The box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis Walk; Lepidoptera, Crambidae) origins from East Asia. It was probably brought to Europe in 2005–2007 along with boxwood bushes (Buxus spp.) imported from China. In Europe, it was recorded for the first time in 2007 in south-western Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Without encountering any natural enemies, it quickly became an invasive alien species that threaten plants of the genus Buxus, both wild and cultured. There is a risk of its migration to other host plants. In Poland, C. perspectalis was found for the first time in 2012 in the south-western part of the country. From 2015, it was recorded in subsequent provinces of southern Poland, and a year later it appeared in the east (Outer Subcarpathia). The direction of its expansion eastwards suggests a natural way of expanding the acreage. In 2017 it was found in the central part of the country. In the 2018 growing season, boxwood plants were utterly destroyed for the first time in many Poland regions. In the following years, insects between Poland’s western and eastern borders occupied different areas to the north. By the end of 2020, C. perspectalis was found all over Poland. As it is not a quarantine pest in the European Union, it is not subject to official monitoring in Poland. Hence the lack of official information on the range of occurrence in the country. The studies conducted in 2018–2020 determined the current range of C. perspectalis occurrence in Poland, along with the selection of places with the highest intensity of occurrence. The caterpillars are most harmful in Poland’s southern and central part, where their foraging leads to total defoliation. The Polish climatic conditions allow the pest to develop without any obstacles two generations a year. In the warm year of 2019, the third generation was observed in large numbers. The insect poses a real threat to box trees in Poland, including the historic boxwood garden arrangements.

The species diversity of algae in different ecotopes of the alpine lake Nesamovyte was studied. In total, 233 species were identified comprising globally and regionally rare species. We also documented a temporal change in species composition of algae from the first investigations conducted 100 years ago to present. An increase in the species diversity of Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta, the constancy of the number of Euglenophyta and Cyanoprocaryota species, a decrease in the composition of Charophyta and the disappearance of Dinophyta species were revealed. We further documented some changes in the most abundant species and indicator species for certain limnological conditions, the disappearance of montane species and the colonization of species with a wide ecological-geographical amplitude. There occurred confinement to benthic and plankton-benthic conditions and the increase of indicators of low-alkaline mesotrophic waters as well as mass development ("blooming") of some species. The studied features of the species diversity of the "algoflora" indicate high species richness and a high number of indicator species, as well as lake ecosystem degradation and an increase in organic pollution. There was a shift of the lake from oligotrophic to mesotrophic state, as indicated by certain algal groups. The noted changes in the species diversity of algae in Nesamovyte Lake could be attributable to the increased anthropogenic influence leading to change of the trophic status of the lake.

Biodiversity loss has been demonstrated to have direct impacts on human welfare. However, policymakers need to refer to commonly accepted standards to monitor biodiversity, especially to direct fund granting. With the aim of collating information for the creation of a reliable pollinators’ one, we screened available indicators. Our first criterion was selecting indicators applied in agricultural contexts and recognised by a governmental body. Further, we included indicators referring to any arthropod taxa and approved at least by national bodies. We focused on these two groups based on the concept that a new indicator should include both, approved standards and an ecological level of potential significance for insect pollinators. Among the environmental indicators considered in the last CAP (European Common Agriculture Policy 2014-2020), two are referred for measuring the success of RDPs (EU countries Rural Development Programmes) actions to sustain biodiversity: FBI (Farmland Bird Index) and HNV (High Nature Value) farming. On the other hand, many indicators using arthropods exist, and we considered those applied by the Italian national institute ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale). These indicators include butterflies, syrphid flies, ground beetles, or a combination of abiotic and biotic information (as for the soil or waterbodies). We compared survey scale, monitoring scheme, type of environment, sampling effort, expected arthropod population, taxonomic level of data. As a common approach, we identified the combination of a territorial analysis by remote tools (e.g. GIS) and animal taxa surveys. Both FBI and HNV farming, for different reasons, resulted poorly conclusive on evaluating the national measures aimed at environmental improvement. The first, because the landscape context that is considered is poorly related to that of a farm. The second, because it can be differently interpreted by each country. The strength of indicators including arthropods emerges in the simultaneous inclusion of biotic and abiotic components. However, most of them just refer to confined environments (e.g. grasslands, riversides). Pollinators’ sensitivity to changes at the micro-habitat level is widely recognised, even helping to distinguish different methods of agricultural management. To develop a biodiversity indicator based on pollinators, we suggest to improve knowledge on local pollinator species and their environmental requirements, coupled with wide (in time and space) national monitoring programs.

