5^thInternational Conference on Biodiversity March 10-12, 2016 Madrid, Spain

Amaia Autor has recently finished her MSc in Zoology at Complutense University of Madrid. She is giving the first step toward research by trying to publish a work about extra-pair paternity in blue tits (directed by Santiago Merino and Elisa Perez of MNCN-CSIC) and by the work presented here about the inter-specific differences between two species of clams

Clams (genus Ruditapes) constitute one important component of infaunal macrobenthic communities in coastal areas. Coexistence of two species–the native clam (R. decussatus) and the Manila clam (R. philippinarum) introduced some decades ago for commercial purposes in the intertidal zone along the Atlantic coast, poses the question of resource partitioning among populations of both species since these clams share a common filter – feeding mechanism. In this study, two main physiological components of the individual energy balance–filtration and metabolic rates were determined in these clams in order to ascertain whether differences in physiological behavior accounted for higher rates of growth reported in the introduced species (FAO reports). To cover growth trajectories, measurements were performed for a wide size-range of clams and physiological rate determinations formalized through allometric size-scaling relationships. Comparisons of allometric equations using ANCOVA showed lack of significant inter-specific differences in size exponents for either filtration or metabolic rates. Concerning the intercepts, differences were found no-significant for metabolic rates while intercept for filtration rates was significantly higher in R. decussatus. Thus, results do not support the expectation of higher filtration in the introduced species as inferred from their higher rates of growth reported. However, present filtration rates were based on active filtering individuals and complementary information concerning cycles of activity in both species is needed in order to achieve environmentally realistic assessments of energy acquisition

Carlos de la Cruz is a student of the 4th year of Biology Degree at the Complutense University in Madrid. The research on phylogeography of plant colonisation processes is the subject of his TFM (Graduation Thesis)

Hypochaeris glabra (Asteraceae) is a plant species originary from Eurasia and North Africa, adapted to the Mediterranean climate. The American colonization by Europeans in the 15th century occasioned the introduction of several herbaceous wild species. Some of these species naturalized in certain areas of Mediterranean climate, establishing mixed pasturelands together with native species – the Chilean “Espinal”. This work is a phylogeographic analysis of several populations from Spain and central Chile using two types of molecular DNA markers: ITS rDNA spacer sequences, and ISSR markers – genomic sequences flanked by tandem repeats. Only one SNP variation was found in the ITS sequences and the polymorphism was present in both continents. Both, the ITS sequences and the ISSR markers reflect a reduction in variability after colonization. Three main groups were defined according to geographical origin: Populations from northern Spain, populations from southern Spain, and Chilean populations (Chile). AMOVA analyses using different partitions indicate a certain degree of genetic differentiation between continents, and between groups, although most variation lies within populations and between populations within groups. Structure analysis of the ISSR markers indicated also a differentiation between continents, although certain Spanish populations show a close relationship with Chilean ones. No significant correlation between geographical and genetic distances was found when Mantel tests were applied, however, significant positive correlations were found between genetic distances and distances calculated from different ecological parameters. This supports a pattern of differentiation by environment rather than by distance.

Cristina Olmedo is a PhD student in the Zoology and Physical Anthropology Department of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). She received her Master’s in Conservation Biology (2012) from UCM and degree in Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) in 2002. She has 5 published articles and 14 international conferences’ communications in Biodiversity and Species Distribution. Her current research areas are focused on the diversity of parasites in wildlife ungulates and its influence on the populations

This study was to determine if MaxEnt is useful for establishing the most suitable areas for the reintroduction of a wildlife species, the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica). This method uses partial data (presence-only); thus, its reliability can be doubtful compared to models that use presence-absence data (general linearized model). This paper seeks to compare these models from their graphical representations (spatial correlation) instead of using the traditional comparisons of the statistics that they generate. We determined the potentiality of the territory via binomial logistic regression (GLM) and the graphical representation of the territory suitability with presence data only (MaxEnt). To compare both results, correlation analyses were performed. The most suitable areas for the species are similar although they were extended in GLM Model. In both cases, the variables of altitude, anthropogenic influence, and vegetation/stoniness are relevant for the presence of the species. The correlation analyses performed showed a strong relationship between both models. These results suggest that the use of the species’ presence-only distribution modelling employing MaxEnt is useful for defining the preferred locations of the species and can replace the absence-presence methods when information on the absence of the species is lacking

Ebrahim Al-Ansari is one of Qatar’s most renowned Oceanographers. He has worked on the marine benthic biodiversity interface and the oceanographic influence on species diversity of the region for over 20 years and has several high impact publications as a result

Recent research by marine scientists has indicated that marine ecosystems are in a state of change with ever increasing numbers of species invading marine regions. The spread of these aliens appears to be mainly through the expulsion of ballast water or through direct bio-introduction. Simultaneously, many marine areas are in a process of defaunation particularly in regions influenced by anthropogenic factors. This is resulting in irreversible changes to biodiversity, with the disappearance of endemic species and increased numbers of invading species. Marine habitats are currently losing species before they have been identified. Qatar University is addressing this problem with a comprehensive biodiversity-monitoring program. Preliminary surveys for the region have resulted in first descriptions for nine species; 1 benthic Ctenophora, 2 Nudibranchia, 1 Pontoniinae, 1 hermit crab, 2 brachyuran crab and 2 Holothuria. The majority of these species have been identified as bio-invaders from other marine eco-regions with 1 species new to science and 1 possible meta-population.

