Biodiversity Repositories Research Articles

Improving Data Quality in Citizen Science Apps for Conservation Biology

Field data collection by Citizen Scientists has been hugely assisted by the rapid development and spread of smart phones as well as apps that make use of the integrated technologies contained in these devices. We can improve the quality of the data by increasing utilisation of the device in-built sensors and improving the software user-interface. Improvements to data timeliness can be made by integrating directly with national and international biodiversity repositories, such as the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA). I will present two Citizen Science apps that we developed for the conservation of two of Australia’s iconic species – the koala and the echidna. First is the Koala Counter app used in the Great Koala Count 2 – a two-day Blitz-style population census. The aim was to improve both the recording of citizen science effort as well as to improve the recording of “absence” data which would improve population modelling. Our solution was to increase the transparent use of the phone sensors as well as providing an easy-to-use user interface. Second is the EchidnaCSI app – an observational tool for collecting sightings and samples of echidna. From a software developer’s perspective, I will provide details on multi-platform app development as well as collaboration and integration with the Australian national biodiversity repository – the Atlas of Living Australia. Preliminary analysis regarding data quality will be presented along with lessons learned and paths for future research. I also seek feedback and further ideas on possible enhancements or modifications that might usefully be made to improve these techniques.

Using collections data to infer biogeographic, environmental, and host structure in communities of endophytic fungi

ABSTRACTBiodiversity collections contain a wealth of information encapsulated both in specimens and in their metadata, providing the foundation for diverse studies in fields such as ecology. Yet biodiversity repositories can present a challenge for ecological inferences because collections rarely are structured with ecological questions in mind: collections may be opportunistic in space or time, may focus on particular taxonomic groups, may reflect different collection strategies in different places or times, or may not be exhaustive in terms of retaining every specimen or having similar metadata for each record. In addition to its primary holdings, the Robert L. Gilbertson Mycological Herbarium at the University of Arizona holds a collection of living specimens of fungi isolated from the interior of healthy plants and lichens (i.e., endophytic and endolichenic fungi). Over the past decade, more than 7000 isolates from the southwestern United States were accessioned, including strains from diverse hosts in more than 50 localities across the biotically rich state of Arizona. This collection is distinctive in that metadata and barcode sequences are available for each specimen, many localities have been sampled with consistent methods, and all isolates obtained in surveys have been retained. Here, we use this herbarium collection to examine endophyte community structure in an ecological and evolutionary context. We then artificially restructure the collection to resemble collections more typical of biodiversity repositories, providing a case study for ecological insights that can be gleaned from collections that were not structured explicitly to address ecological questions. Overall, our analyses highlight the relevance of biogeography, climate, hosts, and geographic separation in endophyte community composition. This study showcases the importance of extensive metadata in collections and highlights the utility of biodiversity collections that can yield emergent insights from many surveys to answer ecological questions in mycology, ultimately providing information for understanding and conserving fungal biodiversity.

