Climatic Areas Research Articles

Multi-objective optimization of energy performance for a detached residential building with a sunspace using the NSGA-II genetic algorithm

This paper discusses a performed optimization of the structural and architectural parameters of a detached passive building with a sunspace using a non-dominant sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The building optimization is performed on the model of a building located in Niš, Serbia, a city with a Cfa climate according to the Köppen classification. The optimization is based on the NSGA-II algorithm and was run using DesignBuilder software package coupled to EnergyPlus™ dynamic building energy simulation software. The defined variable optimization parameters (X1-X10) include parameters of passive solar design, such as window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of each individual building façade, type of glazing, different façade wall constructions, and window shading system on the façades. Prior to the optimization itself, a sensitivity analysis of parameters X1-X10 was conducted in order to identify the parameter that has the most influence on heating and cooling energy expenditure and on thermal comfort. The Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method is used to create iterations. Optimization objectives are defined for two scenarios. Scenario 1 considers the minimum energy required for heating and the minimum energy required for cooling of a detached passive residential building with a sunspace, while Scenario 2 considers the minimum energy required for heating and the minimum number of discomfort hours in such a building. The results of the optimization are obtained through NSGA-II iterations according to the predefined optimization objectives and by varying the given structural and architectural parameters of the building. The results are presented as a Pareto front – a set of optimal solutions and optimal characteristics of the detached passive solar building. For Scenario 1, the optimization yielded 63 Pareto solutions after 4245 iterations. For Scenario 2, it yielded 25 Pareto solutions after 4393 iterations. Based on the hypervolume indicator (HV), it can be concluded that multi-objective optimization using NSGA-II for Scenario 1 (HV1 = 0.82164) performed better than for Scenario 2 (HV2 = 0.59855). Optimization results show that when designing a detached passive solar building with a sunspace for the Cfa climatic area according to Köppen, window-to-wall ratio is the element of passive solar design that influences energy performance the most. In addition, a detached passive solar building will benefit the most from triple low-emissivity argon-filled glazing, opaque elements of the building envelope need to be properly thermally insulated with thicker concrete or brick walls for higher thermal storage capacity, and no shading or the smallest possible awning size is recommended for the south-facing façade to achieve better solar gains.

Potential distributional shifts in North America of allelopathic invasive plant species under climate change models

Predictive studies play a crucial role in the study of biological invasions of terrestrial plants under possible climate change scenarios. Invasive species are recognized for their ability to modify soil microbial communities and influence ecosystem dynamics. Here, we focused on six species of allelopathic flowering plants—Ailanthus altissima, Casuarina equisetifolia, Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos, Dioscorea bulbifera, Lantana camara, and Schinus terebinthifolia—that are invasive in North America and examined their potential to spread further during projected climate change. We used Species Distribution Models (SDMs) to predict future suitable areas for these species in North America under several proposed future climate models. ENMEval and Maxent were used to develop SDMs, estimate current distributions, and predict future areas of suitable climate for each species. Areas with the greatest predicted suitable climate in the future include the northeastern and the coastal northwestern regions of North America. Range size estimations demonstrate the possibility of extreme range loss for these invasives in the southeastern United States, while new areas may become suitable in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. These findings show an overall northward shift of suitable climate during the next few decades, given projected changes in temperature and precipitation. Our results can be utilized to analyze potential shifts in the distribution of these invasive species and may aid in the development of conservation and management plans to target and control dissemination in areas at higher risk for potential future invasion by these allelopathic species.

