Forest Foliage Research Articles

Past fire shaping future fuel: influence of recent fire history on forest foliage chemistry

Past fire shaping future fuel: influence of recent fire history on forest foliage chemistry

Spatiotemporal patterns and deposition of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in air, foliage and litter in a subtropical forest of South China

Recent studies revealed the un-negligible impact of airborne organophosphate esters (OPEs) on phosphorus (P)-limited ecosystems. Subtropical forests, the global prevalence P-limited ecosystems, contain canopy structures that can effectively sequester OPEs from the atmosphere. However, little is known about the behavior and fate of OPEs in subtropical forest ecosystem, and the impact on the P cycling in this ecosystem. OPE concentrations in the understory air (at two heights), foliage, and litterfall were investigated in a subtropical forest in southern China. The median ∑OPE concentrations were 3149 and 2489 pg/m3 in the upper and bottom air, respectively. Foliage exhibited higher ∑OPE concentrations (median = 386 ng/g dry weight (dw)) compared to litter (median = 267 ng/g dw). The air OPE concentrations were ordered by broadleaved forest > mixed forest > coniferous forest, which corresponds to the results of canopy coverage or leaf area index. The spatial variation of OPEs in foliage and litter was likely caused by the leaf surface functional traits. Higher OPE concentrations were found in the wet season for understory air while in the dry season for foliage and litter, which were attributed to the changes in emission sources and meteorological conditions, respectively. The inverse temporal variation suggests the un-equilibrium partitioning of OPEs between leaf and air. The OPE concentrations during the litter-incubation presented similar temporal trends with those in foliage and litter, indicating the strong interaction of OPEs between the litter layer and the near-soil air, and the efficient buffer of litter layer played in the OPEs partitioning between soil and air. The median OPEs-associated P deposition fluxes through litterfall were 270, 186, and 249 μg P/m2·yr in the broadleaved, mixed, and coniferous forests, respectively. Although the fluxes accounted for approximately 0.2% of the total atmospheric P deposition, their significance to this P-limited ecosystem may not be negligible.

The unimodal latitudinal pattern of K, Ca and Mg concentration and its potential drivers in forest foliage in eastern China

Potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) are essential elements with important physiological functions in plants. Previous studies showed that leaf K, Ca, and Mg concentrations generally increase with increasing latitudes. However, recent meta-analyses suggested the possibility of a unimodal pattern in the concentrations of these elements along latitudinal gradients. The authenticity of this unimodal latitudinal pattern, however, requires validation through large-scale field experimental data, and exploration of the underlying mechanisms if the pattern is confirmed. Here, we collected leaves of common species of woody plants from 19 montane forests in the north-south transect of eastern China, including 322 species from 160 genera, 67 families; and then determined leaf K, Ca, and Mg concentrations to explore their latitudinal patterns and driving mechanisms. Our results support unimodal latitudinal patterns for all three elements in woody plants across eastern China, with peak values at latitude 36.5 ​± ​1.0° N. The shift of plant-functional-type compositions from evergreen broadleaves to deciduous broadleaves and to conifers along this latitudinal span was the key factor contributing to these patterns. Climatic factors, mainly temperature, and to a lesser extent solar radiation and precipitation, were the main environmental drivers. These factors, by altering the composition of plant communities and regulating plant physiological activities, influence the latitudinal patterns of plant nutrient concentrations. Our findings also suggest that high leaf K, Ca, and Mg concentrations may represent an adaptive strategy for plants to withstand water stress, which might be used to predict plant nutrient responses to climate changes at large scales, and broaden the understanding of biogeochemical cycling of K, Ca, and Mg.

Competitive asymmetry in a forest composed of a shade-tolerant species depends on gap formation

Competitive asymmetry is one of the most important determinants of size structure in plant communities. Light competition was believed to be size-asymmetric, as taller individuals preempt light. In fact, many studies indicated that light competition is size-asymmetric in monospecific stands of herbaceous plants. However, competition is size-symmetric in multispecific stands because shorter, shade-adapted species compensate for the low light availability through higher leaf area per aboveground mass (leaf area ratio; LAR) or higher light use efficiency for growth (LUE). Then, a question arises on whether light competition is asymmetric or symmetric if the stand is occupied by a shade-tolerant species. Moreover, it is also interesting how gap dynamics affect competitive asymmetry, given the fact that gap formation can improve light availability in lower layers of the canopy. We investigated the plant size, growth rate, and three-dimensional distribution of foliage and light availability in a natural forest dominated by a shade-tolerant tree, Fagus crenata. We found that competitive asymmetry varied dynamically across the forest. In closed canopies, the relative growth rate (RGR) was higher in taller trees, indicating size-asymmetric growth. Shorter trees partly compensated for their light interception by having higher LAR but did not achieve comparative RGR to taller trees. Conversely, in gaps, the RGR of shorter trees was equivalent to those of taller trees because of the improved light availability for smaller trees, indicating size-symmetric growth. These results suggest that changes in competitive asymmetry driven by gap dynamics can influence the spatiotemporal diversity of size structures in forests.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air, foliage, and litter in a subtropical forest: Spatioseasonal variations, partitioning, and litter-PAH degradation

