scholarly journals Avifauna Diversity in the Gate between Humid Atlas and Saharan Desert: Midelt Province, Morocco

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ismail Mansouri ◽  
Wafae Squalli ◽  
Abdelbari El Agy ◽  
Badr Ben Hichou ◽  
Abderahim El Hassani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Wiener Index ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Bearded Vulture ◽  
Advanced Analysis

The analysis of biological diversity at a regional scale is the first step to understand and classify the biological importance of a specific region and therefore the adoption of implementing conservation strategies. We conducted weekly bird counts by using the point count method from January 2015 to December 2017 in Midelt province, Morocco. A total of 130 bird species were observed, among breeding, migrant, and wintering species belonging to 42 families. Accipitridae (15 species), Muscicapidae (9 species), and Alaudidae (9 species) were the most observed families. Order of Passeriformes was the dominant order represented with 16 families and 68 species. Moreover, five species of conservation concern were recorded such as the vulnerable European turtle dove, houbara bustard, and Dupont’s lark; the near threatened ferruginous duck and bearded vulture; and the endangered Egyptian vulture. On the other hand, the results of the diversity analysis (Margalef index, Shannon–Wiener index, and Simpson index) showed the highest diversity in wetlands, forests, steppes, and farmlands, while cliff, landfills, and urban areas were the least diversified habitats. Finally, with its geographic situation between humid Atlas and Sahara desert, as well as the diversity of habitats and avifauna, Midelt region needs advanced analysis in terms of biodiversity and environmental characteristics, in order to provide effective conservation management.

scholarly journals Fragmented urban areas: Can plants encourage birds in Jambi City urban space?

2021 ◽  
Vol 918 (1) ◽  
pp. 012028
Author(s):  
N Novriyanti ◽  
I Ihsan ◽  
B Irawan ◽  
C Wulan
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Wiener Index ◽  
Urban City

Abstract This study aims to estimate the extent to which vegetation can encourage the presence of birds in the urban city area. Forest area, urban plantation, grove area, and residential area are The Muhammad Sabki Urban Forest location for bird and plant observed in some circular plots (r=25 m) in the morning and afternoon. Bird directly and identified using a field guide and marked plant species immediately identified using the Plantamor website. The data were analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener Index (H’), The Margalef Index (Dmg), and some using Correlative and regression analysis with IBM SPSS Statistics 28. The results obtained 23 species and a total of 534 individual birds from all observed urban space habitats. All Shannon-Wiener Index (H’) values in each studied habitat type showed a moderate diversity level and low species richness (Dmg). There are 22 plant species that have been identified as places of bird activity. Correlation analysis of the number of plant species on bird species and the number of bird species on bird individuals shows a strong relationship. However, regression analysis shows that the partially analyzed variables have no significant effect, so additional values are needed from other factors.

scholarly journals Using Bayesian Belief Networks to assess the influence of landscape connectivity on ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies in urban landscapes in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Karimi ◽  
Jim A. Harris ◽  
Ron Corstanje
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bayesian Belief Networks ◽  
Belief Networks ◽  
Patch Area ◽  
Trade Offs

Abstract Context Landscape connectivity is assumed to influence ecosystem service (ES) trade-offs and synergies. However, empirical studies of the effect of landscape connectivity on ES trade-offs and synergies are limited, especially in urban areas where the interactions between patterns and processes are complex. Objectives The objectives of this study were to use a Bayesian Belief Network approach to (1) assess whether functional connectivity drives ES trade-offs and synergies in urban areas and (2) assess the influence of connectivity on the supply of ESs. Methods We used circuit theory to model urban bird flow of P. major and C. caeruleus at a 2 m spatial resolution in Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, UK, and Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to assess the sensitivity of ES trade-offs and synergies model outputs to landscape and patch structural characteristics (patch area, connectivity and bird species abundance). Results We found that functional connectivity was the most influential variable in determining two of three ES trade-offs and synergies. Patch area and connectivity exerted a strong influence on ES trade-offs and synergies. Low patch area and low to moderately low connectivity were associated with high levels of ES trade-offs and synergies. Conclusions This study demonstrates that landscape connectivity is an influential determinant of ES trade-offs and synergies and supports the conviction that larger and better-connected habitat patches increase ES provision. A BBN approach is proposed as a feasible method of ES trade-off and synergy prediction in complex landscapes. Our findings can prove to be informative for urban ES management.

