scholarly journals Persistent mosquito fogging can be detrimental to non-target invertebrates in an urban tropical forest

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10033
Author(s):  
Nicole S.M. Lee ◽  
Gopalasamy R. Clements ◽  
Adeline S.Y. Ting ◽  
Zhi H. Wong ◽  
Sze H. Yek
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Urban Biodiversity ◽  
Adult Mosquito ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Invertebrate Taxon

Background Human population growth has led to biodiversity declines in tropical cities. While habitat loss and fragmentation have been the main drivers of urban biodiversity loss, man-made interventions to reduce health risks have also emerged as an unintentional threat. For instance, insecticide fogging to control mosquito populations has become the most common method of preventing the expansion of mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue. However, the effectiveness of fogging in killing mosquitoes has been called into question. One concern is the unintended effect of insecticide fogging on non-target invertebrates that are crucial for the maintenance of urban ecosystems. Here, we investigate the impacts of fogging on: (1) target invertebrate taxon (Diptera, including mosquitoes); (2) non-target invertebrate taxa; and (3) the foraging behavior of an invertebrate pollinator taxon (Lepidoptera) within an urban tropical forest. Methods We carried out fogging with Pyrethroid insecticide (Detral 2.5 EC) at 10 different sites in a forest situated in the state of Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia. Across the sites, we counted the numbers of knocked-down invertebrates and identified them based on morphology to different taxa. We constructed Bayesian hierarchical Poisson regression models to investigate the effects of fogging on: (1) a target invertebrate taxon (Diptera) 3-h post-fogging; (2) selected non-target invertebrate taxa 3-h post-fogging; and (3) an invertebrate pollinator taxon (Lepidoptera) 24-h post-fogging. Results A total of 1,874 invertebrates from 19 invertebrate orders were knocked down by the fogging treatment across the 10 sites. Furthermore, 72.7% of the invertebrates counted 3-h post-fogging was considered dead. Our regression models showed that given the data and prior information, the probability that fogging had a negative effect on invertebrate taxa 3-h post-fogging was 100%, with reductions to 11% of the pre-fogging count of live individuals for the target invertebrate taxon (Diptera), and between 5% and 58% of the pre-fogging count of live individuals for non-target invertebrate taxa. For the invertebrate pollinator, the probability that fogging had a negative effect 24-h post-fogging was also 100%, with reductions to 53% of the pre-fogging count of live individuals. Discussion Our Bayesian models unequivocally demonstrate that fogging has detrimental effects on one pollinator order and non-target invertebrate orders, especially taxa that have comparatively lower levels of chitinisation. While fogging is effective in killing the target order (Diptera), no mosquitos were found dead in our experiment. In order to maintain urban biodiversity, we recommend that health authorities and the private sector move away from persistent insecticide fogging and to explore alternative measures to control adult mosquito populations.

scholarly journals Impact of Economic Freedom on Corruption Revisited in ASEAN Countries: A Bayesian Hierarchical Mixed-Effects Analysis

Economies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Nguyen Ngoc Thach ◽  
Bui Hoang Ngoc
Keyword(s):  
Economic Freedom ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Random Coefficients ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Corruption Index ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Economic Freedom Index ◽  
Asean Countries

Conceptual and applied studies assessing the linkage between economic freedom and corruption expect that economic freedom boosts economic growth, improves income, and reduces levels of corruption. However, most of them have concentrated on developed and developing groups, while Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have drawn much less attention. Empirical findings are most often conflicting. Moreover, previous studies performed rather simple frequentist techniques regressing one or some freedom indices on corruption that do not allow for grasping all the aspects of economic freedom as well as capturing variations across countries. The study aims to investigate the effects of ten components of economic freedom index on the level of corruption in ten ASEAN countries from 1999 to 2018. By applying a Bayesian hierarchical mixed-effects regression via a Monte Carlo technique combined with the Gibbs sampler, the obtained results suggest several findings as follows: (i) In view of probability, the predictors property rights, government integrity, tax burden, business freedom, labor freedom, and investment freedom have a strongly positive impact on the response perceived corruption index; (ii) Government spending, trade freedom, and financial freedom exert a strongly negative effect, while the influence of monetary freedom is ambiguous; (iii) There is an existence of not only random intercepts but also random coefficients at the country level impacting the model outcome. The empirical outcome could be of major importance for more efficient corruption controlling in emerging countries, including ASEAN nations.

