Low Number Of Species Research Articles

The Multi-Functional Use of Large Tree Cavities by Arboreal Vertebrates in a Temperate Broadleaved Forest of Eastern Europe.

Tree cavities offer protected shelters and resources for arboreal vertebrates worldwide. In general, cavities with larger openings are better accessible for predators and are avoided by smaller species for breeding, but can still be attractive for occasional use. The current study explores the diversity of functional use types and species interactions at the largest available tree cavities (entrance width ≥ 10 cm) in a temperate European forest with a low number of large cavity-breeding species. Year-round camera observations at 9 cavities (range 0.7-3.5 years) revealed 34 visiting species of birds and mammals, including non-cavity-breeding species. The top predator threatening other large-cavity users was European pine marten (Martes martes), which regularly visited each cavity year-round, on average every 0.7 months. Tawny owl (Strix aluco) was the only species successfully breeding in cavities, arguably because of its ability to defend the nests. However, other species visited cavities at an average rate of 1.5 visits per day, making predominantly short visits (less than 30 s) interpreted as exploration, searching for food, or inspecting for the presence of owls (mobbing). Making short visits and time segregation with predators was a behavioural strategy to exploit cavities for most species. These results confirm that, similarly to other keystone structures (large arboreal nests, ground burrows, etc.), large tree cavities attract a significant part of the arboreal vertebrate community and enrich their habitats. To sustain these functions in wooded ecosystems, management should provide a surplus of available cavities and diversity of their characteristics even when the apparent number of breeding species is low.

Constructing sympatry networks to assess potential introgression pathways within the major oak sections in the contiguous US states

Societal Impact StatementIncreasing evidence indicates gene flow commonly occurs between closely related species in diverse plant genera and can involve numerous species. Here, we present a simple method to quantify and characterize the potential for gene flow among “sympatric” species (they share some part of their geographic distribution), using oaks as a case study. The resulting sympatry networks provide insight into potential interspecific gene flow, from the perspective of each species and across the entire suite of interfertile species. In a rapidly changing world, interspecific gene flow will play an increasingly important role in the conservation of endangered species, both positive and negative.Summary We provide a simple method, using geographic distribution data, to quantify and characterize sympatry networks among a suite of interfertile species to assess potential routes for introgressive hybridization (IH). Sympatry is a necessary condition for IH and is easily determined from widely available geographic distribution data. Oaks, famous for hybridization, present an excellent case study. We use county‐level data for 94 oak species in the contiguous US states to determine patterns of sympatry of species within the four sections, assumed to be interfertile. The pairwise sympatry relationships can generate species‐centric local networks or a syngameon‐wide network. Two different measures of sympatry are used: proportional and relative. Most oak species are exposed to IH from many species, with red oaks having slightly higher local levels of sympatry (5.7 vs. 3.8 spp per county) than white oaks but lower total numbers of sympatric species (13.7 vs. 14.8). The nature of potential IH generally differs for threatened species, which are often embedded in the much larger distributions of widespread species. Potential IH within oak sections is widespread and disproportionately affects rare species. Given that IH has potentially positive or negative impacts on species cohesion, persistence, and adaptation, the geographic connections among species and the ‘local sympatry effect’ can serve as a springboard for hypothesis generation and genetic investigation of introgression patterns.

Bird Diversity on an Under-Constructed Educational Campus: A Case Study of Nalanda University, Rajgir, India

Bird species have been critically impacted by increasing anthropogenic activities such as infrastructural construction. Academic institutions with dedicated semi-natural landscapes may provide shelter to high bird diversity. However, assessing the bird diversity of an under-construction campus becomes critical for future comparison. This study was conducted at Nalanda University Campus, India, for five months, as the campus was at the fag-end of the construction phase with diverse land use changes. 91 bird species were found on campus primarily dominated by insectivores and omnivores. Occurrence, and migratory status of the species revealed that 47% were resident, primarily occupying aquatic habitats. Despite presence of Least Concern IUCN status bird species in the campus, substantial number of them had a declining abundance index at the national level. Sites with high land conversion showed a low number of bird species. The overall dominance and evenness highlighted a good bird diversity, contrary to altered sites where both these attributes were high. Data for the documented bird species on citizen science platforms highlighted limited information on species interactions. This study attempted to bring attention to the unchecked impact of construction activities on bird diversity and regular monitoring in the widely discussed emerging semi-natural shelters, i.e., academic campuses.

