scholarly journals The effects of an invasive seaweed on native communities vary along a gradient of land-based human impacts

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Bulleri ◽  
Fabio Badalamenti ◽  
Ljiljana Iveša ◽  
Barbara Mikac ◽  
Luigi Musco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Rocky Reefs ◽  
Invasive Seaweed ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Algal Turfs

The difficulty in teasing apart the effects of biological invasions from those of other anthropogenic perturbations has hampered our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the global biodiversity crisis. The recent elaboration of global-scale maps of cumulative human impacts provides a unique opportunity to assess how the impact of invaders varies among areas exposed to different anthropogenic activities. A recent meta-analysis has shown that the effects of invasive seaweeds on native biota tend to be more negative in relatively pristine than in human-impacted environments. Here, we tested this hypothesis through the experimental removal of the invasive green seaweed,Caulerpa cylindracea, from rocky reefs across the Mediterranean Sea. More specifically, we assessed which out of land-based and sea-based cumulative impact scores was a better predictor of the direction and magnitude of the effects of this seaweed on extant and recovering native assemblages. Approximately 15 months after the start of the experiment, the removal ofC. cylindraceafrom extant assemblages enhanced the cover of canopy-forming macroalgae at relatively pristine sites. This did not, however, result in major changes in total cover or species richness of native assemblages. PreventingC. cylindraceare-invasion of cleared plots at pristine sites promoted the recovery of canopy-forming and encrusting macroalgae and hampered that of algal turfs, ultimately resulting in increased species richness. These effects weakened progressively with increasing levels of land-based human impacts and, indeed, shifted in sign at the upper end of the gradient investigated. Thus, at sites exposed to intense disturbance from land-based human activities, the removal ofC. cylindraceafostered the cover of algal turfs and decreased that of encrusting algae, with no net effect on species richness. Our results suggests that competition fromC. cylindraceais an important determinant of benthic assemblage diversity in pristine environments, but less so in species-poor assemblages found at sites exposed to intense disturbance from land-based human activities, where either adverse physical factors or lack of propagules may constrain the number of potential native colonizers. Implementing measures to reduce the establishment and spread ofC. cylindraceain areas little impacted by land-based human activities should be considered a priority for preserving the biodiversity of Mediterranean shallow rocky reefs.

scholarly journals Impact of Human Activities on the Distribution of Termite Communities in Teak Plantations (Tectona grandis L. F., Verbenaceae) in the Korhogo Communal Area (North Côte d'Ivoire)

2021 ◽  
pp. 140-150
Author(s):  
Tenon Coulibaly ◽  
Franceline Doh ◽  
Ekien Alloua A. Bertille Kadio ◽  
Kindo Yves-Joël Boko ◽  
Alexandre Moïse Akpa Akpesse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Human Pressure ◽  
Teak Plantation ◽  
Communal Area ◽  
Teak Plantations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Village

Aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of human activities on termites in teak plantations in the Korhogo communal area. Methodology: Termites were sampled from October to November 2020 using the transect method recommended by Jones and Eggleton (2000). The study was carried out in three teak plantations undergoing different levels of human activities, with a forest fragment as reference area. Five types of human activity were assessed and the overall proportion of human pressure on each habitat was calculated. The species richness (S), Shannon index (H'), Evenness (E) and the relative abundance were calculated of termites for each habitat type. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare the species richness and abundance of termites. Results: The results showed that the village plantation of teak (PVT) had the highest degree of human pressure (50.94%), followed by the teak plantation of the forest of Mount Korhogo (TFMK) (29.24%). The teak plantation of Botanical Garden (TJB) was under low pressure (6.60%). A total of 30 species grouped in 19 genera and 8 sub-families of termites were identified in all plots. Termite diversity was high in the forest fragment (19.67 ± 1.15) and in the teak plantation of Botanical Garden (21.33 ± 2.08), but low in the village teak plantation (11 ± 1). The abundance of termites evolves in the same direction as the species richness. Conclusion: Anthropogenic activities affect the trophic composition of termites, particularly the humivore group. Reconstruction of the fauna and flora of the teak forests would be beneficial for the conservation of termite species. In this region, teak forests would thus play a role as a refuge for termite communities, which are recognised as the main soil fertilising organisms in the tropics.

scholarly journals The Impact of Late Holocene Flood Management on the Central Po Plain (Northern Italy)

