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Summary: Warming and elevated CO2 (eCO2) are expected to facilitate vascular plant encroachment in peatlands. The rhizosphere, where microbial activity is fueled by root turnover and exudates, plays a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling, and will likely at least partially dictate the response of the belowground carbon cycle to climate changes.We leveraged the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment, to explore the effects of a whole‐ecosystem warming gradient (+0°C to 9°C) and eCO2 on vascular plant fine roots and their associated microbes. We combined trait‐based approaches with the profiling of fungal and prokaryote communities in plant roots and rhizospheres, through amplicon sequencing.Warming promoted self‐reliance for resource uptake in trees and shrubs, while saprophytic fungi and putative chemoorganoheterotrophic bacteria utilizing plant‐derived carbon substrates were favored in the root zone. Conversely, eCO2 promoted associations between trees and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Trees mostly associated with short‐distance exploration‐type fungi that preferentially use labile soil N. Additionally, eCO2 decreased the relative abundance of saprotrophs in tree roots.Our results indicate that plant fine‐root trait variation is a crucial mechanism through which vascular plants in peatlands respond to climate change via their influence on microbial communities that regulate biogeochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophytes, comprising aquatic vascular plants, bryophytes, and macroalgae, including charophytes, are crucial components of lake ecosystems. Their diversity affects ecosystem functions and services, and they are sensitive to environmental changes, making them effective indicators of lake health. Historical records of macrophyte species composition are essential for evaluating environmental changes and conservation goals. In this study, we compiled a comprehensive database of macrophytes, along with lake and survey information from the literature, providing a historical record of macrophyte biodiversity for lakes in Japan. This database enables the analysis of changes in the flora of Japanese lakes and fluctuations in species distribution, facilitating future monitoring. The complete dataset for this abstract published in the Data Article section of the journal is available in MetaCat in JaLTER at http://db.cger.nies.go.jp/JaLTER/metacat/metacat/ERDP-2024-02.1/jalter-en. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Combining different biodiversity dimensions can reveal new diversity patterns disclosing the relative roles of historical, environmental and anthropogenic factors in shaping global seed plant diversity. Location: Global. Time period: Present. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We collated a database encompassing taxonomic (249,000 species), functional and phylogenetic information (34,694 species) of seed plants across different regions of the world. Species richness in each region was weighted accounting for their phylogenetic and functional distinctiveness, obtaining a new metric—μ‐diversity—which was modelled to disentangle the relative roles of historical factors such as climate variability since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), environmental features (e.g. actual evapotranspiration—AET) and anthropogenic factors (past and current). Results: Higher μ‐diversity was observed in Papuasia, South East Asia, Australia and Central America, whereas the lowest values were primarily located in the Northern Hemisphere. Climate variability and AET were the most important determinants of μ‐diversity and individual diversity facets, whereas the importance of past human impacts (i.e. the onset of pastoralism) equated or exceeded those of the present ones. Main conclusions: Our integrative approach proved more sensitive in describing species diversity patterns. Few areas on Earth host high and unique proportions of multiple diversity facets and individual diversity facets contribute differently to μ‐diversity across continents. Historical climate stability and water‐energy dynamics strongly affect species diversity, but we also observed that past land‐use legacy may have influenced current plant diversity, which is under intense anthropogenic pressure, especially in Asia as well as in Central and South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the biodiversity and evolution of African flora. Africa is home to a diverse range of ecosystems and has a rich variety of vascular plants, with over 65,000 recorded species. However, the cataloging of African plant diversity is uneven, with some regions well-documented and others barely explored. The article also explores the biogeographic history of African plants, the role of fire in shaping the flora, and the impact of climate change on plant diversity. The authors emphasize the need for conservation efforts specific to Africa, as the processes that have shaped its flora differ from those in other parts of the world. They also highlight the gaps in our understanding of African plant diversity and call for further research and data collection. [Extracted from the article]

Background and Aims In many systems, postfire vegetation recovery is characterized by temporal changes in plant species composition and richness. We attribute this to changes in resource availability with time since fire, with the magnitude of species turnover determined by the degree of resource limitation. Here, we test the hypothesis that postfire species turnover in South African fynbos heathland is powered by fire-modulated changes in nutrient availability, with the magnitude of turnover in nutrient-constrained fynbos being greater than in fertile renosterveld shrubland. We also test the hypothesis that floristic overlaps between fynbos and renosterveld are attributable to nutritional augmentation of fynbos soils immediately after fire. Methods We use vegetation survey data from two sites on the Cape Peninsula to compare changes in species richness and composition with time since fire. Key Results Fynbos communities display a clear decline in species richness with time since fire, whereas no such decline is apparent in renosterveld. In fynbos, declining species richness is associated with declines in the richness of plant families having high foliar concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and possessing attributes that are nutritionally costly. In contrast, families that dominate late-succession fynbos possess adaptations for the acquisition and retention of sparse nutrients. At the family level, recently burnt fynbos is compositionally more similar to renosterveld than is mature fynbos. Conclusions Our data suggest that nutritionally driven species turnover contributes significantly to fynbos community richness. We propose that the extremely low baseline fertility of fynbos soils serves to lengthen the nutritional resource axis along which species can differentiate and coexist, thereby providing the opportunity for low-nutrient extremophiles to coexist spatially with species adapted to more fertile soil. This mechanism has the potential to operate in any resource-constrained system in which episodic disturbance affects resource availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Taxonomists are primary actors of biodiversity assessment. At the same time, there is awareness by the taxonomic community at large that the field is going through a crisis, sometimes referred to as the 'taxonomic impediment'. Coupled with the ongoing biodiversity crisis, or 6th mass extinction, this biodiversity impedance puts at risk the target set in the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Global Biodiversity Framework vision 2050, which calls for urgent action to '... put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of planet and people'. This risk is particularly pronounced in tropical African countries where taxonomic studies are done on an ad hoc basis. In this study, our aim is to investigate the historical trends in botanical exploration of vascular plants in Nigeria and forecast the near-term (50-year) description of presently unknown species, which we use to discuss scenarios of taxonomic effort that may be necessary for a comprehensive biodiversity assessment in the country. Methods The study is based on a dataset from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, containing all vascular plant species reported to occur in Nigeria. We fit nested Bayesian time series regressions to estimate the long-term trend in the rate of description of vascular plant species in Nigeria. From these models, we use an ensemble forecast to estimate the number of species descriptions by the year 2070, and then evaluate the description rates per taxonomist required to meet this estimate under different totals of active taxonomists. Key results We find a striking difference in species description between Nigerian botanists and their foreign counterparts, with the former contributing relatively small numbers. Additionally, only