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Among biotic and abiotic stresses, the most restrictive for plant distribution is salt stress, where different concentrations might exert harmful effects on seed germination. Recently, nanomaterials were used successfully to mitigate these stresses, indicating that plants may be able to develop normally in adverse conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the germination of Persian clover seedlings under salt stress conditions. Following sown on substrate paper, seeds were tested after exposure to different concentrations of graphene oxide (0, 125, 250, or 500 mg L-1 GO), sodium chloride (0; -0.1; -0.2; -0.3, or -0.4 MPa NaCl) and/or GO + salt concomitantly, and then stored for 7 days in a germination chamber at 20°C in the presence of light. Seed germination and growth parameters of seedlings were determined. Graphene oxide demonstrated protective effect against salt stress as evident by no marked adverse effects on seed germination where GO blocked the salt-induced reduction in germination. The results obtained provide references for the safe application of nanomaterials and emphasize the significance of GO as a promising material for reducing the toxicity of salts in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are a cost-effective ecological engineering tool for the restoration of polluted water bodies. The aims of this work were to evaluate the removal of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) by FTWs using Typha domingensis, and to assess Cr accumulation and distribution in plant tissues and sediment. Treatments were 5 and 10 mg L−1 of Cr(III), and 5 and 10 mg L−1 of Cr(VI), with and without FTWs, and biological control (BC) with FTW without Cr addition. Both Cr species were efficiently removed from water in all treatments (Cr removal > 80%). Cr concentration in sediments of treatment without FTWs was significantly higher than in sediments of treatments with FTWs, indicating that T. domingensis was directly involved in Cr removal. In sediment, Cr was mainly bound to the organic matter in all treatments with a low risk of future release under FTW conditions. T. domingensis demonstrated tolerance to both Cr species at 5 and 10 mg L−1 with Cr accumulated mainly in the roots in all treatments. The use of FTWs planted with T. domingensis is a suitable tool to remediate water bodies contaminated with Cr. This study evaluates the removal efficiency of Cr(III) and Cr(V) in Floating Treatment Wetlands planted with Typha domingensis in greenhouse experiments. Cr accumulation and distribution in plant tissues and different sediment fractions were also assessed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of the rust fungus genus Blastospora, Bl. betulae, Bl. itoana, and Bl. smilacis, have been reported in East Asia. Although their morphological characteristics and life cycles have been investigated, their phylogenetic positions have not been clarified sufficiently. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these three species were included into Zaghouaniaceae of Pucciniales. However, Bl. betulae was phylogenetically distinct from Bl. itoana and Bl. smilacis and different from other genera. Based on this result, and applying recent International Code of Nomenclature decisions/recommendations/requirements, Botryosorus, gen. nov., and Bo. deformans,, comb. nov., were applied for Bl. betulae. Two new combinations, Bl. radiata for Bl. itoana and Bl. makinoi for Bl. smilacis, were also applied. Their host plants and distribution were described based on literature records. Zaghouania yunnanensis, comb. nov., was proposed for Cystopsora yunnanensis as a result of this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Arabia diverse landforms include saltmarshes, sand dunes, desert plains, desert pavements, ancient lava fields, and mountains. Climate is influenced by winter Polar and summer Tropical Continental air masses. Tropical Maritime air affects southwestern regions during summer. Climate depends also on location and altitude with hot humid coastal areas, hot dry deserts, hyper-arid desert pavements and lava fields, and temperate mountainous regions. Climate exhibits spatiotemporal patterns reflecting north-south gradients of temperature, rainfall, evapotranspiration, and aridity. Vast latitudinal range and steep altitudinal gradient create temperature variations, affect rainfall seasonality and distribution, and influence dry season duration. Distribution of plant communities and species reflects multitudinous interactions between climate and plant traits, physiology, and chorology. Species exhibiting C3 photosynthesis inhabit cool northern regions and temperate southwestern mountains, species with C4 photosynthesis inhabit hot low-lying regions, and arido-active succulents with crassulacean acid metabolism dominate hyper-arid desert pavements and lava fields. Plant distribution also relates to species chorology with Euro-Siberian, Irano-Turanian, and Mediterranean chorotypes dominating cool northern regions and temperate southwestern mountains, while Saharo-Sindian, Sudano-Zambezian, and Tropical chorotypes dominating hot southern regions. Plant communities and species occurring in different habitats are described in relation to their traits, physiology, and chorology. Nature reserves and phytodiversity hotspots are considered with special reference to endemic, rare, endangered, and invasive species. An environmental perspective is also given in relation to anthropogenic pressures and positive directives of Saudi Vision 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four shrub species, including the newly described Pachystegia hesperia Heenan & Molloy, are recognised in Pachystegia Cheeseman, a genus endemic to southern Marlborough and northern Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand. Pachystegia hesperia is distinguished by its compact and low statured growth habit, obovate to elliptic-oblong leaves with the adaxial surface reticulate with distinctive primary and secondary veins, a short peduncle and narrow capitula, smaller and fewer ray petals and fewer disc florets. It was previously known by the tagnames P. "B" or P. "Lowry". Pachystegia hesperia has a western and inland distribution comprising Lowry Peaks Range, Amuri Range, and southern parts of Inland and Seaward Kaikōura Ranges. The previously recognised P. insignis (Hook.f.) Cheeseman, P. minor (Cheeseman) Molloy and P. rufa Molloy are retained. Pachystegia insignis has the most widespread distribution and includes plants referred to the tagnames P. "A" or P. "Coast" and is naturally variable in leaf shape, capitula diameter and the presence and number of leafy bracts on the peduncle. Pachystegia minor is restricted to coastal and lowland habitats between Puhi Puhi and Waiau Toa / Clarence Rivers and includes plants from Ōhau Point (Marlborough) previously known by the tagname P. "C var. ii" or P. "Ōhau Point". It is distinguished by rhomboid to obovate leaves, narrow capitula and in having the fewest florets. Pachystegia rufa is distinguished by reddish trichomes on the leaves, stems and infloresences and has a restricted distribution in Haldon Hills, Marlborough. The widespread P. insignis hybridises with P. minor and P. rufa. Typification, distribution, habitats and conservation status are presented for each species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annona muricata L. (soursop fruit) is a seasonal plant with bio-geographical distribution in tropical and subtropical climates. This study evaluated the proximate, phenolic, and antioxidant properties of different parts of soursop fruit. The influence of oven and solar drying on phenolic and antioxidant activities of extracts (pulp, seed, and peel) were assessed. Proximate analysis on different parts of the soursop fruit showed the pulp to have high carbohydrate (32.9% ± 0.3) and moisture (19.1% ± 1.0). The seeds however contained higher crude fat (37.5% ± 1.2) and protein (25.0% ± 0.1) contents. Total phenolic content of the seeds (8.7 mgGAE g−1 ± 0.1) was higher than that of the pulp and the peel (8.6 mgGAE g−1 ± 0.1). The solar-dried fruit parts demonstrated superior antioxidant activity to the oven-dried parts. Extracts from the solar-dried soursop fruit samples, especially the seed, can serve as useful therapeutic ingredient for diet supplementation and could also be exploited for its high oil and protein contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freezing injury is a major environmental limiting factor affecting plant yield and geographical distribution. Little is known about the regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism during freezing (FT) and