bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ecloserie artisanale familiale de silure africain (Clarias gariepinus Burshell, 1822) et de carpe commune (Cyprinus carpio) de la région Ouest-Cameroun.
Authors: Ewoukem Thomas Efolé
Published: April 2021

The artisanal family hatchery of the West Integrated Aquaculture Common Initiative Group(GIC-AIO), a peasant organization led by Michel Diogni, is located in Batié, the western highlands region of Cameroon (5 ° 15'- 5 ° 20'LN and 10 ° 10'-10 ° 15'LE). It was created in 1998 with the objective of producing African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fry in order to meet local and national demand. The production of table fish is carried out on a semi-intensive basis but this tends to be reduced in favor of the production of fry. In 2009, the hatchery produced 13,000 catfish fry (C. gariepinus) and 15,000 carp fry (Cyprinus carpio) but has much greater potential. These activities, although income-generating, come up against both physical and technical limits. In particular, an improvement in the nursery phase is necessary.
Contribution of fish farmers to conservation of endangered Lake Victoria Basin fish species - the case of Oreochromis variabilis and O. esculentus.
Authors: Charo-Karisa Harrison , Maithya Jacob
Published: April 2021

This paper discussed the conservation efforts of fish farmers of two endangered fish species in Lake Victoria namely Oreochromis variabilis and O. esculentus. Highlights focused on the determination of their growth performance under culture conditions, assessing their suitability for aquaculture, recruiting farmers to culture the species and testing the suitability of new dams and ponds for aquaculture. Both species breed easily under culture conditions. Therefore production of the fingerlings and their subsequent stocking in ponds, small water bodies and other larger water masses, including Lake Victoria, was a course of action implemented by the fish farmers to bring about their restoration.
Rice-fish farming systems - the case of CARE Bangladesh Rice-Fish Programme.
Authors: Ahmed Reshad
Published: April 2021

Integrated pest management (IPM) and cultivation of fish in rice fields are two interrelated methods of increasing the productivity and profitability of rice farming. CARE-Bangladesh's approach to IPM is based on understanding the whole rice paddy ecosystem. By adopting rice-fish production, farmers are provided with the opportunity to use an existing resource to significantly enhance income and food; in addition, adding value to the rice field through integration of fish acts as an incentive to reduce pesticide use. The rice-fish cultivation practice in all three seasons followed improved extensive methods and allowed wild indigenous species to be reared with stocked species. Community rice-fish cultivation in particular is a promising farming approach to address certain potential limiting factors challenging rice-fish farming expansion by individual households. IPM and fish culture in rice fields and wild fish conservation in rice-fish systems are important approaches of the CARE facilitated rice-fish farming expansion process.
Intensive pond culture of Pangasius hypophthalmus in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Authors: Dung Nhat Lung
Published: April 2021

Silver striped catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus), 'ca tra' in Vietnamese, has been cultured intensively in cages in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, for at least 30 years, but pond culture of this species is traditionally semi-intensive. Recently, intensive pond culture of the species has been developed. A study of P. hypophthalmus intensive pond culture was conducted in Thotnot and Omon Districts, Cantho City. The stocking density is 10-20 fingerlings m-2. Fish are fed with both artificial and farm-made feed. After 6 months of culture, fish yields ranged from 189 to 212 t ha-1 in experimental ponds. With good water quality management, meat is white and suitable for export. Intensive pond culture of this catfish has high potential to increase aquacultural production and improve farmers' income in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Production from farmers' ponds range from 50 to 300 t ha-1 at stocking densities of 8-40 fingerlings m-2.
Fish seed quality in Bangladesh.
Authors: Shah M.
Published: April 2021

Genetic and non-genetic aspects of seed quality are discussed. A system of seed production for Indian major carps and Chinese carps, which require sophisticated hatchery facilities, has been established in the country. However, there is concern about deterioration of the quality of broodstock in current hatchery management. Self-recruiting species like tilapia, common carp and silver barb can be bred in decentralized systems but the absence of a regular supply of quality broodstock may lead to poor seed quality due to poor farm management at homestead level.
Encouraging them to come to us - changing the way that information is made available to farmers.
Authors: Haylor Graham
Published: April 2021

Recommendations for changes to service provision and fisheries policy in support of poverty alleviation emerged recently in India from a process known as facilitated advocacy (see case study on Facilitated advocacy) that helped to negotiate and support a role for poor people and their service providers to contribute to changes in services and policies. Two key recommendations to emerge from farmers and fishers, which were prioritized by fisheries departments, were * to change the way that information is made available, and * to simplify procedures for accessing government schemes and bank loans. This case study identifies the origin of recommendations to change the way that information is made available, shows how different models of the concept have emerged, and follows the development of the One-stop Aqua Shops (OAS) in the eastern Indian states of Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal, which represent a new and vital tier in communications in aquaculture.
Environmental carrying capacity for sustainable shrimp farming.
Authors: Hossain Md. Zakir , Tripathi Nitin K. , Phillips Michael J.
Published: April 2021

