Coastal Forest Species Research Articles

A New Repellent for Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Primary Vector of the Mycopathogen That Causes Laurel Wilt.

The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, was detected in Georgia, USA, in 2002 and has since spread to 11 additional states. This wood-boring weevil carries a symbiotic fungus, Harringtonia lauricola, that causes laurel wilt, a lethal disease of trees in the Lauraceae family. Native ambrosia beetles that breed in infected trees can acquire H. lauricola and contribute to the spread of laurel wilt. Since 2002, laurel wilt has devastated native Persea species in coastal forests and has killed an estimated 200,000 avocado trees in Florida. Since laurel wilt is difficult to manage once it has entered a susceptible agrosystem, this study evaluated piperitone as a candidate repellent to deter attacks by X. glabratus and other ambrosia beetles. Additionally, piperitone was compared to the known repellent verbenone as a potential cost-effective alternative. The repellent efficacy was determined by comparing captures in traps baited with commercial beetle lures containing α-copaene versus captures in traps baited with lures plus a repellent. In parallel 10-week field tests, the addition of piperitone reduced the captures of X. glabratus in α-copaene-baited traps by 90%; however, there was no significant reduction in the captures of native ambrosia beetles in ethanol-baited traps. In two replicate 10-week comparative tests, piperitone and verbenone both reduced X. glabratus captures by 68-90%, with longevity over the full 10 weeks. This study identifies piperitone as a new X. glabratus repellent with potential for pest management.

Duguetia leucotricha (Annonaceae), a new species from the Atlantic Coastal Forest of Brazil

A new species of Annonaceae, Duguetia leucotricha M.L.Bazante & Maas, from lowland to submontane forests of southern Bahia, Brazil, is described. It differs from other species of the genus mainly by the dense greyish white stellate hairs on vegetative and reproductive structures, rather widely-spaced flowers, the large bract in the upper part of the well-developed pedicel, sepals and petals almost equal in length, and the few-carpellate fruits with rounded apex of the areoles. Commentaries concerning its morphological aspects and relationships of affinity, geographic distribution, conservation status and photos are provided, as well as a key to all Atlantic Coastal Forest species of Duguetia.

An ectomycorrhizal fungus, Cenococcum geophilum, in a coastal pine forest has a high tolerance for an insecticide used to control pine wilt disease

Cenococcum geophilum Fr., one of several ectomycorrhizal species associated with black pine (Pinus thunbergii Parl.), is dominant in the coastal forests of Japan, even under adverse abiotic environmental conditions. In these forests, many tonnes of Sumipine® (fenitrothion) are applied every year to protect P. thunbergii from pine wilt disease, which is transmitted by a beetle. Here, we examined the effect of this insecticide on the species of fungi found as ectomycorrhizae on naturally regenerated P. thunbergii seedlings collected from coastal forest sites that had or had not been sprayed with fenitrothion. The proportion of C. geophilum ectomycorrhizae on black pine root tips was significantly higher in areas where fenitrothion had been applied than in areas where it had not. We measured the in vitro mycelial growth of C. geophilum as well as other ectomycorrhizal fungi of coastal black pine, Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda) Th. Fr. and Pisolithus arhizus (Scop.) Rauschert, at three levels of fenitrothion (density: 1.32 g/cm3), i.e., 0, 0.1 and 0.2 mL L−1. The growth of all three species decreased significantly as the fenitrothion dosage increased. However, the reduction of mycelial growth in response to fenitrothion was lower in C. geophilum than in the other two species. These results suggest that C. geophilum has a high tolerance for fenitrothion, which may explain its dominance over other ectomycorrhizal species in coastal forests in Japan where fenitrothion is routinely sprayed.

New southern African species and a revalidation in the dung beetle genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with an updated key.

Three new species are described in the genus Gyronotus van Lansberge, 1874 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), from upland grasslands of South Africa. They are Gyronotus dracomontanus Deschodt Davis, new species, Gyronotus ovalis Deschodt Davis, new species and Gyronotus kearneyorum Deschodt Davis, new species. The South African coastal forest species, Gyronotus marginatus Péringuey, 1888, status revised, is removed from synonymy with Gyronotus pumilus (Boheman, 1857) and revalidated at species level. An updated key to all South African and eSwatini species is provided.

