Scattered paddock trees and roadside vegetation can provide important habitat for koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in an agricultural landscape

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Barth ◽  
Sean I. FitzGibbon ◽  
Amber Gillett ◽  
Robbie S. Wilson ◽  
Beth Moffitt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Step Length ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Roadside Vegetation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Scattered Trees

Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten the survival of koalas in Queensland. In rural landscapes, remaining koala habitat is often in the form of scattered paddock trees, patches of vegetation and roadside vegetation. The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the use of these three habitat types; (2) determine whether there is an increased use of scattered trees during the breeding season; and (3) describe the movement characteristics (daily step-length and turning angle) of koalas in different habitat types. To do this, koalas were caught and fitted with global positioning system (GPS) loggers that recorded their daily locations. We found koalas utilised all three habitat types in both breeding and non-breeding seasons, but roadside vegetation and scattered trees were utilised significantly more than expected based on their availability within the landscape. We found no significant difference in step-length or turning angles in scattered trees compared with patches of vegetation. We conclude that scattered trees are a critical element of habitat in this rural landscape. This work provides evidence that retaining or planting scattered trees within the rural landscape would likely complement or possibly enhance the conservation value of rural landscapes for koalas.

scholarly journals Use of microhabitats affects butterfly assemblages in a rural landscape

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. e20195949
Author(s):  
Elton Orlandin ◽  
Mônica Piovesan ◽  
Fernanda Maurer D’Agostini ◽  
Eduardo Carneiro
Keyword(s):  
Species Turnover ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Sampling Point ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Geographic Scale ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Butterfly Assemblages

Landscapes composed of small rural properties may support highly heterogeneous habitat, because they often support distinct types of land uses adjacent to surrounding forest fragments. Many butterfly species may benefit from this kind of landscape, as very distinct microhabitats can be found in a very restricted spatial scale. To better understand how different microhabitats are related to fragmentation in rural landscapes the present study collected the butterfly fauna in 18 sampling point sites, representing distinct types of forest edges and forest interiors. Although closely located, these sites showed no spatial autocorrelation. Instead, a major distinction in species richness and composition was found among forest interior and edge habitats while no significant difference was found in species composition among distinct edge habitats. Therefore, the high segregation of butterfly assemblages found in a very restricted geographic scale suggests the presence of two different groups of butterflies that respond independently to forest fragmentation, the forest interior assemblages and forest edge assemblages. This distinction of butterfly assemblages related to forest interior and forest edges were already reported, but our results highlights that these differences are found mostly due to species turnover between those habitats. In other words, both microhabitat types present a high number of specialized species compared to a smaller fraction of generalist species that may occurs in both microhabitats. Althoug, in the case of Atlantic Forest the species of special conservation concern are those true specialized in forest interior habitats and not those specialized in forest edges, the present study corroborates the importance of sampling different microhabitats when studying fragmentation processes, both inside and outside of fragments. Although forest edges may present different kinds of habitat types, species present along border tend to be as heterogeneous as species present in different locations inside the forest. This information should be considered in sampling designs of biodiversity essays that focus on a more consistent representation of local diversity.

Nest-tree selection by the threatened brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) (Marsupialia:Dasyuridae) in a highly fragmented agricultural landscape

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodney van der Ree ◽  
Andrew F. Bennett ◽  
Todd R. Soderquist
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Intensive Study ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Canopy Tree ◽  
Roadside Vegetation ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Standing Trees ◽  
Scattered Trees ◽  
Selection For

The conservation of roosting and nesting resources is of critical concern for many hollow-dependent species around the world. We investigated the nest-tree requirements of the threatened brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) in a highly cleared agricultural landscape in south-eastern Australia. We documented the physical characteristics of selected nest trees and describe the spatial and temporal patterns of nest-tree use as revealed by radio-tracking. Nine phascogales (seven females, two males) were radio-tracked between March and July 1999 in an area where most woodland habitat is confined to linear strips along roads and streams or small patches and scattered trees in cleared farmland. Female phascogales were monitored for 13–35 days over periods of 5–15 weeks and two males were monitored for 2 and 9 days respectively. A total of 185 nest-tree fixes was collected and all nests occupied by phascogales were in standing trees. Eighty-three nest trees were identified, ranging in diameter at breast height (dbh) from 25 to 171 cm, with a mean dbh for the trees used by each individual phascogale of >80 cm. Phascogales did not discriminate between canopy tree species in selecting nest trees, but showed highly significant selection for trees in the largest size class. All individuals used multiple nest trees, with the seven females occupying an average of 11.4 nest trees from a mean of 25 diurnal locations. The number of nest trees continued to increase throughout the study, suggesting that more would be identified during a longer or more intensive study. Occupied nest trees were located throughout each individual’s home range, highlighting the importance of a continuous spatial distribution of suitable nest trees across the landscape. Nest trees were also located in adjacent farmland up to 225 m from roadside vegetation, demonstrating the value that scattered clumps and even single trees in farmland can have for wildlife conservation.