Aquaculture, particularly shrimp farming in the Kandaleru creek area, has shown spectacular growth within the last two decades. However, economic prosperity which was the driving force for shrimp farming expansion, has also had a significant negative impact on land use changes and creek water quality causing shrimp health hazards. Using a hypothesis that the discharge of shrimp farming effluents may have exceeded the carrying capacity (CC) of the creek water, the environmental CC of Kandaleru creek was assessed based on total nitrogen (TN) input. Remote sensing (RS) and image enhancement techniques integrated with geographical information systems (GIS) were applied to quantify and determine the changes in land use patterns in the creek area. GIS and a numeric model were used to compute the TN load in three different salinity zones to determine the CC status. The study revealed that exceeding the CC of the creek along with increasing shrimp farms, decreasing natural resources and changes in land use patterns.
Effectiveness of children as a transfer agent for basic aquaculture technology in rural Bangladesh.
Authors: Morrice Christopher
Published: April 2021

A model of child-to-child extension was developed as a supplement to an adult training programme aimed at enhancing effective pond aquaculture in rural communities in Bangladesh. Adult trainers from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) felt unqualified and uneasy to teach children. As a possibly more effective alternative trainer, graduate girls (kishorees) from the Non-Formal Primary Education programme (NFPE) of the Bangladesh Rural Advisory Committee (BRAC) were recruited and trained. In total 14,690 BRAC school children received six sessions of training and took home two games, promoting key lessons, to play with family and friends. Increased fish production was highest amongst the families of trained children, with 63% of parents reporting that they had followed the information provided by their children. This had resulted in an average increase of 754 to 2,008 kg ha-1 yr-1 from an average size pond of 0.1 ha-1. Outside the trained child family groups, 10% of pond farmers claimed that they had been motivated to actively improve their pond management techniques.
Code of good management practices for shrimp aquaculture, Sri Lanka.
Authors: Siriwardena Sunil
Published: April 2021

Shrimp aquaculture, which is currently confined to the northwest and east coasts, is an important industry in the national economy. Nevertheless, further expansion into new areas is constrained due to environmental, social and management problems and repeated epidemics since 1996. Despite the existence of a well-defined regulatory framework for aquaculture, sustainability of the industry is threatened. The sustainability of the industry, however, cannot only rely on a regulatory framework. It will largely depend on observance of self-management strategies adopted by farmers, hatchery operators, processors and feed manufacturers and suppliers through a code of good management practices. The developed code based on the elaboration and expansion of the available technical guidelines and on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and associated guidelines on aquaculture development led to the establishment of the Consortium for Shrimp Aquaculture Development and Zonal Small Farmer Associations in addition to technical guidance on siting and operation.
Artificial propagation of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idellus).
Authors: Le Quang Hung
Published: April 2021

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) has become the main aquaculture species in freshwater areas in Vietnam. This study reviews grass carp biology, growth, habitat, mature age/spawning season, seed, culture, diseases, breeding trechniques, fry rearing and nursery trechniques, and hatcheries in Vietnam.
Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary).
Authors: Datiles Marianne Jennifer , Acevedo-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: April 2021

A datasheet on Rosmarinus officinalis covering, as an economically important tree, its taxonomy, importance, silviculture, distribution, biology and ecology, uses, products and pests.
Dypsis lutescens (yellow butterfly palm).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa , Acevedo-Rodriguez Pedro
Published: April 2021

Dypsis lutescens is an ornamental palm very widespread in cultivation all over the tropics, found growing under a wide range of conditions. It has the potential to form thickets excluding native vegetation and spread in secondary forests and disturbed sites. Although this species has become naturalized after being introduced and extensively planted in cultivation in many tropical and subtropical regions, it has only been described as invasive in Cuba and Réunion. The risk of this species escaping from cultivation and colonizing new habitats is high.
Dombeya wallichii (pink ball).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

D. wallichii is a shrub to small tree that has been in cultivation since the 1800's (Skema, 2010). It is only reported as an invasive species in Cuba, without further details (Oviedo-Prieto et al., 2012). Most of the information available regards D. wallichii as being cultivated, and not as a naturalised species (Skema, 2010). Although it is being listed as an invasive species in Cuba, Alvarez de Zayas (2008), reports the species as an ornamental that is rarely used in gardens in Cuba. Gilman and Watson (2014) classify the species as having little invasive potential for the USA.
Senna occidentalis (coffee senna).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

