Species Relative Abundance Research Articles

Effects of stevia extract on production performance, serum biochemistry, antioxidant capacity, and gut health of laying hens

In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of stevia extract on production performance, serum immune indexes, intestinal structure, and cecum microbial structure. We randomly divided eight hundred 46-wk-old Roman hens into 5 groups, with 8 replicates in each group and 20 chickens in each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, whereas the 4 experimental groups were fed 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg stevia extracts. The study period was 24 wk. The addition of different concentrations of the stevia extract to the diet resulted in significant secondary changes in the egg production rate at 1 to 12 wk (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the addition of 50 and 100 mg/kg stevia extract to the diet significantly increased serum IgM and IgG levels in laying hens (P < 0.05) but linearly decreased serum IL-1β levels (P < 0.05). Serum T-SOD activity linearly increased (P=0.057); however, serum biochemical indexes showed no significant differences. Stevia extract tended to increase the ratio of the duodenal villi height to the depth of the crypt (P=0.067), with no obvious lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In addition, stevia extract increased the relative abundance of species at the phylum level, with the abundance of Bacteroides and Firmicutes exhibiting significant secondary changes (P < 0.05). The ACE and Chao1 indexes suggested that stevia extract addition significantly increased the alpha diversity of cecum microorganisms in laying hens. Furthermore, NMDS analysis based on operational taxonomic units revealed that stevia extract addition increased the beta diversity of cecum microorganisms in laying hens. Adding a certain amount of stevia extract to feed can improve the production performance, immune ability, and intestinal health of laying hens to some extent, and we recommend an effective level of 200mg/kg of stevia extract for laying hen diets.

Persisting roadblocks in arthropod monitoring using non-destructive metabarcoding from collection media of passive traps.

Broad-scale monitoring of arthropods is often carried out with passive traps (e.g., Malaise traps) that can collect thousands of specimens per sample. The identification of individual specimens requires time and taxonomic expertise, limiting the geographical and temporal scale of research and monitoring studies. DNA metabarcoding of bulk-sample homogenates has been found to be faster, efficient and reliable, but the destruction of samples prevents a posteriori validation of species occurrences and relative abundances. Non-destructive metabarcoding of DNA extracted from collection medium has been applied in a limited number of studies, but further tests of efficiency are required with different trap types and collection media to assess the consistency of the method. We quantified the detection rate of arthropod species when applying non-destructive DNA metabarcoding with a short (127-bp) fragment of mitochondrial COI on two combinations of passive traps and collection media: (1) water with monopropylene glycol (H2O-MPG) used in window-flight traps (WFT, 53 in total); (2) ethanol with monopropylene glycol (EtOH-MPG) used in Malaise traps (MT, 27 in total). We then compared our results with those obtained for the same samples using morphological identification (for WFTs) or destructive metabarcoding of bulk homogenate (for MTs). This comparison was applied as part of a larger study of arthropod species richness in silver fir (Abies alba Mill., 1759) stands across a range of climate-induced tree dieback levels and forest management strategies. Of the 53 H2O-MPG samples from WFTs, 16 produced no metabarcoding results, while the remaining 37 samples yielded 77 arthropod MOTUs in total, of which none matched any of the 343 beetle species morphologically identified from the same traps. Metabarcoding of 26 EtOH-MPG samples from MTs detected more arthropod MOTUs (233) than destructive metabarcoding of homogenate (146 MOTUs, 8 orders), of which 71 were shared MOTUs, though MOTU richness per trap was similar between treatments. While we acknowledge the failure of metabarcoding from WFT-derived collection medium (H2O-MPG), the treatment of EtOH-based Malaise trapping medium remains promising. We conclude however that DNA metabarcoding from collection medium still requires further methodological developments and cannot replace homogenate metabarcoding as an approach for arthropod monitoring. It can be used nonetheless as a complementary treatment when enhancing the detection of soft-bodied arthropods like spiders and Diptera.

