Habitat For Fauna Research Articles

Urban Sustainable Development Index: a geospatial approach to add Tree Cover to HDI in São Paulo City

Human Development Index (HDI) has become an important tool to measure the basics aspects of human quality of living, being based on educational, economic and longevity dimensions. Over the years, criticism about the absence of an environmental dimension has emerged together with the need for knowledge about sustainable development at a local scale. For these reasons, this paper proposes a new approach for HDI, the Urban Sustainable Development Index (USDI), adding a Tree Cover indicator based on the most accepted criteria of 30% of tree cover to provide high quality of life and kept the balance between the other three dimensions of HDI. The normalized and weighted proposed index showed to be a promising alternative to complement existing sustainable indices impractical at local scale, mainly because they are based on carbon emission measurements. A Tree Cover indicator is more comprehensive, assessing greenhouse gases sequestration, heat islands attenuation, flora preservation, sustenance of fauna habitat, mitigation of extreme weather events and maintenance of water resources and soil stability. The case study in São Paulo city indicated that the transition from HDI to USDI resulted in a negative variation of almost 0.12, mostly in city central regions, and an increase up to 0.08 in peripherical regions - revealing how powerful can be geospatial analysis at a local scale, considering that USDI differs from the spatial distribution of HDI, valuing the importance of a sustainable urban index.

Germany’s federal waterways – A linear infrastructure network for nature and transport

Major rivers are unique linear structures because they serve different purposes simultaneously: A habitat and dispersal route for flora and fauna as well as a navigation route, the site for recreational and economic activities and a source for drinking water and irrigation. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that waterways must be developed in an environmentally and economically sustainable and socially responsible manner. The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and its specialised agencies – the Waterways and Shipping Administration of the German Federal Government (WSV), the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) and the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW) – are aiming to achieve this goal by integrating environmental issues into the development and maintenance of waterways. This paper aims to fill the gap on the one hand between scientific analyses of ecological freshwater status and proposals for its improvement, and, on the other hand, bringing this knowledge into practical realisation. Recent activities at the German federal waterways are exemplarily reviewed on the basis of applied research projects, local projects, political programmes and progressive legislation.

The Occurrence of Microplastics in Sediment Cores from Two Mangrove Areas in Southern Thailand

Mangroves are areas that connect the land and sea, and are important to the ecosystem. They are important places for food sources and the habitat of aquatic fauna in the tidal areas. However, the existence of plastic debris poses a risk to the aquatic environment. This study aimed to investigate the accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in sediment cores from two mangrove areas. The first mangrove area is in the outer section of the Songkhla lagoon (SK), while the second is in the coastal area of Pattani province (PN). Sediment core sampling was performed from SK = 8 stations and PN = 5 stations. Surface enrichment of MP was observed, especially in sediments of 0–4 cm. MPs were found throughout the depth in both areas, while fewer MPs were found in deeper sediment core layers (p < 0.05) at some stations inside the mangrove zone. Simple linear regression of the observed MPs and distance in the horizontal were found to be significant at SK within the mangrove zone with r2 = 0.79 (p < 0.05). MP fibers were the most commonly found MP type in both areas and were less than 1 mm. Blue and black MPs were the most abundant colors found in both areas. The six polymer types reported in this study comprised polyethylene, rayon, rubber, styrene, Poly (vinyl acetate), and paint. The findings of the present study suggest that long-term monitoring of marine debris along coastlines is necessary to help improve national policies and measures related to marine plastic debris.

Comparative study of gut microbiota from decomposer fauna in household composter using metataxonomic approach.

Household composter is one of the fragmented habitats, which still ensures the survival of many animals, especially decomposer fauna. The components of organic matter in the composter are complex, thus providing opportunities for obtaining high diversity of decomposer fauna. The ability of decomposer fauna to break down organic matter may be supported by their gut microbiota. In this study, we compared the diversity, the abundance and distribution of gut prokaryotic microbiota among several decomposer fauna members, namely cockroaches, millipedes, beetle larvae, and snails, as well as the compost from a household composter in Surabaya, Indonesia, using a metataxonomic approach. Microbial community DNA was isolated from the guts of four types of dominant decomposer fauna and the compost. A total of 42 phyla and 497 genera were observed in five samples with the predominant bacteria belonging to the Proteobacteria phylum which appeared in all samples. The highest diversity of gut bacteria was found in cockroach although not higher than the compost as a habitat for the decomposer fauna. A total of 1131 operational taxonomic units derived from 232 genera were found in compost and guts of four decomposer fauna species. Similarities between the microbial community structures found in the gut of the four decomposer fauna to those found in compost indicated that the environment had a strong effect on the overall gut microbiota of the decomposer fauna.

