Ecological Affinities Research Articles

THE VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE LOWER PLIOCENE CONTINENTAL DEPOSITS IN THE EBRO DELTA (BAIX EBRE BASIN, NE SPAIN)

The Pliocene faunas of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula are poorly known due to the scarcity of deposits from this interval. In this context, the site of Sant Nofre-Campredó (Baix Ebre, Catalonia, Spain), comprising two contemporaneous outcrops belonging to geologically correlated sections (Sant Nofre and Campredó-Via Fèrria), makes a significant contribution to the study of Pliocene faunas in this region. The first vertebrate remains were recovered in the late 1970s in clay deposits close to the Sant Nofre Hill. Later, intensive sampling in the 1980s at the Campredó-Via Fèrria outcrop led to the recovery of more than a hundred fossil specimens, including small vertebrates and large mammals. Here, we revise these collections to expand and update the vertebrate list, better constrain the age of the continental deposits, and characterize the environment and climate around the mouth of the Ebro River during the formation of the site. Up to 24 vertebrate species have been identified at Sant Nofre-Campredó, including amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. The presence of the rodents Paraethomys baeticus Piñero & Verzi, 2020, Apocricetus barrierei (Mein & Michaux 1970), and Occitanomys brailloni Michaux, 1969 implies an early Ruscinian age (MN14 unit) for the two outcrops. Biostratigraphic correlations with other well-dated sites in the Iberian Peninsula refine the estimated age of Sant Nofre-Campredó to approximately 4.6 Ma. The ecological affinities of the identified fauna reveal a landscape dominated by woodland habitats in the surroundings of the site during the Early Pliocene, with presence of open humid meadows and water bodies under warm and moist climatic conditions.

Late Ordovician cornulitid tubeworms from high-latitude peri-Gondwana (Sardinia and the Pyrenees) and their palaeobiogeographic significance

Seven Cornulites species, including a new one — Cornulites leonei n. sp., are described from the Upper Ordovician Portixeddu Formation (Katian, stage slices Ka2–3) of Sardinia and the Cavá (lower Katian, stage slice Ka2) and Estana (upper Katian, stage slices Ka3–4) formations of the Pyrenees. The Sardinian and Pyrenean cornulitids represent an adaptation to live in environments with high sedimentation rates and limited hard substrates availability. Their prominent annuli could have had a stabilizing function in the soft sediment that helped cornulitids to keep a favourable position in the sediment to enable suspension feeding. The known Late Ordovician cornulitid diversity in different Gondwana areas is low, usually ranging from one to three taxa, being higher (seven) in Sardinia. Like other benthic groups during the Late Ordovician, the cornulitid tubeworm faunas within the high-latitude peri-Gondwana Province indicate a certain endemism and share morphological and ecological affinities, such as a small body size and tubes with a strikingly small apical angle. Although essentially endemic, some links with cornulitids from the Late Ordovician of Scotland are revealed.

Tree of life metabarcoding can serve as a biotic benchmark for shifting baselines in urbanized estuaries

Urbanization of estuaries drastically changed existing shorelines and bathymetric contours, in turn modifying habitat for marine foundational species that host critical biodiversity. And yet we lack approaches to characterize a significant fraction of the biota that inhabit these ecosystems on time scales that align with rates of urbanization. Environmental DNA (or eDNA) metabarcoding that combines multiple assays targeting a broad range of taxonomic groups can provide a solution, but we need to determine whether the biological communities it detects ally with different habitats in these changing aquatic environments. In this study, we tested whether tree of life metabarcoding (ToL-metabarcoding) data extracted from filtered seawater samples correlated with four known geomorphic habitat zones across a heavily urbanized estuary (Sydney Harbour, Australia). Using this method, we substantially expanded our knowledge on the composition and spatial distribution of marine biodiversity across the tree of life in Sydney Harbour, particularly for organisms where existing records are sparse. Excluding terrestrial DNA inputs, we identified significant effects of both distance from the mouth of Sydney Harbour and geomorphic zone on biological community structure in the ToL-metabarcoding dataset (entire community), as well as in each of the taxonomic subgroups that we considered (fish, macroinvertebrates, algae and aquatic plants, bacteria). This effect appeared to be driven by taxa as a collective versus a few individual taxa, with each taxon explaining no more than 0.62% of the variation between geomorphic zones. Similarly, taxonomic richness was significantly higher within geomorphic zones with large sample sizes, but also decreased by 1% with each additional kilometer from the estuary mouth, a result consistent with a reduction in tidal inputs and available habitat in upper catchments. Based on these results, we suggest that ToL-metabarcoding can be used to benchmark biological monitoring in other urbanized estuaries globally, and in Sydney Harbour at future time points based on detection of bioindicators across the tree of life. We also suggest that robust biotic snapshots can be archived following extensive curation of taxonomic assignments that incorporates ecological affinities, supported by records from relevant and regional biodiversity repositories.

