Showing papers in "Biodiversity and Conservation in 2003"

Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as bioindicators

Abstract: One of the primary goals of research on bioindicators is to identifyspecies or other taxonomic units that would reliably indicate disturbances inthe environment, and reflect the responses of other species or the overallbiodiversity. However, there is no perfect bioindicator and selecting the mostsuitable one depends to a great extent on the goal of the survey. In this paperwe examine the suitability of carabids as bioindicators. Carabids are frequentlyused to indicate habitat alteration. They have been used in grasslands andboreal forests where species number and/or abundances have been noted to changealong a habitat disturbance gradient. A common trend is that large, poorlydispersing specialist species decrease with increased disturbance while smallgeneralist species with good dispersal ability increase. Some species are notaffected by moderate disturbance. There is, however, not enough research todetermine how suitable carabids are for biodiversity studies, or how well theyrepresent the response of other species. We conclude that carabids are usefulbioindicators, but as crucial understanding of their relationship with otherspecies is incomplete, they should be used with caution.

Species richness in agroecosystems: the effect of landscape, habitat and farm management

Abstract: It has been suggested that biodiversity in agroecosystems depends on both landscape heterogeneity and farm management, but at the same time, studies of biodiversity in relation to both landscape variables and farm management are rare We investigated the species richness of plants, butterflies, carabids, rove beetles and the diversity of spiders in cereal fields, leys (grass and clover crop) and semi-natural pastures at 16 farms in Central East Sweden The farms were divided into eight pairs of one conventional and one organic farm to enable us to separate the effects of landscape and farm management on biodiversity The pairing was based on land use, location, and landscape features Species richness of different taxonomic groups was generally not correlated There were no differences in species richness between the farming systems, except for carabids that had higher numbers of species on conventional farms The species richness generally increased with landscape heterogeneity on a farm scale Habitat type had a major effect on the species richness for most groups, with most species found in pastures and leys The correlations between species richness and landscape variables on a farm scale, and not on a scale of multiple farms, identify farmers as the important decision-maker in conservation issues for these taxonomic groups We discuss the role of species richness of pests' natural enemies for biological control and conservation strategies of the more common species in the agricultural landscape

A spatial model of tree α-diversity and tree density for the Amazon

Abstract: Large-scale patterns of Amazonian biodiversity have until now been obscured by a sparse and scattered inventory record. Here we present the first comprehensive spatial model of tree α-diversity and tree density in Amazonian rainforests, based on the largest-yet compilation of forest inventories and bolstered by a spatial interpolation technique that allows us to estimate diversity and density in areas that have never been inventoried. These data were then compared to continent-wide patterns of rainfall seasonality. We find that dry season length, while only weakly correlated with average tree α-diversity, is a strong predictor of tree density and of maximum tree α-diversity. The most diverse forests for any given DSL are concentrated in a narrow latitudinal band just south of the equator, while the least diverse forests for any given DSL are found in the Guayana Shield and Amazonian Bolivia. Denser forests are more diverse than sparser forests, even when we used a measure of diversity that corrects for sample size. We propose that rainfall seasonality regulates tree α-diversity and tree density by affecting shade tolerance and subsequently the number of different functional types of trees that can persist in an area.

Freshwater fish biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin of China: patterns, threats and conservation

Abstract: We synthesized information on freshwater fish biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin We documented 361 species and subspecies that had been recorded and described from the basin Of these, 177 species are endemic The basin is usually divided into three parts, ie the upper reaches, the middle reaches and the lower reaches This study indicated that the ‘three reaches’ approach was not supported by fish distribution patterns Hydrological alterations are perhaps the largest threat to fish biodiversity in the basin Fishes in the upper reaches will be seriously affected by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and other dams, and action should be taken for priority conservation The most immediate restoration need is reconnection of the Yangtze River with its lakes The cluster of lakes in the Central Yangtze should be protected to maintain habitats for spawning, feeding and migration of migratory fishes Our study indicates a need to identify areas of high fish biodiversity and to select nature reserves to mitigate the loss of fish biodiversity in the Yangtze River basin

Conservation of biodiversity in coffee agroecosystems: a tri-taxa comparison in southern Mexico

