The influence of management practices on plant diversity: a comparative study of three urban wetlands in an expanding city in eastern China
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Lu Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10771763 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Although urban agriculture (UA) can aid economic development, food inflation, unemployment, and nutritional insecurity often necessitate urban households to engage in various agricultural practices. Hence, the study aimed to identify UA practices adopted and their determinants in the Eastern Haraghe zone of the Oromia region and Dire Dawa City Administration, Eastern Ethiopia. Data was collected from 385 randomly selected urban households using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and a Multivariate Probit (MVP) model were used to analyze the data. The results of the MVP model reveal that sex, age, education level, land size, extension contact, credit access, community group participation, training, and household non-farm income significantly influenced vegetable farming adoption. On the other hand, livestock production adoption was also affected by factors such as sex, land size, perception, credit access, farming experience, community group participation, market distance, training, and non-farm income. Crop-fruit production adoption was also influenced by factors like age, perception, farming experience, market distance, training, and dependency ratio. Improving the ability to use the land for UA purposes, empowering female-headed households, improving livestock breeds, creating awareness through short-term training, and improving credit accessibility are important recommendations to enhance the adoption of UA practices in the study areas.
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Project description:The aim of this study was to use a pedodiversity index (PI) to assess changes in the spatial structure of soil cover in Inowrocław, Poland during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. An original cartographic approach based on landscape metrics was implemented using GIS techniques and statistical calculations. Based on maps of urban soil complexes and pedodiversity, it was revealed that land and soil cover changes in two studied periods (1934-1978 and 1978-2016) significantly affected pedodiversity in the city. In general, the spatio-temporal increase of the pedodiversity index was observed. The percentage of highest values of the PI ranged from 15.9% in 1934, 17.3% in 1978 to 20.9% in 2016. We revealed that pedodiversity index (PI) values are highly spatially and temporally variable and are associated with urban development and changes in the city's internal structure. The applied approach allowed for the identification of both spatial patterns of changes in soil cover that closely reflect the successive stages of the city's development, and problem areas that require revitalization and the implementation of the principles of sustainable development. Therefore, the proposed method can be recommended for landscape monitoring and in determining ecosystem services in urban and landscape planning, and environmental management.
| S-EPMC8994749 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The data presented in this paper shows the spatiotemporal expansion of Dire Dawa City (eastern Ethiopia) and the ensuing land use land cover changes in its peri-urban areas between 1985 and 2015. The data were generated from satellite images of Thematic Mapper (TM), Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus (ETM+) and OLI (Operational Land Image) with path/raw value of 166/053 by using Arc GIS 10.1 software. The precision of the images was verified by geolocation data collected from ground control points by using Geographic Positioning System (GPS) receiver. Four LULC classes (built up area, vegetation, barren land and farmland) with their respective spatiotemporal dimensions were clearly identified in the analysis. Built up area had shown an overall annual increment of 15.8% (82 ha per year) from 517 ha in 1985 to 2976 ha in 2015. Expansion took place in all directions but it was more pronounced along the main road towards other nearby towns, recently established business/service areas and the Industrial Park. Barren land, farmland and vegetation areas showed speedy decline over the years.
| S-EPMC5412005 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The diversity of plant species and their distribution in space are both thought to have important effects on the function of wetland ecosystems. However, knowledge of the relationships between plant species and spatial diversity remains incomplete. In this study, we investigated relationships between spatial pattern and plant species diversity over a five year period following the initial restoration of experimental wetland ecosystems. In 2003, six identical and hydrologically-isolated 0.18 ha wetland "cells" were constructed in former farmland in northeast Ohio. The systems were subjected to planting treatments that resulted in different levels of vascular plant species diversity among cells. Plant species diversity was assessed through annual inventories. Plant spatial pattern was assessed by digitizing low-altitude aerial photographs taken at the same time as the inventories. Diversity metrics derived from the inventories were significantly related to certain spatial metrics derived from the photographs, including cover type diversity and contagion. We found that wetlands with high cover type diversity harbor higher plant species diversity than wetlands with fewer types of patches. We also found significant relationships between plant species diversity and spatial patterning of patch types, but the direction of the effect differed depending on the diversity metric used. Links between diversity and spatial pattern observed in this study suggest that high-resolution aerial imagery may provide wetland scientists with a useful tool for assessing plant diversity.
