Influence of rainfall amount and livestock grazing on soil respiration in a moist Kenyan savannah

The influence of livestock grazing and changing rainfall patterns on soil respiration (Rs) in the tropical savannah in Lambwe is unclear. Measurements of Rs using chambers were conducted between June and November 2012 in a humid savannah in Western Kenya to determine how simulated rainfall amounts and cattle grazing affected soil respiration. The experimental layout was split plot comprising rainfall simulations which were laid on grazed and fenced blocks, respectively. The rainfall simulations split plots each measured 6 m × 3 m and were covered with rainout gutters above the canopy of the herbaceous layer to either increase or reduce ambient rainfall by 50%. Grazing increased soil bulk density and significantly (p < 0.05) lowered soil respiration rates and soil water content irrespective of the rainfall treatment. The positive correlation between Rs and root biomass in both grazed and fenced plots revealed a significant contribution of root growth activities to Rs. Increased soil water content (SWC) by rainfall addition improved water penetration into deeper soil layers and therefore stimulated root and microbial activities which in turn built up soil respiration. Reduction in SWC by rainfall exclusion lowered microbial contact with the organic substrate and likely caused death and/ or inactivity of roots.     

The comparative gastrointestinal morphology of Jaculus jaculus (Rodentia) and Paraechinus aethiopicus (Erinaceomorpha)

Jaculus jaculus (Lesser Egyptian jerboa) and Paraechinus aethiopicus (Desert hedgehog) are small mammals which thrive in desert conditions and are found, among others, in the Arabian Peninsula. Jaculus jaculus is omnivorous while P. aethiopicus is described as being insectivorous. The study aims to describe the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) morphology of these animals which differ in diet and phylogeny. The GITs of J. jaculus (n = 8) and P. aethiopicus (n = 7) were weighed, photographed, and the length, basal surface areas, and luminal surface areas of each of the anatomically distinct gastrointestinal segments were determined. The internal aspects of each area were examined and photographed while representative histological sections of each area were processed to wax and stained using haematoxylin and eosin. Both species had a simple unilocular stomach which was confirmed as wholly glandular on histology sections. Paraechinus aethiopicus had a relatively simple GIT which lacked a caecum. The caecum of J. jaculus was elongated, terminating in a narrow cecal appendix which contained lymphoid tissue on histological examination. The internal aspect of the proximal colon of J. jaculus revealed distinct V‐shaped folds. Stomach content analysis of J. jaculus revealed mostly plant and seed material and some insects, whereas P. aethiopicus samples showed plant material in addition to insects, indicating omnivorous feeding tendencies in areas where insects may be scarce. J. Morphol. 277:671–679, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Molecular detection and characterization of Theileria sp. from hedgehogs (Paraechinus aethiopicus) in Saudi Arabia

In this study, we conducted molecular detection and characterization of piroplasms that infect the Ethiopian or desert hedgehogs (Paraechinus aethiopicus) in Saudi Arabia. Blood samples from 112 (68 males and 44 females) desert hedgehogs from Unaizah, Central Saudi Arabia were screened for Theileria/Babesia DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) employing specific primers amplifying the partial 18S small subunit rRNA gene. Theileria DNA was detected in 51 samples (45·5%), giving a prevalence of 45·5%. Theileria DNA was found in 33 (48·5%) males and 18 (40·9%) females, and there was no significant difference (P > 0·05) in the prevalence between males and females. Similarly, there was no significant difference (P > 0·05) in the prevalence between juveniles (40%) and adults (46·7%). There was a significant difference in the prevalence of Theileria in hedgehogs collected from May to September and the period from October to April (P = 0·003). Four haplotypes of Theileria sp. in hedgehogs were detected and designated as H1–H4. H1 was the predominant haplotype and found in 80·8% of the positive individuals. Partial sequences of the 18S rRNA of Theileria sp. from hedgehogs grouped with Theileria spp. that are benign. This study is the first report of the occurrence of Theileria spp. in Saudi Arabian desert hedgehogs.     

