scholarly journals Modeling the distribution of rare and interesting moss species of the family Orthotrichaceae (Bryophyta) in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukáš Číhal ◽  
Oto Kaláb ◽  
Vítězslav Plášek
Keyword(s):  
Tree Cover ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Moss Species ◽  
Maximum Entropy Modeling ◽  
Middle Asia ◽  
Diurnal Range ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
The Family ◽  
Probable Occurrence ◽  
Interesting Species

Bryological research carried out from 2008 in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan brought interesting data on the occurrence of epiphytic bryophytes which have not been recorded yet there. One of the species was recently described as a new (<em>Orthotrichum pamiricum</em>) and some of the other newly recorded species are considered as rare or endangered in the region of Middle Asia. To make detailed field monitoring of the species with the aim of mapping their distribution in a wild and complex mountainous terrain, it was necessary in the first instance to identify the area with suitable conditions for the occurrence of these species. We present an innovative modeling program MaxEnt (maximum entropy modeling), which have not previously been used for modeling either epiphytic bryophytes or in the Middle Asia region. Using 205 samples (presence-only data), percent tree cover, and seven uncorrelated bioclimatic variables, regions suitable for the occurrence of the studied species were identified. Distribution models for eight most interesting species of <em>Orthotrichum</em> are presented here (<em>O. affine</em>, <em>O. anomalum</em>, <em>O. crenulatum</em>, <em>O. cupulatum</em>, <em>O. pallens</em>, <em>O. pamiricum</em>, <em>O. pumilum</em>, and <em>O. speciosum</em>). They indicated appropriate areas for the most probable occurrence of the species in western Tajikistan, and southwestern and northeastern Kyrgyzstan. These results could serve as guides for future survey expeditions, and aid in the conservation of target species and our understanding of their ecology. Different environmental variables for various species were selected as the most important for modeling. However, for most species higher minimum temperatures and higher precipitation in the wettest month and mean diurnal range were the variables with the greatest contribution to the models.

Palaeobotany of the Bunya Pine

2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genaro R. Hernandez-Castillo ◽  
Ruth A. Stockey
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
The Family ◽  
Interesting Species

The bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii Hook) is one of the most interesting species of the family Araucariaceae, a typical Southern Hemisphere conifer (Table 1) family that includes three living genera: Araucaria de Jussieu, Agathis Salisbury and the recently described genus Wollemia Jones, Hill and Allen. Araucaria bidwillii is traditionally classified in the Section Bunya of genus Araucaria. In addition to the section Bunya, there are three more sections in the genus Araucaria: Eutacta Endlicher and Intermedia White from Australasia, and Araucaria (=Columbea) Wilde and Eames from South America.

scholarly journals Influence of the Land Use Type on the Wild Plant Diversity

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Ina Aneva ◽  
Petar Zhelev ◽  
Simeon Lukanov ◽  
Mariya Peneva ◽  
Kiril Vassilev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Land Use Type ◽  
Grazing Land ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
The Impact

Studies on the impact of agricultural practices on plant diversity provide important information for policy makers and the conservation of the environment. The aim of the present work was to evaluate wild plant diversity across the agroecosystems in two contrasting regions of Bulgaria; Pazardzhik-Plovdiv (representing agroecosystems in the lowlands) and Western Stara Planina (the Balkan Mountains, representing agroecosystems in the foothills of the mountains). This study conducted a two-year assessment of plant diversity in different types of agricultural and forest ecosystems, representing more than 30 land use types. Plant diversity, measured by species number, was affected by the land use type only in Pazardzhik-Plovdiv region. More pronounced was the effect of the groups of land use types on the diversity, measured by the mean species number per scoring plot. Climatic conditions, measured by 19 bioclimatic variables, were the most important factor affecting plant species diversity. Six bioclimatic variables had a significant effect on the plant diversity, and the effect was more pronounced when the analysis considered pooled data of the two regions. The highest plant diversity was found on grazing land with sparse tree cover, while the lowest one was in the land use types representing annual crops or fallow. The study also established a database on weed species, relevant to agriculture. A number of common weeds were found in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv region, while the most frequent species in the Western Stara Planina region were indigenous ones. Overall, the natural flora of Western Stara Planina was more conserved; eleven orchid species with conservation significance were found in the pastures and meadows in that region. The present study is the first attempt in Bulgaria to characterize the plant diversity across diverse agroecosystems representing many different land use types and environmental conditions. The results can contribute to nature conservation, biodiversity, and the sustainable use of plant resources.

