Mean Number Of Species Research Articles

Modelling of plant species richness along altitudinal gradient: Asalem Watershed basin, temperate deciduous forests in northern Iran

Among the various topographical factors, effects of altitudinal factor on species diversity, richness, composition and biological functions patterns are considerable. This study was done to investigate plant species richness along altitudinal gradient in the Asalem watershed basin, northern forests of Iran. For these purpose, 13 altitudinal transects were established from 100 to 2500 m, according to altitude ranges within 200 m intervals. Data collection was done in 216 circular plots of 1000-m2 area with a distance of 150 m from each other. In total, 576species of 325 genus and 96 families were recorded. The highest number of species was belonged to Asteracese، Fabaceae and Lamiaceae families. The results indicated that forbs with 414 species belong to54 families and ferns with 31 species belong to10 families were the largest and smallest group of plants in study area respectively. In herbaceous layer, the mean number of species was increased along altitudinal gradients (P ≤ 0.005). The lowest and highest value of species number was belonged to 500 and 2500 m altitudes, respectively. Generally, there was a gradual decline of species number at 100 to 500 m. Fitted models indicated that variation patterns at altitudinal gradients were significant and the proposed polynomial model had a high conformity with changes of species richness. The lowest value of species number in woody layer was belonged to 1900 m altitude and 2100 m had the highest value. Three peak points were recorded at the beginning, middle and the end of gradient, respectively. Sinusoidal models showed a correlation between species richness and altitudinal changes by high coefficient of determination. Results of β –diversity indicated that species change rate was fixed at 700 m altitude, but it was decreased by increasing altitude. Fluctuations of β diversity were followed of the sinusoidal models. In the study area, destructive factors including road construction, tourism and over-exploitation are a serious threat for the ecosystem and this study can be considerable to develop targeted strategies for conservation of plant diversity. In addition, study of habitat conditions in each altitudinal gradients is necessary to reconstruction stands with low species diversity and appropriate species selection to establish stands with high density.

English

Studies on species composition, distribution and relative abundance of birds and mammals in Gonde Teklehimanot and Aresema Monasteries was carried out from December, 2015 to February, 2016. In these areas, wildlife conservation is directly relevant to the local community, often as a source of livelihood, medicine and spiritual values. To collect data on population status of large mammals, we commenced a line transect while date on distribution, species composition and habitat association of Avifauna were collected by using a point transect, or point count in both Gonde Teklehimanot and Aresema monasteries. Based on these, a total of 95 and 72 species of birds and 21 and 9 species of mammal were recorded, respectively. Duncan’s Multiple Range Test showed that mean number of species did significantly differ between the two study sites. However, mean no. of species between habitats did not show a significant in both study areas. During the dry season, the highest species diversity at was recorded in farmlands and its associated habitat, 0.93 and followed by Riverine bushland, 0.75. This might be correlated with the less habitat diversity; i.e a homogenous (Ticket forest) habitat type is a dominantly habitat type in the area. Among the monastries, Gonde Teklehimanot was better in mammalian and Avifauna diversity than Aresema monastery. Both of them are rich in biodiversity, and hence, conservation practices and management innervations should be done at different levels of the local communities. Key words: Gonde Teklehimanot, Aresema monasteries, species.

Dung beetles and their ecological functions in three agroforestry systems in the Lacandona rainforest of Mexico

There is growing interest in evaluating the impact that management intensity of agroecosystems has on animal communities and their ecological functions. Dung beetles are a highly used focal taxon for assessing the effects of anthropogenic disturbances and management practices on biodiversity. In the Lacandona rainforest region in southern Mexico, we quantified several metrics of the dung beetle community (number of species, number of individuals, total biomass, mean beetle size) and four of their ecological functions (dung removal, soil excavation, seed dispersal, seed exhumation) in conserved rainforest and three agroforestry systems with different management intensities: rustic cocoa, polyculture cocoa, and rubber monoculture. We also assessed the correlation between dung removal and the other functions, as well as the relationships between functions and community metrics. Land-use type affected the dung beetle communities as well as their functions, with negative effects on response variables in the most intensely managed agroecosystems (polyculture cocoa and rubber). Rustic cocoa had values similar to those of the conserved forest for all functions and community metrics, except the mean number of species per trap. Dung removal was correlated with the other ecological functions. The mean number of species per trap was significantly associated with all four functions. In our study region rustic cocoa plantations favor the maintenance of a high proportion of dung beetle species and maintain their ecological functions. Our findings corroborate that agroecosystems with less intense management may contribute to buffering the effects of landscape homogenization caused by more intensely managed agroecosystems, such as rubber plantations.

