Open Grassland Habitats Research Articles

A 3D geometric morphometric analysis of the bovid distal humerus, with special reference to Rusingoryx atopocranion (Pleistocene, Eastern Africa).

The family Bovidae [Mammalia: Artiodactyla] is speciose and has extant representatives on every continent, forming key components of mammal communities. For these reasons, bovids are ideal candidates for studies of ecomorphology. In particular, the morphology of the bovid humerus has been identified as highly related to functional variables such as body mass and habitat. This study investigates the functional morphology of the bovid distal humerus in isolation due to its increased likelihood of preservation in the fossil record, and the resulting opportunity for a better understanding of the ecomorphology of extinct bovids. A landmark scheme of 30 landmarks was used to capture the 3D distal humerus morphology in 111 extant bovid specimens. We find that the distal humerus has identifiable morphologies associated with body mass, habitat preference and tribe affiliation and that some characteristics are shared between high body mass bovids and those living on hard, flat terrain which is likely due to the high stress on the bone in both cases. We directly apply our findings regarding extant bovids to the extinct alcelaphine bovid, Rusingoryx atopocranion from the mid to late Pleistocene (>33-45 ka) Lake Victoria region of Kenya. This species is known for some peculiar morphologies including a domed cranium with hollow nasal crests, and having small hooves for a bovid of its size. Another interesting aspect of Rusingoryx's skeletal morphology which has not been addressed is an unusual protrusion on the lateral epicondyle of the distal humerus. Despite considerable individual variation in the Rusingoryx specimens, we find evidence to support its historical assignment to the tribe Alcelaphini, and that it likely preferred open grassland habitats, which is consistent with independent reconstructions of the palaeoenvironment. We also provide the most accurate body mass estimate for Rusingoryx to date, based on distal humerus centroid size. Overall, we are able to conclude that the distal humerus in extant bovids is highly informative regarding body mass, habitat preference and tribe, and that this can be applied directly to a fossil taxon with promising results.

Thermal scanners versus spotlighting: New opportunities for monitoring threatened small endotherms

AbstractThreatened species monitoring is challenging for small, cryptic endotherms that are most effectively detected at night. Low detectability is a challenge for monitoring programmes, resulting in low statistical power and sparse or zero‐inflated datasets. To advance conservation management programmes, efforts to address this are required. In recent years thermal scanners have emerged as an effective tool for detecting small endotherms, but the diversity of available thermal tools, focal habitats and target species mean that their applicability in many key scenarios remain untested. We directly compared vehicle‐mounted thermal surveys with vehicle‐based spotlighting targeting small endotherms in Australian native grasslands. Our targets included both common species that occur at high densities, and species that are notoriously difficult to detect with spotlights, which may occur at very low densities. We completed paired surveys of roosting grassland birds, and nocturnally active small mammals at 22 sites, once using thermal scanners and once using spotlights. Ultimately, distance sampling was conducted across 136 km of transects. Thermal scanners facilitated greater detection distances and higher total detections for small endotherms when compared with spotlighting. Species of greatest conservation concern, the Plains‐wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus—Pedionomidae) and Fat‐tailed Dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata—Dasyuridae) were only detected using thermal scanners. Detection distances generated for thermal scanners were reduced by higher vegetation density; however, thermal scanners continued to outperform spotlights under this scenario. Observers also detected more stationary animals and fewer birds were flushed upon detection using thermal scanners when compared with spotlighting. Thermal scanners have the potential to improve the quality of monitoring datasets by increasing detection probabilities for small endotherms. We recommend the adoption of thermal scanners as a best‐practice tool for monitoring small endotherms in open grassland habitats at night, offering new opportunities to monitor endotherms where monitoring has historically been challenging, inadequate or impossible.

