Scanning and data extraction from crop collecting mission documents

Poster presented at TDWG 2009, Montpellier (France). 9 - 13 Nov 2009

Genetic diversity of Parkia biglobosa (African locust bean) and its implications for conservation strategies

Parkia biglobosa is an African Savannah tree with a wide range from Senegal to Uganda between the latitudes 5 and 15° in the North of equator. It is well-known as an agroforestry tree but also as a medicinal and food tree. Seeds, barks, roots, leaves and flowers are used to treat more than 80 diseases and complaints while fermented seeds and pulp of fruits have highly nutritional and commercial values. Understanding the level and distribution of genetic diversity of a widespread species such P. biglobosa is crucial for its conservation and sustainable utilisation. The genetic diversity and population structure were investigated using height nuclear microsatellites developed for the species. The sampling included 84 populations from twelve countries in West and Central Africa. The height microsatellite loci were highly polymorphic and did not show evidence of null alleles. A total of 217 alleles were revealed among the 1,610 genotypes of P. biglobosa. The number of alleles per locus was ranged from 17 to 50 with an average of 27 alleles per locus. The estimates of genetic diversity were moderate for the populations of extreme West Africa and Central Africa and were high to populations in the centre of West Africa. Individual-based assignment using admixture model with correlated allele frequencies revealed strong genetically structured populations across P. biglobosa range in West and Central Africa. The clustering analysis showed five most plausible subpopulations for the biogeographic study in West and Central Africa. Analysis of molecular variance partitioned the molecular variation 9.10% among groups, 2.71% among populations within groups and 88.19% within populations. Overall, the genetic differentiation among populations was moderate (FST=0.118; P<0.001). In regard to the distribution of intraspecific diversity, we also discussed the implications for conservation and sustainable use of the species

Identifying tree populations for conservation action through geospatial analyses

Rapid development of information and communication technologies has made it possible to easily collect georeferenced information on species and their environment, and to use it for analyzing biological diversity, its distribution and threats to it. Such analyses can importantly inform development of conservation strategies and priorities, especially across countries or species distribution ranges (Guarino et al. 2002). Data for spatial analyses on species or genetic diversity and its distribution are collected in specifically designed studies, obtained from existing records of species occurrence, or both. Observations may be complemented by species distribution modelling, where the potential occurrence of a species is predicted based on its documented geographic distribution and climate in those areas. Results on the distribution of diversity, documented or modelled, can then be compared, for example, with existing protected areas, rates of forest degradation, threats of environmental changes, or socio-economic indicators, to identify priority tree populations and tailor strategies for their conservation and sustainable use (Pautasso 2009). In this paper recent case studies on spatial biodiversity analyses across the tropics are presented, demonstrating how such analyses can help to identify most unique or most threatened populations of a tree species for conservation actions. Insights on initiating collaborative research on diversity and distributions of important Asian tree species are also discussed

Genetic conservation in Parkia biglobosa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) - what do we know?

The medicinal and food tree species Parkia biglobosa (Faba­ceae: Mimosoideae) is widespread in the Sudanian savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, where it has a strong socio-cultural and economic importance. Populations of this species are highly threatened in large parts of its range due to over exploitation and environmental degradation. In the light of climatic changes, safeguarding the genetic diversity of the species is crucial to foster adaptation and to support its long-term survival. Genetic insight is also relevant to guide sustainable harvesting. This paper has the objective to review information on the species’ geographic distribution, reproductive biology, genetic characteristics and existing conservation practices, and to identify knowledge gaps to orientate future conservation and research focus. The literature review revealed that the species is mainly out-crossed and is pollinated by a diversity of vectors, including bats that allow long-pollen dispersal. When bats are absent, pollination is mainly carried out by honey bees and stingless bees and in such case pollen-mediated gene flow is relatively restricted. Data of a large-scale genetic study based on allozyme markers showing a moderate genetic differentiation among populations were reanalyzed using an inverse dis­tance weighted interpolation function. Three distinctive regions of diversity based on allelic richness and expected heterozygosity were identified. Finally, we discuss future chal­lenges for genetic conservation by emphasizing the need to use both neutral and adaptive markers in future research

Improvement of pain symptoms in musculoskeletal diseases after multimodal spa therapy in the Austrian Gastein Valley: a study based on longitudinal registry data

Objective: The study aim was to investigate the course of pain in rest and motion in seven different rheumatic diseases (RMD), prior and after multimodal spa therapy including low-dose radon treatment and at 3-, 6-; and 9-month follow up.Methods: Complete data from the radon indication registry including information on 561 subjects with RMD were analysed to explore the association of timepoint of measurement with pain in rest and motion. For this purpose, linear regression models adjusted for RMD-type, age, sex and body mass index (BMI) were applied.Results: The mean age of the sample was 55 years, the average body mass index was 26.8, and 275 subjects were women. Pain scores were significantly improved at all-time points compared to baseline. Pain courses were different for each RMD with the largest improvement seen in fibromyalgia.Conclusion: Timing spa facility visits according to RMD-specific pain courses may result in sustained pain reduction.Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease

Improvement of pain symptoms in musculoskeletal diseases after multimodal spa therapy in the Austrian Gastein Valley: a study based on longitudinal registry data

Objective: The study aim was to investigate the course of pain in rest and motion in seven different rheumatic diseases (RMD), prior and after multimodal spa therapy including low-dose radon treatment and at 3-, 6-; and 9-month follow up. Methods: Complete data from the radon indication registry including information on 561 subjects with RMD were analysed to explore the association of timepoint of measurement with pain in rest and motion. For this purpose, linear regression models adjusted for RMD-type, age, sex and body mass index (BMI) were applied. Results: The mean age of the sample was 55 years, the average body mass index was 26.8, and 275 subjects were women. Pain scores were significantly improved at all-time points compared to baseline. Pain courses were different for each RMD with the largest improvement seen in fibromyalgia. Conclusion: Timing spa facility visits according to RMD-specific pain courses may result in sustained pain reduction.Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease