Determining Plant Species Research Articles

Vegetational and Structural Features of Forest Clearings in Plitvice Lakes National Park

The impact of various ecological factors, biogeographical position and both former and current anthropogenic activity in Plitvice Lakes National Park greatly influenced the development of different habitat types, including forest clearings. Due to the insufficient knowledge of this habitat type, based primarily on general descriptions within the National Habitat Classification of the Republic of Croatia (NN 27/2021, NN 101/2022), this paper deals with presenting their vegetational and structural characteristics in the national park area. The following taxonomic keys were used to determine plant species: Tutin et al. (1964-1980), Pignatti (1982), Javorka and Csapody (1991) and Martinčič et al. (1999). Furthermore, scientific nomenclature of plant species was conducted using Flora Croatica Database (Nikolić 2012), while threat status was aligned by the Red Book of Vascular Flora of Croatia (Nikolić and Topić 2005). Also, protection level was adjusted according to the Regulation on strictly protected species (NN 144/2013, NN 73/2016). Spectrum of life forms and chorological types were aligned according to Pignatti (2005). Vegetation was studied in accordance with the principles of the Braun-Blanquet approach (Braun-Blanquet 1964). Together with the basic parameters of the selected plots, the research also included the collection of structural parameters of forest clearings according to Medak et al. (2023). Based on conducted research, a total of 98 plots of forest clearing habitats were established with a total of five different forest clearing communities. The largest number of forest clearing communities belonged to Salicetum capreae, followed by Eupatorietum cannabini, Atropetum bella-donae, Telekium speciosae and Rubetum idaei. A total of 257 species of vascular plants were identified in the area and classified into 60 families. The most represented family was Asteraceae, while the highest relative representation of life-forms belonged to hemicryptophytes (H). Furthermore, the most represented chorologycal type in the area was Eurasian (20.6%). The habitat type contained a total of 11 strictly protected (SZ), 6 nearly threatened (NT), 3 vulnerable (VU), 2 data-deficient (DD) and 4 endemic species. In addition, the largest number of plots had an anthropogenic origin, irregular type (shape), occupied a small area (less than 1000 m2) and were located along the edges of both forests and forest roads. The results of this paper represent the first vegetational and structural data of forest clearings in the national park area which contribute to an expansion of our knowledge and understanding of this habitat type, and form a starting point for the necessary future research.

Гиперспектр буюу хэт олон сувагт “LCTF” камер ашиглан ургамлыг төрөл зүйлээр ангилан ялгах шинэ алгоритм

Within the framework of this research, a new algorithm was designed to determine the plant’s red edge slope and the Leaf Area Index (LAI) based on their spectral characteristics using a hyperspectral LCTF (Liquid Crystal Tunable Filter) camera. In the first week of July 2022, we took pictures of field vegetation in several fields in the Khar Yamaat Nature Reserve with the LCTF camera. From the collected data, the light reflectance spectrum of many species of growing plants was distinguished with the help of image processing, and with that, we created a spectrum dataset of 21 different species. From the generated dataset, we designed an algorithm to determine plant species or dry grass based on the red edge slope, which works with approximately 95% accuracy. The algorithm also calculates the leaf area index, and healthy plants are distinguished from damaged grass and non-plant species. The results of this work demonstrate that vegetation can be classified by vegetation’s red edge slope using hyperspectral cameras. In the future, it will be possible to determine the location and number of growing plants using the algorithm we developed on the images taken by modern satellites and drones.

Impact of Climate Change on Rare Species in Arid Environments

Climate Change discusses the long-term metrological conditions and patterns. Besides nature, human development has drastically increased the chances of climate change by burning fossil fuels, including oil, gas, and coal. That resulted in turbulence among humans and plants, and animals. This vulnerability or changing climate dynamics has impacted the plants that are the earth's primary source of life. Egypt is one of the countries where the temperature has risen in the past decades due to climate change. In this country, the plants are affected by the vulnerability of this dynamic change of climate, especially the rare plant species. One of the most essential and abundant tools for determining plant species' biological and conservation activity is the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red list. Two species, namely Micromeria serbaliana and Veronica kaiseri, which are called out as critically endangered species, are evaluated in this study. After evaluation, it was seen that Micromeria serbaliana falls under the category of B1ab (iii) + 2ab (iii) and is termed an Endangered (EN) specie. The same situation is for another targeted species which is Veronica kaiseri, which qualifies as Endangered (EN) under categories B1ab (iii) +2ab (iii). Both species are declining and severely getting fragmented in their fields.

