Genus Richness Research Articles

Elevational diversity gradients across seed plant taxonomic levels in the Lancang River Nature Reserve: role of temperature, water and the mid-domain effect

It remains unclear whether the elevational diversity gradients observed in seed plants across different taxonomic levels (family, genus, and species) are driven by the same macro-environmental variables. In this study, seed plant elevational distribution data from the Lancang River Nature Reserve (Yunnan, China) were used to investigate spatial patterns in diversity and their environmental correlates, comparing across taxonomic levels. Environmental variables included energy availability, climate seasonality and environmental heterogeneity. All taxonomic levels (family, genus, and species) were found to have strong elevational richness gradients, with the strength of the gradient weakening at higher taxonomic levels. Spatial patterns in richness were explained by a combination of contemporary environmental variables and the mid-domain effect at all taxonomic levels. The independent effects of temperature- and precipitation-related variables were similar in explaining geographical patterns of family, genus and species richness. Energy, seasonality and heterogeneity variables influenced seed plant spatial richness at different taxonomic levels in similar ways.

Land cover disturbance homogenizes aquatic insect functional structure in neotropical savanna streams

By modifying local habitat conditions, the alteration of land cover can result in severe faunal impairment, subsequently affecting ecosystem functioning. We analyzed changes in the composition of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) assemblages along a gradient of human disturbance intensity in 66 neotropical savanna headwater stream sites. Whereas EPT genus richness did not differ among the levels of disturbance, functional richness and diversity significantly decreased from least- to highly disturbed sites. Using a combination of RLQ and fourth-corner analyses, we found that 12 of 28 trait categories were significantly associated with changes in catchment land use and cover intensity, local physical habitat, and water quality. EPT assemblages in least-disturbed sites were characterized by higher proportions of large body size and low body flexibility with <1 reproductive cycle per year, case building, and climbing functional traits. In addition, disturbed sites demonstrated high assemblage functional homogenization compared with least disturbed sites. To our knowledge, this study is the first that examines the response of invertebrate functional structure along a gradient of human disturbance at a large spatial scale in the Neotropics. In doing so, we demonstrate the applicability of multiple trait-based approaches and the higher reliability of functional structure in comparison to taxonomic composition for assessing the effects of human disturbances in neotropical streams.

Have climate changes driven the diversity of a Mediterranean coralligenous sponge assemblage on a millennial timescale?

Changes occurring over a pluri-millennial span of time (6207–1767yr B.P.) within the sponge assemblages present in two coralligenous pillars, about 60cm high, collected at 20m depth, inside the Marine Protected Area of Porto Cesareo (Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea) have been studied. The sponge diversity has been analyzed at generic level, using as a proxy the siliceous spicules trapped into the sediment present into the crevices of these bioherms. In total, 41 genera of ancient demosponges were identified. The modern sponge fauna of these coralligenous pillars totals 31 genera, 15 of them shared with the ancient assemblages. The sponge biodiversity during the considered span of time showed critical changes, with remarkably similar trends in both the considered pillars. Tentatively, these changes were attributed to different climatic events that affected the Mediterranean area during the studied time span. The number of genera, 6000yr B.P., was low and increased between 5500 and 4000yr B.P. During the Late Bronze Age (4000–3000yr B.P.), a new decrease was recorded, followed by a further increase around 2000yr B.P. Afterwards, the bioherms stopped growing and no more siliceous spicules were trapped. From a biogeographic point of view, the wide presence of spiny microrhabdose microscleres belonging to the genus Alveospongia (Heteroxyidae), recently described from the tropical Atlantic and still unknown in the Mediterranean Sea, has to be underlined. In addition the trends recorded over time in the Ionian Sea match with those already observed in the Ligurian Sea. The comparison between the past periods and the modern one shows evident changes in biodiversity in both areas. The sharp variations of the seawater temperature - occurred in both the Mediterranean regions - could have driven the changes in genus richness. Using sponges to interpret the effects of climate changes can be a profitable strategy to unravel long term changes in biodiversity, supporting future predictions.

