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Schaub I, Friedland R, Zettler ML. Good-Moderate boundary setting for the environmental status assessment of the macrozoobenthos communities with the Benthic Quality Index (BQI) in the south-western Baltic Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 201:116150. [PMID: 38367315 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The status assessment of the macrofauna community under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires threshold values that mark the transition from good to moderate conditions (G-M boundaries). Using the example of the Benthic Quality Index (BQI) in the south-western Baltic Sea, we demonstrate the possibilities and restrictions of i) defining G-M boundaries using reference areas, historical data and a statistical method and ii) the subsequent evaluation of the resulting G-M boundaries using disturbance data. The historical data from the period 1911 to 1929 proved to be unsuitable for defining G-M boundaries due to their data quality. The G-M boundaries calculated using the statistical method delineated high disturbance values more reliably than those based on reference areas. We conclude that disturbance data are very useful to evaluate G-M boundaries for their suitability, but data on all state conditions are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Schaub
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany.
| | - René Friedland
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany.
| | - Michael L Zettler
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestrasse 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany.
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2
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Mario E, Raffaele L, Onofrio C, Maria CSJ, Valentina B, Vincenzo G, Shao C, Giovanni S. Coupling heat wave and wildfire occurrence across multiple ecoregions within a Eurasia longitudinal gradient. Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:169269. [PMID: 38086479 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between heat wave occurrence and wildfire spread represents a key priority in global change studies due to the significant threats posed on natural ecosystems and society. Previous studies have not explored the spatial and temporal mechanism underlying the relationship between heat waves and wildfires occurrence, especially over large geographical regions. This study seeks to investigate such a relationship with a focus on 37 ecoregions within a Eurasia longitudinal gradient. The analysis is based on the wildfire dataset provided by the GlobFire Final Fire Event Detection and the meteorological dataset ERA5-land from Copernicus Climate service. In both cases we focused on the 2001-2019 timeframe. By means of a 12 km square grid, three wildfire metrics, i.e., density, seasonality, and severity of wildfires, were computed as proxy of fire regime. Heat waves were also characterized in terms of periods, duration, and intensity for the same period. Statistical tests were performed to evaluate the different patterns of heat wave and wildfire occurrence in the 37 ecoregions within the study area. By using Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) we modeled the spatial varying relationships between heat wave characteristics and wildfire metrics. As expected, our results suggest that the 37 ecoregions identified within the Eurasia longitudinal gradient differ in terms of fire regimes. However, the occurrence of heat waves did not show significant differences among ecoregions, but a more evident variability in terms of relationship between fire regime metrics and heat waves within the study area. The outcome of the GWR analysis allowed us to identify the spatial locations (i.e., hotspot areas) where the relationship between heat waves and wildfires is positive and significant. Hence, in hotspots the presence of heat waves can be seen as a driver of wildfire occurrence in forest and steppe ecosystems. The findings from this study could contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of wildfire patterns in this geographical region, thus supporting cross-regional prevention strategies for disaster risk mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Mario
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Lafortezza Raffaele
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy; Research Centre of Urban Forestry, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Forest Ecosystem of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Cappelluti Onofrio
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Costa-Saura Josè Maria
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari 07100, Italy; Impacts on Agriculture, Forestry and Ecosystem Services Division, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Changes, Viale Italia, Sassari 07100, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palazzo Steri, Piazza Marina 61, Palermo, 90133, Italy
| | - Bacciu Valentina
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Bioeconomy, Sassari 07100, Italy
| | - Giannico Vincenzo
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Changliang Shao
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station & Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 10008, China
| | - Sanesi Giovanni
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
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Guerra-García JM, Ruiz-Velasco S, Navarro-Barranco C, Moreira J, Angulo G, García-Domínguez R, Amengual J, Saenz-Arias P, López-Fé CM, Martínez-Pita I, García-García FJ, Ros M. Facilitation of macrofaunal assemblages in marinas by the habitat-forming invader Amathia verticillata (Bryozoa: Gymnolaemata) across a spatiotemporal scale. Mar Environ Res 2024; 193:106256. [PMID: 38006852 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Widespread habitat-forming invaders inhabiting marinas, such as the spaghetti bryozoan Amathia verticillata, allow exploring facilitation processes across spatiotemporal contexts. Here we investigate the role of this bryozoan as habitat for native and exotic macrofaunal assemblages across different ecoregions of Western Mediterranean and East Atlantic coasts, and a monthly variation over a year. While only 7 (all peracarid crustaceans) of the 54 associated species were NIS, they dominated macrofaunal assemblages in terms of abundance, raising the potential for invasional meltdown. NIS richness and community structure differed among marinas but not among ecoregions, highlighting the importance of marina singularities in modulating facilitation at spatial scale. Despite facilitation did not depend on bryozoan abundance fluctuations, it was affected by its deciduous pattern, peaking in summer and disappearing in late winter. Monitoring A. verticillata in marinas, especially in summer periods, may improve the detection and management of multiple associated NIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Guerra-García
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - S Ruiz-Velasco
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - C Navarro-Barranco
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - J Moreira
- Departamento de Biología (Zoología) & Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - G Angulo
