Tissue "cysts" of Hepatozoon griseisciuri in the grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis: the significance of these cysts in species of Hepatozoon

The lungs of a grey squirrel infected with Hepatozoon griseisciuri contained, in addition to typical haemogregarine schizonts, small cysts, each of which contained a single cystozoite. The presence of these cysts, which resemble those recorded in Hepatozoon species in reptiles, suggests that they may be a common feature in all Hepatozoon species and that these parasites may be transmitted by predation as well as by ingestion of infected arthropod vectors.     

Species, sex, size and male maturity composition of previously unreported elasmobranch landings in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Emirate

This paper presents data from the first major survey of the diversity, biology and fisheries of elasmobranchs in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. Substantial landings of elasmobranchs, usually as gillnet by-catch, were recorded in Kuwait, Qatar and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (part of the United Arab Emirates), although larger elasmobranchs from targeted line fisheries were landed in Abu Dhabi. The elasmobranch fauna recorded was distinctive and included species that are undescribed, rare and have a highly restricted known distribution. Numerical abundance was dominated by sharks (c. 80%), of which carcharhinids were by far the most important. The milk shark Rhizoprionodon acutus and whitecheek shark Carcharhinus dussumieri together comprised just under half of all recorded individuals. Around 90% of recorded sharks were small (50-90 cm total length, L(T) ) individuals, most of which were mature individuals of species with a small maximum size (<100 cm L(T) ), although immature individuals of larger species (e.g. Carcharhinus sorrah and other Carcharhinus spp.) were also important. The most frequently recorded batoid taxa were cownose rays Rhinoptera spp., an undescribed whipray, and the granulated guitarfish Rhinobatos granulatus. The first size, sex and maturity data for a wide range of Gulf elasmobranch species are presented (including L(T) at 50% maturity for males of four shark species) and include some notable differences from other locations in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. A number of concerns regarding the sustainability of the fishery were highlighted by this study, notably that most of the batoid species recorded are classed by the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, endangered, data deficient or not evaluated. Despite their considerable elasmobranch landings, none of the three countries sampled have developed a 'Shark Plan' as encouraged to do so under the FAO International Plan of Action: Sharks. Furthermore, Kuwait and Qatar currently report zero or no elasmobranch landings to the FAO.     

The effect of a mega-fragmentation process on large mammal assemblages in the highly-threatened Pernambuco Endemism Centre,north-eastern Brazil

We documented an example of the mass extinction in a medium-sized and large mammal assemblage in the Pernambuco Endemism Centre, one of the most important hotspots of the world. During 12 months we carried out diurnal and nocturnal surveys through the line transect method, in forest fragments measuring from 10 to 500 ha. About half of the species have gone locally extinct, including all large mammals. The largest number of species and sighting rates was recorded in the largest fragment. No fragment held the entire remaining mammal community and not all species sighted in the smaller fragments were present in the largest. Only two species were sighted in the very small fragment, the commonest fragment size in the entire Pernambuco Endemism Centre. The mammalian assemblage is highly simplified, and characterized by an unprecedented local extinction process. The abundance of the remaining population is far below the minimum viable population needed for long-term survival which needs to be taken into account by decision makers. The scenario here presented suggests that the 21st century fauna of this important hotspot will be dominated by small, generalist species, which can survive in close association with humans.     

Altitudinal distribution of the entire invasive small mammal guild in the eastern dryland zone of New Zealand’s Southern Alps

New Zealand faces significant ecological problems caused by the introduction of a variety of invasive small mammal species. Many of these species originate from temperate to subarctic climates and occur across wide elevations in their native range, and so arrived predisposed to adapt to a variety of habitats and bioclimatic zones in their new environs, including the alpine zone. Almost all of New Zealand’s invasive small mammal species have been recorded in the country’s alpine zones, yet neither the altitudinal distribution nor the extent to which such species use high elevation areas has been clearly defined. We conducted extensive camera trap surveys in summer to autumn periods of 2019 and 2020 across an elevation range of 500–2250 m above sea level, and used detection rates and occupancy modelling to reveal the altitudinal distributions and habitat associations of all 10 invasive small mammals that occur in the dryland zone of the central South Island. We found altitudinal distributions varied greatly across species, and that while most exhibited decreasing detection rates and site occupancy probabilities with increasing elevation, some used the subalpine and alpine zones to a greater degree than adjacent lower elevations. There were clear habitat associations, as well as interspecific associations that helped to explain the altitudinal distribution of some species. Understanding how such factors influence the distribution of invasive small mammals has both broad implications for invasive species management, and direct applications in evaluating threats to native taxa, advancing management strategies, and benchmarking distributions in a changing climate.

