Applying red lists to the evaluation of agricultural habitat: regular occurrence of threatened birds,vascular plants,and bryophytes in field margins of Poland

Using the assessments of conservation status of flora and fauna, we discuss declining species in semi-natural field margins and stress the importance of these vanishing habitats. Seventy field margins in the diverse farmland of SW Poland were investigated with regard to their vascular plants, bryophytes and breeding birds. We checked the occurrence of threatened and conservation concern species, i.e. those listed in local, national or European threatened species lists, and birds with an unfavorable conservation status in Europe. Of a total of 673 species, 18 classified as threatened were recorded: 12 vascular plants (2.2 % of the total number of species), five bryophytes (5.6 %), and one bird species (2.0 %). Threatened plants occurred in 18.6 % of study plots, bryophytes in 20.0 % and birds in 12.9 %. Eleven bird species, noted in 95.7 % of study plots, had an unfavorable conservation status in Europe. Increasing volumes of trees and shrubs significantly increased the overall richness in each taxa. In percentage terms the occurrence of focal species in all three taxa tended to be higher in shrubby than in herbaceous and tree-lined margins. Our data demonstrate that field margins in Central European arable farmland regularly support rare and threatened species, and therefore deserve greater conservation efforts. Red lists along with alternative listing approaches can be employed to evaluate the biodiversity of fine-scale habitats, but their applicability depends on the taxonomic group and geographical scale of the lists, reflecting different conservation priorities.     

Conservation challenges in a threatened hotspot: agriculture and plant biodiversity losses in Baja California,Mexico

Modern agricultural practices pose serious threats to biodiversity worldwide. Species losses from habitat conversion are well documented, but indirect impacts such as reduced water availability to adjacent ecosystems are less known. San Quintín is an important agricultural valley in the mediterranean climate region of Baja California, Mexico. The region is also a hotspot of plant species richness and endemism. Plant species in the region are here analyzed by comparison of the contemporary flora to historical botanical collections to identify extirpations. Historical collections indicate that habitat loss to agriculture has been a direct cause of species losses. As importantly, the unsustainable extraction of groundwater has apparently led to salt water intrusion, resulting in the loss of 22 native plant taxa, including 13 rare plants. Seventy-eight percent of all the vernal pool taxa have been lost from the flora (including 85 % of the rare taxa) and 11 % of plants of riparian and pond habitat (including 25 % of the rare taxa) are no longer found in the region. Unsustainable agricultural practices continue to threaten fragile coastal ecosystems and are a serious challenge to current and future conservation efforts. Ironically, these same practices frequently result in abandonment of cultivated areas. Owing to indirect impacts, conservation of biodiversity and large-scale agricultural operations are even less compatible on a regional scale than indicated by direct impacts. It is vital that sustainable agricultural practices be adopted locally and globally to avoid further losses of biodiversity.     

Is time on our side? Strengthening the link between field efforts and conservation needs

The collection and organization of distributional data is the first crucial stage of any conservation planning action: therefore the decline in field research has implications in both the systematic, floristic and conservation fields. The aim of this paper is to analyze the effects of data updating on conservation planning and priorities. Focusing on the short time frame ranging from 2006 to 2011, we present a case study showing the rate of increase of collected data (taxa and records) and the consequential effects on the definition of areas of priority interest for plant conservation (Important Plant Areas—IPAs). We gathered data on a total of 193 taxa and 849 records with a mean rate of increase of +97 % for taxa and +166 % for records (2006/2011). This increase caused a positive rate of change in high ranking cells (+78 %) defining IPAs, while the number of low ranking cells and no data cells slightly decreased (?12 and ?8 %, respectively). Our results suggest that specific investment to complete the knowledge on the distribution of selected taxa (e.g. 193 taxa represent the 7.5 % of the total vascular flora of Sardinia) would dramatically reduce both the Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls and would allow robust conservation programs to preserve the diversity of the island. Updating the IPAs on a regular basis is a good example of a process that has a low impact as well as a big potential gain especially when field research can only be performed with low intensity and small monetary investments.     

