scholarly journals Endangered Oarisma poweshiek butterfly larval foraging and adult habitat interactions in Manitoba, Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Justis Henault ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Larval Development ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Moisture Gradient ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Tall Grass Prairie ◽  
Nectar Feeding ◽  
Adult Habitat ◽  
Oarisma Poweshiek

The Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) is endemic to the tall grass prairie in North America, and is now critically endangered globally. Existing populations are scattered amongst tall grass prairie remnants. However, the host food plants eaten by Poweshiek skipperling larvae, the vegetative and microclimatic descriptions of immature and adult microhabitats as well as O. poweshiek behaviour in Manitoba are unknown. I observed the foraging behaviour of larval O. poweshiek in natural habitat to determine the plant species that they consume and document their development. I also followed adults in prairie patches to identify locations in which various activities, such as egg laying or nectar feeding, were facilitated by the habitat. I measured vegetative, structural and microclimatic attributes of microhabitats to determine potential characteristics which facilitate various adult activities and larval development. Larvae appeared to navigate microhabitats to locate host food plant species, alternating between shoots of various species throughout their development. Adults flew almost exclusively in the prairie plant community, rarely flew in shrub or ephemeral wetland communities and were never observed flying in wetland or forest communities. Adult activities appeared to be distributed along a soil moisture gradient, with egg laying associated with the mesic section of the moisture gradient, resting and/or basking associated with the drier section and nectar feeding generally associated with sections throughout the moisture gradient. My research contributes knowledge about larval O. poweshiek foraging and adult habitat interactions in prairies in Manitoba, Canada. Discoveries from my research may guide habitat stewardship to ensure that high quality habitat is available for every life stage and inform reintroduction activities to ensure potential release locations contain required habitat features. Novel descriptions of locations which facilitate larval development and various adult activities may inform provincial and federal recovery strategies to increase the chances of O. poweshiek’s survival. My findings may also initiate further research about the Poweshiek skippering and possibly guide the strategies to recover other Lepidopterans-at-risk. Now with a greater understanding of larval foraging and adult interactions, we may hopefully generate potential causes which explain O. poweshiek’s decline and identify possible solutions to facilitate its successful recovery!

scholarly journals Trophic complexity alters the diversity-multifunctionality relationship in experimental grassland mesocosms

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Anujan ◽  
Sebastian A. Heilpern ◽  
Case M. Prager ◽  
Shahid Naeem
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Tall Grass Prairie ◽  
The Face ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Ecosystem Multifunctionality

AbstractHigher levels of diversity within trophic levels are necessary to sustain multiple ecosystem functions, but this diversity-multifunctionality relationship peaks at intermediate percent-function thresholds. The presence of multiple trophic levels, or trophic complexity, affects ecosystem multifunctionality but its effect on the diversity-multifunctionality relationship has not been experimentally tested. To test the sensitivity of the diversity-multifunctionality relationship to trophic complexity, we simultaneously manipulated plant diversity and trophic complexity in a multifactorial tall-grass prairie mesocosm experiment at Cedar Creek, Minnesota, USA. Trophic complexity altered the diversity-multifunctionality relationship, by lowering the height of the peak as well as by shifting to a negative effect at lower thresholds. These outcomes are consistent with decreases in both the “jack-of-all-trades” effect and complementarity among plant species. Our findings suggest that trophic complexity, which is experiencing widespread declines on a global scale, is important for sustaining ecosystem multifunctionality in the face of equally widespread declines in biodiversity.

scholarly journals New tools for old problems — comparing drone- and field-based assessments of a problematic plant species

2021 ◽  
Vol 193 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Oldeland ◽  
Rasmus Revermann ◽  
Jona Luther-Mosebach ◽  
Tillmann Buttschardt ◽  
Jan R. K. Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Post Processing ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Object Based Image Analysis ◽  
Object Based ◽  
Before And After

AbstractPlant species that negatively affect their environment by encroachment require constant management and monitoring through field surveys. Drones have been suggested to support field surveyors allowing more accurate mapping with just-in-time aerial imagery. Furthermore, object-based image analysis tools could increase the accuracy of species maps. However, only few studies compare species distribution maps resulting from traditional field surveys and object-based image analysis using drone imagery. We acquired drone imagery for a saltmarsh area (18 ha) on the Hallig Nordstrandischmoor (Germany) with patches of Elymus athericus, a tall grass which encroaches higher parts of saltmarshes. A field survey was conducted afterwards using the drone orthoimagery as a baseline. We used object-based image analysis (OBIA) to segment CIR imagery into polygons which were classified into eight land cover classes. Finally, we compared polygons of the field-based and OBIA-based maps visually and for location, area, and overlap before and after post-processing. OBIA-based classification yielded good results (kappa = 0.937) and agreed in general with the field-based maps (field = 6.29 ha, drone = 6.22 ha with E. athericus dominance). Post-processing revealed 0.31 ha of misclassified polygons, which were often related to water runnels or shadows, leaving 5.91 ha of E. athericus cover. Overlap of both polygon maps was only 70% resulting from many small patches identified where E. athericus was absent. In sum, drones can greatly support field surveys in monitoring of plant species by allowing for accurate species maps and just-in-time captured very-high-resolution imagery.

