Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pierre-Luc Chagnon
Summary: Traits play a crucial role in species' responses to environmental filters and their influence on ecosystem functions. Recently, there has been increasing interest in applying trait-based approaches to fungi, which control numerous biogeochemical processes. Defining fungal traits is a challenge, especially at the individual scale, but studying fungal communities can provide valuable insights into trait-based ecology.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ming Sheng Ng, Aaron Teo, Peter A. Todd
Summary: Anthropogenic sedimentation is a major cause of declining coral cover worldwide. This study installed sediment traps at different heights above the substrate and found variations in sediment characteristics with increasing trap mouth height. These findings have implications for coral ecology and the standardization of sediment collection protocols.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dina in 't Zandt, Nyncke J. Hoekstra, Hannie Caluwe, Peter M. J. M. Cruijsen, Eric J. W. Visser, Hans de Kroon
Summary: Interactions between plants and soil biota are crucial for plant species coexistence. The study investigated the effects of soil legacies on plant species colonisation success. The results showed that colonisation success was mainly influenced by species' reproductive strategy, spread ability, and growth rate, rather than the species that conditioned the soil patch. Therefore, plant species' inherent characteristics play a more important role in colonisation processes than soil legacy effects.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Vongai M. Paradza, Fathiya M. Khamis, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Sevgan Subramanian, Sunday Ekesi, Komivi S. Akutse
Summary: The study found that four endophytic fungi had varying effects on the growth of French bean and tomato plants, with T. atroviride F5S21 promoting growth in tomato while T. asperellum M2RT4 did not promote growth in either host. Oviposition was significantly reduced and nymph development was prolonged in all endophytically-colonised plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
John Stewart, Ashley M. Fowler, Nicholas M. Meadows, Daniel D. Johnson
Summary: The red gurnard is an important coastal benthic fish in the Indo-West Pacific, with limited biological knowledge outside of New Zealand. A study conducted in New South Wales found that the growth and reproductive characteristics of the red gurnard in NSW were similar to those in New Zealand, despite differences in spawning periods and size-at-maturity.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Larissa Komo, Valery Hedouin, Damien Charabidze
Summary: The study found that necrophagous blowflies larvae benefit from heterospecific aggregations at suboptimal temperatures, adapting their migration time to that of the faster species. Higher densities of different species led to faster development and larger puparia, highlighting the complexity of the carrion ecosystem.
Article
Geography, Physical
Duncan E. Cook
Summary: Cook (2019) concluded that increased erosion and sedimentation in Australia followed European settlement, while Woodward disputes this claim. Woodward argues that there is no evidence of environmental impacts from the first half century of 'illegal' settlers in Australia, and questions the reliability of historical and scientific records before 1840.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xin Sun, Ramon Filgueira, Nan Wang, Thomas Guyondet, Jianyu Dong, Xiumei Zhang
Summary: In this study, the variations in benthic organic carbon flux of a shellfish farm in Laizhou Bay, China were analyzed, and it was found that the changes in carbon flux affected the benthic organic matter and macrofaunal community. The study confirmed that benthic organic carbon flux is a key factor causing differences in sediment organic matter and macrofaunal community outside the farm.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anne K. Beulke, Alicia Abadia-Cardoso, Devon E. Pearse, Laura C. Goetz, Neil F. Thompson, Eric C. Anderson, John Carlos Garza
Summary: This study used genetic pedigree reconstruction to investigate the sex-specific patterns of life history traits and their genetic and environmental underpinnings in anadromous steelhead trout. The results showed that spawn date was highly heritable and had a high genetic correlation across sexes, while age at maturity was also highly heritable with a lower genetic correlation across sexes. Additionally, a migration-associated inversion polymorphism was found to have sex-specific correlations with age at maturity.
