scholarly journals Evaluation of wild animals browsing preferences in forage resources

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Argenti ◽  
Veronica Racanelli ◽  
Sara Bartolozzi ◽  
Nicolina Staglianò ◽  
Francesco Sorbetti Guerri
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Negative Effects

Excessive presence of wild ungulates can produce negative effects on herbaceous crops or woody species, and to face this problem, habitat improvements are often performed to recreate suitable environments for a given animal species and to attract animals far from cultivated crops. A common example of these interventions is represented by grassland restoration and to evaluate the real animal preferences on restored forage resources a proper trial was established in a hilly area of Tuscany (central Italy), inside the historical Park of Pratolino, near Florence. The trial compared six different forage species or mixtures sown in plots: vegetal material was represented by two pure stands (<em>Onobrychis viciifolia</em> and <em>Medicago sativa</em>) and four mixtures differing in number and kind of used species. Plots were utilised only by wild animals occurring in the area. Data collection consisted of botanical samples in each plot in different periods to obtain the percent presence of each species. At the same time, a visual estimation of animal intake on all occurring species was performed to obtain the browsing ratio of single species and overall defoliation rate for each species/mixture. Moreover, six camera traps were placed on the boundary of the experimental site to record videos of wild animals browsing in the area for identification of animals actually occurring on different plots and for comparison of these results with botanical data. Vegetation surveys permitted a proper evaluation of animals intake and of their feeding preferences. In general, sown species performed a major role in animal browsing, even if in some periods also a few native species (such as <em>Plantago lanceolata</em> or <em>Cichorium intybus</em>) were utilised in a strong way, depending on vegetation context and existing biomass. Camera traps results permitted the identification of browsing animal species (mainly represented by roe deer) and plots frequentation resulted to be highly related to animal intake found by botanical relevés.

scholarly journals Impacts of invasive plants on animal diversity in South Africa: A synthesis

Bothalia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Clusella-Trullas ◽  
Raquel A. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Invasive Alien Plant ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Animal Diversity

Background: Increasing numbers of invasive alien plant (IAP) species are establishing around the globe and can have negative effects on resident animal species function and diversity. These impacts depend on a variety of factors, including the extent of invasion, the region and the taxonomic group affected. These context dependencies make extrapolations of IAP impacts on resident biota from region to region a substantial challenge. Objectives: Here, we synthesised data from studies that have examined the effects of IAPs on animal diversity in South Africa. Our focus is on ectothermic organisms (reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates). Method: We sourced relevant articles using keywords relating to (1) the effects of IAPs on species diversity (abundance, richness and composition), (2) the IAP and (3) the native ectotherm. We extracted the taxonomic and spatial coverage of IAPs and affected native species and assessed the extent of information given on potential mechanisms driving IAP impacts. Results: Across the 42 studies, IAPs had a decreasing or neutral effect on native animal abundance and richness and significantly changed species composition. This review highlighted the paucity of studies and the research deficits in taxonomic and geographic coverage and in the mechanisms underlying IAP impacts on ectotherms. Conclusion: By assessing the status of knowledge regarding the impacts of IAPs on resident animal species in South Africa, this study identifies information gaps and research priorities at the country level with a view to informing monitoring and conservation efforts, such as alien plant removal and control programmes, and ensuring that endemic terrestrial animal diversity is maintained.

scholarly journals Leaf litter hides post-dispersed seeds from invasive alien removers in a sclerophyll forest in central Chile

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. e022
Author(s):  
Luis Cáceres-Polgrossi ◽  
Alvaro Promis ◽  
Alvaro G. Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Seed Density ◽  
Seed Removal ◽  
Quillaja Saponaria ◽  
Sclerophyll Forest ◽  
Set Up

