Local Fauna Research Articles

Impact of mowing frequency on arthropod abundance and diversity in urban habitats: A meta-analysis

Urbanization is an important driver of global insect decline. Yet, recent studies have demonstrated the potential of greenspaces in cities to promote biodiversity conservation. One of many factors negatively affecting arthropods in urban areas are unsuitable habitats, as non-woody greenspaces predominantly consist of manicured lawns. Maintenance practices such as high mowing frequencies, can have direct and indirect negative impacts on the local flora and fauna. The present study examines the effects of different mowing regimes on arthropod abundance and diversity by conducting meta-analyses of studies assessing the effect of mowing on arthropod abundance (46 datasets) and taxa richness (23 datasets) in urban environments. Due to a geographical bias in the literature, only data from the temperate, northern hemisphere are analyzed. While our meta-analysis on arthropod abundance showed a medium positive effect (effect size: g = 0.54) of reduced mowing, the cumulative positive effect of reduced mowing on arthropod taxa richness was large (g = 1.25). Grouping the studies not only resulted in lower heterogeneity, but also showed that manicured lawns disproportionately favor the abundance of “pest” species as well as ground-dwelling arthropods. There was also a significantly higher abundance of winged insects on sites with reduced mowing as compared to arthropods without wings. Overall, the findings of the present meta-analysis strongly support the notion that a reduction in mowing frequencies in urban greenspaces benefits insect biodiversity.

Soil mesofauna alter the balance between stochastic and deterministic processes in the plastisphere during microbial succession

Plastic debris, as a novel substrate, provides an avenue for enriching microbial growth. Although the structure of the aquatic plastisphere microbial community is well-characterised, linkages between microbial community assembly and species co-existence in the soil plastisphere vary and remain poorly understood, particularly when soil fauna is involved. This study investigated the soil plastisphere community, including bacteria, fungi, and protists, focusing on microbial succession and community assembly processes impacted by soil mesofauna. Certain soil plastisphere microbial taxa thrived at particular time points (e.g. Actinobacteria at 60 d), indicating the irreplaceable role of microplastic selection for time-sensitive taxa. Additionally, the biodiversity of keystone ecological clusters in the soil plastisphere was significantly associated with incubation time. Furthermore, the slopes of bacterial and fungal time-decay curves in soil plastisphere were steeper when treated with soil mesofauna than without soil mesofauna, whereas protist time-decay curves (total and abundant taxa) exhibited the opposite trend. Soil mesofauna increased the relative importance of determinacy in the soil plastisphere bacterial assembly process, while enhancing the stochasticity of fungal and protistan community assemblages. The study demonstrates the complex assembly patterns of soil plastisphere microbial communities, emphasising the importance of interactions between the plastisphere and local soil fauna from an ecological perspective.

Local Insect Fauna, History of Its Origin, and Fossil Record: an Example from the Old Crow River Basin, Northwestern Yukon, Canada

Local Insect Fauna, History of Its Origin, and Fossil Record: an Example from the Old Crow River Basin, Northwestern Yukon, Canada

First records of the non-indigenous green algal species Siphonocladus tropicus (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta) and Caulerpa integerrima (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) in the Mediterranean Sea

ABSTRACT We provide an account of two newly recorded non-indigenous tropical seaweed species, Siphonocladus tropicus (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta) and Caulerpa integerrima (Caulerpaceae, Chlorophyta), from the northern and central Levantine Mediterranean shores of Israel. Reports are supported by morphological and molecular evidence. The new record of C. integerrima, thought to be endemic to the Red Sea, increases the number of non-indigenous Caulerpa species in the Mediterranean Sea to eight. Siphonocladus tropicus, a widespread tropical species, is also being reported from the northern Red Sea. Furthermore, morphological comparison of populations from the northern Red Sea and the Levantine Mediterranean shore of Israel revealed that there might be a regional variant or form of this species in the northern Red Sea and might indicate that this new invader does not necessarily originate from the Red Sea. The increasingly tropical conditions in the eastern Levantine Sea as a result of global warming probably paved the way for the establishment of both species in the region. Aspects of the new invaders’ ecology in the Israeli Levantine Sea, the possible vectors of introduction and origins, as well as the status of other Caulerpa species from both Levantine and Red Sea shores, are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS Siphonocladus tropicus and Caulerpa integerrima are new non-native species found lately in the Mediterranean Sea. Caulerpa integerrima originated from the Red Sea whereas the origin of Siphonocladus tropicus is uncertain. The introduction of these two alien species, especially Caulerpa integerrima, might pose a threat to the local marine flora and fauna.

