Diversity Patterns Research Articles

Elevational patterns and assembly processes of multifaceted bird diversity in a subtropical mountain system

AbstractAimMountain systems harbour disproportionate biodiversity on Earth. However, the mechanism underlying community assembly along elevational gradients remains unclear due to the complexity of environmental constraints and biotic interactions. Birds play a crucial role in mountain system and are sensitive to environmental changes, making them an ideal taxon for exploring diversity patterns and the underlying assembly processes. We aimed to identify the elevational patterns of multifaceted bird diversity and explore how different ecological processes drive community assembly.LocationA 2600 m elevational gradient on the eastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.MethodsWe identified the elevational patterns and assembly processes of alpha‐ and beta‐diversity in the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions. We compared the multidimensional beta‐diversity components and assessed the response of beta‐diversity to variations in elevational and environmental distances. Finally, we examined the roles of spatial and environmental factors in structuring the diversity patterns.ResultsWe observed bimodal elevational patterns across species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional diversity but distinct community structures in terms of mean pairwise phylogenetic, and functional diversity. We detected a linear decline in phylogenetic and functional diversity with increasing elevation after controlling for the confounding effect of species richness. We documented relatively high taxonomic and phylogenetic total beta‐diversity, but low functional total beta‐diversity. Turnover dissimilarity contributed much more to total beta‐diversity than nestedness‐resultant dissimilarity. The elevational patterns of standardised measures indicated that competition exclusion and environmental filtering jointly shaped the community assembly process. In general, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, and area significantly influenced the majority of diversity measures.ConclusionsOur results revealed incongruent community structures across phylogenetic and functional diversity. Additionally, our results indicated that species with similar ecological performances or distinct lineages may exhibit convergent adaptations to cold and dry environments. These findings provide insights into the mechanistic understanding of the community assembly process and assist in conservation planning in mountain systems by integrating multifaceted diversity across different dimensions.

An observational study demonstrates human-adapted Staphylococcus aureus strains have a higher frequency of antibiotic resistance compared to cattle-adapted strains isolated from dairy farms making farmstead cheese

BackgroundStaphylococcus aureus is a multi-host zoonotic pathogen causing human and livestock diseases. Dairy farms that make artisan cheese have distinctive concerns for S. aureus control. Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) S. aureus is a public and animal health concern. There is a need to study the population structure of AMR S. aureus at the human-animal interface and understand the path of zoonotic transmission. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and AMR patterns of S. aureus isolated from cattle and humans on conventional and organic Vermont dairy farms that produce and sell farmstead cheese.ResultsA convenience sample of 19 dairy farms in Vermont was enrolled, and 160 S. aureus isolates were collected from cow quarter milk (CQM), bulk tank milk (BTM), human-hand and -nasal swabs. After deduplication, 89 isolates were used for the analysis. Sequence types (STs) were determined by multilocus sequence typing and cataloged to the PubMLST database. Nine defined and five novel STs were identified. For BTM and CQM samples, six STs were identified within cow-adapted CC97 and CC151. Two human-adapted STs were isolated from BTM and CQM. Seven human-adapted clonal complexes with eight STs were identified from human samples. One cow-adapted ST was isolated from a human. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was tested using disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Approximately 27% of the isolates were beta-lactam resistant and blaZ gene-positive. S. aureus isolates from human swabs were more likely to carry blaZ compared to isolates from CQM or BTM. S. aureus isolated from cows and humans on the same farm belonged to different STs.ConclusionHumans were more likely to carry beta-lactam-resistant S. aureus compared to cows, and on organic farms only human-adapted blaZ positive STs were isolated from BTM. Moreover, we identified potential spillover events of S. aureus sequence types between host species. The presence of penicillin-resistant-human-adapted S. aureus on both organic and conventional dairy farms highlights a “One Health” concern at the junction of public and animal health requiring further surveillance.

