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Soil nematodes are the most abundant soil metazoans, occupying multiple trophic levels in the soil food web and playing an important role in soil function. Research on the biogeographic distribution patterns of soil nematode communities and their drivers has received greater attention. However, the distribution characteristics of soil nematode communities along the elevational gradient in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China remain unclear. In this study, four elevational gradients (1750–1900, 1900–2100, 2100–2350 and 2350–2560 m) were established on Luoshan Mountain, Ningxia, an arid and semi-arid region in Northwest China, and soil nematodes in the soil layers of 0–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm were investigated using the improved Baermann funnel method. The results revealed a monotonically decreasing trend in the total number of soil nematodes along the elevational gradient and soil layer depth, decreasing by 63.32% to 79.94% and 73.59% to 86.90%, respectively, while the interactions were not obvious. A total of 1487 soil nematodes belonging to 27 families and 32 genera were identified across the elevational gradient, with Helicotylenchus as the dominant genus, accounting for 10.43% of the total number of nematodes, and bacterivore nematodes as the main trophic groups, accounting for 32.39% to 52.55% of the relative abundance at each elevation, which increased with increasing elevation. Soil nematode community diversity, richness and maturity indices were relatively low at high elevation and decreased by 44.62%, 48% and 54.74%, respectively, with increasing soil layer depth at high elevations. Compared to low elevations, high-elevation soils experienced greater disturbance, reduced structural complexity and nutrient enrichment of the soil food web, and a shift in soil organic matter decomposition from bacterial to fungal pathways as elevation increased. Finally, redundancy analysis showed that soil pH, bulk density, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium were the main soil factors affecting the composition of soil nematode communities, which well explained the differences in nematode communities at different elevations and soil depths. This study can be used as basic information for further research on soil biota in this mountainous region, expanding our further understanding of the spatial ecology of soil nematodes in the arid and semi-arid mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant species diversity is one of the most widely used indicators in ecosystem management. The relation of species diversity with the size of the sample plot has not been fully determined for Oriental beech forests (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), a widespread species in the Hyrcanian region. Assessing the impacts of plot size on species diversity is fundamental for an ecosystem-based approach to forest management. This study determined the relation of species diversity and plot size by investigating species richness and abundance of both canopy and forest floor. Two hundred and fifty-six sample plots of 625 m2 each were layout in a grid pattern across 16 ha. Base plots (25 m × 25 m) were integrated in different scales to investigate the effect of plot size on species diversity. The total included nine plots of 0.063, 0.125, 0.188, 0.250, 0.375, 0.500, 0.563, 0.750 and 1 ha. Ten biodiversity indices were calculated. The results show that species richness in the different plot sizes was less than the actual value. The estimated value of the Simpson species diversity index was not significantly different from actual values for both canopy and forest floor diversity. The coefficient of variation of this index for the 1-ha sample plot showed the lowest amount across different plot sizes. Inverse Hill species diversity was insignificant difference across different plot sizes with an area greater than 0.500 ha. The modified Hill evenness index for the 1-ha sample size was a correct estimation of the 16-ha for both canopy and forest floor; however, the precision estimation was higher for the canopy layer. All plots greater than 0.250-ha provided an accurate estimation of the Camargo evenness index for forest floor species, but was inaccurate across different plot sizes for the canopy layer. The results indicate that the same plot size did not have the same effect across species diversity measurements. Our results show that correct estimation of species diversity measurements is related to the selection of appropriate indicators and plot size to increase the accuracy of the estimate so that the cost and time of biodiversity management may be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euglossine bees are key pollinators of various plant species in the Neotropical region. Therefore, studying euglossine bee ecology is important for the development of conservation strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the vertical distribution of these bees in a "terra firme" forest fragment in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. The collections were carried out fortnightly from June 2017 to May 2018. The bees were sampled in the understory (1.5 m in height) and the canopy (12 m in height), using six aromatic compounds. A total of 9793 specimens were collected, representing 42 species of four genera. Statistically, the abundance of euglossines was higher in the understory, while the richness did not differ between strata. Eulaema Lepeletier, 1841 and Exaerete Hoffmannsegg, 1817 species were more abundant in the understory, while Euglossa Latreille, 1802 species were more abundant in the canopy stratum. Eufriesea Cockerell, 1908 species showed no difference in abundance between strata. In addition, nine new occurrences were recorded for the Rondônia state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nematodes are the most abundant soil metazoans, occupying multiple trophic levels in the soil food web and playing an important role in soil function. Research on the biogeographic distribution patterns of soil nematode communities and their drivers has received greater attention. However, the distribution characteristics of soil nematode communities along the elevational gradient in the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China remain unclear. In this study, four elevational gradients (1750-1900, 1900-2100, 2100-2350 and 2350-2560 m) were established on Luoshan Mountain, Ningxia, an arid and semi-arid region in Northwest China, and soil nematodes in the soil layers of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm were investigated using the improved Baermann funnel method. The results revealed a monotonically decreasing trend in the total number of soil nematodes along the elevational gradient and soil layer depth, decreasing by 63.32% to 79.94% and 73.59% to 86.90%, respectively, while the interactions were not obvious. A total of 1487 soil nematodes belonging to 27 families and 32 genera were identified across the elevational gradient, with Helicotylenchus as the dominant genus, accounting for 10.43% of the total number of nematodes, and bacterivore nematodes as the main trophic groups, accounting for 32.39% to 52.55% of the relative abundance at each elevation, which increased with increasing elevation. Soil nematode community diversity, richness and maturity indices were relatively low at high elevation and decreased by 44.62%, 48% and 54.74%, respectively, with increasing soil layer depth at high elevations. Compared to low elevations, high-elevation soils experienced greater disturbance, reduced structural complexity and nutrient enrichment of the soil food web, and a shift in soil organic matter decomposition from bacterial to fungal pathways as elevation increased. Finally, redundancy analysis showed that soil pH, bulk density, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium were the main soil factors affecting the composition of soil nematode communities, which well explained the differences in nematode communities at different elevations and soil depths. This study can be used as basic information for further research on soil biota in this mountainous region, expanding our further understanding of the spatial ecology of soil nematodes in the arid and semi-arid mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Multispecies planting is an important approach to deliver ecosystem functions in afforestation projects. However, the importance of species richness vs specific species composition in this context remains unresolved. To estimate species or functional group richness and compositional change between two communities, we calculated nestedness, where one community contains a subset of the species of another, and turnover, where two communities differ in species composition but not in species richness. We evaluated the effects of species/functional group nestedness and turnover on stand productivity using 315 mixed plots from a pool of 40 tree species in a large forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China. We found that the greater the differences in species or functional group nestedness and turnover, the greater the differences in stand productivity between plots. Additionally, the strong effects of both nestedness and turnover on stand productivity developed over the 11‐yr observation period. Our results indicate that selection of specific tree species is as important as planting a large number of species to support the productivity function of forests. Furthermore, the selection of specific tree species should be based on functionality, because beneficial effects of functional group composition were stronger than those of species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The impacts of climate change can be profound in many ecosystems worldwide, including drylands such as arid and semi-arid scrublands and grasslands. Foundation plants such as shrubs can provide microclimatic refuges for a variety of taxa. These shrubs can directly influence micro6 environmental measures, and indirectly increase the local environmental