Abstract: We compare species richness of birds, fruit-feeding butterflies and ground-foraging ants along a coffee intensification gradient represented by a reduction in the number of species of shade trees and percentage of shade cover in coffee plantations. We sampled the three taxa in the same plots within the same period of time. Two sites were selected in the Soconusco region of the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Within each site four habitat types were selected and within each habitat type four points were randomly selected. The habitat types were forest, rustic coffee, diverse shade coffee, and intensive coffee (low density of shade). We found different responses of the three taxa along the intensification gradient. While ants and butterflies generally decrease in species richness with the decrease of shade cover, birds declined in one site but increased in the other. Ant species richness appears to be more resistant to habitat modification, while butterfly species richness appears to be more sensitive. Bird species richness was correlated with distance from forest fragments but not with habitat type, suggesting that scale and landscape structure may be important for more mobile taxa. For each of these taxa, the rustic plantation was the one that maintained species richness most similar to the forest. We found no correlation between the three taxa, suggesting that none of these taxa are good candidates as surrogates for each other. We discuss the implications of these results for the conservation of biodiversity in coffee plantations, in particular, the importance of distinguishing between different levels of shade, and the possibility that different taxa might be responding to habitat changes at different spatial scales.

Tree diversity and population structure in undisturbed and human-impacted stands of tropical wet evergreen forest in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India

Abstract: Tree species richness, tree density, basal area, population structure and distribution pattern were investigated in undisturbed, mildly disturbed, moderately disturbed and highly disturbed stands of tropical wet evergreen forests of Arunachal Pradesh The forest stands were selected based on the disturbance index (the basal area of the cut trees measured at ground level expressed as a fraction of the total basal area of all trees including felled ones): (i) undisturbed stand (0% disturbance index), (ii) mildly disturbed (20% disturbance index), (iii) moderately disturbed (40% disturbance index), and (iv) highly disturbed stand (70% disturbance index) Tree species richness varied along the disturbance gradient in different stands The mildly disturbed stand showed the highest species richness (54 of 51 genera) Species richness was lowest (16 of 16 genera) in the highly disturbed stand In the undisturbed stand, 47 species of 42 genera were recorded while in the moderately disturbed stand 42 species of 36 genera were found The Shannon–Wiener diversity index for tree species ranged from 07 to 202 in all the stands The highest tree diversity was recorded in the undisturbed stand and the lowest in the highly disturbed stand The stands differed with respect to the tree species composition at the family and generic level Fagaceae, Dipterocarpaceae and Clusiaceae dominated over other families and contributed 53% in the undisturbed, 51% in the mildly disturbed, 42% in the moderately disturbed and 49% in the highly disturbed forest stands to the total density of the respective stand Stand density was highest (5452 stems ha−1) in the undisturbed stand, followed by the mildly disturbed stand (5014), intermediate (3656) in the moderately disturbed stand and lowest (338) in the highly disturbed stand Dominance, calculated as the importance value index of different species, varied greatly across the stands The highest stand density and species richness were represented in the medium girth class (51–110 cm) in all the stands In the undisturbed stand, the highest density was found in the 111–140 cm girth class, while in the mildly disturbed stand the 51–80 cm girth range recorded the highest density About 55, 68 and 52% species were found to be regenerating in the undisturbed, mildly disturbed and moderately disturbed stands, respectively No regeneration was recorded in the highly disturbed stand Variation in species richness, distribution pattern and regeneration potential is related to human interference and the need for forest conservation is emphasized

Polychaetes as surrogates for marine biodiversity: lower taxonomic resolution and indicator groups

Abstract: Due to conservation needs, reliable rapid-assessment methods for mapping of biodiversity are needed. One approach is to use surrogates, i.e. quantities that correlate strongly with the number of species, but are easier to obtain. The purpose of this paper is to test two polychaete surrogates, one for higher taxa and one for indicator groups, that will facilitate prediction of species richness in marine soft-bottom communities. Soft sediment is an important habitat which covers most of the ocean bottom. Data on polychaetes from the North Atlantic were used since polychaetes are often numerically dominant in the benthic assemblages, both with regard to the number of species and their abundance. In the polychaete assemblages along the Norwegian coast, richness at the genus, family and order level were significantly, linearly correlated to total species richness (r≥ 0.92). Polychaetes in the order Terebellida were found to be a good indicator of polychaete species richness and to a lesser extent also of whole benthic assemblages. The group Terebellida is potentially well suited as an indicator group, since it contains long-lived, large species that are easy to sort from the sediment and it is well defined taxonomically. Although promising as proxies for species richness in marine biodiversity studies, the use of lower taxonomic resolution and indicator groups requires further investigations in more local areas where there are conservation issues.

