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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Pasture ecology'
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1
Parish, Roberta. "The role of disturbance in permanent pastures." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/27505.
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This thesis investigates how small disturbances influence community structure in three permanent pastures. Small disturbances play an important role in providing spatial heterogeneity that permits new recruits to enter populations in closed sward communities, thereby promoting diversity and species co-existence.
The thesis has four components: the first two are based on observation and measurement of the occurrence of small disturbances, molehills and dung pats, in three pastures. Within pasture seasonal changes in disturbance regime were related to changes in patterns of species abundance by multidimensional contingency table analysis. Dactylis glomerata, Agropyron repens and Taraxacum officinale increased in highly disturbed plots, whereas Holcus lanatus and Trifolium repens decreased. Invasion of molehills and dung pats was usually by rhizomes or stolons from surrounding plants. Seedling recruitment was rare: Trifolium repens was the only species dependent on small gaps for sexual regeneration. Patterns of species replacement on and around the disturbances were non-random.
The third part of the thesis investigated the effects of selective removal of Lolium perenne, Holcus lanatus and Trifolium repens from the oldest and youngest pastures. Strong responses to the removal of these species were found only in grasses in the youngest pasture. This is consistent with the hypothesis that competition decreases over time because of niche divergence, but may also reflect biological accommodation to grazing pressure.
The fourth part of the thesis investigated changes in species composition in simulated swards in response to different regimes of mowing, fertilizer and small gap creation. Species composition was strongly influenced by mowing and fertilization but was unresponsive to small gap creation.Science, Faculty of
Botany, Department of
Graduate
2
Medcalf, Kathryn Ann. "The ecology and reinstatement of Carum verticillatum." Thesis, Aberystwyth University, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337626.
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Pagnotta, Mario A. "The ecology and ecological genetics of pasture legumes in Syria." Thesis, University of Reading, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.292668.
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Borges, Paulo Alexandre Vieira. "Pasture arthropod community in Azorean Islands of different geological ages." Thesis, Imperial College London, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.285174.
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Hafla, Aimee Nicole. "Winter cereals as a pasture-hay system in Montana." Thesis, Montana State University, 2008. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2008/hafla/HaflaA1208.pdf.
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In 2006 - 2008 \'Willow Creek\' winter wheat and \'Trical 102\' triticale were evaluated for biomass production and forage quality under grazing and hay systems in Montana. Forage cultivars of winter wheat and triticale were subjected to a single grazing event at three growth stages (vegetative, boot, or heading) in the late spring. Subsequent regrowth from each grazing event was harvested as hay. Growth of winter cereals was modeled with environmental conditions. Both cultivars reached 100% headed between accumulated growing degree day (base 5 C°) 1090 and 1245 (between July 7 and 13) during the three year trial. During this period, winter cereals experienced rapid forage growth, and grew 1.4 to 2.6 cm daily and produced 87 to 248 kg ha-1 daily. In two years, triticale had superior forage biomass compared to winter wheat. Forage quality of winter cereals was excellent at the vegetative stage of growth and declined until the final forage harvest dates. At all growth stages winter wheat and triticale had similar levels of forage quality. However, the rates of digestibility of winter wheat pasture and hay were greater than those of triticale. When grazed at increasing stages of maturity, winter cereals demonstrated variable forage regrowth yield and quality. Delaying grazing until later dates coincided with hot and dry growing season conditions and limited forage regrowth potential. Regrowth of grazed cereals declined in forage quality with advancing maturity. Nitrate concentrations were high enough to concern producers with pregnant livestock grazing in spring or when grazing regrowth. Grass tetany was found to be a potential risk to lactating livestock grazing early vegetative winter cereal forage. In a whole animal digestion trial, winter wheat hay was had similar digestibility when compared to traditional grass alfalfa hay, in a sheep maintenance diet. Winter cereals can offer producers a viable option for a pasture-hay system in Montana. Maximum total biomass was a single cutting of hay at anthesis and early grain development. Therefore, it will be necessary for livestock producers to consider total biomass, availability and cost of pasture and hay, and forage quality, when using a pasture-hay system in Montana.
6
Abaye, Azenegashe Ozzie. "Influence of grazing sheep and cattle together and separately on soils, plants and animals." Diss., This resource online, 1992. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07282008-134554/.
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Manning, Paul. "Response of invertebrate communities to intensive management of improved pasture ecosystems." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:266bd0f5-19ba-49f8-aab0-44a62567c80e.
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The number of people on our planet is projected to rise to between 9.4 and 10 billion by 2050. Some estimates suggest that current levels of food production will need to double to feed this population. Increasing the intensity of food production on existing agricultural land will be a crucial element in meeting this goal, but practices associated with intensive management can cause biodiversity declines and erode the ecosystem functions that underpin production. My work explores agricultural intensification within the context of pasture-based cattle production. I focus on a variety of ecosystem functions supported by dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) and other dung-associated invertebrates. I investigate how variations in diversity, and chemical perturbations of veterinary anthelmintics affect the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions. I show that maintaining species-rich dung beetle assemblages has inconsistent benefits in providing multiple ecosystem functions. While dung beetles play an important role in supporting functioning in the short term, my work also reveals that their contributions may be less evident when considered over longer periods. Chemical perturbations caused by anthelmintic residues represent a significant threat to some invertebrate groups, but my experiments show that exposure does not always translate into an immediate reduction in ecosystem functioning. While use of anthelmintic products with relatively low toxicological risk did not cause obvious reductions in function, my work shows exposure can have significant consequences for the conservation of sensitive species. Overall, my work highlights the need for multigenerational studies, mathematical modelling, and careful consideration of sublethal effects to assess fully the risks of anthelmintic residues in the pasture environment. Furthermore, the emphasis on dung beetles (rather than other dung-associated invertebrates) in the existing literature neglects potentially important functional benefits provided by other taxa, such as earthworms. As the global human population continues to expand, it is important that we find sustainable ways to produce food while simultaneously conserving biodiversity. As loss of biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems does not always have functional consequences, it is important that wider justifications for conservation remain integrated into agricultural policy and practice.
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Hawley, Tanya Joy. "Mechanisms Underlying Frog Occupancy Patterns in a Landscape Mosaic of Tropical Forest and Pasture." Scholarly Repository, 2008. http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/86.
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Habitat modification is the primary cause of amphibian population declines worldwide. Some species survive in modified habitats whereas others become restricted to small, isolated forest patches. Although many studies compare species richness and composition between modified and intact habitats, the factors and mechanisms that maintain biodiversity in these landscapes are poorly understood. I asked how life history traits and habitat features influence interspecific variation in frog occupancy patterns in tropical pasture and forest. To identify mechanisms underlying occupancy patterns, I used experiments to examine how abiotic conditions in different habitats influence the vital rates of tadpoles. I also explored whether tadpoles use a carnivorous foraging strategy to improve performance in nutrient-poor, ephemeral pools in pasture. Although modified and intact habitats offer abiotic environments that differ in quality for frogs, pastures contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. I detected an equal number of species but substantially different assemblage composition in forest and pasture. Species that occurred in pasture had different traits than those in forest, including larger body sizes, larger clutch sizes, larger geographic ranges, and reproductive modes that depend on water. The occurrence of pasture-specialists was associated with habitat features at small spatial scales, whereas the occurrence of forest-specialists was associated with habitat features at small and large spatial scales. An experiment indicated that abiotic conditions in pastures may deter or facilitate adult movements to breeding sites. Behavioral selection of sites by two model species was consistent with tadpole performance. Tadpoles of a pasture-specialist performed well across the pasture-forest gradient, but abiotic conditions in pasture facilitated faster growth and development than in edge or forest. In contrast, tadpoles of a forest-specialist performed well only in edge and forest. Most tadpoles occupying ephemeral pasture pools were facultative carnivores or cannibals of eggs and hatchlings. Tadpoles may contribute to the regulation of assemblages in pasture pools, influencing the relative abundance and composition of species through differential predation on eggs and hatchlings. The study of factors and mechanisms that contribute to population growth or decline of species can facilitate understanding of assemblage-level patterns of amphibian diversity in modified landscapes.
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Braddick, Lynda. "'We don't go to the casino but we're the biggest gamblers in the world': drivers of change in the Mt Magnet and Upper Gascoyne regions." Thesis, Braddick, Lynda (2006) 'We don't go to the casino but we're the biggest gamblers in the world': drivers of change in the Mt Magnet and Upper Gascoyne regions. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/431/.
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This thesis examines the complex environmental, social, economic and political challenges surrounding sustainable land use of rangelands by European leaseholders in Western Australia. A study of historical, socio-economic and technological events, combined with the development of social values and policy, exposed a broad suite of factors that shaped pastoralism and grazing, and continues to influence development in these regions today. The thesis also explained how the emergence of the sustainable development paradigm is raising awareness of the ways societies define the issues of development, and the influence of this paradigm on attempts to shape change.
Extensive changes in animal production systems have been made in response to complex factors driving change in pastoralism and grazing in recent years. In the Upper Gascoyne, the change to cattle has resulted in extensive changes in infrastructure and raised new hopes for viable production systems in the future. Station amalgamation or sale of stations to Government Departments have been key factors of change in this region. In the Mt Magnet region, wool production remains dominant. However severe drought conditions and declining wool prices are increasingly forcing change to production of feral goats or Damara sheep. Increasing conflict in the rangelands centred around competing claims to land and its use, against a backdrop of dry seasons and changing socio-economics, are escalating leaseholders' fears and concerns about growing community demands for multiple rangeland use. Government approaches now focus on multiple use of rangelands, providing incentives or opportunities to develop alternative methods of use for rangeland resources. However, environmental barriers to sustainable land use and diverse perceptions of sustainability continue to create difficulties for developing effective policies and strategies for change. There is now an urgent need for a paradigm shift in attitudes towards rangelands that promotes more sustainable uses for the land, a greater equality in sharing resources and constructive integration of the values of all rangeland stakeholders.
10
Braddick, Lynda. "'We don't go to the casino but we're the biggest gamblers in the world' : drivers of change in the Mt Magnet and Upper Gascoyne regions /." Braddick, Lynda (2006) 'We don't go to the casino but we're the biggest gamblers in the world': drivers of change in the Mt Magnet and Upper Gascoyne regions. Masters by Research thesis, Murdoch University, 2006. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/431/.
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This thesis examines the complex environmental, social, economic and political challenges surrounding sustainable land use of rangelands by European leaseholders in Western Australia. A study of historical, socio-economic and technological events, combined with the development of social values and policy, exposed a broad suite of factors that shaped pastoralism and grazing, and continues to influence development in these regions today. The thesis also explained how the emergence of the sustainable development paradigm is raising awareness of the ways societies define the issues of development, and the influence of this paradigm on attempts to shape change.
Extensive changes in animal production systems have been made in response to complex factors driving change in pastoralism and grazing in recent years. In the Upper Gascoyne, the change to cattle has resulted in extensive changes in infrastructure and raised new hopes for viable production systems in the future. Station amalgamation or sale of stations to Government Departments have been key factors of change in this region. In the Mt Magnet region, wool production remains dominant. However severe drought conditions and declining wool prices are increasingly forcing change to production of feral goats or Damara sheep. Increasing conflict in the rangelands centred around competing claims to land and its use, against a backdrop of dry seasons and changing socio-economics, are escalating leaseholders' fears and concerns about growing community demands for multiple rangeland use. Government approaches now focus on multiple use of rangelands, providing incentives or opportunities to develop alternative methods of use for rangeland resources. However, environmental barriers to sustainable land use and diverse perceptions of sustainability continue to create difficulties for developing effective policies and strategies for change. There is now an urgent need for a paradigm shift in attitudes towards rangelands that promotes more sustainable uses for the land, a greater equality in sharing resources and constructive integration of the values of all rangeland stakeholders.
11
Karki, Uma Goodman Mary Schmitt. "Southern-pine silvopasture systems forage characteristics, soil quality, and landscape utilization by cattle /." Auburn, Ala, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10415/1409.
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Vink, Stefanie Nicoline. "Factors affecting the community structure of bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and nematodes in the soil of the machair agricultural system." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2010. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=165823.
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Machair is a habitat found predominantly in coastal areas of the north–west of Scotland and is characterised by a low-input, rotational arable system interspersed with semi-natural grasslands. Land management is an essential part of the machair system as both intensification and abandonment threaten its future. Little is known about this system in terms of its below ground communities. A survey was conducted over a three season, two year period for molecular determination of bacterial, AM fungal and nematode community structure. Cropped, fallow and undisturbed grassland were sampled; soil and roots associated with two commonly occurring species and composite soil samples were collected. In addition the effect of edaphic factors and vegetation composition on soil communities was assessed, both in the field and in greenhouse experiments. Results show that although all of the examined factors impacted the community structure of the three soil groups to some degree, the strength of this effect varied between groups. Bacterial communities were mainly affected by temporal factors, particularly year, possibly due to variation in soil moisture content. AM fungal community structure also varied considerably with season, but the mechanisms behind this were less obvious, with both abiotic and plant factors playing a role. AM fungal community structure varied with different plant hosts but also with soil moisture content. In contrast to both bacteria and AM fungi, nematode communities showed a strong response to land use although temporal factors and differences between locations were also observed. Grasslands harboured a distinctly different community structure from cropped and fallow, largely as a result of variation in bacterivores and carnivores. Vegetation composition and soil moisture content were also found to affect nematode community structure. This study has revealed that machair soil communities seem to be highly complex, dynamic and adapted to the changeable conditions that persist.
