Showing papers in "Biodiversitas in 2015"
TL;DR: Research on the local knowledge of medicinal plants by sub-ethnic Batak Simalungun of North Sumatra was conducted, using an ethnobotanical approach, and it seemed that younger generation had lost their knowledge in the medicinal plants.
Abstract: Silalahi M, Supriatna J, Walujo EB, Nisyawati. 2015. Local knowledge of medicinal plants in sub-ethnic Batak Simalungun of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 16: 44-54. Research on the local knowledge of medicinal plants by sub-ethnic Batak Simalungun of North Sumatra was conducted, using an ethnobotanical approach. The sample consisted of 8 key informants and 32 general respondents, who were grouped into two, namely those who were 30-50 years old and >50 years old. Data were analyzed both qualitatively by descriptive statistics and quantitatively by calculating the index of cultural significance (ICS) and the use value (UVs).It was found that 239 species (170 genera, 70 families) of medicinal plants were used to cure 18 kinds ofnatural diseases and 2 kinds of supra natural diseases. Almost half of those plants (119 species) had leaves used as medicines. Among the diseases, gastrointestinal disorders had the highest number of medicinal plants used (72 species), followed by fever (64 species), and fractures (41 species). It seemd that younger generation had lost their knowledge in the medicinal plants because their knowledge of medicinal plants (48.19 ±8.35 species) was lower than the that of older generation (170.19 ± 18.38 species), while our key informants had the highest knowledge of medicinal plants among respondents (202.00 ± 12.32 species).
72 citations
TL;DR: This crossbreeding activity was feared to change the genetic diversity of local Indonesia cattle, where the descendants could not adapt to the climatic conditions, feeds and localized diseases; and the ability of reproduction continuesto decline in generations, there was a need of regulation.
Abstract: Sutarno, Setyawan AD. 2015. Genetic diversity of local and exotic cattle and their crossbreeding impact on the quality of Indonesian cattle. Biodiversita16: 327-354.Several species of cattle had been domesticated around the world, but only two species werefarmed extensively, zebu cattle (Bos indicus) of the tropics and taurine cattle (Bos taurus) of the subtropical areas. Both of them hadhundreds variety of offspring in the worlds. The third species of cattle that most widely farmed was Bali cattle (Bos javanicus), anindigenous cattle from Indonesia that was domesticated from wild banteng (Bos javanicus javanicus). Besides Bali cattle, Indonesia hadalso some local cattle as direct descendants of or as Crossbreeds of those three cattle. These cattle had been adapted to climaticconditions, feeds and diseases in Indonesia. Local zebu cattle that relatively pure were Peranakan Ongole (PO) or Ongole breeds andSumba Ongole (SO). The main Crossbreed between zebu and Bali cattle was Madura cattle. The other well-known cattle of this wereAceh cattle, Pesisir cattle, Rancah cattle, Jabres cattle, Galekan cattle and Rambon cattle. Crossbreeds of taurine and zebu cattlegenerally produced calf that declining reproductive ability in generations. One fairly successful was Grati cattle or Holstein FreisianIndonesia (FHI) which was a crossbreed of Holstein Friesian and PO cattle. In recent decades, there were many crossbreed activitiesthrough artificial insemination between local cattle and taurine cattle to produce excellent beef cattle, mainly Simmental and Limousin.This activity was carried out widely and evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. It was conducted on all local cattle breeds and wasstrongly supported by local farmers. This crossbreeding activity was feared to change the genetic diversity of local Indonesia cattle,where the descendants could not adapt to the climatic conditions, feeds and localized diseases; and the ability of reproduction continuesto decline in generations, there fore the availability of parental cattle should be maintained continuously. This crossbreed had producedsome new breeds, among others Simpo (Simmental x PO), Limpo (Limousin x PO), Simbal (Simmental x Bali cattle), Limbal(Limousin x Bali cattle), and Madrasin or Limad (Limousin x Madura cattle). Male offsprings were sterile, while female offsprings hadlower reproductive capacity than of the parent’s. This lead to uncertainty over the guarantee of meeting the needs of protein (meat andmilk) of Indonesian in the future, thus there was a need of regulation. On the other hand, in the grasslands of North Australia, thebreeder had produced an eminent cattle breeds, namely Australian Commercial Cattle (ACC), from uncontrolled crossbreeds betweendifferent breedsof taurine and zebu cattle in the pasture, therefore this concerns ignored.
58 citations
TL;DR: This study would bean important data in the genetic management for the sustainable conservation and trade of grouper (Epinephelus spp.) in Indonesia and needs further application on the molecular phylogenetic approach to avoid misidentification and due to high variety of species landing at local fish market.
Abstract: Jefri E, Zamani EP, Subhan B, Madduppa HH. 2015. Molecular phylogeny inferred from mitochondrial DNA of the grouper Epinephelus spp. in Indonesia collected from local fish market. Biodiversitas 16: 254-263. Groupers are widely distributed in thetropical and subtropical coastal waters, and are globally one of the most commercially important groups of marine fish, commandinghigh market price and are being heavily targeted in fisheries. Over fishing in Indonesia becomes a pivotal factor, which is seriouslythreatening the grouper biodiversity, as separate catch statistics are not reported for most species, and landings are often summarized as‘serranids’ or ‘groupers’. This lack of species-specific catch data is due to the difficulty of identifying many of the species. The focus ofthis study was the tracking of molecular phylogeny of Epinephelus spp. of the family Serranidae. DNA amplification usingmitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I resulted in 526-base pairs long sequences all samples. A total of seven species were characterizedthat are (Epinephelus areolatus, E. merra, E. fasciatus, E. longispinis, E. coioides, E. ongus and E. coeruleopunctatus). All of whichwere found to belong to 7 different clades in the constructed phylogenetic tree. E. ongus is genetically closest to E. coeruleopunctatuswith genetic distance 0.091 (9%), whereas the farthest genetic distance was successfully identified between E. ongus and E. merra withgenetic distance 0.178 (18%). Migration activity on spawning and movement of larvae that are affected by Indonesian Through flowsuspected as the cause of the closeness between species grouper Epinephelus spp. in the phylogeny tree from several Indonesian seas,although information about the location and time of Epinephelus spp. spawning activity sometimes difficult to obtain certainty. Fishidentification using molecular phylogenetic approach has been successfully applied in this study. It seems need further application onthis method to avoid misidentification and due to high variety of species landing at local fish market. Nevertheless, this study would bean important data in the genetic management for the sustainable conservation and trade of grouper (Epinephelus spp.) in Indonesia.
