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Electronic waste (e-waste) illegally disposal in Thailand is becoming more widespread. A sustainable metal recovery technology is needed. A phytotechnology called "phytomining" of metals such as nickel (Ni) is a promising technology providing a sustainable solution to the growing e-waste problems. This study investigated the ability of Acacia species in association with e-waste site isolated, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Acacia mangium accumulated higher Ni in their tissues when Ni concentrations in soil were lower than 200 mg kg−1. The inoculation of PGPR B. amyloliquefaciens enhanced Ni uptake and accumulation in the leaves, stem, and root. The results showed that the highest Ni concentration was found in the root ash (825.50 mg kg−1) when inoculated plants were grown in soil containing 600 mg kg−1 Ni. Hence, the Ni recovery process and mass balance were performed on root ashes. The highest Ni recovery was 91.3% from the acid (H2SO4) leachate of the ash of inoculated plant treated with 600 mg kg−1 Ni. This demonstrates the feasibility of PGPR-assisted phytomining from Ni-contaminated soil. Phytomining of Ni from any e-waste contaminated sites using Acacia mangium in combination with B. amyloliquefaciens can promote plant growth and improve the uptake of Ni. Phytomining from electronic waste is an appealing technology that can provide a long-term waste management strategy while valuable trace metals can be recovered. In this study, we evaluated the nickel phytomining ability of Acacia mangium in association with PGPR Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The results from this study showed that Ni recovery from phytomass using A. mangium with B. amyloliquefaciens can be further improved leading to a sustainable waste management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Class Mulgedio-Aconitetea comprises plant communities that develop primarily in the upper montane to subalpine vegetation belts. It is vegetation where tall herb species (forbs, ferns, grasses) occur dominantly; in the Balkans, it was studied only marginally. In this article, based on floristic composition we assess two questions: (1) what is the diversity of the class Mulgedio-Aconitetea in Bulgaria and (2) what environmental factors are responsible for the vegetation assemblages in the area? We analyzed 387 plots. We created an expert system that classifies this vegetation and tested environmental variables for their influence on these vegetation types. In total, 15 associations and one uncategorized community were classified using the Braun-Blanquet approach. The length of the growing season (number of growing degree days > 0 °C) and climate moisture have a significant effect on the vegetation. Disturbance severity, disturbance frequency and reaction have influence over the species scores. Moreover, all variables significantly differed between the vegetation types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impact of exotic insect pest species is often poorly quantified, making current pest management strategies obsolete. The fall armyworm (FAW) is endemic to the Western hemisphere – where it is considered a major pest of maize – and invasive to Africa, Asia and Oceania since 2016, 2018 and 2020, respectively. FAW's highly polyphagous behaviour and potential expansion of its host range in invaded habitats may put some non-crop flowering plants and their ecosystem services at risk. While its potential for intraguild competition and hybridisation with endemic maize pest species could have important consequences for pest population dynamics and pest management, a FAW inter-strain hybrid – resistant to pesticides – has already been documented in China. Integrated pest management (IPM) combines host plant resistance, agronomic practices and biological control for the long-term prevention of pests. Within invaded areas, a lack of knowledge of FAW's ecological adaptations, the absence of resistant cultivars, and an insufficient build-up of natural enemies provide challenges that translate into research opportunities to support IPM solutions for this exotic pest species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas and their peripheries harbour biodiverse ecosystems which underpin ecosystem service provision to local communities. Understanding the relationship between the species contained within these ecosystems and the utilitarian services they provide is important. However, there is a shortage of quantitative methods for assessing species' utilitarian roles. We used a dendrogram-based method to quantify utilitarian diversity and an ordination method to determine co-occurrences in three sites at the periphery of Gonarezhou National Park, in Zimbabwe. The use categories for the plants were determined using household questionnaire surveys, and vegetation data was collected via standard plotless sampling techniques. There was higher plant diversity in the sites adjacent to the protected area, i.e. Malipati communal area (S = 45; Simpson's index = 0.7271) and Gonakudzingwa farms (S = 50; Simpson's index = 0.9351), with the lowest diversity recorded at the site far from the park, i.e. Chomupani communal area (S = 25; Simpson's index = 0.6305). Utilitarian diversity was also highest in the areas adjacent to the protected area, with Malipati and Gonakudzingwa having values of 22.2 and 21.4, respectively, while Chomupani attained 20.6. A principal component analysis ordination indicated which utilitarian species occurred in the same areas. Our results contribute to plant conservation by highlighting the utilitarian relationships of species at protected area peripheries. This allows planners and conservationists to set conservation priorities to avoid losing species that contribute the most to ecosystem service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EuroVegChecklist (EVC) is currently considered to be the basis for the phytosociological classification of the European vegetation, and it is therefore important that it is continually updated, improved and refined. This article revises the nomenclature of three Mediterranean grassland-related classes and some of their contents down to the rank of association, namely Helianthemetea guttati, Poetea bulbosae and Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae, on the basis of the fourth edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). The results show that the correct author citations for the first two classes are as follows: Tuberarietea guttatae Braun-Blanquet 1973, and Poetea bulbosae Rivas Goday et Rivas-Martínez ex Navarro Andrés et Valle Gutiérrez 1984. Instead, the name Stipo giganteae-Agrostietea castellanae is invalid and it is replaced by the new class name Agrostietea castellanae. In addition, we designate the neotype of the association Corynephoro articulati-Helianthemetum guttati (Corynephoro divaricati-Tuberarietum guttatae nom. corr. nov. et mut. nov.), the lectotype of the Poo bulbosae-Trifolietum subterranei, and mutate the names Helianthemetalia guttati and Helianthemion guttati to Tuberarietalia guttatae and Tuberarion guttatae, respectively, as well as two names of associations with a name-giving taxon belonging to the genus Tuberaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-evolutionary priority effects, in which early arriving taxa pre-empt environmental niches and evolve to exclude or marginalise later arriving taxa, have been claimed to have influenced current vegetation communities in New Zealand. We here critically assess this claim. An examination of the entire New Zealand conifer and angiosperm flora shows that early arriving lineages do not have more species than later arriving lineages, and do not dominate regional species pools. A nationwide forest plot data set shows no influence of lineage age on tree dominance. Woody species with wide latitudinal ranges tend to be older, but plant height and biotically dispersed fruit exert a stronger influence. Range extent is not influenced by lineage age in the alpine zone. The New Zealand studies on which the original claim for eco-evolutionary priority effects is based are flawed as they sample only a small fraction of the flora and plant communities and base their