post-freezing recovery (FR). Dendrobium officinale is a valuable medicinal plant and hypersensitive to low temperature, especially freezing in winter. Here, we used metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses to reveal the regulation of of phenylpropanoid metabolism during FT and FR in D. officinale. Most anthocyanin and flavonol significantly increased during FR, including quercetin 3-O-glucoside (Q3G) and cyanidin 3-O-sophoroside (C3S) increased 104.6-fold and 66.8-fold in FR vs. CK. Transcriptomics analyses revealed the expression levels of flavonoid 3′- hydroxylase (F3'H) and flavonol synthase (FLS), which were related to an increase in quercetin derivatives. Six phytohormone-related GO terms were enriched during FT and FR. Four genes were significantly affected by FT and FR, including MYB97, MYB39, fructosyltransferase, and zinc finger transcript factor. Four GA response-related genes, 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, were specially induced during freezing stress. Moreover, jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) were significantly increased during FT, and only SA decreased during FR. This study provided understanding of phenylpropanoid metabolism under freezing stress and will be useful for enhancing freezing tolerance via molecular breeding in D. officinale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Everywhere, typical network systems are challenging two opposite situations, mainly caused by suppliers and consumers. The provision of new power quality resources and an increase in electricity consumption are the main problems in satisfying the daily need and the rising number of critical base loads. Because of the quick and unforeseen increase in consumers and failure to construct new micro-energy power plants in distribution systems in general, optimal control should be implemented to assure the distribution system's proper operation. The application of adequate computational load shedding techniques is necessary for this approach. This paper reviews microgrids' work, a considerable number of computational intelligence methods, and different classes of load shedding techniques applied to date in the distribution systems. A conclusion has been drawn given several unforeseen blackout problems occurring in major electrical distribution companies worldwide. The maximum use must be made of renewable energy resources, mainly when there are load shedding and blackout problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent bryological research in Portugal has revealed the occurrence of a little-known segregate of the Riccia sorocarpa group, representing the first record for mainland Portugal and the Azores of Riccia sorocarpa Bisch. subsp. erythrophora R.M.Schust. ex Konstant. & L.Söderstr. New data are presented on the taxonomy and phytogeography of this globally rare taxon. A revision of approximately 200 samples of Riccia sorocarpa s.l. from selected Portuguese herbaria, together with some recent field collections, was carried out, based on the results of light and scanning electron microscopy. Our findings confirm that Riccia sorocarpa subsp. erythrophora is a distinct subspecies, and show that morphological differences of the thallus, primarily the violet-red purple bases of the ventral scales, are the most important characters for its delimitation. Scanning electron micrographs of spores of this taxon are presented for the first time. Phytogeographically, our data significantly extend the known distribution of the subspecies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of an international bryological expedition to the Khamar-Daban mountain range in Russian southern Siberia. The novel approach of integrative floristics is introduced here as a method of surveying the flora of a region by using a combination of morphological and molecular evidence to identify and verify unexpected findings. We show that use of this approach can deliver a high level of credibility in cases in which direct molecular comparison is possible or the relevant data can be easily obtained from reliable studies informing recent treatments. Integrative floristics can also be used to identify potential taxonomic problems requiring further study. Conventional identification methods based on plant anatomy and morphology were supplemented with molecular barcoding (nuclear ITS, plastid trnL–trnF, rps4 and atpB–rbcL regions) of specimens that either did not fit existing morphological concepts perfectly or for which records were unexpected based on previously established phytogeographical patterns. In total, we recorded ca 380 species of mosses and ca 150 species of liverworts from five localities on the northern slopes of the Khamar-Daban range. Such floristic richness indicates a hotspot of bryophyte diversity with a remarkably high proportion of suboceanic species, such as Brachydontium trichodes (F.Weber) Milde, Herzogiella striatella (Brid.) Z.Iwats. and Racomitrium macounii subsp. alpinum (E.Lawton) Frisvoll. Nearly 20% of specimens were identified or checked using DNA barcoding. This approach showed the presence of previously unrecorded species in a number of genera, including Didymodon, Neckera and Pseudohygrohypnum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain areas are very often considered to be biodiversity hotspots. Rocks are one of the most unique habitats and serve as a suitable biotope for many endemic and specialized plant species. Here we present the results of the vegetation studies conducted in central and eastern Pamir-Alai and the south-western Tian Shan mountains in 2013‒2019. Based on 334 phytosociological relevés we propose a synopsis of the rock communities of the montane and colline zones of eastern Middle Asia. As a result of our research, we distinguish 17 communities defined into five groups of petrophytic vegetation within the Caricion koshewnikowii alliance. We describe 11 new associations: Feruletum bucharicae, Scrophularietum glabellae, Asperulo albiflorae–Kafirniganietum hissaricae, Scutellarietum immaculatae, Campanuletum eugeniae, Silenetum kuschakewiczii, Rosularietum platyphyllae, Spireaetum pilosae, Silenetum lithophilae, Campanuletum albertii, and Rhinactinidietum limoniifoliae. Distinctiveness of environmental conditions together with the species composition of the phytocoenoses within the montane and colline belts of eastern Middle and Central Asia make the investigated vegetation among those with the highest specific diversity and richness of endemisms in the whole area. The main factors that determine the species composition of the investigated vegetation seem to be phytogeography, altitude, bedrock type, and exposition. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1922531. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canola (Brassica napus) is a significant oilseed crop in the world, including in Pakistan. Increases in global temperatures will likely affect future plant species distribution, and could influence the survivability of individual species because of the relationship between temperature, germination and dormancy. The objective of this study was to improve heat tolerance in canola with the foliar application of sulfur. Therefore, a pot study was performed in a growth room at the Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad in 2017-2018 under controlled conditions. Two varieties of canola, i.e., Hyola-401 and 45S42, two levels of foliar sulfur (S0= 0ppm and S1 500ppm) treatments, and two temperature levels (T1=8°C and T2=288°C) were studied. Heat stress was imposed at the time of anthesis (55-60 days after emergence). Collected data indicated that morphological characters such as root shoot length and their fresh and dry weight showed better performance where foliar sulfur was applied either in heat stress as well as in control conditions where no heat stress was imposed. The photosynthetic rate (6.21 m mole CO2 m-2/sec), stomatal conductance (0.12 m mole CO2 m-2/sec) and intercellular CO2 concentration (346.13 m mole CO2 m-2/sec) were improved in sulfur treatments under heat stress conditions while transpiration rate (0.51 mol H2O m-2 s-1) was decreased with foliar application of sulfur. Similarly, yield and yield components (No. of siliques per plant (23), No. of seeds per siliqua (20), 1000 seed weight (3.53 g) and overall yield (2.11 t/ha) increased where foliar sulfur was applied @ 500ppm. Overall results concluded that the foliar application of sulfur may be helpful for plant tolerance against heat stress by improving the physiological attributes and yield characters in canola. Moreover, among the genotype of Brassica napus L, Hyola 401 performed better in comparison with genotype 45S42 where foliar