Article
Environmental Sciences
Malgorzata Ozgo, Maria Urbanska, Magdalena Marzec, Andrzej Kamocki, Wojciech Andrzejewski, Janusz Golski, Krzysztof Lewandowski, Juergen Geist
Summary: The study highlights the importance of undisturbed lake outlets, longitudinal connectivity of riverine ecosystems, and common mussel species in maintaining freshwater ecosystem functionality and provision of vital services.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Corinne T. Bird, Michael D. Kaller, Tiffany E. Pasco, William E. Kelso
Summary: This study investigated the mussel species richness and relative abundance in small tributary streams of the Pearl River, Mississippi-Louisiana. The results showed that mussel distribution was patchy and not abundant in the study area. The distribution of mussels was influenced by various factors, including water quality, habitat characteristics, geology, and land use.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xionghu Gong, Lili Xiong, Jiusheng Xing, Yanqing Deng, Su Qihui, Jing Sun, Yu Qin, Zhonghua Zhao, Lu Zhang
Summary: Lake-river complex systems play a crucial role in the migration of organic micropollutants into lakes. This study presents an optimized multi-criteria scoring method to prioritize these pollutants. The results show that phthalate esters are the most concentrated pollutants in the lake-river system and pose higher ecological and human health risks.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Kazuki Miura, Nozomi Watanabe, Yuuka Takagi, Nobuo Ishiyama, Junjiro N. Negishi
Summary: This study examined the effects of endangered freshwater pearl mussels on channel morphology and flow in a low-gradient sandy river, showing significant impacts of mussels as ecosystem engineers. Conservation of pearl mussel populations is crucial for maintaining ecosystem integrity.
Article
Ecology
Andre S. Rovai, Robert R. Twilley, Edward Castaneda-Moya, Stephen R. Midway, Daniel A. Friess, Carl C. Trettin, Jacob J. Bukoski, Atticus E. L. Stovall, Paulo R. Pagliosa, Alessandra L. Fonseca, Richard A. Mackenzie, Aslan Aslan, Sigit D. Sasmito, Meriadec Sillanpaa, Thomas G. Cole, Joko Purbopuspito, Matthew W. Warren, Daniel Murdiyarso, Wolfram Mofu, Sahadev Sharma, Pham Hong Tinh, Pablo Riul
Summary: Mangrove wetlands have diverse tree communities spanning broad geographical gradients. The study found that factors such as latitudinal variation, allometric scaling relationships, and species composition do not significantly impact mangrove forest structure and biomass allocation. Regional climate and hydroperiod play a greater role in controlling biomass accumulation across global geographical gradients.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ronaldo Sousa, Tadeusz Zajac, Dariusz Halabowski, Olga Aksenova, Yulia Bespalaya, Francisco Carvalho, Paulo Castro, Karel Douda, Janine P. da Silva, Noe Ferreira-Rodriguez, Juergen Geist, Clemens Gumpinger, Anna M. Labecka, Jasna Lajtner, Iga Lewin, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Alexandra Meira, Keiko Nakamura, Joana Garrido Nogueira, Paz Ondina, Malgorzata Ozgo, Joaquim Reis, Nicoletta Riccardi, Spase Shumka, Mikhail O. Son, Amilcar Teixeira, Frankie Thielen, Maria Urbanska, Simone Varandas, Niklas Wengstrom, Katarzyna Zajac, Alexandra Zieritz, David C. Aldridge
Summary: Europe's freshwater ecosystems have been under human pressure for a long time. With increasing pressure and emerging threats, there is an urgent need to conserve freshwater biodiversity and its ecosystem services. However, while some taxonomic groups, mainly vertebrates, have received disproportionate attention and funding, other groups, like freshwater mussels, remain largely overlooked. This article points out six conceptual areas that require immediate and long-term attention to address this conservation bias, including knowledge, threats, socioeconomics, conservation, governance, and education. The proposed roadmap aims to prioritize research, policy, and education for the conservation of freshwater mussels in Europe.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Chen Lv, Tahseen Saba, Jingyan Wang, Wenkai Hui, Wei Gong
Summary: This study evaluates the ecosystem carbon pools and carbon sequestration effectiveness of different land-use types, and concludes that the conversion of farmland to Zanthoxylum bungeanum plantations is the best approach in the arid valley area when considering ecosystem carbon sequestration and economic benefits.