Habitat Preference of Lesser Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna javanica) in Selected Wetlands within Colombo Ramsar Wetland City

Lesser Whistling Ducks (LWD) (Dendrocygna javanica) mostly occur in flocks and inhabit lakes, ponds and marshes within freshwater wetlands. They feed mainly on plants taken from water (seed, shoots, tuber and leaves), vertebrates (fishes) and invertebrates (mollusks and worms). In this study, habitat preference of LWD in five selected wetlands in Colombo Ramsar Wetland City (CRWC); Beddagana Wetland Park (BWP), Diyasaru Park (DP), Heen Ela Marsh (HEM), Thalangama Marsh (TM) and Kimbulawala Wetland (KW) was studied from May 2021 to April 2022 as wetlands in urban areas act as the last resort for many resident and migratory bird species and play a major role in the assemblage and conservation of water birds. Habitats present in the selected wetlands were categorized as open water body, floating vegetation, trees, grassland, paddy field, shrubs, bare land. Percentage cover of each habitat type at each sampling site were estimated using quadrat method. LWD were surveyed using line transects of 100m in length, laid in each selected study site to cover representative habitats and observations were made up to 30m towards either side of each transect. Sampling was done in three time slots of the day, morning, mid-day and evening. Floating vegetation, open water body and grassland were the preferred habitat types of D. javanica in BWP, DP, HEM and TM. LWD were not recorded in KW. Floating vegetation (54.97%) was the most preferred habitat by LWD in each study site followed by open water body (24.70%) and grassland (15.82%) habitat types. Eicchornia crassipes (Common water hyacinth) and Salvinia molesta (Giant salvinia) were their most preferred floating vegetation type. Higher abundance of LWD was recorded in TM (83.22%) followed by DP (9.17%), BWP (4.16%) and HEM (3.45%). TM which had higher abundance of LWD had higher floating vegetation coverage (28%) and was rich with E. crassipes and S. molesta. Present study revealed that, LWD mostly used E. crassipes and S. molesta as their main foraging and resting sites. Management of invasive alien species have been undertaken in Colombo wetlands and as E. crassipes and S. molesta are alien species they are currently being removed. Therefore, outright removal of E. crassipes and S. molesta may not be suitable and a monitored removal program that will conserve this habitat type should be implemented in order to conserve the habitats preferred by LWD in CRWC. 
 Keywords: Lesser whistling ducks, Wetlands, Habitat preference

Importance of habitat area, quality and landscape context for heteropteran diversity in shrub ecotones

ContextHabitat loss and degradation impose serious threats on biodiversity. However, not all habitats receive the attention commensurate with their ecological importance. Shrub ecotones (successional stages between grasslands and forests) can be highly species-diverse but are often restricted to small areas as prevalent management practices either promote open grassland or forest habitats, threatening the effective conservation of ecotone species.ObjectivesIn this study, we assessed the importance of habitat and landscape features of shrub ecotones for the rarely studied true bugs (Heteroptera), a functionally diverse taxon that comprises highly specialized species and broad generalists.MethodsTrue bugs were sampled with a beating tray in 118 spatially independent shrub ecotones in a region of 45,000 square kilometers in Germany. In addition to habitat area and landscape context, we used a hedge index to evaluate habitat quality.ResultsShrub ecotones in open habitats harbored a greater species richness and abundance compared to shaded ones in later seral stages, and species composition differed. Richness and abundance were positively affected by increasing habitat area and quality, whereas an increase in the proportion of semi-natural habitats within 1 km only enhanced richness. While feeding and habitat specialists were more sensitive to habitat area reduction than generalists, this was not the case for weak dispersers and carnivores.ConclusionsOur findings emphasize the importance of large and high-quality ecotones that form a patchy mosaic of shrubs and herbaceous plants. Such ecotones can benefit both grassland species and species depending on woody plants. Conservation authorities should balance between promoting shrubs and keeping such habitats open to maximize species diversity.

