Native Area Research Articles

Scheduled tribes (ST) students: Challenge & development

High School education for ST students is seen as one of the most emerging policy issues of contemporary India. Teachers engaged in teaching of ST student’s face unique set of challenges, which are emerged primarily from the unique cultural patterns of Bedia and Santal community. This study was conducted in the native area of Nadia district of west Bengal. Interview of the teachers was conducted in order to get valuable data for understanding the research problem. Data was subjected to rigorous of content analysis to unveil the major themes and patterns in the interview data. The study identified that the issue with teaching ST students lies in their inability to adapt in normal school conditions. The study also reveals that there are large gaps between school culture and family culture of children, creating a situation of cultural mismatch, resulting into creating discipline problems, management problems and poor responsiveness of Bedia and Santal students towards academic activities.

Conditions of emergence of the Sooty Bark Disease and aerobiology of Cryptostroma corticale in Europe

The sooty bark disease (SBD) is an emerging disease affecting sycamore maple trees (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Europe. Cryptostroma corticale, the causal agent, putatively native to eastern North America, can be also pathogenic for humans causing pneumonitis. It was first detected in 1945 in Europe, with markedly increasing reports since 2000. Pathogen development appears to be linked to heat waves and drought episodes. Here, we analyse the conditions of the SBD emergence in Europe based on a three-decadal time-series data set. We also assess the suitability of aerobiological samples using a species-specific quantitative PCR assay to inform the epidemiology of C. corticale, through a regional study in France comparing two-year aerobiological and epidemiological data, and a continental study including 12 air samplers from six countries (Czechia, France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland). We found that an accumulated water deficit in spring and summer lower than -132 mm correlates with SBD outbreaks. Our results suggest that C. corticale is an efficient airborne pathogen which can disperse its conidia as far as 310 km from the site of the closest disease outbreak. Aerobiology of C. corticale followed the SBD distribution in Europe. Pathogen detection was high in countries within the host native area and with longer disease presence, such as France, Switzerland and Czech Republic, and sporadic in Italy, where the pathogen was reported just once. The pathogen was absent in samples from Portugal and Sweden, where the disease has not been reported yet. We conclude that aerobiological surveillance can inform the spatial distribution of the SBD, and contribute to early detection in pathogen-free countries.

Single-shot extended field of view imaging using point spread function engineering.

We present a single-shot computational imaging system employing pupil phase engineering to extend the field of view (FOV) beyond the physical sensor limit. Our approach uses a point spread function in the form of a multiple-point impulse response (MPIR). Unlike the traditional point-to-point imaging model used by most traditional optical imaging systems, the proposed MPIR model can collect information from within and outside the sensor boundary. The detected raw image despite being scrambled can be decoded via a sparse optimization algorithm to get extended FOV imaging performance. We provide a thorough analysis of MPIR design regarding the number of impulses and their spatial extent. Increasing the number of impulses in MPIR of a given spatial extent leads to better information gathering within the detector region; however, it also reduces contrast in the raw data. Therefore, a trade-off between increasing the information and keeping adequate contrast in the detected data is necessary to achieve high-quality reconstruction. We first illustrate this trade-off with a simulation study and present experimental results on a suitably designed extended FOV imaging system. We demonstrate reconstructed images with a 4× gain in pixels over the native detection area without loss of spatial resolution. The proposed system design considerations are generic and can be applied to various imaging systems for extended FOV performance.

Characteristics of Soil Microbial Community in Different Habitats in the Process of Ecological Restoration of Haifeng Wetland in Guangdong

Soil microorganisms can respond to changes in wetland ecosystem quality and functional evolution sensitively. To explore the changes and response mechanisms of soil microorganisms under ecological restoration measures, the characteristics of the soil microbial community and their influencing factors were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology in four different habitats (revegetation area, native vegetation area, tidal creek, and tidal flat) during the ecological restoration process in Haifeng wetland in Guangdong. The results showed that:soil physicochemical properties of the four different habitats were significantly different; the contents of TC, TN, TOC, and TK in the tidal creek were significantly higher than those in the other habitats; and the contents of TC, TN, and TP in the revegetation restoration area were significantly higher than those in the tidal flat. The EC values in the tidal creeks and tidal flat were significantly higher than those in the revegetation area and the native vegetation area. The diversity index and abundance of soil bacteria in the tidal creek were the highest, and those in the vegetation restoration area were significantly higher than those in the bare flat. The archaea in the tidal creek were significantly more complex than those in the other three habitats, and the fungal community diversity index and abundance in the native vegetation area were significantly higher than those in the other areas, which had the most complex community structure. TN and TC were the main factors affecting the bacterial community, whereas TN and EC were the main factors affecting the archaea community, and pH, TN, and TP were the key factors affecting the fungal community. In conclusion, the planting of vegetation on the tidal flat increased the diversity and richness of the soil microbial community during the process of ecological restoration, indicating that it has resulted in positive feedback on ecological restoration so far. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the selection of ecological restoration strategies for the tidal flat.