Forest Structure and Composition Affect Bats in a Tropical Evergreen Broadleaf Forest

The lack of knowledge regarding many aerial insectivorous bats and their relationships with forest characteristics limits conservation decision-making for tropical rainforests and for this important bat group. Therefore, our objective was to understand the effects of forest structure and composition on these bats in the Neotropical evergreen broadleaf forest of Belize, Central America. We conducted bat monitoring and quantified 51 forest characteristics at 24 locations in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve (CFR) from May–July 2014. Simple linear and backward stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to examine relationships between bat richness and activity and forest characteristics. Bat genus richness and total activity were directly related to overstory canopy depth and inversely related to ≤4 structural characteristics. Lasiurus, Myotis, Promops, and Pteronotus spp. were affected by ≤7 forest characteristics; the responses were explained by preferences for less-cluttered, open space for flying and foraging and species-specific food and cover requirements. However, bat richness and activity were often unaffected by forest structure and composition in the CFR, suggesting that at this taxonomic level, bats may not be very sensitive to variation in forest characteristics, may not be very useful indicators of alteration, and may have some tolerance for disturbance and change.

Nematode distribution in cultivated and undisturbed soils of Guinea Savannah and Semi-deciduous Forest zones of Ghana

Climate change affects air temperature, sea levels as well as the soil and its ecosystem. The Guinea Savannah and Semi-deciduous Forest zones of Ghana are characterized by different climatic conditions and vegetative cover. Annual average temperature has been steadily increasing whilst annual total rainfall has been decreasing in both zones, and this has been causing a southward shift of the Savannah into the Forest zone. Soil organisms provide crucial ecosystem services which are required for sustainable agriculture and food production yet crop cultivation disturbs the soil ecosystem. The harsh conditions associated with the Savannah further expose the soil ecosystem to disturbance and loss of biodiversity which threatens food production and security. Soil nematodes are the most abundant animals in the soil and play a central and critical role in the soil food web complex. Studying the nematode community structure gives a reflection of the status of the entire soil ecosystem. Soil samples were taken from cultivated and natural landscapes in the Guinea Savannah and Semi-deciduous Forest agroecological zones to analyse the nematode community. Results from the study showed the Guinea Savannah zone recording warmer soil temperatures, lower organic matter percentage and lower nematode diversity (Genus Richness) as compared to the Semi-deciduous Forest zone. If the Savannah continues to shift southward, the Forest zone soil ecosystem risks disturbance and loss of biodiversity due to the harsh Savannah conditions. Our findings indicate that prevailing crop cultivation practices also disturb soil ecosystem in the two ecological zones which span across West Africa. A disturbed soil ecosystem endangers the future of food production and food security.

Long-term cultivation of Bt rice expressing the Cry1Ab/1Ac gene reduced phytoparasitic nematode abundance but did not affect other nematode parameters in paddy fields

The uncertainty of ecological risks and the effects of growing transgenic Bt rice on the environment hamper its commercial production. Here, soil nematode communities were used as an indicator of soil health and soil food web structure to evaluate the potential effects of growing Bt rice without chemical insecticides for 3years in the paddy field. The nematodes and soil physicochemical properties of Bt rice fields were compared to the near-isogenic control, non-Bt rice fields. A total of 108,363 specimens belonging to 28 different genera were enumerated. The Hirschmanniella, Tobrilus, Dorylaimus and Filenchus were dominant genera. A three-year paddy rice cultivation of Bt rice (Huahui 1) negatively affected the abundance of phytoparasitic nematodes but did not affect the total number of nematodes, the abundance and relative abundance of free-living nematodes, genera richness, diversity indices, soil food web conditions, or community compositions. However, apparent seasonal and inter-annual changes in these variables were observed, indicating that the impact of environmental factors was more stronger than that of the Bt toxin. In conclusion, the potential ecological risks of Bt rice on soil health and sustainability warrant further research to disentangle the impacts from various confounding environmental factors.

Spatial variability of fish communities in a highly urbanised reef system

Rapid coastal development has generated interest in the ecology of human-modified marine environments. Coastal defence structures such as breakwaters and seawalls are increasingly built to reduce erosion and to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise but knowledge on the marine biodiversity around these structures is lacking. Benthic cover and fish community were surveyed at nine offshore sites, comprising seven coral reefs and two seawalls, in the Singapore’s highly urbanised reef system. A total of 4943 fishes from 70 taxa were recorded, dominated by Pomacentridae (56.5%) and Labridae (17.7%). The results showed a clear spatial variation in the fish community structure across the reefs. The southwestern reefs supported fish communities that were significantly different from those in the south. Generic diversity was significantly higher at the southwestern reefs than the southern ones while the abundance and generic richness were similar. The differences in fish community structure were moderately correlated with the abundance of coralline algae, foliose and submassive corals. The seawall sites supported fish communities different from coral reefs that were adjacent to them. While abundance was similar, the former had higher generic richness and diversity than the latter. The difference in community was attributed to two pomacentrid genera (i.e. Neopomacentrus and Pomacentrus) which were more abundant at the reefs. The findings demonstrated that urbanised coastal ecosystems can contribute to supporting fish diversity.

