The grasshopper (Orthoptera : Acridoidea, Eumastacoidea and Tettigonioidea) fauna of Kakadu National Park in the Australian seasonal tropics: biogeography, habitat associations and functional groups

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan N. Andersen ◽  
Lyn M. Lowe ◽  
D. C. F. Rentz
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
National Park ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Grasshopper Species ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Northern Half ◽  
Open Ground ◽  
Total Species

Grasshoppers are a diverse and functionally important group of insects, but assemblages of Australian grasshoppers are extremely poorly known. This study of the grasshoppers (Orthoptera : Acrididae, Eumastacidae, Pyrgomorphidae, Tridactylidae, Tetrigidae and Tettigoniidae) of Kakadu National Park in the seasonal tropics of the Northern Territory is the first comprehensive description of any regional grasshopper fauna in Australia. We list all known species, describe their biogeography, habitat associations and abundance, and propose a functional group classification for Australian grasshoppers as a framework for future ecological and biogeographical studies. In all, 161 grasshopper species from 90 genera are known from Kakadu. The dominant family is Acrididae (64% of all genera, 63% of all species), within which the subfamily Catantopinae (44% of all grasshopper genera, 47% species) is particularly important, as is typical for Australia. The Tettigoniidae is also relatively diverse, with 35 species from 16 genera. A large proportion of the fauna – 81 species (50%) and 15 genera (17%) – is undescribed. In total, 86% of Kakadu’s species and 73% of genera are endemic to Australia. Many (42%) of the species are endemic to the northern half of the Northern Territory, and most of the others (36% of total species) have their Australian distributions restricted to the tropics. The major functional groups in terms of species are Grass-eating Acrididae and Pyrgomorphidae (33% total species), Broadleaf-eating Acrididae and Pyrgomorphidae (19%) and Open-ground Acrididae and Pyrgomorphidae (12%). There is a widespread macroecological tendency for locally abundant species to have wide geographic ranges, but there was no consistent trend for locally abundant species in Kakadu to have widespread distributions.

scholarly journals Chiropteran diversity in the peripheral areas of the Maduru-Oya National Park in Sri Lanka: insights for conservation and management

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 784 ◽  
pp. 139-162
Author(s):  
Gayan Edirisinghe ◽  
Thilina Surasinghe ◽  
Dinesh Gabadage ◽  
Madhava Botejue ◽  
Kalika Perera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
National Park ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Peripheral Areas

In Sri Lanka, there are 31 species of bats distributed from lowlands to mountains. To document bat diversity and their habitat associations, 58 roosting sites in Maduru-Oya National Park periphery were surveyed. Fifteen bat species were recorded occupying 16 different roosting sites in this area. Among all the species recorded, Rhinolophusrouxii was the most abundant species per roosting site whereas Kerivoulapicta was the least abundant. A road-kill specimen similar to genus Phoniscus was found during the survey, a genus so far only documented in Southeast Asia and Australasia. Although our study area provided habitats for a diverse chiropteran community, the colony size per roost was remarkably low. Although our study area is supposedly a part of the park’s buffer zone, many anthropogenic activities are threatening the bat community: felling large trees, slash-and-burn agriculture, excessive use of agrochemicals, vengeful killing, and subsidized predation. We strongly recommend adoption of wildlife-friendly sustainable land management practices in the buffer zone such as forest gardening, agroforestry (alley cropping, mixed-cropping), and integrated farming. Bat conservation in this region should take a landscape-scale conservation approach which includes Maduru-Oya National Park and other surrounding protected areas into a regional conservation network. Extents of undisturbed wilderness are dramatically declining in Sri Lanka; thus, future conservation efforts must be retrofitted into anthropocentric multiuse landscapes and novel ecosystems like areas surrounding Maduru-Oya National Park.

scholarly journals Neelipleona and Symphypleona (Collembola) from a Sampling in the Mesovoid Shallow Substratum of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Madrid and Segovia, Spain): Taxonomy and Biogeography

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 266
Author(s):  
Enrique Baquero ◽  
Rafael Jordana ◽  
Vicente M. Ortuño
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Surface Sampling ◽  
Mesovoid Shallow Substratum ◽  
The Mediterranean

Megalothorax minimus (Neelidae) and Sphaeridia pumilis (Sminthurididae) had already been identified in surface sampling from Sierra de Guadarrama. In Europe, Sminthurinus gisini (Katiannidae) seems to be associated with environments at specific altitudes, and has little representation in this sampling. Pygmarrhopalites custodum Baquero and Jordana sp. nov. (Arrhopalitidae) coexists with two previously identified surface occurring species of the same family (P. elegans and Arrhopalites caecus). However, P. custodum is more abundant, indicating that it occupies an ecological niche tending to troglophile in the mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS). Moreover, it is also more abundant in the MSS of higher altitude corresponding to the bioclimatic zones cryo-oro-Mediterranean and oro-Mediterranean supra forest. Allacma cryptica Baquero and Jordana sp. nov. (Sminthuridae), is another species that had not been previously detected on the surface in the study area. A. cryptica is an addition to a genus which has eight described species. Gisinurus malatestai (Sminthuridae) appears well represented in the MSS, being a species present very occasionally in the Mediterranean area. Two species of the genera Sminthurides (Sminthurididae) and Fasciosminthurus (Bourletiellidae) have been found, but they could not have been identified to the species level. Finally, a few specimens of Dicyrtomina minuta (Dicyrtomidae), an abundant species on the surface, have been captured.

