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Diversity, Volume 18, Issue 2

2026 February - 71 articles

Cover Story: Tracking population dynamics of endangered orchids is important to provide an empirical baseline to select conservation priorities. We monitored the size, reproduction rate, and insect visitors of the endangered C. aristulifera populations from 2021 to 2025. Across the five years, complete absence of a fruit set (0%) of C. aristulifera was found. It suggests reproductive failure as an ongoing threatening factor, regardless of the yearly variations in population size and flowering rate. We found no visitation of the previously known pollinators and occasional pollinia removal by other insect species near C. aristulifera populations, which corresponded to the complete reproductive failure. Overall findings highlight the necessity of adopting management practices to attract effective pollinators to C. aristulifera populations. View this paper
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Articles (71)

  • Article
  • Open Access
125 Views
26 Pages

Environmental Controls on Benthic Ostracod Assemblages in a Mangrove-Fringed Lagoon: Insights from Sharm El-Luli, Red Sea Coast, Egypt

  • Ramadan M. El-Kahawy,
  • Petra Heinz,
  • Ammar Mannaa,
  • Mostafa M. Sayed,
  • Rabea A. Haredy and
  • Dina M. Sayed

21 February 2026

Sharm El-Luli, located along the southern Red Sea coast of Egypt, is a semi-enclosed, shallow, mangrove-fringed lagoon characterized by limited hydrodynamic exchange, high salinity, and low terrigenous input. This study investigates the influence of...

  • Article
  • Open Access
124 Views
18 Pages

20 February 2026

Freshwater ecosystems in arid and semi-arid zones of the East European Plain are characterized by severe habitat degradation, which negatively impacts their biodiversity. This study attempts to comprehensively examine the species richness of molluscs...

  • Article
  • Open Access
143 Views
15 Pages

Plant Endemism and Biodiversity Conservation in the Alashan–Ordos Dryland of Inner Mongolia

  • Yue Cao,
  • Yu Mo,
  • Chengzhen Jia,
  • Bailing Miao,
  • Keyi Shi,
  • Yuhan Li,
  • Yixuan Wang,
  • Kun Zhang,
  • Zhiyong Li and
  • Cunzhu Liang
  • + 1 author

20 February 2026

The East Alashan–Ordos Dryland of Inner Mongolia, China is the core area of the South Mongolian region, and one of the eight biodiversity centers in China. The plant biodiversity in the East Alashan–Ordos Dryland is diverse and unique, bu...

  • Article
  • Open Access
295 Views
21 Pages

From Hulls to Caves: Insights into the Introduction and Expansion of Non-Indigenous Marine Bivalves of the Genera Isognomon and Malleus in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

  • Eirini Gratsia,
  • Argyro Zenetos,
  • Markos Digenis,
  • Vasilis Gerovasileiou,
  • Panagiotis Kasapidis and
  • Ioannis Karakassis

19 February 2026

Although the Eastern Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot for marine bioinvasions, the accurate identification and monitoring of non-indigenous species (NIS) remain impeded by the ambiguous morphologies of species and limited regional genetic data. This st...

  • Review
  • Open Access
171 Views
19 Pages

Toward Anthophila Conservation in Algeria: Recent Knowledge, Threats, and Perspectives

  • Ahmed Sabri Ayad,
  • Samia Benchaabane,
  • Wahida Loucif-Ayad and
  • Guy Smagghe

19 February 2026

This study provides an updated overview of Anthophila (wild bees and honey bees) diversity and conservation status in Algeria, explicitly distinguishing between the managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) and native wild Anthophila species. Using a system...

  • Article
  • Open Access
181 Views
20 Pages

Cultivable Foliar Endophytic Fungal Community in Endemic Mexican Quercus Species Across a Forest–Avocado Orchard Landscape

  • María Isabel Méndez-Solórzano,
  • Ken Oyama,
  • Pablo Cuevas-Reyes,
  • Yurixhi Maldonado-López and
  • Gerardo Vázquez-Marrufo

17 February 2026

Temperate oak forests are biodiversity-rich ecosystems, and Mexico is a major center of diversification for Quercus, with high levels of endemism. In Michoacán (central Mexico), the rapid expansion of avocado cultivation has reduced oak forest...