heterogeneity as a result. We examined the hypothesis that, in comparison to an open gap, foundation shrubs improve the microclimate beneath their canopy and that microclimate is in turn a significant predictor of annual vegetation. The following predictions were made: 1) mean air temperature (NSAT), ground temperature (SGT), and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) will be significantly lower under the shrubs than in the open microsites; 2) shrub canopy size predicts microclimate; 3) site-level aridity estimates and percent shrub cover influence annual plant abundance and richness; and 4) the site13 level mean of NSAT and VPD predict annual plant abundance and richness. Methods: Our study took place in Southwestern California, U.S.A. We used a handheld device with a probe to measure microclimatic variables such as nearsurface air temperature (NSAT), near-surface relative humidity (NSRH), and surface ground temperature (SGT) at the shrub species Ephedra californica and in the open gap, across six sites in California, United States. Air temperature and RH were then used to calculate VPD. The mean number of vascular plant species across each site was also recorded. Results & discussion: Only SGT was significantly reduced under shrub canopies. Canopy volume was not a significant predictor of all three microclimatic variables, demonstrating that even small, low-stature shrubs can have facilitative effects. Furthermore, total shrub cover and aridity at sites significantly predicted mean plant richness and abundance. There were significantly more plants associated with shrubs and there were significantly more species associated with the open. Mean air temperature and VPD at the site-level significantly predicted vegetation abundance and richness, though microsite-level differences were only significant for richness. Foundation shrubs are a focal point of resiliency in dryland ecosystems. Understanding their impact on microclimate can inform us of better management, conservation, and restoration frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration involves the recovery and repair of environments because environmental damage is not always irreversible, and communities are not infinitely resilient to such harm. When restoration projects are applied to nature, either directly or indirectly these may take the form of ecological, forestry or hydrological restoration, for example. In the current scenario of global climate change and increasing intensity of disturbances the importance of restoration in all types of ecosystems in order to adapt to the new conditions (so called prestoration) is evident. Whatever the objective of the restoration initiative, there is a lack of consensus as regards common indicators to evaluate the success or failure of the different initiatives implemented. In this study, we have carried out an extensive meta-analysis review of scientific papers aiming to evaluate the outcomes of restoration projects. We have done a review and selected 95 studies implemented in Europe. We explored the main pre-restoration land cover in which restoration initiatives have been implemented, the main causes of degradation, the objective of the restoration action and the indicators selected to analyze the success or failure of the action. We identified a total of 84 indicators in the analyzed papers and compared with the ones proposed for forest in the recent Nature Restoration Law. The analysis revealed five indicators commonly used for the evaluation of restoration initiatives (abundance, coverage, density, Ellenberg indicator, and richness), even where the initial objective has not yet been achieved. Our findings underscore both the benefits and challenges associated with a specific set of harmonized indicators for evaluating the success or failure of restoration initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weed communities in three cropping systems suitable for the Midwestern USA were studied from 2017 to 2020 to examine how crop diversification and the intensity of herbicide use affected weed community diversity, stand density, and aboveground mass. A baseline 2-year cropping system with corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) grown in alternate years was diversified with cool-season crops, namely oat (Avena sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in 3-and 4-year systems. Herbicide was not applied in the cool-season crops. Changing weed management regime from broadcast to banded application and interrow cultivation in corn and omitting herbicide in cool-season crops of the 3- and 4-year rotations resulted in an overall reduction of herbicide a.i mass. The reduction in the mass of herbicide active ingredients was associated with increases in weed stand density, aboveground mass, and community diversity. Increased weed abundance under herbicide mass reduction was not associated with crop yield loss. In the cool-season crops phases of the 3- and 4-year rotations, weed emergence was increased but weed growth was not, as compared with the warm-season crop environments. The dominance of aggressive weed species such as common waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq ex DC) J.D. Sauer) and common lambsquarter (Chenopodium album L.) tended to be greater in corn and soybean phases of the rotations than in oat, red clover, and alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Global species distribution maps tend to be limited to a reduced number of species or are too coarse to inform ecological research and conservation actions at local scales. We developed a workflow to generate species range and area of habitat (AOH) maps tailored to local contexts based on expert information, community science observations and an ecoregion approach. We also developed a workflow to increase transparency in range maps and map the areas of uncertainty at the species and community levels using community science data. Location: North‐Western South America. Methods: We combined expert knowledge, community science observations, a new map of ecoregions for Colombia and national maps of land cover to produce species range and AOH maps for 94% of the terrestrial resident birds of Colombia (1633 species). We used community science records to validate the range maps and produce a species‐specific layer of uncertainty by calculating the distance between pixels classified as habitat and species occurrence points. Results: Compared to previous efforts, the new maps have higher species coverage and produced better validation scores for more than 50% of the species analysed. In addition, the produced maps also show macroecological patterns that follow natural boundaries, significantly improving the arbitrary patterns observed in previous mapping efforts. Uncertainty maps illustrate the spatial resolution and the extent at which these maps can be used with the highest confidence and highlight poorly surveyed areas that require extensive sampling. Main Conclusions: Combining information from expert sources, field observations and broad macroecological patterns is key to improve AOH maps that are fitted to local applications. Our uncertainty analysis can also guide concerted national efforts to survey specific localities. Our workflow can be used in multiple regions, countries and for other taxa, and we expect that it will improve local estimates of biogeographical and species diversity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community resistance plays a crucial role in the successful invasion of alien plants. However, our understanding of how soil legacy effects of native species richness, parasitic plants, competition and soil microbes contribute to community resistance remain unclear. To compare the legacy effects of soil conditioning and the current effects of plant interactions, we performed an experiment in which Chromolaeana odorata (invader) growth was measured with or without competition on live and sterile soils with different conditioning histories (species richness). Overall, our research indicated that C. odorata outperformed two native species across treatments, however, this advantage was smaller on soils with species rich histories and with competition from current plant growth. Our findings also revealed that both the soil legacy effects of native richness and competition negatively impact the growth of C. odorata, and native plants tend to produce more biomass in soils with greater diversity and under competitive conditions (5.0%). Interestingly, the holoparasitic plant C. chinensis decreased native plant growth (− 40%) more than C. odorata growth (− 11%). Further, C. chinensis did not parasitize C. odorata on sterilized soil. Furthermore, C. odorata did not experience limitations from parasitism in sterilized soil, as indicated by a slight increase in biomass of 2.3%. These results indicated that soils with diverse plant histories, competition from native plants, and lower C. chinensis parasitism will synergistically decrease C. odorata invasion. This study underscores that community resistance to C. odorata is governed by an interplay of multiple biotic factors, both individually and in combination. Simultaneously, this study contributes to a theoretical foundation for understanding the successful invasion of alien plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diospyros trees, commonly known as persimmons or ebonies, have high economic and medicinal value. This study presents here a detailed analysis of the diversity and distribution of Diospyros species across 20 sites in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka, encompassing different forest types. Data collected from belt transects were used to calculate species richness and quantitative characters such as frequency, density, abundance, importance value index, basal area cover, and distribution type. Alpha and beta diversity across the different study sites were also determined. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis was performed to study the relationship between forest types and species composition. The results indicate Diospyros montana had the greatest frequency, density, basal area cover, and importance value. Agumbe and Hosagunda areas of Shivamogga district, and Makutta region of Kodagu district, showed rich diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Ferns and lycophytes are highly diverse in Neotropical forests, and their distribution is influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors, including disturbance. This study analyzes the effect of some of these factors on the diversity of these plants in a sub-Andean forest. M&M: Four transects of 400 m2 (80×5 m) were established, two in highly disturbed sites, grassland, and stream edge, and two in the forest. Each transect was divided into 16 plots where all terrestrial and epiphytic individuals were recorded. Clustering analyses were performed to recognize the presence of floristic groups, and a canonical correlation analysis was performed to identify how soil chemistry and vegetation structure affect the composition and diversity of these plants. Results: A total of 4935 individuals were found, representing 42 species. Amauropelta rudis (Kunze) Pic. Serm. (2485 individuals) and Asplenium flabellulatum Kunze (1190 individuals) were the dominant terrestrial species. The clustering and ordination analyses revealed that the plots of open sites are more related to each other than to those of the forest. Species of open sites are more correlated with a lower layer of litter, a lower height and coverage of trees or saplings, a higher concentration of aluminum and a lower concentration of sodium. Conclusions: Ferns and lycophytes are influenced by the environmental, structural and disturbance conditions of the site where they grow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study is a first attempt to address the critical issue of effect of elevation on the distribution and body size of carabid beetles in the same region, including mountainous forests and the alpine tundra of the upper limit of vegetation in the north cold temperate zone. The richness, abundance and body size of carabid beetles linearly decrease with elevation increase. The larger carabid species C. canaliculatus and C. venustus become smaller to adapt to high-elevation tundra conditions. The vegetation type changes at high elevations is an important factor that leads to changes of carabid distribution and body size along the elevation gradient. These high-elevation species such as C. macleayi, N. pektusanica and P. jaechi should be given priority attention in the context of global climate change. The environment of mountain ecosystems can change greatly in short distances as elevation increases. The effects of elevation change on the distribution and body size of carabid beetles were investigated at elevations of 750–2600 m in the Changbaishan Nature Reserve (Northeast China). The richness and abundance of carabid species decreased significantly as elevation increased. However, the change trends are different in forests and tundra. In the broad-leaved Korean pine forest and coniferous forest at low elevations, carabid beetle species have high richness and abundance. The community composition of carabid beetles was significantly different at different elevations and among different vegetation types. Some species only occurred at specific elevations. There were fewer indicator species in high-elevation areas, but Carabus macleayi Dejean, Nebria pektusanica Horratovich and Pterostichus jaechi Kirschenhofer were mainly found in high-elevation areas. The average body size of species in the carabid beetle community was negatively correlated with elevation. The sizes of the larger Carabus canaliculatus Adams and Carabus venustus Morawitz were negatively correlated with elevation. Their body sizes decreased obviously in the tundra at elevations above 2000 m. Changes in vegetation types at high elevations affect the distribution and body sizes of beetles along the elevation gradient. Some large carabid species may be smaller at high elevations where a unique insect fauna has developed. The body size and distribution range of the carabid may be the factors that affect body size reduction at high elevation. Although some high-elevation species also occur in low-elevation areas, the protection of species diversity in high-elevation areas should be emphasized in the context of global climate change. The results illustrate the mechanisms of carabid beetles' response to elevation change and the need for carabid beetles' diversity conservation under global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richness and evenness, two important components of diversity, have been the subject of numerous studies exploring their potential dependence or lack thereof. The results have been contradictory and inconclusive, but tending to indicate only a low (positive or negative) correlation. While such reported studies have been based on particular data sets and species abundance distributions, the present article provides the results of a study using randomly generated abundance distributions and hence more generalizable findings and valid statistical results. The results reveal no statistically significant correlation between richness and evenness based on such random sample of abundance distributions and on four well‐known measures of diversity, including Simpson's indices and the entropy index. Of the two diversity components, evenness is found to have the strongest influence on diversity, but for numbers‐equivalent or effective‐number formulations, richness tends to be the most influential diversity component. For analyzing the tradeoff between richness and evenness for any given diversity measure and abundance distribution, the richness‐evenness curve is introduced as a new tool for diversity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical resurveys represent a unique opportunity to analyze vegetation dynamics over longer timescales than is typically achievable. Leveraging the oldest historical dataset of vegetation change in the Bavarian Alps, Germany, we address how environmental conditions, vegetation composition, and functional diversity in the calcareous grasslands of the Schachen region have changed across different elevational ranges over an 83‐year timeframe. We document changes in regional average temperature and precipitation. We use indicator values (IV) for species' ecological preferences and their palatability to grazers to infer local conditions (temperature, soil moisture/fertility, and grazing regime). We further estimate changes in temporal beta‐diversity and functional trait community composition between historical (1936) and contemporary (2019) surveys in two elevational (subalpine and alpine) belts. Both subalpine and alpine sites became drier; subalpine sites also became warmer with more palatable plants. Species occurrence and abundance in the Schachen region has not changed substantially over time despite changing macroclimate and local environmental conditions under anthropogenic change. Yet these grasslands have experienced several "invisible" changes in functional composition over the past 80 years. As the Schachen has become drier, species with traits related to drought tolerance and animal‐based dispersal have increased in dominance. Specifically, in alpine sites, community‐weighted means revealed that with low fecundity, higher potential for endo‐ and epizoochory (seed dispersal via animal gut and fur, respectively), higher foliar frost tolerance, and deeper dormancy increased in dominance. Similar trends were found for increasing dominance of low fecundity, epizoochorous species in subalpine sites. Vegetation data from resurveying historical plots in combination with changes in local conditions, classic biodiversity indices, and functional trait indices can provide more holistic insights into changes in the environment and potential impacts of those environmental changes on long‐term plant community and functional diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Floodplains have a high diversity of aquatic environments, including temporary lakes that constantly suffer from drought events. To survive in these conditions, several groups of organisms, among them ciliate protists, have developed strategies to avoid dehydration, such as resistance cysts. Sediment samples were collected from the central region of the lake during a drought event. The sediments were dried in an oven and stored. For the experiment, the sediment was rehydrated with water and kept in an incubation chamber. Samples from 6 microcosms were taken every seven days for 9 weeks. The frequency of each ciliate species hatching from resting structures was calculated using the constancy index, with morphospecies classified as constant, accessory, or rare. A total of 82 ciliates morphospecies were recorded, of which four were constant, three accessory, and 75 rare. The Oxytrichidae and Euplotidae families showed the highest morphospecies richness, among which only 16 morphospecies were already recorded in the literature as producing cysts. Although no significant temporal difference was observed for the difference in the hatching of morphospecies over time. The morphospecies increment curve showed an increasing trend during the experiment. Finally, based on predicted climate change projections, temporary environments may experience longer and more frequent periods of drought, thus ciliate morphospecies that are able to remain in a form of resistance for a long period will outperform those that are more sensitive or lack this type of functional trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dry forests of southern Ecuador are characterized by a great floristic variety and high endemism rates in different taxonomic groups; however, these forests are disappearing at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic disturbances. Epiphytic cryptogams (bryophytes and lichens) are important in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) and, due to their physiology (poikilohydric species), are sensitive to the changes associated with specific human disturbances. We examined the response of epiphytic cryptogams to habitat disturbance in SDTFs (natural