Can species richness be maintained in logged endemic Acacia Heterophylla forests (Reunion Island, Indian Ocean) ?

It is assumed that forests can serve multiple uses, including wood production and maintenance of high biodiversity level. We tested this hypothesis by studying eradication methods of invasive plants currently implemented in exploited endemic Acacia heterophylla forests located in a tropical highland forest region on the island of Réunion. We also compared species richness in logged (over time) and natural forests. Our results show that all individuals of the widespread alien invasive plant Rubus alceifolius were generated from cuttings. We quantifi ed the high growth capability of this species by comparing with those of Acacia heterophylla along with Rubus apetalus var. apetalus, a close non-invasive congener. The substantial multiplicative and vegetative growth ability of R. alceifolius enabled it to form monospecific patches in only 2.5 years. The species richness of the exploited Acacia heterophylla forest was thus very affected. Although the species richness increased over time after logging, the extent of the resulting richness was not as great as that in natural forests which, moreover, included numerous exotic plants. The authors assess the impact of highly disturbing logging operations and, based on the results of the comparisons, are very pessimistic about the possibility of maintaining species richness in logged forests. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the situation is not beyond hope and an eradication program specifi cally tailored to this kind of forest is proposed if exploitation will stop

Statut démographique et biologie de la reproduction d'une espèce endémique menacée de l'île de la Réunion: Lomatophyllum macrum (Haw.) Salm-Dyck (Siliacées)

Knowledge of the demography and of the reproductive biology of endangered plant species is crucial for the establishment of an efficient conservation strate gy. The authors show that Lomatophyllum macrum, an endangered lily endemic to La Réunion island, is represented by less than 15 populations of extremely reduced size. The analysis of fecundity in natural conditions shows that the fructification rate is no more than 20 %. The breeding system study, performed on 9 cultivated plants in the greenhouse, reveals that the species is partially self-compatible but poorly self-fertile. In the light of these results, the survival of these populations is questioned. Future studies are proposed to improve the basic knowledge of the biology of this species for a long term conservation strategy of its populations in the wildLa connaissance du statut démographique et de la biologie reproductive des plantes en voie d'extinction est une étape cruciale, incontournable pour la mise en place de stratégies de conservation des espèces. Les auteurs montrent que Lomatophyllum macrum n'est aujourd'hui plus représentée que par quelques populations de taille extrêmement réduite. L'analyse de la fécondité en conditions naturelles montre que le taux de fructification ne dépasse pas 20 %. L'étude du système de reproduction à partir de 9 plantes multipliées en serre met en évidence que l'espèce est partiellement autocompatible mais très faiblement autofertile. Des perspectives d'études sont proposées afin d'enrichir les connaissances de la biologie de cette espèce dans le but d'élaborer un plan de conservation efficace de ses populations dans la nature

Biologie de la reproduction d'une espèce menacée de l'île de La Réunion (Corymborkis corymbis: Orchidaceae) : implications pour sa conservation

La connaissance de la biologie de la reproduction est une étape essentielle dans la mise en place de projets de conservation des espèces menacées. L'étude de Corymborkis corymbis, espèce protégée de l'île de La Réunion, montre que cette espèce n'est représentée que par quelques populations sur l'île. Son taux de fécondité en milieu naturel, de l'ordre de 3 %, est extrêmement faible. L'étude de son système de compatibilité montre que l'espèce est partiellement autocompatible mais pas autofertile. Des perspectives d'études à réaliser sont proposées, ainsi que des stratégies de gestion de la conservation de cette espèce.The knowledge of the reproductive biology is an essential step in the building of conservation projects of endangered species . The protected Corymborkis corymbis in La Réunion island is only represented by few populations. lts fecundity in natural conditions is very low ( around 3 % ). The study of its breeding system shows that the species is partially self-compatible but not self-fertile. This paper proposes future studies as well as management strategies of the conservation of this species

Morphological differences and identification of Jumellea rossii and Jumellea fragrans (Orchidaceae) in Reunion Island: implications for conservation

