Article
Ecology
Dula Wakassa Duguma, Elizabeth Law, Girma Shumi, Patricia Rodrigues, Feyera Senbeta, Jannik Schultner, David J. Abson, Joern Fischer
Summary: The aim of this study was to model woody plant species richness in southwestern Ethiopia and predict the impact of future land-use changes on biodiversity. The results showed that scenarios focused on mining and food production would lead to significant biodiversity loss, while a scenario prioritizing gain over grain could maintain biodiversity relative to the baseline. Only the scenario combining coffee and conservation showed positive changes in biodiversity in the long term.
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael J. O'Brien, Elisa P. Carbonell, Gianalberto Losapio, Philipp M. Schlueter, Christian Schoeb
Summary: The study found that seed germination was higher in the original microsite, although recruitment was weakened. For A. armerina, plants from the most productive microsite had distinct trait values; while F. indigesta showed significant trait plasticity in different environmental conditions.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Csaba F. Vad, Anett Hanny-Endredi, Pavel Kratina, Andras Abonyi, Ekaterina Mironova, David S. Murray, Larysa Samchyshyna, Ioannis Tsakalakis, Evangelia Smeti, Sofie Spatharis, Hanrong Tan, Christian Preiler, Adam Petrusek, Mia M. Bengtsson, Robert Ptacnik
Summary: Climate change-related heatwaves pose significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, our understanding of how communities resist and recover from extreme temperature events is limited. The spatial insurance hypothesis suggests that diverse species pools can buffer ecosystems against disturbances through the immigration of better-adapted species, but experimental evidence is lacking.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Devin K. Jones, Kathryn A. Quinlin, Maggie A. Wigren, Youn J. Choi, Maria S. Sepulveda, Linda S. Lee, David L. Haskins, Guilherme R. Lotufo, Alan Kennedy, Lauren May, Ashley Harmon, Thomas Biber, Nicolas Melby, Michael K. Chanov, Michelle L. Hudson, Peter B. Key, Katy W. Chung, David W. Moore, Jamie G. Suski, Edward F. Wirth, Jason T. Hoverman
Summary: Researchers have found it crucial to further explore the potential toxic effects of PFAS-free AFFF as a substitute for PFAS-containing AFFF. The study reveals variations in the toxicity of different chemical formulations on aquatic species, with some formulas being more toxic than others.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Barbara Barta, Attila Szabo, Beata Szabo, Robert Ptacnik, Csaba F. Vad, Zsofia Horvath
Summary: Habitat loss and fragmentation pose significant challenges to biodiversity conservation. The study found that connectivity in small-scaled habitat networks has an impact on biodiversity patterns. Ponds, as part of a network, play an important role in species richness and metacommunity structure.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mark Davidson Jewell, Sofia J. van Moorsel, Graham Bell
Summary: Communities of free-floating aquatic plants dominated by Lemnaceae (duckweeds) are common in ponds and wetlands globally. Different species within this group have morphological and physiological differences, but their distributions are partly influenced by habitat specialization to water phosphorus levels. High nutrient specialization leads to smaller, simpler species found in higher nutrient sites, while a latitudinal gradient in species richness is observed. Competitive sorting of suitable species from a regional species pool drives the distribution of these plants.
Article
Microbiology
Hua Zheng, Zefen Yu, Xinwei Jiang, Linlin Fang, Min Qiao
Summary: This study investigated the diversity and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum species in aquatic plants in southwest China. Thirteen new Colletotrichum species were identified based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis. Pathogenicity tests revealed a wide diversity in pathogenicity and aggressiveness among these species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Panayiotis G. Dimitrakopoulos, Sotirios Koukoulas, Chrysanthi Michelaki, Alexandros Galanidis
Summary: The study conducted a roadside survey on alien plant species on Lesvos, using a Negative-binomial model and Generalised Additive Model to analyze the factors influencing the spatial distribution of alien plants. The results showed that both human activities and environmental factors played a role in shaping the distribution patterns of alien plants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biology
Daniel L. Rabosky
Summary: The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is a significant biodiversity pattern on Earth, but its primary cause is still debated. This study examines diversity patterns in marine and freshwater systems and finds that species richness is weakly related to time for diversification, suggesting that energy, productivity, or geographic area may be the primary drivers of large-scale diversity gradients.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Danai-Eleni Michailidou, Maria Lazarina, Stefanos P. Sgardelis
Summary: Research indicates that predator-prey interactions impact predator distribution, with temperature and prey richness influencing the future distribution of grass snakes. A significant range contraction is anticipated in the absence of dispersal, while the possibility of free dispersal is low, leading to potential expansion northwards for the species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Camille Richon, Thomas Gorgues, Ika Paul-Pont, Christophe Maes
Summary: This study assessed the global exposure of zooplankton to microplastics using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model. The results showed that surface waters and coastal areas close to major microplastic sources had the highest microplastic concentration. Seasonal deepening of the mixed layer depth also contributed to the transport of microplastics to deeper waters. High water contamination and intense grazing activity were identified as the main drivers of zooplankton exposure to microplastics.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hom Nath Pathak, Bharat Babu Shrestha, Dinesh Raj Bhuju, Daya Sagar Subedi
Summary: This study inventoried and documented 20 IAPs in Pokhara valley, Nepal, with four of them being among the world's worst invasive species. Some IAPs were found to be in the early stages of invasion in the valley. Shrub land had the highest richness of IAPs among different land use types. The Pokhara valley has already been invaded by a large number of IAPs, with the potential arrival of new IAPs in the future. Periodic inventory and mapping of IAPs would be essential for identifying new invaders and making timely management decisions.
