Trophic relationships among three species of ornamental fish from the region of Lake Amanã, Amazon

The present study objectified to evaluate the trophic relationships and the possible aggressive mimicry involving Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae and Gnathocharax steindachneri, in lowland forest streams. Samplings occurred in November 2002, March and August 2003 in Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve (ASDR). The total of 943 fish was caught, being 79.43% of C. marthae, 3.18% of C. strigata and 17.39% of G. steindachneri. Stomach contents, degree of stomach repletion, relative volume and frequency of occurrence of food items were evaluated. Thirteen food items were identified, and the presence of terrestrial and aquatic insects indicates the high dependence of these species and the flooded forest. Low feeding overlap was observed between Carnegiella strigata and C. marthae compared to Gnathocharax steindachneri. However, the overlap between the two Carnegiella species was relatively high, which could explain the low frequency of syntopic occurrence among these species, suggesting a possible case of competitive exclusion.

Environmental Dynamics of the Ribbon-Like Pine Forests in the Parklands of North Kazakhstan

The ribbon-like pine forests of North Kazakhstan represent the principal territorial intrazonal and azonal biotopes. Integrated bio-geographic studies of the pine forests’ status were performed in the Beskaragai and Chaldai Nature Reserves in the Pri-Irtysh River basin within, at present, the climate–change most susceptible transitional parkland-steppe zone of Central Asia, adjoining the West Siberian Lowland. The investigations followed the regional topographic gradient with a series of mapped sites characterizing the spatial relief patterns of the pristine forest distribution and the associated phytocenoses. The results revealed marked natural arboreal cover restoration differences between the geographically close upland and lowland forest ecosystems. The regional tree growth dynamics show the varying intensity of the pine seedlings’ succession, the tree stands’ biomass productivity and the environmental stability, weakened by the extreme continentality and progressing aridification along with adverse anthropogenic ecological impacts. The specific geomorphic, soil and hydrological conditions are the principal determining factors. The more vital plain and lowland pine forests host the floristically richer fescue-dominated communities compared to the more fragile and precipitation-poorer upland pine settings. The latter forest ecosystems display a higher vulnerability to the current climate change, generating tree drying, forest fires, and to modern human activities such as logging, herding and recreation. The research conclusions provide new insights on the natural ribbon-like pine forests’ sustainability and adaptation to the ongoing continental warming triggering fundamental environmental transformations in Central Asia’s parklands.

The Ecological Touchstones of Our Identity : Confronting Native Landscapes with the Cultural and Ecological Identity of New Zealand's Society

<p>‘Ecological Touchstones of Our Identity’ explores the ways in which the language of New Zealand’s landscapes have been transformed by colonisation as New Zealand undergoes transition into a post-colonial era. This thesis identifies how three uniquely native New Zealand landscapes, the Beach, the Swamp and the Bush, have become lost to New Zealanders, both physically and conceptually, through the gradual transitions of time and contested histories. Although these landscapes are perceived within New Zealand’s culture as uniquely native to New Zealand, their true nature is somehow lost on many. Such unique landscapes coalesce into one very important landscape - the transect of the lowland forest - which has been all but lost from the fabric of our landscapes. This thesis uses a methodological approach wherein a range of dualities are explored in opposition to each other. The concept of biculturalism between Māori and Pākehā; the orientation between the vertical and horizontal, the gaze versus the object; wetland and bushland versus pastureland; and, most importantly, the perceived duality of nature versus culture. This latter point will be challenged through the theory and design concepts presented in this thesis. The final design outcome deals with the practicalities of generating a strong knowledge base of eco-sourcing and regeneration of national importance by creating a functioning seedbank between the two sites selected: the Museum of New Zealand -Te Papa Tongarewa and Lake Waiwiri (Lake Papaitonga). The vision is to regenerate the lowland forest transect between Lake Waiwiri and the coastal edge back into the functioning ecosystem once present, while structuring this regeneration to act as a cultural tool for strengthening New Zealand's sense of ecological cultural awareness, and thereby, identity. The role that landscape architecture and architecture play within this system of regeneration is critically explored through form and conceptual process, cumulating to a scheme which presents the educational opportunity of integrating these two different sites into one functioning ecosystem of regeneration.</p>

The Ecological Touchstones of Our Identity : Confronting Native Landscapes with the Cultural and Ecological Identity of New Zealand's Society

