Composition and spatio-temporal dynamics of aquatic bird community in humid areas of Alto Parana Atlantic Forest / Composição e dinâmica espaço-temporal da comunidade de aves aquáticas em áreas úmidas da Floresta Atlântica do Alto Paraná

Abstract The northwestern portion of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion is one of the most disturbed and fragmented areas in the Atlantic Forest, and little is known about the local avifauna. In this study, we have described the composition and diversity of the aquatic avifauna of this region and analyzed the patterns of similarity with respect to the seasonal as well as spatial distribution. We used the line transect sampling technique in six distinct humid areas (including lentic and lotic water bodies) during the dry and rainy seasons of 2012 and 2013. A total of 52 species of waterfowl were recorded. The species richness of the studied areas was surprisingly distinct; only seven waterfowl species, namely Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758), Tigrisoma lineatum (Boddaert, 1783), Rosthramus sociabilis (Vieillot, 1817), Aramus guarauna (Linnaeus, 1766), Vanellus chilensis (Molina, 1782), Jacana jacana (Linnaeus, 1766), and Arundinicola leucocephala (Linnaeus, 1764), were common to these six studied areas. This indicated that the other bird species that were observed might be habitat selective. Moreover, the analysis of the composition of birds in the two seasons (dry and rainy) combined with their spatial distributions showed significant dissimilarities between the areas with lotic (river and constructed wetland) and lentic (lagoons) characteristics. Nevertheless, despite the small extent and low total richness of the entire study area, it was found to be home to 1/3 of all freshwater aquatic birds documented in the state of São Paulo, with the record of 5 migratory species and 11 new species added to the northwest of the state. The heterogeneity of local aquatic environments, habitat selection combined with seasonality, and the absence of other humid locations in the surroundings can explain the diversity and distribution of these birds in the water bodies of this uninvestigated Atlantic Forest ecoregion.

Resumo A porção noroeste da ecorregião Floresta Atlântica do Alto Paraná é uma das mais alteradas e fragmentadas da Mata Atlântica, da qual pouco se sabe sobre a avifauna local. Nosso objetivo foi descrever a diversidade e composição da avifauna aquática, bem como analisar os padrões de similaridade quanto a distribuição temporal e espacial destas aves nesta ecorregião. Utilizamos a transecção linear para amostragem em seis áreas úmidas (corpos d'água lênticos e lóticos), nos períodos de seca e chuva entre 2012 e 2013. Registramos 52 espécies de aves aquáticas e as riquezas das áreas mostraram-se distintas, pois apenas Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758), Tigrisoma lineatum (Boddaert, 1783), Rosthramus sociabilis (Vieillot, 1817), Aramus guarauna (Linnaeus, 1766), Vanellus chilensis (Molina, 1782), Jacana jacana (Linnaeus, 1766), and Arundinicola leucocephala (Linnaeus, 1764) foram comuns às seis áreas, o que indica seleção de habitat. Quando analisada a composição das aves nos dois períodos aliada à distribuição espacial, encontramos dissimilaridades temporais acentuadas entre os ambientes com características lóticas (rio e aterro) e lênticas (lagoas). Isto mostra que, além das diferentes épocas sazonais, é necessário analisar separadamente os diferentes tipos de áreas úmidas. Por fim, apesar da extensão pequena e baixa riqueza total, a área amostrada abrigou 1/3 das aves aquáticas de água doce para o estado de São Paulo, cinco espécies migratórias e 11 novas espécies para o noroeste do estado. A heterogeneidade de ambientes aquáticos locais, forte seleção de habitat aliada à sazonalidade e ausência de outros locais úmidos em seu entorno, explicam a diversidade e distribuição destas aves estreitamente relacionadas aos corpos d'água desta desconhecida ecorregião da Mata Atlântica.

Insects associated to ephemeral pools in Huentelauquén (29ºS Coquimbo Region, Chile) / Insetos associados a lagoas temporárias em Huentelauquén (29ºS Região de Coquimbo, Chile)

Abstract In northern central Chile, ephemeral pools constitute shallow isolated water bodies with a favourable habitat for fauna adapted to seasonal changes. Based on the limited knowledge about the fauna—particularly insects—associated to these ecosystems, the objective of this study was to characterize the richness, composition, structure and similarity of the insect communities associated with ephemeral pools in Huentelauquén (29º S, Coquimbo Region, Chile). By using pitfall traps, 10,762 individuals were captured, represented by 7 orders, 27 families, and 51 species. Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were the best represented orders, with Neuroptera, Orthoptera and Plecoptera being poorly represented groups. The non-parametric estimators evaluated showed wealth values above those observed for all the studied pools, and their accumulation curves suggest the existence of an incomplete species inventory in the studied community. Additionally, the hierarchical and ordering analysis showed groupings of pools located in the northwest and southeast of Huentelauquén. Preliminarily we found a negative correlation between the area of the pools and the richness (species) and abundance of insects. Additional studies (on other arthropod groups and other seasons of the year) could provide a better understanding of the local processes of extinction and colonization of the species inhabiting these fragile coastal environments.

