High Taxonomic Diversity Research Articles

Ontogenetic analysis of Anisian (Middle Triassic) ptychitid ammonoids from Nevada, USA

AbstractPtychitesis among the most widely distributed ammonoid genera of the Triassic and is namesake of a family and superfamily. However, representatives of the genus mostly show low-level phenotypic disparity. Furthermore, a large number of taxa are based on only a few poorly preserved specimens, creating challenges to determine ptychitid taxonomy. Consequently, a novel approach is needed to improve ptychitid diversity studies. Here, we investigatePtychitesspp. from the middle and late Anisian of Nevada. The species recorded includePtychites embreein. sp., which is distinguished by an average conch diameter that is much smaller and shows a more evolute coiling than most of its relatives. The new species ranges from theGymnotoceras mimetusto theGymnotoceras rotelliformiszones, which makes it the longest-ranging species of the genus. For the first time, the ontogenetic development ofPtychiteswas obtained from cross sections where possible. Cross-sectioning highlights unique ontogenetic trajectories in ptychitids. This demonstrates that, despite showing little phenotypic disparity,Ptychiteswas highly ontogenetically differentiated, and thus the high taxonomic diversity at the species level is justified for the species investigated.UUID:http://zoobank.org/5abe2487-8a00-4b48-adc7-ec7db7a097f7

Effect of aridity on species assembly in gypsum drylands: a response mediated by the soil affinity of species.

Previous studies found that plant communities on infertile soils are relatively resistant to climatic variation due to stress tolerance adaptations. However, the species assemblies in gypsum soil habitats require further investigation. Thus, we considered the following questions. (1) Do harsher arid conditions determine the characteristics of the species that form plant assemblages? (2) Is the selection of the species that assemble in arid conditions mediated by their ability to grow on gypsum soils? (3) Is the selection of species that assemble in harsher conditions related to phylogenetically conserved functional traits? Perennial plant communities were analysed in 89 gypsum-soil sites along a 400 km climate gradient from the central to southeastern Iberian Peninsula. Each local assemblage was analysed in 30 × 30 m plots and described based on taxonomic, functional (soil plant affinity) and phylogenetic parameters. The mean maximum temperatures in the hottest month, mean annual precipitation and their interaction terms were used as surrogates for the aridity conditions in generalized linear models. In the hottest locations, the gypsophily range narrowed and the mean gypsophily increased at the community level, thereby suggesting the filtering of species and the dominance of soil specialists in the actual plant assemblies. Drier sites had higher taxonomic diversity. The species that formed the perennial communities were close in evolutionary terms at the two ends of the aridity gradient. The mean maximum temperatures in the hottest month had the main abiotic filtering effect on perennial plant communities, which was mediated by the ability of species to grow on gypsum soils, and thus gypsum specialists dominated the species assemblies in the hottest locations. In contrast, the perennial communities on gypsum soils were relatively resistant to changes in precipitation. Our findings suggest that the warmer environmental conditions predicted by global change models will favour gypsum specialists over generalists.

Heathland plant species composition and vegetation structures reflect soil‐related paths of development and site history

AbstractQuestionsTo improve our knowledge on how environmental conditions determine the development of high‐value Calluna vulgaris heathland habitats, we studied the floristic and structural characteristics of heathland plant communities across North Germany and how they are influenced by edaphic, climatic and management factors. We ask how heathland development is related to these factors and what are the implications for conservation management and restoration.LocationNorth German Plain.MethodsWe collected 350 relevés in 18 dry Calluna heathland areas. Plant communities were classified using Isopam, and Redundancy Analysis (RDA) determined effects of environmental conditions. Potential pathways of development and the nature conservation status of the communities were identified on a multifactorial basis.ResultsWe found nine floristically and structurally distinct heathland plant communities. Heathland vegetation showed distinct patterns along Calluna age development stages and environmental conditions. Soil conditions and related effects of long‐term site history and recent management turned out to be the predominant factors influencing species composition and diversity, resulting in three potential heathland succession pathways. Mosaic‐like communities with particularly high taxonomic diversity and conservation value occurred on early‐successional inland dunes or as regeneration stage growing on nutrient‐poor sandy soils without humus accumulation.ConclusionsThe study reveals fundamental differences between historically farmed heathland in the oceanic Northwest and former military training areas mainly in northeastern Germany with consequences for restoration ecology. Present nature conservation criteria turned out to be insufficient in predicting habitat quality, as lichens are frequently disregarded. Our findings highlight the need for intense soil disturbance to maintain early‐stage soil conditions and a diverse Calluna growth‐phase composition, as these factors essentially determine species richness in lowland heaths.