13
Frost, William E. "The ecology of cereal rust mite Abacarus hystrix (Nalepa) in irrigated perennial dairy pastures in South Australia /." Title page, contents and summary only, 1995. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phf9398.pdf.
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Milsom, Timothy Philip. "On the ecology of lapwings Vanellus vanellus on aerodromes, with reference to the birdstrike hazard." Thesis, Coventry University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.313154.
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Burkmar, Richard James. "The effects of upland pasture improvement on breeding passerine populations, particularly skylarks and meadow pipits." Thesis, Cardiff University, 1988. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.232878.
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Pihlgren, Aina. "Small-scale structures and grazing intensity in semi-natural pastures : effects on plants and insects /." Uppsala : Dept. of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2007. http://epsilon.slu.se/200713.pdf.
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Bankroff, Timothy J. "Arthropod community response to high-intensity, low-frequency cattle grazing events and pasture succession." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1417541806.
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Dalby, Paul Reginald. "Competition between earthworms in high rainfall pastures in the Mt. Lofty Ranges, South Australia." Title page, contents and summary only, 1996. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phd137.pdf.
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Copy of author's previously published work inserted. Bibliography: leaves 261-306. The objectives of the project were: i. to determine whether there are competitive interactions between Aporrectodea trapezoides and A. caliginosa and A. rosea.--ii. to investigate compeditive interactions between A. calignosa, Microscolex dubius and A. trapezoides.--iii . to determine the likely impact of A. longa on soil fauna, especially the native earthworm, Gemascolex lateralis, in native ecosystems.
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Slaughter, Lindsey C. "SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE: RESULTS FROM A TEMPERATE KENTUCKY PASTURE." UKnowledge, 2012. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_etds/8.
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Climate change is likely to alter plant species composition and interactions between plants and soil microbes that together dictate the quantity and quality of forage produced in pastures, the base of animal production in central Kentucky. This study assessed the seasonal dynamics of soil microbes and their response to increased temperature (+3oC) and growing season precipitation (+30% of the mean annual). Total soil microbial biomass, community composition, enzyme activities, potential carbon mineralization, and catabolic responses to selected substrates were measured seasonally in the different climate treatments. In this system, seasonal variability was a dominant driving factor for all the soil microbial characteristics that I investigated. Summer maxima and winter minima were identified in the active microbial biomass, while soil microbial community structure differed between each season. Extracellular enzyme activities were generally highest in either the spring or summer, while seasonal patterns for each substrate were unique across catabolic response profiles. Climate treatments produced few significant main or interactive effects on the soil microbial biomass and function. This resiliency, coupled with evidence of functional redundancy, suggests that central Kentucky pasture ecosystems may be well-equipped to handle future environmental stress associated with climate change and to maintain critical ecosystem services.
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Carter, Richard T. "Foraging Habitat Selection by Ohio Bats: An Examination between Eastern Second Growth Forest, Eastern Old Growth Forest, and Pasture Land." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1198003305.
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Lloyd, Davidson A. "The effect of forest to pasture conversion on soil biological diversity and function." Diss., Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/711.
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Recent declines in returns from primary forest products in New Zealand and projected increases in world food prices have led to the land-use conversion from plantation forest to pastoral farming in many lowland areas. After decades of forest cover the soils are in many cases less than adequate for pastoral farming, as they are acidic, with toxic levels of exchangeable aluminum, and contain low levels of available nitrogen (N), very high carbon (C):N ratio, and are devoid of earthworms and structural integrity. Overcoming the major site limitations of low soil pH and available N was a major priority and a field experiment was established in April 2005 to determine the impact of various rates of lime and N in relation to pasture establishment and production. Concerns about the short and long-term effects of these inputs on biological soil quality gave rise to the present study. The effects of land-use change and establishment inputs were assessed by comparison of selected treatment plots with two adjacent reference sites (long-term pasture and a 60–year Pinus radiata forest) on the same soil type. The effects of lime and N on soil biological quality were investigated under field and controlled environment conditions by determination of: microbial community structure (phospholipid fatty acids - PLFA), microbial biomass (total PLFA), and microbial activity (dehydrogenase activity). Soil physical (percentage water-stable aggregates) and chemical (pH, and total C and N) properties were also determined. Similarly, the effects of earthworm addition on soil biological properties were explored in a short-term glasshouse pot experiment. The role of earthworms as indicators of soil biological quality in the field was assumed by nematodes and these were assessed in field trial plots and the reference sites mentioned above. Land-use change and applications of lime and N contributed to changing the microbial community structure determined by principal component analysis of transformed PLFA data. However, the effect of lime was more pronounced in the field, while N contributed most to changing microbial community structure in the glasshouse. Mean microbial activity in the field increased from 4 µg dwt/hr without lime to 16 and 21 µg dwt/hr where lime was applied at 5 and 10 tons/hectare (t/ha), respectively. Mean microbial activity in the field was markedly higher (7-fold) than in the glasshouse at similar rates of lime. Lime application also increased soil moisture retention in the field, mean gravimetric soil moisture increased from 0.33 in control plots to 0.38 and 0.39 in plots treated with 5 and 10 t/ha lime, respectively. Lime application was associated with greater soil aggregate stability. Soils from test plots treated with 5 and 10 tons/ha lime had 45-50% water-stable aggregates compared to 34% in treatments without lime. After 16 weeks in pots, earthworm treatments increased mean plant dry matter (DM)/pot by at least 19% above the control. The increase was attributed primarily to greater N mineralization in the presence of earthworms. For the duration of the trial the earthworm species tested (Apporectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus rubellus, individually or combined) did not affect any of the measured soil microbial properties. However, the survival rate of A. caliginosa was 83% compared to 25% for L. rubellus. The control not receiving any lime or N and plots treated with 10t/ha lime and 200 kgN/ha had similar nematodes species composition, comprising 40% each of bacterial and fungal feeding nematodes. They differed markedly from the reference sites as the forest soil was dominated by plant associated species (38%) and the long-term pasture had 44% plant parasitic nematodes. Accordingly, the soil food web condition inferred from nematode faunal analysis characterized all test plots as basal, stressed and depleted, while the forest soil was categorized as highly structured and fungal dominated. The findings of this thesis demonstrated that land-use change from forest to pasture can have significant impacts on soil biological properties, earthworms can contribute to pasture productivity even in the short term, and nematode faunal analysis is a robust and reliable indicator of soil biological quality.
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Wraith, Jon M. "Effect of Short Duration Grazing on Soil Moisture Depletion and Plant Water Status in a Crested Wheatgrass Pasture." DigitalCommons@USU, 1986. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6445.
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A short duration grazing system was utilized to determine the effects of intensive periodic defoliation during spring on soil moisture depletion patterns and plant water status in a crested wheatgrass (Agropvron cristatum and A. desertorum) pasture in central Utah. Exclosures were constructed to compare grazed and ungrazed responses. Soil moisture was monitored to a depth of 193 cm at one to two week intervals from mid-April to late-September using a neutron moisture gauge. Predawn and midday leaf water potentials were estimated using a pressure chamber technique. The two paddocks included in the study were grazed three times between mid-April and mid-June in 1985. A difference in time of grazing between the two paddocks was also examined for its effect on soil moisture depletion patterns and plant water status. Soil moisture was depleted at a higher rate within ungrazed plots than grazed plots during 13 April to 1 July in both paddocks. Soil moisture was depleted at a higher rate after 1 July in grazed compared to ungrazed plots in the early-grazed paddock; however, no difference in soil moisture depletion rate was noted after 1 July within the late-grazed paddock. Total cumulative depletion was greater within ungrazed plots than grazed plots in the early-grazed paddock from 6 June until 13 August, and from 23 May until 30 July in the late-grazed paddock. During the pre-July period, soil moisture was depleted more rapidly in the upper- and mid-portions of the soil profile in ungrazed plots. By 25 September there was no difference in total soil water depletion ' through 53 cm between grazed and ungrazed treatments, but ungrazed plots extracted relatively more water in the mid- and lower-portions of the soil profile. Grazing had no effect on predawn leaf water potentials prior to 1 July, but predawn leaf water potentials were lower for ungrazed plants than for grazed plants after 1 July. Midday leaf water potentials were lower for grazed plants than for ungrazed plants before 1 July, but did not differ between grazed and ungrazed plants after 1 July. Time of grazing had no effect on either predawn or midday leaf water potentials.
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Doole, Graeme John. "Value of perennial pasture phases in dryland agricultural systems of the eastern-central wheat belt of Western Australia." University of Western Australia. School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0213.
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Over the past thirty years, price relativities and technological development have motivated an increase in the area of land allocated to cropping, as opposed to pasture production, throughout the central wheat belt of Western Australia. Nevertheless, reducing the proportion of pasture in these rotations has challenged the future productivity of farming systems in this area. First, the frequent application of selective herbicides for weed control in extended cropping rotations has promoted the development of herbicide resistance in a number of major agricultural weeds. Second, the primary use of annual plants has promoted the development of soil salinisation by allowing a significant proportion of rainfall to recharge saline water tables. The inclusion of perennial pasture phases between extended periods of cropping may mitigate or delay these constraints to production through (a) allowing the use of costeffective forms of non-selective weed control, and (b) through creating a buffer of dry soil that absorbs leakage occurring beneath subsequent crops. This study consequently explores the value of including perennial pasture phases in dryland agricultural systems in the eastern-central wheat belt of Western Australia, accounting for benefits related to herbicide resistance and water table management. A novel computational algorithm for the solution of multiple-phase optimal control problems is developed and used to conduct a conceptual analysis of the value of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pasture for managing annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin), the primary weed in wheat belt cropping systems. The competitiveness and fecundity of annual ryegrass provide strong economic incentives to maintain a low weed population, irrespective of herbicide-resistance status. Consequently, the ineffectiveness of selective herbicides primarily reduces the profitability of cropping by motivating the adoption of more costly non-selective forms of weed control. The inclusion of lucerne in land-use rotations is only optimal in the presence of severe herbicide resistance given (a) the low efficiency of alternative weed-management practices available during the pasture phase, relative to selective-herbicide application; (b) the significant cost of establishing this perennial pasture; and (c) the high relative profitability of cereal production in the absence of resistance. The value of lucerne, relative to annual pastures, for weed management is explored in greater detail through the use of compressed annealing to optimise a sophisticated simulation model. The profitability of candidate rotations is also manipulated to account for the long-term production losses accruing to the recharge of saline groundwaters that occurs beneath them. Sequences incorporating lucerne are only more profitable than those that include annual pasture at the standard set of parameter values if (a) annual ryegrass is resistant to all selective herbicides, (b) the water table is so shallow (approximately less than 3.5 m deep) that frequent rotation with perennials is required to avert soil salinisation, or (c) sheep production is highly profitable. The value of perennial pasture is sufficient under these circumstances to overcome its high establishment cost. Consistent with intuition, these benefits are reinforced by lower discount rates and higher rates of leakage occurring beneath annual-based systems. Formulation of an effective communication strategy to report these results to producers is justified given the complexity involved in determining the true magnitude of these intertemporal benefits through alternative means, such as field trials.
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Bonilla, Adriana Lucia Castellanos. "Balanço de nitrogênio em microbacias pareadas (floresta vs. pastagem) no estado de Rondônia." Universidade de São Paulo, 2005. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/91/91131/tde-21062005-153635/.
