The 3rd International Electronic Conference on Diversity
Biodiversity of Animals, Plants and Microorganisms
Part of the International Electronic Conference on Diversity series
15–17 Oct 2024
Animal Diversity, Biodiversity Conservation, Marine Diversity, Microbial Diversity, Culture Collections, Phylogeny, Evolution, Plant Diversity
- Go to the Sessions
- Event Details
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- Welcome from the Chair
- Program Overview
- IECD 2024 Program (DAY 1)
- IECD 2024 Program (DAY 2)
- IECD 2024 Program (DAY 3)
- Event Committees
- Event Speakers
- Sessions
- Registration
- Instructions for Authors
- Publication Opportunities
- List of Accepted Submissions
- Event Awards
- Sponsors and Partners
- Conference Secretariat
- Events in series IECD
Abstract submission is closed, but registrations are still open. Register now and join us for insightful discussions and valuable networking opportunities.
IECD 2024 is free to participate, so take advantage and secure your spot today!
Stay tuned for more event updates and announcements.
Welcome from the Chair
Dear colleagues,
We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to you for the upcoming third International Electronic Conference on Diversity (IECD 2024), proudly sponsored by the MDPI open access journal Diversity. In line with our commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, this electronic conference provides a unique platform for researchers to showcase their work, discuss groundbreaking findings, and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow experts.
Conference Overview: This will be a virtual conference held at sciforum.net, a platform developed and sponsored by MDPI to organize and provide technical support for electronic conferences. The virtual format offers the distinct advantage of eliminating the need for travel and its associated expenses, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the conference without any logistical constraints.
Key Themes: The conference will span various key themes, including the following:
- Animal diversity;
- Biodiversity conservation;
- Marine diversity;
- Microbial diversity and culture collections;
- Phylogeny and evolution;
- Plant diversity.
Conference Format: After abstract acceptance, authors are invited to submit a pre-recorded video presentation or a series of narrated slides. These materials will be accessible online, and open for discussion, comments, and questions during the entire conference. Additionally, presentations will remain available after the e-conference concludes. Authors are encouraged to submit a full description of their work in a conference paper, which will undergo peer review. The accepted papers will likely be published in the MDPI Biology and Life Sciences Forum journal. However, paper submission is not a requirement for active conference participation.
Free of Charge Participation: We are pleased to inform you that participation in this conference is entirely free of charge for both authors and attendees. The accepted proceedings papers will likely be published in the MDPI Biology and Life Sciences Forum journal, available online on the MDPI website. Selected extended versions of the papers will be published in a Special Issue of the journal Diversity with a 20% discount on the article processing charge (ISSN 1424-2818; Diversity).
Awards and Opportunities: The best oral presentation awards and best poster awards will receive an award of CHF 200, along with an offer to publish an extended paper, free of charge, in the Special Issue of Diversity.
We encourage you to explore the conference platform and guidelines provided in advance for a seamless experience. Should you have any queries or require assistance, our dedicated support team is available to ensure your participation is smooth and rewarding.
We look forward to engaging in exciting discussions and hearing new ideas and perspectives from experts in the field. All participants are welcome to join the online conference and contribute to the vibrant intellectual exchange that makes events like IECD 2024 truly exceptional.
Program Overview
15th October - Morning | 16th October - Morning | 17th October - Morning |
Session 2. Biodiversity Conservation |
Session 5. Phylogeny and Evolution Session 4. Microbial Diversity and Culture Collections |
Session 6. Plant Diversity |
15th October - Afternoon | 16th October - Afternoon | |
Session 1. Animal Diversity |
Session 3. Marine Diversity |
IECD 2024 Program (DAY 1)
IECD 2024 Day 1
Session 2. Biodiversity conservation
Date: 15th October 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:30 (CEST, Basel) | 03:30 (EDT, New York) | 15:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)
Time in CEST | Speaker | Title |
09:30-09:40 | Prof. Dr. Michael Wink Event Chair |
Welcome from the Event Chair |
09:40-09:45 | Assoc. Prof. Kevin Cianfaglione Session Chair |
Welcome from the Session Chair |
9:45-10:15 | Assoc. Prof. Camilla Wellstein Keynote Speaker |
TBA |
10:15-10:30 | Marco Grillo | Exploring Environmental Descriptors Influencing the Distribution of Antarctic Decapod Larvae in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) |
