Distribution of herbaceous plants around nests of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Formica aquilonia</Emphasis> Yarr. in a fragmented forest area

Topical connections between F. aquilonia ants and herbaceous plants in a fragmented forest area have been analyzed. The species composition of the group of herbaceous plants changing their occurrence frequency in response to the presence of F. aquilonia nests has been determined. Ecological and phytocenotic parameters of herbaceous plants contributing to the development of the myrmecotopic assemblage are described. Signs of meadowfication and synanthropization of the herbaceous layer around ant nests have been observed.     

The Relationship of Dominance and Evenness with Productivity and Species Richness in Plant Communities with Different Organization Models

The relationship between dominance and evenness in plant communities organized according to different models—competitive (alpine, subalpine, and low-mountain grasslands), stress-tolerant (alpine heaths and scrubs, subalpine fens, steppes, the forest herbaceous layer), and ruderal—has been analyzed in the Western Caucasus and Ciscaucasia. No correlation between evenness (dominance) and productivity has been revealed in communities of any type. The correlation between dominance and species richness is negative and, in most cases, linear, being stronger in competitive and ruderal than in stress-tolerant cenoses. The correlation between evenness and species richness in grassland communities (the competitive model) is strong, positive, and linear, while this correlation in ruderal and stress-tolerant communities is weak or absent.     

The influence of socioeconomic, environmental, and demographic factors on municipality-scale land-cover change in Mexico

Land-cover change is the result of complex multi-scale interactions between socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental factors. Demographic change, in particular, is thought to be a major driver of forest change. Most studies have evaluated these interactions at the regional or the national level, but few studies have evaluated these dynamics across multiple spatial scales within a country. In this study, we evaluated the effect of demographic, environmental, and socioeconomic variables on land-cover change between 2001 and 2010 for all Mexican municipalities (n?=?2,443) as well as by biome (n?=?4). We used a land-cover classification based on 250-m MODIS data to examine the change in cover classes (i.e., woody, mixed woody, and agriculture/herbaceous vegetation). We evaluated the trends of land-cover change and identified the major factors correlated with woody vegetation change in Mexico. At the national scale, the variation in woody vegetation was best explained by environmental variables, particularly precipitation; municipalities where woody cover increased tended to be in areas with low average annual precipitation (i.e., desert and dry forest biomes). Demographic variables did not contribute much to the model at the national scale. Elevation, temperature, and population density explained the change in woody cover when municipalities were grouped by biome (i.e., moist forest, dry forest, coniferous forest, and deserts). Land-cover change at the biome level showed two main trends: (1) the tropical moist biome lost woody vegetation to agriculture and herbaceous vegetation, and (2) the desert biome increased in woody vegetation within more open-canopy shrublands.     

Growth of the nesting colony of slaty-backed gulls (Larus schistisagus) and plant cover degradation on Shelikan Island (Taui inlet, the Sea of Okhotsk)

The size of Larus schistisagus nesting colony on Shelikan Island (8 ha in area) has increased from 2000 to 6000 pairs over 18 years. Today, this is the largest colony in the Sea of Okhotsk. The growth of the bird population has entailed catastrophic deterioration of the plant cover accompanied by a decrease in the species diversity of vascular plants: more than one-third of plant species recorded on the island in 1986 have already disappeared, and the establishment of several new plant species cannot compensate for this loss. If the size of the colony increases further, woody vegetation will fully deteriorate and only a thinned herbaceous layer consisting of 15–20 most resistant species will remain on the island.     

The effect of natural and anthropogenic disturbance in forest canopy and its effect on species richness in forests of Uttarakhand Himalaya,India

Pinus roxburghii (chir-pine) and Quercus leucothchophora (banj-oak) are dominant forests of mountainous part of the Uttarakhand Himalaya. The continued anthropogenic disturbance is opening the canopy, forming canopy gaps and as a result forest fragments are developing. Thus, the present study aims to analyze variations in species richness and vegetational parameters in relation to canopy gaps in forests. Total species richness was greater in open canopied forest compared to moderate and close canopied forests. In comparison between oak and pine forest, it was greater in oak forest while the proportion of common species was low between oak—pine forests. Mean species richness did not significantly vary from one canopy gap to another as well as in oak and pine dominated forest. This indicated that dominant forest types played an important role to form the community structure. The shrubs richness were greater in closed canopy and between the forests it was greater in pine forest. Tree and shrub density was low in open canopy while herb density was high in moderate canopy. Thus, this study indicated that the dominant canopy species play an important role in deciding the community structures especially the distribution of under canopy species. These parameters should be considered for conservation and maintenance of plant biodiversity of a region.     

