Chromodorid opisthobranch Mollusca from East Africa and the tropical West Pacific

Six species of Hypselodoris and three species of Chromodoris axe described from the coast of East Africa. Three species of Hypselodoris and one species of Chromodoris are new species. Two species of Chromodoris from the tropical West Pacific are also described. The eleven species fall into three groups of similarly coloured species.
Hypselodoris nigrostriata and a new species of Hypselodoris are compared with H. infucata, H. festiva, H. obscura and two unnamed species from the literature. It is concluded that all these are distinct species.
H. nigrolineata and two new species, are compared with H. lineata and H. hilaris and all are considered distinct.
H. regina, Chromodoris quadricolor, C. africana, C. elisabethina, C. magnified and a new species of Chromodoris, are compared with C. westraliensis and two unnamed species from the literature. All these species are considered distinct.
All other names for forms falling into these three colour groups are considered synonyms of one or other of the above named species. Full synonymies are given.     

广西金钟山鸟类保护区鸟类多样性初步研究

本文共记录到金钟山鸟类274种,分别隶属于18目57科,其中陆生鸟类251种,水鸟23种;以留鸟为主,共157种;候鸟、旅鸟分别为104种、13种;东洋种为优势类群,共有171种,古北种和广布种分别为4种、27种。这些鸟类中有国家重点保护鸟类39种,中国特有种鸟类3种,列入世界自然保护联盟红皮书名录中的鸟类5种,列入中国濒危动物红皮书名录中的鸟类20种,列入CITES附录中的鸟类34种。本文还对金钟山鸟类保护区的5种不同生境类型的鸟类种类组成作了比较,结果表明灌丛＋农田的鸟种多样性指数最高,为3．04;水域的鸟种多样性指数最低,为2．14。     

What do the biodiversity experiments tell us about consequences of plant species loss in the real world?

Experiments where the diversity of species assemblage is manipulated are sometimes used to predict the consequences of species loss from real communities. However, their design corresponds to a random selection of the lost species. There are three main factors that limit species richness: harshness of the environment, competitive exclusion, and species pool limitation. Species loss is usually caused by increasing effects of these factors. In the first two cases, the species that are excluded are highly non-random subsets of the potential species set, and consequently, the predictions based on random selection of the lost species might be misleading. The data show that the least productive species are those being recently excluded from temperate grasslands and consequently, species loss is not connected with decline of productivity. The concurrent species loss in many communities, however, means also a reduction of the available diaspore pool on a landscape scale, and could result in increased species pool limitation in other communities.     

Predictor species: Improving assessments of rare species occurrence by modeling environmental co‐responses

Designing an effective conservation strategy requires understanding where rare species are located. Because rare species can be difficult to find, ecologists often identify other species called conservation surrogates that can help inform the distribution of rare species. Species distribution models typically rely on environmental data when predicting the occurrence of species, neglecting the effect of species' co‐occurrences and biotic interactions. Here, we present a new approach that uses Bayesian networks to improve predictions by modeling environmental co‐responses among species. For species from a European peat bog community, our approach consistently performs better than single‐species models and better than conventional multi‐species approaches that include the presence of nontarget species as additional independent variables in regression models. Our approach performs particularly well with rare species and when calibration data are limited. Furthermore, we identify a group of “predictor species” that are relatively common, insensitive to the presence of other species, and can be used to improve occurrence predictions of rare species. Predictor species are distinct from other categories of conservation surrogates such as umbrella or indicator species, which motivates focused data collection of predictor species to enhance conservation practices.     

The cladistic solution to the species problem

The correct explanation of why species, in evolutionary theory, are individuals and not classes is the cladistic species concept. The cladistic species concept defines species as the group of organisms between two speciation events, or between one speciation event and one extinction event, or (for living species) that are descended from a speciation event. It is a theoretical concept, and therefore has the virtue of distinguishing clearly the theoretical nature of species from the practical criteria by which species may be recognized at any one time. Ecological or biological (reproductive) criteria may help in the practical recognition of species. Ecological and biological species concepts are also needed to explain why cladistic species exist as distinct lineages, and to explain what exactly takes place during a speciation event. The ecological and biological species concepts work only as sub-theories of the cladistic species concept and if taken by themselves independently of cladism they are liable to blunder. The biological species concept neither provides a better explanation of species indivudualism than the ecological species concept, nor, taken by itself, can the biological species concept even be reconciled with species individualism. Taking the individuality of species seriously requires subordinating the biological, to the cladistic, species concept.     

