scholarly journals Effect of anthropogenic pressure on grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acridomorpha) species diversity in three forests in southern Cameroon

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34
Author(s):  
Charly Oumarou Ngoute ◽  
Sévilor Kekeunou ◽  
Michel Lecoq ◽  
Armand Richard Nzoko Fiemapong ◽  
Philène Corine Aude Um Nyobe ◽  
...  

Grasshoppers are highly diversified in tropical rainforests and considered of both ecological and conservation importance. The population dynamics of central African grasshoppers, however, and the structure of their communities remain poorly studied. We report here on the impact of human activities on the diversity of grasshopper species from three localities in southern Cameroon: Ongot, more anthropized forest; Zamakoe, moderately anthropized forest; and Ngutadjap, less anthropized forest. Data were collected using sweep nets, quadrats, and pitfall traps. We analyzed how pressures from human activities affected the grasshopper species compositions using five statistical methods: (1) two non-parametric estimators for specific richness, (2) abundance, (3) abundance distribution model, (4) α diversity index, and (5) β diversity index. The results showed no significant differences in species richness between the sites (nine species at Zamakoe, seven each at Ongot and Ngutadjap). Among these species, one was specific to Ongot and Zamakoe, while one, two, and three species, respectively, were found only in Ongot, Ngutadjap, and Zamakoe. Abundance and species diversity of grasshoppers increased with anthropogenic pressure on the forests. We noticed a great similarity between the grasshopper communities of the two localities under the greatest anthropogenic pressure (Ongot and Zamakoe) compared to that of the less anthropized locality of Ngutadjap. The most common grasshopper species, Mazea granulosa, was most abundant where deforestation was highest. Species diversity was highest in the more and moderately anthropized forests, and the diversity index showed greater similarity between these two grasshopper communities compared with that of the less anthropized forest. This work enables us to better understand how the parameters of these insect communities reflect the degree of forest degradation in southern Cameroon.

REINWARDTIA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asep Sadili ◽  
Kuswata Kartawinata ◽  
Herwasono Soedjito ◽  
Edy Nasriadi Sambas

ADILI, A., KARTAWINATA, K., SOEDJITO, H. & SAMBAS, E. N. 2018. Tree species diversity in a pristine montane forest previously untouched by human activities in Foja Mountains, Papua, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 17(2): 133‒154. ‒‒ A study on structure and composition of the pristine montane forest previously untouched by human activities was conducted at the Foja Mountains in November 2008. We established a one-hectare plot divided into 100 subplots of 10 m × 10 m each. We enumerated all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm which diameters were measured, heights were estimated and habitats were noted. We recorded 59 species, 42 genera and 27 families, comprising 693 trees with the total basal area (BA) of 41.35 m2/ha. The forest had lower species richness compared to those of lowland forests in Kalimantan, and Sumatra and montane forests in West Java. The Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index was 3.22. Nothofagus rubra (Importance Value, IV=47.89%) and Parinari corymbosa (IV=40.3%) were the dominant species, constituting the basis for designating the forest as the Nothofagus rubra - Parinari corymbosa association. To date, the dominance of N. rubra is unique to the Foja Mountains, as elsewhere in Papua the montane forests were dominated by N. pullei or other species. The species-area curve indicated a minimal area of 5000 m2. On the family level Fagaceae (IV=53.23%), Chrysobalanaceae (IV=40.53%) and Myristicaceae (IV=26.43%) were dominant. Verti-cally the forest consisted of four strata (A–D). In each stratum Nothofagus rubra, Platea latifolia, Parinari corymbosa and Myristica hollrungii were dominant. The diameter class distribution of Nothofagus rubra, Parinari corymbosa and Platea latifolia led us to assume that these species were regenerating well.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 17121-17128
Author(s):  
Kumudu B. Wijesooriya ◽  
Lakshani S. Weerasekara ◽  
Kithsiri B. Ranawana

