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ABSTRACT Aim Location Taxon Methods Results Main Conclusions Phylogenetic niche conservatism predicts that species tend to retain the ecological traits of their ancestors. Accordingly, communities developing under more stressful conditions should be more strongly structured by environmental filtering than communities in less stressful conditions, and thus would exhibit lower phylogenetic dispersion and diversity. Elevational gradients offer unique opportunities to studying, among others, phylogenetic structure patterns across climatic gradients because the geographic distance of the same length of a climatic gradient is much shorter along an elevational gradient than along a latitudinal gradient. Here, we examine the relationship of phylogenetic diversity and dispersion of angiosperms in local communities with elevation and climate along a temperate elevational gradient.The Siskiyou Mountains in the western United States.Angiosperms.Phylogenetic diversity and dispersion of angiosperms in 236 local communities distributed along an elevational gradient ranging from 533 to 2103 m were related with elevation, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation using correlation and regression analyses. Variation partitioning analysis was conducted to assess the relative importance of temperature and precipitation in affecting phylogenetic diversity and dispersion.Phylogenetic diversity and dispersion in angiosperm communities generally decrease with increasing elevation but the opposite pattern is observed in the middle segment of the elevational gradient. The patterns are more conspicuous for herbaceous plants than for woody plants. Temperature is more strongly associated with phylogenetic diversity and dispersion of angiosperm communities compared to precipitation.The patterns of phylogenetic diversity and dispersion in angiosperm communities along the elevational gradient in the Siskiyou Mountains are consistent with the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis, which predicts that communities in areas with lower temperature and precipitation would have lower phylogenetic diversity and dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Beta‐diversity quantifies the change in taxonomic and phylogenetic composition between areas, and is a scalar between local (α) and regional (γ) diversity. Geographic distance, which reflects dispersal limitation, and climatic distance, which reflects environmental filtering, are major drivers of β‐diversity. Here, we analyse a comprehensive data set of angiosperms in regional floras across Africa to assess the relationships of β‐diversity, and its components, to three major types of environmental variables (current climate, Quaternary climate change and topographic heterogeneity) thought to drive β‐diversity. Location: Africa. Taxon: Angiosperms. Methods: Africa was divided into 27 regions. Species lists of angiosperms for each region were collated. The relationships of both taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity, and their respective turnover and nestedness components, with geographic and environmental distances were assessed. Results: This study showed that (1) regions of the lowest β‐diversity are located in moist tropical climates, (2) the turnover and nestedness components of β‐diversity are negatively correlated with each other, (3) taxonomic β‐diversity is higher than phylogenetic β‐diversity across Africa, (4) variation in β‐diversity of angiosperms is more strongly associated with current climate than with Quaternary climate change and topographic heterogeneity and (5) the variation in taxonomic β‐diversity and its turnover component that is independently explained by geographic distance is much larger than that is independently explained by climatic distance for angiosperms in Africa. Main Conclusions: The finding that geographic distance explained more variation than climatic distance suggests that dispersal limitation plays a greater role than environmental filtering in shaping angiosperm β‐diversity in Africa. Of climatic factors, current climate plays a more important role than Quaternary climate change in shaping angiosperm β‐diversity in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zingiber baumii Chatan & Promprom, a new species from the Zingiberaceae family, is described from Sakon Nakhon Province in northeastern Thailand. This species was identified during field expeditions conducted between 2018 and 2024 in Phu Pha Yol National Park. The morphological characteristics of Z. baumii, such as red or pinkish‐red leaf sheaths, leaf blades (1.5−) 2.0–3.0 cm wide, pink petioles, and bright yellow corolla with a red patch, distinguish it from closely related species such as Z. isanense Triboun & K. Larsen. Zingiber baumii grows in slightly shaded dry dipterocarp forests at elevations of 300–380 m. The preliminary conservation assessment indicates that this species should be classified as Endangered (EN) according to IUCN criteria due to its limited distribution and small population size. Detailed morphological comparisons with related species are provided, along with illustrations and habitat descriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reticulated iris is one of the most attractive wild ornamentals and bulbous irises and is widely distributed throughout the mountains of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Because little is known about the genetic diversity and population structure of this plant species in Iraq, this study was undertaken to fill that gap. In the present study, 10 start codon-targeted (SCoT) polymorphic and 10 sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 50 wild reticulated iris accessions from five different sites in Iraqi Kurdistan. Overall, the SCoT and SRAP markers produced 135 and 87 polymorphic bands, respectively. The average number of polymorphic bands (TPB), number of observed alleles (Na), Shannon's information index (I), effective number of alleles (Ne), expected heterozygosity or gene diversity (He), polymorphic information content, and unbiased expected heterozygosity (uHe) were 13.7, 1.54, 0.35, 1.40, 0.23, 0.31, and 0.25, respectively, for the SCoT markers and 8.7, 1.54, 0.36, 1.40, 0.24, 0.32, and 0.25, respectively, for the SRAP markers. According to the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram and structure analysis, SCoT markers grouped 50 reticulated iris accessions into two main clades with some subclades, SRAP markers separated these accessions into four main clades, and the combination