Vegetation Habitat Research Articles

Effects of habitat gradient and agro-climatic variation on selected soil physical and chemical properties in the Bale Mountains national park, south-eastern Ethiopia

BackgroundIncreasing evidence suggests that anthropogenic effects are responsible for drastic changes in landscape patterns and ecosystem services. This study aims to assess the effects of landscape change and agro-climatic variation on selected soil physical and chemical properties in the Bale Mountains national park. A combination of stratified and systematic sampling techniques was employed to draw representative soil samples. A total of 72 soil samples (3 agro-climatic zones × 3 land cover types × 2 habitat gradients × 4 replications = 72) at a depth of 0–20 cm were collected for the soil physical and chemical property analysis. A two-way analysis of variance was conducted to determine the level of variation in soil parameters. Tukey’s honest significance difference (HSD) test was used to compare treatment means at a 0.05 level of significance.ResultsThe results suggest that soil parameters differed significantly (p < 0.05) among agro-climatic zones, land cover, and habitat gradients. The soil pH, SOC, TN, AP, CEC and clay content were significantly higher in the lower altitude, natural vegetation and interior habitat, whereas the soil sand and silt content as well as the soil bulk density were significantly higher in the farmland and edge habitat.ConclusionsConservation and restoration priority should be given to those vegetation types and ecosystems that are highly affected by human interferences such as the grassland in the middle altitude, ericaceous land in the higher altitude, and moist forest in the lower altitudes.

Modelling restoration of natural flow regimes in dam impaired systems: Biomorphodynamic effects and recovery times

Dams affect the natural flow regime by altering the magnitude, timing and frequency of high and low flows. Many river ecosystems impaired by dams are currently being restored. Restoration success is difficult to quantify and is often assessed by comparing the restored system to an unimpaired static ‘reference’ system. However, restoring a river to past environmental conditions and assessing restoration success by comparing it to a static situation neglects natural system dynamics and non-linear, adaptive system responses. With this modelling study we evaluate long-term changes in river morphology, morphodynamics, riparian vegetation cover and habitat suitability of two fish species and two types of wetland vegetation in a meandering gravel bed river after removal of an upstream dam and complete restoration of the natural flow regime. We assessed the ecological and hydromorphodynamic recovery of systems impaired by two different dam operating regimes and three different time periods the dam was present by comparing these to a dynamic undisturbed situation. Modelling results show that recovery potential depends on how much the system has been changed by the dam and the system state at the start of the restoration, rather than the duration of the pressure. Even if the conditions shortly after restoration are comparable to pre-disturbance conditions, there can still be a time-lag in the system response where the future state of the restored system continues to deviate from the undisturbed situation. When this happens, the system can develop into an alternative dynamic equilibrium where recovery becomes increasingly difficult. These results stress the importance of considering natural variability in restored systems as well as in reference systems, requiring detailed spatio-temporal monitoring to assess restoration effects.

Management effects on soil nematode abundance differ among functional groups and land-use types at a global scale.

Anthropogenic land use is threatening global biodiversity. As one of the most abundant animals on Earth, nematodes occupy several key positions in belowground food webs and contribute to many ecosystem functions and services. However, the effects of land use on nematode abundance and its determinants remain poorly understood at a global scale. To characterize nematodes' responses to land use across trophic groups, we used a dataset of 6,825 soil samples globally to assess how nematode abundance varies among regional land-use types (i.e. primary vegetation, secondary vegetation, pasture, cropland and urban) and local land-use intensities (i.e. human-managed or not). We also quantified the interactive effects of land use and environmental predictors (i.e. mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, soil organic carbon, soil pH, global vegetation biomass and global vegetation productivity) on nematode abundance. We found that total nematode abundance and the abundance of bacterivores, fungivores, herbivores, omnivores and predators generally increased or were not affected under management across land-use types. Specifically, the most numerically abundant bacterivores were higher in managed than in unmanaged secondary vegetation habitats and urban areas, and herbivores were more abundant in managed than in unmanaged primary and secondary vegetation habitats. Furthermore, the numbers of significant environmental predictors of nematode abundance were reduced and the magnitude and the direction of the predictors were changed under management. We also found that nematode abundance was more variable and less determined by environmental factors in urban than in other land-use types. These findings challenge the view that human land use decreases animal abundance across trophic groups, but highlight that land use is altering the trophic composition of soil nematodes and its relationships with the environment at the global scale.

