Bioclimatic Zones Research Articles

The Value of Utilizing the Complete Temporal Distribution of Phenological Data

Numerous studies over the past decades have shown that species phenologies are shifting. Behind the large-scale patterns of shifting phenologies lies, however, large variability across species and space in terms of both the sign of the shifts (advance or delay) and their magnitude (rate of change). The shifts in the timing of seasonal events are usually studied by measuring change in one part of the phenological distribution over the season, such as the mean or first appearance of the event. This, however, gives us a mere glimpse of how (part of) a population is changing, thus limiting our ability to understand the underlying mechanisms. We demonstrate the benefits of taking a holistic approach to describing phenological change by considering shifts in the complete phenological distribution and interrelationships within it. As a case study, we make use of a database on bird chick banding events to understand the shifts in breeding phenology for 74 bird species across 43 years and 4 bioclimatic zones distributed across Finland. We find that bird breeding is stacking up towards earlier and more compressed peak periods. The majority of change can be attributed to a faster advance of the tail of the distribution, alongside minor advancement of the beginning of the season. We conclude that the observed shifts potentially intensify intraspecific competition by increasing the temporal co-occurrence of broods across large geographical areas. Nevertheless, these patterns would likely have not been recognized through summarizing the data by species mean dates alone. We therefore urge scientists and data managers to compile and utilize phenological data at higher resolution, retaining the original detail. This will allow us to capture multiple modes of population-level change, thereby providing deeper insights into how species are responding to ongoing climate warming.

Varying climate response across the tundra, forest-tundra and boreal forest biomes in northern West Siberia

Satellite studies using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) have revealed changes in northern Eurasian vegetation productivity in recent decades, including greening in tundra and browning in the boreal forests. However, apparent NDVI changes and relationships to climate depend on the temporal and spatial sampling and the biome and forest-land cover type studied. Here we perform a consistent analysis of NDVI and climate across four bioclimatic zones (tundra, forest-tundra, northern and middle taiga) in northern West Siberia (NWS), further stratified into eight forest-land cover types. We utilize NDVI data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and climate reanalysis data from 2000 to 2016, a period including the record warm anomaly in 2016 (+2 °C–5 °C June–July surface air temperature (SAT) across NWS). Statistically significant (α = 0.05) correlations were found for two bivariate relationships at the biome level: between NDVImax and June–July surface air temperature (SAT)(r ∼ +0.79), and between middle taiga NDVImax and July precipitation (r ∼ +0.48). No significant statistical relationships were found for the northern taiga and forest-tundra biomes. However, within these biomes we found that deciduous needle-leaf (larch) NDVImax is significantly correlated with July temperature (r ∼ +0.48). Qualitatively, spatial composites of NDVI and climate variables were effective for revealing insights and patterns of these relationships at the sub-regional scale. The spatial heterogeneity of NDVI patterns indicates divergent reactions of specific types of vegetation, as well as local effects that are clearly important on the background of a regional climate response.

Climate change in the UAE: Modeling air temperature using ARIMA and STI across four bio-climatic zones

Background: Standardizing climate-related indices and models across spatial and temporal scales presents a challenge. Especially when predicting climatic conditions in the era of climate change. The present work aims to assess the use of ARIMA (Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average) modeling approach coupled with STI (Standardized Temperature Index) to predict temperature anomalies across four bio-climatic regions within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: We used monthly temperature data from NOAA Land-Based Station Data for Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain, Dubai and Sharjah. ARIMA modeling and STI assessment of climatic events were used to predict and study the dynamics of climate of the four zones. The use of such forecasting powers was intended for an ultimate aim to study the impact of climate change on land use and land cover changes. Results: Data were not auto-correlated as shown by the Box-Ljung test. Additionally, the box-plots showed that Abu Dhabi had the highest median temperature. The ARIMA forecasting suggested that Dubai is predicted to have increasing trend of average temperatures until 2030. "Extremely hot" events were highest for Al-Ain (i.e. 9), followed by Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Dubai had the highest occurrences of "Moderately hot" events, when compared to all other studied zones. Further, events classified as "very cold" were in the order of 20, 10, and 8, for Dubai, Sharjah, and for each of Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain, respectively. Conclusions: The temperature is predicted to increase in Dubai and Sharjah, with each representing a different bio-climatic zone. This was also reflected in the STI assessment of the historical temperature. "Moderately hot" and "very cold" events for Dubai were the highest as compared to the other studied zones in the UAE. It is therefore believed that ARIMA, coupled with STI, may be a valid approach to forecast temperature and analyse extreme events.