conclusions on a few selected lineages. The large climatic and landscape alterations of the last 50 million years, changes in the type and number of immigrant taxa establishing, and extinction are likely to have been much more influential than arrival times in shaping the extant New Zealand flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorpyrifos poses a danger to the environment as a result of its toxicity and endurance in soil and water. Bioremediation of pesticide-polluted soils is one of the most promising approaches for removing contaminants from the environment. This study aimed to isolate and identify chlorpyrifos-degrading bacterial strains and test their biodegradation capabilities and their roles in plant growth. The 16S rDNA gene sequencing identified the two efficient chlorpyrifos-degrading bacterial strains as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (RS1) and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (RS3), which significantly (p < 0.01) degraded 71.3% and 73.5% of chlorpyrifos in the liquid medium, respectively, compared to 80% degradation (p < 0.01) when cultured as a consortium within 48 h. The bioremediation of artificially chlorpyrifos-contaminated soils varied between 84.4% and 90.11% (p < 0.01), depending on the used bacterium and soil sterilization status. Furthermore, the enzymes embroiled in the degradation mechanism were sprinkled all over the cells but with different portions. Experiments on plant growth revealed that chlorpyrifos hurt lettuce growth. The presence of RS1 and RS3, on the other hand, demonstrated considerable lettuce growth-enhancing traits in terms of germination percentages, shoot and root lengths and weights. Our isolates could be promising candidates in the bioremediation of chlorpyrifos-contaminated sites in conjunction with their contribution as biofertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the process of social production of knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants in three groups of rural women who gather and commercialize plants in the department of Canelones, Uruguay. This study is based on the hypothesis that the social labeling of these practices as exclusive to the domestic sphere has decontextualized and hidden the production of knowledge in such spaces, invisibilizing and not recognizing female contributions. We analyze four behavioral dynamics of this knowledge (conservation, erosion, innovation and transformation) in relation to the influence of the sex/gender system in the production and social valuation of this knowledge. Finally, given that these groups of women commercialize medicinal plants and products, we reflect on the transition of this knowledge into the commercial sphere, the consequences, possible changes and the effects on the social valuation of this knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winters are expected to warm more than summers in central and northern Europe, with largely unknown effects on grassland plant communities. By studying the interactions between winter warming and summer grazing, we aimed to disentangle their effects and give recommendations for future grassland management. Our study area Upper Teesdale, England has winter temperatures close to 0°C and a well-studied vegetation, known for its arctic-alpine species growing at their climatic warm range limits. We set up a winter warming experiment using open top chambers (ca. +0.5°C) from mid-September until mid-May 2019 to 2022 and excluded sheep grazing during summer in a fully factorial design. Graminoid biomass increased, and bryophyte biomass decreased with winter warming. There was little to no evidence that winter warming affected any of the other plant response variables we measured, neither did grazing nor the interaction between winter warming and grazing. Our experiment was relatively short in duration and treatments were realistic in magnitude, therefore the plant communities responded only slightly. Nevertheless, our data suggest a change towards more dominant vascular species and less bryophytes with winter warming, which might lead to lasting changes in the plant communities in the longer-term if not buffered by suitable grazing management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountain ranges that cross the highlands of San Luis Potosí (Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico) constitute an important refuge for different types of flora and vegetation whose distribution limits occur within these orographic and climatic 'islands'. Shrub communities are generally included within the concepts of microphyllous, rosetophyllous and submontane scrub types. In addition, small woods of pine, oak and juniper occur towards higher zones. According to the biogeographic typology, the study area is in the Mexican Xerophytic region (Chihuahuan Province) and dominated by a Tropical Xeric bioclimate, although Tropical Desert and Tropical Pluviseasonal bioclimates also occasionally appear. The shrubs under study are included in Mesotropical and Thermotropical thermotypes. Eighty phytosociological relevés were carried out at elevations of between 1300 and 2200 m a.s.l., including a total of 208 species. Multivariate analysis enabled identification of four groups corresponding to other associations: Echinocacto platyacanthi-Agavetum lechuguillae, Ferocacto pilosi-Gochnatietum hypoleucae, Dasylirio longissimae-Heliettetum parvifoliae and Berberido trifoliolatae-Juniperetum coahuilensis. Aspects related to the structure, composition, bioclimatic affinity, dynamic-catenal position and syntaxonomic arrangement are discussed. Finally, the importance of these plant communities as refuge habitats for the flora included in some conservation categories and the threats that affect them are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of a study of the plant communities of Ramonda serbica, primarily intended to increase knowledge of their species and syntaxonomic diversity. The dataset included 204 vegetation plots (relevés) of the two Balkan Ramondas (R. serbica and R. nathaliae), 174 digitised from published literature sources and 30 new ones from field sampling of R. serbica in Montenegro and North Macedonia. Nineteen associations and subassociations of R. serbica were identified, using hierarchical cluster analysis (the Sørensen index as a distance measure and the Flexible Beta method, ß −0.25). Three associations (Micromerio julianae-Ramondetum serbicae, Hylocomio splendentis-Ramondetum serbicae, Neckero pumillae-Ramondetum serbicae), three subassociations (Micromerio julianae-Ramondetum serbicae subass. allosoretosum persicae, Ceterachi officinarum-Ramondetum serbicae subass. festucetosum dalmaticae and subass. hylotelephietosum maximi) and one alliance Exsertotheco crispae-Ramondion serbicae are described as new. Both hierarchical cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination support the distinction of 3 chorological/ecological groups of R. serbica communities: Adriatic-Ionian (xerophilous), Moesian (xero and mesophilous communities) and Illyrian-Scardo-Pindic (hygromesophilous). Communities of the Adriatic-Ionian cluster belongs to alliances Edraianthion, Centaureo cuspidatae-Portenschagillion ramosissimae and Campanulion versicoloris, of the Moesian one to Edraiantho graminifolii-Erysimion comati, and the Illyrian-Scardo-Pindic one to novel alliance Exsertotheco crispae-Ramondion serbicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Arabia diverse landforms include saltmarshes, sand dunes, desert plains, desert pavements, ancient lava fields, and mountains. Climate is influenced by winter Polar and summer Tropical Continental air masses. Tropical Maritime air affects southwestern regions during summer. Climate depends also on location and altitude with hot humid coastal areas, hot dry deserts, hyper-arid desert pavements and lava fields, and temperate mountainous regions. Climate exhibits spatiotemporal patterns reflecting north-south gradients of temperature, rainfall, evapotranspiration, and aridity. Vast latitudinal range and steep altitudinal gradient create temperature variations, affect rainfall seasonality and distribution, and influence dry season duration. Distribution of plant communities and species reflects