Pub Date : 2023-05-20DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020021
J. Köhler, Linda Ehrhardt, Jialan Cao, F. Möller, T. Schüler, P. M. Günther
Soil samples taken during archaeological investigations of a historical tannery area in the eastern suburb of the medieval city of Jena have been investigated by 16S r-RNA gene profiling. The analyses supplied a large spectrum of interesting bacteria, among them Patescibacteria, Methylomirabilota, Asgardarchaeota, Zixibacteria, Sideroxydans and Sulfurifustis. Samples taken from soil inside the residues of large vats show large differences in comparison to the environmental soil. The PCAs for different abundance classes clearly reflect the higher similarity between the bacterial communities of the outside-vat soils in comparison with three of the inside-vat soil communities. Two of the in-side vat soils are distinguishable from the other samples by separate use of each abundance class, but classes of lower abundance are better applicable than the highly abundant bacteria for distinguishing the sampling sites by PCA, in general. This effect could be interpreted by the assumption that less abundant types in the 16S r-RNA data tend to be more related to an earlier state of soil development than the more abundant and might be, therefore, better suited for conclusions on the state of the soils in an earlier local situation. In addition, the analyses allowed identification of specific features of each single sampling site. In one site specifically, DNA hints of animal residue-related bacteria were found. Obviously, the special situation in the in-site vat soils contributes to the diversity of the place, and enhances its Beta-diversity. Very high abundancies of several ammonia-metabolizing and of sulphur compound-oxidizing genera in the metagenomics data can be interpreted as an echo of the former tannery activities using urine and processing keratin-rich animal materials. In summary, it can be concluded that the 16S r-RNA analysis of such archaeological places can supply a lot of data related to ancient human impacts, representing a kind of “ecological memory of soil”.
{"title":"Beta-Diversity Enhancement by Archaeological Structures: Bacterial Communities of an Historical Tannery Area of the City of Jena (Germany) Reflect the Ancient Human Impact","authors":"J. Köhler, Linda Ehrhardt, Jialan Cao, F. Möller, T. Schüler, P. M. Günther","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020021","url":null,"abstract":"Soil samples taken during archaeological investigations of a historical tannery area in the eastern suburb of the medieval city of Jena have been investigated by 16S r-RNA gene profiling. The analyses supplied a large spectrum of interesting bacteria, among them Patescibacteria, Methylomirabilota, Asgardarchaeota, Zixibacteria, Sideroxydans and Sulfurifustis. Samples taken from soil inside the residues of large vats show large differences in comparison to the environmental soil. The PCAs for different abundance classes clearly reflect the higher similarity between the bacterial communities of the outside-vat soils in comparison with three of the inside-vat soil communities. Two of the in-side vat soils are distinguishable from the other samples by separate use of each abundance class, but classes of lower abundance are better applicable than the highly abundant bacteria for distinguishing the sampling sites by PCA, in general. This effect could be interpreted by the assumption that less abundant types in the 16S r-RNA data tend to be more related to an earlier state of soil development than the more abundant and might be, therefore, better suited for conclusions on the state of the soils in an earlier local situation. In addition, the analyses allowed identification of specific features of each single sampling site. In one site specifically, DNA hints of animal residue-related bacteria were found. Obviously, the special situation in the in-site vat soils contributes to the diversity of the place, and enhances its Beta-diversity. Very high abundancies of several ammonia-metabolizing and of sulphur compound-oxidizing genera in the metagenomics data can be interpreted as an echo of the former tannery activities using urine and processing keratin-rich animal materials. In summary, it can be concluded that the 16S r-RNA analysis of such archaeological places can supply a lot of data related to ancient human impacts, representing a kind of “ecological memory of soil”.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47602365","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}
Pub Date : 2023-05-13DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020020
N. Zarubina
This study investigated the content of 137Cs (a long-lived radioactive isotope of caesium) in various parts of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scotch pine) and Dicranum polysetum Sw. (rugose fork-moss) at three different sites within the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant over two years. The Leliv site is located within the 10 km zone, while the Paryshiv and Dytiatky sampling sites are within the 30 km zone. Samples of different P. sylvestris organs were collected, including 1- and 2-year-old branches and needles and wood and outer bark, and the entire D. polysetum. Sampling was conducted every two weeks throughout the year during 2014 and 2015. The specific activity levels of 137Cs in the samples were measured using gamma spectrometry with a CANBERRA gamma spectrometer unit and a coaxial high-purity HPGe semiconductor detector. The study found that at the Leliv and Paryshiv sites, the highest content of 137Cs in living organs of P. sylvestris was found in the wood. At the Dytiatky site, the needles and branches of the first and second years had anomalously high concentrations of radiocaesium (137Cs). This could be due to a thin layer of forest litter (1.5 cm) at that site. The study also found significant changes in the specific activity levels of 137Cs in living pine organs throughout the year. The highest concentration was observed in pine branches and needles in summer, and the maximum values in wood were observed in winter. The study suggests that a constant circulation of 137Cs in the soil–plant system can cause seasonal changes in the content of 137Cs in living pine organs. Symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi can play an important role in the circulation of radiocaesium in forest ecosystems. The outer bark of P. sylvestris did not show any seasonal changes in the content of 137Cs. It may not be involved in radiocaesium redistribution inside the plant but can serve as a long-term source of this radionuclide entering the forest litter. The study found no seasonal changes in the accumulation of 137Cs by D. polysetum, which might be due to the physiological characteristics of this plant species. Based on the analysis of the conducted studies, the recommendation is to consider the seasonal changes in the content of 137Cs during monitoring activities and when using Scots pine in areas potentially contaminated with this radionuclide.
