Total Mercury Content in Amphibian Organs from the Ussuri Broadleaf and Mixed Forests Ecoregion

The distribution of exposure to Hg in amphibians remains unknown on most continents.The Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion is a region of high biodiversity, the nine species of amphibia living on its territory are prey for over 25 threatened and rare vertebrate species. To understand the potential risks to wildlife, we measured the total mercury(THg) content in the Siberian wood frog(Rana amurensis) and the Sakhalin toad(Bufo sachalinensis) from the same locality. In total THg level was measured in 134 samples of liver, kidneys,and muscles via atomic absorption. Mean THg concentrations mg/kg dry weight(DW) were 0.055± 0.018 in muscles, 0.126 ± 0.040 in kidneys, and 0.140 ± 0.062 in liver in the immature Siberian wood frogs. In the adults of Siberian wood frogs, the mean THg concentrations were 0.035 ± 0.005 in muscles,0.081 ± 0.006 in kidneys and 0.030 ± 0.005 in liver.Statistically significant differences in THg content between the two age groups were obtained only for the liver(p = 0.008). The mean THg of the Sakhalin toad was 0.058 ± 0.007 in muscles, 0.085 ± 0.009 in kidneys, and 0.137 ± 0.019 in liver. THg content in immature Siberian wood frogs and Sakhalin toads showed no statistically significant differences. THg correlations between tissues and organs were found.The THg content in amphibians was found to be comparable with the THg content of producers in terrestrial ecosystems and lower compared to species from other classes of terrestrial vertebrates. There is an assumption that other species of tailless amphibians of the genera Rana and Bufo may contain similar levels of total mercury in anthropogenically unpolluted or slightly polluted boreal landscapes of the Russia. For those boreal ecosystems that are already subject to pollution, our results may be used to justify specific actions when restoring ecosystem services, structures, and functions efficiently and effectively.

Multi-systemic melioidosis in a patient with type 2 diabetes in nonendemic areas:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Melioidosis,an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei(B.pseudomallei),occurs endemically in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia and is a serious opportunistic infection associated with a high mortality rate.CASE SUMMARY A 58-year-old woman presented with scattered erythema on the skin of her limbs,followed by fever and seizures.B.pseudomallei was isolated successively from the patient’s urine,blood,and pus.Magnetic resonance imaging showed abscess formation involving the right forehead and the right frontal region.Subsequently,abscess resection and drainage were performed.The patient showed no signs of relapse after 4 months of follow-up visits post-treatment.CONCLUSION We present here a unique case of multi-systemic melioidosis that occurs in nonendemic regions in a patient who had no recent travel history.Hence,it is critical to enhance awareness of melioidosis in non-endemic regions.

Mammals of Gaoligong Mountain in China:Diversity,distribution,and conservation

Gaoligong Mountain(hereafter,GLGM)is located at the intersection of Myanmar and China’s Yunnan Province and Xizang Zizhiqu,and spans three globally significant biodiversity hotspots:the Himalayas,Indo-Burma,and the Mountains of Southwest China.Although surveys of mammals in this ecologically important region have a long history,there is no comprehensive systematic checklist and distribution account of the mammals of GLGM.Here,we compiled a mammal species checklist of GLGM based on thorough field investigations and literature reviews.We also examined specimen collections and applied camera trapping surveys to explore the region’s mammal diversity and distribution patterns.We recorded 212 mammal species in nine orders,33 families,and 119 genera,which accounts for 30.5%of China’s mammal species,and a high proportion of nationally protected(50)and globally threatened(29)species.Mammal species richness showed a symmetrical unimodal curve along the elevation gradient,peaking at intermediate elevations(2000 to 2500 m above sea level(asl)),and increasing generally from south to north,slightly higher in the east slope than in the west.Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed three distinct elevational assemblages(<900 m asl.,900-3500 m asl.,and>3500 m asl)and significant south-to-north variation,but no substantial differences between the east and west slopes.The GLGM present a unique conservation value due to the high proportions of rare and endangered mammal species,complex faunal composition,high endemism,and being the distribution boundary for many species.This study is an important phased account of mammal diversity in GLGM and makes a prospect for future research.