Medium- and large-sized mammals from Estação Biológica Fiocruz Mata Atlântica, Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil.

The Pedra Branca Forest is in a highly urbanised region of the central portion of Rio de Janeiro City and comprises the largest urban forest in the world (> 12,000 ha). The local flora and fauna are protected by three conservation units and the Estação Biológica Fiocruz Mata Atlântica (EFMA), which comprises 462 hectares on the east side of the remnant. The local biodiversity is still little known compared to other Atlantic Forest remnants from the Rio de Janeiro State. Here, we provide results of a survey of medium- and large-sized terrestrial mammals from the EFMA. In addition, we analysed the distribution of this fauna along three habitat types defined as Peridomicile, Transitional Forest and Forest Core. Sampling was performed from 2017 to 2020 and comprised a camera-trap survey, interviews with residents and local workers and occasional records. Results include occurrence records for 16 autochthonous and one allochthonous (Callithrix sp.) wild mammals, which are distributed into 14 families and seven orders, in addition to the presence of free-ranging domestic dogs and cats. Four species are in some category of threat of extinction at national or global levels. Amongst them, Leontopithecusrosalia (first record for the Rio de Janeiro City in more than a century) and Leopardusguttulus are classified as Vulnerable by IUCN. Most wild native species were registered in the three habitat types, but with differences in the frequency of records. Our results indicate that the presence of domestic dogs and cats influenced the species composition in each area, with Nasuanasua, Dasyproctaleporina and Didelphisaurita less frequent in places where domestic dogs and cats are more frequent. This is the first systematic effort to understand the occurrence and distribution of mid- and large-sized mammals in the Pedra Branca Forest.

Microplastics in gut content of juveniles of the patagonic silverside fish Odontesthes sp.

Microplastics are among the major environmental problems to be addressed because it is beginning to affect food chains and is also reaching human populations. The present study investigated the size, color, shape and abundance of microplastics in juvenile silversides (Atheriniformes) belonging to the edible species Odontesthes bonariensis, Odontesthes nigricans and Odontesthes argentinensis from shallow coastal waters. While 100 % of the sampled individuals presented microplastics in stomach contents, fibers were 95 %. There is a correlation between the size of the individuals and the maximum particle size ingested ranging from 0.2 to 1.2 mm. There is no significant difference in the number of particles ingested per individual. The plastic particles had a lower density than seawater, which is why they floated on the surface. These results imply that the protected areas of large ocean currents increase the exposure of local fauna to microplastics increasing the risk of ingestion of PMs.

Contextualising Aboriginal faunal stories with the Linnaean taxonomy: Culturally responsive pedagogy in zoology

This article explores the contextualising of local Aboriginal animal stories with the zoology curriculum in Queensland at one independent high school, where students’ learning potential often remains untapped. Contextualisation, encompasses heritage, cultural knowledge, country and Linnaean zoology taxonomy to form a culturally responsive pedagogy that supports students’ learning and pride in their heritage. To illustrate how students can learn in culturally responsive ways, a sinuous path encompassing six phases for collecting local faunal stories was necessary, prior to delivering the Linnaean zoology taxonomy. Elders’ animal stories were documented and then contextualised into classificatory materials to integrate local faunal knowledge. Drawing on an Indigenist Research Framework including storytelling, talking circles, interviewing and Action Research methodology, transcribing, retranscribing and restorying was used to explore the effect of a culturally responsive approach on students’ culture, and knowledge of local fauna. Findings indicated that the local animal stories became the foundation for the development of a First Classification of Animal Kingdom chart from the non-Aboriginal animal knowledge tradition which tapped into students’ learning potential through elders’ stories about local culture. Real-life storytelling on country is preferable as such contexts provide meaningful learning for students, rather than in decontextualised classroom spaces.