of both markers divided all accessions into five main clades. The analysis of molecular variance revealed 80.00, 76.00, and 78.38% variability within populations using SCoT, SRAP, and SCoT+SRAP markers, respectively. Except for the private band numbers for the SCoT, SRAP, and SCoT+SRAP markers, population 3, population 1, and population 3 had the highest diversity indices, respectively. The highest genetic similarity among populations was revealed by the SRAP markers between population 2 and population 3, with 92% similarity. The findings of this study demonstrate the efficacy of these markers for determining genetic variation in iris accessions, in addition to their use in conserving germplasm and genome diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alocasia sakonakhonensis Chatan & Promprom (Araceae), a new species from northeastern Thailand, is described and illustrated. It is clearly different from other previously known species by leaves, spathe, ovary, sterile interstice, synandria, and appendix. Color illustrations, and a distribution map are provided, as well as comparative morphological characters about its similar species. The preliminary conservation status assessment of the new species was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Butterflies play a crucial role in pollination by feeding on nectar from flowers. In the urbanized area, the interaction of butterflies and flowering plants indicates the state of the environment in this area. Tridax procumbens Linnaeus is an invasive plant, best known as a widespread weed and pest plant. A study was conducted to analyze the association of butterflies with T. procumbens in different time intervals, namely 10 am – 12 pm, 12 – 2 pm, and 2 – 4 pm. A total of 34 species of butterflies belonging to 5 families were reported to visit this plant. Among these three time slots, 12 pm to 2 pm holds significantly the highest number of butterfly visitors (X2=13131.3818, df=33, p=0.00001). The present study demonstrated that the presence of butterfly species and their frequency on T. procumbens shows different visitation patterns for different families in each time interval. The study determined that the butterfly species helps to pollinate this plant, which in turn helps to conserve these butterfly species.

Despite its millennial existence and empirical documentation, the ethnological knowledge of herbs is a more recent phenomenon. The knowledge of their historical uses as food, medicine, source of income and small-scale businesses, and the sociological impacts are threatened due to the slow ethnobotanical research drive. Species of the genus Solanum have long been extensively used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses of humans since the dawn of civilization. All data were systematically obtained from papers, monographs, and books written in Uzbek, Russian, and English through various scientific online databases, including Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science using specific keywords focused on eight Solanum species. Eight native and non-native Solanum species as S. dulcamara L., S. lycopersicum L., S. melongena L., S. nigrum L., S. rostratum Dunal., S. sisymbriifolium Lam., S. tuberosum L., and S. villosum Mill. have been recorded in Uzbekistan of Central Asia. In this article we presented recently obtained data on the diversity, morphological characteristics, global distribution, habitat, population status, phenology, reproduction, pharmacology and phytochemistry of these Solanum species in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, relying on a combination of literature reviews and analyses from various scientific papers, we focus on food consumption coupled with global ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses in human diseases of the Solanum species growing in Uzbekistan. Since the dawn of civilization, these eight cultivated and non-cultivated species of Solanum have provided sustainable resources of medicinal plants in Uzbekistan to prevent and treat various human diseases. Based on the collected data, it was shown that Solanum species have not been studied ethnobotanically and ethnomedicinally in Uzbekistan and it is necessary to conduct phytochemical and biotechnological research on them in the future. Traditional uses and scientific evaluation of Solanum indicate that S. nigrum, S. sisymbriifolium and S. tuberosum are one of the most widely used species in some parts of the world. Although considerable progress has been made to comprehend the chemical and biological properties of S. nigrum and S. tuberosum species, more research on the pharmacology and toxicology of these species is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of their biologically active extracts and isolated bioactive compounds. Additionally, conducting additional research on the structure-activity relationship of certain isolated phytochemicals has the potential to enhance their biological efficacy and advance the scientific utilization of traditional applications of Solanum taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta diversity (β-diversity) is the scalar between local (α) and regional (γ) diversity. Understanding geographic patterns of β-diversity is central to ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology. A full understanding of the origin and maintenance of geographic patterns of β-diversity requires exploring both taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity, as well as their respective turnover and nestedness components, and exploring phylogenetic β-diversity at different evolutionary depths. In this study, we explore and map geographic patterns of β-diversity for angiosperm genera in regional floras across the world. We examine both taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity and their constituent components, and both tip-weighted and basal-weighted phylogenetic β-diversity, and relate them to latitude. On the one hand, our study found that the global distribution of β-diversity is highly heterogeneous. This is the case for both taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity, and for both tip-weighted and basal-weighted phylogenetic β-diversity. On the other hand, our study found that there are highly consistent geographic patterns among different metrics of β-diversity. In most cases, metrics of β-diversity are negatively associated with latitude, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. Different metrics of taxonomic β-diversity are strongly and positively correlated with their counterparts of phylogenetic β-diversity.

