Search results for "CONSERVATION"
showing 10 items of 2328 documents
The anthropogenic sealing of soils in urban areas
2009
The sealing of soils by impervious materials is, normally, detrimental to its ecological functions. Exchanges of energy, water and gases are restricted or hampered and an increasing pressure is being exerted on adjacent, non sealed areas. The negative effects span from loss of plant production and natural habitats to increased floods, pollution, and health risks and consequently higher social costs. Environmental Agencies produce periodical reports where the phenomenon of soil consumption by urban infrastructures is monitored with extremely sophisticated geographical tools but little specific research is available that describes the effects of soil sealing. This paper reviews some recent co…
Sex-specific genetic differences in endurance swimming of Trinidadian guppies.
2015
Abstract Swim performance is considered a main fitness‐determining trait in many aquatic organisms. Swimming is generally the only way most aquatic prey can escape predation, and swimming capacity is directly linked to food capture, habitat shifts, and reproduction. Therefore, evolutionary studies of swim performance are important to understand adaptation to aquatic environments. Most studies, however, concentrate on the importance of burst‐swim responses to predators, and little is known about its effect on endurance. Even fewer studies associate differences in organism swim capabilities to key gender‐specific responses. In this experiment, we assess the gender‐specific genetic basis of sw…
Shifts in plankton assemblages promoted by free water surface constructed wetlands and their implications in eutrophication remediation
2015
Abstract Two units of free water surface constructed wetlands (FWSCWs) were created in 2009 in a Mediterranean protected site, the Albufera de Valencia Natural Park, to treat eutrophic inflows to the Albufera de Valencia lagoon, the largest coastal lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula, affected by cultural eutrophication. Data of phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass and richness of the inflows and outflows corresponding to the first 3.5 years of operation of the system have been analyzed to evaluate the role of plankton in the eutrophication reversion. The FWSCWs significantly reduced the exported microalgal biomass, stimulated the potential mixotrophic groups of phytoplankton such as Euglenoph…
The effects of post-pasture woody plant colonization on soil and aboveground litter carbon and nitrogen along a bioclimatic transect.
2013
Abstract: We investigated the effects of woody plant colonization of abandoned pastures on soil and litter organic carbon (C) stocks and nitrogen (N) content along a bioclimatic transect in a semi-arid environment (Sicily, Italy). Soil samples were taken in three successional stages (grazed pasture, shrubland, forest) within each of three bioclimates (supramediterranean - “supra”, mesomediterranean - “meso”, thermomediterranean - “thermo”). Organic C and N in litter and soil (0-10 cm and 10-30 cm depth) were determined, as well as soil bulk density. Especially at 0-10 cm depth, changes in C and N contents along successional stages differed among bioclimates. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock …
Exploring land snails’ response to habitat characteristics and their potential as bioindicators of riparian forest quality
2021
Abstract Riparian ecosystems are crucial for landscape-level biodiversity, especially in highly anthropic and agricultural areas. Although the low mobility of snails reduces their dispersal capacity and makes them vulnerable to habitat degradation, they are less commonly used as indicators. We evaluated the potential of land snails as bioindicators of riparian forest quality in central European riparian forests by surveying snail communities in relation to habitat characteristics that characterize its quality. Habitat characteristics were found to affect both snail abundance and species richness. The abundance of snail species increased with the forest continuity, forest width and abundance…
The role of eutrophication reduction of two small man-made Mediterranean lagoons in the context of a broader remediation system: Effects on water qua…
2013
In order to meet the requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive for the Albufera de Valencia (AV) Natural Park, in 2009, several areas of free water surface constructed wetlands (FWSCWs) planted with emergent vegetation and two small shallow lagoons planted with submerged macrophytes were created over a 40-ha area formerly occupied by rice fields. This area is currently a reserve known as Tancat de la Pipa. The dual goal of this programme was to improve the quality of the hyper-eutrophicated waters of the AV lagoon, the largest littoral lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula, and to restore former lost habitats to increase the biodiversity of the area. The lagoons were mainly fed…
First breeding evidence of marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) in Libya.
2014
4 pages; International audience; The first evidence of breeding of Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) in Libya, North Africa, is reported. In June 2012, at Mallaha wetland, in Tripoli, Libya, two dead ducklings were found that were later genetically identified as Marbled Duck. This breeding evidence suggests that this and other duck species may breed elsewhere in Libya. Better knowledge on Libyan, and more generally on north African, waterbirds is needed to document the population size and the status of these species. Such information will be important to secure the future of threatened species, such as the Marbled Duck.
Habitat preference of endangered Eastern Iberian Reed BuntingsEmberiza schoeniclus witherbyi
2011
Capsule Careful management is required to maintain or create habitats with the correct proportions of rush with reeds that are preferred by this subspecies. Aims To determine the habitat requirements of Eastern Iberian (Western Iberian Reed Buntings were not included in the study) Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus witherbyi, a subspecies endemic to a few marshes in France, Spain and Morocco, with a population of 254–360 breeding pairs. Methods Twenty-five wetlands in Spain were surveyed and presence/absence of Iberian Reed Buntings was deteremined together with data on 41 environmental variables. The relationships between the birds and habitat data were investigated using glm. Results Prop…
The Status of Romanogobio uranoscopus (Agassiz, 1828) Species, in Maramureş Mountains Nature Park (Romania)
2017
Abstract The condition of aquatic habitats typically occupied by Romanogobio uranoscopus within the Maramureş Mountains Natural Park fluctuates, in the best cases, between reduced to average. Good or excellent conservation status is now absent for populations of this species in the researched area. The identified human impact types (poaching, minor riverbeds morphodynamic changes, solid and liquid natural flow changes, destruction of the riparian vegetation and bush vegetation, habitat fragmentation/isolation of population, organic and mining pollution and displaced fish that are washed away during the periodic flooding in the lotic sectors uniformized by humans) are contributing to the dim…
A Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Modeling Approach to Prioritize Soil Conservation Management in River Basin Critical Areas Coupled With Future Cl…
2021
About 44% of the Indian landmass experiences the adverse impact of land degradation. This loss of sediments caused by soil erosion reduces the water quality of local water bodies and decreases agricultural land productivity. Therefore, decision-makers must formulate policies and management practices for sustainable management of basins that are cost-effective and environment friendly. Application of the best management practices (BMPs) to properly manage river basins is difficult and time-consuming. Its implication under various climate change scenarios makes it more complicated but necessary to achieve sustainable development. In this study, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model…