Search

Flood protection measures can have large impacts on ecosystems and their biodiversity, yet direct comparisons of active and inactive floodplains are rare. We compared the number of roadkilled individuals of two semiaquatic water snakes (Natrix natrix and N. tessellata) on 58 km of road sections bordered either by an active floodplain or a flood-protected former floodplain in NE Hungary based on surveys conducted once every two weeks in three years. We found unexpectedly high road mortality of snakes, which was rather similar across years. Mortality had a spring and an autumn peak, corresponding to the times when snakes emerge from and return to hibernating sites. Road mortality was more severe and more predictable in the flooded than in the flood-protected area, even though traffic was more intense in the latter. Our results show that small-scale spatial differences in road mortality are mediated by landscape structure along the road, while the effects of traffic intensity and the age and sex of the individuals were negligible. For conservation implications, our study suggests that establishing culvert passages under the road and artificial hibernating sites on the floodplain-side of the roads in critical sections to reduce the road-related mortality.

Despite efforts on ecosystem restoration and management, biodiversity loss remains one of the major environmental concerns of our time. Beyond the focus on threatened species, animals that indicate regional biodiversity hotspots and population trends, such as brood parasites, should also be targeted by conservation actions. We studied how reed habitat quality and management influence brood parasitism rate and offspring survival in Common Cuckoos

1. Understanding animals’ selection of microhabitats is important in both ecology and biodiversity conservation. However, there is no generally accepted methodology for the characterisation of microhabitats, especially for vegetation structure. 2. Here we present a method that objectively characterises vegetation structure by using automated processing of images taken of the vegetation against a whiteboard under standardised conditions. We developed an R script for automatic calculation of four vegetation structure variables derived from raster data stored in the images: leaf area (LA), height of closed vegetation (HCV), maximum height of vegetation (MHC), and foliage height diversity (FHD). 3. We demonstrate the applicability of this method by testing the influence of vegetation structure on the occurrence of three viperid snakes in three grassland ecosystems: Vipera graeca in mountain meadows in Albania, V. renardi in loess steppes in Ukraine and V. ursinii in sand grasslands in Hungary. 4. We found that the variables followed normal distribution and there was minimal correlation between those. Generalized linear mixed models revealed that snake occurrence was positively related to HCV in V. graeca, to LA in V. renardi and to LA and MHC in V. ursinii, and negatively to FHD in V. renardi, and to HCV in V. ursinii. 5. Our results demonstrate that biologically meaningful vegetation structure variables can be derived from automated image processing. Our method minimises the risk of subjectivity in measuring vegetation structure, allows upscaling if neighbouring pixels are combined, and is suitable for comparison of or extrapolation across different grasslands, vegetation types or ecosystems.

Background Understanding predator–prey relationships is fundamental in many areas of ecology and conservation. In reptiles, basking time often increases the risk of predation and one way to minimise this risk is to reduce activity time and to stay within a refuge. However, this implies costs of lost opportunities for foraging, reproduction, and thermoregulation. We aimed to determine the main potential and observed predators of Vipera graeca, to infer predation pressure by estimating the incidence and the body length and sex distribution of predation events based on body injuries, and to assess whether and how the activity of V. graeca individuals is modified by predation pressure. Results We observed n = 12 raptor bird species foraging at the study sites, of which Circaetus gallicus, Falco tinnunculus and Corvus cornix were directly observed as predators of V. graeca. We found injuries and wounds on 12.5% of the studied individuals (n = 319). The occurrence of injuries was significantly positively influenced by the body length of vipers, and was more frequent on females than on males, while the interaction of length and sex showed a significant negative effect. The temporal overlap between predator and viper activity was much greater for the vipers’ potential activity than their realised activity. Vipers showed a temporal shift in their bimodal daily activity pattern as they were active earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon than could be expected based on the thermal conditions. Conclusion The time spent being active on the surface has costs to snakes: predation-related injuries increased in frequency with length, were more frequent in females than in males and occurred in shorter length for males than for females. Our results suggest that vipers do not fully exploit the thermally optimal time window available to them, likely because they shift their activity to periods with fewer avian predators.

The reproductive period in animals is a demanding part in their life history. In birds, environmental factors, such as adverse weather, predation, or brood parasitism; and/or anthropogenic disturbance, can limit breeding success, resulting in failure of clutches. The nest loss in open-cup nesting passerines is usually replaced with a new nest with a new clutch, however, in some cases the clutch replacement may occur in unusual forms. In this study, we report on three cases of within-season nest reuse in the Great Reed Warbler. In the first case, a nest was reused for two times in the same season after unsuccessful nesting attempts (two-time nest reuse). After the nest was depredated the first time, the female laid new eggs that were depredated again, then again the female laid new eggs that produced four fledglings. In the second case, the first clutch was depredated, after which the female laid a new clutch in the same nest that was again depredated. In the third case, the female laid new eggs among the eggs that failed to hatch previously. Our observations tend not to be consistent with the predator avoidance hypothesis because the depredated nests were reused by the parents. The time/energy saving hypothesis or possible deterrence of nest parasitism could explain nest reuse in this study, but because of low number of nests reused compared to the total number of nests found, this phenomenon needs further clarification.

Soda pans in Central Europe are inland saline waters of nonmarine origin that represent dynamically changing environments with unique species and communities. Our aim was to explore the spatial and temporal variation in water bug assemblages among soda pans at 3 temporal scales (years, seasons, and months). Data on 9005 individuals belonging to 18 species collected in 3 seasons per year for 4 years in 5 soda pans demonstrated large interannual and seasonal fluctuations of water bugs. Two water boatman species (Paracorixa concinna, Sigara lateralis) were dominant, and species composition varied little among soda pans, seasons, or years. Species richness and abundance were influenced by interactions among soda pans, year, and season and showed cyclic changes in dry years and serial changes in wet years. Richness and abundance were highest in 2000 when water levels were high in spring and early summer. Richness was also high but abundance was lowest in 2010, a year with extremely high precipitation after a dry year. Richness and abundance peaks (individual numbers up to 2100 m−2) occurred in late summer, suggesting that water bugs are important in the trophic network of soda pans. Our results suggest that weather-driven extreme fluctuations in soda pans determine the spatial and temporal variation of water bug assemblages, with cycles of local extinction and recolonization maintained by good dispersal ability.