scholarly journals Assessing Ecological Indicators for Remnant Vegetation Strips as Functional Biological Corridors in Chilean Vineyards

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
Javiera Díaz-Forestier ◽  
Sebastián Abades ◽  
Nélida Pohl ◽  
Olga Barbosa ◽  
Karina Godoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
Random Factor ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Rural Landscapes

Mediterranean central Chile is globally recognized as a hotspot for terrestrial biodiversity due to its high endemism and massive habitat loss. However, within the rural landscape of central Chile, significant extents of natural areas remain, especially on less productive, steep slopes, and vegetation strips extending from the surrounding hills to agricultural areas. Accordingly, vegetation strips or corridors, within lowland farms, constitute key elements to support the conservation of biodiversity in rural landscapes. To assess the ecological performance of corridors in 22 commercials vineyards in central Chile, we characterized them in terms of width-, length-, area-, and perimeter-to-area ratios, as well as the number of connections with natural areas. Based on a set of previously defined ecological indicators (species, functional groups, and structural components), we compared their occurrence in corridors within vineyards and in the surrounding natural areas. We evaluated the effects of corridor attributes on the occurrence of the selected ecological indicators, using a generalized linear mixed model with each vineyard as a random factor. The area, width, and length of vegetation corridors varied widely (1.2–86.3 ha, 10.5–95 m, and 380–5000 m, respectively). We found significant differences in the occurrence of indicators between corridors and natural areas. All sampled ecological indicators in corridors showed a negative relationship with the distance to the nearest natural area. Vegetation strips within vineyards represent important opportunities for biodiversity conservation that significantly enhance habitat quality in the agricultural landscape for biodiversity and habitat connectivity.

scholarly journals The Influence of Viewing Photos of Different Types of Rural Landscapes on Stress in Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2537
Author(s):  
Xiaobo Wang ◽  
Hanlun Zhu ◽  
Zhendong Shang ◽  
Yencheng Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Stress Relief ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Type 3

The environment can affect people’s health by relieving stress, and rural landscape as a special environment might influence human’s stress relief. This study takes different types of rural landscapes as the research object to explore their impact on stress levels, which are shown by photos. As an independent variable, the rural landscape is divided into three levels: Type 1 (natural landscape), type 2 (productive landscape), and type 3 (artificial landscape). Seventy-three subjects were randomly assigned to each type of rural landscape. Salivary cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate, and a subjective rating state scale (brief profile of mood states, BPOMS) were used as indicators of stress. At the same time, the influence of preference and familiarity on the stress relieving effect was also discussed. A paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used as the main statistical methods. In the results of t-test for pre-posttest, significant difference was observed in high blood pressure, heart rate, and total mood disturbance (TMD) of type 1 and type 2, and the high and low blood pressure of type 3; ANOVA analysis revealed that for the difference of pre-posttest, significant difference was observed in the TMD value among the three types; except for type 3, blood pressure, heart rate, and BPOMS values were significantly affected by preference and familiarity. The conclusions include the following: The three types of rural landscapes have a positive effect on relieving stress; the productive landscape has the best effect on relieving stress; and users’ landscape preferences and familiarity with the environment can affect the effect of stress relief in rural landscapes.

scholarly journals Responses of Bat Communities (Mammalia: Chiroptera) to Forest Loss and Habitat Conversion in Southern Cameroon

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 194008292110103
Author(s):  
Patrick Jules Atagana ◽  
Eric Moïse Bakwo Fils ◽  
Sevilor Kekeunou
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Habitat Transformation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Southern Cameroon ◽  
Habitat Conversion ◽  
Species Specific

We aimed to assess how bats are affected by habitat transformation by comparing bat assemblages in four habitat types: primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantations and human habitations in the Dja Biosphere Reserve of southern Cameroon. Bats were sampled in the four habitat types using mist nets. During 126 nights, a total of 413 bats were captured, belonging to four families, 16 genera and 24 species. Ninety three individuals (17 species) were captured in the primary forest, followed by plantations (105 individuals, 14 species), human habitations (159 individuals, 10 species), and secondary forest (55 individuals, eight species). Megaloglossus woermanni was recorded in all the four habitats, and was the most abundant species (105 individuals). The analysis of bat assemblage between habitat types showed a statistically significant difference in species composition. The distribution of the six most abundant species ( Epomops franqueti, Megaloglossus woermanni, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Dohyrina cyclops, Hipposideros cf. caffer and Hipposideros cf. ruber) was influenced by habitat types. Our results suggest that the decrease in species richness observed in disturbed habitats may be due to habitat perturbations of primary forest habitats. Therefore, it is important to examine the effects of habitat conversion at species level, as responses are often species-specific.

