Judith's Hedge: changes in the botanical diversity of a species-rich ancient hedgerow over 40 years

Judith’s Hedge in Cambridgeshire is believed to be a relic of woodland formed by clearance and field creation in the 11th century and marks both a parish and a hundred boundary. It has sections that differ in their history and in their recent management. The entire length of the hedge (> 1 km) was surveyed in contiguous 5 m plots in 1971, 1998 and 2011, recording the presence of woody species in the hedge and of three ground flora species (Anemone nemorosa, Mercurialis perennis and Hyacinthoides non-scripta). This paper reports the results of this exceptional resurvey. Between 1971 and 1998 there was a decline in species richness in all sections of the hedge, particularly in the woodland ground flora. However, following control of deer numbers and the re-introduction of hedge laying, by 2011 there had been a marked recovery in the ground flora species, whilst the hedgerow composition remained largely stable

Birds

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of multidrug resistant yeasts in the faeces of synanthropic wild birds from the Bangsar suburb of Kuala Lumpur. Methods: Species characterisations of yeast isolates and determinations of antimycotic susceptibility profiles were undertaken using the commercial characterization kit, Integral System Yeasts Plus (Liofilchem, Italy). Results: Fourteen species of yeasts were detected in the bird faecal samples.Candida albicans was present in 28.89 % of bird faecal samples, Candida krusei (13.33%), Candida tropicalis (4.44%), Candida glabrata (4.44%), Candida parapsilosis (2.22%), Candida lambica (2.22%), Candida stellatoidea (2.22%), Candida rugosa (2.22%) and Candida lusitaniae (2.22%). Amongst the non-candidal yeast isolates, Cryptococcus laurentii was present in 6.67 % of bir