Energy and distribution in subterranean rodents: sympatry between two species of the genus Ctenomys

The low basal metabolic rate (BMR) observed in subterranean rodents, compared to that of surface-dwelling species of comparable size, has been proposed to be an adaptation to underground life. Two main hypotheses have been proposed to explain this finding, the cost of burrowing and the thermal stress. The former states that the low BMR is due to the high cost of extending the tunnel system whereas the other relates it to the possibility of overheating in burrows where evaporative and convective heat exchange are restricted. Additionally, both hypotheses related the energetics of subterranean rodent with spatial distribution. The genus Ctenomys is an excellent model to evaluate the cost of burrowing or thermal stress, since they are widely distributed, with members differing markedly in body mass. The aim of this study was to assess digging and basal energetics in two Ctenomys species that live in sympatry in a coastal grassland, but differ in their microspatial distribution by soil preference. We used the obtained energetic data to test both energy-distribution hypotheses. We measured BMR and digging metabolic rate (DMR) through open flow respirometry in two species exposed to soft and hard soils. In brief, DMR in Ctenomys talarum (100-170 g), as in Ctenomys australis (250-600 g), was unaffected by soil hardness. Within thermoneutral zone of each species, DMR/RMR quotient was lower in the smaller species. Our data did not support the thermal stress hypothesis, but the cost of burrowing hypothesis was not rejected. Other alternative hypotheses are proposed to explain the distribution of C. talarum and C. australis.     

Ecological niches as stable distributional constraints on mammal species, with implications for Pleistocene extinctions and climate change projections for biodiversity

Aim Theoretical work suggests that species’ ecological niches should remain relatively constant over long‐term ecological time periods, but empirical tests are few. We present longitudinal studies of 23 extant mammal species, modelling ecological niches and predicting geographical distributions reciprocally between the Last Glacial Maximum and present to test this evolutionary conservatism. Location This study covered distributional shifts in mammal species across the lower 48 states of the United States. Methods We used a machine‐learning tool for modelling species’ ecological niches, based on known occurrences and electronic maps summarizing ecological dimensions, to assess the ability of ecological niches as modelled in one time period to predict the geographical distribution of the species in another period, and vice versa. Results High intertemporal predictivity between niche models and species’ occurrences indicate that niche conservatism is widespread among the taxa studied, particularly when statistical power is considered as a reason for failure of reciprocal predictions. Niche projections to the present for 8 mammal taxa that became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene generally increased in area, and thus do not support the hypothesis of niche collapse as a major driving force in their extinction. Main conclusions Ecological niches represent long‐term stable constraints on the distributional potential of species; indeed, this study suggests that mammal species have tracked consistent climate profiles throughout the drastic climate change events that marked the end of the Pleistocene glaciations. Many current modelling efforts focusing on anticipating climate change effects on species’ potential geographical distributions will be bolstered by this result — in essence, the first longitudinal demonstration of niche conservatism.     

Ecological niche modelling of montane mammals in the Great Basin, North America: examining past and present connectivity of species across basins and ranges

Aim The goal of this study was to determine the extent of suitable habitats across the basins and ranges of the Great Basin for 13 montane mammals in the present and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). For all these mammal species, we test whether: (1) more suitable habitat was available in basin areas during the LGM; (2) suitable habitat shifted upwards in elevation between the LGM and the present; (3) more ranges have suitable habitat than are currently occupied; and (4) these species are currently restricted to suitable habitats at higher‐elevation range areas. We also examine whether and how much distributional response varies among these montane mammal species. Location The Great Basin of western North America. Methods We re‐examine the past and present distributions of 13 Great Basin montane mammals using ecological niche modelling techniques that utilize now widely available species occurrence data and new, fine‐scale past climatological GIS layers in the present and at the LGM. These methods provide an objective, repeatable means for visual comparison of past and present modelled distributions for species examined in previous biogeographical studies. Results Our results indicate greater areal and lower elevational suitable habitat in the LGM than at present for nearly all montane mammals, and that there is more suitable habitat at present than is currently occupied. Our results also show that lowland areas provide suitable dispersal routes between ranges for most of the montane mammals both at the LGM and at present. However, three of the 13 species have little to no predicted suitable habitat in the LGM near currently occupied ranges, in contrast to the pattern for the other 10. For these species, the model results support more recent long‐distance colonization. Main conclusions Our finding of suitable lowland dispersal routes in the present for most species supports and greatly extends similar findings from single‐species studies. Our results also provide a visually striking confirmation that changes in species distribution and colonization histories of Great Basin montane mammals vary in a fashion related to the tolerances and requirements of each of these species; this has previously been hypothesized but not rigorously tested for multiple montane mammals in the region.     