423 Effects of Prescribed Fire Timing on Stocker Cattle Performance and Native Plant Species Composition in the Kansas Flint Hills

Abstract Ranchers in the Kansas Flint Hills apply spring-season prescribed fire to improve growth performance of yearling stocker calves, increase native warm-season grass production, and reduce encroachment of woody and invasive plant species. Shifting prescribed fire application from spring (i.e., April) to late summer (i.e., August) or early fall (i.e., September) can reduce Sericea lespedeza infestation, increase native forb diversity, and improve air quality by distributing smoke produced from burning the Flint Hills throughout the year. Effects of late-summer or early-fall prescribed fire on yearling grazing cattle performance is unknown; therefore, our objective was to determine the impact of prescribed-fire timing on growth performance of yearling grazing cattle and plant community characteristics in the Kansas Flint Hills. Over a four-year period, 18 pastures were grouped by watershed and each watershed was assigned to one of three prescribed-fire treatments (24 pastures/treatment): spring (9 April ± 5.1 d), summer (23 August ± 4.9 d), or fall (29 September ± 8.7 d). Burn treatments were applied in years 1, 2, and 3 but were not applied in year 4 due to unfavorable burn conditions. Over 4 consecutive grazing seasons, 1,416 yearling calves (initial BW = 304 ± 49.6 kg) were grazed from May to August following prescribed fire application. Calves were grazed for 90 d at a targeted stocking density of 280 kg live-weight· ha-1. A permanent 100 m transect was established in each pasture and was used to determine plant species composition and soil cover using a modified step-point method. Plant species composition was determined annually in June. Data were analyzed as a completely random design using a mixed model. The final model contained treatment as a fixed effect and year and pasture within treatment as random effects. Average daily gain (ADG) tended to be greater (P = 0.06) for spring-burned pastures compared with fall-burned pastures, whereas ADG for summer-burned pastures were intermediate. Proportions of bare soil were greater (P < 0.01) in spring-burned pastures compared with summer- and fall-burned pastures. Conversely, proportions of litter on the soil surface were greatest (P < 0.05) in summer, intermediate (P < 0.05) in fall, and least (P < 0.01) in spring-burned pastures. Total grass, native grass, total forb, and native forb basal cover did not differ (P ≥ 0.13) among treatments. Conversely, basal cover of nectar-producing forbs was greater (P < 0.01) in fall-burned pastures compared with spring- and summer-burned pastures. Overall, fall prescribed-fire tended to reduce ADG; however, stocker cattle growth performance and native rangeland plant composition was similar between spring- and summer-burned pastures.

Perencanaan Jalur Hijau Kota Wisata Cibubur Berbasis Prediksi Kapasitas Serapan NO2 Melalui Analisis Menggunakan Software CITYgreen


 
 
 
 Emissions can have a negative impact on the Environment and Health. Compounds which can harm human health are sulfur oxides (SOx) nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon oxides (COx), hydrocarbons (HC), heavy metals (Pb) and particulates. These compounds can have bad effects in a densely populated area such as in a housing complex.. This study aims to determine plant species along the main road of Kota Wisata Cibubur, predict the amount of emissions in Kota Wisata Cibubur’s main roads, and to give a planting recommendation which can decrease NO2 emission. The benefit of this research is as a recommendation to the real estate company to give more benefits for the residents in the housing estate in terms of planting the types of plant which can absorb NO2 emission. The research method used is descriptive quantitative method in which the planning process for this research consists of objectives, inventory, analysis, synthesis, and planning. The highest NO2 emission recorded was 85,119.91 kg/year. Emissions absorbed is still not sufficient emough despite after adding plants to the available open green spaces. Therefore, it is necessary to add plants in a radius of 500 m from the main road because NO2 emissions can have an impact on health in a radius of 500 m. Along the radius, there are varieties of ground covers which are garden, built areas, streets, open areas, and moor. The concept for planting in each ground covers will vary. Just like the planting recommendation in the main access road, the plants used will be according to the standard of the plants which can optimally absorb NO2. Plants which are suitable to absorb NO2 emissions and are mostly used are dadap (Erythrina variegata), Ki Hujan (Samanea saman), ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata), and Flamboyant (Delonix regia).
 
