Bray-Curtis Similarity Coefficient Research Articles

Prediction Of Freshwater Fish Pond Water Quality Levels Using The Backpropagation Method Based On The Internet Of Things (IoT)

The present study reports the first comprehensive study on the freshwater macroinvertebrates and its habitat preferences in Bilah River, the largest riverin the Northern Sumatra. The riverside is characterized by the presence of anthropogenic and industrial activities which may alter the macroinvertebrate assemblage and biodiversity. Five months of investigation on 10 sampling stations from December 2016 to October 2017 was conducted based on the river flow in Bilah River. Principal component analysis indicated a decrease in trophic status from upstream to downstream of the river. A total of 27 taxa were recorded, with the most abundant group were members of Odonata, Gastropoda, and Decapoda. The highest density of macroinvertebrate was observed from station 1 (160 ind m-2), while the lowest density was observed from station 9 (38.64 ind m-2). Based on species distribution and similarity, two groups of habitats may be distinctively recognized based on the Bray-curtis similarity coefficient. Group 1 consisted of station 1, 2, 3 and 4 while group 2 consisted of station 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Based on the diversity indices as ecological parameters, the habitat condition in Bilah River is categorized from low to moderately polluted. Spatial patterns in both environmental conditions affecting the macroinvertebrate assemblage was observed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed the preferences from each macroinvertebrate species towards environmental conditions.

The Effectiveness Of Providing Torbangun Leaf Extract (Coleus Ambonicus Lour) On Breast Milk Production For Postpartum Mothers At PMB Nalom Tangerang In 2022

The present study reports the first comprehensive study on the freshwater macroinvertebrates and its habitat preferences in Bilah River, the largest riverin the Northern Sumatra. The riverside is characterized by the presence of anthropogenic and industrial activities which may alter the macroinvertebrate assemblage and biodiversity. Five months of investigation on 10 sampling stations from December 2016 to October 2017 was conducted based on the river flow in Bilah River. Principal component analysis indicated a decrease in trophic status from upstream to downstream of the river. A total of 27 taxa were recorded, with the most abundant group were members of Odonata, Gastropoda, and Decapoda. The highest density of macroinvertebrate was observed from station 1 (160 ind m-2), while the lowest density was observed from station 9 (38.64 ind m-2). Based on species distribution and similarity, two groups of habitats may be distinctively recognized based on the Bray-curtis similarity coefficient. Group 1 consisted of station 1, 2, 3 and 4 while group 2 consisted of station 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Based on the diversity indices as ecological parameters, the habitat condition in Bilah River is categorized from low to moderately polluted. Spatial patterns in both environmental conditions affecting the macroinvertebrate assemblage was observed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed the preferences from each macroinvertebrate species towards environmental conditions.

Strategic Management of Principals In Improving Quality Junior High Schools

The present study reports the first comprehensive study on the freshwater macroinvertebrates and its habitat preferences in Bilah River, the largest riverin the Northern Sumatra. The riverside is characterized by the presence of anthropogenic and industrial activities which may alter the macroinvertebrate assemblage and biodiversity. Five months of investigation on 10 sampling stations from December 2016 to October 2017 was conducted based on the river flow in Bilah River. Principal component analysis indicated a decrease in trophic status from upstream to downstream of the river. A total of 27 taxa were recorded, with the most abundant group were members of Odonata, Gastropoda, and Decapoda. The highest density of macroinvertebrate was observed from station 1 (160 ind m-2), while the lowest density was observed from station 9 (38.64 ind m-2). Based on species distribution and similarity, two groups of habitats may be distinctively recognized based on the Bray-curtis similarity coefficient. Group 1 consisted of station 1, 2, 3 and 4 while group 2 consisted of station 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Based on the diversity indices as ecological parameters, the habitat condition in Bilah River is categorized from low to moderately polluted. Spatial patterns in both environmental conditions affecting the macroinvertebrate assemblage was observed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed the preferences from each macroinvertebrate species towards environmental conditions.