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O ciclo do nitrogênio vem sendo alterado pelas atividades antropogênicas, em função do incremento de culturas, como as leguminosas, a queima de combustíveis fósseis e o desmatamento de florestas para uso agrícola e pecuário. Em regiões de climas temperados, existem muitas informações sobre o ciclo biogeoquímico deste elemento e sobre o papel das alterações antropogênicas no mesmo. Entretanto, em regiões tropicais, onde o ritmo do desmatamento ainda é intenso, poucas são as informações sobre este elemento. Em função disto, o presente trabalho visa fornecer informações sobre possíveis alterações nas formas de nitrogênio transportadas por pequenos igarapés, após a conversão de florestas em pastagens de regiões tropicais. Para tal, selecionaram-se duas microbacias, uma coberta com floresta primária e outra com pastagem, no estado de Rondônia (Cacaulândia). Em ambas foram realizados balanços, por eventos de chuva, das formas e quantidades de nitrogênio transportadas desde a precipitação até a água dos rios. As coletas foram realizadas durante a estação chuvosa, de 21 de janeiro a 27 de fevereiro de 2004. Como resultado, observou-se: (1) um maior fluxo de água na microbacia da pastagem, e como conseqüência, uma maior exportação de nitrogênio na mesma; (2) diferenças nas formas de nitrogênio predominantes em cada compartimento estudado. O nitrogênio orgânico dissolvido predominou na precipitação interna, no escoamento superficial e nos igarapés, enquanto que, o amônio predominou na água subsuperficial e na água subterrânea; (3) diferenças nas formas de nitrogênio inorgânico dissolvido presentes nos igarapés de cada microbacia, sendo o nitrato a principal forma observada na floresta, e o amônio na pastagem; (4) o nitrogênio orgânico dissolvido no igarapé da pastagem provem principalmente do escoamento superficial, enquanto que, no igarapé da floresta não foi possível identificar a principal fonte desta forma de nitrogênio. Este estudo mostra mudanças significativas no ciclo do nitrogênio como conseqüência do desmatamento e da implantação de pastagens.The nitrogen cycle has been altered by anthropogenic activities, in response to the increment of cultures such, as the leguminous, fossil fuel use, and deforestation for agricultural uses and cattle raising. In temperate regions, there is considerable information about the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen and the role of anthropogenic alterations on this cycle. However, in tropical regions, where deforestation rates are significant, there is little available information about these processes. The objective of the present work was to provide information on possible alterations in nitrogen forms transported in small catchments (igarapés) of tropical regions, after the conversion of forests into pastures. Two small catchments, one covered by primary forest, and another one covered by pasture, were selected in Rondonia State (Cacaulândia). At both catchments, balances of nitrogen forms and of quantities transported from the rain water to the rivers were calculated, employing a rain event approach. Sampling was done during the wet season, from January 21 to February 27, 2004. We observed: (1) higher discharges at pasture catchment, which resulted in larger nitrogen fluxes; (2) differences in the predominant nitrogen forms at each studied compartment. Dissolved organic nitrogen predominated in the internal precipitation, overland flow, and stream water, while ammonium predominated in the subsurface water and groundwater; (3) differences in the predominat dissolved inorganic nitrogen forms in stream waters of each catchment, nitrate in the forest, and ammonium in the pasture; (4) Dissolved organic nitrogen in the pasture stream comes primarily from overland flow but, for the forest stream, it was not possible to clearly identify the main source of this nitrogen form. This study shows significant changes in nitrogen cycling in small tropical catchments, as a result of deforestation for pasture.
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Leathwick, D. M. "Applied ecology of the Tasmanian lacewing Micromus tasmaniae Walker (Neuroptera : Hemerodiidae)." Lincoln College, University of Canterbury, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1044.
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The Tasmanian lacewing (Micromus tasmaniae Walker) is one of the most common aphid predators occurring in lucerne crops in New Zealand. A comparison of sampling techniques, and the output from a simulation model, suggest that the abundance of this lacewing may have been significantly underestimated in the past. Although the occurrence of aphid predators was erratic M. tasmaniae occurred more often and in far greater numbers (up to 100 m⁻²) than any other predator species. A simulation model for lacewing development in the field indicated that the large adult populations which occurred could be accounted for on the basis of reproductive recruitment. Independent evidence that immigration was not involved in the occurrence of these large populations was gathered using directional flight traps around the field perimeter. The major factors influencing lacewing population dynamics were the availability of aphid prey and, in the autumn, parasitism. Otherwise, survival of all life-histoty stages was high with no evidence of egg or larval cannibalism. Several instances of high lacewing mortality were identified by the model and the lack of any obvious cause for these highlights inadequacies in the understanding of lacewing bionomics. The model, which used a linear relationship (day-degrees) between development and temperature, was incapable of accurately predicting lacewing emergence under field temperatures which fluctuated outside the linear region of the development rate curve. Temperature thresholds and thermal requirements estimated under fluctuating temperatures similar to those in the field produced almost identical model output to those estimated under constant temperatures in the laboratory. Prey species was capable of influencing the rate of lacewing development. M. tasmaniae has the attributes necessary to produce large populations in the short time available between lucerne harvests. The asymptote of the functional response curve is low but the efficiency at converting aphids to eggs is high. Therefore, the lacewing is able to attain maximun reproductive output at low prey densities. A low temperature threshold for development (4-5° C), rapid development and short preoviposition period results in a short generation time (49 days at 15° C). Long adult life, high fecundity and the absence of any form of estivation or diapause, results in complete overlap of generations and multiple generations per year. M. tasmaniae's role as an aphid predator is restricted by its low appetite for prey and by the lucerne management regime currently practiced in New Zealand. Because it consumes relatively few aphids per day the lacewing's ability to destroy large aphid populations is limited. However, this may be offset by its ability to attack aphids early in the aphid population growth phase, and by the large numbers of lacewings which may occur. Under the present lucerne management schemes the large lacewing populations which do occur are forced out of the fields, or die, following harvest. A number of management options for increasing the lacewings impact as an aphid predator are briefly discussed.
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McDonald, Kathi. "Variation in morphology, salinity and waterlogging tolerance and resource allocation in strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L.) : implications for its use in mildly saline soils in southern Australian farming systems." University of Western Australia. School of Plant Biology, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0105.
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[Truncated abstract] In southern Australian farming systems the replacement of deep-rooted perennial native vegetation with shallow-rooted annual crops and pastures has resulted in rising groundwater tables and an increased incidence of dryland salinity. It has been suggested that to address this issue by restoring hydrological balance, large areas of agricultural land need to be vegetated with perennial plants. One of the most agriculturally productive ways to do this is to introduce perennial pastures, both into upslope groundwater
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Hohlenwerger, Camila Celestino. "A estrutura da paisagem e o potencial controle das “cigarrinhas-das-pastagens&rdquo." Universidade de São Paulo, 2016. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/41/41134/tde-05122016-143451/.
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O controle biológico de pragas é um importante serviço ecossistêmico em áreas agrícolas e de pastagem, podendo trazer tanto benefícios econômicos quanto ambientais. Em áreas de pastagens tropicais, as a cigarrinhas-das-pastagens podem trazer prejuízos da ordem de US$ 800 milhões por ano, sendo assim uma praga de grande importância. Para entendermos os fatores que potencialmente regulam o controle biológico destas cigarrinhas no nível da paisagem, nós avaliamos, através de experimentos de predação, o efeito da quantidade de cobertura florestal, do tamanho do fragmento e da distância na matriz ao fragmento no processo de predação. Além disso, testamos o efeito de diferentes procedimentos metodológico na detecção de padrões de relação entre o potencial controle de pragas e a estrutura da paisagem. Trabalhamos com nove paisagens inseridas na região de Mata Atlântica, e para cada paisagem utilizamos três transectos de 100 m de cumprimento para dentro das pastagens, ortogonalmente dispostos a partir de uma borda florestal. A taxa de predação apresentou uma relação positiva com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento, e uma relação negativa com a distância ao fragmento florestal. Os padrões de predação variaram com o tipo de presa utilizado e com o tempo de exposição do experimento. O experimento do tipo sentinel prey (com presas reais que são pragas comuns na região - Deois flavopicta) evidenciou padrões fracos com a cobertura florestal no raio de 3 km, enquanto o experimento com \"dummy caterpillars\" (com presas artificiais em formato de lagartas) evidenciou padrões mais claros associados, principalmente, com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento. O efeito negativo da distância ao fragmento florestal só ficou claro com tempos de exposição mais longos (96 horas). O processo de predação na matriz é assim influenciado pela estrutura da paisagem, particularmente em escala mais locais (400 m), e os diferentes tipos de presas e tempos de exposição de experimentos de predação influenciam nos padrões ecológicos que emergem. Nosso trabalho evidência a importância do manejo da estrutura da paisagem em áreas agrícolas para otimizar o oferecimento do serviço de controle de pragas, bem como a necessidade de se utilizar mais de um tipo de experimento para avaliar o processo de predaçãoBiological pest control is an important ecosystem service in agricultural and pastures areas, and can bring both economic and environmental benefits. In areas of tropical pastures, spittlebugs can bring losses of several millions per year, thus being a pest of great importance. To understand the factors that potentially regulate the biological control of these froghoppers, we evaluated through predation experiments the effects of forest cover amount, fragment size and distance in the matrix to fragment on predation process. In addition, we tested the effect of different methodological procedures in the detection of relationships between pest control and landscape structure. We worked with nine landscapes inserted in the Atlantic Forest region, and for each landscape used three transects of 100 m length inside pastures, orthogonally arranged from the forest edge. Predation rate showed a positive relationship with forest cover within 400 m and with fragment size, and a negative relationship with distance from forest fragment. Predation patterns varied with the type of prey used and the exposure time of the experiment. The sentinel prey\'s experiment (with real preys that are common pests in the region - Deois flavopicta) showed weak patterns with forest cover in 3 km, while the dummy caterpillars experiment (with artificial prey on caterpillars\' shape) showed clearer patterns mainly associated with forest cover within 400 m, and with fragment size. The negative effect of distance from the forest fragment became clear only with longer exposure times (96 hours). The predation process in the matrix is thus influenced by the landscape structure, particularly in more local scale (400 m), and different types of prey and exposures times of predation experiments influence the ecological patterns that emerge. Our work highlights the importance of landscape management structure in agricultural areas to optimize the offering of pest control service, as well as the need to use more than one type of experiment to access predation process
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Weber, Daniel Adam. "GRASSLAND SUSTAINABILITY IN KENTUCKY: CASE STUDIES QUANTIFYING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SLUG HERBIVORY IN PASTURES AND DIFFERENT HOME LAWN SYSTEMS ON TURF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS." UKnowledge, 2014. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_etds/39.
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Grasslands comprise the greatest biome by land area, are sensitive to environmental factors affected by climate change, and can impact future climate change through their ability to store and release greenhouse gasses (GHGs). I performed two studies: 1) evaluated the effects of increased temperature and precipitation on slug herbivory/abundance and pasture forage production; 2) quantified different homeowner lawn system effects on soil-to-atmosphere GHG emissions. Climate change will likely affect pasture forage production, with implications for slug herbivory and abundance. I found little evidence that slugs have or will have significant effects on pasture production or plant community. Warming altered the abundance of slugs and modified seasonal trends, increasing slug abundance in spring/winter and reducing it in late-summer/fall, through both direct effects and changes in plant community and forage quality. Home lawns vary in levels of management, influencing the exchange of GHGs. I quantified the effects of three common home lawn systems of central Kentucky on GHG emissions, but found no significant differences in CO2, N2O, and NH3 fluxes. My research suggests that slug herbivory is not a dominant ecological process in Kentucky pastures and that common home lawn systems have similar soil-to-atmosphere GHG emissions.
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Sano, Bruno. "Relação entre características funcionais e o desempenho de espécies arbóreas nativas em um plantio de restauração." Universidade de São Paulo, 2016. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/41/41134/tde-13122016-094737/.
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Em ambientes degradados, a restauração ecológica visa acelerar o processo de sucessão ecológica. A técnica mais utilizada para a restauração de ambientes muito degradados é o plantio de mudas. A seleção das espécies é determinante para o sucesso dos projetos de restauração, pois as espécies precisam se estabelecer e crescer diante das condições do ambiente. Utilizar a abordagem de características funcionais pode ser uma ferramenta promissora para auxiliar a seleção de espécies em projetos de restauração. Em ambientes florestais, há evidências de que as características funcionais afetam o desempenho das espécies, entretanto, existem poucos estudos realizados em áreas em restauração. Neste estudo, foi avaliada a relação entre as características funcionais foliares e a taxa de crescimento relativo em altura e em diâmetro à altura do solo de espécies arbóreas nativas plantadas em uma área degradada que está sendo restaurada. Para descrever a relação entre as características funcionais e a taxa de crescimento relativo (TCR) dos indivíduos foi utilizada a abordagem de seleção de modelos baseados em modelos lineares de efeitos mistos (MLEM). A seleção de modelos foi realizada utilizando o critério de informação de Akaike (Akaike\'s Information Criterion) (AIC). As características funcionais não apresentaram relação com a taxa de crescimento relativo em altura e diâmetro dos indivíduos das espécies, possivelmente devido às diferenças nas condições ambientais entre ambientes florestais e ambientes degradados. Apesar de não ter sido encontrada uma relação entre as características funcionais e a TCR, o modelo mais plausível selecionado indica que indivíduos maiores no início do monitoramento possuem menores taxas de crescimento relativo em altura, ou seja, indivíduos mais altos possuem menores taxas de crescimento em altura. Isso pode ser um indicativo de que as espécies analisadas possuem taxa de crescimento relativo dependente do tamanho. Considerando que não foi encontrada relação entre as características funcionais morfológicas e a taxa de crescimento relativo em uma área em restauração, é razoável supor que essa abordagem não pode ser utilizada em todos os ambientes. Estudos que avaliem características funcionais foliares nos diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento das plantas em ambientes degradados podem refinar essas análises e ajudar a definir se a seleção de espécies para projetos de restauração pode ser feita usando a abordagem de características funcionaisIn degraded environments, ecological restoration aims to accelerate the process of ecological succession. The most widely used technique for restoration of degraded environments is the planting of seedlings. The selection of species is crucial to the success of the restoration projects, because the species need to establish and grow under the harsh conditions of the environment. Using the approach of functional traits can be a promising tool to assist in the selection of species in restoration projects. In forest environments, there is evidence that functional traits affect the performance of the species, however, there are few studies conducted in areas undergoing restoration. In this study, the relationship between the functional leaf traits and the relative growth rate in height and in diameter at ground level of native tree species planted in a degraded area that is being restored was evaluated. To describe the relationship between the functional traits and the relative growth rate (RGR) of individuals, we used the approach of model selection based on linear mixed effects models (LMEM). The selection of models was performed using Akaike\'s Information Criterion (AIC). The functional traits showed no relationship with the relative growth rate in height and diameter of the individuals of the species, possibly due to differences in environmental conditions between forest environments and degraded environments. Despite not finding a relationship between the functional traits and the RGR, the most plausible model selected indicates that larger individuals at the beginning of monitoring have lower relative growth rates in height, that is, taller individuals have lower rates of growth in height. Considering that no relationship between the morphological functional traits and the relative growth rate in an area undergoing restoration was found, it is reasonable to assume that this approach cannot be applied in all environments. Studies that assess functional traits of the leaf in the different stages of plant development in degraded environments can refine these analyses and help define whether the selection of species for restoration projects can be accomplished using the approach of functional characteristics
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Norström, Paananen Marcus, Magnus Boström, and Christian Ahlgren. "Power Lines - Wasteland or Biodiversity Hotspots?" Thesis, Mälardalen University, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-4541.
