Abstract: The Arctic Ocean is undergoing major changes in many of its fundamental physical constituents, from a shift from multi- to first-year ice, shorter ice-covered periods, increasing freshwater runoff and surface stratification, to warming and alteration in the distribution of water masses. These changes have important impacts on the chemical and biological processes that are at the root of marine food webs, influencing their structure, function and biodiversity. Here we summarise current knowledge on the biodiversity of Arctic marine ecosystems and provide an overview of fundamental factors that structure ecosystem biodiversity in the Arctic Ocean. We also discuss climate-associated effects on the biodiversity of Arctic marine ecosystems and discuss implications for the functioning of Arctic marine food webs. Based on the complexity and regional character of Arctic ecosystem reponses to environmental changes, recommendations are made for the establishment of long-term observatories across the Arctic, in supp...

Abstract: Arctic freshwater ecosystems are facing unique challenges through the interaction of natural and human-induced stressors such as climate change and industrial development. Much is unknown about the biodiversity of Arctic freshwaters, although it is believed to have already been affected by climate change. A pan-Arctic monitoring strategy is critically needed to improve abilities to detect and understand ongoing and future changes in Arctic freshwater ecosystems. The challenging issues that Arctic freshwater monitoring must address include: the large diversity of Arctic freshwater ecosystems, varying levels of stressor impacts across the Arctic, lack of historical baseline research and monitoring coordination, and poor among-country standardization of sampling protocols. In response, the Arctic Council's Freshwater Expert Monitoring Group of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) is developing a framework for monitoring Arctic freshwater biodiversity that w...

Abstract: Langtang National Park (LNP, Nepal) is a unique habitat for a number of highly valuable medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). The medicinal plants have intense local utilisation as well as high trade demand. Due to increased collection pressure on available resources and unsustainable harvesting methods, many wild medicinal herbs have become vulnerable. In this study, an attempt has been made to identify high-valued medicinal plants of LNP and evaluate their potential endangerment by using a method called rapid vulnerability assessment (RVA). It was found that the vulnerability of medicinal plants was due to high utilisation of plant parts, habitat specificity, life forms, high trade demand, excessive local utilisation and unsustainable harvesting practices. Of the 51 species of MAPs prioritised by the Conservation Assessment and Management Planning (CAMP) workshop for the prioritisation of threatened medicinal plants in the Himalayas, 20 species were identified as high-valued medicinal plants in LNP. Aco...

Abstract: Macrofungi are broad in diversity and play an important role in sustaining ecosystems. However, the quantity and quality of their habitat is decreasing and the threat of extinction looms over the remaining 95% of the world's undiscovered fungal species. There is an urgent need for inventorisation, monitoring and conservation of macrofungi and the habitats supporting their growth. This paper focuses on the species richness, assemblage and spatial ecology of the macrofungi whose lifecycles are intricately woven with natural Shorea robusta forests in the lateritic region of West Bengal, India. Decreasing soil productivity, poor regeneration of Shorea seedlings and subsequent habitat degradation for macrofungi are a prime cause of concern.

Abstract: Antarctic biota evolved under the influence of a suite of geological and climatic factors, including geographic isolation of the landmass and continental shelves, extremely low temperatures and seasonality. Current warming trends in the continent and surrounding oceans may trigger substantial shifts in community composition and biodiversity, impacting the dominance of cold-adapted over more generalist species. Until recently, the diversity of microorganisms in cold environments was investigated only in terms of distribution, with little attention to their functional roles in important environmental processes. The ‘omic’ methodologies now offer effective tools to investigate the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and to understand the evolutionary principles of adaptation and tolerance/resistance to extreme conditions. In this review we summarise how cold temperatures affect the physiology of microorganisms and focus on the molecular mechanisms of cold adaptation revealed by recen...

Abstract: 1. Diversity Diversity is defined in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, cultural values and religious beliefs. We are living in a world of increasing diversity, both in terms of the physical environment and technology, but also in terms of social organization, imagination, thoughts and constructions of reality. A complex array of theories and concepts has arisen to take account of these changes in our real world. Theories differ greatly, whether diversity is a valuable good or detrimental to progress and social cohesion. Sociological systems theory (Niklas Luhmann), to cite just one influential tradition, assumes that increasing differentiation of social systems enhances their adaptive capacity to challenges ahead.