Dietary fatty acid analyses of the squid Idioteuthis cordiformis: further evidence for predation on deepwater sharks

Idioteuthis cordiformis is the largest deepwater mastigoteuthid squid in the southern Pacific Ocean. Signature fatty acid (FA) and lipid class analysis was carried out on the digestive gland, fins and caecum oil of 18 individuals of I. cordiformis caught in the waters off southern Australia during late 2004. Lipid classes varied between the tissues and oil samples, with sex not being an important factor. The presence of hydrocarbons within the digestive gland and caecum was noteworthy, as high proportions of this lipid class are generally only common in the livers of many deepwater sharks. Monounsaturated FAs dominated the digestive gland and caecum oil, while the fin had high values of both saturated and polyunsaturated FAs. FA profiles of I. cordiformis were compared to profiles of potential prey species (sharks, small and large fish, crustaceans and squid) using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficients. Analysis of the digestive gland and caecum oil FA profiles revealed a close match with the following prey: myctophids (Lampanyctodes australis, Electrona paucirastra, Symbolophorus barnardi), the dragon fish Stomias boa, the smooth oreo Pseudocyttus maculatus and the deepwater sharks Etmopterus baxter, Dalatias licha, Centroselachus crepidater, Centroscymnus coelopsis and Centrophorus zeehaani. The fin FA profile did not match closely to any potential prey and was most similar to other squid mantle tissue. Based on the results of this study, I. cordiformis has a broad diet spectrum of teleost fish and deepwater sharks and occupies a high trophic position.

Destruction of non-edible biota due to bottom trawling: The ecological and conservation issues in a global context

Studies on the quantum of non-edible biota (NEB) discarded during the trawl fishing operations hardly exist in literature. The limited availability of baseline data on this specific area of research has resulted in an inadequate assessment of the ecological implications of plant and animal species caught and discarded during trawl operation. In this context, an attempt was made to document the marine faunal diversity and biomass of NEB destroyed and discarded by trawl operations along the Thoothukudi coast, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GoMMBR), India. The results of study revealed that percentage composition of different phyla represented in the NEB bycatch during the sampling period are Echinodermata (47.81%), Cnidaria (16.40%), Mollusca (13.34%), Arthropoda (9.94%), Porifera (5.13%), Chordata (0.12%) and Others (7.27%). In total, 16 taxonomic groups were represented where in group-wise assemblage of the biomass was dominated by sea stars (25.61%) followed by sea urchins (16.64%), jellyfishes (16.40%), gastropods (7.80%), stomatopods (6.65%), sponges (5.13%), while other taxonomic groups contributed less than 5% of the total NEB biomass. In terms of species diversity, echinoderms showed the highest number (21 species) followed by molluscs (20 species), arthropods (11 species), cnidarians (6 species), and others form fewer in numbers (<5 species). The seasonal percentage biomass of NEB shows a maximum in the summer, SuM (36.1%) followed by monsoon, MoN (23%) whereas the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient revealed high similarity (58.58%) in biomass composition between post-monsoon, PoM & pre-monsoon, PrM. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the extracted principal component 1 (PC1) explained 65.1% of the total seasonal variability in the NEB biomass. Given the worldwide marine biota destruction due to trawl fishing, this report provides baseline information about the magnitude of the ecologically important marine NEBs dislodged and discarded during the bottom trawl fishery. The study will strengthen the data deficiency for the conservation of marine biota more specifically on the NEBs along Thoothukudi region of GoMMBR.