Soils of Alpine, Subalpine Meadows and Meadow Steppes of Azerbaijan and the Peculiarities of Their Assimilation Potential in Relation to Organic Pollutants

Azerbaijan is a country with a huge range of different soil types, which is due to its geographical location. The country is located in two climatic thermal zones, subboreal and subtropical, characterized by a peculiar hydrothermal regime, diverse vegetation and soil fauna. For proper zoning of the soil cover of bioclimatic landscape zones and the development of effective organization of management systems, assessment of assimilation potential is of great importance, i.e. self-cleaning potential. The purpose of our research was to assess the actual assimilation capacity and self-cleaning ability of alpine and subalpine meadow soils and meadow steppes in case of their contamination with organic pollutants based on a comprehensive system analysis of biogenic and abiogenic factors. The collected material was comprehensively analyzed from the standpoint of the biogenicity and self-purification capacity of soils of various bioclimatic landscape zones from the standpoint of the danger of soil contamination with organic matter, based on the natural features of the soil and biogenic and abiogenic factors, and appropriately grouped according to the landscape feature. The analysis of the obtained data allows us to position the soils of the Alpine and subalpine meadows and meadow steppes on the growth of the assimilation potential in relation to organic pollutants in the following sequence:Mountain-meadow chernozem-like> Mountain-forest meadow> Mountain-meadow steppe> Mountain-meadow sod

Phylogeography of the Rufous Vanga and the role of bioclimatic transition zones in promoting speciation within Madagascar

Madagascar is known as a biodiversity hotspot, providing an ideal natural laboratory for investigating the processes of avian diversification. Yet, the phylogeography of Madagascar’s avifauna is still largely unexamined. In this study, we evaluated phylogeographic patterns and species limits within the Rufous Vanga, Schetba rufa, a monotypic genus of forest-dwelling birds endemic to the island. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we synthesized data from over 4000 ultra-conserved element (UCE) loci, mitochondrial DNA, multivariate morphometrics, and ecological niche modeling to uncover two reciprocally monophyletic, geographically circumscribed, and morphologically distinct clades of Schetba. The two lineages are restricted to eastern and western Madagascar, respectively, with distributions broadly consistent with previously described subspecies. Based on their genetic and morphological distinctiveness, the two subspecies merit recognition as separate species. The bioclimatic transition between the humid east and dry west of Madagascar likely promoted population subdivision and drove speciation in Schetba during the Pleistocene. Our study is the first evidence that an East-West bioclimatic transition zone played a role in the speciation of birds within Madagascar.

Chemical variability of Hertia cheirifolia (L.) Kuntze essential oils and incidence on antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities

ABSTRACTThe essential oils of Hertia cheirifolia, collected from different bioclimatic zones of Tunisia, were analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. The major compounds were α-pinene (17.51–60.31%), germacrene D (6.14–19.18%), unknown drimenin isomer (9.39–32.39%) and drimenin (0.46–33.61%). The essential oil composition varied significantly between populations. The chemical differentiation among populations occurs regardless their eco-geographic appurtenances. The species essential oils exhibited antioxidant and antiacetylcholinesterase activities. However, the level of activity varied between populations. The highest scavenging activity characterized the essential oils of the species collected from Sousse and Zaghouan (22.26 and 21.35 mg TE/gEO). Essential oils from Sousse possessed the uppermost inhibition of β-carotene bleaching (37.82 mg BHT equivalent/gEO). Essential oils from Sousse and Makthar exhibited the highest reducing capacity (162.05 and 171.80 µmol Fe2+/gEO). Essential oils from Siliana possessed the highest chelating ability (17.55 mg EDTA equivalent/gEO). Those from Siliana and Sousse exhibited the highest antiacetylcholinesterase activity (3.03 and 2.91 mg donepezil/gEO).

