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Partemi R, Debortoli N, Martínez A, Kamburska L, Souffreau C, Matheve H, Vantieghem P, De Meester L, Van Doninck K, Merckx T, Fontaneto D. Weak effect of urbanization on bdelloid rotifers living in lichens. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231978. [PMID: 38633346 PMCID: PMC11021934 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Human activities have an overwhelming impact on the natural environment, leading to a deep biodiversity crisis whose effects range from genes to ecosystems. Here, we analysed the effect of such anthropogenic impacts on bdelloid rotifers (Rotifera Bdelloidea), for whom these effects are poorly understood. We targeted bdelloid rotifers living in lichen patches across urbanization gradients in Flanders and Brussels (Belgium). Urbanization was measured as the percentage of built-up area (BU) across different spatial scales, at circles from 50 to 3200 m of radius around the lichen. Urbanization effects on biodiversity were assessed on abundance, species richness and community-weighted mean body size of bdelloid rotifers, as well as on genetic diversity of a mitochondrial marker (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) of one of the most common and widespread bdelloid species, Adineta vaga. Overall, no negative effect of urbanization was found at any diversity level and any spatial scale. Counterintuitively, the BU area quantified at the largest spatial scale had a positive effect on abundance. These results leave open the question of whether negative effects of urbanization are present for bdelloid rotifers, if they are mediated by other unexplored drivers, or if such effects are only visible at even larger spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Partemi
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, Modena and
Reggio-Emilia University, Modena41125, Italy
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research
Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, 28922,
Italy
| | | | - Alejandro Martínez
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research
Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, 28922,
Italy
| | - Lyudmila Kamburska
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research
Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, 28922,
Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo90133, Italy
| | - Caroline Souffreau
- Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Evolution & Conservation,
KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven3000, Belgium
| | - Hans Matheve
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent
University, Gent9000, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vantieghem
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent
University, Gent9000, Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology, Evolution & Conservation,
KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, Leuven3000, Belgium
- Leibniz Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei
(IGB), Berlin12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin14195, Germany
| | - Karine Van Doninck
- Research Unit in Molecular Biology and Evolution, DBO,
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels1050, Belgium
| | - Thomas Merckx
- WILD, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
(VUB), Brussels1050, Belgium
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research
Institute (IRSA), Verbania Pallanza, 28922,
Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo90133, Italy
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Datki Z, Acs E, Balazs E, Sovany T, Csoka I, Zsuga K, Kalman J, Galik-Olah Z. Exogenic production of bioactive filamentous biopolymer by monogonant rotifers. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 208:111666. [PMID: 33396176 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The chemical ecology of rotifers has been little studied. A yet unknown property is presented within some monogonant rotifers, namely the ability to produce an exogenic filamentous biopolymer, named 'Rotimer'. This rotifer-specific viscoelastic fiber was observed in six different freshwater monogonants (Euchlanis dilatata, Lecane bulla, Lepadella patella, Itura aurita, Colurella adriatica and Trichocerca iernis) in exception of four species. Induction of Rotimer secretion can only be achieved by mechanically irritating rotifer ciliate with administering different types (yeast cell skeleton, denatured BSA, epoxy, Carmine or urea crystals and micro-cellulose) and sizes (approx. from 2.5 to 50 µm diameter) of inert particles, as inductors or visualization by adhering particles. The thickness of this Rotimer is 33 ± 3 nm, detected by scanning electron microscope. This material has two structural formations (fiber or gluelike) in nano dimension. The existence of the novel adherent natural product becomes visible by forming a 'Rotimer-Inductor Conglomerate' (RIC) web structure within a few minutes. The RIC-producing capacity of animals, depends on viability, is significantly modified according to physiological- (depletion), drug- (toxin or stimulator) and environmental (temperature, salt content and pH) effects. The E. dilatata-produced RIC is affected by protein disruptors but is resistant to several chemical influences and its Rotimer component has an overwhelming cell (algae, yeast and human neuroblastoma) motility inhibitory effect, associated with low toxicity. This biopolymer-secretion-capacity is protective of rotifers against human-type beta-amyloid aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Datki
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Vasas Szent Peter u. 1-3, H-6724 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Eva Acs
- Danube Research Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina ut 29-31, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; National University of Public Service, Faculty of Water Sciences, 6500 Baja, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky utca 12-14., Hungary
| | - Evelin Balazs
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Vasas Szent Peter u. 1-3, H-6724 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamas Sovany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory Affairs, Faculty of Pharmacology, University of Szeged, Eotvos u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ildiko Csoka
