The aim of this paper is to evaluate seed bank density and composition along a semi-arid gypsum gradient in Central Spain. Seed bank density was relatively high (16,214 seed/m) with a very clumped spatial distribution. Landform and microslope were the best predictors for seed density, indicating that density can be at least partly interpreted as a result of the physical processes regulating sec...

terfezia, picoa and tirmania, so called desert truffles, are mycorrhizal fungi mostly endemic to arid and semi-arid areas of the mediterranean region, where they are associated with helianthemum and carexspecies. the aim of this work was to study the identification, molecular analysis, distribution and hosts of these pezizalean hypogeous fungi in iran. among the specimens, terfezia claveryi, ti...

conclusions the results of the present study revealed that soil resources of these areas were contaminated with opportunistic amoebas such as acanthamoeba and hartmannella spp. and this may lead to severe diseases in high-risk people, such as immunocompromised patients. background free-living amoebas are very abundant in nature, especially in water and soil. some species of amoebas cause seriou...