Slight Increase In Diversity Research Articles

Variation within the Bird Community of a Rehabilitated Urban Environment, Case of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University Campus (Côte d'Ivoire)

In order to understand the ecological impact of the rehabilitation of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University Campus on the bird community, a study was carried out over two months (October-November 2016). The ornithological inventory carried out by the IPA method in five different habitats identified on the campus gave a total species richness of 51 bird species of 41 genera, 27 families and 13 orders for 1374 birds, with H' = 2.93 and J = 0.74. Five species dominate the population (819 individuals, Fr = 59, 61%). These are Bubulcus ibis (9.32 %), Apus affinis (8.95 %), Corvus albus (19.94 %), Ploceus cucullatus (10.48 %), Lonchura cucullata (10.92 %). The most diversified habitat is the Habitations (26 bird species), while the most abundant is the Brush (416 individuals). Only seven species are common to all sampled habitats. Thus, 12 species observed on campus formerly could not be observed during the present study. Similarly, 18 species observed in this study were not observed in the previous study. The profound transformation of the environment following the rehabilitation has led to a slight increase in diversity but a significant drop in numbers. It is therefore important to better understand the different interactions between the components of the habitat and the various species involved. Such data would be crucial in urban planning policies.

Abstract P1-16-01: Susan G. Komen advocates in science (AIS): Bringing patients’ perspectives to research

Abstract Susan G. Komen® is committed to ensure the unique, valuable perspectives of breast cancer patients, survivors, and co-survivors are integrated into scientific discussions and decisions impacting Komen’s progress toward ending breast cancer. Advocates in Science (AIS) was formed to build a cadre of skilled, knowledgeable and broadly-networked breast cancer research advocates; and engage them throughout the research process. AIS members provide real-world understanding of what matters to patients and a sense of urgency to find better solutions to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure breast cancer. AIS, led by an AIS Steering Committee, is a multi-pronged approach to research advocacy: • A Diverse & Engaged Membership: The latest survey was sent to 230 members. 146 (65%) completed it. AIS has a wide range of research advocacy experience. This latest survey showed a shift toward more experienced advocates. AIS members with metastatic disease increased 1.5%; co-survivors (friend & family caregivers) increased 5%; and younger members increased 6.4%. AIS had a slight increase in diversity: 6.7% African American; 0.8% Asian; and 2.1% Hispanic. • Ongoing Education & Training: Komen is committed to developing the next generation of breast cancer research advocates and strengthening the skills and knowledge of all AIS members. AIS provides opportunities for advocates to learn more about research and strengthen their research advocacy skills through a variety of educational sessions and rigorous training programs. New resources are developed based on members’ suggestions and offer varied formats: online tools, webinars, face-to-face meetings, and peer-to-peer mentoring. • Networking & Communications: The AIS Update (email) keeps advocates current on recent scientific advances in breast cancer, Komen’s research and its impact, and upcoming education and involvement opportunities for advocates. The Voice offers member-to-member highlights from advocate activities. The AIS Facebook page offers networking and member-to-member sharing. • Involvement in Komen’s Research Grant Strategy and Peer Review: Through AIS, Komen seeks to match advocates to Komen activities best fitting their training, experience and preference. Some advocates serve on advisory boards, providing strategic guidance and input on Komen’s research grant focus. Many others serve as research grant reviewers. • Engagement in Komen-funded Research Projects: Advocate involvement is required in most Komen-funded grants. AIS together with researchers created a toolkit of resources to enable productive advocate researcher relationships. It includes resources and training for researchers to spur greater understanding of the value advocates can bring to their research and how to effectively engage them on their team. AIS assists researchers in identifying AIS members to work with researchers. AIS members bring patients’ insights and wisdom to research from bench to bedside to curbside and back. Many AIS members are active in their communities, serving as bridges connecting advocates, scientists and Komen Affiliates. Their efforts foster greater understanding, excitement and support for research and its funding; build stronger researcher community connections; and energize hope for better answers and cures. Citation Format: Anne Meyn, Wayne Dornan, Cheryl Jernigan, Marian Johnson-Thompson, Rebecca Seago-Coyle, Barbara Segarra-Vazquez, Sandra Spivey, Meryl Weinreb, Sandra Finestone. Susan G. Komen advocates in science (AIS): Bringing patients’ perspectives to research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-16-01.