{"title":"Circulation of 137Cs in Various Forest Plants in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone during the Year","authors":"N. Zarubina","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020020","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the content of 137Cs (a long-lived radioactive isotope of caesium) in various parts of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scotch pine) and Dicranum polysetum Sw. (rugose fork-moss) at three different sites within the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant over two years. The Leliv site is located within the 10 km zone, while the Paryshiv and Dytiatky sampling sites are within the 30 km zone. Samples of different P. sylvestris organs were collected, including 1- and 2-year-old branches and needles and wood and outer bark, and the entire D. polysetum. Sampling was conducted every two weeks throughout the year during 2014 and 2015. The specific activity levels of 137Cs in the samples were measured using gamma spectrometry with a CANBERRA gamma spectrometer unit and a coaxial high-purity HPGe semiconductor detector. The study found that at the Leliv and Paryshiv sites, the highest content of 137Cs in living organs of P. sylvestris was found in the wood. At the Dytiatky site, the needles and branches of the first and second years had anomalously high concentrations of radiocaesium (137Cs). This could be due to a thin layer of forest litter (1.5 cm) at that site. The study also found significant changes in the specific activity levels of 137Cs in living pine organs throughout the year. The highest concentration was observed in pine branches and needles in summer, and the maximum values in wood were observed in winter. The study suggests that a constant circulation of 137Cs in the soil–plant system can cause seasonal changes in the content of 137Cs in living pine organs. Symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi can play an important role in the circulation of radiocaesium in forest ecosystems. The outer bark of P. sylvestris did not show any seasonal changes in the content of 137Cs. It may not be involved in radiocaesium redistribution inside the plant but can serve as a long-term source of this radionuclide entering the forest litter. The study found no seasonal changes in the accumulation of 137Cs by D. polysetum, which might be due to the physiological characteristics of this plant species. Based on the analysis of the conducted studies, the recommendation is to consider the seasonal changes in the content of 137Cs during monitoring activities and when using Scots pine in areas potentially contaminated with this radionuclide.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42534473","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-21DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020019
R. Pereira, S. Rodrigues, Diogo M. Silva, S. Ramos
The northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula is an important spawning and nursery area for several marine fish species, some of which are economically exploited by fisheries and under management plans. Larval stages of fish are highly sensitive to environmental change and anthropogenic pressures, and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) can help mitigate the impacts on fish populations. This study investigated the environmental drivers of the temporal and spatial patterns of the larval fish assemblages inhabiting a small coastal MPA along the NW Portuguese Iberian Coast. Seasonal surveys were conducted over two years at nine sampling stations distributed throughout the MPA to collect larval fish samples and water parameters. Results showed that a total of 39 different fish taxa were identified. In terms of abundance, reef-associated species, such as Parablennius gattorugine (54.6%), and marine species that use estuaries as nursery areas, such as Ammodytes tobianus (15.7%) and Clupeidae n.i. (8.8%) dominated the larval fish assemblages. The larval fish assemblages were characterized by a strong temporal pattern that, according to CCA analyses, was related to the temporal variability of water temperature, pH, chlorophyll α, TPM, and also the river flow of an adjacent river. This study showed that 47% of the fish larvae belonged to commercially exploited species, highlighting the importance of this MPA as a nursery area for the early life stages of the fish population. Overall, these new findings emphasize the role of MPAs in ensuring the connectivity of fish species between marine-estuarine habitats and enhancing the conservation of fish populations.