Microbial Dysbiosis During Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection is Partially Reverted with Combination Anti-retroviral Therapy

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is characterized by a massive loss of CD4 T cells in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) that is accompanied by changes in the gut microbiome and microbial translocation that contribute to inflammation and chronic immune activation. Though highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has led to better long-term outcomes in HIV infected patients, it has not been as effective at reverting pathogenesis in the GIT. Using the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection model, we show that combination antiretroviral therapy (c-ART) partially reverted microbial dysbiosis observed during SIV infection. Though the relative abundance of bacteria, their richness or diversity did not significantly differ between infected and treated animals, microbial dysbiosis was evident via multiple beta diversity metrics: Jaccard similarity coefficient, Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient, and Yue & Clayton theta similarity coefficient. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) clustered SIV-infected untreated animals away from healthy and treated animals that were clustered closely, indicating that c-ART partially reversed the gut dysbiosis associated with SIV infection. Metastats analysis identified specific operational taxonomic units (OTUs) falling within the Streptococcus, Prevotella, Acinetobacter, Treponema, and Lactobacillus genera that were differentially represented across the three groups. Our results suggest that complete viral suppression with c-ART could potentially revert microbial dysbiosis observed during SIV and HIV infections.

Benthic diatoms species richness at Dvuyakornaya Bay and other coastal sites of Crimea (the Black Sea) under various environments

First-time research of the pristine water area of Dvuyakornaya Bay (South-Eastern Crimea, Black Sea) revealed high taxonomic richness of benthic diatoms (Bacillariophyta). Altogether, 304 species, 78 genera, 37 families and 20 orders were identified. Among them 68 newly-found species for the Black Sea were marked. The largest species number was marked in the genera Navicula (41 species), Nitzschia (29), Amphora (25), Cocconeis (20), Diploneis (16), Lyrella, Fallacia and Planothidium (10 species respectively). Inter-regional comparative analysis of diatom species richness was carried out using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient and Venn diagrams. Diatom taxocene of Dvuyakornaya Bay (DB) was compared with Bacillariophyta flora from several Crimean coastal sites under different level of anthropogenic impact, i.e. relatively pristine water area near Cape Fiolent (CF) and heavy polluted Sevastopol Bay (SB) and Balaklava Bay (BB). The highest similarity of species composition (58%) was registered between intact biotopes (DB vs CF) and between heavy polluted water areas (SB vs BB), despite the geographical remoteness of the compared areas, differences in hydrological-hydrochemical conditions and in bottom substrates patterns. The lowest species similarity of diatom taxocenes was observed between SB and CF (32.3%) and between SB and DB (36.5%). It was concluded that the content of technogenic pollutants (trace metals, PCBs, PAHs and pesticides) in the bottom sediments, as well as the heterogeneity of microbiotopes are represent major factors influencing on the species composition of benthic Bacillariophyta in the investigated coastal water areas.

INTERTIDAL BARNACLE COMMUNITY OF KETAPANG AND GILIMANUK PORTS THAT SEPARATED BY THE INDONESIAN THROUGHFLOW OF BALI STRAIT

Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) flows from the Pacific Ocean through the western route of Makassar Strait and exit directly to the Indian Ocean through Lombok Strait and Bali Strait or flows eastward through the Banda Sea. Bali Strait separates the Ketapang Ferry Port of Banyuwangi on the Jawa side and Gilimanuk Ferry Port of Bali. Ferries connect Jawa and Bali through those ports as the primary mean of transportation. Ship hull and ballast water of those ships act as a proxy for barnacle distribution in their larval stage from one harbor to another so that it could influence the barnacle community of those two ports. The environmental condition of each seaport defines the barnacle community based on the adaptation ability of barnacle. The purpose of this research was to determine the intertidal barnacle diversity on both Ketapang and Gilimanuk seaports and to compare the barnacle community between Ketapang and Gilimanuk seaports. This study was a survey, and simple random sampling technique was used to collect samples. Sample collection was conducted from July to August 2017, and the sample observation and identification were performed at the Faculty of Agriculture Laboratory at Banyuwangi PGRI University. The diversity indexes including Shannon, Brillouin, Simpson, and Evenness were calculated to determine the level of diversity, and Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient was used to compare the intertidal barnacle community. The result showed the intertidal barnacle diversity of Ketapang and Gilimanuk seaports were low, at the level of 0.89, 0.89, 0.41 and 0.27 at Ketapang Ferry Port and 0.81, 0.80, 0.43, and 0.28 at Gilimanuk Ferry Port based on Shannon, Brillouin, Simpson, and Evenness accordingly. The two ports were having a medium similarity of intertidal barnacle community indicated by the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient analysis score of 0.58.

