Hotspot Status Research Articles

A Cross-Sectional Study of COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Black Communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

COVID-19 preventative practices such as hand washing, social distancing, and mask wearing have been identified as ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, social determinants can play a role in the ability of individuals and groups to adhere to recommended COVID-19 preventative practices. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to explore the COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs), and information sources used in the adult Black population within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). An online questionnaire was completed by Black adults living in the GTA. Associations between KAPs, health literacy, and sociodemographic variables were assessed using descriptive tests. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine predictors of high preventative practices. Of the 169 respondents, most had high knowledge scores (80.5%), low attitudes (85.2%), and high COVID-19 preventative practices (82.2%). Hotspot status, working from home, and high health literacy were found to be independent predictors of high preventative practices. This study provides new knowledge that advances understanding of the COVID-19 KAPs of Black communities in a Canadian context. Our findings point to the inadequacy of current prevention strategies that focus narrowly on individual actions while overlooking the importance of systemic influences on health.

A Machine Learning Approach to Predict HIV Viral Load Hotspots in Kenya Using Real-World Data.

Machine learning models are not in routine use for predicting HIV status. Our objective is to describe the development of a machine learning model to predict HIV viral load (VL) hotspots as an early warning system in Kenya, based on routinely collected data by affiliate entities of the Ministry of Health. Based on World Health Organization's recommendations, hotspots are health facilities with ≥20% people living with HIV whose VL is not suppressed. Prediction of VL hotspots provides an early warning system to health administrators to optimize treatment and resources distribution. A random forest model was built to predict the hotspot status of a health facility in the upcoming month, starting from 2016. Prior to model building, the datasets were cleaned and checked for outliers and multicollinearity at the patient level. The patient-level data were aggregated up to the facility level before model building. We analyzed data from 4 million tests and 4,265 facilities. The dataset at the health facility level was divided into train (75%) and test (25%) datasets. The model discriminates hotspots from non-hotspots with an accuracy of 78%. The F1 score of the model is 69% and the Brier score is 0.139. In December 2019, our model correctly predicted 434 VL hotspots in addition to the observed 446 VL hotspots. The hotspot mapping model can be essential to antiretroviral therapy programs. This model can provide support to decision-makers to identify VL hotspots ahead in time using cost-efficient routinely collected data.

Diversity and Habitat Preferences of Moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) in Indikadamukalana, a Lowland Wet Zone Forest in Sri Lanka

The moths (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of Sri Lanka have not been well studied and no comprehensive scientific study on their diversity has been carried out over the past 100 years. Thus, establishing species richness and diversity of moths in different habitats of the island is important. The present study was carried out to investigate moth species diversity and habitat factors which can affect moths in Indikadamukalana Forest Reserve situated in the wet zone of Sri Lanka. Moth diversity of the forest was investigated for a period of approximately seven months in 2018, where two habitat types as forest edge and within forest were studied. Transect line count method was used to sample diurnal moths and light traps were used to study nocturnal moths. Aerial nets and fruit-baited traps were used to improve the sampling efficiency. Weather parameters of the two habitat types were estimated using a potable weather station. A total of 138 moth species of 19 families were recorded, with forest edge habitat recording 18 families (91 species) and within the forest habitat recording 15 families (47 species). Crambidae and Erebidae were the most prominent families of moths found in both habitats of the forest. Gelechiidae was recorded only from within the forest habitat while Sphingidae, Hepialidae, Tortricidae and Bombycidae were recorded only from the forest edge habitat. Weather parameters between the two habitats did not depict a significant difference. Maintenance of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity hotspot status lies within the wet zone of the country. Thus, long term studies of moth communities of the wet zone are of vital importance

The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot: the example of Chalcididae (Hymenoptera) with the description of a new species of Phasgonophora Westwood and a review of the regional species

ABSTRACT The Western Ghats, vernacularly known as the ‘Sahyadri’ mountain ranges, constitutes a 1600 km chain of hills spread across 189,611 km2 and reaching an average elevation of 900–1500 m above mean sea level along the south-western coast of India. Falling well within Meyer’s classification as one of the hottest hotspots, the Western Ghats is home to thousands of endemic flora and associated fauna. Here we validate the biodiversity hotspot status of the Ghats with examples of chalcidid wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), describing with illustrations a new species of Phasgonophora Westwood (P. rubra Binoy, sp. nov.) from southern Western Ghats. The regional species of Phasgonophora are reviewed along with a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology, exploring the possible congruence of morphological data for the newly collected species. Additionally, diagnoses and illustrations are presented for an unnamed species of Megachalcis Cameron based on a male specimen from the southern Western Ghats. Megachalcis kannapuramensis Sureshan and Girish Kumar is redescribed with illustrations based on a female collected from Aaralam Wildlife Sanctuary, also within the Western Ghats. Distribution maps of Indian species of Phasgonophora Westwood and world species of Megachalcis Cameron are also provided. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1612501C-8FCA-4A57-A01C-BCC6325121A8

