I. A. Camara, Mathieu Kobenan Kra, Norbert Kouakou Kouadio, M. K. Konan, E. Edia, L. Doumbia, A. Ouattara, D. Diomandé
The composition, structure and Functional Feeding Groups (FFGs) of aquatic insects were investigated in Kodjoboue lake (South-East of Cote d’Ivoire) to assess water quality. Four sites (K1 - K4) were sampled during eight campaigns. At each site aquatic insects were collected using a kick-net (25 × 20 cm, 500 μm mesh size). Environmental variables were also recorded during this period. Water was collected from each sampling site for nutrient (phosphorus, nitrate) analysis in laboratory. A total of 68 aquatic insect taxa belonging to six orders and 32 families were recorded during the study. Site K4, subject to intense agricultural activity, had the lower diversity and least balanced stand with the lowest values of Shannon-Weaver index, Pielou’s Evenness index and rarefied richness. The functional approach revealed five major FFGs: predators, scrapers, shredders, gatherers-collectors and filter-collectors. Among the different functional feeding groups, the percentage of predators was higher than that of other groups at all the sites. The P/R report indicated that our four sites are characterized as heterotrophic with K1 as the least heterotrophic. Focused Principal Component Analysis (FPCA) showed that parameters of water, like pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate were statistically correlated with species abundance. The diversity and Functional Feeding Groups metrics of aquatic insects used to describe the state of Kodjoboue lake reveal its disturbed state.
对科特迪瓦东南部科约布埃湖水生昆虫的组成、结构和功能摄食群(FFGs)进行了调查，以评价水质。四个地点(K1 - K4)在八个运动期间取样。在每个站点使用踢网(25 × 20 cm, 500 μm)收集水生昆虫。在此期间还记录了环境变量。从每个采样点收集水，在实验室进行养分(磷、硝酸盐)分析。研究共记录到水生昆虫6目32科68个类群。K4受农业活动影响较大，林分多样性较低，平衡性最差，Shannon-Weaver指数、Pielou均匀度指数和丰富度最低。从功能角度来看，我们发现了五种主要的ffg:掠食者、刮掠者、碎纸机、收集者和过滤者。在不同功能取食群中，捕食者的比例均高于其他取食群。P/R报告表明，我们的四个位点具有异养特征，K1是最不异养的。重点主成分分析(focus Principal Component Analysis, FPCA)表明，水体pH、溶解氧、硝酸盐等参数与物种丰度呈显著相关。用水生昆虫的多样性和功能摄食群指标来描述科约布湖的状态，揭示了科约布湖的扰动状态。
{"title":"Composition, Structure and Functional Feeding of Aquatic Entomofauna in Kodjoboué Lake: Water Quality Assessment","authors":"I. A. Camara, Mathieu Kobenan Kra, Norbert Kouakou Kouadio, M. K. Konan, E. Edia, L. Doumbia, A. Ouattara, D. Diomandé","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.104011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.104011","url":null,"abstract":"The composition, structure and Functional Feeding Groups (FFGs) of aquatic insects were investigated in Kodjoboue lake (South-East of Cote d’Ivoire) to assess water quality. Four sites (K1 - K4) were sampled during eight campaigns. At each site aquatic insects were collected using a kick-net (25 × 20 cm, 500 μm mesh size). Environmental variables were also recorded during this period. Water was collected from each sampling site for nutrient (phosphorus, nitrate) analysis in laboratory. A total of 68 aquatic insect taxa belonging to six orders and 32 families were recorded during the study. Site K4, subject to intense agricultural activity, had the lower diversity and least balanced stand with the lowest values of Shannon-Weaver index, Pielou’s Evenness index and rarefied richness. The functional approach revealed five major FFGs: predators, scrapers, shredders, gatherers-collectors and filter-collectors. Among the different functional feeding groups, the percentage of predators was higher than that of other groups at all the sites. The P/R report indicated that our four sites are characterized as heterotrophic with K1 as the least heterotrophic. Focused Principal Component Analysis (FPCA) showed that parameters of water, like pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate were statistically correlated with species abundance. The diversity and Functional Feeding Groups metrics of aquatic insects used to describe the state of Kodjoboue lake reveal its disturbed state.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130017764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Mashapa, P. Zisadza-Gandiwa, Elias Libombo, P. Mhuriro-Mashapa, N. Muboko, E. Gandiwa
