Establishment growth of cabbage palm,sabal palmetto (arecaceae)

Cabbage palms (Sabal palmetto) go through an establishment phase during which the stem grows downward for a period of time before growing upward. We estimated the duration of this phase for cabbage palms growing in coastal forest in Florida using a matrix model approach. All data were collected over a 2-yr period (1993-1995) in coastal forest at Waccasassa∗∗∗ Bay, Florida. The minimum time projected by the model for a plant to develop an aboveground trunk was 14 yr. We estimate that the fastest growing 1, 10, and 50% of plants would develop an aboveground trunk in 33, 42, and 59 yr, respectively. The projected duration of the trunkless phase is surprisingly long but not unlike other palms with similar types of establishment growth. Our estimates are much longer than anecdotal estimates for cabbage palms grown under nursery conditions but are similar to anecdotal estimates for plants grown in field conditions. Management practices that remove cabbage palms with aboveground stems usually leave a population of palms without aboveground stems that serves as temporary reserve for relatively rapid recovery of the palm stand. This may foster the perception by many that cabbage palms are fast growing.     

Molecular systematics of the Asiatic Viverridae (Carnivora) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence analysis

Cytochrome b sequences of 15 species of Viverridae were used to investigate the systematic relationships of the Asiatic Viverridae and their affinities to African viverrid species. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining) supported the hypothesis of paraphyly of the subfamily Viverrinae, whereas the data suggests the monophyly of the two Viverridae subfamilies endemic to Asia. The Asiatic viverrids do not appear to have a unique origin. Results indicate that the Asiatic linsang is less closely related to the other Asiatic taxa, whereas the African civet ( Civettictis ) groups with the Asiatic civets ( Viverra , Viverricula ). The relationships between the three clades — civets, Paradoxurinae, Hemigalinae — cannot be firmly established, but they appear to be closely related together.     

Intrapetiolar inflorescence buds in Salacca (Palmae): development and significance

The inflorescence in all species of Salacca is enclosed in a chamber within the leaf base and is exserted through a slit on the abaxial surface of the leaf base. The inflorescence bud is interpreted ds an axillary meristem that becomes radially displaced by adaxial growth of the leaf primordium. A fine channel is produced from the leaf axil to the base of the inflorescence and persists at maturity. The channel and the bud chamber enlarge as the leaf elongates. They are lined by an epidermal layer. There is no cellular breakdown until the collapse and tearing of tissues of the leaf during inflorescence enlargement late in ontogeny. The vegetative bud is positioned about 130⁰ from the axil of its subtending leaf and lies directly below the abaxial inflorescence slit of the leaf above. Vegetative bud development was not observed, hut there is a suggestion of relatively late initiation. The separation of. Eleiodoxa from Salacca is supported by differences in the development of inflorescence and vegetative buds.     

SCoT-marker analysis of Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. (Coleoptera: Silvanidae) and stored date kernels of Phoenix dactylifera (L.) fumigated with ozone and phosphine gases

Oryzaephilus surinamensis, a common grain product pest around the world, particularly causing great damage and losses to the date crops available in the storage. It has been traditionally resisted by using organic pesticides despite suspicions of their harmful effects on dates. This study aimed at the evaluation of the usage of ozone gas as an effective pesticide and also focuses on the safety alternatives provided by the respective method as compared to the usage of phosphine as a pesticide. While studying the ozone effects, the O. surinamensis was exposed to the gas for a variety of time scales (2, 4 and 6 h), distinctly for every life stages of the insect such as egg, larva and adults, infested the Phoenix dactylifera L date palm species present in the Siwa oasis. The obtained results showed that the adult insects had high resistance to ozone gas, while the larvae and egg stages were less resistant. The reduction rate of vital insect was 100% in all stages. Start codon analysis of DNA also showed that there are some SCoT primers can be identified and differentiated between the different treatments and control. On the other hand, the percentage of polymorphisms in insects was 50% while in date kernels 25% by six SCoT primers used. This study highlighted higher efficacy and safety regarding the usage of ozone gas in effectively controlling the manifestation of O. Surinamensis and thereby reducing the loss of stored date crops as compared to the phosphine.     

Migratory bird community structure in oil palm (Elaies guineensis) plantations and native forest fragments in southern Mexico

Oil palm (Elaies guineensis) plantations are among the fastest growing agroecosystems in the Neotropics, but little is known about how Neotropical birds use oil palm habitats. To better understand the potential value of oil palm as an overwintering habitat for migratory birds, we surveyed birds in oil palm and native forest remnants in Tabasco, Mexico, from 19 December 2017 to 27 March 2018. We collected data on bird abundance and vegetative structure and used generalized linear models and multivariate analysis to assess how oil palm development influenced migrant bird diversity, community assemblages, and abundance. We found that species richness of migratory birds tended to be higher in forest patches than in oil palm, that community assemblages of migratory birds differed between native forest and oil palm plantations, and that differences in migratory bird abundance, and subsequent changes in community assemblages were driven by differences between native forest and oil palm plantations in vegetative structure. The bird community of native forest was characterized by migrant species sensitive to forest loss that forage low in the understory and in the leaf litter, whereas the bird community of oil palm plantations was represented by generalist species that occupy a wider range of foraging niches. Our results suggest that most species of migrant birds responded positively to several forest structural features and that integrating more native trees and increasing the amount of understory vegetation in oil palm plantations may increase the value of working landscapes for migratory birds.