Grassland ecosystems are among the most threatened biomes, and their restoration has become common in nature conservation. Yet restoration is rarely applied specifically for reptiles, which are among the most threatened vertebrates. The Meadow Viper (Vipera ursinii) has become extinct in most of lowland Europe, and an endangered subspecies (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis) has been a target of habitat restoration and captive breeding in Hungary since 2004. We quantified vegetation properties and the density of reptiles that either spontaneously colonised (three species) or were reintroduced (V. ursinii) in a grassland restored specifically for this purpose. We used a fine-scale survey to estimate the cover, and compositional and vertical diversity of the vegetation. We characterised sampling units along three habitat gradients: wetness, openness and grass tussock size. Model selection based on data from replicated counts showed that Green Lizards (Lacerta viridis) responded positively to vegetation cover and negatively to tussock area and height, and number of burrows. The Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) responded positively to vegetation cover, vertical diversity and wetness, and negatively to openness. The Balkan Wall Lizard (Podarcis tauricus) responded positively to tussock height and negatively to vegetation cover. Finally, V. ursinii responded positively to vegetation cover and tussock height, and negatively to compositional diversity. Our results show the general importance of structural and compositional diversity of vegetation to reptiles. These results suggest that adaptive management should focus on increasing the total cover (for lizards) and the structural diversity of vegetation (for each species) to benefit reptiles in restored grasslands.

Spatial prioritization in systematic conservation planning has traditionally been developed for several to many species and/or habitats, and single-species applications are rare. We developed a novel spatial prioritization model based on accurate estimates of remotely-sensed data and maps of threats potentially affecting long-term species persistence. We used this approach to identify priority areas for the conservation of the Endangered Greek meadow viper Vipera graeca, a cold-adapted species inhabiting mountaintops in the Pindos Mountains of Greece and Albania. We transformed the mapped threats into nine variables to estimate conservation value: habitat suitability (climate suitability, habitat size, occupancy, vegetation suitability), climate change (future persistence, potential for altitudinal range shift) and land-use impact (habitat alteration, degradation, disturbance). We applied the Zonation systematic conservation planning tool with these conservation value variables as biodiversity features to rank the areas currently occupied by the species and to identify priority areas where the chances for population persistence are highest. We found that 90% of current habitats will become unsuitable by the 2080s and that conservation actions need to be implemented to avoid extinction as this is already a threatened species with a narrow ecological niche. If threats are appropriately quantified and translated into variables of conservation value, spatial conservation planning tools can successfully identify priority areas for the conservation of single species. Our study demonstrates that spatial prioritization for single umbrella, flagship or keystone species is a promising approach for the conservation of species for which few data are available.

Cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of mortality due to increased atherosclerosis worldwide. In the background of accelerated atherosclerosis, the most important risk factors include hypertension, age, male gender, hereditary predisposition, diabetes, obesity, smoking and lipid metabolism disorder. Arterial stiffness is a firmly established, independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia are at very high cardiovascular risk. Non-invasive measurement of arterial stiffness is suitable for screening vascular dysfunction at subclinical stage in this severe inherited disorder. Some former studies found stiffer arteries in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia compared to healthy controls, while statin treatment has a beneficial effect on it. If conventional drug therapy fails in patients with severe familial hypercholesterolemia, PCSK9 inhibitor therapy should be administered; if these agents are not available, performing selective LDL apheresis could be considered. The impact of recent therapeutic approaches on vascular stiffness is not widely studied yet, even though the degree of accelerated athero and arteriosclerosis correlates with cardiovascular risk. The authors provide an overview of the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia and the findings of studies on arterial dysfunction in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, in addition to presenting the latest therapeutic options and their effects on arterial elasticity parameters.

In recent years, the Hooded crow (

Background: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an important complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), that may delay surgical or endovascular treatment and may influence patient outcome. This prospective follow-up study intended to collect data on the prevalence, severity, influencing factors and long-term outcome of TTC in patients suffering from non-traumatic SAH. Methods: Consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of non-traumatic SAH were included. Intitial assessment consisted of cranial CT, Hunt-Hess, Fisher and WFNS scoring, 12-lead ECG, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), transcranial duplex sonography and collecting laboratory parameters (CK, CK-MB, cardiac troponin T, NT-proBNP and urine metanephrine and normetanephrine). Diagnosis of TTC was based on modified Mayo criteria. TTC patients were dichotomized to mild and severe forms. Follow-up of TTE, Glasgow Outcome Scale assessment, Barthel’s and Karnofsky scoring occurred on days 30 and 180.Results: One hundred thirty six patients were included. The incidence of TTC in the entire cohort was 28.7 %; of them, 20.6% and 8.1% were mild and severe, respectively. TTC was more frequent in females (30/39; 77%) than in males (9/39; 23%) and was more severe. The occurrence of TTC was related to mFisher scores and WFNS scores. Although the severity of TTC was related to mFisher score, Hunt-Hess score, WFNS score and GCS, multivariate analysis showed the strongest relationship with mFisher scores. Ejection fraction differences between groups were present on day 30, but disappeared by day 180, whereas wall motion score index was still higher in the severe TTC group at day 180. By the end of the follow-up period (180 days), 70 (74.5%) patients survived in the non-TTC, 22 (81.5%) in the mild TTC and 3 (27%) in the severe TTC group (n = 11) (p = 0.002). At day 180, GOS, Barthel, and Karnofsky outcome scores were higher in patients in the control (non-TTC) and the mild TTC groups than in the severe TTC group. Conclusions: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a frequent finding in patients with SAH, and severe TTC may be present in 8% of SAH cases. The severity of TTC may be an independent predictor of mortality and outcome at 6 months after disease onset. Therefore, a regular follow-up of ECG and TTE abnormalities is warranted in patients with subrachnoid hemorrhage for early detection of TTC. Trial registration: The study was registered at the Clinical Trials Register under the registration number of NCT02659878 (date of registration: January 21, 2016)