Contemporaneity of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo erectus in South Africa.

Understanding the extinction of Australopithecus and origins of Paranthropus and Homo in South Africa has been hampered by the perceived complex geological context of hominin fossils, poor chronological resolution, and a lack of well-preserved early Homo specimens. We describe, date, and contextualize the discovery of two hominin crania from Drimolen Main Quarry in South Africa. At ~2.04 million to 1.95 million years old, DNH 152 represents the earliest definitive occurrence of Paranthropus robustus, and DNH 134 represents the earliest occurrence of a cranium with clear affinities to Homo erectus These crania also show that Homo, Paranthropus, and Australopithecus were contemporaneous at ~2 million years ago. This high taxonomic diversity is also reflected in non-hominin species and provides evidence of endemic evolution and dispersal during a period of climatic variability.

ORIGIN AND TAXONOMY OF THE NEOPLEISTOCENE-HOLOCENE PONTO-CASPIAN BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA

This paper outlines the origin and taxonomy of the Neopleistocene—Holocene Ponto-Caspian benthic foraminifera for their future use in stratigraphy, geological history, and paleogeographic reconstructions, including water exchange between the neighboring basins. It is shown that the Caspian foraminiferal fauna is shallow, highly endemic (92%), and contains many (61%) agglutinated species and subspecies. The Pontic foraminiferal fauna is characterized not only by insignificant endemism (0.6%) at the species and subspecies level, but also by a large number (83%) of Mediterranean and Atlantic (mainly boreal) forms. All Pontic (Azov-Black Sea) foraminifera are shallow, most probably due to the shallowness of the Bosphorus or any other strait that connected the Pontic and Mediterranean basins to each other. The particular group of the Ammoniidae- Elphidiidae creates a unique image of the Ponto-Caspian foraminiferal assemblages and indicates a tendency of forming foraminiferal fauna from a limited number of shelf genera of the southern genesis Ammonia, Elphidium, and Porosononion typical for the southern closed and semi-closed seas. The low number of high rank taxa (orders) is a result of the low salinity of the Ponto-Caspian and its restricted connection to the open ocean. The main concept of the origin and taxonomic peculiarities of the Ponto-Caspian benthic foraminifera is as follows. The foraminiferal fauna of the Caspian Sea originated largely from the Tethys and Eastern Paratethys. They evolved in a basin that was isolated from the World Ocean for a long time. The foraminiferal fauna of the Black Sea has a Mediterranean-Atlantic-Caspian origin. It is younger when compared to the Caspian fauna, and is characterized by much smaller evolutionary transformations, but much higher taxonomic diversity. The foraminiferal fauna of the Ponto-Caspian is formed by representatives of a limited number of euryfacies orders (Ammodiscida, Astrorhizida, Ataxophragmiida, Buliminida, Lagenida, Miliolida, Rotaliida) characteristic of the internal and marginal seas and their specific hydrological regime.

Short term effects of Bacillus thuringiensis and diflubenzuron aerial applications on non-target arthropods in a Mediterranean Forest

Several products are widely used to control gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) populations. The main purpose of the present study is to evaluate the aerial application effects of B. thuringiensis and diflubenzuron on non-target arthropods in a Mediterranean holm-oak forest. The density of gypsy moth population at the time of application of treatments was the same in the three forests and the defoliation levels in the three holm-oak forests were between level 0 (no apparent defoliation) and level 1 (small defoliations of new leaf). Sampling litter, soil, ground-dwelling, and epiphytic arthropods showed that the holm-oak forests treated with diflubenzuron had a better quantitative faunal outcome than the Control, whereas the highest taxonomic diversity was found in the site treated with B. thuringiensis. These results could probably be explained by a temporary competitive decrease due to the huge number of gypsy moth caterpillars on plants, as well as the enormous accumulation of their excrements in the soil during a prolonged period of time.