a fraction of the authors involved in describing Nigeria's vascular plants are of indigenous origin. Our study reveals that the number of new species described annually exhibits a long-term increasing trend, with an average of 19.5 species described per year. However, after taking into account year-to-year variability and the number of taxonomists active in a given year, the long-term trend in species descriptions credibly declines over time. While the number of authors involved in describing species has generally increased over time, it has remained stable since the 1950s. Predictions for the number of new species descriptions by 2070 vary by model, with an ensemble prediction estimating 1140 species descriptions, but ranging from 1004 to 2239 between individual models. Conclusions The study estimates that current levels of taxonomic activity should lead to a 20 % increase in known species of vascular plants in Nigeria over the next 50 years, which is still probably an underestimate of the true, unknown species richness. Urgent action is needed to address the taxonomic impediment so that local taxonomic studies in tropical African countries can achieve the CBD's Global Biodiversity Framework vision 2050. Here, we outline some key pathways to achieving this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deadwood contributes to an increase in soil heterogeneity due to the changing the microrelief (by the formation of windthrow-soil complexes), as well as changes in physical and chemical characteristics of decaying wood directly during xylolysis. We hypothesized that fallen logs as an element of microrelief influence the species composition and cover structure of vascular plants. We studied the influence of Picea abies (L.) Karst fallen logs of moderate and advanced decay stages on the horizontal distribution and heterogeneity of vascular plant cover in different microsite types (small boreal grass type, blueberry type, small boreal grass-blueberry type, herbs, and blueberry type) in old-growth middle taiga spruce forest in the Kivach State Nature Reserve (Republic of Karelia, Russia). The fallen deadwood acts as a factor of heterogeneity, causing reversible changes in the homogeneity of the original plant cover. The decaying logs influence the horizontal distribution of small herbs by changing the occurrence and density of shoots of Oxalis acetosella L., Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W. Schmidt, Vaccinium myrtillus L., and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., as well as the occurrence of Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd. and Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth. Its impact on the heterogeneity parameters can be traced up to 20 cm from the log. The differences in vascular plant cover between fallen logs and the surrounding forest floor depend on the soil conditions of the microsite. The heterogeneity of conditions created by the logs smoothed out with increasing decay class, resulting in decreasing differences in the heterogeneity parameters of vascular plant cover between deadwood and forest floor. The changes in the homogeneity of the initial vascular plant cover by deadwood and the gradual smoothing of heterogeneity between the logs and the forest floor in rich and poor conditions have different, mainly opposite, trends. Finally, the structure of the vegetation cover reaches a state that is typical of particular growth conditions beyond deadwood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Khibiny Mountains (hereafter called Khibiny Mts.) are one of the most urbanized and industrialized regions in the Russian Arctic. There are combined a developed mining complex, elaborate infrastructure, a well-known tourist resort, and a large population, all amidst an exceptionally rich biodiversity of plants. In this study, we analyzed the current knowledge of the spatial distribution of rare and endangered vascular plants and vegetation and the impacts of human activities on these ecosystems. Approximately 28% of the protected vascular plant species in the Murmansk Region were registered within the confines of the Khibiny Mts. In particular, although only a handful of protected species had a widespread presence, most rare species were confined to the southern reaches of the mountain range, with only a select few extending into other parts. Papaver lapponicum was the only species that thrived across the entire territory, including industrial areas. The studied territory contained nine specially protected areas spanning 123,220 hectares. Nature monuments adjacent to mining sites and urban centers play an important role in preserving regional biodiversity. However, the expansion of the mining industry, alongside deforestation and wildfires, poses considerable threats to the biodiversity of the Khibiny Mts. A comprehensive biodiversity conservation strategy implemented in this region balances the local and expansive territorial protection of rare species and habitats, ensuring environmental preservation while facilitating social and economic progress, a noteworthy example of environmental protection in the Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Huangshui River Basin is one of the most important water sources in the Qinghai Province and is of great importance for ecological protection measures, agricultural irrigation and tourism. Based on previous studies and fieldwork related to plant species in China, this study presents comprehensive data on vascular plants distributed in the Huangshui River Basin of Qinghai Province. Ethical Compliance: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Data Access Statement: Research data supporting this publication are available from the repository at located at . Conflict of Interest declaration: The authors declare that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity with any financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. New information: The checklist of plants includes ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms, covering three phyla, five classes, 49 orders, 139 families, 709 genera and 2,382 species. It includes numerous Asteraceae, Gramineae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae along with statistical data on the number of species distributed in different regions. The dataset presented in this article provides important background information on vascular plants in the Huangshui River Basin and, therefore, plays a crucial role in the protection and management of plant resources in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Flora Montibérica is the property of Flora Montiberica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Main conclusion: Fiber-like cells with thickened cell walls of specific structure and polymer composition that includes (1 → 4)-β-galactans develop in the outer stem cortex of several moss species gametophytes. The early land plants evolved several specialized cell types and tissues that did not exist in their aquatic ancestors. Of these, water-conducting elements and reproductive organs have received most of the research attention. The evolution of tissues specialized to fulfill a mechanical function is by far less studied despite their wide distribution in land plants. For vascular plants following a homoiohydric trajectory, the evolutionary emergence of mechanical tissues is mainly discussed starting with the fern-like plants with their hypodermal sterome or sclerified fibers that have xylan and lignin-based cell walls. However, mechanical challenges were also faced by bryophytes, which lack lignified cell-walls. To characterize mechanical tissues in the bryophyte lineage, following a poikilohydric trajectory, we used six wild moss species (Polytrichum juniperinum, Dicranum sp., Rhodobryum roseum, Eurhynchiadelphus sp., Climacium dendroides, and Hylocomium splendens) and analyzed the structure and composition of their cell walls. In all of them, the outer stem cortex of the leafy gametophytic generation had fiber-like cells with a thickened but non-lignified cell wall. Such cells have a spindle-like shape with pointed tips. The additional thick cell wall layer in those fiber-like cells is composed of sublayers with structural evidence for different cellulose microfibril orientation, and with specific polymer composition that includes (1 → 4)-β-galactans. Thus, the basic cellular characters of the cells that provide mechanical support in vascular plant taxa (elongated cell shape, location at the periphery of a primary organ, the thickened cell wall and its peculiar composition and structure) also exist in mosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present and describe a spectral library (SL) with 15 vascular plant species from Montesinho Natural Park (MNP), a protected area in Northeast Portugal. We selected species from the vascular plants that are characteristic of the habitats in the MNP, based on their prevalence, and also included one invasive species: Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn, Castanea sativa Mill., Cistus ladanifer L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Frangula alnus