Occurrence Of Endemic Species Research Articles

Checklist of land snail species of Gua Rumbang, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (Mollusca, Gastropoda), with a description of a new species, Diplommatinarumbangensis sp. nov.

The current study presents an annotated checklist of the land snail species in the vicinity of the limestone hill of Gua (= cave) Rumbang, an outcrop located at the district of Padawan, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The sampling was conducted at the surrounding areas and near the cave's entrance. A total of 62 species, involving 19 families and 38 genera, were recorded. Comparison with previous surveys made in the Bau limestone hills revealed similarities with respect to the species-rich families Diplommatinidae and Cyclophoridae, and the genera Kaliella and Diplommatina, highlighting the regional consistency of the land snail diversity of the Bau-Padawan-Serian cluster. Possibly because of its smaller size, Gua Rumbang is home to two endemic species, while there are eight endemic species in the Bau limestone karsts. This suggests a potential for a significant species diversity within the areas of the limestone ranges that remain to be explored. Nonetheless, the occurrence of endemic species in Gua Rumbang highlights the need to conserve certain areas within the Padawan limestone range since hitherto no protected areas have been proposed in this region. In this checklist, a new species for science is also described, namely, Diplommatinarumbangensissp. nov.

Centres of endemism of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) in the Palaearctic arid mountains: biogeographical and phylogenetic implications

The oreal fauna is connected with orographically limited non-arboreal habitats. Its chorological centres can be recognised by the high species-diversity of numerous typical genera, and by the accumulated occurrence of endemic species and/or subspecies of disjunct species. The oreal fauna is partitioned to the alpine type, as the faunal type of humid high-mountains with strong connections to the tundral zonobiome, and the xeromontane type, as the faunal type of arid high-mountains with close connections to the eremic zonobiomes. As the results of revisions of several Noctuinae genera, species groups and/or sister species were recognised and their distributions were mapped. The restricted areas of allopatric sister species, often described by us as new for science, fulfil the criteria of the “areas of endemism”. Core areas of the Palaearctic xeromontane Noctuidae, outlined by the distribution of endemic species, have been proven by the occurrence of allopatric subspecies of polytypic species, and/or by the presence of allopatric sister species. In the revised genera of Noctuidae several types of allopatric speciation have been identified based on the analysis of the areas of endemism and of vicariance patterns. As a result of these analyses, it is proved that allopatric sister species, as elementary monophyletic supraspecific units, are suitable for phylogenetic biogeographical surveys. Although the major part of the xeromontane fauna appears to be range-restricted, a considerable fraction of the species could have expanded into the steppic zonobiome due to adaptive changes of their life cycles. High diversity of cold-adapted species originated from the Sino-Himalayan mountains by passing two main filtercorridors. One track of this bifurcation was directed across the “Rhododendron-corridor” to the Holarctic taiga zone while the other one, across the “Xeromontane filter-corridor” to the mountain systems of Central and Inner Asia. This bifurcation becomes apparent from the taxonomic division of the genera, composing both of these main faunal types. Supposedly, the faunal movements of the xeromontanean species in the West Palaearctic had been shaped by the Messinian salinity crisis and, additionally, significantly influenced by the Mid-Pleistocene climatic transition which deeply transformed the zonality of the vegetation by cooling and aridisation of vast areas.

Upper Carboniferous and Permian biostratigraphy of the Middle Tianshan

«Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Науки о Земле» — научно-теоретический рецензируемый журнал, обобщающий результаты исследований в области геологии, гидрогеологии и геохимии, петрологии и экологии, ландшафтного планирования и геоморфологии, экономической и социальной географии.

Plant species diversity in a Neotropical wetland: patterns of similarity, effects of distance, and altitude.

The Brazilian Pantanal is an extensive wetland with heterogeneous habitats, primarily due to the river-floodplain system and plants with differential adaptations and reproductive strategies. Factors such as altitude, distance among plant formations, and flood pulse must be considered to better understand its diversity. Aiming to assess the influence of biogeographic patterns in this system, we analyzed the floristic composition of six areas along the Paraguay River, including residual relieves, verifying the pattern of similarity, and effects of distance and altitude. We recorded 356 species in 87 families, mostly perennial (75%), and some annuals (15%) and pluriannuals (5%). Herbaceous plants were the most represented (48%), followed by arboreal (23%), shrubby (15%) and epiphytic (14%) habits, only 12% being endemic to Brazil. The studied areas showed low floristic similarity, but higher resemblance of species between neighboring areas, and no relation with altitude. The upper Paraguay River is diverse, with high spatial variability of species, predominantly perennial. The river-floodplain connectivity may be a determinant factor in species richness and occurrence of endemic species.