Bird diversity along an urban to rural gradient in large tropical cities peaks in mid-level urbanization.

The gradient from natural to urban areas strongly associates with the structure of avian communities over that gradient. Most research on urban birds is from temperate areas and knowledge from tropical Southeast Asia is lacking. We examined bird species diversity, relative abundance, and species composition along an urban to rural gradient in three Myanmar cities, and assessed potential environmental factors responsible for the changes. We counted birds within 40 point-count sites with 50-m fixed-radius in three large cities of Myanmar, namely Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Myeik. We distinguished four urban habitat types (Downtown-urban, University Campus-suburban, Paddy Field-agriculture, Hill-forest). We classified all species into migrant or resident and into major feeding groups and related with several environmental parameters such as 'impervious surface'. We counted 5,423 individuals of 103 species with roughly equal species diversity between the three cities. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) was the most frequent species. The species composition differed significantly between the four major habitat types. Omnivores were more abundant in the city center than all other functional groups. Interestingly, insectivores were also predominant in the city center. In addition, more generalist' species occurred towards the city center compared to the periphery, indicating that the periphery has increased relevance for specialized birds. We found some marked differences in species composition between the three cities of Mandalay, Mawlamyine, and Myeik. Additionally to species composition, species diversity and relative abundance differed significantly between each of the four major habitat types in all three cities.

SAT046 Canagliflozin Leads To Less Weight Gain, Confers Changes In The Gut Microbiota And Extends Life Span In Male C57BL6 Mice

Abstract Disclosure: E.E. Habeos: None. F. Filippopoulou: None. M. Kanakis: None. G.I. Habeos: None. N. Belmokhtar: None. P. Stathopoulou: None. G. Tsiamis: None. S. Taraviras: None. G. Lagoumintzis: None. D.V. Chartoumpekis: None. Introduction: SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of diabetes. Their beneficial health effects appear to be pleiotropic and are not limited to the amelioration of glycemic profile. The SGLT2i-induced glycosuria is suggested to provoke a metabolic shift that mimics the fasting response. Since calorie restriction has been shown to enhance longevity in mice, we hypothesized that treating mice with SGLT2i would also increase their life span. Methods: To this end, 4-months old male C57BL6 mice were fed with a standard chow diet (Control, n=83) or a diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg canagliflozin (Cana, n=92) and were observed up to the natural end of their life. Results: The canagliflozin-treated mice gained less weight over time. For instance, at the age of 10 months, the body weight of control mice was higher (means ± SEM: 33.1 ± 0.26 g) than the body weight of their canagliflozin-treated counterparts (means ± SEM: 31.4± 0.21 g; p&amp;lt;0.01). The development and severity of age-related cataracts were also examined at the age of 14 months, but no statistically significant difference was found in the severity score between the 2 groups. The survival curves of the control and the Cana mice diverged significantly, with the median survival of the control being 107.5 weeks versus 112.5 weeks of the Cana group (p=0.011). As the gut microbiome is known to change with age and be associated with the development of age-related diseases, feces were collected from 17-month-old mice (n=10 per group) and analysis of fecal bacterial 16S rRNA sequences was performed. Differences in beta diversity (diversity of bacterial species across samples) and relative abundance of bacterial species were noted between the Control and the Cana groups. Conclusions-Discussion: Our study highlights the effect of SGLT2i on longevity in a widely used mouse model (C57BL6). The underlying mechanisms leading to the enhancement of longevity are not clear yet. Some microbiota changes associated with the SGLT2i treatment, as described in other mouse models with enhanced longevity, warrant further investigation and analysis. It would be useful to extend these studies employing various SGLT2i with different potencies and selectivity against SGLT so as to determine if the observed effect on longevity is independent of the type of the drug. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Measured Effects of Anthropogenic Development on Vertebrate Wildlife Diversity

