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When species are introduced to a new environment, they can quickly adapt to the environment and may differ from the indigenous species. The indigenous population of Protosalanx chinensis has a high level of genetic diversity, but it is unclear on the genetic diversity of the introduced populations in northeast China, which supports the major production of P. chinensis in the world. A total of 556 individuals of P. chinensis were collected during 2016–2021, from Lianhuan Lake (LHL), Xingkai Lake (XK), and Shuifeng Reservoir (SF), and one population was collected from the indigenous Taihu Lake (TH). Overall, 36 haplotypes were detected, and the genetic differences in P. chinensis populations within and between river basins were investigated. The nucleotide diversity (π) of the populations ranged from 0.0005 to 0.0032, and the haplotype diversity (Hd) ranged from 0.455 to 0.890, with the highest genetic diversity in the TH population, followed by the SF population, and lower genetic diversity in the XK and LHL populations. The analysis of the genetic differentiation index (Fst) and the genetic distance between populations showed that there was significant genetic differentiation between the TH population and the other populations. More sampling points have been set up in LHL for further analysis; the Dalong Lake (DL) and the Xiaolong Lake (XL) populations were far from the other populations within the LHL population. In this study, we didn't find a correlation between population size, stability, and genetic diversity, and the ecological measures of management should be decisive to the population dynamics. These results provide a basis for the rational utilization and effective management of P. chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) is one of the most emblematic protected areas in Africa, well known for its vertebrate biodiversity and restoration ecology efforts following the Mozambican civil war in 1992. The invertebrate biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park is still poorly studied, although the scarce information available indicates the existence of a rich number of species, namely in the case of tiger- and ground-beetles (Coleoptera, Caraboidea). Moreover, the study of arthropod assemblages is key for designing conservation practices since they are potentially accurate biodiversity and ecological indicators. Hence, the diversity assessment of Caraboidea beetles using standardised methodologies is likely to provide a new insight for future conservation planning and help to quantify the effects of climate change in areas identified as vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, such as the Gorongosa National Park.We report the occurrence of five tiger beetles (Cicindelidae) and 93 ground-beetles (Carabidae) species/morphospecies in Gorongosa National Park from a field survey funded by the ECOASSESS project. Sampling was performed in the four main habitat types present in the Park (miombo tropical forest, mixed dry forest, transitional forest and grasslands) between 25 October and 25 November 2019. In this sampling window, the turnover of Caraboidea species from the dry season to the wet season was recorded for the first time. Twenty-eight species of ground-beetles are new records to Mozambique, including three new subgenera and three new genera. Additional information on species phenology and habitat preferences is also provided.

The evaluation of genetic diversity is crucial for breeders to develop strategies and improve the resilience, quality, and adaptability of the date palm. In this study, the genetic diversity of three date palm varieties was performed using ISSR-PCR molecular markers to determine its relationship with in vitro propagation response of these varieties. The molecular profiling was performed using ISSR-PCR. A total of 49 loci were produced by the PCR reactions, 38 of which were polymorphic while 11 were monomorphic. The level of polymorphism revealed by ISSR-PCR varied from 33.33% to 100%. The three date palm varieties were grouped into two clusters based on the results of cluster analyses that used morphological data and molecular profiles. Cluster I comprised the ‘Barhy’ variety and Cluster II included ‘Magdoul’ and ‘Amri’ varieties. The clustering analyses revealed the independence of the ‘Barhy’ variety in its characteristics from the other varieties based on either morphological or molecular data. The results of in vitro propagation showed that the ‘Amri’ variety exhibited the highest callus induction frequency (86.28%), callus weight (2.33 g), number of somatic embryos (9.32), number of shoots (14.62), number of roots (4.11), root length (4.63 cm), shoot length (13.61 cm) followed by ‘Magdoul’ and ‘Barhy’ varieties. The ‘Amri’ variety had the shortest callus induction period, at 23.26 days while the ‘Barhy’ variety exhibited the longest period of callus induction (28.55). It was deduced from the study that the ISSR marker reproduced trustworthy patterns of bands to determine the genetic diversity among different date palm varieties that are considered the cornerstone for the genetic improvement of date palms. The understanding of the relationship between genetic diversity and in vitro propagation response of date palm is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of its crop. This will facilitate better conservation and development of new date palm varieties that fulfil the needs of farmers and consumers.