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - R García-Domínguez
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - J Amengual
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - P Saenz-Arias
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - C M López-Fé
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
| | - I Martínez-Pita
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - F J García-García
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - M Ros
- Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Sevilla, Spain
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Wang X, Yang C, Qiao H, Hu J. More than two-fifths of the protected land in a global biodiversity hotspot in southwest China is under intense human pressure. Sci Total Environ 2024; 906:167283. [PMID: 37778545 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss is the main threat to global biodiversity in the Anthropocene. To prevent this, protected areas are the most effective means for safeguarding biodiversity. However, extensive habitat protection under human pressure can undermine its effectiveness. Using the Hengduan Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot in southwest China as an indicator, we assessed the extent and intensity of human pressure to highlight how these pressures have changed over time. We found that most ecoregions had high levels of intact habitat loss relative to areal protection by national nature reserves (NNRs). More than two-fifths of protected land is under intense human pressure, and lower elevation or smaller NNRs were subject to higher pressure. These increases have predominantly occurred in lower elevation NNRs, showing that elevation gradients correlate with increasing pressure. While protected areas are increasingly established, they are experiencing intense human pressure. Our findings provide useful insights for assessing resilience of protected areas and to prioritize areas where future conservation plans and actions should be focused in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Wang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China; Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huijie Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junhua Hu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Cotuțiu VD, Ionică AM, Dan T, Cazan CD, Borșan SD, Culda CA, Mihaiu M, Gherman CM, Mihalca AD. Diversity of Thelazia spp. in domestic cattle from Romania: epidemiology and molecular diagnosis by a novel multiplex PCR. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:400. [PMID: 37924115 PMCID: PMC10623811 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06012-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thelaziosis is a neglected vector-borne disease caused by parasitic nematode worms of the genus Thelazia which affects various hosts. Limited attention has been given to ungulate-associated Thelazia species. Current diagnosis of thelaziosis and the identification/differentiation of species heavily relies on morphological features. Therefore, we conducted an epidemiological study in Romanian cattle, with the aim to obtain morphological and molecular data that can be used for species identification. METHODS The eyes of 705 slaughtered cattle were sampled and subjected to morphological identification, morphometric analysis, and molecular characterization. PCR amplification and sequence analysis were performed based on the cytochromec oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene. Statistical tests assessed the correlations between infection parameters and ecological or biogeographical factors. A novel PCR method was developed based on the consensus sequence from each species. Specific forward primers were designed for each of the three species, and a reverse primer (COIintR) was used for all reactions. A consensus thermal profile was established by gradient PCR amplification of each species separately. RESULTS Of the sampled cattle, 19.3% were infected with Thelazia spp. Prevalence varied significantly with ecogeographical factors. A total of 585 Thelazia nematodes were recovered, with T. rhodesi being the most abundant, followed by T. skrjabini and T. gulosa. Morphometric and molecular analyses supported the morphological identification, yielding unique sequences for each species. From the 59 T. rhodesi specimens sequenced, 29 unique sequences were obtained, with a 99.1-99.85% nucleotide identity to the only other COI sequence present in GenBank®. All nine T. gulosa isolates were unique (99.37-100% nucleotide identity to other sequences), while T. skrjabini specimens displayed 98.47-100% nucleotide identity to the sole available sequence. CONCLUSIONS Bovine thelaziosis is prevalent in Romania, raising concerns for animal welfare and potential economic impacts. Infected cattle grazing alongside vulnerable wild ruminants, such as the European bison, may affect conservation efforts. Our newly developed multiplex PCR shows promise as a valuable surveillance tool, enabling the detection of occult infections in apparently healthy animals through lachrymal secretion testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlad-Dan Cotuțiu
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Angela Monica Ionică
- Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases Cluj-Napoca, Iuliu Moldovan Street nr 23, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Teodora Dan
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristina Daniela Cazan
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Silvia Diana Borșan
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Carla Andreea Culda
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Marian Mihaiu
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Călin Mircea Gherman
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
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Jupke JF, Birk S, Apostolou A, Aroviita J, Baattrup-Pedersen A, Baláži P, Barešová L, Blanco S, Borrego-Ramos M, van Dam H, Dimitriou E, Feld CK, Ferreira MT, Gecheva G, Gomà J, Hanžek N, Haslev IM, Isheva T, Jamoneau A, Jyrkänkallio-Mikkola J, Kahlert M, Karaouzas I, Karjalainen SM, Olenici A, Panek P, Paril P, Peeters ETHM, Polášek M, Pont D, Pumputyte A, Sandin L, Sochuliaková L, Soininen J, Stanković I, Straka M, Šušnjara M, Sutela T, Tison-Rosebery J, Udovič MG, Verhofstad M, Žutinić P, Schäfer RB. European river typologies fail to capture diatom, fish, and macrophyte community composition. Sci Total Environ 2023; 896:165081. [PMID: 37355122 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Typology systems are frequently used in applied and fundamental ecology and are relevant for environmental monitoring and conservation. They aggregate ecosystems into discrete types based on biotic and abiotic variables, assuming that ecosystems of the same type are more alike than ecosystems of different types with regard to a specific property of interest. We evaluated whether this assumption is met by the Broad River Types (BRT), a recently proposed European river typology system, that classifies river segments based on abiotic variables, when it is used to group biological communities. We compiled data on the community composition of diatoms, fishes, and aquatic macrophytes throughout Europe and evaluated whether the composition is more