Reed Canary Grass for Energy in Sweden: Yields, Land-Use Patterns, and Climatic Profile

Research Highlights: (1) Reed canary grass (RCG) is analysed in Sweden compared to willow and poplar for 2001–2020. (2) Each crop presents a different land-use and climatic profile. (3) Average yield records of RCG are similar to willow and poplar. (4) There are divergences between trial-based and commercial yields. (5) Existing land-use change patterns suggest meadow > RCG and RCG > cereal. (6) RCG land area is very sensitive to policy incentives. Background and objectives: RCG is an alternative crop for biomass-to-energy due to high yield and frost tolerance. We assess the cultivation in Sweden by using an extensive compilation of data, with emphasis on the extent of the cultivation, climatic profile, land-use patterns, and productivity. Material and methods: RCG plantations are analysed for 2001–2020. A geostatistical analysis is performed to characterize where it is cultivated and the land uses associated. Climatic, productivity, and yield profiles are compared to willow and poplar plantations from experiments and from commercial plantations. Results: The results show that the cultivation of RCG expanded after 2005, with a maximum of 800 ha in 2009, to then decrease to the current levels of about 550 ha. It is mainly grown in colder climatic areas, with lower agricultural productivity than willow and poplar. Mean yields from trials are 6 oven dry tonnes (odt) ha−1 year−1; commercial yields are 3.5 odt ha−1 year−1. RCG replaces meadow land and then is replaced by cereals when abandoned. Conclusions: RCG is an interesting alternative with similar yields (commercial and trials) as other energy crops, but its success is more sensitive to policy incentives.

Lidar-Based Morphometry of Conical Hills in Temperate Karst Areas in Slovenia

Conical hills, or residual hills, are frequently mentioned landforms in the context of humid tropical karsts as they are dominant surface elements there. Residual hills are also present in temperate karsts, but generally in a less remarkable way. These landforms have not been thoroughly addressed in the literature to date, therefore the present article is the first attempt to morphometrically characterize temperate zone residual karst hills. We use the methods already developed for doline morphometry, and we apply them to the “inverse” topography using LiDAR-based digital terrain models (DTMs) of three Slovenian sample areas. The characteristics of hills and depressions are analysed in parallel, taking into account the rank of the forms. A common feature of hills and dolines is that, for both types, the empirical distribution of planform areas has a strongly positive skew. After logarithmic transformation, these distributions can be approximated by Inverse Gaussian, Normal, and Weibull distributions. Along with the rank, the planform area and vertical extent of the hills and dolines increase similarly. High circularity is characteristic only of the first-rank forms for both dolines and hills. For the sample areas, the the hill area ratios and the doline area ratios have similar values, but the total extent of the hills is slightly larger in each case. A difference between dolines and hills is that the shapes of hills are more similar to one another than those of dolines. The reason for this is that the larger, closed depressions are created by lateral coalescence, while the hills are residual forms carved from large blocks. Another significant difference is that the density of dolines is much higher than that of hills. This article is intended as a methodological starting point for a new topic, aiming at the comprehensive study of residual karst hills across different climatic areas.

Double cropping inVitis viniferaL. cv. Pinot Noir: agronomical and physiological validation

Background and Aims Environmental effects of global warming are leading to extended ripening seasons, which may either require or allow new vineyard management techniques. An innovative double-cropping technique is proposed for temperate climate areas. Methods and Results The principle technique was to maintain the primary crop as well as to obtain a second, late ripening crop through release of dormancy of the auxiliary buds during the current season. Potted Pinot Noir vines were subjected to two forcing treatments over 2 years: trimming all the primary shoots at six nodes and removing any developing laterals at the end of the flowering and pea size stages. Vine growth, yield components and grape composition were monitored on both primary and forced shoots. In the second season, seasonal whole-vine gas exchange was evaluated in detail. Forced shoots carried 40–50% of the vine crop compared to primary shoots and fruit quality was greatly enhanced and higher TA was observed. Forcing treatments reached a similar net carbon dioxide exchange rate per vine compared to unforced Control about 2 weeks following auxiliary budburst. For the remainder of the season, forcing treatments maintained much higher net carbon dioxide exchange rate and water-use efficiency than unforced Control vines. Conclusions Detailed agronomical and physiological evaluation for 2 years confirmed the reliability of the double-cropping technique without compromising the pruning point selection for the next cropping year. Significance of the Study Future field application may disclose that this forcing technique is able to warrant two crops potentially suited to different wine styles within a single season.