10:30-10:45 | Amaia Bilbao Kareaga | Assessing Water Quality in Nalón and Sella Rivers (North Spain) Through Microplastics and Algal Biodiversity |
10:45-11:00 | Alexey Gulov | Comparative Evaluation of Two Cryopreservation Protocols with Programmable Freezing of Drone Semen |
11:00-11:15 | Hakan Çelebi | Revolution in Conserving and Detecting Biodiversity: Environmental DNA (eDNA) Technique |
11:15-11:30 | Alice Guzzi | Advancing Antarctic Benthic Ecosystem Monitoring through Photogrammetry and Automated Recognition Technologies |
11:30-11:45 | Ambre Châline | Biodiversity of Carabid Beetles in Different Types of Forest in the Region of Abruzzo, Italy |
11:45-12:00 | Krisztián Katona | Drone-Based Estimation of Wild Boar Disturbances in a Hungarian Wetland Area |
Session 1. Animal Diversity
Date: 15th October 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 14:30 (CEST, Basel) | 08:30 (EDT, New York) | 20:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)
Time in CEST | Speaker | Title |
14:30-14:40 | Prof. Dr. Luc Legal Prof. Dr. Łukasz Kaczmarek Session Chairs |
Welcome from the Session Chairs |
14:40-14:55 | Akongte Peter Njukang | Environmental Factors Influence Site Selection and Augment Breeding Success in Honey Bees: An Insight Into Honey Bee Reproductive Success |
14:55-15:10 | Fátima Brito | What We Know about Deroceras Laeve (Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda, Pulmonata): An Integrative Study of a Species Complex |
15:10-15:25 |
Sanja Gottstein | Aquatic Invertebrate Assemblages as Proxies for Adjacent Karst Spring Differentiation |
15:25-15:40 | Balázs Bócsi | Reproductive Potential of Non-native Nutria (Myocastor Coypus) in Slovakia |
15:40-15:55 |
Linas Balčiauskas | Inter- And Intra-Species Differences in Body Condition Index in Small Mammals of Middle Latitudes |
15:55-16:10 | Grigory Potapov | Cryptic Species of Bombus lucorum-complex in Northern European Russia |
16:10-16:25 | Glorija Ćirković | Diversity and Conservation Status of Amphibians and Reptiles in Rudnik Mountain (Central Serbia) |
16:25-16:40 | Peter Uetz | Digital Morphological Descriptions of All Reptile Species |
16:40-16:55 | Justin Bagley | Multi-Scale Comparison of the Shapes and Drivers of Stream Fish Species–Area Relationships in a Regional Aquatic Biodiversity Hotspot |
IECD 2024 Program (DAY 2)
IECD 2024 Day 2
Session 5. Phylogeny and Evolution
Session 4. Microbial Diversity and Culture Collections
Date: 16th October 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 9:00 (CEST, Basel) | 03:00 (EDT, New York) | 15:00 (CST Asia, Beijing)
Time in CEST | Speaker | Title |
09:00-09:10 | Prof. Dr. Samantha C. Karunarathna Session Chair |
Welcome from the Session Chair |
9:10-9:40 | Professor Rajesh Jeewon Keynote Speaker |
The Hidden World of Microfungi: Understanding Their Taxonomy and Biodiversity |
9:40-10:00 | Dr. Rajeshkumar KC Invited Speaker |
Phylogenetic Insights into Species Identification in conidial Ascomycota |
10:00-10:15 | Willam Oliveira da Silva | First Karyotypic Description of Echimys Chrysurus Zimmermann, 1780 (Rodentia, Echimyidae, Echimyinae) from the Amazon and Chromosomal Patterns Among Echimyidae Lineages |
10:15-10:30 | Gianmarco Ferrara | Molecular Detection and Genetic Diversity of Torque Teno Canis Virus in Dogs in Southern Italy |
10:30-10:45 | Vanessa Silva | Wildlife as Key Reservoirs of Staphylococcus Aureus Genetic Variants |
10:45-11:00 | Rustem Ilyasov | Honey is a natural postbiotic product and source for beneficial microorganisms |
Session 3. Marine Diversity
Date: 16th October 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:30 (CEST, Basel) | 08:30 (EDT, New York) | 20:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)
Time in CEST | Speaker | Title |
14:30-14:35 | Dr. Gioele Capillo Session Chair |
Welcome from the Session Chair |
14:35-15:00 | Dr. Laura Carugati Keynote Speaker |
Genetic Methods and Data to Inform Marine Conservation |
15:00-15:15 | Georgia Charalampous | Distinct Communities of Bacteria and Unicellular Eukaryotes in the Different Water Masses of the Cretan Passage Water Column (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) |
15:15-15:30 |
Navita Gaude | Inter-Tidal Cirripede [Cirripedia: Thecostraca] Diversity in Goa: Three New Records |
15:30-15:45 | Valentina Cometti | An Analysis of the Structure and Dynamics of Pioneer Benthic Communities in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) Using the Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMSs) |
15:45-15:50 |
Dr. Paulo Vale Session Chair |
Welcome from the Session Chair |
15:50-16:15 | Dr. Norma Flores-Holguin Keynote Speaker |
Comparative Theoretical Analysis of Chemical Reactivity Properties and Potential for New Drugs of Some Marine Toxins |
16:15-16:30 | Boris Neklyudov | A New Deep-Sea Phoronid Species from the Okhotsk Sea Basin |
16:30-16:45 | Fátima Gonella | Zooplankton in the Surf Zone and Adjacent Shallow Subtidal Waters: Differences in Community Patterns Between Close Seascapes |
16:45-17:00 | Ana Sofia Lavrador | Assessing Distribution Patterns of Non-Indigenous Invertebrates in Ten Marinas across Mainland Portugal, Madeira and Azores through DNA Metabarcoding |
IECD 2024 Program (DAY 3)