Transmission restriction and genomic evolution co-shape the genetic diversity patterns of influenza A virus

Influenza A virus (IAV) shows an extensive host range and rapid genomic variations, leading to continuous emergence of novel viruses with significant antigenic variations and the potential for cross-species transmission. This causes global pandemics and seasonal flu outbreaks, posing sustained threats worldwide. Thus, studying all IAVs' evolutionary patterns and underlying mechanisms is crucial for effective prevention and control. We developed FluTyping to identify IAV genotypes, to explore overall genetic diversity patterns and their restriction factors. FluTyping groups isolates based on genetic distance and phylogenetic relationships using whole genomes, enabling identification of each isolate's genotype. Three distinct genetic diversity patterns were observed: one genotype domination pattern comprising only H1N1 and H3N2 seasonal influenza subtypes, multi-genotypes co-circulation pattern including majority avian influenza subtypes and swine influenza H1N2, and hybrid-circulation pattern involving H7N9 and three H5 subtypes of influenza viruses. Furthermore, the IAVs in multi-genotypes co-circulation pattern showed region-specific dominant genotypes, implying the restriction of virus transmission is a key factor contributing to distinct genetic diversity patterns, and the genomic evolution underlying different patterns was more influenced by host-specific factors. In summary, a comprehensive picture of the evolutionary patterns of overall IAVs is provided by the FluTyping's identified genotypes, offering important theoretical foundations for future prevention and control of these viruses.

Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Tick Fauna in Bannu and Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Aims: This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the tick fauna of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, conducted across two districts. The study aimed to assess the diversity, relative abundance, and distribution of collected specimens to understand their patterns within the study area.
 Location and Duration of Study: Tick specimens were Collected from the Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, spanning from August 2021 to June 2022.
 Methodology: Visual encounter surveys were conducted, involving both daytime and nighttime observations, to collect specimens from diverse host animals, totaling 106, including cows, buffalo, goats, and dogs. Following the collection phase, a total of 312 specimens were carefully gathered and transported to the laboratory for further analysis. Upon arrival in the laboratory, the collected specimens were carefully arranged and preserved in Eppendorf tubes filled with a 70% ethanol solution. The preservation process aimed to maintain the integrity of the specimens for subsequent examination. The identification process involved a thorough morphological analysis, where authentic literature, updated taxonomic keys, and observation of morphological parameters were utilized.
 Results: The specimens subjected to examination and identification belonged to the Ixodidae family of hard ticks, encompassing two genera: Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus. Within these genera, eight distinct species were recognized in the current study in which a higher prevalence of female ticks across various species were observed. From the Hyalomma genus, the identified species were H. asiaticum, H. anatolicum, H. detritum, and H. impeltatum. The Rhipicephalus genus included R. haemaphysaloides, R. microplus, R. sanguineus, and R. turanicus. R. microplus emerged as the most dominant species, with a count of 126 individuals (SOR=100% and AQ=40.38%). Conversely, H. detritum, H. impeltatum, R. sanguineus and R. turanicus were identified as satellite species. Additionally, H. anatolicum, R. haemaphysaloides, and nymphs were categorized as co-dominant. Moreover, this study reports the first-ever occurrences of H. asiaticum and H. detritum in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, specifically in the Lakki Marwat district. Furthermore, R. haemaphysaloides is possibly reported for the first time in both the Bannu and Lakki Marwat districts.
 Conclusion: This research presents preliminary findings on the diverse tick population in regions where animal husbandry plays a crucial role in the local economy. The Lakki Marwat district exhibited the highest diversity indices compared to Bannu. The observed prevalence of ticks in the studied areas emphasizes their significant impact on domesticated animals. Cattle exhibit the highest infestation rates, followed by buffalo and goats. The current taxonomic work may require improvement.

Diversity of an Odonata assemblage from a tropical dry forest in San Buenaventura, Jalisco, Mexico (Insecta, Odonata).

The patterns of richness, diversity, and abundance of an odonate assemblage from San Buenaventura, Jalisco are presented here. A total of 1087 specimens from seven families, 35 genera and 66 species were obtained through monthly samplings of five days each during a period of one year. Libellulidae was the most diverse family (28 species), followed by Coenagrionidae (21), Gomphidae (7), Aeshnidae (6), Calopterygidae (2), Lestidae (1) and Platystictidae (1). Argia was the most speciose genus. The highest species richness and Shannon diversity were found during August and September, whereas the highest abundance was observed in June and the highest Simpson diversity was recorded in September - all of which were associated with the rainy season. The highest values of phylogenetic diversity were found from June to October. The different diversity facets of this assemblage were positively correlated with precipitation and minimum temperature, whereas maximum temperature showed no influence. In addition, we found that this odonate diversity was higher than most Mexican localities with tropical dry forest (TDF) studied. We continue our efforts to describe the patterns of richness, diversity and abundance of some insect groups associated with the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Mexico, following a latitudinal gradient of the distribution of this ecosystem in the country. Our emphasis here was to evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of richness and diversity of an Odonata assemblage from Jalisco, Mexico.