Hotspots of change in major tree species under climate warming

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flurin Babst ◽  
Richard L. Peters ◽  
Rafel O. Wüest ◽  
Margaret E.K. Evans ◽  
Ulf Büntgen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Sensitivity ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables

&lt;p&gt;Warming alters the variability and trajectories of tree growth around the world by intensifying or alleviating energy and water limitation. This insight from regional to global-scale research emphasizes the susceptibility of forest ecosystems and resources to climate change. However, globally-derived trends are not necessarily meaningful for local nature conservation or management considerations, if they lack specific information on present or prospective tree species. This is particularly the case towards the edge of their distribution, where shifts in growth trajectories may be imminent or already occurring.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Importantly, the geographic and bioclimatic space (or &amp;#8220;niche&amp;#8221;) occupied by a tree species is not only constrained by climate, but often reflects biotic pressure such as competition for resources with other species. This aspect is underrepresented in many species distribution models that define the niche as a climatic envelope, which is then allowed to shift in response to changes in ambient conditions. Hence, distinguishing climatic from competitive niche boundaries becomes a central challenge to identifying areas where tree species are most susceptible to climate change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here we employ a novel concept to characterize each position within a species&amp;#8217; bioclimatic niche based on two criteria: a climate sensitivity index (CSI) and a habitat suitability index (HSI). The CSI is derived from step-wise multiple linear regression models that explain variability in annual radial tree growth as a function of monthly climate anomalies. The HSI is based on an ensemble of five species distribution models calculated from a combination of observed species occurrences and twenty-five bioclimatic variables. We calculated these two indices for 11 major tree species across the Northern Hemisphere.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The combination of climate sensitivity and habitat suitability indicated hotspots of change, where tree growth is mainly limited by competition (low HSI and low CSI), as well as areas that are particularly sensitive to climate variability (low HSI and high CSI). In the former, we expect that forest management geared towards adjusting the competitive balance between several candidate species will be most effective under changing environmental conditions. In the latter areas, selecting particularly drought-tolerant accessions of a given species may reduce forest susceptibility to the predicted warming and drying.&lt;/p&gt;

Geographic distribution of Rhyncholestes raphanurus Osgood, 1924 (Paucituberculata:Caenolestidae), an endemic marsupial of the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel M. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Biogeographic Patterns ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
The Family ◽  
High Prediction

The Chilean shrew opossum (Rhyncholestes raphanurus) is the southernmost representative of the family Caenolestidae (Marsupialia : Paucituberculata). The species lives in temperate forests of southern Chile and Argentina and is currently known from <25 localities, spanning a latitudinal and longitudinal range of 2°44′ (~320 km) and 2°20′ (~190 km), respectively. Species distribution was analysed in a historical, geographic and biogeographic context, with the use of maps at different scales (region, subregion, province, ecoregion, forest types), and two potential distribution models were generated with MaxEnt. The models show a few isolated areas of high prediction values (>50%) in coastal Chile and the Andes from 39°30′ to ~42°S, and most of Chiloé Island, plus a northern and southern expansion of medium to low (<50%) prediction values. The most important environmental variables identified from the models include precipitation and some temperature-related variables. The species occurrence lies within the Andean region, Subantarctic subregion, and Valdivian biogeographic province. At a smaller scale, most of the localities occur in eight of the 22 forest types described for the Valdivian ecoregion, implying narrow ecological requirements. Identification of critical areas through potential distribution modelling may have implications for species conservation and identification of biogeographic patterns.

scholarly journals New records or otherwise interesting species of Teloschistaceae (lichenized fungi) from India

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergii Kondratyuk ◽  
Gaurav K. Mishra ◽  
Sanjeeva Nayaka ◽  
Dalip Upreti
Keyword(s):  
New Records ◽  
Lichenized Fungi ◽  
Interesting Observation ◽  
Rich Diversity ◽  
The Family ◽  
Interesting Species

The taxonomy of the family Teloschistaceae is undergoing tremendous changes in recent times. India has rich diversity of Teloschistaceae with over 100 taxa. The huge specimen collections of Teloschistaceae housed at LWG are revisited and three species, Oxneria huculica, Variospora flavescens and Zeroviella esfahanensis are reported as new records for India. The paper also discuss some interesting observation on Golubkovaea trachyphylla, Seirophora contortuplicata, Massjukiella candelaria and M. polycarpa

scholarly journals Late Quaternary habitat suitability models for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) since the Last Interglacial (120,000 BP)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Barratt ◽  
Jack D. Lester ◽  
Paolo Gratton ◽  
Renske E. Onstein ◽  
Ammie K. Kalan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Stability Estimates ◽  
Last Interglacial ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Habitat Stability ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables ◽  
Time Periods

