Vegetation Associations Research Articles

Flora y vegetación de la región semiárida de Acultzingo-Maltrata, Veracruz, México

Antecedentes y Objetivos: En la porción central del estado de Veracruz existe una región semiárida, en los municipios Acultzingo y Maltrata, que forma parte del Parque Nacional Cañón del Río Blanco. Esa zona había permanecido inexplorada desde el punto de vista botánico, por lo que no estaba registrada en la literatura contemporánea. El objetivo de esta investigación es contribuir al conocimiento de la flora y vegetación de esta región, a través de un análisis florístico y una descripción de las comunidades vegetales.Métodos: Se realizaron colectas periódicas de la flora entre agosto 2012 y julio 2014. Se revisaron los herbarios CORU y MEXU, así como la serie Flora de Veracruz para obtener los registros históricos en el área de estudio. Para determinar los taxones compartidos entre esta región semiárida y el Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, se realizó una matriz de presencia-ausencia y se elaboró un cuadro que los resume.Resultados clave: En total se colectaron 604 especímenes de herbario, se obtuvieron 45 registros de la revisión de CORU, 280 de MEXU y 80 de la revisión de la serie Flora de Veracruz, para un total de 1009 registros. Estos registros comprenden 87 familias, 248 géneros y 390 taxones; las familias mejor representadas son Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, Cactaceae, Asparagaceae, Boraginaceae, Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae y Verbenaceae. Se reportan 33 especies como nuevos registros para Veracruz y 43 especies incluidas en categorías de riesgo según normas nacionales e internacionales. Se describen tres asociaciones vegetales que integran al matorral xerófilo de esta área.Conclusiones: Existen 63 especies compartidas entre la región semiárida de Acultzingo-Maltrata y el Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, confirmándose así las relaciones florísticas entre estas dos grandes regiones, por lo que se propone se denomine “Valle de Acultzingo-Tehuacán-Cuicatlán”, abarcando los estados de Veracruz, Puebla y Oaxaca.

The vascular flora and plant communities of Lawther-Deer Park Prairie, Harris County, Texas, U.S.A.

Field studies at the Lawther - Deer Park Prairie Preserve, an area of approximately 21 ha (51 acres) of the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes vegetation area, have resulted in a description of the vegetation associations and an annotated checklist of the vascular flora. Six plant community associations occur on the property: (1) the Upper Texas Coast Ingleside Sandy Wet Prairie; (2) Eastern Gamagrass - Switchgrass - Yellow Indiangrass Herbaceous Vegetation; (3) Gulf Cordgrass Herbaceous Vegetation; (4) Texas Gulf Coast Live Oak - Sugarberry Forest; (5) Little Bluestem - Slender Bluestem - Big Bluestem Herbaceous Vegetation, and (6) Natural Depressional Ponds. The checklist includes 407 species belonging to 247 genera and 86 families. Forty-six species are non-native. The best-represented families (with species number following) are Poaceae (84), Asteraceae (68), Cyperaceae (33), and Fabaceae (19). West Gulf Coastal Plain (eastern Texas and western Louisiana) endemics include Helenium drummondii, Liatris acidota, Oenothera lindheimeri, and Rudbeckia texana. One Texas endemic, Chloris texensis, a Species of Greater Conservation Need, is present. Other noteworthy species are Andropogon capillipes, Digitaria texana, and Platanthera nivea.

Fruits and vegetables intake and its subgroups are related to depression: a cross-sectional study from a developing country

BackgroundThe association of fruits and vegetables (FV) specific subgroups consumption and depression has not been investigated in healthy adult populations. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the relationship between intake of FV as well as their subgroups and depression.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 women attending healthcare centers. The scores of depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the 21-item depression, anxiety and stress scales questionnaire. The participants’ anthropometric and physical activity data were collected and the 147-item semi-quantitative FFQ was used for estimating the FV intake.ResultsAfter adjustment for confounding variables, the participants in the lower quartiles of total FV, total vegetables, total fruits, citrus, other fruits and green leafy vegetables intake were more likely to experience depression compared to those in the higher quartiles (p trend < 0.03).ConclusionOur findings suggest that higher intake of total FV and some of its specific subgroups might be associated with depression.