Knowledge of Colombian biodiversity: published and indexed

Documenting patterns of published studies on the biodiversity of megadiverse countries can offer valuable insights on global biodiversity knowledge. Here, I present results from a bibliometric analysis of 5,264 indexed publications on biodiversity in Colombia published during the period 1990–2011 and gathered by searching the Web of Knowledge database. I classified studies into six overlapping subjects: taxa lists, new taxa, new records, conservation, genetic diversity, and other. Publications were also classified by geographic location and the taxonomic group studied. I found variation in the number of studies per year, which presented a long-term trend of increasing volume. The 31 continental departments of Colombia and both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans were represented in the studies, which included 98 taxonomic classes from 47 phyla. However, there were strong biases in taxonomic, geographic, and subject coverage. For instance, 75 % of studies focused on animals; and the Atlantic Ocean showed the highest number of studies, followed by Antioquia and Valle del Cauca departments. Genetic diversity and conservation were the least-studied subjects. I also found that Colombian researchers and Colombian institutions have played an important role in documenting the country’s outstanding biodiversity. However, Colombian biologists still prefer to publish in domestic or Latin American journals, which are mainly regional and have low international visibility. The patterns I present here can have important implications for optimizing and guiding research on Colombian biodiversity, and the paper concludes with some recommendations.     

Epizoochory in a hedgerow habitat: seasonal variation and selective diaspore adhesion

Epizoochory has been less studied than other seed dispersal mechanisms, such as endozoochory, and generally only a small percentage of plant species show adaptations to this strategy. Nevertheless, epizoochorous seed dispersal can affect an appreciable number of herb species in forests and man-made habitats. Also, few studies have dealt with temporal variation in epizoochory. In this paper, medium-long distance epizoochory is analyzed in a hedgerow habitat for the first time, using a domestic dog in an area in northwest Spain. Special attention is paid to seasonal variation and differential traits of plant taxa involved. Approximately 30 % of available herb taxa were found attached to hair. The intermonthly difference in the frequency of the taxa involved in epizoochory was significant, and the overall peak was reached in June–October linked with diaspore ripening phenology. Ninety-three percent of the plant taxa adhered to hair had diaspores with traits facilitating epizoochory (hooks, spines, awns, rigid hairs), in comparison with 17 % for available plant taxa not adhered to hair. The taxa involved in epizoochory had larger diaspores than the rest of the available taxa, but ranged considerably in size. Numerous hooks covered the largest, heaviest diaspores, and allowed them to attach to hair. There was no significant difference in mean plant height between taxa involved in epizoochory and the rest of the available taxa. The difference in life span between taxa involved in epizoochory and the rest of available taxa was not significant, most of them being perennials in both cases. Seventy-three percent of all the available plant taxa were potential forest plants typically found in edges and gaps, and 64 % of the plant taxa involved in epizoochory were these kinds of potential forest plants. High or medium involuntary positive selection by the dog of diaspores of Taraxacum gr. officinale, Galium aparine, Geum urbanum, and Agrimonia eupatoria was observed. In conclusion, epizoochorous dispersal can be quantitatively and functionally important in hedgerow habitats during summer-autumn, affecting mainly herb taxa with specialized diaspores.     

A model for determining ex situ conservation priorities in big genera is provided by analysis of the subgenera of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhododendron</Emphasis> (Ericaceae)

The large size and complex taxonomy of big genera complicates decision making for conservation. We propose that Rhododendron, comprising some 1215 taxa, divided into nine subgenera and many sections, can be used as a model for other big genera. Although Red List assessments placed 715 taxa in a threat category, or listed them as Data Deficient, and moreover Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation requires 75 % of Red List taxa to be held in ex situ collections by 2020, to date there have been few studies of Rhododendron ex situ collections or conservation priorities. Utilising the subgenus structure of Rhododendron as a framework for examining conservation priorities, we analysed the Red List and determined that subgenera Vireya and Hymenanthes have the most acute conservation issues. Examination of taxa in cultivation shows that 844 of 1215 taxa (70 %) are in cultivation, with subgenera varying from 45 to 100 %. Of the 715 Red List taxa, 400 (56 %) are in cultivation, with subgenera varying from 28 to 72 %. Subgenera Vireya and Azaleastrum have the poorest representation in cultivation and should have precedence for ex situ conservation. As no subgenus reaches the requirement for Target 8, further planning is needed for ex situ conservation of Rhododendron. After combining the two analyses, we propose the priorities for ex situ conservation should be ordered (i) Vireya, (ii) Azaleastrum and (iii) Hymenanthes. Finally, we propose five conservation actions for Rhododendron, and summarise our approach as a model for conservation of other big genera.     

