A Janus-faced biodiversity change and the partiality of ecological knowledge in a world biodiversity hotspot in Ghana: Implications for biodiversity rehabilitation

The Gyamfiase-Adenya-Obom cluster of villages in the forest-savanna region of Ghana is located within one of Conservation International’s 34 “World Biodiversity Hotspots” of the most biodiversity-threatened regions of the world. In collaboration with local farmers in this area since 1993, the People, Land Management and Ecological Change Project in Ghana (PLEC-Ghana) has been working on promoting biodiversity rehabilitation to address problems of biodiversity change. This goal is expected to be achieved through agrobiodiversity or biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices. However, farmers’ employment of these practices has been lackluster, even while they acknowledge biodiversity changes, dominated by Chromolaena odorata and other herbaceous species, that are driving the decline in forests and their biodiversity. In interpreting the difficulties of biodiversity rehabilitation in Gyamfiase-Adenya-Obom, this study outlines the diverging ecological knowledge of non-residents/outsiders and local farmers about biodiversity change, which it describes as Janus-like with two diverging faces. One face of biodiversity change shows the detrimental impacts on biodiversity and its observers—non-residents/outsiders—insist on biodiversity rehabilitation that nurtures forests, and the growth and domination of tree species. The other face of biodiversity change shows its agronomic advantages and its observers—the local farmers—are skeptical of current biodiversity rehabilitation practices. Farmers see agronomic benefits in biodiversity change, in particular the benefit of faster soil regeneration within the predominant bush fallow system of farming. And as a result of this observation, farmers continue with practices that sustain a decline in forests and biodiversity. Based on social and ecological research that explores three biodiversity-friendly practices promoted by PLEC-Ghana (fallow management, mulching, and intensive weeding to protect tree seedlings), this article discusses the partiality of ecological perspectives that emphasize either face of biodiversity change but not both, and the implications for biodiversity rehabilitation.     

Myamalycocerus vitalii: A new genus and species of soldier beetle in Burmese amber (Coleoptera Cantharidae)

A new fossil soldier beetle Myamalycocerus vitalii gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated from an inclusion in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Myanmar). It differs from all extant genera that have elytra adorned with small striae by possessing raised punctation, very probably an ancient character as it is absent among current species. It differs from the fossil Ornatomalthinus Poinar et Fanti, by the long elytra and relief points which are less raised and more numerous. This new genus appears vaguely related (not necessarily phylogenetically) to the current genus Lycocerus Gorham.     

三峡建库后东洞庭湖适宜生态水位需求分析

三峡水库的修建改变了水库下游的水沙条件,影响了洞庭湖湖区的生态平衡,进而引发相关生态问题本文以城陵矶站水位代表东洞庭湖水位,基于其1953 2018年的逐日水位资料,采用滑动t检验法对年平均水位序列进行突变检验,发现因强人类活动导致城陵矶水位发生突变的时间为2004年,考虑为三峡蓄水的影响借鉴IHA(Indicators of Hydrological Alteration,水文变化指标)及RVA(Range of Variability Approach,变化范围法)方法提出了一种同时考虑年内月平均水位过程、水位波动范围、高低水位发生情况以及水位涨落情况的适宜生态水位计算指标体系,能够直观和全面地描述生态系统健康发展对水位的要求,包括1 12月水位分别为:17.07～18.34、17.15～18.89、17.65～22.23、20.25～22.15、22.85～24.90、24.31～26.44、26.88～29.16、25.79～28.32、25.12～27.56、23.59～25.88、20.65～22.81、18.58～19.88 m;年最低水位:16.21～17.86 m,发...     