Characteristics of nearshore water quality of Lake Ontario coast under Credit Valley Conservation Jurisdiction, Ontario, Canada

The 28.5 km Lake Ontario shoreline along Credit Valley Conservation’s jurisdiction is habitat for native flora and fauna, the source of drinking water for over two million residents, and the location of outfalls for Region of Peel’s two wastewater treatment plants. Some of the significant sources of pollutants to this region are urban tributaries and the Credit River. Instream, shoreside, and nearshore water quality of this region were characterized under this Lake Ontario Integrated Shoreline Strategy study. Eight Parameters of Concern (PoC); water temperature (WT), total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorous (TP), orthophosphate (OP), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), Escherichia coli (E. coli), specific conductivity (SC), and pH were studied from 2011 to 2013. Amongst all the PoCs TP was of concern since its instream (75th percentile range: 51.0 µg/L to 188 µg/L), shoreside (75th percentile range: 9.00 µg/L to 53.75 µg/L), and nearshore (75th percentile range: 9.75 µg/L to 19.00 µg/L) concentrations, exceeded their respective objectives of 30 µg/L and 10 µg/L. Other parameters in shoreside/nearshore samples met their respective provincial/federal objectives/guidelines; however, instream E. coli and specific conductivity levels were elevated, reflecting the effects of urbanization. The Lake water temperature moorings recorded lake stratification dynamics, including eight downwelling and five upwelling events during 2011 deployment period. These results provide baseline data for future climate change-related assessment studies.

Impact of Jhum Cultivation on Forest Ecosystem and Environment Management Policies in Meghalaya, India

Shifting or jhum cultivation is one of the primary causes of deforestation in tropical areas. In Meghalaya, increasing human population density like in other states of India has resulted in the practice of unsustainable form of jhum that includes shortening of the fallow period of jhum cycle. This unsustainable form of jhum cultivation leads to soil degradation, soil erosion, loss of forest vegetation and threatens the survival of valuable flora and fauna. The study area is one of the richest reservoirs of plant diversity of North-East India as well as India. The decreasing fallow period from 15-20 to 2-3 years has a negative impact on the environment sustainability in Meghalaya which reduced the quality of soil. The overall reduction in the forest, mainly due to jhumming can severely affect the viable forest habitat of the endangered fauna. This study reveals the effects of short jhum cycle period on current forest ecosystem.

Object based classification of benthic habitat using Sentinel 2 imagery by applying with support vector machine and random forest algorithms in shallow waters of Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia

Abstract. Hartoni, Siregar VP, Wouthuyzen S, Agus SB. 2021. Object based classification of benthic habitat using Sentinel 2 imagery by applying with support vector machine and random forest algorithms in shallow waters of Kepulauan Seribu. Biodiversitas 23: 514-520. Benthic habitats have very high complexity and are home to many types of aquatic organisms. Benthic habitats have various functions, including habitat for flora and fauna, sediment traps, nursery areas, and foraging areas for aquatic fauna that are susceptible to damage due to human activities or natural factors. Therefore, more accurate spatial information is needed. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of object-based classification techniques for mapping shallow waters benthic habitats using Sentinel 2A imagery. The two classification algorithms used are support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF). The input image layer (IIL) used for classification is the natural color band (Band 432). The results showed that the SVM and RF classification algorithms could classify eight classes of benthic habitats. The overall accuracy (OA) of the SVM algorithm is 65%, while the RF accuracy is 67%, with kappa values of 0.59 and 0.60, respectively. The significant test applied to Sentinel 2 images with SVM and RF algorithms for benthic habitats has a Z test value of-0.41. These results indicate that the classification results between the SVM and RF algorithms are not significantly different.