multitudinous interactions between climate and plant traits, physiology, and chorology. Species exhibiting C3 photosynthesis inhabit cool northern regions and temperate southwestern mountains, species with C4 photosynthesis inhabit hot low-lying regions, and arido-active succulents with crassulacean acid metabolism dominate hyper-arid desert pavements and lava fields. Plant distribution also relates to species chorology with Euro-Siberian, Irano-Turanian, and Mediterranean chorotypes dominating cool northern regions and temperate southwestern mountains, while Saharo-Sindian, Sudano-Zambezian, and Tropical chorotypes dominating hot southern regions. Plant communities and species occurring in different habitats are described in relation to their traits, physiology, and chorology. Nature reserves and phytodiversity hotspots are considered with special reference to endemic, rare, endangered, and invasive species. An environmental perspective is also given in relation to anthropogenic pressures and positive directives of Saudi Vision 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of the effects of alien plant colonisation on plant communities is often hindered by the fact that similar patterns in community composition can arise through a variety of processes. The objective of this study is to determine whether changes in species composition in coastal dune communities depend on the colonisation of a neophyte plant, Oenothera stucchii, or on concurrent processes that favour its colonisation. We hypothesised two scenarios: 1) a direct impact of O. stucchii on colonised communities, leading to displacement of native species; or 2) no direct impact of O. stucchii, i.e. the species colonises plant communities by exploiting disturbances that lead to the rearrangement of plant communities. We used the species-habitat network approach to identify potential drivers of changes in species composition, assuming that changes in the structure of the species-habitat network depend on the nature of the driving process. We demonstrated that changes in species composition in plant communities were due to species rearrangement, with colonised communities characterised by more homogeneous composition of species. We suggest that changes in plant communities may not depend on colonisation by O. stucchii per se, but on concomitant processes that affect coastal dune communities while promoting colonisation by O. stucchii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social License to Operate (SLO) is a way to ensure community acceptance for entrepreneurial operations. This study describes and discusses the perspectives from communities, and external agents involved in SLO acquisitions and maintenance for a Small Hydroelectric Power Plant (SHP). Then, we reflect upon SLO applications for fair socio-environmental management. We used a case study for the research design. Data were collected using documents provided by the entrepreneur and semi-structured interviews of 15 stakeholders. We performed content analysis on the information obtained, along with literature discussion. Community representatives and external stakeholders reported not knowing about the SLO term and expected more benefits for the affected region. We observed that the main characteristic SLO results occurred in the phases preceding project operations. After the project was completed, the relationship among the parties weakened. Although it can't be possible to measure SLO level based on data from this case study, we point that SLO must take participatory systems, collective work, environmental protection, and social guarantees into account at all enterprise life cycle, to promote honest pathways for regional development. This study can contribute to discussions on implementing SLO in new contexts, such as SHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effector proteins secreted by pathogens modulate various host cellular processes and help in bacterial pathogenesis. Some of these proteins, injected by enteric pathogens via Type Three Secretion System (T3SS) were grouped together based on a conserved signature motif (WxxxE) present in them. The presence of WxxxE motif is not limited to effectors released by enteric pathogens or the T3SS but has been detected in non-enteric pathogens, plant pathogens and in association with Type II and Type IV secretion systems. WxxxE effectors are involved in actin organization, inflammation regulation, vacuole or tubule formation, endolysosomal signalling regulation, tight junction disruption, and apoptosis. The WxxxE sequence has also been identified in TIR [Toll/interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor] domains of bacteria and host. In the present review, we have focussed on the established and predicted functions of WxxxE effectors secreted by several pathogens, including enteric, non-enteric, and plant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock outcrops support specialist plant communities that are often adapted to highly seasonal climates and heterogeneous soil cover. However, the relationship between environmental parameters and plant functional types remains unexplored in many regions of the world, including the Northern Western Ghats (NWG) in India. In the present work, we characterised the vegetation of high and low elevation rock outcrops in the NWG, and investigate the relationship between plant functional types and environmental variables. Vegetation surveys were conducted on 16 high elevation and 14 low elevation sites using a transect and quadrat method. Floristic data were used to calculate plant diversity and plant functional type abundance. The relationship between vegetation and climatic (temperature, precipitation) and soil (soil carbon and nitrogen) variables was explored using cluster and ordination analysis. Rock outcrop sites were grouped into two clusters based on elevation, distance from the sea and mean diurnal range. Plant functional type abundance was related to macro-environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation and soil nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen. We inferred that the distribution and dominance of different plant functional types in the NWG are related to primarily by elevation (a proxy for temperature) and distance from the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterized the bacterial community in shoot and rhizosphere of healthy adult soybean plants grown in two differentially managed soils. Then, these communities were transplanted to seeds to assess their effect on seedling development. The bacterial communities of inoculated soybean seedlings were assessed through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and seedlings' growth was measured. The diversity in the bacterial consortium inoculum prepared from the rhizosphere was higher than those from the shoot. However, the application of bacterial consortium in seedling had no influence on diversity. The resulting bacterial community of seedlings inoculated with bacterial consortium presented an enrichment of specific plant growth-promoting groups, such as Gammaproteobacteria (Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Xanthomonas). The predicted potential functions showed an increased abundance of functions related to plant protection and nutrition. The application of bacterial consortium from the shoot of soybean plants grown in the soil with a previous history of soybean cultivation increased the seedling radicle length, hypocotyl length, and total dry weight by 44%, 30%, and 29%, respectively. Our study showed that selecting a consortium of indigenous microbes as inoculants is a potential approach to enhance the use and impacts of plant beneficial microorganisms on plant growth and possibly productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plant ecology, extreme environments are those that pose physiological or other limitations to plant growth, especially for non-adapted taxa. In these environments, the severity of climate conditions and/or the limitations imposed by particular soil substrates represent major selective pressures for plants, leading to the evolution of a wide array of functional traits, specific strategies and adapted taxa. In this special issue, we present a collection