Biodiversity

Se realizó la observación in situ del comportamiento social y de forrajeo en aves de la familia Laridae y Fregatidae en tres zonas delimitadas en el Puerto Pesquero Artesanal de Anconcito entre mayo y julio de 2016, identificándose como especies abundantes a Fregata magníficens y Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus. El análisis cualitativo de las características morfofisiológicas observadas se contrastó con la bibliografía consultada; puntualizando que el comportamiento innato y adquirido tienen protagonismo en su patrón fijo y/o variable de conducta social. Por otra parte, el análisis cuantitativo de las variaciones de cantidad de aves y parámetros físicos registrados determinó la influencia antropogénica en la técnica de forrajeo oportunista y cleptoparasitistaThe observation was performed in situ about social conduct and foraging of the following families: Laridae and Fregatidae in three areas defined in The Artisanal Fishing Port Anconcito between May and July 2016. Identifying the sp...

Abstract: Food habits of golden jackal (Canis aureus) and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) were investigated using scat analysis between November 2010 and June 2011 in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Western India. Total 104 scats of golden jackal and 86 scats of striped ...

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

The present study attempts to understand the seasonal and spatial variations in the physico-chemical (temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients) and productivity characteristics of the northern Arabian Sea off the Indian coast. Samples were collected from four different sites off the Veraval coast. The values of the physical and chemical variables were higher during the summer season, whereas nutrient concentrations were high during the winter season due to the maturity of intake nutrients during post-monsoon and winter convective mixing during the northeast monsoon. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was strongly and positively correlated with the net primary productivity (NPP) and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) content to support productivity along the region. Dissimilarity in study variables was observed between the inshore and offshore locations. Principal component analysis revealed a strong relationship between nutrients and productivity variables (Chl-a and NPP). Nutrient levels were high at inshore sites, which can be attributed to the heavy nutrient load from land-based anthropogenic activities and impact due to natural processes like water mixing, sedimentation, and wave activities. Nutrients were strongly and positively correlated with the productivity variables, i.e., Chl-a and NPP. Chl-a positively correlated with NPP (r = 0.90), which indicates that it is a principle productivity pigment in the marine ecosystem.

This article reviews critical linkages between land-use transition and human health in the Himalayan region by applying ecosystem approaches to human health (or EcoHealth). Land-use transition in the Himalayan and similar regions includes sedentarization, agricultural intensification, habitat modification, migration, change of livelihoods and lifestyles, biodiversity loss, and increasing flash floods. These transitions, which can have impacts on human health, are driven by state policies, a market economy, and climate change. Human health is dependent on access to ecosystem services for food, nutrition, medicine, fiber and shelter, fresh water, and clear air. Ecosystem management has been a key means of controlling disease vectors and creating suitable habitats for human well-being. The paper identifies the web of environmental factors that influence human health. Institutional and policy issues for land-use and health transitions are also discussed.

The seed filling is a functional consequence of two parallel processes: increasing of water content (incorporates substances and serves as a reaction medium in seeds) and increasing of dry matter content (by absorption and polymerisation). The increase of seed weight was occurring up to the moment of maximal polymerisation, when seed started to release water to get into a dormant stage. The aim of this experiment was to examine dynamics of free, hygroscopic and constitution water during seed filling in four populations and six ZP hybrids of maize, as well as, their correlation with phytic and inorganic phosphorus, as well as, soluble proteins. The dominant water form present during the seed filling was free water. Decreasing of its content occurred 30 days after pollination, while the period of maximum seed weight maintenance was observed more in hybrids than in populations. Moreover, the period of intensive seed filling was longer hybrids than in populations. The dynamics of hygros...

Copahue is an acidic geothermal volcanic region in the northwest corner of Neuquén Province, Argentina. In the area, there are various ponds, pools and hot springs with different temperatures, pH values and levels of anthropogenic influence. In this study, the prokaryotic biodiversity of five representative ponds was studied by using two complementary molecular ecology techniques: phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA bacterial and archaeal genes and FISH (or CARD-FISH) for quantitative estimation of biodiversity. The results, supported by multivariate statistical analysis, showed that the biodiversity in Copahue ponds seemed to be determined by temperature. High temperature ponds were dominated by archaea, mainly apparently novel representatives from the orders Sulfolobales and Thermoplasmatales that had no close cultivated relatives. By contrast, moderate temperature ponds were colonised by well-characterised sulphur-oxidising bacteria related to acidic environments, such as other geothermal sites or acid mine drainage, and archaea were absent. By combining the biodiversity results from this study and the reported physicochemical features of Copahue, a preliminary model of the possible biogeochemical interaction was outlined for moderate and high temperature ponds.

