Artificial Flowers Research Articles

Improving the Accuracy of Saffron Adulteration Classification and Quantification through Data Fusion of Thin-Layer Chromatography Imaging and Raman Spectral Analysis.

Agricultural crops of high value are frequently targeted by economic adulteration across the world. Saffron powder, being one of the most expensive spices and colorants on the market, is particularly vulnerable to adulteration with extraneous plant materials or synthetic colorants. However, the current international standard method has several drawbacks, such as being vulnerable to yellow artificial colorant adulteration and requiring tedious laboratory measuring procedures. To address these challenges, we previously developed a portable and versatile method for determining saffron quality using a thin-layer chromatography technique coupled with Raman spectroscopy (TLC-Raman). In this study, our aim was to improve the accuracy of the classification and quantification of adulterants in saffron by utilizing mid-level data fusion of TLC imaging and Raman spectral data. In summary, the featured imaging data and featured Raman data were concatenated into one data matrix. The classification and quantification results of saffron adulterants were compared between the fused data and the analysis based on each individual dataset. The best classification result was obtained from the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model developed using the mid-level fusion dataset, which accurately determined saffron with artificial adulterants (red 40 or yellow 5 at 2-10%, w/w) and natural plant adulterants (safflower and turmeric at 20-100%, w/w) with an overall accuracy of 99.52% and 99.20% in the training and validation group, respectively. Regarding quantification analysis, the PLS models built with the fused data block demonstrated improved quantification performance in terms of R2 and root-mean-square errors for most of the PLS models. In conclusion, the present study highlighted the significant potential of fusing TLC imaging data and Raman spectral data to improve saffron classification and quantification accuracy via the mid-level data fusion, which will facilitate rapid and accurate decision-making on site.

Palm Sunday in central Mexico: among sellers, palms and syncretism

BackgroundDomingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, is a traditional Christian religious event where devotees use ramos, which are bouquets currently elaborated from palm leaves and other natural elements. In various countries, it is assumed this use of biodiversity leads to the depletion of the species involved. However, other important aspects must be considered, including the role of the people who produce and sell these ramos, the associated symbolism that has been overlooked, as well as commercial aspects that have barely been documented. This ethnobotanical study evaluates the regional-scale cultural, biological and socioeconomic aspects associated with Domingo de Ramos in central Mexico from an emic perspective.MethodsEthnographic and commercial information was obtained through interviews with ramos sellers in 28 municipalities in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. We specifically sought sociodemographic data regarding the interviewees, as well as information pertaining to the ramos themselves and the palms. These aspects were explored with all of the sellers. The free list method was used to describe the uses and key elements associated with the ramos.ResultsAlthough the ramos are used for religious purposes, they have eight different uses in the daily life of the sellers, the main one being “protection.” They serve to protect families, crops and animals, as well as against several diseases. Likewise, they are considered valuable for diminishing strong storms. This belief in the protection conferred by the ramos preserves pre-Hispanic concepts and is combined with their use in blessing corresponding to Western beliefs. Ramos are made from 35 introduced and native plant species and comprise a base (made of palm, wheat or sotol), a “reliquia” (palm, rosemary, chamomile and laurel) and natural or artificial flowers. The ramos sellers are mostly adult women of indigenous origin and heads of family.ConclusionsThis study of Domingo de Ramos, carried out at a regional scale, highlights a syncretism that is reflected in both the symbolic importance of ramos palm and in the species used, as well as socioeconomic aspects that had not previously been identified in the study area and reflect the occurrence of complex relationships in non-timber forest products that remain little addressed.

ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ ЗАЛУЧЕННЯ УЧНІВСЬКОЇ МОЛОДІ ДО УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ТРАДИЦІЙ ЗАСОБАМИ ЕТНОДИЗАЙНУ

Ethno design as at teaching has deep roots in Ukrainian people’s lifestyle, which are an effective means for aesthetic, humanistic and national education of schoolchildren, this ethno cultural environment become particularly relevant during the development of the New Ukrainian school. Folk crafts vividly reflect and best preserve the traditional educational ideal of the Ukrainian people, which is contained in the works of decorative and applied art, available for students to perceive and understand. A decisive factor in the ethno-cultural and labor education of modern youth is various forms of their involvement in Ukrainian traditions and folk art, in particular, familiarization with the technologies of making Ukrainian folk toys, which occupy an important place in the upbringing and educational process of student youth. The knotted doll is a unique technology, because this type of folk art is an ethno design project that combines several types of traditional Ukrainian decorative and applied art. In the process of making a knotted doll, such authentic techniques as: ornaments from different ethnographic regions of Ukraine, traditional embroidery techniques, fabric dyeing with biological dyes, weaving, vybiyka (wood printing on fabric), beading, felting from wool, art ceramics, technologies for modeling artificial flowers from paper, fabric, wood shavings, creating wax headband accessories, ancient techniques and methods of tying head scarves and shawls, sewing and decorating head covers – are used. Among the variety of forms, methods and means of ethno design that contribute to the involvement of student youth in Ukrainian traditions, a number of simple and effective educational technologies have been identified and presented in our research, such as: museum-pedagogical activities, visits to cultural and artistic events, exhibitions of works of folk art, thematic exhibitions-presentations use of audio and video recordings from ethnographic expeditions, etc. Of particular importance in the popularization of folk art among young people is personal communication with the bearers of traditions in the format of creative meetings with masters of folk art, visits to master classes, personal exhibitions and workshops of folk masters. The described technologies of youth involvement in folk art affect the development of the cognitive and emotional sphere of the individual, his creative abilities, contribute to the creative and productive educational activities of students. Key words: ethno design; folk art; Ukrainian knotted doll; traditional technologies of making and decorating a folk doll; aesthetic, humanistic, national education of students; technologies for familiarizing young people with folk traditions.

Developing and Evaluating a New Method and Apparatus for Examining Bumble Bee Foraging Behavior

A key question in pollination biology is that of how pollinators identify and choose foraging patches. Several approaches have been employed for this, including field studies and large greenhouse flight chambers. Most methods used to date are limited, though, by reliance on a combination of artificial flowers, large spatial scales, or lack of spatially distinct floral patches. To address this issue, we designed and tested a y-maze flight arena and tested it using the bumblebee Bombus impatiens and canola plants. Our results indicate that the system is not biased by environmental conditions, or by an innate “handedness” of Bombus impatiens. We found that bees made all the expected patch choices when presented with soil, plants without flowers, or plants with flowers. This new method is important and useful as it allows researchers to ask questions of both plant health and insect behavior and the chamber system is modular allowing for simple changes to the setup to focus on different questions. • Y-maze flight arena was designed to evaluate foraging behavior on intact plants. • No evidence of side preference in individual bees. • Behaviors observed in the y-maze appear to correspond to behaviors observed in other settings.

The Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid Impairs Learning, Locomotor Activity Levels, and Sucrose Solution Consumption in Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris).

Bumblebees carry out the complex task of foraging to provide for their colonies. They also conduct pollination, an ecosystem service of high importance to both wild plants and entomophilous crops. Insecticides can alter different aspects of bumblebee foraging behavior, including the motivation to leave the hive, finding the right flowers, handling flowers, and the ability to return to the colony. In the present study, we assessed how the neonicotinoid imidacloprid affects bumblebees' foraging behavior after exposure to four different treatment levels, including field-realistic concentrations (0 [control], 1, 10, and 100 μg/L), through sucrose solution over 9 days. We observed the behavior of several free-flying bumblebees simultaneously foraging on artificial flowers in a flight arena to register the bees' complex behavior postexposure. To conduct a detailed assessment of how insecticides affect bumblebee locomotor behavior, we used video cameras and analyzed the recordings using computer vision. We found that imidacloprid impaired learning and locomotor activity level when the bumblebees foraged on artificial flowers. We also found that imidacloprid exposure reduced sucrose solution intake and storage. By using automated analyses of video recordings of bumblebee behavior, we identified sublethal effects of imidacloprid exposure at field-realistic doses. Specifically, we observed negative impacts on consumption of sucrose solution as well as on learning and locomotor activity level. Our results highlight the need for more multimodal approaches when assessing the sublethal effects of insecticides and plant protection products in general. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1337-1345. © 2023 SETAC.

