Observed Species Richness Research Articles

Planning insect surveys in alpine ecosystems

Most biological survey programs rely on multi-species inventories (e.g. birds, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies). These programs usually rely on multiple visits during pre-defined time windows. The implicit goal of this popular approach is to maximize the observed species richness. Here, we present a novel method to optimize the timing of survey windows using a framework maximizing the detectable species pool. We present a proof of concept using 20 years of entomological records in Switzerland using butterflies, dragonflies, and grasshoppers. The general framework presented can potentially be applied to a wide range of biological survey schemes. It offers a new practical tool for adaptive entomological monitoring under climate change.

Biostimulation effect of different amendments on Cr(VI) recovering microbial community

The present study used Cr(VI)-polluted microcosms amended with lactate or yeast extract, and nonamended microcosms as control, to investigate how a native bacterial community varied in response to the treatment and during the pollutant removal. Results suggested that providing electron donors resulted in a proliferation of a few bacterial species, with the consequent decrease in observed species richness and evenness, and was a driving force for the bacterial compositional shift. Lactate promoted, in the first instance, the enrichment of fermentative bacteria belonging to Chromobacteriaceae, including Paludibacterium, and Micrococcaceae as observed after 4 days. When the rate of Cr(VI) removal was maximum in microcosms amended with lactate, the most represented taxa were Pseudarcicella and Azospirillum. Using yeast extract as a carbon source and electron donor led instead to the significant enrichment of Shewanella, followed by Vogesella and Acinetobacter on the 4th day, corresponding to 90% of Cr(VI) removed from the system. After the complete Cr(VI) removal, achieved in 7 days in the presence of yeast extract, α-diversity was notably increased. The amendment-specific turnover of the enriched bacterial taxa resulted in a different kinetic of pollutant removal. In particular, yeast extract promoted the quickest Cr(VI) reduction, while lactate supported a slower, but also considerable, pollutant removal from water. Since it is reasonable to assume that a macroscopic effect, such as the observed Cr(VI) removal, involved the overrepresented taxa, deepening the knowledge of the native bacterial community and its changes were used to hypothesize the possible microbial pathways involved.

NATURAL REGENERATION IN MIXED PLANTING FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OF PARANÁ STATE, BRAZIL

Pastures occupy approximately 20% of the Brazilian territory and a significant part of these areas are degraded and have legal environmental liabilities. Ecological restoration is necessary to remedy this liability. The objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of a forest restoration planting in an area previously used as buffalo pasture, through floristic and phytosociological parameters of natural regeneration. The study area was densely populated by invasive exotic grasses (Urochloa spp.) until 2006, when, after eliminating the grasses, six native tree species were planted at 2.5 × 1.6 m spacing. A total of 73 terrestrial plant species were found, the most important being Alchornea glandulosa Poepp. & Endl. - heliophilous, which showed high abundance in all strata. The restoration methodology employed was effective in triggering natural succession in the study area, resulting, after 12 years, in floristic and structural parameters consistent with the initial stage of development of the alluvial Dense Ombrophylous Forest. It is inferred that the well-preserved landscape in the region has been determinant in providing the propagules and dispersers that made the observed species richness possible, while the planting tends to have contributed with the control of grasses and with the recovery of the forest environment, facilitating the arrival and development of these propagules. Evidence of soil degradation by use as pasture was observed, and in former buffalo bathing areas neither restoration planting nor natural regeneration developed.

Validating Farmland Biodiversity Life Cycle Assessment at the Landscape Scale.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) aims at providing standardized evaluations of processes involving resource use, human health, and environmental consequences. Currently, spatial dependencies are most often neglected, though they are essential for impact categories like biodiversity. The "Swiss Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment for Biodiversity (SALCA-BD)" evaluates the impact of agricultural field management on 11 indicator species groups. We tested if its performance can be improved by accounting for the spatial context of the individual fields. We used high-resolution bird/butterfly point observations in two agricultural regions in Switzerland and built linear mixed models to compare SALCA-BD scores to the observed species richness at the field/landscape scale. We calculated a set of landscape metrics, tested their relationship with the landscape-model prediction errors, and then added all significant metrics as additional predictors to the landscape models. Our results show that field-scale SALCA-BD scores were significantly related to the observed field-scale richness for both indicator groups. However, the performance decreased when aggregated to the landscape scale, with high variability between regions. Adding specific landscape metrics improved the landscape model for birds but not for butterflies. Integrating the spatial context to LCA biodiversity assessments could provide moderate benefits, while its usefulness depends on the conditions of the respective assessment.

