Concise Best Practice Guidelines for the Biological Management of Definitions
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Vegetation, Floristic Composition and Species Diversity in a Tropical Mountain Nature Reserve in Southern Yunnan, SW China, with Implications for Conservation
Mongabay.com Open Access Journal - Tropical Conservation Science Vol.8 (2): 528-546, 2015 Research Article Vegetation, floristic composition and species diversity in a tropical mountain nature reserve in southern Yunnan, SW China, with implications for conservation Hua Zhu*, Chai Yong, Shisun Zhou, Hong Wang and Lichun Yan Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xue-Fu Road 88, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, P. R. China Tel.: 0086-871-65171169; Fax: 0086-871-65160916 *Corresponding author: H. Zhu, e-mail [email protected]; Fax no.: 86-871-5160916 Abstract Complete floristic and vegetation surveys were done in a newly established nature reserve on a tropical mountain in southern Yunnan. Three vegetation types in three altitudinal zones were recognized: a tropical seasonal rain forest below 1,100 m; a lower montane evergreen broad- leaved forest at 1,100-1,600 m; and a montane rain forest above 1,600 m. A total of 1,657 species of seed plants in 758 genera and 146 families were recorded from the nature reserve. Tropical families (61%) and genera (81%) comprise the majority of the flora, and tropical Asian genera make up the highest percentage, showing the close affinity of the flora with the tropical Asian (Indo-Malaysia) flora, despite the high latitude (22N). Floristic changes with altitude are conspicuous. The transition from lowland tropical seasonal rain forest dominated by mixed tropical families to lower montane forest dominated by Fagaceae and Lauraceae occurs at 1,100-1,150 m. Although the middle montane forests above 1,600 m have ‘oak-laurel’ assemblage characteristics, the temperate families Magnoliaceae and Cornaceae become dominant. -
Ultramafic Geocology of South and Southeast Asia
Galey et al. Bot Stud (2017) 58:18 DOI 10.1186/s40529-017-0167-9 REVIEW Open Access Ultramafc geoecology of South and Southeast Asia M. L. Galey1, A. van der Ent2,3, M. C. M. Iqbal4 and N. Rajakaruna5,6* Abstract Globally, ultramafc outcrops are renowned for hosting foras with high levels of endemism, including plants with specialised adaptations such as nickel or manganese hyperaccumulation. Soils derived from ultramafc regoliths are generally nutrient-defcient, have major cation imbalances, and have concomitant high concentrations of potentially phytotoxic trace elements, especially nickel. The South and Southeast Asian region has the largest surface occur- rences of ultramafc regoliths in the world, but the geoecology of these outcrops is still poorly studied despite severe conservation threats. Due to the paucity of systematic plant collections in many areas and the lack of georeferenced herbarium records and databased information, it is not possible to determine the distribution of species, levels of end- emism, and the species most threatened. However, site-specifc studies provide insights to the ultramafc geoecology of several locations in South and Southeast Asia. The geoecology of tropical ultramafc regions difers substantially from those in temperate regions in that the vegetation at lower elevations is generally tall forest with relatively low levels of endemism. On ultramafc mountaintops, where the combined forces of edaphic and climatic factors inter- sect, obligate ultramafc species and hyperendemics often occur. Forest clearing, agricultural development, mining, and climate change-related stressors have contributed to rapid and unprecedented loss of ultramafc-associated habitats in the region. The geoecology of the large ultramafc outcrops of Indonesia’s Sulawesi, Obi and Halmahera, and many other smaller outcrops in South and Southeast Asia, remains largely unexplored, and should be prioritised for study and conservation. -
Sexual Dimorphism in Perissodactyl Rhinocerotid Chilotherium Wimani from the Late Miocene of the Linxia Basin (Gansu, China)