Microbial communities on painted wet and dry external surfaces of a historic fortress in Niterói, Brazil

Bacteria, algae and fungi colonising dry (F1) and wet (F2) white painted walls in the fortress of Santa Cruz da Barra, Niterói, Brazil, were detected using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and next generation DNA sequencing (NGS) techniques. Major bacterial phyla Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) detected were Chloroflexi in the wet green biofilm F2 (38.85% compared with 7.56% in F1) and Proteobacteria in the dry grey biofilm F1 (57.17% compared with 28.69% in F2). Diatoms were detected at both sites by FE-SEM, but only at F1 by NGS. More algae and cyanobacteria were identified at F1, and this was the only biofilm containing Archaea, possibly related to the high level of salt efflorescences at this site. Although thinner, F1 biofilm showed considerably higher genus richness than the wet biofilm, F2. The thickness and appearance of the biofilms did not correlate with their genomic complexity. Ascomycetes of the Sordariomycetes were major fungi identified at both sites, Khuskia (3.33% OTUs) at F1 and Emericellopsis (7.99% OTUs) at F2, and few filamentous forms were seen by microscopy. However, many fungal OTUs could not be identified to phylum level. Potential bacterial and fungal paint deteriogens were detected at both sites. The results confirmed the importance of using a variety of techniques in the study of microbial communities.

Dinámica de la estructura de comunidades del Cenozoico tardío de Norteamérica: Episodios de Recambio Rápido de Fauna (RTE) dentro del concepto de Cronofauna

A lo largo del Cenozoico tardío la riqueza genérica máxima tendió hacia la perdida de diversidad, aunque se reconocieron tres picos con tasas muy altas de primeros registros seguidos de una alta tasa de extinciones que se expresan como episodio de recambio rápido de faunas (RTE) (Henfiliano temprano, Blancano tardío e Irvingtoniano tardío). Sin embargo, la secuencia de estos sucesos forma un patrón que se ajusta al concepto de cronofauna de Olson (1952). Los episodios de RTE se considerarían en esta estructura como los eventos de transición entre cronofaunas. Mientras que los periodo de relativo equilibro equivaldrían a la propia cronofauna, en la cual los nuevos ecomorfos van adquiriendo un papel dominante, persistiendo alrededor de una serie de intervalos, no así su composición taxonómica, la cual es alterada por pequeños reajustes de fauna de baja intensidad.&#x0D; Bajo este patrón podemos deducir que en los últimos 9 millones de años se reconocen 4 cronofaunas distintas: cronofauna del Clarendoniano (sección tardía), cronofauna del Blancano, cronofauna del Irvingtoniano y cronofauna del Holoceno (sección inicial).

Response of aquatic insect assemblages to the activities of traditional populations in eastern Amazonia

This study investigated the effects of activities carried out by traditional populations on aquatic ecosystems using the assemblages of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera insect orders, and identified fluvial habitat characteristics modified by the disturbances. We surveyed two groups of streams—17 streams representing control conditions (CON) and 17 streams influenced by traditional population settlements (TPO). Genera richness and abundance of individuals did not vary between groups. With regard to physical habitat metrics, the percentage of leaf litter, amount of woody debris in the channel, proximity to farming, percentage of slow water in the channel, and the mean riparian vegetation cover all influenced benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Considerable differences were found in genera composition between the two groups. The genera Ulmeritoides, Miroculis, and Brasilocaenis were associated with the CON group, and Macronema and Campsurus with the TPO group. We conclude that even small-scale impacts, such as those performed by traditional Amazonian populations, can have major effects on aquatic biota, which reiterates the fragile nature of these ecosystems and emphasizes the need for adequate management of these activities.

