Piper zeylanicum Miq. (Piperaceae) an endemic species of Sri Lanka is reported and described and illustrated as a new record for India from Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu.
The antimicrobial activity of several extracts and fractions of some Sideritis species (S. albiflora, S. brevibracteata and S. pisidica) was investigated by disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods against Escherichia coli ATCC 11230, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P, Klebsiella pneumoniae UC57, Micrococcus luteus La 2971, Micrococcus flavus ATCC 14452, Proteus vulgaris ATCC 8427, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Corynebacterium xerosis CCM 7064, Mycobacterium smegmatis CCM 2067, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Bacillus cereus ATCC 9730, Kluyveromyces fragilis NRRL 2415 and Rhodotorula rubra CCY. The methanol extract and chloroform fraction of S. pisidica, as well as the methanol extracts, butanol and chloroform fractions of both S. albiflora and S. brevibracteata showed good antimicrobial activity against some bacteria and all yeasts tested, with growth inhibition area diameters in the range 10-20 mm, and MIC values between 0.03 and 0.38 µl/ml. The results of the study support the use of these species in traditional medicine.
In this paper, the rediscovery of endemic and long missing species, Scilla mesopotamica Speta which had been only known from the type gathering, is given. The species has not been collected again after Sintenis in 1888, whose specimens served Speta for description of the new taxon. In 2004, the authors found it in a steppic rocky area, near Halfeti in Şanliurfa province, South East Anatolia, Turkey. After analyzing Sintenis' original collection notes, they concluded that this area is identical with the type locality. S. mesopotamica has an extremely limited distribution and is represented by less than 200 specimens in the single known population that covers less than 50 m2. Taxonomy of the species, detailed description with illustrations, geographical distribution, habitat, ecology and status of IUCN extinction risk and some comments on conservation of the plant are also presented.
Essential oils from the leaves, stems and flowers of Postia puberula at the flowering stage were analyzed using GC and GC/MS. The results showed that leaves are abundant of cis-3-hexenyl benzoate (10.75%), benzyl benzoate (8.16%) and caryophyllene oxide (8.12%). The main compounds of stems were benzyl benzoate (21.92%), E-nuciferol (11.58%) and dibutyl phthalate (7.08%), while major components of flowers were benzyl benzoate (9.99%), caryophyllene oxide (8.14%) and E-nuciferol (8.13%). The antioxidant activities of methanol extract were evaluated by DPPH and β-carotene/linoleic acid assays. The results showed that in both methods, leaves had stronger antioxidant activity than other organs.
This study was addressed to environmental factors significantly influencing the habitat preferences of endemic species and to obtain a model of their common habitat preferences in the Aglasun district. The district, covering an area of 55,000 hectares, is located in the lakeland subregion of the Mediterrranean region, Turkey. Data were collected from 199 sample plots (20 × 20 m ) and in total 40 endemic taxa was recorded in 124 plots which include minimum one endemic species. Wilcoxon rank-sum statistic and Pearson chisquared tests were used for continuous and categorical explanatory variables, respectively. The factors playing important roles in habitat preferences of endemic species were following: altitude, radiation index, soil texture, landscape position and landform. Generalized additive model was used for modelling the habitat preferences of endemic taxa. To obtain the best model, all significant environmental factors were evaluated by selecting stepwise option. Finally, the best model was obtained (training AUC = O.816, and crossvalidation AUC = 0.800) by using altitude and landform variables.
The marine psychrophilic and endemic Antarctic yeast Leucosporidium antarcticum strain 171 synthesizes intracellular ß-fructofuranosidase, and intra- and extracellular α-glucosidases. Each enzyme is maximally produced at 5°C, while the strain's optimum growth temperature is 15°C. Invertase biosynthesis appeared regulated by catabolic repression, and induced by sucrose; the enzyme was extremely unstable ex vivo, and only EDTA, Mn2+, and BSA stabilized it for up to 12 h after yeast cell lysis. Thermal stability of the invertase was also low (30 min at temperatures up to 12°C). The optimum temperature for invertase activity was 30°C, and optimum pH was 4.55 to 4.75. The extracellular α-glucosidase was maximally active at 35°C and pH 6.70-7.50, and stable for 30 min up to 20°C.
Post-industrial sites, including fly ash deposits, are common landscape components in many Central European regions. Their effective restoration is thus crucial because such habitats have been recognised as critical secondary refuges for many endangered and declining species. Controversially, the overwhelming majority of restoration projects consider vegetation units as the restoration target and thus ignore various habitat resources of many endangered species. Our study details habitat-use of the grayling Hipparchia semele, a European endemic xerothermophilous specialist and one of the most rapidly declining butterflies in Central Europe, inhabiting a fly ash deposit in the Kadaň region, western Czech Republic. We estimated its population to 510 males and 346 females by the capture-mark-recapture method during its whole flight period. By detailed recording of all observed specimens' behaviour, we show that this species uses resources from distinct vegetation units, such as exposed and disturbed spots, ruderal regrowths, solitary trees and shrubs, rocks and artificial concrete structures. Because the studied population can act as a source for the whole region, the grayling's ecological needs should be considered in any restoration project. Oppositely, the originally planned restoration of dry grasslands based on plant species composition of vegetation would very probably threaten one of the last two metapopulations in the whole country. Using the grayling's case, we thus warn against the vegetation-based habitat approach in restoration ecology; the resource-based habitat approach should be prioritised, especially when considering needs of the most threatened and/or umbrella species.
Two previously unknown willow hybrids, Salix × velchevii (S. amplexicaulis Bory × S. xanthicola K.I. Chr.) and S. × ardana (S. alba L. × S. xanthicola K.I. Chr.), are described from the Bulgarian Rhodope Mts. This is the first report on hybridization in the endemic Balkan species S. xanthicola.
