Rediscovery of Acanthobrama hadiyahensis (Cyprinidae) in Saudi Arabia

This study documents the rediscovery of Acanthobrama hadiyahensis in Saudi Arabia and the first report since it was described in 1983. One female and one juvenile were collected from Qusaiba'a Dam, in the Al‐Thamad area of Khaybar City. Threats facing this species are the same as those facing all other freshwater fishes in Arabia, mainly habitat loss and damming.     

A new wilt and die-back disease of Acacia mangium associated with Ceratocystis manginecans and C. acaciivora sp. nov. in Indonesia

Species of Ceratocystis are well-known wound related pathogens of many tree species, including commercially planted Acacia spp. Recently, several Ceratocystis isolates were collected from wilting A. mangium in plantations in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to identify these Ceratocystis isolates and to investigate their ability to cause disease on two plantation-grown Acacia spp. using greenhouse and field inoculation experiments. For identification, morphological characteristics and comparisons of DNA sequence data for the ITS, β-tubulin and TEF 1-α gene regions, was used. Ceratocystis isolates were identified as C. manginecans, a serious pathogen of mango trees in Oman and Pakistan and a previously undescribed species, described here as C. acaciivora sp. nov. Both fungi produced significant lesions in inoculation experiments on A. mangium and A. crassicarpa, however, C. acaciivora was most pathogenic suggesting that this fungus is the primary cause of the death of trees under natural conditions.     

Anthropogenic stressors and riverine fish extinctions

Human activities are often implicated in the contemporary extinction of contemporary species. Concerning riverine fishes, the major biotic and abiotic threats widely cited include introduction of non-native species, habitat fragmentation and homogenization in stream flow dynamics due to the damming of rivers, dumping of organic loadings, degradation of the riverine habitat by agricultural practices and water abstraction for human and agricultural consumption. However, few studies have evaluated the role of each of these threats on fish extinction at large spatial scales. Focusing on Western Europe and the USA, two of the most heavily impacted regions on Earth, we quantify fish species loss per river basin and evaluate for the first time to what extent, if any, these threats have been promoting fish extinctions. We show that mean fish extinction rates during the last 110 years in both continents is ∼112 times higher than calculated natural extinction rates. However, we identified only weak effects of our selected anthropogenic stressors on fish extinctions. Only river fragmentation by dams and percentage of non-native species seem to be significant, although weak, drivers of fish species extinction. In our opinion, the most probable explanation for the weak effects found here comes from limitations of both biological and threats datasets currently available. Obtaining realistic estimates on both extinctions and anthropogenic threats in individual river basins is thus urgently needed.     

Land use changes and conservation threats in the eastern Selous–Niassa wildlife corridor,Nachingwea, Tanzania

Selous–Niassa miombo woodland ecosystem has been and continues to face conservation threats. Understanding of changes happening in such ecosystem overtime is important for establishing management baseline data. This study identified land use changes, socio‐economic factors and conservation threats to the Selous–Niassa wildlife corridor across Nachingwea district, Tanzania. Landsat images of 1978, 1993 and 2000 were used to assess land use changes. Household survey was conducted to obtain socio‐economic data; logistic regression model was used to analyse the data. In 15 years (1978–1993) cultivated land only increased by 131% while forestlands decreased by 8.7%. In 12 years (1993–2005) cultivated land increased by 65.6% while forestland decreased by 10.7%. Land cover change per year has been found 0.54% relatively low compared to national land cover change of 45%per year. Land tenure, shifting cultivation and crops prices were major factors influencing land use changes while wildfires, farm encroachment and illegal timber harvesting were major conservation threats. Basing on the results, it was recommended that there is a need for a government to introduce community‐based natural resource management plans to improve natural resource utilization and reduce human stress to the corridor.     

The vulnerable Osprey breeding population of the Al Hoceima National Park,Morocco: present status and threats

In the Mediterranean, most areas belonging to the initial distribution range of the Osprey Pandion haliaetus have been lost and local populations have disappeared in recent decades because of persecution. Even though direct management actions have allowed local partial recovery, the Mediterranean population currently only holds a few tens of breeding pairs and is still exposed to local extinction risks. One of the last Mediterranean Osprey breeding areas lies along the North African coast between Morocco and Algeria. In this paper, we report new information on the Osprey population within the Al Hoceima National Park, Morocco. The status of the population for 2012 and 2013 is reported and compared with data collected during the period 1983–1990. A reduction in number of nests and breeding pairs was observed and a 35.7% decrease in the population size recorded. In addition, we discuss the main identified threats to Osprey habitats (e.g. dynamite and poison fishing) that affect the Osprey breeding population in this area. In this context, we stress the necessity for urgent measures to be adopted at the local scale for the protection of this vulnerable population in the light of a sound conservation strategy also at the scale of the Mediterranean.     