applied sulfur under heat stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of Ni above the permissible limit in agriculture soils poses negative effects on soil health, crop quality, and crop productivity. Surprisingly, the usage of various organic and inorganic amendments can reduce Ni mobility in the soil and its distribution in the crops. A pot experiment was conducted to elucidate the effects of olive pulp biochar (BR), calcite (CAL), and wheat straw (WS), as sole amendments and their mixtures of 50:50 ratio, added to Ni polluted soil on Ni mobility in the soil, Ni immobilization index (Ni − IMi), soil enzymatic activities, Ni distribution in parts of chili plant, Ni translocation factor and bioaccumulation factor in fruit, plant growth parameters and oxidative stress encountered by the plants. Outcomes of this pot experiment revealed that amendments raised soil pH, improved soil enzymatic activities, values of Ni − IMi, while significantly reduced bioavailable Ni fraction in the post-harvest soil. However, the highest activities of acid phosphatase, urease, catalase, and dehydrogenase by 50, 70, 239, and 111%, respectively, improvement in Ni − IMi up to 60% while 60% reduction in the bioavailable Ni fraction was observed in BR + CAL treatment, compared to control was noted. Among all amendments, the top most reduction in Ni concentrations in shoots, roots, fruit, Translocation Factor (TF), and Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) values of fruit by 72%, 36%, 86%, 72%, and 86%, in BR + CAL treatment, compared to control. Moreover, the plants growing on BR + CAL amended Ni contaminated soil showed the topmost improvement in plant phonological parameters while encountered the least oxidative stress. Such findings refer to the prospective usage of BR + CAL at 50:50 ratio than BR, CAL, WS alone, and BR + WS as well as WS + CAL for reducing Ni mobility in the soil, improving Ni − IMi, soil enzymatic activities, plant phonological and oxidative stress while reducing Ni distribution in plant parts. Novelty statement In this experiment, it was hypothesized that amending Ni polluted soil with olive pulp biochar (BR), CAL, and WS as alone soil amendments and their combinations at 50:50 ratios can reduce Ni bioavailability in soil, Ni distribution in chili plant and oxidative stress encountered by the plants. Moreover, these amendments may improve, soil enzymatic activities, Ni immobilization index, plant phenological traits. Therefore, it was aimed to undertake useful scientific planning and research, to restore and rehabilitate the dwellings, biological resources and to minimize the sufferings of the peoples in nutrient-poor Ni contaminated soils, by improving soil health and chili productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equisetales represents a diverse and abundant group of articulate plants with a wide geographical distribution that had their greatest development in late Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic times. The order is represented by 12 families, composed mostly by extinct families of late Palaeozoic age, with only a unique living family, the Equisetaceae. Here we describe the new equisetalean fossil-genus and species Iberisetum wegeneri gen. nov., sp. nov. from the lower Stephanian C (Gzhelian, Upper Pennsylvanian) of intramontane Douro Basin, in northwestern Portugal. This new fossil taxon represents another endemic species for the Douro Basin. Iberisetum wegeneri consists of a leafy articulated stem that shows a unique combination of macro-morphological features that are common in various fossil-genera of different equisetalean families, and that includes exclusive (autapomorphic) characters. The singular morphology of foliar sheaths of Iberisetum wegeneri represents an evolutionary novelty into the Equisetales and suggests a heliotropic organisation (heliotropism) of the plant during its lifetime. Such functional morphology is the result of an evolutionary adaptation to the climatic and ecological conditions restricted to intramontane environments of Douro Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallot is one of the major herbs extensively being used in global cuisine. Shallot, like onion and garlic, is infected by various viruses. Shallot virus X (ShVX) infects shallot and cause significant yield loss. In the present study for the first time, effort has been made to examine the load and distribution of ShVX in various parts of shallot plants. Our study indicates that there is uneven distribution of the virus in the plant which vary with different tissues as well as the age of the plant. Accordingly, choice of tissue and age of the selected tissue was found to be a determining factor in indexing process. It was found that bulb is the most suitable tissue for detection of ShVX followed by young leaf. This study also for the first time proved that ShVX is not a seed borne virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staurosaccites, a highly distinctive pollen genus, ranges from the late Anisian (Pelsonian; Middle Triassic) to the Norian, at low to mid latitudes, globally. Here we review the systematic taxonomy and spatial and temporal ranges of Staurosaccites. We provide an emendation to S. tharipatharensis, synonymise S. minutus with the type species S. quadrifidus, and retain the species S. quadrifidus, S. tharipatharensis, S. densus and S. marginalis. Following comparison with morphologically similar pollen and environmental reconstructions of the habitat of its parent plant, we hypothesise that Staurosaccites was produced by a conifer that was likely adapted to warm and humid conditions. Based on occurrences of diagnostic taxa for the Onslow and Ipswich microfloral provinces in the Southern Hemisphere (Staurosaccites, Camerosporites, Enzonalasporites, Infernopollenites and Ovalipollis), we show that these palynofloras were established in the Middle Triassic. Our findings further suggest that, based on the presence of diagnostic taxa in western Laurasia and their absence in eastern Laurasia, western and eastern Laurasia represent different palynofloral provinces in the Middle Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonicotinoid pesticides are widely applied for controlling pests in a variety of agriculture crops. Due to the systemic distribution in plants, neonicotinoid pesticides have been found in nectar and pollen, which are the main source of food for the important pollinator honeybee. The risk of neonicotinoid residues in honeybee products and honeybee has caused great attention since their impacts on the environment, ecology, and food safety issues. These concerns require the accurate and sensitive determination of neonicotinoids and their metabolites in the honeybee products and honeybee. Since the trace residue level of neonicotinoid and the complexity of the samples, analysis of neonicotinoid targets in these important matrices is still a great challenge. The present review provides general overview of analytical methods for the determination of neonicotinoid pesticides and their metabolites in honeybee products and honeybee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walls represent globally distributed, locally extensive, artificial ecosystems. Wall vegetation is still poorly known in the Mediterranean and Temperate regions of southeastern Europe. The aim of this study is to classify and describe chasmophytic vegetation of walls, covering southeastern Europe from Slovenia to North Macedonia. From a total 463 phytosociological relevés, we identify and describe 12 distinct species – poor to moderately rich vegetation units using TWINSPAN evaluated by NMDS, and indicator values. The vegetation units are included within three alliances from two macroclimate regions: (1) vegetation of cool-temperate Europe of the Cymbalario-Asplenion alliance, and (2) Mediterranean vegetation of the Galio valantiae-Parietarion judaicae and Artemisio arborescentis-Capparidion spinosae alliances. The southernmost limit of the Cymbalario-Asplenion was determined in Central Bosnia. The presence of the Artemisio arborescentis-Capparidion spinosae in the eastern Adriatic is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quadrat sampling is one of the most widely accepted methods for conducting vegetation surveys over the world for centuries. However, it is difficult to determine an optimal size to adequately represent the community compositions in quadrat samplings. Traditional labour-intensive census-based quadrat sampling is also very time consuming and insufficient to represent spatial community characters outside of the quadrat extent. In order to improve the above deficiencies, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/red-green-blue (RGB) photography based vegetation survey methodology was proposed in this study. The essential steps in the proposed method include: 1) obtaining high spatial resolution optical images from the UAV; 2) extracting species based on the orthographic image after mosaic; 3) performing statistics on a given species within the image through different quadrat sizes; 4) determining an optimal quadrat size according to the changing trend of the statistical data. In addition, a case study applied this proposed methodology was conducted in a desert area in Northwest China, where Ammopiptanthus mongolicus and Zygophyllum xanthoxylon dominated. The results show that the remote sensing UAV method could obtain RGB images and orthoimage with flexible control. The statistical data of species density decreased with the increase of quadrat size, but the values changed slightly after 20 m × 20 m, which was larger than the typical quadrat size (10 m × 10 m) used to investigate shrubs. An analysis based on the relationship among species density, plants distribution, and quadrat size further indicated the reasonability of determining the optimal size. Based on the results, it is concluded that a minimum quadrat size of 20 m × 20 m should be adopted for investigating the density and spatial pattern characteristics of A. mongolicus and Z. xanthoxylon, and the proposed UAV-based method provides an alternative for vegetation survey with high efficiency and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitation by nurse plants likely increases from outside the canopy to the center of the canopy as stresses decrease towards the center of the canopy. These stress gradients may be important in controlling plant distributions, with stress-tolerant species specializing outside the canopy or at the canopy edge, and stress intolerant species specializing at the center of the canopy. We tested if interactions with nurse plants control the distribution of understory species, and if plants species specializing in the understory environment experience higher physiological stress when grown outside the canopy than species specializing in the open environments. We tested these predictions in field sites in the arid environment of Saudi Arabia. We measured the environmental conditions, understory species abundance, and functional and physiological traits of species found under nurse plant Acacia gerrardii. We found that Acacia trees have an overall facilitative impact on the understory species. Species found more commonly under nurse tree canopies experience significant physiological stress when growing outside canopies. In contrast, species found more commonly outside canopies do not experience significant physiological stress when growing either under canopies or outside canopies. Our results demonstrate that differences in species ability to tolerate environmental stresses are important in structuring herbaceous plant communities under nurse plants in these extremely stressful environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to identify areas of endemism for Acantholimon species using parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) and to detect endemic species richness of the genus in the region. The results obtained from the two methods used in this study were used in determining the priorities for the conservation of Acantholimon species in Iran. The distribution database of 62 endemic species belonging to this genus was formed by 1250 georeferenced observations in Iran. The study area was divided into 1̊×1̊ grids of operative geographical units (OGUs) and the species × area matrix including presence/absence data was created. The endemic species richness was calculated using circular neighborhood with a radius of 50 km in 10 × 10 km2 raster cells using DIVA-GIS software. The results of PAE analysis have shown four areas of endemism (AOEs) in Iran. AOE1: including Alborz and Zagros mountains, the mountains of central Iran. AOE2 and AOE3 are located in Khorassan subregion and AOE4 contains parts of western Iran. The map of endemic species richness indicated that the highest number of endemic species occurs in central Alborz region as well as Kerman, Chahar-Mahal and Bakhtiari, and Isfahan provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin subsp. valesiaca is acknowledged as one of the most characteristic grasses of the continental grasslands and steppes of Eurasia. In Italy, the species was known almost only from the continental valleys of the Alpine chain (with the exception of two small populations at the northernmost edge of the Apennines). Here, we report on the first confirmed finding of F. valesiaca subsp. valesiaca in the surroundings of the Fucino Basin, Central Apennines. This finding expands by c. 400 km southwards the species' range in Italy. The identity of the species was first ascertained by means of leaf cross-sections and stomata measurements, and then confirmed by chromosome count. Its habitat preferences within the area were found to match well with those described in the literature for C-Europe. After discussing some identification issues and the population's ecological niche, we present the main biogeographic implications of our finding. By recalling and discussing similar examples, we conclude that during the Holocene forest spread some Apennine "dry valleys" performed as refugia for a number of Pleistocene steppic taxa. The grasslands of these areas may thus be ancient and valuable ecosystems maintained by climate and disturbance throughout the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity maps are an important component of ecosystem-based management and conservation. In the past, biodiversity maps were largely generated using patchy occurrence data from a range of data sources. Currently, substantial species occurrence data are readily available for large parts of the world and are accessible programmatically. Considering both the observed and expected changes in species distributions, and hence biodiversity, in response to present and future climate change, it is important to utilise readily available species occurrence databases to generate temporal and spatial biodiversity maps. In this study biodiversity maps were generated for three generic functional groups within the exclusive economic zone of South Africa: zooplankton, fishes and benthos. This was achieved by stacking individual species-distribution maps. Freely available occurrence data from the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) were accessed for this purpose. Ensemble species-distribution modelling, employing five widely used statistical methods, was used to generate species-distribution maps for each functional group. The resulting spatial patterns of biodiversity for the three functional groups were largely in agreement with known patterns. The results of this study highlight the value of open-source occurrence and environmental data to generate biodiversity maps that can potentially be used in future spatial prioritisation or planning for management of marine areas and in environmental-change studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of factors determining the distribution of plants on islands is of crucial importance in island biogeography. Here the drivers and mechanisms that best explain α- and β-diversity of orchids in the Aegean Archipelago were explored. The analyses were based on (a) matrix of the total number of orchid taxa recorded on each island, and (b) matrix containing the number of grid cells of each island in which each orchid has been recorded. Based on these matrices, generalized linear models (GLMs) were then used to determine the most important factors (geographical, climatic, geological) associated with orchid richness. Generalized dissimilarity modelling (GDM) was used to explore whether there are specific patterns in β-diversity and to evaluate contributions to individual factors to these patterns. To investigate the similarity of the Aegean islands in terms of their orchid flora, a β-diversity abundance matrix was analyzed using non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination method. GLM analysis revealed that maximum elevation, index of bioclimatic breadth (IBB), neighbour index (NI), island area, and the percentage of granite, limestone and quartz at each island were the best predictors of orchid α-diversity. Maximum elevation, habitat heterogeneity, IBB and island area were positively associated with α-diversity, whereas neighbour index and the percentage of granite, limestone and quartz at each island were negatively associated. Maximum elevation, NI, habitat heterogeneity and geographical distance were the best predictors of orchid turnover across the Aegean islands, whereas IBB, granite and limestone were less important. The NMDS ordination revealed that islands are structured from the southernmost to the northernmost, in a way that in general conforms to the phytogeographical division of the Aegean Archipelago. The drivers that account for the patterns in α- and β-diversity were associated with differences in the degrees of isolation and heterogeneity (climatic and habitat) of the islands. Among the predictors, elevation and IBB proved to be better surrogates of habitat heterogeneity than island area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

