Variación morfometrica de Chiton stokesii (Polyplacophora: Chitonidae) en un gradiente intermareal del Parque Nacional Natural Isla Gorgona

Distribution and management of invasive alien plant species in protected areas in Central Europe

Anthropogenic activities explained the difference in exotic plants invasion between protected and non-protected areas at a northern subtropics biodiversity hotspot

Assessing invasive terrestrial plant species in protected areas is of major importance, taking into consideration the role they play as key drivers in conserving biological diversity. The paper is aiming to argue the Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species (ITPS) in the Romanian protected areas with a special focus on the species Fallopia japonica in the Maramures Mountains Natural Park. Fallopia japonica, also known as Polygonum cuspidatum or Reynoutria japonica is an herbaceous perennial plant, largely occupying the riparian ecosystems and causing serious damages to native vegetation. The species is broadly regarded as one of the most invasive plant species in Europe, also listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world’s one hundred worst plant invaders. The paper seeks to analyze the potential spread of Fallopia japonica in a protected area-Maramures Mountains Natural Park - V IUCN category as well as Natura 2000 site (SPA and SCI) integrating comprehensive statistical and field data with modern computing methods (GIS-based). Consequently, based on accurate mapping and field investigation of Fallopia japonica in the study-area, the authors were able to identify specie’s main ecological requirements and preferences, spreading conditions etc. The current research will have great contribution to undertaking further studies on invasive terrestrial plant species development, distribution potential and impact upon native habitats.

The Hongge magmatic Fe-Ti-V oxide deposit in the Panxi region, SW China, is hosted in a layered mafic–ultramafic intrusion. This 2.7-km-thick, lopolith-like intrusion consists of the lower, middle, and upper zones, which are composed of olivine clinopyroxenite, clinopyroxenite, and gabbro, respectively. Abundant Fe-Ti oxide layers mainly occur in the middle zone and the lower part of the upper zone. Fe-Ti oxides include Cr-rich and Cr-poor titanomagnetite and granular ilmenite. Cr-rich titanomagnetite is commonly disseminated in the olivine clinopyroxenite of the lower parts of the lower and middle zones and contains 1.89 to 14.9 wt% Cr2O3 and 3.20 to 16.2 wt% TiO2, whereas Cr-poor titanomagnetite typically occurs as net-textured and massive ores in the upper middle and upper zones and contains much lower Cr2O3 (<0.4 wt%) but more variable TiO2 (0.11 to 18.2 wt%). Disseminated Cr-rich titanomagnetite in the ultramafic rocks is commonly enclosed in either olivine or clinopyroxene, whereas Cr-poor titanomangetite of the net-textured and massive ores is mainly interstitial to clinopyroxene and plagioclase. The lithology of the Hongge intrusion is consistent with multiple injections of magmas, the lower zone being derived from a single pulse of less differentiated ferrobasaltic magma and the middle and upper zones from multiple pulses of more differentiated magmas. Cr-rich titanomagnetite in the disseminated ores of the lower and middle zones is interpreted to represent an early crystallization phase whereas clusters of Cr-poor titanomagnetite, granular ilmenite, and apatite in the net-textured ores of the middle and upper zones are thought to have formed from an Fe-Ti-(P)-rich melt segregated from a differentiated ferrobasaltic magma as a result of liquid immiscibility. The dense Fe-Ti-(P)-rich melt percolated downward through the underlying silicate crystal mush to form net-textured and massive Fe-Ti oxide ores, whereas the coexisting Si-rich melt formed the overlying plagioclase-rich rocks in the intrusion.

Protected areas are a key conservation tool, yet their effectiveness at maintaining biodiversity through time is rarely quantified. Here, we assess protected area effectiveness across sampled portions of Great Britain (primarily England) using regionalized (protected vs unprotected areas) Bayesian occupancy-detection models for 1238 invertebrate species at 1 km resolution, based on ~1 million occurrence records between 1990 and 2018. We quantified species richness, species trends, and compositional change (temporal beta diversity; decomposed into losses and gains). We report results overall, for two functional groups (pollinators and predators), and for rare and common species. Whilst we found that protected areas have 15 % more species on average than unprotected ones, declines in occupancy are of similar magnitude and species composition has changed 27 % across protected and unprotected areas, with losses dominating gains. Pollinators have suffered particularly severe declines. Still, protected areas are colonized by more locally-novel pollinator species than unprotected areas, suggesting that they might act as ‘landing pads’ for range-shifting pollinators. We find almost double the number of rare species in protected areas (although rare species trends are similar in protected and unprotected areas); whereas we uncover disproportionately steep declines for common species within protected areas. Our results highlight strong invertebrate reorganization and loss across both protected and unprotected areas. We therefore call for more effective protected areas, in combination with wider action, to bend the curve of biodiversity loss – where we provide a toolkit to quantify effectiveness. We must grasp the opportunity to effectively conserve biodiversity through time.

