Species Diversity Distribution Patterns of Chinese Endemic Seed Plants Based on Geographical Regions

Reviewing estimates of the basic reproduction number for dengue, Zika and chikungunya across global climate zones

Net zero and net negative emissions in brazilian biomes by no-till system.

The present study was conducted in three different altitudinal zones, tropical (300 TO 400 m), sub-tropical (900 to 1100 m) and temperate (2000 to 2400 m) zones of Garhwal Himalaya. A total of 61 plant species that were regularly used by the local inhabitants for curing various aliments such as digestive disorders, dysentery, wounds, swellings, cold, scabies, rheumatic, cholera, malaria were recorded within the study area. Of the recorded plants, 14 were trees, 10 shrubs, and 37 herbs. The species used most frequently werePhyllanthus embelica L., Terminalia bellerica Roxb., Terminalia chebula Retz., Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa, Holarrhena antidysenterica (L.) Wall. ex A. DC., Adhatoda vasicaNees in Wallich, Berberis asiatica Roxb., Achyranthes aspera L., Boerhavia diffusa L., Sida acuta Burm.f, and Sida cordifolia L. Twenty-seven species were common to the tropical and sub-tropical zones (trees = 5, shrubs = 4, and herbs/grasses = 18), one shrub occurred both in the sub-tropical and temperate zones, and none of the species were common to both the tropical and temperate zones. A total of 32 families were recorded, of which Lamiaceae was the dominant family (with 8 species). All but three of the species reported are well known, and widely used by communities in India. This indicated that the medicinal plant repertoire of non-specialists is limited to a very small number of species. Key words: Ethnomedicinal plants, altitudinal zones, rural habitation, Garhwal Himalaya.

Energy saving potential of fresh air pre-handling system using shallow geothermal energy

BackgroundUnderstanding how biotic and abiotic factors affect insect mortality is crucial for both fundamental knowledge of population ecology and for successful pest management. However, because these factors are difficult to quantify and interpret, patterns and dynamics of insect mortality remain unclear, especially comparative mortality across climate zones. Life table analysis provides robust information for quantifying population mortality and population parameters.MethodsIn this study, we estimated cause-of-death probabilities and irreplaceable mortality (the portion of mortality that cannot be replaced by another cause or combination of causes) using a Multiple Decrement Life Table (MDLT) analysis of 268 insect life tables from 107 peer-reviewed journal articles. In particular, we analyzed insect mortality between temperate and tropical climate zones.ResultsSurprisingly, our results suggest that non-natural enemy factors (abiotic) were the major source of insect mortality in both temperate and tropical zones. In addition, we observed that irreplaceable mortality from predators in tropical zones was 3.7-fold greater than in temperate zones. In contrast, irreplaceable mortality from parasitoids and pathogens was low and not different between temperate and tropical zones. Surprisingly, we did not observe differences in natural enemy and non-natural enemy factors based on whether the insect species was native or non-native. We suggest that characterizing predation should be a high priority in tropical conditions. Furthermore, because mortality from parasitoids was low in both tropical and temperate zones, this mortality needs to be better understood, especially as it relates to biological control and integrated pest management.

