scholarly journals The Structure of Riparian Vegetation in Agricultural Landscapes Influences Spider Communities and Aquatic-Terrestrial Linkages

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2855
Author(s):  
Ellinor Ramberg ◽  
Francis J. Burdon ◽  
Jasmina Sargac ◽  
Benjamin Kupilas ◽  
Geta Rîşnoveanu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Riparian Buffer ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Spider Communities ◽  
Riparian Habitats ◽  
Agricultural Site ◽  
Web Building ◽  
Riparian Communities

Riparian habitats are important ecotones connecting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but are often highly degraded by human activities. Riparian buffers might help support impacted riparian communities, and improve trophic connectivity. We sampled spider communities from riparian habitats in an agricultural catchment, and analyzed their polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content to quantify trophic connectivity. Specific PUFAs are exclusively produced by stream algae, and thus are used to track uptake of aquatic resources by terrestrial consumers. Riparian spiders were collected from 10 site pairs situated along agricultural streams, and from five forest sites (25 sites total). Each agricultural site pair comprised an unshaded site with predominantly herbaceous vegetation cover, and a second with a woody riparian buffer. Spider communities differed between site types, with web-building spiders dominating woody buffered sites and free-living spiders associated with more open habitats. PUFA concentrations were greatest overall in free-living spiders, but there was also evidence for increased PUFA uptake by some spider groups when a woody riparian buffer was present. Our results reveal the different roles of open and wooded riparian habitats in supporting terrestrial consumers and aquatic-terrestrial connectivity, and highlight the value of incorporating patches of woody vegetation within riparian networks in highly modified landscapes.

Free-living nematodes associated with pine cones of Pinus thunbergii and P. taeda at Japanese coastal and inland forest sites

Nematology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yudai Kitagami ◽  
Natsumi Kanzaki ◽  
Toko Tanikawa ◽  
Yosuke Matsuda
Keyword(s):  
Gene Sequence ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Pinus Thunbergii ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Small Subunit Rrna ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Small Subunit Rrna Gene ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
High Bootstrap ◽  
Pine Cones

Summary We surveyed the distribution of nematodes in 56 cones of Pinus thunbergii collected from both live branches and on the forest floor in three coastal and inland habitats and in 11 cones of P. taeda collected at different heights. We identified 47 nematodes to family or genera by analysis of an 18S small subunit rRNA gene sequence. The frequencies of occurrence of free-living cone nematodes were 97% in coastal P. thunbergii, 92% in inland P. thunbergii, and 82% in P. taeda. Phylogenetic analysis assigned the nematodes to four clades with high bootstrap values. Nine sequences that were found only in cones on live branches were clustered with Panagrobelus stammeri and an unknown Panagrobelus sp. Our results imply that nematodes are commonly associated with cones in pine forest ecosystems and that a capacity for anhydrobiosis may be a key to surviving above-ground.

scholarly journals Variation in web-building spider communities among three tropical tree species in a young experimental plantation

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Luis Esquivel-Gómez ◽  
Luis Abdala-Roberts ◽  
Miguel Pinkus-Rendón ◽  
Víctor Parra-Tabla
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Tropical Tree ◽  
Tropical Tree Species ◽  
Spider Communities ◽  
Web Building

scholarly journals Behavioural hypervolumes of spider communities predict community performance and disbandment

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1844) ◽  
pp. 20161409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan N. Pruitt ◽  
Daniel I. Bolnick ◽  
Andrew Sih ◽  
Nicholas DiRienzo ◽  
Noa Pinter-Wollman
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Trait Diversity ◽  
Spider Communities ◽  
Behavioural Trait ◽  
Community Performance ◽  
Web Building ◽  
Behavioural Diversity ◽  
Trait Space

Trait-based ecology argues that an understanding of the traits of interactors can enhance the predictability of ecological outcomes. We examine here whether the multidimensional behavioural-trait diversity of communities influences community performance and stability in situ . We created experimental communities of web-building spiders, each with an identical species composition. Communities contained one individual of each of five different species. Prior to establishing these communities in the field, we examined three behavioural traits for each individual spider. These behavioural measures allowed us to estimate community-wide behavioural diversity, as inferred by the multidimensional behavioural volume occupied by the entire community. Communities that occupied a larger region of behavioural-trait space (i.e. where spiders differed more from each other behaviourally) gained more mass and were less likely to disband. Thus, there is a community-wide benefit to multidimensional behavioural diversity in this system that might translate to other multispecies assemblages.

