scholarly journals Checklist of the vascular plants of the Cantabrian Mountains

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e74570
Author(s):  
Borja Jiménez-Alfaro ◽  
Luis Carlón ◽  
Eduardo Fernández-Pascual ◽  
Carmen Acedo ◽  
Estrella Alfaro-Saiz ◽  
...  

We present the first standardized list of the vascular flora of the Cantabrian Mountains, a transitional zone between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean biogeographic regions in northwestern Spain. The study area comprises 15000 km2 divided in UTM grid cells of 10 km x 10 km, for which we revised occurrence data reported in the Spanish Plant Information System (Anthos) and the online database of Iberian and Macaronesian Vegetation (SIVIM). We used a semi-automatic procedure to standardize taxonomic concepts into a single list of names, which was further updated by expert-based revision with the support of national and regional literature. In the current version, the checklist of the Cantabrian Mountains contains 2338 native species and subspecies, from which 56 are endemic to the study area. The nomenclature of the checklist follows Euro+Med in 97% of taxa, including annotations when other criteria has been used and for taxa with uncertain status. We also provide a list of 492 non-native taxa that were erroneously reported in the study area, a list of local apomictic taxa, a phylogenetic tree linked to The Plant List, a standardized calculation of Ellenberg Ecological Indicator Values for 80% of the flora, and information about life forms, IUCN threat categories and legal protection status. Our review demonstrates how the Cantabrian mountains represent a key floristic region in southern Europe and a relevant phytogeographical hub in south-western Europe. The checklist and all related information are freely accessible in a digital repository for further uses in basic and applied research

2014 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyler Conrad ◽  
Allen Pastron

Spotting a sea turtle or Galapagos tortoise on the early wharfs and streets of San Francisco or Sacramento, California during the Gold Rush (1848-1855) would not have been a rare event. Massive population influx into the San Francisco Bay region during this time resulted in substantial impacts to native species and habitats of all taxa, but the demand for food resulted in many resources, turtles and tortoises included, being imported into the cities. Providing a fresh and delectable food source, these terrapin were brought to San Francisco and Sacramento to feed the hungry Gold Rush populous. Their taste, popularity and demand also resulted in small numbers being imported into gold mining towns in the San Joaquin Valley and foothills of the Sierra Nevada’s. Remarkable as this process was, the consumption and importation of both sea turtles and Galapagos tortoises during the Gold Rush pushed native populations of these species to the brink of extinction during the mid to late-nineteenth century. Declining numbers of terrapin and increased scientific curiosity, with a desire to safeguard these creatures for future generations, resulted in their eventually legal protection and conservation. In many ways the impacts of the decimation of terrapin in the eastern Pacific during the Gold Rush are still felt today, as conservation and breeding efforts continue in an attempt to return native turtle and tortoise populations to pre-Euro-American contact levels. This research describes the historical, and new archaeofaunal, evidence of the terrapin import market in San Francisco, Sacramento and beyond during the dynamic period of the California Gold Rush.


IAWA Journal ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fritz Hans Schweingruber

The xylem and phloem of Brassicaceae (116 and 82 species respectively) and the xylem of Resedaceae (8 species) from arid, subtropical and temperate regions in Western Europe and North America is described and analysed, compared with taxonomic classifications, and assigned to their ecological range. The xylem of different life forms (herbaceous plants, dwarf shrubs and shrubs) of both families consists of libriform fibres and short, narrow vessels that are 20–50 μm in diameter and have alternate vestured pits and simple perforations. The axial parenchyma is paratracheal and, in most species, the ray cells are exclusively upright or square. Very few Brassicaceae species have helical thickening on the vessel walls, and crystals in fibres. The xylem anatomy of Resedaceae is in general very similar to that of the Brassicaceae. Vestured pits occur only in one species of Resedaceae.Brassicaceae show clear ecological trends: annual rings are usually distinct, except in arid and subtropical lowland zones; semi-ring-porosity decreases from the alpine zone to the hill zone at lower altitude. Plants with numerous narrow vessels are mainly found in the alpine zone. Xylem without rays is mainly present in plants growing in the Alps, both at low and high altitudes. The reaction wood of the Brassicaceae consists primarily of thick-walled fibres, whereas that of the Resedaceae contains gelatinous fibres. The frequency of sclereids in Brassicaceae bark is an indicator of ecological differences: sclereids are rare in plants from the alpine zone and frequent in plants from all other ecotones.