Using camera traps to inform reintroduction success and recovery of the Northern Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis)

Anthropogenic disturbances, including habitat changes, climate change, and pesticides, contribute significantly to species declines and extinctions worldwide. These disturbances also hinder conservation efforts like species reintroductions by creating novel ecosystems that no longer support the species that is being reintroduced. Using camera traps, we observed Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus), which are a dominant avian predator, perching on the nests of Northern Aplomado Falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis), a federally endangered species reintroduced to coastal Texas with a current breeding population of 23 pairs. The presence of Great Horned Owls on five of the twenty cameras placed on Northern Aplomado Falcon nest structures led us to consider the impact this interaction may have on occupancy and productivity of the nests. Throughout the study system, fast-growing tree and shrub species have become more prominent, which could be facilitating the interaction. We hypothesize that encroachment of woody vegetation is drawing Great Horned Owls into the open coastal grassland habitat of Northern Aplomado Falcons, which may limit the occupancy and productivity of falcon nests. Based on this hypothesis from the camera trap observations and anecdotal evidence of habitat encroachment, quantifying this relationship is a key next step in the recovery process. This will enable us to define priority areas for targeted restoration to push back woody vegetation, as well as areas best suited to release Northern Aplomado Falcons that will minimize the likelihood of predation by Great Horned Owls.

Disruption of trait-environment relationships in African megafauna occurred in the middle Pleistocene

Mammalian megafauna have been critical to the functioning of Earth’s biosphere for millions of years. However, since the Plio-Pleistocene, their biodiversity has declined concurrently with dramatic environmental change and hominin evolution. While these biodiversity declines are well-documented, their implications for the ecological function of megafaunal communities remain uncertain. Here, we adapt ecometric methods to evaluate whether the functional link between communities of herbivorous, eastern African megafauna and their environments (i.e., functional trait-environment relationships) was disrupted as biodiversity losses occurred over the past 7.4 Ma. Herbivore taxonomic and functional diversity began to decline during the Pliocene as open grassland habitats emerged, persisted, and expanded. In the mid-Pleistocene, grassland expansion intensified, and climates became more variable and arid. It was then that phylogenetic diversity declined, and the trait-environment relationships of herbivore communities shifted significantly. Our results divulge the varying implications of different losses in megafaunal biodiversity. Only the losses that occurred since the mid-Pleistocene were coincident with a disturbance to community ecological function. Prior diversity losses, conversely, occurred as the megafaunal species and trait pool narrowed towards those adapted to grassland environments.

Population structure and distribution of geladas (Theropithicus gelada, Ruppell 1835) in Kotu forest, Northern Ethiopia.

Endemic gelada populations outside protected areas are less investigated, and population census data are not available. As a result, a study was conducted to investigate the population size, structure, and distribution of geladas in Kotu forest and associated grasslands, in northern Ethiopia. The study area was stratified into five dominant habitat types namely, grassland, wooded grassland, plantation forest, natural forest, and bushland based on dominant vegetation type. Each habitat type was further divided into blocks, and a total counting technique was used to count the individuals of gelada. The total mean population size of gelada in Kotu forest was 229 ± 6.11. The mean ratio of male to female was 1:1.178. The gelada age composition comprised is as follows: 113 (49.34%) adults, 77 (33.62%) sub-adults, and 39 (17.03%) juveniles. The mean number of group one-male unit ranged from 1.5 ± 0.2 in the plantation forest to 4.5 ± 0.7 in the grassland habitat. On the other hand, all-male unit social system group was recorded only from grassland (1.5) and plantation forest (1) habitats. The average band size (number of individuals per band) was 45.0 ± 2.53. The largest number of geladas was recorded from grassland habitat 68 (29.87%), and the lowest was recorded from plantation forest habitat 34 (14.74%). Even though, the sex ratio was female biased, the proportion of juveniles to other age classes was very low compared with geladas in relatively well-protected areas, indicating negative consequences for the future viability of the gelada populations in the area. Geladas were widely distributed over open grassland habitat. Therefore, for sustainable conservation of the geladas in the area, there is a need for integrated management of the area with special attention on the conservation of the grassland habitat.

