Ecology

This study delves into the multifaceted impact of climate change on soils subjected to shifting cultivation practices. Our findings reveal a complex interplay of both beneficial and adverse effects on the physical, chemical, and biological attributes of soils. Moreover, climate change exacerbates these detrimental impacts by inducing significant alterations in soil characteristics. Specifically, our study underscores that shifting cultivation practices, particularly those employing short fallow cycles, can pose a considerable threat to soil health when subjected to changing climatic conditions. In such scenarios, shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns have the potential to magnify the adverse consequences of shifting cultivation on soils, ultimately outweighing any positive influences. This study highlights the critical need for sustainable land management strategies, especially in the face of climate change, to preserve and enhance soil health and resilience in shifting cultivation regions.

Land use change is among the most serious concern in northeast India because of widespread practiced shifting cultivation locally called "Jhum". This practice involves slashing and burning of plant biomass in a piece of forest land and cropping for few years (ca. 1-2 years) followed by land abandonment for 5-30 years to resume soil fertility. This study assesses the changes in soil physico-chemical and biochemical properties in forest and Jhum land in wet to dry seasons in Mizoram, northeast India. A significant decrease in physico-chemical properties (e.g., 9-25%) and biochemical properties (15-39%) of soil in current Jhum land compared to forest land. This decrease was more pronounced in the dry period than in the wet period. The results showed that land use change negatively impacted the physico-chemical and microbiological properties of the soil. Notably, the transformation from forest to Jhum land led to a decline in soil organic matter stocks, which serve as a crucial ecological indicator for assessing changes in soil quality resulting from forest clearance or crop cultivation. Therefore, sustainable land management policies need to be developed keeping such things in mind, such as agroforestry and farm forestry, in which the farming system grows trees alongside agricultural crops and animals on the same land management units.

Fish are among the best-studied aquatic animals due to their economic and ecological values. Fish meat is the most affordable protein source for the economically weaker section of people. The environment of almost all aquatic ecosystems has a specific influential role on or by fishes. Therefore, studying their stress biology, especially oxidative stress, is vital because it can influence their growth, production, reproduction, etc. To review the above topic, peer-reviewed electronic databases, including Web of Science, science direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and AGRICOLA, were searched with specific keywords associated with fish, oxidative stress, diseases, etc. The influence of abiotic stress, such as the effects of water dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, water hardness, alkalinity, pH, pollutants, heavy metals, and anthropogenic activities, was reviewed in the current article to draw a conclusion on the updated relation that exists between fish physiology, disease, ...

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An in situ iron-enrichment experiment near the Galapagos Islands was performed in October 1993. Here we report the theoretical and practical considerations of creating such a patch of iron-enriched surface water, as well as the strategies employed for the detection of the patch and the biological and chemical signals which developed, in an area dominated by advective processes. Physical and chemical models were used to predict the speciation, solubility, and the final concentration of iron in surface waters injected with acidic iron sulfate. A trial injection off the California coast in which 800 L of a 0.5 M FeSO were introduced into the ship's wake over a 1.5 km area, was used to test these predictions. Iron concentrations were determined continually onboard during the initial experiment as the ship steamed in transects through the enriched patch. The results indicate excellent spatial agreement with model predictions and final concentrations that were consistent with the chemical model. However, the use of a Cartesian coordinate system during injection resulted in an extremely compressed, heterogeneous patch. Results from this preliminary experiment were then applied towards the development and implementation of the first open ocean iron enrichment experiment (IronEx I) near the Galapagos Islands in October 1993. The development and results of these methodologies are presented. In the IronEx I equatorial experiment, a Lagrangian coordinate system was established using a drogued buoy (equipped with GPS and packet radio) and the iron-enriched area (64 km containing 443 kg of Fe) was tagged with the inert chemical tracer sulfurhexafluoride (SF ). This strategy resulted in a fairly rectangular, homogeneous enriched patch initially detectable by both Fe and SF determination. Shipboard analysis and airborne observations confirmed

Myanmar is host to five species of marine turtle: the hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata, green Chelonia mydas, leatherback Dermochelys coriacea, loggerhead Caretta caretta and olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea. Extensive surveys in Myanmar's delta region in  indicated nesting populations of , olive ridleys and , green turtles but despite early attempts to regulate egg harvest (F.D. Maxwell, , unpubl. data), these populations are in extreme decline (Ko Myint et al., , th International Sea Turtle Symposium), with nesting females now counted in the tens at former strongholds. The causes of this decline are many, including unregulated harvesting of eggs and bycatch by trawlers near nesting sites. The Department of Fisheries has attempted to alleviate this crisis by establishing hatcheries and supporting volunteers to protect nests. In October  a workshop on marine turtles was held in Yangon with participants from the government, universities and NGOs. This meeting resulted in the development of a nationwide marine turtle conservation project led by Fauna & Flora International (FFI), supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This project started with training, attended by a total of  participants, on turtle biology, survey methodology, and the development of standardized survey forms to ensure consistency. Project partners were then supported to conduct beach monitoring at key nesting sites, and from December  to November  there were  patrol days. This resulted in the protection of  nests across four sites: Oyster, Thameehla, Moscos and Kandongalay Islands. Of these,  were green turtle nests,  hawksbill,  olive ridley, and  unknown. Hatching success rates averaged  ± SD % (n = ) for the green,  ± SD % (n = ) for the hawksbill and  ± SD % (n = ) for the olive ridley turtle. In  temperature data loggers were deployed in nests on Thameehla and Oyster Islands. None of the nests reached lethal temperatures of .  °C, (R. Howard et al., , Endangered Species Research, , -). On Thameehla Island data loggers placed in the centre of two green turtle nests during Myanmar's hot season (March-May) recorded maximum nest temperatures of . and . °C, respectively. A third data logger placed inside a green turtle nest in October, the end of Myanmar's monsoon, reached a maximum temperature of . °C. Four data loggers were also placed in the sand near nests, at the same depth. These recorded maximum temperatures of .-. °C. On Oyster Island two data loggers were used, during Myanmar's winter in December, one in a nest and one in the sand, with maximum recorded temperatures of . and . °C, respectively.