A novel thermoacidophilic archaeal strain has been isolated from three geothermal acidic hot springs in Copahue, Argentina. One of the most striking characteristic of ALE1 isolate is its metabolic versatility. It grows on sulphur, tetrathionate, iron (II) and sucrose under aerobic conditions, but it can also develop under anaerobic conditions using iron (III) or sulphur as electron acceptors and sulphur or hydrogen as electron donors autotrophically. A temperature of 75 °C and a pH between 2.5 and 3.0 are strain ALE1 optimal growth conditions, but it is able to oxidise iron (II) even at pH 1.0. Cells are irregular cocci surrounded by a regularly arrayed glycoprotein layer (S-layer). Phylogenetic analysis shows that strain ALE1 belongs to the family Sulfolobaceae in the class Thermoprotei, within the phylum Crenarchaeota. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity on NCBI database, ALE1 does not have closely related relatives, neither in culture nor uncultured, which is more surprising. Its closest related species are strains of Acidianus hospitalis (91 % of sequence similarity), Acidianus infernus (90 %), Acidianus ambivalens (90 %) and Acidianus manzanensis (90 %). Its DNA base composition of 34.5 %mol C+ G is higher than that reported for other Acidianus species. Considering physiological and phylogenetic characteristics of strain ALE1, we considered it to represent a novel species of the genus Acidianus (candidatus "Acidianus copahuensis"). The aim of this study is to physiologically characterise this novel archaea in order to understand its role in iron and sulphur geochemical cycles in the Copahue geothermal area and to evaluate its potential applications in bioleaching and biooxidation.

Two acidic hot springs close to the crater of Copahue Volcano (Neuquén, Argentina) are the source of the Río Agrio. The river runs several kilometres before flowing into Caviahue Lake. Along the river, temperature, iron, other metal and proton concentrations decrease gradually with distance downstream. From the source to the lake and depending on the season, pH can rise from 1.0 (or even less) to about 4.0, while temperature values decrease from 70°C to 15°C. Water samples were taken from different stations on the river selected according to their physicochemical parameters. In order to assess prokaryotic biodiversity throughout the water column, different and complementary molecular biology techniques were used, mainly in situ hybridisation and 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing. All microorganisms found are typical of acidic environments. Sulphur-oxidizing bacteria like Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus albertensis were detected in every station. Moderately thermophile iron-and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria like members of Alicyclobacillus and Sulfobacillus genera were also ubiquitous. Strict iron-oxidizing bacteria like Leptospirillum and Ferrimicrobium were present at the source of the river, but disappeared downstream where iron concentrations were much lower. Iron-oxidizing, mesophilic Ferroplasma spp. were the main archaea found. The data presented in this work represent the first molecular assessment of this rare natural acidic environment.

BackgroundThe Nature Step to Respiratory Healthwas the overarching theme of the 12th General Meeting of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) in Helsinki, August 2018. New approaches are needed to improve respiratory health and reduce premature mortality of chronic diseases by 30% till 2030 (UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). Planetary health is defined as the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends. Planetary health and human health are interconnected, and both need to be considered by individuals and governments while addressing several SDGs.ResultsThe concept of the Nature Step has evolved from innovative research indicating, how changed lifestyle in urban surroundings reduces contact with biodiverse environments, impoverishes microbiota, affects immune regulation and increases risk of NCDs. The Nature Step calls for strengthening connections to nature. Physical activity in natural environments should b...

The present checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Ambon is the first comprehensive overview of ant species recorded on the island during the last 150 years. The species list is based on literature and museum collections' records combined with data from our field survey in 2010. In total, there are 74 ant species and subspecies representing 34 genera and six subfamilies known from Ambon. Five of the species found in undisturbed forest were exotic and indicate the overall habitat degradation on the island. The largest proportion of Ambon ant fauna are species with affinities to the Oriental region and species of Oriental-Austro-Melanesian origin. At least 20% of the species are regional endemics. In comparison to other islands in the region, the Ambon fauna seems more diverse and better sampled; however it is clear that a large part of it still remains to be described.

Marine species are usually transported from one area to another by the ballast water used to provide safe operation for vessels. After entering a new environment, they may cause damage to the local ecosystem, leading to the disruptions of the entire marine ecosystem, and seriously affecting not only biodiversity but also several industries such as fishing and aquaculture. Therefore, the United Nations (UN) considers the presence of non-indigenous oceanic species to be one of the top four serious threats to the global environment; and, how to effectively control the non-indigenous aquatic species has captivated the special attentions of several scientists worldwide. With the significant development in the maritime industry, strict requirements the control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments set by The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) have well shaped the trend in installing ballast water treatment systems. Among them, Optimarin Ballast System is pre...

In the rural areas of western India many livelihoods depend on the income earned from non-timber products from forest species (NTFPs) both wild and domesticated. Due to unsustainable market pressures some of the forest species that provide these NTFPs have come to near extinction. Enforcing a ban on the collection of these species is however not a desirable policy option because the use of these species is important in the provision of income, nutrition and food security and has high cultural value. The linkage of growers and collectors to the market for these products has been weak and inequitable, increasing the pressure on these species. A holistic approach is therefore proposed which includes both in-situ and ex-situ conservation strategies, as well as the re-governance of the market chain. Such a model necessitates the active collaboration of government agencies, NGO's, and private market intermediaries along with R&D institutional support. While international organisations are working on these models, some components of it are already in place in some locations. This paper presents the findings of a study undertaken in two hotspots for Garcinia indica, an underutilized fruit important in the south of India and uses the differences between the two sites in order to derive suitable policy recommendations. It compares two cases, one in which the model is (partially) in place and a second where this is not the case. The study highlights the institutional and marketing aspects that play a significant role in linking growers to markets more effectively and sustainably.

