Journal of Biodiversity and Ecological Sciences
Volume:5 Issue: 2, 2015

Success of most conservation efforts depends on availability of reliable scientific information on predation ecology, biology and population dynamics and habitat use of the concerned species. The evidence of evolutionary history suggests that ungulate communities act as determinant of large carnivore distribution and abundance across the distributional range in tropical forest. So carnivore density is positively related to pr ey abundance particularly wild ungulates and large wild ungulates with wider spatial distribution play a significant role in deciding the occurrence of large carnivores. Moreover, a threshold of prey abundance that determines poor or good quality of habita t reflecting the breeding possibility is important for developing necessary conservation action. Thus, reliable scientific information on the abundance of ungulate is critical for guiding large carnivore conservation action from local management interventi on to regional conservation planning in the various large carnivores occupied landscape. As obtaining reliable field techniques to estimate ungulate abundance is often a major challenge for field managers and biologists, particularly in various forests espe cially in tropics where ungulate numbers are depressed by hunting, this review article may augment the domain knowledge and helped to develop model based framework for estimation of prey species. After reviewing various studies across the globe on ungulate abundance estimation techniques, line transects techniques under distance based sampling method found to be more reliable and widely applicable with least precision. This critical review article also gave an insight on analytical progress of line transect based distance sampling method and their uses in various forest ecosystem.

The uncertainty analysis was done on the downscaling outputs using Large Scale Predictor Re-analysis NCEP and Had-CM3 GCM model. Uncertainty assessment in climate change downscaling is conducted by comparison with mean and variance between observed/historical and downscaled outputs. The evaluation was conducted to estimate the model error in terms of differences between the mean values of observed and downscaled outputs. The historical NCEP Large Scale Re-analysis data over 1975-2001 was used as observed data in error model. The results indicate the model error in the SDSM with the p-value higher than 0.05 which presents the similarity of two observed and simulated outputs. SDSM does not produce significant error of the rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature and evaporation for all the months over the year. In daily precipitation, temperature and evaporation downscaling at all the stations in Klang Watershed, the statistical downscaling model errors are insignificant in all the months as p-values at 5% significance level are found above 0.05 which means the model errors are insignificant at 95% confidence level. The parametric Wilicoxon test and non-parametric statistical levene ‘s test are used to estimate the equality of mean and variances between observed and downscaled data at 95% confidence level respectively. The results present that SDSM could produce a reliable downscaling model in Klang Watershed as the mean and variances of observed and downscaled of all the data are close together and the calculated P-values are above 0.05at 5% significant level which means the SDSM model errors are insignificant at 95% confidence level. Finally, all the results reveal that the observed data in the watershed considered as predictands are in a good regression to the large scale re-analysis NCEP in statistical downscaling model using SDSM software which simulates the related predictands with 95% confidence level.

The abundance and diversity of fungi was examined in three Forest Reserves in Southwestern Nigeria (Eda forest reserve in Ekiti State, Omo forest reserve in Ogun State and Akure forest reserve in Ondo State).The Fungi were also obtained and identified from five sample plots randomly picked (25×25m2) which was demarcated in each of the selected sit es. Fungi were collected manuall y, pictures were taken, and were preserved in 10mls of Formalin and 900g of distilled water for the two seasons (April and August). The result of the tree species index was calculated using Shannon weiner diversity index formula; the species evenness range too was calculated. A total of 18 identifiable species were collected and identified in the study areas for the month of April while a total of 16 species were collected for the month of August. The tree diversity index for Eda forest was the highest ( - 3 .28334) followed by Akure and Omo forest reserve which were - 3.28334 and - 2.25654 respectively. Eda forest reserve had the highest evenness range of 0.881935 followed by Akure forest reserve and Omo forest reserve which had 0.57666 and 0.34364 respectively . The forest habitat does not have effect on the species diversity of fungi and rainfall affects the occurrence and abundance of the fungi species present in the study areas. In view of the important role fungi play in the conservation of forest ecosystem, these fungi species should be cultured.

The study was carried out in Osun State, South - western part of Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used for the study; data was collected with pre - tested and validated questionnaires. The results revealed that farmers in the study area were predominantly male (90%). Land is mainly obtained through lease (46%) and inheritance (40%). Average farm size in the study area is 1.8 hectares. Most respondents were married and while 35% were between the age brackets of 50 years. Furthermore, 53% of the farmers have large family size of between 6 and 9 persons. Most farmers indicated adoption of agroforestry practice, owing to the numerous advantage accrue to the system (76%), while the various agroforestry practices identi fied are boundary planting (22%), home gardening (19%), improved fallow (17%), taungya farming (11%), retaining trees on farmland (11%) and shifting cultivation (4%). The introduction and promotion of agroforestry in the area would however not be a new ide a since farmers have been practicing the act of keeping trees together with food crops on their farms. However, poor forestry extension service, lack of technical knowhow, non - availability of improved seedlings, lack of incentives, trees casting shadows on crops were all identified as limitations to optimal adoption of agroforestry. However, addressing the various limitations to the adoption of agroforestry, there is need to initiate and integrate agroforestry extension service into Osun state Agricultural Development Agency (OSADEP) which will enable access to farmers on personal basis and allows for wider coverage to educate farmers on the intricacies of agroforestry system.