Dispersal constrains the biotic connectivity of mountain assemblages

AbstractAimClimate warming is shifting the bioclimatic optima of species towards mountaintops, but the ability of organisms to track these changes also depends on their dispersal skills. Here, we assessed the role of dispersal over niche‐driven processes in connecting assemblages along mountain slopes and between mountain massifs.LocationCantabrian Mountains, Spain.TaxonBirds (Animalia; Aves) and Lichens (Fungi; Ascomycota, Basidiomycota).MethodsWe examined the change with elevation of community‐level traits that are dispersal proxies (wing shape in birds and type of dispersing propagule in lichens) and ecological niche proxies (micro‐habitat, substrate, and foraging features). We then permutate species composition within sites and massifs to create models of species distribution constrained by dispersal and niche processes. These models were compared with observed species distribution to disclose the relative contribution of dispersal and niche‐based processes in the biotic interchange along mountain slopes (vertical connectivity) and between isolated summits (horizontal connectivity).ResultsBoth bird and lichen communities were formed by species with traits that enhance dispersal at high elevations. These groups also showed similarities in the elevational patterns of niche diversity, which dropped at high elevations. Dispersal was by far the dominant assembly mechanism in both taxa. Pairwise community comparisons among elevation belts showed weak vertical connectivity, with predominant dispersal limitations but also niche barriers between the extremes of the gradient. Among massifs, horizontal connectivity was higher among high mountain assemblages than those from lower elevations.Main ConclusionDispersal was found to be the dominant assembly mechanism in mountain systems, even in taxa with high dispersal potential. Highland assemblages had low functional diversity but their species had high mobility. This permits biotic interchange between isolated summits and, potentially, colonization of other summits as climate warms. Our framework combining traits and occurrence‐permutation models improve the understanding of community assembly mechanisms along elevation gradients and points to dispersal limitations, especially at low‐middle elevations.

Variations in species diversity patterns and community assembly rules among vegetation types in the karst landscape.

The various vegetation types in the karst landscape have been considered the results of heterogeneous habitats. However, the lack of a comprehensive understanding of regional biodiversity patterns and the underlying ecological processes limits further research on ecological management. This study established forest dynamic plots (FDPs) of the dominant vegetation types (shrubland, SL; mixed tree and shrub forest, MTSF; coniferous forest, CF; coniferous broadleaf mixed forest, CBMF; and broadleaf forest, BF) in the karst landscape and quantified the species diversity patterns and potential ecological processes. The results showed that in terms of diversity patterns, the evenness and species richness of the CF community were significantly lower than other vegetation types, while the BF community had the highest species richness. The other three vegetation types showed no significant variation in species richness and evenness. However, when controlling the number of individuals of FDPs, the rarefied species richness showed significant differences and ranked as BF > SL > MTSF > CBMF > CF, highlighting the importance of considering the impacts of abundance. Additionally, the community assembly of climax communities (CF or BF) was dominated by stochastic processes such as species dispersal or species formation, whereas deterministic processes (habitat filtering) dominated the secondary forests (SL, MTSF, and CBMF). These findings proved that community assembly differs mainly between the climax community and other communities. Hence, it is crucial to consider the biodiversity and of the potential underlying ecological processes together when studying regional ecology and management, particularly in heterogeneous ecosystems.

Ecological patterns of intertidal macrofauna across an anthropic gradient on tropical Gulf of Mexico sandy beaches: Insights for assessment

In the context of sandy coastlines under increasing coastal development and squeeze, coupled with the ongoing loss of global diversity, it is crucial to understand the ecological patterns of benthic macrofauna, which plays a key role in the trophic and biogeochemical functional connectivity between land and sea. Here, we assessed differences in the spatiotemporal patterns of macrofauna diversity and production in exposed sandy beaches of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico across a use and modification gradient and its utility as indicators of impacts. We also estimated the sampling effort for a representative species inventory, considering three tidal zones, and longitudinal spatial scales in four beaches twice a year, and locally after an event of great tourist incidence. The traditional diversity indices could not conclusively detect the stress gradient of the macrofauna in these systems. The abundance pattern of macrofauna species in the upper intertidal zone and the greater secondary production at the lower zone of the unmodified beaches could be useful as indicators of ecological integrity in natural beaches with similar morphodynamic conditions. On the contrary, the most disturbed beach exhibited greater instability in terms of its macrofauna temporal variation in the lower zone. We verified that the ecological integrity approach comprising both natural and anthropogenic factors and multiple stressors is a useful tool showing precisely how beach-intensive use and modification induce instability and less resilience of its macrofauna, reflected in the species' distribution by tidal zones, and the secondary production patterns. We also provide the first estimate of the optimal sampling effort required to get a representative inventory of the benthic intertidal macrofauna in sandy beaches of the Western Gulf of Mexico within a gradient.