The fate of leaf-litter N under contrasting pedo-climatic conditions in south-western Siberia

Nitrogen (N) made available through the decomposition of organic matter is a major source for plants in terrestrial ecosystems. N cycling in Siberia is however poorly documented despite the region representing a substantial surface area of the globe.We studied the influence of pedo-climate (using two forest-steppe and two southern taiga sites) and vegetation type (aspen forest and grassland) on the redistribution of N released from decomposing 15N-labelled leaf-litter in south-western (SW) Siberia. A model of N dynamics was fit to field measurements that yielded estimates of N mean residence time (MRT) within litter and soil layers, as well as the proportion of N transferred from one layer to another.The release of N from the aspen litter was slower in the forest-steppe (MRT in litter: 2.9–4.6 years) than in the southern taiga (0.9–1.5 years), likely because winter soil freezing and summer drought slowed decomposition in the forest-steppe. In contrast, no difference between the bioclimatic zones was observed for the grass litter (MRT 1.2–1.6 years), suggesting litter chemistry outweighs pedo-climate in these zones. While most of the vertical transfer of N down the soil profile occurred during the vegetative season, important losses were observed after snow-melt. Over three years, the transfer of N within the soil profile was deeper in the southern taiga sites than in the forest-steppe, and in forest than in grassland. In the topsoil, the MRT of N was longer in grassland (4.9–9.4 years) than in forest (1.5–2.1 years) but there were no pronounced differences between bioclimatic zones.The detailed and quantitative view of current N cycling in SW Siberia provided in this study may serve as the basis for informing ecosystem models that anticipate future climate and land-use changes.

A Survey of Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes in Tunisia and the Potential Role of Aedes detritus and Aedes caspius in the Transmission of Zika Virus.

The present study aimed to update the list of Aedes mosquito species occurring in Tunisia and to test the vector competence of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius (Pallas) and Ae. (Ochlerotatus) detritus (Haliday), the locally most abundant and widespread species, to transmit Zika virus (ZIKV). In 2017-2018, mosquito larvae were collected from 39 different larval habitats in seven bioclimatic zones of Tunisia. The salinity and pH of each breeding site were measured. The survey revealed the presence of 10 Aedes species in Tunisia: Ae. (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) berlandi (Séguy), Ae. caspius, Ae. detritus, Ae. (Finlaya) echinus (Edwards), Ae. (Finlaya) geniculatus (Olivier), Ae. (Acartomyia) mariae (Sergent and Sergent), Ae. (Ochlerotatus) pulcritarsis (Rondani), Ae. (Aedimorphus) vexans (Meigen), and Ae. (Fredwardsius) vittatus (Bigot). Of these 10 species, Ae. caspius and Ae. detritus were the most abundant in Tunisia. Aedes detritus and Ae. caspius larvae were reared until the imago stage under insectary conditions to test autogeny. The study showed that Ae. detritus is autogenous and stenogamous and Ae. caspius, anautogenous and eurygamous. Finally, the collected strains of these two species were experimentally infected with the Asian genotype of ZIKV, originally isolated from a patient in April 2014 in New Caledonia, to test their vector competence. Neither of these species was able to transmit ZIKV at 7 and 14 d postexposure. Further investigations are needed to test the competence of other Tunisian mosquito species that may be associated with ZIKV transmission.

Convergence in Maximum Stomatal Conductance of C3 Woody Angiosperms in Natural Ecosystems Across Bioclimatic Zones.