ACTUAL AND CONTROVERSIAL PROBLEMS OF MODERN SOIL SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY OF SOIL

Problem Statement and Purpose. Soil Science as an integrated basic science should be developed in harmony with the basic theoretical and applied chapters units. Global and regional environmental management projects should take into account the systemic nature of soils and their multifunctionality. But the gap between the achievements of soil science and economic use of soil are leading to lack of demand of soil science and ignoring it in society. The consequence of this attitude to the soil are significant economic costs in economic activity and environmental threats. Object of research is actual and controversial problems of modern soil science and geography of soils, subject – the problematic issues of the genesis, the using, reproduction, protection, geography of soils. The evaluation of theoretical basis and system of principles, views and opinions of problematic issues of modern soil science and soil geography is the purpose of the research.Data & Methods. The starting materials of this research were theoretical developmentts and publications on problem issues of development and functioning of soil science and some debatable issues of soil science and soil geography. Using of general, philosophical and specific scientific methods of scientific knowledge made it possible to substantiate the tasks in solving actual problems of soil science.Results. Location of soil in focus of natural and anthropogenic interactions will inevitably lead to the necessity of formulating and solving actual problems of general biosphere character. An important and unexplored problem is the relationship between plants and soil, to elucidate the role of plants in soil formation heterogeneity. Based on the variability of soils, depending on changes in soil forming process, argue that the main task of basic soil research is to apply the principle of hierarchical organization, and the study of soil at the level of the elementary soil processes requires comprehensive knowledge to forecast possible changes. Therefore, the experience of global and regional forecasts allows the use of point studies for generalized constructs and extrapolation. Spatial heterogeneity of soil properties requires improving our understanding of the peculiarities of soil as anisotropic body of the nature. By using geostatistical methods we can determine the degree of diversity of soil properties.New approaches of soil-geographical zoning have important theoretical importance, because they consider the structure of soil at a higher organizational level, characterizing not spatial-typological, but structural difference between different regional units of soil. Using geographic information systems play an important role in solving the problems of soil science. Computer technology makes it possible to simulate soil processes and soil properties, create imitating models of interaction between factors of soil forming. Using GIS technology, we can create maps, coordinating field data with the global satellite geo-referenced.Soil is the most important repository of global biodiversity. An important issue is to protect the biodiversity of soils in order to preserve their ecological functions. Environmental imperatives must be the basis of activity soil users.

Conservation lessons from Cuba: Connecting science and policy

The island of Cuba and surrounding cays are a major repository of biodiversity in the Caribbean archipelago. Although Cuba is widely recognized for its high biodiversity and endemism, much of the country's conservation experiences have been overlooked by the global conservation scientific community. Here we particularly highlight decades of governance efforts that built and strengthened forest and biodiversity protection policies, resulting in the second largest rate of forest cover recovery worldwide, doubling of both marine and terrestrial protected area networks in recent years, as well as developing a unique agroecological matrix management. These conservation strategies combined with the constraints on infrastructure development as a result of the decades long U.S. embargo, has had the indirect result of placing Cuba in a unique position in the Caribbean region. Nevertheless, despite these advances, significant part of the Cuban biota suffers from deforestation and habitat degradation. Major threats include booming tourism, spread of introduced species, climate change and increasing frequency and intensity of storms and hurricanes associated to global warming. We also point out for Cuba's future challenges, as well as lessons that could be applied in other tropical countries.

Hidden biodiversity in entomological collections: The overlooked co-occurrence of dipteran and hymenopteran ant parasitoids in stored biological material.

Biological collections around the world are the repository of biodiversity on Earth; they also hold a large quantity of unsorted, unidentified, or misidentified material and can house behavioral information on species that are difficult to access or no longer available to science. Among the unsorted, alcohol-preserved material stored in the Formicidae Collection of the ‘El Colegio de la Frontera Sur’ Research Center (Chetumal, Mexico), we found nine colonies of the ponerine ant Neoponera villosa, that had been collected in bromeliads at Calakmul (Campeche, Mexico) in 1999. Ants and their brood were revised for the presence of any sign of parasitism. Cocoons were dissected and their content examined under a stereomicroscope. Six N. villosa prepupae had been attacked by the ectoparasitoid syrphid fly Hypselosyrphus trigonus Hull (Syrphidae: Microdontinae), to date the only known dipteran species of the Microdontinae with a parasitoid lifestyle. In addition, six male pupae from three colonies contained gregarious endoparasitoid wasps. These were specialized in parasitizing this specific host caste as no gyne or worker pupae displayed signs of having been attacked. Only immature stages (larvae and pupae) of the wasp could be obtained. Due to the long storage period, DNA amplification failed; however, based on biological and morphological data, pupae were placed in the Encyrtidae family. This is the first record of an encyrtid wasp parasitizing N. villosa, and the second example of an encyrtid as a primary parasitoid of ants. Furthermore, it is also the first record of co-occurrence of a dipteran ectoparasitoid and a hymenopteran endoparasitoid living in sympatry within the same population of host ants. Our findings highlight the importance of biological collections as reservoirs of hidden biodiversity, not only at the taxonomic level, but also at the behavioral level, revealing complex living networks. They also highlight the need for funding in order to carry out biodiversity inventories and manage existing collections.