Resumo No norte central do Chile, lagoas efêmeras constituem corpos de água isolados e pouco profundos, com um habitat favorável para a fauna adaptada as mudanças sazonais que as zonas úmidas estão sujeitas. Com relação a estes ecossistemas, sabe-se pouco sobre sua fauna, principalmente a de insetos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi caracterizar a riqueza, composição, estrutura e similaridade das comunidades de insetos que habitam as lagoas temporárias de Huentelauquén (29º S, Região de Coquimbo, Chile). Usando armadilhas de interceptação, se capturou um total de 10.762 indivíduos, pertencentes a 7 ordens, 27 famílias e 51 espécies. Coleoptera e Hymenoptera foram as ordens mais representativas, enquanto Neuroptera, Orthoptera e Plecoptera foram grupos pouco representativos. Os estimadores não paramétricos avaliados mostraram valores de riqueza superiores ao observados para todas as lagoas estudadas, e suas curvas de acumulação parecem indicar que o inventario da comunidade estudada está incompleto. A análise hierárquica e de ordenamento revelou agrupamentos de lagoas correspondentes a zona nordeste e sudeste de Huentelauquén. Preliminarmente encontramos uma correlação negativa entre a área de lagoas efêmeras e a riqueza (espécies) e abundância de insetos. É necessário realizar estudos adicionais (sobre outros grupos de artrópodes e em outras estações do ano) para melhor compreensão dos processos locais de extinção e colonização das espécies que habitam estes frágeis ambientes costeiros estudados.

Impacts of mining on local fauna of wildlife in District Mardan & District Mohmand Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan / Impactos da mineração na fauna local da vida selvagem nos Distritos de Mardan e de Mohmand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Paquistão

Abstract Mining is vital for human sustenance and a crucial sector in the state economy. However, its impacts on the environment and biodiversity cannot be underestimated. Which are potent to the attract government's attention. Environment and wildlife are subject to the harmful impacts of mining and its related activities. In this study, districts, namely Mardan and Mohmand have been targeted with respect to mining impacts. The assessment was carried out on wildlife adversely affected by the mining sector. The fauna has been keenly observed to bring the calculated risks and threat perception of the regional wildlife. Total 9 species of mammals, 21 species of birds, were recorded in District Mardan. While in District Mohmand 2 species of mammals, 9 species of birds, and 4 species of reptiles were studied. The Study explored that mining primarily responsible for land degradation. Which lead to food and agriculture losses. Several other factors like blasting, pollution, hunting, deforestation, habitat loss was also observed. Deforestation surfaced one of the major causes for extinction of fauna in the said region. preemptive measures are needed to seize the man-made catastrophe.

Resumo A mineração é vital para o sustento humano e um setor crucial na economia do Estado. No entanto, seus impactos sobre o meio ambiente e a biodiversidade não podem ser subestimados, visto serem potentes para atrair a atenção do governo. O meio ambiente e a vida selvagem estão sujeitos aos impactos prejudiciais da mineração e de suas atividades relacionadas. Neste estudo, os distritos, nomeadamente Mardan e Mohmand, foram selecionados ​​no que diz respeito aos impactos da mineração. A avaliação foi realizada em animais selvagens afetados negativamente pelo setor de mineração. A fauna tem sido observada atentamente para trazer os riscos calculados e a percepção de ameaça à vida selvagem regional. Um total de nove espécies de mamíferos, 21 espécies de pássaros, foi registrado no Distrito Mardan. Enquanto no Distrito Mohmand, duas espécies de mamíferos, nove espécies de pássaros e quatro espécies de répteis foram estudadas. O estudo explorou essa mineração que é principalmente responsável pela degradação do solo, acarretando perdas de alimentos e na agricultura. Vários outros fatores como explosões, poluição, caça, desmatamento, perda de habitat também foram observados. O desmatamento veio à tona como uma das principais causas de extinção da fauna da região, e tem-se que medidas preventivas são necessárias para dimensionar a catástrofe provocada pelo homem.

