High diversity of diurnal Lepidoptera associated with landscape heterogeneity in semi-urban areas of Loja City, southern Ecuador

Urban environments present less environmental heterogeneity in relation to the natural ones, affecting the biodiversity of bats and the ecological processes in which they participate. In this way, we will identify how urbanization influences the structure of bat communities in the municipality of Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. We compared species composition, guilds and bat richness in a gradient that crossed urban, semi-urban and natural areas in the municipality of Goiânia, contained in the Cerrado biome. We captured a total of 775 bats of 16 species distributed in three families. Urban areas had a higher species abundance, while semi-urban areas had a higher species richness. The three types of environments have different compositions, the urban one being more homogeneous, the fauna in these areas is composed of generalist species, which benefit from this process. The diversity present in semi-urban areas is a consequence of the intersection between urban and natural fauna, which is why urban expansion needs to occur in a planned manner to minimize the impacts of this process and ensure the maintenance of biodiversity.

Agricultural Biodiversity dynamics has been evaluated by social metabolism or by landscape structure-function analysis. In this study, by using ELIA modeling, we used both methods in combination to understand how the interplay between social metabolism and landscape structure-function can affect biodiversity pattern distribution. We used energy reinvestment (E) as an indicator of social metabolism and landscape heterogeneity (Le) as an indicator of landscape structure-function. We propose a research hypothesis to analyze biodiversity patterns considering four different clusters identified based on high or low E or Le. As cluster 1, we defined E as high and Le as low and associated natural ecosystems to it. These ecosystems are expected to contain high species abundance but low richness. As cluster 2, both E and Le were defined as high and semi-natural ecosystems were associated to it, where nature friendly farm system developed. In these ecosystems, high species abundance and richness are expected. Cluster 3 with low E and Le was associated intensive farmland, which is due to the simplification of the landscape. Here, low energy reinvestment and landscape heterogeneity confirm that ecosystem services related to biodiversity have been drastically reduced. Lastly, cluster 4 with low E but high Le refers to intensive mosaics of farmland and pasture. In this cluster, the biodiversity richness index is high due to spatial landscape diversity, but the biodiversity abundance index is low due to the lack of energy reinvestment. We evaluate the proposed hypothesis for biodiversity analysis in the Qazvin province, emphasizing the interplay between energy availability and landscape heterogeneity in shaping ecological communities. This study highlights the importance of understanding biodiversity patterns at spatial scale and emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research to address conservation and sustainability challenges. Our approach would be very useful where there is lack of biodiversity data.

The Bay of La Paz (BLP) is located in the southwestern portion of the Gulf of California (GC), the largest and deepest coastal environment along the gulf. The BLP is recognized for its high biological diversity and is a place of refuge, growth, and feeding for several emblematic species, some of which are critically endangered. However, what makes the BLP productive? This paper presents a synthesis and review of the physical processes and mechanisms related to planktonic production, which are directly linked to productivity at higher trophic levels, including top predators. This review reveals that the BLP has a high richness and abundance of plankton species. Several hydrodynamic processes at different scales exert a marked influence on these organisms, including internal waves, hydraulic jumps, thermohaline fronts, the presence of a dipole eddy, and a quasi-permanent cyclonic eddy that is confined to the bay, which induces Ekman pumping that determines the availability of nutrients in the euphotic zone. This eddy induces a differential phytoplankton distribution, with a predominance of dinoflagellates in its center and the dominance of diatoms in its periphery. This arrangement is closely linked to that of zooplankton. Herbivorous zooplankton are highly abundant in the periphery of the eddy, while omnivorous zooplankton are dominant in the center. In contrast, carnivorous zooplankton are dominant in the GC. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the dynamics of the BLP over the last two decades, gaps remain unaddressed. This review highlights the areas of opportunity to continue advancing this endeavor, achieve a better scientific understanding of the region, and propose better management and conservation plans for this highly diverse area.

The combination of species distributions with abiotic and landscape variables using Geographic Information Systems can prioritize areas for biodiversity protection by identifying areas of high richness, although the number of variables and complexity of the relationships between them can prove difficult for traditional statistical methods. The use of these methods, which commonly assume linearity and low correlation between independent variables, can obscure even strong relationships and patterns. Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) is a heuristic statistical tool based on machine learning methods that can be used to explore patterns in large, complex datasets for linear and nonlinear patterns. Here we use SOM to visualize broad patterns in species richness by taxonomic group (birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) and 78 habitat, landscape and environmental variables using data from the Gap analysis project for West Virginia, USA. Soil and habitat variables demonstrated clear relationships with species richness; areas with high species richness occurred in areas with high soil richness. Landscape metrics were less important, although habitat diversity and evenness indices were positively related to species richness in some taxonomic groups. Current coverage of protected areas (e.g., National Forests and state parks) appeared to be insufficient to cover most of the areas of high species richness, especially for reptiles; many of the polygons with the highest richness were not covered by these areas. The identification of polygons with high richness and low protection can be used to focus conservation efforts in those areas.