Background Urbanization will increase in the next decades, causing the loss of green areas and bird diversity within cities. There is a lack of studies at a continental scale analyzing the relationship between urban green areas, such as parks and cemeteries, and bird species richness in the Neotropical region. Bird diversity-environment relationships in urban parks and cemeteries may be influenced by latitudinal gradients or species-area relationships. However, the seasonal variation of species diversity- environment has not been analyzed at a continental scale in the Neotropics. Methods Bird surveys were conducted in 36 cemeteries and 37 parks within 18 Neotropical cities during non-breeding and breeding seasons. Bird diversity was assessed through Hill numbers, focusing on species richness, the effective number of species derived from Shannon index and the Simpson index. Environmental variables included latitude, altitude, and local scale variables such as area size, habitat diver...

Ukrainian biologists arranged a short entomological expedition to Albania in May 2021. Many interesting Cerambycidae species were collected. An annotated list of species is presented below. A new subspecies Tetrops (s. str.) praeustus skrylnyki ssp. n. is described.

The freshwater Asiatic clam Corbicula fluminea is one of the most successful introduced bivalves in the world and, due to its high invasiveness; it can also be a potential vector for diseases and parasites, including fungi. With the aim of filling the gap in knowledge of any mycological information regarding this clam, we report the first characterization of the fungal communities associated with three populations of C. fluminea collected from three tributaries of the Ticino River (Lombardy, Northern Italy). By means of a culturable mycological analysis, 110 specimens were investigated and 83.6% of them yielded the isolation of 13 fungal species. Differences in timing of fungal development, distribution of taxa in the basin, abundance and frequency of the fungal community were highlighted. Four species were occasional, with a frequency of less than 5%, while another five species showed a frequency of almost 20%, locally reaching 40%. In particular, we highlighted: a) the presence of...

Biogeographical studies are a necessary step in establishing conservation area networks. Determining the ecological factors influencing vegetation is also a basic principle for hierarchical ecological classifications and a necessary prerequisite for ecosystembased land use planning. Eco-floristic sectors (EFS) have already been identified for the Indonesian island of Sumatra, combining both approaches, dividing it into 38 EFSs representing unique ecosystems in terms of tree flora and environment (Laumonier 1997). The impact of deforestation on individual EFSs has been highly varied and in some cases extreme. We assigned one of five 'extinction risk categories' to each EFS based on the percentage of forest lost between 1985 and 2007. Eighty-five percent of all forest loss (10.2 million ha) occurred in the eastern peneplain, western lowland regions and swamps. In 2007, only 29% of forests were protected by conservation areas, only nine of the 38 EFS had more than 50% of their remaining forest cover protected. 38% of remaining forest was ''critically endangered'', ''endangered'' or ''vulnerable'' EFSs (5 million ha) but only 1 million ha (20%) were protected.

Our 2007 book publication "Seashells of Southern Florida-Bivalves" reported on 379 nominal extant bivalve species in the Florida Keys. Bivalve research has remained an active field and this taxonomic update addresses 196 of these nominal species, many of which have undergone generic reallocations, synonymies, or reidentifications. A list of additional species newly recorded for the Keys is provided. Prior statements about synonyms and geographic ranges are revised in view of updated information. New nomenclatural actions and taxonomic decisions include: Modiolus americanus Leach, 1815 is a nomen protectum; its subjective senior synonym, Musculus papuanus Röding, 1798, is a nomen oblitum. Cytherea fulminata Menke, 1828 (currently Jasypitar fulminatus) is a nomen protectum; its subjective senior synonym, Venus holosericea Gmelin, 1791, is a nomen oblitum. Evidence is provided that Parahyotissa mcgintyi Harry, 1985 (currently in Hyotissa) qualified as a nomen protectum when Huber synonymized it in 2010 under the nomen oblitum Mytilus roseus Gmelin, 1791. Evidence is provided that Anomia simplex d'Orbigny, 1853 qualified as a nomen protectum when Huber synonymized it in 2010 under the nomen oblitum Anomia acontes J.E. Gray, 1850. Euvola marshallae Petuch and Myers, 2014 is a junior subjective synonym of Pecten (Amusium) marensis Weisbord, 1964. Brachidontes noronhensis Quintanilha, Fernandes, Guerra, Campos, and Weber, 2022, introduced as a "new name," is a nomen nudum. The declarations of nomina protecta/oblita in Huber's 2010 Compendium of Bivalves did not fulfill the requirements of the 1999 ICZN Code. Huber's works in 2010 and 2015 included misinterpretations of the 1999 ICZN Code, leading to numerous incorrect decisions on name priority. The 1968 Ph.D. dissertation of Stuardo is an unpublished work in the sense of the ICZN; subsequent use of the included Limidae manuscript names by Huber (2010, 2015) did not make them available.

Members of the small bivalve family Cyrenoididae inhabit brackish waters of the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean. Cyrenoida floridana (Dall, 1896) from the western Atlantic is poorly known aside from shell descriptions. A detailed shell and anatomical study of C. floridana is here presented and compared with available data for Cyrenidae and Glauconomidae, two families of closest relationship according to recent phylogenetic studies. The species is characterized by valves externally covered by thin light brown periostracum; muscle scars and pallial line (without sinus) weakly impressed on the internal shell surface; a unique hinge pattern composed of cardinal and lateral teeth joining each other, right hinge with two laterals and two cardinals forming two inverted-V-shaped teeth and left hinge with two cardinals and one lateral forming a horizontal reversed F-shaped tooth; and microtubules inside the shell walls. Anatomically, the species presents unequal adductor muscles; demibran...

