|
Great Antpitta
The great antpitta (''Grallaria excelsa'') is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is endemic to Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The great antpitta has two subspecies, the nominate ''G. e. excelsa'' ( Berlepsch, 1893) and ''G. e. phelpsi'' ( Gilliard, 1939). The great antpitta and the giant antpitta (''G. gigantea'') form a superspecies. Some authors have suggested that they are actually conspecific or that subspecies ''G. e. phelpsi'' belongs to the giant antpitta.Greeney, H. F., G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2024). Great Antpitta (''Grallaria excelsa''), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.greant2.02 retrieved August 31, 2024 Description ''Grallaria'' antpittas are a "wonderful group of plump and round antbirds whose feathers are often fluffed up...they have stout bills ndvery short tails". The great antpitta is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Antpitta
The giant antpitta (''Grallaria gigantea'') is a perching bird species in the antpitta family (Grallariidae). Rare and somewhat enigmatic, it is known only from Colombia and Ecuador. It is presumably a close relative of the similar undulated antpitta, ''G. squamigera'', which occurs to the south of ''G. gigantea''. The giant antpitta has three subspecies, one of which might be extinct.BLI 009/ref> Description ''G. gigantea'' is, as its name suggests, a huge antpitta. Length ranges from and weight is up to , which makes it easily the heaviest of all tracheophone suboscine birds – its nearest rival, the chestnut-throated huet-huet, is not known to exceed . Its back, wings, and the stubby tail are dusky olive-brown. The top of the head is pale to medium grey, running down to the neck. The remaining plumage is deep rufous-brown. The throat and breast feathers are black-edged, resulting in a dark barring in these regions. The bill is dark, strong and heavy; the eyes are likewise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Serranía Del Perijá
The Serranía del Perijá, Cordillera de Perijá or Sierra de Perijá is a mountain range, an extension of the eastern Andean branch ( Cordillera Oriental), in northern South America, between Colombia and Venezuela, ending further north in the Guajira Desert, a total distance of about . It separates the Maracaibo Basin from the Cesar-Ranchería Basin. Some of the area has been considered as a Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Geography Starting at the southernmost point, near Ocaña, Colombia, this mountain range forms the boundary between the Colombian departments of Norte de Santander and Cesar, and then as the range progresses north, it forms the international boundary between Venezuela ( Zulia State) and Colombia (Cesar Department). Included in the range are the Sierra Motilones, Sierra Valledupar, and Sierra Oca. The highest point is Cerro de Las Tetas at , followed by Cerro Irapa at , Serranía de Macuira at , and Cerro Aceite at . Montane moist forests cover the mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Extirpated
Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a change in the ecology of an area. It has sometimes been followed by a replacement of the species taken from other locations, such as with wolf reintroduction. Discussion Glaciation is one factor that leads to local extinction. This was the case during the Pleistocene glaciation event in North America. During this period, most of the native North American species of earthworm were killed in places covered by glaciation. This left them open for colonization by European earthworms brought over in soil from Europe. Species naturally become extinct from islands over time; this can be either local extinction if the species also occurs elsewhere, or in cases of island endemism, outright extinction. The number of species an island can support is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yacambú National Park
The Yacambú National Park () is a protected area with national park status in the South American country of Venezuela. It is located in the south of the Lara State, on the southern slope of the Portuguesa Mountain Range, which forms part of the mountain foothills of the Andes Mountains. It was created in 1962 with the purpose of protecting part of the Yacambú river basin, whose waters will feed the reservoir José María Ochoa Pilé, an ambitious project still under construction. The reservoir is of vital importance for water supply in the city of Barquisimeto and for economic development in the dry valleys of Quibor, where there is a protected area of sustainable use for agricultural purposes. It has a humid cloud forest vegetation in its highest parts, where trees such as bucare, araguaney and oak predominate. There are also 14% of the orchids known in the country, that is, about 60 species. Presence of mammals such as the araguato monkey, the deer matacan and caramerudo, cach ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. It is involved in data gathering and Data analysis, analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable". Over the past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates issues related to sustainable development in its projects. IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation. It tries to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and advice and through buildin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phorophytes. Epiphytes take part in nutrient cycles and add to both the diversity and biomass of the ecosystem in which they occur, like any other organism. In some cases, a rainforest tree's epiphytes may total "several tonnes" (several long tons). They are an important source of food for many species. Typically, the older parts of a plant will have more epiphytes growing on them. Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they grow on other plants for physical support and do not necessarily affect the host negatively. An organism that grows on another organism that is not a plant may be called an epibiont. Epiphytes are usually found in the temperate zone (e.g., many mosses, liverworts, lichens, and algae) or in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhizomorph
Mycelial cords are linear aggregations of parallel-oriented hyphae. The mature cords are composed of wide, empty vessel hyphae surrounded by narrower sheathing hyphae. Cords may look similar to plant roots, and also frequently have similar functions; hence they are also called rhizomorphs (literally, "root-forms"). As well as growing underground or on the surface of trees and other plants, some fungi make mycelial cords which hang in the air from vegetation. Mycelial cords are capable of conducting nutrients over long distances. For instance, they can transfer nutrients to a developing fruiting body, or enable wood-rotting fungi to grow through soil from an established food base in search of new food sources. For parasitic fungi, they can help spread infection by growing from established clusters to uninfected parts. The cords of some wood-rotting fungi (like ''Serpula lacrymans'') may be capable of penetrating masonry. The mechanism of the cord formation is not yet precisely un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Army Ant
The name army ant (or legionary ant or ''marabunta'') is applied to over 200 ant species in different lineages. Because of their aggressive predatory foraging groups, known as "raids", a huge number of ants forage simultaneously over a limited area. Another shared feature is that, unlike most ant species, army ants do not construct permanent nests; an army ant colony moves almost incessantly over the time it exists. All species are members of the true ant family, Formicidae, but several groups have independently evolved the same basic behavioural and ecological syndrome. This syndrome is often referred to as "legionary behaviour", and may be an example of convergent evolution. Most New World army ants belong to the genera ''Cheliomyrmex'', ''Neivamyrmex'', ''Nomamyrmex'', ''Labidus'', and ''Eciton''. The largest genus is ''Neivamyrmex'', which contains more than 120 species; the most predominant species is ''Eciton burchellii''; its common name "army ant" is considered to be t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mixed-species Feeding Flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species that join each other and move together while foraging. These are different from feeding aggregations, which are congregations of several species of bird at areas of high food availability. While it is currently unknown how mixed-species foraging flocks originate, researchers have proposed a few mechanisms for their initiation. Many believe that nuclear species play a vital role in mixed-species flock initiation. Additionally, the forest structure is hypothesized to play a vital role in these flocks' formation. In Sri Lanka, for example, vocal mimicry by the greater racket-tailed drongo might have a key role in the initiation of mixed-species foraging flocks, while in parts of the American tropics packs of foraging golden-crowned warblers might play the same role. Composition Mixed-species foragin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cloudforest
A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level, formally described in the ''International Cloud Atlas'' (2017) as silvagenitus. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and vegetation, in which case they are also referred to as mossy forests. Mossy forests usually develop on the saddles of mountains, where moisture introduced by settling clouds is more effectively retained. Cloud forests are among the most biodiversity-rich ecosystems in the world, with a large number of species directly or indirectly depending on them. Other moss forests include black spruce/ feathermoss climax forest, with a moderately dense canopy and a forest floor of feathermosses, including '' Hylocomium splendens'', '' Pleurozium schreberi'', and '' Pt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Venezuelan Coastal Range
The Venezuelan Coastal Range ( or ), also known as Venezuelan Caribbean Mountain System (), is a mountain range system and one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela, that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coast. The range is a northeastern extension of the Andes, and is also known as the Maritime Andes. It covers around 48,866 km2, being the 4th largest natural region in Venezuela. Geography The Coastal Range consists of two parallel ranges, which run east and west along the coast of the Caribbean Sea. The Cojedes River separates the western end of the Coastal Range from the Cordillera de Mérida to the southeast. The range is divided into eastern and western sections by the wide bay between Cape Codera and Cumaná. Serranía del Litoral—Serranía del Interior In the eastern section of the range, the parallel ranges are known as the Serranía del Litoral, which runs along the Caribbean coast, and the Serranía del Interior to the south ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aragua
Aragua State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains, jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular beaches are Cata and Choroni. It has Venezuela's first national park, Henri Pittier National Park. The capital is Maracay. Other important cities include Turmero and El Limón. Aragua State covers a total surface area of and, based on the 2011 census information, the estimated population of Aragua State in 2012 is 1,630,308 inhabitants. Etymology The name of the state comes from an indigenous word of Cumanagoto (Caribbean) origin, which is used to refer to the Chaguaramo, a type of palm from the region uotation requiredHowever, according to Carlos Blanco Galeno, a chronicler from Turmero, it derives from the Cariban ''aregua'', with the morphemes ''are'' ('site') and ''gua'', which in turn derives from ''ogun'' ('my thing'); so ''aregua'' would mean 'my place, my country'. This same word inspired ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