Hatem E M Abdelwahab has completed his PhD from Arizona State University and Postdoctoral studies from School of Life Sciences and the Biodesgin Institute at Arizona State University, Departement of Biological and Ecological Engineering at Oregon State University. He served in Seuz Canal Univerisity, King Abdulaziz University and Jeddah University as an Assistant Professor. He has published more than 7 papers in reputed journals and 25 abstract and posters in international conferences and meetings.

Hatem E M Abdelwahab has completed his PhD from Arizona State University and Postdoctoral studies from School of Life Sciences and the Biodesgin Institute at Arizona State University, Departement of Biological and Ecological Engineering at Oregon State University. He served in Seuz Canal Univerisity, King Abdulaziz University and Jeddah University as an Assistant Professor. He has published more than 7 papers in reputed journals and 25 abstract and posters in international conferences and meetings.

Helena Godoy Bergallo has completed her PhD in Ecology in 1995 from State University of Campinas. She is Associate Professor of Rio de Janeiro State University where she teaches the undergraduate and graduate programs in Ecology and Evolution, and Environment. She has published more than 100 papers with emphasis in Mammal Ecology. Currently, she coordinates the Biodiversity Research Network of the Atlantic Forest (PPBioMA).

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) of Brazil created in 2005 the Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio) in order to expand and disseminate knowledge on Brazilian biodiversity, being formerly implemented in the Amazon and Semi-Arid biomes. In 2012, the program became national, covering actions to create networks of researchers in each biome adopting standardized protocols of inventories and monitoring of biota (known as RAPELD); to support the modernization of biological collections; to conduct research in thematic areas; to develop a portal to access data and metadata; and to synthesize the knowledge gained by the research. In this context created was Biodiversity Research Network of the Atlantic Forest (PPBioMA) relying on 100 researchers from 23 institutions. The PPBioMA network is divided into four sections, the executive and one in each Atlantic Forest region (Northeast, Southeast and South), coordinated by one or two researchers. Each section has its own projects. Executor core aims to provide training courses in different subjects and for different stakeholders (researchers, students, technicians, managers), manage data and metadata, to know the collections associated with the network, and to ensure data integration and knowledge synthesis. Sixteen sites in the Atlantic Forest are being simultaneously studied using standardized protocols, and 81 researches are being developed. Two meetings were conducted to allow the exchange of information among the participants. Project data will be made available according to the data policy, in the Information System for the Brazilian Biodiversity (SiBBr).

Jose A Sanabria is Marine Biologist (University of La Laguna) and now is a PhD student of BITES Lab at Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Spain (CEAB-CSIC). He has a short career in the marine research, and was contributed in national and international conferences in the field of Biodiversity and Marine Biology

The Alboran Sea is an exceptional ecoregion in between the South European Atlantic Shelf and the Western Mediterranean ecoregions. Oceanographic conditions in the Alboran Sea are strongly influenced by Atlantic and Mediterranean currents, which suggest that this particular ecoregion could function as a transition zone from Atlantic to Mediterranean biodiversity. The Alboran Sea is a major contributor to species richness of temperate seas and it is considered as a biodiversity hotspot. Yet, there is little data on patterns of distribution of biological diversity across the Alboran Sea. Here, we investigated the biodiversity of this transition zone to better understand how the unique ecological traits of this area are determined by surrounding ecoregions, and the degree of influence that ecoregions confer to the Alboran Sea. We used underwater visual census to quantify marine fish and invertebrates across the whole region. Our results showed a general decrease in marine biodiversity as we move away from the Gibraltar Strait towards Western Mediterranean waters. This general trend is in fact two contrasting patterns between Western and Eastern Alboran Sea. In the Western side of the Alboran Sea, there is a decline in species richness while in the Eastern side of the Alboran Sea species richness increases. These contrasting trends in biodiversity between the Western and Eastern sides of the Alboran Sea seems to be explained by environmental variables or oceanographic currents that affect the distribution of marine life, and support for two functionally distinct Alboran Seas within this singular ecoregion

Lidia Ochoa Peñas has completed a Master Program in Ecological Restoration, specialized in Marine Ecosystems from Alcalá de Henares University, Complutense University, Politécnica de Madrid University and Rey Juan Carlos University. Her most recent studies, in collaboration with different organizations, consist of the invasion process of macro-algae along the Atlantic and Cantabrian coasts and its effects in the intertidal communities, and about the state of a seagrass in the Canary Islands.

Restoration ecology is the part of biology which studies how to change the state of a degraded ecosystem into a non-degraded one. It is also used regarding damaged or destroyed ecosystems, specially used in ecosystems altered or degraded by human in order to revitalize ecosystems integrity and functionality. There are a lot of different theories about the importance of restoring ecosystems or species and their value, for example the value of them itself, but one of the most persuasive arguments is the importance of the ecosystem services. Marine ecosystems are a great source of ecosystem services, for instance provisioning services (food, energy) or recreation. They also supply other ecosystem services such as regulation of global climate, sink of nutrients or acting as a reservoir for COâ‚‚, which are less known or considered. Ecological restoration can help these ecosystems, providing an important source of ecosystem services and ensuring their continuity in time.