The origin and speciation of orchids.

Orchids constitute one of the most spectacular radiations of flowering plants. However, their origin, spread across the globe, and hotspots of speciation remain uncertain due to the lack of an up-to-date phylogeographic analysis. We present a new Orchidaceae phylogeny based on combined high-throughput and Sanger sequencing data, covering all five subfamilies, 17/22 tribes, 40/49 subtribes, 285/736 genera, and c. 7% (1921) of the 29 524 accepted species, and use it to infer geographic range evolution, diversity, and speciation patterns by adding curated geographical distributions from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants. The orchids' most recent common ancestor is inferred to have lived in Late Cretaceous Laurasia. The modern range of Apostasioideae, which comprises two genera with 16 species from India to northern Australia, is interpreted as relictual, similar to that of numerous other groups that went extinct at higher latitudes following the global climate cooling during the Oligocene. Despite their ancient origin, modern orchid species diversity mainly originated over the last 5 Ma, with the highest speciation rates in Panama and Costa Rica. These results alter our understanding of the geographic origin of orchids, previously proposed as Australian, and pinpoint Central America as a region of recent, explosive speciation.

Extreme environments simplify reassembly of communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The ecological impacts of long-term (press) disturbance on mechanisms regulating the relative abundance (i.e., commonness or rarity) and temporal dynamics of species within a community remain largely unknown. This is particularly true for the functionally important arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi; obligate plant-root endosymbionts that colonize more than two-thirds of terrestrial plant species. Here, we use high-resolution amplicon sequencing to examine how AM fungal communities in a specific extreme ecosystem-mofettes or natural CO2 springs caused by geological CO2 exhalations-are affected by long-term stress. We found that in mofettes, specific and temporally stable communities form as a subset of the local metacommunity. These communities are less diverse and dominated by adapted, "stress tolerant" taxa. Those taxa are rare in control locations and more benign environments worldwide, but show a stable temporal pattern in the extreme sites, consistently dominating the communities in grassland mofettes. This pattern of lower diversity and high dominance of specific taxa has been confirmed as relatively stable over several sampling years and is independently observed across multiple geographic locations (mofettes in different countries). This study implies that the response of soil microbial community composition to long-term stress is relatively predictable, which can also reflect the community response to other anthropogenic stressors (e.g., heavy metal pollution or land use change). Moreover, as AM fungi are functionally differentiated, with different taxa providing different benefits to host plants, changes in community structure in response to long-term environmental change have the potential to impact terrestrial plant communities and their productivity.IMPORTANCEArbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form symbiotic relationships with more than two-thirds of plant species. In return for using plant carbon as their sole energy source, AM fungi improve plant mineral supply, water balance, and protection against pathogens. This work demonstrates the importance of long-term experiments to understand the effects of long-term environmental change and long-term disturbance on terrestrial ecosystems. We demonstrated a consistent response of the AM fungal community to a long-term stress, with lower diversity and a less variable AM fungal community over time under stress conditions compared to the surrounding controls. We have also identified, for the first time, a suite of AM fungal taxa that are consistently observed across broad geographic scales in stressed and anthropogenically heavily influenced ecosystems. This is critical because global environmental change in terrestrial ecosystems requires an integrative approach that considers both above- and below-ground changes and examines patterns over a longer geographic and temporal scale, rather than just single sampling events.