Conservation strategies are not possible when there is confusion in the taxonomic status of a group of plants. Such confusion makes difficult for systematic biologists to identify functional biological entities. This is particularly true in the case of species that diversified fast due to adaptive radiation particularly plants from the oceanic islands. It is the case of certain orchids from Reunion Island. Among them, the “Faham” complex includes several taxa whose populations are situated at various elevations with morphological and reproductive variations. These taxa are actually merged into one name: Jumellea fragrans causing confusion in their taxonomic status. This confusion has caused numerous problems of identification and errors hindering the protection status of the species. In this study, we suggest to clarify the systematic position of the taxa composing complex Jumellea fragrans using a biometric approach at population scale. The objective is to identify morphological characters that allow distinguishing the taxa of the J. fragrans complex. Morphological characters (vegetative and floral) are measured on individuals from three natural populations representative of altitudinal range of the complex. Principal component analysis made on the characters show a separation of the individuals in two groups (Mare-Longue vs Basse-Vallée and Cilaos). Nine characters (on 14 measured) are significantly different between Mare-Longue population and the populations of Basse-Vallée and Cilaos and allow identifying both groups. Population of Mare-Longue belongs to the species Jumellea fragrans (Thouars) Schltr. and populations of Basse-Vallée and Cilaos belongs to the species Jumellea rossii Senghas. In terms of conservation, the first recommendation is to recognize two different species: J. rossii and J. fragrans. Moreover, putting J. fragrans into the « vulnerable » IUCN Red List category and the adoption of a protection status are recommended. Concerning J. rossii, more studies on geographical range and population dynamics are necessary to estimate the risk of extinction. In the same way, studies on genetic variability of both species would generate useful data for implementation of conservation strategiesLa clarification du statut taxinomique des espèces constitue un préambule nécessaire à la mise en place de mesures de conservation appropriées et efficaces, particulièrement dans les îles océaniques où la radiation adaptative rend difficile la reconnaissance des entités biologiques fonctionnelles. C’est le cas de certaines orchidées de La Réunion comme le « Faham » (Jumellea spp.) qui regroupe plusieurs taxons dont les populations se situent à différentes altitudes et semblent présenter des variations morphologiques et reproductives. Dans cette étude, nous proposons d’éclaircir la position systématique des taxons composant le complexe d’espèces regroupées sous le nom de « Faham » par le biais d’une approche morphométrique à l’échelle populationnelle et d’identifier des caractères morphologiques permettant de distinguer les différents taxons. Quatorze caractères (végétatifs et floraux) ont été mesurés sur 51 individus issus de trois populations naturelles représentatives de la distribution altitudinale du complexe. Des analyses multivariées effectuées sur ces caractères ont montré une séparation des individus en deux groupes (Mare-Longue d’une part, Basse-Vallée et Cilaos d’autre part). Neuf caractères sont significativement différents entre la population de Mare-Longue et les populations de Basse-Vallée et Cilaos et permettent de distinguer les deux groupes. La population de Mare-Longue appartiendrait à l’espèce Jumellea fragrans (Thouars) Schltr. et les populations de Basse-Vallée et Cilaos à l’espèce Jumellea rossii Senghas. En termes de conservation, la première recommandation est de reconnaître deux espèces bien distinctes : J. rossii et J. fragrans. D’autre part, l’inscription dans la catégorie « vulnérable » de la Liste Rouge de l’UICN et l’adoption d’un statut de protection semblent fortement recommandées pour J. fragrans. Concernant J. rossii, des connaissances approfondies sur la distribution géographique et la dynamique des populations de l’espèce s’avèrent nécessaires afin d’évaluer le risque d’extinction. Parallèlement, l’étude de la diversité génétique des deux espèces fournirait des données utiles pour la mise en oeuvre de plans de conservatio

La richesse spécifique peut-elle être conservée dans des forêts exploitées d’Acacia heterophylla, espèce endémique de l’île de la Réunion (Océan Indien) ?