Rhizosphere microbes influence wogonoside accumulation in perennial Scutellaria baicalensis

Dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi are an acclaimed traditional Chinese medicine, and wogonoside content is a key indicator used to evaluate S. baicalensis quality. Rather than rising linearly with cultivation years, S. baicalensis quality initially increases and then declines. However, little is known regarding the dynamic variations in S. baicalensis rhizosphere microorganisms under long-term cultivation and underlying mechanisms of their effects on wogonoside formation and accumulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of soil nutrients and rhizosphere microbes on S. baicalensis quality across different cultivation years (1–4 years). The wogonoside content (25.14 mg g-1) was highest in the biennial S. baicalensis and then decreased following long-term cultivation. Most soil nutrients (available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available iron, available manganese, and available zinc) were reduced significantly as cultivation years increased. Time also affected rhizosphere bacterial community structure significantly, driving it toward deterministic process (i.e., β-nearest taxon index < -2). Available manganese and exchangeable calcium indirectly affected wogonoside formation and accumulation. Wogonoside inhibition was driven by the reduction in rhizosphere bacterial diversity, which significantly increased the relative abundance of beta-glucosidase and decreased the relative abundance of phenylalanine ammonialyase. The rhizosphere microenvironment was altered under long-term cultivation, thereby shaping rhizosphere bacterial community, reducing the community diversity, and ultimately inhibiting wogonoside formation and accumulation. Our findings may aid in understanding of the mechanisms and reasons for the reduction in S. baicalensis quality under long-term cultivation from the perspective of soil nutrients and microorganisms, which may theoretically support the future artificial cultivation and management of Chinese medicinal plants.

Sustainable Growth of Medicinal and Aromatic Mediterranean Plants Growing as Communities in Shallow Substrate Urban Green Roof Systems

To date, the evaluation of the performance of Mediterranean native plants under urban green roof conditions has been limited to monoculture studies. However, plants grow naturally in plant communities and therefore it is of interest to evaluate their growth under realistic conditions, including interactions among plant species. The present study aims to evaluate the growth, flowering, and self-reproduction capacity of three artificially created plant communities consisting of native Mediterranean plants, as exemplified in Greece under shallow green roof substrate depths (8 and 15 cm) and two irrigation regimes (high, 20% ETo and low, 10% ETo). The plant communities (PC) were designed to resemble xerophytic vegetation found either in Chania, Crete (PC-1), as a combined pattern with plants from Attica, Crete, and the Cyclades (Kythnos) (PC-2), or to resemble the coastal vegetation of Attica and Cyclades (Kythnos) (PC-3). Each of the three artificial plant communities (PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3) consisted of nine species and subspecies. The deeper substrate significantly improved the growth, flowering and survival of most plant taxa. The irrigation regime was not significant for all species except one, indicating that minimal amounts of irrigation are required. Four species did not manage to bloom while 15 species were able to self-reproduce.