Vegetation patches in semiabandoned olive groves: using generalised linear mixed models to determine the effect of area on community composition of woody plants

Aim of study: The existence of distinct vegetation habitats within semiabandoned olive groves provides a unique chance to study the plant community within semiabandoned Mediterranean landscapes. We investigated changes in community composition of woody plants across a gradient of patch sizes by providing an example of a novel statistical technique. We also aimed to determine if commonness, life form and dispersal mechanisms of woody plants are key factors influencing species presence at vegetation patches of different sizes.&#x0D; Area of study: Three traditional, partially managed mountain olive groves (La Soledad, Las Niñas and Piquín) were selected within Sierra Morena de Córdoba, in Central Southern Spain.&#x0D; Material and methods: The woody vegetation within patches at the three groves was sampled in July 2020 following a stratified random approach. All woody plants were identified and recorded. Variation in community composition across patch area was examined using generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) with a binomial distribution.&#x0D; Main results: There were significant changes in the community composition of woody plants as patch area increased. There was turnover of species with increasing area, characterised by the gain of species. This was observed both as a general and site-specific trend. Patterns in presence across area showed clear among species variation. Including dispersal strategies and life form variables improved model fit, revealing these are important factors influencing the community composition within the patches.&#x0D; Research highlights: The GLMM analysis demonstrated that patches of larger areas support higher richness without incurring in any loss of species. Thus, maintaining large patches is important for woody plant conservation within semi-abandoned groves.

Short Communication: Diversity and distribution of epiphytic orchid Dendrobium section Spatulata on the host plants in the Cycloop Mountain Nature Reserve of Papua, Indonesia

Abstract. Arobaya AYS, Zuhud EAM, Siregar IZ, Irawati. 2022. Short Communication: Diversity and distribution of epiphytic orchid Dendrobium section Spatulata on the host plants in the Cycloop Mountain Nature Reserve of Papua, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 2025-2034. Knowledge of species diversity and distribution is indispensable to assist in formulating a sound conservation strategy. This is truly significant for epiphytic orchids that grow on tree surfaces or phorophyte. The data and information are still limited despite their important role as biological indicators in forest ecosystems. The aim of the study was to carry out an inventory of epiphytic orchids and the phorophytes (host tress) in the Tropical Rain Forest of Cycloop Mountain Nature Reserve. The study took place in four sites located in the regency and city of Jayapura. Exploratory and sampling strip methods of 20x100 square meters were employed during the fieldwork. Orchids were observed and samples were collected based on their distribution in the host plants divided into five zones (Stem zone I and II; Crown zone III to V). The habitat's vegetation profiles were described using computer-aided design (CAD) verse 2018. Plant samples were identified in herbarium Manokwariense and the identified species were incorporated into CAD. Nineteen species of Dendrobium section Spatulata were identified as living as an epiphyte on the 12 phorophytes. These orchids and the host plants were described, determined and analyzed using PATN software. Most orchids are growing abundant in zone II and III. The phorophytes hosting the orchids in the lowland are mainly Syzygium and Intsia, while in the highland are Agathis and Podocarpus. Two types of vegetation profiles were described as savannah woodland in the low land area and coniferous trees vegetation in the highland above 650 m above sea level.

Agave rosalesii (sect. Inermes , Asparagaceae), segregated from Agave ellemeetiana K. Koch (sect. Choritepalae ): a new species from the Mixteca Alta of western Oaxaca, Mexico

Background: Agave ellemeetiana ( A . sect. Choritepalae ) features soft and “spineless” leaves and occurs in two disjunct and ecologically differentiated populations classified as subspecies. An incidental look at the flowers of A . ellemeetiana ssp. subdentata unveiled that these did not match those of A . ellemeetiana s. str. nor those of sect. Choritepalae .&#x0D; Questions: Do these disjunct populations differ in flower and fruit morphology? Do they belong to the same section within Agave ?&#x0D; Hypotheses: The floral morphology of populations of Agave ellemeetiana ssp. subdentata from western Oaxaca places this species in A . sect. Inermes , and the set of qualitative and quantitative differences is sufficient to recognize it as a distinct species.&#x0D; Studied species: Agave ellemeetiana , Agave pedunculifera .&#x0D; Study site and dates: Putla District, western Oaxaca, December 2011 and April 2014.&#x0D; Methods: We conducted an alpha-taxonomic study of the Agave ellemeetiana species complex, involving two fieldwork expeditions, review of literature, online images, and herbarium specimens.&#x0D; Results: Differences in flower, fruit and vegetative morphology and habitat support the segregation of the populations (from the Putla District, Oaxaca) from the Agave ellemeetiana complex as a new species, A . rosalesii spec. nov. The presence of an evident corolla tube places the proposed taxon close to A . pedunculifera and within A . sect. Inermes .&#x0D; Conclusions: The populations from the Putla District are sufficiently distinct in their morphology and ecology to merit recognition as a new species, Agave rosalesii , placed in A . sect. Inermes .&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Translate&#x0D; stop&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Translate&#x0D; stop&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Soundscapes of urban parks: An innovative approach for ecosystem monitoring and adaptive management