     

Rotifera Recorded from China, 1893–1997, with Remarks on Their Composition and Distribution

A search of the literature on rotifers recorded from China, includes today 477 valid species names and 42 subspecies or infrasubspecific variants in 84 genera and 28 families recorded since 1893. Chinese rotifera research is reviewed, and all recorded species are listed with current taxonomic status and their first localities in China. Most of the named taxa are widely distributed or cosmopolitan, with only a small number (about 3%) possibly restricted to China. This fauna exhibits 15 endemic taxa. The composition and distribution of Chinese Rotifera are briefly analyzed. It is likely that considerably more rotifers remain to be described from China as further study to be carried on and taxonomic resolution improves.     

The rheophilic fauna and invertebrate communities of the tundra zone: A case study of the Southern Yamal

The invertebrate fauna of rivers and streams of the Southern Yamal has been studied using original specimens (122 bottom and vegetation samples). A total of 158 taxa have been recorded, many of which are new for this region. Among them, 18 types of rheophilic macrobenthic communities have been distinguished which mainly correspond to certain types of habitats and watercourses. A depletion in the set of rheophilic communities (including the loss of almost all crenal and many phytal ones), the taxonomic structure of communities (the loss of large bivalves and most gastropods, hemipterans, and dragonflies), and the total species composition of the fauna, as well as changes in the balance of life forms towards filter feeders (larvae of the family Simuliidae midges and pea clams) and leveling of the differences between the communities of large and small watercourses when compared with the communities of the Russian forest zone, have been recorded. Widespread Eurosiberian species are the most abundant in the rheophilic fauna of the examined region, Arctic species account for ∼20% of all species, and six East Siberian species have been found. No endemic species have been discovered.     

A measure for spatial heterogeneity of a grassland vegetation based on the beta‐binomial distribution

Abstract. A method is proposed to estimate the frequency and the spatial heterogeneity of occurrence of individual plant species composing the community of a grassland or a plant community with a short height. The measure is based on the beta‐binomial distribution. The weighted average heterogeneity of all the species composing a community provides a measure of community‐level heterogeneity determining the spatial intricateness of community composition of existing species. As an example to illustrate the method, a sown grassland with grazing cows was analysed, on 102 quadrats of 50 cm × 50 cm, each of which divided into four small quadrats of 25 cm × 25 cm. The frequency of occurrence for all the species was recorded in each small quadrat. Good fits to the beta‐binomial series for most species of the community were obtained. These results indicate that (1) each species is distributed heterogeneously with respective spatial patterns, (2) the degree of heterogeneity is different from species to species, and (3) the beta‐binomial distribution can be applied for grassland communities. In most of the observed species spatial heterogeneity is often characterized by species‐specific propagating traits: seed‐propagating plant species exhibited a low heterogeneity/random pattern while clonal species exhibited a high heterogeneity/aggregated pattern. This measure can be applied to field surveys and to the estimation of community parameters for grassland diagnosis.     

中国淡水甲藻两个新记录属

我国此前关于光薄甲藻Glenodinium gymnodinium Penard在西藏那错湖的记录是基于错误的鉴定, 作者在相差显微镜下对标本进行了重新检查, 发现此甲藻的细胞壁由多数甲片构成, 甲片大小相似, 多为六角形, 应属于网甲藻属Woloszynskia Thompson的微小网甲藻W. tenuissima (Lauterborn) Thompson。中型四角甲藻Tetradinium intermedium Geitler采于武汉的一小池塘, 附着于一鞘藻属Oedogonium植物的丝状体上, 属于甲藻门中的不运动种类, 营养时期不能运动。两个属种均为中国新记录。     