Benthic community ecology for Algerian river Seybouse / Ecologia da comunidade bêntica para o rio Seybouse da Argélia

Abstract The Seybouse is the second largest river basin in Algeria, hosting an important biodiversity and providing various ecosystem services. This watershed is highly influenced by agricultural and industrial activities, which threaten its biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. The use of benthic macroinvertebrates as biological indicators has a long tradition in developed countries and integrated into all assessments of the ecological quality of river systems. However, the macroinvertebrates of many North African regions are still not well studied, including those of the Seybouse river. The aim of this study is to assess the inventory and ecological role of benthic macroinvertebrates in inland waters of the Seybouse River and determine the impact of pollution on their spatial distributions. We sampled the benthic macrofauna of Wadi Seybouse and its affluents using regular surveys in three sites, of which one was in the upper Seybouse Bouhamdane in Medjez Amar and two in the middle Seybouse. Between December 2019 and May 2020, 10 physico-chemical parameters (pH, EC, OD, water speed, NO3, Salinity, NO2, MES, turbidity, depth) were measured in order to establish a health state diagnosis of these aquatic ecosystems. The complementary biological approach by the analysis of populations of macroinvertebrates identified 7482 individuals and 40 taxa divided into five classes: Crustaceans which were the most dominant, insects with the main orders (Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Trichoptera, Heteroptera and Odonata), Molluscs, Nematodes and Annelids. The physico-chemical analyzes and the application of the organic pollution indices indicated a strong to excessive pollution for all sites, especially in Seybouse upstream

Resumo O Seybouse é um rio no nordeste da Argélia, é o segundo maior rio, tem uma área de captação de cerca de 6.500 km2 que acolhe cerca de 1,5 milhões de habitantes. Importantes atividades agrícolas e industriais são desenvolvidas nesta bacia hidrográfica. O uso de macroinvertebrados bentônicos como indicadores biológicos tem uma longa tradição em países desenvolvidos e está integrado em todas as avaliações da qualidade ecológica dos sistemas fluviais. O objetivo deste estudo foi revisar o inventário e o papel ecológico dos macroinvertebrados bentônicos nas águas interiores do rio Seybouse e determinar o impacto da poluição em suas distribuições. Resultados semelhantes foram relatados para outros países e rios argelinos. Este estudo enfoca a macrofauna bentônica de Wadi Seybouse e seus afluentes. Foram prospectados 03 locais, um no alto Seybousse Bouhamdane em Medjez Amar e dois no meio Seybousse Salah Salah Salah e Oued Zimba. Entre dezembro de 2019 e maio de 2020, dez parâmetros físico-químicos (pH, CE, DO, velocidade da água, NO3, Salinidade, NO2, MES, turbidez, deth) foram medidos para estabelecer um diagnóstico do estado de saúde desses ecossistemas aquáticos. A abordagem biológica complementar pela análise de populações de macroinvertebrados identificou 7.482 indivíduos e 40 táxons divididos em cinco classes: Crustáceos que são os mais dominantes, Insetos com as ordens principais (Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Trichoptera, Heteroptera e Odonata), Moluscos, Nematóides e Anelídeos. As análises físico-químicas e a aplicação dos índices de poluição orgânica, indicaram uma poluição forte a excessiva para todos os locais especialmente Salah Salah Salah.

Diversity of culturable endophytic fungi vary through time in Manihot esculenta Crantz / A diversidade de fungos endofíticos cultiváveis ​​varia ao longo do tempo em Manihot esculenta Crantz

Abstract Endophytic fungi are a ubiquituos group that colonize all plant species on earth. Studies comparing the location of endophytic fungi within the leaves and the sampling time in Manihot esculenta Crantz (cassava) are limited. In this study, mature leaves of M. esculenta from Panama were collected in order to compare the cultivable diversity of endophytic fungi and to determine their distribution within the leaves. A total of one hundred sixty endophytes belonging to 97 species representing 13 genera and 8 morphospecies determined as mycelia sterilia that containing 63 isolates were isolated. Cladosporium, Nigrospora, Periconia, and mycelia sterilia 1 and 3 were the most predominant isolated endophytes. We detected that endophytes varied across the sampling time, but not amongst locations within leaves. The endophytes composition across sampling and the location of endophytes within leaf was similar, except for Periconia and mycelia sterilia 3 and 7. The data generated in this study contribute to the knowledge on the biodiversity of endophytic fungi in Panama, and establish the bases for future research focused on understanding the function of endophytes in M. esculenta crops.