Stomatal conductance (gs) in terrestrial vegetation regulates the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and water loss through transpiration, closely linking the biosphere and atmosphere and influencing climate. Yet, the range and pattern of gs in plants from natural ecosystems across broad geographic, climatic, and taxonomic ranges remains poorly quantified. Furthermore, attempts to characterize gs on such scales have predominantly relied upon meta-analyses compiling data from many different studies. This approach may be inherently problematic as it combines data collected using unstandardized protocols, sometimes over decadal time spans, and from different habitat groups. Using a standardized protocol, we measured leaf-level gs using porometry in 218 C3 woody angiosperm species in natural ecosystems representing seven bioclimatic zones. The resulting dataset of 4273 gs measurements, which we call STraits (Stomatal Traits), was used to determine patterns in maximum gs (gsmax) across bioclimatic zones and whether there was similarity in the mean gsmax of C3 woody angiosperms across ecosystem types. We also tested for differential gsmax in two broadly defined habitat groups – open-canopy and understory-subcanopy – within and across bioclimatic zones. We found strong convergence in mean gsmax of C3 woody angiosperms in the understory-subcanopy habitats across six bioclimatic zones, but not in open-canopy habitats. Mean gsmax in open-canopy habitats (266 ± 100 mmol m-2 s-1) was significantly higher than in understory-subcanopy habitats (233 ± 86 mmol m-2 s-1). There was also a central tendency in the overall dataset to operate toward a gsmax of ∼250 mmol m-2 s-1. We suggest that the observed convergence in mean gsmax of C3 woody angiosperms in the understory-subcanopy is due to a buffering of gsmax against macroclimate effects which will lead to differential response of C3 woody angiosperm vegetation in these two habitats to future global change. Therefore, it will be important for future studies of gsmax to categorize vegetation according to habitat group.

Bioclimatism through Vernacular Architecture as a Pass for New Sustainable Structure

Vernacular architecture typifies a majority of constraints from places where it belongs, where the use of local materials and techniques is one of the key features. In comparison to industrially-produced materials, vernacular materials have low ecological effects, being an alternate for sustainable construction. The expanding utilization of new industrially-produced and standardized materials resulted in the homogenization of the several used construction approaches, and spawned a universal architecture that oftentimes has gone out of the environment context and it is very reliant on energy and other resources. Vernacular architecture predicated on bioclimatism concepts was developed and used through the ages by many civilizations around the world. Different civilizations have produced their own architectural styles predicated on the local conditions.This paper addresses via an analytical study to indicate the relationship between vernacular architecture, locally sourced materials and structure by relating them with bioclimatic zones. To assess the contribution of these materials for sustainability, an evaluation with industrial materials at level of environmental indicators was established. This paper highlights the advantages of using local materials and techniques as a factor of local socio-economic development. Also, indicating different solar passive features that are available in Vernacular architecture, related to temperature control and promoting natural ventilation by using locally available materials in their construction. Through this methodology, this study will introduce a new approach Bioclimatism and Vernacular architecture as a pass for new sustainable structure.

Establecimiento de cultivos bioenergéticos como fuente de energías alternativas, mediante el desarrollo de materiales de siembra en tres sitios de Costa Rica

En Costa Rica, como una alternativa al uso de hidrocarburos, se ha venido buscando el empleo de cultivos bionergéticos de los cuales se pueda hacer un mayor aprovechamiento de la biomasa producida y la obtención de aceite. Durante los últimos ocho años, un grupo de interdisciplinario de investigadores de las universidades estatales de Costa Rica, han venido realizando estudios sistemáticos sobre el cultivo de Jatropha curcas (Tempate) para su uso comercial como fuente de aceite para producir biodiesel y a la vez en el 2017 inició el trabajo con otras especies con potencial bioenergético en el país como higuerilla (Ricinus comunis) y coyol (Acrocomia aculeata), entre otras. La investigación que se llevó a cabo, cubre tres objetivos donde el primero tiene que ver con el establecimiento de cultivos de estas especies en diferentes zonas bioclimáticas del país, así como ensayos sistemáticos alternativos con (tempate, higuerilla y coyol), combinándolos con plantas que se utilizan para alimento humano y animal. El segundo objetivo está relacionado con ofrecer a largo plazo variedades más productivas y menos tóxicas del tempate (Jatropha curcas). Y el último objetivo tiene que ver con el proceso de transferencia de información y resultados obtenidos. La información obtenida permitirá ofrecer opciones a los agricultores que les ayude a minimizar el impacto del cambio climático en su actividad y contribuir a las metas que Costa Rica se ha propuesto para reducir la emisión de contaminantes al ambiente y mejorar la calidad de vida de la población costarricense.