María del Pilar de Arana completed her PhD with extraordinary Honor at the Complutense University and was Postdoctoral fellow at Duke University (NC, USA). She is Full Professor at the Genetics Department UCM since 2009. She is the Director of a research line on Animal Genetic Diversity. She has published more than 40 papers in reputed journals

Domestic animals are nowadays accepted as important contributors to biodiversity. Within this context, DNA markers have proved to be useful tools. Molecular diversity studies are strongly biased towards mitochondrial sequences, however, these do not represent the whole evolutionary and genealogical history of a species. Among nuclear sequences, those located on the differential segment of sex chromosomes overcome the technical disadvantages of diploid sequences, since certain regions are present in a single dose in XY males. Sex chromosomes sequences supply valuable data on the evolution of the taxonomic groups, on the impact of domestication, and on the effect of reproductive strategies. Orthologous sequences of the X and Y chromosomes of the horse, the domestic donkey and the Somali wild ass were analysed by chromosome specific amplification of fragments of the amelogenin and zinc finger protein genes. In general, these sequences showed low variability levels. The Y chromosomes showed no intraspecific variability. Two SNPs were found in the AmelX gene of horses, defining three haplotypes, none of them breed exclusive; no variation was found in the corresponding sequence of donkeys. Mitochondrial donkey sequences were analyzed to check for an overall decrease in variability, though no significant reduction was found. Equus caballus Y and X chromosomes show the highest similarity with E. przewalskii. E. asinus Y and X amelogenin sequences show one difference each with respect to those of E. africanus somalicus; donkey ZfY sequence coincides with those of Somali and Asiatic wild asses, E. a. somalicus and E. hemionus

Mona Ayesh Al-Salameen, graduated from Kuwait University with a bachelor degree in zoology; later completed her masters degree in zoology, (Temperature reaction of diurnal and nocturnal Tenebrionid beetles from Kuwait Desert). She finished her Phd in year 2000, in Micropaleontology, (Benthic foraminifera as indicators of pollution by heavy metal in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea). She worked as a assistant professor at science department and selected as the head of the science department; for four years. Now she is the vice dean of academic affairs. She’s researches are about foraminifera as environmental changes indicators and classification, which were for the Regional Organization of Protection Marine Environment

Global change and climate variability rely on proxy data from recent faunal content to monitor environmental change. Species diversity calculated from two regions at Kuwaiti Coast (Miskan Island and Al-Khiran area) allow estimation of the relative bleaching increase within-habitat of coral species associated with different types of faunal degradation. Beaches and Reefs at Kuwait and Gulf area subject to land-based pollution (sewage, sedimentation, and/or industrial pollution) show 40–50% reduced diversity at 7 m, and 30–60% reduced diversity at 10 m depth relative to unpolluted comparison reefs in each region. The decreased diversity on reefs subject to land-based pollution implies a dramatic, rapid decrease in Kuwait reef-based fisheries resources. Ostracoda (microscopic, aquatic Crustacea) and benthic foraminifera at the Kuwaiti islands have a great potential for ecological monitoring and environmental analyses in highly variable environments. The analysis of faunal assemblage (benthonic and ostracoda) composition, morphological features, diversity, and species distributions provide valuable information on present and past water salinity, temperature, substrate characteristics, climate, sea level variations, oxygen and nutrient availability. In this respect, this work will provide an overview on the application of benthic foraminifera and ostracods for environmental reconstruction.

Natalí Lazzari finished her Master’s degree on Marine Biology at the University of La Laguna, Spain and now she is coursing her PhD on Biodiversity from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and the University of Barcelona. In her short career, she has participied in few national and international congresses and has collaborated in the marine department of the University of La Laguna

Marine biodiversity along the Iberian Peninsula coast is a unique crossroad, as it is surrounded by three ecoregions of the world: The South European Atlantic Shelf, the Alboran Sea, and the Western Mediterranean. Ecoregions are characterized by distinct environmental traits and associated biodiversity. The Mediterranean Sea is a highly diverse ecoregion whose waters are known to influence nearby regions outside the Mediterranean basin. Here, we looked at the marine biodiversity along the Iberian coast to quantify how benthic communities in the Atlantic coast deviated from the Mediterranean communities. We used underwater visual census to quantify fish and invertebrates and used multivariate techniques to quantify how communities in the Atlantic deviated from the Mediterranean type community. Our data showed how Mediterranean influence weakened as we move away from the Gibraltar Straight up to the entrance of the Bay of Biscay. However, benthic communities in the Bay of Biscay become increasingly more Mediterranean-like communities as we get closer to France, reversing the trend found in Portugal and western Galicia coasts. Similarity with the Mediterranean type community decreased from over 50% in sites near the Gibraltar Strait to less than 15%, at the entrance of the Bay of Biscay. Then, despite the larger geographic distance, communities within the Bay of Biscay steadily recovered resemblance with the Mediterranean type community as we approached France. This pattern seemed to be caused by changes in environmental variables such as sea surface temperature and confirms the Mediterranean influence on Atlantic biodiversity well beyond Mediterranean boundaries

Medjekal Samir has completed his PhD from Constantine University. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals.

Ruminants are major contributors to biogenic methane formation, and it has been estimated that preventing methane formation from domesticated ruminants could contribute to stabilizing atmospheric methane concentrations. Moreover, several thousand plant secondary metabolites have been reported, for example, phenolic compounds, essential oils and sarsaponins have antimicrobial activity. The objectives of this in vitro study were to compare fermentation patterns of three selected traditional medicinal plants and to evaluate their potential as antimethanogenic additives in ruminant feeds. Effects of Nigella sativa, Rosmarinus Officinalis and Zingiber Officinale, which were incorporated to the fermentation substrate as a dry powder, on ruminal fermentation, fibre digestion and methane production, were studied in vitro in batch cultures of mixed rumen microorganisms. After incubation, gas and methane production, pH and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration in the incubation medium and dry matter and neutral detergent fibre disappearance were recorded. In general, a high methane reduction was noted with Monensin (control) and Nigella sativa and no effect was observed with the other treatments. The amounts of methane produced after 24 hours of fermentation varies between 0.28 and 1.12 mmol/g DM. Monensin drives the highest percentage reduction, with a value of 75% and Nigella sativa recorded a 20% reduction in value. This study should be complemented by other in vitro investigations to determine the dose effect of Nigella sativa and also studies by the Rusitec to ensure stability in time of the observed effects.