Despite its millennial existence and empirical documentation, the ethnological knowledge of herbs is a more recent phenomenon. The knowledge of their historical uses as food, medicine, source of income and small-scale businesses, and the sociological impacts are threatened due to the slow ethnobotanical research drive. Species of the genus Solanum have long been extensively used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses of humans since the dawn of civilization. All data were systematically obtained from papers, monographs, and books written in Uzbek, Russian, and English through various scientific online databases, including Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science using specific keywords focused on eight Solanum species. Eight native and non-native Solanum species as S. dulcamara L., S. lycopersicum L., S. melongena L., S. nigrum L., S. rostratum Dunal., S. sisymbriifolium Lam., S. tuberosum L., and S. villosum Mill. have been recorded in Uzbekistan of Central Asia. In this article we presented recently obtained data on the diversity, morphological characteristics, global distribution, habitat, population status, phenology, reproduction, pharmacology and phytochemistry of these Solanum species in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, relying on a combination of literature reviews and analyses from various scientific papers, we focus on food consumption coupled with global ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological uses in human diseases of the Solanum species growing in Uzbekistan. Since the dawn of civilization, these eight cultivated and non-cultivated species of Solanum have provided sustainable resources of medicinal plants in Uzbekistan to prevent and treat various human diseases. Based on the collected data, it was shown that Solanum species have not been studied ethnobotanically and ethnomedicinally in Uzbekistan and it is necessary to conduct phytochemical and biotechnological research on them in the future. Traditional uses and scientific evaluation of Solanum indicate that S. nigrum, S. sisymbriifolium and S. tuberosum are one of the most widely used species in some parts of the world. Although considerable progress has been made to comprehend the chemical and biological properties of S. nigrum and S. tuberosum species, more research on the pharmacology and toxicology of these species is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of their biologically active extracts and isolated bioactive compounds. Additionally, conducting additional research on the structure-activity relationship of certain isolated phytochemicals has the potential to enhance their biological efficacy and advance the scientific utilization of traditional applications of Solanum taxa.

Astragalus L. is one of the main genera of blossoming plants, and its diversity of species and forms is well known. The Astragalus L. taxa make a significant contribution to the mountainous and steppe ecosystems of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Although the species within this genus have been the subject of several molecular studies, the evolutionary relationships among these species remain unidentified. Despite extensive research, little is known about the phylogenetic relationships among the various subgenera of Astragalus. This research is intended to investigate the molecular variation of 33 species of the genus Astragalus L. found in the Kurdistan area of Iraq. For molecular validations, three separate techniques (nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR), and conserved DNA-derived polymorphism (CDDP)) were used. With respect to Astragalus L. indentations, universal ITS1 and ITS4 gene sequencing was used, and the discovered sequences were subjected to BLAST searches in the NCBI database. A phylogenetic tree was generated with two main clades. Regarding detecting genetic diversity between the taxa, 24 molecular markers (14 ISSR and 10 CDDP) were used. High values of polymorphic materials and gene diversity were detected. ISSR markers had an average of 22.71 polymorphic bands per primer, while CDDP markers had the highest mean values for polymorphic information content (0.37), Shannon's information index (0.27), expected heterozygosity (0.19), and unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.23). Cluster and principal coordinate analyses divided the Astragalus L. taxa into four main groups using the two molecular data sets. According to the results of the molecular variance analysis, the highest variation was detected within sections, with values of 92.01 and 89.48% for ISSR and CDDP markers, respectively. These outcomes suggest the effectiveness of molecular markers and the ITS region in determining and identifying genetic correlations between Astragalus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To diagnose lily fasciation, lily bulbs showing fasciation were collected from several greenhouses in Jeju Island, South Korea. Bacteria were isolated from the lily bulbs and amplified with both primers for fasA in plasmid and for putative glycosyltransferase epsH gene in chromosome of Rhodococcus fascians. Three bacterial isolates were detected with the P450 primer set and identified as R. fascians by NCBI blast analysis. Twelve bacterial isolates were identified as R. fascians using RS02785 primer set, including the three bacterial isolates identified as the same pathogen using the P450 primer set. Pathogenicity of these bacterial strains identified as R. fascians was demonstrated. Apparent symptoms were observed on wounded lily leaves after inoculation with each bacterial suspension whereas no symptom was found on lily leaves treated with H2O. Furthermore, bacteria re-isolated from wounded sites were identified as R. fascians. Based on the results, these two sets of primers are recommended for quarantine of R. fascians.

