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New records and range extension of Rhinella kumanday Caicedo‑Martínez, Henao-Osorio, Arias-Monsalve, Rojas-Morales, Ossa-López, Rivera-Páez & Ramírez-Chaves, 2024 (Amphibia, Bufonidae) from Cordillera Central of Colombia
No full textWe report new locality records for Rhinella kumanday Caicedo-Martínez et al., 2024, a recently described toad species known only from the department of Caldas in the Cordillera Central of Colombia. Based on fieldwork and a review of museum specimens, we document this species’ presence at two localities in the department of Quindío, extending the species’ known distribution approximately 75–80 km south of its type locality. Specimens were found in Andean secondary forests at elevations of 2440–2460 m
Is it possible to evaluate the energy contributions of an estuary?
No full textThis study conducts an emergy analysis to explore the natural physical foundation supporting the ecological organization of the Araranguá River estuary, located in the southern region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The primary aim is to assess the emergy signature of renewable natural energy sources within the Araranguá River and quantify their emergy contributions to the system. The energy model developed for the study area is based on a detailed account of the system, incorporating expert insights, literature reviews, and field research. This is followed by the creation of an energy diagram to represent the system visually. Energy sources, stores, and flows within the system are then evaluated and described. The total environmental energy sources required to sustain the Araranguá River estuary amount to 2.07 million emReais annually, including associated imagery. By successfully employing emergy analysis, this study identifies the key energy sources that uphold the structure of the estuary. These findings can support informed decision-making and the formulation of public policies, such as resource allocation and conservation strategies
Farms in areas facing natural constraints– challenges and opportunities
No full textAgriculture and the production of local food and products can have a significant impact on the economic development of viable rural areas. To achieve this, it is mainly small farms that play a key role, especially in areas facing natural constrains (mountainous regions), where their number prevails. Research has shown that in these areas’ farms have difficulty in finding suitable conditions for starting new production. This study aims to present the situation of agricultural holdings in areas facing natural constrains (mountainous regions). Also, the opportunities and challenges faced by small farms in these areas to start and carry out agricultural activities. The study uses a generally accepted methodology to determine the viability of rural areas. Based on this, indicators such as land access, lack of marketing skills, administrative burdens and lack of sufficient financial instruments on small farms as major constraints on starting a new economic activity have been studied. The challenges facing local authorities in supporting farms in areas facing natural constrains (mountainous regions) and maintaining viable rural areas are studied.
Map of livestock density in Central Apennines: a standardised protocol
No full textEffective ecosystem management requires a deep understanding of how human activities, such as livestock farming, impact ecological dynamics. Livestock farming influences vegetation structure, nutrient cycling, and wildlife behaviour, yet there are limited standardised methods for estimating livestock grazing pressure on a local scale. Here we developed a standardised protocol for mapping livestock density at cadastral sheet resolution, and we tested it in a mid-mountain area of Central Apennines, Italy. The protocol combines municipal grazing data related to seasonal high-altitude pasture with interviews and geospatial mapping to create fine-scale livestock distribution maps. We focused on different livestock species and we produced a separate map for each: cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. Our protocol addressed a critical gap in conservation research by providing a robust framework for quantifying grazing pressure. These data are crucial for understanding livestock-wildlife interactions and informing ecosystem management strategies on local territory.
High genetic diversity and lack of structure underly the invasion history of the non-indigenous oyster Dendostrea aff. crenulifera (Mollusca, Ostreidae) spreading in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
No full textSince the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, hundreds of Indo-Pacific species have rapidly colonized the Mediterranean. Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of this invasion is crucial for assessing its ecological impact. A notable example is the Lessepsian oyster Dendostrea sp., first discovered in Turkey in 1998 and later found throughout the easternmost Mediterranean, though its identity remained uncertain. This study clarifies the taxonomic identity and the introduction pathways of Dendostrea sp. using molecular analyses. Over 100 specimens from 25 sites in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as Mauritius and Rodrigues (the native range), were sequenced for mitochondrial DNA (COI) and compared to 422 sequences from GenBank. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses identified the Mediterranean oysters as D. aff. crenulifera, conspecific with oysters from Rodrigues. The Mediterranean populations exhibited high genetic diversity, lack of phylogeographic structure, and showed no evidence of a founder effect. These findings suggest that D. aff. crenulifera entered the Mediterranean over two decades ago through multiple shipping-mediated introductions from its native range and successfully established, likely aided by the decline of native biodiversity. The observed genetic diversity pattern across the Mediterranean indicates high propagule pressure driving the species' invasion history, which likely underpins its establishment success by reducing the deleterious consequences of population bottlenecks and overcoming the so-called genetic paradox. This study underscores the value of molecular surveys in identifying taxonomically challenging non-indigenous species and uncovering their invasion histories
Three new species of the genus Weintrauboa Hormiga, 2003 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from China
No full textThree new species of the genus Weintrauboa Hormiga, 2003 are described here as: W. denticulata sp. nov. (Hunan, ♂), W. shenwu sp. nov. (Hubei and Chongqing, ♂♀), and W. wanglangensis sp. nov. (Sichuan, ♂♀). Detailed descriptions, photographs of genital characters, somatic features, and a distribution map are provided
Digital Object Interface Protocol (DOIP) enabled Digital Object repository installation to store and provide digital specimen information
