scholarly journals Influence of Two Important Leguminous Trees on Their Soil Microbiomes and Nitrogen Cycle Activities in a Primary and Recovering Secondary Forest in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica

Soil Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
William D. Eaton ◽  
Katie M. McGee ◽  
Elizabeth Hoke ◽  
Alex Lemenze ◽  
Mehrdad Hajibabaei

Inga edulis and Pentaclethra macroloba are dominant N-fixing forest trees in Costa Rica, likely important for recovery of soil N and C after deforestation, yet little is known of their soil microbiomes nor how land use impacts them. Soils from both trees in a primary and secondary forest were assessed for N-cycle metrics and DNA sequence-based composition of total bacterial, potential N-fixing bacterial, and potential ammonium oxidizing bacterial genera. The compositions of the functional groups of bacteria, but not their total relative abundance of DNA, were different across the soils. The P. macroloba soils had greater NO3− levels and richness of both functional groups, while I. edulis soils had greater NH4+ levels, consistent with its NH4+ preference for root nodule development. The bacterial communities were different by habitat, as secondary forest I. edulis microbiomes were less rich, more dominant, possibly more affected by the disturbance, or reached equilibrium status quicker than the richer, less dominant P. macroloba microbiomes, which may be developing slower along with secondary forest succession, or were less affected by the disturbance. Functional redundancy and switching of 10 N-cycle bacterial genera was evident between the primary and secondary forest soils, likely to maintain stable levels of N-cycle activity following disturbance. In summary, the two tree soil microbiomes are different, land use differentially affects them, and, thus, both tree species should be used during forest regeneration strategies in this region.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora A. Moskowitz ◽  
Barbara Dorritie ◽  
Tammy Fay ◽  
Olivia C. Nieves ◽  
Charles Vidoudez ◽  
...  

AbstractMuch of the world’s biodiversity is held within tropical rainforests, which are increasingly fragmented by agricultural practices. In these threatened landscapes, there are many organisms that acquire chemical defenses from their diet and are therefore intimately connected with their local food webs. Poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae) are one such example, as they acquire alkaloid-based chemical defenses from their diet of leaf litter ants and mites. It is currently unknown how habitat fragmentation impacts chemical defense across trophic levels, from arthropods to frogs. We examined the chemical defenses and diets of the Diablito poison frog (Oophaga sylvatica), and the diversity of their leaf litter ant communities in secondary forest and reclaimed cattle pasture. Notably, this research was performed in collaboration with two high school science classrooms. We found that the leaf litter of forest and pasture frog habitats differed significantly in ant community structure. We also found that forest and pasture frogs differed significantly in diet and alkaloid profiles, where forest frogs contained more of specific alkaloids and ate more ants in both number and volume. Finally, ant species composition of frog diets resembled the surrounding leaf litter, but diets were less variable. This suggests that frogs tend to consume particular ant species within each habitat. To better understand how ants contribute to the alkaloid chemical profiles of frogs, we chemically profiled several ant species and found some alkaloids to be common across many ant species while others are restricted to a few species. At least one alkaloid (223H) found in ants from disturbed sites was also found in skins from pasture. Our experiments are the first to link anthropogenic land use changes to dendrobatid poison frog chemical defenses through variation in leaf litter communities, which has implications for conservation management of these threatened amphibians.


Biotropica ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin L. Chazdon ◽  
Bryan Finegan ◽  
Robert S. Capers ◽  
Beatriz Salgado-Negret ◽  
Fernando Casanoves ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalina Benavides Varela ◽  
Jimena Samper Villarreal ◽  
Jorge Cortés

Despite the economic and environmental services that mangroves provide, they continue to be threatened by overexploitation, pollution, and land use change. Costa Rica has mangrove areas on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and cover has been declining since the 1980s. However, data on mangrove coverage are not continually updated and are often based on inaccurate estimates. It is therefore necessary to assess the current extension and variation of the mangrove cover in recent years, to determine changes. The mangrove cover was analyzed in two mangrove forests located in Bahía Culebra, North Pacific: Iguanita and Playa Panamá. For this, aerial photographs and satellite imagery were used to study changes for a 65 year period (1945-2010). Spatio-temporal changes were found in mangroves coverage, and adjacent forests and areas without vegetation. Lower mangrove cover occurred during the 1970s (28.4 ha in Iguanita and 4.8 ha in Playa Panamá); but increased in recent years (38.9 ha in Iguanita and 12.0 ha in Panamá). Changes in forest cover by the Iguanita and Playa Panama mangroves were related to the history of land use around Bahía Culebra. Before 1980, there was extensive and intensive cattle ranching, increasing the deforestation rate; after that year, these practices were abandoned and secondary forest coverage increased until 2000. To ensure the adequate protection of mangroves, it is not only important to protect mangrove forests, but it is also necessary to establish buffer zones on their surroundings, to mitigate and/or reduce possible impacts.


