Diversity, distribution and relative abundance of the mosquito fauna (Diptera: Culicidae) of Malakand and Dir Lower, Pakistan

The present study was conducted to evaluate the diversity, distribution (C) and relative abundance (RA) of the mosquito fauna (Diptera: Culicidae) of Malakand and Dir Lower, Pakistan. Collection of specimens (n = 1087) was made during September 2018 to July 2019 at six different habitats including freshwater bodies, rice fields, animal sheds, indoors, drains and sewage waters. Specimens were collected through light traps, pyrethrum spray, aspirators and nets and subsequently killed, preserved and then arranged in entomological boxes for identification. Three genera were identified namely Culex, Anopheles and Aedes. A total of fourteen species were identified namely: Cx. quinquefasciatus (Say, 1823), An. stephensi (Liston, 1901), Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (Giles, 1901), Ae. vittatus (Bigot, 1861), An. maculatus (Theobald, 1901), An. fluviatilis (James, 1902), Cx. vishnui (Theobald, 1901), Ae. aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) An. subpictus (Grassi, 1899), An. dthali (Patton, 1905), An. culicifascies (Giles, 1901), An. pallidus (Theobald, 1901), Ae. albopictus (Skuse, 1894) and An. annularis (van der Wulp, 1884). Cx. quinquefasciatus was found constantly distributed in the study area with RA = 16.5% and C = 100%. An. annularis was found as a satellite species, sporadically distributed in the study area having RA = 0.9% and C = 17%. Diversity indices of mosquitoes in the studied habitats were found as, Shannon-Wiener Index (2.415), Simpson Index (9.919), Fisher’s Index (2.269) and Margalef’s Index (1.859). A statistically significant difference was recorded in mosquito diversity in the six habitats (Kruskal-Wallis, chi-squared, H = 17.5, df = 5, P = 0.003 at α = 0.05). The present study encompasses mosquito fauna of Malakand, Pakistan with respect to diversity, relative abundance and distribution in diverse habitats and all seasons of the year. This will assist scientists working in various fields related with epidemiology, medical and veterinary entomology, ecology and allied areas of biological sciences.

A Meta-Analysis on Degraded Alpine Grassland Mediated by Climate Factors: Enlightenment for Ecological Restoration

Alpine grassland is the main ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Degradation and restoration of alpine grassland are related to ecosystem function and production, livelihood, and wellbeing of local people. Although a large number of studies research degraded alpine grassland, there are debates about degradation patterns of alpine grassland in different areas and widely applicable ecological restoration schemes due to the huge area of the QTP. In this study, we used the meta-analysis method to synthesize 80 individual published studies which were conducted to examine aboveground and underground characteristics in non-degradation (ND), light degradation (LD), moderate degradation (MD), heavy degradation (HD), and extreme degradation (ED) of alpine grassland on the QTP. Results showed that aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), Shannon-Wiener index (H′), soil moisture (SM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), and available nitrogen (AN) gradually decreased along the degradation gradient, whereas soil bulk density (BD) and soil pH gradually increased. In spite of a tendency to soil desertification, losses of other soil nutrients and reduction of enzymes, there was no linear relationship between the variations with degradation gradient. Moreover, the decreasing extent of TN was smaller in areas with higher precipitation and temperature, and the decreasing extent of AGB, SOC, and TN was larger in areas with a higher extent of corresponding variables in the stage of ND during alpine grassland degradation. These findings suggest that in areas with higher precipitation and temperature, reseeding and sward cleavage can be used for restoration on degraded alpine grassland. Fencing and fertilization can be used for alpine grassland restoration in areas with lower precipitation and temperature. Microbial enzymes should not be used to restore degraded alpine grassland on a large scale on the QTP without detailed investigation and analysis. Future studies should pay more attention to the effects of climate factors on degradation processes and specific ecological restoration strategies in different regions of the QTP.