Species concepts and species delimitation

The issue of species delimitation has long been confused with that of species conceptualization, leading to a half century of controversy concerning both the definition of the species category and methods for inferring the boundaries and numbers of species. Alternative species concepts agree in treating existence as a separately evolving metapopulation lineage as the primary defining property of the species category, but they disagree in adopting different properties acquired by lineages during the course of divergence (e.g., intrinsic reproductive isolation, diagnosability, monophyly) as secondary defining properties (secondary species criteria). A unified species concept can be achieved by treating existence as a separately evolving metapopulation lineage as the only necessary property of species and the former secondary species criteria as different lines of evidence (operational criteria) relevant to assessing lineage separation. This unified concept of species has several consequences for species delimitation, including the following: First, the issues of species conceptualization and species delimitation are clearly separated; the former secondary species criteria are no longer considered relevant to species conceptualization but only to species delimitation. Second, all of the properties formerly treated as secondary species criteria are relevant to species delimitation to the extent that they provide evidence of lineage separation. Third, the presence of any one of the properties (if appropriately interpreted) is evidence for the existence of a species, though more properties and thus more lines of evidence are associated with a higher degree of corroboration. Fourth, and perhaps most significantly, a unified species concept shifts emphasis away from the traditional species criteria, encouraging biologists to develop new methods of species delimitation that are not tied to those properties.     

Type Specimens and identity of the described species of Conus II. The species described by Solander, Chemnitz, Born, and Lightfoot between 1766 and 1786

Twenty-three species of Conus were described by authors other than Linnaeus between 1766 and 1786. Of these, 3 are Eocene species from England described by Solander in Brander (1766), and the remainder are Recent. Chemnitz (1777) described one valid species. Of the 10 species described by Born (1778), 7 are valid, 2 are junior synonyms of Linnaean species, and 1 is a nomen dubium. Solander in [Lightfoot] (1786) described 5 species, of which 3 are valid and 2 are junior synonyms of Linnaean species. Lightfoot (1786) described 4 species, of which 1 is valid and 3 are junior synonyms of Linnaean species.
Holotypes of 7 species and lectotypes of 3 species exist, and representatives of lecto-types of 10 species have been selected. All of these types are illustrated photographically.
Between 1758 and 1786, 60 species of Conus were described, of which 45 are now considered valid. Of these, 42 are Recent.     

Identification key for young ephyrae: a first step for early detection of jellyfish blooms

Although jellyfish blooms are a focus of recent research, the roles that the developmental stages of species play are underestimated. Planulae, polyps and ephyrae are inconspicuous and often overlooked. The importance of production of ephyrae from the sessile polyps has become more apparent. Our objective was to establish an identification system for early ephyrae of scyphozoan species in plankton samples. We studied ephyrae of 18 species. Standard measurements were introduced and the variability of marginal lappets analysed. Characters differentiating the 18 species are described. Photographs and drawings of each species are presented as a catalogue of ephyrae of these species. We developed a key for identification of the 18 species.     

A search for conceptual congruence between individuals and species

A new argument that species are individuals has recently been presented based on the way species names are used and systemic logic. The alternate idea that species are a categorical item, i.e., collections of individuals, was rejected. We wanted to evaluate this approach by establishing concepts that apply to individuals in order to examine if they are also applicable to a species viewed as a categorical item. It is our thinking that if species are not such, then concepts applicable to individuals will not be applicable to species so viewed. Individuals and species are similar in the presence of conceptual boundaries, unidirectional change and the presence of past and future time. These are all central, and salient, biological phenomena. But, these are concepts that apply also to populations which, for the most part, are not the same as species. Thus, these considerations infer that species, when viewed as a collection of individuals, do not share relevant concepts with individuals. Our conclusion is that a species is a 'unity' rather than an 'individual'.     