{"title":"Assessing Environmental Control on Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Larval Fish Assemblages in a Marine Protected Area","authors":"R. Pereira, S. Rodrigues, Diogo M. Silva, S. Ramos","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020019","url":null,"abstract":"The northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula is an important spawning and nursery area for several marine fish species, some of which are economically exploited by fisheries and under management plans. Larval stages of fish are highly sensitive to environmental change and anthropogenic pressures, and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) can help mitigate the impacts on fish populations. This study investigated the environmental drivers of the temporal and spatial patterns of the larval fish assemblages inhabiting a small coastal MPA along the NW Portuguese Iberian Coast. Seasonal surveys were conducted over two years at nine sampling stations distributed throughout the MPA to collect larval fish samples and water parameters. Results showed that a total of 39 different fish taxa were identified. In terms of abundance, reef-associated species, such as Parablennius gattorugine (54.6%), and marine species that use estuaries as nursery areas, such as Ammodytes tobianus (15.7%) and Clupeidae n.i. (8.8%) dominated the larval fish assemblages. The larval fish assemblages were characterized by a strong temporal pattern that, according to CCA analyses, was related to the temporal variability of water temperature, pH, chlorophyll α, TPM, and also the river flow of an adjacent river. This study showed that 47% of the fish larvae belonged to commercially exploited species, highlighting the importance of this MPA as a nursery area for the early life stages of the fish population. Overall, these new findings emphasize the role of MPAs in ensuring the connectivity of fish species between marine-estuarine habitats and enhancing the conservation of fish populations.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46288950","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-03DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020018
Armando Avalos Jiménez, Susana María Lorena Marceleño Flores, Oyolsi Nájera González, Fernando Flores Vilchez
Currently, there is a world coffee production crisis which has been attributed, among other factors, to the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the development of productive agricultural activities. In this scenario, Mexico is in a declining situation by showing a reduction in coffee production areas in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to promote actions that contribute to the recovery of the resource, particularly in the states with agricultural potential. In the present work, the potentially suitable areas for coffee cultivation are identified through the application of tools that allow for characterizing the biophysical conditions that define the current spatial distribution and, from the analysis of these characteristics, generate a Potential Distribution Model (PDM) of the suitable zones for coffee production. The methodology was developed through the application of the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm, starting with the collection and preparation of coffee presence records, followed by a correlation analysis and identification of significant variables, the subsequent execution of the model in various configurations to observe the contribution of each variable through a jackknife test, and finally validation of the model with a random sample selection of 30%, to achieve an AUC of 0.98 and TSS of 0.96. The present model was able to identify and quantify the environmentally suitable zones for coffee production, highlighting the regions with ideal potential for the specie. These results are intended to serve as a basis for the generation of planning strategies aimed at managing, improving, and increasing coffee production areas, as well as being used to establish biological corridors to promote biodiversity, conservation, and alternative economic activities such as tourism and furthermore for future work on the analysis of production scenarios and impacts of climate change. It is concluded that 30% of Nayarit’s territory has ideal conditions for coffee cultivation, especially the region delimited by the municipalities of Tepic and Xalisco, the eastern zone of Compostela, and the southwest of San Blas, which should be considered as a Priority Conservation Area (APC) for coffee cultivation in the state.
