Biodiversity Of Plant Species Research Articles

Repeated Tree Inventories of Pine Forests in South Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve.

The natural forest ecosystems of South Florida, USA, support a high biodiversity of plant and animal species and provide valuable ecosystem services. However, these ecosystems remain poorly represented in global studies, primarily due to a paucity of standardized data. Here, we present previously unpublished data from 332 censuses of 54 permanent 1-ha tree inventory plots in the Racoon Point area of Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA, including a total of nearly 100,000 measurements (diameter or height) of > 17,000 individual living trees and palms (with additional measurements of nearly 6000 dead pine snags) collected sporadically over a 19-year period (1993-2012). These data, which were originally collected as part of a project to investigate tree responses to different experimental burning regimes, provide unique insight into the diversity, composition, structure, and dynamics of South Florida's unique and endangered pine forest ecosystems. Data files include the species identity, size (dbh = diameter at breast height), and location of all trees ≥ 5 cm dbh in 54 individual tree plots. Additional data are provided about heights of palm trees, and the location and burn history of each plot. These data are freely available for noncommercial scientific use under a Creative Commons license; users are encouraged to cite this paper when using the data.

Plant Species Classification and Biodiversity Estimation from UAV Images with Deep Learning

Biodiversity is a characteristic of ecosystems that plays a crucial role in the study of their evolution, and to estimate it, the species of all plants need to be determined. In this study, we used Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to gather RGB images of mid-to-high-altitude ecosystems in the Zao mountains (Japan). All the data-collection missions took place in autumn so the plants present distinctive seasonal coloration. Patches from single trees and bushes were manually extracted from the collected orthomosaics. Subsequently, Deep Learning image-classification networks were used to automatically determine the species of each tree or bush and estimate biodiversity. Both Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Transformer-based models were considered (ResNet, RegNet, ConvNeXt, and SwinTransformer). To measure and estimate biodiversity, we relied on the Gini–Simpson Index, the Shannon–Wiener Index, and Species Richness. We present two separate scenarios for evaluating the readiness of the technology for practical use: the first scenario uses a subset of the data with five species and a testing set that has a very similar percentage of each species to those present in the training set. The models studied reach very high performances with over 99 Accuracy and 98 F1 Score (the harmonic mean of Precision and Recall) for image classification and biodiversity estimates under 1% error. The second scenario uses the full dataset with nine species and large variations in class balance between the training and testing datasets, which is often the case in practical use situations. The results in this case remained fairly high for Accuracy at 90.64% but dropped to 51.77% for F1 Score. The relatively low F1 Score value is partly due to a small number of misclassifications having a disproportionate impact in the final measure, but still, the large difference between the Accuracy and F1 Score highlights the complexity of finely evaluating the classification results of Deep Learning Networks. Even in this very challenging scenario, the biodiversity estimation remained with relatively small (6–14%) errors for the most detailed indices, showcasing the readiness of the technology for practical use.

FOREST FOOD RESOURCES IN THE SAKHA REPUBLIC (YAKUTIA)

