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Context: Soil acidity constrains crop production in Australia. The practice of liming can reduce soil acidity but produces greenhouse gas emissions. Aims: By examining land use sequences over three decades at a range of locations in Western Australia, this study aims to identify firstly where and when liming might boost farm profits and secondly, what emissions and land use management flexibilities are generated by liming. Methods: Bioeconomic simulation modelling is used to identify the gross margins and emissions associated with liming in land use sequences at 14 locations in Western Australia. Three intensities of cropping and three different rotational sequences are considered. The simulations account for price and weather–year variations across a 30-year period of analysis. Key results: Liming is profitable at almost all locations and across all rotation sequences examined. Where problematic soil acidity is a feature or is poised to soon become a problem at a location, liming is a profitable ameliorative practice that enables greater diversity in land use. For most situations assessed, liming increases emissions. The exceptions are at locations where liming prevents a switch away from a crop-dominant system, due to soil acidity reducing crop yields, into additional sheep production that increases emissions. Conclusions: Liming is profitable in most acidic soil situations and preserves land use flexibility, although additional greenhouse gas emissions are often generated. Implications: Liming acidic soils bolsters land use profitability and helps sustain biologically diverse land use sequences, despite often increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Increased soil acidification is a challenge in modern farming. Liming can be an effective, yet expensive soil ameliorant. This research finds that liming is often profitable yet mostly increases emissions, but it does help sustain more diverse land use sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains cover 24% of the land surface area and are home to 12% of the population of the world. The mountains within the Indian Himalayan region account for 16.2% (500, 000 km2) of India's total land area and while there is an age-old tradition of biodiversity conservation in this region, the area is under stress due to human population growth and climate change. Therefore, this region requires conservation management activities, however, our study has shown a substantial decrease in publications in this area between 2004 and 2019. In this study, we completed a bibliometric analysis to explore biodiversity protection in the Himalayas. The analysis revealed valuable information regarding current research trends as well as research gaps. This study uses bibliometric analysis to examine the changing landscape of biodiversity protection in the Himalayas. The study analysed 425 journal papers published from 2004 to 2023. This article contributes to understanding studies on Himalayan management challenges, including endangered species conservation, environmental protection, ecosystem dynamics, and conservation management. We hope this paper inspires scientists to complete research in the areas lacking data such that a baseline can be established and policies can be developed to support biodiversity conservation in the Indian Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the efforts to improve the quality of education in Indonesia is through learning by integrating environmental culture. Environmental culture can be packaged in more meaningful learning through biological literacy. This study aims to assess the biological literacy skills of high school students using local potential-based biodiversity question sets. This study includes research with quantitative descriptive methods that aim to describe the biological literacy skills of high school tenth grade students. Biological literacy research data consists of 4 indicators, namely nominal, conceptual, multidimensional and functional. The number of participants was 60 high school students. The initial stage used expert judgment for content validation which was tested by 3 expert validators. Construct validation was carried out based on data collection with the results of 12 question sets that were declared valid. Data analysis of the percentage of students who answered correctly on biological literacy indicators were all at a high level, namely on nominal indicators of 69.37%, conceptual indicators of 70%, functional indicators of 66.87%, and multidimensional indicators of 70%. It is concluded that the local wisdom-based biodiversity question set can be used to measure students' biological literacy skills in schools.

Byline: H. Meydan, F. S. Rashaydeh, R. M. Al-Atiyat and B. I. Yildiz Key words: Genetic diversity, Awassi Sheep, Fertile Crescent, Genetic Markers. INTRODUCTION Livestock, in diversified farming systems, perform [...]