Can Scat Analysis Describe the Feeding Habits of Big Cats? A Case Study with Jaguars (Panthera onca) in Southern Pantanal, Brazil.

Large cats feeding habits have been studied through two main methods: scat analysis and the carcasses of prey killed by monitored animals. From November 2001 to April 2004, we studied jaguar predation patterns using GPS telemetry location clusters on a cattle ranch in southern Pantanal. During this period, we recorded 431 carcasses of animals preyed upon by monitored jaguars. Concurrently, we collected 125 jaguar scats opportunistically. We compared the frequencies of prey found through each method. We also compared the prey communities using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient. These comparisons allowed us to evaluate the use of scat analysis as a means to describe jaguar feeding habits. Both approaches identified prey communities with high similarity (Bray-Curtis coefficient > 70). According to either method, jaguars consume three main prey: cattle (Bos taurus), caiman (Caiman yacare) and peccaries (Tayassu pecari and Pecari tajacu). The two methods did not differ in the frequency of the three main prey over dry and wet seasons or years sampled. Our results show that scat analysis is effective and capable of describing jaguar feeding habits.

Trophic structure of macroinvertebrates in tropical pasture streams

Abstract: Aim The aim of this study was to describe the diet of stream macroinvertebrates and to determine their trophic groups. Methods Invertebrates were sampled with D nets in three pasture streams. They were identified to genus level and submitted to gut content analysis, except for fluid feeders such as hemipterans, to which diet data was obtained from the literature. Trophic groups were determined based on a similarity analysis using the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient. Results Five trophic groups were defined: fine-detritivores (feed mostly on fine particulate organic matter - FPOM), coarse-detritivores/herbivores (feed mostly on coarse particulate organic matter - CPOM - and plant material), omnivores, specialist-predators (prey upon aquatic insects only), and generalist-predators. Ephemeroptera, Diptera (except Tanypodinae), Coleoptera, and Trichoptera (except Smicridea) were detritivores. The caddis Macronema (Trichoptera) fed exclusively on plant detritus and Tanypodinae and Smicridea were classified as omnivores. The odonate families Calopterygidae and Gomphidae were classified as specialist-predators, while Macrobrachium (Decapoda), Belostoma, and Limnocoris (Hemiptera) were generalist-predators. Conclusions The great quantity and frequency of occurrence of FPOM consumed by most taxa highlight the importance of this food resource for macroinvertebrate communities from tropical streams. Furthermore, observed variations on trophic group assignment for some taxa indicate the generalist and opportunistic nature of these aquatic invertebrates. Such findings reinforce the importance of conducting gut content analysis on macroinvertebrates to understand their role in the structure and functioning of tropical streams.

Macrobenthic assemblages in an artificial reef in central-west Portugal: Preliminary results

Macrobenthic assemblages in an artificial reef in central-west Portugal: Preliminary results

FISH RESPONSE TO ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURES IN TEMPORARY STREAMS: THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS

ABSTRACTMediterranean temporary streams show high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Native fish species are adapted to this natural variability, but the cumulative effect of natural and anthropogenic disturbances may compromise the stability and persistence of fish assemblages. This study aimed to determine if environmental drivers affect the response of fish assemblages to anthropogenic pressures in temporary streams and identify what type of fish assemblages are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance. Data were collected from 22 sites located in southern Portuguese temporary streams between 1996 and 2012. The temporal pattern of fish assemblages in each site was used to examine fish assemblage stability, that is, the relative constancy of species abundance over time, quantified using the Bray–Curtis similarity coefficient. Native fish assemblage stability was positively associated with altitude, annual rainfall, percentage of riffles and habitat diversity and highly negatively related to anthropogenic pressure, particularly land use intensification, riparian degradation, sediment load and organic contamination/nutrient enrichment. Results highlighted an interaction between natural environmental and anthropogenic pressure gradients; anthropogenic disturbance tends to be lower in high‐elevation headwater streams and increases in lowland streams, particularly in downstream reaches. In upstream reaches, especially in lowland streams, fish assemblage stability showed a steep decline with the increase in anthropogenic pressure. Lowland downstream reaches displayed a less steep decline of fish assemblage stability in response to degradation, despite having greater anthropogenic disturbance. The results highlight the particular vulnerability of headwater streams in lowland sectors to anthropogenic disturbance. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