Abstract: s 23: 123–48. Gladstones, J.S. 1974. Lupins of the Mediterranean region and Africa. Western Australia Department of Agriculture, Technical Bulletin 26: 1–48. Gladstones, J.S., C.A. Atkins, and J. Hamblin. 1998. Lupins as crop plants: biology, production, and utilisation. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. Gros, R., and E.S. Bunting. 1982. Agricultural and nutritional aspects of lupines: proceedings of the first international lupine workshop, Lima–Cuzco, Peru, April 12–21, 1980. Eschborn, Germany: German Agency for Technical Cooperation. Haq, N. 1993. Lupins (Lupinus species). In Pulses and vegetables, ed. J.T. Williams, London: Chapman & Hall. Hill, G.D. 1995. Lupins. In Evolution of crop plants. 2nd ed, eds. J. Smartt and N.W. Simmonds, Burnt Mill, Harlow, UK: Longman Scientific & Technical. International Lupin Association 1986. Proceedings of the Fourth International Lupin Conference, August 15–22, 1986, Geraldton, Western Australia. South Perth, Australia: Western Australian Department of

Abstract: The task of measuring the change of Arctic biodiversity and instituting changes to halt and reverse any downturn has been taken up in response to the rapid changes observed in the region. It is an undertaking made more difficult by the rate at which environmental change is occurring and the difficulty in monitoring species in remote and challenging habitats. We explored techniques to aggregate population trends among vertebrate species. We compiled almost 900 time series data sets tracking trends in Arctic vertebrate populations over the past four decades representing 37% of all known Arctic vertebrate species. Our results showed strengths in the breadth of populations and species monitored and the disaggregation of the data to uncover regional trends. Limitations of the data set were still apparent, due to the lack of any stratified monitoring scheme. Specifically, there were more bird species data than any other vertebrate class. To measure progress towards global targets for the environment, such as th...

Abstract: The Kashmir markhor, Capra falconeri cashmiriensis, is classified as endangered throughout its range because of habitat loss, unsustainable hunting and competition with domestic livestock. We investigated environmental factors influencing species distribution in Chitral Gol National Park (CGNP) based on the ‘presence-only’ dataset and predicted the potential distribution of markhor in order to compute a habitat suitability (HS) map using ecological niche factor analysis (ENFA). Kashmir markhor presence-only data was recorded for a period of four years during 2003–2007 from 487 point locations in summer, spring and winter. The geographical position of animals and the related topographic and habitat variables were used to accurately assess species occurrence within the study area and to predict its distribution. ENFA is used to describe distribution patterns and to identify key variables influencing the ecological niche of markhor. The ENFA model revealed that markhor occurred at a mean elevation of 2818 m ...

Abstract: The dispersal abilities of terrestrial mammals are severely constrained by water crossings, resulting in islands generally supporting less diverse mammal faunas than similar continental areas. In ice-affected Arctic regions, seasonal or permanent ice cover provides a bridging mechanism for dispersal, allowing water gaps to be crossed more rapidly and with less energy cost than is entailed in swimming. Consequently, islands that might be out of reach if waters were open become much more readily colonised in the presence of ice. We reviewed the distribution of terrestrial mammals on selected islands throughout the Arctic and analyse historical data for several sites in the Canadian Arctic where mammal populations have undergone extirpation and re-colonisation. We use these data to assess the value of ice for the dispersal of Arctic terrestrial mammals. Given observed dispersal distances we estimate the likely impact of future ice reduction on island faunas. We predict that, as ice cover duration shortens, i...

Abstract: It is now well documented that Arctic climates and ecosystems are changing at some of the fastest rates on planet Earth. These changes are significant for all Arctic biodiversity, and they are a great challenge for cooperative management boards of Canada's Arctic national parks, those legislated to maintain or improve the ecological integrity of all national parks. Owing to the inherent complexity of natural ecosystems, it is not at all clear how, nor how rapidly, these ongoing changes will affect park biodiversity and impact the traditional land-based lifestyles of Indigenous park cooperative management partners. In this context, this paper reviews and integrates recent research carried out in Canadian Arctic national parks: (1) geophysical – a reduction in glacial area and volume, active layer thickening, warming soil temperatures, and terrain instability; (2) vegetation – widespread but ecosystem-specific increases in NDVI ‘greenness’, plant biomass, shrub and herb coverage, and growing season lengths;...