Morphological, genetic and ecological divergence in near-cryptic bryophyte species widespread in the Holarctic: the Dicranum acutifolium complex (Dicranales) revisited in the Alps

There is mounting evidence that reproductively isolated, but morphologically weakly differentiated species (so-called cryptic species) represent a substantial part of biological diversity, especially in bryophytes. We assessed the evolutionary history and ecological differentiation of a species pair, Dicranum brevifolium and D. septentrionale, which have overlapping ranges in the Holarctic. Despite their morphological similarity, we found similar genetic differentiation as between morphologically well-differentiated Dicranum species. Moreover, we detected gene tree discordance between plastid and nuclear markers, but neither of the two datasets resolved the two as sister species. The signal in trnL–trnF better reflects the morphological and ecological affinities and indicates a close relationship while ITS sequence data resolved the two taxa as phylogenetically distantly related. The discordance is probably unrelated to the ecological differentiation of D. septentrionale to colonise subneutral to alkaline substrates (vs. acidic in D. brevifolium), because this ability is rare in the genus and shared with D. acutifolium. This taxon is the closest relative of D. septentrionale according to the trnL–trnF data and does not share the discordance in ITS. We furthermore demonstrate that beside D. acutifolium, both D. septentrionale and D. brevifolium occur in the Alps but D. brevifolium is most likely rarer. Based on morphological analyses including factor analysis for mixed data of 45 traits we suggest treating the latter two as near-cryptic species and we recommend verifying morphological determinations molecularly.

Encyclia naranjapatensis Dodson (Orchidaceae), a new record for the Peruvian flora

Background: Encyclia, is a genus with more than 200 species in the Neotropics, eight of which have been previously reported from Peru. During the evaluation of the orchid flora in the forests of the Sicchez district, a small population of an Encyclia species was found that could not be unequivocally matched to any previously known species in the country.
 Questions: Will the recent explorations of Northern Peru result in the reporting of new taxa for the country?
 Studied species: Orchidaceae, Laeliinae, Encyclia Hook, Encyclia naranjapatensis Dodson
 Study site and dates: Sicchez District, Ayabaca Province, Piura Department, Peru, 2022-2023.
 Methods: Specimens were collected and determined by consulting botanical collections available online, taxonomic treatments, checklists, and specialized literature. The conservation status was assessed according to IUCN methodology.
 Results: We report a novelty for Peru, Encyclia naranjapatensis, and an updated description including morphological information on relevant structures that will be used to diagnose this entity. In addition, E. naranjapatensis is part of a basal clade referred to as the E. diurna species group. The conservation status assessment results in Endangered and the species is linked to the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest, an endangered ecosystem throughout the Neotropics.
 Conclusions: The recent entity located in Peru correspond to Encyclia naranjapatensis. This discovery allows us to investigate the geographical limits, discuss the phylogenetic and ecological affinities, update the original description, and evaluate its conservation status.

Modern pollen rain reveals differences across forests, open and mosaic landscapes in Madagascar

