Data from: Drivers of power line use by white storks: a case study of birds nesting on anthropogenic structures

1. Anthropogenic structures are mainly known to have negative impacts on wildlife populations but sometimes arethey can be beneficial. Power lines are a main driver of bird mortality through collision or electrocution, but electricity pylons are also commonly used for nest building by some species. Birds and nests cause power outages that need to be tackled by electricity companies. However, the use of pylons by threatened species provides an opportunity for conservation purposes. 2. In this study, we described an empirical modelling approach to predict the circumstances under which circumstances nesting birds use electricity pylons are used by nesting birds. We focused on white storks Ciconia ciconia, a species that has been increasingly using electricity pylons for nesting across Europe. 3. In a country-level census in Portugal, we found a total of 1348 white stork nests in 668 of the 8680 very high-tension power line pylons occurring in the distribution range of this colonial species, with spatial clustering in pylon occupation up to a distance of 30 km. The number of nests in each used pylon ranged from 1 to 21 (mean±SD= 2.2±2.06). 4. The main drivers of pylon use by nesting storks were distance to major feeding areas (rice fields, landfills and large wetlands), with more intensive use closer to these features, followed by land cover type surrounding each pylon. Pylon type and age, and stork population density in the region, had comparatively less importance. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our approach can be used to plan both for species conservation and minimising damage to infrastructures. For power lines, we outline: (i) planning power line routes to take account of the probability of pylon use; (ii) applying nesting deterrent devices (to reduce bird mortality and power outage risk) and providing nesting platforms (to promote bird use) on suitable pylons; and (iii) selecting adequate pylon types to promote or inhibit nesting

Medicinal plants in Northern Montenegro: Traditional knowledge, quality, and resources

The main objectives of this study were to collect information on the use of wild medicinal plants by local people living in the high mountain region of northern Montenegro and to conduct local botanical and ecological surveys. During terrain expeditions, 412 plant species (38 endemic) were identified, and the most abundant family was Rosaceae, followed by Cupressaceae and Lamiaceae. Plant use was documented by speaking with 75 people (mean age 57, 61∈% female, 39∈% male) who were born in and residents of northern Montenegro. Information on 116 plant species belonging to 40 families for the treatment of various human ailments was gathered. Botanical families, such as Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Lamiaceae, were represented by the highest number of species reported by informants (14, 13, and 7 species, respectively). The most frequently reported medicinal uses were ones for treating gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. Aerial parts (33.3∈%) were found to be highly utilized plant parts followed by roots (20.8∈%) and leaves (17.3∈%). Only two endemic species (Dianthus knapii and Pinus peuce) proved useful in folk tradition. Active ingredients of plant species officinal in the European Pharmacopoeia 6.0 (Ph. Eur. 6.0) were studied, and we assessed possibilities for commercial exploitation for local economic development. This work increases the ethnobotanical data from Montenegro, safeguards local folk knowledge, and provides information on new or scarcely reported properties of medicinal plants, whose traditional use requires experimental validation. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York. All rights reserved

Plant resources used in Serbian medieval medicine. Ethnobotany and Ethnomedicine

This ethnobotanical and pharmacological study presents the results of an analysis of manuscripts from the Chilandar Medical Codex (CMC) on the usage and origin of medical substances in Serbian medieval medicine compared to contemporary studies on medical ethnobotany conducted in the Western Balkans. Based on CMC pharmacological manuscripts, with chapters on simple and compound medicines (oils, ointments, pills, poultices, syrups, and electuaries), analysis focused on the types of drugs, the substances used most frequently in their preparation, their origin, and medical use. The results obtained show that most ingredients used were of plant origin, while the contribution of minerals and substances of animal origin was considerably smaller. Most medicines were named according to the main ingredient's botanical name; thus, the chapter on simple medicine contains 119 medicines whereas the chapter on compound medicines has 15 medicines named after a certain plant species, pointing to a high level of knowledge of their botanical and pharmacological properties. Out of 125 plant resources, 90 are native species and 52 (60.5 \%) are still used today in traditional medicine in the Western Balkans, including Serbia. Therefore, the ethnobotanical data recorded provides an interesting basis for further phytotherapeutical research, for fostering sustainable uses of plant resources and also for promoting local biocultural diversity. It is also important for studies on plant genetic resources since most of the medicinal plants available on the European and world markets today come from south-eastern Europe, meaning conservation of this genetic heritage is crucial for the future of the herbal market.Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Serbia {[}173018