Forest canopies play a vital role in scavenging airborne semi-volatile organic compounds. The present study measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the understory air (at two heights), foliage, and litterfall in a subtropical rainforest (the Dinghushan mountain) in southern China. ∑17PAH concentrations in the air ranged from 2.75 to 44.0 ng/m3 (mean = 8.91 ng/m3), showing a spatial variation depending on the forest canopy coverage. Vertical distributions of the understory air concentrations also indicated PAH inputs from the above-canopy air. The concentrations of PAHs in fresh litter (with a mean of 261 ± 163 ng/g dry weight (dw)) were slightly lower than those in the foliage (362 ± 291 ng/g dw). Unlike the stable air PAH concentrations for most of the time of the year, the temporal variations of foliage and litter concentrations were remarkable but generally similar. Higher or comparable leaf/litter-air partition coefficients (KLA) in fresh litter compared with living KLA in leaves suggest that the forest litter layer is an efficient storage media for PAHs. Degradation of three-ring PAHs in litter under the field conditions follows first-order kinetics (R2 = 0.81), while the degradation is moderate for four-ring PAHs and insignificant for five- and six-ring PAHs. The yearly net cumulative deposition of PAHs through forest litterfall in the whole Dinghushan forest area over the sampling year was about 1.1 kg, 46% of the initial deposition (2.4 kg). This spatial variations study provides the results of in-field degradation of litter PAHs and makes a quantitative assessment of the litter deposition of PAHs, deducing their residence dynamics in the litter layer in a subtropical rainforest.

Forest foliage fuel load estimation from multi-sensor spatiotemporal features

• Spatiotemporal features of spaceborne SAR and optical data were combined first time. • The addition of spatiotemporal features greatly improves the estimation of FFL. • Temporal features seem more important than spatial features. • Both spatial and temporal changes in FFL can indicate forest fire risk. Foliage fuel is the most flammable component in crown fires. Spatiotemporal dynamics of foliage fuel load (FFL) are important for fire managers to assess fire risk. Here, we integrated optical data from the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from Sentinel-1 to estimate FFL. We first reconstructed seamless time series from the Landsat 8 and Sentinel-1 imagery by accounting for unequal time intervals between image observations and outliers. We then extracted temporal features that are proxies of the intra- and inter-annual dynamics from these time series. In addition, we derived spatial features from the imagery that quantify spatial context and therefore used varying window sizes. The random forest regression was implemented to assess the importance of the spatiotemporal features, reduce errors, and derive robust FFL estimates. The satellite estimates were validated against 96 field measurements from Pinus yunnanensis forests in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. Both the spatiotemporal features of SAR and optical data importantly contributed to FFL estimation. When only optical data was used, the model achieved a R 2 of 0.75 (relative Root Mean Squared Error (rRMSE) = 25.3 %), while when only SAR data was used the R 2 was 0.76 (rRMSE = 25.6 %). However, when optical and SAR data were combined, the R 2 increased to 0.81 (rRMSE = 23.2 %). We also found that temporal features were more important predictors of FFL than features that captured spatial context. We demonstrated our FFL mapping method by a case study in the Chinese Sichuan Province, in relation to the occurrence of a fire. Our method needs additional validation over different tree species and forest types, yet has potential for mapping forest fuel loads and fire risk.