The laboratory of subterranean biology “Enrico Pezzoli”: a new underground facility for zoological research.

Since the beginning of subterranean biological research, the development of underground laboratories has provided scientists with protected places to perform long-term studies and to collaborate with others across subjects. However, aided by advances in technology for research centres and universities and by concerns for the conservation of natural subterranean environments, mots of past subterranean laboratories went under the radar of the institutions that owned them. Here we describe a new underground facility that was built in Italy by the Regional Park of “Monte Barro” (Lecco, Lombardy) and dedicated to the memory of Enrico Pezzoli who was strongly active in the study of spring and cave biodiversity. The laboratory has been established by repurposing an ancient draining gallery of the Park; it has been conceived to study local fauna, especially that of local aquifers. Removable equipment has been set stretching along the gallery, from the beginning to deep sections, creating distinct sectors with different conditions allowing to rear, study and compare both troglophile and troglobiont species. In every sector of the laboratory independent blocks with different controlled conditions of light and biotic features can be easily placed and used to rear individuals of both invertebrates and amphibians. Experimental activity does not prevent the exploitation of the gallery by local fauna, with spiders, crustaceans and amphibians usually occurring. The first experiences performed in the new resource suggest that subterranean laboratories, if appropriately conceived, may represent sustainable facilities thanks to their low energetic requirements and their strong potential in integrating research and education.

A new non-marine osteichthyan fauna from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of West Texas: Additional evidence for latitudinal segregation among bony fish in the Western Interior

A new osteichthyan fauna from the lower Campanian Aguja Formation of West Texas represents a critical southern datum regarding the interpretation of faunal differences observed among Upper Cretaceous, non-marine fish assemblages of the Western Interior. Bony fish are represented within the “Lowerverse” local fauna by as many as 21 primitive and advanced species. The Lowerverse locality is situated at the southern end of a geographic range of paracontemporaneous localities in Laramidia that have produced a number of similarly well-sampled osteichthyan assemblages. A comparison of the Lowerverse bony fish fauna with those of southern Utah and southern Alberta supports previous hypotheses regarding the latitudinal segregation of some species in the Western Interior. Given their ubiquity throughout Late Cretaceous North America in both time and space, the north-south geographical segregation of garfishes in the Western Interior is especially revealing in this regard and reveals that some species were markedly provincial during the Campanian. Taxonomic inconsistencies among these regional faunas are observed even at higher taxonomic ranks and infer that such differences are sending meaningful ecological signals.

ORTHOPTERA OF THE NORA NATURE RESERVE, AMURSKAYA OBLAST

Twenty-nine species in 25 genera and four families of the order Orthoptera are found in the Nora Nature Reserve, including 7 species of Tettigoniidae, 2 – Gryllidae, 2 – Tetrigidae, and 18 species of Acrididae. All species are recorded from this reserve for the first time. The number of species in the northern regions of Amurskaya oblast (Nora Reserve, 52°30′ N) is at about two times less than in the southern regions (Khingan Nature Reserve, 49o01' N). The local fauna of Nora Reserve is also compared with well studied faunas of the natural reserves situated in the middle and lower parts of Amur River basin.

