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Although the fruiting bodies of myxomycetes are commonly found associated with coarse woody debris in forest ecosystems throughout the world, there is no direct evidence that these organisms actually live within wood. In the research reported herein, surface sterilisation of pieces of wood taken from the branches of eight different tree species and the subsequent culturing of slivers of wood collected from within the interior of those branches clearly revealed the presence of the amoeboflagellates of myxomycetes. No evidence of the occurrence of plasmodia within wood was found, but amoeboflagellates emerged from 47 % of the wood slivers placed in culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Butterfly decline in Northern Europe is a cause of concern and it has been hypothesised that this is due to nitrogen deposition inducing excess early growth of plants. It has also been changing the quality of the food available to larvae. We tested these hypotheses by linking butterfly biodiversity quality indices (species richness, population, biomass, conservation value, evenness (Simpson's Index) and modelled species richness (Chao 1 and 2)) with nitrogen Critical Load Exceedence (nCLE) data. An index of butterfly sensitivity to nitrogen was also created (Species Nitrogen Value Index (SNVI)). Using PCA, datasets were tested for associations and relationships. The results included multiple biodiversity quality indices based on 17 years of data (aggregated into three periods of six, six and five years to give 287 datasets) in four habitat types (grassland, heathland, woodland and farmland). With the exception of heathland the analysis showed that nitrogen deposition and all other indices (except SNVI) were in decline. For heathland the last 11 years did not show any significant decline. Heathland also showed an anomalous biodiversity quality profile for these last 11 years, suggesting that the sensitivity of heathland to nitrogen deposition will require further considerable efforts to achieve a nitrogen deposition that is not in exceedence of the critical load. Habitat restoration will take time due to the multiple hindrances to colonisation, which in the case of heathland might prevent successful butterfly colonisation for the foreseeable future. These results indicate the efficacy of butterfly biodiversity quality and nCLE as indicators for the SEBI 2020 process (Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators) by showing the relationship between them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The development of the Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators 2010 (SEBI 2010) indicator set is described and critically reviewed for coverage and gaps. The indicator set is tested for historical background that would support trend analysis and found to be sensible, but the deficiency of direct biodiversity measurement rather than pressures on biodiversity is problematic. The lack of a freshwater biodiversity indicator is an obvious omission, whereas the analysis shows that two indicators (extent of protected areas and nitrogen deposition) have a central and important role in determining pressures on terrestrial biodiversity. A comparison with the UK Biodiversity Indicator Partnership annual assessment shows that this latter has better coverage at the biodiversity level and a simple method of presentation for an overall review. This has to be viewed with caution since disaggregation of the indicators shows contrary trends and even some misleading trends. Six recent papers proposing critical new indicators (three for invertebrates and three for freshwater ecosystems) are reviewed, and all are found to have deficiencies either in their sampling protocol or in the aim to produce a single headline value for a complex situation. The need for an ecosystem function approach to the measurement of biodiversity and the development of a common currency for measuring is expressed and compared to the results published by Butchardt et al. (2010) and Vačkář et al. (2012). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spiders at 23 Portuguese protected area sites were sampled (pitfall trapped) over 10-month periods. The data allowed for a “biodiversity quality” assessment consisting of the following indices: Species Richness, Biomass, Simpson Index, Species Conservation Value Index and Population Density. These “biodiversity quality” characteristics were reviewed for relative indication of site spider “biodiversity quality”. Spiders are proposed as a group of organisms that could be used to indicate part of the “biodiversity quality” of a site since they can be sampled in a standardised way and yield biodiversity indices for comparison spatially and temporally. The approach adopted in this paper allows a range of “biodiversity quality” indices to be measured for spiders in Portuguese protected areas which, in turn requires decisions from scientists, managers and politicians on what element or characteristic of biodiversity it is intended to be targeted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: [1.] Recent political agreements mandate that the current rate of biodiversity loss is reduced by 2010 (the 2010 target). In Europe one of the 26 indicators given for this assessment is butterfly biodiversity which therefore requires butterfly biodiversity to be measured. advocates that this can be done using the concept of “Biodiversity Quality”. [2.] “Biodiversity Quality” measurement requires data analysis based on a series of indices examined both independently and jointly, rather than the use of a single measure such as species richness or a single composite index. We show that, where the theoretical base of sampling is sound, data collected with a simple analytical procedure in mind, can generate far more information than envisaged initially. An example of the compilation of “Biodiversity Quality” indicators is given for a site in the Dutch butterfly monitoring scheme (de Vlinderstichting) and two sites are compared for difference. [3.] A scheme showing how changes in the different indices might be interpreted to show change in biodiversity quality is given. [4.] These butterfly data are important from the perspective of the 2010 targets because: [(i)] they represent invertebrates, which comprise over half of all terrestrial species; [(ii)] they are based on relatively long time series; and [(iii)] they provide a model against which similar programmes can be designed for other taxonomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper addresses the need for an internationally accepted definition of biodiversity the lack of which creates difficulty in measuring biodiversity difference and change. The authors suggest that well-sampled data can be used to generate a range of numerical indices reflecting species group characteristics/functionality that can be viewed in combination to create a picture of Biodiversity Quality. Examples of this approach demonstrate how to expand the currently accepted Convention on Biological Diversity definition, based on the “variability” of genes, species and ecosystems, since the numerical expression of the indices allows the probability of difference between biodiversity quality trends and values over time, and between sites or taxonomic groups, to be assessed for statistical inference of difference or similarity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Macrofungi represent one of the most difficult taxonomic groups of organisms to study and monitoring the diversity over time and space often requires a high field sampling effort. Two different monitoring approaches were used to assess macrofungal biodiversity in broadleaf Mediterranean forests in order to determine whether different sampling efforts can provide statistically similar diversity indices. Despite the different number of field visits, the results obtained show that some biodiversity indices (e.g. Shannon index, Eveness, Simpson index) values do not seem to be significantly affected by the survey approach chosen and a single survey per year has achieved comparable results to multiple surveys. This, in a wider biodiversity context it could produce a quick field methodology to study complex taxonomic groups, such as macrofungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]