229 - Red meat, white meat and vegetable intakes and circulating nitrates

Background Intervention studies have shown that dietary nitrate supplementation significantly increased circulating nitrates and inhibited platelet aggregation, improved vascular function and lowered blood pressure. Thus, studying factors that may influence circulating nitrates will help us design strategies to prevent or improve these conditions associated with chronic diseases. Nitrate metabolism in humans are significantly influenced by oral and gut microbiome composition. Meat and vegetable intakes can influence human microbiome composition; thus, determine the associations between consumption of these foods and circulating nitrates may shed light on the interrelationship between meat, nitrate and microbiomes. Objective Determine the associations between red, white meat and vegetable consumption and circulating nitrates in two large observational studies. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, we analyzed data collected from 5,058 adults (men and women) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and from 1,260 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). The non-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (NFFQ) was collected, and urinary nitrates were measured in the NHANES. Plasma nitrates were measured, and a semi-quantitative FFQ (SFFQ) was collected in the HPFS. Results We found a similar trend when assessing the associations of vegetables and red meat with circulating (plasma and urinary) nitrate across two studies (NHANES and HPFS). Both urinary and plasma nitrates were positively associated with vegetables (p Conclusion Our results suggest that increased consumption of vegetable intakes are associated with increased circulating nitrates and increased consumption of processed and unprocessed red meat are associated with reduced circulating nitrates. Our study prompts new studies to determine the interrelationship between red meat, white meat, microbiome and circulating

Of mosses and men: Plant succession, soil development and soil carbon accretion in the sub-Arctic volcanic landscape of Hekla, Iceland

Lava flows pose a hazard in volcanic environments and reset ecosystem development. A succession of dated lava flows provides the possibility to estimate the direction and rates of ecosystem development and can be used to predict future development. We examine plant succession, soil development and soil carbon (C) accretion on the historical (post 874 AD) lava flows formed by the Hekla volcano in south Iceland. Vegetation and soil measurements were conducted all around the volcano reflecting the diverse vegetation communities on the lavas, climatic conditions around Hekla mountain and various intensities in deposition of loose material. Multivariate analysis was used to identify groups with similar vegetation composition and patterns in the vegetation. The association of vegetation and soil parameters with lava age, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation and soil accumulation rate (SAR) was analysed. Soil carbon concentration increased with increasing lava age becoming comparable to concentrations found on the prehistoric lavas. The combination of a sub-Arctic climate, gradual soil thickening due to input of loose material and the specific properties of volcanic soils allow for continuing accumulation of soil carbon in the soil profile. Four successional stages were identified: initial colonization and cover coalescence (ICC) of Racomitrium lanuginosum and Stereocaulon spp. (lavas &lt;70 years of age); secondary colonization (SC) – R. lanuginosum dominance (170−700 years); vascular plant dominance (VPD) (&gt;600 years); and highland conditions/retrogression (H/R) by tephra deposition (70−860 years). The long time span of the SC stage indicates arrested development by the thick R. lanuginosum moss mat. The progression from SC into VPD was linked to age of the lava flows and soil depth, which was significantly deeper within the VPD stage. Birch was growing on lavas over 600 years old indicating the development towards birch woodland, the climax ecosystem in Iceland.

