Short-term Conservation Research Articles

Periodically harvested closures require full protection of vulnerable species and longer closure periods

Periodically harvested closures (PHCs) are small fisheries closures with objectives such as sustaining fisheries and conserving biodiversity and have become one of the most common forms of nearshore marine management in the Western Pacific. Although PHCs can provide both short-term conservation and fisheries benefits, their potential as a long-term management strategy remains unclear. Through empirical assessment of a single harvest event in each of five PHCs, we determined whether targeted fishes that differ in their vulnerability to fishing recovered to pre-harvest conditions (the state prior to last harvest) and demonstrated post-harvest recovery benefits after 1year of re-closure. For low and moderately vulnerable species, two PHCs provided significant pre-harvest benefits and one provided significant post-harvest recovery benefits, suggesting a contribution to longer-term sustainability. PHCs with a combination of high compliance and longer closing times are more likely to provide fisheries benefits and recover from harvest events, however, no benefits were observed across any PHCs for highly vulnerable species. We recommend PHCs have longer closure periods before being harvested and species that are highly vulnerable to fishing (e.g. large species of; grouper, wrasse and parrotfish) are avoided during harvests to avoid overexploitation and increase the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.

High-frequency somatic embryogenesis and artificial seeds for mass production of true-to-type plants in Ledebouria revoluta: an important cardioprotective plant

Scaly bulb of Ledebouria revoluta is a natural source of several cardiac glycosides and is traditionally used in Indian and South African ethno-medicinal system from ancient age. High-frequency indirect somatic embryogenesis protocol via callus culture had been developed from bulb scale explant. Optimum embryogenic calli was induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3.0 mg l−1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.75 mg l−1 β-naphthoxyacetic acid. A maximum of 93.3 % of the cultures responded after 6 weeks of culture on MS medium containing 3.0 mg l−1 of thidiazuron, 0.75 mg l−1 α-naphthalene acetic acid and 1.75 mM spermidine forming 46.7 ± 0.58 somatic embryos per 500 mg callus. Individual somatic embryo was encapsulated in calcium alginate beads to produce artificial seeds (ASs). The ASs were stored at 4, 15, and 24 °C temperatures up to 180 days. The ASs showed 57.8 % germinability even after 4 months of storage at 15 °C. Plantlets were acclimatized with a survival rate of 96.0 % and after 13–14 months, 92.4 % of these plants produced flowers. Chromosomal studies revealed cytological stability of the regenerants containing 2n = 30 chromosomes in root tips and n = 15 chromosomes in pollen grains, same as parental plants. The meiotic behaviour of the regenerants is also similar to that of parental plants. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis revealed that there is no somaclonal variations among the plants produced via somatic embryogenesis and they are true-to-type to their parental plant. These results confirm the very reliable method for short-term conservation and large-scale production of true-to-type plantlets of L. revoluta, which can be applied in pharmaceutical industries.

Weight operated see-saw feeding hoppers are not selective for red squirrels when greys are present

The competition for food resources between the native red squirrel and the introduced American Eastern grey squirrel is well known, and can lead to the extinction of the native species. Providing supplementary food resources for the red squirrel, by adopting selective feeding hoppers, has been proposed as a possible support for the short term conservation of native populations, but studies that investigate its effectiveness have not yet been performed. In this study we evaluate the effectiveness of the feeding hoppers, in terms of selectivity towards the smaller native species, quantifying their utilization by the two species in sympatry and allopatry.Feeding hoppers were not selective toward the native species. The success in the attempts to enter the hoppers was 95% for red and 86% for grey squirrels. The 50 hazelnuts provided during each feeding session, covering the energetic requirements of an individual for 6 (reds) or 3.5 (greys) days, were consumed in 45:43±38:26 hh:mm by red and 31:07±37:18 hh:mm by grey squirrels. The average weight of grey squirrels that entered the feeding hopper (490±47g) was higher than the calibration weight of the see-saw floor (400g). This highlights that weight operated see-saw feeding hoppers are poorly selective. Structural modification of the feeding hoppers should be considered to obtain a real selectivity according to species before their implementation in the conservation of red squirrel populations.However, feeding hoppers were selective in feeding squirrels when using hazelnuts, excluding the access to food supplies by other species. Therefore they can be used with success in supplementary feeding studies or behavioural and ecological studies, especially if combined with camera traps and individually marked animals.