{"title":"Potential Coffee Distribution in a Central-Western Region of Mexico","authors":"Armando Avalos Jiménez, Susana María Lorena Marceleño Flores, Oyolsi Nájera González, Fernando Flores Vilchez","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020018","url":null,"abstract":"Currently, there is a world coffee production crisis which has been attributed, among other factors, to the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the development of productive agricultural activities. In this scenario, Mexico is in a declining situation by showing a reduction in coffee production areas in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to promote actions that contribute to the recovery of the resource, particularly in the states with agricultural potential. In the present work, the potentially suitable areas for coffee cultivation are identified through the application of tools that allow for characterizing the biophysical conditions that define the current spatial distribution and, from the analysis of these characteristics, generate a Potential Distribution Model (PDM) of the suitable zones for coffee production. The methodology was developed through the application of the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm, starting with the collection and preparation of coffee presence records, followed by a correlation analysis and identification of significant variables, the subsequent execution of the model in various configurations to observe the contribution of each variable through a jackknife test, and finally validation of the model with a random sample selection of 30%, to achieve an AUC of 0.98 and TSS of 0.96. The present model was able to identify and quantify the environmentally suitable zones for coffee production, highlighting the regions with ideal potential for the specie. These results are intended to serve as a basis for the generation of planning strategies aimed at managing, improving, and increasing coffee production areas, as well as being used to establish biological corridors to promote biodiversity, conservation, and alternative economic activities such as tourism and furthermore for future work on the analysis of production scenarios and impacts of climate change. It is concluded that 30% of Nayarit’s territory has ideal conditions for coffee cultivation, especially the region delimited by the municipalities of Tepic and Xalisco, the eastern zone of Compostela, and the southwest of San Blas, which should be considered as a Priority Conservation Area (APC) for coffee cultivation in the state.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48771080","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-02DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020017
S. Barinova, E. Krupa, Yelena Khitrova
The problem of assessing the impact of pollution in protected areas prompted us to apply a combined method of bioindication and spatial mapping of phytoplankton data from six lakes in the Burabay National Nature Park in Northern Kazakhstan. The issue of monitoring planning was quite acute for this landscape-homogeneous area among the Kulunda steppes. Phytoplankton in each of the six lakes was collected in the summer season of 2019 at a total of 54 sampling stations. In total, 139 species of algae and cyanobacteria from seven taxonomic phyla were found in the phytoplankton of the Burabay Park during the study period. Three phyla were the richest in species: diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria. Based on species richness, abundance, and biomass, as well as bioindicators and calculated indices of organic pollution and toxic effects, the current ecological state of the lake was assessed as being under the influence of pollution, of the mesotrophic type and with a high capacity for self-purification. Statistical mapping, calculated by the correlation of the species composition and categories of indicators, revealed the zones of anthropogenic impact located on the shores of the lake, and the water of the lakes as weakly alkaline, quality classes 2–3. An increase in the number of cyanobacteria in coastal communities was revealed, which may be associated with an increase in the biogenic load on the lake ecosystems. The results of the analysis and mapping of indicators revealed that two major factors regulated phytoplankton: salinity and organic pollution. The sources of organic pollution are mostly associated with the intake of substances from the coastal zone, where resorts, roads, and settlements are located.
{"title":"Phytoplankton Diversity and Bioindication of the Lakes in the Burabay National Natural Park, Northern Kazakhstan","authors":"S. Barinova, E. Krupa, Yelena Khitrova","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020017","url":null,"abstract":"The problem of assessing the impact of pollution in protected areas prompted us to apply a combined method of bioindication and spatial mapping of phytoplankton data from six lakes in the Burabay National Nature Park in Northern Kazakhstan. The issue of monitoring planning was quite acute for this landscape-homogeneous area among the Kulunda steppes. Phytoplankton in each of the six lakes was collected in the summer season of 2019 at a total of 54 sampling stations. In total, 139 species of algae and cyanobacteria from seven taxonomic phyla were found in the phytoplankton of the Burabay Park during the study period. Three phyla were the richest in species: diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria. Based on species richness, abundance, and biomass, as well as bioindicators and calculated indices of organic pollution and toxic effects, the current ecological state of the lake was assessed as being under the influence of pollution, of the mesotrophic type and with a high capacity for self-purification. Statistical mapping, calculated by the correlation of the species composition and categories of indicators, revealed the zones of anthropogenic impact located on the shores of the lake, and the water of the lakes as weakly alkaline, quality classes 2–3. An increase in the number of cyanobacteria in coastal communities was revealed, which may be associated with an increase in the biogenic load on the lake ecosystems. The results of the analysis and mapping of indicators revealed that two major factors regulated phytoplankton: salinity and organic pollution. The sources of organic pollution are mostly associated with the intake of substances from the coastal zone, where resorts, roads, and settlements are located.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45221252","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}