New species of Drymopsalta Heath Cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia, with overview of genus

Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3620 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-42
Author(s):  
A. EWART ◽  
L. W. POPPLE
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Similar Pattern ◽  
National Park ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Allopatric Species ◽  
Temporal Structures ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
Tree Foliage

Three new species are described in the genus Drymopsalta Ewart, previously known only from D. crepitum Ewart and D. daemeli Distant. The three new species occur in Southern Queensland and Northern Territory. D. wallumi sp. nov. occurs along coastal S.E. Queensland, whereas D. hobsoni sp. nov. is restricted to the Bringalily State Forest, near Inglewood, southern inland Queensland. D. acrotela sp. nov. is found in the Litchfield National Park and other locations near Jabaluka, Cahills Crossing, E. Alligator River and Nourlangie, all across the northern Northern Territory. D. crepitum occurs on the Cape York Peninsular extending into the southern Gulf, while D. daemeli occurs in two localised regions in central coastal N.S.W. Each of the species inhabits heath vegetation, often spilling-over into adjacent tree foliage. The species of Drymopsalta are small and inconspicuous cicadas (<15 mm body length) with relatively high frequency songs (~15 to 22 kHz). The temporal structures of the normal calling songs follow a similar pattern in each species, consisting of the emission of short chirps (comprising 2–16 ticks). Between the chirps are emitted one (D. wallumi, D. hobsoni, D. acrotela), two (D. daemeli) or 1–9 (D. crepitum) intervening single ticks. The species can be distinguished by the timing and the number of these single ticks relative to the adjacent chirps with the notable exception of D. hobsoni and D. acrotela. The calling songs of these two allopatric species are indistinguishable, an unusual feature in Australian cicadas. Two additional song variants are described, a more unstructured chirping song without intervening single ticks observed in each of the species except D. crepitum, and periodic extended buzzing echemes emitted within the calling songs (excepting the D. wallumi song).

Dominance, diversity and distribution of lianas in Yasuní, Ecuador: who is on top?

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 845-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn J. Burnham
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Habitat Specificity ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Yasuni National Park ◽  
Coefficient Of Variability ◽  
Herbarium Collections ◽  
Floodplain Habitats ◽  
Total Species

Lianas of Yasuní National Park and the Huaorani Ethnic Reserve, Ecuador were sampled using 0.2-ha subsamples from 12 1-ha plots. Using surveys and herbarium collections, the total species richness of lianas in the park and reserve is estimated to be close to 500 species. Terra firme habitats are significantly more species rich than floodplain habitats, but density of stems is not significantly different between habitats. The most abundant liana species is Machaerium cuspidatum Kuhlm. & Hoehne (Fabaceae) in both floodplain and terra firme habitats, representing more than 10% of all stems in census plots. Analysis of rarity indicates that none of the liana species encountered on the 12 plots is rare in terms of geographic range, and many species are not rare in terms of population size or habitat specificity. The rank order of abundance, combined with the coefficient of variability in species distribution among plots, is used to identify the 38 species (an oligarchy) that dominate forests in Yasuní.

Encounters on the Frontier: Banteng in Australia’s Northern Territory

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa deKoninck
Keyword(s):  
Introduced Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Genetic Resource ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
The North ◽  
Bos Javanicus ◽  
Environmental Threat ◽  
Tropical Australia ◽  
Over Time

Abstract This paper considers the case of an introduced species that resides in what is now a jointly managed national park in the north of tropical Australia. Banteng (Bos javanicus) are a peculiar feral nonhuman animal in that they constitute a potential environmental threat within the domestic conservation goals of the park, but they also hold the prospect of being a major genetic resource in the international conservation of the species. Thus, perspectives on the use and management of these animals are varied between different actors in the park landscape, and are subject to fluctuations over time, especially in response to wider social and political circumstances. This paper argues that seemingly objective views of these animals are actually a series of subjectivities, which have less to do with any concrete aspects of the animals themselves and more to do with the way that particular people orient themselves toward, and within, the landscape.

scholarly journals Spatial variation in the structure of fish assemblages in the Vaalbos National Park, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Length Frequency Distribution ◽  
Length Frequency ◽  
Percentage Cover ◽  
Successful Recruitment

Fish assemblages were sampled at nine sites in the lower Vaal River in the Vaalbos National Park and adjacent properties. A total of 1543 fish from 10 species was recorded. Ordination revealed spatial variation in assemblage structure, with the distinction primarily between communities in rapids and deep pools. Flow velocity, depth and percentage cover were important determinants offish assemblage structure. The length frequency distribution of abundant species indicated successful recruitment. Several differences in the species compliment compared to earlier studies were evident, including high abundance of Barbus paludinosus and Austro^lanis sclateri, and the absence of Barbus anoplus. The length-mass relationships of large cyprmids indicated long-term declines in the physical condition of fish.

