Distribution and habitat description of Junín Rail Laterallus tuerosi, Andean Peru
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Summary Distribution and habitat description of the endangered Junín Rail Laterallus tuerosi were assessed during a field study between 6 and 20 February 2014 in the marshes surrounding Lake Junín in the high Andes of Peru, which is the only known locality for the species. By using point counts and playback, we found the species to be present in the marshland all around the lake, with preference for two clearly defined habitat types: one comprising extensively grazed tussocks of Festuca dolichophylla and the other of rather uniform stands of Juncus balticus with undergrowth, or smaller open spaces, with various low herbs. We estimate the suitable habitat of the species to be a minimum of 100 km 2 and based upon our point count data we provide indicative population figures of 6,200 individuals, which is higher than previous estimates. No records were obtained without playback, although five minutes of silent listening prior to playback were used at each point. All records were in vegetation of at least 0.5 m tall and in the marshy edge on muddy ground with less than 20 cm of water depth. Grazing especially by sheep or cattle is a serious threat to the marsh vegetation structure essential for Junín Rail and the rail is also under pressure from fluctuations in water levels accentuated by regulation for hydroelectric power.Keywords:
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Summary There are three major tussock grassland communities in the Mackenzie Country: (i) fescue-tussock grassland where Festuca novae-zeladiae is abundant, (ii) red- tussock grassland where Chionochloa rubra is the physiognomic dominant, and (iii) snow-tussock grassland where Chionochloa rigida is the physiognomic dominant. Socioligical analyses of these communities in which severa phases are recognised are given in tables. The history of the grasslands is traced from the destruction of the forests through tall-tussock stages to the current extensive short-tussock grassland of recent origin.
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Based on the remote sensing data(TM,ETM+,CBERS) during the flood period (1975-2007),the transfer matrix of wetland types were extracted using RS and GIS software,and the spatial and temporal change of marsh wetlands and its driving forces were analyzed from 1975 to 2007 by using barycenter transfer model. The results showed that:From 1975 to 2007,the area percent of Raoyanghe marsh wetlands decreased from 1.908% to 0.068%,which resulted in the converting of marsh into rice paddy field and bare land. Barycenter of Raoyanghe marsh wetlands had moved 1.58 km towards northeast from 1975 to 1988,and 3.21 km towards southwest from 1988 to 2007. Barycenter of Raoyanghe marsh wetlands had moved 2.36 km towards southwest from 1975 to 2007. The distance between barycenter of Raoyanghe marsh wetlands and river decreased by 1.79 km. Spatial and temporal change of rice paddy field is the immediate driving force. The marsh wetlands area has a significant negative correlation relation with the burying depth of groundwater and economy activities,while has a significant positive correlation relation with river area. In one word,human activities are the main driving forces of spatial and temporal change of Raoyanghe marsh wetlands.
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Questions: How do species diversity, frequency and composition in tussocks differ from those in similar sized plots outside tussocks? Does the extent of the differences depend on community types or environmental conditions? Location: A sub-alpine grassland in the Swiss National Park. Methods: In each of the two communities (short grass and tall graminoid) differing in species composition, grazing intensity and soil nutrient availability, releves were made in 40 pairs of small circular plots, with one plot located inside a randomly selected Carex sempervirens tussock and the other outside. Results: We found 92 vascular species, of which 46 had a frequency higher than 5%. Species richness (S), pooled cover, Shannon’s diversity (H) and cumulative species number (CS) were higher outside than inside the C. sempervirens tussocks, but evenness (J) was lower. S, H and CS differed more in the tall graminoid community than in the short grass community. However, dissimilarity between the paired releves inside and outside tussocks did not differ between the two communities. Of the 46 most frequent species, 12 were statistically more and only one less frequent outside than inside the tussocks. Vegetation inside and outside tussocks could be clearly distinguished in the ordination space. Conclusion: Vegetation inside C. sempervirens tussocks is different from that in the surrounding area and represents an impoverished but homogenized version of the surrounding vegetation. Although tussocks of C. sempervirens were systematically avoided by grazers, there is little evidence that tussocks facilitate the species growing inside them.