Pub Date : 2023-04-02DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020016
Augusta Costa, A. Moreira
Stem diameter growth in living trees refers to the invariably increase in dimension over a given period. However, reversible stem diameter decrease could occur, related to water movement in the vessels within the wood (on a daily basis) and to tree water deficit and depletion of stored water (on a seasonal basis). Recently, the perennial decrement in stem diameter size has been related to a tree decline pathway, and eventually resulting in tree death. In this study, we analysed stem diameter intra-annual growth dynamics of holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) trees for two full growing seasons in distinct woodlands, Laborela and Aldeia dos Fernandes, in southern Portugal (Ourique district). Our focus was to assess stem diameter growth patterns and trends in holm oak trees in endangered woodlands with high tree mortality and to question if perennial decrement. Holm oaks in Laborela were much more sensitive in their stem diameter variations than in Aldeia dos Fernandes and, on average, their stem diameter decreased continuously by 1.0 mm along the 2-year study period, with a slightly higher annual decrease in the first study year (0.6 mm.yr−1). In addition, on average, trees had a higher decrease in stem sectional area of 5.8 cm2 in Laborela against a decrease of 3.7 cm2 in Aldeia dos Fernandes, where the stem diameter of holm oaks only decreased in the first study year (0.1 mm.yr−1). In each study area, the repeated- measures ANOVA showed that tree size effect influenced the stem diameter variations in contrast to tree crown defoliation. Trees were, on average, relatively smaller in Laborela, with DBH = 35.5 cm against DBH = 40.6 cm in Aldeia dos Fernandes, and were highly sensitive in their stem diameter decrement along two consecutives full growing seasons. This is the first exploratory study on assessing the stem diameter fluctuations on holm oaks to address a decline pathway. Our results revealed that holm oaks can survive during two consecutive growing seasons, with a continuous decrease in their stem diameters, which might indicate one tree’s decline pathway.
活树的茎粗生长是指在一定时期内，茎粗尺寸不变地增加。然而，可逆的茎径减少可能发生，这与木材内部容器中的水运动(每天)以及树木水分不足和储水消耗(季节性)有关。近年来，人们发现树干直径的多年性减小与树木的衰退途径有关，并最终导致树木死亡。在这项研究中，我们分析了在葡萄牙南部(Ourique地区)不同林地，Laborela和Aldeia dos Fernandes，霍尔姆栎(Quercus rotundifolia Lam.)树的茎直径在两个完整生长季节的年内生长动态。我们的重点是评估高死亡率的濒危林地中黑栎的茎粗生长模式和趋势，并对其多年性退化提出质疑。在2年的研究期间，Laborela栎的茎粗变化比Aldeia dos Fernandes栎的茎粗变化更敏感，茎粗平均连续下降1.0 mm，其中第1年的年下降幅度略大(0.6 mm.yr - 1)。此外，平均而言，黑栎的茎截面积减少幅度更大，Laborela的茎截面积减少了5.8 cm2，而Aldeia dos Fernandes的茎截面积减少了3.7 cm2，其中黑栎的茎直径仅在研究第一年减少(0.1 mm.yr - 1)。在每个研究区，重复测量方差分析表明，相对于树冠落叶，树的大小效应影响茎直径的变化。在连续两个完整生长季节中，竹节树的平均胸径为35.5 cm，而竹节树的平均胸径为40.6 cm，竹节树相对较小。这是第一次对黑栎茎径波动进行评估，以解决衰退途径的探索性研究。研究结果表明，在连续两个生长季节中，霍尔姆橡树可以存活下来，其茎粗不断减少，这可能表明一棵树的衰落路径。
{"title":"Stem Diameter Decrement in Holm Oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.): Insights into Tree Decline Pathways in Endangered Woodlands of Southern Portugal","authors":"Augusta Costa, A. Moreira","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020016","url":null,"abstract":"Stem diameter growth in living trees refers to the invariably increase in dimension over a given period. However, reversible stem diameter decrease could occur, related to water movement in the vessels within the wood (on a daily basis) and to tree water deficit and depletion of stored water (on a seasonal basis). Recently, the perennial decrement in stem diameter size has been related to a tree decline pathway, and eventually resulting in tree death. In this study, we analysed stem diameter intra-annual growth dynamics of holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) trees for two full growing seasons in distinct woodlands, Laborela and Aldeia dos Fernandes, in southern Portugal (Ourique district). Our focus was to assess stem diameter growth patterns and trends in holm oak trees in endangered woodlands with high tree mortality and to question if perennial decrement. Holm oaks in Laborela were much more sensitive in their stem diameter variations than in Aldeia dos Fernandes and, on average, their stem diameter decreased continuously by 1.0 mm along the 2-year study period, with a slightly higher annual decrease in the first study year (0.6 mm.yr−1). In addition, on average, trees had a higher decrease in stem sectional area of 5.8 cm2 in Laborela against a decrease of 3.7 cm2 in Aldeia dos Fernandes, where the stem diameter of holm oaks only decreased in the first study year (0.1 mm.yr−1). In each study area, the repeated- measures ANOVA showed that tree size effect influenced the stem diameter variations in contrast to tree crown defoliation. Trees were, on average, relatively smaller in Laborela, with DBH = 35.5 cm against DBH = 40.6 cm in Aldeia dos Fernandes, and were highly sensitive in their stem diameter decrement along two consecutives full growing seasons. This is the first exploratory study on assessing the stem diameter fluctuations on holm oaks to address a decline pathway. Our results revealed that holm oaks can survive during two consecutive growing seasons, with a continuous decrease in their stem diameters, which might indicate one tree’s decline pathway.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45851830","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}