Functions of Soil for Society and the Environment

Six key environmental, social and economic functions of soil are described, as well as the reversible and irreversible threats, caused by their uses. Sustainable use of soil is defined by the temporal and/or spatial (local or regional) harmonisation in the uses of the 6 functions, excluding or minimising irreversible ones, which is not a scientific but a political task.     

亚洲虎种群恢复的机遇与挑战

虎(Panthera tigris)作为顶级捕食者, 对维持森林生态系统服务和结构完整性有着重要作用, 是研究和保护工作的旗舰物种。历史上, 虎曾广泛分布于亚洲大部分地区, 如今仅分布于南亚、东南亚和东北亚的破碎化栖息地, 各区域种群处于濒危或极度濒危状态。准确了解野生虎的种群状态和生态需求信息对于科学开展保护和恢复工作至关重要。本文通过综述近几十年的研究文献, 总结了野生虎种群现状和主要威胁因素, 评价了已有研究的重点与不足, 为未来亚洲虎种群的研究和保护提出了建议。目前与虎相关的研究主要集中在分布范围最广的孟加拉虎(P. t. tigris)和东北虎(P. t. altaica) 2个亚种, 而最急需关注的其他亚种仍研究不足。经过近十几年的努力和保护投入, 目前野生虎种群数量已从2010年的大约3,200只恢复到现在约4,500只, 但在越南、柬埔寨和老挝3个国家已经灭绝。虎面临的主要威胁包括持续的栖息地破坏和隔离、猎物缺乏、近交衰退、人虎冲突、贸易与盗猎和疾病威胁等。未来的研究和保护工作需要加强种群和栖息地连通性恢复、个体重引入、疾病管控以及加强跨境合作和反盗猎等。     

An assessment of red list data for the Pezizomycotina (Ascomycota): Umbria (Italy) as a test case

Abstract

A Red List of all 108 Pezizomycotina (Ascomycota) species recorded in Umbria Region (central Italy) is provided. According to the IUCN categories and criteria, 60.18% of the assessed species are classified as threatened, whereas 12.96% are Near Threatened (NT), 1.86% are Least Concerned (LC) and a noteworthy amount of 25% are Data Deficient (DD). As a consequence of the downlisting applied to the majority of the assessed taxa, according to the guidelines for application of IUCN red list criteria at Regional level, only 1.54% of the threatened species is Critically Endangered (CR), while 46.15% are Endangered (EN) and 52.31% are Vulnerable (VU). Given that the present work represents the first complete regional red list of Pezizomycotina in Italy, and that a national, as well as a European red list do not exist to date, it could be considered as a case study for other Italian Regions as well as for other European countries, aiming at the compilation of a national and European red list of this fungal group mostly overlooked in conservation strategies.     

Global species richness of hydrobiid snails determined by climate and evolutionary history

相似文献   

The rediscovery of Biebersteinia orphanidis Boiss. (Geraniaceae) in Greece

Biebersteinia orphanidis was considered extinct from Greece and Europe as it had not been collected since Orphanides' type collection of 1851. Its rediscovery is reported here from a mountain close to the classical locality. The species serves as a distinct phytogeographical link between the floras of Greece and Anatolia. In Greece, at least, it grows in a critically low number of individuals. Data on the species habitat and population status are given, and potential threats to its survival are discussed.     

Solutions to the New Threats to Academic Freedom?

In my commentary on Francesca Minerva's article ‘New Threats to Academic Freedom’, I agree with her contention that the existence of the Internet has given rise to new and very serious threats to academic freedom. I think that it is crucial that we confront those threats, and find ways to eliminate them, which I believe can be done. The threats in question involve both authors and editors. In the case of authors, I argue that the best solution is not anonymous publication, but publication using pseudonyms, and I describe how that would work. In the case of editors, my proposal is a website that a number of journals would have access to, where papers that editors judge to be clearly worthy of publication, but whose publication seems likely to set off a firestorm of public and media protest, could be published without any indication of the journal that had accepted the paper for publication.     

Filling the gap to avoid extinction: Conservation status of Brazilian species of Epidendrum L. (Orchidaceae)