Isolation of 12 microsatellite markers following a pyrosequencing procedure and cross-priming in two invasive cryptic species, Alexandrium catenella (group IV) and A. tamarense (group III) (Dinophyceae)

Alexandrium catenella (group IV) and Alexandrium tamarense (group III) (Dinophyceae) are two cryptic invasive phytoplankton species belonging to the A. tamarense species complex. Their worldwide spread is favored by the human activities, transportation and climate change. In order to describe their diversity in the Mediterranean Sea and understand their settlements and maintenances in this area, new microsatellite markers were developed based on Thau lagoon (France) samples of A. catenella and A. tamarense strains. In this study twelve new microsatellite markers are proposed. Five of these microsatellite markers show amplifications on A. tamarense and ten on A. catenella. Three of these 12 microsatellite markers allowed amplifications on both cryptic species. Finally, the haplotypic diversity ranged from 0.000 to 0.791 and 0.000 to 0.942 for A. catenella and A. tamarense respectively.     

Potential ecological risk of cadmium, lead and arsenic in agricultural black soil in Jilin Province, China

Potential ecological risk of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) in agricultural black soil in Jilin Province, China was analyzed by the methods of risk assessment based on dose–effect relationships and ecological risk index. Heavy Cd-contamination occurred mainly around the coal mine region. The accumulation area for Pb appeared mostly in the suburbs and roadsides, whereas the higher As content was mainly found in the farmland of suburb and coal mine vicinity. In acute toxicity test, Cd, Pb and As in the soil had adverse effects on both roots and shoots growth in soybean with the greatest toxicity of arsenic and the least toxicity of lead at the same concentration levels. Exposed to Cd, Pb and As, the EC₅₀ (50% effective concentration) values for the growth of soybean root (shoot) were 212.59 (376.70), 528.53 (828.69) and 194.60 (299.03) mg/kg, respectively. Results of potential ecological risk index showed that soil contamination from Cd in some samples had very high potential ecological risk; Pb contamination for almost all sampling sites had moderate ecological risk; while soil contamination from As had low ecological risk. With the present accumulation rate, concentrations of Cd, Pb and As in agricultural black soil near coal mine would reach the threshold values in 68, 175 and 120 years, respectively.     

Hydrocarbon degraders from tropical marine environments

Analysis of 20 samples of marine mud and water around Mumbai resulted in the isolation of 17 bacteria and yeasts all of which were able to degrade more than 10% of the supplied crude oil. The yeasts strains were important degraders of the aliphatic fraction of crude. All the isolated yeasts belonged to the genus Candida. Using biochemical tests these were identified as Candida parapsilosis, C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, Yarrowia lipolytica, C. tropicalis and C. intermedia. Y. lipolytica was the best degrader utilizing 78% of the aliphatic fraction of Bombay High crude oil. None of these isolates degraded the aromatic or ashphaltene fractions. All the isolates required aeration, nitrogen and phosphate supplementation for optimal degradation. Four out of the six yeasts are human pathogens.     

浙江建德市耕地表层土壤硒分布、来源及生态效应

硒是重要的生命元素之一,对动物及人体健康具有重要意义。系统总结了建德市耕地表层土壤硒地球化学特征,分析了土壤硒的分布规律及其与黑色岩系之间的成因联系,探讨了黑色岩系富硒机制,研究了水稻植株中硒富集规律。结果表明,建德市耕地表层土壤硒含量介于0.06~11.5 mg/kg之间,均值为0.35 mg/kg,不同地质背景、成土母质、土壤类型中土壤硒含量差异显著。根据土壤硒和重金属含量,圈出清洁富硒土壤2 647 hm²,主要分布于寒武系灰岩、碳质页岩、钙质泥岩等岩石出露区,指示土壤富硒与这套寒武系“黑色岩系”有密切关系。古沉积学研究认为,黑色岩系形成于缺氧滞水的沉积环境,富含有机质的海底沉积物大量吸附来自地幔的硒,成岩后形成富含硒等元素的黑色岩系。水稻根系土中硒形态组成分析表明,醋酸溶解态硒占比较小,残渣态占比较大,说明水稻根系土中硒可利用性较低。稻米、莲子、草莓及其根系土采样分析表明,稻米对土壤硒的富集系数最高,水稻植株中硒含量具有根>叶>茎≈籽实的特征。