Author(s):  
Olga Bondarenko

The article deals with the important problems that arise in the implementation of the legal protection of industrial designs in the enterprise in the course of their economic activity. One of the major problems associated with the legal regulation of the protection, use and protection of industrial property is the clash of the rights of some entities with the rights to other intellectual property. An example would be the collision of industrial design rights with copyright and trademark rights for goods and services. In addition, the concept of production has changed from mass to serial and customer-oriented, the life cycle of the product has been significantly reduced and its moral rapid aging has become dominant in its renewal. It was noted that there was a need to improve the legislation on industrial designs and the preliminary scientifically sound justification of strategic direction (from patenting to registration) and privacy before elaboration of relevant proposals and bills. The efficiency of legal protection of industrial designs in enterprises depends on the degree of perfection of the legislative framework. First of all, it is analyzed what violations of patent holders' rights can arise and what ways of overcoming them can be applied to reduce the negative impact of such violations on the economic growth of the enterprise. Please note that it is now very often necessary to identify major conflicting or problematic situations in granting legal protection to industrial designs and trademarks, as well as the question of the legislative and enforceable distribution of two types of exclusive rights. Often there are disputes about the relation between the legal protection of the industrial design and the trademark. This issue has been analyzed and specific proposals are made for amending existing legislation on industrial designs. Also considered are the types of patent strategies developed by major corporations in Japan, the US and Western Europe, such as: patent flood strategy, patent blocking strategy, combined patent strategy. And, based on this analysis, we recommend that they be put into practice by business entities to protect and safeguard their intellectual property rights.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Itani ◽  
M. Al Zein ◽  
N. Nasralla ◽  
S. N. Talhouk

AbstractUrban plant habitats have become primary drivers of species interactions. They consist of managed vegetation and spontaneous assemblages of native, naturalized, ornamental garden escapes, and invasive species. Our objective was to define urban habitat analogs for a plant species of conservation interest, Matthiola crassifolia, which has persisted in varying abundance in the Mediterranean city of Beirut.We adopted a stepwise method that integrates two vegetation assessments, floristics, and physiognomy. We placed seventy-eight quadrats (1m x 1m) in 12 study sites following a deliberate biased method to capture habitat diversity. In every quadrat, we performed taxonomic identification and recorded life form of each species. We pooled species that shared the same life form into categories and estimated area cover for each of these life forms. We performed TWINSPAN analysis on floristic data to identify species positively associated with M. crassifolia, and on life forms, to determine plant assemblages that promote optimal M. crassifolia representation. We then combined findings from both analyses to generate a description of urban habitat analogs suitable for M. crassifolia.The results revealed that urban habitat analogs favorable to M. crassifolia include green spaces dominated by palms, low-lying succulents, or by shrubs with scale-like leaves. On the other hand, spaces dominated by turf grass, canopy trees, or vegetation that produces significant litter were not favorable to M. crassifolia’s persistence. Based on these findings, we generated a plant palette of native and non-native species to design urban habitat analogs favorable to the persistence of M. crassifolia.Synthesis and applicationsThe application of this method can inform planting designs that yield suitable habitats for plants of conservation interest. It can also guide landscape management plans that seek to create or modify green spaces to optimize growing conditions for species of conservation interest. Depending on sites, and based on the information generated by the stepwise method, designers and managers may decide to exclude life forms of native or non-native species that do not support the growth of a species of conservation interest, or they may create an artificial habitat that is conducive to its persistence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 153 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-389
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Bordbar ◽  
Pierre Meerts