Factors affecting culvert use by vertebrates along two stretches of road in southern Portugal

A major target for environmental managers when trying to minimise the road-barrier effect on wildlife is to improve permeability to animal movements. Previous studies have demonstrated that drainage culverts are used by vertebrates, although knowledge of the main influencing factors remains limited. The use of 34 culverts from two roads in southern Portugal, differing in traffic volume, vehicle speeds and configuration, was evaluated by the analysis of terrestrial vertebrate footprint data (408 passage-operative days). Culvert crossings were related to various explanatory variables by means of canonical ordination techniques. We recorded 901 complete crossings, corresponding to an average of 2.2 crossings/culvert/operative day. Thirteen taxa were detected, all in more than one passage. Animal species included reptiles, small mammals, lagomorphs, carnivores and domestic dogs and cats. Our results suggest that fencing might have a funnelling effect, directing larger animals toward culverts. Also, vegetation covering culvert entrances seems to have a positive effect, particularly on genets; longer passages with entrances far from the pavement were, apparently, avoided by smaller animals; a lower number of crossings was detected on passages with detritus pits; the closest passages to urban areas are more often used by domestic species; forest-living species favour passages with low, open land cover nearby; and smaller species, like lagomorphs and small mammals, appear to use more culverts near the pavement, which probably reflects the importance of road verges as refuges for these species. Although not used by all species present in the study area, constructing numerous passages of different sizes without detritus pits and which are distributed along roads might be an important step in mitigating road fragmentation effects on animal populations.     

Structure of macrofungus communities in different habitats of small postglacial pond margins

Differences in fungus communities growing in margins of small postglacial ponds (PPMs) can be explained by land use. Some 66% of all species collected were recorded exclusively in PPMs located in meadows with solitary trees, and communities distinguished were typical of this kind of land use. These PPMs shared 26% of the species with two other kinds of PPMs, located in cultivated terrain, i.e. field and pasture (fed by cattle). These latter kinds of PPMs were distinguished by a much smaller number of fungus species (about 36% of total number of species), and no separate species populations were associated with them. There were also a number of eurytopic species (16% of total number), which occurred in all sites, some of them with similar frequencies. The investigated PPMs are very rich in saprotrophic fungus species (90% of total species number there), which is another argument for their peculiarity and need of protection of their habitats as they essentially contribute to maintaining fungus biodiversity.     

Germination biology of selected central Australian plants

Abstract Risk spreading of germination may be particularly common in environments with unpredictable climates. Germinability, propensity to germinate at different temperatures and germination speed were classified for seeds of 105 species from the central Australian arid zone, and related to plant growth form, perenniality, seed size and seed dispersal mode. Almost all species had at least some seeds which were dormant, consistent with the idea that risk spreading is important in arid zones. Dispersal mode and plant perenniality were not found to be associated with germinability. Seeds of most species germinated rapidly relative to what has been recorded from higher-rainfall environments, as might be expected in an environment where wet soils are usually temporary. Faster germination tended to be associated with low germinability, suggesting a spectrum of strategies from species that risk a small number of their seeds in many rainfall events, to those that germinate only in large rainfall events but then risk large numbers of seeds.     

西双版纳望天树林种子雨9年动态

种子雨是森林生态系统过程的重要组成部分。虽然国内外已有部分关于种子雨的研究, 但多数集中在温带和亚热带地区, 热带地区种子雨的长期监测研究仍显不足。为全面了解热带森林种子雨输入的数量动态和物种组成的长期规律, 本文对我国西双版纳望天树(Parashorea chinensis)林群落水平上9年(2008年5月至2017年4月)的种子雨输入进行了研究。9年共收集到木本植物的种子226种8,993,224粒, 其中大型种子(I-1型) 77种9,779粒; 中型种子(I-2型) 61种24,237粒; 小型种子(I-3型) 72种83,399粒; 粒状微小种子(II-1型) 13种1,215,235粒; 粒状极小种子(II-2型) 1种7,244,667粒; 细丝状种子(II-3型) 2种415,907粒。种子雨输入量排名前10位的优势种贡献了70%以上的种子数量。各类型种子的种子雨输入量均具有年际波动, 呈“大小年”的交替变化, 间隔期为1-2年, 物种组成也呈现一定的年际差异。持续9年的监测中, 每类型种子至少观察到了1次大年结实事件。     