Resurvey After 20 Years:Updating the Distribution,Population,and Potential Threats of the Chinting Alpine Toad

Considering the increased anthropogenic impacts,species with a limited range and low detectability often lack fundamental information and conservation actions,placing them at a high risk of endangerment.The Chinting alpine toad Scutiger chintingensis is a rare mountain amphibian endemic to the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in China.Within its whole distribution range,only three known populations(Wolong,Emei,and Wawu)exist and no recent population status report has been documented for this species over the past two decades.From 2020 to 2023,we investigated the species distribution,and assessed the risk factors for the main populations.We recorded this species in all distribution areas,and updated a new distribution site with a lower elevation limit.The relative population density was 0.024±0.012 ind./m^(2)on Mount Emei,whereas only 0.008±0.017 ind./m^(2)on Mount Wawu.No significant difference was observed in the number of individuals between the two populations;however,the relative population density was significantly different.Sewage and waste discharge resulting from the construction of scenic areas,as well as disturbances from tourism,were the primary anthropogenic factors that influenced the survival of this species.Our results provide the updated information on the distribution and population status of the Chinting alpine toad,and suggest that unrecorded populations,as well as a wider elevation range,may exist for this species.Our findings emphasise the importance of timely updates of species distribution and population information and offer a basis for the future conservation of endangered amphibians.

From furnace up to freezer:Elevational patterns of plant diversity in Mount Palvar,a semi-arid Irano-Turanian mountain range of southwest Asia

Much of the world's biodiversity lies in heterogeneous mountain areas with their diverse environments.As an example,Iranian montane ranges are highly diverse,particularly in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region.Understanding plant diversity patterns with increasing elevation is of high significance,not least for conservation planning.We studied the pattern of species richness,Shannon diversity,endemic richness,endemics ratio,and richness of life forms along a 3900 m elevational transect in Mount Palvar,overlooking the Lut Desert in Southeast Iran.We also analyzed the effect of environmental variables on species turnover along the vertical gradient.A total of 120 vegetation plots(10 m×10 m)were sampled along the elevational transect containing species and environmental data.To discover plant diversity pattern along the elevational gradient,generalized additive model(GAM)was used.Non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS)was applied for illustrating the correlation between species composition and environmental variables.We found hump-shaped pattern for species richness,Shannon diversity,endemic richness,and species richness of different life forms,but a monotonic increasing pattern for ratio of endemic species from low to high elevations.Our study confirms the humped pattern of species richness peaking at intermediate elevations along a complete elevational gradient in a semi-arid mountain.The monotonic increase of endemics ratio with elevation in our area as a case study is consistent with global increase of endemism with elevation.According to our results,temperature and precipitation are two important climatic variables that drive elevational plant diversity,particularly in seasonally dry areas.Our study suggests that effective conservation and management are needed for this low latitude mountain area along with calling for long-term monitoring for species redistribution.

Global patterns and ecological drivers of taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism in angiosperm genera

Endemism of lineages lies at the core of understanding variation in community composition among geographic regions because it reflects how speciation,extinction,and dispersal have influenced current distributions.Here,we investigated geographic patterns and ecological drivers of taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism of angiosperm genera across the world.We identify centers of paleo-endemism and neo-endemism of angiosperm genera,and show that they are mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere in tropical and subtropical regions,particularly in Asia and Australia.Different categories of phylogenetic endemism centers can be differentiated using current climate conditions.Current climate,historical climate change,and geographic variables together explained~80%of global variation in taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism,while 42-46%,1%,and 15%were independently explained by these three types of variables,respectively.Thus our findings show that past climate change,current climate,and geography act together in shaping endemism,which are consistent with the findings of previous studies that higher temperature and topographic heterogeneity promote endemism.Our study showed that many centers of phylogenetic endemism of angiosperms,including regions in Amazonia,Venezuela,and west-central tropical Africa that have not previously been identified as biodiversity hotspots,are missed by taxon-based measures of endemism,indicating the importance of including evolutionary history in biodiversity assessment.

Assessment of plant diversity of endemic species of the Saharo-Arabian region in Egypt