High‐quality information on predator–prey relationships is fundamental in understanding food webs, community assembly and ecosystem functioning. Recent analytical advances have made it possible to develop new trait‐based approaches to study trophic relationships and evaluate trait matching between predators and prey. Here, we develop a novel analytical approach based on generalized linear mixed‐effects models (GLMM) to test the importance of prey availability and to identify the set of prey traits that best explain the occurrence and number of prey in the predator's diet. We demonstrate that the approach by using an extensive dataset on prey availability, prey traits and gut content collected in all known populations of Vipera graeca, a little‐known, endangered snake of alpine grasslands in the Pindos Mountains of the Balkan Peninsula. We show that V. graeca is a unique, venomous snake specialized on bush‐crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera). Prey selection GLMMs showed that the ideal prey of V. graeca is abundant, large‐bodied, has poor escape abilities (flightless, slow‐moving and bad jumper) and prefers loose grasslands (as opposed to bare ground/rock or closed sward). Vipers restrict their feeding to periods of high Orthoptera abundance in the late summer and need to reach a certain body size to become able to catch large‐sized prey. Our analytical approach provides a framework for trait matching between predators and prey and unprecedented fine‐scale information on the importance of prey traits in prey selection by a specialist predator. The narrow trophic niche of V. graeca likely increases the vulnerability of this cold‐adapted snake to extinction. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Background The paucity of easy-to-use, reliable objective neuromuscular monitors is an obstacle to universal adoption of routine neuromuscular monitoring. Electromyography (EMG) has been proposed as the optimal neuromuscular monitoring technology since it addresses several acceleromyography limitations. This clinical study compared simultaneous neuromuscular responses recorded from induction of neuromuscular block until recovery using the acceleromyography-based TOF-Watch SX and EMG-based TetraGraph. Methods Fifty consenting patients participated. The acceleromyography and EMG devices analyzed simultaneous contractions (acceleromyography) and muscle action potentials (EMG) from the adductor pollicis muscle by synchronization via fiber optic cable link. Bland–Altman analysis described the agreement between devices during distinct phases of neuromuscular block. The primary endpoint was agreement of acceleromyography- and EMG-derived normalized train-of-four ratios greater than or equal to 80%. Secondary endpoints were agreement in the recovery train-of-four ratio range less than 80% and agreement of baseline train-of-four ratios between the devices. Results Acceleromyography showed normalized train-of-four ratio greater than or equal to 80% earlier than EMG. When acceleromyography showed train-of-four ratio greater than or equal to 80% (n = 2,929), the bias was 1.3 toward acceleromyography (limits of agreement, –14.0 to 16.6). When EMG showed train-of-four ratio greater than or equal to 80% (n = 2,284), the bias was –0.5 toward EMG (–14.7 to 13.6). In the acceleromyography range train-of-four ratio less than 80% (n = 2,802), the bias was 2.1 (–16.1 to 20.2), and in the EMG range train-of-four ratio less than 80% (n = 3,447), it was 2.6 (–14.4 to 19.6). Baseline train-of-four ratios were higher and more variable with acceleromyography than with EMG. Conclusions Bias was lower than in previous studies. Limits of agreement were wider than expected because acceleromyography readings varied more than EMG both at baseline and during recovery. The EMG-based monitor had higher precision and greater repeatability than acceleromyography. This difference between monitors was even greater when EMG data were compared to raw (nonnormalized) acceleromyography measurements. The EMG monitor is a better indicator of adequate recovery from neuromuscular block and readiness for safe tracheal extubation than the acceleromyography monitor. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New

Összefoglaló. A cardiovascularis megbetegedések kialakulását és progresszióját jelentősen befolyásolja az életmód, ezen belül a fizikai aktivitás. A rendszeres testmozgás csökkenti a szív- és érrendszeri kórképek kockázatát, többek között a magas vérnyomásra, a zsíranyagcsere-eltérésekre és az elhízásra gyakorolt kedvező hatásán keresztül, továbbá független tényező a cardiovascularis halálozás szempontjából is. Az artériás érfali merevség az elasztikus artériák falát alkotó extracelluláris mátrix degeneratív eltéréseinek következtében alakul ki a különböző kockázati tényezők hatására. Korábban, különböző populációkon már igazolták az érfali merevség prediktív értékét a cardiovascularis események kialakulásának tekintetében. A pulzushullám-terjedési sebesség mérése a leggyakrabban alkalmazott módszer az érfali merevség meghatározására. A pulzushullám-terjedési sebesség mérésének hasznát a cardiovascularis kimenetel és élettartam becslésében számos populációs szintű követéses vizsgálat igazolja. Jelen munkánkban áttekintjük a rendszeres fizikai aktivitás, az érfali merevség, az érelmeszesedés és a cardiovascularis események közötti összefüggéseket. Összefoglaljuk az edzésnek és az érfali merevség paramétereinek kapcsolatát egészséges populáción vizsgáló legfontosabb tanulmányok eredményeit. Megállapítjuk, hogy az érfali merevség figyelemre méltó, érdekes biomarker a cardiovascularis kockázat becslése során a rendszeresen sportoló személyek esetén is. Mindezek alapján, tekintve annak prognosztikai hasznát, felmerül a pulzushullám-terjedési sebesség mérésének beillesztése a klinikai döntéshozatali folyamatba mind amatőr, mind professzionális sportolók esetében. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(16): 615-622. Summary. The development and progression of cardiovascular disorders is importantly dependent on lifestyle factors, including physical activity. Regular physical activity decreases cardiovascular morbidity by ameliorating risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity, moreover, also independently affects cardiovascular mortality. Arterial stiffness results from a degenerative process affecting mainly the extracellular matrix of elastic arteries under the effect of risk factors. Previously, the independent predictive value of arterial stiffness for cardiovascular events has been demonstrated in various populations. Pulse wave velocity is the most commonly used method for the assessment of arterial stiffness. The value of measuring pulse wave velocity to predict cardiovascular health outcomes and longevity has been established in several population-based longitudinal studies. In this review, we summarize the main associations between regular physical exercise, arterial stiffness, atherosclerotic burden and incident cardiovascular events. We cite findings from the major studies focusing on the effect of training on arterial stiffness parameters in healthy subjects. We conclude that arterial stiffness is emerging as an interesting biomarker for cardiovascular risk stratification in subjects doing regular physical activity. Therefore, the incorporation of pulse wave velocity measurement into clinical decision-making could be indicated in the case of both amateur and professional athletes, given the prognostic information it provides. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(16): 615-622.

A Biologiai Sokfeleseg es Okoszisztema-szolgaltatas Kormanykozi Testulet (IPBES) negy regionalis ertekelő tanulmanyt keszitett 2015 es 2018 kozott. Jelen munkaban az Europa es Kozep-Azsia biodiverzitasaval es okoszisztema-szolgaltatasaival foglalkozo regionalis ertekelő tanulmanyt ismertetjuk, melyet 118 szerző 4750 informacioforras felhasznalasaval keszitett. Az ertekelő tanulmany fő megallapitasai: (i) a biodiverzitas es okoszisztema-szolgaltatasok fogyatkozasa a legtobb előlenycsoport es okoszisztema eseten aggaszto mertekű, (ii) a fogyatkozas fő oka a tajhasznalat valtozasa (mező- es erdőgazdalkodas, urbanizacio), de egyre nő a klimavaltozas szerepe is, (iii) ha a jelenlegi trendek folytatodnak, az aktualis fenntarthatosagi es biodiverzitas-vedelmi celkitűzesek nem teljesulnek, es (iv) a biodiverzitas-vedelmi szempontok politikai fősodorba kerulese es jobb integralasa a szektoralis szakpolitikakba elengedhetetlen a negativ tendenciak lassitasahoz vagy megallitasahoz.

