We assessed the diversity, composition, and distribution of bird species in patches of semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest by selecting eight natural forest communities in the central Yunnan Plateau, which is a representative distribution area of semi-humid broad-leaved evergreen forest. Field observations were conducted from April to August 2023 by the sample line and sample point method, and eight survey routes of 3-4 km in length were established. The results showed that 1) A total of 1286 birds were recorded, belonging to 102 species in 7 orders and 30 families. The three most abundant families were Muscicapidae (14 species), Leiothrichidae (9 species), and Phylloscopidae (7 species); 2) Species of Oriental origin, Palaearctic origin, and widespread species accounted for 81.4%, 4.9%, and 13.7% of observations, respectively; 3) The average number of bird species surveyed in forest patches was 32.0±3.5; the Shannon index of birds was lower in secondary, semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forests (1.536±0.110) than in primary forest communities (2.037±0.100); 4) Species composition exhibited considerable variation between patches, with the presence of dominant and common species, and the difference in rare species; 5) Considering the ecological groups of birds based on diet, invertebrate-eating and omnivorous birds, herbivorous birds, and carnivorous birds accounted for 84.3%, 11.8%, and 3.9%, respectively. The coexistence of birds with similar diets was maintained by diluting interspecific competition, mainly through partitioning of the vertical feeding space. For the conservation of bird species diversity and rare species, all patches of native semi-humid evergreenbroad-leaved forest are of conservation value.
本研究选取半湿润常绿阔叶林的代表性分布区——滇中高原地区8处天然森林群落作为调查取样对象,定量评估半湿润常绿阔叶林现存斑块中的鸟类物种多样性及其组成与分布的特点。野外观测集中于2023年4—8月,采用样线-样点法,共布设3～4 km长调查路线8条。结果表明: 1)调查共记录鸟类1286只次,隶属7目30科102种。种类最丰富的前3科分别是鹟科(含14种)、噪鹛科(含9种)、柳莺科(含7种);2)东洋界物种占81.4%,古北界物种占4.9%,广布种占13.7%;3)森林斑块中调查到的平均鸟类物种数为32.0±3.5;鸟类Shannon指数在火后恢复的半湿润常绿阔叶林(1.536±0.110)中低于原生森林群落(2.037±0.100);4)不同斑块间存在共同的优势种(红头长尾山雀、蓝翅希鹛、灰腹绣眼鸟)和常见种(西南冠纹柳莺、蓝喉太阳鸟、棕头雀鹛),稀有种则各不相同,导致不同斑块中鸟类物种成分有很大不同;5)基于食性划分生态种组,食无脊椎动物和杂食的鸟类占84.3%,植食性鸟类占11.8%,肉食性鸟类占3.9%。食性相近的鸟类主要通过分割占用森林的垂直取食空间,稀释种间竞争,维持物种共存。对于鸟类物种多样性维持而言,现存的原生性半湿润常绿阔叶林斑块都具有重要的保护价值。.

Vegetation characteristics are an important proxy to measure the outcome of ecological restoration and monitor vegetation changes. Similarly, the classification of remotely sensed images is a prerequisite for many field ecological studies. We have a limited understanding of how the remote sensing approach can be utilized to classify spontaneous vegetation in post-industrial spoil heaps that dominate urban areas. We aimed to assess whether an objective a priori classification of vegetation using remotely sensed data allows for ecologically interpretable division. We hypothesized that remote sensing-based vegetation clusters will differ in alpha diversity, species, and functional composition; thereby providing ecologically interpretable division of study sites for further analyses. We acquired remote-sensing data from Sentinel 2A for each studied heap from July to September 2020. We recorded vascular plant species and their abundance across 400 plots on a post-coal mine in Upper Silesia, Poland. We assessed differences in alpha diversity indices and community-weighted means (CWMs) among remote sensing-based vegetation units. Analysis of remotely sensed characteristics revealed five clusters that reflected transition in vegetation across successional gradients. Analysis of species composition showed that the 1st (early-succession), 3rd (late-succession), and 5th (mid-succession) clusters had 13, 10, and 12 exclusive indicator species, respectively, however, the 2nd and 4th clusters had only one species. While the 1st, 2nd, and 4th can be combined into a single cluster (early-succession), we found the lowest species richness in the 3rd cluster (late-succession) and the highest in the 5th cluster (mid-succession). Shannon\'s diversity index revealed a similar trend. In contrast, the 3rd cluster (late-succession) had significantly higher phylogenetic diversity. The 3rd cluster (late-succession) had the lowest functional richness and the highest functional dispersion. Our approach underscored the significance of a priori classification of vegetation using remote sensing for vegetation surveys. It also highlighted differences between vegetation types along a successional gradient in post-mining spoil heaps.