Nomination of a hunting object in the Komi language

Introduction. The paper deals with two components of the hunting vocabulary, namely large wild animals, and medium-sized forest dwellers. Each component sub-defines the nominative units related to predators and herbivores are distinguished and separately considered in the paper. In the first part of the study, the composition is determined and a brief description of the relevant representatives of the local commercial fauna in the Komi Territory is given. The second part presents a diachronic hierarchy of the analyzed primordial vocabulary, compiled on the basis of the classification of proto-linguistic reconstructions. Materials and Methods. The analyzed material refers mainly to the Komi literary language. The paper considers the names of both native and foreign-language origin. The main methods used by the author in developing the research topic are descriptive, comparative-historical, synchronous-comparative and statistical. Results and Discussion. For the first time the article presents a linguistic analysis using the biological classification of two lexical subgroups belonging to one of the microsystems of the hunting vocabulary in the Komi language. It was established that the object of the study has ancient origins and the designations of primordial origin make its basis. In the composition of this variety of hunting vocabulary it presents Proto-Finno-Ugric, Proto-Finno-Permian, Proto-Permian and Proto-Komi vocabulary. A group of late formations having no genetic correspondences in other related languages appeared in the period of independent existence of the Komi-Zyryan language, after its separation from the Komi-Permian language. The foreign language component belongs to early and late borrowings. The technology of developing this topic, created by the author of the paper, can be used in the material of other related and unrelated languages. Conclusion. The formation and development of the Komi language vocabulary related to large commercially hunted animals and medium-sized wild animals has been going on for many millennia, since the Proto-Finno-Ugric epoch. Most of the names of the analyzed microsystem belong to the primordial vocabulary fund of the Komi language. A foreign-language component consisting of borrowings from 5 external sources took part in its replenishment.

Late middle Miocene Metatheria (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia and Paucituberculata) from Juan Guerra, San Martín Department, Peruvian Amazonia

Currently, marsupials (modern members of the Metatheria clade) are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of South America, but poorly represented in the fossil record of these regions. Except for the species-rich fossiliferous localities of La Venta in Colombia, additional Miocene metatherians from tropical, equatorial South America are sparsely reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela. Here, we introduce new metatherian remains recovered from the late middle Miocene locality of TAR-31, San Martín Department, Peru, which has been assigned to the Laventan South American Land Mammal Age (∼13 Ma) by mammalian biostratigraphy. Three metatherian taxa are recognized at TAR-31: the didelphid didelphimorph ‘Thylamys’ cf. ‘T.’ colombianus, and the paucituberculatans aff. Palaeothentes and Pitheculites ipururensis sp. nov. This assemblage and the presence of a cebid primate at TAR-31 suggests predominantly humid and warm tropical conditions, with the occurrence of both forests and drier habitats in the surroundings. Comparisons with other Miocene metatherian assemblages at low and mid latitudes of South America clearly confirm close relationships between TAR-31 and La Venta (agreeing with observations based on monkeys and rodents), as well as, to a lesser extent, with Acre River local faunas and Madre de Dios (MD-67) in Brazil and Peru, respectively. The current results support the hypothesis that Western Amazonia was a single and consistent biogeographical region for land mammals over middle Miocene times, at the western edge of the Pebas Mega-Wetland System, and highlight the role of the Amazonian region concerning marsupial Neogene radiation. U–Pb analysis made on detrital zircon grains from TAR-31 gave a maximum depositional age of 17.4 ± 0.12 Ma (i.e., 4 Ma older than the biostratigraphical age), with a mixed detrital source likely comprising Precambrian (Western Amazon Craton), Neoproterozoic (Neoproterozoic mobile belts), and Phanerozoic rocks (Andes).