  • Article
  • Open Access
281 Views
14 Pages

14 February 2026

Cherry laurel is becoming increasingly popular due to its unique flavor, attractive appearance, and nutritional benefits. However, the morphological, pomological, and biochemical characteristics of the existing population in the Kaynaşlı di...

  • Article
  • Open Access
192 Views
14 Pages

14 February 2026

Accurate identification of population structure is crucial for the sustainable management of cephalopod fisheries. This study integrated genetic and morphological approaches to investigate the population structure of Todarodes pacificus in the northw...

  • Article
  • Open Access
286 Views
16 Pages

14 February 2026

The scorpion genus Hemiscorpius Peters, 1861 is renowned for its medically important species, particularly Hemiscorpius lepturus Peters, 1861, the type species of the genus and only species previously recorded in Iraq. However, the scorpion diversity...

  • Interesting Images
  • Open Access
136 Views
9 Pages

13 February 2026

The estuaries in the northern Yellow Sea of China’s high-latitude regions have provided favorable conditions for the natural spread of Spartina anglica (S. anglica) with global warming. However, it is difficult to grasp the occurrence and devel...

  • Article
  • Open Access
245 Views
16 Pages

13 February 2026

Temperate seagrass meadows are foundation habitats, but their communities are hard to census. Here, I provide a first COI environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding snapshot from seawater at a Zostera marina meadow in the Vostok Bay marine reserve (Peter...

  • Article
  • Open Access
253 Views
11 Pages

13 February 2026

The genus Eryniopsis (Division Zoopagomycota, Order Entomophthorales, Family Entomophoraceae) includes four obligate insect pathogenic species with similarities in morphology and biology but also distinct differences. A new fungal genus Rolandia Gryg...

  • Article
  • Open Access
506 Views
30 Pages

12 February 2026

Bunodosoma cavernatum (Bosc, 1802) is a morphologically variable actinian species widely distributed in the Western Atlantic, yet poorly documented in Colombia. This study provides the first confirmed record of B. cavernatum in Cartagena Bay (Colombi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
302 Views
17 Pages

Thermal Anomalies Trigger Widespread Coral Bleaching in Djibouti in 2023: A Scientific Assessment from the Gulf of Aden (Indian Ocean)

  • Djama Goumaneh Awaleh,
  • Tahir Atıcı,
  • Abdillahi Houssein Abdallah,
  • Bülent Gözcelioğlu,
  • Moustapha Nour,
  • Ibrahim Souleiman Abdallah,
  • Osman Abdillahi Guedi and
  • Osama S. Saad

11 February 2026

Coral reefs in Djibouti, located at the biogeographic junction of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, remain among the least studied in the region despite increasing climate-driven pressures. This study provides the first scientific documentation of a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
398 Views
16 Pages

Habitat Use by Fish in Mangroves of the Southern Arabian Gulf

  • Amna Almansoori,
  • Philip McGowan and
  • Clare Fitzsimmons

11 February 2026

Mangroves form an integral habitat component for species of the southern Arabian Gulf, yet their role in supporting fish remains limited. This study investigated habitat use by fish in mangroves to determine the diversity, abundance, size, and whethe...

  • Review
  • Open Access
325 Views
24 Pages

The Evolving Role of Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning in Enhancing Blue Carbon Ecosystems Governance: A Bibliometric Analysis

  • Yanhong Lin,
  • Jiaju Lin,
  • Faming Huang,
  • Yancheng Tao,
  • Jianhua Liao,
  • Kebing Wang,
  • Guanglong Qiu and
  • Wenai Liu

11 February 2026

Blue carbon ecosystems are critical biodiversity hotspots facing escalating threats. Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) is a key policy tool for protecting their biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services, resilience, climate action, and s...

  • Article
  • Open Access
195 Views
18 Pages

10 February 2026

Diatoms are key primary producers and sensitive indicators in polar freshwater ecosystems, responding to environmental change. This study investigates diatom species richness and the influence of environmental variables in fourteen coastal lakes on K...

