Taxonomic Diversity Indices Research Articles

Piscivore water bird diversity at freshwater tributaries of Zambezi River, Namibia

Piscivorous waterbirds enhance wetlands’ diversity and have been seen as bio-indicators of ecological conditions within ecosystems. In addition to their ecological contribution, to wetlands functions and ecosystem services, these birds have been reported to be affected by fishing activities and to compete with fisheries. Despite their importance along wetlands, their populations are in serious decline on a global level. This study aimed at comparing piscivorous waterbirds community composition and functional diversity between a fish protected area (FPA) and a non-fish protected area (NFPA) in two tributaries of Zambezi River in Namibia. At each site, all the waterbirds within a radius of 50 metres were enumerated and identified using binoculars and guide books. For each tributary, species diversity, taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and community-based trait diversity indices were calculated. A total of 40 carnivorous waterbirds species belonging to 9 orders were recorded during the survey. Of these 40 species, 10 (25%) predominantly feed on fish, 6 (15%) predominantly feed on insects and 24 (60%) species predominantly feed on both fish and insects. At the FPAs site, a total of 35 species were recorded, comprising 10 (29%) species that predominantly feed on fish, 4 (11%) species that predominantly feed on insects and 21 (60%) species that feed on both fish and insects. Generally, piscivorous waterbirds species diversities were not significantly different between a FPA and a NFPA (p 0.05). However, all piscivorous waterbirds functional diversities indices calculated were significantly different between FPAs and NFPAs (p 0.05).Conservation implications: In most riparian human communities, fish is an important source of protein. The effects of uncontrolled fishing in shaping the composition, structure, and diversity of piscivorous waterbirds worldwide have been reported. If we need to balance the two, regulating fishing loadings and season will improve piscivorous waterbirds conservation and human livelihoods.

Modern pollen–plant diversity relationships for reliable pollen-based reconstruction of past plant taxonomic and functional diversity: A case study in southwest Shandong, China

Pollen diversity provides insights into our understanding of past plant diversity, a wide variety of diversity indices have been used to characterize plant diversity from sedimentary pollen. However, studies reported inconsistent associations between pollen-plant taxonomic diversity, this could be partly accounted for by biases due to interspecies differences in pollen production, pollen diffusion/deposition, and poorly specified dispersal distance of pollen-source plants. It is therefore crucial to improve the interpretation of the sedimentary pollen diversity by systematic studies of palynological and floristic diversity associations in contemporary landscapes.To test the reliability of pollen assemblages as a proxy of plant diversity, we collected pollen and vegetation from 36 surface sites in southwest Shandong. We detected the correlation between pollen-plant taxonomic and functional diversity indices from different spatial scales.Our results show pollen-plant correlations vary in spatial scales for different indices, the Spearman correlation analysis indicates significant and the strongest correlations between pollen-plant Shannon index around the RSAP (0.399 < ρ < 0.520), while the Pielou’s evenness shows significant and the highest correlations (0.411 < ρ < 0.425) around and beyond the RSAP, but only weak positive relationships can be detected between pollen-plant richness. Functional composition based on whole plant height and specific leave area and functional dispersion based on combined traits of whole plant height, specific leave area, seed mass, and leave dry mass shows significant positive pollen-plant associations, indicating that functional diversity may improve the pollen-plant link.Our results confirm that pollen data performs well in presenting plant taxonomic and functional diversity, which provides a solid theoretical basis for quantitative reconstruction of the long-term plant diversity dynamics and response of ecosystem functions to the environment in the future. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the spatial scale of vegetation survey plays an important role in the representation of pollen diversity.

Eutrophication weakens the positive biodiversity–productivity relationship of benthic diatoms in plateau lakes

Context Freshwater primary productivity is threatened by the decline in biodiversity associated with nutrient enrichment, but there is still uncertainty about how the biodiversity and productivity relationship (BPR) varies with the trophic states. Aims We aimed to examine the variation of benthic diatom BPRs in three plateau lakes with different trophic states and their underlying driving mechanisms. Methods We examined the relationship between diatom taxonomic and functional diversity, niche width, and niche overlap with productivity. Key results The taxonomic and functional diversity, niche width and productivity of benthic diatoms were highest in the mesotrophic lake. The benthic diatom BPRs were linear and positive, with the slope of BPRs being the lowest in eutrophic lake. Motile, non-attached and small-sized diatoms were dominant in eutrophic lake. Nutrient concentrations indirectly affected primary productivity by influencing algal community structure, niche width and biodiversity change. Conclusions Diatom productivity and diversity showed a positive relationship, but nutrient enrichment weakened this relationship. By combining taxonomic and functional diversity indices, supplemented by niche analysis, we can further understand the variation of diatom productivity. Implications The results provide a basis for predicting the changes in BPRs of benthic diatoms in the littoral zone with different trophic states.

