Highest Number Of Plant Species Research Articles

Network analyses show horizontal and vertical distribution of vascular epiphytes on their hosts in a fragment of cloud forest in Central Mexico.

Cloud forests figure as one of the most diverse ecosystems, accounting not only for a high number of plant species but also with a great variety of interactions among them. A common interaction in these forests is the one between vascular epiphytes and their hosts. However, few studies have used the network approach to analyze them. Here, we analyze the horizontal and vertical structure of the vascular epiphyte - host network in a cloud forest in central Mexico. We quantified the number of epiphyte stands on each host both total and per-stratum. Complete network, group, and species metrics were estimated at both levels of analysis. The host - epiphyte networks had relatively low network size but were highly connected; moderately nested, with low specialization, and modularity; but higher vulnerability than generality, and high niche overlap. The community was composed by a high number of generalist species. To our knowledge this is the first study in which network analyses are conducted with standardized data and including all host and epiphyte species in the community. The analyses suggest that the networks are robust, and that functional redundancy might be probable, two advantageous characteristics in a very fragmented and threatened cloud forest.

Drivers of flower visit and resource sharing between the honeybee and native bees in Neotropical coastal sand dunes.

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is one of the most important pollinator species because it can gather resources from a vast variety of plant species, including both natives and introduced, across its geographical distribution. Although A. mellifera interacts with a large diversity of plants and shares resources with other pollinators, there are some plant species with which it interacts more frequently than others. Here, we evaluated the plant traits (i.e., plant length, abundance of bloomed individuals, number of open flowers, and stamen length) that would affect the honeybee visit frequencies to the flowers in a coastal environment in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, we evaluated which native bee species (and their body size) overlap floral resource with A. mellifera. We registered 998 plant-bee interactions between 35 plant species and 47 bee species. We observed that plant species with low height and with high abundances of bloomed individuals are positively related to a high frequency of visits by A. mellifera. Moreover, we found that A. mellifera tends to share a higher number of plant species with other bee species with a similar or smaller body size than with bigger species, which makes them a competitor for the resource with honeybees. Our results highlight that the impacts of A. mellifera on plants and native bees could be anticipated based on its individual's characteristics (i.e., plant height and abundance of bloomed individuals) and body size, respectively.

Validating a multi-locus metabarcoding approach for characterizing mixed-pollen samples

BackgroundThe mutualistic interaction between entomophilous plants and pollinators is fundamental to the structure of most terrestrial ecosystems. The sensitive nature of this relationship has been disrupted by anthropogenic modifications to natural landscapes, warranting development of new methods for exploring this trophic interaction. Characterizing the composition of pollen collected by pollinators, e.g. Apis mellifera, is a common means of exploring this relationship, but traditional methods of microscopic pollen assessment are laborious and limited in their scope. The development of pollen metabarcoding as a method of rapidly characterizing the abundance and diversity of pollen within mixed samples presents a new frontier for this type of work, but metabarcoding may have limitations, and validation is warranted before any suite of primers can be confidently used in a research program. We set out to evaluate the utility of an integrative approach, using a set of established primers (ITS2 and rbcL) versus melissopalynological analysis for characterizing 27 mixed-pollen samples from agricultural sites across Canada.ResultsBoth individual markers performed well relative to melissopalynology at the family level with decreases in the strength of correlation and linear model fits at the genus level. Integrating data from both markers together via a multi-locus approach provided the best rank-based correlation between metagenetic and melissopalynological data at both the genus (ρ = 0.659; p < 0.001) and family level (ρ = 0.830; p < 0.001). Species accumulation curves indicated that, after controlling for sampling effort, melissopalynological characterization provides similar or higher species richness estimates than either marker. The higher number of plant species discovered via the metabarcoding approach simply reflects the vastly greater sampling effort in comparison to melissopalynology.ConclusionsPollen metabarcoding performed well at characterizing the composition of mixed pollen samples relative to a traditional melissopalynological approach. Limitations to the quantitative application of this method can be addressed by adopting a multi-locus approach that integrates information from multiple markers.