The study assessed women’s participation in the Communal Area Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) activities in southeast Zimbabwe. The study collected data using an interview questionnaire administered to five CAMPFIRE committees in October 2014. There were relatively no differences in the selected attributes on CAMPFIRE committee composition across the five study communities i.e., 1) the number of people and their level of education, and 2) gender and age composition. There were more men (5 ± 0.11) than women (2 ± 0.02) in CAMPFIRE program committees across the five study communities. Men dominate leadership and decision making over CAMPFIRE in south-eastern Zimbabwe. Yet, it is the women who use most of the natural resources at household level, such as game meat, wild fruits and wild vegetables as relish, fuel wood as source of energy for cooking, and baskets woven from woodland products. It was concluded that despite all the benefits that a gender sensitive approach could bring to CAMPFIRE, women participation in CAMPFIRE programs in southeast Zimbabwe was still low as evidenced by their numbers in committees that make decisions for the program. There was need for deliberate action to ensure increased women participation in CAMPFIRE programs, especially at the decision-making level. A certain number of committee positions in CAMPFIRE should be reserved for women.
{"title":"An Assessment of Women Participation in Community-Based Natural Resource Conservation in Southeast Zimbabwe","authors":"C. Mashapa, P. Zisadza-Gandiwa, Elias Libombo, P. Mhuriro-Mashapa, N. Muboko, E. Gandiwa","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.104013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.104013","url":null,"abstract":"The study assessed women’s participation in the Communal Area Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) activities in southeast Zimbabwe. The study collected data using an interview questionnaire administered to five CAMPFIRE committees in October 2014. There were relatively no differences in the selected attributes on CAMPFIRE committee composition across the five study communities i.e., 1) the number of people and their level of education, and 2) gender and age composition. There were more men (5 ± 0.11) than women (2 ± 0.02) in CAMPFIRE program committees across the five study communities. Men dominate leadership and decision making over CAMPFIRE in south-eastern Zimbabwe. Yet, it is the women who use most of the natural resources at household level, such as game meat, wild fruits and wild vegetables as relish, fuel wood as source of energy for cooking, and baskets woven from woodland products. It was concluded that despite all the benefits that a gender sensitive approach could bring to CAMPFIRE, women participation in CAMPFIRE programs in southeast Zimbabwe was still low as evidenced by their numbers in committees that make decisions for the program. There was need for deliberate action to ensure increased women participation in CAMPFIRE programs, especially at the decision-making level. A certain number of committee positions in CAMPFIRE should be reserved for women.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115556503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Gophen, M. Meron, Valerie Levin-Orlov, Y. Tsipris, Mordechay Peres
Long term data record (1944-2018) of climatological conditions in the Lake Kinneret and its watershed ecosystems was statistically evaluated and the impact of Anthropogenic operations was included as well. Precipitation input source is obviously uncontrolled natural component whilst the other three regional water outflows pathways are under anthropogenic control: Evapo-transpiration (ET), Runoff and underground flows. Indications for climate change expressed as air warming with consequences on regional (watershed and the lake) water resources and consumption capacities policy in the drainage basin and in the Lake are discussed. The decline of air temperature from 1940 to 1970s is probably due to a change in the Albedo effect. After the decline air temperature was twisted towards elevation. Climate change caused a decline in rainfall, followed by a reduction of Jordan and other river discharges and underground flows, accompanied by a decline of WL. With respect to climate change, water allocation for agricultural consumption was shrunk.
