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Urban forests face multiple human-mediated pressures leading to compromised ecosystem structure and functioning. Therefore, understanding ecosystem structure in response to ongoing pressures is crucial for sustaining ecological integrity and human well-being. We aim to assess the disturbance and its effects on the vegetation structure of urban forests in Chandigarh using a combination of remote sensing techniques and vegetation surveys. The disturbance was evaluated as a change in NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) from 2001 to 2021 by applying the BFAST (Breaks For Additive Season and Trend) algorithm to the MODIS satellite imagery data. A vegetation survey was conducted to compare the species composition, taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity as measures of forest vegetational structure. While signals of disturbance were evident, the changes in vegetation structure were not well established from our study. Further, this analysis indicated no significant differences in vegetation composition due to disturbance (F 1,12  = 0.91, p = 0.575). However, the phylogenetic diversity was substantially lower for disturbed plots than undisturbed plots, though the taxonomic diversity was similar among the disturbed and undisturbed plots. Our results confirmed that disturbance effects are more prominent on the phylogenetic than taxonomic diversity. These findings can be considered early signals of disturbance and its impact on the vegetation structure of urban forests and contribute to the knowledge base on urban ecosystems. Our study has implications for facilitating evidence-based decision-making and the development of sustainable management strategies for urban forest ecosystems., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Bacillus species appearas the most attractive plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides. The present study examined the antagonistic potential of spore forming-Bacilli isolated from organic farm soil samples of Allahabad, India. Eighty-seven Bacillus strains were isolated and characterized based on their morphological, plant growth promoting traits and molecular characteristics. The diversity analysis used 16S-rDNA, BOX-element, and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus. Two strains, PR30 and PR32, later identified as Bacillus sp., exhibited potent in vitro antagonistic activity against Ralstonia solanaceorum. These isolates produced copious amounts of multiple PGP traits, such as indole-3-acetic acid (40.0 and 54.5 μg/mL), phosphate solubilization index (PSI) (4.4 and 5.3), ammonia, siderophore (3 and 4 cm), and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (8.1and 9.2 μM/mg//h) and hydrogen cyanide. These isolates were subjected to the antibiotic sensitivity test. The two potent isolates based on the higher antagonistic and the best plant growth-promoting ability were selected for plant growth-promoting response studies in tomatoe, broccoli, and chickpea. In the pot study, Bacillus subtilis (PR30 and PR31) showed significant improvement in seed germination (27-34%), root length (20-50%), shoot length (20-40%), vigor index (50-75%), carotenoid content (0.543-1.733), and lycopene content (2.333-2.646 mg/100 g) in tomato, broccoli, and chickpea. The present study demonstrated the production of multiple plant growth-promoting traits by the isolates and their potential as effective bioinoculants for plant growth promotion and biocontrol of phytopathogens., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Sustained elevated concentration of GHGs is predicted to increase global mortality. With the Australian health sector responsible for 7% of the nation's GHG emissions, the benefits and costs of various decarbonisation trajectories are currently being investigated. To assist with this effort, we model the impact earlier decarbonisation has on temperature-related mortality., Design: We used DICE-EMR, an Integrated Assessment Model with an endogenous mortality response, to simulate Australian GHG trajectories and estimate the temperature-related mortality impact of early decarbonisation. We modelled a linear decline of the Australian health sector's and economy's GHG annual emissions to net-zero targets of 2040 and 2050., Main Outcome Measure: Deaths averted and monetary-equivalent welfare gain., Results: Decarbonisation of the Australian health sector by 2050 and 2040 is projected to avert an estimated 69,000 and 77,000 global temperature-related deaths respectively in a Baseline global emissions scenario. Australian economy decarbonisation by 2050 and 2040 is projected to avert an estimated 988,000 and 1,101,000 global deaths respectively. Assuming a low discount rate and high global emissions trajectory, we estimate a monetary equivalent welfare gain of $151 billion if the Australian health sector decarbonises by 2040, only accounting for the benefits in reducing temperature-related mortality., Conclusions: Earlier decarbonisation has a significant impact on temperature-related mortality. Many uncertainties exist and health impacts other than temperature-related mortality are not captured by this analysis. Nevertheless, such models can help communicate the health risk of climate change and improve climate policy decision making., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Because of variation in incidence and severity of damage by Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) in different geographical regions, it is difficult to identify stable sources of resistance against this pest. Therefore, the present studies were undertaken on biological attributes (damage in resistant and susceptible genotypes, survival and development) and biochemical profiles (amino acids and lipophilic compound) of C. partellus populations from eight geographical regions to understand it's population structure in India. There was a significant variation in biological attributes and biochemical profiles of C. partellus populations from different geographical regions. Based on virulence and biological attributes, similarity index placed the C. partellus populations in five groups. Likewise, lipophilic and amino acid profiling also placed the C. partellus populations in five groups. However, the different clusters based on biological and biochemical attributes did not include populations from the same regions. Similarity index based on virulence, biological attributes, and amino acids and lipophilic profiles placed the C. partellus populations in six groups. The C. partellus populations from Hisar, Hyderabad, Parbhani and Coimbatore were distinct from each other, indicating that there are four biotypes of C. partellus in India. The results suggested that sorghum and maize genotypes need to be tested against these four populations to identify stable sources of resistance. However, there is a need for further studies to establish the restriction in gene flow through molecular approaches across geographical regions to establish the distinctiveness of different biotypes of C. partellus in India.