Energy crop production in an urban area: a comparison of habitat types and land use forms targeting economic benefits and impact on species diversity

In urban areas, the potential of biomass production is rarely utilized, although many biomass sources are located in cities, ranging from road margins to public parks. There is, however, increasing interest in these potential biomass sources, as they are close to consumers and provide options to reduce maintenance costs of urban green areas. We analyzed the costs and benefits of utilizing biomass, and compared it to the biodiversity maintained on 17 urban land use forms the Ruhr Metropolitan Area (Germany). Economic costs and benefits were reflected by contribution margins, while biodiversity was measured by species numbers of plants, birds and butterflies. For the 17 land use types, there is a weak overall correlation between contribution margins and species numbers. However, this is mainly due to the two land use forms with the highest contribution margins (cultivation of energy maize and fertilized grassland), which are characterized by the lowest species numbers. For the remaining cases, there is no relationship between contribution margins and species numbers. Comparatively high contribution margins and high mean species numbers were observed for road margins, industrial fallows with wood cutting for biogas production and water-influenced grassland mown traditionally. We conclude that biomass production and the maintenance of urban biodiversity is not necessarily a contradiction.

Response of fungal and plant communities to management-induced overstorey changes in montane forests of the Western Carpathians

The effect of forest management on biodiversity is a crucial issue for sustainable forestry and nature conservation. However, the ways in which management affects macrofungal and plant communities and diversity of mountain temperate forests still remain poorly understood. We performed a random sampling stratified by stand age and stand type on the sites of temperate montane fir–beech forests. Diversity of macrofungi and the vascular plant understorey in beech- and spruce-dominated managed stands was investigated and compared to primeval forests located in the Poľana Biosphere Reserve, Western Carpathians. Both the vascular plant and the macrofungal communities were altered by management, and the response of the macrofungal species (especially wood-inhabiting fungi) was more pronounced in terms of species composition change. Species turnover evaluation seems to be an important tool of forest natural status assessment, because alpha diversity did not change as much as species composition. Certain species of Carpathian primeval forests were confirmed as good indicators for natural forest change; others were proposed. Species pool and mean number of species per plot were the highest in unmanaged fir–beech forests, and species diversity significantly decreased in spruce plantations. The number of species decreased significantly due to the change of canopy tree species composition only in the macrofungal communities. As an outcome for forest management, we recommend keeping mixed forests involving all natural tree species and providing at least a minimal amount of dead wood necessary for wood-inhabiting organisms and leaving some area of unmanaged natural forests within complexes of managed stands.

Microbial Analysis of Endodontic Infections in Root-filled Teeth with Apical Periodontitis before and after Irrigation Using Pyrosequencing

IntroductionThe root canal microbiota in root-filled teeth with post-treatment apical periodontitis before and after chemomechanical instrumentation and irrigation with either 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) or 2% chlorhexidine digluconate were analyzed by using the pyrosequencing method. MethodsSamples from 10 root-filled teeth with apical periodontitis undergoing retreatment were taken before (S1) and after (S2) preparation using irrigation with either NaOCl (n = 5) or 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (n = 5). DNA was extracted, and the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V5) variable regions were amplified and subjected to pyrosequencing (GS junior 454) to determine the bacterial composition. ResultsPyrosequencing yielded 43,797 sequence reads in S1 and 9196 in S2 samples. Overall, 125 bacterial species belonging to 68 genera (S1, 59; S2, 38) and 9 phyla were found. The most abundant and prevalent phyla in S1 and S2 samples were Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. The most represented, abundant, and prevalent genera in S1 and S2 samples were Streptococcus and Fusobacterium. The most prevalent species in S1 and S2 samples were Fusobacterium nucleatum ss. vincentii, Streptococcus oralis/mitis, Streptococcus intermedius, and Streptococcus gordonii. The mean number of species per root canal was 20 (range, 4–37) in S1 and 9 (range, 4–15) in S2, respectively. ConclusionsA high interindividual diversity was observed in both S1 and S2 samples, with no difference between the two irrigation groups. F. nucleatum ss. vincentii and some Streptococcus species were the most prevalent species in pre-preparation and post-preparation samples during retreatment of root-filled teeth with infection.