Societal Impact StatementPalaeoecological investigations are crucial in understanding millennial to centennial land use and land cover change. By analysing the modern pollen rain from four main vegetation types across Madagascar, this research provides baselines for improving the interpretation of pollen records in palaeoecological studies. This study determines the modern pollen‐vegetation relationship in Madagascar and gives a better understanding of the island's landscapes. Despite some spatial limitations, this approach contributes to resolving the debated topic related to the origin of Madagascar's open ecosystems. Knowing the vegetation history prior to and after human settlement would help guide biodiversity management and its associated ecosystem services.Summary Modern pollen rain contributes to calibrating and defining palaeo‐records relative to the current vegetation of diverse landscapes. Quantifying past vegetation change is important to better frame sustainable and resilient management methods of biodiversity considering human needs. In this paper, we aim to assess modern pollen assemblages in different vegetation types in Madagascar and inform how these could contribute to the interpretation of palaeo‐records. We identified modern pollen assemblages from 21 samples across four major vegetation types in Madagascar, including seven (N = 7) newly generated samples from the tropical dry forest in the Northwest region and 14 datasets downloaded from the African Pollen Database website. The downloaded datasets are from core tops representing modern vegetation previously analysed in the tropical dry forests and spiny thickets, the wooded grassland–bushland mosaic and the littoral humid forest. We evaluated the frequency of different taxa in the samples and conducted multivariate analyses to evaluate the similarities and ecological affinities between samples. Pollen rain reflected the main vegetation types across Madagascar and provided information on the current structure and state of the landscape. Regarding the interpretation of pollen records, pollen rain samples revealed that: (i) Open mosaic ecosystems should contain a percentage of at least 40% grass pollen, informing on the origin of the vegetation in older samples and the state of degradation in more recent vegetation reconstructions; and (ii) Anthropogenic vegetation such as plantations are marked by the abundance of pioneer taxa such as Pinus and/or Eucalyptus spp. with a frequency >20%. Our findings improve the interpretations of pollen records and help differentiate past distribution of forest, open and mosaic vegetation, in Madagascar. It will contribute to further research on human practices, land use and into scenarios of conservation planning not only in Madagascar but also across the tropics.

Why biogeographical transition zones matter

AbstractBiogeographical transition zones are areas of overlap, replacement or partial segregation between different biotas, which are sets of taxa sharing similar geographical distributions as a result of a common evolutionary history and ecological affinities. Transition zones occur in a few particular areas of the world where historically contingent processes have allowed different biotic elements to coexist and interact. Evolutionary or historical biogeographers have traditionally characterized transition zones by the overlap of different biotic elements. More recently, authors applying track analyses have detected transition zones by the presence of nodes or by conflicting results in cladistic biogeographic analyses. Ecological biogeographers have taken a different approach, usually applying quantitative methods, for example, species turnover indices to analyse the strength and breadth of biogeographic transition zones. Some authors consider transition zones to represent outstanding areas for analysing the principles shaping biotic assembly, whereas others have dismissed them, sometimes as artificial. Biogeographical transition zones are particularly interesting for a truly integrative biogeography, being natural laboratories where the interaction of historical and ecological processes can be analysed fruitfully, and are especially appropriate for an integrative approach, epistemologically grounded in integrative pluralism. A coherent conceptual framework to analyse transition zones, however, is still lacking.

Centennial Lake Environmental Evolution Reflected by Diatoms in Yilong Lake, Yunnan Province, China

The 64 cm sediment diatoms, representing a timescale from 1938 to 2020 A.D., were analyzed to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Yilong Lake in Yunnan Province, China. Some main diatoms with important environmental indicating significance were selected through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). In addition, their ecological affinities indicated that the PCA sample scores 1 and 2, which were the main factors affecting the environmental change of Yilong Lake, corresponded to pH value and eutrophication, respectively. According to the pH value and the eutrophication data obtained from the PCA, the lake had successively gone through six major stages. Though high pH value and eutrophication had been the main characteristics for a long time, the quality of Yilong Lake was gradually improved through planned treatment in the last decades. The drying up of the lake under natural conditions resulted in an increase in pH values and high eutrophication. Meanwhile, the impact of human activities played a more important role in lake evolution: unreasonable human development in lake basins led to abnormal changes in pH values and eutrophication, and planned and targeted treatment could restore the natural state of the lake.

