Biodiv Sci-Channel: Original Papers: Animal Diversity Channel: Original Papers: Animal Diversity http://www.biodiversity-science.net EN-US http://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/current.shtml http://www.biodiversity-science.net 5 <![CDATA[Species diversity and community composition of non-volant small mammals in Heizhugou region, Sichuan Province]]> The Sichuan Heizhugou National Nature Reserve is located in the Liangshan Mountains, which is highly rich in biodiversity and plays an important role in protecting and maintaining the regional biodiversity. However, there is a lack of mammalian research in the nature reserve. In order to understand the small mammal communities of the nature reserve and its surroundings, from April to October 2018, we investigated the species diversity and community composition of non-volant small mammals in the region. A total of 184 quadrats including 9,016 traps were set along an elevational gradient from 1,537-3,830 m. We captured small mammal individuals (N = 536), which belong to 4 orders, 7 families, 13 genera, and 21 species. Nine species, including Vernaya fulva and Uropsilus aequodonenia, had been reported for the first time in this region, enriching the species distribution records. According to historical data and our survey, there are a total of 43 species of small mammals, belonging to 4 orders, 9 families and 28 genera in the Heizhugou region. Of the 43 small mammal species, 37 (86%) species are of Oriental origin, and 18 (48.6%) species are of Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains origin. For the 21 small mammal species captured, the dominant species were Apodemus draco (33.2%), Niviventer confucianus (21.3%), and Eothenomys chinensis (12.7%). Along the elevational gradient, the community composition changed from a Niviventer confucianus + Apodemus draco + Niviventer fulvescens + Anourosorex squamipes dominated community to a Eothenomys chinensis + Apodemus draco + Proedromys liangshanensis + Eothenomys custos dominated community. The proportion of Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains origin species increased with elevation. The average lower limit, mid-point, and upper limit of elevation for endemic species mainly distributed in the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains were higher than that of non-endemic species. The average mid-point and lower limit of elevation of endemic species was significantly higher than that of non-endemic species (n = 21, df = 19, P = 0.013; n = 21, df = 19, P < 0.01). Species composition in this region is mainly represented by fauna of Oriental origin, while the middle and high elevational communities are mainly composed of endemic species. This study enriched the previous species diversity and distribution records of the small mammals, which is important for the study and conservation of species diversity in this region.

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<![CDATA[Correlation between color polymorphism and the <i>MC1R</i> gene of <i>Lanius schach</i>]]> MC1R (melanocortin-1 receptor) is an important gene that controls melanin synthesis in animals. The variation of plumage color in birds is closely related to variation in the MC1R gene. Lanius schach exhibits color polymorphism that differentiates into brown, black, and white-remiged black morphs in many provinces along the east coast of China. In order to explore the relationship between genetic variation in MC1R and color polymorphism in Lanius schach in Guangdong, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and amino acid polymorphisms in the coding region of the MC1R gene were analyzed in 11 Lanius schach individuals of three different color types. The results showed: (1) A total of 4 haplotypes in the MC1R gene sequences of 11 individuals, among which the black morphs and the white-remiged black morphs shared haplotype H3; (2) There were 47 base mutations in 899 bases of the coding region (34-931), and the corresponding amino acid sequence had a total of 18 mutation sites. These mutation sites did not correspond to the black phenotype; (3) The deletion of 36 bases in the 268-303 coding region of the black morph and the white-remiged black morph individual genotypes, resulting in the deletion of 12 amino acids. This deletion corresponded to the black phenotype. Therefore, we speculate that the melanism of Lanius schach is closely related to the deletion of the base fragment of the MC1R gene.

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<![CDATA[Effect of soil environment on functional diversity of soil nematodes in Tibetan alpine meadows]]> Soil nematodes are key components in the soil food web, playing a crucial role in the regulation of nutrient cycling and energy flow. Many studies have documented the importance of the soil environment in regulating variation in taxonomic diversity over space and time, though little is known about how soil environment influences the functional diversity of soil nematodes. We investigated soil nematode communities in alpine meadows distributed on contrasting environmental regimes (valley floor, northern slope, southern slope, and ridge top) at each of three sites on the Tibetan Plateau. We examined the association between soil environmental factors and the functional diversity of soil nematodes using the community-weighted mean of body-size (CWM) and the Rao functional diversity of body-size (FDRao). Our results showed that the taxonomic diversity of soil nematodes increased significantly with soil pH while the functional diversity of soil nematodes is associated with soil fertility (i.e. CWM and FDRao are positively correlated with soil organic matter and nitrogen content while negatively with soil total phosphorus). Results also revealed that the abundance of bacterivores and fungivores are significantly greater in valley floor plots. The abundance of herbivores and omnivore-predators are lesser at ridge top plots, with abundance of most functional groups positively correlated with soil phosphorous content, but negatively with plant species richness. Our study suggests that soil nematode taxonomic and functional diversity exhibit a decoupled response to soil environmental factors, providing new insight into our understanding of biodiversity assembly in soil animals in Tibetan alpine meadows.

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<![CDATA[Spatial variation in ant-tree network organization in the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve]]> Network analysis helps reveal the details of community organization by holistically assessing species diversity and the relationships contained therein. In this study, we collected arboreal ants from their host trees at three sites (Nabanhe, Menglun, and Bubeng) in the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. Following computation of species diversity, network metrics, and community metrics, we compared the ant-tree bipartite networks between the three sample sites. Network metrics were evaluated using Z values standardized according to two different null models. Tree species composition differed across the three experimental sites, and the ant communities were correspondingly diverse. Ant and tree species number and the tree heterogeneity index (Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson diversity index) were highest in Menglun, and lowest in Bubeng. Extinction slopes showed the same trends as the indices for ant and tree species number and tree heterogeneity, but did not display the same pattern as ant species heterogeneity. Evaluated parameters included: weighted nestedness metrics (WNODF), links per species, specialization, modularity, connectance, extinction slope exponent, and niche overlap. The absolute Z values of these parameters were highest in Menglun and lowest in Bubeng. In conclusion, tree species number and heterogeneity determine the ant-tree network stability, which is measured by extinction slope. WNODF and links per species are positively correlated with community stability. In specialized and modular networks, species populating higher trophic levels experience extinction events in direct correlation with those in lower trophic levels.

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