scholarly journals Threatened Neotropical seasonally dry tropical forest: evidence of biodiversity loss in sap-sucking herbivores over 75 years

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Pinedo-Escatel ◽  
G. Moya-Raygoza ◽  
C. H. Dietrich ◽  
J. N. Zahniser ◽  
L. Portillo
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Data Matrix ◽  
Dry Tropical Forest ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Strong Trend ◽  
Arthropod Species

Tropical forests cover 7% of the earth's surface and hold 50% of known terrestrial arthropod species. Alarming insect declines resulting from human activities have recently been documented in temperate and tropical ecosystems worldwide, but reliable data from tropical forests remain sparse. The sap-sucking tribe Athysanini is one herbivore group sensitive to anthropogenic perturbation and the largest within the diverse insect family Cicadellidae distributed in America's tropical forests. To measure the possible effects of deforestation and related activities on leafhopper biodiversity, a survey of 143 historic collecting localities was conducted to determine whether species documented in the Mexican dry tropical forests during the 1920s to 1940s were still present. Biostatistical diversity analysis was performed to compare historical to recent data on species occurrences. A data matrix of 577 geographical records was analysed. In total, 374 Athysanini data records were included representing 115 species of 41 genera. Historically, species richness and diversity were higher than found in the recent survey, despite greater collecting effort in the latter. A strong trend in species decline was observed (−53%) over 75 years in this endangered seasonally dry ecosystem. Species completeness was dissimilar between historic and present data. Endemic taxa were significantly less important and represented in the 1920s–1940s species records. All localities surveyed in the dry tropical forest are disturbed and reduced by modern anthropogenic processes. Mexico harbours highly endemic leafhopper taxa with a large proportion of these inhabiting the dry forest. These findings provide important data for conservation decision making and modelling of distribution patterns of this threatened seasonally dry tropical ecosystem.

scholarly journals Effects of inbreeding on number of piglets born total, born alive and weaned in Austrian Large White and Landrace pigs

2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Köck ◽  
B. Fürst-Waltl ◽  
R. Baumung
Keyword(s):  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Inbreeding Coefficient ◽  
Significant Positive Effect ◽  
Weaned Piglets ◽  
Large White ◽  
Inbreeding Coefficients ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Positive Effect

Abstract. In this study records of 58 925 litters of Austrian Large White and 17 846 litters of Austrian Landrace pigs were analysed. Regression models were used to determine the effects of litter, dam and sire inbreeding on total number of born, born alive and weaned piglets in Large White and Landrace. In both populations, litter and dam inbreeding showed a negative effect on all traits. Sire inbreeding had no effect in Large White, whereas a significant positive effect was observed in Landrace. On average, inbred sires with an inbreeding coefficient of 10 % had 0.45 more piglets born total and 0.43 more piglets born alive in comparison to non-inbred sires. In a further analysis the total inbreeding coefficients of the animals were divided into two parts: »new« and »old« inbreeding. »New« inbreeding was defined as the period of the first five generations. It was shown that the observed inbreeding effects were not only caused by recent inbreeding. Reproductive performance was also affected by »old« inbreeding. Finally partial inbreeding coefficients of four important ancestors in each population were calculated to investigate if inbreeding effects are similar among these ancestors. The results revealed a varation of inbreeding effects among the four ancestors. Alleles contibuting to inbreeding depression were descendent from specific ancestors.

scholarly journals Temporal changes in arthropod activity in tropical anthropogenic forests

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (6) ◽  
pp. 792-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.-J. Brandon-Mong ◽  
J.E. Littlefair ◽  
K.-W. Sing ◽  
Y.-P. Lee ◽  
H.-M. Gan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
Reserve Forest ◽  
The Tropics