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Det svenska kulturlandskapet har förändrats radikalt under de senaste 200 åren från ett varierat och heterogent landskap till ett mer monotont, homogeniserat landskap som följd av att olika former av mänskligt resursutnyttjande har effektiviserats. Detta har lett till en fragmentering av livsmiljöerna för flera av kulturlandskapets arter. Kraftledningsgator kan tänkas hysa naturtyper som påminner om vissa av de nu försvunna eller fragmenterade livsmiljöerna (t ex betad skogsmark och vissa typer av ängsmarker) och skulle kunna ha en viktig betydelse som reträttplats och/eller spridningskorridor för dessa arter.
I en fallfällsinventering i Köpings och Strängnäs kommun i Mälardalen undersöktes förekomst och abundans av marklevande evertebrater i kraftledningsgator, skog och betesmark. Jämförelser i förekomst och abundans gjordes mellan dessa marktyper (d v s kraftledningsgator, skog och betesmark), samt mellan positioner inom kraftledningsgator (centrala och distala delar) och närliggande skogsmark. Jämförelserna innefattade dels analyser av artantal (eller snarare antal taxa) och flera olika biodiversitetsindex och dels analyser av likhet i artförekomst och individantal med "likhetsindex" (similarity index). Separata analyser gjordes inom olika taxonomiska grupper (t ex alla taxa, endast inom insekter, endast inom spindeldjur). Antalet replikat tillät statistisk testning av eventuella mönster i antal taxa och biodiversitetsindex.
Inga signifikanta skillnader dokumenterades, varken mellan de olika marktyperna eller mellan positioner inom kraftledningsgator och närliggande skog. Vi tolkar dessa resultat som att kraftledningsgator med avseende på antal taxa respektive biodiversitet inte är (signifikant) sämre än skogs- eller betesmark. Det kan betonas att det inte heller fanns något konsekvent (icke-signifikant) mönster som pekade på att så skulle vara fallet. Antal taxa och biodiversitetsindex tar ingen hänsyn till vilka arter eller taxa som ingår i analyserna. En naturtyp som hyser en individ- och artrik fauna bestående av oönskade arter (introducerade arter, "skadedjur" etc.) registrerar t ex ett högre biodiversitetsindex än en naturtyp med fåtaligt förekommande rödlistade, skyddsvärda arter. Likhetsindex belyser bättre vilka arter som är inblandade. Visserligen tas inte heller här hänsyn till exakt vilka arter som ingår (eller deras eventuella önskvärdhet eller skyddsvärde), men ett högt index indikerar att samma arter förekommer i de jämförda naturtyperna. I denna studie indikerar ett högt likhetsindex dessutom att antalet individer av de inblandade arterna är likartat, eftersom ett index som tar hänsyn till abundans användes.
Resultaten visade överlag höga likhetsindex, speciellt verkade kraftledningsgator och skogsmark hysa likartad evertebratfauna medan likheten mellan kraftledningsgator och betesmark var mindre uttalad. Sammanfattningsvis indikerar studien att kraftledningsgator inte verkar vara lågvärdiga livsmiljöer för de marklevande evertebrat-taxa som ingått i studien. Vi föreslår att kraftledningsgator med väl avvägda rutiner för röjning och skötsel skulle kunna spela en viktig roll i skapandet av artrika kantzoner eller marker som liknar ängs- eller betesmarker med svag hävd.
As a consequence of the intensification of various forms of human resource utilization rural Sweden has changed radically over the past 200 years from offering a varied and diverse landscape to a more monotonous, homogenised type of environment. This has led to fragmentation of habitats for many of the species occurring. Power line corridors might harbour habitats that resemble some of the now lost or fragmented habitats (e.g. grazed forest land and certain types of meadow), and could have important functions as refuge habitats and / or distribution corridors for these species.
In a pitfall trap study in Köping and Strängnäs municipalities in Mälardalen, the occurrence and abundance of ground-living invertebrates were investigated in power line corridors, adjoining forest and pastures. Comparisons were made between these habitat types, and between positions within the power line corridor (central and distal parts) and the nearby forested area. The comparisons included analysis of number of species (or rather the number of taxa) and several biodiversity indexes, as well as analysis of the similarity of the occurrence of certain species and individual numbers by use of "similarity index". Separate tests were made in different taxonomic groups (e.g. all taxa, only within insects, only within spiders). The number of replicates allowed statistical testing of patterns in the number of taxa and biodiversity index.
No significant differences were documented, neither between the different habitat types, nor between positions in the power line corridors and nearby forest. There was also no consistent (non-significant) pattern indicating that this would be the case. We suggest these results to indicate that power line corridors at least are not (significantly) poorer quality habitats than are forest or pasture land with regard to number of taxa and biodiversity. Number of taxa and biodiversity indices take no account of the species or taxa included in the analysis. Thus the same weight is assigned to an unwanted species (e.g. an invasive pest species or parasite) as to a red-listed, highly valued species. Similarity index takes more heed to the species involved. Although similarity indices do not consider the exact identity of involved species (or their possible value or desirability), a high index value indicates that the same species occur in the compared habitats. In this study, where an index that takes into account the abundance of species was used, a high similarity index value also indicates that the numbers of individuals are similar.
Overall, the results showed high similarity between habitat types. This would suggest that, to a large extent, power lines, forest and pasture land had the same composition of taxa, and that the taxa had similar abundances. Power lines and forest seemed to exhibit particularly high similarities, whereas the similarity between power lines and pasture land was less pronounced. Thus, this study indicates, in contrast to several previous suggestions, that power line corridors do not seem to be low quality habitats. We also suggest that power line corridors with well designed management routines could play an important role creating edges and habitats resembling meadow or low intensity grazed pasture land.
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GONÇALVES, Tamires. "Pasture trees: regeneration, farmer management or original flora remnant?" Universidade Federal de Alfenas, 2015. https://bdtd.unifal-mg.edu.br:8443/handle/tede/830.
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Embora seja um consenso crescente que o declínio das árvores isoladas em paisagens agrícolas merece urgente atenção, tais elementos não têm sido considerados em estratégias conservacionistas. Isso se deve, em parte, à escassez de conhecimento a respeito dos fatores que afetam estas árvores. Poucos são os estudos que abordam as relações entre as práticas de manejo de pastagens e a abundância e riqueza do componente arbóreo em pastos, sendo que o efeito do distanciamento de manchas florestais é ainda pouco compreendido. Diante disso, os objetivos deste estudo foram (i) descrever a composição de espécies e a estrutura de tamanho de árvores dispersas em pastagens, bem como (ii) investigar se a distância de fragmentos florestais remanescentes e o manejo do pecuarista afetam; tal composição e estrutura. Este estudo foi realizado em nove pastagens no Sul de Minas Gerais. Todas as árvores com diâmetro à altura do peito (d.a.p) ≥ 5 cm foram mensuradas e identificadas em 1,96 ha em cada pasto (17,65 ha de pastagem amostrada). No total foram identificadas 700 árvores, pertencentes a 30 famílias e 90 espécies. Com o aumento da distância de fragmentos florestais, a abundância e a riqueza decrescem, porém não foi encontrada relação entre a estrutura de tamanho e a variável distância. As espécies mais importantes encontradas são, em sua maioria, características de fases iniciais de sucessão e, algumas delas, são exóticas. Foi possível concluir que o processo de regeneração natural é o fator determinante sobre a abundância e riqueza em seis pastos estudados, e que o manejo do pecuarista atua sobre a composição de espécies e a estrutura de tamanho das árvores nos demais pastos. Este estudo é um importante passo para o melhor entendimento dos fatores que afetam a cobertura de árvores em pastagens. Além disso, os resultados poderão servir de subsídio para guiar ações de manejo, uma vez que o conhecimento de que em alguns pastos a regeneração natural é responsável pelo componente arbóreo, e que em outros o manejo do pecuarista é o fator atuante, poderá ajudar no planejamento de ações para manter e/ou melhorar a riqueza de árvores nestas áreas.Despite of the growing consensus that scattered trees decline in agricultural landscapes deserves urgent attention, such countryside elements have received little consideration in conservation programs. In part this is due to lack of knowledge about the factors affecting these trees. There are few studies addressing the relationship between farmer management and pasture trees, and the effects of distance from forest fragments on species composition of these trees are poorly understood yet. Our aims were (i) describe the vegetation structure of pasture trees, and (ii) investigate whether the distance from forest fragments and the farmer management affect such vegetation structure. Our research was carried out in nine pastures from a semideciduous forest region in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. All pasture trees with the diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) ≥ 5 cm were measured and identified in 1.96 ha of each pasture (totaling 17.64 ha). We found 700 trees belonging to 30 families and 90 species. Tree abundance and species richness decreased with increasing distance from the forest fragments, while we found no relationship between tree size and this explanatory variable. The most important species found are characteristics from early successional stages or are exotics. The natural regeneration is the acting factor on tree abundance and species richness in six studied pastures, while the farmer management acts on species composition and tree size in other pastures. Our study is an important step to better understanding about the factors that affect the tree coverage in pastures, and may guide conservation programs. Since the knowledge that in some pastures natural regeneration is responsible for tree component whilst in others farmer management is decisive in species composition provides a basis to help with planning actions to maintain and/or improve tree species richness in these pastures.
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais - FAPEMIG
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Petrovan, Silviu Octavian. "The landscape ecology of brown hares and European rabbits in pastures in the north east of England." Thesis, University of Hull, 2011. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:5118.
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The declines of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus), a priority species for conservation in the UK, may have been caused by changes in agricultural management. This study aims to identify hare distribution, density, habitat selection and demography in grass lands in order to benefit their future conservation. In addition, this study aims to investigate the impact of current agricultural management on the populations of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a major agricultural pest and potential competitor for hares. Hare and rabbit populations were surveyed in several large, pasture-dominated, sites in north -east England between 2007 and 2009. Estimated density of brown hares in the studied region was far higher than the published national average density for this species in pastures but with very large variation between superficially similar sites. We explored a new method to survey hares using night-time line transect distance sampling and compared this method with day time surveys. Night-time distance sampling produced improved precision estimates of hares with considerably less survey effort by maximising detectability during surveys. Hares and rabbits had different habitat requirements in grassland areas and areas dominated by intensive sheep grazing produced the lowest hare densities and in most cases were associated with high rabbit densities. Field size was an important determinant of the distribution of both hares and rabbits but with contrasting effects for the two species. Predator control appeared more important in increasing rabbit numbers than hares in the studied region. Our results indicate that recent changes in pasture management in the UK might favour high rabbit densities with potentially significant economic impacts for the agricultural sector. Hare productivity was high but female fertility and survival, in particular juvenile survival, were relatively low. Hares in the studied region were generally in good condition and reached sizes comparable with hares from arable areas. Population modelling suggested the hare population in the area was slowly increasing but was susceptible to decline even at relatively moderate levels of hunting. Radio-tracking indicated that habitat heterogeneity was important for hares at both between and within field levels. Hares preferentially used field margins during both active and inactive periods and selected woodland edges and unimproved grassland during diurnal periods, suggesting that they might benefit from measures designed to increase heterogeneity and re-establishment of non-farmed habitat features, particularly field margins. Equally, hares avoided sheep grazed fields with short swards for both foraging and resting indicating that reducing grazing intensity in pastural areas would also be beneficial for hare conservation. We suggest that grassland management could be adapted in order to minimize damage by high numbers of rabbits and increase the presence and abundance of the brown hare, a species of conservation concern in Europe and the UK.
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O'Beirne-Ranelagh, Elizabeth Grenville. "Biodiversity and horse grazing : the ecology and management of pastures in Cambridgeshire in relation to fertiliser use." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2001. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/283997.
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Galin, Isolde. "How former arable fields with permanent grazing differ from managed semi-natural pastures in Sweden." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-158072.
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New farming needs and innovations have, over time, led to changes in land use. Arable fields have been turned into pastures and semi-natural pastures into arable fields. Due to the ecological value of continually grazed semi-natural pastures in Sweden the aim of this study is to find out how former arable fields that are permanently grazed differ from semi-natural pastures. In this study I selected appropriate semi-natural pastures from a national monitoring program on seminatural- pastures and meadows. Plots continuously grazed were compared with grazed plots on former arable fields. Pair-wise differences in the Ellenberg indicator values Light (L), Soil moisture (F), soil pH (R) and soil nitrogen (N), vertical coverage of trees, bushes and vegetation, species richness and species composition were tested. Except for species composition there were only small differences between former arable fields that are permanently grazed and semi-natural pastures. That means former arable fields can with time and grazing gain many of the values continuously grazed semi-natural pastures have.