Spatial and temporal effects of heat waves on the diversity of European stream invertebrate communities

The frequency and magnitude of extreme events, such as heat waves, are predicted to increase with climate change. However, assessments of the response of biological communities to heat waves are often inconclusive. We aimed to assess the responses in abundance, taxonomic and functional diversity indices of stream invertebrate communities to heat waves using long-term monitoring data collected across Europe. We quantified the heat waves' magnitude, analyzed the spatial (i.e., long-term mean) and temporal (anomaly around the long-term mean) components of variation in the magnitude of heat waves, and their interaction with anthropogenic stressors (ecological quality and land cover). For the spatial component of variation, we found a negative association of the community indices to the increasing magnitude of heat waves. Sites undergoing heat waves of higher magnitude showed fewer species and lower trait diversity compared with sites experiencing lower magnitude heat waves. However, we could not detect an immediate temporal response of the communities to heat waves (i.e., the temporal component). Furthermore, we found that the effects of heat waves interacted with the ecological quality of the streams and their surrounding land cover. Diversity declined with increasing heat waves' magnitude in streams with higher ecological quality or surrounded by forest, which may be due to a higher proportion of sensitive species in the community. Heat waves' impacts on diversity were also exacerbated by increasing urban cover. The interaction between heat waves' magnitude and anthropogenic stressors suggests that the effects of extreme events can compromise the recovery of communities. Further, the predicted increase in heat waves will likely have long-term effects on stream invertebrate communities that are currently undetected.

Microbiota but not immune modulation by a pro- and postbiotic was associated with the diet-additive interaction in broilers

This study investigated the diet-additive interactions of a Lactobacilli-based probiotic (Pro) and postbiotic (Post) on immune parameters and cecal microbiota composition, with subsequent effects on the metabolome in broilers. A completely randomized block design was employed with 2 diets [standard (SD), and challenge (CD)] and 3 additive conditions (Control, Pro, Post) involving 1,368 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers equally distributed among 36 pens in a 42 d study. Diets were formulated to contain identical nutrient levels, with CD higher than SD in non-starch polysaccharide content by including rye and barley. Total non-specific serum Ig A, M and G concentrations were determined weekly from d14 to 35. Following vaccination, titres of specific antibodies binding Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) were measured. Microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing at d14 and 35, and α- and β-diversity indexes (Observed, Chao1, Bray, Jaccard) were calculated. Cecal short-chain fatty acids and the semi-polar metabolome were determined in the Control SD and all CD groups at d35. At d35, a diet-additive interaction was observed on cecal microbiota composition. Within SD, Pro and Post did not affect operational taxonomic units (OTU) abundance (adjusted-P > 0.05) and diversity indexes (P > 0.05). Within CD, Pro and Post affected the relative abundances of 37 and 44 OTUs, respectively (adjusted-P < 0.05), with Post but not Pro affecting β-diversity indexes (P = 0.041 and 0.064 for Bray and Jaccard, respectively). Within CD, Post increased cecal acetate (21%; P = 0.007) and butyrate (41%; P = 0.002) concentration and affected the concentration of 2 metabolites (adjusted-P < 0.05), while Pro affected 240 metabolites (adjusted-P < 0.05). No diet-additive interactions were observed on serum Ig (P > 0.05), except for IgM at d14 (P = 0.004). Diet composition, but not the additives, affected immune status parameters. The Pro and Post affected cecal microbiota composition only under dietary challenging conditions as previously reported for growth.