The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris splendida, C. aspersa and Hypselodoris placida colour groups

Eleven species of Chromodoris, two species of Hypselodoris, three species of Mexichromis and one species of Noumea are described from the Indo-West Pacific, of which four species of Chromodoris and one of Mexichromis are new species. All species have a colour pattern dominated by red, purple or black spots. All previously described species with similar colour patterns, from both the Indo-West Pacific and other regions, are discussed.     

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE FOLIAR ANATOMY OF LYCOPODIUM SPECIES

A comparative study of the leaves of 31 species of Lycopodium was made. The pattern of tracheids varies with the species. Usually they exhibit annular, helical, reticulate, modified or transition forms; none of the species have advanced phylogenetically beyond the scalariform tracheid stage. Mucilage canals have been found in four species. Tracheids are enclosed by a few to several layers of oblique ended, elongated parenchyma cells in most species, but an endodermis is absent. Vascular bundles are encircled by fiber cells in three species. The mesophyll of most species consists of identically shaped cells, although palisade-like tissue has been observed in a few species. The epidermal cells vary from elongated to isodiametric and have either undulated or smooth anticlinal walls, which are deeply pitted in some species. The outer epidermal walls are usually thick and heavily cutinized. Stomates are distributed on both surfaces in 18 species, on the abaxial surface in 11 species, and on the adaxial side in only two species. Most stomates are practically isodiametric in surface view, broader than epidermal cells, usually parallel to the vein, and at the same level as the adjacent epidermal cell. A typical guard cell has a prominent outer ledge and a less developed inner ledge of cutin in most species. Six groupings are suggested, based on similarity of leaf structure and the known chromosome numbers.     

Threatened and endemic species: are they good indicators of patterns of biodiversity on a national scale?

Endemic and/or threatened species are often targeted to set conservation priorities. It is tempting to assume that a reserve network focusing on these species will be an effective umbrella for overall species richness of a country. For South Africa and Lesotho we tested whether complementary networks selected for threatened and/or endemic bird species satisfactorily represent all bird species, both in terms of capturing areas where other species are present or areas where they are more abundant (and, presumably, more viable). We found that areas selected for threatened and endemic species perform considerably better than areas selected at random. However, they do not guarantee the representation of overall bird species diversity, particularly not in peak abundance locations. Although nationally threatened and endemic species are important conservation targets, our results indicate that reserve networks focusing solely on these species may not be sufficient to preserve overall species diversity in a country.     

A Preliminary Investigation on the Status of the Wildlife Trade in Guangxi,China

1IntroductionWildlifetradeisamain~mpetustoutilizewildlife.Thechangeinspeciesandvolumein-volvedinthewildlifetrademayreflectconservationstatus,dynamicsandexploitedlevelofwildliferesources.Thestudyonwildlifetradeisthetheoriticalbasisonwhichproposalsastolimittradeonrareorendangeredspeciescanbemade,andwithwhichfuturemonitoringofthetradecanbecompared.Theresultalsocanbeusedtoevaluateconservationeffectsofprotectionmeasuresandlawsforbiodiversityconservation.Itisofgreatsignificanceinguid-ingsustainable…     

Multivariate approaches evaluated in the ethnoecological investigation of Tehsil Oghi,Mansehra, Pakistan

Pakistan has rich history of indigenous folk medicine, and of the 6000 species of higher plants found in the country 12% are used in medicinal formulations. This immensely important knowledge of folk practices to cure different ailments has been learned after centuries and is mostly verbally communicated. Therefore, a field study was designed to investigate the plant biodiversity and accumulate the indigenous knowledge about the uses of plants of Tehsil Oghi, District Mansehra, Pakistan. A total of 141 local inhabitants were interviewed through a structured questionnaire followed by multivariate approaches to evaluate the data based on the Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). Plants specimen were preserved, mounted and labeled on the herbarium sheets, cataloged and deposited for voucher numbers in Herbarium, Government Post Graduate College, Mansehra, Pakistan. In present study, a total 104 species belonging to 88 genera and 54 families were recorded from the study area; herbaceous growth form dominated the study area with 56 species, followed by trees with 30 species and shrubs 14 species. Among all 54 families, Rosaceae species were dominant with 12 species, followed by Asteraceae with 8 species. Out of the reported 104 species, 94 plant species are medicinal, 22 plant species are edible fruits, 37 plant species are fuel wood, 24 plant species are timber wood, 38 plant species are fuel wood, 9 plant species are vegetables, while 34 plant species are ornamental. The present study revealed the importance of the flora of this unexplored area and also provides the baseline study for future biological, phytochemical and pharmacological experimentations.     