S. occidentalis is an annual to short lived perennial herb to small shrub with a pantropical distribution (PROTA, 2016). It is reported as invasive throughout Oceania, and various countries in Asia and Africa, where is reported as introduced (BioNET-EAFRINET, 2016; PIER, 2016). Within its native range S. occidentalis is listed as invasive for Cuba by Oviedo Prieto et al. (2012). This species is recognised as an invasive herb or a problematic weed that affects crops and plantations all over its range (PIER, 2016). For example, in the Northern Territory, Australia, it is a class B declared weed, i.e. spread to be controlled in all of the Territory (Flanagan, 1998). This weed is a problem in seven states of the USA and is increasing in eight others (Teem et al., 1980). Its ability to colonize a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions is epitomized by its occurrence in East Africa where it is found at altitudes of 0-1740 metres above sea level (Brenan, 1967). Though probably less important than the related weeds, S. obtusifolia and S. tora, S. occidentalis has the potential to become a weed of more widespread significance. In the USA it is on the regulated invasive list for Florida (Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, 2016).
Jasminum multiflorum (star jasmine).
Authors: Areces-Berazain Fabiola
Published: April 2021

Jasminum multiflorum is an ornamental shrub native to India and south eastern Asia widely grown across the tropics for its white, mildly scented flowers. It has been introduced to numerous countries, having escaped cultivation and become established in the USA (Florida), Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Seychelles, Australia (Queensland) and perhaps other countries. It is currently listed as invasive only in Puerto Rico, although its impact is not known.
Kyllinga nemoralis (white kyllinga).
Authors: Ventosa-Febles Eduardo
Published: April 2021

Kyllingia nemoralis is a perennial sedge native to the tropical Old World that has been introduced elsewhere in Oceania, the Indian Ocean and the Americas. Several species of Cyperaceae are listed as highly invasive worldwide. Sedges of the genus Kyllinga are recognized for their invasive tendencies in tropical climates. K. nemoralis exhibits characteristics common to the success of an invasive species, such as asexual spreading, positive reaction to human-caused disturbance, early and consistent reproduction and small seeds. In the tropics, it can be competitive with grass species and is sometimes aggressive in lawns, turf and pasture. A related species K. polyphylla, is a major weed of improved pastures, but can be suppressed by competition from vigorous, well managed grasses. K. nemoralis is listed as invasive in a number of islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Crotalaria maypurensis (rattlebox weed).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

C. maypurensis is a shrub or herb listed as invasive in Cuba by Oviedo Prieto et al. (2012), although other databases regard it as native on this island (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012; USDA-ARS, 2015). Within its native distribution range in tropical America, this species is associated with disturbed vegetation and grows in open ground, secondary forests and riparian sites (Gómez-Sosa, 2000; Avendaño, 2011).
Ipomoea alba (white moonflower).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Ipomoea alba is a fast-growing vine native to the Americas, which has been widely introduced across tropical and subtropical regions of the world where it has become naturalized and invasive. Once naturalized, this species behaves as an environmental weed with the potential to outcompete native plant species for nutrients, water and sunlight. It climbs using other plants for support and forms a dense canopy that shades out native vegetation. It also spreads over the ground, forming a dense mat of vegetation that inhibits the establishment and growth of other plant species. Currently this species is included in the Global Compendium of Weeds and it is listed as invasive in China, South Africa, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and other islands in the Pacific region.
Potamogeton diversifolius (waterthread pondweed).
Authors: Ventosa-Febles Eduardo
Published: April 2021