Abundance of mites, but not of collembolans or nematodes, is reduced by restoration of a Pinus ponderosa forest with thinning, mastication, and prescribed fire

Thinning, mastication, and prescribed fire are restoration treatments frequently employed in unnaturally dense second-growth Pinus ponderosa forests of the Western United States. Although a goal of these treatments is to restore ecosystem structure and function, little information is available regarding treatment effects on soil micro- and mesofauna, which comprise the overwhelming majority of metazoan forest inhabitants and occupy key positions in soil food webs. We quantified nematodes, mites, and collembolans in soil and litter habitats within untreated control, thinned (comprising thinning and masticating wood), and burned (comprising thinning and masticating, followed by broadcast burn) in P. ponderosa forest management units at Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico, USA. We linked patterns in animal abundance to resource and habitat characteristics, hypothesizing that resources and available habitat for many taxa would increase with thinning and decrease with burning. Two years after thinning, densities of collembolans and nematodes in the thinned unit were higher than in the untreated control unit, but one year post-fire, their densities in the burned unit were similar to those of the untreated control unit. Mite abundance, however, was not elevated in the thinned unit and was lower in the burned unit. Although faunal communities were highly heterogeneous, a significant proportion of the variance in faunal abundances was explained by easily and inexpensively measured habitat and resource characteristics: bulk density, soil organic matter (SOM), pH, grass cover, and litter cover and depth. These findings demonstrate the abiotic and biotic factors that structure faunal habitats so that forest managers have a more complete understanding of the impacts of forest restoration treatments.

Naturalising a heavily modified urban river: Initial habitat evolution in the Manzanares River (Madrid, Spain)

AbstractBetween the 1910s and 1960s, the segment of the Manzanares River in the city of Madrid was channelized to allow for intensive urban development and a series of barrages were built to maintain constant water levels and create the aesthetic of a large deep river. As part of a renaturalisation strategy for the river by the Madrid City Council, the complete opening of the barrages' hydraulic gates in spring 2016 allowed for natural physical processes to occur that, in turn, facilitated colonisation of newly‐formed habitats by vegetation and fauna. The present study evaluates the initial effects of the barrage gate openings on instream habitats through the analysis of (i) geomorphological, physico‐chemical and vegetation metrics, and (ii) hydraulic variables associated with potential preferential conditions for native fish fauna, whose populations were greatly diminished. This approach incorporates an integrative view of the multivariate nature of the fluvial ecosystem. Results show a substantial reactivation of habitat heterogeneity over a short timeframe. In addition, newly‐emerging habitat conditions, related to sediment activation, improved water quality and diversified hydraulic conditions, are promoting potential preferential habitats for native fish fauna. This study can help aquatic researchers and administrators in understanding how an urban river can evolve with a cost‐effective intervention focused on the recovery of self‐forming dynamics. This application of process‐based river restoration strategies to a heavily modified river can also lead to the improvement of its ecological potential, as required by the European Union's Water Framework Directive.

Population trends and Status of Smooth-Coated Otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) in Tungabhadra River ecosystem, Karnataka, India

In an increasingly disturbed and fragmented environment of the Tungabhadra River in Karnataka, we conducted a study to record the current status and population trends of Smooth-coated Otters. The goal was to identify regions with a lack of information on current status, gather information to create baseline data, and understand the otter species in this river. A total of 31 sampling stations was surveyed for two years from February-2018 to February-2020. The study area selected starts from Kudli, near Shivamogga in Karnataka to Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh, spread for 531/km. While surrounded by human-modified landscapes, the Tungabhadra River remains a significant habitat for flora and fauna, including otter species. Significant parts of the Tungabhadra river ecosystems lie beyond the security offered by protected areas; In these areas where existing conditions are poorly understood; New and accurate information on otter status and population trends are created using locally appropriate methodologies such as: documenting population trends, conflict incidents from local communities by questionnaire interviews and surveying for direct sightings and indirect credible evidence (spraints, footprints, den sites, food remains, and carcasses) to document the distribution of otters in the study area. The study reveals vital localities and hotspots of smooth-coated otters in the Tungabhadra River to promote conservation, restoration, and potential reestablishment in their ranges.