Background and aims – This work provides the first pattern analysis of the alien flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R. Congo), using Asteraceae and Fabaceae as a case study. Methods – Based on herbarium collections, existing databases, and literature data, a database of 38 alien species of Asteraceae and 79 alien species of Fabaceae has been assembled. Patterns in the introduction pathway, phylogeny, life form, morpho-functional traits, geographic origin, and occurrence in D.R. Congo are explored. Key results – America is the main source continent in both families, but Asia is also an important donor of Fabaceae. Taxonomic spectrum discrepancies between the alien and the native flora reflect the continent of origin. Sixty-six percent of alien Asteraceae have been accidentally introduced, most of which being annual weeds of disturbed soil. In contrast, 90% of alien Fabaceae have been deliberately introduced for forestry, agriculture, or environmental purposes, most of which being phanerophytes. Traits were compared between pairs of congeneric alien and native species. For Asteraceae, a sharp discrepancy was found in the life form spectrum (aliens: mostly therophytes; natives: phanerophytes). For Fabaceae, alien species had larger leaves and larger pods compared to their native congeners. The number of specimens in collections was positively correlated with the time since the date of first collection for both families. The Guineo-Congolian region has the highest number of alien Fabaceae, while alien Asteraceae are overrepresented in the Zambezian region.Conclusions – Contrasting patterns between alien Asteraceae and Fabaceae in the flora of D.R. Congo in terms of life forms, trait divergence compared to the native flora, and occurrence, reflect the divergent biological attributes and relations to humans of the two families. The striking discrepancies between the two families call for analyses of patterns of alien flora at family level and warn against global generalisations.


Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thanh Duyen ◽  
Nguyen Trung Thanh ◽  
Phan Ke Loc

Podocarpus is a small genus of conifers, having some scientific and economic values. Vietnam is recognised as one of 10 conifer “hotspots” in the world with 90% of total taxa threatened. Goal of this study is to enumerate taxa of the Podocarpus s. str. Methods of classical external morphology study are applied. 46 historical collecting numbers and 7 new collecting numbers were studied, revisedand hosted in HNU. Their scientific names were comparied with Protologue. Two native species Podocarpus pilgeri Foxw. and Podocarpus neriifolius D.Don with two varieties, var. neriifolius and var. annamiensis (N.E. Gray) L.K.Phan ms. and Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet as ornamental are listed. Annotations for each taxon mostly include the following informations: currently accepted scientific name, literature references to bona fide uses of these names, main synonyms used in regional literature, distribution, data on phenology, ecology, uses, Red List IUCN status, notes on taxonomy and biology and studied revised collections. Colour and characters of peduncles and seeds in the processing of their development were observed, described and illustrated by photos in details.


Author(s):  
Jarosław Banaszek ◽  
Marzena Leksy ◽  
Oimahmad Rahmonov

Coal exploitation has produced a huge amount of mining waste whose considerable part is being piled on the waste dumps. The analysis was carried out in the area of Ruda Slaska city. The waste dumps are located within the city limits. The spontaneous processes of succession can thus help to manage such urban landscapes in compliance with the principles of sustainable development. The majority of such territories are managed and restored. However, some areas avoid reclamation processes and instead undergo the process of spontaneous vegetation or even landscape succession. The aim of the research is first and foremost to characterize the spontaneous succession of vegetation in terms of habitat requirements to which we include light, temperature, humidity, trophic conditions, reaction (pH), granulometric composition and plant life forms. In the second place the aim was to determine the direction of the spontaneous succession of vegetation as well as to demonstrate the usefulness of such types of research while planning the reclamation of the post-mining areas that have been deformed to suit the urban landscape. The result of the analysis showed the occurrence of 108 vascular plants in I and 60 in II waste dump. It was mostly photophilous species that prevailed on both waste dumps. They were mostly native as well as non-native species. Some species like Calamagrosits epigejos, Robinia pseudoacacia, Betula pendula have high biological productivity despite unfavorable conditions. The overgrown dumps shaped the image of the city landscape in a specific way. However, the investigation showed that the number of species on the waste dumps increases with time. The results of the research into the conditions that reign on the dumping grounds provide the basis for projects of reclaiming the post-mining sites, in particular the waste dumps, from raw material extraction, as well as demonstrate the usefulness of the spontaneous succession of plants.