Influence of Environmental Variables on Fish Distribution in the Flooded Swamp Forest of the Lake Tumba Micro-basin on the Mbandaka- Research Center in Ecology and Forestry of Mabali (CREF Mabali) Road Axis in Bikoro, Equateur Province (DR Congo)

Background and Objective: The majority of aquatic ecosystems in the Democratic Republic of Congo are highly anthropized, which could negatively influence biodiversity. The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of environmental variables on fish distribution in the flooded swamp forest of the Lake Tumba micro-basin on the Mbandaka- Research Center in Ecology and Forestry of Mabali road.
 Study Area: This study took place in ponds, swamps, marigots and small streams in relation to Lake Tumba in the flooded forest zone of the Mbandaka-Mabali road axis in the territory of Bikoro, Equateur Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
 Methods: Fish were collected using different fishing techniques and gears. Physico-chemical parameters were sampled using a multi-parameter Combo pH probe of the brand Hanna pH/ORP/EC/DO N° HI 9828, dissolved oxygen was measured using the Brand Voltcraft DO-100 oximeter and depth was determined using a graduated board. Several ecological indices of fish communities were determined as well as Hierarchical Ascending and Principal Component Classification analyses.
 Results: Twenty-two fish species belonging to ten orders, thirteen families and fifteen genera were identified. The average values of the abiotic variables show that the waters of the study area are characterized by low values of physico-chemical parameters within the ranges compatible with the survival of the local fish fauna. The canonical correspondence analyses reveal that five environmental variables (temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, sandy bottom and sandy-muddy or gravelly bottom) would explain the abundance and distribution of fourteen fish species in the Longonye site. In contrast, turbidity, conductivity, pH, muddy bottom, and bottom littered with plant debris influenced the abundance and distribution of eight fish species at the Hongo, Ilungu, Lotende and Membe sites. Scoop fishing, stump removal, and the use of ichthyotoxic plants were the main anthropogenic activities that could compromise the fish fauna in the study area.
 Conclusion and Outlook: Promoting sustainable local fishing methods would help preserve the fish fauna studied and limit the deterioration of fish habitats.

Bats of Mount Silabur, Sarawak, and Its Potential for Conservation

Karst landscape is recognised as one of the biologically important areas especially for bats. The limestone caves and forest within the landscape provide essential resources for the local bat fauna, albeit bat populations are severely threatened by anthropogenic disturbances occurring within and surrounding the ecosystem. In Sarawak, studies on bat diversity are biased towards protected areas, leaving aside non-protected areas including private lands such as Mount Silabur. Surveys on bat diversity were conducted at the limestone outcrop and the surrounding matrix of Mount Silabur with the primary aim of developing the first checklist of bats at Mount Silabur. A total of 27 species were recorded from 12 sampling nights representing approximately 34% of the total bat species recorded in Sarawak. The Cox’s Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros coxi), a rare Bornean endemic species, was recorded from the cave system, signifying an important record for the area and also Sarawak. Furthermore, this is the sixth locality record for the species in Sarawak, Borneo. Interestingly, the total number of bat species recorded from Mount Silabur represented about 72% of the total bat species recorded (27 out of 38 species) from other major touristic caves in western Sarawak; Fairy Cave Nature Reserve and Wind Cave Nature Reserve. This warrants a need to develop an action plan to protect and conserve Mount Silabur cave system and the surrounding forest for its potential to serve as a shelter for bats and other cave and forest dependent taxa. The local community should implement and adhere to guidelines for cave related activities to minimise human driven disturbances on the ecosystem and its inhabitants.

Are introduced spiders displacing native species on Galápagos? Observations on pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae)

The spider family Pholcidae includes several species that have followed humans to other continents and around the world. Negative impacts of these species on the local faunas have never been reported. Here, we present results of a short collecting trip to Galápagos in 2019, focusing on two species that have been introduced to the archipelago by humans and whose spread appears correlated with, if not causally linked to, the decline or disappearance of two native species occupying the same micro-habitats: 1) the local abundance of the introduced Modisimus culicinus (Simon, 1893) appears negatively correlated with the abundance of the native Galapa bella (Gertsch & Peck, 1992), and 2) the recently introduced Smeringopus pallidus (Blackwall, 1858) is now abundant in caves where a few decades ago the native Aymaria jarmila (Gertsch & Peck, 1992) was present. The last species was not found in any of the six caves visited on Santa Cruz Island in 2019, suggesting that it may be seriously threatened. In addition, we present new records of Pholcidae from Galápagos and re-emphasize the need to reconsider the distinction between the two epigean Aymaria species on Galápagos: A. conica (Banks, 1902) and A. insularis (Banks, 1902).