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) cultivation maintaining a high proportion of shade trees in a diverse composition (agroforestry) is currently being viewed as a sustainable land use practice. Our research hypothesis was that cacao agroforests (AF) can support relatively high tree diversity, as compared to surrounding primary and/or secondary forests. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of forest conversion on tree communities by comparing tree composition, community characteristics (richness and diversity) and spatial structure (density, canopy height, basal area) among primary forest, secondary forest, and cacao AF. In total, we collected data from 30 25 × 25 m plots on three land use systems (20 in cacao AF, five in secondary, and five in primary forests) in San Alejandro, Peruvian Amazon. All trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm were counted, identified to species, and their height and DBH were recorded. Our results support the hypothesis that cacao AF present a relatively high tree species richness and diversity, although they are no substitute for natural habitats. We identified most common species used for shading cacao. Tree species composition similarity was highest between cacao AF and secondary forest. Vegetation structure (density, height, DBH) was significantly lower compared to primary and secondary forest. Species richness and diversity were found to be highest in the primary forest, but cacao AF and secondary forests were fairly comparable. The tree species cultivated in cacao AF are very different from those found in primary forest, so we question whether the relatively high tree diversity and richness is able to support much of the diversity of original flora and fauna.

The decapod crustacean assemblages from unconsolidated seabed areas located near rocky shores in the Ubatuba region on the south-east coast of Brazil were analysed by investigating the abundance, richness, diversity and dominance of species. The relationships of the sediment and bottom-water temperature to total species abundance, richness and diversity were also evaluated. Monthly samples were taken from January 1998 through December 1999 at sites in Ubatumirim and Mar Virado. At each locality, three areas were defined as either ‘exposed’, ‘sheltered’ or ‘island’. The highest species abundance was found in the sheltered area of Ubatumirim and the exposed area of Mar Virado, and during autumn. At Ubatumirim, the highest richness occurred in the exposed area and the highest diversity near the island. At Mar Virado, the highest richness and diversity were found near the island. Autumn and winter collections yielded the highest richness but the lowest diversity. The higher diversities, which were measured near the islands and during spring and summer, were consequences of the greater evenness of the data. The areas with the highest diversity also had the most heterogeneous sediment composition, thus reinforcing the hypothesis that areas with more complex substrata support more diverse faunas.

Anuran species are some of the good environmental indicators of habitat quality and condition in ecosystems. This is due to their amphibious life modes and sensitivity to environmental change caused by rapid expansion of agricultural activities, advancement of forest destruction, climate change and emerging infectious diseases. Understanding their diversity and distribution patterns is crucial for the development and implementation of effective species and habitat conservation strategies. The study aimed at assessing and comparing anuran biodiversity and distribution patterns between a protected (North Nandi Forest Reserve) and a non‐protected area (Kingwal swamp) to provide additional baseline information, both being among the underexplored areas in Kenya. Data were gathered in both dry and wet seasons, between October 2022 and June 2023 by employing standard sampling techniques for anurans(Visual encounter and pitfall traps with a drift fence) to maximise detection. Three habitat types‐ farmland, intermediate land and forest were exploited. A total of 1649 individuals from 21 different species, belonging to nine different genera and nine different families were recorded. Ptychadenidae was the most abundant family from the recorded anurans, while Dicroglossidae, Arthroleptidae, Pyxicephalidae and Ranidae were the least. High biodiversity was observed in the forest habitat (Protected) and least in the farmland (non‐protected). The wet season had high species abundance, diversity and richness compared to the dry season. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in diversity between the habitats in wet season, but no significance difference during dry season (p > 0.05) except for forest and farmland (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference in species abundance between seasons (p < 0.05), and between habitats (p < 0.05) in all seasons except for farmland and intermediate (p > 0.05), as well as farmland and forest (p > 0.05) during the wet season. Habitat type and season had no influence (p > 0.05) on species richness. Anuran biodiversity is a function of habitat diversity and season, with the associated differences in microhabitat structure providing diverse niches and ways of exploring resources. The modest sampling indicates that Kingwal Swamp and North Nandi Forest Reserve are rich and support anuran species, and the differences in anuran biodiversity between the 3 habitats demonstrates that conservation efforts continue to be a priority.

