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Thermocyclops Kiefer, 1927, is a genus of Cyclopidae, one of the most diverse families among cyclopoids. To date, 13 species of this genus have been recorded in Thailand. Through intensive sampling of rice fields in central Thailand and temporary waters in northeastern Thailand, one new species, Thermocyclops oryzae sp. nov., was discovered. This new species is clearly distinguished from other Thermocyclops by the presence of a serrated lobe on the posterior surface of the medial expansion of the basipodite of the fourth swimming leg. Moreover, it can be distinguished from its congeners by (i) ornamentation on the genital double-somite, succeeding two urosomites and caudal ramus; (ii) the length and width ratio of the caudal ramus; (iii) the length ratio of the innermost terminal seta (VI) and the outermost terminal seta (III); (iv) the number of setae on the second endopodal segment of the antenna; (v) projection and ornamentation on the intercoxal sclerites of the first to fourth swimming legs; (vi) the surface ornamentation of the medial margin of the basipodite of the first to fourth swimming legs; and (vii) the relative length of two apical spines of the third endopodal segment of the fourth swimming leg. The present discovery increases the number of species in this genus in Thailand to 14. A pictorial key to all species is proposed, and their ecologies and distributions within Thailand are updated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many herbicide products are commonly used in agricultural areas to prevent and eliminate weeds. Contamination from these toxicants in water might affect aquatic organisms not only in the active stage, but also in the diapause stage. To test the effect of herbicide on the resting eggs of zooplankton, we prepared two rice fields: one field without the application of pesticides (RF−NPA) and one with the application of pesticides (RF−PA) in a sampling year. We conducted a hatching experiment for 30 days. Twenty–four taxa of zooplankton were found. Sixteen species of these were rotifers, seven species were cladocerans and one taxon was an unidentified nauplius copepod. The species richness of zooplankton between RF–NPA (17 taxa) and RF–PA (16 taxa) was close, but species compositions between RF–NPA and RF–PA were different, indicated by the similarity index of 0.545. Lecanidae was the most diverse family of rotifers in both rice fields with nine species, while Chydoridae was the most diverse family of cladocerans (four species). The total abundance of zooplankton of RF−NPA was higher than RF−PA with 1,897 and 1,286 individuals, respectively. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H´) and Pielou’s evenness (J) in RF−NPA were higher than in RF−PA. The high species richness of zooplankton in both rice fields occurred on days 18 to 30. On the other hand, the highest abundance was recorded on day 18 for RF−NPA and on day 24 for RF−PA. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) demonstrated significant differences in zooplankton community composition between RF–NPA and RF–PA (p < 0.05; ANOSIM test). According to the diversity indices, the RF–NPA has more diversity than the RF–PA, which might be a result of herbicide application in the sampling year. This study suggests that the toxicity of glyphosate should be a concern in terms of the biodiversity of rice field ecosystems.

Dormant propagules can provide a rapid colonization source for temporary aquatic habitats and set the trajectory for community dynamics, yet the egg banks of stormwater management systems have received little attention. We asked which species hatched from the sediment of drainage ditches in Champaign County, IL, and found bdelloid rotifers and ostracods (Heterocypris incongruens) to be the most common taxa. These sites also are colonized by mosquitoes, and we established laboratory experiments to examine interspecific interactions between common co‐occurring taxa. Culex restuans larvae were reared in the presence or absence of H. incongruens at two intra‐ and interspecific densities (20 or 40 total individuals) and their survivorship to adulthood, development time to adulthood, adult body size, and sex ratio were determined. Survival for Cx. restuans was significantly lower at high larval density than at low larval density in both treatments. Culex restuans larvae reared in the presence of H. incongruens had a shorter development time to adulthood and emerged as larger adults compared to those reared in the absence of H. incongruens. The sex ratios in the H. incongruens treatments were female‐biased whereas those in the Culex‐only treatments were male‐biased. These differences may have epidemiological implications, as only female mosquitoes serve as disease vectors. Our results emphasize the importance of understanding interspecific interactions in influencing larval mosquito development traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Dormant propagules can provide a rapid colonization source for temporary aquatic habitats and set the trajectory for community dynamics, yet the egg banks of stormwater management systems have received little attention. We asked which species hatched from the sediment of drainage ditches in Champaign County, IL, and found bdelloid rotifers and ostracods (Heterocypris incongruens) to be the most common taxa. These sites also are colonized by mosquitoes, and we established laboratory experiments to examine interspecific interactions between common co‐occurring taxa. Culex restuans larvae were reared in the presence or absence of H. incongruens at two intra‐ and interspecific densities (20 or 40 total individuals) and their survivorship to adulthood, development time to adulthood, adult body size, and sex ratio were determined. Survival for Cx. restuans was significantly lower at high larval density than at low larval density in both treatments. Culex restuans larvae reared in the presence of H. incongruens had a shorter development time to adulthood and emerged as larger adults compared to those reared in the absence of H. incongruens. The sex ratios in the H. incongruens treatments were female‐biased whereas those in the Culex‐only treatments were male‐biased. These differences may have epidemiological implications, as only female mosquitoes serve as disease vectors. Our results emphasize the importance of understanding interspecific interactions in influencing larval mosquito development traits.