Resumo Os fungos endofíticos são um grupo ubiquituo que colonizam todas as espécies de plantas na terra. Os estudos que comparam a localização dos fungos endofíticos dentro das folhas de Manihot esculenta Crantz (mandioca) e o tempo de amostragem são muito escassos. Neste estudo, folhas maduras de M. esculenta foram coletadas do Panamá com a finalidade de comparar a diversidade cultivável de endófitos e determinar sua distribuição dentro das folhas. Um total de 170 endófitos foram isolados de 97 espécies que representam 13 gêneros e 8 morfoespécies determinadas como micélios esterilizados contendo 63 isolados. Os fungos Cladosporium, Nigrospora, Periconia e mycelia sterilia 1 e 3 foram os isolados mais predominantes. Também detectamos que os endófitos variaram ao longo do tempo de amostragem, mas não entre os locais dentro das folhas. A composição de endófitos na amostragem e localização de endófitos dentro da folha foi semelhante, exceto para Periconia e mycelia sterilia 3 e 7. Os dados gerados neste estudo contribuem para o conhecimento da biodiversidade de fungos endofíticos no Panamá e estabelecem as bases para pesquisas sobre o entendimento da função de endófitos em culturas de M. esculenta.

Biodiversity, distributions and isolation of microplastics pollution in finfish species in the Panjkora River at Lower and Upper Dir districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan / Biodiversidade, distribuição e isolamento de poluições por microplásticos em espécies de peixes no rio Panjkora nos distritos de Lower e Upper Dir da província de Khyber Pakhtunkhwa do Paquistão

The basic aim of this study was aimed to determine the ichthyofaunal diversity of River Panjkora in both upper and lower Dir districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.Fish samples were collected by using fishnets from March to September 2020. A total of 724 specimens were collected and classified into 5 families, 14 genera, and 18 species. The overall results revealed that most fish fauna of river Panjkora contains 8 species of family Cyprinidae (56.49%) followed by 4 species of Nemacheilidae (24.44%), 2 species of Channidae (10.63%), and Sisoridae (7.04%), and 1 species of Mastacembelidae (1.38%), respectively. Among all kinds of fish species, Schizothorax plagiostomus (16.57%) was highly dominated and followed by Carassius auratus (11.87%) and Racoma labiata (9.66%) and were reported as highly abundant, especially during April, May, and June. The least abundant species were Glyptothorax punjabensis, Glyptothorax sufii, and Mastacembelus armatus, that constituting 2.48%, 2.20%, and 1.38% of the total fish samples. The Overall Simpson's diversity (1-D= 0.919) and Simpson's Reciprocal index values (1/D= 12.3876), and Shannon's index (H= 2.68) were indicating that river Panjkora contains a quite rich and diverse group of fish species. The highest microplastics observed in site 7 compared to other study area. Conservation steps should be taken as a top priority to protect and conserve the marine environment and natural heritage from further loss, extinction and stop or minimize losses incurred through irresponsible fishery practices

O objetivo básico deste estudo foi determinar a diversidade ictiofaunística do rio Panjkora nos distritos de Lower e Upper de Dir, na província de Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, no Paquistão. Amostras de peixes foram coletadas com redes de arrasto de março a setembro de 2020. Foram coletados 724 espécimes, classificados em 5 famílias, 14 gêneros e 18 espécies. Os resultados gerais revelaram que a maioria da ictiofauna do rio Panjkora contém 8 espécies da família Cyprinidae (56,49%), seguidas por 4 espécies de Nemacheilidae (24,44%), 2 espécies de Channidae (10,63%) e Sisoridae (7,04%) e 1 espécie de Mastacembelidae (1,38%). Entre todas as espécies de peixes, Schizothorax plagiostomus (16,57%) foi altamente predominante, seguida por Carassius auratus (11,87%) e Racoma labiata (9,66%), e elas foram relatadas como altamente abundantes, especialmente nos meses de abril, maio e junho. As espécies menos abundantes foram Glyptothorax punjabensis, Glyptothorax sufii e Mastacembelus armatus, que constituíram 2,48%, 2,20% e 1,38%, respectivamente, do total de peixes amostrados. O índice de diversidade de Simpson (1-D = 0,919), o índice recíproco de Simpson (1/D = 12,3876) e o índice de Shannon (H = 2,68) indicaram que o rio Panjkora contém um grupo bastante rico e diversificado de espécies de peixes. Os microplásticos mais altos foram observados no local 7 em comparação com outra área de estudo. Medidas de conservação devem ser tomadas como prioridade máxima para proteger e conservar o ambiente marinho e o patrimônio natural de novas perdas e extinção e para parar ou minimizar as perdas ocorridas por práticas de pesca irresponsáveis.