Water temperature and salt ions respectively drive the community assembly of bacterial generalists and specialists in diverse plateau lakes

Plateau lakes (e.g., freshwater and saltwater lakes) are formed through intricate processes and harbor diverse microorganisms that mediate aquatic ecosystem functions. The adaptive mechanisms of lake microbiota to environmental changes and the ecological impacts of such changes on microbial community assembly are still poorly understood in plateau regions. This study investigated the structure and assembly of planktonic bacterial communities in 24 lakes across the Qinghai-Tibetan and Inner Mongolia Plateaus, with particular focus on habitat generalists, opportunists, and specialists. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA genes revealed that bacterial generalists had a lower species number (2196) but higher alpha diversity than the specialist and opportunist counterparts. Taxonomic dissimilarity and phylogenetic diversity analyses unraveled less pronounced difference in the community composition of bacterial generalists compared to the specialist and opportunist counterparts. Geographical scale (14.4 %) and water quality (12.6 %) emerged as major ecological variables structuring bacterial communities. Selection by water temperature and related variables, including mean annual temperature, elevation, longitude, and latitude, mainly shaped the assembly of bacterial generalists. Ecological drift coupled with selection by salt ions and related variables, including total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, and salinity, predominantly drove the assembly of bacterial specialists and opportunists. This study uncovers distinct bacterial responses to interacting ecological variables in diverse plateau lakes and the ecological processes structuring bacterial communities across various lake habitats under anthropogenic disturbance or climate change.

Integration of ecological indicators to assess a multitemporal impact of cement industries

The present study evaluated an integrated biomonitoring approach based on three different bioindicators: tree rings, lichens, and beetles in a complex environment (urban-industrial-forest). In Central Italy, four sampling sites were selected to assess the anthropogenic impact of cement plants taking into account (1) long-term exposure (1988–2020) through the analysis of trace elements in tree rings of Quercus pubescens; (2) medium-term exposure (2020–2021) through the analysis of trace elements in thalli (outermost portions) of the lichen Xanthoria parietina; (3) short-term exposure in spring 2021 through the bioaccumulation and evaluation of sample vitality in transplants of the lichen Evernia prunastri and a periodic survey of entomological biodiversity carried out during spring and summer 2021. Trace elements of industrial origin were found in tree rings, with different levels of accumulation between 1988 and 2020 and a maximum in 2012. Native thalli of the lichen X. parietina showed an overall low bioaccumulation of trace elements except for Cr, probably reflecting the influence of national lockdown measures. The transplants of E. prunastri showed a weak stress response in the industrial and urban sites, but not in the forest, and identified Tl and V as the main elements contributing to atmospheric contamination, with peaks at the industrial sites. Concerning the beetles, a significantly lower number of species was found at the Semonte industrial site.

Review of the Heteroptera (Hemiptera) fauna of Turkey: perspectives for future research

