scholarly journals Temperate forest bird communities associated with a historic mining impact area: do tailing remnant effects modify their structure?

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-107
Author(s):  
Katia Lemus ◽  
José Fernando Villaseñor-Gómez ◽  
Francisco Roberto Pineda-Huerta ◽  
Javier Salgado-Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Ecological Processes

AbstractBirds contribute to the stability of ecosystems and represent a tool used to evaluate a variety of anthropogenic impacts. The area known as El Oro-Tlalpujahua Mining District in central Mexico was subjected to significant environmental impacts as a result of ore extraction, including profound habitat transformations, landscape changes, and the accumulation of potentially toxic elements in their tailings (favoring its bioavailability and dispersion). After more than 60 years without extractive activities, there is no knowledge on extant remaining impacts on biological communities. Assuming the presence of negative impacts on birds, we compared the composition and abundance of bird communities in two locations, representing a site without exposure to tailings (S1) and another one with tailings deposition (S2). From June 2014 to June 2015, we recorded 2828 individuals of 108 avian species in 369 point counts (S1 = 91, S2 = 95). The Chao1 indicator suggested we recorded 96% of the species present. We found a high similarity in the general composition and abundance of bird species between communities (> 85%). However, there were significant differences in the abundances of 18 species (9 of them higher in the control site); these differences might result from differential effects of potentially toxic elements on functional groups (such as feeding guilds), resource availability, as well as other factors not accounted for. Historically, mining activities in the area generated significant changes in the structure and composition of the forest, and disrupted ecological processes. Despite the fact that current conditions appear favorable to the relative stability of the bird community, specific physiological effects on some species of birds sixty years after the cessation of mineral extraction could occur. Further studies on physiological performance and the effects of potentially toxic elements on local birds could unveil unknown effects at the individual level.

scholarly journals The impact of Sosnowsky’s Hogweed on feeding guilds of birds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Grzędzicka ◽  
Jiří Reif
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Guild Structure ◽  
Feeding Guild ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPlant invasions alter bird community composition worldwide, but the underlying mechanisms still require exploration. The investigation of feeding guild structure of bird communities can be informative in respect to the potential impact of invasion features on the availability of food for birds. For this purpose, we focused on determining the influence of the invasive Sosnowsky’s Hogweed Heracleum sosnowskyi on the abundance of birds from various feeding guilds. In spring and summer 2019, birds were counted three times on 52 pairs of sites (control + Heracleum) in southern Poland, at various stages of Sosnowsky’s Hogweed development (i.e. sprouting, full growth and flowering, all corresponding to respective bird counts). We have shown that the presence of invader negatively affected the abundance of birds from all feeding guilds. However, a closer examination of the invaded sites uncovered that responses of particular guilds differed in respect to development stages expressed by a set of characteristics of the invader. Ground and herb insectivores were more common on plots with a higher number of the invader, while the abundance of bush and tree insectivores was negatively correlated with hogweeds’ height. Granivores were not affected by the invader’s features, while the abundance of omnivores was negatively related to the number of flowering hogweeds. Besides showing the general negative impact of the invader on different feeding guilds, our research has shown that certain aspects of Sosnowsky’s Hogweed invasion may support or depress occurrence of different birds on invaded plots. Knowledge of these aspects may facilitate our capacity for coping with challenges the invasive plants put in front of bird conservationists.

scholarly journals Treatment of Soil Contaminated by Mining Activities to Prevent Contamination by Encapsulation in Ceramic Construction Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 6740
Author(s):  
Juan María Terrones-Saeta ◽  
Jorge Suárez-Macías ◽  
Antonio Bernardo-Sánchez ◽  
Laura Álvarez de Prado ◽  
Marta Menéndez Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ceramic Material ◽  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ceramic Materials ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Different Soils

Mining is an essential activity for obtaining materials necessary for the well-being and development of society. However, this activity produces important environmental impacts that must be controlled. More specifically, there are different soils near new or abandoned mining productions that have been contaminated with potentially toxic elements, and currently represent an important environmental problem. In this research, a contaminated soil from the mining district of Linares was studied for its use as a raw material for the conforming of ceramic materials, bricks, dedicated to construction. Firstly, the contaminated soil was chemically and physically characterized in order to evaluate its suitability. Subsequently, different families of samples were conformed with different percentages of clay and contaminated soil. Finally, the conformed ceramics were physically and mechanically characterized to examine the variation produced in the ceramic material by the incorporation of the contaminated soil. In addition, in this research, leachate tests were performed according to the TCLP method determining whether encapsulation of potentially toxic elements in the soil occurs. The results showed that all families of ceramic materials have acceptable physical properties, with a soil percentage of less than 80% being acceptable to obtain adequate mechanical properties and a maximum of 70% of contaminated soil to obtain acceptable leachate according to EPA regulations. Therefore, the maximum percentage of contaminated soil that can be incorporated into the ceramic material is 70% in order to comply with all standards. Consequently, this research not only avoids the contamination that contaminated soil can produce, but also valorizes this element as a raw material for new materials, avoiding the extraction of clay and reducing the environmental impact.