The soil nematode communities in typical tundra soils of southern Chukotka have been analyzed. Five types of shrub and grass-shrub biotopes on Cryosols, Fluvisols, Histosols, Gleysols, and Cambisols were examined. The animals were extracted from the soil by the Baermann technique with subsequent determination of taxonomic diversity, total and relative abundance, and trophic groups. The highest number (7044 individuals/100 g of soil) and biomass (12.15 mg) of nematodes were found in the Histosol, and the minimum one (1000 individuals/100 g of soil; 1.96 mg) of nematodes in the Cryosol. Bacterivorous nematodes dominated in all soil types. The maximum percentage of bacterivorous nematodes (94%) were found in the Cambisol. The percentages of fungivorous nematodes in the studied soils ranged from 1 to 42%. Predatory and omnivorous nematodes were present in all soils except for the litter of the Cambisol. Their percentage ranged from 2 to 32%. Phytonematodes were few, their highest number was found in the Gleysol (18%). The nematode fauna of the soils under analysis differed significantly. The greatest diversity of nematodes was found in the peat horizon of the Fluvisol, and the smallest diversity of nematodes was recorded in the litter of the Cambisol. The values of Sigma Maturity Index ranged between 2 and 3. The Enrichment Index had low and moderate (1.40–41.02) values, and the Structure Index had high values (59.51–84.07). The Eudorylaimus and Plectus genera were eudominants in all soil types. The soil food webs formed in the biocenoses under consideration can be characterized as stable and structured except for the alder biocenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex systematics of the genus Sedum, the difficulties of its classification and the ambiguity of the concrete identification of the taxa brought about the need to implement a measurement system adaptable to field conditions, so as to facilitate the accuracy of data collection, avoiding the etiolation of samples and, therefore, the deterioration of the morphological structures subject to analysis. Thus, our study describes a digitization of the classic method of making measurements using millimeter paper, thus facilitating the subsequent statistical processing of quantifiable values. Depending on the number of pixels in the photos taken and the pixel/millimeter ratio, a variable measurement scale can be created depending on the size of the analyzed taxomes. The method used adds to the classic taxonomy, which is based on the analysis of morphological characteristics to determine the species of these succulent plants. The applicability of our method is shown by means of the example of an analysis performed on the flowers of the native species of the genus Sedum in the territory of Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite occupying only a small portion of the Earth's surface, tropical rainforests are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Given the hyperdiversity of tropical rainforests, these ecosystems are considered essential for the preservation of global biodiversity. However, many of them are located in economically marginalized countries, which frequently suffer from uncontrolled exploitation of their natural resources. In this sense, biodiversity information can help in planning conservation strategies and designing protection measures. Despite this, recording biodiversity is a challenging and time-consuming task that usually requires the involvement of important financial and manpower resources. So, any strategy to facilitate or accelerate this labor could be of significant interest for ecological and conservation purposes. In this review, we highlight why we consider that routinely incorporating metabarcoding strategies can facilitate biodiversity surveillance in tropical rainforests. As insects are key players in tropical ecosystems and are a threatened, hyperdiverse group, here we used them to exemplify the main challenges that the implementation of metabarcoding approaches faces in these complex environments, discussing some methodological obstacles for their implementation. We also emphasize the significant gap between the number of published studies using metabarcoding for biodiversity monitoring in tropical regions with respect to other (often less diverse) regions of the planet. We consider that acknowledging and addressing this disparity will encourage the adoption of these strategies in tropical ecosystems, as these regions are in need—possibly more than any other—of innovative approaches to assess their diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maintenance of biological diversity is frequently enhanced in a heterogenous landscape by some level of disturbance. Thus, when a landscape becomes stabilized and homogenized through the spread of an invasive plant species, there may be consequences for native biodiversity, particularly for those biotas that depend on the pre‐existing, natural disturbance regime of that landscape. At Long Point, Ontario, Canada, a sandspit in Lake Erie, the community of anuran amphibians experienced the co‐incidence of 2 major disturbance events, 1 anthropogenic and 1 natural: an intervention to remove the invasive form of the common reed (Phragmites australis australis) and a spate of extensive dune washouts caused by high water levels and storms. As a result of the unequal distribution of disturbance in the landscape, different areas were affected by only the dune washouts, only the common reed treatment, both disturbances, or neither disturbance. From May to August 2021, we explored how the disturbances