Using biodiversity indicators to identify priority areas for freshwater conservation in the African “Mediterranean Basin” biodiversity hotspot

The conservation of freshwater biodiversity is a global challenge for conservation biologists. The loss of freshwater biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin is particularly concerning given its biodiversity hotspot status and that its landscapes have been subject to anthropogenic modification and pressures for millennia. Most research on this region has focused on the conservation of the European region of the hotspot while knowledge regarding the north African part of the basin is much more limited. Recent research on aquatic insects has indicated that considering the combined richness of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) at the genus level is an effective surrogate for wider freshwater biodiversity within Mediterranean areas. For the first time, we use Ephemeroptera and aquatic Coleoptera biodiversity (using richness, rarity complementarity and irreplaceability) to identify freshwater biodiversity conservation priority areas in the African sector of the Mediterranean Basin global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, we undertake a gap analysis to determine how effective protected areas are in conserving the areas identified. Freshwater biodiversity conservation priority areas were mainly located in mountainous areas in the north of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, close to the Mediterranean Sea. Surprisingly, almost 80 % of these areas are currently unprotected. These results indicate the urgent need for policies and international agreements to protected North African freshwater biodiversity.

Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survival Differences and Potential Geographic Determinants Among Men and Women in Utah.

By 2030, early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is expected to become the leading cancer-related cause of death for people age 20 to 49. To improve understanding of this phenomenon, we analyzed the geographic determinants of EOCRC in Utah by examining county-level incidence and mortality. We linked data from the Utah Population Database to the Utah Cancer Registry to identify residents (age 18-49) diagnosed with EOCRC between 2000 and 2020, and we used spatial empirical Bayes smoothing to determine county-level hotspots. We identified 1,867 EOCRC diagnoses (52.7% in male patients, 69.2% in non-Hispanic White patients). Ten counties (34%) were classified as hotspots, with high EOCRC incidence or mortality. Hotspot status was unrelated to incidence rates, but non-Hispanic ethnic-minority men (incidence rate ratio, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.15-1.91), Hispanic White men and women (incidence rate ratio, 2.24; 95% CI, 2.00-2.51), and Hispanic ethnic-minority men and women (incidence rate ratio, 4.59; 95% CI, 3.50-5.91) were more likely to be diagnosed with EOCRC. After adjustment for income and obesity, adults living in hotspots had a 31% higher hazard for death (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.02-1.69). Survival was poorest for adults with a late-stage diagnosis living in hotspots (chi square (1) = 4.0; p = .045). Adults who were married or who had a life partner had a lower hazard for death than single adults (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58-0.92). The risk for EOCRC is elevated in 34% of Utah counties, warranting future research and interventions aimed at increasing screening and survival in the population age 18 to 49.