Mill., Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl, Quercus pyrenaica Willd., Quercus rotundifolia Lam., Trifolium repens L., Arbutus unedo L., Dactylis glomerata L., Genista falcata Brot., Cytisus multiflorus (L'Hér.) Sweet, Erica arborea L., and Acacia dealbata Link. We collected spectra (300–2500 nm) from five records per leaf and leaf side, which resulted in 538 spectra compiled in the SL. Additionally, we computed five vegetation indices from spectral data and analysed them to highlight specific characteristics and differences among the sampled species. We detail the data repository information and its organisation for a better understanding of the data and to facilitate its use. The SL structure can add valuable information about the selected plant species in MNP, contributing to conservation purposes. This plant species SL is publicly available in Zenodo platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Caldasia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Equisetum is one of the oldest extant group vascular plants and is considered to be the key to understanding vascular plant evolution. Equisetum is distributed almost all over the world and has a high degree of adaptability to different environments. Despite the fossil record of horsetails (Equisetum, Equisetaceae) dating back to the Carboniferous, the phylogenetic relationship of this genus is not well, and the chloroplast evolution in Equisetum remains poorly understood. In order to fill this gap, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the chloroplast genomes of 12 species of Equisetum, and compared them to 13 previously published vascular plants chloroplast genomes to deeply examine the plastome evolutionary dynamics of Equisetum. The chloroplast genomes have a highly conserved quadripartite structure across the genus, but these chloroplast genomes have a lower GC content than other ferns. The size of Equisetum plastomes ranges from 130,773 bp to 133,684 bp and they encode 130 genes. Contraction/expansion of IR regions and the number of simple sequences repeat regions underlie large genomic variations in size among them. Comparative analysis revealed we also identified 13 divergence hotspot regions. Additionally, the genes accD and ycf1 can be used as potential DNA barcodes for the identification and phylogeny of the genus Equisetum. Twelve photosynthesisrelated genes were specifically selected in Equisetum. Comparative genomic analyses implied divergent evolutionary patterns between Equisetum and other ferns. Phylogenomic analyses and molecular dating revealed a relatively distant phylogenetic relationship between Equisetum and other ferns, supporting the division of pteridophyte into Lycophytes, Equisetaceae and ferns. The results show that the chloroplast genome can be used to solve phylogenetic problems within or between Equisetum species, and also provide genomic resources for the study of Equisetum systematics and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, species with broad niches also show large range sizes. We investigated the relationship between hydrological niche breadth and geographic range size for Amazonian tree species seeking to understand the role of habitat specialization to Amazonian wetlands and upland forests on the current distribution of tree species. We obtained 571,092 valid occurrence points from GBIF and SpeciesLink to estimate the range size and the niche breadth of 76% of all known Amazonian tree species (5150 tree species). Hydrological niche breadth was measured on different unidimensional axes defined by (1) total annual precipitation; (2) precipitation seasonality; (3) actual evapotranspiration; and (4) water table depth. Geographic range sizes were estimated using alpha‐hull adjustments. General linear models were used to relate niche breadth to range size while contrasting tree species occurring and not occurring in wetlands. The hydrological niche breadth of Amazonian tree species varied mostly along the water table depth axis. The average range size for an Amazonian tree species was 751,000 km2 (median of 154,000 km2 and standard deviation of 1,550,000 km2). Niche breadth–range size relationships for Amazonian tree species were positive for all models, and the explanatory power of the models improved when including whether a species occurred in wetlands or in terrestrial uplands. Wetland species had steeper positive slopes for the niche breadth–range size relationship, and consistently larger range sizes for a given niche breadth. Amazonian tree species varied strongly in hydrological niche breadth and range size, but most species had narrow niche breadths and range sizes. Our results suggest that the South American riverscape may have been acting as a corridor for species dispersal in the Neotropical lowlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support the work of the Global Conservation Consortium for Erica and update the Erica checklist in the World Flora Online (WFO), we have curated the taxonomic backbone in the WFO by expanding it to include updated nomenclatural information from the International Plant Name Index, missing names present in the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), the Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA), and from the "International register of heather names" database, a data source not readily available online. The result is the most robust database of Erica names to date, including 851 species, 111 subspecies, 244 varieties, and 2787 synonyms, which is a reliable reference for initiatives such as the Erica identification aid, conservation prioritisation, and gap analyses. We disambiguate common orthographic variants within the database and present an overview of these. We also comment on the correct orthography of E. heleophila Guthrie & Bolus and E. michellensis Dulfer and the validity of E. tegetiformis E.G.H.Oliv. are discussed, and the use of E. adunca Benth. for a South African species rather than E. triceps Link, which is here regarded as insufficiently known and of uncertain application, is clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular wall aging has been strongly associated with cardiovascular diseases. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy of USCP-GVH-014, a mixed extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Paeonia lactiflora Pall. in inhibiting vascular wall aging through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results revealed that USCP-GVH-014 inhibited abnormal cell proliferation, collagen overproduction, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 overexpression caused by various stimuli and recovered the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase on human aortic smooth muscle cells. In addition, it inhibited the increase in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha on human aortic endothelial cells and prevented the aging of the vascular wall by regulating related proteins such as epidermal growth factor and interleukin-1ß. Furthermore, it reduced vascular aging in in vivo studies. These results demonstrate that USCP-GVH-014 effectively reduces vascular aging, thereby rendering it a potential therapeutic candidate for cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While vascular plants in drylands can spatially self-organize and persist under climatic stress through gradual changes in patch attributes, dryland patch dynamics largely assumes bare soil between plants. Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are communities living in the soil surface of drylands and mediate water redistribution in space. BSCs often occur in patches of light cyanobacteria and dark-mixed aggregates; however, little is known about their spatial patterns and dynamics. Here, we investigate spatial attributes of BSC patches, their spatial interactions with vascular plants, and factors that drive variation in these attributes using ultra-high-resolution (1 cm) maps from UAV imagery across three ecoregions of the southwest United States. Our analysis showed that light cyanobacteria BSCs varied most in patch shape complexity with aridity, while dark-mixed BSCs varied most in abundance. The distribution of dark-mixed BSCs was strongly affected by the soil template (texture and calcareousness) and vascular plants. Light cyanobacteria BSCs and woody plants spatially aggregated with aridity, while slope enhanced the spatial association between BSC functional groups. We conclude that light cyanobacteria BSCs can likely persist under stress through patch shape alterations, while dark-mixed BSC patches may have a lower capacity to do so—corroborating that dark-mixed BSC abundance may decline under altered climatic regimes. Light cyanobacteria BSCs may also buffer the effects of aridity for other biota by promoting runoff. BSCs and vascular plants coordinate in space in response to resource availability, suggesting the need to consider self-organization of multiple unique assemblages to better predict dryland response to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated checklist numbering 1076 vascular plants is presented here, based on the