Article
Fisheries
Sigrun H. Jonasdottir, Lars Naustvoll, Frederik Wolff Teglhus, Mette Dalgaard Agersted, Julie C. Grenwald, Webjorn Melle, Torkel Gissel Nielsen
Summary: This study investigated the copepod Calanus finmarchicus in four Subpolar Basins and compared its life history traits in different basins. The study found that C. finmarchicus in different basins adopted different strategies and their egg and faecal pellet production rates were correlated with environmental parameters. Furthermore, the study compared the grazing pressure of copepod and other protozooplankton on phytoplankton and found that the grazing impact of protozoan grazers was higher than that of C. finmarchicus.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Stanislav Kopriva, Andreas P. M. Weber
Summary: In order to guarantee food security for future generations, new approaches to enhance crop productivity are needed as a result of global climate change and the growing human population causing resource scarcity and productivity declines.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Zhouyuan Li, Heng Zhang, Yanjie Xu, Shaopeng Wang
Summary: The study indicates that the composition of 'fast-slow' traits is the major biotic driver of avian community stability, with communities dominated by 'fast' species being more stable than those dominated by 'slow' species. Species richness and functional diversity of the 'fast-slow' trait have smaller impacts on avian community stability. Temperature has a direct positive effect on avian community stability, while precipitation and leaf area index impact stability indirectly by influencing species richness and trait composition.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dhinesh Sugumaran, William H. Blake, Geoffrey E. Millward, Zulkifli Yusop, Abdull Rahim Mohd Yusoff, Nur Athirah Mohamad, Anand Nainar, Kogila Vani Annammala
Summary: Pristine tropical river systems are facing increasing pressure from economic resource development such as forestry and mining. The Lebir catchment in north eastern Malaysia is undergoing development due to unregulated tree felling and mining. Research suggests that contaminants are being transported by major rivers and contaminating riverine floodplains, highlighting the need for a more integrated approach to maintain the environmental quality of these fragile aquatic systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mingzhu Zhang, Umar Daraz, Qingye Sun, Piaoxue Chen, Xuhao Wei
Summary: Denitrification in river sediments plays a crucial role in removing nitrogen in aquatic ecosystems. The study identified key denitrification bacteria such as Thiobacillus and found that chemical factors like NO3-, NO2-, NH4+ and IP significantly impact the bacterial community. Additionally, PDR was positively correlated with the abundance of denitrification genes and NH4+ was identified as the most powerful predictor of PDR.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuang Yan, Zhengke Zhang, Ji Wang, Yulin Xia, Sili Chen, Shuguang Xie
Summary: The study indicates that thallium contamination has significant impacts on the composition and function of microbial communities in river sediments. Proteobacteria dominate in contaminated sediments, showing a strong resistance to thallium. Cyanobacteria also exhibit certain resistance. Thallium pollution affects the screening effect and abundance of resistance genes, with metal resistance genes and antibiotic resistance genes being enriched at low thallium concentration sites near spill sites.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
C. Beatty, K. L. Mathers, C. Patel, D. Constable, P. J. Wood
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2020)
Article
Geography, Physical
H. Sanders, S. P. Rice, P. J. Wood
Summary: This study demonstrates that crayfish burrowing activity can significantly accelerate bank erosion, leading to increased bank retreat and larger areas of collapse. While direct sediment supply by burrowing is relatively low, accelerated bank retreat caused by burrows contributes a substantial proportion of the total sediment supply.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew G. Pledger, Philip Brewin, Kate L. Mathers, John Phillips, Paul J. Wood, Dapeng Yu
Summary: Subaqueous dredging, including Water Injection Dredging (WID), is a globally undertaken management activity aimed at improving navigation, removing contaminants, mitigating flood risk, and generating aggregates. However, the environmental and ecological effects of WID are poorly understood. This study used a BACI experimental design to evaluate the impacts of WID on water physicochemistry, macroinvertebrate and fish communities. The results showed that WID had significant but relatively short-lived effects on water turbidity, dissolved oxygen levels, and benthic macroinvertebrate community abundance, while marginal communities and fish taxonomic richness downstream of the dredged reach were less affected.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew J. Hill, Paul J. Wood, Kate L. Mathers
Summary: This study investigated the taxonomic and functional diversity of high-altitude pond macroinvertebrate communities in Switzerland, finding that pond connectivity was a key driver for taxonomic alpha diversity, while pond permanence and surface area were crucial determinants for functional diversity. Species turnover was the most important component of beta diversity for taxonomic composition, and functional composition demonstrated a nested spatial pattern.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stephen P. Rice
Summary: Despite positive developments in biogeomorphology, the overall geomorphic significance of animals remains largely unknown due to skepticism about the importance of biological energy and zoogeomorphic processes. This essay challenges the skepticism and highlights the need for empirical research on zoogeomorphic processes, scaling up process understanding, embracing new technologies and approaches, and developing integrated modeling tools to improve our understanding of how landscapes interact with animals.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-WATER
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kate L. Mathers, Simone Guareschi, Charlie Patel, Paul J. Wood
Summary: Invasive species pose a significant threat to freshwater biodiversity by exposing pre-existing fauna to novel predation strategies. This study focused on the behavioral responses of different gastropod species to physical and chemical cues associated with the invasive crayfish, revealing variations in handling times and survival rates among species. The importance of previous predator experience and species identity in determining predation risk when exposed to novel predators was highlighted, emphasizing the complexity of predator-prey relationships in the face of invasive species.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kate L. Mathers, Carmen Kowarik, Cristina Rachelly, Christopher T. Robinson, Christine Weber
Summary: The study found that sediment traps can significantly disrupt the sediment regime in mountain streams, with important consequences for instream ecology and environmental conditions. Sediment traps may lead to non-uniform grain size distribution, reduced substrate diversity, and altered macroinvertebrate community composition.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kate L. Mathers, Christopher T. Robinson, Christine Weber
Summary: Flow refugia play a crucial role in maintaining the stability and biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates during artificial flood pulses, highlighting the need for further research and integration into river management and restoration schemes.
RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
R. J. Mason, S. P. Rice, M. F. Johnson, P. J. Wood, D. Vettori
Summary: The importance of two-way interactions between animals and the physical hydraulic and sedimentological environment are increasingly recognized. This study focuses on the impact of caddisfly cases on sediment transport in rivers. The results show that different species of caddisflies have different adaptations to turbulent hydraulic river habitat, and un-attached tubular caddisfly cases may be preferentially transported over other particles on the river bed, increasing fluvial entrainment of sand.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Harry Sanders, Richard J. Mason, Daniel N. Mills, Stephen P. Rice
Summary: River gravel mobility is controlled by various factors such as abiotic flow, sediment properties, and the presence of invasive species like the quagga mussel. This study investigates the attachment of quagga mussels to sediment in a river and its impact on sediment transport rates. The findings suggest that high densities of quagga mussels can increase the critical shear stress of fluvial bed materials, potentially altering the landscape development process.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Kate L. Mathers, Simone Guareschi, Zarah Pattison
RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
C. H. Sanders, S. P. Rice, P. J. Wood, L. K. Albertson
Summary: The behavior of animals can change when they become invasive. Signal crayfish display a novel burrowing activity in some invaded rivers. Understanding if burrowing is learned or innate is important for modeling the geomorphological effects of invasion into new territories.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kate L. Mathers, Patrick D. Armitage, Matthew Hill, Morwenna McKenzie, Isabel Pardo, Paul J. Wood
Summary: This study focuses on the influence of seasonal sampling on macroinvertebrate biodiversity, structure and function in lotic ecosystems. The results reveal that seasonality plays a significant role in community composition and functional traits. The findings emphasize the importance of considering sand and silt fractions separately in biomonitoring and research to accurately assess their impact on stream ecology.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kate L. Mathers, Kelly Clinton, Drew Constable, Chris Gerrard, Charlie Patel, Paul J. Wood
Summary: Biological invasions pose a significant threat to biodiversity, especially when multiple non-native species interact. However, research on the natural population trajectories and ecological implications of multiple non-native species in field settings is limited.
Article
Ecology
Kate L. Mathers, Christopher T. Robinson, Christine Weber
Summary: River regulation globally has reduced riverine connectivity, and artificial floods are increasingly used to restore ecological integrity. The study in the River Spol in Switzerland found that artificial floods reduced fine sediment deposition, improved physicochemical conditions in the hyporheic zone, and supported greater taxa richness.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Toshimi Nakajima, Mao Kuragano, Makoto Yamada, Ryo Sugimoto
Summary: This study compared the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to river nutrient budgets at nearshore and embayment scales, and found that SGD-derived nutrients become more important at larger spatial scales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Liu, Lei Zhang, Chongyang Zhang, Ziguang Chen, Jingguang Li
Summary: NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves used for household heating have become a significant source of indoor pollution in Chinese urban areas. The high indoor concentration of NO2 poses potential health risks to residents. It is urgently necessary to establish relevant regulations and implement emission reduction technologies to reduce NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Hans Peter H. Arp, Raoul Wolf, Sarah E. Hale, Sivani Baskaran, Juliane Gluege, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Ian T. Cousins, Harrie Timmer, Roberta Hofman-Caris, Anna Lennquist, Andre D. Bannink, Gerard J. Stroomberg, Rosa M. A. Sjerps, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, Jose Benito Quintana, Daniel Zahn, Herve Gallard, Tobias Mohr, Ivo Schliebner, Michael Neumann
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philomina Onyedikachi Peter, Binessi Edouard Ifon, Francois Nkinahamira, Kayode Hassan Lasisi, Jiangwei Li, Anyi Hu, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in sediments from Yundang Lagoon, China. The results show four distinct fluorescent components, with protein-like substances being the most prevalent. Additionally, the total fluorescence intensity and LREE concentrations exhibit a synchronized increase from Outer to Inner to Songbai Lake core sediments. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between DOM content and pollution levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Christine Alewell
Summary: The objective of this study is to incorporate soil hydraulic properties into the erodibility factor (K) of USLE-type models. By modifying and improving the existing equations for soil texture and permeability, the study successfully included information on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) into the calculation of K factor. Using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm, two independent K factor maps with different spatial resolutions were generated. The results show that the decrease in K factor values has a positive impact on the modeling of soil erosion rates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesmin Akter, Wendy J. M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Ilho Kim, Stuart L. Simpson, Phong Thai, Asja Korajkic, Warish Ahmed
