INVERTEBRATES OF CONSERVATIVE INTEREST FROM PLATFORMA COTMEANA, A ROMANIAN NATURAL PROTECTED AREA

Current work was carried out in a Natura 2000 site of community importance, ROSCI 0354, Platforma Cotmeana, with a surface of 12.529 ha, located in the Central Southern part of Romania in a hilly area. The site is mainly dominated by broadleaf forest, from which 30% consists of beech species, an important habitat component for the studied species. Focal species of this research were: Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758), Cerambyx cerdo Linnaeus, 1758, and Morimus asper funereus Mulsant, 1862, as listed in the annex of EU Habitat Directive. For each species, numerical abundance, sex ratio, and other aspects of their biology were estimated. Habitat preference and the occurrence of individuals were recorded in order to evaluate their distribution in the site. Future perspectives on the status of the conservation of species in site were assessed by evaluation of human impact activities affecting the quality of their habitat. It was noted that most dominant species is L. cervus with an occurrence of 314 individuals, followed by M. asper funereus with 92 individuals, and C. cerdo with 41 individuals. An exoskeleton of Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) was found, fact explained by the limit of species distribution area in the site.

BIOLOGIA REPRODUTIVA DE Neomarica northiana (SCHNEEV) SPRAGUE (IRIDACEAE): “MERANTHIA” - UM CASO ESPECIAL DE POLINIZAÇÃO = REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF Neomarica northiana (SCHNEEV) SPRAGUE (IRIDACEAE)

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a biologia reprodutiva de Neomarica northiana (Schneev) Sprague (Iridaceae), erva perene que ocorre nas restingas do estado do Rio de Janeiro. A flor desta espécie apresenta três unidades funcionais de polinização denominada “meranthia”. O recurso floral oferecido aos polinizadores é a substância lipídica exsudada na base das tépalas. Análise de cromotografia gasosa das tépalas indicou a presença de limoneno. As flores de N. northiana são polinizadas exclusivamente por abelhas poliléticas de grande porte, Xylocopa sp.. Neomarica northiana é autocompatível. A produção de frutos por polinização natural foi maior do que a produção por polinização manual cruzada. A taxa de fecundidade é de 0,47. Neomarica northiana apresenta crescimento clonal que pode ocorrer de duas formas distintas, por meio do caule rizomatoso e por meio de bulbilhos formados na axila das brácteas.AbstractThe objective of this research was to evaluate the reproductive biology of Neomarica northiana (Iridaceae), a perennial herb that occurs in the Atlantic Coast restingas (humid subtropical broadleaf forest) of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Each flower of this species has three functional pollinating units called “meranthia”. The main floral resource provided to bees by Neomarica northiana is a lipid substance exuded at the base of the tepals. Gas-chromatographic analysis of tepal samples revealed the presence of limonene. Flowers of N. northiana are pollinated exclusively by large bodied species of bees (Xylocopa sp.). Fruit production from natural pollination is higher than from manual pollination. The fecundity rate is 0.47. Neomarica northiana has clonal growth, which may occur by means of the rhizomatous stem, which produces offshoots close to one another; or by means of axillary bulbils.

Conversion of little value forest stands in Republic of Belarus: their state and problems

The article provides data on the assessment of the state of broad-leaved forest crops created during the reconstruction of low-value forest stands in the forest fund. The effectiveness of various methods of reconstruction of measures depending on the share of broad-leaved species in the composition of forest crops is analyzed. It was found that during the period 2006–2018 reconstruction was carried out on an area of 3628 hectares in the Republic of Belarus using corridor (69 %), curtin-group (22 %) and continuous (9 %) methods. It is shown that the average survival rate of forest crops in the continuous reconstruction method was 84, corridor — 71 %, and preservation, respectively, — 61 and 63 %. The sub-topological forest crops created during the curtin-group reconstruction had an unsatisfactory condition (average survival and preservation — 40 %). It is recommended when creating broadleaf forest crops during the reconstruction of low-value forest stands to take into account their age, composition, forest growing conditions, as well as the biogroup placement of plantings, which ensures faster closing of crops in rows, and contributes to their favorable growth and formation, and to create an optimal width of corridors 4...6 meters, which will ensure uniform and sufficient distribution of light in forest crops.

