Response of Species Diversity and Stability of Typical Steppe Plant Communities on the Mongolian Plateau to Different Grazing Patterns.

Grasslands represent a major biome on Earth and play a vital role in ecosystem functioning and dynamics. However, owing to the variations among grassland types, the impact of grazing on plant community diversity and stability remains unclear. This study is based on the typical steppe of the Mongolian Plateau. Field sampling and data analysis were combined to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the structural characteristics, species diversity, and stability of plant communities under varying grazing intensities, that is, four-season nomadic, two-season rotational, and sedentary grazing (FSNG, TSRG, and SG, respectively). The results indicated that FSNG pastures exhibited the largest number of plant species while FSNG and TSRG pastures exhibited relatively high importance values for the primary dominant species. Carex duriuscula, Chenopodium glaucum, and Cleistogenes squarrosa were prominent in SG pastures, with C. duriuscula having the largest importance value. The mean height, cover, and aboveground biomass of plant communities in FSNG were significantly higher than those in SG (p < 0.05), with no significant difference observed between FSNG and TSRG. FSNG also demonstrated the highest Shannon-Wiener, Simpson, and Pielou indexes. The Shannon-Wiener and Simpson indexes between the FSNG, TSRG, and SG pastures showed significant differences (p < 0.05). Nomadic plant communities displayed positive loosely interspecific traits, suggesting independence and positive succession. Conversely, communities in TSRG and SG exhibited negative correlations and higher instability. The stability analysis ranked community stability as FSNG > TSRG > SG, suggesting that judicious grazing practices could enhance grassland stability. The findings reveal that grazing patterns influence plant community composition and function and that FSNG pastures promote higher species diversity, perennial dominance, and overall stability compared with TSRG and SG pastures.

Bird diversity in semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest patches on the central Yunnan Plateau, Southwest China.

We assessed the diversity, composition, and distribution of bird species in patches of semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest by selecting eight natural forest communities in the central Yunnan Plateau, which is a representative distribution area of semi-humid broad-leaved evergreen forest. Field observations were conducted from April to August 2023 by the sample line and sample point method, and eight survey routes of 3-4 km in length were established. The results showed that 1) A total of 1286 birds were recorded, belonging to 102 species in 7 orders and 30 families. The three most abundant families were Muscicapidae (14 species), Leiothrichidae (9 species), and Phylloscopidae (7 species); 2) Species of Oriental origin, Palaearctic origin, and widespread species accounted for 81.4%, 4.9%, and 13.7% of observations, respectively; 3) The average number of bird species surveyed in forest patches was 32.0±3.5; the Shannon index of birds was lower in secondary, semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forests (1.536±0.110) than in primary forest communities (2.037±0.100); 4) Species composition exhibited considerable variation between patches, with the presence of dominant and common species, and the difference in rare species; 5) Considering the ecological groups of birds based on diet, invertebrate-eating and omnivorous birds, herbivorous birds, and carnivorous birds accounted for 84.3%, 11.8%, and 3.9%, respectively. The coexistence of birds with similar diets was maintained by diluting interspecific competition, mainly through partitioning of the vertical feeding space. For the conservation of bird species diversity and rare species, all patches of native semi-humid evergreenbroad-leaved forest are of conservation value.

[Multidimensional biodiversity of subalpine forest communities on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China]. / é’è—é«˜åŽŸä¸œç¼˜äºšé«˜å±±æ£®æž—ç¾¤è½çš„å¤šç»´åº¦ç”Ÿç‰©å¤šæ ·æ€§.