The rarity concept and the commonness of rarity in freshwater zooplankton

1. Regional distribution, frequency of occurrence and relative abundance were scored in 2467 Norwegian lakes for all the recorded 130 species of crustacean zooplankton. The majority of species were rare in the sense that 65% of species were recorded in fewer than 10% of localities. Only six species were recorded in more than 50% of localities, and the median number of species in a given locality was 14 (i.e. 10% of the total species pool). 2. Abundances of all species were scored according to the fraction of lakes in which they were recorded, their geographical range of distribution, and their numerical abundance. Typically the most rare species were rare by all three criteria, and vice versa for the common species, pointing to rarity as an inherent property of some species. For some species this rarity reflects being on the edge of their distributional range, while for others rarity seems to be a consequence of their life cycle strategies. 3. Some of the truly rare species have high dispersal rates and high colonization abilities, but are rapidly replaced by other species. Others are confined to specific habitats, often highly eutrophic, pointing to highly specialized niche adaptations. 4. A major cause for the few truly common species seems to be the limited number of species that are able to coexist within a given locality, reflecting ‘the ghost of competition past’ and predation pressure. 5. While species composition and species richness may reflect colonization abilities and stochastic events, the presence or absence of species is not only a random lottery but also a consequence of species‐specific attributes.     

An annotated checklist of mammals of Kenya

Kenya has a rich mammalian fauna. We reviewed recently published books and papers including the six volumes of Mammals of Africa to develop an up-to-date annotated checklist of all mammals recorded from Kenya. A total of 390 species have been identified in the country, including 106 species of rodents,104 species of bats, 63 species of even-toed ungulates(including whales and dolphins), 36 species of insectivores and carnivores, 19 species of primates,five species of elephant shrews, four species of hyraxes and odd-toed ungulates, three species of afrosoricids, pangolins, and hares, and one species of aardvark, elephant, sirenian and hedgehog. The number of species in this checklist is expected to increase with additional surveys and as the taxonomic status of small mammals(e.g., bats, shrews and rodents) becomes better understood.     

海南尖峰岭热带山地雨林60 ha大样地木本植物性别系统数量特征

热带山地雨林中植物不同性别系统的数量和空间分布特征如何? 是否受自然环境条件影响? 这些问题的回答有助于更深入理解群落物种多样性是如何形成的。本文以海南尖峰岭热带山地雨林60 ha大样地中胸径大于1 cm的木本植物为研究对象, 描述了样地内木本植物性别系统的数量特征, 分析了雌雄异株植物空间分布与地形因子的相关关系。结果表明: 大样地内289种木本种子植物中有两性花植物176种, 单性花植物113种; 在单性花植物中, 51种为雌雄同株, 62种为雌雄异株。单性花植物植株数占所有植株总数的36.2%; 雌雄异株植物植株数占所有植株总数的21.5%, 占单性花植物植株数的59.5%。在20 m × 20 m样方的空间尺度, 雌雄异株植物呈现聚集分布的物种共有31种。以20 m × 20 m样方为分析单元, 雌雄异株植物种类的性别比例与海拔、凹凸度和坡度呈弱正相关; 个体相对多度仅和海拔呈弱正相关, 与坡度和凹凸度无相关; 而3个性别系统多样性指数与海拔、凹凸度和坡度均无显著关联。可见雌雄异株植物在海南热带山地雨林中占据了较大的比例, 但大部分种类种群较小, 其数量分布特征与地形因素紧密相关, 雌雄异株植物的存在对群落物种多样性的形成有较大贡献。     