{"title":"Climate Change, Regional Water Balance and Land Use Policy, in the Watershed of Lake Kinneret (Israel)","authors":"M. Gophen, M. Meron, Valerie Levin-Orlov, Y. Tsipris, Mordechay Peres","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.104014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.104014","url":null,"abstract":"Long term data record (1944-2018) of climatological conditions in the Lake Kinneret and its watershed ecosystems was statistically evaluated and the impact of Anthropogenic operations was included as well. Precipitation input source is obviously uncontrolled natural component whilst the other three regional water outflows pathways are under anthropogenic control: Evapo-transpiration (ET), Runoff and underground flows. Indications for climate change expressed as air warming with consequences on regional (watershed and the lake) water resources and consumption capacities policy in the drainage basin and in the Lake are discussed. The decline of air temperature from 1940 to 1970s is probably due to a change in the Albedo effect. After the decline air temperature was twisted towards elevation. Climate change caused a decline in rainfall, followed by a reduction of Jordan and other river discharges and underground flows, accompanied by a decline of WL. With respect to climate change, water allocation for agricultural consumption was shrunk.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"131 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121873484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Fandjinou, Kebin Zhang, Fousséni Folega, Beckline Mukete, Xiaohui Yang, K. Wala, K. Akpagana, Eve Bohnett
This study aims to identify the drivers of environmental degradation due to the dependency of surrounding residents on three protected areas in Togo, Africa (Oti-Keran, Togodo, and Abdoulaye national parks (abbr. OTA national parks)). Surveys of villagers conducted in and around the OTA national parks added to data downloaded from Indexmundi data portal. National-level trend analysis results indicated: 1) the number of terrestrial protected areas showed an upward trend, while savannah and forest cover showed alarming decrease trends. 2) At the local level, supplying socio-economic needs in the three selected protected areas directly resulted in biodiversity degradation through animal grazing, hunting and farming. 3) Over 70% of the respondent’s livelihoods consisted of farming and related dependencies on the protected areas for timber and non-timber forest products and income despite the protected status hold by these classified areas. 4) The OTA national parks have been experiencing an increase of anthropogenic pressure such as uncontrolled tree logging and hunting, which seriously impacts animal and vegetation biodiversity. 5) Policymakers should invest more resources in implementing an integrated management system based not only on a holistic vision of the PA that includes participatory management but also accounts for multi-dimensional principles to enable anthropogenic activities in and around the protected areas to satisfy sustainable development requirements.
{"title":"Assessment of the Protected Areas Strategy in Togo under Sustainable Management: The Case Study of Oti-Keran, Togodo, and Abdoulaye Faunal Reserve","authors":"K. Fandjinou, Kebin Zhang, Fousséni Folega, Beckline Mukete, Xiaohui Yang, K. Wala, K. Akpagana, Eve Bohnett","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.104010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.104010","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to identify the drivers of environmental degradation due to the dependency of surrounding residents on three protected areas in Togo, Africa (Oti-Keran, Togodo, and Abdoulaye national parks (abbr. OTA national parks)). Surveys of villagers conducted in and around the OTA national parks added to data downloaded from Indexmundi data portal. National-level trend analysis results indicated: 1) the number of terrestrial protected areas showed an upward trend, while savannah and forest cover showed alarming decrease trends. 2) At the local level, supplying socio-economic needs in the three selected protected areas directly resulted in biodiversity degradation through animal grazing, hunting and farming. 3) Over 70% of the respondent’s livelihoods consisted of farming and related dependencies on the protected areas for timber and non-timber forest products and income despite the protected status hold by these classified areas. 4) The OTA national parks have been experiencing an increase of anthropogenic pressure such as uncontrolled tree logging and hunting, which seriously impacts animal and vegetation biodiversity. 5) Policymakers should invest more resources in implementing an integrated management system based not only on a holistic vision of the PA that includes participatory management but also accounts for multi-dimensional principles to enable anthropogenic activities in and around the protected areas to satisfy sustainable development requirements.