Populations of Simulium damnosum s.str. and S. sirbanum were examined for infections with filarial parasites during three years in the areas of Tchollire and Touboro, at sites at different distances from Simulium breeding rivers, and in relation to villages with different endemicities of onchocerciasis. A total of60 353 flies from 23 fly-catching sites were dissected. The overall infection rate was low, 11•8% of35 357 parous flies dissected. 1681 flies (4•8% of the total parous) contained 3557 infective larvae, 68•8% of which were morphologically indistinguishable from Onchocerca volvulus and 31•2% were infective 'TypeD' larvae of non-human origin, indicating a high degree ofzoophily of the fly populations. It was estimated that only 20-40% of all bloodmeals were taken from man. The majority (54%) of all infective 0. volvulus larvae were found in the heads of the flies, the remainder being in the thorax (34%) and abdomen ( 12%). Only 54% of the 0. volvulus infective larvae left their vectors during a bloodmeal which, however, was not completed in most cases. During the rainy season infection rates with 0. volvulus infective larvae were 3•5% of the total parous flies, as compared with 1•8% during the dry season. The average numberofinfective larvaeofO. volvulus per infective fly was 2•6 and 2•2 during the rainy and dry seasons respectively. These variations in the vectorial efficiency of the fly populations, as well as variations from one site to another, could be explained by different survival rates and man-biting habits of the various vector populations during the dry and rainy seasons and in different regions, rather than by different endemic profiles of onchocerciasis in the human population. The intensity of transmission varied seasonally and was highest ( 1609 to 3076 infective larvae/man/ year) near the main breeding sites, where transmission was almost perennial. At distances of more than 3 km from the river transmission was mainly restricted to the rainy season and the Annual Transmission Potential was below 200, whereas low to zero levels of transmission were measured inside villages more than 3 km distant from the river. The coefficient of variation of the Annual Transmission Potentials over the three years of studies was from 31% to 192% of the mean, being higher that the variations in the corresponding levels of the biting rates, due to the low numbers of infective flies dissected at sites with low transmission. The frequency distribution of infective larvae 0. volvulus in infective flies could be adequately described by the truncated form of the negative binominal distribution. Previous work has shown that the infection rates of Simulium damnosum s.l. vectors in the Sudan-savanna of North Cameroon are low, and that they are more closely related to the prevalence of onchocerciasis and to the number of parous flies than to the mean concentrations ofmicrofilariae in the skin or to the total number of flies caught . The human host-choice of the vectors, their rate of survival to the infective age, and the mean number of infective larvae developing from one bloodmeal on a microfilarial-positive person are the main factors influencing the vectorial efficiency of a fly population (Garrett-These investigations received financial support from the WHOJUNDP/World Bank Onchocerciasis Control Programme and from the Filariasis component of the UNDPjWorld Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases.

Recently, in the last decade, extreme weather events in California and, in general, the western US have increased discussion of the role of global warming in influencing weather-related hazards such as floods, droughts, heat waves, snow melt and wildfires. In California establishing precipitation and temperatures trends is especially important for resource management, flood and drought predication, and for managing future energy demands. Consequently, establishing the impacts, if any, of global warming on changing temperature and precipitation patterns in California is important to forecasting trends in these weather variables.

QuestionsHow does species composition of different vegetation types respond to translocation? How do they respond to encroachment of expansive native or alien species?LocationMeadow, heath and fen plots in Radzionków Habitat Botanical Garden, Poland.MethodsIn 2013, between June and October, 16,500 pieces of turf blocks from three communities, each 80 × 120 cm in size and 40–50 cm deep, were transferred from a donor site to newly constructed artificial basins. Temporal changes of species composition were observed in 163 permanent plots 2 × 2 m from 2013 to 2016. To analyse compositional changes, we carried out constrained ordination with time as explanatory variable. For changes in species richness, diversity, herb and shrub layers, contribution of woody species, diagnostic taxa, archaeophytes, neophytes, native expansive taxa and ruderal plants, a one‐way ANOVA was applied.ResultsWe found that only 35%–39% of species had a positive correlation with time. The total number of species ...