We analyzed multidimensional biodiversity (including species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity) of needle-broadleaf mixed forests of Abies fargesii var. faxoniana-Betula spp. and needleleaf forests of A. fargesii var. faxoniana in the subalpine regions of eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We measured leaf functional traits including leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and specific leaf area. The results showed that leaf thickness (0.28 mm) and leaf dry matter content (319.86 mg·g-1) in the needle-broadleaf mixed forests were significantly lower than in the needleleaf forest (0.39 mm and 371.33 mg·g-1, respectively), while specific leaf area (192.74 cm2·g-1) was significantly higher (100.91 cm2·g-1). Leaf area showed no significant difference between the two forest communities (27.88 and 26.63 cm2, respectively). The phylogenetic signals of all leaf functional traits were significant, except for leaf thickness. The phylogenetic structure of the needle-broadleaf mixed forests and needleleaf forest communities tended toward divergence. Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity index, species richness, functional richness, functional dispersion, Rao's quadratic entropy, and phylogenetic diversity in the needle-broadleaf mixed forests were all significantly higher than in the needleleaf forest, and these indices were significantly positively correlated. Competitive exclusion played a major role in the assembly of subalpine forest communities, and species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity exhibited synchrony.

[Species diversity of dark septate endophytes in tundra plants of Changbai Mountains, Northeast China]. / é•¿ç™½å±±è‹”åŽŸæ¤ç‰©æ·±è‰²æœ‰éš”å† ç”ŸçœŸèŒç‰©ç§å¤šæ ·æ€§.

We isolated the dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi from roots of typical plant species in the tundra of Changbai Mountains Nature Reserve, including Rhododendron aureum, R. conferentiatum, Vaccinium uliginosum, and Dryas octopetala, and studied their colonization. We further investigated the DSE community composition and species diversity of the four tundra plant species by using morphological characteristics combined with rDNA ITS sequence analysis. The results showed that DSE formed a typical structure of "microsclerotia" in roots of the four plant species. A total of 69 strains of DSE fungi were isolated from the root samples, belonging to 10 genera, and 12 species. They were Phialocephala fortinii, Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, Epicocum nigrum, Canariomyces microsporus, Colletotrichum spaethianum, C. camelliae, Leptophoria sp., Cladosporium cladosporioides, Phoma sp., Cadophora sp., and Discosia italica, respectively. The DSE fungal species diversity was rich, and all these fungal species were firstly reported as DSE fungi in the alpine tundra belt of China. Among them, Phialocephala fortinii was the common and dominant species of all tundra plants. The Simpson, Pielou, and Shannon diversity indices of DSE fungi of the four plant species of tundra differed significantly. Our results showed that tundra plants have rich diversity of DSE fungi, and they can form a good symbiotic relationship, which enhance the adaptability of tundra plants to the harsh environment.

Driving forces of herbaceous species diversity in natural broadleaf forests from in Maoershan from Northeast China.

The understory herbaceous flora plays a pivotal role in regulating the structural stability, complexity, and ecological function of forest communities. It is crucial to investigate the impact of the intricate connections between these factors and the forces driving the diversity of herbaceous species within natural broadleaf understory forests can assist forest managers in developing optimal forest structure optimization techniques, allowing them to adjust the forest species diversity. In this study, Pearson correlation analysis, conventional correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were employed to elucidate the relationship between stand structure, soil nutrients, and understory herbaceous species richness in natural broadleaved forests. Structural equation modeling was utilized to ascertain the influence of multiple factors on understory herbaceous species diversity and to evaluate the underlying pathways. The results indicated a significant negative correlation between stand closure and the Simpson's and Shannon-Wiener's indices, and between the mixing degree and the Pielou evenness index, Simpson's index, and Shannon-Wiener's index (p<0.05). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between soil nutrients, specifically organic matter and total phosphorus, and the Pielou evenness index and Shannon-Wiener's index (p<0.05). It was found that total phosphorus was significantly positively correlated with both the Pielou evenness index and the Shannon-Wiener index (p<0.05). The correlation coefficients of the first group of typical variables in the typical correlation analysis were 0.498 and 0.585, respectively (p<0.05). From the set of typical variables of stand structure, it can be seen that the Hegyi competition index and the canopy density affected the diversity of understory herbaceous plants. The composite index demonstrated the greatest impact, with loadings of 0.872 and -0.506, respectively. The Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices exhibited the most sensitive loadings of -0.441 and -0.408, respectively. The soil nutrients of SOM and TN affected the understory herbaceous plant species diversity composite index, with greater loadings of -0.184 and 1.002, respectively. The path coefficient of the understory herbaceous diversity stand structure was 0.35. The path coefficient with soil nutrient content was found to be 0.23 following structural equation analysis and the path coefficient between stand structure and soil nutrient content was 0.21, which indirectly affect the diversity of understory herbaceous species. To enhance the diversity of herbaceous species, it is recommended that the canopy density and tree density of the upper forest be reduced appropriately, while the degree of mixing and the level of spatial distribution of trees be adjusted in a manner that maintains a reasonable stand structure. Furthermore, a comprehensive forest management program for improving soil nutrients should be considered.

