Species Diversity Of Fauna Research Articles

Stand structure is more important for forest productivity stability than tree, understory plant and soil biota species diversity

IntroductionThe stability of forest productivity is an important management goal in order to sustain ecosystem services for an expanding human population and in the face of global climate change. Evidence from theoretical, observational, and experimental studies has demonstrated that higher biodiversity promotes stability of forest productivity. However, the majority of these studies have focused solely on tree diversity and have neglected the potentially important role of understory plant and soil biodiversity.MethodsIn this study, we explain the effect of tree, understory woody and herbaceous plant, and soil biota (fauna, fungi, and bacteria) species diversity on forest productivity and its stability over time (2000–2020) across an area of Northeast China covering 145 million hectares. We explore the eight stand structure variables for stability of forest productivity and the relationship between productivity stability and tree, understory plant, and soil biota species diversity.ResultsOur results show no significant, direct impact of understory plant, soil fungi, and bacteria species diversity on the stability of the forest ecosystem. Tree species diversity indirectly affects productivity stability by directly influencing stand structure, whereas soil fauna species diversity indirectly influences stability through its relationship with tree species diversity. Stand structure is more important than tree and soil fauna species diversity for forest productivity stability. Specifically, increasing crown height (CH) from its minimum to maximum value leads to a substantial gain of 20.394 in forest productivity stability. In contrast, raising tree species diversity (α-Tree) and soil fauna species diversity (α-Fauna) from their minimum to maximum values results in a modest reduction of only 0.399 and 0.231 in forest productivity stability, respectively.DiscussionTo increase the stability of forest productivity in response to climate change, we should adjust the stand structure more in the process of management rather than just considering biodiversity. Overall, this study highlights the ecological risks associated with large-scale biotic homogenization under future climate change and management practices.

Predicting The Great Lakes Wetlands' Resilience to Climate Change in Response to Phragmites australis subsp. australis Removal

Phragmites australis subsp. australis (hereon Phargmites), has become a dominating threat to the Great Lakes wetlands at a time when climate change pressures are also compromising the integrity of the native habitat. Understanding the role this invader plays in climate change resiliency is crucial in order to improve management decisions to protect and restore wetlands. This literature review was conducted to predict if the Great Lakes wetland’s resiliency to climate change effects could improve in absence of Phragmites. Peer-reviewed articles were analyzed to determine the overall impact of Phragmites on the Great Lakes wetlands by drawing connections between study findings and how this invader may influence the wetland’s ability to mitigate climate change. Evaluation of Phragmites invasion impacts included effects on floral and faunal species diversity, richness and composition, methane and carbon emissions, nutrient availability, and water levels and quality. This examination of studies showed floral, avian, and turtle species diversity to be negatively related to Phragmites invasion, with no clear impacts on frogs and macroinvertebrates. Studies also showed that Phragmites-dominated wetlands increased carbon sequestration, but also increased methane emissions which has greater radiative forcing power, resulting in a net source of greenhouse gases. Soil nutrient availability was found to be negatively impacted by this invader, and effects on water levels and quality were inconclusive due to insufficient available evidence. Overall, this information provides indication that the Great Lakes wetlands could benefit from Phragmites removal, likely enhancing the wetland’s ability to resist climate change effects.

An appraisal of tree and fauna species diversity and distribution of Osogbo sacred grove, Osun State, Nigeria

Appraisal of tree and fauna species is crucial; this ensures effective conservation of the forests and their resources. This study aims at an appraisal of tree and fauna species diversity in Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria for record update, knowledge, and monitoring species status for conservation management. A total of 70 tree species belonging to 26 families were recorded. The tree species in the Fabaceae and Apocynaceae families were the most abundant. Tree species richness indices for the three zones were 2.16, 1.89, and 1.72, respectively. Most of the tree species encountered were in the IUCN categories of vulnerable (6.7%), least concerning (71.1%), and not evaluated (71.1%). The result revealed that the core zone was richer and more diverse than the buffer and the outer zones, with diversity indices of 3.06, 2.995, and 2.16, respectively. The fauna species diversity and richness index were 3.40 and 2.35, respectively. The least vulnerable fauna species were 86.4%, with 6.8% vulnerable. Class Aves has the highest percentage of 61.4%, with Gastropoda being the least-represented (2.3%). Mona monkeys were the most sighted fauna species in the area. Thus, there is an urgent need to increase the level of security around the sacred grove and to ensure sustainable management strategies are fully implemented in the study area.