Urban foresters are addressing the challenge of urban biodiversity loss through management plans in the context of rapid urbanization. Protecting the integrity of the urban ecosystem requires long-term monitoring and planning for resilience as well as effective management. The soundscape assessment has attracted attention in this field, but applying the soundscape assessment in urban ecological monitoring requires a protocol that links soundscapes to the impact of resource management on biodiversity over time. The effective processing and visualization of large-scale data also remains an important challenge. The aim of this study was to better understand the relationship between soundscape and physical environment, and examine the feasibility of this innovative soundscape approach in highly urbanized areas. Soundscape recordings were collected for 20 urban parks twice on 4 consecutive days in Spring. A total of 691,200 min of sound material were automatically obtained. In order to track the spatio-temporal patterns of a soundscape and determine its potential suitability for ecosystem monitoring, our study characterized soundscape information by adopting 4 widely used acoustic indices: acoustic diversity index (ADI), bioacoustic index (BIO), normalized difference vegetation index (NDSI), and power spectral density (PSD). Daily patterns of PSD have provided a potential connection between soundscapes and bird songs, and 1–2 kHz presented a similar pattern that was linked to human activity. Through further modeling, we tested the relationship of soundscapes to physical environment characteristics. The results showed the importance of habitat vegetation structure for acoustic diversity. More vertical heterogeneity, with an uneven canopy height or multilayered vegetation, was associated with more acoustic diversity. This suggests that clearing ground cover may have a significant negative impact on wildlife. Our results suggest that soundscape approaches provide a way to quickly synthesize large-scale recording data into meaningful patterns that can track changes in bird songs and ecosystem conditions. The proposed approach would enable regular assessment of urban parks and forests to inform adaptive planning and management strategies that can maintain or enhance biodiversity.

The influence of forest characteristics on avian species richness and functional diversity in Southern Mistbelt Forests of South Africa

Changes to natural environments as a consequence of human population growth are a major threat to biodiversity. Natural habitat modifications, changes in vegetation structure and habitat characteristics have resulted in decreased species richness and functional diversity in wildlife populations. Species’ distributions, abundance and persistence are generally reliant on habitat suitability, landscape configuration and ability to disperse and colonise habitats. We aimed to determine the influence of vegetation structure, patch size and isolation distance on avian communities in Southern Mistbelt Forests in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa, across a variety of forest patches during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. We conducted fixed-radius point-count surveys to determine avian species richness and functional diversity, and quantified the vegetation foliage profile in 54 distinct forest patches across three study areas. Multivariate analyses showed significant differences in vegetation structure among forest patches and subsequent variation in avian species richness and functional diversity across the study areas during the non-breeding season. Avian beta diversity was significantly driven by the reduction in forest patch size and habitat structural complexity. Reduction in forest size and complexity reduced avian species richness and functional diversity. Increasing isolation distance negatively influenced avian diversity. We recommend further improving the regulatory standards concerning sustainable utilisation of forest resources that subsequently change forest characteristics to promote a healthy and diverse habitat structure and safeguard avian communities.