(109) Analysis of Patient-Specific Microbiome Profiles and Possible Association with Sexual Dysfunction After Cervical Dysplasia Treatment

Abstract Introduction Electrocautery of the cervix during the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) effectively treats cervical dysplasia (CD). Most patients do not report adverse symptoms post-operatively. However, a subset of patients has reported sexual issues and psychosexual sequalae, including some impact to their quality of life. The etiology of these symptoms has not been investigated, especially in a functional capacity. Moreover, there is some evidence that LEEP alters the cervical microbiome, from a small number of studies. Given the close anatomical relatedness of the pelvis, regions in close proximity to the cervix should also be considered, such as the vagina and urethra. Together, these three regions comprise the female urogenital tract (FUT), which should be examined for persistent inflammatory bacterial profiles post-LEEP. Correlations between LEEP patient-reported symptoms of psychological and sexual issues, and bacterial microbiome profiles, have not yet been investigated. Objective To analyze overall and individualized bacterial profiles (cervix, vagina, urethra) of patients with CD before and after treatment with LEEP and investigate associations with sexual functioning. Methods Women with typical female internal organs and external genitalia, undergoing LEEP treatment for CD, were recruited to participate in the study. Urethral samples, in addition to vaginal and cervical swabs, were collected immediately before treatment and 3 months post-treatment. Bacterial community analysis was characterized by 16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis. Self-report online surveys assessing demographics, medical history, and sexual function (FSFI) were completed by participants at the same time intervals. Chi square analyses and t-tests were conducted. Results Alpha diversity (observed species richness) revealed a significant decrease in species richness in the FUT microbiome post-LEEP (P < 0.05). Beta diversity demonstrated significant differences between the cervical, urinary, and vaginal microbiomes pre- and post-LEEP (P < 0.05). Lactobacillus was observed to be significantly higher in the cervical microbiome (P < 0.05), and Prevotella, Dialister, and Ruminococcus were significantly lower in the cervical microbiome (P < 0.05), when compared to the urinary and vaginal microbiomes pre- and post-LEEP. Analysis of individual microbiome patient profiles revealed individuals who showed discordant trends when compared to data summarizing averages. Namely, a subset of participants experienced a significant increase (P < 0.05) in pro-inflammatory bacteria post-LEEP with correlative changes in SD. These results suggest there may be a non-uniform healing response post-LEEP, and that individualized microbiome analysis could reveal regional dysbiosis that could be subsequently treated and managed. Conclusions A diverse inflammatory bacterial community characterizes CD in the FUT, and treatment with LEEP mostly returns the microbiomes to a healthy state. However, some participants showed increased inflammatory bacterial profiles post-LEEP, potentially demonstrating a non-uniform healing response. This study provides a basis for future studies to screen and restore FUT microbiomes post-LEEP, with the aim of detecting and treating any bothersome symptoms reported by patients. Disclosure No

Macrofungal Diversity and Distribution Patterns in the Primary Forests of the Shaluli Mountains.

