Significant Habitats Research Articles

Recreational activity intersects foraging Ciconiiformes at the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

Wading birds are considered to be ecological indicators for the health of natural habitats of South Florida. This observational study, using a fixed point count survey, focussed on the order Ciconiiformes, which are represented by three families, Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae in Florida. Many of the wading birds in South Florida are year round residents, but populations are supplemented with a few additional wintering members of species such as the Great Egret, Snowy Egret and Roseate Spoonbill. We wanted to investigate whether non-breeding or migratory wading birds utilised other local areas for foraging. We chose the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, located in Palm Beach County, Florida, as our study site. This park site was chosen as a result of personal observation of recreational activities directly on the tidal flats, anecdotal evidence of dwindling bird numbers, and a steady increase of human recreational activity. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine if these particular tidal flats provide any habitat significance to non-breeding wading birds, (2) determine if human recreational activities deter foraging and (3) provide information on supplemental foraging grounds exploited by Ciconiiformes. This study concludes that the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is not currently a significant foraging ground utilised by Ciconiiformes and our data suggest that human recreational activities contribute direct intrusion for foraging wading birds at this intertidal estuary.

Birds of fragmented woodlands adjacent to protected areas, significance for conservation in Ethiopia

Avifauna studies and conservation efforts in Africa have focused on protected areas. Habitats outside of protected areas also support a variety of bird species. A survey of avian diversity was conducted in northern Ethiopia in three fragmented woodland areas dominated by human activities, adjacent to Important Bird Areas. Overall, 85 bird species belonging to 32 families were sighted in the three localities, including five species endemic to Ethiopia and eight Afrotropical highland biome species. Such diverse bird assemblages in the localities show the significance of habitats outside of protected areas for future avian research and conservation in Ethiopia. These habitats need to be protected.

Habitat, emosie en ’n eko-teologiese verstaan van menswees: In gesprek met Johan Buitendag

Habitat, emotion and an eco-theological understanding of humanity: In conversation with Johan Buitendag. The question on what his viewpoint of an eco-theological understanding of life entails is firstly posed in conversation with the South African systematic theologian Johan Buitendag. His standpoint, in which he argues for the constitutive significance of habitat against the background of the philosophical, biological and theological contours of descriptions of what life is, is set forth. He suggests that human life should be described with regard to habitat in its constitutive significance and subsequently in regard to a value system, and concludes that human life as homo religiosus must be understood from an eco-theological viewpoint as ontologically extended (‘ontologies uitgebreid’). His eco-theological viewpoint is secondly taken up in an explication of the sense making of human life by humans, determined and shaped by their biological roots in their habitat. Lastly the affective-cognitive dimension of being human with specific emphasis on affectivity is expounded as representing the embodiment of the logic of survival of personhood in their habitat.

The significance of habitats as indicators of biodiversity and their links to species

The first section of the paper discusses the background to the use of habitats as indicators for biodiversity including a discussion of the range of definitions that have been used. Habitats can now be recorded consistently across Europe at different time intervals in order to estimate stock and change as an indicator of biodiversity that is efficient and relatively easy to record. Habitats are considered to be the third level in a hierarchy with biomes and landscapes as higher categories and vegetation, species and genetic diversity as lower levels. An advantage of using habitats is that many other taxa are associated with them and examples are given from the literature. Examples are also given of the association between habitats and species in European Environmental Zones using expert judgement. Statistical analysis using a range of procedures can also be used to assess the association between species and habitats. Reliable data on the extent, status and changes in European habitats is essential for policy makers across the European Union and would also be important for promoting species conservation.

The significance of habitat and exposure to the reef-flat macroinvertebrates of Rarotonga, Cook Islands, for conservation planning

Marine habitats are often used as surrogates of biodiversity for marine park planning. In this study we investigate the significance of both habitat and wind exposure to reef-top macroinvertebrates to determine whether habitats alone provide a surrogate of biodiversity. Detailed habitat maps of the reef flat of Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and historical wind data, were used to assess the distribution and abundance of the macroinvertebrate fauna of the reef-top. Macroinvertebrates were surveyed along transects at 128 sites in four main, broad habitat types (rubble/rock, sand/ coral, sand and algal rim) and two exposure categories (windward/leeward). Analyses of variance on the most abundant species and multivariate ordination (nMDS) found that habitat was more important than exposure per se in explaining the abundance of species and the composition of assemblages. The rubble/rock habitat had the greatest substratum heterogeneity and structural complexity and supported the largest number of species and individuals. Five of the abundant holothurian species and two echinoids (Echinometra mathaei and Tripneustes gratilla) were most abundant in the rubble/rock, while two holothurian species (Holothuria cinerascens and Actinopyga mauritiana) and the gastropod Trochus niloticus, were most abundant in the algal rim. Spatial data for the five most abundant species and two of the key fisheries species highlighted the significance of the south-eastern, windward coast to all species, an area that is most likely to be impacted by an increase in the frequency and magnitude of major storm events under future climate change scenarios.