  • Article
  • Open Access
243 Views
18 Pages

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Fish Early-Life Stages and Their Ecological Drivers in Xiangshan Bay, China

  • Mengya Zhang,
  • Tiejun Li,
  • Zhouting He,
  • Yingjun Jiang,
  • Dong Wang and
  • Yuanming Guo

10 February 2026

To investigate the dynamic characteristics of early fish life stages and their association with environmental factors in Xiangshan Bay, China, two surveys were conducted in the springs of 2023 and 2024 to collect fish eggs and larvae. A total of 21,2...

  • Article
  • Open Access
227 Views
19 Pages

The Diversity of Chemicals of the Defensive Secretions of Five Pterostichine Ground Beetle Species (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and the Morphology of Their Pygidial Glands

  • Sofija Vranić,
  • Ljubodrag Vujisić,
  • Nikola Vesović,
  • Marina Todosijević,
  • Danica Pavlović and
  • Srećko Ćurčić

10 February 2026

The defensive substances of ground beetles are synthesised and stored in a pair of defensive glands, commonly referred to as abdominal or pygidial glands. The chemical composition of the pygidial gland secretions and the morphology of the glands were...

  • Review
  • Open Access
249 Views
32 Pages

9 February 2026

Rhizobia are a polyphyletic group of Proteobacteria comprising approximately 700 different species. Despite significant advancements in their taxonomy, evolutionary history, and ecological importance, substantial knowledge gaps remain regarding a det...

  • Article
  • Open Access
222 Views
20 Pages

9 February 2026

Eukaryotic algae are key contributors to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in aquatic environments. However, understanding their global diversity patterns and community assembly mechanisms remains limited by the lack of high-resolution, highly s...

  • Article
  • Open Access
262 Views
17 Pages

9 February 2026

The lasca Protochondrostoma genei is an endemic freshwater fish of high conservation concern, listed in Annex II of the Habitat Directive and classified as Endangered in Italy. This study investigates the ecology, population structure, and habitat us...

  • Article
  • Open Access
221 Views
17 Pages

Mapping the Research Landscape of Environmental DNA in China: Evidence from the CNKI Database

  • Peng Hou,
  • Xin Ma,
  • Li Liu,
  • Ying Men,
  • Ding Yang and
  • Chuntian Zhang

8 February 2026

Environmental DNA (eDNA) serves as the material foundation for biodiversity research. As a revolutionary biomonitoring tool, eDNA technology offers significant advantages such as being non-invasive, efficient, and cost-effective. Understanding the eD...

  • Article
  • Open Access
233 Views
13 Pages

Optimal Community Composition of Pinus yunnanensis in Different Vegetation Types

  • Jiamin Wan,
  • Wenna Li,
  • Mingmiao Chen,
  • Peiyao Liu and
  • Caicai Zhang

8 February 2026

Pinus yunnanensis, an endemic tree species in southwest China, is regarded as a suitable candidate for afforestation. However, long-term disturbances have led to forest degradation and structural simplification. This study evaluated taxonomic and phy...

  • Article
  • Open Access
213 Views
20 Pages

7 February 2026

Although the central focus of ecology has long been the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, this relationship has rarely been explored in species-poor communities such as salt marshes, which have the potential to shed new lig...

  • Article
  • Open Access
168 Views
13 Pages

7 February 2026

The obligate symbiosis between aphids and their primary bacterial symbionts (Buchnera) is ecologically and evolutionarily significant, yet the genetic patterns underlying these associations require further clarification. This study investigated the c...

  • Article
  • Open Access
244 Views
21 Pages

Impacts of Haloxylon ammodendron Plantation Establishment on Arachnid and Soil Mesofauna Communities in a Desert–Oasis Ecotone

  • Ziting Wang,
  • Xiuzhen Zhao,
  • Yongzhen Wang,
  • Quanlin Ma,
  • Yongzhong Luo,
  • Xin Luo,
  • Xiaogan Zhou,
  • Fang Li and
  • Jiliang Liu

6 February 2026

Haloxylon ammodendron plantations constitute a dominant vegetation component of the desert–oasis ecotone in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwest China, playing a critical role in maintaining oasis stability and ecological security. Howev...