Potamogeton diversifolius is an aquatic plant native to North America. Although some sources list it as native to Cuba, it has also been described as an introduced, invasive, transformer species in this country. Although no further details are given, this suggests it has the capability of altering the character or condition of ecosystems it is introduced into.
Trimezia steyermarkii (yellow walking iris).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Trimezia steyermarkii is a rhizomatous, perennial herb often planted as an ornamental. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized, primarily in warm tropical and subtropical areas (Goldblatt et al., 1998; Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2005; Barker and Govaerts, 2017). Currently, this species is only listed as invasive in Cuba, where it is recorded as a transformer frequently found in riparian forests (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012; Gonzalez-Oliva, 2015).
Pentas lanceolata (Egyptian starcluster).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Pentas lanceolata is a fast growing, small to medium-sized herbaceous shrub that has become very popular as an ornamental and potted plant due to its colourful flowers. It is adapted to grow in a wide range of environmental conditions and tolerates a fair amount of drought. P. lanceolata has been intentionally introduced into many tropical and subtropical regions from where it has escaped to colonize predominantly disturbed sites, open grounds and roadsides near cultivation areas. Once established this species may become dominant in some open areas and can form monospecific stands with the potential to outcompete and exclude native plant species and other early successional vegetation. To date, P. lanceolata has been listed as invasive only in insular ecosystems in Hawaii, Anguilla, Norfolk Island, Mayotte Island and French Polynesia. In Hawaii, it has recently been noted spreading across the Big Island; on Maui, it volunteers in scrub areas and steep banks.
Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides (Mexican flamevine).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides is a vine species native to the Americas, from Mexico to the northern regions of South America, often cultivated for its showy flowers. It has been introduced in tropical and subtropical regions as a garden ornamental and for ground cover, from where it has successfully escaped from cultivation and can now be found naturalized along roadsides, forest edges, moist thickets and disturbed sites. P. chenopodioides is an aggressive plant that spreads extensively and quickly colonizes new habitats. Once established, it climbs over adjacent vegetation and forms a dense blanket of stems and leaves that shade-out native plant species. It has been listed as invasive in Anguilla and Hawaii, and as potentially invasive in Florida and Galapagos Islands.
Cissus quadrangularis (treebine).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Cissus quadrangularis is an aggressive fast-growing vine that has been cultivated primarily as a garden ornamental and medicinal plant. This species escaped from cultivation and can now be found naturalized in dry forests, coastal thickets, forest edges, savannas and scrublands across dry, arid and semiarid habitats in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. It has become an invasive species with detrimental impacts mostly on insular ecosystems. C. quadrangularis is a vigorous vine that spreads both vertically and horizontally forming dense monospecific stands that outcompete native vegetation. It climbs over trees and shrubs, covering them entirely, blocking light and thus restricting the growth and regeneration of native plants. It may kill or break down trees and shrubs that support it due to its weight. This species is able to inhabit areas subject to water stress and has the potential to spread sexually by seeds and vegetatively by stem fragments.
Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (chaya).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius is a shrub or small tree native to southern Mexico and Central America, with a long history of cultivation for its edible leaves and other purposes, dating back to the Mayan civilization. It is believed to have its origins in the Yucatán Peninsula, spreading due to domestication. It has been widely introduced as a cultivated plant in warmer parts of the world, and become naturalized in the wild in some countries, but it is not widely reported as invasive. It has been reported as invasive in the Galapagos Islands, but other sources indicate that it is not abundant in the wild there. In Cuba, it is reported as a transformer species, naturalized and spreading in some habitats, without further details. In most of the countries where it has been introduced, either there is not enough information available, or it is reported with a low possibility of becoming invasive because the cultivated forms reproduce mostly by stem cuttings. PIER (2018), however, assess it as being of high risk for the Pacific islands.
Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Cymbopogon citratus is a perennial grass that has been intentionally introduced in tropical and subtropical regions of the world for the essential oil extracts from its leaves and to be used as a culinary and medicinal herb. It is a tall grass with rhizomes and densely tufted fibrous roots, which tillers profusely and has the potential to escape from cultivation. Once established it can spread fairly rapidly, becoming weedy and invasive in disturbed areas. Currently it is listed as a weed in Mexico and as an invasive species on the island of St. Lucia. On this island, C. citratus is an invader which, due to its high oil content, has the potential to increase fire risk in areas such as Pigeon Island and Dennery quarry where it forms monotypic stands.
Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Chrysopogon zizanioides is a grass native to Asia, now widely introduced and cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. There are two types, an infertile domesticated type and a fertile wild type. C. zizanioides can grow in a wide range of soils and climatic conditions and is very tolerant of disturbance including grazing, fire, floods and drought. This is in part due to its dense root system that can reach depths of over 3 m. All these features have made this species an excellent option for soil and water conservation (among other uses), but also make the fertile wild type of this plant a problematic invasive species. Once established, it grows very densely and has the potential to displace other plant species including other grasses. Currently, vetiver is listed as invasive in China, Fiji, Costa Rica, Anguilla and the Philippines. This species is highly efficient in absorbing dissolved nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, and its dense root system can directly alter the soil structure and modify or inhibit nutrient and water acquisition by native species. Due to its deep root system, it is difficult to remove manually. It can be controlled by dense shade and by digging up the crown, and it is susceptible to glyphosate.
Euphorbia trigona (African milk weed).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Among the succulent, cacti-form Euphorbia spp., E. trigona is the most widely grown. It is widely commercialized as an ornamental, hedge plant and potted plant across tropical and subtropical regions. This species has the potential to escape from cultivation. In Cuba and India, where this species has become naturalized, it grows to form thickets in disturbed sites and abandoned gardens in dry and semiarid sites. It mostly spreads vegetatively by cuttings and stem fragments.
Flemingia lineata (wild hops).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Flemingia lineata is a fast-growing shrub, native to South-East Asia, India, China, and Australia, that has been commercialized as an ornamental plant, and is also planted for green manure and soil erosion control. Currently, it is listed as invasive only in Cuba (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012), and is naturalized in the Dominican Republic and Haiti (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012). However, the closely related species Flemingia strobilifera is an aggressive invader of ruderal areas on islands in the Pacific and the West Indies where it grows forming dense stands that compete with native vegetation, so F. lineata is of concern as being potentially invasive.
Livistona chinensis (Chinese fan palm).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Livistona chinensis is a palm tree that has been widely introduced into tropical and warm temperate regions of the world to be used as ornamental. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in disturbed sites, but also in undisturbed natural areas. L. chinensis produces a large amount of fruits and has high germination rates. It grows by forming dense thickets that can crowd out and overshadow native species. Currently, it is listed as invasive in Hawaii, Florida, Bermuda, Mauritius, Reunion and New Caledonia. In Florida, L. chinensis is listed as a category II invasive plant, a category designed for species with the potential to disrupt native plant communities.
Maranta arundinacea (arrowroot).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Maranta arundinacea is a perennial plant, native to Mexico, Central and South America, that has been introduced and cultivated for its starch-rich root (known as arrowroot), and as an ornamental and medicinal plant. It has escaped from cultivation and can be found naturalized in a wide variety of substrates and habitats, ranging from open areas with full sunlight to deep-shaded sites. It can reproduce sexually by seeds and vegetatively by rhizomes and suckers. The pieces of rhizome left in the soil after harvest often pose a weed problem because they re-sprout easily and are difficult to eradicate.
Mirabilis jalapa (four o'clock flower).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