The Svecofennian Koivusaarenneva gabbro at Kalvia, Finland, is a small intrusion emplaced at 1881 Ma into tonalitic bedrock near the boundary of the Mid Finland granitoid complex. The intrusion is mainly composed of even-grained metamorphosed gabbro, which can be subdivided into three zones. The lower, middle and upper zones are recognized on the basis of petrography (ilmenomagnetite, ilmenite and apatite, respectively) and geochemistry (uniform TiO2/Fe2O3TOT, variable TiO2/Fe2O3TOT and high REE and phosphorus, respectively). The Fe–Ti oxide-rich layers are common in lower and middle zones. The TiO2/Fe2O3TOT ratio is about 0.2 and constant for all rock types in the lower zone. The middle zone is characterized by a broad variation of the major elements as compared with the two other zones. The TiO2/Fe2O3TOT ratio is between 0.25 and 0.50. The middle zone hosts an ilmenite deposit consisting of layers of ilmenite ore, which grades between 8 and 48 wt% ilmenite. In the 2-km-long mineralized zone, the inferred resources amount to 44 Mt with 15% ilmenite and 6% vanadium-rich magnetite (0.7 wt% V). Ilmenite is free of haematite lamella and has a low MgO content (0.1–0.4%). The upper zone consists of phosphorus-rich gabbro and leucogabbro. The lower and upper zones are interpreted as resulting from crystal–liquid fractionation of two different batches of magma. The middle zone and ilmenite ore are interpreted as resulting from separate multiple batches of magma, which are products of an open-system magmatic process. The proposed model for ore genesis invokes stepwise or continuous flow of magma through the sill-like middle zone and the extraction of suspended Fe–Ti oxides that sink to form the ilmenite ore. Replacement of titanium- and iron-depleted magma with fresh parent magma resulted in a large mass of ilmenite ore in a relatively small volume intrusion. The Koivusaarenneva gabbro-hosted ilmenite deposit is a new type of Fe–Ti deposit and indicates that small mafic intrusions elsewhere have the potential to host significant titanium resources.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) agronomic traits, oil yield and oil quality under different agro-ecological zones

Systematic conservation planning has a substantial theoretical underpinning that allows optimization of tradeoffs between biodiversity conservation and other socioeconomic goals. However, this theory assumes perfect spatial information about the locations of biodiversity features (e.g., species distributions). In practice, planners represent well‐known taxa and other biodiversity “surrogates” in protected area systems, hoping that unmapped species will also be conserved. However, empirical research finds that surrogates predict species presence imperfectly, and sometimes rather poorly, at scales relevant to planning, and existing theory provides no further guidance. We developed new theory, explicitly incorporating aspects of spatial scale, for the representation problem when the locations of species distributions are unknown. Using probability theory and simulated and real species distributions, we found that the probability of adequately representing an unmapped species in a protected area system will be low unless the total fraction of the region being protected is larger than the species representation target. Furthermore, successful conservation depended critically on the relative sizes of the species distribution and of the individual protected areas; fewer, larger protected areas allowed the entire species distribution to fall into an unprotected gap. This scale‐dependence varied with the configuration of the protected area system, with the conservation objective most likely to be attained if the individual protected areas were hyperdispersed (evenly spaced across the planning region). Using these results, we developed three design principles for representing unmapped species in protected areas: (1) The fraction of the region placed in protected areas should be substantially larger than the species‐level representation target; (2) Individual protected areas must be at least one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the unmapped species' distribution; and (3) Protected areas should be evenly dispersed over geographic space. We also performed preliminary investigations of the effects of surrogates and socio‐economic cost data on the probability of adequately representing unmapped species, finding that the primary effect of surrogates may simply be to promote hyperdispersion of protected areas across the planning region, and that seeking to minimize opportunity costs gives poorer conservation results than random protected area placement.