Savanna, semi-deserts, and hot deserts characterize the Saharo-Arabian region, which includes Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, southern Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. Its neighboring regions, the Sudano-Zambezian region belonging to the Paleotropical Kingdom and the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions included in the Holarctic Kingdom, share a large portion of their flora with the Saharo-Arabian region. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of the region's global importance for plant diversity, an up to date list of the Saharo-Arabian endemics is still unavailable. The available data are frequently insufficient or out of date at both the whole global and the national scales. Therefore, the present study aims at screening and verifying the Saharo-Arabian endemic plants and determining the phytogeographical distribution of these taxa in the Egyptian flora. Hence, a preliminary list of 429 Saharo-Arabian endemic plants in Egypt was compiled from the available literature. Indeed, by excluding the species that were recorded in any countries or regions outside the Saharo-Arabian region based on different literature, database reviews, and websites, the present study has reduced this number to 126 taxa belonging to 87 genera and 37 families. Regarding the national geographic distribution, South Sinai is the richest region with 83 endemic species compared with other eight phytogeographic regions in Egypt, followed by the Isthmic Desert(the middle of Sinai Peninsula, 53 taxa). Sahara regional subzone(SS1) distributes all the 126 endemic species, Arabian regional subzone(SS2) owns 79 taxa, and Nubo-Sindian subzone(SS3) distributes only 14 endemics. Seven groups were recognized at the fourth level of classification as a result of the application of the two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN) to the Saharo-Arabian endemic species in Egypt, i.e., Ⅰ Asphodelus refractus group, Ⅱ Agathophora alopecuroides var. papillosa group, Ⅲ Anvillea garcinii group, Ⅳ Reseda muricata group, V Agathophora alopecuroides var. alopecuroides group, Ⅵ Scrophularia deserti group, and Ⅶ Astragalus schimperi group. It's crucial to clearly define the Saharo-Arabian endemics and illustrate an updated verified database of these taxa for a given territory for providing future management plans that support the conservation and sustainable use of these valuable species under current thought-provoking devastating impacts of rapid anthropogenic and climate change in this region.

Development of endemicity and conservation importance indices for tropical forests and the floral diversity assessment of Mt.Natoo in Benguet,Philippines

The scientific community faces the challenge of measuring progress toward biodiversity targets and indices have been traditionally used.However,recent inventories in secondary tropical mountain forests using traditional biodiversity indices have yielded results that are indistinct with primary ones.This shows the need to develop complementary indices that goes beyond species count but integrates the distribution and conservation status of the species.This study developed endemicity and conservation importance index for tropical forest that incorporated the distribution and conservation status of the species.These indices were applied to Mt.Natoo,a remnant primary mossy forest in Buguias,Benguet,Philippines,that resulted to endemicity index of 81.07 and conservation importance index of 42.90.Comparing these with secondary forest sites with comparable Shannon-Wiener,Simpson,Evenness and Margalef’s indices,our endemicity and conservation indices clearly differentiates primary forest(our study site)with higher values from secondary forests with much lower values.Thus,we are proposing these indices for a direct but scientifically-informed identification of specific sites for conservation and protection in tropical forests.Additionally,our study documented a total of 168 vascular plant species(79 endemic and 12 locally threatened species)in Mt.Nato-o.Majority are of tropical elements for both generic and species levels with some temperate elements that could be attributed to the site's high elevation and semi-temperate climate.These are important baseline information for conservation plans and monitoring of tropical mossy forests.

Biology of Flowering of Some Species of the Genus Phlomoides Moench

The article presents the biology of flowering and the daily dynamics of flowering of two species from the Lamiaceae family: ph. anisochila va ph. sogdiana of the distribution out in the Nuratau Mountains range.

Breeding in Mountain Tops: Water Velocity Determines Oviposition Site Selection of the Chinting Alpine Toad in Streams

For oviparous species with little or no parental care, oviposition site choice may be a powerful agent of natural selection, playing an important role in the evolution of species fitness and life history. Identifying and clarifying the microhabitat characteristics of oviposition sites are key to understanding life history strategies and local adaptations for amphibians with complex biphasic life cycles. However, oviposition strategies for amphibians in alpine streams remain poorly understood. Here, we focused on oviposition site selection for the Chinting alpine toad(Scutiger chintingensis) on Mount Wawu on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. We identified the microhabitat differences between oviposition sites and non-oviposition sites for this species, predicted oviposition site selection patterns,and evaluated the relative importance of each microhabitat variable as well as the effects of the variables on the model prediction probabilities. This study revealed that the microhabitat characteristics of oviposition sites in this species included high water velocity, shallow water, and high-water surface coverage. Water velocity and rock volume were the most important variables explaining the categories of oviposition sites. Additionally, we observed nearly half the proportion of overlapping oviposition in this species, and the benefits of this behavior in terms of microhabitat characteristics need to be explored in the future. Our study revealed an oviposition site selection strategy for amphibians within alpine streams, and contributed to understanding the life history and environmental adaptation strategies of an endemic alpine stream species, and thereby providing guidance for effective conservation strategies for alpine stream amphibians under global change.