Freshwater ecosystems host disproportionately high numbers of species relative to their surface area yet are poorly protected globally. We used data on the distribution of 1631 species of aquatic plant, mollusc, odonate and fish in 18,816 river and lake catchments in Europe to establish spatial conservation priorities based on the occurrence of threatened, range-restricted and endemic species using the Marxan systematic conservation planning tool. We found that priorities were highest for rivers and ancient lakes in S Europe, large rivers and lakes in E and N Europe, smaller lakes in NW Europe and karst/limestone areas in the Balkans, S France and central Europe. The a priori inclusion of well-protected catchments resulted in geographically more balanced priorities and better coverage of threatened (critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable) species. The a priori exclusion of well-protected catchments showed that priority areas that need further conservation interventions are in S and E Europe. We developed three ways to evaluate the correspondence between conservation priority and current protection by assessing whether a cathment has more (or less) priority given its protection level relative to all other catchments. Each method found that priority relative to protection was high in S and E Europe and generally low in NW Europe. The inclusion of hydrological connectivity had little influence on these patterns but decreased the coverage of threatened species, indicating a trade-off between connectivity and conservation of threatened species. Our results suggest that catchments in S and E Europe need urgent conservation attention (protected areas, restoration, management, species protection) in the face of imminent threats such as river regulation, dam construction, hydropower development and climate change. Our study presents continental-scale conservation priorities for freshwater ecosystems in ecologically meaningful planning units and will thus be important in freshwater biodiversity conservation policy and practice, and water management in Europe.

Background Certain surgical interventions may require a deep neuromuscular block (NMB). Reversal of such a block before tracheal extubation is challenging. Because anticholinesterases are ineffective in deep block, sugammadex 4 mg/kg has been recommended for the reversal of rocuronium- or vecuronium-induced deep NMB. However, this recommendation requires opening 2 vials of 200 mg sugammadex, which results in an increase in drug costs. Therefore, we sought a less expensive solution for the induction and reversal of deep NMB. Although the optimal dose of sugammadex for antagonism of deep block from pipecuronium has not been established, data pertaining to moderate block are available. Accordingly, we hypothesized that sugammadex 2 mg/kg would be a proper dose to reverse deep pipecuronium block, enabling us to avoid cost increases. In the present study, we compared sugammadex 2 mg/kg with the standard dose of 4 mg/kg for reversal of deep block from pipecuronium. Methods This single-center, randomized, double-blind, 2 parallel-arms, noninferiority study comprised 50 patients undergoing general anesthesia with propofol, sevoflurane, fentanyl, and pipecuronium. Neuromuscular monitoring was performed with acceleromyography (TOF-Watch SX). Noninferiority margin was specified beforehand as an increase in reversal time of no >10% (corresponding to 1 minute for the primary outcome). When the block spontaneously recovered to posttetanic count 1, the patients randomly received sugammadex 2 or 4 mg/kg, and the time from the injection to the train-of-four (TOF) ratio of 1.0 was measured. Primary outcome was the time to achieve the normalized TOF ratio of 0.9 in a particular patient. Residual or recurrent postoperative NMB was additional end point. Results Each patient recovered to the normalized TOF ratio of 0.9. In the 2 mg/kg group, reversal time was 1.73 ± 1.03 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-2.13; n = 25), and in the 4 mg/kg group, reversal time was 1.42 ± 0.63 minutes (mean ± standard deviation) (95% CI, 1.17-1.67; n = 25). The mean difference in reversal times between the 2 groups was 0.31 minutes (95% CI, -0.18 to 0.8), and the upper limit of CI was below the noninferiority margin of 1 minute. Postoperative block did not occur. Conclusions The effect of sugammadex 2 mg/kg was noninferior to that of 4 mg/kg in reversing posttetanic count-1 degree pipecuronium block. Sugammadex reversal of deep pipecuronium block appears to be effective.

One of the main goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 is to avoid further loss of biodiversity and to restore ecosystems. These efforts can be facilitated by compiling the main research topics related to conservation biology to provide new evidence for the most urgent knowledge gaps, and publicise it to researchers, research funders and policy makers. We used the possible future statements from the Hungarian Environmental Foresight Report for 2050 which identified region-specific problems. To highlight likely future environmental and conservation questions, in this study we asked researchers from the fields of ecology and conservation to define research questions addressing these future statements in line with international research trends and challenges. The study resulted in fourteen priority research topics, split into seven clusters relevant to biological conservation that should be targeted by stakeholders, primarily policy makers and funders to focus research capacity to these topics. The main overarching themes identified here include a wide range of approaches and solutions such as innovative technologies, involvement of local stakeholders and citizen scientists, legislation, and issues related to human health. These indicate that solutions to conservation challenges require a multidisciplinary approach in design and a multi-actor approach in implementation. Although the identified research priorities were listed for Hungary, they are in line with European and global biodiversity strategies, and can be tailored to suit other Central and Eastern European countries as well. We believe that our prioritisation can help science–policy discussion, and will eventually contribute to healthy and well-functioning ecosystems.

International audience; The biodiversity crisis has led to a surge of interest in the theory and practice of biodiversity monitoring. Although guidelines for monitoring have been published since the 1920s, we know little on current practices in existing monitoring schemes.Based on metadata on 646 species and habitat monitoring schemes in 35 European countries, we developed indicators for sampling design, sampling effort, and data analysis to evaluate monitoring practices. We also evaluated how socio-economic factors such as starting year, funding source, motivation and geographic scope of monitoring affect these indicators.Sampling design scores varied by funding source and motivation in species monitoring and decreased with time in habitat monitoring. Sampling effort decreased with time in both species and habitat monitoring and varied by funding source and motivation in species monitoring.The frequency of using hypothesis-testing statistics was lower in species monitoring than in habitat monitoring and it varied with geographic scope in both types of monitoring. The perception of the minimum annual change detectable by schemes matched spatial sampling effort in species monitoring but was rarely estimated in habitat monitoring.Policy implications: Our study identifies promising developments but also options for improvement in sampling design and effort, and data analysis in biodiversity monitoring. Our indicators provide benchmarks to aid the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of individual monitoring schemes relative to the average of other schemes and to improve current practices, formulate best practices, standardize performance and integrate monitoring results.

Management of reed beds primarily includes controlling water levels and removing vegetation by mowing, burning, or grazing. Although recent studies have demonstrated increased diversity and abundance of wetland specialists after reed bed management, documenting demographic benefits to individual species would add additional support to the advantages of appropriate management. Here, we explore the effects of reed management on the philopatry of Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) over 7 yr. Reed beds were managed in the winter by occasional burning at mining ponds and large canals, infrequent burning in marshes, and frequent mowing of small canals. Based on resightings and recaptures of 1,243 adult and 1,428 nestlings individually marked at 57 sites in 6 different reed habitats, we built Cormack-Jolly-Seber models to estimate the apparent annual survival and encounter probabilities of birds banded as nestlings or as adults. Apparent survival varied in time for both age groups and both ...

