Search results for "Fauna"

Invertebrates in Fruitbodies of Heterobasidion spp., Infected Picea abies Logs and Adjacent Soil

2021

Heterobasidion spp. pathogenic fungi produce conspicuous fruitbodies on infected wood, which may represent a habitat for a range of organisms, including invertebrates. The aim was to: (i) assess and compare invertebrate diversity in Heterobasidion spp. fruitbodies, infected Picea abies wood and adjacent soil

First helminthological data on Iberian vipers: Helminth communities and host-parasite relationships

2006

AbstractEuropean vipers are ambush predators with sporadic feeding events, thereby maintaining the digestive tract empty for long periods. According to previous studies relating lizards’ dietary habits and their helminth faunas, we predict poor gastrointestinal helminth communities in vipers. To test this hypothesis, we have examined the digestive tract of 86 specimens of Vipera aspis (L., 1758) and V. latastei Boscá, 1878, from several localities of the Iberian Peninsula. We found adults of only two nematode species Kalicephalus viperae (Rud., 1819) and Ophidascaris sp. and cysts adhering to the external wall on the stomach in case of two other nematode species Ascarops strongylina (Rud., …

Effects of stump removal on soil decomposer communities in undisturbed patches of the forest floor

2011

Soil preparation after clear-cutting leads to fragmentation of forest floor and, consequently, changes the habitat of decomposers. Stump removal for bioenergy is further increasing the disturbance in the soil. We studied responses of decomposers to stump removal in boreal spruce forests during the first 4 years after clear felling in relation to mounding. Samples for each decomposer organism group were taken from undisturbed forest floor patches that are the main habitat for decomposers after forest regeneration and whose amount and size obviously differ between the treatments. Microbial biomasses and community structure, and the abundance of enchytraeids, were not found to be affected by t…

Aspetti botanici a supporto del progetto faunistico relativo all'incremento naturale delle popolazioni di coturnice siciliana e di coniglio selvatico

2008

Fallow deer in Sicily: recent history, consistence and ecological role

2020

The fallow deer extends far beyond its original range due to recurrent extinctions and reintroductions. In Sicily, the species became extinct in the 19th century and reintroduced at the beginning of 1980. Individuals were initially restricted to fenced areas, however, many escaped and began rapid colonization. Here we report fallow deer population estimations in two areas comprising the bulk of individuals in Sicily: the Madonie mountains and the Ficuzza Nature Reserve, and we discuss the potential impacts and solutions. The data we collected confirm that fallow deer populations are in marked expansion in both areas, particularly in the Madonie. Compared to their initial range, fallow deer …

Effects of soil fauna on leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from experimental systems simulating coniferous forest floor

1990

Long-term experiments (97–98 weeks) were carried out in macrocosm systems simulating the complexity of coniferous forest soil. The macrocosms were partially sterilized by freezing, thawing and drying, then re-inoculated with microbes alone or microbes + soil fauna. Removable microcosms containing birch litter, spruce litter, or humus were inserted into the substrate humus in the macrocosms. Two experiments used organic matter only, and in the third there was mineral soil below the humus. The macrocosms were incubated in climate chambers that simulated both summer and winter conditions. At 4- to 6-week intervals the substrates were irrigated for analyses of pH, total N, NH 4 + −N, NO 3 − −N,…

Decomposer animal communities in forest soil along heavy metal pollution gradient

1996

Responses of soil decomposer animals to heavy metal contamination and to concomitant changes in organic matter quality and quantity and in soil microbial biomasses have been studied along a pollution gradient from a Cu-Ni smelter. Samples have been taken separately for nematodes, enchytraeids and microarthropods 0.5, 2 and 8 km from the smelter. Special attention has been paid to the changes in the collembolan fauna. The sampling sites have been located in homogeneous Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) forests with podsolic soil profiles. In addition, an experiment has been carried out in which intact soil cores have been transferred in mesh baskets between the sites 2 and 8 km from the smelter…

Leaching of n and c from birch leaf litter and raw humus with special emphasis on the influence of soil fauna

1988

Abstract To examine the role of a community of soil animals in N-mineralization and C fluxes in dead organic matter, we established a microcosm system with substrates composed of: (a) birch leaf litter; (b) raw coniferous humus; and (c) litter on humus. Every 3–4 wks the substrates were irrigated with distilled water, and the amounts of NO5-N, NH4-N, total-N and total-C (as well as humic substances at one recording) in the leachates were analyzed. At the end of the experiment, water-soluble and exchangeable forms of N were measured in the test materials. The differences in the release of N were clear both between the replicates with and without soil animals and between the different forms o…

Meiofauna and benthic microbial biomass in a semi-enclosed mediterranean marine system (Stagnone di Marsala, Italy)

2004

Microbial and meiofaunal dynamics and their relationships with the biochemical composition of the sedimentary organic matter were investigated in a semi-enclosed marine system (Marsala lagoon, Western Sicily, Mediterranean Sea). Sediment samples were collected on a monthly basis from March 1996 to February 1997 in four stations located along a N–S transect characterized by different hydrodynamic regimes. Total sedimentary organic matter concentration ranged from 5.681.11 to 156.2812.63 mg g1, while the biopolymeric fraction of organic carbon (BPC, measured as sum of the lipids, carbohydrates and proteins) accounted for only a small fraction (24%) of total organic matter. Total meiofaunal de…

A microcosm study on the respiration and weight loss in birch litter and raw humus as influenced by soil fauna

1988

The effect of diverse soil fauna (Collembola, Acari, Enchytraeidae, Nematoda) on decomposition of dead organic matter was studied in microcosms containing (1) birch leaf litter, (2) raw humus of coniferous forest and (3) litter on humus. Total respiration (CO2 evolution) was monitored weekly, and mass loss, length of fungal hyphae (total and metabolically active) and survival of animal populations were checked at the end of weeks 12 and 21–22 from the start of experiment. Animal populations established themselves well during the incubation. At the end of the experiment some replicates containing litter had microarthropod densities of up to 500 specimens per microcosm, corresponding to a fie…