Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The last natural seasonal forests of Indonesia: Implications for forest management and conservation

Aim : The status, type and ecology of the vegetation of the southeastern seasonal regions of Indonesia need to be clarified to identify adequate natural resource management and conservation strategies. Location: Tanimbar archipelago represents a group of islands south of the Banda sea in the Moluccas. The largest is the flat Yamdena (7°36′ S, 131°25′ E). Methods: Vegetation was interpreted from LANDSAT satellite data, overlaid with geology and topography for pre‐stratification. Within each strata, forest sites were equally systematically sampled using a network of small 0.2 ha survey plots (60 plots, 7,130 trees) and soil pits sampled for 44 of the vegetation plots. Fisher's alpha diversity index was used together with ordination techniques to assert differences in forest types. Results: The forest covered c. 70% of the island, comprising seasonal evergreen forest (SEF), dry deciduous forest (DDF) and moist deciduous forest' (MDF). The SEF canopy (Burseraceae, Meliaceae, Oleaceae and Dilleniaceae) sited around 35 m. The density of trees above 10 cm diameter averaged 632 individuals/ha, the basal area (BA) was 32 m2/ha, and species diversity (SD, Fischer α) 14.84. Rattans are abundant in the understorey. The MDF exhibited a mixture of evergreen and deciduous big trees while the lower storey was evergreen. Rattans were less common. Distinct family species associations emerged from the ordination (Combretaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Apocynaceae or Meliaceae, Gnetaceae, Clusiaceae). The density of trees averaged 491 individuals/ha, BA 26 m2/ha and SD 18.73. The canopy of the DDF (Ebenaceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae and Menispermaceae) was around 30 m. During the dry season all tree species shed their leaves. The density of trees averaged 552 individuals/ha, BA 20 m2/ha and SD 11.58. Conclusions: The last natural seasonal forests of Indonesia are nowadays only found in the Tanimbar Archipelago. The existence of three contrasted seasonal forest types on small flat island was remarkable and should be quickly translated into decision making for land zoning, agriculture or forestry development, avoiding approaches applied in the humid region of the country. To succeed however, the ecology of these seasonal forests should quickly become priority areas for research to feed the design of suitable conservation and management strategies.
Comparative Ecological Dynamics of Permian-Triassic Communities from the Karoo, Luangwa, and Ruhuhu Basins of Southern Africa

ABSTRACT The Permian-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) was one of the transformative events of the Phanerozoic, marked by extinction, post-Permian transformation of surviving ecosystems, and the formation of new communities. The South African Karoo Basin has served as the primary source of data on the terrestrial component of these events, but its global applicability remains poorly known. Here, we compare Permian-Triassic communities of the Karoo Basin with those from the Luangwa and Ruhuhu basins of Zambia and Tanzania, respectively, analyzing their functional structures and simulating dynamic responses to environmental perturbation. Results show that compositional similarities of late Permian communities among the basins underlie similarities in their dynamics and resistance to secondary extinction. The Karoo Basin ecosystem also displays evidence of a transformation to increased resistance during the late Permian. Although the Karoo Basin ecosystem was reduced significantly by the PTME, structural features of that resistance persisted into the Early Triassic, facilitated by a greater susceptibility to extinction of small-body-sized amniotes and large carnivorous amniotes. It was undone by the initial stages of postextinction restructuring. Continued evolution of the Triassic ecosystem led to a recovery of resistance, but in a community compositionally dissimilar from its Permian antecedents. Likewise, the upper part of the Lifua Member of the Manda Beds (Middle Triassic) of Tanzania was structurally distinct from the Karoo Basin communities but displayed similar dynamics. The recurrence and convergence of communities with different histories toward similar dynamics suggest that there are taxon-independent norms of community assembly and function operating on geological timescales.
DPX-PE350 Does Not Interact with Early-Season Insecticides in Cotton (Gossypium Hirsutum)

Cotton tolerance of DPX-PE350 applied POST alone, mixed with acephate, carbaryl, or dimethoate applied at 220, 1100, or 280 g ai ha−1, respectively, or following aldicarb, disulfoton, or phorate applied in the seed furrow at 1.0, kg ai ha−1 was evaluated. DPX-PE350 at 170 g ae ha−1 did not adversely affect seed cotton yield, fiber length, fiber length uniformity, or micronaire but did decrease fiber strength. The insecticides did not alter cotton response to DPX-PE350. Entireleaf morningglory was controlled 92, 95, and 96% with DPX-PE350 applied POST at 56, 110, and 170 g ha−1, respectively. Mixing acephate, carbaryl, or dimethoate with DPX-PE350 did not affect control.
The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea)