Simple Summary With regard to their high adaptability to human settlements and global distribution, corvid birds (crows, ravens, jays, etc.) are good models to understand the impacts of urbanization on wildlife. Here, we qualitatively reviewed the impacts of urbanization on corvids. At least 30 corvid species have become successfully accustomed or adapted to urbanized environments. The majority (72%, a total of 424 articles) of the studies reported positive effects of urbanization on corvids. The availability of easily accessible food and artificial nesting sites, coupled with low levels of predation, were found as the most important factors benefitting corvids in cities around the world. Studied topics ranged from population size and density, breeding biology and nesting site selection to control and management of Corvidae in cities. Despite biases in the distribution of the reviewed papers, our review attests that corvids have demonstrated high levels of adaptability to urban environments across space and time. Abstract Urbanization is one of the most prevalent drivers of biodiversity loss, yet few taxonomic groups are remarkably successful at adapting to urban environments. We systematically surveyed the global literature on the effects of urbanization on species of family Corvidae (crows, choughs, jackdaws, jays, magpies, nutcrackers, ravens, rooks, treepies) to assess the occurrence of corvids in urban environments and the factors affecting their success. We found a total of 424 primary research articles, and the number of articles has increased exponentially since the 1970s. Most studies were carried out in cities of Europe and North America (45.5% and 31.4%, respectively) and were directed on a single species (75.2). We found that 30 corvid species (23% of 133 total) regularly occur in urban environments. The majority (72%) of the studies reported positive effects of urbanization on corvids, with 85% of studies detecting population increases and 64% of studies detecting higher breeding success with urbanization. Of the factors proposed to explain corvids’ success (availability of nesting sites and food sources, low predation and persecution), food availability coupled with diet shifts emerged as the most important factors promoting Corvidae to live in urban settings. The breeding of corvids in urban environments was further associated with earlier nesting, similar or larger clutches, lower hatching but higher fledging success, reduced home range size and limited territoriality, increased tolerance towards humans and increasing frequency of conflicts with humans. Despite geographic and taxonomic biases in our literature sample, our review indicates that corvids show both flexibility in resource use and behavioral plasticity that enable them to exploit novel resources for nesting and feeding. Corvids can thus be urban exploiters of the large-scale modifications of ecosystems caused by urbanization.

Electronic neuromuscular monitoring is not widely used to determine either the reversal requirements for neuromuscular block before extubation of the trachea, or to determine if there is any subsequent postoperative residual neuromuscular block (PORNB).To investigate the incidence of PORNB using acceleromyography after spontaneous recovery of rocuronium-induced block and to compare this with the administration of sugammadex, neostigmine or a placebo.Partially randomised, partially randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, four-group parallel-arm study.Single-centre study performed between October 2013 and December 2015 in a university hospital.Of the 134 eligible patients, 128 gave their consent and 125 of these completed the study.Patients received general anaesthesia with propofol, sevoflurane, fentanyl and rocuronium. Neuromuscular transmission was measured by acceleromyography (TOF-Watch-SX; Organon Teknika B.V., Boxtel, the Netherlands) but the anaesthetist was blind to the results. If the anaesthetist deemed pharmacological reversal to be necessary before extubation of the trachea then patients were assigned randomly to receive either sugammadex (2.0 mg kg), neostigmine (0.05 mg kg) or a placebo. In the postanaesthesia care unit, an independent anaesthetist, unaware of the treatment given, assessed the neuromuscular function using acceleromyography.The incidence of a normalised train-of-four ratio less than 0.9 on arrival in the recovery room.In total, 125 patients were recruited. Neuromuscular block was allowed to recover spontaneously in 50 patients, whereas the remainder received either sugammadex (27), neostigmine (26) or placebo (22). The number of cases with PORNB were one (3.7%), four (15%), 13 (26%) and 10 (45%) after sugammadex, neostigmine, spontaneous recovery and placebo, respectively. Sugammadex and neostigmine were more effective than placebo [odds ratio (OR): 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.005 to 0.403, P = 0.005; OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.056 to 0.85, P = 0.028, respectively]. Sugammadex performed better than spontaneous recovery (OR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.014 to 0.89, P = 0.039) unlike neostigmine (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.15 to 1.79, P = 0.297). Yet, antagonism (pooled data) was more effective than spontaneous recovery (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1 to 0.9, P = 0.03).Although pharmacological reversal based on clinical signs was superior to spontaneous recovery it did not prevent PORNB, irrespective of the reversal agent.The study is registered under EUDRACT number 2013-001965-17.

Background Rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block that spontaneously recovered to a train-of-four count of four can be reversed with sugammadex 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg. We investigated whether these doses of sugammadex can also reverse vecuronium at a similar level of block. Methods Sixty-five patients were randomly assigned, and 64 were analyzed in this controlled, superiority study. Participants received general anesthesia with propofol, sevoflurane, fentanyl, and vecuronium. Measurement of neuromuscular function was performed with acceleromyography (TOF-Watch-SX, Organon Teknika B.V., The Netherlands ). Once the block recovered spontaneously to four twitches in response to train-of-four stimulation, patients were randomly assigned to receive sugammadex 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg; neostigmine 0.05 mg/kg; or placebo. Time from study drug injection to normalized train-of-four ratio 0.9 and the incidence of incomplete reversal within 30 min were the primary outcome variables. Secondary outcome was the incidence of reparalysis (normalized train-of-four ratio less than 0.9). Results Sugammadex, in doses of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, reversed a threshold train-of-four count of four to normalized train-of-four ratio of 0.9 or higher in all patients in 4.4 ± 2.3 min (mean ± SD) and 2.6 ± 1.6 min, respectively. Sugammadex 0.5 mg/kg reversed the block in 6.8 ± 4.1 min in 70% of patients (P < 0.0001 vs. 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), whereas neostigmine produced reversal in 11.3 ± 9.7 min in 77% of patients (P > 0.05 vs. sugammadex 0.5 mg/kg). The overall frequency of reparalysis was 18.7%, but this incidence varied from group to group. Conclusions Sugammadex 1.0 mg/kg, unlike 0.5 mg/kg, properly reversed a threshold train-of-four count of four vecuronium-induced block but did not prevent reparalysis.

Summary The conservation of freshwater ecosystems has lagged behind that of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and often requires the integration of large-scale approaches and transboundary considerations. This study aims to set the foundations of a spatial conservation strategy by identifying the most important catchments for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity in Europe. Using data on 1296 species of fish, mollusc, odonate and aquatic plant, and the key biodiversity area criteria (species Red List status, range restriction and uniqueness of species assemblages), we identified a network of Critical Catchments for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity. Applying spatial prioritisation, we show how the prioritised network differs from the ideal case of protecting all Critical Catchments and how it changes when protected areas are included, and we also identify gaps between the prioritised network and existing protected areas. Critical Catchments (n = 8423) covered 45% of the area of Europe, with 766 qualifying (‘trigger’) species located primarily in southern Europe. The prioritised network, limited to 17% of the area of Europe, comprised 3492 catchments mostly in southern and eastern Europe and species targets were met for at least 96% of the trigger species. We found the majority of Critical Catchments to be inadequately covered by protected areas. However, our prioritised network presents a possible solution to augment protected areas to meet policy targets while also achieving good species coverage. Policy implications. While Critical Catchments cover almost half of Europe, priority catchments are mostly in southern and eastern Europe where the current level of protection is not sufficient. This study presents a foundation for a Europe-wide systematic conservation plan to ensure the persistence of freshwater biodiversity. Our study provides a powerful new tool for optimising investment on the conservation of freshwater biodiversity and for meeting targets set forth in international biodiversity policies, conventions and strategies.