similar in site groups with the same river type than in site groups of different river types using analysis of similarities, classification strength, typical species analysis, and the area under zeta diversity decline curves. We compared the performance of the BRT with those of four region-based typology systems, namely, Illies Freshwater Ecoregions, the Biogeographic Regions, the Freshwater Ecoregions of the World, and the Environmental Zones, as well as spatial autocorrelation (SA) classifications. All typology systems received low scores from most evaluation methods, relative to predefined thresholds and the SA classifications. The BRT often scored lowest of all typology systems. Within each typology system, community composition overlapped considerably between site groups defined by the types of the systems. The overlap tended to be the lowest for fishes and between Illies Freshwater Ecoregions. In conclusion, we found that existing broad-scale river typology systems fail to delineate site groups with distinct and compositionally homogeneous communities of diatoms, fishes, and macrophytes. A way to improve the fit between typology systems and biological communities might be to combine segment-based and region-based typology systems to simultaneously account for local environmental variation and historical distribution patterns, thus potentially improving the utility of broad-scale typology systems for freshwater biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan F Jupke
- Institute for Environmental Sciences iES, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Campus Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Apostolos Apostolou
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Gagarin 2, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Finnish Environment Institute, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Peter Baláži
- Water Research Institute, Nabr. arm. gen. L. Svobodu 7, 81249 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Libuše Barešová
- Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Na Šabatce 17, 143 06 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Saúl Blanco
- Diatom Lab, Universidad de León, La Serna 58, E24007 Leon, Spain
| | | | - Herman van Dam
- Consultancy for Water and Nature, Spyridon Louisweg 141, 1034 WR Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elias Dimitriou
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources & Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Av., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece
| | - Christian K Feld
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Maria Teresa Ferreira
- Forest Research Centre and Associate Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gana Gecheva
- Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University, Tsar Asen 24, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Joan Gomà
- Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nikola Hanžek
- Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute, Ulica grada Vukovara 220, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Tsvetelina Isheva
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Gagarin 2, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | | | | | - Maria Kahlert
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, PO Box 7050, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ioannis Karaouzas
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources & Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Av., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece
| | | | - Adriana Olenici
- Diatom Lab, Universidad de León, La Serna 58, E24007 Leon, Spain; Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Fântânele Street, No. 30, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Piotr Panek
- Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. 3, 02-362 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Petr Paril
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Edwin T H M Peeters
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Didier Pont
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-MendelStrasse 33, Vienna, Austria
| | - Audrone Pumputyte
- Aplinkos apsaugos agentūra, A Juozapavičiaus g.9, 09311 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Leonard Sandin
- Norwegian institute for nature research (NINA), Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Lucia Sochuliaková
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, PO Box 64, Fi-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Igor Stanković
- Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute, Ulica grada Vukovara 220, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Michal Straka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic; T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, 612 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Mirela Šušnjara
- Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tapio Sutela
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| | | | | | - Michiel Verhofstad
- FLORON: Plant Conservation Netherlands, Toernooiveld 1, 6525ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Petar Žutinić
- Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences iES, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Campus Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
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Seymour RD, Drenner RW, Chumchal MM. Potential Health Risks of Methylmercury Contamination to Largemouth Bass in the Southeastern United States. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023. [PMID: 37204218 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Widespread mercury (Hg) contamination of freshwater systems due primarily to deposition of atmospheric inorganic Hg (IHg) poses a potential threat to recreational fisheries. In aquatic ecosystems, IHg is converted by bacteria to methylmercury (MeHg), a potent toxin that bioaccumulates in consumers and biomagnifies through the food web, reaching elevated concentrations in fish. Methylmercury has concentration-dependent sublethal effects on fish, including reductions in reproductive output. In the present study, we conducted the first analysis of the potential health risks of MeHg contamination to largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), a popular gamefish, in the southeastern United States. To assess the potential health risk posed by MeHg to largemouth bass, we compared MeHg concentrations in three sizes of adult largemouth bass to benchmarks associated with the onset of adverse health effects in fish. We also determined how the risk posed by MeHg to largemouth bass varied spatially throughout the southeastern United States. Our study suggests that in the southeastern United States, MeHg poses a potential risk to largemouth bass health and that MeHg contamination may be detrimental to the fisheries of this economically important species of gamefish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Seymour
- Biology Department, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Ray W Drenner