The paper presents results of geobotanic studies conducted in anthropogenic water bodies like excavation ponds, fish culture ponds, other ponds, dam reservoirs, ditches, channels and recreational pools incl. watering places in Opole Silesia and surroundings in the years 2002-2005. The research focused on occurrence of threatened and rare pondweed communities. As the result of the investigations of several dozen of water bodies, 28 localities of rare pondweed communities were documented by 75 phytosociological relevés. Associations of Potametum trichoidis J. et R Tx. in R. Tx. 1965, Potametum praelongi Sauer 1937, P. alpini Br.-Bl. 1949, P. acutifolii Segal 1961, P. obtusifolii (Carst. 1954) Segal 1965 and P. perfoliati W. Koch 1926 em. Pass. 1964 were found as well as communities formed by Potamogeton berchtoldii, P. nodosus and P. pusillus. The study confirms that anthropogenic reservoirs could serve as last refugees for many threatened pondweed communities, which decline or even e...

The paper presents results of geobotanical and taxonomic studies on the distribution and habitat requirements of Nymphaea candida in southern Poland. The researches were conducted in southern Poland in 2003-2009, in the provinces of Lower Silesia, Lublin, Małopolska, Opole, Silesian province as well as, in southern parts of Mazowieckie and Lubuskie. Flowers, leaves and fruits of Nymphaea species were collected from 27 locations. Altogether pollens from 73 populations of N. candida and 18 of N. alba from all the researched area were measured. The trophic level of an ecosystem was evaluated according to the results of the total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, transparency and biological parameters. As the result of the studies of more than 200 water bodies, 57 localities of N. candida were documented within the investigation area. The populations of N. candida occupy mid-forest water bodies and river ox-bow lakes. A significant number of populations was also found in artifi...

Ecological theories of adaptive radiation predict that ecological opportunity (EO) stimulates cladogenesis through entry into a novel environment and/or release of competition pressures. Due to its dynamic paleoclimatic and geological history, the Australo‐Papuan region constitutes an opportune scenario to study patterns of diversification in relation to the colonization of new ecological niches. Here, we employ a comparative framework using the Australasian robins (Petroicidae) as a model system to test whether the diversification of this bird family fulfils a niche‐filling process as predicted by the EO model, and to test whether the observed morphological similarity is described by a pattern of phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC) or convergence. Although we detected an early‐burst, we did not find a slowdown in speciation or morphological evolution as expected in a niche‐filling scenario. Divergence in tarsus length and tail length (PC1) was consistent with a multi‐peak model, ...

Interspecific competition is thought to play a key role in determining the coexistence of closely related species within adaptive radiations. Competition for ecological resources can lead to different outcomes from character displacement to, ultimately, competitive exclusion. Accordingly, divergent natural selection should disfavor those species that are the most similar to their competitor in resource use, thereby increas-

Biogeographers often investigate patterns of biodiversity at continental and global scales, using existing data georeferenced to a lattice of cells of latitude and longitude. Problems can arise with this approach when the available biological data are insufficient to adequately sample each cell and the cells are environmentally heterogeneous. An alternative, though less-often employed, approach is to use bioregions (defined as areas with distinctive biophysical environmental characteristics) as the basic sampling unit and to statistically control for unequal areas of regions. Here we applied this latter approach with the Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) to analyse continental patterns of songbird species richness in relation to mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, and mean wet season temperature, which are all predicted to substantially change given anthropogenic climate change. We used the Birds Australia database that has a large sample (&...

Mitochondrial sequence data is often used to reconstruct the demographic history of Pleistocene populations in an effort to understand how species have responded to past climate change events. However, departures from neutral equilibrium conditions can confound evolutionary inference in species with structured populations or those that have experienced periods of population expansion or decline. Selection can affect patterns of mitochondrial DNA variation and variable mutation rates among mitochondrial genes can compromise inferences drawn from single markers. We investigated the contribution of these factors to patterns of mitochondrial variation and estimates of time to most recent common ancestor (T MRCA) for two clades in a co-operatively breeding avian species, the white-browed babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus. Both the protein-coding ND3 gene and hypervariable ___domain I control region sequences showed departures from neutral expectations within the superciliosus clade, and a two-fold difference in T MRCA estimates. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis provided evidence of departure from a strict clock model of molecular evolution in ___domain I, leading to an over-estimation of T MRCA for the superciliosus clade at this marker. Our results suggest mitochondrial studies that attempt to reconstruct Pleistocene demographic histories should rigorously evaluate data for departures from neutral equilibrium expectations, including variation in evolutionary rates across multiple markers. Failure to do so can lead to serious errors in the estimation of evolutionary parameters and subsequent demographic inferences concerning the role of climate as a driver of evolutionary change. These effects may be especially pronounced in species with complex social structures occupying heterogeneous environments. We propose that environmentally driven differences in social structure may explain observed differences in evolutionary rate of ___domain I sequences, resulting from longer than expected retention times for matriarchal lineages in the superciliosus clade.

Many insular taxa possess extraordinary abilities to disperse but may differ in their abilities to diversify and compete. While some taxa are widespread across archipelagos, others have disjunct (relictual) populations. These types of taxa, exemplified in the literature by selections of unrelated taxa, have been interpreted as representing a continuum of expansions and contractions (i.e. taxon cycles). Here, we use molecular data of 35 out of 40 species of the avian genus Pachycephala (including 54 out of 66 taxa in Pachycephala pectoralis ( sensu lato ), to assess the spatio-temporal evolution of the group. We also include data on species distributions, morphology, habitat and elevational ranges to test a number of predictions associated with the taxon-cycle hypothesis. We demonstrate that relictual species persist on the largest and highest islands across the Indo-Pacific, whereas recent archipelago expansions resulted in colonization of all islands in a region. For co-occurring i...

