Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
North American Pika (Ochotona princeps) as a Late Quaternary Biogeographic Indicator Species

Abstract Reevaluation of Quaternary sites of fossil pika (Ochotona) lends no support for the inference that Nearctic pikas were not restricted to rocky habitat. The saxicolous nature of all widespread, isolated populations of extant Nearctic pikas and their closest Palearctic sister taxa support consideration of O. princeps, and perhaps all Nearctic Quaternary Ochotona , as indicators of cool, mesic, rocky situations. As indicators of rocky microhabitat, fossil remains of O. princeps do not require that the entire region was cool and mesic, but only that suitable rocky microhabitat existed in the vicinity. Use of fossil pika dung alone as indicative of pikas in the immediate community is suspect, as the small, round, and buoyant pellets may be transported downslope by hydraulic flushing of talus habitat. Current local elevational lower limits (E) of appropriate habitat for paleoecological reconstruction at extralimital fossil sites are predicted by the equation: E(m) = 14087 - (56.6)°N - (82.9)°W.
Structured diversity in octoploid strawberry cultivars: importance of the old European germplasm

Understanding genetic structure and diversity information is critical for genetic association studies. In the octoploid cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa), genetic analyses were focussed on diversity, whereas genetic structure has been poorly explored. This study investigated the genetic structure in a genetic resources collection representing a wide range of the octoploid strawberry cultivars released mainly by North America and western and southern Europe, at different breeding periods and with various pedigrees. The relationship between varieties was examined using 23 microsatellite (simple sequence repeat, SSR) markers. Eight SSR markers were diploid, useful for cultivar discrimination with polymorphic information content (PIC) values between 0.29 and 0.74. Bayesian analyses of genetic structure identified four subpopulations. Three of them, American and modern northern European cultivars (AMNECs), American and modern southern European cultivars (AMSECs) and old European cultivars (OECs), reflected the European breeding history of the cultivated octoploid strawberry. The fourth subpopulation, ‘Intermediate’ group cultivars (IGCs), comprised various origins including OECs that were introgressed with wild species such as Fragaria chiloensis or Fragaria moschata. The OEC group gathered cultivars dating before 1960s, forming the most homogenous and stable subpopulation. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram based on modified Nei and Li distance confirmed the separation of the AMSEC, AMNEC and OEC groups. In addition, significant differences were observed among the four subpopulations (AMNEC, AMSEC, OEC, IGC), with high variability within groups and between AMSEC and IGC. Our work underlined that the structure within the studied collection was mainly explained by the pedigree and the year of release than the geographical origin of cultivars. In addition, the important loss of diversity observed in the modern European cultivars and a trend towards using mainly American cultivars for breeding programmes led to the progressive abandonment of old European germplasm, which was revealed as a relative distinct and rich group. This European material should be protected and maintained, because it represents a potential source of original traits for broadening the genetic base of cultivated strawberry. In addition, diploid markers we identified can be used without ambiguity in phylogenetic and diversity studies, because they are genome-specific. This study is the first step for further association studies in strawberry.
Methods for estimating aboveground biomass and its components for Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine trees

Estimating aboveground biomass and its components requires sound statistical formulation and evaluation. Using data collected from 55 destructively sampled trees in different parts of Oregon, we evaluated the performance of three groups of methods to estimate total aboveground biomass and (or) its components based on the bias and root mean squared error (RMSE) that they produced. The first group of methods used an analytical approach to estimate total and component biomass using existing equations and produced biased estimates for our dataset. The second group of methods used a system of equations fitted with seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) and were superior to the first group of methods in terms of bias and RMSE. The third group of methods predicted the proportion of biomass in each component using beta regression, Dirichlet regression, and multinomial log-linear regression. The predicted proportions were then applied to the total aboveground biomass to obtain the amount of biomass in each component.
Structure and Properties of Water Chestnut (Trapa natans L. var. bispinosa Makino) Starch

The Brabender amylogram (6% concentration) of water chestnut (Trapa natans L. var. bispinosa Makino) starch showed that its pasting temperature was 71°C and its viscosity was low (max, 310 B. U.) which remained constant during heating and increased slightly on cooling. The starch showed a Cc or Ca type X-ray diffraction pattern, and the susceptibility of the granules to amylases was intermediate between those of corn and potato starches. The number- and weight-average degrees of polymerization (D.P.) of the amylose were 800 and 4210, respectively. The apparent d. p. distribution was 160–8090. The amylose was composed of 3 components differing in molecular size and the number of chains, and 89%, by number, of the molecules were linear. The amylopectin contained 44 ppm of phosphorus, and its number- and weight-average chain lengths were 22 and 26, respectively.
Zero Deforestation Zones: The Case for Linking Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Initiatives and Jurisdictional REDD+