[Objectives] To identify the species of flower-visiting insects in the meadow steppe of the eastern Tianshan Mountains, and investigate their flower visiting behavior, in order to better protect these species and the essential pollination services they provide to various plant resources in this grassland region. [Methods] The relationship between local flower-visiting insects and flowering plant species was investigated from June to August 2021 using sweep nets, visual inspection and videography. [Results] Thirty-three species from 17 families and 5 orders of flower visiting insects were identified, of which the main orders were the Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. Flowering plants visited by these insects included 15 species in 8 orders, and 9 families. Apis mellifera was the main pollinator of Potentilla supina, whereas Syrphus nitens was the main pollinator of Cnidium monnieri and Colias erate was the main pollinator of Cirsium japonicum. The peak of daily activity of these three flower-visiting insects is between 12:00 and 14:00. During this period, the average frequency of Apis mellifera visits to P. supina was (9.43 ± 2.27), with most visits recorded when 7 flowers were visited. The average visit duration to a single flower was (6.71 ± 1.45) s. The average frequency of S. nitens visits to C. monnieri flowers was (5.30 ± 1.23), the highest frequency was recorded when 4 flowers were visited. The average duration of a visit to a single flower was (13.79 ± 3.40) s; The average frequency of visits of C. erate to Cirsium japonicum was (1.58 ± 0.13), the highest frequency of visits was recorded when just 1 flower was visited. The average duration of a visit to a single flower was (10.42 ± 2.90) s. [Conclusion] Flower-visiting insects and types of flowering plants in the eastern Tianshan Mountains will change over time. The abundance of pollinating insects in this grassland region can be improved by increasing the corresponding host plant resources. Reasonable use of the behavioral characteristics of different flower-visiting insects can be made to pollinate specific plant resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the sexual reproduction of flowering plants, two independent fertilization events occur almost simultaneously: two identical sperm cells fuse with either the egg cell or the central cell, resulting in embryo and endosperm development to produce a seed. GCS1/HAP2 is a sperm cell membrane protein essential for plasma membrane fusion with both female gametes. Other sperm membrane proteins, DMP8 and DMP9, are more important for egg cell fertilization than that of the central cell, suggesting its regulatory mechanism in GCS1/HAP2-driving gamete membrane fusion. To assess the GCS1/HAP2 regulatory cascade in the double fertilization system of flowering plants, we produced Arabidopsis transgenic lines expressing different GCS1/HAP2 variants and evaluated the fertilization in vivo. The fertilization pattern observed in GCS1_RNAi transgenic plants implied that sperm cells over the amount of GCS1/HAP2 required for fusion on their surface could facilitate membrane fusion with both female gametes. The cytological analysis of the dmp8dmp9 sperm cell arrested alone in an embryo sac supported GCS1/HAP2 distribution on the sperm surface. Furthermore, the fertilization failures with both female gametes were caused by GCS1/HAP2 secretion from the egg cell. These results provided a possible scenario of GCS1/HAP2 regulation, showing a potential scheme for capturing additional GCS1/HAP2-interacting proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus L. is one of the main genera of blossoming plants, and its diversity of species and forms is well known. The Astragalus L. taxa make a significant contribution to the mountainous and steppe ecosystems of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Although the species within this genus have been the subject of several molecular studies, the evolutionary relationships among these species remain unidentified. Despite extensive research, little is known about the phylogenetic relationships among the various subgenera of Astragalus. This research is intended to investigate the molecular variation of 33 species of the genus Astragalus L. found in the Kurdistan area of Iraq. For molecular validations, three separate techniques (nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR), and conserved DNA-derived polymorphism (CDDP)) were used. With respect to Astragalus L. indentations, universal ITS1 and ITS4 gene sequencing was used, and the discovered sequences were subjected to BLAST searches in the NCBI database. A phylogenetic tree was generated with two main clades. Regarding detecting genetic diversity between the taxa, 24 molecular markers (14 ISSR and 10 CDDP) were used. High values of polymorphic materials and gene diversity were detected. ISSR markers had an average of 22.71 polymorphic bands per primer, while CDDP markers had the highest mean values for polymorphic information content (0.37), Shannon’s information index (0.27), expected heterozygosity (0.19), and unbiased expected heterozygosity (0.23). Cluster and principal coordinate analyses divided the Astragalus L. taxa into four main groups using the two molecular data sets. According to the results of the molecular variance analysis, the highest variation was detected within sections, with values of 92.01 and 89.48% for ISSR and CDDP markers, respectively. These outcomes suggest the effectiveness of molecular markers and the ITS region in determining and identifying genetic correlations between Astragalus species.

Why sex has evolved and is maintained is an open question in evolutionary biology. The Red Queen hypothesis predicts that host lineages subjected to more intense parasite pressure should invest more in sexual reproduction to continuously create novel defences against their rapidly evolving natural enemies. In this comparative study across the angiosperms, we show that hermaphrodite plant species associated with higher species richness of insect herbivores evolved flowers with higher biomass allocation towards the male sex, an indication of their greater outcrossing effort. This pattern remained robust after controlling for key vegetative, reproductive and biogeographical traits, suggesting that long‐term herbivory pressure is a key factor driving the selfing–outcrossing gradient of higher plants. Although flower evolution is frequently associated with mutualistic pollinators, our findings support the Red Queen hypothesis and suggest that insect herbivores drive the sexual strategies of flowering plants and their genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acilepis nakhonphanomensis Chatan & Promprom, a new species in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae) from northeastern Thailand, is described and illustrated. It mainly differs from other previously known similar Acilepis species by the receptacle, leaf blade margin, involucre, floret, corolla tube, anther, style, and achene. Colour illustrations, line drawings, distribution map, and morphological comparisons with its allied species are provided. The conservation status of the new species was also assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Floral plantings are often used in agriculture to attract pollinator communities, but they also play an important role in recruiting and establishing natural communities for natural pest control. Inconsistent effects of floral plantings for pest control may be a result of an absence of mechanistic insights and a reliance on the idea that simply increasing flower diversity will benefit these services. A more tailored set of flower species may be needed to benefit the natural enemies through provision of nectar and alternative prey. We used an outside pot experiment to investigate the effect of three flower plants (Fagopyrum esculentum, Vicia faba, and Trifolium pratense) on reducing aphid pests on four different plant cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare), over two years. We grew the four cultivars of barley alone, next to a single flower or next to a mixture of flowers, and observed aphid and natural enemy colonization across the growing season. Aphid population sizes were reduced on all barley cultivars grown next to a flower with stronger pest suppression when all flowers were present. Each flower species recruited a different community of non‐barley aphids that, in turn, varied in their ability to establish the natural enemy populations and subsequently the ability to reduce barley aphid populations. Overall, increased pest suppression in the mixed treatments was a result of numerous weaker interactions between different flower, aphid, and natural enemy species, rather than a few dominant interactions. Natural enemy communities could be enhanced by incorporating flower species that vary in their ability to attract and host alternative prey (i.e., non‐pest aphids) as well as suitable nectar provisioning. We can use our knowledge of ecological interactions to tailor floral plantings to increase the effectiveness of pest control services.