Intra- and interspecific morphological variation of some European terrestrial orchids along a latitudinal gradient

Morphological trait variation in populations of rhizomatous (Cypripedium calceolus, Listera ovata) and root-tuber orchid species (Platanthera bifolia, Gymnadenia conopsea) has been studied along a latitudinal gradient in Europe. It has been shown that the structure of shoots changes with transition from the center to the northern or southern periphery of the species range. The reduction in the number of metameres at the range periphery is more distinct in orchids with multimetameric shoots, compared to those with oligometameric shoots. The plasticity of shoot structure observed along the geographic gradient is contingent on climatic factors and can be manifested regionally in cases of long-term temperature deviations. Other morphological parameters, such as shoot height and the sizes of leaves and flowers, can serve as indicators of ecological conditions in habitats.     

The livelihood potential of non-wood forest products: The case of Mbooni Division in Makueni District, Kenya

Forestry is a productive sector with significant effects on meeting national socio-economic and environmental functions as well as the improvement of rural livelihoods. Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) in particular have been widely advocated by conservation and development organisations as potential alternative livelihood strategies, particularly among vulnerable forest dependant households. Like in most tropical countries, NWFPs are relevant in the sustainable development of Kenya that is particularly endowed with important forest resources. Kenya hosts about 17 million ha of forested land (about 3.51% of the total Sub-Saharan Africa forest cover by 2000), of which about 16,865,000 ha is under natural forest (EarthTrends: Forests, grasslands and drylands, 2003). Outside the gazetted forests, there are other large tracks of forests in trust lands, including national parks and reserves, hill forest reserves and privately owned lands covering about 0.5 million ha (Kenya’s forest resource assessment in the EC-FAO Partnership Programme Report, 2000; The Kenya Forests Act, 2005). Woodlands, bushlands and wooded grasslands, mainly found in the arid and semi-arid lands cover 37.6 million ha, while forest plantations (started in 1946) cover about 170,000 ha of land (The Kenya forestry master plan, 1994–2020, 1994). In most NWFPs endowed regions of the country however, this socio-economic and environmental potential is still unrealized. We illustrate the latter by a case study of NWFPs use and management in four villages in Mbooni Division of Makueni District, Kenya. The division was chosen because of its relatively high NWFPs availability, particularly from South Mbooni forest that is located at a distance less than 5 km for an estimated 80% of the interviewed households. Data used for the analysis was collected through a fieldwork survey carried out on women (35+ years) in August, 2005. One hundred and sixty (160) NWFPs are harvested (from plant and animal species) and used mainly for food, income generation (supplemental) and medicinal purposes. A number of challenges limit women’s enjoyment of the full benefits from NWFPs exploitation, the overriding problem being their inadequacy (in quantity and/or quality). In this paper we discuss these commonly utilized and managed NWFPs plant species in Mbooni and their potential contribution to improved livelihoods and sustainable development in Mbooni, Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in general.     

Factors of variation in the number of adventive species in herbaceous communities of the Western Caucasus

The saturation of herbaceous communities with adventive species in the Northern Caucasus has been estimated using as an indicator the number of such species in 0.5-m² plots. Among factors accounting for variation in the test parameter, consideration has been given to the coverage of the herbaceous layer, the species richness of communities (in 0.5-m² plots), and the numbers of adventive and indigenous species (in 15-m² plots). The field data have been processes by methods of ordinary and multivariate regression analysis. The results show that variation in saturation with adventive species between small areas of herbaceous communities largely depends on the number of such species in larger areas, their species-holding capacity, and the level of completeness of communities.     