Ongoing and projected climate change is likely to greatly alter co-occurring stressor mechanisms, yet these potential interactions remain poorly understood in natural freshwater systems worldwide. As the global biodiversity crisis deepens, successful conservation efforts will hinge on developing mechanistic multiple stressor frameworks that have been ground-truthed in natural systems containing complex species dynamics and ecological processes. Our study examined the combined and interacting effects of potential climate and land use stressors on boreal stream fishes using data from over 300 catchments across a broad 250,000 km 2 region. To characterize boreal fish community health, we examined four indicators including species richness, total catch per unit effort, the proportion of lithophilic spawners (fish sensitive to sedimentation), and the assemblage tolerance index which provides a measurement of the overall community tolerance to disturbance. Land use stressors included total anthropogenic land use area and linear disturbance at multiple watershed scales as well as two site-specific habitat degradation indicators (dissolved oxygen and the proportion of fine substrate). Overall community richness and productivity were not negatively related to land use changes indicating potential compensatory dynamics (e.g. where intolerant species are replaced with more tolerant species as habitat quality degrades). In contrast, we observed declines for sensitive species, including highly valued salmonids, that varied depending on interactions between local climate, land use, and stream type. Sensitive species declines were concentrated in regions experiencing increased land use and warming, whereas increases were observed in cooler regions consistent with a subsidy-stress response. In addition, lithophilic spawners declined in watersheds experiencing warmer and wetter conditions owing to potential indirect effects on spawning habitat quality. Results from our study provide novel insight into complex climate and land use interactions occurring across a broad, real-world landscape, and highlight the potential for amplified species declines under future warming and land use scenarios., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Multiple species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can colonize roots of an individual plant species but factors which determine the selection of a particular AMF species in a plant root are largely unknown. The present work analysed the effects of drought, flooding and optimal soil moisture (15-20 %) on AMF community composition and structure in Sorghum vulgare roots, using PCR-RFLP. Rhizophagus irregularis (isolate BEG 21), and rhizosphere soil (mixed inoculum) of Heteropogon contortus, a perennial C4 grass, collected from the semi-arid Delhi ridge, were used as AMF inocula. Soil moisture functioned as an abiotic filter and affected AMF community assembly inside plant roots by regulating AMF colonization and phylotype diversity. Roots of plants in flooded soils had lowest AMF diversity whilst root AMF diversity was highest under the soil moisture regime of 15-20 %. Although plant biomass was not affected, root P uptake was significantly influenced by soil moisture. Plants colonized with R. irregularis or mixed AMF inoculum showed higher root P uptake than non-mycorrhizal plants in drought and control treatments. No differences in root P levels were found in the flooded treatment between plants colonized with R. irregularis and non-mycorrhizal plants, whilst under the same treatment, root P uptake was lower in plants colonized with mixed AMF inoculum than in non-mycorrhizal plants.