Elevated numbers of flying insects and insectivorous birds in riparian buffer strips

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 740-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darroch M Whitaker ◽  
Allan L Carroll ◽  
William A Montevecchi
Keyword(s):  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Riparian Buffer ◽  
Buffer Strips ◽  
Insectivorous Birds ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Flying Insects ◽  
Riparian Buffer Strips ◽  
Capture Rates

We compared the abundances of flying insects along undisturbed lakeshores and riparian buffer strips in balsam fir (Abies balsamea) forests in western Newfoundland. Insects were collected in pan traps placed on the forest floor and tanglefoot (sticky) traps suspended within the live canopy. Significantly greater numbers of insects were captured in riparian buffer strips than in undisturbed shorelines for four of five size classes in the canopy and two of five size classes in the understory. Collections were dominated by adult Diptera and Hymenoptera. Mean capture rates along buffer strips were 120-200% of the mean capture rates along undisturbed shorelines. This increase was greatest for large-bodied insects. A likely explanation for our observations is that buffer strips act as windbreaks, collecting airborne insects blown in from adjacent clearcuts and lakes. This phenomenon has been widely documented in agricultural landscapes. Understory wind speed was generally greater along buffer strips than controls, which is a reflection of increased exposure caused by clear-cutting. A concurrent parallel study conducted at the same sites investigated the effects of riparian buffering on breeding bird assemblages. Ubiquitous insectivorous birds, including the yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata) and blackpoll warbler (Dendroica striata), were more abundant along buffer strips than undisturbed shorelines, possibly in response to increased prey availability. Increased food availability may in part explain the high numbers of insectivorous birds typically observed in riparian buffer strips in boreal forests.

scholarly journals Woodlice of Belgium: an annotated checklist and bibliography (Isopoda, Oniscidea)

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 801 ◽  
pp. 265-304
Author(s):  
Pallieter De Smedt ◽  
Pepijn Boerave ◽  
Gert Arijs ◽  
Stijn Segers
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Species Status ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
Complete Bibliography ◽  
Annotated Checklist

Woodlice are key organisms for nutrient cycling in many terrestrial ecosystems; however, knowledge on this invertebrate group is limited as for other soil fauna taxa. Here, we present an annotated checklist of the woodlice of Belgium, a small but densely populated country in Western Europe. We reviewed all 142 publications on Belgian woodlice, the oldest dating back to 1831 and re-identified all doubtful specimens from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) collection. These data is complemented with observations from extensive field surveys dating from March 2014 until December 2017. We report 36 species of woodlice with free-living populations for Belgium. Nine species can be added compared to the latest checklist published in 2000 being Hyloniscusriparius (C. Koch, 1838), Miktoniscuspatiencei Vandel, 1946, Trichoniscoidessarsi Patience, 1908, Haplophthalmusmontivagus Verhoeff, 1941, Porcelliomonticola Lereboullet, 1853, Metatrichoniscoidesleydigii (Weber, 1880), Trichoniscusalemannicus Verhoeff, 1917, Elumacaelata (Miers, 1877) and Philosciaaffinis Verhoeff, 1908. Two species are deleted from the checklist (Ligidiumgermanicum Verhoeff, 1901 and Armadillidiumdepressum Brandt, 1833) because records are doubtful and no material has been preserved. Additionally the data of the field surveys is used to determine a species status of occurrence in Belgium. For each species, a short overview of their first records is provided and their confirmation as part of the Belgian fauna, their current status, as well as a complete bibliography of the species in Belgium.

The utility of giant cane as a riparian buffer species in southern Illinois agricultural landscapes

2010 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon E. Schoonover ◽  
Karl W. J. Williard ◽  
Chris Blattel ◽  
Chad Yocum
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Riparian Buffer ◽  
Southern Illinois ◽  
Giant Cane

Detritivores as indicators of landscape stress and soil degradation

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio G. Paoletti ◽  
Graham H. R. Osler ◽  
Adrianne Kinnear ◽  
Dennis G. Black ◽  
Linda J. Thomson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Oribatid Mites ◽  
The Body ◽  
Intensively Managed

