Search

Blackflies are amongst the most abundant and diverse group of aquatic insects globally, being rarely absent from rivers, their distributions are largely driven by current velocity, conductivity and total dissolved solids (TDS). While research on blackflies has mainly focused on medical, veterinary and economic aspects, ecological studies in the Afrotropical Region are relatively scarce. This study aimed to determine the response of blackfly species to environmental drivers in the north-eastern tropical regions of South Africa. Generalized Linear mixed models and the Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance were fitted to model blackfly richness and abundance structure. The Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) was used to analyze species-specific change along environmental gradients. A total of 1343 larvae, representing seven blackfly species in four sub-genera, were collected from 22 sites over a twelve-month period. Water temperature and flow velocity were the most important drivers of species richness. Conductivity and land cover had the strongest effect on community composition across species and sites. Species responded synchronously along flow velocity and water temperature gradients at 1.6 m.s−1 and between 20–22 °C, respectively. Simulium (Metomphalus) hargreavesi was identified at an indicator species for flow velocity, while three were indicator species for water temperature change. We demonstrated that the richness and relative abundance of blackflies are driven by different variables across the Luvuvhu catchment. The new information obtained from this study provides an insight on the importance of protecting and managing the natural environment in a high biodiversity and endemism area.

The study was carried out in four districts, that is, Gujranwala, Gujarat, Narowal and Sialkot of Punjab, Pakistan. The sampling was carried out randomly in different seasons from the water bodies especially from wastewater. Twenty-one species belonging to Euglenophycota were identified using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy from which 04 species belong to genus Phacus, 02 species belonging to Trachelomonas and Euglena based on light microscopy. It was observed that Euglena was the most diverse genus and it is supposed to be the indicator species of the polluted water. It was observed that E. oblonga was found in maximum pH range, that is, 7.0-11.0. Similarly, E. brevicaudatus was found in maximum EC, that is, 169 ± 1.5 ms/cm these outcomes indicated that for internal examination along with LM, SEM was necessary for correct identification of algal sample up to specie level.

Seagrass meadows are critical marine ecosystems. They are significant carbon sinks and play numerous important roles in coastal areas. They help to prevent shoreline erosion and serve as nursery grounds for many marine species. Like their terrestrial counterparts, seagrasses form symbiotic relationships with diverse communities of bacteria that help to promote and maintain host fitness. In this study, we sampled the seagrass Halophila ovalis throughout Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia to characterise the associated bacterial communities and distributions in this acknowledged seagrass biodiversity hotspot. Three different parts of the seagrass (leaves, roots and rhizomes) were collected, and a sediment sample was collected in close proximity to each host. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to examine the bacterial communities associated with each plant part and location. Our analyses indicated that bacterial assemblages associated with H. ovalis were distinct among locations, and different plant parts harboured divergent bacterial communities. We uncovered a significant distance-decay relationship, suggesting that dispersal limitations could explain the observed bacterial community structuring. We further identified bacterial indicator amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) that were associated with degraded or healthy seagrass meadows. The identification of indicator ASVs that are indicative of anthropogenically stressed seagrass, or a declining environment, could be used to implement proactive seagrass conservation and management schemes. This study addresses a current scientific gap within the characterisation of seagrass microbiomes, specifically of those from Southeast Asia, a region of acute seagrass losses, and provides a solid foundation for future seagrass research in the region.

The grass shrimp Palaemon pugio is an abundant and ecologically important species in estuarine habitats in the northwest Atlantic and is commonly used as an indicator species for environmen...