It is assumed that forests can serve multiple uses, including wood production and maintenance of high biodiversity level. We tested this hypothesis by studying eradication methods of invasive plants currently implemented in exploited endemic Acacia heterophylla forests located in a tropical highland forest region on the island of Réunion. We also compared species richness in logged (over time) and natural forests. Our results show that all individuals of the widespread alien invasive plant Rubus alceifolius were generated from cuttings. We quantifi ed the high growth capability of this species by comparing with those of Acacia heterophylla along with Rubus apetalus var. apetalus, a close non-invasive congener. The substantial multiplicative and vegetative growth ability of R. alceifolius enabled it to form monospecific patches in only 2.5 years. The species richness of the exploited Acacia heterophylla forest was thus very affected. Although the species richness increased over time after logging, the extent of the resulting richness was not as great as that in natural forests which, moreover, included numerous exotic plants. The authors assess the impact of highly disturbing logging operations and, based on the results of the comparisons, are very pessimistic about the possibility of maintaining species richness in logged forests. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the situation is not beyond hope and an eradication program specifi cally tailored to this kind of forest is proposed if exploitation will stopLa richesse spécifique peut-elle être conservée dans des forêts exploitées d'Acacia heterophylla, espèce endémique de l'île de la Réunion (océan Indien) ? - Il est globalement considéré que les forêts peuvent assurer des usages multiples, incluant la production de bois et le maintien d'un niveau élevé de biodiversité. Dans le but de tester cette hypothèse, nous avons étudié les méthodes d'éradication de Rubus alceifolius actuellement utilisées au sein d'une forêt exploitée d'Acacia heterophylla, espèce endémique de l'île de la Réunion. Nos résultats montrent que tous les individus de l'espèce envahissante la plus répandue dans la zone -Rubus alceifolius-, proviennent de bouturage. Nous avons aussi quantifié la forte capacité de croissance de cette espèce au travers d'une comparaison de croissance avec l'Acacia heterophylla mais aussi avec un congénère indigène - Rubus apetalus var. apetalus. Ces capacités de multiplication et de croissance végétatives importantes permettent à Rubus alceifolius de former des massifs monospécifiques en seulement 2,5 ans. La richesse spécifique de la forêt d'Acacia heterophylla exploitée en est alors largement affectée. En effet, de manière générale, même si la richesse spécifique semble augmenter légèrement au cours du temps, les espèces observées sont généralement des espèces exotiques envahissantes. Comparant l'extraction du bois à un haut niveau de perturbation, les auteurs sont très pessimistes sur la possibilité de maintenir une diversité spécifique élevée au sein d'une forêt exploitée. Néanmoins ces résultats apportent une lueur d'espoir et un programme d'éradication mieux adapté au type de forêt étudié est proposé

Chemical and morphological filters in a specialized floral mimicry system

Summary Many plant species attract insect pollinators through chemical mimicry of their oviposition sites, often detaining them in a trap chamber that ensures pollen transfer. These plant mimics are considered to be unspecialized at the pollinator species level, yet field observations of a mycoheterotrophic rainforest orchid (Gastrodia similis), which emits an odour reminiscent of rotting fruit, indicate that it is pollinated by a single drosophilid fly species (Scaptodrosophila bangi). We investigated the roles of floral volatiles and the dimensions of the trap chamber in enforcing this specialization, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, bioassays and scanning electron microscopy. We showed that G. similis flowers predominantly emit three fatty-acid esters (ethyl acetate, ethyl isobutyrate and methyl isobutyrate) that were shown in experiments to attract only Scaptodrosophila flies. We additionally showed that the trap chamber, which flies enter into via a touch-sensitive 'trapdoor', closely matches the body size of the pollinator species S. bangi and plays a key role in pollen transfer. Our study demonstrates that specialization in oviposition site mimicry is due primarily to volatile chemistry and is reflected in the dimensions of the trapping apparatus. It also indicates that mycoheterotrophic plants can be specialized both on mycorrhizal fungi and insect pollinators

Constraints on the structure and seasonal variations of Triton's atmosphere from the 5 October 2017 stellar occultation and previous observations

