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
Environmental Sciences
Iresha Sumudumali, Chandramali Kumari Jayawardana, Sarath Malavipathirana, Sunethra Kanthi Gunatilake, Nimal Udayakumara
Summary: This study investigated the direct and indirect effects of the fungicide chlorothalonil on aquatic plankton community structure. The highest concentration levels of chlorothalonil exposure had a significant impact on certain phytoplankton and zooplankton taxa. Phytoplankton taxa Amphora sp. and Staurastrum sp., and zooplankton taxa Moina sp. and copepod Nauplius were highly sensitive to chlorothalonil exposure. However, the presence of chlorothalonil also led to an increase in the abundance of phytoplankton taxa Mougeotia sp. and did not significantly reduce the individuals of zooplankton taxa Aeolosoma sp.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gillian K. Martin, Beatrix E. Beisner, Frederic J. J. Chain, Melania E. Cristescu, Paul A. Del Giorgio, Alison M. Derry
Summary: The relationship between population genetic structure and metacommunity structure is still unknown, but regional variation in environmental characteristics and spatial structure influences resulting biodiversity patterns differently. Metapopulations and metacommunities both exhibit greater spatial and environmental structuring at larger spatial scales, responding to different subsets of environmental variables.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dilvin Yilcin, Gulce Yalcin, Boris Jovanovic, David S. Boukal, Lucie Vebrova, Derya Riha, Jelena Stankovic, Dimitrija Savic Zdrakovic, Melisa Metin, Yasmin Naz Akyurek, Deniz Balkanl, Nur Filiz, Djuradj Milosevic, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Jessica A. Richardson, Meryem Beklioglu
Summary: The impacts of microplastics (MP) on freshwater lake ecosystems and food webs were examined. Results showed that the ingestion of MP by zooplankton was mainly limited to large-bodied Daphnia, leading to a decrease in biomass. Atrophic transfer of MP was observed through the presence of MP in the faecal pellets of odonate larvae. Despite the low impact on biomass transfer and emergence patterns, the experiment provided the first in situ observation of MP transfer to terrestrial ecosystems by emerging chironomids.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Javier Angel Tesan-Onrubia, Marc Tedetti, Francois Carlotti, Melissa Tenaille, Loic Guilloux, Marc Pagano, Benoit Lebreton, Gael Guillou, Pamela Fierro-Gonzalez, Catherine Guigue, Sandrine Chifflet, Theo Garcia, Ismail Boudriga, Malika Belhassen, Amel Bellaaj Zouari, Daniela Banaru
Summary: During the MERITE-HIPPOCAMPE campaign in the Mediterranean Sea, plankton samples were collected from 10 stations from the French coast to the Gulf of Gabe`s. The study found that the sources of carbon and nutrients in plankton vary depending on the coast and offshore area, and the size and nutritional content of plankton increase with size. The results also highlight spatial variations in the trophic structure of plankton size-fractions, which can contribute to the assessment of plankton as a biological pump of contaminants.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Adrianne P. Smits, Luke C. Loken, Erwin E. Van Nieuwenhuyse, Matthew J. Young, Paul R. Stumpner, Leah E. K. Lenoch, Jon R. Burau, Randy A. Dahlgren, Tiffany Brown, Steven Sadro
Summary: Drivers of phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics vary spatially and temporally in estuaries due to variation in hydrodynamic exchange and residence time. Abiotic drivers, such as water temperature, turbidity, and nutrients, explain more variation in phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics than trophic interactions alone. However, individual phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions have a greater impact on variation than individual abiotic drivers. These interactions are strongest in areas with longer residence times and higher zooplankton biomass. The results highlight the importance of considering the hydrodynamic context when studying food web dynamics in estuaries.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Piotr Klimaszyk, Natalia Kuczynska-Kippen, Elibrieta Szelag-Waiselewka, Wlodzimierz Marszelewski, Dariusz Borowiak, Przemys Nedzielski, Kamil Nowi, Rakhat Kurmanbayev, Ainur Baikenzheyeva, Piotr Rzymski
Summary: The study analyzed the chemistry, phyto- and zooplankton composition in the waters of the shrinking Aral Sea and its tributary. Differences in chemical properties were observed between the two ecosystems. The results provide a reference point for future monitoring and contribute to understanding of the biological transformations in the Aral Sea.