IECD 2024 Day 3
Session 6. Plant Diversity
Date: 17th October 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 9:30 (CEST, Basel) | 03:30 (EDT, New York) | 15:30 (CST Asia, Beijing)
Time in CEST | Speaker | Title |
09:30-09:35 | Prof. Dr. Mario A. Pagnotta Session Chair |
Welcome from the Session Chair |
09:35-09:50 | Sweta Negi | Unveiling the Rich Diversity of Epiphytic Bryophytes of Moist Temperate Deciduous Forest in the Western Himalayas of India |
9:50-10:05 | Mauro Commisso | Bioprospection of Italian Flora: A Strategy to Valorize Plant Diversity Through the Search for Precious Phytochemicals |
10:05-10:20 |
Soufian Chakkour |
Exploring the Biodiversity and Ecological Features of Fragile Alnus Glutinosa Riverine Woodlands: A Study on Vegetation Composition and Vulnerability in Fragmented Ecosystems |
10:20-10:35 | Ioannis Zografakis | Plant Diversity and Agroecosystem Service Provision in Olive Orchards in Crete, Greece: The Effect of Agricultural Management Systems and Agroecological Zones |
10:35-10:50 | Mohd. Kamran Khan | Aegilops Species as a Source of Boron Toxicity Tolerance |
10:50-11:05 | Faten Ellmouni | The Floristic Composition of Some Botanical Gardens in the Fayoum Depression, Egypt |
11:05-11:20 | Carlos I. Arbizu | Multivariate Analysis of Peruvian Maize Races |
11:20-11:35 | Is-haq Yusuff | Taxonomic Revision of Genus Annona Native to Africa Using Selected Barcode Loci (matK, trnL and rbcL) |
11:35-11:50 | Paloma Yias | Microsatellite Analysis Reveals Genetic Variation in 'Yerba Mate' Trees from Argentina |
Event Chair
Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Prof. Dr. Michael Wink completed his PhD in 1980 at Technische Universität Braunschweig. He is currently a senior professor at Heidelberg University, within the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, and is a visiting professor at CEPROBI, the Prince of Songkla University and Northeast Forestry University. He works in the areas of natural products, chemical ecology, medicinal and poisonous plants, molecular pharmacology, biotechnology, evolution (molecular systematics, phylogeny, phylogeography of plants and animals), and ornithology. To date, he has authored or coauthored more than 1200 papers published in international journals and conference proceedings. He is the Editor-in Chief of Diversity.
Session Chairs
Prof. Dr. Luc Legal
Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, UMR 5245 (CNRS-UPS-INPT) Batiment IVR1/Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, CEDEX 9, F-31062 Toulouse, France
Luc Legal is a doctor professor at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse/France. He studied biochemistry at the University of La Sorbonne/Paris/France. He did his PhD in chemical ecology and insect-plant relations at the same university on the molecular mechanism of ecological isolation in Drosophila melanogaster. His current research focuses mainly (but not exclusively) on Lepidoptera. Dr Legal's research group has several lines of research, including ecology, indicators, disturbances, evolution and phylogeny, and plant-insect relationships.
Prof. Dr. Łukasz Kaczmarek
Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
Interests: tardigrade taxonomy; diversity; ecology and physiology; anhydrobiosis; integrative taxonomy; tardigrade microbiome; astrobiology
Assoc. Prof. Kevin Cianfaglione
ICL, Junia, Université Catholique de Lille, LITL, F-59000 Lille, France
Interests: plant biology; ecological, biological and chemical traits; vegetation; ecosystems analysis and dynamics; conservation; restoration ecology; land and natural resources management; traditional uses and new applications
Dr. Paulo Vale
Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Sea and Marine Resources Department (DMRM), Lisbon, Portugal
Researcher specialized in marine toxinology, mainly resorting to liquid chromatography for detection of marine biotoxins in both microalgae and bivalve molluscs. Detection techniques involve diode array, fluorescence and mass spectrometry coupling. Additional techniques include immunoassays (ELISA, LFIC) and enzyme inhibition assays. Toxins studied: dinophysistoxins, pectenotoxins, azaspiracids, domoic acid and saxitoxins. Area of study: Portugal. Other research areas include: Microalgae culture; Cytotoxicity assays; Monitoring programmes; Food Safety; Public Health; Photobiology; Bioelectromagnetism; Heliobiology
Dr. Gioele Capillo
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
Prof. Dr. Xiaoyulong Chen
College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
Prof. Dr. Samantha C. Karunarathna
Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, China
Samantha Chandranath Karunarathna works at the Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China as a professor. Samantha has vast experience in fungal taxonomy, phylogeny, and their economic importance. Samantha has published over 200 SCI publications (h-index = 44, Citations= 12,000) related to fungal taxonomy and phylogeny. Samantha received the Yunnan Talent and Friendship Awards in 2022, and he was recognized as one of the world's top 2% scientists in 2022 and 2023, according to the rankings by Stanford University.