Research on the Heteroptera fauna of Turkey has not been extensive enough to illustrate its true diversity. Although several factors contribute to this, the lack of an up-to-date and comprehensive review is a basic factor. To address this issue, we compiled a list of all the Heteroptera species recorded from Turkey in the literature and iNaturalist. In addition, we re-examined several specimens preserved in the Lodos Entomological Museum, İzmir, Turkey (LEMT). Consequently, we excluded 24 species from the checklist of Heteroptera fauna of Turkey, and proposed a new synonymy: Psallus (Psallus) pardalis Seidenstücker, 1966 = Psallus (Psallus) oenderi Wagner, 1976 syn. nov. Furthermore, we recorded following six species from Turkey for the first time: Blissus hirtulus Burmeister, 1835 (Blissidae), Loricula (Loricula) pselaphiformis Curtis, 1833 (Microphysidae), Globiceps (Globiceps) coryli V.G. Putshkov, 1970, Heterocordylus (Heterocordylus) cytisi Josifov, 1958, Mesopsallus fagi (Drapolyuk, 1990) and Psallus (Psallus) helenae Josifov, 1969 (Miridae); and described following six species as new for science: Orthonotus efei Çerçi & Koçak sp. nov., Orthotylus (Parapachylops) oenderi Çerçi, Tezcan & Koçak sp. nov., Orthotylus (Pinocapsus) girayi Çerçi & Tezcan sp. nov., Psallus (Psallus) eceae Çerçi & Koçak sp. nov., Psallus (Psallus) pehlivani Çerçi & Tezcan sp. nov. and Ribautocapsus tezcani Çerçi sp. nov. Altogether, 1668 species of Heteroptera have been recorded from Turkey (664 species in the European part and 1633 species in the Anatolian part) until now, out of them, the presence of 37 species needs confirmation. We determined the chorotypical composition of species as follows: Mediterranean (399 spp., 23.9%), European (380 spp., 22.8%), Local (280 spp., 16.8%), Widespread (182 spp., 10.9%), Endemic (128 spp., 7.7%), Turanian (127 spp., 7.5%), Turano-Mediterranean (89 spp., 5.3%), Europeo-Mediterranean (68 spp., 4.1%) and Alien (12 spp., 0.7%). We showed that provinces in the Eastern Anatolian, Southeastern Anatolian, and Black Sea regions had lower numbers of species recorded, compared to the provinces in the remaining regions. Finally, we underlined that 109 species, absent from Turkey, were recorded from three or more neighboring countries of Turkey. In summary, our findings emphasize that despite the abundant research devoted over the last 150 years to the Heteroptera fauna of Turkey, our understanding of it remains incomplete in the majority, if not in all, of the regions. Our findings strongly encourage further research, particularly in regions with small numbers of recorded species. This endeavor will undoubtedly lead to numerous novel discoveries and provide a better understanding of the true Heteroptera diversity in Turkey.

Environmental DNA metabarcoding reveals fish diversity, community assembly and one invasive species prevalence in a National Park of Liaohe in September

The escalating environmental changes are imposing multiple pressures on biodiversity conservation, thereby, more attention has been paid to fish diversity and community assembly patterns. Fish diversity in Liaohe River has deteriorated significantly due to overfishing, environmental pollution and other reasons, in addition, no fish survey related research has been published in Liaohe National Park in recent years. In order to study the diversity of fish species in the area and to investigate the presence of any invasive species. This study used eDNA metabarcoding to explore the distribution and diversity of fish communities in the Liaohe National Park. The study showed that a total of 54 species of fish from six orders, 14 families, and 39 genera were detected, meantime, the invasive species Lepomis cyanellus was found at two sampling sites. The α-diversity results showed that estuarine sites had the highest species diversity. The spatial structure of fish communities in the upstream and downstream reaches were similar as indicated by non-metric multidimensional scaling. In our study, the fish community is influenced by both deterministic and stochastic processes, with the stochastic processes being the main factor. The potential existence of L. cyanellus in Liaohe National Park might be resulted from aquaculture, ornamental pet trade, other economic fish farming, artificial release. The relatively low number of fish species in this study may be attributed to the limited number of sampling events and sampling sites. In addition to these factors, over exploitation of resources, water pollution, and the invasion of alien species have directly impacted the biodiversity of aquatic life. The results of this study lay a foundation for the future biodiversity investigation in National Parks of China, meantime, the use of eDNA monitoring is crucial to prevent, to control and limit the spreading of invasive species in advance.

