scholarly journals Both landscape heterogeneity and configuration determine Woodlarks (Lullula arborea) breeding territories

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12476
Author(s):  
Marlies Resch ◽  
Marcela Suarez-Rubio
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Farmland Birds ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Vegetation Height

Farmland birds have declined in the last decades mostly due to agriculture intensification. The Woodlark Lullula arborea, a farmland species of conservation concern and protected by the European Bird Directive, occurs in a variety of habitats across its geographic range. Although habitat heterogeneity has been recognized as a key feature, the preference or avoidance of particular habitat attributes might differ across its range because different localities may have distinct conditions. Such variation would challenge conservation efforts at the local level. Our aim was to assess habitat associations of Woodlarks and determine whether the habitat attributes identified as important in other locations across its range could be generalised and applied to Austrian populations. In addition, habitat associations can be influenced by land-use change. We examined changes in land use from 2007 to 2016 in 15 municipalities surrounding areas occupied by Woodlarks. We quantified the composition and configuration of the local landscape surrounding 18 singing males’ territories and 16 non-territory sites. We found that the probability of Woodlarks territories increased with landscape heterogeneity between 50% and 70%, increased with dispersed bare soil patches, decreased with overall patch density and were away from dirt roads. Contrary to our expectation, there was no indication of land-use change. In contrast to previous studies, vegetation height, the presence and proximity to woodland were not identified as important habitat characteristics. Thus, some conservation recommendations can be derived from other localities, for example, maintaining or enhancing landscape heterogeneity. However, others should be adapted to local conditions. In Austria, conservation efforts should focus on including dispersed patches of bare soil and limiting the development of dirt roads nearby Woodlark territories, in addition to promoting a heterogeneous landscape.

scholarly journals Aedes albopictus Populations and Larval Habitat Characteristics across the Landscape: Significant Differences Exist between Urban and Rural Land Use Types

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Katie M. Westby ◽  
Solny A. Adalsteinsson ◽  
Elizabeth G. Biro ◽  
Alexis J. Beckermann ◽  
Kim A. Medley
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Larval Habitat ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Water Evaporation ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Land Use Types

One of the most profound recent global changes has been the proliferation of urban metropolitan areas. A consequence of urbanization is a reduction in abundance, or diversity, of wildlife. One exception, is the proliferation of vectors of disease; recent years have seen the emergence and resurgence of diseases vectored by species closely associated with humans. Aedes albopictus, a mosquito with a near global range and broad ecological niche, has been described as an urban, suburban, or rural vector, or a forest edge species depending on local conditions. We tested the hypothesis that abundance and phenological patterns of this species vary among different land use types in a temperate city because of the variation in the biotic and abiotic conditions characteristic of those habitat types. A. albopictus populations in urban and suburban areas were an order of magnitude larger than in rural areas and were detected several weeks earlier in the season. Additionally, we found fewer overall mosquito species, higher temperatures, lower nitrogen, higher pH, and faster water evaporation in larval habitats in urban vs. rural areas. By understanding the ecological differences that facilitate a species in one habitat and not another, we can potentially exploit those differences for targeted control.

scholarly journals Recapture rates and habitat associations of White-faced Darter Leucorhinnia dubia on Fenn’s and Whixall Moss, Shropshire, UK

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Davies ◽  
Achaz von Hardenberg ◽  
Matthew Geary
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
Repeat Visits ◽  
Biodiversity Decline

AbstractLand-use change and habitat loss are important drivers of biodiversity decline at both global and local scales. To protect species from the impacts of land-use change it is important to understand the population dynamics and habitat associations across these scales. Here we present an investigation into the survival and habitat preferences of White-faced Darter (Leucorrhinia dubia) at the local scale at Fenn’s and Whixall Moss, Shropshire, UK. We used capture-mark-recapture methods to investigate survival and used sightings of individual dragonflies along with habitat data to investigate habitat preference. We found that survival between capture-visits was very low and that White-faced Darter show a clear preference for the open moss habitat on this site. In both cases, we found that the detectability either through sightings or recaptures was potentially very low and suggest that this should be taken into account in future analyses. We suggest that this could be achieved by encouraging recorders to submit complete lists and to repeat visits to sites.

scholarly journals Effects of vegetation change on evapotranspiration in a semiarid shrubland of the Loess Plateau, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 13571-13605 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Gong ◽  
H. M. Lei ◽  
D. W. Yang ◽  
Y. Jiao ◽  
H. B. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Desiccation ◽  
The North

