Mosquito fauna on the Cape Verde Islands (West Africa): an update on species distribution and a new finding

To evaluate the risk of transmission of vector‐borne diseases, regular updates of the geographic distribution of insect vectors are required. In the archipelago of Cape Verde, nine mosquito species have been reported. Of these, four are major vectors of diseases that have been present in the archipelago: yellow fever, lymphatic filariasis, malaria and, currently, an outbreak of dengue. In order to assess variation in mosquito biodiversity, we have carried out an update on the distribution of the mosquito species in Cape Verde, based on an enquiry of 26 unpublished technical reports (1983–2006) and on the results of an entomological survey carried out in 2007. Overall, there seems to be a general trend for an expansion of biological diversity in the islands. Mosquito species richness was negatively correlated with the distance of the islands from the mainland but not with the size of the islands. Human‐ and/or sporadic climatic‐mediated events of dispersal may have contributed to a homogenization of species richness regardless of island size but other ecological factors may also have affected the mosquito biogeography in the archipelago. An additional species, Culex perexiguus, was collected for the first time in the archipelago during the 2007 survey.     

物种濒危的机制与保护对策

本文以生物多样性和保护生物学的若干基础理论为依据,分析了物种濒危的现状,论述了濒危物种的概念和特征、易于濒危和灭绝的类型,阐明了物种濒危的机制,并由此提出了濒危物种种质资源的保护对策。     

Revision of the genus Diplotaxis (Brassicaceae) in the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa

The genus Diplotaxis (Brassicaceae) in the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa, is revised. Nine taxa are accepted, of which five are described as new: D. antoniensis sp. nov., D. glauca, D. gorgadensis sp. nov., D. gorgadensis ssp. brochmannii ssp. nov., D. gracilis, D. hirta, D. sundingii sp. nov., D. varia sp. nov., and D. vogelii . All species are suffruticose, yellow-flowered perennials and belong to sect. Catocarpum . The species are endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, but show morphological and karyolog-ical affinity to the N African and Mediterranean D. harra s. lat. Analyses of morphological variation in 90 populations (400 plants) revealed a complex pattern, in particular in vegetative characters, most likely evolved by parallel ecogeographical differentiation in different islands. The chromosome number is 2n = 26 (n = 13) in the five taxa investigated. Self-pollination experiments indicate that the species are self-incompatible and outcrossing. Experimental F₁ hybrids with full seed set after open pollination were obtained in 30 interspecific combinations, and the taxa are considered fully interfertile. The taxa are thus isolated mainly by geographical and partly by ecological barriers and have evolved by vicariant evolution (most islands) and adaptive radiation (one island).     

Pine as Fast Food: Foraging Ecology of an Endangered Cockatoo in a Forestry Landscape

Pine plantations near Perth, Western Australia have provided an important food source for endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) since the 1940s. Plans to harvest these plantations without re-planting will remove this food source by 2031 or earlier. To assess the impact of pine removal, we studied the ecological association between Carnaby’s Cockatoos and pine using behavioural, nutritional, and phenological data. Pine plantations provided high densities of seed (158 025 seeds ha⁻¹) over a large area (c. 15 000 ha). Carnaby’s Cockatoos fed throughout these plantations and removed almost the entire annual crop of pine cones. Peak cockatoo abundance coincided with pine seed maturation. Pine seed had energy and protein contents equivalent to native food sources and, critically, is available in summer when breeding pairs have young offspring to feed. This strong and enduring ecological association clearly suggests that removing pine will have a significant impact on this endangered species unless restoration strategies, to establish alternative food sources, are implemented.     