A major driver of the declining biodiversity is landcover change leading to loss of habitat. Many studies have estimated large-scale declines in biodiversity, but loss of biodiversity at a local scale due to the immediate effects of development has been poorly studied. California, in particular, is a biodiversity hotspot and has rapidly developed; thus, it is important to understand the effects of development on wildlife in the State. Here, we conducted reconnaissance surveys—a type of survey often used by consulting biologists in support of environmental review of proposed projects—to measure changes in the relative abundance and richness of vertebrate species in response to urban development. We completed 2 reconnaissance surveys at each of 52 control sites that remained undeveloped at the times of both surveys, and at each of 26 impact sites that had been developed by the time of the second survey. We completed the surveys as part of a before–after, control–impact (BACI) experimental design. Our main interest was the interaction effect between the before–after phases and the control–impact treatment levels, or the impact of development. After controlling for survey duration, we also tested for the effects of the number of years intervening the surveys in the before and after phases, project area size, latitude, degree of connectedness to adjacent open space, and whether the site was a redevelopment site, infill, or not infill. After development, the average number of vertebrate wildlife species we detected declined by 48% within the project area, and by 66% within the bounds of the project sites. Further, the average number of vertebrate animals we counted declined by 90% within the project area, and 89% within the bounds of the project sites. Development impacts measured by the mean number of species detected per survey were greatest for amphibians (−100%), followed by mammals (−86%), grassland birds (−75%), raptors (−53%), special-status species (−49%), all birds as a group (−48%), non-native birds (−44%), and synanthropic birds (−28%). Our results indicated that urban development substantially reduced vertebrate species richness and numerical abundance, even after richness and abundance had likely already been depleted by the cumulative effects of loss, fragmentation, and degradation of habitat in the urbanizing environment. Monitoring is needed in and around urbanizing areas to measure the cumulative effects of urbanization, and so are conservation measures to mitigate the effects of urbanization.

B-199 Performance of the MasSpec Pen for Intraoperative Margin Evaluation During Breast Conserving Surgeries

Abstract Background Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among females worldwide. Surgical resection is the most common treatment option for women diagnosed with breast cancers. Many women with in situ disease or early invasive breast cancer are candidates for breast conserving surgery (BCS), which involves removing the lesion of interest and preserving the rest of the breast. One of the greatest challenges a breast cancer surgeon faces is to achieve negative margins while optimizing aesthetic outcomes. Negative margins are highly desirable as they offer the greatest potential for prolonged disease-free survival. Accurate intraoperative surgical margin evaluation is therefore critical during BSC. Molecular technologies offer the opportunity to incorporate cancer-specific biomarkers into clinical decision-making for improved cancer detection. Our team has reported the development of an innovative handheld mass spectrometry (MS) probe, the MasSpec Pen (MSPen), for rapid and gentle molecular analysis of human tissues, including breast cancer tissues. The MSPen uses water to gently extract molecules from tissues upon contact, which are then analyzed by MS and statistical classifiers to provide a predictive classification within seconds. Here, we evaluate the performance of the MSPen for intraoperative detection of breast cancer. Methods The MSPen coupled to an Orbitrap Exploris 120 (Thermo Scientific) is being used to analyze both normal breast and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) banked tissues. Tissue samples are first thawed prior to analysis. After analysis, the region analyzed is demarcated, and the samples snap-frozen, sectioned, H&amp;E stained, following evaluation by a pathologist. We will then apply the least absolute shrinkage and selector operator (lasso) method to build classification models for distinguishing normal breast and ILC using the histologically validated mass spectra. The MSPen system is also implemented in the operating room for testing within surgical workflow. Analyses will be carried out during BCS surgeries for patients with ILC. The ILC classifier generated from banked tissues will be used to predict on data obtained from the intraoperative analyses and validated against final histopathological reports. Results To date, we have analyzed 213 banked human breast tissues using the MSPen, including healthy breast (n = 79), invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (n = 64), healthy lymph nodes (n = 26), and lymph nodes with metastatic IDC (n = 44). The rich mass spectral data obtained from breast tissues showed high relative abundance of various metabolites and lipid species that have been previously described as potentially diagnostic of breast cancer. Using this data, we built classifiers that discriminate cancer and normal breast tissues with high accuracy (overall 94%) for primary breast IDC. In a pilot clinical study, we demonstrated feasibility for ex vivo and in vivo tissue analysis using the MSPen platform during 29 breast surgeries. We are currently expanding our study to detect ILC using banked tissues and in patient tissues intraoperatively. Conclusion Our study in breast cancer provides evidence that the MSPen enables molecular-based diagnosis of IDC tissues using excised specimens and in in vivo and ex vivo analysis performed by surgeons intraoperatively. Current effort including ILC is expected to show similar capabilities for patients with ILC.