progress in the floristic research over the past 20 years. Data on endemic species and species of conservation concern in the Rusenski Lom Valley is also presented. The first checklist of the Rusenski Lom River Valley's vascular flora, published in 2005, included 877 species. In the subsequent years, taxonomy and nomenclature of the taxa were continuously updated, which led to the enrichment of the list with about 200 new species records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moss Physcomitrium (formerly Physcomitrella) patens (Hedw.) Mitt. is a seedless vascular plant with a deciphered genome, a representative of the most ancient living taxa of land plants, and a convenient model for studying the evolutionary development of plants. In order to study the formation and functions of carbohydrate-binding proteins in plants during evolution, a genome-wide screening of genes encoding proteins with lectin domains in the P. patens genome was carried out, and their expression in various cells and tissues of moss was analyzed. We identified 141 genes encoding proteins from 15 families, the set and number of representatives of which differed significantly from the earlier analyzed angiosperms. In P. patens, some of the proteins with lectin domains had a specific domain architecture absent in higher seed plants. Clustering of genes according to their level of expression in various tissues of moss showed three patterns of expression of genes for proteins with lectin domains, of which the third cluster, presented in cells with a tip growth type (in caulonema, chloronema, and moss rhizoids), was characterized by the largest number of actively expressed genes. The results obtained support the idea of the early appearance of genes encoding lectins in plants and the further expansion of families of proteins with lectin domains with increasing complexity of plant organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the seventeenth of a series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to both the Med-Checklist and the Euro+Med (or Sisyphus) projects are presented. This instalment deals with the families Aizoaceae, Anacardiaceae, Asparagaceae, Bignoniaceae, Boraginaceae, Cannabaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Casuarinaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Crassulaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Gentianaceae, Gramineae, Iridaceae, Labiatae, Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Onagraceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Portulacaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Sapindaceae, Sapotaceae, Solanaceae, Typhaceae, Violaceae and Vitaceae. It includes new country and area records and taxonomic and distributional considerations for taxa in Acer, Ampelopsis, Argania, Blackstonia, Buglossoides, Carduus, Carex, Casuarina, Celtis, Chenopodium, Clematis, Eleusine, Elytrigia, Eucalyptus, Euphorbia, Euphrasia, Fraxinus, Galium, Hibiscus, Hieracium, Iris, Koelreuteria, Lathyrus, Loeflingia, Ludwigia, Malus, Melampyrum, Mesembryanthemum, Muscari, Orobanche, Oxalis, Papaver, Physalis, Podranea, Portulaca, Pseudodictamnus, Pulmonaria, Ranunculus, Schinus, Sedum, Stachys, Typha, Viola and Vitis, and a new combination in Pseudodictamnus. Citation For the whole article: Raab-Straube E. von & Raus Th. (ed.) 2024: Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 17. – Willdenowia 54: 5–45. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.54.54101 For a single contribution (example): Fos S., Laguna E., Smith G. F. & Verloove F. 2024: Mesembryanthemum haeckelianum A. Berger. – Pp. 7–8 in: Raab-Straube E. von & Raus Th. (ed.), Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 17. – Willdenowia 54: 5–45. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.54.54101 Version of record first published online on 19 February 2024 ahead of inclusion in April 2024 issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The variability in regional species richness is determined by the balance between speciation, extinction, and migration, but the underlying causes of high species richness in some regions (e.g. tropics, Mediterranean ecosystems) are challenging to explain. Species richness variability may be amplified by biotic feedbacks that promote species richness in some areas, while decreasing elsewhere. Following the example of species abundance, we speculated that species richness per area in arbitrary geographic units (e.g. quarter‐degree squares) follows a hollow‐shaped curve with the ranks of species richness to yield a species richness rank (SRR) curve. The hollowness of such an SRR curve may indicate biotic feedbacks. Location: South Africa, South West Australia, and global. Materials and Methods: We used vascular plant (VP) and bird data from distinct geographic regions and global syntheses of VP, bird, mammal, and amphibian species richness. These data were subdivided into geographic grids and the deviation from normality of the species richness quantified using skewness and kurtosis and the values ranked to yield SRR curves. Results: These SRR curves all had a consistent hollow shape (corresponding skewness 1.08–3.4, kurtosis 0.23–18.40) distinct from a normal distribution arising if species were allocated randomly to geographic units. The SRR curves indicate that relatively species‐rich regions are rare, while species‐poor areas are common. Main Conclusions: Neutral processes, abiotic determinants, environmental heterogeneity, historical factors (e.g. climate stability), and biotic feedbacks all likely play a role in contributing to the shapes of the curves. Although these curves for diverse taxa and regions integrate these multiple drivers of species richness, they indicate an acceleration of species richness as a function of species richness as a result of speciation and/or immigration, limited by increasing extinction likelihood. Biotic feedbacks provide a parsimonious explanation for the shapes of the SRR curves across taxa and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geodiversity is an essential part of nature's diversity. However, geodiversity is insufficiently understood in terms of its spatial distribution and its relationship to biodiversity over large spatial extents. Here, we present European geodiversity data at resolutions of 1 km and 10 km. We assess terrestrial geodiversity quantitatively as a richness variable (georichness) using a commonly employed grid-based approach. The data incorporate aspects of geological, pedological, geomorphological and hydrological diversity, which are also available as separate richness variables. To evaluate the data, we correlated European georichness with empirically tested national georichness data from Finland, revealing a positive correlation at both 1 km (rp = 0.37, p < 0.001) and 10 km (rp = 0.59, p < 0.001) resolutions. We also demonstrate potential uses of the European data by correlating georichness with vascular plant species richness in two contrasting example areas: Finland and Switzerland. The positive correlations between georichness and species richness in Finland (rp = 0.34, p < 0.001) and Switzerland (rp = 0.26, p < 0.001) further support the use of our data in geodiversity–biodiversity research. Moreover, there is great potential beyond geodiversity–biodiversity questions, as the data can be exploited across different regions, ecosystems and scales. These geodiversity data provide an insight on abiotic diversity in Europe and establish a quantitative large-scale geodiversity assessment method applicable worldwide. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conserving Nature's Stage (CNS) is a concept from conservation planning that promotes the protection of areas encompassing a broad range of enduring geophysical traits to provide long-term habitat for diverse species. The efficacy of using enduring geophysical characteristics as surrogates for biodiversity, independent of non-geophysical features and when considering finer resolution area selections, has yet to be investigated. Here, we evaluated CNS using 33 fine-scale inventories of vascular plant, non-vascular plant, invertebrate or vertebrate species from 13 areas across three continents. For each inventory, we estimated a continuous multidimensional surrogate defined from topographic and soil estimates of the surveyed plots. We assessed surrogate effectiveness by comparing the species representation of surrogate selected plots to the representation from plots picked randomly and using species information. We then used correlation coefficients to assess the link between the performance and qualities of the inventories, surroundings and surrogates. The CNS surrogate showed positive performance for 24 of the 33 inventories, and among these tests, represented 28 more species than random and 83% of the total number of species on average. We also found a small number of weak correlations between performance and environmental variability, as well as qualities of the surrogate. Our study demonstrates that prioritizing areas for a variety of geophysical characteristics will, in most cases, promote the representation of species. Our findings also point to areas for future research that might enhance CNS surrogacy. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shennongjia Area is located in northwest of Hubei Province with Shennongding, the highest peak (3105.4 m above sea level) in central China. The unique geographical location and complex terrain of this region make it rich in plant resources. After field investigation, literature review, and specimen identification, the 7th Shenyang Pharmaceutical University Chinese Medicine Resources Scientific Expedition Team studied the plant resources and diversity of Shennongjia Area. 454 species of vascular plants belonging to 106 families and 275 genera were collected from July to August in 2013. The dominant families are Lamiaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, and Asteraceae, with 20, 21, 37 and 48 species respectively. At the genus level, Rubus is the dominant one with 11 species. 3 species of national first-class protective plants, 13 species of “Huan yang yao” and 36 species of “Qi yao” were collected. In all, our research has updated the plant recources and diversity in Shennongjia Area. Furthermore, by putting forward practical and meaningful suggestions on strengthening the protection and utilization of plant resources in Shennongjia Area, our research will help to protect the diverse ecosystem there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Biodiversity assessment and decisions rely on knowledge of the spatial distribution of species, yet most global biodiversity is inadequately represented by occurrence records. Efforts to improve our knowledge of biodiversity distribution include targeted taxon survey programmes aimed at generating records of new, or previously unrecorded, species. Here, we evaluate nearly 8 years of biodiversity record collection by Bush Blitz, Australia's largest species discovery programme, to test how efficiently knowledge was added through the programme. Location: Continental Australia. Methods: Because we expect locations that are environmentally distinct in comparison with those already surveyed to harbour novel records of species, we assess the extent to which Bush Blitz surveys complement continental environmental diversity (ED). We then assess how effectively this improvement in sampling of ED translates into the accumulation of records of new, or previously unrecorded, species. Our assessment is based on Bush Blitz data for six taxa (amphibians, spiders, land snails, moths and butterflies, reptiles and vascular plants), benchmarked against data accumulated over the same period by the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)—Australia's largest aggregation of biodiversity records—as a comparison of effectiveness to the Bush Blitz programme. Results: Environments surveyed through the Bush Blitz programme are highly complementary to environments from which 'background' observations were made over the same period and aggregated in the ALA. Bush Blitz surveys result in large numbers of records of new, or previously unrecorded, species. Across most biological groups considered, additions were made highly efficiently with respect to survey effort, relative to background survey effort represented in the ALA. Main Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the ability of the Bush Blitz programme to contribute valuable data to conservation assessment and planning and the important role of surrogate‐based assessments of ED complementarity in planning new targeted biological surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deadwood is known to be an irreplaceable substrate for various groups of organisms but its importance for vascular plants is still unclear. To examine which deadwood characteristics promote its colonization by vascular plants and whether species can prefer this substrate to mineral soil (or vice versa), we used regression modeling and ordination methods to analyze an extensive data set of vegetation records from more than 1800 pieces of lying deadwood and 200 control plots on soil. Data were collected in four old-growth forest sites ranging from lowland alluvial to mountain spruce forests. Colonization of deadwood of all decay classes, including freshly fallen logs, was frequent at all study sites. The density of colonizers differed between deadwood species, increased with deadwood decomposition stage and was higher when deadwood was exposed to light. On average, about 40% of observed species showed a preference for either deadwood or soil substrate with preference for soil usually being more common. Species that preferred deadwood to soil were typically early successional species, while those with preference for soil were often hygrophytes or typical understorey species. Most species responded consistently to substrate across multiple sites. With its unique microsite conditions and specific composition of plant colonizers, we highlight the importance of deadwood for herb layer species composition. Deadwood retention should be encouraged not only in protected but also in commercial forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, calcareous beech forests were classified and differentiated according to vascular plants. Bryophytes were often omitted or not all substrates were sampled in relevés, and therefore, the role of bryophytes in plant community differentiation remained unclear. In this paper, we studied bryophyte species richness, composition and functional patterns in vegetation units differentiated by vascular plants. We analysed 45 phytosociological relevés from 400 m2 plots in Fagus sylvatica-dominated forests on dolomite bedrock in Central Slovakia. The most frequent among 59 moss and 8 liverwort species was Tortella tortuosa, followed by Hypnum cupressiforme, Brachytheciastrum velutinum and Ctenidium molluscum. Average richness of bryophytes was 8.1 compared to 38.7 species of vascular plants. Seven bryophyte species were significantly linked to a particular vegetation unit. One-way ANOVA showed no noticeable differences in bryophyte species richness between vegetation units. However, it was negatively affected by xericity and positively by cover of rocks on soil surface. CCA revealed that species composition was affected significantly by xericity, cover of bare rocks and cover of tree layer. Mat and turf life forms prevailed, and both long-lived taxa/perennials and short-lived colonists formed the bryophyte layer. Observed bryophyte species grew mostly on rock, living and dead wood, and only minority of them on soil. Therefore, available substrates greatly contributed to the species richness of bryophytes and total plant diversity of the forest community. A complete investigation of substrates is necessary to assess the drivers of bryophyte species distribution and diversity, and their role in classification of calcareous beech forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relict vegetation of water-splashed petrifying rocks with calcareous tufa formation dominated by the fern Adiantum capillus-veneris and wetland bryophytes (phytosociological class Adiantetea) was investigated in Georgia, Caucasus biodiversity hotspot. The study brings the first phytosociological data on this scarce community in the Caucasus based on a novel dataset of vegetation plot records. A classification analysis revealed two main vegetation communities. They are represented by the Caucasian community recorded in the Mtkvari River valley inside the Tbilisi city (E Georgia) and the Colchic community developed under the humid, warm-temperate climate of Colchis (W Georgia), one of the key refugia of Tertiary flora across W Eurasia. To compare newly recorded vegetation types and so far described associations of the Adiantetea class, we used a broader dataset of the analogous communities reported from Europe and surroundings. It associated the Caucasian community with the pan-Mediterranean association Eucladio-Adiantetum. It was characterized by subhalophytes (e.g. Samolus valerandi), Eucladium verticillatum as a dominant bryophyte, and the absence of relict or endemic vascular plant species. The Colchic community represented a previously undescribed community. Therefore, we designated a new association Saxifrago cymbalariae-Adiantetum capilli-veneris delineated by the characteristic species of the Colchic-Caucasian territory (e.g. Hedera colchica, Saxifraga cymbalaria) and Palustriella commutata as the dominant bryophyte. Both associations belong to the Mediterranean-Atlantic alliance Adiantion. Described communities require conservation attention for their rarity, refugial character and presence of relict and endemic species. Modifications of the hydrological regime and construction activities are among their most important potential threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of planted forest stands of the alien species Quercus rubra L. in Central Europe was studied. The northern red oak is a neophyte that has been cultivated in Europe since the seventeenth century as an ornamental as well as a useful tree. In 38 phytosociological relevés from Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, we