Changes in soil organic carbon and soil aggregation due to deforestation for smallholder management in the Brazilian semi-arid region

The Brazilian semi-arid region has currently approximately 33.3 million hectares occupied by agriculture, and the inadequate land use and management practices are still predominant, which have been associated with the soil degradation process. Therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of conventional agricultural systems (cropland and pasture) on soil structure using water-stable aggregate and aggregation indexes, and to assess the impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in different soil types and textures in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The study was carried out in the municipalities of Delmiro Gouveia, Inhapi and Pariconha, in the Brazilian semi-arid region of the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Arenosols, Acrisols and Regosols soil samples were collected at 0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm layers. The treatments analyzed were: Cropland with 4, 15 and 30 years and pasture with 10 years. As a reference, native vegetation (Caatinga) was used. Our results show that the maintenance of SOC and structure and soil physical quality in conventional agricultural systems in the Brazilian semi-arid region depend on soil type/texture and climate. In agricultural systems in Acrisols with sandy clay loam texture, a 5.4% non significant increase was observed in SOC stocks after 30 years of use compared to SOC stocks in the native vegetation area; while in soils with sandy texture (Arenosols and Regosols), the SOC stocks were reduced by 16.1% in comparison to areas under native vegetation. The analysis of water-stable aggregate in Acrisols showed great predominance of macroaggregates (>2.0 mm). On the other hand, in sandy soils (Arenosols and Regosols), great predominance of mesoaggregates was observed (<2.00 and > 0.25 mm).

Aquatic species shows asymmetric distribution range shifts in native and non-native areas

IntroductionClimate change is reshaping the geographical distribution of species across the globe. In marine ecosystems, climate change creates novel challenges to an environment impacted by numerous anthropogenic stressors. Forecasting shifts in species distribution, including the expansion of non-indigenous species under climate change scenarios, is a management challenge for today’s world.MethodsWe applied Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) models to investigate the environmental factors modulating the occurrence and habitat preferences of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 in native and non-native areas. With BART models, we also aimed to predict its current and future distributions under two climate change scenarios (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). BART models were performed using global occurrences of the Atlantic blue crab – recorded from 1830 to 2022 – and several environmental covariates (i.e., water temperature, salinity, current velocity, and rugosity). Model accuracy was assessed with the Area Under the Curve (AUC) and True Skill Statistics (TSS) criteria. Cross-validation experiments were made to balance accuracy prediction and uncertainty model prediction intervals.Results and discussionAUC and TSS values indicated that data validation was successful for the BART model. Water temperature was the most critical variable affecting the presence probability of the Atlantic blue crab. The BART model predicts asymmetric distribution range shifts on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The non-native populations will experience broader shifts in their distribution range than in the native range, and the RCP 8.5 scenario model outputs predict a wider distribution range by the end of the century. Overall, we anticipate significant ecological changes in native and non-native areas. The range expansion in native areas is often equivalent to the ecological shifts induced by invasive species, so lessons learned by ecologists and managers in non-native areas will provide actionable insights to managers in native areas.

Stress Level In Ensuring Health Measures Compliance in Local Religious Ceremonies During COVID-19 Pandemic Among Pecalang in Bali