Primed and ready: nanopore metabarcoding can now recover highly accurate consensus barcodes that are generally indel-free.

BACKGROUND: DNA metabarcoding applies high-throughput sequencing approaches to generate numerous DNA barcodes from mixed sample pools for mass species identification and community characterisation. To date, however, most metabarcoding studies employ second-generation sequencing platforms like Illumina, which are limited by short read lengths and longer turnaround times. While third-generation platforms such as the MinION (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) can sequence longer reads and even in real-time, application of these platforms for metabarcoding has remained limited possibly due to the relatively high read error rates as well as the paucity of specialised software for processing such reads. RESULTS: We show that this is no longer the case by performing nanopore-based, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) metabarcoding on 34 zooplankton bulk samples, and benchmarking the results against conventional Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Nanopore R10.3 sequencing chemistry and super accurate (SUP) basecalling model reduced raw read error rates to ~ 4%, and consensus calling with amplicon_sorter (without further error correction) generated metabarcodes that were ≤ 1% erroneous. Although Illumina recovered a higher number of molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) than nanopore sequencing (589 vs. 471), we found no significant differences in the zooplankton communities inferred between the sequencing platforms. Importantly, 406 of 444 (91.4%) shared MOTUs between Illumina and nanopore were also found to be free of indel errors, and 85% of the zooplankton richness could be recovered after just 12-15 h of sequencing. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that nanopore sequencing can generate metabarcodes with Illumina-like accuracy, and we are the first study to show that nanopore metabarcodes are almost always indel-free. We also show that nanopore metabarcoding is viable for characterising species-rich communities rapidly, and that the same ecological conclusions can be obtained regardless of the sequencing platform used. Collectively, our study inspires confidence in nanopore sequencing and paves the way for greater utilisation of nanopore technology in various metabarcoding applications.

A new species of lungworm from the Atlantic Forest: Rhabdias megacephala n. sp. parasite of the endemic anuran Proceratophrys boiei.

Rhabdias are lung-dwelling parasites of anurans and some reptiles. Currently, 93 species are known to exist worldwide. The identification of Rhabdias species is based mainly on morphological traits of hermaphroditic females that generally have a very conserved morphology. However, different approaches, such as the combination of morphological, molecular, and ecological data, have provided advances in identifying and delimiting rhabdiasid species. Here, we describe a new species of Rhabdias from the south of Brazil, with morphological and molecular data. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by having an elongated body, evident cephalic dilation, larger buccal capsule, and large esophagus. In addition to morphological characteristics, we observed significant genetic divergence among the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence of the new species and the closest available sequence, Rhabdias fuelleborni (10.24%-10.87%). Furthermore, phylogenetic reconstructions based on the COI gene indicated that the new species represents a different lineage, constituting an outgroup of the species complexes Rhabdias cf. stenocephala and Rhabdias fuelleborni with Rhabdias sp. 4. Thus, Rhabdias megacephala is the 24th nominal species of the Neotropical region, the 14th Brazilian, and the fourth species described from south of Brazil.

Survey effort and targeted landbird community metrics at Indiana lowland forest restoration sites.