The Shaluli Mountains are located in the southeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau at an elevation of 2500-5000 m. They are characterized by a typical vertical distribution of climate and vegetation and are considered a global biodiversity hotspot. We selected ten vegetation types at different elevation gradients representing distinct forests in the Shaluli Mountains to assess the macrofungal diversity, including subalpine shrub, Pinus spp., Populus spp., Pinus spp. and Quercus spp., Quercus spp., Abies spp., Picea spp. and Abies spp., Picea spp., Juniperus spp., and alpine meadow. In total, 1654 macrofungal specimens were collected. All specimens were distinguished by morphology and DNA barcoding, resulting in the identification of 766 species belonging to 177 genera in two phyla, eight classes, 22 orders, and 72 families. Macrofungal species composition varied widely among vegetation types, but ectomycorrhizal fungi were predominant. In this study, the analysis of observed species richness, the Chao1 diversity index, the invsimpson diversity index, and the Shannon diversity index revealed that the vegetation types with higher macrofungal alpha diversity in the Shaluli Mountains were composed of Abies, Picea, and Quercus. The vegetation types with lower macrofungal alpha diversity were subalpine shrub, Pinus spp., Juniperus spp., and alpine meadow. The results of curve-fitting regression analysis showed that macrofungal diversity in the Shaluli Mountains was closely related to elevation, with a trend of increasing and then decreasing with rising elevation. This distribution of diversity is consistent with the hump-shaped pattern. Constrained principal coordinate analysis based on Bray-Curtis distances indicated that macrofungal community composition was similar among vegetation types at similar elevations, while vegetation types with large differences in elevation differed significantly in macrofungal community composition. This suggests that large changes in elevation increase macrofungal community turnover. This study is the first investigation of the distribution pattern of macrofungal diversity under different vegetation types in high-altitude areas, providing a scientific basis for the conservation of macrofungal resources.

Altered gut microbiota and microbial metabolism in children with hepatic glycogen storage disease: a case-control study.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that gut microbiota dysbiosis correlated with altered metabolism are implicated in liver metabolic diseases. However, data on pediatric hepatic glycogen storage disease (GSD) are limited. Here, we aimed to investigate the features of the gut microbiota and metabolites in hepatic GSD children from China. Totals of 22 hepatic GSD patients and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy children were enrolled from the Shanghai Children's Hospital, China. Pediatric GSD patients were confirmed as having hepatic GSD via genetic diagnosis and/or liver biopsy pathology. The control group comprised children without any history of chronic diseases or clinically relevant GSD or symptoms of any other metabolic diseases. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were gender- and age-matched matched using chi-squared test and the Mann-Whitney U test, respectively. The gut microbiota, bile acids (BAs), and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were determined from the feces using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The alpha diversity of fecal microbiome was significantly lower in hepatic GSD patients [observed species richness (Sobs): P=0.011; abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE): P=0.011; Chao: P=0.011; Shannon: P<0.001], and their microbial community was more distanced from that of the control [principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) on genus level, unweighted UniFrac: P=0.011]. Relative abundances of phyla Firmicutes (P=0.030) and Bacteroidetes (P=0.029), families Lachnospiraceae (P=0.012), Ruminococcaceae (P=0.008), and Peptostreptococcaceare (P=0.031), genera Blautia (P=0.017), Eubacterium_hallii_group (P=0.032), and Faecalibacterium (P=0.017) were decreased, whereas phyla Actinobacteria (P=0.033), Proteobacteria (P=0.049), families Bifidobacteriaceae (P=0.030), Lactobacillaceae (P=0.034), and Veillonellaceae (P=0.033), genera Lactobacillus (P=0.011), Enterobater (P=0.034), and Veillonella (P=0.014) were increased in hepatic GSD. Altered microbial metabolisms were characterized by increased abundances of primary BAs (P=0.009) and decreased concentrations of SCFAs in hepatic GSD children. Furthermore, the altered bacterial genera were correlated with the changes of both fecal BAs and SCFAs. The hepatic GSD patients in this study presented with gut microbiota dysbiosis which correlated with altered BAs metabolism and fecal SCFAs changes. Further studies are needed to investigate the driver of these changes mediated by either the genetic defect, disease status, or diet therapy.

