Revision of the subgenus Tinotus Sharp,stat. n., of the parasitoid rove-beetle genus Aleochara Gravenhorst (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae) from Japan,Taiwan, and the Russian Far East

The subgenus Tinotus Sharp, 1833, stat. n., of the genus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 (Aleocharini: Aleocharina) from Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East is revised. Tinotus is a new record from the latter two regions. Three species are recognized: Aleochara (Tinotus) morion Gravenhorst, 1802, comb. n. [Japan (new record), the Russian Far East (new record)], Aleochara (Tinotus) eoa nom. n. [replacement name for Tinotus japonicus Cameron, 1933; Japan, Taiwan (new record)], and Aleochara (Tinotus) takashii sp. n. (central Honshû, Japan). The systematic position of Tinotus is discussed. All species are (re-)described, keyed, and figured. A world checklist of Tinotus species, comprising 40 valid species, is provided in an appendix. Additional taxonomic changes are proposed, including a new synonymy, a revalidation, 13 new replacement names, and 27 new combinations.     

Ethiopian agriculture has greater potential for carbon sequestration than previously estimated

More than half of the cultivation‐induced carbon loss from agricultural soils could be restored through improved management. To incentivise carbon sequestration, the potential of improved practices needs to be verified. To date, there is sparse empirical evidence of carbon sequestration through improved practices in East‐Africa. Here, we show that agroforestry and restrained grazing had a greater stock of soil carbon than their bordering pair‐matched controls, but the difference was less obvious with terracing. The controls were treeless cultivated fields for agroforestry, on slopes not terraced for terracing, and permanent pasture for restrained grazing, representing traditionally managed agricultural practices dominant in the case regions. The gain by the improved management depended on the carbon stocks in the control plots. Agroforestry for 6–20 years led to 11.4 Mg ha^?1 and restrained grazing for 6–17 years to 9.6 Mg ha^?1 greater median soil carbon stock compared with the traditional management. The empirical estimates are higher than previous process‐model‐based estimates and indicate that Ethiopian agriculture has greater potential to sequester carbon in soil than previously estimated.     

Rays of Hope from the Ecological Restoration Alliance of Botanic Gardens,following its recent meeting in Amman,Jordan

In the spring of 2015, the Ecological Restoration Alliance (ERA) of Botanic Gardens held its fourth international meeting in Amman, Jordan, hosted by the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan. Three regional working groups were launched, for the Middle East, East Africa, and Latin America, and new partnerships were forged to support ecological restoration initiatives led by botanic gardens in Jordan, Oman, and elsewhere. A one‐day public symposium, attended by over 100 people, was also held—the most significant public meeting on ecological restoration held to date in the Middle East. A communications strategy for regional outreach was agreed upon starting with the translation of several Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) foundation documents into Arabic. A peer‐reviewed translation of the SER International Primer on Ecological Restoration has already been produced by staff of the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan and posted on the SER website. Further efforts will be made to promote public awareness in Jordan and regionally, in support of existing conservation and restoration programs, and to promote greater integration of ecological restoration programs in national and regional development schemes and government policies. Key action points were agreed upon to promote the practice of ecological restoration and the role of botanic gardens globally vis‐à‐vis policy makers and funders.     

东太湖全新世水下河道沉积特征及环境演变

在详细研究东太湖Ｅ２孔全新世沉积基础上,总结和归纳了水下河道的沉积特征和相组合规律。识别出高湖面型和低湖南型两种沉积层序,划分了东太湖晚更新世末以来环境演变阶段：１）１５８８５－６５７５ａＢ．Ｐ．冲积黄土基础上发育而成的古河道;２）６５７５－５８００ａＢ．Ｐ．高湖面时期水下河道沉积环境;３）５８００ａＢ．Ｐ．后,演化为低湖面型水下河道,并逐渐淤积形成开敞湖缘环境。结合西太湖Ｗ１孔沉积特征和层位对比     

Neoschumannia (includingSwynnertonia), a primitive genus of theAsclepiadaceae-Stapelieae

A comparison of the West AfricanNeoschumannia Schltr. and the East AfricanSwynnertonia S. Moore reveals that the two monotypic genera must be united.Swynnertonia is sunk into synonymy ofNeoschumannia and the new combinationNeoschumannia cardinea (S. Moore)Meve is made for the East African species.Neoschumannia is shown to belong to the tribeStapelieae. The taxon exhibits a very unusual character combination: the growth form of a woody liana is combined with a tripartite corona unique within theAsclepiadaceae. The morphology of the corona suggests a position ofNeoschumannia close to the base of theStapelieae —Ceropegiinae alliance.     