Priority areas to protect mangroves and maximise ecosystem services.

Anthropogenic activities threaten global biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, area-based conservation efforts typically target biodiversity protection whilst minimising conflict with economic activities, failing to consider ecosystem services. Here we identify priority areas that maximise both the protection of mangrove biodiversity and their ecosystem services. We reveal that despite 13.5% of the mangrove distribution being currently strictly protected, all mangrove species are not adequately represented and many areas that provide disproportionally large ecosystem services are missed. Optimising the placement of future conservation efforts to protect 30% of global mangroves potentially safeguards an additional 16.3 billion USD of coastal property value, 6.1 million people, 1173.1 Tg C, and 50.7 million fisher days yr-1. Our findings suggest that there is a pressing need for including ecosystem services in protected area design and that strategic prioritisation and coordination of mangrove conservation could provide substantial benefits to human wellbeing.

Landscape structure influences natural pest suppression in a rice agroecosystem.

Agricultural landscapes are constantly changing as farmers adopt new production practices and respond to changing environmental conditions. Some of these changes alter landscape structure with impacts on natural pest control, pesticide use, and conservation of biodiversity. In rice agroecosystems the effect of landscape structure on natural enemies and pest suppression is often poorly understood. Here we investigate the effect of landscape composition and configuration on a key pest of rice, the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens). Using N. lugens as sentinel prey coupled with predator exclusions, we investigated landscape effects on herbivore suppression and rice grain yield at multiple spatial scales in two regions of Bangladesh. Ladybird beetles and spiders were the most abundant natural enemies of N. lugens with landscape effects observed at all scales on ladybird beetles. Specifically, ladybird beetles were positively influenced by road edges, and fallow land, while spiders were strongly influenced only by rice phenology. Predator exclusion cages showed that N. lugens abundance significantly increased in caged plots, reducing rice gain yield. We also used an estimated biocontrol service index that showed a significant positive relationship with landscape diversity and a significant negative impact on pest density and yield loss. These results suggest that promoting fallow lands and fragmented patches between rice fields could lead to more sustainable insect pest management in rice agroecosystems, potentially reducing the practice of prophylactic insecticide use.

The Coral Triangle and Strait of Malacca are two distinct hotspots of mangrove biodiversity.

Knowledge of the biogeography of marine taxa has lagged significantly behind terrestrial ecosystems. A hotspot of marine biodiversity associated with coral reefs is known in the Coral Triangle of the Indo-West Pacific, but until now there was little data with which to evaluate broad patterns of species richness in the coastal fauna of ecosystems other than coral reefs. This data is critically needed for fauna with low functional redundancy like that of mangroves, that are vulnerable to habitat loss and rising sea levels. Here we show that the diversity of mangrove fauna is characterized by two distinct hotspots in the Indo-West Pacific, associated with two habitat types: fringe mangroves in the Coral Triangle, and riverine mangroves in the Strait of Malacca, between the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. This finding, based on a family of slugs of which the systematics has been completely revised, illustrates an unexpected biogeographic pattern that emerged only after this taxon was studied intensively. Most organisms that live in the mangrove forests of Southeast Asia remain poorly known both taxonomically and ecologically, and the hotspot of diversity of onchidiid slugs in the riverine mangroves of the Strait of Malacca indicates that further biodiversity studies are needed to support effective conservation of mangrove biodiversity.

Multi-ocean distribution of a brooding predator in the abyssal benthos.

How far are species distributed on the abyssal plains? Spanning from 3000 to 6000 m below sea level, abyssal plains cover three-quarters of the ocean floor and are the largest but also least explored habitat on Earth. The question of vertical and horizontal distribution is central to understanding biogeographic and population genetic processes within species inhabiting the deep-sea benthos. Amphipod crustaceans are an important and dominant taxon in this ecosystem. As they are brooders, their dispersal capacities are more limited compared to species with free-swimming larvae, and with the exception of a few scavenging species deep-sea amphipods are restricted to a single ocean. Based on an integrative taxonomic approach (morphology, COI, 16S and 18S) we demonstrate the occurrence of a predatory amphipod species, Rhachotropis abyssalis, in three oceans: the Antarctic Ross Sea, the Northwest Pacific and the North Atlantic; regions more than 20,000 km apart. Although such extensive geographic distributions may represent a rare exception for brooding predators, these findings might also be no exception at all, but a reflection of the rare sampling and rare taxonomic investigation of invertebrate predators in the deep-sea. Our findings highlight our abysmal state of knowledge regarding biodiversity and biogeography on abyssal plains.