Plate tectonic regulation of global marine animal diversity

Valentine and Moores [Valentine JW, Moores EM (1970) Nature 228:657-659] hypothesized that plate tectonics regulates global biodiversity by changing the geographic arrangement of continental crust, but the data required to fully test the hypothesis were not available. Here, we use a global database of marine animal fossil occurrences and a paleogeographic reconstruction model to test the hypothesis that temporal patterns of continental fragmentation have impacted global Phanerozoic biodiversity. We find a positive correlation between global marine invertebrate genus richness and an independently derived quantitative index describing the fragmentation of continental crust during supercontinental coalescence-breakup cycles. The observed positive correlation between global biodiversity and continental fragmentation is not readily attributable to commonly cited vagaries of the fossil record, including changing quantities of marine rock or time-variable sampling effort. Because many different environmental and biotic factors may covary with changes in the geographic arrangement of continental crust, it is difficult to identify a specific causal mechanism. However, cross-correlation indicates that the state of continental fragmentation at a given time is positively correlated with the state of global biodiversity for tens of millions of years afterward. There is also evidence to suggest that continental fragmentation promotes increasing marine richness, but that coalescence alone has only a small negative or stabilizing effect. Together, these results suggest that continental fragmentation, particularly during the Mesozoic breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, has exerted a first-order control on the long-term trajectory of Phanerozoic marine animal diversity.

Do soil and climate properties drive biogeography of the Australian proteaceae?

The Proteaceae are a diverse family of approximately 80 genera and 1700 species with a mostly southern-hemisphere distribution. While distributional patterns of various subsets of the Proteaceae have been studied, no quantitative continental-scale study of species-level spatial biodiversity patterns of the Australian Proteaceae has been conducted. The aim of this study is to identify and examine patterns of distribution, diversity and endemism for the Proteaceae (at family, genera and species levels) of continental Australia and to investigate the environmental drivers for the observed patterns. Using 151,899 herbarium records for 1179 Australian Proteaceae species, we investigate taxon richness, endemism, and compositional turnover along with climatic and soil correlates. Species richness and endemism was highest in the Southwest phytogeographical region, as well as the Atherton and Southeastern subregions. Genus richness was highest in the Northeastern and Atherton subregions. Highest species turnover occured in the Southwestern region and the Southeastern subregion while lowest species turnover occured in the Northern, Northern Desert and Eremaean regions. Over the entire continent, soil geochemistry and climate explain 37% of the variation in species turnover; however, in areas of high species richness, they account for >75% of the variation in species turnover. These results suggest that the biogeographic patterns of the Proteaceae are impacted by climate and soils, where Proteaceae specialization has filled novel environmental niches associated with low nutrient and low water availability soils, particularly in southwestern Australia.

The influence of habitat heterogeneity and latitude on gamma diversity of the Nearctic Simuliidae, a ubiquitous group of stream-dwelling insects.

Among the most prominent, large-scale patterns of species richness are the increases in richness with decreasing latitude and with increasing habitat heterogeneity. Using the stream-dwelling larval and pupal stages of North American black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae), we address 3 broad questions about species richness: (i) Does a significant latitude-richness relationship exist? (ii) How does habitat heterogeneity influence gamma diversity? (iii) What is the sign (positive or negative) of the latitude-richness and the heterogeneity-richness relationships? We found no evidence that habitat heterogeneity influences gamma diversity. The estimated peak species richness for black flies in North America was at 50-53°N, which also corresponds with peak generic richness. All plesiomorphic, extant lineages of the Simuliidae in the Western Hemisphere are found in cool mountainous environments of North America, suggesting that peak richness at 50-53°N might be a signature of this phylogenetic pattern and a reflection of underlying historical processes.

Seasonally distinct taxonomic and functional shifts in macroinvertebrate communities following dam removal.

Dam removal is an increasingly popular restoration tool, but our understanding of ecological responses to dam removal over time is still in the early stages. We quantified seasonal benthic macroinvertebrate density, taxonomic composition, and functional traits for three years after lowhead dam removal in three reaches of the Olentangy River (Ohio, USA): two upstream of former dam (one restored, one unrestored), and one downstream of former dam. Macroinvertebrate community density, generic richness, and Shannon–Wiener diversity decreased between ∼9 and ∼15 months after dam removal; all three variables consistently increased thereafter. These threshold responses were dependent on reach location: density and richness increased ∼15 months after removal in upstream reaches versus ∼19 months downstream of the former dam. Initial macroinvertebrate density declines were likely related to seasonality or life-history characteristics, but density increased up to 2.27× from year to year in three out of four seasons (late autumn, early spring, summer) across all reaches. Macroinvertebrate community composition was similar among the three reaches, but differed seasonally based on non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and analysis of similarity (ANOSIM). Seasonal differences among communities tended to decrease after dam removal. We detected community-wide shifts in functional traits such as multivoltinism, depositional habitat use, burrowing, and collector-gatherer feeding mode. We observed that these traits were expressed most strongly with Chironomidae, which was the most abundant family. Our results suggest that seasonal environmental conditions can play a role in the response and recovery of macroinvertebrate communities—often used to monitor ecosystem condition—following dam removal. In particular, macroinvertebrate density and diversity can show recovery after dam removal, especially in seasons when macroinvertebrate density is typically lowest, with concomitant changes to functional trait abundance. Thus, we recommend scientists and managers consider responses to dam removal throughout the year. Further, similar density, generic richness, and functional traits among reaches suggest that channel restoration after dam removal may initially have equivocal effects on invertebrate communities.