Vegetation–environment interactions: plant species distribution and community assembly in mixed coniferous forests of Northwestern Himalayas

One of the main goals of ecological studies is to disentangle the dynamics that underlie the spatiotemporal distribution of biodiversity and further functions of the ecosystem. However, due to many ecological and geopolitical reasons, many remote areas with high plant species diversity have not been assessed using newly based analytical approaches for vegetation characterization. Here, we classified and characterized different vegetation types (i.e., major plant communities) based on indicator species and on the influence of different environmental gradients in the Himalayan mixed coniferous forest, Pakistan. For that, we addressed the following questions: Does the vegetation composition of the Himalayan mixed coniferous forest correlate with climatic, topographic, geographic, and edaphic variables? Is it possible to identify plant communities through indicator species in relation to environmental gradients using multivariate approaches? Can this multivariate be helpful for conservation planning? During four consecutive years we assessed the vegetation composition and environmental variables (21 variables divided in geographic, climatic, topographic, and edaphic groups) of 156 50 m-trasects between an elevation of 2000–4000 m. Using newly based analytical approaches for community characterization, we found a total of 218 plant species clustered into four plant communities with the influence of environmental gradients. The highest index of similarity was recorded between Pinus-Cedrus-Viburnum (PCV) and Viburnum-Pinus-Abies (VPA) communities, and the highest index of dissimilarity was recorded between PCV and Abies-Juniperus-Picea (AJP) communities. Among these four communities, highest number of plant species (156 species) was recorded in PCV, maximum alpha diversity (H’ = 3.68) was reported in VPA, highest Simpson index (0.961) and Pielou’s evenness (0.862) were reported in VPA and AJP. The edaphic gradients (i.e., organic matter, phosphorous, pH and soil texture) and climatic factors (temperature, humidity) were the strongest environmental gradients that were responsible for structuring and hosting the diverse plant communities in mixed coniferous forest. Finally, the Himalayan mixed coniferous structure is more influenced by the spatial turnover beta-diversity process (βsim) than by the species loss (nestedness-resultant, βsne). Our analysis of the vegetation structure along the environmental gradient in the Himalayan mixed coniferous forest supported by sophisticated analytical approaches reveled indicator species groups, which are associated to specific microclimatic zones (i.e., vegetation communities). Within this focus, we side with the view that these results can support conservation planning and management for similar and different areas providing mitigating and preventive measures to reduce potential negative impacts, such as anthropic and climatic.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Bulang people in Yunnan, China

BackgroundDespite the popularity of modern medicine, medicinal plants remain a cornerstone of treatment for numerous diseases, particularly among ethnic groups and tribal communities around the globe. Ethnomedicine offers advantages such as ease of use, convenience, and economic benefits. Medicinal plant knowledge within Bulang ethnic community of southwest China is a valuable complement to Chinese ethnomedicine systems. Accumulated medical knowledge is due to the extensive length of occupation by Bulang People, considered the earliest inhabitants of Xishuangbanna; this has resulted in the development of various traditional treatment methods with local characteristics and unique curative effects. Therefore, there is exceeding value in exploring the medical knowledge of Bulang.MethodsA total of 175 local informants participated in the interviews and distribution of questionnaires in 10 Bulang villages in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. We documented the community of Bulang's use of medicinal herbs, and we used both the informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV) methodologies to analyze the data. Furthermore, we conducted a comparative study to explore the potential of Bulang traditional medicine by comparing it to traditional Dai medicine.ResultsThe study recorded 60 medicinal plant species belonging to 41 families and 59 genera, including 22 species of herb, 22 species of shrub, nine species of trees, and seven species of liana. Araceae, Compositae, Lamiaceae and Leguminosae were found to have the highest number of species. The affordability and cultural heritage of Bulang medicine make it advantageous, Investigated Informants report that increased usage of Western medicine (88%), less availability of herbal medicine (95.43%), and the reduction in medicinal plant resources (80.57%) pose significant threats to Bulang medicine. All Bulang medicinal plants are naturally grown, with only 22 per cent being cultivated. Camellia sinensis (0.94) and Zingiber officinale (0.89) showed the highest UV values, while the function of Phyllanthus emblica L. and Houttuynia cordata Thunb. were also noted. The ICF revealed digestive system related diseases were the most commonly treated, with conditions of the motor system using the highest number of plant species. Finally, a comparison with traditional Dai medicine determined that 22 plants (36.67%) of the 60 surveyed had higher medicinal value in Bulang medicine.ConclusionBulang communities primarily source medicinal plants from the wild. Should environmental damage lead to the extinction of these medicinal plants, it could result in a shift toward modern Western medicine as a preferred medical treatment. Bulang ethnomedicine is a vital supplement to China's traditional medicine, particularly aspects of ethnic medicine relevant to daily life. Future research should emphasize inter-ethnic medical studies to reveal the untapped potential of medicinal plants.