Taxonomy and geographical distribution of Dugesia japonica and D. ryukyuensis in the Far East

Dugesia japonica Ichikawa et Kawakatsu, 1964, is a common and polymorphic species of freshwater planarian distributed widely in the Far East. In 1976 the geographic populations were separated into 2 subspecies (D.j.japonica and D.j. ryukyuensis). The taxonomy of this species is reconsidered once again from the morphological, anatomical, histological, and karyological viewpoints. From the result of these studies, D.j. ryukyuensis is elevated to the rank of species: D. ryukyuensis Kawakatsu, 1976. D. japonica (n = 8, 2x = 16, 3x = 24) differs from D. ryukyuensis (n = 7, 2x = 14, 3x = 21) in having an asymmetrical penis papilla without a well-developed valve surrounding its basal part, and a well-developed vagina (distribution: the Japanese Islands, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, China, and Primorskiy, Northeast Siberia, in Russia). D. ryukyuensis is characterized by an asymmetrical penis papilla with a well-developed valve surrounding its basal part, and a less-developed vagina (distribution: the Southwest Islands of Japan).     

The effect of bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) dispersal on seed germination in eastern Mediterranean habitats

The fruit-bat Rousettus aegyptiacus (Pteropodidae) in Israel consumes a variety of cultivated and wild fruits. The aim of this study was to explore some of its qualities as a dispersal agent for six fruit-bearing plant species. The feeding roosts of the fruit-bat are located an average of 30 m from its feeding trees and thus the bats disperse the seeds away from the shade of the parent canopy. The bat spits out large seeds but may pass some (2%) of the small seeds (<4 mg) through its digestive tract. However, neither the deposited seeds nor the ejected seeds (except in one case) had a significantly higher percentage germinating than intact seeds. Although the fruit-bat did not increase the percentage germinating, seeds of three plant species subject to different feeding behaviors (deposited in feces or spat out as ejecta) had a different temporal pattern of germination from the intact seeds. The combined seed germination distribution generated by these different treatments is more even over time than for each treatment alone. It is sugested that this increases asynchronous germination and therefore enhances plant fitness by spreading the risks encountered during germination, especially in eastern Mediterranean habitats where the pattern of rainfall is unpredictable.     

Probable effects of CO2-induced climatic changes on net primary productivity of terrestrial vegetation in East Asia

Changes in the net primary productivity (NPP) of natural vegetation of monsoon East Asia were simulated under three, doubled CO₂-climate scenarios (GISS, GFDL and UKMO). These three scenarios and baseline climate data were converted to grids of 1^o×1^o meshes. The gridded climatic data were used together with the Chikugo model to assess NPP under baseline and CO₂-doubling climates. The potential total net production (TNP₀) of East Asia was climatically evaluated to be 154×10⁸ t dry matter year⁻¹. The climatic changes induced by a doubled CO₂ concentration are predicted to increase the TNP₀ by approximately 9–15%, depending on the climatic scenario. The estimated increase in TNP₀ would be limited by the difference between the rate of shift of climatic zones and the rate of migration of vegetation formations.     

Diversity of hipparionines (Perissodactyla: Equidae) from the late Miocene–Pliocene Siwalik deposits at Haritalyangar,India

The present work is focused on the hipparionine remains from the late Miocene to early Pliocene deposits of the Haritalyangar areas, Himachal Pardesh, India. These remains are taxonomically ranked to five genera (Plesiohipparion, Proboscidipparion, Cormohipparion, Sivalhippus, and Eurygnathohippus) and seven species. The described taxa are predominantly known from China, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Among these, Proboscidipparion is reported for the first time from the Siwaliks; the material assigned to Plesiohipparion sp. is a potential candidate for a new species. Hipparionines from this area have long been poorly known and are helpful to understand the palaeontological context of the Indian Siwalik mammalian fauna. The hipparionines suggest a wide variety of environmental conditions ranging from grasslands to forests.     

Latitudinal pattern of mountain vegetation zonation in southern and eastern Asia

A new scheme of altitudinal and latitudinal vegetation zonation is proposed for eastern Asia. The latitudinal patterns of mountain vegetation zonation show a clear boundary at ca. 20°–30° N. For the tropical mountains south of 20° N, the altitudinal series includes tropical lowland, tropical lower montane, and tropical upper montane zones. For the temperate mountains north of 30° N, the series includes temperate lowland, temperate lower montane, and temperate upper montane zones. The mountains located between 20° and 30° N show a transitional zonation pattern; the lower two zones are comparable to the lower two of the tropical zonation (tropical lowland and tropical lower montane), and the upper two zones are comparable to those of the temperate zonation (temperate lower montane and temperate upper montane). The tropical upper montane zone is not found north of 20°–30° N, while the tropical lower montane zone reaches down to sea level and constitutes the temperate lowland zone. Thus the zonation between 20° and 30° N includes tropical lowland, tropical lower montane/temperate lowland, temperate lower montane, and temperate upper montane zones. The latitudinal series of lowland rain forests follows the scheme of climatic division into tropical, subtropical/warm-temperate, cool-temperate and cold-temperate, with a shift of the respective life forms, evergreen, evergreen notophyllous, deciduous, and evergreen needle-leaved. The tropical lower montane forest can be correlated to the horizontal subtropical/ warm-temperate zone. The temperate altitudinal and latitudinal zonations above 30° N are correlated and show an inclined parallel pattern from high altitudes in the south to low altitudes down to sea level in the north.