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Project description:BackgroundThe Sustainable Development Goals identified universal access to water and sanitation facilities as key components for improving health. We assessed water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices and associated determinants among residents of urban slums in Kolkata, India.MethodsInformation on WASH practices was collected in 2 surveys (2018 and 2019) from participants of a prospective enteric fever surveillance conducted in 2 municipal wards of Kolkata. A composite WASH practice score was computed and a hierarchical stepwise multiple linear regression model constructed to identify key determinants of improved WASH score.ResultsOver 90% of households had access to piped water; 6% reported access to continuous supply. Adult women (61% in 2018; 45% in 2019) spent 20 minutes daily to fetch water. Access to improved latrines was almost universal, although 80% used shared facilities. Unhealthy disposal of children's stools was reported in both rounds. Food hygiene practices were high, with most (>90%) washing uncooked items before eating; frequent consumption of street food items was reported.ConclusionsThe study area reported high WASH coverage. Unhygienic behavioral patterns predisposing to food- or water-borne diseases were also noted. Awareness building and sustainable community mobilization for food hygiene needs to be emphasized to ensure community well-being.
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Project description:BackgroundPlants play a pivotal role in soil stabilization, with above-ground vegetation and roots combining to physically protect soil against erosion. It is possible that diverse plant communities boost root biomass, with knock-on positive effects for soil stability, but these relationships are yet to be disentangled.QuestionWe hypothesize that soil erosion rates fall with increased plant species richness, and test explicitly how closely root biomass is associated with plant diversity.MethodsWe tested this hypothesis in salt marsh grasslands, dynamic ecosystems with a key role in flood protection. Using step-wise regression, the influences of biotic (e.g. plant diversity) and abiotic variables on root biomass and soil stability were determined for salt marshes with two contrasting soil types: erosion-resistant clay (Essex, southeast UK) and erosion-prone sand (Morecambe Bay, northwest UK). A total of 132 (30-cm depth) cores of natural marsh were extracted and exposed to lateral erosion by water in a re-circulating flume.ResultsSoil erosion rates fell with increased plant species richness (R2 = 0.55), when richness was modelled as a single explanatory variable, but was more important in erosion-prone (R2 = 0.44) than erosion-resistant (R2 = 0.18) regions. As plant species richness increased from two to nine species·m-2, the coefficient of variation in soil erosion rate decreased significantly (R2 = 0.92). Plant species richness was a significant predictor of root biomass (R2 = 0.22). Step-wise regression showed that five key variables accounted for 80% of variation in soil erosion rate across regions. Clay-silt fraction and soil carbon stock were linked to lower rates, contributing 24% and 31%, respectively, to variation in erosion rate. In regional analysis, abiotic factors declined in importance, with root biomass explaining 25% of variation. Plant diversity explained 12% of variation in the erosion-prone sandy region.ConclusionOur study indicates that soil stabilization and root biomass are positively associated with plant diversity. Diversity effects are more pronounced in biogeographical contexts where soils are erosion-prone (sandy, low organic content), suggesting that the pervasive influence of biodiversity on environmental processes also applies to the ecosystem service of erosion protection.
| S-EPMC5111397 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The CTX-M-type extended-spectrum ?-lactamases (ESBLs) present a serious public health threat as they have become nearly ubiquitous among clinical gram-negative pathogens, particularly the enterobacteria. To aid in the understanding and eventual control of the spread of such resistance genes, we sought to determine the diversity of CTX-M ESBLs not among clinical isolates, but in the environment, where weaker and more diverse selective pressures may allow greater enzyme diversification. This was done by examining the CTX-M diversity in municipal wastewater and urban coastal wetlands in southern California, United States, by Sanger sequencing of polymerase chain reaction amplicons. Of the five known CTX-M phylogroups (1, 2, 8, 9, and 25), only genes from groups 1 and 2 were detected in both wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and group 1 genes were also detected in one of the two wetlands after a winter rain. The highest relative abundance of blaCTX-M group 1 genes was in the sludge of one WWTP (2.1?×?10(-4) blaCTX-M copies/16S rRNA gene copy). Gene libraries revealed surprisingly high nucleotide sequence diversity, with 157 new variants not found in GenBank, representing 99 novel amino acid sequences. Our results indicate that the resistomes of WWTPs and urban wetlands contain diverse blaCTX-M ESBLs, which may constitute a mobile reservoir of clinically relevant resistance genes.
