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  Research 2024-09-25 JEE 48:37

  Ecological significance of newly recorded halophilic Pharyngomonas kirbyi from two Korean solar salterns

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.073

  Hyeon Been Lee and Jong Soo Park^*

  [Abstract] Background: Hypersaline environments (> 40 practical salinity units [PSU]) represent some of the most extreme conditions on Earth, supporting a variety of halophilic and halotolerant bacteria, archaea, and protists. The taxon Heterolobosea includes numerous halophilic protists, making it a valuable model for studying eukaryotic adaptation to high salinity. Particularly, the genus Pharyngomonas, a deep-branching lineage within Heterolobosea, comprises mainly obligate halophiles, providing insights into early protist adaptations in hypersaline environments. Additionally, these protozoa play crucial ecological roles as grazers of bacteria and archaea, and are prey for higher trophic levels in hypersaline environments.Results: In the present study, two previously reported amoeboflagellates were isolated for the first time from hypersaline waters (~300 PSU) in two solar salterns in the Republic of Korea. Microscopic observations revealed that both strains exhibited the characteristic morphologies of Pharyngomonas, including amoeboid, flagellate, and cyst forms. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of their 18S rRNA gene sequences confirmed their close relationship to known Pharyngomonas kirbyi strains. The two strains demonstrated growth within a salinity range of 75–200 PSU, with optimal growth observed at 75–100 PSU, confirming their status as true halophiles. All known P. kirbyi strains are obligate halophiles, exhibiting a clear instance of adaptive radiation of halophilic eukaryotes. Additionally, the genus Pharyngomonas has been found in hypersaline environments across multiple continents (Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, and Africa), suggesting that it plays an ecologically significant role as a grazer of prokaryotes or prey for higher trophic levels in these habitats.Conclusions: On the bases of morphological and molecular analyses, two strains identified as P. kirbyi were isolated and characterized for the first time from solar salterns in the Republic of Korea. This discovery highlights the presence and adaptation of halophilic eukaryotes in such extreme environments. The confirmation of these strains as obligate halophiles provides additional evidence for the adaptive radiation of halophilic eukaryotes. Furthermore, the ecological role of Pharyngomonas species underscores their importance as trophic regulators in hypersaline ecosystems. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the diversity, adaptation, and ecological functions of halophilic eukaryotes in extreme environments.

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  Research 2024-09-23 JEE 48:36

  Monitoring, collecting, and validating data of inland wetland survey based on citizen science methodology

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.23.092

  Inae Yeo^1* , Kwangjin Cho² , Yeonsu Chu³ , Pyoungbeom Kim⁴ and Sangwook Han³

  [Abstract] Background: In this study, citizen scientists gathered survey data by monitoring inland wetlands, recognized as carbon sinks, and verified the accuracy of the data for incorporation into ecosystem management policies.Results: In October 2022, citizen scientists conducted surveys on three taxonomical groups (plants, mammals, terrestrial insects) in three wetland protection areas. After capturing photographs with location information, these images were uploaded to a national ecological information bank (EcoBank) managed in Korea. The information collected by citizen scientists underwent cross-validation through two expert methods, involving ecology field experts. First, experts conducted a survey of invasive alien plants in the designated areas and compared their findings with those of citizen scientists. The choice of survey locations by citizen scientists was influenced by their proximity to their residences. Second, an expert scrutinized the accuracy of species names collected and uploaded to EcoBank by citizen scientists, presenting their findings. The classification accuracy for species names was 98.8% for vegetation (n = 83), 21.6% for terrestrial insects (n = 21), and 66.7% for mammals (n = 8). These results indicate that citizen scientists may lack detailed classification ability at the species level.Conclusions: Moving forward, it will be imperative to offer diverse forms of education to strengthen the capabilities of the citizen scientists, including sharing wetland survey results to enhance expertise in species identification, creating and distributing educational materials, and providing on-site education through professional surveyors.