Predicting diversity in benthic macro‐scale communities associated with mussel matrices in three Pacific ecoregions

AbstractMarine mussels are ubiquitous and their tough byssal threads allow for the formation of expansive, age‐aggregated mats known as mussel matrices which can host marine invertebrates and algal macro‐benthic communities playing an important role in food‐web dynamics. Yet, despite the significant implications for biodiversity and intertidal ecosystem functioning, the role of mussel size, individual morphology and community arrangement in determining the structure of the associated community has never been investigated. Species representative of the green, brown and red marine algal phyla as well as polychaetes, crustaceans and gastropods were sampled from mussel matrices in the Guayaquil (GUAY), Humboldtian (HWS, HNS) and North American Pacific Fjordland (NAPF) marine ecoregions. Linear mixed effects modelling (LMM) and linear effects modelling (LEM) were used to determine the effect of mussel matrices as a predictor of species diversity by incorporating variability due to ecoregion and sampling site. Shell length and stratum index demonstrated significant effect on species richness (Sobs) and Menhinick's richness (D), while stratum index demonstrated an effect on species diversity (H). In the linear mixed model analysis, shell length explained most of the variation in Menhinick's richness (D) and observed species richness (Sobs), while stratum index explained most of the variation in (D) in the linear effects model. Our findings reveal that the level of complexity in mussel assemblages plays a major role in determining species diversity.

The anthropogenic threat for insular microcrustacean fauna (Copepoda and Cladocera) – the case of Madeira Island

Substantial loss of biodiversity and the proliferation of invasive alien species can occur due to land cover anthropogenic transformations on islands. However, the effect of anthropogenic habitat modifications on the distribution of insular freshwater microcrustaceans is unknown. In the present paper, we examine the consequences of human activity on the insular diversity of microcrustaceans in the context of the theories of island biogeography and intermediate disturbances. The samples were collected in Madeira Island at 38 freshwater sampling sites with different anthropopressure. Morphology-based species identification of the copepods and cladocerans was supplemented with genetic analysis (COI) in some species. To estimate the species richness of the island, rarefaction, and extrapolation methods were used. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was applied to assess the influence of geospatial and environmental variables on the species distribution. A total of 20 species belonging to six families were identified, of which 16 species are new to Madeira. There was low similarity between the fauna recorded and known previously on the island. The observed species richness was higher than the predictions by the island biogeography models for Madeira. CCA revealed a strong influence of anthropogenic land use on crustaceans. Anthropogenic transformations locally led to the depletion of fauna, but on the island scale they contributed to the increase of species richness including seven putative alien species. An increase in the artificial land cover and a decrease in the forest areas could lead to a further shift in the domination of non-indigenous microcrustaceans.

Standardized butterfly surveys: comparing transect counts and area-time counts in insect monitoring

The observed insect decline, which threatens agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability, calls for comprehensive international insect monitoring. Monitoring implementation demands standardisation and the integration of new and innovative methods. Therefore, we compared two quantitative butterfly survey methods – the commonly applied transect counts (or ‘Pollard walks’) and more extensive area-time counts. We evaluated the influence of the two methods on the estimation of biodiversity variables such as species richness and species abundance to examine whether they could be applied alternatively for the calculation of butterfly trend indicators. During 576 surveys we conducted 5-minute transect counts and 25-minute area-time counts simultaneously at 144 different sites in Western Austria. The estimated relative butterfly abundance of the two methods for 119 observed species showed a strong linear relationship. While we found 2.4 times more species per site with the more extensive area-time counts than with the transect counts, we also observed a strong correlation between estimates of local abundance (Pearson’s r = 0.85) and observed species richness (Pearson’s r = 0.81) based on the two methods. Area-time counts provide thorough assessments on a given location, enabling a close connection to specific habitat types and facilitating comparability with other plot-based biodiversity assessments. They are more suitable than transect counts when aiming to analyse the drivers of temporal and spatial variability in butterfly occurrence. Furthermore, area-time counts can be used synergistically for the calculation of international butterfly abundance trends (e.g., European butterfly indicators), as we found strong linear relationships for all applied indicators with both methods.