The rate of deforestation of primary tropical forests due to agricultural expansion is higher in Southeast Asia compared to all other world's tropical regions. Deforestation in tropical forests is a major threat for global biodiversity, because estimated 50-90 % of the world's species are living in tropical forests. Therefore, human dominated landscapes and forested land-use systems such as agroforestry become increasingly important as a storage reservoir of global biodiversity. Biodiversity is related to ecosystem functioning, with complementarity in resource use as a major mechanism. Pollination is essential for plant-derived ecosystem services such as food production, and pollinators are one of the major functional groups for human well-being. Agroforestry systems often include coffee (Coffea sp. L.) and cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) as important cash crops, traditionally crown under a canopy of shade trees and with fruit set depending on pollination. Because of the variety of planted shade and fruit trees, agroforestry systems resemble primary forests more than any other agricultural habitat type and have great but little explored potential to offer substitute habitats for many tropical forest species. My aim was to evaluate the importance of agricultural systems for conservation of trap-nesting Hymenoptera and the pollinator community. I analyzed a land-use gradient in a tropical forested landscape, from primary forests, agroforestry systems differing in diversity of the shade trees and openland such as grassland and fallow land. I assessed the relative importance of different strata for species richness with trap nests, which offer standardized nesting resources for different guilds of above-ground nesting Hymenoptera and their antagonists. Furthermore, I linked pollinator richness to habitat modification and final crop yield and analyzed species-specific differences in resource use. I also assessed the contribution of agroforestry system for the maintenance of high densities of a pest predating wasp species over the course of one year. This study took place in Central Sulawesi (Indonesia) in the surrounding of the village Toro at the margin of a primary tropical forest (Lore Lindu National Park). The results show that total bee species richness in the herb layer increased with increasing land-use intensity and was highest in openland. However, species richness estimation and additive partitioning of biodiversity revealed higher overall bee species richness, presumably due to high management diversity, in agroforestry systems compared to primary forests and openland. Agroforestry systems offer higher floral diversity in the understorey, due to the richer herb layer and cash crops, than primary forests and provide more nesting sites for cavity-nesting bee species than openland. The canopy in primary forests was far more important for trap-nesting bee and wasp richness than the understorey. This pattern reversed with intensification in agroforestry systems where highest richness was found in the understorey. Food resource availability and microclimatic conditions appeared to make the canopy in primary forests a more suitable habitat for most species and might cause underestimation of species richness when only lower strata are sampled. In addition, agroforestry habitats showed high beta diversity due to high land-use diversity and between-plot community dissimilarity, showing that agricultural management can be crucial for conservation plannings on a landscape scale. I used standardized pumpkin plantations in different habitat types to test the effect of pollinator diversity on crop yield. Bee pollinators showed species specific differences in flower visiting traits, such as height, time and body size-related flower visiting behaviour. I provide the first empirical evidence of the relation between spatiotemporal and behavioural complementarity in resource use of a pollinator community causing increased crop yield. Furthermore, I show that the native bee community can sustain pollination services in absence of managed honey bees. Using the highly abundant wasp species Rhynchium haemorrhoidale (F.) (Eumenidae, Hymenoptera), I show that agroforestry systems can maintain high insect densities of a pest predator, even under intense land-use management. Tropical regions experience lower climatic fluctuations between the seasons compared to temperate zones. However, R. haemorrhoidale undergoes seasonal changes in density and body size, due to a complex combination of potential reasons (e.g. climate, food supply, parasitism) independent of habitat type. In conclusion, agroforestry systems can play a crucial role in the conservation of the understorey pollinator communities and densities of pest predators, whereas the importance of the canopy for species richness is increasing with decreasing land-use intensity and is highest in primary forests. Furthermore, I show that the ecosystem service of pollination and crop yield strongly depends on the bees' functional diversity. Low-intensity land-use and a complex shade-tree canopy appear to increase local and regional Hymenoptera richness and to sustain important ecosystem services, showing the necessity to include such agricultural systems in landscape-wide conservation programs.

