scholarly journals Distribution of butterflies along a trekking corridor in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Sikkim, Eastern Himalayas

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nakul Chettri
Keyword(s):  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Disturbed Condition ◽  
Broadleaf Forest ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Warm Temperate

Aim The aim of the research was to understand the distribution pattern of butterflies along attitudinal and disturbance gradients in a trekking corridor in Sikkim, India.Location Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, West Sikkim, India.Material and Methods The study focused on two sets of data, one on inventory of species along the trekking corridor and the other on butterfly species and their numbers along the 19 permanent plots measuring 30x40m. Among the 19 plots, four each was laid in degraded forests (canopy cover <40%) and undisturbed forests (canopy cover >40%) within the warm temperate broadleaf forest (1780–2350 m), and five and six in degraded and undisturbed forest respectively in cool temperate sub-alpine forest (2350– 3600 m). The surveys were conducted thrice a season for two seasons. All individuals recorded from the 114 pseudo replicate plots (19 plots, 3 times a season for 2 seasons) and the casual observations were considered for preliminary analysis for dominant families.Key findings Among the 189 species recorded, Nymphalidae family was dominant (44%) followed by Lycanidae (19%) and the least number of species was recorded from Riodinidae (1%). Likewise, 69% of the species recorded were found to be ‘fairly common’, 16% ‘common’ and 11% rare. The highest number of species per transect was recorded from the disturbed condition (7.1±0.7 Standard Error) at warm temperate broadleaf forest (WTBF) followed by undisturbed condition (6.7±0.8) and the least was recorded at the undisturbed condition (4.1±0.5) of cool temperate subalpine forest (CTSF). Similarly, the butterfly species diversity, its richness and evenness significantly differed between the forest types i.e. WTBF and CTSF and showed negative correlation along altitudinal gradients.Conservation implications Study concludes that the human interventions and tourism enterprises are bringing subtle changes in butterfly habitat and may have major effects on some of the habitat specific species if they are not seriously considered in the management interventions.Conservation Science Vol.3(1) 2015: 1-10

Two new Devonian spine-bearing pleurotomariacean gastropod genera from Alaska

1989 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Blodgett ◽  
David M. Rohr
Keyword(s):  
Middle Devonian ◽  
New Genera ◽  
Early Devonian ◽  
Old World ◽  
West Central ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Warm Temperate

Two new spine-bearing gastropods, Chlupacispira spinosa n. gen. and sp. and Spinulrichospira cheeneetnukensis n. gen. and sp., are described from the late Early Devonian (Emsian) and early Middle Devonian (Eifelian), respectively, of west-central Alaska. These represent the earliest reported spiny pleurotomariacean gastropods. Otherwise, spinose pleurotomariaceans are known from strata no older than Carboniferous age. Spinulrichospira cheeneetnukensis n. gen. and sp. appears to represent a more highly ornamented derivative of Ulrichospira Donald. Both new genera are part of the more highly ornamented fauna which occurred in warm equatorial waters of the Old World Realm during the Early and Middle Devonian, in contrast to more weakly ornamented shells of the Eastern Americas Realm and even more weakly ornamented (almost totally “plain”) shells of the Malvinokaffric Realm. The latter two realms are thought to represent subtropical to warm temperate and cool temperate to cool polar conditions, respectively.

Biodiversity and the biogeographic relationships of the Amphipoda: Gammaridea on the French coastline

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Dauvin ◽  
Denise Bellan-Santini
Keyword(s):  
Latitudinal Gradient ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
English Channel ◽  
Latitude Range ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Amphipoda Species ◽  
Central Atlantic ◽  
Warm Temperate