Testing the acoustic adaptation hypothesis with vocalizations from three mongoose species

Acoustic signals degrade and attenuate as they propagate through the environment, thus transmitting information with lower efficiency. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) states that selection should shape the vocalizations of a species to maximize transmission through their habitat. A specific prediction of the AAH is that vocalizations will transmit better when emitted in their native habitat versus non-native habitats. We tested this prediction using vocalizations of three mongoose species that dwell in structurally different habitats: banded mongooses, Mungos mungo , dwarf mongooses, Helogale parvula , and meerkats, Suricata suricatta . Representative vocalizations of the three species were broadcast and rerecorded in each habitat at six distances from the source. Rerecorded vocalizations were compared to nondegraded calls through spectrogram correlation. Using generalized linear mixed models, we then quantified the differences in transmission fidelity of each species' vocalizations. Overall, we found partial support for the AAH within the mongoose family: habitat type strongly affected sound transmission, but depending on the species, vocalizations did not always transmit best in their native habitat, suggesting various degrees of acoustic adaptation. Vegetation cover within habitat type was also found to have a significant influence on the transmission properties of vocalizations. In addition, we found evidence that by changing their behaviour, either by producing vocalizations at different amplitudes or by choosing a specific calling location, mongooses can reduce sound degradation and attenuation over distance, thereby enhancing their communication efficiency. Our work highlights how habitat features may be key determinants of vocalization structure in mongooses, and is generalizable to other species living in similar conditions. It also suggests that, given a species and habitat, other selective pressures might prevail and limit acoustic adaptation in animal communication systems. Finally, our study provides insights into how mammals can adjust their vocal behaviour to compensate for environmental constraints on the transmission of their vocalizations. • We tested the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in social mongooses' vocalizations. • Propagation experiments showed partial support for acoustic adaptations in mongooses. • Vegetation cover and habitat type significantly influenced sound propagation. • Behavioural adjustments allow mongooses to optimize efficient sound transmission. • Factors other than acoustic adaptations likely also shape mongoose vocalizations.

Ecophysiological and Growth-Related Traits of Two Geophytes Three Years after the Fire Event in Grassland Steppe.

Deliblato Sands is the single largest expanse of sand in Europe. It is the most fire-prone area of Serbia due to the absence of surface water, sandy soils, specific microclimate conditions, and vegetation composition. Post-fire regeneration is a long-term process that includes many aspects of vegetation regrowth and habitat recovery. In the third year following one of the disastrous fires, the growth dynamics of two geophyte species in unburned and burned sites were studied. During the growing season, burned and unburned populations of Crocus reticulatus Steven ex Adam and Iris pumila L. were assessed for growth parameters (biomass production, specific leaf area, leaf area index) and leaf-level ecophysiological traits (photosystem II efficiency, chlorophyll amount, relative water content). Species acclimated differently to changed abiotic and biotic site conditions after the fire event. C. reticulatus burned and unburned populations differed significantly in terms of flowering phenology and ecophysiological traits, whereas I. pumila burned and unburned populations differed significantly in terms of growth parameters. The findings support the assertion that geophytes are generally well adapted to environmental disturbances. Species, however, responded differently to fire-induced changes in the physicochemical and biotic environment, depending on their ecological requirements and adaptive capacity.

A copula incorporated cellular automata module for modeling the spatial distribution of oasis recovered by ecological water diversion: An application to the Qingtu Oasis in Shiyang River basin, China

Assessing the impact of ecological water diversion on oasis restoration is critical for water resources and environmental management in arid inland basins. This study proposed a copula incorporated cellular automata (CA) module for modeling the oasis’s spatial distribution driven by ecological water diversion. Given the effects of groundwater depth and community expansion on oasis evolution, a water availability index and a neighbor vegetation index were proposed. These two indices were joint using the Clayton copula function, producing a vegetation suitability index that quantified vegetation growth’s habitat quality and provided the CA module’s basis to identify cellular categories. The CA module was integrated into a previously developed conceptual lumped ecohydrological model (CLEM), resulting in an improved CA-CLEM that outputted groundwater depth, oasis area, oasis NDVI, and oasis distribution data. The CLEM provided the oasis area changes for the CA module, which specified the spatial distribution of these changes. The CA-CLEM had a simple structure, low computation cost, and good performance, indicated by the application in the Shiyang River basin in Northwest China. Results show that an ecological water diversion of 30 million m3, with an average groundwater depth of 2.95 m, an oasis area of 25 km2, and an oasis NDVI of 0.36, would successfully recover the terminal Qingtu Oasis in 2020. The oasis distribution and its dynamic evolution processes were irregular because of the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation habitat suitability. The present Qingtu Oasis was fragile, and its sustainability relied on ecological water diversion. The reduction in water diversion would cause water table decline, oasis area shrinkage, vegetation degradation, and oasis fragmentation. The CA-CLEM combined with scenario analysis provides practical and reliable implications for managers and policymakers to improve ecological water diversion strategies.

