AimIn the face of global environmental change, identifying the factors that shape the ecological niches of species and understanding the mechanisms behind them can help to draft effective conservation plans. The differences in the ecological factors that shape species distributions may then help to highlight differences between closely related taxa. We investigate the applicability of ecological niche modelling and the comparison of species distributions in ecological niche space to detect areas with priority for biodiversity conservation and to analyse differences in the ecological niche spaces used by closely related taxa.Location United States of America, Mexico and Central America.Methods We apply ordination and ecological niche modelling techniques to assess the main environmental drivers of the distribution of Mexican white pines (Pinus: Pinaceae). Furthermore, we assess the similarities and differences of the ecological niches occupied by closely related taxa. We analyse whether Mexican white pines occupy similar or equivalent ecological niches.Results All the studied taxa presented different responses to the environmental factors, resulting in a unique combination of niche conditions. Our stacked habitat suitability maps highlighted regions in southern Mexico and northern Central America as highly suitable for most species and thus with high conservation value. By quantitatively assessing the niche overlap, similarity and equivalency of Mexican white pines, our results prove that the distribution of one species cannot be implied by the distribution of another, even if these taxa are considered closely related.Main conclusions The fact that each Mexican white pine is constrained by a unique set of environmental conditions, and thus, their non-equivalence of ecological niches has direct implications for conservation as this highlights the inadequacy of one-fits all type of conservation measure.

Aim: Biodiversity is rapidly disappearing at local and global scales also affecting the functional diversity of ecosystems. We aimed to assess whether functional diversity was correlated with species diversity and whether both were affected by similar land use and vegetation structure drivers.Better understanding of these relationships will allow us to improve our predictions regarding the effects of future changes in land use on ecosystem functions and services.Location: The Netherlands. Methods:We compiled a dataset of c. 3 million observations of 66 out of 106 known Dutch butterfly species collected across 6,075 sampling locations during a period of 7 years, together with very high-resolution maps of land use and countrywide vegetation structure data. Using a mixedeffects modelling framework, we investigated the relationship between functional and species diversity and their main land use and vegetation structure drivers.Results: We found that high species diversity does not translate into high functional diversity, as shown by their different spatial distribution patterns in the landscape. Functional and species diversity are mainly driven by different sets of structural and land use parameters (especially average vegetation height, amount of vegetation between 0.5 and 2 m, natural grassland, sandy soils vegetation, marsh vegetation and urban areas). We showed that it is a combination of both vegetation structural characteristics and land use variables that defines functional and species diversity.Main conclusions: Functional diversity and species diversity of butterflies are not consistently correlated and must therefore be treated separately. High functional diversity levels occurred even

Twenty-five individuals were studied from four unrelated Mexican Mestizo families with Hb D-Los Angeles. We observed five compound heterozygotes: four for Hb S and Hb D, and one for Hb D and beta-thalassemia (beta(0) 39 nonsense mutation); 16 heterozygotes: four for Hb S, seven for Hb D, and five for beta-thalassemia, while the remaining four were normal. The four Hb S/Hb D patients had severe hemolytic anemia, while in the Hb D/beta-thalassemia patient, the anemia was similar to that of a beta-thalassemia heterozygote; therefore, Hb D is clinically harmful when it is associated with Hb S. The beta(S) chromosomes were associated with the Benin haplotype in two families and Bantu in one family, while the beta(D) and beta(0) 39 mutations were associated with haplotype 1 [+ - - - - + +]. The Bantu and Benin haplotypes have been found with high frequency in Hb S individuals from the East Coast and Northwestern Mexico. The beta(D) chromosomes from Italy were also shown to be associated with haplotype 1, the most frequently observed haplotype in the world; there are no haplotype studies on beta(D) chromosomes from India or China where Hb D-Los Angeles is most common. Thus, the true origin of this mutation observed in these Mestizo families remains to be elucidated.

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Based on cpDNA data, we provide the phylogenetic position for 18 species of Neotropical grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae) that were not previously included in a molecular phylogeny. These species were resolved in Alansmia, Ceradenia, Enterosora, Grammitis, Lellingeria, Lomaphlebia, Melpomene, Moranopteris, Stenogrammitis, and Terpsichore. Our results indicate that Enterosora is polyphyletic and in need of generic recircumscription. We maintain the identity of Enterosora, based on the position of E. campbellii subsp. spongiosa, a variety of the type species. This finding allowed us to conclude that the E. parietina clade should be excluded from Enterosora. To accommodate this clade we describe a new genus, Parrisia. It is related to Adenophorus and a clade that includes Cochlidium, Grammitis s.s., and Lomaphlebia. We further found that Zygophlebia is paraphyletic with respect to Enterosora, represented by two separate clades, Zygophlebia s. s. that includes Z. cornuta, the type species, Z. sectifrons and Z. matthewsii, and a second clade that includes another seven species of Zygophlebia as well as E. barbatula. As a separate clade, this Zygophlebia species could be maintained. However, we prefer to sink both Zygophlebia clades into Enterosora. We propose ten novel combinations for Enterosora, by moving Zygophlebia with a confirmed phylogenetic position to Enterosora. It is possible that the remaining Zygophlebia species should also be treated as Enterosora, but further research is necessary.