The phylogeny of land plants: A cladistic analysis based on male gametogenesis

A cladistic analysis was carried out to resolve phylogenetic pattern among bryophytes and other land plants. The analysis used 22 taxa of land plants and 90 characters relating to male gametogenesis.Coleochaete orChara/Nitella were the outgroups in various analyses using HENNIG86, PAUP, and MacClade, and the land plant phylogeny was unchanged regardless of outgroup utilized. The most parsimonious cladograms from HENNIG86 (7 trees) have treelengths of 243 (C.I. = 0.58, R.I. = 0.82). Bryophytes are monophyletic as are hornworts, liverworts, and mosses, with hornworts identified as the sister group of a liverwort/moss assemblage. In vascular plants, lycophytes are polyphyletic andSelaginella is close to the bryophytes.Lycopodium is the sister group of the remaining vascular plants (minusSelaginella). Longer treelengths (over 250) are required to produce tree topologies in which either lycophytes are monophyletic or to reconstruct the paraphyletic bryophyte phylogeny of recent authors. This analysis challenges existing concepts of bryophyte phylogeny based on more classical data and interpretations, and provides new insight into land plant evolution.     

Seed–litter–position drives seedling establishment in grassland species under recurrent drought

Changes in land use and climate interfere with grassland ecosystem processes. Here I experimentally investigated the combined effects of land‐use change related litter cover and contrasting water supply on seedling emergence. In this context, the role of the initial relative position of seeds, i.e. seeds on top of the litter versus seeds beneath the litter in interaction with water supply has not been investigated so far. I hypothesised that facilitative effects of litter on seedling emergence occur when seeds are covered by litter and deteriorate when litter covers the ground and seeds fall on it (seeds on top of the litter). Further, I hypothesised that the importance of seed position for seedling emergence will increase under conditions of recurrent drought. I performed a controlled pot experiment on seedling emergence of three common European grassland species (Pimpinella saxifraga, Leontodon autumnalis, Sanguisorba officinalis) by experimental manipulations of litter and water availability. Seedling emergence under moist conditions showed no significant differences between each litter position compared to the control across species. In contrast, under recurrent drought, seedling emergence was significantly higher below the litter compared to seeds on top of the litter and the control (i.e. no litter). In abandoned land, seedling emergence may be limited when seeds fall on ground‐covering litter. In contrast, in grasslands with regular low‐intensity land use, seedling emergence may be enhanced when a moderate level of litter covers seeds at the end of the growing season. Protective mechanisms that occur with seeds positioned beneath litter are particularly important under recurrent drought.     

Introducing Intron Locus cox1i624 for Phylogenetic Analyses in Bryophytes: On the Issue of Takakia as Sister Genus to All Other Extant Mosses

Liverworts are well supported as the sister group to all other land plants (embryophytes) by molecular data. Observations strongly supporting this earliest dichotomy in embryophyte evolution are the strikingly different introns occurring in the mitochondrial DNAs of liverworts versus non-liverwort embryophytes (NLE), including the mosses. A final conclusion on the most basal lineages of mosses, for which genera such as Sphagnum and Takakia are the most likely candidates, is lacking. We have now investigated cox1i624, a mitochondrial group I intron conserved between the moss Physcomitrella patens and the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Focusing on a sampling of liverwort and moss genera, which had previously been identified as early branching taxa in their respective clades, we find that group I intron cox1i624 is universally conserved in all 33 mosses and 11 liverworts investigated. The group I intron core secondary structure is well conserved between the two ancient land plant clades. However, whereas dramatic size reductions are seen in the moss phylogeny, exactly the opposite is observed for liverworts. The cox1i624g1 locus was used for phylogenetic tree reconstruction also in combination with data sets of nad5i753g1 as well as chloroplast loci rbcL and rps4. The phylogenetic analyses revealed (i) very good support for the Treubiopsida as sister clade to all other liverworts, (ii) a sister group relationship of the nematodontous Tetraphidopsida and Polytrichopsida and (iii) two rivalling hypotheses about the basal-most moss genus with mitochondrial loci suggesting an isolated Takakia as sister to all other mosses and chloroplast loci indicating a Takakia–Sphagnum clade.     