sand burial is an important environmental stress affecting the distribution of plants in desert areas. It can change the spatial patterns of the population by affecting the environmental conditions. Nitraria tangutorum and Reaumuria songarica are dominant species in desert regions, and it is important to study their spatial patterns under different sand burial conditions to clarify the adaptive strategies of xerophytes. Unmanned aerial vehicles are ideal tools for the measurement of ecological phenomena. We here used an unmanned aerial vehicle to study the spatial patterns of the two species. Results show that (1) unmanned aerial vehicles can provide high-resolution (≤0.1 m) data and allow more efficient measurements than conventional ground-based survey methods; (2) with an increase in sand burial depth, the distribution of N. tangutorum showed aggregation, whereas R. songarica transformed from a clumped distribution at certain scales to a random distribution at all scales; and (3) the interspecific relationship between the two species changed from uncorrelated at all scales to correlated at a small scale. Our results suggest that the adaptability of N. tangutorum to a sandy environment is stronger than that of R. songarica. This may reflect the adaptive mechanism of xerophytes in desert areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species within the genus Calophyllum collected from middle Miocene Fotan Group sediments in Zhangpu County, Fujian, southeastern China are described in this paper. These fossils include Calophyllum zhangpuensis sp. nov., Calophyllum striatum, and Calophyllum suraikholaensis. The new fossil species C. zhangpuensis sp. nov. is oval, possesses entire leaves with closely spaced parallel secondary veins and has a round, or slightly retuse, apex. These specimens represent the first known fossil records of this relative wide leaf-type form of Calophyllum from China and have a length:width (L:W) ratio less than 3:1. In combination with the known modern geographic distribution and habitats of this wide leaf-type Calophyllum and other plants, data suggest that the middle Miocene Fotan flora is indicative of a warm climate. Thus, based on available fossil data, we speculate that this genus probably originated in India during the Paleocene before spreading from India to Bangladesh and into China, Sumatra, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Java during the Neogene, leading to its modern distribution. At least, the 3 fossil species in this region can explain floristic exchange between India, Fujian, and South China, which is consistent with previous studies; the occurrence of these 3 species indicates that Calophyllum began to diversity in China no later than the Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the role of climatic and ecological factors in limiting species to their distributions is becoming ever more important in a world where anthropogenic activities are increasingly threatening species persistence. Species with restricted distributions are often poorly known even though they may be most vulnerable to extinction. We investigated the influences of climate and ecology on the distribution of five understudied, endemic, rupicolous reptiles from the Soutpansberg Mountains in South Africa. Using Maxent, we developed ecological niche models that were used to provide baseline insights into the factors delimiting these species distributions. Results indicated that most species were limited by climatic factors, with the average temperature of the coolest quarter having the most influence on the majority of the species, where they were limited to areas with cooler temperatures. This suggests that they may be negatively affected by climate change in the future. Distribution maps revealed that there were no strong interspecific interactions influencing the distributions between the species investigated and identified potential new localities for two species. There was high endemic richness located in the western Soutpansberg and this is likely to have been driven by past climatic and erosion events. Overall this study highlighted that performing environmental niche models on understudied species can provide essential, baseline information on which to drive future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

& Wilson) Mitt., 19 January 2015, I leg. i H. Bednarek-Ochyra & R. Ochyra I 845/15 & 848/15 i , with V. Plásek (KRAM B-245670 & B-245673); (3) on banks of Río Ñirehuao east of El Gato between Ñirehuao and Villa Mañihuales at Ruta X-423, 512 m a.s.l., 45°13'07"S, 71°45'33"W, on wet muddy soil in stream bed, associated with I Philonotis vagans i , 19 January 2015, I leg. i H. Bednarek-Ochyra & R. Ochyra I 851/15 i , with V. Plásek (KRAM B-245675). It exhibits an amphiatlantic distribution pattern, typical of austral cool-adapted bryophytes (e.g. Ochyra and Lewis Smith [146]; Bednarek-Ochyra and Ochyra [22], [23], [24], [25]; Ochyra et al. [142], [143]; Li S-P et al. [118]; Blockeel, Bednarek-Ochyra et al. [33]; Ellis, Bednarek-Ochyra et al. [68]; Ellis, Bakalin et al. [67]; Ochyra and van Rooy [147]; Ochyra and Bednarek-Ochyra [141]; Ellis, Asthana et al. [65]; Ochyra et al. [145]; Saluga et al. [173]). It was subsequently discovered in the Central and East African mountains (Ochyra [139]), but interestingly, this species had not been described earlier in Africa under different names (Bednarek-Ochyra and Ochyra, [26]). The bryophyte flora of Ethiopia is still understudied and in recent decades a number of liverwort (e.g. Ellis, Aleffi, Asthana, et al. [62]) and moss (e.g. Blockeel, Matcham, et al. [37]; Ochyra and Bednarek-Ochyra [140]; Blockeel, Bednarek-Ochyra, et al. [32]; Ellis, Asthana, et al. [66]) species have been newly found in this country, especially in the Bale Mountains. Herein, the species is recorded from the fourth mountain range in these vast mountains, namely from the Polica Range where the Racomitrioideae are represented by three species of I Niphotrichum i Bedn.-Ochyra & Ochyra and three species of I Bucklandiella i Roiv. [Extracted from the article]

Revealing the future spatial-temporal patterns of heatwave impacts on crops due to global climate change is of great scientific significance for climate change-related agricultural hazards prevention. However, the prediction of future wheat heatwave considering the planting distribution, growth period of wheat, as well as heatwave frequencies, days, and intensities remain poorly understood. In this paper, using predicted meteorological data of the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario from 2011 to 2099 as well as a set of indicators that include heatwave days, frequencies and effective accumulative high temperatures, a comprehensive evaluation was performed to characterize the spatial-temporal variability of the heatwave hazard impacts on wheat in northern China under extreme climate scenarios. The results indicate that heatwaves across the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Xinjiang, western Gansu and the agro-pastoral ecotone are most frequent in the long-term. Heatwaves show significant increasing trends with regard to future occurrence frequency, days and intensities. The heatwave hazard on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Northeast China, and the agro-pastoral ecotone shows a rapid growth trend, and there is a clear transition from relatively low heatwave hazard to a higher hazard. We argue that the continuous increase in heatwaves may pose a great threat to wheat production in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Classifying species from the high tropical Andes into plant life forms (PLF) can provide a more functional understanding of tropical treeline dynamics. However, little is known about the potential response of PLFs to climate warming. Aims: The objective of this work was to evaluate the response of PLFs to environmental conditions above the upper montane forest in the Venezuelan Andes and forecast their potential distribution under warming scenarios using habitat suitability models. Methods: We classified species