Abstract: Agriculture, particularly the growing of crops, is essential for modern civilisation, but at the same time is the principal activity by which humans are endangering the ecosystems, atmosphere and biodiversity of the world. The vast human population must be fed, but crop production sacrifices land, water and energy, and often negatively affects adjacent biodiversity. Climate change is anticipated to decrease the productivity of many lands currently employed for crops, but is also expected to expand agricultural possibilities for certain areas, perhaps most notably in the ‘Far North’ (Arctic and Subarctic). Global warming will open up sea routes to the North, with consequent inflated exploitation of northern mineral and petroleum resources. This will enlarge the population of northern areas and thereby increase demand for local crop production. Accordingly, it is important to consider crops that are as compatible as possible with sustainable coexistence with natural northern biodiversity. The northernmost regions of the world, which are currently unsuitable or marginal for crops, will remain relatively inhospitable, but even small changes in climate can significantly expand the areas where certain hardy crops can be grown. The principal crops currently produced in high latitude areas are cool-season varieties of forages, grains (mostly barley, oats, rye and wheat) and vegetables. These are the most likely crop candidates for agriculture expanding north in response to climate change. Kales and collards, as highlighted in this presentation, are especially promising both as forage and vegetables for the changing North, and have characteristics that suggest they will be relatively benign for northern biodiversity. Climate change and correlated agricultural change in the North

Abstract: If a plebiscite were held among the perhaps 100 million species on Earth to identify the most serious pest on the planet, humans would be chosen. We are responsible for a biodiversity holocaust tha...

Abstract: The importance of maintaining and conserving genetic resources around the world is a well-established fact Typically, in situ and ex situ conservation are the means applied to maintain genetic diversity in food crops Notwithstanding the contribution that the ‘green revolution’ has made towards food security throughout the developing world, it has also been singled out as one of the major causes of genetic erosion The amount of genetic diversity and rate of genetic erosion is quantified in various crops in different parts of the world, in particular in the crop centres of diversity However, no one has reported on ‘genetic enrichment’ (GEn) – the reverse process of genetic erosion In order to assess the on-farm genetic enrichment of sorghum, various research methodologies were employed, including focussed group interviews with 360 farmers, key informant interviews with 60 farmers and development agents, and semi-structured interviews with 250 farmers In addition, diversity fairs were organised with ov

Abstract: The relative distribution was investigated of turaco-preferred food plants in the main forest and the forest fragments of Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve in Taraba State, Nigeria. Data collection was carried out in three sections within the forest reserve and these include (i) forest fragment, (ii) within the main forest and (iii) the boundary area of the main forest. Ten plots with size of 25 m × 25 m were laid at an interval of 50 m in each of the three selected sites making a total of 30 plots for the sampling of turaco-preferred fruiting plant species. The numbers of fruiting tree species identified were 22, 25 and 24, and out of these only seven (31.8%), eight (32%) and six (25%) were preferred by turacos in the forest fragment, within the main forest and the boundary area of the main forest, respectively. The preferred fruiting plant species in the forest fragment was Syzygium guineense (48.6%), in the boundary area of the main forest was Ficus sp. (13.3%) and within the main forest was Polyscias fulva (3...

Abstract: The Arctic biome is subject to large climatic changes. Pivotal to our understanding of the ecological consequences of these changes is the understanding of how the vegetation responds to the altered abiotic conditions. To examine this, we conducted detailed vegetation composition analyses in permanent, replicated plots in eight widespread, distinct plant communities within the Zackenberg Valley in high Arctic Greenland in 1997 and 2008. This period was characterised by a considerable increase in summer temperature and declining spring snow cover. Across plant communities, we found substantial changes in cover of several functional groups and species, biodiversity and community structure. The fen area in particular had markedly changed, most likely in response to a decreasing supply of melt water. Other vegetation types, however, seemed resistant towards the changed environmental conditions. Hence, while some general patterns emerged, the response differed markedly between plant communities, and often with...

Abstract: Saraca asoca (Roxb) De Wilde is an increasingly endangered and endemic medicinal plant in India. Genetic assessment is one of the important parameters for formulating conservation strategies for endangered species. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling was employed to assess the genetic diversity of 165 individuals representing five natural populations. There was a relatively low level of genetic diversity in S. asoca at the species level but a relatively high level of genetic differentiation among populations. Limited gene flow due to human impact may be the key factor resulting in the observed genetic structure. These effects may be most pronounced in species that are self-compatible and/or have limited seed dispersal ability. As S. asoca is highly over-exploited, with small isolated populations and high genetic variation among populations, we believe that all the populations should be protected in situ free from human impact. Gene flow is very limited. Ex situ conservation is also of the ...