Effects of restoration with cattle grazing on plant species composition and richness of semi-natural grasslands

Abstract: Restoration of semi-natural grasslands by cattle grazing is among the most practical options for reversing the decline of northern European floristic diversity, but no studies on this subject are available In this work the success of restoration of abandoned, privately owned mesic semi-natural grasslands by farmers receiving support from the EU agri-environmental support scheme was studied in southwestern Finland Three kinds of grasslands were compared: old (continuously cattle grazed), new (cattle grazing restarted 3–8 years ago) and abandoned pastures (grazing terminated >10 years ago) Plant species composition of the three pasture types was floristically different in multivariate analyses (non-metric multidimensional scaling) Total species richness, richness of grassland plants, indicator plants and rare plants were highest in old and lowest in abandoned pastures in all studied spatial scales (025–08 ha, 1 and 001 m2) The results were congruent with different scales and species list definitions, suggesting that species density scale (1 m2) can be used as a partial surrogate for large scale species richness Species richness of new pastures was 20% higher on 025–08 ha, 40–50% higher on 1 m2 and 30% higher on the 001 m2 scale compared to abandoned grasslands Rare species showed insignificant response to resumed grazing Despite problems in management quality, this study showed promising results of restoration of abandoned grasslands by cattle grazing on private farms However, populations of several rare grassland plants may not recover with present cattle grazing regimes Management regulations in the agri-environmental support scheme need to be defined more precisely for successful restoration

Defining a role for herbarium data in Red List assessments: a case study of Plectranthus from eastern and southern tropical Africa

Abstract: Red Lists are widely used to indicate species at risk of extinction. Specimen sheets in herbaria provide an important source of data relevant for Red List assessments. The aims of this paper are to establish which data can be sourced from specimen information to satisfy IUCN Red Data List criteria and to identify the specific criteria that can be used. Red List parameters are measured within a Geographical Information System (GIS), as this provides an objective and repeatable methodology which is less subjective than manual methods. Data used to explore this were gathered during the course of preparing a monograph on Plectranthus (Lamiaceae). Criteria relating to distribution (extent of occurrence, area of occupancy and fragmentation) and population profile (projected continuing decline and number of subpopulations) proved most suitable for assigning categories of threat. Estimates of mature individuals, generation length, population size, population reduction, extreme fluctuation and number of locations could not be derived from herbarium material without making inconsistent subjective decisions. In addition to comprehensively databased specimen information, extensive field knowledge is required to produce better estimates for assessing extinction risk. In order to enhance the usefulness of specimen information in the future, improvements in recording additional botanical data at the time of collection would be beneficial. Overall, herbaria provide a useful starting point for conservation-related work and can help to guide future work.

Perceptions, use and availability of woody plants among the Gourounsi in Burkina Faso

Abstract: The present study was conducted in five villages around the Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Faso. Fifty informants of the Gourounsi ethnic group were used. Eighty-one useful woody species were identified, out of a total of 110 woody species in the area. Woody plant use was quantified as: edible fruits (28 species), vegetable sauce (22 species), firewood (33 species), construction (29 species) and medicine (64 species and 167 remedies). Further, species accumulation curves were used to estimate that more than 650 remedies for medicine are used in the area. The community's knowledge of plants was analysed in relation to age, gender, village of residence and amount of intercultural visits. The knowledge pattern was remarkably uniform, with only two variations: (1) men generally identified more edible fruit trees than women, and (2) one village reported more firewood species than the other four villages. The informants had a variety of opinions concerning the availability of useful plants, but the majority found the availability to be fine and 47% of the informants searched for useable products in the savanna on a daily basis. No correlation was found between an informant's impression of useful products availability and his/her frequency of visits into the savanna. The results show that the Gourounsi people live in intimate relation with the savanna surrounding their villages. They are aware of the environment and are willing to learn and adopt new conservation practices.

Silvicultural intensification for tropical forest conservation

Abstract: Minimizing the deleterious environmental impacts of logging and other silvicultural treatments is the primary conservation goal in tropical forests managed for timber production. While it is always environmentally beneficial to minimize unnecessary damage, more intensive silviculture should not be discouraged in tropical forests in which regeneration and growth of commercially valuable timber species requires such treatments. Failing to regenerate commercial species may render forests more susceptible to conversion to other, more lucrative land uses. Increasing the intensity of silviculture may also decrease the total area of forest exploited for timber, thereby reducing the impacts of over-hunting, timber theft, wildfires, colonization, and conversion, which are facilitated by the increased accessibility of logged areas.