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) presents the idea of Zero Deforestation Zones (ZDZs) as a solution to implement private sector deforestation-free supply chain commitments by leveraging synergies between Jurisdictional REDD+, private sector initiatives, and governmental laws and regulations. Companies would source commodities that meet their deforestation commitments from jurisdictions implementing REDD+ programs, government monitoring systems, and functioning private sector initiatives. A definition of “zero deforestation” would be created through a multistakeholder process considering a number of different elements. ZDZs would align incentives between actors, generating multiple benefits for companies, governments, and local communities—including reduced costs of monitoring deforestation, low-risk areas for long-term investment, increased legal compliance, and conflict resolution between companies and local communities. Environmental integrity would also be improved because a larger area of forest would be protected, reducing risks of leakage and nonpermanence.
Overestimating land degradation, underestimating farmers in the Sahel

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Herbicides Can Negatively Affect Seed Performance in Native Plants

Herbicides are widely used to control invasive non‐native plants in wildlands, yet there is little information on their non‐target effects, including on native plants that are intended to benefit from the treatment. Effects at the seed stage have been particularly understudied, despite the fact that managers commonly seed native plants immediately after herbicide application. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to explore the effects of two broadleaf‐specific herbicides (aminopyralid and picloram) on seedling emergence and biomass for 14 species that grow in dry grasslands of NW North America. For each species, we placed 50 seeds in soil‐filled pots that were sprayed with a water control or one of the herbicides at one of two rates (1× and 0.01× of the recommended rate). After 5 weeks, we assessed seedling emergence and dry aboveground biomass per pot. At the recommended rate (1×), both her bicides significantly suppressed seedling emergence and lowered biomass. At the diluted rate (0.01×), the effect of picloram was comparable to the effect at the recommended rate, whereas aminopyralid had no effect. There was no difference in effects of herbicides on native versus non‐native species. Although both herbicides are considered to be broadleaf‐specific, monocots were just as vulnerable as dicots at the recommended rate. Our results show that herbicides can harm non‐native and native plants at the seed stage, alike. Land managers should avoid spraying if recruitment of native species from the seedbank is a goal and should not seed directly after spraying.
HCl-Extractable Metal Profiles Correlate with Bacterial Population Shifts in Metal-Impacted Anoxic Coastal Sediment from the Wet/Dry Tropics

Metal impacted, anoxic sediments from five sites at a coastal location in the wet/dry tropics of Australia were sampled during both wet and dry seasons. Metal concentrations in total sediment and porewater, and in potentially bioavailable and bioaccessible fractions, were measured. Pyrosequencing was used to sequence bacterial DNA extracted from the sediment, and the sequence data was used to generate community profiles at each sample site. Changes in bacterial populations between sites reflected changes in the concentrations of 7 metals/metalloids (Al, V, Mo, Ga, Zn, Cd, As), and best correlated with the HCl-extractable fraction of metals. Bacterial community structure was also related to physicochemical factors, such as redox potential and organic carbon. Despite a strong sulphide gradient across the transect, acid-volatile sulphide was not significantly correlated to bacterial community structure. We conclude that the bioaccessible fraction of metals to bacteria is partly comprised of particulates, and porewater alone is not a sufficient model for potential metal impact. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Geomicrobiology Journal to view the two supplementary tables. ]
The termitophilous genus Rhyzodina Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Amarygmini): new data, species‐key, and remarks on antennal tufts of hairs

New records of the termitophilous genus Rhyzodina (Tenebrionidae: Amarygmini) from Africa are given. Figures of the species are added and a key for all six species is included. A lectotype is designated for R. marshalli. The tribal assignment of the genus is shortly treated. A specimen of R. mniszechii from Zambia is presented, which has the antennomere 6 obviously without tufts of hairs (setae). The antennomeres were examined by SEM and it seems possible, that the host termites do not just lap at these hairs for any secretion, but sometimes even chew the hairs off. The structures of different antennal and aedeagal sensilla are figured. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A new species of basal rhynchosaur (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the early Middle Triassic of South Africa, and the early evolution of Rhynchosauria

Rhynchosauria was an important clade of herbivorous archosauromorph reptiles during the Triassic, with a worldwide distribution. We describe a new genus and species of early rhynchosaur, Eohyosaurus wolvaardti gen. et sp. nov., from the early Middle Triassic (early Anisian) Cynognathus Assemblage Zone (Subzone B) of the Karoo Supergroup, South Africa. Eohyosaurus wolvaardti is known from a single skull, and is recovered as the sister taxon of Rhynchosauridae in a new phylogenetic analysis. Cynognathus Subzone B has previously yielded the stratigraphically oldest well-understood rhynchosaur species, Mesosuchus browni and Howesia browni. Eohyosaurus wolvaardti increases the rhynchosaur diversity within this stratigraphical horizon to three species. Intriguingly, all currently confirmed rhynchosaur occurrences from the Early Triassic to earliest Middle Triassic are from South Africa. This may suggest a relatively restricted palaeogeographical distribution for early rhynchosaurs, followed by a global dispersal of rhynchosaurids during the Middle Triassic. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London
Estrutura trófica da ictiofauna, ao longo do gradiente longitudinal do reservatório de Salto Caxias (rio Iguaçu, Paraná, Brasil), no terceiro ano após o represamento - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v27i1.1362

