scholarly journals Peer Review #1 of "Ant mosaics in Bornean primary rain forest high canopy depend on spatial scale, time of day, and sampling method (v0.1)"

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalsum M. Yusah ◽  
William A. Foster ◽  
Glen Reynolds ◽  
Tom M. Fayle

Background Competitive interactions in biological communities can be thought of as giving rise to “assembly rules” that dictate the species that are able to co-exist. Ant communities in tropical canopies often display a particular pattern, an “ant mosaic”, in which competition between dominant ant species results in a patchwork of mutually exclusive territories. Although ant mosaics have been well-documented in plantation landscapes, their presence in pristine tropical forests remained contentious until recently. Here we assess presence of ant mosaics in a hitherto under-investigated forest stratum, the emergent trees of the high canopy in primary tropical rain forest, and explore how the strength of any ant mosaics is affected by spatial scale, time of day, and sampling method. Methods To test whether these factors might impact the detection of ant mosaics in pristine habitats, we sampled ant communities from emergent trees, which rise above the highest canopy layers in lowland dipterocarp rain forests in North Borneo (38.8–60.2 m), using both baiting and insecticide fogging. Critically, we restricted sampling to only the canopy of each focal tree. For baiting, we carried out sampling during both the day and the night. We used null models of species co-occurrence to assess patterns of segregation at within-tree and between-tree scales. Results The numerically dominant ant species on the emergent trees sampled formed a diverse community, with differences in the identity of dominant species between times of day and sampling methods. Between trees, we found patterns of ant species segregation consistent with the existence of ant mosaics using both methods. Within trees, fogged ants were segregated, while baited ants were segregated only at night. Discussion We conclude that ant mosaics are present within the emergent trees of the high canopy of tropical rain forest in Malaysian Borneo, and that sampling technique, spatial scale, and time of day interact to determine observed patterns of segregation. Restricting sampling to only emergent trees reveals segregatory patterns not observed in ground-based studies, confirming previous observations of stronger segregation with increasing height in the canopy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Tiopan Tua Halomoan Simamora ◽  
Indriyanto . ◽  
Afif Bintoro

Liana is one type of plant that becomes typical characteristic of a tropical rain forest ecosystem and its presence adds to the diversity of plant species in the forest ecosystem.  The purposes of the study were to identify the species of liana, species of cantilever plant, and to know the number of liana species associated with the species of cantilever plant in the protection block of Wan Abdul Rachman Great Forest Park, especially in the area of Way Balau Sub watershed.  The research was conducted on September to Oktober 2013.  The sampling method was used line terraced layer.  The size of each sample plot was 20 m x 20 m with sub plots 10 m x 10 m, 5 m x 5 m, 2 m x 2 m.  Liana and cantilever plants species were inventoried by 0.2% sampling intensity from 796.50 ha.  Observed variables were the species and the number of lianas, spesies of cantilever plant and its number.  The result of research were identified 8 species of liana and 35 spesies of cantilever plants.  Liana density was 1.599 individual/ha and cantilever plant density was 1.594 individual/ha, and it had a good enough distribution because there was no dominant species. The plant that most liked by liana is dadap (Erythrina lithosperma) and liana that mostly found is rayutan (Paederia tomentosa). Keyword:  cantilever plant, liana, Protection Block of Wan Abdul Rachman GreatForest Park


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
João Coelho Soares ◽  
Ricardo Limongi ◽  
Eric David Cohen

PurposeSocial media are channels of communication and relationship between consumers and brands. In this paper, the determinants of consumer engagement in firm-generated content on Facebook are examined in a higher education institutions (HEIs) context.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 1,981 Facebook brand posts of 16 Brazilian HEIs and thoroughly analyzed with seemingly unrelated regression (SUR).FindingsThe results indicated that the type of media does not increase the user's engagement. The emotional content, on the other hand, increases the number of likes and shares and not comments. An interaction between dimensions, type of media and content is relevant disclosed to increase engagement metrics, while characteristics related to the day and time of posting are not relevant.Research limitations/implicationsThis study analyzes the factors that influence consumer engagement in brand messages published on Facebook, in the context of higher education institutions. Specifically, the authors seek to examine the influence that emanates from the likes, comments and shares: (1) factors related to the type of media (interactivity and liveliness); (2) content-related factors (remuneration, emotional, entertainment and informational); and (3) factors related to posting (day of the week and time of day).Practical implicationsIn the context of educational services, social media is increasingly present, remarkably in HEI marketing practices. Previous studies have shown that universities use social media (mainly Facebook) to promote interactivity with students. The study presents the key characteristics of the postings by the HEIs, with an emphasis on the liveliness, the interactivity of the media, and the information content of the posts. It stands out by the examination of the most relevant factors that influence Facebook engagement, and by providing evidence on the strength of the factors related to post features that influence user engagement.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the proposition and empirical test of a predictive model of consumer engagement on Facebook, which can predict engagement in an HEI context.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-06-2020-0242


Botany ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (8) ◽  
pp. 607-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Maria Montoya-Pfeiffer ◽  
Peter G. Kevan ◽  
Adrian González-Chaves ◽  
Elisa Pereira Queiroz ◽  
Enderlei Dec

Male flowers of the wind-pollinated, dioecious shrub Boehmeria caudata Sw. release pollen explosively, possibly stimulated by anther dehydration in response to temporarily dry conditions coupled with hydrostatic pressure in the filament. In the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest, the daily frequency of male flower anthesis peaked between 1000–1200 h (GMT −3) and was positively correlated with rising temperature, wind currents, and direct insolation, but negatively correlated with relative humidity. A generalized linear mixed model predicts the probability of pollen release under different conditions of relative humidity and wind. Receptive stigmas on female flowers were found at any time of day: individual stigmas were receptive (H2O2 test) for at least two days. Beetles and halictid bees were observed feeding on pollen from staminate flowers, but probably did not affect pollination because they did not seem to visit pistillate flowers. Individual plants of this apparently ruderal species grow along road edges and show aggregated (clumped) spatial dispersion. The overall sex ratio we found was 29 females to 43 males, with one monoecious plant in a total transect distance of 6319 m. Pollen traps were placed on the female plants to measure pollen arrival. Pollen capture was higher on the more exposed road-facing side and positively related to male plant density.


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