- Biology Department, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Mukherjee T, Sharma LK, Thakur M, Banerjee D, Chandra K. Whether curse or blessing: A counterintuitive perspective on global pest thrips infestation under climatic change with implications to agricultural economics. Sci Total Environ 2023; 867:161349. [PMID: 36621499 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The improvement and application of pest models to predict yield losses is still a challenge for the scientific community. However, pest models were targeted chiefly towards scheduling scouting or pesticide applications to deal with pest infestation. Thysanoptera (thrips) significantly impact the productivity of many economically important crops worldwide. Until now, no comprehensive study is available on the global distribution of pest thrips, as well as on the extent of cropland vulnerability worldwide. Further, nothing is known about the climate change impacts on these insects. Thus the present study was designed to map the global distribution and quantify the extent of cropland vulnerability in the present and future climate scenarios using data of identified pest thrips within the genus, i.e., Thrips, Frankliniella, and Scirtothrips. Our found significant niche contraction under the climate change scenarios and thrips may reside primarily in their thermal tolerance thresholds. About 3,98,160 km2 of cropland globally was found to be affected in the present scenario. However, it may significantly reduce to 5530 Km2 by 2050 and 1990 km2 by 2070. Further, the thrips distribution mostly getting restricted to Eastern North America, the North-western of the Indian sub-continent, and the north of Europe. Among all realms, thrips may lose ground in the Indo-Malayan realm at the most and get restricted to only 27 out of 825 terrestrial ecoregions. The agrarian communities of the infested regions may get benefit if these pests get wiped out, but on the contrary, we may lose species diversity. Moreover, the vacated niche may attract other invasive species, which may seriously impact the species composition and agricultural productivity. The present study findings can be used in making informed decisions about prioritizing future economic and research investments on the thrips in light of anticipated climate change impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanoy Mukherjee
- Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata 700053, India-; Agricultural and Ecological Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 700108, West Bengal, India
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Gaurisas DY, Bernardino AF. Benthic biogeographic patterns on the deep Brazilian margin. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14585. [PMID: 36874960 PMCID: PMC9979832 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Brazilian continental margin (BCM) extends from the Tropical to the Subtropical Atlantic Ocean, with much of its seafloor within deep waters, supporting rich geomorphological features and under wide productivity gradients. Deep-sea biogeographic boundaries on the BCM have been limited to studies that used water mass and salinity properties of deep-water masses, partly as a result of historical under sampling and a lack of consolidation of available biological and ecological datasets. The aim of this study was to consolidate benthic assemblage datasets and test current oceanographic biogeographical deep-sea boundaries (200-5,000 m) using available faunal distributions. We retrieved over 4,000 benthic data records from open-access databases and used cluster analysis to examine assemblage distributions against the deep-sea biogeographical classification scheme from Watling et al. (2013). Starting from the assumption that vertical and horizontal distribution patterns can vary regionally, we test other schemes incorporating latitudinal and water masses stratification within the Brazilian margin. As expected, the classification scheme based on benthic biodiversity is in overall agreement with the general boundaries proposed by Watling et al. (2013). However, our analysis allowed much refinement in the former boundaries, and here we propose the use of two biogeographic realms, two provinces and seven bathyal ecoregions (200-3,500 m), and three abyssal provinces (>3,500 m) along the BCM. The main driver for these units seems to be latitudinal gradients as well as water mass characteristics such as temperature. Our study provides a significant improvement of benthic biogeographic ranges along the Brazilian continental margin allowing a more detailed recognition of its biodiversity and ecological value, and also supports the needed spatial management for industrial activities occurring in its deep waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Y. Gaurisas
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Angelo F. Bernardino
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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Jupke JF, Birk S, Álvarez-Cabria M, Aroviita J, Barquín J, Belmar O, Bonada N, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Chiriac G, Elexová EM, Feld CK, Ferreira MT, Haase P, Huttunen KL, Lazaridou M, Lešťáková M, Miliša M, Muotka T, Paavola R, Panek P, Pařil P, Peeters ETHM, Polášek M, Sandin L, Schmera D, Straka M, Usseglio-Polatera P, Schäfer RB. Evaluating the biological validity of European river typology systems with least disturbed benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Sci Total Environ 2022; 842:156689. [PMID: 35724793 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Humans have severely altered freshwater ecosystems globally, causing a loss of biodiversity. Regulatory frameworks, like the Water Framework Directive, have been developed to support actions that halt and reverse this loss. These frameworks use typology systems that summarize freshwater ecosystems into environmentally delineated types. Within types, ecosystems that are minimally impacted by human activities, i.e., in reference conditions, are expected to be similar concerning physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. This assumption is critical when water quality assessments rely on comparisons to type-specific reference conditions. Lyche Solheim et al. (2019) developed a pan-European river typology system, the Broad River Types, that unifies the national Water Framework Directive typology systems and is gaining traction within the research community. However, it is unknown how similar biological communities are within these individual Broad River Types. We used analysis of similarities and classification strength analysis to examine if the Broad River Types delineate distinct macroinvertebrate communities across Europe and whether they outperform two ecoregional approaches: the European Biogeographical Regions and Illies' Freshwater Ecoregions. We determined indicator and typical taxa for the types of all three typology systems and evaluated their distinctiveness. All three typology systems captured more variation in macroinvertebrate communities than random combinations of sites. The results were similar among typology systems, but the Broad River Types always performed worse than either the Biogeographic Regions or Illies' Freshwater Ecoregions. Despite reaching statistical significance, the statistics of analysis of similarity and classification strength were low in all tests indicating substantial overlap among the macroinvertebrate communities of different types. We conclude that the Broad River Types do not represent an improvement upon existing freshwater typologies when used to delineate macroinvertebrate communities and we propose future avenues for advancement: regionally constrained types, better recognition of intermittent rivers, and consideration of biotic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan F Jupke