scholarly journals Analysis of fish assemblages in sectors along a salinity gradient based on species, families and functional groups

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carolina dos Passos ◽  
Riguel Feltrin Contente ◽  
Felippe Veneziani Abbatepaulo ◽  
Henry Louis Spach ◽  
Ciro Colodetti Vilar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Salinity Gradients ◽  
Gradient Based ◽  
Subtropical Estuaries ◽  
East West

Here we test the effects of the east-west salinity gradient in the subtropical Paranaguá Bay Estuarine Complex (PEC) on the structure of shallow water fish fauna, determined according to taxonomic (families and species) and functional composition metrics. A total of 152 species were observed. The families with the largest number of species were the Sciaenidae, Carangidae, Haemulidae and Gobiidae. The most abundant species were Atherinella brasiliensis, Harengula clupeola, Anchoa januaria and Anchoa tricolor. Marine stragglers dominated in number of species, followed by marine migrants and estuarine species. Most species were zoobenthivores, followed by piscivores and zooplanktivores. Families and species more frequently associated with estuarine conditions dominated in the mesohaline sector, and those more frequently associated with marine conditions dominated in the euhaline sector. The fish assemblages along the estuarine salinity gradient were found to be better characterized by taxonomic metrics than by functional ones. This is most likely because individuals of all functional groups inhabit all salinity sectors, and thus these metrics are not useful for differentiating assemblages along salinity gradients. Our results differ from those of other studies in tropical and subtropical estuaries, which have emphasized the importance of functional groups in determining fish assemblages along salinity gradients.

scholarly journals Indirect methods of identifying mammals: a case study from Shivapuri National Park, Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 43-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Shrestha ◽  
K. Basnet
Keyword(s):  
Relative Frequency ◽  
National Park ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Indirect Methods ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Basic Characteristics

The main objective of this study was to explore diversity of mammalian species in Shivapuri national Park (ShNP) through indirect method. Specific objectives were (i) to identify and describe characteristic features of different signs as key to species identification, and (ii) to determine occurrence and abundance of mammalian species based on the signs. Survey was conducted by walking through fixed 11 transect lines of total 229 km long, collecting and recording of footprints, feces, scrapes, scratches, shelters of burrows, calls and quills of mammals. Altogether 344 indirect signs were collected and observed through fixed transect lines and 25 signs through random searching of mammals from Kakani, Panimuhan, Shivapuri Peak, Baghdwar, Sundarijal, Chisapani and Manichur in ShNP. Basic characteristics of identified signs of different mamals as key to their identification have been described. The occurrence of species was confirmed through indirect signs and abundance was estimated on the basis of encounter rate (number/km/day) and relative frequency percentage of the signs. Among 20 species, 18 species belonging to six orderas and 14 families were recorded confirming by different indirect validation techniques. The study also identified large civet, a new record for ShNP. The highest percentage relative frequency (35%) and encounter rate (0.53/km) of signs of wild boar and house rat implied these species were the most abundant mammals in the park. This was followed by barking dear (17% and 0.26), common leopard (17% and 0.25), jungle cat (9.6% and 0.14), Himalayan squirrel and rhesus monkey, which were intermediate in abundance. Himalayan goral (6.7% and 0.10), Indian hare (4.3% and 0.06), yellow throated marten (4% and 0.06), golden jackal (3.5% and 0.05), large civit (2.6% and 0.04), black bear (0.3% and 0.004), Chinese pangolin, hanumal langur, royel's pika, porcupine and small mongoose were the least abundant species. Key words: Mammals; Identification; Footprints; scrapes; Feces; Shelters doi: 10.3126/eco.v12i0.3196 Ecoprint: An International Journal of Ecology 12: 43-58, 2005

scholarly journals Spatial, temporal and ontogenetic variation in the association of fishes (family Labridae) with rocky-reef habitats

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason K. Morton ◽  
William Gladstone
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Habitat Variability ◽  
Life History Stages ◽  
Multiple Spatial Scales ◽  
Habitat Specialisation ◽  
Rocky Reefs

Habitat variability is an important factor structuring fish assemblages of rocky reefs in temperate Australia. Accepting the generality of this model requires that habitat-related variation is consistent through time, across multiple spatial scales, and applies to all life-history stages. We used repeated underwater visual surveys at multiple spatial scales over a 22-month period to test whether three distinct rocky-reef habitats had different wrasse assemblages and whether these assemblages were subject to spatial, temporal and ontogenetic variability. Overall, the strongest and most consistent habitat association was with sponge gardens, which had the most distinct assemblage, and the greatest species richness and density of individuals. Habitat associations in fringe and barrens were less consistent. A substantial increase in the abundance of small individuals, coinciding with warmer sea temperatures, contributed to temporal fluctuations in the density of wrasses. Overall, habitats were not strongly partitioned among larger individuals of the most abundant species, suggesting that adults are largely habitat generalists whereas small, recruiting individuals showed greater habitat specialisation. The present study emphasises the importance of incorporating spatial, temporal and ontogenetic variability into surveys of fish assemblages to understand more fully the dynamics of temperate rocky-reef systems.

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