 
 

Different mechanisms underlie similar species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes

Despite much research in the field of island biogeography, mechanisms regulating insular diversity remain elusive. Here, we aim to explore mechanisms underlying plant species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes in the South China Sea. We found positive plant species-area relationships for both coral and continental archipelagoes. However, our results showed that different mechanisms contributed to similar plant species-area relationships between the two archipelagoes. For coral islands, soil nutrients and spatial distance among communities played major roles in shaping plant community structure and species diversity. By contrast, the direct effect of island area, and to a lesser extent, soil nutrients determined plant species richness on continental islands. Intriguingly, increasing soil nutrients availability (N, P, K) had opposite effects on plant diversity between the two archipelagoes. In summary, the habitat quality effect and dispersal limitation are important for regulating plant diversity on coral islands, whereas the passive sampling effect, and to a lesser extent, the habitat quality effect are important for regulating plant diversity on continental islands. More generally, our findings indicate that island plant species-area relationships are outcomes of the interplay of both niche and neutral processes, but the driving mechanisms behind these relationships depends on the type of islands.

EVALUATION OF HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATIONS OF Verbascum diversifolium AND Alcea calvertii PLANTS

Depending on atmospheric and industrial pollution, heavy metals can accumulate in the soil and affect the ecosystem. Plants are important biological controllers of environmental pollution. Elemental analysis in plants is among the alternative effective methods used for ecological research. In this study, the usability of plant species such as Verbascum diversifolium and Alcea calvertii, whose heavy metal content was determined, as biomonitors was investigated. The mineral content measurements of the extracts prepared from the leaves and flowers of the examined plant species were made with an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP-OES). Heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Zn, Ni) concentrations in plant extracts were determined. In our study, it was determined that the heavy metal tolerance of these two plant species was high. It is thought that it will be important to determine plant species resistant to heavy metals, to clean nature and to prevent human-induced heavy metal pollution from becoming a major problem for all living things in the future.

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Trichomes are extensions of the epidermis, frequently used as diagnostic traits for determining plant species. Solanum L., 1753 is a widespread and taxonomically complex genus. Although the genus Solanum has been the subject of numerous types of research, little attention has been given to the trichomes of the wild species found in Egypt. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to examine trichome types in ten wild Solanum species and assess their taxonomic importance. Using light, scanning electron microscopy and line drawings, indumentum characteristics on the abaxial leaf surface are investigated. The results showed a wide range of variation in trichome density on a 1 mm2 area of leaf blade (sparse, moderate, and dense), nature (glandular or non-glandular, simple or stellate), and structure (number of composing cells in simple non-glandular and glandular stalk and head; the number of radiating rays in stellate hairs). SEM revealed the existence of unique wax structures, including warty granules in addition to flakes. Our observations are consistent with the general characteristics of the subgenus Leptostemonum and the subgenus Solanum. This work provides strong evidence for the separation and interspecific delimitation of the investigated Solanum species using trichome morphology as a significant taxonomic trait.

Medicinal plants and their economic value in Kakamega Forest Ecosystem: A case study of sustainable land/forest project in Western Kenya