Sulfadiazine (SDZ) is an antibiotic frequently used in agricultural husbandry. Via manuring of excrements of medicated animals, the drug reaches the soil and might impair important biochemical transformation processes performed by microbes, e.g., the nitrogen turnover. We studied the effect of pig manure and SDZ-spiked pig manure on denitrifying bacteria by quantifying nirK and nirS nitrite reductase genes in two arable soils. Addition of manure entailed mainly an increase of nirK-harboring denitrifiers in both soils, whereas in the SDZ-amended treatments, primarily the nirS denitrifiers increased in abundance after the bioavailable SDZ had declined. However, the community composition of nirS nitrite reducers investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis did not change despite the observed alterations in abundance.

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an important source of reduced sulfur and carbon for marine microbial communities, as well as the precursor of the climate-active gas dimethylsulfide (DMS). In this study, we used metatranscriptomic sequencing to analyze gene expression profiles of a bacterial assemblage from surface waters at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) station with and without a short-term enrichment of DMSP (25 nM for 30 min). An average of 303 143 reads were obtained per treatment using 454 pyrosequencing technology, of which 51% were potential protein-encoding sequences. Transcripts from Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased in relative abundance on DMSP addition, yet there was little change in the contribution of two bacterioplankton groups whose cultured members harbor known DMSP degradation genes, Roseobacter and SAR11. The DMSP addition led to an enrichment of transcripts supporting heterotrophic activity, and a depletion of those encoding light-related energy generation. Genes for the degradation of C3 compounds were significantly overrepresented after DMSP addition, likely reflecting the metabolism of the C3 component of DMSP. Mapping these transcripts to known biochemical pathways indicated that both acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA may be common entry points of this moiety into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In a short time frame (30 min) in the extremely oligotrophic Sargasso Sea, different gene expression patterns suggest the use of DMSP by a diversity of marine bacterioplankton as both carbon and sulfur sources.

The phylogenetic diversity of bacterial communities in microbial mats of two different seasons from saline and hyperalkaline Lonar Lake was investigated using 16S rRNA gene library analysis. Arthrospira (Cyanobacteria) related clones (>80% of total clones) dominated libraries of both the seasons. Clear differences were found in both the seasons as the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) related to Fusibacter (LAI-1 and LAI-59) and Tindallia magadiensis (LAI-27) found in post-monsoon were not found in the pre-monsoon library. Likewise, OTUs related to Planococcus rifietensis (LAII-67), Bordetella hinzii (LAII-2) and Methylobacterium variabile (LAII-25) found in the pre-monsoon were not found in post-monsoon. The study was extended to identify methanotrophs in the surface mats. Libraries constructed with type I and type II methanotroph specific 16S rRNA gene primers showed the presence of clones (LAMI-99 and LAMII-2) closely related to Methylomicrobium buryaticum and Beijerinckiaceae family members. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting based on protein-coding genes (pmoA and mxaF) further confirmed the detection of Methylomicrobium sp. Hence, we report here for the first time the detection of putative methanotrophs in surface mats of Lonar Lake. The finding of clones related to organisms with interesting functional attributes such as assimilation of C(1) compounds (LAII-25, LAMI-39, LAMI-99 and LAMII-2), non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria (LAMII-43) and clones distantly affiliated to organisms of heavily polluted environments (LAI-59 and LAMII-52), is of significant note. These preliminary results would direct future studies on the functional dynamics of microbial mat associated food web chain in the extreme environment.

Recent culture-independent studies have revealed that a healthy vaginal ecosystem harbors a surprisingly complex assemblage of microorganisms. However, the spatial distribution and composition of vaginal microbial populations have not been investigated using molecular methods. Here, we evaluated site-specific microbial composition within the vaginal ecosystem and examined the influence of sampling technique in detection of the vaginal microbiota. 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were prepared from samples obtained from different locations (cervix, fornix, outer vaginal canal) and by different methods (swabbing, scraping, lavaging) from the vaginal tracts of eight clinically healthy, asymptomatic women. The data reveal that the vaginal microbiota is not homogenous throughout the vaginal tract but differs significantly within an individual with regard to anatomical site and sampling method used. Thus, this study illuminates the complex structure of the vaginal ecosystem and calls for the consideration of microenvironments when sampling vaginal microbiota as a clinical predictor of vaginal health.