In 2017, a minimum of 8.5 million mollusk lots representing some 100 million specimens were held by 86 natural history collections in the U.S. (81) and Canada (5). Of these, 6.2 million lots representing 70 million specimens were cataloged (73%), another 2.3 million lots were considered quality backlog awaiting cataloguing, and 4.5 million lots (53% of the total) had undergone some form of data digitization. About 1.1 million (25%) of the digitized lots have been georeferenced, albeit with different approaches to accuracy and uncertainty. Fewer than 25% of collections, mainly larger ones, claim to be fully Darwin Core compliant. There are 35,000 primary type lots and 66,000 secondary type lots, representing 1.6% of cataloged lots. About 87% of lots are dry and 13% are fl uid preserved, with less than 0.3% frozen. The majority of lots are gastropods (71%) and bivalves (26%). By habitat, 54% of lots are marine, 26% terrestrial, 19% freshwater, and 1% brackish. About 43% of marine and 57% of non-marine holdings are from North America including the Caribbean. Solem (1975), in a previous survey of U.S. and Canadian malacological collections, reported 3.74 million lots of which 775,000 (21%) were uncataloged backlog, and suggested that backlog was growing at a faster rate than specimens were being cataloged. Since then the overall size of mollusk collections has grown by 227% and cataloged lots by 208%, but quality backlog has grown by 300%, confi rming Solem's extrapolation. Solem noted that the eight largest collections held 78% of the lots, but in 2017 the eight largest (now with a slightly different composition) held only 63.5% of the lots, refl ecting substantial growth of small and mid-sized collections, and the larger number of institutions that we surveyed. Solem reported a substantial gap between large collections (160,000 lots; AMNH, ANSP, BPBM, DMNH, FMNH, LACM, MCZ, UF, UMMZ, USNM) and mid-sized ones (35,000-75,000 lots; ChM, FWRI, Hefner, HMNS, SDNH, NCSM, SIO-BIC, UCM, UWBM, YPM), but seven collections now fall in the range of 76,000 to 160,000 (CM, BMSM, CASIZ, CMNML, INHS, OSUM, and SBMNH), and two have jumped to the large category (UF and DMNH). Often overlooked is Solem's conclusion that mollusk collections in the United States and Canada are second only to insect collections for number of specimens, which is still true. Because there are far fewer species of mollusks than insects, mollusks have more specimens per species, averaging 1,100 in our survey, almost ten times what Solem reported for insects and approaching what he reported for fi sh. Bivalvia may have as many as 2,400 specimens/species, which makes them among the best-sampled classes of metazoans. The high number of specimens/species among mollusk and fi sh collection makes them well-suited for environmental studies that track faunal change over time and space.

Recent collections from a shipwreck in ~30 m depth off the Florida Keys recovered an exceptionally large gryphaeid oyster that was identified on morphological grounds as Hyotissa hyotis (Linnaeus, 1758), a common constituent of Indian and Pacific Ocean near-shore faunas. This identification was confirmed by molecular characterisation: the Florida specimen had an almost identical large mitochondrial ribosomal subunit (16S) genotype to that obtained from a western Pacific (Guam) conspecific, differing in only two nucleotide positions that were heteroplasmic in the Guam specimen. Although this species has been variously cited to occur in the western Atlantic, careful examination of these records revealed them to be misidentifications of Hyotissa mcgintyi (Harry, 1985), originally described from south-eastern Florida. Because H. hyotis is much larger than any other regional oyster, it is unlikely to have been overlooked in earlier biotic surveys. It is therefore likely that this specime...

a two-week International Marine Bivalve Workshop (IMBW) on marine molluscs, with an emphasis on systematics, anatomy, and natural history of bivalves, was held in Chantaburi, Thailand, to increase understanding of the poorly known molluscan fauna of Kungkrabaen Bay, Gulf of Thailand. The volume here introduced largely presents research initiated at this workshop, as a product of the seven scientist-student teams that worked together in the fi eld. Results of other projects by the participants have been added on general aspects of the regional molluscan faunas as well as on various species of gastropods.

To re-evaluate the relationships of the major bivalve lineages, we amassed detailed morpho-anatomical, ultrastructural and molecular sequence data for a targeted selection of exemplar bivalves spanning the phylogenetic diversity of the class. We included molecular data for 103 bivalve species (up to five markers) and also analysed a subset of taxa with four additional nuclear protein-encoding genes. Novel as well as historically employed morphological characters were explored, and we systematically disassembled widely used descriptors such as gill and stomach ‘types’. Phylogenetic analyses, conducted using parsimony direct optimisation and probabilistic methods on static alignments (maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) of the molecular data, both alone and in combination with morphological characters, offer a robust test of bivalve relationships. A calibrated phylogeny also provided insights into the tempo of bivalve evolution. Finally, an analysis of the informativeness of mo...