Diversity of fauna species in the mangrove ecosystem of Youtefa Bay Tourism Park, Papua, Indonesia

Abstract. Sari A, Tuwo A, Saru A, Rani C. 2022. Diversity of fauna species in the mangrove ecosystem of Youtefa Bay Tourism Park, Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 4490-4500. Youtefa Bay Tourism Park is a mangrove ecosystem in Jayapura City, Papua, Indonesia with high importance for biodiversity conservation as well as providing livelihood for local communities. Yet, information regarding the biological diversity of the mangrove ecosystem is lacking. This information is important to assess the state of the mangrove and to support its sustainable management of this area. This research aimed to determine the faunistic diversity of Youtefa Bay Tourism Park. The research was conducted from August 2019 to February 2020 using line transect method with quadrant to record species and the number of individuals. The results showed that in the studied area there were six, five and 27 species of birds, reptiles and macrozoobenthos, respectively. The density of birds ranged from 2.35-23.94 ind/ha with Sterna hirundo of the Sternidae family having the highest density. The reptile species density ranged between 20 and 66.67 ind/ha, while the most common macrozoobenthos species were from Gastropoda and Pelecypoda classes. The highest and lowest relative abundance for birds were S. hirundo and Sula lencogastes with 20% and 5%, while that of reptiles were Mabouya sp. and Varanus salvadorii with 37% and 15%, and for macrozoobenthos species were Duplicaria duplicata and Solen sp. with 9.93% and 0.35%, respectively. The Diversity Index (H’) of birds, reptiles, and macrozoobenthos ranged of 0.29-1.39, 0.27-1.61, and 2.92-3.04, respectively. The diversity index was as low at Abepantai and Youtefa Bay Pier, while moderate at Tobati, Enggros, and Nafri Villages. Water quality parameters indicated that the waters in Youtefa Bay Tourism Park were still suitable for the survival of biota and the preservation of the mangrove ecosystem. The results of this study might be useful for monitoring the status of the mangrove ecosystem in the future and for baseline information in developing sustainable management of Youtefa Bay Tourism Park.

Fauna diversity in the southern part of the Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Gia Lai province

Kon Ka Kinh National Park (KKK NP) is a priority zone for biodiversity protection in Vietnam as well as ASEAN. In order to survey the current fauna species diversity in the southern part of the KKK NP, we conducted camera trapping surveys in 2017, 2018, and 2019. 28 infrared camera traps were set up on elevations between 1041 to 1497 meters. In total, there were 360 days of survey using camera trap. As result, we recorded a total of 27 animal species of those, five species are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2020). The survey results showed a high richness of wildlife in the southern park region, and it also revealed human disturbance to wildlife in the park. The first-time camera trap was used for surveying wildlife diversity in the southern region of the KKK NP. Conducting camera trap surveys in the whole KKK NP is essential for monitoring and identifying priority areas for wildlife conservation in the national park.

Bromeliad habitat regulates the richness of associated terrestrial and aquatic fauna

AbstractBromeliads harbour a great diversity of fauna species. The epiphytic habit of bromeliads is subject to higher temperatures and higher incidence of light than is the epigeic habit, so we expected individuals of the Vriesea neoglutinosa species to differ in terms of the composition, richness and abundance of their fauna associated with different bromeliad habits. We carried out a study in a restinga area on Marambaia Island, Brazil. We collected 32 bromeliads, of which 16 were epigeic and 16 were epiphytic, and found a total of 1125 individual animals of 88 morphospecies. Arthropods stood out in the sample, among which 68.2% were insects. Aquatic fauna was richer in epigeic bromeliads, and terrestrial fauna was richer in epiphytic bromeliads. As expected, species composition was different for aquatic and terrestrial fauna. The heterogeneity of the restinga environment and differences in the development stages of the fauna may be factors that influence its composition. Both bromeliad habits sustain fauna with several trophic guilds that compose a complex food web and depend on the bromeliad environment. As different habits lead to different fauna types, both epigeic and epiphytic bromeliads play a role in the maintenance of local biodiversity and are important for macrofauna conservation in restingas.

