Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Marcelo Enrique Conti, Mattia Rapa, Rita Pla, Raquel Jasan, Mabel Beatriz Tudino, Silvia Canepari, Lorenzo Massimi, Maria Luisa Astolfi
Summary: In order to assess the elemental concentrations in lichen samples from Tierra del Fuego, we used various analytical techniques to determine the concentrations of over forty elements. We applied new chemometrics approaches to identify tracers of anthropic activities and found three clusters of samples. The results confirmed that the environment in Tierra del Fuego is slightly contaminated and the elemental concentrations reported in this study can be used as baseline levels for environmental management.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rosina Soler, Maria Vanessa Lencinas, Guillermo Martinez Pastur, Micaela Yamina Rosas, Gimena Bustamante, Josep Maria Espelta
Summary: This study explores forest cover changes and their influence in the world's southernmost forests (Argentina). The results indicate an increase in forest cover, with major increases at southern latitudes. Cleared forests and forest edges decreased, while woody encroachment increased, leading to an increase in landscape diversity. Areas with higher forest recovery show a reduction in past land use legacies.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Gabriela Gonzalez Garraza, Patricia Rodriguez
Summary: This study presents new observations on the distribution and expansion of the invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata on Tierra del Fuego island. Despite prevention measures, this species has continued to spread, posing a potential threat to the island's water bodies of high conservation value.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felipe Jilberto, Malgorzata Zbawicka, Roman Wenne, Maria Angelica Larrain, Cristian Araneda
Summary: This study investigates the genetic species composition and admixture in the natural hybrid zone between M. chilensis and M. platensis in the southern end of South America using SNP markers. The analysis reveals a clinal architecture in the hybrid zone, with different areas showing varying proportions of pure individuals and hybrids. The study also does not find evidence of other mussel species in the zone.
Article
Plant Sciences
Juliet Brodie, Leanne Melbourne, Robert J. Mrowicki, Paul Brickle, Stephen Russell, Sue Scott
Summary: A taxonomic study of Corallina from Tristan da Cunha and the Falkland Islands revealed two new species, as well as their relationships with other related species. The study used molecular and morphological methods to distinguish between different Corallina species and uncovered cryptic diversity within the genus. Further taxonomic efforts are needed in the South Atlantic region to better understand the diversity of Corallina species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Carolin Cordova, Claudia Garrido-Ruiz, Angela Machuca, Erick Zagal, Raul Orrego, Victor Finot
Summary: This study assessed the annual CO2 emissions from microbial carbon mineralization in a peatland site in Tierra del Fuego, finding that most CO2 emissions occurred in the warmer season. If agricultural activities are introduced to the study area, soil CO2 emissions from heterotrophic activity could become a significant source of global CO2 emissions.
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Federico Isla, Salvador Lamarchina
Summary: High-latitude coasts are composed of coarse-grained sediments derived from Pleistocene glaciations, leading to gravel armouring on beaches and spits. The resistance of gravel beaches to migrate onshore attenuates the expectance for anthropogenic-induced sea-level rise. Several examples from Patagonian and Fuegian coasts are analyzed to consider armouring, migration, and cannibalization of gravel spits for forecasting coastal evolution in relation to sea-level rise.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Fabian M. Jaksic
Summary: This article reviews the natural history of Ctenomys magellanicus in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, focusing on its species description, distribution, life history, interactions with plants, herbivorous competitors, predators, and humans. It also briefly mentions the cultural impact of this burrowing rodent on indigenous peoples. Although not specifically addressing the systematic study of C. magellanicus, it provides an updated overview of the taxonomy of the genus it belongs to.
REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Francisco Gallardo, Gloria Cabello, Marcela Sepulveda, Benjamin Ballester, Danae Fiore, Alfredo Prieto
Summary: The research discovered rock art site on Tierra del Fuego Island similar to other sites in the southern archipelago and the Pali Aike volcanic field. This suggests that the Fuegian people had navigational technology and cooperative social interaction for survival.
LATIN AMERICAN ANTIQUITY
(2023)
Article
Geography
William L. Franklin
Summary: This article addresses the biogeographical question of why the guanaco is the only large mammal on Tierra del Fuego by comparing different colonization hypotheses. The study reveals that Tierra del Fuego has significantly fewer native terrestrial vertebrates compared to the neighboring Patagonia region, possibly due to a major volcanic eruption that wiped out indigenous peoples and most terrestrial vertebrates. The guanaco population on Tierra del Fuego has lower genetic diversity and is likely introduced by early indigenous peoples from the mainland.
