Distribution, biology, and agricultural importance of Galinsoga parviflora (Asteraceae)

Galinsoga parviflora , an annual dicot species of the family Asteraceae, is a common herb that is often found in disturbed habitats and agricultural areas in many parts of the temperate and subtropical regions of the world. It is a native of tropical America and the center of its origin is thought to be the mountainous area of Central America. Galinsoga parviflora is considered to be a common weed in several crops of major importance, such as wheat, corn, cotton, tobacco, sugarbeet, tomato, pepper, potato, bean, onion, cabbage, garlic, coffee, citrus, banana, and strawberry; it is frequently found in gardens and uncultivated areas. It succeeds particularly in moist soils and it is favored by a long photoperiod and high light intensity. The significant features of the plant, such as the lack of seed dormancy, rapid growth and development, early flowering, many generations per growing season, production of a great number of seed in a wide range of environmental circumstances, and the ability for easy vegetative reproduction under favorable conditions predispose the plant to be a troublesome weed. These features allow the easy distribution and rapid establishment of the weed in large populations, a fact that often makes this weed difficult to control. Galinsoga parviflora competes strongly, particularly with irrigated crops of short height, and it might also hinder crop harvest. The management of G. parviflora can be achieved by manual weeding, repeated soil cultivation, crop rotation, mulching, and herbicide application. The plant is reported to be edible and is used also for medicinal purposes.     

Habitat associations of Atlantic herring in the Shetland area: influence of spatial scale and geographic segmentation

This study considers the habitat associations of a pelagic species with a range of biotic and abiotic factors at three different spatial scales. Generalized additive models (GAM) are used to analyse trends in the distributional abundance of Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus ) in relation to thermocline and water depth, seabed roughness and hardness, sea surface salinity and temperature, zooplankton abundance and spatial location. Two geographical segments of the population, those east and west of the Shetland Islands (northern North Sea, ICES Div IVa), are examined. The differences in the ecological preferences of the species in these two distinct geographical areas are elucidated and the degree that these environmental relationships might be modulated by the change of support of the data is also considered. Part of the observed variability of the pre-spawning distribution of herring was explained by different parameters in these two regions. Notwithstanding this, key determinants of the species' spatial aggregation in both areas were zooplankton abundance and the nature of the seabed substrate. The relative importance of the variables examined did not change significantly at different spatial scales of the observation window. The diverse significance of various environmental factors on herring distribution was attributed mainly to the interaction of species' dynamics with the different characteristics of the ecosystem, east and west of the Shetland Islands. Results suggest that the current 2.5 nautical miles as elementary sampling distance unit (ESDU) is a reasonable sampling scheme that combines the need to reduce the data volume while maintaining spatial resolution to distinguish the species/environment relationships.     

Evidence of Morocco dentex (Dentex maroccanus) distribution in the NE Mediterranean and relationships with environmental factors determined by Generalized Additive Modelling

The seasonal distribution of Morocco dentex (Dentex maroccanus) was investigated in relation to ocean environmental conditions in the NE Mediterranean Sea. Data were collected during a 2‐yr period (1996–1997) of quasi‐synoptic seasonal sampling using demersal trawl surveys. The study revealed evidence for the existence of environmental relationships and temporal habitat associations of Morocco dentex. The sea‐bottom salinity, the water depth (through its interaction with bottom salinity) and the spatial location appeared to be key determinants of distribution. There was a strong consistency in the pattern and significance of the observed relationships across all seasons. The present results provided direct support for a preferential seasonal aggregation of Morocco dentex in specific geographic and bathymetric regions of the study area. In all four seasons, these favourable regions were found to be relatively stable and distinct, had the highest catch‐per‐unit‐effort index, and were located over shallower grounds (50–70 m) having bottom salinity around 39.1. The current findings also indicated that, throughout the year, the species was confined below the thermocline and avoided the deeper waters (>80 m). Morocco dentex ecological preferences for certain sea‐bottom salinities, water depth zones and hydrographic regimes were suggested to contribute to the processes governing differential settlement to preferred grounds.     

Spatiotemporal distribution and habitat use of commercial demersal species in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to investigate the influence of spatial (subarea), temporal (season) and environmental variables (substrate characteristics, depth, temperature and salinity) on the relative abundance of 27 demersal species of commercial importance in the Aegean Sea. Twelve species exhibited decreasing population density with increasing depth, whereas the abundance of the remaining species peaked at intermediate depths. Most of the species were mainly distributed on the continental shelf and upper continental slope. The dry weight percentage of sand in the sediment was included as an important predictor in the best models of all species with a lifecycle closely related to the substrate (flatfish, skates, gurnards, mullets, anglers, scorpionfish) and in most benthopelagic species (seven of 12). The weight percentage of carbonates in the sediment was also included in the best models of most species (19 of 27). Seasonal patterns in the relative abundance of species were observed, related in most cases to the seasonal differentiation of temperature and salinity gradients. During the period of water stratification (summer and autumn) the influence of temperature or salinity on fish abundance was always greater than during the period of vertical mixing (winter). The present results are discussed in the light of fostering the current perception as to factors influencing the spatiotemporal distribution of fish, which is a prerequisite for the sustainable exploitation of commercial stocks.