Karyological knowledge of the Italian vascular flora as inferred by the analysis of “Chrobase.it”

Abstract

Chromosome number knowledge of the Italian vascular flora is stored in the online database Chrobase.it, which includes 6723 records, referable to 3428 taxa, 2799 accepted species and subspecies (about 35% of the national flora), and 3410 different chromosome countings (cytotypes). Appropriate queries to Chrobase.it allowed us to calculate mean, modal and median chromosome numbers for the Italian vascular flora, for geographical subgroups (islands, south, centre, north) and for selected orders, families and genera. Chromosome number data were available for 41 out of 55 orders (74%) and 107 out of 428 families (67%), represented by 664 out of 1297 genera (51%). The most studied administrative regions are Sicily (844 taxa), Tuscany (592 taxa), and Sardinia (390 taxa), while the most studied families are Asteraceae (465 taxa), Fabaceae (266 taxa), Brassicaceae (158 taxa), and Poaceae (144 taxa). Chromosome numbers range from 2n = 6, occurring in several species of Hypochaeris (Asteraceae), to 2n = 240, occurring in Ophioglossum (Ophioglossaceae), Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae) and Arenaria (Caryophyllaceae) (mode is 2n = 18, and median is 2n = 24). Chromosome number variability was analyzed by frequencies (linear plots) and ANOVA, resulting in significant differences among geographical groups (mean chromosome number increasing from islands-south to centre-north) and selected taxa. B-chromosomes occur in 5.3% of data (148 taxa) and their number is not significantly different among geographical areas, while they occur only in 14 orders, 17 families, and 56 genera. The number of B-chromosomes ranges from 1 to 13 (mode = 1, median = 2).     

On applications of landscape genetics

Recent assertions in the literature (e.g., Keller et al. 2015) suggest that landscape genetic research has been infrequently applied by practitioners. We were interested to test this assertion, which is difficult to assess, since applications may not be detectable through searches of peer-reviewed literature. Producing publications may not be a goal of practitioners. We developed a method to search the internet for evidence of research applications and evaluated 25 different research fields in the natural sciences. We found that fields with more publications also had more applications, but the field of landscape genetics was less applied than expected based on the number of peer-reviewed publications—only about 4 % of landscape genetics articles were applied. In fact, all research fields in genetics or evolutionary biology were under-applied compared to ‘whole organism’, ecological research fields. This result suggests the lack of applications in landscape genetics may be due to a systemic under-application of genetics research, perhaps related to a lack of understanding of genetics by practitioners. We did find some evidence of landscape genetic applications however, which we sorted into 5 categories: (1) identification of evolutionarily significant units for conservation, (2) managing pathogens and invasive species, (3) natural heritage systems planning, (4) assessing population status, and (5) restoration of populations.     

Two approaches for the selection of Relevant Genetic Units for Conservation in the narrow European endemic steppe plant Boleum asperum (Brassicaceae)

Several methods based on population biology, biogeography, ecology, and genetics have been traditionally used for the identification of units for conservation below the species level. We use a combination of two methods based on population genetic structure estimators and on probabilities of loss of rare alleles to identify the Relevant Genetic Units for Conservation (RGUCs). The aims were to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of the endemic steppe plant Boleum asperum (Brassicaceae), and to determine how many and which populations significantly represent the total genetic diversity and the rarest allelic variation. Despite the high amplified fragment length polymorphism genetic diversity values detected in B. asperum ( h _T = 0.744), caused probably by its hexaploidy and allogamy, moderate spatial genetic differentiation was detected among populations (< 20%) and geographical ranges (> 13%), suggesting the existence of an ancestral continuous distribution range that was fragmented into separate 'islands' in more recent historical times. Five RGUCs, accounting for the 85.10% of the total genetic variation and representative of the entire geographical distribution of the species, were selected for in situ conservation. Ex situ conservation is proposed to complement the preservation of B. asperum . This method of objective selection of populations may be applied to other candidate taxa for conservation with prior adjustment of the threshold values of diversity required for effective protection of each particular species.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 94 , 341–354.     

