Article
Environmental Sciences
Elisa Falasco, Francesca Bona, Anna Maria Risso, Elena Piano
Summary: The combined effects of global climate changes and severe land use modifications have been exacerbating river hydrological alterations and habitat fragmentation in many Mediterranean rivers over the last decades. This trend is predicted to intensify, with expected significant impacts on taxonomic and functional diversity of benthic communities in the near future. By comparing perennial and intermittent reaches, the present research aims to investigate the role of flow intermittency, driven by the combined effects of climatic variables and land use changes, on benthic diatom communities in Mediterranean streams.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Leena Virta, Janne Soininen, Alf Norkko
Summary: The study found that taxonomic beta diversity of diatom communities in an estuary was high and strongly controlled by environmental factors, while functional beta diversity was low and less affected by the environment. Despite large changes in species composition and environment, the diatom communities remained functionally similar. However, simulated species loss significantly decreased functional similarity, suggesting that decreasing species richness may reduce the stability and resilience of communities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiawei Zhang, Xinyi Chen, Karline Soetaert, Yuan Xu
Summary: The study investigated the effects of natural gradients, human induced disturbance, and biotic interactions on intertidal biodiversity in Zhejiang, China. The results showed that sediment grain size was the most important factor affecting alpha diversity and community composition. Human induced eutrophication had significant effects on phylogenetic alpha diversity and community composition. Biotic interactions had relatively small effects on ciliate communities.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Carlinda Railly Medeiros, Jani Heino, Paulo Jorge Parreira dos Santos, Joseline Molozzi, Raphael Ligeiro
Summary: This study examines the diversity of macroinvertebrates in typical and semi-arid tropical estuaries across multiple scales, identifying a non-random spatial pattern with higher beta diversity values at larger scales. In semi-arid tropical estuaries, richness difference plays a significant role in the rainy season, while species replacement is more prominent in the dry season. Overall, abundance difference is more important in structuring benthic macrofauna communities in both typical and semi-arid tropical estuaries across seasonal periods.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maheshkumar Prakash Patil, Hee-Eun Woo, Jong-Oh Kim, Kyunghoi Kim
Summary: The use of pyrolyzed crushed oyster shells (PCOS) significantly reduced H2S concentration in sediments and decreased the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in pore water and overlying water. Additionally, PCOS treatment altered the composition of dominant bacterial communities in the sediment, leading to changes in microbial diversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Monicah Mbiba, Cynthia Mazhude, Christo Fabricius, Herve Fritz, Justice Muvengwi
Summary: The study in urban settlements in Harare, Zimbabwe, showed that bird species richness and diversity decreased with increasing settlement density, while bird functional diversity and abundance remained relatively constant. Water features and vegetation were identified as significant environmental predictors of bird functional diversity. This suggests that despite the loss in bird species richness, broad ecosystem functionality may still be maintained across urban settlement density gradients.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marden S. Linares, Pedro H. M. Amaral, Marcos Callisto
Summary: The objective of this study is to understand the response of taxonomic and functional structures of benthic macro-invertebrate assemblages to variations in the densities of the invasive species Corbicula fluminea. The results show that increased density of C. fluminea leads to changes in the taxonomic structure and increased functional diversity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elisabet Tornes, Miriam Colls, Vicenc Acuna, Sergi Sabater
Summary: This study analyzes the response of diatom assemblages in 23 Mediterranean temporary streams to the duration and frequency of non-flow periods. Temporary and permanent streams showed similar diatom species richness, evenness, and alpha diversity, but differed in beta diversity. The composition of diatom assemblages mainly responded to the duration of the non-flow period.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Pengyuan Liu, Haikun Zhang, Zenglei Song, Yanyan Huang, Xiaoke Hu
Summary: This study revealed the seasonal dynamics of benthic archaeal communities in temperate seagrass ecosystems, showing that archaeal diversity and functional potentials are significantly influenced by seasons and key environmental factors such as salinity, total organic carbon, and total organic nitrogen.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacqueline Malazarte, Timo Muotka, Jussi Jyvasjarvi, Kaisa Lehosmaa, Joel Nyberg, Kaisa-Leena Huttunen
Summary: Water-column bacterial communities are controlled by mass effects from terrestrial soils, while benthic biofilms are colonized by the same set of taxa. Seasonal variability and water level changes affect the diversity and composition of bacterial communities in rivers.