An Image Edge Detection Algorithm Based on an Artificial Plant Community

Image edge detection is a difficult task, because it requires the accurate removal of irrelevant pixels, while retaining important pixels that describe the image’s structural properties. Here, an artificial plant community algorithm is proposed to aid in the solving of the image edge detection problem. First, the image edge detection problem is modeled as an objective function of an artificial plant community searching for water sources and nutrients. After many iterations, the artificial plant community is concentrated in habitable areas that are rich in water sources and nutrients, that is, the image edges, and the nonhabitable zones that are not suitable for living are deserted, that is, the nonedges. Second, an artificial plant community algorithm is designed to solve the objective function by simulating the growth process of a true plant community. The living behavior of the artificial plant community includes three operations: seeding, growing, and fruiting. The individuals in the plant community also correspond to three forms, namely seeds, individuals, and fruit. There are three fitness comparisons in each iteration. The first fitness comparison of each iteration is carried out during the seeding operation. Only the fruit with higher fitness levels in the last iteration can become seeds, while the fruit with low fitness levels die, and some new seeds are randomly generated. The second fitness comparison is implemented in the growing operation. Only the seeds with higher fitness levels can become individuals, but the seeds with lower fitness levels will die; thus, the community size will decrease. The third fitness comparison is in the fruiting operation, where the individual with the greatest fitness can produce an identical fruit through parthenogenesis, and the individuals with higher fitness levels can learn from each other and produce more fruit, so the population size can be restored. Through the continuous cycle of these three operations, the artificial plant community will finally determine the edge pixels and delete the nonedge pixels. Third, the experiment results reveal how the proposed algorithm generates the edge image, and the comparative results demonstrate that the proposed artificial plant community algorithm can effectively solve the image edge detection problems. Finally, this study and some limitations are summarized, and future directions are suggested. The proposed algorithm is expected to act as a new research tool for solving various complex problems.

Populasi Tumbuhan Anggota Famili Zingiberaceae di Blok Koleksi Tumbuhan Sumber Agung DS Tahura Wan Abdul Rachman (Population of Plant of the Zingiberaceae Family Members at Sumber Agung DS Plant Collection Block in Tahura Wan Abdul Rachman)

The Wan Abdul Rachman Great Forest Park (Tahura) is one of the conservation forests in Lampung Province. The plant collection block serves as a place for the collection of native and artificial plants. The Collection Block has the potential as a place to grow members of the Zingiberaceae family. Zingiberaceae is a flowering plant known as ginger plants. This study aims to determine the population of plants belonging to the Zingiberaceae family in the Sumber Agung Plant Collection Block, Wan Abdul Rachman Great Forest Park. The study was conducted in June-July 2021. The method used was the transect method with a sampling intensity of 0.1% or an area of 1,411.8 m2. There are 4 transect, each measuring 5 m wide and 180 m long. Sample plots measuring 5 m x 2 m were made continuous in all transect. The results showed the population of plants belonging to the Zingiberaceae family in the Sumber Agung Plant Collection Block as many as 15 species, namely temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza), laos (Alpinia galanga), fragrant lempuyang (Zingiber aromaticum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), bitter lempuyang /emprit (Zingiber amarican), tepus (Etlingera solaris), lempuyang elephant (Zingiber zerumbet), temu putih (Curcuma zedoaria), white galangal (Alpinia malaccensis), pacing (Costus spesiosus), temu giring (Curcuma heyneana), bangle (Zingiber purpureum), cardamom (Amomum compactum), honje/kecombrang (Etlingera elatior), and wresah (Amomum delbatum). The dominant population of Zingiberaceae plants is Laos with an INP of 75.809 and a density of 666.6 individuals/ha. Keyword: population; Zingiberaceae; collection blocks; great forest park

Patterns and drivers of seasonal water sources for artificial sand-fixing plants in the northeastern Mu Us sandy land, Northwest China