Improving meteorological drought monitoring capability over tropical and subtropical water-limited ecosystems: evaluation and ensemble of the Microwave Integrated Drought Index

The monitoring of meteorological drought is critically important for tropical and subtropical water-limited ecosystems, which play key roles in the global carbon cycle and ecosystem services. Satellite remote sensing is the only practical approach for tracking drought changes with high resolution and an instantaneous response. However, the application of remote sensing drought indices derived from optical and infrared bands has been constrained due to cloud contamination. Here the Microwave Integrated Drought Index (MIDI), a multi-sensor microwave remote sensing drought index integrating state-of-the-art multiple satellite microwave-derived precipitation, soil moisture and land surface temperature information, was processed to improve the meteorological drought monitoring capability of satellite remote sensing. The index was evaluated against the 1 to 12 month field-based drought indicators Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and anomalies in the satellite-derived Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 1998 to 2014. MIDI with an optimal ensemble of multiple satellite precipitation products showed a better improvement in meteorological drought monitoring capability than MIDI based on an individual satellite precipitation dataset, and had statistically strong correlation in particular with 1 month SPI/SPEI over a wide range of bio-climatic zones spanning from arid to humid. Moreover it showed significantly higher correlations with EVI anomalies than SPI/SPEI. The results demonstrated the reliability and superiority of MIDI in monitoring meteorological drought with the ability to work in all weather conditions. Therefore, MIDI provides a gateway to employing satellite microwave remote sensing for reliable meteorological drought monitoring, with the potential for long-term drought assessments as well as near-real-time drought monitoring using operational satellites.

HEALTH STATE OF CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS AND FACTORS AFFECTING ON ITS FORMATION

In recent years there is the lack of investigations concerning the impact of climate on the state of children’s health. At the same time risks associated with the influence of genetic and biological factors in dependence on the age seem to be relevant. To assess the state of health of children and adolescents in dependence on the area of the residence as well as biological factors that form and determine the health throughout ontogenesis. There is presented the one stage study of 626 children and adolescents (aged of from 4 to 17 years) residing in three different bioclimatic zones of the Primorsky Krai. There was executed both the comprehensive assessment of health in the each age group in dependence on the area of residence, and the factor analysis to determine the degree of the influence of factors on the health of children and adolescents in different bioclimatic zones. The main aims of the factor analysis are the decline of the number of variables (data reduction) and determination of the structure of interrelationships between variables. As a result, the method allowed to isolate from the large mass (73 factors) of the initial indices those factors that characterized features of the health of children and adolescents in certain climatic conditions in the process of growth and development over ontogenesis. After the iteration of the eigenvalues there were revealed factorial loads with coefficient > 0.5. The level of health in preschool children was revealed to be determined by pre- and postnatal factors, while in schoolchildren the role of the level of physical development and parameters of the functioning of most important organs and systems under the regulatory influence of neuro- endocrine system is increased. At the same time, the indices of these factors are statistically significantly differ in various bioclimatic zones of the Primorsky Krai.

EFFECT OF SOCIAL-HYGIENE FACTORS ON POPULATION HEALTH IN THE PRIMORYE TERRITORY

The purpose of the research is to establish the basic social and hygienic mechanisms of the formation of population health in the Primorsky Krai. The study analyzed the main ecodependent diseases: respiratory diseases, urogenital system, skin in the population residing in model points in the coastal and continental bioclimatic zones of the Primorye Territory with a variety of social and environmental performance. According to the suggested hypothesis of social-hygienic study the prevalence rate of ecodependent pathology in the population of the Primorye Territory is influenced by a complex of unfavorable factors of ecological, climatic and socio-hygienic risk, including the underlying factors or their groups not detected by conventional methods, but capable of to have a significant impact. The results showed regional features of the influence of environmental factors, lifestyle on the health of the major demographic groups living in different bio-climatic, social and environmental conditions of urban and rural areas of the region. The backbone force for all groups is a way of life. For urban residents of the coastal zone there is a significant ecological and social impact of environmental factors, while for rural residents - social and hygienic. Under the complex influence of socio-hygienic and climatic factors on the prevalence rate of ecodependent pathology the level of disease was found to be largely dependent on the specific way of life in the ecological and bio-climatic conditions of the region. Among the not detectable factors of socio-hygienic monitoring, a special place was revealed to be occupied by the socio-psychological peculiarities of the production environment and everyday life, which depend on the social (social and educational prospects, social and material satisfaction, job availability and the possibility of further training, environmental comfort, recreation), and individual features (educational level, the possibility of professional, family and individual psycho-emotional characteristics), which confirms the hypothesis of socially-hygienic research. On the basis of survey data with the using the method of multivariate analysis - correlation Pleiades by Terentyev, it was created “Sociometric model conditionality of the formation of population health in the Primorsky Territory.”