Soil pH Is the Primary Factor Correlating With Soil Microbiome in Karst Rocky Desertification Regions in the Wushan County, Chongqing, China.

Karst rocky desertification (KRD) is a process of land degradation, which causes desert-like landscapes, deconstruction of endemic biomass, and declined soil quality. The relationship of KRD progression with above-ground communities (e.g. vegetation and animal) is well-studied. Interaction of soil desertification with underground communities, such as soil microbiome, however, is vastly unknown. This study characterizes change in soil bacterial community in response to KRD progression. Soil bacterial communities were surveyed by deep sequencing of 16S amplicons. Eight soil properties, pH, soil organic matter (SOM), total and available nitrogen (TN and AN), total and available phosphorus (TP and AP), and total and available potassium (TK and AK), were measured to assess soil quality. We find that the overall soil quality decreases along with KRD progressive gradient. Soil bacterial community compositions are distinguishingly different in KRD stages. The richness and diversity in bacterial community do not significantly change with KRD progression although a slight increase in diversity was observed. A slight decrease in richness was seen in SKRD areas. Soil pH primarily correlates with bacterial community composition. We identified a core microbiome for KRD soils consisting of; Acidobacteria, Alpha-Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Beta-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Delta-Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, Nitrospirae, and Gemmatimonadetes in this study. Phylum Cyanobacteria is significantly abundant in non-degraded soils, suggesting that Cyanobacterial activities might be correlated to soil quality. Our results suggest that Proteobacteria are sensitive to changes in soil properties caused by the KRD progression. Alpha- and beta-Proteobacteria significantly predominated in SKRD compared to NKRD, suggesting that Proteobacteria, along with many others in the core microbiome (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Nitrospirae), were active in nutrient limiting degraded soils. This study demonstrates the relationship of soil properties with bacterial community in KRD areas. Our results fill the gap of knowledge on change in soil bacterial community during KRD progression.

Diversification of foraging habits among Guadalupe fur seals from their only well-established breeding colony, Guadalupe Island, Mexico

Intra-population resource partitioning is a foraging strategy that could minimize intra-specific competition. This behavior may be ecologically relevant for species in recovery like the Guadalupe fur seal Arctocephalus philippii townsendi (GFS), which was considered extinct 70–80 years ago. The present study provides, via scat and stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) analyses, trophic knowledge around GFSs from Guadalupe Island just prior to and the 2013 breeding season, with emphasis on inter-individual variability. A total of 107 scat samples were analyzed, and 98 neonate fur samples (proxies for adult female foraging) were isotopically assessed. The overall trophic spectrum included 12 items, with a slight increase in diversity among main prey during the second half of the breeding season. The isotopic analysis revealed three distinct groups, reflecting apparent variations in trophic position and coastal/oceanic habitat use. As in previous studies, a mostly teutophagous diet was clear; however, our work is the first to identify inter-individual prey and habitat partitioning. Based on our results and those of other studies, GFSs exhibited an opportunistic foraging strategy across the breeding season. Both analyses were complementary in terms of diversification and useful for the understanding GFS foraging strategies, which are relevant to evaluating population recovery as factors such as prey availability is suggested to be critical to this species recovery.

Succession of bacterial community structure and potential significance along a sediment core from site U1433 of IODP expedition 349, South China Sea

To evaluate the potential impact of geological processes and depositional history on shaping the subsurface biosphere, the bacterial community structures in a sediment core of the South China Sea was investigated by molecular approaches that target 16S rRNA gene fragments. Samples were obtained from different lithologic intervals at site U1433 during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349. Bacterial abundance decreased rapidly with depth, with nearly three orders of magnitude decline within the first 100m below seafloor (mbsf). Community diversity displayed a similar decreasing pattern, yet, a slight increase in diversity emerged in the early to middle Miocene. Such excursion might reflect enhanced cell activity in response to increasing temperature due to a steep geothermal gradient. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination revealed that the bacterial communities along the sediment core represent four clusters based on depth and geological time. There were distinct bacterial community shifts among clusters at 4.50–98.93mbsf (Pleistocene), 108.15–273.20mbsf (Pleistocene), 296.09–709.13mbsf (Pliocene and late Miocene), and 732.10–789.91mbsf (early to middle Miocene). Classification analysis revealed a striking pattern: the relative abundance of microorganisms affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Cyanobacteria overall consistently decreased with depth, whereas those affiliated with Chloroflexi, candidate division OP9, candidate phylum BHI80-139, and Nitrospirae increased; these findings correspond to different clusters. Total organic carbon content and ratio of total organic carbon: total nitrogen, along with pore water phosphate concentration and salinity, were the statistically most significant variables that explained the bacterial community cluster pattern, which indicates potential linkages of bacterial communities to changes in quality and quantity of buried organic matter over geological time scales. Geographic isolation across depth was more important than environmental condition and geological age for the development of unique community structure in marine deep biosphere, although environmental variables partially shaped bacterial community composition.