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134027107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose and context for the study relates to urban growth. Australian cities are experiencing particularly rapid urbanization, taking the form of land clearing to accommodate outward expansion as well as developing to higher densities in existing urban areas. Both forms of development degrade native biodiversity, resulting in loss of vegetation with the possibility that the remnant indigenous plants will become locally extinct. One endangered ecological community in Sydney, the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS), still survives along some sections of Sydney’s heavily urbanized coastline. At the time of European settlement, the ESBS covered approximately 5300 ha, but it is now a highly fragmented 146 ha across 24 sites with some sites under imminent threat of development. Conservation legislation enacted by the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia has declared the ESBS as critically endangered. Despite recovery plans, in 2016 the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee indicated that the community faces an extremely high risk of extinction in Australia in the immediate future. A practical option in the face of declining open space in our cities is to examine the potential of urban rooftops for conserving and propagating threatened or endangered flora. While there is a limited amount of international research on using green roofs for endangered plant protection, there is no information from Australia about how green roofs perform in this geographic region. The approach taken in this research has been firstly, to review the current academic and “grey” literature from a global perspective to identify options for conserving endangered flora on green roofs. We derive an evidence-based research protocol to be used to test the green roof environment in Sydney for propagating the endangered ESBS. We establish the general applicability of green roofs for protecting vanishing flora through the literature review and conclude that our research design will be a suitable framework for the task for monitoring growth and germination performance over the ESBS community’s development cycle, with the longer-term objective of establishing a viable rooftop seed orchard.
{"title":"Employing Green Roofs to Support Endangered Plant Species: The Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub in Australia","authors":"J. Blair, P. Osmond","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.103009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.103009","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose and context for the study relates to urban growth. Australian cities are experiencing particularly rapid urbanization, taking the form of land clearing to accommodate outward expansion as well as developing to higher densities in existing urban areas. Both forms of development degrade native biodiversity, resulting in loss of vegetation with the possibility that the remnant indigenous plants will become locally extinct. One endangered ecological community in Sydney, the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (ESBS), still survives along some sections of Sydney’s heavily urbanized coastline. At the time of European settlement, the ESBS covered approximately 5300 ha, but it is now a highly fragmented 146 ha across 24 sites with some sites under imminent threat of development. Conservation legislation enacted by the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia has declared the ESBS as critically endangered. Despite recovery plans, in 2016 the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee indicated that the community faces an extremely high risk of extinction in Australia in the immediate future. A practical option in the face of declining open space in our cities is to examine the potential of urban rooftops for conserving and propagating threatened or endangered flora. While there is a limited amount of international research on using green roofs for endangered plant protection, there is no information from Australia about how green roofs perform in this geographic region. The approach taken in this research has been firstly, to review the current academic and “grey” literature from a global perspective to identify options for conserving endangered flora on green roofs. We derive an evidence-based research protocol to be used to test the green roof environment in Sydney for propagating the endangered ESBS. We establish the general applicability of green roofs for protecting vanishing flora through the literature review and conclude that our research design will be a suitable framework for the task for monitoring growth and germination performance over the ESBS community’s development cycle, with the longer-term objective of establishing a viable rooftop seed orchard.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132581214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sony Lama, S. Shrestha, N. Koju, A. Sherpa, Munmun Tamang
Disturbances caused by livestock grazing are considered as a key attributable factor for the habitat loss of red panda. The present study was carried out in Eastern Nepal mainly focusing on the habitat preferences of red panda and impacts of livestock grazing on it. In total, 15 linear transects were delineated at an elevation interval of 100 m assessing indirect signs of red panda and livestock. Habitat preferences of red panda, vegetation abundance, coverage percentage of vegetation layers (canopy and shrub layer) and distance to water source were recorded using randomly plotted 58 quadrats of 10 m × 10 m. Questionnaire survey and Key Informant Interviews were carried out to evaluate the perception of local community on conservation threats and importance of red panda conservation. Jaccard’s similarity index was used to determine the spatial habitat overlap of livestock and red panda. Litsea elongata, Lithocarpus pachyphylla and Rhododendron falconeri were the most common species in the study area. Grazing signs were observed from 51% of red panda habitats in the study area. Livestock herding has induced negative impacts on the habitat of red panda inside the community forests. The study findings will extend the existing body of knowledge regarding the status of red panda in Eastern Himalayas. In addition, this research will help in the formulation of effective legal and strategic framework of sustainable grazing management.