39 citations
TL;DR: The identification of sharks has been a difficult one due to the specimen’s similarity in morphology and mostly have had key diagnostic features removed and the result of this study is expected help the Government to manage shark fisheries in Indonesia.
Abstract: Prehadi, Sembiring A, Kurniasih EM, Arafat D, Subhan B, Madduppa HH. 2015. DNA barcoding and phylogeneticreconstruction of shark species landed in Muncar fisheries landing site in comparison with Southern Java fishing port. Biodiversitas 16:55-61. Sharks are one of main fisheries commodity that are currently exploited on a large scale because of their high economic value.The identification of sharks has been a difficult one due to the specimen’s similarity in morphology and mostly have had key diagnosticfeatures removed. This study aimed to identify and to review the status of sharks, and also to reconstruct the shark species that werelanded at South Java fishing port using molecular approaches. The DNA amplification was using cytochrome oxidase I mitochondrial oflocus and 600-700 basepairs. A total of seven species from 59 individuals was identified including Alopias pelagicus, Carcharhinusfalciformis, C. sorrah, C. amblyrhynchos, Galeocerdo cuvier, Atelomycterus marmoratus, and Spyrna lewini. The diversity of sharkspecies landed in Muncar during the last 2 years has been decreased. The identified sharks species in this study sites were about 18% ofall Indonesian sharks. The result of this study is expected help the Government to manage shark fisheries in Indonesia.
35 citations
TL;DR: Stomach content analysis and length-weight relationship revealed that T. tambra has an allometric negative growth pattern from allpopulations, and the condition factors indicate the rivers are still in good condition and support fish life.
Abstract: Muchlisin ZA, Batubara AS, Siti-Azizah MN, Adlim M, Hendri A, Fadli N, Muhammadar AA, Sugianto S. 20015. Feedinghabit and length weight relationship of keureling fish, Tor tambra Valenciennes, 1842 (Cyprinidae) from the western region of Aceh Province, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 16: 89-94. The objective of the present study was to describe the aspects of feeding habit and lengthweightrelationship of keureling fish Tor tambra, this information is crucial to plan a conservation startegy for this species. A series ofsamples were taken between June and September 2012 and February 2014 in the two main rivers of western Aceh i.e. the Sikundo andNagan Rivers. A total of 48 and 38 fish were caught during the study in Nagan and Sikundo Rivers, respectively. Stomach contentanalysis suggested that freshwater green algae and earthworms were the main food items for T. tambra, indicating an omnivorousfeeding habit. In addition, the length-weight relationship revealed that T. tambra has an allometric negative growth pattern from allpopulations, and the condition factors indicate the rivers are still in good condition and support fish life.
33 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, Gajurel et al. highlighted the uses, population status and threats of Paris polyphylla in Arunachal Pradesh and highlighted the effective conservation strategies both in situ and ex situ may help to protect the species from its extinction.
Abstract: Paul A, Gajurel PR, Das AK. 2015. Threats and conservation of Paris polyphylla an endangered, highly exploited medicinal plant in the Indian Himalayan Region. Biodiversitas 16: 295-302. The Indian Himalayan Region is home of numerous globallysignificant medicinal plants. Paris polyphylla Smith is an important medicinal perennial herbaceous species used mostly in traditionalmedicine, having medicinal properties like anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, cytotoxicity, steroid saponins etc. Thepresent study highlights the uses, population status and threats to P. polyphylla in Arunachal Pradesh. P. polyphylla is distributed intropical to temperate region of South East Asia, particularly in Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. InIndia it is distributed in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,Nagaland, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. In the Eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, the species found to be occurring with distinctmorphological interspecific variations. In the past 5 years the market demand of the species increased tremendously, which ultimatelyled to the over exploitation of the species and traded illegally in heavy quantities. The present study showed very poor populationdensity, which ranged between 0.42 individuals m-2 to 1.48 individuals m-2. While, Importance Value Index of the species rangedbetween 3.37 to 8.45. Because of the unsustainable extraction and poor natural regeneration of the species, wild populations are at riskof extinction and accordingly it has been listed as an endangered species. The rhizome is the primary mode of regeneration, although itregenerate from seeds. Because of the commercial demand of the rhizome, the population of the species may entirely be wiped out ifproper conservation initiatives have not been taken. Effective conservation strategies both in situ and ex situ may help to protect thespecies from its extinction. Inclusion of the species under the priority species list of both the National and State Medicinal Plant Boardsfor cultivation may be helpful for its long term management and conservation. Mass awareness and active involvement of local peoplefor large scale cultivation may reduce the pressure on wild populations. This will meet the market demand and boost the rural economyand will also help in conservation of the species.
30 citations
TL;DR: The most dominant species on both leaf types includes Aphanocladium areanarum, Trichoderma koningii, Nectria sp.
Abstract: Adebola AL, Sepiah M, Bolhassan MH, Wan Zamir M. 2015. Microfungal diversity on leaves of Eusideroxylon zwageri, a threatened plant species in Sarawak, Northern Borneo. Biodiversitas 16: 264-268. A survey of the microfungal communities on green leaves and leaf litters of an endangered plant species, Eusideroxylon zwageri Teijsm. & Binn. (belian) was carried out for the first time. A total of 200 leaf segments were plated on both water agar and malt extract agar. 74 fungal species were identified from both leaf types with more fungal taxa found on the green leaves, with a Shannon diversity index of 3.85 compared to that on litters, 2.63 and the similarity between the microfungal communities on both leaf types was low with a Bray-Curtis similarity index of 0.366. The most dominant species on both leaf types includes Aphanocladium areanarum, Trichoderma koningii, Nectria sp., Chalara pteridina, Hyphomycetes sp.3, hyaline Mycelia sterilia, Circinotrichum sp., Phoma sp., Acremonium macroclavatum, Chaetopsina sp., Physarum sp., Beltrania rhombica and Colletotrichum acutatum.
