In this study, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) tools were integrated and used to investigate the plant species diversity of the Nallihan forest ecosystem. Two distinct indices, Shannon Wiener and Simpson, were employed in order to express species diversity. The relationships between the indices and pertinent independent variables (topography, geology, soil, climate, supervised classes, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) classes) were investigated to develop two distinct models for each index. After detecting important components with factor analysis, two models were developed by using multiple regression statistics. Running the models, two plant species diversity maps in grid format were produced. The validity of the models were tested by (1) mapping residuals to predict the locations where the models work perfectly, and (2) logical interpretations in ecological point of view. Elevation and climatic factors formed the most important component that are effective on plant species diversity. Geological formations, soil, land cover and land-use characteristics were also found influential for both models. Considering the disturbance and potential evapotranspiration (PET), the model developed for Shannon Wiener index was found out more suitable comparing the model for Simpson index.

In my diploma thesis I reviewed the results of the collection of makrozoobentos and water chemistry on three streams, which are located on the right bank of the Lipno dam. This is a Bukový, Horský and Mlýnský stream. On these streams I watch a chemical properties of conductivity, pH and alkalinity. Of the biological i wathc diversity of each group of makrozoobentos and their abundance. I then compared the results with the values from the previous years, and assessed the gradual development of these aquatic communities.

The best estimates of environmental productivity and their relationship to species diversity on different spatial scales have been studied in grassland communities in an observational study. The fertilization effect on height, growth rate, survival rate and changes in species composition has been studied on an oligotrophic wet meadow in a manipulative experiment.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:30:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6513.pdf: 2802197 bytes, checksum: c000af9421a7cac3d57013dbe444d5ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-11 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Biological invasion is considered a major threat to biological diversity. One of the consequences of converting forest to fragmented landscape is the entrance of exotic species into the interior of the forest remnants. Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae), the coffee plant, a native shrub species of African forests and historically introduced in Brazil for commercial purposes. Currently, the plant community is composed of many fragments of forest that bordered the old farms producing coffee with pronounced dominance. The study was conducted in a fragment of semideciduous forest in São Carlos, São Paulo. This study sought to generate information about the process or stage of the life cycle that influence population growth, investigating over two consecutive years the influence of removal of C. arabica on the growth of regenerating individuals of tree and shrub species , featuring floristic and structure of regenerating community where the presence of exotic species occurs. Data were collected in two areas of the fragment (edge and inside). Evaluation of population growth rate (λ) showed that the population remains stable in different environmental conditions, noting that the species is effectively established in the fragment, characterized as invasive species in this environment. It has not been possible to conclude that coffee influences the growth and/or establishment of natural regenerating community. The diversity and abundance differ between edge and interior of the fragment, with the greatest wealth in the forest interior. Note that this is one of the last remnants of Semideciduous Forest in the region of São Carlos, and despite its small size, isolation, impoverishment and the abundant presence of coffee, especially in its edge, knowledge about the composition and this operating environment is of utmost importance. / A invasão biológica é considerada uma das principais ameaças à diversidade biológica. Uma das consequências da conversão de florestas em paisagem fragmentada é a entrada de espécies exóticas para o interior dos remanescentes florestais. Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae), a planta de café é uma espécie arbustiva nativa das florestas africanas e historicamente introduzida no Brasil com fins comerciais. Atualmente compõe a comunidade vegetal de muitos fragmentos de floresta que margeavam as antigas fazendas produtoras de café, com pronunciada dominância. O estudo foi realizado em um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual em São Carlos, São Paulo, na Fazenda Canchim, Embrapa. Este trabalho procurou gerar informações sobre os processos ou estágio do ciclo de vida que influenciam o crescimento da população, investigando ao longo de dois anos consecutivos a influência da remoção de C. arabica sobre o crescimento dos indivíduos regenerantes de espécies arbóreas-arbustivas, caracterizando a florística e a estrutura da comunidade regenerante onde ocorre a presença da espécie exótica. Os dados foram coletados em duas áreas do fragmento (borda e interior). A avaliação da taxa de crescimento populacional (λ) demonstrou que a população de café se mantem estável em condições ambientais distintas, constatando que a especie está efetivamente estabelecida no fragmento, caracterizando-se como espécie invasora deste ambiente. Porém não foi possível concluir que o café influencia no crescimento e/ou estabelecimento da comunidade natural regenerante. A diversidade e abundância diferem entre borda e interior, sendo a riqueza maior no interior do fragmento. É importante ressaltar que este é um dos últimos remanescentes de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual na região de São Carlos, e apesar do seu tamanho reduzido, seu isolamento, e a presença abundante de café, principalmente na sua borda, o conhecimento acerca da composição e funcionamento deste ambiente é de extrema importância.