scholarly journals Rearing Drones in Queen Cells of Apis mellifera Honey Bees

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
Georgios Goras ◽  
Chrysoula Tananaki ◽  
Sofia Gounari ◽  
Elissavet Lazaridou ◽  
Dimitrios Kanelis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Larval Development ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Horizontal Position ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Queen Larvae ◽  
As If

Abstract We investigated the rearing of drone larvae grafted in queen cells. From the 1200 drone larvae that were grafted during spring and autumn, 875 were accepted (72.9%) and reared as queens. Drone larvae in false queen cells received royal jelly of the same composition and of the same amounts as queen larvae. Workers capped the queen cells as if they were drones, 9-10 days after the egg laying. Out of 60 accepted false queen cells, 21 (35%) were capped. The shape of false queen cells with drone larvae is unusually long with a characteristically elongate tip which is probably due to the falling of larvae. Bees start the destruction of the cells when the larvae were 3 days old and maximised it before and after capping. Protecting false queen cells in the colony by wrapping, reversing them upside down, or placing in a horizontal position, did not help. The only adult drones that emerged from the false queen cells were those protected in an incubator and in push-in cages. Adult drones from false queen cells had smaller wings, legs, and proboscis than regular drones. The results of this study verify previous reports that the bees do not recognise the different sex of the larvae at least at the early stage of larval development. The late destruction of false queen cells, the similarity in quality and quantity of the produced royal jelly, and the bigger drone cells, allow for the use of drone larvae in cups for the production of royal jelly.

VIEWPOINT. An hypothesis to explain the linkage between kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) breeding and the mast fruiting of their food trees

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew E. Fidler ◽  
Stephen B. Lawrence ◽  
Kenneth P. McNatty
Keyword(s):  
Egg Yolk ◽  
Ovarian Follicles ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Mast Seeding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Yolk Protein Genes ◽  
Hypothetical Mechanism ◽  
Future Research Directions

An important goal in the intensive conservation management of New Zealand’s critically endangered nocturnal parrot, kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), is to increase the frequency of breeding attempts. Kakapo breeding does not occur annually but rather correlates with 3–5-year cycles in ‘mast’ seeding/fruiting of kakapo food plants, most notably podocarps such as rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum). Here we advance a hypothetical mechanism for the linking of kakapo breeding with such ‘mast’ seeding/fruiting. The essence of the hypothesis is that exposure to low levels of dietary phytochemicals may, in combination with hepatic gene ‘memory’, sensitise egg yolk protein genes, expressed in female kakapo livers, to oestrogens derived from developing ovarian follicles. Only in those years when the egg yolk protein genes have been sufficiently ‘pre-sensitised’ by dietary chemicals do kakapo ovarian follicles develop to ovulation and egg-laying occurs. While speculative, this hypothesis is both physiologically and evolutionarily plausible and suggests both future research directions and relatively simple interventions that may afford conservation workers some influence over kakapo breeding frequency.

scholarly journals Nutrtional profile of some selected food plants of Otwal and Ngai sub counties Oyam district, northern Uganda

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (57) ◽  
pp. 7428-7451
Author(s):  
A Acipa ◽  
◽  
M Kamatenesi-Mugisha ◽  
H Oryem-Origa
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Food Plant ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Mineral Nutrient ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Wild Food Plants ◽  
Nutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Indigenous Plants ◽  
General Decline

Wild food plants play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of Oyam District. Some of these plants are drought -resistant and gathered throughout the year . These wild foods are an important source of nutrients. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data re garding the nutrient content s of these indigenous plants. The purpose of this study was to document and assess the nutrient and mineral content s of the selected food plants. Ethnobotanical surveys were used to collect data through formal and informal inter views and focused group discussions. Voucher specimens were collected during field excursions and taken to Makerere Herbarium for proper identification . Nutrients and mineral analyses of wild and cultivated fruits, seeds, underground organs and vegetables from Ngai and Otwal sub counties were carried out using known procedures. They were analysed for mineral nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations. Additionally nutrients such proteins, beta carotene, vitamin C and dietary fibre were determined . On average, vegetables were found to be richer in organic nutrients and minerals followed by fruits and seeds in that order . Generally the wild food plant species were found to be richer sources of mineral nutrient than their cultivated relatives. F or example , the highest concentration of calcium 867.59 mg/100g was found in Acalypha bipartita leaves compared to 294.18 mg/100g in Cleome gynandra . Plant species that showed high iron contents [>30% ] were leaves of swamp hibiscus , African spider flowers , fruits of Tamarind , Black night shade and Jews mallow . It was also noted that among the food plant species analysed, fruits were low in nutrients and mineral elements. Some of these food plants were also considered to have medicinal properties by the locals such as African spider flower, Rattle pod among others. However, it should be noted that there is a general decline in the consumption of wild plants , despite the apparent high nutritional values . T he conservation of wild food plants is not taking place among the communities in the study area, thus the poor rural communities who are limited on balancing their diet could be faced with diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies .

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