Sexual dimorphism in perissodactyl rhinocerotid Chilotherium wimani from the late Miocene of the Linxia Basin (Gansu, China) SHAOKUN CHEN, TAO DENG, SUKUAN HOU, QINQIN SHI, and LIBO PANG Chen, S., Deng, T., Hou, S., Shi, Q., and Pang, L. 2010. Sexual dimorphism in perissodactyl rhinocerotid Chilotherium wimani from the late Miocene of the Linxia Basin (Gansu, China). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 55 (4): 587–597. Sexual dimorphism is reviewed and described in adult skulls of Chilotherium wimani from the Linxia Basin. Via the anal− ysis and comparison, several very significant sexually dimorphic features are recognized. Tusks (i2), symphysis and oc− cipital surface are larger in males. Sexual dimorphism in the mandible is significant. The anterior mandibular morphology is more sexually dimorphic than the posterior part. The most clearly dimorphic character is i2 length, and this is consistent with intrasexual competition where males invest large amounts of energy jousting with each other. The molar length, the height and the area of the occipital surface are correlated with body mass, and body mass sexual dimorphism is compared. Society behavior and paleoecology of C. wimani are different from most extinct or extant rhinos. M/F ratio indicates that the mortality of young males is higher than females. According to the suite of dimorphic features of the skull of C. wimani, the tentative sex discriminant functions are set up in order to identify the gender of the skulls. Key words: Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Chilotherium wimani, sexual dimorphism, statistics, late Miocene, China. Shaokun Chen [[email protected]], Chongqing Three Gorges Institute of Paleoanthropology, China Three Gorges Museum, 236 Ren−Min Road, Chongqing 400015, China and Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi−Zhi−Men−Wai Street, P.O. -
Functional Characterisation of the Transcriptome from Leaf Tissue of The
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Functional characterisation of the transcriptome from leaf tissue of the fuoroacetate‑producing plant, Dichapetalum cymosum, in response to mechanical wounding Selisha A. Sooklal1,4, Phelelani T. Mpangase2,4, Mihai‑Silviu Tomescu1, Shaun Aron2, Scott Hazelhurst2, Robert H. Archer3 & Karl Rumbold1* Dichapetalum cymosum produces the toxic fuorinated metabolite, fuoroacetate, presumably as a defence mechanism. Given the rarity of fuorinated metabolites in nature, the biosynthetic origin and function of fuoroacetate have been of particular interest. However, the mechanism for fuorination in D. cymosum was never elucidated. More importantly, there is a severe lack in knowledge on a genetic level for fuorometabolite‑producing plants, impeding research on the subject. Here, we report on the frst transcriptome for D. cymosum and investigate the wound response for insights into fuorometabolite production. Mechanical wounding studies were performed and libraries of the unwounded (control) and wounded (30 and 60 min post wounding) plant were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform. A combined reference assembly generated 77,845 transcripts. Using the SwissProt, TrEMBL, GO, eggNOG, KEGG, Pfam, EC and PlantTFDB databases, a 69% annotation rate was achieved. Diferential expression analysis revealed the regulation of 364 genes in response to wounding. The wound responses in D. cymosum included key mechanisms relating to signalling cascades, phytohormone regulation, transcription factors and defence‑related secondary metabolites. However, the role of fuoroacetate in inducible wound responses remains unclear. Bacterial fuorinases were searched against the D. cymosum transcriptome but transcripts with homology were not detected suggesting the presence of a potentially diferent fuorinating enzyme in plants. Nevertheless, the transcriptome produced in this study signifcantly increases genetic resources available for D. -
First Steps Towards a Floral Structural Characterization of the Major Rosid Subclades
Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2006 First steps towards a floral structural characterization of the major rosid subclades Endress, P K ; Matthews, M L Abstract: A survey of our own comparative studies on several larger clades of rosids and over 1400 original publications on rosid flowers shows that floral structural features support to various degrees the supraordinal relationships in rosids proposed by molecular phylogenetic studies. However, as many apparent relationships are not yet well resolved, the structural support also remains tentative. Some of the features that turned out to be of interest in the present study had not previously been considered in earlier supraordinal studies. The strongest floral structural support is for malvids (Brassicales, Malvales, Sapindales), which reflects the strong support of phylogenetic analyses. Somewhat less structurally supported are the COM (Celastrales, Oxalidales, Malpighiales) and the nitrogen-fixing (Cucurbitales, Fagales, Fabales, Rosales) clades of fabids, which are both also only weakly supported in phylogenetic analyses. The sister pairs, Cucurbitales plus Fagales, and Malvales plus Sapindales, are structurally only weakly supported, and for the entire fabids there is no clear support by the present floral structural data. However, an additional grouping, the COM clade plus malvids, shares some interesting features but does not appear as a clade in phylogenetic analyses. Thus it appears that the deepest split within eurosids- that between fabids and malvids - in molecular phylogenetic analyses (however weakly supported) is not matched by the present structural data. Features of ovules including thickness of integuments, thickness of nucellus, and degree of ovular curvature, appear to be especially interesting for higher level relationships and should be further explored. -