Comparing GPS collar and fecal sampling using detection dogs for habitat selection analysis in brocket deer (Mazama)

Abstract Habitat use data are key to understanding species ecology and extinction risk. However, such information is lacking for the elusive deer species of Neotropical region. In this context, fecal sampling has emerged as an alternative tool, in which development and evaluation are essential to obtaining unbiased ecological data. We aimed to compare data from GPS-tracked animals and fecal sampling using scat detection dogs to evaluate the noninvasive performance of this method in habitat selection analysis. We carried out the study in the Brazilian Pantanal, where we monitored six free-living Gray Brocket Deer (Mazama gouazoubira) with GPS collars for 1 year (average of 584 GPS locations/animal) and collected fecal samples (n = 649) simultaneously along a set of transects designed for a scat detection dog survey. We evaluated habitat selection using the chi-square test in an availability/utilization analysis and submitted both data to a bootstrap procedure to assess its precision and accuracy with increasing sample size. GPS data indicated habitat selection at a fine utilization scale, in which savanna and cerrado were preferred and open grassland habitat was avoided. Exclusive fecal sampling also indicated habitat selection, revealing the preference for cerrado and avoidance of open grassland. The GPS and fecal habitat utilization estimates did not differ significantly and fecal sampling increased precision and accuracy with increased sample size, reaching minimal values once n = 200 which should be considered a sufficient survey effort. The similarity between the two methods suggested the reliability of fecal sampling, as long as a standardized sampling design is used. This noninvasive sampling framework can provide previously unavailable ecological data for threatened Neotropical deer as well as other elusive species.

Pleistocene Disruption of Trait-Environment Relationships Informs the Future Conservation of African Megafauna

Mammalian megafauna have been critical to the functioning of Earth’s biosphere for millions of years. However, since the Plio-Pleistocene, their biodiversity has declined, concurrent with dramatic environmental change and hominin evolution. While these biodiversity declines are well-documented, their impacts on the ecological function of megafaunal communities remain uncertain. Here, we adapt ecometric methods to evaluate whether biodiversity losses since 7.5 Ma were coincident with disruptions to the functional link between communities of herbivorous, eastern African megafauna and their environments (i.e., functional trait-environment relationships). Herbivore taxonomic and functional diversity began to decline during the Pliocene, as open grassland habitats emerged, persisted, and expanded. In the mid-Pleistocene, grassland expansion intensified and Acheulean hominin tools emerged. It was then that phylogenetic diversity declined and the trait-environment relationships of herbivore communities shifted significantly. Our results divulge the varying implications of different losses in megafaunal biodiversity. Only the losses that occurred since the environmental and anthropogenic changes of the Pleistocene were coincident with a disturbance to community ecological function. Such a disturbance may occur in even greater magnitude in the future, as climate change and human impacts intensify. Preventing it will require that species move across landscapes, so that their traits may track changing environmental conditions. We build an ecometric model of modern megafaunal communities in Africa, and we use it to identify communities whose species will need to shift across space so that trait-environment relationships remain undisturbed. Conservation efforts that focus on movement routes between these communities will be critical if megafauna are to persist and continue providing essential ecological functions.