The current migration flows toward Europe are having a significant impact on social composition, economy, urban services, and on the physical dimensions of cities. Cities have a key role in developing immigration policies and sustainable accommodation models, that can promote an inclusive society as well as local development. Due to the persistence of migratory flows, these models of integration and development cannot be supported by an emergency condition, but they should be based on systematic strategies. This paper presents a series of accommodation models and urban policies, coming from international experimental projects, that we argue can foster integration and urban development. These strategies show the potentials of immigration in boosting urban transformation and regeneration. Innovative strategies for dealing with immigration are based on flexible tools, typically from temporary habitat (housing modules, light construction systems, customized solutions) that find a place inside the city. Integrated design strategies use the existing city as a frame being filled up by flexible houses, through urban densification or regeneration process. Housing dissemination, temporary and flexible architectural solutions and inclusive process are the drivers for developing a flexible habitat, at the base of a more sustainable and democratic city.

We tested the effect of population density on maximum body size in three sympatric species of annual killifishes Nothobranchius spp. from African ephemeral pools. We found a clear negative effect of population density on body size, limiting their capacity for extremely fast development and rapid growth. This suggests that density‐dependent population regulation and the ephemeral character of their habitat impose contrasting selective pressures on the life history of annual killifishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species inhabiting intermittent streams must survive flow cessation and drying in situ (resistance) or recolonize temporary habitats when flow returns (resilience). Some studies have found that species are resistant to seasonal drying and can persist in small remnant pools after flow ceases, while others observed rapid declines in species richness when flow ceases. However, relatively few studies have demonstrated both resistance across dry seasons and resilience across multiple wet and dry cycles. Here, we quantify seasonal and interannual changes in aquatic invertebrate community structure from 2009 to 2012 in a coastal California intermittent stream. We predicted that temporary pools and riffles would have lower richness and distinct assemblages when compared to perennial pools, and that richness would decline across the dry season. Temporary riffles exhibited lower richness values than pools, but we found no richness differences, and small compositional differences, between perennial and temporary pools. Furthermore, invertebrate richness, density, and composition changed significantly in temporary pools only immediately before drying, when depths declined >80%. These results suggest that invertebrate communities at John West Fork were not only resilient (exhibiting recovery in <6 months) to flow cessation, but also were resistant to declining water levels across the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles vectors of malaria are supposedly less common in urban areas as a result of pollution, but there is increasing evidence of their adaptation to organically polluted water bodies. This study characterized the breeding habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes in the two major urban areas in southern Ghana; Accra (AMA) and Sekondi-Takoradi (STMA) Metropolitan Areas, during dry and wet seasons. Methods: Anopheles mosquito larvae were sampled using standard dipping methods to determine larval densities. The origin, nature and stability of 21 randomly selected sites were observed and recorded. Mosquito larvae were reared to adults and Anopheles species identified by both morphological and molecular means. Results: Sixty-six percent of Anopheles habitats were permanent and 34% temporal, and 74.5% man-made while 25. 