Plant cell wall proteins (CWPs) play critical roles during plant development and in response to stresses. Proteomics has revealed their great diversity. With nearly 1000 identified CWPs, the Arabidopsis thaliana cell wall proteome is the best described to date and it covers the main plant organs and cell suspension cultures. Other monocot and dicot plants have been studied as well as bryophytes, such as Physcomitrella patens and Marchantia polymorpha. Although these proteomes were obtained using various flowcharts, they can be searched for the presence of members of a given protein family. Thereby, a core cell wall proteome which does not pretend to be exhaustive, yet could be defined. It comprises: (i) glycoside hydrolases and pectin methyl esterases, (ii) class III peroxidases, (iii) Asp, Ser and Cys proteases, (iv) non-specific lipid transfer proteins, (v) fasciclin arabinogalactan proteins, (vi) purple acid phosphatases and (vii) thaumatins. All the conserved CWP families could represent a set of house-keeping CWPs critical for either the maintenance of the basic cell wall functions, allowing immediate response to environmental stresses or both. Besides, the presence of non-canonical proteins devoid of a predicted signal peptide in cell wall proteomes is discussed in relation to the possible existence of alternative secretion pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We aim to assess the influence of phylogenetic scale on the relationships of taxonomic and phylogenetic turnovers with environment for angiosperms in China. Specifically, we quantify the effects of contemporary climate on β‐diversity at different phylogenetic scales representing different evolutionary depths of angiosperms. We sampled a latitudinal gradient and a longitudinal gradient of angiosperm assemblages across China (each ≥3400 km). Species composition in each assemblage was documented. Three metrics of β‐diversity (βsim.tax measuring taxonomic β‐diversity; βsim.phy and Dpw measuring tip‐ and basal‐weighted phylogenetic β‐diversity, respectively) were quantified among assemblages at sequential depths in the evolutionary history of angiosperms from the tips to deeper branches. This was done by slicing the angiosperm phylogenetic tree at six evolutionary depths (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 million years ago). β‐diversity at each evolutionary depth was related to geographic and climatic distances between assemblages. In general, the relationship between β‐diversity and climatic distance decreased from shallow to deep evolutionary time slice for all the three metrics. The slopes of the decreasing trends for βsim.tax and βsim.phy were much steeper for the latitudinal gradient than for the longitudinal gradient. The decreasing trend of the strength of the relationship was monotonic in all cases except for Dpw across the longitudinal gradient. Geographic distance between assemblages explained little variation in β‐diversity that was not explained by climatic distance. Our study shows that the strength of the relationship between β‐diversity and climatic distance decreases conspicuously from shallow to deep evolutionary depth for the latitudinal gradient, but this decreasing trend is less steep for the longitudinal gradient than for the latitudinal gradient, which likely reflects the influence of historical processes (e.g., the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate) on β‐diversity.

