U.S. National Arboretum

Identifying factors that control community formation is crucial for understanding biodiversity patterns. Although numerous studies utilize either within- or among-community indicators to explain community formation processes, few have assessed the additional insights gained by integrating the two. Accordingly, we examined Picea jezoensis forests in South Korea and northeastern China using complementary within- and among-community approaches and discuss the implications of interpreting these metrics together: (1) we identified the abiotic (e.g., topography and climate) and biotic (e.g., stand structural diversity and community-weighted proportion values of dormancy and dispersal forms) controls of phylogenetic community structure (net relatedness index [NRI] and nearest taxon index [NTI]) across forest strata (whole strata, upperstory, and understory) using piecewise structural equation modeling (pSEM); and (2) we quantified among-community phylogenetic differentiation by decomposing phylogenetic beta diversity (PBD) into turnover and nestedness and testing their relationships with climatic distance, geographic distance, and pairwise elevational difference. (3) We explored how within-community phylogenetic structure (NRI/NTI) relates to among-community phylogenetic differentiation (PBD components). Our results showed that the primary drivers of phylogenetic structure varied by forest strata and metric. Specifically, elevation, mean annual temperature (MAT), and community-weighted proportion (CWP)-based dormancy forms were the dominant predictors for NRI in both the whole strata and understory. In contrast, NTI were primarily shaped by abiotic factors (elevation and MAT) in the upperstory, while biotic constraints—specifically dormancy forms—showed a greater contribution in the understory. Furthermore, among PBD components, turnover was the primary contributor and was strongly associated with climatic distance. This climatic influence remained dominant even after controlling for geographic distance. In contrast, nestedness was best explained by pairwise elevational differences. By bridging within- and among-community metrics, this study helps contextualize how local-level assembly signals may scale up into regional phylogenetic patterns, offering a more unified understanding of forest community formation across spatial scales.

Two new species of the genus Edwardsiana Zachvatkin, E. curvata sp. nov. E. directa sp. nov., and one newly recorded species, E. ishidai (Matsumura, 1932) are described from the Korean Peninsula, and we provide a key to the Korean species.

Berta Alves de Sousa (1906–1985) remains a forgotten figure in the history of Portuguese music, despite her pivotal role as a composer of vocal chamber repertoire in the mid-20th century. This article explores her life and contributions, focusing on her art songs, which draw on Portuguese literary traditions while incorporating influences such as Germanic and French musical styles. Her works, mostly composed during the 1930s and 1940s, reflect both personal creativity and an engagement with the nationalist cultural policies of the Estado Novo. The dispersal of her manuscripts across various collections hinders the study of her compositional chronology, but her artistic evolution—from late Romanticism to Impressionism and neo-modality—is evident. The 21-song cycle Promontório Sacro (1965–66) showcases the maturity of her style, characterised by lyrical melodies, an expressive vocal style, and complex harmonic textures. This article advocates for a renewed recognition of her critical contributions to Portuguese music.

Jumping worm species belonging to the genus Amynthas (Kinberg) threaten biodiversity and soil health significantly across temperate ecosystems. One inadvertent method of invasive jumping worm spread is through container-grown nursery stock. In nursery production, jumping worms modify substrate characteristics such as water holding capacity and nutrient availability by consuming and redepositing organic matter, resulting in negative effects to plant quality and appearance. There are currently no products listed for controlling jumping worms in the United States, leading to challenges in managing their spread. With increasing regulation on the transport of jumping worms by state agencies, plant producers may face unrealistic or labor-intensive management options. We hypothesized that control methods not yet listed for jumping worms in the United States have the potential to suppress jumping worm populations effectively in container-grown crops. Therefore, we studied chemical and biological controls touted as potential options for controlling jumping worms in nursery containers by measuring their effects on jumping worm mortality. In addition to an untreated control, we evaluated BotaniGard Ⓡ 22WP, T-Bird Ⓡ 4.5L (thiophanate-methyl fungicide), Root Cleaner Ⓡ (sodium lauryl sulfate and soybean oil), Cedarcide Ⓡ (cedarwood oil), Conserve Ⓡ SC (spinosad), Castaway Ⓡ 3-0-1 Tea Seed Meal Fertilizer, Slug Magic TM (iron phosphate), and Sevin Ⓡ (zeta-cypermethrin). The results of our work suggest differential efficacy among treatments and highlight viable options with the potential for application in horticultural production. Specifically, T-Bird Ⓡ 4.5L (thiophanate-methyl fungicide) and Sevin Ⓡ (zeta-cypermethrin) demonstrated at least 80% mortality in two trials, whereas all remaining products yielded no effect or less than 12% mortality. Identifying effective control methods benefits the scientific community and the horticultural industry by providing a foundation for future research activities centered on jumping worm management and by supporting the goal of limiting their spread through horticultural products.

Abstract Dollar spot disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Clarireedia jacksonii, is one of the most destructive and economically significant diseases affecting bentgrass species. Occurring throughout the growing season, its management often involves biweekly fungicide applications from May to October, with 54% of golf course managers relying on this intensive strategy. To reduce the overuse of fungicides, improving the selection of disease‐resistant germplasm is crucial. In this study, we employed digital image processing techniques to quantify the area under the disease progress curve for seasonal dollar spot outbreaks across 19 bentgrass cultivars. Based on their disease progression patterns, the cultivars were grouped into five distinct clusters, reflecting varying levels of susceptibility and tolerance. This method offers a rapid and accurate approach to assess genetic performance, providing valuable insights for breeding programs and sustainable disease management strategies.

The Juglandaceae species Pterocarya serrata C.K.Schneid. was first described in 1912, but its assumed holotype, a flowering E. H. Wilson collection in the Vienna herbarium, was destroyed during World War II. Schneider described P. serrata as ‘fruits unknown’ because he thought that a fruiting specimen, collected under the same number, was a mixed collection. Pre-1958, citation of a single collection does not automatically constitute a type, but we here accept the Vienna material as a lost holotype and select the HUH duplicate with the most precise location information as the lectotype, with isolectotypes in at least four other herbaria.

Oiketicoidesgohadoensis Roh & Lee, sp. nov. is described as new to science. The morphology of male adult, including genitalia, is described, and DNA barcodes for precise identification of the species are provided. A parasitoid, Neophryxepsychidis Townsend, 1916 (Diptera, Tachinidae) of O.gohadoensis is also reported for the first time in Korea, together with its DNA barcode sequence.

A 41-year-old East African man with a history of previously treated tuberculosis (TB) presented with hemoptysis, dyspnea, night sweats, and fatigue. He was treated for assumed silicotuberculosis (ST) and made a good recovery. The diagnosis of ST is challenging and requires thorough evaluation due to its overlapping clinical and radiological features with pulmonary TB and silicosis. Its diagnosis and treatment in resource-limited areas is especially complicated and nuanced. Understanding the effects of resource limitation on the diagnosis and treatment of ST can help the medical community address the medical care gap often present in these areas of the world since the region's limited access to advanced diagnostic tools and treatment options exacerbates the burden of the disease.