The stable isotope technique has been widely used to infer the dietary ecology of a range of animal species. The δ¹³C technique provides a valuable tool for researchers when designing pastures for dual environmental and production purposes. Tibetan antelope, Pantholops hodgsoni (chiru), is endemic species to the high-altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of western China – Kekexili Nature Reserve area. The aim of this study was to identify the food diet of Tibetan antelope among plants with C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic pathways. Faeces and plant samples were collected at the Kekexili Nature Reserve (KNR, 34°19’ ~ 36°16’N, 89°25’ ~94°05’E) in Qinghai Province, China. Stable isotope values of carbon and nitrogen of faeces and plant samples were measured under EAMS (element-analysis meter and spectrometer) conditions. Enrichment and food content ratio were calculated according to previous research methods to determine the relative importance of plant sources in the food diet of Tibetan antelopes. The results indicate that faecal samples provided the most convenient and uninjurious sources to predict the food diet and that C₃ plants were selected as the food by chiru. Dualisotope multiple-source mixing model suggested that the food content of antelope is including Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Compositae, Leguminosae, and Cruciferae. An understanding of what chiru selects allows for development of appropriate grazing and protecting strategies, especially in fragile ecosystem. According to our knowledge, this is the first essay to reveal the food diet of chiru with stable isotope analysis method.
Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis was achieved in leaf base and ovary culture of the Croatian endemic Iris adriatica Trinajstić ex Mitić. Callus induction from leaf base explants occurred in the dark on three media with MS mineral solution containing 4.52 μM dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4.83 μM naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 0.46 μM kinetin (Kin), 5% sucrose and 200 mg L-1 casein hydrolysate. The media differed only in vitamin and/or proline content. Calli from ovary culture were achieved on MS medium containing 45.25 μM 2,4-D. The mean percentage of callus induction from leaf base explants was 18.9%, with no significant differences between media, and 27.3% from ovary sections. All embryogenic calli were formed on MS media containing 0.45 μM 2,4-D, 4.44 μM benzyladenine (BA) and 0.49 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) under low light intensity (25 μE m-2s-1). Transfer of embryogenic calli to hormone-free medium enabled the development of mature somatic embryos on the surface of 6.0% of induced calli produced from leaf base explants and 4.0% of those from ovary sections. Genotype had the main effect on plant regeneration efficiency in Iris adriatica
The results of small mammal inventories at 11 sites ranging from sea level to 1000 m a.s.l. on the Masoala Peninsula in northeastern Madagascar are presented. The Rodentia and Lipotyphla (ex Insectivora) of this peninsula, that contain extensive areas of lowland rainforest and some montane habitat, were previously poorly known. Fifteen endemic (5 rodents and 10 tenrecs) and 2 introduced species [Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758) andSuncus murinus(Linnaeus, 1766)] were recorded. Species diversity in the lowland forests was reduced as typically found in other lowland sites in the eastern humid forest, while that of the lower montane zone was notably low as compared with other nearby large forested areas to the interior of the peninsula. Several ideas are presented to explain this difference, including the peninsula effect.
Genetic diversity of Galium cracoviense, a narrow endemic species, limited to the small area in southern Poland and concentrated on Jurassic limestone outcrops near Częstochowa, was examined using the AFLP marker. Twenty nine individuals from three spatially isolated populations were used for the study. AFLP analysis yielded 157 bands, of which 110 (70%) were polymorphic. The AMOVA analysis revealed a substantially higher variation within populations (89.35%) than among them (10.65%). Values of parameters describing population genetic diversity, such as Shannon index and gene diversity index estimated for each population, were highly similar. The results indicate a high level of genetic polymorphism as well as a high genetic similarity of the isolated populations of G. cracoviense and thus an unconstrained gene flow between them. Based on the results we conclude that additional demographic and genetic studies, are necessary to monitor potential decrease of populations size resulting mainly from the mechanical destruction of plants and their habitats caused by intense tourism. Due to the small general range of occurrence, conservation should include the highest possible number of populations of G. cracoviense.
Aconitum lasiocarpum (Carpathian endemic) and A. variegatum (European endemic) occur sympatrically in the Polish Western Carpathians. Here their taxonomic hybrid A. ×pawlowskii occurs. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the taxonomic (Linnaean approach) and genetic structure (PCR-ISSR analysis) of the populations and individuals in two allopatric and four sympatric populations. We determined 309 individuals (OTUs) to species, subspecies and nothospecies using the Linnaean system of classification, and then genetically fingerprinted 39 randomly chosen OTUs. Comparison of the Nei and Li distances obtained from ISSR and morphological matrices using the Mantel test indicated a significant correlation (n = 39, r = 0.53, P = 0.001). Genetic analysis (NEWHYBRIDS) pointed to 7 OTUs as being later-generation hybrids (B1 introgessants) in the sympatric area. Five of them belong to A. variegatum, indicating cryptic introgression, and two belong to A. ×pawlowskii. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NDMS) showed gene flow between A. lasiocarpum and A. ×pawlowskii. Allopatric, morphologically pure A. lasiocarpum and A. variegatum populations differed significantly in their ISSR profiles (Fischer's R×C test, P < 0.0001). Expected heterozygosity (Hj) was significantly (p=0.05) lower in allopatric (0.1261–0.1268) than in sympatric populations (0.1348–0.1509), indicating a genetic melting pot in sympatry. The results support the existence of a natural interspecific hybrid swarm zone in the sympatric area of occurrence of Aconitum, and the taxonomic circumscription of the nothospecies within the Linnaean taxonomic system.
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