内蒙古高原植物气孔性状的空间变异及其适应机制

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 内蒙古高原植物气孔性状的空间变异及其适应机制 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202204090934 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家科技基础调查项目(2019FY101300);国家自然科学基金项目(31872683,31988102,31961143022) Spatial variations and adaptive mechanisms of plant stomatal traits on the Inner Mongolian Plateau Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: National Science and Technology Basic Survey Project(2019FY101300) ；The National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872683,31988102,31961143022) 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:气孔是植物与大气进行水气交换的阀门,调节着植物的蒸腾与光合作用。 因此,气孔性状的变异影响着植物功能,并能够反映植物对环境的适应。目前,内蒙古高原草地植物气孔性状的空间变异及其对环境的响应尚未被探究。于2018年在内蒙古高原草原区沿降水梯度设置了10个受人为干扰较少的天然草地样地,采集每个样地及周围的植物,并对每个物种叶片上、下表皮的气孔性状进行了测量和计算。结果表明:(1)气孔密度(SD)、气孔大小(SS)和气孔相对面积(SRA)的均值分别为262.29个/mm2、378.84 μm2和8.10%;下表皮与上表皮的气孔密度比(R.SD)、大小比(R.SS)和相对面积比(R.SRA)的均值分别为1.54、1.04和1.61。(2)由于草地生境开阔,气孔形态性状在不同生活型(草本与木本植物、一二年生与多年生草本)间没有显著差异(P>0.05)。(3)从草甸草原到荒漠草原,叶片SD和SRA减小,SS增大,气孔性状变异的主要驱动因素是年降水。(4)气孔综合指标SRA主要受SD驱动,降低叶片SD是内蒙古高原草地植物提高耐旱性的重要机制之一。(5)植物还可以通过降低气孔比来适应干旱胁迫,下表皮气孔是内蒙古高原植物气孔比降低的主要贡献者。研究结果有助于进一步了解草地植物叶片气孔独特的气候适应机制,还可为生态预测模型提供基础数据。 Abstract:Stomata are the valves for water and CO2 exchange between plants and the surrounding environment, regulating plant transpiration as well as photosynthesis to some extent. Therefore, the spatial variation of stomatal traits affects plant functions and reflects the adaptation of plants to their environments. The stomatal traits have attracted scientists' attention for a long time. However, spatial variation in the stomatal traits of grassland plants on the Inner Mongolia Plateau and their responses to the environment has not yet been explored. In this study, we set up 10 study sites, with low levels of human disturbance, along the precipitation gradient on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. In 2018, we collected nearly all the plant species that were present within a 1 km×1 km area of each site. The stomatal density (SD), stomatal size (SS), and the stomatal relative area (SRA) of the adaxial and abaxial epidermis of each species were measured. Meanwhile, the ratio of stomatal traits between the abaxial and adaxial epidermis was calculated. Results showed that the mean SD, SS, and the SRA were 262.29 stomata/mm2, 378.84 μm2, and 8.10%, respectively. The mean stomatal density ratio (R.SD), the stomatal size ratio (R.SS), and the stomatal relative area ratio (R.SRA) were 1.54, 1.04, and 1.61, respectively. Due to the open grassland habitat, there were no significant differences in leaf stomatal morphological traits among the different life forms, namely herbs vs woody plants and annual or biennial herbs vs perennial herbs (P>0.05). With the increase in the degree of drought, the leaf SD and SRA decreased, and the SS increased. The mean annual precipitation was the main driving factor of stomatal variation, and the mean annual temperature and photosynthetically active radiation had no significant effect on stomatal traits. The SRA was mainly driven by the SD, and it was one of the most important mechanisms of reducing leaf SD to improve the drought tolerance of grassland plants on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Plants can also adapt to drought by reducing the stomatal ratio. The stomata in the abaxial epidermic were the main contributor to the decrease in the stomatal ratio on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. These new findings help us further understand the unique climate adaptation mechanisms of plant stomata in natural grassland communities and provide these ecological process models as baseline data. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

A Promising Habitat Space for Blackbucks Antilope cervicapra Delimited by Declining Open Grassland Tracts and Increasing Tall Vegetations

This study was carried out in four consecutive years (2017–2020) to evaluate how increased tall vegetation growth changed the promising nature of open grassland habitat for blackbucks in Basur Amruth Mahal Kaval Blackbuck Conservation Reserve with an area of 7.36km2 . Based on facts that blackbucks avoid tall and thick vegetations and prefer only plain tracts for anti-predator benefits, our investigation gained curiosity on their activities of choosing bed down/resting behaviour locations inside and the outside their natural habitat. The focus of the study was to understand evolving behavioural adaptations of blackbuck herds against increasing habitat edges and predation pressures by utilizing the locally available open areas of agricultural crop fields outside their home ranges. Predation by leopards (0.407 individuals per sq. km) on blackbuck found predominant in this area probably at the habitat edges. The number of locally emigrating individuals made significant rise (x = 112, 0.047, 0.07) and gradual rise in the other elements. Vegetation control measures should be taken for providing healthy and promising open grassland habitat for blackbucks.