Development of a carbon calculator tool for riparian forest restoration

AbstractAim(s)Methods for estimating carbon sequestration in riparian forest biomass are needed to qualify riparian restoration and conservation projects for funding through carbon credits. As part of a proposed accounting methodology for California's cap‐and‐trade system, we described five riparian vegetation associations and created a tool to predict their rates of carbon accumulation under different restoration and land‐use scenarios.LocationCalifornia, USA.MethodsWe assembled a database of 654 forest inventory plots of known age (3–108 years) from replanted and naturally recruiting California riparian forests. We then used detrended correspondence analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering to detect vegetation structure in the plots and delineate distinct forest types. We used allometric equations to estimate biomass from individual trees’ diameters and calculate total biomass for each plot. Next, we fitted sigmoid growth functions to the plot biomass data to generate expected values for live‐tree biomass over a 100‐year period for each forest type. Finally, we created an algorithm to match user‐inputted data for an intended restoration project with a look‐up table that predicts carbon accumulation appropriate to the user's scenario.ResultsCalifornia riparian vegetation was divided into willow scrub, cottonwood–willow, mixed riparian, upland riparian and riparian woodland types. Total carbon sequestration in riparian vegetation and soil varied from 75.7 to 137.4 Mg C/ha at 30 years post‐restoration and from 95.1 to 175.8 Mg C/ha 100 years after stand initiation. Vegetation types dominated by taller, more shade‐tolerant trees developed more slowly than scrubby and pioneer stands, but came to a higher maximum biomass. Our models put riparian biomass accumulation in the range of the few extant literature values for mediterranean systems, but uncertainties are high, and soil carbon may be underestimated.ConclusionsOur workflow and methods should be transferable to the development of carbon accounting tools for any other woody vegetation type. However, our difficulty in finding appropriate published data for the analysis suggests a critical need for field surveys appropriate to biomass estimation in woodland and forest communities not exploited for timber. The most important measurements are the age of the stand and a census of tree species, height and diameter.

Characteristics of Intact Wyoming Big Sagebrush Associations in Southeastern Oregon

The Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S.L. Welsh) alliance is the most extensive of the big sagebrush complex in the Intermountain West. There is a lack of information describing vegetation characteristics, diversity, and heterogeneity of the Wyoming big sagebrush alliance. We annually sampled 48 Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities over 10 yr to delineate major vegetation associations and describe their major vegetation characteristics including canopy cover, density, species richness, and yield. Six associations were identified on the basis of dominant or codominant perennial bunchgrass species, using MRPP analysis, and they included ARTRW8 (Wyoming big sagebrush)/PSSP6 (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Pursh] A. Löve, bluebunch wheatgrass), ARTRW8/ACTH7 (Achnatherum thurberianum [Piper] Barkworth, Thurber’s needlegrass), ARTRW8/FEID (Festuca idahoensis Elmer, Idaho fescue), ARTRW8/HECO26 (Hesperostipa comata [Trin. & Rupr.] Barkworth, needle-and-thread), ARTRW8/PSSP6-ACTH7, and ARTRW8/PSSP6-FEID-ACTH7. On average, PSSP6 and FEID associations had the highest total herbaceous cover and annual yields and the HECO26 and ACTH7 associations had the lowest. Perennial forb cover averaged over 5% in PSSP6 and FEID associations and ranged from 0.3% to 3.5% in the other associations. Sagebrush cover was greatest in ACTH7 and PSSP6-ACTH7 and lowest in FEID and HECO26 associations. Habitat suitability criteria for sage-grouse indicated that Wyoming big sagebrush associations at the stand/site level will generally not meet breeding habitat requirements and only attain suitable habitat requirements for other life stages about 50% of the time.

Common BuzzardsButeo buteoWintering in Eastern Romania: Habitat Use and Climatic Factors Affecting their Abundance

The Common Buzzard is a partial migrant in Eastern Europe, but its wintering densities are poorly known for this area due to a low number of studies. However, its migration patterns and wintering grounds can be affected by climate change with local fluctuations in numbers linked to weather conditions. Between 2010 and 2015 we annually carried out 15 transects/winter month in order to count the wintering population of Common Buzzards across Eastern Romania to look for climatic factors explaining variation in wintering density. Transects were controlled during two weeks from the end of the month, each covering a distance of 40 km, outlining the broadest winter monitoring of raptors in Central and Eastern Europe. Road survey was used, with a car driving at a low speed, and two observers counting birds, recording distance and habitat where birds occurred. In analyses, in addition to local weather data also 9 indices integrating weather conditions across longer time windows and larger areas were included. The wintering density calculated for the five-year period was 0.539 individuals/km2 fluctuating during the winter seasons with a possible cyclic pattern. The Buzzards selected pastures and herbaceous vegetation associations for hunting across their wintering grounds. Common Buzzard numbers fluctuate during the winter season (highest in December). They are positively influenced by rising solar flux and negatively by the low North Eastern Europe temperatures and Arctic Oscillation Index recorded within 14 days before the survey, which drive birds to southern wintering areas. These weather conditions (high pressure and low temperatures) represent the onset of the Siberian Anticyclone, a regular, annual weather system that occurs in Eastern Europe every winter.