Nest cameras do not affect nest survival in a meadow-nesting shorebird

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
VOLKER SALEWSKI ◽  
LUIS SCHMIDT
Keyword(s):  
Nest Survival ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Survival Models ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Limosa Limosa ◽  
Study Sites

Summary Identifying the fate of birds’ nests and the causes of breeding failure is often crucial for the development of conservation strategies for threatened species. However, collecting these data by repeatedly visiting nests might itself contribute to nest failure or bias. To solve this dilemma, automatic cameras have increasingly been used as a time-efficient means for nest monitoring. Here, we consider whether the use of cameras itself may influence hatching success of nests of the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa at two long-term study sites in northern Germany. Annually between 2013 and 2019, cameras were used to monitor godwit nests. In 2014 and 2019, nests were randomly equipped with cameras or not, and nest survival checked independently of the cameras. Nest-survival models indicated that survival probabilities varied between years, sites and with time of the season, but were unaffected by the presence of cameras. Even though predation is the main cause of hatching failure in our study system, we conclude that predators did not learn to associate cameras with food either when the cameras were initially installed or after they had been used for several years. Cameras were thus an effective and non-deleterious tool to collect data for conservation in this case. As other bird species may react differently to cameras at their nests, and as other sets of predators may differ in their ability to associate cameras with food, the effect of cameras on breeding success should be carefully monitored when they are used in a new study system.

scholarly journals Regional Scale Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Air Quality: Gaseous Pollutants in the Po Valley, Northern Italy

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Lonati ◽  
Federico Riva
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Traffic Emissions ◽  
Gaseous Pollutants ◽  
Po Valley ◽  
Concentration Levels

The impact of the reduced atmospheric emissions due to the COVID-19 lockdown on ambient air quality in the Po Valley of Northern Italy was assessed for gaseous pollutants (NO2, benzene, ammonia) based on data collected at the monitoring stations distributed all over the area. Concentration data for each month of the first semester of 2020 were compared with those of the previous six years, on monthly, daily, and hourly bases, so that pre, during, and post-lockdown conditions of air quality could be separately analyzed. The results show that, as in many other areas worldwide, the Po Valley experienced better air quality during 2020 spring months for NO2 and benzene. In agreement with the reductions of nitrogen oxides and benzene emissions from road traffic, estimated to be −35% compared to the regional average, the monthly mean concentration levels for 2020 showed reductions in the −40% to −35% range compared with the previous years, but with higher reductions, close to −50%, at high-volume-traffic sites in urban areas. Conversely, NH3 ambient concentration levels, almost entirely due the emissions of the agricultural sector, did not show any relevant change, even at high-volume-traffic sites in urban areas. These results point out the important role of traffic emissions in NO2 and benzene ambient levels in the Po Valley, and confirm that this region is a rather homogeneous air basin with urban area hot-spots, the contributions of which add up to a relatively high regional background concentration level. Additionally, the relatively slow response of the air quality levels to the sudden decrease of the emissions due to the lockdown shows that this region is characterized by a weak exchange of the air masses that favors both the build-up of atmospheric pollutants and the development of secondary formation processes. Thus, air quality control strategies should aim for structural interventions intended to reduce traffic emissions at the regional scale and not only in the largest urban areas.

scholarly journals Contribution of Local and Transboundary Air Pollution to the Urban Air Quality of Fukuoka, Japan

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Ayako Yoshino ◽  
Akinori Takami ◽  
Keiichiro Hara ◽  
Chiharu Nishita-Hara ◽  
Masahiko Hayashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Gaseous Species ◽  
Transboundary Air Pollution ◽  
Local Air Pollution ◽  
The City