Population tendencies of Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra in four consecutive years at Basur Amruth Mahal Kaval Blackbuck Conservation Reserve, Karnataka, India

This study was carried out to ascertain the status and trends of blackbuck population (Nt) in four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020 and to investigate the causative factors taking away their livelihood in a fragile and dynamic habitat of Basur Amruth Mahal Kaval Blackbuck Conservation Reserve with an area of 7.36 km2. Our results emerged with population changes (Nt) with total of 238, 262, 277 and 296 individuals in each year respectively displaying steady state increase. Adult females increased from 136 to 189 whereas adult males (59-60) showed near stable numbers prior to increased predation chances at the habitat edges between open grassland and tall bushes where fawns might be rarely detected. The population density (Dp= 32.336 to 40.217 individuals per sq. km) showed gradual increasing trend. The dwindling blackbuck population prefers open grassland habitat with less fragmentation forces and avoid thick and tall vegetations. Population estimations of blackbuck using line transect methods in these areas with mixed vegetations containing tall shrubs (Prosopis juliflora, Dodonaeaviscosa) probably lead to biased detections. Habitat fragmentation, reduced grassland area due to invasive growth of weeds including Barleriamysorensis, overgrazing and poaching activities are the timeline issues of conservation in this area.

Integrating low-altitude drone based-imagery and OBIA for mapping and manage semi natural grassland habitats

Monitoring semi-natural grasslands is difficult and costly because they occur in highly dynamic and extremely complex habitat mosaics. We combined the use of a low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry to acquire high spatial resolution (∼1.5 cm pixel) RGB imagery. After image classification through Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA), we accurately were able to distinguish three semi-natural grassland types, one of which is a habitat of conservation concern. The use of orthomosaics, digital elevation models (DEMs), and canopy height models (CHMs) yielded excellent overall classification accuracies (>89%) assessed through both remotely validated and ground-truthed points. We identified two layers of woody vegetation with a user's (UA) and producer's (PA) accuracies >73% and three grassland types: closed grassland (UA = 94%; PA = 97%), open grassland habitat (UA = 97%; PA = 93%) and open grasslands with soil erosion (UA = 96%; PA = 98%). The grassland types differed substantially in the cover of vegetation, rocks, stones, and bare soil measured in the field, as well as in the number and relative cover of the habitat diagnostic species. The proposed methodology is highly promising for mapping and monitoring semi-natural grassland of conservation concern in support of tailored management actions.

Stable Isotopic studies of the herbivorous mammals from the Marginal Ganga Plain, India: implication for the palaeo‐environmental reconstruction

The reconstruction of palaeo‐vegetation and dietary habitat from vertebrate molar fragments from the Marginal Ganga plains (MGP) are rare. This study from moderately preserved fossil dentitions of herbivorous mammals collected from the two stratigraphic sections of the MGP presents carbon and oxygen isotope compositions, and provides dietary habits of large mammals in the northern Indian Alluvial tract during the Late Pleistocene. Elephas namadicus recovered from the channelized gravel litho‐unit of the Jigni section, previously dated to be 56 ± 5 ka dominantly had a C4 dietary system. It exhibits a swampy grassland landscape rather than a savannah‐type forest landscape. Bovini fossil specimens recovered from the upper part of channelized gravel litho‐unit dated between 54 ± 10 and 51 ± 5 ka, also favour a C4 dietary system suggesting pure grazers living in open grassland habitat.