A recent inventory of the benthic Gammaridea: Amphipoda species on the French continental coastline catalogued 495 species. An analysis of the biodiversity and the biogeographic relationships that exist between the French Amphipoda: Gammaridea, living on the coastline that extends along 10° latitude range in the temperate region between 41° and 51° North and the other gammaridean faunas living in the north-eastern Atlantic has drawn the pattern of diversity in this marine invertebrate group on a large biogeographical scale. Gammaridean amphipods exhibit a latitudinal gradient over the total number of species, including the continental shelf species and the bathyal species. There are four main fauna groups, which correspond to the biogeographical zones of the north-eastern Atlantic: (1) a cold arctic and cool-temperate Svalbard and Norwegian coastal fauna; (2) a cool-temperate boreal and Boreal–Lusitanian United Kingdom, Irish and English Channel shallow fauna; (3) a warm-temperate Lusitanian Bay of Biscay and subtropical central Atlantic fauna; and (4) a subtropical Mediterranean fauna. The French fauna appears particularly rich, presenting 44% of the 1119 species recorded in the north-eastern Atlantic along the 50° latitude range (30°N–80°N).  This is obviously due to France's intermediate latitudinal location within the Lusitanian temperate biogeographical zone, which produces a biogeographical cross between the boreal fauna in the north and the warm temperate and sub-tropical fauna in the south.

Degradation or recovery of argan woodlands in South Morocco? Tree count from satellite imagery between 1967–2019 may underestimate pressures on dryland forests status

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Marzolff ◽  
Mario Kirchhoff ◽  
Robin Stephan ◽  
Manuel Seeger ◽  
Ali Aït Hssaïne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Change Analysis

&lt;p&gt;In semi-arid to arid South-west Morocco, the once ubiquitous endemic argan tree (&lt;em&gt;Argania spinosa&lt;/em&gt;) forms the basis of a traditional silvo-pastoral agroforestry system with complex usage rights involving pasturing and tree-browsing by goats, sheep and camels, smallholder agriculture and oil production. Widespread clearing of the open-canopy argan forests has been undertaken in the 12&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#8211;17&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; century for sugarcane production, and again in the 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; century for fuelwood extraction and conversion to commercial agriculture. The remaining argan woodlands have continued to decline due to firewood extraction, charcoal-making, overgrazing and overbrowsing. Soil and vegetation are increasingly being degraded; natural rejuvenation is hindered, and soil-erosion rates rise due to reduced infiltration and increased runoff. Numerous studies indicate that tree density and canopy cover have been generally decreasing for the last 200 years. However, there is little quantitative and spatially explicit information about these forest-cover dynamics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In our study, the tree-cover change between 1967 and 2019 was analysed for 30 test sites of 1 ha each in argan woodlands of different degradation stages in the provinces of Taroudant, Agadir Ida-Outanane and Chtouka-A&amp;#239;t Baha. We used historical black-and-white satellite photography from the American reconnaissance programme CORONA, recent high-resolution multispectral imagery from the commercial WorldView satellites and ultrahigh resolution small-format aerial photography taken with an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to map the presence, absence and comparative crown-size class of 2610 trees in 1967 and 2019. We supplemented the remotely-sensed data with field observations on tree structure and architecture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Results show that plant densities reach up to 300 argan trees and shrubs per hectare, and the mean tree density has increased from 58 trees/ha in 1967 to 86 trees/ha in 2019. While 7% of the 1967 trees have vanished today, more than one third of today&amp;#8217;s trees could not be observed in 1967. This positive change has a high uncertainty, however, as most of the increase concerns small trees (&lt; 3 m diameter) which might have been missed on the lower-resolution CORONA images.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When combined with our field data on tree architecture, tree count &amp;#8211; albeit a parameter easily attained by remote sensing &amp;#8211; is revealed as too simple an indicator for argan-forest dynamics, and the first impression of a positive development needs to be revised: The new small trees as well as trees with decreased crown sizes clearly show much stronger degradation characteristics than others, indicating increased pressures on the argan ecosystem during recent decades. Structural traits of the smaller trees also suggest that the apparent increase of tree count is not a result of natural rejuvenation, but mostly of stump re-sprouting, often into multi-stemmed trees, after felling of a tree. The density of the argan forest in the 1960s, prior to the general availability of cooking gas in the region and before the stronger enforcement of the argan logging ban following the declaration of the UNESCO biosphere reserve, may have marked a historic low in our study area, making the baseline of our change analysis far removed from the potential natural state of the argan ecosystem.&lt;/p&gt;