Old‐growth structural attributes associated with the last giant subtropical conifers in South America

AbstractGiant Araucaria trees in Brazilian Atlantic forests today are rare but remain critically important for structuring these ecosystems, providing unique and rare habitat elements that can serve as points of reference for their management. Old‐growth Araucaria trees, with their complex crowns and big trunk cavities, supply more important ecological services than smaller trees with simple crowns. Forest ecology managers lack information on the old‐growth structures of Brazilian Araucaria forest, their ecological importance and their potential societal values and uses. In this study, we investigated old‐growth attributes of Araucaria angustifolia and relate their wide structural variability to ecological management goals. In this study, we used currently available data on the last large old Araucaria trees, as well as our own new records, from large trees of 1.6–3.2 m diameter in the Araucaria forests in southern Brazil. In order to quantify the structural attributes of these remnant trees, their main trunks, any reiterated canopy trunks and trunk cavities were measured for diameters, heights and volumes. These old‐growth trees had an average height of 38.4 m, and total tree volumes ranged from 21.5 to 106.6 m3. The biggest reiterated trunk was 1.1 m in diameter and 17 m long, which is larger than most adult Araucaria trees. Number of cavities and number of reiterated trunks were all significantly related to the diameters of these large remnant Araucaria trees; both features are absent in Araucaria <50 cm in diameter. The maximum diameter and average length of reiterated trunks were correlated with the number and size of trunk cavities. Commercial wood values and uses are limited for all trees with main trunk diameters exceeding 1.5 m due to large internal cavities—however, these rare, relictual old‐growth structures are of high ecological value for the local fauna and flora.

Comparative Phylogeography of Birds Across the Tocantins–Araguaia Interfluve Reveals a New Biogeographic Suture in the Amazon Far East

Few phylogeographic studies have focused on understanding the role of the Tocantins–Araguaia Interfluve (TAI) in the diversification of Amazonian biodiversity. Herein we evaluate the phylogeographic relationships of 14 avian lineages present in the TAI and its two neighboring Amazonian Areas of Endemism: the Xingu (XAE) and Belém (BAE). Four alternative scenarios coupling degree of genetic differentiation and area relationships were tested: (1) populations distributed in TAI, BAE, and XAE are not genetically differentiated from each other (assumed as the null hypothesis); (2) populations from TAI are more closely related to those from BAE; (3) populations from TAI are more closely related to those from XAE; and (4) TAI populations represent independent or endemic lineages not present in either the BAE or XAE. Molecular analyses considered Bayesian Inference methods and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) evolutionary models, haplotype sharing and genetic differentiation estimates. We found three distinct phylogeographic patterns: (i) four lineages presented no population structure across XAE, TAI and BAE; (ii) six lineages were represented in the TAI with distinct phylogroups replacing each other between XAE and BAE, but with varying degrees of contact and evidence of gene-flow within the TAI; and (iii) for four lineages, the Tocantins River acted as a barrier isolating BAE phylogroups from those inhabiting both TAI and XAE. These different patterns demonstrate a heterogeneous response to the barrier effects posed by both the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers on the local fauna. Historical geomorphological and hydromorphological factors, such as the presence and absence of paleochannels and anastomosed channel stretches and variations in sedimentation rates support a dynamic history for the Araguaia-Tocantins floodplains, likely accounting for the observed heterogeneity in species’ specific responses. Finally, the scenario of phylogeographic breaks and population subdivision recovered herein along the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers, associated with the existence of contact zones and the occurrence of gene flow, define the TAI as hitherto unknown biogeographic suture zone, localized in southeasternmost Amazonia.