ШИРОТНЫЕ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ РАЗНООБРАЗИЯ ГРИБОВ НА МОДЕЛЬНОЙ ТРАНСЕКТЕ ЕВРАЗИИ, "Известия Российской академии наук. Серия географическая"

Changes in taxonomic, morphological and substrate specificity of distribution of clavarioid fungi were studied at the Oman-Ural longitudinal transect covered over 6300 km from 20° to 80° northern latitude, along 58° eastern longitude. The works were carried out in two scales. First of scale is cells by 100000 km2 inside 12 latitudinal zones, each by 5° latitude, from the tropical deserts of Arabic Peninsula to the Arctic deserts of Novaya Zemlya Islands. Second scale is 50 localities, by 100 km2 area, situated inside 12 latitudinal cells (as in previous scale). For both scales peaks of species richness of fungi in the close ranges of latitudes, from 50 to 60° N latitude for cells in taiga and south-taiga forests, and 50–65° N latitude, are established. The number of species is reduced to almost zero with decreasing latitude. Such results indicate that the distribution of clavarioid fungi from North to South does not correspond to the “classical” latitudinal gradient of diversity. The number of species in the cells of the Arctic and tropical deserts is similar, and the mean number of species in the localities situated in the tropical deserts is lower than in the Arctic counterparts. The richest localities correspond to cells with average annual temperatures from +1.1 to +4.5 °C. The share of species with small and unbranched fruitbodies positively correlated with latitude, as well as the share of species of saprotrofic grassinhabited taxons. The negative correlation is established for leaves-inhabited taxons, and the share of ground species is relatively constant throughout the entire transect. The share of widespread species, for both scales, is maximal at the desert “ends” of transect, whereas is minimal in the middle latitudes, characterized by the highest number of species. This distribution of the microbiota reflects the bioclimatic specificity of transect: a wide spreading of cryo- and arid deserts, and steppes, in which there are no specific species. The distribution of fungi in a greater degree demonstrates no pattern of changes in diversity with latitude, but the rule of limiting under extreme conditions, which is characterized by a decrease in species richness with increasing pessimal conditions.

Assessment and Inventory of Forest Ecosystems Biodiversity: Case Study for Karelian Isthmus of Leningrad Region, Russia

Regular grid of permanent sample plots (PSP) of ICP-Forests monitoring system was used for forest ecosystems biodiversity assessments and inventory. The supplementary features were added to the PSP structure to conduct biological diversity census: eight sample plots 1 × 1 m for geo-botanical description; two sample plots of 5 × 5 m each for description of the PSP’s undergrowth; one 25 × 25 m plot for coarse woody debris estimations; four soil inventory pits. The total number of PSP amounted to 248. Total data used are as following: 1) 1984 geo-botanical descriptions of vegetation belonging to ground cover layers made on 1 × 1 m sample plots; 2) 496 descriptions of undergrowth on 5 × 5 m sample plots; 3) 178 descriptions of woody debris on 25 × 25 m sample plots; 4) 496 descriptions of soil inventory pits. General statistical indicators characterizing forest land cover diversity were calculated. Statistic indicators of α-diversity for the Karelian Isthmus forest vegetation cover have the following values: 1) m (mean number of species per PSP) = 26 species; 2) σ (standard deviation) = 9.5 species; 3) v (variation coefficient) = 36.5%; 4) Р (deviation amplitude) = 60 – 7 = 53 species. β – diversity of forest ecosystems as well as γ – diversity also was studied on the base of information collected on the same regular grid of sample plots. It appears that sample plots distribution by species diversity gradation is well described by the standard curve of normal distribution for the entire Karelian Isthmus forest (determination coefficient of the curve being 95.2%) as well as for each type of forest. Hence, the criterion (standard) of biodiversity for forest ecosystems can be defined as the mean value of alpha diversity for each forest type group – m; and the standard deviation – σ, as a tool for assessing deviations from the standard. PSP locations are fixed using GPS technology, this allows biodiversity assessments at the same place in the next years for biodiversity trends estimations and consist the frame for systematic biodiversity inventory.