Many sampling and analytical methods can estimate the abundance, distributions, and diversity of birds and other wildlife. However, challenges with sample size and analytical capacity can make these methods difficult to implement for resource-limited monitoring programs. To apprise efficient and attainable sampling designs for landbird monitoring programs with limited observational data, we used breeding season bird point survey data collected in 2016 at four forest restoration sites in Indiana, USA. We evaluated three subsets of observed species richness, total possibly breeding landbirds, Partners in Flight Regional Conservation Concern (PIF RCC) landbirds, and interior forest specialists (IFSs). Simulated surveys based on field data were used to conduct Bayesian Michaelis-Menten curve analyses estimating observed species as a function of sampling effort. On comparing simulated survey sets with multiple habitat types versus those with one habitat, we found that those with multiple habitat types had estimated 39%-83% greater observed PIF RCC species richness and required 41%-55% fewer visits per point to observe an equivalent proportion of PIF RCC species. Even with multiple habitats in a survey set, the number of visits per point required to detect 50% of observable species was 30% higher for PIF RCC species than for total breeding landbird species. Low detection rates of IFS species at two field sites made precise estimation of required effort to observe these species difficult. However, qualitatively, we found that only sites containing mature forest fragments had detections of several bird species designated as high-confidence IFS species. Our results suggest that deriving specialized species diversity metrics from point survey data can add value when interpreting those data. Additionally, designing studies to collect these metrics may require explicitly planning to visit multiple habitat types at a monitoring site and increasing the number of visits per survey point. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;00:1-15. © 2024 The Author(s). Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Phyto-ecological studies and distribution patterns of subfamily Polygonoideae in relation to edaphic factors across diverse ecological zones.

The species of the subfamily Polygonoideae is an essential component of temperate forests as well as the flora of the western Himalayan region. The aim of this research was to explore the taxonomic diversity, distribution patterns, and associated flora of Polygonoideae in relation to edaphic factors in various ecological zones in the Muzaffarabad division of the Kashmir Western Himalayan Region. We applied a random sampling approach for data collection from 10 different sites with a cumulative 780 quadrats to record the diversity of wild Polygonoideae species across the Muzaffarabad division between 2021 and 2022. This study revealed 279 plant species from 192 genera and 75 families associated with Polygonoideae, with the dominant families being Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae. Herbs were predominant in the investigated area, with a proportion of 72.40 %, followed by shrubs (9.68 %) and pteridophytes (8.24 %). The flora was dominated by therophytes (37.35 %), whereas nanophylls (37.28 %) were the most dominant leaf form. Persicaria, Rumex, and Polygonum genera were observed and collected from various ecological zones, while Bistorta, Fagopyrum, Oxyria, and Rheum were only collected from a single zone, representing a restricted niche. A total of 28 taxa from 8 genera were studied in the investigative subfamily Polygonoideae, with the majority being therophytes (57.14 %), followed by hemicryptophytes (28.57 %), and leaf form dominated by microphylls (50 %) and nanophylls (17.85 %). The average values for Shannon and Simpson's diversity for the reported plant communities were 0.96 and 3.53, respectively, whereas species richness averaged 2.43 and species evenness 0.92. The vegetation exhibited a relatively lower (<50) maturity, averaging 32.08. Deforestation, overexploitation for medicinal purposes, soil erosion, overgrazing, forest fires, and the expansion of agricultural fields were identified as major threats to floral diversity. A significant correlation was observed between elevation and soil nutrient parameters, where moisture content, SOC, SOM, TK, and TN ratios showed a positive correlation, while pH and TP showed a negative correlation. Polygonum paronychioides and Rumex alpinus were the least observed of Polygonoideae taxa, whereas 39 species were found to be threatened, having low (<0.2) IVI values and seeking immediate conservation efforts. Climate change and anthropogenic pressure may lead to a change in the composition patterns and threaten the Polygonoidae species. We suggest community-based initiatives and sustainable conservation measures to safeguard the floral wealth of the Western Himalaya.

Aboveground biomass stocks of species-rich natural forests in southern China are influenced by stand structural attributes, species richness and precipitation.