Pub Date : 2023-03-23DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4020015
Christopher E. Orozco-González, María E. Ocasio-Torres
In this study, aquatic macroinvertebrates were used as bioindicators to determine the ecological conditions of the Lapa River, located between the municipalities of Cayey and Salinas, Puerto Rico. The water quality of the river was evaluated through the calculation of the Puerto Rico Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP-PR), as well as its degree of contamination using the Puerto Rico Family Biotic Index (FBI-PR). Bimonthly sampling was conducted across four sampling sites for a period of 12 months. The sampling sites were positioned upstream and downstream within the nature reserve, and outside and downstream its borders. The BMWP-PR results showed that the site upstream-inside the nature reserve had good water quality, and the site downstream-inside the nature reserve had regular water quality, showing some areas with eutrophication. The water quality outside-downstream from the nature reserve was poor. The FBI-PR results showed that there was mild organic contamination inside the nature reserve, while there was substantial organic contamination in the site that was outside-downstream from the nature reserve. We concluded that the section of the river located within the nature reserve had better ecological conditions than the stretch of the river located outside-downstream of the nature reserve, because it is located within a protected area that has barely been impacted by human activity.
{"title":"Aquatic Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of Water Quality: A Study of an Ecosystem Regulation Service in a Tropical River","authors":"Christopher E. Orozco-González, María E. Ocasio-Torres","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4020015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4020015","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, aquatic macroinvertebrates were used as bioindicators to determine the ecological conditions of the Lapa River, located between the municipalities of Cayey and Salinas, Puerto Rico. The water quality of the river was evaluated through the calculation of the Puerto Rico Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP-PR), as well as its degree of contamination using the Puerto Rico Family Biotic Index (FBI-PR). Bimonthly sampling was conducted across four sampling sites for a period of 12 months. The sampling sites were positioned upstream and downstream within the nature reserve, and outside and downstream its borders. The BMWP-PR results showed that the site upstream-inside the nature reserve had good water quality, and the site downstream-inside the nature reserve had regular water quality, showing some areas with eutrophication. The water quality outside-downstream from the nature reserve was poor. The FBI-PR results showed that there was mild organic contamination inside the nature reserve, while there was substantial organic contamination in the site that was outside-downstream from the nature reserve. We concluded that the section of the river located within the nature reserve had better ecological conditions than the stretch of the river located outside-downstream of the nature reserve, because it is located within a protected area that has barely been impacted by human activity.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45973438","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}
Pub Date : 2023-03-22DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4010014
Hassan Al-Razi, Marco Campera, Sabit Hasan, M. Maria, V. Nijman, K. Nekaris
Agricultural expansion has had a detrimental effect on tropical forests and the animal communities that depend on them. Agroforestry systems, however, with their more complex tree and plant communities, have been shown to be important habitats for a range of globally threatened species, including nocturnal animals. Here, we present novel data on the encounter rates of seven species of nocturnal mammals in relation to agroforestry systems within four national parks and associated plantations in Bangladesh to examine if encounter rates were influenced by the human population density, presence of plantations, and human access as represented by a Human Influence Index of anthropogenic disturbance. We walked 70.3 km of transects with only semi-natural forest, 26.9 km of transects with semi-natural forest and gardens, and 21.7 km of transects with semi-natural forest and monocultures over 55 nights from 2017–2019. Of the seven species of nocturnal mammals we detected, all were present in Satachari National Park, whereas six occurred in Lawachara National Park, Rajkandi Forest Range, and Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Within these national parks, three species (Bengal slow loris, large Indian civet, particolored flying squirrel) were more frequently recorded in areas with human disturbance, especially agroforestry plantations. With declining forest cover in Bangladesh, we highlight here the potential of agroforestry systems as emerging important habitats for these species. We encourage long-term studies of these lesser-studied taxa to understand fully the capacity of agroforestry systems in order to support their long-term conservation.
