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Li X, Li Y, Shen H, Li S, Zhao Z, Xiao J, Zhang R, Shi H, Zuo H, Danjia T, Chen G, Zhou X, Dong S. Different responses of individuals, functional groups and plant communities in CSR strategies to nitrogen deposition in high-altitude grasslands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 953:176051. [PMID: 39241877 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The Competitor, Stress Tolerator, and Ruderal (CSR) theory delineates the ecological strategies of plant species. Nevertheless, how these ecological strategies shift at the levels of individuals, functional groups and plant communities to cope with increasing nitrogen deposition remains unclear. In this study, simulated nitrogen deposition experiments were performed in high-altitude grasslands of alpine meadows and alpine steppe on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) by employing the strategy and functional type framework (StrateFy) methodology to evaluate plant CSR strategies. Our results indicated that the dominant ecological strategy of the high-altitude grassland on the QTP were predominantly aligned with the R-strategy. In both alpine meadow and alpine steppe grasslands, the community-weighted mean (CWM) of C scores were increased with nitrogen addition, while CWM of R and S scores were not significantly correlated with nitrogen addition. Remarkably, the increase in C scores due to nitrogen enrichment was observed solely in non-legumes, suggesting an enhanced competitive capability of non-legumes in anticipation of future nitrogen deposition. Leymus secalinus was dominated in both alpine meadow and alpine steppe grasslands across all levels of nitrogen deposition, with increasing C scores along the nitrogen gradients. Furthermore, the sensitivity of C scores of individual plant, functional group and plant community to nitrogen deposition rates was more pronounced in alpine steppe grassland than in alpine meadow grassland. These findings furnish novel insights into the alterations of ecological strategies in high-altitude alpine grasslands on the QTP and similar regions worldwide in cope with escalating nitrogen deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqi Li
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ying Li
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Hao Shen
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shuai Li
- College of Resource and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030031, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhao
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Jiannan Xiao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ran Zhang
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hang Shi
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hui Zuo
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tu Danjia
- Grassland Improvement Experimental Station of Qinghai Province, Gonghe 813099, China
| | - Guoming Chen
- Grassland Improvement Experimental Station of Qinghai Province, Gonghe 813099, China
| | - Xueli Zhou
- Grassland Improvement Experimental Station of Qinghai Province, Gonghe 813099, China
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Wang Y, Zhao Z, Jiao M, Li T, Wei Y, Li R, Peng G. Rhizospheric bacterial communities against microplastics (MPs): Novel ecological strategies based on the niche differentiation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 480:135806. [PMID: 39265399 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Considerable amounts of microplastics (MPs) are stocked in plant rhizospheres, yielding adverse effects on rhizospheric microorganisms and threatening plant health. However, the adaptation of the rhizospheric microbiota for MPs remains largely unknown. Here, to evaluate the adaptive strategies of rhizospheric bacterial communities against MPs, we characterized the spatial dissimilarities in MPs properties and bacterial communities from mangrove non-rhizosphere to rhizosphere to root hair sediments. Consequently, two strategies were uncovered: (1) Bacterial communities showed significant niche differentiation induced by the increasingly enriched MPs evaluated by piecewise structural equation modeling (piecewise SEM), as increasing specialization (10.2 % to 19.4 % to 23.0 % of specialists) and decreasing generalization (10.4 % to 10.2 % to 8.7 % of generalists). (2) A self-remediation strategy of enhancing microbial plastic-degrading potentials was determined in bacterial communities, tightly coupled to the increase of specialists (linear regression analysis, R2 = 0.54, P < 0.001) and increasing MPs weathering degrees visualized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) from non-rhizosphere to rhizosphere to root hair regions. Our study provides a novel insight into the ecological strategies that rhizospheric microbes utilize against MPs, and broadens our knowledge of the interaction between soil microbes and global MPs pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijin Wang
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Zhen Zhao
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Meng Jiao
- School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Tiezhu Li
- School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yihua Wei
- School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Ruilong Li
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Gen Peng
- College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