Zooarchaeological evidence for livestock management in (earlier) Neolithic Europe: Outstanding questions and some limitations of current approaches

With the increasingly routine recovery of faunal remains from archaeological excavations and zooarchaeological analysis of such assemblages by macroscopic and, more recently, biomolecular methods, we now have an unprecedented wealth of evidence for early European livestock management at local, regional and continental scales. We can identify broad geographical and temporal trends in the relative abundance, size and mortality patterns of different livestock species, and have more piecemeal evidence for their diet, mobility and seasonality of reproduction and for human exploitation of their secondary as well as primary products. Conversely, we have little if any direct zooarchaeological evidence for the scale of livestock management and this, coupled with disagreement regarding the intensity of secondary products usage, hinders consensus on the contribution of livestock to human subsistence in Neolithic Europe. It is proposed here that most domestic ruminants in Neolithic Europe were managed for non-specialised exploitation of a mixture of carcass and secondary products and, drawing on a range of indirect proxies, that livestock were mostly kept in small numbers. It follows that the direct dietary contribution of domestic animals to Neolithic human subsistence will normally have been subordinate to that of grain crops and secondary to their role in supporting cultivation and social dynamics. If these propositions are accepted, some recent attempts to interpret regional (and diachronic) variation in zooarchaeological evidence in terms of latitudinal contrasts in climate and vegetation may be ill-founded. In conclusion, it is argued that sound interpretation of the wealth of zooarchaeological data now available, as evidence for early European animal keeping, requires their integration with other lines of archaeological, bioarchaeological and palaeoecological investigation in the context of broader models of Neolithic subsistence, land use and political economy. The approach advocated, while illustrated with examples from Neolithic Europe, is of wider geographical relevance and, despite its critical tone, this assessment of the state of the field is essentially optimistic.

Effects of dominant ant species on ant community structure and ant–hemipteran interactions

Ants often interact aggressively for resources (e.g. nest sites and food) with members of their own or another species. In these competitive interactions, dominant ant species exert a strong influence on ant species coexistence and plant‐associated arthropod community structure. However, few studies have experimentally manipulated the relative abundance of dominant ant species on plants, preventing a mechanistic understanding of the effects of ant competitive interactions on ant community structure as well as on their interactions with other insects, particularly mutualistic hemipterans. In this study, we performed a field experiment in a tropical dry forest in Brazil to investigate the effects of two dominant ant species (Camponotus crassus and Cephalotes pusillus) on the structure ant communities and the abundance of the ant‐tended hemipteran Enchenopa brasiliensis in Solanum lycocarpum plants. For this, we identified and quantified all ant species foraging on plants and estimated the number of egg masses, nymphs and adults of the mutualistic hemipteran before and after experimentally removing nests of both two dominant ant species. Our results showed that removal of C. pusillus nests significantly changed ant community structure, whereas removal of C. crassus nests did not. We also found that nest removal of both dominant ant species had significant effects on hemipteran abundance. In particular, plants generally hosted more hemipteran eggs, nymphs and adults after (vs before) nest removal of both dominant ant species. Overall, this study demonstrates that dominant ant species can play a pivotal role in structuring ant communities and the interactions between ants and honeydew‐producing hemipteran insects.