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AbstractBackground: Palatable plants in rangelands may be protected from herbivore grazing by the presence of less palatable neighbouring plants. The protective role of benefactor species on palatable species often collapses under heavy grazing, but the underlying mechanism—the relationship between the reduced protective role and grazing damage to benefactor species—remains unclear.Aims: To clarify whether the protection of surrounding palatable species conferred by a less palatable tussock grass (Achnatherum splendens) is reduced under heavy grazing, focusing on the changes to tussock morphology caused by grazing.Methods: In the Mongolian steppe, we measured the morphological traits of A. splendens tussocks, plant density of palatable graminoids and grazing damage in three A. splendens microhabitats (inside, adjacent to, and outside tussocks) under light and heavy grazing areas.Results: A. splendens tussocks had smaller basal area and culm height, and greater culm density under heavy grazing. The densities of palatable graminoids adjacent to and inside tussocks were equal to or lower than those outside, but grazing damage decreased inside tussocks. Additionally, plant establishment inside tussocks was negatively related to A. splendens culm density, probably owing to competition for space within the tussocks.Conclusions: Our results indicate that the collapse of positive grass–grass interactions results from the decline in neighbouring benefactor plants through the morphological changes caused by grazing.Keywords: Achnatherum splendensmicrohabitatMongolian rangelandplant palatabilityplant–plant interactiontussock morphology AcknowledgementsWe are grateful to T. Osawa for his comments on an earlier version of this manuscript, and we also wish to thank D. Kubo for his help in the field survey.Additional informationFundingThis study was financially supported by the Global Environmental Fund of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan [D–1105 "Biodiversity of dryland ecosystem and sustainability of nomadic production in Northeast Asia"] and the Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Environment Fund [R10–B196 "Developing 'restoration manuals' for sustainable use of ecosystem services in drylands of Northeast Asia"].Notes on contributorsAsuka KoyamaAsuka Koyama is a plant ecologist with research interests in plant–plant interactions and the mechanisms of plant community structuring.Yu YoshiharaYu Yoshihara is an assistant professor, and his research interests are the biological and environmental interactions between animals, plants and soils in grasslands, ranging from arid (Mongolia) to humid environments (Japan).Undarmaa JamsranUndarmaa Jamsran is an associate professor, and her major research interests are rangeland ecosystems and management.Toshiya OkuroToshiya Okuro is a professor, and his research interests are centred on land degradation processes and the ecological evaluation of desertification control measures in semi-arid regions.
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This paper deals only with the tussock grasslands of the South Island. There are areas in the North Island-on parts of the Central Plateau, and above the bush-line on the higher mountain ranges-which are clad in tussock species, but these are of relatively small extent, and have not been considered an important problem.
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Summary Phytosociological analyses are presented of the three major tussock grassland communities found today in the middle Rakaia valley: (1) snow-tussock grassland dominated by either the tall tussock Chionochloaoa flavencens or the tall tussock C. rigida. (2) red-tussock grassland where the taU tussock C. rubra is abundant and (3) fescue-tussock grassland where Festuca novae-zelandiae is characteristic. Floristic data are also presented for Bome severely degraded grassland communities. The zonation and history of these grasslands arc discussed, in particular the recent origin of fescue-tussock grassland from former tall-tussock communities.
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Ecologically-sound management plans for high-altitude grasslands of the Andes depend on an understanding the responses of plants to fire, especially the dominant tussock grasses. This study considers physiognomic responses of tussock grass in 13 sites in northern Ecuador with a known fire history, with time since fire 0.5–10 y, and a control site which had not been burned for at least 40 y. At each site, we assessed vegetation height, basal cover of the tussocks, and the ratio of dead:live leaves in tussocks. We also measured light at ground level. As recovery time increased, tussock cover and number decreased, while tussock height increased. Light levels fell sharply below the tussock canopies as recovery took place, and dead leaves accumulated quickly, reaching 60 – 70% by just two years after fire. The modification of physical tussock structure is likely to influence a much wider ecosystem response to fire, and determines directly the fuel load for future fires. Despite these clear changes in tussock characteristics, they were too variable to be used as a reliable bioindicator of time since fire. However, a better understanding of the responses of tussock grasses to fire and particularly its impact on other species should become the focus of further attention in future.
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Abstract Temperature and light measurements were made within a tall tussock community. They show the extent to which the maximum, minimum, mean, and range of temperatures are higher near the north (sunny) side of a tussock and decrease outwards towards the inter-tussock spaces and towards the southern (shady) side. The decrease in amount of light reaching the ground with increasing density of tussocks and with closer proximity to the tussock base is more marked on sunny than on cloudy days.
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