affected the resident frog and toad species habitat associations in the 4 different disturbance conditions in the landscape. By means of minnow traps, acoustic surveys, and visual surveys, we determined that the dune washouts had a greater influence on resident anurans than the common reed treatment. Ranid frogs (Ranidae) tended to inhabit non‐washout sites, whereas Fowler's toads (Anaxyrus fowleri) congregated in the newly formed, sand flats and shallow, de‐vegetated pools resulting from the washouts. Neither ranid frogs nor Fowler's toads demonstrated avoidance of the sites affected by the herbicide treatment and mechanical rollover of the common reed. This evidence of species sorting, which enables multiple species to persist in a dynamic and heterogeneous landscape, suggests that wildlife management in aid of threatened species recovery may find success by encouraging natural disturbance regimes in dynamic landscapes. Future management endeavors should consider refraining from complete dune stabilization in these landscapes to allow the natural washouts to occur at a higher frequency, while ensuring the continued effectiveness of the invasive common reed eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Many industries continuously produce large volumes of alkaline residues. After recultivation, former landfills can be an important element providing ecosystem services in highly urbanised areas. Materials and methods: We studied the relationship between vegetation and soil bacterial characteristics using Biolog® ECO plates on recultivated areas of the Solvay heaps, and participation of invasive species in plant community in progressive succession. Results and discussion: Bacterial activity and functional diversity indices were correlated with soil physicochemical properties (soil organic matter content, water holding capacity, total phosphorus content, and soil pH). Plots with a higher total number of vascular plant species, including forest floor species, and a higher Shannon–Wiener index of vegetation diversity H'plant, were characterised by a higher amino acid utilisation by soil bacteria. Soil bacteria CLPP (community-level physiological profiles) were most influenced by soil physical and chemical properties, but also by the proportion of invasive species in the total number of plant species. In conclusion, soil physical and chemical properties dominate vegetation characteristics in shaping the functional diversity of soil bacteria. Invasive species may be an influential component of ecosystems during spontaneous succession of degraded soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection of biological diversity in nature and in agriculture, including the production of ornamental crops, has become increasingly important in Poland as well as worldwide. The Convention on Biological Diversity, signed in 1992 at the Earth Summit of the UN in Rio de Janeiro and ratified by the Polish government in 1995, imposed new regulations related to the protection of nature and the genetic resources of cultivated crops in Poland. The conservation of the genera, varieties and cultivars of ornamental geophytes—a group of plants of great interest from a botanical and physiological, but also a horticultural point of view—takes place in situ (both in nature and in the places of cultivation) and through the establishment of ex situ gene banks and collections. The natural genetic resources of ornamental geophytes include species from the genera Allium, Fritillaria, Gladiolus, Iris, Leucojum, Lilium and Muscari, among others, and more than a dozen species are protected by law due to varying degrees of threats. Botanical gardens play an essential role in the conservation of endangered species. Their activities focus on genus monitoring, managing ex situ gene banks (including National Collections), developing propagation methods and carrying out their reintroduction. In order to protect the national genetic resources of cultivated plants, the National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources at the Plant Breeding and Acclimatisation Institute—National Research Institute, under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was established. Concerning ornamental geophytes, the National Centre coordinates two field collections of cultivars of the genera Gladiolus, Lilium, Narcissus and Tulipa, which are of great economic importance and have a long tradition of breeding in Poland. The first one is located at the National Institute of Horticultural Research in Skierniewice (central Poland), and the second one is at the Experimental Substation of Variety Testing in Lisewo (northern Poland). The history of tulip collections in Poland dates back to the 1960s. At that time, the first breeding work for this species began. The collection of bulbous crops in Skierniewice is currently one of the largest in Poland, with a total of 934 accessions. Most of them are tulips (522) and lilies (222). Other plants in the collection in Skierniewice are gladiolus and narcissus. The most valuable accessions are grown under special protection (tunnels with dense nets) to guard against insects and maintain a mild climate inside. The genetic resources of the ornamental bulb plant collection in Lisewo currently consist of 611 accessions, mainly tulips (358), daffodils (121) and gladioli (132). All bulbous crops in both collections (Skierniewice and Lisewo) are grown in accordance with all principles of agrotechnics (negative field selection, fertilisation, soil maintenance). A particularly important task of botanical gardens, universities, research institutes and the National