Competition Structured a Late Cretaceous Megaherbivorous Dinosaur Assemblage Jordan C
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Competition structured a Late Cretaceous megaherbivorous dinosaur assemblage Jordan C. Mallon 1,2 Modern megaherbivore community richness is limited by bottom-up controls, such as resource limitation and resultant dietary competition. However, the extent to which these same controls impacted the richness of fossil megaherbivore communities is poorly understood. The present study investigates the matter with reference to the megaherbivorous dinosaur assemblage from the middle to upper Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada. Using a meta-analysis of 21 ecomorphological variables measured across 14 genera, contemporaneous taxa are demonstrably well-separated in ecomorphospace at the family/subfamily level. Moreover, this pattern is persistent through the approximately 1.5 Myr timespan of the formation, despite continual species turnover, indicative of underlying structural principles imposed by long-term ecological competition. After considering the implications of ecomorphology for megaherbivorous dinosaur diet, it is concluded that competition structured comparable megaherbivorous dinosaur communities throughout the Late Cretaceous of western North America. Te question of which mechanisms regulate species coexistence is fundamental to understanding the evolution of biodiversity1. Te standing diversity (richness) of extant megaherbivore (herbivores weighing ≥1,000 kg) com- munities appears to be mainly regulated by bottom-up controls2–4 as these animals are virtually invulnerable to top-down down processes (e.g., predation) when fully grown. Tus, while the young may occasionally succumb to predation, fully-grown African elephants (Loxodonta africana), rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum and Diceros bicornis), hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius), and girafes (Girafa camelopardalis) are rarely targeted by predators, and ofen show indiference to their presence in the wild5. -
Unique Cytotoxic Constituents of the Dichapetalaceae
13 The Dichapetalins – Unique Cytotoxic Constituents of the Dichapetalaceae Dorcas Osei-Safo1, Mary A. Chama1, Ivan Addae-Mensah1 and Reiner Waibel2 1Chemistry Department, University of Ghana, Legon, 2Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Erlangen, 1Ghana, 2Germany 1. Introduction The Dichapetalaceae (syn. Chailletiaceae) is a small family of plants comprising 3 genera and about 165 species. Dichapetalum Thouars is the most prominent genus, with 124 species, and is mostly found in the world’s tropical and subtropical regions. Irvine lists eight species as occurring in West Africa and Ghana. D. madagascariensis (syn. D. guineense) and D. toxicarium are the commonest and most widely distributed (Irvine, 1961). Hall and Swaine also describe eight species as occurring in Ghana and other parts of West Africa, four of which - D. barteri, D. crassifolium, D. filicaule and D. heudelotii - were not mentioned by Irvine. The first two are likely to be new species identified after Irvine. According to Hall and Swaine, D. heudelotii includes D. johnstonii and D. kumansiense which appear on Irvine’s list while D. filicaule also includes D. cymulosum described by Irvine (Hall and Swaine, 1981). Irvine’s D. oblongum is not mentioned by Hall and Swaine. Several species of the Dichapetalum are poisonous to livestock due to the presence of fluorinated compounds, mainly fluorocarboxylic acids (Hall, 1972; O’Hagan et al., 1993). These include D. toxicarium, D. cymosum, D. tomentosum and to a lesser extent D. barteri. D. madagascariensis is one of the less toxic species of the genus. It can grow up to 25m high and about 1.5m in girth. -
DSA10 Giourtsakis