Folk Classification,Perception, and Preferences of Baobab Products in West Africa: Consequences for Species Conservation and Improvement

Folk Classification, Perception, and Preferences of Baobab Products in West Africa: Consequences for Species Conservation and Improvement.The present study is a component of a baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) domestication research program being undertaken in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Senegal. Surveys conducted on a total of 129 women and 281 men of different ages included questions on perceptions and human/cultural meaning of morphological variation, use forms, preferences (desirable/undesirable traits), and links between traits. Local people in the four countries use 21 criteria to differentiate baobab individuals in situ. According to them, the easier the bark harvesting, the tastier the pulp and leaves; the slimier the pulp, the less tasty it is; the more closely longitudinally marked the fruit capsules, the tastier the pulp. This study shows that farmers are able to use preferred combinations of traits as a guide in collecting germplasm from trees. This can allow the selection of trees that would be candidates for propagation, and planning for a domestication program based on the indigenous knowledge.     

Parallel ecoclinal evolution and taxonomy of F'rankenia (Frankeniaceae) in the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa

One species, the Macaronesian and N African Frankenia ericifolia , with three subspecies is recognized in the Cape Verde Islands: ssp. ericifolia (a coastal, xerophytic ecotype), ssp. caboverdeana ssp. nov. (a coastal, mesophytic ecotype), and ssp. montana ssp. nov. (a montane, hygrophytic ecotype). Subspecies caboverdeana and ssp. montana are endemic to the Cape Verde Islands. In addition, ssp. latifolia comb. et stat. nov. is tentatively recognized as endemic to the Canary Islands. Reproductive data suggest that the Capeverdean plants are self-compatible but mainly outcrossing. Mor-phometric analyses of field-collected material and progeny families cultivated under uniform conditions demonstrate that there is genetically based, clinal morphological variation connecting ssp. ericifolia and ssp. caboverdeana in several coastal areas that vary in humidity conditions because of varying exposures to the trade wind. Clinal variation was observed in leaf-, calyx-, petal-, and seed characters, probably caused by one or a few genetic factors that control organ size and are subjected to differential selection with respect to drought tolerance. The variation in progeny families derived from morphologically intermediate parents was no higher than the variation in progeny families derived from parents belonging to the pure subspecies. It is thus likely that the clinal variation is caused by primary evolution along continuous humidity gradients rather than hybridization. The existence of similar ecoclines in different islands and the potentially simple genetic basis of such clinality suggest that ssp. caboverdeana has evolved several times in mesic environments from xerophytic, ericifolia-like ancestors.     

Helichrysum nicolai (Compositae, Gnaphalieae), Systematics of a New Dwarf Local Endemic of the Cape Verde Islands, W Africa

Helichrysum nicolai from the Cape Verdean island of São Nicolau is described as a species new to science and illustrated. The systematic position in Helichrysum of this acaulescent dwarf rosette shrub with heterogamous capitula, in which the female flowers outnumber the hermaphrodite ones, is established using an ITS phylogeny based on maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses. The new species is most closely related to the Canary Island endemics H. alucense and H. monogynum. The closest relative to these three species are not the other members of the genus on the mid-Atlantic archipelagos but H. somalense from the Horn of Africa region and the southern Arabian Peninsula and the widespread tropical African-S Arabian-SE Iranian H. glumaceum, to which the SE Iranian H. makranicum is found to be conspecific. The phytogeographical significance of these relationships is discussed and at least three independent colonization events of the mid-Atlantic archipelagos by Helichrysum are concluded from the molecular data available.     

Unveiling the Conservation Biogeography of a Data-Deficient Endangered Bird Species under Climate Change

It remains a challenge to identify the geographical patterns and underlying environmental associations of species with unique ecological niches and distinct behaviors. This in turn hinders our understanding of the ecology as well as effective conservation management of threatened species. The white-eared night heron (Gorsachius magnificus) is a non-migratory nocturnal bird species that has a patchy distribution in the mountainous forests of East Asia. It is currently categorized as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, primarily due to its restricted range and fragmented habitat. To improve our knowledge of the biogeography and conservation of this species, we modeled the geographical pattern of its suitable habitat and evaluated the potential impacts of climate change using ecological niche modeling with a maximum entropy approach implemented in Maxent. Our results indicated that the amount of suitable habitat in all of East Asia was about 130 000 km², which can be spatially subdivided into several mountain ranges in southern and southwestern China and northern Vietnam. The extent of suitable habitat range may shrink by more than 35% under a predicted changing climate when assuming the most pessimistic condition of dispersal, while some more suitable habitat would be available if the heron could disperse unrestrainedly. The significant future changes in habitat suitability suggested for Gorsachius magnificus urge caution in any downgrading of Red List status that may be considered. Our results also discern potentially suitable areas for future survey efforts on new populations. Overall, this study demonstrates that ecological niche modeling offers an important tool for evaluating the habitat suitability and potential impacts of climate change on an enigmatic and endangered species based on limited presence data.     