AbstractAimPaleoclimate reconstructions have enhanced our understanding of how past climates may have shaped present-day biodiversity. We hypothesize that habitat stability in historical Afrotropical refugia played a major role in the habitat suitability and persistence of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) during the late Quaternary. We aimed to build a dynamic model of changing habitat suitability for chimpanzees at fine spatio-temporal scales to provide a new resource for understanding their ecology, behaviour and evolution.LocationAfrotropics.TaxonChimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), including all four subspecies (P. t. verus, P. t. ellioti, P. t. troglodytes, P. t. schweinfurthii).MethodsWe used downscaled bioclimatic variables representing monthly temperature and precipitation estimates, historical human population density data and an extensive database of georeferenced presence points to infer chimpanzee habitat suitability at 62 paleoclimatic time periods across the Afrotropics based on ensemble species distribution models. We mapped habitat stability over time using an approach that accounts for dispersal between time periods, and compared our modelled stability estimates to existing knowledge of Afrotropical refugia. Our models cover a spatial resolution of 0.0467 degrees (approximately 5.19 km2 grid cells) and a temporal resolution of every 1,000–4,000 years dating back to the Last Interglacial (120,000 BP).ResultsOur results show high habitat stability concordant with known historical forest refugia across Africa, but suggest that their extents are underestimated for chimpanzees. We provide the first fine-grained dynamic map of historical chimpanzee habitat suitability since the Last Interglacial which is suspected to have influenced a number of ecological-evolutionary processes, such as the emergence of complex patterns of behavioural and genetic diversity.Main ConclusionsWe provide a novel resource that can be used to reveal spatio-temporally explicit insights into the role of refugia in determining chimpanzee behavioural, ecological and genetic diversity. This methodology can be applied to other taxonomic groups and geographic areas where sufficient data are available.

scholarly journals An Image is Worth a Thousand Species: Scaling high-resolution plant biodiversity prediction to biome-level using citizen science data and remote sensing imagery

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Gillespie ◽  
Megan Ruffley ◽  
Moisés Expósito-Alonso
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Aerial Imagery ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Plant Biodiversity ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Remote Sensing Imagery ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables

Accurately mapping biodiversity at high resolution across ecosystems has been a historically difficult task. One major hurdle to accurate biodiversity modeling is that there is a power law relationship between the abundance of different types of species in an environment, with few species being relatively abundant while many species are more rare. This “commonness of rarity,” confounded with differential detectability of species, can lead to misestimations of where a species lives. To overcome these confounding factors, many biodiversity models employ species distribution models (SDMs) to predict the full extent of where a species lives, using observations of where a species has been found, correlated with environmental variables. Most SDMs use bioclimatic environmental variables as the dependent variable to predict a species’ range, but these approaches often rely on biased pseudo-absence generation methods and model species using coarse-grained bioclimatic variables with a useful resolution floor of 1 km-pixel. Here, we pair iNaturalist citizen science plant observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility with RGB-Infrared aerial imagery from the National Aerial Imagery Program to develop a deep convolutional neural network model that can predict the presence of nearly 2,500 plant species across California. We utilize a state-of-the-art multilabel image recognition model from the computer vision community, paired with a cutting-edge multilabel classification loss, which leads to comparable or better accuracy to traditional SDM models, but at a resolution of 250m (Ben-Baruch et al. 2020, Ridnik et al. 2020). Furthermore, this deep convolutional model is able to accurately predict species presence across multiple biomes of California with good accuracy and can be used to build a plant biodiversity map across California with unparalleled accuracy. Given the widespread availability of citizen science observations and remote sensing imagery across the globe, this deep learning-enabled method could be deployed to automatically map biodiversity at large scales.

scholarly journals Updated checklist of the Umbelliferae of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan: nomenclature, synonymy, typification, distribution

Turczaninowia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 127-257
Author(s):  
Michail G. Pimenov
Keyword(s):  
Endemic Species ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Middle Asia ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
The Family ◽  
The World ◽  
Endemic Genera ◽  
The Mediterranean

The region of Middle Asia and Kazakhstan with 107 genera, 459 species and 204 endemic species is one of essential Umbelliferae diversity centers not only in Asia, but also in the world. The biggest Umbelliferae genera in the region are Ferula (100 species), Seseli (49), Elwendia (19), Bupleurum (18), Elaeosticta (18), Prangos (16), Semenovia (16). The diversity of the family by country is as follows: Kazakhstan (82 genera – 211 species – 28 endemic species), Uzbekistan (68 – 200 – 18, respectively), Kyrgyzstan (65 – 192 – 29), Tajikistan (65 – 176 – 20), and Turkmenistan (51 – 122 – 9). The latter differs considerably from other countries of the region not only in lesser diversity, but also in generic and specific sets, approaching the features of Iranian Umbelliferae. The distribution of species was described with regard to provinces of all five countries. The list of endemic species for each country was compiled on the basis of field, herbarium and published data. There are 16 endemic genera in Middle Asia and Kazakhstan, including Astomatopsis, Autumnalia, Fergania, Kafirnigania, Karatavia, Komarovia, Kuramosciadium, Lipskya, Mogoltavia, Paulita, Pilopleura, Schtschurowskia, Sclerotiaria, Sphaenolobium, Sphaerosciadium, and Tschulaktavia, 6 other genera being subendemics. Across the region the important border between Middle Asian (eastern part of SW Asian floristic province of the Mediterranean type) and Central Asian phytochoria passes; the former being considerably richer in the Umbelliferae than the latter.