Study of Fish Biodiversity of Nijhum Dwip, Noakhali, Bangladesh

Aims: The investigation was concerned to assess the diversity status of fish in Nijhum Dwip, Hatiya, Noakhali with its management actions.
 Place and Duration of Study: Nijhum dwip declared as marine protected area is blessed with unique ecosystem with holding numerous flora and fauna species diversity. Data and fish sample were collected from February, 2019 to July 2019 for a period of five month.
 Methodology: The current research was grounded on visiting fish landing center and fish market, on spot date collection, interview of the fishermen and the fish traders, sample collection and secondary data collection.
 Results: In investigation, 39 species in 22 families were witnessed. The maximum numbers of fish species (8) were observed from the family Cyprinidae. From the survey, 4 species were endangered (EN), 5 species were vulnerable (VU), 2 species were near threatened (NT), 22 species were least concern (LC) categories, 6 species were not threatened (NO) which is grounded on IUCN (2015) list of threatened fishes of Bangladesh. The marine fish and freshwater fish alignment in the research region were 33% and 67% in turn.
 Conclusions: The species scarcity or decline is demonstrated by the non-availability and less availability of some of the species in the adjacent area as well as in the country. The policy makers, researchers as well as local people would be able to aware with their existing biodiversity status and also significance of fish fauna of the study area by appropriate evaluation and proper documentation of fish fauna.

Soil fauna diversity increases CO2 but suppresses N2 O emissions from soil.

Soil faunal activity can be a major control of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soil. Effects of single faunal species, genera or families have been investigated, but it is unknown how soil fauna diversity may influence emissions of both carbon dioxide (CO2, end product of decomposition of organic matter) and nitrous oxide (N2O, an intermediate product of N transformation processes, in particular denitrification). Here, we studied how CO2 and N2O emissions are affected by species and species mixtures of up to eight species of detritivorous/fungivorous soil fauna from four different taxonomic groups (earthworms, potworms, mites, springtails) using a microcosm set‐up. We found that higher species richness and increased functional dissimilarity of species mixtures led to increased faunal‐induced CO2 emission (up to 10%), but decreased N2O emission (up to 62%). Large ecosystem engineers such as earthworms were key drivers of both CO2 and N2O emissions. Interestingly, increased biodiversity of other soil fauna in the presence of earthworms decreased faunal‐induced N2O emission despite enhanced C cycling. We conclude that higher soil fauna functional diversity enhanced the intensity of belowground processes, leading to more complete litter decomposition and increased CO2 emission, but concurrently also resulting in more complete denitrification and reduced N2O emission. Our results suggest that increased soil fauna species diversity has the potential to mitigate emissions of N2O from soil ecosystems. Given the loss of soil biodiversity in managed soils, our findings call for adoption of management practices that enhance soil biodiversity and stimulate a functionally diverse faunal community to reduce N2O emissions from managed soils.

The First Attempt at Studying the Species Diversity of Fish in Lake Khanka Using DNA Barcoding Techniques