Centre is leading research on the methods of storage for survival organs, in vitro cultures and cryopreservation. We have discovered that the various activities for the species conservation of ornamental geophytes require a great deal of constantly deepening knowledge and extraordinary measures, including frequent monitoring of the effects of the applied measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of different fungal agents on the bacterial community structure and biodiversity in the rhizosphere soil of wheat (Triticum aestivum) infected with cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera avenae) were analyzed. Field experiments were conducted on plots with severe wheat cyst nematode disease. The control group (X1) was not treated with bacteria. The fungi Trichoderma viride, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Aspergillus niger and T. spinosum were applied to the experimental treatments (X2~X4). The experimental group (X6) was treated with the nematicide abamectin. Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to monitor the changes in bacterial community structure and metabolic types in the wheat rhizosphere soil in the six experimental groups. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the wheat rhizosphere soil bacteria that are pathogens were primarily concentrated in 13 phyla, 26 classes and 98 genera. Among them, the dominant bacteria primarily included Proteus, Actinomyces, Acetobacter and Bacteroides. The analysis of bacterial community metabolic type showed that the bacteria in the wheat rhizosphere soil could fix nitrogen, perform nitrification, reduce nitrate, and photosynthesize when the four groups of fungal agents were added at much higher levels than those of the control group. These metabolic activities contributed to promoting the cycle between nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen to increase soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculated on plants has shown that it can increase the success of reforestation and accelerate soil recovery by improving soil microbial diversity. Three PGPR isolated from natural pine populations were selected for their metabolic capabilities and taxonomic affiliation (Z4.3; Bacillus sp., Z5.4; Arthobacter sp., and Z7.15; and Pseudomonas sp.) when inoculated alone or in combination (consortium) on stone pine seedlings before transplanting to the field. Before transplanting and after nine months, rhizospheric soil samples were collected for structural and functional metagenomic studies. First, the data were analyzed using EasyMAP. Neither alpha nor beta diversity showed significant differences between the samples, although unique taxa representative of each sample were detected. The predominant phylum in all cases was Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes and Acidobacteria. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) found significantly over-represented taxa in some samples, highlighting different representatives of the order Sphingomonadales in several of them. Functional inference performed with PICRUSt also showed significantly over-represented functions in some samples. The study demonstrates that PGPR have a positive effect on plants and cause detectable changes in microbial communities in terms of both structure and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the bryophyte flora of Maltepe University Central Campus, with samples collected between March 2023 and March 2024. Approximately 150 moss samples were collected from the study area, and through taxonomic identification, a total of 42 moss taxa belonging to 10 families and 26 genera were identified. Among these taxa, 19 represent new records for the province of Istanbul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arab Journal of Plant Protection is the property of Arab Society for Plant Protection 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.)

Craniofacial morphology plays an important role in many aspects of the masticatory function and the oral health of individuals, and as such should be considered a baseline for studies that aim to integrate anthropological and dentistry practices that can improve oral health, dental hygiene, and care practices in populations from different biological and cultural backgrounds. This article presents a synthesis of our current understanding of the craniofacial and dental variation among native populations of North, Central, and South America, as part of the special volume on “Anthropology meets Dentistry in Central America: Research and education in oral biology”. The article presents an overview of the history of the human occupation of the American continents, with special focus on how early and recent past events have contributed to the craniofacial morphological diversity observed in these continents. However, there is limited information about native Central American populations, and current inferences about them depend largely on extrapolating from what is known about North and South America. Given the current state of knowledge, this article argues that modern Central Americans share a facial morphological pattern distinct from other populations worldwide, which means that applying models developed for other groups may not be appropriate in this context. Therefore, understanding regional variation in craniofacial morphological patterns is an important priority of study, which must consider the different cumulative factors (genetics, developmental, cultural, and historical) that have differently influenced the biological and cultural history of the populations in the region.