Prevalence and intensity of mycorrhiza formation in herbaceous plants with different types of ecological strategies in the Middle Urals

The prevalence of arbuscular mycorrhizas and abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in the roots of herbaceous plants with different types of Grime-Ramenskii’s ecological strategies (competitors, ruderals, and stress tolerators) have been studied in the Middle Urals. The closest association with arbuscular fungi has been observed in species with a competitive strategy. Compared to them, stress-tolerant species are characterized by lower abundance of mycorrhizal fungal hyphae in the root system, while ruderal plants include a relatively large proportion of nonmycotrophic species showing no interaction with arbuscular fungi.     

Species richness,structure, and conservation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nitraria retusa</Emphasis> communities in the coastal salt marshes of Kuwait

Although the coastal salt marshes of Arabian Gulf have been altered extensively by human development activities, there is a paucity of data describing changes in the distribution and abundance of native coastal plant communities. The main objectives of this study are to determine vegetation condition, size structure, and conservation status of Nitraria retusa, a medicinal and salt-tolerant shrub, in disturbed and non-disturbed coastal salt marshes of Kuwait. Size measurements of Nitraria shrubs and nabkas, which are mounds of sediment developed around shrubs, were carried out in 50 quadrats (20 × 20 m²), randomly selected inside and outside Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve. Species richness and soil properties of nabkas and interspaces, the open areas between the nabkas, were also measured. The results revealed that nabkas of Nitraria in non-disturbed sites are more stable and rich in plant diversity than those in disturbed sites. Mean height and mean canopy diameter of Nitraria shrubs, total plant cover, and species richness are significantly higher in non-disturbed sites than disturbed sites, which indicate the positive influences of conservation for long term on vegetation structure and species richness. The results of soil analyses indicate the important role of nabkas in providing refuges for plant life and species diversity. The present study indicates that more than 50 % of the N. retusa community has been lost during the last few decades. Therefore, N. retusa should be considered an endangered species in Kuwait. The reduction in vegetation cover, a decline in species richness, and the overall degradation of salt marshes are attributed to human development activities along the coast of Kuwait. Effective conservation actions for threatened species in degraded coastal salt marshes of this region include establishment of protective enclosures, prohibitions on development that adversely affects native plant communities, and the planting native salt-tolerant shrubs to facilitate regeneration.     

Relationship between morphological disparity and taxonomic diversity in rodent communities in the zone of influence from the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace in the Southern Urals

To test the hypothesis that morphological disparity increases while taxonomic diversity decreases in a radioactively contaminated environment, the relationship of these parameters was studied in communities (taxocenes) of rodents living in the Southern Urals in the zone of influence from the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) (2003–2008). Young of the year of six rodent species (98 samples) were examined in the background (control) area (0.2 Ci/km²) and in the impact area polluted with radionuclides from the EURT (750 Ci/km²). The dynamics of morphological disparity (MD), assessed with regard to average values of five exterior characters, was compared between the control and impact taxocenes. Taxonomic (taxocenotic) diversity was estimated with the Shannon index (H). Morphological disparity was found to increase significantly at low rodent abundance (in conditionally unfavorable years) and decrease at high abundance, with the value of MD in the impact taxocene being significantly higher. A negative correlation between MD and H was revealed (r = −0.70), in conformity with the above hypothesis. Discordance (difference in direction) of annual changes in the test parameters, with H increasing while MD decreases (or vice versa) was observed in unfavorable years; it can be used as an indicator of conditions unfavorable for rodent taxocenes.     

Effect of boric acid on the ability of plants to accumulate heavy metals

The effect of boric acid on the ability of herbaceous plants to absorb heavy metals has been studied. The results show that at a low content of boron in sandy loam soil (0.0007 mg/kg dry matter), boric acid at doses of 0.1–3.0 kg/ha stimulates the accumulation of certain heavy metals in the aboveground part of plants from the families Asteraceae (Taraxacum officinale Wigg.), Poaceae (Phleum pratense L.), and Fabaceae (Trifolium pratense L.). The most active accumulation is characteristic of dandelion (T. officinale) plants, which allows this species to be considered promising for phytoremediation of soils with a low boron content given that boron is applied at specified doses.     