No full textBiodiversity research relies on physical specimens stored in natural science collections, which serve as enduring reservoirs of data about organisms and their environments. However, these reservoirs remain siloed. The concept of Digital Specimen addresses the challenges posed by the vast amount of disconnected digital biodiversity data available today. The existing approach involves converting analogue records into digital replicas stored in local databases, leading to isolated and fragmented datasets that are difficult to integrate and utilise efficiently. The Digital Specimen aims to overcome this by establishing an interconnected network of digital objects on the Internet.Digital Specimens are FAIR Digital Objects (FDOs), structured digital entities that adhere to the FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. FDOs have the potential to enhance the accessibility and interoperability of data from natural science collections by providing unique identifiers, descriptive metadata, and defined operations. DiSSCo utilises the FDO framework to enhance the accessibility and interoperability of biodiversity research data from natural science collections. FDOs facilitate seamless data exchange by providing structured digital objects with unique identifiers, descriptive metadata, and defined operations. As part of making Digital Specimens FDOs, DiSSCO implemented FDO records, metadata records associated with a Persistent Identifier, which further enable machine actionability.A Digital Object repository was developed for the purposes of storing and acting upon digital specimens. Three technological pillars compose the repository: a relational database stores the latest version of the digital specimen and is used for retrieving specimens by their identifier; an indexing solution provides full search capabilities on digital specimens; and a document store holds previous versions of a digital specimen for provenance purposes. There are three ways a user may interact with the digital object repository: a REST API; a user-friendly web portal; and a DOIP server.To ingest data from multiple source systems, a harmonised data model was developed, called OpenDS. Built upon existing international standards like DarwinCore and ABCD, OpenDs accommodates complex structures necessary to capture information about multiple taxonomic identifications, events, agents, and relationships to other data sources. DiSSCo has decided to adapt the GBIF Unified Model (UM) for specimen data, ensuring interoperability and avoiding the development of potentially competing standards. By aligning with the GBIF UM, DiSSCo enhances interoperability with GBIF and promotes the establishment of a unified data modelling standard within the biodiversity community, facilitating seamless data exchange and integration with data aggregators like GBIF
Dunes under attack: untangling the effects of landscape changes on Iceplant invasion (Carpobrotus spp., Aizoaceae) in Mediterranean coasts
No full textInvasive alien plants (IAPs) are a great challenge for biodiversity conservation and management. Temporal landscape analysis has a great potential for describing plant invasion process; however, conservation solutions accounting of landscape dynamics are still limited. This research aims to explore the spatial-temporal pattern of Carpobrotus spp. by analysing the IAP expansion and reduction processes in relation with landscape changes on Mediterranean coastal dunes. Based on detailed Carpobrotus spp. and local land-cover maps of the years 2011 (T0) and 2019–20 (T1), we described coastal dune landscape changes on invaded areas using transition matrices and identified areas of IAP expansion and reduction. We then calculated a set of class and landscape pattern metrics and explored the spatial configuration of invaded patches through trajectory analysis. We also analysed the relationship between Carpobrotus spp. patches and landscape pattern over time examining their respective temporal delta values, by Random Forest (RF) models followed by Partial Dependence analysis. The spatial-temporal characteristics of invaded patches and their contextual landscapes varied across coastal tracts experiencing IAP expansion or reduction. Trajectory analysis for IAP expansion areas evidenced an increased Carpobrotus spp. cover, accompanied by a rise in patch size, number and connectivity. According to RF models, these trends are related to a morphodynamical stable seashore and increased artificial surfaces. In contrast, trajectory analysis of IAP reduction area evidenced a decline in Carpobrotus spp. cover, with patches shrinking into smaller, more regularly-shaped forms. RF models suggest that this reduction is linked to coastal erosion, which compresses dunes against static infrastructures present in the foredune (e.g. roads, building etc.). Temporal landscape analysis provides a sound framework for understanding invasion dynamics across coastal mosaics shaped by the combined effects of factors, such as seashore dynamics and urban sprawl. This approach offers valuable insights for developing tailored management strategies that account for specific contextual nuances and enable informed planning of recovery actions
The story of a Tailless Whip Scorpion in Eastern Mediterranean: First report of Sarax ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959) in Cyprus (Amblypygi: Charinidae)
No full textAmblypygi, commonly known as tailless whip scorpions or whip spiders, is an order of Arachnida noted for its cryptic habits and predominantly tropical and subtropical distribution. Although the group was first mentioned on the island of Cyprus in 1990, no specific taxonomic information was provided at the time.Through a combination of literature review, targeted field surveys, and citizen-science contributions, we confirm the presence of Sarax ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959) in Cyprus, representing the first documented record of this species on the island. Following seven years of dedicated searches, a live specimen was collected in 2023 and identified, thereby establishing S. ioanniticus as part of the island’s fauna. This finding extends the known range of S. ioanniticus within the Eastern Mediterranean and underscores the importance of integrating biodiversity research with public engagement to detect elusive or underreported taxa. Future studies should investigate the species’ local distribution, ecological requirements, and potential conservation concerns on Cyprus
Gastrodia microchila (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), a new species from Brunei Darussalam
No full textA new orchid species, Gastrodia microchila is described and illustrated. The species was found in a mixed dipterocarp forest in the Belait district, Brunei Darussalam, northern Borneo in 2024. It is distinct from most Gastrodia species in western Malesia by its small lip and column, and presence of the smooth cushion-like tissue on the inner side of lateral sepals. Gastrodia microchila is only the second species of Gastrodia recorded for Brunei Darussalam and the seventh known species for Borneo. A determination key for all Gastrodia species occurring in western Malesia is also provided