Variation of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils of Mentha x rotundifolia (L.) Huds. (Lamiaceae) collected from different bioclimatic areas of Tunisia

The variation of the essential oils composition of 10 Tunisian Mentha x rotundifolia (L.) Huds. Populations and their antioxidant activity were assessed. Essential oils showed high percentages of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Rotundifolone, p-menthane-1,2,3-triol, β-caryophyllene and germacrene D were identified as main compounds at the species level. A variation in the essential oil composition was observed according to the populations and ecological factors. The populations 7, 8, 9 and 10 from the upper semi-arid bioclimatic zone and situated at high altitudes, exhibited the highest amount of rotundifolone. The populations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 from the lower humid showed a rotundifolone/β-caryophyllene/germacrene D chemotype. The population 6, situated at the lowest altitude, was characterized by the highest amount of p-menthane-1,2,3-triol. The level of antioxidant activity of the populations was linked to their chemical composition difference. The highest scavenging activity and the best ability to reduce ferric ions were recorded for the population 10. The most important capacity to inhibit β-carotene bleaching was revealed for the population 8. For all populations, the antioxidant activities were substantial but lower than antioxidant standards used (Trolox and BHT).The populations (7, 8, 9 and 10) from the upper semi-arid showed the best yields of essential oils and the highest contents of rotundifolone. Chemotypes within these populations could be selected for improvement programs.

Chemical analysis of the antioxidants from the aerial parts of wild Polygonum equisetiforme from Tunisia

The antioxidant capacities of 11 populations of P. equisetiforme collected from the Saharan, arid, and semi-arid bioclimatic zones in Tunisia were investigated. Total phenolic content varied from 31 ± 5 to 113 ± 4 mg GAE/g dw. Flavonoid content varied from 29 ± 2 to 130 ± 10 mg QRE/g dw and condensed tannins ranged between 8 ± 1 and 33 ± 2 mg CTE/g dw. P. equisetiforme showed a high antioxidant potential, with the total antioxidant capacity varying from 10 ± 2 to 71 ± 3 mg GAE/g dw. The DPPH scavenging activity ranged from 12 ± 1 to 51 ± 6 mM TRE/g dw and the EC50 of reducing power ranged between 68 ± 5 and 210 ± 20 μg/mL. Plants collected from the Saharan climate showed the highest phytochemical and antioxidant activity. LC–ESI-MS analysis allowed identification of 19 compounds, of which quinic acid, gallic acid, (+)-catechin, epicatechin, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, and cirsiliol were identified as major compounds. High quantitative and qualitative variability in the phenolic acid and flavonoid fractions between the studied populations were observed. Overall, P. equisetiforme could be considered as a prospective source of useful natural antioxidants.

Southward invasion ofCraspedacusta sowerbiiacross mesotrophic lakes in Chile: geographical distribution and genetic diversity of the medusa phase

Craspedacusta is a freshwater jellyfish that has been introduced to Chilean lakes. Blooms of the medusa stage of Craspedacusta were first detected in an artificial water body in Valparaiso (lat 32°S) in 1942. Blooms of this invasive hydroid have been observed in Andean lakes of northern Patagonia (lat 40°S) ever since and at present. The main goal of this study was to deepen the knowledge of the invasion history of freshwater jellyfish in Chile. A regional survey of 65 lakes in south central Chile (lat 32–42°S) showed that this jellyfish occurs most often in mesotrophic waters. We used analyses of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) to establish that Chilean jellyfish populations were Craspedacusta sowerbii. We also established that clonal medusa populations currently inhabit lakes from different bio-climatic zones of Southern Chile. In general, our findings support the hypothesis that all populations of C. sowerbii derive from a single introduction event of Chinese origin (podocyst or polyps) followed by an apparent southward clonal expansion across mesotrophic lakes in the country. At present, molecular information of polyp stages of C. sowerbii in Chilean lakes is nonexistent, so it is impossible to rule out the presence of either other genetic variants of Craspedacusta or other invasive hydroids. To better understand the potential impacts of this invader on local and regional aquatic biodiversity, both molecular and ecophysiological studies are needed on both polyp and medusa stages of C. sowerbii.

