Article
Environmental Sciences
Dongying Sun, Ethel Ansaah Addae, Hatem Jemmali, Isaac Adjei Mensah, Mohammed Musah, Claudia Nyarko Mensah, Florence Appiah-Twum
Summary: This study examines the determinants of water resources availability in sub-Sahara Africa using a panel regression model. Factors such as agriculture production, CO2 emissions, economic growth, industrial development, and urbanization have complex relationships with water resources across different income levels in the region. The results are confirmed by robust methods and causality checks reveal mixed results regarding causal paths among variables among the country panels.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hugo Romero-Montoya, Diana Sanchez-Partida, Jose-Luis Martinez-Flores, Patricia Cano-Olivos
Summary: The study proposes a multivariate model to predict water availability in Mexico based on 26 variables, with 16 relevant variables identified in the final model. The approach uses multiple linear regression model and variable selection techniques, with progressive improvement through the use of variable transformation, outlier detection, and elimination. The prediction model is helpful for generating drought mitigation strategies.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Joao Fabio Turco, Joao Benhur Mokochinski, Yohandra Reyes Torres
Summary: In this study, the lipidomic analysis of geopropolis from indigenous Brazilian stingless bees was conducted for the first time using LC-HRMS and bioinformatic tools. It was found that geopropolis contains 61 compounds of various lipid classes. The multivariate analysis showed that the species of stingless bees and their geographical origin are relevant factors affecting the composition of geopropolis.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wei Li, Ziyuan Wang, Shuqiang He
Summary: The relationship between biological diversity and community invasibility is influenced by spatial scale and resource availability. This study found that microalgal richness and nutrient availability have individual and interactive effects on community invasibility. High-diversity communities have stronger biotic resistance to invasions and nutrient-enriched microcosms are more susceptible to invasion.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ricardo A. Segovia
Summary: The kinetic hypothesis of biodiversity suggests that temperature is the primary factor influencing species richness due to its exponential effect on biological activity and diversification rates. However, limited support for this hypothesis exists. This study tested the model's fit on tree-species richness across a latitudinal gradient in the Americas and found that it accurately predicts the upper bound relationship between temperature and species richness. Additional factors such as water availability and freezing temperatures explain some of the residual variation in the model. The findings suggest that the kinetic hypothesis models the potential maximum species richness per unit of temperature and that environmental thresholds play a crucial role in driving observable variation in species richness.
Article
Ecology
Janaina Gabriela Larsen, Ana Carolina da Silva, Michele de Sa Dechoum, Elisete Maria de Freitas, Juliano Pereira Gomes, Lilian Iara Bet Stedille, Joema Carvalho, Pedro Higuchi
Summary: Biological invasions pose a major environmental challenge, and this study investigates their impacts on the subtropical Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. The findings show that the abundance of invasive trees adversely affects the diversity and functional composition of native species. Coexistence between invasive and native species is observed, but increased invasive abundance leads to a reduction in the leaf area and specific leaf area of the native community.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Talles de Oliveira Santos, Antonio Teixeira do Amaral Junior, Rosimeire Barboza Bispo, Valter Jario de Lima, Samuel Henrique Kamphorst, Jhean Torres Leite, Divino Rosa dos Santos Junior, Pedro Henrique Araujo Diniz Santos, Ueliton Alves de Oliveira, Katia Fabiane Medeiros Schmitt, Eliemar Campostrini, Monique Moreira Moulin, Alexandre Pio Viana, Geraldo de Amaral Gravina, Caio Cezar Guedes Correa, Gabriel Moreno Bernardo Goncalves
Summary: This study aimed to select popcorn genotypes for drought environments, identifying the most stable population 880POP for cultivation in water-limited conditions. The research will establish an important collection of maize germplasm and provide information to facilitate breeding programs focused on drought tolerance.