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory Affairs, Faculty of Pharmacology, University of Szeged, Eotvos u. 6, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Janos Kalman
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Vasas Szent Peter u. 1-3, H-6724 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zita Galik-Olah
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Vasas Szent Peter u. 1-3, H-6724 Szeged, Hungary
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Piano E, Souffreau C, Merckx T, Baardsen LF, Backeljau T, Bonte D, Brans KI, Cours M, Dahirel M, Debortoli N, Decaestecker E, De Wolf K, Engelen JMT, Fontaneto D, Gianuca AT, Govaert L, Hanashiro FTT, Higuti J, Lens L, Martens K, Matheve H, Matthysen E, Pinseel E, Sablon R, Schön I, Stoks R, Van Doninck K, Van Dyck H, Vanormelingen P, Van Wichelen J, Vyverman W, De Meester L, Hendrickx F. Urbanization drives cross-taxon declines in abundance and diversity at multiple spatial scales. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1196-1211. [PMID: 31755626 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The increasing urbanization process is hypothesized to drastically alter (semi-)natural environments with a concomitant major decline in species abundance and diversity. Yet, studies on this effect of urbanization, and the spatial scale at which it acts, are at present inconclusive due to the large heterogeneity in taxonomic groups and spatial scales at which this relationship has been investigated among studies. Comprehensive studies analysing this relationship across multiple animal groups and at multiple spatial scales are rare, hampering the assessment of how biodiversity generally responds to urbanization. We studied aquatic (cladocerans), limno-terrestrial (bdelloid rotifers) and terrestrial (butterflies, ground beetles, ground- and web spiders, macro-moths, orthopterans and snails) invertebrate groups using a hierarchical spatial design, wherein three local-scale (200 m × 200 m) urbanization levels were repeatedly sampled across three landscape-scale (3 km × 3 km) urbanization levels. We tested for local and landscape urbanization effects on abundance and species richness of each group, whereby total richness was partitioned into the average richness of local communities and the richness due to variation among local communities. Abundances of the terrestrial active dispersers declined in response to local urbanization, with reductions up to 85% for butterflies, while passive dispersers did not show any clear trend. Species richness also declined with increasing levels of urbanization, but responses were highly heterogeneous among the different groups with respect to the richness component and the spatial scale at which urbanization impacts richness. Depending on the group, species richness declined due to biotic homogenization and/or local species loss. This resulted in an overall decrease in total richness across groups in urban areas. These results provide strong support to the general negative impact of urbanization on abundance and species richness within habitat patches and highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales and taxa to assess the impacts of urbanization on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Piano
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Caroline Souffreau
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thomas Merckx
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Lisa F Baardsen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thierry Backeljau
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristien I Brans
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marie Cours
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Natural Environment, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maxime Dahirel
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Evolution Unit, Université de Rennes 1 (CNRS), Rennes, France
| | - Nicolas Debortoli
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology, URBE, NAXYS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Katrien De Wolf
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jessie M T Engelen
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diego Fontaneto
- CNR-IRSA, National Research Council, Water Research Institute, Verbania-Pallanza, Italy
| | - Andros T Gianuca
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Ecology, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Fabio T T Hanashiro
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Janet Higuti
- Centre of Research in Limnology, Ichthyology and Aquaculture/PEA, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Martens
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Natural Environment, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Limnology, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hans Matheve
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eveline Pinseel
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Research Department, Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium
| | - Rose Sablon
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isa Schön
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Natural Environment, Brussels, Belgium
- Zoology Research Group, University of Hasselt, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Robby Stoks
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karine Van Doninck
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Ecology, URBE, NAXYS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Hans Van Dyck
- Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Group, Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vanormelingen
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Van Wichelen
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Aquatic Management, Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederik Hendrickx
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Brussels, Belgium
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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