How much matching there is in functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic optima of epiphytic macrolichen communities along a European climatic gradient?

Adopting an integrative approach that explicitly includes the different facets of biodiversity is crucial to assess the response of biological communities to changing environments. The identification of the optimal climatic conditions where communities maximize their functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity is useful to compare whether the optima of the different facets of biodiversity match. Using a wide climatic gradient across Europe, we quantified the functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity of epiphytic macrolichen communities, which are valuable early-warning ecological indicators. We ordinated 22 environmental variables and simultaneously illustrated non-parametric regressions of the diversity metrics against the climatic space using the ‘hilltop plot’ method to detect the climatic conditions in which the different diversity facets peaked and to compare the match between them. Functional diversity predicted at least part of the peaks of phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity, but phylogenetic and taxonomic hotspots did not overlap. Epiphytic macrolichen communities maximized their functional and phylogenetic diversity in the southernmost forests, with the Mediterranean region appearing as a biodiversity hotspot. Regarding the studied traits, photobiont type and growth form showed clearly defined optima while the quantitative physiological traits and families' optima did not show this pattern in response to climate. The different facets of biodiversity were not surrogates of each other highlighting the need for an integrative approach to assess the effect of environmental changes on communities and to establish conservation priorities. As functional traits mediated the response of lichen communities to climate, preserving high functional diversity might indirectly preserve high phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity. Relevant ecological indicators useful to develop rapid assessment methods to evaluate the effects of climatic changes include the photobiont type and growth form. The lack of relation between quantitative traits and climate call for further research to unveil their role as ecological indicators of small-scale variables or as effect traits.

Modern status of diversity of soil mesofauna communities in meadow-steppe areas of Northern Podillia

Meadow-steppe vegetation was much more abundant in the past and covered large areas. However, nowadays, only small refugia of such vegetation remain due to the intensification of agriculture and significant anthropogenic transformations. These refugia, found on the slopes of hills and gullies, are of high scientific value with regard to the conservation of soil invertebrates’ microhabitats. This study is the first one conducted with the purpose to investigate invertebrate mesofauna diversity in meadow-steppe areas of Northern Podillia. Soil invertebrates that belong to 40 families from six classes of three phyla are the object of our research. They are an essential component of terrestrial ecosystems due to their regulative role in the topsoil. Soil invertebrates are functionally divided into different groups, but our special attention was given to “ecosystem engineers”, 13 species of Formicidae in particular, which are the organisms that significantly influence the soil by their activity. In addition, ants selectively affect the distribution of both autotrophs and heterotrophs. Formicidae alter or create micro-habitats and regulate the ability of other species to use the resources. The study presents structural and functional organization of soil invertebrate communities as well as indicators of their taxonomic diversity and dynamic density. The material was collected during 2018 field season in two relic meadow-steppe areas of the Holohoro-Voroniatsky hills of Podillia (Makitra and Bila Mts.) and analyzed according to the standard methods. In the structural and functional organization of invertebrate communities (trophic groups), phytophages prevail by their diversity (39 taxa), and zoophages predominate by dynamic density (up to 70 % of numbers of collected material). Formicidae are the eudominant part among the latter. High taxonomic diversity (93 invertebrate taxa: 62 species, 11 genera, and 20 fami­lies) as well as dynamic density and dominance structure of ground litter fauna communities in meadow-steppe areas of Northern Podillia indicate their significant role in the functioning of particular ecosystems (e.g., such steppe species as Blaps halophila Fischer von Waldheim, 1822 , Myrmica deplanata Emery, 1921 , Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798 , etc.).