Article
Ecology
Ahmed Taheri, Mohamed Elmahroussi, Joaquin-Luis Reyes-Lopez, Nard Bennas, Jose Carlos Brito
Summary: The study in southern Morocco's oases found a high species richness of both native and non-native ants, with water availability being related to ant diversity.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lei Meng, Lizhi Zhou
Summary: The distribution pattern of species richness of glires in China was mainly influenced by habitat heterogeneity for nonendemic species and by climatic seasonality for endemic species. The Hengduan Mountains and surrounding areas in southwest China had the highest species richness. These findings have important implications for biodiversity conservation and environmental management.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claus Rasmussen, Yoko L. Dupont, Henning Bang Madsen, Petr Bogusch, Dave Goulson, Lina Herbertsson, Kate Pereira Maia, Anders Nielsen, Jens M. Olesen, Simon G. Potts, Stuart P. M. Roberts, Markus Arne Kjaer Sydenham, Per Kryger
Summary: The study identified and summarized forage plants for honey bees and wild bee species in Denmark, finding that they share 176 plant genera. Although no significant relationship was found between the overlap of honey bees and wild bees and their forage specialization or conservation status, data for individual species could be summarized.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanbo Yang, Lixin Jing, Qi Li, Chentao Liang, Quanxing Dong, Shuting Zhao, Yuwen Chen, Danqi She, Xu Zhang, Lei Wang, Guanchao Cheng, Xiting Zhang, Yufeng Guo, Panli Tian, Lin Gu, Meina Zhu, Jing Lou, Qian Du, Huimei Wang, Xingyuan He, Wenjie Wang
Summary: This study examines the impact of forest structure, plant diversity, and soil physics on forest water-holding capacities. The results show that large-sized trees have higher water-holding capacities in litter, canopy, and soil compared to small-sized trees. Higher species richness increases soil water-holding capacities. Soil physics, forest structure, and plant diversity explain 90.5%, 5.9%, and 0.2% of the variation in water-holding capacities, respectively. In conclusion, mixed forests with big-sized trees and rich species can effectively improve the water-holding capacities of the ecosystem.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, Peter B. Reich, Javier G. P. Gamarra, Tom Crowther, Cang Hui, Albert Morera, Jean-Francois Bastin, Sergio de-Miguel, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Jens-Christian Svenning, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Cory Merow, Brian Enquist, Maria Kamenetsky, Junho Lee, Jun Zhu, Jinyun Fang, Douglass F. Jacobs, Bryan Pijanowski, Arindam Banerjee, Robert A. Giaquinto, Giorgio Alberti, Angelica Maria Almeyda Zambrano, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Valerio Avitabile, Gerardo A. Aymard, Radomir Balazy, Chris Baraloto, Jorcely G. Barroso, Meredith L. Bastian, Philippe Birnbaum, Robert Bitariho, Jan Bogaert, Frans Bongers, Olivier Bouriaud, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Francis Q. Brearley, Eben North Broadbent, Filippo Bussotti, Wendeson Castro da Silva, Ricardo Gomes Cesar, Goran Cesljar, Victor Chama Moscoso, Han Y. H. Chen, Emil Cienciala, Connie J. Clark, David A. Coomes, Selvadurai Dayanandan, Mathieu Decuyper, Laura E. Dee, Jhon Del Aguila Pasquel, Geraldine Derroire, Marie Noel Kamdem Djuikouo, Tran Van Do, Jiri Dolezal, Ilija D. Dordevic, Julien Engel, Tom M. Fayle, Ted R. Feldpausch, Jonas K. Fridman, David J. Harris, Andreas Hemp, Geerten Hengeveld, Bruno Herault, Martin Herold, Thomas Ibanez, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Vivian Kvist Johannsen, Tommaso Jucker, Ahto Kangur, Victor N. Karminov, Kuswata Kartawinata, Deborah K. Kennard, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Gunnar Keppel, Mohammed Latif Khan, Pramod Kumar Khare, Timothy J. Kileen, Hyun Seok Kim, Henn Korjus, Amit Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Diana Laarmann, Nicolas Labriere, Mait Lang, Simon L. Lewis, Natalia Lukina, Brian S. Maitner, Yadvinder Malhi, Andrew R. Marshall, Olga V. Martynenko, Abel L. Monteagudo Mendoza, Petr V. Ontikov, Edgar Ortiz-Malavasi, Nadir C. Pallqui Camacho, Alain Paquette, Minjee Park, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Pablo Luis Peri, Pascal Petronelli, Sebastian Pfautsch, Oliver L. Phillips, Nicolas Picard, Daniel Piotto, Lourens Poorter, John R. Poulsen, Hans Pretzsch, Hirma Ramirez-Angulo, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, Mirco Rodeghiero, Rocio Del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Samir G. Rolim, Francesco Rovero, Ervan Rutishauser, Purabi Saikia, Christian Salas-Eljatib, Dmitry Schepaschenko, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Vladimir Seben, Marcos Silveira, Ferry Slik, Bonaventure Sonke, Alexandre F. Souza, Krzysztof Jan Sterenczak, Miroslav Svoboda, Hermann Taedoumg, Nadja Tchebakova, John Terborgh, Elena Tikhonova, Armando Torres-Lezama, Fons van der Plas, Rodolfo Vasquez, Helder Viana, Alexander C. Vibrans, Emilio Vilanova, Vincent A. Vos, Hua-Feng Wang, Bertil Westerlund, Lee J. T. White, Susan K. Wiser, Tomasz Zawila-Niedzwiecki, Lise Zemagho, Zhi-Xin Zhu, Irie C. Zo-Bi, Jingjing Liang
Summary: One of the fundamental questions in ecology is how many species exist on Earth. This study estimated the total number of tree species globally, using global crowdsourced data. The findings suggest that there are approximately 73,000 tree species globally, with around 9,000 species yet to be discovered. These results highlight the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity to human-induced changes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yiyuan Li, Sean P. Leonard, J. Elijah Powell, Nancy A. Moran