Parasitic plants have evolved independently in 12 Angiosperm orders. Nine of them (Boraginales, Cucurbitales, Ericales, Lamiales, Laurales, Malvales, Santalales, Solanales, and Zygophyllales) are represented in Colombia by 17 families, 44 genera and 246 species, including facultative (37) and obligate (187) hemiparasites, holoexoparasites (19) and holoendoparasites (3). Cladocolea coriacea (Loranthaceae) is reported for the first time in Colombia. One genus (Sanguisuga, Cytinaceae) and 69 species (28.04%) are endemic to the country. Endemism decreases with elevation, ranging from 26 species (37.68%) below 1000 m, to one species (1.44%) above 4000 m. Speciation in Aetanthus, Psittacanthus and Tristerix (Loranthaceae), Dendrophthora and Phoradendron (Viscaceae), and Castilleja and Neobartsia (Orobanchaceae) was likely prompted by the Andean uplift. The highest number of species (169) are found in the Andean Region, whereas the Orinoco Region contains the lowest number (29). Dry forests and thickets, and coastal vegetation of the Caribbean Region are the preferred ecosystems for Krameria (Krameriaceae), Sanguisuga, Acanthosyris (Cervantesiaceae), Maracanthus (Loranthaceae), Ximenia (Ximeniaceae), Lennoa (Ehretiaceae), and Anisantherina (Orobanchaceae). Orobanche minor, recently introduced to the country, is the only potential weed for crops between 2500 and 3200 m in the Eastern Cordillera. Convergent lifeforms include: the obligate, twining stem holoparasitic Cassytha (Lauraceae) and Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae); the root holoexoparasitic Sanguisuga, Mitrastemon (Mitrastemonaceae), all Balanophoraceae, and Lennoa', and the root obligate hemiparasitic Krameria, Gaiadendron (Loranthaceae), and all Cervantesiaceae, Opiliaceae, Schoepfiaceae, Strombosiaceae and Ximeniaceae. Holoendoparasitism occurs only in Apodanthaceae, whereas root facultative hemiparasitism is restricted to the Orobanchaceae. Keywords Andean flora * Amazonian flora * Colombia's biodiversity * Dry forests Parasitic Angiosperms Las plantas parasitas han evolucionado independientemente en 12 ordenes de angiospermas. Nueve de estos (Boraginales, Cucurbitales, Ericales, Lamiales, Laurales, Malvales, Santalales, Solanales y Zygophyllales) estan representadas en Colombia por 17 familias, 44 generos y 246 especies, entre hemiparasitas facultativas (37) y obligadas (187), holoexoparasitas (19) y holoendoparasitas (3). Cladocolea coriacea (Loranthaceae) se reporta por primera vez en Colombia. Un genero (Sanguisuga, Cytinaceae) y 69 especies (28,04%) son endemicas del pals. El endemismo disminuye con la elevation, desde 26 especies (37,68%) por debajo de los 1000 m, hasta una especie (1,44%) por encima de los 4000 m. La especiacion en Aetanthus, Psittacanthus y Tristerix (Loranthaceae), Dendrophthora y Phoradendron (Viscaceae), y Castilleja y Neobartsia (Orobanchaceae) esta correlacionada con la orogenia Andina. El mayor numero de especies (169) se encuentra en la Region Andina, y el menor (29) en la Region Orinoquia. Los bosques y matorrales secos y la vegetation costera del Caribe son los ecosistemas preferidos por Krameria (Krameriaceae), Sanguisuga, Acanthosyris (Cervantesiaceae), Maracanthus (Loranthaceae), Ximenia (Ximeniaceae), Lennoa (Ehretiaceae) y Anisantherina (Orobanchaceae). Orobanche minor, recientemente introducida, es la unica maleza potencial en cultivos entre 2500 y 3200 m de la Cordillera Oriental. Las formas de vida convergentes incluyen: el holoparasitismo caulinar obligado de las trepadoras Cassytha (Lauraceae) y Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae); el holoexoparasitismo de ralces en Sanguisuga, Mitrastemon (Mitrastemonaceae), todas las Balanophoraceae, y Lennoa\ y el hemiparasitismo obligado de ralz en Krameria, Gaiadendron (Loranthaceae), y todas las Cervantesiaceae, Opiliaceae, Schoepfiaceae, Strombosiaceae y Ximeniaceae. El holoendoparasitismo ocurre solo en Apodanthaceae, mientras que el hemiparasitismo radicular facultativo esta restringido a las Orobanchaceae. Palabras clave Angiospermas parasfticas * Biodiversidad de Colombia * Bosques secos * Flora Amazonica * Flora Andina, Introduction Parasitism, one of the most striking biological interactions across the tree of life, has driven numerous evolutionary and adaptive novelties in plants and animals. Nevertheless, parasitism has been more [...]

