► The paper refers to the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services (ES) and nature conservation. ► This issue is exemplified on the Pan-European network of protected areas “Natura ...2000”. ► A literature survey is followed by a case study in the Ore Mountains situated along the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. ► The specific role of Natura 2000 habitat types and species for the provision of ES is revealed. ► It is also shown how biodiversity and ES of Natura 2000 sites are or will be influenced by land use changes and by climate change.
The recent discussion about the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services also raises the question as to whether the argumentative basis for nature conservation can be strengthened by emphasizing the role of species and habitats in supporting ecosystem services. A literature survey shows that mainly socio-cultural and some regulating services are dependent on particular species, groups of species, or habitat types, while many other services, especially those related to provisioning, rely more heavily on vegetation structures and land cover. These findings are exemplified and discussed using a case study on Natura 2000 sites in the Ore Mountains in the German state of Saxony. Only a small portion of the species listed in the Annexes of the Habitats Directive is bound to particular Natura 2000 habitat types. Such species can be regarded as indicators both for these habitats and for the ecosystem services they provide, as well as for indicating changes in ecosystems and related services, which are caused by climate change and land use changes (e.g. due to flood mitigation measures and the enhanced use of renewable energies).
This study aimed to identify the helminth parasites of invasive anuran species in selected barangays in Butuan City, Philippines. In urbanized areas, invasive species dominate anuran diversity, and ...one of the primary threats they pose to native wildlife is the transmission of diseases and parasites. Out of the 91 collected individuals of invasive anuran species,
was the most abundant (88 %), followed by
(12 %) and
(3 %). The study identified five species of parasites, with
sp. being the most prevalent (17.58 %), followed by
sp. (16.5 %),
(14.3 %),
sp. (6.6 %), and
(3.30 %), respectively.
sp. also had the highest intensity (7.67), followed by
a sp. (5),
(3.33),
(3.30), and
a sp. (2.73). This parasitological survey revealed that
had the highest prevalence and infection of parasites, and residential areas had the highest parasite prevalence among the habitat types. Adult hosts were found to harbor a higher prevalence and intensity, and male hosts had a higher prevalence. The results highlight the high risk of parasite transmission from anurans to other animals and emphasize the need for the community to control the population of invasive anuran species for the safety of native anurans and to prevent zoonotic transmission to other animals and humans.
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In the Mediterranean sandy coasts urban growth largely occurs to sustain sea-side tourism, causing a severe loss of natural coastal dune habitats and the related ecosystem services. ...During the last half-century coastal dunes integrity has been widely altered by land use change; however, procedures and study cases assessing how in particular their carbon storage and sequestration capacity are affected by land take over this period are still scarse.
To fill such knowledge gap, we investigated to which extent urban growth has altered soil carbon sink in a representative sector of the Mediterranean dune system, from 1954 to 2006.
Specifically, we propose a procedure that combining experimental data of soil carbon stocks and multi-temporal cover maps allows assessing C stock variation over time. Based on field data we quantified soil carbon storage provided by the main dune habitat types of the Adriatic coast (Beach with Pioneer annual Vegetation, Herbaceous Dune Vegetation and Mediterranean Macchia). Using detailed multi-temporal land cover maps (1954, 1986 and 2006) we quantified the fraction of natural dune habitats replaced by urban areas over time, by means of transition matrices. Then, by combining carbon stocks values with the results of transition matrices, we estimated the C stock loss for natural dunes due to land take.
Results show that natural dune habitats have an important role as soil carbon sinks and land take has depleted them with different rates, causing a total net loss of 117t of soil C in the first time step and a total net loss of 70t of soil C in the second time step (∼40% of soil C stock in the last 53 years).
Our work underlines the fragility of natural coastal dunes, which during the last decades have become a privileged destination for touristic and recreational activities, thus been progressively replaced by artificial areas, with a direct impact on their carbon storage capacity and the other precious services they provide.
By combining ecosystem services measurements with multi-temporal mapping techniques, we enhanced our understanding of transformation processes on coastal dunes, offering as well new insights for dune management.
