The Distribution of Woodland Isopods

“…This will allow the relation of metal tissue concentrations of woodlice to those metal fractions that have entered the saprophagous food web (Paoletti and Hassall 1999). The widespread occurrence of some isopod species and their restricted radius of activity facilitate the use of these animals in long-term biomonitoring (Brereton 1957). Overall, these features make some terrestrial isopod species ideal candidates for metal biomonitoring in natural, agricultural, and urban areas Hopkin et al 1993;Paoletti and Hassall 1999;Vilisics et al 2007), thus confirming the true potential of these animals to serve as ''vital signs'' in the assessment of soil environmental quality (Whitfield 2001).…”

Section: Hg Concentrations In Isopods Correlate With Soil Substrate Lmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite some critical views on such a ''biological'' concept of environmental monitoring (Cortet et al 1999;Sandoval et al 2001), it is generally agreed that certain species of terrestrial invertebrates lend themselves ideally as soil bioindicator systems of metal accumulation (Van Straalen 1998;Beeby 2001) provided that certain conceptual and procedural precautions are taken into consideration (Dallinger 1994;Hendrickx et al 2003). Some species of terrestrial isopods, such as Porcellio scaber and Oniscus asellus, seem to fulfil many of the criteria required for bioindication in terrestrial soil habitats based particularly on their accumulation of metallic trace elements belonging to the d 10 block of the periodic element table, e.g., zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) (Heikens et al 2001): The cellular and ecophysiological background for accumulation and sequestration of these metals in isopods is fairly known (Hopkin 1989;Dallinger 1993); their internal trace metal concentrations can often be related quantitatively to external metal levels observed in the soil habitats where they thrive Blanuš et al 2002); some isopod species, such as P. scaber, are nearly globally distributed over a wide range of climatic zones due to natural and man-made dissemination (Hopkin et al 1993;Slabber and Chown 2002); and, moreover, they can thrive in urban and densely populated industrial areas Vilisics et al 2007), exhibiting a rather sedentary lifestyle with a limited radius of activity (Brereton 1957).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Urban Mercury Contamination Detected by Bioindication With Terrestrial Isopods

Pedrini-Martha

Sager

Werner³

et al. 2012

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mercury (Hg) is a trace element with high toxicological impact on potential receptors, including human beings. Global Hg emissions are predicted to increase significantly during the next 40 years. After emission, the metal is transported by air currents and precipitations, leading to increasing depositions even in areas far from emission sources. In the terrestrial environment, Hg is subjected to redistribution and transformation into different inorganic and metal-organic species that are taken up by vegetation and soil organisms. In the present study, the woodlouse (Porcellio scaber) was used as a biological indicator of total Hg pollution in the city of Dornbirn (province of Vorarlberg), Austria. Woodlice were collected from 30 sampling points scattered over the city area, 25 of them situated within a rectangular transect crossing the city area from west-northwest to east-southeast, starting near the Rheintal motorway and ending at the slopes of the Bregenzer Wald hills. In addition to woodlice, soil substrate samples were collected at nine of the selected sampling points. Total Hg concentrations were measured in isopod tissues and soil substrate samples by means of an Hg analyzer. Total Hg concentrations in isopod tissues were significantly correlated with Hg soil contents (P < 0.05). Moreover, a gradient of increasing Hg concentrations was observed in isopod samples along the transect across Dornbirn, with the lowest concentrations detected in woodlouse samples near the Rheintal motorway and the highest levels toward the ascending slopes of the Bregenzer Wald hills. This gradient of increasing Hg concentrations across the city matches a concomitant increase in wet precipitations along the same direction, indicating that deposition by wet precipitation may be an important source for Hg contamination in the city of Dornbirn. Overall, the degree of Hg contamination across the study area can be regarded as rather low, i.e., comparable with concentrations observed in other, unpolluted terrestrial habitats. It is concluded that bioindication by total Hg analysis in woodlice can be applied to distinguish between different levels and sources of contamination in urban areas.

show abstract

“…As such, coral rag soils are usually shallow, porous, and have high contents of calcium (Brereton, 1957;Nowak & Lee, 2013). Farming in coral rag areas is laborious because mechanization and use of animal power remain impractical on shallow soils (Eilola et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“There Is No Cultivable Land Here”: Food Security and the Politics of Coral Rag Cultivation in Jibondo Island, Tanzania

Moshy

2017

Sage Open

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Jibondo Island is widely known as the most disadvantaged area in Mafia Island, Tanzania, where there is virtually no cultivable soil. The Island is mainly covered by coral rag, which has tended to serve as a dominant factor for explaining the seemingly absence of crop production in the area. Evidence suggests that most people in Jibondo are often food insecure than people in other villages which have conducive soils for crop production. This article employs a range of qualitative methods to analyze the narratives of various actors about food production in Jibondo. It is argued that while actors have tended to blame coral rag for constraining crop production, they must recognize and respond to other social-ecological factors to understand why crop production is problematic in the area. It is further argued that it is necessary to consider how changes in livelihood activities, land use changes, rainfall variability, soil erosion, changes in the marketing of fish and octopus as well as changes in various cultural traditions have also emerged as key constraining factors, which have often been overlooked. Furthermore, the article points out that it is necessary to show how different actors have contributed to the making and strengthening of coral rag-based explanations as a dominant narrative that continues to persist. The article concludes by pointing to the measures that are crucial for enhancing resilience of both food production and food security in changing social-ecological conditions.

show abstract

The Distribution of Woodland Isopods

Cited by 50 publications

References 0 publications

Seasonal changes in the daily rhythms of animals

Seasonal changes in the daily rhythms of animals

Patterns of Urban Mercury Contamination Detected by Bioindication With Terrestrial Isopods

“There Is No Cultivable Land Here”: Food Security and the Politics of Coral Rag Cultivation in Jibondo Island, Tanzania

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About