and semi-natural forests) by registering the frequency and coverage of epiphytic cryptogams on 182 trees. We recorded a total of 53 epiphytic cryptogams (47 lichens and 6 bryophytes). A greater number of species was found in the natural forest, with 51 species, than the semi-natural forests (DFs), which had 45 species. We found that total richness tended to decrease with increased intensity of disturbance. The impoverishment was particularly related to the reduction in tree density and diversity (e.g., selective logging) in semi-natural compared to natural forests. However, the epiphytic composition showed little relationship with forests disturbance. We conclude that anthropic disturbance, particularly selective logging, are the main factors affecting the diversity of epiphytic cryptogams in the SDTFs from southern Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity loss is increasing worldwide, necessitating effective approaches to counteract negative trends. Here, we assessed aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity in two river catchments in Switzerland; one significantly degraded and associated with urbanisation and instream barriers, and one in a near-natural condition. Contrary to our expectations, environmental heterogeneity was lower in the near-natural stream, with enhanced productivity in the degraded system resulting in a greater range of environmental conditions. At face value, commonly employed alpha, beta and gamma biodiversity metrics suggested both catchments constituted healthy systems, with greater richness or comparable values recorded in the degraded system relative to the near-natural one. Further, functional metrics considered to be early indicators for anthropogenic disturbance, demonstrated no anticipated differences between degraded and near-natural catchments. However, investigating the identity of the taxa unique to each river system showed that anthropogenic degradation led to replacement of specialist, sensitive species indicative of pristine rivers, by generalist, pollution tolerant species. These replacements reflect a major alteration in community composition in the degraded system compared with the near-natural system. Total nitrogen and fine sediment were important in distinguishing the respective communities. We urge caution in biodiversity studies that employ numerical biodiversity metrics alone. Assessing just one aspect of diversity, such as richness, is not sufficient to track biodiversity changes associated with environmental stress. We advocate that biodiversity monitoring for conservation and management purposes must go beyond traditional richness biodiversity metrics, to include indices that incorporate detailed nuances of biotic communities that relates to taxon identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Capivari-Monos Environmental Protection Area (EPA) is located in the southern part of the São Paulo city Green Belt. Since the 1950s, this region has been affected by uncontrolled urban sprawl, resulting in a change in the ecological habits of some vector mosquitoes. Over the last two decades, cases of autochthonous bromeliad malaria associated with the presence of anopheline mosquitoes in the EPA have been recorded. Anopheles cruzii, the primary vector of plasmodia in the region, is abundant and found naturally infected with both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. In light of this, the present study sought to update the catalog of mosquito fauna in this EPA, analyze mosquito diversity among sites with different degrees of conservation and compare species using different collection techniques. Field collections were carried out from March, 2015 to April, 2017. A total of 20,755 specimens were collected, distributed in 106 different taxa representing 16 genera. Analysis of the diversity among the sites based on the Shannon and Simpson indices showed that the most preserved of them had the lowest indices because of the dominance of An. cruzii. The results highlight the increase in the number of different taxa collected as different mosquito collection techniques were included, confirming the importance of using several strategies to ensure adequate sampling of a local mosquito fauna when exploring a greater number of ecotopes. Furthermore, the survey produced the most recent and complete list of mosquito species in the Capivari-Monos EPA, a refuge and shelter for native and introduced mosquito species where new biocenoses, including pathogens, vertebrate hosts, and vectors can form, allowing zoonotic outbreaks in the local human population to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The discovery of mimivirus in 2003 prompted the search for novel giant viruses worldwide. Despite increasing interest, the diversity and distribution of giant viruses is barely known. Here, we present data from a 2012–2022 study aimed at prospecting for amoebal viruses in water, soil, mud, and sewage samples across Brazilian biomes, using Acanthamoeba castellanii for isolation. A total of 881 aliquots from 187 samples covering terrestrial and marine Brazilian biomes were processed. Electron microscopy and PCR were used to identify the obtained isolates. Sixty-seven amoebal viruses were isolated, including mimiviruses, marseilleviruses, pandoraviruses, cedratviruses, and yaraviruses. Viruses were isolated from all tested sample types and almost all biomes. In comparison to other similar studies, our work isolated a substantial number of Marseillevirus and cedratvirus representatives. Taken together, our results used a combination of isolation techniques with microscopy, PCR, and sequencing and put highlight on richness of giant virus present in different terrestrial and marine Brazilian biomes.

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) play a significant role in the modification of their habitat, foremost by decreasing woody vegetation cover and density. Little is known regarding the effects of elephant habitat disturbance (EHD) on medium-to-large mammal and bird communities. While the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts species richness and diversity will be maximised in areas of moderate EHD, high levels of EHD could result in habitat degradation and negatively impact certain wildlife communities. To examine this relationship, we compared mammal and avian community assemblages, richness, and diversity across differing severities (low, medium, high) of elephant disturbed habitats (woodland, shrubland, and mixed wood/shrubland) within Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) in south-eastern Kenya. From June–November 2022, we collected wildlife detection data via driving transects and surveyed EHD through observation of elephant tree damage. While EHD level did impact community assemblage, possibly through vegetation modification and/or increased habitat heterogeneity, EHD had no negative impacts on species richness and diversity in the three habitat types. In contrast to our IDH prediction, richness and diversity were highest in high EHD areas within shrubland habitat and showed no difference across EHD levels for the other two habitats. Overall, this study provides evidence that elephants in RWS are not disturbing habitats to an extent that negatively impacts sanctuary viability, and at least for shrub habitat appear to enhance it. Additionally, smaller wildlife habitats may be able to mitigate lasting elephant overpopulation damages through increased connectivity to other protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural roadsides represent an important alternative for biodiversity conservation. The objective of this study was to estimate the effective diversity and ecological importance in two herbaceous communities along rural roadsides. Twenty quadrats with an area of 1 m2 were systematically established across two 50-m transects. Data on richness, abundance, and plant coverage were obtained. Forty-two species were recorded, comprising 18 families, with Asteraceae being the most abundant (28.57 %). The estimated effective diversity for both transects was greater than 15 effective species, which may be equal to a quarter of the effective diversity of a cloud forest, four times greater than that of an edge of agricultural land, and comparable to that of an edge of a tropical evergreen forest. The importance value index indicated that Cenchrus ciliaris and Syagrus romanzoffiana for transect one and Sida rhombifolia and Aldama dentata for transect two are the species most likely to determine the composition, structure, and functioning of the two plant communities studied. Estimates of these indices allow more useful comparisons with similar studies and facilitate the visualization of the species that probably determine the existence of these ecological systems. This study is expected to eventually provide scientific knowledge in the ecological and environmental fields, which will allow the implementation of effective and viable conservation strategies for ecosystems present in rural roadsides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many gaps in our theoretical understanding of the variations in the diversity and structure of intertidal communities exist for the Eastern Pacific. In order to fill some of these gaps, we censused intertidal communities and compared patterns of diversity on multiple spatial scales using several measures in alpha (α) and beta (β) diversities at twenty-one sites in a cold temperate, a warm temperate and a tropical Eastern Pacific ecoregion that were unique in terms of research effort and each with distinct geographic features. Diversity and richness on all spatial scales were compared using area curves, Hill numbers, ordination and cluster analyses, and the Hutcheson's t-test with post hoc PERMANOVA, which revealed significant differences in diversity within and among ecoregions. Functional group and species richness and abundance were found to be highest in the cold and warm temperate ecoregions, and the functional group richness was second highest in the tropical Guayaquil ecoregion. The Bray–Curtis similarity method proved useful for determining patterns