Forest Management of ecosystems plays a fundamental role in providing essential goods and services to rural communities. However, there has been a reduction in the natural forest cover due to resource utilization pressure. The pressure on forest resources is catalyzed by the expansion of markets for forest products, agricultural expansion and escalating poverty levels. An upsurge in the number of users of herbal medicine in urban and rural areas has increased the pressure on the forests, while modernization and change in lifestyle have led to the loss of traditional knowledge associated with medicinal plants utilization and conservation. No detailed economic evaluation of medicinal plants has been undertaken and the current illegal, unregulated and unreported exploitation of medicinal plants has led to overexploitation and loss of biodiversity. A better understanding of the abundance, distribution, uses and economic value of medicinal plants is important for the sustainable exploitation and conservation of forests. The study covered four forest blocks of Kakamega, North Nandi, South Nandi and Kibiri to determine plant species diversity, and their distribution in the disturbed and undisturbed areas of the forest; assess knowledge, utilization and economic estimate by willingness to-pay approach of medicinal plants to communities adjacent to the Kakamega Forest. Value chain analysis had been conducted for medicinal plants and forest user groups from Community Forest Association (CFA) had been trained in product development and access market were used in the study. Experimental Plot techniques were also used to gather ecological data on the frequency, density, diversity and distribution of the plants, whereas key informant interviews, focus group discussions and household interviews were utilized to gather information on ethnobotanical knowledge and household socioeconomic data. Thirty-two key species of medicinal plants were identified and used by local people around the Kakamega forest ecosystem. Forty-seven percent (47%) of these were trees, thirty four percent (34%) were shrubs, sixteen percent (16%) were herbs and climbers three percent (3%). Seventy percent (70%) of the medicinal plants were within the forest and thirty percent (30%) were outside the forest. The three most dominant families were Euphorbiaceae, Piperaceae and Fabaceae with leaves as the most common plant part used constituting 31 % (n=26) of the preparations, followed by roots with 20% (n=17),bark with 14% (n=14), fruits with 11 % (n=9), seeds having 11% (n=9), flowers 2% (n=2) and sap 2 % (n=3). The economic benefits generated from the medicinal plants within the forest ecosystem services in the Kakamega-Nandi landscape in terms of direct use value was about KES 601,918,256 (≈USD 5.19 million) per year, while indirect use value was KES 317,288,046 (≈USD 2.74 million) per year. Indigenous knowledge of the medicinal uses of the plants, their commercial aspects and distribution trends in the forest provision of wide scope for understanding relevant market systems may be tapped for decision support in rural health service planning, policy formulation for conserving the forest, tracking and mitigation of climate change impacts.

Water use strategy of Carex cinerascens and its response to water condition changes in Poyang Lake Wetland, China

Water is a key factor in maintaining plant growth and determining plant species distribution. Studying the water use strategies of plants under different water conditions is of great significance for understanding the wetland vegetation patterns and performing ecological regulation of wetlands. The present study aims to quantify the contribution rates of potential water sources to Carex cinerascens in the Poyang Lake Wetland using stable isotope techniques and to assess water use efficiency (WUE) and water niche breadth to reveal the water use strategy of C. cinerascens and its response to water condition changes. The results showed that soil water in the 0–20 cm soil layer replaced lake water, becoming the main source of water for C. cinerascens during the growing season as a result of the decrease in the lake water levels and the change in soil water contents. The contribution rates of soil water in the 0–20 cm soil layer to the development of C. cinerascens in the 12-, 13-, and 14-m elevation zones increased by 31.4, 11.0, and 21.1 %, respectively. In addition, the contribution rate of soil water from the 20–40 cm soil layer was lower than that from the 0–20 cm soil layer, while rainwater exhibited the lowest contribution rates to the development of C. cinerascens. The aboveground parts exhibited higher WUE values than those of belowground parts at the growth stage, except in the 14-m elevation zone, and lower WUE values than those of the belowground parts at the maturation and wilting stages of C. cinerascens. According to the calculated Levins index, the water niche breadths of C. cinerascens were reduced and increased under abundant and insufficient water amounts, respectively. C. cinerascens adjusted the water source, WUE, and water niche breadth during the entire growing season to adapt to changing water conditions in the Poyang Lake Wetland, thereby reflecting the strong adjustability and adaptability of C. cinerascens. This study provides further insights into the relationships between wetland vegetation and hydrological changes, as well as a scientific basis for wetland ecological and hydrological regulation and vegetation restoration in the Poyang Lake Wetland.

ETNOBOTANI TANAMAN DI PEKARANGAN RUMAH MASYARAKAT KAMPUNG KWEEL DISTRIK ELIKOBEL KABUPATEN MERAUKE

Yard land is used by the community to grow crops to meet their daily needs. This research is to find out the species of garden plants used by the people of Kampung Kweel. Data collection to determine plant species in the yards of community houses was carried out using interviews and documentation methods. Identification and inventory are carried out based on local names, scientific names, family names, and plant parts used. Data were analyzed using qualitative analysis by describing the results of interviews and surveys of the plants found. Meanwhile, quantitative analysis was carried out by presenting the part of the plant used. The results showed that there were 21 species of plants in the yard of Kampung Kweel with different benefits. The part of the plant that was used with the highest percentage was obtained from the fruit of 37.50%, followed by leaves of 28.13%, stems and tubers of 12.50%, rhizomes of 6.25% and flowers of 3.13%

Niche partitioning overrides interspecific competition to determine plant species distributions along a nutrient gradient

