Floodplain amphibian abundance: responses to flooding and habitat type in Barmah Forest, Murray River, Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M. McGinness ◽  
Anthony D. Arthur ◽  
Keith A. Ward ◽  
Paula A. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Seasonal Timing ◽  
Murray River ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Context Frog species are now targets for delivery of high-value managed environmental flows on floodplains. Information on the drivers of frog presence and abundance is required to support adaptive management, including analysis of the roles of flood frequency, flood timing and habitat type. Aims This paper describes frog species richness and abundance responses to flooding and habitat type in the Barmah Forest, part of the largest river red gum forest in the world. Methods Surveys were conducted at 22 sites over 6 years, to determine species presence, relative abundance, and evidence of breeding. Data were then used to examine temporal patterns within and between wet and dry years and spatial relationships with site geomorphology, vegetation form and wetting frequency. Key results Six species were common and widespread, and three were rare. The seasonal timing of peak numbers of calling males differed among species. The seasonal pattern of calling for each species did not differ between wet and dry years; however, significantly lower numbers of frogs were recorded calling in dry years. The number of frogs calling was significantly higher in well vegetated grassy wetlands. Evidence of a positive relationship between wetting frequency and numbers of calling males was found for Limnodynastes fletcheri, Crinia signifera and Limnodynastes dumerilii. The abundance of tadpoles was significantly higher in wet years. Conclusions The seasonal timing of flooding in Barmah Forest will influence the breeding success of individual species with different preferences. Flooding from September to December is required to cover most preferred breeding seasons, but longer durations may be required to maximise recruitment. This, together with regular flooding of well vegetated grassy wetland habitat, will increase the likelihood of species persistence and maximise diversity. Insufficient flooding frequency will result in reduced frog species richness and abundance. Implications Managed flooding is important for frog abundance and species richness. This study emphasises the value of key habitats such as well vegetated grassy wetlands and reinforces the need to make their preservation a priority for management. It has identified knowledge gaps to drive future data collection for improved modelling, including a need for further research on flow-regime change and frog communities.

scholarly journals Patterns of Species Richness and Abundance in Badingilo National Park in South Sudan

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Francis Lado ◽  
David Gwolo Phanuel Mogga ◽  
Richard Angelo Lado Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
National Park ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Riverine Habitat ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Point Count Method

The study was carried out to determine patterns of birds’ species richness, alpha and beta diversities; and abundance in Badingilo national park using a 10 m fixed-radius point count method. A total of 2670 individuals were recorded from 182 points in the park. The highest expected number of species (Jack1 estimator) was observed in the Riverine habitat and least was in the Agriculture and Human settlement habitat type. The total number of species observed in the park was 63; however Jack1 estimator indicated that there were 68 species in the park. The majority of the birds observed during the study were resident species, few migratory and Palaearctic bird species. Few birds observed in the park were abundant. The most abundant species was the village weaver (381 individuals), and the rarest species were black-bellied bustard, barn owl, black scimitar bill and tree pipit (one individual each).

scholarly journals Taking a deeper look: Quantifying the differences in fish assemblages between shallow and mesophotic temperate rocky reefs

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Williams ◽  
Alan Jordan ◽  
David Harasti ◽  
Peter Davies ◽  
Tim Ingleton
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Rocky Reefs ◽  
Temperate Reefs ◽  
Video Systems ◽  
Parsimonious Model ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

AbstractThe spatial distribution of a species assemblage is often determined by habitat and climate. In the marine environment, depth can become an important factor as degrading light leads to changes in the biological habitat structure. To date, much of the focus of ecological fish research has been based on reefs in less than 40 m with little research on the ecological role of mesophotic reefs. We deployed baited remote underwater stereo video systems (stereo-BRUVS) on temperate reefs in two depth categories: shallow (20-40m) and mesophotic (80-120m), off Port Stephens, Australia. Sites were selected using data collected by swath acoustic sounder to ensure stereo-BRUVS were deployed on reef. The sounder also provided rugosity, slope and relief data for each stereo-BRUVS deployment. Multivariate analysis indicates that there are significant differences in the fish assemblages between shallow and mesophotic reefs, primarily driven by Ophthalmolepis lineolatus and Notolabrus gymnogenis only occurring on shallow reefs and schooling species of fish that were unique to each depth category: Atypichthys strigatus on shallow reefs and Centroberyx affinis on mesophotic reefs. While shallow reefs had a greater species richness and abundance of fish when compared to mesophotic reefs, mesophotic reefs hosted the same species richness of fishery targeted species. Chrysophrys auratus (pink snapper) and Nemodactylus douglassii (grey morwong) are two highly targeted species in this region. While C. auratus was numerically more abundant on shallow reefs, mesophotic reefs provide habitat for larger fish. In comparison, N. douglassii were evenly distributed across all sites sampled. Generalized linear models revealed that depth and habitat type provided the most parsimonious model for predicting the distribution of C. auratus, while habitat type alone best predicted the distribution of N. douglassii. These results demonstrate the importance of mesophotic reefs to fishery targeted species and therefore have implications for informing the management of these fishery resources on shelf rocky reefs.