  • Article
  • Open Access
215 Views
15 Pages

6 February 2026

Habitat loss and fragmentation threaten forest-dependent ungulates in subtropical mountain systems, yet integrative assessments linking habitat quality and landscape configuration remain limited. Here, we evaluated habitat suitability and identified...

  • Article
  • Open Access
181 Views
14 Pages

6 February 2026

Wetlands play essential roles in sustaining biodiversity, maintaining hydrological stability, and regulating the climate. Subalpine wetlands are particularly rare in Northeast China, yet their floristic composition and diversity patterns remain poorl...

  • Article
  • Open Access
207 Views
15 Pages

6 February 2026

Tallgrass prairie ecosystems in North America sustain globally important plant and animal biodiversity while providing ecosystem services, including biomass production, forage for livestock, and carbon sequestration. Land use change has left less tha...

  • Article
  • Open Access
400 Views
22 Pages

Diversity and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Spice Plants and Pickled Vegetables in Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi, China

  • Wei Shen,
  • Bin Huang,
  • Yuefeng Zhang,
  • Xiangtao Cen,
  • Lingling Lv,
  • Piyaporn Saensouk,
  • Phiphat Sonthongphithak,
  • Surapon Saensouk and
  • Tammanoon Jitpromma

5 February 2026

Spices and pickled vegetables play a central role in everyday cuisine in China, contributing to flavor, food preservation, and dietary continuity, yet their ethnobotanical diversity and use patterns remain insufficiently documented in urbanizing regi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
429 Views
53 Pages

5 February 2026

Birds of the Anthropocene have to adapt to changing and often very unfavourable conditions, among them habitat fragmentation or outright habitat loss. Many organisations worldwide are deeply committed to stemming the tide of extinctions of native spe...

  • Article
  • Open Access
254 Views
14 Pages

Multi-Dimensional Characterization of Seasonal Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in Urban Water Bodies of Beijing

  • Dongxia Wang,
  • Bo Liu,
  • Yaqi Wang,
  • Jie Yang,
  • Tingting Du,
  • Kena Shi,
  • Shuai Yang,
  • Shaokai Xiong,
  • Lei Guo and
  • Yuxin Hu
  • + 3 authors

5 February 2026

Phytoplankton play a central role in aquatic ecosystems as primary producers and serve as key bioindicators of water quality. This study systematically examined the seasonal dynamics (spring, summer, autumn) of phytoplankton communities in Beijing&rs...

  • Article
  • Open Access
403 Views
30 Pages

Diversity of Upstream-Migrating Fish Passing Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant in Northern Laos

  • Wayne Robinson,
  • Rohit Pothula,
  • Rattee Tanatitivarapong,
  • Thanasak Poomchaivej,
  • Suthathip Khongthon,
  • Lee J. Baumgartner,
  • Michael Raeder and
  • Nattavit Thanakunvoraset

5 February 2026

The Mekong River is one of the most fish-species-rich rivers on Earth, yet most of our knowledge on fish diversity and migrations comes from fishery catch data, and fishery-independent, standard effort surveys are needed. Specifically, migratory fish...

  • Article
  • Open Access
313 Views
20 Pages

Molecular Resources for the Stored Grain Cryptolestes Cryptic Pest Species (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae)

  • Wee Tek Tay,
  • Melissa Piper,
  • Stephen Beckett,
  • Daniele Kunz and
  • Paul De Barro

4 February 2026

Recent evolutionary genetics and molecular characterisation of Cryptolestes (Ganglbauer) stored grain pest beetle species revealed gaps in public DNA databases that resulted in molecular diagnostic inconsistencies in publicly available sequence datab...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
424 Views
12 Pages

Rhopilema nomadica in the Mediterranean: Molecular Evidence for Migration and Insights into Its Proliferation