Prosopis laevigata and Mimosa biuncifera are frequently found in arid and semiarid shrublands, but scarce information is available about their influence on plant community structure and soil fertility. We compared plant community structure, diversity and soil nutrients of three semiarid shrubland sites located in Mezquital Valley, Mexico. These sites differ in their dominant species: Site 1 (Bingu) P. laevigata, Site 2 (González) M. biuncifera, and Site 3 (Rincón) with the presence of both legumes. The results showed that the plant community with P. laevigata and M. biuncifera (Site 3) had more cover, taller plants and higher plant diversity than sites with only one legume (Site 1 and Site 2). Soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus-Olsen (P) and C mineralization were higher in the soil under the canopy of both legumes than in bare soil. In contrast, soil cation concentrations were lower under the canopy of P. laevigata, but not for M. biuncifera. In addition, the density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spores was higher within the soil under the canopy of M. biuncifera than in the soil under the canopy of P. laevigata. Thus, resource islands (RI) created by P. laevigata increased the amounts of SOC, TN and P when compared with the RI of M. biuncifera. This study provided evidences about the importance of species identity in order to expand the niche availability for the establishment of other plants, and highlights that P. laevigata and M. biuncifera jointly influencing plant colonization within semiarid ecosystems.

The health condition of mangrove forests can be determined by assessing forest health indicators. One of the indicators used in determining the health of mangrove forests is faunal biodiversity. Measurement of forest health is a step that can be taken to ensure forest functions and benefits. The study's objectives were to determine the composition of mangrove species and mangrove forest fauna (birds and epifauna), to determine the structure of the fauna community which includes species diversity and species dominance and to determine the health condition of mangrove forests on Moti Island, Ternate Island District. This research was conducted on Moti Island, Moti District, Ternate City, North Maluku Province for six months, April - September 2021. A Sampling of mangroves was carried out using the "spot check" method. Meanwhile, the method used to assess mangroves' health condition refers to the FHM (Forest Health Monitoring) method. There are nine species of mangrov...

Le film Le Cauchemar de Darwin se présente comme un documentaire. Il s'agit en réalité d'une fiction. L'excellent accueil réservé à ce film doit beaucoup aux chocs visuels qui dénoncent les drames que subissent les populations africaines. Mais ces calamités ne forment qu'un amalgame suspect et peu crédible. L'aspect écologique est survolé et les conclusions sont fausses. Il en est ainsi de l'affirmation que la perche du Nil est la cause de l'eutrophisation du lac. Celle-ci date de longtemps (bien avant l'introduction du prédateur) et elle est essentiellement liée aux activités humaines. L'approche économique est, elle aussi, caricaturale ; elle ne peut se limiter à dénoncer le seul intérêt du Nord en laissant de côté les retombées de l'essor de la pêche sur le pouvoir d'achat des communautés riveraines. La malnutrition dans le secteur de Mwanza, dont parle également le documentariste, est une affabulation totale. Enfin, le fil rouge de ce film est le trafic d'armes. Étant incompétents en ce domaine, nous ne saurions attester de la véracité ou non de cette affirmation. Mais plusieurs contre-enquêtes n'ont pas réussi à prouver qu'un tel trafic couvre le transport des filets de poisson.

Summary Biological communities inhabiting the soil are among the most diversified, complex and yet most poorly studied terrestrial ecosystems. The greatest knowledge gaps apply to the arthropod mesofauna (0·1–2 mm body size) because conventional morphological and molecular approaches are in many cases insufficient for the characterisation of these complex communities. The development of high‐throughput sequencing (HTS) methodologies is required to solve current impediments and to further advance our understanding of below‐ground biodiversity. We propose a flotation–Berlese–flotation (FBF) protocol for sampling and specimen processing to obtain ‘clean’ DNA extractions of arthropod mesofauna from the soil. In addition, we developed and tested HTS protocols for the characterisation of arthropod communities from these bulk DNA extractions using cox1 metabarcoding and shotgun metagenomic sequencing on the MiSeq Illumina platform. The FBF protocol provided DNA of soil arthropods from suff...

In order to facilitate the use of biodiversity indicators in policy making at the country level, a few and well-established indices should be suggested. Promising candidates include biodiversity-related indices of the Convention on Biological Diversity; their current use and performance are evaluated through a Hungarian case study. Especially indices of the ecosystem level have already been in use, but they are not necessarily useful measures of the state of biodiversity in their current form. For example, ecosystems suggested globally for monitoring (forests and marine habitats) are not present in all the countries, thus the way of ecosystem selection should be standardized, not the actual ecosystem types. Besides the information on the extent of some selected habitats, the original cover should also be considered to evaluate the present situation. Recommendations are demonstrated in the case study. With the use of existing data, the applicability of certain indices can be improved...

The eastern Himalayan region of Northeast India is well known for its traditional home gardens, which are considered to play important roles in the maintenance of livelihoods of indigenous communities and conservation of biological diversity. This study determines the plant diversity in home gardens and their importance in conservation of PGR through utilization. We studied 90 home gardens in details located in 6 villages in two different locations. Different aspect about the home gardens and plant species were observed directly and thorough discussion with the farmers. A total of 333 plant species (133 trees, 92 shrubs and 108 herbs) belonging to 128 families with an average of 78 species per home garden were recorded. The size of home gardens ranged between 0.10 -0.60 ha and showed significant (P<0.001) positive correlation between the garden size and plant species diversity. The species diversity index for trees, shrubs and herbs was 4.76, 4.39 and 4.58 respectively. The species similarity within each life-form was high with 50% for trees, 38% for shrubs and 49% for herbs. Plant species in the home gardens could be grouped into 11 major use categories and majority of plants were of medicinal or multiple use categories. These home gardens are reservoirs of PGR and play a vital role in sustaining the livelihood of local inhabitants. They are also functioning as a domestication and conservation centers of many crop relatives.