GEO-GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Christina M. Balentine, Marta Alfonso-Durruty, Austin W. Reynolds, Miguel Vilar, Flavia Morello, Manuel San Roman, Lauren C. Springs, Rick W. A. Smith, Samantha M. Archer, Jaime Mata-Miguez, Natalie Wing, Deborah A. Bolnick
Summary: This study investigates the genetic histories of ancient hunter-gatherer groups in Fuego-Patagonia with distinct subsistence strategies. The results show that the Marine and Terrestrial groups represent distinct ancestral lineages, with the divergence occurring around 14,000 years ago. These findings suggest independent migrations into the Fuego-Patagonia region.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Conxi Rodriguez-Prieto, Olivier De Clerck, Michael D. Guiry, Showe-Mei Lin
Summary: The classification of the genera Grateloupia, Phyllymenia, and Prionitis remains controversial and relies on the anatomy of female reproductive structures and phylogenetic reconstructions. A new species of Prionitis was discovered in Taiwan, revealing common characteristics of female reproductive structures among related species and supporting a monophyletic relationship based on combined rbcL and LSU rDNA sequence analyses. Further reinvestigation into the female reproductive structures of Grateloupia sensu lato species closely related to Prionitis and Phyllymenia is needed for resolving the systematics of the Halymeniaceae.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luna M. van der Loos, Sofie D'hondt, Aschwin H. Engelen, Henrik Pavia, Gunilla B. Toth, Anne Willems, Florian Weinberger, Olivier De Clerck, Sophie Steinhagen
Summary: This study investigated the stability and variability of seaweed-associated bacteria across the Atlantic-Baltic Sea salinity gradient. Results showed that bacterial composition was strongly influenced by salinity and host species, with distinct communities in low and high salinity regions. A small taxonomic core community was identified, contributing to 14% of reads per sample, and core taxa followed a gradient model, facilitating host adaptation across the environmental gradient.
Article
Plant Sciences
Christophe Vieira, Tom Schils, Hiroshi Kawai, Sofie D'hondt, Monica O. Paiano, Alison R. Sherwood, Olivier De Clerck, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: The calcified encrusting brown algal genus Newhousia is reported from three new archipelagos in the Pacific, with five distinct evolutionary lineages identified. The lineage from Guam, showing genetic variation from previously known species, is described as a new species.
Article
Plant Sciences
Christophe Vieira, Olivier De Clerck, Antoine De Ramon N'Yeurt, Sofie D'hondt, Laurent Millet, Myung Sook Kim, Claude Payri, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: In this study, we used an integrative taxonomic approach to re-evaluate the diversity of Lobophora. Our findings show that French Polynesia has at least 37 Lobophora species, with over half of them being endemic. French Polynesia shares a high biogeographic affinity with the Melanesian Islands and has connections to the western Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. We propose that Lobophora species in French Polynesia mainly evolved from colonizers originating from the Central Indo-Pacific, resulting in high endemism in remote archipelagos.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Razy Hoffman, Olivier De Clerck, Frederik Leliaert
Summary: We provide an account of two newly recorded non-indigenous tropical seaweed species, Siphonocladus tropicus and Caulerpa integerrima, found in the Levantine Mediterranean Sea. Morphological and molecular evidence supports the reports, which also indicate the possible origin and pathways of introduction for these species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lan-Anh T Tran, Frederik Leliaert, Christophe Vieira, Tien V Tran, Tu V Nguyen, Tien D Dam, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: The species diversity of Ulva in Vietnam was investigated using genetic markers, resulting in the identification of 19 species. Seven species were recorded for the first time in Vietnam, and some genetic clusters could not be matched with species names. The study also found that the species composition in Vietnam is similar to adjacent countries and highlights the importance of molecular data in assessing Ulva diversity. Additionally, the research suggests that there may be undiscovered diversity in tropical regions.
PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Quinten Bafort, Tian Wu, Annelore Natran, Olivier De Clerck, Yves Van de Peer
Summary: The immediate effects of plant polyploidization contribute to polyploid establishment through morphological, physiological, developmental, and phenological changes. However, studies on the relationship between the immediate effects of whole-genome duplication and the environment are limited but suggest that stressful conditions can alter these effects. In this study, a common garden experiment on the greater duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza was conducted to test whether the immediate effects of WGD can facilitate tetraploid duckweed establishment under two environmental stressors. The results indicate that WGD can confer a fitness advantage under stressful conditions, and the effects of the environment on ploidy-induced changes are strain-specific.