Organic management increases beneficial microorganisms and promotes the stability of microecological networks in tea plantation soil.

Organic agriculture is highly regarded by people for its commitment to health, ecology, care, and fairness. The soil microbial community responds quickly to environmental changes and is a good indicator for evaluating soil microecology. Therefore, from the perspective of soil microbial communities, elucidating the impact of organic management on soil microecology in tea plantations has great significance for improving local tea plantation systems. The study collected bulk soil from organic management (OM) and conventional management (CM) tea plantations in Pu'er City, a major tea-producing area in China, and analyzed their species diversity, structural composition, and co-occurrence networks using metagenomics technology. Compared with CM, the diversity index (Shannon) and evenness index (Heip) of soil fungi increased by 7.38% and 84.2% in OM tea plantations, respectively. The relative abundance of microorganisms related to the nitrogen cycle increased. Specifically, there was a significant increase in Rhodobiales, a 2-fold increase in Nitrospirae, and approximately 1.95 and 2.03 times increases in unclassified genera within Betaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria, respectively. The relative abundance of plant residue degradation species, Gemmatimonadetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, increased by 2.8, 1, and 1.4 times, respectively. The OM was conducive to the establishment of collaborative relationships among bacterial species and increased the diversity and complexity of species relationships in fungal communities. The network stability of soil ecosystems was promoted. The organic tea plantations' keystone taxa contained mycorrhizal fungi (Pezoloma_ericae, Rhizophagus_irregularis, Rhizophagus_clarus), as well as species involved in soil nitrogen metabolism (Acidobacteria_bacterium, Acidobacteriia_bacterium_AA117, Sphingomonas_sp._URHD0007, Enhydrobacter_aerosaccus), pathogen (Erysiphe_pulchra), and parasites (Paramycosporidium saccamoeba). The partial least squares method (PLS-SEM) indicated that OM affected N-NH negatively, increasing the abundance of fungi, and thereby positively affecting the Shannon index. In brief, reasonable organic management can improve the diversity of soil microorganisms, increase the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in tea plantation soil, and promote the stability of the soil microbial ecological network.

Vapour pressure deficit modulates hydraulic function and structure of tropical rainforests under nonlimiting soil water supply.

Atmospheric conditions are expected to become warmer and drier in the future, but little is known about how evaporative demand influences forest structure and function independently from soil moisture availability, and how fast-response variables (such as canopy water potential and stomatal conductance) may mediate longer-term changes in forest structure and function in response to climate change. We used two tropical rainforest sites with different temperatures and vapour pressure deficits (VPD), but nonlimiting soil water supply, to assess the impact of evaporative demand on ecophysiological function and forest structure. Common species between sites allowed us to test the extent to which species composition, relative abundance and intraspecific variability contributed to site-level differences. The highest VPD site had lower midday canopy water potentials, canopy conductance (gc ), annual transpiration, forest stature, and biomass, while the transpiration rate was less sensitive to changes in VPD; it also had different height-diameter allometry (accounting for 51% of the difference in biomass between sites) and higher plot-level wood density. Our findings suggest that increases in VPD, even in the absence of soil water limitation, influence fast-response variables, such as canopy water potentials and gc , potentially leading to longer-term changes in forest stature resulting in reductions in biomass.