Summary: The choice of workflow in wastewater surveillance has a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, while having minimal effects on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. Certain components in the workflow can be interchangeable, but factors such as buffer type, chloroform, and homogenization speed can affect the recovery of viruses and bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Luo, Xueting Yang, Diwei Wang, Hongmei Xu, Hongai Zhang, Shasha Huang, Qiyuan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: Atmospheric PM2.5, which can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The study found that both the mass concentration of PM2.5 and the DTT activity were higher during the heating season than during the nonheating season. Combustion sources were the primary contributors to DTT activity during the heating season, while secondary formation dominated during the nonheating season. The study also revealed that biomass burning had the highest inherent oxidation potential among all sources investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin L. Murphy, Leah R. Gerber, Chelsea M. Rochman, Beth Polidoro
Summary: Plastic pollution has devastating consequences for marine organisms. This study uses a trait-based framework to develop a vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. The index ranks 63 study species based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, providing valuable information for species monitoring and management priorities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenji Maurice, Amelia Bourceret, Sami Youssef, Stephane Boivin, Liam Laurent-Webb, Coraline Damasio, Hassan Boukcim, Marc-Andre Selosse, Marc Ducousso
Summary: Growing pressure from climate change and agricultural land use is destabilizing soil microbial community interactions. Little is known about microbial community resistance and adaptation to disturbances, hindering our understanding of recovery latency and implications for ecosystem functioning. This study found that anthropic disturbance and natural disturbance have different effects on the topology and stability of soil microbial networks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunhao Li, Yali Feng, Haoran Li, Yisong Yao, Chenglong Xu, Jinrong Ju, Ruiyu Ma, Haoyu Wang, Shiwei Jiang
Summary: Deep-sea mining poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health by disturbing sediment and transmitting metal ions through the food chain. This study developed a new regenerative adsorption material, OMN@SA, which effectively removes metal ions. The adsorption mechanism and performance of the material for metal ion fixation were investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Medici, Margherita Lavorgna, Marina Isidori, Chiara Russo, Elena Orlo, Giovanni Luongo, Giovanni Di Fabio, Armando Zarrelli
Summary: Valsartan, a widely used antihypertensive drug, has been detected in high concentrations in surface waters due to its unchanged excretion and incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This study investigated the degradation of valsartan and identified 14 degradation byproducts. The acute and chronic toxicity of these byproducts were evaluated in key organisms in the freshwater trophic chain.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Lin, Lianbao Chi, Qing Yuan, Busu Li, Mingbao Feng
Summary: This study investigated the photodegradation behavior and product formation of two representative pharmaceuticals in simulated estuary water. The study found that the formed transformation products of these pharmaceuticals have potential toxicity on marine organisms, including oxidative stress and damage to cellular components.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Fang, Dongdong Jiang, Ye He, Siyi Wu, Yuehong Li, Ziqi Zhang, Haoting Chen, Zixin Zheng, Yan Sun, Wenxiang Wang
Summary: This study revealed that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants led to decreased pregnancy rates, with PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO emerging as the four most prominent pollutants. Individuals aged 35 and above exhibited heightened susceptibility to pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman, Rashid Shamsuddin, Amin Abbasi, Mohaira Ahmad, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Abdul Sami, Hamad Almohamadi
Summary: In this study, inverse vulcanized polysulfides (IVP) were synthesized by reacting molten sulfur with 4-vinyl benzyl chloride, and then functionalized using N-methyl D-glucamine (NMDG). The functionalized IVP showed a high mercury adsorption capacity and a machine learning model was developed to predict the amount of mercury removed. Furthermore, the functionalized IVP can be regenerated and reused, providing a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Bonfiglio, Renata Sisto, Stefano Casciardi, Valeria Palumbo, Maria Paola Scioli, Erica Giacobbi, Francesca Servadei, Gerry Melino, Alessandro Mauriello, Manuel Scimeca
Summary: This study investigated the presence of aluminum in human colon cancer samples and its potential association with biological processes involved in cancer progression. Aluminum was found in tumor areas of 24% of patients and was associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell death. Additional analyses revealed higher tumor mutational burden and mutations in genes related to EMT and apoptosis in aluminum-positive colon cancers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity may improve strategies for the management of colon cancer patients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