This study aims at evaluating the fishfauna trophic structure across the longitudinal gradient of Salto Caxias reservoir, in the third year after its dam (post 3). The data obtained were compared with the previous ones (pre and post 1) to verify if the species that altered their diets in the initial phase of the dam, returned to the same food resources offered by natural environment. S(tomachal) contents of 1527 fishes were analyzed, using the volumetric method. In general, fishes presented a great diversity of food items in their diets, usually with a predominant resource kind. Thus, the fishfauna was synthetized in eight trophic guilds. The detrivore and piscivore species did not alter their feeding habit across spatial gradient considerably). (A montanteUpstream, all the trophic guilds were equally distributed compared to the other sites. Comparing pre and post 1 periods with the post 3 results showed that few species returned to their original trophic habit
Seasonal changes in the nocturnal singing routines of Common Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos: Nocturnal singing routines of European Nightingales

Male Common Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos famously sing at night. There are two distinct types of nocturnal singing routine (the dusk-to-dawn pattern of variation in song rate): (1) dusk and dawn choruses, with little or no song during the middle of the night; (2) a rapid increase in song rate after dusk, reaching a broad peak in the middle of the night, declining towards dawn, and followed by a dawn chorus. Males sing different nocturnal singing routines at different times in the breeding season. Earlier in the breeding season, most males sing Type 2 routines. Later in the breeding season, most males sing Type 1 routines, as do birds on the wintering grounds. At least some individuals may also sing Type 1 routines during the first few days after their arrival on their breeding territories, before the arrival of females. The main function of nocturnal song appears to be mate attraction. The patterns of variation in song rate over the course of the night are qualitatively similar to those predicted by stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) models of daily singing and foraging routines, for birds that do not forage at night, in circumstances when birds can pair at night (Type 2 routines), and when they cannot (Type 1 routines). The observed seasonal changes in the types of routine sung are also consistent with the predictions of these models.
Taxonomy of Asarum Section Asarum (Aristolochiaceae)

Abstract Asarum sect. Asarum is a monophyletic group of 14 species distributed through North America, Europe, and Asia. The section is here treated in a taxonomic monograph based on morphological study of field-collected material and herbarium specimens. A key, descriptions, distribution maps, and citations of representative specimens are provided, and available information is reviewed on the pollination biology and phylogenetic relationships within the group. Six species of sect. Asarum are recognized in North America: A. canadense is widespread in the east, and the others range from widespread to narrow endemics in the west. Asarum canadense, which has at times been divided into several species or infraspecific taxa, is here recognized as a single species based on a lack of reliable differences among the variants. Asarum europaeum, which is the most widespread species in the section, has been similarly split historically, but also is treated here as a single taxon. In Asia, section Asarum consists of seven species from the eastern Himalayas through southeastern China, with two also extending into Japan. Communicating Editor: Jeff H. Rettig
Fine-tuning of a mowing regime, a method for the management of the invasive plant, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, at different population densities.

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is an invasive annual plant with highly allergenic pollen. Its spread in introduced and native ranges often occurs on roadsides, where it builds stable and rapidly growing populations. The most sustainable way of controlling the population size of this species is to prevent seed production in order to deplete the soil seed bank. Populations on roadsides are submitted to regular mowing management, which can even exacerbate the situation by inducing resprouting after cutting or by accidentally spreading seeds along the road. The population density in the juvenile stages of development could play an important role in the success of cutting regimes, as it might influence the resprouting capacity of this plant. The influence of the juvenile population density and of seven cutting regimes, differing in the timing and frequency of cuts, on easily measurable reproductive traits was investigated in a glasshouse experiment. The cutting regimes had a strong influence on the reproductive success and on the phenology of the development stages of ragweed. The population density in the juvenile stages did not play a role in further phenological development, but did influence the reproductive traits. The reproduction of ragweed can be lowered by locally adapted combinations of the timing and frequency of mowing. As the optimal management option for the reduction of both the male and female flowers, the authors suggest a first cut just before the start of male flowering, followed by subsequent cuts every 3‐4 weeks.
Variation in body segment number within and between populations of the centipede Strigamia maritima (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)

