To the study of a complex of micromycetes of wild grapes growing in the floodplain forest of the Krasnodar Territory

Для понимания формирования закономерностей грибных сообществ и реакции ампелоценозов на усиление абиотических и антропогенных нагрузок изучение ассоциаций растений и грибов имеет важное значение. Целью исследований было установить количественный и качественный состав сообществ микромицетов, ассоциированных с однолетними побегами дикорастущих растений винограда в естественных условиях пойменных лесов Краснодарского края. В результате исследований было установлено, что на поверхности однолетних лоз численность грибных популяций достигала 837,6 КОЕ/г сухого вещества в образце, произрастающем на склоне и 1191,7 КОЕ/г сухого вещества в образце лозы произрастающей в пойме реки Псебепс. В комплексе микромицетов доля гифальных грибов составляла 93,7-95,9%, дрожжи занимали 3,7-5,9 и 0,4% - дрожжеподобные грибы. Гифальные микромицеты были представлены 7 видами и стерильной формой светлого мицелия. По частоте встречаемости первое место заняли грибы родов Phoma, Botryodiplodia, Cladosporium, Alternaria (100%), второе место - Coryneum (70%). Следующую группу микромицетов с частотой встречаемости 14% составили грибы из рода Fusarium и Aspergillus niger Tiegh. В качестве доминант на однолетней лозе дикорастущего винограда отмечены микромицеты родов Phoma (46,75%) и Botryodiplodia (43,15%). Доля видов рода Cladosporium spp. и Coryneum spp. в общем объеме микромицетов составляла 4,6 и 3,85 % соответственно. Различия в количестве и соотношении таксонов грибов, исследованных биообразцов связаны, вероятно, с различным режимом влажности. To understand the pattern formation of fungal communities and the reaction of ampelocenoses to increased abiotic and anthropogenic loads, the study of plant and fungal associations is important. The aim of the research was to establish the quantitative and qualitative composition of micromycete communities associated with annual shoots of wild-growing grape plants in natural conditions of floodplain forests of the Krasnodar Territory. As a result of the research, it was found that on the surface of annual vines, the number of fungal populations reached 837,6 CFU/g of dry matter in a sample growing on a slope and 1191,7 CFU/g of dry matter in a sample of a vine growing in the floodplain of the Psebeps River. In the micromycete complex, the proportion of hyphal fungi was 93,7%-95,9%, yeast - 3,7%-5,9% and yeast-like fungi - 0,4%. Hyphal micromycetes were represented by 7 species and a sterile form of light mycelium. According to the frequency index, the first place was taken by fungi of the genera Phoma , Botryodiplodia , Cladosporium , Alternaria (100%), the second place was taken by Coryneum (70%). The next group of micromycetes with a frequency index of 14% consisted of fungi from the genus Fusarium and Aspergillus niger Tiegh. Micromycetes of the genera Phoma (46,75%) and Botryodiplodia (43,15%) were registered as dominants on the annual vines of wild-growing grapes. The proportion of species of the genera Cladosporium spp. and Coryneum spp. in the total volume of micromycetes was 4,6% and 3,85%, respectively. The differences in the number and ratio of fungal taxa and the studied biological samples are probably related to the different humidity regime.

The Floodplain Forests of the Mamberamo Basin, Papua, Indonesia (Western New Guinea): Vegetation, Soils, and Local Use

New Guinea is the world’s largest, most speciose, and most culturally rich tropical island, and the little-studied Mamberamo Basin of Papua (Indonesian New Guinea) is recognised among the region’s most-important areas for biological diversity. Here, we examined the floodplain forests in the indigenous territory of Papasena, within the Mamberamo-Foja Wildlife Reserve in the Mamberamo Basin. As part of a training activity with local researchers, students, and civil servants, and with the permission and assistance of the local people, we employed various methods including the field surveys detailed here. We used variable-area tree plots, transects for non-trees and soil sampling, and local informants to document 17 plots: four in old-growth dryland forest, five in old-growth swamp forests (two seasonally flooded and three permanently wet including one dominated by sago, Metroxylon sagu Rottb.), five in secondary forest (fallows), and three in gardens (two in swamps and one on dryland). In total, we measured 475 trees over 10 cm in diameter at 1.3 m (dbh). The swamp forests had high local basal areas (highest value 45.1 m2 ha−1) but relatively low statures (20 m but with emergent trees over 40 m). In total, 422 morphospecies from 247 genera and 89 different families were distinguished. These included 138 tree species and 284 non-tree plant species. A quarter (105) of the morphospecies lacked species-level identifications. The woody families Rubiaceae, Araceae, Moraceae, and Euphorbiaceae were especially diverse, with 20 or more morphospecies each. Tree richness was highest in dryland forest (plot 7 having 28 species in 40 stems over 10 cm dbh) with more variation in the flooded forests. Non-tree vegetation showed similar patterns ranging from 65 species in one 40-by-5 m primary forest plot to just 5 in one seasonally flooded forest plot. The local people identified many plants as useful. Among trees, at least 59 species were useful for construction (the most common use), while, for non-trees, medicinal uses were most frequent. Inceptisols dominated (12 plots), followed by Ultisols and Entisols (3 and 2 plots, respectively). Drainage appeared poor and nutrient availability low, while land-suitability criteria implied little potential for crops aside from sago. We discuss the implication of local practises and more recent developments that may threaten the conservation of these floodplain systems. We underline the key role of local people in the oversight and protection of these ecosystems.