5% were natural. Puddles and urban farm sites accounted for over 51% of all Anopheles mosquitoes sampled. The mean larval densities among the habitat types was highest of 13.7/dip for puddles and lowest of 2.3/dip for stream/river, and the variation between densities were significant (P = 0.002). The mean larval densities were significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season for the two study areas combined (P = 0.0191) and AMA (P = 0.0228). Over 99% of the 5,802 morphologically identified Anopheles species were An. gambiae (s.l.) of which more than 99% of the studied 898 were An. coluzzii (62%) and An. gambiae (s.s.) (34%). Urban farms, puddles, swamps and ditches/ dugouts accounted for approximately 70% of all An. coluzzii identified. Conversely, drains, construction sites, streams/rivers and "others" contributed 80% of all An. gambiae (s.s.) sampled. The wet season had significantly higher proportion of Anopheles larvae compared to the dry season (Z = 8.3683, P < 0.0001). Also, the proportion of Anopheles mosquitoes produced by permanent breeding sites was 61.3% and that of temporary sites was 38.7%. Conclusion: Taken together, the data suggest that man-made and/ or permanent habitats were the main contributors to Anopheles larval populations in the cities and that regulation of the anthropogenic processes that lead to development of breeding places and proper environmental management can drastically reduce mosquito breeding sites in urban areas of Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many herbicide products are commonly used in agricultural areas to prevent and eliminate weeds. Contamination from these toxicants in water might affect aquatic organisms not only in the active stage, but also in the diapause stage. To test the effect of herbicide on the resting eggs of zooplankton, we prepared two rice fields: one field without the application of pesticides (RF-NPA) and one with the application of pesticides (RF-PA) in a sampling year. We conducted a hatching experiment for 30 days. Twenty-four taxa of zooplankton were found. Sixteen species of these were rotifers, seven species were cladocerans and one taxon was an unidentified nauplius copepod. The species richness of zooplankton between RF-NPA (17 taxa) and RF-PA (16 taxa) was close, but species compositions between RF-NPA and RF-PA were different, indicated by the similarity index of 0.545. Lecanidae was the most diverse family of rotifers in both rice fields with nine species, while Chydoridae was the most diverse family of cladocerans (four species). The total abundance of zooplankton of RF-NPA was higher than RF-PA with 1,897 and 1,286 individuals, respectively. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H´) and Pielou's evenness ( J ) in RF-NPA were higher than in RF-PA. The high species richness of zooplankton in both rice fields occurred on days 18 to 30. On the other hand, the highest abundance was recorded on day 18 for RF-NPA and on day 24 for RF-PA. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) demonstrated significant differences in zooplankton community composition between RF-NPA and RF-PA ( p < 0.05; ANOSIM test). According to the diversity indices, the RF-NPA has more diversity than the RF-PA, which might be a result of herbicide application in the sampling year. This study suggests that the toxicity of glyphosate should be a concern in terms of the biodiversity of rice field ecosystems., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest to declare Disclaimer: This article is (co-)authored by any of the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors or their deputies in this journal., (Nattaporn Plangklang, Sujeephon Athibai.)