Mammal fauna from the Landscape Reserve "La Castel", Republic of Moldova

The studies were performed in 2015-2021 in various ecosystems of the Landscape Reserve "La Castel". 45 species of mammals of 7 orders were recorded. The shrew fauna was represented by 4 species, of which one is protected. The bats were represented by 11 species, including 7 protected species. The analysis of the multiannual dynamics of the bat community structure in the Gordinești mines highlighted the dominance of the species M. blythii. During the study years, the number of maternity colony of M. blythii was increasing. Rodent fauna was best represented - 17 species, of which 2 rare. The most favorable habitats for small mammal fauna are riparian biotopes and forest edge. The trophic spectrum of the little owl consisted of 9 taxa. Microtus species dominated by over 50%, followed by genus Mus with about 18% and C. suaveolens with over 15%, other species had a small percentage, between 1.18% -4.71%. Carnivores were represented by 8 species, of which 3 rare species, and artiodactyls – by 2 common species.

Evidence of Coastal Changes in the West Coast of Naxos Island, Cyclades, Greece

Coastal lagoons and dunes are of great ecological importance, not only for providing habitats for rare flora and fauna, but also for protecting coastal areas from rising sea levels and storms, etc. Even though these features are unique for sustainable development and are extremely important to the natural environment and economy, they are one of the most vulnerable and threatened ecosystems due to their small size. The western coasts of Naxos (central Aegean Sea) represent an example of such phenomena, with various wetlands bordered by low-lying sand dunes. The aim of our study is to assess the vulnerability and pressures of the western coasts of Naxos Isl. by taking into consideration both natural and anthropogenic factors. We used a variety of approaches for the environmental and geomorphological study of the coastal zone to achieve this goal, including: (a) study of aerial photography from 1960 until today, (b) systematic seasonal aerial monitoring by drone, since 2015, (c) use of DGPS for the mapping of the coastal zone and for obtaining detailed topographic sections, and (d) dune mapping. Our findings reveal the vulnerability of the western coasts of Naxos due to sea level rise, tectonic subsidence, and a variety of anthropogenic pressures, such as uncontrolled parking, vegetation uprooting, sand extractions, and heavy touristic traffic. Therefore, the protection of the sand dunes, their restoration where they have been eroded, the definition of a zone of control, and restriction of human activities must be a key priority.

Assessing the Real Risk of Mining Industry Environmental Impact. Case Study

The aim of this article is to analyse the real risk that mining operations pose to the environment, including all the main concernsrelated to the project's planned operations and their environmental impacts. In order to carry out an in-depth analysis of a practicalcase involving the real process of mineral extraction, we use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Leopold matrix as a methodof measurement. The subject of the investigation is the extraction of lithium from natural brine located in South America's so-calledLithium Triangle, in the geographical limits of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, where more than 80% of the world's lithium reserves arelocated. The case study showed that the elements of the environment most exposed to mining activities are the biosphere, lithosphereand hydrosphere. The vast areas of the mining company are covered by sedimentary ponds with brine. Pumping the brine to the surface results in a loss of groundwater resources and, consequently, changes the water cycle in the catchment area. The habitats of aquaticand terrestrial fauna and flora are significantly changed or irretrievably damaged.

Representasi Lingkungan dalam Serat Tata Cara: Analisis Leksikon Flora dan Fauna

The survival of the flora and fauna lexicon shows the environmental conditions of an era. This study aims to describe the survivalof the flora and fauna lexicon in the fiber of procedures and to describe the relationship of flora and fauna to the Javanese people.The method used in this research is the library method. This research is a qualitative descriptive research. This method includescollecting library data, reading research materials, recording and processing research data. The data from this research is the FiberProcedures obtained from the Ministry of Education and Culture repository. The results of this study are (1) the discovery of twocategories of words, namely in the form of nouns and numerals in the Fiber Procedures chapter of Wilujengan Meteng, (2) knowingthe level of survival of the flora and fauna lexicon, (3) knowing the relationship between flora and fauna for the Javanesecommunity in the form of natural relationships. human habitation which is the same as the habitat of flora and fauna. Throughthis research, it can be seen the survival of the flora and fauna lexicon in the fiber of procedures.
 Keywords: Fiber Procedures; lexicon; flora and fauna; Javanese society