Keystone status of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae): Effect of control on biodiversity of native birds

Abstract: The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) of the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) plateau, People's Republic of China, has been considered a pest because it putatively competes with native livestock for forage and contributes to rangeland degradation. As a result the plateau pika has been poisoned across vast areas of the high alpine meadows of the plateau. The plateau pika has also been considered a keystone species for biodiversity on the plateau. As one test of the keystone species hypothesis, we investigated the effects of poisoning plateau pikas on avian species richness and abundance. We conducted standardized censuses of birds on a number of sites across the alpine grassland of Qinghai province on which pikas either had or had not been poisoned. Avian species richness and abundance were higher on non-poisoned sites, in particular for species that nest in pika burrows such as Hume's groundpecker (Pseudopodoces humilis) and six species of snowfinch (Montifringilla spp., Pyrgilauda spp.), and species that prey on pikas (upland buzzard, Buteo hemilasius; black-eared kite, Milvus lineatus). The plateau pika thus appears to be both an allogenic engineer and a keystone species. Poisoning pikas reduces biodiversity of native species on the Qinghai–Xizang plateau, therefore management decisions concerning plateau pikas should reflect caution and careful assessment.

Distribution and conservation status of forest bamboo biodiversity in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract: Although Asian bamboo species constitute a non-timber forest product of major cultural and economic importance, no detailed regional assessment of their distribution patterns has previously been made. To assess the potential of the existing bamboo species distribution data for production of regional mapping tools for planning the conservation of forest-based biodiversity, data on bamboo distribution and forest cover were combined. Over 1000 bamboo species from 60 genera of woody bamboos were incorporated, allowing the mapping of individual species or groups of species and genera, along with potential species richness and biodiversity hotspots. Over 6.3 million km2 of Asian forest potentially contains bamboo, with highest densities indicated from northeastern India through Burma to southern China, and through Sumatra to Borneo. The highest figures for potential species richness (144 spp per square km) were recorded in forests of south China, including Hainan Island. Despite substantial inadequacies and inconsistencies in knowledge of the taxonomy and distribution of bamboo species, this approach may provide a valuable tool for planning in situ conservation of forest biodiversity.

Fungal diversity on decaying beech logs – implications for sustainable forestry

Abstract: An analysis of factors influencing the diversity of macrofungi fruiting on decaying beech logs at site level is presented. Variables related to log size and shape and decay stage were found to explain up to 56% of the variation in total species richness and 42% of the variation in the richness of threatened (red-listed) species. Inclusion of variables relating to the vernal flora and the degree of soil contact further increased the explained variation in total species richness to 71%, but these variables were non-significant with respect to red-listed species. However, inclusion of the variable log type, distinguishing uprooted logs, logs broken at root neck and logs broken 1–7 and 8–15 m above ground, increased the amount of explained variation in richness of red-listed species to 50%. Among the log size and shape variables, the number of bole forks was superior in describing the variation in both total and red-listed species richness. Accordingly, forked trees should preferably be selected for decay in order to improve biodiversity, since they support comparably higher species diversity than unforked logs and have limited economical value. The importance of log type for the richness of threatened species appears to be connected with the occurrence of certain non-dominant primary decayers, causing heart rot, subsequently allowing the establishment of red-listed species. Accordingly, it is suggested that a high diversity of primary decayers may be a key to the conservation of wood decaying fungi. Microclimatic variables were found to have a limited effect on fruit body diversity on the studied logs; however, the microclimatic regime is discussed as an important factor in relation to management of dead wood for fungal biodiversity.

Edge effects and extinction proneness in a herpetofauna from Madagascar

Abstract: Edge effects are thought to play a key role in fragmented habitats. It is often assumed that edge-avoiding species are more prone to local extinction than non-edge-avoiding species, but there are few data to support this assumption. Also, few data are available on the effects of edges on some groups, and there is little understanding of seasonal changes in edge effect intensity. To better understand the role that edge effects play in fragmented tropical forests, we assessed the distribution of reptiles and amphibians in six littoral rainforest fragments in southeastern Madagascar in 1999 (dry season) and 2000 (wet season). Using randomization tests, we found all three types of edge responses: edge-avoiders, interior-avoiders, and omnipresent species. However, edge responses varied considerably among seasons. For example, some species (e.g., Mantidactylus bicalcaratus, Phelsuma quadriocellata) were strong edge-avoiders in the dry season, but showed no preference for edge or interior habitats during the wet season. Also, edge-avoiding species tended to be more extinction-prone than non-edge-avoiding species. Abiotic data documented significantly higher temperatures and dew point temperatures near edges. Wind speed also tended to be higher and relative humidity tended to be lower near edges. Our results indicate that many amphibians and reptiles respond to altered microclimates near edges and these responses have a strong seasonal component. For many species, edge sensitivity does seem to be correlated with extinction vulnerability and therefore should be of primary consideration in plans to conserve biodiversi- ty in fragmented tropical forests.