Diversity and endemism of hard-shelled benthic foraminifera in permanently oxygen-depleted bottom waters: An analysis from the eastern Pacific

Benthic foraminifera are single-celled organisms inhabiting all marine environments. Despite their high tolerance to oxygen depletion, the prevailing hypothesis anticipates a reduction in their diversity in permanently oxygen-depleted environments, including oxygen minimum zones. Here we re-evaluate diversity and study the endemism of benthic foraminifera in the eastern Pacific, an oceanic area hosting the largest permanently oxygen-depleted waters of the world. We focus our analysis on the oxygen-depleted bottom waters and study how they compare with well-oxygenated waters. By utilizing extensive datasets of quantitative information on benthic foraminifera assemblages obtained from morphological traits, we present evidence that challenge traditional viewpoints. Contrary to prior inferences primarily derived from regional studies, our findings reveal that the median diversity (species richness and the Shannon index) calculated on both, living and dead assemblages does not decrease in the most oxygen-depleted bottom-waters. The analysis of unique (endemic) and shared species shows a divide between the neritic-bathyal oxygen-depleted bottom waters with low number of endemic species, and the well-oxygenated abyss hosting high number of unique species. These patterns could be explained by the long-term species exchange in the upper ocean and the isolation of the lower ocean.

Diversity, richness, and evenness of birds in Rana Resort Forest, District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan.

This research was carried out to determine avian diversity in the Rana Resort Forest from June to August 2023. A total of 655 birds were observed; these birds belonged to 36 different species from 11 orders; 27 families and 36 genera were found in the forest. The observed avian species that belong to the Muscicapidae family had the highest number of species, while Strigidae had the lowest number of species. The highest numbers of the order Passeriformes were recorded. Among the bird species observed, 33 were residents, 1 was a winter visitor, and 2 were summer breeders. The species diversity, richness, and evenness indices are 3.5238, 5.3973, and 0.10492, respectively. According to the index results, the Rana Resort Forest is a diverse area, but the species are not evenly distributed due to some of the threats observed during the study, such as habitat destruction, poverty, and unawareness.

Species Compotition of Fruit Bats (Pteropodidae) in Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung

Fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) pollinate around 300 species of tropical plants of high economic value over a wide range of areas. This large role does not match the status of their population, which continues to decline due to habitat loss, particularly in urban areas. The Sumatra Institute of Technology (ITERA) campus, which is currently under development, may result in habitat changes that may affect bats. These concerns have led to the need for research into bat diversity on the ITERA campus. The result could be utilised to monitor and develop the environmental management of the campus. The research was conducted from May to September 2023 in five different habitat types. Data were collected using 3 mistnets and 3 night repetition each habitat. The data were analysed using indices of diversity, evenness and species richness. The study recorded 143 individuals of 7 species. The highest number of species and diversity was observed in the sengon and rubber habitat (6 species). The lowest number of species and diversity was found in the botanical garden (2 species).

Fire effect on the diversity of forest species in a medium superennifolia forest of Mexico

Objective: Evaluate the effect of fire on natural regeneration and forest species diversity in a medium superennifolia forest in southeastern Mexico.
 Design/methodology/approach: Natural regeneration was classified into three height categories (0 to 30 cm, 31 cm to 1 m and 1 to 3 m) and trees in three forest sites burned and unburnt by fire.
 Results: A total of 1193 individuals belonging to 69 species in 29 taxonomic families were recorded. Regeneration from 0 to 30 cm presented significant differences in species diversity in unburnt forest sites, while in regeneration from 1 to 3 m in burned forest sites.
 Limitations on study/implications: These types of studies are a first approximation to natural regeneration after a fire in tropical forests, so it is important to maintain permanent sites to monitor the recovery of ecosystems and thus be able to establish management strategies for the restoration of these ecosystems.
 Findings/conclusions: Regeneration after the fire was established with a low but constant number of species, indicating a tendency towards vegetation resilience. This information allows government institutions to make better decisions on the management and prevention of these ecosystems in Mexico.

Species richness and dispersion patterns of Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera) in the Nuraksa Forest Park, Lombok, Indonesia

