The canopy, bark, soil and litter invertebrate fauna of the Darling Plateau and adjacent woodland near Perth, Western Australia, with reference to the diversity of forest and woodland invertebrates

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 229 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Majer ◽  
H. F. Recher ◽  
B. E. Heterick ◽  
A. C. Postle
Keyword(s):  
Invertebrate Fauna ◽  
Generic Level ◽  
Toxic Compounds ◽  
Invertebrate Species ◽  
Invertebrate Biodiversity ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Trapping Methods ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Total Diversity

This paper tables and reports on pooled taxonomic data from three separate research projects involving aspects of eucalypt invertebrate ecology: canopy invertebrates in jarrah and marri forest; bark invertebrates on four eucalypt species in forest and woodland; and soil and litter fauna in jarrah and marri forest. The data support the concept of a high invertebrate biodiversity on and under southwestern eucalypts, with 1 234 adult morphospecies of invertebrates being collected from the bark alone. Despite different trapping methods used in each of the three studies, we were able to find a high degree of overlap at the family level between bark and canopy fauna (126 families were found on both bark and in the canopy representing 79.2% of 159 canopy families). Eighty identified genera were also found on both bark and canopy, which represents 46.2% of the 173 identified canopy genera. The soil and litter fauna data are not complete (a taxonomic inventory of Acarina and Formicidae is not available) but appears to be more distinctive, sharing only 24 families (= 60% of the 40 identified soil-litter families) with bark, and 17 families (= 42.5% of the soil-litter families) with the canopy. At the generic level, only seven identified genera (= 8.6% of 22 soil-litter genera) were shared between soil-litter and bark, and five genera (= 6.2% of soil-litter genera) were shared between soil-litter and the canopy. An examination of the trophic guilds reveals that fungivores-decomposers were very diverse in soil and litter (accounting for approximately 50% of the biodiversity in these substrates). This guild was much less diverse on the canopy (21.6% of the canopy diversity) and the bark (16.9% of bark diversity). Sap-sucking organisms were more diverse in soil (13.9%) and litter (12.8%) than on the canopy (5.3%) or on bark (5.9%). The canopy result is surprising, and suggests that not many invertebrate species are able to feed on the sap of southwestern eucalypts, the sap of which may contain a high proportion of toxic compounds. Predators were more diverse on the canopy and on bark (?19-23% of total taxa) than in soil and litter (? 9-9.5%), as were parasitoids (18.7% and 22.5% compared with 10.5% and 14.8%). Epiphyte grazers and phytophages were not very diverse (=11 %) on any of the substrates, and representatives of other guilds or organisms whose diet was unknown accounted for less than 2.5% of the total diversity. Tourist species were not recognised among the soil and litter fauna, though they were found in the canopy and on bark, and ants were not quantified for soil and litter.

Effective trapping methods for assessing invertebrates in vineyards

2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 947 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Thomson ◽  
P. J. Neville ◽  
A. A. Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Sticky Traps ◽  
Invertebrate Biodiversity ◽  
The Family ◽  
Trapping Methods ◽  
Single Method ◽  
Agricultural Industries ◽  
Yellow Sticky Trap ◽  
Potential Tool ◽  
Yellow Sticky Traps

There is increasing interest in developing environmental management systems to ensure that agricultural industries are sustainable; invertebrate indicators provide one potential tool for monitoring sustainable production. As a first step in developing invertebrate indicators for viticulture, we compare the efficiency of 3 common trapping methods in assessing populations of relevant orders of invertebrates. Yellow sticky traps were more effective in trapping Hymenoptera, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Araneae and Coleoptera; transparent sticky traps were best for Lepidoptera and Neuroptera; and pitfall traps for Collembola and the family Formicidae. Numbers collected differed among months and December was the best month, overall, for trapping. Preliminary guidelines are developed for assessing key orders. While several methods are required for assessing invertebrate biodiversity, most orders can be sampled with a single method, particularly the yellow sticky trap. Our results indicate that changes in numbers of beneficial orders, due to changes in management practices, can be detected. Power analyses suggest a relatively small number of yellow sticky traps would be sufficient to detect changes of around 30%, or greater.