The evaluation of genetic diversity is crucial for breeders to develop strategies and improve the resilience, quality, and adaptability of the date palm. In this study, the genetic diversity of three date palm varieties was performed using ISSR-PCR molecular markers to determine its relationship with in vitro propagation response of these varieties. The molecular profiling was performed using ISSR-PCR. A total of 49 loci were produced by the PCR reactions, 38 of which were polymorphic while 11 were monomorphic. The level of polymorphism revealed by ISSR-PCR varied from 33.33% to 100%. The three date palm varieties were grouped into two clusters based on the results of cluster analyses that used morphological data and molecular profiles. Cluster I comprised the 'Barhy' variety and Cluster II included 'Magdoul' and 'Amri' varieties. The clustering analyses revealed the independence of the 'Barhy' variety in its characteristics from the other varieties based on either morphological or molecular data. The results of in vitro propagation showed that the 'Amri' variety exhibited the highest callus induction frequency (86.28%), callus weight (2.33 g), number of somatic embryos (9.32), number of shoots (14.62), number of roots (4.11), root length (4.63 cm), shoot length (13.61 cm) followed by 'Magdoul' and 'Barhy' varieties. The 'Amri' variety had the shortest callus induction period, at 23.26 days while the 'Barhy' variety exhibited the longest period of callus induction (28.55). It was deduced from the study that the ISSR marker reproduced trustworthy patterns of bands to determine the genetic diversity among different date palm varieties that are considered the cornerstone for the genetic improvement of date palms. The understanding of the relationship between genetic diversity and in vitro propagation response of date palm is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of its crop. This will facilitate better conservation and development of new date palm varieties that fulfil the needs of farmers and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underutilized pulses and their wild relatives are typically stress tolerant and their seeds are packed with protein, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. The consumption of such nutritionally dense legumes together with cereal-based food may promote global food and nutritional security. However, such species are deficient in a few or several desirable domestication traits thereby reducing their agronomic value, requiring further genetic enhancement for developing productive, nutritionally dense, and climate resilient cultivars. This review article considers 13 underutilized pulses and focuses on their germplasm holdings, diversity, crop-wild-crop gene flow, genome sequencing, syntenic relationships, the potential for breeding and transgenic manipulation, and the genetics of agronomic and stress tolerance traits. Recent progress has shown the potential for crop improvement and food security, for example, the genetic basis of stem determinacy and fragrance in moth bean and rice bean, multiple abiotic stress tolerant traits in horse gram and tepary bean, bruchid resistance in lima bean, low neurotoxin in grass pea, and photoperiod induced flowering and anthocyanin accumulation in adzuki bean have been investigated. Advances in introgression breeding to develop elite genetic stocks of grass pea with low β-ODAP (neurotoxin compound), resistance to Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus in black gram using rice bean, and abiotic stress adaptation in common bean, using genes from tepary bean have been carried out. This highlights their potential in wider breeding programs to introduce such traits in locally adapted cultivars. The potential of de-domestication or feralization in the evolution of new variants in these crops are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out to study the diversity and assess the conservation status and endemism of ferns and lycophytes in the Mt. Malambo, Datu Salumay, Southern Philippines. Repeated transect walks were done with 20 sampling plots delineated on the site. Specimens were collected, identified, and assessed for their conservation status and endemism. Data gathered were analyzed employing the Shannon-Weiner Index. The inventory revealed 215 species (202 species of ferns and 13 species of lycophytes) belonging to 74 genera and 23 families. Polypodiaceae, Aspleniaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, and Pteridaceae were the species-rich families collected. Asplenium nidus L., Pneumatopteris costata (Brackenr.) Holttum, and Asplenium thunbergii Kunze obtained the highest species importance values. Mt. Malambo has a diversity value of H’=1.83 which is higher compared to other mountains in Mindanao. This study reports 20 Philippine endemic and 19 threatened species of ferns and lycophytes in the area. Of these, one is critically endangered, 11 are endangered, five are vulnerable, and two are other threatened species. The presence of many threatened and endemic species in the area implies that high priority should be addressed in protecting and conserving these species of ferns and lycophytes in Mt. Malambo.