How to assess urban development potential in mountain areas? An approach of ecological carrying capacity in the view of coupled human and natural systems

How to assort with the relationship between mountain development and ecological protection is a key issue during the process of mountainous urban construction. Ecological carrying capacity (ECC), as the key to measuring regional sustainable development in terms of society, economy and ecology, provides an approach to assess urban development potential in mountain areas. Taking Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, China as a study area, this study has explored the conceptual framework for ECC in view of coupled human and natural systems (CHANS), and has constructed an index system using aspects of ecosystem vigor (EV), resources and environmental carrying capacity (RECC), and social development ability (SDA). The results at the county level showed that: (1) Dali City had the highest EV and SDA, with a relatively good ecological background, stable geological environment, and more concentrated population and flourishing urbanization. Yunlong County occupied the best RECC for its relatively abundant stock of water and land resources. Due to well-balanced ecosystem stability maintenance, resource utilization, and human development, Yunlong County possessed the highest ECC all over the prefecture; (2) the study area can be grouped into five categories considering trade-offs between mountain development and ecological protection. That is, priority areas for conservation, priority areas for development, areas suitable for short-term conservation but long-term development, areas suitable for short-term development but long-term conversation, and areas reserved for future appropriate development. This research could help to identify the approach to sustainable mountain development from the perspective of CHANS, and to make effective contribution to urban development decision-making in mountainous areas.

Short-term conservation agriculture and biomass-C input impacts on soil C dynamics in a savanna ecosystem in Cambodia

Conservation agriculture (CA) is an effective tool that is used to increase soil C sequestration and enhance soil quality and agronomic productivity. However, rigorous empirical evidence from Southeast Asia, particularly in the Cambodian agro-ecosystem, is still scarce. We hypothesized that high and diversified biomass-C inputs in CA might be the first step toward to increase SOC in the topsoil by creating the C flow to support C storage overtime. Thus, the aim of this study was to quantify the short-term (i.e., five year) impacts of soil management and cropping systems on soil organic C (SOC), soil total N (STN), particulate organic C (POC) and mineral-associated organic C (MAOC). There were three distinct experiments comprised of a combination of cover and main crops including rice-, soybean- and cassava-based cropping systems, hereafter designated as RcCS, SbCS and CsCS, respectively. The experimental plots were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Soil management treatments included conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) and a selected adjacent area of reference vegetation (RV). Soil sampling was conducted in 2011 and 2013 at seven depths (0–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80 and 80–100cm). Soil management and crop sequences significantly affected SOC and STN stocks in all three cropping systems. On average, NT SOC stocks at 0–5cm depth was greater than those of CT by 10%, 20% and 18% and STN stocks by 8%, 25% and 16% for RcCS, SbCS and CsCS, respectively. SOC levels followed the order RV>NT>CT. SOC stocks in the subsoil layers were consistently lower in NT than in CT in all three cropping systems. POC stocks at 0–5cm depth in NT were on average 22%, 20% and 78% greater than those in CT in RcCS, SbCS and CsCS, respectively. However, significant differences were detected only in RcCS and CsCS. The major POC stocks were found at 0–20cm depth. NT treatments in SbCS stored 9% greater MAOC stocks at 0–5cm depth than those in CT, and an increasing trend of NT was observed in RcCS and CsCS. In all three cropping systems, NT systems with diversified crop species significantly increased SOC stocks ranging by 6 to 28% and POC stocks by 56–127% in the surface soils and tended to restore SOC and POC in the subsoil layers after five years. The results leads to accept the hypothesis that short-term CA associated with high biomass-C inputs (particularly bi-annual rotations) promotes SOC recovery in the topsoil layer and creates a potential to increase SOC in the subsoil layers when deep-rooting cover crops are included in crop rotations.