Predicting avian diversity based on land use and cover on a national scale

This study explores the relationship between landscape features and avian diversity in South Korea, examining both taxonomic and functional diversity. The Korean Peninsula serves as a pivotal habitat for resident bird species and a migratory pathway in the East Asia-Pacific flyway. Using a national dataset with block sizes ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 kilometers per side, we found that less urbanized open plains exhibit higher taxonomic diversity, while coastal regions with diverse water bird populations show higher functional diversity. These findings underscore the significance of conserving the existing land types and qualities in specific regions to substantially impact bird distribution and regional biodiversity. Remarkably, closed forests display diversity patterns akin to urban/built-up areas, despite their disparate land use characteristics. The stability of bird diversity indices across different land use types enables us to predict bird diversity indices based on the particular land use and land cover configurations. This study emphasizes the complementary nature of functional biodiversity indices in comprehending bird distribution patterns alongside taxonomic diversity indices.

Recovering connectivity through restoration corridors in a fragmented landscape in the magdalena river’s valley in Colombia

Forest fragmentation is one of the main drivers of global biodiversity loss leading to the isolation of wildlife populations. This study focuses on understanding the role of restoration corridors as a strategy promoting resilience and viability of mammal and bird populations in a fragmented landscape in Colombia. We installed 98 camera-trap stations − 8497 camera-trap days - in four different land cover categories: (1) forest fragments, (2) natural corridors, (3) stablished corridors and (4) pastures. We evaluated if restoration corridors do promote connectivity for large vertebrates and recover species richness and functional diversity lost in anthropogenically transformed pastures. We used indices of taxonomic and functional diversity and a non-metric multidimensional scaling to evaluate the influence of land cover over mammal and bird communities. Both, species richness and functional diversity have higher values in forests, followed by natural corridors and corridors and lower values in open pastures. Differences in species composition were greater between forests and pastures, and species composition of restoration corridors begins to resemble that of riparian forests and forest fragments. Our results provide initial evidence on the role of restoration corridors as an efficient strategy aimed to recover biodiversity and functional diversity in pervasively fragmented landscapes.

Analyzing the quality differences between healthy and moldy cigar tobacco leaves during the air-curing process through fungal communities and physicochemical components.

The air-curing process of cigar tobacco, as a key step in enhancing the quality of cigars, is often susceptible to contamination by mold spores, which severely constrains the quality of cigar tobacco. This study employed high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology and a continuous flow analysis system to analyze the differences between the microbial communities and physicochemical components of moldy and healthy cigar tobacco leaves. Furthermore, correlation analysis was performed to reveal the impact of mold on the quality of cigar tobacco. The differences between the microbial flora and physicochemical compositions of moldy (MC) and healthy (HC) tobacco leaves were analyzed, revealing significant disparities between the two groups. Aspergillus spp. represented the dominant mold in MC, with nine out of twelve isolated molds showing higher quantities on MC than on HC. Mold contamination notably decreased the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total alkaloids (TA), starch, protein, and flavor constituents while increasing the total fatty acid esters (TFAA), which was accompanied by a shift towards weakly acidic pH in the leaves. Fungal community analysis indicated a significant reduction in the fungal operational taxonomic unit (OUT) numbers and diversity indices in MC, contrasting with the bacterial trends. Aspergillus exhibited significantly higher relative abundance in MC, with LEfSe analysis pinpointing it as the primary driver of differentiation. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between Aspergillus and TP, starch, TA, and protein, while a significant positive association was evident with TFAA. Network analysis underscored the pivotal role of Aspergillus as the species influencing disparities between HC and MC, with its abundance serving as a critical determinant during the air-curing process. This study elucidated substantial quality distinctions between MC and HC during air-curing, with Aspergillus emerging as the key species contributing to leaf mold.

Macrofaunal diversity patterns in coastal marine sediments: re-examining common metrics and methods

Complex biodiversity patterns arise in marine systems due to overlapping ecological processes, including organism interactions, resource distribution, and environmental conditions. Despite the importance of documenting these patterns, describing diversity in natural ecosystems remains challenging. Here, we investigate 3 nearshore sub-Arctic sites to describe benthic macroinfaunal taxa and biological traits, with the ultimate aim of determining whether common diversity metrics and typical sampling efforts adequately capture community composition in these systems. First, we assess how diversity relates to sediment depth and examine relationships among commonly used taxonomic and functional diversity indices. Second, using a power analysis, we explore how sampling effort influences the interpretation of diversity patterns in coastal systems. We report significant variation in community composition among sites, even across small spatial scales of km, and find that taxonomically diverse communities do not necessarily correspond to high functional diversity. We further find that although environmental factors such as sediment depth consistently affect macroinfaunal diversity, the direction and magnitude of these relationships are site-dependent. Finally, we demonstrate that typical sampling effort for coastal benthic studies (for example, &lt;5 push cores of ~7 cm diameter) may not capture macroinfaunal community composition adequately, potentially obscuring hotspots in common diversity metrics such as taxonomic or functional richness. However, indices such as Simpson’s diversity may be well-suited to resource-limited studies with restricted sampling capacity. Our results highlight the importance of adopting multi-pronged approaches to biodiversity assessment and determining optimal sample sizes for marine benthic systems, particularly in the context of biodiversity monitoring for conservation purposes.