Ecological preferences of forest voles

Basic climatic parameters (annual average air temperature and annual amount of precipitation) over 12–25 years have been analyzed with regard to their values corresponding to different levels of abundance in three species of forest voles: Clethrionomys glareolus (in 11 areas of the species range), Cl. rutilus, and Cl. rufocanus (in three areas each). The results show that the abundance of all these species correlates significantly with fluctuations of annual average temperature, with the correlation being negative in Cl. glareolus and Cl. rufocanus but positive in Cl. rutilus. In addition, the abundance of Cl. rufocanus shows a significant correlation with annual precipitation. Voles inhabiting different geographic regions may reach high abundance under different conditions. As for the species range as a whole, however, Cl. glareolus is more ecologically flexible than the other two voles. This species is also more warmth- and moisture-loving, while Cl. rufocanus is more cold-loving and xerophilous, with Cl. rutilus occupying an intermediate position between them. Clethrionomys rutilus is most temperature-dependent and stenothermic among them, whereas Cl. glareolus is indifferent to the factors studied.     

Ecological Connections between Gamasid Mites (Arachnida,Gamasoidea) and Small Mammals in Forest Biotopes of the Middle Volga Region

Host specificity of mites with respect to different species of small mammals in forest ecosystems was studied. The preferences of some parasites for certain host species differed from those described previously. In some cases, most parasites preferred to feed on the species that were most numerous in a certain biogeocenosis, rather than on their specific hosts. Conversely, other species of mites fed mostly on their specific hosts, irrespective of their low abundance, thus manifesting close connections with these mammals. Two mite species, Myonyssus dubinini and M. rossicus, were found in the study region for the first time.     

Biological properties of south Russian soils: Tolerance to oil pollution

Oil pollution of south Russian soils usually leads to reduction in the abundance of ammonifying bacteria, microscopic fungi, and bacteria of the genus Azotobacter, as well as in enzyme (catalase and invertase) and cellulolytic activities. By the criterion of biological tolerance to oil pollution, these soils can be arranged in the following series: ordinary chernozems >= soddy calcareous soils = southern chernozems >= leached chernozems > brown forest soils >= gray sand soils. A regional scheme of ecological safety standards for oil contents in these soil types is proposed.     

Dynamics of the Mite Communities (Acari: Parasitiformes) in Nests of the Parus major

The dynamics of nest-dwelling mites from the nests of the great tit in the protected area of Kamchia Mountain in Northeastern Bulgaria was investigated. The mite fauna inhabiting the nests of great tit differs significantly in terms of the degree of infestation, species richness, abundance and structure of communities in study years. There are statistically significant differences in the specimens’ number between 2014 and the other years 2012, 2013 and 2015. The mite species such as Dermanyssus gallinae, Androlaelaps casalis and Ornithonyssus sylviarum demonstrated significant changes in the abundance over the study years. A relation between the abundance of a species and the species diversity in the nests was not registered. Comparison of the annual dynamics of mites in the nests of great tit and the nests of semi-collared flycatcher for the same period of time and for the same environment, showed similarities—a significant fluctuation in the abundance of mites over the years and differences—in the species richness. Regarding the structure of the communities, both similarities and differences were recorded.

     

The narrow-skulled vole (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus gregalis</Emphasis> Pall.) in the dynamics of zonal rodent communities of northern Eurasia

On the basis of abundant fossil and subfossil bone remains, the ecological and faunal role of the narrow-skulled vole in zonal rodent communities of northern Eurasia is analyzed over the period from the Late Pleistocene to the present time. Special attention is given to the correlated dynamics of relative abundance of Microtus gregalis and other rodent species in the course of transition from one zonal type to another and to specific features of this correlation in the southern, middle, and northern parts of the species range. It is shown that distinctive dimensional and morphotypic features of the two currently existing subspecies, Microtus gregalis major Ogn. and M. g. gregalis Pall., are the product of concordant development of the species and environmental conditions in the past 3000–4000 years (transition from the Holocene optimum to the present-day climate and state of the natural environment). Published in Russian in Ekologiya, 2007, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 117–123. The article was translated by the authors.     