On the differentiation and distribution of the rare New Zealand endemic Rehubryum bellii (Malta) F.Lara, Garilleti & Draper (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta)

ABSTRACT Introduction A recently published study revealed an unnoticed New Zealand endemic and monotypic genus, which was named Rehubryum. It was based on Ulota bellii, a species described by Nikolajs Malta for which only two previous collections were known. Despite this sample size limitation, Malta simultaneously published two varieties, each based on one of the two specimens: the type variety and U. bellii var. longicolla. Methods Specimens from 80 localities between 0 and 1430 m a.s.l. from both the North and South Islands of New Zealand were studied. Type material of both varieties of Ulota bellii was included in the study, and the ecological affinities of Rehubryum bellii were analysed. Key results and conclusions Morphometric analysis supports the conclusion that our recent collections correspond to the original concept of Ulota bellii, now combined as Rehubryum bellii. Additionally, var. longicolla is synonymised with the type variety based on a lack of morphological differences. Rehubryum bellii is described in detail and illustrated, and its distribution and ecological affinities are discussed. Rehubryum bellii presents a set of morphological diagnostic characters: leaves with a submarginal band of elongate cells, papillose-denticulate margins in the base–lamina transition, and an endostome with 16 segments. Similarities and differences between Rehubryum and Atlantichella, the sister genus from the northern hemisphere, as well as the distinction from Australasian species of Orthotrichaceae, are discussed. The genus is now known from 12 localities in montane areas of the South Island of New Zealand and two isolated mountains on the North Island.

Groundwater Amphipods of the Hyporheic Interstitial: A Case Study from Luxembourg and The Greater Region

Hyporheic interstitials are ecologically dynamic and often neglected aquatic environments. In this study, groundwater amphipods (Niphargidae, Pseudoniphargidae and Crangonyctidae) were sampled in hyporheic interstitials throughout Luxembourg and The Greater Region and specimens were analyzed by DNA barcoding. Sites characterized by gravel or coarse sand and high flow velocities of incoming water were the most species- and specimen-rich. A total of 11 species were detected, of which the Niphargus aquilex lineage EF of the N. aquilex cryptic species complex and juveniles of N. schellenbergi dominated the data set, but an unknown lineage of the N. aquilex-complex was also found. Some regions appeared to be devoid of groundwater amphipods. We hypothesize that underlying sandstone formations resulting in low sediment porosity may prevent physical colonization, but also that historical water pollution may have a long-lasting effect, either through the persistence of contaminants in the sediment or low recolonization rates of affected populations. In summary, our approach expanded regional species inventories, confirmed known occurrences, and validated previously questionable or historical morphology-based detections. In addition, the collection of absence data provided valuable insights into local extinctions. Finally, DNA-based distribution data are needed to gather information on the ecological affinities of groundwater amphipods to understudied hyporheic interstitial environments.

Pytinicarpa (Asteraceae, Astereae) in New Caledonia

The genus Pytinicarpa G.L.Nesom is taxonomically revised in New Caledonia with four species recognised. The circumscription of one previously published species, P. sarasinii (Däniker) G.L.Nesom, is discussed and updated, and P. neocaledonica (Guillaumin) G.L.Nesom is placed in its synonymy. The name P. comptonii Gâteblé, Lannuzel & M.Pignal, nom. nov. is proposed to accommodate the former Lagenophora neocaledonica S.Moore in Pytinicarpa, and its lectotype is designated. Two new narrowly endemic species are also described. The first is from the top of Mount Kaala massif with the name P. kaalaensis Lannuzel, Gâteblé & M.Pignal, sp. nov. The second, P. tonitrui Lannuzel, Gateblé & M.Pignal, sp. nov. is from the Babouillat peninsula, and is supposedly extinct, as extensive field research did not allow to find it. The four species are fully described, illustrated, and keyed. The distribution, ecological affinities, and threats for the four species are discussed to support the assessments of conservation status for two of them as Endangered (EN), one as Critically Endangered (CR) and one as Extinct (EX), following the IUCN Red List guidelines and criteria.

Structure of the fish assemblage in the surf zone of the beach at Pontal do Sul, Paraná

The assemblage structure of the ichthyofauna in the surf zone of the Beach of Pontal do Sul was studied between May 1993 and April 1994 through bi-monthly collections in high and low syzygy tides. The fish community was characterized by a high diversity with numerical dominance of the species Eucinostomus argentus, Harengula clupeola, Anchoa tricolor, Oligoplites saurus, Anchoaparva and Sardinella brasiliensis which represented 74,7 % of the total capture. The majority of the species were marine species and remained in this habitat for a brief period, and only 10 species could be classified as annual residents. No seasonality was observed in the community structure indices in the area. The sampled assemblage was characterized by a high species evenness in periods with a lesser number of species (spring and fall) and by large captures of a few species in periods with greater diversity (summer and winter). The group of months did not follow a pattern of seasonality and reflected differences in qualitative and quantitative occurrences of the more important species, correlated with water temperature and the waves period and height. The seasonality of the groups of selected species showed probable ecological affinities between species.