A study on the quantitative estimation of diversity in 32 selected grids in the bryophyte-rich localities of Assam, North East India has been carried out. Assessment was done in 160 macroplots of 10 m × 10 m, randomly established in the forest and within each macroplot, five microquadrats (10 cm × 10 cm) were placed at different habitats, viz. saxicolous, terricolous and epiphytic. A total of 80 taxa belonging to 29 species of liverworts under 18 genera and 10 families, and about 51 species of mosses belonging to 27 genera and 13 families were assessed. In the study area, Lejeuneaceae and Fissidentaceae as well as Cololejeunea latilobula (Herzog.) Tixier and Entodontopsis tavoyensis (Hook ex Harv.) W. R. Buck & R. R. Ireland were the dominant families and taxa respectively. Four species were new additions to NE India, and seven taxa were reported for the Assam region. The present study elucidates the bryophyte species diversity and the species richness, and evenness of the region, which can further define their importance in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underutilized pulses and their wild relatives are typically stress tolerant and their seeds are packed with protein, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. The consumption of such nutritionally dense legumes together with cereal-based food may promote global food and nutritional security. However, such species are deficient in a few or several desirable domestication traits thereby reducing their agronomic value, requiring further genetic enhancement for developing productive, nutritionally dense, and climate resilient cultivars. This review article considers 13 underutilized pulses and focuses on their germplasm holdings, diversity, crop-wild-crop gene flow, genome sequencing, syntenic relationships, the potential for breeding and transgenic manipulation, and the genetics of agronomic and stress tolerance traits. Recent progress has shown the potential for crop improvement and food security, for example, the genetic basis of stem determinacy and fragrance in moth bean and rice bean, multiple abiotic stress tolerant traits in horse gram and tepary bean, bruchid resistance in lima bean, low neurotoxin in grass pea, and photoperiod induced flowering and anthocyanin accumulation in adzuki bean have been investigated. Advances in introgression breeding to develop elite genetic stocks of grass pea with low β-ODAP (neurotoxin compound), resistance to Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus in black gram using rice bean, and abiotic stress adaptation in common bean, using genes from tepary bean have been carried out. This highlights their potential in wider breeding programs to introduce such traits in locally adapted cultivars. The potential of de-domestication or feralization in the evolution of new variants in these crops are also highlighted.

Diversity is a cornerstone of the library profession and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has recently announced a renewed emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In response to this initiative, this paper will review the current academic literature relating to diversity initiatives in academic libraries. Specifically, it will discuss diversity as it pertains to staffing, culture, collections, services and programming. These five areas are good starting points for libraries to reflect on the current state of diversity at their institutions and plan for meaningful change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In the current study, we estimate the genetic diversity of the salangid Neosalanxtaihuensis sampled from 11 populations in the six typical river basins of China. Using the COI gene sequencing technology, the N. taihuensis population's genetic difference within and between river basins was investigated. Significant levels of genetic subdivision were detected among populations within basins rather than between basins. Population history dynamics showed that N. taihuensis populations experienced a population expansion during the glacial period in the late Pleistocene. These results suggest that different populations should be considered as different management units to achieve effective conservation and management purposes. The salangid Neosalanx taihuensis (Salangidae) is a commercially important economical fish endemic to China and restricted to large freshwater systems with a wide-ranging distribution. This fish species has continuous distribution ranges and a long-introduced aquaculture history in Chinese basins. However, the research on its population genetic differentiation within and between basins is very limited. In this regard, 197 individuals were sampled from 11 populations in the Nenjiang River Basin (A1–A4), Songhua River Basin (B1), Yellow River Basin (C1–C2), Yangtze River Basin (D1), Lanchang River Basin (E1–E2) and Huaihe River Basin (F1). Based on the COI sequence, the N.taihuensis population's genetic difference within and between river basins was investigated. The haplotypes and their frequency distributions were strongly skewed, with most haplotypes (n = 13) represented only in single samples each and thus restricted to a single population. The most common haplotype (H4, 67/197) was found in all individuals. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a random pattern in the distribution of genetic diversity, which is inconsistent with contemporary hydrological structure. The mismatch between the distribution and neutrality tests supported the evidence of a population expansion, which occurred during the late Pleistocene (0.041–0.051 million years ago). Significant levels of genetic subdivision were detected among populations within basins rather than between the six basins. Population history dynamics showed that N. taihuensis experienced an expansion during the glacial period in the late Pleistocene. Therefore, different populations should be considered as different management units to achieve effective conservation and management purposes. These results have great significance for the evaluation and exploitation of the germplasm resources of N. taihuensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the appropriate parents for breeding programs is the most important decision that plant breeders must make to maximize the genetic variability and produce excellent recombinant genotypes. Several methods are used to identify genotypes with desirable phenotypic features for breeding experiments. In this study, five kalanchoe genotypes were morphologically characterized by assessing plant height, number of inflorescences, number of flowers, flower length, flower diameter and number of petals. The analysis showed the distinction of yellow kalanchoe in the plant height trait, while the orange kalanchoe was distinguished in the number of inflorescences, the number of flowers and flower length traits, whereas the violet kalanchoe possessed the largest flower diameter and the highest number of petals. The molecular profiling was performed by random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tools. Genomic DNA was extracted from young leaves and the PCR reactions were performed using ten primers for each SCoT, ISSR and RAPD marker. Only four out of ten primers showed amplicon profiles in all PCR markers. A total of 70 bands were generated by SCoT, ISSR and RAPD-PCR with 35 polymorphic bands and 35 monomorphic bands. The total number of bands of RAPD, ISSR and SCoT was 15, 17 and 38, respectively. The polymorphism percentages achieved by RAPD, ISSR and SCoT were 60.25%, 15% and 57%, respectively. The cluster analysis based on morphological data revealed two clusters. Cluster I consisted of violet and orange kalanchoe, and cluster II comprised red, yellow and purple kalanchoe. Whereas the cluster analysis based on molecular data revealed three clusters. Cluster I included only yellow kalanchoe, cluster II comprised orange and violet kalanchoe while cluster III comprised red, and purple kalanchoe. The study concluded that orange, violet and yellow kalanchoe are distinguished parents for breeding economically valued traits in kalanchoe. Also, the study concluded that SCoT and RAPD markers reproduced reliable banding patterns to assess the genetic polymorphism among kalanchoe genotypes that consider the basis stone for genetic improvements in ornamental plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Himalayan region is one of the largest biodiversity hotspot in the world. In IHR most of the communities are lived in remote or rural area and are totally dependent on natural resources to fulfill their daily needs. Natural resources such as plant diversity is used as food, medicine, fodder, dye yielding, fuel, timber, rituals and various other function. Shri Naina Devi conservation reserve situated in Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh has not been yet explored for plant diversity. The present study is carried out to assess the plant diversity and their utilization pattern and indigenous uses of the plants. A total 121 species recorded belonged from 107 genera and 57 families. Among these species shrub (26 spp.), tree (48 spp.), herb (47 spp.) were present. The families, Fabaceae (11 spp.), Asteraceae (10 spp.), Moraceae (8 spp.), Poaceae (7 spp.), Lamiaceae (4spp.), Solanaceae (4 spp), Myrtaceae (4spp.) Brassicaceae (1 spp.); Euphorbiaceae (3 spp.); Rosaceae (3 spp.) were rich species. Among genera, Ficus (7 spp.), Allium (2 spp.), Bauhinia (2 spp.), Acacia (2 spp.), Cassia (2 spp.), Phyllanthus (2 spp.), Rumex (2 spp.), were the dominant genera. 91 species were of multipurpose utility and 30 species were monotypic. The species were used as medicine (107 spp.), food (27 spp.), fuel (37 spp.), fodder (57 spp.), ornamental (24 spp.) timber (9 spp.) and religious (6 spp.) by the inhabitants of the area. This paper gives the scientific name of wild plants along with common names, local names, family, life form, indigenous uses and plant part used by the local inhabitants of the area. Plant parts used such as whole plants, roots (including rhizomes and tubers), leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and stems by the local people for curing various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA metabarcoding is increasingly used for the assessment of aquatic communities, and numerous studies have investigated the consistency of this technique with traditional morpho‐taxonomic approaches. These individual studies have used DNA metabarcoding to assess diversity and community structure of aquatic organisms both in marine and freshwater systems globally over the last decade. However, a systematic analysis of the comparability and effectiveness of DNA‐based community assessment across all of these studies has hitherto been lacking. Here, we performed the first meta‐analysis of available studies comparing traditional methods and DNA metabarcoding to measure and assess biological diversity of key aquatic groups, including plankton, microphytobentos, macroinvertebrates, and fish. Across 215 data sets, we found that DNA metabarcoding provides richness estimates that are globally