Understanding plant water-use patterns is important for improving water-use efficiency and for sustainable vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid regions. However, seasonal variations in water sources and their control by different sand-fixing plants in water-limited desert ecosystems remain poorly understood. In this study, stable isotopic ratios of hydrogen (δ2H) and oxygen (δ18O) in precipitation, soil water, groundwater, and xylem water were determined to document seasonal changes in water uptake by three representative plant species (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv., Amygdalus pedunculata Pall., and Salix psammophila) in the northeastern Mu Us sandy land, Northwest China. Based on the depth distribution and temporal variation of measured gravimetric soil water content (SWC), the soil water profile of the three species stands was divided into active (0.01 g g-1 < SWC < 0.08 g g-1, 20% < coefficient of variation (CV) < 45%), stable (0.02 g g-1 < SWC < 0.05 g g-1, CV < 20%), and moist (0.08 g g-1 < SWC < 0.20 g g-1, CV > 45%) layers. Annually, P. sylvestris, A. pedunculata, and S. psammophila obtained most water from deep (59.2% ± 9.7%, moist layer and groundwater), intermediate (57.4% ± 9.8%, stable and moist layers), and shallow (54.4% ± 10.5%, active and stable layers) sources, respectively. Seasonally, the three plant species absorbed more than 60% of their total water uptake from the moist layer and groundwater in the early (June) dry season; then, they switched to the active and stable layers in the rainy season (July–September) for water resources (50.1%–62.5%). In the late (October–November) dry season, P. sylvestris (54.5%–66.2%) and A. pedunculata (52.9%–63.6%) mainly used water from stable and moist layers, whereas S. psammophila (52.6%–70.7%) still extracted water predominantly from active and stable layers. Variations in the soil water profile induced by seasonal fluctuations in precipitation and groundwater levels and discrepancies in plant phenology, root distribution, and water demand are the main factors affecting the seasonal water-use patterns of artificial sand-fixing plants. Our study addresses the issue of plant water uptake with knowledge of proportional source-water use and reveals important implications for future vegetation restoration and water management in the Mu Us sandy land and similar desert regions around the world.

Molecular diversity and the fate of biochemical fractions of eucalypt tissues in soil

The molecular diversity of the source substrate has been regarded as a significant controller of the proportion of plant material that is either mineralized or incorporated into soil organic matter (SOM). However, quantitative parameters to express substrate molecular diversity remain elusive. In this research, we fractionated leaves, twigs, bark, and root tissues of 13C-enriched eucalypt seedlings into hot water extractables (HWE), total solvent (acetone) extractables (TSE), a cellulosic fraction (CF), and the acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR). We used 13C NMR spectroscopy to obtain a molecular diversity index (MDI) based on the relative abundance of carbohydrate, protein, lignin, lipid, and carbonyl functional groups within the biochemical fractions. Subsequently, we obtained artificial plant organs containing fixed proportions (25%) of their respective biochemical fractions to be incubated with soil material obtained from a Haplic Ferralsol for 200-days, under controlled temperature (25 ± 1 °C) and moisture adjusted to 70–80% of the soil water holding capacity. Our experimental design was a randomized complete block design, arranged according to a factorial scheme including 4 plant organs, 4 biochemical fractions, and 3 blocks as replicates. During the incubation, we assessed the evolution of CO2 from the microcosms after 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 13, 21, 28, 38, 45, 70, 80, 92, 112, 148, 178 and 200 days from the start of the incubation. After the incubation, soil subsamples were submitted to a density fractionation to separate the light fraction of SOM (LFOM) i.e., with density <1.8 g cm−3. The heavy fraction remaining was submitted to wet-sieving yielding the sand-sized SOM (SSOM) and the mineral-associated SOM (MAOM), with particle-size greater and smaller than 53 µm, respectively. We found that HWE and AUR exhibited comparatively higher MDIs than the TSE and CF. During the incubation, HWE and CF were the primary sources of 13C-CO2 from all plant organs and after 92 days, the respiration of the TSE of bark and roots increased. Otherwise, the AUR contributed the least for the release of 13C-CO2. There were no significant relationships between the MDI and the amount of 13C transferred into the LFOM or SSOM. Otherwise, the transfer of 13C into the MAOM increased as a linear-quadratic function of MDI, which in turn was negatively correlated with the total 13C-CO2 loss. Overall, the MDI exerted a stronger control on the 13C-labeled MAOM than on 13C-CO2 emissions, highlighting the need to improve our ability to distinguish and quantify direct plant inputs from those of microbial origin entering soil C pools.