M. jalapa is a perennial herb in tropical and subtropical regions (Encyclopedia of Life, 2016). It is an annual in temperate climates (Dave's Garden, 2016). It has been introduced into various continents as an ornamental since the 1500's (Le Duc, 1995; Encyclopedia of Life, 2016). The species is listed as invasive in Asia (China, Indonesia, Maldives, Philippines), Africa (Kenya, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda), South America (Chile, Ecuador) and Oceania (Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Hawaii-USA, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Pitcairn, Tonga, US Minor Outlying Islands) (BioNET-EAFRINET, 2016; Invasive Species South Africa, 2016; PIER, 2016). Oviedo Prieto et al. (2012) consider it a species with the potential of becoming invasive in Cuba. It has also been separately reported as invasive in Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia. Although its popularity has decreased (Flora of India, 2015; Missouri Botanical Garden, 2017), the species is still popular in some countries and it is available from nurseries and over the internet worldwide (Fuentes Fiallo et al., 2001; Dave's Garden, 2016; Encyclopedia of Life, 2016). The species has a high reproductive potential as it can re-seed easily and propagate vegetatively through its tuberous roots (BioNET-EAFRINET, 2016; Invasive Species South Africa, 2016). M. jalapa is cited as not having a weed potential (PFAF, 2016), but also as an environmental weed, a "sleeper weed" or as a possible noxious weed (BioNET-EAFRINET, 2016; Dave's Garden; 2016). It can escape from gardens into nearby areas and will naturalise in disturbed areas (BioNET-EAFRINET, 2016).
Muntingia calabura (Jamaica cherry).
Authors: Areces-Berazain Fabiola
Published: April 2021

M. calabura is a fast growing tree of disturbed lowland neotropical forests that has been introduced as an ornamental and fruit tree in many Old World countries. It is now widespread and naturalized in Southeast Asia, Australia, and in islands of the Pacific Ocean, in part due to its ability to disperse by bats and birds. It is often regarded as an environmental weed, but has not yet become a severe widespread problem (Werren, 2001; Randall, 2012). Listed as invasive in Puerto Rico (Haysom and Murphy, 2003; Rojas-Sandoval and Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2015), Singapore (Nghiem et al., 2015), Papua New Guinea (Orapa, 2006), Republic of Palau (Space et al., 2009), Nauru (Meyer, 2000) and the Federated States of Micronesia (Haysom and Murphy, 2003). Listed as potentially invasive in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (Meyer, 2000).
Invasive species compendium.
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Agave fourcroydes is a perennial succulent plant that has been extensively cultivated for fibre production (sisal) and as an ornamental. This species is adapted to a wide variety of habitats and spreads easily by bulbils and offshoots from rhizomes. These traits are thought to help the species escape cultivation and easily colonize and become naturalized in new habitats. It is currently listed as invasive in Spain, the Canary Islands and Cuba, where it is described as a species that is spreading, and often forms dense monospecific stands that displace native vegetation.
Paspalum notatum (Bahia grass).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Paspalum notatum is a perennial grass which is native to South America, and according to some authors native to Central America and the West Indies as well. It is widely naturalized in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world where it has often been introduced to be used as a forage, for erosion control and as an ornamental and lawn grass. It is well adapted to a wide range of climates and soil types, including poor infertile soils. It spreads by seeds and vegetatively by stolons and rhizomes, and once established it grows forming dense mats of stolons, rhizomes and a thick root system that inhibit the growth and establishment of other plant species. It is very persistent and competitive, and tolerates drought, sporadic flooding, and continuous grazing; it has the potential to continue dominating pastures decades after abandonment (Violi, 2000; Cook et al., 2005; Useful Tropical Plants, 2018; Newman et al., 2014; Heuzé and Tran, 2016).
Petrea volubilis (queen's wreath).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