Seven ephemeral pools on the coastal plain of southern Brazil were found to be inhabited by three annual and 22 non-annual fish species. Two common annual species ( Austrolebias minuano and Cynopoecilus fulgens) exhibited clear seasonal dynamics, with the appearance of young fishes in the austral autumn (May to June) and a decline in abundance over the seasonal cycle. The third annual species, Austrolebias wolterstorffii, was rare. No seasonal dynamics were observed in non-annual fishes. The relative abundance of non-annual fishes compared with annual fishes increased over the seasonal cycle, but they coexisted widely. The size structure of annual fishes suggested the presence of a single age cohort in most pools though a second age cohort was registered in one pool in August, coinciding with a large flooding. Strong sexual dimorphism in body size was found in C. fulgens throughout the seasonal cycle, while no sexual dimorphism in body size was found in A. minuano. Female-biased sex ratios were recorded in both common annual fish species in the last three sampling dates (in spring), but not during the first two sampling dates (in winter). The natural lifespan of annual fishes was <8 months. Annual fishes disappeared before habitat desiccation in half of the pools, while non-annual fishes were still present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Context: The replacement of native vegetation by exotic grasses for livestock production is driving landscape homogenization, habitat fragmentation and reducing connectivity between habitat patches in floodplains ecosystems. Objective: In this context we examined how changes in native and exotic vegetation cover, connectivity and water depth affect the attributes of the small [standard length (SL) < 80 mm as adults] and large-sized fish assemblages (SL ≥ 80 mm as adults). Method: We assessed the effects of water depth, exotic and native vegetation cover and habitat connectivity on the abundance, species richness, body size and biomass of fish assemblages in a 25 km area of the seasonal habitats of the Pantanal wetland over 5 years. Results: We showed that fish assemblage response to meso-scale variation in water depth, vegetation cover and habitat connectivity in seasonal habitats is size-dependent. The gradient from exotic to natural vegetation cover did not affect the assemblages of small-sized fish, which were mostly regulated by water depth, habitat connectivity and the gradient from grassland to forest. However, besides being affected by water depth and habitat connectivity, large-sized fish were also affected by the gradient from exotic to natural vegetation cover. Conclusion: Our results indicate that transformations in the landscape and changes in the dynamics of inundation may have negative consequences for the long-term persistence of fish assemblages in the Pantanal wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic structure of Pogonus chalceus from 11 Atlantic and seven Mediterranean Western European populations was analysed. Results from seven allozyme loci were compared to five microsatellites to test the hypothesis that some enzymatic loci undergo selection. Both allozyme and microsatellite results showed that Mediterranean beetle populations are genetically distinct from Atlantic populations. The analysis of the genetic structure showed that FST values derived from all microsatellite loci were much smaller than those obtained from allozymes. The enzymatic locus Idh-1 exhibited a high value compared to the other loci, suggesting that it is non-neutral. The same Idh-1 locus was implicated in differentiation between temporary and stable populations, as followed also from a highly significant relationship between the allele two of this Idh-1 locus and dispersal power population estimates. The ‘parallel evolution’ model may account for the diversification of locally adapted Pogonus chalceus populations between different microhabitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles vectors of malaria are supposedly less common in urban areas as a result of pollution, but there is increasing evidence of their adaptation to organically polluted water bodies. This study characterized the breeding habitats of Anopheles mosquitoes in the two major urban areas in southern Ghana; Accra (AMA) and Sekondi-Takoradi (STMA) Metropolitan Areas, during dry and wet seasons., Methods: Anopheles mosquito larvae were sampled using standard dipping methods to determine larval densities. The origin, nature and stability of 21 randomly selected sites were observed and recorded. Mosquito larvae were reared to adults and Anopheles species identified by both morphological and molecular means., Results: Sixty-six percent of Anopheles habitats were permanent and 34% temporal, and 74.5% man-made while 25.5% were natural. Puddles and urban farm sites accounted for over 51% of all Anopheles mosquitoes sampled. The mean larval densities among the habitat types was highest of 13.7/dip for puddles and lowest of 2.3/dip for stream/river, and the variation between densities were significant (P = 0.002). The mean larval densities were significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season for the two study areas combined (P = 0.0191) and AMA (P = 0.0228). Over 99% of the 5,802 morphologically identified Anopheles species were An. gambiae (s.l.) of which more than 99% of the studied 898 were An. coluzzii (62%) and An. gambiae (s.s.) (34%). Urban farms, puddles, swamps and ditches/ dugouts accounted for approximately 70% of all An. coluzzii identified. Conversely, drains, construction sites, streams/rivers and "others" contributed 80% of all An. gambiae (s.s.) sampled. The wet season had significantly higher proportion of Anopheles larvae compared to the dry season (Z = 8.3683, P < 0.0001). Also, the proportion of Anopheles mosquitoes produced by permanent breeding sites was 61.3% and that of temporary sites was 38.7%., Conclusion: Taken together, the data suggest that man-made and/ or permanent habitats were the main contributors to Anopheles larval populations in the cities and that regulation of the anthropogenic processes that lead to development of breeding places and proper environmental management can drastically reduce mosquito breeding sites in urban areas of Ghana.