Article
Plant Sciences
Javier Galan Diaz, Montserrat Vila, Ingrid M. Parker, Enrique G. de la Riva
Summary: The study aims to understand the role of exotic species in plant communities and investigates the relative importance of plant traits, environmental factors, and invasion status in biological invasions. The results highlight the importance of niche differences between native and colonizer species as a community assembly mechanism, which is strongly influenced by habitat filtering. The study emphasizes the context-dependent nature of trait comparisons and the need for a regional perspective in interpreting community assembly processes.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bin Wan, Seok-Jun Hong, Richard A. I. Bethlehem, Dorothea L. Floris, Boris C. Bernhardt, Sofie L. Valk
Summary: Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical sensory-perceptual functions, language deficits, and socio-cognitive impairments. Previous research has shown that individuals with autism exhibit subtle alterations in brain structure asymmetry and reduced functional activation laterality compared to non-autistic individuals. However, whether these functional asymmetries reflect altered intrinsic systematic organization in autism is still unclear.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Javier Perez-Burillo, Greta Valoti, Andrzej Witkowski, Patricia Prado, David G. Mann, Rosa Trobajo
Summary: The study revealed the high-diversity diatom communities in the Ebro delta bays, with DNA metabarcoding effectively reflecting this diversity at the genus level. However, limitations were found at the species level due to the incompleteness of the DNA reference library. Combining LM and DNA approaches provides stronger support for ecological studies of benthic microalgal communities in shallow coastal environments.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Fan Gao, Huade Zhao, Pengfei Zhao, Cuiya Zhang, Guangjing Xu, Guize Liu, Xianyong Guo
Summary: This study analyzed the diversity and distribution of microbial communities in sediments from different regions of the Bohai Sea. The results showed that the Liao River estuary had higher community richness and diversity compared to other regions. The environmental parameters significantly influenced the structure and diversity of microbial communities.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Mehdi Ghodrati Shojaei, Lars Gutow, Jennifer Dannheim, Alexander Schroeder, Thomas Brey
Summary: This study analyzed the changes in functional traits and taxonomic diversity of marine benthic ecosystems in the southern North Sea using a 20-year time series. The results indicate that the temporal changes in trait composition are relatively stable, with high functional redundancy. The rapid recovery of benthic infauna after environmental stressors suggest high functional redundancy in the North Sea temperate shelf sea system.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Samuli Korpinen, Laura Uusitalo, Marie C. Nordstrom, Jan Dierking, Maciej T. Tomczak, Jannica Haldin, Silvia Opitz, Erik Bonsdorff, Stefan Neuenfeldt
Summary: Ecosystem-based management requires assessment of food webs. However, current food web indicators lack interconnectivity among trophic guilds. Food web models have the potential to address these shortcomings and provide additional coherence and evaluation methods. However, there are still limitations that hinder the formal implementation of models in practice.
Article
Fisheries
Yosr Ammar, Rudi Voss, Susa Niiranen, Thorsten Blenckner
Summary: This study quantified the socio-economic novelty in the Baltic Sea fisheries social-ecological systems from 1975 to 2015, identifying an increasing trend in novelty over time, especially in trade indicators. The research also revealed spatial differences in novelty among countries and the influence of various management interventions on the emergence of novelty in the Baltic SES.
FISH AND FISHERIES
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Maciej T. Tomczak, Barbel Mueller-Karulis, Thorsten Blenckner, Eva Ehrnsten, Margit Eero, Bo Gustafsson, Alf Norkko, Saskia A. Otto, Karen Timmermann, Christoph Humborg
Summary: This study analyzed the historical changes and ecological regime shifts in the Baltic Sea ecosystem. The research found that the Baltic Sea ecosystem shifted from a benthic to pelagic-dominated state in the long term, with productivity, climate, and hydrography having a significant impact on the food web functioning.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Uusitalo, Thorsten Blenckner, Riikka Puntila-Dodd, Annaliina Skytta, Susanna Jernberg, Rudi Voss, Barbel Muller-Karulis, Maciej T. Tomczak, Christian Moellmann, Heikki Peltonen
Summary: This paper demonstrates the use of a Bayesian network-based decision support model to summarize research and model projections for the Baltic Sea, integrating disciplines such as climatology, biogeochemistry, marine ecology, fisheries ecology, and economics. The model allows for evaluation of uncertainties, precautionary management, and simultaneous consideration of environmental and economic goals, providing a more holistic view of the management problem.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stuart Kininmonth, Thorsten Blenckner, Susa Niiranen, James Watson, Alessandro Orio, Michele Casini, Stefan Neuenfeldt, Valerio Bartolino, Martin Hansson
Summary: Fisheries management has traditionally focused on population modeling without considering environmental and trophic changes. This study introduces a probabilistic model that incorporates key fish populations and various factors to improve the predictability of fish dynamics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura H. Antao, Benjamin Weigel, Giovanni Strona, Maria Hallfors, Elina Kaarlejarvi, Tad Dallas, Oystein H. Opedal, Janne Heliola, Heikki Henttonen, Otso Huitu, Erkki Korpimaki, Mikko Kuussaari, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Reima Leinonen, Andreas Linden, Paivi Merila, Hannu Pietiainen, Juha Poyry, Maija Salemaa, Tiina Tonteri, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen, Marjo Saastamoinen, Jarno Vanhatalo, Tomas Roslin, Anna-Liisa Laine