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Berndt, Lisa A. "The effect of floral resources on the leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) parasitoid Dolichogenidea tasmanica (Cameron)(Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in selected New Zealand vineyards." Lincoln University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1045.
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In this study, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.)) flowers were used to examine the effect of floral resources on the efficacy of the leafroller parasitoid Dolichogenidea tasmanica (Cameron) in vineyards. This was done by assessing the influence of these flowers on parasitoid abundance and parasitism rate, and by investigating the consequences of this for leafroller abundance. In laboratory experiments, alyssum flowers were used to investigate the effect of floral food on the longevity, fecundity and sex ratio of D. tasmanica. Dolichogenidea tasmanica comprised more than 95 % of parasitoids reared from field collected leafrollers in this study. The abundance of D. tasmanica during the 1999-2000 growing season was very low compared with previous studies, possibly due to the very low abundance of its leafroller hosts during the experiment. The number of males of this species on yellow sticky traps was increased (although not significantly) when buckwheat flowers were planted in a Marlborough vineyard; however, the number of female D. tasmanica on traps was no greater with flowers than without. The abundance of another leafroller parasitoid, Glyptapanteles demeter (Wilkinson)(Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on traps was also not significantly affected by the presence of buckwheat flowers, although females of this species were caught in greater numbers in the control than in buckwheat plots. Naturally-occurring leafrollers were collected from three vineyard sites in Marlborough, and one in Canterbury during the 2000-2001 season to assess the effect of buckwheat and alyssum flowers on parasitism rate. Parasitism rate more than doubled in the presence of buckwheat at one of the Marlborough vineyards, but alyssum had no effect on parasitism rate in Canterbury. A leafroller release/recover method, used when naturally-occurring leafrollers were too scarce to collect, was unable to detect any effect of buckwheat or alyssum on parasitism rate. Mean parasitism rates of approximately 20 % were common in Marlborough, although rates ranged from 0 % to 45 % across the three vineyard sites in that region. In Canterbury in April, mean parasitism rates were approximately 40 % (Chapter 4). Rates were higher on upper canopy leaves (40-60 %) compared with lower canopy leaves and bunches (0-25 %). Leafroller abundance was apparently not affected by the presence of buckwheat in Marlborough, or alyssum in Canterbury. Buckwheat did, however, significantly reduce the amount of leafroller evidence (webbed leafroller feeding sites on leaves or in bunches) in Marlborough, suggesting that the presence of these flowers may reduce leafroller populations. Leafrollers infested less than 0.1 % of Cabernet Sauvignon leaves throughout the 1999-2000 growing season, but increased in abundance in bunches to infest a maximum of 0.5 % of bunches in late March in Marlborough. In Pinot Noir vines in the 2000-2001 season, leafroller abundance was also low, although sampling was not conducted late in the season when abundance reaches a peak. In Riesling vines in Canterbury, between 1.5 % and 2.5 % of bunches were infested with leafrollers in April. In the laboratory, alyssum flowers significantly increased the longevity and lifetime fecundity of D. tasmanica compared with a no-flower treatment. However, daily fecundity was not increased by the availability of food, suggesting that the greater lifetime fecundity was related to increases in longevity. Parasitoids were also able to obtain nutrients from whitefly honeydew, which resulted in similar longevity and daily fecundity to those when alyssum flowers were present. The availability of food had a significant effect on the offspring sex ratio of D. tasmanica. Parasitoids reared from naturally-occurring leafrollers produced an equal sex ratio, assumed to be the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) for this species. In the laboratory, this ESS was observed only when parasitoids had access to alyssum flowers. Without food, or with honeydew only, sex ratios were strongly male-biased. In the field, floral resources affected the sex ratio of D. tasmanica only when this species was reared from leafrollers released and recovered in Marlborough. In that experiment, buckwheat shifted the sex ratio in favour of female production from the equal sex ratio found in control plots. No firm explanations can be given to account for these results, due to a lack of research in this area. Possible mechanisms for the changes in sex ratio with flowers are discussed. This study demonstrated that flowers are an important source of nutrients for D. tasmanica, influencing the longevity, fecundity and offspring sex ratio of this species. However, only some of the field experiments were able to show any positive effect of the provision of floral resources on parasitoid abundance or parasitism rate. More information is needed on the role these parasitoids, and other natural enemies, play in regulating leafroller populations in New Zealand vineyards, and on how they use floral resources in the field, before recommendations can be made regarding the adoption of this technology by growers.
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Bartolomé, Jordi. "Ecologia dels ramats d'oví i cabrum de la Calma (Parc Natural del Montseny)." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/3687.
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S'han estudiat alguns aspectes de l'ecologia de la ramaderia extensiva d'oví i cabrum a l'altiplà de la Calma (Montseny), de llarga tradició ramadera, on els darrers anys s'ha incrementat en nombre de bestiar. S'ha observat que dels recursos tròfics de la zona, les herbàcies de les landes ofereixen més quantitat d'aliment i les dels prats més qualitat. A partir de la composició botànica de la dieta dels ramats, estimada mitjançanta anàlisi microhistològica de les femtes, es conclou que les ovelles i les cabres són herbívors generalistes, però en la dieta de les cabres dominen les espècies llenyoses, mentre que en la de les ovelles les proporcions de llenyoses i herbàcies són semblants. La competència pels mateixos recursos entre els animals sembla accentuar el caràcter brostejador de les cabres i no afectar la selecció de la dieta per part de les ovelles. La intensitat d'ocupació de l'espai per part dels ramats és heterogènia. L'impacte que representa el consum de biomassa vegetal afecta principalment al bruc (Erica arborea). en canvi, el consum d'alzina (Quercus ilex), és menor del 2% de la producció anual.Se han estudiado algunos aspectos de la ecología de la ganaderia extensiva ovino-caprina en el altiplano de la Calma (Montseny), de larga tradición ganadera, donde en los últimos años la cabaña se ha incrementado. Se ha observado que de los recursos tróficos de la zona, las herbaceas de las landas ofrecen mas cantidad de alimento y las de los prados mas calidad. A partir de la composición botánica de la dieta de los rebaños, estimada mediante análisis microhistológico de las heces, se concluye que las ovejas y las cabras son herbívoros generalistas, pero en la dieta de las cabras dominan las especies leñosas, mientras que en la de las ovejas las proporciones de leñosas y herbaceas son parecidas. La competencia por los mismos recursos entre animales parece acentuar el carácter ramoneador de las cabras y no afectar la selección de la dieta por parte de las ovejas. La intensidad de ocupación del espacio por parte de los rebaños es heterogenea. El impacto que representa el consumo de biomasa vegetal afecta principalmente al brezo, erica arborea. En cambio el consumo de encina, quercus ilex, es menor del 2% de la producción anual.
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Fonseca, Daniel Gonçalves da. "Efeitos da presença de macrófitas nos macroinvertebrados de córregos tropicais." Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 2011. https://repositorio.ufscar.br/handle/ufscar/2049.
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Previous issue date: 2011-04-08Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
The riparian forest deforestation by pasture activities allows greater solar incidence on the streams bed. The high input of light favours the development of aquatic macrophytes, which also contributing with the high primary production rate and are important substrate for aquatic organisms. This substrate generates stability subunities and complex microhabitats which are used as refugee, places and feeding source and interfere in the trophic relations in the streams. Benthic macroinvertebrates can be affected in several ways by fish (predators) through direct effects (feeding) or indirect effects (predation risk, bio-perturbation, trophic links). However, the complexity offered by the macrophytes can influence the trophic interactions between fish and the macroinvertebrates, decreasing the predation pressure and allowing the coexistence among these organisms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the macrophyte influence on the aquatic communities. With the purpose of facilitate the understanding, the study was divided in two chapters: (1) It compared the macroinvertebrate assemblages present in sites with or without macrophytes in three different streams; (2) It evaluated the aquatic macrophyte effects on the colonization of macroinvertebrate communities and on the predation interaction between macroinvertebrates and fish, using an experiment with exclusion cages in two streams. The results allow a better understanding of the functional processes in the structure of the streams, providing knowledge about the human interaction effects on the functioning of these systems.
O desmatamento das matas ciliares realizado por atividades de pastagens possibilita maior incidência solar sobre o leito dos córregos. A alta entrada de luz favorece o desenvolvimento de bancos de macrófitas, que além de contribuírem com alta taxa de produção primária são importante substrato para os organismos aquáticos. Esse substrato gera subunidades de estabilidade e microhabitats complexos que são utilizados como refúgio, local e fonte de alimentação e interferem nas relações tróficas dentro dos riachos. Macroinvertebrados bentônicos podem ser afetados de diversas formas pela presença de peixes (predadores), seja através de efeitos tróficos diretos (alimentação) ou de efeitos indiretos (ameaça de predação, bioperturbação, ligações tróficas). No entanto, a complexidade fornecida pelas macrófitas pode influenciar as interações tróficas entre peixes e macroinvertebrados, diminuindo a pressão de predação e permitindo a coexistência entre esses organismos. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a influência das macrófitas aquáticas nas comunidades de macroinvertebrados aquáticos. Na intenção de facilitar a compreensão, o estudo foi dividido em dois capítulos: (1) Comparou as comunidades de macroinvertebrados presentes em locais com e sem macrófitas em três diferentes riachos; (2) Avaliou o efeito das macrófitas aquáticas na colonização da assembléia de macroinvertebrados e na interação de predação entre macroinvertebrados e peixes, usando um experimento com gaiolas de exclusão em dois riachos. Os resultados permitem um melhor entendimento dos processos funcionais e estruturais de riachos, fornecendo conhecimento dos efeitos de alterações humanas no funcionamento desses sistemas.
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Souza, Silvana Cristina Pereira Muniz de. "Análise de alguns aspectos de dinâmica florestal em uma área degradada no interior do parque estadual do Jurupará, Ibiúna, São Paulo." Universidade de São Paulo, 2002. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/11/11150/tde-26082002-142036/.
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O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a resiliência de uma área desflorestada há aproximadamente 20 anos, ocupada atualmente com pastagem e cultivo de Citrus sp. Essa resiliência foi avaliada através dos seguintes aspectos da dinâmica florestal: análise do banco de sementes, da chuva de sementes e de indivíduos jovens regenerantes. Este trabalho foi conduzido no Parque Estadual do Jurupará (23°51' S e 47°11' W), abrangendo os municípios paulistas de Ibiúna e Piedade, em uma região de transição entre a Floresta Ombrófila Densa e a Floresta Estacional Semidecidual. Foram alocadas três faixas de amostragem, cada uma com cinco parcelas aleatorizadas de 10 X 20 m, uma num trecho ocupado com um plantio abandonado de Citrus sp, adjacente ao remanescente florestal, e as restantes num trecho ocupado com pastagem, uma a 0-20 m e outra a 80-100 m de distância do remanescente florestal. Para a avaliação da chuva de sementes, foram lançados aleatoriamente em cada parcela três coletores de sementes circulares de 0,52 m de diâmetro, com coletas mensais das sementes depositadas. Para a avaliação do banco de sementes foram instalados em cada parcela, três subparcelas de 0,25 X 0,25 m, para coleta de solo até 0,05 m de profundidade em duas épocas distintas: estação chuvosa (janeiro/2001) e na estação seca (agosto/2001). Para a avaliação dos indivíduos jovens regenerantes, foram implantadas aleatoriamente 4 subparcelas de 0,5 X 0,5 m, nas quais foram realizadas três avaliações de todos os indivíduos arbustivos-arbóreos com altura entre 0,30 e 1,30 m. Na avaliação da chuva de sementes na área ocupada com o cultivo de Citrus sp, foi observada alta densidade de sementes autóctones de espécies arbustivo-arbóreas (Leandra sp. com 20.638,73 sem.m -2 e Tibouchina sp. com 12.681,85 sem.m -2 ) que ocupavam a área junto com aos indivíduos de Citrus sp. Na pastagem verificou-se a predominância de espécies ruderais, a densidade média das espécies arbustivo-arbóreas foi de 335,75 sem.m -2 , na pastagem próxima do remanescente florestal e de 577,58 sem.m -2 na pastagem distante do remanescente florestal. Na avaliação do banco de sementes no cultivo de Citrus sp, as espécies ruderais consistiram em 99,88% das espécies germinadas na estação chuvosa, e 99,73% na estação seca. Na pastagem, na estação chuvosa, para as duas distâncias, 100% das espécies germinadas eram espécies herbáceas tipicamente ruderais; na estação seca esta forma de vida predominou em 99,66% na área próxima ao remanescente florestal e 99,92% na área mais distante. No levantamento dos indivíduos jovens regenerantes, encontrou-se densidade 5,8 ind.m -2 na área de Citrus sp e de 1,2 ind.m -2 e 2,2 ind.m -2 na pastagem a 0-20 m e 80-100 m de distância do remanescente florestal, respectivamente. Apenas na chuva de sementes foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre a área de Citrus sp e a pastagem, para os demais aspectos analisados não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre a área de Citrus sp e pastagem. Na pastagem, para todos os apectos analisados, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre as diferentes distâncias, rejeitando a hipótese de que a resiliência da pastagem estudada está inversamente relacionada com as distâncias do remanescente florestal nesse trabalho.This work had as a goal identifying the resilience of an area, which was deforested in the past, currently used as pasture and Citrus sp crop. This resilience was evaluated through the following aspects of forest dynamics: soil seed bank analysis, seed rain and saplings. It was conducted in the Jurupará State Park in Ibiúna and Piedade (São Paulo State), in a transition area between the Ombrophil Forest and the Semideciduous Seasonal Forest. In this area, three sampling strips were allocated, each one with five 10 X 20 m plots, being one inside the Citrus sp crop and the others inside the pasture, distant 0-20 m and 80-100 m from the forest remant. For evaluating the seed rain, three circular seeds collectors of 0.52 cm in diameter were randomly set in each plot, with monthly samplings of the deposited seeds. For evaluating the seed bank, soil of three 0.25 X 0.25 m sub-plots and 0.05 m deep was collected in two different seasons: rainy season (January/2001) and dry season (August/2001). To the saplings evaluation, four 0.5 X 0.5 m sub-plots were implanted randomly, in which three evaluations of all the shrubs and trees individuals (0.30-1.30m height) were performed. At the seed rain inside the Citrus sp crop, a high density of autoctone seed of shrubs and trees species (Leandra sp. with 20,638.73 seed.m -2 and Tibouchina sp. with 12,681.85 seeds.m -2 ) was observed; inside the pasture, there were a predominance of ruderal species, while the average density of shrubs and trees species were, 335.75 seeds.m -2 in the pasture distant 0-20m from the remaining forest and 577.58 seeds.m -2 in the pasture distant 80-100m from the remaining forest. At the soil seed bank evaluation in the experimental area inside the Citrus sp crop, the ruderal species were 99.88% of the germinated species in the rainy season and 99.73% in the dry season. In the experimental area inside the pasture, for the rainy season, 100% of the germinated species were herbal species typically ruderal in both distances; in the soil collected in the dry season, this life form was predominant in 99.66% and 99.92% in both distances, respectively. In the saplings counting, a 5.8 ind.m -2 density inside was found the Citrus sp crop and 1.2 and 2.2 ind.m -2 inside the pasture in both distances. Only for the seeds rain significant differences were found between the Citrus sp crop and the pasture. No significant differences were found between the two distances within the pasture area strips, denying the hypothesis that the resilience of the study area is inversely related to the remaining forest distance.