Factors influencing the establishment of vascular plants at Sphagnum cultivation sites

Sphagnum cultivation is a type of paludiculture and a way to use formerly drained peatlands productively but under wet and therefore climate-friendly conditions. Where Sphagnum mosses are cultivated other plant species will also establish and possibly compete with the Sphagnum. The aim of this study was to determine which factors influence vascular plant cover as well as plant species numbers at Sphagnum cultivation sites and to derive recommendations for their management. Two cultivation sites were studied in northwest Germany. One of these was established directly after peat extraction while the other was rewetted seven years prior to establishment. Irrigation ditches for water management were installed at both sites. The cover of vascular plants and the number of plant species present were determined in systematically positioned plots. Six variables were tested for their influence on the assessed data by applying boosted regression tree models. The main factors influencing vascular plant cover at the two Sphagnum cultivation sites were the distance to an irrigation ditch (m), the site (location) and Sphagnum cover (%). The number of species per plot was influenced mainly by Sphagnum cover (%), the distance to an irrigation ditch (m) and the donor species used for initiating the cultivation sites. A sufficient supply of nutrient-poor water and optimal Sphagnum growth can reduce vascular plant cover and the number of plant species potentially present at a site. Insufficient water distribution and uneven Sphagnum establishment lead to inhomogeneous site conditions and thus to a higher number of plant species. The number and cover of plant species at a cultivation site are influenced by the vegetation of the sites’ surroundings and the selection of the donor site.

Medicinal Plants Used for the Management of Hepatitis Over the Past 15 Years in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review.

Treatment of human and animal ailments using botanical sources has obtained significant attention in Ethiopia. The compounds available in plants comprise a plentiful source of bioactive ingredients able to treat many complications. The review aimed to present an updated list of plants used for managing hepatitis over the past 15 years in Ethiopia. Systematic, comprehensive search was undertaken from electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus) between September 01 and October 15, 2022, using standard search terms. Original researches carried out in Ethiopia, written and published in English between January 01/2007 and December 31/2021, and reported hepatitis as a disease treated by medicinal plants were included in the review. Plants beyond the list of Ethiopian and Eritrean floral were excluded. Data were extracted from texts and tables of original papers on a Microsoft Excel. Quality was assessed by applying the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. A total of 317 papers were obtained from the database search. After removing duplicates and screening, 15 articles fit the inclusion criteria and selected for final review. Of the 24 plants identified, 35.7% were herbs. Leaf and root (35.7% each) were the predominant plant parts used for remedy preparation. Combined use of leaf and root comprised 10.7%. The families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Fabaceae comprise the highest number of plant species. About 89.3% of remedies were administered orally. The majority of plants belong to herbs and the frequently used plant parts are leaf and roots. Evidence generated from the present review indicated that lots of plants have been used to manage hepatitis. Moreover, the findings could serve as preliminary information to formulate new drugs acting against hepatitis. Therefore, it is desirable for scholars to recognize, document, and keep plants and the associated knowledge appropriately.

ETHNOBOTANY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS USED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNT UYELEWUN, EAST NUSA TENGGARA

This study aims to explore and identify the medicinal plants used by the Uyelewun local community. It encompasses plant species, multi-aspect utilization, processing methods and how to use, and their medical benefits to heal diseases. This descriptive exploratory study was conducted in May 2019 in six villages, namely Panama Village, Meluwiting Village, Loyobohor Village, Leudanung Village, Balauring Village, and Wairiang Village. These six villages were categorized into three groups: 1) modern village, 2) developing village, and 3) traditional village. Seventy-eight respondents, comprising local villagers, traditional healers, and adat leaders/elders, were selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. This study was performed in four stages, viz. 1) survey of research locations and selection of respondents, 2) semi-structured interviews, 3) plant documentation, and 4) plant inventory. The data obtained were then analyzed descriptively using percentages, averages, and content analysis. The results showed that 1) the local community used 82 plant species from 40 families as medicinal plants; 2) the traditional villages had the highest number of medicinal plants (43%), and the modern villages had the highest number of plant species (64%); 3) most plant habit was trees (43%); 4) the majority of plant was from uncultivated/wild plant (55%), obtained mostly from the surrounding environment (55%) and rarely from the beach (2%); and 5) the most consumed part of the medicinal plants was fruits (70%).

Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants Used by Kathariya (Tharu) Community in Kailali District, Nepal

This study aims to document the traditional knowledge on medicinal use of plants by Kathariya (Tharu) community in Kailali district. Kathariya is one of the sub-group of the Tharu community whose culture and language is slightly different from other sub-groups. Traditional healers Guruwa of Kathariya community from five study sites viz. Sisaiya, Tappa, Udasipur, Pawera and Joshipur of Kailali were identified as key informants. Exploratory research design was adopted and interview method was used to collect the primary information through Semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. Altogether 70 species of plants used for medicinal purposes were documented. Sixteen species were found useful in cuts, wounds and swelling which is one of ten health issues categorized in the present study. Thirteen and Twelve species were recorded to be used in abdominal disorders and skin diseases respectively. The community usually mixes powder in measurement of two and half grains of each Barley and Black Pepper during preparations of medicine for oral route of consumption. Based on habit, highest number of plant species belongs to herbs (30 species). Among five study sites, highest number of species was recorded in Udasipur with 35 species. Regarding the parts of plant used, roots and leaves were found to be used often equally, which were represented by 24 species each. Achyranthes aspera, Euphorbia hirta, Azadirachta indica and Clerodendrom infortunatum were the most frequently used species. This study generated preliminary but crucial information which may open the avenue for utilization of biological resources. Further research leading to bio-prospecting is needed to utilize these resources.

Ethnomedicinal Practices of Plants in Danuwar Community of Dudhauli Municipality, Sindhuli District, Central Nepal

The study aimed to document the indigenous knowledge and practices of using plant materials for medicinal purposes by the Danuwar community in Dudhauli municipality of Sindhuli district, central Nepal. Primary data were collected between October 2016 to January 2017 through key informant interviews and focus group discussion using a semi-structured questionnaire among local healers and various aged groups of people. The information was used to prepare descriptive analysis of plant species. Among 161 plant species belonging to 153 genera and 78 families used for the treatment of different ailments, most dominant family was Fabaceae followed by Lamiaceae and Asteraceae respectively. About two-fifth plants species were used in medicinal purpose for the treatment of 47 different ailments and herbaceous plant habit was widely selected followed by trees and shrubs. The highest number of plant species was used to treat digestive system ailments, followed by skin and integumentary ailments. Common modes of application were oral and poultice, in the form of juice and paste. Among documented plants, two species were reported for the first time having any ethnomedicinal uses and eight species with novel medicinal uses in Nepal. This study showed that Danuwar people still have better traditional knowledge among local healers and elderly people. They preferred conventional medical methods using plant remedies to treat various ailments. Medicinally important plants are under threat from habitat loss and deforestation and people know little about conservation. One third plant species were not protected by concerned people. However, modern medicine and urbanization have a minor impact on the health care system and lifestyles of Danuwars. Hence, it calls for the urgent initiation of conservation and sustainable harvesting of plants.

An Ethnobotanical Study on Common Plants with Medicinal Properties and ITK Used by the Tea Garden Tribes of Eastern Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone (UBVZ) of Assam

In Assam, ninety-six numbers of different tea and ex-tea garden tribes are residing mainly in the “Labour Lines” within the Tea Estates (TE) and neighbouring villages of TEs. Like other communities of Assam, raising plants as bio fencing as well as in the backyard garden is a traditional practice among tea garden tribes (TGT). A significantly large section of TGT relies on age old traditional system of healing by collecting herbs from their backyard and nearby forest. An ethnobotanical study was carried out through personal and group interviews with the tribal practioners in order to document the indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) about these plants. Fifty-five (55) numbers of plant species distributed over 32 families have been documented that included almost all types of plants from trees to herbs. Highest number of plant species were found under the family Leguminaceae followed by Euphorbiaceae which were utilized for preparation of the medicine. Among all, leaves were the most frequently used plant part followed by bark and flower belonging to perennial, annual, bi perennial and semi-annual type. The study also underlines the potentials need for the documentation of traditional ecological knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind.