consistent to those obtained using traditional methods, both at local and regional scale. DNA metabarcoding also generates species inventories that are highly congruent with traditional methods for fish. Contrastingly, species inventories of plankton, microphytobenthos and macroinvertebrates obtained by DNA metabarcoding showed pronounced differences to traditional methods, missing some taxa but at the same time detecting otherwise overseen diversity. The method is generally sufficiently advanced to study the composition of fish communities and replace more invasive traditional methods. For smaller organisms, like macroinvertebrates, plankton and microphytobenthos, DNA metabarcoding may continue to give complementary rather than identical estimates compared to traditional approaches. Systematic and comparable data collection will increase the understanding of different aspects of this complementarity, and increase the effectiveness of the method and adequate interpretation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacteria are a group of diverse prokaryotes that are capable of oxygenic photosynthesis. They are ubiquitous in nature and have been reported to survive in extreme environments. This study aimed to identify and assess the diversity of the cyanobacteria present in some mine tailing sites in the towns of Itogon and Tuba, in Benguet Province, Philippines using isolation-dependent and isolation-independent methods. Analysis of the water and sediment samples from the mine tailing sites (designated as Acu, Ampu, TSF1 and TSF3) showed higher metal concentrations in the sediment samples (2930–11,500 mg/kg dry weight Ca, 10–34 mg/kg dry weight Cr, 83–6500 mg/kg dry weight Cu, 6–172 mg/kg dry weight Pb, 8310–32,600 mg/kg dry weight Mg, 640–3400 mg/kg dry weight K, 43–144 mg/kg dry weight Zn), which were then processed for cyanobacterial enrichment. Identification of cyanobacteria was performed using the conventional isolation-dependent method for the characterization of microorganisms, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and isolation-independent 16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis. Both approaches revealed that Arthronema africanum (1.98–60.1%) and Leptolyngbya spp. (39.9–97.0%) of the Pseudoanabaenales dominated the cyanobacterial composition in all sites. The isolation-dependent method identified most of the dominant taxa such as Arthronema africanum, Leptolyngbya spp. and Calothrix spp. Nodosilinea spp. was also confirmed to be part of the cyanobacterial community through this method. Unicellular cyanobacteria such as Chroococcales and Synechococcales were also observed. However, they were not fully identified at lower taxonomic levels in both methods, especially Chroococcales. On the other hand, the isolation-independent method recovered other taxa in selected sites such as Calothrix (0.002–0.022%), Halomicronema (0.01%), Nostoc (0.006–0.03%), Phormidium (0.007–14.1%), Planktothrix (0.36%), Pseudoanabaena (0.02–0.6%), Acaryochloris (0.006%), and Thermosynechococcus (0.02–4.7%). Metabarcoding revealed that samples from small-scale mine tailing ponds of Acu and Ampu, and the inactive pond of the large scale mining site, TSF1, had higher species diversity and evenness as compared to its active pond, TSF3, based on Shannon and Simpson indices. However, TSF1 and TSF3 of the large-scale mine tailings had higher species richness than Acu and Ampu of small-scale mining based on Chao index. Altogether, this study provided an inventory of cyanobacteria that can survive even in extreme metal conditions giving insights to their future applications, particularly, in bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salangid Neosalanx taihuensis (Salangidae) is a commercially important economical fish endemic to China and restricted to large freshwater systems with a wide-ranging distribution. This fish species has continuous distribution ranges and a long-introduced aquaculture history in Chinese basins. However, the research on its population genetic differentiation within and between basins is very limited. In this regard, 197 individuals were sampled from 11 populations in the Nenjiang River Basin (A1–A4), Songhua River Basin (B1), Yellow River Basin (C1–C2), Yangtze River Basin (D1), Lanchang River Basin (E1–E2) and Huaihe River Basin (F1). Based on the COI sequence, the N.taihuensis population’s genetic difference within and between river basins was investigated. The haplotypes and their frequency distributions were strongly skewed, with most haplotypes (n = 13) represented only in single samples each and thus restricted to a single population. The most common haplotype (H4, 67/197) was found in all individuals. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a random pattern in the distribution of genetic diversity, which is inconsistent with contemporary hydrological structure. The mismatch between the distribution and neutrality tests supported the evidence of a population expansion, which occurred during the late Pleistocene (0.041–0.051 million years ago). Significant levels of genetic subdivision were detected among populations within basins rather than between the six basins. Population history dynamics showed that N. taihuensis experienced an expansion during the glacial period in the late Pleistocene. Therefore, different populations should be considered as different management units to achieve effective conservation and management purposes. These results have great significance for the evaluation and exploitation of the germplasm resources of N. taihuensis.