Forests, the largest terrestrial carbon sinks, play an important role in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. Although forest attributes and environmental factors have been shown to impact aboveground biomass, their influence on biomass stocks in species-rich forests in southern China, a biodiversity hotspot, has rarely been investigated. In this study, we characterized the effects of environmental factors, forest structure, and species diversity on aboveground biomass stocks of 30 plots (1 ha each) in natural forests located within seven nature reserves distributed across subtropical and marginal tropical zones in Guangxi, China. Our results indicate that forest aboveground biomass stocks in this region are lower than those in mature tropical and subtropical forests in other regions. Furthermore, we found that aboveground biomass was positively correlated with stand age, mean annual precipitation, elevation, structural attributes and species richness, although not with species evenness. When we compared stands with the same basal area, we found that aboveground biomass stock was higher in communities with a higher coefficient of variation of diameter at breast height. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining forest structural diversity and species richness to promote aboveground biomass accumulation and reveal the potential impacts of precipitation changes resulting from climate warming on the ecosystem services of subtropical and northern tropical forests in China. Notably, many natural forests in southern China are not fully stocked. Therefore, their continued growth will increase their carbon storage over time.

Strong evidence for latitudinal diversity gradient in mosses across the world.

Species richness generally decreases with increasing latitude, a biodiversity gradient that has long been considered as one of the few laws in ecology. This latitudinal diversity gradient has been observed in many major groups of organisms. In plants, the latitudinal diversity gradient has been observed in vascular plants, angiosperms, ferns, and liverworts. However, a conspicuous latitudinal diversity gradient in mosses at a global or continental scale has not been observed until now. Here, we analyze a comprehensive data set including moss species in each band of 20° in latitude worldwide. Our results show that moss species richness decreases strongly with increasing latitude, regardless of whether the globe is considered as a whole or different longitudinal segments (e.g., Old World versus New World) are considered separately. This result holds when variation in area size among latitudinal bands is taken into account. Pearson's correlation coefficient between latitude and species richness is -0.99 for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Because bryophytes are an extant lineage of early land plants and because mosses not only include most of extant species of bryophytes but also are important constituents of most terrestrial ecosystems, understanding geographic patterns of mosses is particularly important. The finding of our study fills a critical knowledge gap.

Effects of Acmella radicans Invasion on Soil Seed Bank Community Characteristics in Different Habitats.

To examine the effects of the recent Acmella radicans invasion on plant community and diversity in invaded habitats, the composition, density, species richness, diversity indices, and evenness index of the soil seed bank community of two different habitats (wasteland and cultivated land) in Yunnan Province, China, were analyzed through field sampling and greenhouse germination tests. A total of 28 species of plants belonging to 15 families and 28 genera, all annual herbs, were found in the soil seed bank. Seed densities and species number in the seed bank tended to be greater in April than in October; cultivated land also featured higher seed densities and species numbers compared to wasteland. With increased A. radicans cover, the seed bank population of A. radicans also significantly increased, but the seed bank populations of many other dominant species (e.g., Ageratum conyzoides and Gamochaeta pensylvanica) and native species (e.g., Laggera crispata and Poa annua) clearly declined. The germination of A. radicans seeds was concentrated during the period from the 4th to the 5th weeks. Vertically, the seed number of A. radicans was significantly different among the 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm layers that accounted for 80.7-90.6%, 9.4-16.1% and 0.0-3.2% of the total seed density in wasteland, respectively; and in cultivated land, A. radicans accounted for 56.8-64.9%, 26.7-31.8% and 8.1-13.5% of the total seed density, respectively. With reduced A. radicans cover, the species richness, Simpson index, Shannon-Wiener index, and Pielou indices of the weed community generally increased, and most diversity indices of weed communities in cultivated land were lower than in wasteland under the same cover of A. radicans. The results indicate that the invasion of A. radicans has negatively affected local weed community composition and reduced weed community diversity, and that these negative impacts in cultivated land may be enhanced by human disturbance. Our study was the first to elucidate the influence of A. radicans invasion on soil seed bank community characteristics in invaded habitats, providing a better understanding of its invasion and spread mechanisms in order to aid in developing a scientific basis for the prevention and control of this invader.