SURVEY OF SMALL MAMMALS (RODENTIA AND DIDELPHIMORPHIA) IN A CERRADO RESERVE: CENTRAL ESPINHAÇO MOUNTAIN RANGE, BRAZIL

Despite its high diversity, small mammals within the Cerrado (savanna) at the Central Espinhaco Range are poorly known, and precise information regarding the geographical distribution of all species is still scarce. Here we present data on terrestrial small-sized mammals (Didelphimorphia and Rodentia) from Parque Estadual do Rio Preto (PERP), a protected area in the Central Espinhaco and compare the species composition of this area with other protected areas in the Espinhaco Range. Over the course of 10,616 trap-nights, there were 700 captures of 245 individuals, being eight species from de order Didelphimorphia and eight from Rodentia, with an overall capture rate of 6.6%. We report both, Gracilinanus agilis and G. microtarsus , occurring in sympatry and the occurrence of Thalpomys lasiotis, known to be endemic to the Cerrado biome. We observed that the species composition of the Central Espinhaco contains a set of species different from those found in Southern Espinhaco (Serra de Ouro Branco). This may be most the result of vegetal physiognomies among the inventoried areas and less clearly the result of geographic distance between them. Considering that the conservation strategies focus basically on the richness and the occurrence of endemic species, we here emphasize the need for further research efforts in order to improve our knowledge about the Espinhaco fauna.

Simple tools for the evaluation of protected areas for the conservation of grasshoppers

Spatial conservation prioritization needs a strong informational background on the conservation value of sites. However, standard diversity indices do not distinguish between less valuable (e.g. invasive species) and highly valuable species (e.g. threatened endemics). Furthermore, park managers often lack the taxonomic capacity to study species-rich insect groups. Therefore, there is a need for indices that consider the conservation value of species and simple indicators for the conservation value of sites. The aim of our study was to develop such indices and test them in a biodiversity hotspot. We studied grasshopper diversity in the UNESCO World Heritage “Cape Floral Region Protected Areas” (South Africa). We used endemism, mobility and rarity to calculate a grasshopper conservation index (GCI) for each species and site and a standardized index (GCIn) to evaluate the mean conservation value of species per site. We analyzed the indicator value (IndVal) of environmental factors for identifying sites of high conservation value or high biodiversity. Unlike plant species richness, we found the highest species richness in the Eastern Cape. The main factors determining grasshopper diversity were vegetation heterogeneity, altitude and cover of bare ground. The abundance of wingless grasshopper species and the ratio of wingless to winged species were suitable indicators of conservation value (regarding the diversity of rare or endemic species) of sites. These factors might function as conservation indicators in other regions as well, as they are generally associated with the occurrence of endemic species. GCI/GCIn are globally applicable tools for the evaluation of grasshopper communities.

On the Occurrence of <i>Jansenella neglecta</i> Yadhav et al., and <i>Polypogon nilgiricus</i> Kabeer & V.J.Nair (Poaceae) from the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu

The present paper reports Jansenella neglecta Yadhav et al., for the first time to the State of Tamil Nadu and the occurrence of endemic species, Polypogon nilgiricus Kabeer & V.J.Nair from outside the type locality.

On the Occurrence of <i>Jansenella neglecta</i> Yadhav et al., and <i>Polypogon nilgiricus</i> Kabeer & V.J.Nair (Poaceae) from the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu

The present paper reports Jansenella neglecta Yadhav et al., for the first time to the State of Tamil Nadu and the occurrence of endemic species, Polypogon nilgiricus Kabeer & V.J.Nair from outside the type locality.