This paper examines a renaturation of the former Schöningen opencast lignite mine into a wilderness area. Megaherbivores are to be used to maintain an open landscape. Types of animals selected are based on their use in helping to emulate a prehistoric landscape. In order to establish a wilderness area with consideration to the carrying capacity of the landscape, the Wood-PAM simulation programme was employed to help adjust for climate change and grazing scenarios. The results show that the intensity of grazing as well as the influence of climate change have a strong impact on the development of the landscape. Human intervention is excluded in the simulation in order to tie the findings into the debate on wilderness in Germany and to recreate a prehistoric landscape. Animal species simulated were 1 Zusammenfassung der Bachelorarbeit der Autorin.

Neuston -comprising a diverse assemblage of organisms living in the surface layer of the water column -plays a unique ecological role in marine life. Notwithstanding its importance, quantitative information on its spatial structure are still limited, in particular for the Mediterranean Sea. Here, the spatial structure of neuston assemblage of the Western Mediterranean and the Southern Adriatic Seas was analysed, with particular emphasis on the biodiversity pattern in the two study areas. A total of 59 stations were sampled in an oceanographic cruise conducted in May-June 2013. Additional analyses were performed on data on 21 stations sampled in the Southern Adriatic in March 2015 in order to confirm the generality of the patterns observed in the 2013 cruise. Geostatistical analyses indicated that in 2013 in the Southern Adriatic the variation in taxonomic richness, abundance, and ecological diversity of the neuston across stations was characterized by a significant spatial autocorrelation. Conversely, in the Western Mediterranean a negligible spatial structure was observed. In addition, the taxonomic richness and ecological diversity of the neuston resulted significantly higher in Southern Adriatic than in the Western Mediterranean. Data collected in the 2015 cruise confirmed a high taxonomic richness and diversity for the Southern Adriatic; furthermore, a significant spatial autocorrelation was observed for both parameters. The present study represents an original insight into the structure of the neuston community in the Mediterranean Sea, providing strong evidence of the spatial variability of its diversity patterns. The influence of local and large-scale processes is discussed, and the need of more extended investigations is emphasized.

The present paper presents a faunal study of Calanoida in both fresh and marine waters, considering both planktonic and benthic species, for the first time specifically devoted to a national territory (Italy). A total of 270 Calanoida species belonging to 34 families are found in Italy, including 34% of European freshwater species and 61% of Mediterranean marine species. Six species, all from coastal environments, are endemic. One freshwater species and three found in coastal brackish waters have been recognised as recently introduced (non-indigenous). Calanoida are abundant and always present in any marine plankton sample, while they are present in only half of the strictly freshwater bodies. The data collected confirm the general low level of adaptation of Calanoida to fresh water, notwithstanding the high adaptability of the single family Diaptomidae. Finally, due to the geographical position of Italy in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the Italian Calanoida fauna can be considered highly representative of both the Mediterranean Sea and the European continent.

Agricultural expansion is a primary driver of biodiversity decline in forested regions of the tropics. Consequently, it is important to understand the conservation value of remnant forests in production landscapes. In a tropical landscape dominated by oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), we characterized faunal communities across eight taxa occurring within riparian forest buffers, which are legally protected alongside rivers, and compared them to nearby recovering logged forest. Buffer width was the main predictor of species richness and abundance, with widths of 40–100 m on each side of the river supporting broadly equivalent levels of biodiversity as compared to logged forest. However, width responses varied markedly among taxa, and buffers often lacked forest‐dependent species. Much wider buffers than are currently mandated are needed to safeguard most species. The largest biodiversity gains are achieved by increasing relatively narrow buffers. To provide optimal conservation outcomes ...

Communities of benthic invertebrates from a series of intermittent headwater streams spanning over a short elevation gradient (i.e., * 180-500 m) were investigated in April-July 2010 and May-July 2011. The main purpose of this study was to better understand whether the potential future effect of environmental change on biological communities of the Precambrian Shield's freshwaters can be detected using elevation as a substitute for time. Since obtaining long-term environmental data is a time-consuming process, substituting space for time could instead generate similar information in a shorter time. In this study, environmental differences associated with short elevation gradient were correlated with differences in benthic invertebrate communities. Therefore, elevation gradient provides a spatial proxy for anticipated future environmental change impacts over time. It was determined that water temperature accounts for the greatest variation in communities along the elevation. Many community metrics such as abundance, functional feeding groups, diversity, and evenness were significantly different based on the difference in elevation. Result indicates that even a short elevation gradient can potentially be used as a surrogate to look at the effect of environmental change.