Petrea volubilis is a shrub or liana native to the Americas, often grown as an ornamental in the tropics and subtropics due to its attractive blue flowers. Although it has a long history of cultivation, there is insufficient evidence to consider the species as naturalized and invasive where introduced. It is listed with a low invasive potential for the pacific region. Despite being widely grown as an ornamental the species is not reported as spreading outside of cultivation in its introduced range. It is only reported as naturalized in Madeira, Portugal.
Albizia carbonaria (carbonero).
Authors: Ventosa-Febles Eduardo A.
Published: April 2021

Albizia carbonaria is a fast growing but short-lived perennial tree native to tropical Central and South America that has been introduced to South and South East Asia. It is cultivated for wood, fodder, shade and erosion control. A number of other Albizia species are invasive due to their fast growth and prolific seed production, so there is a possibility A. carbonaria could also become invasive.
Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Triadica sebifera is a tree that behaves as an aggressive weed and forms monospecific stands with the potential to displace native plant species altering the composition, structure and functioning of invaded ecosystems. It is also able to alter nutrient cycles, fire regimes and successional patterns of invaded sites. Triadica sebifera is a prolific seed producer adapted to grow in a wide range of habitats. Its tolerance to drought, flooding and a degree of salinity, effective dispersal of seeds by avian vectors and water and a high germination rate contribute to the invasiveness of this species. Currently, this species is listed as invasive in the United States, India and Australia, but the range of introduction and naturalization of this species is very extensive across tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world.
Anredera vesicaria (Texas madeira vine).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

Anredera vesicaria is a herbaceous vine native from the south of the USA to northern South America. It is cultivated as an ornamental for its fragrant flowers, and has been introduced in the Philippines and some Caribbean islands. It is not recorded as invasive in any country but is regarded as a potential invasive species in Cuba as it has become naturalized outside its native range, has a tendency to proliferate and has a high dispersal capacity. Although A. vesicaria appears in EDDMapS for USA, it is not included as an invasive but rather for "comparison reasons" without further details given. It is also reported in the Invasive Plant Atlas, but without any information. The species is not included in the latest FLEPPC Invasive Plant List Species.
Monochoria hastata (hastate-leaved pondweed).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

Monochoria hastata is a tropical aquatic herb, almost entirely restricted to its native distribution of South-East Asia and Oceania (Boonkerd et al., 1993). It is a weed of rice fields in South-East Asia, with a prolific seed production and a high capacity to reproduce vegetatively (Ali et al., 2018). It is only listed as invasive in rice fields in Singapore, without further details (PIER, 2019). M. hastata is not reported as invasive in natural habitats; nor is there information about its effects on biodiversity. Outside its native range, M. hastata is reported as expected to spread and invade rice fields in Pakistan, facilitated by flooding events associated to monsoon rains (Ali et al., 2018). Although is not found in the New World, M. hastata is declared as a Federal Noxious Weed in the USA, because of the detrimental effects it could cause to agriculture (Coile, 1996). In Oceania, M. hastata is reported only as cultivated in Fiji, without further details (PIER, 2019). In the Northern Territory of Australia, M. hastata is classified as vulnerable because of the deterioration of aquatic habitats and the invasion of exotic weeds (India Biodiversity Portal, 2019).
Tripsacum dactyloides (eastern gamagrass).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Tripsacum dactyloides is cultivated as a forage crop in areas within and outside its native distribution range. The species establishes slowly and competes poorly with annual grasses and weeds during its first year of establishment, but after that, it competes effectively with most perennial and broadleaf plants. Currently, T. dactyloides is listed as invasive only in Cuba. However, this species is often reported to be growing as a 'weed' in ruderal areas, forest edges, and disturbed and open forests in areas within and outside its native distribution range.
Argyreia nervosa (elephant creeper).
Authors: Vélez-Gavilán Jeanine
Published: April 2021

A. nervosa is a liana from the tropics and sub-tropics, reported as invasive in Reunion, Hawaii (USA), Cuba, Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga, but with little information about the invasiveness of the species or its effects on habitats and native species in these countries (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012; PIER, 2016). In Cuba it is reported as a transformer and invasive species (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012). In Queensland, Australia it is reported as thriving around Townsville and rampaging around Cooktown. It is also reported as an environmental weed in Australia (PIER, 2016), where it is an aggressive invader of rainforest and other tropical forest communities in northern Queensland (Weeds of Australia, 2016).
Eriochrysis cayennensis (moco de pavo).
Authors: Duenas-Lopez Manuel Angel
Published: April 2021

Eriochrysis cayennensis is a perennial, caespitose, herbaceous plant native Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. It has been introduced in Cuba, probably by accident. There is no evidence of its invasiveness or any negative impacts in its non-native range.
Brassica juncea (mustard).
Authors: Vélez Augusto C. Carvajal
Published: April 2021