- iES, Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Faculty of Biology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Mario Álvarez-Cabria
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria- Avda, Isabel Torres, 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre, P.O. Box 413, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - José Barquín
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria- Avda, Isabel Torres, 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Oscar Belmar
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Espinardo Campus, Spain
| | - Núria Bonada
- Grup de Recerca "Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management" (FEHM), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- Serra Húnter fellow, "Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology, and Management" (FEHM), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gabriel Chiriac
- National Administration "Apele Romane", Edgar Quinet 6, 010017 Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Christian K Feld
- Faculty of Biology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - M Teresa Ferreira
- Forest Research Centre and Associate Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Peter Haase
- Faculty of Biology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Clamecystrasse 12, Gelnhausen 65371, Germany
| | - Kaisa-Leena Huttunen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Maria Lazaridou
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 134, 54124 Thessaloníki, Greece
| | - Margita Lešťáková
- Water Research Institute, Nábrežie arm. gen. L. Svobodu 5,81249 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Marko Miliša
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Timo Muotka
- Grup de Recerca "Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management" (FEHM), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Riku Paavola
- Oulanka Research Station, University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform, Liikasenvaarantie 134, FI-93900 Kuusamo, Finland
| | - Piotr Panek
- Department of Environmental Monitoring, Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, Aleje Jerozolimskie 92, 00-807 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Petr Pařil
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Edwin T H M Peeters
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p. r. i., Mojmírovo náměstí 16, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Leonard Sandin
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien 94, NO-0579 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dénes Schmera
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, 8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Michal Straka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p. r. i., Mojmírovo náměstí 16, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Philippe Usseglio-Polatera
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, UMR 7360, LIEC, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux, Rue du Général Delestraint, 57070 Metz, France
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES, Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
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Ghanbari MA, Salehi H, Moghadam A. Genetic Diversity Assessment of Iranian Kentucky Bluegrass Accessions: I. ISSR Markers and Their Association with Habitat Suitability Within and Between Different Ecoregions. Mol Biotechnol 2022. [PMID: 35556219 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00502-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Poa pratensis L. is a commonly used cool-season turfgrass and endemic to Iran. This research was carried out to examine the genetic diversity of this plant within and between ecoregions of Iran and the impact of climatic variables and elevation on the distribution of its genotypes, as well as habitat suitability modeling. We used fifty accessions collected from six ecoregions (West, South, North, North-West and North-East) for genetic diversity assessment using 20 ISSR marker primers. The prospective ecoregions for Kentucky bluegrass production were projected using habitat suitability modeling, which took into account important environmental parameters, such as annual mean temperature, annual mean rainfall, and elevation. According to the UPMGA dendrogram, the accessions were divided into two major types and four subclasses. The genetic distance between the North and North-east accessions, as well as the Center accessions, was greater than that of the other genotypes. Center accessions had the greatest levels of polymorphism, effective number of alleles, Shannon index, and Nei's genetic diversity. The FR method was used to create the habitat suitability map based on environmental factors. Rainfall had the largest influence on the genotype distribution of P. pratensis L. The findings of this study can be used as raw materials in future breeding programs to improve and generate new cultivars with superior characteristics. It can also assist programs in identifying rare cultivars as well as preserving and developing native P. pratensis L. genotypes.
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Lawal S, Hewitson B, Egbebiyi TS, Adesuyi A. On the suitability of using vegetation indices to monitor the response of Africa's terrestrial ecoregions to drought. Sci Total Environ 2021; 792:148282. [PMID: 34146810 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Drought remains one of the world's most devastating phenomena, exhibiting impacts in both magnitude and frequency. African vegetation remains highly vulnerable to drought impacts and this is heightened by a changing climate. In this study, we evaluated the suitability of vegetation indices to monitor the response of Africa's terrestrial ecoregions to drought. Here, we used the SPEI, a global drought index to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought on vegetation. In addition, TVDI, TCI, VCI, NVSWI, VSWI and DSI, which are remotely sensed derived drought indices were also used to characterize drought. For the vegetation indices, we used the optical satellite calculated NDVI; VOD, a passive microwave remote sensing product; and derived Nvod as proxies for vegetation. The climatology of climate and vegetation data was calculated, and the trend of the variables was examined. Additionally, comparisons were performed between the SPEI and the other drought indices. Subsequently, we computed the correlations between the SPEI and vegetation indices spatially, temporally and seasonally. Our results show that VOD and the NDVI have similar spatial distribution, with higher values of the indices recorded over the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (C.A.R) compared to the rest of the region. Furthermore, we also found that the indices have similar seasonal patterns as precipitation and an inverse relationship with temperature. The study also reveals that there is a declining long-term trend of