25 citations
TL;DR: The ability of this bacterium to detoxify molybdenum and degrade detergent makesThis bacterium an important tool for bioremediation.
Abstract: Pollution as a result of anthropogenic activities is a severe global issue. These activities including inappropriate disposal, industrial and prospecting activities and unnecessary use of agricultural chemicals have triggered international initiatives to eliminate these contaminants. In this work we screen the ability of a molybdenum-reducing bacterium isolated from contaminated soil to grow and reduce molybdenum on various detergents. The bacterium was able to grow on SDS as a carbon source although the compound did not support molybdenum reduction. The bacterium reduces molybdate to Mo-blue optimally between pH 5.8 and 6.3 and between 25 and 34°C. Glucose was the best electron donor for supporting molybdate reduction followed by sucrose, D-mannitol, D-sorbitol, lactose, salicin, trehalose, maltose and myo-Inositol in descending order. Other requirements include a phosphate concentration between 5.0 and 7.5 mM and a molybdate concentration between 5 and 20 mM. The absorption spectrum of the Mo-blue produced was similar to previous Mo-reducing bacterium, and closely resembles a reduced phosphomolybdate. Molybdenum reduction was inhibited by mercury (ii), silver (i) and copper (ii) at 2 ppm by 62.1, 33.9 and 33.6%, respectively. Biochemical analysis resulted in a tentative identification of the bacterium as Klebsiella oxytocastrain Aft-7. The ability of this bacterium to detoxify molybdenum and degrade detergent makes this bacterium an important tool for bioremediation.
23 citations
TL;DR: Log-normal dominance-distribution curves in the undisturbed and moderately disturbed stand indicating the stability of community, while short hooked curve in the highly disturbed stand indicates unstable nature of the community.
Abstract: Singh ShB, Mishra BP, Tripathi SK. 2015. Recovery of plant diversity and soil nutrients during stand development insubtropical forests of Mizoram, Northeast India. Biodiversitas 16: 205-212. The present study assessed the recovery of tree speciesdiversity and soil nutrient dynamics with stand development in subtropical semi-evergreen forest of Mizoram. The study was carried outin two regenerating forest stands following disturbance and one undisturbed forest. Schima wallichii was the dominant species in allstands showing IVI of 63.8, 83.3 and 75.9 in undisturbed, moderately disturbed and highly disturbed stands, respectively. Castanopsistribuloides was co-dominant species in the undisturbed and the moderately disturbed but this species was replaced by Sterculia villosa inthe highly disturbed stand. The shift in position of species and families from undisturbed to highly disturbed stands could be linked withdegree of disturbance. Log-normal dominance-distribution curves in the undisturbed and moderately disturbed stand indicating thestability of community, while short hooked curve in the highly disturbed stand indicates unstable nature of the community. The soilproperties (organic C, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus) increased significantly during the course of stand development, whereas,decrease with the depth in these forest stands.
22 citations
TL;DR: The seeds of Sudan are obviously contaminated with saprophytic and pathogenic fungi which evidently inhibited seed germination, emergence, and seedling emergence and there is a highneed for establishment of standard seed testing methods with strong legislation in order to meet the international quarantine regulations.
Abstract: Abdulwehab SA, El-Nagerabi SAF, Elshafie AE. 2015. Leguminicolous fungi associated with some seeds of Sudaneselegumes. Biodiversitas 16: 269-280. The mycoflora associated with seeds evidently deteriorate seed viability, germination, emergenceand plant growth performance leading to apparent losses in production and productivity. In the present investigation, seedborne fungi ofsix legumes were screened. Twenty six species of fungi from 14 genera were isolated from this seeds. Of these isolates, 6 species arenew reports to the mycoflora of Sudan, whereas some species are new records to the mycoflora of these legumes. These include 6species for Cajanus cajan, Cicer arietinum (10 species), Dolichos lablab (7 species), Medicago sativa (8 species), Phaseolus vulgaris(10 species), and Vigna unguiculata (11 species). The seeds are obviously contaminated with saprophytic and pathogenic fungi (17-64%) which evidently inhibited seed germination (41-86%), and seedling emergence (29-81%). The Alternaria, Aspergillus andFusarium (4 species each) were the most prevalent fungi followed by Curvularia, Drechslera (3 species), Fusariella, Ulocladium (2species) and one species for the remaining genera (Aureobasidium, Acremonium, Memnoniella, and Rhizopus). Hence, there is a highneed for establishment of standard seed testing methods with strong legislations in order to meet the international quarantine regulations.The use of certified seeds by the farmers is recommended.
14 citations
TL;DR: During the recent field survey it was found that among 15 rare mangroves in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, ten rare species are present i.e. Acanthus ebracteatus, Acrostichum speciosum, Bruguiera cylindrica, Cynometra iripa and Sonneratia ovata are recorded after their first report.
Abstract: Ragavan P, Ravichandran K, Jayaraj RSC, Mohan PM, Saxena A, Saravanan S, Vijayaraghavan A. 2014. Distribution of mangrove species reported as rare in Andaman and Nicobar islands with their taxonomical notes. Biodiversitas 15: 12-23. During the recent field survey it was found that among 15 rare mangroves in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, ten rare species i.e. Acanthus ebracteatus, Acrostichum speciosum, Bruguiera cylindrica, Cynometra iripa, Cynometra ramiflora, Lumnitzera racemosa, Rhizophora hybrids, Sonneratia alba, Sonneratia griffithii and Xylocarpus mekongensis are present in Andaman and Nicobar islands. In addition to Acanthus volubilis, Brownlowia tersa and Sonneratia ovata are recorded after their first report.