Aim of the study: Seed removal may be a determining filter for regeneration. Factors such as leaf litter, tree cover and seed density affect seed removal. This aims to assess three aspects involving on post dispersal seed removal of four woody species (Lithraea caustica, Maytenus boaria, Quillaja saponaria and Retanilla ephedra) of a sclerophyll forest.Study area: Andean Mediterranean sclerophyll forest of Quillaja saponaria and Lithraea caustica located in the Río de Los Cipreses National Reserve, Chile.Materials and methods: Seven experimental plots were set up, in which seeds were offered in an experiment with variations in leaf litter, tree cover and seed density. Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) were used for the statistical analysis. Camera traps were installed to identify the seed removers.Main results: Q. saponaria seeds were more removed than the seeds of the other species (0.84, observed mean). Whereas that M. boaria and R. ephedra did not show significant differences on the removal of their seeds (0.77 and 0.67 respectively), both were more removed than L. caustica (0.59). The removal of M. boaria, Q. saponaria and R. ephedra seeds was lower in the presence of leaf litter. No factor influenced the removal of L. caustica seeds. Seed removers were identified as invasive alien species such as Rattus sp. and Oryctolagus cuniculus and native species such as Lycalopex culpaeus.Research highlights: Three woody species of this forest suffer severe seed removal by invasive alien fauna with major implications for the resilience of these forests. The coverage of leaf litter is key to hide away the seeds, increasing survival and could promote germination.Keywords: invasive alien fauna; Mediterranean forest; sclerophyll forest; seed removal factors.

scholarly journals Use of geoinformation technologies (GIS) in the system of monitoring and prevention of animal leptospirosis of the Cherkas region

2019 ◽  
pp. 27-41
Author(s):  
Олеся Кистерна ◽  
Анастасія Водяник ◽  
Олексій Мусієнко
Keyword(s):  
Information Technologies ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Species Ranges ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
Geographic Information Technologies ◽  
Microagglutination Test

The article deals with the application of geographic information technologies (GIS) as a system of monitoring and prevention of animal leptospirosis in Cherkasy region. The analysis of modern programs, where GIS monitoring in veterinary medicine is used, has been carried out. The structure of the database monitoring of animal leptospirosis in Cherkasy region with GIS being used, should include the regional data on: geographic indicators, wildlife habitats and pastures; farm, wild and domestic animals in number; categories of farms; pedigree value; veterinary and other institutions that provide the accounts with their mandatory inclusion in the automatic digital calculating programs (Excel). In 2012 – 2017 the animals in Cherkasy region numbered in 838212 head of cattle, 75383 head of small cattle,1607283 head of pigs, 15195 head of horses. The density of different categories of farms raising these animal species has even distribution; among them 12 districts have dairy farms, 1 district - meat farms, 6 districts - dairy and meat farms. The number of wild animals in Cherkasy region in 2017 was: elk  –  81 head; deer – 331 head; roe deer – 6783 head; wild boars – 2380 head, foxes – 2323 head; they were evenly distributed on 1574.9 thousand hectares,and 30 hunting grounds. During the determination of epizootic situation of animal leptospirosis in Cherkasy region in 2012 –  2017, 95106 animals were tested, among them 5078 animals appeared positive for leptospirosis in microagglutination test (MAT), out of which – 4454 head of cattle and pigs - together 87.71%; other species, including wild animals – 624 head (12.29%). The density of leptospirosis cases in the districts among all animal species ranges from 0 to 20%, the highest density is in Cherkasy region; in three areas there was no reporting on any positive cases. Species composition of animals with leptospirosis in Cherkasy region in 2012–2017 was determined by: cattle – 89.17%, small cattle – 0.20, horses – 2.68, pigs – 7.82%; wild goats – 0.02% and wild boars –0.06%; dogs - 0.02%, cats - 0.04%. The etiological profile of animal leptospirosis in Cherkasy region in 2012–2017 consisted mainly of mixed serogroup types - Pomona, Australis, Canicola, Grippotiphosa, Tarassovi, Icnterohaemorrhagiae –32.79%; in the second place - mixed Hebdomadis and Sejroe –14.09%; in the third – Australis –14.17%; separately - Hebdomadis and Sejroe - 11.01 and 11.81%, respectively, Icnterohaemorrhagiae - 8.08%. All others - Pomona Canicola, Grippotiphosa, Tarassovi - from 3 to 0,5%. Adoption of the effective preventative measures of animal leptospirosis in Cherkasy region has become possible on the basis of the complete informative database, awareness about the animal species and their number - among those being registered and tested for leptospirosis, their etiological structure in the above mentioned region with GIS being used.