An Ecological Assessment of the Panama Lagoon Complex, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

The Panama lagoon is located in, Ampara District, on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka. This relatively small brackish water lagoon spans over an area of less than 1.5 km2, but encompasses variety of habitat types ranging from natural and semi-natural habitats to modified habitats by humans, thus performing an important ecological role. Biogeographically, Panama lagoon area falls under floristic regions I and II i.e. Coastal and Marine Belt and Dry and Arid Lowlands. It further belongs to the bioclimatic region B: Dry Zone. Field investigations carried out during the period of August to December, 2015 identified 11 major natural and man-made habitat types, including terrestrial, aquatic and semi-aquatic systems. Natural terrestrial habitats included scrublands, dry mixed evergreen forests, rock outcrop vegetation, and sand dunes. Anthropogenic terrestrial habitats were predominantly represented by chena/crop cultivations and home gardens. Natural wetland habitats included sea shore vegetation, salt marsh, mangrove and lagoon, while paddy fields represented anthropogenic wetland habitats. The plant species recorded included 41 trees, 47 shrubs, 92 herbs, 25 climbers including lianas and epiphytes. Recorded flowering plants included 160 native species (77%) with 2 endemic species (1%). Due to the high human influences on the environment, numerous alien species were found in the terrestrial habitats of the lagoon. There were 43 introduced species (exotics) (20.6%) recorded. Introduced species included 3 invasive alien species and 27 naturalized exotics. Seven (3.36%) nationally threatened plant species were recorded from the area. It includes 4 Nationally Endangered (EN) and 3 Nationally Vulnerable (VU) species. The study site also has 19 Nationally Near-Threatened (NT) species. Rapid faunal assessment undertaken to cover all habitat types in and around the lagoon recorded a total of 242 faunal species. This included 23 mammals, 128 birds, 25 reptiles, 7 amphibians, 35 butterfly species and 23 dragonfly species. Out of the total 242 faunal species recorded, 214 were native to the country (88.4%) while 7 species are listed as endemic (2.9%). There were 14 nationally threatened faunal species recorded in the study area which included 4 mammals, 6 birds, and 4 insect species (butterflies and dragonflies). A considerable area of the lagoon complex has been already subjected to human influences such as agriculture and residential developments, causing substantial threats to lagoon ecological resources. As Panama lagoon is a rich repository of native biodiversity, and an important habitat for migrant birds, it is imperative that the entire system is sustainably managed to achieve a balance between conservation and utilization. Keywords: Panama lagoon, Biodiversity, Dry zone, Floral diversity, Faunal diversity

Impact of Global Warming on Wetlands: A Case Study of Lucknow District

Wetlands are one of most productive environments and provide a wide variety of benefits. They are important repositories of biodiversity and play a critical role in the health, livelihood and economic prospects for the nearby rural population. Wetlands are under imminent threat by nature in form of global warming and by civilization in form of encroachments and reclamation of wetlands for farming and settlement. Along Indo-Gangetic plain wetlands have receded more than half of its size in last 50 years. Present paper attempts to analyse impact of climate change on wetlands of Lucknow. Methodology included analysis of temporal mapping of wetlands using Survey of India topographical maps (SOI) and satellite data, climatic data of area and ground verification for encroachment impacts. Results indicate that wetland of Lucknow are receding with exponential rate attributing to Global Warming, encroachment by human for settlement and agricultural activities.

Current status and future restoration of coastal dune systems on the Catalan shoreline (Spain, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Coastal dunes are an essential part of beach-dune systems. Dunes systems have their own intrinsic values and provide a range of goods and services, including the protection of tangible goods located on the shoreline affected by waves, storms, and sea erosion. Dunes also act as repositories of biodiversity that have their exclusive habitat in dune communities, and the aesthetic value of dune landscapes derived from unique plant communities and landforms is also of great importance. Nevertheless, dune systems on developed coasts suffered a drastic decline in geomorphological and ecological quality throughout the last century. Catalonia (Spain, NW Mediterranean Sea) is no exception, and the coastal dune systems which were present in the early 20th century have now disappeared due to urbanization. The regeneration of dune systems is of crucial importance in this context. The aim of this study is to assess the current status of dune systems in Catalonia in order to determine their future prospects based on beach characteristics, those beaches likely to host dunes being determined according to their width and sediment type. The results of our study show that nowadays most dune systems in Catalonia are not developed due to human pressure on the beaches. Only those beaches located in the natural protected areas in Roses Bay, Baix Ter Bay, the Llobregat Delta, and especially the Ebro Delta, have the right characteristics to host well-developed dune systems. That said, 30% of sandy beaches in Catalonia have a width of over 35 metres; wide enough to host well-developed dune systems if appropriate integrated beach management is applied. The methodology used in this research also provide a tool to assess which are the beaches that can host dunes on other developed shores in the Mediterranean area.