The aim of this work is an introductory study on the crystal chemistry of igneous muscovite, with particular focus on samples from the Pedrobernardo pluton (central Spain), whose crystal structure and chemistry is compared with data from the literature. This pluton is a layered sheet-like granite body with distinct horizontal zoning, which can be subdivided into three main zones (lower, middle, and upper) characterized by different crystallization conditions. Different chemical trends can be identified when the chemical compositions of muscovite from the Pedrobernardo pluton are compared with literature data. Samples from the middle and lower zones follow a similar trend, whereas samples from the upper zone follow a different trend. In samples from the middle and lower zones, Ti 4+ increases without affecting Fe content (Fe 2+ and/or Fe 3+ , referred to here as Fe). Fe and Mg 2+ can enter into the layer in similar amounts. In samples from the upper zone, the Ti 4+ content is lower than in the lower and middle zones, whereas Fe is higher. Fe content is related to Ti 4+ content and seems to substitute for octahedral Al 3+ more easily than Mg 2+ . Samples from the middle and lower zones are characterized by substitutions involving both tetrahedral and octahedral sites, whereas samples from the upper zone are characterized by a preference for octahedral substitutions. Single-crystal structure refinements suggest a partial occupancy of the octahedral trans -site (Ml) related to substitution of F-for OH-, and probably also to a different O-H vector orientation. Lateral cell parameters are found to be affected by the octahedral cis -site mean bond distance (〈;M2-O〉), which is linked to Fe 2+ content for a large number of the samples under consideration. The 〈;M1-O〉 distance as well as tetrahedral thickness are found to be affected by the c parameter, following the structural mechanisms induced by chemical substitutions described in previous studies. These parameters thus appear to be affected more by electrostatic interactions involving the whole layer rather than by site occupancy and local chemical composition.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)'s strategic plan advocates the use of environmental surrogates, such as ecosystems, as a basis for planning where new protected areas should be placed. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of this ecosystem-based planning approach to adequately capture threatened species in protected area networks is unknown. We tested the application of this approach in Australia according to the nation's CBD-inspired goals for expansion of the national protected area system. We set targets for ecosystems (10% of the extent of each ecosystem) and threatened species (variable extents based on persistence requirements for each species) and then measured the total land area required and opportunity cost of meeting those targets independently, sequentially and simultaneously. We discover that an ecosystem-based approach will not ensure the adequate representation of threatened species in protected areas. Planning simultaneously for species and ecosystem targets delivered the most efficient outcomes for both sets of targets, while planning first for ecosystems and then filling the gaps to meet species targets was the most inefficient conservation strategy. Our analysis highlights the pitfalls of pursuing goals for species and ecosystems non-cooperatively and has significant implications for nations aiming to meet their CBD mandated protected area obligations.

The absence of a maximal dose-response plateau as well as gas trapping and increases in closing capacity (CC) suggest that increased airway closure is an important mechanical abnormality of asthmatic airways. We compared the extent and distribution of airway closure in 13 normal and in 23 asthmatic subjects. Airway closure (LVclosed) was measured with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and an inhaled Technegas bolus as the percentage of lung volume without Technegas (LVtrans), and with CC, using nitrogen washout. LVclosed was compared in the apical, middle and lower zones, each being of equal vertical height. Values of mean LVclosed +/- 95% confidence interval (CI) were similar in normal (30 +/- 6.0% LVtrans) and asthmatic subjects (30 +/- 7.8% LVtrans). In normal subjects, LVclosed correlated with both age (r = 0.89, p < 0. 01) and CC (r = 0.86, p < 0.01), was more extensive in the lower zone (58 +/- 18.8% LVtrans, p < 0.01) than in the middle and upper zones (17 +/- 8.7% and 26 +/- 8.2 LVtrans, respectively), and increased with age in both the middle and lower zones (r = 0.94 and r = 0.90, respectively, p < 0.01). In asthmatic subjects, LVclosed did not correlate with age; was greatest in the lower zone, intermediate in the middle zone, and lowest in the apical zone (59 +/- 13.2%, 22 +/- 5.8%, and 12 +/- 4.4% LVtrans, respectively, p < 0. 01); and correlated weakly with age in the middle zone only (r = 0. 46, p < 0.05). We conclude that there is a predictable pattern of airway closure in normal subjects and that it is primarily influenced by pulmonary elastic recoil. This pattern is lost in asthmatic subjects. This may be explained by an increased range of closing pressures and a patchy distribution of airway closure, probably secondary to allergic inflammation.