放牧干扰被认为是小熊猫栖息地丧失的重要归因因素。本研究在尼泊尔东部进行，主要研究了小熊猫的生境偏好和放牧对其的影响。在海拔100 m处共圈定了15个线性样带，评估了小熊猫和牲畜的间接标志。采用随机绘制的58个10 m × 10 m样方，记录了小熊猫的生境偏好、植被丰度、植被层(冠层和灌丛层)盖度和距离水源的距离。采用问卷调查法和关键信息访谈法，评估当地社区对保护威胁和保护小熊猫重要性的认知。采用Jaccard相似指数确定了家畜与小熊猫的空间生境重叠度。研究区最常见的树种是长石、厚叶石桃和隼杜鹃。研究区内51%的小熊猫栖息地均有放牧迹象。畜牧业对群落林内小熊猫的栖息地造成了负面影响。研究结果将扩展现有的关于东喜马拉雅地区小熊猫状况的知识体系。此外，该研究将有助于制定有效的可持续放牧管理法律和战略框架。
{"title":"Assessment of the Impacts of Livestock Grazing on Endangered Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) Habitat in Eastern Nepal","authors":"Sony Lama, S. Shrestha, N. Koju, A. Sherpa, Munmun Tamang","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.103008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.103008","url":null,"abstract":"Disturbances caused by livestock grazing are considered as a key attributable factor for the habitat loss of red panda. The present study was carried out in Eastern Nepal mainly focusing on the habitat preferences of red panda and impacts of livestock grazing on it. In total, 15 linear transects were delineated at an elevation interval of 100 m assessing indirect signs of red panda and livestock. Habitat preferences of red panda, vegetation abundance, coverage percentage of vegetation layers (canopy and shrub layer) and distance to water source were recorded using randomly plotted 58 quadrats of 10 m × 10 m. Questionnaire survey and Key Informant Interviews were carried out to evaluate the perception of local community on conservation threats and importance of red panda conservation. Jaccard’s similarity index was used to determine the spatial habitat overlap of livestock and red panda. Litsea elongata, Lithocarpus pachyphylla and Rhododendron falconeri were the most common species in the study area. Grazing signs were observed from 51% of red panda habitats in the study area. Livestock herding has induced negative impacts on the habitat of red panda inside the community forests. The study findings will extend the existing body of knowledge regarding the status of red panda in Eastern Himalayas. In addition, this research will help in the formulation of effective legal and strategic framework of sustainable grazing management.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129755863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study investigates the existence of high levels of radiation and heavy metallic materials in the area around Merowe Dam, using different physical techniques. Two radiation survey-meters were used in order to compare results, which were Raddose and Idintifineder and several analytical devices. The survey-meter measurements were 0.1 μSv/h over the chemical waste and 0.05 μSv/h in different areas positions. The background level of radiation was determined at different positions, and the average of the measurements was 0.09 μSv/h, which was within the normal ranges. The existence of natural occurring radioactive material falls within the global wide range as well. Furthermore, the presence of the chemical materials containing heavy metals was detected by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission spectrophotometer (ICPE-9000), Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDX-8000) devices and Gas chromatograph GC-2010 plus. The analysis showed there were lots of heavy metals that they were believed to be a revert from the dam construction material, such as paint and epoxy.
