The effects of human disturbance on the species composition, species diversity and functional diversity of a Miombo woodland in northern Malawi

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chisato Yamashina ◽  
Masaya Hara ◽  
Tomohiro Fujita
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Miombo Woodland

scholarly journals The Importance of Forest-Nonforest Transition Zones for Avian Conservation in a Vegetation Disturbance Gradient in the Northern Neotropics

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 194008292110080
Author(s):  
Dallas R. Levey ◽  
Alejandro Estrada ◽  
Paula L. Enríquez ◽  
Adolfo G. Navarro-Sigüenza
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Disturbance Gradient ◽  
Unique Species

Tropical landscape connectivity and matrix quality near large stands of primary forest are important factors that dictate biodiversity trends in communities. Suitable matrix management surrounding primary forest may help conserve biodiversity, but areas with poor matrix management need attention to determine their long-term viability to support native levels of biodiversity. We examined variations in species and functional diversity and community composition using point-count surveys placed in preserved (PRES), transition (TRA), and disturbed (DIS) areas according to percent land cover of forest and cattle pasture along a human disturbance gradient in the northern Neotropics during an 8 month period from 2019–2020. We expected the gradient of human disturbance to drive species diversity loss of forest specialists from PRES to DIS, resulting in changes to functional diversity and community composition. We detected 228 species overall, with 163 in PRES (40 unique species), 159 in TRA (9 unique species), and 152 in DIS (20 unique species). TRA supported an avian community with shared aspects of PRES and DIS, leading to the highest functional, Shannon (85.8 estimated species), and Simpson (57.9 estimated species) diversity. Higher diversity of open-area specialists in TRA and DIS has led to shifts in functional traits and different species and functional community compositions relative to PRES. Land management in Neotropical human-modified landscapes must focus on increasing habitat quality in remnant forest fragments in the vicinity of large stands of primary forest to prevent species and ecosystem service loss from preserved areas and the distancing of local community compositions.

Effects of human disturbance on understory woody species composition and diversity in fengshui forests

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lü Hao-rong ◽  
Liu Song-song ◽  
Zhu Jian-yun ◽  
Ye Yong-chang ◽  
Chen Hong-yue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Woody Species

scholarly journals Repeated surveying over 6 years reveals that fine-scale habitat variables are key to tropical mountain ant assemblage composition and functional diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulalo M. Muluvhahothe ◽  
Grant S. Joseph ◽  
Colleen L. Seymour ◽  
Thinandavha C. Munyai ◽  
Stefan H. Foord
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Fine Scale

AbstractHigh-altitude-adapted ectotherms can escape competition from dominant species by tolerating low temperatures at cooler elevations, but climate change is eroding such advantages. Studies evaluating broad-scale impacts of global change for high-altitude organisms often overlook the mitigating role of biotic factors. Yet, at fine spatial-scales, vegetation-associated microclimates provide refuges from climatic extremes. Using one of the largest standardised data sets collected to date, we tested how ant species composition and functional diversity (i.e., the range and value of species traits found within assemblages) respond to large-scale abiotic factors (altitude, aspect), and fine-scale factors (vegetation, soil structure) along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa. Altitude emerged as the principal factor explaining species composition. Analysis of nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity indicated that ant assemblages are specific to each elevation, so species are not filtered out but replaced with new species as elevation increases. Similarity of assemblages over time (assessed using beta decay) did not change significantly at low and mid elevations but declined at the highest elevations. Assemblages also differed between northern and southern mountain aspects, although at highest elevations, composition was restricted to a set of species found on both aspects. Functional diversity was not explained by large scale variables like elevation, but by factors associated with elevation that operate at fine scales (i.e., temperature and habitat structure). Our findings highlight the significance of fine-scale variables in predicting organisms’ responses to changing temperature, offering management possibilities that might dilute climate change impacts, and caution when predicting assemblage responses using climate models, alone.

scholarly journals To what extent does the species composition of Macaronesian laurel forests depend on their human disturbance history and environmental drivers?

2021 ◽  
Vol 497 ◽  
pp. 119468
Author(s):  
Jesús Parada-Díaz ◽  
Jürgen Kluge ◽  
Víctor Bello-Rodríguez ◽  
Marcelino J. Del Arco Aguilar ◽  
Juana María González-Mancebo
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Disturbance History

The relationship between species diversity and functional diversity along aridity gradients in semi-arid rangeland

2021 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 104632
Author(s):  
Guy Dovrat ◽  
Ehud Meron ◽  
Moshe Shachak ◽  
Yosef Moshe ◽  
Yagil Osem
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Arid Rangeland

scholarly journals Composition and diversity of anurans in the Restinga of the Conde municipality, northern coast of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Augusto Trindade Gondim-Silva ◽  
Alessandra Rodrigues Santos Andrade ◽  
Rafael Oliveira Abreu ◽  
Jamile Santos Nascimento ◽  
Geovane Paixão Corrêa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
The State ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Freshwater Wetland ◽  
Northern Coast ◽  
Anuran Species