Background: The global covid-19 pandemic attack, especially on Bali Island, is not only causing significant loss of life but also has profoundly transformed the way of living. This situation eventually restricted the participation of Hindhus in religious ceremony activities in Bali due to strict mass gatherings measures. This study aimed to examine the stress level among pecalang (local security officers in a native administrative area in Bali) in ensuring health measures compliance in faith-based ceremonies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: This was a quantitative-descriptive study involving 292 pecalang in Susut District, Bangli. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select eligible participants. Fourteen stress-scale statement items in Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS 42) Questionnaire used to collect primary data from the participants. Data were then analyzed using a univariate analysis in SPSS version 25. Result: The majority of participants, 184 subjects (63%), were aged between 25 to 39 years (early adulthood stage). Sixty-two percent of the participants (181) graduated from senior high school. The majority of them were also working in private companies (141: 48.3%). Findings revealed that the majority of participants were experiencing a normal level of stress (180; 61.6%). Conclusion: The majority of participants perceived normal level of stress in ensuring health measures compliance in local spiritual ceremonies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Invasiveness of Pomacea canaliculata: The Differences in Life History Traits of Snail Populations from Invaded and Native Areas

Pomacea canaliculata is native to South America and has become a widely distributed agricultural and environmental pest in southern China. Previous studies have primarily focused on the tolerance of P. canaliculata to various environmental factors, and compared non-native invasive P. canaliculata with natives or non-invasive congeners. However, there has been no research concentrated on variation in innate growth and reproductive characteristics between P. canaliculata in its native and invaded areas. To address this gap, we conducted the first comparison experiment between P. canaliculata from their native area (Argentina) and from an invaded area (China). We recorded the temporal dynamics of shell height of male and female P. canaliculata, and investigated the sexual maturation and egg-related indicators in two populations from each country, rearing them under homogeneous temperature, photoperiod and food conditions. Our results showed that the shell growth rate of P. canaliculata in Argentina was significantly lower than that of P. canaliculata in China. Moreover, P. canaliculata exhibited stronger reproductive characteristics in populations from China, mainly reflected in the earlier sexual maturity, larger egg masses, higher hatching success, and a trend of shorter incubation period. These differences probably arose due to contemporary evolution in invaded areas under strong selective pressures in rice fields, and, together with more favorable climates, enable the snail populations to rapidly grow and expand in southern China.

Geographical Distribution Pattern and Ecological Niche of Solenopsis invicta Buren in China under Climate Change

Invasive alien ant species pose serious threats to agricultural production, ecosystems, and human health in China. Solenopsis invicta Buren is the most destructive and aggressive invasive alien ant in China, causing serious agricultural and urban economic losses and public health concerns. Estimating its spatial distribution and ecological niche in China is crucial for S. invicta prevention and control. Based on 4195 occurrence records (4096 invasive occurrence records and 99 native occurrence records) and 10 environmental variables, we estimated the potential suitable area and ecological niche of S. invicta in China using the ensemble model and ‘ecospat’ package in R language. The mean AUC, KAPPA, and TSS values of the ensemble model were 0.989, 0.901, and 0.901, respectively, indicating that the ensemble model was better than the single-species distribution model for the simulation. Temperature, precipitation, and human factors are important variables that influence the distribution of S. invicta. Our results showed that the ecological niche similarity and equivalency test results showed that the ecological niches between native areas and China were not equivalent (D = 0.46, p = 0.001), but were more similar than would be expected by chance (p = 0.003). Under current climatic conditions, the total potential suitable area for S. invicta is 192.89 × 104 km2 in China, accounting for 20.09% of the land area in China; this land is mainly distributed in Hainan, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Chongqing, Sichuan, and Henan. Under future climatic conditions, the potential suitable areas of S. invicta will further increase, while the highly suitable areas will shift to higher latitudes. We suggest that early warning and monitoring of S. invicta in the central and northern areas of China should be strengthened to prevent its further spread.

Reaching new environments through illegal trade: evidence of a widely traded turtle in Colombia

A major threat to biodiversity is illegal trade, with many unwanted wildlife pets released into exotic environments outside their native distribution. Therefore, many potential invasive species have established in new ecosystems. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) has been used to predict and compare the environmental conditions of natural and exotic population in many groups. We used ENM to compare the climatic niche between natural and exotic areas of Trachemys venusta callirostris, one of the most traded turtles in Colombia. We generated a niche model using the MaxEnt algorithm through the R package kuenm to test several parametrizations and four sets of fresh water environmental predictors. Models were calibrated in the native distribution and projected to non-native zones in Colombia to identify suitable areas for the species. Further, we use a niche similarity test to compare native and exotic environmental space. We found few suitable areas within the projected zone even when using extrapolation; there was a greater suitability in the Magdalena River basin than in the Cauca River basin. Low similarity was detected between the niche comparison of native and exotic areas, suggesting that exotic populations have reached different environmental conditions than the native zone through ilegal trade. Although there was low extrapolation in the exotic area, the models projected ideal conditions in localities with new records for this turtle. The generalist strategies for feeding, thermoregulation, and reproduction in changing conditions may help this T. v. callirostris establish in new ecosystems, and with no current knowledge on dynamics between this exotic species and local fauna, its effects on aquatic communities are unpredictable.