{"title":"Investigations of the Radioactive Presence and Heavy Metallic Materials in Merowe Dam Area","authors":"A. Mohamed, M. Halato, S. T. Kafi","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.103007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.103007","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the existence of high levels of radiation and heavy metallic materials in the area around Merowe Dam, using different physical techniques. Two radiation survey-meters were used in order to compare results, which were Raddose and Idintifineder and several analytical devices. The survey-meter measurements were 0.1 μSv/h over the chemical waste and 0.05 μSv/h in different areas positions. The background level of radiation was determined at different positions, and the average of the measurements was 0.09 μSv/h, which was within the normal ranges. The existence of natural occurring radioactive material falls within the global wide range as well. Furthermore, the presence of the chemical materials containing heavy metals was detected by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission spectrophotometer (ICPE-9000), Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDX-8000) devices and Gas chromatograph GC-2010 plus. The analysis showed there were lots of heavy metals that they were believed to be a revert from the dam construction material, such as paint and epoxy.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"57 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130404945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Two species of Ephedra: E. trifurca and E. torreyana inhabit shrub and grassland habitats in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. E. torreyana is limited to black grama grasslands where grasses are taller than the shrub. E. torreyana is heavily browsed by vertebrates and E. trifurca is browsed during some years. We established an experiment with cylindrical exclosures that excluded rabbits and rodents, rabbits but accessible to rodents, for comparison with E. torreyana plants available to all herbivores. Plants accessible to all vertebrate herbivores were significantly smaller with shorter stem lengths than plants in exclosures. We concluded that E. torreyana in black grama grassland are largely hidden from vertebrate herbivores and that intense herbivory reflects the degraded state of the study site which makes the E. torreyana evergreen shrubs apparent to vertebrates.
{"title":"Herbivory Effects on Ephedra spp. in the Chihuahuan Desert","authors":"W. Whitford, Y. Steinberger","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.102003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.102003","url":null,"abstract":"Two species of Ephedra: E. trifurca and E. torreyana inhabit shrub and grassland habitats in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. E. torreyana is limited to black grama grasslands where grasses are taller than the shrub. E. torreyana is heavily browsed by vertebrates and E. trifurca is browsed during some years. We established an experiment with cylindrical exclosures that excluded rabbits and rodents, rabbits but accessible to rodents, for comparison with E. torreyana plants available to all herbivores. Plants accessible to all vertebrate herbivores were significantly smaller with shorter stem lengths than plants in exclosures. We concluded that E. torreyana in black grama grassland are largely hidden from vertebrate herbivores and that intense herbivory reflects the degraded state of the study site which makes the E. torreyana evergreen shrubs apparent to vertebrates.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115680618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Studying the agricultural spatial distribution characteristics of Jianghan Plain from 2000 to 2018 and its spatial-temporal transformation with ecological space and urban space is of great significance for optimizing the spatial structure of the country, enhancing the supply capacity of agricultural products, and ensuring food security. The research results show that during the period from 2000 to 2018, the agricultural spatial concentration in the area along the “Xiaogan-Jingzhou” link was relatively high, and the areas with large declines were mainly distributed in the flat areas between the Yangtze River and Han River; the space is continuously reduced by the occupation of ecological space and urban space, and ecological space and urban space have been improved respectively; agricultural space has been transformed into ecological space, and the largest urban space has been transformed. Ecological space has been transformed into agricultural space and urban space. Less urban space has been transformed into agricultural space and ecological space.