The changes in the biotope and in the spectrum of ecological coenotic groups of herb and dwarf shrub tiers of vegetation have been monitored over ten years following the clearcutting of the Piceetum myrtillosum (bilberry-rich spruce forest) considering on-site retention of aspen (Populus tremula L.) in the Babaevsky District of Vologda Oblast. During the first years after clearcutting, the vegetation cover is unstable, sparse, is characterized by pronounced species changes. The diverse ecotopes resulting from clearcutting contribute to the rapid emergence of new plants, including meadow and swamp species, in disturbed communities. Subsequently, tree tier with the dominance of small-leaved trees forms gradually at after clearcutting site. Additionally, the abundance of the shade-tolerant species increases, while that of the meadow species decreases.

Tropical Latin America is home to an enormous share of the world's biodiversity. Despite its immense natural wealth, the region faces a significant deficit of reliable biodiversity data and lacks the local capacity necessary to collect such data. The Neotropical Biodiversity Mapping Initiative (NeoMaps or NeoMapas) is a long-term biodiversity monitoring program. NeoMaps has not only addressed these gaps in biodiversity data in one of the megadiverse tropical countries, Venezuela, but has also emerged as a model for efficiently surveying biodiversity while strengthening the local capacity needed to conduct these surveys. After three nationwide systematic surveys and international field courses in 2006, 2009, and 2010, NeoMaps assembled an invertebrate collection and biodiversity database with over 170,000 records of occurrence and abundance for birds, dung beetles, and butterflies. NeoMaps activities lead to direct outcomes by reducing biodiversity knowledge gaps for three taxonomic groups and training more than 60 conservationists from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Spain. NeoMaps had a broader impact on national capacity building programs, and made important contributions for improving, sharing and applying national biodiversity knowledge.

Biological diversity can be evaluated by the taxonomic and functional components. This study aimed to assess the relationship between taxonomic richness with the functional diversity components [functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve) and functional divergence (FDiv)] and the functional trait dominance of polychaetes. In addition, we evaluated the environmental parameters that shape the functional structure in six tropical estuaries in north‐eastern Brazil. Three estuaries have a continuous environmental gradient (typical tropical), and the other three estuaries have no defined environmental gradient (semiarid tropical). We identified significant differences in the dominance of feeding strategy and habitat between estuaries, demonstrating that the functional space of the communities is not equally occupied. Also, the substrate particle size composition was correlated with the functional structure. FRic showed a positive relationship with taxonomic richness, regardless of the type of estuary. As taxonomic richness increases, the probability of different combinations of functional categories added to a community also increases. FEve and FDiv seem to be independent of taxonomic richness. Therefore, it is important to simultaneously evaluate diversity's taxonomic and functional components, considering the complementarity of the information provided by these diversity measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Actual Problems of Jurisprudence / Habaršy. Zan̦ Seriâsy is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University 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.)

Scientific ideas about the potential existence of life elsewhere in the universe are predominantly informed by knowledge about life on Earth. Over the past ∼4 billion years, life on Earth has evolved into millions of unique species. Life now inhabits nearly every environmental niche on Earth that has been explored. Despite the wide variety of species and diverse biochemistry of modern life, many features, such as energy production mechanisms and nutrient requirements, are conserved across the Tree of Life. Such conserved features help define the operational parameters required by life and therefore help direct the exploration and evaluation of habitability in extraterrestrial environments. As new diversity in the Tree of Life continues to expand, so do the known limits of life on Earth and the range of environments considered habitable elsewhere. The metabolic processes used by organisms living on the edge of habitability provide insights into the types of environments that would be most suitable to hosting extraterrestrial life, crucial for planning and developing future astrobiology missions. This chapter will introduce readers to the breadth and limits of life on Earth and show how the study of life at the extremes can inform the broader field of astrobiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Tizatetrichia Harris, Flint, and Holzenthal, 2002 (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) was described based on a single male of T. costatricensis Harris, Flint, and Holzenthal, 2002 collected from Guanacaste Province in northwestern Costa Rica. Since then, the second species (T. panamensis Harris and Armitage, 2019) was discovered in a small Caribbean drainage near Chiriquí Grande, Panama. No female of this genus had been described. Recent collections carried out by the Aquatic Invertebrate Research