Teachers’ Implicit Moral Values in Their Narratives About Teaching Practice

This article focuses on the moral values that teachers consider important for their teaching practice. First, we investigated the tensions experienced and questions raised by teacher’s experience of the moral matters that arise in their profession. These moral tensions and questions arise in three different areas of interactions with pupil(s): (1) pupils’ attitude, (2) class climate and (3) teachers’ professional role.Second, we investigated the moral values that inform the narratives teachers construct to give meaning to their experiences. We conducted a qualitative content analysis that used three moral orientations—discipline, autonomy, and social commitment—as a theoretical framework. The moral values in the area of pupils’ attitude concerned autonomy, discipline and social commitment. In the area of class climate, the moral values of discipline and social commitment were explicit in teachers’ narratives. In investigating teachers’ professional role, disciplinary moral values and a broad spectrum of the moral value of social commitment were found. Our findings also show that moral values are actualized in teaching practice in multiple ways.

Drought effects on montane grasslands nullify benefits of advanced flowering phenology due to warming

AbstractWarming due to climate change is generally expected to lengthen the growing season in areas of seasonal climate and to advance plant phenology, particularly the onset of leafing and flowering. However, a reduction in aboveground biomass production and reproductive output may occur when warming is accompanied by drought that crosses critical water deficit thresholds. Tracking warmer temperatures has been shown to be species‐specific with unknown impacts on community composition and productivity. The variability in species’ ability to leverage earlier leaf unfolding and flowering into increased aboveground net primary production (ANPP) or increased investments into reproductive organs has heretofore been poorly explored. We tested whether phenological sensitivity to temperature, as a result of experimental warming, directly translated into increased plant performance, as measured by ANPP and flower abundance. In order to experimentally simulate climate warming, we translocated a total of 45 intact soil–plant communities downslope along an elevational gradient of 900 m within the European Alps from 1260 to 350 m asl and weekly recorded flower abundance and total green cover as well as cumulative biomass production at peak growing season. We found that advanced phenology at lower elevations was related to increased reproductive performance and conditional on whether they experienced drought stress. While a temperature increase of +1K had positive effects on the amount of reproductive organs for species with accelerated phenology, temperature increase going along with drier conditions resulted in plants being unable to sustain early investment in reproduction as measured by flower abundance. This finding highlights that the interaction of two climate change drivers, warming and drought, can push communities’ past resistance thresholds. Moreover, we detected biotic competition mechanisms and shifts toward forb‐depressed states with graminoids best taking advantage of experimentally altered increased temperature and reduced precipitation. Our results suggest that while species may track warmer future climates, concurrent drought events post a high risk for failure of temperature‐driven improvement of reproductive performance and biomass production in the European Alps.

The socio-economic efficiency of computer-integrated transport modelling

In the article has been analysed the possibilities of using modern digital technologies to optimize the transport system of a big city. The Urbanization’s processes lead to high rates of urban development, which provides for the creation of assorted transport supplying. However, there are situations when the geographic, landscape, natural and climatic area features, architectural solutions (characteristics) or blunders in the design of the city do not allow to create the road infrastructure of the necessary level. This leads to congestion of the main transport networks and generate traffic jams, increasing the degree of environmental pollution. The authors consider the horizons of creating a transport model of the Odessa city as an effective method of traffic management. It has been made out a case that the digitalization of the urban highways management reduces the trip time, alleviates the level of the road network congestion, increases the reliability and safety of transport, minimizes the number of non-standard traffic situations, and increases the economic efficiency of the city’s transport system. The using of powerful content solution allows you to build a mental (virtual) model, taking into account the actual traffic situation at this time and predict its changing when you have to make a certain management decision. This article is dedicated to the economic issue of the building a city transport model, the contemplation for its use to improve the efficiency of the city economy operation.

