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Fulltext Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi: a new nickel hyperaccumulator from Sabah (Borneo Island) with potential for tropical agromining

Bouman R, van Welzen P, Sumail S, Echevarria G, Erskine PD, van der Ent A

Bot Stud, 2018 Mar 27;59(1):9.
PMID: 29589161 DOI: 10.1186/s40529-018-0225-y

BACKGROUND: Nickel hyperaccumulator plants are of much interest for their evolution and unique ecophysiology, and also for potential applications in agromining-a novel technology that uses plants to extract valuable metals from soil. The majority of nickel hyperaccumulators are known from ultramafic soils in tropical regions (Cuba, New Caledonia and Southeast Asia), and one genus, Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae), is globally the most represented taxonomic entity. A number of tropical Phyllanthus-species have the potential to be used as 'metal crops' in agromining operations mainly because of their ease in cultivation and their ability to attain high nickel concentrations and biomass yields.
RESULTS: One of the most promising species globally for agromining, is the here newly described species Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi. This species can be classified in subgenus Gomphidium on account of its staminate nectar disc and pistillate entire style and represents the most western species of this diverse group. The flower structure indicates that this species is probably pollinated by Epicephala moths.
CONCLUSIONS: Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi is an extremely rare taxon in the wild, restricted to Lompoyou Hill near Kinabalu Park in Sabah, Malaysia. Its utilization in agromining will be a mechanism for conservation of the taxon, and highlights the importance of habitat and germplasm preservation if rare species are to be used in novel green technologies.
Fulltext Dispatch from the field: ecology of ground-web-building spiders with description of a new species (Araneae, Symphytognathidae)

Miller JA, Schilthuizen M, Burmester JL, van der Graaf L, Merckx V, Jocqué M, et al.

Biodivers Data J, 2014.
PMID: 24891829 DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.2.e1076

Crassignathadanaugirangensis sp. n. (Araneae: Symphytognathidae) was discovered during a tropical ecology field course held at the Danau Girang Field Centre in Sabah, Malaysia. A taxonomic description and accompanying ecological study were completed as course activities. To assess the ecology of this species, which belongs to the ground-web-building spider community, three habitat types were surveyed: riparian forest, recently inundated riverine forest, and oil palm plantation. Crassignathadanaugirangensis sp. n. is the most abundant ground-web-building spider species in riparian forest; it is rare or absent from the recently inundated forest and was not found in a nearby oil palm plantation. The availability of this taxonomic description may help facilitate the accumulation of data about this species and the role of inundated riverine forest in shaping invertebrate communities.

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