Determining the appropriate parents for breeding programs is the most important decision that plant breeders must make to maximize the genetic variability and produce excellent recombinant genotypes. Several methods are used to identify genotypes with desirable phenotypic features for breeding experiments. In this study, five kalanchoe genotypes were morphologically characterized by assessing plant height, number of inflorescences, number of flowers, flower length, flower diameter and number of petals. The analysis showed the distinction of yellow kalanchoe in the plant height trait, while the orange kalanchoe was distinguished in the number of inflorescences, the number of flowers and flower length traits, whereas the violet kalanchoe possessed the largest flower diameter and the highest number of petals. The molecular profiling was performed by random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and start codon targeted (SCoT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tools. Genomic DNA was extracted from young leaves and the PCR reactions were performed using ten primers for each SCoT, ISSR and RAPD marker. Only four out of ten primers showed amplicon profiles in all PCR markers. A total of 70 bands were generated by SCoT, ISSR and RAPD-PCR with 35 polymorphic bands and 35 monomorphic bands. The total number of bands of RAPD, ISSR and SCoT was 15, 17 and 38, respectively. The polymorphism percentages achieved by RAPD, ISSR and SCoT were 60.25%, 15% and 57%, respectively. The cluster analysis based on morphological data revealed two clusters. Cluster I consisted of violet and orange kalanchoe, and cluster II comprised red, yellow and purple kalanchoe. Whereas the cluster analysis based on molecular data revealed three clusters. Cluster I included only yellow kalanchoe, cluster II comprised orange and violet kalanchoe while cluster III comprised red, and purple kalanchoe. The study concluded that orange, violet and yellow kalanchoe are distinguished parents for breeding economically valued traits in kalanchoe. Also, the study concluded that SCoT and RAPD markers reproduced reliable banding patterns to assess the genetic polymorphism among kalanchoe genotypes that consider the basis stone for genetic improvements in ornamental plants.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to provide more comprehensive biodiversity assessments, particularly for vertebrates in species-rich regions. However, this method requires the completeness of a reference database (i.e. a list of DNA sequences attached to each species), which is not currently achieved for many taxa and ecosystems. As an alternative, a range of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) can be extracted from eDNA metabarcoding. However, the extent to which the diversity of OTUs provided by a limited eDNA sampling effort can predict regional species diversity is unknown. Here, by modelling OTU accumulation curves of eDNA seawater samples across the Coral Triangle, we obtained an asymptote reaching 1531 fish OTUs, while 1611 fish species are recorded in the region. We also accurately predict (R²=0.92) the distribution of species richness among fish families from OTU-based asymptotes. Thus, the multi-model framework of OTU accumulation curves extends the use of eDNA metabarcoding in ecology, biogeography and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Date palm has a long history of cultivation and a valuable germplasm with little knowledge about its genetic makeup and variation among the most cultivated cultivars. Diversity is the variability of a species. Plants show variation in yield, vegetative traits and morphological properties of fruits and seeds in response to environmental changes. Molecular markers or DNA markers have been in use since past three decades. The DNA profiles give information about the genotype, screen the whole genome and show variation in both the coding and noncoding region and hence give information about polymorphism. Since plastid genes are transferred mostly from the mother line, the identification of maternal lines is possible by the sequencing of plastid genes. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) can detect length variation with the help of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and may be used as highly informative genetic markers. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) are the third generation of molecular markers. SNPs are more stable and have high fidelity of inheritance as compared to other marker systems. Molecular markers have been developed but they are not enough for sufficient diversity assessment. Therefore there is a need to increase the number of DNA markers in date palm. Previously, there are several studies to type various commercially important germplasm based on morphological or yield parameters. Morphological and biochemical markers are limited in number and are affected by environmental factors and growth stage of the plant which reduce their reliability in the assessment of diversity and characterization of the germplasm. This necessitates the use of genetic characterization, utilizing DNA markers, gene sequencing or SNP genotyping which can work independent of the plant growth stage and are not affected by environmental factors. A combination of morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization of the date palm cultivars can better assess the level of diversity and relationship among the cultivars.