Rainfall and evapotranspiration are the two major climatic factors affecting agricultural production. This study examined the extent and nature of rainfall variability from measured data while estimation of evapotranspiration was made from recorded weather data. Analysis of rainfall variability is made by the rainfall anomaly index, coefficient of variance and precipitation concentration index. The FAO-56 reference ET (ETo) approach was used to determine the amount of evapotranspiration. Estimation of the onset, end of growing season and length of growing period was done using Instat software. The results show that mean annual rainfall of the upper (2307 m.a.s.l), middle (1772 m.a.s.l) and lower (1361 m.a.s.l) altitude zones of the watershed are in the order of 1100, 1070 and 785 mm with CV of 12, 15 and 17% respectively. There was a high temporal anomaly in rainfall between 1980 and 2013. The wettest years recorded Rainfall Anomaly Index of +5, +6 and +8 for stations in upper, middle and lower altitude zones respectively, where the driest year recorded value is -5 in all the stations. The average onset date of rainfall for the upper zone is April 3 ± 8 days, for the middle zone April 10 ± 10 days and for the lower zone is April 11 ± 11 days with CV of 23%, 26 and 29% respectively. The average end dates of the rainy season in the upper and middle zones are October 3 ± 5 days and September 25 ± 7 days with CV 5 and 7%. The main rainy season ends earlier in the lower zone; it is on July 12 ± 10 days with CV of 14%. Key words: Variability, days of the year (DOY), onset, end date, length of growing period (LGP).

In this study, 1/1 scale Fire Experiment Laboratory was built to demonstrate the reality of fire with a real fire. In the prepared building, there are 2 fire test rooms measuring 300 × 350cm and 1 observation room measuring 190 × 620cm. In the fire tests, a living room and a bedroom were furnished by calculating the required fire loads. In the fire load calculation, a fire index value of 1.18 was obtained in the bedroom and a fire index value of 1.86 was obtained in the living room. Instant temperature values were taken for each second in the lower, middle and top zones of the fire rooms. The bedroom reached maximum temperatures around 1200 °C in the top zone, 800 °C in the middle zone and 400 °C in the lower zone. And in the living room, maximum temperatures were measured at around 900 °C in the top zone, 600 °C in the middle zone and 300 °C in the lower zone. Moreover, temperature changes outside the building were also recorded. According to the thermal camera images measured, the external wall temperature of the bedroom is around 25–31 °C at maximum temperature and the external wall temperature of the living room is around 41–46 °C at maximum temperature.

Although 23% of Thailand’s land is in protected areas, these are vulnerable to climate change. We used spatial distribution modelling for 866 vertebrate and 591 plant species to understand potential climate change impacts on species in protected areas. Most mammals, birds, and plants were projected to decline by 2070, but most amphibians and reptiles were projected to increase. By 2070 under RCP8.5, 54% of modeled species will be threatened and 11 nationally extinct. However, SDMs are sensitive to truncation of the climate space currently occupied by habitat loss and hunting, and apparent truncation by data limitations. In Thailand, lowland forest clearance has biased records for forest-dependent species to cooler uplands (> 250 m a.s.l.) and hunting has confined larger vertebrates to well-protected areas. In contrast, available data is biased towards lowland non-forest taxa for amphibians and reptiles. Niche truncation may therefore have resulted in overestimation of vulnerability for some mammal and plant species, while data limitations have likely led to underestimation of the threat to forest-dependent amphibians and reptiles. In view of the certainty of climate change but the many uncertainties regarding biological responses, we recommend regular, long-term monitoring of species and communities to detect early signals of climate change impacts.

SummaryPlant eradication is difficult, particularly in remote, protected areas. The Southern Ocean Islands are very isolated and highly protected, but the flora contains many alien plants. Small restricted populations have been eradicated, but eradication of established species has proven difficult. A better understanding of the efficacy of control methods at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and their off‐target impacts may increase eradication success. With interest in controlling non‐native Poa annua in the region, we aimed to determine if physical and chemical methods can control P. annua (the sub‐Antarctic biotype) in sub‐Antarctic conditions and examined their impact on native plants. We quantified the effectiveness of physical control methods on P. annua in situ on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island through field‐based experiments and assessed their selectivity on P. annua compared with native grasses. We also quantified the effectiveness of several herbicides on P. annua at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and assessed their selectivity on native grasses. Of the four physical disturbance methods tested, none effectively reduced P. annua cover as one‐off treatments. Of the herbicide treatments, glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron sodium were effective and were less damaging to native grass species, indicating potential selectivity. Physical control was of limited effectiveness, but did not affect native species richness. An integrated weed management programme utilising the strategic use of selective herbicides with follow‐up chemical and physical intervention may balance control and biodiversity outcomes. This research highlights the importance of site‐specific testing of control methods and understanding off‐target impacts of control when managing alien plant species in protected areas.