Distribution of foliicolous fungi in diverse forest types of Maharashtra State of India

Foliicolous fungal diversity studies were conducted to document the distribution of various foliicolous fungi in different forest types of Maharashtra and the garden areas of Pune city. A total of 1801 foliicolous samples were collected, from which a total of 589 fungal isolates belonging 360 fungal species under 197 genera were recorded. Various measures of diversity, such as species richness, indices of diversity and evenness and true diversity were calculated. Maximum and minimum fungal diversity was observed for Southern Indian Moist Deciduous Forests (3B) and West Coast Tropical Evergreen Forests (1A/C4), respectively, in terms of the number of isolates (294 vs 31), observed species richness (194 vs 26), diversity indices (Shannon’s = 5.0421 vs 3.2104; Gini-Simpson’s = 0.9911 vs 0.9573) and true diversity (Shannon’s effective number of species = 154 vs 24). Different forest types greatly differed in terms of species composition as well, as maximum similarity (Jaccard Similarity Index = 10.66%) was observed between Western Subtropical Hill (8A/C2) Forests and West Coast Semi-Evergreen (2A/C2) Forests, with only one species (&lt;1% of total) viz., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides common in all forests.

Diversity of duckweed (&lt;i&gt;Lemnaceae&lt;/i&gt;) associated yeasts and their plant growth promoting characteristics

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;The diversity of duckweed (&lt;italic&gt;Lemnaceae&lt;/italic&gt;) associated yeasts was studied using a culture-dependent method. A total of 252 yeast strains were isolated from 53 duckweed samples out of the 72 samples collected from 16 provinces in Thailand. Yeast identification was conducted based on the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene sequence analysis. It revealed that 55.2% and 44.8% yeast species were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota duckweed associated yeasts, respectively. Among all, &lt;italic&gt;Papiliotrema laurentii&lt;/italic&gt;, a basidiomycetous yeast, was found as the most prevalent species showing a relative of frequency and frequency of occurrence of 21.8% and 25%, respectively. In this study, high diversity index values were shown, indicated by the Shannon-Wiener index (&lt;italic&gt;H′&lt;/italic&gt;), Shannon equitability index (&lt;italic&gt;E&lt;sub&gt;H&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/italic&gt;) and Simpson diversity index (&lt;italic&gt;1-D&lt;/italic&gt;) values of 3.48, 0.86 and 0.96, respectively. The present results revealed that the yeast community on duckweed had increased species diversity, with evenness among species. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed no marked differences in yeast communities among duckweed genera. The species accumulation curve showed that the observed species richness was lower than expected. Investigation of the plant growth promoting traits of the isolated yeast on duckweed revealed that 178 yeast strains produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at levels ranging from 0.08–688.93 mg/L. Moreover, siderophore production and phosphate solubilization were also studied. One hundred and seventy-three yeast strains produced siderophores and exhibited siderophores that showed 0.94–2.55 activity units (AU). One hundred six yeast strains showed phosphate solubilization activity, expressed as solubilization efficiency (SE) units, in the range of 0.32–2.13 SE. This work indicates that duckweed associated yeast is a potential microbial resource that can be used for plant growth promotion.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;

Residential greenness and air pollution's association with nasal microbiota among asthmatic children

Both greenness and air pollution have widely been linked with asthma. However, the potential mechanism has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to identify the association between residential greenness and air pollution (fine particulate matter [PM2.5]; nitrogen dioxide [NO2]; ozone [O3]) with nasal microbiota among asthmatic children during the recovery phase. The normalized difference vegetation index was used to assess the extent of residential greenness. Spatiotemporal air pollution variation was estimated using an integrated hybrid kriging-LUR with the XG-Boost algorithm. These exposures were measured in 250-m intervals for four incremental buffer ranges. Nasal microbiota was collected from 47 children during the recovery phase. A generalized additive model controlled for various covariates was applied to evaluate the exposure-outcome association. The lag-time effect of greenness and air pollution related to the nasal microbiota also was examined. A significant negative association was observed between short-term exposure to air pollution and nasal bacterial diversity, as a one-unit increment in PM2.5 or O3 significantly decreased the observed species (PM2.5: −0.59, 95%CI -1.13, −0.05 and O3: −0.93, 95%CI -1.54, −0.32) and species richness (PM2.5: −0.64, 95%CI -1.25, −0.02 and O3: −0.68, 95%CI -1.43, −0.07). Considering the lag-time effect, we found a significant positive association between greenness and both the observed species and species richness. In addition, we identified a significant negative association for all pollutants with the observed species richness. These findings add to the evidence base of the links between nasal microbiota and air pollution and greenness. This study establishes a foundation for future studies of how environmental exposure plays a role in nasal microbiota, which in turn may affect the development of asthma.