Size does matter - effects of tropical rainforest fragmentation on the leaf litter ant community in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract: Primary tropical lowland rainforest in Sabah, Malaysia, has been largely reduced to small to medium-sized, often isolated, forest islands surrounded by a highly altered agricultural landscape. The biodiversity patterns of leaf litter ant communities were monitored in two forest fragments of differing size as well as in a contiguous forest over the course of two years. Species number and diversity in the forest isolates was significantly lower, reaching only 47.5% of the species number collected in the contiguous forest. Species density was also lower, which had led to a thinning of the ant community in the fragments. Community composition was substantially altered in the forest remnants, and an increase of tramp species with smaller fragment size was detected. These results were unexpected and alarming, as the medium-sized forest is with its 42.9 km2 a comparatively large primary forest fragment for Sabah.

Assessing alternative anthropogenic habitats for conserving waterbirds: salinas as buffer areas against the impact of natural habitat loss for shorebirds

Abstract: Because many natural waterbird habitats are threatened by human disturbance and sea level rise, it is vitally important to identify alternative wetlands that may supplement declining natural habitats. Coastal salinas are anthropogenic habitats used for obtaining salt by evaporation of sea water. These habitats support important numbers of waterbirds around the world, but their importance as feeding habitats is poorly understood. I evaluated salinas as feeding habitats relative to natural intertidal habitats by comparing time spent foraging, prey-size selection, and net energy intake rate of four overwintering small-sized shorebird species on intertidal mudflats and on adjacent salinas. In winter, Dunlin Calidris alpina, Curlew Sandpiper C. ferruginea and Sanderling C. alba predominantly used the mudflats, whereas Little Stint C. minuta fed mainly on the salina. In the pre-migration fattening period, all species preferred to feed on the salina, significantly increasing the time they spent feeding in the supratidal pans. Net energy intake rates (kJ min−1) were significantly higher on the salina than on the intertidal mudflats in 60% of all comparisons. On average, salina contributed 25.2 ± 24.2% (range: 4–54%) of the daily consumption in winter and 78.7 ± 16.4% (range: 63–100%) of the daily consumption in the pre-migration period. I recommend that modern active salinas maintain flooding conditions in the evaporation pans throughout winter, thus increasing the available surface for foraging waterbirds. I conclude that the conservation of salinas at coastal wetlands is a viable approach for shorebird conservation.

Diversity and composition of carabids during a forestry cycle.

Abstract: Carabids (Carabidae, Coleoptera) were studied for 2 yearsto explore changes in their diversity and composition during a forestry cycle inthe Hungarian Mountain Range. Native beech forest was clear-cut and replantedwith Norway spruce. Recently planted (5 years old), young (15years old), middle-aged (30 years old) and old spruceplantations (50 years old) were studied using pitfall traps. Ourresults showed that the species richness of carabids was significantly lower inthe plantations than in the native beech forest. Species composition washomogeneous in the beech forest. β-Diversity of the 15–30year old plantations was also low, and it increased slightlytowards ageing. Heterogeneity of the species composition of the 5year old plantation was higher than that of the others, whichreflected the patchiness of the young plantation. The main tendencies of thecompositional changes were as follows. Deciduous forest specialists decreasedsignificantly in abundance in the plantations; they appeared in highabundance only in the beech forest. Species characteristic of open habitatsincreased remarkably in abundance in the recently established plantation.Multiple linear regression between the diversity of carabids and of 12environmental variables shows that the pH and compaction of the soil, and thecover of leaf litter had a significant effect in determining diversity ofcarabids.

