Ekologia

Zhukov, Olexander; Kunah, Olga; Dubinina, Yulia; Novikova, Victoria

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0023pmid: N/A

AbstractThe article presents the results of evaluation of the role of edaphic and vegetation factors on beta diversity of soil macrofauna by means of the MDM-approach. The multinomial diversity model (MDM) is a method for relating the Shannon diversity to ecological factors. The research was conducted in the ‘Dnipro-Orils’kiy’ Nature Reserve (Ukraine). The research polygon was laid in the forest within the Orlova ravine (48º31’13 “N, 34º48”15 “E). The study site comprises 1.0 ha of deciduous woodland bordered by an area of herbaceous cover within the ravine. In the soil of the studied polygon, 38 species of soil invertebrates were identified, which characterizes the gamma diversity. Alpha diversity, or the number of species on average at each sample point is 4.3. Beta diversity is 8.8. The principal component analysis of the edaphic parameters revealed four statistically significant principal components. For vegetation characteristics, six statistically significant principal components were identified. The sequential analysis of the effects shows that edaphic factors accounted for 20.9% (0.81 bit) of the available entropy (1.71–0.91). The largest decrease in the community entropy takes place under the action of the principal components 2 and 3 (0.06 bit and 0.05, respectively). A permutation test showed that these effects are statistically significant. In turn, 28.4% of the community β-diversity is attributable to vegetation factors. The greatest decrease in community entropy is related to the principal vegetation components 1, 3 and 4 (0.07, 0.05 and 0.04 bits, respectively). A permutation test indicated that this effect is statistically reliable. Geostatistical models substantially describe the varying effects on the beta-diversity of edaphic principal components 1 and 2, and the vegetation principal components 1 and 3. It was found that edaphic and plant factors play an important role in structuring the communities of soil macrofauna on the level of beta diversity. Community sensitivity to environmental factors varies in space and is spatially structured. For different environmental factors, specific spatial patterns of community sensitivity are allocated. Beta diversity may be due to the fact that the species of soil macrofauna communities also vary in the degree of sensitivity to various environmental factors. The species of soil microfauna are also divided according to their extent of sensitivity to different ecological factors.

Gáfriková, Jana; Hanajík, Peter; Zvarík, Milan

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0024pmid: N/A

AbstractThe formation and quality of soil organic matter (SOM) highly depends on the input of organic material and microbial enzymatic activities. Soil extractions with specific nonpolar and polar extractives can be used to identify qualitative changes in SOM. The aim of this paper was to understand the correlations among microbial enzymatic activity and specific organic fractions in acidic spruce forest soil. Klason lignin (KL), acid soluble lignin (ASL), holocellulose (HC), SOM content, and potential enzymatic activity (FDA and phosphatase) was measured and analyzed. We sampled Dystric Cambisol of forest spruce stands (Picea abies) in Tatra National Park (Slovakia). The SOM fractions were determined gravimetrically based on their extractivity in nonpolar (dichloromethane (DME)) and polar (acetone (AE), ethanol (EE), water (WE)) solvents Total extractives content was 0.079% and nonpolar extractives 0.036%. The mean amount of polar extractives tented to increase in the order EE<AE<WE. The total lignin content was determined to be 1.079% and HC 0.774%. FDA negatively correlated with KL (r=-0.873 p<0.05) and DME (r=-0.913 p<0.05). Phosphatase positively correlated with WE (r=0.972 p<0.01) and KL (r=0.957 p<0.01).

Bessonova, Valentina; Grytsay, Zoya

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0025pmid: N/A

AbstractThe influence of different forest growth conditions on the content of plastid pigments in Pinus pallasiana D. Don needles in the anti-erosion planting of the steppe zone of Ukraine was investigated. The reduction in the total chlorophyll a and b concentration in the pine needles in the area with insufficient water supply (xerophilous and mesoxerophilous hygrotopes) was found, compared with more favourable conditions for water supply (mesophilous hygrotope). The reduction in the content of green pigments in arid conditions is due to chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll b showed high resistance to moisture deficiency. There is an increase in the concentration of carotenoids in pine needles in forest growth conditions with insufficient water supply (xerophilous and mesoxerophilous), compared with more favourable conditions (mesophilous), which can be explained by the adaptive role of these pigments in the processes of stabilising the functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus in adverse environment, and it is considered as a protective reaction of P. pallasiana to the effects of drought.

Vlašić, Matea; Glavić, Nikša; Bolotin, Jakša; Hrustić, Enis; Radić, Iris Dupčić

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0026pmid: N/A

AbstractBearded horse mussel Modiolus barbatus and Noah’s ark shell Arca noae are a species of interest for the diversifying shellfish aquaculture on the south-eastern coast of the Adriatic. In this study, oxygen consumption (OC), total ammonia excretion (TAM) and clearance rate (CR) responses to the changes in seawater salinity (37, 30, 25 and 20) were investigated in the laboratory. There is a statistically significant influence of salinity on oxygen consumption and TAM excretion of Noah’s ark shell, while the time of exposure to different salinities is significantly correlated to TAM excretion by the bearded horse mussel. Mean OC of Noah’s ark shell ranged from 0.14 ± 0.06 to 0.54 ± 0.27 mg O2g−1h−1 and that of bearded horse mussel from 0.18 ± 0.17 to 0.26 ± 0.14 mg O2g−1h−1. Mean values of TAM excretion of Noah’s ark shell ranged from 2.14 ± 1.52 to 7.22 ± 6.04 μmol g−1 h−1 and for bearded horse mussel from 0.98 ± 0.53 to 2.78 ± 2.96 μmol g−1 h−1. Salinity and exposure time have a significant influence on the CR of Noah’s ark shell, whilst salinity has been found to be the determining factor for the bearded horse mussels’ CR. Mean values of Noah’s ark shell CR ranged from 0.96 ± 0.54 to 4.18 ± 1.15 l h−1g−1 and for bearded horse mussel from 2.43 ± 0.99 to 4.23 ± 0.84 l h−1g−1. Higher oxygen consumption to total ammonia excretion (O:N) ratios at lower salinities indicated the use of proteins as a metabolic substrate for both species. Noah’s ark shell has greater energy expenditure related to respiration and TAM excretion than the bearded horse mussel.