Qualitative study of Mollusca communities in the Serbian Danube stretch (river km 1260–863.4)

First detailed limnological study was performed from April 2003 to June 2008 in a 396.6 km long section of the Serbian Danube (divided in three parts; from 1260 r-km to 863.4 r-km) to examine community composition and spatial distribution of Mollusca with special attention to the expansion of Ponto-Caspian species, propagation of invasive and introduced species and occurrence of endemic species. Mollusca samples were collected at 15 sites in April, June, September and November. We investigated the spatial distributions and calculated the faunistic similarity of localities with respect to the community composition using the Sorensen Quotient of Similarity. Site variation in analyzed qualitative traits was examined using correspondence analysis. Additionally, the obtained Complete Linkage City-block (Manhattan) distances among sites/parts were subjected to UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages) cluster analysis. The class Gastropoda was represented by 18 species from two subclasses (Prosobranchia — six families and Pulmonata — three families).The class Bivalvia was represented by 15 species from four families of order Eulamellibranchiata. Mollusca were represented by 33 species belonging to 17 genera and 13 families. Out of five recorded Ponto-Caspian species in the studied Danube stretch, Lithoglyphus naticoides (Pfeiffer, 1828) and Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) are assumed to be invasive species with the highest occurrence frequency (F = 1, each). Four new species in invertebrate fauna for the Danube, denoted as the introduced species — Neozoa, were identified: Theodoxus fluviatilis (L., 1758), Corbicula fluminalis (Muller, 1774), C. fluminea (Muller, 1774), and Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834). The only endemic species of Gastropoda found in the Danube was Viviparus acerosus Bourguignat, 1862.

Anurans of Turvo State Park: testing the validity of Seasonal Forest as a new biome in Brazil

The composition of the anuran community of Turvo State Park was compared with that of other localities of Mesophytic semideciduous Forest, aiming to test the hypothesis that localities situated nearest the Misiones nucleus support the new phytogeographic unit, known as Tropical Seasonal Forests Region. In total 32 amphibian species were recorded in the park area and surroundings: Anura, 30 native species and one exotic; Gymnophiona, one species. The ordination among the 20 localities of Seasonal Forest showed the formation of three groups with 45% similarity: group 1, composed of localities of south-eastern and central western regions; group 2, composed of the localities of the transitional portion with the Atlantic Forest sensu stricto and group 3, composed of the southern localities. The consolidation of the second group, which includes the occurrence of endemic species, supports the proposal of a new phytogeographic unit.

Can diatom-based pollution indices be used for biomonitoring in South Africa? A case study of the Crocodile West and Marico water management area

The inclusion of diatoms into the current suite of biomonitoring tools in use in South Africa, as well as the use of European and other diatom indices in South Africa, and in particular the Crocodile and West Marico water management area, is discussed. The indices, when compared to chemical analyses, proved useful in providing an indication of the quality of the investigated waters. Several widely distributed diatom species were shown to have similar ecological tolerances in South Africa when compared to Europe. Although most of the diatoms encountered in the study were cosmopolitan, several possibly endemic species were recorded. The occurrence of endemic species, not included in existing diatom indices may lead to miscalculations of diatom indices. It is concluded that although diatom indices developed in Europe and elsewhere are useful at the present to indicate water quality, a diatom index unique to South Africa including endemic species will have to be formulated.

Biogeography of Alaskan seaweeds

A recent survey of seaweed specimens collected in Alaska over the past two centuries, together with the application of molecular techniques to recent collections, has revealed a surprisingly diverse flora given the history of glaciation, large areas of unsuitable habitat, and otherwise harsh environmental conditions. The number of recognized species has increased from 376 in 1977 to about 550 today. Species show a variety of biogeographic patterns: species that occur primarily to the south and have their northern limit in Alaska, species that occur primarily to the west and have their eastern limit in Alaska, species that are primarily Atlantic but extend through the Arctic to Alaska, and a number of endemics. Within these broad distribution patterns are more localized patterns often involving disjunctions. These disjunctions, the occurrence of endemic species, patterns of genotype distributions, and the overall richness of the seaweed flora support the idea that marine refugia must have existed in Alaska during Pleistocene glaciations.