Metagenomic analysis of viral communities in Baikal sponges

Sponges are the oldest multicellular invertebrates that represent complex symbioses in aquatic ecosystems. The community of sponges includes various microorganisms: fungi, dinoflagellates, algae, archaea, bacteria, and viruses. The biodiversity and the role of viruses in sponges are poorly studied. The relevance of research in this area is also related to the worldwide problem of sponge diseases. The aim of this study was to elucidate the genetic diversity of viruses in the associated communities of the Baikal endemic sponges Baikalospongia bacillifera and Lubomirskia baikalensis (sick and visually healthy) using the metagenomic approach. We have shown a high taxonomic and functional diversity of DNA viruses in the Baikal sponge communities. Identified sequences belong to the different viral families infecting a wide range of organisms. Viral communities of visually healthy and sick Baikal sponges differed significantly, indicating the changes in the structure of microbial communities of affected sponges.

Characterization of photoautotrophic microbial communities in the coastal water of Lake Baikal

In this study, we determined the concentration of chlorophyll a in biofilms formed on rocky substrates, in the surface water microlayer, water column, and near-bottom water layer of the coastal zone of Lake Baikal. High throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and rbcL gene libraries revealed high genetic and taxonomic diversity of photoautotrophic microbial communities in the studied ecotopes of the lake. The UPGMA analysis indicated that the composition of photoautotrophic communities largely depends on both the geographical location and ecotope. Using electron microscopy, we described the structure and composition of biofilms.

Short-term Estimate of Finfish Bycatch Discards in the Inshore Artisanal Shrimp Fishery of Guyana

The artisanal shrimp fishery in Guyana is important for livelihood and food security, involving around 300 vessels owned and crewed exclusively by Guyanese nationals. This fishery uses Chinese seines and operates in major river estuaries. It targets penaeid shrimp, but also retains some finfish and is known to discard a significant but undocumented quantity of smaller finfish bycatch. The lack of knowledge regarding the bycatch is a concern for fishery management and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we quantify for the first time the finfish bycatch discards through onboard observations (July—August 2016) of a single typical vessel operating in the Demerara estuary. Wet weights of the total catch, retained catch, and finfish discards were recorded separately for each of 76 seine hauls, and subsequently presented as catch rates per trip, catch rates per seine haul (kg/haul), and catch rates standardized per hour of seine net soak—time (kg/hr). A sub—sample of finfish discards was taken from every haul to determine taxonomic composition and species—specific length frequencies. Examination of 2,012 discarded finfish distributed among 32 species revealed high taxonomic diversity, none of which were considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Most finfish discards were small (modal size class 5—7 cm fork length) and included juveniles of 15 species of importance to other fisheries in Guyana. On average, a standardized total catch rate of 14.8 kg was taken per hour of seine net soak—time, yielding 3.9 kg retained catch (shrimp and a few selected finfish), 10.3 kg of finfish bycatch discards, and 0.6 kg of miscellaneous invertebrate discards. This demonstrates significant wastage (finfish discards represent about 69% of the total catch weight) and potential for negative impact on biodiversity and other commercial fisheries. The information provided here addresses an important knowledge gap in the artisanal fisheries of Guyana.

Land use alters relationships of grassland productivity with plant and arthropod diversity in Inner Mongolian grassland.

