A survey of terrestrial gastropods from central Maine

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 620-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. George Gleich ◽  
Frederick F. Gilbert

Terrestrial gastropods were collected in central Maine from June to November 1971 to study their distribution, relative abundance, and habitat preferences. Gastropods were widespread, but not abundant. Thirty-five percent of the 1626 gastropods collected were slugs. Thirty-seven snail species, including eight slug species, were found. Discus cronkhitei and Zonitoides arboreus were the most commonly collected gastropods: Deroceras reliculatum and Pallifera dorsalis were the most common slugs. Snails (excluding slugs) were more abundant in the northwestern portion of central Maine, whereas slugs were more abundant in the southeastern portion. Slugs were significantly less abundant in coniferous forests than in deciduous or mixed forests, but snail numbers (excluding slugs) in the three forest types were not significantly different.

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12059
Author(s):  
Min Li ◽  
Gaowei Wang ◽  
Yang Gao ◽  
Mingzhu Dou ◽  
Ziqi Wang ◽  
...  

Although myxomycetes are ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems, studies on their distribution and diversity in subtropical humid forests are still lacking. Field collections and moist chamber cultures were conducted from May to October within a two-year period in the Tiantangzhai National Forest Park of China. A total of 1,492 records representing 73 species belonging to 26 genera were obtained, of which 243 records/37 species were from field collections, and 1,249 records/52 species were from moist chamber cultures. Among the specimens obtained by culturing, 896 records/38 species and 353 records/37 species were obtained from living bark and ground litter, respectively. ANOVA showed that the sampling months had significant impacts on collection of myxomycetes from field and those that inhabit litter. An LEfSe analysis indicated that Arcyria was significantly abundant in August, while Stemonitis and Physarum were more abundant in July when collected from field. An RDA analysis showed that temperature was the main factor that affected the litter-inhabiting myxomycetes. The ANOVA indicated that forest type was the significant factor for bark-inhabiting myxomycetes. Diderma effusum was primarily obtained from mixed forests, while Clastoderma debaryanum and Colloderma oculatum were more common in coniferous forests. The RDA analysis indicated that the vegetation, pH, water retention, and elevation were the primary factors that affected the bark-inhabiting myxomycetes.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1027
Author(s):  
Dandan Qi ◽  
Fujuan Feng ◽  
Yanmei Fu ◽  
Ximei Ji ◽  
Xianfa Liu

Microbes, as important regulators of ecosystem processes, play essential roles in ecosystem recovery after disturbances. However, it is not clear how soil microbial communities and functions change and affect forest recovery after clear-cutting. Here, we used metagenome sequencing to systematically analyse the differences in soil microbial community composition, functions, and nitrogen (N) cycling pathways between primary Korean pine forests (PF) and secondary broad-leaved forests (SF) formed after clear-cutting. Our results showed that the dominant phyla of the two forest types were consistent, but the relative abundance of some phyla was significantly different. Meanwhile, at the genus level, the fold-changes of rare genera were larger than the dominant and common genera. The genes related to microbial core metabolic functions, virulence factors, stress response, and defence were significantly enriched in SF. Additionally, based on the relative abundance of functional genes, a schema was proposed to analyse the differences in the whole N cycling processes between the two forest types. In PF, the stronger ammoniation and dissimilatory nitrate reduction (DNRA) and the weaker nitrification provided a genetic explanation for PF dominated by ammonium (NH4+) rather than nitrate (NO3−). In SF, the weaker DNRA, the stronger nitrification and denitrification, the higher soil available phosphorus (AP), and the lower nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (N/P) comprehensively suggested that SF was faced with a greater degree of N limitation. These results offer insights into the potential relationship between soil microbes and forest recovery, and aid in implementing proper forestry management.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
K. A. Yao ◽  
E. A. Bitty ◽  
K. B. Kassé ◽  
Y. C. Kouakou ◽  
K. H. Yaokokoré-Beibro ◽  
...  

Context Duikers play a vital role in maintaining forest ecosystems, as both seed dispersers and prey. In West Africa, duikers are also an important source of food and income; however, it is likely that some species are now being hunted at unsustainable levels. So as to contribute to duiker conservation, we used line-transect data and additional information on dung and track counts to estimate relative abundance and establish distribution patterns of forest duikers in Côte d'Ivoire's Dassioko Sud Forest Reserve (DSFR), a poorly known, remnant coastal rainforest. We also collected basic information on hunting pressure. Methods Forest duiker counts were made twice per month from July 2013 to March 2014 on six line transects of varying lengths (5.6–6.7km) and in different regions of the DSFR, representing different habitat types. The number of sightings per kilometre walked, defined as ‘encounter rate', was used to compute an index of relative abundance. We recorded all evidence of poachers and used these data to generate a poaching index (# poaching signs per kilometre) for different habitat types. Key results The DSFR has lost three of seven total forest duiker species and populations of the four remaining species are declining. Encounter rates were greatest for Philantomba maxwellii (0.46 indices km–1) and accounted for 68% of total encounters. Cephalophus niger, C. dorsalis and C. silvicultor were encountered at similar (0.07 indices km–1) but much lower rates. For all species, mean encounter rates were highest in degraded forest (0.38–0.73 indices km–1), followed by secondary (0.2–0.44 indices km–1) and primary (0.19–0.44 indices km–1) forest. Conclusions Of the four forest duiker species still present in the DSFR, the black, bay and yellow-backed duikers are the most affected by anthropogenic pressures. Duiker abundance in the DSFR varies with habitat type. This variation is apparently influenced by differences in forest structure, poaching pressure and proximity to villages. Implications The study provides baseline data for future managing of ungulate populations in the DSFR. We recommend that a biomonitoring study of duiker populations be initiated immediately to help determine population trends, investigate habitat preferences, and help curb illegal hunting activities in this important forest reserve.