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Masoumi AH, Esmaeili HR, Khosravi R, Gholamhosseini A, Korkmaz M, Jeppesen E. Species on the move: Impacts of climate change on the spatial range of endemic fishes of the eco-sensitive semi-arid area of the Arabian Peninsula. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174095. [PMID: 38914333 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is one of the most significant challenges worldwide in the Anthropocene, and it is predicted to importantly affect biological diversity, especially in freshwaters. Freshwater fishes are facing considerable global threats, particularly in eco-sensitive semi-arid to arid areas such as the Arabian Peninsula, which is considered a highly stressed region in the Middle East. Endemic species are believed to display a narrow range of traits, with rarity reflecting adaptation to specific environmental regimes, and they are thus highly sensitive to environmental disturbances. This study is the first attempt to map the occurrence of endemic freshwater fish species and predict the impact of climate change on their spatial range in the semi-arid area of the Arabian Peninsula using Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). We compared the present and future (2041-2060 and 2061-2080) climate niche for the species under various climatic scenarios. All global circulation models (GCMs) performed well in predicting the species' climatic niche (AUC ranging between 0.72 and 0.92). For certain species (Cyprinion acinaces, Garra buettikeri, Carasobarbus exulatus, Arabibarbus arabicus, and Cyprinion mhalense), variables associated with precipitation were more important than those related to temperature, while for others (Carasobarbus apoensis, G. sahilia, G tibanica, and Aphaniops kruppi), temperature-related variables were most important. Precipitation in the coldest quarter and in the driest quarter was the most sensitive variable for the predictions. The species showed distinct responses to climate change; seven were predicted to lose their climatically suitable habitats (losers) and are thus threatened and highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, while two species were predicted to expand their range (winners). Regular monitoring of fish in the Arabian Peninsula is recommended to conserve endemic species and their ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Hassan Masoumi
- Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Esmaeili
- Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Rasoul Khosravi
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Gholamhosseini
- Ichthyology and Molecular Systematics Research Laboratory, Zoology Section, Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mustafa Korkmaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye; Centre for Ecosystem Research and Implementation (EKOSAM), Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
| | - Erik Jeppesen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye; Centre for Ecosystem Research and Implementation (EKOSAM), Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye; Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China; Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research (SDC), Beijing, China
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Behroozian M, Pierce S, Ejtehadi H, Memariani F, Rafiee F, Joharchi MR. Relative contributions of taxonomic and functional diversity to the assembly of plant communities hosting endemic Dianthus species in a mountain steppe. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5471. [PMID: 38443610 PMCID: PMC10915155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56099-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant community assembly is the outcome of long-term evolutionary events (evident as taxonomic diversity; TD) and immediate adaptive fitness (functional diversity; FD); a balance expected to shift in favour of FD in 'harsh' habitats under intense selection pressures. We compared TD and FD responses along climatic and edaphic gradients for communities of two species (Dianthus pseudocrinitus and D. polylepis) endemic to the montane steppes of the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province, NE Iran. 75 plots at 15 sites were used to relate TD and FD to environmental gradients. In general, greater TD was associated with variation in soil factors (potassium, lime, organic matter contents), whereas FD was constrained by aridity (drought adaptation). Crucially, even plant communities hosting different subspecies of D. polylepis responded differently to aridity: D. polylepis subsp. binaludensis communities included a variety of broadly stress-tolerant taxa with no clear environmental response, but TD of D. polylepis subsp. polylepis communities was directly related to precipitation, with consistently low FD reflecting a few highly specialized stress-tolerators. Integrating taxonomic and functional diversity metrics is essential to understand the communities hosting even extremely closely related taxa, which respond idiosyncratically to climate and soil gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon Pierce
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (DiSAA), University of Milan, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Hamid Ejtehadi
- Quantitative Plant Ecology and Biodiversity Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Farshid Memariani
- Herbarium FUMH, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fahime Rafiee
