Allelopathic Activity of Cactus Used in the Foraging in the Brazilian Semi-arid

The use of cactus for forage may cause soil contamination by allelochemicals in order to compromise the future planting or even reforestation of that site. The objective of this work was to evaluate the allelopathic action of cladodes and roots of Cereus jamacaru, Pilosocereus gounellei and Tacinga inamoena on the germination and development of Cenchrus echinatus and Calotropis procera in order to suggest actions that increase efficiency in restoration strategies. Of the species of Cactaceae mentioned above, cladodes and roots were collected for the preparation of the extracts in which two types of extracts were prepared for each organ, one treatment by hot infusion and one cold treatment. Germination Percentages (GP) and Germination Speed Index (GSI) were analyzed. In order to analyze if the extracts presented some allelopathic activity regarding the development of the seedlings, the lengths of the stem and the radicle of the recipient species were measured. The results of this research show that cacti don’t significantly affect GP from seeds of other plants. However, for GSI, roots and cladodes of T. inamoena presented negative allelopathic activity for C. echinatus and C. procera, respectively. In addition to GSI, T. inamoena negatively affected the development of C. echinatus rootlets. In this way T. inamoena is a forage cactus that affects the development of the initial structures of surrounding plants. Thus, the exacerbation of this forage species in natural areas should be avoided, since the released allelochemicals can interfere with the ecological succession of the plant species of that environment.

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Seasonal food preferences and group activity pattern of Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra (L., 1758) (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Bovidae) in a semi-arid region of western Haryana, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.7086.13.13.19937-19947 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 19937-19947

Author(s):

Vikram Delu ◽

Dharambir Singh ◽

Sumit Dookia ◽

Priya ◽

Kiran

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Visual Observation ◽

Group Activity ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Calotropis Procera ◽

Antilope Cervicapra ◽

Semi Arid

To evaluate food preferences and group activity patterns, a fragmented population of Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra was selected for observation in a semi-arid ecosystem of western Haryana. A field survey was conducted fortnightly, from dawn to dusk, between September 2019 and August 2020, covering every season. Scan sampling and quadrat methods were used to record data on group size and vegetation. Group sizes ranged from 3 to 72 individuals. Based on visual observation, blackbuck seasonally consumed 26 species belonging to 25 families with varied preferences, out of a total of 53 plant species documented from the study site. Some plant species with high medicinal and therapeutic values were preferred, including Artemisia scoparia, Cucumis callous, Ziziphus jujuba, and Ziziphus nummularia. Unlike most herbivores, Blackbuck also consumed the toxic and medicinally rich Calotropis procera. We suggest that zoos which house blackbuck include these preferred wild plant species in their diet. Observations on group activity were analyzed on hourly, monthly and seasonal bases, and converted into time percentages. Group foraging activity was at a maximum in the monsoon (62%) and minimum in winter (50%), followed by resting: maximum in winter (21%) and minimum (12%) in monsoon, largely influenced by food availability. Foraging/walking ratio was at a maximum (5.2) in monsoon and minimum (3.1) in winter, and was correlated with the number of group sightings (maximum in winter and minimum in monsoon) in nearby farmland, when the animals faced food scarcity in their natural habitat and fed on crops.

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Correction: Changes in Semi-Arid Plant Species Associations along a Livestock Grazing Gradient

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0091478 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. e91478 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Semi Arid

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Dormancy break in seeds of "quina" (Strychnos pseudoquina A. St.-Hil.)

Revista Brasileira de Plantas Medicinais ◽

10.1590/s1516-05722011000400017 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 507-511 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J.M. Vasconcelos ◽