Trichoderma biofungicides formulations on shallot growth, yield and fusarium wilt disease resistance

The impact of climate change is an increase in extreme climatic events that make plants susceptible to disease. Fusarium wilt disease is one of the endemic diseases in extreme climatic areas in the high and lowlands. To deal with this climate change adaptation, a study was carried out that aims to determine the effect of the biofungicide Trichoderma spp. in controlling Fusarium wilt disease in several shallot varieties. This study used an experimental method carried out in the Highlands of Sembalun Bumbung Village, East Lombok using a Randomized Block Design with factorial experiments. The main factor is the formulation of biofungicides, namely: without biofungicides (control), liquid biofungicides, tablets and powders. The simple factor is shallot varieties, namely: Bali Karet, Ampenan, Keta Monca, Super Philip, and Super Cross. The results showed that liquid, tablet and powder of biofungicide could suppress Fusarium wilt disease up to 0%, while in control the percentage of disease reached 60%. Bali Karet varieties are very adaptive in the highlands, so they are very resistant to Fusarium wilt, Ampenan and Keta Monca adaptive in the highlands, while Super Philip and Super Cross are less adaptive. Bali Karet varieties showed the highest growth and yield.

Comprehensive Molecular Dissection of Dermatophilus congolensis Genome and First Observation of tet(Z) Tetracycline Resistance.

Dermatophilus congolensis is a bacterial pathogen mostly of ruminant livestock in the tropics/subtropics and certain temperate climate areas. It causes dermatophilosis, a skin disease that threatens food security by lowering animal productivity and compromising animal health and welfare. Since it is a prevalent infection in ruminants, dermatophilosis warrants more research. There is limited understanding of its pathogenicity, and as such, there is no registered vaccine against D. congolensis. To better understanding the genomics of D. congolensis, the primary aim of this work was to investigate this bacterium using whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. D. congolensis is a high GC member of the Actinobacteria and encodes approximately 2527 genes. It has an open pan-genome, contains many potential virulence factors, secondary metabolites and encodes at least 23 housekeeping genes associated with antimicrobial susceptibility mechanisms and some isolates have an acquired antimicrobial resistance gene. Our isolates contain a single CRISPR array Cas type IE with classical 8 Cas genes. Although the isolates originate from the same geographical location there is some genomic diversity among them. In conclusion, we present the first detailed genomic study on D. congolensis, including the first observation of tet(Z), a tetracycline resistance-conferring gene.

Microwave-assisted extraction of chlorophyll and polyphenol with antioxidant activity from Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. in Vietnam

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb., also called as pandan leaf, is distributed mainly in hot and humid climate areas. Pandan leaf, grown very popular in Vietnam, contains many biological value compounds such as chlorophyll and polyphenol with oxidation prevention activity. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) has advantages such as reduced extraction time and high extraction efficiency in comprison to other extraction technologies. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of microwave-assisted extraction conditions on chlorophyll and polyphenol content as well as antioxidant activity of pandan leaf. Research results show that acetone solvents of 90°, pandan powder: acetone ratio of 1:30, microwave capacity of 300W, microwave-assisted time of 2 minutes are parameters for the highest extraction efficiency. With these conditions, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll content are respectively 9.4278 μg/mL, 4.2460 μg/mL, 13.6738 μg/mL, polyphenol content is 2.7577 g/L and DPPH radical collection activity 1409.51 μmol/L.