KELIMPAHAN CHRYSOPHYTA PADA MEDIA BUDIDAYA IKAN NILA YANG DIBERI PAKAN FERMENTASI DENGAN PENAMBAHAN TEPUNG KULIT UBI KAYU DAN PROBIOTIK

Chrysophyta is also known as golden-yellow algae because of the yellow dominant pigment of carotene and xanthophyll. This study aimed to determine species richness and abundance of Chrysophyta in the Tilapia culture media which was fed with the addition of cassava peel flour and probiotic. The method applied in this study was the experimental method with 4 treatments, i.e.: the use of fermented feed with the addition of cassava peel flour (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%) and probiotic in Tilapia culture media. Each treatment was replicated 4 times. Sampling was carried out 6 times at intervals of 2 weeks. The observed parameters were the main parameters, i.e.: the number of Chrysophyta species and individuals; and supporting parameters, i.e.: water temperature, pH, TDS, TSS, NO3, NO2, BOD5, DO, and total of phosphate. Species richness and abundance of Chrysophyta data were analyzed using cluster analysis based on Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient. The analysis continued with Similarity Percentages (SIMPER) analysis to determine the contribution of species to the similarity index in each group or to dissimilarity index amongst groups. The results showed that the species richness found in the Tilapia media culture which was fed with the addition of cassava peel flour and probiotic consist of 20 species belonging to a class namely Bacillariophyceae. Abundance of Chrysophyta obtained was ranged from 5.160-13.292 individuals/liter. The cluster analysis showed that Chrysophyta amongst treatments have a quite high similarity level (&gt; 50%) was ranged between 65.56% -83.99%. Contributions of species which contribute the highest similarity index were Diatoma vulgare (49.80%), Navicula brachysira (70.50%) and Navicula platystoma (82%).

Vertical Migrating and Cluster Analysis of Soil Mesofauna at Dongying Halophytes Garden in Yellow River Delta

For the first time, we used Tullgren method made a study on vertical migrating and cluster analysis of the soil mesofauna in Dongying Halophytes Garden in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), Shandong Province. The results showed that the soil mesofauna tended to gather on soil surface in most samples at most times, but the vertical migrating greatly varied in different seasons or environment conditions. Acari was the dominant group. The index of diversity of the soil fauna was correlated with the index of evenness. The Acari's number of individuals infected other species and numbers. Dominant group-Acari made greater contribution to the result of cluster analysis, and there were significant differences between communities in different habitats by cluster analysis with both Bray-Curtis and Jaccard similarity coefficient.

Progressive recovery of a tropical deforested stream community after a flash flood

AIM: In this study, we evaluated and compared community attributes from a tropical deforested stream, located in a pasture area, in a period before (PRED I) and three times after (POSD I, II, and III) a flash flood, in order to investigate the existence of temporal modifications in community structure that suggests return to conditions previous to the flash flood. METHODS: Biota samples included algae, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, and fish assemblages. Changes in stream physical structure we also evaluated. Similarity of the aquatic biota between pre and post-disturbance periods was examined by exploratory ordination, known as Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling associated with Cluster Analysis, using quantitative and presence/absence Bray-Curtis similarity coefficients. Presence and absence data were used for multivariate correlation analysis (Relate Analysis) in order to investigate taxonomic composition similarity of biota between pre and post-disturbance periods. RESULTS: Our results evidenced channel simplification and an expressive decrease in richness and abundance of all taxa right after the flood, followed by subsequent increases of these parameters in the next three samples, indicating trends towards stream community recovery. Bray-Curtis similarity coefficients evidenced a greater community structure disparity among the period right after the flood and the subsequent ones. Multivariate correlation analysis evidenced a greater correlation between macroinvertebrates and algae/macrophytes, demonstrating the narrow relation between their recolonization dynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Despite overall community structure tended to return to previous conditions, recolonization after the flood was much slower than that reported in literature. Finally, the remarkably high flood impact along with the slow recolonization could be a result of the historical presence of anthropic impacts in the region, such as siltation, riparian forest complete depletion, and habitat simplification, which magnified the effects of a natural disturbance.