Incident Learning During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose/Objective(s)To assess the impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on incident learning through evaluation of events reported to RO-ILS: Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System®. The Radiation Oncology Healthcare Advisory Council (RO-HAC) hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic would impact the engagement of RO-ILS participants in reporting to the patient safety organization (PSO) and that the characteristics of the reported events would differ from those reported pre-COVID.Materials/MethodsThe RO-ILS database was queried for events reported to the PSO pre-COVID (from March 1, 2019 to July 31, 2019) and during early COVID (March 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020). Events were then segregated into those submitted by the Top 5 reporting practices and those practices in early COVID hotspot states as identified by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (WA, CA, AZ, TX, FL, NY, NJ, CT, MA, PA, MD). Descriptive statistics were used to describe trends in reporting and differences in data elements provided by the practice and RO-HAC pre-COVID and during-COVID.ResultsThere was a 16% absolute reduction in event reporting during-COVID (n = 1255) as compared to pre-COVID (n = 1759). Practices located in COVID-hotspots had a 33% absolute reduction in reporting, while those not in hotspots had a 23% reduction. However, initial analysis did not identify drastic change in event classification. Amongst the Top 5 reporting practices, there was a 48% absolute reduction in incident reporting; of note, three of these practices did not report any events to the PSO during-COVID. During-COVID, errors more often occurred and were discovered during treatment planning, regardless of hotspot status. RO-HAC independently rated more events as moderate-critical pre-COVID (43%) than during COVID (33%), whereas practices rated more events as moderate-severe during-COVID (25%) than pre COVID (18%). Despite an expected trend towards more hypofractionated regimens, there was neither an appreciable difference in the types of treatment techniques for all events nor magnitude of dosimetric deviations associated with incidents pre-COVID and during-COVID.ConclusionReporting to RO-ILS declined during the early COVID-19 pandemic, especially in hotspot areas. This suggests that resources and time were diverted away from incident reporting to address other critical needs. Three of the five top reporting practices that ceased reporting during early COVID have since reported events after the analysis timeframe, suggesting the decline may be temporary. RO-HAC overall rated events as higher severity than the practice regardless of the pandemic. However, the drop in perceived severity by RO-HAC pre and during-COVID may be the result of changes in clarity of information provided by the practice. Stability in event classification suggests that practices continued to report a variety of events.

Distribution of Panama\u2019s narrow-range trees: are there hot-spots?

BackgroundTree species with narrow ranges are a conservation concern because heightened extinction risk accompanies their small populations. Assessing risks for these species is challenging, however, especially in tropical flora where their sparse populations seldom appear in traditional plots and inventories. Here, we utilize instead large scale databases that combine tree records from many sources to test whether the narrow-range tree species of Panama are concentrated at certain elevations or in certain provinces. Past investigations have suggested that the Choco region of eastern Panama and the high mountains of western Panama may be potential hotspots of narrow-range tree species.MethodsAll individual records were collected from public databases, and the range size of each tree species found in Panama was estimated as a polygon enclosing all its locations. Species with ranges <20,000 km2 were defined as narrow endemics. We divided Panama into geographic regions and elevation zones and counted the number of individual records and the species richness in each, separating narrow-range species from all other species.ResultsThe proportion of narrow endemics peaked at elevations above 2000 m, reaching 17.2% of the species recorded. At elevation <1500 m across the country, the proportion was 6-11%, except in the dry Pacific region, where it was 1.5%. Wet forests of the Caribbean coast had 8.4% narrow-range species, slightly higher than other regions. The total number of narrow endemics, however, peaked at mid-elevation, not high elevation, because total species richness was highest at mid-elevation.ConclusionsHigh elevation forests of west Panama had higher proportions of narrow endemic trees than low-elevation regions, supporting their hot-spot status, while dry lowland forests had the lowest proportion. This supports the notion that montane forests of Central America should be a conservation focus. However, given generally higher diversity at low- to mid-elevation, lowlands are also important habitats for narrow-range tree species, though conservation efforts here may not protect narrow-range tree species as efficiently.

Opening of Large Institutions of Higher Education and County-Level COVID-19 Incidence - United States, July 6-September 17, 2020.

During early August 2020, county-level incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) generally decreased across the United States, compared with incidence earlier in the summer (1); however, among young adults aged 18-22 years, incidence increased (2). Increases in incidence among adults aged ≥60 years, who might be more susceptible to severe COVID-19-related illness, have followed increases in younger adults (aged 20-39 years) by an average of 8.7 days (3). Institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) have been identified as settings where incidence among young adults increased during August (4,5). Understanding the extent to which these settings have affected county-level COVID-19 incidence can inform ongoing college and university operations and future planning. To evaluate the effect of large colleges or universities and school instructional format* (remote or in-person) on COVID-19 incidence, start dates and instructional formats for the fall 2020 semester were identified for all not-for-profit large U.S. colleges and universities (≥20,000 total enrolled students). Among counties with large colleges and universities (university counties) included in the analysis, remote-instruction university counties (22) experienced a 17.9% decline in mean COVID-19 incidence during the 21 days before through 21 days after the start of classes (from 17.9 to 14.7 cases per 100,000), and in-person instruction university counties (79) experienced a 56.2% increase in COVID-19 incidence, from 15.3 to 23.9 cases per 100,000. Counties without large colleges and universities (nonuniversity counties) (3,009) experienced a 5.9% decline in COVID-19 incidence, from 15.3 to 14.4 cases per 100,000. Similar findings were observed for percentage of positive test results and hotspot status (i.e., increasing among in-person-instruction university counties). In-person instruction at colleges and universities was associated with increased county-level COVID-19 incidence and percentage test positivity. Implementation of increased mitigation efforts at colleges and universities could minimize on-campus COVID-19 transmission.