Rare inventory of trematode diversity in a protected natural reserve

In the face of ongoing habitat degradation and the biodiversity crisis, natural reserves are important refuges for wildlife. Since most free-living organisms serve as hosts to parasites, the diverse communities in protected areas can be expected to provide suitable habitats for a species-rich parasite fauna. However, to date, assessments of parasite diversity in protected nature reserves are rare. To expand our knowledge of parasite communities in natural habitats, we examined 1994 molluscs belonging to 15 species for trematode infections in a central European natural reserve. The parasitological examination revealed an overall prevalence of 17.3% and a total species richness of 40 trematode species. However, the parasite diversity and prevalence did not differ markedly from trematode communities in non-protected environments, which might be partly explained by a dilution effect caused by a high number of non-host organisms in our study system. The proportion of complex and long life cycles of parasites in the present study is high, indicating complex biotic interactions. We conclude that life cycle complexity, in addition to parasite diversity and trematode species richness, can provide valuable information on ecosystem health and should therefore be considered in future studies.

Urban green roofs promote metropolitan biodiversity: A comparative case study

Urban green spaces can provide habitat and resources for urban dwelling fauna. Suburban green spaces occur most commonly as parks and roadside vegetation, but as human populations grow and space in cities becomes increasingly limited, space-efficient green solutions like green roofs and walls in metropolitan areas are becoming increasingly common. However, the efficacy of these forms of green infrastructure in attracting and promoting biodiversity remains limited. To address this, we compared arthropod, gastropod, and avian species richness and diversity between green and conventional roofs on neighbouring and identical buildings in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. By monitoring local biodiversity using motion sensing camera traps and regular insect surveys, we found that the green roof supported four times the avian, over seven times the arthropod, and twice the gastropod diversity of the conventional roof. Only the green roof attracted locally rare species including blue banded bees (Amegilla Cingulata) and metallic shield bugs (Scutiphora pedicellata). Our results suggest that green roofs, like other urban green spaces, can have ecological significance by attracting and supporting urban fauna that may then add important functional capacities to previously depauperate spaces. This study demonstrates the potential for the widespread adoption of green roofs to create more biologically diverse cities.

When is protection not conservation? A case study of semi‐natural freshwater marshes in Hong Kong

Abstract Active and abandoned paddy fields are valuable habitats for aquatic fauna in monsoonal Asia. Changes in land use and farming practices have caused substantial losses of paddy‐derived marshes in recent decades. Few of those remaining have been designated as protected areas for biodiversity or are managed for conservation. Between 2014 and 2017, 35 paddy‐derived marshes (13 protected and 22 unprotected) in Hong Kong were visited with the aim of sampling aquatic macroinvertebrates and assessing the vulnerability of sites to different threats. Twenty of them had been sampled in 1996, allowing the investigation of biodiversity change over time in relation to protection status. The representativeness of protected marshes was evaluated based on their α‐, β‐ and γ‐diversity. In total, 272 macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded (mean, 57 morphospecies per site). Out of the 20 resurveyed sites, five (three protected) were terrestrialized and four (all unprotected) had been filled in between 1996 and 2014–2017. The relative changes in α‐ and β‐diversity of the remaining 11 resurveyed marshes were unaffected by their protection status. The 10 remaining protected marshes had similar α‐ and β‐diversity to those of unprotected sites and, in total, hosted fewer species than the mean value obtained in 9,999 random selections of the same number of sites, indicating that macroinvertebrate diversity was not very well represented within the protected marshes. Protection alone was not successful as a conservation measure because it failed to prevent the degradation and loss of paddy‐derived marshlands in Hong Kong. Furthermore, a failure to consider biodiversity when the sites were designated as protected reduced the representativeness and effectiveness of the protected area network for achieving the conservation objectives. Conservation planners need to take account of freshwater biodiversity (especially aquatic insects) during the selection of marshland sites for protection and ensure that protected sites are appropriately managed.