Coastal Forest vegetation of Sabutung Island South Sulawesi

Research about coastal forest vegetation in Sabutung island has been conducted.The aim of this research was to make an inventory of native species, introduced speciesand invasive spesies of plant in Sabutungisland. Sampling activities conducted withpurposive sampling method.Data collected with noted the plant species that foundduring exploring the island. All sample are photographed. Unidentified sample werecollected and identified in Marine and Environmental laboratory, Department ofBiology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Hasanuddin University.Identification of the sample conducted based on: An Annotated Check-List of TheVascular Plants of The South China Sea and Its Shores by Turner et al. (2000) and Mangrove Guidebook for Southeast Asia by Wim Giesen et al. (2007)for coastal forestspecies; Tropical flowering plants: a guide to identification and cultivation by KirstenAlbrecht Llamas (2003) for introduced species andNonnative Invasive Plants of PacificCoast Forest. A Field Guide for Identification oleh Gray et al. (2011) and Guide to TheNaturalized and Invasive Plants of Southeast Asia by Arne Witt (2017) for invasivespecies. Data were analysed descriptively and displayed in tabular form. Antropogenicimpact i.e: land conversion and increased population were also discussed. From theresults of the study were recorded as many as 221 species of plants in Sabutung Island.Mostly dominated by ornamental plants and cultivated (introduced) plants with 131species of 46 tribes followed by native species with 67 species from 34 tribes. Invasivespecies were recorded with at least 19 species from 8 tribes. Nonetheless, invasivespecies are widespread and dominate space in almost all parts of the island. Most of thecoastal forest on Sabutung Island has been lost due to land conversion to settlementsand garden/plantation.

Can phosphorus additions increase long-term growth and survival of red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) on periodically dry sites?

Deficiencies of nutrients, especially phosphorus (P), and growing-season moisture may limit the growth and survival of nitrogen-fixing red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), a commercially – important species in coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Future growing seasons are projected to be warmer and drier, potentially reducing P availability and plantation survival and growth on sites currently considered acceptable for alder management. We examined the effects of P additions on growth, survival, and nutrition in a young alder plantation on a moderately fertile and periodically droughty site on eastern Vancouver Island. Alder was planted in fall 1999 (C99 cohort) and fill-planted in spring 2001 (C01 cohort). We applied triple superphosphate (0-45-0) beginning in spring 2001 and repeatedly to year 6. Initial rates were 0, 15, or 30 g P tree−1 for the P0, P1, and P2 regimes respectively, and cumulative rates over 6 years were 0, 41, and 288 g P tree−1. Moisture availability was inferred from monthly precipitation data and periodic measurements of soil moisture content. Growth and mortality were measured yearly through year 13 and foliar elemental concentrations, yearly through year 6.Through 13 years, P-fertilized trees were taller (+1.6 m, +16%) than unfertilized trees, had greater diameter at breast height (dbh) (+1.5 cm; +14%) and, through year 6, greater foliar P concentrations. Treatment effects on growth were significant in year one and maintained thereafter but did not differ between the P1 and P2 regimes. Effects of P additions on current annual basal area increment (CAIba) increased with early growing-season precipitation. Total mortality was ca. 30%, two-fold greater in the fill-planted (C01) than in the C99 cohort, and greatest in dry summers (2003, 2004), but did not vary with P treatment. Effects of P additions on height and dbh were less for crop (largest-diameter 400 trees ha−1) than for non-crop trees. Through 13 years, P additions did not affect the diameter-density curve. Effects of P additions on growth were less through 3 years but greater through 8–10 years than in plantations on sites classified as moister and more fertile. P additions early in plantation development can increase the productivity of red alder in periodically dry sites, but the increases are greater during moister growing seasons.