Abstract In this study, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis. The complete mitogenome sequence of P. maidis was observed to be a circular molecule 16,279 bp long and consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCG), 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes (GenBank accession no. MG049917). The nucleotide composition is biased toward adenine and thymine (77.8% A + T). The A + T-rich region was found between rrnS and trnI, and this entire region was 1596 bp long.
Number of spermatozoa in spermatheca of honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) queens 0 and 1 year old reared in the conditions of continental Croatia

One of the key factors for the success of honey bee colony is a productive queen. The queen mate in the air with several drones during one or more nuptial flights and store spermatozoa in the spermatheca. In our research we investigated the effect of the queens’ age on the number of spermatozoa and the diameter of spermatheca. In total, 137 queens were dissected, from which 71 young queens (Q0) and 66 queens that were in production colonies for one year (Q1). In the spermatheca of Q0 group, we found 3.96 million, and in Q1 group 2.64 million of spermatozoa in average, which is significant difference (p<0.05). Positive correlation was found between the queens’ weight and the size of spermatheca (r=0.45). Our results have shown that the number of sperm in spermatheca declines with the age of queen.
Long‐term research in ecology and evolution: a survey of challenges and opportunities

Long-term research in ecology and evolution (LTREE) is considered fundamental for understanding complex ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, others have argued for revision of LTREE efforts given perceived limitations in current research priorities and approaches. Yet most arguments about the benefits and failings of LTREE could be argued to reflect the views of only the limited number of scientists who have authored reports on the field, and not the wider community of ecological and evolutionary scientists. To more systematically and quantitatively assess the views of the community on LTREE contributions and future activities, we conducted and here report the results of a survey of ecological and evolutionary scientists at primarily U.S.-based institutions, completed by 1,179 respondents. The survey objectives were to (1) identify and prioritize research questions that are important to address through long-term, ecological field experiments and (2) understand the role that these experiments might play in generating and applying ecological and evolutionary knowledge. Almost 80% (n = 936) of respondents said that long-term experiments had contributed “a great deal” to ecological understanding. Compared to other research approaches (e.g., short-term, single-site, modeling, or lab), there was overwhelming support that multi-site, long-term research was very important for advancing theory, and that both observational and experimental approaches were required. Respondents identified a wide range of research questions for LTREE to address. The most common topic was the impact of global change (n = 1,352), likely because these processes play out over many years, requiring LTREE approaches to fully understand. Another recurrent theme was the potential of LTREE approaches to build evolutionary understanding across all levels of ecological organization. Critical obstacles preventing some scientists from engaging in LTREE included short-term funding mechanisms and fewer publications, whereas the longer-term value for advancing knowledge and an individual’s career were widely recognized. Substantive advances in understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics then seem likely to be made through engagement in long-term observational and experimental research. However, wider engagement seems dependent on a more supportive research environment and funding structure, through increased institutional acknowledgement of the contributions of long-term research, and greater program support during the establishment and maintenance of research.
Social networks allow early detection of non indigenous species: first record of the red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Sciaenidae) in Italian waters

The red drum Sciaenops ocellatus is a large demersal fish that represents one of the top predators in estuarine environments of its native range. This species is commonly reared in aquaculture facilities, and it has already been reported as non indigenous from several countries. Here we report its first sighting in Italian waters, as well as the second documented occurrence for the Mediterranean Sea. The individual was landed in southern Sicily by artisanal fishery and this unusual observation was immediately shared on Facebook. The importance of considering social networks as tools for NIS detection is briefly discussed in light of the recognized difficulties to properly track biological introductions in the marine environment.
Soil residual water and nutrients explain about 30% of the rotational effect in 4-yr pulse-intensified rotation systems

Abstract: Diverse crop rotations enable the best use of residual soil water and nutrients, thus decreasing necessary production inputs. Here, we determined the effect of cropping sequences on soil residual water and nutrients and the performance of subsequent wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Nine rotation systems were evaluated at Swift Current, SK, and Brooks, AB, from 2010 to 2014. Pea (P, Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (L, Lens culinaris Medik.) as preceding crops before wheat (W) or the rotation systems with pea (P–P–P–W) or lentil (L–L–L–W) included more than once in the 4-yr rotations had the highest residual soil water and N in the 30–90 cm depth and continuous wheat (W–W–W–W) had the lowest. Preceding pea and lentil increased the grain yield of the subsequent wheat by 26% and 18%, respectively, as compared with continuous wheat. Variance partitioning of redundancy analysis revealed that soil residual water and residual N explained 12.4%–42.7% (average 30%) of the yield variation observed in the subsequent wheat, with the rest of the rotational benefits unexplainable by soil residual water and residual nutrients. Investigation of the factors other than soil water and nutrients that contribute to the succeeding wheat yield may further enhance the rotational effect.
Spatial and temporal dynamics of the abundance of crustose calcareous algae on the southernmost coral reefs of the western Atlantic (Abrolhos Bank, Brazil)