Transboundary air pollution (TAP) and local air pollution (LAP) influence the air quality of urban areas. Fukuoka, located on the west side of Japan and affected by TAP from the Asian continent, is a unique example for understanding the contribution of LAP and TAP. Gaseous species and particulate matter (PM) were measured for approximately three weeks in Fukuoka in the winter of 2018. We classified two distinctive periods, LAP and TAP, based on wind speed. The classification was supported by variations in the concentration of gaseous species and by backward trajectories. Most air pollutants, including NOx and PM, were high in the LAP period and low in the TAP period. However, ozone was the exception. Therefore, our findings suggest that reducing local emissions is necessary. Ozone was higher in the TAP period, and the variation in ozone concentration was relatively small, indicating that ozone was produced outside of the city and transported to Fukuoka. Thus, air pollutants must also be reduced at a regional scale, including in China.

Diversity, status and habitat usage of avifauna at sadar upazila, magura, Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 441-456
Author(s):  
Ashikur Rahman Shome ◽  
Md Mahabub Alam ◽  
Md Fazle Rabbe ◽  
Mohammad Mijanur Rahman ◽  
Mohammad Firoj Jaman
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Common Myna ◽  
Rural And Urban

A study on diversity, status, and habitat preference of avifauna was conducted from November 2017 to October 2018 in Magura Sadar upazila, Magura. Data was collected through direct field observations using line-transect method. Field surveys were made for three days per month in both rural and urban sites. A total of 140 species of birds belonged to 18 orders and 48 families were reported. Among the total species, 55% (77 species) were non-passerines and 45% (63 species) passerines with the highest individuals were counted under order Passeriformes. Resident bird species were dominant (106 species, 75.71%) over migratory (34 species, 24.28%) species. Species richness was the highest in the rural areas (124 species, 88.57%) and occurrence was the highest in winter season (97 species, 69.29%). The maximum species were recorded from trees (87 species, 62.14%) as preferred habitat. In this study, in total 4,060 individuals of birds were counted and among them, 51.55% (n=2093) were observed in the rural areas and 48.45% (n=1967) were in the urban areas. The highest number of birds was found in December (10.34%, n=432) and seasonal abundance was the highest in winter (40.15%, n=1630). Abundance was the highest for Common Myna (5.76%, n=234) among all recorded species. Diversity indices showed that the bird species were the most diverse in the rural areas in the winter season and in July. Habitat diversity indices were the highest for trees and birds used different types of habitats at different times for roosting, breeding and feeding. Regarding the observation status, 29.28% species was very common, 4.28% common, 31.42% fairly common, and 35% were few. This baseline data indicate that this study site is significant from the ecological and conservation point of views. Therefore, further research is necessary to understand how this avian diversity is maintained in this ecological setting. Bangladesh J. Zool. 48(2): 441-456, 2020

scholarly journals Regional and local variations in atmospheric aerosols using ground-based sun photometry during Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON) in 2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 14795-14803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itaru Sano ◽  
Sonoyo Mukai ◽  
Makiko Nakata ◽  
Brent N. Holben
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Aerosols ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Aerosol Dynamics ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Environmental Prediction ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Observation Networks

Abstract. Aerosol mass concentrations are affected by local emissions as well as long-range transboundary (LRT) aerosols. This work investigates regional and local variations of aerosols based on Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON). We constructed DRAGON-Japan and DRAGON-Osaka in spring of 2012. The former network covers almost all of Japan in order to obtain aerosol information in regional scale over Japanese islands. It was determined from the DRAGON-Japan campaign that the values of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) decrease from west to east during an aerosol episode. In fact, the highest AOT was recorded at Fukue Island at the western end of the network, and the value was much higher than that of urban areas. The latter network (DRAGON-Osaka) was set as a dense instrument network in the megalopolis of Osaka, with a population of 12 million, to better understand local aerosol dynamics in urban areas. AOT was further measured with a mobile sun photometer attached to a car. This transect information showed that aerosol concentrations rapidly changed in time and space together when most of the Osaka area was covered with moderate LRT aerosols. The combined use of the dense instrument network (DRAGON-Osaka) and high-frequency measurements provides the motion of aerosol advection, which coincides with the wind vector around the layer between 700 and 850 hPa as provided by the reanalysis data of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP).

