Plant biodiversity in the Saint Catherine area of the Sinai peninsula, Egypt

This study focuses on plant species richness, taxonomic diversity, and endemism of the Sinai peninsula as a whole and Saint Catherine area in particular. Beta diversity was also measured using _T to represent the biotic change between different landforms in the St. Catherine area. The peninsula supports about 1285 species including the infraspecific taxa of which about 800 species (also including the infraspecific taxa) are recorded in the southern Sinai south of El-Tih Desert. The present study reveals that southern Sinai is more diverse as compared with the Sinai peninsula as a whole. Southern Sinai also supports more than the expected numbers of rare and very rare species (about 62%) and about 4.3% endemic species. Beta diversity between different landforms in the St. Catherine area reflect a large biotic change between slopes and terraces on the one hand and between terraces and ridges on the other. Finally, the study recommends appropriate management of the peninsula and more research for the management requirements of the numerous endemic and rare species in the Sinai peninsula.     

近金线属的分类地位及金线属的鉴别特征(鲤形目:鲤科:亚科)

本文根据系统学原理,提出了建立新类元的依据;并据此从分类和系统发育上论证了近金线属ＡｎｃｈｉｃｙｃｌｏｃｈｅｉｌｕｓＬｉｅｔＬａｎ独立成属的可能性,认为应将近金线属归于金线属;修订了金线属ＳｉｎｏｃｙｃｌｏｃｈｅｉｌｕｓＦａｎｇ的鉴别特征。     

Taxonomic relationships in East AsianVicia species with unijugate leaves based on random amplified polymorphic DNA markers

Random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) markers were investigated to clarify the taxonomic positions ofVicia linearifolia andV. bifolia, and to assess the genomic diversity among the 9 populations ofV. unijuga, each of which represents a geographical variation or infraspecific taxa in southern Korea. These species are characterized by unijugate leaves in East Asia and have been controversial as to infra-or interspecific classification. The polymorphic markers among the populations examined were observed for fifteen decamer primers. The degree of band sharing was used to calculate genetic similarity between populations, and a phenogram using UPGMA cluster analysis was generated based on the Dice similarity coefficient. The taxa studied were divided into two main groups and the populations ofV. unijuga were all grouped together in the phenogram. The genetic similarities ofV. unijuga were very high among the populations and did not show distinctions between the infraspecific taxa, although the populations of Mt. Odae and adjacent areas in eastern Korea were different from others of the species.V. linearifolia fell within the range of the genomic variation among the populations ofV. unijuga, whileV. bifolia was grouped withV. venosa var.cuspidata having multijugate leaves rather thanV. unijuga. The result from studying RAPD markers suggested thatV. linearifolia should be integrated intoV. unijuga and that species with unijugate leaves ofV. bifolia andV. unijuga are polyphyletic.     

Host–pathogen relationship between Salix and Melampsora sheds light on the parentage of some biomass willows

The association between willow ( Salix ) and rust ( Melampsora ) is highly specific. Willows named Salix burjatica , S. dasyclados ( S. × dasyclados ) and S. × calodendron are important in renewable-energy plantations in the UK and western Europe. There has been much controversy over their origin, species status and nomenclature. It has been suggested that they have originated from hybridization between. S. caprea , S. viminalis and S. cinerea . In the present work, 59 willow clones were investigated through morphological examination and detached leaf inoculation using willow differentials, for their association, in southwest England, with M. capraearum and three pathotypes of Melampsora epitea (Me-A, B and C). M. capraearum was found on all clones of S. caprea and its hybrids with S. aurita ; Me-A on all S. viminalis clones; Me-B on wild S. cinerea , S. × calodendron , S. × dasyclados 'De Biardii 445' and S . 'Spaethii'; Me-C on all S. burjatica clones and most S. × dasyclados clones. Both M. caprearum and Me-A infected all S. × sericans ( S. caprea × viminalis ) clones and S. × dasyclados 'LA041/03'. We suggest that S. × dasyclados 'LA041/03' should be treated as S. × sericans ( S. caprea × S. viminalis ); S. burjatica , S. dasyclados and S. × dasyclados as synonyms; S. × dasyclados 'De Biardii 445' as S. × calodendron 'De Biardii 445'; and S . 'Spaethii' as S. × calodendron 'Spaethii'.     

Morphological variation of species through time

Ten measurements, taken from each of 700 shells or four biologically distinct shallow marine gastropod species, were used to define the appropriate phenotypes in multidimensional space. Canonical discriminant analysis was performed on the data and a set of allocatory rules was derived. These allocatory rules, derived from extant specimens, were than applied to 644 fossil specimens of three of these biological species. Fossil individuals occupy the appropriate phenotypic space as defined by their modern descendants. The variation of fossil sample means about the modern means is illustrated. This variation is in the form of oscillations around the modern mean values and is correlated with climate. The distinction between taxonomic and biological species is discussed. The results of a number of previous studies are re-examined in the light of this discussion. It is argued that biological groupings can only be reliably determined when the appropriate data are available for extant organisms. Extant organisms, which have good fossil records, should therefore from the basis of paleontological evolutionary studies.     