Northern bobwhite response to Conservation Reserve Program habitat and landscape attributes

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) has experienced substantial population declines in recent decades in the United States, and especially in Maryland and Delaware. The United States Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) could provide additional habitat for bobwhites, leading to an increase in bobwhite abundance. I investigated if bobwhite abundance was related to the percent cover of CRP land and landscape attributes in local landscapes on Maryland's Eastern Shore and Delaware. Observers conducted bobwhite point transect surveys at 113 locations during the breeding seasons of 2006–2007, and I calculated landscape metrics for 500-m radius landscapes centered on each point transect location. Most CRP land in the study landscapes was planted to herbaceous vegetation. Bobwhite abundance was strongly positively associated with percent cover of CRP land in the landscape but was not strongly related to percent cover of agriculture or forest or to landscape patch density. These results suggest that the CRP has created additional habitat for bobwhites in Maryland and Delaware and that landscapes with greater proportions of herbaceous CRP practices support more bobwhites. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

The Social Mobility of the Haratine and the Re-Working of Bourdieu's Habitus on the Saharan Frontier, Morocco

In this article, I examine the practical relevance of Bourdieu's notion of Habitus in understanding the relationship between the acquisition of land and the transformation of political and social relations of subordination in the stratified communities of southern Morocco. First, I claim that the acquisition of land by the Haratine, a subordinate and low-status ethnic group, means more than just a simple economic transaction, and land serves as the very basis for changing the political relations of subordination. Second, I argue that the Haratine strategy of land acquisition was made possible by the intervention of the central state in the local power structure during and after the French colonial period. When these transformations were coupled with labor possibilities made available by national and transnational migration, the market game was opened to the Haratine, who could draw on the accumulation to improve their political and social standing. This also meant that the autonomy of the local community was lost forever, and the traditional nobility of Berbers and Arabs was no longer able to exclude the subalterns by extra-economic or legal means. [Arabs, Berbers, Bourdieu, Habitus, Haratine, Morocco]     

‘We have been awake for years’: conflicting ecologies in an indigenous land management scheme in Indonesia

As access to and control of land is increasingly contested, indigenous land management schemes promise to secure formal land rights. This article is concerned with one such scheme, Dayak, Wake Up (Dayak Misik) in Indonesia. The implementation of the scheme, orchestrated by a Dayak farmers’ organization, was rejected by the semi-nomadic Punan Murung as they did not share the same notions and conceptions of land and resources, which are intertwined with struggles over access and control. Framed with the concept of conflicting ecologies, thereby combining material political ecology with phenomenological and relational approaches, this article elaborates on different conceptions, relations, and terms of engagement with nature by the Punan Murung and representatives of the Dayak farmers’ organization, which are strongly interlinked with power relations. I show that the ecology of ethnically framed territorialization by the organization is hegemonic and subordinates the Punan Murung's alternative place-based ecology.     

Stakeholder Perceptions of the Impacts of Rural Funding Scenarios on Mountain Landscapes Across Europe

This article examines how alternative rural funding scenarios might influence the pattern of functional land types in mountain areas. The study aims were to explore the use of stakeholders to predict landscape change and to provide a future policy context for other papers in the Carbomont program. EU rural funding policies could have a strong influence on land use and landscapes in mountain areas. At eight sites across Europe, groups of local stakeholders were asked to compare the possible effects of three contrasting funding scenarios over an imagined period of 20 years on (1) the importance of the main land-use sectors; (2) the areas of the main land functional land types; and (3) the management of individual land types. Stakeholders also listed their interests in the area to help define the perspective of the group. The protocols used were ranking and scoring procedures that permitted quantification of changes and of the degree of consensus within the group. The scenarios were (1) continuation of current rural funding (status quo), (2) rapid reduction of farm income support (reduce support), and (3) increasing rural diversification funding (diversification). The eight countries sampled included five established EU members (UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain), two new accession members (Czeck Republic and Slovakia), and Switzerland. There were predicted to be widespread reductions in the importance of the agricultural sector across Europe and increases in the transport, built environment, and tourism sectors. In general, the status quo scenario was perceived to be unsatisfactory in various respects, reduce support was worse, but diversification offered opportunities for conservation and development of mountain communities and land use. Changes in the areas of land types would mainly involve loss of arable and grazing land and increases in scrub, and settlements. Some elements of the landscape such as most forests, mountain tops, and wetlands would, however, be little affected by any of the scenarios. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Analysis of several serum enzymes and blood urea nitrogen of swainsonine–HSA immunized goats

