Biosystems Diversity (E-Journal - Dnipro National University)
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New distribution areas of some species of plants on the southern part of the Caspian coast
Get PDFPlant species were collected in the botanical-geographic regions of Lankaran-Mughan and Lankaran lowland located on the southern part of the Caspian coast. During the ecological-geobotanical studies we conducted on the southern part of the Caspian coast, we obtained information about the morphological features and systematic taxa of the wild flora of Lankaran-Mugan and Lankaran lowland botanical-geographical regions. In this article we describe the ecology and distribution of Dianthus cyri Fisch. & C. A. Mey, Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd., Trigonella cancellata Deef., Cruciata articulata (L.) Ehrend, Triglochin maritimum L., Crypsis alopecuroides (Pill. et Mitt.) Schard., Poa masenderana Freyn & Sint., Nymphaea alba L., Arabis mollis Stev., Acer hyrcanum Fisch, Tamarix meyeri Boiss., Symphytum pereginum Ledeb., Nonnea decurrens (C. A. Mey.) G. Donfil., Veronica ceratocarpa C. A. Mey., Campanula odontosepala Boiss., Achillea millefolium L., Carduus pystrix C. A. May., Centaurea hyrcanica Bornm. These species are endemic, rare, endangered, and included in the "Red Book of Azerbaijan". In addition to being decorative, they have a certain significance as a raw material for human and veterinary medicine
Identification of gelodok fish (Perciformes, Gobiidae) in a coastal mangrove ecosystem, based on morphological and molecular characteristics
Get PDFGelodok fish (mudskippers) are a subfamily of amphibian fish commonly found living in mangrove ecosystems, one of which is in Tabongo Village, Dulupi District, Boalemo Regency, Gorontalo Province. It is difficult to distinguish between species of this fish because they have very similar characteristics. This study aims to (1) determine the detailed morphological characteristics that distinguish gelodok fish species; and (2) determine the molecular characteristics of gelodok fish species found in coastal mangrove ecosystem of Tomini Bay, Tabongo Village, Boalemo Regency, Gorontalo. This research was conducted from 2022 to 2023 using purposive sampling method. Morphological characteristics were performed for 39 characters. Geometric-morphometric analysis was performed using ImageJ software with 10 land marks. Amplification of COI sequences was carried out with F1R1 and F2R2 primers. Based on morphological characteristics, it is known that two species of gelodok fish are found in the area, namely Periophthalmus argentilineatus and P. malaccensis. COI sequencing results of the samples confirmed one species of gelodok fish found in the area, namely P. argentilineatus. The other species cannot be definitively identified as P. malaccensis due to the absence of COI sequences for that species in GeneBank
Is there an effect of electromagnetic waves from base stations on the breeding success of Ciconia ciconia ciconia in Algeria?
Get PDFNew nest supports used by the white stork Ciconia ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1775) are mobile phone network relay antennas, which are not without danger because they emit electromagnetic waves that can have a major, although insidious, impact on the species. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of electromagnetic waves from mobile phone network base stations on white stork reproduction. We monitored the breeding phenology of the storks as a function of the distance of their nests from the base stations over 2 consecutive seasons, 2020 and 2021. The work took place in the North-East of Algeria, in Annaba and El-Tarf provinces. The nests were counted and divided into 3 distinct groups. The first is located on the relay antennae, the second less than 200 m and the third more than 300 m from the antennae. We calculated nest occupancy, number of young in the nest and number of nests without young. The results show that nests located directly on base stations have a reduced clutch size, not exceeding two storks and a low reproductive success since the majority of nests (51.9%) remained without young. The number of young storks tends to increase in nests far from base stations. Broods with 3 and 4 young are generally those located more than 300 m from relay antennas
Using normalised difference vegetation index in classification and agroecological zoning of spring row crops
Get PDFRemote sensing is an important branch of modern science and technology with various applications in different branches of life sciences. Its application in agriculture is focused mainly on crop monitoring and yield prediction. However, the value of remote sensing in the systems of automated crop mapping and agroecological zoning of plant species is increasing. The main purpose of this study is to establish the possibility of using normalised difference vegetation index in the main spring row crops, namely maize, soybeans, sunflower, to precisely classify the fields with each crop, and to evaluate the best agroecological zones for their cultivation in rainfed conditions in Ukraine. The study was carried out using the data on the normalised difference vegetation index for the period May – November 2018 from 750 fields and experimental plots, randomly scattered over the territory of Ukraine with equal representation by every administrative district of the country. The index values were calculated using combined Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 images, with further generalisation for every crop and region. Multiclass linear discriminant analysis and canonical discriminant analysis were applied to determine whether it is possible to distinguish between the studied crops using the values of the normalised difference vegetation index as the only input. As a result, it was established that the best zone for crop cultivation is the west of the country: NDVI values for the growing season averaged to 0.34 for sunflower, 0.36 for soybeans, and 0.36 for maize, respectively. The worst growing conditions, based on the lowest NDVI values, were observed in the east for