TL;DR: The results indicated the tree and seedling density, total basal area and stand volume was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the protected stand and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index in theprotected stand was significantly higher than in the harvested stand.
Abstract: Tavankar F, Bonyad AE. 2015. Effects of timber harvest on structural diversity and species composition in hardwood forests. Biodiversitas 16: 1-9. Forest management leads to changes in structure and species composition of stands. In this research vertical and horizontal structure and species composition were compared in two harvested and protected stands in the Caspian forest of Iran. The results indicated the tree and seedling density, total basal area and stand volume was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the protected stand. The Fagus orientalis L. had the most density and basal area in the both stands. Species importance value (SIV) of Fagus orientalis in the protected stand (92.5) was higher than in the harvested stand (88.5). While, the SIV of shade-intolerant tree species such as Acer insigne, Acer cappadocicum and Alnus subcordata was higher in the harvested stand. The density of trees and seedling of raretree species, such as Ulmus glabra, Tilia begonifolia, Zelkova carpinifolia and Fraxinus coriarifolia, was also higher in the protected  stand. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index in the protected stand (0.84) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in the harvested stand (0.72). The highest diversity value in the harvested stand was observed in DBH of 10-40 cm class, while DBH of 40-70 cm had the highest diversity value in the protected stand.
TL;DR: The relationship dendrogram showed that the grouping did not always indicate the geographical origins similarity, but possibly showed the genetic similarity of the soursop populations.
Abstract: Suratman, Ari Pitoyo, Sri Mulyani, Suranto. 2015. Assessment of genetic diversity among soursop (Annona muricata)populations from Java, Indonesia using RAPD markers. Biodiversitas 16: 247-253. The objective of this study was to determine geneticdiversity of the soursop (Annona muricata L.) populations from Java (Indonesia) using RAPD markers. A total of 70 individuals werecollected from 7 soursop populations, distributed along the geographical range of natural distribution in Java. Genetic diversity wasestimated by RAPD technique using 6 arbitrary selected primers. Those primers produced 151 polymorphic bands with the percentageof polymorphism for each primer ranged from 95% to 100%. The genetic diversity value (h) within each population ranged from 0.0418to 0.0525. The highest h value (0.0525) was found in the KRA population whereas the lowest h value was observed in the PCTpopulation. The highest genetic distance value (0.0410) was observed in SKH-GKD populations pair whereas the lowest geneticdistance value (0.02448) was estimated in KRA-PCT populations pair. Based on the dendogram, the seven soursop populations weresegregated into three major clusters. The first cluster consisted of SKH, KRA, PCT, NGW, and KPG populations. The GKD populationwas then grouped into second cluster. In the third cluster, the BGR population was grouped separately and more genetically distant thanthe others. However, the relationship dendrogram showed that the grouping did not always indicate the geographical origins similarity,but possibly showed the genetic similarity.
TL;DR: There is a remarkable and significant variation of antioxidant activities among different studied populations of A. paradoxum in the Hyrcanian forests.
Abstract: Khodadadi S, Nejadsattari T, Naqinezhad A, Ebrahimzadeh MA. 2015. Diversity in antioxidant properties and mineralcontents of Allium paradoxum in the Hyrcanian forests, Northern Iran. Biodiversitas 16: 281-287. The knowledge about variation ofantioxidant properties from local medicinal plant can be achieved by investigating all natural habitats of it. To reach this goal, acomprehensive survey on eight populations of Allium paradoxum (M. B.) G. Don, was conducted in the Hyrcanian forests. A.paradoxum (Amaryllidaceae) is a perennial, local plant, native to the northern Iran. Different parts of it, is largely used in foodpreparation and traditional medicine. Plants were collected randomly from different altitudes and forest sites of Iranian northernprovinces ranging from west to east (Guilan, Mazandaran and Golestan Provinces). Samples were divided into aerial and bulbous parts.The antioxidant activities of the extracts were investigated with 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assays.Total flavonoid content was determined by a colorimetric aluminum chloride method. The highest antioxidant activities and flavonoidcontents in A. paradoxum were related to Varaki and Zarinabad sites (Mazandaran province) with relatively higher humidity, in thecentral part of the Hyrcanian area and in altitudinal range between 462-860 m asl. The content of total phenolics in the extracts wasdetermined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method, and calculated as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). With respect to totalphenolic contents, aerial parts of plants of Jahannama, the lowest elevation site (Golestan province), had the highest amount. Elementalcomposition (Fe++, Mn++) and total sulphur were also determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and digestion method,respectively. Higher contents of two elements, particularly Fe, and total sulphur can be found in bulbous part of Zarinabad and Kiasarpopulations (Mazandaran province) compared to other sites. The results of the current study indicated that there is a remarkable andsignificant variation of antioxidant activities among different studied populations of A. paradoxum in the Hyrcanian forests.Key words: Allium paradoxum, antioxidant activity, medicinal plant, mineral contents
TL;DR: Endophytic colonization of the leaf tissues was greater than comparable to stem tissues, indicating heterogeneity and tissue-preference, with no evidence of seasonal variation, and the isolation of many fungal species and sterile mycelia supports the biodiversity of the endophytic fungi invading B. sacra.