Spatio-temporal variation of malaria hotspots in Central Senegal, 2008\u20132012

BackgroundIn malaria endemic areas, identifying spatio-temporal hotspots is becoming an important element of innovative control strategies targeting transmission bottlenecks. The aim of this work was to describe the spatio-temporal variation of malaria hotspots in central Senegal and to identify the meteorological, environmental, and preventive factors that influence this variation.MethodsThis study analysed the weekly incidence of malaria cases recorded from 2008 to 2012 in 575 villages of central Senegal (total population approximately 500,000) as part of a trial of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC). Data on weekly rainfall and annual vegetation types were obtained for each village through remote sensing. The time series of weekly malaria incidence for the entire study area was divided into periods of high and low transmission using change-point analysis. Malaria hotspots were detected during each transmission period with the SaTScan method. The effects of rainfall, vegetation type, and SMC intervention on the spatio-temporal variation of malaria hotspots were assessed using a General Additive Mixed Model.ResultsThe malaria incidence for the entire area varied between 0 and 115.34 cases/100,000 person weeks during the study period. During high transmission periods, the cumulative malaria incidence rate varied between 7.53 and 38.1 cases/100,000 person-weeks, and the number of hotspot villages varied between 62 and 147. During low transmission periods, the cumulative malaria incidence rate varied between 0.83 and 2.73 cases/100,000 person-weeks, and the number of hotspot villages varied between 10 and 43. Villages with SMC were less likely to be hotspots (OR = 0.48, IC95%: 0.33–0.68). The association between rainfall and hotspot status was non-linear and depended on both vegetation type and amount of rainfall. The association between village location in the study area and hotspot status was also shown.ConclusionIn our study, malaria hotspots varied over space and time according to a combination of meteorological, environmental, and preventive factors. By taking into consideration the environmental and meteorological characteristics common to all hotspots, monitoring of these factors could lead targeted public health interventions at the local level. Moreover, spatial hotspots and foci of malaria persisting during LTPs need to be further addressed.Trial registrationThe data used in this work were obtained from a clinical trial registered on July 10, 2008 at www.clinicaltrials.gov under NCT00712374.

Food Environment in the Lower Mississippi Delta: Food Deserts, Food Swamps and Hot Spots.

The objectives for this study were to examine the location and density of measured food outlets in five rural towns in the Lower Mississippi Delta, determine the spatial location of Delta Healthy Sprouts (DHS) participants’ homes in the food environment, and examine relationships between the spatial location of participants’ homes and their diet quality. Using a food desert/food swamp framework, food outlet geographic locations were analyzed in relation to one another, the distance between DHS participants’ residence and closest food outlets by class were computed, and associations among residents’ diet quality, hot spot status, and census tract classification were explored. Of 266 food outlets identified, 11 (4%), 86 (32%), 50 (19%), and 119 (45%) were classified as grocery stores (GS), convenience stores (CS), full-service restaurants (FS), or fast food restaurants (FF), respectively. A third of participants lived in CS hot spots, while 22% lived in FF hot spots. DHS participants lived closer in miles to CS (0.4) and FF (0.5) as compared to GS (1.6) and FS (1.1) outlets. Participants bought most groceries at national chain grocery stores rather than their closest grocery store. The food environments of the five towns and associated neighborhoods in which DHS participants resided were not supportive of healthful eating, containing both food deserts and food swamps, often in overlapping patterns.

Alcohol Outlet Density and Deprivation in Six Towns in Bergrivier Municipality before and after Legislative Restrictions.

Introduction. In 2016, after the Western Cape Liquor Act was enacted, alcohol outlets were mapped in the six towns from a previous 2008 study to determine: (1) alcohol outlet density; (2) the association between deprivation and alcohol outlet density; (3) geospatial trends of alcohol outlet densities; and (4) the impact of alcohol legislation. Methods. Latitude and longitude coordinates were collected of legal and illegal alcohol outlets, and alcohol outlet density was calculated for legal, illegal and total alcohol outlets by km2 and per 1000 persons. To determine the impact of legislation, t-tests and hot spot analyses were calculated for both 2008 and 2016 studies. Spearman coefficients estimated the relationship between alcohol outlet density and deprivation. Results. Although not statistically significant, the number of alcohol outlets and the density per 1000 population declined by about 12% and 34%, respectively. Illegal outlets were still more likely to be located in more deprived areas, and legal outlets in less deprived areas; and a reduction or addition of a few outlets can change a town’s hot spot status. Conclusions. Further studies with larger sample sizes might help to clarify the impacts of the Liquor Act, and the more recent 2017 Alcohol-Related Harms Reduction Policy on alcohol outlet density in the province.