Distribution and Diversity of Macrobenthos in Different Mangrove Ecosystems of Tamil Nadu Coast, India

This paper deals with the spatial distribution and diversity of macrobenthos and their relationships between physico-chemical parameters of the water and sediment in different mangrove habitats of Tamil Nadu, India during different seasons of the year-2011. Among the different ecosystems of mangrove benthic faunal assemblages, macrofauna density, richness, evenness and Shannon-wiener index were the highest and the Simpson dominance index was medial at riverine mangrove community. However, the Pielou Evenness index of riverine mangrove community was slightly lower than other communities. The similarities among the macrobenthic communities at different sampling sites were determined using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient and ordinations of non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS). One hundred fifty six species were recorded in developing (102 polychaetes, 10 bivalves, 11 gastropods, 24 amphipods, 6 isopods and 3 cumacea), two hundred fifty two species were recorded in riverine (151 polychaetes, 12 bivalves, 16 gastropods, 53 amphipods, 16 isopods and 4 cumacea) and one hundred sixty three species were recorded in island mangrove ecosystem (105 polychaetes, 10 bivalves, 16 gastropods, 21 amphipods, 9 isopods and 2 cumacea). Among the three ecosystems, a total of 292 benthic macrofauna consisting of 188 species of polychaetes, 12 species of bivalves, 17 species of gastropods, 55 species of amphipods, 16 species of isopods and 4 species of cumacea were recorded. However, there were obvious differences among the community structures in the three mangrove habitats. This result implied that the different mangrove ecosystem had different effects on the macrofauna communities and shed light on the macrofauna adaptation capability to specific habitats.

Distribution patterns of molluscan fauna in seagrass beds in the Ensenada de O Grove (Galicia, north-western Spain)

The distribution and composition of molluscan assemblages of seagrass beds in the Ensenada de O Grove (north-western Spain), are described in this paper. The studied bottoms were mostly muddy and colonized predominantly by Zostera marina L., Z. noltei Hornemann, or by both species. Molluscan fauna was dominated by gastropods and bivalves, in terms of both species richness and abundance. A total of 7641 individuals belonging to 68 taxa was identified. The most abundant species were the gastropods Peringia ulvae, Retusa truncatula and Calyptraea chinensis and the bivalves Abra alba, Loripes lucinalis and Kurtiella bidentata. Cluster and multidimensional scaling analyses based on Bray–Curtis similarity coefficient showed two distinct faunal assemblages. Group A comprised intertidal sites colonized either by Z. noltei or by Z. marina and Z. noltei on muddy sand and sandy mud bottoms and subtidal sites exclusively colonized by Z. marina in the outer part of the inlet on muddy sand with the highest values of species richness and diversity. Group B consisted of sites characterized by low values of species diversity and a species composition typical of a ‘reduced Macoma community’. The sorting coefficient and the combination of gravel, sorting coefficient and carbonates content (BIOENV analyses) and the salinity of bottom water and depth (canonical correspondence analyses) were the most important abiotic variables in explaining the structure of the molluscan assemblage.