Lake Khanka is the largest lake in the northeastern part of Asia, being a valuable part of the resources of freshwater fisheries. Lake Khanka has a low value of endemism owing to the recent origin and connection to large river systems of the Amur and Ussuri. The list of fish species present in the lake has been constantly updated owing to invasions that occur both unintentionally and because of the introduction of hydrobionts to maximize the potential of natural productivity. In this regard, the Lake Khanka is a suitable testing ground for the development and implementation of complex methods for monitoring species diversity. The cases of invasion have become more frequent in the lake recently. Moreover, the introduction of some fish species for stabilization of relationships among communities and exhaustive utilization of the natural productivity is now being carried out, which makes challenging the development and implementation of powerful techniques for monitoring of the local fauna species diversity. For the first time, we present a complex approach to the solution of that problem. We collected 64 fish specimens from 16 species representing four families of ray-finned fishes and analyzed their taxonomy and species diversity using both classic methods and DNA barcoding techniques. Specimens have been genotyped based on the mitochondrial Co-1 gene marker. The mean values of K2P-corrected intraspecific genetic distances were 0.15 ± 0.01%; the distances between different species within the same genera were 4.08 ± 0.01%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed monophyletic origin of all species clusters with high support (98–100% of bootstrap values). Thus, reciprocal complement of morphological and genetic techniques for the purpose of species delimitation and high effectiveness of DNA barcoding in application for documentation of species diversity in Lake Khanka has been demonstrated. New molecular genetic data generally are in agreement with taxonomic relationships previously shown for these fish taxa, but an additional investigation is required to verify the composition of genus Acheilognathus in Lake Khanka.

Preliminary Assessment of Fauna Species Diversity in Ipinu Igede Community Range Forest in Oju Local Government of Benue State, Nigeria

Preliminary Assessment of Fauna Species Diversity in Ipinu Igede Community Range Forest in Oju Local Government of Benue State, Nigeria

Comparison of soil macro-invertebrate communities in Malaysian oil palm plantations with secondary forest from the viewpoint of litter decomposition

Biodiversity decline in rapidly expanding oil palm plantations is of global concern. Many studies have demonstrated that fauna species diversity is lower in oil palm plantations than forests. However, information about the flow-on effects of these declines in species diversity on ecosystem functioning is scarce for oil palm plantations. Litter decomposition performed by soil organisms is a vital ecosystem function that regulates nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Some studies have found a high level of redundancy among litter decomposing species. In order to evaluate the effects of the conversion of forests to oil palm plantations on decomposition, we investigated the abundance and biomass of soil macro-invertebrates at sites in two oil palm plantations and a secondary forest in Malaysia. Biodiversity of soil macro-invertebrates were lower in the oil palm plantations than in the secondary forest. The abundance and biomass of surface–living litter transformers was lower in oil palm plantations than forest, probably due to the isolated piles of frond litter that occur in plantations, instead of the more continuous litter layer observed in forests. However, we found dense populations of wood (litter)–feeding termites in the thick rachises of fronds heaped on the ground surface. A pantropical earthworm species, Pontoscolex corethrurus, which buries the litter through cast deposition, abounded more in the oil palm plantations than in the secondary forest. These characteristics of soil macro-invertebrates have also been reported in other oil palm plantations. Thus, we conclude that the conversion of forests to oil palm plantations may reduce diversity of soil macro-invertebrates, increase the heterogeneity of macro-invertebrates distribution and decrease populations of some functional groups of soil macro-invertebrates. However, overall, forest conversion does not appear to have a negative impact on the decomposition process to a great extent, owing to the colonization of plantation sites by other groups of decomposer animals that are favored by disturbance and/or the great amount of localized input of fresh fronds pruned at the time of fruit harvesting.

Measuring the success of reforestation for restoring biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