Activity times and body temperature in Australian copperheads (Serpentes : Elapidae)

2001 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Detlef H. Rohr ◽  
Brian S. Malone
Keyword(s):  
Body Temperature ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Body Temperatures ◽  
Active Season ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Warm Temperate ◽  
Activity Times

Local climatic conditions influence the way in which ectotherms regulate their body temperature and activity. We examined correlations between local climatic conditions, body temperature and activity in adult, basking lowland copperheads (Austrelaps superbus) from two localities (warm-temperate versus cool-temperate) in south-eastern Australia. We also collected data from highland copperheads (Austrelaps ramsayi) at a locality with cold-temperate climate. We found that across the active season, mean body temperatures were similar among localities (approximately 27˚C) irrespective of species. In contrast, activity times differed. Cool-temperate A. superbus emerged earlier in spring and in the morning and retreated earlier in the evening and in autumn than their conspecifics from the warm-temperate locality. Spring emergence was correlated with yearly fluctuations in thermal conditions, suggesting that activity times depend on environmental temperatures. Predator–prey interactions influenced body temperature and activity to some extent in spring when warm-temperate A. superbus with relatively low body temperatures (as low as 18.5˚C) were captured around ponds in which they had been foraging for frogs. Austrelaps ramsayi from the cold-temperate locality not only displayed a later emergence in spring and reduced daily activity times compared with warm and cool-temperate A. superbus but also compared with A. ramsayi, as reported from a warmer locality in eastern Australia. These data indicate that activity times vary on a geographic basis while snake body temperatures largely remain inflexible. The surprising exception was that cold-temperate A. ramsayi retreated later in autumn than cool-temperate A. superbus, and at that time they showed body temperatures as low as 12.5˚C, well below those we had recorded for A. superbus. We suggest that A. ramsayi retreat later in autumn because they need to extend their reproductive season and that this is mediated via adaptive changes in the critical minimum body temperature, as has been reported for other snakes.

scholarly journals Turnover Rate of Soil Organic Matter and Origin of Soil 14Co2 in Deep Soil from a Subtropical Forest in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, South China

Radiocarbon ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 1422-1434 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Ding ◽  
C D Shen ◽  
N Wang ◽  
W X Yi ◽  
X F Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Broadleaf Forest ◽  
Main Component ◽  
Soil Gas Sampling ◽  
Good Agreement

This paper examines the carbon isotopes (13C, 14C) of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil CO2 from an evergreen broadleaf forest in southern China during the rainy season. The distribution of SOC δ13C, and SOC content with depth, exhibits a regular decomposition of SOC compartments with different turnover rates. Labile carbon is the main component in the topsoil (0–12 cm) and has a turnover rate between 0.1 and 0.01 yr–1. In the middle section (12–35 cm), SOC was mainly comprised of mediate carbon with turnover rates ranging between 0.01 and 0.025. Below 35 cm depth (underlayer section), the SOC turnover rate is slower than 0.001 yr–1, indicating that passive carbon is the main component of SOC in this section. The total production of humus-derived CO2 is 123.84 g C m–2 yr–1, from which 88% originated in the topsoil. The middle and underlayer sections contribute only 10% and 2% to the total humus-derived CO2 production, respectively. Soil CO2 δ13C varies from –24.7‰ to –24.0‰, showing a slight isotopic depth gradient. Similar to soil CO2 δ13C, Δ14C values, which range from 100.0‰ to 107.2‰, are obviously higher than that of atmospheric CO2 (60–70‰) and SOC in the middle and underlayer section, suggesting that soil CO2 in the profile most likely originates mainly from SOC decomposition in the topsoil. A model of soil CO2 Δ14C indicates that the humus-derived CO2 from the topsoil contributes about 65–78% to soil CO2 in each soil gas sampling layer. In addition, the humus-derived CO2 contributes ∼81% on average to total soil CO2 in the profile, in good agreement with the field observation. The distribution and origin of soil 14CO2 imply that soil CO2 will be an important source of atmospheric 14CO2 well into the future.

