scholarly journals Influence of the Land Use Type on the Wild Plant Diversity

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Ina Aneva ◽  
Petar Zhelev ◽  
Simeon Lukanov ◽  
Mariya Peneva ◽  
Kiril Vassilev ◽  
...  

Studies on the impact of agricultural practices on plant diversity provide important information for policy makers and the conservation of the environment. The aim of the present work was to evaluate wild plant diversity across the agroecosystems in two contrasting regions of Bulgaria; Pazardzhik-Plovdiv (representing agroecosystems in the lowlands) and Western Stara Planina (the Balkan Mountains, representing agroecosystems in the foothills of the mountains). This study conducted a two-year assessment of plant diversity in different types of agricultural and forest ecosystems, representing more than 30 land use types. Plant diversity, measured by species number, was affected by the land use type only in Pazardzhik-Plovdiv region. More pronounced was the effect of the groups of land use types on the diversity, measured by the mean species number per scoring plot. Climatic conditions, measured by 19 bioclimatic variables, were the most important factor affecting plant species diversity. Six bioclimatic variables had a significant effect on the plant diversity, and the effect was more pronounced when the analysis considered pooled data of the two regions. The highest plant diversity was found on grazing land with sparse tree cover, while the lowest one was in the land use types representing annual crops or fallow. The study also established a database on weed species, relevant to agriculture. A number of common weeds were found in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv region, while the most frequent species in the Western Stara Planina region were indigenous ones. Overall, the natural flora of Western Stara Planina was more conserved; eleven orchid species with conservation significance were found in the pastures and meadows in that region. The present study is the first attempt in Bulgaria to characterize the plant diversity across diverse agroecosystems representing many different land use types and environmental conditions. The results can contribute to nature conservation, biodiversity, and the sustainable use of plant resources.

Author(s):  
Mesfin Kassa ◽  
Wassie Haile ◽  
fassile kebede

Quantity-intensity characteristics are among conventional approaches for studying potassium dynamics and its availability; this was assessed to determine availability in four districts: namely, Sodo Zuria, Damot Gale, Damot Sore, and Boloso Sore at three different land use type viz., enset-coffee, crop land, and grazing land. There was water soluble, ammonium acetate, nitric acid extractable potassium, exchangeable potassium, and non-exchangeable potassium studied in soil samples, which were collected from 0-20 cm depth of each land type. The study revealed that water soluble and ammonium acetate extractable potassium concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.42 cmolKg-1 soils enset-coffee and grazing land use types, respectively. The study showed that exchangeable potassium constituted the highest proportion of available potassium, while the proportion of water soluble potassium was found to be the lowest. In this study, non-exchangeable potassium concentrations varied from 0.10 to 0.04cmolKg-1soils for enset-coffee, and crop and grazing land use type. Furthermore, available potassium and exchangeable potassium concentrations were positively correlated with OC(r=0.95***), cation exchange capacity, and sand and clay(r=0.98***). In addition, the K dynamics as impacted by land use types found that the highest change in exchangeable potassium (0.31cmolkg-1soils) and potential buffering capacity (1.79cmolkg-1soils) were noted in crop land use types, whereas the lowest change(1.26cmolkg-1 soils) was observed in the enset-coffee system, The varying properties, potassium status, dynamic and land use type of soils identified in the study areas provided adequate information to design soil potassium management options and further research about the soil in each site. Therefore, application of site specific soil fertility management practices and research can improve soil potassium status and quantity intensity parameters to sustain crop productive soils.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mesfin Kassa Cholbe ◽  
Fassil Kebede Yeme ◽  
Wassie Haile Woldeyohannes