Impact of consumer associations, emotions, and appropriateness for use on food acceptability: A CATA and liking evaluation of vegetable and berry beverages

AbstractWith increasing attention toward understanding underlying factors of food acceptability, it was investigated how different sensory profiles of berry and vegetable beverages impacted consumers' associations, emotions, view of appropriateness, and consequently liking acquisition. In total, 216 (F = 161, M = 55) subjects (18–66 years) participated in a CATA and liking evaluation. The beverages evoked associations, emotions, and appropriateness for use and these varied with changes of the perceptual properties of the product. Thus, CATA was an appropriate method to collect information about consumer responses beyond liking. Health was most frequently used to describe the beverages. However, associations related to excitement (delicious, good, and summery) and sensory perception (refreshing, mild, and fresh made) of the beverages had the largest influence on liking acquisition with delicious being most influential.Practical implicationsCATA including consumers' associations, emotions, and appropriateness for use questions was a suitable and valuable method for gathering information on consumer responses in order to move beyond basic liking indications. The outcome highlighted the importance of sensory quality, as the consumers found deliciousness more important for food acceptability than health when evaluating beverages.

Intakes of vegetables and red meat in relation to circulating nitrate levels

ObjectiveOur study aimed to determine the associations between intakes of vegetables and red meat (processed and unprocessed) and circulating nitrate levels.DesignUsing a cross‐sectional study design.Setting and ParticipantsA secondary analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and from the Health Professionals Follow‐up Study (HPFS). 5,058 adults (men and women) in the 2005–2006 NHANES and 1,260 men from HPFS were analyzed.MeasurementsThe non‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire (NFFQ) and two 24‐hr recalls were collected and urinary nitrate was measured in the NHANES. Plasma nitrate was measured and a semi‐quantitative FFQ (SFFQ) was collected in the HPFS.ResultsUsing three dietary assessment instruments (NFFQ, SFFQ and average 24‐hr recalls), we found a similar trend when assessing the associations of vegetables and red meat with circulating (plasma and urinary) nitrate. Across instruments, circulating nitrate levels were 15–33% higher for participants in the highest, when compared to the lowest, quintile of vegetable intake (p&lt;0.001). Circulating nitrate levels were 8–16% lower for participants in the highest, when compared to the lowest, quintile of red meat intake (p&lt;0.001).ConclusionOur study has demonstrated a positive association between vegetable and circulating nitrate and an inverse association between red meat and circulating nitrate. As nitrate has been demonstrated to be beneficial for preventing several chronic diseases, our results provide valuable information for studying dietary etiologic factors associated with nitrate and chronic diseases.Support or Funding InformationNCI KO7 awardThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Habitat conditions, stage structure and vegetation associations of geographically isolated subalpine populations of Salix lapponum L. (Salicaceae) in the Krkonoše Mts (Czech Republic)

Shrub communities are important components of the subalpine vegetation. We focused on habitat conditions and stage structure (flowering and non-reproducing individuals) of stands of the endangered Salix lapponum in the Krkonose Mts, Czech Republic. Habitat conditions were determined using soil sample analyses and Ellenberg indicator values (EIVs) derived from fine-scale (1 × 1 m) vegetation plots. The fine-scale plots were compared with coarse-scale releves with the occurrence of S. lapponum acquired from the Czech National Phytosociological Database. We found that S. lapponum grows on nutrient-poor, acidic soils with high relative water contents, high amounts of total nitrogen, low amounts of phosphorus, moderate amounts of magnesium and low to moderate amounts of calcium. The overall proportion of non-reproducing individuals was 35.2%, but strong variations were observed among populations (0–100%). Co-occurring species and EIVs data indicated that flowering individuals are relatively more common in humid, nutrient-rich and warmer microhabitats than non-reproducing ones. Well-developed (“typical”) stands of S. lapponum with a dominance of flowering individuals occur along alpine springs, streams and in glacial cirques (= association Salicetum lapponum Zlatnik 1928), but S. lapponum also grows along transitional mires and peat bogs and in subalpine grasslands. Coarse-scale releves were similar to “typical” stands of S. lapponum at the fine scale but were differentiated from them by high frequencies of several, mainly broad-leaved forbs and herbs typical of moist to wet and fertile soils. Threats to S. lapponum and the future prospects of its stands in the Krkonose Mts are briefly discussed.