2013 ◽  
Vol 726-731 ◽  
pp. 4315-4318
Author(s):  
Shu Li Wang ◽  
Chao Ma

Through the manner of field investigation and room experiments, by using software SPSS 13.0, software ArcGis 9.3 and geostatistical analysis tool, the spatial heterogeneity of the soil bulk density under virgin Pinus koraiensis forest, Betula platyphylla and Pinus koraiensis mixed forest (Pinus koraiensis natural regeneration), Betulaplatyphylla and Pinus koraiensis mixed forest (Pinus koraiensis planted) and pure Pinus koraiensis plantation were studied. The characteristics of the spatial heterogeneity of the soil bulk density under different forest types were different, the spatial heterogeneity of the soil bulk density under four forest types were influenced by random factors, but the auto relationship part of the soil bulk density spatial heterogeneity under Betula platyphylla and Pinus koraiensis mixed forests were bigger, and the change distance was smaller than that under pure Pinus koraiensis plantation. The spatial distribution pattern of the soil bulk density under Betula platyphylla and Pinus koraiensis mixed forests was superior to that under pure Pinus koraiensis plantation. The results would provide a theory basis for the recovery and the sustainable management of the Pinus koraiensis forest.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joakim Hjältén ◽  
Ola Atlegrim ◽  
Frida Sandström ◽  
Roger Pettersson ◽  
Eric Rexstad

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of fire on flat bug diversity and abundance in coniferous and mixed forests in interior Alaska. Eighty individuals, of which 78 in the burned areas and two in the control areas, of six aradid species were collected: Aradus abbas (Bergroth), A. funestus (Bergroth), A. lugubris (Fallén), A. signaticornis (Sahlberg), A. tuberculifer (Kirby) and Aneurus simplex (Uhler). Generally, all flat bug species were more abundant in the burned areas than in control areas with statistically significant differences for four of the six species and for pooled nymphs. Habitat preferences and potential mechanisms connecting mycophagy and pyrophagy are discussed.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1003
Author(s):  
Yu-Song Jin ◽  
Yu-Kun Hu ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Dan-Dan Liu ◽  
Ying-Hua Lin ◽  
...  

Understory vegetation hosts high biodiversity and plays a critical role in the ecosystem processes of boreal forests. However, the drivers of understory plant diversity in this high-latitude ecosystem remain uncertain. To investigate the influences of forest type and latitude on understory beta diversity at different scales, we quantified the species composition of Vaccinium uliginosum Linnaeus communities under broadleaf and coniferous forests at two latitudes at the quadrat (2 × 2 m) and plot (10 × 10 m) scales in the Greater Xing’an Mountains, NE China. At the quadrat scale, species alpha diversity of V. uliginosum communities was higher in broadleaf forests than that in coniferous forests at both latitudes. The differences in species beta diversity (the Sørensen’s dissimilarity) in two forest types depended on the latitude: beta diversity in broadleaf forests was higher than that in coniferous forests at the higher latitude, while beta diversity in coniferous forests was higher at the lower latitude. At the plot scale, alpha and beta diversity of V. uliginosum communities decreased from broadleaf forests to coniferous forests at the higher latitude, and they did not show significant differences between forest types at the lower latitude. These results indicate the interactive effects of forest type and latitude on beta diversity of understory vegetation. Moreover, the influences of forest type and latitude on species alpha and beta diversity were different across the two spatial scales, suggesting that the assembly mechanisms underlying species diversity may be different at different scales. Understanding the maintenance of understory vegetation diversity will benefit the conservation and management of boreal forests.


2021 ◽  
Vol 265 ◽  
pp. 01024
Author(s):  
Natalya Ivanova ◽  
Irina Petrova

The processes of natural reforestation play a crucial role for the preservation of primary coniferous forests and the success of their restoration after catastrophic impacts. The objective of our research was to identify the features of the natural renewal of the main coniferous forest-forming plants under the canopy of stands in the mountains of the Middle Urals, to establish dependencies on the forest type not only the total number of tree saplings, but also its age structure. The research was carried out in the mountainous part of the Sverdlovsk region (Russia) on the eastern macroslope of the Ural Mountains. We studied old-age pine forests, which belong to the 4 most common forest types. The tree saplings were counted into account on 2-4 subplots with a length of 20 meters and a width of 2 meters. It is established that under the canopy of all types of forest there is a different age coniferous saplings, despite significant differences in habitats. The most abundant pine saplings are found in pine forests with Vaccinium vitis-idaea, and the most abundant spruce saplings is found in pine forest with spruce and moss cover.


1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 861-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon F. Bennett

The prevalence of Cuterebra emasculator Fitch in 1328 chipmunks (Tamias striatus) was analyzed as to the sex and age class of the host and to the forest habitats from which the chipmunks were obtained. The prevalence of the parasite was highest in immature animals of both sexes and lowest in adult females. Prevalence of C. emasculator was highest in chipmunks from second-growth mixed forests; such animals also carried more parasites per animal. Chipmunks from mature coniferous forests harbored the fewest parasites per individual and the prevalence was the lowest. The parasite density was extremely low, averaging one fly per 2.8 acres in mature coniferous forest and one fly per 0.7 acres in the second-growth forest habitat.


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