Orchidaceae has the largest percentage of threatened genera and species in relation to other plant families. One of the largest neotropical genus in this family is Epidendrum, represented in Brazil by 130 species. In this study, we assessed the conservation status of 63 Brazilian endemic species of Epidendrum. We characterized the extinction risk following the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessment guide, using criterion B. We considered species with a minimum number of four samples with confirmed occurrence localities and we measured the decline in quality or absolute reduction in the geographical distribution area of the species due to vegetation suppression (conditions bi, bii and biii of criterion B) in the last 35 years, using data available in MAPBIOMAS. A total of 2,754 records belonging to 37 assessed species were gathered, other 24 species were classified as Data Deficient (DD), and two were not assessed. Among the assessed species, 10 were categorized as Endangered (EN), six as Vulnerable (VU), 10 as Near Threatened (NT) and 11 as Least Concern (LC). The results reveal that epiphytic species of the Atlantic Forest were more frequently assessed in some degree of threat (55%). E. strobilicaule Hágsater & Benelli had the largest reduction of distribution area in the last 35 years to the classes of human use that include economical activities, while E. paniculosum Barb.Rodr. showed the smallest reduction. The main threats of the last 35 years for the analyzed species were conversion of land to pastures, urbanization, and the conversion of land to a mosaic of agriculture and pasture. This study provides important information about the conservation status of Brazilian endemic species of Epidendrum, helping to fill an expressive gap of non-assessed species.     

Historical drivers of extinction risk: using past evidence to direct future monitoring

Global commitments to halt biodiversity decline mean that it is essential to monitor species'' extinction risk. However, the work required to assess extinction risk is intensive. We demonstrate an alternative approach to monitoring extinction risk, based on the response of species to external conditions. Using retrospective International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessments, we classify transitions in the extinction risk of 497 mammalian carnivores and ungulates between 1975 and 2013. Species that moved to lower Red List categories, or remained Least Concern, were classified as ‘lower risk''; species that stayed in a threatened category, or moved to a higher category of risk, were classified as ‘higher risk''. Twenty-four predictor variables were used to predict transitions, including intrinsic traits (species biology) and external conditions (human pressure, distribution state and conservation interventions). The model correctly classified up to 90% of all transitions and revealed complex interactions between variables, such as protected areas (PAs) versus human impact. The most important predictors were: past extinction risk, PA extent, geographical range size, body size, taxonomic family and human impact. Our results suggest that monitoring a targeted set of metrics would efficiently identify species facing a higher risk, and could guide the allocation of resources between monitoring species'' extinction risk and monitoring external conditions.     

外来入侵物种细足捷蚁的SS-PCR快速检测技术研究

细足捷蚁Anoplolepis gracilipes为我国南部地区新发现的外来入侵物种,对入侵地区生物多样性已造成严重威胁。本研究针对其个体小、表型特征较难鉴定等问题,建立基于SS-PCR技术的细足捷蚁快速分子检测鉴定技术体系。以细足捷蚁为阳性对照,以其他7种形态相似种和常见种为阴性对照,采用基于线粒体DNA细胞色素C氧化酶亚基Ⅰ(mt DNA COI)基因序列的种特异性PCR方法 (species-specific PCR,SS-PCR),研究其快速分子检测鉴定技术的关键指标和反应条件。利用昆虫mt DNA COI基因通用型引物LCO-1490/HCO-2198获得细足捷蚁及其他7种形态相似种和常见蚂蚁种的COI序列,根据测序比对及筛选得到1对高灵敏度引物APGPF/APGPR,其扩增片段大小为374 bp。种特异性检验结果表明,该引物只对细足捷蚁的COI基因具有扩增能力,对其他7种形态相似种和常见种包括拟光腹弓背蚁Camponotus irritans(Smith,1857)、费氏弓背蚁Camponotus fedtschenkoi(Mayr,1877)、尼科巴弓背蚁Camponotus nicobarensis(Mayr,1865)、黄猄蚁Oecophylla smaragdina(Fabricius,1775)、大阪举腹蚁Crematogaster osakensis(Forel,1900)、宽结大头蚁Pheidole noda(Smith,1874)、大头蚁Pheidole sp.不具有特异性扩增效果。灵敏性检验的结果表示,该对引物不仅对成年工蚁具有良好的扩增能力,对不同品级与龄期的蚂蚁卵、蛹、幼虫也具有同样的扩增能力,其检测阈值为22.00 pg/μL(相当于1/51 200头成虫)。建立的细足捷蚁对其他7种形态相似种和常见种的物种特异性检测鉴定技术,可用于细足捷蚁的快速识别、监测预警和控制清除等相关研究与应用。     

Spatial and taxonomic biases in bat records: Drivers and conservation implications in a megadiverse country

Biases in data availability have serious consequences on scientific inferences that can be derived. The potential consequences of these biases could be more detrimental in the less‐studied megadiverse regions, often characterized by high biodiversity and serious risks of human threats, as conservation and management actions could be misdirected. Here, focusing on 134 bat species in Mexico, we analyze spatial and taxonomic biases and their drivers in occurrence data; and identify priority areas for further data collection which are currently under‐sampled or at future environmental risk. We collated a comprehensive database of 26,192 presence‐only bat records in Mexico to characterize taxonomic and spatial biases and relate them to species' characteristics (range size and foraging behavior). Next, we examined variables related to accessibility, species richness and security to explain the spatial patterns in occurrence records. Finally, we compared the spatial distributions of existing data and future threats to these species to highlight those regions that are likely to experience an increased level of threats but are currently under‐surveyed. We found taxonomic biases, where species with wider geographical ranges and narrow‐space foragers (species easily captured with traditional methods), had more occurrence data. There was a significant oversampling toward tropical regions, and the presence and number of records was positively associated with areas of high topographic heterogeneity, road density, urban, and protected areas, and negatively associated with areas which were predicted to have future increases in temperature and precipitation. Sampling efforts for Mexican bats appear to have focused disproportionately on easily captured species, tropical regions, areas of high species richness and security; leading to under‐sampling in areas of high future threats. These biases could substantially influence the assessment of current status of, and future anthropogenic impacts on, this diverse species group in a tropical megadiverse country.     