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Brandolini ◽  
Mauro Cremaschi
Keyword(s):  
Roman Empire ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Flood Management ◽  
Po Plain ◽  
The Impact

Fluvial environments have always played a crucial role in human history. The necessity of fertile land and fresh water for agriculture has led populations to settle in floodplains more frequently than in other environments. Floodplains are complex human–water systems in which the mutual interaction between anthropogenic activities and environment affected the landscape development. In this paper, we analyzed the evolution of the Central Po Plain (Italy) during the Medieval period through a multi-proxy record of geomorphological, archaeological and historical data. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD) coincided with a progressive waterlogging of large floodplain areas. The results obtained by this research shed new light on the consequences that Post-Roman land and water management activities had on landscape evolution. In particular, the exploitation of fluvial sediments through flood management practices had the effect of reclaiming the swamps, but also altered the natural geomorphological development of the area. Even so, the Medieval human activities were more in equilibrium with the natural system than with the later Renaissance large-scale land reclamation works that profoundly modified the landscape turning the wetland environment into the arable land visible today. The analysis of fluvial palaeoenvironments and their relation with past human activities can provide valuable indications for planning more sustainable urbanized alluvial landscapes in future.

A Study on Social Awareness about Deforestation in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
S. Nivithra ◽  
K.S. Shoba Jasmin
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
General Public ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact

Forests keep our climate stable, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and they regulate our water supply and improve its quality. Forests are vulnerable to anthropogenic activities which affect the biodiversity with adverse socio-economic and environmental impacts. Large-scale destruction of the forests began with the British who wished to utilise the timber and the natural resources for the expansion and continuation of the empire. Over recent decades, human activity has also severely impacted the habitats and natural resources that wildlife and humanity depend on such as oceans, forests, coral reefs, wetlands and mangroves. This study attempted to analyse the level of awareness among the general public about deforestation in India. The impact of deforestation is poorly understood and the rate of deforestation is alarming the environmentalists wishing to protect the wildlife and forest resources. The causes and impacts of deforestation are associated with human activities but the linkage is not clearly understood by the public and the level of awareness is poor.

scholarly journals Impacts of Climate and Anthropogenic Activities on Streamflow Regimes in the Beiluo River, China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 2892
Author(s):  
Zhibo Xie ◽  
Xingmin Mu ◽  
Peng Gao ◽  
Changxue Wu ◽  
Dexun Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Annual Streamflow ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
Daily Streamflow ◽  
Significant Downward Trend ◽  
The Impact

Quantitatively assessing the characteristics of river streamflow variation and conducting research on attribution identification are the basis for formulating climate-change response strategies and rational use of water resources. Based on the daily streamflow data of the Zhuangtou Hydrological Station in 1970–2018, this paper analyzes the streamflow changes in the Beiluo River Basin and studies the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on the streamflow in this basin. A non-parametric Mann–Kendall test and Pettitt’s test were used to determine the trend and detect abrupt changes of streamflow and baseflow. The method based on precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, as well as the double-mass curve of precipitation–streamflow, was established to evaluate the impact of climate change and non-climate factors on annual streamflow. The results reveal a statistically significant downward trend (p = 0.01) in both annual streamflow and baseflow, with the abrupt point year in 1994 and 1988, respectively. When comparing to a modest declining trend in annual average precipitation, we see that the temperature showed a significant upward trend (p = 0.01), whose abrupt point year was 1996. Under the policy of returning farmland to forest, land-use analysis shows that the area of farmland had decreased by 222.4 km2, of which 31.4% was mainly converted into the forestland. By the end of 2015, the area of forestland had increased by 123.4 km2, which has largely caused streamflow decrease. For the method based on precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, climate change contributed 43.7% of the annual streamflow change, and human activities (mainly refers to LUCC) contributed 56.3%. For the DMC of precipitation–streamflow, the precipitation contributed 9.4%, and non-precipitation factors (mainly refers to human activities) contributed 90.6%, and human activities played a more vital part in driving streamflow reduction in different decades, with a contribution rate of more than 70%. This study is of great practical significance to the planning, management, development and utilization of water resources in basins.

scholarly journals Marine benthic communities and anthropogenic activities in Sept-Îles (Canada): a peaceful coexistence?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliot Dreujou ◽  
Philippe Archambault ◽  
Christopher W McKindsey
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Cumulative Impacts ◽  
Peaceful Coexistence ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Cumulative Stress ◽  
Benthic Ecosystems