The Inscriptions on the Gravestones in the Croatian Villages of Slovakia, Chunovo and Jarovce: The Specificity of Mixing Graphics Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 159-173
Author(s):  
Darya Yu. Vashchenko
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Funerary Monuments ◽  
Traditional Spelling ◽  
The Family ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Village

The article discusses the inscriptions on funerary monuments from the Croatian villages of Cunovo and Jarovce, located in the South of Slovakia, near Bratislava. These inscriptions reflect the complicated sociocultural situation in the region, which is particularly specific due to the fact that this territory was included to Slovakia’s territory only after 1946, while earlier the village was part of Hungary. In addition, the local Croatian ethnic group was actively in close contact with the German and Hungarian communities. At the same time, the orthographic norms of the literary Croatian, German, Hungarian, and Slovak languages, which could potentially be owned by the authors of the inscriptions, differ in many ways, despite the Latin alphabet used on all the gravestones. All this is reflected in the tombstones, representing a high degree of mixing codes. The article identifies the main types of fusion on the monuments: separate orthograms, writing the maiden name of the deceased in the spelling of her native language, the traditional spelling of the family name. In addition, the mixing of codes can be associated with writing feminitives, also order of name and surname within the anthroponym. Moreover, the settlements themselves represent different ethnic groups coexistence within the village. Gravestones from the respective cemeteries also differ from each other in the nature of the prevailing trend of the mixing codes. In Jarovce, where the ethnic groups live compactly, fusion is often presented as a separate foreign language orthograms. In Cunovo, where the ethnic groups constitute a global conglomerate, more traditional presents for a specific family spelling of the names on the monument.

A REVISED GENERIC SYNOPSIS OF HYACINTHACEAE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, BASED ON MOLECULAR EVIDENCE, INCLUDING NEW COMBINATIONS AND THE NEW TRIBE PSEUDOPROSPEREAE

2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. MANNING ◽  
P. GOLDBLATT ◽  
M. F. FAY
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
New Combinations ◽  
Generic Level ◽  
The Family ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Single Genus ◽  
New Tribe ◽  
Sub Saharan

A revised generic synopsis of sub-Saharan Hyacinthaceae is presented, based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the family. Generic rank is accorded only to reciprocally monophyletic clades that can be distinguished by recognizable morphological discontinuities, thereby permitting an appropriate generic assignment of species not included in the analysis. Three subfamilies are recognized within the region. Subfamily Ornithogaloideae, characterized by flattened or angular seeds with tightly adhering testa, is considered to include the single genus Ornithogalum, which is expanded to include the genera Albuca, Dipcadi, Galtonia, Neopatersonia and Pseudogaltonia. Recognizing any of these segregates at generic level renders the genus Ornithogalum polyphyletic, while subdivision of Ornithogalum into smaller, morphologically distinguishable segregates in order to preserve the monophyly of each is not possible. Subfamily Urgineoideae, characterized by flattened or winged seeds with brittle, loosely adhering testa, comprises the two mainland African genera Bowiea and Drimia. The latter is well circumscribed by its deciduous, short-lived perianth and includes the previously recognized genera Litanthus, Rhadamanthus, Schizobasis and Tenicroa. The monotypic Madagascan Igidia is provisionally included in the subfamily as a third genus on the basis of its seeds, pending molecular confirmation of its relationships. Subfamily Hyacinthoideae resolves into three clades, distinguished as tribes Hyacintheae (strictly northern hemisphere and not treated further), Massonieae and Pseudoprospereae tribus nov. Full descriptions and a key to their identification are provided for all genera. New combinations reflecting the generic circumscriptions adopted here are made for most African and all Indian and Madagascan species.

scholarly journals Unearthing LTR retrotransposon gag genes co-opted in the deep evolution of eukaryotes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Wang ◽  
Guan-Zhu Han
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Ltr Retrotransposon ◽  
Ltr Retrotransposons ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Gene Expression Analyses ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Gypsy Retrotransposons