Population asynchrony within and between trophic levels have contrasting effects on consumer community stability in a subtropical lake.

Clarifying the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem stability in the context of global environmental change is crucial for maintaining ecosystem functions and services. Asynchronous changes between trophic levels over time (i.e. trophic community asynchrony) are expected to increase trophic mismatch and alter trophic interactions, which may consequently alter ecosystem stability. However, previous studies have often highlighted the stabilising mechanism of population asynchrony within a single trophic level, while rarely examining the mechanism of trophic community asynchrony between consumers and their food resources. In this study, we analysed the effects of population asynchrony within and between trophic levels on community stability under the disturbances of climate warming, fishery decline and de-eutrophication, based on an 18-year monthly monitoring dataset of 137 phytoplankton and 91 zooplankton in a subtropical lake. Our results showed that species diversity promoted community stability mainly by increasing population asynchrony both for phytoplankton and zooplankton. Trophic community asynchrony had a significant negative effect on zooplankton community stability rather than that of phytoplankton, which supports the match-mismatch hypothesis that trophic mismatch has negative effects on consumers. Furthermore, the results of the structural equation models showed that warming and top-down effects may simultaneously alter community stability through population dynamics processes within and between trophic levels, whereas nutrients act on community stability mainly through the processes within trophic levels. Moreover, we found that rising water temperature decreased trophic community asynchrony, which may challenge the prevailing idea that climate warming increases the trophic mismatch between primary producers and consumers. Overall, our study provides the first evidence that population and trophic community asynchrony have contrasting effects on consumer community stability, which offers a valuable insight for addressing global environmental change.

Investigating the impact of climate and seasonality on mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) vector populations in the connecting areas of the Tenasserim range forests in Thailand.

Mosquito-borne diseases pose a significant public health challenge globally. Our study focused on the seasonal diversity of mosquito species in the connecting areas of the Tenasserim (also known as Tanaosri) range forests in Thailand. Additionally, we employed the geometric morphometric technique to assess variations in wing size and shape among five predominant mosquito species. Throughout the study period, we collected a total of 9,522 mosquitoes, encompassing 42 species across eight genera. In these connecting areas of forests, the Simpson index and Shannon species diversity index were recorded at 0.86 and 2.36, respectively, indicating a high level of mosquito diversity. Our analysis using the Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM) test showed significant seasonal differences in mosquito communities, with an R-value of 0.30 (p < 0.05) in the lower connecting areas and 0.37 (p < 0.05) in the upper connecting areas. Additionally, canonical correspondence analyses showed that the abundance of each mosquito species is influenced by various climate factors. Phenotypic analyses of wing size and shape have deepened our understanding of local adaptation and the seasonal pressures impacting these vectors. Notably, most species exhibited larger wing sizes in the dry season compared to other seasons. Additionally, seasonal assessments of wing shape in five predominant mosquito species revealed significant differences across seasonal populations (p < 0.05). Ongoing monitoring of these populations is crucial to enhancing our understanding of the seasonal effects on mosquito abundance and physiological adaptations. These insights are essential for developing more effective strategies to manage mosquito-borne diseases.

An unprotected vulnerable relict subtropical conifer-Keteleeria evelyniana: Its forests, populations, growth and endangerment by invasive alien plant species in China.