Analysis of the Diversity and Functional Potential of Bacterial Communities in Tuberculomas.

The dynamics of lung microbiota in tuberculosis remains poorly understood. Sequencing of variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene from surgically excised tuberculosis foci and biopsy specimens of normal lung tissue allowed characterization of the diversity and predictive potential of bacterial communities. Taxonomic diversity indices attested to differences in the structure of microbial communities between "healthy" lungs and tuberculomas. The microbial composition of "healthy" lungs varied in taxonomic diversity and was presented by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria with sufficiently similar metabolic potential. The microbiota of the examined tuberculomas consisted of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 99.9% of cases. A significant part of the metabolic pathways predicted by PICRUSt2 included cholesterol catabolism, sulfate assimilation, and various pathways for the biosynthesis of cell wall components.

Mind the gaps: horizontal canopy structure affects the relationship between taxonomic and spectral diversity

ABSTRACT Spectral diversity (SD) in reflectance can be used to estimate plant taxonomic diversity (TD) according to the Spectral Variation Hypothesis (SVH). However, contrasting relationships between SD and TD have been reported by different studies. Indeed, multiple factors may affect SD, including spatial and spectral scales, vegetation characteristics and the adopted SD computational method. Here, we tested the SVH over 171 plots within a large and heterogeneous forest area in North-Eastern Italy using Sentinel-2 data, aiming at identifying possible factors affecting the strength and direction of SD-TD relationship. SD was determined using ‘biodivMapR’ (BD) and ‘rasterdiv’ (RD) R packages and 38 possible combinations of SD indices, at both α (within a community) and β (among communities) levels, and computational parameters accounting for spatial and spectral scales. Information on vegetation structure was either retrieved from ground-based or LiDAR data. A Random Forest approach was used to disentangle the relationships between SD, TD and vegetation structure, and to identify the best combination of SD computational parameters. At the α-level, we found negative relationship between TD and RD SD indices, which was mainly driven by the presence of gaps within the forest canopy. As regards BD, we found that this algorithm reduced background contribution on SD and was able to differentiate major forest types (broadleaves vs conifers), but derived α-SD indices were marginally correlated with α-TD. At the β-level, we observed a statistically significant positive correlation between BD SD indices and TD (maximum r = 0.24). Finally, we found stronger correlations and R2 when SD indices were calculated using smaller computation windows and over a larger pixels extraction area. Our findings suggest that vegetation cover and structure play a major role, with respect to inter-species spectral differences, in determining α-SD, and that SD might better capture differences in species composition at the landscape-level rather than the richness of individual communities.

Land use/land cover and plant community dynamics in the Benin's forest reserves: The effectiveness of participatory forest management

Assessing Participatory Forest Management (PFM) is crucial to design sustainable conservation biodiversity policies. Such assessments often prioritize PFM's impact on livelihoods and deforestation, overlooking the spatial and biodiversity dimensions. Thus underscores the need for tools like Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) overviews and forest diversity assessments. Here, we integrated LULCC of fours forests reserves (Wari-maro Mont-Kouffé, Agoua, Goungoun and Lama), taxonomic (alpha index) and temporal beta diversity index to provide insight into PFM effectiveness over thirty-five years (1986–2021). Landsat MSS (1986), SPOT (2005) and Sentinel 2b (2021) satellite images were used to assess the LULCC, via supervised classification and visual interpretation. Temporal dynamics of trees diversity was evaluated using forest inventory data from two years (2007 and 2023). A linear regression was performed to identify the anthropogenic factors (fire, grazing, distance from villages to forests) driving temporal changes in floristic composition. We found a decline in forests area which was more critical after the implementation of PFM (2005 and 2021), with a slight decline in species diversity (1.80 ± 0.68 in 2007 and 1.65 ± 0.56 in 2023). PFM efficiency was higher in larger forests, which have experienced less deforestation than smaller ones. Significant variations in forest land cover were observed among forests from 1986 to 2021, particularly in Agoua (26.76% and 52.13% between 1986 and 2005 and 2005–2021 respectively) and Wari-maro Mont-Kouffé (1.96% and 0.16% between 1986 and 2005 and 2005–2021 respectively). There was a significant decline in trees density from 2007 (252 trees/ha) to 2023 (155 trees/ha), while tree diameter (15 to 22 cm) and height (8 to 12 m) have increased between 2007 and 2023. The foristic composition of forests has changed, with an overall downward trend in diversity, affected by forest fires. The study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of PFM as a conservation policy.