{"title":"Spatial-Temporal Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Agricultural Space in Jianghan Plain from the Perspective of “Three-Zone Space”","authors":"Wei Wei, Hao Xing","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.102005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.102005","url":null,"abstract":"Studying the agricultural spatial distribution characteristics of Jianghan Plain from 2000 to 2018 and its spatial-temporal transformation with ecological space and urban space is of great significance for optimizing the spatial structure of the country, enhancing the supply capacity of agricultural products, and ensuring food security. The research results show that during the period from 2000 to 2018, the agricultural spatial concentration in the area along the “Xiaogan-Jingzhou” link was relatively high, and the areas with large declines were mainly distributed in the flat areas between the Yangtze River and Han River; the space is continuously reduced by the occupation of ecological space and urban space, and ecological space and urban space have been improved respectively; agricultural space has been transformed into ecological space, and the largest urban space has been transformed. Ecological space has been transformed into agricultural space and urban space. Less urban space has been transformed into agricultural space and ecological space.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130127411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Bouhaddioui, A. H. Aberrhaman, L. A. Lrhorfi̇, R. Bengueddour
The diversity of oceanic phytoplankton communities depends in part on environmental, physical, chemical and biological factors where they are. The study that we conducted in cape 7 (Aftissat) zone, south of Morocco, located 232 km south of Laayoune city and 62 km south of Boujdour city, aims at the identification of planktonic genera/species and determination of the physicochemical factors favoring the growth of these species. The study was carried out on 427 samples, distributed, therefore, as follows, 57.2% (n = 245) of the samples during the year 2016 and 42.5% (n = 182) in the year 2017. In addition, 32.8% and 27.6% of the samples were taken, respectively, in winter and autumn, 24.4% of the samples in summer and 15.2% of all samples taken in the spring. We have identified 30 phytoplankton species, of which 70% (n = 21) are diatoms, 26.67% are dinoflagellates and one species is silicoflagellates. Moreover, the most abundant species in the diatoms are Navicula sp. (69), Licmophora (47), Nitzschia sp. (35), Pseudo nitzschia spp. (31) and in the class Dinoflagellates, Scrippsiella spp. (24), Protoperidinium spp. (11). The physicochemical parameters show very significant associations with density, so they favor a very high abundance species, especially those belonging to the diatom class. Some toxic species have also been identified, but with very low frequencies, below the norm. The cape d’Afissat has a very important role in the economic life of the region, so we must increase efforts to preserve it and if it is possible to improve the quality of water.
{"title":"Identification of Planktonic Genera/Species and Determination of the Physicochemical Factors Favoring the Growth of These Species in Cape 7 (Aftissat) Zone, South of Morocco","authors":"B. Bouhaddioui, A. H. Aberrhaman, L. A. Lrhorfi̇, R. Bengueddour","doi":"10.4236/oje.2020.102006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/oje.2020.102006","url":null,"abstract":"The diversity of oceanic phytoplankton communities depends in part on environmental, physical, chemical and biological factors where they are. The study that we conducted in cape 7 (Aftissat) zone, south of Morocco, located 232 km south of Laayoune city and 62 km south of Boujdour city, aims at the identification of planktonic genera/species and determination of the physicochemical factors favoring the growth of these species. The study was carried out on 427 samples, distributed, therefore, as follows, 57.2% (n = 245) of the samples during the year 2016 and 42.5% (n = 182) in the year 2017. In addition, 32.8% and 27.6% of the samples were taken, respectively, in winter and autumn, 24.4% of the samples in summer and 15.2% of all samples taken in the spring. We have identified 30 phytoplankton species, of which 70% (n = 21) are diatoms, 26.67% are dinoflagellates and one species is silicoflagellates. Moreover, the most abundant species in the diatoms are Navicula sp. (69), Licmophora (47), Nitzschia sp. (35), Pseudo nitzschia spp. (31) and in the class Dinoflagellates, Scrippsiella spp. (24), Protoperidinium spp. (11). The physicochemical parameters show very significant associations with density, so they favor a very high abundance species, especially those belonging to the diatom class. Some toxic species have also been identified, but with very low frequencies, below the norm. The cape d’Afissat has a very important role in the economic life of the region, so we must increase efforts to preserve it and if it is possible to improve the quality of water.","PeriodicalId":265480,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131423556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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