The unforeseen COVID-19 has spread over the world, affecting almost 5 million people in 213 countries. Lockdown measures havebeen implemented in several nations, limiting people to their homes and substantially curtailing economic and social activity. Theimplementation of lockdown halted all the industrial, social, and commercial activities, and had a positive impact on environmentalparameters viz., air, water, noise, biodiversity, and wildlife. The decrease in PM10, PM2.5, CO, NO2were recorded with an average value of43, 31, 10, and 18%, respectively because of the reduction in transportation and industrial emission in India. Considerable recovery ofwater quality in lotic ecosystems was observed at several places in the world. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the global lockdown hasalso dropped the noise level ranging from 2.1 dB to 6 dB at several places viz., Europe, Colombia and USA. Wildlife and biodiversity ofthe world had responded to the COVID-19 shutdown. Human movements in na...

Although vascular epiphytes contribute substantially to the biodiversity of tropical montane forests, it is unclear how their diversity and community composition is affected by forest alteration. We studied the response of vascular epiphyte assemblages to different intensities of land-use in a montane wet forest of northeastern Ecuador: (1) unmanaged mature forest; (2) mature forest with mid-and understorey opened for cattle grazing; and (3) isolated remnant trees in cattle pastures. The numbers of individuals and species of epiphytes per host tree did not differ significantly between land-use types, neither did total epiphyte species richness (n = 30 trees). However, total species richness of pteridophytes was significantly lower on isolated remnant trees compared to unmanaged forest, whereas several taxa rich in xerotolerant species (Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, Piperaceae) exhibited the opposite trend. An analysis of floristic composition using ordination (NMS) and randomisation techniques (MRPP) showed that epiphyte assemblages on isolated remnant trees were significantly distinct from unmanaged forest while managed forest was intermediate between those two vegetation types. Ordination analysis further indicated reduced floristic heterogeneity in disturbed habitats. These results suggest considerable, rapid species turnover since land-use change 6 years prior to study, with pteridophytes being replaced by more xerotolerant taxa. We attribute this floristic turnover primarily to changes in microclimate towards higher levels of light and desiccation stress associated with forest disturbance. Our results support the notion that community composition offers a more sensitive indicator of human disturbance than species richness.

Examined the role of pollutants in unionid mussel declines in Clinch River, USA. • Organic and metal contaminants were prevalent in documented zone of mussel decline. • Mining-associated PAHs and manganese are important pollutant stressors to mussels. • Guest River tributary was identified as important source of pollutants to Clinch River. • Mussel populations are likely to decline further, if legacy and ongoing pollution is not addressed.

A floresta de miombo desempenha um papel importante a nível social, económico e ambiental, além de ser um importante centro de biodiversidade vegetal. O objectivo deste estudo foi de avaliar o efeito da degradação florestal na estrutura, diversidade e stock de carbono em florestas de miombo nos distritos de Gurué (miombo húmido) e Marrupa (miombo seco). Para o efeito, uma amostragem aleatória estratificada com probabilidade proporcional ao tamanho com base no nível de degradação florestal nomeadamente baixa, média e alta foi aplicada dentro de cada tipo florestal. No total, 223 parcelas foram amostradas, sendo 105 para o miombo húmido e 118 para o miombo seco. No miombo húmido, nos estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal foram amostradas 48, 37 e 20 parcelas respectivamente e para o miombo seco foram amostradas 60, 24 e 34 parcelas respectivamente. Foram medidos os DAPs ≥ 5cm e levantadas todas as espécies com o diâmetro mínimo de medição e posteriormente foram calculados os parâmetros de estrutura horizontal (densidade de árvores e área basal), a diversidade (Shannon e Simpson), a similaridade (Sørensen), a biomassa e o stock de carbono. Resultados encontrados indicam que a densidade de árvores para o miombo húmido é de 106 ± 20 ha-1, 154 ± 50 ha-1 e 316 ± 89 ha-1 para os estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente e para o miombo seco foi de 543 ± 80 ha-1, 771 ±143 ha-1 e 888 ± 174 ha-1 para alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. A área basal foi de 1.87 ± 0.56 m2 ha-1¬, 3.91 ± 0.86 m2 ha-1¬ e 7.32 ± 1.65 m2 ha-1¬ para o miombo húmido e para o miombo seco foi de 3.67 ± 0.73 m2 ha-1,7 ± 1.29 m2 ha-1 e 10.18 ± 1.43 m2 ha-1 para alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. Para a diversidade de espécies, o miombo húmido apresentou uma riqueza de espécies, índice de Shannon e índice de Simpson maiores no nível de média degradação florestal, seguido baixa e alta degradação florestal respectivamente. No miombo seco, a riqueza de espécies foi maior no nível de alta degradação seguido de média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. O índice de Shannon foi maior para a alta degradação florestal, seguida da baixa e por fim da média degradação florestal. O índice de Simpson foi maior no nível de média, seguido de alta e baixa degradação florestal respetivamente. O stock de carbono para os estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal em Gurué foi de 5.77 ± 1.92 Mg ha-1, 12.84 ± 3.07 Mg ha-1 e 25.12 ± 6.47 Mg ha-1 respectivamente. Para Marrupa, o stock de carbono foi de 9.80 ± 2.41Mg ha-1, 19.04 ± 3.95 Mg ha-1 e 28.18 ± 4.07 Mg ha-1 para os estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. O estudo concluiu que a estrutura diamétrica segue o formato de J-invertido em todos os estratos dos dois tipos de miombo, a densidade de arvores, a área basal, a biomassa e carbono reduzem com o aumento do nível de degradação florestal, a diversidade de espécies mostrou-se elevada no nível de alta degradação florestal no miombo seco enquanto no miombo húmido esta reduziu com o aumento do nível de degradação florestal. O estudo recomenda o uso do presente estudo no desenho de estratégias de reflorestamento em florestas de miombo.
Palavras-chave: Floresta de miombo, Estrutura da floresta, Diversidade e Stocks de carbono.