  • Zafrir Kuplik,
  • Hila Dror,
  • Karin Tamar,
  • Alan Sutton,
  • James Lusana,
  • Blandina Lugendo and
  • Dror L. Angel

3 February 2026

Since it was first observed in Israel in the 1970s, and due to its subsequent negative impact on human activities, the nomad jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica has earned itself a spot on the list of the 100 Worst Invasive Alien Species in the Mediterranea...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
1,076 Views
30 Pages

3 February 2026

Studying bird, insect, and other wildlife interactions with photovoltaic (PV) solar energy facilities is difficult due to limited multi-season, multi-site data. Researchers can address such data gaps by combining passive monitoring and artificial int...

  • Article
  • Open Access
440 Views
31 Pages

Diversity, Ethnobotanical Knowledge, and Cultural Food Significance of Edible Plants Traded in an Urban Market in Baise City, China

  • Yuefeng Zhang,
  • Bin Huang,
  • Wei Shen,
  • Lingling Lv,
  • Xiangtao Cen,
  • Piyaporn Saensouk,
  • Thawatphong Boonma,
  • Surapon Saensouk and
  • Tammanoon Jitpromma

3 February 2026

Urban markets are key nodes for the persistence and adaptation of traditional edible plant knowledge, linking rural production with urban consumption. This study was based on monthly market surveys conducted throughout 2025 in an urban market in Bais...

  • Article
  • Open Access
736 Views
31 Pages

First Known Cranium of Cuvieronius (Proboscidea: Gomphotheriidae) from North America

  • Peter Houde,
  • Spencer G. Lucas,
  • Matthew Heizler,
  • Julia Ricci,
  • William J. Boecklen and
  • Brian Hampton

3 February 2026

We describe the first known complete cranium of an adult Cuvieronius from North America, dated to approximately 1.2 Ma, Early Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age. It differs in some details from better-known later Andean populations of Cuvier...

  • Article
  • Open Access
219 Views
16 Pages

2 February 2026

Most research on tocochromanols suggests that tocotrienols (T3) are rarely found in nature, especially in dicotyledonous species. The present study investigates species from the Ilex (holly) genus, the sole surviving genus in the Aquifoliaceae family...

  • Brief Report
  • Open Access
1 Citations
223 Views
10 Pages

Extreme Reproductive Constraints Under Pollinator Scarcity in the Endangered Orchid Calanthe aristulifera: Five-Year Preliminary Monitoring in South Korea

  • Seongjun Kim,
  • Chang Woo Lee,
  • Jung Eun Hwang,
  • Hwan-Joon Park,
  • Hyeong Bin Park,
  • Young-Joong Kim and
  • Yubin Lee

2 February 2026

Calanthe aristulifera is an endangered terrestrial orchid that has historically suffered from severe illegal poaching. However, little is understood regarding population dynamics for remaining C. aristulifera populations. This study presented the fir...

  • Article
  • Open Access
417 Views
17 Pages

The Complete Mitogenome of Two Trachinotus Species and a Phylogenetic Analysis of the Pompano Subfamily Trachinotinae

  • Oscar David Albito Balcázar,
  • Luan Rabelo,
  • Emile Jeane Silva Menezes,
  • Tibério Cesar Tortola Burlamaqui,
  • Alexandre Aleixo,
  • José Augusto Pires Bitencourt,
  • Grazielle Gomes,
  • Nils Edvin Asp Neto,
  • Iracilda Sampaio and
  • Marcelo Vallinoto

31 January 2026

The marine fish genus Trachinotus (Carangidae: Trachinotinae) comprises species of considerable economic and ecological importance; however, a significant gap in genomic data has limited the understanding of its evolutionary history and systematics....

  • Article
  • Open Access
338 Views
37 Pages

31 January 2026

We used whole-genome sequencing to assemble the first complete mitogenome from a Mesentotoma Salmon, 1942 species. Mesentotoma was included in phylogenetic analyses along with 21 mitogenomes of other Entomobryinae. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inf...