Abstract The Conde municipality is located in the northern coast of the state of Bahia (NC), northeastern Brazil, and is part of the Atlantic Tropical domain. The anuran fauna of the northern portion of the NC is still poorly known if compared to the southern portion. The Restinga is one of the predominant environments of the coastal plains of the NC and it is characterized essentially by presenting sandy soil covered by herbaceous and shrubby vegetation. The objective of this study was to determine the anuran species composition and diversity for the Restinga of the Conde municipality. Sampling was carried out at night by active search over four periods of five consecutive days each, two over the 'main rainy season' and two in a 'lesser rainy season', using 14 sample units (SUs) and five extra sample plots (EPs). We calculated dominance and species diversity using the Berger-Parker and Shannon-Wiener H' indices, respectively. We used accumulation curves and the Jackknife 1 estimator to estimate anuran species richness, considering only the data obtained from the SUs. We recorded 713 anuran specimens distributed within 33 species, 13 genera and five families (Bufonidae, Craugastoridae, Hylidae, Leptodactylidae and Microhylidae). The Hylidae and Leptodactylidae families had the highest species richness. Considering only the SUs (Jackknife 1 estimator in brackets), we recorded 28 species in the study area (33.9 ± 2.3), 13 in Shrubby Vegetation Zones - SVZ (20.8 ± 2.9) and 25 in Freshwater Wetland Zones - FWZ (28.9 ± 1.9). The abundance and species diversity of the FWZ (n = 638 specimens; H'= 2.4) were higher than those recorded for the SVZ (n = 52 specimens; H' = 1.9). The SVZ and FWZ showed distinct dominant species, wherein Pristimantis paulodutrai was the dominant species in SVZ and Scinax fuscomarginatus in FWZ. The Restinga of the Conde municipality stands out as the one with the highest anuran species richness already recorded considering only SVZ and FWZ. Moreover, its anuran species composition represented 55% of the anuran species known for the NC and included taxa common to three different morphoclimatic domains (Tropical Atlantic, Cerrado and Caatinga).

Taxonomic and ecologic observations of zoosporic fungi in soils of a high-arctic ecosystem

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 533-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Booth ◽  
Paul Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Ecosystem ◽  
Devon Island ◽  
Zoosporic Fungi

Phylctochytrium arcticum Barr and Rhizophlyctis harderi Uebelmesser are reported as additional taxa in soils of Truelove Lowland (Devon Island, N.W.T.) and Nowakowskiella spp., Olpidium pendulum Zopf, Pythium irregularae Buisman. Pythium spp., Phlyctochytrium arcticum, and Rhizophydium sphaerotheca Zopf are readily detectable as active organisms in Lowland microhabitats. Species diversity is greatest in mesic and warm soils and species composition of water-logged soils is different than dry soils. Soil acidity effects on distribution are discussed and autecological considerations of Nowakowskiella elegans and R. sphaerotheca with respect to pH, percentage N, C, and P, milliequivalents Ca2+ and Mg2+, moisture, and temperature are presented.

scholarly journals Effects of grazing on plant species diversity and above ground biomass in a Trans- Himalayan Rangeland

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Pokharel ◽  
Madhu Chhetri ◽  
Chiranjibi P Upadhyaya
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Grazing Effect ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Palatable Species

Limited information is available on the species composition, above ground biomass and its relations to grazing in a trans-Himalayan rangeland. Its assessment is essential for long term conservation and management. In the present study, we compared species composition, phenology, diversity index and biomass between controlled (without grazing) and open (free grazing) plots to assess the effects of grazing in the selected experimental sites of Upper Mustang during July and November 2005. Species encountered were classified as high, medium, low and non palatable and in three life form categories-grasses, shrubs and forbs. The experimental sites are dominated by forbs (80%) followed by grasses (15%) and shrubs (5%). Disturbance caused by grazing affects the phenological characteristics of the plant community. Result also reveals that species diversity, maximum possible diversity, evenness and species richness was higher in the grazed plots during July and November. A comparison of the aboveground biomass in July showed that mean percentage biomass of high, medium and low palatable species is higher in ungrazed plots. In November, the percentage biomass of only medium palatable species was higher in ungrazed plots and rest of the category is higher in grazed plots. Significant difference in July, a peak growing seasons for most of the plant species in the region reveals that the pasture has impact of livestock grazing. Keywords: Biomass, diversity, grazing effect, rangeland, species Banko Janakari: A journal of forestry information for Nepal Vol.17(1) 2007 pp.25-31

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