Brassica juncea has been distributed worldwide as a crop, and has escaped cultivation to become naturalized in fields, wasteland and roadsides as a weed. Seeds can persist in fields after harvesting and become a weed for subsequent crops. It is an invasive weed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Americas, and many Pacific Islands, although it is not considered a significant weed in Canada. As some Brassica species use allelochemicals to inhibit other species and B. juncea extract has been shown to have a deleterious effect on sunflower germination and growth, this species could reduce local biodiversity.
Urochloa reptans (sprawling signalgrass).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa
Published: April 2021

Urochloa reptans is an annual grass regarded as native to Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, Australia and the Pacific region, although its status is ambiguous in many countries. The species grows forming clumps of slender, creeping culms up to 50 cm tall that are capable of displacing other plants and grasses. It is considered an important weed in agricultural lands and pastures, but it can also invade disturbed sites, degraded forests, coastal areas, river and creek beds, and riparian forests. Currently, it is listed as invasive in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands and some islands in Oceania, where it has been reported invading relatively undisturbed forests.
A re-evaluation of castor (
Ricinus communis
L.) as a crop plant.
Authors: Kammili Anjani Kammili Anjani
Published: April 2021

Castor (
Ricinus communis
L.) has been transformed from a wasteland colonizer to an important industrial oilseed crop. Its seed oil is one of the most sought-after vegetable oils because of its rich properties and variety of end-users. Castor is an ancient crop but its production now has been limited mainly to India, China and Brazil, for many reasons. Castor oil is a hot market commodity product. It has been recently recognized as an efficient feedstock for biodiesel production. Increasing demand world over for biofuel resources and many recently identified industrial uses of castor oil have escalated castor oil demand. Global demand for castor oil is rising constantly at 3-5% per annum. In the last decade, many countries have started making serious exploratory efforts at growing castor as there is a tremendous scope to establish castor as a supplementary crop production option to farmers and to provide significant returns on investment given high global demand for castor oil. In view of the increasing worldwide interest in castor oil, this review evaluates the global scenario of castor cultivation, exports and imports of castor oil, new interests in castor oil and genetic improvement in productivity. In addition, the current research challenges and priorities have been discussed in the review.
Effects of rubber cultivation on biodiversity in the Mekong Region.
Authors: He Pia He Pia , Martin K.
Published: April 2021

In the Mekong Region, the expansion of rubber plantations is a major threat to the remaining natural forests and has led to a considerable degradation of biodiversity. The shift from traditional agriculture to rubber cultivation additionally reduced landscape and agricultural system diversity and with this, the availability of potentially useful habitat types for species originating from natural forest. In most cases, monoculture rubber plantations showed to harbour less than half of the species richness in various plant and animal groups compared with natural forest, and often it was found or being assumed that many of these species are unable to exist permanently in rubber plantations. There is clear evidence that the existence natural forest area is essential for the conservation of large portions of native forest species in rubber-dominated landscapes. Alteration of rubber monoculture land use can only contribute effectively to species conservation if natural forest plots remain. Furthermore, suggested restoration concepts such as the conversion of rubber plantations into forest on marginal sites and land-sharing approaches are currently only vaguely described, and their contribution to the conservation of native forest species remains uncertain. In addition, modalities of stakeholder involvement, economic compensation and ecologically reasonable implementation of such measures are still unexplained. As an ecologically reasonable and economically feasible method to improve species diversity in rubber monoculture plantations, we suggest the promotion of natural undergrowth vegetation to enlarge suitable habitat structures in connection with natural forest. This can be reached through the cease of weeding and herbicide application and potentially through the cultivation of useful wild plants.
Equivalence of a tangle category and a category of infinite dimensional 𝑈_{𝑞}(𝔰𝔩₂)-modules
Authors: Iohara K. , Lehrer G. , Zhang R.
Published: April 2021

It is very well known that if

V
V

is the simple

2
2

-dimensional representation of

U

q

(

s
l

2

)

\mathrm {U}_q(\mathfrak {sl}_2)

, the category of representations

V

⊗
r

V^{\otimes r}

,

r
=
0
,
1
,
2
,
…

r=0,1,2,\dots

, is equivalent to the Temperley-Lieb category

T
L

(
q
)

\mathrm {TL}(q)

. Such categorical equivalences between tangle categories and categories of representations are rare. In this work we give a family of new equivalences by extending the above equivalence to one between the category of representations

M
⊗

V

⊗
r

M\otimes V^{\otimes r}

, where

M
M

is a projective Verma module of

U

q

(

s
l

2

)

\mathrm {U}_q(\mathfrak {sl}_2)

and the type

B
B

Temperley-Lieb category

T
L
B

(
q
,
Q
)

\mathbb {TLB}(q,Q)

, realised as a subquotient of the tangle category of Freyd, Yetter, Reshetikhin, Turaev and others.
Shorter and Rugged Analytical GC Method for Residual Solvents Content in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
Authors: Ramanjaneyulu S , Rao K M V Narayana , Pulipaka Shyamala
Published: April 2021