The Australasian robins (Petroicidae) comprise a relatively homogeneous group of small to medium-sized insectivorous birds. Their center of diversity is Australia and New Guinea (40 species) but seven species have managed to colonize geographically distant islands such as Tanimbar,

1. Expert knowledge is used routinely to inform listing decisions under the IUCN Red List criteria. Differences in opinion arise between experts in the presence of epistemic uncertainty, as a result of different interpretations of incomplete information and differences in individual beliefs, values and experiences. Structured expert elicitation aims to anticipate and account for such differences to increase the accuracy of final estimates. 2. A diverse panel of 16 experts independently evaluated up to 125 parameters per taxon to assess the IUCN Red List category of extinction risk for nine Australian bird taxa. Each panellist was provided with the same baseline data. Additional judgments and advice were sought from taxon specialists outside the panel. One question set elicited lowest and highest plausible estimates, best estimates and probabilities that the true values were contained within the upper and lower bounds. A second question set elicited yes ⁄ no answers and a degree of credibility in the answer provided. 3. Once initial estimates were obtained, all panellists were shown each others' values. They discussed differences and reassessed their original values. Most communication was carried out by email. 4. The process took nearly 6 months overall to complete, and required an average of 1 h and up to 13 h per taxon for a panellist to complete the initial assessment. 5. Panellists were mostly in agreement with one another about IUCN categorisations for each taxon. Where they differed, there was some evidence of convergence in the second round of assessments, although there was persistent non-overlap for about 2% of estimates. The method exposed evidence of common subjective biases including overconfidence, anchoring to available data, definitional ambiguity and the conceptual difficulty of estimating percentages rather than natural numbers. 6. This study demonstrates the value of structured elicitation techniques to identify and to reduce potential sources of bias and error among experts. The formal nature of the process meant that the consensus position reached carried greater weight in subsequent deliberations on status. The structured process is worthwhile for high profile or contentious taxa, but may be too time intensive for less divisive cases.

Understanding oscine passerine dispersal patterns out of their Australian area of origin is hampered by a paucity of robust phylogenies. We constructed a molecular phylogeny of the oscine family, Oriolidae, which is distributed from Australia through to the Old World. We used the phylogeny to assess direction and timing of dispersal and whether dispersal can be linked with the well‐documented movements of geological terranes in the Indonesian Archipelago. We sampled 29 of 33 species of Oriolidae from fresh tissue and from toe pads from museum specimens, and examined two nuclear introns and two mitochondrial genes. Model‐based phylogenetic analyses yielded strong support for clades that generally mirrored classical systematics. Biogeographical analyses and divergence time estimates demonstrated that the family originated in the Australo‐Papuan region from where it dispersed first to Asia and then onwards to Africa and the Philippines before back‐colonising Asia and the Indonesian arc...

The major terrorist incident of 2001 in the USA is used as an example of the relationship between the system schema and the meta-system schema to show why understanding Meta-systems Engineering beyond conventional Systems Engineering is, now more than

3. To test the feasibility of proposed methods including identification of participants, recruitment and retention rates (homes and participants), acceptability and fidelity of the intervention, sample size, follow up rates and outcome measurement tools; 4. To inform the development of a definitive cluster randomised controlled trial (CRCT).

Salinity stress is a major constraint for rice growth and productivity. Rice cultivars with considerable salt tolerant capabilities have been developed and improving their performance in the salt-affected lands is crucial. Herein, the effects of humic acid (100 mg/l) as a stress-alleviator and a biostimulant on the germination, vegetative growth, and yield of Giza 179 rice cultivar under increased salinity (0.55, 3.40, 6.77, 8.00 mS/cm) were investigated. The humic acidinduced effects were also validated in salt-affected field. Salinity retarded Giza 179 germinationrelated traits which were associated with a significant decline in Gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) content and α-amylase activity. Also, salinity reduced the Giza 179 vegetative growth which was correlated with accumulation of shoot Na + , proline, and total soluble proteins (TSP), induction of membrane injury, and reduction of photosynthetic pigments. Humic acid significantly decreased most of the salinity-induced injury; however, it increased the salinity-induced synthesis of proline and TSP. The deteriorative effects of salinity during germination and vegetative stages were translated into significant reduction in grain yield and quality whereas the ameliorative effects of humic acid against salinity were reflected in better overall growth and yield. These results indicate the efficacy of humic acid in maintaining vigorous germination, growth, and yield in salt-affected lands.

Water stress is likely the most important factor that adversely affects plant growth and development. In this study two wheat cultivars Gemmieza-7 (sensitive) and Sahel-1 (tolerant) were subjected to water stress and compared in terms of growth parameters (growth vigor of root and shoot), water relations (relative water content and saturation water deficit ) and protein as well as nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) content in flag leaves of both cultivars. In general, water stress caused noticeable reduction in almost all growth criteria of root, shoot and flag leaf which was consistent with the progressive alteration in water relations, protein and nucleic acids content of both cultivars during grain filling. Furthermore, degree of leaf succulence and degree of leaf sclerophylly were severely affected by water stress in both wheat cultivars. In relation to wheat cultivar, the sensitive was more affected by water stress than the tolerant one. Generally, the application of salicylic acid, t...