Effects of nutrient and water level changes on the composition and size structure of zooplankton communities in shallow lakes under different climatic conditions: a pan-European mesocosm experiment

Lentic ecosystems act as sentinels of climate change, and evidence exists that their sensitivity to warming varies along a latitudinal gradient. We assessed the effects of nutrient and water level variability on zooplankton community composition, taxonomic diversity and size structure in different climate zones by running a standardised controlled 6-months (May to November) experiment in six countries along a European north–south latitudinal temperature gradient. The mesocosms were established with two different depths and nutrient levels. We took monthly zooplankton samples during the study period and pooled a subsample from each sampling to obtain one composite sample per mesocosm. We found a significant effect of temperature on the community composition and size structure of the zooplankton, whereas no effects of water depth or nutrient availability could be traced. The normalised size spectrum became flatter with increasing temperature reflecting higher zooplankton size diversity due to higher abundance of calanoid copepods, but did not differ among depths or nutrient levels. Large-bodied cladocerans such as Daphnia decreased with temperature. Taxonomic diversity was positively related to size diversity, but neither of the two diversity measures demonstrated a clear pattern along the temperature gradient nor with nutrient and water levels. However, genus richness decreased at the warm side of the temperature gradient. Our experiment generally supports recent empirically based findings that a continuing temperature increase may result in lower genus richness and lower abundance of large-sized zooplankton grazers, the latter likely resulting in reduced control of phytoplankton.

Soil nematodes associated with different land uses in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, Mexico

Modification of above-ground land use leads to many changes in the below-ground rhizosphere. A study was conducted of soil nematodes and their diversity associated with different land uses in the Biosphere Reserve Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. Three sites were selected to investigate 4 types of land uses: natural forest, secondary forest, pasture, and maize fields. Total abundance of nematodes and estimators based on generic and diversity indices were assessed and compared between the 4 land uses and sites. Fifty-three families and 124 genera of nematodes were identified from the study area. The dominant families were Criconematidae, Hoplolaimidae, Cephalobidae, and Tylenchidae, and the most abundant genera in this study were Helicotylenchus, Discocriconemella, Tylenchus, Steinernema and Mesocriconema. The greatest nematode abundance, generic richness, and diversity were found in natural forest, closely followed by secondary forest. Intensive (largely monocrop) agricultural systems, represented by maize fields and pasture, had low generic richness and significantly less diversity than non-disturbed systems. Most of the estimators and indices were useful in showing the significant effects of different land uses on soil nematodes in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. This study is the first of its type to be carried out in the Biosphere Reserve Los Tuxtlas, being the first report of soil nematodes that shows the effects of the land use changes that have been made in recent years.

Forest fires alter the trophic structure of soil nematode communities

The impact of fires on nematode diversity, abundance and biomass was assessed in 20 burnt forests and 20 adjacent control plots across a 3000-km-long north-south transect in European Russia. The transect covered five main forest types (Mediterranean and broadleaved forests, southern, middle, and northern taiga). In spring 2015, we assessed major abiotic parameters of soil, soil microbial PLFA markers, and nematode community characteristics (genus richness, abundance, biomass and trophic structure) in the burnt and control plots.Generic richness was the highest in the southern taiga (22 genera) declining both northwards (down to 16) and southwards (down to 13 genera). The highest abundance of nematodes was recorded in the Mediterranean forests (139.4 ± 15.1 ind. g−1 soil dwt, control site) and the lowest in the northern taiga (10.8 ± 1.2 ind. g−1 soil dwt, burnt site). Biomass followed the same pattern with slight deviations. Abundance and biomass of soil nematodes was not significantly affected by fires in any ecoregion with the exception of Mediterranean forests.We detected consistent fire effects on the abundance of particular nematode feeding groups. Trophic groups abundance of soil nematode communities were considerably modified in burnt forests due to the increase in abundance of bacterial-feeding nematodes and reduced number of hyphal-feeding, plant-associated and plant-feeding nematodes. This increase in bacterial-feeding nematode biomass coincided with the growth of the ratio between bacterial and fungal biomass in pyrogenic soils. pH of soil solution and actual denitrification rate in the burnt forests correlated with the biomass of predatory nematodes. We conclude that, five years after fire, the structure of the microbial community, pH of soil solution and denitrification activity correlate with the ratio of feeding groups of belowground nematode communities in these forests. Taking into account considerable nematode biomass in soil, shifts in the ratio of trophic groups after fires induced by these factors may potentially lead to changes in the level of ecosystem functions which they deliver in burnt forests.