Dancilla Mukakamari has completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Food Security in 2010 at the University of Rwanda. From 2002 to date, she is the National Coordinator of the Rwandese Association of Ecologists (ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA), a local NGO involved in community based biodiversity conservation and natural resource managment in Rwanda. In 2014, she was selected to be part of the AWARD (African Women in Agriculture Research and Development) fellows to increase her research activities on neglected indigenous vegetables. She has contributed to publish papers in journals and she is Master’s Fellow in Development Studies at Mount Kenya University

Indigenous vegetables are highly important for food security and livelihoods. They are also resilient to climate change and require less work and inputs compared to exotic varieties. Despite their values, these vegetables have been neglected for many years by researchers and policy makers, and are currently threatened with extinction. In Rwanda, there has been a strong case against indigenous crops. Accused of being less tasty or old fashioned, indigenous vegetables were rapidly dropped by the young generation and native species significantly declined. The aim of this research was to: (1) to establish the list and conservation status of indigenous vegetables potential for food security; (2) to analyse differents uses and farmer’s attitudes towards production and utilisation of indigenous vegetables; ( 3) to examine government policy; (4) to identify challenges and strategies to improve production and consumption. This research was undertaken in May, 2015 on 140 rural farmers including 82 women and 50 young people living in 4 sectors around the Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. The study has also involved researchers, practitionners, consumers, planners and policy makers. The methodology used has combined literature review, interviews and focus group discussions. Snowball and purposive techniques were used for sampling. The study has listed exting indigenous vegetables and endangered species. It has also revealed that beside poor research and extension policy, lack of information, poor capacity and negative attitudes affect production and sustainable utilisation. There is a great need to conserve germplasm and to raise awareness and advocacy

Groundwater is generally considered as the best source for aquaculture as it is well protected from contamination. The most common problem limiting the use of groundwater in Egypt is its high iron, manganese and ammonia content. This problem is often overcome by applying the treatment before use. Aeration in many cases is not enough to oxidize iron and manganese in complex forms with organics. Most of the treatment we use potassium permanganate as an oxidizer followed by pressurized closed green sand filter. The aim of present study is to investigate the optimum characteristics of groundwater to give lowest iron, manganese and ammonia, maximum production and quality of fish in aquaculture in El-Max Research Station. The major design goal of the system was determined the optimum time for harvesting the treated water, pH and glauconite weight to use it for aquaculture process in the research site and achieve the Egyptian law (48/1982) and EPA level required for aquaculture. The water characteristics are [Fe=0.116 mg/L, Mn=1.36 mg/L, TN=0.44 mg/L , TP=0.07 mg/L, Ammonia=0.386 mg/L] by using the glauconite filter we obtained high efficiency for removal for [(Fe, Mn and Ammonia] but in the Lab we obtained result for (Fe, 43-97), (Mn, 92-99 ) and (Ammonia, 66-88)]. We summarized the results to show the optimum time, pH, glauconite weight and the best model for design in the region

Elnara Salakhova is a PhD student at the Institute of Dendrology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences since 2014 november. Now she is doing doctoral study in Biology at the Institute of Dendrology. She have 14 research publications. The title of my dissertation- “Bioecological features of some species belonging to barberry genius and their utilization in greenery”. Recently, she came out with an article and achieved the diploma of successful participation and appearance in the III (XI) International Botanical Conference of Young Scientists, Russian.

Recently, reconstruction work in the new parks and gardens are used in various types of trees and shrubs. This is based on the species of ornamental plants belonging to the genus Berberis L. which play significant role in landscape architecture of Absheron. The purpose of the Institute of Dendrology is using Berberis L. (genus Berberis candidula C.K.Schneid) in practice field of Absheron. In general, Barberry species included the genus of flowering plants. These are mainly trees and shrubs. Berberis candidula C.K.Schneid.- The Blue Berberis widely spread in Western China. The height of this species is 0.8-1.2 m, umbrella half round, more than 2 times the width of the height, fast-growing, evergreen bush. There are numerous sprouts. Peel yellow-white, a little cleft, thorns are up to 2 cm in length. The leaves are alternate, elliptical, 2-3 cm in length, curled edges, reverse ovoid, finely toothed, glossy dark green above, gray on the bottom side. Campanulate flowers a numerous, fragrant, racemose flowers assembled in groups. The colour of flowers is bright green in spring and golden-red, yellow in summer and autumn. Red, shiny, oblong fruits grow in the beginning of autumn, do not fall for a long time. According to the bright summer, sun prefers half shadow. Put up with all types of soil, dry and damp, weakly acidic and alkaline soils, they are well developed. This species can grow up in cold, drought periods, urban conditions and wind-resistant. Slow growth and decorative view of this kind can be used in the garden and parks. Berberis candidula C.K.Schneid. is suitable for low-live fences.