Olive agroecosystems are of great agricultural, environmental, cultural and economic importance for the Mediterranean. In the island of Crete (Greece) olive orchards are the most common cultivation, occupying 20% of the total land area. Patterns of invertebrate biodiversity of olive cultivation have been associated with farming systems, the agro-ecological zones of cultivation and landscape attributes. Terrestrial snails of 16 olive orchards under two different farming systems (organic and conventional) located in two different agro-ecological zones (plain and hilly) were studied in the Messara plain, south Crete. Linear models and Mantel tests were used to evaluate the effect of different factors on land snail richness and composition, respectively. Species richness of terrestrial snails was higher in hilly olive orchards regardless of the farming systems. Species richness was explained by landscape attributes (olive orchard area, isolation, slope and anthropogenic impact), while species composition was only partly associated with landscape characteristics. Preliminary results indicate distinct community patterns of terrestrial snails in olive orchards in the Messara plain. Landscape characteristics are important factors affecting snail biodiversity of olive orchards. Terrestrial snails are highlighted as potential indicators for studying the impact of olive orchard management on biodiversity.

Morphology and forage productivity of 25 Tripsacum spp. materials were characterized under tropical conditions (Aw₂) in Nayarit, Mexico. Treatments included: Tripsacum latifolium, T. australe var. Australe, Tripsacum spp., T. dactyloides (cv. Meridionale and Hispidum), T. bravum, T. manisuroides, T. zopilotense, T. andersonii, T. lanceolatum, T. floridanum, T. laxum, T. cundinamarceae, T. intermedium, T. maizar, and T. peruvianum. Five in row equidistant plants (1.5 m) and three rows (replicates) per species, were evaluated and fertilized using 100-60-00 per year. Variables included: plant mean height, leading flowered stem’s height, plant crown circumference, basal cover, tillers per crown, forage yield and growth rates. Data was analyzed through a completely randomized design including 25 treatments (species, varieties, and/or ecotypes) and LSD tests for mean separation. Differences (P<0.01) were observed among morphological, productive variables, and species. Oustanding material included T. latifolium and T. australe (8.3 and 5.6 kg DM per plant). Forage production ranged (P<0.01) from 22% to 1405%, in comparison with the local ecotype T. dactyloides. Morphology and forage productivity within Tripsacum is highly variable, according to the genetic diversity available within this native to México genus, suggesting that Tripsacum agamic complex presents enormus forage production potential for its promotion under grazing for rain-fed systems.

Temperate open forest ecosystems of savannas and woodlands that were maintained by understory disturbances of fire and browsing have been lost. Here, I will describe the alternative state of open forests, which span the continuum between grasslands and forests, using structure, composition, function, and management of open pine and oak forests in the eastern United States as an example. Open forests are characterized by simple internal stand structure consisting of a single stratum of overstory trees and limited midstory, allowing co-existence of grasslands in the groundlayer. Current forests contain greater tree densities, which take growing space from herbaceous plants. Loss of open forests remains largely unrecognized due to transition to closed successional forests comprised of diverse tree species, which are the current baselines. Yet open forest loss comes at considerable conservation costs to herbaceous plants, fungi, insects including pollinators, and ‘successional’ and grassland birds and mammals. Open forests with a grasslands understory will impart another management option for forestry and wildlife. Open forest management includes maintaining the tree overstory and herbaceous understory rather than the focus of harvest and regeneration of traditional silviculture. Open old growth forests should be recognized as distinct ecosystems with unique biodiversity and associated management practices, similarly to recognition of closed old growth forests.

Wildlife is considered to be a very effective money making trade. It is considered to be difficult to obtain information on both legal and illegal aspects of trade. Present study is an attempt to understand the changing trade of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) enlisted bird species of South Asian countries with focus on India -relating to ever emerging wildlife laws in India. This study has taken into account CITES listed bird’s import and export since 1975 to 2019 for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. The analysis has showed that import as well as export of birds in India has rapidly declined after 1991, which may be associated with The Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 1991.The analysis shows that import of birds has started rising for Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan since 1991 and has increased tremendously from 2010 for Bangladesh and Pakistan. Maximum of these birds are captive birds. These birds may end up in India from its porous border with adjoining countries. The authors suggest to read between the lines and have an improved system of surveillance for illegal bird trade.