Shearwater Foraging in the Southern Ocean: The Roles of Prey Availability and Winds

Background

Sooty (Puffinus griseus) and short-tailed (P. tenuirostris) shearwaters are abundant seabirds that range widely across global oceans. Understanding the foraging ecology of these species in the Southern Ocean is important for monitoring and ecosystem conservation and management.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Tracking data from sooty and short-tailed shearwaters from three regions of New Zealand and Australia were combined with at-sea observations of shearwaters in the Southern Ocean, physical oceanography, near-surface copepod distributions, pelagic trawl data, and synoptic near-surface winds. Shearwaters from all three regions foraged in the Polar Front zone, and showed particular overlap in the region around 140°E. Short-tailed shearwaters from South Australia also foraged in Antarctic waters south of the Polar Front. The spatial distribution of shearwater foraging effort in the Polar Front zone was matched by patterns in large-scale upwelling, primary production, and abundances of copepods and myctophid fish. Oceanic winds were found to be broad determinants of foraging distribution, and of the flight paths taken by the birds on long foraging trips to Antarctic waters.

Conclusions/Significance

The shearwaters displayed foraging site fidelity and overlap of foraging habitat between species and populations that may enhance their utility as indicators of Southern Ocean ecosystems. The results highlight the importance of upwellings due to interactions of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current with large-scale bottom topography, and the corresponding localised increases in the productivity of the Polar Front ecosystem.     

Combining Genetic and Demographic Data for the Conservation of a Mediterranean Marine Habitat-Forming Species

The integration of ecological and evolutionary data is highly valuable for conservation planning. However, it has been rarely used in the marine realm, where the adequate design of marine protected areas (MPAs) is urgently needed. Here, we examined the interacting processes underlying the patterns of genetic structure and demographic strucuture of a highly vulnerable Mediterranean habitat-forming species (i.e. Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826)), with particular emphasis on the processes of contemporary dispersal, genetic drift, and colonization of a new population. Isolation by distance and genetic discontinuities were found, and three genetic clusters were detected; each submitted to variations in the relative impact of drift and gene flow. No founder effect was found in the new population. The interplay of ecology and evolution revealed that drift is strongly impacting the smallest, most isolated populations, where partial mortality of individuals was highest. Moreover, the eco-evolutionary analyses entailed important conservation implications for P. clavata. Our study supports the inclusion of habitat-forming organisms in the design of MPAs and highlights the need to account for genetic drift in the development of MPAs. Moreover, it reinforces the importance of integrating genetic and demographic data in marine conservation.     

The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

The apid cuckoo bees of the Cape Verde Islands (Republic of Cape Verde) are reviewed and five species recognized, representing two genera. The ammobatine genus Chiasmognathus Engel (Nomadinae: Ammobatini), a specialized lineage of cleptoparasites of nomioidine bees is recorded for the first time. Chiasmognathus batelkaisp. n. is distinguished from mainland African and Asian species. The genus Thyreus Panzer (Apinae: Melectini) is represented by four species - Thyreus denoliisp. n., Thyreus batelkaisp. n., Thyreus schwarzisp. n., and Thyreus aistleitnerisp. n. Previous records of Thyreus scutellaris (Fabricius) from the islands were based on misidentifications.     