Group (AIRG) at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (UNACHI) now expand our knowledge of this genus. Herein, we describe a female of Tizatetrichia for the first time, comparing it with that of the related genus Bredinia Flint, 1968. In addition, we describe two new species from central and western Panama (T. escabrosa sp. n. and T. paloseco sp. n.), report one first country record (T. costaricensis), provide keys to the identification of Stactobiinae genera and Tizatetrichia species, and discuss the distribution of the genus in relation to altitude. Panama is now the home to all four species of this Neotropical genus, and its endemic status expanded to Central America. The Republic of Panama has 490 species of caddisflies distributed among 15 families and 56 genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysian forests are home to rich biological diversity, many of which have potential medicinal values. However, like in many other ecosystems worldwide, these forests are in the brink of biodiversity loss caused by natural and anthropogenic pressures. This study presents the preliminary survey of medicinal plants in Soga-Perdana Forest Eco-Park Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. A rapid biodiversity assessment (RBA) method along the 2000 m by 20 m transect was used to collect taxonomic and ecological data. From the survey, 55 species of plants with known traditional medicinal uses were recorded, with Coscinium fenestratum categorised by IUCN as a critically endangered species. Aside from species that are traditionally used by indigenous people, some were commercially important species in medicine and timber production, namely Eurycoma longifolia, Dryobalanops aromatica and Shorea leprosula. This study provides evidence that even a small patch of forest surrounded by urbanised area and other land uses contains high diversity of plants with potential medicinal values. This calls for long-term conservation and effective management of this ecosystem, not only for the perpetuity of these species, but also to harness its potential scientific value in the field of pharmaceuticals and other areas related to biological diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bohai Sea is a semi-enclosed shallow water that is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic stressors. However, the microeukaryotic communities and environmental factors that affect them in different regions remain largely unclear. We investigated microeukaryotic communities in surface sediments from five geographic regions using high-throughput sequencing of the 18S rDNA gene. The Miaodao Archipelago, Yellow River Estuary, and Central Bohai Sea had the highest Shannon and Simpson indices of the eukaryotic communities, while the Yellow River Estuary exhibited the highest Chao1 index. The microeukaryotic communities in surface sediments were mainly composed of Dinoflagellata, Bacillariophyta, Ciliophora, Cercozoa, and Protalveolata. Thalassiosira has a relatively high abundance at the Liaodong Bay and Central Bohai Sea, possessing the proportion of 41.70% and 38.10%, respectively, while Gonyaulax was the most abundant taxa in the Bohai Bay, occupying a proportion of 57.77%. Moreover, a negative correlation between diatoms and dinoflagellates was observed. Phosphorus, nitrogen, salinity, temperature, and silicate were major environmental determinants of microeukaryotic composition. Microeukaryotic communities in the surface sediments, especially for the composition and ratio of diatoms to dinoflagellates, reflected the environmental quality of marine ecosystems. Overall, these microeukaryotic community compositions provide a reliable indicator for monitoring the level of marine eutrophication in the Bohai Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2023, the combined expedition "Crillon 2023" was accomplished that exploring the terrestrial, aquatic and marine biotopes in the southeastern part of the Crillon Peninsula (Sakhalin Island, Russia). A group of specialists carried out field work in ichthyology, invertebrate zoology, entomology, botany, lichenology, bryology, mycology, parasitology, microbiology, and marine biology. In the previously underexplored territory of the southeastern part of the peninsula, an appreciable amount of data on species diversity was collected, including more than 200 species of plants, 101 species of lichens, 127 species of mosses, and 117 species of basidial macromycetes. Marine coastal communities of the littoral and sublittoral zones were examined, including those achieved by scientific diving techniques. As many as 119 species of invertebrates and 20 species of seaweed were recorded. Information was collected on 20 species of fish, including data on helminth infection. Parasitological studies included the search for microsporidia in all available animal hosts, as well as search for rhizocephalans: parasites of arthropods. Rare and endangered animal, plant and fungal species were found that are included in the Regional and Federal Red Books as well as those not previously recorded from Sakhalin. The preliminary results indicate great potential for further study of the eastern part of the peninsula from the point of view of biological sciences as well as the prospects for establishment of a biological station in this area for long-term research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Earth becomes a less hospitable place for many species, some scientists are now suggesting an extreme way to safeguard the planet’s miraculous biodiversity: Send species to the Moon. As [...]