With the development of coastal human activities comes the growing need to develop methods to describe their cumulative impacts on marine benthic communities at local geographic scales. Local assessments facilitate dialogue between multiple users of the ecosystem (industries, individuals) and allow to better understand variation among benthic communities in a given region. In this project, we aim to develop indicators of cumulative impacts to assess the environmental health of benthic ecosystems within industrialized regions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at a small spatial scale (0.01 km2). We selected coastal regions around Sept-Îles, where numerous human activities are present at different intensities (such as international shipping, fisheries or domestic and industrial wastes). Subtidal ecosystems were sampled in 2016-2017 to characterize macro-endobenthic diversity and abiotic parameters of the sediment. We calculated impact scores for each human activity based on the distance from the source and the magnitude of its impact. We thus identified hotspots of cumulative impact and changes in the biotic and abiotic compartments along impact gradients. These results will be used for the development of indicators of cumulative stress and to understand resilience and stability of bay-scale benthic communities.

Response of karst springs to climate change and anthropogenic activities: the Niangziguan Springs, China

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 634-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghong Hao ◽  
Yajie Wang ◽  
Yuen Zhu ◽  
Yi Lin ◽  
Jet-Chau Wen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Grey System Theory ◽  
Spring Discharge ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Groundwater Abstraction ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Niangziguan Springs

Discharge from the largest karst spring in north China, the Niangziguan Springs, has been declining since the 1950s. This paper examines the response of these springs to climatic change and anthropogenic influence by attempting a model-based discrimination between phases in the stream discharge record. In Niangziguan Springs Basin, the exploitation of karst groundwater began in 1979. Accordingly, the spring discharge data were divided into two phases: pre-1979 and post-1979. In the first phase (1957—78) the spring discharge was believed to be affected solely by climate change, and in the second phase (1979—2007) the spring discharge was influenced by both climate change and human activities. Using grey system theory, a discharge model was estimated for the first phase. Extrapolating the model, we obtained a projection of the spring discharge during the second phase. Using a water balance calculation, we discerned the respective effects of climate change and human activities on depletion of spring discharge for the second phase. The results show that the contribution of climate change to depletion of Niangziguan Springs is 2.30m3/s and the contribution of anthropogenic activities ranges from 1.89 to 2.90 m3/s, although this assumes a constant for the climate change effect. Accordingly, the anthropogenic effects have been approaching and surpassing the effects of climate change during the second phase. With respect to the impact of human activities on spring discharge, groundwater abstraction accounts for only about 34—52% of the declines; 48—66% of the declines are related to other human activities, such as dewatering from coal mining, dam building and deforestation.

scholarly journals Anthropocene refugia: integrating history and predictive modelling to assess the space available for biodiversity in a human-dominated world

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Monsarrat ◽  
Scott Jarvie ◽  
Jens-Christian Svenning
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Time Perspective ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Predictive Modelling ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
The Future ◽  
Novel Concept ◽  
The Impact

1.AbstractDuring periods of strong environmental change, some areas may serve as refugia, where components of biodiversity can find protection, persist and potentially expand from should conditions again become favourable. The refugia concept has previously been used in the context of climatic change, to describe climatically stable areas in which taxa survived past Quaternary glacial-interglacial oscillations, or where they might persist in the future under anthropogenic climate change. However, with the recognition that Earth has entered the Anthropocene, an era in which human activities are the dominant driving force on ecosystems, it is critical to also consider human pressures on the environment as factors limiting species distributions. Here, we present a novel concept, Anthropocene refugia, to refer to areas that provide spatial and temporal protection from human activities and that will remain suitable for a given taxonomic unit in the long-term. It integrates a deep-time perspective on species biogeography that provides information on the natural rather than current-day relictual distribution of species, with spatial information on modern and future anthropogenic threats. We define the concept and propose a methodology to effectively identify and map realised and potential current and future refugia, using examples for two megafauna species as a proof of concept. We argue that identifying Anthropocene refugia will improve biodiversity conservation and restoration by allowing better prediction of key areas for conservation and potential for re-expansions today and in the future. More generally, it forms a new conceptual framework to assess and manage the impact of anthropogenic activities on past, current and future patterns of species distributions.

scholarly journals Developing the Ecological Footprint Assessment for a University Campus, the Component-Based Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9928
Author(s):  
Salah Vaisi ◽  
Hooshmand Alizadeh ◽  
Werya Lotfi ◽  
Saleh Mohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
University Campus ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Waste Production ◽  
The Impact