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Tong Chen, Siyuan Wang, Xinwei Jiang, Ying Huang, Minghe Mo, Zefen Yu
Summary: Most species of Didymellaceae are associated with diseases of land plants, but their occurrence in aquatic plants is not well known. In this study, 51 isolates belonging to Didymellaceae were obtained from endophytes in aquatic plants. Through genetic analysis, two new varieties belonging to Boeremia and 12 new species distributed into seven genera were identified. The high frequency of new species suggests that aquatic plants may be a special ecological niche promoting species differentiation, and further investigation of fungal resources in aquatic environments is necessary.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Phoebe Parker-Shames, Christopher Choi, Van Butsic, David Green, Brent Barry, Katie Moriarty, Taal Levi, Justin S. Brashares
Summary: The study mapped and characterized outdoor cannabis production in a large legacy cannabis-producing region of Southern Oregon during the first season of legal recreational production in 2016. The results showed that cannabis production areas were preferentially located in forested areas and undeveloped land, with smaller, spatially clustered farms. Cannabis farms were slightly closer to rivers, especially in areas predicted to have coho salmon presence.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nik Ojdanic, Mateja Germ, Masa Andlovic, Dorotej Cernela, Igor Zelnik
Summary: This study analyzed the occurrence and depth distribution of submerged and emerged aquatic macrophytes in Lake Bohinj. The potential zone of macrophyte growth was accurately mapped based on depth measurements and coordinates. The study found significant differences in macrophyte cover between different shores and inflow/outflow areas of the lake.
Article
Ornithology
Alazne Diez-Fernandez, Jose Martin, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Laura Gangoso, Pilar Lopez, Ramon Soriguer, Jordi Figuerola
Summary: DDT, a widely used pesticide, was banned in Europe in the 1970s and 1980s due to its high toxicity and environmental persistence. However, a recent study found DDT metabolites in the secretions of European Blackbirds in southern Spain. Despite the potential immunosuppressive effect of DDT, there was no association between haemosporidian infection and DDT presence.
Article
Fisheries
Daniel R. R. Osmond, R. Andrew King, Bruce Stockley, Sophie Launey, Jamie R. R. Stevens
Summary: This study focuses on the genetic research of trout populations in the rivers of southern England and northern France. Through RADseq data, a panel of 95 SNP loci for trout is developed and applied to both target and non-target trout populations. Three case studies demonstrate the usefulness and resolution of these genetic markers at different spatial separation levels.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Rafael Gutierrez-Lopez, Jordi Figuerola, Josue Martinez-de la Puente
Summary: The risk of autochthonous transmission of Zika virus in Europe depends on the ability of Aedes albopictus to transmit the virus. Experimental studies have shown conflicting results in the vector competence of European populations of this mosquito species, possibly due to differences in mosquito populations and experimental procedures. A systematic review of published studies reveals that differences in infection and transmission rates are mainly attributed to variations in temperature, viral load, and the number of days post-exposure for analysis. The proportion of infected mosquitoes is affected by the viral load and post-exposure days, while the transmission rate is influenced by viral load and temperature. Therefore, methodological differences greatly affect the conclusions about the role of Aedes albopictus as a competent vector for Zika virus in Europe and its epidemiological relevance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica Jimenez-Penuela, Martina Ferraguti, Josue Martinez-De la Puente, Ramon C. Soriguer, Jordi Figuerola
Summary: This study analyzed the relationship between infection of three common blood parasites (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) and oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in wild house sparrows along an urbanization gradient. The results showed that birds infected with Haemoproteus and living in urban areas had higher levels of lipid oxidative damage. Birds infected with Plasmodium showed lower antioxidant activity, while those infected with Leucocytozoon showed slightly higher antioxidant activity. Overall, this study highlights the effects of blood parasite infections and urbanization on the oxidative status of wild birds and the role of bird body condition in regulating oxidative stress.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
R. Andrew King, Simon Toms, Jamie R. Stevens
Summary: Effective management of Atlantic salmon requires accurate assessment of stock compliance within individual rivers. Key metrics for assessing compliance include the number of adult female spawners and their egg deposition rates. However, current methods often underestimate the proportion of female salmon, leading to consistent underestimation of egg deposition rates. By using non-invasive sampling and genetic sex testing, this study found that phenotypic-based sexing of Tamar salmon was unreliable, especially for early run fish.
