New data about Chiropterofauna of the “Monte Pellegrino” Nature Reserve (Palermo, Italy)

This work increase the knowledge related to bat fauna present in the “Monte Pellegrino” Nature Reserve in the Palermo municipality. The acoustic sampling took place in the summer/autumn season using the D500X Bat detector in 22 samples. The identified signals were attributed to 8 species and one genus. The Taxa with the most passes in the reserve are: Tadarita teniotis followed by Pipistrellus kuhlii, Hypsugo savii (100% of Costancy), Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus sp., Miniopterus schreibersii and last with a single recording Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Rhinolophus hipposideros. The dendrogram of similarity shows 3 distinct bats cenosis. Two samples present intense activity in almost all time slots and three samples, close to each, show a peak increase in the intermediate time slots for the three most abundant species. The analysis carried out on the environmental preferences shows that among the 13 Corine Land Cover (CLC) habitats, the highest number of passes is recorded in Artificial lakes (code 5122), Orchards (code 222) and Arid limestone grassland (code 3211). The Arid limestone grassland habitat (code 3211) has the highest Shannon Index value, while the Mastic stain habitat (code 32312) has the lowest diversity value. The dendrogram of similarity shows two clusters. In the first there are Gorse (code 32231), Mediterranean scrub (code 31111), Orchards (code 222), Mosaic of agricultural plots (code 242), while the second cluster contains the remaining habitats.

The Isolation of a Novel Streptomyces sp. CJ13 from a Traditional Irish Folk Medicine Alkaline Grassland Soil that Inhibits Multiresistant Pathogens and Yeasts

The World Health Organization recently stated that new sources of antibiotics are urgently required to stem the global spread of antibiotic resistance, especially in multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria. Although it was thought that many of the original sources of antibiotics were exhausted, innovative research has revealed promising new sources of antibiotic discovery in traditional medicine associated with Streptomyces. In this work we investigated the potential of a specific limestone grassland soil, associated with Irish folk medicine, as a new source of antimicrobial discovery. Using selective enrichment and isolation techniques on a limestone grassland soil sample obtained from Boho, West Fermanagh, we isolated Streptomyces sp. CJ13. This bacterium inhibited the growth of a broad range of pathogens in vitro including Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA 43300) and Gram negative multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA01), as well as the anaerobic bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and the yeast Starmerella bombicola. Genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed Streptomyces sp. CJ13 to be closely related to an unclassified Streptomyces sp. MJM1172, Streptomyces sp. Mg1 and two species known as Streptomyces sp. ICC1 and ICC4 from a karst region in British Columbia. The closest type species to Streptomyces sp. CJ13 was Streptomyces lavendulae subspecies lavendulae. Analysis of Streptomyces sp. CJ13 whole genome sequence using the secondary metabolite prediction tool antiSMASH revealed similarities to several antibiotic gene synthesis clusters including salinichelin, mediomycin A, weishanmycin, combamide, heat stable antifungal factor and SAL-2242. These results demonstrate the potential of this alkaline grassland soil as a new resource for the discovery of a broad range of antimicrobial compounds including those effective against multiresistant Gram negative bacteria.

Changes in the distribution and abundance of Carex ericetorum in Britain since the 1970s

British populations of Carex ericetorum Poll. (Rare Spring Sedge) were visited between 2008 and 2015 to assess size, habitats, associated vegetation, management, threats and changes in abundance since the 1970s. C. ericetorum was relocated at 40 of the 64 sites visited, mainly in northwest England (24 sites) and East Anglia (nine sites); most populations that couldn’t be relocated were in southern and eastern England. Population sizes were usually small (<100 individuals) and had remained relatively stable or had increased in size since the 1970s. In southern and eastern England, C. ericetorum was restricted to species-rich calcareous grassland overlying chalk or limestone dominated by Festuca ovina and Bromopsis erecta. In northwest England, it was confined to limestone grassland dominated by Sesleria caerulea. Ideal management for C. ericetorum comprised autumn and winter grazing to maintain a short sward (<6 cm), although it had persisted in the absence of grazing where the growth of dominants was restricted by exposure and/or soil infertility. The main threat to its survival is now a lack of grazing leading to increased competition with tall grasses, although agricultural intensification had caused losses in the lowlands. Nitrogen deposition is also likely to have compounded these threats on some sites. Its survival on many sites will require the maintenance or reinstatement of grazing.