Traditional ecological knowledge and use of vegetation in southeastern Mexico: a case study from Solferino, Quintana Roo

Abstract: In order to assess traditional ecological knowledge of the Maya people in southeastern Mexico, we interviewed local people in Quintana Roo and estimated a number of vegetation variables in two different types of forest which are currently locally exploited, namely Monte alto (medium statured forest) and Sakal che' (low forest). We employed the Use Value index for each plant species (UVs) to quantify the importance of each plant for each inhabitant. The results showed that this Maya community classify the different forest types by species associations and size, and according to soil appearance. A total of nine categories of use were defined for three plant forms (tree, palm and vine). Manilkara zapota (zapote), Thrinax radiata (chiit) and Macfadyena uncata (bilin kok) showed the highest use values for each plant form. The most common uses were construction (35.5%), medicine (19.0%), craft (17.9%) and edibility (10.3%). There was a weak relationship between the cultural importance of plant species, expressed by the UVs, and their availability in the medium statured forest and the medium statured–low forest transition expressed by the Importance Value index (IVI). The medium statured forest was the most used forest type, as it provides many species for construction due to external demands rather than to local needs.

The effects of grassland management using fire on habitat occupancy and conservation of birds in a mosaic landscape

Abstract: Prescribed burning is routinely used to improve grazing in Pyrenean rangelands affected by an overall trend of land abandonment. This study considers the environmental variables influencing habitat occupancy by birds and the consequences of the use of fire in range management for bird conservation. Bird use and habitat structure of 11 cover types, the result of specific management regimes, were monitored for two breeding seasons in a mosaic landscape. Three main gradients of avian composition, corresponding to tree cover, shrub volume and grazing intensity, were identified from canonical correspondence analysis. The structure of the bird community seemed more intensely affected by species-specific selection of cover types than by the birds' use of multiple patches. Out of a total of 10 bird species analysed by a simultaneous confidence intervals procedure, four species with an unfavourable conservation status in Europe (Emberiza cia, Lullula arborea, Saxicola torquata and Lanius collurio) preferred managed grassland. Three types of grassland with shrubs (derived from single or repeated burning) had the highest bird conservation index (taking into account specific status and abundance of the bird assemblage), whereas forests showed middle or low values. The relation (P = 0.054) of this index to the logarithm of the pastoral value (which includes density and grazing quality of grasses) in currently managed cover types suggests that the objectives of grassland recovery by appropriate management practices and those of bird conservation coincide in our study area.

Dragonfly communities in coastal habitats of Kenya: indication of biotope quality and the need of conservation measures

Abstract: This study highlights the species diversity of Odonata from coastal forests in southern Kenya, identifying indicator species for certain habitat types and emphasising the importance of conserving the last remaining coastal forest areas. A total of 78 species were recorded from coastal habitats in southern Kenya in this study; five species for the first time in eastern Africa. Dragonfly communities relative to different habitat types from indigenous forest to cultivated landscapes are described and compared. The forest species are often confined to coastal forests of East Africa. They are stenotopic and highly sensitive to disturbance. With increasing habitat disturbance the species richness increases at first, but most of the colonisers are eurytopic species that are common and widely distributed in Africa. The species assemblages between different habitat types in the disturbed landscape are more or less the same; the β-diversity is much lower than in different habitat types of the natural coastal landscape. In the end, management implications are briefly discussed.

Distribution of Tettigoniinae (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) bush-crickets in Turkey: the importance of the Anatolian Taurus Mountains in biodiversity and implications for conservation

Abstract: The distribution of Tettigoniinae (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) specieswithin four phytogeographical provinces in Turkey is reviewed and presented onthe basis of field and collection studies during 1987–2001 andmiscellaneous data from previous literature. One hundred and sixty speciesbelonging to 28 genera have been recorded. The Anatolian species constituteapproximately 30% of the world-wide species of the subfamily, with a very highproportion (≥83%) being endemic or semi-endemic, nearly all of which arebrachypterous. Regarding the numbers of total and endemic species, theprovinces can be ordered as follows: Mediterranean > Irano-Anatolian >Euxin > Mesopotamia. Also, Anatolian Tettigoniinae have a very high rate ofendemism in each province; 84.1% in the Mediterranean, 78.1% in Irano-Anatolia,56.3% in Mesopotamia and 42.4% in Euxin. The two provinces in Anatolia havingthe greatest species diversity are also the two most mountainous provinces, soit is suggested that a primary factor in Tettigoniinae diversity is theAnatolian Taurus mountains. Finally, some conclusions are drawn on biodiversityand conservation of Tettigoniinae species in Anatolia and I have suggested 23species to be included in the 'IUCN Red List' under VU B2+ac.