recorded a total of 223 vascular plant taxa, of which 10% were alien (with 9 invasive species). The stands were species-poor compared to the most native forests, with an average of 17 species per relevé, and most of the species had a low coverage value (around 5% on average). The representation of endangered species was very low, only three species were recorded. The dense canopy of Q. rubra and large cover of litter consisting mainly of fallen old red oak leaves affected the richness of the undergrowth. The mean cover of the tree layer was 84%, the mean cover of the shrub layer was 9% and the mean cover of the herb layer was 22%. The EuroVegChecklist Expert System assigned the relevés to five classes: Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae, Alno glutinosae-Populetea albae, Rhamno-Prunetea, Epilobietea angustifolii and Robinietea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to both biotic and abiotic stresses, vascular plants transmit long-distance Ca2+ and electrical signals from localized stress sites to distant tissues through their vasculature. Various models have been proposed for the mechanisms underlying the long-distance signaling, primarily centered around the presence of vascular bundles. We here demonstrate that the non-vascular liverwort Marchantia polymorpha possesses a mechanism for propagating Ca2+ waves and electrical signals in response to wounding. The propagation velocity of these signals was approximately 1–2 mm s-1, equivalent to that observed in vascular plants. Both Ca2+ waves and electrical signals were inhibited by La3+ as well as tetraethylammonium chloride, suggesting the crucial importance of both Ca2+ channel(s) and K+ channel(s) in wound-induced membrane depolarization as well as the subsequent long-distance signal propagation. Simultaneous recordings of Ca2+ and electrical signals indicated a tight coupling between the dynamics of these two signaling modalities. Furthermore, molecular genetic studies revealed that a GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE (GLR) channel plays a central role in the propagation of both Ca2+ waves and electrical signals. Conversely, none of the three two-pore channels were implicated in either signal propagation. These findings shed light on the evolutionary conservation of rapid long-distance Ca2+ wave and electrical signal propagation involving GLRs in land plants, even in the absence of vascular tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatomically diverse meristems underpin land plant development. Deeply conserved genetic factors govern meristem function in both bryophytes and vascular plants. Novel meristem regulators evolved by gene duplication and neofunctionalization. Gene co-option, heterotopy, and rewiring of molecular regulatory modules drove meristem diversification. The concept of the meristem was introduced in 1858 to characterize multicellular, formative, and proliferative tissues that give rise to the entire plant body, based on observations of vascular plants. Although its original definition did not encompass bryophytes, this concept has been used and continuously refined over the past 165 years to describe the diverse apices of all land plants. Here, we re-examine this matter in light of recent evo-devo research and show that, despite displaying high anatomical diversity, land plant meristems are unified by shared genetic control. We also propose a modular view of meristem function and highlight multiple evolutionary mechanisms that are likely to have contributed to the assembly and diversification of the varied meristems during the course of plant evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a spit bar setting as the possible palaeoenvironment of the basal Late Cretaceous transgressive sequence in NW Bohemia. A new Cenomanian transgression model for the Bohemian Basin is also proposed. The uppermost Devět Křížů Sandstone, which has been conventionally referred to the Bohdašín Formation, probably represents the middle or lower upper Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous), not the Triassic as previously supposed. We assume that this controversial unit was deposited before the main latest Cenomanian-early Turonian transgression. The spit bars were likely overgrown by vascular plants during their emergence in the late Cenomanian, and then inundated during the latest Cenomanian and early Turonian transgressive phases. The studied deposits had been intensively bioturbated, and the cf. Taenidium suite was recognized for the first time in them alongside the Thalassinoides assemblage (T. paradoxicus, T. suevicus, Thalassinoides isp., cf. Thalassinoides), which are characteristic of the Scoyenia and Glossifungites ichnofacies, respectively. The bioturbated, rhizolith-bearing horizon was presumably a paleosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexander A. Tatarinow (1817?–1886) made an extensive collection of vascular plants and insects in North China and Mongolia while serving as a physician in the 12th Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission in Beijing during 1841–1850. Tatarinow's plant collection included about 800 species and became the basis for 70 new species, of which 12 were named after him. The collection was split into three large sets, each labelled in its own way and handled in different times by different people at different institutions, thus obscuring its correct attribution; notable misinterpretations include its misattributions to A. von Bunge and P.E. Kirilov who were attached to the 11th Mission and collected plants near Beijing during 1830–1840. In this study, the history of these three sets and their parts is uncovered, and label samples are provided and commented to allow unambiguous recognition of the sets for correct lectotypification of plant species names based on the material collected by the 11th and 12th Missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation biologists have a daunting task of understanding the causes of species decline associated with anthropogenic factors and predicting the extinction risk of a growing number of endangered species. By reducing variances of estimates with information on closely related species, phylogenetic information among species can bridge gaps in information on species with small range sizes when modelling large numbers of endangered species. However, modelling many species with the Gaussian process (GP), which underlies the evolutionary process of phylogenetic random effects, remains a challenge owing to the computational burden in estimating the large variance–covariance matrix.Here, we applied a phylogenetic generalised mixed model with random slopes and random intercepts to 1010 endangered vascular plant taxa in Japan following phylogenetic GPs implemented by nearest neighbour GP (NNGP) approximation. NNGP enables flexibility in changing the proximity on the phylogenetic tree of species from which information is borrowed to reduce the variances of estimates with a realistic computational burden. We evaluated the effectiveness of phylogenetic models by comparing the predictive performance and descriptive power of phylogenetic and non‐phylogenetic models and identified the anthropogenic factors contributing to the decline of each of the studied endangered species.We found that the model with phylogenetic information had better prediction performance than the model without phylogenetic information. The results showed that across all explanatory variables, the phylogenetic model could detect interspecific differences in response to environmental factors in a number of species more clearly. Combined with the phylogenetic signal results, we could also detect a phylogenetic bias in the species that could benefit from the positive effects of protected areas but reduce the local extinctions of 95% of all studied taxa.In conclusion, our model, considering phylogenetic information with NNGP, allows the elucidation of factors causing the decline of many endangered species. In future analyses, the estimation of extinction probability linked to environmental change might be applied to future climate–land use scenarios, advancing the comprehensive assessment of biodiversity degradation and threats to species at multiple scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of artificial light at night (ALAN) due to urbanization and infrastructure development has raised concerns about its potential impacts on plant physiology. To explore the effects of ALAN with different light intensities on the photosynthesis and respiration of two urban vascular plants, Euonymus japonicus Thunb and Rosa hybrida E.H.L.Krause, under continuous and non-continuous-light conditions, respectively, a field experiment was conducted. Our findings indicate that continuous ALAN significantly inhibited the photosynthesis and respiration of the two plants, disrupting the carbon-balance pattern of their leaves during the day, but this effect is influenced by the intensity of ALAN and plant species. Euonymus japonicus Thunb is more susceptible to continuous ALAN than Rosa hybrida E.H.L.Kraus. Non-continuous ALAN did not significantly affect the photosynthesis and respiration of two species during the day. Furthermore, we observed that high light intensity at night could also impact the value of the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of Euonymus japonicus Thunb during the night. Turning off light sources at night, reducing the light intensity, and cultivating ALAN-tolerant plants are effective measures to reduce the negative effects of ALAN on plants and maintain plants' normal carbon-balance mode. Future studies should explore the effects of different types of artificial-light sources combined with other environmental conditions on the photosynthesis and respiration of plants at the canopy scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of functional traits and their relationship to trade-offs has provided valuable insights into how plants adapt to environmental changes. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to fully comprehend the subtropical montane trade-off patterns in moss functional traits and the impact of environmental gradients on the correlation of these traits. To address this gap, we conducted a study of 11 moss species (7 families, 9 genera) in 54 patches from two subtropical mountain ranges, examining 40 functional traits related to photosynthesis, nutrients, water retention, and architecture. Through principal component analysis (PCA) and bi-variate correlation analysis, our findings reveal a strong correlation between light capture and nutrient assimilation strategies, as evidenced by the coordination between the traits of light capture and nutrient per area along a main principal component. Interestingly, we observed a trend towards smaller leaves and leaf cells in species with higher capacity for photosynthesis and metabolism, consistent with global trait spectra in vascular plants. However, we found that the trade-off between light capture and nutrient assimilation strategies was independent of water-holding capacity at shoot levels. Instead, we found that water-holding capacity was closely associated with nutrient utilization, energy metabolism, chlorophyll synthesis, and the primary process of photosynthesis. Our results highlight the multiple dimensions of functional traits in subtropical montane mosses and demonstrate that variation in these traits is driven by water availability, slope, and canopy density. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the co-variation of moss traits and how environmental changes may impact mosses and ecosystem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saqalaksar forest is a relict of Caspian plain forests with an area of 200 ha in northern Iran and an altitude of 60 to 150 m a.s.l. This study was conducted to determine the floristic composition, life form and chorology of all plants of the region. Based on the results, 94 vascular plant species belonging to 80 genera and 46 families were identified in the study area. The most numerous families were Rosaceae (10 species), Fabaceae (8 species), Poaceae (7 species) as well as Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (6 species each). The classification according to the life spectrum showed that geophytes with 28 species (29.79 %) and therophytes with 25 species (26.60 %) had the highest proportion of life forms in the region. Similarly, the results of the chronological studies showed that the largest proportion of the flora consisted of pluri-regional elements (34 species, 36.17 %). As the forests investigated in this study are considered remnants of the Caspian Plain forests, urgent conservation measures are needed to protect these very important, vulnerable and threatened ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses changes observed in the vascular flora of an old-growth forest on Dome Island in Lake George over a 50-yr period and compares it with observations made by two earlier studies. Our initial surveys conducted in 1973 identified 133 taxa. Repeated surveys brought the total to 165 taxa. During this period one canopy species that was prominent in 1973, Pinus resinosa Aiton, disappeared entirely by 2015. Although nonnative species became established on the island at least as early as 1961, only 16 taxa identified on the island are nonnative, including 3 species considered invasive in New York. Most of the nonnative species are found along the margins of the island, carried to the island from the mainland either by wave action, by birds, or accidentally by people attempting to control shoreline erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of drought have been less studied in terrestrial plant communities than other types of natural disturbance. Most drought studies have focused on regional impacts or used climate modeling over a broad geographic area. This study provides insight into the fine-scale impacts within a single natural community occupying a small area that is more susceptible to drought than its surroundings. This study was conducted on granite bedrock glades in the Huron Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In May 2021, prior to drought conditions, 100-m-long transects were established; they were sampled with 1-m2 plots in September 2021 after an unusually dry spring and summer. Environmental variables were recorded at two scales (site and plot level), and cover values for alive and top-killed vegetation cover were given for each species. Among the 48 species in our study, 18 experienced at least some top-kill, and 26% of the total vegetation cover was top-killed in 2021. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination was used to explain the variation in top-killed plant data among plots and species. A three-axis solution was reached in PC-ORD with a final stress of 7.55, and a total instability of 0.00 was achieved after 86 iterations. While the measured variables were not strongly correlated with the axes (r2 values < 0.07), the plots with the highest dead species cover were on south-facing slopes with no canopy cover. We hope this study can provide some insight into plant community response to drought at fine scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The kinetic properties of Rubisco, the most important carbon‐fixing enzyme, have been assessed in a small fraction of the estimated existing biodiversity of photosynthetic organisms. Until recently, one of the most significant gaps of knowledge in Rubisco kinetics was marine macrophytes, an ecologically relevant group including brown (Ochrophyta), red (Rhodophyta) and green (Chlorophyta) macroalgae and seagrasses (Streptophyta). These organisms express various Rubisco types and predominantly possess CO2‐concentrating mechanisms (CCMs), which facilitate the use of bicarbonate for photosynthesis. Since bicarbonate is the most abundant form of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater, CCMs allow marine macrophytes to overcome the slow gas diffusion and low CO2 availability in this environment. The present review aims to compile and integrate recent findings on the biochemical diversity of Rubisco and CCMs in the main groups of marine macrophytes. The Rubisco kinetic data provided demonstrate a more relaxed relationship among catalytic parameters than previously reported, uncovering a variability in Rubisco catalysis that has been hidden by a bias in the literature towards terrestrial vascular plants. The compiled data indicate the existence of convergent evolution between Rubisco and biophysical CCMs across the polyphyletic groups of marine macrophytes and suggest a potential role for oxygen in shaping such relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The occurrence of conducting vascular tissue in the pith (CVTP) of tracheophytes is noteworthy. Medullary bundles, one of the remarkable examples of CVTP, evolved multiple times across angiosperms, notably in the Caryophyllales. Yet, information on the occurrence of medullary bundles is fragmented, hampering our understanding of their structure–function relationships, and evolutionary implications.Using three plastid molecular markers (matK, rbcL, and rps16 intron), a phylogeny is constructed for 561 species of Caryophyllales, and anatomical data are assembled for 856 species across 40 families to investigate the diversity of medullary bundles, their function, evolution, and diversification dynamics. Additionally, correlated evolution between medullary bundles and successive cambia was tested.Medullary bundles are ancestrally absent in Caryophyllales and evolved in core and noncore families. They are structurally diverse (e.g. number, arrangement, and types of bundles) and functionally active throughout the plant's lifespan, providing increased hydraulic conductivity, especially in herbaceous plants. Acquisition of medullary bundles does not explain diversification rate heterogeneity but is correlated to a higher diversification rate.Disparate developmental pathways were found leading to rampant convergent evolution of CVTP in Caryophyllales. These findings indicate the diversification of medullary bundles and vascular tissues as another central theme for functional and comparative molecular studies in