Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sandra Saez-Duran, Angela L. Debenedetti, Sandra Sainz-Elipe, Mireia Sabater-Tena, Maria Teresa Galan-Puchades, Marius Vicent Fuentes
Summary: The role of helminths of the wood mouse in Mediterranean ecosystems as biological indicators of the post-fire regeneration process has been studied, revealing the true state of this process. Climate variables play a key role in influencing the post-fire regeneration process.
Article
Parasitology
Damien Jouet, Aoalsteinn Orn Snaeporsson, Karl Skirnisson
Summary: Mesocestoides canislagopodis is found in arctic foxes, gyrfalcons, and rock ptarmigans in Iceland. Wood mice were discovered to be a new intermediate host for this parasite, representing the first description of a rodent as an intermediate host for this species in Iceland.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sara Savazza, Paola Bartolommei, Stefania Gasperini, Andrea Bonacchi, Emiliano Manzo, Roberto Cozzolino
Summary: In the Mediterranean region, wood mice, as representatives of small mammal communities, inhabit both fields and woodlands. The study found that fields were less suitable for wood mice in autumn-winter, with lower numbers of mice, adults, and reproductive individuals, lighter individuals, and more resident mice. In contrast, in spring-summer, there was an increase in wood mice caught in fields, especially breeding adults. This indicates that fields can be a suboptimal habitat in this area, while still providing resources and mates for wood mice.
Article
Zoology
R. Bocz, P. Batary, J. J. Purger
Summary: Wood mouse and striped field mouse are the most common mouse species in Central Europe, coexisting in various habitats. The study found that scent significantly affects predation by large mammals, while fur pattern may not play a major role in survival. Further research is needed to explore the ecological function of fur pattern.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Manuel Garcia Diaz, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Javier Gonzalez-Romero, Pedro Antonio Plaza-Alvarez, Mehdi Navidi, Yi-Fan Liu, Gao-Lin Wu, Demetrio Antonio Zema
Summary: This study evaluates the hydrological effects of mulching in forest ecosystems after a wildfire in Central-Eastern Spain. The results show that mulching with wheat straw had a significant positive impact on water infiltration, reducing surface runoff and soil loss compared to mulching with wood chips or leaving the soil untreated.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
J. W. Lewis, N. J. Morley, J. M. Behnke
Summary: The study quantified the distributions of nematode parasites Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Syphacia stroma in the intestines of wood mice trapped in three different locations in southern England. It was found that while H.polygyrus remained largely in the anterior third of the intestine, S.stroma showed equal distribution in the anterior and middle sections in single infections but shifted towards the middle section in the presence of H.polygyrus, in a dose-dependent response.
JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Samira Merabet, Nora Khammes-El Homsi, Lydia Aftisse, Steephane Aulagnier
Summary: This study investigates the reproductive responses of three small-sized murine species to the same physical and ecological conditions in the Great Kabylia region, revealing that photoperiod and temperature cannot explain the variation in their reproduction timing, which may be linked to the feeding ecology of the species.
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
J. W. Lewis, N. J. Morley, J. M. Behnke
Summary: A survey of helminth parasites in wood mice was conducted in Southern England. Seven species of helminths were identified, with H. polygyrus and S. stroma being the most dominant. The study found associations between the presence of certain helminths and factors such as location, age, and sex. However, overall, the interactions between the helminths were found to be weak, suggesting that they form assemblages rather than interactive communities.
JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Pablo Homet, Jean-Marc Ourcival, Eduardo Gutierrez, Jara Dominguez-Begines, Luis Matias, Oscar Godoy, Lorena Gomez-Aparicio
Summary: Climate change has significant impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, but little is known about its effects on soil communities, particularly their resistance to changes in temperature and precipitation. This study examined the impact of predicted reductions in rainfall on soil food webs using nematodes as bioindicators, and found that rainfall reduction had negative effects on nematode abundance, community composition, and indicators of soil food web structure. These results suggest a low resistance of soil food webs to climate change-induced rainfall reductions.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
J. Julio Camarero, Michele Colangelo, Patricia M. Rodriguez-Gonzalez
Summary: Mediterranean riparian forests have been altered and negatively impacted by past use, climate and hydrological droughts. This study focuses on analyzing the historical changes in extent of these forests, as well as the tree growth and leaf gas exchange responses to climate variables, drought severity and river flow. The findings suggest that Populus nigra and Fraxinus angustifolia are the most responsive species to drought, with radial growth being reduced by drought and low spring-summer river flow. The stable isotopes δ13C and δ18O in wood provide insights into the water-use efficiency and source of groundwater used by these species during dry periods.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Angel Ponce, Elena Salerni, Maria Nives D'Aguanno, Claudia Perini
Summary: Deadwood plays an important role as the habitat and food source for wood-decay fungi, which are essential for wood decomposition and carbon cycling. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the diversity and community composition of these fungi in Mediterranean Quercus cerris L. forests.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miyu Nakanishi, Yuichi Onda, Junko Takahashi, Hiroaki Kato, Hikaru Iida, Momo Takada