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Duarte S. Viana, Simone Santoro, Ramon C. Soriguer, Jordi Figuerola
Summary: The European population of Eurasian Curlew has declined in the past 30 years, posing a threat to its survival. Demographic rates and survival probabilities at the flyway scale were examined to estimate population growth rates. The observed growth rates were higher than the expected rates from demographic models, indicating geographical variation in demography. The low productivity levels are the most probable cause of population declines, requiring immediate conservation actions.
Article
Virology
Maria Jose Ruiz-Lopez, Milagros Munoz-Chimeno, Jordi Figuerola, Ana M. Gavilan, Sarai Varona, Isabel Cuesta, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Angel Zaballos, Francisca Molero, Ramon C. Soriguer, Maria Paz Sanchez-Seco, Santiago Ruiz, Ana Vazquez
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the genomes of the West Nile virus (WNV) circulating in wild-trapped mosquitoes in Andalusia, Spain in 2020 and 2021. The results showed that the WNV genomes recovered from mosquito samples in 2020 were closely related to those recovered from humans during the same outbreak, and the WNV strain circulating in 2021 was highly related to the strain that caused the 2020 outbreak, indicating overwintering of WNV in the area. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the eco-epidemiology of WNV in Spain.
Article
Ecology
Martina Ferraguti, Sergio Magallanes, Jessica Jimenez-Penuela, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Luz Garcia-Longoria, Jordi Figuerola, Jaime Muriel, Tamer Albayrak, Staffan Bensch, Camille Bonneaud, Rohan H. Clarke, Gabor A. Czirjak, Dimitar Dimitrov, Kathya Espinoza, John G. Ewen, Farah Ishtiaq, Wendy Flores-Saavedra, Laszlo Zsolt Garamszegi, Olof Hellgren, Dita Horakova, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Henrik Jensen, Asta Krizanauskiene, Marcos R. Lima, Charlene Lujan-Vega, Eyofinn Magnussen, Lynn B. Martin, Kevin D. Matson, Anders Pape Moller, Pavel Munclinger, Vaidas Palinauskas, Peter L. Pap, Javier Perez-Tris, Swen C. Renner, Robert Ricklefs, Sergio Scebba, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal, Manuel Soler, Eszter Szoellosi, Gediminas Valkiunas, Helena Westerdahl, Pavel Zehtindjiev, Alfonso Marzal
Summary: This study investigated the ecological drivers affecting avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows. The results showed that urbanization was positively related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced populations, with higher infection in areas with intermediate levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, altitude and time since bird introduction were positively associated with the number of parasite lineages.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Wouter M. G. Vansteelant, Laura Gangoso, Duarte S. S. Viana, Judy Z. Z. Shamoun-Baranes, Jordi Figuerola
Summary: Migrant bird populations show substantial variation in route choice and timing, and understanding the factors driving this variation is important for understanding migration patterns. Repeatability (R), a measure of consistency in individual behavior, is commonly used to assess the contribution of between-individual differences to population-level variation. In this study, we GPS-tracked Eleonora's falcons and found that route repeatability was highest in the Horn of Africa during spring and during the rainforest-crossing in autumn. Timing repeatability was generally higher in spring, and males exhibited higher route repeatability while females showed stronger seasonal contrasts in timing repeatability. These findings suggest that individual variation and repeatability in migration routes and timings are influenced by environmental and annual cycle constraints.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Luis Santamaria, Iris Charalambidou, Duarte Viana, Ellen van Donk
Summary: This study examines the potential of migratory ducks as dispersal agents for aquatic invertebrates. The experiment shows that the ducks can disperse invertebrate propagules over both short and long distances. The study also finds that propagule size affects both gut-passage time and dispersal distance.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Duarte S. Viana, Francisco J. Oficialdegui, Maria del Carmen Soriano, Virgilio Hermoso, Miguel Clavero
Summary: The study analysed the distribution and niche dynamics of the Italian crayfish in the Iberian Peninsula over the past 200 years. The distribution expanded from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, mostly towards coastal-influenced areas. After the introduction of North American crayfish, the niche shifted towards rough mountain areas. This research highlights the dynamic nature of the crayfish's distribution and niche in the presence of invaders and explores the conditions for coexistence.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Pal Toth, Andy J. Green, David M. Wilkinson, Kane Brides, Adam Lovas-Kiss
Summary: Ducks and geese serve as dispersal vectors for plants, with mallards dispersing more plant species compared to geese. Plant communities and traits dispersed also differ between urban and natural habitats.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
A. A. Romero-Haro, J. Figuerola, C. Alonso-Alvarez
Summary: This study tested the link between glutathione concentration and telomere length, and found that female birds treated with a specific inhibitor of glutathione synthesis had longer telomeres than control females. This counterintuitive finding suggests that females mounted a compensatory response to changes in glutathione levels.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