of papers that focuses on plants in various extreme environments, including the Arctic and Antarctic, regions with serpentine and gypsum soils, high mountain areas and deserts. The papers include a broad array of methods to study the ecology and evolution of plants in extreme environments, such as field surveys, greenhouse and field experiments, molecular phylogenetic analyses and/or physiological measurements. Overall, this special issue showcases research on how plants thrive in extreme environments which, in turn, may provide pointers to how plant communities might respond to living in increasingly challenging environments resulting from unprecedented land-use changes and climate warming at the present time and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to alter future rainfall regime in arid zones, which may impact gypsophilous plant diversity components in the Chihuahuan Desert. We investigated the effects of different rainfall timings and amounts on the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic components of a gypsophilous plant community. We used soil monoliths extracted from the southern Chihuahuan Desert in a greenhouse experiment with three rainfall timings (typical, early, and late) and two rainfall amounts (100% and 50%) and evaluated the effects on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. Irrigation treatment with 50% of average rainfall reduced species richness and plant abundance and altered species composition. At 100% irrigation, specific leaf area was lower in the treatments with typical and late rainfall timing than in the treatment with early rainfall. Phylogenetic diversity was significantly lower in the late timing treatment in November. Our study evidence that the water shortage impacted drastically on the plant community by decreased species richness and diversity. Nevertheless, late rainfall can buffer the effects of water diminution but only on taxonomic and functional diversity, with the opposite effect on the phylogenetic diversity, in the gypsophilous communities in the Chihuahuan Desert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genista radiata is a dwarf/low orophilic shrub having a fundamentally southern European distribution. In Italy, it can be found in different ecological contexts, often giving rise to diversified coenoses. Due to its ecological plasticity, G. radiata communities have been considered sometimes as simple dynamic variants of grasslands aspects, sometimes as more or less stable shrublands and this interpretation has changed over time. The aim of this study was to analyze the coenological and ecological features of all Italian G. radiata communities. An Italian comprehensive data-set has been investigated by means of multivariate analysis. Ecological and chorological analyses were performed, and the diagnostic species of different groups were identified through the phi coefficient of association. According to our analysis, nine different types of G. radiata communities were found to be present in Italy. Each group was characterized by means of its floristic, ecological and chorological components and investigated as to its syntaxonomic aspects. This allowed us to attribute the Italian G. radiata communities to nine different associations, four of which already existing and five proposed as new or as stat. nov. Their classification at higher levels is discussed and a comprehensive syntaxonomic scheme is proposed. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2022.2056646. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Green Revolution, intensive application of agrochemicals has increased productivity in agriculture, at a great cost in terms of water pollution, loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, and negative effects on human health. Scientific advance and increasing public awareness are driving a change toward sustainable practices. In such a context, the symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is extremely promising: AM interaction improves plant mineral nutrition and stress tolerance. In turn, AM fungi receive plant photosynthesis-derived carbon. A complex chemical dialogue mediates plant-fungus recognition and symbiosis establishment: AM fungi perceive root-secreted strigolactones, which promote spore germination, hyphal growth, branching and metabolism. Host roots recognize their symbionts through chitin-derived molecules. Such Myc–factors activate a range of symbiotic responses, preparing the plant to a successful association. Here we review the most recent advances in knowledge of AM signaling molecules, with a focus on their possible application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species interactions alter with environmental change, which influences the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF). How BEF relationships change with environments requires knowledge of the changes of functional attributes in individual species in response to environmental change. Here, we assembled experimental plant communities with different species richness (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16) and exposed them to a drought stress gradient (control, moderate and intensive drought stress). Functional redundancy decreased with increasing drought stress for a shift from selection effect to complementarity effect. In response to drought stress, species interactions shifted from competition to facilitation and the role of light-asymmetric competition in the competitive ability of species gradually decreased. Many species that are redundant under control conditions make essential contributions to biomass production under moderate and intensive drought stress conditions. Consequently, biodiversity effects should be evaluated from a predicted climate change model and redundant species should be carefully defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural regeneration in tropical forests is considered an essential part of forest restoration efforts; however, it is often under-estimated where the main focus has traditionally been on tree planting. This study assessed natural regeneration and its potential for the conservation of native tree species in Sitapahar Forest Reserve, Bangladesh. We established 99 temporary plots (2 m × 2 m each) in three canopy classes, namely dense canopy (DC, 70–100% canopy coverage), moderate canopy (MC, 40–70%), and open canopy (OC, <40%). In each plot, regenerating tree species were counted, identified, and height (m), collar diameter (cm), and diameter at breast height (dbh, cm) were measured. We identified 79 regenerating tree species under 31 plant families of which 61 were found in DC areas followed by 56 and 36 in MC and OC areas, respectively. Most of the species in DC areas were late-successional, while the OC areas were dominated by early successional species. Diversity and density of regeneration were lowest in OC areas. Findings of this study suggest harnessing biodiversity conservation by promoting natural regeneration and identifying the areas with higher potential for assisted natural regeneration that will enable in situ conservation of rare and vulnerable species by protecting them from further erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean Basin has distinct vegetation types shaped by fire, herbivory, and various human activities. Based on data from 83 belt transects of 10 × 40 m in 28 study sites for five physiognomic vegetation types (semi-closed forest, open forest, closed shrubland, open shrubland, and scrubland) in southwestern Anatolia (Turkey), we analyzed woody species diversity, woody community composition, and vegetation structure of study sites. We used the growth form and regeneration strategy for functional comparisons of physiognomic vegetation types. We found clear distinctions in diversity, species composition, and functional structure of woody plant community across five physiognomic vegetation types. The forest-shrubland-scrubland distinction was the most apparent one. Despite similarities in the woody species richness and Shannon diversity, open and closed vegetation states of forests and shrublands also differed regarding the density and cover of mature individuals and the density of saplings in different functional groups. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses and indicator species analyses also indicated clear distinctions among physiognomic vegetation types and openness states. Our findings indicate the necessity of a more complex description of vegetation types in the Mediterranean Basin. The results suggest that open and closed vegetation states of forests and shrublands are functionally distinct vegetation types. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2022.2036845. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian zones can be characterised botanically into two main areas, a wet bank and a dry bank. These areas have been linked to the duration of inundation by river flow, the boundary between the two being the 1:2 year floodline. Therefore the wet bank is inundated regularly by small floods and the dry bank by larger, less frequent floods, and each may support one to a few distinct plant communities laterally up the bank. Understanding these plant distributions helps rehabilitation projects and Environmental Flow (EFlows) studies as it can inform re-vegetation strategies in the former and help understanding of the links between plants and the river's flow regime in the latter. Systematic sampling and data analysis methods were developed for single channel rivers with relatively undisturbed natural vegetation to identify and locate the different plant communities in the riparian zone. Generic rules using distance and height from the water's edge, rather than the presence or absence of plant species, were calculated to locate the communities. While these statistics were derived from the riparian vegetation along perennial Western Cape rivers, South Africa, the methods could be applied to other perennial single channel river anywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nomadic pastoralism is of vital importance for grasslands worldwide. As one of the largest, widely intact, temperate grasslands in the world, the eastern Mongolian steppe looks back on a millennia-old tradition of nomadic pastoralism. Thus, this type of use of the ecosystem plays an important role in providing and maintaining ecosystem functions, e.g. seed dispersal, nutrient distribution and composition of plant communities. In addition, the nomadic way of life has important cultural and social functions. Global change processes like urbanisation, globalisation, digitalisation and climate change confront societies worldwide with the need for substantial sustainability transformations. While pastoralists are also strongly affected by these changes, their experiences and way of life, which have been evolving and adapting for millennia, can prove very helpful in addressing the transformation challenges. With this paper, we aim to reflect a new form of nomadic pastoralism for Mongolia in the twenty-first century. Implementing a transdisciplinary research process, we conducted a series of stakeholder workshops, surveys and co-writing periods, involving pastoralists, local and national authorities, economic and conservation actors, as well as scientific project partners from a wide range of disciplines. In doing so, we developed exploratory scenarios of contrasting plausible futures of the Mongolian steppe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous plant naming systems and systematic botanical nomenclature involve different methodologies that result in different knowledge systems. Botanical nomenclature provides a single, universal name for a plant based on its taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. Indigenous classifications allow ready identification of plants for particular communities sharing a common language and cultural milieu to which the names are specific. The two systems are independent, but they can profit from mutual comparison, and each should be respected and valued for its distinctive role. A recent proposal argues that indigenous vernacular plant names, being older than those given in colonial circumstances, should have priority over existing botanical names. This suggestion, along with the call for greater use of indigenous languages in specific epithets, is here discussed in relation to the New Zealand flora. We conclude that the proposal would require extensive, complex changes to the International Code of Nomenclature, result in nomenclatural instability, and subject indigenous names to the rules of botanical nomenclature while severing them from their local cultural contexts. We suggest the proposal undermines indigenous naming systems, threatens the integrity of indigenous languages, and would disrupt botanical nomenclature for little benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fleshy fruits come in a diversity of colours. Some of this diversity can be attributed to unique selection pressures exerted by different types of frugivores. For example, mammals tend to consume green, yellow, orange and brown fruits, while birds normally consume red and black fruits. However, it is not yet clear whether the diversity of colours displayed within assemblages of bird-dispersed fruits can be attributed to avian colour preferences. We tested whether the reflectance properties of a fleshy fruited plant community from New Zealand predict their removal by birds. All data were collected from 10 common fleshy-fruited plant species during the austral summer (December 2018–April 2019) in a fenced forest reserve on the North Island of New Zealand. We found that fruit removal rates varied amongst plant species and frugivore preferences were not correlated with fruit conspicuousness, brightness, chroma and distinctiveness, suggesting that fruit reflectance properties are unrelated to avian frugivory in our study site. Overall, results from this study suggest that evidence for frugivore-mediated selection of fruit colour diversity may be scale dependent and needs to be investigated at higher taxonomic scales. Future studies examining other factors such as fruit abundance and fruit displays may reveal the finer mechanisms of frugivore-fruit selection [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guayana Highlands (GH) represents a major center of Neotropical plant diversity and endemism. Considering the lack of information about the ecology of plant communities in this region, we analyzed the fine-scale pattern of vegetation diversity. Thus, we tested the fine-scale effects of abiotic filters (i.e. soil physicochemical properties and depth) on species richness and community composition in complex rocky outcrop landscapes at the Roraima table mountain summit. This tepui is located on the triple boundary shared by Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana. A total of 60 plots were allocated in three specific previously identified geoenvironments: Peaty Rupestrian Grassland, Bonnetia-Shrubby Rupestrian Grassland and Sandy Rupestrian Grassland. Overall, 4318 individuals were sampled, distributed among 60 species, especially belonging to the families Asteraceae and Bromeliaceae. Of this total, 27 (45%) species are endemic to GH. There were significant differences among the geoenvironments regarding species richness, community composition and soil attributes. The tested models demonstrated that species richness was influenced by variations in potential acidity; however, community composition was explained mainly by soil texture and depth effects. Our study revealed abiotic filters exerted crucial fine-scale effects on plant community diversity on the Roraima table mountain. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1985003. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although pesticide poisonings occur worldwide, most high-income countries have not been severely affected. Japan is a key exception, with pesticide suicides becoming a major public health concern in the 1980s. We here report the epidemiology of lethal pesticide poisoning in Japan in relation to its pesticide regulation and agricultural output. We obtained data on pesticide registration and sales from the Japan Plant Protection Association's annual Pesticide Handbook, National Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Data on deaths due to pesticide poisoning and population were obtained from Vital Statistics of Japan. We reviewed the registration status and hazard classification of pesticides in Japan and analysed the relationships between the use/sales, pesticides fatalities, and agricultural output. Five hundred and twenty-nine pesticide active ingredients are currently registered in Japan, including four WHO hazard class IB organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. Paraquat was registered in 1962 as a liquid SL20 formulation. In 1986, restrictions were imposed on its sale/use and a 4.3% paraquat ion/4.1% diquat ion combination product registered by ICI. There were 221 pesticide poisoning fatalities in 2019, down from 2648 in 1986, a 92% reduction over 33 years. Self-poisoning was responsible for most pesticide deaths in both 1985 (2013/2476, 81.3%) and 2019 (146/221, 66.1%). Pesticide poisoning made up 8.6% of all suicides in 1985, down to 0.7% in 2019. Unintentional pesticide poisoning deaths also all fell by 83.8%, from 463 to 75. These reductions were associated with reduced sales of both OP/carbamate insecticides and paraquat/diquat but no apparent change in agricultural output across a broad range of crops. Reduced use of highly hazardous pesticides and lowered concentration formulations in Japan were associated with major decreases in all deaths from pesticide poisoning and the proportion of all suicides due to pesticide ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remains of fungi from a wetland environment have been found during palynological investigations of the middle Miocene lignite seam of the Adamów Lignite Mine (central Poland). One new fossil-genus Pleosporomyces and five new fossil-species (Canalisporium lignitum, Dictyosporites muriformis, Dictyosporites zeaformis, Microthyriacites radiatus, and Pleosporomyces adamowensis) are described. Fungal biota accompanying middle Miocene wetland plant associations from Adamów are represented by remains of ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi (hyphomycetes) saprophytic on decaying wood and on fallen leaves in a very humid, periodically flooded environment. These fungi most probably represent remains of fungal taxa of pocosin-like wetland communities, as suggested by the results of the palynological investigations and have grown during the accumulation of peat deposits from which the discussed lignite seam was formed. Epiphyllous taxa along with ascospores of Potamomyces sp. indicate a warm and humid climate with a high mean annual precipitation in central Poland during the formation of the 1st mid-Polish lignite seam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we documented traditional knowledge of edible plants in an indigenous community in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico and analyzed sociodemographic factors (age, education, and linguistic competence) that influence this knowledge. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 78 housewives during the dry and rainy seasons. The data were analyzed and the relative frequency of citation index (RFC) was calculated for each plant. The community uses 110 species of plants for food; 85 are cultivated, and 25 are collected. Milpas, coffee plantations, and home gardens, are the main spaces used for growing and harvesting food. The availability of the species is lower in the dry season than in the rainy season. 31% of edible species have medicinal uses. There is a high richness of quelites (36 sp. pl.). The wild species with the highest RFC were Cestrum nocturnum and Calceolaria mexicana. The age showed a positive relationship with traditional knowledge, while the level of education showed a negative relationship, and linguistic competence did not show relationship. The community has a high diversity of edible species, and the knowledge they preserve is essential for the conservation, use, and management of local plant diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires occur in most terrestrial ecosystems where they drive changes in the traits, composition, and diversity of fungal communities. Fires range from rare, stand-replacing wildfires to frequent, prescribed fires used to mimic natural fire regimes. Fire regime factors, including burn severity, fire intensity, and timing, vary widely and likely determine how fungi respond to fires. Despite the importance of fungi to post-fire plant communities and ecosystem functioning, attempts to identify common fungal responses and their major drivers are lacking. This synthesis addresses this knowledge gap and ranges from fire adaptations of specific fungi to succession and assembly fungal communities as they respond to spatially heterogenous burning within the landscape. Fires impact fungi directly and indirectly through their effects on fungal survival, substrate and habitat modifications, changes in environmental conditions, and/or physiological responses of the hosts with which fungi interact. Some specific pyrophilous, or "fire-loving," fungi often appear after fire. Our synthesis explores whether such taxa can be considered cosmopolitan, and whether they are truly fire-adapted or simply opportunists adapted to rapidly occupy substrates and habitats made available by fires. We also discuss the possible inoculum sources of post-fire fungi and explore existing conceptual models and ecological frameworks that may be useful in generalizing fungal fire responses. We conclude with identifying research gaps and areas that may best transform the current knowledge and understanding of fungal responses to fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We announce the formation of the "GLORIA ITALIA NETWORK" and present an overview of the Italian alpine plant communities changes that have occurred in the last 20 years. This network will provide coordination between Italian GLORIA sites and enhance public awareness of changes in alpine plant diversity under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have found a close correlation between the dispersal of alien species and anthropogenic disturbance. However, in coastal Mediterranean ecosystems, the importance of human induced vs. naturally occurring habitat heterogeneity in influencing the distribution of native vs. exotic species remains poorly understood. Our aim was to identify plant communities where native and introduced Spergularia species occur, the associated soil conditions, the effect of anthropogenic activities, and how these factors determine their distribution in Odiel Marshes Natural Park. The occurrence of seven Spergularia species was studied in 92 vegetation patches. These patches were analysed for plant species composition, edaphic variables (humidity, pH, salinity, organic matter content and particles >0.2 mm), degree of inundation, degree of alteration and level of protection. The distribution of 5 native species was related mainly to edaphic factors, while the distribution of 2 species was related to the degree of anthropic impact. Spergularia species show three patterns of distribution: S. heldreichii, S. fimbriata and S. media do not occupy altered zones. S. salina and S. nicaeensis naturally inhabit undisturbed habitats, but human alterations have increased their distribution. The presence of S. bocconi and S. purpurea is due to human transformation of this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosses are an impotent component of developing plant communities of glacier forelands of the Russian Altai Mountains. The check-list of mosses of the Maly Aktru glacier foreland includes 44 species that is 8.9% of species diversity of the moss flora of the Russian Altai Mountains. The moss species diversity of the Maly Aktru glacier foreland is significantly higher than that of other deglaciated areas of the Northern hemisphere mountain systems. Twenty-six species of the Maly Aktru glacier foreland check-list were not previously recorded on other deglaciated areas. The β-diversity values between the Maly Aktru glacier foreland and other deglaciated areas are rather high (0.123–0.276). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being increasingly threatened by human-induced disturbances, dry forests remain the least studied and protected forest types in the Caribbean region. In contrast to many other forest systems in the world, we have little knowledge of the site-specific variation in vegetation communities within these forests nor understand how plant species distribution is determined by environmental variables, including geological attributes. Here, we aimed to provide evidence of the relationship between biodiversity and geodiversity, by assessing the associations between plant communities and habitat types in a semi-deciduous forest of the Dominican Republic. We collected vegetation data from 23 sites within the Ocoa river basin, which we classified into six groups with a Random Forest algorithm, using lithology, geomorphology, topography, and last decade history of forest loss as predictor variables. We established three main clusters: one group, which encompassed sites with forest over a limestone substrate, four groups of sites with forests over a marlstone substrate with varying degrees of steepness and forest loss history, and one group that gathered all sites with forest over an alluvial substrate. In order to measure the associations of plant communities with groups of sites, we used the indicator value index (IndVal), which indicates whether a plant species is found in one or multiple-habitat types and the phi coefficient of association, which measures species preferences for habitats. We found that 16 species of woody plants are significantly associated with groups of sites by means of their indices. Our findings suggest that the detection of plant species associations with our selection of environmental variables is possible using a combination of indices. We show that there is considerable variation in plant community composition within the semi-deciduous forest studied and suggest that conservation planning should focus on protection of this variation, while considering the significance and variability of geodiversity as well. In addition, we propose that our indicator groups facilitate vegetation mapping in nearby dry forests, where it is difficult to conduct thorough vegetation or environmental surveys. In short, our analyses hold potential for the development of site-specific management and protection measures for threatened semi-deciduous forests in the Caribbean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing is a suitable option for managing the habitat functions of restored fen grasslands. Nevertheless, nutritional requirements of the grazing livestock need to be considered to make such grazing systems sustainable. In order to analyze the interactions between the development of forage nutritive values, grazing behaviour and resulting liveweight gains, we implemented a grazing experiment at a typical river valley section in Northeast-Germany. We tested the hypothesis that heifers were able to compensate the decreasing digestibility of pasture growth over the course of the grazing period by selective grazing. Herbage on offer and faeces of heifers were sampled and analyzed biweekly from May to October over three grazing seasons. The nitrogen content of the faeces was used to estimate the digestibility of the selected herbage. The sedge-dominated peat area was not used for grazing before the grass-dominated sections of the moraine area were depleted, despite acceptable energy contents of the sedge-dominated plant communities during spring and early summer. This behaviour limited the degree of energy selection. The energy content of the herbage on offer explained 67% of the variations in daily liveweight gain. Results indicate the need to modify the management of continuous stocking systems for achieving economically feasible gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The end-Permian crisis was the most severe extinction event in the Phanerozoic. In Southwestern Gondwana, this crisis was related to the development of the Choiyoi Silicic Large Igneous Province. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Glossopteridales were dominant in the Permian, and they declined at the Permian–Triassic boundary and were replaced by the Dicroidium flora. Argentinean Permian and Triassic floras are known for more than a century, but recently, new stratigraphic schemes and more accurate geochronological information have put in question the previous evolution models. Here we proposed a new scenario for the vegetation evolution during the Permian–Triassic boundary and early Middle Triassic in Argentina. During the Wuchiapingian–early Changhsingian interval, the floras were dominated by Glossopteridales, Cordaitales, Asterothecaceae, and Voltziales, and the oldest record of Umkomasiales (=Corystospermales), Peltaspermales, and Cycadales occurs. The Glossopteris flora would have disappeared in the Changhsingian before the end-Permian crisis. The late Changhsingian vegetation was dominated by cycads typical of the Dicroidium flora surviving in a refuge zone. After the end-Permian crisis, the recuperation was carried out by corystosperms, cycads and sphenophytes in the Induan–Olenekian interval. The Anisian plant communities were well-stabilised and diverse, corresponding to radiation of the Dicroidium flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the potential of Piriformospora indica and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) to ameliorate salinity stress in HD 2967 wheat cultivar. Plants were treated with four different levels of salinity viz. 0, 50, 100 and 200 mM NaCl (electrical conductivity value 0.01, 5.84, 11.50 and 21.4 mS cm−1, respectively) under greenhouse conditions, using a completely randomized design experiment. Plants inoculated with PGPB and P. indica showed decrease in lipid peroxidation, relative membrane permeability and lipoxygenase enzyme (LOX) activity as compared to uninoculated plants. The result of this study showed that PGPB and P. indica inoculated HD 2967 wheat plants accumulated higher content of proline, α-tocopherol and carotenoid as compared to uninoculated plants. The HD 2967 wheat plants either inoculated with PGPB or P. indica showed significantly higher activities of antioxidant enzymes viz. superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase than that of the uninoculated plants. Moreover, PGPB inoculated plants showed greater activity of antioxidant enzymes than the plants inoculated with P. indica. Salinity stress tolerance was more pronounced in the PGPB inoculated than P. indica inoculated plants. This study revealed the potentiality of PGPB and P. indica as bio-ameliorator under salinity stress, and suggests that this plant microbial association could be a promising biotechnological tool to combat the deleterious effects of salinity stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last century, biological invasions have increased greatly due to the intensification in international trade and world climate change, thus representing one of the most relevant issues for agricultural productivity and biodiversity. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States, from 2019 to 2021, intercepted different species from Italy belonging to the Orders Ixodida, Sarcoptiformes and Trombidiformes. The study reported four new records and several new host plant associations. In this framework, the inspection system not only plays a relevant role in the plant protection, human and animal health, but also contributes to the knowledge of the Acari fauna from exporting countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Andean páramo is a biodiverse and vulnerable tropical high-mountain region, whose spatio-ecological patterns remain understudied. The lack of general characterization of its overall extent, land-cover classes, and treeline spatial features hinders our capacity to understand its responses to human impacts and predict future land-system changes. To address this knowledge gap, we classified the land-cover of the páramo in the Northern Andes. Moreover, we estimated (1) the páramo's total extent and its distribution among the Andean countries, (2) the relative extent of 12 of its main land-cover classes, categorized into natural vegetation, natural abiotic and anthropogenic groups, and (3) the preliminary position and anthropogenic influence of its bordering treeline. Relying on Landsat 8 imagery, we performed hybrid manual-automated classifications using the Maximum Likelihood and Random Forest algorithms. The two resulting final classifications were manually