A Note on “Wiener Index of a Fuzzy Graph and Application to Illegal Immigration Networks”

Connectivity parameters have an important role in the study of communication networks. Wiener index is such a parameter with several applications in networking, facility location, cryptology, chemistry, and molecular biology, etc. In this paper, we show two notes related to the Wiener index of a fuzzy graph. First, we argue that Theorem 3.10 in the paper “Wiener index of a fuzzy graph and application to illegal immigration networks, Fuzzy Sets and Syst. 384 (2020) 132–147” is not correct. We give a correct statement of Theorem 3.10. Second, by using a new operator on matrix, we propose a simple and polynomial-time algorithm to compute the Wiener index of a fuzzy graph.

Preliminary Assessment of the Diversity and Habitat Preferences of Herpetofauna in Cholistan Desert, Pakistan

This one-year survey was conducted from February 2017 to January 2018 to assess the herpetofaunal diversity in Cholistan desert, Bahawalnagar district, Punjab, Pakistan. Field surveys were conducted during dawn and dusk for fifteen consecutive days in alternate months and five sub sampling sites were sampled at ten field visits. Specimens were collected through hand capture, using snake sticks, forceps, drag nets, noose traps, pitfall and funnel traps. Overall, two species of toads, two species of frogs, two species of turtles, ten lizards species and ten snake species belonging to 23 genera and 14 families were recorded. Simpson index was calculated as 0.933, evenness 0.733 and Shannon – Wiener index was 2.947 indicating moderate to high level of diversity. Bufo stomaticus (Pi = 0.1253), Uromastyx hardwickii (Pi = 0.0739) were the dominant amphibian and reptilian species, respectively while Uromastyx asmussi was recorded for the first time in the study area. Hand capture and pitfall traps appeared to be the most effective methods to capture the amphibian and reptiles. The distribution ranges of amphibians and reptiles have changed and such surveys are necessary to update baseline information in the country. We recommend further systematic survey work and molecular analysis of the native species be undertaken in the future to supplement our findings.

On Wiener Polarity Index and Wiener Index of Certain Triangular Networks

A topological index of graph G is a numerical quantity which describes its topology. If it is applied to the molecular structure of chemical compounds, it reflects the theoretical properties of the chemical compounds. A number of topological indices have been introduced so far by different researchers. The Wiener index is one of the oldest molecular topological indices defined by Wiener. The Wiener index number reflects the index boiling points of alkane molecules. Quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) showed that they also describe other quantities including the parameters of its critical point, density, surface tension, viscosity of its liquid phase, and the van der Waals surface area of the molecule. The Wiener polarity index has been introduced by Wiener and known to be related to the cluster coefficient of networks. In this paper, the Wiener polarity index W p G and Wiener index W G of certain triangular networks are computed by using graph-theoretic analysis, combinatorial computing, and vertex-dividing technology.

Waterbird assemblages of inland wetlands in Chile: A meta-analysis

Chile has a large number of wetlands that offer a wide variety of refuges and food to waterbird assemblages. This research hypothesises that these assemblages differ according to the structural characteristics of each type of inland wetland. The object is to identify the structure of these assemblages, evaluating their richness, alpha α diversity and some ecological characteristics, taxonomic structures and trophic guilds. We performed a meta-analysis by submitting pre-selected articles to multivariate reliability analysis. The selected articles were used to characterise the assemblages by alpha α diversity: species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou’s Evenness Index, relative abundance and taxonomic distinctiveness Δ + and beta β diversity: Bray-Curtis with analysis of similarity percentage. Diversity and evenness differed in the seven wetlands studied, among 12 to 45 species, Shannon-Wiener index H’= 0.08 to 0.94 bits and Pielou’s Evenness Index J’= 0.06 to 0.71. Four wetlands were below and three above the expected value for taxonomic distinctiveness (Δ +) (73.2 units). Two clusters were identified using the β diversity: one consisting of the High-Andean wetlands (Huasco and Negro Francisco); and the other of El Peral lagoon, the Cruces River wetlands complex and the Tranque San Rafael man-made wetland. The most remarkable dissimilarity was provided by three species (Cygnus melancoryphus, Phoenicoparrus jamesi and Phoenicoparrus andinus). Zoophagous species that eat invertebrates by the first choice are the dominant group, while in lagoon wetlands phytophages and omnivores are more evenly represented.