Aims (i) To describe at the level of local communities latitudinal gradients in the species richness of different families of New World bats and to explore the generality of such gradients. (ii) To characterize the relative effects of changes in the richness of each family to the richness of entire communities. (iii) To determine differences in the rate and direction of latitudinal gradients in species richness within families. (iv) To evaluate how differences among families regarding latitudinal gradients in species richness influence the latitudinal gradient in species richness of entire communities.Location Continental New World ranging from the northern continental United States (Iowa, 42° N) to eastern Paraguay (Canindeyú, 24° S).Methods Data on the species composition of communities came from 32 intensively sampled sites. Analyses focused on species richness of five of nine New World bat families. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis determined and described differences among temperate, subtropical, and tropical climatic zones regarding the species richness of bat families. Simple linear regression described latitudinal gradients in species richness of families. Path analysis was used to describe: (i) the direct effect of latitude on species richness of communities, (ii) the indirect effects of latitude on the species richness of communities through its effect on the species richness of each family, (iii) the relative effects of latitude on the species richness of bat families, and (iv) the relative contribution of each family to variation in the species richness of communities.Results Highly significant differences among climatic zones existed primarily because of a difference between the temperate zone and the tropical and subtropical zones combined. This difference was associated with the high number of vespertilionids in the temperate zone and the high number of phyllostomids in the tropical and subtropical zones. Latitudinal gradients in species richness were contingent on phylogeny. Although only three of the five families exhibited significant gradients, all families except for the Vespertilionidae exhibited indistinguishable increases in species richness with decreases in latitude. The Emballonuridae, Phyllostomidae and Vespertilionidae exhibited significant latitudinal gradients whereby the former two families exhibited the classical increase in species richness with decreasing latitude and the latter family exhibited the opposite pattern. Variation in species richness of all families contributed significantly to variation in the species richness of entire communities. Nonetheless, the Phyllostomidae made a significantly stronger contribution to changes in species richness of communities than did all other families. Much of the latitudinal gradient in species richness of communities could be accounted for by the effects of latitude on the species richness of constituent families.Main conclusions Ecological and evolutionary differences among higher taxonomic units, particularly those differences involving life‐history traits, predispose taxa to exhibit different patterns of diversity along environmental gradients. This may be particularly true along extensive gradients such as latitude. Nonetheless, species rich taxa, by virtue of their greater absolute rates of change, can dominate and therefore define the pattern of diversity at a higher taxonomic level and eclipse differences among less represented taxa in their response to environmental gradients. This is true not only with respect to how bats drive the latitudinal gradient in species richness for all mammals, but also for how the Phyllostomidae drives the latitudinal gradient for all bats in the New World. Better understanding of the mechanistic basis of latitudinal gradients of diversity may come from comparing and contrasting patterns across lower taxonomic levels of a higher taxon and by identifying key ecological and evolutionary traits that are associated with such differences.

Erianthus arundinaceus, part of the Saccharum complex, is increasingly important as a bioenergy crop and a potential resource for sugarcane improvement. Germplasm is widely distributed in the tropical zone in Southeast Asia and southern China, and has been found in the subtropical and temperate zones in Japan. Here, we investigated the 2C DNA content and simple sequence repeat (SSR) polymorphisms in E. arundinaceus accessions native to Japan. To estimate DNA content, flow cytometric analysis was performed on accessions collected from three climatic zones (temperate, subtropical, and tropical) in Japan and Indonesia. DNA content ranged from 7.42 to 8.10 pg (mean 7.62 pg), and all examined accessions fell into two groups reflecting collection location: the temperate zone in Japan (mean 8.06 pg) and the subtropical and tropical zones in Japan and Indonesia (mean 7.56 pg). Although DNA content differed significantly between the accessions from temperate and tropical/subtropical zones, chromosome number was inferred to be identical in all accessions. A phylogenetic tree of 42 accessions in the Saccharum complex based on detected fragments from 31 SSR primer pairs classified Erianthus and related genera into well-defined distinct groups. Thus, both 2C DNA content and phylogenetic analysis subdivided the E. arundinaceus accessions into two groups, suggesting that some of the Japanese accessions had different genetic characteristics from other accessions from Japan and Indonesia.

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.

Eight Chinese and Korean indica cultivars including Dianchao 1,Dianchao 3,Guichao 2,Dasanbyeo,Milyang 23,Samgang-byeo,Yongmoonbyeo and Nampungbyeo were employed to inverstigate the yield potential of indica rice cultivars in Binchuan county(subtropical zone) of Yunnan province in China and Suwon(temperate zone) in Korean from 2001 to 2002.The results showed that the average grain yield and yield potential of these cultivars in subtropical zone were over 1.25 t/hm2 and 4.43 t/hm2 respectively,which were more than those in temperate zone and were significantly existing 1% probable level.Spikelets and dry matter played an important role in the grain yield potential in different ecological zones.20000 spikelets per square meter and 422.25 g/m2 were more in subtropical zone than in temperate zone.The rank of yield factors for yield were the number of paniclespikelets per panicleseed setting rate1000-grain weight in subtropical zone while ranked as 1000-grain weightspikelets per paniclethe number of panicleseed setting rate in temperate zone.Therefore,the rice grain yield could be increased,by properly reducing grains of panicle and improving seed setting rate in subtropical zone and it is also most likely to improve spikelets per panicle and 1000-grain weight in temperate zone.

