Marked Differences in Butterfly Assemblage Composition between Forest Types in Central Amazonia, Brazil

Amazonia comprises a mosaic of contrasting habitats, with wide environmental heterogeneity at local and regional scales. In central Amazonia, upland forest (terra firme) is the predominant forest type and seasonally flooded forests inundated by white- and black-water rivers (várzea and igapó, respectively) represent around 20% of the forested areas. In this work, we took advantage of a natural spatial arrangement of the main vegetation types in central Amazonia to investigate butterfly assemblage structure in terra firme, várzea and igapó forests at the local scale. We sampled in the low- and high-water seasons, combining active and passive sampling with traps placed in both the understory and canopy. Terra firme supported the highest number of butterfly species, whereas várzea forest provided the highest number of butterfly captures. The high species richness in terra firme may reflect that this forest type is floristically richer than várzea and igapó. Várzea is a very productive environment and may thus support a higher number of butterfly individuals than terra firme and igapó. Most butterfly species (80.2%) were unique to a single forest type and 17 can be considered forest type indicator species in this landscape. Floodplain forest environments are therefore an important complement to terra firme in terms of butterfly species richness and conservation in Amazonia.

MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME REVEALS CONTRASTING PATTERN OF ADAPTIVE SELECTION IN TURTLES AND TORTOISES

Testudinoidea represents an evolutionarily unique taxon comprising both turtles and tortoises. The contrasting habitats that turtles and tortoises inhabit are associated with unique physio-ecological challenges hence enable distinct adaptive evolutionary strategies. To comparatively understand the pattern and strength of Darwinian selection and physicochemical evolution in turtle and tortoise mitogenomes, we employed adaptive divergence and selection analyses. We evaluated changes in structural and biochemical properties, and codon models on the mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs) among three turtles and a tortoise lineage. We used mitochondrial PCGs that constitute the crucial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) respiratory system, a critical metabolic regulator which assumes key significance in energy regulation of ectotherms.We detected strong evidence of positive selection along the turtle lineages: Geoemydidae, Emydidae, and Platysternidae, but relatively weak signals in tortoises. The Platysternidae turtles revealed the highest gene and site-wise positive selection. In turtles, positively selected sites were prevalent in NAD2 and NAD4 genes in OXPHOS Complex I, and COB gene of Complex III, indicating convergent adaptive evolution. Besides, NAD3 was the only subunit that showed adaptive selection in both turtles and tortoises, expressing its relevance for all Testudinoidea. Structural and functional analysis revealed many sites and physiochemical changes in important conserved as well as biomedically significant regions, suggesting the influence of adaptive pressure on mitogenome functions. Hence, our study furnished novel evidence of contrasting evolutionary selective pressure acting on closely related groups such as turtles and tortoises with unique habitat preferences and associated eco-physiological challenges.

Demography and spatial activity of fire salamanders, Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758), in two contrasting habitats in the Vienna Woods

Understanding population dynamics is vital in amphibian conservation. To compare demography and movements, we conducted a capture-recapture study over three spring seasons in two populations of Salamandra salamandra in the Vienna Woods. The study sites differ in topography, vegetation, and the type of breeding waters. Population density in a beech forest traversed by a stream was more than twice as high as in an oak-hornbeam forest with temporary pools. Movement distances were on average higher at the latter site whereas home range estimates were similar for both sites. The sexes did not differ significantly in the observed movement patterns at either site. Annual apparent survival was mostly high (~0.85), but the estimate for females from the low-density site was lower (~0.60), indicating a higher rate of emigration or mortality.

Distribution of wild bee (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae) communities within farms undergoing ecological transition

In Havelange (Belgium), two farms are experiencing an ecological transition. We aimed to evaluate the impact of their agricultural activities on insect pollinator communities. This article depicts the situation at the very early stage of the farm transition. This study supports the fact that the maintenance of farm-level natural habitats provides environmental benefits, such as the conservation of two important pollinator communities: wild bees and hoverflies. Over two years (2018-2019), by using nets and coloured pan-traps, we collected 6301 bee and hoverfly specimens amongst contrasting habitats within two farmsteads undergoing ecological transition in Havelange (Belgium). We reported 101 bee species and morphospecies from 15 genera within six families and 31 hoverfly species and morphospecies from 18 genera. This list reinforces the national pollinator database by providing new distribution data for extinction-threatened species, such as Andrena schencki Morawitz 1866, Bombus campestris (Panzer 1801), Eucera longicornis (L.) and Halictus maculatus Smith 1848 or for data deficient species, such as A. semilaevis Pérez 1903, A. fulvata (Müller 1766), A. trimmerana (Kirby 1802) and Hylaeus brevicornis Nylander 1852.

Cosmopolitan and border experiences in the global city of zootopia.

This paper analyses the Walt Disney’s animation film Zootopia (2016) within the context of contemporary cinematic representations of global cities as borderlands but also as bordering, exclusive, diverse and cosmopolitan places. Zootopia is a film about the city space, in this case, about the global city of Zootopia. The film reflects contemporary global cities in which the negotiation of space is a constant issue. It portrays a modern metropolis formed by different neighbourhoods with contrasting habitats such as Sahara, Jungle or Tundra, all comprised in the same space and separated by physical walls. Animals from every environment, size and form cohabit together in the city, but physical and metaphorical borders are erected between them. The film brings an inclusive message breaking with borders inside the global city and portraying moments of openness between the protagonists; a bunny and a fox

Strains of Bradyrhizobium cosmicum sp. nov., isolated from contrasting habitats in Japan and Canada possess photosynthesis gene clusters with the hallmark of genomic islands

The taxonomic status of two previously characterized Bradyrhizobium strains (58S1T and S23321) isolated from contrasting habitats in Canada and Japan was verified by genomic and phenotypic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of five and 27 concatenated protein-encoding core gene sequences placed both strains in a highly supported lineage distinct from named species in the genus Bradyrhizobium with Bradyrhizobium betae as the closest relative. Average nucleotide identity values of genome sequences between the test and reference strains were between 84.5 and 94.2 %, which is below the threshold value for bacterial species circumscription. The complete genomes of strains 58S1T and S23321 consist of single chromosomes of 7.30 and 7.23 Mbp, respectively, and do not have symbiosis islands. The genomes of both strains have a G+C content of 64.3 mol%. Present in the genome of these strains is a photosynthesis gene cluster (PGC) containing key photosynthesis genes. A tRNA gene and its partial tandem duplication were found at the boundaries of the PGC region in both strains, which is likely the hallmark of genomic island insertion. Key nitrogen-fixation genes were detected in the genomes of both strains, but nodulation and type III secretion system genes were not found. Sequence analysis of the nitrogen fixation gene, nifH, placed 58S1T and S23321 in a novel lineage distinct from described Bradyrhizobium species. Data for phenotypic tests, including growth characteristics and carbon source utilization, supported the sequence-based analyses. Based on the data presented here, a novel species with the name Bradyrhizobium cosmicum sp. nov. is proposed with 58S1T (=LMG 31545T=HAMBI 3725T) as the type strain.