M.A. Rodrigues ◽

S.C. Vasconcelos Filho ◽

J.F. Sales ◽

F.G. Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sulfuric Acid ◽

Medicinal Plant ◽

Gibberellic Acid ◽

Plant Species ◽

Germination Percentage ◽

Boiling Water ◽

Medicinal Plant Species ◽

Distilled Water ◽

Brazilian Cerrado ◽

Germination Speed

"Quina" (Strychnos pseudoquina A. St. Hil) is a medicinal plant species from the Brazilian Cerrado. As its seeds show dormancy, they were subjected to the treatments pre-cooling at 5ºC during 7 days, pre-heating at 40ºC during 7 days, pre-soaking in sulfuric acid PA during 5 and 15 min, pre-soaking in boiling water during 5 and 15 min, pre-soaking in 100 and 200 ppm gibberellic acid during 48 h, pre-soaking in distilled water during 24 and 48 h, and mechanical scarification to break dormancy. Counts were daily conducted from the 2nd day after the experiment implementation until the germination stabilization at the 65th day. The germination speed index (GSI) and the germination percentage were evaluated. Germination rates above 96% were reached in seeds pre-soaked in water during 48 h and substrate moistened with water or KNO3.

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Relationship between soil nutrient availability and plant species richness in a tropical semi-arid environment

Journal of Vegetation Science ◽

10.1111/j.1654-1103.2006.tb02495.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 719-728 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Yareni Perroni-Ventura ◽

Carlos Montaña ◽

Felipe García-Oliva

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Nutrient Availability ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Plant Species Richness ◽

Arid Environment ◽

Soil Nutrient Availability ◽

Semi Arid

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Prioritization and Selection of High Biomass Energy Producing Plant Species at Boset District, Central Ethiopia: An Ethnobotanical Approach

10.21203/rs.3.rs-332588/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tinsae Bahru Yifru ◽

Berhane Kidane ◽

Amsalu Tolessa

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Biomass Energy ◽

Calotropis Procera ◽

Sampled Data ◽

High Biomass ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Acacia Senegal ◽

Selection Of Species ◽

Selection Of

Abstract Background: In Ethiopia, about 92.3% of all the biomass energy is consumed by domestic households and the demand is growing from 10-14%. However, there are little/no practical experiences or documented indigenous knowledge on how traditional people identify and select high biomass producing plant species with short rotation periods at Boset District. Therefore, the present study was aimed at: (1) selecting and documenting high biomass energy producing plant species at Boset District; (2) identifying major predictor variables that influence the prioritization and selection of species; and (3) develop a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to predict the selection of species. Methods: A total of 96 informants comprising 59 men and 37 women between the ages of 18 and 81 were sampled. Data were collected using structured interviews, guided field walk, discussions and field observations. Results: Collected data indicated that 88.5% of the informants involved in firewood collection, while 90% practiced charcoal making. A total of 1533.60 Birr per household on average was earned annually from this activity. A total of 25 firewood and/or charcoal plant species were identified and documented at Boset District. Of these, Acacia senegal, Acacia tortilis and Acacia robusta were the three best prioritized and selected indigenous high biomass producing species. Prosopis juliflora, Parthenium hysterophorus, Azadirachta indica, Calotropis procera, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Lantana camara and Senna occidentalis further grouped under introduced fuelwood species. Prediction of GLM assured sampled Kebeles and source of income generated from fuelwood species positively and significantly (p<0.001) related to selection of species. Higher efficiency to provide energy and heat; little or no smoke or soot; easier to cut and split the wood and easier availability were some of the main selection criteria. Conclusions: This study provides valuable information in selection and documenting of high biomass producing plant species for proper management and sustainable use at Boset District. The three most selected species (A. senegal, A. tortilis and A. robusta) should be further evaluated at laboratory to determine their energy values.

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NATURAL PLANT SPECIES INVENTORY OF THE IMPORTANT PLANT AREAS IN ARABIAN PENINSULA: BANI OMAR, TAIZ GOVERNORATE, REPUBLIC OF YEMEN

Electronic Journal of University of Aden for Basic and Applied Sciences ◽

10.47372/ejua-ba.2020.3.36 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 135-150

Author(s):

Abdul Wali Ahmed Al-Khulaidi ◽

Abdul Habib Al-Qadasi ◽

Othman Saad Saeed Al-Hawshabi

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Arabian Peninsula ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Vegetation Types ◽

Salvadora Persica ◽

Natural Plant ◽

Vegetation Communities ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Average Annual Rainfall ◽