Signals of change in tropical savanna woodland vertebrate fauna 5 years after cessation of livestock grazing

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 386 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Kutt ◽  
E. P. Vanderduys ◽  
J. J. Perry ◽  
G. C. Perkins ◽  
J. E. Kemp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Management Activity ◽  
Vertebrate Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrate ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Context There is growing evidence that vertebrates inhabiting the extensive savannas of northern Australia are undergoing a widespread decline as a result of the effects of anthropogenic land management such as the grazing of domestic stock. Despite the ubiquity of pastoral grazing in the Australian savannas, few studies have examined the changes in terrestrial vertebrate fauna following destocking. Aims The present study monitored the response of birds, mammals and reptiles to destocking of a newly acquired conservation reserve in north-eastern Australia. Methods The vertebrate fauna was sampled over a 5-year period. Standardised 1-ha survey was conducted twice a year in 2006, 2007 and 2010, at 40 sites representing six habitat types. Key results The fauna assemblage, the abundance and richness of major taxa, and the abundance of a suite of individual species were found to vary significantly with time since destocking. Although some of the observed trends were consistent with previously reported responses of vertebrates to grazing, in general species richness and abundance did not increase linearly over time since destocking, with an overall decline in the first year, and an increase in the subsequent survey. Mammals remained at very low abundance and displayed a trend contrary to that for birds and reptiles, and variation was often confounded by habitat type. Conclusions In general, where there has been a long history of pastoral land management, destocking alone may not induce short-term increases in the vertebrate fauna thought to be affected by grazing in Australian savannas. Implications Monitoring the outcomes of conservation management activity is a critical component of understanding the success, failures and adaptation needed to maximise the costs and benefits of conservation investment. The recovery of the vertebrate fauna thought to be of conservation concern in relatively intensively used, long-grazed landscapes may be lengthy and contingent on other factors, such as periods of favourable weather, or understanding the interactive effects of herbivore removal, fire pattern and feral predators. In such landscapes, it is possible that recovery of some elements of the vertebrate fauna may not occur without deliberate interventions, such as reintroductions or intense predator control.

scholarly journals Contrasting effects of altitude on species groups with different traits in a non-fragmented montane temperate forest

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 99-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten de Groot ◽  
Al Vrezec
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Altitudinal Distribution ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Altitudinal Belts ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Temperature has strong effects on species composition and traits. These effects can differ within and between species groups. Thermoregulation and mobility are traits which can be strongly affected by altitudinal distribution. Our aim was to investigate the influence of altitude on the species richness, abundance and composition of species groups with different trophic, thermoregulatory and mobility traits. Carabids (Coleoptera; Carabidae), hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) and birds (Aves: Passeriformes) were counted in three altitudinal belts with a total elevation difference of 700 m (from 300 m to 1000 m a.s.l.) in the same habitat type (non-fragmented temperate montane mixed beech and fir forest). We found that endotherms and more mobile species (i.e. birds) had a smaller turnover than ectotherms (i.e. hoverflies) and less mobile species (i.e. carabids), from which we can predict that the former species will undergo a less extreme shift than the latter in global warming scenarios. Species turnover across the altitudinal gradient increased from birds to hoverflies to carabid beetles. The effect of altitude on phenology was different between the studied ectotherm species groups (carabids and hoverflies). Hoverflies experience a phenological delay of species richness and abundance at higher altitudes in spring, but not at the end of summer, which implies that hoverfly phenology is affected by a change in temperature, while carabid beetle abundance exhibited a delay in phenology in summer at higher altitudes. We suggest that species that are expected to be most affected by climate change, such as ectotherms and species with poor dispersal ability should be prioritised as the best indicators for monitoring and conservation management purposes.

scholarly journals The relative importance of wetland area versus habitat heterogeneity for promoting species richness and abundance of wetland birds in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA

The Condor ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa H Elliott ◽  
Lawrence D Igl ◽  
Douglas H Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Prairie Pothole Region ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Prairie Pothole ◽  
Wetland Area ◽  
Habitat Area ◽  
Landscape Scales ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Recent work has suggested that a tradeoff exists between habitat area and habitat heterogeneity, with a moderate amount of heterogeneity supporting greatest species richness. Support for this unimodal relationship has been mixed and has differed among habitats and taxa. We examined the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and species richness after accounting for habitat area in glacially formed wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States at both local and landscape scales. We tested for area–habitat heterogeneity tradeoffs in wetland bird species richness, the richness of groups of similar species, and in species’ abundances. We then identified the habitat relationships for individual species and the relative importance of wetland area vs. habitat heterogeneity and other wetland characteristics. We found that habitat area was the primary driver of species richness and abundance. Additional variation in richness and abundance could be explained by habitat heterogeneity or other wetland and landscape characteristics. Overall avian species richness responded unimodally to habitat heterogeneity, suggesting an area–heterogeneity tradeoff. Group richness and abundance metrics showed either unimodal or linear relationships with habitat heterogeneity. Habitat heterogeneity indices at local and landscape scales were important for some, but not all, species and avian groups. Both abundance of individual species and species richness of most avian groups were higher on publicly owned wetlands than on privately owned wetlands, on restored wetlands than natural wetlands, and on permanent wetlands than on wetlands of other classes. However, we found that all wetlands examined, regardless of ownership, restoration status, and wetland class, supported wetland-obligate birds. Thus, protection of all wetland types contributes to species conservation. Our results support conventional wisdom that protection of large wetlands is a priority but also indicate that maintaining habitat heterogeneity will enhance biodiversity and support higher populations of individual species.

scholarly journals Crustacean Decapod Assemblage Associated with Seagrass (Zostera marina) Beds in Southern Waters of Korea

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Joo Myun Park ◽  
Seok Nam Kwak ◽  
Ralf Riedel
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Zostera Marina ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Seagrass Beds ◽  
Diel Patterns ◽  
Palaemon Macrodactylus ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
A Minor

Decapod assemblages in Zostera marina beds from two bays adjacent to unvegetated habitats were investigated to assess their influence on decapod assemblages. Thirty-eight decapod species belonging to four taxa were collected using a small beam trawl at four habitat types from two different locations off the coast of Namhae Island, South Korea. Dominant decapod taxon at all habitats was the caridean shrimps, with Eualus leptognathus, Heptacarpus pandaloides, Latreutes anoplonyx, La. Laminirostris, and Palaemon macrodactylus being the most abundant caridean species. Crabs were characterized with the highest biomass, but with moderate species richness and abundance. Penaeoid and sergestoid shrimps only accounted for <1% of the total decapod abundance. The number of species and their abundance of decapod assemblages varied greatly by habitat type, season, and diel patterns, but not diversity. Species number and abundance peaked in seagrass beds of southern exposed bays during the autumn and were lowest in unvegetated habitats during the summer months. Diel decapod catch rates were higher at night. Dense seagrass vegetation and nighttime supported higher decapod mean densities, but not species richness and diversity. Multivariate analyses revealed that habitat type and season significantly affected the structure of decapod assemblages, but diel patterns had a minor influence. Among decapod species, Pa. macrodactylus and Pugettia quadridens characterized the decapod assemblages in seagrass beds at the northern semi-closed bay, while Telmessus acutidens, Crangon affinis, Cr. hakodatei, Charybdis (Charybdis) japonica, and Portunus sanguinolentus were significantly associated with both vegetated and unvegetated habitats at the southern exposed bay, with the former two species more abundant during the colder season.

scholarly journals A Place to Call Home: Amphibian Use of Created and Restored Wetlands

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald J. Brown ◽  
Garrett M. Street ◽  
Robert W. Nairn ◽  
Michael R. J. Forstner
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Restored Wetlands ◽  
Wetland Connectivity ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Loss and degradation of wetland habitats are major contributing factors to the global decline of amphibians. Creation and restoration of wetlands could be a valuable tool for increasing local amphibian species richness and abundance. We synthesized the peer-reviewed literature addressing amphibian use of created and restored wetlands, focusing on aquatic habitat, upland habitat, and wetland connectivity and configuration. Amphibian species richness or abundance at created and restored wetlands was either similar to or greater than reference wetlands in 89% of studies. Use of created and restored wetlands by individual species was driven by aquatic and terrestrial habitat preferences, as well as ability to disperse from source wetlands. We conclude that creating and restoring wetlands can be valuable tools for amphibian conservation. However, the ecological needs and preferences of target species must be considered to maximize the potential for successful colonization and long-term persistence.

