Clusia falcata (Clusiaceae), an endangered species with exceptionally narrow leaves endemic to Chiapas, Mexico

SummaryClusia falcata (Clusiaceae), a new species from Chiapas, Mexico, is described and illustrated. This new taxon is distinctive for its leaves, among the narrowest of all known species, having lanceolate to oblong laminas that are mostly 10 – 15 × 2 – 2.5 cm. The flowers have a quadrangular perianth with succulent petals, and a non-resiniferous androecium and gynoecium. Staminate flowers have a quadrangular androphore bearing 18 – 24 short stamens. Pistillate flowers have 4 pairs of staminodia, with each pair born on an androphore. The species is endemic to montane forests of the Northern and Eastern highlands of Chiapas in Mexico and is currently considered to be endangered.

997Childhood pneumonia in the Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea: clinical predictors of severe disease

Background Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in young children globally and is prevalent in the highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). We investigated clinical predictors of severe pneumonia to inform local treatment guidelines in this resource-limited setting. Methods Between 2013 and 2020, prospective studies were undertaken enrolling children <5 years presenting with pneumonia to health-care facilities in Goroka Town, Eastern Highlands Province. Physical examination findings and blood cultures were collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of hypoxaemia (oxygen saturation <90% on presentation), bacteraemia and death. Results There were 2067 cases of pneumonia, hypoxaemia was detected in 36.1%. Bacteraemia was identified in 47/1943 (2.4%) blood cultures. Of 1444 children followed up, 18 (1.2%) died. Central cyanosis (odds ratio 3.82, 95% CI 2.55-5.71) and reduced breath sounds (2.77, 2.17-3.53) independently predicted hypoxaemia; altered consciousness (21.44, 3.91-117.48), bronchial breathing (10.49, 2.01-54.63) and apnoea (2.54, 1.26-5.14) independently predicted bacteraemia; and altered consciousness (20.95, 2.32-189.00), reduced skin turgor (14.43 (4.79-43.49) and central cyanosis (5.96, 2.13-16.66) independently predicted death. Conclusions In children with pneumonia in the PNG highlands, those with central cyanosis, apnoea, bronchial breathing, altered consciousness or reduced skin turgor are at greatest risk of severe outcomes. Ongoing training of health care workers is essential to ensure these signs are recognised and appropriate management promptly instituted. Key messages Prompt recognition of signs of severity is likely to lead to better outcomes for children in PNG with pneumonia. These findings will inform future modifications to local treatment guidelines.

The phytogeography of moist forests across Eastern Zimbabwe

Background and aims – During the 1970s, a comprehensive survey of moist forest areas across Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands was carried out, from Nyanga in the north to Chirinda Forest in the south. All tree stems 8 cm diameter or greater in both canopy and sub-canopy layers were measured in 176 quarter-hectare plots, and plots were then classified into 12 altitude-related forest types. The aim of the present study is to categorise the woody species recorded in these plots in terms of their chorological status. The findings are compared to similar analyses from moist forests across Malawi.Material and methods – All tree species recorded during the initial survey were listed and placed into 12 described chorological (phytogeographical) categories based on their continental distribution. Their occurrence across the 12 previously described forest types is given. Key results and conclusions – A total of 211 tree species was recorded from 176 plots. Most species (86, or 40.8%) are Afromontane endemics or near-endemics, while 48 species (22.7%) are Guineo-Congolian linking, 31 (14.7%) are Eastern endemic or near-endemics, and 16 (7.6%) are sub-Afromontane endemics or near-endemics. The remainder comprise African linking and Zambezian species. This shows that species of the moist forests of eastern Zimbabwe form a complex phytogeographical mix. While Afromontane species dominate at high altitudes, Guineo-Congolian and Eastern species become more common at lower altitudes. In terms of proportions of chorological categories, results were found to be similar to those from forest studies in Malawi.

Soil and Water Management Practices as a Strategy to Cope with Climate Change Effects in Smallholder Potato Production in the Eastern Highlands of Ethiopia

Low soil fertility and climate change-induced low soil moisture are major problems constraining potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia. Climate events are projected to become more pervasive. Therefore, research was conducted with the objective of analyzing smallholder potato farmers’ adaptation strategies to cope with the issues of low soil fertility and low soil moisture that are exacerbated by climate change. The research involved surveying eight purposively selected peasant associations in four major potato-producing districts in east and west Hararghe zones. The survey employed a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected from 357 households using a standard questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, index ranking, and analysis of variance for survey data. The observed climate data for the period of 1988 to 2017 were analyzed. The Mann-Kendall trend test, standard anomaly index, precipitation concentration index, and coefficient of variation were used to analyze the observed climate data. The survey results revealed the farmers, on average, applied 159 kg urea, 165 kg NPS (63 kg P2O5, 31 kg N and 12 kg S), and 1.8 ton of farmyard manure per hectare for producing potatoes. Most smallholder farmers (68.91%) used supplemental irrigation for potato production during the main growing season. The method of irrigation the farmers used was overwhelmingly the furrow method (92.72%). Analyzing the climate data showed that the mean annual temperature increased whereas the mean annual rainfall decreased during the 30-year period. It was concluded that climate change is markedly affecting potato production; in response to this, most of the farmers used supplemental irrigation to cope with moisture stress, all of them applied mineral fertilizers, and some of them additionally applied organic fertilizer to alleviate the problems of soil degradation and nutrient depletion. This implies that soil moisture and nutrient stresses are the major problems constraining potato production against which the farmers need policy and institutional supports to consolidate their coping strategies and build resilience against climate change.