Plant virus diversity in bee and pollen samples from apple (Malus domestica) and sweet cherry (Prunus avium) agroecosystems.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollination is widely used in tree fruit production systems to improve fruit set and yield. Many plant viruses can be associated with pollen or transmitted through pollination, and can be detected through bee pollination activities. Honey bees visit multiple plants and flowers in one foraging trip, essentially sampling small amounts of pollen from a wide area. Here we report metagenomics-based area-wide monitoring of plant viruses in cherry (Prunus avium) and apple (Malus domestica) orchards in Creston Valley, British Columbia, Canada, through bee-mediated pollen sampling. Plant viruses were identified in total RNA extracted from bee and pollen samples, and compared with profiles from double stranded RNA extracted from leaf and flower tissues. CVA, PDV, PNRSV, and PVF coat protein nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared for phylogenetic analysis. A wide array of plant viruses were identified in both systems, with cherry virus A (CVA), prune dwarf virus (PDV), prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), and prunus virus F (PVF) most commonly detected. Citrus concave gum associated virus and apple stem grooving virus were only identified in samples collected during apple bloom, demonstrating changing viral profiles from the same site over time. Different profiles of viruses were identified in bee and pollen samples compared to leaf and flower samples reflective of pollen transmission affinity of individual viruses. Phylogenetic and pairwise analysis of the coat protein regions of the four most commonly detected viruses showed unique patterns of nucleotide sequence diversity, which could have implications in their evolution and management approaches. Coat protein sequences of CVA and PVF were broadly diverse with multiple distinct phylogroups identified, while PNRSV and PDV were more conserved. The pollen virome in fruit production systems is incredibly diverse, with CVA, PDV, PNRSV, and PVF widely prevalent in this region. Bee-mediated monitoring in agricultural systems is a powerful approach to study viral diversity and can be used to guide more targeted management approaches.

Assembly processes of rhizosphere and phyllosphere bacterial communities in constructed wetlands created via transformation of rice paddies.

Constructed wetlands are an efficient and cost-effective method of restoring degraded wetlands, in which the microorganisms present make a significant contribution to the ecosystem. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the patterns of diversity and assembly processes of 7 types of constructed wetlands at the rhizosphere and phyllosphere levels. The results showed that the rhizosphere communities of the constructed wetlands exhibited a more balanced structure than that of paddy fields, and 5 types of constructed wetland demonstrated higher potential diversity than that of paddy fields. However, the opposite trend was observed for the phyllosphere communities. Analysis of mean nearest taxon difference indicated that both deterministic and stochastic processes affected the establishment of the rhizosphere and phyllosphere communities, and stochastic processes may have had a larger effect. An iCAMP model showed that dispersal limitation was the most important factor (67% relative contribution) in the rhizosphere community, while drift was the most important (47% relative contribution) in the phyllosphere community. Mantel tests suggested that sucrase, average height, top height, total biomass, belowground biomass, maximum water-holding capacity, and capillary porosity were significantly correlated with processes in the rhizosphere community, whereas factors such as the deterministic process, average height, top height, and SOC were significantly correlated with deterministic processes in the phyllosphere community. Our results can assist in the evaluation of artificial restorations, and can provide understanding of the ecological processes of microbial communities, as well as new insights into the manipulation of microorganisms in polluted wetland ecosystems.

Income diversification patterns and their impact on bank risk

AbstractThis study focuses on the crucial topic of income diversification and its implications for bank risk, using the context of India's public and private Sector banks. The research spans the years 2005–2021, investigating the influence of varying degrees of non‐interest income on the risk profiles of Indian banks. Employing a program impact evaluation methodology, the study employs the generalised propensity score‐fractional dose–response function technique to ascertain the impact of different levels of non‐interest income on bank risk. The outcomes underscore the diverse effects of diversification contingent upon factors like bank size and ownership type, including large and small banks as well as public and private sector institutions. Notably, the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis introduced distinctive dynamics to income diversification's impact. By segmenting the study timeline into two periods—2005–2013 and 2014–2021—it emerges that income diversification lowered bank risk in the earlier period, while conversely amplifying risk in the latter phase. These insights bear significance as an early warning mechanism for bank executives, policymakers, and regulatory authorities, enabling them to navigate strategic transitions associated with non‐interest income. Employing a novel approach, this research contributes to the literature by evaluating the interplay between income diversification and bank risk across diverse levels of non‐interest income mix. In contrast to conventional econometric methods, the use of the generalised propensity score method stands out as a robust technique to mitigate confounding biases inherent in non‐experimental inquiries.