Using Environmental Perception and Local Knowledge to improve the effectiveness of an Urban Park in Northeast Brazil

The Xem-Xem Forest State Park (Parque Estadual da Mata do Xém-Xém) is a 182-ha Atlantic forest remnant located in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Northeast Brazil. Since its legal creation in 2000, it has been facing several management problems and social conflicts that jointly has reduced its effectiveness. In this study we examined the environmental perception of residents surrounding the Park and the staff of the Paraíba state environmental agency (SUDEMA) in order to clearly identify those problems and conflicts and provide possible solutions. Semi structured interviews with both residents (n = 29) and staff members (n = 4) revealed that the Park is clearly valuable as a repository of biodiversity and a place for leisure and recreation, highlighting its great socioecological function. These benefits, however, were impaired or hindered mainly by fear of violence, lack of infrastructure, extremely limited staff and virtual absence of administrative structure. Furthermore, the protective measures of the Park were considered incipient and did not match the expectations and needs of local communities. We urgently recommend (1) the creation of the Park's management council, (2) the development of its management plan, (3) the implementation of public policies surrounding the area to ameliorate conditions for public use and improve biodiversity protection and (4) the continuity of ethnographic researches focusing on the relationship between local communities and the Park.

The effect of remnant forest on insect successional response in tropical fire-impacted peatland: A bi-taxa comparison.

Fire has become a common feature in tropical drained peatlands, and it may have detrimental impacts on the overall biodiversity of the forest ecosystem. We investigated the effect of fire on termite and ant assemblages and the importance of remnant forest in restoring species diversity in fire-impacted tropical peat swamp forests. The species loss of both termites and ants was as high as 50% in some fire-impacted peats compared to remnant forests, but in most cases the species richness for termites and ants was statistically equal along the land uses surveyed. However, a pronounced difference in functional group composition of termites was detected. In particular, sites close to remnant forests contained two additional termite feeding groups so that they shared a similar composition structure with remnant forests but were significantly different from sites distant from remnant forests. In general, ants were resilient to fire, and the similarity index showed a high degree of similarity among ant communities in all land uses surveyed. The Shannon diversity index for termites and ants decreased with increasing distance from the remnant forests and level of ecological degradation. Peat vegetation variables and ecological degradation were important in shaping termite and ant communities in the tropical peatlands, but their relative importance was not significant in fire-impacted peats regardless of distance from the remnant forests. This study highlights the importance of remnant forests as a biodiversity repository and natural buffer that can enhance species diversity and recolonization of forest-adapted species.

A COLEÇÃO MALACOLÓGICA DO MUSEU OCEANOGRÁFICO PROF. ELIÉZER DE CARVALHO RIOS, RS, BRASIL, COMO REPOSITÓRIO DA BIODIVERSIDADE BIOLÓGICA

As coleções biológicas são importantes fontes de informação e testemunhos de biodiversidade, permitindo o desenvolvimento de pesquisas existentes e futuras. Além da disseminação de conhecimento especializado para a comunidade científica, as coleções são de grande importância para a educação do público em geral, apoiando atividades do ensino fundamental à pós-graduação, tais como programas de educação ambiental. A manutenção dessas coleções auxilia na conservação de espécies ameaçadas, aumentando a conscientização pública para as questões ambientais e preservação da biodiversidade. Os museus são locais adequados para o armazenamento, manutenção e apresentação das coleções biológicas. Ao longo das últimas cinco décadas, o Museu Oceanográfico Prof. Eliézer de Carvalho Rios recebeu reconhecimento mundial por abrigar uma coleção de referência de ampla abrangência geográfica, reunindo mais de 52.000 lotes de amostras. Dada a sua representatividade, tanto numérica quanto qualitativa, ela desempenha papel importantíssimo na preservação da herança biológica e merece menção como um repositório da biodiversidade biológica de moluscos marinhos no Brasil.

