Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jani Heino, Jorge Garcia Giron, Heikki Hamalainen, Seppo Hellsten, Jari Ilmonen, Juha Karjalainen, Teemu Makinen, Kristiina Nyholm, Janne Ropponen, Antti Takolander, Kimmo T. Tolonen
Summary: This study proposes a novel approach to conservation planning that takes into account taxonomic uniqueness, functional uniqueness, and environmental uniqueness. The results demonstrate that certain sites can help protect a significant portion of the ecological uniqueness of a lake. This approach can be applied to different ecosystems and spatial scales.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Gilbert Ndatimana, Diana Nantege, Francis O. Arimoro
Summary: In this paper, the increasing stress on lake ecosystems and the importance of water quality monitoring for sustainable management and restoration are discussed. The shift towards using bioindicators and multimetric indices (MMIs) in water quality monitoring is gaining global recognition. The use of macroinvertebrate-based MMIs in lentic ecosystems and the successes achieved so far are explored.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Morwenna McKenzie, Judy England, Ian Foster, Martin Wilkes
Summary: Fine sediment is a major cause for the decline of aquatic biodiversity globally. Targeted monitoring is urgently needed to reduce the delivery of fine sediment to aquatic environments. Biomonitoring indices developed in the UK show potential in evaluating sediment stress in rivers, particularly when considering local hydrology.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Heidy Q. Dias, Soniya Sukumaran
Summary: Ecological assessments are currently conducted using time-consuming and often inaccurate morpho-taxonomical identification techniques. A more rapid and efficient DNA barcoding approach known as gAMBI is being increasingly used in biomonitoring programs. This study compared the congruency of morphotaxonomic and genomic benthic indices in assessing ecological quality status and found that gAMBI is a superior alternative to AMBI in monitoring studies.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Meng Chen, Qidi He, Yanli Tong, Zuanguang Chen
Summary: This study successfully combined LAMP with RCA to achieve rapid detection and quantification of pathogens. By using a strand displacement strategy in a single-tube reaction, different pathogen target genes were successfully detected, demonstrating the universality and reliability of the method.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicholas S. Green, Shibin Li, Jonathan D. Maul, Jay P. Overmyer
Summary: Urbanization, agriculture, and other human activities significantly affect the health and integrity of stream ecosystems. This study investigated the trends in stream biotic integrity over 19 years and found that the factors influencing it varied in spatial, temporal, and scale contexts. The study highlights the importance of large-scale spatial data for understanding the drivers of stream biodiversity, but also points out some potential limitations in integrative analyses.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rafaela A. Almeida, Pieter Lemmens, Marie Cours, Luc Denys, Dries Adriaens, Jo Packet, Jeroen Venderickx, Thierry Vercauteren, Koen Parmentier, Marc Knockaert, Koen Martens, Luc De Meester
Summary: Organic agriculture has a moderate positive effect on pond biodiversity in terms of plants and zooplankton richness compared to conventional agriculture, but no significant effect on water quality. The absence of large differences in biodiversity and water quality between ponds in organic and conventional farmland might be due to the dominance of intensive conventional farming in the study region and the history of conventional farming around the ponds.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lilian Dayana Cruz, Diego Mauricio Lopez, Rubiel Vargas-Canas, Apolinar Figueroa, Juan Carlos Corrales
Summary: This scoping review provides an overview of different approaches in computer-assisted bioindication with freshwater macroinvertebrates (FwM). The review identifies two areas of applying computational technologies in bioindication studies with FwM: evaluating water quality through samples already classified by human experts, and the automatic classification of FwM. The review also discusses critical factors affecting strategy selection in these studies and establishes the relationship between the strategies and algorithms employed in a timeline for automatic classification. Overall, this study helps enhance confidence in computational technologies in FwM studies and extends their use in bioassessment tasks.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Hugo H. L. Saulino, Miguel Canedo-Arguelles, Susana Trivinho-Strixino, Guilherme Rossi Gorni, Juliano Jose Corbi
Summary: The study examined the impact of riparian vegetation recovery on chironomid communities in urban headwater streams. The results showed that there were no significant differences in biodiversity between urban and reference sites, but vegetation restoration had a positive effect on chironomid populations.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacquelyn Bacigalupi, David F. Staples, Melissa T. Treml, Derek L. Bahr
Summary: This study aimed to develop Fish Indices of Biological Integrity (FIBIs) and ecologically meaningful thresholds for a broader suite of Minnesota lakes. By sampling fish communities in 419 lakes and evaluating a suite of potential metrics, four FIBIs were successfully developed with Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) models and thresholds established for impairment and exceptional conditions. These FIBIs and thresholds are now being utilized for clean water planning, restoration, and protection efforts in Minnesota lakes.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Alperen Ertas, Selda Ozturk, Merve Yasarturk, Bulent Yorulmaz