Improved Chironomid Barcode Database Enhances Identification of Water Mite Dietary Content

Chironomids are one of the most biodiverse and abundant members of freshwater ecosystems. They are a food source for many organisms, including fish and water mites. The accurate identification of chironomids is essential for many applications in ecological research, including determining which chironomid species are present in the diets of diverse predators. Larval and adult chironomids from diverse habitats, including lakes, rivers, inland gardens, coastal vegetation, and nearshore habitats of the Great Lakes, were collected from 2012 to 2019. After morphological identification of chironomids, DNA was extracted and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcodes were PCR amplified and sequenced. Here we describe an analysis of biodiverse adult and larval chironomids in the Great Lakes region of North America based on new collections to improve chironomid identification by curating a chironomid DNA barcode database, thereby expanding the diversity and taxonomic specificity of DNA reference libraries for the Chironomidae family. In addition to reporting many novel chironomid DNA barcodes, we demonstrate here the use of this chironomid COI barcode database to improve the identification of DNA barcodes of prey in the liquefied diets of water mites. The species identifications of the COI barcodes of chironomids ingested by Lebertia davidcooki and L. quinquemaculosa are more diverse for L. davidcooki and include Parachironomus abortivus, Cryptochironomus ponderosus. Parachironomus tenuicaudatus, Glyptotendipes senilis, Dicrotendipes modestus, Chironomus riparius, Chironomus entis/plumosus, Chironomus maturus, Chironomus crassicaudatus, Endochironomus subtendens, Cricotopus sylvestris, Cricotopus festivellus, Orthocladius obumbratus, Tanypus punctipennis, Rheotanytarsus exiguus gr., and Paratanytarsus nr. bituberculatus.

Wintering Town: Individual Quality of Migratory Warblers Using Green Urban Areas in a Neotropical City

Migratory birds can be familiar winter visitors of Neotropical cities. However, of the regional migrant species bird pool, only a few species are abundant in urban areas. Their presence inside cities has been positively related to green urban areas with high tree cover. However, urban elements like artificial lights can also attract them to cities. Habitat quality that enables energetic refueling for migrant birds is crucial in all their annual migratory stages. While some Nearctic cities offer a high-quality refueling habitat for migrant birds, we lack this information for Neotropical cities where migratory birds winter. In this study, we evaluate whether the urban green areas of a Neotropical city act as high-quality habitats for two abundant species of migratory warblers:Setophaga coronataandLeiothlypis ruficapilla.We assessed this by capturing birds inside three urban green areas and comparing their abundances, population structure, and individual quality (scaled-mass index—SMI) with individuals spending winter in natural vegetation habitats outside the city. We found that both species do not show differences in SMI between urban and non-urban sites. We also found thatSetophaga coronatahad a higher capture rate in urban than non-urban sites, whileLeiothlypis ruficapillahad similar capture rates in both habitats. Our findings indicate that the urban green areas of cities can act as suitable quality habitat during winter for two abundant migrant birds. Our results indicate that cities can have a higher conservation potential for a declining and sensitive group such as the Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds than previously thought. We also point out the need to acknowledge that migratory species can be urban dwellers.

Aquatic Vegetation Loss and Its Implication on Climate Regulation in a Protected Freshwater Wetland of Po River Delta Park (Italy)

Aquatic vegetation loss caused substantial decrease of ecosystem processes and services during the last decades, particularly for the capacity of these ecosystems to sequester and store carbon from the atmosphere. This study investigated the extent of aquatic emergent vegetation loss for the period 1985–2018 and the consequent effects on carbon sequestration and storage capacity of Valle Santa wetland, a protected freshwater wetland dominated by Phragmites australis located in the Po river delta Park (Northern Italy), as a function of primary productivity and biomass decomposition, assessed by means of satellite images and experimental measures. The results showed an extended loss of aquatic vegetated habitats during the considered period, with 1989 being the year with higher productivity. The mean breakdown rates of P. australis were 0.00532 d−1 and 0.00228 d−1 for leaf and stem carbon content, respectively, leading to a predicted annual decomposition of 64.6% of the total biomass carbon. For 2018 the carbon sequestration capacity was estimated equal to 0.249 kg C m−2 yr−1, while the carbon storage of the whole wetland was 1.75 × 103 t C (0.70 kg C m−2). Nonetheless, despite the protection efforts over time, the vegetation loss occurred during the last decades significantly decreased carbon sequestration and storage by 51.6%, when comparing 2018 and 1989. No statistically significant effects were found for water descriptors. This study demonstrated that P. australis-dominated wetlands support important ecosystem processes and should be regarded as an important carbon sink under an ecosystem services perspective, with the aim to maximize their capacity to mitigate climate change.