Summary: The radionuclides released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011 resulted in an increase in air dose rates in Fukushima Prefecture forests. However, this study found that the air dose rates in the Fukushima forests actually decreased during rainfall. By developing a method to estimate rainfall-related changes in air dose rates and soil moisture content, this research contributes to improving methods used to estimate external air dose rates for humans, animals, and terrestrial forest plants in areas with high radioactive inventories.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Amy R. Sweeny, Gregory F. Albery, Saudamini Venkatesan, Andy Fenton, Amy B. Pedersen
Summary: This study investigated the impact of spatiotemporal variation on parasitism and found that season, host body condition, and sex were the key determinants of infection intensity. The effects of these factors varied over time but not in space, emphasizing the importance of long-term sampling for ecological research. Models fit to single years and site replicates often showed weak and variable detection of effects, highlighting the need for replication in both time and space in sampling designs.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
A. Fernandez-Gil, J. A. Lamas, L. M. Ansola, J. Roman, M. de Gabriel Hernando, E. Revilla
Summary: Apex predators play a critical role in shaping ecosystem diversity. This study aims to understand the mechanisms driving population dynamics in these predators by examining the relationship between population density and demographic parameters. The results indicate that density does not affect reproductive parameters at the population level, but environmental factors at the territory level, such as territory size and habitat type, do influence reproductive performance.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Emily H. Le Sage, Sarah Duncan, Travis Seaborn, Jennifer Cundiff, Leslie J. Rissler, Erica J. Crespi
Summary: This study found that environmental and competition selection pressures drive geographic variation in larval and metamorphic traits in wood frog populations. Additionally, populations with high-suitability/high-density are better at coping with competition pressure.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ignasi Torre, Carlos Jaime-Gonzalez, Mario Diaz
Summary: Natural afforestation after abandonment of traditional land uses is causing the disappearance of open spaces beneficial for many conservation species in the Mediterranean. However, fires, which are considered a threat, create open habitats where small mammals can thrive. Our analysis reveals that the diversity, abundance, and stability of Mediterranean small mammal communities are negatively influenced by vegetation structural complexity, resulting from land abandonment and recovery after wildfires. Biotic factors such as vegetation profiles and interactions with predators and competitors may explain these patterns.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ignasi Torre, Tomas Pulido, Marc Vilella, Mario Diaz
Summary: Wildfires in Mediterranean environments are important sources of landscape change and have implications for the habitat suitability of mesocarnivores. Despite higher competition and predation risk, mesocarnivores show a preference for woodland habitats due to the availability of protection and other food sources. However, they also utilize crops and urban areas, potentially facing interference with humans and their pets.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mario Diaz, Jonatan Fernandez, Alicia Page
Summary: Feral cat colonies in cities have a positive impact on the wellbeing of people but can negatively affect bird populations. A study in Madrid found that the presence of feral cat colonies increased the flight escape distances of birds, making them more fearful and potentially impacting their population trends. Balancing the benefits of cat colonies on humans with bird conservation requires the maintenance of colony-free areas and the provision of perches for birds.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Leonardo Ordonez-Delgado, Carlos Iniguez-Armijos, Mario Diaz, Adrian Escudero, Elyce Gosselin, Lisette P. Waits, Carlos Ivan Espinosa
Summary: Urbanization is a major driver of habitat and biodiversity loss worldwide. This study investigated the effects of urbanization on bird communities and found a negative impact on bird species richness and abundance. However, the responses of different bird guilds to urbanization varied among species.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Mario Diaz, Anna Ramos, Elena D. Concepcion
Summary: As urbanization continues, the conservation and improvement of urban biodiversity, particularly for birds, becomes increasingly important. Factors affecting bird species can also impact human health, making it crucial to diagnose and manage these factors effectively. Citizen involvement can play a significant role in enhancing urban bird diversity and promoting human well-being.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mario Diaz, Pablo Aycart, Anna Ramos, Ana Carricondo, Elena D. Concepcion
Summary: Conservation of Europe's biodiversity is heavily reliant on investments within Natura 2000 farmland. An analysis of long-term datasets in Spain revealed a decline in bird abundance and richness in perennial and mosaic croplands within Natura 2000 sites, while non-farmland species occupied farmland resulting in an overall increase in bird populations. Threatened bird species showed positive trends in annual croplands within Natura 2000, but negative trends in mosaic croplands. The study emphasizes the need for regionally-targeted conservation measures and finer-scale monitoring to improve farmland biodiversity conservation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Federico Morelli, Peter Mikula, Daniel T. Blumstein, Mario Diaz, Gabor Marko, Jukka Jokimaki, Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimaeki, Kristina Floigl, Farah Abou Zeid, Anastasiia Siretckaia, Yanina Benedetti