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:31:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2995.pdf: 1632669 bytes, checksum: d25be83813ccbeb2a819c29a6bef6363 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-07 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Tropical blind estuaries have a flooding regime that exposes the flora to extreme changes in environmental conditions. Salinity and flooding seem to be the major factors influencing vegetal species distribution in these environments. Aquatic macrophytes are one of the most productive communities and through their metabolism are able to influence aquatic ecosystem. Allelopathic interactions are among the factors that affect phytosociology and are increased under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The allelopathic potential has been explored for its application as natural herbicide in weed species control. The aim of our study was to evaluate salinity and flooding influence on species distribution, diversity and richness. We also studied and compared allelopathic properties of aquatic macrophyte species and their possible application to inhibit weeds. For this, we studied the macrophytes´ community and its relation with abiotic variables (flooding and salinity) in Massaguaçu River tropical estuary, located in Caraguatuba-SP. We found 54 macrophyte species belonging to 27 families in this environment. The distribution of these species seems to be related to flooding regime and salinity. Species diversity and richness vary with flooding time but not with salinity. Vegetation presents a sequence of heterogeneous communities through saline gradient and flooding categories. Thereby, Massaguaçu River estuary is defined as a double ecocline: lengthwise (between freshwater and seawater) and lateral (between terrestrial and aquatic habitats). We noticed several species with allelopathic potential over lettuce, a bioindicator species, in laboratory experiments with different inhibition potentials. Then, we found significative inhibitory effects of Ipomoea cairica (L.) Sweet extracts on the germination and early development of weed species: B. pilosa, E. crusgalli, E. heterophylla e I. grandifolia. Our results help to understand tropical blind estuarine environment and its floristic compositon, characterizing their vegetable populations, distribution and potential to be explored as an alternative to synthetic herbicides. / Estuários tropicais cegos possuem um regime de alagamento que expõe a flora local a mudanças bruscas nas condições ambientais. A salinidade e o alagamento são os principais fatores que influenciam a distribuição de espécies vegetais nesses ambientes. As macrófitas aquáticas representam uma das comunidades mais produtivas e através do seu metabolismo podem influenciar o ecossistema aquático. As interações alelopáticas estão entre os fatores que afetam a fitossociologia e são aumentadas em situações de estresse biótico e abiótico. O potencial alelopático tem sido explorado no sentido da sua aplicação como herbicidas naturais para o controle de espécies infestantes de cultura. O objetivo do nosso trabalho foi avaliar a influência da salinidade e do alagamento sobre a distribuição, diversidade e riqueza de espécies, além de estudar e comparar as propriedades alelopáticas das espécies de macrófitas aquáticas, e sua possível aplicação para inibição de espécies infestantes de culturas. Para isso, nós estudamos a comunidade de macrófitas e suas relações com variáveis abióticas (alagamento e salinidade) no estuário tropical cego do Rio Massaguaçu, localizado no município de Caraguatatuba-SP. Nós encontramos nesse ambiente 54 espécies de macrófitas pertencentes a 27 famílias. A distribuição dessas espécies parece estar condicionada ao regime de alagamento e à salinidade. A diversidade e a riqueza de espécies variam com o tempo de alagamento, mas não com a salinidade. Ainda, a vegetação apresenta uma seqüência de comunidades heterogêneas ao longo do gradiente salino e das classes de alagamento. Dessa forma, o estuário do Rio Massaguaçu é definido como uma ecoclina dupla: no sentido longitudinal (entre o ambiente de água doce e marinho) e lateral (entre os ambientes terrestre e aquático). Observamos muitas espécies com potencial alelopático sobre a germinação de alface, espécie bioindicadora, em experimentos de laboratório com diferentes potenciais de inibição. Posteriormente, encontramos efeitos inibitórios significativos dos extratos de Ipomoea cairica (L.) Sweet sobre a germinação e crescimento inicial de espécies infestantes de cultura: B. pilosa, E. crus-galli, E. heterophylla e I. grandifolia. Os nossos resultados ajudam no entendimento do ambiente estuarino tropical cego e da sua composição florística, caracterizando as populações existentes, sua distribuição e o seu potencial para exploração como alternativa a herbicidas sintéticos.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:44:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGPV11MA077.pdf: 8728650 bytes, checksum: 67de9ee79430f3f94f1b5c3369535d74 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-29 / Apple orchards in southern Brazil are attacked by a great diversity of organisms throughout the crop cycle and special attention should be given to insect pests. The damage caused by "big caterpillars" has caused concern in the productive sector, and research on alternative methods of control for these insects is still incipient. The study was conducted at the Estação Experimental de Fruticultura de Clima Temperado (EFCT) da Embrapa Uva e Vinho, em Vacaria-RS. Its objective was to identify the species of Lepidoptera occurring in apple orchards; establish and determine the floating population indices during the crop; check harm reduction "big caterpillars" to obtain the spatial distribution of damage in apple orchards and study the effect of different diets on the development of natural Physocleora dimidiaria (Guenée, 1852) (Geometridae), a species belonging to the group of "big caterpillars." Light traps were installed three of the adapted model "Luiz de Queiroz", October 2010 and March 2011, Fuji orchard. The removal of insects occurred twice a week, the collected material was stored in labeled plastic bags and taken to the laboratory for screening. The moths were identified by comparison, based on specimens in the entomological collection of existing EFCT and the unidentified specimens were sent to specialists. We determined the species richness, diversity indexes, constancy and dominance. We evaluated the incidence and spatial distribution of damage "big caterpillars" in the periods of fruit thinning, pre-harvest and harvest. We calculated the mean (x), variance (s2) for each occasion of sampling and dispersion indexes I, Morisita, negative binomial and Poisson. We recorded 40 species belonging to the families of Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Geometridae and Noctuidae. Damage to the "big caterpillars" presented dispersion pattern defined by aggregation in the thinning and pre-harvest and regular harvesting. The light traps can be used to survey and monitor species diversity, however, were not effective to control the damage of "big caterpillars" in apple orchard. Was evaluated in the laboratory the effect of different diets on the natural development of P. dimidiaria. Seventy larvae were observed until the F1 generation in BOD incubator at each natural diet: Trifolium repens L. (white clover), Rumex obtusifolius (tonguein- cow), Malus domestica (apple leaves) fruit and apple cultivar Gala. Data in the table of life and fertility obtained for P. dimidiaria indicate that a generation time was 49.09 days in T. repens; of 60.04 days (apple leaves) and 50.17 days in R. obtusifolius. The net reproductive rate was higher in caterpillars fed on R. obtusifolius times corresponding to 183.60, with each generation / Pomares de macieira do Sul do Brasil são atacados por uma grande diversidade de organismos ao longo do ciclo da cultura e atenção especial deve ser dada aos insetos-praga. Os danos causados por grandes lagartas vêm causando preocupação no setor produtivo, e a pesquisa com métodos alternativos de controle para tais insetos ainda é incipiente. O estudo foi realizado na Estação Experimental de Fruticultura de Clima Temperado (EFCT) da Embrapa Uva e Vinho, em Vacaria-RS. Teve por objetivos identificar as espécies de lepidópteros ocorrentes em pomar de macieira; estabelecer a flutuação e determinar índices populacionais ao longo da safra; verificar a redução de danos de grandes lagartas ; obter a distribuição espacial do dano em pomar de macieira e estudar o efeito de diferentes dietas naturais sobre o desenvolvimento de Physocleora dimidiaria (Guenée, 1852) (Geometridae), uma espécie pertencente ao grupo das grandes lagartas . Foram instaladas três armadilhas luminosas adaptadas do modelo Luiz de Queiroz , de outubro de 2010 e março de 2011, em pomar da cultivar Fuji. A retirada dos insetos ocorreu duas vezes por semana, o material coletado foi armazenado em sacos plásticos etiquetados e levado até o laboratório para triagem. As mariposas foram identificadas por comparação, com base em exemplares existentes na coleção entomológica da EFCT. Os exemplares não identificados foram enviados a especialistas. Foi determinada a riqueza de espécies, os índices de diversidade, constância e dominância. Avaliou-se a incidência e a distribuição espacial do dano de grandes lagartas em frutos nos períodos de raleio, pré-colheita e colheita. Calculou-se a média (x), a variância (s2) para cada ocasião de amostragem e os índices de dispersão I, Morisita, binomial negativa e Poisson. Foram registradas 40 espécies de lepidópteros pertencentes às famílias: Arctiidae, Geometridae e Noctuidae. Os danos de grandes lagartas apresentaram padrão de dispersão definido pela agregação no raleio e pré-colheita e regular na colheita. As armadilhas luminosas podem ser utilizadas para levantamento de diversidade de espécies e monitoramento, porém, não foram eficientes para controlar os danos de grandes lagartas em pomar de macieira. Foi avaliado em laboratório o efeito de diferentes dietas naturais sobre o desenvolvimento de P. dimidiaria. Setenta lagartas foram acompanhadas até a geração F1 em estufa incubadora BOD, em cada dieta natural: Trifolium repens L. (trevo-branco), Rumex obtusifolius (língua-de-vaca), folhas de Malus domestica (macieira) e frutos de macieira cultivar gala. Os dados da tabela de vida e de fertilidade obtidos para a P. dimidiaria indicaram que o tempo de uma geração foi de 49,09 dias em T. repens; de 60,04 dias (folhas de macieira) e de 50,17 dias em R. obtusifolius. A taxa líquida de reprodução foi maior em lagartas alimentadas com R. obtusifolius correspondendo a 183,60 vezes, a cada geração

This thesis focuses on the changes of vegetation of the wet meadows in Slavkovský Les during past decade. It uses data on vegetation gained from 100 permanent plots. By the analysis of the species composition and diversity it aims to elucidate the changes of the wet meadows over the last ten years. It aims to define, which are declining and which are becoming more common. Applied management should have a great impact on the observed vegetation changes so its effect is studied in the thesis as well. The knowledge of the suitable management should lead to conservation of the local biodiversity. The abiotic environmental factors are important as well as they can influence the species composition. These factors were studied by the application of Ellenberg indicator values on the species present in the study. These changes were compared in time and in a combination of time with a management type. Thus, we should be able to say how the environment has changed in the past decade and whether the type of management has any effect on the changes. Furthermore, the thesis explores whether changes in species composition over time may be explained by species traits. The results indicate that the species diversity and composition have indeed changed during the past decade. Apparently, the higher amount of...

