Characterizations of how species mediate ecosystem properties require more comprehensive functional effect descriptors

The importance of individual species in mediating ecosystem process and functioning is generally accepted, but categorical descriptors that summarize species-specific contributions to ecosystems tend to reference a limited number of biological traits and underestimate the importance of how organisms interact with their environment. Here, we show how three functionally contrasting sediment-dwelling marine invertebrates affect fluid and particle transport - important processes in mediating nutrient cycling - and use high-resolution reconstructions of burrow geometry to determine the extent and nature of biogenic modification. We find that individual functional effect descriptors fall short of being able to adequately characterize how species mediate the stocks and flows of important ecosystem properties and that, in contrary to common practice and understanding, they are not substitutable with one another because they emphasize different aspects of species activity and behavior. When information derived from these metrics is combined with knowledge of how species behave and modify their environment, however, detailed mechanistic information emerges that increases the likelihood that a species functional standing will be appropriately summarized. Our study provides evidence that more comprehensive functional effect descriptors are required if they are to be of value to those tasked with projecting how altered biodiversity will influence future ecosystems

An inquiry into good hospital governance: A New Zealand-Czech comparison

BACKGROUND: This paper contributes to research in health systems literature by examining the role of health boards in hospital governance. Health care ranks among the largest public sectors in OECD countries. Efficient governance of hospitals requires the responsible and effective use of funds, professional management and competent governing structures. In this study hospital governance practice in two health care systems – Czech Republic and New Zealand – is compared and contrasted. These countries were chosen as both, even though they are geographically distant, have a universal right to 'free' health care provided by the state and each has experienced periods of political change and ensuing economic restructuring. Ongoing change has provided the impetus for policy reform in their public hospital governance systems. METHODS: Two comparative case studies are presented. They define key similarities and differences between the two countries' health care systems. Each public hospital governance system is critically analysed and discussed in light of D W Taylor's nine principles of 'good governance'. RESULTS: While some similarities were found to exist, the key difference between the two countries is that while many forms of 'ad hoc' hospital governance exist in Czech hospitals, public hospitals in New Zealand are governed in a 'collegiate' way by elected District Health Boards. These findings are discussed in relation to each of the suggested nine principles utilized by Taylor. CONCLUSION: This comparative case analysis demonstrates that although the New Zealand and Czech Republic health systems appear to show a large degree of convergence, their approaches to public hospital governance differ on several counts. Some of the principles of 'good governance' existed in the Czech hospitals and many were practiced in New Zealand. It would appear that the governance styles have evolved from particular historical circumstances to meet each country's specific requirements. Whether or not current practice could be improved by paying closer attention to theoretical models of 'good governance' is debatable

Taxonomic study of the species with flat to conduplicate leaves of the genus Octomeria (Orchidaceae)