The traditional uses of plant diversity in Gokwe South District, Zimbabwe: Timber &amp; construction, ethnoveterinary medicine, firewood &amp; charcoal, food, tools and handicraft, religious ceremonies &amp; rituals &amp; other uses

Background: Most people who reside in rural areas have over the years benefited from the utilization of forest products obtained from forests and surrounding woodlands. Both timber and non-timber forest products are important in livelihood maintenance, provision of security, reduction of poverty and malnutrition and help generate income. The aim of the study is to evaluate and document plants that are traditionally used by community in Gokwe South District, Zimbabwe and to assess their contribution to the livelihood and sustenance of the community. Methods: Ethnobotanical data was collected from February 2022 till March 2022 through semi-structured interviews and data analysed through quantitative indices such as use value (UV) and relative frequency of citation (RFC). Field surveys were made to collect voucher specimens, which were identified, authenticated and deposited at the National Herbarium, Zimbabwe. Results: A total of 89 plant species belonging to 81 genera and 44 families are traditionally used in Gokwe South District. The Fabaceae family is the highest plant species (15 species) followed by Anacardiaceae and Euphorbiaceae (five species each). Seven use categories were identified with the food category recording the highest number of plant species used (48 species) followed by tools and handicraft (29 species). Conclusions: The study showed that the traditional use of plant is still a common practice in the district. The great diversity of plants gives the need for their conservation and sustainable use to be established and monitored. Keywords: Plant diversity, use patterns, traditional uses of plants, Gokwe South District

Plant diversity and functional identity alter ant occurrence and activity in experimental grasslands

AbstractIncreasing plant species richness has been shown to positively affect the diversity of a range of other organisms, both above‐ and belowground. Although ants have a multitude of interactions with other organisms through their role as predators and mutualists, ants are a taxon that has rarely been investigated in studies of biodiversity effects. Ants are known to respond to changes in microclimatic conditions such as temperature and humidity, and these microclimatic conditions are known to be affected by vegetation characteristics such as standing biomass, which in turn can be affected by plant diversity. We investigated the effects of plant species richness (1–60), the number of plant functional groups (FGs; 1–4), and the presence of particular FGs on the occurrence and activity of ants, in the context of a grassland biodiversity experiment. Ant abundance, estimated as the mean number of workers in pitfall traps, and the number of colonies within plots, but not ant species richness, were negatively affected by plant species richness, and also by the identity of plant FGs, particularly legumes (negative effects) and grasses (positive effects). Statistical approaches showed that these effects were largely mediated by biotic (aboveground plant biomass: negative effect) and abiotic variables (soil temperature: positive effect). Notably, ant activity, measured as the mean number of workers foraging on baits and with a disproportionate dominance of a single species (Lasius niger), showed a more complex pattern, where plant species richness and number of FGs interacted to explain differential attractiveness to different resources (represented by sugar and tuna baits), likely representing current nutritional requirements for ants. Similarly, increasing soil temperature increased the level of ant activity, indicating that abiotic factors might impose thermal constraints on ectotherms inhabiting temperate grasslands. Our results indicate that a higher number of plant species and higher plant biomass had a negative effect on ants in experimental grasslands. Understanding the responses of an ecologically important group such as ants will allow us to infer the effects that biodiversity loss could have on animal‐mediated ecosystem processes.

A survey of the floristic composition of the Kambat Valley, District Dir Lower, Northern Pakistan

The composition and structure of the vegetation not only reflect the nature of basic phytosociological associations but also form a habitat for numerous organisms. This work aimed to study floristic composition. Five sites each considered as a stand in the research area were selected to analyze the vegetation. The data was collected through the quadrates method. In each stand 10 quadrates (10*10 m) for tree and shrub and a sub quadrate (1*1 m) for herb were taken for determining the Frequency, Density, and Cover of plant species. A total of 93 plant species were collected. Leading families of the area were Asteraceae (12) and Poaceae (10). The leading life form was Therophytes with the highest number of plant species (28) while Megaphenerophytes with only one species. In terms of leaf size, the area was dominated by Nanophylls. Stand wise constant species were Ailanthus altissima, Ficus palmate, and Populus nigra while the rare species were represented by Cynoglosum officinale, Artemisia vulgarus and Bellis perensis. Communities in each stand were developed based on the importance value index. These communities were Oxalis-Zanthoxylum-Platanus Community, Oxalis-Populus-Rosa Community, Dodonaea-Ficus-Ailanthus Community, Oxalis-Ficus-Ziziphus Community, and Ficus-Olea-Dodonaea. Due to the increase in population the demand for timber, and wood (fuel) has significantly increased and the natural vegetation of the area is under threat. Proper management is required for the conservation of vegetation in the area.