Drawing upon consequentially growing food insecurity in mid-hills attributed to poor adoption levels inter alia inflicted by narrow range of locally adaptive farmer's preferred cold tolerant rice varietal options in national agricultural system, the present study was undertaken. We conducted on farm diversity assessment of 60 high altitude rice genotypes from ex-situ and on farm employing un-replicated diversity block in 2015. Subsequently, we identified eight promising locally adaptive genotypes as candidate genotypes based on the inferences of diversity block trial and evaluated them through participatory variety selection (PVS) using randomized block design in 2016 under on-farm conditions. Our studies revealed marked diversity among the Nepalese cold-tolerant rice genotypes. The UPGMA cluster analysis categorized the 60 genotypes into six distinct clusters. Strong positive correlation between grain yield and plant height; panicle length; straw yield and strong negative correlation between grain yield and 1000-grain weight was detected. PCA suggested traits viz., plant height, panicle length, days to 50% heading, and grain yield to be principal discriminatory characteristics of the cold-tolerant rice. Seto Kattike, Naulo Dhan, and Borang were most promising and adaptive genotypes whose eminence were justifiably corroborated and validated by farmer's overall evaluation. The most valued farmer's selection criteria were grain and straw yield, earliness, disease resistance, and stem borer tolerance. The findings bolster employment of novel and proven participatory plant breeding approach using diversity kits and IRD kits to expand and promote varietal choice options for immediate benefits to the farmers and facilitate rapid varietal release and registration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of a proper zoning plan or landscape-ecological plan requires taking into account recognition of the natural values of an area covered by the plan and evaluating its abiotic and biotic diversities. The aim of the paper is to present the new approach to the procedure of geodiversity and biodiversity assessment. This procedure is used to characterise abiotic and biotic heterogeneity of the postglacial landscape modified by a man, tested on Dębnica River catchment (Western Pomerania, Poland). This catchment is a representative example illustrating the landscape of Central European Plain. The analytical algorithm of the geodiversity assessment is based on appropriate selection of the evaluation criteria: lithological, relative heights, landform fragmentation, hydrographical elements and mesoclimatic conditions. Biodiversity was assessed on the basis of real vegetation, potential natural vegetation and the degree of anthropisation of the natural vegetation with respect to syngenesis of plant associations. Seven factor maps were obtained: five for the diversity of abiotic elements, and two for the diversity of biotic elements, which became the basis for the creation of total geodiversity and biodiversity maps. Maps produced in accordance with given methodology may find a wide range of applications.

Background: The Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) is one of the most emblematic protected areas in Africa, well known for its vertebrate biodiversity and restoration ecology efforts following the Mozambican civil war in 1992. The invertebrate biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park is still poorly studied, although the scarce information available indicates the existence of a rich number of species, namely in the case of tiger- and ground-beetles (Coleoptera, Caraboidea). Moreover, the study of arthropod assemblages is key for designing conservation practices since they are potentially accurate biodiversity and ecological indicators. Hence, the diversity assessment of Caraboidea beetles using standardised methodologies is likely to provide a new insight for future conservation planning and help to quantify the effects of climate change in areas identified as vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, such as the Gorongosa National Park., New Information: We report the occurrence of five tiger beetles (Cicindelidae) and 93 ground-beetles (Carabidae) species/morphospecies in Gorongosa National Park from a field survey funded by the ECOASSESS project. Sampling was performed in the four main habitat types present in the Park (miombo tropical forest, mixed dry forest, transitional forest and grasslands) between 25 October and 25 November 2019. In this sampling window, the turnover of Caraboidea species from the dry season to the wet season was recorded for the first time. Twenty-eight species of ground-beetles are new records to Mozambique, including three new subgenera and three new genera. Additional information on species phenology and habitat preferences is also provided., (Artur R. M. Serrano, Martim Baptista, Rui Carvalho, Mário Boieiro, Sara Mendes, Marie Bartz, Sérgio Timóteo, Henrique M.V.S. Azevedo-Pereira, Carlos A.S Aguiar, António Alves da Silva, Joana Alves, Maria Jesús I. Briones, Paulo A. V. Borges, José P. Sousa, Pedro Martins da Silva.)