A study on microhabitat, altitudinal and seasonal influences on small mammal abundance in Mount Rungwe Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania was carried out from March 2019 to February 2020 during the wet ...and dry seasons. Live traps were used in six grids and six transect lines for capturing small mammals at the low, mid, and high elevations (1700–2600 m.a.s.l.). Generalized linear models were used to examine the effects of microhabitat characteristics, altitude, and seasons on the relative abundance of small mammals. A total of 444 rodents and shrews were recorded on 4320 trap nights. Rodent species recorded included Beamys hindei, Cricetomys ansorgei, Dendromus insignis, Grammomys ibeanus, Graphiurus murinus, Lophuromys machangui, Praomys delectorum, and one shrew, Crocidura sp. Overall, P. delectorum was the most dominant species in all elevations, with 68.9% of all captures. Mid elevation had a higher abundance of small mammals (Estimate ± SE = 1.17 ± 0.49, Z = 2.37, p = 0.0176). Species abundance was influenced differently by elevation. While P. delectorum decreases with increasing elevation, L. machangui increases with an increase in elevation. Although overall small mammal abundance was not affected by microhabitat variables (Estimate ± SE = −0.08 ± 0.13, Z = −0.67, p = 0.5050), individual species (P. delectorum and L. machangui; Estimate ± SE = 0.13 ± 0.06, Z = 1.95, p = 0.05 and −0.31 ± 0.09, Z = 3.34, p = 0.0008 respectively) were affected differently. While P. delectorum abundance showed a positive correlation and increased with an increase in PCA1 in GLM, L. machangui had a negative trend that shows they were affected differently. Small mammal abundance, on the other hand, was affected by season and, in particular, rain, with low abundance during heavy rains and dry cold periods (Estimate ± SE = 0.51 ± 0.14, Z = 3.6, p = 0.0003 and 0.3 ± 0.15, Z = 2.08 p = 0.04 respectively). In general, the results show that microhabitat parameters, elevation, and season influenced small mammals’ abundance in MRFNR. This outcome indicates that altering the microhabitat could have an impact on the small mammal assemblage and particularly their abundance. Thus, microhabitat, elevation, and season influence small mammal abundance and can be used as a proxy for evaluating the biodiversity of montane tropical small mammal communities.
People, livestock and carnivores are constantly interacting especially at the interface between community and protected areas. The carnivore guild category in Volcanoes National Park is important, ...and if well studied, could lead to additional research opportunities for improved wildlife management. We used single season occupancy models with multi‐species data, to understand the factors affecting species occurrence, detection and distribution among native carnivores of Volcanoes National Park while accounting for imperfect detection and the effects of site variables on the observed trends. Our findings showed that six native carnivores use the park edge, where the side‐striped jackal (Canis adustus) and serval (Leptailurus serval) are the most widespread with ψ = 0.904 (SE 0.051) and ψ = 0.415 (SE 0.086), respectively, followed by African golden cat (Caracal aurata) with ψ = 0.198 (SE 0.066), while the servaline genet (Genetta servalina), slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus) and spotted hyaena (Crocuta Crocuta) have very low probability of occupancy with ψ = 0.087 (SE 0.045), ψ = 0.044 (SE 0.032) and ψ = 0.022 (SE 0.022) respectively. In addition, there is high occurrence of feral dogs and human presence in the park edge. Overall, the occupancy of native carnivores increases as distance from settlements increase (β = 0.559 SE 0.195) except for hyaena and mongoose which showed a decrease in occupancy as distance to settlements increased. In general, native carnivores preferred sites located close to pasture areas, compared to areas used for agriculture and agroforestry. High overlapping activity between native carnivores and other wildlife varied greatly between species. This study provides the baseline information for the understanding of native carnivores using the park edge and insights on their interactions with other wildlife, livestock and human activities at the interface between the park and local communities. The co‐occurrence of livestock, feral dogs and humans, and native wildlife is a challenge for both wildlife conservation inside the protected area and local communities who might be negatively affected in different ways including interspecific competition, disease exposure and increased conflicts. We anticipate that some of the current livestock keeping are hindered by the challenges of having native carnivores dwelling along the park edge and community interface.