First record of the foraminiferal genera Clypeorbis Douvillé and Ilgazina Erdoğan from the Maastrichtian of the Arabian Peninsula (Simsima Formation, North Oman): Paleobiogeographic implications

The Maastrichtian orbitoidiform foraminiferal genera Clypeorbis Douvillé, previously reported as endemic to the ‘European Faunal Province’ and Ilgazina Erdoğan, as yet only known from Turkey with poor illustrations, co-occur in the transgressive beds of the Simsima Formation in north Oman. The present records of these complex genera and their species C. mamillatus (Schlumberger) and I. unilateralis Erdoğan from the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula (‘African Faunal Province’), enable us to re-evaluate their biogeographic affinities. In addition, due to the incomplete original description, the diagnosis of I. unilateralis, which looks like a ‘broken-Orbitoides in half’ with a single layer of lateral chamberlets, is revised and emended by describing the megalospheric embryon and other test features for the first time. The embryonic apparatus of this species differs from that of the closely associated genus Orbitoides d'Orbigny by having an ‘Y’-shaped trilocular embryon with only two principal epi-embryonic chamberlets arising from it. In addition, the hyaline lateral layer without chamberlets presents compressed ‘vacuolar’ structures that are comparable with the canals in the Paleocene genus Lakadongia Matsumaru and Jauhri, endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Because of these morphological features Ilgazina differs significantly from other Late Cretaceous orbitoidiform taxa. A Maastrichtian age (but not the latest) is indicated for the Simsima Formation based on assemblages of Lepidorbitoides with transitional developmental stage between L. minor (Schlumberger) and L. socialis (Leymerie), Orbitoides gensacicus (Leymerie), O. ‘medius’ (d'Archiac), Omphalocyclus macroporus (Lamarck), Siderolites gr. calcitrapoides Lamarck, Sirtina orbitoidiformis Brönnimann and Wirz, Planorbulina cretae (Marsson) and Goupillaudina Marie.

Nettle, a Long-Known Fiber Plant with New Perspectives.

The stinging nettle Urtica dioica L. is a perennial crop with low fertilizer and pesticide requirements, well adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. It has been successfully grown in most European climatic zones while also promoting local flora and fauna diversity. The cultivation of nettle could help meet the strong increase in demand for raw materials based on plant fibers as a substitute for artificial fibers in sectors as diverse as the textile and automotive industries. In the present review, we present a historical perspective of selection, harvest, and fiber processing features where the state of the art of nettle varietal selection is detailed. A synthesis of the general knowledge about its biology, adaptability, and genetics constituents, highlighting gaps in our current knowledge on interactions with other organisms, is provided. We further addressed cultivation and processing features, putting a special emphasis on harvesting systems and fiber extraction processes to improve fiber yield and quality. Various uses in industrial processes and notably for the restoration of marginal lands and avenues of future research on this high-value multi-use plant for the global fiber market are described.

Conservation value of vanilla agroecosystems for vertebrate diversity in north-east Madagascar

AbstractAs a result of increasing global demand for food, large areas of natural habitat are being converted to agroecosystems to accommodate crop cultivation. This agricultural expansion is most prominent in the tropics, where many rural communities are dependent solely on farming income for their livelihoods. Such agricultural land conversion can have severe implications for local fauna. In this study, we compared vertebrate species diversity between natural forest habitat and three types of vanilla plantations maintained under varying management regimes in north-east Madagascar. We used diurnal and nocturnal transects to survey vertebrate diversity. Natural forest habitat contained the greatest vertebrate species diversity, and had proportionally more threatened and endemic species than all vanilla plantation types. However, we observed a greater number of species and a higher inverse Simpson index in minimally managed vanilla plantations located within or near natural forest compared to intensively managed vanilla plantations. These findings are important and encouraging for animal conservation and sustainable crop cultivation in Madagascar, and suggest that newly created vanilla plantations, and already existing plantations, should endeavour to follow the more traditional, minimalistic management approach to improve sustainability and promote higher faunal diversity.