Similaridad del nicho ecológico de Pinus montezumae y P. pseudostrobus (Pinaceae) en México: implicaciones para la selección de áreas productoras de semillas y de conservación

Background and Aims: Ecological niche models have been used to understand how species can change or persist in an environmental and geographical space over time. The aims of the study were i) to model the ecological niche of Pinus montezumae and Pinus pseudostrobus in Mexico, ii) to evaluate and compare the similarity and equivalence of niche suitability between the distribution areas of both species, and iii) to propose potential geographic zones for the delimitation of seed-producing and conservation areas for each species.Methods: We used geographical data on distribution of species and climatic, topographic, elevation and soil data as environmental predictors, which were modeled based on the Maximum Entropy algorithm. The parameters of similarity (I) and equivalence (D) were estimated to know the degree of overlap of the niche of the species. For the selection of seed areas, environmental data were used that defined the distribution of each species and dasometrics of the National Forest and Soil Inventory (INFyS).Key results: The models show that the two species have similar areas of high suitability, distributed in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Sierra Madre del Sur. The highest contribution to the models for Pinus pseudostrobus were the variables average annual temperature (41.3%) and total annual rainfall (14.3%), whereas the soil (31.1%) and altitude (29%) were determinants in P. montezumae. The niche overlap analysis indicates that the observed value of equivalence (D=0.430) is less than the similarity value (I=0.610), suggesting that the species have a similar niche but that this is not equivalent, which could be in the process of diversification.Conclusions: The suitability of the ecological niche is similar for the two pine species, but it is not equivalent as they present differential environmental variables. These results have implications for the selection of potential areas for seed production and conservation of each species.Antecedentes y Objetivos: Los modelos de nicho ecológico se han usado para entender de qué manera las especies pueden cambiar o persistir en un espacio ambiental y geográfico a lo largo del tiempo. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron i) modelar el nicho ecológico de P. montezumae y P. pseudostrobus en México, ii) evaluar y comparar la similaridad y equivalencia de la idoneidad del nicho entre las áreas de distribución de las dos especies, y iii) proponer zonas geográficas potenciales para la delimitación de áreas productoras de semillas y conservación para cada especie.Métodos: Se usaron datos geográficos para predecir la distribución de especies y climáticos topográficos y edáficos como predictores ambientales, fueron modelados con base en el algoritmo de Máxima Entropía. Se estimaron parámetros de similaridad (I) y equivalencia (D) para conocer el grado de traslape del nicho. Para la selección de áreas semilleras se usaron los datos ambientales que definieron la distribución de cada especie y dasométricos del Inventario Nacional Forestal y de Suelos (INFyS).Resultados clave: Los modelos muestran que las dos especies presentan zonas muy similares de alta idoneidad, distribuidas en la Faja Volcánica Transmexicana y en la Sierra Madre del Sur. Las mayores contribuciones al modelo de Pinus pseudostrobus fueron las variables temperatura promedio anual (41.3%) y precipitación total anual (14.3%), mientras que el suelo (31.1%) y la altitud (29%) fueron determinantes para el modelo de P. montezumae. El traslape de nicho presenta un valor observado de equivalencia (D=0.430) menor al de similaridad (I=0.610), sugiriendo que las especies tienen un nicho similar, pero que este no es equivalente en su totalidad, el cual podría estar en proceso de diversificación.Conclusiones: La idoneidad del nicho ecológico es similar para las dos especies de pino, pero no es equivalente al presentar variables ambientales diferenciales. Estos resultados tienen implicaciones para la selección potencial de áreas productoras de semillas y conservación para cada especie

Phylogenomic approaches to DNA barcoding of herbal medicines: developing clade-specific diagnostic characters for Berberis

DNA barcoding of herbal medicines has been mainly concerned with authentication of products in trade and has raised awareness of species substitution and adulteration. More recently DNA barcodes have been included in pharmacopoeias, providing tools for regulatory purposes. The commonly used DNA barcoding regions in plants often fail to resolve identification to species level. This can be especially challenging in evolutionarily complex groups where incipient or reticulate speciation is ongoing. In this study, we take a phylogenomic approach, analyzing whole plastid sequences from the evolutionarily complex genus Berberis in order to develop DNA barcodes for the medicinally important species B. aristata. The phylogeny reconstructed from an alignment of ~160k bp of chloroplast DNA for 57 species reveals that the pharmacopoeial species in question is polyphyletic, complicating development of a species-specific DNA barcode. Instead we propose a DNA barcode that is clade specific, using our phylogeny to define Operational Phylogenetic Units (OPUs). The plastid alignment is then reduced to small, informative DNA regions including nucleotides diagnostic for these OPUs. These DNA barcodes were tested on commercial samples, and shown to discriminate plants in trade and therefore to meet the requirement of a pharmacopoeial standard. The proposed method provides an innovative approach for inferring DNA barcodes for evolutionarily complex groups for regulatory purposes and quality control

Phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives to promote growth and enhance host health

There are heightened concerns globally on emerging drug-resistant superbugs and the lack of new antibiotics for treating human and animal diseases. For the agricultural industry, there is an urgent need to develop strategies to replace antibiotics for food-producing animals, especially poultry and livestock. The 2nd International Symposium on Alternatives to Antibiotics was held at the World Organization for Animal Health in Paris, France, December 12-15, 2016 to discuss recent scientific developments on strategic antibiotic-free management plans, to evaluate regional differences in policies regarding the reduction of antibiotics in animal agriculture and to develop antibiotic alternatives to combat the global increase in antibiotic resistance. More than 270 participants from academia, government research institutions, regulatory agencies, and private animal industries from >25 different countries came together to discuss recent research and promising novel technologies that could provide alternatives to antibiotics for use in animal health and production; assess challenges associated with their commercialization; and devise actionable strategies to facilitate the development of alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) without hampering animal production. The 3-day meeting consisted of four scientific sessions including vaccines, microbial products, phytochemicals, immune-related products, and innovative drugs, chemicals and enzymes, followed by the last session on regulation and funding. Each session was followed by an expert panel discussion that included industry representatives and session speakers. The session on phytochemicals included talks describing recent research achievements, with examples of successful agricultural use of various phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives and their mode of action in major agricultural animals (poultry, swine and ruminants). Scientists from industry and academia and government research institutes shared their experience in developing and applying potential antibiotic-alternative phytochemicals commercially to reduce AGPs and to develop a sustainable animal production system in the absence of antibiotics.Fil: Lillehoj, Hyun. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service; ArgentinaFil: Liu, Yanhong. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Calsamiglia, Sergio. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Fernandez Miyakawa, Mariano Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología; ArgentinaFil: Chi, Fang. Amlan International; Estados UnidosFil: Cravens, Ron L.. Amlan International; Estados UnidosFil: Oh, Sungtaek. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service; ArgentinaFil: Gay, Cyril G.. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service; Argentin

The Pochonia chlamydosporia Serine Protease Gene vcp1 Is Subject to Regulation by Carbon, Nitrogen and pH: Implications for Nematode Biocontrol

The alkaline serine protease VCP1 of the fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia belongs to a family of subtilisin-like enzymes that are involved in infection of nematode and insect hosts. It is involved early in the infection process, removing the outer proteinaceous vitelline membrane of nematode eggs. Little is known about the regulation of this gene, even though an understanding of how nutrients and other factors affect its expression is critical for ensuring its efficacy as a biocontrol agent. This paper provides new information on the regulation of vcp1 expression. Sequence analysis of the upstream regulatory region of this gene in 30 isolates revealed that it was highly conserved and contained sequence motifs characteristic of genes that are subject to carbon, nitrogen and pH-regulation. Expression studies, monitoring enzyme activity and mRNA, confirmed that these factors affect VCP1 production. As expected, glucose reduced VCP1 expression and for a few hours so did ammonium chloride. Surprisingly, however, by 24 h VCP1 levels were increased in the presence of ammonium chloride for most isolates. Ambient pH also regulated VCP1 expression, with most isolates producing more VCP1 under alkaline conditions. There were some differences in the response of one isolate with a distinctive upstream sequence including a variant regulatory-motif profile. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy studies indicated that the presence of nematode eggs stimulates VCP1 production by P. chlamydosporia, but only where the two are in close contact. Overall, the results indicate that readily-metabolisable carbon sources and unfavourable pH in the rhizosphere/egg-mass environment may compromise nematode parasitism by P. chlamydosporia. However, contrary to previous indications using other nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi, ammonium nitrate (e.g. from fertilizers) may enhance biocontrol potential in some circumstances

Nothing Lasts Forever: Environmental Discourses on the Collapse of Past Societies

The study of the collapse of past societies raises many questions for the theory and practice of archaeology. Interest in collapse extends as well into the natural sciences and environmental and sustainability policy. Despite a range of approaches to collapse, the predominant paradigm is environmental collapse, which I argue obscures recognition of the dynamic role of social processes that lie at the heart of human communities. These environmental discourses, together with confusion over terminology and the concepts of collapse, have created widespread aporia about collapse and resulted in the creation of mixed messages about complex historical and social processes