checked for errors compared to Google Earth and VegPáramo data, and used to produce the expert classification. Finally, we delimited the treeline based on regional forest connectivity, and applied it to the expert classification to evaluate páramo elevations, surface areas and land-cover classes above the Andean treeline. The páramo extent was estimated at 24,301 km2, distributed between Ecuador (47%), Colombia (43%), Venezuela (8%) and Peru (2%). Natural vegetation, especially shrublands, rosette plant communities and grasslands were dominant (altogether, 65%), whereas classes reflecting intense land-use covered 12% overall. The average treeline reached 3546 m and was bordered uphill at 16% with anthropogenic land-cover classes. The páramo's extent is smaller than previously suggested. It remains a (semi-) natural region, yet the expansion of crops and pastures towards high elevations is a critical concern for long-term sustainability. Future research can build on our findings to predict land-system changes and assess priority areas for conservation. We recommend for future research to focus on remnant forest patches and treeline connectivity in priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A floristic, ethnobotanical and natural habitat study was carried out in the wetlands of the Macta marshes in northwest Algeria. The specimens obtained made it possible to identify 89 taxa of plants belonging to 32 botanical families dominated by the Amaranthaceae and Asteraceae. Analysis of the chorology of the plants has shown dominance of the Mediterranean element, but only 3 endemic taxa are recognized. Five of the taxa are considered rare and 4 are protected in Algeria; 5 have an IUCN status of minor consideration and Spergularia doumerguei P. Monnier has the status of vulnerable. Analysis of local plant communities has shown the existence of 6 plant groups within 3 types of natural habitats that have been mapped. The ethnobotanical study carried out on 100 inhabitants of the study area made it possible to recognize 73 useful plants of which 69 are used for medicinal purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moss Micromitrium tenerum is rare in Europe and threatened with extinction. The aim of this study was to investigate its population status and ecology in England. Surveys were undertaken at most of the sites from where Micromitrium tenerum has been reported in England. Geographical coordinates of colonies were recorded with a GPS unit and used to derive counts of occupied Ordnance Survey grid cells at resolutions of 1, 10 and 100 m. Habitat and community composition were recorded by relevés. Micromitrium tenerum was found at three locations, one in North Devon and two adjacent sites in East Sussex, with a total of 25 occupied 1 m grid cells. It is likely to survive at a fourth site in West Sussex. Powdermill Reservoir (East Sussex) supported the majority (84%) of the population censused. The species has been lost from at least 11 sites, all in southeast England. Most current and historical locations of the moss were within the drawdown zone of seasonally fluctuating freshwater bodies, a notable exception being on muddy ground along tracks in an adjacent woodland. Vegetation comprised an open community of vascular plants and bryophytes, which most typically included Physcomitrium patens and Pseudephemerum nitidum. Soils were silty clays and strongly acidic (pH 4.1–5.1). Micromitrium tenerum has undergone a historic decline in England, due to a mixture of wetland loss, involving drainage and built development, and habitat transformation driven by change in wetland use. Presently, competitive exclusion by the non-native invasive New Zealand pigmyweed, Crassula helmsii, is the biggest threat to its future survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a small Mediterranean island (South Sardinia), we compared two non-native plant communities (respectively dominated by Malephora crocea and Mesembrianthemum cristallinum), located on an insular rocky cliff syntopic with a nesting gull's colony, with a native one (with Limonium sardoum dominant) used as a "control" (without nesting colony). Uni-variate metrics of diversity, Whittaker plot and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMMS) with Morisita distance, evidenced a clear pattern with non-native communities less rich, less even and less diverse, when compared to native assemblage. Limonium native community is probably competitive toward the Malephora community in the absence of gulls but tends to be outcompeted by Malephora in the presence of these seabirds. In this regard, our data suggest a hypothesis that should be tested in future: i.e. those non-native Malephora- and Mesembrynathemum-dominated plant assemblages are favored in those sites where the dropping of gulls creates a nitrophytic environment. Differences in exposition could appear also important to explain the occurrence of the two non-native communities (with Mesembryanthemum crystallinum located along the sea-exposed cliff and Malephora in the internal side, toward the inland). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to determine the effect on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) of adding potassium polyacrylate to a sandy soil under normal watering condition and drought. We focused on morphological and physiological characteristics of barley and its rhizosphere bacterial community structure using Illumina Miseq sequencing. It was found that under normal watering condition (70% of soil water holding capacity (WHC)), the soil water retention increased with the SAP addition to the soil. Barley plant height and weight, leaf relative water content and protein content decreased under drought (35% of soil WHC), the addition of SAP eliminated the negative effect of drought on plants, the proline content was reduced from 2.71 μg g−1 leave dry weight with stressed plants to 0.99 μg g−1 with only 0.2% of SAP. The barley rhizophere bacterial community was affected by drought. Changes in relative abundance were noticed at both phyla and OTU level. The SAP addition (0.8%) shifted the barley rhizophere bacterial community to become in part more similar to that of the normal watering condition. Also, we found that the SAP addition had a side effect itself on the barley rhizosphere bacterial community other than its capacity of water holding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The untapped microbial communities in medicinal plants can have a genetically varied population with multi-functional plant growth promoting characters. An attempt was made to investigate the effect of bioinoculant, Cohnella sp., Chryseobacterium taklimakanense, Lysobacter soli and Paenibacillus glycanilyticus isolated from the medicinal plant (Hemidesmus indicus) rhizosphere on the growth parameters of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) without chemical fertilizers. A vermicompost carrier based single, dual and multiple bio-inoculant formulation was developed and tested for the survival of individual strains, showed a maximum population of 1 × 106 cells g−1 after 90 days of storage at 28 ± 2 °C invariably in all formulations. The inoculums' efficiency on Kalmegh under greenhouse conditions resulted in boosted growth with the maximum plant height (95.8 cm) in Cohnella sp. application, followed by consortium of all strains recorded 91.5 cm. Flower initiation occurred sooner in plants inoculated with bacterial consortium of all as well in Cohnella sp. alone, consecutively resulted in highest Andrographolide content of 3.06% and 3.50%, respectively. Maximum fresh weight herbage yield of 39.5% and 27.5% (dry weight) was recorded in plants treated with bacterial consortium (Cohnella sp, C. taklimakanense, L. soli and P. glycanilyticus) over non-inoculated control as well the available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content. Germination of seed experiment revealed the synergism of bacterial isolates in consortium for promoting plant growth. Further, the quanta of inoculums is reduced by 25 percent in composite inoculation, in turn reduces the fertilizers expenditure and persist until the harvesting stage of the crop with the need to apply once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]