Bibliometric analysis of recent sodium channel research

Although sodium channels have been a hot multidisciplinary focus for decades and most of nerve system drugs worked on alerting sodium channel function, the trends and future directions of sodium channel studies have not been comprehensive analyzed bibliometrically. Herein, we collected the scientific publications of sodium channels research and constructed a model to evaluate the current trend systematically.

Publications were selected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2013 to 2017. Microsoft Excel 2016, Prism 6, and CiteSpace V software were used to analyze publication outputs, journal sources, countries, territories, institutions, authors, and research areas. A total of 4,275 publications on sodium channel research were identified. PLoS ONE ranked top for publishing 170 papers. The United States of America had the largest number of publications (1,595), citation frequency (19,490), and H-index (53). S. G. Waxman (62 publications) and W. A. Catterall (585 citations) were the most productive authors and had the greatest co-citation counts. This is the first report that shows the trends and future development in sodium channel publications, and our study provides a clear profile for the contribution to this field by countries, authors, keywords, and institutions.     

The mismeasure of islands: implications for biogeographical theory and the conservation of nature

The focus on place rather than space provides geography with a powerful raison d’être. As in human geography, the functional role of place is integral to the understanding of evolution, persistence and extinction of biotic taxa. This paper re‐examines concepts and biogeographical evidence from a geographical rather than ecological or evolutionary perspective. Functional areography provides convincing arguments for a postmodern deconstruction of major principles of the dynamic Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography (ETIB). Endemic oceanic island taxa are functionally insular as a result of long‐term island stability, confinement, isolation, and protection from continental invasion and disturbance. Most continental taxa persist in different, more complex and open spatial systems; their geographical place is therefore fundamentally distinct from the functional insularity of oceanic island taxa. This creates an insular‐continental polarity in biogeography that is currently not reflected in conservation theory. The focus on the biogeographical place leads to the development of the eigenplace concept defined as the functional spatial complex of existence. The application of still popular ETIB concepts in conservation biology is discouraged. The author calls for the integration of functional areography into modern conservation science.     

Botanical origin and geographic differentiation of bee-pollen produced in high mountains from the Colombian eastern Andes

In the high mountains of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera (~2000–3000 m above sea level), at the Altiplano Cundiboyacense region and surroundings, beekeepers have specialised in pollen production with substantial harvests all year round. Despite this productive advantage, the knowledge about plants used by honeybees as pollen resources is still limited. Hence, the aim of this work was to identify the botanical origin of bee pollen from this region and to examine differences between five distinguished sub-regions: Sabana de Bogotá, Fúquene, Márquez, Tundama and Norte-Gutiérrez. By means of palynological analyses of 86 pollen samples produced between 2008 and 2010, we found a total amount of 126 pollen types, most of them belonging to the families Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Major pollen types correspond to the exotic taxa Hypochaeris radicata, Brassicaceae, Eucalyptus globulus, Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense and the native taxa Quercus humboldtii and Weinmannia sp. Differences between sample groups from the five sub-regions were mainly associated to variations in pollen abundance and frequency of native plant species. This result highlights the potential for commercialising bee-pollen from the Colombian Eastern Cordillera with geographical origin differentiation, as well as the importance for beekeeping in promoting the conservation of the natural ecosystems from the region.     