Identifying Holes in the Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Umbrella.

The umbrella species concept, wherein multiple species are indirectly protected under the umbrella of a reserve created for one, is intended to enhance conservation efficiency. Although appealing in theory and common in practice, empirical tests of the concept have been scarce. We used a real-world, semi-protected reserve established to protect a high-profile umbrella species (greater sage-grouse [Centrocercus urophasianus]) to investigate 2 potential mechanisms underlying the concept's successful application: reserve size and species similarity. We estimated how much habitat protection the established reserve provided to 52 species of conservation concern associated with vegetation communities where greater sage-grouse occur. To illustrate the importance of reserve size, we compared the effectiveness of the established reserve to alternative greater sage-grouse reserves of various sizes and to simulated reserves of equal size but sited with no regard for greater sage-grouse. We further assessed whether key species' traits were associated with different levels of protection under the umbrella reserve. The established umbrella reserve protected 82% of the state's greater sage-grouse population and 0-63% of the habitat of the background species examined. The reserve outperformed equally sized, simulated reserves for only 12 of 52 background species. As expected, larger alternative reserves served as better umbrellas, but regardless of reserve size, not all species received equal protection. The established reserve was most effective at protecting the habitat of species that were most similar to the umbrella species (i.e., avian species, those highly associated with sagebrush plant communities, and those with widespread habitat). In contrast, the habitat of species with restricted distributions, particularly when combined with vegetation associations not closely matching the umbrella species, was not protected as well by the umbrella reserve. Such species require additional, targeted attention to achieve conservation objectives. Successful application of the umbrella species concept requires careful consideration of the characteristics of the umbrella species, the reserve delineated on its behalf, and the similarity of the umbrella species to its purported background species.

Removal of birch as a means of protecting raised bog mossy vegetation Ledo-Sphagnetum magellanici

Raised bogs dominated by the vegetation association Ledo-Sphagnetum magellanici Sukopp 1959 em. Neuhäusl 1969 are a valuable and ecologically important plant community that occurs in Central Europe. They develop in impervious depressions with precipitation as the only water source, and are particularly sensitive to drainage, climate change, eutrophication and overgrowing by trees and shrubs. The high pressure of threat justifies taking protective measures. This research focused on the effects of the removal of birch from two bogs, which were dominated by two birch species (Betula pubescens, B. pendula) and also included stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris); the bogs are located in northeastern Poland and showed signs of drying. The trees were removed in early spring 2008. To capture the response to tree cutting, vegetation monitoring was performed for 7 years. The results were compared to pre-cutting environmental conditions (precipitation, temperature, air transpiration). At the first site, which was drained at the beginning of the twentieth century, the ground water level initially decreased; then, from 2010 onwards, the level stabilised and exhibited a negative correlation with the average annual air temperature. While the second site exhibited no significant differences in the ground water table, a correlation with the average annual rainfall was found. At both sites, there was an increase in the coverage of species appropriate for raised bogs, Oxycocco-Sphagnatea Br.-Bl. et R. Tx. 1943, whereas only the second site had significant coverage of these species. These actions improved the habitat conditions and initiated the process of raised bog restoration at that site because Oxycocco-Sphagnatea species cover and frequency increased.

Alarming call from Mursala Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia: The urgent task of conserving the previously reported extinct of Dipterocarpus cinereus