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Tonelli, Mattia. "Effects of different pastures management on dung beetle communities in a sub-mountainous landscape of central Italy: a multicomponent biodiversity and ecological process analysis." Doctoral thesis, Universidad de Alicante, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10045/65761.
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Los escarabajos coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) son un grupo de insectos muy importante en términos de diversidad y biomasa en los pastos de la cuenca del Mediterráneo. A pesar de su importancia ecológica, los escarabajos coprófagos están amenazados por varios factores, entre los cuales se destacan los cambios en el manejo de la ganadería tradicional. El objetivo general de esta tesis fue evaluar los efectos del abandono de la ganadería, su extensificación y uso histórico de productos médico veterinarios sobre las comunidades de escarabajos coprófagos usando medidas de biodiversidad y cuantificando la capacidad de remoción de estiércol en un paisaje sub-montano de la provincia de Pesaro-Urbino (Italia). En este trabajo se colectaron un total de 156 936 individuos, pertenecientes a 58 especies de escarabajos coprófagos. Los resultados de este trabajo sugieren que el uso histórico de productos médico veterinarios tiene un impacto negativo y ubiquitario sobre todas las especies de la comunidad de estudio, llevando a un empobrecimiento de los ensambles y a una pérdida de abundancia y biomasa. No obstante se ha registrado el mantenimiento de la estructura de la comunidad. Estos resultados son corroborados igualmente cuando nos enfocamos en la diversidad funcional. En efecto, el uso histórico de productos médico veterinarios lleva a una pérdida en el número de roles funcionales dentro de la comunidad, sin embargo las abundancias se encuentran repartidas equitativamente dentro de cada nicho funcional. Todos estos efectos sobre la comunidad de escarabajos coprófagos debido al uso de productos médico veterinarios, al final quedan reflejados en una pérdida del 70% en la capacidad de remoción de estiércol, comparados con áreas donde estos productos no son aplicados. La extensificación de la ganadería está representada por áreas que tienen una intensidad de pastoreo muy baja, las cuales pueden ser consideradas como la primera etapa hacia el abandono completo. En este sentido, los resultados de este trabajo demuestran como una simple reducción de la carga ganadera lleva a efectos negativos sobre las comunidades de escarabajos coprófagos, registrando una disminución en la diversidad alpha y en el número de especies indicadoras. Esta disminución en la cantidad de recurso trófico tiene implicaciones sobre la composición de la comunidad, favoreciendo especies oportunistas cuya biología le permite evitar la competencia, como por ejemplo; especies cleptoparásitas o especies cuyas larvas tienen un comportamiento saprófago. Este “efecto filtro” (filter effect) debido a la disminución de la cantidad trófica, está confirmado por los resultados de diversidad funcional, en los cuales se registró una disminución en el número de nichos funcionales y una fuerte redundancia por la presencia de nichos funcionales muy similares entre ellos. Los efectos sobre la comunidad de escarabajos coprófagos en los sitios con baja carga ganadera reflejan finalmente una pérdida en la capacidad de enterramiento del estiércol del 30-40% respecto a las comunidades en áreas con una mayor carga ganadera. Los resultados de este trabajo muestran que en las áreas con abandono total de la ganadería se observó una disminución en el número de especies, en la abundancia y biomasa total, en el número de especies indicadoras, en la abundancia de las especies de gran tamaño y en las especies que no tienen un comportamiento de nidificación durante el periodo reproductivo. Sin embargo, el mantenimiento de una comunidad bien estructurada, subraya la importancia de dos factores locales: el excremento de la fauna silvestre y la mayor complejidad del hábitat debido a un proceso de invasión de árboles en el pasto. Este último factor es probablemente responsable de la presencia de especies indicadoras típicas de hábitats más cerrados como los bosques o matorrales. En cuanto a los resultados de diversidad funcional, estos confirman la interpretación del “efecto filtro” debido a la disminución en la cantidad de recurso trófico. En efecto, estos resultados muestran una unicidad funcional significativa en esta comunidad como consecuencia del fuerte cambio composicional que el abandono de la ganadería ha implicado, a pesar de una disminución en el número de nichos funcionales y en el mantenimiento de una buena estructura funcional. Así mismo, se registró una disminución en la capacidad de enterramiento del estiércol entre 27% y 47% respecto a las áreas con baja carga ganadera y con carga moderada por todos estos cambios cuali y cuantitativos en la comunidad de escarabajos coprófagos de los sitios abandonados. Se propone la ganadería ecológica como forma correcta de gestión de los pastos, la cual permitiría mantener un nivel de carga moderado, así como el control en uso de compuestos médico veterinarios.
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Pardo, Guereño Iker. "Distribution and dynamics of multiple components of plant diversity in a high mountain area: the Ordesa-Monte Perdido National Park = Distribución y dinámica temporal de los diferentes componentes de la diversidad vegetal en la alta montaña: el Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/384840.
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The aim of this thesis was to explore the distribution of the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional components of plant diversity in high mountains, and to show how different components of diversity have responded to land-use and climate change over the last two decades. To address this aim, we used a multiple approach at different scales, by combining information from biodiversity databases and descriptive and experimental data gathered in the field. Some methodological improvements were implemented to account for the main sources of uncertainty inherent in the baseline data. The study was conducted in the Central Pyrenees, mainly in the Ordesa-Monte Perdido National Park (OMPNP).
In Chapter 1 we developed a novel method to assess the effect of the sampling effort when using information of classical databases to analyze spatial diversity patterns. Such method was used in chapter 2 to identify hotspots, and results were compared with the ones produced by an unbiased database information (standardized community surveys), Finding an overall spatial mismatch among the different diversity components at small scale (Chapter 2). Grasslands resulted to be the richest habitat in terms of species and endemisms, whereas the highest values of phylogenetic and functional diversity were observed in some forests, specially among the mixed ones. The second part of the thesis analyzed recent trends of the richest plant communities in high mountain ranges, alpine grasslands, to the generalized reduction in grazing and climate warming. In chapter 3 we compared plant community composition and tree cover in the upper limit of the treeline ecotone between 1998 and 2009. A weak effect of the increase in tree cover on the dynamics of Field layer vegetation was found, evidencing the slow response of alpine plant communities to drastic structural changes in the habitat. In chapter 4, we revisited after two decades 12 sites along an elevational gradient in two valleys of the Central Pyrenees. After accounting for the effect of the resampling error and the natural fluctuations of communities, we found that alpine grasslands were relatively stable over time at community, species and trait level.
Evidences of the large ecological inertia of alpine grasslands were also Found in two experimental exclusion of herbivores set 20 years ago where species richness did not significantly differ from control grasslands (Chapter 5). Differences in the community trajectories of ungrazed and control grasslands occurred only during a sequence of warm and dry growing seasons, which led us to conclude that the effects of the grazing reduction and climate warming acted synergistically.
Taken together, these results indicate that the response of alpine grasslands to land-use and climate change may be weaker and slower than expected according to predictive models and observations made in several grasslands below the treeline (rapid ecological succession after abandonment) and mountain summits (thermophilization) in the Central Pyrenees. The apparent stability of alpine grasslands depicted in our studies may revert as some tipping points are exceed. However, the smooth response of grasslands may provide a good opportunity to implement timely management actions for the conservation of this exceptionally rich habitat. The maintenance, and in some cases restoration, of traditional grazing activities, might be the simpler and more efficient strategy in the Face of global change, and perhaps the only possible to alleviate the impact of climate warming on plant diversity.En esta tesis investigamos la distribución de los componentes taxónomico, filogenético y funcional de la diversidad vegetal en la alta montaña, y cómo ha respondido a los principales motores de cambio global en montañas (cambio climático y de uso de suelo) en las últimas décadas. Para abordar estas dos cuestiones usamos una aproximación a varias escalas, combinando información recopilada en bases de datos con datos descriptivos y experimentales obtenidos en campo, poniendo especial énfasis en mejorar los métodos analíticos de las aproximaciones utilizadas. Nuestra investigación se llevó a cabo en el Pirineo Central, especialmente en el Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido (PNOMP). En el primer capítulo examinamos el sesgo del esfuerzo de muestreo en una clásica base de datos de herbario, y cómo éste puede afectar a los análisis de los patrones de diversidad. Desarrollamos un método nuevo que permitió detectar diferencias importantes en la distribución del esfuerzo de muestreo a lo largo del PNOMP. Esta información fue usada en el segundo capítulo, donde demostramos por primera vez que, además de la riqueza específica, el patrón de distribución del resto de los componentes de la diversidad puede verse distorsionado por el sesgo de muestreo. Tras utilizar una base de datos elaborada a partir de inventarios de comunidades, observamos que los diferentes componentes de la diversidad presentaron una distribución distinta a lo largo del PNOMP. Este resultado demuestra que nuestra habilidad para identificar áreas prioritarias para la conservación a partir de bases de datos clásicas de diversidad es muy limitada. Los pastos resultaron ser el hábitat más rico en término de número de especies y endemismos, mientras que algunos tipos de bosques de hoja caduca fueron identificados como puntos calientes de historia evolutiva y funcional. En los siguientes capítulos examinamos la respuesta de las comunidades más ricas, los pastos de alta montaña, al descenso generalizado del pastoreo y el calentamiento climático. En el capítulo tercero analizamos los resultados de la revisita de transectos de vegetación situados en el ecotono del límite del bosque superior, muestreados 11 años antes. El escaso efecto del incremento de la cobertura arbórea sobre las comunidades pone de manifiesto la lenta respuesta de las comunidades alpinas a cambios estructurales del hábitat. En el cuarto capítulo examinamos la respuesta de los pastos alpinos a lo largo de dos décadas, tras revisitar una docena de parcelas permanentes distribuidas a lo largo de un gradiente altitudinal en dos valles del Pirineo Central. Tras considerar el error de muestreo y la fluctuación interanual de las comunidades, no observamos señales evidentes de cambios ni a nivel de comunidad ni de especies, ni tampoco un aumento de especies leñosas. Los grupos de especies con tendencias opuestas no mostraron rasgos funcionales significativamente diferentes, cuando fue considerada la abundancia y autocorrelación evolutiva de éstos. La gran inercia ecológica de los pastos alpinos fue también confirmada en un experimento de exclusión de herbivoría que duró 19 años (quinto capítulo), donde la riqueza de especies no mostró un efecto significativo en respuesta al tratamiento. La ausencia de ganado sólo resultó en una trayectoria divergente de la comunidad tras una década, y coincidiendo con un periodo excepcionalmente cálido y seco. Este resultado sugiere que el cese del pastoreo y el aumento de las temperaturas podrían tener un efecto aditivo sobre las comunidades vegetales. En conjunto, todos estos resultados ponen de manifiesto que las comunidades de pastos alpinos frente a los principales motores de cambio en montaña puede ser más lenta de lo que se esperaba según los modelos predictivos, la rápida sucesión ecológica (matorralización) observada en varios pastos subalpinos y montanos a lo largo del Pirineo, y los cambios en las comunidades de cumbres (termofliación) descritos en el propio PNOMP. La aparente estabilidad registrada en nuestro estudio podría revertir si se sobrepasan puntos de inflexión críticos. Sin embargo, la lenta dinámica aquí observada sugiere que no es tarde para tomar medidas de gestión para garantizar la conservación de estos pastos excepcionalmente ricos. El mantenimiento o restauración de las actividades del pastoreo tradicional se vislumbra como una solución simple y efectiva para paliar los efectos de los principales motores de cambio global sobre las comunidades alpinas.