The stability of calibration model in measuring and mapping soil organic matter in a dry climatic area

The increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration from soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition may contribute to the global warming and climate change. So, sequestering this greenhouse gas into SOM may be used to mitigate climate change. However, tedious procedures in measuring and mapping SOM need to be replaced with a method which works based on the reliability of calibration model developed. This research aimed to test the reliability of the calibration model that was built from a separate soil sample group to be used to measure and map SOM on other validation soil sample group, in the mostly dry climatic area of Kayangan Sub-district, North Lombok Indonesia. For this purpose, 300 soil samples were collected from the area using grid method, which were then dried, ground, sieved, analysed for SOM content using the Walkley and Black method, and scanned using Near Infrared Spectroscopy. The model built using calibration sample group was able to reliably measure and map the SOM content of the spectral data collected from the validation sample set. This is shown by the coefficient of determination (R2 V = 0.79), root mean square error (RMSEV = 0.246%) and the ratio prediction to deviation (RPDV = 2.09). SOM maps generated from both laboratory and near infrared method can show very low, low and medium SOM content. These maps can be further used as a reference for applying organic fertilizers, avoiding excessive use of fertilizers, and monitoring soil carbon sequestration in mitigating climate change.

Enhancing the fertility of soil and the yield of soybean in a dry climatic area of Vertisol South Lombok using combination of bioorganic-phosphate and inorganic fertilizers

Vertisol of South Lombok is the center of soybean production on Lombok Island which is productively vulnerable due to climate change. Erratic pattern of rainfall may threat the production of soybean in this dry climatic area which may be exaggerated by climate change. Therefore. it is needed efforts to maintain or even to increase the yield of soybean through adding both bioorganic and inorganic fertilizers. This study aimed to assess the effect of combination of bioorganic and inorganic fertilizer on enhancing the fertility of soil and the yield of soybean. This experiment used a randomized block design (RBD) with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments were 50% of the recommended dosage of inorganic fertilizers plus 10 g per plant of bioorganic-phosphate (P1), 75% of the recommended dosage of inorganic fertilizers plus 10 g per plant of bioorganic-phosphate (P2), 100% of recommended dosage of inorganic fertilizers (P3), and control. Parameters observed consisted of soil pH, available-P. Exchangeable-K, organic-C, cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), and the yield of soybean. The results showed that the treatment of 75% of the recommended dosage of inorganic fertilizers plus 10 g per plant of bioorganic-phosphate (P2) increased the soil P-available from 10.71 on the control to 22.59 ppm on the P2 treatment, and resulted from the highest yield of soybean. Thus, this treatment is recommended if the combination of the fertilizers to be applied in the Vertisol South Lombok for adapting to climate change.

Obesity rates in renal stone formers from various countries

Objective: To collect evidence on the rate of obesity in renal stone formers (RSFs) living in different climatic areas and consuming different diets. Materials and methods: Data of adult renal stone formers were retrospectively collected by members of U-merge from 13 participant centers in Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria (2), China, India, Iraq (2), Italy (2), Nigeria, Pakistan and Poland. The following data were collected: age, gender, weight, height, stone analysis and procedure of stone removal. Results: In total, 1689 renal stone formers (1032 males, 657 females) from 10 countries were considered. Average age was 48 (±14) years, male to female ratio was 1.57 (M/F 1032/657), the average body mass index (BMI) was 26.5 (±4.8) kg/m2. The obesity rates of RSFs in different countries were significantly different from each other. The highest rates were observed in Pakistan (50%), Iraq (32%), and Brazil (32%), while the lowest rates were observed in China (2%), Nigeria (3%) and Italy (10%). Intermediate rates were observed in Argentina (17%), Bulgaria (17%), India (15%) and Poland (22%). The age-adjusted obesity rate of RSFs was higher than the age-adjusted obesity rate in the general population in Brazil, India, and Pakistan, whereas it was lower in Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Italy, and Nigeria, and similar in Iraq and Poland. Conclusions: The age-adjusted obesity rate of RSFs was not higher than the age-adjusted obesity rate of the general population in most countries. The relationship between obesity and the risk of kidney stone formation should be reconsidered by further studies carried out in different populations.