Prof. Dr. Mario A. Pagnotta
Department of Sciences and Technology for Agriculture, Forest, Environment and Energy - Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy.
Event Committee Members
Département de Biologie, Laboratoire Ecodiv - Université de Rouen Normandie, F-76821, Mont Saint Aignan cedex, France.
Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Rivers, State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
School of Biology and Environmental Sciences and UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Laboratory of Mammalian ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius, Lithuania
Department of Biology, Science and Art Faculty, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey.
Institute of Research for Agriculture Economy and Rural Development, Bucharest, Romania.
National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Bucharest, Romania
Department of Biology of Organisms and Systems – Area of Zoology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata CS, Italia.
A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Sevastopol, Russia.
National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP), CONICET, IIMyC Benthos, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russia.
CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
Departamento de Ecologia Evolutiva, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Museo National de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC) , Madrid, Spain.
University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Department of Animal Biology, Parasitology, Ecology, Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, USDA-ARS, Griffin, USA.
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Center for Climate Change Research, University of Toronto (ONRamp at UTE), Toronto, Canada
Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
Laboratory of Molecular Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
Laboratory of Algology, Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biology, Espinardo Campus, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Department of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
Ecology and Environment Research Centre and Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
Department of Immunobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
Department of Clothing Technology and Garment Engineering, Berlin University of Applied Sciences-HTW Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Morocco
Department of Chemistry, Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Technical University of Munich (TUM), München, Germany
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas/Institute of Geoenergy (FORTH/IG), Greece
MSCA Fellow, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
Laboratory of Human Microbiota–Xenobiotics Interactions, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Sanda University, Shanghai, China
Department of Ecology and Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
Department of Marine Biology, Institute of Biology, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
Keynote Speakers
Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy,
Competence Center for Economic, Ecological and Social Sustainability, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
Camilla Wellstein holds a PhD in natural sciences and is head of the research area Analysis and Management of Mountain Ecosystems and member of the governing body of the Competence Center for Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano. Her research results are published in over 100 academic publications. Currently she is studying biodiversity and vegetation dynamics in the Italian Alps under the impact of climate and land-use change with a focus on endemic species, forests, high mountain ecosystems and biodiversity conservation.
Comparative theoretical analysis of chemical reactivity properties and potential for new drugs of some marine toxins
Materials Science PhD Norma Rosario Flores-Holguín is a researcher for the Advanced Materials Research Center in Chihuahua, México. She has more than 100 papers in Scientific Journals. 12 chapters in diverse editorials and more than 40 International Congress contributions. She is manager of the Molecular Modelling and Computational Chemistry Laboratory, where there are carried out projects with theoretical methods of design of nanocarriers for drugs. Searching for compounds with potential as precursors for novel drugs and design of molecular systems for photovoltaic solar cells. Currently her research group has theoretically explored some marine toxins, in an attempt to find a relationship between reactivity properties and potential of these compounds as new drugs.
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
Laura Carugati was born in Milan in 1987 where she obtained the Bachelor in Biology in 2009. Master’s degree in Marine Biology in 2012 and PhD in Marine Biology and Ecology in 2017 at the University Polytechnic of Marche, combing morphological and molecular methods to study marine benthic biodiversity. Post Doc fellow from 2017 to 2019, focusing on the impacts of multiple stressors on marine ecosystems, restoration practices and the implementation of EU directives to deep-sea ecosystems. From 2019 to 2022, Researcher TD A at the University of Cagliari (UNICA) where she is now a Researcher TD B. Currently, she carries out her research on different marine ecosystems from shallow water to deep-sea ones. Her main research interest deals with the study of benthic biodiversity and the conservation of commercial- and conservation-interest species using molecular approaches. Dr. Carugati is responsible for UNICA for the PRIN-2022 Project ENGAGE and is involved in different national and international research projects. She attended and organized several national and international congresses and participated to different oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean (Mariana Trench), in collaboration with international research centres (NOC, JAMSTEC). Tutor and co-tutor of >20 Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis in Biology and Marine Biology. Author of >50 scientific publications on peer-reviewed journals including Nature Ecology and Evolution, Scientific Reports, Progress in Oceanography, Deep-sea Research I e II and Animal Conservation. Review Editor for Frontiers in Marine Science, Reviewer for Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Molecular Ecology, etc. Laura Carugati received awards for research presented at national and international congresses and grants from COAST actions and EMBRC-France. Researcher unique identifier(s) ORCID: 0000-0002-0921-6911 Scopus Author ID: 55655128500
Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius
Current Position: Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Mauritius (UoM) Previous Positions: Senior Lecturer, Head of Department & Acting Dean (Faculty of Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) University of Mauritius (UoM). Visiting Scholar & External Examiner (Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand) Post Doctoral Research Fellow & Honorary Assistant Professor. University of Hong Kong (HKU); Post Doctoral Research Associate (University of Portsmouth, UK) PhD (University of Hong Kong, HKU) He has several distinguished academic awards, secured major research grants, graduated 18 PhD students, editor in chief for Mycosphere journal, subject editor for other well known journals, contributes to reviewing papers and involved in other academic activities. Dr Jeewon has also published extensively in highly rated journals (over 275 publications) which have been heavily cited by other researchers.