Genetic Diversity of Urban Camponotus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ants Revealed by Capture of Alates and DNA Sequencing.

The Camponotus Mayr genus of carpenter ants is one of the largest in species number and widely represented in the Neotropical Region. Most species are generalists and capable of exploiting diverse habitats including urban environments. Urban green areas can act as a repository of regional biodiversity, thus we investigated whether this is valid for the largest city in South America. We compared the richness of Camponotus spp. in two green areas in regions with distinct urbanization profiles and also with previous surveys made in smaller cities and in natural areas of the original Atlantic Forest. Besides the usual capture of worker specimens, we included capture of alates to improve the species richness sampling. Morphological identification of Camponotus spp. is challenging, even more when alates are included. To assist in specimen identification, we performed DNA sequencing of mitochondrial and nuclear markers. The richness observed in the less stressed urban area was higher than in the more stressed one. Camponotus spp. reported in natural areas are largely represented in the urban area. DNA sequencing for specimen identification is hampered by the lack of corresponding sequences in the GenBank, but it helped to associate workers and alates of the same species and indicated the existence of cryptic species in the genus. Capture of alates allowed detection of several species for which workers were not sampled; therefore, it is a valuable tool for surveying diversity of Camponotus or other ant taxa with arboreal or hypogeic habits.

Diversity, Distribution, Indigenous Uses and Conservation of Orchids in Parvati Valley of Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern Himalaya

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is known as the repository of biodiversity. It supports 8,000 species of angiosperms. The orchidaceae is among the dominant family of angiospecies and highly evolved family among the monocotyledon. The species of this family are facing tremendous pressure due to habitat degradation, overexploitation and changing environmental conditions. Therefore, while exploring the floristic diversity of Parvati Valley, attempts have also been made to explore the orchid diversity and analyze for diversity, distribution patterns, nativity, endemism, threat categories and indigenous uses. Total 19 species of the orchids representing 13 genera were recorded between 1100-3600 m amsl. Of these, 13 species were natives, 6 species near endemic and 5 species non-natives. These species represented in grassland, shady moist, forests, alpine meadows, moist rocks and bouldary habitats. These species were used for curing various diseases/ailments by the inhabitants of the valley. Due to habitat degradation the populations of these species are decreasing fast. The over exploitation, habitat degradation and changing environmental conditions of these species has led rapid population depletion. Therefore, appropriate strategy has been suggested for the conservation and management of these orchids.

Coastal zones – vulnerable biodiversity repositories: topics and contributions of the First European Symposium Research, conservation and management of the biodiversity of European seashores/RCMBES

This paper aims to summarize the work, topics and contributions of the First European Symposium Research, conservation and management of biodiversity of European seashores/RCMBES, 8-12 May 2017, Primorsko, Bulgaria. The symposium was organized by OPIMOS and ECOPAN in cooperation with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Faculty of Biology of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and Primorsko Club Ltd. The symposium aimed to: 1) Present the status of scientific approaches within the European coastal areas; 2) Discuss the role of biodiversity research in trans-border issues; 3) Bring together scientists, academics, practitioners with a view to strengthening and promoting the trans-border cooperation and this with municipalities; 4) Define the priorities concerning various aspects of conservation research and good practices. In accordance, thirteen more detailed symposium topics were announced and later on discussed at the scientific sessions, during the field trip along the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast and Strandzha Mt, and at the Symposium Round Table. In total, 65 scientific reports (5 plenary lectures, 26 oral presentations and 34 posters), prepared by 146 contributors from 11 countries were presented. The main topics of the contributions and studied regions, described briefly in the paper, helped to outline different problems related to the studies and conservation of the coastal areas, to share some good practices and new methodological approaches, as well as to define priorities and discuss the future design of studies and activities in these exceptionally rich in biodiversity, but also severely threatened areas.