scholarly journals Climate change and local host availability drive the northern range boundary in the rapid northward expansion of the eastern giant swallowtail butterfly

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Keaton Wilson ◽  
Nicolas Casajus ◽  
Rebecca A. Hutchinson ◽  
Kent P. McFarland ◽  
Jeremy T. Kerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Swallowtail Butterfly ◽  
Bioclimatic Variables

ABSTRACTAimsSpecies distributions result from both biotic and abiotic interactions across large spatial scales. The interplay of these interactions as climate changes quickly has been understudied, particularly in herbivorous insects. Here, we investigate the relative impacts these influences on the putative northern range expansion of the giant swallowtail butterfly in North America.LocationNorth America.Time period1959-2018.Major taxa studiedEastern Giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae); common hop tree, Ptelea trifoliata; common prickly ash, Zanthoxylum americanum; southern prickly ash, Zanthoxylum clava-herculis (Saphidales: Rutaceae).MethodsWe used data from museum collections and citizen science repositories to generate species distribution models. Distribution models were built for each species over two time periods (T1 = 1959-1999; T2 = 2000-2018).ResultsModels for P. cresphontes and associated host plants had high predictive accuracy on spatially-explicit test data (AUC 0.810-0.996). Occurrence data align with model outputs, providing strong evidence for a northward range expansion in the last 19 years (T2) by P. cresphontes. Host plants have shifted in more complex ways, and result in a change in suitable habitat for P. cresphontes in its historic range. P. cresphontes has a northern range which now closely aligns with its most northern host plant - continued expansion northward is unlikely, and historic northern range limits were likely determined by abiotic, not biotic, factors.Main conclusionsBiotic and abiotic factors have driven the rapid northern range expansion in the giant swallowtail butterfly across North America in the last 20 years. A number of bioclimatic variables are correlated with this expansion, notably an increase in mean annual temperature and minimum winter temperature. We predict a slowing of northward range expansion in the next 20-50 years as butterflies are now limited by the range of host plants, rather than abiotic factors.

scholarly journals Inventarisasi Jenis-Jenis Lumut (Bryophyta) di Daerah Aliran Sungai Kabura-Burana Kecamatan Batauga Kabupaten Buton Selatan

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Titi Endang ◽  
Jumiati Jumiati ◽  
Dyah Pramesthi I. A
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Nutrient Cycles ◽  
Moss Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Important Habitat

Abstrak: Lumut (Bryophyta) merupakan kelompok tumbuhan tingkat rendah yang tumbuh meluas di daratan. Secara ekologi lumut berperan penting dalam ekosistem, seperti menjaga keseimbangan air, siklus hara, menjadi habitat penting bagi organisme lain, dapat dijadikan sebagai bioindikator karena tumbuhan ini lebih sensitif terhadap perubahan lingkungan dan merupakan tumbuhan perintis. Pentingnya peran lumut dan belum adanya data mengenai jenis-jenis lumut di Daerah Aliran Sungai Kabura-burana maka sangat perlu dilakukan penelitian ini  untuk mengetahui jenis-jenis lumut yang tumbuh di Daerah Aliran Sungai Kabura-burana. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan menggunakan metode eksplorasi. Hasil penelitian diperoleh 15 spesies lumut yang terdiri atas 11 spesies lumut daun dan 4 spesies lumut hati. Delapan jenis lumut teridentifikasi sampai tingkat spesies, lima jenis teridentifikasi hingga tingkat genus dan dua lainnya teridentifikasi hingga tingkat familia. Kata Kunci: Bryophyta;   Inventarisasi; Lumut; SpesiesAbstract: Moss (bryophyta) is a group of low-level plants thatgrow widely on land. Ecologically the moss plays an important role in the ecosystem, such as maintaining water balance, nutrient cycles, being an important habitat for other organisms, can be used as a bioindicator because these plants are more sensitive ti environmental changes and are pioneering plants. The important of the role of mosses and the absenceof data on the types of mosses in the Kabura-burana River Basin, it is necessary to conduct this research to determine the types of mosses that grow in the Kabura-burana River Basi. This research is a qualitative research using exploratory methods. The result obtained by 15 species of mosses consisting of 11 species of musci and 4 species of liverworts. Eight species of mosses are identified up to the species level, five types of moss are identified up to genus level and other two are identified up to the family level.Keywords: Bryophyta;Inventory; Moss; Species  

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