Understanding past and present relationships of traditional cultures with biodiversity through biocultural research can help inform inclusive conservation policy and planning in a country seeking to undo past injustices such as South Africa. This review of 326 articles published between 1990 and 2019 maps the methodology employed in biocultural research, the focus of this research niche, ethical conduct and research recommendations to understand the state of biocultural research and make recommendations for biocultural research that is representative of South Africa's diverse cultural landscape. This systematic review of original research articles indexed on the Scopus database found South African biocultural research to exclude Swati and Ndebele cultures while having an unevenly strong focus on plants, human health sciences, rural areas, and three of the country's nine provinces. Some of this unevenness is likely because of utility of plants in human health and association of traditional practices with rural areas. Using a systematic review approach for this study not only ensured replicability but it also introduced a limitation of the results only being applicable to peer-reviewed articles indexed on the Scopus database. CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS: Biocultural research's strong focus on utilitarian use could encourage conservation policy that favours utilitarian use of wildlife. An even focus in biocultural research is recommended to avoid the knowledge pool for conservation policy being mostly focussed on utilitarian value

Resumo Trachemys dorbigni é a espécie de tartaruga de água doce mais abundante do Rio Grande do Sul, no Sul do Brasil. Sabe-se que os quelônios são hospedeiros de uma grande variedade de patógenos, incluindo vírus, bactérias, hemoparasitos e helmintos. Dentre estes, oito gêneros de Polystomatidae (Platyhelminthes: Monogenoidea) infectam tartarugas de água doce: Apaloneotrema, Aussietrema, Fornixtrema, Manotrema, Pleurodirotrema, Polystomoidella, Polystomoides, Uropolystomoides e Uteropolystomoides. No entanto, pouco ainda se sabe sobre a biologia destes parasitos na Região Neotropical. Durante uma citoscopia investigativa, foram observados espécimes de Polystomatidae localizados no interior da bexiga urinária de T. dorbigni. Os espécimes coletados foram fixados e corados para identificação taxonômica. No presente artigo, uma nova espécie de Polystomoides (Monogenoidea: Polystomatidae) parasitando a bexiga urinária de tartaruga de água doce da espécie T. dorbigni no Brasil é descrita. Polystomoides santamariensis n. sp. difere das demais espécies no tamanho dos espinhos genitais, que são maiores. Devido a enorme diversidade de tartarugas de água doce ao redor do mundo, é provável que um grande número de polistomatídeos de quelônios ainda seja desconhecido. Sabese Sabe patógenos vírus bactérias helmintos estes Platyhelminthes (Platyhelminthes Monogenoidea Apaloneotrema Aussietrema Fornixtrema Manotrema Pleurodirotrema Polystomoidella Uteropolystomoides entanto Neotropical investigativa T taxonômica artigo (Monogenoidea descrita n sp genitais maiores mundo desconhecido

Abstract Trachemys dorbigni is the most abundant freshwater turtle species in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Chelonians are known to host a wide variety of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, hemoparasites and helminths. Among these, nine genera of polystomatid flatworms (Monogenoidea; Polystomatidae) infect freshwater turtles: Apaloneotrema, Aussietrema, Fornixtrema, Manotrema, Pleurodirotrema, Polystomoidella, Polystomoides, Uropolystomoides and Uteropolystomoides. However, little is known about the biology of these parasites in the Neotropical Realm. Through investigative cystoscopy, specimens of Polystomatidae were located inside the urinary bladder of the host T. dorbigni. Retrieved specimens were fixed and stained whole mounts prepared for taxonomic identification. In the present paper, a new species of Polystomoides (Monogenoidea: Polystomatidae) parasitizing the urinary bladder of a freshwater turtle of the species T. dorbigni in Brazil is described. Polystomoides santamariensis n. sp. differs from the congeneric species on the length of the genital spines, which are longer. Given the enormous diversity of freshwater turtles around the world, it is likely that a large number of chelonian polystomatids are still unknown. Sul pathogens viruses bacteria helminths Monogenoidea (Monogenoidea Apaloneotrema Aussietrema Fornixtrema Manotrema Pleurodirotrema Polystomoidella Uteropolystomoides However Realm cystoscopy T identification paper described n sp spines longer world unknown

Transgenic Bt maize plants are genetically modified to contain genes of Bacillus thuringiensis that encode for δ-endotoxins (Cry1Ab protein) that have insecticidal properties. These endotoxins target certain lepidopteran pests of maize. There are several entry routes by which Cry proteins enter the aquatic ecosystem in which aquatic organisms are exposed to these proteins. The main route is through plant debris such as leaves, stalks and postharvest detritus that are transported by means of run-off, rain and wind. While several studies have been conducted on the fate of Cry1Ab protein in terrestrial ecosystems, little is known of the release rates of Cry1Ab proteins from maize plant tissues that end up in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, leaves of Bt-maize and its isoline were submerged in containers filled with deionised or borehole water for a period of 16 days, and kept at 3 different temperatures (10±1, 21±1 and 30±1°C). Samples were collected at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 96, 192 and 384 h post submersion and analysed for Cry protein content using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The release of Cry protein from submerged maize leaves was influenced by temperature, and duration of immersion. An increase in Cry protein levels in the water was observed from the first hour onwards in both water types until the end of the experiment. The highest concentration of Cry protein was found at 30°C. This study showed that temperature and time period influence the release rate of Cry proteins from dried leaf matter into the aquatic environment.

BACKGROUND: Conservation relies on the strategic use of resources because monies for conservation action are limited, especially in developing countries. South Africa's Frog Atlas project established a baseline for the country's amphibian data and threat levels in 2004, and in 2009 a prioritisation exercise developed a strategy for conservation research OBJECTIVES: In this article, we assess this strategy for conservation research METHOD: We conducted a quantitative and qualitative assessment of research undertaken since the strategy was developed RESULTS: The strategy has produced a lasting impact on taxonomy, ecological studies, monitoring and capacity building. Publications in all areas have increased, but particularly in conservation ecology. Other indicators are increases in the numbers of locality records for target taxa, species descriptions and postgraduate degrees with amphibians as the principal topic. We document important milestones for South African amphibian conservation, including the first Biodiversity Management Plan for Species (BMP-S) for Hyperolius pickersgilli, a smart device app that uploads locality data to an open access database, 15 years of monitoring data and new amphibian identification books for adults and children. The Red List Index calculated for South African amphibians shows that the country's species are becoming more threatened (a 1% reduction in 10 years), but a hindcasting exercise suggests that most of the damage was already done by 1990. We provide a checklist for 131 amphibian species in South Africa, of which 82 species are endemic CONCLUSION: A strategy for conservation research was found to greatly augment the focus of research on South African frogs. A new strategy should focus on fewer taxa over meaningful time spans

Trade in live, freshwater crayfish for ornamental markets, as well as for aquaculture, has grown rapidly and has become the major pathway for the introduction of non-indigenous crayfish species to several countries worldwide. Here we report on the first record of the Australian 'redclaw' Cherax quadracarinatus in the natural waters of a game reserve in South Africa. To compound the situation, these redclaw crayfish were infected with a non-indigenous temnocephalan flatworm parasite. Both crayfish and temnocephalan were in full breeding condition, with young. Further spreading of this crayfish to the subtropical, water-rich, northern KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa and southern Mozambique is predicted. Not only might the crayfish compete with indigenous aquatic invertebrates but the non-host-specific temnocephalan might transfer to local decapods, such as freshwater crabs.