Along the river: Longitudinal patterns of functional and taxonomic diversity of plants in riparian forests

AbstractQuestionsThe River Continuum Concept (RCC) predicts a gradual shift of functional adaptations of organisms along the longitudinal (upstream–downstream) gradient, as well as the maximization of the biotic diversity in mid‐reaches. Although this theoretical framework was originally developed for stream macroinvertebrates, we tested whether such a pattern can also be observed in riparian plant communities.LocationThe study was conducted in the upper catchments of the San and Wisłoka Rivers in southeastern Poland. In both catchments, very well preserved riparian forests occur continuously along both rivers.MethodsWe studied the cover of plant species in riparian forests across two river networks. We analyzed the taxonomic and functional diversity indices, as well as community‐weighted means of functional traits in relation to the plots' positions in the catchments.ResultsThe functional richness and divergence displayed unimodal patterns of increasing values in the mid‐reaches. The patterns of taxonomic diversity were similar, but some plots in the lowest reaches were more diverse than expected, forming an additional increase in diversity. The observed patterns were largely in line with the predictions of RCC. We discovered a significant decrease in the specific leaf area and an increase in the height of herbaceous plants in communities along a longitudinal gradient. There was also a shift in the dispersal syndromes, toward a higher importance of zoochory in the lower reaches.ConclusionsThe study shows that plant communities in natural riparian forests show continuous species turnover along the longitudinal gradient that, along with the longitudinal shift of abiotic factors, creates patterns that are known from theoretical predictions.

Fish assemblages along a bathymetric gradient in the northern Aegean Sea: An ecomorphological approach

Morphological studies of fish assemblages are a crucial aspect of ecology, as they can provide insight into functional roles and changes beyond taxonomically oriented approaches. In addition, depth is an important factor that impacts the structure of fish assemblages. In the present study, samples of 115 demersal actinopterygian species were collected during a bottom-trawl survey conducted in the northern Aegean Sea, in the summer of 2020. The samples were collected by 65 hauls across depths ranging from 0 to 650 m. The samples were photographed, and the images were analyzed through geometric morphometric methods, by defining 27 landmarks and semilandmarks on each photo. Principal Components were estimated to construct morphospaces and between group Principal Component Analysis was used to distribute the mean body shape of each assemblage along morphological axes. Ecological, taxonomic and morphological diversity indices were then computed for each haul, and the potential effects of depth on these indices were tested with Generalized Additive models. All indices were significantly affected by depth, except for species richness, on which the effect was marginally insignificant. Concerning the morphological diversity indices, morphological disparity indices, estimated with 2 different methods, as well as the ecomorphological diversity found to increase with depth, whereas morphological richness fluctuated. Next, Generalized Linear Models were employed to examine the variations in the morphological traits of the mean shape of each formed assemblage. The results indicated that assemblages distinguished into two groups, one inhabiting the continental shelf (<200 m), and the other the upper-medium slope (>200 m). Specifically, with increasing depth, fish converge towards an elongated body, with larger mouth and eyes, but smaller pectoral fin. The findings of this study, contribute to better understanding of the impact of depth on the ecological and morphological structure of demersal assemblages, and highlight the importance of morphological diversity indices as a complement to conventional approaches.