into nine PLFs, analysed their current distribution using CCA and non-linear multiple regressions and forecasted their potential distribution under warming scenarios. We used anatomical leaf traits for shrubs and caulescent rosettes to refine their potential responses to climate. Results: Tree cover sharply decreased with increasing elevation, while shrub and caulescent rosette distribution differed depending on their leaf traits. Projections suggested an upslope shift of all PLFs with warming and an increase in tree cover. Conclusions: The analysis of the distribution of PLFs, by linking plant adaptive strategies to topography/climate, allowed projecting changes in vegetation physiognomy in response to warming. Projections of a moderate increase in tree cover in the grassland páramo did not indicate the formation of closed forests above the forest line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of Sentinel-2 imagery for the identification and determination of forest patches of particular interest, with respect to ecosystem integrity and biodiversity and to produce a relevant biodiversity map, based on Simpson's diversity index in Taxiarchis university research forest, Chalkidiki, North Greece. The research is based on OBIA being developed on to bi-temporal summer and winter Sentinel-2 imagery. Fuzzy rules, which are based on topographic factors, such as terrain elevation and slope for the distribution of each tree species, derived from expert knowledge and field observations, were used to improve the accuracy of tree species classification. Finally, Simpson's diversity index for forest tree species, was calculated and mapped, constituting a relative indicator for biodiversity for forest ecosystem organisms (fungi, insects, birds, reptiles, mammals) and carrying implications for the identification of patches prone to disturbance or that should be prioritized for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the phytoextraction efficiency of Gypsophila paniculata from Cs-contaminated soils and analyze the mechanism of Cs accumulation in G. paniculata, we analyzed the characteristics of Cs bioaccumulation and subcellular distribution, in addition to its chemical forms in the plant under hydroponic conditions. The results showed that total Cs content in the aboveground parts and the entire plant were as high as 6137.32 mg·kg−1 dry weight and 7338.49 mg·kg−1 dry weight, respectively, after 17 days in the 50 mg·L−1 Cs treatment. The BCF was between 2.35 and 3.38. The TF was between 1.00 and 2.46 in G. paniculata. Subcellular distribution of Cs in the plant was as follows: soluble fraction > cell wall > organelles. Inorganic Cs (F-ethanol) and water-soluble Cs (F-dH2O) were the main types of Cs in G. paniculata. Further studies show that the phytoextraction efficiency can reach 10.30–11.91% planting a season of G. paniculata under potted conditions. The results suggested that G. paniculata, a perennial, drought-tolerant herb, was a high-accumulator of Cs, which may have potential uses in phytoremediation of Cs-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The forest-savanna habitat switching is thought to have been a recurrent event in evolutionary history. Notwithstanding, the centre of the Cerrado, a large biogeographic domain, may be hypothesised to be a region with historical climatic stability and thus is predicted to contain high richness of cerrado species and the presence of few species from adjacents domains. Aims: We tested if today's flora of the north-eastern cerrado (NC), a peripheral province of the domain, demonstrated an observable gradient in their distribution from centre of the Cerrado towards adjacents domains. Methods: We compiled vegetation survey data for 178 sites in the cerrado of north-eastern Brazil. Distribution patterns of plant taxa were assessed using multivariate techniques. Results: We recorded 1071 species in 390 genera and 85 families. Almost 40% were monogeneric families and ca. 50% were monospecific genera. The species composition in the NC followed a gradient related to the distance from the centre of the Cerrado towards its periphery. Conclusions: We show that the NC flora is unique and much richer than previously thought and that it is likely to be an outcome of evolutionary processes and of today's intermixing of species from adjacent formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide, halting biodiversity loss is still a major challenge. Climate and land-use change (CLUC) are major drivers of species decline, and further expected to drive species' future ranges. Understanding how these changes may impact species in the future is thus of utmost importance in the context of conservation and monitoring. This is especially critical for species of conservation concern, known to be more prone to extinction under environmental change. Aims: Here we addressed how CLUC may affect future distributions of 64 plant species designated under conservation legislation for Portugal and Spain. Current and future species distributions were modelled and projected under three CLUC scenarios. Range changes were analysed for each species and IUCN category, considering climate versus land-use change models, and the trade-offs between them. Results: Overall, our results depict consistent trends in the distribution of the targeted species under CLUC. The results also highlight potential extinction for some of the targeted species under climate change. However, under land-use change, 10 species are likely to expand their suitable habitat. Conclusions: Our research advances existing knowledge on how climate and land-use change may impact species of conservation concern in the Iberian Peninsula. Such knowledge is essential if further losses of species of conservation concern are to be proactively anticipated. Ultimately, such information can be useful to support data-driven conservation programmes and decision-making in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The Kuril Islands Chain demarcates the boundary between the circumpolar and East Asian floras in the amphi-Pacific and is a trans-Oceanic migration route from warm-temperate insular East Asia to north-east Asia and Beringia. This paper reviews the flora of the northern part of Iturup Island in regards to its bryogeography and taxonomic diversity, as well as its relative position among other bryophyte floras of north-east and East Asia. Methods. The paper uses morphological methods to identify the species composition and detrended correspondence analysis to identify the position of the northern Iturup Island in the system of local floras of the eastern, extra-tropical, Pacific. Key results. The flora is closely related to the bryophyte floras of the southern Kurils and Hokkaido Island, but has been found to be distinctly distant from the 'true' cool-temperate East Asian floras, as well as from the boreal and hemiarctic floras of north-east Asia. Instead, the floras of the south Kurils and northern Hokkaido Island belong to a peculiar intermediate phytogeographic province that cannot be unambiguously placed in either the East Asian or circumboreal floristic regions. The hemiboreal character of the bryophyte flora of northern Iturup Island is in contrast to the general appearance of many of the dominant vegetation communities on the island, which are more characteristic of the hemiarctic. Conclusion. There is no robust evidence to refer the bryophyte flora of northern Iturup either to the circumboreal or East Asian Floristic Region, the flora belongs to a unique intermediate province between the two regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arid agricultural irrigation regions, drainage ditches are important ecotones subjected to both soil salinity and artificial drainage. To explore plant community structures under varying levels of salt stress and the long-term distribution patterns of salt-tolerant species in arid open-ditch banks, a comprehensive study of soil-plant interrelationships was conducted in 39 drainage ditches of a Yellow River irrigation area of Northwest China. The results showed that larger drainage ditches exhibited higher NaCl-induced salt levels (mean >4.8 dS/m) but lower plant coverage and diversity in banks. In all, 21 families, 47 genera, and 62 plant species were detected; Phragmites australis presented the highest frequency and coverage. The high-salinity environment of >6.0 dS/m inhibited the appearance of nearly half of all species, and halophytes preferred K+-rich soils. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that mineral ions including K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3- and SO42- rather than macronutrients significantly affected the distributive heterogeneity of glycophytes under salt stress. This research revealed that smaller-sized drainage ditch habitats provided more abundant halophyte resources than larger ones and that high-diversity drainage ditches deserve more positive protection in ecologically fragile arid regions. The results of this study can aid the optimisation of plant diversity conservation strategies in agroecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research palynology has been applied to the study of an adhesive beeswax compound found beneath one enamel of the medieval Evangelistary cover 'Pace di Chiavenna', ca 1000 years old and preserved for the last five centuries in the Treasury of the Collegiate Church of Chiavenna (Northern Italy). The purpose of this study was to test whether it is possible to determine the geographical area of wax collection and of the origin of the wooden support of the artefact, using the pollen imprint of plants and their related spatial ranges. Palynological analyses allowed the identification of 184 pollen grains belonging to 33 taxa. The reconstructed vegetation represents dry to humid meadows and pastures (e.g. Artemisia, Apiaceae, Campanula type, Poacaeae, Thalictrum, Asteroideae), wet areas (e.g. Alnus glutinosa type, Salix), woods or forests (e.g. Acer, Tilia, Picea, Castanea), shrublands (Ericaceae, Corylus) and arable fields or gardens (e.g. Cerealia type, Urtica, Plantago major). The Evangelistary cover has been attributed to the Ottonian art, developed especially in Germany, Eastern France and Northern Italy. On the basis of the palynological evidence from the beeswax, we can restrict the provenance area. A Northern Italian or Southern Prealpine origin seems likely since Castanea sativa was much more frequent south than north of the Alps. This geographic origin is corroborated by the material used for the support, made of Juglans regia (walnut), frequently planted in the region at that time. Moreover, the technique used to produce the wooden plate was widespread in Italy during the High Medieval period. The palynological evidence points to a very open, deeply human-affected environment, possibly around a city or a larger village in which the apiary was located. Inferences of this nature cannot be provided by other approaches such as wood or leather analyses; we thus conclude that palynology can provide unique insights into the origin of cultural treasures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science (JABS) inviting applications for Editor-in-Chief position. It discusses the founding of Journal of Applied Behavioral Science in 1965 for understanding of human potential, group dynamics, improvement of quality of life in organizations and communities.

Introduction. We found an unusual specimen collected in 1975 from Xinjiang Province, China which may represent Grimmia exquisita J.Muñoz. However, this species is known only from the type localities and its taxonomic status is still controversial. Methods. A voucher of the Chinese specimen is deposited in IFP herbarium. This specimen was studied with the typical anatomical and morphological methods applied within Grimmia (Maier, 2010). Key Results. The Chinese species represents G. exquisita. After examining the type specimens of G. exquisita, we confirmed that it should be recognised as a distinct species. Conclusions. This study expands the distribution area of G. exquisita to East Asia. The Chinese specimen was discovered in a rather different habitat to its types and consequently, G. exquisita may be a more widely distributed species. Evaluation of the Grimmia specimens in many different herbaria is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The absence of pollinators may prevent sexual reproduction and affect the distribution and persistence of individual plant populations, but the role of pollinators in shaping the patterns of distributions of plant species or populations has not been well studied. Aims: Here, we tested the hypothesis that failure of sexual reproduction due to the absence of pollinators may contribute to the disjunct distribution of Iris ensata. Methods: We assessed floral traits and pollinator visitation frequencies in three native and two ex situ populations. We also conducted controlled pollination experiments and examined progeny performance to estimate pollen limitation (PL) and inbreeding depression. Results: Hand-pollinations indicated that I. ensata was a partially self-compatible outcrosser. Sexual reproduction in our study region depended on Bombus trifasciatus. We observed inbreeding depression for seed set and germination, but not for seedling survival. Native populations had higher frequencies of pollinator visitation and lower pollen-limitation of seed set than ex situ populations. Among populations, the magnitude of PL was negatively related to pollinator visitation rate (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Pollinator limitation and inbreeding depression may both restrict the southern distribution of I. ensata, preventing its northward expansion, thus explaining the disjunct distribution of I. ensata in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p-Coumaric acid (p-CA), also known as 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, is a phenolic acid, which has been widely studied due to its beneficial effects against several diseases and its wide distribution in the plant kingdom. This phenolic compound can be found in the free form or conjugated with other molecules; therefore, its bioavailability and the pathways via which it is metabolized change according to its chemical structure. p-CA has potential pharmacological effects because it has high free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and antimicrobial activities, among other biological properties. It is therefore essential to choose the most appropriate and effective analytical method for qualitative and quantitative determination of p-CA in different matrices, such as plasma, urine, plant extracts, and drug delivery systems. The most-reported analytical method for this purpose is high-performance liquid chromatography, which is mostly coupled with some type of detectors, such as UV/Vis detector. However, other analytical techniques are also used to evaluate this compound. This review presents a summary of p-CA in terms of its chemical and pharmacokinetic properties, pharmacological effects, drug delivery systems, and the analytical methods described in the literature that are suitable for its quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, fertile colonies of the unisexual Mediterranean liverwort Lunularia cruciata were considered to have a restricted distribution in Britain, due in particular to damaging effects of cold winters. Records of male-expressing plants and sporophytes were almost restricted to southern parts of England and Wales, while female-fertile plants had a somewhat wider range. A different picture has emerged from a more recent survey and, together with findings of other recorders, fertile plants of both genders of L. cruciata have been found in more northerly localities. Sporophytes have also been recorded somewhat more widely, but are likely to be limited by both separation of the sexes and a female-biased sex ratio. The British distribution of fertile plants is compared from records before and after 1990 since when there has been an increase in seasonal and annual temperature. It is suggested that warmer conditions have promoted an increase in fertility. This appears to be the first proposed example of recent climate change influencing bryophyte reproductive biology. Phenological observations in north-west Wales indicated a prolonged and broadly synchronous sequential production of archegonia and antheridia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to advances in phytogeographic knowledge, a revision of boundaries for the Italian Ecoregions have been made. Main changes relate to the southern and eastern limits between Temperate and Mediterranean Divisions. The revision triggered a comprehensive update of Ecoregions for an improved support to biodiversity and sustainable management initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fagus sylvatica forests are considered to be of Community interest according to Directive 92/43/EEC. Climate change predictions for Spain point to a warming scenario, coupled with decreasing rainfall, which may have an impact on their future distribution particularly at the extremes of its distribution area. Species distribution models incorporating bioclimatic, topographic and phytogeographic variables were used as predictors to assess their habitat suitability under current conditions and a climate change projection. Ten single