To what extent the size fraction affects an interpretation of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages

Study of planktonic foraminifera, sampled from two levels of a 26 cm thick core, recovered at 1,200 m water depth, sheds some lights on the composition of foraminiferal assemblages that occur in the Southern Adriatic. Altogether 15 planktonic species (including one referred as undeterminable and two species recorded for the first time in the eastern Adriatic Sea) identified from 0-2 cm and 24-26 cm sediment intervals, were grouped into two assemblages: >63 μm fraction Turborotalita quinqueloba and >125 μm fraction as Globigerina bulloides-Globigerinoides ruber. The differences in core-top and core-bottom assemblages lie in: a) change in the relative proportion of some species; and b) slight differences in diversity indices. The relative proportions of species are strongly controlled by sieve mesh size, whereas the slight increase in diversity follows the increase in sieve mesh size. The benthic foraminifera, although constituting a negligible quantitative factor, show a slight increase in abundance and diversity of species with age.

Optimization of isolation and cultivation of bacterial endophytes through addition of plant extract to nutrient media.

Many endophytes have beneficial effects on plants and can be exploited in biotechnological applications. Studies hypothesize that only 0.001–1% of all plant-associated bacteria are cultivable. Moreover, even after successful isolations, many endophytic bacteria often show reduced regrowth capacity. This research aimed to optimize isolation processes and culturing these bacteria afterwards. We compared several minimal and complex media in a screening. Beside the media themselves, two gelling agents and adding plant extract to media were investigated to enhance the number and diversity of endophytes as well as the growth capacity when regrown after isolation.In this work, 869 medium delivered the highest numbers of cultivable bacteria, as well as the highest diversity. When comparing gelling agents, no differences were observed in the numbers of bacteria. Adding plant extract to the media lead to a slight increase in diversity. However, when adding plant extract to improve the regrowth capacity, sharp increases of viable bacteria occurred in both rich and minimal media.

Quantitative palaeoecology in the Pachycyrtella Bed, Early Permian of Interior Oman

The population dynamics and community structure of the Pachycyrtella Bed at the base of the Lower Permian Saiwan Formation (Interior Oman) are described. The populations of the brachiopod Pachycyrtella omanensis and the bivalve Dickinsartella pistacina are census populations, which show a stable structure, with individuals growing successfully to maturity due to fast initial growth rate. P. omanensis and D. pistacina are opportunist species that colonized a physically stressed environment, characterized by high mobility of the substrate, high energy and high nutrient influx at the end of the Gondwanan deglaciation. Both P. omanensis and D. pistacina have a large biovolume with respect to surface area and this may reflect an adaptation to cool climate conditions, whereas their thick shell substance could be the result of increasing biocalcification in the high O 2/CO 2 Early Permian atmosphere. Community structure records the combined effect of rich food resources and an unstable environment, as low (individuals) to very low (biovolume) diversity values and short suspension feeding chains characterize the pioneer palaeocommunities of the Pachycyrtella Bed. The slight increase in diversity in the upper part of the bed is interpreted to have resulted from a change in the environmental stability, probably connected to decreasing hydrodynamic energy during a small scale sea-level rise. More favourable conditions at the top of the bed are also suggested by the relative abundance of the newly recognized small-sized strophalosiid species Strophalosia ericinia n. sp., which spent part of its life firmly attached to P. omanensis and bivalves.