An Evaluation of Streamflow Augmentation as a Short-Term Freshwater Mussel Conservation Strategy

Recurrent and prolonged droughts, coupled with increased water resource demand, threaten freshwater mussel populations through stream drying and water quality degradation. Augmentation of stream discharge was proposed as a short-term strategy to maintain adequate streamflows and water quality in reaches with important freshwater mussel populations during exceptionally low flow periods. We investigated the effects of water augmentation on seven freshwater mussel species in a small creek between 2011 and 2014. Using capture-mark-recapture methods, we monitored mussel populations in a control reach upstream of an augmentation outlet and two reaches immediately downstream of an augmentation outlet. Water quality measurements during our study indicated that augmentation improved water temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions during low flow periods. For all mussel species, apparent survival was positively related to minimum streamflows and declined precipitously as streamflows decreased. However, mean apparent survival between sampling occasions was high among all species but did not differ among treatment units, suggesting that flow augmentation rates in this study were insufficient for abating the effects of basin-wide reductions in streamflow. Temporary emigration differed among study reaches but did not support hypothesized relationships because it increased with stream stage and was highest in an augmented reach. This suggests that streamflows did not drop below thresholds, which invoked burrowing as a response to decreased streamflows. Streamflow augmentation may be a viable short-term mussel conservation strategy in small streams but will likely require higher augmentation volume capacity than evaluated during our study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nutrient encapsulation of nodal segments of an endangered white cedar for studies of regrowth, short term conservation and ethylene inhibitors influenced ex vitro rooting

Studies on the conservation of white cedar (Tecomella undulata) are of worthwhile because of its potential advantages of various secondary metabolites, therapeutic usages combined with its endangered status. The present study was undertaken to investigate high efficiency regeneration system through encapsulated nodal segments of T. undulata excised from mature tissues. Highest regrowth and regeneration efficiency was achieved when the gelling matrix (3% sodium alginate in Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) basal medium) was supplied with 2.5μM BA (6-benzyladenine)+0.5μM IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) followed by their plantation on to the nutrient medium composed of MS+10.0μM BA with the production of 6.50±0.28 shoots/encapsulated nodal segment. The excised shoots were subjected to ex vitro rooting by exposing their cut ends to two different ethylene inhibitors [salicylic acid (2-hydroxybenzoic acid) and silver nitrate (AgNO3)] for 15min followed by their transfer to different potting substrates. Soilrite™ and vermi-compost potting substrates proved equally better for healthy root formation directly, under greenhouse conditions. Multiple shoot formation from a single encapsulated bead along with ex vitro rooting and direct acclimatization under greenhouse conditions supports this protocol to be more efficient, cost effective and less time consuming coupled with clonal propagation.

Encapsulation technology for short-term storage and germplasm exchange of Vitex trifolia L.

The current study reports the encapsulation of nodal segment of V. trifolia L. excised from 2-month-old in vitro-raised cultures for short-term conservation and propagation. The encapsulation of nodal segments was significantly affected by the concentrations of sodium alginate (Na alginate) and calcium chloride (CaCl2 2H2O). The best gel complex using 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM CaCl2 2H2O was found most suitable for the production of ideal Ca alginate beads. Maximum percent conversion response (84.9 %) was recorded on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 5.0 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA), 0.5 µM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) after 6 weeks of culture. The encapsulated nodal segments could be stored at 4 °C up to 8 weeks with 42.5 % regeneration efficiency. Plantlets obtained were rooted best on full-strength MS medium containing 0.5 µM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) for the production of complete plantlets. The regenerated plantlets were successfully hardened and established in field where they grew well without any detectable variation with a survival rate of 92 %. The high frequency of plant re-growth from alginate-coated nodal segments coupled with high viability percentage after 4 weeks of storage is highly encouraging for the exchange of V. trifolia genetic resources.