Community-level predictions in a megadiverse hotspot: comparison of stacked species distribution models to forest inventory data

AbstractGiven the current scenario of climate change and anthropogenic impacts, spatial predictions of biodiversity are fundamental to support conservation and restoration actions. Here, we compared different stacked species distribution models (S-SDMs) to forest inventories to assess if S-SDMs capture emerging properties and geographic patterns of species richness and composition of local communities in a biodiversity hotspot. We generated SDMs for 1499 tree species sampled in 151 sites across the Atlantic Forest. We applied four model stacking approaches to reconstruct the plant communities: binary SDMs (bS-SDMs), binary SDMs cropped by minimum convex polygons (bS-SDMs-CROP), stacked SDMs constrained by the observed species richness (cS-SDMs) and minimum convex polygons of species occurrences (MCPs). We compared the stacking methods with local communities in terms of species richness, composition, community prediction metrics and components of beta diversity—nestedness and turnover. S-SDMs captured general patterns, with bS-SDMs-CROP being the most parsimonious approach. Species composition differed between local communities and all stacking methods, in which bS-SDMs, bS-SDMs-CROP and MCPs followed a nested pattern, whereas species turnover was most important in cS-SDMs. S-SDMs varied in terms of performance, omission and commission errors, leading to a misprediction of some vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species. Despite differing from forest inventory data, S-SDMs captured part of the variation from local communities, representing the potential species pool. Our results support the use of S-SDMs to endorse biodiversity synthesis and conservation planning at coarse scales and warn of potential misprediction at local scales in megadiverse regions.

Inclusion of juvenile stages improves diversity assessment and adds to our understanding of mite ecology - A case study from mires in Norway.

Arachnid orders, Mesostigmata, Trombidiformes, and Sarcoptiformes, commonly known as 'mites', are abundant in mires, both as adults and as juveniles. However, due to the challenges of identification, the juvenile forms are often excluded from analyses. This is the first study in mires that included all three mite orders identified to the species level, including juvenile instars. We aimed to compare how diversity and the response to ecological variables differed if only the adults (ad) vs. the total number of specimens (ad+juv) are considered. Samples of 20 Sphagnum species (five subgenera) were collected and mites were extracted using Berlese funnels. Overall, nearly 60,000 mites were analyzed; of these Mesostigmata made up 1.87% of the total, Trombidiformes -0.27%, and Sarcoptiformes -97.86%. The study revealed 154 species (33 Mesostigmata, 24 Trombidiformes, and 97 Sarcoptiformes), the highest diversity of mites ever reported from mires. The inclusion of juveniles increased observed species richness by 6%, with 10 species (one Mesostigmata, six Trombidiformes, and three Sarcoptiformes) represented only by juvenile forms. Seventeen species are new to Norway (four Mesostigmata, one Sarcoptiformes, and 12 Trombidiformes, including five undescribed species of Stigmaeidae and Cunaxidae). Four of these were represented in the samples only by juveniles. Including the juveniles explained a greater amount of the variability of Trombidiformes (explanatory variables account for 23.60% for ad, and 73.74% for ad+juv) and Mesostigmata (29.23% - ad, 52.91% - ad+juv), but had less of an impact for Sarcoptiformes (38.48% - ad, 39.26% - ad+juv). Locality, Sphagnum subgenus and species, wetness, and trophic state significantly affected the mite communities and should be taken into consideration when studying mires. Since juvenile stages contribute significantly to mite diversity in mires, they should also be included in mite studies in other habitats.