中国水柏枝属植物的地理分布、濒危状况及其保育策略

水柏枝属(MyricariaDesv.)植物主要分布于中国青藏高原及其邻近地区,为欧亚温带高山植物类群,多为河岸带植物,是分布区湿地生态系统和荒漠生态系统的重要组分。为评价这些特殊生态系统关键植物的分布及受威胁现状,对中国水柏枝属植物的地理分布和濒危状况进行了调查。调查发现,该属中国分布的11个分类群均受到生存胁迫,其中疏花水柏枝即将成为野外灭绝种,宽叶水柏枝已属极危种,心叶水柏枝为濒危种,秀丽水柏枝、泽当水柏枝、小花水柏枝、卧生水柏枝和匍匐水柏枝为渐危种,具鳞水柏枝、三春水柏枝和宽苞水柏枝为受胁种。结果表明,以水利建设为主的人为干扰和土地沙化、气温升高带来的环境改变是导致该属植物生存胁迫的主要原因。最后探讨了水柏枝属这类河岸带湿地和荒漠生境植物的保育策略。     

通过红色名录评估探讨中国爬行动物受威胁现状及原因

为了评估中国爬行动物红色名录, 我们按照爬行动物生物学特性, 适当修改了IUCN濒危物种红色名录标准Version 3.1。在此基础上, 评估了中国爬行动物生存现状, 参与编制了《中国生物多样性红色名录——脊椎动物卷》。此次评估的中国爬行动物有3目32科133属461种, 结果为: 区域灭绝(RE) 2种、极危(CR) 34种、濒危(EN) 37种、易危(VU) 66种、近危(NT) 78种、无危(LC) 175种以及数据缺乏(DD) 69种。中国受威胁(包括极危、濒危、易危)的爬行动物共计137种, 约占总数的29.72%, 包括龟鳖目31种、有鳞目蛇亚目67种、蜥蜴亚目38种和鳄形目1种, 高于2014年《IUCN濒危物种红色名录》评估的世界爬行动物受威胁比例(13.61%)。在所有受威胁物种中, 受威胁比例最高的类群是鳄形目(100%)和龟鳖目(91.18%), 其次是有鳞目蛇亚目(28.39%), 第三是有鳞目蜥蜴亚目(20.21%)。中国爬行动物特有种受威胁物种有39种, 占特有种总数(143种)的27.27%, 占受威胁物种总数(137)的28.47%。长江以南的华南和西南地区受威胁的物种最多。爬行动物受人类干扰严重, 主要表现为: 栖息地质量退化及生境破碎化、过度利用及污染和气候变化等。尽管自1989年《中华人民共和国野生动物保护法》实施以来, 一些中国濒危爬行动物的生存状况得到改善。但鉴于中国爬行动物区系的独特性和多样性、地形地貌的复杂性及社会经济发展的不均衡性, 为了维持区域生态安全和资源可持续利用, 拯救中国濒危爬行动物, 尤其是中国特有爬行动物中的极危物种, 是中国动物保护工作最迫切的任务之一。     

Clear and present danger: balancing the land management issues of today with the eternal challenge of climate change

Summary Management of natural ecosystems in Australian landscapes is fraught with difficulties and challenges. While unfavourable climate change is viewed of as an overwhelming critical factor, government and nongovernment groups faced with conserving biodiversity and ecological processes must continue to focus on already well‐advanced present‐day threats that erode the resilience of species to environmental perturbations and change. The most notable of these are posed by land clearing, introduced pests, weeds and inappropriate fire regimes. There are many positive examples of the biodiversity gains that can be made from reconnecting remnant vegetation, intensive and extensive pest and weed control, and re‐adjusting fire regimes. When such pressures are alleviated, native species sometimes display an innate ability to recover. This gives hope that natural systems can be both resurrected and maintained for a range of functions, including providing sufficient suitable habitat to support the movement of component species in response to climate change. Achieving success in managing natural areas over the long term may be further assisted by looking outside the box for funding sources. Monitoring the outcome of land management activities is a key to understanding what is being achieved and should be encouraged wherever possible.