This study assessed the genetic diversity of six ornamental ferns in parks and gardens in Nigeria using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Genomic DNA were extracted from the samples and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed using seven ISSR markers. The elcetrophoregram showed amplicon size ranged from 100bp-1Kb among the ferns. A total of 87 bands were generated with 71.26% polymorphism and 28.73% monomorphic bands. The average number of band per primer was 12.4 and polymorphism range was between 31.23-100%, the highest polymorphism was obtained with ISSR2. The mean Nei's genetic diversity was 29% while the Shannon's index was 43.5%. The pair of Adiatum capilus-veneris and Pteris acanthoneura had maximum genetic distance of 0.6592 while A. capilus-veneris and A. furcans are the closest species. At genetic similarity of 78%, the cluster analysis revealed two major groups. Group-1 comprised of four species, where P. acanthoneura is a distant member, the other three species in the group are closely related. Group-2 on the other hand had two closely related Adiantum species. The study concludes that ISSR markers are effective in the genetic study of the ferns and the genetic diversity information provided could be utilized for selection, improvement and conservation of the ornamental plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the assemblage of an exhaustive reference library for one of the major groups of soil invertebrates, earthworms, focused on the long sampled French location of Upper Normandy. Previous morphological appraisal of the diversity, enumerated 20 species in the area. After an extensive campaign of DNA barcoding aiming at several typical habitats of Upper Normandy, 22 species were found and 561 sequences were produced. A total of 36 discrete Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) were detected among these species. Twenty-two of these MOTUs corresponded to several complexes of MOTUs within the morphological boundaries of 8 species. Based on a previous set of investigations on the Allolobophora chlorotica , Aporrectodea rosea , Lumbricus rubellus and Aporrectodea icterica complexes and on the analysis of the distribution of pairwise comparisons, we were able to hypothesize on the specific and subspecific status of the MOTUs in the 8 complexes detected. Globally, up to 21 of the 36 MOTUs detected potentially corresponded to species level entities. The remaining 15 MOTUs were considered as putative subspecies where gene flow can still be present between the members of a complex. Discussed in the perspective of previously detected physiological and ecological discrepancies between some of these specific but also subspecific MOTUs, these results emphasize the need to take into account all those genetic entities and to annotate them consistently throughout the literature. As a consequence, the genotyping of specimens in surveys and experiments is highly recommended when complexes of MOTUs are detected. This study also illustrates the usefulness of the DNA barcoding approach as a fast and powerful exploration tool for communities and therefore as a premise for more specific and integrative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA sequencing has become an integrated part of microbial ecology, and taxonomic marker genes such as the SSU and LSU rRNA are frequently used to assess community structure. One solution for taxonomic community analysis based on shotgun metagenomic data is the Metaxa2 software, which can extract and classify sequence fragments belonging to the rRNA genes. This paper describes the Metaxa2 Diversity Tools, a set of new open-source software programs that extends the capabilities of the Metaxa2 software. These tools allow for better handling of data from multiple samples, improved species classifications, rarefaction analysis accounting for unclassified entries, and determination of significant differences in community composition of different samples. We demonstrate the performance of the software tools on rRNA data extracted from different shotgun metagenomes, and find the tools to streamline and improve the assessments of community diversity, particularly for samples from environments for which few reference genomes are available. Finally, we establish that our resampling algorithm for determining community dissimilarity is robust to differences in coverage depth, suggesting that it forms a complement to multidimensional visualization approaches for finding differences between communities. The Metaxa2 Diversity Tools are included in recent versions (2.1 and later) of Metaxa2 ( http://microbiology.se/software/metaxa2/ ) and facilitate implementation of Metaxa2 within software pipelines for taxonomic analysis of environmental communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabarcoding of environmental samples on second-generation sequencing platforms has rapidly become a valuable tool for ecological studies. A fundamental assumption of this approach is the reliance on being able to track tagged amplicons back to the samples from which they originated. In this study, we address the problem of sequences in metabarcoding sequencing outputs with false combinations of used tags (tag jumps). Unless these sequences can be identified and excluded from downstream analyses, tag jumps creating sequences with false, but already used tag combinations, can cause incorrect assignment of sequences to samples and artificially inflate diversity. In this study, we document and investigate tag jumping in metabarcoding studies on Illumina sequencing platforms by amplifying mixed-template extracts obtained from bat droppings and leech gut contents with tagged generic arthropod and mammal primers, respectively. We found that an average of 2.6% and 2.1% of sequences had tag combinations, which could be explained by tag jumping in the leech and bat diet study, respectively. We suggest that tag jumping can happen during blunt-ending of pools of tagged amplicons during library build and as a consequence of chimera formation during bulk amplification of tagged amplicons during library index PCR. We argue that tag jumping and contamination between libraries represents a considerable challenge for Illumina-based metabarcoding studies, and suggest measures to avoid false assignment of tag jumping-derived sequences to samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]