Multiple Introductions and Distinct Genetic Groups of Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) in China Revealed by Genomic Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms.

Despite numerous studies reported in the context of ecology, the introduction history of the infamous invasive plant Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) remains elusive. In the present study, we explored the sources and the number of introduction events of this species from its native areas into China. Using the genotyping-by-sequencing approach, we identified 34,035 selectively neutral single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to infer the evolutionary trajectories of 77 S. canadensis individuals. Both the principal component analysis and the ADMIXTURE analysis revealed two genetic groups that are sympatric to each other in China and suggested the absence of genetic admixtures. The phylogenetic analysis indicated three feasible introduction routes and multiple introduction events of Canada goldenrod into China. Specifically, the one from the USA directly into China, the other from the USA into China through Japan, and the third from the USA into China through Europe. Based on the site frequency spectrum of these identified SNPs, we inferred strong bottleneck events for both genetic groups, and that the multiple introductions did not rescue the decline of genetic diversity. To conclude, multiple introduction events, genetic bottlenecks, and potential human-mediated spread characterize the introduction history of Canada goldenrod in China. The present study harnesses the power of SNP data in deciphering the evolutionary trajectory of invasive plants and paves the way for future studies concerning the invasion mechanism of Canada goldenrod.

Life History Parameters and Fishing Aspects of the Alien Nimble Spray Crab Percnon gibbesi in a Native Area of the Central-East Atlantic.

Percnon gibbesi is a native crab species characteristic of intertidal and subtidal zones of the Atlantic coast of the European Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands), and probably also in the neighbouring rocky coasts of northwest Africa. P. gibbesi is considered an invasive alien species in almost all of the Mediterranean, with expanding populations from Spain to Turkey, including Libya; However, its biology and ecology are highly unknown, despite all its range of distribution. In the intertidal zones of Gran Canaria Island, this crab, in the intertidal zones of Gran Canaria Island, shows a carapace length range between 4.1 and 22.7 mm (4.1-22.7 in males and 5.7-22.3 in females), where females showed higher weights and lengths than males on average; However, males predominated in all samples, with a sex ratio of 1:0.57. The L∞ for this crab was estimated to be 27 ± 3 mm (23 ± 4 mm for females and 25 ± 4 mm for males). The growth coefficient (K) was 0.24 year-1, the total mortality (Z) was Z = 1.71 year-1, and the natural mortality (M) was 0.47 year-1. Although females grow faster than males, males are more abundant in the larger length classes. Although the presence of ovigerous females indicated that reproduction takes place twice a year, from March to April and from August to September, the number of cohorts detected by the modal progression analysis showed that reproduction takes place all year.

Crossing the threshold: Invasive grasses inhibit forest restoration on Hawaiian Islands.

Forest removal for livestock grazing is a striking example of human-caused state change leading to a stable, undesirable invasive grass system that is resistant to restoration efforts. Understanding which factors lead to resilience the alternative grass state can greatly benefit managers when planning forest restoration. We address how thresholds of grass cover and seed rain might influence forest recovery in a restoration project on Hawai'i Island, USA. Since the 1980s, over 400,000 Acacia koa (koa) trees were planted across degraded pasture and invasive grasses still dominate the understory with no native woody-plant recruitment. Between this koa/grass matrix are remnant native Metrosideros polymorpha ('ōhi'a) trees beneath which native woody plants naturally recruit. We tested whether there were threshold levels of native woody understory that accelerate recruitment under both tree species by monitoring seed rain at 40 trees (20 koa and 'ōhi'a) with a range of native woody understory basal area (BA). We found a positive relationship between total seed rain (but not bird-dispersed seed rain) and native woody BA, and a negative relationship between native woody BA and grass cover, with no indication of threshold dynamics. We also experimentally combined grass removal levels with seed rain density (6 levels) of two common understory species in plots under koa (n = 9) and remnant 'ōhi'a (n = 9). Few seedlings emerged when no grass was removed despite adding seeds at densities 2-75 times higher than naturally occurring. However, seedling recruitment increased 2 to 3 times once at least 50% of grass was removed. Existing survey data of naturally occurring seedlings also supported a threshold of grass cover below which seedlings were able to establish. Thus, removal of all grasses are not necessary to achieve system responses: even moderate reductions (~50%) can increase rates of native woody recruitment. The non-linear thresholds found here highlight how incremental changes to an inhibitory factor lead to limited restoration success until a threshold is crossed. The resources needed to fully eradicate an invasive species may be unwarranted for state change, making understanding where thresholds lie of the utmost importance to prioritize resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The occurrence of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infection on invasive freshwater fish, the Peacock Bass (Cichla spp.) from Tasik Telabak, Malaysia.