Invited Speakers
National Fungal Culture Collection of India, Biodiversity & Palaeobiology (Fungi) Group, MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India
Dr. Rajeshkumar KC, FLS, is a Senior Scientist E at the National Fungal Culture Collection of India, Biodiversity & Palaeobiology (Fungi) Group, MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune (DST INDIA). He was recently elected as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (2024). He is also affiliated as a Professor at the Faculty of Science at S. P. Pune University, Maharashtra, India. Dr Rajeshkumar holds a gold medal in MSc life sciences from Kuvempu University, Karnataka. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from FRI Dehradun (KFRI Peechi). He completed postdoctoral research in collaboration with CABI UK (formerly International Mycological Institute) under Dr. K. V. Sankaran and fellow eminent CABI UK Mycologists. Dr Rajeshkumar has been a part of NFCCI, Pune, for the past 15 years, contributing significantly to Indian mycology through his work in basic and applied research in fungal taxonomy and bioprospecting. He has also established a lichen molecular study facility at ARI, Pune. He supervises four doctoral students and has mentored five master's dissertations affiliated with FC College Pune, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV, formerly the University of Indore), and DY Patil University, Pune. Dr Rajeshkumar has published more than 70 peer-reviewed international articles, including the discovery of 01 new family, 01 new series, 09 new genera, 35 new species to science and 15 new geographical records in India. He has also filed a patent on endophytic fungal metabolite. He is a life member of the Mycological Society of India, the Association of Fungal Biologists, and the Lichenological Society of India. Currently, he serves as the Managing Editor of MycoAsia Journal of Modern Mycology. He is a reviewer for prestigious peer-reviewed international journals such as Fungal Diversity, Mycosphere, MycoKeys, Mycological Progress, New Zealand Journal of Botany, Phytotaxa and Microbial Biosystems.
Registration
The registration for IECD 2024 will be free of charge! The registration includes attendance to all conference sessions.
If you are registering several people under the same registration, please do not use the same email address for each person, but their individual university email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.
Please note that the submission and registration are two separate parts. Only scholars who registered can receive a link to access the conference live streaming. The deadline for registration is 10 October 2024.
Instructions for Authors
1. Deadline for abstract submission: 1̶5̶ ̶J̶u̶n̶e̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶4̶ 31 July 2024.
2. Announcement of oral and poster abstract results: 1̶5̶ ̶J̶u̶l̶y̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶4̶ 10 September 2024. You will be notified of the acceptance of an oral/poster presentation in a separate email.
Abstract submissions should be completed online by registering with www.sciforum.net and using the "Submit Abstract" function once logged into the system. No physical template is necessary.
1. The abstract structure should include the introduction, methods, results, and conclusions sections of about 200–300 words in length.
2. All abstracts should be submitted and presented in clear, publication-ready English with accurate grammar and spelling.
3. You may submit multiple abstracts. However, only one abstract will be selected for oral presentation.
4. The abstracts submitted to this conference must be original and novel, without prior publication in any journals or it will not be accepted to this conference.
Detailed Requirements:
1. The submitting author must ensure that all co-authors are aware of the contents of the abstract.
2. Please select only one presenter for each submission. If you would like to change the presenter after submission, please email us accordingly.
Note: We only accept live presentations.
- Size in pixel: 1080 width x 1536 height–portrait orientation.
- Size in cm: 38,1 width x 54,2 height–portrait orientation.
- Font size: ≥16.
- Examples of successful submissions can be viewed here at the following links: (1), (2), (3)
- Please use our free template to create your poster. The poster template can be downloaded HERE.
It is the author's responsibility to identify and declare any personal circumstances or interests that may be perceived as inappropriately influencing the representation or interpretation of clinical research. If there is no conflict, please state "The authors declare no conflicts of interest." This should be conveyed in a separate "Conflict of Interest" statement preceding the "Acknowledgments" and "References" sections at the end of the manuscript. Any financial support for the study must be fully disclosed in the "Acknowledgments" section.