Spatiotemporal variability in diet composition of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) from the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) sustain one of the most lucrative fisheries in the eastern Canadian Arctic and Labrador Sea. This species also plays an important role in food web connectivity and benthic-pelagic coupling. Despite the relatively rich knowledge of this species, R. hippoglossoides ecology in these specific areas remains poorly understood. The main aim of this study was to characterize the diet of this deepwater fish in the Labrador Sea and Davis and Hudson Straits and characterize the predator-prey relationship with northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), another commercially important species in the region. Stomach contents analyses were conducted on 1199 fish captured from 2018 to 2020. Small specimens (<20 cm) fed on invertebrates, whereas larger individuals (>60 cm) fed primarily on fish, indicative of size-related changes in diet composition. The relative abundance of Pandalus shrimp species in the environment was reflected in the diet. Location appeared to be the most influential variable on feeding patterns. Distinct oceanographic conditions among areas, resulting in differences in prey availability, could explain these results. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and redfish (Sebastes sp.) were selected in locations where fish prey were the most abundant. These results shed light on the opportunistic nature of R. hippoglossoides and its preference for fish at large size. With the rapidly changing oceanographic conditions of Arctic waters, a distributional change in the biomass of shrimp is expected. Results suggest that an increase in abundance of predatory groundfish species in the system (e.g., Sebastes sp.) could lead to acute predation on shrimp and competition with R. hippoglossoides. By revealing key trophic links within the demersal ecosystem, this work provides valuable information on the development of ecosystem approaches to fisheries management for the region.

Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms

Coral mortality triggers the loss of carbonates fixed within coral skeletons, compromising the reef matrix. Here, we estimate rates of carbonate loss in newly deceased colonies of four Caribbean reef-building corals. We use samples from living and recently deceased colonies following a stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) outbreak. Optical densitometry and porosity analyses reveal a loss of up to 40% of the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content in dead colonies. The metabolic activity of the endolithic organisms colonizing the dead skeletons is likely partially responsible for the observed dissolution. To test for the consequences of mass mortality events over larger spatial scales, we integrate our estimates of carbonate loss with field data of the composition and size structure of coral communities. The dissolution rate depends on the relative abundance of coral species and the structural properties of their skeletons, yet we estimate an average reduction of 1.33 kg CaCO3 m−2, nearly 7% of the total amount of CaCO3 sequestered in the entire system. Our findings highlight the importance of including biological and chemical processes of CaCO3 dissolution in reef carbonate budgets, particularly as the impacts of global warming, ocean acidification, and disease likely enhance dissolution processes.

Responses of rhizosphere fungi to the root economics space in grassland monocultures of different age.

Recent studies on root traits have shown that there are two axes explaining trait variation belowground: the collaboration axis with mycorrhizal partners and the conservation ('fast - slow') axis. However, it is yet unknown whether these trait axes affect the assembly of soilborne fungi. We expect saprotrophic fungi to link to the conservation axis of root traits, whereas pathogenic and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi link to the collaboration axis, but in opposite directions, as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi might provide pathogen protection. To test these hypotheses, we sequenced rhizosphere fungal communities and measured root traits in monocultures of 25 grassland plant species, differing in age. Within the fungal guilds, we evaluated fungal species richness, relative abundance and community composition. Contrary to our hypotheses, fungal diversity and relative abundance were not strongly related to the root trait axes. However, saprotrophic fungal community composition was affected by the conservation gradient and pathogenic community composition by the collaboration gradient. The rhizosphere AMF community composition did not change along the collaboration gradient, even though the root trait axis was in line with the root mycorrhizal colonization rate. Overall, our results indicate that in the long term, the root trait axes are linked with fungal community composition.

Extending the conservation impact of great ape research: Flagship species sites facilitate biodiversity assessments and land preservation.

To inform regional conservation planning, we assessed mammalian and avian biodiversity in the Djéké Triangle, which is an intact forest with long-term research and tourism focused on western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). This critical region serves as a conservation conduit between the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP) in the Republic of Congo and the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in Central African Republic. Wildlife inventories were conducted to determine if biodiversity in the Djéké Triangle (initially part of a logging concession) was equivalent to the NNNP. Camera traps (CTs) were deployed to estimate species richness, relative abundance, naïve occupancy, and activity patterns of medium-to-large species in mixed species and monodominant Gilbertiodendron forests that comprise the majority of regional terra firma. Species inventories were collected from CTs positioned on a grid and at termite nests throughout the Djéké Triangle and compared to CTs placed in the Goualougo Triangle located within the NNNP. From 10,534 camera days at 65 locations, we identified 34 mammal and 16 bird species. Allaying concerns of wildlife depletion, metrics of species richness in the Djéké Triangle surpassed those of the Goualougo Triangle. Many species were observed to occur across habitats, while others showed habitat specificity, with termite mounds indicated as an important microhabitat feature. Our comparisons of animal activity budgets in different habitat types provide important reference information for other populations and contexts. In conclusion, this study provided empirical evidence of the high conservation value of this region that contributed to increasing the protected status of the Djéké Triangle.