Article
Plant Sciences
Soria Delva, Camino Fernandez de la Hoz, Quinten Bafort, Sofie D'hondt, Soha Shabaka, Sarah Hamdy Rashedy, Alison R. Sherwood, Tamar Guy-Haim, Alvaro Israel, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: In this study, we investigate the introduction of Dictyota acutiloba in the Mediterranean Sea and provided an updated distribution of this species, which was believed to be limited to the Pacific Ocean. Genetic analysis and ecological niche models confirmed the presence of D. acutiloba in Indo-Pacific regions and along the Israeli coastline in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. The close genetic relationship between introduced specimens and those from the Red Sea suggests an introduction through the Suez Canal. The further spread of D. acutiloba in the eastern Mediterranean is likely, with possible extension into the western Mediterranean Sea, depending on climate change scenarios.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jonas Blomme, Thomas Wichard, Thomas B. Jacobs, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: Green seaweeds, particularly Ulva species, have various morphologies and ecological roles, making them important for research in carbon assimilation, bacteria interactions, life cycle, and economic benefits. Ulva mutabilis/compressa is suggested as a model species and the article highlights available molecular data and tools for further research. Exciting developments in other Ulva species are also discussed.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Soria Delva, Bernard De Baets, Jan M. Baetens, Olivier De Clerck, Willem Stock
Summary: This study investigated whether the thermal tolerance of the brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma can be enhanced by adding bacteria from its natural environment. The results showed that bacterial supplementation did not affect the growth of the seaweed over the full thermal gradient, suggesting that ecological bacterial rescue may not play a role in mitigating the effects of ocean warming on this brown seaweed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco Paolo Mancuso, Kathryn Lee Morrissey, Olivier De Clerck, Laura Airoldi
Summary: Warming and nutrient enrichment have significant effects on the physiology and survival of foundation species in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects and the role of microbial communities have been overlooked in experiments. This study examined the impacts of air warming and nutrient enrichment on a seaweed species and its associated bacterial communities. The results showed that the two stressors had additive, antagonistic, and synergistic interactions on the abundance of bacterial taxa, and they mainly affected metabolic pathways associated with seaweed disease, degradation of cell-wall polymers, and algicidal processes. These findings highlight the dysregulation of seaweed microbiomes by warming and nutrient enrichment, providing a potential mechanism for their ongoing loss.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Clara Benavent-Celma, Debbie McLaggan, Pieter van West, Steve Woodward
Summary: The oomycete pathogens of the Phytophthora genus can undergo natural interspecific hybridization, resulting in hybrids with enhanced virulence and a broader host range. This study discovered a putative hybrid isolate among a group of unidentified oomycetes, which was further characterized and shown to contain genetic information from multiple Phytophthora species. However, the putative hybrid was found to be less virulent than Phytophthora cryptogea.
Article
Biology
Christophe Vieira, Myung Sook Kim, Antoine De Ramon N'Yeurt, Claude Payri, Sofie D'Hondt, Olivier De Clerck, Mayalen Zubia
Summary: This study utilized DNA barcoding to revise the species diversity of French Polynesian marine flora, resulting in the identification of a total of 702 species, including 119 Chlorophyta, 169 Cyanobacteria, 92 Ochrophyta, 320 Rhodophyta, and 2 seagrass species. This research also provides a valuable DNA barcode reference library for identification purposes and future taxonomic and conservation studies.
Review
Mycology
Hossein Masigol, Pieter Van West, Seyedeh Roksana Taheri, Juan-Miguel Fregeneda-Grandes, Lucian Parvulescu, Debbie McLaggan, Tim Tobias Bliss, Reza Mostowfizadeh-Ghalamfarsa, Mohammad Javad Pourmoghaddam, Hans-Peter Grossart
Summary: This study reviewed 1073 papers and 2803 ITS sequences of Saprolegniales to investigate their taxonomy, diversity, and potential roles in freshwater ecosystems. The results showed that our knowledge on the diversity and ecology of Saprolegniales is limited, and both classic taxonomy and molecular techniques have been insufficient for their identification and distribution. Furthermore, the involvement of Saprolegniales in carbon turnover and food web dynamics is not well understood. The study proposes new research avenues and suggests increasing the practicality of classic taxonomy and utilizing molecular toolboxes to overcome the challenges in studying Saprolegniales.
FUNGAL BIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Luna M. van der Loos, Quinten Bafort, Samuel Bosch, Enric Ballesteros, Ignacio Barbara, Estibaliz Berecibar, Aurelie Blanfune, Kenny Bogaert, Silke Bouckenooghe, Charles-Francois Boudouresque, Juliet Brodie, Ester Cecere, Pilar Diaz-Tapia, Aschwin H. Engelen, Karl Gunnarson, Soha Hamdy Shabaka, Razy Hoffman, Vivian Husa, Alvaro Israel, Mart Karremans, Jessica Knoop, Line Le Gall, Christine A. Maggs, Frederic Mineur, Manuela Parente, Frank Perk, Antonella Petrocelli, Conxi Rodriguez-Prieto, Sandrine Ruitton, Marta Sanson, Ester A. Serrao, Adriano Sfriso, Kjersti Sjotun, Valerie Stiger-Pouvreau, Gwladys Surget, Ergun Taskin, Thierry Thibaut, Konstantinos Tsiamis, Lotte Van de Weghe, Marc Verlaque, Frederique Viard, Sofie Vranken, Frederik Leliaert, Olivier De Clerck
Summary: Effective monitoring of non-indigenous seaweeds is important, but there is still uncertainty about the status of many species. This study analysed the status of presumed non-indigenous seaweed species in the Mediterranean Sea, Northeast Atlantic Ocean, and Macaronesia. A list of 140 undisputed non-indigenous species was produced, while the status of 87 species remained unclear. The study also found significant variation in the diversity of non-indigenous species between geographic regions. The current measures and policies are insufficient to battle the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species in the study area.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