Abstract. Vegetation change is a primary factor that affect evapotranspiration (ET), which is an important process in the hydrological cycle. In this study, an attempt is made to analyze the effects of vegetation change on ET using continuous observation data from eddy-covariance (EC) measurements over three periods (1 July 2011 to 30 June 2014) of a study site in a sparse shrubland study site located in the Loess Plateau of China, which is a fragile ecosystem experiencing serious soil desiccation. In our study, vegetation change includes phenological change and land use change. Phenological process of vegetation is validated to have a remarkable positive effect on ET in a rate of 1.83 ± 0.01 along with vegetation greening. Land use change at our study site was due to the native vegetation being cut-off by human activities, converting sparse shrubland to bare soil. With land use condition changing during the three years, annual total ET was observed to increase 103 mm, suggesting that soil evaporation consumes more water than canopy transpiration. In summary, the effects of vegetation change on ET suggest that both vegetation greening and increased area of exposed soil would aggravate the soil desiccation at our site in the north Loess Plateau.

scholarly journals Assessing climate and land-use change impacts on streamflow in a mountainous catchment

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Liu ◽  
Liqiao Liang ◽  
Yanpeng Cai ◽  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Chunhui Li
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Mountainous Catchment ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Streamflow Response ◽  
Model Efficiency ◽  
Surrounding Areas

AbstractIt is essential to assess streamflow response to climate and land-use change in catchment basins that serve cities and their surrounding areas. This study used the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) to simulate streamflow under different climate and land-use change scenarios in the Dashi River catchment, China. The most sensitive soil parameters were maximum infiltration, porosity, field capacity, and wilting point, while the most sensitive vegetation parameters were leaf area index (LAI) and vegetation height. The suitability of the DHSVM model was aligned with Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficients (NSE) greater than 0.41 and 0.84 at daily and monthly scales, respectively. Streamflow increased/decreased with increasing/decreasing precipitation, while it decreased with increasing air temperature. Furthermore, streamflow decreased with the increase in forestland due to higher water consumption, especially during summer. Results from this study could help us to better understand streamflow response to changes in climate and land use.

scholarly journals Multitemporal Analysis as a Non-Invasive Technology Indicates a Rapid Change in Land Use in the Amazon: The Case of the ITT Oil Block

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Marco Heredia-R ◽  
Jhenny Cayambe ◽  
Clint Schorsch ◽  
Theofilos Toulkeridis ◽  
Deniz Barreto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Yasuni National Park ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Landsat 7

The Amazon Region of Ecuador (ARE) hosts a great variety of biodiversity and ecosystems. These hotspots are internationally recognized for presenting unique fauna and flora found nowhere else in the world. Within the ARE, there is the Yasuní National Park (YNP), a recognized Biosphere Reserve located in the sub-basins of various rivers. The study area is the “ITT Oil Block” (Ishpingo, Tambococha, and Tiputini), situated in the Province of Orellana and superimposed on the YNP. The block has an area of 179,449.53 ha. The main objective of the current study was to analyze the multi-temporality of land-use change in the ITT Oil Block of the ARE. In the methodological process, the PCI Geomatic and ARCGIS programs were used for the processing and classification of satellite images (Landsat 7 and 8). The changes in land use in the ITT Oil Block over the three periods (2001, 2014, and 2017) indicated that forest cover decreased by 24.23% in soils, while infrastructure and cultivation increased throughout the time period by 0.27% and 0.23%, respectively. The most significant land-use change rate in the ITT Oil Block in the period 2001–2017 are the categories of bare soil with 9.01% (10,640.82 ha) and cultivation with 7.27% (591.29 ha).

Assessment of land-use change in coastal areas through geographical information systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica Lango-Reynoso ◽  
Karla Teresa González-Figueroa ◽  
Fabiola Lango-Reynoso ◽  
María del Refugio Castañeda-Chávez ◽  
Jesús Montoya-Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Coastal Ecosystems ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Computer Based

Objective: This article describes and analyzes the main concepts of coastal ecosystems, these as a result of research concerning land-use change assessments in coastal areas. Design/Methodology/Approach: Scientific articles were searched using keywords in English and Spanish. Articles regarding land-use change assessment in coastal areas were selected, discarding those that although being on coastal zones and geographic and soil identification did not use Geographic Information System (GIS). Results: A GIS is a computer-based tool for evaluating the land-use change in coastal areas by quantifying variations. It is analyzed through GIS and its contributions; highlighting its importance and constant monitoring. Limitations of the study/Implications: This research analyzes national and international scientific information, published from 2007 to 2019, regarding the land-use change in coastal areas quantified with the digital GIS tool. Findings/Conclusions: GIS are useful tools in the identification and quantitative evaluation of changes in land-use in coastal ecosystems; which require constant evaluation due to their high dynamism.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document