Search results for "diversity"
showing 10 items of 3950 documents
BEST-2K Method for Characterizing Dual-Permeability Unsaturated Soils with Ponded and Tension Infiltrometers
2019
This study presents a new method (BEST-2K) that extends the existing BEST methods for use in characterizing the water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions of matrix and fast-flow regions in dual-permeability soils. BEST-2K requires input information from two water infiltration experiments that are performed under ponded (Beerkan) and unsaturated (tension infiltrometer) conditions at the surface. Other required inputs include water content measurements and the traditional BEST inputs (particle size distribution and bulk density). In this study, first, a flowchart of the BEST-2K method was developed and illustrated with analytically generated data for a synthetic dual-permeability s…
First record of Hemidiaptomus (Gigantodiaptomus) superbus (Schmeil, 1895) in Italy, with notes on distribution and conservation status (Copepoda, Cal…
2011
Hemidiaptomus (Gigantodiaptomus) superbus (Schmeil, 1895) was found in a temporary pool in the Pineta di Classe coastal pine-wood (Ravenna, northern Italy). This is the first official record of a species belonging to the subgenus Gigantodiaptomus of Italian fauna, and it widens the known distribution of this rare diaptomid to the Mediterranean basin. In order to supply data on this rare and poorly known species, original drawings for the Italian population have been provided, and some overlooked morphological features have been highlighted. In light of the growing evidence of the existence of a number of cryptic species in the Diaptomidae family, and considering the variability observed in …
Fruit Trees and Bushes as a Biodiversity Element in the “Górażdże” Quarry Reclaimed Areas
2019
The assumption of biological land reclamation in the forest direction is to introduce trees and shrubs on the reclaimed area so as to bring it as close as possible to the natural state based on the species characteristic for forest communities. While assessing the concept of biodiversity resulting from the naturalistic approach to the forest as a timeless good, it is necessary to take into account the diversity of plantings used and their multifunctionality. One of the functions is to designate crops for utility purposes, by creating a natural undergrowth, birdhouses, forest fringe plantings and enclaves of edible fruit plants. As part of the research, implementing the biodiversity of midfo…
Bacterial Diversity in a Dynamic and Extreme Sub-Arctic Watercourse (Pasvik River, Norwegian Arctic)
2020
Microbial communities promptly respond to the environmental perturbations, especially in the Arctic and sub-Arctic systems that are highly impacted by climate change, and fluctuations in the diversity level of microbial assemblages could give insights on their expected response. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was applied to describe the bacterial community composition in water and sediment through the sub-Arctic Pasvik River. Our results showed that river water and sediment harbored distinct communities in terms of diversity and composition at genus level. The distribution of the bacterial communities was mainly affected by both salinity and temperature in sediment samples, and by oxygen…
Baseline Gut Microbiota Composition Is Associated With Schistosoma mansoni Infection Burden in Rodent Models
2020
In spite of growing evidence supporting the occurrence of complex interactions between Schistosoma and gut bacteria in mice and humans, no data is yet available on whether worm-mediated changes in microbiota composition are dependent on the baseline gut microbial profile of the vertebrate host. In addition, the impact of such changes on the susceptibility to, and pathophysiology of, schistosomiasis remains largely unexplored. In this study, mice colonized with gut microbial populations from a human donor (HMA mice), as well as microbiota-wild type (WT) animals, were infected with Schistosoma mansoni, and alterations of their gut microbial profiles at 50 days post-infection were compared to …
Soil Cadastre in Italy for Sustainable Development: the Urban Soil Cadastre (the Second Branch)
2020
The description of the second branch of the Land Cadastre concludes with the description of the structure of the new inventory Land Cadastre. The principles applied are always the same: computer node where all the information present in the various municipal, regional, state, reclamation consortia and research centres can be entered. The scheme used in each branch of the structure is that of the current Cadastre. In this work the guide is the Urban or Buildings with the two elements the Particle Map Sheet and the Cadastral Certificate. The cultural intensification is the first step and concerns both the cartographic part and the areas of the condominiums outside the buildings, and the parti…
Metabarcoding Analysis of Fungal Diversity in the Phyllosphere and Carposphere of Olive (Olea europaea)
2015
The fungal diversity associated with leaves, flowers and fruits of olive (Olea europaea) was investigated in different phenological stages (May, June, October and December) using an implemented metabarcoding approach. It consisted of the 454 pyrosequencing of the fungal ITS2 region and the subsequent phylogenetic analysis of relevant genera along with validated reference sequences. Most sequences were identified up to the species level or were associated with a restricted number of related taxa enabling supported speculations regarding their biological role. Analyses revealed a rich fungal community with 195 different OTUs. Ascomycota was the dominating phyla representing 93.6% of the total…
Retention forestry and biodiversity conservation: a parallel with agroforestry
2013
In forested landscapes two general management systems – retention forestry and agroforestry – have been proposed as potentially efficient components of landscape approaches to ease the conflict between biodiversity objectives and human needs. In two recent reviews, Gustafsson et al. (2012) and Lindenmayer et al. (2012) provide a global overview of current knowledge about the practice and ecological roles of retention forestry. A few years ago, Bhagwat et al. (2008) produced a similar review addressing the role of agroforestry in biodiversity conservation. Here we draw a parallel between research on the ecological effects of retention forestry and agroforestry. We argue that conservation sci…
“One Ring to Bind Them All”—Part II: Identification of Promising G-Quadruplex Ligands by Screening of Cyclophane-Type Macrocycles
2010
A collection of 26 polyammonium cyclophane-type macrocycles with a large structural diversity has been screened for G-quadruplex recognition. A two-step selection procedure based on the FRET-melting assay was carried out enabling identification of macrocycles of high affinity (ΔT1/2up to30°C) and high selectivity for the human telomeric G-quadruplex. The four selected hits possess sophisticated architectures, more particularly the presence of a pendant side-arm as well as the existence of a particular topological arrangement appear to be strong determinants of quadruplex binding. These compounds are thus likely to create multiple contacts with the target that may be at the origin of their h…
Pole-to-Pole Connections: Similarities between Arctic and Antarctic Microbiomes and Their Vulnerability to Environmental Change
2017
The global biogeography of microorganisms remains poorly resolved, which limits the current understanding of microbial resilience toward environmental changes. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we characterized the microbial diversity of terrestrial and lacustrine biofilms from the Arctic, Antarctic and temperate regions. Our analyses suggest that bacterial community compositions at the poles are more similar to each other than they are to geographically closer temperate habitats, with 32% of all operational taxonomic units (OTUs) co-occurring in both polar regions. While specific microbial taxa were confined to distinct regions, representing potentially endemic popul…