Hypothesis: the rate and scale of dispersal of freshwater diatom species is a function of their global abundance

We have analysed the geographical records of a representative selection of extant diatom species from a freshwater pond. The more often a species is recorded in the ecological literature, the greater is its apparent global distribution. One explanation is that the frequently recorded species are globally abundant, whereas species that are infrequently recorded are globally rare. We suggest a model in which random dispersal is the dominant force driving large-scale distribution of species, with the rate and scale of dispersal largely determined by global population size. Thus species that are locally rare or abundant are likewise rare or abundant worldwide. It is predicted that many of the rarer diatom species will, with additional sampling effort, be shown to have wide geographical distribution, but this requires intensive studies focused on revealing species that are normally cryptic. The argument in favour of endemic diatom species is untenable, because it is not possible to disprove their existence elsewhere in the biosphere.     

Exotic invaders of the meso-oligohaline zone of estuaries in the Netherlands: why are there so many?

The numbers of exotic species introduced into brackish waters (5–20 psu) and high-salinity waters (> 20 psu) in the Netherlands are hypothesized to reflect species richness in such waters elsewhere in the world. Notwithstanding the fact that species numbers in brackish waters all over the world are lower than in high-salinity waters, the numbers of introduced species in these waters in the Netherlands are about equal. Alternative hypotheses to explain this phenomenon are: (1) because most ports are situated in brackish regions, brackish-water species stand a better chance of being transported; (2) because brackish-water species are more tolerant of conditions in ballast water tanks, these species have a better chance of being transported alive than high-salinity species; and (3) because brackish waters have few species, it is easier for an introduced species to establish itself in brackish waters. None of the latter three hypotheses can be rejected and probably they all play a part in explaining the phenomenon. The third hypothesis, however, seems most likely.     

中国台湾和大陆蹄盖蕨属植物的生物地理学比较

蹄盖蕨属Athyrium Roth是个典型的东亚属,全世界估计约有160种,主要分布在亚洲东部的亚热带高山,少数在温带其他地区,中国有117种,是其分布中心。台湾和大陆的蹄盖蕨属植物关系尤为密切,是研究海峡两岸植物地理关系的一个很好的材料。台湾已知共计有蹄盖蕨类植物32种,包括狭义蹄盖蕨27种,介蕨2种,蛾眉蕨1种,假蹄盖蕨1种,假冷蕨1种,即使将待查实的4种蹄盖蕨除去,至少还有28种。其中除去7种大陆不产外, 21种均和大陆共有,占75%。况且,这7种与大陆种形态相近,是否同种异名、亚种或姊妹种关系还有待进一步研究;在台湾和大陆共有的16种狭义蹄盖蕨中有7种是台湾-西南间断分布。这不仅说明了台湾的蹄盖蕨属类植物和大陆的关系密切、有着共同的起源,而且说明台湾高地的植物区系和西南高地关系最为密切。运用生物系统学和分子系统学的方法研究和测定海峡两岸共有种种内、姊妹种或近缘种之间的遗传学关系(如:遗传一致度),进一步了解并量化台湾和大陆植物区系之间的历史和地理关系是必要的。     

内蒙古桦木沟自然保护区夏季鸟类物种多样性调查

为了解鸟类多样性现状,制定科学有效的栖息地保护管理对策,于2006年5～7月利用样线法对内蒙古桦木沟自然保护区鸟类物种多样性进行了调查,并分析了群落结构。结果显示,保护区内有17目44科127种鸟类,其中有国家Ⅰ级重点保护鸟类1种,国家Ⅱ级重点保护鸟类14种。居留型组成为90种夏候鸟、27种留鸟、10种旅鸟。不同生境类型中的鸟类群落多样性指数以草原湿地最高,均匀性指数以林地和疏林较高。提出保护区在制定鸟类多样性保护对策时应全面考虑各类栖息地的生态作用。