Information on soil fertility status of acid soil of a particular area as affected by land use type is important for developing sound soil management systems for improved and sustainable agricultural productivity. The main objective of this study was to assess the fertility status and effect of land use change on soil physicochemical properties. In this study, adjacent three land use types, namely, enset-coffee, crop, and grazing land use were considered in four districts (i.e., Bolos Sore, Damot Gale, Damot Sore, and Sodo Zuria) of Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–20 cm from each land use type of the respective districts for physicochemical analyses. The results showed that land use types significantly affected ( P ≤ 0.05 ) soil properties such as bulk density, available P, exchangeable potassium, exchangeable acidity, exchangeable bases (Na, K, Ca, Mg), exchangeable acidity, and CEC. Besides, soil pH, OC, and TN were influenced significantly ( P ≤ 0.05 ) both by districts and land use types. The very strongly acidic soils were found predominantly in the crop and grazing lands whereas a neutral acidity level was found in the enset-coffee land use type of four districts. In conclusion, the study proves that land use type change within the same geographic setting can affect the severity of soil acidity due to over cultivation and rapid organic matter decomposition. Finally, the study recommends an in-depth study and analysis on the root causes in aggravating soil acidity under crop and grazing land use types.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donia Jendoubi ◽  
Hanspeter Liniger ◽  
Chinwe Ifejika Speranza

Abstract. This study evaluated the impact of land use and landscape forms on SOC within the Wadi Beja watershed in north-western Tunisia. A soil spectral library was set to assess the variation of the SOC of 1440 soil samples from four land use types (field crops, permanent crops, forest, and grazing land), three slope categories (flat, moderate, and steep) and two aspects (north- and south-facing). For field crops, only one factor – slope – significantly affected SOC, which SOC levels in north-facing areas appear higher in flat areas (0.75 %) than in hilly areas (0.51%). However, in south-facing areas, SOC levels were also higher in flat areas (0.74 %) than in hilly areas (0.50 %). For permanent crops, which was interplanted with field crops, the slope significantly affected SOC levels where SOC levels have been improved to 0.97 % in flat north facing and 0.96 % in flat south-facing areas, which are higher than hilly south – and north-facing areas (0.79 %). In the grazing land use system, both investigated factors – aspect and slope – significantly affected the SOC levels which, SOC levels were significantly higher in flat areas (north-facing: 0.84 %, south-facing: 0.77 %), compared to hilly areas (north-facing: 0.61 %, south-facing: 0.56 %). For the forest, none of the factors had a significant effect on the SOC, which they are higher in flat areas (north-facing: 1.15 %, south-facing: 1.14 %), compared to 1.09 % in north and 1.07 % in south-facing in steep areas. This study highlights the importance of the land use and landscape forms in determining the variation in SOC levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Belayneh Bufebo ◽  
Eyasu Elias ◽  
Emana Getu

Abstract Background Land use can exert a strong influence on the abundance, diversity, and community composition of soil macro-fauna. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of four land use types on the abundance and diversity of soil invertebrate macro-fauna communities. These land uses include forest land, grazing land, crop cultivated outfields, and homestead garden fields present at Shenkolla watershed, south central Ethiopia. Monolith sampling of soil macro-fauna was done according to the standard of Tropical Soils Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) procedure. Five sampling points were chosen in each land use type and small monolith (25 × 25 × 30 cm) was dug out at 5-m interval along a transect with randomly positioned starting point, but perpendiculars to the slope. A total of 20 monoliths (4 treatments × 5 replications) were taken across all the land use types. Sampling of SIMF was carried out in April 2019 where soil macro-faunas are known to be more active. To evaluate the SIMF community eight parameters were measured: Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson diversity index, Pielou’s measure of evenness, Margalef’s diversity index, the Number of Occurrence Index, Relative abundance, Density (individuals per square meter) of each taxon and density of all SIMF and Bray-Curtis similarity index. The data were further analyzed using ANOVA and a general linear model to determine the variation and the influence of land use type, respectively. Results In general, 332 individuals, 10 orders, 12 families, and 15 species were identified, from the collected samples. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) among the four land use types for SIMF except wireworm, spiders, and millipedes. Overall abundance and diversity were lowest in the crop cultivated outfields and highest in homestead garden fields and forest land. Bray-Curtis’ similarity was highest between the sampled sites s16 and s19 with in the forest land, and lowest (2%) between sites s1 (crop cultivated out fields) and s14 (homestead garden fields). Conclusion The results revealed that the diversity of SIMF was positively influenced by forest land and homestead garden fields and negatively influenced in grazing land and cultivated outfields. Therefore, maintenance of a continuous litter cover at the surface and application of a wide range of organic fertilizers (farmyard manure, household refuse, and compost) is very much critical to prevent the decrease in diversity of SIMF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Júlio Barboza Chiquetto ◽  
Maria Elisa Siqueira Silva ◽  
Rita Yuri Ynoue ◽  
Flávia Noronha Dutra Ribieiro ◽  
Débora Souza Alvim ◽  
...  