2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Hunter

Dense Callitris endlicheri (Parl.) F.M.Bailey (black cypress pine) and C. glaucophylla Joy Thomps. & L.A.S.Johnson (white cypress pine) stands are often viewed as problematic and thinning is often encouraged from a biodiversity perspective. In the present investigation, canonical correspondence analyses (CCAs) of 997 survey sites were undertaken within the public and private reserve network that contains a variety of above-ground biomass (AGB) of C. endlicheri and C. glaucophylla (as measured by diameter at breast height (DBH) and dispersion) and the evenness of the species distribution was undertaken. This was done to further dissect the effect of Callitris AGB on species density (richness per quadrat) of native and introduced species and on broad life-form groupings. Other landscape features such as altitude, physiography, drainage and soil depth were also included in analyses. C. endlicheri and C. glaucophylla grow in different biophysical locations in most instances and this was reflected in the results of the study. No level of AGB or clumping of C. endlicheri was found to affect species density of native or introduced taxa or the distribution of life-forms. Increasing AGB of C. glaucophylla had a positive effect on native species density. The species density of introduced taxa was also increased with an increase in C. glaucophylla AGB. The distribution of life-forms was significantly affected by an increase in Callitris AGB with a decrease in trees, shrubby taxa and hemi-parasites, although herbaceous species had a concomitant increase in number. There is no reason to thin dense Callitris stands to increase local species richness. However, because the distribution of life-form types is significantly affected by C. glaucophylla, there is a need to understand what is occurring in species replacements and what landscape mosaic of structural types is required for this species. It is likely that dense stands of Callitris are important, along with a variety of stand densities so as to maintain the highest regional diversity.


2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio G. Paoletti ◽  
Graham H. R. Osler ◽  
Adrianne Kinnear ◽  
Dennis G. Black ◽  
Linda J. Thomson ◽  
...  

Detritivores are small- to medium-sized invertebrates that comminute and break down organic materials such as leaves, twigs and roots, especially within or upon the soil surface, or nearby. Detritivores constitute the majority of the invertebrate biomass pyramid in most environments and provide a key role in organic matter turnover; they also provide alternative food for polyphagous predators that can be active in pest control on crops. Many arthropod taxa are detritivores in soil and litter layers. Here, we focus on the bioindicator potential of three key detritivore groups: slaters, millipedes and oribatid mites. There are possibly 300 species of slaters (terrestrial isopods or Oniscidea) in Australia with 13 of these being introduced, mostly from north-western Europe. These non-native species are the dominant species in disturbed environments such as intensively managed forests and agricultural fields. Slaters are promising indicators of landscape disturbance, soil contamination and tillage. Millipedes are potentially important indicators of stress in agricultural landscapes, given their sensitivity to litter and soil moisture gradients and to physical and chemical perturbations. However, because there is a close association between the millipede fauna and moist plant communities in Australia, they are generally absent from drier landscapes and, therefore, their use as bioindicators in agricultural environments here is problematic. An exception to this association is the increasingly ubiquitous introduced Black Portuguese millipede. This species is tolerant of much drier conditions than most natives, and is likely to change the nature of nutrient cycling processes in pastures and native grasslands in much of southern Australia. Oribatid mites are present in all Australian terrestrial ecosystems. The few studies that have examined their response to disturbance and land use in Australia are consistent with the body of work conducted outside Australia. This consistent response means that the oribatids may be developed as indicators in agricultural, pasture and forested environments. However, the paucity of information on oribatids over appropriate spatial scales in Australia makes the use of this group extremely difficult at this time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hanczaruk ◽  
Agnieszka Kompała-Bąba

A study on vascular flora of a Zn–Pb ore spoil heap of the “Orzeł Biały” mining and smelting works in Bytom, Poland, was carried out in the 2017–2018 growing seasons. The aim of this study was to: (i) present the characteristics of current vascular flora that colonizes the Zn–Pb heap, (ii) describe its dynamic tendencies and directions of changes after 15 years, and (iii) identify species that can be useful for planting as a part of biological reclamation. Ninety-two mostly native species of vascular plants, belonging to 36 families and 77 genera, were found on the examined heap. In the spectrum of life forms, hemicryptophytes prevailed over therophytes and geophytes. The most numerous ecological groups were ruderal and meadow species. As regards life strategies, highly competitive species and taxa with mixed CSR strategies dominated. The basic mode of seed dispersal was anemochory. In terms of habitat preferences, species associated with moderately light, warm, fresh, neutral, and medium fertility soil dominated in the species composition of the studied flora. In 2017–2018 compared to the 2002 growing season, statistically significant differences were found in the origin, life forms, ecological groups, life strategies, mode of seed dispersal of species and their habitat preferences relative to light, temperature, pH, and productivity. Frequently recorded pseudometallophytes (<em>Agrostis capillaris</em>, <em>Cardaminopsis arenosa</em>, <em>Daucus carota</em>, <em>Deschampsia caespitosa</em>, <em>Leontodon hispidus</em>, <em>Plantago lanceolata</em>, <em>Silene vulgaris</em>, <em>Rumex acetosa</em>) can be used for planting as part of biological reclamation of the area.


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