Acknowledging more biodiversity without more species.

Delimiting and naming biodiversity is a vital step toward wildlife conservation and research. However, species delimitation must be consistent across biota so that the limited resources available for nature protection can be spent effectively and objectively. To date, newly discovered lineages typically are either left undescribed and thus remain unprotected or are being erroneously proposed as new species despite mixed evidence for completed speciation, in turn contributing to the emerging problem of taxonomic inflation. Inspired by recent conceptual and methodological progress, we propose a standardized workflow for species delimitation that combines phylogenetic and hybrid zone analyses of genomic datasets ("genomic taxonomy"), in which phylogeographic lineages that do not freely admix are ranked as species, while those that have remained fully genetically compatible are ranked as subspecies. In both cases, we encourage their formal taxonomic naming, diagnosis, and description to promote social awareness toward biodiversity. The use of loci throughout the genome overcomes the unreliability of widely used barcoding genes when phylogeographic patterns are complex, while the evaluation of divergence and reproductive isolation unifies the long-opposed concepts of lineage species and biological species. We suggest that a shift in conservation assessments from a single level (species) toward a two-level hierarchy (species and subspecies) will lead to a more balanced perception of biodiversity in which both intraspecific and interspecific diversity are valued and more adequately protected.

Anthropogenic activities explained the difference in exotic plants invasion between protected and non-protected areas at a northern subtropics biodiversity hotspot.

Biological invasion poses a major threat to biodiversity and conservation efforts in protected areas. The Greater Shennongjia Area (GSA) is one of China's 16 key areas for biodiversity, as stated in the China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. However, the local authorities lack appropriate data on the extent and impact of exotic species in protected areas, as well as lack the capacity and motivation to properly plan for exotic species strategy and action plan to support both prevention, control as well as management of exotic plants in their jurisdiction. In addition, while most previous studies have focused on exotic species in protected areas, little effort has been devoted to specifying which environmental factors contribute to the difference between protected and non-protected areas. Here, we explored the current distribution pattern of the richness and abundance of exotic species in relation to environmental variables within the GSA. In total, we found 84 exotic plant species, of which 41 exotic species within the protected areas, in 64 genera and 27 families, predominately from Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae. The generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) revealed that the protection status and the distance to human settlements were the most important predictors of exotic plant richness and abundance in the GSA. Our results showed that the average exotic plant richness and coverage in the protected areas were 22% and 31% lower than outside the protected areas, respectively. Such differences were probably the result of anthropogenic activities (e.g., proximity to human settlements and the proportion of cropland). Although protected areas provide an important barrier against plant invasions, invasion may be a tricky issue for protected area management in the future. The Alliance of Protected areas in Western Hubei and Eastern Chongqing will need to further consider stringent control and management strategies for the entry of exotic species into protected areas to effectively maintain the continuity and integrity of the GSA's biodiversity and ecosystems. Our results provided guidance and support to enhance the capacity of scientific and effective management and sustainable development of the Shennongjia World Natural Heritage Site and other protected areas.

Quorum sensing bacteria in microplastics epiphytic biofilms and their biological characteristics which potentially impact marine ecosystem.

Microplastics (MPs) have been shown to be a new type of pollutant in the oceans, with complex biofilms attached to their surfaces. Bacteria with quorum sensing (QS) systems are important participants in biofilms. Such bacteria can secrete and detect signal molecules. When a signal molecule reaches its threshold level, bacteria with QS systems can perform several biological functions, such as biofilm formation and antibiotic metabolite production. However, the ecological effects of QS bacteria in biofilm as MPs distribute globally with ocean currents are not to be elucidate yet. In this study, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride were selected for on-site enrichment to acquire microplastics with biofilms. Eight culturable QS bacteria in the resulting biofilm were isolated by using biosensor assays, and their biodiversity was analyzed. The profiles of the N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by these bacteria were analyzed by using thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-bioautography and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Biofilm-forming properties and several biological characteristics, such as bacteriostasis, algal inhibition, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) degradation, were explored along with QS quenching. Results showed that QS bacteria were mainly affiliated with class Alphaproteobacteria, particularly Rhodobacteraceae, followed by class Gammaproteobacteria. TLC-bioautography and GC-MS analyses revealed that seven AHLs, namely, C6-HSL, C8-HSL, 3-oxo-C6-HSL, 3-oxo-C8-HSL, 3-oxo-C10-HSL, and two unidentified AHLs were produced. The QS system equipped bacteria with strong biofilm-forming capacity and may contribute to the keystone roles of Rhodobacteraceae. In addition, QS bacteria may exacerbate the adverse environmental effects of MPs, such as inducing the misfeeding of planktons on MPs. This study elucidated the diversity of QS bacteria in MP-associated biofilms and provided a new perspective of the effect of key membrane-forming bacteria on the marine ecological environment.