AbstractArthropod communities in the tropics are increasingly impacted by rapid changes in land use. Because species showing distinct seasonal patterns of activity are thought to be at higher risk of climate-related extirpation, global warming is generally considered a lower threat to arthropod biodiversity in the tropics than in temperate regions. To examine changes associated with land use and weather variables in tropical arthropod communities, we deployed Malaise traps at three major anthropogenic forests (secondary reserve forest, oil palm forest, and urban ornamental forest (UOF)) in Peninsular Malaysia and collected arthropods continuously for 12 months. We used metabarcoding protocols to characterize the diversity within weekly samples. We found that changes in the composition of arthropod communities were significantly associated with maximum temperature in all the three forests, but shifts were reversed in the UOF compared with the other forests. This suggests arthropods in forests in Peninsular Malaysia face a double threat: community shifts and biodiversity loss due to exploitation and disturbance of forests which consequently put species at further risk related to global warming. We highlight the positive feedback mechanism of land use and temperature, which pose threats to the arthropod communities and further implicates ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Consequently, conservation and mitigation plans are urgently needed.

scholarly journals A Research Agenda for Urban Biodiversity in the Global Extinction Crisis

BioScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Knapp ◽  
Myla F J Aronson ◽  
Ela Carpenter ◽  
Adriana Herrera-Montes ◽  
Kirsten Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Urban Biodiversity ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Biodiversity Research ◽  
Service Relationships ◽  
Global Extinction ◽  
Underlying Processes

Abstract Rapid urbanization and the global loss of biodiversity necessitate the development of a research agenda that addresses knowledge gaps in urban ecology that will inform policy, management, and conservation. To advance this goal, we present six topics to pursue in urban biodiversity research: the socioeconomic and social–ecological drivers of biodiversity loss versus gain of biodiversity; the response of biodiversity to technological change; biodiversity–ecosystem service relationships; urban areas as refugia for biodiversity; spatiotemporal dynamics of species, community changes, and underlying processes; and ecological networks. We discuss overarching considerations and offer a set of questions to inspire and support urban biodiversity research. In parallel, we advocate for communication and collaboration across many fields and disciplines in order to build capacity for urban biodiversity research, education, and practice. Taken together we note that urban areas will play an important role in addressing the global extinction crisis.

Entrepreneurs’ Competencies and Competitive Advantages: A Study on Malaysian Microenterprises

2019 ◽  
pp. 097215091985493
Author(s):  
Syed Ali Fazal ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Ghazali Bin Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Mehedi Masud
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Government ◽  
Relationship Competency

Considering the significance of relevant competencies towards business success and the dependency of socio-economical vulnerable micro-entrepreneurs on their enterprise income, this study examined the effect of entrepreneurs’ competencies (i.e., opportunity recognizing competency, strategic competency, organizing competency, relationship competency, conceptual competency and commitment competency) on the competitive advantage of microenterprises in Malaysia. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design and collected quantitative data from 300 randomly selected respondents from Peninsular Malaysia. The findings revealed significant positive effects of organizing and commitment competency on the competitive advantage with a significantly negative effect of relationship competency on the competitive advantage. Apart from enriching the current literature, this study offers significant policy implications for the government and socio-developmental organizations in Malaysia for improving the micro-entrepreneurship and uplifting large low-income groups from poverty.

Bayesian hierarchical regression models for detecting QTLs in plant experiments

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 799-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward L. Boone ◽  
Susan J. Simmons ◽  
Haikun Bao ◽  
Ann E. Stapleton
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Bayesian Hierarchical

scholarly journals Tropical forest primates and logging: long-term coexistence?

Oryx ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Grieser Johns ◽  
Bettina Grieser Johns
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Monitoring Programme ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

Over 10 years ago, Oryx published initial details of an investigation into the effects of selective timber logging on primates in the Sungai Tekam Forestry Concession in peninsular Malaysia (Johns, 1983). This original 2-year field study developed into a long-term monitoring programme, in which the recovery of primates in the regenerating forest is to be recorded throughout the logging cycle. This is the only such monitoring programme so far established in the world's tropical forests. The dataset is now complete for forests logged up to 18 years ago.

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