Search

Landfill sites can support a large and diverse bird community but the surrounding habitat and disturbance are also important in determining how sites are used. To investigate the bird diversity, richness and abundance at an open waste landfill site located in Isfahan, Iran. The effects of landscape features on bird richness and composition were examined using generalized linear models and redundancy analysis (RDA). Thirty bird species were identified using the landfill site. The Rook Corvus frugilegus and European Starling Sturnus vulgaris were the two most abundant species, with relative abundance of 28.5 and 27.5% respectively. Species composition and abundance varied spatially, with the RDA ordination identifying three clusters of species based on environmental associations. Bird diversity was highest at sites with relatively high levels of tree cover, with shorter distances to organic waste and water, and low human disturbance. Although, birds may be primarily attracted to waste disposal sites for feeding, they are able to use the landfill surrounding habitats for other ecological requirements. Understanding factors related to bird diversity and abundance in landfills can help to inform decisions relating to conservation, population control, and other types of management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation‐plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation‐plot database, and compile statistically‐derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location: Europe. Methods: We developed the classification expert system EUNIS‐ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set‐theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species‐to‐habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results: Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man‐made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions: EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS‐ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a length exceeding 210,000 km in Europe, railways are common linear features dissecting landscapes. However, the impact of railway networks on biodiversity is equivocal. In this study, we investigated the effect of railway embankments on bird diversity components in an agricultural landscape in southern Poland. Forty transects including 20 along railways and 20 as controls in open fields were established. Birds were counted twice in 2009, and environmental characteristics were estimated for each transect. Ordination techniques and generalized additive models were used to compare species composition, richness, abundance, conservation status, population trends and phylogenetic and functional diversity indices between railway and field transects. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity but not abundance nor functional diversity were higher along railway transects than along field transects. Diversity indices near railways, mostly species richness and phylogenetic diversity, were positively associated with bush cover, wet meadow cover, wetland cover and the slope of the railway but negatively associated with dry meadow cover and field cover. Our study shows that railway embankments may be beneficial for bird diversity but probably do not alter the functional properties of bird communities as much as open fields. Proper management of these linear habitats may increase their value for birds and contribute to long-term bird community persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we support the hypothesis that wall plant species come mainly from rocky habitats, taking into account that ancient walls show similar characteristics to rocks. The occurrence of wall species in natural habitats was investigated. The main literature concerning wall and natural vegetation of central-southern Italy was viewed. Vegetation synoptic tables were analysed through statistical procedures for comparing occurrence and behaviour of wall species in ruderal habitats as archaeological sites and natural ones.The study pointed out that wall species show similar ecological and coenological features in both habitats. This confirms that the main natural habitat from which wall species come from are rocks, but secondarily also ephemeral Mediterranean meadows and garrigues. Particularly, some wall species belonging toParietarietea judaicaeclass are participating in the formation of natural rocky communities ofAsplenietea trichomanis. Species occurring on emerging ruins form ephemeral meadows belonging toHelianthemetea guttati, also found in natural Mediterranean environment. On wide tops of ruins, where community dynamism is higher, some perennial herbaceous and shrubby species participate in the formation of impoverished communities matching to natural aspects of Mediterranean maquis. The knowledge of the natural habitat of wall species can be useful for a better management of archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

During May and June 1994, 45 pitfall traps were exposed in three types of small, urban habitats: traffic islands, flat gravel roofs and courtyards ranging from 65 to 1.800m2. The three habitat types differ in their exposure to sun and wind creating microclimatic conditions similar to a variety of natural habitats, i.e. grassland, rocky outcrops and forests. In total, 2.163 spiders (147 juveniles) were caught, belonging to 61 species in 16 families. A cluster analysis showed distinctively different spider assemblages for the three habitat types. Traffic islands are inhabited by a typical openland community. Dominating species are Alopecosa pulverulenta, Pardosa pullata and Pachygnatha degeeri. Gravel roofs show high numbers of salticids, in particular Euophrys lanigera. Courtyards lack dominant species and show a high number of species naturally occurring in forest habitats. The activity density on the gravel roofs and in the courtyards does not appear to be high enough to support stable populations.

