Effect of land-use on small mammal abundance and diversity in a forest–farmland mosaic landscape in south-eastern Norway

2010 ◽  
Vol 259 (8) ◽  
pp. 1536-1545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Panzacchi ◽  
John D.C. Linnell ◽  
Claudia Melis ◽  
Morten Odden ◽  
John Odden ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isak Roalkvam

This paper leverages multivariate statistics to explore the composition of 54 Mesolithic assemblages located in south-eastern Norway. To provide analytical control pertaining to factors such as variable excavation practices, systems for artefact categorisation and raw-material availability, the sites chosen for analysis have all been excavated relatively recently and have a constrained geographical distribution. The assemblages were explored following two strains of analysis. The first of these entailed the use of artefact categories that are established within Norwegian Mesolithic archaeology, while the other involved drawing on measures that have been linked directly to land-use and mobility patterns associated with lithic assemblages more widely. The findings pertaining to the established artefact categories largely reflect the temporal development previously reported in Norwegian Mesolithic research, which has been based on more subjectively driven methods. Furthermore, the chronological trends associated with variables taken from the so-called Whole Assemblage Behavioural Indicators (e.g. Clark and Barton 2017), originally devised for characterising Palaeolithic assemblages in terms of associated mobility patterns, also align with the development previously proposed in the literature. This provides an initial indication that these measures are applicable in a Norwegian Mesolithic setting as well, setting the stage for a more targeted and rigorous model evaluation outside this exploratory setting. Furthermore, this finding supports the notion that these measures can offer a powerful comparative tool in the analysis of lithic assemblages more generally.


Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Luca Schilirò ◽  
José Cepeda ◽  
Graziella Devoli ◽  
Luca Piciullo

In Norway, shallow landslides are generally triggered by intense rainfall and/or snowmelt events. However, the interaction of hydrometeorological processes (e.g., precipitation and snowmelt) acting at different time scales, and the local variations of the terrain conditions (e.g., thickness of the surficial cover) are complex and often unknown. With the aim of better defining the triggering conditions of shallow landslides at a regional scale we used the physically based model TRIGRS (Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-based Regional Slope stability) in an area located in upper Gudbrandsdalen valley in South-Eastern Norway. We performed numerical simulations to reconstruct two scenarios that triggered many landslides in the study area on 10 June 2011 and 22 May 2013. A large part of the work was dedicated to the parameterization of the numerical model. The initial soil-hydraulic conditions and the spatial variation of the surficial cover thickness have been evaluated applying different methods. To fully evaluate the accuracy of the model, ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curves have been obtained comparing the safety factor maps with the source areas in the two periods of analysis. The results of the numerical simulations show the high susceptibility of the study area to the occurrence of shallow landslides and emphasize the importance of a proper model calibration for improving the reliability.


Author(s):  
Jane J. Aggrey ◽  
Mirjam A. F. Ros-Tonen ◽  
Kwabena O. Asubonteng

AbstractArtisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa creates considerable dynamics in rural landscapes. Many studies addressed the adverse effects of mining, but few studies use participatory spatial tools to assess the effects on land use. Hence, this paper takes an actor perspective to analyze how communities in a mixed farming-mining area in Ghana’s Eastern Region perceive the spatial dynamics of ASM and its effects on land for farming and food production from past (1986) to present (2018) and toward the future (2035). Participatory maps show how participants visualize the transformation of food-crop areas into small- and large-scale mining, tree crops, and settlement in all the communities between 1986 and 2018 and foresee these trends to continue in the future (2035). Participants also observe how a mosaic landscape shifts toward a segregated landscape, with simultaneous fragmentation of their farming land due to ASM. Further segregation is expected in the future, with attribution to the expansion of settlements being an unexpected outcome. Although participants expect adverse effects on the future availability of food-crop land, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the anticipated effect on food availability. The paper argues that, if responsibly applied and used to reveal community perspectives and concerns about landscape dynamics, participatory mapping can help raise awareness of the need for collective action and contribute to more inclusive landscape governance. These findings contribute to debates on the operationalization of integrated and inclusive landscape approaches and governance, particularly in areas with pervasive impacts of ASM.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 306
Author(s):  
Vinicio Carrión-Paladines ◽  
Andreas Fries ◽  
Andrés Muñoz ◽  
Eddy Castillo ◽  
Roberto García-Ruiz ◽  
...  

This study evaluated the effects of land-use change (L-UCH) on dung beetle community structure (Scarabaeinae) in a disturbed dry ecosystem in southern Ecuador. Five different L-UCH classes were analyzed by capturing the dung beetle species at each site using 120 pitfall traps in total. To determine dung beetle abundance and diversity at each L-UCH, a general linear model (GLM) and a redundancy analysis (RDA) were applied, which correlated environmental and edaphic conditions to the community structure. Furthermore, changes in dung-producing vertebrate fauna were examined, which varied significantly between the different L-UCH classes due to the specific anthropogenic use or level of ecosystem disturbance. The results indicated that soil organic matter, pH, potassium, and phosphorus (RDA: component 1), as well as temperature and altitude (RDA: component 2) significantly affect the abundance of beetles (GLM: p value < 0.001), besides the food availability (dung). The highest abundance and diversity (Simpson’s index > 0.4, Shannon-Wiener index > 1.10) was found in highly disturbed sites, where soils were generally more compacted, but with a greater food supply due to the introduced farm animals. At highly disturbed sites, the species Canthon balteatus, Dichotomius problematicus, and Onthphagus confuses were found specifically, which makes them useful as bio-indicators for disturbed dry forest ecosystems in southern Ecuador.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 70-77
Author(s):  
Hilde Margrete Dahl ◽  
Nada Andelic ◽  
Marianne Løvstad ◽  
Ingvil Laberg Holthe ◽  
Morten Hestnes ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kabanza ◽  
Stefaan Dondeyne ◽  
John Tenga ◽  
Didas Kimaro ◽  
Jean Poesen ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Jaedicke ◽  
Arne Kleven
Keyword(s):  

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Finn Audun Grøndahl ◽  
Anne Karin Hufthammer ◽  
Svein Olaf Dahl ◽  
Jørgen Rosvold

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Raye Ennis

Human-induced landscape alteration by agriculture is ubiquitous and impacts ecological processes and ecosystem services. The link between altered and native vegetation (hereafter edges) can create anthropogenic barriers for wildlife movement. Movement response to edges is dependent on landscape and functional group characteristics that shape spatial behavior in individuals; and affect population dynamics, dispersal, diversity, gene flow, and nutrient distribution. Few studies exist on small-mammal functional group movement response to edges, despite its integral role in behavioral and ecological processes. I analyzed the effect of altered land use on movement response in African savannah generalist Mastomys natalensis and specialist Lemniscomys rosalia. Each species was live-trapped for 2 months at 8 sites, across 2 boundary classes—homestead agriculture vs. savannah and commercial agricultural vs. savannah. Twelve individuals of each species were tracked and translocated at each transect with alternating treatments. Movement characteristics by M. natalensis showed a preference for altered land-use areas, possibly due to resource utilization. Conversely, L. rosalia showed a definitive trend (80%) to avoid edge crossing, regardless of abutting vegetative community, possibly due to their inability to cross and utilize altered landscapes. These results support the a priori hypothesis that altered land-use areas greatly impact specialists moving across the edge but only minimally affect generalist movements. Altered landscapes can affect small mammal movements and have cascading effects that alter vegetative and faunal communities.


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