Detritivores are small- to medium-sized invertebrates that comminute and break down organic materials such as leaves, twigs and roots, especially within or upon the soil surface, or nearby. Detritivores constitute the majority of the invertebrate biomass pyramid in most environments and provide a key role in organic matter turnover; they also provide alternative food for polyphagous predators that can be active in pest control on crops. Many arthropod taxa are detritivores in soil and litter layers. Here, we focus on the bioindicator potential of three key detritivore groups: slaters, millipedes and oribatid mites. There are possibly 300 species of slaters (terrestrial isopods or Oniscidea) in Australia with 13 of these being introduced, mostly from north-western Europe. These non-native species are the dominant species in disturbed environments such as intensively managed forests and agricultural fields. Slaters are promising indicators of landscape disturbance, soil contamination and tillage. Millipedes are potentially important indicators of stress in agricultural landscapes, given their sensitivity to litter and soil moisture gradients and to physical and chemical perturbations. However, because there is a close association between the millipede fauna and moist plant communities in Australia, they are generally absent from drier landscapes and, therefore, their use as bioindicators in agricultural environments here is problematic. An exception to this association is the increasingly ubiquitous introduced Black Portuguese millipede. This species is tolerant of much drier conditions than most natives, and is likely to change the nature of nutrient cycling processes in pastures and native grasslands in much of southern Australia. Oribatid mites are present in all Australian terrestrial ecosystems. The few studies that have examined their response to disturbance and land use in Australia are consistent with the body of work conducted outside Australia. This consistent response means that the oribatids may be developed as indicators in agricultural, pasture and forested environments. However, the paucity of information on oribatids over appropriate spatial scales in Australia makes the use of this group extremely difficult at this time.

scholarly journals Effect of land use on carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy exchange over terrestrial ecosystems in Southwestern France during the CERES campaign

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 2755-2784 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Jarosz ◽  
P. Béziat ◽  
J. M. Bonnefond ◽  
Y. Brunet ◽  
J. C. Calvet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Bowen Ratio ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Pine Forest ◽  
Maritime Pine ◽  
The Other ◽  
Mature Forest ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Winter Crops

Abstract. Eddy fluxes were measured over different ecosystems, winter and summer crops, a maritime pine forest at different stages of development and grassland, from 17 May to 26 June 2005 in the southwestern region of France. During the experiment, summer crops started growing whereas winter crops and grassland achieved their senescence. Comparatively, the other ecosystems had a much slower growth emphasized by soil water deficit at forest sites. The ten ecosystems showed different partitioning of available energy. Net radiation was the highest above the maritime pine forest, followed, in decreasing order, by the crops, the vineyard and the grassland. Over the whole campaign period, the Bowen ratio (β=H/LE) was larger above the forest sites than for the other sites. The various vegetation types also showed contrasting net ecosystem exchange (NEE) dynamics following their growth status and respective behaviour in response to drought. Both the clearcut and summer crops before irrigation and plant growth behaved as sources of CO2, whereas the vineyard, the mature forest and winter crops acted as sinks. However the maize crops became substantial sinks of CO2 after the start of irrigation and canopy growth, with fluxes twice as large as for the mature pine forest. Finally, throughout the experiment, forest, grassland and crops sequestrated from about 50 gC m−2 to 230 gC m−2, while the cleacut and the beans crop rejected about 30 gC m−2. These results support the idea that converting a mature forest to a clearcut or bare soil available to agricultural use enhances the sensible heat flux and shifts the ecosystem from a sink to a source of carbon.

scholarly journals Impact of deforestation on earthworm populations in Guyana's rainforests

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reshma Persaud
Keyword(s):  
Population Data ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Tropical Rainforests ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pristine Forest ◽  
Earthworm Populations

Changes to the landscape of tropical rainforests are potential instigators in population changes experienced by earthworms, which are integral biological components of almost all terrestrial ecosystems. A comparative analysis of earthworm populations was done in the rainforests of Guyana to investigate the impact of deforestation on earthworm populations. Earthworms were sampled in pristine forest sites and deforested sites, which yielded 31 species belonging to 10 families. Deforested sites suffered significantly from low abundance, density, diversity and richness. The population data among the two types of sites were all of statistical significant difference, with the exception of epigeic abundance. Earthworm abundance and richness were found to be significantly negatively correlated to deforestation. Anecic ecotype were the most affected as none were recorded in deforested sites while P. corethrurus was found to be the most abundant species in the deforested sites.

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