Résumé
Les hommes, le bétail et les carnivores interagissent constamment, en particulier à l'interface entre les communautés et les zones protégées. La catégorie des guildes de carnivores dans le Parc National des Volcans est importante et, si elle est bien étudiée, elle pourrait donner lieu à d'autres possibilités de recherche en vue d'une meilleure gestion de la faune. Nous avons utilisé des modèles d'occupation d'une seule saison avec des données multi‐espèces,
afin de comprendre les facteurs affectant la présence, la détection et la distribution des espèces parmi les carnivores indigènes du Parc National des Volcans, tout en tenant compte d'une détection imparfaite et des effets des variables du site sur les tendances observées. Nos résultats ont montré que six carnivores indigènes utilisent la lisière du parc, où le chacal à bandes latérales (Canis adustus) et le serval (Leptailurus serval) sont les plus répandus avec ψ = 0,904 (SE 0,051) et ψ = 0,415 (SE 0,086), respectivement, suivis par le chat doré africain (Caracal aurata) avec ψ = 0,198 (SE 0,066), tandis que la genette servaline (Genetta servalina), la mangouste élancée (Herpestes sanguineus) et la hyène tachetée (Crocuta Crocuta) ont une très faible probabilité d'occupation avec ψ = 0,087 (SE 0,045), ψ = 0,044 (SE 0,032) et ψ = 0,022 (SE 0,022) respectivement. En outre, il y a une forte présence de chiens sauvages et d'êtres humains à la périphérie du parc. Dans l'ensemble, l'occupation des carnivores indigènes augmente à mesure que la distance par rapport aux établissements augmente (β = 0,559 SE 0,195), à l'exception de la hyène et de la mangouste qui ont présenté une diminution de l'occupation à mesure que la distance par rapport aux établissements augmentait. En général, les carnivores indigènes préféraient les sites situés à proximité des zones de pâturage, par rapport aux zones utilisées pour l'agriculture et l'agroforesterie. Les chevauchements importants entre les carnivores indigènes et les autres animaux sauvages variaient considérablement d'une espèce à l'autre. Cette étude fournit des informations de base pour la compréhension des carnivores indigènes qui utilisent la lisière du parc, et des informations sur leurs interactions avec d'autres animaux sauvages, le bétail et les activités humaines à l'interface entre le parc et les communautés locales. La coexistence du bétail, des chiens sauvages, des humains et de la faune indigène constitue un défi pour la conservation de la faune à l'intérieur de la zone protégée et pour les communautés locales, qui pourraient être négativement affectées de manières différentes, notamment par la concurrence interspécifique, l'exposition aux maladies et l'augmentation des conflits. Nous pensons que certains des élevages actuels sont entravés par les difficultés liées à la présence de carnivores indigènes à la lisière du parc et à l'interface avec la communauté.
River-floodplain systems host very high biodiversity and provide a great variety of ecosystem services due largely to their high environmental heterogeneity, which is strongly dependent on spatial ...and temporal scales of observation. We aimed to describe the main patterns of environmental variation of the subtropical system of the Middle Paraná River at different scales of analysis using univariate and multivariate statistics. Physical, chemical and biological variables were analyzed during different hydro-sedimentological phases along four consecutive years in 31 aquatic environments. We considered four aquatic habitat types with different degrees of hydrological connectivity and water flow characteristics (major rivers, secondary channels, floodplain lakes permanently connected to the major rivers, and floodplain lakes temporarily connected to the major rivers) from two geomorphologic units with different drainage patterns: anastomosing and meandering. The environmental heterogeneity was mainly associated with the habitat types and relative contributions of lateral tributaries with different water qualities to each unit, in combination with the influence of the hydro-sedimentological regime. The heterogeneity of the system was significantly higher during low water than during high water phases. However, although the extreme flood reduced dissimilarities between habitat types within each geomorphologic unit, it increased differences between major rivers and between units. In conclusion, at different spatial scales, floods may simultaneously have a homogenization effect due to increased hydrological connectivity and a differentiation effect due to enhanced inputs of water from regions with variable geological characteristics and land uses. Finally, geomorphologic units can play a key role in maintaining the environmental heterogeneity during floods of high magnitude, even when land barriers among aquatic environments disappear.
•The major environmental heterogeneity at the habitat scale was linked to more isolated floodplain lakes.•Geomorphologic units maintained the environmental heterogeneity at the landscape scale.•The effect of floods on the environmental heterogeneity depended on the spatial scales.•Different interacting scales of variation strengthened the environmental heterogeneity.
This study focuses on solving urban challenges, such as temperature reduction, urban stormwater management, noise reduction, air quality improvement, and CO2 concentration reduction, and suggests ...terrestrial and freshwater habitat types (HTs) found in Europe as innovative forms of nature-based solutions (NBSs). Establishing native HTs in various urban environments to solve urban challenges would enhance biodiversity at different levels and integrate this aspect into urban planning. This contribution builds on the recognition that vegetated surfaces are the most versatile NBS for addressing the broadest range of environmental problems in urban areas and on the understanding that the processes running within these green spaces offer the key to socio-ecological improvements of such areas. Employing a narrative literature review, qualitative content analysis, and interdisciplinary expert discussion, this paper defines why and how unaltered native HTs can be implemented as NBSs in the urban environment, indicates potential HTs for specific urban challenges, and presents an approach to the inclusion of HTs as NBSs in spatial planning documents at national, regional, and local levels. The proposed planning approach attributes added value to HTs and, by linking the concepts of NBSs and HTs, integrates them into urban planning.