Histone H2A monoubiquitination marks are targeted to specific sites by cohesin subunits in Arabidopsis

Histone H2A monoubiquitination (H2Aub1) functions as a conserved posttranslational modification in eukaryotes to maintain gene expression and guarantee cellular identity. Arabidopsis H2Aub1 is catalyzed by the core components AtRING1s and AtBMI1s of polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1). Because PRC1 components lack known DNA binding domains, it is unclear how H2Aub1 is established at specific genomic locations. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis cohesin subunits AtSYN4 and AtSCC3 interact with each other, and AtSCC3 binds to AtBMI1s. H2Aub1 levels are reduced in atsyn4 mutant or AtSCC3 artificial microRNA knockdown plants. ChIP-seq assays indicate that most binding events of AtSYN4 and AtSCC3 are associated with H2Aub1 along the genome where transcription is activated independently of H3K27me3. Finally, we show that AtSYN4 binds directly to the G-box motif and directs H2Aub1 to these sites. Our study thus reveals a mechanism for cohesin-mediated recruitment of AtBMI1s to specific genomic loci to mediate H2Aub1.

An Artificial Plant Community Algorithm for the Accurate Range-Free Positioning of Wireless Sensor Networks.

The problem of positioning wireless sensor networks is an important and challenging topic in all walks of life. Inspired by the evolution behavior of natural plant communities and traditional positioning algorithms, a novel positioning algorithm based on the behavior of artificial plant communities is designed and presented here. First, a mathematical model of the artificial plant community is established. Artificial plant communities survive in habitable places rich in water and nutrients, offering the best feasible solution to the problem of positioning a wireless sensor network; otherwise, they leave the non-habitable area, abandoning the feasible solution with poor fitness. Second, an artificial plant community algorithm is presented to solve the positioning problems encountered in a wireless sensor network. The artificial plant community algorithm includes three basic operations, namely seeding, growing, and fruiting. Unlike traditional artificial intelligence algorithms, which always have a fixed population size and only one fitness comparison per iteration, the artificial plant community algorithm has a variable population size and three fitness comparisons per iteration. After seeding by an original population size, the population size decreases during growth, as only the individuals with high fitness can survive, while the individuals with low fitness die. In fruiting, the population size recovers, and the individuals with higher fitness can learn from each other and produce more fruits. The optimal solution in each iterative computing process can be preserved as a parthenogenesis fruit for the next seeding operation. When seeding again, the fruits with high fitness can survive and be seeded, while the fruits with low fitness die, and a small number of new seeds are generated through random seeding. Through the continuous cycle of these three basic operations, the artificial plant community can use a fitness function to obtain accurate solutions to positioning problems in limited time. Third, experiments are conducted using different random networks, and the results verify that the proposed positioning algorithms can obtain good positioning accuracy with a small amount of computation, which is suitable for wireless sensor nodes with limited computing resources. Finally, the full text is summarized, and the technical deficiencies and future research directions are presented.

Flower choice by the stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria is not influenced by colour-similarity to a higher-reward flower in the same patch