scholarly journals Environmental Threats of Ancient Pb Mining and Metallurgical Activities in the Linares Mining District (Southern Spain)

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (23) ◽  
pp. 1459
Author(s):  
Carlos Boente ◽  
Carlos Sierra ◽  
Julián Martínez ◽  
Eduardo Rodríguez-Valdés ◽  
Elías Afif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Industrial Sites ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Metallurgical Activities

Former industrial sites are now dedicated to other land uses in the Linares mining district. Here we selected five residential/farming areas (squares of 1 km2 each) and sought to evaluate the levels of contamination by Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) of the soils, and also to offer an insight into the threat these pollutants may pose to human health or the environment by means of risk assessment. High concentrations especially of Pb, and also of As, Cd, Cu and Zn were found in quantities that are considerably bioavailable. Moreover, risk assessment revealed unacceptable concentrations for Pb and As in all the areas as well as for Cd and Cu in some squares.

scholarly journals Scale dependence of biotic homogenisation by urbanisation: a comparison of urban bird communities between central Argentina and northern Finland

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas M. Leveau ◽  
Jukka Jokimäki ◽  
Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki
Keyword(s):  
Species Turnover ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Urban Habitats ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Biotic Homogenisation ◽  
Community Dissimilarity ◽  
The Town

AbstractRecent studies showed contrasting results about the homogenising force of urbanisation on bird community composition at large and regional scales. We studied whether urbanisation promotes the homogenisation of wintering bird communities and if this varies when comparing towns located within a specific region and towns located in two different biomes of two countries. We used both similarity indices based on the presence/absence data and the abundance data in comparing communities. Processes governing bird community dissimilarity between urbanisation levels were examined with the partitioning of Sörensen index in species turnover and nestedness. We made bird surveys in town centres and suburban habitats of three cities located in the Pampean region of Argentina and in the boreal region of Finland using a single-visit study plot method. Rarefacted species richness did not differ amongst the town centres between the countries, but it was higher in the suburban areas of Argentina than in Finland. At the country-level comparison, we found a higher similarity amongst the town centres than amongst the suburban areas; whereas at the regional comparison, similarity between town centres was comparable to the similarity between suburban areas. The use of an abundance-based index produced a higher similarity between town centre communities of both countries than when using a presence-based index. The dissimilarity between habitats in Argentina was related to nestedness and to species turnover in Finland. Our results indicate that urban-based biotic homogenisation of bird communities is dependent on the scale used, being more evident when comparing cities of different biomes where the same and abundant bird species, such as sparrows and doves, dominate. At the regional scale, quite a high beta-diversity can still be found within urban habitats. Processes of community dissimilarity between urban habitats may differ according to the regional pool of species, being more related to nestedness toward the tropics.

scholarly journals Dominance and Diversity of Bird Community in Floodplain Forest Ecosystem

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 825-833
Author(s):  
Karel Poprach ◽  
Jana Vrbková
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Floodplain Forest ◽  
Community Interest

The paper is aimed to assessment of diversity and structure of bird community in floodplain forest ecosystem. Authors present results of analyses data on bird communities obtained at two transects in the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic) in the period 1998–2012. Research of bird communities was carried out using the point-count method. The article deals with qualitative and quantitative representation of breeding bird species, including their relation to habitat type (closed floodplain forest, ecotone). Altogether 63 breeding species were recorded at the Vrapač transect and 67 at the Litovelské luhy transect, respectively. To be able to detect all recorded species, 11 out of 14 years of monitoring were needed at the Vrapač transect and all 8 years of monitoring at the Litovelské luhy transect, respectively. Authors show that the values in dominant bird species change significantly among the particular census dates within one season, mainly with respect to their activity and detectability. Results are discussed in the frame of sustainable forest management in floodplain forest ecosystems. The presented article can promote to discussion aimed to management strategy for floodplain forest ecosystems, which ranks among natural habitat types of Community interest protected under the Natura 2000 European network.