Biodiversity and carbon conservation under the ecosystem stability of tropical forests.

Although efforts to protect high levels of biodiversity and carbon storage can greatly increase the effectiveness of species loss and climate change mitigation, there is evidence indicating a trade-off scenario for their conservation at regional scale. Decisions making in trade-off scenarios can be supported by including information on the ecosystem stability of tropical forests (i.e., the ability of the ecosystem to maintain its function over time). Forest stability may affect biodiversity integrity and the residence time of carbon stored in tree biomass. Here, we assess the stability of old-growth forests' productivity by analyzing a 19-year time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We also used geoprocessing tools to analyze the overlap among forest-specialist vertebrate species richness, carbon density, and stability of old-growth forest throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We used model selection to find environmental predictors of the stability of primary productivity and build a predictive map of potential stability. Then, we overlapped maps of potential stability, species richness of forest-specialist vertebrates, and carbon density to identify hotspot areas of biodiversity and carbon density occurring at highest and lowest potential stability. We found that forest stability increases from north to south along the Atlantic Forest. High biodiversity occurs mainly at low stability while high carbon stock at high stability. Spatial overlap of the hotspots, where conservation co-benefits high biodiversity and carbon stock, occurs mostly at high stability in a large area along part of the coast and in smaller inland areas of the southern region. Most of the hotspots with low stability for biodiversity, carbon stock and combination of both are found in unprotected areas. Hence, the strategic mitigation of species loss and carbon emissions lies in three approaches: prioritizing forest protection in unprotected hotspots; implementing forest management practices in protected hotspots with low stability; and enforcing a comprehensive regime of protection and management in hotspots that exhibit low stability. Focused on forest stability, these approaches involve ecosystem-based planning offering Brazil's government effective strategies to fulfill its commitments in biodiversity conservation and carbon emission reduction.

Capturing the microbial dark matter in desert soils using culturomics-based metagenomics and high-resolution analysis.

Deserts occupy one-third of the Earth's terrestrial surface and represent a potentially significant reservoir of microbial biodiversity, yet the majority of desert microorganisms remain uncharacterized and are seen as "microbial dark matter". Here, we introduce a multi-omics strategy, culturomics-based metagenomics (CBM) that integrates large-scale cultivation, full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicon, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. The results showed that CBM captured a significant amount of taxonomic and functional diversity missed in direct sequencing by increasing the recovery of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and high/medium-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Importantly, CBM allowed the post hoc recovery of microbes of interest (e.g., novel or specific taxa), even those with extremely low abundance in the culture. Furthermore, strain-level analyses based on CBM and direct sequencing revealed that the desert soils harbored a considerable number of novel bacterial candidates (1941, 51.4%), of which 1095 (from CBM) were culturable. However, CBM would not exactly reflect the relative abundance of true microbial composition and functional pathways in the in situ environment, and its use coupled with direct metagenomic sequencing could provide greater insight into desert microbiomes. Overall, this study exemplifies the CBM strategy with high-resolution is an ideal way to deeply explore the untapped novel bacterial resources in desert soils, and substantially expands our knowledge on the microbial dark matter hidden in the vast expanse of deserts.

Conserving avian evolutionary history can effectively safeguard future benefits for people.

Phylogenetic diversity (PD)-the evolutionary history of a set of species-is conceptually linked to the maintenance of yet-to-be-discovered benefits from biodiversity or "option value." We used global phylogenetic and utilization data for birds to test the PD option value link, under the assumption that the performance of sets of PD-maximizing species at capturing known benefits is analogous to selecting the same species at a point in human history before these benefits were realized. PD performed better than random at capturing utilized bird species across 60% of tests, with performance linked to the phylogenetic dispersion and prevalence of each utilization category. Prioritizing threatened species for conservation by the PD they encapsulate performs comparably to prioritizing by their functional distinctiveness. However, species selected by each metric show low overlap, indicating that we should conserve both components of biodiversity to effectively conserve a variety of uses. Our findings provide empirical support for the link between evolutionary history and benefits for future generations.