Non‐linear thresholds in the effect of area on three dimensions of diversity of herpetofauna in the West Indies

AbstractAimThe small‐island effect (SIE) describes an anomalous feature of the species–area relationship (SAR) on smaller compared to larger islands. However, previous studies on SIEs mainly focused on taxonomic diversity and overlooked phylogenetic and functional diversity. In this study, we explored SIEs in three dimensions of diversity. We expect to see the non‐linear thresholds in the effect of area on three dimensions of diversity as well as on community structures, because the dominant assembly processes vary across spatial scales.LocationThe West Indies.TaxonHerpetofauna.MethodsWe derived data on the presence/absence of 199 amphibian species on 163 islands and 614 reptile species on 748 islands in the West Indies. We built a species‐level phylogenetic tree and a species‐level functional tree to estimate six taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity indices. Four community metrics on behalf of the phylogenetic and functional community structure of each island were calculated using a null modelling framework and was quantified using the standardized effect size (SES). We explored the non‐linear thresholds in the effect of area for each of the diversity indices and SES values of community metrics by comparing six piecewise regression models with a linear regression model and a null model.ResultsWe found evidence of SIEs in four diversity indices representing all three dimensions of diversity. Besides, area thresholds were also found in the phylogenetic and functional community structure for both amphibians and reptiles. Random extinction, competitive exclusion and adaptive radiation are the dominant processes structuring reptile communities on small, intermediate and large islands respectively.Main ConclusionsTo conduct a comprehensive biodiversity conservation plan concerning taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, we suggest it is necessary to explore the SIEs in various diversity indices representing all three dimensions of diversity and apply the lowest threshold value to make management strategies.

Litter from Native Shrubs in the Senegal River Valley Induces Modifications in Nematode Communities and Enzyme Activities in Cultivated Sandy Soils

ABSTRACT To reduce plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), an alternative solution based on amendments from selected native shrub was used to favor mainly the increase of free-living nematodes (FLNs) that include high trophic (bacterivorous, fungivorous, omnivorous, and carnivorous) nematodes and influence soil microbial activities. The consequences of the subsequent reduce of PPNs of the soil were also determined. Experiments were performed in a shade house using six treatments consisting of shrub residues from Piliostigma reticulatum (Pil), Boscia senegalensis (Bos), and Crotalaria juncea (Cro); a Straw-based Compost (Cs); a Farmer practice (FP) using Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) fertilizer; and a control (C0, no amendments). Abundances of nematodes, trophic groups, and nematodes ecological indices were determined. Enzymatic activities (ß-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) and the fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA) were also determined. Soil amended by Bos and Cro increased the density of nematodes compared to control soil or amended with NPK fertilizer. Indices of taxonomic diversity (H') did not differ significantly between the treatments. However, soils amended with Bos and Cro had the highest enrichment index (EI), and the lowest Nematode Channel Ratio (NCR), indicating that these two shrub residues exhibited a higher food web in response to the available resources provided by the fungal decomposition pathway. Moreover, Bos favored omnivorous and increased enzymatic activities. Bos induce ‘bottom-up’ while Cro induce ‘top-down’ controls on nematode populations.

Ferns Species Diversity in the Sekar Pudak Sari Waterfall Tourism Area, Wonosalam District, Jombang Regency, East Java, Indonesia

Ferns are significantly dominant in Indonesia. The waterfall area is one of the ferns habitats. This study aims to determine the diversity index of ferns species in the Tourism Area of Sekar Pudak Sari Waterfall Wonosalam District, Jombang Regency, East Java. This research was exploratory, descriptive. Data collection uses a single plot measuring 20x20 m at 500 masl, 700 masl, and 900 masl. Each observation plot has a sub-plot with a size of 2x2 m. Data analysis used the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H'), the taxonomic diversity index (Δ), and dominance (Δ*). The exploration results found 28 species from 11 families, 6 epiphytes, and the rest terrestrial. The taxonomic diversity index in plot 1 was 23.36 (low category), while plots 2 and 3 were 30.58 and 31.66 (medium category). This shows that the environment in the three plots is classified as stable, as indicated by the presence of ferns at various taxonomic levels. The highest dominance diversity index (Δ*) was 2.8 in Plot 2, while Plots 1 and 3 were 2.7 (low category). The total number of individual ferns found influenced the difference in the diversity index. The ferns found in the three plots were relatively few, indicating that the environment was classified as less stable. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') in the three plots was 2.9 (medium category), indicating that the distribution pattern of ferns in the environment was balanced. The Sekar Pudak Sari Waterfall Tourism Area is a suitable habitat for the growth of ferns, so conservation efforts need to be made to maintain a balance of species and stabilize the ecosystem.