Травяная растительность побережья Японского моря (Лазовский государственный природный заповедник им. Л. Г. Капланова. Приморский край)

Травяная растительность побережья Японского моря (Лазовский государственный природный заповедник им. Л. Г. Капланова. Приморский край)

Baseline survey of the fish fauna of a highly eutrophic estuary and evidence for its colonisation by Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

This study represents the first quantitative survey of the fish fauna of the highly eutrophic Vasse and Wonnerup estuaries, part of the Ramsar-listed Vasse-Wonnerup Wetland System in south-western Australia. Sampling at five sites in each of these estuaries occurred in January 2012 (austral summer) to provide a species inventory and determine whether the number of species, total density and fish community composition differed between the two water bodies. A total of 18,148 fish were recorded, representing six species across four families. Three species that can complete their life cycle within estuaries, i.e. the atherinids Lepthatherina wallacei and Atherinosoma elongata and the gobiid Pseudogobius olorum, dominated the fish fauna, accounting for >99% of all fish collected. No significant inter-estuary differences were observed in the mean number of species, mean total density or fish community composition. Although the fish community was depauperate in terms of the number of species, total density was high, reflecting the presence of permanent and seasonal barriers to the immigration of marine species into these estuaries and the highly productive nature of this system, respectively. Two introduced freshwater species, i.e. the Eastern Gambusia Gambusia holbrooki and the Goldfish, Carassius auratus, were recorded in the Vasse Estuary. As C. auratus was found in mesohaline conditions, individuals may be able to use the estuary as a ‘saltbridge’ to gain access to other tributaries and/or the Wonnerup Estuary, and thus expand their distribution. These findings are of concern given the potential deleterious biological and ecological effects of these alien species.

Characterization of benthic habitat settings in a lagoonal ecosystem using free-living nematodes as proxy

Free-living nematodes are sensitive to most of the disturbances and therefore have ability to reflect direct structural and functional changes in an ecosystem. We studied nematode assemblages of Chilika Lagoon, the largest lagoon of Asia, across spatio-temporal scales in link with environmental variables and evaluated nematode assemblages as a proxy to characterize lagoonal benthic habitat settings. Our results revealed that nematode communities showed significant variation spatially and temporally in terms of mean density (16–854/10 cm2) and mean number of species (7–74). Salinity is the key factor that controls nematode community structure across this lagoon and was strongly supported by statistical analyses. The observed nematode assemblages were further used as a proxy to assign benthic habitats of Chilika into distinct biological, topographical and hydrological settings. This study showed that nematode assemblages could be effectively used for long term ecological monitoring of dynamic sedimentary environment of lagoons globally.

Comparing the plant diversity of paired beech primeval and production forests: Management reduces cryptogam, but not vascular plant species richness

Conflicting evidence of the impact of forest management on biodiversity exists, either decreasing or increasing species richness. Variable diversity responses may result from the adoption of different unmanaged reference systems, ranging from stands with management abandonment in the recent past to true primeval forests. We compared the species richness of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens and vascular forest floor plants in three primeval forest/production forest pairs of Fagus sylvatica in Slovakia, adopting a replicated design and a reference system without any management legacy. Mean number of bryophyte and lichen species per 500m2-plot tended to be higher in the primeval forests, while the mean α-diversity of vascular plants was higher in the production forests. In contrast, the β-diversity of the three plant groups as expressed by the Sørensen Dissimilarity Index was generally higher in the primeval forest plot sample, reflecting a higher heterogeneity of plant community composition and habitat diversity. Plotting cumulative species numbers against plot numbers suggests that the curves for bryophyte and lichen species richness may saturate at ca. 250 plots or ∼12.5ha in the primeval forests, but already at 30–60 plots (<3ha) in the more homogeneous production forests. Total bryophyte and lichen species numbers are estimated to be 30–100% larger in the primeval forests than the production forests. Contrary to general belief, vascular plant species richness was similarly high, or even higher, in the primeval forests when >50 plots (total area: 2.5ha) were investigated, evidencing the importance of natural disturbance regimes for maintaining high forest biodiversity. Our results show that Fagus sylvatica primeval forests are inhabited by a species-rich epiphyte flora despite the species poverty of the tree layer. This evidences the outstanding value of primeval forest reserves for the conservation of temperate forest biodiversity.