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  Research 2024-09-11 JEE 48:35

  Carbon stocks of Humbo Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration forest along altitudinal gradients, Southern Ethiopia

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.045

  Wondimagegn Amanuel^1* , Chala Tadesse² , Moges Molla¹ , Musse Tesfaye³ , Zenebe Mekonnen² and Fantaw Yimer⁴

  [Abstract] Background: Humbo Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) forest is managed through direct involvement of the local community and funded by the World Vision Australia through World Vision Ethiopia under framework of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism on greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding the amount and distribution of carbon stored in forests across different elevations will enhance ability to anticipate how forests will react to future climate conditions and carbon levels. The aim of the study was to quantify the amount of carbon stocks along altitudinal gradients in the Humbo FMNR forest in southern Ethiopia. A total of 54 nested sample plots of 20 m × 20 m were established on transects of elevation gradients. Inventories of woody species and soil samples (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depth) were collected within each nested sample plot. Carbon stocks in woody biomass and soil were compared by three elevation classes.Results: The total carbon stocks significantly (p < 0.05) differed among the three altitudinal gradients. There is no significant difference in biomass carbon stocks between the middle (1,610–1,750 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) and lower (1,470–1,610 m a.s.l.) elevations. However, both of these elevations significantly differ (p < 0.05) from the higher (1,750–1,890 m a.s.l.) elevation, despite an increase in carbon stocks from lower to higher elevations. The highest ecosystem carbon stock was contributed by soil carbon. The higher proportion of C stocks at the higher elevations may be associated to the species composition and dominance with larger wood density.Conclusions: It was concluded that even though soil carbon contributed higher carbon to the total carbon stock, biomass is stronger impact than soil carbon when it comes to carbon stock variation by altitudinal gradients. We recommend that carbon-related awareness creation on reducing emission for the local people and promotion of knowledge on carbon stock credits accounting and to be claimed in future for financing, which could be considered as additional possible option for sustainable forest management.

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  Research 2024-09-06 JEE 48:34

  Compensatory growth under leaf damage of herbal vine Aristolochia contorta depends on the light availability

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.062

  Si-Hyun Park^1,2† , Bo Eun Nam^1,3† and Jae Geun Kim^1,2,4*

  [Abstract] Background: There is a wide range of phenotypic plasticity in plants that respond to tissue damage. Compensatory growth after physical damage may function as a part of tolerance to herbivory, which is affected by resource limitations and/or damage properties.Results: Under different light availability (unshaded and shaded) and damaged leaf ontogeny (control, young leaf- and mature leaf-damaged), compensatory growth was examined for the herbal vine Aristolochia contorta. Under the unshaded treatment, compensatory growth on leaf and branch emergence was strongly induced compared to the shaded treatment. Damage to young leaves induced leaf emergence more strongly than damage to old leaves.Conclusions: It appears that light availability acted as a limiting factor in the compensatory growth of A. contorta after the damage despite its vigorous growth under the shade treatment. Under the shade, leaf damage led to altered biomass allocation as indicated by a decrease in specific leaf area and an increase in root mass fraction. The present study contributes to the understanding of the phenotypic plasticity of vine species under different environmental conditions and damaged tissue, which may differ depending on the species’ habitat range.

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  Research 2024-09-03 JEE 48:33

  Quantitative ethnobotanical investigation in Northern District of Lesser Himalayas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.053

  Tariq Habib¹ , Nudia Qadeer¹ , Karamit Hussain¹ , Shakeel Sabir^2* , Ansar Mehmood³ , Muhammad Shakeel Awan¹ and Taskeen Iqbal¹

  [Abstract] Background: The present study provides valuable insights into the traditional uses of medicinal plants by the inhabitants of the Northern District of the lesser Himalayas in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. The study likely focuses on documenting and preserving the region’s indigenous knowledge and practices related to medicinal plants. Ethnobotanical data were collected by interviewing 72 local informants including practitioners, farmers, teachers, and laborers from different localities of District Jhelum Valley. Different quantitative tools were used for the analysis of ethnobotanical data including relative frequency of citation, use value, informant consensus factor, fidelity level, cultural value, practical value, consensus value for plant part, rank order priority, percentage respondent knowledge, economic value and their total value were calculated. Jaccard’s index (JI) was used to compare the present knowledge with the previous studies in the same or surrounding areas.Results: A total of 129 species belonging to 111 genera and 63 families were documented along with their ethnobotanical uses. Dominant families based on the number of species include Rosaceae contributing 12 species followed by Asteraceae and Saxifragaceae with 8 species each. The comparative study of the novelty of species and their uses by the JI revealed 13 novel plant species which were not reported earlier from this region.Conclusions: This information is not only important for scientific and ethnobotanical purposes but also for the sustainable management of medicinal plant resources and the potential discovery of new natural medicine. Such studies can help to bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicines and collaboration between traditional healers and health care practitioners.