云南横断山区小型兽类物种多样性与地理分布趋势

以云南横断山区的高黎贡山、怒山和云岭等重要山脉的7个山系作为样区,进行小型兽类的垂直分布调查并参考有关资料,采用不同山系样区各垂直带小型兽类物种多样性指数的平均值作为指标,对横断山区小型兽类的地理分布趋势、规律和相关影响因素进行了研究。结果表明：小型兽类物种多样性的地理分布趋势是由南向北,由西向东呈递减的趋势。与此趋势变化密切相关的主要因素是纬度的影响,其次是水湿条件,另外还与小型兽类的密度,物种丰富度、地理环境（坡向）和垂直带的影响等因素有关。此外,对横断山区不同区域小兽物种密度高峰问题作了分析和讨论。     

滇龙胆草野生资源的地理分布与生物气候特征

利用国家标本资源共享平台提供的物种分布数据,结合野外实地调查和MaxEnt模型对滇龙胆草适宜分布区进行模拟和验证,分析滇龙胆草地理分布与气候因子间的关系.结果表明:模型训练集和验证集曲线下面积(area under curve,AUC)值均>0.90,表明模型预测精度高,预测结果较准确.滇龙胆草分布区地理坐标范围:22.2°-28.75°N,98.48°-110.59°E.适宜的海拔范围为1830^1959 m.适生区总面积约63.92×10^4 km^2;其中,高度适生区4.33×10^4 km^2,中度适生区21.42×10^4 km^2.云南、四川、贵州3省适生区面积合计约59.10×10^4 km^2,占全国适生区面积的92.46%.影响滇龙胆草地理分布的主要气候因子有3、6和8月太阳辐射,温度年较差,最暖季均温,10月和11月平均降水量及最干季降水量.偏最小二乘回归(partial least squares regression,PLSR)分析表明,分布区以北和以东的太阳辐射(3月、6月和8月)、温度年较差、10-11月平均降水量、最干季降水量是主要的限制因子;分布区以南主要限制因子是6月太阳辐射、最暖季均温、10月和11月平均降水量.限制滇龙胆草向四川盆地、广西盆地分布的主要气候因子是太阳辐射、温度年较差、最暖季均温、年生物温度和年可能蒸散量.综合分析认为,滇龙胆草的适生区主要位于云贵高原,上述地区的亚热带湿润气候最适宜滇龙胆草生长.     

Species richness, rarity and endemicity of European mammals: a biogeographical approach

This paper investigates the distribution of species richness, rarity and endemicity of European land mammals (bats and introduced species excluded). The highest level of species richness was in Central Europe, while Southern areas had the highest rarity and endemicity scores. The distribution of richness was affected by the location of sampling points in islands and peninsulas. After excluding these sampling points, richness continued to decrease Westward suggesting the existence of a large-scale peninsular effect on mammal distribution. These patterns of continental distribution of richness, rarity and endemicity could be the result of the distribution of refuge areas in the southern Mediterranean peninsulas, and the Pleistocene advances and retreats of mammals throughout the Western Palearctic. Thus, European mammal distribution can be interpreted on the basis of two different patterns of abundance distribution in which Palearctic species reduce their abundance from central-Europe outwards, while endemic, rare species show a similar depletion in the North. It should be useful to evaluate the role of the different regions in Europe in conserving the demographic interactions between central and peripheral populations of mammal species. Given the restricted distribution and potential small size of population, these endemic species are most likely to be susceptible to anthropogenic environmental degradation.     

Distribution of Willows (Salix) in China

The distribution of willows in China is studied in this paper. The origin of this genus and its distribution in the world are also discussed. There are 255 species of willows in China, taking up 46% of the total number of species of this genus in the world. They belong to 37 sections, which represent almost all forms. China is therefore the richest area in species and sections of willows in the world. This is mostly caused by the uplifting of Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) plateau. The willows in China are mainly distributed in northwestern, northeastern and southwestern regions. The northwest is a part of central Asian flora. The northeast is a part of northeastern Asian flora. They both have some of the Europe-Siberia and Arctic-Alpine elements. Qinghai-Xizang plateau is another important distribution center of willows, which has no close relation with other floristic regions. As one of typical genera of the Holarctic flora, Salix has probably originated in the tropical mountains of Southeast Asia.     