Abstract. Ilhamdi ML, Idrus AA, Santoso D, Hadiprayitno G, Syazali M, Hariadi I. 2023. Species richness and dispersion patterns of Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera) in the Nuraksa Forest Park, Lombok, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 62-70. Butterflies play an important role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and pollinators. This study aims to analyze the species richness and dispersion patterns of butterflies from the Rhopalocera suborder in this area. The field survey was carried out from January to July 2023. The sampling site was divided into six areas. Specimens that were successfully collected using a hand net were identified at the Biological Laboratory of Mataram University. During this survey, 1576 specimens of Rhopalocera were recorded. This number consists of 47 species. Several species, such as Junonia atlites Linnaeus, 1763, Junonia almana Linnaeus, 1758, Danaus genutia Cramer, 1779, Hypolimnas misippus Linnaeus, 1764, and Amathusia phidippus Linnaeus, 1763 were found to be new records in the Nuraksa Forest Park area. The habitat types with the highest number of species are the utilization block and the traditional block, with 47 species. The habitat type with the lowest number of species is a special block with only 15 species. However, the highest species richness was found in the protection block, with an R-value of 8.09. The most dominant species is Leptosia nina Fabricius, 1793, and the least dominant is A. phidippus. Each species depicted a varying distribution in the six habitat types. According to the analysis results, it was found that the dispersion pattern of all Rhopalocera species is clustered. The research results themselves contribute to conservation and ecotourism efforts.

Composition, Distribution, and Biodiversity of Zooplanktons in Tropical Lentic Ecosystems with Different Environmental Conditions

A study was conducted to evaluate zooplankton species composition, abundance, and diversity in both natural and artificial lakes with varying trophic levels and to determine the relationship between zooplankton community structure and lake environmental conditions. This study hypothesized that correlations exist between zooplankton community structures and environmental parameters associated with eutrophication in natural and artificial lakes. Sampling was conducted across 16 distinct freshwater lentic ecosystems in Malaysia, including natural lakes/swamps, reservoirs, constructed lakes/ponds, and old mining lakes, spanning a range of trophic levels from mesotrophic to hypereutrophic conditions. Physicochemical parameters were measured in situ, while water and zooplankton samples were collected for nutrient analyses, as well as for zooplankton identification and enumeration. Throughout this study, a total of 58 zooplankton species, consisting of 36 species of rotifers, 12 species of cladocerans, and 10 species of copepods, were recorded. The highest zooplankton density (365.7 ± 13.7 ind L−1) was recorded in constructed lakes/ponds while the lowest density was recorded in natural shallow lakes/swamps (200.5 ± 25.5 ind L−1). On the other hand, significantly higher (p < 0.05) mean species diversity was observed in natural lakes/swamps (H’ = 2.2 ± 0.0); whereas, the lowest diversity was in old mining lakes (H’ = 1.5 ± 0.1). The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) scores indicated that Polyarthra vulgaris and Chydorus ventricosus were the discriminating species in natural shallow lakes/swamps associated with high water transparency. Meanwhile, the small-sized cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia cornuta) and rotifers (Keratella spp., Brachionus spp., and Trichocerca spp.) were the most discriminating species in lakes with high turbidity, nutrients, and chlorophyll a concentrations, which are the main features of reservoirs and constructed lakes/ponds. Low density and diversity in old mining lakes were due to a low species number and the dominance of two species, Lophocharis curvata (38.8%) and Ptygura libera (39.7%). Overall, the high dominance of a specific zooplankton species resulted in lower biodiversity in artificial ecosystems compared to natural ecosystems. This study elucidated that zooplankton community structure in lakes was significantly influenced by the environmental conditions related to the lake trophic status.

Review of the Brazilian species of the genus Climaciella Enderlein (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), with the description of two new species.

Climaciella Enderlein is a genus of the family Mantispidae (Neuroptera) restricted to the New World with records ranging from southern Canada to northern Argentina. The genus is currently represented by 12 valid species, three of them with records from Brazil: C. amapaensis Penny, C. duckei Navás, and C. semihyalina (Le Peletier & Audinet-Serville). Besides the relatively low number of species from Brazil, it is known that Climaciella species present some historical taxonomic problems. In this sense, the main goal of this study was to taxonomically revise the Climaciella species from Brazil, providing detailed (re)descriptions and illustrations of all species, an updated distribution map, and an identification key to the whole genus. The study resulted in some new taxonomic acts: C. tincta (Navás) is revalidated and C. duckei is considered a new synonym of C. tincta; two new species are described: Climaciella hoffmani sp. nov. and Climaciella pennyi sp. nov.

ИХТИОПЛАНКТОН ПРИБРЕЖНЫХ АКВАТОРИЙ ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНОГО КРЫМА В ЛЕТНИЙ НЕРЕСТОВЫЙ СЕЗОН 2023 г.