Comunidades de insectos acuáticos de los tres flancos de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia

Aquatic insects are important in the function of ecosystem. The objective of this study is to describe the structure and distribution of aquatic insects in four rivers which are located on three different slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM): Gaira, Tucurinca, Rancheria and Guatapuri. Gravel and macrophyte microhabitats were analyzed in each river with a Surber sampler, the leaf litter fauna with a triangular net, and spray zones and stones were analyzed by manual collection. 5803 individuals were registered, 39 families and 72 taxas. Guatapuri River presented the greatest abundance number (1890 individuals). The most abundant order was Ephemeroptera with 1861 individuals. Simulium presented the higher abundance (14.5 %) . The higher abundance was in the gravel 36.93 % and lowest in litter with 33.31 %. We found high abundance during the low rainfall (Guatapuri and Rancheria). Two new records were obtained, Podonomus (Chironomidae) in Guatapuri River and Stenhelmoides (Elmidae) in Rancheria River. According to the results we could conclude that the rivers of the SNSM have a high generic richness compared with the Andean Zone Rivers and other temperate zones.

Assessment of airborne bacteria and noroviruses in air emission from a new highly-advanced hospital wastewater treatment plant

Exposure to bioaerosols can pose a health risk to workers at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and to habitants of their surroundings. The main objective of this study was to examine the presence of harmful microorganisms in the air emission from a new type of hospital WWTP employing advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Air particle measurements and sampling of inhalable bacteria, endotoxin and noroviruses (NoVs) were performed indoor at the WWTP and outside at the WWTP ventilation air exhaust, downwind of the air exhaust, and upwind of the WWTP. No significant differences were seen in particle and endotoxin concentrations between locations. Bacterial concentrations were comparable or significantly lower in the exhaust air than inside the WWTP and in the upwind reference. Bacterial isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In total, 35 different bacterial genera and 64 bacterial species were identified in the air samples. Significantly higher genus and species richness was found with an Andersen Cascade Impactor compared with filter-based sampling. No pathogenic bacteria were found in the exhaust air. Streptomyces was the only bacterium found in the air both inside the WWTP and at the air emission, but not in the upwind reference. NoV genomes were detected in the air inside the WWTP and at the air exhaust, albeit in low concentrations. As only traces of NoV genomes could be detected in the exhaust air they are unlikely to pose a health risk to surroundings. Hence, we assess the risk of airborne exposure to pathogenic bacteria and NoVs from the WWTP air emission to surroundings to be negligible. However, as a slightly higher NoV concentration was detected inside the WWTP, we cannot exclude the possibility that exposure to airborne NoVs can pose a health risk to susceptible to workers inside the WWTP, although the risk may be low.

Higher taxa as surrogates for species richness in intertidal habitats of Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf

Due to the difficulties and limitations in detailed surveys with complete taxonomic identification, there has been great interest in rapid methods of biodiversity assessment such as physical and habitat surrogates, lower taxonomic resolution and indicator groups. This study aimed to examine if higher taxa would be acceptable as surrogates in studies of marine biodiversity in intertidal habitats of Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf. Except for Annelids, which were removed from analysis due to difficulties in identification to lower than family level, 232 recorded species were represented by seven phyla (i.e., Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Chordata), 13 classes, 118 families and 178 genera. Species richness was significantly correlated with the richness of genera, families, orders, classes and phyla and the matrix of between-site compositional similarity for species was significantly correlated with the matrices for genera, families, and classes for assemblages defined by presence/absence data. The results suggest that higher taxa are potential surrogates for species richness in biodiversity surveys in intertidal habitats.