Abstract: The arctic forest–tundra ecotone (FTE), which links species communities of the boreal forest with those of the arctic tundra, is expected to respond swiftly to climate change with a profound reduction of tundra as the dominating scenario. With its circumarctic expanse and up to several hundred kilometres in width, the zone occupies a large part of the vegetated surface at high latitudes. Relocation and structural changes of the ecotone vegetation will affect not only plant but also animal and other biological diversity. A large number of arctic species are dependent on the FTE in terms of food and habitat during parts of their life cycle or annual migration. In the ‘Arctic Species Trend Index’, developed to provide trends in arctic vertebrates, more than half of the species and data are from the FTE. However, in assessments of arctic biodiversity, only the northernmost tundra-dominated areas of the ecotone are included. This is unfortunate and somewhat problematic since the treed part that serves as a sou...

Abstract: The conservation of biodiversity is developing into one of the biggest challenges of the century. Rapidly declining forests and the degradation of wild habitats are a direct result of a lack of public awareness and participation in the process of conservation. However, in small land areas in undeveloped countries characterised by high population density and poor public awareness, local religious and/or spiritual beliefs favour conservation of biodiversity at both species and habitat levels. This paper attempts to explore this practice based on case studies from Bangladesh where for generations some local beliefs have been protecting important wildlife species such as the Black Soft-shell Turtle, Mugger Crocodile, Rock Pigeon and Rhesus Macaque. The paper also offers a SWOT analysis of the potential role and challenges of these religious shrines as a refuge for biodiversity.

Abstract: Some of the most rapidly changing ecosystems on our planet are located in the polar regions (IPCC 2007; Turner et al. 2009; SWIPA 2011). In some areas of the Arctic and Antarctic, atmospheric temperatures are rising at rates more than double the global average. In addition, there are other direct human impacts on polar regions such as pollution, exploitation and development. Polar ecosystems and the biodiversity they support are already responding to this change and it is expected that even more profound impacts will occur this century. Compounding the risk to polar biodiversity is the fact that many polar ecosystems have limited functional redundancy; in the event of the loss of a single keystone species, they may potentially be exposed to cascading effects and complete ecosystem restructuring (Post et al. 2009). Rapid climate change affecting the polar regions will also have profound physical and ecological consequences for the rest of the planet since the ice-covered Arctic Ocean, the Antarctic contine...

Abstract: Extreme environmental conditions prevail on the Antarctic continent and limit plant diversity to cryptogamic communities, dominated by bryophytes and lichens. Even small abiotic shifts, associated with climate change, are likely to have pronounced impacts on these communities that currently exist at their physiological limit of survival. Changes to moisture availability, due to precipitation shifts or alterations to permanent snow reserves, will most likely cause greatest impact. In order to establish a baseline for determining the effect of climate change on continental Antarctic terrestrial communities and to better understand bryophyte species distributions in relation to moisture in a floristically important Antarctic region, this study surveyed finescale bryophyte patterns and turf water and nutrient contents along community gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica. The survey found that the Antarctic endemic, Schistidium antarctici, dominated the wettest habitats, Bryum pseudotriquetrum di...

Abstract: For most species, conservation efforts are being determined by qualities that humans admire or dislike, including economic importance. The most universally admired physical characteristic is size: huge creatures elicit great respect, whereas the majority of species, which are small, tend to be ignored. Glamorous appearance is critical for sympathetic attention, and there are numerous features such as colour and impressive architecture that contribute to what makes a species attractive. However, bizarre or ferocious appearance, if entertaining, can also be a key to conservation. We are hard-wired to admire many of the larger mammals, provided that they have features reminiscent of health and intelligence in humans, or are ‘cute and cuddly’ like human babies. Most bird species also possess many admirable traits. However, most animals distantly related to humans, particularly invertebrates, usually have few characteristics considered attractive. The majority of the world's threatened species are insects, but...

Abstract: In fish, haemoglobin adaptations govern survival and biodiversity under specific environmental conditions and physiological requirements. The study of haemoglobins is aimed at identifying key links between molecular and eco-physiological adaptations. Differences in haemoglobin properties arise from the interaction of the heme with specific residues in the primary structure, but modulation in regulatory processes and altered protein synthesis may be additional adaptations in response to environmental changes. Fish experience variations in oxygen availability, salinity, ionic composition, pH and temperature. Compared to the dominant suborder Notothenioidei in Antarctica, many Arctic species possess multiple haemoglobins with different functional properties, which might be selectively and differentially expressed to secure oxygen unloading in peripheral tissues including swim bladder and retina, suggesting a mechanism of labour sharing. Haemoglobin polymorphism may further increase the repertoire of oxygen-b...