Characteristics of the microspecies aggregations among Alchemilla L. (Rosaceae) coenopopulations on the territory of Mari El Republic

The genus Alchemilla L. is represented by a significant number of apomictic species. This paper deals with the microspecies aggregations among Alchemilla coenopopulations from 5 nature districts on the territory of Mari El Republic. Alchemilla coenopopulations grow in meadow and forest margin communities, in disturbed habitats, while they have close estimates according to the ecological scales of L.G. Ramensky and D.N. Tsyganov. 25 Alchemilla microspecies have been identified. The number of generative rosette shoots on 1 m area for different microspecies within the coenopopulation varies extremely widely. There are from 3 to 14 microspecies in coenopopulations, one or two from them clearly dominant in number. Dominant microspecies are: A. acutiloba Opiz, A. hirsuticaulis H. Lindb., A. micans Buser, A. monticola Opiz, A. schistophylla Juz., A. subcrenata Buser, A. substrigosa Juz. There is A. micans in all coenopopulations, A. acutiloba , A. glabricaulis H. Lindb., A. monticola , A. sarmatica Juz. and A. subcrenata often occur. Microspecies A. breviloba H. Lindb., A. dasycrater Juz., A. devestiens Juz., A. filicaulis Buser, A. heptagona Juz., A. leiophylla Juz., A. lindbergiana Juz., A. plicata Buser, A. semilunaris Alechin are represented by single generative rosette shoots.

Selected Elements in the Soils Covering Mass Graves from World Wars I and II in Southeastern Poland

This study evaluates the reasons for the different content of eight selected elements, Cu, Pb, Zn, S, K, Na, Ca and P, in the upper sections of soil profiles covering mass graves in southeastern Poland. The burial sites include 18 mass graves from World Wars I and II, an active parish cemetery, an old kirkut (Jewish cemetery) and, as a comparative site, a forest nursery. Chemical analyses were carried out using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Among the elements were P and Ca, which dominate in the soils covering the burial sites from World War II. Higher amounts of the elements analysed were found at sites where many people were buried in a small area. The burial sites dug in pure sand revealed a lower content of the elements analysed, particularly Ca and P. In places where human ashes were scattered, Ca and P prevailed. The comparative site, a wet forest margin, is characterized by low levels of S and relatively higher amounts of Ca and P. In the soils covering World War I graves P, in particular, prevails over Zn, Pb and Cu. Differences in the concentrations of the elements studied depend on the type and age of the burial site, the type of soil, the slope gradient and water content prevailing at the site and the proximity to mass graves and cemeteries found close to each other.

Analysis on Willingness to Pay at the Ecotourism Destination, Cigamea Waterfall, Halimun-Salak National Reserve

Cigamea Waterfall is one of the ecotourism destinations situated in area of Salak Resort II of Halimun-Salak National Reserve (HSNR) Indonesia that can be partialy developed. The area consists of sub montanes forest and montane forest categorized as humid tropical forest. The uniqueness and the beauty of the flora, fauna, natural phenomena, and the natural condition become attraction for people to visit the area and willingness to pay for contribution fee. This fee is used as management funding to preserve the area. A demand for a commodity is trigered by willingness affordibility in buying that commodity (willingness to pay). The research analyzed willingness to pay by visitors to enjoy the beauty of Cigamea Waterfall. Logit method with descriptive quantitative approach was used in this study. Several stages in this study included: (1) analysing visitors’ trend; (2) analysing respondents’logit regression towards willingness to pay (WTP); (3) analysing willingness to pay. During this research, this ecosystem may be the last home for Leopard which stated vulnerable (VU) by REDLIST of IUCN and may be the last home for other endangered (EN) species. Based on the analysis on the responses of 342 respondents concerning their willingness to pay for contribution, 202 of the (59,1%) were willing to pay while the rest 140 respondents (48,9%) refused to pay. The average value of willingness to pay obtained was 15.000 IDR (1 USD = 14.000 IDR per year 2016) paid to enjoy the beauty of Salak Resort II, HSNR. This value was higher than that of the ticket per ecotourism object charged by the management of the resort averaging 7.500 IDR. Based on respondents’ willingness to pay, the average of the willingness to pay to enjoy the Cigamea waterfall ecotourism object was 14.000 IDR. The Willingness to pay to get into Cigamea Waterfall was lower than that for entering Salak Resort II, HSNR. Visitors willingness to visit Cigamea Waterfall ecoturism object due to the existence of forest and some natural phenomena, river as ecological corridors of the area, easy access through trekking path corridors in the forest margin (edges) as well as the potential of the flora and the fauna. The potential value of Cigamea Waterfall was 3,66 (out of 1 to 7 scale of Guideline of Ministry of Forestry), that of the flora was 2,48, while value of the fauna was 3,29. This also support claims toward a new paradigm of value that ecosystem is not only treated as supply depot of resources but also treated as oikos (home for us and other living organism).