Context. A stellar occultation by Neptune's main satellite, Triton, was observed on 5 October 2017 from Europe, North Africa, and the USA. We derived 90 light curves from this event, 42 of which yielded a central flash detection. Aims. We aimed at constraining Triton's atmospheric structure and the seasonal variations of its atmospheric pressure since the Voyager 2 epoch (1989). We also derived the shape of the lower atmosphere from central flash analysis. Methods. We used Abel inversions and direct ray-tracing code to provide the density, pressure, and temperature profiles in the altitude range similar to 8 km to similar to 190 km, corresponding to pressure levels from 9 mu bar down to a few nanobars. Results. (i) A pressure of 1.18 +/- 0.03 mu bar is found at a reference radius of 1400 km (47 km altitude). (ii) A new analysis of the Voyager 2 radio science occultation shows that this is consistent with an extrapolation of pressure down to the surface pressure obtained in 1989. (iii) A survey of occultations obtained between 1989 and 2017 suggests that an enhancement in surface pressure as reported during the 1990s might be real, but debatable, due to very few high S/N light curves and data accessible for reanalysis. The volatile transport model analysed supports a moderate increase in surface pressure, with a maximum value around 2005-2015 no higher than 23 mu bar. The pressures observed in 1995-1997 and 2017 appear mutually inconsistent with the volatile transport model presented here. (iv) The central flash structure does not show evidence of an atmospheric distortion. We find an upper limit of 0.0011 for the apparent oblateness of the atmosphere near the 8 km altitude.J.M.O. acknowledges financial support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European Social Fund (ESF) through the PhD grant SFRH/BD/131700/2017. The work leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community's H2020 2014-2021 ERC grant Agreement nffi 669416 "Lucky Star". We thank S. Para who supported some travels to observe the 5 October 2017 occultation. T.B. was supported for this research by an appointment to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Post-Doctoral Program at the Ames Research Center administered by Universities Space Research Association (USRA) through a contract with NASA. We acknowledge useful exchanges with Mark Gurwell on the ALMA CO observations. This work has made use of data from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Gaia (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia), processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC, https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac/consortium).Funding for the DPAC has been provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia Multilateral Agreement. J.L.O., P.S.-S., N.M. and R.D. acknowledge financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award to the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (SEV-2017-0709), they also acknowledge the financial support by the Spanish grant AYA-2017-84637-R and the Proyecto de Excelencia de la Junta de Andalucia J.A. 2012-FQM1776. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement no. 687378, as part of the project "Small Bodies Near and Far" (SBNAF). P.S.-S. acknowledges financial support by the Spanish grant AYA-RTI2018-098657-J-I00 "LEO-SBNAF". The work was partially based on observations made at the Laboratorio Nacional de Astrofisica (LNA), Itajuba-MG, Brazil. The following authors acknowledge the respective CNPq grants: F.B.-R. 309578/2017-5; R.V.-M. 304544/2017-5, 401903/2016-8; J.I.B.C. 308150/2016-3 and 305917/2019-6; M.A. 427700/20183, 310683/2017-3, 473002/2013-2. This study was financed in part by the Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior -Brasil (CAPES) -Finance Code 001 and the National Institute of Science and Technology of the e-Universe project (INCT do e-Universo, CNPq grant 465376/2014-2). G.B.R. acknowledges CAPES-FAPERJ/PAPDRJ grant E26/203.173/2016 and CAPES-PRINT/UNESP grant 88887.571156/2020-00, M.A. FAPERJ grant E26/111.488/2013 and A.R.G.Jr. FAPESP grant 2018/11239-8. B.E.M. thanks CNPq 150612/2020-6 and CAPES/Cofecub-394/2016-05 grants. Part of the photometric data used in this study were collected in the frame of the photometric observations with the robotic and remotely controlled telescope at the University of Athens Observatory (UOAO; Gazeas 2016). The 2.3 m Aristarchos telescope is operated on Helmos Observatory by the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens. Observations with the 2.3 m Aristarchos telescope were carried out under OPTICON programme. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 730890. This material reflects only the authors views and the Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. The 1. 2m Kryoneri telescope is operated by the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens. The Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) is managed by the Fondazione Clement Fillietroz-ONLUS, which is supported by the Regional Government of the Aosta Valley, the Town Municipality of Nus and the "Unite des Communes valdotaines Mont-Emilius". The 0.81 m Main Telescope at the OAVdA was upgraded thanks to a Shoemaker NEO Grant 2013 from The Planetary Society. D.C. and J.M.C. acknowledge funds from a 2017 'Research and Education' grant from Fondazione CRT-Cassa di Risparmio di Torino. P.M. acknowledges support from the Portuguese Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia ref. PTDC/FISAST/29942/2017 through national funds and by FEDER through COMPETE 2020 (ref. POCI010145 FEDER007672). F.J. acknowledges Jean Luc Plouvier for his help. S.J.F. and C.A. would like to thank the UCL student support observers: Helen Dai, Elise Darragh-Ford, Ross Dobson, Max Hipperson, Edward Kerr-Dineen, Isaac Langley, Emese Meder, Roman Gerasimov, Javier Sanjuan, and Manasvee Saraf. We are grateful to the CAHA, OSN and La Hita Observatory staffs. This research is partially based on observations collected at Centro Astronomico HispanoAleman (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by Junta de Andalucia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IAA-CSIC). This research was also partially based on observation carried out at the Observatorio de Sierra Nevada (OSN) operated by Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC). This article is also based on observations made with the Liverpool Telescope operated on the island of La Palma by Liverpool John Moores University in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias with financial support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. Partially based on observations made with the Tx40 and Excalibur telescopes at the Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre in Teruel, a Spanish Infraestructura Cientifico-Tecnica Singular (ICTS) owned, managed and operated by the Centro de Estudios de Fisica del Cosmos de Aragon (CEFCA). Tx40 and Excalibur are funded with the Fondos de Inversiones de Teruel (FITE). A.R.R. would like to thank Gustavo Roman for the mechanical adaptation of the camera to the telescope to allow for the observation to be recorded. R.H., J.F.R., S.P.H. and A.S.L. have been supported by the Spanish projects AYA2015-65041P and PID2019-109467GB-100 (MINECO/FEDER, UE) and Grupos Gobierno Vasco IT1366-19. Our great thanks to Omar Hila and their collaborators in Atlas Golf Marrakech Observatory for providing access to the T60cm telescope. TRAPPIST is a project funded by the Belgian Fonds (National) de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS) under grant PDR T.0120.21. TRAPPIST-North is a project funded by the University of Liege, and performed in collaboration with Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakesh. E.J. is a FNRS Senior Research Associate