Biogeographical analysis of the tree flora of the Yucatan Peninsula

AimThe purpose of this study was to examine the biogeographical relationships of the tree flora of the Yucatan Peninsula (YP2). To this aim we: (1) evaluated the affinities of political entities of tropical America with the Yucatan Peninsula, considering the distribution of tree species occurring in the latter region; (2) assessed floristic affinities between political entities of the Yucatan Peninsula based on endemic species; (3) defined biogeographical districts for the Mexican portion of the Yucatan Peninsula; and (4) evaluated the conservation status of endemic species in the area.LocationThe Yucatan Peninsula is a biogeographical area comprising the entire territory of the Mexican states Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan, adjacent small portions of Tabasco and Chiapas, the El Petén department in Guatemala, and the northern half of Belize. Because of heterogeneous data availability some analyses were restricted to the first three above listed Mexican states (YP1), which comprise the core of the Yucatan Peninsula.MethodsDistributional data of 434 tree species were obtained from three sources: inspection of 7640 herbarium specimens, specialist advice regarding the taxonomic status of the tree species, and an extensive review of taxonomic and floristic literature. We based the various analyses of phytogeographical affinities on Jaccard's Index. Information on individual species distributions was subjected to a multivariate analysis. Occurrence of endemic species in five existing protected areas in the Yucatan Peninsula was analysed by examining floristic checklists available for them.ResultsAffinities of the tree flora of YP1 with twenty‐four political entities of tropical America generally decreased as geographical distances from this region increased. Distributional patterns of the seventy‐two tree species endemic to YP2 showed the strongest affinities to exist between Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and in turn these entities displayed a large similarity with Belize and Guatemala. Regionalization of YP1, based on the distributions of both all species and the endemic ones, led to the distinction of two districts: a smaller one in the north‐western corner, and a larger one comprising the remaining areas. Although the distributions of numerous species in the two groups matched the limits of these districts, ubiquitous species of panpeninsular distribution also occurred. For YP1 we identified nineteen endemic trees, indicating a percent endemism of 4.4 for this area. Of the sixty‐four species endemic to YP2 which occur in YP1, fifty‐two (81.2%) have been recorded in at least one of the five protected areas of this territory (three occurred in the five preserves and nineteen did so in a single one), whereas twelve (18.8%) were not found in any protected area.Main conclusionsThe definition of the Yucatan Peninsula as a biogeographical province was confirmed. The strongest floristic affinities of YP1 were with Mesoamerican entities, whereas affinities with the Antilles were much weaker. The distinction of two biogeographical districts corresponds closely to the peninsula's climatic and vegetational zonation. This regionalization agrees partially with schemes proposed for other animal and plant groups. Further inventory work in protected areas is needed to adequately assess the conservation status of the Yucatan Peninsula's tree endemics.

Historical biogeography of the cicadas of Wallacea, New Guinea and the West Pacific: a geotectonic explanation

The present-day distribution patterns of the cicadas of Wallacea, New Guinea, and the West Pacific reflect the extremely complex geotectonic history of that area. The patterns found in two unrelated monophyletic groups of cicadas (Insecta, Homoptera, Cicadoidea), the subtribe Cosmopsaltriaria and the tribe Chlorocystini with its sister tribe Prasiini, are analysed and related to data from the geological literature. The two groups have a comparable distributional range over Sulawesi, Maluku, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the East-Melanesian archipelagos, to Tonga and Samoa. The occurrence of endemic species, species groups, and genera in congruently delimited parts of this range made us recognize 14 areas of endemism. The areas of endemism coincide with geological entities, which have been isolated during a considerable period of time. Most of the areas originated from oceanic island arcs, which developed as a result of subduction along the southern and western edges of the Pacific tectonic plate, others are rifted microcontinents. Concentrations of species and especially endemic species of the various cicada genera in different areas of endemism suggest that each of these genera evolved in isolation on one of the afore mentioned geological entities. These entities can therefore be regarded as source areas for the genera. The island arc fragmented as a result of collisions first with the Asian- and later with the Australian tectonic plate and several of its parts reamalgamated at the northern craton of the Australian plate, where they now form the greater part of the island of New Guinea. After reamalgamation of the arc fragments the cicadas of the respective genera that had evolved on these fragments could disperse into adjoining areas, but since cicadas are poor dispersers the source areas of the genera can still be recognized in present-day distribution patterns. The generic relationships in the two groups of cicadas under study indicate area relationships that comply with the latest palaeogeographic reconstructions. The main vicariant speciation events in the cicada cladograms correspond with the presumed sequences of fragmentation of the island arc. Cicada phylogeny and distribution combined reflect the historic area relationships rather than the present ones.