The genus Woodsia R. Br. in Ukraine (Woodsiaceae)

Two species of the genus Woodsia R. Br. have been reported for Ukraine: W. alpina (Bolton) Gray and W. ilvensis (L.) R. Br. Based on our analysis of the literature data and the herbarium specimens of 53 herbaria from Ukraine, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Romania and Slovak Republic, we present maps of the distribution of the genus in Ukraine showing correct, unconfirmed and erroneous records. Our results show a changed perception of the distribution pattern of Woodsia genus, particularly the distribution of W. alpina. The records of W. alpina in the Ukrainian Carpathians were erroneous, only W. ilvensisis growing here, and W. alpina in Ukraine has been convincingly confirmed only from Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya region (Steppe zone of Ukraine ), from very low elevation making these sites the lowest in continental Europe. In addition to the distribution analysis, we have focused on a morphological overview of Woodsia species and their ecological affinities in Ukraine. A re-evaluation of the threat status of Woodsia species, using IUCN criteria, concludes that both species should be assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) in Ukraine. URL: https://www.upjs.sk/pracoviska/botanicka-zahrada/odborne-aktivity/contents-abstracts/

Ecological correlates of the morphology of the auditory bulla in rodents: Application to the fossil record.

For rodents, hearing is essential to survival. It enables predator evasion, prey detection, and conspecific recognition; it is also likely to be constrained by the physical environment. The resulting hypothetical link between tympanic bulla morphology and ecology has never been investigated across a broad array of rodent species before. Such link may enable the determination of the ecological affinities of many fossil species only known from partial skulls. In this study, we used geometric morphometrics to quantify the shape of the auditory bulla of 197specimens representing 91species from 17 families of extant rodents across four different locomotory modes. We used landmarks and semi-landmarks on the ventral and lateral views of the skull to capture morphological characteristics of the bulla and external auditory meatus (EAM). Our results demonstrate an association between bullar morphology and locomotion in rodents. Bullar shape enables the correct classification of 76% of the species in our training set. Fossorial taxa, in particular, show a characteristic morphology including an asymmetric bulla with a dorsally located and laterally expanded EAM that has a small opening diameter. A phylogenetically informed flexible discriminant analysis shows a weak phylogenetic effect on tympanic morphology. There is no evidence for differences in bullar hypertrophy across locomotory categories. The application of this approach to select fossil rodents from the Oligo-Miocene shows broad agreements with prior studies and yields new locomotory inferences for 14 fossil species, including the first proposed locomotion for members of the family Florentiamyidae. Such results call for the timing of burrowing diversification in rodents to be reevaluated.

Cyclotella (Bacillariophyceae) species present in sediments dating to Marine Isotope Stage 5 from Lake Chalco, central Mexico, with special reference to two new species: Cyclotella poyeka and Cyclotella tlalocii

Lake Chalco is one of the few lakes in Mexico that has a long, continuous sedimentary sequence covering the Upper Pleistocene (> 150 000 yrs). The diatom content of its lacustrine sediments includes a variety of centric species. In particular, the sediments dating to Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS5) were alternately dominated by four Cyclotella spp: C. meneghiniana Kützing, C. quillensis Bailey, and two new species which are described here: C. poyeka and C. tlalocii. These two new Cyclotella spp. resemble C. stylorum Brightwell, because of the presence of marginal chambers. Nevertheless, the new species from Lake Chalco have a different structure of the marginal chambers and marginal fultoportulae with three satellite pores. Cyclotella poyeka and C. tlalocii differ from each other by the relative proportion of the central area to valve face diameter, the central fultoportula arrangement, and the striation pattern. Ecological affinities of the four Cyclotella species in the MIS5 sediments from Lake Chalco are discussed based on their modern distribution (for C. meneghiniana and C. quillensis) and their fossil assemblages (for C. quillensis, C. tlalocii and C. poyeka), leading to the conclusion that C. tlalocii was a freshwater species while C. meneghiniana, C. quillensis, and C. poyeka thrived in saline conditions.