scholarly journals The study of rural landscape at the farm scale: changes in traditional signs and structures

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2s) ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Ludwiczak ◽  
S. Benni ◽  
P. Tassinari
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Management ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
First Results ◽  
Farm Scale ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Landscape Transformations

The importance of cultural, historical and identity values of traditional rural landscapes is widely acknowledged in the relevant scientific fields and in legislation. Furthermore, the knowledge of their evolution represents a fundamental basis in order to manage landscape transformations appropriately. The work is part of a broader research aimed at developing and testing a method for the systematic high time and spatial resolution assessment of changes in traditional rural landscape signs. We describe here the main phases of this original quantitative method and a summary of the first results over an Italian case study. A set of parameters allows to provide complementary information about the evolution of the main characters of rural settlements and their components. This proves to be essential to achieve a deep understanding of the traditional physiognomy of places, and to support landscape management and restoration, and the definition of transformation projects.

scholarly journals Cladocera remains and vegetation types to assess the state of oxbows

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
István Gyulai ◽  
Csilla Lakatos ◽  
János Tamás Kundrát ◽  
Zsuzsanna Balogh ◽  
Edina Simon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Sediment ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Freshwater Lakes ◽  
Chemical Parameters ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Cladocera Remains ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Physical And Chemical

We assessed the usefulness of Cladocera remains for establishing the ecological status of oxbows and also tested the association of Cladocera species with various vegetation types. Cladocera remains were collected from the surface sediment of four habitat types (tangled vegetation, open water, reeds and tunnels) and 15 physical and chemical parameters of surface water were studied. In the surface sediment samples, we identified 32 Cladocera taxa. There was a significant difference in the number of species amongst habitat types as per ANOVA. The benthic and plant associated Cladocera communities of reeds, tangled vegetation, open water and tunnels were clearly separated from each other by NMDS ordination. CCA showed that habitat types had characteristic Cladocera species: Pleuroxus species were frequent in the tangled vegetation habitat, while Chydorus species were frequent in the open water. Remarkably, in reeds, Bosmina species were frequent, although these species are usually common in open water. Specimens of the Alona genus were found everywhere. Our findings suggest that the remains of Cladocera species may be useful indicators to assess and monitor the structure of freshwater lakes.

scholarly journals Application of Virtual Reality Technology in Analysis of the Three-Dimensional Evaluation System of Rural Landscape Planning

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Tao Hou
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Reduction Degree ◽  
Virtual Reality Technology ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
The One ◽  
Rural Construction

From the construction of “new socialist countryside” to the proposal of “full coverage of village planning,” rural construction has gradually been pushed to a climax. However, the current situation of rural landscape construction in China is not optimistic. On the one hand, the rural landscape deviates from its rural and regional characteristics due to deliberately seeking novelty and differences. Based on these two extreme development trends, this article uses virtual reality technology to construct a rural landscape virtual-roaming system, and randomly select 25 people, each group of 5 people, a total of 3 groups, enter the system in batches with a real reduction degree of 30%, 45%, 60%, 75%, and 80% for experimentation and score the system after the experience. The true reduction degree of the first group is 30%; the true reduction degree of the second group is 45%; the true reduction degree of the third group is 60%; the true reduction degree of the fourth group is 75%; and the true reduction degree of the fifth group is 80%. After analyzing the experimental data, it is concluded that when the true reduction degree of the system goes from low to high, people’s satisfaction is higher; when the true reduction degree is as high as 80%, the satisfaction is as high as 9 points; when the true reduction degree of the system goes from low to high, people’s sense of immersion is getting deeper and deeper. When the true reduction degree is 30%, the lowest score for immersion is 1 point; when the true reduction degree is 80%, the lowest score for immersion is 7.5 points; the true reduction of the system decreases from high to low; when it is high, people’s interaction degree becomes stronger and stronger. When the true reduction degree is 30%, the lowest interaction degree score is 2 points; when the true reduction degree is 80%, the lowest interaction degree score is 9 points; it can be seen from this that, with the increase in the degree of realism of the rural landscape virtual-roaming system, it is extremely difficult for people to find whether they are in the virtual or the reality, and their immersion in virtual reality is getting deeper and deeper. This test also confirmed the superiority of the virtual roaming system in rural landscapes, and the experience is extremely effective.

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