of small-scale intertidal zonation, while the Sorensen–Dice method suggested high indices of similarity in the functional group and subclass structures among all ecoregions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tabanidae are considered a nuisance to humans, wild animals, and livestock due to their painful, annoying, and insistent biting. Tabanids transmit some pathogens and parasites biologically and mechanically. In humans, there are relatively few pathogens transmitted regularly. Still, tabanids serve as vectors of a number of disease agents of animals, including viruses, bacteria, protozoans, and nematodes. They are more abundant in tropical and humid regions, and their seasonal patterns are affected by habitat changes such as deforestation and fragmentation. Here, we analyze the tabanid fauna in Monte Negro, a central municipality of Rondônia, Brazil, comparing abundance, richness, and diversity in forest and pasture habitats. Traps were set for 5 days a month for 12 consecutive months. We also examined how abiotic factors (humidity, temperature, and rainfall) affected the abundance, diversity, and richness and the effectiveness of Malaise and Nzi traps as sample methods. The influence of climatic variables on the richness and abundance of the species was tested using generalized linear models, and we used non-parametric dimensional scaling (nMDS) for analysis of species composition and diversity in different traps and environments. We collect 1032 specimens of 25 species. The most abundant species were Tabanus antarcticus, Dichelacera tetradelta, Tabanus mucronatus, and Leucotabanus albovarius. Forest habitats had the highest number of tabanids, followed by pasture and the anthropized area, and there was no significant difference regarding the effectiveness of the Malaise and Nzi traps. The study provides new information on the distribution and ecology of tabanids in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Successional changes in functional diversity provide insights into community assembly by indicating how species are filtered into local communities based on their traits. Here, we assess successional changes in taxonomic and functional richness, evenness and redundancy along gradients of climate, soil pH and forest cover. Location: Neotropics. Time period: Last 0–100 years. Major taxa studied: Trees. Methods: We used 22 forest chronosequence studies and 676 plots across the Neotropics to analyse successional changes in Hill's taxonomic and functional diversity of trees, and how these successional changes vary with continental‐scale gradients in precipitation, soil pH and surrounding forest cover. Results: Taxonomic and functional richness and functional redundancy increased, while taxonomic and functional evenness decreased over time. Functional richness and evenness changed strongly when not accounting for taxonomic richness, but changed more weakly after statistically accounting for taxonomic richness, indicating that changes in functional diversity are largely driven by taxonomic richness. Nevertheless, the successional increases in functional richness when correcting for taxonomic richness may indicate that environmental heterogeneity and limiting similarity increase during succession. The taxonomically‐independent successional decreases in functional evenness may indicate that stronger filtering and competition select for dominant species with similar trait values, while many rare species and traits are added to the community. Such filtering and competition may also lead to increased functional redundancy. The changes in taxonomically‐independent functional diversity varied with resource availability and were stronger in harsh, resource‐poor environments, but weak in benign, productive environments. Hence, in resource‐poor environments, environmental filtering and facilitation are important, whereas in productive environments, weaker abiotic filtering allows for high initial functional diversity and weak successional changes. Main conclusion: We found that taxonomic and functional richness and functional redundancy increased and taxonomic and functional evenness decreased during succession, mainly caused by the increasing number of rare species and traits due to the arrival of new species and due to changing (a)biotic filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of habitat heterogeneity, which treats one of the global drivers of biodiversity, is valid for several taxonomic groups and distinct ecosystems, including subterranean environments. However, knowledge about the factors that influence the structure of subterranean communities remains limited, especially in Neotropical regions. We sought to understand the main drivers of invertebrate species richness and composition. For that, we compared the substrate elements of twilight and deep-cave zones and their associated invertebrate communities. Variations in habitat heterogeneity were significantly related to richness in the deep cave zone, but had no effect on the fauna associated with the twilight zone. The local heterogeneity enhanced the richness in the deep cave zone due to the increase in the number of available habitats and the effect on decreasing niche overlap. For communities' composition, the geographic distribution of caves explained the similarity between the twilight zone of different caves. Therefore, nearby caves have a more similar fauna in the entrance regions but conversely, exhibit a higher dissimilarity between communities associated with the deep-cave zone. This study highlights the influence of local habitat heterogeneity on the invertebrate communities associated with different zones of the cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urban areas are unique ecosystems with stark differences in species abundance and composition compared with natural ecosystems. These differences can affect pathogen transmission dynamics, thereby altering zoonotic pathogen prevalence and diversity. In this study, we screened small mammals from natural and urban areas in the Netherlands for up to 19 zoonotic pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and protozoan parasites. Materials and Methods: In total, 578 small mammals were captured, including wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), house mice (Mus musculus), common voles (Microtus arvalis), and greater white-toothed shrews (Crocidura russula). We detected a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens in small mammals from both urban and natural areas. For a subset of these pathogens, in wood mice and bank voles, we then tested whether pathogen prevalence and diversity were associated with habitat type (i.e., natural versus urban), degree of greenness, and various host characteristics. Results: The prevalence of tick-borne zoonotic pathogens (Borrelia spp. and Neoehrlichia mikurensis) was significantly higher in wood mice from natural areas. In contrast, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. was higher in wood mice from urban areas, but this difference was not statistically significant. Pathogen diversity was higher in bank voles from natural habitats and increased with body weight for both rodent species, although this relationship depended on sex for bank voles. In addition, we detected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus for the first time in rodents in the Netherlands. Discussion: The differences between natural and urban areas are likely related to differences in the abundance and diversity of arthropod vectors and vertebrate community composition. With increasing environmental encroachment and changes in urban land use (e.g., urban greening), it is important to better understand transmission dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in urban environments to reduce potential disease risks for public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of fast, cost-effective, non-invasive, and efficient sampling alternatives, such as environmental DNA (eDNA), is crucial for understanding the changes in species biodiversity and distributions worldwide, particularly for low abundance, cryptic, and threatened species. This study utilized environmental eDNA to analyze the variety of aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial vertebrates in the Colombian Amazon and Orinoco basins. The study focused on four main subregions: Bojonawi Natural Reserve and adjacent areas (Vichada Department), Sierra de la Macarena National Park and Tillavá(Meta Department), Puerto Nariño and adjacent areas (Amazonas Department), and the Municipality of Solano (CaquetáDepartment). A total of 709 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified across all sampling locations. The Orinoco River had the highest number of fish genera (68), while the Guayabero River had the highest number of tetrapod genera (13). New taxonomic records were found for all locations, with the highest number of previously undetected fish diversity being found in the Bita, Orinoco, and Tillavárivers, compared to traditional surveys. Likewise, the study identified two fish species, four mammal species, and one reptile species as vulnerable. Additionally, four mammal species were identified as endangered, including the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), two subspecies of the Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis and Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana), and the tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis). Standardizing the methodology and improving current DNA sequence databases for the Neotropics is essential to develop future eDNA studies and enhance our understanding of the region's diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the impact of anthropogenic disturbance on diversity and distribution of tree species in the Hmuifang tropical semi-evergreen forest in Aizawi, Mizoram, India. The study records tree species belonging to genera and families including Lindera pulcherrima, Drypetes indica and Schima wallichii. It calculated tree diversity and tree similarity in highly disturbed, moderately disturbed and undisturbed forest stands.