Sri Lanka harbours 20 scorpion species belonging to four families, of which 15 are endemic.  The distribution and ecology of scorpion fauna in Sri Lanka is poorly known.  In this study, we surveyed the diversity of scorpions in the Polonnaruwa Archaeological Reserve in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.  Microhabitats were thoroughly observed using the direct visual encounter method and UV lights from July to November 2018 for about seven hours (19.00–02.00 h) by two to three observers.  Species, abundance, age/sex, and microhabitat features were recorded.  Diversity indices, including α-diversity and β-diversity, were calculated. Heterometrus swammerdami was the most abundant species recorded, while Isometrus thwaitesi was the rarest.  Reddyanus loebli and R. besucheti were common in both open and forest habitat types.  Charmus laneus was recorded for the first time in Polonnaruwa.  The highest Shannon Index and Margalef Diversity Index values were recorded in open habitats, but species evenness was low compared to forest habitats.  Sørensen index values showed a 58% species similarity between two habitats.  The results presented here contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of scorpions in these historically significant sites.  This can serve as a basis for future research on the impact of habitat modification and fragmentation on populations, distribution and ecology of scorpions.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eguale Tadesse ◽  
Abdu Abdulkedir ◽  
Asia Khamzina ◽  
Yowhan Son ◽  
Florent Noulèkoun

Understanding the complex diversity of species and their potential uses in traditional agroforestry systems is crucial for enhancing the productivity of tropical systems and ensuring the sustainability of the natural resource base. The aim of this study is the evaluation of the role of home gardens and parklands, which are prominent tropical agroforestry systems, in the conservation and management of biodiversity. Our study quantified and compared the diversity of woody and herbaceous perennial species and their uses in traditional home gardens and parkland agroforestry systems under a sub-humid climate in western Ethiopia. A sociological survey of 130 household respondents revealed 14 different uses of the species, mostly for shade, fuelwood, food, and as traditional medicine. Vegetation inventory showed that the Fisher’s α diversity index and species richness were significantly higher in home gardens (Fisher’s α = 5.28 ± 0.35) than in parklands (Fisher’s α = 1.62 ± 0.18). Both systems were significantly different in species composition (Sørenson’s similarity coefficient = 35%). The differences occurred primarily because of the high intensity of management and the cultivation of exotic tree species in the home gardens, whereas parklands harbored mostly native flora owing to the deliberate retention and assisted regeneration by farmers. In home gardens, Mangifera indica L. was the most important woody species, followed by Cordia africana Lam. and Coffea arabica L. On the other hand, Syzygium guineense Wall. was the most important species in parklands, followed by C. africana and M. indica. The species diversity of agroforestry practices must be further augmented with both indigenous and useful, non-invasive exotic woody and herbaceous species, particularly in parklands that showed lower than expected species diversity compared to home-gardens.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Lai ◽  
Yunhui Liu ◽  
Xingyue Liu

Elevational diversity patterns can reflect the responses of biodiversity to climate change spatially. We investigate the species diversity patterns of green lacewings (an important predatory group of insects) along the gradient of elevation from the Shaluli Mountains (Mts. Shaluli), which belong to the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China, one of the important hotspots of global biodiversity. We combined multiple approaches, including Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning analysis (ASAP), General Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC), Poisson tree processes (bPTP), multi-rate Poisson tree processes (mPTP), to delimit the green lacewings species based on the standard barcoding region of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). The α-diversity and β-diversity patterns of green lacewings from the Mts. Shaluli along the gradient of elevation were analyzed, with further exploration on how the temperature effect elevational-diversity pattern on broad-scale (county scale) elevational gradients. The DNA barcoding reference library consisted of 40 green lacewing species from the Mts. Shaluli. The α-diversity of green lacewings decreased with the increasing elevation. The temperature was found to have a significant effect on the abundance and Shannon-Wiener diversity index but not on the species richness. Nestedness replaced turnover as the main component of Sørensen’s dissimilarity with the increasing elevation, and greater nestedness occurred at low temperature areas. The combination of a reliable DNA barcoding database could improve the accuracy and efficiency to investigate the species diversity patterns of green lacewings. Temperature, resource, and resultant interspecific competitions may have important roles in explaining the species diversity patterns of green lacewings from the Mts. Shaluli. Priority of conservation should be given to the species at low elevation, middle elevation, and relatively high temperature regions under the background of global climate warming.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Méril Massot ◽  
Marisa Haenni ◽  
Thu Thuy Nguyen ◽  
Jean-Yves Madec ◽  
France Mentré ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Little is known about maturation of calves’ gut microbiome in veal farms, in which animals are confined under intensive-farming conditions and the administration of collective antibiotic treatment in feed is common. We conducted a field study on 45 calves starting seven days after their arrival in three veal farms. We collected monthly fecal samples over six months and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR of Escherichia coli to follow the dynamics of their microbiota, including that of their commensal E. coli populations. We used mixed-effect models to characterize the dynamics of α-diversity indices and numbers of E. coli, and searched for an effect of collective antibiotic treatments on the estimated parameters. On two farms, we also searched for associations between recommended daily doses of milk powder and bacterial abundance. Results There was high heterogeneity between calves’ microbiota upon their arrival at the farms, followed by an increase in similarity, starting at the first month. From the second month, 16 genera were detected at each sampling in all calves, representing 67.5% (± 9.9) of their microbiota. Shannon diversity index showed a two-phase increase, an inflection occurring at the end of the first month. Calves receiving antibiotics had a lower intercept estimate for Shannon index (-0.17 CI95%[0.27; -0.06], p = 0.003) and a smaller number of E. coli/ gram of feces during the treatment and in the 15 days following it (-0.37 log10 (E. coli/g) CI95%[-0.66; -0.08], p = 0.01) than unexposed calves. There were moderate to strong positive associations between the dose of milk powder and the relative abundances of the genera Megasphaera, Enterococcus, Dialister and Mitsuokella, and the number of E. coli (rs ≥ 0.40; Bonferroni corrected p < 0.05).Conclusions This observational study shows early convergence of the developing microbiota between veal calves and associations between the dose of milk powder and members of their microbiota. It suggests that administration of collective antibiotic treatment results in a reduction of diversity and size of the E. coli population and highlights the need for additional work to fully understand the impact of antibiotic treatment in the veal industry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 59-68
Author(s):  
I. P. Skyrpan ◽  
◽  
S. R. Pytel ◽  