Locoweeds cause significant livestock poisoning and economic loss all over the world. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immune effect of locoweed toxin, swainsonine (SW), and human serum albumin (HSA) immunoconjugate (SW–HSA) on goats. Twenty four Sannon goats were randomly separated into immune control group, immune poisoning group I, immune poisoning group II and poisoning control group. Immune control group, immune poisoning group I and II were first vaccinated with SW–HSA immunoconjugate. Then, the poisoning control group, immune poisoning group I and II were fed with 10.0 g/kg BW/d dry powder of Oxytropis kansuensis Bunge in every morning and the duration of poisoning was 80 days. The immune control group was supplied with an alfalfa-based diet. Blood samples of these experimental animals were collected every 7 days after poisoning, and the serum enzymes α-mannosidase (AMA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were analyzed. Comparing with the poisoning control group, the changes of serum LDH, AKP, AST, AMA and BUN level of the two immune groups (I and II) were delayed 28, 14, 28, 21, 14 days, respectively, which indicated that SW–HSA immunoconjugate could prevent tissues containing BUN and these serum enzymes of the experimental animals from Oxytropis kansuensis Bunge injuring during these days. In the whole study, SW–HSA immunoconjugate and swainsonine did not influence serum ALT levels of the experimental goats.     

Collective Titling and the Process of Institution Building: The New Common Property Regime in the Colombian Pacific

This research is an empirical examination of institutional developments in Afro-Colombian communities that have occurred since the change in the property rights regime in 1991. I surveyed 82 local leaders of 42 communities to understand whether these communities have succeeded in designing and implementing rules to manage their collective land and its resources. I found that the new property regime has not replaced individuals’ informal land holdings, which are still managed as de facto individual private property and are traded in the informal land market. However, the process of collective titling has changed local environmental governance by creating local rules and legal tools to guard against encroachment by intruders. Beyond the establishment of formal property rights, the process of community and authority building based on the expectation of collective titling has begun to formalize the management of the territory. Communities with and without collective titles have promoted new rules and procedures to manage their resources. However, monitoring and enforcement of the rules are weaker than expected.     

A translocation experiment explains regional differences in the waving display of the intertidal brachyuran crab Ilyoplax pusilla

Male waving display by the dotillid crab Ilyoplax pusilla differs among local populations in the frequency of full cheliped extension. In order to clarify whether the local variation is caused by behavioral characteristics specific to a local population or by differing environmental conditions, reciprocal translocation experiments were carried out between two populations in which male waving display clearly differs. The translocated crabs continued to wave in their new environment as they did in their source population, and control crabs exhibited no change in waving. This result suggests that local differences in the claw-waving display of male I. pusilla are caused by intrinsic population differences.     

Linking Human and Ecosystem Health: The Benefits of Community Involvement in Conservation Groups

This study explored the health, well-being, and social capital benefits gained by community members who are involved in the management of land for conservation in six rural communities across Victoria. A total of 102 people participated in the study (64 males; 38 females) comprising 51 members of a community-based land management group and 51 controls matched by age and gender. Mixed methods were employed, including the use of an adapted version of Buckner’s (1988) Community Cohesion Scale. The results indicate that involvement in the management of land for conservation may contribute to both the health and well-being of members, and to the social capital of the local community. The members of the land management groups rated their general health higher, reported visiting the doctor less often, felt safer in the local community, and utilized the skills that they have acquired in their lifetime more frequently than the control participants. Male members reported the highest level of general health, and the greatest satisfaction with daily activities. Members also reported a greater sense of belonging to the local community and a greater willingness to work toward improving their community than their control counterparts. Of equal importance is evidence that involvement in voluntary conservation work constitutes a means of building social capital in rural communities which may help reduce some of the negative aspects of rural life.     