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  Research 2024-08-21 JEE 48:32

  Indigenous traditional knowledge and ethnobotanical flora: a quantitative assessment of medicinal flora of Fateh Pur Thakyala, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir, Pakistan

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.024

  Shakeel Sabir^1* , Naveed Iqbal Raja¹ , Rahmatullah Qureshi¹ and Karamit Hussain²

  [Abstract] Background: The current study is the first quantitative ethnobotanical evaluation of Fateh Pur Thakyala, an unexplored area of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The exploration and quantification of ethnobotanical knowledge among people of the study area mainly focused during field survey. The study likely focuses on documenting and preserving the indigenous knowledge and practices related to medicinal plants in the region. A total 70 informants (45 males and 25 females) selected randomly to collect data were interviewed using semi structured questionnaire. The data like demographic characteristics of informants, methods of preparation, life form, modes of application, parts used, and ethnomedicinal uses was documented. The quantitative indices including relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), consensus value for plant part (CPP), rank order priority (ROP), percentage respondent knowledge (PRK), were applied to analyze the collected data. Furthermore, primary data were also compared with fifteen papers published from adjoining areas by Jaccard index (JI).Results: The current study reported 135 medicinally important plants species belonging to 115 genera and 54 families. The dominating family was Asteraceae (14 sp.), followed by Fabaceae (11 sp.), Rosaceae (11 sp.), Lamiaceae (8 sp.), Moraceae (5 sp.), Solanaceae, Cyperaceae, Euphorbiaceae (4 sp.) and Poaceae, Sapindaceae, Rhamnaceae, Mrytaceae, Malvaceae (3 sp.) for each. The study revealed that there were small differences in usage of medicinal plants of different families. The herbaceous life form was dominating the study area with (79 sp.) used as herbal medicines followed by shrubs (23 sp.) and trees (33 sp.). The comparative study of for novelty of species and their uses by JI revealed 13 novel plants species which were not reported earlier from this region.Conclusions: Local inhabitants still prioritize herbal medicines as an effective way to treat a wide variety of ailments. Elders and health practitioners of the study area are well aware of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants, but young people are not much interested in herbal practices. Thus, valuable knowledge about the use of plants is on the verge of decline. The overexploitation and seasonal fires are major threats for medicinal flora in the area.

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  Research 2024-08-16 JEE 48:31

  Compromised compensation: evaluating the fitness costs of tolerance responses in plants facing herbivore-induced delayed germination and intraspecific competition

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.048

  Jeong-Min Kim^1,2† , Min-Soo Choi^2,3† , Juhee Lee^1,4 , Yong-Chan Cho⁴ and Youngsung Joo^1,2*

  [Abstract] Background: Many plants compensate for the damage caused by herbivorous insects through tolerance responses. Besides directly causing plant tissue loss and seed production reduction, herbivory causes phenological changes in the host plant. However, little is known about the fitness costs of phenological changes caused by tolerance responses to herbivorous attacks.Results: The girdling beetle Phytoecia rufiventris caused a short-term decrease in the number of flowers of the host plant Erigeron annuus. However, accelerated growth restored the number of flowers, but after a 2-week delay. With an objective to examine whether the tolerance response with such a delay fully compensates the fitness, we experimentally reproduced a 2-week delay in germination under greenhouse and field settings. Under both conditions, intraspecific competition resulted in serious defects in the growth and reproduction of E. annuus plants which of germination was delayed. However, delayed germination (DG) resulted in better growth when competition and herbivory were eliminated from the field. Thus, we showed that the tolerance response to restore reproductive production does not fully compensate for the fitness loss caused by insect attack; rather, the delay in seed production in attacked plants leads to DG and subsequent inferiority in intraspecific competition.Conclusions: Our results imply that compensation for floral production after an herbivore attack does not fully restore offspring fitness in the presence of intraspecific competition and herbivory. Assessing the ecological consequences of defense traits in an appropriate layer of interaction is critical to interpreting adaptive values.