High predatory efficiency and abundance drive expected ecological impacts of a marine invasive fish

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 195-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
EM DeRoy ◽  
R Scott ◽  
NE Hussey ◽  
HJ MacIsaac
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Eastern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Red Grouper ◽  
Per Capita

The ecological impacts of invasive species are highly variable and mediated by many factors, including both habitat and population abundance. Lionfish Pterois volitans are an invasive marine species which have high reported detrimental effects on prey populations, but whose effects relative to native predators are currently unknown for the recently colonized eastern Gulf of Mexico. We used functional response (FR) methodology to assess the ecological impact of lionfish relative to 2 functionally similar native species (red grouper Epinephelus morio and graysby grouper Cephalopholis cruentata) foraging in a heterogeneous environment. We then combined the per capita impact of each species with their field abundance to obtain a Relative Impact Potential (RIP). RIP assesses the broader ecological impact of invasive relative to native predators, the magnitude of which predicts community-level negative effects of invasive species. Lionfish FR and overall consumption rate was intermediate to that of red grouper (higher) and graysby grouper (lower). However, lionfish had the highest capture efficiency of all species, which was invariant of habitat. Much higher field abundance of lionfish resulted in high RIPs relative to both grouper species, demonstrating that the ecological impact of lionfish in this region will be driven mainly by high abundance and high predator efficiency rather than per capita effect. Our comparative study is the first empirical assessment of lionfish per capita impact and RIP in this region and is one of few such studies to quantify the FR of a marine predator.

scholarly journals Occurrence and Activity of Roe Deer in Urban Forests of Warsaw

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Karolina D. Jasińska ◽  
Mateusz Jackowiak ◽  
Jakub Gryz ◽  
Szymon Bijak ◽  
Katarzyna Szyc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Human Disturbances ◽  
Human Presence ◽  
Big Cities ◽  
High Level

Human presence or activities are perceived by animals as those associated with predation risk so activity and exploration patterns of animals should be shaped by indices of anthropogenic disturbances. The high level of human disturbances is noticed in big cities. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the occurrence of roe deer in Warsaw and its activity in the Warsaw urban forests. We used snow tracking on transect routes (winter seasons 2016, 2017, 2018; 115.1 km in total) to determine roe deer occurrence in four habitats: forests, open areas, parks, and built-up areas. The number of tracks was highest in forests (4.6 tracks/1 km/24 h), followed by open areas, built-up areas, and parks. We used camera traps to determine the activity of roe deer in selected urban forests. We collected 697 observations of roe deer in Warsaw forests in the years 2016–2019 (per 4826 trap-days in total). The peak of roe deer activity was noticed between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. Animals were least active at 1:00–2:00 p.m. and between 11:00 p.m.–01:00 a.m. Our research showed that roe deer inhabiting the urban area avoided human presence by using well-covered habitats and being active in periods when humans’ disturbances’ level is lower.

scholarly journals Phytoremediation Potential of Native Herbaceous Plant Species Growing on a Paradigmatic Brownfield Site

2021 ◽  
Vol 232 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Matanzas ◽  
E. Afif ◽  
T. E. Díaz ◽  
J. R. Gallego
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Aerial Parts ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
Icp Ms

AbstractPhytomanagement techniques using native species allow the recovery of contaminated soils at low cost and circumvent the ecological risks associated with the use of non-native species. In this context, a paradigmatic brownfield megasite highly contaminated by As and Pb was sampled in order to analyze soil–plant interactions and identify plant species with phytoremediation potential. A survey was first carried out in a 20-ha area to obtain an inventory of species growing spontaneously throughout the site. We then performed another survey in the most polluted sub-area (1 ha) within the site. Pseudototal concentrations of contaminants in the soil, aerial parts of the plants, and roots were measured by ICP-MS. A detailed habitat classification was done, and a specific index of coverage was applied by means of a 1-year quadrat study in various sampling stations. Results converged in the selection of six herbaceous species (Dysphania botrys, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus hispidus, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, Medicago lupulina). All of these plants are fast-growing, thereby making them suitable for use in phytostabilization strategies. Furthermore, they are all easy to grow and propagate and are generally self-sustaining. All six plants showed accumulation factors below 1, thus revealing them as pseudomethallophytes and excluders. However, L. hispidus and M. lupulina showed translocation capacity and are considered worthy of further study.

scholarly journals Wood Volume Production and Use of 10 Woody Species in Semiarid Zones of Northeastern Mexico

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahim Foroughbakhch ◽  
Artemio Carrillo Parra ◽  
Jorge Luis Hernández Piñero ◽  
Marco Antonio Alvarado Vázquez ◽  
Alejandra Rocha Estrada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Eucalyptus Camaldulensis ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Wood Volume ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Acacia Farnesiana ◽  
Volume Production ◽  
Northeastern Mexico

