Phytocoenological and ecogeographical study of Salvia nutans in Romania

Despite the well-documented effects of global climate change on terrestrial species' ranges, eco-geographical regions as the regional scale of ecosystems have been poorly studied especially in China with diverse climate and ecosystems. Here we analyse the shift of temperature zones in eco-geographical study over China using projected future climate scenario. Projected climate data with high resolution during 1961-2080 were simulated using regional climate model of PRECIS. The number of days with mean daily temperature above 10℃ and the mean temperature of January are usually regarded as the principal criteria to indicate temperature zones, which are sensitive to climate change. Shifts due to future cli- mate change were calculated by comparing the latitude of grid cells for the future borderline of one temperature zone with that for baseline period (1961-1990). Results indicated that the ranges of Tropical, Subtropical, Warm Temperate and Plateau Temperate Zones would be enlarged and the ranges of Cold Temperate, Temperate and Plateau Sub-cold Zones would be reduced. Cold Temperate Zone would probably disappear at late this century. North bor- derlines of temperature zones would shift northward under projected future climate change, especially in East China. Farthest shifts of the north boundaries of Plateau Temperate, Sub- tropical and Warm Temperate Zones would be 3.1°, 5.3° and 6.6° latitude respectively. Moreover, northward shift would be more notably in northern China as future temperature increased.

Identification of bioactive compounds from Rhaponticoides iconiensis extracts and their bioactivities: An endemic plant to Turkey flora

Little information is available regarding the biodiversity and potential use of jute (Corchorus species) in Ethiopian agriculture. The present study summarizes species’ occurrence, use, geographical distribution, ecology, and ethnobotany of Corchorus species in Ethiopia. An ecogeographical study, conducted in the Amhara, Oromia and Gambella Regional States in 2005 and 2008 resulted in the collection of seven different species with more than 100 accessions. The study revealed low similarity in species composition between the Regional States, indicating that each region has its own unique set of species. Species numbers are higher in the north-eastern and south-western than the central part of the country. C. aestuans L. and C. tridens L. are restricted to humid lowlands of south-western part of Ethiopia, growing at elevations up to 490 m, whereas, C. urticifolius Wight et Arn., C. trilocularis L. and C. schimperi Cufod. were collected only in the north-eastern part of the country with elevation ranges of 1,380–2,130 m. The only species collected at a higher elevation (>2,100 m) was C. schimperi Cufod. Farmers’ perception, indigenous knowledge and folk taxonomy of jute species are better in Gambella than the other studied regions. Although several Corchorus species are reported from Ethiopia, these species are neither cultivated nor popularly used as leafy vegetables. This is mainly due to lack of awareness or knowledge about the species use, and abundant distribution of the species that allows gathering of edible leaves with little expenditure of time, labour and other resources. Our results revealed that some species are threatened, which necessitates highest priority for jute germplasm conservation in the country. In addition, creating public awareness about the use of jute species as a cheap source of leafy vegetable will play an important role to diversify food sources, reduce malnutrition, and contribute to household income generation of the farming community.

Allium fasciculatum Rendle (subgenus Amerallium, section Bromatorrhiza), an underutilized species from north eastern India was investigated for taxonomy and character variation based on data from field, experimental, herbarium and eco-geographical study. In addition comparative study with a close relative, A. hookeri was undertaken and was presented. Trends of domestication of A. fasciculatum and an identification key to subg. Amerallium sect. Bromatorrhiza were discussed to facilitate collection and conservation of germplasm.