  • Article
  • Open Access
282 Views
16 Pages

Enduring Gene Flow, Despite an Extremely Low Effective Population Size, Supports Hope for the Recovery of the Globally Endangered Lear’s Macaw

  • Erica C. Pacífico,
  • Gregorio Sánchez-Montes,
  • Fernanda R. Paschotto,
  • Thiago Filadelfo,
  • Fernando Hiraldo,
  • José A. Godoy,
  • Cristina Y. Miyaki and
  • José L. Tella

31 January 2026

When analyzing the long-term viability of small, declining populations, it is essential to recognize that inbreeding and the erosion of genetic diversity are primarily driven by the effective population size, which is often a fraction of the total ce...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
493 Views
12 Pages

Mass Bird Deaths Following New Year’s Eve Fireworks

  • Rusko Petrov,
  • Svetoslav Asenov and
  • Adriana Dzhamalova

30 January 2026

Fireworks are an important element of celebrations globally, and while there are multiple reports of their negative impact on both domestic and wild animals, there is limited data directly linking them to casualties. In this article, we present a cas...

  • Article
  • Open Access
282 Views
12 Pages

Molecular Identification Reveals Hidden Distribution Patterns in Cognettia (Enchytraeidae)

  • Dmitriy A. Medvedev,
  • Elena Yu. Zvychaynaya,
  • Polina A. Guseva,
  • Margarita A. Danilova,
  • Andrey S. Zaitsev,
  • Daniil I. Korobushkin,
  • Ruslan A. Saifutdinov,
  • Konstantin B. Gongalsky and
  • Maxim I. Degtyarev

30 January 2026

The study of Palaearctic enchytraeid taxonomic richness revealed the limitations of applying morphological identification methods to certain species of the genus Cognettia. The use of molecular approaches enabled the identification of individuals bel...

  • Article
  • Open Access
335 Views
24 Pages

Tychonema litorale sp. nov. (Microcoleaceae, Oscillatoriales): A New Species of Cyanobacteria Associated with Ecological Crisis in Lake Baikal Coastal Zone

  • Ekaterina Sorokovikova,
  • Irina Tikhonova,
  • Peter Evseev,
  • Igor Khanaev,
  • Andrey Krasnopeev,
  • Darya Gutnik,
  • Galina Fedorova,
  • Sergey Potapov,
  • Anna Gladkikh and
  • Olga Belykh
  • + 2 authors

30 January 2026

Cyanobacteria of the genus Tychonema are common inhabitants of freshwater bodies in a temperate zones. In Lake Baikal, Tychonema sp. was first reported in 2014. It grows excessively on the bottom on almost all substrates types, forming epiphytic and...

  • Article
  • Open Access
573 Views
17 Pages

30 January 2026

“Placoderm” and sarcopterygian fishes dominated Devonian waters. Following the end-Devonian crisis, actinopterygians rapidly became major contributors to vertebrate diversity. This transition constitutes the first major diversification ev...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,422 Views
33 Pages

New Species of Vegavis (Neornithes) from Antarctica Highlights Unexpected Cretaceous Antarctic Diversity

  • Facundo Irazoqui,
  • Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche,
  • Ariana Paulina-Carabajal,
  • Paula Bona and
  • Nahuel Vega

30 January 2026

A fossil bird (MLP-PV 15-I-7-52) from Marambio (Seymour) Island, Antarctica, is described, representing the best-preserved skull reported for a Cretaceous neornithine and associated postcranial elements. Morphological analysis of the articular portio...

  • Article
  • Open Access
180 Views
20 Pages

Diversity Patterns of Decapod Crustaceans in Small Coastal Rivers of the Atlantic Forest in Southern Bahia, Brazil, During the El Niño Drought of 2015

  • Fabrício Lopes Carvalho,
  • Thaís Arrais Mota,
  • Jadine da Silva Nascimento,
  • Shayanna Oliveira and
  • Rodrigo Espinosa

30 January 2026

This study investigated the structure of the decapod crustacean community in first- and second-order coastal rivers of the Atlantic Forest in southern Bahia, focusing on taxonomic composition, abundance, richness, and distribution of species. The mai...

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Diversity - ISSN 1424-2818