Diversity of the Microbiota of Traditional Izmir Tulum and Izmir Brined Tulum Cheeses and Selection of Potential Probiotics.

High-throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) was used to study the microbial diversity of commercial traditional Izmir Tulum (IT) and Izmir Brined Tulum (IBT) cheeses from Izmir, Türkiye. Simultaneously, cultivation-dependent methods were used to isolate, identify and characterize bacterial strains displaying probiotic potential. At the phylum level, Firmicutes dominated the microbiota of both cheese types comprising >98% of the population. Thirty genera were observed, with Streptococcus being the most abundant genus and with Streptococcus thermophilus and S. infantarius subsp. infantarius being the most abundant species. Genera, including Bifidobacterium and Chryseobacterium, not previously associated with IT and IBT, were detected. IT cheeses displayed higher operational taxonomic units (OTUs; Richness) and diversity index (Simpson) than IBT cheeses; however, the difference between the diversity of the microbiota of IT and IBT cheese samples was not significant. Three Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strains isolated from IBT cheeses exhibited probiotic characteristics, which included capacity to survive under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions, resistance to bile salts and potential to adhere to HT-29 human intestinal cells. These findings demonstrate that Tulum cheeses harbor bacterial genera not previously reported in this cheese and that some strains display probiotic characteristics.

Climate Change and Wetland Ecosystems: The Effects on Halophilous Vegetation Diversity in Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk Natura 2000 Site (Malta)

Climate change poses a fundamental threat to the wetlands. The Mediterranean basin is a biodiversity hotspot, and wetlands are important for maintaining this status. The current study evaluated the halophilous vegetation diversity of one of the most relevant Maltese wetlands, Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk Natura 2000 site, also identified under the Water Framework Directive. A vegetation analysis was carried out according to the Braun–Blanquet approach. The processed dataset included both data from the literature and unpublished data. To quantify vegetation structure and diversity, a hierarchical classification (Chord distance; Ward linkage) and diversity and ecological indices were performed. Diachronic analysis of the taxonomic diversity indices and the Ellenberg indicator values were taken into account. We used an NMDS analysis to assess the ecological fingerprint of the vegetation. In addition, we provided an actual vegetation map for Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk, based on drone orthophotos. We identified five EU Directive habitats in the study area (1150*, 1310, 1410, 1420, and 92D0) of which one (1150*) was reported for the first time. The ecological fingerprint of the halophilous vegetation has undergone changes over time, particularly due to increasing temperatures. In fact, the results showed that nutrients and temperature were the strongest environmental drivers of the site. The results and methodology of this study demonstrate how vegetation studies can serve as tools to improve knowledge, management actions, and landscape planning of Natura 2000 sites.

Bird taxonomic and functional diversity, group- and species-level effects on a gradient of weevil-caused damage in eucalypt plantations

The relative contribution of bird communities to insect pest control has been seldom estimated using trait-based functional diversity indices, in opposition to the general usage of taxonomic indices simply based on the presence and abundance of species. Moreover, few studies attempted to quantify the explicit contribution of functional groups or species of birds to the control of insect pests. We investigated eucalypt plantations under a gradient of defoliation caused by the eucalyptus weevil Gonipterus platensis to assess how avian insectivory links with (1) taxonomic and (2) functional diversity indices, and with (3) groups and (4) species of functional insectivores. In agreement with our hypothesis, weevil-caused damage was negatively correlated to avian insectivory in the four studied approaches. Taxonomic diversity indices consistently presented a negative correlation with weevil-caused damage, but, contrary to our expectation, functional diversity indices were defective predictors of weevil-caused damage in eucalypt stands. Results were further explicit in the analyses conducted with groups and species of functional insectivores, wherein significant lower levels of weevil-caused damage in eucalypt stands were mainly associated with the higher abundance of canopy foragers, even though ground- and understory-gleaning species also provided competitive models at the species-level. This study establishes the importance of using multivariate trait-based approaches to understand how functional diversity drives ecosystem services, as it is here demonstrated for avian insectivory in eucalypt plantations. Top-down trophic control of the eucalyptus weevil by birds can reduce damage in areas where functional insectivorous birds aggregate.