Variation in Stomatal Characteristics of <i>Bursera simaruba</i> (L.) Sarg., a Dominant Tree Species of Tropical Hardwood Hammock Forest across a Habitat Gradient in the Florida Keys

Tree species in coastal forests may exhibit specialization or plasticity in coping with drought through changes in their stomatal morphology or activity, allowing for a balance between gas exchange and water loss in a periodically stressful environment. To examine these responses, we sought to answer two primary research questions: a) how is variation in B. simaruba’s stomatal traits partitioned across hierarchical levels, i.e., site, tree, and leaf; and b) is variation in stomatal traits an integrated response to physiological stress expressed across the habitat gradient of Florida Keys forests? At eight sites distributed throughout the Keys, five leaves were collected from three mature trees for stomatal analysis. Leaf carbon stable isotope ratio (δ13C) was determined to infer the changes in water use efficiency caused by physiological stress experienced by each tree. The results showed that substantial proportions of the total variance in three traits (stomatal density, stomatal size, and δ13C) were observed at all levels, suggesting that processes operating at each scale are important in determining trait values. A significant negative correlation between stomatal density and size across scales was observed. Path model analysis showed that environmental variables, distance to ground water and ground water salinity, affect leaf δ13C indirectly, via its effects on stomatal traits, not directly to leaf δ13C. Therefore, the combination of small and densely distributed stomata seems to represent a strategy that allows B. simaruba to conserve water under conditions of physiological drought induced by either higher ground water salinity or flooding stress at very low elevation.

Distribution and ecology of lesser pouched rat, Beamys hindei, in Tanzanian coastal forests.

The lesser pouched rat, Beamys hindei, is a small rodent that is patchily distributed in the Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests in East Africa. The ecology of this species and its current distribution in coastal forests is not well known. Therefore, we conducted a study in selected coastal forests to assess the current distribution of the species and to investigate the population ecology in terms of abundance fluctuations and demographic patterns. Assessments of the species distribution were conducted in 5 forests through trapping with Sherman live traps. Data on ecology were obtained from monthly capture-mark-recapture studies conducted for 5 consecutive nights per month in two 1 ha grids set in Zaraninge Forest over a 2-year period. The results indicate the presence of B. hindei in 3 forests where it was not previously recorded. The population abundance estimates ranged from 1 to 40 animals per month, with high numbers recorded during rainy seasons. Reproduction patterns and sex ratios did not differ between months. Survival estimates were not influenced by season, and recruitment was low, with growth rate estimates of 1 animal per month. These estimates suggest a stable population of B. hindei in Zaraninge Forest. Further studies are recommended to establish the home range, diet and burrowing behavior of the species in coastal forests in East Africa.

Pollination and floral scent differentiation in species of the Philodendron bipinnatifidum complex (Araceae)

The Philodendron bipinnatifidum complex of Philodendron subgenus Meconostigma may comprise four species, which because of only slight and not very distinct morphological differences are not all unanimously recognized as good species. To find out whether these species are reproductively isolated, we studied the flowering rhythm, thermogenesis and pollination biology of three species of this complex, namely of P. bipinnatifidum, P. aff. bipinnatifidum (provisionally named “P. form selloum”) and P. mello-barretoanum in Brazil. Of the first two mentioned taxa, floral scent was collected and scent compounds were identified by GC–MS. The results showed that the coastal forest species P. bipinnatifidum has a two-, or three-night flowering rhythm, with the pistillate stage in the first night and the staminate stage lasting the second and sometimes also the third night. Strong thermogenesis with extended heating periods of several hours during the first part of the usual two subsequent nights and the maximum temperatures of up to 40 °C absolute heating of the spadices occurred in the pistillate and staminate stages. Concomitant with the heating periods, relatively low amounts of principally (Z)-2-pentenyl acetate and (Z)-jasmone were emitted by both the pistillate and staminate stage inflorescences. The dynastid scarab beetle Cyclocephala variolosa was the only pollinator attracted. The upland forest P. form selloum always had a two-night flowering rhythm with the pistillate stage in the first and the staminate stage in the subsequent night. This world-record holder of thermogenesis can heat up to the remarkable 45 °C during a relatively short period in the evening of the pistillate stage. During the thermogenic period, enormous amounts of principally 4-methoxystyrene and 3,4-dimethoxystyrene were produced and which could attract a large number of female and male individuals of the dynastid scarab beetle Erioscelis emarginata. In the staminate stage of P. form selloum, temperature elevation is significantly lower and the scent compounds are different from the pistillate stage. The cerrado biome species P. mello-barretoanum has a flowering rhythm similar to P. form selloum, reaching a maximum heating of about 40 °C during the pistillate stage. The sole pollinator attracted was Cyclocephala atricapilla. The differences observed and analyzed among the taxa, including the flowering rhythm, thermogenic activities, scent compounds emitted, pollinating dynastid scarab beetles attracted, as well as slight morphological differences and apparent geographical exclusiveness noted in these three taxa are strong indicators that P. bipinnatifidum, P. form selloum and P. mello-barretoanum are different enough to be considered good species. The morphological affinities of these species might be a hint that speciation has been a recent event and/or also that reproductive isolation based on different, non-overlapping distribution areas, different scent compounds and different pollinators was effective enough to need further morphological differentiation.