Relict subtropical coniferous forests in China face severe fragmentation, resulting in declining populations, and some are under significant threat from invasive alien species. Despite the crucial importance of understanding forest dynamics, knowledge gaps persist, particularly regarding the impact of invasive plants on vulnerable natives like Keteleeria evelyniana. In this study, we investigated the impact of invasive plants on the regeneration of forests dominated by K. evelyniana, a subtropical relict species in southwestern China. For this purpose, we characterized forest dynamics of 160 forest plots featuring K. evelyniana as the primary dominant species and determined whether the presence of invasive plants was correlated with regeneration of K. evelyniana. We identified four distinct forest types in which K. evelyniana was dominant. We found that radial growth of K. evelyniana trees is faster in younger age-classes today than it was for older trees at the same age. The population structure of K. evelyniana in each forest type exhibited a multimodal age-class distribution. However, three forest types lacked established saplings younger than 10 years old, a situation attributed to the dense coverage of the invasive alien Ageratina adenophora. This invasive species resulted in a reduction of understory species diversity. Additionally, our analysis uncovered a significant negative correlation in phylogenetic relatedness (net relatedness index) between native and invasive alien plant species in eastern Yunnan. This suggests closely related invasive species face heightened competition, hindering successful invasion. Taken together, our findings indicate that successful establishment and habitat restoration of K. evelyniana seedling/saplings require effective measures to control invasive plants.

Comparison of flea diversity in the burrows of Richardson's ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii) in urban and rural sites in central Saskatchewan, Canada.

Spatial and temporal differences in the relative abundance of arthropod vectors are important factors that influence the risk of disease for mammalian hosts. Seasonal changes in the diversity and abundance of fleas (Siphonaptera) in Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii) burrows were studied at two sites in central Saskatchewan. A total of 225 fleas (151 at an urban site and 74 at a rural site) were collected. Flea prevalence differed among seasons at the urban site but not at the rural site. Of the nine flea species detected (eight at the urban site and six at the rural site), Oropsylla rupestris, O. bruneri, O. labis, O. tuberculata, and Aetheca wagneri are vectors of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. The presence and abundance of some fleas differed between sites and seasons. Neopsylla inopina and O. rupestris were the most abundant species at the urban site during the spring and summer, respectively, while O. bruneri was the most abundant species at the rural site. Our findings may have implications for the management of the black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in southwestern Saskatchewan because they coexist with U. richardsonii, are hosts for Oropsylla, and are at great risk of plague exposure/infection.

Effects of alligator weed invasion on wetlands in protected areas: A case study of Lishui Jiulong National Wetland Park.

Wetlands are one of the ecosystems most easily and severely invaded by alien species. Biological invasions can have significant impacts on local plant communities and ecosystem functioning. While numerous studies have assessed the impacts of biological invasions on wetlands, relatively few have been conducted in protected areas such as national wetland parks. We conducted a field survey to investigate the effects of the invasive herb Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) on the productivity and structure of plant communities and soil microbial communities in the Lishui Jiulong National Wetland Park in Zhejiang, China. We also examined the potential influence of the distance to the river edge on the impact of the alligator weed invasion. The alligator weed invasion significantly altered the plant community structure. It reduced the coverage of co-occurring plant species, including native (-31.2 %), invasive (-70.1 %), and non-invasive alien plants (-58.4 %). However, it increased species richness by 50 %, Pielou's evenness by 20 %, and Simpson's diversity index by 29.1 % for the overall plant community. Furthermore, within the community not invaded by alligator weed, increasing the distance to the river edge decreased the number of native plants by 57.0 % and the aboveground biomass of other invasive plants by 78.6 %. Contrary to expectations, no effects of the alligator weed invasion were observed on soil fungal and bacterial communities. Therefore, the impacts of the alligator weed invasion varied with spatial context and plant category, emphasizing the need to consider multiple scales and environmental factors when assessing the effects of invasive species on plant biodiversity. These insights enhance our understanding of plant invasions in wetlands and can guide the development of effective management strategies for these important ecosystems.

Exploring Fungal Diversity in Seagrass Ecosystems for Pharmaceutical and Ecological Insights.