Although Albania has a rich reptile fauna, efforts to reveal its diversity have so far been limited. To fill this gap, we collected available published and unpublished (museum collections, online sources) records of reptile occurrences and conducted several expeditions to search for reptiles in areas with few or no previous records. Our georeferenced database contains 3731 records of 40 species from between 1918 and 2015. Based on this comprehensive dataset, we prepared distribution maps for each reptile species of the country. Applying spatial statistics, we revealed that overall sampling effort was clustered, with hotspots associated with easily accessible areas and natural heritage sites. The maximum number of species per cell was 26 with an average of seven. Cells harbouring large reptile diversity were located along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, on the western slopes of south Albanian mountains, i.e. in areas generally considered as Balkans biodiversity hotspots or potential historical refugia. We found that species presence and diversity is strongly influenced by landscape features. Diversity of land cover, altitudinal variation, temperature and precipitation variation explained the observed pattern in our models. Our study presents the largest database of reptile occurrences to date and is the first to analyse reptile diversity patterns in Albania. The database and the diversity patterns can provide a basis for future macroecological studies and conservation planning.

Albania is part of the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot. Yet its amphibian fauna is poorly known due to little scientific exploration during the long political isolation of the country. To fill this gap, we constructed a georeferenced database with occurrences of all known amphibian species based on records from published sources and personal data collected during expeditions to poorly known areas. Our database includes 1097 records of 16 species collected between 1920 and 2017. Based on aggregated records, we analysed richness patterns of amphibians in 10 × 10 km grid cells as a function of altitude, climate, land cover diversity and distance from the sea. The mean number of species per cell was 1.8 ± 0.11 S.E. (maximum: 10 species) and at least one species occurred in 238 of the 349 cells. Sampling effort was uneven and sampling hotspots were mostly in popular sites of natural heritage. Cells with high amphibian diversity were near the Prokletije Mountains in the North-West, near Lura, Korab and Grammos Mountains and Ohrid and Prespa Lakes in the East, and near Çikës Mountains and in coastal areas of Vlorë in the South-West. General linear models showed that the most important predictors of presence and diversity of amphibian species are land cover diversity and precipitation. Our study presents the largest database of amphibian occurrences in Albania to date that will be useful for biogeographical and ecological studies and for conservation purposes.

In this study we explored the linkage between wing size of Great Reed Warbler males (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and their habitat selection and relate these linkages to differences in reed habitat quality. We measured the wing sizes of males nesting in 6 different reed habitats. To explain reed habitat selection, we modeled male wing size as a function of 7 predictor variables describing reedbeds: proportion of managed reed; densities of mixed, old, and fresh reed; reed stem diameter; water depth; and fluctuation of water level. Mean wing size was greatest for males at large canals, intermediate at mining ponds and smaller canals, and lowest at marshes and very small canals. The proportion of managed reed and fluctuation of water level were negatively related to wing size, and water depth was positively related to wing size, which suggests that males with larger wings preferred reed habitats with little management in deep water with little fluctuation in water level. We concluded that the availab...

The degradation and loss of habitats are one of the major causes of the recent global decline of amphibian populations, and wetland ecosystems are increasingly restored to counter these effects. However, there is little information on how restoration of non-wetland habitats such as grasslands affect amphibians in wet-terrestrial habitat complexes. We studied the spatial and temporal impacts of large-scale grassland restoration in wetland buffer zones and ecological corridors on amphibians in Hortobagy National Park (E-Hungary). We used bycatch data on amphibians inadvertently collected over seven years by Barber pitfall trapping in a post-restoration monitoring of invertebrates in restored and natural grasslands. Repeated measures analyses revealed higher abundance and species richness of amphibians from year 2 to 6 after restoration than in years 7 to 10. Early phases of restoration, dominated by weedy and dicotyledonous plants, provided suitable microclimatic refuges and foraging areas to amphibians. The availability of such microhabitats decreased in later phases of restoration, dominated by grasses and a few dicotyledonous plants. Legacy effects were important because fine-scale differences in crop history and seed mixture resulted in variation in total abundance and species richness. Space-for-time substitution analyses two and seven years after restoration also confirmed the temporal differences between early and late phases of restoration. Restored grasslands did not differ from natural grasslands in total abundance, species abundances or species richness of amphibians. Our study demonstrates that increasing the area of grasslands around and among lowland marshes can be an effective tool for conservation because amphibians readily use these areas as refuges or for foraging, movement, migration and dispersal. Restoration of non-wetland habitat can benefit amphibians at the local scale by extending suitable terrestrial habitats and at the landscape scale by establishing functional connectivity between wetlands.

Ecosystem management often aims to maintain a diversity of habitats to benefit a large number of species within a landscape. We studied the effects of wetland management by low-intensity cattle-grazing and late-summer burning on marsh vegetation and globally declining anuran amphibians (frogs and toads) in a previously homogeneous reedbed. Burning effectively removed old reed and increased the variability of reed cover and marsh vegetation by the next spring. However, reed grew back strong in areas burned 2 or 3 years before the study, indicating that fire rejuvenates reedbeds. In contrast, cattle-grazing kept reed cover homogeneously low and created open water surfaces. The number of amphibian species and individuals decreased with mean reed cover and old reed density, and increased with variability in reed cover. Correspondingly, amphibian richness and counts were greatest in newly burned areas the next spring. In contrast, a year later, richness and counts were greatest in grazed-only areas, with large decreases in newly burned and control areas. Our results suggest that combined management with grazing and burning can create different habitat patches, some of which will be optimal for amphibians in one year, whereas other patches may become suitable in a subsequent year when successional changes alter previously optimal patches. To maximise optimal habitats, mosaic management should repeat burning once every 2 or 3 years in a rotational manner, and also maintain low-intensity cattle-grazing, which controls reeds and benefits amphibians more sustainably. Our study supports spatiotemporally varied management to facilitate habitat heterogeneity and complexity in dynamic landscapes.

We surveyed five reed habitats (mining pond, sand pit, large canal, small canal, and lowland river) in north-western Vojvodina (Serbia) between 2009–2011 to study habitat use and to estimate nesting success in an understudied region of the breeding range of the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Data from 174 nests showed that habitat use differed considerably between habitat types but was not related to the area of the study site or the reed bed. Higher than expected numbers of nests along the small canal and the river suggested that Great Reed Warblers preferred these to other habitats for nesting. Habitat use was closely linked to the availability of reed edges and the quality of the reed stand. Overall Mayfield nesting success was 43%, slightly lower than in northern and western Europe. Nesting success was low along the small and large canal, where brood parasitism by Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) and nest predation were high because of the nearby presence of tree lines that p...