Semi Arid

The study area is located on the South western mountains of Republic of Yemen, It is characterized by arid and semi-arid climate with high temperatures and low average annual rainfall. The aims of this study are to explore the natural plant species of one of the Important Plant areas of Arabian Peninsula and to evaluate the chance to be a protected area. 61 sample sites covering the whole ecological zones haven been conducted. 135 plant species are found, in which 3 plant species were endemic, 7 near endemic, 29 regional endemic. The study revealed also three vegetation communities with 7 vegetation associations (vegetation types). Vegetation dominated by Ficus cordata, F. sycomorus, Salvadora persica Tamarix aphylla and Ziziphus spina-christi were found on main wadis. Vegetation communities dominated by Acacia asak, Anisotes trisulcus, Jatropha variegate and Zygocarpum yemenense were found on rocky slopes and stony plateau.

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Effect of Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Plant Species on Bacterial Diversity in Semi-Arid Parts in Central Sudan. Part III: AL-Gaeli Region, Khartoun North

OALib ◽

10.4236/oalib.1103337 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 04 (03) ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Hatil Hashim EL-Kamali ◽

Hayat Ibrahim Hassan ◽

Mustafa Siddig Mohamed EL-Kheir

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Diversity ◽

Plant Species ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Central Sudan ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Semi Arid

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Evaluation of allelopathic activity of 178 Caucasian plant species

International Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences ◽

10.14419/ijbas.v5i1.5631 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 75 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hossein Mardani ◽

Elena Kazantseva ◽

Vladimir Onipchenko ◽

Yoshiharu Fujii

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Test Plant ◽

Radicle Growth ◽

The Caucasus ◽

Oxalis Acetosella ◽

Caucasus Region ◽

Allelopathic Activity ◽

Plant Families ◽

Convallaria Majalis

Seeking for new plant species as the main resources of bioactive chemicals is one of the fundamental steps in biological production science. The main objective of this paper was to screen for the allelopathic activity of Caucasian plant species in order to select the strongest allelopathic species for future studies. Dried leaves of 178 plant species collected from the Teberda State Reserve in the Caucasus region were assayed by the Sandwich method for allelopathic activity, using Lactuca sativa (lettuce) as the test plant. To evaluate allelopathic activity, standard deviation (SD) and SD of variance (SDV) of radicle growth inhibition were calculated. The highest (100%) inhibition was observed for Artemisia austriaca Jacquin, followed by Oxalis acetosella L., Convallaria majalis L. and Polygonatum odoratum (Miller). Among plant families, members of the Fabaceae caused greatest inhibition of radicle growth. Plants classified as “poisonous” had the highest allelopathic activities, followed closely by those designated “medicinal”. Results of this study will guide the identification of novel phytotoxic chemicals useful in medicinal and/or industrial applications.

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The effect of drainage height on plant-species composition on a semi-arid green roof system

Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1163/22244662-bja10025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (3-4) ◽

pp. 149-155

Author(s):

Har'el Agra ◽

Hadar Shalom ◽

Omar Bawab ◽

Gyongyver J. Kadas ◽

Leon Blaustein

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Plant Species ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Green Roof ◽

Growing Season ◽

Green Roofs ◽

Plant Species Composition ◽

Roof System ◽

Semi Arid

Abstract Green roofs are expected to contribute to higher biodiversity in urban surroundings. Typically, green roofs have been designed with low plant diversity. However, plant diversity can be enhanced by controlling resource availability and creating distinct niches. Here we hypothesize that by using different drainage heights during the short plant-growing season in a semi-arid green roof system we can create distinct niches and plant communities. Our experiment took place at the University of Haifa, north Israel. We tested three different heights of drainage outlet: 10 cm under the surface of the substrate (Low), 1 cm under the surface of the substrate (Medium) and 3 cm above the surface of the substrate (High) on plant species-composition in green-roof gardens. Grasses cover was higher in High and Medium drainages while forbs cover was higher in Low drainage. Species richness was the highest in Low drainage while diversity indices showed the opposite trend. We conclude that by changing the height of the drainage we can create different niches and change species composition in a short time period of one growing season. This way we can create more diverse green roof communities and enhance biodiversity in urban areas, particularly in semi-arid regions.

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