Agromorphological Characterization of a Collection of Senna obtusifolia (L.) in Burkina Faso

Aims: Senna obtusifolia (L.) is an important wild herbaceous species for subsaharan Africa population. It is used in human food and traditional medicine to treat several deseases. In Burkina Faso, despite its potentialities, this species is of a little interest in scientific research. The aim of this study is to provide a good knowledge of the genetic diversity of this species. Study Design: The experimental design used was a randomized Fischer block type with three replications. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was carried out at Gampéla during 2018 rainy season. Methodology: Seventy (70) accessions of Senna obtusifolia were used for the evaluation of agromorphological variability. A total of twenty-seven (27) quantitative traits were studied. Results: The study revealed the existence of a great variability within the studied collection. Among the twenty-one (21) traits used for the analysis of variance (ANOVA), seventeen (17) variables significantly discriminate the accessions. A high heterogeneity was observed for the number of leaflets of the three first leaves and the number of floral pieces. In addition, significant correlations were observed between several variables. Indeed, the number of primary branches was positively correlated with the number of fruits per plant (r = 0.483), the number of grains per plant (r = 0.352) and the leaves biomass (r = 0.279). However, the number of days at flowering (NJF) is negatively correlated with the number of primary branches (r = -0.281). The variability obtained was structured in three groups. The third group is composed of accessions with the best agronomic performance that could be used in future breeding program. Conclusion: A high agromorphological diversity of Senna obtusifolia was observed and could be used in a breeding program.

Assessment of Plant Biodiversity at 3 Different Elevation of Protected Forest of Subtropical Pine Forest of Meghalaya

The study and survey which was carried out to identify and assess diversity of plant species of sub tropical pine forest of Meghalaya was conducted during 2020-2021 at three different elevation stands located at 982 m (low-elevation stand), 1485 m (mid-elevation stand) and at 1816 m (high-elevation stand). Pinus kesiya was found to be the most dominant from all the three stand. A total of 34species of trees belonging to 19 families were recorded which consisted a total number of 857 individuals of trees, 14 species of shrubs belonging to 10 families recorded a total number of 866 individuals, and an overall occurrence of 20 species of herbaceous species belonging to 13 families recorded a total number of 670 individuals. Elaeagnus conferta was maximum for IVI in both high and mid elevation stand while Lantana camara showed maximum IVI in the low elevation. The herbaceous species diversity, richness and evenness indices was highest in high elevation and lowest in the low elevation, while herbaceous species of dominance showed a reverse trend. Tree and shrub species of the three elevation stand were quite similar in the mid and low elevation stand. The diversity richness of indigenous forest shows considerable variation in occurrence of species between different altitudes. Most of the species in the study area have medicinal value and socio-economic importance. Therefore, there is a need for necessary action towards sustainability of forest and conservation of species at large.

The Similarity between Species Composition of Vegetation and Soil Seed Bank of Grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China: Implications for the Asymmetric Response to Precipitation

The asymmetric response of productivity to precipitation was recently proposed as an early warning signal for the shifts in temperate grassland function in China. It was hypothesized that the asymmetry was influenced by the increased growth of the newly emerged seedlings from the soil seed bank. Therefore, the seed density in the soil seed bank and the similarity between species composition of the vegetation and the soil seed bank should be maximized where asymmetry was maximized. However, this knowledge was still limited and unconfirmed. In this study, the desert steppe, typical steppe and the transition zone between them (with the highest asymmetry) were selected for studying the similarity index in both 2018 (dry year) and 2019 (wet year). Plant species composition was monitored in situ using an unmanned aerial vehicle. Soil seed bank samples were collected, and the seed bank density and species composition were then examined and identified in the laboratory. Results showed that: (1) The variation in vegetation species richness between the two years was the highest (41%) in the transition zone (p < 0.05), while it was only 7% and 13% for the desert steppe and typical steppe, respectively. The presence of herbaceous species mainly caused the differences in variation among three grassland types. (2) Seed density was the highest in the transition zone (114 seeds/m2 and 68 seeds/m2 in the transient and persistent soil seed bank, respectively) (p < 0.05). Additionally, herbaceous species were the main components of the soil seed bank. (3) The similarity index was the highest in the transition zone (p < 0.05), with 38%/44% and 33%/44% for the transient/persistent soil seed bank in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Our study demonstrated that variation in vegetation species composition was very similar to the composition of the seeds accumulated in the soil seed bank. These results warrant further investigation for the mechanism of asymmetric response of productivity to precipitation.

Shelterbelts Planted on Cultivated Fields Are Not Solutions for the Recovery of Former Forest-Related Herbaceous Vegetation

Establishing shelterbelts for field protection is one of the rediscovered agroforestry practices in Europe and Hungary. Several studies have focused on the effects of these plantations on agricultural production. Prior scholarship reveals that shelterbelts enhance the diversity of bird and insect communities but generally fail to consider herbaceous cover. Our study aimed to describe the herbaceous vegetation in shelterbelts of different origins, tree species composition, and land management. We investigated surveys in four agricultural landscapes of North West Hungary, where the intensity of the landscape transformation is different. The diversity and species composition of the herbaceous vegetation were analyzed, including plant sociology and forest affinity. Our results highlight the importance of landscape history in herbaceous flora. Shelterbelts planted on cultivated without an immediate connection to former woody vegetation soil are not appropriate for the appearance of forest-related herbaceous species, regardless of tree species composition or the extent of the shelterbelt. On the contrary, the remnants of former woody vegetation are refuges for those herbaceous species that are very slow at colonizing new plantations. These findings expose that protecting existing woody areas is an essential task of agricultural land management.