According to the “Ecosystem Services of Russia” Prototype of National Report (2016), data on terrestrial ecosystem resources in Russia are fragmented. The purpose of this work is to fill the existing gaps in the knowledge of the biodiversity of plant species and the sustainability of traditional food systems across the economic zones of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Materials and methods. Although the range of edible plants in Yakutia counts more than 100 species, only nine species of berries, eight species of mushrooms, and three species of other food plants were classified as resource-significant based on the consolidated archive materials of the IBPC at FRC YaSC SB RAS and the results of the field studies carried out in 2002-2019. This list of twenty species was tested via a socio-economic survey undertaken as part of the RISE project in 2021-2023. The study was conducted with the permission of the local biomedical ethics committee of the Medical Institute of the North-Eastern Federal University. Each participant signed an informed consent form to be surveyed, according to the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, which regulates the research involving human subjects. The study embraced 400 rural households. Results. The data on biological stocks of resource-significant food species of Yakutia’s forests were presented based on the consolidated archive materials and results of the field studies undertaken by the IBPC at FRC YaSC SB RAS. Coupled research methods of natural and social sciences were used to produce the estimates of the economic reserves of berries and mushrooms across economic zones of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and the volumes of their harvesting by rural households and the population of the region in general. Conclusion. Social methods have proven reliable for studying biodiversity in a large-sized region. They allow to fill the gaps in the databases built on the results of field studies, particularly in terms of popularity and, accordingly, the prevalence of certain food species. The higher productivity and diversity of flora in Southern Yakutia were confirmed compared to the Arctic and other economic zones. Funding. The reported study was performed under the e-Asia Climate Call and funded by RFBR, project number 21-55-70104, and project VI.52.1.8. “Theoretical and applied aspects of investigation the diversity of the vegetation of Northern and Central Yakutia (East Siberia)” 0376-2016-0001; registration number АААА-А17-117020110056-0.

Potential biodiversity of biopesticide plants in the Sopotinjak Sector, Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP), Mandailing Natal, North Sumatera

Indonesia is rich in biodiversity of plant species as a source of medicinal chemicals and biopesticides, most of which have not been identified for their chemical potential. One potential that has not been explored is a source of poisons for the manufacture of biopesticides. This research aims to identify and diversify poisonous plants in the Sopotinjak sector, Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP), Mandailing Natal. The results of the study show that the sopotinjak forest is included in secondary to a primary forest where the H” index (Shannon-Wienner Index) includes height (>3.00) at the level of trees (3.74), poles (3.11), and understoreys (3.41), and moderate (2.00-3.00) at the saplings (2.81) and seedlings (2.23). Vegetation analysis measurements showed that there were 16 species of biopesticide plants where all species had itching, burning, burning, and excessive irritation if exposed to the skin. Based on the level it shows that there are 8 species of tree level, 6 species of saplings and undergrowth, 4 species of poles, and 2 species of seedlings. Based on height it shows that the measurement area is from 1000-1600 masl was not significantly related to the number of individuals found and the species present, found 19-30 species of undergrowth, 9-14 species at seedling level, 16-21 species at sapling level, 10-30 species at pole level, and 32-50 species at tree level.

THE INFLUENCE OF PROSOPIS JULIFLORA ON FARMLAND AND RANGELAND IN BALADWEYNE, HIRAN-SOMALIA

This study investigates the influence of Prosopis juliflora on farmland and rangeland in Beledweyne-Hiran, Somalia. The objectives of this study were; To examine the influence of Prosopis juliflora on the plant species biodiversity on farmlands and rangelands. To identify the effect of Prosopis juliflora on pasture and agriculture productivity on rangeland and farmlands, to investigate the Causes of the invasion and displacement of Prosopis juliflora on farmlands and rangelands, This study adopted a quantitative research design, particularly a descriptive design. Structured questionnaires were conducted with 80 participants. Our analysis showed that Prosopis juliflora negatively influences farmland and rangeland in Beledweyne. A higher proportion of the respondents (80%) agreed that Prosopis juliflora outcompetes native plant species for resources such as light, water, and nutrients, reducing the abundance and diversity of the native plant species. Prosopis juliflora also affects pasture and agriculture productivity. A higher proportion of the respondents (81.3) agreed that there is a negative relationship between the increase in Prosopis juliflora invasion and fodder/feed availability on grazing lands. In this study, it is found that there were many factors that cause of invasion and displacement of Prosopis juliflora. A higher proportion of the respondents (85%) agreed that the success of the Prosopis juliflora invasion is largely attributed to the high number of seeds produced and their efficient dispersal mechanisms. The researchers recommended Organizing people (forming a task force) to manually manage Prosopis in areas with potential uses such as farming, settlement, grazing and other uses prior to the species maturing and bearing fruit and to raise the public awareness, especially in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas, about the effects of Prosopis on agricultural productivity, human health, and the ecosystem is also essential. In line with this, cost-effective and simple control methods that can be accomplished by these groups should be identified and implemented.