A synthesis of transplant experiments and ecological niche models suggests that range limits are often niche limits

Global change has made it important to understand the factors that shape species’ distributions. Central to this area of research is the question of whether species’ range limits primarily reflect the distribution of suitable habitat (i.e. niche limits) or arise as a result of dispersal limitation. Over‐the‐edge transplant experiments and ecological niche models are commonly used to address this question, yet few studies have taken advantage of a combined approach for inferring the causes of range limits. Here, we synthesise results from existing transplant experiments with new information on the predicted suitability of sites based on niche models. We found that individual performance and habitat suitability independently decline beyond range limits across multiple species. Furthermore, inferences from transplant experiments and niche models were generally concordant within species, with 31 out of 40 cases fully supporting the hypothesis that range limits are niche limits. These results suggest that range limits are often niche limits and that the factors constraining species’ ranges operate at scales detectable by both transplant experiments and niche models. In light of these findings, we outline an integrative framework for addressing the causes of range limits in individual species.     

Identification of first-stage dorsal-spined lungworm larvae of Tunisian barbary red deer: First report of Varestrongylus sagittatus and Elaphostrongylus cervi in Africa

Barbary red deer (Cervus elaphus barbarus) is a protected rare subspecies of red deer. The study of its Protostrongylidae fauna based only on sporadic necropsy of naturally dead animals is difficult. Therefore diagnosis of lungworms rely mainly on the identification of the first stage larvae (L1). The L1 of the different species are not readily diagnosed on morphological basis since much variation is recorded within and among dorsal-spined larvae belonging to various species. The aim of this study was to identify the dorsal-spined lungworm larvae of the Barbary red deer. A discriminant function was established, using the measurements of L1 lungworms recorded from red deer in the literature, then applied to identify 220 dorsal-spined larvae extracted from 25 Tunisian Barbary red deer fresh fecal samples. Also the ITS2 region of rDNA of four pools of larvae (n?=?25–60) were amplified, sequenced and analyzed. Using discriminant analysis of morphological traits, Elaphostrongylus cervi and Varestongylus sagittatus were identified. Molecular identification confirmed the presence of E. cervi which is the most prevalent species. This study represents the first identification of V. sagittatus and E. cervi in North Africa.     

广东中山市薇甘菊地理分布及适生区预测

通过实地踏查，收集薇甘菊(Mikania micrantha)在广东中山市的分布情况，绘制薇甘菊在中山市的分布图，并利用MaxEnt模型，对薇甘菊实际分布点的环境变量进行定量分析，预测出当前气候下薇甘菊在中山市的适生区。结果表明，中山市所辖25个镇(街道)和市自然保护地管护中心均有薇甘菊分布，总体呈南多北少的态势；ROC曲线的AUC值均在0.8以上，预测结果具有较高的可信度；降水量变化方差、海拔、最冷月份最低温度和最暖季降水量为限制薇甘菊在中山市分布的4个最大环境变量，累积贡献率达75.5%；中山市95.40%的地区对薇甘菊的生长具有不同程度的适宜性，其中高、中、低适生区面积分别占中山市面积的5.33%、33.56%、56.51%。综上所述，薇甘菊对中山市的入侵较为严重，扩散趋势未被遏制；MaxEnt模型能较好地预测薇甘菊在中山市的潜在分布区，但是存在一定偏差。     

河北省大鸨的分布与保护

报道并探讨了河北省在大鸨迁徙途径中的重要性,河北省大鸨的地理分布与居留期变化,大鸨的保护工作及其保护与研究展望,指出河北省是大鸨重要的越冬地.     