The threats of land-use intensification to biodiversity have motivated considerable research directed toward understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF). Functional diversity is deemed a better indicator than species diversity to clarify the BEF relationships. However, most tests of the BEF relationship have been conducted in highly controlled plant communities, with terrestrial animal communities largely unexplored. Additionally, most BEF studies examined the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions, with the effects of ecosystem functioning strength on biodiversity hardly considered. Based on a 6-yr grassland experiment in the typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia, we examined the variation of taxonomic diversity (TD) and functional diversity (FD) of both plant and arthropod communities, and their relations with grassland productivity, across three land management types (moderate grazing, mowing, and enclosure). We aimed to clarify the interrelations among plant FD, arthropod FD, grassland productivity, and soil factors. We found the following: (1) Grassland under mowing performed best in terms of sustaining a high TD and FD of plants and arthropods compared to that under grazing and enclosure. (2) The relationships between plant and arthropod diversity and productivity varied with management types. Plant TD and FD were negatively related, whereas arthropod FD was positively related with productivity under enclosure; plant FD, but not arthropod FD, was positively related with productivity under grazing; arthropod FD, but not plant FD, was negatively related with productivity under mowing. (3) Grassland productivity was positively interrelated with plant FD, but not plant TD; and was negatively interrelated with arthropod TD, but not arthropod FD across different management types. The respective positive vs. negative bidirectional relationships of productivity with plant diversity vs. arthropod diversity, were majorly a consequence of divergent grazing/mowing effects on plant vs. arthropod diversity. The results indicate that grazing increases plant diversity, but decreases arthropod diversity, whereas fall mowing provides a management strategy for conservation of both trophic levels. These results also provide new insights into the effects of land-use changes on biodiversity and ecosystem processes, and indicate the importance of incorporating the functional interrelations among different trophic groups in sustainable grassland management.

TOPOGRAPHY AND SEASONALITY PROMOTES TAXONOMIC BETA DIVERSITY OF SEEDLINGS IN A TROPICAL WETLAND

Spatial and temporal beta diversity of seedlings in tropical wetland remain poorly understood. We assessed the ecological pattern of taxonomic beta diversity of seedling assemblages along a topographic gradient, seasonally flooded disturbance, and sampling years in a tropical wetland. We tested that seasonally flooded disturbance on seedling assemblage promotes a high taxonomic beta diversity due to a high taxonomic turnover along the topographical gradient. Here we examined a large database from 200 plots (each having 0.5 × 0.5 m), across eight seasonally flooded grasslands in the Pantanal of central-west Brazil. We selected data on ponds for four years at two characteristic hydrological phases per year: post-flood (July and August), and post-dry season (October and November). We classified the topographical gradient into three levels 1) low—longer duration of flood; 2) mid—intermediate level; and 3) high—short duration of flood (dry soil). For both post-flood and post-dry seasons, we counted the number of seedlings within five plots at each topographic level. Additionally, taxonomic beta diversity was examined via novel abundance-based metrics (including both turnover and nestedness patterns). Overall, taxonomic beta diversity was consistently higher in high topographic level and post-dry season plots. We observed differences in beta diversity components between topographical levels, seasons and years. Topographical gradient and seasonally flooded promotes more variation in taxonomic turnover and beta diversity; due to these environmental filters we presume that the resulting beta diversity can be decisive in the species diversity in this tropical wetland.

High taxonomic diversity of Micromonospora strains isolated from Medicago sativa nodules in Western Spain and Australia

The genus Micromonospora has been found in nodules of several legumes and some new species of this genus were isolated from these plant organs. In this study we analysed the taxonomic diversity of Micromonospora strains isolated from alfalfa nodules in Spain and Australia on the basis of three phylogenetic markers, the rrs and gyrB genes and 16S-23S intergenic spacer (ITS). The genome analysis of selected strains representative of different clusters or lineages found after rrs, gyrB and ITS analyses confirmed the results obtained with these phylogenetic markers. They showed that the analysed strains belong to at least 18 Micromonospora species including previously described ones, such as Micromonospora noduli, Micromonospora ureilytica, Micromonospora taraxaci, Micromonospora zamorensis, Micromonospora aurantiaca and Micromonospora tulbaghiae. Most of these strains belong to undescribed species of Micromonospora showing the high taxonomic diversity of strains from this genus inhabiting alfalfa nodules. Although Micromonospora strains are not able to induce the formation of these nodules, and it seems that they do not contribute to fix atmospheric nitrogen, they could play a role related with the mechanisms of plant growth promotion and pathogen protection presented by Micromonospora strains isolated from legume nodules.