Exclusion of tourist species from assemblages in ecological studies: a methodological approach using spiders

BackgroundThe exclusion of tourist species from samples is important to avoid bias in community analyses. However, in practice, this is a very difficult task. The commonly used methods by researchers, when the habitat of the species is not known, have several shortcomings: first, they exclude not only pseudo-rare species but also genuinely rare species; second, the results obtained with those methods depend on the abundance of the sampling; and third, they follow very subjective rules. The aims of this study were: (i) to propose a methodology to detect and exclude habitat-tourist species from the database used to carry out analyses in community ecology studies, (ii) to evaluate how the presence of habitat-tourist species affects the richness estimates, and (iii) to assess the effect of including juvenile spiders in the detection of tourist species and the effect of removing them from the richness estimates.ResultsWhen the adult + juvenile dataset was considered, twenty-one habitat-tourist species were detected: 8 in forest foliage, 11 in forest leaf litter, and 2 in grassland. When habitat-tourist species were considered with this dataset, richness overestimation was significant in foliage and in leaf litter, and the final slopes of the richness estimation curves were significantly steeper in leaf litter. When only the adult dataset was considered, eight habitat-tourist species were detected: 3 in forest foliage, 4 in forest leaf litter, and just one in grassland. The inclusion of habitat-tourist species in this dataset showed an overestimation of richness, but this was not significant.ConclusionsThe proposed methodology contributes to solving the problem of tourist species, which was recognized as one of the great problems in biodiversity studies. This study showed that common estimators overestimate species richness when habitat-tourist species are included, leading to erroneous conclusions. Besides, this research showed that the inclusion of juveniles (e.g. spiders) could improve the analysis outputs because it allowed the detection of more habitat-tourist species.

Community Forestry and Local Development A Study of Sukhani Community Forest User Group

Community forestry is small scale, village level forestry practice where decisions and actions are often made on a collective basis, and where the rural population participate in planning, establishment, management and harvesting of forest crops and receive a many or proportion of the socio- economic and ecological benefits from the forests. Conceptually community forestry can range from pure forest cropping on one extreme to combining tree and food crops agro forestry on the other. In the context of Nepal, according to forest survey, 2016, forest area had covered 44.74 of the total area of the country. This proves the popularly known proverb “Hariyo Ban Nepal Ko Dhan”. Forest alone contributes 10 percent of total GDP; livestock get 40 percent of total fodder from forest foliage. Fuel wood contributes about 76 percent of the total energy sources used in the country, which also comes from forest. Also, much of the agricultural system are directly or indirectly based on the forest. Community Forestry was introduced in Nepal in 1978. The community forest has been defined as the control, protection and management of the local communities known as user groups. It advocates strong community participation, bottom-up planning and sustainable use of forest resources. The main objective of the CF is to achieve the sustainable forest resources by converting accessible national forest into community forest into in stages. The CF approach has been highly successful in the protection of the forest in the hills of Nepal. The local user groups are responsible for the control, protection and management of the forest. CF advocates strong community participation, bottom-up planning and sustainable use of forest resources. Under this program, 2,312,545 hectares of forest land have been handed over to the community, up to 22,519 user groups, and 21,00,000 HHs were directly benefitted in mid-July, 2020. It shows that after emergence of community forestry program, local developmental activities have been increased.

Conflict between the Accounting Act and Czech Accounting Standards in land

The paper deals with the analysis of existing Czech accounting procedures in the case of land accounting. The method of process analysis is used, where the currently valid methodological procedures are examined. The strengths and weaknesses of this methodology are defined. It is found that the accounting and valuation of land according to Czech Accounting Standards is in conflict with the Accounting Act, according to which accounting data should provide a true picture of the status and value of the entity’s assets. The purchase price of the land is entered into bookkeeping and any decrease or increase in value is never accounted for again. In the case of forest land, the value of the land and the value of the plants grown on it are not accounted for separately. The accounting therefore does not provide users with true and current information. The good thing is that these accounting policies do not burden the accounting entity in any way. Furthermore, a proposal for new methodological procedures is presented. According to them, it would be possible to update the accounting data depending on the condition of the land and the development of market prices. Based on an expert opinion, a significant increase or decrease in the current value of the land would be accounted for. In the case of a forest, it would be possible to use analytical accounts to account separately for the condition of the land and the condition of the forest foliage. These new procedures would make it possible to reflect in bookkeeping the actual state of the entity’s assets. However, the disadvantage is the higher financial and time demand. Subsequently, the advantages and disadvantages of the currently effective and proposed methodology are compared.

Quantifying Corticolous Arthropods Using Sticky Traps.