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Robinson, K. A. "Use of floral resources by the lacewing Micromus tasmaniae and its parasitoid Anacharis zealandica, and the consequences for biological control by M. tasmaniae." Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/823.
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Arthropod species that have the potential to damage crops are food resources for communities of predators and parasitoids. From an agronomic perspective these species are pests and biocontrol agents respectively, and the relationships between them can be important determinants of crop yield and quality. The impact of biocontrol agents on pest populations may depend on the availability of other food resources in the agroecosystem. A scarcity of such resources may limit biological control and altering agroecosystem management to alleviate this limitation could contribute to pest management. This is a tactic of ‘conservation biological control’ and includes the provision of flowers for species that consume prey as larvae but require floral resources in their adult stage. The use of flowers for pest management requires an understanding of the interactions between the flowers, pests, biocontrol agents and non-target species. Without this, attempts to enhance biological control might be ineffective or detrimental. This thesis develops our understanding in two areas which have received relatively little attention: the role of flowers in biological control by true omnivores, and the implications of flower use by fourth-trophic-level life-history omnivores. The species studied were the lacewing Micromus tasmaniae and its parasitoid Anacharis zealandica. Buckwheat flowers Fagopyrum esculentum provided floral resources and aphids Acyrthosiphon pisum served as prey. Laboratory experiments with M. tasmaniae demonstrated that although prey were required for reproduction, providing flowers increased survival and oviposition when prey abundance was low. Flowers also decreased prey consumption by the adult lacewings. These experiments therefore revealed the potential for flowers to either enhance or disrupt biological control by M. tasmaniae. Adult M. tasmaniae were collected from a crop containing a strip of flowers. Analyses to determine the presence of prey and pollen in their digestive tracts suggested that predation was more frequent than foraging in flowers. It was concluded that the flower strip probably did not affect biological control by lacewings in that field, but flowers could be significant in other situations. The lifetime fecundity of A. zealandica was greatly increased by the presence of flowers in the laboratory. Providing flowers therefore has the potential to increase parasitism of M. tasmaniae and so disrupt biological control. A. zealandica was also studied in a crop containing a flower strip. Rubidium-marking was used to investigate nectar-feeding and dispersal from the flowers. In addition, the parasitoids’ sugar compositions were determined by HPLC and used to infer feeding histories. Although further work is required to develop the use of these techniques in this system, the results suggested that A. zealandica did not exploit the flower strip. The sugar profiles suggested that honeydew had been consumed by many of the parasitoids. A simulation model was developed to explore the dynamics of aphid, lacewing and parasitoid populations with and without flowers. This suggested that if M. tasmaniae and A. zealandica responded to flowers as in the laboratory, flowers would only have a small effect on biological control within a single period of a lucerne cutting cycle. When parasitoids were present, the direct beneficial effect of flowers on the lacewing population was outweighed by increased parasitism, reducing the potential for biological control in future crops. The results presented in this thesis exemplify the complex interactions that may occur as a consequence of providing floral resources in agroecosystems and re-affirm the need for agroecology to inform the development of sustainable pest management techniques.
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Baranauskaitė, Jurgita. "Elninių žvėrių mitybos ypatumai skirtingo mišrumo medynuose." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2010. http://vddb.laba.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2010~D_20100621_113543-44186.
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Tyrimams yra pasirinkti medynai esantys skirtingose miškų urėdijose ir atitinkantys skirtingas medžioklės plotų kategorijas: Buktos miško masyvas (VĮ Marijampolės miškų urėdija); Pagėgių miško masyvas (VĮ Šilutės miškų urėdija); Naujininkų miško masyvas (VĮ Šilutės miškų urėdija); Darsūniškio miškas (VĮ Kaišiadorių miškų urėdija). Tyrimų metu buvo išskirtos apskaitos aikštelės, kuriose buvo nustatytas medelių bei krūmų skabymo intensyvumas, dalis pašarų sudėtyje, utilizacijos faktorius, sutinkamumas. Nustatytos labiausiai ir mažiausiai mėgiamos trako ir pomiškio rūšys. Taip pat buvo atlikta ir elninių žvėrių apskaita pagal ekskrementus.There were selected forest stands in several State Forest Enterprises corresponding to different categories of hunting areas: Bukta forest (Marijampolė State Forest Enterprise), Pagėgiai forest (Šilutė State Forest Enterprise), Naujininkai forest (Šilutė State Forest Enterprise) and Drasiūniškis forest (Kaišiadoriai State Forest Enterprise). For estimation of browsing intensity, share in forage, utilization factor and occurrence of undergrowth and understorey tree and shrub species, sampling plots were intercepted. There were identified most and least preferable undergrowth and understorey tree and shrub species. By counting pellets number of deer animals was estimated as well.
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Glienke, Carine Lisete. "Ecologia do pastejo de cordeiras em pastagem de azevém e trevo vermelho sob intensidades de desfolha." Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 2009. http://repositorio.ufsm.br/handle/1/10728.
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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorIn the period May-November 2007 experiment was conducted in an area of the Federal University of Santa Maria, was studied the relationship between the pasture dynamics and the ingestive behavior of lambs, grazing Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) pasture under different defoliation intensities. Rotational grazing was used and the interval between grazing cycle was determined by the thermal sum of 313 degree-days. The evaluations of ingestive behavior were made by visual observation, in four continuous periods of 24 hours. The values of disappearance of the initial sward height were 65 ( very high ), 58 ( high ), 47 ( mean ) and 37% ( low ), respectively, showing the defoliation intensities. The sward vertical structure was similar among defoliation intensities. The forage allowance decreased linearly as the defoliation intensities increased. For each percent on the forage allowance, there were a decreasing of 0.35 on bite/minute. Bite rate and the number of bites/feeding station were reduced by the diminution of the leaf contribution on the pasture structure, resulting the cycle of pasture, accompanied by the increase of NDF and decrease of CP levels of the forage ingested by lambs. The change of pasture phonological stage proved to be more important than the defoliation intensities tested to cause changes in displacement patterns and feeding stations of lambs.
No período de maio a novembro de 2007 foi desenvolvido experimento em área da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, no qual foi estudada a relação entre a dinâmica do pasto e o comportamento ingestivo de cordeiras em pastagem de azevém (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) e trevo vermelho (Trifolium pratense L.), sob diferentes intensidades de desfolha. O pastejo foi rotacionado e o intervalo entre pastejos foi determinado pela soma térmica de 313 grausdia. O comportamento ingestivo foi avaliado por meio de avaliação visual, realizada em quatro períodos contínuos de 24 horas. Os valores de desaparecimento da altura inicial do dossel foram de 65 ( muito alta ), 58 ( alta ), 47 ( média ) e 37% ( baixa ), respectivamente, caracterizando as intensidades de desfolha. A estrutura vertical do pasto foi semelhante entre as intensidades de desfolha testadas. A oferta de forragem diminuiu linearmente com o aumento da intensidade de desfolha. Houve diminuição de 0,35 bocados/minutos a cada 1% a mais na oferta de forragem. A taxa de bocados e o número de bocados/estação alimentar foram reduzidos pela diminuição da contribuição de folhas na estrutura da pastagem decorrente do ciclo do pasto, acompanhada do aumento do teor de FDN e redução do teor de PB no pasto ingerido pelas cordeiras. A mudança de estádios fenológicos do pasto mostrou ser mais importante do que as intensidades de desfolha testadas para provocar mudanças nos padrões de deslocamento e estações alimentares de cordeiras.
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Guardiola, i. Bufí Moisès. "Efectes de la pèrdua i fragmentació de pastures mediterrànies sobre la riquesa, composició i relacions tròfiques de plantes i papallones." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/300736.
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La pèrdua i fragmentació dels hàbitats estan considerades com una de les causes més importants de pèrdua de biodiversitat a escala local, regional i global, causant la rarefacció i extinció d’algunes espècies. Bo i això, no es coneix bé l’abast real que provoca la pèrdua i fragmentació dels hàbitat ja que sovint es donen asincronies entre aquesta pèrdua i la consegüent extinció d’espècies, fet que comporta un deute d’extinció. Tot i que es considera que el deute d’extinció és un fenomen molt estès, el coneixement sobre els mecanismes i processos que el causen encara és molt incomplert, així com les metodologies per a detectar-lo. A més a més, diferències en l’extinció i deute d’extinció entre espècies que interactuen en paisatges fragmentats podrien tenir efectes importants en les xarxes ecològiques. Aquests efectes, però, estarien limitats per l’espècie o el grup que respon més lentament als canvis, pel que es poden esperar efectes retardats en les xarxes d’interaccions ecològiques. La present tesi vol contribuir al coneixement sobre els efectes de la pèrdua i fragmentació de pastures mediterrànies sobre la riquesa, composició i relacions tròfiques entre dos grups d’organismes relacionats tròficament (plantes i papallones). En primer lloc (Capítol 2) s’aprofundeix en els mètodes de detecció de deute d’extinció a partir de la riquesa de plantes vasculars, fent especial èmfasi en les característiques intrínseques de cada clapa a fi de quantificar millor la magnitud del deute d’extinció. S’analitzen, també, les diferències entre la riquesa a escala de tota la clapa i a escala petita d’àrea fixa (densitat), entre clapes estables i clapes en regressió, per intentar explicar els mecanismes d’extinció i de deute d’extinció. En segon lloc (Capítol 3) s’analitzen els efectes de les característiques de la clapa i del paisatge, actuals i pretèrites, sobre la riquesa total i la densitat (escala petita d’àrea fixa) de plantes vasculars i de papallones, així com les dependències tròfiques entre ambdós grups. Finalment (Capítol 4), s’analitza si les possibles asincronies en els fenòmens d’extinció i de deute d’extinció en plantes i papallones afecten les interaccions i les xarxes tròfiques papallona–planta, i si les característiques de la clapa i del paisatge, actuals i pretèrites, poden modular els efectes de la pèrdua d’àrea en les xarxes tròfiques papallona–planta.Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered the most important causes of biodiversity loss at local, regional and global scales, causing a rarefaction and extinction of some species. However, the importance of these processes remains unclear because frequently there are asynchronies between habitat loss and fragmentation and the subsequent species extinction, causing an extinction debt. Although extinction debt is considered a widespread phenomenon, our understanding of the mechanisms and processes that cause it is still incomplete, as well as the methods to detect it. Moreover, differential extinction and extinction debts in interacting species in fragmented landscapes could cause strong effects on ecological networks. These effects, however, are limited by the slowest responding species group, therefore delayed effects in ecological networks might be expected. The general goal of this thesis is contribute to the knowledge of the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on species richness, composition and trophic networks in Mediterranean pastures between two trophically related groups (plants and butterflies). First of all (Chapter 2), I explore the methodology to detect extinction debt using plant species richness, focusing on current and past patch and landscape characteristics. To better explain the mechanism causing extinction and extinction debt, I also analyze the differences in species richness at patch scale and species richness of a fixed area within a patch (density), between stable and regressive patches. Secondly (Chapter 3), I explore the effects of current and past patch and landscape properties on species density and richness of plants and butterflies, and their trophic dependence. Finally (Chapter 4), I determine if asynchronies in extinction and extinction debt among plants and butterflies could cause effects their trophic networks, and if current and past patch and landscape properties modulate habitat loss and fragmentation effects on butterfly-plant networks.
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Vazquez, Ana M. "Possible Drivers in Endophyte Diversity and Transmission in the Tomato Plant Bacterial Microbiome." The Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594918263597025.
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Laubertie, Elsa. "The role of resource subsidies in enhancing biological control of aphids by hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae)." Diss., Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/984.