The history of coal mining in South Poland has left a legacy of many spoil heaps across the landscape. These have presented the opportunity to study their colonisation and spontaneous successional sequences over a long time period. We use the plant functional group (PFG) approach to characterize and compare species diversity on spoil heaps of different ages by utilising the ecological characteristics (PFG categories) of the species recorded during the course of spontaneous vegetation development. By changing species frequency into functional group frequency it was possible to find the significant differences in the functional composition of the studied vegetation and to analyze the dataset using non-parametric statistics. There was a small increase in the number of species over time, while the frequency of geophytes, nanophanerophytes and megaphanerophytes increased significantly. A significant increase was also recorded for the frequency of competitors, stress-tolerators and stress-tolerant competitors and for native species. We found that the significant differences in species composition measured as PFG diversity occurred between the youngest and the oldest age classes. The PFG approach provided valuable insights into the nature of the species composition of the developing vegetation on hard-coal mine spoil heaps. We suggest that it could be usefully applied in restoration practice in the future by facilitating the natural colonization of native species adapted to local conditions and thus retaining the local gene pool in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletin SAO is the property of Sociedad Antioquena de Ornitologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: It has been recently shown that some annual and biennial species of man-made habitats cope with severe disturbance by resprouting (vegetative regeneration) from their bud bank and do not only rely on regeneration from seeds. Nevertheless, information on the ecology of this phenomenon is rare. In a field study, we answered the question how frequent is resprouting from root buds in populations of the ruderal biennial herb Oenothera biennis, and how it is affected by habitat conditions. In an experiment, we tested the hypothesis that higher severity of injury and later life-cycle phase of the injured plants suppress resprouting from both axillary and root buds in O. biennis and also in its closely related congeners O. fallax and O. glazioviana. In 25 out of 29 studied ruderal populations of O. biennis severely injured individuals were found; however, only half of these populations included injured individuals that resprouted from roots. Among these populations, the number of root-sprouting individuals varied highly (from 3% to 67% of injured individuals). The largest populations and the highest percentage of root-resprouting individuals were found in urban habitats with sandy/gravelly substrate, a low vegetation cover, and a high frequency of disturbance. In the experiment with three Oenothera congeners, removal of aboveground biomass with all axillary buds largely led to the death of plants of all three species. When a portion of the basal axillary buds remained intact, individuals of O. biennis mostly failed to regenerate, whereas individuals of O. fallax and O. glazioviana survived and formed seeds. A higher severity of injury suppressed resprouting in Oenothera congeners in this experiment. However, the relationship between life-cycle phase and the ability to resprout remains unclear in Oenothera species. This study showed that resprouting after severe injury is an important feature of Oenothera individuals occurring in man-made habitats and may represent an alternative strategy to regeneration from the seed bank under disturbance conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ant fauna of a green buffer belt adjacent to an industrial zone in Kagoshima City, southern Kyushu, Japan was elucidated using a standardized protocol. A total of 39 species belonging to 24 genera in five subfamilies were recorded from this park. Most speciose genera are Camponotus and Tetramorium having four species. The number of species per genus is 1.56 on average. Pheidole noda F. Smith, Monomo-rium chinense Santschi, Solenopsis japonica Wheeler, Tetramorium bicarinatwn (Nylander) and Technomyrmex albipes (F. Smith) were most frequently encountered. Excepting Pheidole noda they are open-land and/or forest-edge inhabitants. Furthermore, Tetramorium bica-rinatum and Technomyrmex albipes are tramp species. Thus, ant fauna there strongly reflects environmental conditions derived from urbanization/industrialization. Based on the present results, we propose here a new protocol monitoring ants in urban/industrial zones consisting of baiting and time unit sampling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Between 1980 and 1996, 32 occurrences of Callophrys henrici were discovered to the south and east of Ottawa in regions of sand, loam, peat and limestone on abandoned farmlands. The habitats ranged from openings in Glossy Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) thickets to openings and clearings in second growth woodland mostly of poplars (Populus spp.) and/or Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). In most cases the sites had been open farmlands, mostly pastures, 10-70 years ago. The new occurrences in man-made habitats are within a landscape that was largely unoccupied by C. henrici previously, and they represent a 7-fold increase in the number of occurrences in the local area, associated with a several-fold increase in suitable habitat. The association with Glossy Buckthorn was further established through successful rearing of larvae tonormal adults. With the capability of using abandoned farmlands, andthe continuing spread of the introduced Glossy Buckthorn, the previously uncommon and local C. henrici may become a much more common butterfly in Ontario over the next few decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1980 and 1996, 32 occurrences of Callophrys henrici were discovered to the south and east of Ottawa in regions of sand, loam, peat and limestone on abandoned farmlands. The habitats ranged from openings in Glossy Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) thickets to openings and clearings in second growth woodland mostly of poplars (Populus spp.) and/or Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). In most cases the sites had been open farmlands, mostly pastures, 10-70 years ago. The new occurrences in man-made habitats are within a landscape that was largely unoccupied by C. henrici previously, and they represent a 7-fold increase in the number of occurrences in the local area, associated with a several-fold increase in suitable habitat. The association with Glossy Buckthorn was further established through successful rearing of larvae tonormal adults. With the capability of using abandoned farmlands, andthe continuing spread of the introduced Glossy Buckthorn, the previously uncommon and local C. henrici may become a much more common butterfly in Ontario over the next few decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]