Land-use and land-cover effects on regional biodiversity distribution in a subtropical dry forest: a hierarchical integrative multi-taxa study

Latin American subtropical dry ecosystems have experienced significant human impact for more than a century, mainly in the form of extensive livestock grazing, forest products extraction, and agriculture expansion. We assessed the regional-scale effect of land use and land cover (LULC) on patterns of richness distribution of trees, birds, amphibians, and mammals in the Northern Argentine Dry Chaco (NADC) over c. 19 million hectares. Using species distribution models in a hierarchical framework, we modeled the distributions of 138 species. First, we trained the models for the entire Argentinean Chaco with climatic and topographic variables. Second, we modeled the same species for the NADC including the biophysical variables identified as relevant in the first step plus four LULC-related variables: woody biomass, distance to crops, density of livestock-based rural settlements (puestos), and vegetation cover. Third, we constructed species richness maps by adding the models of individual species and considering two situations, with and without LULC variables. Four, richness maps were used for assessing differences when LULC variables are added and for determining the main drivers of current patterns of species richness. We found a marked decrease in species richness of the four groups as a consequence of inclusion of LULC variables in distribution models. The main factors associated with current richness distribution patterns (both negatively) were woody biomass and density of livestock puestos. Species richness in present-day Semiarid Chaco landscapes is strongly affected by LULC patterns, even in areas not transformed to agriculture. Regional-scale biodiversity planning should consider open habitats such as grasslands and savannas in addition to woodlands.     

Effect of human use,season and habitat on ungulate density in Kanha Tiger Reserve,Madhya Pradesh,India

Conservation practitioners require strata specific, seasonal species densities for habitat management. Herein, we use stratified distance sampling in Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) with 200 spatial transects and an effort of 1200 km walk in the year 2013. Analysis was done to access (a) impact of human use and (b) effect of habitat and season on ungulate densities in KTR. While a single detection function for each species was used for estimating density within human-restricted core and multiple use buffer of KTR, species-specific seasonal detections were modelled for each habitat. Ungulate biomass was 4.8 times higher in the core area compared with the buffer zone. The core supported a herbivore density and biomass of 50 ± 4.80/km² and 26,806 ± 2573 kg/km², respectively. Chital were found to be most abundant, having a density of 30.1 ± 4.34/km² and contributing 33 % of the biomass with a habitat preference for grasslands (106 ± 39/km²) in summer and winter. Sambar had highest density (15.4 ± 3.34/km²) in bamboo-mixed habitat, in both seasons. Gaur contributed 39 % of the ungulate biomass and showed a seasonal shift in density from sal forests (9.65 ± 3.55/km²) in summer to miscellaneous forests (8.13 ± 1.94/km²) in winter. Barasingha were restricted to grasslands with similar summer and winter densities of 1.56 ± 0.76/km². Chousingha were rare (0.1 ± 0.04/km²), found mostly in miscellaneous forests and plateau grasslands. Grassland and bamboo-mixed forests supported 58 % of the total ungulate biomass. Management for an optimal habitat mosaic that maintains ungulate diversity, addresses the specific needs of endangered species and maximizes ungulate biomass is recommended.     

Ant species composition and richness in different types of semi-natural grasslands

The distribution of ant species was studied across different types of semi-natural grasslands in a mosaic landscape in which data on land use history and conservation values were available. The twenty-nine grasslands selected were non-fertilised and had an uninterrupted history of management, but they differed from each other in soil texture and grazing practices and were therefore sub-divided into six different types. Species abundance of mound-building ants were investigated in these grasslands in 2003. Additionally, ants were sampled using the pitfall trapping method in 13 semi-natural grasslands (in 2003 and 2005). Ant species richness and nest frequency of individual ant species differed between the different types of grassland and was associated with soil texture and grazing practices. The results also showed that even small grasslands have a very high ant species richness. This study showed that for the conservation of ants, habitat diversity and heterogeneity rather than habitat size are of great importance. I conclude that different types of semi-natural grassland contribute to heterogeneity in the farmland landscape and, thus, support higher ant diversity at the landscape scale.