Macroinvertebrate Community in Streams on the Canary Islands: Gradient Analysis and Stressors

This study describes the gradient analysis of the freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages in eight streams of Tenerife and La Gomera (Canary Islands) over a 16-year period. During this period, a total of 75 taxa belonging to 34 taxonomic families were found. Endemism has an important presence in the streams on both islands, especially regarding Trichoptera and Coleoptera. The overall status of freshwater macroinvertebrates is rather uncertain as recent data on these communities are scarce and focused on a limited number of sites. Overexploitation of aquifers and the diversion of natural water flows for irrigation have resulted in the drying up of numerous natural streams, inevitably endangering the fauna that inhabits them. A reduction in number and abundance of endemic and sensitive species was observed in the majority of the sampled streams resulting in a lower ecological rating. Therefore, it is proposed that the protection of streams of high conservation value is essential to conserve freshwater macroinvertebrate fauna native to the Canary Islands.

Bilharzia Appendicitis: Incidence in a Commune in Mali, about 3CAS

Appendicitis bilharzia is a very rare condition and we report 3 cases of this pathology that sense clinical and biological similarities with bacterial appendicitis. The etiological diagnosis was exclusively histopathological, this allowed to highlight eggs of Schistosome in the appendicular wall in the three patients. The surgical treatment was supplemented by a specific medical treatment based on praziquantel. The surgical suites were simple for 2 patients, complicated by superficial parietal suppuration in a patient.

Diversity Assessment of Tree Species in Sitio Dicasalarin, Barangay Zabali, Baler, Aurora, Philippines

This paper provides the diversity assessment of the tree species in Sitio Dicasalarin, Barangay Zabali, Baler, Aurora including the endemism and ecological status. A total of 2239 individuals from 139 morphospecies, 87 genera and 46 families were recorded. A total of 48 Philippine endemic species and 2 Aurora Endemic species were found and at least 29 threatened species were listed either in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Philippine List of Threatened Species. Results of the tree diversity showed that the area is highly diverse being a well-protected and well-managed area.

The Systematic Taxonomy of Chinese Endemic Genera in Hynobiidae

Hynobiids are exclusively in Asia. China is the main distribution of hynobiids,and has many rich species because of the diversity of habitat. In present paper,the introduction on the systematic taxonomy of Chinese endemic genera （Protohynobius,Batrachuperus,Liua,Pachyhynobius and Pseudohynobius） in Hynobiidae will improve the understanding on these genera.

Mountain Pastures and Grasslands in the SW Tien Shan,Kyrgyzstan-Floristic Patterns,Environmental Gradients,Phytogeography,and Grazing Impact

Vast grasslands are found in the walnut-fruit forest region of southern Kyrgyzstan,Middle Asia.Located above the worldwide unique walnutfruit forests and used for grazing,they play a pivotal role in the mixed mountain agriculture of local farmers.Accordingly,these pastures are subject to an increasing utilization pressure reflecting the changing political and social conditions in the transformation process from a Soviet republic to an independent state.A first detailed analysis of mountain pasture vegetation in the Ferghana Range answers the following questions:What are the main plant community types among Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures? What are the main environmental gradients that shape their species composition? Which phytogeographical distribution types are predominant? How does grazing affect community composition and species richness in these grasslands? Species composition was classified by cluster analysis;underlying environmental gradients were explored using DCA.A dataset of 395 relevés was used for classification,and a subset of 79 relevés was used in a DCA to analyze the correlation between vegetation,environment,and grazing impact.The investigated pastures were classified into four distinctive plant communities.The site factors altitude,heat load,inclination and grazing impact were found to be the major determinants of the vegetation pattern.A significant overlap between floristic composition and structural and spatial properties was shown.The majority of the species pool consisted of Middle Asian endemics and Eurosiberian species.However,disturbance-tolerant species played a significant role with respect to species composition and coverage of the herbaceous layer in vast areas of southern Kyrgyzstan's mountain pastures.In general,an intense grazing impact is clearly reflected by both species composition and structural variables of plant communities.The highly diverse and unique ecosystem is modified by an increasing utilization pressure.In order to maintain vital processes and functioning of this valuable ecosystem-in both economical and ecological terms-,it is indispensable to adopt appropriate pasture management strategies.