Taxonomy, distribution and statistical ecology of black mildews fungi reported from Maharashtra state of India

Abstract. Dubey R, Moonambeth N, Pandey AD. 2022. Taxonomy, distribution and statistical ecology of black mildew fungi reported from Maharashtra state of India. Asian J For 6: 97-125. The Maharashtra state of India represents some of the best non-equatorial tropical forests in the world. It supports many endemic species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, especially in the Western Ghats, India. Moreover, a research project entitled "Foliicolous fungi of Maharashtra" was allotted by the Botanical Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate change, India, to carry out the mycological studies. As part of this project, ongoing studies were carried out on black mildew fungi of this state. The present studies offer a taxonomic account, distribution, and ecological parameters of 72 black mildew taxa collected from different areas of Maharashtra state of India. The present study provides three new records of fungi to India, 31 new host records to India, 40 new records of fungi to the Maharashtra state of India, and one new variety, viz., Asterina jasmini Hansf. var. koyani var.nov., depicted by checklist and Figures. In addition, a comprehensive table containing information on location, date of collection, name of the collector, and new records are given for ready reference. During this study, Meliola was the dominant genus with 35 species, whereas Meliolina mollis was the dominant taxon obtained from a maximum of 5 collections. More than 90% of black mildew species are collected from the Western Ghats Districts. In diversity indices, Gini-Simpson's was 0.9818, and Shannon's was 4.1668. Pielou's evenness index was 0.9743, causing true diversity, calculated as an effective number of species (64), to be less than observed species richness (72).

Insights on biodiversity drivers to predict species richness in tropical forests at the local scale

Disentangling the relative importance of different biodiversity drivers (i.e., climate, edaphic, historical factors, or human impact) to predict plant species richness at the local scale is one of the most important challenges in ecology. Biodiversity modelling is a key tool for the integration of these drivers and the predictions generated are essential, for example, for climate change forecast and conservation planning. However, the reliability of biodiversity models at the local scale remains poorly understood, especially in tropical species-rich areas, where they are required. We inventoried all woody plants with stems ≥ 2.5 cm in 397 plots across the Andes-Amazon gradient. We generated and mapped 19 uncorrelated biodiversity drivers at 90 m resolution, grouped into four categories: microclimatic, microtopographic, anthropic, and edaphic. In order to evaluate the importance of the different categories, we grouped biodiversity drivers into four different clusters by categories. For each of the four clusters of biodiversity drivers, we modelled the observed species richness using two statistical techniques (random forest and Bayesian inference) and two modelling procedures (including or excluding a spatial component). All the biodiversity models produced were evaluated by cross-validation. Species richness was accurately predicted by random forest (Spearman correlation up to 0.85 and explained variance up to 67%). The results suggest that precipitation and temperature are important driving forces of species richness in the region. Nonetheless, a spatial component should be considered to properly predict biodiversity. This could reflect macroevolutionary underlying forces not considered here, such as colonization time, dispersal capacities, or speciation rates. However, the proposed biodiversity modelling approach can predict accurately species richness at the local scale and detailed resolution (90 m) in tropical areas, something that previous works had found extremely challenging. The innovative methodology presented here could be employed in other areas with conservation needs.

Agri-driven habitat modification and small mammal species assemblage nexus in the Atewa Range and Bimpong Forest Reserves, Ghana

This study provides first-hand information on how the changing microhabitat in evergreen forests influences the assemblage of small terrestrial mammals. 30 plots of 100 × 50 metres were randomly sampled in the closed forest, open forest and farmlands habitats. Four transects, 100 m in length, spaced at 10 m, were established in each plot. Ten traps spaced at 10 m from each other were placed on each transect. In the dry and wet seasons, small mammals were captured for three consecutive nights twice a year using Sherman collapsible traps baited with oatmeal and groundnut paste. Small mammals were photographed and identified to species level in situ. The multidimensional scaling method was used to identify clusters of sites based on the composition of their communities. Differences in species composition among habitat types were tested using Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance. To identify the species contributions to the major differences between habitat types, a SIMPER analysis was performed. Species richness was compared by subjecting the relative abundance data to an individual-based rarefaction technique. Species diversity of the habitat types in the study areas was compared using the Renyi diversity ordering approach. A total of 507 individual small mammals of 22 species were sampled from both study sites. Our analysis revealed that the composition of small mammal species differed significantly between habitat types in the two study areas. Praomys tullbergi, Mastomys natalensis and Mus minutoides contributed 27.5%, 16.8% and 14.4%, respectively to overall community dissimilarity between the habitat types. Together these three species contributed to 54.8% and 62.8% of observed dissimilarities in Atewa and Bimpong study areas respectively. Overall observed species richness in Atewa (16 species) was higher than Bimpong (14 species). Generally, farmlands and open forests were more abundant, species-rich and diverse than the closed forest habitats in both study areas. Our results supported the hypothesis that different habitat types (farmlands, open forest, and closed forest) in the study areas will differ in small mammal assemblage due to different levels of disturbances.

