Crepis novoana (Asteraceae), a new species restricted to coastal cliffs in northern Galicia (northwest Iberian Peninsula)

A new species of the section Lepidoseris (Rchb.) Benth. of the genus Crepis L. (Asteraceae) is described. The new species is restricted to a single known locality on near-vertical coastal cliffs of the Ria de Cedeira in northern Galicia (northwest Iberian Peninsula). Morphometric characters permitting discrimination from the most similar taxa are detailed, and possible phylogenetic relationships with other species of the section Lepidoseris (particularly those of the C. vesicaria complex) are discussed.     

Divergence between passerine populations from the Malvinas – Falkland Islands and their continental counterparts: a comparative phylogeographical study

Bursts of speciation have followed colonization of remote oceanic islands by diverse taxa, a process evidenced by island endemics around the world. The present study explores whether the Malvinas – Falkland Islands (MFI), a relatively understudied archipelago off the South Atlantic coast of Patagonia, harbour endemic genetic lineages of passerine birds. Nine passerine species nest regularly in the MFI (Cinclodes antarcticus, Muscisaxicola maclovianus, Troglodytes cobbi, Cistothorus platensis, Turdus falcklandii, Anthus correndera, Melanodera melanodera, Sturnella loyca, and Carduelis barbata). Mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase I sequences) are used to quantify and compare divergence between insular and continental populations, finding genetic patterns to vary across these nine species. Most MFI passerines do not show significant genetic differentiation from continental populations, whereas C. platensis, M. melanodera, and T. falcklandii are modestly diverged. Finally, T. cobbi differes markedly from its closest continental relative Troglodytes aedon, a result that is confirmed using nuclear and vocal data. The study also identifies broadly divergent lineages within continental populations of C. platensis and T. aedon. Taken together, these results suggest that the land bird populations of the MFI were established at different times. Troglodytes cobbi is the oldest MFI land bird, splitting from continental T. aedon during the Great Patagonian Glaciation of the Pleistocene. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, •• , ••–••.     

Molecular characterization of an ancient Hepatozoon species parasitizing the 'living fossil' marsupial 'Monito del Monte' Dromiciops gliroides from Chile

The Microbiotheriid Dromiciops gliroides , also known as 'Monito del Monte', is considered to be a threatened species and the only living representative of this group of South American marsupials. During the last few years, several blood samples from specimens of 'Monito del Monte' captured at Chiloé island in Chile have been investigated for blood parasites. Inspection of blood smears detected a Hepatozoon species infecting red blood cells. The sequences of DNA fragments corresponding to small subunit ribosomal RNA gene revealed two parasitic lineages belonging to Hepatozoon genus. These parasite lineages showed a basal position with respect to Hepatozoon species infecting rodents, reptiles, and amphibians but are phylogenetically distinct from Hepatozoon species infecting the order Carnivora. In addition, the Hepatozoon lineages infecting D. gliroides are also different from those infecting other micro-mammals living in sympatry, as well as from some that have been described to infect an Australian species of bandicoot. The potential vector of this parasite appears to be the host-specific tick Ixodes neuquenensis because the sequencing of a long amplicon determined the presence of one of the two lineages found in the marsupial.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 98 , 568–576.     

Fog interception by Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) crowns decouples physiology from soil water deficit

Although crown wetting events can increase plant water status, leaf wetting is thought to negatively affect plant carbon balance by depressing photosynthesis and growth. We investigated the influence of crown fog interception on the water and carbon relations of juvenile and mature Sequoia sempervirens trees. Field observations of mature trees indicated that fog interception increased leaf water potential above that of leaves sheltered from fog. Furthermore, observed increases in leaf water potential exceeded the maximum water potential predicted if soil water was the only available water source. Because field observations were limited to two mature trees, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate how fog interception influences plant water status and photosynthesis. Pre-dawn and midday branchlet water potential, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured on S. sempervirens saplings exposed to increasing soil water deficit, with and without overnight canopy fog interception. Sapling fog interception increased leaf water potential and photosynthesis above the control and soil water deficit treatments despite similar dark-acclimated leaf chlorophyll fluorescence. The field observations and greenhouse experiment show that fog interception represents an overlooked flux into the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum that temporarily, but significantly, decouples leaf-level water and carbon relations from soil water availability.     

Taxonomic notes on Polygonaceae from southern tropical Afkica

As part of taxonomic studies of the family Polygonacrae For the Flora Zambesiaca project, two new species from southrrn tropical Africa are described: Persicaria nogueirae S. Ortiz & Paiva, from Zambia and Angola, and Oxygonum annuum S. Ortiz & Paiva, from Zambia. In addition, two new combinations are proposed: Polygonum glomertum Dammer is transferred to the genus Persicaria as Persicaria glomerata (Dammrr) S. Ortiz & Paiva, and Persicaria attemtata (R. Br.) Soják subsp. africana K.L. Wilson is renamed Persicaria madagascariensis (Meisn.) S. Ortiz & Paiva.     