Summary: Climate change poses a pervasive threat to biodiversity, impacting the positions of species within their climatic niches and the relative importance of different climate variables. High latitude regions show stronger responses to climate change, restructuring entire biomes and raising concerns about ecosystem integrity.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Heikki Peltonen, Benjamin Weigel
Summary: Coastal systems, particularly in the Baltic Sea, are experiencing significant impacts from ongoing environmental change, including climate-induced changes and eutrophication-related pressures. This study examines the effects of these environmental changes on fishery yields along the coast of Finland over a four-decade period. The authors find that environmental factors greatly contribute to variations in fishery yields and are expected to continue having strong impacts on fished resources in the future. Salinity, near-bottom oxygen concentration, and temperature were identified as important drivers of fishery yields, with shore density playing a key role for freshwater fish. The study highlights the positive effects of environmental changes on the yields of certain fish species, while also noting the negative impacts on other species due to habitat contraction and changing environmental conditions.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hao Wang, Xiaolin Zhang, Hang Shan, Chaochao Lv, Wenjing Ren, Zihao Wen, Yuqing Tian, Benjamin Weigel, Leyi Ni, Te Cao
Summary: Eutrophication poses a significant threat to freshwater ecosystems, particularly for submerged macrophytes which have suffered decline. However, research has found that even under eutrophication stress, submerged macrophytes' species richness and functional diversity have positive effects on ecosystem functioning. Species richness is a reliable indicator of community biomass, while functional diversity explains higher coverage variability.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Weigel, Niina Kotamaki, Olli Malve, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Lake phytoplankton communities have undergone significant changes due to eutrophication, land-use, and climate change, resulting in the emergence of novel community types and functional differences. The spatio-temporal dynamics have strongly influenced the assembly mechanisms of phytoplankton communities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Laura H. Antao, Benjamin Weigel, Giovanni Strona, Maria Hallfors, Elina Kaarlejarvi, Tad Dallas, Oystein H. Opedal, Janne Heliola, Heikki Henttonen, Otso Huitu, Erkki Korpimaki, Mikko Kuussaari, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Reima Leinonen, Andreas Linden, Paivi Merila, Hannu Pietiainen, Juha Poyry, Maija Salemaa, Tiina Tonteri, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen, Marjo Saastamoinen, Jarno Vanhatalo, Tomas Roslin, Anna-Liisa Laine
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Heidi Herlevi, Isa Wallin Kihlberg, Katri Aarnio, Erik Bonsdorff, Ann-Britt Florin, Andreas Ljung, Karl Lundstrom, Johanna Mattila, Orjan Ostman
Summary: The study assessed the significance of the round goby Neogobius melanostomus as prey for native predatory fish species in the Baltic Proper. They found that the occurrence and abundance of Neogobius melanostomus in predator diets were related to its abundance in survey fishing. The results showed that the round goby had a high importance in the diets of native fish predators and may modify indirect interactions in invaded coastal communities.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Federico Maioli, Benjamin Weigel, Elettra Chiarabelli, Chiara Manfredi, Alessandra Anibaldi, Igor Isailovic, Nedo Vrgoc, Michele Casini
Summary: Elasmobranchs, including sharks and batoids, are important for marine food webs, but they are threatened due to widespread depletion. This study evaluated the spatio-temporal dynamics of elasmobranch communities in the Adriatic Sea, highlighting the effects of exploitation on the species' traits and composition.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marcel Montanyes, Benjamin Weigel, Martin Lindegren
Summary: In order to preserve natural ecosystems and biodiversity, it is important to understand the underlying drivers and assembly processes that determine community composition. This study examines the assembly processes shaping marine fish species distribution and composition in the North Sea. The researchers found that environmental filtering and spatially-structured processes are the main drivers of community assembly, and that species traits play a significant role in species responses to environmental change. Therefore, models that account for traits, environmental niches, and interactions among multiple species can inform spatial management and conservation efforts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Santangeli, Benjamin Weigel, Laura H. Anto, Elina Kaarlejaervi, Maria Haellfors, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Andreas Linden, Maija Salemaa, Tiina Tonteri, Paeivi Merilae, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen, Jarno Vanhatalo, Tomas Roslin, Marjo Saastamoinen
Summary: Protected areas have mixed impacts on reducing local extinctions, with only a small proportion of species benefiting explicitly. The benefits of protection are related to the size and establishment time of the protected areas, but unrelated to the conservation status or traits of species. Improving coverage, connectivity, and management will be crucial to enhance the effectiveness of protected areas in slowing down biodiversity loss.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Weigel, Caio Graco-Roza, Jenni Hultman, Virpi Pajunen, Anette Teittinen, Maria Kuzmina, Evgeny V. V. Zakharov, Janne Soininen, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Understanding how species respond to land-use change is crucial for the expansion of agricultural areas and increasing pressures from land-use. Microbial communities display the fastest responses to environmental change and provide key ecosystem functions. However, regional land-use effects on local environmental conditions are often underestimated, highlighting the importance of considering these effects when studying community responses.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)