The perils of climate change turn the definition of conservation areas into an urgent task. With finite financial resources, we must choose efficiently what and where to prioritize. Here, we discuss the benefits of using three parameters—species richness, functional and phylogenetic diversity—to subsidize the proposal of conservation areas complementary to those already existing in Southern South America and New Zealand. The parameters were defined using museum specimens and available taxonomic registers for three genera of craneflies: Aphrophila, Zelandomyia, and Amphineurus (Rhamphoneurus). We found additional priority conservation areas for New Zealand and Southern South America based on maximized species richness, phylogenetic and functional diversity of Aphrophila, Amphineurus (Rhamphoneurus), and Zelandomyia. We plotted the new areas into maps presenting the current conservation areas to compare them. We advocate utilizing all available information on biodiversity for conservation initiatives, including data stored in museums. New Zealand and Southern South America are examples of how dealing with multiple parameters, including criteria that take evolutionary history and species ecology into account, may lead to reliable proposals of priority conservation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to record birds species assemblage in ber crop from September, 2019 to March, 2020 and September, 2020 to March, 2021 at experimental orchard of HAU and village Salemgarh of district Hisar. A total of 33 species from 23 families and 11 orders were recorded during the study period. Passeriformes was the most predominant order at both locations. Avian species were classified based on migratory status, 30 species were resident and 3 species were winter migratory. According to the IUCN Red list, 32 species were under the category of least concern and only one species (Alexandrine parakeet) has been enlisted as near threatened. The most dominant species was Rose-ringed Parakeet with maximum relative abundance (97.47%) in the ripening stage. Insectivores (27.27%) birds were most abundant followed by omnivores (21.21%), carnivores (15.15%), granivores (12.12%), frugivores (9.09%), insectivores/frugivores (6.06%), frugivores/granivores (6.06%) and nectarivores (3.03%). Insectivores, omnivores and carnivores birds were observed to feed exclusively on insects and soil invertebrates and act as biocontrol agents. Thus, ber crop is a pivotal bird habitat. This underscores the importance of these study sites as crucial habitats for the conservation of precedence bird species and dominance of insectivores species helps in regulation of insect pest of ber crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host-associated microbial communities are shaped by host migratory movements. These movements can have contrasting impacts on microbiota, and understanding such patterns can provide insight into the ecological processes that contribute to community diversity. Furthermore, long-distance movements to new environments are anticipated to occur with increasing frequency due to host distribution shifts resulting from climate change. Understanding how hosts transport their microbiota with them could be of importance when examining biological invasions. Although microbial community shifts are well-documented, the underlying mechanisms that lead to the restructuring of these communities remain relatively unexplored. Using literature and ecological simulations, we develop a framework to elucidate the major factors that lead to community change. We group host movements into two types—regular (repeated/cyclical migratory movements, as found in many birds and mammals) and irregular (stochastic/infrequent movements that do not occur on a cyclical basis, as found in many insects and plants). Ecological simulations and prior research suggest that movement type and frequency, alongside environmental exposure (e.g. internal/external microbiota) are key considerations for understanding movement-associated community changes. From our framework, we derive a series of testable hypotheses, and suggest means to test them, to facilitate future research into host movement and microbial community dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across many countries, increases in inequality driven by rising top incomes and wealth have not been accompanied by growing popular concern. In fact, citizens in unequal societies are less concerned than those in more egalitarian societies. Understanding how the general public perceive richness is an essential step towards resolving this paradox. We discuss findings from focus group research in London, UK, a profoundly and visibly unequal city, which sought to explore public perceptions of richness and the rich. Participants from diverse socio-economic backgrounds discussed their views of the 'wealthy' and the 'super rich' with reference to both vast economic resources and more intangible aspects, including, crucially, security. High levels of wealth and income were perceived to be necessary for achieving security for oneself and one's family. The security of the rich was discussed in contrast to participants' own and others' insecurity in the context of a (neo)liberal welfare regime – specifically, insecurity about housing, personal finances, social security, health care and the future of the welfare state. In unequal countries, where insecurity is widespread, lack of confidence in collective welfare state provision may serve in the public imagination to legitimate private wealth accumulation and richness as a form of self-protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molluscs are one of the most abundant invertebrate animals and live on various substrates. Peh Pulo Beach has a wide coastline, on the edge of the beach there are coral rocks, the sand is white, and the waves are big. Molluscs like to live in coral rock substrates. This research aims to determine the diversity, evenness, and richness of molluscs on Peh Pulo Beach. Sampling was carried out at three differentstations using plots measuring 1x1 m which were chosen randomly. Mollusc samples were identified based on morphological characteristics and validated using the WoRMS database. The results of mollusc identification at Peh Pulo Beach showed that there were 37 species belonging to 23 families. They are classified in the classes Gastropods (32 species), Bivalves (3 species), and Polyplacophora (1 species). The diversity of molluscs in the Peh Pulo Beach area is at a moderate level. The evenness of molluscs in Peh Pulo Beach is similar and the richness of molluscs is at a semi-disturbed level. so appropriate management and conservation strategies for the sustainability of molluscs are needed. The results of this research can be a basis for consideration in determining mollusc conservation strategies in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aimed to determine shifts in microbial populations regarding richness and diversity from the daily use of a popular over-the-counter nasal spray. In addition, the finding of nasal commensal bacterial species that overlap with the oral microbiome may prove to be potential probiotics for the "gateway microbiomes". Nasal swab samples were obtained before and after using the most popular over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray in 10 participants aged 18–48. All participants were healthy volunteers with no significant medical histories. The participants were randomly assigned a number by randomizing software and consisted of five men and five women. The sampling consisted of placing a nasal swab atraumatically into the nasal cavity. The samples were preserved and sent to Northwestern University Sequencing Center for whole-genome deep sequencing. After 21 days of OTC nasal spray use twice daily, the participants returned for further nasal microbiome sampling. The microbial analysis included all bacteria, archaea, viruses, molds, and yeasts via deep sequencing for species analysis. The Northwestern University Sequencing Center utilized artificial intelligence analysis to determine shifts in species and strains following nasal spray use that resulted in changes in diversity and richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of mimivirus in 2003 prompted the search for novel giant viruses worldwide. Despite increasing interest, the diversity and distribution of giant viruses is barely known. Here, we present data from a 2012–2022 study aimed at prospecting for amoebal viruses in water, soil, mud, and sewage samples across Brazilian biomes, using Acanthamoeba castellanii for isolation. A total of 881 aliquots from 187 samples covering terrestrial and marine Brazilian biomes were processed. Electron microscopy and PCR were used to identify the obtained isolates. Sixty-seven amoebal viruses were isolated, including mimiviruses, marseilleviruses, pandoraviruses, cedratviruses, and yaraviruses. Viruses were isolated from all tested sample types and almost all biomes. In comparison to other similar studies, our work isolated a substantial number of Marseillevirus and cedratvirus representatives. Taken together, our results used a combination of isolation techniques with microscopy, PCR, and sequencing and put highlight on richness of giant virus present in different terrestrial and marine Brazilian biomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The global biodiversity crisis poses many challenges for humanity, and continuing to classify and gain knowledge of the "hidden biodiversity" of less studied groups considered hyper-diverse insect groups, such as the parasitoid wasp (Ichneumonidae), is one of them. There is a particular need for more taxonomic and distributional knowledge of the Neotropics and its neighboring regions. We assessed the current knowledge of the Ichneumonidae, otherwise known as Darwin wasps, in Chile, a country with a diverse ecogeographic gradient, from the southern cold and humid tip of South America approaching the