Somatic embryogenesis and genetic uniformity of regenerated cassava plants from low-temperature preserved secondary somatic cotyledons

Low plant regeneration and transformation frequencies in cassava have been attributed to recycling of cassava secondary somatic embryos for long periods. This study examined the suitability of low-temperature storage of dehydrated cassava secondary somatic embryos as an alternative short-term conservation approach to recycling. The study included two experiments: in the first one, somatic embryogenesis from cotyledons of dehydrated secondary somatic embryos stored at six temperatures for 4, 8 and 12 months was established; and in the second, plant regeneration via shoot organogenesis using somatic cotyledon explants obtained in the first experiment was examined. The growth, photosynthetic pigment contents and genetic stability of the regenerated plants were assessed. At each storage temperature, the survival of explants, somatic embryogenesis, shoot induction and elongation decreased with increases in storage period. At 4 months after storage (MAS), explant survival, frequency of somatic embryogenesis, shoot induction, elongation and rooting had the best responses at 16EC and 20EC. Similarly, the growth and photosynthetic pigment contents of plants regenerated from somatic embryos preserved at 16EC and 20EC recorded the best results at 4 MAS. However, at 8 and 12 MAS, the best explant survival, somatic embryogenesis, shoot induction and elongation were recorded at 16EC. Eight RAPD primers produced a total of 56 distinct and scorable bands, ranging from 250 bp to 3000 bp in size. An random amplified DNA (RAPD) analysis showed a uniform banding profile among regenerants and to that of the mother plant, indicating no genetic variation among regenerants and between the regenerants and the mother plant. The data presented here suggest that cassava secondary somatic embryos dehydrated to 50% moisture content should be preserved at 16-20EC for 4 months; for 8 and 12 months storage, the embryos should be stored at 16EC. No genetic alteration was detected among the regenerants. Therefore, the method is a suitable means for short-term conservation of cassava secondary somatic embryos.

In vitro germination and propagation of a threatened medicinal orchid, Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw. through artificial seed

ABSTRACT Objective To study the in vitro germination and plantlet regeneration from artificial seeds of Cymbidium aloifolium (C. aloifolium), a highly threatened medicinal orchid of Nepal. Methods Artificial seeds were produced in vitro by encapsulation of protocorms with 4% sodium alginate and 0.2 mol/L calcium chloride solution. In vitro germination and plantlet regeneration of the artificial seeds were tested by culturing them on different strength of Murashige and Skoog (MS) liquid media (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0) and MS liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L benzyl amino purine and 0.5 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid. Freshly produced artificial seeds were stored up to 28 d at 4 oC. In order to check the viability, storage artificial seeds were treated with five different sterilization techniques (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) and inoculated on full strength (1.0) of MS liquid medium after each 7 d of interval upto 28th days. Results The highest percentage of germination (100%) of artificial seed was obtained on quarter (0.25), half (0.5) and full (1.0) strength of MS liquid medium. Experimentally, full strength of MS liquid medium was more effective for earlier seedling development of C. aloifolium. Artificial seeds were successfully stored at 4 oC till 28th days. Treatments T1 and T2 showed 97.5% viability of storage artificial seeds and hence considered as the most effective sterilization techniques to recover the plant from storage artificial seeds. Plantlets developed from artificial seeds were successfully acclimatized in potting mixture containing cocopeat, litter and sphagnum moss with 85% survival rate. Conclusions The present study revealed that artificial seeds are the good alternative explants for in vitro mass propagation and short term conservation of C. aloifolium.

High-frequency clonal propagation, encapsulation of nodal segments for short-term storage and germplasm exchange of Ficus carica L.