scholarly journals Surficial geochemistry and bioaccessibility of tellurium in semiarid mine tailings

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Hayes ◽  
Nicole A. Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
High Degree ◽  
X Ray Absorption

Environmental contextTellurium can be more toxic than arsenic, but its fate in the surficial environment is poorly understood. We studied tellurium behaviour in semiarid mine tailings and found that most tellurium is associated with iron (oxy)hydroxides as tellurate (TeVI), the less toxic oxidation state. Iron (oxy)hydroxides are likely to control the fate of Te in the surficial environment and may effectively sequester Te oxyanions released by oxidative weathering. AbstractTellurium (Te) is a critical element owing to its use in solar technology. However, some forms are highly toxic. Few studies have examined Te behaviour in the surficial environment, thus little is known about its potential human and environmental health impacts. This study characterises two physicochemically distinct Te-enriched mine tailings piles (big and flat tailings) deposited by historic gold (Au) mining in the semiarid Delamar mining district, Nevada, USA. The big tailings are characterised by smaller particle size and higher concentrations of potentially toxic elements (up to 290mgTekg−1), which are enriched at the tailings surface. In contrast, the flat tailings have larger particle size and properties that are relatively invariant with depth. Based on the sulfate to sulfide ratio, the tailings were determined to be sulfate dominated, which suggested a high degree of weathering, although the flat tailings did contain significant amounts of sulfides (~40%). Tellurium X-ray absorption spectroscopy of the big tailings indicates that tellurate, the less toxic Te species, is the principal form of Te. Electron microscopy indicates that most of the Te present at the site is associated with iron (oxy)hydroxides, and sometimes with other potentially toxic elements, especially lead and antimony. Physiologically-based extraction tests indicate that substantially more Te is solubilised in synthetic stomach fluids than in lung fluids, with gastric bioaccessibility ranging from 13 to 31% of total Te. This points to low to medium bioaccessibility, which is common for iron (oxy)hydroxide-associated elements. Together, these results represent a preliminary assessment of Te surficial behaviour in a semiarid environment and indicate that Te in these tailings represent a moderate health concern.

scholarly journals Consistency in bird community assembly over medium-term along rural-urban gradients in Argentina

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas M. Leveau
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Assembly Rules ◽  
Urban Habitats

Abstract Background The analysis of bird community assembly rules is fundamental to understand which mechanisms determine the composition of bird species in urban areas. However, the long-term variation of community assembly rules has not been analyzed yet. The objectives of this study are (1) to analyze the variation of community assembly rules along rural-urban gradients of three cities in central Argentina and (2) to compare the patterns of community assembly between two periods separated by 6 years. Bird surveys were performed along transects in urban, suburban, and rural habitats during 2011 and 2017. Departures from null models that took into account differences in species richness (standardized effect size, SES) were calculated for functional and phylogenetic diversities. Results A total of 57 species were recorded. Bird species richness was higher in suburban than in urban and rural habitats. SES of functional diversity increased over the years and was significantly lower in urban habitats than in rural habitats, showing a pattern of functional clustering in the most urbanized areas and functional randomness in rural ones. Phylogenetic diversity was higher in both suburban and urban habitats than rural ones, and the phylogenetic clustering in rural bird assemblages changed to randomness in suburban and urban habitats. Conclusions Bird communities in urban habitats were phylogenetically random and functionally clustered, evidencing environmental filtering by urbanization. In contrast, bird communities in rural areas tended to be phylogenetically clustered, evidencing that certain clades are adapted to rural areas. The processes structuring bird communities along rural-urban gradients were consistent between the 2 years compared.

scholarly journals Conserving native trees increases native bird diversity and community composition on commercial office developments

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Dyson
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Tree Protection ◽  
Matrix Habitat ◽  
Site Use