Freshwater wetlands and marshes with extensive reed beds are important hotspots of biological diversity, but in the absence of proper management, they are subject to biotic homogenisation. We assessed the impact of spatiotemporally variable management by cattle grazing (for 4 years) and late-summer burning (1 or 3 years before the study) on both songbirds and non-passerines in a previously homogeneous reed bed. We surveyed birds using a combination of line transects and point counts in a quasi-experimental design comprising six treatment levels. Management increased both the diversity of marsh habitats and the diversity of bird species. The species richness and abundance of non-passerines (ducks and geese, wading birds, gulls and terns, rails, coots and grebes) was higher in recently burned than in unburned or old-burned patches. Species richness of farmland songbirds was higher in grazed than in non-grazed patches, and the richness and abundance of reed songbirds was higher in unburned, old-burned, and grazed patches than in recently burned patches. Total Shannon diversity and evenness of birds was lowest in areas with the most intensive treatment (patches grazed and twice-burned), whereas Simpson diversity was highest in these areas. Non-managed patches had fewer species and individuals of all groups except reed songbirds. The proportion of old reed was low in recently burned and grazed patches, and was similarly high in all other treatment areas. No other property of reed stands was influenced by management, and both the allocation and the effect of management were independent of water level. Spatiotemporally variable management by cattle grazing and late-summer burning may thus simultaneously benefit several groups of birds. The effect of burning alone disappeared in 3 years, even in the presence of grazing; thus it must be repeated every 2–3 years. We conclude that both management actions are necessary to establish and maintain highly diverse habitats for marshland bird communities.

Ecosystem/habitat restoration has become a major goal of international biodiversity policy. However, restorations are often limited in space or time, and we know little on whether and how restoration and management affect vertebrates. Here we assessed the local and landscape-scale effects of habitat restoration and management on small-mammal communities in the Egyek–Pusztakocs marsh system (Hortobagy National Park, Hungary), site of the largest active restoration of grasslands on former croplands in Europe. We live-trapped mice, voles and shrews in spring and autumn in 2 years (four sampling periods) at two sites in six habitat types: croplands, grasslands restored 3–6 years earlier and natural grasslands. Data on 421 individuals of 12 species showed that restored grasslands were similar to croplands and natural grasslands in species richness, abundance and composition. At the local scale, management influenced abundance because there were more small mammals in unmanaged and early-mown grasslands with taller vegetation than in late-mown or grazed grasslands with lower vegetation, or in ploughed croplands. Elevation was also important because sites at higher elevation provided refuges during spring floods or summer droughts. At the landscape scale, the proportion of restored and natural grasslands positively affected the abundance of small mammals, whereas the proportion of linear habitats (roads, canals) had a negative effect on abundance. Our results show that management is more important than restoration per se at the local scale, which is expected for habitat generalists such as small mammals in contrast to specialists such as plant-feeding invertebrates. However, restoration provides landscape-scale benefits by increasing the area of grasslands that can serve as refuges for small mammals in unfavourable periods. We thus conclude that a mosaic of restored and appropriately managed grasslands with tall vegetation will provide the best chances for the persistence of small-mammal communities in dynamic landscapes.

Rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block that spontaneously recovered to a train-of-four count of four can be reversed with sugammadex 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg. We investigated whether these doses of sugammadex can also reverse vecuronium at a similar level of block.Sixty-five patients were randomly assigned, and 64 were analyzed in this controlled, superiority study. Participants received general anesthesia with propofol, sevoflurane, fentanyl, and vecuronium. Measurement of neuromuscular function was performed with acceleromyography (TOF-Watch-SX, Organon Teknika B.V., The Netherlands ). Once the block recovered spontaneously to four twitches in response to train-of-four stimulation, patients were randomly assigned to receive sugammadex 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg; neostigmine 0.05 mg/kg; or placebo. Time from study drug injection to normalized train-of-four ratio 0.9 and the incidence of incomplete reversal within 30 min were the primary outcome variables. Secondary outcome was the incidence of reparalysis (normalized train-of-four ratio less than 0.9).Sugammadex, in doses of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, reversed a threshold train-of-four count of four to normalized train-of-four ratio of 0.9 or higher in all patients in 4.4 ± 2.3 min (mean ± SD) and 2.6 ± 1.6 min, respectively. Sugammadex 0.5 mg/kg reversed the block in 6.8 ± 4.1 min in 70% of patients (P0.0001 vs. 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg), whereas neostigmine produced reversal in 11.3 ± 9.7 min in 77% of patients (P0.05 vs. sugammadex 0.5 mg/kg). The overall frequency of reparalysis was 18.7%, but this incidence varied from group to group.Sugammadex 1.0 mg/kg, unlike 0.5 mg/kg, properly reversed a threshold train-of-four count of four vecuronium-induced block but did not prevent reparalysis.

This study proposes a two-stage conservation planning approach. Firstly, the Land-Use Pattern Optimization-library is used to maximize the suitability of habitats for target species by optimizing configuration based on the current landscape. Secondly, the systematic conservation planning tool, Marxan is used to identify protected areas based on the estimated species distributions from the optimal landscape configuration. We compared our conservation plan for three target bird species from a highland farm with the conservation plan produced using Marxan alone. Our comparison showed the effectiveness of our approach by selecting a reserve network with higher habitat suitability, better connection, and smaller size after relatively minor landscape modification. The proposed approach advances previous reserve site selection algorithms by considering optimal landscape configuration and potential species distributions for a reserve network design. Our approach yields priority maps to guide the design of a reserve network as well as identify landscape management for conservation.

Aim To assess the future climatic suitability of European catchments for freshwater species and the future utility of the current network of protected areas. Location Europe. Methods Using recently updated catchment-scale species data and climate projections from multiple climate models, we assessed the climate change threat by the 2050s for 1648 European freshwater plants, fishes, molluscs, odonates, amphibians, crayfish and turtles for two dispersal scenarios and identified hotspots of change at three spatial scales: major river basins, countries and freshwater ecoregions. We considered both common species and the often overlooked rare species. To set our findings within the context of current and future conservation networks, we evaluated the coverage of freshwater biodiversity by Europe's protected area network. Results Six per cent of common and 77% of rare species are predicted to lose more than 90% of their current range. Eight fish species and nine mollusc species are predicted to experience 100% range loss under climate change. As the most species-rich group, molluscs are particularly vulnerable due to the high proportion of rare species and their relatively limited ability to disperse. Furthermore, around 50% of molluscs and fish species will have no protected area coverage given their projected distributions. Main conclusions We identified the species most at threat due to projected changes in both catchment suitability and representation within the European protected area network. Our findings suggest an urgent need for freshwater management plans to facilitate adaptation to climate change.