Sampling the rarest: threatened beetles in boreal forest biodiversity inventories.

Abstract: Presence or absence of threatened species in samples is information that is widely used in designing and implementing conservation actions We explored the effectiveness of beetle (Coleoptera) inventories and contribution of different sampling methods in revealing occurrences of threatened and near threatened species in boreal forests The number of species caught using traps in a particular area proved to be a useful indicator of the representativeness of data, the relationship between total number of species and the number of threatened and near threatened species being almost exponential Samples containing less than 200 trapped species (or 2000 individuals) are almost useless in surveying threatened and near threatened species The probability of finding such species increases considerably when the number of trapped species exceeds 400 Window traps attached directly on the trunks of dead trees proved to be the most efficient sampling method in trapping threatened beetles, whereas many other standard methods gave relatively poor results We suggest that the best alternative in surveying threatened species in boreal forests is a combination of intensive direct searching and trunk window traps Finding threatened beetles with rigorous probability requires very large sample sizes, even if the most effective sampling methods are used For example, ranking 10 boreal forest areas to be protected according to the occurrence of threatened species with some reliability may require trapping of over 100000 beetle individuals Collecting and identifying these large samples routinely in conservation actions is not feasible, which means that shortcuts (indicators etc) are necessary However, a lot of good-quality inventories with appropriate sampling efforts are needed before these shortcuts can be identified and elaborated Such inventories are also crucial for the improvement of the classification of threatened species and full assessment on how past forest management has eventually affected the biota

Effects of habitat management on vegetation and above-ground nesting bees and wasps of orchard meadows in Central Europe

Abstract: We studied the vegetation, stand structure and communities of above-ground nesting bees and wasps in 45 orchard meadows that were grazed, mown or abandoned (15 of each) in an agricultural landscape near Gottingen, Germany. Total species richness of plants was significantly lower and the proportion of dead wood was significantly higher on abandoned meadows compared to mown or grazed meadows. Species richness of bees, eumenid wasps and sphecid wasps did not differ between the three management types. Abundance of sphecid wasps was significantly higher on abandoned than on managed orchard meadows. Landscape context did not affect management type. The results suggest that management practises affect vegetation more significantly than the studied insect groups.

Genetic diversity of alligator weed in China by RAPD analysis

Abstract: Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was applied to analyze geneticdiversity of an invasive weedy species, alligator weed (Alternantheraphiloxeroides (Martius) Grisebach), collected from eight differentsites in southern China. Amplified by 108 RAPD primers, 391 bands wereidentified from samples collected from three of the eight sites withconsiderably large spatial intervals, but no genetic variation was detectedamong the samples. A total number of 196 RAPD fragments were amplified from allsamples collected in the eight sites by 31 primers that produced the mostconsistent results, but no genetic variation was detected within or betweenpopulations. The molecular data indicated extremely low genetic diversity in thealligator weed. Given the fact that the alligator weed is a serious invasiveweed, and widely found in China, we consider that the low genetic diversity ofthe alligator weed does not affect the success of its expansion in China, andlow genetic diversity does not necessarily lead to endangered status of a plantspecies. In addition, molecular evidence from this study suggests that thealligator weed in southern China might originate from a very few clones or evenonly from a single clone. Therefore, the rapid range expansion of the alligatorweed is most likely the result of a massive vegetative propagation since it wasintroduced in China.

The North American obligate cave fauna: regional patterns

Abstract: The obligate cave faunas of nine regions of the United States –Florida Lime Sinks, Appalachians, Interior Low Plateaus, Ozarks, Driftless Area,Edwards Aquifer/Balcones Escarpment, Guadalupe Mountains, Black Hills, andMother Lode – are described and compared. The number of aquatic(stygobitic) species ranged from zero (Black Hills) to 82 (Appalachians), andthe number of terrestrial (troglobitic) species ranged from zero (Florida LimeSinks) to 256 (Interior Low Plateau). Even at the level of genus, overlapbetween regions is low. Several predictor variables (karst area, number ofcaves, number of long caves, number of deep caves, distance from the Pleistoceneice margin, distance from the late Cretaceous Sea, and vegetation type – asurrogate for productivity) were assessed using rank order statistics,especially rank order multiple regression with a backward elimination procedure.For both stygobites and troglobites, only number of caves was a significantpredictor. The absence of a karst area effect suggested that the degree of karstdevelopment is better described by the number of caves rather than area ofkarst. There was no evidence that distance to Pleistocene glacial boundaries wasimportant, but there was some support for the importance of distance from late Cretaceous sea margins, a potential source of aquatic subterranean colonists. Finally,there was no indication that surface productivity had an effect on speciesrichness. Analysis was complicated by correlations among predictor variables.