Medicinal Plants Utilized for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Parasitosis in Ethiopia.

Background Nonhygienic living conditions give rise to parasitic infections. Intestinal parasitosis is a serious public health problem in Ethiopia. It is more common in the poor part of the population with low-income, poor personal, and environmental sanitation and limited clean water supply. This review is aimed at providing an overview of the medicinal plants used for the treatment of gastrointestinal parasitosis in Ethiopia. Methods International databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched to access published original articles on medicinal plants used to treat gastrointestinal parasitosis without restriction on the year of publication and methodology. The validity of articles was checked before inclusion in the review by undertaking critical appraisal using tools adapted from JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. The details of medicinal plants were extracted from the included studies using a standardized data extraction format in excel spreadsheet and analyzed using descriptive statistics to calculate frequency and percentage. Results A search for published articles produced a total of 205 papers, of which 23 met the inclusion criteria. Of the 85 medicinal plants identified, the majority (40.2%) were shrubs, and the common plant part used was leaf (28.2%). Family Asteraceae has the highest number of plant species. The majority of the plant remedies were given orally (96.9%). Taeniasis comprises the highest percentage of intestinal parasitosis treated followed by ascariasis. Conclusion Numerous plants have been utilized to treat gastrointestinal parasitosis. Information obtained from this review could serve as a guide to discover novel antiparasitic agents. Therefore, it is advisable for researchers to properly identify, document, conserve, and conduct safety and efficacy studies on such claimed medicinal plants.

Cryptic species of pondweeds (Potamogetonaceae) at an intercontinental scale revealed by molecular phylogenetic analyses

AbstractCryptic species are morphologically indistinguishable but genetically divergent entities that constitute an important part of Earth's biodiversity. They occur in all kingdoms of life, especially when morphological characters are scarce. Compared to the high number of plant species, relatively few cryptic species have been detected so far. Here, we report cryptic species in pondweeds (Potamogeton), freshwater aquatic angiosperms that are characterized by reduced morphology. Using four molecular markers (ITS, 5S‐NTS, rpl20‐5′rps12, trnT‐trnL), three of them unlinked, we found that the widespread P. octandrus consists of three divergent lineages that correspond to the geographic origins of samples from Africa, Asia, and Australia, respectively. Relatively high genetic divergence between these lineages, reciprocal monophyly and many fixed diagnostic characters indicate that P. octandrus consists of three cryptic species. We formally distinguish the African lineage as P. parvifolius and the Australian lineage as P. tenuicaulis from Asian P. octandrus s.str. Potamogeton tenuicaulis is paraphyletic with the Asian species P. cristatus, which differs by unique fruit characters. We assume that the ancestor of P. cristatus originated from Australia and reached Asia by long‐distance dispersal. Quality criteria for assigning species status to cryptic species and their formal taxonomic recognition are discussed.

Global meta‐network of legume crops and floral visitors reveals abundance of exotic bees

AbstractLegume crops (family Fabaceae, order Fabales) constitute a relevant component of the human food supply. In view of the global decline in crop production, as a result of increasing threats (such as habitat fragmentation and land use change) to pollinators, knowledge concerning legume floral visitors can contribute to world food security. In this study, a synthesis was performed of global data on interactions between legume crops and their floral visitors, in order to improve understanding of the structure of crop‐floral visitor interactions and the roles of different species. A literature review was conducted using three databases, considering 15 legumes of economic importance, enabling the construction of a meta‐network of plant‐floral visitor interactions. Soybean, alfalfa and common bean received the highest numbers of floral visitor species. A total of 208 floral visitor species were recorded, distributed in eight orders. The most diverse group was Hymenoptera (mainly bees), followed by Lepidoptera. The European honeybee Apis mellifera interacted with the highest number of plant species. Modularity analysis identified eight modules that included more than one order of floral visitors. Most species were classified as peripherals, with few links restricted to their own module. The three connector species were the bees Bombus pascuorum, B. terrestris and Megachile rotundata. The only network hub was A. mellifera. The predominance of bees seemed to be related to the predominant floral morphology among the crops. The connector and hub species were typically generalists, and all except one species (B. pascuorum) were used as managed pollinators. The crops studied have an important role in global pollination resilience, maintaining a diversified fauna of pollinators other than bees.