Characteristics of a Microsporidium (Protozoa: Microspora) Infecting Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae) in Cape Verde, Africa

ABSTRACT A light and electron microscopic study was conducted of a microsporidium isolated from the grasshopper Pyrgomorpha cognata Krauss, 1877 collected in Santo Antão and Santiago Islands, Cape Verde. The evidence suggests that although there are some differences, such as tissues affected and size of spores, the organism appears conspecific with Nosema pyrgomorphae Toguebaye, Seck & Marchand, 1988, which was described from another species of the genus Pyrgomorpha Audinet-Serville, 1838 in Senegal. However, in addition to the differences in tissue specificity and size of spores, light microscopy studies also revealed some stages of the pathogen (uninucleate bodies and plasmodia) apparently not previously observed in N. pyrgomorphae .     

The taxonomy and affinities of Papaver gorgoneum from the Cape Verde Islands

A new subspecies of Papaver gorgoneum , ssp. theresias is described from the Cape Verde Islands, West Africa. A detailed comparison of the 2 subspecies is made and the ecology, the affinities of the species in the genus and the origin are discussed. The chromosome numbers of both subspecies (2n = 38) are reported for the first time and a note on the compatibility system is made.     

Conservation, Small Mammals, and the Future of Sacred Groves in West Africa

This article considers the conservation of relict natural habitat in West Africa, especially habitat preserved in traditional sacred groves. Government-sanctioned conservation is contrasted with local grassroots efforts of conservation. Evidence for the ecological value of sacred groves is based on results of a field study of small mammal communities conducted on the Accra Plains of Ghana and on published sources on the conservation and use of sacred groves from various countries. The study employed standard mark-and-recapture techniques for the sampling for terrestrial small mammals, and mist netting for the sampling of bat communities. Pragmatic approaches combining conservation and sustainable use are considered, as are traditional values that have preserved the sacred groves in the past for up to several hundred years in some cases. In part because these groves shelter unique small mammal and plant communities, traditional values and protection mechanisms should be integrated into the newly emerging cultural and religious contexts. The issues encountered during this study reveal that effective conservation involving local peoples requires a concerted interdisciplinary effort. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ecology and fish catches in natural lakes of Benin,West Africa

Synopsis A preliminary study of the ecology and commercial fish catches was carried out in the Toho-Todougba, Ahouangan and Dati lakes (1500 ha) in southern Benin (West Africa) over a period of 18 consecutive months. Water quality, species richness, and the reproductive biology of the dominant species, Sarotherodon galilaeus, were examined. Unlike Lagoon Toho-Todougba, lakes Ahouangan and Dati are less favourable for fish production because of their high total iron content and their relative low pH. The study revealed the existence of 19 species belonging to eleven (11) families: 16 species in Lagoon Toho-Todougba,12 in Lake Ahouangan, and 7 in Lake Dati. Lakes Ahouangan and Dati had a relatively high faunal similarity whereas Lagoon Toho-Todougba exhibited a relatively low faunal similarity with the former systems. In Lagoon Toho-Todougba, six cichlid species were the most important component of the fishery: Sarotherodon galilaeus, Tilapia guineensis, T. zillii, T. mariae, Chromidotilapia guntheri, Hemichromis fasciatus. Three catfish species Chrysichthys auratus, Clarias agboyiensis, and Clarias lazera were harvested in low abundances. Some other fish, such as Polypterus senegalus senegalus, Protopterus annectens and Heterotis niloticus were captured sporadically, with H. niloticus appearing more consistently in catches than the others. Although not abundant, Gymnarchus niloticus and the African pike, Hepsetus odoe, were almost always present in the catches. Ctenopoma kingsleyae appeared only in Ahouangan. Some predatory species, such as Notopterus afer and Xenomystus nigri, are encountered only in lakes Ahouangan and Dati. In Lagoon Toho-Todougba, Sarotherodon galilaeus had a sex ratio (: ) of 0.49:1, and size at maturation was estimated as 12.3 cm TL. The spawning period extended from May to September with the peak occurring in July. Fecundity was correlated to log-body length (r = 0.74) and log-body weight (r = 0.76). Fish catches were estimated at 389 kg ha^–1 year^–1; about 73% of which was Sarotherodon galilaeus. The overexploitation of juvenile fish and the use of this lagoon for the irrigation of palm tree plantations have reduced fish recruitment and mean size.