Temporal and spatial patterns of cetacean diversity and distribution were investigated through eight ship-based surveys carried out during spring and autumn between 2009 and 2014 on the outer continental shelf (~150m) and slope (1500m) off southeastern and southern Brazil (~23°S to ~34°S). The survey area was divided into southeast and south areas according to their oceanographic characteristics. Twenty-one species were observed in 503 sightings. The overall number of species was similar between the two areas, though it was higher in the spring in the south area. Five species were dominant and diversity varied more seasonally than spatially. ANOVA and kernel analyses showed that overall cetacean densities were higher in spring compared to autumn. Physeter macrocephalus, the most frequent species, concentrated throughout the south area at depths over 1000m in both seasons. Despite the overlapped occurrence at a broader scale, small delphinids presented latitudinal and in-offshore gra...

Italy was likely the first country in the world to have a complete list of all the species of animals known for its territory, thanks to the project 'Checklist delle Specie della Fauna d'Italia'. The project on the 'Updated Checklist of the Italian Fauna' started in 2020 and the process is now complete for the data on the superorder Neuropterida. In the period between the first and the most recent version of the checklist, the evolution of knowledge relating to the Italian territory was constantly updated every semester into the online repertoire edited by the author. Moreover an online English version within the "World Neuropterida Faunas" project was created and subsequently updated. This report discusses the thirty-year development of the overall and local knowledge of this group of insects in Italy, analyzing the strengths and shortcomings, together with the repercussions of the studies finalized for the protection and conservation of a territory within the Mediterranean area, a hotspot of world organic biodiversity.

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level (up to the Urals, excluding the Caucasus region), and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education. For Neuropterida, data from three Insect orders (Raphidioptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera), comprising 15 families and 397 species, are included. © Aspöck U et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY

The species is accepted with 13 subspecies: Dorcadion (Cribridorcadion) nobile nobile Hampe, 1852, D. (C.) n. hanneloreae Bernhauer & Peks, 2014, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. musense Bernhauer & Peks, 2014, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. semivelutinum Kraatz, 1873, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. elazigi Fuchs & Breuning, 1971, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. ivani Pesarini & Sabbadini, 2011, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. blandulum Holzschuh, 1977, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. gencense Bernhauer & Peks, 2014, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. rapuzzisamai, ssp. n. (from Turkey, Sivas province, Beypinari environs), D. (C.) n. sarkislaense Bernhauer & Peks, 2014, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. altinyaylaense Bernhauer & Peks, 2014, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. nihalae Rapuzzi & Sama, 2012, stat. nov., D. (C.) n. plavilschikovi, ssp. n. (from Talysh mountains, Azerbaijan).

Heft Nr. 12211993 -ãDi Beschreibung der Korngestalt mit Hilfe der Fourier-Analyse: Parametrisierung der morphologischen Eigenschaften von Sedimentpartikeln", von Michael Diepenbroek. * Heft Nr. 12311993 -ãZerstà ¶rungsfre hochauflà ¶send Dichteuntersuchungen mariner Sedimente", von Sebastian Gerland. Heft Nr. 12411993 -ãUmsat und Verteilung von Lipiden in arktischen marinen Organismen unter besonderer Berücksichtigun unterer trophischer Stufen", von Martin Graeve. Heft Nr. 12511993 -ãÃ-kolog und Respiration ausgewählte arktischer Bodenfischarten", von Christian F. von Dorrien. Heft Nr. 12611993 -ãQuantitativ Bestimmung von Paläoumweltparameter des Antarktischen Oberflächenwasser im Spätquartie anhand von Transferfunktionen mit Diatomeen", von Ulrich Zielinski * Heft Nr. 12711993 -,,Sedimenttransport durch das arktische Meereis: Die rezente lithogene und biogene Materialfracht", von Ingo Wollenburg.

Efficient propagation of endangered plant species is a critical factor in successful ecological restoration and conscientious habitat management. Hence, propagation trials of nine endemic plant species of Madeira (Anthyllis lemanniana Lowe, Armeria maderensis Lowe, Cedronella canariensis (L.) Webb & Berthel., Erica maderensis (Benth.) Bornm., Genista tenera (Jacq. ex Murray) Kuntze, Helichrysum melaleucum Rchb. ex Holl, Pericallis aurita (L'Her.) B. Nord., Sideritis candicans Aiton and Teline maderensis Webb & Berthel.) were carried out. Plant propagation requirements and their sexual and vegetative propagation methods were studied. Seed germination success varied between species. Germination rate exceeded 70% in six out of nine species, being lower than 30% in Pericallis aurita, while H. melaleucum seeds did not germinate. Vegetative propagation yielded lower success rates, with three species (Erica maderensis, Genista tenera and Teline maderensis) unable to establish roots, and three species (Helichrysum melaleucum, Pericallis aurita and Sideritis candicans) exceeding 60% of the rooting success. Establishment of the propagation requirements of these species could be regarded an important tool for supporting Madeira's flora conservation programs.