Botanical Composition

There are few detailed analyses of the building materials used in bird nests. This study was part of a project on interrelations between northern Patagonian plants and birds. Nests of two hummingbird species distributed in the Andean portion of southern South America: the Green‐backed Firecrown Sephanoides sephaniodes and the White‐sided Hillstar Oreotrochilus leucopleurus, were collected along a precipitation gradient in northwestern Patagonia (Argentina). Nest morphology, structure, and composition (mostly botanical in origin) were analysed. Plants used as building materials are presented for each nest, arranged by location. The main structural materials were mosses (especially those with falcate leaves) entangled with spider web. Nests were concealed in their environments by the presence of mimetic material on the outer layer (spider cocoons, leprose lichens, feathers, and hairs). Soft material was the main component of the lining (pappi, feathers, spider web, and manufactured cotton). The variety of nesting materials decreased along the precipitation gradient, while the main structural components are generally fixed.

This research was conducted to determine the most suitable improvement methods applicable in pastures of the central Black Sea Region. A natural pasture in Salur Village of Ladik Town was used. Fertilizer (10 kg/da N+8 kg/da P205), soil aeration, herbicide, broadcast seeding, deep cutting and some combinations of them were chosen and applied as pasture improvement methods in 1996-1998. The results indicated that deep cutting and herbicide application had different effects on hay and protein yields according to year. None of the methods affected the botanical composition of the pasture. Hay yield and botanical composition of the pasture were significantly different among the experiment years. In the second and third years of the experiment, higher hay yield and higher grass and legume percentages were produced than in the first year. According to the average data of the 3-year experiment the least hay yield (367 kg/da) was obtained from control (untreated) plots, the highest yield (5...

Abstract: We sampled 22 black spruce (Picea mariana) – feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi) sites (80 to >200 years) to describe and assess the diversity of bryophyte and lichen communities as a function of time since fire and site char-acteristics. Old growth had no ...

Botanical and particle size compositions of the feces of sympatric Mongolian gazelles, sheep/goats, and horses collected in southern Mongolia in autumn 2002 were analyzed. The botanical composition of Mongolian gazelles was similar to that of sheep/goats where dicotyledonous plants (64.6% for Mongolian gazelles, 65.6% for sheep/goats), particularly woody fibers were important (39.5% for Mongolian gazelles, 19.5% for sheep/goats). In contrast, horse feces were exclusively composed of graminoids (93.2%). Consequently, food overlap was great between Mongolian gazelles and sheep/goats (Pianka’s index: 0.977) but was small between Mongolian gazelles and horses (0.437) and sheep/goats and horses (0.421). Particle size distributions were also similar between Mongolian gazelles and sheep/goats, whereas they were different between horses and Mongolian gazelles and horses and sheep/goats. These results support our expectation based on the Jarman-Bell principle. Although interspecific competition cannot be inferred from a mere food overlap, our analyses suggest that sheep and goats are potential competitors for Mongolian gazelles. Therefore, the increase in the numbers of domestic sheep/goats might pose a risk for Mongolian gazelle populations.

Fodder provision in species-rich grasslands, i.e. herbage growth, proportion of leaf, and leaf and stem digestibility, is difficult to predict for short periods of time, such as between two defoliations or less. The value of two methods based on plant traits for evaluating these agronomic properties was examined. One method is based on plant trait measurements on the plant community (leaf dry matter content, plant height, flowering date); the other is on vegetation composition expressed as plant functional types (acquisitive versus conservative PFTs) established by measuring leaf dry matter content on pure grass stands. The experiment consisted of 18 fields with three different defoliation regimes (combinations of cutting and grazing) and two levels of fertilization. To establish a growth curve over the first growth cycle, herbage was sampled about 10 times in spring. Coefficients of correlation between agronomic properties of the vegetation and its functional composition were highe...

Natural pastures of Rio Grande do Sul State, South of Brazil, have low forage productivity in the autumn-winter. An alternative to improve systems based on these pastures is introduction of winter forage species, fertilization and liming of soil. The present work had the objective of evaluating the effect of phosphorus sources, lime and introduction of winter forage species in the pasture botanical composition dynamics. The treatments used were: T1 – simple superphosphate + lime + winter forage species introduction; T2 - triple superphosphate + lime + winter forage species introduction; T3 - triple superphosphate + winter forage species introduction; T4 - Gafsa rock phosphate + winter forage species introduction; T5 - winter forage species introduction without phosphorus and lime; T6 – reference only with natural pasture. To evaluate the botanical composition dynamics, periodic botanical evaluations were done during twenty two months, using BOTANAL method. The results showed that tr...

Forage production was determined for the gramineae Brachiaria dictyoneura, B. brizantha (cv. Toledo) and B. ruziziensis x B. brizantha (cv. Mulato) as monocrops as well as in association with the legume Arachis pintoi. Experimental design was completely random blocks with four replications. Measured variables included forage dry matter production; growth rate; botanical and morphological composition; tiller density; and tiller weight.