{"title":"Influence of Agricultural Expansion and Human Disturbance on the Encounter Rates of Nocturnal Mammals in Tropical Hill Forests in Bangladesh","authors":"Hassan Al-Razi, Marco Campera, Sabit Hasan, M. Maria, V. Nijman, K. Nekaris","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4010014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4010014","url":null,"abstract":"Agricultural expansion has had a detrimental effect on tropical forests and the animal communities that depend on them. Agroforestry systems, however, with their more complex tree and plant communities, have been shown to be important habitats for a range of globally threatened species, including nocturnal animals. Here, we present novel data on the encounter rates of seven species of nocturnal mammals in relation to agroforestry systems within four national parks and associated plantations in Bangladesh to examine if encounter rates were influenced by the human population density, presence of plantations, and human access as represented by a Human Influence Index of anthropogenic disturbance. We walked 70.3 km of transects with only semi-natural forest, 26.9 km of transects with semi-natural forest and gardens, and 21.7 km of transects with semi-natural forest and monocultures over 55 nights from 2017–2019. Of the seven species of nocturnal mammals we detected, all were present in Satachari National Park, whereas six occurred in Lawachara National Park, Rajkandi Forest Range, and Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. Within these national parks, three species (Bengal slow loris, large Indian civet, particolored flying squirrel) were more frequently recorded in areas with human disturbance, especially agroforestry plantations. With declining forest cover in Bangladesh, we highlight here the potential of agroforestry systems as emerging important habitats for these species. We encourage long-term studies of these lesser-studied taxa to understand fully the capacity of agroforestry systems in order to support their long-term conservation.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46774780","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}
Pub Date : 2023-03-03DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4010013
Matthew A Etterson, Elizabeth A Paulukonis, S Thomas Purucker
Hummingbirds are charismatic fauna that provide important pollination services, including in the continental US, where 15 species regularly breed. Compared to other birds in North America, hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) have a unique exposure route to pesticides because they forage on nectar. Therefore, hummingbirds may be exposed to systemic pesticides borne in nectar. They also may be particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposure due to their small size and extreme metabolic demands. We review relevant factors including hummingbird life history, nectar residue uptake, and avian bioenergetic considerations with the goal of clearly identifying and articulating the specific modeling challenges that must be overcome to develop and/or adapt existing modeling approaches. To help evaluate these factors, we developed a dataset for ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) and other avian species potentially exposed to pesticides. We used the systemic neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid as an illustration and compared results to five other common current use pesticides. We use the structure of Pop-GUIDE to provide a conceptual modeling framework for implementation of MCnest and to compile parameter values and relevant algorithms to predict the effects of pesticide exposure on avian pollinators. Conservative screening assessments suggest the potential for adverse effects from imidacloprid, as do more refined assessments, though many important limitations and uncertainties remain. Our review found many areas in which current USEPA avian models must be improved in order to conduct a full higher-tier risk assessment for avian pollinators exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides, including addition of models suitable for soil and seed treatments within the MCnest environment, ability to include empirical residue data in both nectar and invertebrates rather than relying on existing nomograms, expansion of MCnest to a full annual cycle, and increased representation of spatial heterogeneity. Although this work focuses on hummingbirds, the methods and recommendations may apply more widely to other vertebrate pollinators.