The archaeal diversity in salt pan sediment from Mumbai, India, was investigated by 16S rDNA-dependent molecular phylogeny. Small-subunit rRNA (16S rDNA) from salt pan sediment metagenome were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific to the domain archaea. Thirty-two unique phylotypes were obtained by PCR-based RFLP of 16S rRNA genes using endonucleases Hae111 and Msp1, which were most suitable to score the genetic diversity. These phylotypes spanned a wide range within the domain Archaea including both Crenarchaeota and Euryarcheaota. However, none of the retrieved Crenarchaeota sequences could be grouped with previously cultured Crenarchaeota. Of all the Euryarcheaota sequences, three sequences were related to Haloarchaea, two were related to cultured Methanosarcina sp., and the remaining sequences were affiliated with uncultured Methanosarcina sp., Methanogenium sp., and Methanolobus sp. Most of the sequences determined were closely related to the sequences that had been previously obtained from metagenome of a variety of marine environments. The phylogenetic study of a site investigated for the first time revealed the presence of a highly diverse archaeal population and may represent novel sequences and organisms specially adapted to the salt pan sediment of Mumbai. These findings are of fundamental value for understanding the complexity of salt pan ecosystems.

Ozone is considered as the main factor in air pollution related to a decline of forest in North America and Europe. In the present study, the effect of changed litter quality, due to ozone stress to trees, on the microbial communities colonizing the subsequent litter was investigated. Litter bag technique using beech and spruce litter from ozone-stressed and control trees, was combined with 16S and 18S rRNA-based fingerprinting methods and cloning to characterize phylogenetic diversity. Litter bags were incubated for 2 and 8 weeks in a beech-spruce mixed forest. Differences between the structure of microbial communities colonizing control and ozone-exposed litter were evident by fingerprints of 16S and 18S rRNA RT-PCR products. RT-PCR products, from litter degraded for 8 weeks, were cloned to identify the bacterial and fungal groups. Clones similar to members of Actinobacteria dominated the bacterial libraries, whereas effects of changed litter quality were mainly observed for the Proteobacteria. Fungal libraries were dominated by clones similar to Ascomycota members. Reduced proportion of clones similar to Basidiomycota and Zygomycota in library from ozone-stressed spruce trees and Chytridiomycota from ozone-stressed beech trees was observed when compared to their control counterparts. As hypothesized, changed litter quality due to elevated O3 did influence the structure of litter-colonizing microbial communities. However, these differences were not as pronounced as those between the two plant species.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of decomposition site and plant litter species on the colonizing microbial communities. For this, litter bag technique using beech and spruce litter was combined with RNA-based fingerprinting and cloning. Litter bags were incubated for 2 and 8 weeks in the Ah horizon of beech and beech-spruce mixed forest sites. Although sugars and starch were rapidly lost, lignin content increased by more than 40% for beech and more than doubled for spruce litter at both soil sites at the end of the experiment. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of 16S and 18S rRNA RT-PCR products was used for screening of differences between bacterial and fungal communities colonizing the two litter types. Development of the microbial community over time was observed to be specific for each litter type and decomposition site. RT-PCR products from both litter types incubated in beech-spruce mixed forest site were also cloned to identify the bacterial and fungal colonizers. The 16S rRNA clone libraries of beech litter were dominated by gamma-proteobacterial members, whereas spruce libraries were mainly composed of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-proteobacterial members. Ascomycota members dominated the 18S rRNA clone libraries. Clones similar to Zygomycota were absent from spruce, whereas those similar to Basidiomycota and Glomeromycota were absent from beech libraries. Selective effects of litter quality were observed after 8 weeks. The study provides an insight into the bacterial and fungal communities colonizing beech and spruce litter, and the importance of litter quality and decomposition site as key factors in their development and succession.

Our collections from the wetlands of Majuli, the largest river island of the world and a unique fluvial landform of the Brahmaputra river basin of northeast India, reveal 55 Cladocera species belonging to 36 genera. These represent ~46.0% and ~79.0% of the freshwater species and genera of the taxon known from India, respectively. The Indo-Chinese Alona kotovi is new record from India and the Indo-Chinese Chydorus angustirostris is new to northeast India. The Australasian Disperalona caudata, the Indo-Chinese Alona cheni, and the Oriental Celsinotum macronyx and Kurzia (Rostrokurzia) brevilabris are other biogeographically notable elements while several species are of regional interest. The speciose and diverse Cladocera reflect habitat diversity and environmental heterogeneity of the sampled ecosystems. The fauna records rich diversity of the littoral-periphytonic taxa in general and the Chydoridae in particular. Majuli Cladocera is characterized by lack of Leydigiopsis, Daphnia spp. and Acroperus harpae; fewer Diaphanosoma spp., and uncommon occurrence of the Bosminidae and Moinidae as compared with our samples elsewhere from the floodplains of the Brahmaputra basin.