We aim to assess the influence of phylogenetic scale on the relationships of taxonomic and phylogenetic turnovers with environment for angiosperms in China. Specifically, we quantify the effects of contemporary climate on β‐diversity at different phylogenetic scales representing different evolutionary depths of angiosperms. We sampled a latitudinal gradient and a longitudinal gradient of angiosperm assemblages across China (each ≥3400 km). Species composition in each assemblage was documented. Three metrics of β‐diversity (βsim.tax measuring taxonomic β‐diversity; βsim.phy and Dpw measuring tip‐ and basal‐weighted phylogenetic β‐diversity, respectively) were quantified among assemblages at sequential depths in the evolutionary history of angiosperms from the tips to deeper branches. This was done by slicing the angiosperm phylogenetic tree at six evolutionary depths (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 million years ago). β‐diversity at each evolutionary depth was related to geographic and climatic distances between assemblages. In general, the relationship between β‐diversity and climatic distance decreased from shallow to deep evolutionary time slice for all the three metrics. The slopes of the decreasing trends for βsim.tax and βsim.phy were much steeper for the latitudinal gradient than for the longitudinal gradient. The decreasing trend of the strength of the relationship was monotonic in all cases except for Dpw across the longitudinal gradient. Geographic distance between assemblages explained little variation in β‐diversity that was not explained by climatic distance. Our study shows that the strength of the relationship between β‐diversity and climatic distance decreases conspicuously from shallow to deep evolutionary depth for the latitudinal gradient, but this decreasing trend is less steep for the longitudinal gradient than for the latitudinal gradient, which likely reflects the influence of historical processes (e.g., the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate) on β‐diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bees and flowering plants associations were initially began during the early Cretaceous, 120 million years ago. This coexistence has led to a mutual relationship where the plant serves as food and in return, the bee help them their reproduction. Animals pollinate about 75% of food crops worldwide, with bees as the world's primary pollinator. In general, bees rely on flower scents to locate blooming flowers as visual clue is limited and also their host plants from a distance. In this review, an attempt is made to collect some relevant 107 published papers from three scientific databases, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science database, covering the period from 1959 to 2021. Results: Flowering plants are well documented to actively emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, only a few of them are important for eliciting behavioral responses in bees. In this review, fifty-three volatile organic compounds belonging to different class of compounds, mainly terpenoids, benzenoids, and volatile fatty acid derivatives, is compiled here from floral scents that are responsible for eliciting behavioral responses in bees. Bees generally use honest floral signals to locate their host plants with nectar and pollen-rich flowers. Thus, honest signaling mechanism plays a key role in maintaining mutualistic plant-pollinator associations. Conclusions: Considering the fact that floral scents are the primary attractants, understanding and identification of VOCs from floral scent in plant-pollinator networks are crucial to improve crop pollination. Interestingly, current advances in both VOCs scent gene identification and their biosynthetic pathways make it possible to manipulate particular VOCs in plant, and this eventually may lead to increase in crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral plantings are often used in agriculture to attract pollinator communities, but they also play an important role in recruiting and establishing natural communities for natural pest control. Inconsistent effects of floral plantings for pest control may be a result of an absence of mechanistic insights and a reliance on the idea that simply increasing flower diversity will benefit these services. A more tailored set of flower species may be needed to benefit the natural enemies through provision of nectar and alternative prey. We used an outside pot experiment to investigate the effect of three flower plants (Fagopyrum esculentum, Vicia faba, and Trifolium pratense) on reducing aphid pests on four different plant cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare), over two years. We grew the four cultivars of barley alone, next to a single flower or next to a mixture of flowers, and observed aphid and natural enemy colonization across the growing season. Aphid population sizes were reduced on all barley cultivars grown next to a flower with stronger pest suppression when all flowers were present. Each flower species recruited a different community of non‐barley aphids that, in turn, varied in their ability to establish the natural enemy populations and subsequently the ability to reduce barley aphid populations. Overall, increased pest suppression in the mixed treatments was a result of numerous weaker interactions between different flower, aphid, and natural enemy species, rather than a few dominant interactions. Natural enemy communities could be enhanced by incorporating flower species that vary in their ability to attract and host alternative prey (i.e., non‐pest aphids) as well as suitable nectar provisioning. We can use our knowledge of ecological interactions to tailor floral plantings to increase the effectiveness of pest control services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering plants(angiosperms)constitute the most prosperous group of land plants. They are the dominant plant group with the highest diversity and the widest distribution. However, species richness across lineages of flowering plants is extremely uneven, and species expansion is not smooth, but concentrated in certain lineages during particular periods. This implies that the distribution of biodiversity of flowering plants is influenced by some factors, and revealing the underlying mechanism is the goal of botanists' unremitting efforts for decades. In this review, we try to review the progress of current researches related to this scientific question. Previous studies showed that most of the synapomorphies used by systematists to define the major clades of flowering plants do not drive higher rates of diversification. Flower traits, which were considered as determinants in the first place, were currently considered to have low impact to diversification, while a combination of multiple traits seemed more influential than a single character. As a popular candidate, polyploidy has been widely studied with debates. These paradoxes imply that instead of a determinant factor, polyploidy may act indirectly by providing the genetic materials for and thus promoting species diversification under appropriate circumstances with the participation of other factors. Environmental variation(such as temperature, humidity, and space)seems to associated with improved biodiversity, too. Overall, what affects the biodiversity of flowering plants is likely the result of a combination of factors and may not be the same for different lineages. Therefore, exploring potential factors in different plant groups and integrating the information may provide a solid conclusion than considering one particular factor across the whole flowering plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhynchotechum parviflorum Blume earlier known to occur in Nicobar Islands of India is now recorded for the first time from Upper Siang of Arunachal Pradesh, Mainland India. A short description along with colour images are provided for easy identification.