In the paper the results of the long - term field observations on frequency of occurrence, distribution and real state of conservation of macro fungi in Ukraine are summarized. The data concerning the assign of macro fungi from the Red Book of Ukraine to certain Ukrainian biosphere and nature reserves and national nature parks are presented. Special attention is devoted to the influence of a nthropogenic factors on macro fungi in the different types of vegetation. The modern trend in conservation of living beings directed on the widening of the protected organisms circle is reflected in proposals associated with the fungi-like myxomycetes.

The morphological variations between selected five Galium species from Libya, and the role of soil factors that affect their distribution in their natural habitats were investigated. Thirty - seven macromorphological characters (11quantitative, 26 qualitativ e) representing vegetative parts were subjected to numerical - taxonomic analysis. Five branches and clusters were distinguished; each was linked to a specific species. Representatives of these groups were clustered together according to characters with high factor loading in the Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The results showed congruence between the UPGMA clustering and PCA in suggesting five species groups. Seventeen soil factors were used in this assessment of soil factors responsible for the distri bution of the 5 species of Galium . Calcium and chloride ions content exhibited the most significant difference ( p= 0.05) among the five species groups, while the other examined soil variables showed no significant differences. The relationship between the e xamined soil variables and the studied populations of Galium species was assessed by Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Each of the studied species of Galium was affected by one or more of the examined soil parameters.

Microbial population control many of the crucial processes on which the very maintenance and survival of tropical forests depend. Microorganisms in the soil are strongly influenced by various chemical and physical factors, including nutrient availability, organic matter, soil moisture, temperature etc. Therefore in the present study we analyzed the spatiotem poral variation of microbial load and their relationship with important physicochemical characteristics of shola forest soils of tropical montane forest, Kerala, South India. The study revealed that there was a spatial and temporal variation of microbial l oad in the soils of shola forest. Shola soils were weakly acidic and the microbial load was characterized by high load of bacteria followed by fungi and actinomycetes. Bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes load was high during pre monsoon followed by post mo nsoon and monsoon period. The microbial load varied with important soil properties and there was significant (0.01 level) positive correlation between bacterial and fungal load with total organic carbon and NPK. Actinomycetes showed significant (0.01 level ) negative correlation with moisture content.

About one million hectares of lands in Khuzestan are salty and a great part of agricultural lands under cultivation of corn at the south of Khuzestan are located in this region. This investigation was conducted in a farm located in Ramhormoz in 2011 in order to investigate the interaction of iron nano and colophony hydrogel as a superabsorbent on the yield of grain corn (Zea Mays L.) and some chemical and nutritional properties of soil in rather salty soils in completel y randomize design with four treatments and four repetitions experimental treatments consisted of: first treatment: conventional farmers (control), second treatment: iron nano chelate fertilizer (10 kgha - 1 ), third treatment: super - absorbent polymer(40 kgha - 1 ), fourth treatment : second treatment third treatment. Results showed that the most increase in yield was obtained as a result of iron nano chelate consumption by 5517.667 kg/ha and the least increase was seen in control treatment by 4256.33 kgha - 1 .The results of data variance analysis showed that iron nano chelate treatment and the treatment of simultaneous consumption nano and superabsorbent has a remarkable impact on weight features of a thousand grains, grains in ear and grains in ear raw. Raw in ear and bush height features were not considerable under the treatments. Chemical properties of soil including saltiness, acidity and saturation percentage were not remarkable in tow depths, except for saturation percentage which showed a significant di fference, between superabsorbent treatment and control treatment in depth of 30 - 60 cm. All absorbable nutritional elements of soil were not considerable in the tow measured depths except phosphorus and manganese which showed remarkable difference in depth of 0 - 30 cm in level 5% of Duncan test. According to the results of this test and of nano and superabsorbent has a remarkable impact on weight features of a thousand grains, grains in maize and grains in maize raw. Raw in maize and bush height features were not considerable under the treatments. Chemical properties of soil including saltiness, acidity and saturation percentage were not remarkable in two depths , except for saturation percentage which showed a significant difference Between superabsorbent tr eatment and control treatments in depth of 30 – 60 cm. All absorbable nutritional elements of soil were not considerable in the two measured depths except phosphorus and manganese which showed remarkable difference in depth of 0– 30 cm in level 5% of Duncan t est. According to the results of this research and computation of expenses of materials used in the test it is suggested to use iron nano chelate fertilizer in order to gain better yield in grain maize.