sunflower (0.26) and maize (0.25), but the minimum NDVI for soybeans (0.27) was observed in the south. Regarding the classification problem, it was found that the highest importance for the classification of crops is attributed to the values of the normalised difference vegetation index, recorded in August. The supervised learning using canonical discriminant function resulted in mediocre predictive performance of the multiple linear function with general classification accuracy of 56.5%. The best accuracy of classification was achieved for sunflower (70.4%), while it is difficult to distinguish between maize and soybeans because these crops have quite similar intra-seasonal dynamics of the vegetation index (classification accuracy was 46.8% and 52.4%, respectively; the total number of incorrectly predicted samples in the “maize-soybeans” group was 134 or 26.8%). The main limitation of this study is its single year basis, notwithstanding the fact that the year of the study was characterized as a typical one for most territory of Ukraine in terms of meteorological conditions. Therefore, more studies are required to clarify the possibility of a classification between maize and soybeans based on remote sensing data
Bioecology and hemeroby of flora species in the Northern Steppe Dnipro Region
Get PDFThe information is summarized and an annotated summary of vascular plants of the flora in the Northern Steppe Dnipro Region is represented based on the materials of previous works and on our own more than 40-years research. Bioecological characteristics of the flora species within the studied region were compiled according to the Belgard ecomorph system. For the first time, the paper presented hemerobia of species for the flora in the Northern Steppe Dnipro Region. The current occurrence categories of the plant species in the studied regional flora were given, which allows us to compare changes in their abundance within a territory studied. The occurrence categories and species hemerobicity were established. Rare and endangered vascular plant species were identified using the Red Book of Dnipropetrovsk region, the Red Book of Ukraine, and the European and World Red Lists. Adventive and invasive flora species were noted. A number of vascular plant species new for the region, not previously observed, have been identified. The major families in the studied flora were: Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Scrophullariaceae, Ranunculaceae, Apiaceae, Boraginaceae. As a result of the study, the vascular plant flora in the Northern Steppe Dnipro Region was found to be characterized by significant systematic and bioecological diversity, and a high degree of rarity. It consists of 1,895 species, including 432 rare ones. At the same time, it was characterized by a fairly high degree of adventization, which indicates the modernization of the flora. A significant number of ruderal species, or species that are prone to ruderalization (619 species), and a large number of adventive species (357 species) indicates a significant anthropogenic transformation of the vegetation cover in the region. The paper presents a summary of the vascular plant flora with bioecological characteristics of the species. A detailed analysis of the flora will be presented in a further separate publication
Marine pollution effects on the reproduction process of Perinereis cultrifera (Annelida, Polychaeta) in Algeria
Get PDFThe Mediterranean Sea is one of the busiest areas worldwide in terms of maritime activity and faces considerable anthropogenic disturbances, such as pollution by hydrocarbons and heavy metals. This study evaluated the environmental status of three sites on the Algerian coast using the annelid polychaete Perinereis cultrifera as a biomonitoring sentinel species. It included different reproductive parameters such as oocyte diameter, frequency distributions, sexual maturity index, biochemical quantitative parameters represented by the vitellogenins and vitellins, and a histological study of the coelome during the reproductive period. The results showed that the females collected from El-Kala (healthy site) have the highest diameter 304.1 ± 24.3 μm during April but the values were increased in Annaba 290.0 ± 21.0 μm and Skikda 245.3 ± 26.7 μm. Significant differences were observed between worms from the three study sites during the three months of the study. Moreover, the size-frequency indicated that a relatively high proportion of females containing mature oocytes was found in April in females collected at El-Kala 52.4%, 46.4% in females collected at Annaba and 36.7% in females collected at Skikda. In addition, regarding the sexual maturity index, the highest values were recorded in April (3.8, 2.9, and 1.9) at the El-Kala, Annaba, and Skikda study sites. However, the biochemical analysis demontrated that the highest mean concentration of vitellogenin was in females of El-Kala (5.3 ± 0.3 µg/mg of coelomic fluid) in April, and the lowest mean concentration was measured in females of Skikda (1.5 ± 0.2 µg/mg of coelomic fluid). Therefore, the highest mean concentration of vitellin was measured in females of El-Kala (4.4 ± 0.2 µg/mg of oocytes) in April, while the lowest mean concentration of vitellin was measured in females of Skikda (1.02 ± 0.2 µg/mg of oocytes) in May. Significant differences were observed between worms from the three sites during the three months of the study. Furthermore, histological observations revealed that oogenesis was asynchronous, with oocytes at different stages of vitellogenesis simultaneously present. The structure of the oocytes of females collected at El-Kala showed intense vitellogenic activity due to the presence of very dense yolk cells. In contrast, the oocytes of the females collected from the two polluted sites (Annaba and Skikda) were small, vitellogenesis presented low intensity, and yolk cells were less frequent at the periphery and less uniform at the cytoplasmic mass; the nucleus was smaller, indicating a slower vitellogenic activity. These observations confirm the previously obtained results
Diversity of diversity indices: Which diversity measure is better?