Soil respiration (Rs) is projected to be substantially affected by climate change, impacting the storage, equilibrium, and movement of terrestrial carbon (C). However, uncertainties surrounding the responses of Rs to climate change and soil nitrogen (N) enrichment are linked to mechanisms specific to diverse climate zones. A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted to address this, evaluating the global effects of warming, increased precipitation, and N enrichment on Rs across various climate zones and ecosystems. Data from 123 studies, encompassing a total of 10,377 worldwide observations, were synthesized for this purpose. Annual Rs were modeled and their uncertainties were associated with a 1-km2 resolution global Rs database spanning from 1961 to 2022. Calibrating Rs using ensemble machine learning (EML) and employing 10-fold cross-validation, 13 environmental covariates were utilized. The meta-analysis findings revealed an upsurge in Rs rates in response to warming, with tropical, arid, and temperate climate zones exhibiting increases of 12 %, 13 %, and 16 %, respectively. Furthermore, increased precipitation led to stimulated Rs rates of 11 % and 9 % in tropical and temperate zones, respectively, while N deposition affected Rs in cold (+6 %) and tropical (+5 %) climate zones. The machine learning technique estimated the global soil respiration to range from 91 to 171 Pg C yr−1, with an average Rs of 700 ± 300 g C m−2 yr−1. The values ranged between 314 and 2500 g C m−2 yr−1, with the lowest and highest values observed in cold and tropical zones, respectively. Spatial variation in Rs was most pronounced in low-latitude areas, particularly in tropical rainforests and monsoon zones. Temperature, precipitation, and N deposition were identified as crucial environmental factors exerting significant influences on Rs rates worldwide. These factors underscore the interconnectedness between climate and ecosystem processes, therefore requiring explicit considerations of different climate zones when assessing responses of Rs to global change.

We compiled and identified a list of Chinese endemic seed plant species based on a large number of published references and expert reviews. The characters of these seed plant species and their distribution patterns were described at length. China is rich in endemic seed plants, with a total of 14 939 species (accounting for 52.1% of its total seed plant species) belonging to 1584 genera and 191 families. Temperate families and genera have a significantly higher proportion of endemism than cosmopolitan and tropical ones. The most primitive and derived groups have significantly higher endemism than the other groups. The endemism of tree, shrub, and liana or vine is higher than that of total species; in contrast, the endemism of herb is lower than that of total species. Geographically, these Chinese endemic plants are mainly distributed in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, southwest China. Species richness and proportion of these endemic plants decrease with increased latitude and have a unimodal response to altitude. The peak value of proportion of endemism is at higher altitudes than that of total species and endemic species richness. The proportions of endemic shrub, liana or vine, and herb increase with altitude and have a clear unimodal curve. In contrast, the proportion of tree increases with altitude, with a sudden increase at ∼4000 m and has a completely different model. To date, our study provides the most comprehensive list of Chinese endemic seed plant species and their basic composition and distribution features.

Collections in global botanical gardens reveal charismatic species bias in conservation.