Changes in some combination of niche availability, niche overlap and the strength of interspecific interactions are thought to drive changes in plant composition along resource gradients. However, because these processes are difficult to measure in the field, their relative importance in driving compositional change in plant communities remains unclear. In an Australian temperate grassland, we added seeds of three native and three exotic grasses to 1875 experimental plots in a way that allowed us to simultaneously estimate niche availability, niche overlap and the strength of pairwise interspecific interactions along a gradient of nutrient availability, obtained by adding 0, 5 or 20 g m−2 each of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium jointly to plots. Niche availability (the proportion of microsites suitable for establishment and growth) was generally low and did not vary in response to nutrient addition. Most species co‐occurred along the nutrient gradient by partitioning the available niche space. Where species interacted due to niche overlap, the abundance of one species, the native Chloris truncata, was usually facilitated by other species, with each of the five other species increasing the niche availability to C. truncata under at least one nutrient treatment. Chloris truncata also competitively excluded two species from some but not all sites they could otherwise have occupied. These outcomes did not clearly differ across nutrient treatments. Our results show that fine‐scale spatial heterogeneity in establishment microsites can enable species to co‐occur via niche partitioning, and competitive exclusion is rare. This finding contributes to an emerging picture that niche partitioning is common and frequently a stronger influence on recruitment outcomes than interspecific competition. The importance of competition in structuring plant communities may be overestimated if recruitment processes are overlooked.

Bakteriyel yumuşak çürüklük hastalığına neden olan Pectobacterium polaris’in konukçu aralığının belirlenmesi

Aims: Pectobacterium polaris is a novel species of Pectobacterium taxa, which was reported in different regions of the world and has been recently detected in Turkey. In this study, in order to determine the host range of this novel species, two representative strains were evaluated in terms of their pathogenicity on several host plants, and it is aimed to determine plant species under the risk of the pathogen.Methods and Results: P. polaris strains NV3 and NV19, isolated from potato plants showing blackleg symptoms in Nevşehir province during the vegetation period of 2019, were used for artificial inoculation. Bacterial suspension of both strains was inoculated by injecting into the red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic, carrot, tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, squash, melon, watermelon, lettuce, sunflower and sugar beet plants. The appearance of the disease symptoms indicated that both strains of P. polaris caused disease in all the plant species inoculated artificially. Viable bacterial colonies were re-isolated from infected plant tissue.Conclusions: Pectobacterium species are very destructive bacterial plant pathogens that cause soft rot on numerous plant species. It has been determined that P. polaris, which has been reported in different regions of the world and in Turkey as a new emerging pathogen within in a wide host range. Disease protection precautions should be taken in the regions where the pathogen is isolated for the first time, and especially pathogen transmission should be prevented to the clean production areas by potato tubers.Significance and Impact of the Study: All tested plant species were determined as potential hosts for P. polaris. The risk status of the pathogen on these plants, which have economic importance in Turkey, was determined for the first time with this study

The diversity of plant species in the proboscis monkey’s habitat as a species reference for habitat restoration

Most of the Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) habitat is outside the protected area, so the potential for destruction is high. One of the efforts to improve its habitat is habitat restoration. This study aims to determine plant species for proboscis monkey habitat restoration based on reference habitats. The research was conducted at eight locations in East Kalimantan, Indonesia i.e. Kuala Samboja, Mahakam Delta, Suwi River, Ohong River, Berau Delta (mangrove and riverine), Sungai Wain, and Kutai National Park. Vegetation analysis with line-plot sampling method with a total sample of all locations of 11.7 ha. The results showed that the habitat included three main types: mangrove, riverine, and riverine-near coastal. A total of 152 tree species, 41 of which were potential proboscis monkey feed. The highest plant species diversity value was in the riverine forest-Berau Delta of 1.25, while the lowest was in the mangrove forest-Berau Delta of 0.54. Species that are a food source and have good adaptation in riverine habitat are Vitex pinnata, Dillenia excelsa, Garcinia spp, Heritiera littoralis, Ilex cymosa, Cerbera manghas, Hevea braziliensis, and Sonneratia caseolaris. Whereas in mangrove habitat are Avicennia alba, A. officinalis, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, B. parvifolia, Rhizophora apiculata, and S. alba. They are recommended for habitat restoration.

Light heterogeneity affects understory plant species richness in temperate forests supporting the heterogeneity-diversity hypothesis.