Fires in Amazonian Blackwater Floodplain Forests: Causes, Human Dimension, and Implications for Conservation

The Amazon basin is being increasingly affected by anthropogenic fires, however, most studies focus on the impact of fires on terrestrial upland forests and do not consider the vast, annually inundated floodplains along the large rivers. Among these, the nutrient-poor, blackwater floodplain forests (igapós) have been shown to be particularly susceptible to fires. In this study we analyzed a 35-year time series (1982/1983–2016/2017) of Landsat Thematic Mapper from the Jaú National Park (Central Amazonia) and its surroundings. Our overall objective was to identify and delineate fire scars in the igapó floodplains and relate the resulting time series of annual burned area to the presence of human populations and interannual variability of regional hydroclimatic factors. We estimated hydroclimatic parameters for the study region using ground-based instrumental data (maximum monthly temperature–Tmax, precipitation–P, maximum cumulative water deficit–MCWD, baseflow index–BFI, minimum water level–WLmin90 of the major rivers) and large-scale climate anomalies (Oceanic Niño Index–ONI), considering the potential dry season of the non-flooded period of the igapó floodplains from September to February. Using a wetland mask, we identified 518,135 ha of igapó floodplains in the study region, out of which 17,524 ha (3.4%) burned within the study period, distributed across 254 fire scars. About 79% of the fires occurred close to human settlements (<10 km distance), suggesting that human activities are the main source of ignition. Over 92.4% of the burned area is associated with El Niño events. Non-linear regression models indicate highly significant relationships (p < 0.001) with hydroclimatic parameters, positive with Tmax (R2adj. = 0.83) and the ONI (R2adj. = 0.74) and negative with P (R2adj. = 0.88), MCWD (R2adj. = 0.90), WLmin90 (R2adj. = 0.61) and BFI (R2adj. = 0.80). Hydroclimatic conditions were of outstanding magnitude in particular during the El Niño event in 2015/2016, which was responsible for 42.8% of the total burned floodplain area. We discuss these results under a historical background of El Niño occurrences and a political, demographic, and socioeconomic panorama of the study region considering the past 400 years, suggesting that disturbance of igapós by fires is not a recent phenomenon. Concluding remarks focus on current demands to increase the conservation to prevent and mitigate the impacts of fire in this vulnerable ecosystem.

Floodplain Forests and Urban Parks – A Brief Comparison of Bird Diversity

Urbanization in cultural landscapes generally tends to select for omnivorous, granivorous, and cavity/hole nesting bird species in green urban areas. Studies on bird diversity in the cities are important to better understanding to the ecology of urban and sub-urban landscapes. The aim of this study was research on bird diversity in urban parks in Olomouc city in order to brief comparison with bird diversity in hardwood floodplain forest habitats based on our older above-mentioned study. Bird diversity in urban parks was very similar to the bird diversity in some localities of floodplain forests from the Czech Republic. Comparison between urban parks and hardwood floodplain forests in the vicinity of the city revealed a high similarity of alpha-diversity and diversity indexes. These results indicated that large urban parks have nearly the same importance for bird diversity such as managed hardwood floodplain forests. Results highlighted an importance of urban green areas for biodiversity maintaining in European cultural landscapes.

The Role of River Flooding as an Environmental Filter for Amazonian Butterfly Assemblages

Amazonian flooded (várzea) and upland (terra firme) forests harbor distinct assemblages of most taxonomic groups. These differences are mainly attributed to flooding, which may affect directly or indirectly the persistence of species. Here, we compare the abundance, richness and composition of butterfly assemblages in várzea and terra firme forests, and evaluate whether environmental gradients between and within these forest types can be used to predict patterns of assemblage structure. We found that both total abundance and number of species per plot are higher in várzea than in terra firme forests. Várzea assemblages had a higher dominance of abundant species than terra firme assemblages, in which butterfly abundances were more equitable. Rarefied species richness for várzea and terra firme forests was similar. There was a strong turnover in species composition from várzea to terra firme forests associated with environmental change between these forest types, but with little evidence for an effect of the environmental gradients within forest types. Despite a smaller total area in the Amazon basin, less defined vegetation strata and the shorter existence over geological time of floodplain forests, Nymphalid-butterfly assemblages were not more species-poor in várzea forests than in unflooded forests. We highlight the role of flooding as a primary environmental filter in Amazonian floodplain forests, which strongly determines the composition of butterfly assemblages.