Runoff sensitivity to climate change in the Nile River Basin

BackgroundHimalayan forests are crucial for ecological roles but face threats from natural and human factors. This study examines tree diversity, regeneration patterns, and human-induced threats in the Kashmir Western Himalayas. We use indices and multivariate analysis to investigate species richness, composition shifts, and the impact of ongoing anthropogenic threats on forest ecosystems.MethodsVegetation sampling was conducted at 45 sites in the Kashmir Himalayas, at elevations of 600 to 3600 m. Data were collected using quadrat methods. To investigate species diversity, composition, and human influences, statistical analyses such as Shannon and Simpson indices, Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), and regression models were performed using R software and OriginPro.ResultsA total of 33 tree species were recorded in different ecological zones: the temperate zone had the most species (22), followed by the subtropical zone (16) and the subalpine zone (7). The temperate zone had the highest Shannon index (2.15 ± 0.24) and Simpson index (0.86 ± 0.03), while the subalpine zone had the lowest Simpson index (0.48 ± 0.20). The subtropical zone had the highest evenness index (0.95 ± 0.04). PCA showed that PC1 explained 37.2% of the variation and PC2 explained 14.9%. Human-induced disturbances were significant drivers of species composition shifts, particularly in the subtropical and temperate zones, accounting for 11% of the variation. Picea smithiana had the highest density in the temperate zone (615.62 individuals per hectare). The regression analysis indicated a quadratic relationship between tree density and DBH (R² values from 0.66641 to 0.92089). Regeneration patterns varied: Pinus roxburghii had high seedling density in the subtropical zone, while Abies pindrow and Pinus wallichiana regenerated well in the temperate zone, and recruitment was limited in the subalpine zone.ConclusionElevation significantly influences on tree diversity and regeneration patterns, while human-induced factors shape species composition. Anthropogenic activities notably affect tree diversity, especially at lower elevations, thereby threatening ecosystem resilience. This study emphasizes the necessity of sustainable forest management practices to mitigate human impacts and promote forest regeneration, particularly in subtropical and temperate zones.

1, This paper aimed at the classification of Japanese forest bird communities in the breeding season based on the structure and similarity analyses of various census data (84 plots) collected by the author and others.2, The similarities of the bird communities between forests or localities were analyzed using Whittaker's index of association (1952) about the eight major types of forest in Japan. And finally, fifteen types of bird community were classified with about 40% similarity.3. The bird communities in the coniferous forest at the subalpine zone and the coniferous young plantation at every locality are very dissimilar with the other forests. In the other bird communities, there are many cases of high similarity between them, excluding the similarity between the types in the temperate zone and the subtropical zone.4. The dominance ratio of summer visitor birds group was highest in the temperate zone forests (reaches to 40%), and lower in the young plantation and the subtropical zone forests.5. It was concluded to be reasonable in the naming of the fifteen types of the bird community to use the name of the dominant three bird species in each type as follows:A. Coniferous forest at the subalpine zone in Hokkaido Parus ater-Carduelis spinus-Regulus regulus AssociatinC. Pan-mixed forest in Hokkaido Emberiza spodocephala-Parus ater-Parus major AssociationD. Mature plantation at Tomakomai district in Hokkaido Phylloscopus occipitalis-Emberiza cioides-Emberiza spodocephala AssociationB. Coniferous forest at the subalpine zone in Houshu and Shikoku Parus ater-Phylloscopus borealis-Tarsiger cyanurus AssociationE. Fagus crenata zone in northeastern Honshu Parus major-Parus ater-Ficedula narcissina AssociationG. Quercus mongolica zone Ficedula narcissina-Phylloscopus occipitalis-Parus major AssociationF. Fagus crenata zone in southwestern district Parus ater-Sitta europaea-Parus montanus AssociationH. Coniferous forest at the temperate zone Parus ater-Parus major-Parus varius AssociationI. Deciduous broad-leaved forest at the subtropical zone Hypsipetes amaurotis-Emberiza cioides-Parus major AssociationJ. Evergreen broad-leaved forest at the subtropical zone Parus varius-Hypsipetes amaurotis-Parus major AssociationL. Mature plantation with broad-leaved tree layer at the temperate zone Erithacus cyane-Parus ater-Parus major AssociationK. Mature plantation with open crown layer at the temperate zone Emberiza spodocephala-Parus ater-Turdus chrysolaus AssociationN. Young plantation at the temperate zone Emberiza spodocephala-Cettia diphone-Emberiza cioides AssociationM. Mature plantation at the subtropical and lowland temperate zone Hypsipetes amaurotis-Emberiza cioides-Parus ater AssociationO. Young plantation at the subtropical and lowland temperate zone Cettia diphone-Emberiza cioides-Lanius bucephalus Association (alphabets coincide with Table 11)