Summary Effective assessment of the success of ecological restoration projects is critical in justifying the use of restoration in natural resource management as well as improving best practice. One of the main goals of ecological restoration is the recovery of ecosystem function, yet most researchers assume that increasing species and or functional diversity equates with restoration of ecosystem function, rather than empirically demonstrating these mechanistic relationships. In this study, we assess how dung beetle species diversity, community composition, functional diversity and ecological functions vary along a restoration chronosequence and compare restored areas with reference (rain forest) and degraded (pasture) systems. We also directly investigate the dung beetle diversity – ecosystem functioning relationship in the context of ecological rain forest restoration by testing the predictive power of traditional taxonomic indices and functional diversity metrics for functionality. Species richness, abundance, biomass and functional richness all increased with restoration age, with the oldest restoration sites being most similar to rain forest, whereas functional evenness and functional divergence decreased with restoration age. Community composition in the restored areas was clearly progressing towards the rain forest sites and deviating from the pasture sites with increasing restoration age. Secondary seed dispersal rates increased with restoration age, but there was only a weak positive relationship between dung removal and soil excavation and restoration age. Biodiversity metrics explained 47–74% of the variation in functions mediated by dung beetles; however, functional trait‐based indices provided greater explanatory power of functionality than traditional species‐based metrics. Synthesis and applications. Our results provide empirical evidence on the potential of tropical forest restoration to mitigate biodiversity losses, recovering not only faunal species diversity, but also functional diversity and ecosystem functions in a relatively short period of time. We also demonstrate that functional trait‐based metrics are better predictors of functionality than traditional species‐based metrics but that the relationship between restoration age, diversity and ecosystem functioning is not straightforward and depends on the functions, traits and metrics used.

Assessing the Fauna Diversity of Marudu Bay Mangrove Forest, Sabah, Malaysia, for Future Conservation

Mangrove is an evergreen, salt tolerant plant community, which grows in inter-tidal coastal zones of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. They are ecologically important for many fauna species and are rich in food resources and consist of many different vegetation structures. They serve as ideal foraging and nursery grounds for a wide array of species such as birds, mammals, reptiles, fishes and aquatic invertebrates. In spite of their crucial role, around 50% of mangrove habitats have been lost and degraded in the past two decades. The fauna diversity of mangrove habitat at Marudu Bay, Sabah, East Malaysia was examined using various methods: i.e. aquatic invertebrates by swap nets, fish by angling rods and cast nets, reptiles, birds, and mammals through direct sighting. The result showed that Marudu Bay mangrove habitats harbored a diversity of fauna species including 22 aquatic invertebrate species (encompassing 11 crustacean species, six mollusk species and four worm species), 36 fish species, 74 bird species, four reptile species, and four mammal species. The wide array of fauna species could be due to the availability of complex vegetation structures, sheltered beaches and tidal mudflats, which are rich in food resources and also offer safe foraging and breeding grounds for them. These heterogeneous habitats must be protected in a sustainable way in order to ensure the continued presence of aquatic and terrestrial fauna species for future generations.

Regime shift of a kelp-forest benthic community induced by an ‘invasion’ of the rock lobster Jasus lalandii

An eastward shift in the center of abundance of the South African rock lobster Jasus lalandii occurred during the early 1990s into an area known as East of Cape Hangklip (EOCH). Given (1) the predatory capabilities of J. lalandii, (2) an intricate relationship between the urchin Parechinus angulosus and juveniles of the abalone Haliotis midae, and (3) existing over-exploitation of elements of the ecosystem, the ‘lobster invasion’ has major implications for the benthic ecosystem and associated fisheries. We surveyed the abundance of J. lalandii and the benthic community composition EOCH at six sites (three ‘invaded’ and three ‘non-invaded’ by J. lalandii), in three different depth zones (<5m, 6–12m and 13–20m). At all depths, J. lalandii was significantly more abundant in invaded areas than in non-invaded areas, and benthic communities were significantly different. The high densities of rock lobsters at invaded sites led to cascading effects including elimination of urchins and depletion of grazers, consequent enhancement of macroalgae, and diminishment of encrusting corallines. Non-invaded sites had few lobsters, abundant herbivores, less macroalgae and more encrusting corallines. Elimination of urchins in the invaded area has important implications, as juveniles of the commercially harvested abalone H. midae depend on shelter beneath urchins in this region. Floral species diversity was greater at invaded sites and increased with depth, whereas faunal species diversity was greater at non-invaded sites but also increased with depth. The depths at which strongest effects of J. lalandii were felt coincided with the depth of maximum abundance of the urchin P. angulosus, the abalone H. midae, the kelp Ecklonia maxima and encrusting corallines, with serious consequences for associated fisheries and the benthic community. We argue that the differences between invaded and non-invaded areas are sufficient to recognize that they are alternate stable-states and constitute a regime shift.