Rachmat HH, Subiakto A, Wijaya K, Susilowati A. 2018. Alarming call from Mursala Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia: The urgent task for conserving the previously reported extinct of Dipterocarpus cinereus. Biodiversitas 19: 399-405. IUCN Red List (1998) declared that the Mursalan endemic Dipterocarpus cinereus was extinct in the wild, but brief exploration conducted in the first quarter of 2013 found that there were few numbers of D. cinereus still growing in the island. The objectives of this research were: to describe the current condition of the forest in Mursala island; and to determine the vegetation composition and association between D. cinereus and other major tree species in site. Identifying forest condition and the potential value of the non-timber product was done descriptively through direct observation and interview with local inhabitants. The vegetation analysis was carried out by a purposive stratified technique in three lines each consisting of 4-8 plots (quadrats). The size of each sampling plot was 1,000 m2 (r= 17.8 m) with the total of 20 plots. The result showed that D. cinereus is still growing in the middle part until the top of the ridges. Importance Value Index (IVI) for the top five species were 32.37, 39.47, 17.43, 15.18 and 11.04 respectively for D. cinereus, Shorea acuminata, Arenga pinnata, Shorea falcifera and Hopea sangal. Among those five dominant species, only D. cinereus with S. falcifera and D. cinereus with A. pinnata had a significant association. Our study also determined that calling for species conservation is alarming rate and those not only needed for D. cinereus alone but island ecosystem as a whole.

Assessment of Detection Methods and Vegetation Associations for Introduced Finlayson's Squirrels (Callosciurus finlaysonii) in Italy.

Managing biological invasions requires rapid, cost-effective assessments of introduced species' occurrence, and a good understanding of the species' vegetation associations. This is particularly true for species that are elusive or may spread rapidly. Finlayson's squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii) is native to Thailand and southeastern Asia, and two introduced populations occur in peninsular Italy. One of the two introduced populations is rapidly expanding, but neither effective monitoring protocols nor reliable information on vegetation associations are available. To fill this gap, we conducted visual surveys and hair tube sampling in a periurban landscape of southern Italy to compare the effectiveness of these two methods in assessing presence of Finlayson's squirrel. We also determined the species' association with vegetation types at detection locations and nesting sites. Both visual and hair tube sampling effectively assessed the species' presence, but hair tubes resulted in fewer false absences. Moreover, when we controlled for the costs of labor and equipment, hair tubes were 33.1% less expensive than visual sampling. Presence of squirrels and their nests was positively correlated with shrub species richness, indicating that the occurrence of forests with well-developed understory may inhibit the spread of the species.

Dietary Patterns of the Metabolic Syndrome Among Older Adults in Malaysia

The term metabolic syndrome (MetS) describes a clustering of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus which include high blood pressure, low fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), high fasting triglyceride (TG), high fasting blood glucose (BG), and abdominal obesity. The aim of this cross sectional study was to determine the dietary patterns (DPs) associated with MetS among 451 older adults in Malaysia. Food intake was determined using validated Diet History. DP was identified based on 40 food groups by using principal component analysis (PCA), and the factors were rotated by varimax rotation. Fasting venous blood samples were taken to determine HDL-c, TaG and BG level. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were also performed. Three major dietary patterns have been identified; 1) bread, spreads and oats, 2) Malaysia traditional pancakes and 3) vegetables and healthy cooked dishes. Three models were built to compare the potential confounder such as age, education years, marital status, calorie intakes, ciggarate smoking and body mass indeks (BMI). Only vegetables and healthy cooked dishes DP was associated with MetS. This DP reflects high consumption of various types of vegetables, noodle in soup, healthy cooked fish or seafood and low consumption of all type of high calorie rice, noodles and fried desserts. For all models, subject in the highest tertile of vegetables and healthy cooked dishes DP had a lower odd ratio (OR) for MetS as compared to lowest tertile. As more potential confounders added in new models, the significant values are increased. After adjustment of body mass index, the association for vegetables and healthy cooked dishes DP was attenuated (OR: 0.67, CI: 0.39-1.16, p: 0.156). In conclusion, high consumption of vegetable and healthy cooked dishes may lower the occurance of MetS among Malaysian elderly. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-41