Summary: Risk-taking in birds, measured as flight initiation distance (FID), has received great attention. However, few studies have explored the effects of different types of refugia on animal escape decisions. This study used Bayesian regression models to investigate the relationship between escape behavior and the distance to the nearest refuge in European cities. The study found that birds preferred tree refuges and escaped earlier when the distance to the nearest refuge was longer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yanina Benedetti, Corey T. Callaghan, Iva Ulbrichova, Antonia Galanaki, Theodoros Kominos, Farah Abou Zeid, Juan Diego Ibanez-Alamo, Jukka Suhonen, Mario Diaz, Gabor Marko, Raphael Bussiere, Piotr Tryjanowski, Nikos Bukas, Marko Maegi, Lucas Leveau, Fabio Pruscini, Leszek Jerzak, Olaf Ciebiera, Jukka Jokimaeki, Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimaeki, Anders Pape Moller, Federico Morelli
Summary: This study examines whether the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) can predict avian diversity, urban tolerance, and specialization in urban landscapes. Using Google Earth Engine, the researchers extracted EVI and NDVI values within a 50-m buffer of bird sample points in 15 European cities. They found that NDVI was the best predictor for various aspects of avian diversity, including taxonomic diversity, functional richness and evenness, and urban tolerance. The study expands our knowledge of EVI and NDVI as surrogates for avian diversity at a continental scale. Evaluation: 9/10
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Correction
Biodiversity Conservation
Mario Diaz, Pablo Aycart, Anna Ramos, Ana Carricondo, Elena D. Concepcion
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mario Diaz, Anders Pape Moller
Summary: The Covid-19 lockdown provided an opportunity to study the direct and indirect effects of human presence on animal fearfulness. Flight initiation distances (FIDs) of birds were measured in European cities before, during, and after the lockdown. FIDs decreased in rural habitats but increased in urban habitats, especially for singing birds. The response to lockdown showed lagged effects in urban habitats but not in rural habitats. These findings suggest that the relaxation of direct disturbance effects in rural habitats and increased indirect fear effects mediated by predator release in cities influenced the flight behavior of birds.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ignasi Torre, Xavier Puig-Montserrat, Mario Diaz
Summary: Climate and land use change have significant impacts on the population dynamics and demography of the Algerian mouse. While a warmer and drier climate promotes its expansion, forest encroachment due to land abandonment leads to its retreat.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Farah Abou Zeid, Federico Morelli, Juan Diego Ibanez-Alamo, Mario Diaz, Jiri Reif, Jukka Jokimaki, Jukka Suhonen, Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimaki, Gabor Marko, Raphael Bussiere, Marko Magi, Piotr Tryjanowski, Theodoros Kominos, Antonia Galanaki, Nikos Bukas, Fabio Pruscini, Leszek Jerzak, Olaf Ciebiera, Yanina Benedetti
Summary: Understanding habitat and spatial overlap in sympatric species of urban areas would aid in predicting species and community modifications in response to global change. Habitat overlap has been widely investigated for specialist species but neglected for generalists living in urban settings. This work aimed to determine the urban habitat requirements and spatial overlap of five corvid species in sixteen European cities during the breeding season. All five studied corvid species had high overlap in their habitat selection while still having particular tendencies. We found three species, the Carrion/Hooded Crow, Rook, and Eurasian Magpie, selected open habitats. The Western Jackdaw avoided areas with bare soil cover, and the Eurasian Jay chose more forested areas. The species with similar habitat selection also had congruent spatial distributions. Our results indicate that although the corvids had some tendencies regarding habitat selection, as generalists, they still tolerated a wide range of urban habitats, which resulted in high overlap in their habitat niches and spatial distributions.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mario Diaz, Teresa Moran-Lopez
Summary: Generalist mice play an important role in the long-term dynamics of fragmented forests as both seed dispersers and predators. Food availability in woodlots affects the developmental stability of young wood mice, leading to increased mortality. This instability is counterbalanced by yearly recolonization of woodlots by adults from surrounding areas. Further non-lethal research is needed to fully understand the impacts of fluctuating asymmetry on wood mice population dynamics.
Article
Biology
Alba Pasquet, Ignasi Torre, Mario Diaz
Summary: The risk of predation is a major constraint on the distribution and foraging activities of small mammals. In addition to direct effects on population size, indirect cues such as vegetation structure and moonlight also influence activity patterns and microhabitat use. We examined the effects of moonlight levels and vegetation cover on the activity patterns of three small mammal species in Mediterranean habitats. The results showed species-specific responses, with some species being influenced more by moonlight and others more by vegetation cover. The interactive effects of habitat structure gradients further mediate community changes along vegetation gradients.
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Manuel B. Morales, Mario Diaz, David Giralt, Francesc Sarda-Palomera, Juan Traba, Francois Mougeot, David Serrano, Santi Manosa, Sabrina Gaba, Francisco Moreira, Tomas Part, Elena D. Concepcion, Rocio Tarjuelo, Beatriz Arroyo, Gerard Bota
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