An electronic journal published by the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town Ornithological Observations accepts papers containing faunistic information about birds. This includes descriptions of distribution, behaviour, breeding, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and plumage. It will also consider for publication a variety of oth relevant ornithological material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist other interesting or relevant material.

The scope of Biodiversity Observations consists of papers describing observations about biodiversity in general, including animals, plants, algae and fungi. This includes observations of behaviour, breeding and flowering patterns, distributions and range extensions, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and colouration/plumage variations. Biotic interactions such as pollination, fruit dispersal, herbivory and predation fall within the scope, as well as the use of indigenous and exotic species by humans. Observations of naturalised plants and animals will also be considered. Biodiversity Observations will also publish a variety of other interesting or relevant biodiversity material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist bibliographies, book reviews and any other appropriate material. Further details and guidelines to authors are on this website.

Table . Percentage of total visits to Aloe peglerae by each species during two flowering seasons (June -July, 2013 and 2014). Visitation rates for each species for the duration of each of the flowering seasons are in parentheses (number of visits/1000 plants/hour; mean ± SE). An animal was recorded as a visitor if it touched the plant (leaves and/or raceme) in any way. The percentage of probing and/or feeding visits of total visits in each year is presented (2013: N = 288, 2014: N = 165 total visits). All species were recorded probing and/or drinking nectar from A. peglerae flowers on at least one occasion, in either year. Contributions and visitation rates of the most frequent visitors for each guild are in bold. Bird taxonomy follows Hockey et al. (2005) and Chittenden (2014), mammal taxonomy follows Skinner and Chimimba (2005). These data been similarly presented in Payne et al. (2016Payne et al. ( , 2019)), as the "All Visitors Treatment".

Monthly fruiting data including general fruit-fall of species fruiting, and stage of fruit development and quantity of Podocarpus spp. were collected for two southern African afromontane forests , Hlabeni and IngeJi, over a period of three years. Fruits of the dominant Podocarpus species were the most abundant fruit resource at Hlabeni. The percentage of species fruiting (fruit-fall) differed significantly between months for each study site. Peak fruiting period, expressed as a percentage of species in fruit, occurred during winter months (June -August) and was lowest during spring (September -November). Peak fruiting production occurred during winter at Ingeli, but was not signifi•

The pollination syndrome of the genus Aloe, with gaudy inflorescences and orange–red flowers, suggests bird pollination. However, the diversity of flowering phenologies and structures suggests that generalizations within the group are currently uninformative because few studies have addressed the role of multiple pollinator guilds, especially mammals. Aloe peglerae, endemic to montane grassland of the Magaliesberg Mountains, South Africa, is primarily bird pollinated, although small mammals are recorded nocturnal visitors. We compared the independent contributions of diurnal and nocturnal visitors, i.e. birds and small mammals respectively, to reproductive success by assigning 12 flowering A. peglerae plants to each of four pollinator selective exclusion treatments: (i) no‐visitors; (ii) nocturnal‐visitors; (iii) diurnal‐visitors; and (iv) all‐visitors (control). Birds alone contributed more to fruit set (1.2–2.6 times), average seed/fruit (1.0–1.8 times) and total seed production (...

It is often hypothesized that two species competing for the same resource cannot stably coexist unless they partition their resources in space and time. More recently stable isotope analyses have complemented traditional, observation-based niche research by conceptualizing many of the characteristics of communities, for example, trophic niche width and the partitioning of resources. Here we quantify resource partitioning of sympatric small mammal species in an African ecosystem by analysing stable isotope ratios of hair collected from a South African forest-grassland vegetation mosaic, and combine this with known spatial and temporal behavioural data to interpret community competition and resource partitioning.We observe niche separation to different degrees across the entire community, with different species displaying either unique isotopic dietary preferences, or partitioning resources in space and/or time. d 13 C values were more enriched in species that inhabited afromontane grassland compared with those that inhabited afromontane forest, a reflection of the dominant vegetation in each habitat. Contrary to expectations, arboreal rodents occupied higher trophic positions than terrestrial rodents and approaching d 15 N values similar to insectivorous shrews, suggesting that arboreal rodents feed on items such as arthropods enriched in 15 N. While grassland species display phenotypic plasticity in terms of dietary preferences, small mammals that occurred in forests display narrow niche preferences, suggesting these species may be particularly sensitive to habitat modifications. Our results illustrate that the use of stable isotopes can be used in conjunction with spatial and temporal behavioural knowledge to elucidate resource partitioning in small African mammal communities.

Southern African forests are naturally fragmented yet hold a disproportionately high number of bird species. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were measured in feathers from birds captured at Woodbush (n = 27 species), a large afromontane forest in the eastern escarpment of Limpopo province, South Africa. The δ13C signatures of a range of forest plants were measured to categorise the food base. Most plants sampled, including two of five grass species, had δ13C signatures typical of a C3 photosynthetic pathway (−29.5 ± 1.9‰). Three grass species had a C4 signature (−12.0 ± 0.6‰). Most bird species had δ13C values representing a predominantly C3‐based diet (−24.8‰ to −20.7‰). δ15N values were as expected, with higher levels of enrichment associated with a greater proportion of dietary animal matter. The cohesive isotopic niche defining most species (n = 22), where the ranges for δ13C and δ15N were 2.4‰ and 3.4‰, respectively, highlight the difficulties in understanding diets of bird...