Peacock bass (Cichla spp.) is an invasive fish that has established feral population in many freshwater water bodies in Malaysia. Among the negative impact of invasive species are the co-introduction of new parasites, and they also may act as vector to various disease causal agents. The aim of this study was to identify and to measure the prevalence of parasites of Peacock bass from Tasik Telabak, Terengganu, Malaysia. A total of 28 fishes were sampled by line fishing with the help of anglers and examined for parasites by using general parasitological method and microscopic technique. 3 groups of parasites (Protozoa, Digenea and Nematoda) were found infecting Peacock Bass from the lake. 46% of the samples were infected by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a common protozoan parasite that known as the causal agent for White Spot Disease (WSD) in fishes. However, I. multifiliis is not a common parasite for wild Peacock Bass in their native area, this finding could indicate the potential of parasite spillback phenomena from the freshwater fish cages from aquaculture activities in the same lake.

(2946) Proposal to conserve the name Iris latifolia (Mill.) Voss (Iridaceae) against I. latifolia Heer (fossil Iridaceae)

(2946) Proposal to conserve the name <i>Iris latifolia</i> (Mill.) Voss (<i>Iridaceae</i>) against <i>I. latifolia</i> Heer (fossil <i>Iridaceae</i>)

Implications of CO2 emissions on the main land and forest uses in the Brazilian Amazon

The emission of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) in agricultural areas is a process that results from the interaction of several factors such as climate, soil, and land management practices. Agricultural practices directly affect the carbon dynamics between the soil and atmosphere. Herein, we evaluated the temporal variability (2020/2021 crop season) of soil CO2 emissions and its relationship with related variables, such as the CO2 flux model, enhanced vegetation index (EVI), gross primary productivity (GPP), and leaf area index (LAI) from orbital data and soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil CO2 emissions from in situ collections from native forests, productive pastures, degraded pastures, and areas of high-yield potential soybean and low-yield potential soybean production. A significant influence (p < 0.01) was observed for all variables and between the different land uses and occupation types. September and October had lower emissions of soil CO2 and low means of soil moisture and soil temperature, and no differences were observed among the treatments. On the other hand, there was a significant effect of the CO2 flux model in productive pastures, high-yield potential soybean areas, and low-yield potential soybean areas. The months with the highest CO2 flux values in the model, regardless of land use and land cover, were October and November, which is the beginning of the rainy season. There were positive correlations between soil CO2 emissions and GPP (0.208), LAI (0.354), EVI (0.363), and soil moisture (0.280) and negative correlations between soil CO2 emissions and soil temperature (−0.240) and CO2 flux model (−0.314) values. Land use and land cover showed negative correlations with these variables, except for the CO2 flux model variable. Soil CO2 emission values were lower for high-yield potential soybean areas (averages from 0.834 to 6.835 μmol m−2 s−1) and low-yield potential soybean areas (from 0.943 to 5.686 μmol m−2 s−1) and higher for native forests (from 2.279 to 8.131 μmol m−2 s−1), whereas the opposite was true for the CO2 flux model.

Right ventricular-dominant transthyretin deposition: an early stage or a rare phenotype of wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy?

An 86-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital because of leg oedema. Electrocardiography revealed a right bundle branch block, and transthoracic echocardiography showed a left ventricular septal wall thickness of 15 mm. On cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), late gadolinium enhancement areas and high native T1 value areas extended in the basal region of the left ventricular lateral wall (Panels A and C), the right ventricular (RV) side of the septum, and the RV free wall (Panels B and D). Abnormal accumulation of 99mTc-labelled pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) in the myocardium was visualized in concordance with the abnormal areas on CMR (Panels E and F). The patient was diagnosed with wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) due to the histological evidence of transthyretin deposition in the myocardium and no transthyretin gene mutation. In this case, both CMR and 99mTc-PYP scintigraphy, which are reliable imaging tools for transthyretin deposition in the myocardium, revealed RV-dominant transthyretin deposition. Based on the UK ATTR-CM staging system, this case was classified as Stage 1. Since no cases of RV-dominant transthyretin deposition have been reported in the literature, it is unclear whether RV-dominant transthyretin deposition is an early stage or a very rare clinical phenotype of wild-type ATTR-CM. Nonetheless, clinicians should be aware of an RV-dominant transthyretin deposition pattern in wild-type ATTR-CM.

Soil physical quality using an agroforestry system with an agroecological basis

Agriculture based on practices aimed at preserving biodiversity and ecological practices in food production has become increasingly important and viable as an alternative to replacing conventional systems. Agroecological systems are more effective in terms of food and nutritional security demands, strengthening changes in traditional systems in the agricultural sector. Physical attributes can be directly influenced through handling and use, and should be studied. With this, the objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of the soil, through the físicos dosoil attributes in an area managed with an agroforestry system. A completely randomized experimental design was used, with 4 treatments and 4 replications, namely: T1 – area managed with an agroforestry system since 2014; T2 - area managed with an agroforestry system since 2018; T3 - native forest area on the banks of the Paraná River and T4 - fallow pasture area since 2017. The current condition of the native forest system was considered as a reference in terms of soil quality, as it represents the natural condition of land use. The following soil attributes were evaluated: aggregate stability, soil porosity and density, soil texture, degree of flocculation and clay dispersed in water. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance, simple correlation and Tukey's test at 5% probability to compare means. It is concluded that the agroforestry systems positively influenced the physical attributes of the soil, mainly in the pore size distribution, aggregation and soil flocculation.

Invasive Species Change Plant Community Composition of Preserved Prairie Pothole Wetlands

Plant communities in North American prairie pothole wetlands vary depending on hydrology, salinity, and anthropogenic disturbance in and around the wetland. We assessed prairie pothole conditions on United States Fish and Wildlife Service fee-title lands in North Dakota and South Dakota to improve our understanding of current conditions and plant community composition. Species-level data were collected at 200 randomly chosen temporary and seasonal wetland sites located on native prairie remnants (n = 48) and previously cultivated lands that were reseeded into perennial grassland (n = 152). The majority of species surveyed appeared infrequently and were low in relative cover. The four most frequently observed species were introduced invasive species common to the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. Our results suggested relative cover of a few invasive species (i.e., Bromus inermis Leyss., Phalaris arundinacea L., and Typha ×glauca Godr. (pro sp.) [angustifolia or domingensis × latifolia]) affect patterns of plant community composition. Wetlands in native and reseeded grasslands possessed distinct plant community composition related to invasive species' relative cover. Invasive species continue to be prevalent throughout the region and pose a major threat to biological diversity, even in protected native prairie remnants. Despite efforts to convert past agricultural land into biologically diverse, productive ecosystems, invasive species continue to dominate these landscapes and are becoming prominent in prairie potholes located in native areas.

The Impact of Beehive Proximity, Human Activity and Agricultural Intensity on Diptera Diversity in a Mediterranean Mosaic of Agroecosystems, with a Focus on Pest Species.

Diptera, with their participation in pollination, significantly contribute to the maintenance of plant diversity, and they also have great potential for assessing habitat health and preserving it. A decline in their abundance and diversity has been recorded worldwide as a consequence of biotic, abiotic, and anthropic alterations. In addition to pollinators, these orders include agricultural and forestry pests, which are a threat to both cultivated and wild plants that are very important to the economy. Many pests have escaped from their native areas, and it is important to monitor their spread to implement sustainable means of control. Our study provides baseline information on Diptera and Vespidae diversity in the Mediterranean mosaic of agroecosystems, giving information on the importance of human influence on insect diversity. We carried out an insect inventory in Istria, Croatia, using a set of traps placed in the proximity of beehives. This study was also important in determining the presence of pests and newly introduced species. A total of 94 species from 24 families were recorded-7 important agricultural pests of Diptera and 17 new records for Croatia. The correlation between species diversity and environmental and anthropogenic factors leads to the conclusion that total insect species richness, pest species richness, and the first findings depend on human activities. The number of honeybee colonies negatively correlated with species richness, while anthropic influence positively affected total and pest species richness.