CLASSIFICATION OF WATER-BOGGY AREAS OF ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SHATSK NATIONAL NATURAL PARK

The article is devoted to substantiation of approaches and development of classification of wetlands on the example of the territory of Shatsk National Nature Park. Wetlands perform functions related to the hydrological, biochemical processes that take place in them, and provide habitats for fauna and flora, as well as produce agricultural products and provide biocorridors between isolated objects of nature reserves, separate ecosystems that support biodiversity are used as objects for training and recreation. The highest hierarchical level has the function of maintaining the ecological stability of wetlands, which includes all processes, including the contradictory ones that take place in them. at the internal, local, regional, global levels. To maintain the ecological stability of wetlands at all levels, it is necessary to conduct an inventory of them, the purpose of which is to collect information about their location, area, types, subtypes, conditions, condition, use and values. The obtained information serves as a basis for substantiation and development of the methodology of classification of wetlands of Ukraine. Classification of water-boggy areas of economic significance has to become the base for building up enlarged impartial informational basis of data for the state of surroundings and its use with the aim to preserve biological and genetic variety, nature protection, scientific investigation and studies. Considering the requirements of Ramsar convention there new methodological approaches were suggested in the classification of water-boggy areas of economic significance which provides with the formation of their multilevel classification distinguishing them according to: the types – by their origin, subtypes – by the functions they fulfill, classes – by their mission, subclasses – by their functioning. Suggested classification of water-boggy areas of economic significance envisages the division into two types: natural that includes three subtypes and seven classes, artificial which includes two types and seven classes.

Conservation Status of Bird Species on Promasan Hiking Trail, Mount Ungaran, Central Java

Mount Ungaran is one of the dormant volcanoes in Central Java. The condition of the unspoiled forest in the Mount Ungaran area is a good habitat for fauna, including birds. There are several hiking trails traversed by mountain climbers, one of them is the Promasan hiking trail. This study aims to determine the diversity of bird species and identify their conservation status on the Promasan hiking trail. Data were colected by Indices Ponctuels d'Abondance (IPA), Line Transect, and Point Count methods. Bird species diversity was determined by the Shanon index. Determination of bird conservation status based on the IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix, Government Regulation (PP No. 7 of 1999) and Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation (PERMENLHK RI No. 106, 2018). The results showed that there were 24 bird species belonging to 19 families. The diversity of bird species was classified as moderate (Shanon index = 2.59). There were two species including CITES Appendix II. Based on the IUCN Red List, there was one species in the Endangered (EN) category, 23 species in the Least Concern (LC) category. There was one species that is protected according to Government Regulation (PP No. 7 of 1999). The 3 species include as protected under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation (PERMENLHK RI No. P.106, 2018). Monitoring the presence of birds in this area must be carried out regularly.

Ecohydraulic tools for aquatic fauna habitat and population status assessment, analysis and monitoring aimed at promoting integrated river management

The ecohydraulic modeling framework in ecological systems includes hydro-morphodynamic, habitat, and population models. In this paper, we proposed an ecohydraulic modeling framework that combines numerical methods and ecological theories to explore the dynamics and interplay between fluvial processes in rivers and the quality of physical habitat and density distribution for fish. The practicality of applying the developed system to ecohydraulics modeling was explored through three case studies and compared with as well as validated using observed data. On the basis of the calculated results, the model system was proven to be efficient in describing population dynamics of the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus. L.) in the Aare River in Switzerland. Satisfactory predictions of the long-term population evolution of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmo trutta) and flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis) in the Colorado River in the United States (US) were obtained. Furthermore, the effects of Da-Wei Power Plant construction on the Jiao-Mu River in China on the schizothorax (Schizothorax prenanti) and schizothorax (Racoma) fish species were investigated. The efficiency of fish stocking strategies was evaluated and optimal fish stocking numbers were proposed. The resulting ecohydraulic modeling framework provided very promising results, which highlighted the fundamental role of the temporal variability of hydro-morphological parameters in structuring populations of fish species. Using the ecohydraulic modeling framework to simulate population trends in anticipation of any changes in water management can provide decision-makers with valuable prediction results.