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Impact of chemical fertilizers on diversity and abundance of soil-litter arthropod communities in coffee and banana plantations in southern Rwanda
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Few studies explored effects of chemical fertilizers on diversity and abundance of soillitter arthropods in the tropics. To fill this gap, a study focussed on the abundance of soil-litter arthropods and selected soil physicochemical properties in coffee plantations treated with chemical fertilizers and in plantations of coffee and banana treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches in southern Rwanda. Each land use was replicated three times. Soil-litter arthropods were collected using pitfall traps and hand collection. They were identified to the family level using dichotomous keys. Soil have been collected using auger and taken to the laboratory for the analysis of soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorus, and cation exchange capacity. Findings indicated a total of 12,945 individuals distributed into 3 classes, 16 orders, 50 families and 92 morphospecies, with higher abundance and diversity in coffee plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches. Collected soil-litter arthropods were mainly classified in the class Insecta, dominated in numbers by ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), while Coleoptera and Hemiptera had more families. However, soil under coffee plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches was acidic compared with the soil under coffee plantations treated with inorganic fertilizers and banana plantations treated with organic fertilizers and organic mulches. The relationships between soil-litter arthropods and soil physicochemical properties suggest that soillitter arthropods respond to the land use independently from soil physicochemical properties. We recommend further studies in coffee and other crop plantations in other regions of Rwanda to verify the findings of this study.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Preface: Emerging trends in aquatic ecology IV
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Our understanding of aquatic ecology and ecosystem functioning continuously improves. The special issues of Hydrobiologia on “Emerging Trends in Aquatic Ecology” each represent a collection of papers to testify to the variety of approaches and topics that concur in reaching the common aim to scientifcally underpin political and societal decisions to mitigate our impacts on our planet and its biodiversity.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Six new species of Elpidium Müller, 1880 (Podocopida: Limnocytheridae) from Eastern Brazil
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Elpidium is the most common ostracod genus occurring in phytotelmata in the Neotropical region, with distributions ranging from Florida, USA in the north to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in the south. However, the genus remains poorly known both in terms of diversity and of the distributional pattern of its species. Here, we describe six new species of Elpidium, E. oxumaen. sp., E. cordiforme n. sp., E. picinguabaensen. sp., E. eriocaularumn. sp., E. higutiaen. sp., E. puriumn. sp., all from phytotelm environments in the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. In addition, we discuss the distributional pattern and endemicity levels of Elpidium species in the light of these new taxonomic results and argue about possible misunderstandings on the distribution of the type species E. bromeliarum.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Evidence for Conductivity- and Macroinvertebrate-Driven Segregation of Ostracod Assemblages in Endorheic Depression Wetlands in North West Province of South Africa
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Our knowledge of the ecology of non-marine Ostracoda inhabiting endorheic wetlands (pans) of the semi-arid regions of South Africa is very scarce. The present study investigates the distribution of ostracod species in grass, open, and salt pans in the central part of the North West province and tests ostracod response to abiotic and biotic predictor variables operating at a local scale. Distance-based linear models revealed three variables (pan type, water electrical conductivity and abundance of macroinvertebrate predators, and collector-gatherers) that best explained variation in the ostracod dataset. Ostracod assemblages from the three studied pan types differed by the dominance structure rather than by the species composition. Salt pans with high conductivity and high ratio of predaceous macroinvertebrates were dominated by Heterocypris giesbrechti, with accessory presence of Plesiocypridopsis newtoni. In open pans with low conductivities and the lowest ratio of predators (but highest ratio of collector-gatherers) Potamocypris mastigophora was typically a dominant species, while in grass pans, all the three mentioned species had similar relative abundances. Although our findings lend provisional support to some models of ostracod assemblage diversity across different pan types, more studies replicating endorheic depression wetlands in other regions are required before generalizations can be made.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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On Caledromus robinsmithi, a new genus and species of Psychrodromini Martens, 2001 (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Herpetocypridinae) from New Caledonia (Pacific Ocean)
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The New Caledonian Archipelago is a hot spot for biodiversity and endemism. Whereas popular groups such as birds and plants are well-studied, invertebrate groups such as ostracods remain ill-known. Here, Caledromus robinsmithi gen. et sp. nov. is described from a single locality on ‘Grande Terre’, the main island of the archipelago. The new genus belongs to the Psychrodromini, one of the four tribes in the subfamily Herpetocypridinae (family Cyprididae). Caledromus gen. nov. can be distinguished from all other herpetocypridinids by a combination of the following factors: the absence of marginal septa in both valves, the mildly developed marginal valve structures, the small Rome organ on the A1, the total reduction of the five natatory setae on the A2, the rectangular second palp segment of the Mx1, the broad and asymmetrical palp on the female T1, the absence of additional postlabyrinthal coils in the Hp and the seta Sp of the CR which is a fixed spine. Because of the close similarity to the genus Psychrodromus, the new genus is thought to have Palaearctic affinities, contrary to other ostracod species in New Caledonia, which are either circumtropical or with Australian zoogeographical connections.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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On a new genus and four new species of the subfamily Cyprettinae (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Brazilian floodplains
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We describe the new genus Triangocypretta gen. nov. and four new species from Brazilian floodplains. Triangocypretta angustus gen. et spec. nov. and Triangocypretta labiata gen. et spec. nov. were described from the Amazon floodplain only, while Triangocypretta nates gen. et spec. nov. was described from Amazon, Araguaia, and Paraná River floodplains. Triangocypretta hirsuta gen. et spec. nov. was recorded from all four floodplains: Amazon, Araguaia, Pantanal and Paraná. The new genus is characterized by the triangular shape of the carapace in lateral view, the absence of teeth on the posteroventral inner list in the right valve and the presence of anterior marginal septa in both valves, as well as by the relatively short and thin α and β-setae on the mandibular palp. All populations found were asexual. Owing to the clear differences in valve anatomy and limb chaetotaxy as compared to species of Cypretta s.s., the four species were allocated to a new genus in the subfamily Cyprettinae.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Preface: Homage to Henri J. F. Dumont: a life in science
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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On a new tribe, genus and species of Cypricercinae McKenzie, 1971 (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Cyprididae) from New Caledonia (Pacific Ocean)
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The New Caledonian Archipelago is a hot spot for biodiversity and endemism. Here, we describe Lithocypris peyia gen. et spec. nov. Martens, Almeida & Higuti from a single locality (a lithotelma, or rockpool) on “Grande Terre”, the main island of the archipelago. The new genus belongs to the subfamily Cypricercinae and to the new tribe Lithocypridini trib. nov. based on the absence of a groove and anterior inner lists in the left valve, on several aspects of the chaetotaxy, of the prehensile palps and of the hemipenis, and on the fact that the Triebel’s Loop is situated in the dorsal branch of the attachment of the caudal ramus. Lithocypris gen. nov. can further be distinguished from the other genera in the subfamily by a combination of features: carapace elongated in lateral view and narrow in dorsal view, left valve with a weak ventral and posterior inner list only, antennule with both Wouters and Rome organs, maxillula with elongated and rectangular second palp segment and very short sideways directed bristles, first thoracopod with setae a, b and d present and with female palp short and plump, second thoracopod with setae d1 and d2 very short, third thoracopod with seta f missing and Zenker organ with a crown.
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In and out-of sequence event stratigraphy across the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary - A view from the shelf in S Belgium
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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Development and decease of the so-called Frasnian reefs in the Frasnian of Belgium
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