Abstract: El-Nagerabi SAF, Elshafie AE, AlKhanjari SS. 2014. Endophytic fungi associated with endogenous Boswellia sacra. Biodiversitas 15: 24-30. Endophytic fungi associated with leaves and stem tissues of Boswellia sacra growing in Dhofar Mountains of Oman were investigated from May 2008 through October 2011. The biological diversity, tissue-preference and seasonal variations of fungi were evaluated. Forty-three species and 3 varieties of fungi were recovered as new records from this plant. Of these isolates, 35 species are new reports to the mycoflora of Oman, whereas 12 species were added to the list of fungal flora of the Arabian Peninsula. The genus Alternaria (12 species) is the most prevalent genus recovered from 12.5-83.3% of the screened leaves and stem samples, followed by Aspergillus (5 species, 3 varieties, 6.9-86.1%), Mycelia sterilia (76.4%), Rhizopus stolonifer (62.5%), Drechslera (3 species, 40.3- 54.2%), Cladosporium (3 species, 20.8-52.8%), Curvularia lunata (38.8%), Chaetomium (2 species, 15.3-26.3%), Penicillium spp. (9.8- 27.8%), Fusarium (9 species, 6.9-27.8%), Ulocladium consortiale (27.8%), Mucor hiemalis (19.5%), and the remaining species (Scytalidium thermophilum, Phoma solani, Taeniolella exilis, and Botryodiplodia theobromae) exhibited very low levels of incidence (4.2-11.1%). Endophytic colonization of the leaf tissues was greater (43 species, 3 varieties) comparable to stem tissues (25 species).This indicates heterogeneity and tissue-preference, with no evidence of seasonal variation. Therefore, the isolation of many fungal species and sterile mycelia supports the biodiversity of the endophytic fungi invading B. sacra and the high possibility of isolating more fungal species using advanced molecular techniques
TL;DR: Sutradhar B, Deb D, Majumdar K, Datta BK as mentioned in this paper dealt with the survey of traditional dye yielding plants, their ethnobotanical usage and cultural practices by the different ethnic communities of Tripura.
Abstract: Sutradhar B, Deb D, Majumdar K, Datta BK. 2015. Traditional dye yielding plants of Tripura, Northeast India. Biodiversitas 16: 121-127. This present paper deals with the survey of traditional dye yielding plants, their ethnobotanical usage and cultural practices by the different ethnic communities of Tripura. Field investigation was carried out in different villages and adjacent forest pockets in South and West district of the State. The ethnobotanical information was collected based on semi-structured questioner, personal interviews and group discussion among the major ethnic communities of Tripura. The study reports a checklist of 39 species of dye yielding plants belonging to 35 genera and 26 families documented along with their vernacular name, habit, parts use. The active coloring agents were also listed for each plant based on earlier reports. Natural dye yielding plants have immense significance in the socio-economic and socio-cultural life of indigenous ethnic people and if we promote these products in a managed way then efforts towards preservation of traditional knowledge and local biodiversity will be more fruitfully achieved.
Keywords: Dye yielding plants, indigenous knowledge, natural products, Tripura
TL;DR: Koohdar et al. as mentioned in this paper carried out population genetic analysis of 11 populations of L. iberica by using ISSR molecular markers for the first time and found that genetic divergence, limited gene flow, genetic drift and local adaptation have played role in diversification of Lallemantia ibericas.
Abstract: Koohdar F, Sheidai M, Talebi SM, Noormohammadi Z. 2015. Population genetic structure in medicinal plant Lallemantia iberica (Lamiaceae). Biodiversitas 16: 139-144. Lallemantia iberica (Bieb.) Fischer and C.A. Meyer (sin. Dracocephalum ibericumM.Bieb.) also named Dragon's head†is an annual plant cultivated for its seeds that contain about 30% -38% drying oil (siccative oil). Itsseed oil is used in foods, dye and varnish industry. L. iberica seeds have traditional uses as reconstitute, stimulant, diuretic andexpectorant. L. iberica in an important medicinal plant in our country and grows in various regions with different environmentalconditions. At present no investigation has been reported about population genetic structure of this valuable plant species in Iran.Therefore, we carried out population genetic analysis of 11 populations of L. iberica by using ISSR molecular markers for the first time.Genetic diversity analysis revealed high within population genetic variability. AMOVA test produced significant genetic differenceamong the studied populations. Mantel test revealed significant correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance of thepopulations. STRUCTURE analysis and K-Means clustering revealed population genetic fragmentation and the presence of three genepools for this species. The assignment test revealed the occurrence of limited gene flow among the populations. The results suggestedthat genetic divergence, limited gene flow, genetic drift and local adaptation have played role in diversification of L. iberica.
Key words: Gene flow, population fragmentation, IBD, Lallemantia iberica.
TL;DR: According to the literature, this is the first report of leaf spot disease on A. vera caused by Curvularia lunata from Madhya Pradesh, and the first reported of Curvularityia ovoidea from India.
Abstract: Avasthi S, GautamAK, Bhadauria R. 2015. Occurrence of leaf spot diseases on Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. caused by Curvulariaspecies from Madhya Pradesh, India. Biodiversitas 16: 79-83. During 2010-2011, occurrence of leaf spot diseases was observed on Aloevera plants grown in various nurseries of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. The typical disease symptoms were observed on the abaxialsurface, tips and spiny margins of leaves. Disease spots were sunken, dry, necrotic, dark maroon to dark brown in color. On the basis ofmorphological and microscopic characteristics of the fungus, two species of Curvularia i.e. Curvularia lunata and Curvularia ovoidea,were found to be associated with the leaf spot diseases. Koch’s postulate was applied to confirm the causal organisms of the diseases.According to the literature, this is the first report of leaf spot disease on A. vera caused by Curvularia lunata from Madhya Pradesh, andthe first report of Curvularia ovoidea from India.Key words: Aloe vera, Curvularia lunata, Curvularia ovoidea, leaf spot, India
TL;DR: The structure of J. excelsa stands is studied at altitudes of 1,400 to 1,900 m in northwest of Iran indicating uneven-aged structure and extreme environmental conditions, grazing and timber harvesting for firewood are two important socioeconomic problems in these forests.