Terrestrial arthropods play an important role in our environment. Quantifying arthropods in a way that allows for a precise index or estimate of density requires a method with high detection probability and a consistent sampling area. We used manufactured sticky traps to compare abundance, total length (a surrogate for biomass), richness, and Shannon diversity of corticolous arthropods among the boles of 5 tree species. Efficacy of this method was adequate to detect variation in corticolous arthropods among tree species and provide a standard error of the mean that was <20% of the mean for all estimates with sample sizes from 7 to 15 individual trees of each species. Our results indicate, even with these moderate sample sizes, the level of precision of arthropod community metrics produced with this approach is adequate to address most ecological questions regarding temporal and spatial variation in corticolous arthropods. Results from this method differ from other quantitative approaches such as chemical knockdown, visual inspection, and funnel traps in that they provide an indication of corticolous arthropod activity over a relatively long-term, better including temporary bole residents, flying arthropods that temporarily land on the tree bole and crawling arthropods that use the tree bole as a travel route from the ground to higher forest foliage. Furthermore, we believe that commercially manufactured sticky traps provide more precise estimates and are logistically simpler than the previously described method of directly applying a sticky material to tree bark or applying a sticky material to tape or other type of backing and applying that to the tree bark.

Microhybrid Electricity System for Energy Access, Livelihoods, and Empowerment

Ensuring reliable and affordable access to modern energy services, especially for the poorer and deprived section of the population, is a basic requisite for sustainable development. Given that a majority of the energy-deprived population lives in rural regions of developing countries, an effective rural electrification is critical for bridging the rural–urban divide. Building on energy access intervention, implementing productive energy services can influence the next stages of development through livelihood activities, microenterprises, lifestyle energy services, value-added activities, survival irrigation, and so on. Social benefits of access to healthcare, education, and longer productive hours have an equally important impact on sustainable development. In India, for example, 240 million people lack electricity access. While grid extension in India is on the rise through various government programs, specific rural problems of low energy demand, poor rural economy, inaccessible terrain, and low purchasing power can render grid extension expensive and inefficient. Microgrid electricity systems, especially with hybrid renewable energy resources, can be a good alternative for addressing above-mentioned challenges. India enjoys high solar intensity, and the predominantly agrarian rural society has enough biomass resources, abundant cattle dung, forest foliage, and agricultural waste. A solar–biomass hybrid electricity system can solve the problem of intermittency of solar. Such a hybrid electricity system is being implemented in a remote Indian unelectrified village for electricity access, livelihoods, and economic empowerment. In this paper, we report the technoeconomic feasibility and sustainability analysis of this hybrid system. The system consists of 30-kW solar photo voltaic (PV) and 20-kW biomass gasifier modules. Energy demand and resource availability are estimated with inputs from extensive stakeholder discussions and field surveys, and they account for daily and seasonal variations in both supply and end uses and availability and productive hours. The expected temporal electricity demand is estimated for households, community, irrigation, and commercial needs. The technoeconomic feasibility is assessed using hybrid optimization model for electric renewable energy (HOMER). Furthermore, opportunities for the development of productive uses and their expansion through a sustainable business model are explored.

Propagation Modeling Through Foliage in a Coniferous Forest at 28 GHz

The goal of this article is to investigate the propagation behavior of 28-GHz millimeter wave in coniferous forests and model its basic transmission loss. Field measurements were conducted with a custom-designed sliding correlator sounder. Relevant foliage regions were extracted from high-resolution LiDAR data and satellite images. Our results show that traditional foliage analysis models for lower-frequency wireless communications fail to consistently output correct path loss predictions. Novel fully automated site-specific models are proposed to resolve this issue, yielding 0.9 dB overall improvement and up to 20 dB regional improvement in root mean square errors.

Larger leeches attack from higher ground – size-dependent preferences for ambush sites in the Bornean terrestrial leech Haemadipsa picta

AbstractThe rain forests of South-East Asia represent a biodiversity hotspot of terrestrial leeches, but we have only fragmentary and often anecdotal information on this component of tropical communities. To address the foraging tactics of terrestrial leeches, we studied the vertical distribution ofHaemadipsa pictaon foliage in a Bornean tropical rain forest. We investigated the links between leech body length and the above-ground height of their ambush positions under natural conditions and in a choice experiment performed under semi-natural conditions. We studied 167 leeches, which varied considerably with respect to body length (4–29 mm). On average, the leeches ambushed at lower heights under natural conditions than under experimental conditions (47.7 cm vs. 67.5 cm), though the heights of ambush positions overlapped considerably. Leeches that chose higher ambush positions under natural conditions consistently chose higher ambush positions in the experiment (Pearson r = 0.29). Under both natural and experimental conditions, leech body length was positively correlated with the height of ambush positions (Pearson r = 0.48); on average, a 1-mm increase in body length corresponded to a 2–3 cm higher ambush position. Our findings suggest thatH. pictaindividuals actively choose hunting locations according to their above-ground height, shifting their ambush sites over ontogeny to higher foliage. We hypothesize that growing leeches might target different prey following ontogenetic shifts in the foraging optima, ultimately decreasing intraspecific competition.