Reappraisal of two of Witham's species of fossil wood with taxonomical and nomenclatural notes on Planoxylon Stopes, Protocedroxylon Gothan and Xenoxylon Gothan

Fossil wood collections at the Natural History Museum, London, were searched for the type material of two important species, described as early as 1831 by Witham, on the basis of material at least partly furnished by Nicol and collected in the Liassic of Whitby (Yorkshire, UK). The names given to these two species by Witham are the basionyms for more than ten other species names, while these species names also provide syntypes for several generic names. Despite this, the original material has been only rarely and partly revised, leading to much confusion.We managed to locate some of the original material. Several topotypes were also studied. On the basis of this review we propose here a neotypification for Peuce huttoniana Witham, a lectotypification for Cupressinoxylon barberi Seward and a lectotypification for Tiloxylon Hartig. We evidence several taxonomical and nomenclatural synonymies, assign Peuce lindleyana Witham to Protocedroxylon and P. huttoniana to Xenoxylon Gothan, and introduce the new combination Xenoxylon huttonianum (Witham) nov. comb. as the correct name for Xenoxylon ellipticum Gottwald & Holleis ex Schultze-Motel.A topotype of Araucariopitys americana Hollick & Jeffrey was also reviewed, which, together with previous results, leads us to suggest that Araucariopitys Hollick & Jeffrey, Protocedroxylon Gothan and Planoxylon Stopes should not be considered as taxonomical synonyms. This point is crucial to the interpretation of the fossil record of Early Abietinae.     

云南产凤尾蕨属植物(凤尾蕨科)的新修订

在《中国植物志》和《云南植物志》的基础上,对云南产凤尾蕨属植物进行新的分类修订。文中澄清了8个混淆类群,其中新等级1种,即高原凤尾蕨Pteriscuspigera(Chingex Ching et S.H.Wu)X.Q.Song;云南分布新记录1种,即假指状凤尾蕨Pteris psudodactylina Ching et S.K.Wu;新异名3个,即Pteris asperi-caulis var.cuspigera Chingex Ching et S.H.Wu,Pteris inaequalis Bak.及Pteris wallichiana var.yunnanensis(Christ)Ching et S.H.Wu。还列出了新修订种类的文献引证、标本引证、生境和地理分布。经该文研究确认,现知云南有该属植物48种。     

楼梯草属研究随记

在该文中首次给出革叶楼梯草的雄头状花序描述;还给出樱叶楼梯草雄头状花序的修正描述和兜苞墨脱楼梯草的修正特征集要;写出托叶楼梯草和南川楼梯草二种的分类学修订,其中包括2新变种和2新等级;描述了小叶楼梯草组的1新种和骤尖楼梯草组的3新种;数年前被归并为异名的兜苞墨脱楼梯草和五肋楼梯草得到恢复。     

Plant species diversity in Mediterranean old-growth forests: A case study from central Italy

Abstract

To investigate the differences in understorey composition and diversity between old-growth and managed forests, we analyzed an old-growth and a managed beech stand in the same area displaying similar abiotic features. We considered variations in understorey species composition and richness. The sampled understorey species were characterized in terms of functional traits, Ellenberg's indicator values and taxonomic distinctness; next, we calculated four different pairwise plot-to-plot dissimilarity matrices based on species composition, functional traits, Ellenberg's indices and taxonomic distances. We applied a permutational multivariate extension of ANOVA to test whether the forest stands significantly differ in the considered features. Indicator values of all plant species in managed and old-growth stands were evaluated.

The old-growth forest had a higher species richness; permutational analysis of variance showed significant differences between the two stands in plant species composition, functional traits, Ellenberg indices and taxonomic distances. Indicator species analysis highlighted 14 indicator species for the unmanaged stand, while only 3 indicators were found for the managed one.

The results suggest that forest management determines ecological differences that strongly affect plant species composition.

The knowledge of natural stands dynamics could allow development of new approaches and practices in forest management focusing on biodiversity conservation.     

格氏栲天然林林窗植物物种多样性与系统发育多样性

林窗环境异质性导致群落物种多样性与系统发育多样性(phylogenetic diversity, PD)存在差异, 研究不同大小的林窗中群落的物种多样性与系统发育多样性有助于揭示林下生物多样性的形成及维持机制。本文以格氏栲(Castanopsis kawakamii)天然林为研究对象, 通过Pearson相关性分析与广义线性模型探讨了林窗内物种多样性与系统发育多样性间的相互关系及其环境影响因素。结果表明: (1)大林窗(面积 > 200 m²)植物种类及多度均高于中林窗(50 m² ≤ 面积 < 100 m²)、小林窗(30 m² ≤ 面积 < 50 m²)和非林窗(面积 = 100 m²)。大林窗群落系统发育结构趋于发散, 中、小林窗和非林窗群落系统发育结构受到生境过滤和竞争排斥综合作用。(2)群落系统发育多样性指数与物种丰富度(species richness, SR)、Margalef丰富度指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均呈显著正相关, 这与林窗内稀有种种类组成多于优势种有关。(3)林窗面积对物种多样性存在显著正效应; 土壤全氮含量对系统发育多样性和系统发育结构存在显著正效应。林窗形成提高了格氏栲天然林群落物种多样性和系统发育多样性, 林窗面积与土壤全氮共同驱动了格氏栲天然林林窗物种多样性和系统发育多样性的变化。