Formulation, Dosage, and Exposure Time of Natural Substances in Controlling Aedes aegypti Larvae

The incidence of vector-borne diseases in Indonesia, particularly Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), continues to escalate. This surge correlates with climate change, the extreme transition from hot to rainy seasons. The use of synthetic chemicals for control measures can also poses environmental risks; hence, there is a necessity to explore natural control methods by harnessing the biodiversity of plant species within the environment. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of botanical extract mixture on the mortality of Aedes aegypti larvae. Method: This study utilizes an experimental design with a complete factorial random arrangement, which aimed at elucidating the effectiveness of plant extract as a bio-larvacide against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The effectiveness is measured through larval mortality rates based on a formulated equation, with dosage and exposure time as the research variables. The research was conducted in the Environmental Health Departement Laboratory at Health Polytechnic of Tanjungkarang from March to July 2023. The observational sheet serves as the instrument The collected data are processed and analysed using ANOVA to discern variations in larva mortality based on the formula, linear regression is applied to explore the influence of dosage and exposure time on larva mortality. Result: The result of this study exhibits that the most efficacious formulations to terminate larvaes were determined to be the 9th, 10th, and 11th formulations. Furthermore, an extended exposure time correlates with the escalating rate of larval demise. The statistical model prosperously accounts for 88,59% of the variability in the response pertaining to Aedes larval mortality. Conclusion: This study discerns that individually, the formula, dosage, and exposure time, also demonstrates an impact on larval death. This study unveils that an insecticidal formula derived from soursop leaves yields a higher mortality effect compared to formulations based on other materials.

Weed Population Dynamics under Organic, Bio-dynamic, Conventional Bt and Non-Bt Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Aim: In order to compare the weed seed bank and population dynamics under organic, biodynamic, Bt-conventional, and non-Bt conventional management systems of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), a field experiment was carried out.
 Study Design: Randomized Block Design (RBD)
 Place and Duration of Study: bioRe-FiBL research trails, bioRe Association, Kasrawad, Khurgone, Madhya Pradesh during the kharif season of 2020-21.
 Methodology: Five distinct crop management techniques were used in the field experiment, each duplicated four times, and the experiment was set up using a randomized block design. The treatments were distributed at random to different plots. The five management treatments were Absolute Control (no fertilizers), Conventional management of non-Bt cotton, Conventional management of Bt cotton, Bio-dynamic and Organic management of cotton. For the duration of the experiment, four 1 m × 1 m (1 m2) quadrats were randomly placed on each experimental plot's four sides, and different biometric observations were recorded from each quadrant according to its treatment. For the purpose of collecting the necessary observations, two of these quadrants were regularly weeded every 20 days, while the other two were left unweeded for the duration of the experiment.
 Results: The dominant weed species includes Panicum dichotomiflorum, Cyperus rotundus, Paspalum dilatatum, Euphorbia hirta, Acalypha indica and Digeria arvensis. Poaceae was the dominant family in terms of composition. There was very less variation in the weed flora between the treatments. Significantly higher weed seed bank, weed species, weed density and weed dry weight were observed in Organic and Biodynamic cotton than in the Conventional cotton. Weed control efficiency was found to be maximum in the Conventional cotton compared to the Organic and Biodynamic cotton.
 Conclusion: From the experiment, it can be concluded that the Conventional cotton especially Conventional management Bt Cotton was found to be most efficient among all the treatments. However, the Organic cotton was observed with high number of overall plant species and best in conserving the plant species biodiversity.

Botanical Collection Patterns and Conservation Categories of the Most Traded Timber Species from the Ecuadorian Amazon: The Role of Protected Areas.