A poluição do ar é influenciada por fatores naturais e antropogênicos. Quatro pontos de monitoramento (veicular, comercial, residencial e background urbano (BGU))da poluição do ar em São Paulo foram avaliados durante 16 anos, revelando diferenças significativas devidoao uso do solo em todas as escalas temporais. Na escala diurna, as concentrações de poluentes primários são duas vezes mais altas nos pontos veicular e residencial do que no ponto BGU, onde a concentração de ozonio (O3) é 50% mais alta. Na escala sazonal, as concentrações de monóxido de carbono(CO) variaram em 80% devido ao uso do solo, e 55% pela sazonalidade.As variações sazonais ede uso do solo exercem impactos similares nas concentrações de O3 e monóxido de nitrogênio (NO). Para o material particulado grosso (MP10) e o dióxido de nitrogênio(NO2), as variações sazonais são mais intensas do que as por uso do solo. Na série temporal de 16 anos, o ponto BGU apresentou correlações mais fortes e significativas entre a média mensal de ondas longas (ROL) e o O3 (0,48) e o MP10 (0,37), comparadas ao ponto veicular (0,33 e 0,22, respectivamente). Estes resultados confirmam que o uso do solo urbano tem um papel significativo na concentração de poluentes em todas as escalas de análise, embora a sua influência se torne menos pronunciada em escalas maiores, conforme a qualidade do ar transita de um sistema antropogênico para um sistema natural. Isto poderá auxiliar decisões sobre políticas públicas em megacidades envolvendo a modificação do uso do solo.


Geologos ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kuczyńska

Abstract The present paper discusses the results of an analysis of the impact of land use on the distribution of pharmaceuticals in groundwater samples collected during a pilot study of the contents of pharmaceuticals and hormones in ground-water taken from the national groundwater monitoring network of the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute. Samples were collected during monitoring campaigns from 160 groundwater monitoring sites in various land use types in 2016 and 2017. Samples were analysed for a total of 34 active substances, including natural and synthetic oestrogen hormones, cardiovascular and respiratory medications, analgesics and anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, antimicrobial drugs and anti-epileptics. Our study confirmed the presence of pharmaceuticals in 53 per cent of ground-water samples taken. Data show variations in the distribution of pharmaceuticals depending on land use type, which can thus be employed in pressure analysis and identification of sources of pollution.