Octomeria é um gênero neotropical que ocorre desde a América Central, Antilhas, Colômbia, Venezuela, Guiana, Suriname, Guiana Francesa, Suriname, Equador, Peru, Bolívia, Brasil, Paraguai até o Norte da Argentina. O gênero compreende aproximadamente 150 espécies, com importantes centros de diversidade, nas Guianas, Bacia Amazônica e especialmente o Sudeste e Sul do Brasil. O estudo taxonômico das espécies com folhas planas a conduplicadas do gênero Octomeria é aqui apresentada. O grupo é caracterizado por plantas de hábito geralmente epífitico, rizoma reduzido ou longo-escandente, com ramicaules curtos ou longos, as folhas distintamente conduplicadas e planas. A inflorescência fasciculada ou uniflora, sendo que as flores possuem sépalas e pétalas do muito semelhantes entre si, porém desiguais no tamanho; as sépalas laterais podem ser conadas ou livres, o polinário geralmente tem 8 polínias, exceto para uma espécie com 6 polínias. Neste trabalho são reconhecidas 64 espécies na seção, sendo quatro novas para a ciência. São apresentados uma chave de identificação, descrições morfológicas, ilustrações, período fenológico, distribuição geográfica, hábitat e comentários gerais para cada uma das espécies. A revisão revelou 17 espécies não incluídas no tratamento taxonômico por falta de informações sobre as mesmas. Foram excluídos um total de 23 táxons de Octomeria por não apresentarem os caracteres diagnósticos do gênero. O estudo filogenético foi realizado através do uso de seqüências nucleotídicas de nrDNA (ITS). A análise molecular foi feita utilizando a busca heurística e a máxima parcimônia como critério de optimização, a polarização dos caracteres foi feita pelo método do grupoexterno. A análise teve como objetivo verificar as relações entre Octomeria e gêneros próximos e o posicionamento das categorias infragenéricas estabelecidas para Octomeria. Segundo os resultados obtidos nessa análise Atopoglossum e Brachionidium emergiram numa politomia com Octomeria, os três gêneros foram indicados como monofiléticos. Dentro de Octomeria, as seções Octomeria e Teretifoliae se mostram polifiléticas, revelando não ser possível esse tratamento sistemático anteriormente proposto para o gênero. A coleta de mais dados moleculares poderá resultar em melhores árvores onde poderão ser inferidos os relacionamentos entre as espécies e estabelecer um novo tratamento infragenérico.Octomeria is a Neotropical genus occurring in the Central America, Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina. The genus comprises approximately 150 species, with important centers of diversity in the Guianas, the Amazon Basin and especially Southeast and South Brazil. The taxonomic study of the species with flat to conduplicate leaves of the genus Octomeria is presented here. The group is characterized by plants usually epiphytic habit, rhizome very short to long-creeping, with short or long ramicauls, the leaves distinctly conduplicate to flat. The inflorescence is fasciculate or 1-flowered, being the sepals and petals very similaries, however unequal in size; the lateral sepals can be connate or free, the pollinaria usually has 8 pollinia, excepto by one species with 6 pollinia. We recognize 64 species, four of them new. This taxonomic study of the species with flat to conduplicate leaves of genus Octomeria is provides an identification key, morphological descriptions, illustrations, phenological period, geographical distribution, habitat and general comments of each species. The revision revealed 17 species that are poorly known and were not included in the taxonomic treatment. 23 taxa were excluded from Octomeria because they did not show the morphological features which are diagnostics for the genus. The phylogenetic study was made with nucleotide sequences of the nrDNA (ITS). The molecular analysis was done using the heuristic search and the maximum parsimony as optimization criterion, and the characters were polarized by the outgroup method. The analysis aimed to verify the relationships between the Octomeria and close genera as well as the position of the infrageneric ranks previously established within Octomeria. According to our this analysis, Atopoglossum and Brachionidium emerge in politomy with Octomeria, and all three genera were indicated as monophyletic. Within Octomeria, the sections Octomeria and Teretifoliae were indicated as poliphyletic, and therefore it is not possible this adopt this systematic treatment within the genus. The search for additional molecular data is necessary to obtain better resolved trees, especially within Octomeria which would allow inferences of the relationships between the species and establish a new infrageneric treatment

Laeliinae (Orchidaceae) do parque nacional do Caparaó, Estados do Espírito Santo e Minas Gerais, Brasil

O presente trabalho visa à identificação e caracterização das espécies da subtribo Laeliinae (Orchidaceae) ocorrentes no Parque Nacional do Caparaó, localizado na Serra do Caparaó, na divisa dos Estados de Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo, sendo sua vegetação formada por florestas e campos de altitude. Em geral, apresenta altitudes em torno de 2.000 m, sendo seu ponto culminante o Pico da Bandeira, com 2.890 m, representando o ponto de maior altitude da região Sudeste. Laeliinae está representada por 19 espécies pertencentes a cinco gêneros: Cattleya bicolor, C. cinnabarina, C. coccinea (subsp. coccinea and subsp. pygmaea), C. mantiqueirae, Encyclia bragancae, E. patens, Epidendrum armeniacum, E. caparaoense, E. chlorinum, E. densiflorum, E. filicaule, E. mantiqueiranum, E. pseudodifforme, E. saxatile, E. secundum, E. zappi, Loefgrenianthus blancheamesiae, Prosthechea punctifera e P. pygmaea. Uma nova combinação é apresentada para Cattleya coccinea subsp. pygmaea

<i>Octomeria lilliputana</i> (Orchidaceae), a new species from Brazilian Atlantic Forest, State of Paraná, Brazil

Forster, Wellington, Souza, Vinicius Castro, Barros, Fábio De (2013): Octomeria lilliputana (Orchidaceae), a new species from Brazilian Atlantic Forest, State of Paraná, Brazil. Phytotaxa 105 (2): 39-44, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.105.2.2, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.105.2.