One of the most important drivers for the coexistence of plant species is the resource heterogeneity of a certain environment, and several studies in different ecosystems have supported this resource heterogeneity–diversity hypothesis. However, to date, only a few studies have measured heterogeneity of light and soil resources below forest canopies to investigate their influence on understory plant species richness. Here, we aim to determine (1) the influence of forest stand structural complexity on the heterogeneity of light and soil resources below the forest canopy and (2) whether heterogeneity of resources increases understory plant species richness. Measures of stand structural complexity were obtained through inventories and remote sensing techniques in 135 1‐ha study plots of temperate forests, established along a gradient of forest structural complexity. We measured light intensity and soil chemical properties on six 25 m² subplots on each of these 135 plots and surveyed understory vegetation. We calculated the coefficient of variation of light and soil parameters to obtain measures of resource heterogeneity and determined understory plant species richness at plot level. Spatial heterogeneity of light and of soil pH increased with higher stand structural complexity, although heterogeneity of soil pH did not increase in conditions of generally high levels of light availability. Increasing light heterogeneity was also associated with increasing understory plant species richness. However, light heterogeneity had no such effects in conditions where soil resource heterogeneity (variation in soil C:N ratios) was low. Our results support the resource heterogeneity–diversity hypothesis for temperate forest understory at the stand scale. Our results also highlight the importance of interaction effects between the heterogeneity of both light and soil resources in determining plant species richness.

Transfer Learning for Medicinal Plant Leaves Recognition: A Comparison with and without a Fine-Tuning Strategy

Plant leaves are another common source of information for determining plant species. According to the dataset that has been collected, we propose transfer learning models VGG16, VGG19, and MobileNetV2 to examine the distinguishing features to identify medicinal plant leaves. We also improved algorithm using fine-tuning strategy and analyzed a comparison with and without a fine-tuning strategy to transfer learning models performance. Several protocols or steps were used to conduct this study, including data collection, data preparation, feature extraction, classification, and evaluation. The distribution of training and validation data is 80% for training data and 20% for validation data, with 1500 images of thirty species. The testing data consisted of a total of 43 images of 30 species. Each species class consists of 1-3 images. With a validation accuracy of 96.02 percent, MobileNetV2 with fine-tuning had the best validation accuracy. MobileNetV2 with fine-tuning also had the best testing accuracy of 81.82%.

THE EFFECT OF APPLICATION BASED ANDROID TO DEVELOP THE KNOWLEDGE OF PLANT IDENTIFICATION FOR BIOLOGY EDUCATION COLLEGE STUDENT

Plant identification is a process of determining plant species based on classification system by observing either morphological structure or anatomical structure of the plant. The aim of this study for determine the effect of using applications on the ability to identify plants for biology education college students by comparing the identification abilities of students after carrying out plant identification activities using matching plant the characteristic of object methods and application based android. The research design used the pretest – post test group design technique. Furthermore, data analysis used N-gain test to determine the improvement of collage students' abilities and independent sample t-test to determine the effect of the use of application based android on the ability to identify plants with the prerequisite test for the normality test and homogeneity of the research sample. The results showed that there were differences in the improvement of students' abilities in plant identification activities. The data showed that the increase in knowledge in the treatment class was higher due to the use of application based android by students. The independent-sample t-test analysis showed the sig value. 0.00 (<0.05). It indicates that there is a significant difference in increasing student knowledge in plant identification activities in classes, where the experimental class shows a better improvement than the control class. Thus it can be concluded that the use of application based android affects the ability of plant identification in college students

A multi-division convolutional neural network-based plant identification system.

BackgroundPlants have an important place in the life of all living things. Today, there is a risk of extinction for many plant species due to climate change and its environmental impact. Therefore, researchers have conducted various studies with the aim of protecting the diversity of the planet’s plant life. Generally, research in this area is aimed at determining plant species and diseases, with works predominantly based on plant images. Advances in deep learning techniques have provided very successful results in this field, and have become widely used in research studies to identify plant species.MethodsIn this paper, a Multi-Division Convolutional Neural Network (MD-CNN)-based plant recognition system was developed in order to address an agricultural problem related to the classification of plant species. In the proposed system, we divide plant images into equal nxn-sized pieces, and then deep features are extracted for each piece using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). For each part of the obtained deep features, effective features are selected using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) algorithm. Finally, the obtained effective features are combined and classification conducted using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) method.ResultsIn order to test the performance of the proposed deep-based system, eight different plant datasets were used: Flavia, Swedish, ICL, Foliage, Folio, Flower17, Flower102, and LeafSnap. According to the results of these experimental studies, 100% accuracy scores were achieved for the Flavia, Swedish, and Folio datasets, whilst the ICL, Foliage, Flower17, Flower102, and LeafSnap datasets achieved results of 99.77%, 99.93%, 97.87%, 98.03%, and 94.38%, respectively.