The genus Pleurotus (Jacq.:Fr.) P.Kumm. (Pleurotaceae, higher Basidiomycetes) covers a group of ligninotrophic mushrooms that are edible and medicinal. Species of the genus Pleurotus are important mushrooms because of their ease of cultivation, their nutritional value, and their medicinal properties. Traditional medicine attributes medicinal properties to Pleurotus spp. Scientific evidence supports their importance as producers of substances with antibiotic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and hypo-cholesterolaemic activities. Scientists in many countries, including Israel, contribute to the research of the genus Pleurotus. The evolutionary connections of species in the genus Pleurotus are still not clear, and many taxonomic problems are still controversial. The geography plays an important role in the evolutionary studies of this genus, but the ecological/genetic perspectives of the genus have not been investigated satisfactorily. The present study focuses on the taxonomic, ecological, distribution, and genetic characterization of this species complex in Israel. The objective of this study was to characterize the ecogeographical variation of Pleurotus eryngii species complex in Israeli populations. The morphology characterization of P. eryngii defined the exact geographical distribution of this species. The taxonomic study and the collection from the Sataf springs (Judea Mountains) described P. eryngii var. tingitanus Lewinsohn et al. (Lewinsohn et al., 2002, Mycotaxon LXXXI, pp. 51−67) as a new variety. The ecogeographical study indicates that Israeli populations are well adapted to the hot and dry climate and can tolerate extreme temperature and aridity conditions. This study also showed that heat stress can influence the growth rate of the isolates subsequently grown under optimal temperature conditions. The ecogeographical distribution and habitats of P. eryngii showed a high correlation between the coefficient of growth and the mean colony diameter growth rate. Comparison with European genotypes showed that the Israeli genotypes are better adapted to hot and dry climates. Humidity and rainfall have a stronger effect on the adaptability of this complex to different environments (Lewinsohn et al., 2000, Mycological Research 104:1184−1190). The genetic study included random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), which was used to assess the genetic diversity in 12 populations (a total of 144 genotypes) of P. eryngii complex, sampled in Israel. Results show a higher level of diversity of RAPD polymorphism in P. eryngii populations especially in the drier, stressful climatic regimes. The 12 primers used in this study amplified 164 scorable RAPD loci, of which 163 (99.4%) were polymorphic and only one was monomorphic. Out of the 164 loci, 123 (75%) varied significantly (p < 0.05) in allele frequencies among populations. This total proportion (75%) of significant polymorphic loci far exceeds the 5% level expected by chance (binomial test, p < 0.000001). The levels of polymorphism and gene diversity appeared to be significantly different between the populations. Sixty-eight percent of the RAPD diversity was within populations, and 32% was between populations. Interpopulation genetic distances showed positive association with geographic distance, which was confirmed with spatial autocorrelation analysis of RAPD frequencies. Spearman rank correlation revealed a strong positive association between high polymorphism and the aridity index. In multiple regression, the coefficient of determination of polymorphism and gene diversity was explained by climatic variables linked to temperature and humidity (R2 = 53.6%, p = 0.032). These findings further demonstrate the validity of the "environmental theory of genetic diversity" hypothesis within P. eryngii populations in Israel. The results suggest that natural selection develops a high level of RAPD polymorphism as adaptation to stressful and temporally heterogeneous environments (Lewinsohn et al., 2001, Mycological Research 105(8):941−951). In conclusion, these results showed great ecogeographical variation of P. eryngii species complex in Israeli populations, distributed along a transect of increasing aridity. These differences are reflected in morphological, genetic, and adaptive polymorphisms that can be used in the future to select varieties with commercial value for cultivation of this important fungus species.

Foliicolous lichens and bryophytes from Cocos Island, Costa Rica. A taxonomical and ecogeographical study I. Lichens

Volume contents

Zur systematischen und ökogeographischen Stellung von Carlina tragacanthifolia Klatt ) )

Informed collecting, conservation, monitoring and utilization of genetic diversity requires knowledge of the distribution and structure of the variation occurring in a species. Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum (K. Koch) Thell., a primary wild relative of barley, is an important source of genetic diversity for barley improvement and co-occurs with the domesticate within the center of origin. We studied the current distribution of genetic diversity and population structure in H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum in Jordan and investigated whether it is correlated with either spatial or climatic variation inferred from publically available climate layers commonly used in conservation and ecogeographical studies. The genetic structure of 32 populations collected in 2012 was analyzed with 37 SSRs. Three distinct genetic clusters were identified. Populations were characterized by admixture and high allelic richness, and genetic diversity was concentrated in the northern part of the study area. Genetic structure, spatial location and climate were not correlated. This may point out a limitation in using large scale climatic data layers to predict genetic diversity, especially as it is applied to regional genetic resources collections in H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum.

Geographical Differentiation in the Genus Accipiter Jan Wattel The Galapagos Hawk/An Ecogeographical Study with Special Reference to Its Systematic Position Tjitte de Vries Geographical and Ecological Differentiation in the Genus Circus Ebel Nieboer

Allium cepa L. (common onion) and its related taxa were studied to delineate the taxonomic identity of taxa belonging to subgenus Cepa in India for distinguishing characters. Study was primarily based on morphological observations recorded during field collection, experimental and herbarium work. Evidences based on findings from molecular and scanning electron microscopy study of seeds of selected taxa in subg. Cepa compared with Allium roylei and A. stracheyi of subg. Polyprason supported justification for reconsideration of systematic position of A. roylei under subg. Cepa. A simple key was prepared to facilitate identification of taxa in subg. Cepa.