The study describes an efficient regeneration system and encapsulation of nodal segments in F. carica accompanied with frequent root formation in microshoots under the influence of salicylic acid. The present study describes an improved protocol for clonal propagation and a short-term conservation strategy using an encapsulation technology for Ficus carica. Nodal segments were more responsive than shoot tips for shoot multiplication. Among the cytokinins tested, Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium augmented with 7.5 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA) was the best, but the leaves exhibited a rudimentary structure. Cytokinin–auxin combinations enhanced the multiplication rate; but leaf growth did not improve. However, the supplementation of 50 µM adenine sulphate (Ads) to MS + 7.5 µM BA + 0.5 µM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) significantly enhanced mean shoot number per explant and overall growth of shoots and induced a maximum of 26.8 shoots per nodal segment and 15 shoots per shoot tip with mean shoot length of 8 and 4.3 cm, respectively, after 4 weeks of culture. Microshoots rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 2.5 µM salicylic acid (SA) either in semi-solid (mean of 4.6 roots per shoot) or liquid medium (mean of 5 roots per shoot). A gelling matrix of 4 % sodium alginate (Na-alginate) and 100 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2·2H2O) was used for the encapsulation of nodal segments. Maximum shoot growth (95.6 %) was recorded on MS medium supplemented with 7.5 µM BA + 0.5 µM NAA + 50 µM Ads. Rooting was induced upon transfer of sprouted microshoots to semi-solid half-strength MS medium supplemented with 2.5 µM SA. To examine the retention of encapsulated and non-encapsulated nodal segments’ viability, a low-temperature storage (4 °C) experiment was carried out. Encapsulated nodal segments stored at 4 °C for 1–6 weeks sprouted at variable frequencies in successive weeks of transfer. Plantlets were acclimatized and established in field where they grew without any detectable variations after 6 months of transfer.

Effects of short-term conservation management practices on soil organic carbon fractions and microbial community composition under a rice-wheat rotation system

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of short-term (less than 2 years) conservation managements [no-tillage (NT) and crop residue returning] on top soil (0–5 cm) microbial community composition and soil organic C (SOC) fractions under a rice-wheat rotation at Junchuan town of Hubei Province, China. Treatments were established following a split-plot design of a randomized complete block with tillage practices [conventional tillage (CT) and NT] as the main plot and residue returning level [no residue returning (0) and all residues returned to fields from the preceding crop (S, 2,146 kg C ha−1)] as the subplots. The four treatments were CT with or without residue returning (CT0 and CTS) and NT with or without residue returning (NT0 and NTS). The abundances of microbial groups [total FLFAs, fungal biomass, bacterial biomass, fungal biomass/bacterial biomass (F/B), monounsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids (MUFA/STFA), and microbial stress] were determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis of soil. The ratio of MUFA/STFA reflects aeration of soil and greater MUFA/STFA means better aeration condition of soil. Moreover, the microbial stress, the ratio of cy19:0 to 18:1ω7, was regarded as an indicator of physiological or nutritional stress of microbial community. PLFA profiles were dominated by the fatty acids iC15:0 (9.8 %), C16:0 (16.5 %), 10Me17:0 (9.9 %), and Cyc19:0 (8.3 %), together accounting for 44.6 % of the total PLFAs. Compared with CT, NT significantly increased microbial biomass C (MBC) by 20.0 % but did not affect concentrations of total organic C (TOC), dissolved organic C (DOC), easily oxidizable C (EOC), and SOC of aggregates. Residue returning significantly increased MBC by 18.3 % and SOC content of 2–1-mm aggregate by 9.4 %. NT significantly increased total PLFAs by 9.8 % and fungal biomass by 40.8 % but decreased MUFA/STFA by 15.5 %. Residue returning significantly enhanced total PLFAs, bacterial biomass, fungal biomass, F/B, and MUFA/STFA by 31.1, 36.0, 95.9, 42.5, and 58.8 %, respectively, but decreased microbial stress by 45.9 %. Multivariate analysis (redundancy analysis and partial correlation analysis) indicated that SOC of 2–1-mm aggregate was related to changes in the composition of soil microbial groups, suggesting that SOC of 2–1-mm aggregate was sensitive to changes in soil microbial community composition affected by short-term conservation management practices in our study.