MDPI, the publisher of the Sciforum.net platform, is an open access publisher. We believe authors should retain the copyright to their scholarly works. Hence, by submitting an abstract to this conference, you retain the copyright to the work, but you grant MDPI the non-exclusive right to publish this abstract online on the Sciforum.net platform. This means you can easily submit your full paper (with the abstract) to any scientific journal at a later stage and transfer the copyright to its publisher if required.
Publication Opportunities
All accepted abstracts will be published in the conference report of The 3rd International Electronic Conference on Diversity in Biology and Life Sciences Forum (ISSN: 2673-9976); if you wish to publish an extended proceeding paper (4-8 pages), please submit it to the same journal after the conference.
Proceedings submission deadline: 1 December 2024
Manuscripts for the proceedings issue must be formatted as follows:
Title.
Full author names.
Affiliations (including full postal address) and authors' e-mail addresses.
Abstract.
Keywords.
Introduction.
Methods.
Results and Discussion.
Conclusions.
Acknowledgements.
References.
List of accepted submissions (100)
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sciforum-103556 | Modeling the Current Suitable Habitat Range of the Yellow-Bellied Gecko (Hemidactylus flaviviridis Rüppell, 1835) in Iran |
,
,
Narina Ghasemian Sorboni
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Studying the current range of species presence is crucial for ecologists and related scientists to understand potential habitats and the influence of environmental factors on species distribution. In this study, we used species distribution modeling (SDM) to look into where the yellow-bellied gecko, also known as the northern house gecko (Hemidactylus flaviviridis Rüppell, 1835), lives in Iran. We achieved this by combining four machine learning algorithms: Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Maximum Entropy (Maxent), and Generalized Linear Model (GLM). We utilized 19 historical bioclimatic variables, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), slope, aspect, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). After calculating their correlation, we selected variables for modeling with a variance inflation factor (VIF) of less than 10. The findings indicate that the variables "Precipitation of the Coldest Quarter" (BIO19) and "Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter" (BIO8) have the most significant influence on the species' distribution. The gecko primarily inhabits low elevations and slopes, particularly those below 400 meters above sea level with slopes less than 8 degrees, primarily in southern Iran. Additionally, we found that the NDVI had minimal impact on the distribution of the species. Therefore, we identify the provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, and Hormozgan, along with parts of the coastal strip of Sistan and Baluchistan, as suitable areas for the current presence of this species. |
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sciforum-103452 | Genomic approaches to reveal the genetic components of the Peruvian Paso Horse |
Carla Saldaña ,
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Luis Murga-Valderrama ,
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The Peruvian Paso Horse (PPH) is a breed native to Peru. It is important socially and economically and is classified as a flagship product. However, very little is known about its genetics, thus limiting the development of a genetic improvement program and conservation. Even though genomic tools are widely available for different animal species of importance, such as horses and cattle, the PPH remains abandoned. Moreover, its phylogenetic relationship, together with the genetic and population structure components of the PPH, are still limited. Here, we sequenced the whole genome of a representative individual of the PPH using long and short reads and obtained 160 GB and 74 Gb of raw data, respectively. Hi-C sequencing will show the three-dimensional chromosome structure of this breed, and RNA-Seq reads will determine its gene expression. In addition, a total of 150 hair samples from the tail and mane of the PPH were recently collected in the geographic departments of Lima and Arequipa in order to genotype them with an SNP chip, attempting to determine the genetic structure and diversity of this Peruvian breed. Currently, we are in the process of sending the DNA samples to an external service. In the meantime, we are using different bioinformatic tools to assemble and annotate the mitochondrial and whole genome of the PPH. We expect to obtain our final results before the year comes to an end. Finally, the use of these modern tools may stimulate other Peruvian researchers to study our abundant zoogenetic resources for conservation and breeding purposes, promoting their sustainable use. |
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sciforum-103372 |
Aquatic invertebrate assemblages as proxies for adjacent karst spring differentiation
, , , Mladen Kerovec ,
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Ivana Mišerić ,
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Vesna Cetin Krnjević
Submitted: 31 Jul 2024 Abstract: Show Abstract |
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Mladen Kerovec ,
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Ivana Mišerić ,
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Vesna Cetin Krnjević