Social Impact StatementClimate change is expected to disproportionately affect sub‐Saharan Africa in the next century, posing a threat to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and deepening food insecurity. To adapt to this threat, more climate‐resilient crops need to be brought into the food system; these may be developed through breeding with crop wild relatives with key traits to cope with climate change. Here, we assess the level of open‐access trait documentation of crop wild relatives of 29 important crops, their resilience, how threatened they are in situ, how well they are preserved ex situ and we provide priorities for their conservation and use in breeding programmes.Summary Climate change is projected to adversely affect smallholder agriculture in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) over the next century, with many areas becoming unsuitable for growing crops. Breeding programmes using crop wild relatives (CWRs) that are pre‐adapted to projected future climatic conditions may lead to more resilient crops, but their traits have not been screened across a large diversity of CWRs. Furthermore, many are threatened and require greater protection in situ and ex situ to prevent the loss of an important adaptive solution to climate change. A previous ecogeographical study found that 303 out of 836 CWRs of 29 major crops cultivated across SSA may represent priorities for future crop resilience. Here, we assessed the availability of trait information and compared traits between resilient and non‐resilient CWRs. Subsequently, we analysed the conservation status of CWRs in situ and ex situ to set new global priorities for protection. Our findings show that the traits of many CWRs are poorly described, but for those species with better coverage, key differences between resilient and non‐resilient CWRs were identified, including lower plant height amongst resilient CWRs of tree crops (arabica and robusta coffee, mango and cacao) and a higher likelihood of invasive CWRs to be resilient. We found that 14% and 36% of resilient CWRs are threatened in situ and absent from seed collections, respectively. Our study highlights CWR priorities for conservation based on resilience. A concerted international effort is recommended to conserve CWRs and improve agricultural resilience in a changing climate.

This review summarizes main research findings in soil fauna eco-geography in China in the past 30 years. The subject areas and main results were overviewed including biodiversity and eco-geological distribution of soil fauna communities. Studies of ecological distributions of soil fauna and dynamic ranges in space from tropical, subtropical to temperate regions, and in categories from forest, grassland, desert, wetland, farmland to urban ecosystems, the responses and indications of soil fauna to soil environments. Effects of intensive disturbance such as fire, grazing, farming, fertilization on soil fauna include sensitive (e.g. nematode) and rare groups and community indexes. The functions of soil fauna were discussed including environmental construction, environmental purification, litter decomposition and elements cycling. Interactions between soil fauna and other biota in soil ecosystems and linking between aboveground and belowground diversity and the effects of global change on soil fauna community in China were also included. Finally, the authors pointed out common interests in soil fauna eco-geographical studies, which include application of molecule biology into soil fauna taxa; function and mechanism of soil fauna community diversity; interaction between aboveground and belowground ecosystems; effects of disturbance, pollution, biological invasion, and global change on soil fauna community and function. The review is to provide a scientific basis for promoting soil fauna eco-geographical studies in China.

A multivariate study based on juvenile characters from 55 germplasm accessions of Chamaecytisus proliferus (L. fil.) Link collected in the Canary Islands was carried out in order to critically assess the relationships among the seven morphological forms. Results showed that escobon of Southern Gran Canaria (C. proliferus (L. fil.) Link ssp. meridionalis J. R. Acebes) was the most distinct morphological form, with tall plants, very narrow leaves, and large internode lengths. This form, together with white escobon of Gran Canaria (C. proliferus ssp. proliferus var. canariae (Christ) Kunkel), was the fastest growing with a potential in agroforestry systems for subtropical regions. Results confirm previous ecogeographical studies that Gran Canaria is the island with the highest number of variants and where morphological differentiation is greatest. Also ecogeographical variation increases in the Canary Islands from west to east. The juvenile characters studied have taxonomic value and a key has been developed to facilitate identification at early stages of development.

Genebank collection databases can be used for ecogeographical studies under the assumption that the accessions are a geographically unbiased sample. We evaluated the representativeness of a collection of wild potatoes from Bolivia and defined and assessed four types of bias: species, species-area, hotspot, and infrastructure. Species bias is the sampling of some species more often than others. Species-area bias is a sampling that is disproportionate to the total area in which a species is found. Hotspot bias is the disproportionate sampling of areas with high levels of diversity. Infrastructure bias is the disproportionate sampling of areas near roads and towns. Each of these biases is present in the Bolivian wild potato collection. The infrastructure bias was strong: 60% of all wild potato accessions were collected within 2 km of a road, as opposed to 22%, if collections had been made randomly. This analysis can serve as a guide for future collecting trips. It can also provide baseline information for the application of genebank data in studies based on geographic information systems.