Abstract: Tavankar F. 2015.Structure of natural Juniperus excelsa stands in Northwest of Iran. Biodiversitas 16: 161-167. Juniperusexcelsa M. Bieb. stands are important forest ecosystems in mountain areas of Iran. In this research the structure of J. excelsa stands wasstudied at altitudes of 1,400 to 1,900 m in northwest of Iran. The results showed that the mean densities of trees and seedling (trees withheight up to 1.3 m) were 99.8 ± 32.0 and 70.5 ± 18.3 stem ha-1, respectively. The juniper trees comprise 52.8% of the total tree density,while the juniper seedlings comprise 19.3% of total seedling density. The mean of basal area in this stand was 3.12 ± 0.3 m2 ha-1 and themean of canopy cover was 42.7 ± 17.9 percent. The mean of trees height was obtained 2.75 ± 1.1 m. The total of 28 woody speciesbelonging to 14 families was recorded from the study area. The juniper trees had the maximum value of species importance value(SIV=87.3). Amygdalus lyciodes and Pistacia atlantica were two tree species that have high SIV values, 34.1 and 27.0, respectively.Thedistribution of trees density in different tree diameters resemble to a reverse J-shaped indicating uneven-aged structure. The resultsindicated juniper seedlings were increased by increasing stand crown cover (P< 0.01). Moreover extreme environmental conditions,grazing and timber harvesting for firewood are two important socioeconomic problems in these forests. These valuable stands needs tourgently conservation strategies.Keywords: Juniperus excelsa, stand structure, species importance value, natural regeneration
TL;DR: This study is the first comprehensive assessment of sex ratios for green sea turtles in Raja Ampat and represents the initiation of a long-term database that can be used at a local level to develop strategies that could potentially offset the impact of long- term climate change on the western Pacific green sea turtle.
Abstract: Tapilatu RF, Ballamu F. 2015. Nest temperatures of the Piai and Sayang Islands green turtle (Chelonia mydas) rookeries, Raja Ampat Papua, Indonesia: Implications for hatchling sex ratios. Biodiversitas 16: 102-107. Sex determination and hatching success in sea turtles is temperature dependent. Warmer sand temperatures may skew sea turtle population sex ratios towards predominantly females and high sand temperatures may also decrease hatching success. Therefore, understanding nest temperatures is important for conservation programs, including the evaluation of the potential impact of global climate change. Nest temperatures were monitored during the 2013 nesting season of the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, at Piai and Sayang Islands, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Nest temperatures increased from 29oC early in the incubation to 34-36oC in the middle, before decreasing again. Monitored nest temperatures were similar across all beaches. Nest temperatures increased 2-4oC during the middle third of incubation due to metabolic heating. Hatchling sex ratio inferred from nest temperature profiles indicated a strong female bias. This finding is consistent with the relatively warm thermal profiles of the majority of the nesting beaches. This also included some extremely warm nest temperatures that were associated with lower hatching success. Information from this study provides a foundation for developing conservation strategies for enhancing hatchling production with optimal sex ratios at the most important nesting beaches for the western Pacific green sea turtle. This study is the first comprehensive assessment of sex ratios for green sea turtles in Raja Ampat and represents the initiation of a long-term database that can be used at a local level to develop strategies that could potentially offset the impact of long-term climate change on the western Pacific green sea turtle.
TL;DR: Adul et al. as mentioned in this paper used a seven-year camera trapping project in the Natural Laboratory of Peat-Swamp Forest in the Sebangau Catchment, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (2008-2015).
Abstract: Adul, Ripoll B, Limin SH, Cheyne SM. 2015. Felids of Sebangau: Camera trapping to estimate activity patterns and population abundance in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 16: 151-155. We present data from a seven year camera trappingproject in the Natural Laboratory of Peat-Swamp Forest in the Sebangau Catchment, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia (2008-2015). Theproject has identified four of the five felids on Borneo: Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi; macan dahan), flat-headed cat(Prionailurus planiceps; kucing tandang), marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata; kucing batu) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis;kucing kuwuk). All of these species are protected by Indonesian Law (PP. 7/1999) and are listed on the IUCN Red List. The four specieshave clearly defined activity budgets, especially the smaller cats, to allow niche partitioning. We have identified this forest block as animportant area for numbers of all four species in the global context of cat populations. The bay cat (Pardofelis badia (kucing merah) has not been found in tropical peat-swamp forest at time of writing.
TL;DR: Mir et al. as mentioned in this paper performed a systematic survey of differenthabitats of Shopian for the collection of diversity of pteridophytes and reported a total 81 species of ferns and fern allies belonging 27 genera and 11 families.
Abstract: Mir SA, Mishra AK, Pala SA, Reshi ZA, Sharma MP. Ferns and fern allies of District Shopian, Kashmir Valley, IndiaBiodiversitas 16: 27-43. Shopian, recently created hilly district of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Kashmir is surrounded by the loftymountains of Pir-Panjal range. More than half area of district is occupied by different forests, subalpine, alpine and mountainous zones.Great altitudinal variation, adequate rainfall, high forest cover, large number of streams, springs and topographic variations render thedistrict worthy for supporting rich fern flora. Therefore, the current study was aimed to undertake in-depth systematic survey of differenthabitats of Shopian for the collection of diversity of pteridophytes. Specimens were collected during 2010, 2011 and 2012 growingseasons from June to November. A total 81 species of ferns and fern allies belonging 27 genera and 11 families were reported. Thedominant families of the region are Dryopteridaceae (25 species) followed by Woodsiaceae (16 species), Aspleniaceae (13 species) andPteridaceae (12 species). Similarly, the dominant genera collected from here are Dryopteris (14 species), Asplenium (13), Polystichum(11 species) and Athyrium (6 species). A list of the fern and fern allies, along with update nomenclature, their selected Synonym,diagnostic features, distributional and ecological notes have been provided here.
TL;DR: This is the first report of C. diffusus on Acacia auriculiformis in Thailand and the identification of the algae was confirmed from molecular analysis, and a phylogenetic tree distinguished the authors' samples from other Cephaleuros species.