The effect of intra and inter-row spacing on growth, yield and yield attributes of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under irrigated condition in Benna Tsemay Distinct, South Omo Zone, Ethiopia

Sesame is cultivated almost in all the tropical and subtropical countries of Asia and Africa. However, the yield of this crop is limited due to the lack of appropriate plant density among others discourage factors. Therefore, the field study was conducted during the 2018 and 2019 planting season with the objective of evaluating the effect of intra and inter-row spacing on yield and yield attributes of sesame in Weyito, South Omo Zone and Southern Ethiopia. This field study was factorial with three inter-row spacing (30, 40 and 50 cm) and three intra-row spacing (10, 15 and 20 cm) and used randomized complete block design with three replications. Number of primary branches per plant, plant height, number of capsules per plant, thousand seed weight and grain yield data were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis. The results of this study showed that there was a highly significant (p<0.01) difference among the main effect inter and intra-row spacing in number of primary branches per plant, plant height, number of capsules per plant, thousand seed weight and grain. The highest (1.19 ton per hectare) and (1.04 ton per hectare) grain yields were obtained from 15 cm intra and 40 cm inter-row spacing, respectively. Therefore, the use of 40 cm inter row and 15 cm intra row spacing can be recommended for sesame producing farmers to attain the higher grain yield of sesame at the study area and similar soil and climatic factors areas.

English

The amount of biological information generated in the last two decades is enormous because of Next generation sequencing (NGS) discovery that has enabled researches to sequence and model almost every organism and also due to rapid advancements in techniques and tools in experimental research. The research which was first carried out at fields, labs and clinics is now started with computational analysis (in-silico) of information, modeling, experiment planning and hypothesis development. Various applications of bioinformatics are algorithms, databases, and other data analysis tools and softwares that enable storage, analysis, retrieval, annotation and visual interpretation of biological information which in turn increases the knowledge of various biological systems that help in making new discoveries regarding production, human health, animal health and plant health keeping in mind the challenges of climate change, water and area shortage. This will help not only in increased plant and animal production but also in management and treatment of various human, animal and plant diseases in addition to the underlying mechanisms and strategies of the rapidly evolving pathogenic microorganism and antibiotic resistance.

Differential diversification through the K-Pg boundary, and post-crisis opportunism in longirostrine crocodyliforms

The evolution of the crocodyliforms through the K-Pg crisis has often been evaluated, but each time, the crocodyliforms were considered as forming a homogeneous group. I considered here, the evolution of two longirostrine taxa from the Campanian to the Thanetian: tethysuchians and gavialoids. The gavialoids are almost restricted to Laurasian continents, where tethysuchians form most of the Gondwanan crocodyliform fauna. This segregation can be compared with climatic distribution: tethysuchians are restricted to hot climatic areas, where gavialoids are restricted to a northern, warm temperate climatic belt from where tethysuchians were almost excluded. This suggests that gavialoids were more tolerant of cooler climates than tethysuchians. The tethysuchians could have been excluded from the European continent by the existence of a cool European oceanic current, whilst on the contrary, the presence of a proto-gulfstream along north-east American coast could have allowed the presence of some tethysuchians in marine realm in this area. Both gavialoids and tethysuchians strongly diversified after the K-Pg crisis, particularly on Gondwanan continents, and mostly with tethysuchian species. Most of these tethysuchians were non-marine during the Maastrichtian, and the number of marine species strongly increases after the K-Pg crisis, whilst the number of non-marine ones remains nearly constant. This rise of marine diversity compared to non-marine forms is congruent with previous hypotheses suggesting that the crocodyliforms did not suffer from the K-Pg crisis, but on the contrary, benefited from the extinction of large marine reptiles to diversify after the crisis mainly in this environment. So, if the history of the crocodyliforms on the whole is important, the evolution of each group should be considered separately, as their evolution could be influenced by regional environmental conditions and factors.