Forest Restoration in Urbanizing Landscapes: Interactions Between Land Uses and Exotic Shrubs

Preventing and controlling exotic plants remains a key challenge in any ecological restoration, and most efforts are currently aimed at local scales. We combined local‐ and landscape‐scale approaches to identify factors that were most closely associated with invasion of riparian forests by exotic shrubs (Amur honeysuckle [Lonicera maackii] and Tatarian honeysuckle [L. tatarica]) in Ohio, U.S.A. Twenty sites were selected in mature riparian forests along a rural–urban gradient (<1–47% urban land cover). Within each site, we measured percent cover of Lonicera spp. and native trees and shrubs, percent canopy cover, and facing edge aspect. We then developed 10 a priori models based on local‐ and landscape‐level variables that we hypothesized would influence percent cover of Lonicera spp. within 25 m of the forest edge. To determine which of these models best fit the data, we used an information‐theoretic approach and Akaike's information criterion. Percent cover of Lonicera was best explained by the proportion of urban land cover within 1 km of riparian forests. In particular, percent cover of Lonicera was greater in forests within more urban landscapes than in forests within rural landscapes. Results suggest that surrounding land uses influence invasion by exotic shrubs, and explicit consideration of land uses may improve our ability to predict or limit invasion. Moreover, identifying land uses that increase the risk of invasion may inform restoration efforts.     

The conservation of arboreal marsupials in the Albury‐Wodonga region of south‐eastern Australia

Urban expansion is a major cause of land use change and presents a significant threat to biodiversity worldwide. Agricultural land is often acquired by local councils and developers to expand urban growth boundaries and establish new housing estates. However, many agricultural landscapes support high biodiversity values, especially farmlands that feature mosaics of native vegetation and keystone habitat such as hollow‐bearing trees. In south‐eastern Australia, many arboreal marsupials including the threatened Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) have populations within peri‐urban zones of expanding rural cities. A key challenge to planners, developers and conservation organisations is the need to maintain habitat for locally rare and threatened species as land undergoes changes in management. Critical to the sustainable development of peri‐urban landscapes is a thorough understanding of the distribution, habitat requirements and resources available to maintain and improve habitat for species dependent on limited resources such as tree cavities. In this management report, we present background information on an integrated research programme designed to evaluate potential impacts of urban development on fauna in the Albury Local Government Area, NSW. We mapped hollow‐bearing trees, erected nest boxes and monitored arboreal marsupials. Information presented in this report provides a blueprint for monitoring arboreal marsupials, including threatened species in other developing regions, and will assist the Albury‐Wodonga local governments in future planning of sustainable living environments.     

History,genetics and pathology of a leaf-cutting ant introduction: a case study of the Guadeloupe invasion

As dominant herbivores and notorious pests in their native Neotropics, introduced leaf-cutting ants have the potential for ecological and economic harm. Although a large-scale invasion of leaf-cutting ants has not occurred, an isolated introduction in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe provides useful insight into the progress of such an invasion. Since being first detected in 1954, Acromyrmex octospinosus has colonized virtually all available land area, defying an aggressive control campaign and damaging agriculture. I attempted to reconstruct the origins and spread of the invasion, as well as screen for the presence of garden pathogens, which could be used for biological control. Mitochondrial sequencing of the A. octospinosus complex throughout the Caribbean showed that the probable source of the invasion lies on Trinidad and Tobago or northeast South America. Using historical records and field surveys, the invasion’s rate of spread was estimated at 0.51 km/year. Microsatellite genotyping further confirmed the limited dispersal abilities of A. octospinosus, showing the presence of isolation by distance (even in a relatively small geographic area) and suggested ubiquitous local inbreeding. Although the invasion likely resulted from the introduction of a single colony, microsatellites showed a high level of genetic variation in the introduced population, likely as a consequence of multiple mating by the queen. A survey showed that the specialized fungus garden pathogen Escovopsis exists on the islands, suggesting that the successful spread of the ants was not due to escape from this parasite. Given that chemical control has failed in the past and that biological control using specialized garden pathogens seems improbable, only vigorous quarantine and inspection programs may prevent wide-scale leaf-cutting ant invasions in the future.     