In vitro propagation and synseed production of scarlet salvia (Salvia splendens)

The present study provides a protocol for high-frequency in vitro propagation and short-term conservation using encapsulation technology of Salvia splendens. Nodal segments were more responsive than shoot tips in terms of shoot multiplication. Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) basal medium augmented with 5.0 µM 6-benzyl adenine (BA) was optimum for shoot induction through both explants. MS medium supplemented with 5.0 µM BA and 0.5 µM α-naphthalene acetic acid induced a maximum of 15.0 shoots per nodal segment and 5.0 cm shoot length after 4 weeks of incubation. Microshoots were best rooted (30.6 roots per shoot) on half-strength MS basal medium containing 2.5 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). For synseed preparation, nodal segments were encapsulated in 4 % Na-alginate with different gel matrices and 100 mM CaCl2·2H2O (complexing agent). Maximum conversion (63.6 %) of synseeds into plantlets was achieved on MS basal medium when they were prepared with the gel matrix of MS basal medium supplemented with 5.0 µM BA and 2.5 µM IAA. Pretreatment of synseeds with 100 mM KNO3 for 30 min, prior to incubation on the planting media significantly improved conversion frequency (94.6 %). Synseeds could be stored up to 10 weeks at low temperature (4 °C). Complete plantlets were successfully acclimatized and established in field.

Molecular, chemical and biological stability of plants derived from artificial seeds of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban—An industrially important medicinal herb

Synthetic seed technology offers a viable option for large scale multiplication and in vitro conservation of endangered and elite plant genotypes with economy of space, time, and operational cost. In the present study an efficient method for the preparation, short-term conservation, and plantlet regeneration from synthetic seeds of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, is described for the first time. Axillary buds/nodal segments excised from multiple shoot cultures were encapsulated in 4% (w/v) sodium alginate beads following complexation in 75mM calcium chloride solution. The seeds were kept on moist filter paper in sealed petri plates and stored at 25±3°C temperature for 200 days. The seeds thus conserved recorded more than 85% germination and plantlet conversion frequency upon shifting onto a hormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium. The rooted plantlets recorded 85-90% establishment in soil and did not show any morphological variation when compared with mother plants. The genetic fidelity of the regenerated plants was further confirmed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis wherein 19 decamer primers produced a total of 60 distinct monomorphic bands. The HPLC analysis of leaf extracts of synthetic seed-derived plant progeny and the mother plant showed qualitative and quantitative uniformity in terms of four major bioactive centellosides namely, asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid. The leaf extracts of the regenerated plants depicted the same magnitude of wound healing activity in excision wound model of mice as that of the mother plant. The relevance of the developed synseed technology for short-term in vitro conservation, micro-cloning and exchange of selected germplasm of C. asiatica without affecting the chemical and biological activities is discussed.

Marine survival difference between wild and hatchery-reared steelhead trout determined during early downstream migration

We observed large survival differences between wild and hatchery-reared steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during the juvenile downstream migration immediately after release, which persisted through adult life. Following a railway spill of sodium hydroxide into the Cheakamus River, British Columbia, a short-term conservation hatchery rearing program was implemented for steelhead. We used acoustic telemetry and mark–recapture models to estimate survival of wild and (or) hatchery-reared steelhead during 4 years of the smolt migration, with both groups released in 2008. After adjusting for estimated freshwater residualization, 7%–13% of wild smolts and 30%–40% of hatchery smolts died in the first 3 km of the migration. Estimated survival from release to ocean entry was 71%–84% for wild fish and 26%–40% for hatchery fish and to exit from the Strait of Georgia system was 22%–33% for wild fish and 3.5%–6.7% for hatchery fish. A calculated 2.3-fold survival difference established during the downstream migration was similar to that after the return of adult spawners, as return rates were 8.0% for wild fish and 4.1% for hatchery fish. Contrary to current understanding, a large proportion of salmon mortality in the smolt-to-adult period, commonly termed “marine mortality”, may actually occur prior to ocean entry.