Nutritional Aspects of Ecologically Relevant Phytochemicals in Ruminant Production.

This review provides an update of ecologically relevant phytochemicals for ruminant production, focusing on their contribution to advancing nutrition. Phytochemicals embody a broad spectrum of chemical components that influence resource competence and biological advantage in determining plant species' distribution and density in different ecosystems. These natural compounds also often act as plant defensive chemicals against predatorial microbes, insects, and herbivores. They may modulate or exacerbate microbial transactions in the gastrointestinal tract and physiological responses in ruminant microbiomes. To harness their production-enhancing characteristics, phytochemicals have been actively researched as feed additives to manipulate ruminal fermentation and establish other phytochemoprophylactic (prevent animal diseases) and phytochemotherapeutic (treat animal diseases) roles. However, phytochemical-host interactions, the exact mechanism of action, and their effects require more profound elucidation to provide definitive recommendations for ruminant production. The majority of phytochemicals of nutritional and pharmacological interest are typically classified as flavonoids (9%), terpenoids (55%), and alkaloids (36%). Within flavonoids, polyphenolics (e.g., hydrolyzable and condensed tannins) have many benefits to ruminants, including reducing methane (CH4) emission, gastrointestinal nematode parasitism, and ruminal proteolysis. Within terpenoids, saponins and essential oils also mitigate CH4 emission, but triterpenoid saponins have rich biochemical structures with many clinical benefits in humans. The anti-methanogenic property in ruminants is variable because of the simultaneous targeting of several physiological pathways. This may explain saponin-containing forages' relative safety for long-term use and describe associated molecular interactions on all ruminant metabolism phases. Alkaloids are N-containing compounds with vast pharmacological properties currently used to treat humans, but their phytochemical usage as feed additives in ruminants has yet to be exploited as they may act as ghost compounds alongside other phytochemicals of known importance. We discussed strategic recommendations for phytochemicals to support sustainable ruminant production, such as replacements for antibiotics and anthelmintics. Topics that merit further examination are discussed and include the role of fresh forages vis-à-vis processed feeds in confined ruminant operations. Applications and benefits of phytochemicals to humankind are yet to be fully understood or utilized. Scientific explorations have provided promising results, pending thorough vetting before primetime use, such that academic and commercial interests in the technology are fully adopted.

Above- and below-ground resource acquisition strategies determine plant species responses to nitrogen enrichment.

Background and AimsKnowledge of plant resource acquisition strategies is crucial for understanding the mechanisms mediating the responses of ecosystems to external nitrogen (N) input. However, few studies have considered the joint effects of above-ground (light) and below-ground (nutrient) resource acquisition strategies in regulating plant species responses to N enrichment. Here, we quantified the effects of light and non-N nutrient acquisition capacities on species relative abundance in the case of extra N input.MethodsBased on an N-manipulation experiment in a Tibetan alpine steppe, we determined the responses of species relative abundances and light and nutrient acquisition capacities to N enrichment for two species with different resource acquisition strategies (the taller Stipa purpurea, which is colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and the shorter Carex stenophylloides, which has cluster roots). Structural equation models were developed to explore the relative effects of light and nutrient acquisition on species relative abundance along the N addition gradient.Key ResultsWe found that the relative abundance of taller S. purpurea increased with the improved light acquisition along the N addition gradient. In contrast, the shorter C. stenophylloides, with cluster roots, excelled in acquiring phosphorus (P) so as to elevate its leaf P concentration under N enrichment by producing large amounts of carboxylate exudates that mobilized moderately labile and recalcitrant soil P forms. The increased leaf P concentration of C. stenophylloides enhanced its light use efficiency and promoted its relative abundance even in the shade of taller competitors.ConclusionsOur findings highlight that the combined effects of above-ground (light) and below-ground (nutrient) resources rather than light alone (the prevailing perspective) determine the responses of grassland community structure to N enrichment.