Z H Abbasova has completed her PhD from Institute of Botany Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. She is the scientific secretary of Institute of Dendrology Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. She has written more than 80 scientific papers in reputed journals

In the collection funds of Institute of Dendrology of ANAS has been introduced more than 600 species of trees and shrubs, 220 species of them are from East Asian flora. For many years, we carried out a study on the ecological and biological characteristics of the group of Eastern Asia species in conditions of Azerbaijan: the season of growth and development, productivity, frost and heat resistance, the degree of damage by pests and diseases, they are studied as well as the current status and the environmental assessment of the adaption and use in landscape architecture. There are successfully acclimatized species of Central Chinese and Japanese-Korean floristic provinces - Euonymus alatus, Celtis bungeana, Securinega suffruticosa, Juniperus chinensis and others. Thermophilic Chinese and Japanese flora species - Abelia chinensis, Berberis thunbergii, Lonicera caprifolium L., Koelreuteria paniculata, Poncirus trifoliata, Chamaecyparis pisifera, as expected, they are well acclimatized to our environment. Some species as Firmiana platanifolia, Tunga Fort et al.), they can very poorly bear hard winter and dry periods of the year. In the dry subtropical conditions of Azerbaijan, we have been grown several species from South Chinese subtropical plant species - Lagerstroemia indica, Viburnum opulus L., Cedrus atlantica, Mealia L... Introduced plants in this flora are well adapted to local conditions. At the present time, they are used in the street landscaping, park planting and landscape architecture as typical subtropical woody plants from Eastern Asia flora

Iqra Azam is a Researcher in Department of Zoology. She has published four papers in well reputed journals in the field of toxicology and plans to research on genotoxicity in PhD studies

In the current study relationship between salinity gradients and Odonata naiads was studied. Naiads were selected for this study on the basis of their quality as indicators of conditions of aquatic ecosystems and as popular water pollution indicators (Silsby, 2001). Eight factors viz. Electrical Conductivity (Ec), Calcium+Magnesium (Ca+Mg), Sodium (Na+), Carbonates (Carb), Bicarbonates (Bc), Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) were studied each water samples taken from 35 sites. Results indicate variable trends in species composition of naiads towards chemical composition of sampled sites.

Resistance to antibiotics has become a threat to public health. As a result of their misuse and overuse, bacteria have become resistant to many common antibiotics. Βeta-lactam (β-lactam) antibiotics are one of the most significant classes of antimicrobials in providing therapeutic benefits for the treatment of bacterial infections in both human and veterinary medicine, for approximately 60% of all antibiotics are used. In particular, some Enterobacteriaceae produce Extend Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs) that enable them to some break down multi-groups of antibiotics. CTX-Menzymes have rapidly become the most important ESBLs with increases in mainly CTX-M 15 in many countries during the last decade. Global travel by intercontinental medical ‘tourists’, migrant employees and overseas students could theoretically be a risk factor for spreading antibiotic resistance genes in different parts of the world. Bangor city, North Wales, is subject to sudden demographic changes due to a large proportion (>25%) of the population being students, most of which arrive over a space of days. This makes it a suitable location to study the impacts of large demographic change on the presence of ESBLs. The aim of this study is to monitor the presence of ESBLs in Escherichia coli and fecal coliform bacteria isolated from Bangor wastewater treatment plant, before, during and after the arrival week of students to Bangor University. Over a five-week period, water samples were collected twice a week, from the influent, primary sedimentation tank, aeration tank and the final effluent. Isolation and counts for E. coli and other fecal coliforms were done on selective agar (primary UTI agar). ESBL presence will be confirmed by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Sampling at all points of the tertiary treatment stages will indicate the effectiveness of wastewater treatment in reducing the spread of ESBLs genes. The study will yield valuable information to help tackle a problem which many regard to be the one of the biggest threats to modern-day society

Ghadbane Mouloud has completed his PhD from Ferhat Abbas, Setif 1 University and Postdoctoral studies from Costantine University. Presently, he is Lecturer and Assistant Head of Department of Natural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Mohamed Boudiaf-M’sila. He has published more than 16 papers in reputed

The Numidian fir (Abies numidica) belongs to the family of conifers (Pinaceae) is a tree up to 20 m. A. Numidica appears only on the tops of mountains of Babor and Tababort from Algeria. Fir forests of Babors receive in some places quantities greater than 2000 mm rain and the snow lasts 3-5 months a year. The aim of present study was to determine the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of essential oil and different extracts from Abies numidica leaves. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was used to detect in vitro the antioxidant activity. Antibacterial activity was tested against nine bacterial species, representing both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Antifungal activity was evaluated using two Candida species. The results indicate that the crude methanolic extracts and the essential oil resulted in the highest antioxidant activities compared to other solvents. All extracts of A. numidica showed antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, as well as fungi, especially methanolic extracts and essential oil. A. numidica could be exploited for the isolation of bioactive compounds which could be a potential source for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In this subject, we advice to conserve this tree using tissue culture and in vitro propagation because a little number (about 400 trees) of this fir exists and it is endangered extinction actually

El Asri Fatima is a third year biological science PhD student, in the Faculty of Science Ain Chock, University Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco. She had a research on “Taxonomic diversity and structure of the molluscan fauna in Oualidia lagoon (Moroccan Atlantic coast)"

The lagoon of Oualidia, located on Morocco's Atlantic coast, is international interest in its diversity and potential shellfish. It is exploited for its natural stocks in coastal resources such as shellfish, fish species, macroalgae. The main purpose of this work is to describe the composition, abundance, diversity and spatial distribution of the benthic fauna in the area and to assess the factors governing this spatial distribution in Oualidia lagoon. The benthic macroinvertebrates of Oualidia lagoon (Moroccan Atlantic coast) was studied during summer 2013. The distribution of the benthic macroinvertebrates species was recorded at 43 stations on the whole of the lagoon. The samples were collected using a Van Veen grab with two samples in each station and each sample had a surface area of 0.0625 m2. The samples were sieved in situ through a 1-mm mesh. The material retained on the mesh was fixed in formaldehyde 10%. Water parameters (salinity and temperature) were recorded at each site. The macroinvertebrates were sorted, identified at the lowest taxonomic level possible and counted. A total of 52 taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates were listed. The molluscs and polychaete dominate qualitatively. Classification analysis used to perform the characterization of the lagoon on the basis of benthic macroinvertebrates showed the existence of three main clusters from downstream to upstream. Hydrodynamic and sediment composition were the major factors affecting the number of species and the biodiversity of benthic communities.