Parental material and climate jointly determine the biomass and diversity of soil microbial communities along an elevational gradient on a subtropical karst mountain

AbstractAimClimate is widely understood to determine elevational patterns of soil microbial communities, whereas the effects of parental material are uncertain. Changes in the composition of parental materials along elevational transects could also affect soil microbial communities by influencing soil pH and nutrient availability. Here, we aim to illustrate the combined effects of climate and parental material on the biomass and composition of soil microbial communities along an elevational transect.LocationA subtropical forest on a karst mountain (Mt. Jinfo), China.TaxonBacteria and Fungi.MethodsWe use phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and DNA amplicon high‐throughput sequencing to determine biomass and diversity patterns of soil microbial communities along a subtropical elevational gradient with contrasting parental materials (limestone and clasolite).ResultsWe observed that the microbial communities were more diverse (α‐diversity) and productive (biomass) on limestone than on clasolite. Additionally, we found that parental material played a role in shaping the composition (β‐diversity) of soil microbial communities along the elevational gradient. The impact of climate on soil microbial communities was found to be significant, albeit relatively weak. Structural equation models provided evidence for both direct and indirect effects of climate and parental material on microbial biomass and α‐diversity along the elevational gradient. Notably, the changes in soil pH, influenced by both parental material and climate, were identified as a key factor driving these effects.Main ConclusionsOur results underline the importance of both climate and parental material variations in space‐for‐time studies investigating soil microbial communities along elevational gradients.

Responses of multi-faceted benthic macroinvertebrates alpha and beta diversity to flooding in a highland floodplain

Flooding is an important process in natural fluvial floodplains. How the flood shapes aquatic community diversity in highland floodplains is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to unravel the multi-faceted responses of benthic macroinvertebrate diversity to flooding and habitat environments in the Baihe River Basin from a taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional perspective. We examined the alpha and beta diversity patterns of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the mainstream, tributaries, and oxbow lakes during the normal water and flood periods. The results showed that the traditional alpha taxonomic diversity (TD) varied across habitats, despite minor changes after flood pulse. Alpha phylogenetic diversity (PD) decreased and alpha functional diversity (FD) markedly increased after flooding, with functional traits transiting toward risk avoidance. While all the three facets of beta diversity significantly responded to habitat differences, beta TD and PD shifted in response to flooding. Species turnover prominently increased in beta TD and PD after flood pulse, which contrasted with a weaker response of this process in FD. The explanatory power of significant environmental factors on both alpha and beta diversity was reduced by flooding. Compared with traditional TD, cooperating multi-faceted diversity could better depict the responses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities to flooding. The assessment and conservation of aquatic biodiversity in highland floodplains should take into account the three facets of alpha and beta diversity.

Spatial pattern of urban forest diversity and its potential drivers in a snow climate city, Northeast China

Urban forest diversity is the cornerstone of providing ecosystem services and improving urban environment. However, the spatial pattern of urban forest (UF) diversity and its driving mechanisms are still not well understood. In our study, using 330 UF sample plots and the corresponding plot-based standard deviation values of remote sensing parameters with different spatial resolutions, we developed prediction models for the spatial pattern of UF diversity, and the driving factors of UF diversity were further explored in our study. Our findings indicated that the 3-m spatial resolution of remote sensing was optimal for predicting UF diversity. Both excessively high and excessively low resolutions can increase misclassification errors. In addition, among the three prediction models, the boosted regression trees (BRT) model exhibited greater robustness than the support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) models for predicting UF diversity. UF species were abundant, with 112 tree species in Changchun City. Spatially, the UF diversity showed a significant gradient decreasing trend from suburban areas (outer rings) to downtown areas. We also observed higher diversity in the older communities with high housing prices, supporting the “legacy effect and luxury effect”. Additionally, our research revealed that socioeconomic factors, landscape cover, and patterns collectively explained 41.25% of the UF diversity variation, wherein socioeconomic factors contributed the most variation (17.33%). We further found that UF diversity does not increase more with increasing house prices when the house prices are higher than ¥ 12,000/m2. The higher patch density reduced UF diversity, while a higher UF landscape shape index (LSI) promoted diversity. The LSI threshold, which significantly impacted UF diversity, was about 12. Our research showed that high-resolution remote sensing offers a rapid, cost-effective approach to acquire UF diversity patterns, which could enhance urban forest diversity and contribute to sustainable urban development.

Late History of Cattle Breeds in Central Europe in Light of Genetic and Archaeogenetic Sources-Overview, Thoughts, and Perspectives.