Copyright © 2018 The Korean Society of Phycology 85 http://e-algae.org pISSN: 1226-2617 eISSN: 2093-0860 Spatial and temporal dynamics of the abundance of crustose calcareous algae on the southernmost coral reefs of the western Atlantic (Abrolhos Bank, Brazil) Gilberto M. Amado-Filho*, Ricardo G. Bahia, Rodrigo Mariath, Michel B. Jesionek, Rodrigo Leão Moura, Alex C. Bastos, Guilherme Henrique Pereira-Filho and Ronaldo Bastos Francini-Filho Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Diretoria de Pesquisa Científica, Rua Pacheco Leão 915, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22460-030, Brazil Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-599, Brazil Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Avenida Fernando Ferrari 514, Vitória, ES 29090-600, Brazil Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Campus Baixada Santista, Santos, SP 11030-400, Brazil Centro de Ciências Aplicadas e Educação, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus IV-Litoral Norte, Rio Tinto, PB 58297000, Brazil
Molecular phylogeny of branchiobdellidans (Annelida : Clitellata) and their host–epibiont association with Austropotamobius freshwater crayfish

Abstract. Branchiobdellidans are ectosymbiotic annelids primarily associated with freshwater crayfish. Previous studies of branchiobdellidans in Croatia have been focussed mainly on the distribution and diversity of the genus Branchiobdella Odier, 1823. The objective of the present research was to infer the phylogenetic relationships of branchiobdellidan species living on crayfish from the genus Austropotamobius Skorikow, 1907 from Croatia and surrounding countries, using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences as a molecular marker. Furthermore, the potential coevolution of branchiobdellidans and their crayfish hosts was examined by comparing the results of the phylogenetic analyses of Branchiobdella and Austropotamobius. The analyses included branchiobdellidans collected from 74 populations of Au. torrentium (Schrank, 1803) and Au. pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858), and established the presence of five branchiobdellidan species: Branchiobdella astaci Odier, 1823, B. hexadonta Grüber, 1883, B. italica Canegallo, 1928, B. parasita (Braun, 1805) and B. pentadonta Whitman, 1882. The results of the phylogenetic analyses were congruent with the results of morphological identification, revealing high diversity of the branchiobdellidan fauna in Croatia. High observed intraspecific p-distance values, in some cases exceeding interspecific distances, imply the existence of cryptic taxa. Furthermore, observed congruent phylogenetic patterns within Austropotamobius and within studied branchiobdellidans indicate similar evolutionary histories, implying their coevolution.
Yield and growth characteristics of erect panicle type rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar, Shennong265 under various crop management practices in Western Japan

Abstract Erect panicle rice cultivars utilize solar energy effectively and have improved ecological growing conditions. Among such cultivars, Shennong265 has been grown successfully throughout Northern China. Nevertheless, no studies have yet examined the relationships between crop dry matter productivity, weather conditions, and nitrogen uptake of the erect panicle type rice cultivar in Japan. The objective of our study was to evaluate the productivity of erect panicle rice Shennong265 in Western Japan under varied conditions. Three rice cultivars, Shennong265, Nipponbare, and Takanari were grown in the field under different fertilizer and plant density conditions in Western Japan; using this information, we compared yield and growth characteristics of Shennong265 with those of Nipponbare and Takanari. Although Shennong265 had radiation use efficiency similar to that of the high yielding cultivar (Takanari) and much higher leaf nitrogen content than Takanari and Nipponbare, the average grain yield of Shennong265 grown under normal fertilizer and plant density conditions was approximately 6.9 t ha−1 as against 6.2 t ha−1 for Nipponbare and 9.6 t ha−1 for Takanari. These results suggest that, while Shennong265 has a high yield potential, the environmental conditions including climate, fertilizer, and planting period provided in this study were not suitable for achieving its maximum yield. The reduced performance of Shennong265 may be caused by insufficient fertilizer after heading and by shorter growth periods, as well as by the climate of Western Japan. Additional fertilizer application during the heading stage and earlier transplanting may be needed to obtain higher Shennong265 yields in Western Japan.
A Review of the Function and uses of, and Factors Affecting, Stream Phytobenthos