Bird community composition in an actively managed savanna reserve, importance of vegetation structure and vegetation composition

Abstract: The mosaic of trees, shrubs and open grassland in mesic African savannas is highly dynamic and strongly influenced by mammal herbivory and fire. We investigated the bird fauna in four different savanna habitats to help assess the impacts of vegetation change on this component of faunal diversity. Birds were censused, plant species were identified and vegetation structure was measured in four different vegetation types (Acacia nilotica woodland, Acacia nigrescens woodland, broadleaf thicket and open grassland) in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Multivariate ordination analyses were used to determine the relative importance of vegetation structure and floristic composition in defining bird assemblages. The bird communities of the grasslands, the acacia woodlands, and the broadleaf woodlands were clearly separated on the first axis of the detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA). Canopy cover and foliage height diversity (FHD) were strongly correlated with the first axis of DCCA, possibly reflecting a secondary successional series from grassland to woodland, known as bush encroachment. Floristic composition (based on presence–absence data only) seemed to be less important for bird community composition than vegetation structure. The results indicate that changes in vegetation structure, caused by bush encroachment, could cause concomitant changes in bird community composition.

Comparison of wild edible plant diversity and foraging strategies in two aboriginal communities of northwestern Patagonia

Abstract: We have compared edible plant richness, diversity and differential patterns of use in two Mapuche communities of Argentina. The populations of Rams and Cayulef are located in a herbaceous steppe, far from the temperate forests of northwestern Patagonia where their ancestors lived in the past. Ecological concepts and methods, such as diversity indices, niche breadth and optimal foraging theory have been used in this comparative study. Our results indicate that the diversity of wild plants used in Rams and Cayulef is associated with the variety of gathering environments they visit. When comparing diversity indices among the three environments within each community, in Cayulef we found the highest diversity indices for steppe species and the lowest for forest plants. In contrast, in Rams the niche breadth is similar in all environments, indicating an ample exploration and use of edible wild plants. Cost and benefit trade-offs seem to be considered in both communities when edible plants are collected. Nevertheless, we found that the people from Rams not only utilize a greater richness of wild plants than the Cayulef people, but also use more nutritious resources, spend more time traveling to the gathering sites and a longer handling time in preparing these edible plants. This study has quantitatively shown that the restricted access to Pehuen forest (Araucaria araucana) is the main factor which seems to limit wild plant diversity used in these Mapuche communities.

Mammal survey in the southeastern Pantanal, Brazil

Abstract: The Pantanal floodplain of southwestern Brazil, with its mosaic of marshes,seasonally flooded savannas, woodlands and forests, is known as one of thewildlife hotspots of South America. The region harbors a rich mammal fauna andis a stronghold for a number of mammal species; however, still very few thoroughmammal surveys have been conducted in the Pantanal. This is the first mammalsurvey from the southeastern part of the region. An intensive,three-month study of the medium to large, non-volant species wasconducted at a location in the upper Rio Negro Basin, Aquidauana region, MatoGrosso do Sul. Thirty species of mammals were recorded, including 5 xenarthrans,1 primate, 10 carnivores, 7 ungulates and 5 caviomorph rodents. It was possibleto analyze the field biology of many of the species to a level not previouslypublished for the Pantanal. Recommendations are given for camera trapping in thePantanal and the Amazon. Finally, the effects of intensive cattle ranching onconservation in the Pantanal are discussed.

Impact of the introduced yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes on Bird Island, Seychelles

Abstract: The introduced yellow crazy ant or long-legged ant Anoplolepis gracilipes was first reported in Seychelles in 1969 and now occurs on at least nine islands in the Central Seychelles. We describe the yellow crazy ant's effects on vegetation and invertebrate communities on one of these, Bird Island; in 2000, Anoplolepis (first reported in 1991) occurred there at densities at least 80 times higher than on other islands in the Central Seychelles. They were associated with high densities of coccid scale insects on foliage, especially of the native tree Pisonia grandis, in some instances causing tree death. Yellow crazy ants on Bird Island also significantly affected invertebrate communities on foliage and on the ground, both in terms of taxonomic composition and the density of specific taxa, apparently causing the local exclusion of some invertebrates.