Author(s):  
Durga D. Poudel ◽  
Timothy W. Duex ◽  
Roshan Poudel

Drinking water security is increasingly becoming a global concern in recent decades. The mid-hill region of Nepal is also experiencing serious water shortages in recent years. In order to assess the availability of drinking water in the mid-hill regions of Nepal, we studied hydrogeology, land use types and collected water samples from 30 springs in Kavre, Kahmandu Valley, Nuwakot and Tanahu in Nepal between July 17-September 12, 2017. For each sampling spring, while surrounding land use type (mixed, agriculture, urban, vegetation) and spring type (fracture, depression, contact) were determined through field observation, the field pH, conductivity and temperature was determined using relevant probes and thermometers. Water samples were collected in 1L and 165mL plastic bottles for chemical and total coliform determination, respectively, in the lab. Bottles were rinsed twice using spring water before filling them with sample water, then stored in an ice chest, and brought to the lab. In the laboratory, turbidity, conductivity, Ca, Mg, HCO3, SO4, Na, NO3, Cl, Fe, As, and total coliform were determined using standard methods. Spring water in agricultural areas showed significantly higher suspended solids compared to other land use types whereas spring water in urban areas showed significantly higher dissolved substances. By spring type, turbidity and conductivity values and the concentration of dissolved constituents (Ca, Mg, HCO3, SO4, NO3, and Cl) were ranked in the order of fracture < contact < depression. Na and Fe concentration were in the order of fracture = contact < depression. By land-use type, conductivity and dissolved constituents (Ca, Mg, HCO3) were in the order of agriculture < vegetation < mixed < urban. Whereas urban land use had the highest values for SO4, Na, NO3, and Cl, other land use types showed variable order. Fe concentration was ranked in the order of urban < mixed < vegetation < agriculture. Total coliform was in the order of mixed < agriculture < urban < vegetation. These results indicate that land use type and surface condition, which is possibly associated with human activities, heavily affect spring water properties in the region. These results suggest that drinking water security of mid-hill region of Nepal is threatened heavily due to poor spring water quality. Protection of drinking water sources should be specific to land use type and activities around the springs. Index Terms— three to six pertinent, specific to the paper, keywords added after the abstract, separated by commas.


Mycorrhiza ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 749-759
Author(s):  
Zerihun Belay ◽  
Mesele Negash ◽  
Janne Kaseva ◽  
Mauritz Vestberg ◽  
Helena Kahiluoto

Abstract The rapid conversion of native forests to farmland in Ethiopia, the cradle of biodiversity, threatens the diversity of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) pivotal to plant nutrition and carbon sequestration. This study aimed to investigate the impact of this land-use change on the AMF species composition and diversity in southern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from nine plots in each of three land-use types: native forest, agroforestry, and khat monocropping. The plots of the three land-use types were located adjacent to each other for each of the nine replicates. Three 10 × 10m subplots per plot were sampled. AMF spores were extracted from the soil samples, spore densities were determined, and species composition and diversity were evaluated through morphological analysis. Both spore density and species richness were statistically significantly higher in the native forest than in the agroforestry plots with no clear difference to khat, whereas the true diversity (exponential of Shannon–Wiener diversity index) did not differ among the three land-use types due to high evenness among the species in agroforestry. In total, 37 AMF morphotypes belonging to 12 genera in Glomeromycota were found, dominated by members of the genera Acaulospora and Glomus. The highest isolation frequency index (78%) was recorded for Acaulospora koskei from native forest. Consequently, the agroforestry system did not appear to aid in preserving the AMF species richness of native forests relative to perennial monocropping, such as khat cultivation. In contrast, the native forest areas can serve as in situ genetic reserves of mycorrhizal symbionts adapted to the local vegetative, edaphic, and microbial conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Essel

Incorporating greenery has been a vital aspect of city planning. Landscape planning has been a vital aspect of city planning since the 19th Century. Since then, landscape planning has become a social necessity. Assessing the impact of the decline in urban green space is very important. Hence, using Kumasi as a case study largely fit due to the decline of the city’s urban green space. Based on this the study assessed the Landcover change between 2000 to 2010 and projected the Landcover/land use for 2020. It also analyzed the temperature recordings from 2000 to 2016. The result revealed that the city has lost 19.59 km2 and 33.39 km2 of forest and agriculture lands respectively. It was also projected that it will further decline to 0.7 km2 and 8.2 km2 respectively. Among the various Landcover classes, agriculture lands were the most delicate land use which suffers massive decline in acreage. Moreover, the adverse effect of the decline in green spaces has been evident in high temperatures, unattractive environment, and atmospheric pollution. In the last decade (2000-2010), the city’s temperature increased by 0.2oC but has dropped in the past six years (2010-2016). Nevertheless, it doesn’t suggest that the impact of the heat waves has reduced due to the reduction in temperature. Conversely, the impact has increased due to the absence of tree cover. Ultimately, Kumasi’s landscape has depleted and has lost a touch of vegetation, hence appropriate measure needs to be put in place. 


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