Background. The article presents the results of the research on bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) that occur in the city of Lviv. Bees are one of the most important pollinators of many species of angiosperm plants. Research on species diversity of bees is very important not only on the wild nature territories, but also on the urbanized areas. Cities have a significant impact on bee species diversity, their biology and conservation. A comprehensive study of all Apoidea on the whole territory of the city of Lviv has been conducted for the first time in more than 80 years and we hope that the presented materials will lay the foundation for further more detailed studies in this area. Materials and Methods. Lviv is the largest city in Western Ukraine located on the eastern edge of the Roztochia Upland. The material was collected during the warm period of 2017–2019. The Moericke (yellow) pan traps and the entomological nets were used. Besides, we collected dead bees (killed by traffic) along the roads. W have analyzed the entomological collection of the Zoological Museum of the Ivan Franko National University [ZMD] (Lviv). The stereoscopic microscope and a variety of specialized keys for bee species identification were used. We used the Shannon’s diversity index to assess species diversity. We also calculated the Shannon evenness measure to facilitate the interpretation of the results. Results. We analyzed 960 specimens of bees that belong to 106 species, 25 genera and 6 families. The current (second) part of our study deals with review of the Colletidae (3 species), Halictidae (22 species), Megachilidae (11 species) and Melittidae (5 species) families. Species diversity of the bees from Andrenidae and Apidae families was analyzed in previous (first) the part of our research [27]. Conclusions. All species from the six families are native for the territory of Europe. The majority of them are polylectic (≈ 61 %), while the number of oligolectic species (≈ 23 %), or species that do not need to collect pollen (≈ 16 %) is much smaller. The Shannon’s diversity index is approx. 3.718 and the Shannon evenness measure is 0.799 (the honeybee Apis mellifera was excluded in both calculations). Analysis of the impact of urbanization and various environmental factors on the species diversity of bees requires further detailed studies. Keywords: bees, species diversity, Lviv, Ukraine


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edit Nagy Pintérné ◽  
Zoltán Pödör

AbstractWe examined the light sources and illuminated environments in Sopron’s public areas and studied the impact they had on the composition of macrolepidopteran moth communities. We employed light traps with three different light sources in three differently illuminated environments (seminatural, transitional, urban) on 60 occasions during the summer period of 2012-2013 and 20 times in the seminatural area in the spring and autumn of 2014. In the first two years, we evaluated the number of individuals; in year three, we evaluated the number of species. In the first two years, the high-pressure sodium light in the seminatural site trapped the largest number of nocturnal lepidopteran specimens (2,569), while the mixed HMLI light trapped the most individuals in the transitional (1,098) and urban (822) areas. Based on the average number of individuals the first two years, we compared the locations and light sources. In terms of average number of specimens collected, significant differences emerged between two light sources and two locations. When we completed the species diversity index, we determined the compact fluorescent tube in spring and the high-pressure sodium light in the autumn showed the greatest values.