Insecticide overuse in crop production systems often results in detrimental effects on predators and parasitoids, which regulate important insect pests. The natural enemies are also unable to survive in monocrop landscapes with the absence of shelter or food sources. Diversified vegetation, especially with flowering plants, can enhance natural enemy abundance and diversity, thus strengthening biological control, enabling farmers to reduce insecticides. In this study, we conserved bund vegetation and manipulated the existing rice landscapes with flowering plants to provide food and shelter for the biological control agents. Our study revealed significant positive relationships between predator densities and bund plant diversity. The abundance of predators significantly increased in the eco-engineered plots, especially at the flowering peaks compared to the insecticide-treated and control plots, while parasitoids were more diverse in both the eco-engineered and control plots. There were no significant differences in planthopper and leafhopper densities among the treatments during the rice early and maximum tillering stages, suggesting effective natural control of these herbivore pests in the eco-engineered plots at the early rice-growing season. However, at the heading stage relatively higher planthopper and leafhopper populations in the control and eco-engineered plots than in the insecticide-sprayed plots were recorded, suggesting perhaps the need for insecticide interventions if exceeding the threshold at this time. Our study indicates that manipulating the habitats surrounding the rice fields to enhance natural enemies is a sustainable practice in rice production as it can enhance the natural suppression of pests and thus reducing the need for insecticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the biodiversity of agroecosystems can increase populations of natural enemies that are useful for pest control. Orchards often have a low diversity of plant species, which is not conducive to maintaining ecosystem functions and services. However, additional flowering plants could provide natural enemies with beneficial resources. To assess the ability of flowering plants to attract predators and increase the biological control of Aphis spiraecola Patch, we established individual plots of three different flowering plant species with sequential bloom periods between the rows of apple orchard. These plants attracted predators such as Coccinellidae, Syrphidae, and Chrysopidae when flowering. The density of predators on trees in the three flowering plant plots was significantly higher than that in the control, whereas the density of aphids on trees in Orychophragmus violaceus (L.) O. E. Schulz (Rhoeadales: Brassicaceae) and Cnidium monnieri (Linn.) Cuss. (Apiales: Apiaceae) plots were significantly lower than that in control. The density of aphids on trees in Calendula officinalis L. (Asterales: Asteraceae) plots was significantly lower than in other plots at second peak period. There was a significant negative correlation between the population of aphids and predators on trees at peak of aphids. Cage exclusion tests showed that the biocontrol services index (BSI) of O. violaceus was highest (32.7%) on 24 May, and the BSI of C. monnieri was highest (47.6%) on 7 June. Our results suggest that the temporal combination of different flowering plants could provide useful effective biocontrol to management pest in orchard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full understanding of the origin and maintenance of β‐diversity patterns in a region requires exploring the relationships of both taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity (TBD and PBD, respectively), and their respective turnover and nestedness components, with geographic and environmental distances. Here, we simultaneously investigated all these aspects of β‐diversity for angiosperms in China. Specifically, we evaluated the relative importance of environmental filtering vs dispersal limitation processes in shaping β‐diversity patterns. We found that TBD and PBD as quantified using a moving window approach decreased towards higher latitudes across the whole of China, and their turnover components were correlated with latitude more strongly than their nestedness components. When quantifying β‐diversity as pairwise distances, geographic and climatic distances across China together explained 60 and 53% of the variation in TBD and PBD, respectively. After the variation in β‐diversity explained by climatic distance was accounted for, geographic distance independently explained about 23 and 12% of the variation in TBD and PBD, respectively, across China. Overall, our results suggest that environmental filtering based on climatic tolerance conserved across lineages is the main force shaping β‐diversity patterns for angiosperms in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological engineering involves the use of plants to promote establishment, survival and efficiency of natural enemies in agricultural systems. Some plant species may be hosts or provide resources to some pest species. We assessed the risks and benefits of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), as a nectar source for seven economically important Lepidopteran pest and four parasitoid species in a range of vegetable crop systems. Our results showed that the mean longevities of arthropod parasitoids Pteromalus puparum (L.), Encarsia sophia (Girault & Dodd) and male Microplitis tuberculifer (Wesmael) were significantly extended when fed on sesame flowers compared to the water control. Sesame flowers had no effect on adult longevities and fecundities of six out of the seven Lepidoptera pest species tested except Plutella xyllostella (L.) females laid more eggs when fed on sesame flowers. It is likely that the increased fecundity is due to accessibility to nectar at the bottom of corolla because of their smaller body sizes. Our findings provide a first step towards better understanding of the risks and benefits of using sesame to implement ecological engineering for the management of vegetable pests.