Anthropogenic activities explained the difference in exotic plants invasion between protected and non-protected areas at a northern subtropics biodiversity hotspot

Biological invasion poses a major threat to biodiversity and conservation efforts in protected areas. The Greater Shennongjia Area (GSA) is one of China's 16 key areas for biodiversity, as stated in the China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. However, the local authorities lack appropriate data on the extent and impact of exotic species in protected areas, as well as lack the capacity and motivation to properly plan for exotic species strategy and action plan to support both prevention, control as well as management of exotic plants in their jurisdiction. In addition, while most previous studies have focused on exotic species in protected areas, little effort has been devoted to specifying which environmental factors contribute to the difference between protected and non-protected areas. Here, we explored the current distribution pattern of the richness and abundance of exotic species in relation to environmental variables within the GSA. In total, we found 84 exotic plant species, of which 41 exotic species within the protected areas, in 64 genera and 27 families, predominately from Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae. The generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) revealed that the protection status and the distance to human settlements were the most important predictors of exotic plant richness and abundance in the GSA. Our results showed that the average exotic plant richness and coverage in the protected areas were 22% and 31% lower than outside the protected areas, respectively. Such differences were probably the result of anthropogenic activities (e.g., proximity to human settlements and the proportion of cropland). Although protected areas provide an important barrier against plant invasions, invasion may be a tricky issue for protected area management in the future. The Alliance of Protected areas in Western Hubei and Eastern Chongqing will need to further consider stringent control and management strategies for the entry of exotic species into protected areas to effectively maintain the continuity and integrity of the GSA's biodiversity and ecosystems. Our results provided guidance and support to enhance the capacity of scientific and effective management and sustainable development of the Shennongjia World Natural Heritage Site and other protected areas.

Landscape-scale floral resource discontinuity decreases bumble bee occurrence and alters community composition.

Agricultural practices and intensification during the past two centuries have dramatically altered the abundance and temporal continuity of floral resources that support pollinating insects such as bumble bees. Long-term trends among bumble bees within agricultural regions suggest that intensive agricultural conditions have created inhospitable conditions for some species, while other species have maintained their relative abundances despite landscape-level changes in flower availability. Bumble bee responses to spatiotemporal resource heterogeneity have been explored at the colony and behavioral level, but we have yet to understand whether these conditions drive community structure and ultimately explain the diverging patterns in long-term species trends. To explore the relationship between landscape-level floral resource continuity and the likelihood of bumble bee occurrence, we mapped the relative spatial and temporal availability of floral resources within an intensive agricultural region in the US Upper Midwest and related this resource availability with bumble bee species relative abundance. Across the bee community, we found that relative bumble bee occurrence increases in landscapes containing more abundant and more temporally continuous floral resources. Declining species, such as Bombus terricola, exhibited the strongest, positive responses to resource abundance and continuity whereas common, stable species, such as Bombus impatiens, showed no statistical relationship to either. Together with existing experimental evidence, this work suggests that efforts to increase spatiotemporal flower availability, along with overall flower abundance at landscape scales may have positive effects on bumble bee communities in the US Upper Midwest.

Lower gut abundance of Eubacterium rectale is linked to COVID-19 mortality.