A research strategy was established to analyze the structure of timber trees in terms of forest productivity (volume and wood density) of 10 species. The native speciesAcacia farnesiana, Acacia schaffneri,Bumelia celastrina,Cercidium macrun,Condalia hookeri,Ebenopsis ebano,Helietta parvifolia, andProsopis laevigataand the exotic speciesEucalyptus camaldulensisandLeucaena leucocephalawere chosen due to their ecological and economic importance to the rural villages of northeastern Mexico. Measurements of different growth parameters and volume of trees were evaluated. The introduced speciesE. camaldulensisandL. leucocephalashowed the best performance in wood volume production per tree and per hectare when compared to the native species. Likewise, among the native species,E. ebano,P. laevigata,C. hookeri, andA. farnesianatended to show better characteristics in terms of wood volume production in comparison toH. parvifolia,A. schaffneri,C. macrum, andB. celastrina. Results showed a high diversity on the properties studied. The high biomass produced by most of the species considered in this study revealed their great energetic potential when used as wood and firewood or vegetal charcoal.

scholarly journals The pig of the Lençóis Maranhenses, first record of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Maranhão State, Brazil

Check List ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Gilberto Nepomuceno Salvador ◽  
Nathali Garcia Ristau ◽  
Isabel Sanches da Silva ◽  
André Nunes
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
Sus Scrofa ◽  
Native Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
First Record ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
The World

The wild boar is one of the most dangerous invasive species. It is widespread in the world, including records for many Brazilian states. However, there is a lack of record from Maranh&atilde;o state. In the present study, we reported a population of wild boar inside the Len&ccedil;&oacute;is Maranhenses National Park, in Barrerinhas county, State of Maranh&atilde;o. We discuss about the negative effects of this introduction on native species, including a record of predation by wild boar in nests of endangered turtles.

scholarly journals Rapid Least Concern: towards automating Red List assessments

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Bachman ◽  
Barnaby Walker ◽  
Sara Barrios ◽  
Alison Copeland ◽  
Justin Moat
Keyword(s):  
Web Application ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ◽  
Batch Operation ◽  
Occurrence Data ◽  
Data Files ◽  
Data Requirements

The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM (hereafter the Red List) is an important global resource for conservation that supports conservation planning, safeguarding critical habitat and monitoring biodiversity change (Rodrigues et al. 2006). However, a major shortcoming of the Red List is that most of the world's described species have not yet been assessed and published on the Red List (Bachman et al. 2019Eisenhauer et al. 2019). Conservation efforts can be better supported if the Red List is expanded to achieve greater coverage of mega-diverse groups of organisms such as plants, fungi and invertebrates. There is, therefore, an urgent need to speed up the Red List assessment and documentation workflow. One reason for this lack of species coverage is that a manual and relatively time-consuming procedure is usually employed to assess and document species. A recent update of Red List documentation standards (IUCN 2013) reduced the data requirements for publishing non-threatened or 'Least Concern' species on the Red List. The majority of the required fields for Least Concern plant species can be found in existing open-access data sources or can be easily calculated. There is an opportunity to consolidate these data and analyses into a simple application to fast-track the publication of Least Concern assessments for plants. There could be as many as 250,000 species of plants (60%) likely to be categorised as Least Concern (Bachman et al. 2019), for which automatically generated assessments could considerably reduce the outlay of time and valuable resources for Red Listing, allowing attention and resources to be dedicated to the assessment of those species most likely to be threatened. We present a web application, Rapid Least Concern, that addresses the challenge of accelerating the generation and documentation of Least Concern Red List assessments. Rapid Least Concern utilises open-source datasets, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Plants of the World Online (POWO) through a simple web interface. Initially, the application is intended for use on plants, but it could be extended to other groups, depending on the availability of equivalent datasets for these groups. Rapid Least Concern users can assess a single species or upload a list of species that are assessed in a batch operation. The batch operation can either utilise georeferenced occurrence data from GBIF or occurrence data provided by the user. The output includes a series of CSV files and a point map file that meet the minimum data requirements for a Least Concern Red List assessment (IUCN 2013). The CSV files are compliant with the IUCN Red List SIS Connect system that transfers the data files to the IUCN database and, pending quality control checks and review, publication on the Red List. We outline the knowledge gap this application aims to fill and describe how the application works. We demonstrate a use-case for Rapid Least Concern as part of an ongoing initiative to complete a global Red List assessment of all native species for the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Bermuda.

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