Coastal dry forests in northern Mozambique

Background and aims - The Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa, stretching along the Indian Ocean coastline from Somalia to Mozambique, are considered by Conservation International to be a global biodiversity hotspot - an area of high diversity and endemism under increasing threat. Although the largest remaining extent of these forests is reported to be found in Mozambique, very little is known on their extent, condition and composition here. In addition, the term 'coastal forest' has been used in different ways by different authors. This paper defines and characterises coastal dry forests found in northern Mozambique and assesses their present extent, botanical composition, conservation importance and the threats to these forests. Methods - The study area of 18,150 km2 lies in Cabo Delgado Province in north-east Mozambique, adjacent to Tanzania. Its limits are determined primarily by geological substrate and landform. Four smaller study sites were chosen covering a range of landforms. Manual interpretation of satellite imagery dating from 1999-2002 was used to calculate possible previous and present extent of 'dense vegetation'. Extensive field collecting was used in determining botanical composition and distribution patterns. IUCN Red List assessments were carried out on selected species using distributional criteria. Results - Dry forests similar to those in southern Tanzania are found widely scattered across coastal Cabo Delgado, sitting in a matrix of miombo woodland and other vegetation types. However, forest cover is not as extensive was believed. We calculate that the original extent of 'dense vegetation cover', which includes coastal dry forest, was 6087 km2. Owing to clearance over the last 150 years this is now only 1182 km2, of which perhaps only 400 km2 is moderately-intact dry forest. In this southern part of their range such forests are essentially dry, not moist and mesic, and dominated by a high proportion of deciduous or sclerophyllous evergreen trees. The plant species composition differs significantly from that of the surrounding woodlands. There is a marked change in species composition between forest patches along the coast, and they contain numerous species with restricted global distribution. Since 2003, 68 species new to Mozambique have been recorded from Cabo Delgado in addition to 36 possible new species. Many new records are of species previously only known from south-eastern Tanzania. Previously recorded patterns of restricted distribution and high species turnover between forest patches in Kenya and Tanzania are confirmed. Seven coastal forest species were assessed as Endangered. Regional context and conservation - Coastal dry forests are discussed in relation to the more widespread 'sand forests' of the continental interior of south-central Africa, and shown to have similarities in ecology, species composition, soils and ecology. Very little of the present extent of coastal forests in Mozambique lies within protected areas. The threats to their continued existence in the face of exploitation for timber, agriculture and oil exploration are outlined.

Evolution, insular restriction, and extinction of oceanic land crabs, exemplified by the loss of an endemic Geograpsus in the Hawaiian Islands.