SUMMARY Communities of epigeic beetles were studied on two water catchments with the different management in the submontaneous area of Bohemian Forest (South Bohemia, Czechia). The Mlýnský stream catchment was characteristic by high representation of unforested habitats (pastures and mowed meadows), Horský stream by higher proportion of forested habitats and non equal management (plots without management, mowed meadows). The microclimatic characteristics (average temperature, average humidity, average wind speed, average radiation) were measured. The method of pitfall trapping was used for beetle sampling. Beetles species were divided into two groups after its preferences to humidity: hygrophilous species and mesophilous species. The degree of human impact was studied by finding of frequency of species of different ecological groups. 57 species was found in the Mlýnský stream and 33 in the Horský stream. The activity of beetles was about five times higher in Mlýnský stream (511 individuals captured) than in the Horský stream (114 indivuduals found). Ubiquitous species prevail in Mlýnský stream and adaptive species in the Horský stream. Stenotopic species were found in the Mlýnský stream only. These results indicate less human impact in Horský stream than in the Mlýnský stream. Frequency of beetle species with the different requirement on the humidity in communites on studied plots indicates the dominance of mesophilous species in Mlýnský stream in comparison with Horský stream. Frequency of hygrophilous species was about three times higher in Horský stream than in Mlýnský stream. The intensity of management affected the beetle structure mainly on the less forested plot of Mlýnský stream. The structure of communites on plots with more intensive management differs from communities on plots with low management. Hygrophilous species prevail on plots with low management of the Mlýnský stream. The effect of management intensity is not documented in Horský stream with the greater proportion of trees.

Communities of epigeic beetles were studied on two water catchments with the different management in the submontaneous area of Bohemian Forest (South Bohemia, Czechia). The Mlýnský stream catchment was characteristic by high representation of unforested habitats (pastures and mowed meadows), Horský stream by higher proportion of forested habitats and non equal management (plots without management). The biomass characteristics (above ground and dry) were measured on studied plots. The method of pitfall trapping was used for beetle sampling. Beetle species were divided into two groups after its preferences to shaded: species occurring in unshaded habitats and species occurring in shaded habitats. The degree of human impact was studied by finding of frequency of species of different ecological groups. The above ground biomass was about 2 time higher in Mlýnský stream than in the Horský stream. The dry biomass was practically the same. 57 species was found in the Mlýnský stream and 33 in the Horský stream. The activity of beetles was about five times higher in Mlýnský stream than in the Horský stream. Ubiquitous species prevail in Mlýnský stream and adaptive species in the Horský stream. Stenotopic species were found in the Mlýnský stream only. These results indicate less human impact in Horský stream than in the Mlýnský stream. Beetles prefering unsheded habitats slightly prevail in Mlýnský stream in comparison with Horský stream. Beetle species characteristical for shaded habitats occur in Horský stream in comparison with Mlýnský stream. The geographical exposition affected the beetle structure mainly in the less forested plot of Mlýnský stream. The structure of communites situated to the south differs from communities situated to the north in Mlýnský stream. The effect of exposition is not documented in Horský stream with the greater proportion of forested size.

The aim of the work was to study the communities of epigeic beetles in plantations of energetic plants (Dactylis glomerata, Arrhenatherum elatius, Phalaris arundinacea, Helianthus tuberosus) and in surrounding lawn biotope. The method of pitfall trapping was used for beetle sampling from 2008 to 2010 during the growing season. Carabid beetles (Carabidae) and rove beetles (Staphylinidae) were used as bioindicators. In total 69 species and 1789 individuals were captured and evaluated. Eurytopic species were more common than stenotopic in all habitats, also the value of the index of beetle communities was low in all plots. RDA analysis proved the influence of surrounding biotope on beetle communities. It was concluded that communities of epigeic beetles might be also affected by the climatic factors, long termed population fluctuations of individual species, edge effect and microclimate inside the vegetation.