Wildness and habitat quality drive spatial patterns of urban biodiversity

Urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) are key for biodiversity conservation. Many studies focus on UGBS benefits for well-being, but how UGBS ecological and quality influence urban biodiversity is still poorly understood. We analysed the predictive accuracy of urban wildness (UW) and habitat quality (HQ) spatial patterns to biodiversity in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country. Using GIS techniques, we mapped relative UW as a landscape quality, considering remoteness, challenging terrain, and perceived naturalness. We further evaluated HQ using the InVEST habitat quality module, including data on habitat sensitivity to threats (e.g. population density, light and noise pollution, accessibility) and suitability for biodiversity support, based on a parametrization by expert consultation. We compared UW and HQ to observed species richness obtained from crowd-sourced databases as a biodiversity proxy. UW and HQ models predicted general biodiversity urban patterns, being particularly adequate in UGBS. Peripheral UGBS were associated with higher UW and HQ and positively correlated to biodiversity, as opposed to the smaller-sized centrally located UGBS, more exposed to threats. Both predictors significantly explained biodiversity, and HQ better accounted for threat susceptibility in UGBS. Our findings suggest that small-sized UGBS, such as parks and squares, fail to effectively support urban biodiversity, due to their high exposure and vulnerability to threats, particularly in centric areas. Emphasizing efforts in larger centric UGBS with rewilding strategies (e.g. lowering management frequency) and reducing exposure to threats is essential to increase the habitat quality of UGBS and thus support urban biodiversity.

Contribution of species and functional richness to carbon storage in eucalypt woodland restoration

Biologically diverse forest and woodland restoration can mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss. Understanding the trade-off between carbon storage and biodiversity is important to maximise the value of restoration opportunities. Ecological theory suggests biological diversity contributes positively to carbon storage until the relationship plateaus (i.e., species are added with no effect on carbon storage), and yet in practice, tree monocultures are perceived to sequester more carbon than diverse plantings. Here, we measured the contribution of plant diversity to carbon storage in trees and shrubs ten years after planting for yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis) woodland restoration. We found no evidence for a trade-off between carbon storage and plant diversity. We planted yate with mixes of yate woodland species including native grasses, shrubs, and trees. Ten years after planting, grass establishment was poor, and density of trees and shrubs was patchy. There was some unassisted recruitment of woody species. Diversity was measured as observed species richness and observed functional richness, which incorporated taxonomic diversity, structural diversity, and presence/absence of nitrogen-fixing legumes. Carbon stocks measured were above and belowground tree and shrub biomass, leaf and twig litter biomass, and organic carbon (%) in the topsoil. Across all three carbon stocks diverse yate plantings sequestered as much carbon as yate monocultures. Observed species richness had a weak negative effect on tree and shrub biomass in the best linear mixed model but this effect diminished with the removal of an outlier. Tree density had a positive effect on tree and shrub biomass in models with and without the outlier. There was no effect of diversity on litter biomass and soil organic carbon. Instead, linear mixed models of these stocks showed the influence of soil properties. Litter biomass increased with soil potassium and decreased with soil pH. Soil organic carbon increased with initial soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen. There are potential additional biodiversity benefits of diverse plantings that we did not measure (e.g., soil erosion control, wildlife habitat). We call for more field experiments to explore these potential benefits and to generate the ecological knowledge needed to improve the quality of global forest and woodland restoration efforts.