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In this thesis, experiments were conducted in the laboratory and the field to determine whether the provision of floral resources to hoverflies could enhance the biological control of aphids. The overall aim was to clarify hoverfly behaviour and ecology in an agroecosystem in order to understand the potential of these insects for biocontrol under a conservation biological control (CBC) regime. A preliminary experiment in New Zealand compared the effect of different coloured water-traps on catches of the hoverflies Melanostoma fasciatum (Macquart) and Melangyna novaezelandiae (Macquart). Significantly more individuals were caught in completely yellow traps than in traps with green outer walls and yellow inner walls or in completely green traps. This suggested that if a measure of hoverfly numbers relating to a particular distance along a transect is required, consideration should be given to the ability of hoverflies to detect yellow traps from a distance. The use of traps that are green outside would more accurately reflect the local abundance of hoverflies, as the insect would be likely to see the yellow stimulus only when above or close to the trap. Also, the addition of rose water significantly increased the number of M. fasciatum caught. From a suite of flowering plants chosen for their ability in other studies to increase hoverfly visit frequencies, laboratory experiments were conducted in France to determine the plant’s effectiveness at enhancing Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer) ‘fitness’, and to evaluate whether adult feeding on flowers was related to performance. Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Bentham cv. Balo), followed by buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench cv. Katowase) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) gave the optimal reproductive potential of female E. balteatus. There was no correlation between pollen and nectar consumption, and there was no discernible positive correlation between the quantity of pollen ingested and the resulting female performance. Phacelia and buckwheat were then studied as resource subsidies in the field in New Zealand. The effect of incorporating phacelia or buckwheat in the margins of 5 m x 5 m broccoli plots was tested for hoverfly activity and floral ‘preferences’. Hoverflies which had fed on phacelia and buckwheat pollen were found up to 17.5 m from the floral strips and females of M. fasciatum and M. novaezelandiae consumed more phacelia pollen than that of buckwheat in the field. These results support the choice of phacelia as an ideal floral resource subsidy in crops for enhanced biological control by these New Zealand species. The need for studying hoverfly movement in a large-scale field experiment was apparent from the field studies, so the next experiment was carried out in a field 450 × 270 m and flies were marked via their ingestion of the pollen of phacelia. The focus was on the proportion of flies having consumed the pollen. Although large quantities of pollen were found in some hoverfly guts, most did not contain phacelia pollen and very few were captured at 50 m from phacelia, compared with numbers at the border of the floral strip. A possible explanation was that hoverflies feed on a large variety of pollen species, reducing the relative attraction of phacelia flowers. Another possibility was that hoverflies dispersed from the phacelia away from the crop. Also, pollen digestion rates are likely to be a factor. Finally, a series of experiments was conducted in the field and laboratory to study hoverfly efficacy through oviposition and larval behaviour. In field experiments, female M. fasciatum and M. novaezelandiae laid more eggs where buckwheat patches were larger; however higher oviposition rates did not lead to improved aphid population suppression. In greenhouse experiments, larvae of E. balteatus could initiate a decline in aphid numbers at the predator: prey ratio 1: 8.3, however this control did not persist. Experiments in the laboratory showed that hoverfly larvae became more active and left the system while aphid numbers declined or numbers of larvae increased. This behaviour was caused by two factors: hunger and avoidance of conspecific larvae. Further experiments showed that the avoidance of conspecifics was caused by mutual interference rather than cannibalism. The results of this work highlight the importance of hoverfly dispersal ability. Given the observations of foraging behaviour of females and mutual interference observed between larvae, and the lack of success in CBC by hoverflies in experiments at the crop scale, it is essential to assess the impact of insect predators and parasitoids at a landscape scale.
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Cruz, Natan Teles. "Dinâmica do acúmulo de forragem e composição química do capim faixa-branca submetido a frequências de desfolhação." Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia, 2017. https://ri.ufs.br/handle/riufs/6847.
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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPESThis work was carried out with the objective of evaluating the dynamics of forage accumulation and structural characteristics of the Digitaria eriantha submitted to different defoliation frequencies from January 2015 to February 2016. Four frequencies of defoliation were evaluated: very (25 cm), high (35 cm), medium (45 cm) and low (55 cm), in two seasons of the year: higher sunshine (September to March) and lower sunshine (April to August). A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used. In general, the reduction in frequency of defoliation increased the interval between cuts, leaf area index, rates of total forage accumulation, stem and dead forage, and percentages of stalks and dead forage, accumulations of total deforest, Stems and dead fodder. In turn, this reduction in leaf defoliation frequency decreased leaf blade accumulation rate, leaf blade percentage and leaf blade accumulation and blade / stem ratio. The reduction in the frequency of defoliation increased dry matter, total carbohydrate and lignin content, as well as decreased crude protein content and estimated digestibility of Digitaria eriantha. In general, Digitaria eriantha presented higher rates of total forage accumulation, leaf blade and stalks, percentage of stalks and dead forage, shoot volume density and population density of tillers in the period of greatest sunshine. On the other hand, the Digitaria eriantha showed lower rate of accumulation of dead fodder and percentage of dead fodder in the period of lower insolation. Less frequent defoliation increases and increases the forage accumulation rates of Digitaria eriantha, but with less desirable morphological composition, contributing to a lower quality.
Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar a dinâmica do acúmulo de forragem e as características estruturais do capim faixa-branca submetido a diferentes frequências de desfolhação, no período de janeiro de 2015 a fevereiro de 2016. Foram avaliadas quatro frequências de desfolhação: muito alta (25 cm), alta (35 cm), média (45 cm) e baixa (55 cm), em duas épocas do ano: maior insolação (setembro a março) e menor insolação (abril a agosto). Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. De maneira geral, a redução na frequência de desfolhação aumentou o intervalo entre cortes, o índice de área foliar, as taxas de acúmulo de forragem total, de colmos e forragem morta e as porcentagens de colmos e forragem morta, os acúmulos de forragem total, de colmos e de forragem morta. Por sua vez, esta redução na frequência de desfolhação diminuiu a taxa de acúmulo de lâmina foliar, a porcentagem de lâmina foliar e o acúmulo de lâminas foliares e a relação lâmina/colmo. A redução na frequência de desfolhação aumentou o teor de matéria seca, carboidratos totais e lignina, assim como diminuiu o teor de proteína bruta e a digestibilidade estimada do capim faixa-branca. De maneira geral, o capim faixa-branca apresentou maiores taxas de acúmulo de forragem total, de lâmina foliar e colmos, porcentagens de colmos e forragem morta, densidade volumétrica de colmo e a densidade populacional de perfilhos no período de maior insolação. Por sua vez, o capim faixa-branca apresentou no período de menor insolação menor taxa de acúmulo de forragem morta e porcentagem de forragem morta. Desfolhações menos frequentes incrementem e aumentam as taxas de acúmulo de forragem do capim faixa-branca, porém com composição morfológica menos desejável contribuindo para uma menor qualidade.
São Cristóvão, SE
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Melin, Emelie. "The impact of tree size, sun exposure and geographical position on the species richness of epiphytic lichens associated with coarse oak trees in southern Sweden." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Biologi, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-148528.
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Felling of old trees as well as changes in land use and management of wooded pastures has led to the decline of biodiversity associated with old deciduous trees in Europe. This also applies to Sweden’s most species rich tree, the oak tree (Quercus robur), which changes with age and develops, for example, a rougher bark structure, deeper bark fissures and cavities. These give rise to several different microhabitats that favor the presence of lichens, mosses and wood-dependent organisms. To preserve the biodiversity, environmental conditions linked to a high diversity need to be identified and described, of which indicator species are a simplified way of measuring diversity. Epiphytic lichens are well-used indicators of environmental conditions because of their habitat specificity, longevity and sensitivity to air quality and humidity. In this study, the impact of regional (latitude, longitude and dominated landscape) and local (diameter and sun exposure) environmental variables on species richness and occurrence of epiphytic lichens on coarse oak trees (Quercus robur) were analyzed in meadows and pastures in southern Sweden with generalized linear models (GLM). A total number of 2346 oak trees were included in the study, of which about 47 % had presence of at least one of the studied lichen species. All environmental variables demonstrated significant effects on species richness, of which the regional had the greatest effect. Also with the species-specific analyses the same effect of the regional variables was found, while single species showed different requirements for the local factors. The results indicate that global warming may move the Swedish species composition more to the Northeast and that increased homogenization of the landscape may threaten the diversity attached to oaks. The results also demonstrate the importance of preserving a varied landscape with trees of different sizes, ages and different levels of sun exposure to accommodate a greater diversity of epiphytic species, but also other species linked to oak trees.
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Sjödin, N. Erik. "Pollinating insect responses to grazing intensity, grassland characteristics and landscape complexity : behaviour, species diversity and composition /." Uppsala : Dept. of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2007. http://epsilon.slu.se/200755.pdf.
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Carvalho, Anne Caroline Barbosa de. "Avaliação da perda de solo por fluxo superficial em cultivos puro e consorciado." Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 2012. https://repositorio.ufjf.br/jspui/handle/ufjf/1686.
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A erosão consiste no processo natural de desprendimento e transporte das partículas do solo, inerente à própria formação do solo e possui como principais agentes o vento e a água. Entretanto o homem, por meio da inserção de práticas que desequilibram as condições naturais, pode acelerar os processos erosivos. O controle da erosão torna-se necessário quando a quantidade de solo removida atinge valores acima de um nível considerado aceitável. Desde a década de 50, diversos modelos vêm sendo desenvolvidos e aperfeiçoados com o intuito de prever as perdas de solo por erosão, e o que trata o assunto de modo mais dinâmico, devido ao fato de superar parcialmente restrições climáticas e geográficas e ter uma aplicação generalizada, é a chamada Equação Universal de Perda de Solo – EUPS (no inglês, Universal Soil Loss Equation - USLE). Em função do exposto, o propósito deste trabalho foi realizar o monitoramento em campo das perdas de solo e água utilizando parcelas experimentais montadas em encosta, sob o uso de sistemas diferenciados de manejo do solo e da vegetação e chuva natural, em uma área do campo experimental da Embrapa Gado de Leite, pertencente ao município de Coronel Pacheco – MG, promovendo ajustes e calibrações em um modelo matemático que simula processos de erosão superficial. Para tal, o trabalho foi subdividido em três capítulos, sendo o primeiro uma exposição teórica do tema erosão e alguns dos modelos matemáticos capazes de quantificar as perdas de solo. Apesar de algumas limitações a USLE, quando comparada com outros modelos, é considerada um bom instrumento para previsão das perdas de solo por erosão laminar, por exigir um número de informações relativamente pequeno e por ser uma equação amplamente estudada. O capítulo dois descreve a aplicação do modelo proposto com o diagnóstico dos eventos pluviométricos e suas interações com os atributos do solo em diferentes formas de coberturas vegetais; o monitoramento das perdas de solo e escoamentos pluviais, a partir da montagem de parcelas experimentais situadas ao longo da encosta; a utilização do modelo USLE para estimar as perdas de solo, estabelecendo fatores de erosividade (R), erodibilidade (K), topografia (LS), uso e manejo do solo (C) por meio dos dados obtidos pelo monitoramento das parcelas montadas na encosta, o que gerou simulações de perda de solo em t ha-1ano-1. O valor considerado para o fator (P) foi de 0,5. As perdas de solo e água foram: 117,79 t ha-1 e 2.372.230 L ha-1; 94,68 t ha-1 e 2.086.570 L ha-1; 20,50 t ha-1 e 1.687.135 L ha-1 para o solo exposto, braquiária em monocultivo e braquiária com milho, respectivamente. O fator erosividade (R) foi de vi 7.589 MJ mm ha-1h-1; o de erodibilidade (K) 0,009 t ha MJ-1 mm-1, enquanto os valores do fator (C) foram de 1, 0,54 e 0,15 para os tratamentos solo exposto, braquiária em monocultivo e para o consórcio milho com braquiária, respectivamente. O capítulo três avalia a produtividade dos tipos de vegetação utilizados no experimento. A altura e a cobertura do solo pela braquiária não apresentaram diferenças entre os tratamentos avaliados. Porém, a produção da matéria verde e da matéria seca foram maiores na braquiária em monocultivo.
The erosion consists of a natural process of detachment and transport of particles of the soil being caused mainly because of the wind and the water. However, it can be accelerated by human actions. The erosion control becomes necessary when the amount of soil removed reaches values above an acceptable level. Since 1950, models have been developing to make soil losses predictions. The main one is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Therefore, the aim was to monitor the soil and water losses using plots built on slope under three management systems, vegetation and natural rainfall in the area of the experimental field of Embrapa in Coronel Pacheco-MG using the USLE. Thus the search was subdivided in three chapters. The first one is a theoretical exposition about erosion processes and some of the mathematical models used to quantify soil losses. Despite some limitations of the USLE, when it is compared with other mathematical models, the USLE is considered a good equation for predicting soil losses for layer erosion. In addition, it does not demand a great number of information and it has been a widely studied equation. The second chapter is about the application of the USLE with rainfall events and its interactions with soil properties in different forms of vegetation cover; monitoring of soil losses and runoff from plots located on the slope; besides to set rainfall and runoff factor (R), soil erodibility factor (K), topographic factor (LS), cover and management factor (C) using plots. After that, the results were used to carry out soil losses simulations. The assumed value to support practice factor was 0,5. The soil and water losses were of 117.79 t ha-1 and 2.372.230 L ha-1, 94.68 t ha-1 and 2.086.570 L ha-1, 20.50 t ha-1 and 1.687.135 L ha-1 for the soil without plant cultivation, B. decumbens signal cultivation and maize with B. decumbens consortium (iLP), respectively. The rainfall and runoff factor (R) was 7.589 MJ mm ha-1h-1 and the soil erodibility factor (K) was 0,009 t ha MJ-1 mm-1. The values of cover and management factor (C) were of 1, 0,54 e 0,15 for for the soil without plant cultivation, B. decumbens signal cultivation and maize with B. decumbens consortium (iLP), respectively. The last one is about productivity of the sort of vegetation used in the experiment. There was no difference in the height of B. decumbens or in the soil cover in both treatments. However, the green and dry matter productivity were larger in the Brachiaria decumbens monoculture.