Improving the accuracy of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission inventory is crucial for reducing atmospheric pollution and formulating control policy of air pollution. In this study, an anthropogenic speciated VOCs emission inventory was established for Central China represented by Henan Province at a 3 km × 3 km spatial resolution based on the emission factor method. The 2019 VOCs emission in Henan Province was 1003.5 Gg, while industrial process source (33.7%) was the highest emission source, Zhengzhou (17.9%) was the city with highest emission and April and August were the months with the more emissions. High VOCs emission regions were concentrated in downtown areas and industrial parks. Alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons were the main VOCs contribution groups. The species composition, source contribution and spatial distribution were verified and evaluated through tracer ratio method (TR), Positive Matrix Factorization Model (PMF) and remote sensing inversion (RSI). Results show that both the emission results by emission inventory (EI) (15.7 Gg) and by TR method (13.6 Gg) and source contribution by EI and PMF are familiar. The spatial distribution of HCHO primary emission based on RSI is basically consistent with that of HCHO emission based on EI with a R-value of 0.73. The verification results show that the VOCs emission inventory and speciated emission inventory established in this study are relatively reliable.

BACKGROUND: Culicoides midges have been well-studied in Spain, particularly over the last 20 years, mainly because of their role as vectors of arboviral diseases that affect livestock. Most studies on Culicoides are conducted using suction light traps in farmed environments, but studies employing alternative trapping techniques or focusing on natural habitats are scarce.
METHODS: In the present study, we analyze Culicoides captured in 2023 at 476 sites in western Andalusia (southern Spain) using carbon dioxide-baited Biogents (BG)-sentinel traps across different ecosystems.
RESULTS: We collected 3,084 Culicoides midges (3060 females and 24 males) belonging to 23 species, including the new species Culicoides grandifovea sp. nov. and the first record of Culicoides pseudolangeroni for Europe. Both species were described with morphological and molecular methods and detailed data on spatial distribution was also recorded. The new species showed close phylogenetic relations with sequences from an unidentified Culicoides from Morocco (92.6% similarity) and with Culicoides kurensis. Culicoides imicola was the most abundant species (17.4%), followed by Culicoides grandifovea sp. nov. (14.6%) and Culicoides kurensis (11.9%). Interestingly, Culicoides montanus was the only species of the obsoletus and pulicaris species complexes captured, representing the first record of this species in southern Spain. A total of 53 valid Culicoides species have been reported in the area, with 48 already reported in literature records and 5 more added in the present study. Information on the flight period for the most common Culicoides species is also provided.
CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, our study represents the most comprehensive effort ever done on nonfarmland habitats using carbon-dioxide baited suction traps for collecting Culicoides. Our data suggests that using carbon dioxide traps offers a completely different perspective on Culicoides communities compared with routinely used light traps, including the discovery of previously unrecorded species.