Kalivodová, Michaela; Kanka, Róbert; Miklós, Peter; Sládkovičová, Veronika Hulejová; Žiak, Dávid

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0027pmid: N/A

AbstractIntensification of agriculture has led, among other negative consequences, also to drying out of wetlands. Nevertheless, some of the wetland biotopes were preserved as small spots. This paper discusses the importance of those areas serving as refugia for small terrestrial mammals. Because small terrestrial mammals in the middle of food webs, they serve as an indicator for the presence of food sources (plants and invertebrates) and suggest the potential of the area as a living space for predators. The experiment took place at lowland agricultural landscape with wetland patches in west and west-east Slovakia (Záhorská and Podunajská nížina lowlands) using catch-mark-release method from 2015 to 2017. The importance was assessed according to abundance, biodiversity, persistence of species during seasons and habitat preference of small terrestrial mammals and equitability of the biotopes. Overall 368 individuals belonging to 12 species were recorded. The lowest abundance and diversity were registered at field biotopes where Apodemus sylvaticus was the most abundant. Microtus arvalis, Clethrionomys glareolus and Sorex araneus dominate at wetland biotopes. The higher biodiversity and abundance of small mammals were recorded at the wetland refugia. The results, together with position of small mammals in food webs, lead to conclusion that the wetland refugia are important habitats for the overall preservation of biodiversity and maintaining them is a part of the strategy for sustainable agriculture.

Krumpálová, Zuzana; Holienková, Barbora

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0028pmid: N/A

AbstractIn last decades, the number of non-native land snails increased up to 15 percentages; they create more than eight percent of all the Slovakian species. Trend of newly established snail species corresponds with increases in the average temperatures as well as the intensity of foreign trade, suggesting a synergistic effect of both climatic conditions and socioeconomic factors. The research of the open-air garden centres in Slovakia confirmed both factors. We report here some of the newly established populations of sixteen mollusc species. In the old garden centres, the number of species as well as the number of individuals decreased slightly. Area of the garden centre has a very high impact on both abundance and species diversity. The size and age of garden centre proportionally influences the composition of mollusc assemblages. Two new species Cornu aspersum and Cepaea nemoralis were noticed for the first time in Slovakia. The recent findings of the introduced populations demonstrate the potential of this snail to colonise new areas.

Yasin, Hana; Kebebew, Zerihun; Hundera, Kitessa

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0029pmid: N/A

AbstractThe southwest Ethiopian Afromontane moist forests are recognized as one of the biodiversity hotspots as they are the centres of origin and domestication of Arabica coffee. But they are under threat due to deforestation and conversion to coffee farms. Coffee agroforests are believed to buffer the natural forest from these threats. The study was conducted to investigate the importance of coffee agroforest adjacent to Belete forest southwest Ethiopia. Vegetation data were collected from 68 plots (34 each) and socioeconomic data were collected from 136 households (68 each). The results showed that statistically, there were no significant differences between the natural forest and adjacent coffee agroforests in the species composition, species richness and Shannon diversity index of the woody species(P > 0.05). The socioeconomic benefit result showed a number of forest products that are collected from the coffee agroforest. There were statistically significant differences between the natural forest and coffee agroforest in the forest income and the Simpson Diversification Index of the households (p < 0.05). Coffee agroforests contribute to the conservation of woody species through the retention of woody species and reducing pressure on the natural forest. Therefore, the socioeconomic benefits of coffee agroforests must take into account the conservation of woody species in linking the conservation and development arena.

Baklagin, Nikolaevich Vyacheslav

doi: 10.2478/eko-2018-0030pmid: N/A

AbstractThe process of formation and rotting of ice on lakes is an integral part of the hydrological cycle of many lakes. The conditions of the ice regime significantly influence the ecological system of lakes. The article includes calculation and analysis of errors in the determination of the spatial ice distribution (spatial resolution of 4–6 km) on Lake Onego, Lake Ladoga, Lake Segozero and Lake Vigozero within the period of 2006−2017 according to National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA NESDIS) data with regard to reliable Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data (spatial resolution of 500 m). It was established that within the monitoring period, NSIDC data have the minimum mean values of errors in determining the spatial distribution of ice on lakes (3−10%) compared to NOAA NESDIS data (11−19%) and are also of more practical interest in estimating the ice coverage of lakes. The dependence of the mean value of errors that occur in the determination of the spatial distribution of ice (according to NSIDC, NOAA and NESDIS data) on the actual value of ice coverage (according to MODIS) was revealed. The results show that the NSIDC data allow estimating adequately the phases of the ice regime; however, the formation of a daily time series of ice coverage during freeze-up and break-up phases is possible only with a significant error (mean value of absolute deviations according to MODIS data is up to 35%).