Food plants in home gardens of the Middle Magdalena basin of Colombia

Las huertas familiares son importantes reservorios de diversidad agrícola esenciales para sostener la seguridad alimentaria de las comunidades rurales. En este artículo se describe la riqueza y la composición de especies y variedades de plantas usadas para alimentación en huertas familiares del municipio de San Pablo, Magdalena Medio de Colombia; y se discuten sus posibles relaciones con un grupo de variables socioeconómicas y estructurales. El estudio se llevó a cabo en 20 huertas, donde se aplicaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a las personas cabeza de familia y se registraron todas las plantas alimenticias. Las características físicas de las huertas variaron ampliamente. La edad de los propietarios varió entre 28-90 años y el nivel de educación más frecuente fue la primaria. En total se encontraron 75 especies representadas en 162 variedades. Los cultivos más diversos y frecuentes en las huertas fueron plátanos (Musa x paradisiaca), mangos (Mangifera indica), guayabas (Psidium guajava) y yucas (Manihot esculenta). El número promedio de especies por huerta fue de 17,5 (DE = 7,1), con un intervalo entre 6 y 33. En promedio el 48% de las especies fueron frutas, seguidas por raíces y tubérculos (16%), verduras (11%) y especias (9%). Por otro lado, se encontró una correlación significativa entre la riqueza de plantas alimenticias y la edad del agricultor (rs = 0,461, p = 0,04) y el número de miembros de la familia (rs = -0,487, p = 0,03). Las huertas familiares de San Pablo son un importante reservorio regional de agrobiodiversidad que sustentan la nutrición de las familias.

Distribution and diversity of amphibians in Albania: new data and foundations of a comprehensive database

Albania is part of the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot. Yet its amphibian fauna is poorly known due to little scientific exploration during the long political isolation of the country. To fill this gap, we constructed a georeferenced database with occurrences of all known amphibian species based on records from published sources and personal data collected during expeditions to poorly known areas. Our database includes 1097 records of 16 species collected between 1920 and 2017. Based on aggregated records, we analysed richness patterns of amphibians in 10 × 10 km grid cells as a function of altitude, climate, land cover diversity and distance from the sea. The mean number of species per cell was 1.8 ± 0.11 S.E. (maximum: 10 species) and at least one species occurred in 238 of the 349 cells. Sampling effort was uneven and sampling hotspots were mostly in popular sites of natural heritage. Cells with high amphibian diversity were near the Prokletije Mountains in the North-West, near Lura, Korab and Grammos Mountains and Ohrid and Prespa Lakes in the East, and near Çikës Mountains and in coastal areas of Vlorë in the South-West. General linear models showed that the most important predictors of presence and diversity of amphibian species are land cover diversity and precipitation. Our study presents the largest database of amphibian occurrences in Albania to date that will be useful for biogeographical and ecological studies and for conservation purposes.

Vertical distribution of saproxylic beetles within snag trunks retained in plantation forests

Retention of snags (standing dead trees) is considered to have important effects on saproxylic species conservation in plantation forests because snags would provide vertically stratified deadwood habitats. However, the vertical distribution of saproxylic insects within snag trunks is still unclear. We felled 33 naturally occurring snags of Todo fir Abies sachalinensis in plantation forests and extracted insects from 99 logs sampled from three vertical positions of the snag trunks (basal stem: 5 m). The mean number of species that emerged from a single log was only 2.69, but we identified 51 morphospecies of saproxylic beetles in total. The total number of species that emerged from the basal stem (34 spp.) was greater than those that emerged from the lower trunk (25 spp.) or the upper trunk (30 spp.). However, rarefaction-extrapolation analysis did not demonstrate a significant difference in species richness among the log positions. Beetle assemblages were separated into two groups by constrained correspondence analysis; one group emerged only from lower and upper trunk logs, while another emerged mainly from basal stem logs. Additionally, vertical position had a significant effect on the distribution of the five main species. Our results show that beetle assemblages within snags in the plantation forests were highly variable, and retaining a sufficient number of high stumps may be important for saproxylic beetle conservation in plantation forests. We propose ‘retention thinning’ as an appropriate method to combine efficient timber production with biodiversity conservation in plantation forests.

An assessment of the effectiveness of a long-term ecosystem restoration project in a fynbos shrubland catchment in South Africa

The long-term effectiveness of ecological restoration projects is seldom reported in the scientific literature. This paper reports on the outcomes of ecosystem restoration following the clearing of alien Pinus plantations and associated alien plant invasions over 13 years from an 8000 ha mountain catchment in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. We examined the goals, methods and costs of management, and the ecological outcomes in terms of reduced alien plant cover and native vegetation recovery. While the goals were not explicitly formulated at the outset, they were implicitly focussed on the conservation of water resources, the restoration of biodiversity, and the provision of employment. Initially, most (>90% of the area) was occupied by Pinus and Acacia invasions, mostly at low densities. The cost of control (initial clearing and up to 16 follow-up visits to remove emergent seedlings) amounted to almost ZAR 50 million (14 ZAR ∼ 1US$). Although the cover of alien plants was greatly reduced, over 1000 ha still support dense or medium invasions (>25% cover), and the area occupied by scattered Pinus plants increased by over 3000 ha to >5700 ha. A reliance on passive restoration had not yet resulted in full recovery of the natural vegetation. The mean number of species, and total projected canopy cover on 50 m2 plots was lower in cleared than in comparable reference sites with pristine vegetation (21 vs 32 species/plot, and 94 vs 168% cover respectively). While the project is ongoing, we conclude that the entire area could revert to a more densely-invaded state in the event of a reduction of funding. Several changes to the management approach (including the integrated use of fire, a greater use of power tools, and active re-seeding of cleared areas with indigenous shrubs) would substantially increase the future effectiveness of the project and the sustainability of its outcomes.