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Project description:This study evaluated the effects of young poplar plantations on understory plant diversity in the Dongting Lake wetlands, China. Poplar plantations resulted in a higher species number and Shannon's diversity. Species compositions were different between areas with poplar and reed populations: a lower ratio of hygrophytes but a higher ratio of mesophytes, and a higher ratio of heliophytes but a lower ratio of neutrophilous or shade plants in poplar areas compared to reed areas. Poplar plantations supported a higher ratio of ligneous plants in the entire Dongting Lake area, but there was no difference in the monitored plots. Unlike reedy areas, poplar plantations had higher light availability but lower soil water content during the growing seasons. These data suggest that young poplar plantations generally increased species richness and plant diversity, but significantly changed species composition due to the reduced soil water and increased light availability.
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Project description:The Kangchenjunga Landscape (KL) in the Eastern Himalayas is a transboundary complex shared by Bhutan, India, and Nepal. It forms a part of the 'Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot' and is one of the biologically richest landscapes in the Eastern Himalayas. In this paper, we use secondary information to review and consolidate the knowledge on the flora of the KL. We reviewed 215 journal articles, analysed the history of publications on the flora of the KL, their publication pattern in terms of temporal and spatial distribution and key research areas. Our review shows that the landscape has a long history of botanical research that dates back to the 1840s and progressed remarkably after the 1980s. Most of the studies have been carried out in India, followed by Nepal and Bhutan. The majority of these have been vegetation surveys, followed by research on ethnobotanical aspects and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). This paper describes the forest types and characteristic species of the KL and details the species richness, diversity and dominant families of seed plants. A total of 5198 species of seed plants belonging to 1548 genera and 216 families have been recorded from the landscape, including 3860 dicots, 1315 monocots and 23 gymnosperms. Among families, Orchidaceae is the most diversely represented family in terms of species richness. This paper also draws attention to the threatened and endemic flora of the KL, including 44 species that are threatened at national and global level and 182 species that are endemic. Finally, the paper reviews the major challenges facing the KL, the conservation efforts and practices that are currently in place and recommends systematic and comprehensive floral surveys, particularly long-term data collection and monitoring and transboundary collaboration, to address the existing knowledge gaps on floral diversity of the KL.
| S-EPMC6702437 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMalaria prevention in Cameroon mainly relies on the use of ITNs. Although several free distribution campaigns of treated nets have been conducted across the country, bed net usage remains very low. A household survey was conducted to assess knowledge of the population and practices affecting treated net usage in the city of Yaoundé.MethodsA community-based descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in January 2017 in 32 districts of the city of Yaoundé. Parents (household head, spouse or an elder representative) who consented to the study, were interviewed using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. Interviews were conducted in French or English. A questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was administered to know (i) people's knowledge and attitude on preventive measures; and, (ii) attitudes concerning the treatment of malaria and estimated amount spent for malaria prevention and treatment.ResultsA total of 1643 household heads were interviewed. Over 94% of people interviewed associated malaria transmission to mosquito bites. The main methods used against mosquito bites were: treated bed nets (94%; n = 1526) and insecticide spray or coils (32.2%; n = 523). The majority of people interviewed reported using bed nets mainly to prevent from mosquito bites (84.4%, n = 1257), rather than for malaria prevention (47.3%). Knowledge and attitude analysis revealed that people with university or secondary level of education have better knowledge of malaria, prevention and treatment measures compared to those with the primary level (OR = 7.03; P < 0.001). Also, wealthy households were more aware of good practices concerning malaria prevention and treatment compared to poor ones. In the majority of districts of Yaoundé, over 50% of people interviewed per district, had good knowledge of malaria and prevention measures but less than 50% applied good practices concerning malaria treatment and prevention. The amount spent annually by a household for vector control was CFAF 11,589 ± 1133 (US$21.87 ± 2.14) and CFAF 66,403 ± 4012 (US$125.29 ± 7.57) for malaria treatment.ConclusionThe study indicated that, despite good knowledge of malaria and prevention measures, few people apply good practices. More sensitization needs to be done to improve adherence to good practices concerning malaria prevention and treatment.
| S-EPMC6509831 | biostudies-literature