Get PDFThe article evaluates the dependence of the most common indices of species diversity on sample size and determines their ability to differentiate between different types of ecosystems, with a special emphasis on discriminating between natural and anthropogenic ecosystems. An approach to adjusting the indices to reduce their dependence on sample size was also proposed. The study was conducted in seven types of ecosystems: four were natural and three were anthropogenically transformed. Samples of soil animals were selected in 2011–2013 and 2021 using the same methods. A total of 20,518 soil animal specimens belonging to 202 species were collected in all study locations. The null alternative was generated by randomly selecting samples containing 2, 3, ..., 110 soil animals from the combined soil animal sample. For each gradation of sample size, 200 sample variants were formed. The density of soil macrofauna in natural ecosystems ranged from 3.6 ± 1.5 to 15.2 ± 6.9 specimens per sample, and in artificial ecosystems – from 13.2 ± 7.6 to 21.0 ± 11.9 specimens per sample. The number of species ranged from 22–80 species, and in artificial ecosystems it was 38–99 species. Indicators of species diversity correlated with each other. A high level of correlation was observed between indicators within groups of indices: indices of species richness and indices of heterogeneity and evenness. Fisher’s log-series alpha and the fundamental parameter of biodiversity were highly correlated with each other, as well as with the Margalef, species richness, and Chao’s species abundance indices. The log-normal distribution best describes the dominance patterns in terms of abundance in the natural ecosystems, and the Zipf-Mandelbrot distribution best describes the dominance patterns in terms of abundance in the artificial ecosystems. Diversity indices were ordered in the space of two dimensions, one explaining the variation between ecosystems and the other depending on sample size. The ordering of the traditional indices showed that there is a vacancy for the best index in the sense that such an index should best explain differences between ecosystems and differences between natural and artificial ecosystems. It should also be independent of sample size. The Simpson heterogeneity index and the Simpson evenness index were the best of the traditional indices, but they did not explain differences between ecosystems very well, especially when it came to distinguishing between natural and artificial ecosystems. The Margalef index, which is supposed to be independent of sample size, on the other hand, showed a very high level of dependence. Such a dependence was also found for the Menhinick index, though to a lesser extent. Obviously, size dependence negatively affects the differential ability of the indices. The corrected indices of species richness and the Shannon index are practically independent of sample size and have a greater ability to differentiate ecosystems by the level of diversity, with natural ecosystems characterized by consistently higher values of the corrected indices than artificial ecosystems. The dependence on the sample size makes indices from different ecosystems practically incomparable, which makes their use meaningless. Even minor differences in sample size can lead to significant deviations in the values of diversity indices. The application of the Michaelis-Menten model allowed us to suggest a method of correction of species richness indices and the Shannon index. After the correction, the indices are practically independent of the sample size, and their differential ability to characterize individual ecosystems and the level of anthropogenic transformation increases significantly
Detection and prevalence of extended spectrum β-lactamases production among Enterobacteriaceae isolated from urinary tract infections
Get PDFUrinary tract infections (UTIs) by extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) have become an important public health problem with a substantial economic burden, as they lead to more complicated infections, longer duration of treatment, and increases in patient mortality. A total of 1267 urine samples were collected from patients during the period of 2018 to 2020. The isolates were identified based on colony morphology and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Resistant isolates to third generation cephalosporins were tested for ESBL production by double-disk synergy test (DDST), DDST methods on MH agar plates supplemented with cloxacillin and by confirmatory double disk test (DDT). 400 strains causing UTIs were identified and classified as members of Enterobacteriaceae. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that 68.5% (274/400) of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains. The overall prevalence of ESBL-E was 59.5% (238/400). The highest frequencies of ESBL-E were observed in internal medicine devices (68/400) and the highest ESBL production was observed in E. coli (85/238). The ESBL producing isolates were significantly resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins compared to non-ESBL producers. However, those ESBL-E strains were sensitive to imipenem (80.2%) and nitrofurantoin (87.8%). High levels of MDR strains and ESBL-E in our study highlights the need for applying specific infection control measures, and accordingly we urge physicians to opt for specific strategies for regular surveillance of uropathogenic bacteria