A P Bagirli has graduated from ASU (5 years study). She is a Scientist at Institute of Dendrology Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. She has written 23 scientific papers in reputed journals. She has 2 certificates on Biology Sciences

Ginkgo biloba was introduced in Institute of Dendrology in 1950. As a dekorotiv tree, it reaches 30 meters in height. The leaves are being fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade. Leaves sizes are up to 10-12 cm, they are located on the long and short shoots. Ginkgo biloba has been attributed to the conifers by its structure of their leaves. Two ovules are formed at the end of a stalk, and after pollination, one or both develop into seeds. It is fleshy outer layer, soft and fruit-like, very solid on inside, in outside is covered with a layer. Stems of Ginkgo are gray-brown color, leaves are fan-shaped oval and seldom. The leaves are dark green in summer and in autumn the leaves turn yellow. Ginkgo blossoms in May-June. Ginkgo blossoms in European countries in April. The fruit of this plant has a silver color and apricot-shape, so in japanese it is called as "silver apricot". The fruits are in size of egg form, 1.5-3 cm. The fruits grow in October. Fresh Ginkgo fruits are eatable as food. Seeds are juicy, fleshy, persistent very solid in inside, in outside are covered with a layer. Ginkgo is light-loving, grow intensely demanding in fertile land, drought-resistant. Ginkoo Biloba is a long living tree and is origin of China up 2 thousand years. Ginkgo biloba is cultivated in the regions of Azerbaijan as in Lankaran, Ganja, Zagatala, and Absheron peninsula

Onkangi N Ruth is a graduate student at the University of Nairobi concluding her MSc in Environmental Chemistry. She is very passionate about conservation of bio-diversity and is a Research Assistant in the Bio-diversity Research and Monitoring Division of Kenya Wildlife Service; an institution mandated by the Kenyan Government to conserve and manage wildlife in Kenya. She has worked with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA-Kenya) in water quality management and regulation and contributed to various environmental policy documents in Kenya including the National Environment Action Plan 2014-2018.

Nairobi National Park (NNP) is the only national park in the world located in close proximity to a capital city hence its tagline is “wildlife capital”. Population explosion in Nairobi has necessitated rapid development that is often not steered by clear cut zonation plans. Areas neighbouring NNP have undergone a swift transformation that has seen the shrinking of the dispersal area and pollution emanating from adjacent residential and industrial premises make its way into this protected area. The resultant environmental declension owing to the nearness of this small paradise to the burgeoning city is challenging NNP’s ecological viability and integrity. This study established the extent of pollution in the park, its sources, the damage wrought and remedies to thwart the effects wherever the ecological integrity was found to be compromised. Samples of vegetation, soils, sediments and water were collected during the wet and dry seasons and subjected for analysis. The parameters tested include chemicals that are persistent, bio-accumulative or toxic: these being; Heavy Metals (Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, and Hg), nutrients (phosphates and nitrates), chlorides, fluorides, biological analysis (coliforms, macrophytes,) inter-alia physio-chemical parameters. The results obtained were very reflective of the ecosystem health and shall pivot management of the park so as to achieve maximum complementarity for conservation of this unique ecosystem.

Sayan Bhattacharya is currently working as an Assistant Professor in School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, India. He has completed his MSc and PhD in Environmental Science from University of Calcutta. He has completed two years Postdoctoral Research in Department of Chemistry, Presidency University, India. He has published 28 international journal papers, 10 book chapters, 40 international conference proceedings and many national conference proceedings. He has received Young Researcher Award from Government of India international conference. He is in the Reviewers’ Committee of many international journals and in the Editorial Boards of international journals with high impact factors. He has over 9 years of teaching experiences in University of Calcutta, Rabindra Bharati University, Viswa Bharati University and Vidyasagar University, India.

The relationship between culture and ecology was the integral part of ancient Indian societies. Interactions with diverse biological entities and concern for their conservation remained important components in the structure of ancient civilizations of India. In the present study, some ancient Indian texts are highlighted which can eminently reflect the concepts of environmental conservation and sustainable development. The Arthasastra written by Kautilya (the minister of Chandragupta Maurya, 321-297 BC) divided the country into different ecological zones between the Himalayas and the oceans. Arthasastra demonstrated Kautilya’s perception and concern about the living creatures: Domestic and wild animals, plants and vegetations. List of protected animals, fish, birds were found which executes the scientific knowledge of biodiversity. In 1972, the conference on human environment in Stockholm mentioned about some principles which were very much similar to the edicts of Arthasastra. Some of the modern Indian environmental laws show amazing similarity with forms and contents of Arthasastra. In Manusmrti written by Maharshi Manu, the concept of biodiversity referred to all living forms broadly mentioned as Chara (movable living world) and Achara (immovable plant kingdom). The book described the importance of conservation. Caraka and Susrata classified lands according to the nature of the soil, climate and vegetation. Susrata classified animals on the basis of their food habits and habitats. In Ishopanishad, the concepts of sustainable development and conservation were established: “All in this manifested world consisting of moving and non-moving are covered by the lord. Use its resources with restraint. Do not grab the property of others distant and yet to come.” The Vedic hymns, particularly those in Rg Veda, contained many notes on irrigated agriculture, river courses, dykes, water reservoirs, wells and water lifting structures. The later Vedas, especially the Ayurveda section, demonstrated profound knowledge of biodiversity. The sacred groves (Tapovana) of India were rich in biodiversity, which were mentioned in many ancient Indian documents like Abhigyan Shakuntalam written by Kalidasa. They are small packets of forests dedicated to local deities. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna compared the world to a single banyan tree with unlimited branches in which all the species of animals, humans and demigods wander, which can reflect the concept of community ecology. The trees like Banyan and Peepal were often referred in historical background are keystone resources. Detailed studies are needed to extract and analyse the ecological and environmental perspectives of ancient Indian culture.