The amphibians and reptiles of Mindanao Island, southern Philippines, II: the herpetofauna of northeast Mindanao and adjacent islands

We summarize all available amphibian and reptile species distribution data from the northeast Mindanao faunal region, including small islands associated with this subcenter of endemic vertebrate biodiversity. Together with all publicly available historical information from biodiversity repositories, we present new data from several major herpetological surveys, including recently conducted inventories on four major mountains of northeast Mindanao, and adjacent islands of Camiguin Sur, Dinagat, and Siargao. We present species accounts for all taxa, comment on unresolved taxonomic problems, and provide revisions to outdated IUCN conservation status assessments in cases where our new data significantly alter earlier classification status summaries. Together, our comprehensive analysis of this fauna suggests that the greater Mindanao faunal region possesses distinct subcenters of amphibian and reptile species diversity, and that until this area is revisited and its fauna and actually studied, with on-the-ground field work including targeted surveys of species distributions coupled to the study their natural history, our understanding of the diversity and conservation status of southern Philippine herpetological fauna will remain incomplete. Nevertheless, the northeast Mindanao geographical area (Caraga Region) appears to have the highest herpetological species diversity (at least 126 species) of any comparably-sized Philippine faunal subregion.

Persistence of long-distance, insect-mediated pollen movement for a tropical canopy tree species in remnant forest patches in an urban landscape.

As deforestation and urbanization continue at rapid rates in tropical regions, urban forest patches are essential repositories of biodiversity. However, almost nothing is known about gene flow of forest-dependent tree species in urban landscapes. In this study, we investigated gene flow in the insect-pollinated, wind-dispersed tropical tree Koompassia malaccensis in and among three remnant forest patches in the urbanized landscape of Singapore. We genotyped the vast majority of adults (N=179) and a large number of recruits (N=2103) with 8 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. Spatial genetic structure of the recruit and adult cohorts was significant, showing routine gene dispersal distances of ~100-400 m. Parentage analysis showed that 97% of recruits were within 100 m of their mother tree, and a high frequency of relatively short-distance pollen dispersal (median ~143-187 m). Despite routine seed and pollen dispersal distances of within a few hundred meters, interpatch gene flow occurred between all patches and was dominated by pollen movement: parentage analysis showed 76 pollen versus 2 seed interpatch dispersal events, and the seedling neighborhood model estimated ~1-6% seed immigration and ~21-46% pollen immigration rates, depending on patch. In addition, the smallest patch (containing five adult K. malaccensis trees) was entirely surrounded by >2.5 km of 'impervious' substrate, yet had the highest proportional pollen and seed immigration estimates of any patch. Hence, contrary to our hypothesis, insect-mediated gene flow persisted across an urban landscape, and several of our results also parallel key findings from insect-pollinated canopy trees sampled in mixed agricultural-forest landscapes.

The Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories: A Call for Community Curation.

The Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories is an online metadata resource for biodiversity collections, the institutions that contain them, and associated staff members. The registry provides contact and address information, characteristics of the institutions and collections using controlled vocabularies and free-text descripitons, links to related websites, unique identifiers for each institution and collection record, text fields for loan and use policies, and a variety of other descriptors. Each institution record includes an institutionCode that must be unique, and each collection record must have a collectionCode that is unique within that institution. The registry is populated with records imported from the largest similar registries and more can be harmonized and added. Doing so will require community input and curation and would produce a truly comprehensive and unifying information resource.

COMPOSITION, BODY-SIZE STRUCTURE AND BIOMASS OF ZOOPLANKTON IN A HIGH-ELEVATION TEMPORARY POND (MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL)