Schistosomatidae from the trematode fauna of aquatic and semi-aquatic birds in Uzbekistan
Get PDFThe article discusses the infection of wetland birds in Uzbekistan with the trematodes Schistosomatidae Stiles et Hassall, 1898. The research covered 282 individuals from the main groups of birds represented by the orders Pelecaniformes, Ciconiformes, Anseriformes, Gruiformes, Podicipediformes and Charadriiformes. The Schistosomatidae fauna of Uzbekistan includes 13 species: Bilharziella polonica (Kowalewsky, 1895), Trichobilharzia ocellata (La Valette, 1854), T. filiformis (Szidat, 1938), T. kowalewskii (Ejsmont, 1929), T. tatianae (Spasskaja, 1953), Macrobilharzia macrobilharzia Trawassos, 1923, Ornithobilharzia canaliculata (Rudolphi, 1819), O. baeri Fain, 1955, Dendritobilharzia pulverulenta (Braun, 1901), D. loossi Skrjabin, 1924, D. anatinarum Cheatum, 1941, Gigantobilharzia acotylea Odhner, 1910 and Gigantobilharziella monocotylea (Szidat, 1930). Predominant are representatives of the genera Trichobilharzia and Dendritobilharzia. The species composition of Schistosomatidae is most diverse in birds from the lower reaches of the Amu Darya, where a high rate of infection with larvae of some of these trematodes was also recorded in aquatic molluscs. 11 species of molluscs were registered in the studied regions: Galba truncatula (Muller, 1774), Stagnicola corvus (Gmelin, 1791), Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758), Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Physa fontinalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805), Planorbis planorbis (Linnaeus, 1758), P. tangitarensis Germain, 1918, Anisus spirorbis (Linnaeus, 1758), Gyraulus albus (Muller, 1774), Melanoides kainarensis Starobogatov et Izzatullaev, 1980, from the families Lymnaeidae (4 species), Planorbidae (4 species), Physidae (2 species) and Thiaridae (1 species). They are identified as intermediate hosts of Schistosomatidae and were infected with 7 species of flukes. The total rate of infection with larval stages of Schistosomatidae in molluscs was about 2.0%. The highest infection rate was observed in Melanoides kainarensis – 5.3%. Morpho-biological indicators for mature forms of B. polonica from different bird species (Anas platyrhynchos and Oxyura leucocephala) were confirmed by molecular genetic studies. The study identified foci of birds’ infection with Schistosomatidae and the occurrence of human cercarial dermatitis
Analysis of chosen growth and reproductive traits of manna ash (Fraxinus ornus) with regards to its expansive properties
Get PDFManna ash (Fraxinus ornus L.) is a Mediterranean shrub or a small tree with the northern limit of its natural range in central Europe. At the same time, it is also a tree species which, due to its considerable tolerance to high temperatures and lack of moisture, as well as some expansive properties, could be expected to increase its range in the coming decades as a result of the changing climate and the associated spontaneous spread. The paper summarizes the results of several years of our research, during which we evaluated the following growth and reproductive characteristics: (1) phenological traits and the length of the growing season, (2) the intensity and evenness of fruiting, and (3) the numbers of individuals and stems according to the height categories. In addition, the species composition of vegetation cover was analysed on the sites with the occurrence of manna ash. Observations were made in two autochthonous populations of manna ash in Southern Slovakia and one allochthonous population in its central region. The onset of spring vegetative and generative phenophases showed a noticeable latitudinal trend during our observations (2015‒2019). In Central Slovakia, flowering and leafing of manna ash occurred on average more than two weeks later than in its southernmost region. The “Central Slovakian” population of manna ash was also characterised by the earliest onset of autumn vegetative phenophases and the lowest total length of the growing season. Despite these trends, flowering and fruiting in this population were relatively regular ‒ in contrast to the other two sites, it was observed every year. In this locality, we also observed the highest total numbers of individuals and stems in all the height categories and the markedly decreased occurrence of competing species. The achieved results point out to the considerable vigour and high reproductive ability of the allochthonous population of manna ash outside its natural range and the natural range of its most important competitors