The Biogeography of Forest Soil Microbial Functional Diversity Responds to Forest Types across Guangxi, Southwest China

Vegetation and soil have spatial distributions at different scales, while the spatial distribution of soil microorganisms and factors driving their distribution are still unclear. We aimed to reveal the spatial pattern of microbial functional diversity and to identify its drivers in forest soils at a regional scale. Here, we performed an investigation of microbes across several forest types covering an area of 236,700 km2 in Guangxi, southwest China. We examined a total of 185 samples for soil microbial functional diversity using Biolog EcoPlates. The soil microbial functional diversity had strong spatial heterogeneity across the Guangxi region. The distribution of microorganisms in forest soils was mainly determined by total nitrogen, available N, and C:N ratio, and stand age. We found that coniferous forests, especially pine forest, exhibited lower functional diversity, but the reverse was true for deciduous broadleaf forest/mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forest. Our findings suggested that a heterogeneous distribution of microbial functional diversity in forest soils is related to forest types in Guangxi, China. In conclusion, high soil microbial functional diversity is favored in subtropical forests with looser soil structure, lower soil C:N ratio, greater total soil nitrogen and available nitrogen concentration, and broad-leaved tree species.

A new species of Typhonoya Prozorov (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae, Gastropachini) from the moist broadleaf forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The second species of the genus Typhonoya Prozorov 2011—T. kravchenkoi Prozorov, Müller & Zolotuhin sp. n. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is described. A previously monotypic genus becomes bitypic. One paratype specimen was collected in the buffer zone of the southern part of the Salonga National Park during a one year-long stationary expedition (June 2017–June 2018). Spread imagoes, heads, legs, venations and genitalia of both species are figured and compared. Additional notes on the genus description and previously known species are added.

Bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) from Yuscarán in Eastern Honduras: Conservation and acoustic characterization for the insectivorous species

In Honduras, most bat inventories have been carried out with mist nets as the main sampling method, skewing knowledge towards the Phyllostomidae family, therefore the diversity and distribution of insectivorous bats is underrepresented. In order to have a more complete knowledge of the diversity of bats in the municipality of Yuscarán and mainly in the Yuscarán Biological Reserve, an inventory was carried out using the techniques of mist-netting and acoustic monitoring. The samplings were carried out between 910 and 1,827 m.a.s.l., covering agroecosystems, broadleaf forest, pine forest and urban environment. A total of 32 species of bats were registered, which represents 28% of the species diversity present in Honduras. Species belonging to five families were recorded: Emballonuridae (6.25%), Mormoopidae (15.22%), Phyllostomidae (56.25%), Molossidae (9.37%) and Vespertilionidae (12.5%). With the mist nets, a sampling effort of 7,128 m²/h was reached, which allowed the capture of 20 species and 186 individuals. Through the acoustic method, with 84 h/r, 13 species of insectivorous bats were recorded. The values of the acoustic parameters analysed from the search phase of each insectivorous species are provided, which can serve as a reference for the identification of species from Hondurans. To advance our understanding of the distribution patterns, composition, and vocal signatures of insectivore bats, we suggest the complementary use of mist nets and acoustic recorders in the inventories.

Positional behavior and canopy use of black snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus strykeri in the Gaoligong Mountains, Yunnan, China

Studies on positional behavior and canopy use are essential for understanding how arboreal animals adapt their morphological characteristics and behaviors to the challenges of their environment. This study explores canopy and substrate use along with positional behavior in adult black snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus strykeri, an endemic, critically endangered primate species in Gaoligong Mountains, southwest China. Using continuous focal animal sampling, we collected data over a 52-month period and found that R. strykeri is highly arboreal primarily using the high layers of the forest canopy (15–30 m), along with the terminal zone of tree crowns (52.9%), medium substrates (41.5%), and oblique substrates (56.8%). We also found sex differences in canopy and substrate use. Females use the terminal zones (56.7% versus 40.4%), small/medium (77.7% versus 60.1%), and oblique (59.9% versus 46.5%) substrates significantly more than males. On the other hand, males spend more time on large/very large (39.9% versus 22.3%) and horizontal (49.7% versus 35.2%) substrates. Whereas both sexes mainly sit (84.7%), and stand quadrupedally (9.1%), males stand quadrupedally (11.5% versus 8.3%), and bipedally (2.9% versus 0.8%) more often than females. Clamber, quadrupedalism, and leap/drop are the main locomotor modes for both sexes. Rhinopithecus strykeri populations never enter canopies of degenerated secondary forest and mainly use terminal branches in the middle and upper layers of canopies in intact mid-montane moist evergreen broadleaf forest and hemlock coniferous broadleaf mixed forests across their habitat.