The Geographical and Institutional Distribution of Ecological Research in the Tropics

We reviewed 1333 papers published in Biotropica and the Journal of Tropical Ecology from 1995 to 2004. Only 62 percent of tropical countries were represented in our survey, with 62 percent of the publications based on research conducted in only ten countries. Sixty-two percent of papers had lead authors that were based at institutions outside the country where the research was conducted. Cross-national collaboration was limited, accounting for only 28 percent of papers with multiple authors. To evaluate if our choice of focal journals could have biased our results, we also reviewed 652 papers published in Ecology , Oecologia , Conservation Biology , and Biological Conservation for five randomly selected years from the same time period. While some differences in authorship and the geographic distribution of research existed, the results from these journals generally mirrored patterns observed in the two focal ones—almost 54 percent of publications were based on research conducted in only ten countries, and most studies had lead authors from a developed country. The results of our review suggest that the geographical distribution of research in the tropics is unequal, and that some important regions remain understudied. The results also suggest a need for a greater focus on establishing collaborative relationships with scientists from tropical countries.     

Adaptive management as a tool to improve the conservation of endemic floras: the case of Sicily, Malta and their satellite islands

The presence of endemic species is among the fundamental criteria for characterizing the biodiversity of a territory. Analyzing species richness, extinction level and distribution drivers is an important preliminary step to set conservation priorities and test environmental policies. This study applied the concept of adaptive management to develop strategies for the conservation of endemic floras by considering, as a case study, Sicily, Malta and their neighboring small islands. Adaptive management can be defined as the systematic acquisition and application of reliable information to improve management over time. The development of adaptive conservation strategies aimed preliminary: (1) to quantify endemic plant diversity; (2) to assess the current IUCN knowledge; (3) to analyze the spatial patterns of species distribution in relation to number of colonized habitats, preferential habitats, altitudinal range, and bedrock; (4) to assess whether Natura 2000 network contributed significantly to increase the overlap between endemic distributional areas and protected surface. Strictly Sicilian endemics were 202 taxa amounting to 7.0 % of the whole native flora (c. 2900 taxa). The current picture of extinction risk is still incomplete because over 50 % of endemics were never assessed or assessed with old IUCN criteria. The spatial range size of endemics depended by 40 % on bedrock, and altitudinal and niche breadth. Habitat type did not influence the range size of endemics. The overlap between endemic distributional areas and protected surface increased from 41.3 to 63.3 % with Natura 2000. Adaptive management needs measurable goals to test the progressive improvement of conservation strategies over time, and the reduction in threatened species may be considered as an indicator of successful conservation outcomes. Feedback plays an important role in the periodic revision of biodiversity assessment, distribution modeling, and environmental management, which are fundamental to predict conservation outcomes in the face of extreme uncertainty. In particular, the exhaustive knowledge of the IUCN status is a primary step to implement adaptive measures of conservation, especially as regards endemic floras that are potentially more vulnerable to large-scale or unpredictable and stochastic threats.     

Contribution of A.S. Serebrovski? to population genetics]

The article commemorates Professor Alexander Sergeevich Serebrovsky (1892-1948), a prominent Russian geneticist, the founder of the Department of Genetics of Moscow University. A thorough analysis of his publications written in the 20s and 30s demonstrates that A.S. Serebrovsky: 1) developed the principles of such original fields of population genetics as gene geography and the theory of gene pools; 2) specified the significance of random genetic drift for neutral evolution in small populations; 3) showed that subdivision of an isolated population is essential for long-term conservation of its genetic composition. A.S. Serebrovsky's contribution into population genetics is viewed as an achievement of the Russian scientific school, always distinguished by historic and geographical approach to natural phenomena and processes.     

贵州野生兰科植物就地保护现状及保护空缺分析

兰科(Orchidaceae)植物是植物界中最进化、种类最丰富的类群之一,有较高的环境要求和较强的生态系统依存性.由于很多兰科植物具有较高的观赏价值和药用价值,各地采挖频繁,导致其受威胁十分严重,已成为保护植物中的"旗舰"类群.该文基于文献资料和近年来课题组野外调查数据,分析贵州省野生兰科植物的地理分布状况、就地保护现...     