The Ecuadorian Amazon is home to a rich biodiversity of woody plant species. Nonetheless, their conservation remains difficult, as some areas remain poorly explored and lack georeferenced records. Therefore, the current study aims predominantly to analyze the collection patterns of timber species in the Amazon lowlands of Ecuador and to evaluate the conservation coverage of these species in protected areas. Furthermore, we try to determine the conservation category of the species according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List. We identified that one third of the timber species in the study area was concentrated in three provinces due to historical botanical expeditions. However, a worrying 22.0% of the species had less than five records of presence, and 29.9% had less than ten records, indicating a possible underestimation of their presence. In addition, almost half of the species evaluated were unprotected, exposing them to deforestation risks and threats. To improve knowledge and conservation of forest biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon, it is recommended to perform new botanical samplings in little-explored areas and digitize data in national herbaria. It is critical to implement automated assessments of the conservation status of species with insufficient data. In addition, it is suggested to use species distribution models to identify optimal areas for forest restoration initiatives. Effective communication of results and collaboration between scientists, governments, and local communities are key to the protection and sustainable management of forest biodiversity in the Amazon region.

Inventarisasi Pemanfaatan Tumbuhan Obat di Hutan Larangan Adat Kenagarian Rumbio Kampar dan Relevansinya Sebagai Sumber Pembelajaran Ekopedagogik Berbasis Kearifan Lokal

Plants have important benefits in people's lives. This utilization is important to be packaged in the form of an inventory. Inventory has benefits in the development of environmental education or eco-pedagogy based on local wisdom. This study aims to identify an inventory of the use of plants by local communities, and describe the conceptual framework of the relevance of the inventory results as a source of ecopedagogic learning based on local wisdom. This research was conducted with the aim of benefiting from the availability of a variety of biodiversity of medicinal plant species in the Kenegerian Rumbio Customary Prohibition Forest which can be used as herbal medicine. This research is a qualitative research with descriptive analysis. Inventory data collection was carried out through key informant interviews, then continued with an analysis of the relevance of inventorying the use of plants as a source of ecopedagogic learning based on local wisdom with a literature study approach. The findings of this study were as many as 46 species of plants used by local people, dominated by use as medicine. This information is relevant to be developed as a source of ecopedagogic learning based on local wisdom. The steps taken are to formulate regional potential data, in this case, an inventory of the use of plants by the local community, then the available data is developed into a source of ecopedagogic learning through various development models

Ecological Risks from Atmospheric Deposition of Nitrogen and Sulphur in Jack Pine forests of Northwestern Canada

Chronic elevated nitrogen (N) deposition can have adverse effects on terrestrial ecosystems. For large areas of northern Canada distant from emissions sources, long-range atmospheric transport of N may impact plant species diversity, even at low deposition levels. The objective of this study was to establish plant species community thresholds for N deposition under multiple environmental gradients using gradient forest analysis. Plant species abundance data for 297 Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.)-dominant forest plots across Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, were evaluated against 43 bioclimatic and deposition variables. Bioclimatic variables were overwhelmingly the most important drivers of community thresholds. Nonetheless, dry N oxide (DNO) and dry N dioxide deposition inferred a total deposited N (TDN) community threshold of 1.4–2.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1. This range was predominantly associated with changes in several lichen species, including Cladina mitis, Vulpicida pinastri, Evernia mesomorpha and Lecanora circumborealis, some of which are known bioindicators of N deposition. A secondary DNO threshold appeared to be driving changes in several vascular species and was equivalent to 2.45–3.15 kg N ha−1 yr−1 on the TDN gradient. These results suggest that in low deposition ‘background’ regions a biodiversity-based empirical critical load of 1.4–3.15 kg N ha−1 yr−1 will protect lichen communities and other N-sensitive species in Jack pine forests across Northwestern Canada. Nitrogen deposition above the critical load may lead to adverse effects on plant species biodiversity within these forests.