The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine if a correlation exists between rumen odd and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFA, i.e., C(15:0), iso C(15:0), anteiso C(15:0), C(17:0), iso C(17:0), anteiso C(17:0), and C(17:1)), uracil, and purine bases (PB), 2) to evaluate the potential of milk OBCFA secretion to predict duodenal flow of microbial protein in lactating cows, 3) to evaluate the accuracy of the latter prediction equations using an independent data set, and 4) to determine whether these predictions were more accurate than predictions based on dry matter intake (DMI) and dietary characteristics. In the first experiment, 4 lactating dairy cows arranged in a 4 x 4 Latin square were offered diets based on grass silages of different botanical composition and a standard concentrate. The relationship between rumen pool size of OBCFA and microbial matter was investigated. Rumen pool size of microbial matter (g), determined 4, 12, and 17 h after feeding, using uracil and PB as...

The objective of this study was to measure growth, covering and chemical composition of native vegetation under two grazing systems. Goats and sheep with an esophageal fistula were used to collect forage intake samples under rotational and continuous grazing systems. Changes in dry matter, vegetation cover and botanical composition were monitored. Dry matter values changed from 30 to 471 kg

Several broad conclusions which can be drawn from the work that was accomplished during the first 3-year phase of the study is described. In prairie ecosystems dominated by Câ grasses, it is likely that elevated atmospheric COâ will increase ecosystem level productivity, with a greater increase in belowground productivity. The increased productivity will primarily result from increased water use efficiency

This research has been made to investigate the accessibility of the disabled people living in Ankara to the built environment and their problems and priorities with respect to participation to urban life and to what extent they can share urban life. The study made on the basis of a survey covers visually-impaired and walking-impaired people as well as those dependent on wheelchairs. The evaluations have provided information relevant to the problems that the disabled people face with respect to accessibility to the built environment, their usage of the built environment and participation to social life and their priorities in this respect. Findings of the research show that the disabled people face many physical barriers in accessing the built environment, that the barriers existing in the urban environment limit the individual's independent movement on his/her own and that this hinders disabled people's social communication and causes them feel excluded. It is expected tha...

Diet selection patterns can have a strong influ- ence on botanical composition in grasslands. This study examined responses in plant selec- tivity of a preferred ( Themeda triandra ) and non- preferred ( Chrysopogon fallax ) perennial grass to a change in pasture condition in a monsoon tall- grass community in northern Australia. Two con- trasting pasture condition classes were defined: State I — dominated by palatable tussock peren- nial grasses; State II — dominated by less palat- able tussock perennial grasses, annual grasses and forbs. Themeda was selected actively by cattle in all seasons, except in the late dry. Pasture condition interacted with season of grazing to alter signifi - cantly the selectivity for Themeda . In the early and late wet seasons, selection for Themeda was significantly greater in State II than in State I. As the proportion of Themeda decreases (State I to State II), additional selection pressure is placed on the remaining plants, which is likely to haste...

This study was carried out to assess the effect of season, elevation, bush encroachment and location on the condition of the rangelands in Borana. A survey was conducted during the long and short rainy seasons of 1998 at a time when most grass species were at full fl owering stage on a government ranch and 6 communal grazing areas. Each of the study areas covered 3 elevation zones: low (1250–1500 m), medium (1500–1650 m) and high (1650–2000 m). The assessment of range condition was based on the botanical composition of the herbaceous layer, basal cover, litter cover, relative number of seedlings, size distribution of dominant grasses and soil condition. The overall results showed that season, bush encroachment and location of the rangeland had signifi cant effects on condition of the rangelands. Overall range condition scores were higher during the long rainy season than in the short rainy season and in range sites that were not affected by bush encroachment. Moreover, the total ran...

This research was conducted on the Uluyayla Rangeland in Bartin Region. The aim of the study were to determine botanical composition, canopy coverage, rangeland quality degree and some soil properties such as texture, bulk density, organic matter content, pH and CaCO3 content. In the event that the current grazing management causes degradation in range vegetation of case area, the rehabilitation measures will be proposed to the preserve their quality. The area is almost 150 ha with an altitude of 1060 m. According to Tornthwaite method, climate of the area is humid, mesothermal (B2B1rb4'). A total of 93 plant species was recorded (17 grasses, 10 legumes, 66 other species). Some botanical characteristics and quantitative analysis of range vegetation (frequency, botanical composition, and canopy coverage) were determined by using the transect method. Botanical composition was 34.17% grasses, 14.36% legumes and 51.47% other plant families. The range condition score was determined ...

The main objective of this study was to calibrate a commercial capacitance probe for measuring pasture dry matter yields under Mediterranean conditions. The standard method of assessing pasture biomass is based on cutting all the forage within a specified area and requires great effort and expense to collect enough samples to accurately represent a pasture. The field tests were carried out in 2007, 2008 and 2009 on different dates (phenological stages), and on five dairy farms, representing typical pastures in the region (grasses; legumes; and bio-diverse flora, mixture of grasses, legumes and others species). The linear regression techniques used in 2007 to relate the weight of the herbage (direct measurements) to the meter reading of capacitance (indirect measurements) led to high regression coefficients in grasses (R2 = 0.90; P < 0.01) and heterogeneous botanical composition (R2 = 0.87; P < 0.001) and moderate regression coefficient in legumes species (R2 = 0.48; P < 0.05). The validation of the calibration equations in 2008 and 2009 in two sites showed RSME values of 130 kg ha−1 in heterogeneous botanical composition and 456 kg ha−1 in legumes. The results indicated that the capacitance probe together with a GPS receiver might support site-specific management of pastures which would be useful in large areas.