Phylogeny and Self-Splicing Ability of the Plastid tRNA-Leu Group I Intron

Group I introns are mobile RNA enzymes (ribozymes) that encode conserved primary and secondary structures required for autocatalysis. The group I intron that interrupts the tRNA-Leu gene in cyanobacteria and plastids is remarkable because it is the oldest known intervening sequence and may have been present in the common ancestor of the cyanobacteria (i.e., 2.7–3.5 billion years old). This intron entered the eukaryotic domain through primary plastid endosymbiosis. We reconstructed the phylogeny of the tRNA-Leu intron and tested the in vitro self-splicing ability of a diverse collection of these ribozymes to address the relationship between intron stability and autocatalysis. Our results suggest that the present-day intron distribution in plastids is best explained by strict vertical transmission, with no intron losses in land plants or a subset of the Stramenopiles (xanthophyceae/phaeophyceae) and frequent loss among green algae, as well as in the red algae and their secondary plastid derivatives (except the xanthophyceae/phaeophyceae lineage). Interestingly, all tested land plant introns could not self-splice in vitro and presumably have become dependent on a host factor to facilitate in vivo excision. The host dependence likely evolved once in the common ancestor of land plants. In all other plastid lineages, these ribozymes could either self-splice or complete only the first step of autocatalysis. The first two authors (Dawn Simon and David Fewer) have contributed equally to this work. Present address (David Fewer): Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, Viikki Biocenter, P.O. Box 56, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland     

Hierarchical Bayesian methods estimate invasive weed impacts at pertinent spatial scales

Invasive weed impact estimates are needed to determine whether or not weeds warrant costly control measures. Typically, land managers seek local weed impact estimates (e.g. ranches, parks) and policy-makers want to know how weeds are impacting entire regions. Our goal was to provide local and regional impact estimates for a ubiquitous invasive weed: leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.). The specific impacts we looked at related to desired species biomass production, livestock carrying capacities, and grazing land values. Our basic approach was to use an empirical model that characterizes weed biomass across the landscape in combination with another empirical model that predicts weed impact from weed biomass. Our investigation revealed that, without on-site plant biomass data, site-specific leafy spurge impacts are highly uncertain. Supplementing our general predictive model with small quantities of on-site data increased precision considerably. For the 17-state region we considered, 95% Bayesian credibility intervals indicated leafy spurge reduces cattle carrying capacities by 50–217 thousand animals a year and reduces grazing land values by 8–34 million dollars a year. Additional plant biomass data from randomly selected, leafy spurge-infested sites would shrink these fairly wide intervals.     

Exercise-dependent IGF-I, IGFBPs, and type I collagen changes in human peritendinous connective tissue determined by microdialysis.

Microdialysis studies indicate that mechanical loading of human tendon during exercise elevates type I collagen production in tendon. However, the possibility that the insertion of microdialysis fibers per se may increase the local collagen production due to trauma has not been explored. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and its binding proteins (IGFBPs), which are known to stimulate collagen production in animal tendons, may regulate the translation of mechanical loading to collagen synthesis. Systemic and tissue levels of IGF-I, IGFBP, and type I collagen metabolism markers [procollagen I COOH-terminal propeptide (PICP) and COOH-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen] were measured by microdialysis in peritendinous tissue of the human Achilles tendon in an exercise group (performing a 36-km run, n = 6) and a control group (no intervention, n = 6). An increase in local PICP concentration was seen in both groups after 72 h and stayed elevated in the exercise group at 96 h (P < 0.05). IGFBP-1 in both serum and dialysate increased in the exercise group immediately after exercise (P < 0.05), whereas IGFBP-3 decreased systemically (P < 0.05). Elevation of local IGFBP-4 was observed in both the control and exercise groups after 48 h (P < 0.05). Total IGF-I did not change in locally or systemically in either group. Our results indicate an increased local production of PICP in human peritendinous tissue in response to prolonged mechanical loading with part of the increase due to trauma from the sampling technique. Care must therefore be emphasized to minimize the numbers of insertions with microdialysis. We demonstrated an elevation of IGFBP-1 both systemically and peritendinously in response to prolonged acute exercise. The local increased collagen synthesis was preceded by an elevation of local concentration of IGFBP-4, suggesting that IGFBP-4 may have a key role in the IGF-axis effect on the human collagen synthesis in vivo.     