A Comparative study on Biodiversity of Plant species between Natural forest and Coffee agro forest in Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

We studied plant biodiversity (trees, shrubs and herbs) in two kinds of forests, natural and coffee agro forests and comparing diversity of plant species between them. The natural forest contained 63 plant species in total, of which 44 were trees, 5 were shrubs, and 14 were herbs. The planted forest, on the other hand, contained 42 species of flora, including 35 trees, 1 shrub, and 6 herbs. In the natural forest, the ShannonWiener diversity indices for trees, shrubs, and herbs were 3.26, 1.53, and 2.57, respectively. In the coffee agro forest, it was 2.91 for tree species, 0.00 for shrub species, and 1.77 for herb species. Simpson diversity index were 0.95, 0.77 and 0.91 for trees, shrubs and herbs respectively in the natural forest. However, it was 0.92 for tree species, 0.00 for shrub species and 0.82 for herb species in the coffee agro forest. Jaccard’s similarity index showed that 72% species of trees, 20% species of shrubs and 33% species of herbs were same in natural and coffee agro forest.

Listening inside the trees: A novel and simple method to find active nest of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini) in Dry Chaco forests

Forests are essential for human wellbeing since they provide multiple goods and services (of regulation, provision, cultural) that benefit human health. Insect pollinators represent one of the most important components of forest diversity because they have a significant role both in the plant species biodiversity conservation and agricultural production. In a multiannual monitoring of Meliponini wild colonies in a Dry Chaco forest, we have used a simple method to find colonies inside trees, even when conditions prevented foraging-activity of bees (cold, extreme heat). We briefly describe this method here and discuss its utility for ecologists and peasant communities.

A Note on Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr., Collected from Bonai Forest Division, Odisha, India

Bonai Forest Division, Odisha is known as rich biodiversity and home of less populated plant species. During the floral exploration works in the year 2022, authors found an interesting plant, Disporum cantoniense (Lour.) Merr., growing near streams in Khajurdihi Reserve Forest, Koira Ranga and Phuljhar, Barsuan Range. Literature survey revealed that, it has limited distribution in Odisha state and growing in unique habitat as a high-altitude plant. Therefore, an attempt has been made to document its habitat, associated plants and key characters. The present study provides a base line data to identify the collected species and also will be helpful to make long term conservation plan.

Лесные ресурсы Республики Гана

The Republic of Ghana is among the 50 countries in the world with the highest biodiversity of plant and animal species. The network of forest reserves in the country is the basis for the rich biodiversity conservation. One third of the Ghana’s territory was covered with natural rainforests at the beginning of the 20th century. These forests are now classified as reserves and vulnerable areas. Ghana has two main types of vegetation: savannahs and forests. Their features are determined by the amount of precipitation, moisture level, geology and soils. An inventory of Ghana’s forest resources revealed that the area of forests had been reduced by 19 %. Biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, ecotourism and the improvement of living conditions have become important areas in Ghana’s forestry. This has led to significant changes in forest management and logging technologies. The large-scale afforestation programs initiated in the country support the conservation of many populations of flora and fauna. The forest sector includes forest management and woodworking industry, which contribute significantly to currency earnings in Ghana via the export of wood products. Revenue from the export of primary forest products amounted to USD 230.2 million in 2015. Ghana uses 26 types of wood species to produce various parts of garden furniture for export. The forest sector employs more than 100,000 workers. Ghana earns enormous revenues from the export of sawn timber and wood products, so there is an afforestation program. The government’s policy is requiring all timber companies that cut down trees to plant seedlings for the restoration of rainforests. Ghana is ready for a large-scale afforestation campaign so as to contribute to solving the problem of deforestation and climate change that humanity is facing.