Thirteen hantavirus genotypes, associated with at least 12 sigmodontine reservoir rodents, have been recognized in the four countries that represent the Southern Cone of South America. Host-virus relationships are not as well defined as in North America; several Southern Cone hantaviruses appear to share a common host and some viruses do not occur throughout the range of their host. Although hantavirus-host relationships in the Southern Cone are less strictly concordant with the single-host-single-virus pattern reported elsewhere, recent studies suggest that much of the ambiguity may result from an incomplete understanding of host and hantavirus systematics. Although some Southern Cone host species are habitat generalists, some sympatric species are habitat specialists, helping to explain how some strict host-virus pairings may be maintained. In some cases, host population densities were higher in peridomestic habitats and prevalence of hantavirus infection was higher in host populations in peridomestic habitats. Seasonal and multiyear patterns in climate and human disturbance affect host population densities, prevalence of infection, and disease risk to humans. Unusually high hantavirus antibody prevalence in indigenous human populations may be associated with frequent and close contact with host rodents. Ongoing studies are improving our understanding of hantavirus-host ecology and providing tools that may predict human risk.

The ideas underlying nature conservation have changed over time, from a very narrow view regarding the protection of specific species to the integration of nature conservation into the context of global development. Different coexisting perceptions of natural values can also be observed within the same area, in this case the Gauja National Park. The establishment of the park was implemented within the framework of a different political regime, in the 1970s, in which the protection of cultural landscapes was prioritised. While today the state's official stance represents the modern ideas of nature conservation, public opinion about nature protection is ambiguous. By studying the historical context and implementing other research methods, an insight was gained into the society's coexisting, often different visions of what is valuable in nature. Ethical considerations, which are often expressed both in the media and in the opinions of the residents, show a lack of understanding of the existing nature protection system and its methods.

The author has granted a non exclusive license allowing Library and Archives Canada to reproduce, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, communicate to the public by telecommunication or on the Internet, loan, distribute and sell theses worldwide, for commercial or non commercial purposes, in microform, paper, electronic and/or any other formats. L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou autres formats. The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement reproduits sans son autorisation. In compliance with the Canadian Privacy Act some supporting forms may have been removed from this thesis. While these forms may be included in the document page count, their removal does not represent any loss of content from the thesis. Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la protection de la vie privee, quelques formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de cette these. Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

The author has granted a non exclusive license allowing Library and Archives Canada to reproduce, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, communicate to the public by telecommunication or on the Internet, loan, distribute and sell theses worldwide, for commercial or non commercial purposes, in microform, paper, electronic and/or any other formats. L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou autres formats. The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement reproduits sans son autorisation. In compliance with the Canadian Privacy Act some supporting forms may have been removed from this thesis. While these forms may be included in the document page count, their removal does not represent any loss of content from the thesis. Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la protection de la vie privee, quelques formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de cette these. Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Air quality plays an important role in occupational and environmental medicine and many airborne factor negatively influence human health. Circulation or air conditioning (AC) system was proven to improve the air quality inside the vehicles. However, its impact on the number of particles and microorganisms inside the vehicle-and by this its impact on the risk of an allergic reaction-is yet unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate bacteria and fungi present in the air-conditioned car filter. The quality of air was investigated in twenty-two cars of different brands that were all equipped with an automatic air conditioning system. Based on the recommendation of the American Public Health Association-APHA-held the collection of material in a square centimeter of the surface of each of the 22 filters of equipment automotive air conditioning. The material was collected using sterile swabs containing transport medium "Stuart". The genera of bacteria found in the car...

The market gardening sector in Cameroonian agriculture is facing a challenge in producing vegetables to meet consumer needs. Among these vegetables, carrot is known to play an important role in the livelihood of millions of people around the world. It is therefore important to understand its technical itinerary in the different agricultural basins in order to provide further information on carrot production. This study aimed to identify the different production constraints faced by carrot growers by providing information on applied growing systems. Two surveys were conducted using a questionnaire simultaneously with carrot traders and producers. A total of 218 carrot traders and 62 producers were interviewed. Nine basins were identified as main carrot production zones in Cameroon. In the production basins, five main varieties namely New Kuroda, Pamela+, Madona, Amazonia and Vanessa F1 were identified. The agricultural yield of carrots is related to the growing area, fertilization method, size of the field and ploughing. Farmers use an integrated fertilization approach based on chemical fertilizer (N-P-K: 20-10-10) and chicken manure at various doses, from 250 to 500 Kg.ha -1 and 2.5 to 9 t.ha -1 respectively. Factors such as farmland area, number of cultivated plots, experience in cultivation, family size and amounts of organic and chemical fertilizers used have been found to have significant impact on carrot production. However, among the many technical problems faced by producers and which result in low carrots yields, is the lack of knowledge of soil properties. This in turn contributes to inappropriate fertilization and poor choice of the appropriate variety to be cultivated. Low germination, the lack of efficient irrigation systems and the high costs of agricultural inputs are the main constraints that affect carrot production. Although valued by market gardeners, the benefit in a production season is not always enough to encourage more farmers to grow carrots. Thus, there is a need to develop a follow-up policy for the quality and high yield production of the carrot sector.