precipitation over evergreen needleleaf forest, evergreen broadleaf forest, and woody savanna; and an increasing trend of VOD and NDVI over Africa's ecoregions. Furthermore, the results show a high SPEI - VOD correlations (r2 = 0.8) in southern Africa and the Horn of Africa, and a weak response in the Sahelian region. While the response of NDVI is similar to a spatial distribution as VOD, the magnitudes of response are generally weaker in the NDVI, and the magnitudes and distribution of response by Nvod are similar to VOD. Also, the response of Nvod is the weakest across all the timescales although its magnitudes vary significantly from year - year, with the timescale of occurrence mostly shorter for JJA but largely longer for MAM. However, the magnitudes of the response of vegetation indices are different for remotely sensed derived drought indices. In addition, the mean and trend of the response of VOD are consistently stronger in evergreen needleleaf forest and open shrublands but weaker over the evergreen broadleaf forest. Our study has presented insights on methods by which the impacts of droughts on plant activities and functions may be monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakirudeen Lawal
- Climate System Analysis Group, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa; Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
| | - Bruce Hewitson
- Climate System Analysis Group, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa; Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | - Temitope S Egbebiyi
- Climate System Analysis Group, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa; Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | - Ayodeji Adesuyi
- Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
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Kelly T, Elle E. Effects of community composition on plant-pollinator interaction networks across a spatial gradient of oak-savanna habitats. Oecologia 2020; 193:211-223. [PMID: 32405931 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04661-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Distance between habitats may impact the composition and corresponding interactions between trophic levels. Mutualistic networks, such as those of plants and pollinators tend to have a core set of properties that often relate to the resilience of the community, or the ability of the community to retain function and structure after a disturbance. Furthermore, network structure is highly dependent on the number of specialists and generalists; however, it is unclear how different groups of species with various life-history strategies influence network structure. In this study, we evaluated how the composition of plants and pollinators within 16 oak-savanna sites changed across a latitudinal gradient. In addition, we evaluated how the abundance of different groups of plants and pollinators affected network metrics related to resilience. We found that the composition of plants and pollinators varied between ecoregions, while pollinator composition further varied with habitat characteristics. Network metrics displayed no spatial pattern but were related to the abundance of several pollinator groups. Above-ground nesting insects had a positive relationship with nestedness and a negative relationship with modularity, while predatory larvae had a negative relationship with modularity. Thus, above-ground nesting insects and predatory larvae could be expected to increase network resilience. This study emphasizes how spatial scales can influence species compositions, which in turn affects the structure of interactions in the community with implications for resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Elizabeth Elle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Saldaña-Vázquez RA, Sandoval-Ruiz CA, Veloz-Maldonado OS, Durán AA, Ramírez-Martínez MM. Host ecology moderates the specialization of Neotropical bat-fly interaction networks. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2919-24. [PMID: 31493064 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06452-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The transmission of diseases through parasites is a key mechanism in the regulation of plant and animal populations in ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the relative effect of the variables that can shape the specificity of host-parasite interactions. Previous studies have found that specialization of antagonistic interactions between fly ectoparasites and bats changes according to forest type, host richness, and roosting ecology of bats. In this study, we tested these hypotheses using data from 48 bat communities. In general, our results support previous findings that bat-fly interactions are specialized, resulting in lower niche overlap among bat flies species. In addition, we found that the specificity of bat-fly interactions is lower in tropical mountain forests and is positively related with the richness of bat host species of each study site. Finally, there was a higher bat flies niche overlap in smaller bat-fly interaction networks recorded in bat roosts in caves. We conclude that the roosting ecology of bats could be a key factor to understand the mechanisms related to the horizontal transmission of ectoparasitic flies among bats.
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van der Linden P, Shinn C, Moreira-Santos M, Oehlmann J, Ribeiro R, Müller R. Aquatic mesocosms exposed to a fungicide in warm and cold temperate European climate zones: Long-term macroinvertebrate response. Sci Total Environ 2019; 681:133-142. [PMID: 31103651 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
At present, the European Union legislation facilitates the use of similar pesticides among European Member States, thereby assuming that biodiversity and ecosystems have equal sensitivities to contaminants throughout the whole of Europe. However, with this assumption, fundamental environmental and biological differences between climatic zones are being ignored in Environmental Risk Assessment. Such differences may strongly influence the behaviour of contaminants, their effects on biodiversity and on the natural functioning of ecosystems. Furthermore, toxicity testing in European ecoregions other than cold-temperate has largely depended on standardized tests using cold-temperate species and conditions, which may lead to a false estimation of risks to organisms from other ecoregions. The present study aim was to determine the response of freshwater macroinvertebrate communities to the fungicide pyrimethanil by conducting aquatic mesocosm experiments in two different ecoregions with different climates: cold-temperate (Frankfurt, Germany) and warm-temperate (Coimbra, Portugal). The results indicate that the community in the cold-temperate climate was more sensitive to the fungicide in comparison to the warm-temperate community. This difference was most likely related to a different rate of fungicide disappearance, which was slower in the colder climate. Based upon our results we discuss important implications for improving Environmental Risk Assessment across climate zones and under present-day global climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- P van der Linden
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal.