Most oceanic islands harbor unusual and vulnerable biotas as a result of isolation. As many groups, including dominant competitors and predators, have not naturally reached remote islands, others were less constrained to evolve novel adaptations and invade adaptive zones occupied by other taxa on continents. Land crabs are an excellent example of such ecological release, and some crab lineages made the macro-evolutionary transition from sea to land on islands. Numerous land crabs are restricted to, although widespread among, oceanic islands, where they can be keystone species in coastal forests, occupying guilds filled by vertebrates on continents. In the remote Hawaiian Islands, land crabs are strikingly absent.Here we show that absence of land crabs in the Hawaiian Islands is the result of extinction, rather than dispersal limitation. Analysis of fossil remains from all major islands show that an endemic Geograpsus was abundant before human colonization, grew larger than any congener, and extended further inland and to higher elevation than other land crabs in Oceania.Land crabs are major predators of nesting sea birds, invertebrates and plants, affect seed dispersal, control litter decomposition, and are important in nutrient cycling; their removal can lead to large-scale shifts in ecological communities. Although the importance of land crabs is obvious on remote and relatively undisturbed islands, it is less apparent on others, likely because they are decimated by humans and introduced biota. The loss of Geograpsus and potentially other land crabs likely had profound consequences for Hawaiian ecosystems.

The systematics of Boulengerula fischeri (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) based on morphological and molecular data

Eight new specimens are reported for the caecilian amphibian Boulengerula fischeri, a species known in detail previously only from its holotype collected in 1987. The new material was collected at the type locality in Rwanda in 2009, and is used to expand and refine the morphological characterization of the species. Mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences were used to assess the phylogenetic position of B. fischeri in the context of a recent molecular phylogeny of six of the seven other species of Boulengerula (from Kenya and Tanzania). Among nominal species, only B. denhardti remains to be included in molecular phylogenetic studies of Boulengerula. Boulengerula is recovered as monophyletic, with either B. fischeri or (more probably) B. boulengeri sister to all other sampled species. There are at least three deep lineages within Boulengerula: (1) B. boulengeri, (2) B. fischeri, and (3) all other Eastern Arc Mountain and Coastal Forest species from Kenya and Tanzania. The status of Afrocaecilia, a genus erected by Taylor in 1968 to contain all Boulengerula except B. boulengeri, is not yet resolved.

NewSolanumSpecies from Tanzanian Coastal Forests May Already be Extinct

ABSTRACT The genus Solanum represents a significant gap in our knowledge of the East African flora. The coastal forests of Tanzania are understudied and vulnerable due to habitat loss, and the Ruvu Catchment Forest Reserve in the Morogoro District was not botanically explored prior to the Tanzania Frontier Project in the 1990s. We describe a new Tanzanian endemic species, Solanum ruvu sp. nov., which is known from only one collection. The unusually long inflorescences with a dense covering of long straight prickles on the rachis distinguish S. ruvu from all other African species of spiny Solanum. Its likely affinities lie with another coastal forest species, S. zanzibarense, which exhibits a similar scandent habit, subentire leaves, thin stems, and prickles that are sometimes straight. The Ruvu Forest area is now increasingly populated and planted with rice and sesame. The relict natural vegetation is restricted to small areas of limestone outcrops unsuitable for agriculture and there is no forest canopy ...

Coalescent analysis of mtDNA indicates Pleistocene divergence among three species of howler monkey (Alouatta spp.) and population subdivision within the Atlantic Coastal Forest species, A. guariba

We have used coalescent analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b (cyt b) sequences to estimate times of divergence of three species of Alouatta--A. caraya, A. belzebul, and A. guariba--which are in close geographic proximity. A. caraya is inferred to have diverged from the A. guariba/A. belzebul clade approximately 3.83 million years ago (MYA), with the later pair diverging approximately 1.55 MYA. These dates are much more recent than previous dates based on molecular-clock methods. In addition, analyses of new sequences from the Atlantic Coastal Forest species A. guariba indicate the presence of two distinct haplogroups corresponding to northern and southern populations with both haplogroups occurring in sympatry within Sao Paulo state. The time of divergence of these two haplogroups is estimated to be 1.2 MYA and so follows quite closely after the divergence of A. guariba and A. belzebul. These more recent dates point to the importance of Pleistocene environmental events as important factors in the diversification of A. belzebul and A. guariba. We discuss the diversification of the three Alouatta species in the context of recent models of climatic change and with regard to recent molecular phylogeographic analyses of other animal groups distributed in Brazil.