Genetic relationships among subspecies of Capparis spinosa L. from Tunisia by using ISSR markers.

In Tunisia, Capparis spinosa L. is widely distributed in different geographic areas. Although it has been extensively studied morphologically, the phylogenetic relationships by using molecular markers among Capparis taxa are still unclear. The Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) molecular markers were used to assess the genetic relationship of this species cultivated in the North and the South of Tunisia. Fifteen ISSR primers were analyzed to characterize the genetic profiles of 67 different genotypes. The ISSR markers produced 108 bands ranging from 4 (ISSR8) to 11 (IAM12 and ISSR16) with an average of 7.2. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.43 to 0.95 for ISSR7 and IAM12, respectively. The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) ranged from 0.48at the UBC808 to 0.85at IAM12 and eight loci could be classified as useful for genetic mapping (PIC > 0.7). The genetic diversity within a population was high and varied according to the subspecies and bioclimatic zones. Both UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean) and PCoA (Principal Coordinate Analysis) analyses showed that populations from each subspecies grouped together. However, the structure analysis generated more groups than the PCoA plot and UPGMA, which revealed the mixed allelic of the species Capparis spinosa in Tunisia.

Complementing the Pleistocene biogeography of European amphibians: Testimony from a southern Atlantic species

AbstractAimTo reconstruct the historical biogeography of Hyla molleri, a tree frog endemic to the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean bioclimatic zones in the Iberian Peninsula.LocationIberian Peninsula.MethodsWe used molecular data (mtDNA and species‐specific, polymorphic microsatellite loci) and species distribution modelling (SDM) from the Last Interglacial (LIG) to the present to characterize spatial patterns of genetic diversity in this species and assess their relationship with climatically favourable areas through time.ResultsGenetic diversity is heterogeneously distributed across the range of H. molleri, with two main genetic reservoirs located in (a) central and southern Portugal and (b) a fragmented area encompassing mountainous areas in northern Spain. According to SDM, the Iberian Peninsula has experienced a progressive and continuous decrease in climatically favourable areas for H. molleri since the LIG, especially in southern and eastern Iberia, where the species is currently absent. However, we found no correlation between areas that have remained climatically favourable since the LIG and current genetic diversity.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that the demographic history of H. molleri since the Pleistocene has been characterized by relative stability, contrasting with the large‐scale cycles of extinction‐recolonization inferred for other more thermophilous, co‐distributed amphibian species in Iberia. Accounting for discordant demographic responses to climatic changes across syntopic species provides new insights about the evolutionary history of amphibian communities in southern Europe.

Description of a new species of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887(Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Nilgala Savannah forest, Uva Province of Sri Lanka.

A new species of Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 is described from Nilgala Savannah Forest in Sri Lanka. The new species is diagnosed from all other congeners by the following suite of characters: small body size (SVL< 33 mm), dorsal scales on trunk homogeneous, one pair of post mentals separated by a single small chin scale, ventral scales on trunk smooth, subimbricate, 17-19 scales across the belly. Subdigitals scansors smooth, entire, unnotched; lamellae under digit IV of pes 17 -18. Males with femoral pores on each thigh but lacking precloacal pores. Median row of subcaudals smooth, subimbricate, enlarged and in an irregular series of subhexagonal scales. This new species had been previously confused with Cnemaspis alwisi Wickramasinghe Munidradasa, 2007. The new species differs from Cnemaspis alwisi by having 122-129 ventral scales (versus 146-152), 7-8 supralabials (versus 8-10), and relatively shorter SVL ranging between 31.5-32.9 mm (versus 37.8-39.9 mm). Further, the new species is genetically divergent from Cnemaspis alwisi, the species that it closely resembles by 13.5% and 7.8% from its sister species in the ND2 gene. The present discovery highlights the need for dedicated herpetofaunal explorations in Sri Lanka, especially the intermediate bioclimatic zone and associated cave systems and rock outcrops.