Antarctic Circle to the arid Atacama beyond the Tropic of Capricorn. Following the most up-to-date taxonomic knowledge, we assessed biogeographic relationships at the genus level and the spatial patterns of biodiversity at the species and genera levels along the latitudinal gradient. The results show that biogeographic relationships are based on six faunistic elements (cosmopolitan; endemic; Neotropical; Holarctic–Oriental; south-temperate; and Australasian), reinforcing the early view of two different areas for Chilean ichneumonids: a northern province and a Neantarctic realm, with a high percentage of endemic genera and species. Spatial biodiversity patterns assessed at different scales show a bimodal distribution of richness: around 34° and 38° S in the Metropolitan and Araucanía Regions. From an ecoregional perspective, richness is concentrated in the Valdivian temperate forests, but when assessed at a 0.5 × 0.5 cell scale, several outstanding cells are in the contact zone between the temperate forests and the Chilean Matorral in the Central Chilean biodiversity hotspot. Interpreting richness involves two phenomena difficult to disentangle: genuine species diversity and collection bias closer to areas with larger human populations. In contrast, the Atacama Desert shows little or no presence of Darwin wasps, which is to be expected due to the lack of potential hosts. These results reinforce the need to continue sampling and studying available collections to help close the knowledge gaps already recognized as Wallacean and Linnean shortfalls in order to gain additional information on potential threats to endemic genera and species. Ichneumonidae, or Chilean Darwin wasps, are an important component of South American hymenopteran diversity, but the taxonomic and distributional knowledge on this insect is still deficient. Taking advantage of recently updated taxonomic knowledge, we assessed biogeographic relationships at the genus level and biodiversity spatial patterns along the latitudinal gradient. The results show the presence of 264 species in Chile, arranged in 102 genera and 22 subfamilies. Biogeographic relationships are based on six elements (cosmopolitan (n = 50; 36%), endemic (n = 29; 21%), Neotropical (n = 22; 16%), Holarctic–Oriental (n = 19; 14%), south-temperate (n = 16; 11%) and Australasian) and composed of just three genera: Anacis, Labena, and Meringops. Species and genera show a bimodal distribution along the latitudinal gradient: around 34° and 38° S. From an ecoregional perspective, richness is concentrated in the Valdivian temperate forests, but when assessed at a 0.5 × 0.5 cell scale, several outstanding cells are in the contact zone between the temperate forests and the Chilean Matorral. On the other hand, the Atacama Desert shows little or no presence of Darwin wasps. The results agree with Charles Porter, who identified a northern province composed of Neotropical and cosmopolitan genera with their own representatives in the far north (11 genera), a distributional gap in the core of the Atacama Desert, and around 128 genera in Porter's Neantarctic realm, covering all of Chile from 25° S to Cape Horn, including the Juan Fernandez islands. These results reinforce knowledge gaps and the need for more sampling and studies of available collections. Due to sampling gaps at this stage, identifying a continued increase or decrease in richness towards higher latitudes is not possible. More taxonomic and distributional information is also needed to assess potential threats to endemic genera and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation holds significant merit due to its execution within a region characterized by depauperate avifaunal assemblages in the Western Desert of Egypt. Notably, the study highlights the presence of wild bird populations within petroleum industry worker camps situated in the Marsa Matrouh Governorate. The results show that the bird community recorded in the study area was rich in bird species and numerous (8425 individuals), these birds belonged to 16 species, grouped in 16 families and 6 orders. The dominant bird species were western yellow wagtail, house sparrow, rock pigeon, hooded crow, red-backed shrike and Eurasian collared dove. The highest number of bird species was recorded during autumn and then winter season according to the existence of migratory bird species, while the lowest was recorded during spring due to the return of migratory species and bird dispersal for nesting. The bird's members for the order Passeriformes were the most existence than other different orders according to its global distribution, followed by the order Columbiformes in the second rank, then Pterocliformes, Ciconiiformes, Bucerotiformes and finally Falconiformes. Autumn season led the other seasons with its highest value for bird richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity index, followed by winter for species richness and spring for Shannon-Wiener diversity index. Spring recorded the lowest value of species richness and summer recorded the lowest value for both Shannon-Wiener diversity index & species evenness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A research study was conducted in the Garhwal region of the lesser Himalaya to explore the impact of topographical aspects on vegetation species diversity. The research was conducted for two years, from January 2021 to December 2022. Randomly placed sampling plots of 20 x 20 m were used for trees and 5 x 5m for shrubs in different slope directions (E, NE, N, NW, W, SW, S, SE) for vegetation analysis. The study revealed the presence of 28 tree species and 17 shrub species. The north-western slope aspect had the highest diversity of tree species (H'=2.14), while the south-western slope aspect had the highest number of shrub species (H'=2.06). The CD values for trees in the south-western slope aspect (0.41) and shrubs in the northern slope aspect (0.23) were the highest. The study found that an area's topographical aspects significantly impact plants' diversity and spatial distribution. For trees, the north-western slope aspect had the highest evenness value (0.86) and the western slope aspect had the highest species richness (2.92). On the other hand, for shrubs, the northern slope aspect had the highest evenness value (0.96), and the north-eastern slope aspect had the highest species richness (2.18). In conclusion, the north-western slope aspect was more diverse for trees, while the south-western slope aspect was more diverse for shrubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently exposed reservoir sediments, prone to colonization by invasive species, provide novel settings to test hypotheses related to soil conditions and propagule supply as potential drivers of plant assembly in disturbed ecosystems. We used a dam removal site in southwestern Wisconsin to examine the relationship between the physiochemical properties of dewatered sediments, seeding density, and plant community assembly. The plant communities from five seed densities (1000, 500, 250, 125, and 0 seed m−2) were annually assessed over four years. We hypothesized (1) that the native aboveground biomass and the proportion of native to invasive (non-seeded species) aboveground biomass would increase with the seeding density and (2) that the diversity of seeded native species would increase with a higher seeding density. We found evidence that sowing at least 500 seeds m−2 of prairie species increased their abundance, establishment, and plot diversity compared to non-seeded plants that persisted four years after seeding (p < 0.05). The seeding density treatments led to the assembly of two distinct communities: "native" and "invasive". The "native" community, assembled in plots seeded with at least 500 seeds m−2, had a greater aboveground biomass and diversity (i.e., richness) of seeded plants compared to plots with lower seed densities, and its productivity was positively related to this richness. In the "weedy" community, the diversity of invasive species had no relationship to their aboveground biomass, likely because these species share similar traits (i.e., redundancy) and may have performed similar functions within the plant community. These findings suggest that the seeding density interacted with the disturbed soil resources to increase the diversity and productivity of seeded native species and may serve as a positive feedback mechanism for the establishment of native communities in dewatered sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of burning on the richness, abundance, and community structure of necrophagous flies in southern Brazil. Flies were collected over a period of seven days in the field, and were subsequently observed for 60 days in the laboratory. There were three bovine liver treatments: unburnt, burnt, and gasoline-treated (control). A total of 2,501 flies, representing 14 families and 41 species, were identified, including Chrysomya albiceps, Fannia subgroup pusio, Synthesiomyia nudiseta, and Fannia femoralis. While the abundance of flies was similar across the three treatments, exhibiting a quadratic distribution, species richness displayed a quadratic trend with a significant temporal shift; peak richness occurred 20 hours earlier in the unburnt liver than in the burnt or the control treatments. Both total abundance and patterns of community composition in our analysis indicated important factors to take into account. Total abundances were similar between the burnt and unburnt treatments, demonstrating a uniform ecological response to burning, irrespective of the condition of the liver. In contrast, the community composition of these treatments showed a significant divergence from the control treatment, which was distinctively dominated by Drosophilidae and Phoridae. These findings are crucial for accurate postmortem Interval (PMI) estimations in forensic entomology, particularly in cases involving burnt remains, and highlight the significant impact of fire on necrophagous fly communities.