2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Carneiro de Freitas ◽  
Regine Helena Silva dos Fernandes Vieira ◽  
Maria Elisabeth de Araújo

This study aimed to assess the impact of harbor construction at Pecém (Brazil) upon the reef fish communities in tide pools. The monitoring was carried out through a visual census and sea water quality was evaluated by microbiological analyses. From March to December 2001, 1,425 individuals of 17 families and 25 species were registered. The most frequent species were Haemulon parra, Acanthurus chirurgus, Abudefduf saxatilis and Sparisoma axillare. The average species diversity for the whole period was 1.77 bits.ind -1. There was evidence that the tide pools gradually silted up, resulting in a reduction in species diversity and richness. The microbiological analyses indicated the presence of faecal coliforms in the water though not at significant levels. The present study could be useful as an early reference for future projects, using the fish communities as indicators for the impact upon the environment of the harbor construction and other human activities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Dilkumar Limbu ◽  
Madan Koirala ◽  
Zhanhuan Shang

Himalayan rangelands have diverse floristic composition and important ecological services. The floristic diversity and composition play an important role in grassland ecosystem regulation. It is different in altitudinal gradient due to grazing intensity, climatic condition and topography. To reveal the vegetation composition values, this work was conducted on August and September 2011 in Tinjure-Milke mountain ridge, Guphapokhari, Nepal. In the present study we have described the impact of altitude on the species richness, species diversity and dispersion behavior of different plants (grasses) in Himalayan rangeland. The values of community indices were observed to be: RD (0.09 to 49.57), RF (3.57 to 14.71), RA (0.23 to 47.59), IVI (3.89 to 111.87), Shannan-Wiener diversity index (1.09 to 2.23) and species diversity evenness (0.12 to 0.19) at the study area, MilkeJaljale, eastern Nepal. Similarly, Species richness (R) value of 8.87 to 11.86 and Simpson dominant index value of 0.12 to 0.42 were observed. All diversity indices were reversed to altitudinal gradient higher the altitudes lower the values. Species richness of all plants showed a unimodal relationship with altitude. Similarly, negative correlation of density and species richness with altitude and slope was recorded.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanghamitra Basu ◽  
Pranab Gogoi ◽  
Subarna Bhattacharyya ◽  
Lohith Kumar K. ◽  
Sanjoy Kumar Das ◽  
...  

Abstract The present study illustrates a holistic account of zooplankton community dynamics in relation to physico − chemical variables in the tidal creeks of Indian Sundarbans estuarine system. Out of 11 water parameters, seven parameters (Temp., salinity, DO, turbidity, PO4 − P, NO3 − N and NO2 − N) differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) among seasons. A total of 63 zooplankton taxa were recorded with the predominance of Copepoda, varying in ranges from 59.55 to 73.13% of the total zooplankton population. PERMANOVA design depicted the significant variations of zooplankton population both spatially (F = 2.313; p = 0.001) and temporally (F = 6.107; p = 0.001). Out of 41 species of Copepoda recorded, 14 species (Paracalanous parvus, Parvocalanous dubia, Bestiolina similis, Acrocalanous gibber, A. gracilis, Acartia erythraea, A. spinicauda, Pseudodiaptomus serricaudatus, P. annandalei, P. aurivilli, Oithona brevicornis, O. similis, Longipedia weberi and Microsetella norvegica) indicated as ‘characterizing species’ in the creek environment, and highlighted the euryhaline nature as well as broad range of thermal tolerance of these species. β – diversity index (Index of Multivariate dispersion) reflected higher values (β = >1) in the creeks (S4, S2 and S6), those are experienced with high anthropogenic pressure. On the whole, the calculated mean value of α − diversity (dʹ=4.07; H'=2.31) indicated ‘good’ zooplankton diversity. Water parameters viz., Temp., salinity, DO, turbidity, PO4 − P and NO3 − N were found to have influence on the distribution, abundance and diversity of zooplankton in the creeks. More specifically, the linear model (DistLM) exhibited two variables viz., temperature and salinity were the primary controlling factors in shaping the zooplankton community compositions in the creek environment.


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