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Ephemeral Ponds (ephemeral + pond)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Life Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Avifauna associated with ephemeral ponds on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee

JOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Brett R. Scheffers
ABSTRACT Although ephemeral ponds act as small hotspots of plant, invertebrate, and salamander diversity, the importance of such ponds for birds has been little studied. We hypothesized that ephemeral ponds on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee would support a greater abundance, richness, and diversity of birds than the surrounding hardwood forests. In 2004, we recorded all birds seen or heard in 10 min within 50-m radius circles at 25 ephemeral ponds. We repeated the counts at control sites located 150 m from each pond in the surrounding forest. To quantify potential food availability, we captured aerial invertebrates using sweep nets at four points around a subsample of eight ephemeral ponds and at an equal number of control sites. We found significantly greater bird abundance, richness, and species diversity at ephemeral ponds than at control sites, and that pond area was not associated with either bird abundance or richness. Bird community composition at pond and control sites was similar. Aerial invertebrates were significantly more abundant at ephemeral ponds than at adjacent forest sites, providing one possible explanation for greater bird abundance at ephemeral ponds. SINOPSIS Aunque las charcas efímeras actúan como lugares claves para plantas, invertebrados y vertebrados como salamandras, la importancia de estas no ha sido objeto de estudio para aves. Pusimos a prueba la hipótesis de que charcas efímeras, sostendrían una mayor abundancia, riqueza y diversidad de aves que unos bosques secundarios encontrados en Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee. Durante el 2004 contabilizamos las aves observadas o escuchadas, durante un periodo de 10 minutos en círculos con radio de 50 m en 18 charcas efímeras. Como control, repetimos los conteos en los alrededores del bosque a distancias de 150 m de las charcas. Para cuantificar la disponibilidad potencial de alimentos, capturamos invertebrados aéreos utilizando redes de barrido en cuatro lugares como sub-muestras en ocho de las charcas y en un número similar de áreas con bosques. Encontramos un número significativo mayor de abundancia de aves, riqueza y diversidad de especies en las charcas efímeras que en los bosques. El área ocupada por las charcas no estuvo asociada ni a la riqueza o abundancia de aves. La composición de la comunidad de aves en las charcas y en los bosques resultó similar. La cantidad de invertebrados aéreos fue significativamente más abundante en las charcas que en los bosques adyacentes, lo que provee una explicación posible para la mayor abundancia de aves en las charcas. [source]

SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES OF AN EPHEMERAL POND SYSTEM IN SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA

JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000
M.R. Kokolis
The Grafton Ponds Natural Area is a 151 hectare preserve in York County, Virginia, approximately 56km north of the City of Norfolk. The preserve contains over 40 ephemeral ponds. These ponds which are filled seasonally by precipitation and groundwater discharge, are typically wet from late fall through late spring or early summer. Pond size varies from 0.1 to 2 ha, and depths range from 4 cm to 3 meters. The first phase of this study was to examine the physical and chemical characteristics of five of these ponds, including pond size and depth, inundation period, water temperature, pH, and phosphate and ammonium concentrations. The second phase, which is currently underway, is to examine the phytoplankton assemblages, relating differences in the phytoplankton populations to the varying physical and chemical characteristics of the ponds. To date, analysis indicates Chlorophytes and Cyanobacteria as dominant groups in the winter and spring with diatoms becoming more abundant in the late summer and fall. Periodic Dinoflagellate blooms also occur. Analysis also indicates rapid turnover of species from month to month. [source]