The North Eastern Region (NER) is bestowed with unique ethnicity and rich biodiversity (flora and fauna) that are inherent to this region and inquisitive traditional practices. The region is a reservoir of indigenous knowledge and practices. NE agriculture has its own merit, demerit, diversity and heterogeneity which distinguish it from the agriculture of the rest part of the country. Indigenous knowledge's used in agriculture in various parts of Manipur state of NE India is still not fully explored explored. Given this background, a survey was carried out in 15 villages of Manipur for identification and documentation of different indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) used in agriculture. Initially the detail information was collected from respondents and further validated. All total 15 numbers of ITKs were documented and validated by triangulation method. These includes seedling raising of crops (1), crop protection from birds (2), crop protection from insect-pest and diseases (10), soil management (1) and poultry farming (1). There is a great need to document and validate ITK before it vanishes with the passage of time. Hence, folk wisdom and modern scientific approach may be combined to achieve the 'technology blending' for the evolution of new technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess biodiversity status of Rotifera known from India to-date based on our studies from various regions of this country and evaluation of other viable records, and highlight notable features of biogeography and richness. The Indian fauna reveals 434 valid species belonging to 68 genera and 25 families and thus indicates the most biodiverse Rotifera vis-àvis south and Southeast Asia, and records ~25% and ~41% species of global and regional biogeographic interest. It depicts the littoral-periphytic nature, broadly tropical character, the limited reports of cold-water species from the sub-Himalayan and Himalayan latitudes, paucity of the endemics and Bdelloids, and cryptic diversity awaits analyses. The richest diversity and distinct biogeographic identity of Rotifera of Northeast India (NEI) is attributed to location of this region in the 'Himalayan and Indo-Burmese' biodiversity hot-spots, 'Assam gateway' - the biogeographic corridor, and the 'Rotiferologist effect'. Regional disparity and spatial heterogeneity of biodiversity elsewhere from India are attributed to the limited sampling, inadequate collections from diverse ecosystems, unidentified species, and paucity of attention on smaller species. The biodiverse rotifer assemblages of the floodplain lakes including Deepor Beel and Loktak Lake, the two Ramsar sites and globally megadiverse ecosystems, are hypothesized to habitat diversity of these ecotones, while 'Rotifera paradox' depict speciose constellations per sample. The species-rich small floodplain and urban wetlands focus interest on rotifer diversity in small water bodies. We estimate more diverse Indian Rotifera following analyses of collections from underexplored and unexplored regions and ecosystems, and the bdelloid and sessile rotifers using integrative taxonomic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present analysis of alpha diversity of Rotifera of the floodplain wetlands of Barak valley, south Assam, northeast India (NEI) reveals 170 species, belonging to 39 genera and 19 families, with three species new to the Indian sub-region and two species new to Assam state. The rich and diverse rotifer assemblages comprise ~70%, ~57% and ~39% of total species of the Phylum known till date from Assam, NEI and India, respectively and thus affirm habitat and ecological heterogeneity of the Barak River floodplain wetlands. The elements of global biogeographic importance include one Australasian, eight Oriental, 10 Paleotropical, one Indo-Chinese, one cosmo (sub) tropical and four other species, and ~37% species merit regional distribution interest for India with ~13% exclusively reported from NEI. Lecanidae (~30%) and Brachionidae Lepadellidae (~32%) largely contribute to the rotifer richness; Trichocercidae > Testudinellidae are notable (~15%), and Notommatidae, Euchlanidae, Mytilinidae, Trichotriidae and Trochosphaeridae collectively form 16.5%. Lecane is the most speciose genus; Lepadella > Brachionus = Trichocerca include ~32% species, while Testudinella > Keratella deserve mention. Rotifera of the Barak floodplains exhibit the littoral-periphytonic nature, several small sized species and tropical character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) epidemics have been reported to be driven by few genetic lineages, while a high diversity is evident at the Pst Himalayan centre of diversity. This