Fire shifts the soil fertility and the vegetation composition in a natural high-altitude grassland in Brazil

The Serra da Calçada Mountain (Minas Gerais State, Brazil) hosts a natural grassland with high biodiversity and endemism, locally known as campo rupestre, which grows over hematite and quartzite outcrops, protecting several headwaters. However, this mountain has been severely threatened by anthropogenic fires and its restoration has been challenged by the lack of knowledge on the effect of fire on plant species and soil fertility. Thus, this study aimed to assess a burned campo rupestre site after 1 year concerning plant biodiversity and soil properties as compared to a preserved site. Aside from the high plant biodiversity, the preserved site (with no fire history) showed a high natural soil fertility, particularly regarding soil organic matter (SOM): ∼3.48%, Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC): ∼8.4 meq/100g, soil ammonium (NH4+-N): ∼11 ppm and soil phosphorus (P): ∼6.9 mg/Kg. However, the fire reduced not only the plant species composition, abundance, richness and biodiversity, but also disrupted the natural soil fertility. There was a change in N chemical species from ammonium to nitrate as well as an increase in sodium (Na) content, in addition to a depletion of SOM and CEC. The variations of nitrogen chemical species, sodium, SOM, CEC and soil moisture explained 79% of the changes in plant composition as revealed by the Mantel matrix permutation test. Increased soil nitrate and sodium were considered the main factors determining changes in vegetation composition after fire. Therefore, fires should be strictly avoided for the management of the campo rupestre grassland, and for the rehabilitation purposes, the improvement of SOM and ammonium in detriment of nitrate is recommended.

The effect of sheep grazing abandonment on soil bacterial communities in productive mountain grasslands

Livestock grazing abandonment entails important shifts on the overall ecosystem function, but the effects of this land-use change on specific bacterial taxa remain poorly understood in mountain grasslands. Moreover, we currently lack knowledge about the feedbacks between changes in ecosystem functions affected by livestock abandonment in mountain grasslands and the soil bacterial communities. Here, we evaluated the behavior of bacterial communities' structure and composition at taxa level as a function of short (1-year) and long-term (15-years) grazing abandonment in a mountain grassland. We also linked the observed responses in the bacterial communities to changes in several ecosystem functions (i.e. primary production, plant species biodiversity, carbon stocks and soil fertility). The alpha diversity of the bacterial communities did not show a significant response as a consequence of grazing abandonment. However, we identified significant changes on the overall composition of soil bacterial communities between the long-term abandoned grassland areas and grazed or abandoned areas in the short term. We also evidenced a balance between the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) whose relative abundance is favored by livestock grazing (19.51 %) and those with higher relative abundances in long-term grazing exclusion areas (20.23 %) that could behave as indicators of grazing abandonment. Structural Equation Modeling analyses proved that several bacterial taxa associated with relevant ecosystem functions, such as Rhodospirillales order within Alphaproteobacteria phylum, featured significant changes in their relative abundance between grazing treatments. The direct and indirect effects of grazing exclusion on woody species encroachment and soil organic carbon were strongly linked to the changes in the abundance of bacterial taxa indicators. The assessment of the bacterial community response to livestock abandonment in mountain grasslands may thus provide early warning signs before subtle changes in ecosystem functions occur.

Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Andrographis paniculata Nees Leaves, Phytochemical Screening, Total Phenolic Content and Anti-Gout Potential Activity

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes painful inflammation in one or more joints. In gout, an increase in uric acid in the blood triggers the formation of crystals, causing joint pain. Indonesia is a country rich in the biodiversity of medicinal plant species. Therefore, its flora offers promising therapy for gout, one of which is Andrographis paniculata Nees. This study aims to obtain the leaf extract of A. paniculata through the application of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with variations in time and amplitude to produce optimal extraction conditions. Then the extract obtained was subjected to phytochemical screening, a total phenolic content test and uric acid test. The results of phytochemical screening of A. paniculata leaf extract using UAE contained saponins, phenols, tannins and alkaloids. The high total phenolic content has an effect on the high potential for reducing uric acid levels. Sample B with a time variation of 35 minutes and an amplitude of 65% showed the highest total phenolic content and potential for reducing uric acid levels compared to the other samples, which were 1104.53 ± 0.5 mg GAE/g extract and 72.81±0.2 %, respectively. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that the UAE extract from the leaves of A. paniculata has good potential as an anti-gout agent.