Effects of charcoal production on soil biodiversity and soil physical and chemical properties in Togo, West Africa

In Togo, traditional energy sources including charcoal represent 80% out of total household energy requirements. The techniques of charcoal production in earth kiln are quite common. During carbonization, the temperature rises from 20 to over 500°C. This study focuses on the impact of this high temperature on the soil properties and soil fauna in three biogeographical zones of Togo. The methodology used consists in comparison of soil sampling in surface layer (0-20 cm depth) inside burnt plot i.e. inside the kiln to an unburnt plot in charcoal production area. The results revealed that the soil physical, chemical and microbial properties were altered. The organic matter was destroyed; it is higher at the unburnt plot level than inside the kiln. The soil pH increased at the kiln level by the provision of rich ash bases during the carbonization. Fire increased the permeability at the kiln level by raising the bulk density and the total porosity of soil. The variation in microbial biomass induced by the heat around the kilns is different according to the ecosystem; it is of 15 m radius around the kilns in Sudanian or Guinean savanna areas while this radius is 5 m in Semi-deciduous forest. The soil fauna assessment permitted to record 81 micro-organisms belonging essentially to the Beetles, Hymenoptera, Heteroptera, Diptera, Orthoptera, Myriapods, Homoptera, Acarians, Nematodes, Isoptera, etc. The hypogeal biodiversity index calculation (average species richness, Shannon average indexes and average evenness) revealed that farther moving away from the kiln, greater the fauna species diversity was.© 2009 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Key words: Charcoal production, kiln, soil physical and chemical properties, soil biodiversity, Togo.

An Investigation of Flora and Fauna in Upper streams and Lower streams of Weirs with and without a Fish-Way in Ham-an Stream

The purpose of this study was, as a preliminary step for understanding the whole aspects of the impacts of a weir on the ecosystems in upper and lower streams, to find out the impacts of the weirs with and without a fish-way. A survey on the aquatic ecosystem of upper and lower streams of weirs in Ham-an Stream was carried out from June to October, 2006. Results of the investigation showed that some meaningful effects on the ecosystems had occurred by the weirs. The fish fauna in upper stream of the weir with a fish-way appeared to include 3 families, 8 species, and 184 individuals, while that in the lower stream of the weir appeared to include 5 families, 14 species, and 664 individuals. The fish fauna in the upper stream of the weir without a fish-way appeared to include 3 families, 9 species, 107 individuals, while that in the lower stream of the weir appeared to include 9 families, 19 species, 520 individuals, disclosing that, no matter with or without a fish-way, fish fauna species diversity and size of population were more abundant and bigger in the lower stream than in the upper stream, but that difference of fish fauna species diversities between upper and lower streams of the weirs appeared to be bigger for the weir with a fish-way than for the weir without a fish-way. Benthos species diversity and size of population were found to be more abundant and bigger in lower stream than in upper stream, and in wet season than in dry season.

Are higher taxa adequate surrogates for species-level assemblage patterns and species richness in stream organisms?

We examined the utility of using genera and families as surrogates of species-level assemblage patterns. We assessed cross-taxonomic level congruence, as well as taxonomic structure–environment and taxon richness–environment relationships in stream macroinvertebrate and diatom data surveyed across Finland. A number of interesting and important findings emerged from our analyses. For both macroinvertebrates and diatoms, species richness was strongly correlated with genus and family richness, and similarities in assemblage structure between species-, genus- and family-level matrices were also significant and relatively strong. For macroinvertebrates, the key environmental variables for assemblage structure and taxon richness remained the same irrespective of taxonomic level. For diatoms, however, the environmental variables related to variation in diatom taxon richness varied between taxonomic data sets, while determinants of assemblage structure remained largely the same. For macroinvertebrates, relatively similar amounts of variation in assemblage structure and taxon richness for species-, genus-, and family-level data were accounted for by the environmental variables, shared environmental and spatial variables, spatial variables, and total variation explained. By contrast, for diatoms, these components of variability differed somewhat between taxonomic levels. Our results suggest that, for macroinvertebrates, even family-level data could be used in rapid biodiversity assessments, where the objective is to examine biodiversity patterns and rank sites according to their conservation value in our study region. Families might also perform well in this task in other regions that are characterized by low faunal species diversity, but the situation is likely to be different for regions with higher species diversity. Although weaker than the relationships in macroinvertebrate data, species-level data for diatoms also showed rather similar patterns to genus- and family-level data. However, due to the low number of diatom families, it is likely that families do not provide enough variability in biodiversity patterns. Thus, for diatoms, genus-level data could perhaps be more efficient than family-level data in correlating with species-level data and portraying assemblage patterns for conservation purposes.