Abstract – Natural disturbances are critical ecosystem processes, with both ecological benefits and detriments. Herbivory by deer and other large wild herbivores often is considered a forest health problem, rather than a natural disturbance that results in a broad range of ecological outcomes including many important advantages. Here, we present that deer may be considered a natural disturbance helpful in controlling increased tree and shrub densities during the past century and thereby favoring a diversity of habitats and herbaceous plants. Ecological disadvantages of large herbivores include additional pressure on already declining herbaceous plant species and an increase in some invasive plant species via selective herbivory. We also discuss socioeconomic costs and benefits because society determines whether a species is a problem. Large herbivores are natural disturbances that have been removing plant biomass and altering landscape and vegetation structure for millions of years; similar to other disturbances, deer ‘regimes’ vary in severity. From a perspective of historical ecology rather than current baselines, deer as a disturbance provide many ecological benefits while socioeconomic effects range from troublesome to enjoyable for society.

Indigenous Ficus species are well noted for ethnomedicinal uses in Nigeria. Among the available species, Ficus exasperata, Ficus mucuso and Ficus thonningii are very germane to traditional herbal practitioners. Upon this basis, various parts such as leaves, barks and roots are frequently collected for medicinal purposes. Literature has shown that the identification of most of the Ficus species in Nigeria is based on the characterisation results generated by taxonomists several decades ago. Adequate and recent taxonomic evidence is needed for the discrimination and better understanding of the affinities among medicinally important and closely related species. Although macro morphological analysis has hitherto provided clues to differentiating the taxa by a common layman, however, combining it with leaf epidermal characters would produce a better predictive delimitation of the taxa. This study, therefore, investigated the Morpho-Anatomical markers for identifying Ficus exasperata, Ficus mucuso and Ficus thonningii.

Leaves samples were collected from the lower canopy portion of the tree species located in the University of Ibadan Campus, Nigeria. Specimens were prepared, analysed for morphological and epidermal characters following standard methods.

The result shows that Ficus exasperata and Ficus mucuso shared appreciable morphological similarities, which are taxonomically different from Ficus thonningii. In terms of the anatomical delimitation, F. mucuso was differentiated from the other two species by having actinocytic stomata on the abaxial layer of the leaf. Whereas, F. exasperata lacks stomata on the adaxial layer. Epidermal cell shape is polygonal for all the species while the trichome present is stellate, foliform and papillary respectively for F. exasperata, F. mucuso and F. thonningii on the abaxial layer.

Based on the identified taxonomic evidence observed in this study, leaf anatomical markers could provide discriminatory information for the taxa even when the plants are in fragmentary forms.

Conflicts between large carnivores and shepherds constitute a major social-ecological concern across the Himalaya and affects community attitudes and tolerance toward carnivores. We assessed the extent and intensity of human - brown bear conflicts in the same villages of Zanskar and Suru Valleys, Ladakh, in the Indian Trans-Himalaya during two time periods (2001 to 2003 and 2009 to 2012) through field and questionnaire surveys. During 2001-2003, 180 families of 32 villages in Zanskar, and 232 families of 49 villages in Suru were interviewed, and during 2009-2012, 145 families of 23 villages in Zanskar and 115 families of 33 villages in Suru were interviewed. Overall, 475 (119/ year) and 454 (151/year) heads of livestock were reportedly killed by brown bears, which caused economic loss of US $ 9769 ± 1172 and US $ 4646 ± 372 during 2001-2003 and 2009-2012 respectively. The surveys of 2009-2012 revealed that livestock predation in doksas(summer grazing camps) was higher (68%) compared to the surveys carried out during 2001-2003 (42%). This increased livestock depredation in doksas might be due to the extended stay and use of pastures by the local communities during spring and autumn. Damage to property in the form of breaking open of doors and windows by brown bear were reported during both the surveys. Economic losses and declining tolerance of people may trigger retaliatory killings of brown bear in Ladakh. We recommend compensation for livestock loss and improved husbandry practices in the conflict zones for bear-human coexistence.