Abstract LTR retrotransposons comprise a major component of the genomes of eukaryotes. On occasion, retrotransposon genes can be recruited by their hosts for diverse functions, a process formally referred to as co-option. However, a comprehensive picture of LTR retrotransposon gag gene co-option in eukaryotes is still lacking, with several documented cases exclusively involving Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposons in animals. Here we use a phylogenomic approach to systemically unearth co-option of retrotransposon gag genes above the family level of taxonomy in 2,011 eukaryotes, namely co-option occurring during the deep evolution of eukaryotes. We identify a total of 14 independent gag gene co-option events across more than 740 eukaryote families, eight of which have not been reported previously. Among these retrotransposon gag gene co-option events, nine, four, and one involve gag genes of Ty3/Gypsy, Ty1/Copia, and Bel-Pao retrotransposons, respectively. Seven, four, and three co-option events occurred in animals, plants, and fungi, respectively. Interestingly, two co-option events took place in the early evolution of angiosperms. Both selective pressure and gene expression analyses further support that these co-opted gag genes might perform diverse cellular functions in their hosts, and several co-opted gag genes might be subject to positive selection. Taken together, our results provide a comprehensive picture of LTR retrotransposon gag gene co-option events that occurred during the deep evolution of eukaryotes, and suggest paucity of LTR retrotransposon gag gene co-option during the deep evolution of eukaryotes.

scholarly journals The Role of Botanical Families in Medicinal Ethnobotany: A Phylogenetic Perspective

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Airy Gras ◽  
Oriane Hidalgo ◽  
Ugo D’Ambrosio ◽  
Montse Parada ◽  
Teresa Garnatje ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Specific Level ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Phylogenetic Level ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Medicinal Flora

Studies suggesting that medicinal plants are not chosen at random are becoming more common. The goal of this work is to shed light on the role of botanical families in ethnobotany, depicting in a molecular phylogenetic frame the relationships between families and medicinal uses of vascular plants in several Catalan-speaking territories. The simple quantitative analyses for ailments categories and the construction of families and disorders matrix were carried out in this study. A Bayesian approach was used to estimate the over- and underused families in the medicinal flora. Phylogenetically informed analyses were carried out to identify lineages in which there is an overrepresentation of families in a given category of use, i.e., hot nodes. The ethnobotanicity index, at a specific level, was calculated and also adapted to the family level. Two diversity indices to measure the richness of reported taxa within each family were calculated. A total of 47,630 use reports were analysed. These uses are grouped in 120 botanical families. The ethnobotanicity index for this area is 14.44% and the ethnobotanicity index at the family level is 68.21%. The most-reported families are Lamiaceae and Asteraceae and the most reported troubles are disorders of the digestive and nutritional system. Based on the meta-analytic results, indicating hot nodes of useful plants at the phylogenetic level, specific ethnopharmacological research may be suggested, including a phytochemical approach of particularly interesting taxa.

scholarly journals Inuit plant use in the eastern Subarctic: comparative ethnobotany in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, and in Nain, Nunatsiavut

Botany ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 271-282
Author(s):  
Alain Cuerrier ◽  
Courtenay Clark ◽  
Christian H. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Plant Uses ◽  
The Family ◽  
Plant Names ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Comparative Ethnobotany

Plants are important in traditional Inuit life. They are used for food, tea, medicine, etc. Based on semi-structured interviews with 35 informants, we documented and compared plant names and uses in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, and in Nain, Nunatsiavut. Plant names and uses were expected to be similar between communities owing to common boreal–subarctic environments and cultural ties. Both communities reported the same number of taxa, with equivalent proportions of vascular and nonvascular plants, growth forms, use categories, and medicinal uses. Forty-three species were used in each community, for a total of 78 species from 39 families. Despite a high overlap in species distributions, only 35% of nonvascular and 56% of vascular species were used in both communities. Correspondence was higher at the family level (64% of nonvascular and 75% of vascular families shared). The Ericaceae family was the most used, followed by Rosaceae. Thirteen of 30 medicinal species were shared between communities. There was a low correspondence regarding the conditions for which the medicinal species were used. Edible taxa were shared the most (52%). Plant uses unique to either Nain or Kangiqsualujjuaq may reveal separate bodies of traditional knowledge, or may reflect an overall loss of ethnobotanical knowledge in the Subarctic due to recent lifestyle changes.