The Diversity and Biogeography of Western Indian Ocean Reef-Building Corals

This study assesses the biogeographic classification of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) on the basis of the species diversity and distribution of reef-building corals. Twenty one locations were sampled between 2002 and 2011. Presence/absence of scleractinian corals was noted on SCUBA, with the aid of underwater digital photographs and reference publications for species identification. Sampling effort varied from 7 to 37 samples per location, with 15 to 45 minutes per dive allocated to species observations, depending on the logistics on each trip. Species presence/absence was analyzed using the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient, followed by cluster analysis and multi-dimensional scaling. Total (asymptotic) species number per location was estimated using the Michaelis-Menten equation. Three hundred and sixty nine coral species were named with stable identifications and used for analysis. At the location level, estimated maximum species richness ranged from 297 (Nacala, Mozambique) to 174 (Farquhar, Seychelles). Locations in the northern Mozambique Channel had the highest diversity and similarity, forming a core region defined by its unique oceanography of variable meso-scale eddies that confer high connectivity within this region. A distinction between mainland and island fauna was not found; instead, diversity decreased radially from the northern Mozambique Channel. The Chagos archipelago was closely related to the northern Mozambique Channel region, and analysis of hard coral data in the IUCN Red List found Chagos to be more closely related to the WIO than to the Maldives, India and Sri Lanka. Diversity patterns were consistent with primary oceanographic drivers in the WIO, reflecting inflow of the South Equatorial Current, maintenance of high diversity in the northern Mozambique Channel, and export from this central region to the north and south, and to the Seychelles and Mascarene islands.

Characterization of Riparian Plant Community in Lowland Forest of Peninsular Malaysia

A riparian zone is the land adjacent to streams and rivers, known to be one of the most important habitats in the tropical forest. However, not many studies have been done in Peninsular Malaysia and no information particularly in lowland forest. The purpose of this study was to characterize the plant communities where two sites were chosen, Pasoh Forest Reserve (PFR) which includes two logged-over forests of compartments (Compt.) 47 and 55 and virgin reserve of Compt. 55. The second site was in Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve (AHFR) consists of regenerating forest of Compt. 15, Compt. 14 and Compt. 13, that had been last logged in 1970 ’s. Five pairs of 10x5 m plots were then built along the riparian area for each compartment and all plants were enumerated. Results showed that a total of 2579 individuals which represents 369 species, 213 genera and 80 families were found. Generally, riparian zones of lowland forest still dominated by Dipterocarpaceae, an important timber group in tropical forest PFR recorded a higher number of diversity (Fisher Alpha) and numbers of individual compared to AHFR. Composition of plants in PFR and AHFR were found not similar with only 46 species from 31 families were shared and analysis using Bray-Curtis Similarity coefficient, BCjk and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA), confirmed this differences. Results also found that water-loving species only comprise of 7.8 and 9.3% from the total number of species in PFR and AHFR, respectively. This study shows that riparian area in lowland forest of the Peninsular Malaysia is site-specific due to anthropogenic disturbance and logging history.

Spatial and temporal distribution of macrobenthos in different mangrove ecosystems of Tamil Nadu Coast, India

This paper deals with the spatial distribution and diversity of macrobenthos and their relationships between physico-chemical parameters of the water and sediment in different mangrove habitats of Tamil Nadu, India during different seasons (2008). Among the different ecosystems of mangrove benthic faunal assemblages, macrofauna species number, density, richness, and Shannon-Wiener index were the highest and the Simpson dominance index was medial at riverine mangrove community. However, the Pielou Evenness index of riverine mangrove community was slightly lower than other communities. The similarities among the macrobenthic communities at different sampling sites were determined using Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient and ordinations of non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS). Thirty-one species were recorded in developing (16 polychaetes, six bivalves, seven gastropods, and two crustaceans), 35 species were recorded in riverine (20 polychaetes, six bivalves, five gastropods, and four crustaceans) and 31 species were recorded in island mangrove ecosystem (19 polychaetes, four bivalves, five gastropods, and three crustaceans). Among the three ecosystems, a total of 46 benthic macrofauna consisting of 27 species of polychaetes, eight species of gastropods, seven species of bivalves, and four species of crustaceans were recorded. However, there were obvious differences among the community structures in the three mangrove habitats. This result implied that the different mangrove ecosystem had different effects on the macrofauna communities and shed light on the macrofauna adaptation capability to specific habitats.