<p>‘Ecological Touchstones of Our Identity’ explores the ways in which the language of New Zealand’s landscapes have been transformed by colonisation as New Zealand undergoes transition into a post-colonial era. This thesis identifies how three uniquely native New Zealand landscapes, the Beach, the Swamp and the Bush, have become lost to New Zealanders, both physically and conceptually, through the gradual transitions of time and contested histories. Although these landscapes are perceived within New Zealand’s culture as uniquely native to New Zealand, their true nature is somehow lost on many. Such unique landscapes coalesce into one very important landscape - the transect of the lowland forest - which has been all but lost from the fabric of our landscapes. This thesis uses a methodological approach wherein a range of dualities are explored in opposition to each other. The concept of biculturalism between Māori and Pākehā; the orientation between the vertical and horizontal, the gaze versus the object; wetland and bushland versus pastureland; and, most importantly, the perceived duality of nature versus culture. This latter point will be challenged through the theory and design concepts presented in this thesis. The final design outcome deals with the practicalities of generating a strong knowledge base of eco-sourcing and regeneration of national importance by creating a functioning seedbank between the two sites selected: the Museum of New Zealand -Te Papa Tongarewa and Lake Waiwiri (Lake Papaitonga). The vision is to regenerate the lowland forest transect between Lake Waiwiri and the coastal edge back into the functioning ecosystem once present, while structuring this regeneration to act as a cultural tool for strengthening New Zealand's sense of ecological cultural awareness, and thereby, identity. The role that landscape architecture and architecture play within this system of regeneration is critically explored through form and conceptual process, cumulating to a scheme which presents the educational opportunity of integrating these two different sites into one functioning ecosystem of regeneration.</p>

Kupeantha yabassi (Coffeeae-Rubiaceae), a new Critically Endangered shrub species of the Ebo Forest area, Littoral Region, Cameroon

SummaryA new species to science of evergreen forest shrub, Kupeantha yabassi M.G.Alvarez & Cheek (Coffeeae - Rubiaceae), is described, illustrated and compared morphologically with the closely similar species K. pentamera. Restricted so far to a single site in evergreen lowland forest near the Ebo Forest, Yabassi, Littoral Region, Cameroon, this species is Critically Endangered using the IUCN 2012 standard due to habitat clearance driven mainly by agriculture, adding to the growing list of threatened species resulting from anthropogenic pressure on Cameroon forests. A revised key to the six species of Kupeantha is presented. Two distinct geographical and ecological species groupings within the genus are identified and discussed. Notes are given on other narrowly endemic and threatened species in the Ebo Forest area, a threatened centre of diversity important for conservation in the Littoral Region.

Crown closure segmentation on wetland lowland forest using the mean shift algorithm

The availability of high and very high-resolution imagery is helpful for forest inventory, particularly to measure the stand variables such as canopy dimensions, canopy density, and crown closure. This paper describes the examination of mean shift (MS) algorithm on wetland lowland forest. The study objective was to find the optimal parameters for crown closure segmentation Pleiades-1B and SPOT-6 imageries. The study shows that the segmentation of crown closure with the red band of Pleiades-1B image would be well segmented by using the parameter combination of (hs: 6, hr: 5, M: 33) having overall accuracy of 88.93% and Kappa accuracy of 73.76%, while the red, green, blue (RGB) composite of SPOT-6 image, the optimal parameter combination was (hs:2, hr: 8, M: 11), having overall accuracy of 85.72% and kappa accuracy of 68.33%. The Pleiades-1B image with a spatial resolution of (0.5 m) provides better accuracy than SPOT-5 of (1.5 m) spatial resolution. The differences between single spectral, synthetic, and RGB does not significantly affect the accuracy of segmentation. The study concluded that the segmentation of high and very high-resolution images gives promising results on forest inventory.

Diversity and potential utilization of medicinal plants in Way Kambas National Park

The lowland forest area of Section I Way Kanan, Way Kambas National Park, possesses abundant medicinal tree species. This study aims to identify the medicinal tree species and their potential uses. Data collection was carried out by an inventory of all tree species by the belt transect method on a 100 m x 10 m. All plants were sampled for the herbarium, recorded, identified, and then analyzed for their usefulness. Data analysis was carried out to obtain the accuracy of scientific names, using the comparative identification approach, comparing herbarium samples from the field with herbarium specimens from Heyne’s collection at the Forest Botanical Herbarium, Forest Research and Development Center, Bogor. The identification results using herbarium specimens recorded 24 medicinal tree species of the 20 genera and 20 families. Based on Heyne’s Herbarium collection, 13 tree species of the 11 genera and 11 families possess the potential for medicinal and food. Among these species, the community still uses medicinal trees, such as Artocarpus elasticus, Baccaurea bracteata, Bouea oppositifolia and Cinnamomum iners. In general, people use medicinal plants when a family member is sick or used as tonics and supplements to maintain endurance.