Estimation of Leaf Area Index in a Mountain Forest of Central Japan with a 30-m Spatial Resolution Based on Landsat Operational Land Imager Imagery: An Application of a Simple Model for Seasonal Monitoring

An accurate estimation of the leaf area index (LAI) by satellite remote sensing is essential for studying the spatial variation of ecosystem structure. The goal of this study was to estimate the spatial variation of LAI over a forested catchment in a mountainous landscape (ca. 60 km2) in central Japan. We used a simple model to estimate LAI using spectral reflectance by adapting the Monsi-Saeki light attenuation theory for satellite remote sensing. First, we applied the model to Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery to estimate the spatial variation of LAI in spring and summer. Second, we validated the model’s performance with in situ LAI estimates at four study plots that included deciduous broadleaf, deciduous coniferous, and evergreen coniferous forest types. Pre-processing of the Landsat OLI imagery, including atmospheric correction by elevation-dependent dark object subtraction and Minnaert topographic correction, together with application of the simple model, enabled a satisfactory 30-m spatial resolution estimation of forest LAI with a maximum of 5.5 ± 0.2 for deciduous broadleaf and 5.3 ± 0.2―for evergreen coniferous forest areas. The LAI variation in May (spring) suggested an altitudinal gradient in the degree of leaf expansion, whereas the LAI variation in August (mid-summer) suggested an altitudinal gradient of yearly maximum forest foliage density. This study demonstrated the importance of an accurate estimation of fine-resolution spatial LAI variations for ecological studies in mountainous landscapes, which are characterized by complex terrain and high vegetative heterogeneity.

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry in Pinus tabulaeformis forest ecosystems in warm temperate Shanxi Province, north China

Although carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) stoichiometric ratios are considered good indicators of nutrient excess/limitation and thus of ecosystem health, few reports have discussed the trends and the reciprocal effects of C:N:P stoichiometry in plant–litter–soil systems. The present study analyzed C:N:P ratios in four age groups of Chinese pine, Pinus tabulaeformis Carr., forests in Shanxi Province, China: plantation young forests (AY, < 20 year-old); plantation middle-aged forests (AM, 21–30 year-old); natural young forests (NY, < 30 year-old); and natural middle-aged forests (NM, 31–50 year-old). The average C:N:P ratios calculated for tree, shrub, and herbaceous leaves, litter, and soil (0–100 cm) were generally higher in NY followed by NM, AM, and AY. C:N and C:P ratios were higher in litter than in leaves and soils, and reached higher values in the litter and leaves of young forests than in middle-aged forests; however, C:N and C:P ratios were higher in soils of middle-aged forests than in young forests. N:P ratios were higher in leaves than in litter and soils regardless of stand age; the consistent N:P < 14 values found in all forests indicated N limitations. With plant leaves, C:P ratios were highest in trees, followed by herbs and shrubs, indicating a higher efficiency in tree leaf formation. C:N ratios decreased with increasing soil depth, whereas there was no trend for C:P and N:P ratios. C:N:P stoichiometry of forest foliage did not exhibit a consistent variation according to stand age. Research on the relationships between N:P, and P, N nutrient limits and the characteristics of vegetation nutrient adaptation need to be continued.

Evaluation of fire severity via analysis of photosynthetic pigments: Oak, eucalyptus and cork oak leaves in a Mediterranean forest

Few studies to date have examined the effect of the high temperatures attained during wildfire events on the pigments present in forest foliage. Here, we seek to analyse the main photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of the oak, cork oak and eucalyptus following a wildfire. We also subject leaves of these last two species to a range of contact temperatures (100–500 °C) in the laboratory using a muffle furnace. The samples were left in the muffle for two hours at 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 and 500 °C, in line with other soil study models (Úbeda et al., 2009; Düdaite et al., 2013). At temperatures above 250 °C, chromatography fails to detect any pigments. A minimal increase in temperature degrades chlorophyll, the process being more rapid in eucalyptus than in cork oak, while it increases pheophytin concentrations.