Biogeographical Review of Asteraceae in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

The Espinhaco Range is characterized by its high taxonomic diversity and endemism level, where Asteraceae is one of the richest plant families. The present study aims to catalogue the Asteraceae species recorded in the campos rupestres of the Espinhaco Range and evaluate its biogeography. We built a database that contained recorded Asteraceae species and their geographical location. We thus produced a catalogue of species and their distribution representing 2420 records of Asteraceae distributed among 19 tribes, 106 genera and 535 species, from which 430 were endemic to Brazil and 178 were endemic to the campos rupestres of the Espinhaco Range. Areas of Cerrado share the most species with campos rupestres (251 spp.), followed by disjoint areas of campos rupestres (140 spp.). The results showed two floristic groups: one included in the Caatinga domain and another to the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest domains. The analysis of the environmental factors suggests that climate is the main determinant of the distribution of Asteraceae species in the Espinhaco Range.

High plant taxonomic beta diversity and functional and phylogenetic convergence between two Neotropical inselbergs

ABSTRACTBackground: Inselbergs (granitic and gneissic rock outcrops) are common elements in the Atlantic Forest and present large taxonomic (TD), functional (FD) and phylogenetic (PD) diversity.Aims: We investigated how plant diversity changed across ecological and biogeographic scales by comparing TD, FD and PD of communities within and between two inselbergs. We expected converging FD and PD but distinct TD between outcrops, because of similar local environmental conditions in inselbergs and the long-term lineage isolation.Methods: We calculated TD, PD and FD, and partitioned diversity into α (each inselberg), β (between inselbergs) and γ (whole sample) components. Phylogenetic signal was estimated for all traits. To link environmental predictors to functional traits a redundancy analysis was run. Variation in TD, FD and PD was analysed by general linear models with patch area and the two inselbergs as predictors.Results: The inselbergs were taxonomically different, but showed convergence in their functional and phylogenetic diversity. The limited retention of phylogenetic signal suggests that different species may converge and respond similarly to environmental variables. Within inselbergs, larger patches displayed higher TD, FD and PD.Conclusions: Seeking conservation strategies for inselbergs is challenging since, despite their functional and phylogenetic similarity, endemic species make individual rock outcrops unique.

Fossil‐Lagerstätten, palaeoecology and preservation of invertebrates and vertebrates from the Devonian in the eastern Anti‐Atlas, Morocco

In some Devonian strata in the eastern Anti‐Atlas, fossil invertebrates are abundant, display a high taxonomic diversity and indicate many shifts in palaeoecology. This is reflected in changes in faunal composition of invertebrates and vertebrates. Fossils of jawed vertebrates of late Lochkovian and younger age have been recorded and are relatively common with their abundance and diversity increasing towards the Late Devonian. Environmental changes in the Devonian also left their mark in the preservation of vertebrates and invertebrates from the Anti‐Atlas, which varies strongly through time and regionally. This variation partially reflects environmental changes linked with the evolution of small marine basins during the disintegration of the continental shelf of Gondwana in this region, fluctuations of the regional sea level and other environmental changes. To improve our understanding of these ecological changes, of shifts in preservation through the succession and of the formation of Fossil‐Lagerstatten, we analysed the mineral composition of some invertebrate and vertebrate samples of Devonian and Early Carboniferous age by Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. Additionally, we characterized some of these Fossil‐Lagerstatten using palaeontological and sedimentological parameters. We examined eight Devonian Konzentrat‐Lagerstatten and two Konservat‐Lagerstatten with soft‐tissue preservation (the Famennian Thylacocephalan Layer and the Hangenberg Black Shale of the southern Maider). The last two are the first Konservat‐Lagerstatten described from the Devonian of North Africa. The taphonomic and oceanic settings suggest that these Konservat‐Lagerstatten are formed because of stagnation (related to vertical restriction of water exchange and water depth rather than limited spatial water exchange and a lateral restriction) in the relatively small Maider Basin with limited water exchange with the neighbouring Tafilalt Basin. The temporally low oxygen levels in the Maider Basin are a possible reason for the reduced chondrichthyan diversity (missing demersal and shallow water species) compared to the Tafilalt Platform.