Summary: Conserving freshwater resources in West Anatolia requires the use of biomonitoring tools to assess the ecological status of surface water bodies that are under threat from human pollution. This study focused on determining the water quality of Demirci Stream through the use of biotic indices. A total of seven sampling stations were chosen for this seasonal study. The Asterics software was used to calculate biotic and diversity index scores, while Redundancy Analysis (RDA) was utilized to reveal the relationship between macrobenthic orders and physicochemical variables. The results showed that sampling points 1, 2, 3, and 4 had good water quality, while sampling points 5, 6, and 7 were polluted. The SI, BMWP, ASPT, and BBI indices were found to be more suitable for assessing the water quality of Demirci Stream compared to the FBI index.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edward Tsyrlin, Melissa Carew, Ary A. Hoffmann, Simon Linke, Rhys A. Coleman
Summary: Family-level identification is commonly used for monitoring freshwater macroinvertebrates, but its effectiveness in reflecting regional biodiversity patterns in Australia is untested. This study compared family-level and species-level datasets for freshwater insects in Melbourne, Australia. The results showed a positive relationship between family and species richness, but the family-level dataset underestimated the sampling effort needed to accurately reflect species diversity and overlooked regionally rare species. It is recommended to include species-level identification in monitoring programs to understand regional biodiversity patterns and conservation priorities.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nan Zhang, Guangxia Shang, Yang Dai, Yuan Zhang, Sen Ding, Xin Gao
Summary: Different biological groups show biased responses to environmental stressors on different scales. Selecting bioindicators based on pressure characteristics is crucial for accurately assessing ecological quality. Macroinvertebrates and fish show distinct responses to environmental stressors, with their indices recommended for biomonitoring programs, especially in plain rivers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carlos Martinez-Nunez, Ricardo Martinez-Prentice, Vicente Garcia-Navas
Summary: Unveiling the processes that shape biodiversity patterns is crucial for ecology. Land-use diversity is considered an important environmental factor that promotes species richness. This study found strong support for the hypothesis that land-use diversity predicts bird taxonomic and functional richness globally.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Imane Saal, Djaouida Bouchelouche, Ceria Hamache, Abdeslem Arab
Summary: Assessing water quality in the Kebir-Rhumel watershed using benthic macroinvertebrates and physico-chemical analysis revealed spatial heterogeneity, with higher pollution levels in the Rhumel wadi compared to the El Kebir wadi. Elevated levels of NO2-, NO3-, PO4-3, Cl-, and SM were attributed to human and industrial activities. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that environmental parameters influence macroinvertebrate dynamics, with pollution-resistant taxa dominating in organically rich, low-oxygen conditions. The results from biotic indices confirmed degraded water quality in the Rhumel wadi.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mathieu Denoel, Clement Duret, Lea Lorrain-Soligon, Pablo Padilla, Justine Pavis, Fabien Pille, Pauline Tendron, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Mattia Falaschi
Summary: This study assessed the invasibility of habitats by invasive Pelophylax water frogs in Western Europe. The results showed that these frogs have a high potential for invasion in a wide range of habitats, especially in deep, permanent ponds with abundant aquatic vegetation and high sun exposure.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Mattia Falaschi, Chiara Gibertini, Elia Lo Parrino, Martina Muraro, Benedetta Barzaghi, Raoul Manenti, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: Estimating the abundance of animal populations is challenging due to imperfect detection. This study used the double-observer approach to estimate the detection probability of frog egg clutches and found high detection probabilities for two frog species. Simulations showed that high detection probabilities can provide accurate estimates of population trends, suggesting that for species with easily detectable egg clutches, a single count can be sufficient.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aurelie Bonin, Alessia Guerrieri, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: Clustering approaches are crucial for handling DNA metabarcoding data, but the choice of clustering threshold is often not well justified. This study evaluated clustering threshold values for different metabarcoding markers and proposed a method to select appropriate thresholds based on different criteria.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elia Lo Parrino, Mattia Falaschi, Raoul Manenti, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: Species distribution models are commonly used to predict potential distributions of invasive species. However, niche expansion in freshwater invasive species challenges the reliability of these models. This study investigates the factors influencing niche shifts using multiple sets of environmental variables and found that methodological choices strongly affect niche dynamics metrics, while biological features have a weaker influence. Inappropriate methodological choices can lead to apparent niche shifts, raising concerns about the reliability and interpretation of niche models. The high rate of niche expansion in freshwater invasive species emphasizes the need for objective criteria in selecting variables for niche assessments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. Staentzel, O. Schlumberger, A. Barillier, A. Valentini, F. Boyer, J. -N. Beisel
Summary: Habitat changes induced by restoration can promote invasive species, potentially hindering the success of restoration projects. In this study, the effects of the invasive round goby on a restored site along the Old Rhine River were examined. The round goby dominated the overall goby assemblage and its presence led to changes in the food web structure and species interactions. However, its impact on macroinvertebrates six years after restoration was unlikely to mask the restoration consequences.