Background. The last systematic studies of ichthyoplankton in the coastal waters of Southeastern Crimea were carried out 30 years ago. However, despite the high importance of this aquatic area for fish reproduction, the current data on it remain extremely scarce. Relevance. Monitoring surveys of ichthyoplankton carried out by the Karadag Biological Station make it possible to analyze the current state of ichthyoplankton complexes and predict the success of recruitment to the natural fish populations. The aim of this article is to analyze the data obtained during monitoring studies of ichthyoplankton in the coastal waters of Southeastern Crimea during the summer spawning season of 2023. Methods. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected in May–September 2023 in the coastal waters along the south- eastern part of the Crimean Peninsula over a depth of 3 to 20 m. Fifteen expeditions were carried out in the aquatic area of the Karadag Nature Reserve, in Tikhaya (Quiet) Bay and Lisya (Fox) Bay. Results. Eggs and larvae of 30 fish species belonging to 20 families have been identified. The average number of eggs was 145.9 pcs./100 m3, and for larvae it was 15.1 ind./100 m3. Species similarity index for the summer ichthyoplankton in 2020 and 2023 was 0.79. Diversity indices in 2023 decreased by an average of 1.2 times compared to 2020 due to the pronounced dominance of anchovy, which had not been previously observed. Conclusion. The highest number of species (28) was recorded in the coastal waters of the Karadag Nature Reserve: the abundance of eggs was 153.2 pcs./100 m3, and the abundance of larvae was 12.0 ind./100 m3. The lowest number of species (14) was observed in Tikhaya (Quiet) Bay: the abundance of eggs was 113.0 pcs./100 m3, and the abundance of larvae was 7.7 ind./100 m3. In the samples, the eggs of Engraulis encrasicolus (52.0 %) and Mullus barbatus (20.6 %) prevailed. Among larvae, the most prevalent were those of anchovy (46.4 %) and hatched from demersal eggs of Chromis chromis, as well as the fish species belonging to the families Gobiidae, Blenniidae, and Labridae (40.2 %).

Fauna parasitária de metazoários em peixes detritívoros e onívoros do Lago Amapá, na Amazônia Ocidental brasileira

Abstract Despite being an important component of the freshwater ecosystems and an important factor controlling wild fish populations, Amazonian fish parasites have been poorly studied. Here, we analyzed the fauna of metazoan parasites from 10 detritivorous and omnivorous fish species from Amapá Lake in the western Amazon. Of 159 fish specimens examined, 73.6% were parasitized by one or more species of metazoan parasites. A total of 5,260 parasites (24 Monogenea, 14 Nematoda, 10 Digenea, 2 Acanthocephala, and 6 Crustacea) were identified. Aggregated dispersion pattern of parasites was observed. There was a predominance of endohelminth species that presented a similar pattern regarding the level of component communities (i.e., a low species number, low diversity and dominance of a single species, mainly the digeneans and nematodes in their larval stages). Five species of parasites presented correlation with the body size of the hosts. In the fish community, the presence of endoparasites in the larval and adult stages suggests that these are intermediate, paratenic and definitive hosts, reflecting their detritivorous or omnivorous feeding habits. The trophic level and diet had an influence on the structuring of endohelminth communities and infracommunities. Lastly, 38% of the metazoan parasite species were new records for examined hosts.

Structural Indices of the Communities of Benthic and Phytophilous Invertebrates in Water Bodies Differing in the Dose Rate of Ionizing Radiation

The structural indices of the communities of benthic and phytophilous invertebrates were studied in water bodies differing in the levels of external radiation dose rate within the Chornobyl exclusion zone. The macrofauna of invertebrates of all studied water bodies was characterized by low species richness, numbers, and biomass. The obtained results suggest that the benthic and phytophilous invertebrate fauna of the cooling pond of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant differs in its structure from the fauna of other water bodies of the Chornobyl exclusion zone more significantly than these water bodies differ from each other in terms of dose load levels on the biota. We consider the main reason for these differences to be the succession processes in the ecosystem caused by the transformation of the cooling pond of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. There is no reason to claim that the influence of external ionizing radiation determines the change in the structural indices of the communities of benthic and phytophilous invertebrates in water bodies of the Chornobyl exclusion zone.