Foraminiferal assemblages in the Ubatuba Bay, south-eastern Brazilian Coast

Live benthic foraminifera assemblages were studied in 40 surface sediment samples collected in the Ubatuba Bay (northern coast of Sao Paulo State) in order to investigate the relationship between the geological, physicochemical parameters and the ecological data. The area has significant contributions of terrestrial inputs from four rivers that flow into the bay. Biological data were analyzed with multivariate techniques of cluster analysis and a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out for abiotic factors. The Suborder Rotaliina was dominant in the whole studied area. The result of the cluster analysis allowed us to recognize three groups of stations corresponding to three foraminifera assemblages and different environment conditions. The PCA revealed approximately the same three groups obtained with the cluster analysis. A slight increase in diversity in the outer bay was measured. The inner environment is dominated by A. tepida, evidencing local instabilities. Infaunal species are distributed in the middle region associated with mud and a high content of organic matter, while the most external region has similar percentages of epifaunal and infaunal, which indicates the higher energy condition in this portion of the bay. We also quantified the abnormal specimens that were mainly present in the inner bay, especially represented by A. tepida specimens.

The peninsula effect on species diversity: a reassessment of the avifauna of Baja California

The peninsula effect, a decrease in species diversity from the base to the tip of peninsulas, has been proposed to explain the relatively poor species diversity of mammals on North American peninsulas. Subsequent work has questioned both the existence of peninsular declines in diversity, as well as the proposed cause (immigration‐extinction dynamics). Previous studies of the Baja California avifauna have shown a gradual decrease in the diversity of breeding birds from the base to the tip of the peninsula. Using newly published data on the breeding land birds, I found a decrease only from the base to the middle of the peninsula, with a slight increase in diversity from the middle to the tip. This result is similar to that for other highly vagile taxa (e.g., Chiroptera. Lepidoptera) and is largely due to the coneave diversity gradient of montane species along the peninsula. Habitat associations of the Baja avifauna and the location of potential source populations suggest that: 1) local habitat heterogeneity is likely the single most important factor influencing the avian diversity gradient along the peninsula; and 2) limited immigration of Neotropical species from mainland areas, and of Nearctic species from the base of the peninsula to the montane southern tip is partly responsible for the form of the diversity gradient along the southern half of the peninsula. My results along with those from previous studies, suggest that rather than colonization/extinction dynamics, habitat heterogeneity and the vagility of the taxa considered have the greatest impact on the observed patterns of species diversity along peninsulas,

The diatom stratigraphy and palaeoecology of lake Ohrid, Yugoslavia

An 8.85 m core (No. 9) was taken from Lake Ohrid, Yugoslavia, in August 1973 at a depth of 210 m, approximately 6 km offshore of Gorcia, Yugoslavia. The core was sampled at 10-cm intervals and analyzed for moisture, organic and CaCO 3 content, and diatoms. There is a slight but steady decrease of moisture with depth, probably due to sediment compaction. The organic content showed little variation throughout the core ( x ̄ = 2.73 ± 0.39% of total weight). The CaCO 3 content from 885−110 cm depth also showed little change ( x ̄ = 2.32 ± 0.55% of total weight) but increased in the top meter of the core (100−0 cm, x ̄ = 11.03 ± 8.86% of total weight). Throughout the core there is an inverse relationship between organic and CaCO 3 content, particularly in the top meter. Extrapolation to the bottom of the core using linear regression based on 14C-dating yields a date of ca. 30,000 years B.P. Results indicate that Lake Ohrid has remained an oligotrophic lake throughout the period represented by Core 9. Diatom analysis shows one persistent group of diatoms throughout the core. This group consists of Cyclotella fottii, C. hustedtii, and C. hustedtii var.1 and is referred to as the Cyclotella complex. Between 885−650 cm (ca. 30,000−20,000 yr B.P.) there is a sharp increase in numbers and a slight increase in diversity of species. This may correspond with the beginning of the warmer, more humid middle Pleniglacial. Between 650−100 cm (ca. 20,000−10,000 yr B.P.) the Cyclotella complex appears usually alone in small number. There are a few other scattered species in this section, mainly Opephora martyi and Fragilaria pinnata. This section of the core probably corresponds with the cold upper Pleniglacial of the Würm (Weichselian). Between 100−0 cm (ca. 10,000−0 yr B.P.) there is the largest increase in number and diversity of species, particularly above 60 cm. The Cyclotella complex, C. ocellata, Cyclotella sp.1, Stephanodiscus astraea var. intermedia fo.11 and Stephanodiscus sp.1 are dominant. This is the only section of the core in which Stephanodiscus species occur, and probably corresponds with the Holocene.