scholarly journals Successional changes in epiphytic rainforest lichens: implications for the management of rainforest communities

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon E. MORLEY ◽  
Maria GIBSON
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Lichen Species ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Bark Texture ◽  
Old Trees ◽  
Temperate Rainforests ◽  
Stand Characteristics ◽  
Lichen Flora

AbstractWe explored lichen species richness and patterns of lichen succession on rough barked Nothofagus cunninghamii trees and on smooth barked Atherosperma moschatum trees in cool temperate rainforests in Victoria, Australia. Nothofagus cunninghamii trees from the Yarra Ranges, and A. moschatum trees from Errinundra were ranked into size classes (small, medium, large and extra-large), and differences in species richness and composition were compared between size classes for each tree species. Nothofagus cunninghamii supported a rich lichen flora (108 trees, 52 lichen species), with the largest trees supporting a significantly higher number of species, including many uncommon species. This success was attributed to varying bark texture, stand characteristics and microhabitat variations as the trees age. Atherosperma moschatum supported a comparable number of species (120 trees, 54 lichen species). Indeed on average, this host supported more lichen species than N. cunninghamii. However, successional patterns with increasing girth were not as clear for A. moschatum, possibly due to the more stable microclimate that this smooth barked host provided. Victorian cool temperate rainforests exist primarily as small, often isolated pockets within a sea of Eucalypt-dominated, fire-prone forest. Many are regenerating from past disturbance. We find that protection of Victoria's oldest rainforest pockets is crucial, as they represent sources of rare, potentially threatened lichen species, and may be acting as reservoirs for propagules for nearby ageing rainforests. Indeed, even single, large old trees have conservation importance, as they may provide exceptional microhabitats, not found elsewhere in the regenerating rainforest environment.

Phenology of leaf morphological, photosynthetic, and nitrogen use characteristics of canopy trees in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest at Takayama, central Japan

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hibiki M. Noda ◽  
Hiroyuki Muraoka ◽  
Kenlo Nishida Nasahara ◽  
Nobuko Saigusa ◽  
Shohei Murayama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Japan ◽  
Nitrogen Use ◽  
Broadleaf Forest ◽  
Canopy Trees ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Deciduous Broadleaf Forest

scholarly journals Improving insect conservation across heterogeneous landscapes using species–habitat networks

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e10563
Author(s):  
Andree Cappellari ◽  
Lorenzo Marini
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Bipartite Network ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Habitat Network ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Habitat Networks ◽  
Specialist Species

Background One of the biggest challenges in conservation is to manage multiple habitats for the effective conservation of multiple species, especially when the focal species are mobile and use multiple resources across heterogeneous protected areas. The application of ecological network tools and the analysis of the resulting species–habitat networks can help to describe such complex spatial associations and improve the conservation of species at the landscape scale. Methods To exemplify the application of species–habitat networks, we present a case study on butterflies inhabiting multiple grassland types across a heterogeneous protected area in North-East Italy. We sampled adult butterflies in 44 sites, each belonging to one of the five major habitat types in the protected area, that is, disturbed grasslands, continuous grasslands, evolved grasslands, hay meadows and wet meadows. First, we applied traditional diversity analyses to explore butterfly species richness and evenness. Second, we built and analyzed both the unipartite network, linking habitat patches via shared species, and the bipartite network, linking species to individual habitat patches. Aims (i) To describe the emerging properties (connectance, modularity, nestedness, and robustness) of the species–habitat network at the scale of the whole protected area, and (ii) to identify the key habitats patches for butterfly conservation across the protected area, that is, those supporting the highest number of species and those with unique species assemblages (e.g., hosting specialist species). Results The species–habitat network appeared to have a weak modular structure, meaning that the main habitat types tended to host different species assemblages. However, the habitats also shared a large proportion of species that were able to visit multiple habitats and use resources across the whole study area. Even butterfly species typically considered as habitat specialists were actually observed across multiple habitat patches, suggesting that protecting them only within their focal habitat might be ineffective. Our species–habitat network approach helped identifying both central habitat patches that were able to support the highest number of species, and habitat patches that supported rare specialist species.

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