Vegetation Ecology

Una gestión inteligente del territorio se sustenta en tres ejes principales; el desarrollo sostenible, la gobernanza, y el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación. La geoinformación aporta valiosas herramientas y recursos para el estudio del espacio geográfico y la creciente disponibilidad de datos y metodologías de libre distribución mejoran nuestra capacidad para comprender el funcionamiento de los territorios y las relaciones entre sus componentes y actores. En la carrera de Lic. En Biología (FCyT- UADER) y dentro de esta la materia Sistemas de Información Geográfica brinda formación en el uso de geoinformación de libre distribución. En este contexto se propuso como estudio de caso la Cuenca del Arroyo “Ensenada” (Entre Ríos, Argentina). Este afluente del Río Paraná ocupa gran parte del Departamento Diamante, se extiende sobre una creciente matriz agrícola-ganadera, atraviesa núcleos urbanos, encontrándose próxima a espacios naturales protegidos como el PN-Predelta y el Sitio Ramsar Delta e Islas del Paraná. El objetivo del trabajo fue aplicar geoinformación y datos de terreno para delimitar la cuenca y caracterizar su cobertura del suelo y generar información de base para la gestión territorial. La metodología consistió en la integración de actividades de campo (datos de GPS) y de gabinete. La delimitación de la cuenca se realizó mediante la herramienta de “análisis de terreno” para el llenado de vacíos (algoritmo Wang y Liu) y para la delimitación de cuenca y red de drenaje, con el software SAGA Gis utilizando el MDE-Ar (IGN) (resolución espacial 5mts). La caracterización de la cobertura del suelo se realizó mediante el software SNAP (ESA), mediante la clasificación no supervisada (K-mean, 50 clases, 30 iteraciones, bandas 2,3,4,8) de una imagen Sentinel 2A-L1C del 19/09/2018, descargada del sitio Web de la ESA. Las clases espectrales se agruparon utilizando la herramienta de reclasificación de categorías de Grass (QGIS) en 5 clases temáticas, a las cuales se les estimó la superficie ocupada en la cuenca (76890 Ha): zonas urbanas o con superficie impermeabilizadas (2%), cuerpos y cursos de agua (1%), áreas de bosque (2%), pastizales (espontáneos y cultivados) (59%), y suelo desnudo o con baja cobertura (36%). La validación de la clasificación se realizó mediante una matriz de confusión con 65 puntos de GPS obtenidos en terreno. La confianza global de la clasificación fue de 68% (fiabilidad total =0,96), siendo las coberturas de zona urbana y bosque las de mayor precisión (EO=0,22; OC=0,125 y EO=0,08; OC=0,21 respectivamente). Se construyó cartografía temática derivada. Se generó de esta forma información de base que puede ser utilizada como insumo en la gestión ambiental y territorial de la cuenca estudiada.

Present state and future trend of pine forests of Malam Jabba, Swat district, Pakistan explored. We focused on vegetation composition, structure, diversity and forests dynamics. Thirteen stands were sampled by Point Centered Quarter method. Among all stands four monospecific forests of Pinus wallichiana attained highest density ha-1 except in one stand where Picea smithiana attained 401 trees ha-1. Unlike density, the basal area m 2 ha-1 of these stands varies stand to stand. Based on floristic composition and importance value index, five different communities viz Pinus wallichiana-Picea smithiana; Picea smithiana-Pinus wallichiana; Abies pindrow-Pinus wallichiana; Pinus wallichiana-Abies pindrow; Abies pindrow-Picea smithiana and 4 monospecific forests of Pinus wallichiana were recognized. Size class structure of forests showed marked influence of anthropogenic disturbance because not a single stand showed ideal regeneration pattern (inverse J shape distribution). Future of these forests is worst due to absence trees in small size classes. Gaps are also evident in most of the forest stands. Stand diversity, richness, equitability and Simpson's dominance values formulated on single stand basis. Diversity of Abies pindrow and Pinus wallichiana stand was highest because these stand occupied dominant species, while lowest diversity observed in some Pinus wallichiana and Picea smithiana stand as these stands have mark difference between the dominance of two species. In the monospecific forests, the diversity level was zero, suggesting the monopolization of resources by one species or elimination of other tree species in these stands.

The aim of this article is to introduce the dry grasslands of Europe and to report on the activities of Abstract the European Dry Grassland Group (EDGG), a network of dry grassland scientists and conservationists. Dry grassland are defined here as herbaceous vegetation types, mostly dominated by grasses,
that inhabit climatically or edaphically dry sites. They comprise zonal steppes, alpine dry grasslands above the timberline, azonal/extrazonal dry grasslands on sites where peculiarities of soil or relief prevent forest growth, and semi-natural dry grasslands derived from centuries of low-intensity land use. For most taxonomic groups, dry grasslands host a proportion of Europe’s biodiversity that by far exceeds their spatial distribution and some of them are the richest plant communities worldwide at spatial scales < 100 m². Today, both natural steppes and semi-natural dry grasslands of Europe are
highly endangered through transformation into arable fields, afforestation, land use intensification or abandonment, eutrophication or biotic invasions. The EDGG, with more than 800 members from over 50 countries, acts by facilitating information exchange, cooperation and joint projects towards
better understanding and more effective conservation of Europe’s dry grasslands. To this end, EDGG organises annual conferences and research expeditions, publishes an online electronic Bulletin, edits Dry Grassland Special Features in international journals, and plays an active role in the science policy interface.

Pack stock are often used in mountain environments and are grazed in uplands and wetlands, particularly subalpine wet meadows. Effects of pack stock on wetlandinvertebrates are unknown. Sequoia National Park, (Sierra Nevada, USA), was an ideal location for the study of lasting stock impacts on fauna, because a) there was an 18-year database of stock usage, b) there were meadows with little grazing that could be contrasted with grazed meadows,c) there is a long winter with no stock use, and d) the start of grazing for each meadow is controlled, so we could sample after greenup but just before stock arrived. Wecould thus address persistent conditions produced by many years of stock use in isolation from any potential short termimpacts. eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide.

Dhanbad city is the coal capital of India. The Dhanbad town is spread over an area of 23.39 sq. kms. Dhanbad is the only district in the Jharkhand state where participation in the non-agricultural sector is more than that in the agricultural sector. It is obviously due to availability of the coal resources has prompted extensive mining activity. The studies concern along the national highway vegetation lying in the Dhanbad district, Jharkhand state, India. Which possess highly valuable vegetation; these areas are covered with different habits types of vegetation like Tree, Small tree, Cactus tree, Fern, Shrub, Small shrub, Cactus shrub, Climber, Herb, Bulb, Grass, and Stem parasite. The study area in also rich in medicinal plants and economic importance. The assessment has resulted in the recording of 138 plant species belonging to Angiosperms, 2 plants to Pteridophytes and 2 plants to Gymnosperms. Among under 53 families and 121 genera during 21 May, 2013 to 30 June, 2014. For each species scientific name, family name and habit are provided. Out of 142 plants identified along the NH-2, Dhanbad district.