Characterising the woody vegetation in contrasting habitat types in the lower Fitzroy River, Western Australia

Context Riverine systems consist of distinct habitats along a landscape gradient and characterising the composition and structure of vegetation in these habitats can support environmental water-management decisions. However, in many regions, including northern Australia, there is a paucity of hydro-ecological data. Aims We aimed to characterise the species composition and the structure of riparian and floodplain woody vegetation of the lower Fitzroy River. Methods We surveyed woody vegetation in different habitats within the riparian zone and floodplain. Multivariate analysis was used to assess differences in the composition of riparian woody species among the four habitat types and univariate analysis was used to compare vegetation structure, recruitment, and environmental variables among habitats. Key results The composition and the physical structure of woody species differed among habitat types of the lower Fitzroy River, indicating a zonation of riparian and floodplain vegetation in response to fluvial processes and water availability. The floodplain was characterised by sparsely distributed Eucalyptus microtheca and a sparse (∼30%) canopy cover. In contrast, the riverbank habitat type had very large trees (mean basal area = 0.26 m2), with a dense canopy cover (∼80%) and was dominated by Melaleuca argentea, M. leucadendra and Barringtonia acutangula. Both the top of bank and off-channel wetlands represent a more intermediary environment, characterised by greater species richness and greater seedling recruitment. Conclusions Identifying these habitat types and characterising their physical and biological properties, such as the relationship between flooding and the composition of woody species, provides a framework to assist the management of large floodplain river systems.

Comparisons of the composition of spider assemblages in three vegetation habitats in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Lia M, Rauf A, Hindayana D. 2021. Comparisons of the composition of spider assemblages in three vegetation habitats in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 244-255. Vegetation structures are known to influence the microclimate and consequently the invertebrate assemblages. This study, therefore, aims to compare the species composition of assemblages of ground- and foliage-dwelling spiders in three vegetation habitats: undisturbed urban forest, oil palm plantation, and cornfield, in Bogor, West Java. To ensure a thorough representation of all spider guilds, spiders were collected using pitfall traps, sweep net, and through a direct search on ground and vegetation from January to July 2016. A total of 2299 individual spiders, representing 28 families and 207 species/morphospecies were collected. The spider species richness, abundance, and diversity were higher in the forest and oil palm plantation, compared to the cornfield. Furthermore, the dominant guild in the forest habitat was orb weavers, while the oil palm and corn habitats were dominated by ground runners. The non-metric multidimensional scaling exhibited that the composition of spider assemblages varied among the three vegetation habitats, with spider assemblages in forest habitat associated with higher RH, while the corn habitat was correlated with high light intensity and air temperature. The indicator species analysis revealed that Tetragnathidae has high potential as indicators of the dense, complex vegetation structure of the forest, while Lycosidae is indicators of the more open vegetation of oil palm plantation and cornfield habitats.

The late Early Pleistocene flora of Oriolo, Faenza (Italy): assembly of the modern forest biome

The late Early Pleistocene was the last time of equable climate in northern Central Italy, reflected in its large mammal fauna and numerous palynological records. Reliably dated leaf fossils from this time are rare, but provide crucial information on local and regional vegetation, biogeographic relationships, and species turnover coinciding with the assembly of modern forest biomes. Here we investigated a rich assemblage of leaf and fruit impressions (63 fossil-taxa) from the Oriolo quarry, Faenza (Ravenna), dated to the latest Calabrian, preserved in transgressive coastal deposits. The fossil assemblage represents riparian vegetation and xeric alluvial habitats in the lowlands and forest vegetation above the alluvial plain. Forest-building trees were deciduous, but comprised several taxa characteristic of open scrubland or forest edges. The composition of the flora reflects a dynamic process of assembling modern forest biomes in western Eurasia. While most taxa correspond to modern submediterranean and temperate woody species, some others represent late occurrences of taxa today confined to refugia outside Italy (Parrotia, Gleditsia, Pterocarya), and a few are Miocene/Pliocene relics indicating final floristic links with East Asia (Japan) and/or North America (Tsuga cf. chiarugii, Carya cf. minor) and Pleistocene endemism in Italy (Berberis auriolensis, Acer aemilianum).