Geographic Information System (GIS) combined with remote sensing and field data was used to identify and map Souss‐Massa National Park (SMNP) habitats, an exceptionally biodiverse coastal area ...located in Morocco. Habitats in fenced and unfenced areas were compared to assess the fencing effectiveness for conserving semi‐arid/arid environments. Sentinel‐2A level‐2A data acquired on March 25, 2021, were analysed using the Semi‐Automatic Classification Plugin in QGIS software. The supervised classification technique and the maximum likelihood classifier were used. Ground truthing consisted of training data used for the supervised classification and reference data (850 validation points) used for accuracy assessment based on the confusion matrix method. SMNP composed of 11 natural habitat classes (70.91%) and 6 disturbed habitat classes (29.09%). The overall accuracy (>96%) and kappa coefficient (0.95) showed a high classification accuracy. Fenced areas were dominated by natural habitats (>88%), whereas unfenced areas contained more disturbed habitats (>51%), indicating that fencing was an effective conservation tool. Natural habitats in unfenced areas are largely being modified and degraded, and therefore, monitoring and conservation actions should be further strengthened. The presented methodology shows a promising application potential in future and related ecological studies conducted in other regions, notably developing countries.
Résumé
Le Système d'Information Géographique (SIG) combiné à la télédétection et aux données de terrain a été utilisé pour identifier et cartographier les habitats du Parc National de Souss‐Massa (PNSM), une zone côtière à la biodiversité exceptionnelle située au Maroc. Les habitats dans des zones clôturées et non clôturées ont été comparés pour évaluer l'efficacité des clôtures pour la conservation des environnements semi‐arides/arides. Les données de Sentinel‐2A de niveau 2A acquises le 25 mars 2021 ont été analysées à l'aide du Plugin de Classification Semi‐Automatique du logiciel QGIS. La technique de classification supervisée et le classificateur de vraisemblance maximale ont été utilisés. La vérification au sol consistait en des données de formation utilisées pour la classification supervisée et des données de référence (850 points de validation) utilisées pour l'évaluation de la précision selon la méthode de la matrice de confusion. Le PNSM est composé de 11 classes d'habitats naturels (70,91 %) et de 6 classes d'habitats perturbés (29,09 %). La précision globale (> 96 %) et le coefficient de kappa (0,95) ont montré une grande précision de classification. Les zones clôturées étaient dominées par des habitats naturels (> 88 %), alors que les zones non clôturées contenaient plus d'habitats perturbés (> 51 %), ce qui indique que les clôtures constituaient un outil de conservation efficace. Les habitats naturels dans les zones non clôturées sont en grande partie modifiés et dégradés, et par conséquent, les actions de surveillance et de conservation doivent être renforcées. La méthodologie présentée montre un potentiel d'application prometteur dans les études écologiques futures et connexes menées dans d'autres régions, notamment les pays en développement.
Ecosystems in Slovakia Černecký, Ján; Gajdoš, Peter; Špulerová, Jana ...
Journal of maps,
12/2020, Letnik:
16, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The authors have prepared a detailed map of Slovakia's ecosystems, which identifies individual ecosystems and their spatial distribution, status, and selected properties. The impetus for the ...production of this map is the need of various stakeholders, especially nature protection bodies, forestry management, agricultural management and public administration, for better data on the distribution of ecosystems. The methodology mostly involves using GIS analytical tools to combine datasets on nature protection, forestry, and agriculture which list attributes related to habitat identification. The results can be used for ecosystem services assessment, spatial planning, nature protection analysis, and other related purposes. The spatial precision of the data is determined by that of the field data, which was mostly created at scales between 1:10000 and 1:5000. The data are stored in the form of a geodatabase containing more than 1,000,000 polygons.
Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) is the cornerstone of nature conservation in Europe and is at the core of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. There is room, however, for its improvement, at least ...for northern Italy, where ambiguities in the definition of habitat types of Annex I of the Habitats Directive are not novel and interpretation difficulties have been highlighted. Sharpening the characterization of habitat types represents an opportunity for lowering classification uncertainties and improving conservation success. With the aim to refine the definitions of habitat types and associated typical species of the Habitats Directive, a group of vegetation scientists of the Italian Society of Vegetation Science based in northern Italy made the exercise of finding viable proposals for those habitat types having a problematic interpretation in the Alpine biogeographical region of Italy. Such proposals arise from group discussions among scientists, and professionals, thus offering a shared view. We prepared 9 habitat proposals important for this geographic area. They include new habitat types at the European level, new subtypes within pre-existing habitat types, including some adjustments of the recently proposed subtypes with respect to northern Italy, and recognition of priority criteria for a pre-existing habitat type. With a vision of tailored conservation, our proposals represent a starting point in view of a future update of Annex I. Furthermore, the list of typical species could be useful for preparing expert systems for automatic classification. Irrespective of legally binding solutions in place, we caution these proposals represent relevant baseline conservation indications that local and regional administrations of the Alpine Arch should consider.
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