Xeric grasslands of the inner-alpine dry valleys of Austria – new insights into syntaxonomy, diversity and ecology

Aims: We studied the syntaxonomic position, biodiversity, ecological features, nature conservation value and current status of dry grasslands investigated by Josias Braun-Blanquet more than 60 years ago. Study area: Inner-alpine valleys of Austria. Methods: We sampled 67 plots of 10 m2, following the standardized EDGG methodology. We subjected our plots to an unsupervised classification with the modified TWINSPAN algorithm and interpreted the branches of the dendrogram syntaxonomically. Biodiversity, structural and ecological characteristics of the resulting vegetation units at association and order level were compared by ANOVAs. Results: All the examined grasslands belong to the class Festuco-Brometea. From ten distinguished clusters, we could assign four clusters to validly published associations, while the remaining six clusters were named tentatively. We classified them into three orders: Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis (Armerio elongatae-Potentilletum arenariae, Phleo phleoidis-Pulsatilletum nigricantis, Medicago minima-Melica ciliata community, Koelerio pyramidatae-Teucrietum montani), Festucetalia valesiacae (Sempervivum tectorum-Festuca valesiaca community); Brachypodietalia pinnati (Astragalo onobrychidis-Brometum erecti, Agrostis capillaris-Avenula adsurgens community, Anthericum ramosum-Brachypodium pinnatum community, Ranunculus bulbosus-Festuca rubra community, Carduus defloratus-Brachypodium pinnatum community). Conclusions: The ten distinguished dry grassland communities of the Austrian inner-alpine valleys differ in their ecological affinities as well as their vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen diversity. We point out their high nature conservation importance, as each of them presents a unique habitat of high value. Taxonomic reference: Names of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens follow Fischer et al. (2008), Frahm and Frey (2004) and Nimis et al. (2018), respectively. Syntaxonomic reference: Names of orders and classes follow Mucina et al. (2016), references for associations and alliances are given in the text. Abbreviations: ANOVA = analysis of variance; DCA: detrended correspondence analyses; EDGG: Eurasian Dry Grassland Group; EIV: ecological indicator value; FL: Fließ; GR: Griffen; GU: Gulsen; KA: Kaunerberg; LA: Laudegg castle in Ladis; MA: Marin; NM: Neumarkt in der Steiermark; OM: Obermauern; PÖ: Pöls; PU: Puxer Loch; TWINSPAN = Two-way indicator species analysis; ZS: Zinizachspitze.

New Data on Orthotrichum gigantosporum Lewinsky (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta), a Widespread Northern Andean-Patagonian Endemic Moss

The moss family Orthotrichaceae is still poorly known in the southern extreme of South America. This is especially true regarding the morphological variability, geographical distribution, and ecological affinities of the species restricted to the Andean-Patagonian area. These deficiencies are addressed for Orthotrichum gigantosporum Lewinsky, one of the least known and most interesting endemics of the area. After examining the rich collections made by our team in southern Chile and Argentina, we have found numerous new localities for the species. Orthotrichum gigantosporum has proven to be a widespread moss in the forests and scrublands of the northern sector of the Andean-Patagonian area. In the light of new morphological data, an updated description of the species is presented and the characteristics that allow its differentiation are discussed and illustrated. The ecological data obtained on the populations also help to characterise the distribution of this moss in relation to various environmental factors. An updated list of the accepted species of Orthotrichaceae present in the Andean-Patagonian area is also provided, facilitating an estimate of endemicity rates within each genus.

Avifauna and biogeographical affinities of acarrasco-dominated landscape in north-eastern Brazil: providing baseline data for future monitoring