Article
Ecology
Haojie Su, Yuhao Feng, Jianfeng Chen, Jun Chen, Suhui Ma, Jingyun Fang, Ping Xie
Summary: The study found that fish have negative impacts on zooplankton and water clarity while having positive effects on primary producers and water nutrients in freshwater ecosystems. Additionally, factors such as eutrophication, warming, and predator abundance strengthen trophic cascade effects.
Article
Ecology
Rodolfo Mei Pelinson, Mathew A. Leibold, Luis Schiesari
Summary: Experimental study on the impact of introduced predatory fish on insect community structure reveals direct negative effects on predatory insects, variable net effects on herbivores and detritivores, and stronger divergence of insect communities in fish and fishless ponds with higher spatial isolation. This highlights the importance of considering interspecific dispersal variation and multiple trophic levels in understanding community and metacommunity patterns.
Article
Ecology
Rafael Munoz-Mas, Franz Essl, Mark van Kleunen, Hanno Seebens, Wayne Dawson, Christine Marie V. Casal, Emili Garcia-Berthou
Summary: This study aims to investigate major freshwater fish flows between biogeographic regions and their temporal dynamics, as well as quantify spatial patterns and temporal changes in the array of introduced species, and the emergence and distance between major donor and recipient regions. The analysis of a global dataset on freshwater fish introductions revealed unique changes in the composition and origins of introduced species in each biogeographic region. The results suggest that global policy should focus on tropical ornamental and aquaculture species, particularly in the Sino-Oriental region and the Ethiopian and Neotropical regions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Huili Liu, Wanqing Cheng, Peng Xiong, Huimin Li, Zugen Liu, Jiawei Ai, Dingbo Yuan, Fei Wan, Ying Wan, Hao Zou, Peng Shu
Summary: This study investigates the structure, construction mechanism, and environmental interactions of plankton and zoobenthos communities in a freshwater reservoir. The communities' characteristics and construction processes vary by season and geographic factors. Correlation analyses reveal that temperature, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients have a significant impact on community diversity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Eoin J. O'Gorman
Summary: The study examined the combined effects of temperature and apex fish predators on food web structure in Icelandic geothermal streams. The presence of apex predators released algae from grazing pressure by suppressing the biomass of invertebrates, but this only occurred at higher temperatures, indicating a temperature-dependent trophic cascade.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Ana Ines Borthagaray, David Cunillera-Montcusi, Jordi Bou, Jeremy Biggs, Matias Arim
Summary: This study examined the importance of freshwater ecosystems in the United Kingdom and Ireland in determining species diversity patterns. The results indicated that the connection between different types of aquatic environments promoted local diversity, with a stronger effect in richer communities. Additionally, a strong spatial structure in the potential effect of dispersal among different freshwater environments was observed, suggesting that freshwater biogeography is influenced by the connection among ecosystems to a greater extent than previously thought.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Silvia Lomartire, Joao C. Marques, Ana M. M. Goncalves
Summary: Marine biota plays a crucial role in providing ecosystem services, with increasing interest in their biotechnological applications. Understanding the role of zooplankton in the ecosystem and its significance in fish recruitment is essential for marine conservation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Alexandra McClymont, Shelley E. Arnott, James A. Rusak
Summary: Chloride concentrations in lakes across the Northern hemisphere are increasing due to road salt use, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems. This study found that in addition to chloride concentration, factors such as soft water or increasing lake temperatures also negatively affect freshwater zooplankton and phytoplankton communities. The results suggest that regulations on road salt application should be reevaluated to better protect aquatic ecosystems.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2023)