Rare and endangered plant species of the Chinese Altai Mountains

Altai (also named Altay in China) Mountain Country (Mountain System) is a unique natural region,located on the border between different floristic regimes of the Boreal and ancient Mediterranean sub-kingdoms,where distribution of plant species is actually limited. It is known to have sufficient endemic floral biodiversity in the Northern Asia. Many plants of Altai Mountain System need effective care and proper conservation measures for their survival and longer-term protection. Important Plant Area identified as the IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature),specified criteria attract global attention for protection of floral biodiversity across the world. The records of 71 plant species from the Chinese Altai Mountains attributed to the criterion A and the dark conifer forests of Chinese Altai Mountains satisfied the criterion C,which may help qualify to fulfill the national obligation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

台湾省鸟类区系及其与附近地区的比较

台湾省是中国东南的大陆性岛屿;它与福建省相隔的最近处仅130公里。全省面积几达35,990平方公里。西部沿海一带主要为平原,东部和中部大都山地。本省在动物地理上属东洋界。在平原地区,年平均温度约为22℃,年降雨量在2,000毫米左右。从平原到高山,海拔每上升100米、气温下降0.6℃,到中央山脉,海拔3,000米以上的山峰,气温年平均5.7℃,年降雨量则高达5,000毫米以上,冬季常有积雪。岛上森林覆盖面积,约占全岛土地面积之一半。植被以热带、亚热带种类为主。

Biodiversity and ecological assessments of Indian sacred groves

Sacred groves are patches of forests preserved for their spiri- tual and religious significance. The practice gained relevance with the spread of agriculture that caused large-scale deforestation affecting bio- diversity and watersheds. Sacred groves may lose their prominence nowadays, but are still relevant in Indian rural landscapes inhabited by traditional communities. The recent rise of interest in this tradition encouraged scientific study that despite its pan-Indian distribution, focused on India＇s northeast, Western Ghats and east coast either for their global/regional importance or unique ecosystems. Most studies focused on flora, mainly angiosperms, and the faunal studies concentrated on vertebrates while lower life fomas were grossly neglected. Studies on ecosystem functioning are few although observations are available. Most studies attributed watershed protection values to sacred groves but hardly highlighted hydrological process or water yield in comparison with other land use types. The grove studies require diversification from a stereo- typed path and must move towards creating credible scientific foundations for conservation. Documentation should continue in unexplored areas but more work is needed on basic ecological functions and ecosystem dynamics to strengthen planning for scientifically sound sacred grove management.

以日本人名、地名命名的疾病(一)

医学词汇中有许多以人名命名的疾患(eponymic disease),用来纪念发现者的功绩。在日本,还有许多以地名命名的地方病(endemic disease风土病)。这一类命名简单明确具有特定涵义,约定俗成已广为应用。现将通用的以日本人名、地名命名的疾患抄录如下。病名条目以日语汉字的汉语拼音字母排序。每条词头后的[ ]内,顺次为日文读法、英(或拉丁)文名、同义词(Synonymies)及相应的中文名称和简要说明。

Eastern Asian endemic seed plant genera and their paleogeographic history throughout the Northern Hemisphere

We review the fossil history of seed plant genera that are now endemic to eastern Asia. Although the majority of eastern Asian endemic genera have no known fossil record at all, 54 genera, or about 9%, are reliably known from the fossil record. Most of these are woody （with two exceptions）, and most are today either broadly East Asian, or more specifically confined to Sino-Japanese subcategory rather than being endemic to the Sino-Himalayan area. Of the ＂eastern Asian endemic＂ genera so far known from the fossil record, the majority formerly occurred in Europe and/or North America, indicating that eastern Asia served as a late Tertiary or Quaternary refugium for taxa. Hence, many of these genera may have originated in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere and expanded their ranges across continents and former sea barriers when tectonic and climatic conditions allowed, leading to their arrival in eastern Asia. Although clear evidence for paleoendemism is provided by the gymnosperms Amentotaxus, Cathaya, Cephalotaxus, Cunninghamia, Cryptomeria, Glyptostrobus, Ginkgo, Keteleeria, Metasequoia, Nothotsuga, Pseudolarix, Sciadopitys, and Taiwania, and the angiosperms Cercidiphyllum, Choerospondias, Corylopsis, Craigia, Cyclocarya, Davidia, Dipelta, Decaisnea, Diplopanax, Dipteronia, Emmenopterys, Eucommia, Euscaphis, Hemiptelea, Hovenia, Koelreuteria, Paulownia, Phellodendron, Platycarya, Pteroceltis, Rehderodendron, Sargentodoxa, Schizophragma, Sinomenium, Tapiscia, Tetracentron, Toricellia, Trapella, and Trochodendron, we cannot rule out the possibility that neoendemism plays an important role especially for herbaceous taxa in the present-day flora of Asia, particularly in the Sino-Himalayan region. In addition to reviewing paleobotanical occurrences from the literature, we document newly recognized fossil occurrences that expand the geographic and stratigraphic ranges previously known for Dipelta, Pteroceltis, and Toricellia.