Article
Ecology
Joshua I. Brian, Sam A. Reynolds, David C. Aldridge
Summary: Parasites can indirectly affect ecosystem function by altering the clearance rates of their hosts, and different parasites have contrasting impacts on host clearance rates; the infection patterns and individual effects of parasites need to be considered; the presence of parasites can significantly alter ecosystem processes, thus the impact of parasitism should be taken into account in future studies on ecosystem function.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yuhan He, Kangshun Zhao, Huan Zhang, Liang He, Yuan Niu, Min Zhang, Jun Xu
Summary: This study explored the impact of macrophyte community structure on food chain length in Lake Poyang, China. The results suggest that intermediate levels of PVI and diversity, along with greater evenness, can support longer food chains in sub-lakes of Lake Poyang. The study proposes that macrophyte community structure indexes could serve as useful indicators for determining food chain length in freshwater ecosystems, highlighting the importance of higher macrophyte evenness for better restoration and management practices.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Angshuman M. Saharia, Zhenduo Zhu, Joseph F. Atkinson
Summary: The study examines the compound impacts of seiche and high flow on flooding in freshwater coastal rivers, finding that they can lead to extreme flood risks. The use of Copula joint distribution and hydrodynamic modeling allows for the prediction of water levels and the development of flood probability maps.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. C. Yates, D. M. Glaser, J. R. Post, M. E. Cristescu, D. J. Fraser, A. M. Derry
Summary: Estimation of organism abundance is challenging in ecology. A study integrating allometric scaling coefficients into models of eDNA concentration and abundance demonstrated that individual body size distribution can influence population-level eDNA production rates. Incorporating allometric scaling may improve predictive models of eDNA concentration as an indicator of abundance in nature.
Editorial Material
Biology
John L. Campbell, Charles T. Driscoll, Julia A. Jones, Emery R. Boose, Hilary A. Dugan, Peter M. Groffman, C. Rhett Jackson, Jeremy B. Jones, Glenn P. Juday, Noah R. Lottig, Brooke E. Penaluna, Roger W. Ruess, Katharine Suding, Jonathan R. Thompson, Jess K. Zimmerman
Summary: Forest and freshwater ecosystems provide important services, but climate change is affecting their species composition, structure, and function. Long-term studies are critical to understanding the impacts of climate change on these ecosystems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Misganaw Meragiaw, Zerihun Woldu, Vegard Martinsen, Bal Ram Singh
Summary: Forests play a crucial role in the global carbon balance, but their biomass has decreased due to deforestation and reduced forest cover. This study assessed the status of tree biomass carbon stocks in Kibate Forest, Ethiopia, revealing the importance of certain tree species in contributing to carbon stocks. Sustainable forest management practices are crucial in the study area to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manolaki Paraskevi, Gimenez-Grau Pau, Pastor Ada, Baattrup-Pedersen Annette, Riis Tenna
Summary: Weed cutting in a large lowland river in Denmark significantly altered the physical conditions of the river and reduced the metabolic rates of Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER). Moreover, the metabolic rates did not fully recover to pre-weed cutting levels within 2-6 weeks. The study highlights the need to consider the cascade effects of metabolic rate alterations on ecosystem structure and functioning in future management plans.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanping Zhao, Songjun Wu, Miaotong Yu, Zhongqian Zhang, Xuan Wang, Siyuan Zhang, Guoxiang Wang
Summary: This study investigated seasonal variations in sediment types from different areas in a eutrophic lake in China, Lake Taihu. The findings suggest that high temperature in summer and algae accumulation facilitate reduction processes in freshwater lake sediments. Strong sulfate reduction was observed in algae accumulated areas, affecting iron cycling and phosphorus mobility, and potentially influencing eutrophication in freshwater lakes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Carla L. Atkinson, Brian C. van Ee, John M. Pfeiffer
Article
Ecology
Casey A. Pennock, Phaedra Budy, Carla L. Atkinson, Nick Barrett
Summary: The study indicates that fish in Arctic lakes are highly sensitive to temperature changes, with food availability and temperature being the main factors affecting their growth and survival. As temperature rises, fish consumption, respiration, and excretion increase, while growth rates are limited under low food availability, demonstrating the impact of food limitation.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Carla L. Atkinson, Halvor M. Halvorson, Kevin A. Kuehn, Monica Winebarger, Ansley Hamid, Matthew N. Waters
Summary: Experimental mesocosm studies reveal that nutrient recycling by freshwater mussels has significant effects on microbial functioning in freshwater ecosystems, particularly influencing benthic algal biomass, ecosystem metabolism, and fungal biomass. This highlights the important role of consumers in regulating nutrient dynamics and ecosystem processes in freshwaters.
Article
Ecology
Garrett W. Hopper, Shuo Chen, Irene Sanchez Gonzalez, Jamie R. Bucholz, YueHan Lu, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: Animal aggregations play an important role in mediating energy and nutrients in ecosystems, with their excretions containing bioavailable dissolved organic matter. Biogeochemical hotspots formed by filter-feeding freshwater mussels can provide a substantial pool of labile energy, influencing local ecosystems significantly.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mark McCauley, Marlene Chiarello, Carla L. Atkinson, Colin R. Jackson
Summary: This study examined temporal variation in the microbiomes of six freshwater mussel species sampled in 2016 and 2019, finding significant differences in most species between the two years. However, not all species showed functional differences, indicating functional redundancy within the microbiome. Inferred biosynthesis pathways demonstrated temporal variation in degradation pathways, while pathways related to cellular metabolism remained stable. These results suggest that temporal variation plays a key role in shaping the gut microbiomes of freshwater mussels and support the involvement of these microbiomes in host development and activity.