Choungo Nguekeng Patrick Bustrel has completed his Bachelor’s degree (Bsc) from Higher Institute of Environmental Sciences In Yaounde-Cameroon. He is also a Member of a non-profit association as Student Researcher

Irvingia wombolu Vermoesen is a local fruit tree with a wide distribution across west and central Africa. It is also a multipurpose tree that provides non timber forest products. In particular fruits, kernels can be transformed into powder and for cooking, pharmaceutical and cosmetic and its wood is also used in house construction. Fruits of this tree are gathered for kernels extraction. The kernels have both culinary and economic value locally, regional and internationally. Unfortunately, poverty and malnutrition are increasingly in Cameroon in rural area. The objective of the study was to assess the growth and the development of almost 10 years old Irvingia wombolu trees of seed set as progeny trial. To better understand its development on farm cultivation in Cameroon, 550 trees of I wombolu were assess. The result of the study indicates that I. wombolu parameters varied in the same ways but not at the same rate and it is exploited mainly from local communities. Height and crown diameter are growing simultaneously as collar diameter and DBH. The most important factor is the percentage of growing since at least 10 years old of implementation so that we would be able to make some prevision in fruits production and tree management to handle some constraints when cultivating the specie in any land use system. Large fruits size, easy kernel extraction and weight from fruits during fruiting season are found to be main selection characteristics of farmers cultivating. Observations showed that, the specie is more useful and need more strategies to develop another types of propagules and preserve it. From these results and field observations, it is important to develop suitable and sustainable methods to intensify the cultivation of the NTFP’s in agro-forestry systems

Louchene Noureeddine has completed his diploma from faculty, Electronics Engineers studies from University School of University of Batna-Algeria. He is a competent electrical engineer with a comprehensive knowledge of designing, developing and maintaining electrical systems and components to required specifications, focusing on economy, safety, reliability, quality and sustainability. A consistent track record of successfully completing projects from the concept and detail of the design through to implementation, testing and handover. Having a comprehensive understanding of electrinics signals health and safety regulations, he is currently working in Entreprise Nationale des Travaux aux Puits, Algeria.

The problem of parameterization clouds in models is particularly sensitive with regards to low density clouds, weakly precipitating (cirrus, altostratus, stratocumulus, among others). Their impact on the radiative balance of the planet is indeed very important. But to apprehend properly, it is necessary to consider both radiative effects and feedbacks between radiation and dynamic in the system which couples the surface (continental and Desertics), the under-cover boundary layer, the layer cover and free atmosphere in taking into account the synoptic forcing. Taking into account interactions between aerosols and clouds, radiation is also a necessity within this framework. In the case of dense clouds, exploration embedded drones LiDAR sensor is limited to a layer of a few hundred meters. Beyond this common area, the radar millimetric may nevertheless proceed only exploration of the cloud, or with the single beam nadir for ice clouds or using different LiDAR signal attenuation along both directions of aim for the clouds. The combined observations from the reflectivity embedded UAV sensors and LiDAR backscatter coefficient have a different sensitivity, but the additional water content and the effective radius, allowing in principle their restitution. This is the starting point of algorithms, radar-LiDAR.

Biraj Shrestha has completed his Master’s in Environmental Science in 2013 with special paper Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management from Khwopa College, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He is currently Research Associate of Friends of Nature, Nepal (FON Nepal). He has been involved in herpetological observation and individual research on herpetofauna of the country since more than seven years. He is the Country Representative for SAVE THE FROGS! Nepal chapter and has been actively involved in advocacy, workshop and discussion of amphibians and reptiles conservation in Nepal

Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA) is home to many species of plant and animal, including herpetofauna. However, information on herpetofauna of the area was scanty. An inventory of herpetofauna was conducted in Sirdibas, Bihi and Prok VDCs of MCA in late April 2012. The species were recorded by Visual Encounter Surveys, Patch Sampling, Dip netting and Opportunistic sampling. The checklist of species found in the area is prepared by data triangulation technique. Spatial maps have been prepared using Arc GIS 9.3 while SPSS 16.0 was used for statistical calculations. Both open-ended and close-ended structures questions were used for gathering ethnoherpetological information. A checklist representing 33 species of amphibian and reptiles recorded so far from the area has been prepared. The herpetofauna were recorded between 1438 and 2665 m in the area. Among the recorded species Laudakia tuberculata was observed in all three VDCs. Hodgson‟s racer, Elaphe hodgsonii is recorded for the first time from the area. Abundance of herpetofauna decreased with increasing of the elevation (C=-0.532) while it is increased with rise in the surrounding temperature (C=0.499). A regression equation Y=1.6404+0.0006X1+0.0503X2 was developed from the obtained data which is found to be significant. Local people use frogs (especially Paa spp.) for food and medicinal purposes. Their overexploitation, habitat degradation and impacts of climate change have threatened survival of the species

Larval recruitment is the foundation of future coral populations and it plays a fundamental role in the ecology of marine invertebrates. The investigation of the early life history of corals is hampered by the inability to accurately identify recently settled juveniles because of their small size and similarity in morphology. In this study, we used DNA barcoding as a tool to confirm morphological identification of coral recruits from recruitment tiles deployed in shallow (4-7 m depth) and mesophotic (30-35 m depth) reefs of Calatagan, Batangas, Philippines. Sequences were obtained for the Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene (COI), nuclear Pax C intron (PaxC), open reading frame (ORF) and ITS1 and compared to sequences in public repositories for taxonomic identification of coral spats. We found that the use of DNA barcoding can increase the resolution of coral recruits identification. Importantly, this research provides valuable information regarding the effectivity of molecular tools such as DNA barcoding in identifying coral recruits and in assessing larval recruitment rates.