Author(s):  
Alejandra Pérez Enríquez ◽  
Roberto Cordero ◽  
Elizabeth Braker

La combinación de rasgos como la fijación de nitrógeno en plantas tropicales con otros rasgos como disponibilidad nutricional podría incidir en el éxito de algunas especies para su establecimiento y desarrollo. Otras interacciones como la herbivoría podrían cambiar sutilmente estas relaciones y llegar a ser relevantes para su éxito ecológico. Sometimos brinzales de Pentaclethra macroloba (Gavilán, Fabaceae) en macetas, con y sin adición de nutrientes y a la interacción con defoliación controlada (herbivoría artificial), en el sotobosque secundario dentro de un bosque de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica. La biomasa total muestra una fuerte compensación neta y la defoliación indujo una mayor asignación al follaje. La fertilización siempre resultó en menos asignación a nódulos. La esbeltez respondió a ambos factores de manera sinergística. Sugerimos que la herbivoría puede ocasionar cambios importantes en la manera en que las especies asignan sus recursos en concordancia con sus simbiosis y la disponibilidad de nutrientes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Afrital Rezki, S.Pd., M.Si ◽  
Erna Juita ◽  
Dasrizal Dasrizal ◽  
Arie Zella Putra Ulni

Perkembangan penggunaan tanah bergerak horisontal secara spasial ke arah wilayah yang mudah diusahakan. Penggunaan tanah juga bergerak secara vertikal dalam rangka menaikkan mutunya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pola penggunaan lahan, bagaimana manajemen penggunaan lahan di satu wilayah berdasarkan batas Nagari. Metode yang digunakan adalah analsisis spasial dengan interpretasi citra penginderaan jauh, survey lapangan, dan analisis deskriptif. Pertumbuhan pemukiman Nagari Sungai Sariak Kecamatan VII Koto Kabupaten Padang Pariaman mengakibatkan pemanfaatan ruang menjadi tumpang tindih. Diperlukan cara-cara pengelolaan dan managemen penggunaan tanah dalam rangka pembangunan berkelanjutan yang menaikkan taraf hidup masyarakat dan tidak menimbulkan kerugian lingkungan.Terdapat 9 jenis penggunaan lahan yang ada di Nagari Sungai Sariak. Penggunaan lahan tersebut adalah Primary Forest, Secondary Forest, Paddy Field, Settlement, Mixed Plantations, Crop Fields, Water Bodies, Bushes, dan Plantations. Penggunaan lahan yang paling luas di Nagari Sungai Sariak adalah jenis penggunaan lahan Primary Forest, sebesar 48% dari total luas wilayah Nagari Sungai Sariak. Pada tahun 2011 sampai tahun 2016, penggunaan lahan paling luas terjadi pada penggunaan lahan jenis Primary Forest yang kemudian menjadi Mixed Plantations. Land use Changes moved horizontally spatially towards areas that are easily cultivated. The land use also moves vertically in order to increase its quality. This study aims to analyze land use patterns, how land use management in one area is based on Nagari boundaries. The method used is spatial analysis with interpretation of remote sensing images, field surveys, and descriptive analysis. The growth of Nagari Sungai Sariak in Kecamatan VII Koto, Kabupaten Padang Pariaman resulted in overlapping use of space. Management methods are needed and management of land use in the framework of sustainable development that raises the standard of living of the community and does not cause environmental losses. There are 9 types of land use in the Nagari Sungai Sariak. The land uses are Primary Forest, Secondary Forest, Paddy Field, Settlement, Mixed Plantations, Crop Fields, Water Bodies, Bushes, and Plantations. The most extensive land use in Nagari Sungai Sariak is the type of Primary Forest land use, amounting to 48% of the total area of the Nagari Sungai Sariak. From 2011 to 2016, the most extensive land use occurred in Primary Forest land uses which later became Mixed Plantations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Montero ◽  
Joan Marull ◽  
Enric Tello ◽  
Claudio Cattaneo ◽  
Francesc Coll ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document