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Karst springs are extremely diverse in terms of morphology, microhabitat structure, hydrology and hydrogeology and consequently unique in their composition of aquatic invertebrate communities. The two studied karst springs of the Gacka River in Croatia, Majerovo and Tonkovića Vrilo, are large limnocrenous springs located in different sub-catchments. They differ in terms of groundwater residence time, discharge regime and self-purification capacity of the water. Invertebrate meiofauna and macrozoobenthos samples were collected seasonally following the modified AQEM protocol to (1) assess the structure and abundance of the benthic assemblages in different microhabitats in relation to ecological and spatial correlations in each spring; (2) assess and compare the habitat preferences of the aquatic invertebrate community; and (3) assess the variation in habitat preferences at the microhabitat level. A total of 70 invertebrate subsamples from dominant inorganic and organic substrates were collected along 100 metres of each spring. Most physico-chemical water parameters differed significantly between the two springs, with values generally lower in Majerovo Vrilo. Primer 6.1 SIMPER analysis identified vegetation and animal taxa that were most responsible for the multivariate distance between seasonal samples and showed that isopods and amphipods were most abundant in both springs during all sampling periods. Invertebrate species richness was significantly higher in Tonkovića Vrilo, where the higher concentrations of dissolved ions were measured. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) of ordination plot revealed a separation of invertebrate assemblages between springs at the microhabitat level. The classification of vegetation-animal assemblages into types based on microhabitats is intended to characterize the life requirements of each recorded species. This study has shown the importance of overlaying multifunctional ecological data to assess land-use changes in different sub-catchments of two neighbouring springs. |
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sciforum-103179 | Notes on chalcidid wasp (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) fauna from Central India |
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Vikas Singh
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Chacididae is one of the important families in Chalcidoidea in terms of biological control. Its members are pupal parasitoids of most lepidopterans and can be easily differentiated by having an enlarged hind femur with variable teeth on the ventral side. Currently, more than 1500 valid species across five subfamilies have been documented worldwide. In India, the Chalcididae fauna was extensively studied during the 1990’s, and more than 250 valid species were found to be present under five subfamilies, while only 14 species are reported to be from central India. In this study, surveys were undertaken from 2019 to 2023 to document the chalcidid wasp fauna from central India, with special reference being made to Chhattisgarh state. Random surveys were taken in more than 20 sites across the Chhattisgarh state, including the permitted forest areas, and an abundance of chalcidid wasps situated at various altitudes across four elevation gradients was recorded. A total of 350 individuals belonging to four subfamilies were collected, and the documentation of more than 50 species across eleven genera was performed. Haltichellinae and Dirhininae were the most dominant subfamilies, while Epitraninae was the least documented one in terms of abundance, and Brachymeria, Antrocephalus, and Hockeria were found to be the most speciose genera. Based on the surveys, Chalcididae fauna are more diverse in 250-500 msl and 750 msl gradients. Dirhinus himalayanus and Dirhinus claviger have been found across the gradients, while many of the species were restricted to particular elevation ranges. Species diversity is discussed with respect to elevation gradients, and an irregular spread has been found across the state. |
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sciforum-085888 | European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) population declined due to squirrel pox brought by the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) invasion | , |
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Squirrelpox virus (SQPV) is a poxvirus that affects squirrel species. The affected species are the European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), the American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and the Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). S. carolinensis acts as a reservoir of SQPV but does not display clinical signs of the disease and is responsible for its transmission to native squirrels in Europe. The first grey squirrels were introduced in England in 1876. The first confirmed case of SQPV in Europe was in East Anglia in the 1980s, and since then, the virus has spread to other regions of the UK and other European countries. In S. vulgaris, the disease is characterized by multifocal skin fibroma (tumours) and ulcerative and exudative dermatitis with hemorrhagic scabs. Animals became lethargic, emaciated and eventually die. Currently, SQPV has only been detected in red squirrel populations that have contact with grey squirrels. SQPV is believed to be transmitted horizontally through direct contact between infected and susceptible squirrels, through contact with the infected lesions or contaminated crusts. The virus can also be transmitted indirectly through environmental contamination, such as contaminated feeders, surfaces, and mosquitos. In the UK, grey squirrels have been able to spread 17 to 25 times faster through competitive exclusion of the red squirrel due to the increased mortality of reds from the SQPV. At the moment, vaccines have been developed against this virus, but further work is required to develop a method of administering an oral vaccine to red squirrels in the wild to stop this disease and the decline of the population. |
Event Awards
To acknowledge the support of the conference's esteemed authors and recognize their outstanding scientific accomplishments, we are pleased to announce that the conference will provide 4 awards including Best Oral Presentation Awards and Best Poster Awards.
The Awards
Number of Awards Available: 4
The Best Oral Presentation Awards are given to the paper judged to make the most significant oral contribution to the conference.
The Best Poster Awards are given to the submission judged to make the most significant and interesting poster for the conference.
There will be four winners selected for these awards. The winner will receive an award of CHF 200, along with an offer to publish an extended paper, free of charge, in the Special Issue of Diversity.
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Organizers
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Conference Secretariat
Ms. Mejoe Wang
Ms. Adelina Platon
Email: iecd2024@mdpi.com
For inquiries regarding submissions and sponsorship opportunities, please feel free to contact us.