scholarly journals Urban rats have less variable, higher protein diets

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1889) ◽  
pp. 20181441 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Guiry ◽  
M. Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Urban Ecology ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Animal Management ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Brown Rat ◽  
Dietary Niche ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Over the past 1000 years, rats ( Rattus spp.) have become one of the most successful and prolific pests in human society. Despite their cosmopolitan distribution across six continents and ubiquity throughout the world's cities, rat urban ecology remains poorly understood. We investigate the role of human foods in brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ) diets in urban and rural areas over a 100 year period ( ca AD 1790–1890) in Toronto, Canada using stable carbon ( δ 13 C) and nitrogen ( δ 15 N) isotope analyses of archaeological remains. We found that rat diets from urban sites were of higher quality and were more homogeneous and stable over time. By contrast, in rural areas, they show a wide range of dietary niche specializations that directly overlap, and probably competed, with native omnivorous and herbivorous species. These results demonstrate a link between rodent diets and human population density, providing, to our knowledge, the first long-term dietary perspective on the relative value of different types of human settlements as rodent habitat. This study highlights the potential of using the historical and archaeological record to provide a retrospective on the urban ecology of commensal and synanthropic animals that could be useful for improving animal management and conservation strategies in urban areas.

scholarly journals An Assessment on Bird’s Diversity in Bagmati River Corridor

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-40
Author(s):  
Saroj Thapa ◽  
Shambhu Paudel ◽  
Dipak BK
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Point Count ◽  
The Public ◽  
One Year ◽  
Bagmati River ◽  
River Corridor

Bagmati River is considered as a potential conservation area in terms of the bio-diversity conservation due to its unique and diversified habitat distribution. Due to various causes, the river is being polluted and hence habitat degradation rate is increasing. As a consequence, the direct effect is seen on birds inhabiting there. Aiming the assessment of bird's diversity, one year survey was conducted in Bagmati River from Tilganga Bridge to chobhar Gorge Bridge (here after termed as Bagmati river corridor) by applying the point count method .In the total enumeration, 100 of birds species were recorded among which 7 are listed in CITES appendix. The bird species that are regarded as globally threatened are not recorded in the study area. In this report, some potential patches in the study area, are described as hot spots, considering the higher probability of recording maximum number of birds species. The public voice is also collected to find out the public perception on the present status of birds of Bagmati river corridor using the questionaire method. Some causes of habitat destruction and some potential conservation measures are also mentioned. Key Words: Bagmati river corridor, Birds, Conservation, Hotspots, Diversity, Habitat   DOI: 10.3126/init.v2i1.2520 The Initiation Vol.2(1) 2008 pp34-40

scholarly journals Factors affecting the species richness and composition of bird species in a community managed forest of Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 19212-19222
Author(s):  
Bishow Poudel ◽  
Bijaya Neupane ◽  
Rajeev Joshi ◽  
Thakur Silwal ◽  
Nirjala Raut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Index ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Wiener Diversity Index

There exists limited information on biodiversity including avifaunal diversity and habitat condition in community forests (CF) of Nepal; thus we aimed to fulfill such gaps in Tibrekot CF of Kaski district. We used the point count method for assessing bird diversity and laid out a circular plot size of radius 5-m within 15-m distance from each point count station for recording the biophysical habitat characteristics. Bird species’ diversity, richness and evenness were calculated using popular indexes and General Linear Model (GLM) was used to test the respective effect of various biophysical factors associated with the richness of bird species. In total, 166 (summer 122, winter 125) bird species were recorded in 46 sample plots. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was calculated as 3.99 and 4.09, Margalef’s richness index as 16.84 and 17.53 and Pielou’s evenness index as 0.83 and 0.84 for summer and winter, respectively. The influencing factors for richness of bird species were season (χ21, 90= 112.21; P= 0.016) with higher richness in the summer season and low vegetation cover (χ21, 89= 113.88; P= 0.0064) with higher richness in lower percentage cover. Thus, community managed forest should be protected as it has a significant role in increasing bird diversity, which has potential for attracting avifaunal tourism for the benefit of the local communities.

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