The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum on the west coast of Korea harbors several digenetic trematodes. However, most studies in this region have been restricted to a few sampling sites and the current species designation of some trematodes is largely based on morphology, leaving the molecular phylogenetic position among the Digenea unsolved. Thus, we first provide both morphology and molecular phylogeny of some components in the trematodes community in the Manila clam based on a large-scale survey of 26 sites on the west coast, where well-developed tidal flats serve as large commercial clam culture beds. Our study revealed that the trematodes community in the clams consisted of at least 5 species that belong to 3 families (Himasthlidae, Gymnophallidae, Baccigeridae) and 1 superfamily (Monorchioidea). The life mode of the 5 different species included the metacercaria and sporocyst, with one species (Parvatrema duboisi) utilizing the clams as both the first and/or second intermediate host. Trematode infection prevalences were not evenly distributed among the study sites, although the reasons behind this are yet to be determined. Morphological identification was confirmed with the molecular analyses based on ITS and 28S rDNA; phylogenetic analysis also revealed that Cercaria pectinata infecting the clam gonad should be referred to as Bacciger bacciger hereafter. The present preliminary study provides a crucial baseline that could be further developed in a future study on the digenean trematodes community in the Manila clam.

In 2018, human anisakiasis caused by the ingestion of the skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis occurred frequently in Japan. This may be attributable to a heavy infection of A. simplex (s.s.) in the host\'s muscle tissue. In this study, we investigate infection levels of anisakid L3 larvae in skipjack tuna captured in Japanese waters afterward (2019-2020) to contribute to predict and prevent the outbreak of human anisakiasis. A total of 476 larvae were detected from 78 out of 85 skipjack tuna captured at 14 stations of the Pacific and East China Sea. The present parasitological survey suggests that infection levels in 2019-2020 were low, comparing that in 2018; in total only seven larvae were found from the host\'s muscle tissue. The collected larvae were identified by molecular methods to Anisakis berlandi, A. pegreffii, A. simplex (s.s.), A. typica and Skrjabinisakis physeteris (s.l.). Not only larvae of A. simplex (s.s.) but also those of A. berlandi were found from the muscle tissue and thus the latter species may also be a causative agent of human anisakiasis. In addition, this study confirmed the geographic distribution pattern that A. simplex (s.s.) is abundant in the Pacific, while A. pegreffii is dominant in the East China Sea. Our results contribute to understanding the risk of food poisoning and stock delimitation of host animals.

We aimed to investigate the species composition of a small mammal community and the prevalence of Echinococcus spp. in a typical endemic area of the Tibetan Plateau. One pika and five rodent species were identified based on the morphological characteristics of 1278 small mammal specimens collected during 2014-2019. Detection of Echinococcus DNA in tissue samples from small mammal specimens revealed that Ochotona curzoniae (pika, total prevalence: 6.02%, 26/432), Neodon fuscus (5.91%, 38/643), N. leucurus (2.50%, 3/120), and Alexandromys limnophilus (21.74%, 10/46) were infected by both E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus; Cricetulus longicaudatus (16.67%, 1/6) was infected by E. shiquicus; and no infection was detected in N. irene (0/15). Neodon fuscus and O. curzoniae were the two most abundant small mammal species. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pika and the overall rodent species assemblage (6.26%, 53/846); however, the larger rodent populations suggested that more attention should be paid to their role in the transmission of echinococcosis in the wildlife reservoir, which has long been underestimated. Moreover, although DNA barcoding provides a more efficient method than traditional morphological methods for identifying large numbers of small mammal samples, commonly used barcodes failed to distinguish the three Neodon species in this study. The close genetic relationships between these species suggest the need to develop more powerful molecular taxonomic tools.