Картографирование биотопов донной растительности Джангульского прибрежья с использованием ГИС

The article reflects research, where for the first time mapping of benthic vegetation biotopes of the protected area “Coastal aquatic complex near the Dzhangul landslide coast” is carried out using GIS-technologies. The research is carried out on the basis of the expedition materials analysis collected in the coastal zone in the summer period of 2013. As a result of the work a bathymetrical map, maps of bottom sediments and habitats of the key macrophytobenthos species (Ericaria crinita, Gongolaria barbata, Nereia filiformis, Phyllophora crispa) and biotopes are compiled. Benthic vegetation biotopes classification is based on cartographic materials. Five biotopes are identified, described and analysed for their spatial distribution in the natural protected area. It is shown that biotopes with “Сystoseira” and Рhyllophora phytocenoses occupy the largest area in the coastal zone. These biotopes have a high conservation status at the regional, federal and international levels. In the deep-water zone of the protected area the biotopes with Nereia filiformis and Phyllophora crispa (drifting form), unique and rare for the Crimean coastal area have been identified. This area is found to be a peculiar reserve of both attached and drifting forms of Phyllophora crispa for the western coastal area of Crimea. Biotope classification and its conservation status are given according to international legislative documents (EUNIS, Annex 1 code, European Red List of Habitat). The development of a classification, mapping and inventory of habitats, and the preparation of a biotopes list in need of conservation, are urgent scientific tasks. The results can be used for monitoring protected benthic vegetation habitats and controlling their condition.

Benthic macrofaunal habitat use of the alga Caulerpa prolifera compared to the seagrass Halodule wrightii

The abundance and species composition of the macrofauna inhabiting adjacent beds of the seagrass Halodule wrightii and the attached macroalga Caulerpa prolifera were compared seasonally from eight sites sampled within the Indian River Lagoon, Florida during 1987–1988. At each site, sampling employed a benthic corer, an epifaunal sampler, a dipnet, and fish traps to examine utilization patterns of different components of the fauna. Abundance of animals in both habitats was both high and similar. Epifaunal invertebrate densities averaged over 16,000 m−2 from H. wrightii and over 20,300 m−2 from C. prolifera. Despite a few species-compositional differences, there was no consistent difference in either the abundance or number of species of the macrofauna of C. prolifera versus H. wrightii for any sampling method except fish traps. Fish were significantly more abundant, but not more species rich, in H. wrightii. We conclude that C. prolifera offers habitat for many small invertebrates comparable to that of seagrass, making C. prolifera beds a valuable biological resource. While C. prolifera habitat may not support all the ecosystem services of seagrass beds and is not currently protected in Florida, it as a potential vegetated habitat refugium and may warrant management and protection practices similar to those for seagrass beds.

Habitat distribution modeling of endangered medicinal plant Picrorhiza kurroa (Royle ex Benth) under climate change scenarios in Uttarakhand Himalaya, India

Climate change has been the key factor in changing the alpine vegetation's habitat and causing it to migrate to higher latitudes. The present study aims to model the current and future potential habitat distribution of endangered medicinal plant Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth in Uttarakhand Himalaya using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modeling. We initially select twenty-two environmental variables (bioclimatic + topographic) got from the Fifty-four (54) species occurrence points, which were further reduced to nine variables to prevent multicollinearity. Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1–2.6 and SSP2–4.5) from the CMIP6 (BCC-CSM2-MR) climate model for the periods 2041–60 and 2061–80 were used to predict the current and future habitat distribution of P. kurroa. Results showed that the precipitation of the driest month (Bio 14; 33.8%), isothermality (Bio 3; 20.2%), mean temperature of warmest quarter (Bio 10; 12.7%), and temperature annual range (Bio 7; 12.2%) were the important bioclimatic variables influencing the habitat of P. kurroa. Overall, there is a decrease in the habitat of P. kurroa under climate change scenarios. The present results may prove insightful for the decision-makers to identify suitable sites in the wild for the further propagation of P. kurroa.