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  Research 2024-08-14 JEE 48:30

  Germination and seedling growth of closely related native and invasive legume trees in Nepal

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.034

  Anuj Dangol , Ashmita Shrestha , Hemanti Airi , Nisha Kharel , Lal Bahadur Thapa *, Anjana Devkota and Bharat Babu Shrestha

  [Abstract] Background: This study compares seed germination and seedling growth parameters of native Senegalia catechu with its closely related invasive Leucaena leucocephala in Nepal. For the comparison of seed germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), and Timson’s index (TI), the seeds of both species were incubated under different light (photoperiod and dark), tiperatures (30/20ºC and 25/15ºC) and water stress conditions (−0.1, −0.25, −0.5, −0.75, and −1 MPa). The seedling iergence from different soil depths was also evaluated. The relative growth rate (RGR), root mass fraction (RMF), sti mass fraction, leaf mass fraction (LMF), and root-to-shoot ratio (RSR) of seedlings were also measured.Results: The seed length and mass of invasive L. leucocephala were higher than that of native S. catechu. The GP of S. catechu was higher at high tiperature and photoperiod comparing to L. leucocephala. There was no difference in GP between two species under other light and tiperature conditions. The MGT of S. catechu was shorter than that of L. leucocephala at both tiperatures. Senegalia catechu exhibited higher TI than L. leucocephala, particularly at high tiperatures. Water stress above −0.5 MPa reduced the GP and TI of both species and it was more pronounced in S. catechu than L. leucocephala. The seedling iergence percentage of L. leucocephala was higher than that of S. catechu. Both species exhibited comparable RGR and biomass allocations (RMF, LMF, and RSR). However, L. leucocephala had always greater values of shoot height, root length, leaf number and seedling biomass compared to S. catechu.Conclusions: Larger seeds may not always lead to higher seed GP. Some, but not all, seed germination and seedling growth traits can be useful to characterize invasive alien plant species. Invasiveness of L. leucocephala could be attributed to relatively high tolerance of seed germination to water stress, capacity to germinate from deeper soil, and larger seedling size compared to the confamilial native species.

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  Review 2024-08-13 JEE 48:29

  A comprehensive review of Coreopsis lanceolata: assessing its invasion risk and ecological impact

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.050

  Eunhee Cho and Deokjoo Son^*

  [Abstract] Although invasive alien species (IAS) have a negative impact on native ecosystems and reduce ecosystem services and productivity, the understanding of IAS at the population level is still lacking. Coreopsis lanceolata, a perennial plant native to North America, is expanding its invasive range, but there is limited research on the invasion risk of this species, and measures to control its spread are inadequate. Therefore, we collected findings from selected studies on C. lanceolata, examining its morphological and growth characteristics, reproductive traits, and invasion strategies, sourced from scientific databases using its scientific name as the keyword. Researchers have conducted extensive research on C. lanceolata, primarily focusing on the extraction of chemical compounds for anticancer and antioxidant effects and numerous studies on seed germination conditions in the field of ecology. Coreopsis lanceolata has a negative impact on plant ecosystems in Australia and Japan, and its high invasiveness is associated with high seed production, high seed viability and longevity, rapid reproduction through rhizomes, high surface coverage, and long flowering periods. Few studies have examined the invasive potential of C. lanceolata and management techniques to stop its spread, despite worries about the detrimental effects of invasion on plant ecosystems. Therefore, additional research on the invasion risk and management of C. lanceolata is necessary. This review offers a thorough analysis of C. lanceolata, serving as a scientific foundation for devising future ecosystem management strategies.