Caryophyllales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Linear transportation infrastructures (roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, powerlines and waterways) are recognized as important contributors to the fragmentation of species habitats. On the other hand, verges of linear transportation infrastructures (road and railway embankments, strips of grass under power lines or above buried pipelines, or waterway banks) form vast networks of continuous habitats. While the loss of natural habitats still poses a significant threat to biodiversity, verges can provide habitats or corridors in anthropogenic areas, although this potential for conservation remains controversial. The current paper is the first synthesis of evidence addressing this topic for vascular plants (except strictly aquatic species) in temperate ecosystems. We asked the following question: can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute habitats and/or corridors for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? Methods: We conducted a systematic literature survey using two online bibliographic databases, three search engines, specialist websites, and by sending a call for literature to subject experts. We also integrated studies from a previous systematic review with an overlapping scope. We successively screened the articles for relevance on titles, abstracts and full texts using criteria detailed in an a priori protocol. We then used six specific questions to categorize the selected studies and critically assess them. These questions encompassed the potential of verges as habitats and corridors for vascular plants, and the effects of landscape and management on these potentialities. We created a database of the studies with low and medium risk of bias. We synthesized results for specific questions in narrative syntheses. Finally, studies about the habitat role of verges that met the criteria for a meta-analysis were used for quantitative syntheses. Review findings: Our systematic literature survey yielded 101,524 search results. After critical appraisal, we included in our systematic review 294 articles that reported 316 studies. Most studies were conducted along road verges or waterway banks, with only a handful of studies involving powerlines, railways or pipelines. We were not able to draw conclusions on the role of verges as corridors for vascular plants as too few relevant studies were obtained. Regarding the habitat function of verges however, meta-analyses were conducted based on 205 cases from 47 primary studies that compared abundance and/or species richness in verges vs habitats away from transportation infrastructure for exotic, native or all species together. For non-highway road verges, both the abundance and richness of exotic species were higher on non-highway road verges, but we found no significant differences among species in general, or for native species specifically, which implies that alien species would often add but not subtract species. A wide variety of management practices were also represented in the evidence base. Overall, systematic impacts on species richness or abundance rarely emerged, but human interventions were seldom neutral and usually altered, at least temporarily, the balance between the native and exotic flora or among various functional groups. Conclusions: We identified a major knowledge gap regarding the potential of linear transportation infrastructure verges as corridors for vascular plants. Thus, we call for more research on this particular topic, especially as the evidence synthesis underlined the potential of verges as habitat for exotic and invasive flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity data aggregators, such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) suffer from inflation of the number of occurrence records when data from different databases are merged but not fully reconciled. The ParseGBIF workflow is designed to parse duplicate GBIF species occurrence records into unique collection events (gatherings) and to optimise the quality of the spatial data associated with them. ParseGBIF provides tools to verify and standardize species scientific names according to the World Checklist of Vascular Plants taxonomic backbone, and to parse duplicate records into unique 'collection events', in the process compiling the most informative spatial data, where more than one duplicate is available, and providing crude estimates of taxonomic and spatial data quality. When GBIF occurrence records for a medium-sized vascular plant family, the Myrtaceae, were processed by ParseGBIF, the average number of records useful for spatial analysis increased by 180%. ParseGBIF could therefore be valuable in the evaluation of species' occurrences at the national scale in support for national biodiversity plans, identification of plant areas important for biodiversity, sample bias estimation to inform future sampling efforts, and to forecast species range shifts in response to global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyadesimyia clausa Bigot is a morphologically striking tachinid that inhabits the Sub‐Antarctic Ecoregion of the Magallanes Region in Chile and Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina. Much of the distributional information about this species is restricted to the Cape Horn islands, which have extreme environmental conditions, but the species' natural history, range limits, and habitat use have never been described or confirmed. Our goals were to describe the distributional limits of this sub‐Antarctic fly with the help of citizen science and use this information type to describe this tachinid's habitat use and potential biological interactions with nonvascular and vascular flora. We found that citizen science significantly increased our understanding of the extent of occurrence, expanding the known distributional range by 195 km to the north and 153 km to the west. On the contrary, the values for the area of occupancy were not significant, but the occupancy overlap between different records was very low. We confirmed that H. clausa's habitat uses peatlands and although we have not provided evidence of pollination or movement of spores, we hypothesized, that the walking activity of H. clausa could help move sperm from mosses and pollen from the flowers of vascular plants, so they could act as potential pollinators. Citizen science can reduce and eliminate some scientific knowledge shortfalls and propose new ecological questions that could increase our knowledge of extreme ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferns are primitive vascular plants with diverse morphologies and structures. Plant anatomical traits and their linkages can reflect adaptation to the environment; however, these remain are still poorly understood in ferns. The main objective of this study was to explore whether there was structural coordination among and within organs in fern species. We measured 16 hydraulically related anatomical traits of pinnae, petioles, and roots of 24 representative fern species from the tropical and subtropical forest understory and analyzed trait correlation networks. In addition, we examined phylogenetic signals for the anatomical traits and analyzed co-evolutionary relationships. These results indicated that stomatal density and all petiole anatomical traits exhibited significant phylogenetic signals. Evolutionary correlations were observed between the tracheid diameter and wall thickness of the petiole and between the water transport capacity of the petiole and stomatal density. Conversely, anatomical traits of roots (e.g., root diameter) showed no phylogenetic signals and were not significantly correlated with those of the pinnae and petioles, indicating a lack of structural coordination between the below- and above-ground organs. Unlike angiosperms, vein density is unrelated to stomatal density or pinna thickness in ferns. As root diameter decreased, the cortex-to-stele diameter ratio decreased significantly (enhanced water absorption) in angiosperms but remained unchanged in ferns. These differences lead to different responses of ferns to climate change and improve our knowledge of the water adaptation strategies of ferns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents the information about the ethnomedicinal plant used by Konda Reddis of Eastern Ghats in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh, explored during 2020-2022. The ethnomedicinal information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and interactive sessions with Konda Reddi ethnic community. The data gathered pertain to 19 ailments, afflicting the local people. The medicinal plants collected were documented with vernacular and scientific name of species arranged under families, orders and clades as per APG IV system. Each species was provided with ethnic uses, plant part/s used, mode of administration and ailment. The taxa enumerated belong to 99 Angiosperm species and one fern from 88 genera and 50 families of vascular plants. They were analyzed for growth-forms and plant-part-wise usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]