Floral choice by bees is influenced by the bees’ previous experience with flowers. For example, bees may learn to associate particular flower colours with rewards and prefer flowers of that colour in a given patch. In this study, we assessed whether floral choice by the stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria was influenced by colour similarity to a high-quality neighbour flower, while it contained nectar, and then when it was empty of nectar. We trained T. carbonaria to visit highly rewarding artificial flowers (50% (v/v) honey solution) within a patch that also contained two types of less-rewarding artificial flowers (20% (v/v) honey solution): one of the same colour (though different pattern) as the high-quality flower and one a different colour (and pattern) to the other two flowers. Colonies were tested with blue and yellow colour sets, where either the blue flower was most rewarding and the yellow the least, or vice versa. We then compared preferences between the two equal-quality flowers in the patch under two conditions: (i) when nectar was available from the high-quality flower, and (ii) when the nectar was removed from the high-quality flower. We found that, when available, high-quality flowers were always visited more than low-quality flowers. Under this condition, adjacent lower-quality flowers in the patch received similar levels of visitation, regardless of their colour. When the reward was removed from the high-quality flower (simulating an emptied flower), foragers quickly switched to using the remaining two equal-quality flowers in the patch, but again showed no preference for the similar-coloured flower. Our results indicate that T. carbonaria are adaptable foragers capable of quickly learning and responding to floral reward changes in their foraging environment. At least under our experimental conditions, we found no evidence that T. carbonaria floral choice is influenced by colour similarity to a high-quality resource in the same foraging location.

Correlating variables with different scale types: A new framework based on matrix comparisons

AbstractEcological variables may be expressed on four basic measurement scales (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio), whereas circular variables and those combining a nominal state with other scale types are also common. However, existing methods are not suited to calculate correlations between all pairwise combinations of such variables, preventing the application of standard multivariate techniques.The essence of the new approach is to derive a so‐called difference semimatrix for all pairs of observations for each variable, and then to calculate the matrix correlation based on two such semimatrices. The advantage of this function, termedd‐correlation, is that comparisons are made on the same logical basis regardless of the measurement scale, allowing for the use of principal components analysis to visualize interrelationships among many variables simultaneously. Further advantages are that missing values in the data are tolerated and that the Gower index of dissimilarity between objects may also be computed.The use of the method is demonstrated on a small toy matrix, an artificial plant trait matrix and a large dataset summarizing ecological features of all vascular plant species of Sardinia, Italy. The source code in R and FORTRAN, and applications for three different operation systems, are provided for computations with results serving as input for other statistical software.The new computational framework will allow the comparison of any types of ecological traits in a mathematically meaningful manner. This option was not available earlier in the field of multivariate statistics, and the method is expected to receive applications in other subject areas as well in which many objects are described in terms of variables expressed on different measurement scales.

Perception and appreciation of plant biodiversity among experts and laypeople

Abstract Plant biodiversity, which is fundamental for the delivery of ecosystem services, is in decline. Yet, knowledge about how plant biodiversity is perceived and appreciated is scarce. We studied biologists' and laypeople's perception and appreciation for plant communities that differ in plant biodiversity, using ranges of plant biodiversity known to affect ecosystem services. We investigate species richness, species turnover and species evenness. A questionnaire based on photographs displaying artificial plant communities was used. Perceived biodiversity was 12% more often congruent with actual biodiversity for biologists than for laypeople. Species richness was perceived congruently with actual species richness by 77% of all respondents, compared with 27% for species evenness and 29% for species turnover. Appreciation for the displayed communities correlated positively with their actual plant biodiversity, except for species turnover. Appreciation always correlated positively with perceived plant biodiversity and even stronger than with actual plant biodiversity. This was not the case for species richness, for which perceived and actual biodiversity were most often congruent. Our results suggest that plant biodiversity is perceived most accurately when changes in species richness are considered, while changes in species evenness and species turnover are perceived less accurately. The respondents' answers indicate that perceived higher plant biodiversity is appreciated more than perceived lower plant biodiversity, even when perceived and actual plant biodiversity are not congruent. We corroborate findings that people value plant biodiversity per se. But we also find that people largely perceive species evenness and turnover with low accuracy; and that people have low appreciation for these biodiversity dimensions that are lesser known but essential to ecosystem functioning. Our finding that biologists have higher accuracy in perceiving biodiversity suggests that biodiversity literacy is key to increasing people's awareness of changes in plant biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Water pollution threats in important bird and biodiversity areas from Spain