Ecological niche conservation and differentiation in the wood-feeding cockroaches, Cryptocercus, in the United States

The distribution of a species is determined by a set of ecological correlates (biotic and abiotic factors) and historical phenomena that define and constrain its ecological niche. By examining the geographical projection of the ecological niche, it is possible to identify areas that are suitable for the species ecologically but that are not actually inhabited. Previous studies have used such discords to anticipate the existence of undescribed species; the absence of species may also result from historical barriers that have prevented colonization of the area. Thus, discords between potential and realized niches of a species may result from aspects of the species’s biology (e.g. lack of dispersal ability, specific habitat requirements) or from barriers to dispersal. In this study, we developed ecological niche models of the five Nearctic species of wood‐feeding cockroaches in the genus Cryptocercus. One species, C. clevelandi, occurs in the western USA and four (C. darwini, C. garciai, C. punctulatus, C. wrighti) are distributed in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern USA. In general, modelled niches for all species showed ecological restriction relative to the total range of available conditions. Niche models for the eastern USA species predicted the geographical distributions of the other eastern USA species, with the exception of C. garciai, suggesting general overall conservatism in ecological characteristics. Some interspecific differences in modelled niches were also apparent. In general, C. clevelandi was predicted to occupy cooler and drier areas relative to the eastern USA species; among the eastern USA species, C. darwini and C. garciai were predicted to inhabit warmer areas relative to C. punctulatus and C. wrighti. Interspecific differences and similarities were consistent with the phylogenetic relationships among Cryptocercus species previously reported. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 90 , 457–466.     

A preliminary check list of macromycetes in northern Tunisia

Within the last decade, checklists of fungi of several countries have been published or updated. Nevertheless, no checklists of macromycetes have hitherto been published for Tunisia (North Africa) apart from a mycocoenological study reporting 34 listed species. This work presents a list of macromycetes collected from January 2014 to March 2015 in six governorates of northern Tunisia. One hundred and twenty-three species (117 basidiomycetes and six ascomycetes) belonging to 78 genera and 46 families were recorded.     

Detection and molecular characterization of enteric viruses in environmental samples in Monastir,Tunisia between January 2003 and April 2007

Aims: A prospective study was performed to characterize the main human enteric viruses able to persist in sewage samples and in shellfish tissues, and to establish the correlation between environmental strains and viral infantile diarrhoea observed in the same area during the same period. Methods and Results: A total of 250 sewage (raw and treated) and 60 shellfish samples were collected between January 2003 and April 2007 in Monastir region, Tunisia. Group A rotavirus (RVA) was detected in 80 (32%) sewage samples, norovirus (NoV) in 11 (4·4%) and enteric adenovirus (AdV) in 1 (0·4%). Among 60 shellfish samples collected near sewage effluents, one was contaminated by NoV (1·6%). Conclusion: Our data represent the first documentation in Tunisia, combining gastroenteritis viruses circulating in the environment and in clinical isolates. We observed a correlation between environmental strains and those found in children suffering from gastroenteritis during the same period study. This suggests the existence of a relationship between water contamination and paediatric diarrhoea. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results address the potential health risks associated with transmission of human enteric viruses through water‐related environmental routes. The research findings will aid in elucidating the molecular epidemiology and circulation of enteric viruses in Tunisia and in Africa, where data are rare.     

世界砂藓属植物地理分布格局及其系统演化意义

以“Index Muscorum”中的20个藓类植物地理分布单位为分析区域,基于标本信息和相关文献,统计了世界砂藓属84种植物在20个地理单位的分布数据,应用除趋势对应分析法和三维空间图直观地展示了世界砂藓属植物的地理分布格局。发现世界砂藓属植物分布明显地分为南半球区和北半球区,并与岗瓦纳古陆和劳亚古陆有较好的对应性。南半球区包括Am.2,Am.3,Am.4,Am.5,Am.6,Afr.2,Afr.3,Afr.4,Austr.1,Austr.2,As.4和Ant.等12个地理单位;北半球区包括Am.1,Eur.,As.1,As.2,As.3,As.5,Afr.1和Oc.等8个地理单位。砂藓属中的无瘤类群在南、北半球分布广泛,而叶片细胞壁具瘤的Niphotrichum和Codriophorus亚属的种类主要分布在北半球。推测砂藓属植物的起源应早于联合古陆分裂以前,其祖先类群的叶片细胞表面光滑无瘤。