Feeding climate and biodiversity goals with novel plant-based meat and milk alternatives.

Plant-based animal product alternatives are increasingly promoted to achieve more sustainable diets. Here, we use a global economic land use model to assess the food system-wide impacts of a global dietary shift towards these alternatives. We find a substantial reduction in the global environmental impacts by 2050 if globally 50% of the main animal products (pork, chicken, beef and milk) are substituted-net reduction of forest and natural land is almost fully halted and agriculture and land use GHG emissions decline by 31% in 2050 compared to 2020. If spared agricultural land within forest ecosystems is restored to forest, climate benefits could double, reaching 92% of the previously estimated land sector mitigation potential. Furthermore, the restored area could contribute to 13-25% of the estimated global land restoration needs under target 2 from the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030, and future declines in ecosystem integrity by 2050 would be more than halved. The distribution of these impacts varies across regions-the main impacts on agricultural input use are in China and on environmental outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. While beef replacement provides the largest impacts, substituting multiple products is synergistic.

Shrimp community structure and influence of environmental variables in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in spring.

Based on data collected from research vessel cruises performed in May 2020 off the East China Sea (ECS) and the southern Yellow Sea (YS) (26°30'-35°00' N, 120°30'-127°00' E), we analyzed the shrimp community and its relationships with environmental variables by using index of relative importance, biodiversity indices, and multivariate techniques. A total of 29 species were recorded, belonging to 11 families and 19 genera. The dominant species were Metapenaeopsis longirostris, Leptochela gracilis, Solenocera melantho, Crangon hakodatei, Parapenaeus fissuroides, Plesionika izumiae, and Trachypenaeus curvirostris, which together accounted for 82.9% of the total biomass and 90.8% of the total abundance of shrimps. Results of Cluster and NMDS analyses showed that three groups were identified for the shrimp community in the ECS and YS in spring, including group A (inshore of northern ECS and YS group), group B (offshore of northern ECS group) and group C (southern ECS group). ANOSIM and SIMPER analysis showed significant differences between group A and B, gourp A and C, and group B and C, with the dissimilarity of 92.2%, 95.8% and 91.6%, respectively. The typical species were T. curvirostris, C. hakodatei, L. gracilis and Palaemon gravieri in group A, and S. melantho in group B, and M. longirostris, P. fissuroides, P. izumiae and Solenocera alticarinata in group C. Significant differences were also detected in biomass, diversity index, species richness index and evenness index among groups, with significantly greater values in group C than those in A and B. Environmental variables and the substrate also displayed significant differences among groups. Results of canonical correspondence analysis showed that bottom temperature, bottom salinity, depth, and the substrate were the main environmental variables affecting spatial structure of shrimp community. Water mass characteristics and substrate type had important influences on the distribution of shrimp community in the ECS and YS in spring.

Identification of bird conservation gaps of protected areas in high-intensity development area: A case study of Tianjin, China.

Due to the long-term disturbance of human activities, natural habitats in the high-intensity development areas have been seriously degraded, causing serious threat to local biodiversity. The conservation efficiency of natural reserves in these regions needs to be improved urgently. Scientific evaluation of conservation efficiency of nature reserves and identification of biodiversity conservation hotspots and conservation gaps in high-intensity development areas are of great significance to sustainable development of urbanization. With birds as the indicator group for biodiversity, we used MaxEnt and InVEST models to calculate the hot spots of bird diversity and habitat quality, and compared with current boundaries of protected areas in Tianjin to accurately identify the conservation gaps. The results showed that 228 bird species belonging to 54 families and 19 orders were recorded. All kinds of natural and artificial wetlands in the coastal area were the most suitable habitats for birds, accounting for 66.8% of bird diversity hotspots in Tianjin, and the artificial wetlands of reservoirs and fish ponds had high suitability as bird habitats due to sufficient food sources, which indicated that moderate anthropogenic interference would improve species diversity. The coverage rate of protected areas for bird diversity hotspots was only 37.7% in Tianjin, which indicated a serious conservation gap. The gaps mainly included wetlands in Dashentang and Lin'gang areas, the river junction and the estuary wetland, which should be planned as the key protected areas in the future. The method of collaborative analysis of the two models could improve the identification accuracy in detecting the conservation gaps and has certain universality for improving the efficiency of biodiversity conservation in high-intensity development areas.