Concordance between ecotypes and macroinvertebrate assemblages in Mediterranean streams

1. According to the guidelines of the European Water Framework Directive, assessment of the ecological quality of streams and rivers should be based on ecotype-specific reference conditions. Here, we assess two approaches for establishing a typology for Mediterranean streams: a top-down approach using environmental variables and bottom-up approach using macroinvertebrate assemblages.
2. Classification of 162 sites using environmental variables resulted in five ecotypes: (i) temporary streams; (ii) evaporite calcareous streams at medium altitude; (iii) siliceous headwater streams at high altitude; (iv) calcareous headwater streams at medium to high altitude and (v) large watercourses.
3. Macroinvertebrate communities of minimally disturbed sites ( n  = 105), grouped using UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages) on Bray–Curtis similarities, were used to validate four of the five ecotypes obtained using environmental variables; ecotype 5, large watercourses, was not included as this group had no reference sites.
4. Analysis of similarities ( anosim ) showed that macroinvertebrate assemblage composition differed among three of the four ecotypes, resulting in differences between the bottom-up and top-down classification approaches. Siliceous streams were clearly different from the other three ecotypes, evaporite and calcareous ecotypes did not show large differences in macroinvertebrate assemblages and temporary streams formed a very heterogeneous group because of large variability in salinity and hydrology.
5. This study showed that stream classification schemes based on environmental variables need to be validated using biological variables. Furthermore, our findings indicate that special attention should be given to the classification of temporary streams.     

Climate change and fitness components of a migratory bird breeding in the Mediterranean region

The increase in spring temperatures in temperate regions over the last two decades has led to an advancing spring phenology, and most resident birds have responded to it by advancing their onset of breeding. The pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) is a long‐distance migrant bird with a relatively late onset of breeding with respect to both resident birds and spring phenology in Europe. In the present correlational study, we show that some fitness components of pied flycatchers are suffering from climate change in two of the southernmost European breeding populations. In both montane study areas, temperature during May increased between 1980 and 2000 and an advancement of oak leafing was detected by using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to assess tree phenology. This might result in an advancement of the peak in availability of caterpillars, the main prey during the nestling stage. Over the past 18 yr, the time of egg laying and clutch size of pied flycatchers were not affected by the increase in spring temperatures in these Mediterranean populations. However, this increase seems to have an adverse effect on the reproductive output of pied flycatchers over the same period. Our data suggest that the mismatch between the timing of peak food supply and nestling demand caused by recent climate change might result in a reduction of parental energy expenditure that is reflected in a reduction of nestling growth and survival of fledged young in our study populations. The data seem to indicate that the breeding season has not shifted and it is the environment that has shifted away from the timing of the pied flycatcher breeding season. Mediterranean pied flycatchers were not able to advance their onset of breeding, probably, because they are constrained by their late arrival date and their restricted high altitude breeding habitat selection near the southern border of their range.     

Gametophyte morphology and gametangial ontogeny of Asplenium foreziense and related taxa (Aspleniaceae: Pteridophyta)

Gametophytes of Asplenium foreziense and related taxa have been studied by culture of spores on mineral agar and soil. Those of A. obovatum ssp. obovatum var. protobillotii and var. deltoideum , ssp. numidicum , and of A. macedonicum are described for the first time. Gametophyte development follows the Adiantum type in the A. obovatum group, and the Aspidium type in A. fontanum . Both types of development have been found in A. foreziense , depending on the sporophytic sample. The taxa with hairy gametophytes show significant differences in hair density. As in most of the homosporous ferns, antheridia are formed first and in a high proportion of gametophytes in the A. obovatum group and in A. fontanum , except for one sample; most of these male gametophytes become bisexual. In A. foreziense and A. macedonicum archegonia are formed first or at the same time as antheridia, but the proportion of female gametophytes is higher than in the other taxa; some of the gametophytes become bisexual, most of them differentiated from the female ones. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 139 , 87–98.     

Haematozoa in forest birds from southern Chile: Latitudinal gradients in prevalence and parasite lineage richness

Abstract The existence of latitudinal gradients in species richness and their abundance is known for many free living organisms but few cases have been reported for parasitic diseases. In addition, asymmetries between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in several characteristics may affect the distribution and diversity of species at all ecological levels. In this respect, we study the distribution of several genera of blood parasites infecting birds along a latitudinal gradient that includes the world's southernmost forests ecosystems. Birds were mist‐netted and sampled for blood in localities across Chile ranging from 33°S to 55°S during the years 2003–06. Overall, 26 bird species were sampled and 27 parasite lineages were identified. The latter belonged to three genera: Plasmodium (8), Haemoproteus (8) and Leucocytozoon (11). We found a positive significant relationship between prevalence and latitude for Leucocytozoon lineages and a negative relationship for Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and mixed infections. However, we did not find a significant relationship between parasite diversity and latitude. We found 18 lineages infecting only one species of host, and 19 lineages appear in only one of the localities of sampling. This pattern implies that some parasite lineages may evolve in isolation in some species/localities. In addition, specificity at the host‐family level was only found for Haemoproteus lineages infecting birds in the family Emberizidae. Individuals of the long distance migrant bird white‐crested elaenia (Elaenia albiceps), were found infected by the same parasite lineages in localities separated by 20° of latitude. Infections by these lineages were detected in other sedentary birds including juveniles and nestlings of different bird species. Therefore, long distance migrants are able to distort the presence of latitudinal gradients of diseases due to the potential role of migrants in spreading infections. Geographical gradients in prevalence of avian haematozoa differ between parasite genera and hemispheres, probably in relation to the existence of appropriate vector–parasite–host interactions.