Short-term abandonment of human disturbances in Zagros Oak forest ecosystems: Effects on secondary succession of soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation

Heydari M, Pothier D, Faramarzi M, Merzaei J. 2014. Short-term abandonment of human disturbances in Zagros Oak forest ecosystems: Effects on secondary succession of soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation. Biodiversitas 15:147-161. Zagros Oak forests in the west of Iran have been degraded by anthropogenic activities during many years and to fight against this degradation,several management strategies have been implemented. The principal objectives this study were to identify the characteristics of the soil seed bank and the aboveground vegetation that were affected by degradation and short-term abandonment of human disturbances andevaluate the potential of the soil seed bank to restore the degraded types after short-term conservation management. For that, wecompared three types of Zagros forest ecosystem with different management regimes: (i) Long term disturbed type as LDT (also usedand disturbed at the present), (ii) Short-term abandonment of human disturbances as SAD (5 years without human disturbances) and anundisturbed control or C (iii). We selected three replicates or stands per type. In the aboveground vegetation (ABV), 115, 72 and 51species were recorded in C, SAD and LDT types, respectively, whereas in the soil seed bank (SSB) flora, 33, 19 and 12 plant taxa wereobserved in C, SAD and LDT types, respectively. The percentage of annuals increased in ABV and decreased in SSB with increasingsite degradation with human activities such as animal husbandry in the forest edges. The percentage of perennial and biennial herbsdecreased in ABV and increased in SSB with increasing site degradation. The Shannon index of the SSB decreased with increasing sitedegradation. The average seed density in the SAD type was significantly larger than that of the LDT type. DCA analysis showed that theseed bank flora of SAD and LDT types were relatively similar and differed from that of the C type. This indicates that a full recovery ofdegraded type in the oak forest ecosystem in the Zagros region cannot be based only on the soil seed bank present at the beginning of theprotection period while a more complete recovery may require a longer period of protection.

Synseed conception for short-term storage, germplasm exchange and potentialities of regeneration genetically stable plantlets of desert date tree (Balanites aegyptiaca Del.)

Synthetic seed has become a proficient tool that facilitates conservation as well as mass propagation of elite plant species by encapsulating somatic embryo or meristem tissue. Inclusion of meristematic tissues instead of somatic embryos hastens widespread utilization of this technology in recent years. Synseeds offer short term conservation of germplasms, provide readily available tissue source for easy mass propagation where each synseeds can virtually act as zygotic seeds giving rise to plantlets. This is the first report on synseed production following the confirmation of the genetic homogeneity in regenerated plantlets of Balanites aegyptiaca Del. (L.) using ISSR marker system. In this study, nodal segments, excised from in vitro proliferated shoot cultures developed from mother plant, were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads and the finest gel complexation was achieved using 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM CaCl2·2H2O. Maximum percent response (80 %) for conversion of encapsulated nodal segments into plantlets was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 12.5 μM benzyladenine and 1.0 μM α-naphthalene acetic acid. Encapsulated nodal segments could be stored at low temperature (4 °C) up to 4 weeks with a survival frequency of 82 %. The regenerated shoots were rooted on half strength MS medium augmented with 1.0 μM indole-3-butyric acid. Well-developed plantlets regenerated from encapsulated nodal segments were acclimatized successfully with 90 % survival frequency. Fingerprinting profiles of the regenerated plantlets derived from synseeds and the donor plant were generated using a total of 20 ISSR primers, of which 14 primers produced distinct, reproducible amplified products. A total of 158 scorable bands were obtained from the complete amalgamation of primers and plantlets and 98.7 % bands were monomorphic across the plantlets which indicate that this micropropagated line derived from synseed is genetically stable and demonstrates the reliability of our protocol for short term conservation, germplasm exchange and distribution of identical plants.