Chemical pollution is still an underestimated threat to surface waters from natural areas. This study has analysed the presence and distribution of 59 organic micropollutants (OMPs) including pharmaceuticals, lifestyle compounds, pesticides, organophosphate esters (OPEs), benzophenone and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in 411 water samples from 140 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) from Spain, to evaluate the impact of these pollutants in sites of environmental relevance. Lifestyle compounds, pharmaceuticals and OPEs were the most ubiquitous chemical families, while pesticides and PFASs showed a detection frequency below 25% of the samples. The mean concentrations detected ranged from 0.1 to 301 ng/L. According to spatial data, agricultural surface has been identified as the most important source of all OMPs in natural areas. Lifestyle compounds and PFASs have been related to the presence of artificial surface and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharges, which were also an important source of pharmaceuticals to surface waters. Fifteen out of 59 OMPs have been found at levels posing a high risk for the aquatic IBAs ecosystems, being the insecticide chlorpyrifos, the antidepressant venlafaxine and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) the most concerning compounds. This is the first study to quantify water pollution in IBAs and evidence that OMPs are an emerging threat to freshwater ecosystems that are essential for biodiversity conservation.

How to build vegetation patches in hydraulic studies: a hydrodynamic-ecological perspective on a biological object

Vegetation in freshwater and coastal ecosystems modifies flows, retains sediment, protects banks and shorelines from erosion. Hydraulic laboratory studies with live vegetation or artificial plant mimics, or numerical models with abstracted patches, are often used to quantify the effects of vegetation on water flow and sedimentation. However, the choice of plant and patch characteristics is often not supported by field observations of patch dimensions, density or spacing between consecutive patches. The discrepancy between plants in natural conditions and in flume experiments or numerical studies may affect the relevance of these findings for natural ecosystems. In this study, we provide guidelines for building realistic vegetation patches in hydraulic studies. We collected data on four species of fully submerged freshwater aquatic macrophytes that can grow into well-defined patches. We considered three relevant levels: individual plants (inside patches), isolated patches and multiple neighbouring patches. At the plant level, we observed significant differences in biomechanical traits (Young’s modulus, flexural stiffness), resulting in stem Cauchy numbers ranging from 85.25 to 325.84, and leaf Cauchy numbers from 163.81 to 2003.97. At the patch level, we found significant relationships between patch length, width and height, showing covariation among different patch characteristics. The relationships among patch dimensions differed significantly among sampling sites for three of the four species, suggesting high intraspecific variability in patch sizes. By providing a first set of guidelines for choosing correct and ecologically relevant plant characteristics, this dataset aims to improve our understanding of the complex processes occurring inside and around submerged vegetated patches.

Four Elegies

Four Elegies

Effect of continuous lighting on the growth and leaf chemical components of Artemisia princeps grown hydroponically in a plant factory condition

Young leaves of Artemisia princeps Pamp. (Japanese mugwort), already used as a foodstuff in Japan, can be positioned as a functional health food because of remarkably higher contents of chlorogenic acid and total polyphenol compared to common vegetables. To procure young leaves in demand on a year-round basis by hydroponic production in fully artificial light-type plant factories, we investigated whether 24-h photoperiod, known to enhance some beneficial constituents, could improve the growth and chemical constituents of Japanese mugwort plants grown hydroponically in a plant factory condition. As we previously demonstrated that lowering the nutrient solution concentration increased chlorogenic acid and total polyphenol contents of the leaves without reducing the growth, plants were cultivated with a lower concentration of nutrient solution. The results indicated that it is possible to grow Japanese mugwort hydroponically under 24-h photoperiod in a plant factory condition with a nutrient solution concentration as low as 25% of the standard. In addition, under 24-h photoperiod, plant growth was greatly accelerated and chlorogenic acid as well as total polyphenol were increased, suggesting that 24-h photoperiod is highly beneficial for Japanese mugwort production in a fully artificial light-type plant factory.