Impact of land use on plant biodiversity and measures for biodiversity conservation in the Loess Plateau in China – a case study in a hilly-gully region of the Northern Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau is a special natural–cultural unit in northern China. Intensive land use in the past has had, and forestation and grass planting at present will have inevitable impacts on plant biodiversity in the Loess Plateau. Based on the analysis of floristic features within three sampling sites with different land use practices and analysis of species richness among different land use types, we discuss impacts of land use on species richness and floristic features in the Northern Loess Plateau. The results drawn from this case study are as follows: (1) It appears that forestation and grass planting have had a positive influence on the local species diversity, but they have contributed little to the native vegetation in terms of conserving its floristic features. (2) Caragana intermedia shrubland, Pinus tabulaeformis forestland, and natural grassland have made important contributions to supporting indigenous species and maintaining local plant biodiversity. (3) There is a significant positive correlation between land use diversity and species richness. These results imply that practicing biodiversity conservation in situ is feasible and the suitable choice for the Loess Plateau. Concrete measures for biodiversity conservation in the area can include setting up small nature reserves and diversifying land use patterns to maintain as much habitat as possible for native vegetation. The artificial Hippophae rhamnoides shrubland should not be further promoted, considering its negative influence on biodiversity conservation.     

A report on the mosquitoes of mainland Åland,southwestern Finland and revised list of Finnish mosquitoes

To successfully implement surveillance or control strategies for mosquitoes, up‐to‐date knowledge of regional species composition is vital. The last report regarding mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Åland archipelago, southwestern Finland listed 19 species (Utrio, 1979). To determine the current species diversity, one collection trip was made to mainland Åland in 2015 and three in 2016. Mosquitoes (n = 3286) were collected as both adult and immature life stages from 88 collections within 29 1‐km² areas. Fifteen of the 19 previously reported species were obtained, leaving the current status of four species uncertain. At least 11 species previously not reported from Åland, but confirmed on the Finnish mainland, were collected. Aedes geminus Peus was identified based on examination of the gonostylus, and represents a new species distribution for Finland. Anopheles maculipennis s.s. Meigen was confirmed from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence data and is reinstated on the list of Finnish species, along with Ochlerotatus sticticus (Meigen). Dahliana geniculata (Olivier) was found in two locations, in 2 months, indicating that there is an established population in Åland. The present data confirm that at least 27 species inhabit mainland Åland, rising to 31 when historical data are included. The Finnish mosquito fauna is increased from 38 to 41 species.     

Population and Land Use Effects on Malaria Prevalence in the Southern Brazilian Amazon

Malaria prevalence has been one of the most dramatic outcomes of the occupation of the Brazilian Amazon as exemplified by Northern Mato Grosso, one of the areas of highest malaria prevalence in the Americas in the early 1990s. This paper associates the dynamicsof high malaria prevalence in Northern Mato Grosso with three land uses—small-scalegold mining (garimpos), agricultural colonization/cattle ranching (rural), and urban activities—and their related population characteristics, which constitute riskprofiles. Furthermore, spatial proximity and population mobility between (a) garimpos and new rural settlements and (b) older rural settlements or urban areas are key factors explaining malaria diffusion throughout the region. The paper identifies and characterizes populations at high malaria risk and the effects of land use types on malaria diffusion, providing policymakers with information for regional and local policies to control malaria and minimize its effects on Amazonian populations.