Dietary Patterns of the Metabolic Syndrome Among Older Adults in Malaysia

The term metabolic syndrome (MetS) describes a clustering of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus which include high blood pressure, low fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), high fasting triglyceride (TG), high fasting blood glucose (BG), and abdominal obesity. The aim of this cross sectional study was to determine the dietary patterns (DPs) associated with MetS among 451 older adults in Malaysia. Food intake was determined using validated Diet History. DP was identified based on 40 food groups by using principal component analysis (PCA), and the factors were rotated by varimax rotation. Fasting venous blood samples were taken to determine HDL-c, TaG and BG level. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were also performed. Three major dietary patterns have been identified; 1) bread, spreads and oats, 2) Malaysia traditional pancakes and 3) vegetables and healthy cooked dishes. Three models were built to compare the potential confounder such as age, education years, marital status, calorie intakes, ciggarate smoking and body mass indeks (BMI). Only vegetables and healthy cooked dishes DP was associated with MetS. This DP reflects high consumption of various types of vegetables, noodle in soup, healthy cooked fish or seafood and low consumption of all type of high calorie rice, noodles and fried desserts. For all models, subject in the highest tertile of vegetables and healthy cooked dishes DP had a lower odd ratio (OR) for MetS as compared to lowest tertile. As more potential confounders added in new models, the significant values are increased. After adjustment of body mass index, the association for vegetables and healthy cooked dishes DP was attenuated (OR: 0.67, CI: 0.39-1.16, p: 0.156). In conclusion, high consumption of vegetable and healthy cooked dishes may lower the occurance of MetS among Malaysian elderly. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-41

Fir-spruce and lime-fir-spruce forests of Vyatka-Kama biome

During the preparation of map “Biomes of Russia” in broadleaved-coniferous forests belt of the Eastern Europ Vyatka-Kama biome was substantiated. This territory is allocated for the first time at such a high level. Formations of fir-spruce and lime-fir-spruce forests occupy a central position in the vegetation cover of the biome and largely determine its specificity. As the result of ecological-morphological classification 7 groups of associations and 17 associations of vegetation have been determined.

Strukturdan Asosiasi Komunitas Tumbuhan Bawahdi Resort Cikaniki, Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun Salak

A study on structure and association of ground cover plants commnunity was conducted in Cikiniki Resort, Gunung Halimun Salak National Park, West Java. The aimed of this study was to determine the structure and degree of association of ground cover plant that dominates with others ground cover plants. Plot observation using purposive sampling method. The sampling location was divided into two observation sites near the water source and away from the water source. We developed 20 plots with measure on 2 x 2 m2. The data obtained are frequency, density, dominance, Importance Value Index (INP), Distribution Index and Diversity Index Type. The relationship between abiotic factor and vegetation association was analyzed using Chi-Square analysis. The results showed that the dominant type was Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Roxb.) Zoll. &amp; Moritzi (INP: 41.67%), Homalomena cordata Schott (INP: 16.87%), Cyrtandra populifolia Miq. (INP: 12.27%), Psychotria viridiflora Reinw. Ex Blume (INP: 11.79%) and Amischotolype mollissima (Blume) Hassk. (INP: 10,77%). Based on the calculation of chi-square (X2) associations S.calyptrata with other dominant species have low values of 0.26 (H. cordata), 0.25 (C. populifolia), 0.275 (P. viridiflora) and has no association with A. mollissima.

Plant functional traits and groups in a Californian serpentine chaparral

AbstractWe studied a type of Californian ultramafic chaparral to determine functional groups which can help reduce the complexity of ecosystem management. The study was realized in McLaughlin Reserve, State of California, USA. We analysed the species of a serpentine plant association previously phytosociologically described in the area: Ceanotho albiflori‐Quercetum duratae for their functional traits and functional groups. Traits per species were measured building a trait database. We used Principal Component Analysis to identify the combination of functional traits with major weight and a neighbor‐joining clustering to define functional groups for this vegetation association. Our results indicated that the studied association is dominated by phanerophytes, with low degree of spinescence. Leaves were mainly malacophyllous with high degree of tomentosity, reduced size and a partial shedding of leaves was observed during summer. We considered six functional groups as the optimum number of clusters in a total of 18 species. The two first functional groups were composed of chamaephytes with brachyblasts and dolichoblasts with differences in the degree of tomentosity. The rest of the functional groups were composed of phanerophytes where the differences between them were based on traits in relation to the branches, leaf size and the horizontal development of the root system. The functional groups obtained show that this serpentine chaparral is composed of species with a wide range of functional traits. The study of other Mediterranean serpentine ecosystems in California and elsewhere could contribute to create new perspectives of functional ecology and help in the management of these valuable ecosystems.