Diversity and seasonal composition of the scorpion fauna from a mountainous system on pampean grasslands in central Argentina

Scorpions are one of the most important taxa for ecological, conservation, and biogeographic studies. Biodiversity in the pampean grassland hilly environment is relevant because of the high number of native plant and animal taxa. We studied the diversity, abundance and phenology of a scorpion community in a natural reserve from central Argentina. Samples were taken monthly using 10 pitfall traps. Five species of scorpions (269 individuals) were observed in the study site (Bothriuridae). Bothriurus prospicuus was the most abundant species with 40.15% of the total individuals captured. The Shannon index was H´ = 0.69 and the evenness index was 0.83. Scorpion abundance was significantly different between months and was significantly correlated with monthly mean temperature. The knowledge on the scorpion fauna in “Ernesto Tornquist” Provincial Park could help in the preservation of natural grassland habitats.     

Breaking out of the echo chamber: missed opportunities for genetics at conservation conferences

Genetic approaches have proven useful for addressing various conservation problems, but genetics remains poorly integrated into conservation practice. Multidisciplinary conservation conferences present excellent opportunities for bridging the conservation-genetics gap and facilitating cross-disciplinary projects. We hypothesize that there is a tendency for presentations featuring genetic approaches to be siloed into approach specific sessions, creating an “echo chamber”; geneticists are left talking amongst themselves, hindering collaboration across disciplines. To test this, we reviewed abstracts from the past six Society for Conservation Biology conferences and assessed how presentations featuring genetics/genomics were distributed throughout the respective programs. We found that: the segregation of presentations featuring genetics varied widely between conferences (22–78 %); that no other method or approach was segregated to the same degree; and that the vast majority (99 %) of presentations featuring genetics had broader applications that made them appropriate for other sessions. We argue that segregating genetics at conservation conferences in this way is unhelpful and serves to strengthen the idea that genetics is not relevant to a wider conservation audience. We recommend that; (1) conference organisers endeavour to facilitate the integration of genetics into sessions based on the conservation questions addressed, rather than the methods used to address them; and (2) geneticists make the practical application of their work clear at abstract submission and during presentations. These recommendations are not novel, but our data illustrate a clear need for them to be implemented to better facilitate integration of genetic research that will benefit conservation outcomes.     

Plant proteomics in India and Nepal: current status and challenges ahead

Plant proteomics has made tremendous contributions in understanding the complex processes of plant biology. Here, its current status in India and Nepal is discussed. Gel-based proteomics is predominantly utilized on crops and non-crops to analyze majorly abiotic (49 %) and biotic (18 %) stress, development (11 %) and post-translational modifications (7 %). Rice is the most explored system (36 %) with major focus on abiotic mainly dehydration (36 %) stress. In spite of expensive proteomics setup and scarcity of trained workforce, output in form of publications is encouraging. To boost plant proteomics in India and Nepal, researchers have discussed ground level issues among themselves and with the International Plant Proteomics Organization (INPPO) to act in priority on concerns like food security. Active collaboration may help in translating this knowledge to fruitful applications.     

Historical introduction,geographical distribution,and biological characteristics of alien plants in China

Using the published literature and records, this study investigated the historical introduction, geographical distribution, and biological characteristics of 404 alien plants in 32 provinces (including municipalities) in China. The results showed that three fifths of the alien plants was introduced for intentional purposes, and the introduction of alien plants increased with time from 139 BC to the current time, especially during historical events that played an important part in the process of introduction. The geographical distribution of alien plant species tended to decrease from the south and the east to the north and the west. Annual average precipitation (Y = 7.51X + 7.05, R² = 0.67) and temperature (Y = 0.07X + 41.54, R² = 0.67) had a linear relationship with alien plant introduction throughout China. Furthermore, population density and economic conditions also affected and promoted plant invasions in China. The life forms were well adapted to regional precipitation and temperature, but different life forms of alien plants were not consistent with the distribution tendency based on the quantity of alien plants. There was a higher percentage of annual and biennial plants in the northern provinces (e.g. 66.7 and 15.7% in Inner Mongolia), whereas there were more perennial and woody plant species in the southern provinces (e.g. 37.0 and 21.2% in Hainan). Family characteristics could not accurately predict plant invasions; however, predictions based on genera were acceptable. In addition, the origin of alien plants can also predict the distribution and potential risk of invasions. Thus, our study investigated the factors affecting plant invasions in order to provide information on the prevention and control of alien plants.