Article
Ecology
Mattia Falaschi, Silvio Marta, Elia Lo Parrino, Uri Roll, Shai Meiri, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: This study delineated global bioregions for reptiles using comprehensive geographic distribution and phylogenetic data, and compared the determinants of biogeographical boundaries across different vertebrate clades. The results showed that the biogeographical boundaries of reptiles were related to climatic factors and tectonics, and had high similarity with bioregions of other vertebrate clades.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Raoul Manenti, Nadiah Kristensen, Paola Cogliati, Benedetta Barzaghi, Andrea Melotto, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: This study examined the effects of environmental stress on the early life stages of European fire salamander larvae. The results show that the plasticity of larval stages is determined by both environmental conditions and local adaptation, leading to divergent pathways across populations and environmental conditions.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Maeva Gabrielli, Andrea Benazzo, Roberto Biello, Lorena Ancona, Silvia Fuselli, Alessio Iannucci, Jennifer Balacco, Jacqueline Mountcastle, Alan Tracey, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Daniele Salvi, Marco Sollitto, Olivier Fedrigo, Giulio Formenti, Erich D. Jarvis, Marco Gerdol, Claudio Ciofi, Emiliano Trucchi, Giorgio Bertorelle
Summary: The Aeolian wall lizard, an endangered species in Italy, has a critically limited distribution and population decline. This study successfully produced a high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome for this species using advanced sequencing technologies. The genome provides valuable resources for conservation efforts and reptile genomics research.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Pierre Taberlet
Summary: Comprehensive biodiversity data is crucial for understanding the impact of global change on organisms at different trophic levels and evaluating interspecific interactions. Molecular approaches like DNA metabarcoding are enhancing our ability to inventory biodiversity. However, comprehensive reconstructions of communities are still rare. Most metabarcoding studies in recent years have used few markers and analyzed limited taxonomic groups. This review provides an overview of emerging approaches that can enable all-taxa biological inventories and suggests new development directions for improving broad-scale biodiversity analyses in the future.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mattia Falaschi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Andrea Viviano, Giuseppe Mazza, Emiliano Mori
Summary: Reintroduction and rewilding are crucial strategies for reversing human impacts on ecosystems. The Eurasian beaver, an important ecological engineer, has started recolonizing Italy. However, the lack of data on its colonization routes hampers effective management. This study identified the most likely areas for beaver colonization in Europe, with a specific focus on Italy, and provided guidance for environmental managers in monitoring populations and addressing potential human-wildlife conflicts.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Raoul Manenti, Martina Forlani, Stefano Lapadula, Matteo Galbiati, Benedetta Barzaghi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Andrea Melotto
Summary: This study investigates the activity and foraging patterns of fire salamander larvae in springs, and finds that the number of active larvae is higher at night and in plots closer to the surface in the transition area between ground water and surface water. The study also finds that larvae are more effective in capturing prey in light conditions, but less successful when reared with predator chemical cues and in the presence of predators.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Sherpa, Daniele Salvi, Iolanda Silva-Rocha, Thibaut Capblancq, Josephine R. Paris, Miguel Angel Carretero, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: This study combines population genomics, demographic models, and paleogeographical reconstructions to investigate the colonization dynamics of wall lizards in Mediterranean archipelagos. The results reveal that many island populations were colonized long before human settlements, either through land bridges or over-sea rafting. However, islands further from the continent were often colonized more recently, coinciding with historical records of human arrival. Additionally, long-established island populations exhibit lower genetic diversity compared to recently colonized islands.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Krzysztof Zawierucha, Eva Stefkova Kasparova, Sandra McInnes, Jakub Buda, Roberto Ambrosini, Miloslav Devetter, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Andrea Franzetti, Nozomu Takeuchi, Patrik Horna, Tereza Novotna Jaromerska, Masato Ono, Marie Sabacka, Karel Janko
Summary: This study investigates the biogeography of the tardigrade genus Cryoconicus, finding two species on Arctic glaciers in Svalbard, far from their reported ranges. The research indicates large disjunctions in their distribution, with limited presence in intermediate areas. The study also reveals that inhabitants of extreme environments can establish isolated and highly fragmented populations persisting at very low densities.
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Sherpa, Josephine R. Paris, Iolanda Silva-Rocha, Viola Di Canio, Miguel Angel Carretero, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Daniele Salvi
Summary: Experimental introductions of species have led to rapid phenotypic changes, and this study investigates the genetic impacts and evolutionary potential of bottlenecked populations in response to new selective pressures. The results suggest that a small number of loci and phenotypic plasticity may play a major role in determining extreme phenotypic differences among populations. The study also identifies candidate genes relevant to diet-induced adaptation.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Simone Giachello, Isabel Cantera, Alexis Carteron, Silvio Marta, Cristina Cipriano, Alessia Guerrieri, Wilfried Thuiller, Gentile Francesco Ficetola
Summary: Protists are important in soil communities but their functional diversity is not well understood. This study proposes a functional framework for soil protists and applies it to a global dataset. The results reveal different nutritional and habitat preferences among soil protists. The framework can be used to estimate functional diversity and analyze food webs.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