| | - C Shinn
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal
| | - M Moreira-Santos
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal
| | - J Oehlmann
- Goethe University, Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Max von Laue straße 13, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - R Ribeiro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal
| | - R Müller
- Goethe University, Institute of Occupational Social and Environmental Medicine, Theodor Stern Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany; Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp 2000, Belgium
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Lattuada M, Albrecht C, Wilke T. Differential impact of anthropogenic pressures on Caspian Sea ecoregions. Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 142:274-281. [PMID: 31232304 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, overall ecological conditions in the Caspian Sea have deteriorated. However, a comprehensive understanding of lake-wide spatial differences in anthropogenic pressures is lacking and the biological consequences of human impacts are poorly understood. This paper therefore aims at assessing the individual and combined effects of critical anthropogenic pressures on the Caspian Sea ecoregions. First, cumulative pressure scores were calculated with a cumulative environmental assessment (CEA) analysis. Then, the individual contribution of anthropogenic pressures was quantified. Finally, ecoregion-specific differences were assessed. The analyses show that both cumulative and individual pressure scores are unevenly distributed across the Caspian Sea. The most important individual pressures are invasive species, chemical pollution and poaching. This uneven distribution of pressure scores across Caspian Sea ecoregions creates new challenges for future conservation strategies, as different ecoregions usually require different conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Lattuada
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, IFZ, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Christian Albrecht
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, IFZ, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Wilke
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, IFZ, Giessen, Germany
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Liu B, Cao S. Comment: Averaging statistics of multimetric index leading to an inaccurate evaluation on methods of defining biological condition of streams/rivers in ecological assessment. Sci Total Environ 2019; 649:1640-1642. [PMID: 29728267 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Shanmao Cao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Bio-resources Restoration and Habitat Reparation in Liaoning Province, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China.
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Heredia Díaz O, Aldaba Meza JL, Baltazar BM, Bojórquez Bojórquez G, Castro Espinoza L, Corrales Madrid JL, de la Fuente Martínez JM, Durán Pompa HA, Alonso Escobedo J, Espinoza Banda A, Garzón Tiznado JA, González García J, Guzmán Rodríguez JL, Madueño Martínez JI, Martínez Carrillo JL, Meng C, Quiñones Pando FJ, Rosales Robles E, Ruiz Hernández I, Treviño Ramírez JE, Uribe Montes HR, Zavala García F. Plant characterization of genetically modified maize hybrids MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-88Ø17-3, MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-ØØ6Ø3-6, and MON-ØØ6Ø3-6: alternatives for maize production in Mexico. Transgenic Res 2017; 26:135-51. [PMID: 27771867 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-016-9991-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Environmental risk assessment (ERA) of genetically modified (GM) crops is a process to evaluate whether the biotechnology trait(s) in a GM crop may result in increased pest potential or harm to the environment. In this analysis, two GM insect-resistant (IR) herbicide-tolerant maize hybrids (MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-88Ø17-3 and MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-ØØ6Ø3-6) and one herbicide-tolerant GM hybrid (MON-ØØ6Ø3-6) were compared with conventional maize hybrids of similar genetic backgrounds. Two sets of studies, Experimental Phase and Pilot Phase, were conducted across five ecological regions (ecoregions) in Mexico during 2009–2013, and data were subject to meta-analysis. Results from the Experimental Phase studies, which were used for ERA, indicated that the three GM hybrids were not different from conventional maize for early stand count, days-to-silking, days-to-anthesis, root lodging, stalk lodging, or final stand count. Statistically significant differences were observed for seedling vigor, ear height, plant height, grain moisture, and grain yield, particularly in the IR hybrids; however, none of these phenotypic differences are expected to contribute to a biological or ecological change that would result in an increased pest potential or ecological risk when cultivating these GM hybrids. Overall, results from the Experimental Phase studies are consistent with those from other world regions, confirming that there are no additional risks compared to conventional maize. Results from Pilot Phase studies indicated that, compared to conventional maize hybrids, no differences were detected for the agronomic and phenotypic characteristics measured on the three GM maize hybrids, with the exception of grain moisture and grain yield in the IR hybrids. Since MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-88Ø17-3 and MON-89Ø34-3 × MON-ØØ6Ø3-6 confer resistance to target insect pests, they are an alternative for farmers in Mexico to protect the crop from insect damage. Additionally, the herbicide tolerance conferred by all three GM hybrids enables more cost-effective weed management.