S1. Animal Diversity
We welcome researches with all aspects of animal diversity, from evolution, to phylogeny, adaptation, and conservation, from the species up to community interactions with ecosystems to participate in the conference. Research fields of interest include but are not limited to:
- Animal Diversity and Diversity Preservation
- Systematics, taxonomy and phylogeny
- Evolution and Ecology
- Population genetics and ecology
- General Aspects of Animal Diversity Assessment
- Freshwater Animal Diversity
- Environmental DNA
Session Chairs
Prof. Dr. Luc Legal, Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, UMR 5245 (CNRS-UPS-INPT) Batiment IVR1/Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, CEDEX 9, F-31062 Toulouse, France
Prof. Dr. Łukasz Kaczmarek, Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
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Submissions
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S2. Biodiversity Conservation
The purpose of this session is to discuss recent advances and weaknesses in the study of ecosystems, environments and biodiversity as applied to human impact, conservation and other types of management.
We welcome the contributions of researchers who study all aspects related to scientific methodologies, description, observation, experimentation, modeling and analysis, as well as contributions regarding ethics, the management of conflicts in the use of natural resources, principles and theory.
Session Chair
Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione, ICL, Junia, Université Catholique de Lille, LITL, F-59000 Lille, France
S3. Marine Diversity
The aim of this session is to discuss recent advances in the exploration of Marine Diversity, from intertidal to deep Sea environments. The session will focus on different aspects of Marine Diversity, from species to their potential sustainable and innovative uses.
We welcome contributions from researchers studying all aspects of Marine Diversity, including but not limiting to:
- Taxonomy
- Alien and/or Invasive Species
- Intraspecific variability
- Interspecific relationships
- Morpho-functional adaptation of marine species to peculiar environments
- Methodological approaches to the study of Marine Diversity
- Effects of pollution on Marine Diversity
- Identification of bioactive compounds from marine organisms
- Marine-derived ingredients for cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals, marine-derived functional foods and nutritional supplements
- Marine natural products with activity against human, animal and plant diseases
- Marine natural products with insecticidal or herbicidal activities
- Biomaterials of marine origin
Keywords: Biodiversity; morphology; taxonomy; behavior; systematics; adaptation; bioactive compounds; biomaterials
Session Chairs
Dr. Paulo Vale, Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), Sea and Marine Resources Department (DMRM), Lisbon, Portugal
Dr. Gioele Capillo, Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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S4. Microbial Diversity and Culture Collections
In view of the pressures of climate change, questions on how microbial diversity might be affected are timely and persistent. Predictions regarding the loss of microbial diversity are difficult to make, as the evidence and data on the true existence of microorganisms at different niches are patchy. If microorganisms cannot adapt to new environmental conditions, they will be replaced with ones that can. Microorganisms that cannot alter their metabolisms are susceptible to habitat disturbances. The impact of geographical, environmental, geological and climate changes on microflora can only be understood with continuous surveys using modern molecular tools, as well as by culturing the key representatives of microbial diversity and preserving them in culture collections, which play a key role in the preservation of new representatives from these changing ecosystems.
We welcome researchers to share more opinions on microbial diversity and culture collections.
Session Chair
Prof. Dr. Xiaoyulong Chen, College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
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S5. Phylogeny and Evolution
Phylogeny, the evolution history of a species or group, is a crucial concept, especially the lines of ancestry and relationships among broad organism groups. It reveals the profound truth that different plant or animal species, despite their apparent differences, are all descended from common ancestors. However, the evidence for such relationships is often incomplete. Most species that have ever lived are extinct, and only a fraction of their remains have been preserved in the fossil record. This leads to the emergence of multiple phylogenies, all based on indirect evidence. However, there is a universal agreement on the significance of the tree of life, which results from the descendants of earlier ancestors. This understanding underscores the paramount importance of accurate phylogenies, which are discoverable and essential for our comprehensive understanding of the tree of life.
This section focuses on the phylogeny and evolution of plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Keywords: animal evolution and phylogeny; bacteria; evolution and phylogeny of microorganisms; fungi; plant evolution; plant phylogeny.
Session Chair
Prof. Dr. Samantha C. Karunarathna, Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, China
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S6. Plant Diversity
Plant diversity is a fundamental characteristic of life on Earth, encompassing a vast range of plant species with unique shapes, sizes and functions. Plants provide oxygen, food and habitat for many life forms, playing a crucial role in Earth's ecosystems. Plant diversity is the result of millions of years of evolution and adaptation to environmental conditions, which have produced an extraordinary variety of species.
This section focuses on the plant diversity issues which include, the evaluation of plant diversity (at the three levels: morphological, biochemical, and molecular), its conservation (in situ and/or ex situ); aspects related to population genetics and genotype by environmental interaction, the plant adaptation to climatic changes, the interactions among plants and ecosystems.
Keywords: Plant Diversity; germplasm; assessment of genetic diversity; Ecology; climatic changes.
Session Chair
Prof. Dr. Mario A. Pagnotta, Department of Sciences and Technology for Agriculture, Forest, Environment and Energy - Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy. orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5436-3478
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