Abstract: Sunpapao A, Pitaloka MK. 2015. A new record of plant parasitic green algae, Cephaleuros diffusus (Trentepohliaceae, Chlorophyta), on Acacia auriculiformis hosts in Thailand. Biodiversitas 16: 116-120. Cephaleuros diffusus algae were found to cause leaf spot disease of the host Acacia auriculiformis. The identification was based on morphological and molecular properties. The observed morphology identified the algae as C. diffusus. Transverse sections of the host leaves were used to quantify the disease severity of the host in terms of a four-point necrosis index. The host’s lesions were subcuticular and subepidermal on the upper leaf surfaces. The identification of the algae was confirmed from molecular analysis, and a phylogenetic tree distinguished our samples from other Cephaleuros species. This is the first report of C. diffusus on Acacia auriculiformis in Thailand.
Key words: Cephaleuros, disease severity, morphology, necrosis, phylogenetic analysis
TL;DR: Nachaiwieng et al. as discussed by the authors investigated the potential of rice husk as a potential substrate for bio-ethanol fermentation and found that the main component of rice hulls approximately 51-54% of the holocellulose was glucose, xylose and arabinose.
Abstract: Nachaiwieng W, Lumyong S, Pratanapol R, Yoshioka K, Khanongnuch C. 2015. Potential in bioethanol production fromvarious ethanol fermenting microorganisms using rice husk as substrate. Biodiversitas 16: 320-326. Rice husk was investigated as thepotential substrate for bioethanol fermentation. It was collected from five locations in northern Thailand and found that the maincomponent of rice husk approximately 51-54% (w/w) was holocellulose. The sugar composition in rice husk holocellulose was glucose,xylose and arabinose in the ratio 66.68, 27.61 and 5.71%, respectively. Before further fermentation, acid and alkali pretreatment of ricehusk were prior investigated and 2% (w/v) NaOH at 130oC for 30 min was proved to be the most suitable pretreatment method withoutfermenting inhibitors generation. Then, rice husk hydrolysate obtained by enzymatic saccharification with Meicelase enzyme was usedas carbon sources for ethanol fermentation in comparison among 11 ethanol fermenting microorganisms including 3 strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae, 3 strains of Zymomonas mobilis, 3 strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus and 2 strains of pentose sugarfermenting microbes, Candida shehatae TISTR 5843 and Pichia stipitis BCC 15191. All three strains of Z. mobilis exhibited the bestethanol fermentation yield, giving the ethanol yield of 0.48 g g-1 available monosaccharides and fermentation profile of each individualgenus was also demonstrated. However, some unutilized sugars still remained in rice husk fermenting medium, therefore, conversion tovaluable products or optimization of co-culture ethanol fermentation needs to be further investigated.
TL;DR: The present study revealed that Linum austriacum populations do have some cytogenetic and molecular variation in response to altitude, and this population was identified as the most varied population.
Abstract: Noormohammadi Z, Shafaf T, Farahani F, Sheidai, Talebi SM, Hasheminejad-Ahangarani-Farahani Y. 2015. Within and among-genetic variation in Asian flax Linum austriacum (Linaceae) in response to latitude changes: Cytogenetic and molecular analyses. Biodiversitas 16: 145-150. Linum austriacum L. (Linaceae) which is known as Asian flax is an herbaceous medicinal plantspecies that grow in Iran in different latitudes and forms some local populations particularly in the West and North-West of the country.Within-and between-genetic diversity in response to altitude changes was investigated in geographical populations of L. austriacum byusing cytogenetic and ISSR molecular markers. These populations were diploid with 2n = 18 and differed significantly (P 0.90, P < 0.05) occurred between latitude and themean number of quadrivalents. The highest level of genetic diversity parameters as Shanon Information Index and gene diversityoccurred in Salavat-abad population. Moreover, the STRUCTURE analysis also identified this population as the most varied population.This population had medium altitude distribution. Mantel test performed between genetic distance and geographical distance showed nosignificant correlation (R2 = 0.09, p = 0.39). Pearson coefficient of correlation determined between genetic diversity parameters andaltitude, produced a significant negative correlation (r =-0.85, P<0.01) with the number of effective alleles. The present study revealedthat Linum austriacum populations do have some cytogenetic and molecular variation in response to altitude.
TL;DR: The variation of sex expression in C. barometz indicates that this species may has a mixed mating systems that results in genetic diversity within population and among populations.
Abstract: Praptosuwiryo TNg, Pribadi DO, Rugayah. 2015. Growth, development and morphology of gametophytes of golden chicken fern (Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm.) in natural media. Biodiversitas 16: 303-310. The golden chicken fern, Cibotium barometz (L.) J.Sm., is an important export commodity for both traditional and modern medicine. To understand the reproductive biology of thisspecies, spore germination, gametophyte development, morphological variation, and sex expression were studied by sowing spores onsterilized natural media consisting of the minced roots of Cyathea contaminans and charcoaled rice husks (1: 1) mix. Spores ofC. barometz are trilete, tri-radially symmetrical, non chlorophyllous, and golden-yellow with a perine. Six stages of gametophytedevelopment (rhizoid stage, rhizoid/protochorm stage, filament stage, spatulate stage, young heart stage, mature heart stage) wereobserved between 24-45 days after sowing. Spore germination of C. barometz is Vittaria-type. Prothallial development of C. barometz isDrynaria-type. Five morphological types of adult gametophyte were recorded: (i) irregular spatulate shape (male), (ii) fan shape (male),(iii) elongated heart-shape (male), (iv) short heart or butterfly shape (female), and (v) normal heart shape (bisexual). The presence ofmorphological variations is presumed to be related to the population density, which significantly affects the sexual expression ofgametophytes. The variation of sex expression in C. barometz also indicates that this species may has a mixed mating systems thatresulted in genetic diversity within population and among populations.
TL;DR: Checking of the group's position with high diversity in comparison with other groups in this coastal area indicates that the group settled on the coastal land with stabilized soil and proper distance from the sea had higher diversity indices.