An Evaluation of Systematic Versus Strategically-Placed Camera Traps for Monitoring Feral Cats in New Zealand

We deploy camera traps to monitor feral cat (Felis catus) populations at two pastoral sites in Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand. At Site 1, cameras are deployed at pre-determined GPS points on a 500-m grid, and at Site 2, cameras are strategically deployed with a bias towards forest and forest margin habitat where possible. A portion of cameras are also deployed in open farmland habitat and mixed scrub. We then use the abundance-induced heterogeneity Royle–Nichols model to estimate mean animal abundance and detection probabilities for cameras in each habitat type. Model selection suggests that only cat abundance varies by habitat type. Mean cat abundance is highest at forest margin cameras for both deployment methods (3 cats [95% CI 1.9–4.5] Site 1, and 1.7 cats [95% CI 1.2–2.4] Site 2) but not substantially higher than in forest habitats (1.7 cats [95% CI 0.8–3.6] Site 1, and 1.5 cats [95% CI 1.1–2.0] Site 2). Model selection shows detection probabilities do not vary substantially by habitat (although they are also higher for cameras in forest margins and forest habitats) and are similar between sites (8.6% [95% CI 5.4–13.4] Site 1, and 8.3% [5.8–11.9] Site 2). Cat detections by camera traps are higher when placed in forests and forest margins; thus, strategic placement may be preferable when monitoring feral cats in a pastoral landscape.

Investigation and Ecological Evaluation of Plant Resources on Campus of Jiamusi University

The purpose of the systematic investigation of plant resources in Jiamusi University campus is to understand the composition, community characteristics and ecological distribution of plant resources in Jiamusi University, and to make rational use of them. In the process of investigation, the methods of actual step-by-step search and data search are adopted to carry out ecological evaluation. According to statistics, there are 113 kinds of plants on Jiamusi University campus, of which 93 are woody plants and 18 are herbaceous plants. Its growth environment is suitable for forest margin, undergrowth, hillside, and shrub and so on. Its main uses are greening, shading, dust prevention and noise reduction. It has high value. It is hoped that the research will provide a basis for the future construction of ecological civilization on campus.

Caryocar coriaceum (Caryocaraceae) diaspore removal and dispersal distance on the margin and in the interior of a Cerrado area in Northeastern Brazil

The seed dispersal process is a crucial stage in plant regeneration and maintenance of forest biological diversity. While the number of removed seeds is quantitative, the distance to which a seed is removed from its origin is qualitative, because it affects the probability that a seed will germinate and recruit to the next life stage. However, the creation of forest margins can negatively affect the seed dispersal process, especially for large-diaspore plant species. In this study, the diaspore removal and dispersal distance of Caryocar coriaceum, a tree with large diaspores that is in danger of extinction, were analyzed. The study was conducted for two consecutive years in a protected forest in Northeastern Brazil. Each year, 1 200 diaspores with a nylon wire and a satin tape yellow were used and equally distributed in 120 experimental stations established on the forest margin and in the interior. During the first year of the study, no differences in diaspore removal and dispersal distance were found among the investigated environments. However, for the second year of the study, the number of removed diaspores differed significantly; nevertheless, the dispersal distance was not different between the forest margin and the interior. The low diaspore removal percentages suggest that species recruitment may be compromised because the diaspore accumulation close to the relatives enables higher fungi and insect attack. In addition, most of the few removed diaspores were found at short distances from their sources (up to 5 m), which can lead to low genetic variability. Virtually no diaspore was found buried by hoarding rodents, and no diaspore was found preyed upon by these animals. Evidence found in this study suggests the local loss of species dispersers, which can compromise the maintenance of forest biological diversity.

A new species of Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae) from southern Tibet (Xizang), China

The new species Thalictrum austrotibeticum (Ranunculaceae) from southern Tibet (Xizang), China, is here described and illustrated. It occurs in forest margin and grassy slopes of several valleys of southern Xizang along the central Himalayas. This species is morphologically well differentiated from other Thalictrum species from south-west China, Bhutan, Nepal, and Northern India. From its floral characters, this species shows some relationship with Th. finetii. A key of Thalictrum species distributed in southern Xizang and adjacent areas of Bhutan, Nepal, and India is also provided.