Effects of Different Grazing Disturbances on the Plant Diversity and Ecological Functions of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Grazing is one of the main human disturbance factors in alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), which can directly or indirectly influence the community structures and ecological functions of grassland ecosystems. However, despite extensive field grazing experiments, there is currently no consensus on how different grazing management approaches affect alpine grassland diversity, soil carbon (C), and nitrogen (N). Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of 70 peer-reviewed publications to evaluate the general response of 11 variables related to alpine grassland ecosystems plant diversity and ecological functions to grazing. Overall, the results showed that grazing significantly increased the species richness, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou evenness index values by 9.89% (95% CI: 2.75–17.09%), 7.28% (95% CI: 1.68–13.62%), and 3.74% (95% CI: 1.40–6.52%), respectively. Aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) decreased, respectively, by 41.91% (95% CI: −50.91 to −32.88%) and 17.68% (95% CI: −26.94 to −8.52%). Soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), soil C:N ratio, and soil moisture decreased by 13.06% (95% CI: −15.88 to −10.15%), 12.62% (95% CI: −13.35 to −8.61%), 3.27% (95% CI: −4.25 to −2.09%), and 20.75% (95% CI: −27.89 to −13.61%), respectively, whereas, soil bulk density and soil pH increased by 17.46% (95% CI: 11.88–24.53%) and 2.24% (95% CI: 1.01–3.64%), respectively. Specifically, moderate grazing, long-durations (>5 years), and winter grazing contributed to increases in the species richness, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou evenness index. However, AGB, BGB, SOC, TN, and soil C:N ratios showed a decrease with enhanced grazing intensity. The response ratio of SOC was positively associated with AGB and BGB but was negatively related to the Shannon–Wiener index and Pielou evenness index. Furthermore, the effects of grazing on plant diversity, AGB, BGB, SOC, and TN in alpine grassland varied with grazing duration, grazing season, livestock type, and grassland type. The findings suggest that grazing should synthesize other appropriate grazing patterns, such as seasonal and rotation grazing, and, furthermore, additional research on grazing management of alpine grassland on the QTP is needed in the future.

Exotic Tree Species Outnumbering Native Tree Species: an Alarming Situation for the Sustainable Urban Plantation Development

This present study mainly focuses on the tree distribution and diversity of some selected roadsides in Faisalabad, a major city in Punjab, Pakistan. A total census of the tree population on selected roads was carried out and then studied for various parameters. Shannon–Wiener index, Reciprocal of Simpson’s diversity index, and Shannon Evenness were among the different species diversity indices which were studied. Observational results showed that the selected roads in the city hold low tree diversity, with nearly 2858 trees of 34 species, 30 genera, and 15 families. Mainly exotic tree species dominated the plantation of selected roadsides. The topmost three species contributing approximately 60% of the tree population are Conocarpus erectus, Eucalyptus crebra, and Terminalia mantaly. Despite the dominance of exotic tree species, many native tree species are also growing along selected roadsides. Since, Faisalabad has been reported as one of the most polluted cities in the world due to high suspended particulate matter, appropriate efforts are needed to improve the plantation pattern and also to enhance the canopy of the trees in the city to minimize the problem of air pollution.

Perbandingan Indeks Keanekaragaman Serangga Di Wilayah Ekosistem Hutan Penyangga Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser Bukit Lawang

This study aims to determine the diversity index and the comparison of insect diversity index in Gunung Leuser Bukit Lawang National Park in the Buffer ecosystem area. The research method uses a quantitative descriptive approach. The population in this study were all animals classified as insects (Insecta). The samples used were insects in the buffer forest area with 3 standpoints (lines). The data analysis technique uses the Shannon–Wiener diversity index. The results showed that the insect with the highest significance index (INP) from the three lines (without stands, rubber stands, and cocoa stands) was Macrotermes gilvus, namely 91.71 (rubber tree stands), 87.54 (cocoa tree stands), and 57. 42 (without stands). The insect diversity index H' using (Shannon-Wiener Index) from the three lines without stands (-2), rubber stands (-1), and brown stands (-1) were “low”. The low diversity index of the buffer forest is because the buffer forest in Bukit Lawang is a homogeneous forest.