Distribution of nutrients in surface and sub-surface sediments of Coombabah Lake, southern Moreton Bay (Australia)

Coombabah Lake (6912750m N, 534400m E) is a semi-urbanised, sub-tropical, shallow, estuarine lake of regional, national and international marine conservation and habitat significance. Coombabah Lake is recognised as a wetland of significant importance under the ‘Convention on Wetlands’ as part of the Moreton Bay Ramsar wetland and is zoned as both a protected marine conservation and habitat zone, and declared fish habitat area (Queensland Fisheries Act 1994). Furthermore, the lake is an important destination for many northern hemisphere migratory birds and as such

GIS-based modelling of regional conservation significance

This paper explains an approach for appraising the extent and quality of native vegetation and identifying significant habitats at strategic regional and local levels. The Vegetation and Habitat Conservation Significance Framework (hereafter the framework) is formulated through a planning process which includes seven stages from defining the Purpose of the study (Stage 1) to Implementation and monitoring (Stage 7). The cornerstone of the framework is the formulation, in Stage 3, of a Regional Habitat Significance Model which integrates the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Geographic Information System (GIS). An expert workshop (Stage 4) is an integral part of model construction and should comprise 10 to 15 persons including environmental and land use scientists, ecologists, planners and landscape architects with good knowledge of vegetation, biodiversity and habitat matters, as well as relevant decision-makers. Experts are provided with all the data sets generated in Stage 2, and limitations and advantages of each data set are discussed. The initial construction of the model (undertaken at Stage 3) is validated, or modified, and then its components are weighted through consensus of the experts. The GIS platform permits the ongoing improvement and input of the latest, relevant information and the preparation of a new assessment in a cyclical planning process. The method is predominantly explained by reference to its application in the rural shire of Macedon Ranges, State of Victoria, Australia.

Production and consumption of nitric oxide by three methanotrophic bacteria.

We studied nitrogen oxide production and consumption by methanotrophs Methylobacter luteus (group I), Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b (group II), and an isolate from a hardwood swamp soil, here identified by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing as Methylobacter sp. strain T20 (group I). All could consume nitric oxide (nitrogen monoxide, NO), and produce small amounts of nitrous oxide (N(2)O). Only Methylobacter strain T20 produced large amounts of NO (>250 parts per million by volume [ppmv] in the headspace) at specific activities of up to 2.0 x 10(-17) mol of NO cell(-1) day(-1), mostly after a culture became O(2) limited. Production of NO by strain T20 occurred mostly in nitrate-containing medium under anaerobic or nearly anaerobic conditions, was inhibited by chlorate, tungstate, and O(2), and required CH(4). Denitrification (methanol-supported N(2)O production from nitrate in the presence of acetylene) could not be detected and thus did not appear to be involved in the production of NO. Furthermore, cd(1) and Cu nitrite reductases, NO reductase, and N(2)O reductase could not be detected by PCR amplification of the nirS, nirK, norB, and nosZ genes, respectively. M. luteus and M. trichosporium produced some NO in ammonium-containing medium under aerobic conditions, likely as a result of methanotrophic nitrification and chemical decomposition of nitrite. For Methylobacter strain T20, arginine did not stimulate NO production under aerobiosis, suggesting that NO synthase was not involved. We conclude that strain T20 causes assimilatory reduction of nitrate to nitrite, which then decomposes chemically to NO. The production of NO by methanotrophs such as Methylobacter strain T20 could be of ecological significance in habitats near aerobic-anaerobic interfaces where fluctuating O(2) and nitrate availability occur.

Significance of Habitat and Stock Re‐Testing for Enhancement of Natural Fisheries: Experimental Analyses with Queen Conch Strombus gigas

AbstractThe queen conch Strombus gigas is a large, commercially important gastropod mollusc native to the Caribbean region that has become severely depleted because of overfishing and habitat destruction. Over the last 10 yr attempts have been made to rehabilitate conch stocks through releases of hatchery‐reared stocks, but successes have been few. Some of the reasons for high mortality in hatchery‐reared conch are elucidated by recent experiments conducted at Lee Stocking Island in the central Bahamas.Field experiments with juvenile queen conch indicate that sites with similar depths, sediments, and macrophyte cover do not provide equivalent food and shelter for conch. Transplants of conch were successful only in sites known to be historically significant as nursery grounds. While small‐scale transplants can be used to screen potential outplant sites, only comprehensive understanding of the habitat requirements, behavior, feeding ecology, and predator‐prey relationships will lead to long‐term enhancement of fishery stocks. Differences in morphology, behavior, and habitat utilization between wild and hatchery‐reared stocks also had significant effects on the survivorship and growth of outplanted stock. Therefore, hatcheries must develop culture methods that do not reduce the natural fitness of wild stock. Successful enhancement of natural fisheries through outplanting of hatchery‐reared stocks depends upon: 1) development of hatchery animals sufficiently well adapted to survive in the field; and 2) release of the stock in suitable habitats at the optimal time. Close linkage between laboratory and field research, and hatchery operators will he necessary for the ultimate success of stock enhancement efforts.