Although Europe was not a primary centre of cattle domestication, its expansion from the Middle East and subsequent development created a complex pattern of cattle breed diversity. Many isolated populations of local historical breeds still carry the message about the physical and genetic traits of ancient populations. Since the way of life of human communities starting from the eleventh millennium BP was strongly determined by livestock husbandry, the knowledge of cattle diversity through the ages is helpful in the interpretation of many archaeological findings. Historical cattle diversity is currently at the intersection of two leading directions of genetic research. Firstly, it is archaeogenetics attempting to recover and interpret the preserved genetic information directly from archaeological finds. The advanced archaeogenetic approaches meet with the population genomics of extant cattle populations. The immense amount of genetic information collected from living cattle, due to its key economic role, allows for reconstructing the genetic profiles of the ancient populations backwards. The present paper aims to place selected archaeogenetic, genetic, and genomic findings in the picture of cattle history in Central Europe, as suggested by archaeozoological and historical records. Perspectives of the methodical connection between the genetic approaches and the approaches of traditional archaeozoology, such as osteomorphology and osteometry, are discussed. The importance, actuality, and effectiveness of combining different approaches to each archaeological find, such as morphological characterization, interpretation of the historical context, and molecular data, are stressed.

Enrichment of hard sweeps on the X chromosome compared to autosomes in six Drosophila species.

The X chromosome, being hemizygous in males, is exposed one-third of the time increasing the visibility of new mutations to natural selection, potentially leading to different evolutionary dynamics than autosomes. Recently, we found an enrichment of hard selective sweeps over soft selective sweeps on the X chromosome relative to the autosomes in a North American population of Drosophila melanogaster. To understand whether this enrichment is a universal feature of evolution on the X chromosome, we analyze diversity patterns across 6 commonly studied Drosophila species. We find an increased proportion of regions with steep reductions in diversity and elevated homozygosity on the X chromosome compared to autosomes. To assess if these signatures are consistent with positive selection, we simulate a wide variety of evolutionary scenarios spanning variations in demography, mutation rate, recombination rate, background selection, hard sweeps, and soft sweeps and find that the diversity patterns observed on the X are most consistent with hard sweeps. Our findings highlight the importance of sex chromosomes in driving evolutionary processes and suggest that hard sweeps have played a significant role in shaping diversity patterns on the X chromosome across multiple Drosophila species.

Patterns of diversity in subtidal marine macrofaunal communities: Insights from a semi-enclosed bay system in the Northeast Atlantic

The complexity of describing patterns and scales of variation in the distribution of species has created a delay in our understanding of the natural world. Understanding ecological functioning is essential to develop ecosystem management projects and to uphold conservation measures. The objective of the present study was to describe the variation in the structure of subtidal marine macrofaunal communities in a semi-enclosed bay system in the Northeast Atlantic to determine the relative importance of environmental conditions (e.g., water depth and position in the Ría) and processes (e.g., colonisation). Four different sites were selected along the Ría de Vigo, two sampling sites were allocated to the outermost part of the Ría and the other two sampling sites in the middle part of the Ría, both with different depths each (4–5 m and 11–12 m), and sampled at 1-, 3-, and 6- months of colonisation. Our results suggest a distinction between the community 1 month of colonisation and the remaining, with the Mollusca and Arthropoda species responsible for creating the most dissimilarities. At a local diversity level, the communities did not reveal significant differences in the factor’s ‘depth’ or ‘position in the Ría’. Through the application of beta diversity, significant patterns of variation emerged, revealing the significant importance of the deeper sites in maintaining unique and diverse communities in that region.

Hyphomycetes occurring on Bambusa vulgaris debris: new species and records from the American continent and Brazil

ABSTRACT Bambusa vulgaris is an exotic species for Brazil with high economic value, widely-distributed, highly-adaptable and fast growing. While many studies on fungal diversity on bamboo species have been conducted in the past, most utilised generic or family-level designations for the host, limiting our understanding of the true diversity and distribution patterns of fungi among these plants. Such investigations are particularly limited and conducted intermittently over long periods of time in Brazil. To address this, we conducted a survey of hyphomycetes associated with Bambusa vulgaris debris on the campus of the State University of Feira de Santana, located in Bahia, Brazil. Four new species, Endophragmiella pseudostromatica, Kramasamuha subramanianii, Rhexoampullifera castanedae and Ceratocladium bambusicola are reported. Our results additionally provide the second record for the American continent of Staphylotrichum acaciicola and the first record for this host. Taxonomic treatments, morphological descriptions, comments, and illustrations are provided for the aforementioned species.