Bird species turnover and stochastic extinction in woodland fragments

Year-to-year turnover in bird species composition was recorded across, the whole size range (0 02-30 ha) of 146 woods studied The mean number of resident breeding species both lost and gained per wood between consecutive breeding seasons was 2 (range 0-8) No relationship was found between this absolute turnover rate and woodland area, or any other of 24 predictor variables (describing woodland structure, isolation, connectedness and surrounding land use) Extriction and colonisation rates (in terms of numbers of species lost and gained) were also unrelated to woodland area In all sizes of woods, the species most likely to show local extinctions and colonisations were those with small populations within those woods, but the identity of the species concerned changed as woodland area increased In the smallest woods, the majority of turnover involved common species, such as wren and dunnock, which occurred in only small numbers in these small woods As woodland area increased, these species attained sufficient numbers to usually avoid stochastic extinction The majority of turnover was then due to more specialist (and less numerous) woodland species, such as great-spotted woodpecker and marsh tit, which were usually lacking in small woods In Britain, much existing broadleaved woodland falls within the size range studied Thus the numbers of many bird species are liable to be small enough for yearly turnover in woodland bird communities to be appreciable, and for the long-term persistence of individual species in particular woods to depend on dispersal     

Diversity Patterns in the Flora of the Campo-Ma’an Rain Forest, Cameroon: Do Tree Species Tell it All?

This study describes diversity patterns in the flora of the Campo-Ma’an rain forest, in south Cameroon. In this area, the structure and composition of the forests change progressively from the coastal forest on sandy shorelines through the lowland evergreen forest rich in Caesalpinioideae with Calpocalyx heitzii and Sacoglottis gabonensis, to the submontane forest at higher elevations and the mixed evergreen and semi-deciduous forest in the drier Ma’an area. We tested whether there is a correlation between tree species diversity and diversity of other growth forms such as shrubs, herbs, and lianas in order to understand if, in the context of African tropical rain forest, tree species diversity mirrors the diversity of other life forms or strata. Are forests that are rich in tree species also rich in other life forms? To answer this question, we analysed the family and species level floristic richness and diversity of the various growth forms and forest strata within 145 plots recorded in 6 main vegetation types. A comparison of the diversity within forest layers and within growth forms was done using General Linear Models. The results showed that tree species accounted for 46% of the total number of vascular plant species with DBH ≥1 cm, shrubs/small trees 39%, climbers 14% and herbs less than 1%. Only 22% of the diversity of shrubs and lianas could be explained by the diversity of large and medium sized trees, and less than 1% of herb diversity was explained by tree diversity. The shrub layer was by far the most species rich, with both a higher number of species per plot, and a higher Shannon diversity index, than the tree and the herb layer. More than 82% of tree species, 90% of shrubs, 78% of lianas and 70% of herbaceous species were recorded in the shrub layer. Moreover, shrubs contributed for 38% of the 114 strict and narrow endemic plant species recorded in the area, herbs 29%, trees only 20% and climbers 11%. These results indicate that the diversity of trees might not always reflect the overall diversity of the forest in the Campo-Ma’an area, and therefore it may not be a good indicator for the diversity of shrubs and herbaceous species. Furthermore, this suggests that biodiversity surveys based solely on large and medium sized tree species (DBH ≥0cm) are not an adequate method for the assessment of plant diversity because other growth form such as shrubs, climbers and herbs are under-represented. Therefore, inventory design based on small plots of 0.1 ha, in which all vascular plants with DBH ≥1 cm are recorded, is a more appropriate sampling method for biodiversity assessments than surveys based solely on large and medium sized tree species.     

The family Capilloventridae (Annelida, Clitellata) in Australia, with descriptions of two new species of Capilloventer

Two new freshwater species of the small family Capilloventridae are recorded from rivers in south-eastern Australia. Capilloventer acheronensis sp. n. has all hair setae anteriorly and dissimilar crotchet setae without hairs posteriorly while Capilloventer longicapitus sp. n. has an elongate prostomium, very long hair setae anteriorly and all bifid setae posteriorly. Immature specimens from south-west Western Australia appear to represent a further species and are tentatively included within the family. Additional specimens of Capilloventer australis Erséus, 1993 have allowed some features (setae, segmental glands, genitalia and ventral buccal organ) to be described in more detail. The new C. australis specimens are from the upper reaches of Victorian rivers, showing that it is a freshwater species, rather than a marine incursion as the estuarine type locality suggested. There are now more freshwater species than marine species, although the origin and phylogenetic relationships of the family remain unclear.