depth, on the seed germination and seedling emergence of A. inebrians. The seeds germinated at constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, 35°C and in alternating-temperature regimes of 15/5, 20/10, 25/15, 30/20, 35/25, 40/30°C, and the seed germination percentages under constant and alternating temperatures ranged from 51% to 94% and 15% to 93%, respectively. Maximum germination occurred at a constant temperature of 25°C, and germination was prevented at 45/35°C. Light did not appear to affect seed germination. The germination percentage of seeds was more than 75% in the pH range of 5 to 10, with the highest germination percentage at pH 6. The seeds germinated at osmotic potentials of 0 MPa to -1.0 MPa, but decreasing osmotic potential inhibited germination, with no germination at -1.2MPa. After 21 d of low osmotic stress, the seeds that did not germinate after rehydration had not lost their vitality. The seedling emergence percentage was highest (90%) when seeds were buried at 1 cm but declined with increasing burial depth and no emergence at 9 cm. Deep tillage may be effective in limiting the seed germination and emergence of this species. The results of this study provide useful information on the conditions necessary for A. inebrians germination and provide a theoretical basis for science-based prediction, prevention and control of this species.

scholarly journals Ecological Factors Characterizing the Prevalence of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ixodes ricinus Ticks in Pastures and Woodlands

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (13) ◽  
pp. 4413-4420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lénaïg Halos ◽  
Séverine Bord ◽  
Violaine Cotté ◽  
Patrick Gasqui ◽  
David Abrial ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Adult Tick ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

ABSTRACT Ecological changes are recognized as an important driver behind the emergence of infectious diseases. The prevalence of infection in ticks depends upon ecological factors that are rarely taken into account simultaneously. Our objective was to investigate the influences of forest fragmentation, vegetation, adult tick hosts, and habitat on the infection prevalence of three tick-borne bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia sp. of the spotted fever group, in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks, taking into account tick characteristics. Samples of questing nymphs and adults were taken from 61 pastures and neighboring woodlands in central France. The ticks were tested by PCR of pools of nymphs and individual adults. The individual infection prevalence was modeled using multivariate regression. The highest infection prevalences were found in adult females collected in woodland sites for B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum (16.1% and 10.7%, respectively) and in pasture sites for Rickettsia sp. (8.7%). The infection prevalence in nymphs was lower than 6%. B. burgdorferi sensu lato was more prevalent in woodlands than in pastures. Forest fragmentation favored B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum prevalence in woodlands, and in pastures, the B. burgdorferi sensu lato prevalence was favored by shrubby vegetation. Both results are probably because large amounts of edges or shrubs increase the abundance of small vertebrates as reservoir hosts. The Rickettsia sp. prevalence was maximal on pasture with medium forest fragmentation. Female ticks were more infected by B. burgdorferi sensu lato than males and nymphs in woodland sites, which suggests an interaction between the ticks and the bacteria. This study confirms the complexity of the tick-borne pathogen ecology. The findings support the importance of small vertebrates as reservoir hosts and make a case for further studies in Europe on the link between the composition of the reservoir host community and the infection prevalence in ticks.

Modeling Habitat Suitability and Management Options for Maintaining Round Whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) in Adirondack Ponds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Kathleen Conley ◽  
Matthew D. Schlesinger ◽  
James G. Daley ◽  
Lisa K. Holst ◽  
Timothy G. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Nonnative Species ◽  
Simulated Population ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The Past ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Reintroduction Success ◽  
Maximum Air Temperature

Habitat loss, acid precipitation, and nonnative species have drastically reduced the number of Adirondack waterbodies occupied by round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum). The goal of this study was to 1) increase the probability of reintroduction success by modeling the suitability of ponds for reintroduction and 2) better understand the effects of different rates of pond reclamation. We created a species distribution model that identified 70 waterbodies that were physically similar to occupied ponds. The most influential variables for describing round whitefish habitat included trophic, temperature, and alkalinity classes; waterbody maximum depth; maximum air temperature; and surrounding soil texture and impervious surface. Next, we simulated population dynamics under a variety of treatment scenarios and compared the probability of complete extirpation using a modified Markov model. Under almost all management strategies, and under pressure from nonnative competitors like that observed in the past 30 years, the number of occupied ponds will decline over the next 100 years. However, restoring one pond every 3 years would result in a 99% chance of round whitefish persistence after 100 years.

Social-ecological factors determine spatial variation in human incidence of tick-borne ehrlichiosis

2013 ◽  
Vol 142 (9) ◽  
pp. 1911-1924 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. BAYLES ◽  
B. F. ALLAN
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Host Density ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Local Variation ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Local Regression ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
The Usa

SUMMARYThe spatial distribution of human cases of tick-borne diseases is probably determined by a combination of biological and socioeconomic factors. A zoonotic tick-borne pathogen, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, is increasing in human incidence in the USA. In this study, the spatial patterns of probable and confirmed E. chaffeensis-associated cases of ehrlichiosis from 2000 to 2011 were investigated at the zip-code level in Missouri. We applied spatial statistics, including global and local regression models, to investigate the biological and socioeconomic factors associated with human incidence. Our analysis confirms that the distribution of ehrlichiosis in Missouri is non-random, with numerous clusters of high incidence. Furthermore, we identified significant, but spatially variable, associations between incidence and both biological and socioeconomic factors, including a positive association with reservoir host density and a negative association with human population density. Improved understanding of local variation in these spatial factors may facilitate targeted interventions by public health authorities.

scholarly journals Trail impact monitoring in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 3117-3149
Author(s):  
J. Svajda ◽  
S. Korony ◽  
I. Brighton ◽  
S. Esser ◽  
S. Ciapala
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Impact Monitoring ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
The Usa

Abstract. This paper examines impacts of increased visitation leading to human trampling of vegetation and soil along several trails in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to understand how abiotic factors and level of use can influence trail conditions. RMNP is one of the most visited national parks in the USA with 3.3 million visitors in 2012 across 1075 km2 and 571 km of hiking trails. 95 % of the park is designated wilderness making the balance between preservation and visitor use challenging. This research involves the application of trail condition assessments to 56 km of trails to determine prevailing factors and what, if any, connection between them exist. The study looked at a variety of inventory and impact indicators and standards to determine their importance and to develop a baseline condition of trails. The data can be used for future comparison and evaluation of development trends. We found that trail widening (mean trail width 88.9 cm) and soil loss (cross sectional area 172.7 cm2) are the most visible effects of trail degradation. Further statistical analyses of data identified the role and influence of various factors (e.g. use level and topography). Insights into the influence of these factors can lead to the selection of appropriate management measures to avoid or minimize negative consequences from increased visitation.

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