This work describes the highly selective and sensitive robust analytical method (gas chromatography) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of commonly used residual solvents (like methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, dichloromethane, methyl tert-butyl ether, n-hexane, 1-propanol, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) and dimethylformamide), in an active pharmaceuticals ingredients. The developed method was optimized with good resolution (>1.9 between close eluting solvents) and a shorter run time (20 min). All the solvents were separated using GC column DB–624, 30-m length, 0.32-mm diameter, 1.8-μm particle size, nitrogen as a carrier gas and recorded the signals using flame ionization detector (FID). Further, analytical method validation has been performed for the developed analytical method and the validation results demonstrated its routine application for the determination of residual solvents content by GC–head space (HS). The practical application was demonstrated by the suitable API batch analysis (having sample Con. 40 mg/mL). The present developed method has more advantages than the other methods for the qualitative and quantitative applications, such as shorter runtime, selective for multiple solvents (11 organic solvents) analysis at a time, highly sensitive at ppm levels. This GC–HS method could be used for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the residual solvents content in APIs.
Role of oxidative stress in calcific aortic valve disease and its therapeutic implications
Authors: Greenberg Harry Z E , Zhao Guoan , Shah Ajay M , Zhang Min
Published: April 2021

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the end result of active cellular processes that lead to the progressive fibrosis and calcification of aortic valve leaflets. In western populations, CAVD is a significant cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and in the absence of effective drugs, it will likely represent an increasing disease burden as populations age. As there are currently no pharmacological therapies available for preventing, treating, or slowing the development of CAVD, understanding the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of the disease is important for identifying novel therapeutic targets. Recent evidence has emerged of an important causative role for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of CAVD, inducing the differentiation of valve interstitial cells into myofibroblasts and then osteoblasts. In this review, we focus on the roles and sources of ROS driving CAVD and consider their potential as novel therapeutic targets for this debilitating condition.
Effects of single nucleotide polymorphism ascertainment on population structure inferences
Authors: Dokan Kotaro , Kawamura Sayu , Teshima Kosuke M
Published: April 2021

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data are widely used in research on natural populations. Although they are useful, SNP genotyping data are known to contain bias, normally referred to as ascertainment bias, because they are conditioned by already confirmed variants. This bias is introduced during the genotyping process, including the selection of populations for novel SNP discovery and the number of individuals involved in the discovery panel and selection of SNP markers. It is widely recognized that ascertainment bias can cause inaccurate inferences in population genetics and several methods to address these bias issues have been proposed. However, especially in natural populations, it is not always possible to apply an ideal ascertainment scheme because natural populations tend to have complex structures and histories. In addition, it was not fully assessed if ascertainment bias has the same effect on different types of population structure. Here, we examine the effects of bias produced during the selection of population for SNP discovery and consequent SNP marker selection processes under three demographic models: the island, stepping-stone, and population split models. Results show that site frequency spectra and summary statistics contain biases that depend on the joint effect of population structure and ascertainment schemes. Additionally, population structure inferences are also affected by ascertainment bias. Based on these results, it is recommended to evaluate the validity of the ascertainment strategy prior to the actual typing process because the direction and extent of ascertainment bias vary depending on several factors.
SPECIALIZED TRANSDUCTION BY BACTERIOPHAGE P22 IN SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM: GENETIC AND PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE TRANSDUCING GENOMES AND THE PROPHAGE ATTACHMENT SITE
Authors: Chan Russell K , Botstein David
Published: April 2021

P22pro-1 and P22pro-3 are specialized transducing derivatives of phage P22 that carry the proA and proB genes of Salmonella typhimurium. These genes lie immediately adjacent to the prophage attachment site on the bacterial chromosome. By examining DNA heteroduplexes in the electron microscope, we found that DNA molecules from P22pro-1 and P22pro-3 each contain a substitution which adds length to the composite genome making the intracellular replicated genome too long to fit into a single phage particle. In this respect, and in many of their biological properties, the proline-transducing phages resemble P22Tc-10, another specialized transducing phage with an oversize, intracellular replicated genome which carries a tetracycline-resistance determinant from an R-factor.—Unlike P22Tc-10, however, P22pro-1 and P22pro-3 fail to integrate normally during lysogenizing infections, even when provided with all known integration functions. These results suggest that the proline substitutions have created a defect in the phage attachment site and suggest that the Campbell model for the formation of specialized transducing phages is applicable to phage P22 with the additional feature that oversize genomes can be produced and propagated.—A physical and genetic map of the P22 genome near the prophage attachment site was constructed which shows that the insertion from the R-factor in P22Tc-10 is not at the attachment site: it is therefore unlikely that P22Tc-10 was formed in an abnormal prophage excision event as envisioned in the Campbell model, but was instead the result of a direct translocation from the R-plasmid to P22.