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  Research 2024-08-09 JEE 48:28

  Effect of seeding density on the weediness potential of transgenic plants: a case study on sunflowers

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.064

  Kyong-Hee Nam^1* , Sung Min Han¹ , Seong-Jun Chun¹ , Jun-Woo Lee¹ and Jihoon Kim^1,2

  [Abstract] Background: Newly introduced transgenic plants can outcompete native species in natural ecosystems, threatening the biodiversity of a country. This study ascertained the weediness potential of plants according to the seed amount under the assumption that transgenic seeds were unintentionally spilled. Using sunflowers as the study system, 0, 50, 100, and 150 seeds were sown in 1 m × 1 m and 2 m × 2 m plots, and seed germination, survival, flowering, and competition between the surviving and wild plants were investigated.Results: There was no significant difference in the germination rate of sunflowers depending on the cultivar, but differences were observed depending on the sowing density and plot size. As the number of seeds sown increased, the flowering and seed maturation of sprouted plants occurred earlier; the plant height and flower length of the surviving plants decreased. In addition, as the number of seeds increased, not only did the early importance of sunflowers increase, but the period of dominance over weeds also improved.Conclusions: These results suggest that the weediness potential of sunflowers varies with the number of seeds at the time of release, which may affect germination and growth, and compete with weeds in transgenic plants.

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  Research 2024-08-05 JEE 48:27

  Peatland restoration research: a global overview with insights from Indonesia

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.037

  Kushartati Budiningsih^1* , Prakoso Bhairawa Putera^2* , Ari Nurlia³ , Nur Arifatul Ulya¹ , Fitri Nurfatriani⁴ , Mimi Salminah⁴ , Dhany Yuniati¹ and Asmanah Widarti³

  [Abstract] Background: Repeated and severe fires have led to a large investment in research directed towards recapturing the natural values of Indonesia’s peatland forest resources. The aim of this study was to identify the patterns and trends in research on peatland restoration-related literature available on the Scopus database.Methods in this paper a bibliometric methodology, the Scopus database and VOSviewer were used explore the trends in the published peatland restoration literature in the period 1994–2021; the leading journals and most influential authors, affiliations, countries, documents and research themes were identified.Results: Three hundred and seventeen documents including 266 journal articles were identified. The leading journals based on numbers of articles published and citations were Restoration Ecology and Ecological Engineering. Authors affiliated to institutions in Canada and the United Kingdom were the most influential. Indonesia was the third most influential based on numbers of documents. The most influential article was “The underappreciated potential of peatlands in global climate change mitigation strategies” by Liefield J in Nature Communications with an annual average citation rate of 66/year. A keyword co-occurrence network identified nine main themes in peat restoration research.Conclusions: The findings of the study are used to outline the types of research in peat restoration now required to meet the outstanding and unmet challenges confronted in Indonesia. Three significant challenges have been identified: (1) anthropogenic, those that encompass issues related to community acceptance and participation in peatland restoration, (2) ecological, those associated with severely degraded peatlands, and (3) economic, the absence of secure funding to cover substantial costs.

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  Research 2024-08-05 JEE 48:26

  Assessing the relationship between latitude and plant-pollinator network specialization

  https://doi.org/10.5141/jee.24.032

  Ehsan Rahimi¹ and Chuleui Jung^1,2*

  [Abstract] Background: Research investigating the relationship between latitude and network specialization plant-pollinator networks present conflicting results. While some studies indicate a positive link between latitude and network specialization, particularly in tropical regions, others suggest contradictory trends, with specialization declining towards lower latitudes. These studies underscore the intricate nature of ecological specialization in plant-pollinator networks and the need for further studies in this field to gain a more nuanced understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving these patterns. In this study, we explore the relationship between plant-pollinator network specialization and latitude using a global dataset comprising 93 plant-pollinator networks.Results: Our analysis revealed a significant relationship with latitude mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, particularly concerning metrics such as connectance and nestedness. However, notably, we found no association with H2, a metric immune to the size, shape, or sampling effects of the network and considered highly suitable for measuring network specialization in both Hemispheres.Conclusions: The absence of latitudinal trends in network specialization (H2) in both Hemispheres in this study imply that the mutual attraction between plants and pollinators remains relatively stable across various latitudes. Our comparison with prior research highlights the diversity of conclusions regarding how latitude influences plant-pollinator networks. While our results are consistent with certain studies, indicating no direct impact of latitude on network specialization, discrepancies persist.

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