Abstract: Ravanbakhsh M, Amini T, Hosseini SMN. 2015. Plant species diversity among ecological species groups in the Caspian Sea coastal sand dune; Case study: Guilan Province, North of Iran. Biodiversitas 16: 16-21. Biodiversity is often discussed in terms of species diversity is concentrated. Species diversity is one of the important characteristics of biological communities and its as a functionof the number and size represent populations of species in a special geographic region.The aim of this study was to identification ofecological species groups and investigates the diversity among ecological species groups. The research area comprises a coastal dunesystem in northern of Guilan Province, Iran. Vegetation sampling was carried out along 22 shore perpendicular transects, approximately500-m long. A total of 62 plot of 25 square meters were taken in transects. In each sampled plot, the cover percentage value of eachspecies was estimated using Bran-Blanquet scales. Vegetation classified using Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN). Thecomparison of diversity indices among groups were performed with ANOVA test. The results revealed that there were 232 plant taxaand 8 ecological species group in the region. Results of analysis of variance in species diversity indices showed significant differencesamong the groups in terms of biodiversity indices. The survey of variation in the groups showed that groups 5 and 6 had the highest andgroups 1, 2, 3, and 7 had the lowest indices. Checking of the group's position with high diversity in comparison with other groups in thiscoastal area indicates that the group settled on the coastal land with stabilized soil and proper distance from the sea had higher diversityindices.
TL;DR: The morphological traits associated with the nuclear genome size were used for identification offraspecific variations in the nine populations of L. glaucum, causing to difference between the populations and lead to creation of ecotype andecophene in the studied populations.
Abstract: Talebi SM, Sheidai M, Atri M, Sharifnia F, Noormohammadi Z. 2015. Infraspecific morphological and genome sizevariations in Linum glaucum in Iran. Biodiversitas 16: 69-78. There are many discussions about taxonomic position of Linum glaucumin different Flora. In this study, the morphological traits associated with the nuclear genome size were used for identification ofinfraspecific variations in the nine populations of L. glaucum. Twenty three qualitative and quantitative morphological characteristicswere investigated. The Analysis of variance tests showed significant difference for some morphological features. The CanonicalCorrespondence Analysis of habitat ecological factors showed that each of the habitats had prominent characteristics, and also Pearson’scoefficient of correlation confirmed the significant correlations between the morphological features in relation to ecological factors. Inthe morphological Unweighted Paired Group using Average method tree, populations were separated from each other, so that populationNo. 4 was separated from others. In the flow cytometery investigations, variation of about 1.19 times was presented between themaximum and minimum averages of the genome sizes in the populations. Minimum amount of genome size was found in populationsNo. 4. Significant correlations occurred between the nuclear genome size with habitat elevation as well as some of the quantitativemorphological features. The mentioned variations caused to difference between the populations and lead to creation of ecotype andecophene in the studied populations.
TL;DR: The dendrogram showed that patchoulis grown in Bali are group together, separated from Java patchouli, which support observation based on leaf morphology, that they belong to Acehpatchouli.
Abstract: Pharmawati M, Candra IP. 2015. Genetic diversity of patchouli cultivated in Bali as detected using ISSR and RAPD markers.Biodiversitas 16: 132-138. Patchouli is a bushy herb that has strong scent. Patchouli's oil is extracted from patchouli leaves and used asperfumes, incense and traditional medicines. Centre of patchouli cultivation in Bali is in Badung District, however it is also grown inother area such as Buleleng District. The patchouli plant from Aceh ((Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth) is considered as a better plantspecies due to its high quality oil. Java patchouli (Pogostemon heyneanus) has lower quality. Molecular marker was used to detectdiversity of patchouli grown in Bali. Leave samples of patchouli from 12 areas in Badung and Buleleng District were collected. Theareas included Lemukih, Wanagiri, Pupuan, Belok, Mekarsari, Nungnung, Plaga, Sidan, Mengwi, Lukluk, Abiansemal and Jegu.Patchouli samples of Lhokseumawe, Tapak Tuan, Sidikalang and Java were obtained from Research Institute of Spices and MedicinalPlants, Bogor, Indonesia. DNA was extracted using CTAB buffer. Seven ISSR primers and five RAPD primers produced scorable bandsand used for diversity and cluster analyses. The dendrogram showed that patchoulis grown in Bali are group together, separated fromJava patchouli. This support observation based on leaf morphology, that they belong to Aceh patchouli. The patchouli grown in Balishowed low genetic diversity with Nei and Li’s similarity in the range of 0.857 to 0.989.Keywords: Bali, genetic diversity, ISSR, patchouli, RAPD
TL;DR: From the study it can be concluded that the production of velvet antler from captive sambar deer seemed to be far from its genetic potency, and the nutritional qualities of the velvetantler contents were not different from the red deer Cervus elaphus.
Abstract: Semiadi G, Jamal Y. 2015. The nutritional quality of captive sambar deer (Rusa unicolor brookei Hose, 1893) velvet antler.Biodiversitas 16: 156-160. Deer farming has been a well-developed agriculture diversification worldwide since 1970s. To the presenttime information concerning the nutrient value of velvet antler of sambar deer (Rusa unicolor brookei Hose, 1893) is limited. Therefore,a study on the nutritional quality of velvet antler of captive sambar deer was conducted. Velvet antlers were obtained from captivesambar deer in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and were analyzed for its nutritional quality from the hard and softparts. The results showed that fresh weight of a pair of velvet antler (approx. 70 days post hard antler cast) was 523.1 g (SE = 49.99). Inthe soft part of the velvet antler, ash content was 25.9% DM (SE= 0.78) as compared to 40.4% DM (SE = 1.07) in hard part, whilst thelipid and protein contents from the soft part were 3.3% DM (SE = 0.20) and 70.8% DM (SE = 2.07), respectively, higher compared tothose in the hard part being 1.9% DM (SE = 0.12) and 59.5% DM (SE = 1.92), respectively. From the study it can be concluded that theproduction of velvet antler from captive sambar deer seemed to be far from its genetic potency, and the nutritional qualities of the velvetantler contents were not different from the red deer Cervus elaphus.Key words: nutritional quality, production, Rusa unicolor brookei, sambar deer, velvet antler