Search results for "Ecosystem"
showing 10 items of 1752 documents
Terrestrial carbon and intraspecific size-variation shape lake ecosystems
2007
Conceptual models of lake ecosystem structure and function have generally assumed that energy in pelagic systems is derived from in situ photosynthesis and that its use by higher trophic levels depends on the average properties of individuals in consumer populations.These views are challenged by evidence that allochthonous subsidies of organic carbon greatly influence energy mobilization and transfer and the trophic structure of pelagic food webs, and that size variation within consumer species has major ramifications for lake communitydynamics and structure. These discoveries represent conceptual shifts that have yet to be integrated into current views on lake ecosystems. Here, we assess k…
Energy use in the A and B horizons of the soil under a pine and a cedar stand
2002
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study that compares organic carbon content, availability of substrates, and microbial metabolism in two afforested sites in Sicily (Italy) developed under the same climatic and physical conditions but underlying different tree species. Given the key role of the soil microbiota in promoting energy exchanges and transformations in the soil profile, an analysis of the microbial activity and of organic carbon pools was performed on twenty profiles. The parameters considered in this study were based on microbial activity, organic carbon fractions, and kinetics of organic C mineralization. In the two systems studied, the competition for available energy …
Impact of woody encroachment on soil organic carbon and nitrogen in abandoned agricultural lands along a rainfall gradient in Italy
2011
Land use changes represent one of the most important components of global environmental change andhave a strong influence on carbon cycling. As a consequence of changes in economy during the last century, areas of marginal agriculture have been abandoned leading to secondary successions. The encroachment of woody plants into grasslands, pastures and croplands is generally thought to increase the carbon stored in these ecosystems even though there are evidences for a decrease in soil carbon stocks after land use change. In this paper, we investigate the effects of woody plant invasion on soil carbon and nitrogen stocks along a precipitation gradient (200–2,500 mm) using original data from pa…
The Italian TREETALKER NETWORK (ITT-Net): continuous large scale monitoring of tree functional traits and vulnerabilities to climate change
2020
<p>The  <strong>Italian TREETALKER NETWORK (ITT-Net) </strong>aims to respond to one of the grand societal challenges: the impact of climate changes on forests ecosystem services and forest dieback. The comprehension of the link between these phenomena requires to complement the most classical approaches with a new monitoring paradigm based on large scale, single tree, high frequency and long-term monitoring tree physiology, which, at present, is limited by the still elevated costs of multi-sensor devices, their energy demand and maintenance not always suitable for monitoring in remote areas. The ITT-Net network will be a unique and un…
The response of Trissolcus basalis to footprint contact kairomones from Nezara viridula females is mediated by leaf epicuticular waxes.
2009
Chemical footprints left behind by true bugs are perceived as contact kairomones by scelionid egg parasitoids. Female wasps encountering a contaminated artificial substrate display a characteristic arrestment posture, holding the body motionless and antennating the surface. In the system Nezara viridula (L.) and its egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), previous studies have shown that the kairomone mediating such behavior is part of N. viridula's cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) and furthermore that the wasp's ability to discriminate host male and female footprints is mainly based on the presence/absence of nonadecane (nC(19)). In this study, the effect of epicuticular waxes of leaves…
The Tropical Forest Ecosystem: Reviewing the Effects of Deforestation on Climate and Environment
1991
The rapid decline of tropical rain forests in the 1980s, particularly caused by man-made forest clearance for farmland and timber exploitation, is accompanied by adverse climatic and environmental effects. In particular, rainfall and temperature conditions are adversely changed, with lower rainfall and high-er temperatures. Through deforestation, the atmospheric emissions of CO2 are increased and thus the global greenhouse effect is being strengthened. Tropical deforestation also increases soil erosion, depending upon the type of ecosystem. It also can be seen that floods more often occur in cases of deforestation. An international “action programme” for the protection and preservation of t…
Distribution et abondance des mouches piqueuses (Glossinidae, Stomoxys et Tabanidae) dans deux parcs nationaux du Gabon.
2015
11 pages; International audience; In order to minimize risks of pathogen transmission with the development of ecotourism in Gabon, a seasonal inventory has been performed in five contrasted biotopes in Ivindo (INP) and Moukalaba-Doudou (MDNP) National Parks. A total of 10,033 hematophagous flies were captured. The Glossinidae, with six different species identified, was the most abundant group and constitutes about 60% of the captured flies compared to the Stomoxys (6 species also identified) and Tabanidae with 28% and 12%, respectively. The Glossinidae showed a higher rate of capture in primary forest and in research camps. In INP, the Stomoxys showed a higher rate of capture in secondary f…
Sicilian transitional waters: Current status and future development
2010
To appraise the current knowledge of Sicilian transitional waters (TWs), a review was undertaken of the information available on these ecosystems. In detail, a synthesis of the current status is reported, highlighting for each area the ecological features and status, historical data, conservation regime, environmental emergencies and anthropic pressures to which they are subject. The Sicilian TWs reviewed include coastal ponds and lakes, mires and areas with active and nonactive saltworks. Almost all of these ecosystems are affected by several protection regimes because of their high naturalistic value, although current knowledge is limited and fragmented. A few areas have received more att…
Monitoring agricultural ecosystems
2023
The world’s population is predicted to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, and at the same time, economic growth and improving living standards in developing countries are driving up food consumption. To accommodate these increasing demands for food, the agricultural sector will need to produce at least 50% more food by 2050. The increasing food production will need to be accomplished not only on degrading soils, with depleting freshwater resources and while experiencing climate change but also sustainably to ensure long-term food and water security. With little existing space to expand current agricultural extents, the increased food production needs to be realized within existing farms throu…
The role of Mediterranean wetlands in climate regulation and greenhouse gases exchanges: from carbon biogeochemistry to European water and nature Dir…
2022
Atesa la seua alta activitat biogeoquímica, els aiguamolls són un dels tipus d'ecosistemes més actius en el cicle global del carboni, amb altes taxes d'intercanvi de carboni i de gasos d'efecte hivernacle (GEH), i, per tant, un gran potencial de regulació climàtica. Una de les parts més importants de la biogeoquímica del carboni als aiguamolls està lligada a les taxes metabòliques, a partir del coneixement de les quals es pot determinar un balanç de carboni associat amb el potencial intercanvi de carboni amb l'atmosfera. La seua capacitat per retindre carboni i mitigar el canvi climàtic, o, per contra, d'alliberar més GEH, i contribuir a l'escalfament global, es determina pel balanç de carb…