Gaia Data Release 2 Mapping the Milky Way disc kinematics

Context. The second Gaia data release (Gaia DR2) contains high-precision positions, parallaxes, and proper motions for 1.3 billion sources as well as line-of-sight velocities for 7.2 million stars brighter than G(RVS) = 12 mag. Both samples provide a full sky coverage. Aims. To illustrate the potential of Gaia DR2, we provide a first look at the kinematics of the Milky Way disc, within a radius of several kiloparsecs around the Sun. Methods. We benefit for the first time from a sample of 6.4 million F-G-K stars with full 6D phase-space coordinates, precise parallaxes (sigma((omega) over bar)/(omega) over bar Results. Gaia DR2 allows us to draw 3D maps of the Galactocentric median velocities and velocity dispersions with unprecedented accuracy, precision, and spatial resolution. The maps show the complexity and richness of the velocity field of the galactic disc. We observe streaming motions in all the components of the velocities as well as patterns in the velocity dispersions. For example, we confirm the previously reported negative and positive galactocentric radial velocity gradients in the inner and outer disc, respectively. Here, we see them as part of a non-axisymmetric kinematic oscillation, and we map its azimuthal and vertical behaviour. We also witness a new global arrangement of stars in the velocity plane of the solar neighbourhood and in distant regions in which stars are organised in thin substructures with the shape of circular arches that are oriented approximately along the horizontal direction in the U - V plane. Moreover, in distant regions, we see variations in the velocity substructures more clearly than ever before, in particular, variations in the velocity of the Hercules stream. Conclusions. Gaia DR2 provides the largest existing full 6D phase-space coordinates catalogue. It also vastly increases the number of available distances and transverse velocities with respect to Gaia DR1. Gaia DR2 offers a great wealth of information on the Milky Way and reveals clear non-axisymmetric kinematic signatures within the Galactic disc, for instance. It is now up to the astronomical community to explore its full potential.Peer reviewe