Corticolous myxobiota of the Pernambuco Center of Endemism, Brazil

Situated within the Atlantic Forest domain, the Centro de Endemismo Pernambuco (Pernambuco Center of Endemism) - CEPE is regarded as a priority for biodiversity conservation worldwide. Covering an area of approximately 56,000 km2, it encompasses part of the states of Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte in northeastern Brazil. Here we present an identification key to 73 species of Myxomycetes that compose the known corticolous myxobiota of the Dense Ombrofilous Lowland Forest, Semideciduous Lowland Forest, Restinga Forest and Mangrove environments of CEPE. Specimens included here were found developed in natural conditions in the field or obtained through moist chamber culture. Among the species found, Arcyria cinerea, Clastoderma debaryanum, Cribraria confusa, C. violacea and Echinostelium minutum were the most common; and Comatricha longipila, Licea pedicellata, Paradiachaeopsis longipes, Perichaena calongei and Stemonaria fuscoides were the most rare. Our data indicates that the species richness of corticolous myxomycetes in rainforests is lower than that of temperate forests. These same data also suggest that taxonomic diversity (mean number of species per genus) is similar to, or higher than, that found in temperate regions of the world.

Discovery pattern and species number of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea)

Few investigations have been made of the species description trend of scale insects. The present study reports the discovery pattern and taxonomic efforts for this group based on global species and a literature dataset. In addition, three asymptotic models (Logistic, Gompertz, and Extreme Value) based on a discovery curve were used to predict the species number of scale insects. Our results showed that the species description rate has been changing over time, with certain peaks and valleys in the past 250 years. The mean number of species described per year was 30, with the highest number of 195 described species in 1985. The increasing number of authors and the almost constant proportion of species described by 10% most prolific authors since the 1900s suggested that taxonomic effort has been increasing over time. The Gompertz model with lowest AIC value suggested that there are about 10,450 species of scale insects on Earth, nearly 30% of which remain to be described. Our study offers insights into the discovery pattern of scale insect diversity.

Restored Wetlands in Mid-Atlantic Agricultural Landscapes Enhance Species Richness of Amphibian Assemblages

AbstractI measured amphibian occurrence in wetlands restored under programs implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service during 2010–2011 in two regions of sites in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. One cluster was in Delaware and Maryland on the Delmarva Peninsula and the other was in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. I compared larval species richness and relative abundance among 17 restored wetlands, 12 natural wetlands, and 8 wetlands (ditches) in active agricultural fields. Based on larval occurrence, I documented 56 and 60% of the expected number of anurans and salamander species, respectively, known to use ponds and ephemeral wetlands in this region. Of the total number of species encountered, 71% used restored wetlands, 76% used natural wetlands, and 35% used the ditches in agricultural fields. Mean number of species did not differ significantly among the three habitat types due to wide confidence intervals. Total species richness in restored wetlands was not correlated with age (years since restoration), percentage of canopy cover, or percentage of emergent aquatic vegetation. Wetlands restored through Natural Resources Conservation Service and private landowner partnerships, such as those included in this study, support amphibian populations that help mitigate natural habitat loss in these two regions.

Habitat associations of birds at Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya

Habitat associations of birds were quantified through fixed-radius timed bird counts at Mara Naboisho Conservancy within the Greater Mara Region, Kenya. We conducted 73 timed counts in four distinct habitats (riparian, woodland, rocky outcrop and plains) in both dry and wet seasons. During this survey, we observed 188 species of birds of which 140 were recorded during the timed counts. The riparian zone had the highest species richness, more than three times that of the plains. The woodlands and rocky outcrops had similar species richness. The mean number of species seen per count was higher in the riparian zone compared with the other three habitats. Bird species composition in the riparian zone and the plains were distinct from each other and from the woodlands and rocky outcrops, although they overlapped significantly in the last two mentioned habitats. The possible conservation implication of an increasing and/or immigrant elephant population and its likely effect on the vegetation is discussed in relation to bird community composition.