Unintended Cultivation, Shifting Baselines, and Conflict between Objectives for Fisheries and Conservation

The effects of fisheries on marine ecosystems, and their capacity to drive shifts in ecosystem states, have been widely documented. Less well appreciated is that some commercially valuable species respond positively to fishing-induced ecosystem change and can become important fisheries resources in modified ecosystems. Thus, the ecological effects of one fishery can unintentionally increase the abundance and productivity of other fished species (i.e., cultivate). We reviewed examples of this effect in the peer-reviewed literature. We found 2 underlying ecosystem drivers of the effect: trophic release of prey species when predators are overfished and habitat change. Key ecological, social, and economic conditions required for one fishery to unintentionally cultivate another include strong top-down control of prey by predators, the value of the new fishery, and the capacity of fishers to adapt to a new fishery. These unintended cultivation effects imply strong trade-offs between short-term fishery success and conservation efforts to restore ecosystems toward baseline conditions because goals for fisheries and conservation may be incompatible. Conflicts are likely to be exacerbated if fisheries baselines shift relative to conservation baselines and there is investment in the new fishery. However, in the long-term, restoration toward ecosystem baselines may often benefit both fishery and conservation goals. Unintended cultivation can be identified and predicted using a combination of time-series data, dietary studies, models of food webs, and socioeconomic data. Identifying unintended cultivation is necessary for management to set compatible goals for fisheries and conservation.

Retraction Note: Synthetic seed technology for short term conservation of medicinal orchid Dendrobium densiflorum Lindl. Ex Wall and assessment of genetic fidelity of regenerants

Artificial seeds were obtained through encapsulation of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Dendrobium densiflorum in calcium alginate beads. This paper demonstrates the alginate-encapsulation and conversion (complete plantlet regeneration) from PLBs, the effect of storage conditions (at different temperature; 4, 8, 16 °C, RT and duration; 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 days) on viability of encapsulated plant materials as well as the assessment of genetic fidelity of the regenerants. Individual PLBs were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads for mass propagation, short-term storage and germplasm sharing. The superior gel matrix for encapsulation was obtained using 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2·2H2O). The highest percentage of conversion (100 %) of encapsulated PLBs (capsules) was obtained on MS2 medium (MS medium + 2 mg/l BAP). Capsules were successfully stored till 60 days at 8 °C with conversion frequency of 95.5 %. Plantlets regenerated from encapsulated beads were acclimatized successfully with 95 % survival rate. A total of 40 primers were screened, out of which 10 primers successfully generated 39 scorable bands, ranging from 0.2 to 1.3 kb amplicons. The uniform RAPD banding profile among the plantlets derived from encapsulated PLBs following 60 days of storage confirmed genetic fidelity.

Encapsulation of nodal segments of Cassia angustifolia Vahl. for short-term storage and germplasm exchange

The present study described the encapsulation of nodal segments of Cassia angustifolia Vahl. excised from 1-month-old in vitro raised cultures for short-term conservation and propagation. Various concentrations and combinations of gelling matrix (sodium alginate) and complexing agents (calcium chloride) were tested to prepare uniform beads. The ideal beads were obtained through a combination of 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride. The maximum conversion response (94 %) of encapsulated beads was obtained in Murashige and Skoog’s medium (MS medium) supplemented with 2.5 μM benzyladenine (BA) and 0.4 μM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) after 6 weeks of culture. The encapsulated and non-encapsulated nodal segments were also stored at 4 °C for different time periods (0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks). The regenerated microshoots were best rooted in optimized rooting medium that comprised half-strength MS + 1.0 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) + 5.0 μM phloroglucinol (PG) for the production of complete plantlets. The regenerated plantlets were successfully hardened and acclimatized in natural conditions with 70 % survival rate.