LC–MS/MS-Based Quantification Method of Polyphenols for Valorization of Ancient Apple Cultivars from Cilento

Safeguarding the biodiversity of plant species is of fundamental importance for their defense against pests and diseases even through the maintenance and dissemination of ancient agricultural traditions rooted within the small rural environments. The investigation area of the current research covered some municipalities belonging to the “Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano” including the sub-mountainous part of “Comunità Montana del Vallo di Diano (Salerno, Campania)”. Fifteen ancient apple varieties were collected from local communities to be analyzed and compared to some commercially available apples. To this aim, a Folin–Ciocâlteu assay was preliminarily used to measure the total polyphenol content in both ancient and commercial apple cultivars. Then, a liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) ion mode was then implemented to detect and quantify specific polyphenols and to obtain a molecular comparison of a wide panel of polyphenols. The main finding of the present work pointed out that ancient apple cultivars are richer than commercial ones in anthocyanins, dihydrochalcones, and chlorogenic acid, whose beneficial effects on health are widely known. Thus, the safeguarding of these ancient varieties is greatly encouraged for the richness of polyphenols crucial both for the defense of plants from insects and for remarkable nutraceutical properties, in addition to the need for germplasm conservation as a source of genetic variability.

Spatial-temporal and Factors Influencing the Distribution of Biodiversity: A Review

Ecosystem health and the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals require biodiversity. However, the causes of biodiversity loss, as well as regional differences in their repercussions, remain poorly understood. We focused on the regional and temporal aspects that influence biodiversity distribution. Though transportable data is rarely convenient for providing accurate images of the proportions and distribution of all components of various ecosystems, there are certain patterns and strategies that call producers will employ to obtain useful assumptions of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The purpose of this term paper is to conduct systematic reviews to reflect the biodiversity distribution of different spatial and temporal dimensions in the biodiversity of plant species, animal species, microorganisms, and ecosystem diversity and the factors affecting biodiversity. Biodiversity is best defined by the patterns of the world around us, and these patterns are the source for understanding biodiversity. The distribution of biodiversity is uniform and inconsistent around the world. Therefore, the shift from the equator to the poles reduced biodiversity. These show that, unlike temperate regions, the tropics have more solar energy, water availability, and a relatively constant and predictable environment. The distribution of biodiversity is affected by a variety of environmental factors, including regional geological history, environmental stability, ecosystem productivity, habitat heterogeneity and suitability, competition, and predation. Therefore, understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of biodiversity is urgently needed to develop short-term and long-term resource management strategies, and biodiversity education and training activities are innovative.

Wood-Ash Fertiliser and Distance from Drainage Ditch Affect the Succession and Biodiversity of Vascular Plant Species in Tree Plantings on Marginal Organic Soil

Cutaway peatland is a marginal land, which without further management is an unfavourable environment for plant growth due to low bearing capacity, high acidity and unbalanced nutrient composition of the soil. After wood-ash application, the soil becomes enriched with P and K, creating better conditions for tree growth. In addition to being economically viable, tree plantations ensure long-term carbon storage and promote habitat restoration. In a three-year term, we studied how distance from a drainage ditch and three different doses of wood-ash—5, 10, and 15 tons per hectare—affect the diversity of vascular plants in a tree plantation on a cutaway peatland. Plant species richness, vegetation cover and composition were positively affected by the distance from the drainage ditch and application with fertiliser, but in most cases, fertiliser dose had no significant effect. Both cover and species diversity were not affected by the planted tree species. In a tree plantation, herbaceous plants provide soil fertility by decay and recycling, and reduce mineral leaching in the long term. Since vascular plants play an important role in both the development of habitats and tree growth, it is important to know how multiple factors influence the development of vegetation in tree plantations.