Article
Environmental Sciences
Enrico Ercole, Martino Adamo, Erica Lumini, Anna Fusconi, Marco Mucciarelli
Summary: Constructed wetlands in high-altitude environments rely on native flora and associated microbial communities for survival. Carex rostrata, Deschampsia caespitosa, and Rumex alpinus are identified as plant species hosting active bacteria in nitrogen cycles, with the latter showing the richest and most stable fungal and prokaryotic communities. These findings suggest that Rumex alpinus should be prioritized in high-altitude constructed wetlands for its low maintenance requirements and effective water treatment capabilities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hanxi Wang, Lianxi Sheng, Jianling Xu
Summary: This review provides a detailed analysis of the reasons, influencing factors, and regularities of CW clogging, offering important insights for addressing clogging issues. Proper selection of particle size and aquatic plants, as well as timely removal of dead roots, can reduce CW clogging significantly.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Shawna K. Bellamy, Andrew Paige, Barry W. Alto
Summary: This study investigates the impact of predators on the reproductive biology of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The results suggest that predator effects on Aedes aegypti mainly derive from consumption and alterations in other phenotypic traits of survivors, with little impact on measured reproductive parameters.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Olivier Josh C. Caasi, Louis A. Gosselin, Marie Antonette Juinio-Menez
Summary: The study showed that the size of seagrass-associated crabs, Thalamita crenata and Dardanus megistos, significantly affects the survival of juvenile sandfish. Hermit crab D. megistos was found to be a significant predator of juvenile sandfish, with differing non-lethal damage caused by the two crab species.
JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xuli Zhu, Liang Jiao, Xuan Wu, Dashi Du, Jingjing Wu, Peng Zhang
Summary: Wetlands in the arid zone of northwest China have ecological values such as climate regulation, water conservation, and biodiversity maintenance. However, increasing natural and human interference, along with the effects of global warming and economic development, have led to severe wetland health problems. This study evaluates the ecological health status of natural and constructed wetlands in the arid zone using the DPSIR framework and found that both types of wetlands were in a medium healthy state. The degradation of constructed wetlands was mainly caused by urban population expansion and agricultural reclamation, while natural wetlands were affected by extreme climatic conditions and overuse of water resources.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Leslie Behrends, Laura Houke, Earl Bailey, Pat Jansen
Summary: A microcosm treatability study was conducted in a wetland research facility in the USA. The study found that wastewater treatment with reciprocation significantly improved removal of COD and ammonium.
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Ashley N. Peterson, Matthew J. McHenry
Summary: This study examines the strategy of red lionfish in pursuing faster prey. The behavior of successfully capturing prey is defined as the "persistent-predation strategy", which includes pure pursuit, uninterrupted motion, and high success rate in strike.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Jan Vymazal
Summary: Constructed wetlands (CWs) are engineered systems that utilize natural processes for wastewater treatment. CWs take advantage of processes found in natural wetlands, but operate in a more controlled environment. They can be classified based on the presence/absence of wastewater on the wetland surface, and the direction of subsurface flow. Hybrid CWs combine different types of CW technologies. The use of CWs for wastewater treatment gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s due to stricter regulations and the application of CWs in circular economy concepts.
Article
Ecology
Sophie Gilbert, Neil Carter, Robin Naidoo
Summary: The conservation of predators, especially those that pose threats to humans, can cause controversy among stakeholders. However, the ecosystem services and disservices provided by predators through consuming herbivores are often overlooked. Further empirical research into the marginal values of wildlife services/disservices is needed to improve conservation and management outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ram Ranjan
Summary: The study explores the potential of promoting constructed wetlands on agricultural farms as a means of restoring degraded natural wetlands, with a payment for ecosystem services mechanism developed to provide incentives for farmers. Results indicate that such payment mechanisms are likely to provide strong incentives for constructed wetland adoption, contributing to the long-term sustainability of natural wetlands.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Emily A. Ury, Puvaanah Arrumugam, Ellen R. Herbert, Pascal Badiou, Bryan Page, Nandita B. Basu
Summary: Wetland restoration is a common strategy for improving water quality in agricultural catchments, but the ability of wetlands to retain phosphorus varies widely and they can sometimes act as a source of phosphorus. Through meta-analysis, we found that wetlands are often sinks for phosphorus, but the retention efficiency differs depending on the form of phosphorus and the specific wetland. The release of phosphorus from wetlands is influenced by factors such as hydraulic loading rates, influent phosphorus concentration, and soil/sediment phosphorus. Our results emphasize the importance of restoring wetlands for phosphorus retention and suggest strategies for enhancing retention and avoiding release.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Alberto Bortoni, Sharon M. Swartz, Hamid Vejdani, Aaron J. Corcoran
Summary: A predator's ability to catch prey depends on its navigation skills in response to prey movements. The pursuit behavior of Townsend's big-eared bat varies, as it relies on a slow and agile flight to stealthily approach prey and reacts to prey movements using a combination of pure pursuit and proportional navigation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vilis O. Nams, Matt W. Hayward
Summary: This article introduces a method for estimating food preference in animals, which can estimate food preference at different study sites using bootstrapping. The accuracy and precision of this method are tested using computer simulations, and a case study with lion feeding data is presented. The study shows that preference for prey size follows a bell-curve. The method can be used to test hypotheses about prey selection factors, predict preferences in new sites, and estimate overall prey consumed in new sites.
