Search results for "Fauna"
showing 10 items of 513 documents
Effect of algal architecture on associated fauna: some evidence from phytal molluscs
2002
In the southern Mediterranean Sea, replicate samples of six common upper-infralittoral algae (Cystoseira barbatula, Cystoseira spinosa, Sargassum vulgare, Halopteris scoparia, Dictyota fasciola, and Dictyota dichotoma) were collected with the major goal of investigating the composition and structure of molluscan assemblages between the algal species. In order to measure the habitat architecture of the six algal species and relate this to the molluscan assemblages, several structural attributes were calculated on each individual plant. There were differences in architectural attributes between the six algal species, with data recorded for S. vulgare and H. scoparia more similar to data for C…
Analysis of a herpetofaunal community from an altered marshy area in Sicily; with special remarks on habitat use (niche breadth and overlap), relativ…
2005
A field survey was conducted in a highly degraded barren environment in Sicily in order to investigate herpetofaunal community composition and structure, habitat use (niche breadth and overlap) and relative abundance of a snake predator and two species of lizard prey. The site was chosen because it has a simple community structure and thus there is potentially less ecological complexity to cloud any patterns observed. We found an unexpectedly high overlap in habitat use between the two closely related lizards that might be explained either by a high competition for space or through predator-mediated co-existence i.e. the prevention of the competitive exclusion of one lizard over the other. …
Benthic hydroids from off Low Island (Southern Ocean, Antarctica)
2013
A survey of marine benthic community biodiversity off Low Island (Southern Ocean) was carried out by the Spanish Antarctic Expedition Bentart 2006, using the BIO Hesperides. Samples from the expedition included an important collection of hydroids. A total of 39 species was recorded, two of them being new to science (Eudendrium bentart sp. nov., and Orthopyxis curiosa sp. nov.), belonging to the subclasses Anthoathecata and Leptothecata. Anthoathecates are represented by only two species, both referable to the genus Eudendrium. The 37 leptothecate species belong to the families Campanulinidae, Lafoeidae, Haleciidae, Schizotrichidae, Kirchenpaueriidae, Sertulariidae and Campanulariidae. Sertu…
Impacts of elevated CO2 and temperature on the soil fauna of boreal forests
2005
Abstract Responses of dominant soil decomposer animals in northern coniferous forests, enchytraeids and microarthropods, to elevated CO 2 concentration and temperature were studied by sampling an experiment consisting of closed field chambers with a ground area of 5.9 m 2 . Six species of enchytraieds were found in the study, with Cognettia sphagnetorum comprising 87% of all individuals. The treatments did not significantly affect the numbers of C. sphagnetorum . No treatment induced changes were found in oribatid mites, but numbers of acaridid mites were lowest in the chambers with elevated CO 2 concentration and in those with elevated temperature. The chambers had lower densities of actin…
Additions to the Indian oribatid mite fauna, with description of a new species of the genus <em>Niphocepheus</em> (Acari, Oribatida)
2014
An annotated checklist of oribatid mite taxa from three sites of India is presented. It includes 71 species/ subspecies, 55 genera and 35 families. Twenty nine species/subspecies are recorded for the first time in India; five species/subspecies—Trhypochthonius tectorum stercus, Hermanniella aliverdievae, Sphodrocepheus tridactylus, Caenosamerus spatiosus, Dolicheremaeu distinctus—are recorded for the first time in the Oriental region. Niphocepheus neotrichus sp. nov. (Niphocepheidae) is described; it differs from other known species of Niphocepheus by the presence of epimeral neotrichy and three pairs of anal setae.
Interactions between enchytraeid (Cognettia sphagnetorum), microarthropod and nematode populations in forest soil at different moistures
1998
Abstract Very little is known about the effects of microclimatic conditions on interactions within soil faunal communities. The aim of the experiment was to examine how the different functional components of the faunal community in coniferous forest soil affect each other at different moisture levels. Forest humus was defaunated by heating, adjusted to three water contents, distributed into glass jars and reinoculated with microflora and microfauna. Sets of 10 jars were inoculated with (1) Cognettia sphagnetorum, (2) Cognettia with Folsomia candida (Collembola), (3) Cognettia with a mixed community of microarthropods, (4) Folsomia alone, (5) mixed microarthropods alone, and (6) Cognettia wi…
DNA barcodes reveal the presence of the introduced freshwater leechHelobdella europaeain Spain
2013
Abstract We report the finding of the freshwater leech Helobdella europaea in Spain for the first time. Three leech specimens were found attached to the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis. Helobdella europaea is not a blood feeder and, like all members of the genus, feeds on the hemolymph of aquatic invertebrates including snails and worms. Despite the fact that the original geographical distribution or source population of this species is unknown, the close relationship between H. europaea and leeches of the "triserialis" series (sensu Sawyer, 1986) suggests a New World origin. Given its ability to invade and persist in new environments, this leech has been described as a new species by…
Environmental quality assessment of the Sicilian coast using a multi-disciplinary approach
2018
A multidisciplinary approach for the assessment of the environmental quality of the Sicilian coast is presented. This approach can be adopted for any Mediterranean coastline. The territory was divided into elementary areas and for each of them we reported the most important taxa, belonging to fauna and vascular, bryophytic and algal flora, from a biogeographic point of view in order to evaluate punctual and general levels of biodiversity conservation. The comparative analysis showed that the main circumsicilian islands and the carbonate promontories of the Tyrrhenian coast present the highest degree of biodiversity. The coastal lagoons located in the south-eastern Sicily, even though charac…
A new baseline for fascioliasis in Venezuela: lymnaeid vectors ascertained by DNA sequencing and analysis of their relationships with human and anima…
2011
Abstract Background Human and animal fascioliasis poses serious public health problems in South America. In Venezuela, livestock infection represents an important veterinary problem whereas there appear to be few human cases reported, most of which are passively detected in health centres. However, results of recent surveys suggest that the situation may be underestimated in particular areas. To obtain a baseline for future fascioliasis assessment, studies were undertaken by means of rDNA ITS-2 and ITS-1 and mtDNA cox 1 sequencing to clarify the specific status of Venezuelan lymnaeids, their geographical distribution and fascioliasis transmission capacity, by comparison with other American …
Recommendations for ecotoxicity testing with stygobiotic species in the framework of groundwater environmental risk assessment.
2019
As a consequence of the growing global dependence on groundwater resources, environmental risk assessments (ERA) for groundwater are increasingly required and, with that, ecotoxicological studies with groundwater fauna (stygofauna). However, the literature on the ecotoxicological studies with stygobiotic species (i.e. species that complete their life cycle exclusively in groundwater) has not expanded significantly since the first paper published in this field. The limitations regarding the use of stygobiotic species for ecotoxicological testing are clear and consistent across the globe; stygobiotic species are often 1) naturally present in low numbers, 2) difficult to collect, and 3) diffic…