Hot spot area analysis of onion armyworm outbreak in Nueva Ecija using geographic information system

Onion is one of the high-value crops in the Philippines and Nueva Ecija is the leading onion producer in the country. Though onion is one of the most profitable high-value crops, it is very susceptible to armyworm infestations resulting in huge income loss to the farmers. To avoid losses in the future and expedite assistance by the government in the heavily infested areas, the pattern, spatial information and mapping of armyworm infestation and damage are information of vital importance. However, its importance is still far from realization by the farmers and decision makers, which at present are still depending on the traditional methods of estimating losses in yield/ha basis. Geographic Information System is the most advanced technology used in resources mapping which could also use in identifying heavily infested area through “Hot Spot Analysis”. Hotspot analysis was conducted in this study to identify the spatial pattern and possible sources of armyworm infestation outbreaks. The result shows that the onion area of San Jose was classified as the highest hot spot area of armyworm infestation. On the other hand, the onion areas in the municipalities of Cuyapo, Guimba, San Leonardo, Rizal, General Natividad, Laur, and Bongabon, were also found to be high hot spot areas of infestation, though in moderate scale of damage. The municipalities of Lupao, Munoz, Gabaldon, Santo Domingo, Talavera, Quezon, and Aliaga, were found to be at very low to moderate hotspot status. GIS was proven to be effective in generating hot spot maps of armyworm based on the levels of infestation in the onion areas of Nueva Ecija.

Molecular dynamics modelling of local 3D structural differences in genes when carcinogens are bound at mutation hotspots – The link between structural change and mutation hotspot status

Molecular dynamics modelling of local 3D structural differences in genes when carcinogens are bound at mutation hotspots – The link between structural change and mutation hotspot status

Avifauna of the Gaoligong Shan Mountains of Western China: A Hotspot of Avian Species Diversity

The Gaoligong Shan Mountains (GLGS) of southwestern Yunnan, China, which form the southeastern extent of the Himalaya Mountains, are a narrow range running north–south, rising over 4,000 m in the north and receding into the lowlands in the south. The range is defined by the Irrawaddy lowlands to the west and by the Nujiang (also known as the Salween River) to the east. We summarize results of five recent ornithological expeditions that surveyed altitudinal transects in the southern and northern GLGS. The GLGS are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered a by multiple conservation organizations. We used bird distributions to examine the hotspot status of the GLGS, and we discuss the value of the local species diversity for conservation. We found that the GLGS have tremendous avian diversity for a temperate region, with at least 486 documented avian taxa in the region. However, there is relatively little endemism in the GLGS per se, and ~50% of GLGS breeding bird species are near...

Synchronous phenology of hawkmoths (Sphingidae) and Inga species (Fabaceae–Mimosoideae): implications for the restoration of the Atlantic forest of northeastern Brazil

Biotic and abiotic factors such as resource availability and rainfall may exert influence on the life cycle of several organisms. In this study, we investigated correlations between the phenology of hawkmoths, flowering phenology of Inga Mill. species (Fabaceae–Mimosoideae–Ingeae) and rainfall in one of the largest remnants of Atlantic forest in northeastern Brazil (Coimbra forest with ca. 3500 ha). We carried out monthly hawkmoth inventories and phenological observations of the five most abundant Inga species in Coimbra forest from October 2005 to August 2007. Altogether 39 hawkmoth individuals were collected with light trap or butterfly net, which were ascribed to nine genera and 14 species. With the present study Pachygonidia caliginosa Boisduval (Bombycoidea–Sphingidae–Dilophonotina) is registered for the second time in Brazil, since the species had been previously collected only in the Amazon. The tribe Dilophonotina was the most represented with five species. Animals with short proboscises (14.7–35.0 mm) represented over 69.7% of the sample. Most individuals were collected during the months of low rainfall, the same period of the highest flower abundance of five Inga species. The flowering of Inga vera, I. striata and I. ingoides was positively correlated with hawkmoth abundance. The synchrony of the activity period of these animals in adult phase with certain nectar sources, and the relationship between morphological parameters of hawkmoths and Inga flowers suggest a narrow pollination mutualistic relationship at the study site. Considering the hotspot status of the Atlantic forest due to high fragmentation and habitat loss, as well as the previous local extinction of hawkmoth species in smaller fragments of the studied landscape, our results are relevant for restoration plans not only for the Brazilian Atlantic forest, but for neotropical forests in general, where Inga is native.