Ecosystem development in the Girdwood area, south-central Alaska, following late Wisconsin glaciation

Pollen analysis of two cores with discontinuous records from a peat bog near Girdwood, in south-central Alaska, provides the basis for reconstructing the first radiocarbon-dated outline of postglacial history of vegetation in the upper Turnagain Arm area of Cook Inlet. Pollen data from clayey silt underlying peat at one site indicate that the earliest known vegetation in the Girdwood area was shrub–herb tundra. Tundra vegetation developed by ∼13 800 cal years BP, soon after local retreat of glacial ice from the maximum position of the Elmendorf glacial advance (∼15 000 – 11 000 cal years BP). By ∼10 900 cal years BP, the tundra vegetation became shrubbier as Betula nana , Salix , and Ericales increased, and scattered Alnus shrubs began to colonize Turnagain Arm. By ∼9600 cal years BP, Alnus thickets with Polypodiaceae ferns became the dominant vegetation. By ∼6600 cal years BP, birch trees ( Betula neoalaskana , B. kenaica ) from the Anchorage and Kenai lowlands began to spread eastward into eastern Turnagain Arm. Mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ) began to colonize the Girdwood area by ∼3400 cal years BP, followed soon after by Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis ), both Pacific coastal forest species that spread westward from Prince William Sound after a long migration from southeastern Alaska. For at least the past 2700 cal years, Pacific coastal forest composed mostly of Tsuga mertensiana , Picea sitchensis , and Alnus has been the dominant vegetation of eastern Turnagain Arm.

The influence of bigleaf maple on forest floor and mineral soil properties in a coniferous forest in coastal British Columbia

Bigleaf maple ( Acer macrophyllum Pursh) is a common tree species in coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest. We studied the influence of bigleaf maple on forest floor and mineral soil properties in a forest dominated by Douglas-fir [ Pseudotsuga menziessi (Mirb.) Franco] and western hemlock [ Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.]. Twelve plots containing bigleaf maple were compared to paired plots without the influence of bigleaf maple. Compared to conifer plots, forest floors at bigleaf maple plots were significantly thinner, but the total contents of C in both forest floor and surface mineral soils did not differ between bigleaf maple and conifer plots. This suggests that the bigleaf maple litter may not be fully decomposing; rather a portion of the decomposing litter may be transforming into recalcitrant soil organic matter. Bigleaf maple plots had significantly higher pH, NO 3-N concentrations and contents and mineralizable N contents in the forest floor as well as significantly higher cation exchange capacity and concentrations of N (total, mineralizable and NO 3-N) and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg in the mineral soil. The changes in soil chemical properties suggest that the presence of bigleaf maple in conifer forests may cause a modest improvement in soil fertility.

Occurrence of Angiostrongylus species (Nematoda) in populations of Rattus rattus and Rattus fuscipes in coastal forests of south-eastern Australia

The distributions of the introduced nematode parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and the native Angiostrongylus mackerrasae in Australia are poorly understood. We sampled rodents and/or their faeces, and intermediate gastropod hosts for the presence of Angiostrongylus species in coastal forests surrounding Jervis Bay in south-eastern Australia. We found A. cantonensis in populations of introduced Rattus rattus in forests to the north of Jervis Bay, and A. mackerrasae in native Rattus fuscipes in forests to the south of Jervis Bay. The apparent geographical separation of these lungworm species may be a consequence of host specificity and negative associations between R. rattus and R. fuscipes that results from interspecific competition. A. cantonensis was regularly found in R. rattus or their faeces across 9 of 12 study sites north of Jervis Bay, and three species of snail common to the area were suitable intermediate hosts. This has potential negative implications for native wildlife and human visitors to these forests, because A. cantonensis infection causes zoonotic disease (neuro-angiostrongyliasis) in humans and a wide range of bird and mammal hosts. Management of pest rodents in the study area is warranted.