Although most arthropod species have a fixed number of body segments, one order of centipedes – the Geophilomorpha – provides an unusual opportunity to study the variation and microevolution of segment number. This is because all species in all but one family exhibit variation in the number of leg-bearing segments (LBS) within and between natural populations. One species in particular, the coastal geophilomorph Strigamia maritima, has become a ‘model system’ for these studies, because of its high population densities and the consequent ease of collecting large samples. Previous studies on this species have examined various aspects of segment number variation. However, most studies have characterized each population by an LBS distribution and a mean LBS number that are based on data from all life-stages. Here, we dissect the variation within as well as between populations and show that different cohorts within a population often have significantly different LBS number distributions. This is almost certainly due to developmental plasticity, probably related to the prevailing microhabitat temperature within brood chambers, but possibly related to other environmental factors too. Although we found no evidence of selection, the fact that different species of geophilomorphs have different LBS distributions suggests that, in the long term, selection may act on the developmental reaction norm of LBS number. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 678–685.
Xanthomonas albilineans Agente Causal de la Escaldadura Foliar de la Caña de Azúcar (Saccharum sp) en los estados Lara y Yaracuy

En campos experimentales y comerciales de los estados Lara y Yaracuy se observo a nivel foliar estrias y rayas blanquecinas, rectas, de grosor variable con bordes bien definidos y en cortes longitudinales de tallos se observaron los haces fibrovasculares de una coloracion rojiza. De este material se hicieron aislamientos, que originaron colonias bacterianas de color amarillo, circulares, de bordes uniformes, consistencia gelatinosa y aspecto brillante. Para las pruebas de patogenicidad se inocularon esquejes sanos por dos metodos: Inyeccion de la suspension bacteriana en el tallo en la region nodal y colocacion de un algodon impregnado de la suspension bacteriana en uno de los extremos del esqueje, resultando este ultimo metodo positivo. A los cinco dias se observo una coloracion rojiza en la superficie interna del tallo. En los reaislamientos se obtuvo colonias identicas a las originales. La bacteria aislada resulto Gram negativa y vista al microscopio optico presento forma de baston. Crecio de color amarillo en los medios AN, YDC, YCA, AS, YSP, MW, XAS y D5. En D3, D2 y D4 no crecio la bacteria, y, resulto aerobica en el medio Hugh y Leifson; reaccion basica en bacto agar dextrosa rojo fenol; oxidasa positiva, catalasa positiva; reduccion de nitratos negativo; tolero concentraciones de 0,5-1% de NaCl; hidrolisis del almidon negativa; crecimiento a 35oC-37oC positiva; hidrolisis de esculina positivo; arginina dihidrolasa negativa, produccion de ureasa negativa, produccion de acido sulfidrico positivo, licuo parcialmente la gelatina; produccion de indol negativa, reduccion de carbohidratos positiva con glucosa y manosa y negativa con arabinosa, trehalosa y celobiosa. La bacteria se identifico como Xanthomonas albilineans.
Reduktion aromatischer Säuren zu Aldehyden und Alkoholen im zellfreien System

An enzyme catalyzing the reduction of the carboxyl group of aromatic acids to the respective aldehydes has been isolated from mycelia of the fungus Neurospora crassa grown in the presence of salicylic acid as an inducer. This protein has been purified about 300-fold by precipitation of nucleic acids with protamine sulfate, ammonium sulphate fractionation, adsorption on calcium-phosphate gel and chromatography on TEAE-cellulose (at pH 7.6 and 8.4) and on hydroxylapatite. The enzyme, the molecular weight of which was estimated to be about 120,000 by chromatography on a calibrated Sephadex G-200 column requires NADPH and ATP as cofactors. The Km-values for salicylic acid as a substrate are 1.67 × 10−4 M and for ATP 1.52 × 10−4 M. The presence of Mg-ions and of a reduced thiol in the incubation mixture is necessary to achieve full activity. The purified enzyme is most active around pH 8.0 and 35°. It shows a broad range of substrate specificity towards aromatic acids, especially to phenyl carboxylic and phenyl acrylic acids, but does not catalyze the reduction of aliphatic carboxyl groups. During the reaction ATP is split into ADP and inorganic phosphate, while stoichiometric amounts of aldehyde are produced from the corresponding acid. NADPH used as a reductant, the formation of the carbonyl group involves the oxidation of the hydrogen donor in a molar ratio of 1:1. Since no intermediate could be detected and there was no evidence for a reverse reaction we formulate the reaction as R–COOH + ATP + NADPH + H+ R-CHO + ADP + NADP++ PO43-+ H2O; the systematic name aryl aldehyde: NADP oxidoreductase (ADP) is proposed; the enzyme belongs to EC group 1.2. 1. By supplying α-, or β-[3H]NADP the enzyme was shown to be of the “B-type”.