Article
Ecology
Thomas E. Reimchen, Carolyn A. Bergstrom
Summary: The interaction between predation landscape and phenotypic variability within prey populations is a significant factor in evolutionary biology. Our study on wild-captured threespine stickleback in western Canada found that the incidence of injuries varied among different phenotypes and younger fish, and was inversely related to the population frequencies of plate phenotypes. The analysis of yearly cohorts revealed differences in strength and direction of selection, supporting the presence of multiple optimal phenotypes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qingqing Cao, Yan Li, Yan Kang, Zizhang Guo
Summary: This study found that adding activated carbon and biochar to surface flow constructed wetlands can significantly improve the removal efficiency of benzofluoranthrene (BbFA) and nitrate nitrogen, reduce the absorption of PAHs by plants, and enhance microbial degradation.
Article
Ecology
Rebecca A. Eckert, Halvor M. Halvorson, Kevin A. Kuehn, William O. Lamp
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Alina Avanesyan, William O. Lamp
Article
Ecology
Melissa H. DeSiervo, Matthew P. Ayres, Ross A. Virginia, Lauren E. Culler
Article
Entomology
Rebecca C. Wilson-Ounekeo, William O. Lamp
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Entomology
Alina Avanesyan, Hannah Sutton, William O. Lamp
Summary: The review of PCR-based methods in studies published from 1977 to 2019 revealed that Coleoptera and Hemiptera were prevalent insect orders, with DNA barcoding approach employed in 79% of the studies. Qiagen DNA extraction kits and CTAB protocol were commonly used in a substantial number of studies. Single loci like trnL, rbcL, and ITS regions were frequently targeted for plant DNA identification, with sequencing being the dominant verification approach.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lauren E. Culler, Alexandra M. Stendahl, Melissa H. DeSiervo, Hanna M. Bliska, Ross A. Virginia, Matthew P. Ayres
Summary: Aquatic insects like mosquitoes can serve as a subsidy for terrestrial predators like wolf spiders in Arctic tundra, but the demographic effects on spiders may be modest. Differences in food resources exist among habitats, with individuals near ponds being significantly depleted in C-13 compared to upland habitats. Further studies are needed to assess the broader effects of disruptions to aquatic-terrestrial linkages via pond drying on tundra ecosystems.
Article
Biology
Amanda M. Koltz, Lauren E. Culler
Summary: Biting insects in the Arctic have been studied for their responses to climate change, with significant gaps in knowledge remaining. Future research should aim to integrate scientific, local, and traditional ecological knowledge to better understand how biting insects are affected by global change and the consequences for Arctic environmental security.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Rebecca C. Wilson-Ounekeo, William O. Lamp
Summary: The study on Simulium jenningsi black flies in western Maryland revealed that females are more likely to be found in non-urban environments, and their abundance is negatively correlated with impervious surfaces, distance to river confluences, light intensity, and positively correlated with elevation and air temperature.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Morgan N. Thompson, William O. Lamp
Summary: Our study reveals that soil nitrate supply and aboveground insect herbivory interact to influence biological nitrogen fixation in alfalfa. Different conditions of nitrate supply and herbivory lead to distinct changes in nitrogen allocation strategies in both above- and belowground parts of the plant.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
V Yurchak, A. W. Leslie, G. P. Dively, W. O. Lamp, C. R. R. Hooks
Summary: This study investigated the persistence of Cry proteins in transgenic corn residue and found that Cry proteins retained biological activity for as long as 24 weeks above ground with less soil contact. Both ELISA detections and feeding bioassays showed the presence of active proteins beyond the point of ELISA detection.
TRANSGENIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biology
Rebecca A. Eckert, William O. Lamp, Gili Marbach-Ad
Summary: This study introduced a Jigsaw activity in a freshwater biology course to help students connect mouthpart morphology and ecological feeding roles of aquatic insects. The results showed that the activity enhanced students' understanding of the link between mouthparts and feeding roles and led to higher scores in open-ended questions related to the importance of mouthparts.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL EDUCATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Alina Avanesyan, William O. Lamp
Summary: Introduced grasses can invade native habitats, including protected areas, posing a threat to the ecosystem. In the case of Miscanthus sinensis, its invasive potential may be linked to seed viability and growth rate. Our study also found that different cultivars of M. sinensis exhibit varying responses to insect herbivory, indicating differences in plant tolerance and resistance. These findings have important implications for monitoring invasive grass species in protected areas and understanding the biotic resistance of native communities.
Article
Entomology
Cameron McPherson, Alina Avanesyan, William O. Lamp
Summary: This study identified the host plants of the invasive spotted lanternfly nymphs through DNA metabarcoding analysis, providing important information for the development of effective management programs. The results have significant implications for forest managers and growers in the potential range of the spotted lanternfly.
Article
Ecology
Jennifer L. Mercer, Josephine Nymand, Lauren E. Culler, Rebecca Lynge, Sten Lund, Bo Gregersen, Brett Makens, Ross A. Virginia, Kristian G. Moore
Summary: In the past, international researchers in Greenland had minimal interaction with local communities and research institutes. However, through a series of events and focused engagement, bilateral relationships have been cultivated, leading to successful research collaboration, funding acquisition, and the development of a collaboration network. This approach has also proven essential in maintaining research activities during the global pandemic.
Article
Entomology
Alina Avanesyan, Nurani Illahi, William O. Lamp
Summary: This study focused on optimizing a DNA-based method for identifying host plants of potato leafhopper and investigating the longevity of ingested plant DNA. Utilizing PCR technology, the researchers successfully detected ingested host plant DNA in potato leafhoppers, demonstrating a quick and cost-effective detection method.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