Simulating the Effects of the Airborne Lidar Scanning Angle, Flying Altitude, and Pulse Density for Forest Foliage Profile Retrieval

Foliage profile is a key biophysical parameter for forests. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging is an effective tool for vegetation parameter retrieval. Data acquisition conditions influence the estimation of biophysical parameters. To acquire accurate foliage profiles at the lowest cost, we used simulations to explore the effects of data acquisition conditions on forest foliage profile retrieval. First, a 3-D forest scene and the airborne small-footprint full-waveform LiDAR data were simulated by the DART model. Second, the foliage profile was estimated from LiDAR data based on a Geometric Optical and Radiative Transfer model. Lastly, the effects of the airborne LiDAR scanning angle, flying altitude, and pulse density on foliage profile retrieval were explored. The results indicated that the scanning angle was an important factor in the foliage profile retrieval, and the optimal scanning angle was 20°. The optimal scanning angle was independent of flying altitude and pulse density, and combinations of multiple scanning angles could improve the accuracy of the foliage profile estimation. The flying altitude and pulse density had little influence on foliage profile retrieval at plot level and could be ignored. In general, our study provides reliable information for selecting the optimal instrument operational parameters to acquire more accurate foliage profiles and minimize data acquisition costs.

Airborne dust absorption by semi-arid forests reduces PM pollution in nearby urban environments

Dust storms are a major source of global atmospheric particulate matter (PM), having significant impacts on air pollution and human health. During dust storms, daily averages of atmospheric PM concentrations can reach high levels above the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for air quality. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of forests on PM distribution following dust events in a region that is subjected to frequent dust storms (Northern Negev, Israel). Dust was measured in a forest transect including urban environments that are nearby the forest and at a distal location. During a background period, without dust events, the forest with its surrounding areas were characterized by lower monthly average of PM concentrations (38μg/m3) compared with areas that are not affected by the forest (54μg/m3). Such difference can be meaningful for long-term human health exposure. A reduction in PM levels in the forest transect was evident at most measured dust events, depending on the storm intensity and the locations of the protected areas. A significant reduction in PM2.5/PM10 during dust events, indicates the high efficiency of the forest trees to absorb airborne PM2.5. Analysis of dust particles absorbed on the foliage revealed a total dust deposits of 8.1–9.2g/m2, which is equal to a minimum of 418.2tons removed from the atmosphere per a forest foliage area (30km2). The findings can support environmental strategies to enhance life quality in regions that are subjected to dust storms, or under potential risk of dust-related PM due to land use and/or climate changes.

Taxonomic Revision of the Jumping Goblin Spiders of the GenusOrchestinaSimon, 1882, in the Americas (Araneae: Oonopidae)

ABSTRACT The genus Orchestina Simon is distributed worldwide and is characterized by having an enlarged fourth femur with which these species are capable of jumping. The genus is also characterized by having a well-sclerotized sperm duct, a near H-shaped arrangement of the eye group, a 4-4-3-3 pattern of raised receptors on the tarsal organs of the legs I–IV, respectively, and by lacking spines on all the legs. All these characters, together with molecular evidence, support the monophyly of the genus, as well as its placement as sister group of Oonopinae. Most American species of Orchestina inhabit the forest foliage and canopy, but in unforested areas they also occur in shrubs and grasses. In this work, we revise the American representatives of Orchestina in a comprehensive context for the first time. In the past, six species were known from the Americas: five from the United States and only one from South America, described from Venezuela. After the study of the principal collections of the world and se...

Description of three new species of the tropical Asian jumping spider genus Onomastus Simon, 1900 from high altitude cloud forests of Sri Lanka (Araneae: Salticidae).

Spiders of the tropical Asian jumping spider genus Onomastus Simon, 1900 are small to medium-sized, delicate, translucent, commonly found inhabitants of Asian evergreen forest foliage. In this paper, three new species of the genus, O. jamestaylori sp. nov. (♂♀), O. corbetensis sp. nov. (♂♀) and O. maskeliya sp. nov. (♂♀) are described from Sri Lanka. The three new species are added to the matrix of a previous study to assess their phylogenetic position. The resulting cladistic analysis, based on 35 morphological characters from 18 taxa (13 Onomastus species and 5 outgroups) supports the monophyly of the genus. Additionally, a monophyletic, well-supported South Asian clade (India, Sri Lanka), which is restricted to the Sri Lanka-Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, is recovered in most analysis. The three newly described species might be endangered due to their small population size and restricted distribution in high altitude cloud forest.