{"title":"Using Pop-GUIDE to Assess the Applicability of MCnest for Relative Risk of Pesticides to Hummingbirds.","authors":"Matthew A Etterson, Elizabeth A Paulukonis, S Thomas Purucker","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4010013","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ecologies4010013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hummingbirds are charismatic fauna that provide important pollination services, including in the continental US, where 15 species regularly breed. Compared to other birds in North America, hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) have a unique exposure route to pesticides because they forage on nectar. Therefore, hummingbirds may be exposed to systemic pesticides borne in nectar. They also may be particularly vulnerable to pesticide exposure due to their small size and extreme metabolic demands. We review relevant factors including hummingbird life history, nectar residue uptake, and avian bioenergetic considerations with the goal of clearly identifying and articulating the specific modeling challenges that must be overcome to develop and/or adapt existing modeling approaches. To help evaluate these factors, we developed a dataset for ruby-throated hummingbirds (<i>Archilochus colubris</i>) and other avian species potentially exposed to pesticides. We used the systemic neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid as an illustration and compared results to five other common current use pesticides. We use the structure of Pop-GUIDE to provide a conceptual modeling framework for implementation of MCnest and to compile parameter values and relevant algorithms to predict the effects of pesticide exposure on avian pollinators. Conservative screening assessments suggest the potential for adverse effects from imidacloprid, as do more refined assessments, though many important limitations and uncertainties remain. Our review found many areas in which current USEPA avian models must be improved in order to conduct a full higher-tier risk assessment for avian pollinators exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides, including addition of models suitable for soil and seed treatments within the MCnest environment, ability to include empirical residue data in both nectar and invertebrates rather than relying on existing nomograms, expansion of MCnest to a full annual cycle, and increased representation of spatial heterogeneity. Although this work focuses on hummingbirds, the methods and recommendations may apply more widely to other vertebrate pollinators.</p>","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":"1 1","pages":"171-194"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11373374/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41446643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-02DOI: 10.3390/ecologies4010012
D. B. Raudabaugh, M. C. Aime
Lichens are symbiotic partnerships between a filamentous fungus and a photosymbiotic “alga”. Studies show that lichens harbor endothallic fungi, but that some taxa have been difficult to isolate from the main filamentous thallus-forming fungus and other faster growing lichenicolous/endothallic fungi. Therefore, we aimed to develop and evaluate liquid yeast-enrichment strategies to (1) isolate lichen-associated yeasts in pure culture, and (2) determine the taxonomic placement and breadth of the diversity of culturable yeasts. Eighty-two lichen samples were collected and washed with distilled water, and healthy thalli were ground up and added to seven different yeast-enrichment broths. Yeast colonies were isolated in pure culture and identified using molecular techniques. Initial isolates were identified using BLASTn analysis, and a taxonomic refinement was completed using PhyML analysis. In total, 215 isolates were obtained. The most prevalently isolated ascomycetous yeasts were within the Dothideomycetes (Aureobasidium, Plowrightia, and Dothiora), while the most frequently isolated basidiomycetous yeasts belonged to the genera Curvibasidium, Sporobolomyces, and Tremella. The generic placements could not be determined for 17 isolates, and in total 25 novel species were recovered. The results of this research indicate that (1) lichen-associated yeasts are diverse, (2) employing liquid enrichment strategies is effective for isolating many of these, and (3) lichen thalli represent a valuable untapped reservoir of diverse and novel yeast species.
{"title":"Culturable Diversity of Lichen-Associated Yeasts through Enrichment Strategies","authors":"D. B. Raudabaugh, M. C. Aime","doi":"10.3390/ecologies4010012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4010012","url":null,"abstract":"Lichens are symbiotic partnerships between a filamentous fungus and a photosymbiotic “alga”. Studies show that lichens harbor endothallic fungi, but that some taxa have been difficult to isolate from the main filamentous thallus-forming fungus and other faster growing lichenicolous/endothallic fungi. Therefore, we aimed to develop and evaluate liquid yeast-enrichment strategies to (1) isolate lichen-associated yeasts in pure culture, and (2) determine the taxonomic placement and breadth of the diversity of culturable yeasts. Eighty-two lichen samples were collected and washed with distilled water, and healthy thalli were ground up and added to seven different yeast-enrichment broths. Yeast colonies were isolated in pure culture and identified using molecular techniques. Initial isolates were identified using BLASTn analysis, and a taxonomic refinement was completed using PhyML analysis. In total, 215 isolates were obtained. The most prevalently isolated ascomycetous yeasts were within the Dothideomycetes (Aureobasidium, Plowrightia, and Dothiora), while the most frequently isolated basidiomycetous yeasts belonged to the genera Curvibasidium, Sporobolomyces, and Tremella. The generic placements could not be determined for 17 isolates, and in total 25 novel species were recovered. The results of this research indicate that (1) lichen-associated yeasts are diverse, (2) employing liquid enrichment strategies is effective for isolating many of these, and (3) lichen thalli represent a valuable untapped reservoir of diverse and novel yeast species.","PeriodicalId":72866,"journal":{"name":"Ecologies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49347605","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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