Changes in Functional and Taxonomic Diversity and Composition of Corticolous Lichens in an Altitudinal Gradient in Colombia

The variation of the diversity, composition, functional diversity and species richness of lichen communities along an altitudinal gradient in the Choco biogeographic region of the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, is evaluated basing on 2732 samples belonging to 690 species of corticolous lichens. The dominant families were Graphidaceae, Parmeliaceae, Lobariaceae and Pyrenulaceae. Alpha lichen diversity showed a concave pattern with respect to altitude, and the zones at low and high elevations had greater diversity. Beta diversity and total richness estimated by rarefaction for locality presented a bell-shaped pattern, with a peak at 1600 m. Lichen functional traits strongly changed with the increase of altitude. Functional diversity presented the same pattern of total richness estimated by rarefaction. These results suggest that the lichen communities of the altitudinal extremes are structured by a strong environmental filter effect, while in the intermediate zones there is an overlap of functional traits, which is reflected in both a high functional and taxonomic diversity. The results suggest that the functional traits used are good substitutes for species to study altitudinal patterns. The high number of indicator species for the altitudinal extremes implies that in a context of climate change, these zones will be more susceptible to the loss of species.

Altered Middle Ear Microbiome in Children With Chronic Otitis Media With Effusion and Respiratory Illnesses.

Chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) is a common childhood disease characterized by an accumulation of fluid behind the eardrum. COME often requires surgical intervention and can also lead to significant hearing loss and subsequent learning disabilities. Recent characterization of the middle ear fluid (MEF) microbiome in pediatric patients has led to an improved understanding of the microbiota present in the middle ear during COME. However, it is not currently known how the MEF microbiome might vary due to other conditions, particularly respiratory disorders. Here, we apply an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) pipeline to MEF 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing data from 50 children with COME (ages 3–176 months) undergoing tube placement. We achieve a more detailed taxonomic resolution than previously reported, including species and genus level resolution. Additionally, we provide the first report of the functional roles of the MEF microbiome and demonstrate that despite high taxonomic diversity, the functional capacity of the MEF microbiome remains uniform between patients. Furthermore, we analyze microbiome differences between children with COME with and without a history of lower airway disease (i.e., asthma or bronchiolitis). The MEF microbiome was less diverse in participants with lower airway disease than in patients without, and phylogenetic β-diversity (weighted UniFrac) was significantly different based on lower airway disease status. Differential abundance between patients with lower airway disease and those without was observed for the genera Haemophilus, Moraxella, Staphylococcus, Alloiococcus, and Turicella. These findings support previous suggestions of a link between COME and respiratory illnesses and emphasize the need for future study of the middle ear and respiratory tract microbiomes in diseases such as asthma and bronchiolitis.

Current status and potential risks of established alien fish species in China

Alien fishes are regarded as one of the major causes of the decline of aquatic fauna and biodiversity. Up to now, more than 500 fish species have been introduced into China from other countries. However, nationwide documentation of the established alien fishes is still lacking and their ecological risk is unclear. We compiled a comprehensive inventory of the colonized alien fish species based on various sources, and then provided a summary of their potential ecological risk. The results indicated that 68 alien fish species (13.44%) have successfully established in the natural waters. These species belong to 12 orders and 29 families. Among them, 56 species (82.35%) were introduced for aquaculture purposes, 11 species (16.18%) were introduced for aquarium and one species (1.47%) was introduced for bio-control. Over 85% of the established fishes were introduced after the 1970s. Geographically, these species are native to 12 regions around the world. Eighteen species and two hybrid species are native to North America which is the most dominant donor. Among these species, 61 can live in freshwater, 41 species can live in brackish and 19 species can live in marine water. Although large number of species, high taxonomic diversity, intensive human activity, diverse geographical origins and high adaptability of non-native species may lead to the increase of invasion risk, previous research about invasive risk just focus on the general impact of aquaculture activities, invasiveness screening using semi-quantitative models and distribution prediction using species distribution models. Further studies will need to be conducted on comprehensive risk assessment, ecological interaction between non-native fish and new environment, on fish species, ecosystem, the impact of human activity and global change on non-native fish colonization.