We experimentally tested the effects of different concentrations of cigarette butt leachate on freshwater phytoplankton chlorophyll-a, species richness, cell density, and community composition. For this, we sampled the phytoplankton from a eutrophic lake and acclimated it for 24 h in microcosms. We then conducted the experiment in microcosms maintained for 96 h. The experiment consisted of four treatments: control and leachate from 1 butt L-1 (T1), 5 butts L-1 (T5), and 10 butts L-1 (T10), which were prepared by diluting a stock solution of leachate from 50 butts L-1. We found that algal chlorophyll-a content was not affected by different leachate concentrations. In contrast, phytoplankton cell density decreased in a dose-dependent manner as concentrations of the leachate increased. Similarly, the number of species was highest in the control group relative to all other treatments, with T1 and T5 showing higher species richness than T10. Additionally, the exposition to different concentrations of the leachate impacted community composition across all treatments in comparison to the control group. Our results suggest that cigarette butt leachate alters the number of cells and species, as well as the distribution of abundance, without necessarily reducing chlorophyll-a concentrations. Our findings indicate that to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effects of cigarette butt leachate on freshwater ecosystems, it is essential to evaluate more realistic scenarios that incorporate aquatic communities, rather than isolated species.

Field ridges are commonly viewed as the stable semi-natural habitats for maintaining plant diversity in the agricultural landscape. The high plant diversity could further support higher animal diversity. But following the adoption of well-facilitated farmland construction measures in China, many field ridges have been disproportionately neglected or destroyed. Empirical studies delineating the relationships between plant and animal diversity in these field ridges in the paddy landscape remain scant, especially in China, which has the most rice production. A two-year field ridge evaluation was conducted in the Chengdu Plain area, covering 30 paddy landscapes. This investigation scrutinizes the shape attributes of field ridges, their plant diversity, and the associated animal α-diversity and community compositions, including spiders, carabids, birds, frogs, and rice planthoppers. In the results of Pearson\'s correlation analysis, a significant inconsistent correlation was observed between plant diversity and animal diversity. The analysis of community structure heterogeneity also revealed no correspondence for species composition between plant and animal communities (i.e., spiders, carabids, and birds), while the non-metric multidimensional scale analysis indicated a substantial difference in the species composition of spiders or plants even within the same field ridge between 2020 and 2021. We argue that the implementation of intensive management practices in paddy landscapes, such as machine ploughing and harvesting and herbicide spraying with drones, leads to a scarcity of stable animal and plant communities in field ridges. Therefore, besides retaining these field ridges in paddy landscapes, maintaining the long-term stable ridges by refraining from herbicide spraying or artificial weeding, as well as avoiding winter wheat cultivating in field ridges, will contribute to protecting biodiversity of field ridges as semi-natural habitats.

The research was aimed at studying the taxonomic diversity, habitat specialization, and trophic characteristics of mycobiota, including Basidiomycota, in the northern ecosystems of the Krasnoyarsk Krai (Central Siberia) near Norilsk. Larch forests and woodlands in the Siberian permafrost zone are distinctive and Basidiomycota, as a component of these ecosystems, plays an essential role in their functioning. Currently, there is a paucity of information about this group in Arctic ecosystems, both in terms of floristic and ecological aspects. Seventy species of macromycetes belonging to different trophic groups were discovered and identified. Only 15% of species occur regularly, while most species are found rarely or only once. The identified species belong to 44 genera, 25 families, and 8 orders, which are included in the class Agaricomycetes. The leading families in terms of the number of species are Russulaceae, Polyporaceae, Tricholomataceae, Suillaceae, Strophariaceae, and Cortinariaceae. Mycorrhizal fungi and wood decay fungi dominate the structure of mycobiota of the study area (the total share is 71%). The rest of the species (29%) are fungal decomposers inhabiting plant litter, the forest floor, and humus. The largest number of species occur in forest ecosystems, which are dominated by mycorrhizal and wood decay fungi (up to 70%), which are trophically associated with woody plants and debris. The fungal decomposers inhabiting plant litter, the forest floor, and humus dominate (about 80%) in the species composition of tundra, where, in the absence of woody substrate, wood decay fungi have not been found at all. The species richness of tree and shrub Arctic ecosystems is low, yet the taxonomical and ecological structure of Basidiomycota is similar to that observed in taiga and temperate forests. These data permit a more comprehensive description of the biodiversity of the Arctic and may prove useful in studying biological processes in these ecosystems.