scholarly journals Involvement of loop 5 lysine residues and the N-terminal β-hairpin of the ribotoxin hirsutellin A on its insecticidal activity

2016 ◽  
Vol 397 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Olombrada ◽  
Lucía García-Ortega ◽  
Javier Lacadena ◽  
Mercedes Oñaderra ◽  
José G. Gavilanes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Sites ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Ribonucleolytic Activity ◽  
The Family ◽  
Lysine Residues ◽  
Hirsutella Thompsonii ◽  
Close Spatial Proximity ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Ribotoxins are cytotoxic members of the family of fungal extracellular ribonucleases best represented by RNase T1. They share a high degree of sequence identity and a common structural fold, including the geometric arrangement of their active sites. However, ribotoxins are larger, with a well-defined N-terminal β-hairpin, and display longer and positively charged unstructured loops. These structural differences account for their cytotoxic properties. Unexpectedly, the discovery of hirsutellin A (HtA), a ribotoxin produced by the invertebrate pathogen Hirsutella thompsonii, showed how it was possible to accommodate these features into a shorter amino acid sequence. Examination of HtA N-terminal β-hairpin reveals differences in terms of length, charge, and spatial distribution. Consequently, four different HtA mutants were prepared and characterized. One of them was the result of deleting this hairpin [Δ(8-15)] while the other three affected single Lys residues in its close spatial proximity (K115E, K118E, and K123E). The results obtained support the general conclusion that HtA active site would show a high degree of plasticity, being able to accommodate electrostatic and structural changes not suitable for the other previously known larger ribotoxins, as the variants described here only presented small differences in terms of ribonucleolytic activity and cytotoxicity against cultured insect cells.

Phanerozoic trends in the global geographic disparity of marine biotas

Paleobiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 612-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold I. Miller ◽  
Devin P. Buick ◽  
Katherine V. Bulinski ◽  
Chad A. Ferguson ◽  
Austin J. W. Hendy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Marine Animal ◽  
Animal Life ◽  
Data Repositories ◽  
Geographic Disparity ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family Level ◽  
History Of

Previous analyses of the history of Phanerozoic marine biodiversity suggested that the post-Paleozoic increase observed at the family level and below was caused, in part, by an increase in global provinciality associated with the breakup of Pangea. Efforts to characterize the Phanerozoic history of provinciality, however, have been compromised by interval-to-interval variations in the methods and standards used by researchers to calibrate the number of provinces. With the development of comprehensive, occurrence-based data repositories such as the Paleobiology Database (PaleoDB), it is now possible to analyze directly the degree of global compositional disparity as a function of geographic distance (geo-disparity) and changes thereof throughout the history of marine animal life. Here, we present a protocol for assessing the Phanerozoic history of geo-disparity, and we apply it to stratigraphic bins arrayed throughout the Phanerozoic for which data were accessed from the PaleoDB. Our analyses provide no indication of a secular Phanerozoic increase in geo-disparity. Furthermore, fundamental characteristics of geo-disparity may have changed from era to era in concert with changes to marine venues, although these patterns will require further scrutiny in future investigations.

Checklist of the cestode parasites of wild birds of Argentina

2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.B. Drago ◽  
M. Dueñas Díaz ◽  
R. Draghi ◽  
V. Núñez
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Wild Birds ◽  
Nominal Species ◽  
Generic Level ◽  
The Family ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Annotated Checklist

Abstract An annotated checklist of the cestode parasites of Argentinean wild birds is presented, as the result of a compilation of parasitological papers published between 1900 and April 2021. This review provides data on hosts, geographical distribution, sites of infection, location of material deposited in helminthological collections, references and taxonomic comments. A host/parasite list is also provided. During this period, 38 papers were published that gather information about 34 cestode nominal species and 11 taxa identified at generic level, belonging to three orders, ten families and 35 genera. The highest number of cestode taxa was recorded in the family Hymenolepididae, with 12 nominal species and two taxa identified at generic level, followed by Dilepididae, with eight nominal species and three taxa identified at generic level. Of the 1042 species of birds reported in Argentina, only 29 (2.8%) were reported as hosts of adult cestodes. The families of birds with the highest number of reported taxa were Laridae and Anatidae, with 20 and 14 taxa, respectively.

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