models were generated and an ensemble-forecasting model was subsequently built by computing a consensus of single-model projections. The results revealed that ombrothermic indices are the main factors controlling the distribution of Spanish beech forests. They are highly vulnerable to climate change and could suffer a decline in their habitat suitability if climate trends observed are maintained in the future. The least favoured areas for them will be located close to the limit between the Temperate and Mediterranean climates, where they could suffer a loss of habitat suitability. Conversely, suitable new areas could be found mainly in western areas of the Cantabrian Range and in the Central Pyrenees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution and local abundance of tree species constitute basic information about our forest ecosystems that is relevant to understanding their ecology, diversity, and relationship to people. The US Forest Service conducts a forest inventory across all forest lands in the United States. We developed geospatial models of forest attributes using this sample-based inventory which make this information available for an even wider variety of applications. From these modeled datasets, we created a series of maps for 24 US states in an effort to connect more people to trees, the datasets, and the scientific research behind them. Presenting these maps in an attractive way invites engagement. The sidebar text is presented in accessible scientific language that clearly defines terms, guides readers in interpreting the maps and histograms, and provides source details and links. The resulting maps are inviting, informative, and accessible to a broad range of people of different ages and backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of the columnar cactus genus Eulychnia (Cactaceae) are an iconic sight in the Chilean Atacama Desert. The most recent taxonomic treatment of the genus suggested to accept up to seven taxa at species level based on morphological data. To date, species boundaries and infrageneric relationships in Eulychnia have not been investigated using a molecular approach. In this study, sequence data were generated for six chloroplast markers (rpl32-trnL, trnH-psbA, trnL-trnF, trnQ-rps16, trnS-trnG, and ycf1) for the seven species. Where possible, samples were collected from the south and north of the distribution range of widely distributed species, as well as plants from two morphologically distinct populations in the Atacama and Coquimbo Regions. Evolutionary trends of morphological characters were investigated using ancestral state reconstruction, and the habitat of the Chilean taxa was taken into account based on latitudinal and altitudinal distribution, precipitation regime, and vegetation zones. Two major clades were retrieved in the molecular phylogenetic hypotheses, a northern clade and a southern clade, which can easily be distinguished morphologically by differences in rib shape and type of the indumentum of the pericarpel and the hypanthium. The only Eulychnia taxon found outside Chile is most commonly accepted as Eulychnia iquiquensis subsp. ritteri. However, its isolated geographic distribution and the fact that this taxon is not most closely related to E. iquiquensis but was retrieved as sister to the rest of the northern clade in our molecular phylogenetic results support the recognition of E. ritteri at species level. Our results also provide some support for the two recently published species, E. chorosensis (previously placed in E. acida s.l.) and E. taltalensis (previously considered to be part of E. breviflora s.l.). The relationships in the southern clade need further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Areas of endemism represent territories (no matter the size) of non-random overlap in the geographic distribution of two or more taxa, reflecting a common spatial history of these taxa. The common spatial history is a result of different processes that connect areas of endemism to evolutionary theory. Numerous and diverse definitions of areas of endemism have been proposed. All of them have used as the conceptual foundation of the definition a certain degree of non-random congruence of geographic distribution amongst at least two taxa. ‘Certain degree’ means that geographic congruence does not demand complete agreement on the boundaries of those taxa's distributions at all possible scales of mapping. The words ‘certain degree’ mask the polythetic nature of areas of endemism. The polythetic characterization of areas of endemism implies that each locality of the study area has a large number of a set of species. Each species of this set is present in many of those localities and, generally, none of those species is present in every locality of the area. The converse will be a monothetic nature of areas of endemism where a taxon or group of taxa is present in all the localities of the study area. We propose here that the expansion of the definition of areas of endemism, including their polythetic characterization, will improve understanding of large biogeographic areas such as realms, regions, provinces, and districts, and will increase the scientific content (e.g., predictive capability and explanatory power) of areas of endemism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tupuangi Flora of the Chatham Islands, New Zealand, reveals a south polar forest ecosystem, and important biogeographical links between eastern and western Gondwana. We employed neutron tomography (NT) to image fossil Cupressaceae seed cones from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) strata of the Tupuangi Formation. This technique facilitated the non-destructive ‘virtual extraction’ of three-dimensional, coalified specimens, whilst they were still embedded within a large volume of supporting silicate sedimentary rock. This study is the first reported application of NT in palaeobotanical taxonomy, and the combination of virtual and manual extraction techniques enabled a more complete treatment than would otherwise be possible if taxonomic data were limited to only one of these approaches. The seed cones were identified asAustrosequoia novae-zeelandiae(Ettingshausen) Mays & Cantrill comb. nov. In this case, NT data supplemented the compression fossil data by providing details such as the three-dimensional measurements of the gross morphology, and accurate estimations of bract-scale complex number. Furthermore, this technique appears to show promise in differentiating between organic compounds within an individual specimen. However, anatomical details and fine-scale morphology were indiscernible due to present limitations in spatial resolution.Austrosequoia novae-zeelandiaeis interpreted as a stem group of Sequoioideae; it shares synapomorphic seed cone characters with extant sequoioids (e.g.SequoiaandSequoiadendron), and plesiomorphic stomatal structures and leaf morphology. Abundant epiphyllous fungi (Plochmopeltinitessp.; Microthyriaceae) were also identified on the leaf cuticles ofA. novae-zeelandiae. The high abundance ofAustrosequoiain the Tupuangi Flora supports a cupressaceous floral province at south polar latitudes during the early Late Cretaceous. Furthermore, this stem group of Sequoioideae in eastern Gondwana during the early Late Cretaceous suggests an alternative, south-to-north dispersal route of sequoioids before the final continental separation of eastern and western Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated inventory of the native vascular flora of Italy, providing details on the occurrence at regional level, is presented. The checklist includes 8195 taxa (6417 species and 1778 subspecies), distributed in 1092 genera and 152 families; 23 taxa are lycophytes, 108 ferns and fern allies, 30 gymnosperms and 8034 angiosperms. The taxa currently occurring in Italy are 7483, while 568 taxa have not been confirmed in recent times, 99 are doubtfully occurring in the country and 19 are data deficient. Out of the 568 not confirmed taxa, 26 are considered extinct or possibly extinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Chenia zanderi C.Feng & J.Kou, from Xishan Forest Park in Yunnan Province, China is described and illustrated. Particularly distinctive features of the new species are the fragile stems and leaves fragile along their insertions, narrow leaves usually constricted near the middle, broadly rounded leaf apices with a long apiculus, large distal laminal cells with numerous solid and bifurcate papillae, a narrow groove on the distal ventral surface of the costa, and absence of a costal stereid band. A key for the species recognised in Chenia R.H.Zander is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]