Marine ecosystems are important in discovering novel fungi with interesting metabolites that have shown great potential in pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. Seagrasses, the sole submerged marine angiosperm, host diverse fungal taxa with mostly unknown metabolic capabilities. They are considered to be one of the least studied marine fungal habitats in the world. This review gathers and analyzes data from studies related to seagrasses-associated fungi, including taxonomy and biogeography, and highlights existing research gaps. The significance of the seagrass-fungal associations remains largely unknown, and current understanding of fungal diversity is limited to specific geographical regions such as the Tropical Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific. Our survey yielded 29 culture-dependent studies on seagrass-associated endophytic and epiphytic fungi, and 13 miscellaneous studies, as well as 11 meta-studies, with no pathogenic true fungi described. There is a significant opportunity to expand existing studies and conduct multidisciplinary research into novel species and their potential applications, especially from understudied geographical locations. Future research should prioritize high-throughput sequencing and mycobiome studies, utilizing both culture-dependent and -independent approaches to effectively identify novel seagrass-associated fungal taxa.

Impact of community-based forest restoration on stand structural attributes, aboveground biomass and carbon stock compared to state-managed forests in tropical ecosystems of Sri Lanka.

Estimation of plant community composition, aboveground biomass and carbon stock is crucial for understanding forest ecology, strengthening environmental management, and developing effective tools and policies for forest restoration. This study was conducted in nine different forest reserves in Sri Lanka from 2012 to 2018 to examine the impact of community-based forest restoration (CBFR) on stand structural attributes, aboveground biomass, and carbon stock compared to state-managed forests. In total, 180 plots (90 plots in community-managed restoration blocks (CMRBs) and 90 plots assigned to state-managed restoration blocks (SMRBs)) were sampled at the study site. To conduct an inventory of standing trees, circular plots with a radius of 12.6 m (equivalent to an area of 500 square meters) were established. The Shannon diversity index, Allometric equations and Difference in Differences (DID) estimation were used to assess the data. Our study provides evidence of the positive impact of the CBFR program on enriching trees diversity. Considering stand structural attributes of both blocks showed higher trees density in the smaller diameter at breast height (DBH) category, indicating growth in both CMRBs and SMRBs. The results showed that tree biomass and carbon density were disproportionally distributed across the nine different forest reserves. On average, tree biomass and carbon density were higher in SMRBs (79.97 Mg ha-1, 37.58 Mg C ha-1) compared to CMRBs (33.51 Mg ha-1, 15.74 Mg C ha-1). However, CMRBs in Madigala reserve represent the highest biomass (56.53 and 59.92 Mg ha-1) and carbon density (26.57 and 28.16 Mg C ha-1). The results of biomass and carbon estimates were higher in all SMRBs in the nine different forest reserves compared to CMRBs. The findings suggest that future forest restoration programs in Sri Lanka should enhance participatory approaches to optimize tree species diversity, density and carbon storage, particularly in community-controlled forests. Our findings could assist developing tropical nations in understanding how CBFR impacts forest restoration objectives and improves the provision of ecological services within forests.

The effects of disturbance on woody species composition, structure and regeneration status in the ura natural forest, Guangua district, Awi Zone, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Province has diverse forest resources. However, it has decreased over time, leaving the country's forest with only remnant patches. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the species composition, structure and regeneration status of woody plant species along disturbance gradients. To collect the data, the forests were first stratified into low disturbed (LD), moderately disturbed (MD) and heavily disturbed (HD) groups based on information from reconnaissance site visits and consultations with key informants. Three transect lines were laid systematically 200 m apart, and rectangular plots 10 m∗20 m (200 m2) in length were laid at 50 m intervals along each transect, for a total of 27 plots. The DBH and height of all woody individuals with ≥5 cm and ≥2 m were measured. Seedling and sapling data were recorded in four subplots of 2 m∗5 m (10 m2) respectevly in the opposite corner of the main plot. Woody species density, richness, evenness, diversity, frequency and IVI were determined for each disturbance class, and one-way ANOVA and mean comparison tests were used to examine significant differences among disturbance classes. A total of 37 woody species and 27 families were recorded. Based on structural analysis, only Croton macrostachyus exhibited an inverted J shape. It is concluded that woody species composition was affected by human disturbance. Therefore, a concentrated form of forest conservation should be established to protect against excessive human disturbance.