Herbivore isotopic dietary ecology of the middle Miocene Maboko Formation, Kenya

Middle Miocene deposits at Maboko Island in the Nyanza Rift of Western Kenya (~15–14 Ma) have yielded a rich fossil mammalian record that documents a mid-Miocene faunal shift. Palaeoecological proxies for Maboko have previously been interpreted to indicate heterogeneous habitats, ranging from grassland to closed canopy forest and implicated in this turnover. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope data of fossil herbivore enamel from catarrhine-bearing deposits at Maboko were analyzed to reconstruct the nature of C3 vegetation (i.e., water-stressed or subcanopy), as well as determining if any C4 biomass, representative of more open woodland or grassland habitats, were consumed. Taxa sampled include representatives of ruminants, suoids, rhinocerotids, and proboscideans. δ13Cenamel and δ18Oenamel values of Maboko fossil herbivores indicate foraging strategies consistent with a C3 dominated ecosystem, exhibiting a range of δ13Cenamel signatures similar to those of extant browsing herbivores foraging in mosaics of open forest/woodland habitats. Within the Maboko sequence, isotopic evidence indicates varying environments based on variable dietary spectra associated with discrete fossiliferous units within the succession. Relative to other stratigraphic beds, isotopic signals of herbivore enamel from Bed 5b, for example, reflect more closed woodland/forest foraging. The overall ~4‰ range of δ13Cenamel values from Maboko (−14.1‰ to −10.2‰) is statistically similar to δ13Cenamel values from the slightly younger middle Miocene site of Fort Ternan and is consistent with faunal and paleosol evidence from Maboko suggesting ecological variability. However, the isotopic evidence from Maboko indicates that environmental variability is more constrained than previously reconstructed, instead ranging from more open canopy forest to open woodland habitats, albeit with some spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Closed canopy forest plants and C4 biomass were not detectable as dietary components for any herbivores sampled thus far; nor was there evidence of significantly water-stressed C3 vegetation (possibly C3 grasses) being consumed.

Distribution of butterflies (Lepidoptera) in a successional mosaic of Mediterranean mountain habitats

The distribution of butterflies was analysed in a mosaic of different types of habitats in a typical Ibero-Supramediterranean plant landscape. This mosaic landscape is composed of oak forests (Quercus pyrenaica) and their corresponding shrub and grassland successional communities. The observed patterns were based on butterfly-flower interactions in two consecutive years (2017-2018) recorded in different habitats. The results of the nestedness analysis indicated that the same butterfly community exploits all of the successional plant-communities, but some differences due to the availability of flowers. The foraging for nectar sources was mostly restricted to a few flowering plants: Rubus ulmifolius, Carduus carpetanus, Thymus pulegioides and Dianthus deltoides. Some butterflies changed their flower-visiting patterns over the two years studied. The distribution of butterflies was strongly linked to the distribution of their preferred nectar sources and changes in the use of these sources modified habitat use. The area of Rubus shrubland is a small but highly used habitat in this area, given the presence of Rubus ulmifolius, a plant species with high coverage and abundance of nectar, makes this area much better for foraging than other habitats. The Cytisus and Rubus shrublands were used more than grassland, indicating that seral habitats can be more valuable than traditional open grassland and forest habitats for butterflies.

Fossil birds from Cooper's D aid in reconstructing the Early Pleistocene paleoenvironment in the Cradle of Humankind (Gauteng, South Africa)

Several large-bodied hominin and nonhuman primates have coexisted in the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa during the Early Pleistocene. Previous paleoenvironmental studies regarding the Plio-Pleistocene of South Africa have focused heavily on mammal assemblages. Here, we conducted a comprehensive taxonomic analysis of the fossil bird remains from Cooper's D, the most fossiliferous locality of the hominin-bearing Cooper's Cave complex in South Africa. Our taxonomic evaluation of 505 remains reveals the presence of 23 bird taxa, two of which are extinct and already reported from the nearby fossil locality of Kromdraai. The taxonomically diverse bird assemblage is dominated by Francolinus sp. and other species associated with open grassland habitats, followed by rock-dwelling species, including Tyto cf. alba and the extinct Corvus bragai, and by woodland species such as Agapornis sp., Accipiter melanoleucos, and the extinct Glaucidium ireneae. The occurrence of these taxa and their respective proportions in the assemblage, in terms of both numbers of bones and individuals, point to the presence of extensive open grassland and/or savannah with rocky outcrops and woodland. These findings corroborate previous analyses of mammals from Cooper's D, with the exception of aquatic species, which are rare in the bird assemblage. Comparison with older deposits from Kromdraai confirms the definitive establishment of open habitats in the Cradle of Humankind during the Early Pleistocene following a transition from woodier habitats during the Late Pliocene. This study constitutes a further step in investigating the fossil bird diversity in the Cradle of Humankind during the Plio-Pleistocene. Our results add to the larger body of work using avian fossils for paleoenvironmental reconstructions in Africa and support the utility of birds as paleoenvironmental proxies. Similar future studies will refine our understanding of the paleoenvironments and landscape transformation during the Plio-Pleistocene, a critical timeframe for hominin evolution in southern Africa.