We surveyed the population structures of microsnails (shell size Ͻ5 mm) in two 20 ϫ 200-m plots of pristine primary forest in Danum Valley Conservation Area, Malaysian Borneo. The plots were 400 m apart and each was divided into ten 20 ϫ 20-m subplots, from which separate soil samples were taken. Micro-shells were extracted by flotation. A total of 407 shells were found, belonging to at least 29 species. After exclusion of very rare species and the juveniles of large-bodied species, micro-scale distributions were mapped and analysed for the remaining six prosobranchs and eight pulmonates. In general, the pulmonates were dispersed more evenly along the two plots: all pulmonate species were found across both plots, whereas three of the six prosobranchs were present in only one plot, with one species occupying only five adjacent subplots within one of the transects. Correspondingly, the index of dispersion, I D , indicated significant departure from random distribution for all prosobranchs, but only for four out of the eight pulmonates. Whittaker's I, which indicates the spatial partitioning of diversity, was twice as high for prosobranchs as for pulmonates (I ϭ 3.8 and I ϭ 1.9, respectively, P Ͻ 0.001). These results suggest that Bornean prosobranchs have more highly fragmented population structures. This, in turn, would mean that gene flow is reduced, which might help to explain the higher degree of endemism in prosobranchs compared with pulmonates in the region. Alternatively, it could mean that ecological tolerances are generally lower in prosobranchs, which would also promote speciation.

The Central Asian wolves form a cohort within the wolf-dog clade known as the wooly wolf (Canis lupus chanco). These wolves are poorly studied and their current extent and distribution remain unknown. Apex predators already existing at higher elevations like wooly wolves can be severely affected by climate change because of the absence of suitable refuge. Concomitantly, in the era of Anthropocene, the change in land use land cover (LULC) is rapidly increasing. Even the most adaptable species occurring in humandominated landscapes may fail to survive under the combined impact of both climate change and human pressure. We collected 3,776 presence locations of the wooly wolf across its range from published literature and compiled 39 predictor variables for species distribution modeling, which included anthropogenic factors, climatic, vegetation, and topographic features. We predicted the change in their distribution under different anthropogenic factors, climate change, and land-use land-cover change scenarios. Wolf showed affinity toward areas with low to moderately warm temperatures and higher precipitations. It showed negative relationships with forests and farmlands. Our future projections showed an expansion of wolf distribution and habitat suitability under the combined effects of future climate and LULC change. Myanmar and Russia had the introduction of high and medium suitability areas for the wooly wolf in future scenarios. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan showed the consistent loss in high suitability areas while Mongolia and Bhutan had the largest gain in high suitability areas. The study holds great significance for the protection and management of this species and also provides opportunities to explore the impact on associated species.

The wolves in the Hindukush-Himalayan region belong to one the most basal lineages within Canis lupus, yet little is known about its ecology, distribution, and behavior. To understand ecological aspects of wolves in this landscape, we predict wolf distribution, diet patterns and conflict perception in Spiti, India using field and remotely sensed information. We collected scats (n = 283) of canid species namely, Wolves, and other predators over a period of 3 years [66]. Wolf diet constituted mostly of domestic prey (79.02 %) while wild prey constituted to 17.80% of wolf diet over the three years. Village surveys recorded only 4% of the respondents confirmed wolf presence and perceived them as a possible threat to various livestock. Over, 98% of the respondents claimed that wolves were not safe for livestock and were averse to its presence. Marginal response curves depicted the model to have positive responses to animal ___location, LULC, village population, village density and wolf depredation. We found perceived presence/threat distribution wolves in the area significantly differed from actual ecological presence and distribution of wolves. The Himalayan wolf is an apex flagship predator in this fragile high altitude system, whose role is intricately linked with the ecology of the region. The use of such methods can aid in understanding such aspects as well as designing effective long-term conservation strategies for the species.

The wolves in the Hindukush–Himalayan region belong to one of the most basal lineages ofCanis lupus, yet little is known about their ecology and behavior. In this study, we determine wolf movement and analyze diet patterns in contrast with studies from within its distribution range. We determine conflict perception and identify hotspots using ecological, social, and remotely sensed information. Wolf diet (n= 283 scats) constituted mostly of domestic prey (79%), while wild prey constituted 17.8% of the wolf diet. Interview-based questionnaire surveys revealed that 55% of the respondents claimed to have seen wolves. Over 98% of the respondents claimed wolves as a possible threat to various livestock in the study area. Marginal response curves through the MaxEnt model showed that wolf hotspots were positive in response to their density of ___location, landuse-landcover, village population, village density, and depredation. Comparisons between scat- and questionnaire-based depredation data...