SummaryThecarrascois a dense, shrubby vegetation type that covers the higher parts of table-top mountains in north-eastern Brazil. The vegetation of this phytophysiognomy is often considered to have biogeographical and ecological affinities with thecerradoof Central Brazil, but the biogeographical affinities of its avifauna remain unclear. In recent years, deforestation due to local economic activities has been particularly severe in somecarrasco-dominated landscapes. In 2013, we initiated avian surveys at the Fazenda Pau D‘Arco, a privately owned property located on top of the Araripe Plateau, to evaluate the effects of a legal forest management program on the avifauna. Here, we present the results of four years of avian inventories to: i) characterize a well-preserved patch ofcarrascovegetation; ii) assess avian biogeographical affinities of this vegetation type; iii) identify associations between managed/unmanaged areas and bird species; and iv) provide baseline data for future avian monitoring studies. Using different survey methods, we provide a list of 148 bird species, including several dry-forest specialists andcaatingaendemics. Biogeographically, the avifauna of thecarrascorepresents a subsample of theCaatingadry forest, lackingcerradoelements. Forest management significantly affected the distribution of several bird species in the study area. We found that 1/5 of the species (24) recorded during our standardized surveys were significantly associated with either unmanaged (14 species) or managed (10 species) areas. Species such as the Ceará LeaftosserSclerurus cearensis, a globally vulnerable species, have only been detected in non-managed areas and therefore can be negatively affected by the management program. We also present data on 16 avian taxa with ecological and conservation concerns. By presenting a fairly complete and documented list of the avifauna, we characterize thecarrascoavifauna and offer the tools to evaluate the effects of forest management on this poorly known vegetation type.

Comparative analysis of six common foraminiferal species of the genera <i>Cassidulina</i>, <i>Paracassidulina</i>, and <i>Islandiella</i> from the Arctic–North Atlantic domain

Abstract. Morphologically similar benthic foraminiferal taxa can be difficult to separate. Aside from causing issues in taxonomy, incorrect identifications complicate our understanding of species-specific ecological preferences and result in flawed palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and geochemical results. Over the years, a number of studies have grouped together several key Arctic–North Atlantic species in various combinations, despite their distinct environmental preferences and/or stratigraphical differences, causing great confusion in the literature. These species include Cassidulina laevigata, Cassidulina neoteretis, Cassidulina teretis, Paracassidulina neocarinata, Islandiella helenae, and Islandiella norcrossi. Here, we provide for the first time a detailed comparison of these taxa. We present a compilation of the original species descriptions, along with clear, illustrated guidelines on how to separate these taxa to circumvent taxonomic confusion. We acknowledge that some features cannot easily be seen with a standard low-powered microscope, especially if specimens are not well preserved. In those cases, we recommend the following actions: (i) always strive to make a precise identification and at least differentiate between the three genera; (ii) where C. neoteretis and C. teretis cannot be separated, and where the stratigraphical context does not make the species identification obvious, specimens belonging to these taxa should be reported as C. teretis/C. neoteretis; and (iii) where specimens in a sample cannot be confidently assigned to a specific species of Islandiella or Cassidulina, specimens should be grouped as Islandiella spp. or Cassidulina spp., followed by naming the most dominant species in brackets. The improved identification of Cassidulina, Paracassidulina, and Islandiella specimens will ensure development of a better understanding of the ecological affinities of these key Arctic–North Atlantic taxa, consequently resulting in more accurate palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and geochemical data.

Genetic Diversity of Mongolian Long-Eared Bats (Plecotus; Vespertilionidae; Chiroptera)

Most of the molecular taxonomic studies on the Eurasian long-eared bats (Plecotus) are based on mitochondrial data only, which might lead to erroneous assessment of the phylogenetic relationships. Here, the genetic divergence among the Mongolian species of Plecotus is examined using sequences of two nuclear introns (THY and ABHD11) and the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Both mitochondrial and nuclear data support the existence of three species: Plecotus ognevi, P. kozlovi, and P. turkmenicus. The status of the latter taxon was unclear, as it was previously known from a single record in Mongolia. In our study, P. turkmenicus is found to be widely distributed across the hyperarid deserts south of the Altai Mountains. In several locations, it is sympatric with P. kozlovi, the distribution of which is associated mostly with the semidesert zone, while P. ognevi occurs in the steppe and forest zones of northern Mongolia. The two desert species (P. kozlovi and P. turkmenicus) are quite similar in their morphology and ecological affinities; however, the molecular data clearly show that P. turkmenicus is highly divergent from both P. kozlovi and P. ognevi. In contrast, the mtDNA difference between the arid-dwelling P. kozlovi and the morphologically distant forest-steppe P. ognevi is low. This result demonstrates that more than one lineage of Plecotus independently developed adaptations to the arid habitats of Central Asia and suggests that the morphological similarity between P. kozlovi and P. turkmenicus is a result of convergence. The difference in mtDNA between the Mongolian and West-Central Asian populations of P. turkmenicus indicates that the former may represent a separate taxon of uncertain rank.