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Tang T, Stevenson RJ, Infante DM. Accounting for regional variation in both natural environment and human disturbance to improve performance of multimetric indices of lotic benthic diatoms. Sci Total Environ 2016; 568:1124-1134. [PMID: 27134128 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Regional variation in both natural environment and human disturbance can influence performance of ecological assessments. In this study we calculated 5 types of benthic diatom multimetric indices (MMIs) with 3 different approaches to account for variation in ecological assessments. We used: site groups defined by ecoregions or diatom typologies; the same or different sets of metrics among site groups; and unmodeled or modeled MMIs, where models accounted for natural variation in metrics within site groups by calculating an expected reference condition for each metric and each site. We used data from the USEPA's National Rivers and Streams Assessment to calculate the MMIs and evaluate changes in MMI performance. MMI performance was evaluated with indices of precision, bias, responsiveness, sensitivity and relevancy which were respectively measured as MMI variation among reference sites, effects of natural variables on MMIs, difference between MMIs at reference and highly disturbed sites, percent of highly disturbed sites properly classified, and relation of MMIs to human disturbance and stressors. All 5 types of MMIs showed considerable discrimination ability. Using different metrics among ecoregions sometimes reduced precision, but it consistently increased responsiveness, sensitivity, and relevancy. Site specific metric modeling reduced bias and increased responsiveness. Combined use of different metrics among site groups and site specific modeling significantly improved MMI performance irrespective of site grouping approach. Compared to ecoregion site classification, grouping sites based on diatom typologies improved precision, but did not improve overall performance of MMIs if we accounted for natural variation in metrics with site specific models. We conclude that using different metrics among ecoregions and site specific metric modeling improve MMI performance, particularly when used together. Applications of these MMI approaches in ecological assessments introduced a tradeoff with assessment consistency when metrics differed across site groups, but they justified the convenient and consistent use of ecoregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Center for Water Sciences, Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - R Jan Stevenson
- Center for Water Sciences, Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Dana M Infante
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Naranjo-Díaz N, Conn JE, Correa MM. Behavior and population structure of Anopheles darlingi in Colombia. Infect Genet Evol 2016; 39:64-73. [PMID: 26792711 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Anopheles darlingi is a widely distributed and important malaria vector in Colombia. Biogeographical and ecological heterogeneity across the Colombian distribution led to the hypothesis of behavioral and genetic differentiation among A. darlingi populations. A total of 2017 A. darlingi specimens were collected during 222 h of sampling. This vector was the most abundant anopheline species in most of the localities sampled. Subdivision between samples collected west and east of the Andes was indicated by 1) mitochondrial COI and nuclear CAD sequences from NW-W and CE-S populations (COI ΦST=0.48761-0.81974, CAD FST=0.11319-0.21321), 2) a COI haplotype network, and 3) SAMOVA. Endo- and exophagy were detected in populations west of the Andes, whereas exophagy was evident in PTG, a locality east of the Andes. Isolation by resistance was significant for COI and explained 26% of the genetic differentiation. We suggest that at a macrogeographic scale, the Andes influence the differentiation of A. darlingi in Colombia and may drive divergence, and, at a microgeographic scale, ecological differences have a significant impact on structure. These data could constitute a baseline for the design of effective vector interventions, locality-specific for the east and similar for panmictic populations west of the Andes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Naranjo-Díaz
- Grupo de Microbiología Molecular, Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
| | - Jan E Conn
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA.
| | - Margarita M Correa
- Grupo de Microbiología Molecular, Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
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Flores FS, Nava S, Batallán G, Tauro LB, Contigiani MS, Diaz LA, Guglielmone AA. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on wild birds in north-central Argentina. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:715-21. [PMID: 25108788 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Ixodid ticks were collected from wild birds in five ecoregions in north-central Argentina, namely: Selva de las Yungas, Esteros del Iberá, Delta e Islas del Paraná, Selva Paranaense and Chaco Seco. A total of 2199 birds belonging to 139 species, 106 genera, 31 families and 11 orders were captured, but ticks were collected only from 121 birds (prevalence=5.5%) belonging to 39 species (28.1%) and three Orders: Tinamiformes (Tinamidae) and Falconiformes (Falconidae) in Selva de las Yungas and Passeriformes (Conopophagidae, Corvidae, Emberizidae, Furnariidae, Icteridae, Parulidae, Thamnophilidae, Thraupidae, Troglodytidae, Turdidae) for all ecoregions. The following tick species were found: Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes pararicinus plus Amblyomma sp. and Haemaphysalis sp. in Selva de las Yungas; Amblyomma triste and Ixodes auritulus in Delta e Islas del Paraná; Amblyomma dubitatum, A. triste and Amblyomma sp. in Esteros del Iberá; Amblyomma ovale and Amblyomma sp. in Selva Paranaense, and Amblyomma tigrinum in Chaco Seco. Amblyomma dubitatum was found for the first time on Passeriformes, while the records of A. ovale on avian hosts are the first for Argentina. Birds are also new hosts for I. pararicinus females. Besides 2 larvae and 1 nymph, and 1 larvae found on Tinamidae (Tinamiformes) and Falconidae (Falconiformes), respectively, all other ticks (691 larvae, 74 nymphs and 2 females) were found on Passeriformes with a relevant contribution of the family Turdidae. Birds are important hosts for I. pararicinus as shown by a prevalence of 45% while all others prevalence were below 15%. All the species of Amblyomma and Haemaphysalis found on birds in Argentina have been also detected on humans and are proven or potential vectors for human diseases. Therefore, their avian hosts are probable reservoirs of human pathogens in Argentina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando S Flores
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, CP 5016 Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Santiago Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo Batallán
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, CP 5016 Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Ambientes de Montaña y Regiones Áridas, Universidad Nacional de Chilecito, Argentina
| | - Laura B Tauro
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, CP 5016 Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marta S Contigiani
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, CP 5016 Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Luis A Diaz
- Instituto de Virología "Dr. J. M. Vanella", Facultad Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enfermera Gordillo Gomez s/n, CP 5016 Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas CONICET-FCEFyN, UNC, 5016 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alberto A Guglielmone
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300 Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
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