Although grasslands harbour significant biodiversity and their restoration is common in biodiversity conservation, we know very little about how such interventions influence arthropod groups. Here we compared orthopteran assemblages in croplands, natural grasslands and one to four-year-old grasslands restored in a large-scale programme in Hortobagy National Park (East Hungary). We sampled orthopterans by standardized sweep-netting both in a repeated measures design from Year 0 (croplands) to 4 and in a space-for-time substitution (chronosequence) design in 2009. Species richness, abundance and Shannon diversity of orthopterans decreased in Year 1 following restoration, but increased afterwards. By Year 4, species richness doubled and abundance increased almost ten-fold in restored grasslands compared to croplands. Species composition diversified compared to croplands and progressed towards natural grasslands. Local restoration conditions (last crop, seed mixture) and landscape configuration (proportion of natural grasslands) did not influence the above patterns in either study design, whereas time since restoration affected almost all community variables. We found that ubiquitous generalist species were the first to appear in restored grasslands and that species characteristic to the target natural grasslands colonised gradually in later years. The qualitative and quantitative properties of the orthopteran assemblages in restored fields did not yet reach those of natural grasslands, therefore, our study suggests that the full regeneration of the orthopteran assemblages takes more than four years. We also concluded that the repeated-measures design was more sensitive to subtle changes and was thus more effective than the chronosequence design at detecting post-restoration changes in orthopteran assemblages.

We review the natural occurrence of tail duplications and tail bifurcations in amphibians as well as experimental studies that induced tail duplications. For natural populations, we found 10 publications that mention tail duplications or bifurcations in a total of 24 individual larval amphibians belonging to 15 species, mainly from Europe and South America. Nineteen publications describe the incidence for 34 individual postlarval urodeles from 12 species from North America, Europe, and Asia. Here we add three new observations: a subadult female Triturus dobrogicus with a duplicated tail and an adult female Triturus carnifex with a bifurcated tail from Hungary, and a tadpole of Hyla arborea with a bifurcated tail tip from Greece. The causes of tail duplications in wild amphibians remain unknown. Similar tail anomalies have been obtained in the laboratory when parts of the chorda dorsalis were destroyed, when tar is injected into the tail, or when the lumbar region is irradiated.

Aim We test the prediction that beta diversity (species turnover) and the decay of community similarity with distance depend on spatial resolution (grain). We also study whether patterns of beta diversity are related to variability in climate, land cover or geographic distance and how the independent effects of these variables depend on the spatial grain of the data. Location Europe, Great Britain, Finland and Catalonia. Methods We used data on European birds, plants, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles, and data on British plants, Catalonian birds and Finnish butterflies. We fitted two or three nested grids of varying resolutions to each of these datasets. For each grid we calculated differences in climate, differences in land-cover composition (CORINE) and beta diversity (bsim, bJaccard) between all pairs of grid cells. In a separate analysis we looked specifically at pairs of adjacent grid cells (the first distance class). We then used variation partitioning to identify the magnitude of independent statistical associations (i.e. independent effects in the statistical sense) of climate, land cover and geographic distance with spatial patterns of beta

Grassland restoration on former croplands offers good opportunity to mitigate the loss of grassland biodiversity. Weed suppression can be another benefit, which becomes increasingly important because of the high recent rate of abandonment of arable lands in Central and Eastern Europe. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of sowing two low-diversity seed mixtures followed by annual mowing, a frequently used restoration technique, in weed suppression. We found that rapidly forming cover of sown grasses effectively suppressed short-lived weeds and their germination except in the first year. The detected dense seed bank of short-lived weeds points out the possibility and threat of later weed infestation. In the short run perennial weeds cannot be suppressed easily by sowing and annual mowing. We found that the effectiveness of seed sowing followed by mowing in weed suppression can be different on sites with different history or seed mixture. Rapidly establishing perennial weeds, such as Agropyron species were only detected in former alfalfa fields; Cirsium arvense was found in former cereal and sunflower fields but not in former alfalfa fields. We found that the rate of weed suppression and success was influenced by the seed mixtures used. In several alkali restorations the high proportion of perennial weeds was detected in year 3. In loess restorations, much lower scores were typical. This was likely caused by the different seed mixture used. The loess seed mixture contained seeds of a clonally spreading tall-grass, Bromus inermis, which could compete more effectively with clonally spreading weeds, than could short grass species with or without tussock forming. Our findings indicate that post-restoration management require carefully designed actions that are fine-tuned addressing specific threats at the site level.

Accumulated biomass of sown species and litter plays an important role in success of restoration projects. We studied the effects of litter and graminoid biomass on species richness and biomass of early colonising forbs in former alfalfa fields sown with seed mixtures containing seeds of native grass species (Festuca pseudovina, Festuca rupicola, Poa angustifolia, Bromus inermis, 2005). The amount of litter, forbs and graminoids was measured in the first 3 years after sowing (2006–2008). Ten aboveground biomass samples (20 cm × 20 cm) per field were collected in June every year. We found significantly lower forb biomass in the second and third year, than in the first year after sowing. Litter and biomass of graminoids increased significantly during the study, and correlated negatively with the biomass and species richness of forbs. Mean scores of litter and graminoid biomass were two to three times higher in sown fields than in native grasslands. Our results suggest that the accumulation of litte...

Freshwater biodiversity is declining faster than marine or terrestrial diversity, yet its drivers are much less known. Although dams were shown to negatively affect river habitats, fragmentation by bridges has received less attention and is not as well understood. We tested whether and how bridges present barriers to aquatic insects by studying mass swarmings of Palingenia longicauda mayflies on river Tisza (NE-Hungary). Behavioural observations showed that upon approaching the bridge, upstream-flying mayflies typically turned back and 86% of them never crossed the bridge. Lack of physical contact showed that the bridge was an optical, rather than a mechanical barrier for the polarotactic mayflies. Imaging polarimetry showed that the bridge disrupted the horizontally polarizing channel guiding the flight of mayflies above the river. Energy loss, demonstrated by calorimetry, and time constraints forced females to lay eggs only downstream from the bridge. Counts of larval skins shed by swarming individuals showed nearly 2 to 1 female per male downstream from the bridge, while sex ratio above the bridge was slightly male-biased. We suggest that the surplus of parthenogenetic females, that produce only female larvae, downstream from the bridge may have led to the observed sex-ratio bias since the construction of the bridge (1942). Our results demonstrate that bridges can be optical barriers for aquatic insects and can cause population-level impacts, such as biased sex ratios, in natural populations. Sex ratio biases due to bridges may decrease effective population size and genetic variability, which may have contributed to the recent extinction of this species from most of Europe.