With more and more development of urban and semi urban areas, the problems related to waste water are getting complicated day by day. Raw sewage is the principal polluter to sources of water in India leading a host of disease like diarrhoea, malaria etc., and agriculture contamination including environmental degradationIndia’s largest cities have centralized sewage system, but, these methods are costly to construct, maintain. Bharat’s small towns can’t afford to build such system. Treatment and recycle of sewage in urban and semi urban areas from small communities and educational institutions can minimize the stress on existing STP’s and infrastructure. Also, carters the shortage of water mainly during dry season. In this project study was made on treating and recycling of sewage water by combination of wetland and rapid sand filter for a community. The primary objective of study is to find the sustainability of wetland plant called typha for direct treatment of sewage water. And secondary aim of this research is to recycle the sewage. For this a laboratory model has been developed. The influent and effluent were studied (monthly) for the efficiency, by the various characteristics like PH, Total solids, Nitrates, Nitrites, Sodium, Potassium, Total phosphorous, COD, BOD, Ammonia, Sulphates and Turbidity will help research develop and transfer technologies and methodologies in an isolated management of domestic sewage water which will ultimately lead in the treatment of waste water. In this project or study parameter like COD and BOD reduced up to 95%. The size of wetland is reduced drastically around then regular [only for typha]. Due to design and structural advantage it can be operated and maintained effectively then regular.

Fil: Alvarez Arnesi, Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario; Argentina

Introduction: The knowledge of polychaetes from Oaxaca, Mexico, is represented by 41 families and 241 species, nevertheless, 148 species are considered questionable. The majority of taxonomic studies of polychaetes in Oaxaca have taken placed on estuarine zones or commercial ports, sidelining other marine ecosystems. Objective: To identify the polychaeta-fauna from three different marine ecosystems in Oaxaca, Mexico. Methods: Specimens analyzed came from the Sección de poliquetos de la Colección Científica at the Laboratorio de Sistemática de Invertebrados Marinos, Universidad del Mar. The material deposited in the collection was collected between 2007-2017; additionally, new collect were realized in 2017. For each locality, the family and species richness were estimated using the accumulation function of linear dependence model. Results: One hundred lots and 273 specimens were revised. Seventy-one taxa, belonging to 47 genera and 21 families were identified, only twenty of these taxa are confirmed species (28 %). Chacahua Lagoon had the highest richness and relative abundance with 37 taxa and 149 specimens, Agua Blanca was identified 21 taxa and 92 specimens, and from San Agustín 19 taxa and 32 specimens. Sabellariidae had the highest relative abundance (58 specimens), while Phyllodocidae presented the highest species richness (12 species). Conclusions: This study adds 75 new records of taxa of polychaetes to the coast Oaxaca, which increase the knowledge in this animal group, now represented by 304 species, belonging to 154 genera and 42 families.

Tropical forests are rapidly being lost across Southeast Asia and this is predicted to have severe implications for many of the region's bird species. However, relationships between forest disturbance and avifaunal assemblages remain poorly understood, particularly on small island ecosystems such as those found in the biodiversity 'hotspot' of Wallacea. This study examines how avifaunal richness varies across a disturbance gradient in a forest reserve on Buton Island, southeast Sulawesi. Particular emphasis is placed upon examining responses in endemic and red-listed species with high conservation importance. Results indicate that overall avian richness increases between primary and 30-year-old regenerating secondary forest and then decreases through disturbed secondary forest, but is highest in cleared farmland. However, high species richness in farmland does not signify high species distinctiveness; bird community composition here differs signifi cantly from that found in forest sites, and is poor in supporting forest specialists and endemic species. Certain large-bodied endemics such as the Knobbed Hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix) appear to be sensitive to moderate disturbance, with populations occurring at greatest density within primary forest. However, overall endemic species richness, as well as that of endemic frugivores and insectivores, is similar in primary and secondary forest types. Results indicate that well-established secondary forest in particular has an important role in supporting species with high conservational importance, possessing community composition similar to that found in primary forest and supporting an equally high richness of endemic species.

Anthropogenic impacts on Aedes mosquito community dynamics in Côte d'Ivoire

Earthworm populations in forestry plantations (Araucaria angustifolia, Pinus elliottii) and Native Atlantic forest in Southern Brazil compared using two sampling methods

A sand fly fauna inventory was conducted in an ecotourism area of central Veracruz, Mexico. We recorded and analyzed the sand fly diversity at 3 different land use types (well-preserved forest, fruit-tree plantations, and human settlements) with sampling conducted 3 times in 1 year (dry, rainy, and cold seasons). A total of 891 specimens of 6 genera and 14 species was recorded. High diversity was detected in the preserved area due to a high species richness and abundance as compared with the fruit-tree plantations and human settlements, respectively. In relation to the seasons of the year, high diversity was found in the cold season as compared with the rainy and dry seasons. The variation of the Phlebotominae assemblage in space and time in the ecotourism zone is described, serving as a baseline to recommend preventive actions to settlers and travelers. Additionally, we include new species records for the state of Veracruz.