The Trans-Himalayan landscape is an extreme cold desert with limited diversity and a low density of wild prey. The landscape has three widespread carnivores—the wolfCanis lupus chanco, snow leopardPanthera uncia, and red foxVulpes vulpes—competing for similar prey. We studied predation patterns, dietary competition, and niche segregation of three sympatric carnivores in the Indian Trans-Himalayas. The Himalayan or wooly wolf is one of the oldest lineages and has adapted to extreme cold. We further studied the prey selection of the wolf in the high-altitude environment. We collected 1,600 carnivore scats (wolf = 542, snow leopard = 31, and red fox = 1,027), and additional data on 573 snow leopard scats from literature was used in the analyses. We found that livestock was a major contributor to the wolf (56.46%) and snow leopard diet (30.01%). The wolf consumed blue sheep (8.26%) and ibex (3.13%), whereas the snow leopard subsisted on blue sheep (30.79%) and ibex (17.15%), relatively ...

Geographical isolation can often lead to speciation, and two disconnected populations of the same species living in drastically different bioclimatic regions provide an opportunity to understand the process of speciation. The Woolly wolf is found in the cold-arid, Trans-Himalayan landscape, while the Indian wolf inhabits the semi-arid grasslands of Central India. Both the lineages of wolves from India have generated scientific debate on their taxonomic status in recent years. In this study, we collected data and reviewed published literature to document the ecological and behavioral differences between the Woolly wolf and the Indian wolf. Most studies have used genetic data; hence we discuss variation in spatial ecology, habitat preferences, vocalization, diet diversity and cranial measurements of these two subspecies. The spatial ecology of two lineages was compared from the data on three Woolly and ten Indian wolves tagged with GPS collars. The telemetry data shows that there has ...

Species interactions play a vital role in structuring mammalian communities by stimulating behavioral responses in varied niche dimensions that affect sympatric associations and predator–prey relationships. We determined temporal overlap and effects of the moon cycle on dominant and sub‐dominant mammalian assemblages in Manas National Park, India. A total of 36 species were captured, with 24,865 independent records over 11,294 trap nights. We collected 1,130 photographs of five large‐ and medium‐sized carnivores and 1,541 photographs of 12 small carnivores. Fifty‐one percent of records were detected during diurnal period, followed by 38% in nocturnal phase, and 11% during twilight. Small carnivores such as Prionailurus bengalensis and Viverridae spp. were strictly nocturnal, whereas Martes flavigula and Herpestidae spp. were diurnal. Medium‐sized carnivores were either nocturnal (Neofelis nebulosa) or diurnal (Cuon alpinus), whereas large‐sized carnivores (Panthera tigris, Panthera ...

Of the sub-species of Holarctic wolf, the Woolly wolf (Canis lupus chanco) is uniquely adapted to atmospheric hypoxia and widely distributed across the Himalaya, Qinghai Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and Mongolia. Taxonomic ambiguity still exists for this sub-species because of complex evolutionary history anduse of limited wild samples across its range in Himalaya. We document for the first time population genetic structure and taxonomic affinity of the wolves across western and eastern Himalayan regions from samples collected from the wild (n = 19) using mitochondrial control region (225bp). We found two haplotypes in our data, one widely distributed in the Himalaya that was shared with QTP and the other confined to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the western Himalaya, India. After combining our data withpublished sequences (n = 83), we observed 15 haplotypes. Some of these were shared among different locations from India to QTP and a few were private to geographic locations. A phylogenetic tree indicated that Woolly wolves from India, Nepal, QTP and Mongolia are basal to other wolves with shallow divergence (K2P; 0.000-0.044) and high bootstrap values. Demographic analyses based on mismatch distribution and Bayesian skyline plots (BSP) suggested a stable population over a long time (~million years) with signs of recent declines. Regional dominance of private haplotypes across its distribution range may indicate allopatric divergence. This may be due to differences in habitat characteristics, availability of different wild prey species and differential deglaciation within the range of the Woolly wolf during historic time. Presence of basal and shallow divergence within-clade along with unique ecological requirements and adaptation to hypoxia, the Woolly wolf of Himalaya, QTP, and Mongolian regions may be considered as a distinct an Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU). Identifying management units (MUs) is needed within its distribution range using harmonized multiple genetic data for effective conservation planning.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot is rich in pheasant diversity, as eleven of the seventeen pheasant species in India occur here. Despite the richness, these pheasants have been least studied in their natural habitats and their current population status, ecology and behavioural patterns are unknown. We estimated abundance, habitat use and activity pattern of three pheasants, i.e. Red Jungle Fowl Gallus gallus (RJF), Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos (KP) and Grey Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum (GPP) in Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. Data collected from line transects and camera traps were used for estimating abundance, habitat use and activity patterns. Program Oriana 4.2 was used to determine the activity pattern of three species. Questionnaire survey was conducted around the protected area to determine the conservation threats for these species. Red jungle fowl had the highest density of 12.9 individuals/km 2 and a photographic rate of 3.19/100 trap nights among all the pheasants. Shrub cover, litter cover and grass cover were positively associated (p<0.001) with pheasant detections, where as disturbance (p<0.001) was negatively correlated. 60% of habitat overlap was observed between KP and RJF. Dillenia indica dominated habitats were significantly correlated with pheasants detections (R=0.34, p<.0001). The mean activity of GPP, RJF and KP were 6.30 hrs ± 3.37 hrs, 7.49 hrs ± 0.14 hrs and 8.29 hrs ± 0.18 hrs respectively. Additional studies on current status of these species and management plans are critical for pheasant conservation in this critical biodiversity hotspot.