Ioannis X. Giaourtsakis Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München Late Neogene Rhinocerotidae of Greece: distribution, diversity and stratigraphical range Giaourtsakis, I.X., 2003 - Late Neogene Rhinocerotidae of Greece: distribution, diversity and stra- tigraphical range - in: Reumer, J.W.F. & Wessels, W. (eds.) - DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION OF TERTIARY MAMMALS IN EURASIA. A VOLUME IN HONOUR OF HANS DE BRUIJN - DEINSEA 10: 235- 253 [ISSN 0923-9308] Published 1 December 2003 The present contribution provides a comprehensive overview of the Neogene rhinoceroses of Greece and evaluates their affinities with the European and Asian species. The distribution, diver- sity and dispersal of the family in the Eastern Mediterranean are discussed in detail. Knowledge of rhinos during the Middle Miocene in Greece is still very limited, because of the scarce mate- rial. During the Late Miocene the family was diverse and abundant in Greece. The dominant form, Ceratotherium neumayri, was probably an African immigrant that invaded Southeastern Europe, Anatolia and the Middle East during the Late Miocene. This rather subhypsodont tandem-horned rhino has already achieved most of the apomorphic characters of the living Dicerotina. The con- temporary species Dihoplus pikermiensis is also common, but the origin and evolutionary rela- tionships among its Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene relatives are still controversial. The Greek Late Miocene representatives of the subfamily Aceratheriinae are obviously closer related to the Asian genera Chilotherium and Acerorhinus, than to the typical aceratheres Aceratherium, Alicornops and Hoploaceratherium found in Central and Western Europe at the same time. Chilotherium and Acerorhinus migrated into Greece from Central Asia trough Anatolia at the beginning of the Vallesian. -
Background Paper on Dichapetalum Cymosum (Gifblaar in Afrikaans) & (Poison Leaf in English)
16th September 2019 Background paper on Dichapetalum cymosum (Gifblaar in Afrikaans) & (Poison Leaf in English) 1. Introduction Toxic compound-containing plants grow worldwide and cause sudden death in livestock. The southern continents of Africa, Australia and South America are the common locations of these plants. Fluoroacetate (the chemical name of this toxic compound) is found in these tropical and subtropical plants generally at low concentrations although some are able to accumulate fluoroacetate in high concentrations. In Africa, most fluoroacetate-accumulating plants belong to the genus (tribe) Dichapetalum. Poison leaf or Gifblaar produces fluoroacetate as a defence mechanism against grazing by herbivores. Ingestion by livestock often results in fatal poisoning, which causes significant economic problems to cattle farmers in South Africa. Several approaches have been adopted to protect livestock from the toxicity with limited success, including fencing, toxic plant eradication and agents that bind the toxin. Genetically modified bacteria (GMB) capable of degrading fluoroacetate have been able to protect ruminants from fluoroacetate toxicity under experimental conditions, but concerns over the release of these microbes into the environment have prevented the application of this technology. Recently, a native bacterium from an Australian bovine rumen was isolated, which can degrade fluoroacetate. The discovery and isolation of this bacterium provides a new opportunity to detoxify fluoroacetate in the rumen.1 1 Leong, L.E.X., Khan, S, Davis, C.K., Denman, S.E., and McSweeney, C.S. (2017) Fluoroacetate in plants - a review of its distribution, toxicity to livestock and microbial detoxification. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 8:55 DOI 10.1186/s40104-017-0180-6 1 Fluoroacetate poisoning due to the consumption of Dichapetalum cymosum (gifblaar), most frequently affects cattle, possibly because the distribution of the plant coincides with mainly cattle-raising areas. -
EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for the White Rhinoceros EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for The
2018 EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for the white EAZA rhinocerosBest Practice Guidelines for the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium Simum) First Edition, July 2018 | Lars Versteege1 EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) Editor: Lars Versteege Contact information: Safaripark Beekse Bergen, Beekse Bergen 31, 5081 NJ Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands Email: [email protected] Name of TAG: Rhino TAG TAG Chair: Friederike von Houwald (Zoo Basel, Switzerland) Edition: 1 July 2018 2 EAZA Best Practice Guidelines Disclaimer Copyright (March 2018) by EAZA Executive Office, Amsterdam. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in hard copy, machine-readable or other forms without advance written permission from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). Members of the EAZA may copy this information for their own use as needed. The information contained in these EAZA Best Practice Guidelines has been obtained from numerous sources believed to be reliable. EAZA and the EAZA Felid TAG make a diligent effort to provide a complete and accurate representation of the data in its reports, publications and services. However, EAZA does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of any information. EAZA disclaims all liability for errors or omissions that may exist and shall not be liable for any incidental, consequential or other damages (whether resulting from negligence or otherwise) including, without limitation, exemplary damages or lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use of this publication. Because the technical information provided in the EAZA Best Practice Guidelines can easily be misread or misinterpreted unless properly analyzed, EAZA strongly recommends that users of this information consult with the editors in all matters related to data analysis and interpretation. -
On the Acclimatisation of African Rhinoceros After Re- Introduction to Former Livestock Farmland in Namibia
Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover Aus dem Deutschen Primatenzentrum Göttingen, Leibniz Institut für Primatenforschung und dem Institut für Tierhygiene, Tierschutz und Nutztierethologie On the acclimatisation of African rhinoceros after re- introduction to former livestock farmland in Namibia INAUGURAL - DISSERTATION zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften - Doctor rerum naturalium - (Dr. rer. nat.) vorgelegt von Thomas Göttert Haldensleben Hannover 2011 Wissenschaftliche Betreuung: Prof. Dr. Michael Böer & Prof. Dr. J. Keith Hodges 1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. med. vet. Michael Böer 2. Gutachterin: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ute Radespiel Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 14.02.2011 It takes a very long period of observing to become really familiar with an animal and to attain a deeper understanding of its behaviour; and without the love for the animal itself, no observer, however patient, could ever look at it long enough to make valuable observations on its behaviour. Konrad Lorenz Meinen Eltern LIST OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: GENERAL INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1 African rhino population dynamics........................................................................................ 1 Namibia’s importance for rhino conservation........................................................................ 2 The relationship between translocation and acclimatisation: implications for rhino management .......................................................................................................................... -
THE AFRICAN DICHAPETALACEAE a Taxonomical Revision
582.756.2:581.4/.5+58l.9(6) F. J. BRETELER THE AFRICAN DICHAPETALACEAE A taxonomical revision This first instalment contains the treatment of the species a-b in Dichapetalum A provisional key to the continental African species is added PROEFSCHRIFT TER VERKRIJGING VAN DE GRAAD VAN DOCTOR IN DE LANDBOUWWETENSCHAPPEN, OP GEZAG VAN DE RECTOR MAGNIFICUS, PROF. DR. IR. H. A. LENIGER, HOOGLERAAR IN DE TECHNOLOGIE, IN HET OPENBAAR TE VERDEDIGEN OP WOENSDAG 31 OKTOBER 1973 DES NAMIDDAGS TE VIER UUR IN DE AULA VAN DE LANDBOUWHOGESCHOOL TE WAGENINGEN Date of publication 9 October 1973 H. VEENMAN & ZONEN B.V. - WAGENINGEN - 1973 STELLINGEN I De kroonbladen en de discuslobben bij de Dichapetalaceae dienen te worden opgevat als staminodien. Dit proefschrift II De verwantschap van de Dichapetalaceae ligt binnen de Geraniales sensu Engler; zij zijn nauw verwant aan de Trigoniaceae. Dit proefschrift III De schutbladen (bracteae) bij de Dichapetalaceae zijn op te vatten als ver- groeide steunbladen (stipulae). IV De woorden 'epigynisch', 'perigynisch' en 'hypogynisch' met betrekking tot de bloem in zijn geheel zijn een contradictio in terminis. V Er bestaat grote behoefte aan een Nederlands leerboek der Plantensystema- tiek. VI De toekomst van de Landbouwhogeschool ligt, in toenemende mate en meer dan gewoonlijk verondersteld wordt, in de tropen. VII Het verdient overweging Dichapetalum cymosum (Hook.) Engl, en andere giftige Dichapetalum-soorten aan te planten bij erosie-bestrijding in de semi- aride tropen. VIII Het beleid ten aanzien van de ontwikkelingslanden, waarbij door de Interna tionale ontwikkelingsorganisaties in de bestaande reserves aan bos een middel wordt gezien tot economische ontwikkeling, moet in het algemeen als kortzichtig worden bestempeld.