study investigated the relationship between pathotype diversity and genetic structure in Nepal, the eastern Himalayan region, which has been largely unexplored. Despite the high genetic diversity and recombinant structure detected through microsatellite genotyping, characterization of virulence phenotypes for 62 isolates identified only eight pathotypes, with two pathotypes predominant over all the populations. This is in contrast to the Pakistani and Chinese recombinant populations, where high pathotype diversity is associated with genetic diversity. The most prevalent Nepali pathotype was not a unique clonal lineage, but was represented by seven multilocus genotypes from four distinct genetic subgroups, suggesting strong directional selection on virulence genes, resulting in convergent pathotypes in distinct genetic groups. This convergent selection is discussed in comparison with clonal French and recombinant Pakistani populations. Additionally, the Nepali Pst population carried virulence to 17 out of 24 tested yellow rust resistance genes (Yr), with the absence of virulence to Victo and Early Premium and resistance genes Yr5, Yr10, Yr15, Yr24 and Yr26. Virulence to Yr2, Yr7, Yr27 and YrSu were fixed in all isolates, in line with the deployment of these resistance genes in Nepal. The results reflect the influence of resistance gene deployment on selection of virulence and pathotypes in a recombinant pathogen population, which must be considered in the context of durable resistance gene deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Length‐weight relationships (LWRs) for five indigenous fish species under five genera and two families, namely Cyprinion semiplotum (McClelland, 1839), Barilius barna (Hamilton, 1822), Barilius barila (Hamilton, 1822), Gagata sexualis Tilak, 1970 and Pseudolaguvia shawi (Hora, 1921) were studied from Torsa River in West Bengal, India. Sampling was done at quarterly intervals from November, 2015 to December, 2016 and a total of 701 fish specimens were collected using cast nets (mesh size of 15–20 mm), gill nets (mesh size 20–35 mm) and bamboo traps. In the present study, b value ranges from 2.686 to 3.268. LWRs for these fish species (except P. shawi) have not been reported in FishBase. A new maximum length has been recorded for P. Shawi and G. sexualis. The relative condition factor (Kn) values was found to range from 1.004 to 1.028. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate diversity status of the Brachionidae of India and present an annotated checklist of 46 species excluding dubious and unconfirmed reports. These merit biodiversity value as ~27% of the global diversity of the taxon and ~81% of its Oriental species. We observed two Australasian elements, two Oriental endemics, one Indian endemic, one paleotropical and one cosmo (sub) tropical species. The cold-water Keratella serrulata and Notholca squamula are new records from eastern Himalayas. Maximum brachionid diversity (32 species) from Assam state of northeast India (NEI) is followed by the reports of 27 and 26 species from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively; 25 species each from Tripura and Maharashtra; and 24 species from Jammu & Kashmir. Brachionus, the most diverse brachionid genus, is widely distributed in India with low richness in hill states of NEI and coastal waters in particular. The Indian brachionid taxonomy is confounded with unconfirmed reports, misidentifications, invalid taxa, and inconsistent treatment of morphological variants, while analysis of cryptic diversity in Brachionus calyciflorus, B. caudatus, B. forficula, B. plicatilis, B. quadridentatus, B. urceolaris, Keratella cochlearis and K. quadrata species-groups awaits attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyse the effect of sudden temperature increases (in the range of 45–65 °C) on the performance and the microbial community structure of a hybrid anaerobic reactor. The reactor recovered with time after every temperature shock up to the operating temperature of 55 °C. At 55 °C, a 10 °C shock resulting in an operating temperature of 65 °C, deteriorated the reactor’s performance. At this condition, both, the diversity and the relative abundance of methanogenic groups, especially of Methanosaetaceae , were significantly affected as observed by DGGE fingerprinting and quantitative PCR. In contrast, at lower temperatures (i.e., 45 and 55 °C), thermal shocks seemed to have less effect due to the presence and maintenance of thermophilic strains, which prevented system deterioration. At 65 °C, the absence of any acetoclastic methanogen is assumed to be the cause of system failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]