To what extent do natural disturbances contribute to Andean plant diversity? A theoretical outline from the wettest and driest parts of the tropical Andes

Abstract. This paper deals with natural disturbances and their impact on vascular plant enrichment at two climatically contrasting Andean ranges, i.e. the perhumid Cordillera Real in southern Ecuador and the arid Cordillera de Atacama in northern Chile. In the first case, main triggers for an additional input of pioneer species during succession stages initiated by perturbations are landslides, mudflows, and, to a lesser extent, cohort mortality, floods, and wildlife damages. Droughts and wind are stressors, which reduce plant growth but hardly plant diversity, in contrast to enhanced UV radiation with its mutagen effect. Though stress effects are similar in the Atacama, disturbance regimes differ considerably in this dry mountain environment. Here, most perturbations are of small dimension such as nitrogen inputs by feces of Lamoids and burrow activities of tuco-tuco mice, both of them fostering nitrophilous plant communities. Flooding, gelifluction, and other denudation processes such as sheet wash occur too, however, do not charge species enrichment in the dry Andes. Although the perhumid study site represents one of the world's plant diversity "hotspots" and, by contrast, the arid one a comparatively "coldspot", pioneer species during successive stages after natural disturbances contribute in a similar percentage to the total plant inventories (appr. 10% of the species numbers). Relatively seen, natural disturbances are most important for species enrichment in the Atacama (200–500 species per 10 000 km2), while most other ecological factors delimit plant survival. Instead, plant life at the Ecuadorian study area benefits from many climatic and edaphic site conditions, and consequently, disturbances are considered only one of many driving forces for its hotspot status (&gt;5000 species per 10 000 km2).

An of Zelotibia (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), a spider genus with a species swarm in the Albertine Rift

The spider genus Zelotibia Russell-Smith & Murphy, 2005 is reviewed. Eight new species, all from forest areas in the Albertine Rift. are described: they are Z. angelica (♀), Z. curvifemur (♂♀), Z. fosseyae (♀) , Z. johntony (♀),Z. kanama (♀) , Z. kibira (♀), Z. lejeunei (♂♀) and Z. subsessa (♀). The unknown female of Z. major Russell-Smith & Murphy, 2005 is described. Z. similis Russel-Smith & Murphy, 2005 is synonymized with Z. paucipapillata Russell-Smith & Murphy, 2005. An illustrated key co the species of the genus is provided. The genus now conrains 22 species, 19 of which are concenrraced in the Albertine Rift, confirming the biodiversity hot-spot status of that area.

Amphibian Diversity in East African Biodiversity Hotspots: Altitudinal and latitudinal Patterns

The Eastern Arc mountain chain and adjoining coastal forests of Tanzania and Kenya have been listed as world biodiversity hotspots. We report on an ongoing attempt to estimate amphibian diversity on the three best studied mountains of the Eastern Arc, the East Usambara, Uluguru and Udzungwa mountains of Tanzania, complemented by an estimate of diversity on the adjoining coastal lowland. This proves to be a complex task, which introduces a note of caution into evaluating global biodiversity estimates. Most amphibian species in eastern Tanzania occur on the coastal lowlands and are widely distributed, extending at least north or south of Tanzania and, to a variable extent, westwards to the elevated interior. Diversity patterns along the length of the lowlands are complex, with the presence of a Sahelian element in the extreme north. On the three Eastern Arc mountains studied, species turnover associated with rising altitude is greater than turnover associated with latitudinal distance between the mountain blocks, leading to greater altitudinal than latitudinal diversity in this equatorial region. A long-standing divergence is indicated between montane and lowland endemics. Although forest-associated species are not the largest contributor to the eastern Tanzanian total species diversity (some 48%), the uniqueness of these species both in lowland and montane forests, combined with their evident vulnerability to disturbance, makes them a subject for particular conservation concern, and justifies hotspot status for both montane and lowland forests.