Summary: By studying the gut microbiomes of honey bees and bumble bees, it was found that the gut-associated bacteria, Gilliamella and Snodgrassella, have diversified into discrete populations over 80 million years, with limited gene flow. These bacteria have adapted to specific hosts and ecological niches through acquiring genes, leading to barriers to gene flow within different host species and within individual hosts.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roberto Garcia, Acacia Naves, Jose Anta, Manuel Ron, Jorge Molinero
Summary: The provision of drinking water in the Sahrawi refugee camps faces challenges, with inadequate supply and health risks associated with the quality of untreated water. Improvements in the supply system and water treatment can increase water supply and ensure the health of refugees.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Elisa Abate, Maria Azzara, Patrizia Trifilo
Summary: The study investigated the drought resistance strategy of two Mediterranean native plant species and found that different species showed slight differences in response and water use strategies, but root hydraulic traits played a crucial role in the recovery of plant hydraulic conductance.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Timothy Weekers, Leon Marshall, Nicolas Leclercq, Thomas James Wood, Diego Cejas, Bianca Drepper, Louise Hutchinson, Denis Michez, Jean-Marc Molenberg, Guy Smagghe, Peter Vandamme, Nicolas J. Vereecken
Summary: The study found that the dominance of honey bees is significantly and negatively associated with wild bee diversity, regardless of local management practices. Semi-natural habitats have a positive impact on functional diversity of wild bees, while urbanization and crop cover around orchards have no effect on diversity metrics. In locations with high honey bee dominance, a greater number of bee species exhibit less common combinations of functional traits, especially larger bee species with longer tongues.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Laila Hamroud, Patrick Lhomme, Stefanie Christmann, Ahlam Sentil, Denis Michez, Pierre Rasmont
Summary: Food production relies heavily on insect pollination services, and the decline in pollinators, including managed and wild bees, is a global concern. This study explores the potential of using bee hotels to attract wild bees to cherry orchards in Morocco.
JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Book Review
Entomology
Guillaume Ghisbain, Denis Michez
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Anina C. Knauer, Cedric Alaux, Matthew J. Allan, Robin R. Dean, Virginie Dievart, Gaetan Glauser, Tomasz Kiljanek, Denis Michez, Janine M. Schwarz, Giovanni Tamburini, Dimitry Wintermantel, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Matthias Albrecht
Summary: This study shows that the synergistic impacts of pesticide exposure and nutritional stress on bees were observed, and the current risk assessments that ignore these interactions are insufficient in protecting bees and their pollination services.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Vladimir G. Radchenko, Guillaume Ghisbain, Denis Michez
Summary: North Africa is a significant region for studying the diversity of wild bees due to its diverse ecosystems. This paper describes a new species of the bee genus Dasypoda, called D. schwarzi, which is phenotypically distinct from other species and provides a detailed comparative diagnosis.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Simon Hodge, Oliver Schweiger, Alexandra-Maria Klein, Simon G. Potts, Cecilia Costa, Matthias Albrecht, Joachim R. de Miranda, Marika Mand, Pilar De la Rua, Maj Rundlof, Eleanor Attridge, Robin Dean, Philippe Bulet, Denis Michez, Robert J. Paxton, Aurelie Babin, Nicolas Cougoule, Marion Laurent, Anne-Claire Martel, Laurianne Paris, Marie-Pierre Riviere, Eric Dubois, Marie-Pierre Chauzat, Karim Arafah, Dalel Askri, Sebastien N. Voisin, Tomasz Kiljanek, Irene Bottero, Christophe Dominik, Giovanni Tamburini, Maria Helena Pereira-Peixoto, Dimitry Wintermantel, Tom D. Breeze, Elena Cini, Deepa Senapathi, Gennaro Di Prisco, Piotr Medrzycki, Steffen Hagenbucher, Anina Knauer, Janine M. Schwarz, Risto Raimets, Vicente Martinez-Lopez, Kjell Ivarsson, Chris Hartfield, Pamela Hunter, Mark J. E. Brown, Jane C. Stout
Summary: To understand the negative impacts on insects in agricultural landscapes, it is important to assess multiple stressors and their interactions across large geographical scales. The PoshBee project established a network of 128 study sites across Europe and collected measurements and samples related to various aspects of the bees' environment. This paper describes the development process, rationale, and outcomes of the project, highlighting the challenges and actions that may benefit future large-scale studies.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Youssef Bencharki, Stefanie Christmann, Patrick Lhomme, Oumayma Ihsane, Ahlam Sentil, Insafe El Abdouni, Laila Hamroud, Pierre Rasmont, Denis Michez
Summary: The presence of pollinating insects in crop fields is crucial for agricultural production and ecosystem balance. "Farming with Alternative Pollinators" (FAP) is an effective approach to attract and sustain pollinators, increasing the abundance and diversity of flower visitors in fields.
RENEWABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda Hettiarachchi, Margo Cnockaert, Marie Joossens, David Laureys, Jessika De Clippeleer, Nicolas J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Dirk C. de Graaf, Peter Vandamme
Summary: This study analyzed the cultivable bacterial communities of different compartments in the invasive insect Vespa velutina, as well as the nest samples, using both cultivation and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The bacterial symbionts in Vespa velutina were dominated by Convivina, Fructobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lactococcus, Sphingomonas, and Spiroplasma. Lactococcus lactis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were generalist core lactic acid bacteria (LAB) symbionts, while Convivina species and Fructobacillus fructosus were highly specialized core LAB symbionts with reduced genome sizes. Sphingomonas and Spiroplasma were non-LAB core symbionts, but they were not isolated. Convivina bacteria were particularly enriched in the hornet crop and included Convivina intestini, a species adapted to amino acid metabolism, and Convivina praedatoris sp. nov., which was adapted to carbohydrate metabolism.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tina Tuerlings, Amanda Hettiarachchi, Marie Joossens, Benoit Geslin, Nicolas J. J. Vereecken, Denis Michez, Guy Smagghe, Peter Vandamme
Summary: The study characterized the gut microbiota of invasive bee Megachile sculpturalis from native and invaded regions. The microbiota communities in bees from invaded regions were similar and different from those in Japan. Core amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) represented micro-organisms commonly present in bee-associated niches. The absence of known bee pathogens and presence of microparasite infections suggest a potential role of pathogen pressure and natural enemies in the invasion success of M. sculpturalis.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Irene Semay, Vincent Lemaur, Antoine Gekiere, Maryse Vanderplanck, Pierre Duez, Denis Michez, Pascal Gerbaux
Summary: This study investigates the dissociation processes of spermidine-based phenolamides as model compounds, and proposes two competitive dissociation routes, the phenolate and imidate pathways. The results show that negatively charged phenolamide ions can better distinguish phenolamide regioisomers and identify phenolamides in natural extracts more accurately in the negative ionization mode.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paulo de Sousa, Andre Henriques, Sara E. Silva, Luisa G. Carvalheiro, Guy Smagghe, Denis Michez, Thomas J. Wood, Octavio S. Paulo
Summary: We used a population genomic approach to study three wild bee species in the Iberian Peninsula and found genetic differentiation and diversity across different locations. The results showed a consistent pattern across species, suggesting the presence of refugia within the region. The genetic differentiation and diversity were influenced by life-history traits and past climate changes, indicating the importance of the Iberian refugia as a biodiversity hotspot.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paolo Rosa, Thomas Wood, Teresa Luisa L. Silva, Joana Verissimo, Vanessa A. Mata, Denis Michez, Pedro Beja, Sonia Ferreira
Summary: The study focuses on DNA barcoding of cuckoo wasps, with 144 specimens and 103 species analyzed. The results provide new insights into the DNA barcodes and distribution of cuckoo wasps, and two new species are described. The study also proposes taxonomic changes and new classifications.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guillaume Ghisbain, Wim Thiery, Francois Massonnet, Diana Erazo, Pierre Rasmont, Denis Michez, Simon Dellicour
Summary: A quantitative study of past, present and future ecological suitability of Europe for bumblebees finds that for 38-76% of species now considered non-threatened, suitable territory could decrease by at least 30% by 2061-2080.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Antoine Gekiere, Maryse Vanderplanck, Denis Michez
Summary: This review examines the effects of trace metals and metalloids (TMM) on bees. It includes a comprehensive analysis of 59 studies conducted in laboratories and in the field. The review finds that TMM have impacts on bees at the community, individual, physiological, histological, and microbial levels. Additionally, bees are likely exposed to TMM in combination with other stressors, such as pesticides and parasites. However, most studies have focused on lethal effects on Western honey bees, highlighting the need for further investigation into the sublethal effects of TMM on non-Apis species.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Guillaume Ghisbain, Simone Flaminio, Vladimir G. Radchenko, Denis Michez
Summary: A new species of pantaloon bee, Dasypoda delectabilis, is described from south-eastern Iran, highlighting its unique morphology and similarities with other Dasypoda species in the Middle East. Comparative remarks on the morphology and biogeography of the subgenus Heterodasypoda are provided, along with a checklist of the genus Dasypoda for the region. This study emphasizes the need for further research on this interesting yet overlooked fauna.
ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
(2023)