ESTIMATING FINE DEAD FUEL MOISTURE CONTENT UNDER EQUATORIAL CLIMATE CONDITIONS

The measurement of the fine dead fuel moisture content (FDFMC) is extremely important for forest fire prevention and suppression activities, as it has a great influence on the ignition probability and fire behavior. The Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) from the Fire Weather Index (FWI), is one of the most used models to estimate the FDFMC. Nevertheless, studies that assess the efficiency of this model in Brazil or in low latitude regions are rare. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the FFMC in an equatorial climate area and to develop a new model capable of estimating the FDFMC with greater precision. For this purpose, 861 random samples of fine dead fuel had their moisture content determined through oven drying. The obtained values were compared with those estimated by the FFMC and correlated with meteorological parameters to build a regression model. The results obtained show that the FDFMC was overestimated by the FFMC. The independent variables with the greatest influence on the FDFMC were, in decreasing order of significance: air relative humidity, air temperature, amount of rainfall in the last 24 hours and number of days without rainfall. The developed model presented good statistical parameters (r2 = 0.86; p <0.0001; RMSE = 0.22) and can be used, in areas with similar characteristics of the study area, to estimate the daily fire risk and to determine ideal conditions for prescribed burns.

An overview of Agaricus section Hondenses and Agaricus section Xanthodermatei with description of eight new species from Pakistan

In a recent revision of the genus Agaricus, A. section Xanthodermatei was split into two sections A. sect. Hondenses and A. sect. Xanthodermatei. Our objectives were to investigate the species diversity of both sections in Pakistan and to give an overview of the major clades. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined nucLSU, ITS and TEF1 dataset from 35 specimens of both sections revealed three major clades. Analyses based on ITS dataset and 106 specimens, including 33 from Pakistan, reveal eight new species and one new record species. These nine species are described in detail. It is noteworthy that intraspecific variability as well as interspecific variability between closely related species were very low in ITS sequences in many cases. In the case of the two new species A.xanthochromaticus and A.griseovariegatus, TEF1 sequence data were much more efficient than ITS to distinguish these species from each other. The other new species are A.atroumbonatus, A.fumidicolor, A.macropeplus, A.parviniveus, A.swaticus and A.bambusetorum. The latter is the only new species of A. sect. Hondenses in which it is morphologically atypical and also the unique (sub)tropical species. Agaricusgregariomyces is recorded for the first time in Pakistan. In addition, brief descriptions are provided not only for A.bisporiticus, A.endoxanthus and A.punjabensis, which are reported again in Pakistan, but also for A.californicus, which is reported for the first time in Spain and outside North America. In total 12 species of both sections were reported in Pakistan and half of them were from subtropical climatic areas, underlining the contribution of the climatic diversity to the high species richness in this country.

Isolation, identification and utilization of lactic acid bacteria from silage in a warm and humid climate area

The study aimed to isolate and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from silages and their application to improve the fermentation quality of alfalfa. Forty-nine LAB strains were isolated from silages, and two strains were screened for growth and acid production rates. Then two strains were selected for Physiological and morphological tests and 16S rRNA sequencing. They were Gram-positive and Catalase-negative and were able to grow at pH 3.5 and at 45 °C, were unable to grow different NaCl concentrations as 3.0% and 6.5%. Strain BDy3-10 was identified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, while TSy1-3 was identified as L. buchneri. The selected strains were evaluated on fermentation of alfalfa silage. The highest crude protein content occurred in the BDy3-10 treatment group. The contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber in the TSy1-3 treatment were significantly lower than other treatment (P < 0.05). Compared to the control treatment, inoculation treatments deceased pH during ensiling (P < 0.001) and provided the most increased lactic acid content after ensiling for 10 days (P < 0.001). The acetic acid contents of all the inoculation groups were significantly increased (P < 0.001) during ensiling, and were lower than that of control group (P < 0.001). So, the TSy1-3 treatment most effectively improved the fermentation quality of alfalfa silage in warm and humid climate area.