Abstract In cities, woody vegetation provides critical shelter, nesting and foraging habitat for bird species of interest. Human actions—including development and landscaping choices—determine vegetation community composition and structure, making these choices critically important to urban bird conservation. A better understanding of how bird communities are impacted by parcel-scale actions can help guide policy and management best practices to improve matrix habitat quality and quantity. Here, I examined how bird habitat use varies along a vegetation gradient created by different development and landscaping choices. I surveyed 20 commercial office developments near Seattle in the Puget Trough region of Washington, USA selected using stratified random sampling, where I quantified bird communities and observed feeding behavior. I used GLMM and PERMANOVA models with data likelihood metrics to identify the best supported variables for bird site use, along with TITAN models to identify changes in community composition along environmental gradients. I found that measures of bird effective species richness and bird community are positively influenced by the presence of more native conifers, including the presence of a stand predating development and the height and density of native conifers. Measures of the native bird community are negatively influenced by higher non-native tree density. In contrast to prior research, top-down landscape-scale variables did not explain variation in measures of the bird community on office developments. Importantly, I found that birds are associated with the same habitat on office developments as observed elsewhere. Together, my findings suggest an important role for developers, land owners, landscape architects, and tree protection policy in bird conservation.

scholarly journals Respon Komunitas Burung terhadap Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi (PLTP) Kamojang, Bandung, Jawa Barat

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diyah Kartikasari ◽  
Satyawan Pudyatmoko ◽  
Novianto Bambang Wawandono ◽  
Pri Utami
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Geothermal Power Plant ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Geothermal Power

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respon komunitas burung terhadap keberadaan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Panas Bumi Kamojang. Kami membandingkan keanekaragaman dan kekayaan jenis burung pada lokasi yang terdampak (DL) dan tidak terdampak (TL) di Wilayah Kerja Panas Bumi Kamojang, Cagar Alam Kamojang dan Taman Wisata Alam Kamojang di Kabupaten Bandung Provinsi Jawa Barat. Lokasi yang terdampak berada di sekitar sumur produksi atau pembangkit listrik tenaga panas bumi (30 sampel) sedangkan lokasi yang tidak terdampak adalah dengan jarak 3.000 m sampai 9.000 m dari fasilitas tersebut (42 sampel). Pengumpulan data dilakukan selama dua musim; musim kemarau dan penghujan (2015-2016). Kami mengumpulkan data komunitas burung dan data habitat dengan metode point count yang ditempatkan secara sistematis di setiap lokasi. Kami menemukan 124 spesies burung yang terdiri dari 35 famili dan 16 spesies di antaranya adalah burung endemik di Pulau Jawa. Dua puluh tiga spesies dilindungi oleh undang-undang di Indonesia, sembilan spesies termasuk dalam daftar lampiran CITES dan lima spesies masuk dalam Daftar Merah Spesies Terancam IUCN tahun 2017. Terdapat perbedaan respon antara komunitas burung di lokasi terdampak dan tidak terdampak yang ditunjukkan dengan perbedaan rata-rata jumlah spesies, jumlah individu masing-masing spesies, indeks keanekaragaman ShannonWiener. Lokasi tidak terdampak memiliki nilai lebih tinggi pada parameter ini dibanding lokasi yang terkena dampak. Demikian juga, jumlah spesies, jumlah individu vegetasi dan indeks keanekaragaman hayati ShannonWiener pada lokasi TL memiliki nilai rata-rata lebih tinggi daripada lokasi DL. Hal ini membuktikan bahwa meskipun panas bumi dianggap sebagai energi ramah lingkungan namun dalam penggunaannya masih berdampak pada keanekaragaman hayati di sekitarnya terutama untuk jenis burung. Response of Bird Community to Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant, Bandung, West JavaAbstractThis study aimed to investigate the response of bird communities on the presence of geothermal power plant of Kamojang. We compared the bird diversity and richness of affected (DL) and not affected (TL) in Kamojang Geothermal Working Area, Kamojang Nature Reserve and Kamojang Nature Park in Bandung regency of West Java Province. The affected sites were surrounding production wells or geothermal power plants (30 samples) whereas not affected sites were with distance of 3,000 m to 9,000 m from those facilities (42 samples). The data collection was carried out during two seasons; dry and rainy season in (2015-2016). In each site, we collected bird community data and habitat data with the point count method which was placed systematically on each sites. We found 124 birds species belongs to 35 families with 16 endemic species in Java Island. Twenty three species are protected by Indonesian law, with nine species are in the CITES appendix list and five species are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species of 2017. There was a difference of responses between bird communities in the affected and not affected sites which is indicated by differences in the mean number of species, number of individuals in each species, and Shannon-Wiener's diversity index. The not affected sites had higher value on these parameters than the affected sites. Similarly, number of species, number of individual vegetation, and Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index in TL sites had higher mean values than DL sites. This proves that although geothermal is considered as environmentally friendly energy but in its utilization it still has an impact on the surrounding biodiversity especially for bird species.

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