Pisco grapes and their associated microbiome are the fundamental inputs for the production of Pisco; thus, knowledge of the varietal and regional differences between microbiota is of high value due to contribute to the distinctiveness and quality of the Pisco. To this end, the metagenomics can be applied for an in-depth exploration of the berry microbiome. The aim of this work was to characterise the metagenome of Peruvian Pisco grapes from Ica and Arequipa, thereby contributing to their regional identities. Sixteen composite samples of berries from the protected designation of origin regions of Ica and Arequipa were analysed for both bacteria and fungi via massive sequencing. Ralstonia, Gluconobacter, Pantoea, Tatumella, Bradyrhizobium, Komagataeibacter and some unclassified species from the Orbaceae family were identified as the predominant genera of bacteria, and Cladosporium, Starmerella, Pichia, Hanseniaspora, Wallemia, Claviceps, Alternaria and some unclassified species from the Saccharomycetales order or other orders within the Ascomycota division as the predominant fungi as well as its richness and diversity. As has been shown elsewhere in the literature regarding wine, we have proven here that the terroir of Pisco depends on the composition of the microbiome and is affected by edaphoclimatic factors and cultivation practices. These exploratory results will contribute to a better understanding of the terroir of Pisco, thus providing fundamental knowledge for its regional identity.

We assessed the richness, diversity, composition of the large mammal community in Ghamot National Park (GNP), Neelum valley Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, and how these characteristics differed between four habitat types: forest, riparian zone, scrubland, and wetland, as well as between seasons. Across all locales with 66 line transect surveys (53km), indirect observation had the highest sampling (n=131; 76.60%) while direct observation had the lowest (n=40; 23.39). Fecal dropping was the most common type of indirect evidence (n=73; 55.72%), followed by foot prints (n=29; 9.94%) and dens/latrine (n=19; 14.50%). The Scrubland zone had the most indirect evidences (n=37) of any zone (elevation ranges between 2600-3600m).The forest zone (elevation ranges between 2700-3450m) had the second highest sampling (n=28), followed by the Alpine Zone (n=28), Riparian Zone (n=21), and Alpine Pasture Zone (n=16) (elevation 4000-4400m; habitat type high alpine pastures). By using direct and indirect field evidence, 14 species from 6 families were identified. Unfortunately, the number of species encountered directly was low in this study; four species (28.57%) were directly observed, including Canis aureus, Vulpes vulpes, Macaca mulatta, and Semnopithecus ajax, while the remaining ten (71.42%) were observed indirectly. Summer had the most direct and indirect observations (n=86; 50.29%), followed by winter (n=85; 49.70%). (4.28). Season had little effect on species richness, diversity, and composition across or within habitat types. However, the richness of species varied greatly across seasons among the four habitat types. The forest and riparian zone had the greatest similarity in species composition, both between and among seasons. Finally, our findings show that GNP has an essential influence in Pakistan mammal conservation. Our findings will provide as a baseline for park management to make effective conservation decisions, as well as a baseline for researchers conducting similar ecological studies.

Pollen diversity provides insights into our understanding of past plant diversity, a wide variety of diversity indices have been used to characterize plant diversity from sedimentary pollen. However, studies reported inconsistent associations between pollen-plant taxonomic diversity, this could be partly accounted for by biases due to interspecies differences in pollen production, pollen diffusion/deposition, and poorly specified dispersal distance of pollen-source plants. It is therefore crucial to improve the interpretation of the sedimentary pollen diversity by systematic studies of palynological and floristic diversity associations in contemporary landscapes.To test the reliability of pollen assemblages as a proxy of plant diversity, we collected pollen and vegetation from 36 surface sites in southwest Shandong. We detected the correlation between pollen-plant taxonomic and functional diversity indices from different spatial scales.Our results show pollen-plant correlations vary in spatial scales for different indices, the Spearman correlation analysis indicates significant and the strongest correlations between pollen-plant Shannon index around the RSAP (0.399

Restoration involves the recovery and repair of environments because environmental damage is not always irreversible, and communities are not infinitely resilient to such harm. When restoration projects are applied to nature, either directly or indirectly these may take the form of ecological, forestry or hydrological restoration, for example. In the current scenario of global climate change and increasing intensity of disturbances the importance of restoration in all types of ecosystems in order to adapt to the new conditions (so called prestoration) is evident. Whatever the objective of the restoration initiative, there is a lack of consensus as regards common indicators to evaluate the success or failure of the different initiatives implemented. In this study, we have carried out an extensive meta-analysis review of scientific papers aiming to evaluate the outcomes of restoration projects. We have done a review and selected 95 studies implemented in Europe. We explored the main pre-restoration land cover in which restoration initiatives have been implemented, the main causes of degradation, the objective of the restoration action and the indicators selected to analyze the success or failure of the action. We identified a total of 84 indicators in the analyzed papers and compared with the ones proposed for forest in the recent Nature Restoration Law. The analysis revealed five indicators commonly used for the evaluation of restoration initiatives (abundance, coverage, density, Ellenberg indicator, and richness), even where the initial objective has not yet been achieved. Our findings underscore both the benefits and challenges associated with a specific set of harmonized indicators for evaluating the success or failure of restoration initiatives.

IntroductionThe impacts of climate change can be profound in many ecosystems worldwide, including drylands such as arid and semi-arid scrublands and grasslands. Foundation plants such as shrubs can provide microclimatic refuges for a variety of taxa. These shrubs can directly influence micro6 environmental measures, and indirectly increase the local environmental heterogeneity as a result. We examined the hypothesis that, in comparison to an open gap, foundation shrubs improve the microclimate beneath their canopy and that microclimate is in turn a significant predictor of annual vegetation. The following predictions were made: 1) mean air temperature (NSAT), ground temperature (SGT), and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) will be significantly lower under the shrubs than in the open microsites; 2) shrub canopy size predicts microclimate; 3) site-level aridity estimates and percent shrub cover influence annual plant abundance and richness; and 4) the site13 level mean of NSAT and VPD predict annual plant abundance and richness.MethodsOur study took place in Southwestern California, U.S.A. We used a handheld device with a probe to measure microclimatic variables such as near-surface air temperature (NSAT), near-surface relative humidity (NSRH), and surface ground temperature (SGT) at the shrub species Ephedra californica and in the open gap, across six sites in California, United States. Air temperature and RH were then used to calculate VPD. The mean number of vascular plant species across each site was also recorded.Results & discussionOnly SGT was significantly reduced under shrub canopies. Canopy volume was not a significant predictor of all three microclimatic variables, demonstrating that even small, low-stature shrubs can have facilitative effects. Furthermore, total shrub cover and aridity at sites significantly predicted mean plant richness and abundance. There were significantly more plants associated with shrubs and there were significantly more species associated with the open. Mean air temperature and VPD at the site-level significantly predicted vegetation abundance and richness, though microsite-level differences were only significant for richness. Foundation shrubs are a focal point of resiliency in dryland ecosystems. Understanding their impact on microclimate can inform us of better management, conservation, and restoration frameworks.

There is an increasing need for legislation worldwide to monitor and assess the ecological status of marine ecosystems, due to increasing pressures from human activities. The costs and time of traditional analyses are high, while methods based on molecular analysis could reduce these costs and shorten evaluation times significantly. Some biotic indices used to assess the status need reference conditions to be applied. Hence, our objective here is to develop reference conditions for a molecular-based benthic index (M−gAMBI), which can be compared with a morphological one (M−AMBI). Using 6 years of data from estuaries and coasts, we have been able to set reference conditions for five water types, including richness, diversity and AMBI. However, one problem is the absence of the whole human pressure gradient in all water types, making difficult to validate the reference conditions. Based on the results of this research, the M−gAMBI index could be considered suitable for ecological status assessment since it meets most of the criteria for considering a genomics-based index suitable. However, it is considered necessary to advance in (i) improving the detection of errors in genomic methods and similarity with morphological methods, and (ii) an intercalibration exercise, allowing adjusting quality class boundaries and determining the ecological status in an equivalent manner using both methods.