Emerging preclinical and clinical studies suggest that altered gut microbiome composition and functions are associated with coronavirus 2019 (COVID- 19) severity and its long-term complications. We hypothesize that COVID-19 outcome is associated with gut microbiome status in population-based settings. Gut metagenomic data of the adult population consisting of 2871 subjects from 16 countries were obtained from ExperimentHub through R, while the dynamic death data of COVID-19 patients between January 22, 2020 and December 8, 2020 in each country was acquired from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. An adjusted stable mortality rate (SMR) was used to represent these countries' mortality and correlated with the mean relative abundance (mRA) of healthy adult gut microbiome species. After excluding bacterial species with low prevalence (prevalence <0.2 in the included countries), the β-diversity was significantly higher in the countries with high SMR when compared with those with median or low SMR (p <0.001). We then identified the mRA of two butyrate producers, Eubacterium rectale and Roseburia intestinalis, that were negatively correlated with SMR during the study period. And the reduction of these species was associated with severer COVID-19 manifestation. Population-based microbiome signatures with the stable mortality rate of COVID-19 in different countries suggest that altered gut microbiome composition and functions are associated with mortality of COVID-19.

Fishing Effort, Catch per unit Fishing Effort and Relative Abundance of the Common Fish Species in Bardawil Lagoon, Egypt

Fishing Effort, Catch per unit Fishing Effort and Relative Abundance of the Common Fish Species in Bardawil Lagoon, Egypt

Fishing Gears, Catch Composition and Relative Abundance of Commercial Species in Suez Canal Lakes, Egypt

Fishing Gears, Catch Composition and Relative Abundance of Commercial Species in Suez Canal Lakes, Egypt

Occurrence of putative Culicoides biting midge vectors (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) inside and outside barns in Germany and factors influencing their activity

BackgroundAfter several years without bluetongue disease, a ruminant illness caused by Culicoides-borne bluetongue virus (BTV), two new autochthonous cases were reported in 2018 in Germany. By contrast, Schmallenberg virus (SBV), another Culicoides-borne virus pathogenic to ruminants, has continuously circulated in Germany since its first emergence in 2011. The disease outbreaks have triggered numerous studies on the biology of the Culicoides vectors, but many ecological details are still obscure.MethodsCulicoides biting midge species were collected with UV-light traps on 10 farms in Germany, with one trap inside and one trap outside barns on each of the farms. Traps were run once a week for 24 h from January to December 2019. Collected biting midges were morphologically identified, counted and statistically evaluated, with a focus on the Obsoletus Group and the Pulicaris Complex of the ceratopogonid genus Culicoides, which are believed to contain the major virus vectors. Temperature and relative humidity recorded at each trap were linked to the quantity of caught Culicoides. Correlations between relative Culicoides abundance and presence of livestock or type of husbandry were also investigated.ResultsA total of 38,886 Culicoides biting midges were trapped, with most of them belonging to the Obsoletus Group (51.0%) and the Pulicaris Complex (38.8%). The majority of captured specimens were collected in traps inside the barns. Obsoletus Group individuals were caught from late January to the last week of December while Pulicaris Complex individuals were captured from the end of March to early December. The lowest average temperatures at which members of the two groups were collected were 10.7 °C and 12.8 °C, respectively. While temperature had a statistically significant effect on the activity of both the Obsoletus Group and the Pulicaris Complex, relative humidity only significantly affected the activity of the latter. The presence of livestock significantly influenced the number of captured Obsoletus Group, but not of Pulicaris Complex specimens. Inside the barns, no statistical difference was found between numbers of caught Obsoletus Group and Pulicaris Complex specimens in livestock holdings with deep litter and manure scraper or slatted floor husbandry systems.ConclusionsThe almost year-round presence of Obsoletus Group biting midges and the demonstrated high relative abundance of other potential Culicoides vector species inside barns suggest a high risk of indoor virus transmission to ruminants should BTV or SBV circulate locally. Appropriate structural, organisational and vector control measures to reduce biting midge exposure should be implemented.Graphical