Global bathymetric patterns of standing stock and body size in the deep-sea benthos

We present the first global-scale analy- sis of standing stock (abundance and biomass) for 4 major size classes of deep-sea biota: bacteria, meta- zoan meiofauna, macrofauna and megafauna. The community standing stock decreases with depth; this is a universal phenomenon that involves a com- plex transition in the relative importance of the different size groups. Bacterial abundance and biomass show no decline with depth. All 3 animal size groups experience significant exponential de- creases in both abundance and biomass. The abun- dance of larger animals is significantly lower and decreases more rapidly than for smaller groups. The resulting drop in average body size with depth con- firms Thiel's size-structure hypothesis on very large spatial scales. In terms of their proportion of total community biomass, smaller size classes replace larger size classes. The upper continental slope is dominated by macrofaunal biomass, and the abyss by bacterial and meiofaunal biomass. The dramatic decrease in total community standing stock and the ascendancy of smaller organisms with depth has important implications for deep-sea biodiversity. The bathyal zone (200 to 4000 m) affords more eco- logical and evolutionary opportunity in the form of energy availability for larger organisms, and conse- quently supports higher macrofaunal and mega- faunal species diversity than the abyss (> 4000 m).

Comparing Species Diversity in the Modern and Fossil Record of Lakes

Lake faunal diversity has been the focus of many modern studies; however, there have been few studies comparing the lacustrine diversity in the modern and fossil record. Whether or not this comparison is possible is dependent on preservation. By comparing the exceptional preservation of the Konservat Lagerstätten of the Eocene Green River Formation with its various modern analogs in East Africa, unique factors controlling diversity within a lake system can be determined. Such factors would include lake surface area, lake longevity, productivity, and lake type. In order to effectively compare lake diversity in the modern and fossil record, we first estimated the potential preservational bias of the fauna from modern Lake Tanganyika and determined that, at maximum, approximately 43.8% of species, 59.3% of genera, and 65.8% of families would be identifiable. With this taphonomic filter in place, we compared fish species diversity versus lake area; no strong relationship was found. Faunal species diversity versus lake longevity was shown to correlate in long‐lived lakes both in a modern and geologic context. When including modern lakes into this comparison, the correlation is not as strong, possibly because of the limited life span of these lakes. Lake Tanganyika was comparable to lakes in the geologic record, after the taphonomic filter was applied. Finally, to test the relationship between species and lake type and productivity, the underfilled, balanced‐filled, and overfilled lake basin model of Carroll, Bohacs, and coworkers was used as a basis for comparison between the fauna found in lake deposits within the Green River Formation and modern lakes from East Africa.

Floral and Faunal Species Diversity and Abundance of Aphid Predators in Ecological Apple Orchards

ABSTRACT Faunistic and floristic characters of organic orchards with extensive and intensive vegetation management (mulching) were investigated. In the extensively mulched orchard more floral species were observed. Generally, in summer, flowering nectar-providing plants occurred only occasionally. Effects on species diversity and composition of the arthropod fauna on the trees was shown. In spring, diversity was higher in the extensive orchards, but this switched in July, when, in the intensive orchards, arthropods migrated on the trees. Aphid predators followed aphid population density. This may be due to the late occurrence of predators after a period of low temperatures in spring. Extensive mulching seems also to increase the abundance of Typhlocyba frogatti Baker (Cicadellidae).