Article
Ecology
Daniel D. Knapp, Lora L. Smith, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: This study investigated the body stoichiometry patterns across different developmental stages within multiple anuran species, the impact of key predictors on interspecific stoichiometric variation, and the natural magnitudes and fluctuations of larval anuran nutrient storage in geographically isolated wetlands. The results highlighted the importance of stoichiometric identity in dictating nutrient storage patterns within larval anuran assemblages in wetlands.
Article
Ecology
Garrett W. Hopper, Gabriella K. Dickinson, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: Biogeochemical ecology research typically focuses on C, N, and P elements, with less attention to broader elemental diversity in animal ecology. This study on freshwater mussels demonstrates that interspecific trait variation may influence shell elemental composition, offering new insights into elemental allocation associated with biological traits.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Noe Ferreira-Rodriguez, Michael Gangloff, Gregory Shafer, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: The introduction of invasive species is a major global ecological crisis, and understanding the factors contributing to their success is crucial for effective management. This study focused on the invasive bivalve species Corbicula, testing three hypotheses using field sampling and structural equation modeling. The results indicated that land cover parameters were strong predictors of Corbicula abundance.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Carla L. Atkinson, Kenneth J. Forshay
Summary: Animals can have significant impacts on ecosystems by modifying biogeochemical and physical environments, particularly when occurring in high densities leading to changes in physical environment and biogeochemical hotspots. Most research has focused on the direct role of animals in biogeochemical cycles, with few examining how animals indirectly influence biogeochemical cycles across scales.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Wesley J. Neely, Sasha E. Greenspan, Leigha M. Stahl, Sam D. Heraghty, Vanessa M. Marshall, Carla L. Atkinson, C. Guilherme Becker
Summary: This study examined the effects of habitat disturbance on environmental bacterial reservoirs, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infection, and skin microbiome composition in wild populations of Acris crepitans and Lithobates catesbeianus. Results showed that higher disturbance levels led to increased microbiome dispersion and limited microbiome similarity between locations, suggesting greater isolation of bacterial assemblages in more disturbed areas. Additionally, higher disturbance was associated with lower Bd prevalence for A. crepitans, indicating potential suboptimal microclimates for the pathogen in disturbed habitats.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Garrett W. Hopper, Jonathan K. Buchanan, Irene Sanchez Gonzalez, Megan E. Kubala, Jamie R. Bucholz, Matthew B. Lodato, Jeffrey D. Lozier, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: Research on animal-mediated nutrient cycling often focuses on either native or invasive fauna, but it is common to have communities comprising both groups; in North American rivers, native mussels and invasive clams have strong effects on nutrient cycling through filter-feeding and bioturbation; when these two groups co-occur, it is unclear how their nutrient cycling effects differ.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Taylor E. Kelley, Garrett W. Hopper, Irene Sanchez Gonzalez, Jamie R. Bucholz, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: This study aimed to assess the importance of ecological factors in the distribution patterns of an invasive clam relative to native mussels in seven rivers in the Southeast United States. The results showed that substrate particle size, water velocity, and water depth were associated with the presence and abundance of the invasive clam within mussel beds. Land cover variables did not influence the invasive clam populations or mussel communities. The findings suggest that the invasive clam may be benefiting from habitat degradation that has negatively impacted native mussels.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonathan W. Lopez, Traci P. DuBose, Alex J. Franzen, Carla L. Atkinson, Caryn C. Vaughn
Summary: This study combines traditional species-monitoring surveys, a novel functional trait classification scheme, and publicly available environmental data to assess the environmental drivers of declining mussel abundance and species richness. The study finds that the decline in mussel abundance and species richness is associated with the disproportionate loss of drought-sensitive species.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jamie R. Bucholz, Garrett W. Hopper, Irene Sanchez Gonzalez, Taylor E. Kelley, Colin R. Jackson, Ryan C. Garrick, Carla L. Atkinson, Jeffrey D. Lozier
Summary: Understanding patterns of diversity in freshwater mussels, we found that species density positively influences species richness and intrapopulation genetic diversity, but there is no consistent correlation between genetic diversity and species richness.
Article
Ecology
Garrett W. Hopper, Irene Sanchez Gonzalez, Jamie R. Bucholz, Jeffrey D. Lozier, Carla L. Atkinson
Summary: Positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships are challenging to identify in natural communities. Freshwater animal communities suffer from global change-induced species loss. We studied the BEF relationships of naturally assembled mussel aggregations in three river basins. We found that species loss reduced biomass and nutrient recycling, and that low-functioning species loss affected the function of persisting species. This study highlights the importance of evaluating species-specific contributions to animal-mediated functions in diverse systems.