Characterization and comparison of the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria associated with Basmati-129 & Ranbir Basmati rice indigenous to Jammu & Kashmir, India

Two Basmati rice cultivar (Ranbir Basmati & Basmati-129), indigenous to J&K, were explored for the plant growth promoting bacteria associated with its rhizosphere, rhizoplane and endorhizosphere during its vegetative growth stage. A total of 48 bacteria were isolated, 18 from the Ranbir Basmati cultivar (known for superior quality grain & aroma), 13 from the Basmati-129 cultivar (a high yielding variety) and 17 from the bulk field soil. The bacteria have been cataloged from rhizosphere, rhizoplane and endorhizosphere for two varieties. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and plant growth promoting activities revealed that some bacteria seemed to be common to both the varieties and some were cultivar specific. However, some of these rhizobacteria were also present in the bulk soil and others were not. Therefore, both grain and the soil are source of rhizobacteria, and each cultivar selects and attracts bacteria specifically from bacterial pool present in the soil. In addition, though low number of bacterial species were isolated from the high yielding variety Basmati-129 but it harbored higher percentage of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria; PGPRs in comparison to Ranbir Basmati.

Marine protected areas are a useful tool to protect coral reef fishes but not representative to conserve their functional role

Anthropogenic actions have direct and indirect impacts on natural systems, leading to significant alterations in marine ecosystems worldwide. One of the most notable problems is species loss, as the disappearance of species from an area can compromise ecological functions. This is at the core of a severe biodiversity crisis. To address and reverse these processes, marine protected areas (MPAs) have been utilized as a crucial tool to mitigate species loss, increase biomass, and serve as a fisheries management tool. However, there is a lack of information assessing MPAs from the perspective of their contribution to maintaining ecological functions. In recent decades, functional diversity (FD) indices have been widely used to assess ecosystem functioning. In this paper, we conducted an assessment using a global database of reef fish abundance to analyze the effect of No-Take Zones (NTZ) on the FD and “true” diversity (TD) indices of tropical reef fish assemblages in seven tropical biogeographic regions. We found a significant protective effect for some indices, although these responses were dependent on the bioregion. At the bioregional level, NTZs included lower numbers of species and functional entities than open access areas. Consequently, the functional richness protected within these zones partially represented the functional diversity in each biogeographic province. However, smaller-scale functional diversity indices responded to NTZ protection depending on the bioregion. Therefore, these results reinforce that the assessed NTZs are responsive to the protection of functional diversity, although they are not sufficient for safeguarding ecosystem functions in tropical reefs. This highlights the importance of expanding the number of protection entities worldwide with management strategies focused on coral reef fish functionality, as well as effective local/regional assessments. Thus, a new paradigm is necessary in the planning and creation of MPAs to safeguard ecosystem functions, with a priority given to the protection of ecosystem functions and habitats.

Keanekaragaman dan Distribusi Gastropoda Air Tawar di Sungai Ciapus, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

Despite being part of food web and bioindicator in freshwater ecosystems, gastropods are globally jeopardized. Therefore, the occurence of freshwater gastropods need to be assessed. This research aimed to examine diversity and distribution of freshwater gastropods along the Ciapus River in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. The research was conducted from February to May 2020. Sampling was carried out within limited 15 minutes time period using five 1 × 1 m plots established at each of four survey stations. Gastropods were collected from the bottom of river, rock surface and riverbanks within 15-100 cm of water depth. Environmental parameters were recorded. Data was analyzed using biodiversity index parameters and diversity t-test. The survey collected a total 587 individuals from 7 species of freshwater gastropods. The abundance, species richness and diversity of gastropods in the Ciapus river were different between upstream and downstream, location with high altitude tend to have low number of species. Glyptophysa stagnalis became the only species recorded from upstream area. Meanwhile, there were 4 species, which were collected in other three stations and 2 species that recorded from two stations. In three stations, Tarebia granifera was the most dominant species.