Out of Indochina: confirmed specimen record and first molecular identification of Psammophis indochinensis Smith, 1943 (Squamata, Psammophiidae) from Bali, Indonesia

Psammophis indochinensis Smith, 1943 was reported in the eastern Java and Bali of Indonesia despite its primary geographic range being in the Indochina region. We confirm its presence in Bali based on a newly collected specimen and provide morphological and genetic data. The specimen was found in a lowland, urban areas near open grassland habitat, which confirms the distribution of P. indochinensis along the northern coast of Bali. We note some character aberrations in the supralabials compared to Thailand specimens, suggesting an extended character. The basal clade position of P. indochinensis raises the possibility of an intercontinental dispersal scenario of this African-origin snake.

Comparison of the Carbon and Water Fluxes of Some Aggressive Invasive Species in Baltic Grassland and Shrub Habitats

Biological systems are shaped by environmental pressures. These processes are implemented through the organisms exploiting their adaptation abilities and, thus, improving their spreading. Photosynthesis, transpiration, and water use efficiency are major physiological parameters that vary among organisms and respond to abiotic conditions. Invasive species exhibited special physiological performance in the invaded habitat. Photosynthesis and transpiration intensity of Fallopia japonica, Heracleum sosnowskyi, and Rumex confertus of northern and trans-Asian origin were performed in temperate extensive seminatural grassland or natural forest ecotones. The observed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) ranged from 36.0 to 1083.7 μmol m−2 s−1 throughout the growing season depending on the meteorological conditions and habitat type. F. japonica and H. sosnowskyi settled in naturally formed shadowy shrub habitats characterized by the lowest mean PAR rates of 58.3 and 124.7 μmol m−2 s−1, respectively. R. confertus located in open seminatural grassland habitats where the mean PAR was 529.35 μmol m−2 s−1. Correlating with the available sunlight radiation (r = 0.9), the highest average photo assimilation rate was observed for R. confertus (p = 0.000). The lowest average intensity of photosynthesis rates was exhibited of F. japonica and H. sosnowskyi in shadowy shrub habitats. Transpiration and water use effectivity at the leaf level depended on many environmental factors. Positive quantitative responses of photosynthesis and transpiration to soil and meteorological conditions confirmed positive tolerance strategies of the invasive species succeeded by environmental adaptation to new habitats during their growing period sustained across a range of environments.

Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in dry grasslands of South Ukraine: a case study of Yelanetskyi Steppe Natural Reserve

Dry grassland areas of Ukraine are highly fragmented due to human activity. All of them require protection and thorough study of their biota. Arachnological research in the Yelanetskyi Steppe Natural Reserve has been conducted for the first time. An annotated list of spiders includes 113 species in 23 families. Salticidae (20 species, 17.7% of the species list) and Gnaphosidae (18 species, 15.9%) are the most species rich. The studied reserve is the westernmost locality of Ero koreana Paik, 1967 and Zelotes eugeneiKovblyuk, 2009. Richest were the ecotone habitats on the edges of forest plantations and shrub thickets (43–45 species), while the poorest were the most disturbed open grassland habitats like grazed steppe, secondary steppe and meadows (25–26 species). Spider assemblages of the undisturbed forb-fescue-feather grass and petrophytic steppe habitats accounted for 33–37 species. A comparison of the dry grassland spider faunas of 11 protected areas in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Ukraine showed that the araneofauna of the Yelanetskyi Steppe is most similar to those of both forb-fescue-feather grass steppes of Southeast Ukraine and fescue-feather grass steppes of South Ukraine. Moreover, the spider fauna of the Yelanetskyi Steppe contains the least specific elements. 33% of the species are widespread and only 3.8% are recorded from one or only two close sites. Similarity of the spider faunas depends on the geographical location of the study area and on the types of the grasslands.