Abstract The phytobenthos of streams has received a renewed interest since the introduction of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), with all European member states now being required to monitor stream phytobenthos. This review highlights the reasons for using the phytobenthos as a monitoring tool in water bodies and examines the various biomonitoring approaches adopted. The different possible indices and metrics used for determining the ecological status of a stream using the phytobenthos are evaluated in terms of how effective and inclusive they are. The biological, chemical and physical niches that the phytobenthos occupies in streams are also considered, as well as the functional importance of the phytobenthos to the stream ecosystem as the primary energy source. Multiple factors, such as hydrology, nutrients and grazers, influence phytobenthic growth in streams and these are discussed. All these factors have the potential to limit or enhance phytobenthic growth in different situations and are often interlinked, meaning that the influence of each is difficult to tease apart. This review, however, attempts to look at the current knowledge regarding each factor and discuss how it influences phytobenthic growth in the context of other factors, if such multiple interactions have been researched.
Functional study of mouse olfactory bulb inhibitory circuits

In the olfactory bulb periglomerular cells form a heterogeneous population with diverse molecular, synaptic, morphological and biophysical properties that have always been considered independently and never explored together. However, such diversity suggests different functional implications. On the first part of this thesis, I aim to associate, for the first time, different markers of periglomerular diversity together to put in perspective the functional implications that differebt subgroups of these cells could exert in odor processing. Periglomerular cells receive inhibitory postsynaptic currents but the circuits mediating this inhibition remain poorly understood. Using a combination of patch-clamp recordings in mouse horizontal olfactory bulb slices and optogenetics I demonstrate that centrifugal GABAergic projections from the basal forebrain strongly mediate inhibition of type 2 periglomerular cells but also granule cells and deep short axon cells.
Geometric morphometrics in entomology: Basics and applications

The recent expansion of a variety of morphometric tools has brought about a revolution in the comparison of morphology in the context of the size and shape in various fields including entomology. First, an overview of the theoretical issues of geometric morphometrics is presented with a caution about the usage of traditional morphometric measurements. Second, focus is then placed on two broad approaches as tools for geometric morphometrics; that is, the landmark‐based and the outline‐based approaches. A brief outline of the two methodologies is provided with some important cautions. The increasing trend of entomological studies in using the procedures of geometric morphometrics is then summarized. Finally, information is provided on useful toolkits such as computer software as well as codes and packages of the R statistical software that could be used in geometric morphometrics.
SCREENING OF EFFECTIVE SUBSTRATE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CELLULASE BY TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM

The production of cellulolytic enzymes by Trichoderma harzianum in submerged culture with banana leaf, banana stem and banana rhizome as substrates was studied. Effects of some factors, such as substrate concentration, pH, temperature and incubation time were reported. Optimal cellulase secretion by Trichoderma harzianum was using banana leaf produce high amount of enzyme when compare to stem and rhizome The production of cellulases by Trichoderma harzianum in submerged fermentation was investigated CMC served as a powerful inducer that enhance the cellulases yield where glucose repressed cellulase activates of incubation time 9 th day (0.45 IU/ml), pH 4 (0.61 IU/ml), Temperature 45°C (0.40 IU/ml) and substrate concentration 3 % (0.76 IU/ml) respectively. Using low – cost agro industrial waste for production of cellulose in submerged fermentation would help to reduce the cost of enzyme production and expand the application field of cellulose. The crude enzyme when purified may serve the importance of this enzyme in both refining and deinking of recycled papers.
Comparison of ant-associated beetle communities inhabiting mounds of forest-dwelling ants in forests and forest clearings

Red wood ant (Formica rufa group) nests contain a highly diverse community of invertebrates, which is largely due to their abundant resources and regulated microclimatic conditions. Clear-felling, however, causes nest mounds to lose surface layer moisture, thus disrupting their inner stability. To study the effects of clear-felling on ant-associated beetles (myrmecophile and non-myrmecophile), 41 nests of Formica aquilonia Yarrow, 1955 located on three clear-fells and adjacent mature forest stands were sampled, and the beetle communities between these habitats were compared. We investigated how habitat type, nest surface moisture content, nest volume, and isolation affect the community composition, species richness, and abundance of beetles. Beetle community composition or species richness did not markedly differ between clearings and forests, although total abundance was higher in forests. Also, total species richness and abundance and myrmecophile abundance increased with increasing moisture content. Overall, nests with similar moisture content and volume had similar species compositions. Nest volume was negatively correlated with myrmecophile species richness. Nest isolation was not related to species richness or abundance. The lower abundances in clearings could be problematic in the long term, as small populations are more likely to become extinct. To ensure the survival of ants and their associates, small-scale clearings should be preferred.