- Quantitative Plant Ecology and Biodiversity Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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Yu J, Hou G, Zhou T, Shi P, Zong N, Sun J. Variation of plant CSR strategies across a precipitation gradient in the alpine grasslands on the northern Tibet Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156512. [PMID: 35679928 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Identifying ecological strategies based on functional traits can help us better understand plants' adaptations and changes in ecological processes, and thus predict the impact of climate change on ecosystems, especially in the vulnerable alpine grasslands. Herein, we investigated the plant CSR strategies of four grassland types (alpine meadows, AM; alpine meadow steppes, AMS; alpine steppes, AS; and alpine desert steppes, ADS) and its functional groups (grasses, sedges, legumes, and forbs) along the east-to-west gradient of decreasing precipitation on the northern Tibetan grasslands by using Grime's CSR (C: competitor, S: stress tolerator, and R: ruderal) analysis. Although alpine grasslands were dominated by S-strategy, our results also indicated that AM with higher water, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability had significantly lower S-strategy values and relatively higher C- and R-strategy values (C: S: R = 6: 63: 31 %) than those in AMS (C: S: R = 3: 94: 3 %,), AS (C: S: R = 3: 87: 10 %), and ADS (C: S: R = 1: 94: 5 %). The CSR strategy values of forbs and legumes showed greater variability compared with grasses and sedges in the environmental gradient. Furthermore, water variability on the precipitation gradient eventually affected plant traits and CSR strategies through soil N and P availability and pH. Our findings highlighted that plant CSR strategies were regulated by the availability of soil resources, and plants adopted more flexible adaptation strategies in relatively resource-rich environments. This study sheds light on the mechanisms of plant adaptation to the changing environment in the alpine grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialuo Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Ge Hou
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Tiancai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Peili Shi
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Ning Zong
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Fu W, Cao Y, Li X, Sun J, Liu F, Li W. The responses of riparian plant communities to environmental and spatial factors in the upper Han River basin, China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Behroozian M, Peterson AT, Joharchi MR, Atauchi PJ, Memariani F, Arjmandi AA. Good news for a rare plant: Fine‐resolution distributional predictions and field testing for the critically endangered plant
Dianthus pseudocrinitus
. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Behroozian
- Department of Botany, Research Center for Plant Science Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Mashhad Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Joharchi
- Department of Botany, Research Center for Plant Science Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Mashhad Iran
| | - P. Joser Atauchi
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas USA
- Instituto para la Conservación de Especies Amenazadas Cusco Peru
- Museo de Historia Natural Cusco (MHNC), Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco Cusco Peru
| | - Farshid Memariani
- Department of Botany, Research Center for Plant Science Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Mashhad Iran
| | - Ali Asghar Arjmandi
- Quantitative Plant Ecology and Biodiversity Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Mashhad Iran
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Zhou T, Hou G, Sun J, Zong N, Shi P. Degradation shifts plant communities from S- to R-strategy in an alpine meadow, Tibetan Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 800:149572. [PMID: 34392221 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The replacement of dominant sedges/grasses with secondary forbs is common in alpine rangelands, but the underlying plant ecological strategies and their relevance to leaf traits and their variabilities of different plant functional groups remain largely unknown. Here, we measured key leaf traits and analyzed the competitor, stress-tolerator and ruderal (CSR) strategies of major species with different functional groups (sedges, grasses and forbs) in an alpine meadow along a degradation gradient on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results indicated that S-selected species were dominant in both non-degraded (C:S:R = 1:95:4%) and severely degraded (C:S:R = 2:87:11%) meadows. However, there was a shift from S- to R-strategy in the communities after rangeland degradation. More specifically, sedges and grasses with a "conservative" strategy maintained stronger S-strategy to tolerate degraded and stressful conditions. In contrast, forbs with an "opportunistic" strategy (increase 9.5% in R-score) tended to adapt to degraded stages. Moreover, 51.1% and 23.9% of the increased R-scores in forbs were accounted by leaf mass per area and specific leaf area, respectively. Generally, higher leaf water and nitrogen contents coupled with larger variations in leaf traits and flexible SR strategies in forbs enabled them to capitalize on lower soil water and nutrient availability. Our findings highlighted that the contrasting strategies of plant species in response to the decrease in available resources might lead to niche expansion of secondary forbs and loss of diversity in the degraded alpine meadow. The emerging alternative stable states in the degraded rangelands might bring about a predicament for rangeland restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiancai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Ge Hou
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Ning Zong
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Peili Shi