Plant diversity in agroforestry system and its traditional use by three different ethnics in Central Sulawesi Indonesia

This paper discusses the result of the study on plant diversity in the Agroforestry system and its traditional uses by the three different ethnicities in Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The basic data of traditional plants used by each of the ethnic groups in the research site wer collected through an in-depth interview initiated by an informed consent using a questionnaire containing open-ended questions—fifty (50) respondents from each of the ethnic groups representing different jobs. The result showed that the highest number of plant species was found in research site B, bu the highest number of individual plants was noted in research site A. The highest Important Value Index (IVI) of tree, poles, sapling a,nd seedling level of plant species differed among the three research sites. When viewed from the perspective of traditional plant use, the highest ICS of plants utilized by the three ethnics was “coconut” (Cocos Nucifera L). The number ofthe utiliplantslant was different among the three ethnics. Tao Taa Wana people have utilized about 43 plant species, 27 of which were used for medicines, 20 for foods, 2 for natural dying, 18 for fuels, 6 for building materials, 5 for ritraditionaluonal ceremonies. In research site B (Singkoyo), 52 plant spe es have been extensively used by Javanese people for a wide range of culturally related activities, 28 species were used as medicine, 32 for food, 17 for fuel, 7 for building materials, and 10 for ornaments. Unlikely, in site C (Mentawa, 39 plant species were used traditionally by Balinese people; 18 of which were used for medicines, 18 for food, and 13 for ritual ceremonies).

Floristic Study of Anagyris foetida L. Stand in Kermanshah Province (Iran)

Western forests of Iran are considered the richest biological resources of Iran. The rangelands of forest provide the bulk of the forage needed for livestock of nomads and villagers in the region. Therefore, research on this forest vegetation is very necessary. In this research, the studied area is part of the middle-sized Zagros forest ecosystem located in the Kaseh-Garan of Gilan-e-Gharb area (Kermanshah province, Iran). This research aims to achieve the effect of the canopy cover of bean trefoil (Anagyris foetida) as a nursing plant in identifying accompanying species and also identifying the dominant flora of the region. For this purpose, 55 samples were taken based on a randomized pattern with 100 * 100 m network dimensions. By inserting 1 × 1 m microplates into each plot, the total number of plants per unit area was investigated. The results of land surveying in the forests of the region showed that A. foetida with 61.5% had the highest coverage. Also, all of the plant specimens of this area were collected and identified using botanical resources in the Razi University herbarium (RUHK). In the floristic study, a total number of 333 plant species were belonging to 225 genera and 58 families. Among the plant families, Asteraceae had the highest number of plant species with about 19%. In terms of life forms, the highest percentage for both therophytes and hemicritophytes (41%) were found. In the chorological study, the highest frequency related to the Irano-Turanian elements (66%), Irano-Turanian, and Mediterranean areas (9%), Irano-Turanian, the Mediterranean, and Euro-Siberian (8%), Irano-Turanian and Euro-Siberian (7%), and remaining 10 percent related to species with other geographical distribution in the area. Although the Kaseh-Garan area is phytogeographically related to Irano-Turanian, elements from the Mediterranean and Sahara-Sindian have infiltrated this region. Therefore, the presence of bean trefoil stands (with 61.5% coverage), high floristic diversity, and special vegetation of Kaseh-Garan shows the importance of this region and the protection of vegetation in this area is necessary.

Floristic Composition and Litter Deposition in a Degraded Area and in Reforestation with &lt;i&gt;Eucalyptus&lt;/i&gt;

The present study aimed to verify the floristic composition in two distinct areas: reforestation with Eucalyptus and degraded area subjected to fire. Plots of 0.5 m x 0.5 m were demarcated, dis-tributed in transect in the two analyzed areas, were carried out. The analyzed aspects were the following: plant species variability, fresh mass, dry mass and litter. The results showed that the cultivation with eucalyptus was the one with the highest amount of plant species, reaching the number of 17 species, while in the degraded area 11 different species were found. In terms of fresh and dry mass, there was no observed difference between areas. In relation to litter, the cul-tivation with eucalyptus had the highest weight. It is concluded that the cultivation with euca-lyptus showed the highest number of plant species, the highest amount of mulch and green mass; as for the dry mass, there was an equivalence in the results of the two areas.