Mahmoud Bayat is currently an Assistant Professor of the University of Tehran. He also conducts researches at the Research Institute of Forests and Range lands as well as Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) in Tehran, Iran

In this research flora and fauna of protected Sarsakhti forest reserve was investigated. Sarsakhti oak forest reserve is about 200 ha in area that is located in Markazi province with a distance of 10 kilometers far from Shazand city. In this research for the first time the floristic and bio form of Sarsakhti forest reserve were studied. To study the flora of the region, walking around the region was used. In this research, firstly the studied region was categorized geographically and seasonally. The procedure of gathering vegetative samples was implemented through direct inspecting of the region arranged in different seasons. The samples were gathered with their roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. Taking notes of ecological conditions and biological forms of any of the species was implemented directly while investigating the region. The gathered samples were conveyed to Arak herbarium center to be identified after drying process. Then, prepared herbarium samples were identified exactly by some flora references such as Flora Iranica, flora of Iraq, Russia and Iran. Investigation of the flora showed that there are 22 families, 94 genera and 128 plant species in the reserve. The largest plant family is Apiaceae with 15 genera and 26 plant species. The largest plant genus in the area is Artimisia from Apiaceae family with 5 species. The main life forms of the reserve are thermopile, Chamephyte and Crytophytte. Most geographical distribution of the reserve plant belongs to Irano-Turanian region. To analyze fauna of Sarsakhti restricted oak forest reserve, field cultivation was done and walking was proceeded to detect the borders, situation and different areas of the region. Linear transect method was used to determine animal species, relative frequency, population density and dispersal condition of animals. Moreover, the method was also advantageous to design the propagation map of animal species and ecological classification map of the studied region. The investigation of the reserve fauna showed that there are 19 species of mammals, 19 species of reptiles and 23 species of birds in the study area.

Forests substantially contribute to improving people livelihood through selling of agroforestry products and non-timber forest products of plant origin (NTFP), drugs etc. The NTFP generally have significant value in forest areas where they are abundant. With the domestication program developed by ICRAF and its partners over the past twenty years, some NTFP are currently having huge potential in local, regional and even international markets. Tetracarpidium conophorum is among the NTFP once described as “minor” which is gradually occupying a prominent place in local and urban markets of Cameroon. Unfortunately the production is not always optimized. With the purpose to assess the production level as well as the various factors affecting the production of T. conophorum seeds in Cameroon, a study was carried out from April to September 2014 in the Meme and Manyu divisions in the South-west region of Cameroon. Survey conducted among 106 producers shows that 36.54 tons of T. conophorum seeds were produced annually. 83% of producers interviewed, exploit seeds. While 52% of them collect the fruits directly from the forest, only 48% collect from agro systems. 10 different group of animal are hailed by local population as main seed predators. The survey also reveals that 86% of vines planted are hosted by fruit trees with a diameter less than 35 cm and none of the producers knows or the use of vegetative propagation techniques. The cultivation of Tetracarpidium conophorum in agro system, the well management of predators and the training of local producers on domestication techniques could substantially optimized production level of the T. conophorum seeds in Cameroon.

Mohammed Mohiuddin is currently working as a Division Officer, Forest Botany Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Chittagong. He has obtained his BSc and MSc in Botany in 1984 from University of Chittagong. He was enrolled in MS on Bio-Composite Technology in 1999 from University of Wales, UK. He has obtained his PhD in Forestry in 2009 from University of Chittagong. He has published 56 scientific articles and bulletin in national and international journals and attended many national and international conference. He is life Member of Bangladesh Botanical Society; Biodiversity Research Group of Bangladesh (BRGB) and Bangladesh Journal of Taxonomist. He has also served as an Editor of Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science from 2010 to 2015.

Chittagong Hill Tracts is the main hilly region of Bangladesh. It covers 10% land of the country and linked with the Hidhu Khush Himalayan region. This area is the native home of eleven tribal people and most of them are follower of Bhudhu religion. The religion institutions are situated in the deep forest area and locally called Kiyang or Bhudhu Bihar. This institution is maintained by the religious leaders locally called as Bantheya and the local community people have great respect to them. Most of the Bantheyas are conserving biodiversity in traditional way and harvesting and cutting of trees are strictly prohibited in Kiyang area. Survey reports showed that more 76 tree species with number shrubs and herbs are grown and wild animals are conserved traditionally in the Kiyang area. Local people have great respect to local flora and as result this Kiyang area has become unique hotspots for indigenous tree species. Local people have great respect to these plants and conserved them as taboos or secrete trees. But at the present time, Kiyang management committee is inclined towards commercial plantation for high value of the timber. BFRI scientists motivated them towards enrichment plantation with 32 indigenous tree species by series of sensitizing meeting. As a result, flora and fauna diversity has boost up gradually and finally it has become local level model for biodiversity conservation. Land, traditional knowledge, awareness, support and of religion leader’s role are the main characteristics of this model.