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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Adi YK, Prihatno SA, Padeta I, Budipitojo T. Body measurements correlation and x-ray imaging of three Hystrix javanica fetuses in different fetal development stages. Anim Reprod 2021; 18:e20210005. [PMID: 34691263 PMCID: PMC8480987 DOI: 10.1590/1984-3143-ar2021-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hystrix javanica is endemic species in Indonesia. Study about fetal development of Hystrix javanica are very rare because of sample limitation. This study was carried out to describe the morphometrics and x-ray analysis of three fetuses in different stage to give basic information about fetal development of Hystrix javanica. Three fetus samples fixed in Bouin's solution was used in this study. Observation was carried out to identify the characteristic of three fetus samples. This included the pattern of hair, body measurements, body volume, and body weight. X-ray analysis was carried out to know the ossification process in the fetal development. Statistical analysis was carried out using Microsoft 365® Excel program software. Three fetus samples had different specific hair pattern, that was hairless, smooth hairs, and smooth hairs with dense-non dense pattern. Body volume of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fetus were 23mL, 90mL, and 170mL, respectively. Body weight of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fetus were 19.5g, 79.22g, and 153.18g, respectively. Pearson's correlation analysis shown strong relationship between total body length, front body length, back body length, horizontal body diameter, vertical body diameter, head length, and head diameter against body volume and body weight of three fetuses. Significant positive correlation was shown between horizontal body diameter, vertical body diameter, and head diameter against body volume and body length with P value < 0.05. Faint radiopaque images showed in the 2nd fetus sample and strong radiopaque images showed in the 3rd fetus sample. Radiopaque images were identified in the teeth, cranium, vertebrae, and extremities bones. In this study we concluded that there was a specific hair pattern in different fetal stage. All body measurements have positive correlation with body volume and body weight and x-ray analysis shown that the ossification of the bone was started to happen while the smooth hair was growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosua Kristian Adi
- Department of Reproduction and Obstetric, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Surya Agus Prihatno
- Department of Reproduction and Obstetric, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Irma Padeta
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Teguh Budipitojo
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Rahmanian S, Ejtehadi H, Farzam M, Hejda M, Memariani F, Pyšek P. Does the intensive grazing and aridity change the relations between the dominant shrub Artemisia kopetdaghensis and plants under its canopies? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14115-14124. [PMID: 34707844 PMCID: PMC8525166 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The interspecific plant interactions along grazing and aridity stress gradients represent a major research issue in plant ecology. However, the combined effects of these two factors on plant-plant interactions have been poorly studied in the northeast of Iran. To fill this knowledge gap, 144 plots were established in 12 study sites with different grazing intensities (high vs. low) and climatic characteristics (arid vs. semiarid) in northeastern Iran. A dominant shrub, Artemisia kopetdaghensis, was selected as the model species. Further, we studied changes in plant life strategies along the combined grazing and aridity stress gradients. In this study, we used relative interaction indices calculated for species richness, Shannon diversity, and species cover to determine plant-plant interactions using linear mixed-effect models (LMM). The indicator species analysis was used to identify the indicator species for the undercanopy of shrub and for the adjacent open areas. The combined effects of grazing and aridity affected the plant-plant interactions and plant life strategies (CSR) of indicator species. A. kopetdaghensis showed the highest facilitation effect under high stress conditions (high grazing, high aridity), which turned into competition under the low stress conditions (low grazing, low aridity). In the arid region, the canopy of the shrub protected ruderals, annual forbs, and grasses in both high and low grazing intensities. In the semiarid region and high grazing intensity (low aridity/high grazing), the shrubs protected mostly perennial forbs with C-strategy. Our findings highlight the importance of context-dependent shrub management to restore the vegetation damaged by the intensive grazing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soroor Rahmanian
- Department of BiologyFaculty of SciencesFerdowsi University of MashhadMashhadIran
| | - Hamid Ejtehadi
- Department of BiologyFaculty of SciencesFerdowsi University of MashhadMashhadIran
| | - Mohammad Farzam
- Department of Range and Watershed ManagementFaculty of Natural Resources and EnvironmentFerdowsi University of MashhadMashhadIran
| | - Martin Hejda
- Institute of BotanyDepartment of Invasion EcologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
| | - Farshid Memariani
- Department of BotanyResearch Center for Plant SciencesFerdowsi University of MashhadMashhadIran
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Institute of BotanyDepartment of Invasion EcologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
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