The existence of natural habitat around agroecosystem plays a pivotal role in maintaining the presence of natural enemies especially parasitoids. Natural habitat can fail to support biological pest control in agroecosystem due to a particular condition. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of natural habitat existence on parasitoid wasp communities in oil palm plantation. The ecological research was conducted in the oil palm plantation located in Central Borneo, Indonesia. Twelve plots of oil palm plantations with different habitat characteristics were selected. Insects were sampled using canopy knockdown fogging with a pyrethroid insecticide. In total, 237 species and 2669 individuals of parasitoid wasps belong to 15 families were collected from all research areas. The results showed that species richness and abundance of parasitoid wasps in oil palm plantation was affected by lepidopteran abundance and not by the existence of natural habitat. However, the distance and area of natural habitat influenced the species composition of parasitoid wasps. We concluded that the existence of natural habitat still can maintain the parasitoid wasps in oil palm plantation. Thus, efforts on maintaining parasitoid wasp diversity for management of biological control in oil palm plantation need to pay attention by conserving the natural habitats. Unlabelled Image • The most dominant parasitoid wasps in oil plantations was braconids. • Lepidopteran abundance affected parasitoid wasp diversity than natural habitat. • Natural habitat affected species composition of parasitoid wasps. • Lepidopteran abundance obscured the effect of natural habitat on parasitoid wasps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roots typically grow downward into the soil where they anchor the plant and take up water and nutrients necessary for plant growth and development. While the primary roots usually grow vertically downward, laterals often follow a gravity set point angle that allows them to explore the surrounding environment. These responses can be modified by developmental and environmental cues. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms that govern root gravitropism in flowering plant roots. In this system, the primary site of gravity sensing within the root cap is physically separated from the site of curvature response at the elongation zone. Gravity sensing involves the sedimentation of starch-filled plastids (statoliths) within the columella cells of the root cap (the statocytes), which triggers a relocalization of plasma membrane-associated PIN auxin efflux facilitators to the lower side of the cell. This process is associated with the recruitment of RLD regulators of vesicular trafficking to the lower membrane by LAZY proteins. PIN relocalization leads to the formation of a lateral gradient of auxin across the root cap. Upon transmission to the elongation zone, this auxin gradient triggers a downward curvature. We review the molecular mechanisms that control this process in primary roots and discuss recent insights into the regulation of oblique growth in lateral roots and its impact on root-system architecture, soil exploration and plant adaptation to stressful environments.

Updated country and regional plant checklists for southern Africa have been available for several decades. These form the backbone of foundational and applied biodiversity-related processes, e.g., herbarium specimen curation, conservation assessments, and biodiversity policy and planning activities. A plant taxonomic backbone for South Africa has been maintained electronically since the 1970s; originally in the custom-built National Herbarium, Pretoria Computerised Information System (PRECIS) database; and currently in the Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA), using Botanical Research & Herbarium Management System (BRAHMS) software. The BODATSA species table contains ca. 129,000 names of fungi, algae, mosses, lycophytes and ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Taxonomic backbone data is continuously expanded, updated, and improved following strict policies and standards in an attempt to keep it up-to-date and current. The South African National Plant Checklist (SANPC) Policy stipulates that a single classification is followed for taxonomic groups at the family level and above. Thus a classification system was chosen for each plant group represented in the backbone. For genera and below, the latest published evidence-based classification is followed. Where there are opposing classifications for a group based on similar data, the SANPC Committee decides which classification is most suitable from a southern African perspective. Researchers can also make an appeal to the Committee not to follow the latest publication, if it is controversial. Updating primarily involves keeping track of literature references and the taxon additions, synonymies, and other taxonomic and nomenclatural changes they represent. Attributes affected by such changes are adjusted in the taxon module of BODATSA. Currently the taxonomic backbone for indigenous and naturalised mosses, liverworts, hornworts, ferns and lycophytes, conifers, and flowering plants is actively maintained and updated. Fungal names are not curated in BODATSA, as the Mycology Unit of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa maintains a taxonomic backbone for fungi. In future, all fungal names will be migrated to a separate instance of BRAHMS, and links to the ARC database will be established to update the fungal backbone. Previously algae were not included in BODATSA or the SANPC, but algal names are now being added to the backbone. Only names of green and red algae will be added initially. Maintenance of the names for indigenous taxa in southern Africa was always prioritised in the taxonomic backbone. Recently, the scope was expanded to also focus more on our naturalised flora. For these taxa, expansion involved tagging some existing names as naturalised or invasive and adding others. Thus far this dataset has been managed differently, and we realize that to some extent, this will need to continue going forward since information here are more about presence or absence, and confirmation of naturalised status. BODATSA also houses 1.37 million specimen records for more than 2 million specimens housed in the three herbaria of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI): Compton Herbarium (NBG & SAM), Cape Town; KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium (NH), Durban; and National Herbarium (PRE), Pretoria. Determinations of specimen records are directly linked to names in the taxonomic backbone. Any changes in the backbone thus filter down to the specimen records and should ideally also be reflected in the physical herbarium collections. Checklists for South Africa and the Flora of southern African region were initially published in hardcopy, with some later made available in pdf format. An official yearly release of the SANPC (currently containing just under 40,000 names for indigenous and naturalised mosses, liverworts, hornworts, lycophytes and ferns, conifers, and flowering plants occurring in South Africa) is now made available online as a downloadable spreadsheet, together with other checklist-related documents. This part of the backbone is also accessible in the searchable online platform, Plants of southern Africa (POSA). In line with global initiatives to mobilise plant biodiversity data, this platform provides specimen record data as well, and will soon link descriptive data from the e-Flora of South Africa project to the backbone (once the National Biodiversity Information System website upgrade is finalised). The SANPC connects with several international initiatives and is utilised to update the taxonomic backbones of, amongst others, the World Flora Online (WFO) Project (including the WFO Plant List) and the African Plants Database. This contribution will briefly outline the history of compiling, updating, and disseminating the taxonomic backbone of southern African plants. It will provide information on current data management processes and procedures. Challenges relating to updating the taxonomic backbone, will be highlighted and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]