Small ponds are vital inland water bodies, recognized as small repositories of freshwater biodiversity, but neglected in terms of conservation. Although high-elevation ponds are difficult to sample and monitor, it is important to extend their study, in view of their importance to aquatic biodiversity. The aim of this study was to analyze the composition, size structure biomass and diversity of zooplankton community in a temporary pond (Lagoa Seca) of a low-alpine area in the southern part of Serra do Espinhaco mountain in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Three ecological aspects were analyzed: (I) the taxonomic composition of the zooplankton assemblage, (II) the size structure and biomass of the main groups in the zooplankton community and (III) whether the morphometric characteristics and biomass of the zooplankton result from the dominance of the microzooplankton, as expected in habitats subjected to frequent and strong disturbances, such as temporary ponds. Zooplankton samples were taken during the rainy period (Oc­tober 2010 to January 2011) in different mesohabitats, from the shallowest areas covered by emergent macrophytes to the open water area covered mainly by submerged macrophytes. The zooplankton community consisted of a small number of taxa (29). Rotifera showed the highest richness, with 21 taxa recorded, of which the most constant species were the cosmopolitan Lecane lunaris , L. obtusa and Lepadella patella . Among the Cladocera, Bosmina freyi and Moina minuta were the pelagic species recorded. The other cladoceran species observed are associated with littoral vegetation, and represented mainly by Alona ossiani , Chydorus pubescens , Ephemeroporus tridentatus and Ilyocryptus spinifer . The zooplankton biomass was very low (the maximum dry weight, observed at the peak of the rainy period in January was 62 ? g.m -3 ). The zooplankton community was dominated by the microzooplankton, with the maximum body length below 900 ? m. This assemblage was very changeable in the short term, both in numerical density and size structure, probably because of the highly variable hydrological regime of the pond. The results from zooplankton composition, including the first record of the rotifer Microcodon clavus to Minas Gerais state and the second in Brazil, highlighted the important role that high-elevation temporary ponds can play as aquatic biodiversity reserves. These unique ecosystems deserve greater efforts of research and monitoring, including studies of their hydrological pat­terns, biological diversity, and adaptive mechanisms of the zooplankton community. Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE

Animal locomotion in different mediums

Wetlands are repositories of unique biodiversity. Wetland organisms are well adapted to their habitat, lying at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial environments. In order to understand their adaptations in a better way, it is essential to grasp the basic properties of the medium in which various organisms live. This is attempted here by first examining the properties of the two contrasting environments, terrestrial and aquatic. We focus primarily on locomotion, touching upon related life processes like respiration, body size and maintaining body balance by employing basic principles of biology and physics.

Effect of pyric herbivory on source–sink dynamics in grassland birds

Summary Grasslands world‐wide provide a host of ecosystem services. In particular, these grasslands serve as biodiversity repositories for a myriad of imperilled animal species. One such group is grassland birds, which have experienced significant declines, predominantly caused by extensive loss and degradation of native grasslands. Rangeland management that promotes increasing and sustaining livestock production through reducing the inherent, disturbance‐driven variability that historically occurred in grasslands is considered a major contributing factor to these declines. An alternative approach to this homogeneous management paradigm attempts to restore a shifting mosaic of disturbance patches across the landscape through the spatial and temporal interactions of fire and grazing (i.e. pyric herbivory). Application of pyric herbivory through patch‐burn grazing increases overall habitat heterogeneity, likely a critically important factor in maintaining and enhancing grassland bird populations. We compared reproductive rates and estimates of fecundity of three grassland birds nesting in grasslands maintained by traditional and patch‐burn grazing management paradigms in the Southern Great Plains of North America. Additionally, we used a sensitivity analysis approach to assess population stability (i.e. λ = 1) and source–sink population dynamics under the two management practices. Nest survival for dickcissels Spiza americana and grasshopper sparrows Ammodramus savannarum was higher in patch‐burned grasslands than in traditionally managed grasslands, while nest survival for eastern meadowlarks Sturnella magna was higher in traditionally managed grasslands than in patch‐burned grasslands. Dickcissels and grasshopper sparrows responded positively to patch burning with source habitats occurring over a wider range of survival rates under patch burning than traditional management, while no clear pattern emerged in source–sink dynamics of eastern meadowlarks. Synthesis and applications. Management strategies such as patch‐burn grazing offer opportunities to restore landscape heterogeneity to benefit bird communities while maintaining livestock production goals. Applying patch‐burn grazing to rangelands can increase productivity of grassland birds and could be effective for reversing the decline of grassland birds by providing source habitats more consistently than traditional rangeland management. Our results emphasize the utility of using sensitivity analyses to determine source–sink population dynamics when evaluating management practices. However, land managers should consider that source–sink models have shortcomings and designation of a habitat as a sink does not necessarily mean the habitat has low conservation value.