The effect of habitat type and seasonal conditions on fauna in two areas of the Tanami Desert

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Paltridge ◽  
Richard Southgate
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Central Australia ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Track Counts ◽  
Capture Rates

Australian deserts are characterised by highly patterned plant productivity and an extremely unpredictable climate. The Tanami Desert in central Australia is dominated by vast sandplains interspersed with more productive habitats such as palaeodrainage lines. During 1996 and 1997 fauna surveys were conducted in two areas of the Tanami Desert to investigate the relative importance of palaeodrainage habitat for fauna under different seasonal conditions. The two areas were at latitudes separated by approximately 400 km, and during the study period the northern study area (Tennant) received considerably more rainfall than the southern study area (Kintore). The species richness and abundance of a range of taxonomic groups were compared between the two study areas and between palaeodrainage habitat and adjacent sandplain habitat. The only significant difference between habitats was that small reptiles were more abundant in sandplain than palaeodrainage habitat. Overall, bilbies, bustards and macropods were significantly more abundant at Tennant than Kintore, but significantly more small mammals were captured at Kintore. In both habitats and areas, capture rates, track counts and species richness of reptiles varied significantly with season. The biomass of invertebrates captured also showed significant temporal fluctuations. Burrowing frogs were active only after rain, and birds showed significant fluctuations in abundance and species richness associated with rainfall. The abundance of small mammals did not vary significantly during this study. Overall, local seasonal conditions were generally more important determinants of the abundance of fauna in the spinifex grasslands of central Australia than was habitat type.

scholarly journals Are ant assemblages of Brazilian veredas characterised by location or habitat type?

2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
CB Costa-Milanez ◽  
G Lourenço-Silva ◽  
PTA Castro ◽  
JD Majer ◽  
SP Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Ant Assemblages ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantations ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Wetland areas in the Brazilian Cerrado, known as “veredas”, represent ecosystems formed on sandy soils with high concentrations of peat, and are responsible for the recharge of aquiferous reservoirs. They are currently under threat by various human activities, most notably the clearing of vegetation for Eucalyptus plantations. Despite their ecological importance and high conservation value, little is known about the actual effects of human disturbance on the animal community. To assess how habitat within different veredas, and plantations surrounding them affect ant assemblages, we selected four independent vereda locations, two being impacted by Eucalyptus monoculture (one younger and one mature plantation) and two controls, where the wetland was surrounded by cerrado vegetation. Ant sampling was conducted in May 2010 (dry season) using three complementary methods, namely baits, pitfall traps, and hand collection, in the wetland and in the surrounding habitats. A total of 7,575 ants were sampled, belonging to seven subfamilies, 32 genera and 124 species. Ant species richness and abundance did not differ between vereda locations, but did between the habitats. When impacted by the monoculture, ant species richness and abundance decreased in wetlands, but were less affected in the cerrado habitat. Ant species composition differed between the three habitats and between vereda locations. Eucalyptus plantations had an ant species composition defined by high dominance of Pheidole sp. and Solenopsis invicta, while natural habitats were defined by Camponotus and Crematogaster species. Atta sexdens was strictly confined to native habitats of non-impacted “veredas”. Eucalyptus monocultures require high quantities of water in the early stages, which may have caused a decrease in groundwater level in the wetland, allowing hypogeic ants such as Labidus praedator to colonise this habitat.

scholarly journals Comparison of ant-associated beetle communities inhabiting mounds of forest-dwelling ants in forests and forest clearings

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 881-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salla K. Härkönen ◽  
Jouni Sorvari
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Formica Rufa Group ◽  
Microclimatic Conditions ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Red wood ant (Formica rufa group) nests contain a highly diverse community of invertebrates, which is largely due to their abundant resources and regulated microclimatic conditions. Clear-felling, however, causes nest mounds to lose surface layer moisture, thus disrupting their inner stability. To study the effects of clear-felling on ant-associated beetles (myrmecophile and non-myrmecophile), 41 nests of Formica aquilonia Yarrow, 1955 located on three clear-fells and adjacent mature forest stands were sampled, and the beetle communities between these habitats were compared. We investigated how habitat type, nest surface moisture content, nest volume, and isolation affect the community composition, species richness, and abundance of beetles. Beetle community composition or species richness did not markedly differ between clearings and forests, although total abundance was higher in forests. Also, total species richness and abundance and myrmecophile abundance increased with increasing moisture content. Overall, nests with similar moisture content and volume had similar species compositions. Nest volume was negatively correlated with myrmecophile species richness. Nest isolation was not related to species richness or abundance. The lower abundances in clearings could be problematic in the long term, as small populations are more likely to become extinct. To ensure the survival of ants and their associates, small-scale clearings should be preferred.

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