Global warming has become an increasing challenge due to the impact of human activities on the environment. In this regard, university campuses with various activities and departments have a great impact on the environment. Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) is a natural resource depletion assessment tool, with a high level of accuracy, that measures the impact of human activities on the environment. Considering the Ecological Footprint (EF) capabilities, this study developed a method to assess the environmental impacts of a university campus using component-based parameters. The goals of the study are to explore the effective components of EF and to propose some policy guidelines to diminish the human impacts on the environment on university campuses. Five components, including natural gas and electricity consumption, water and food usage, and waste production, were measured in a survey from 2013 to 2016 at the building scale. The mean EF of the campus was 16,484 global hectares (gha). Fossil fuel energy had the highest level of environmental impact with 70.73%, followed by waste production and food and water usage with 26.87%, 1.28%, and 1.12%, respectively. The results demonstrate that the EF Index (EFI) of the case study campus was −0.82, which reveals an unsustainable performance. The EF results were illustrated on an Ecological Footprint Map (EFM), which shows the east and west parts of the camps were more unsustainable.

scholarly journals Marine benthic communities and anthropogenic activities in Sept-Îles (Canada): a peaceful coexistence?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliot Dreujou ◽  
Philippe Archambault ◽  
Christopher W McKindsey
Keyword(s):  
Human Activities ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Cumulative Impacts ◽  
Peaceful Coexistence ◽  
Small Spatial Scale ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Cumulative Stress ◽  
Benthic Ecosystems

With the development of coastal human activities comes the growing need to develop methods to describe their cumulative impacts on marine benthic communities at local geographic scales. Local assessments facilitate dialogue between multiple users of the ecosystem (industries, individuals) and allow to better understand variation among benthic communities in a given region. In this project, we aim to develop indicators of cumulative impacts to assess the environmental health of benthic ecosystems within industrialized regions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at a small spatial scale (0.01 km2). We selected coastal regions around Sept-Îles, where numerous human activities are present at different intensities (such as international shipping, fisheries or domestic and industrial wastes). Subtidal ecosystems were sampled in 2016-2017 to characterize macro-endobenthic diversity and abiotic parameters of the sediment. We calculated impact scores for each human activity based on the distance from the source and the magnitude of its impact. We thus identified hotspots of cumulative impact and changes in the biotic and abiotic compartments along impact gradients. These results will be used for the development of indicators of cumulative stress and to understand resilience and stability of bay-scale benthic communities.

scholarly journals Putting species back on the map: devising a robust method for quantifying the biodiversity impacts of land conversion

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
América P. Durán ◽  
Jonathan M.H. Green ◽  
Christopher D. West ◽  
Piero Visconti ◽  
Neil D. Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Direct Conversion ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Decision Context ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTAimQuantifying connections between the global drivers of habitat loss and biodiversity impact is vital for decision-makers promoting responsible land-use. To that end, biodiversity impact metrics should be able to report linked trends in specific anthropogenic activities and changes in biodiversity state. However, for biodiversity, it is challenging to deliver integrated information on its multiple dimensions (i.e. species richness, endemicity) and keep it practical. Here, we developed a biodiversity footprint indicator that can i) capture the status of different species groups, ii) link biodiversity impact to specific human activities, and iii) be adapted to the most applicable scale for the decision context.LocationCerrado Biome, BrazilMethodsWe illustrate this globally-applicable approach for the case of soybean expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado. Using species-specific habitat suitability models, we assessed the impact of soy expansion and other land uses over 2,000 species of amphibians, birds, mammals and plants for three time periods between 2000 and 2014.ResultsOverall, plants suffered the greatest reduction of suitable habitat. However, among endemic and near-endemic species – which face greatest risk of global extinction from habitat conversion in the Cerrado - birds were the most affected group. While planted pastures and cropland expansion were together responsible for most of the absolute biodiversity footprint, soy expansion via direct conversion of natural vegetation had the greatest impact per unit area. The total biodiversity footprint over the period was concentrated in the southern states of Minas Geráis, Goiás and Mato Grosso, but the soy footprint was proportionally higher in those northern states (such as Bahía and Piauí) which belong to the new agricultural frontier.Main conclusionsThe ability and flexibility of our approach to examine linkages between biodiversity loss and specific human activities has substantial potential to better characterise the pathways by which habitat loss drivers operate.

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