The interspecific plant interactions along grazing and aridity stress gradients represent a major research issue in plant ecology. However, the combined effects of these two factors on plant–plant interactions have been poorly studied in the northeast of Iran. To fill this knowledge gap, 144 plots were established in 12 study sites with different grazing intensities (high vs. low) and climatic characteristics (arid vs. semiarid) in northeastern Iran. A dominant shrub, Artemisia kopetdaghensis, was selected as the model species. Further, we studied changes in plant life strategies along the combined grazing and aridity stress gradients. In this study, we used relative interaction indices calculated for species richness, Shannon diversity, and species cover to determine plant–plant interactions using linear mixed‐effect models (LMM). The indicator species analysis was used to identify the indicator species for the undercanopy of shrub and for the adjacent open areas. The combined effects of grazing and aridity affected the plant–plant interactions and plant life strategies (CSR) of indicator species. A. kopetdaghensis showed the highest facilitation effect under high stress conditions (high grazing, high aridity), which turned into competition under the low stress conditions (low grazing, low aridity). In the arid region, the canopy of the shrub protected ruderals, annual forbs, and grasses in both high and low grazing intensities. In the semiarid region and high grazing intensity (low aridity/high grazing), the shrubs protected mostly perennial forbs with C‐strategy. Our findings highlight the importance of context‐dependent shrub management to restore the vegetation damaged by the intensive grazing., The manuscript is based on a field study, aiming to compare the canopy effects of an unpalatable dominant shrub (Artemisia kopetdaghensis) in the conditions of biotic stress, represented by intensive grazing and abiotic stress, represented by severe aridity. Our results bring new evidence to the current debate on the relative importance and characteristics of plant–plant interactions along the gradients of environmental stress. We detected the facilitative effects of the dominant shrub on species diversity in the presence of both grazing and aridity. However, the facilitative effects turned into competition in the conditions of less severe aridity in the semiarid region.

The microbiome of the anaerobic digester (AD) regulates the level of energy production. To assess the microbiome diversity and composition in different stages of anaerobic digestion, we collected 16 samples from the AD of cow dung (CD) origin. The samples were categorized into four groups (Group-I, Group-II, Group-III and Group-IV) based on the level of energy production (CH4%), and sequenced through whole metagenome sequencing (WMS). Group-I (n = 2) belonged to initial time of energy production whereas Group-II (n = 5), Group-III (n = 5), and Group-IV (n = 4) had 21–34%, 47–58% and 71–74% of CH4, respectively. The physicochemical analysis revealed that level of energy production (CH4%) had significant positive correlation with digester pH (r = 0.92, p 2 level (%) (r = 0.54, p Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Spirochaetes and Fibrobacteres phyla (> 93.0% of the total abundances). Simultaneously, 343 archaeal strains were detected, of which 95.90% strains shared across four metagenomes. We identified 43 dominant species including 31 bacterial and 12 archaeal species in AD microbiomes, of which only archaea showed positive correlation with digester pH, CH4 concentration, pressure and temperature (Spearman correlation; r > 0.6, p Methanosarcina vacuolate, Dehalococcoides mccartyi, Methanosarcina sp. Kolksee and Methanosarcina barkeri were highly specific for energy production. The correlation network analysis showed that different strains of Euryarcheota and Firmicutes phyla exhibited significant correlation (p = 0.021, Kruskal–Wallis test; with a cutoff of 1.0) with the highest level (74.1%) of energy production (Group-IV). In addition, top CH4 producing microbiomes showed increased genomic functional activities related to one carbon and biotin metabolism, oxidative stress, proteolytic pathways, membrane-type-1-matrix-metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) pericellular network, acetyl-CoA production, motility and chemotaxis. Importantly, the physicochemical properties of the AD including pH, CH4 concentration (%), pressure, temperature and environmental temperature were found to be positively correlated with these genomic functional potentials and distribution of ARGs and metal resistance pathways (Spearman correlation; r > 0.5, p

Macrobenthos is the best water quality indicator for ecosystem health assessment. The present study aimed to examine the interrelationship between macrobenthos and different water quality parameters of the river Alaknanda at Garhwal Himalaya. Four demarcated sampling zones viz. zone-A (Chamoli to Nandprayag), zone-B (Karanprayag to Rudraprayag), zone-C (Rudraprayag to Srinagar) and zone-D (Srinagar to Devprayag) were taken from its approximately 170 km long stretch during 2016-2018. River water characteristics were analyzed for the important parameters viz. substratum, water temperature (WT), water velocity, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) using standard methods. The results indicated that the river water velocity was the highest 1.02 m/s at zone-C, TDS of 114.19 mgl-1 was maximum at zone-A ; and Ca and Mg were recorded highest 23.17 mgl-1 and 5.44 mgl-1 at zone-A and zone-B, respectively. All abiotic parameters (pH, EC, TDS, DO, Ca and Mg) were recorded to be below BIS/WHO limits. A total of 27 macrobenthos taxa belonging to the five orders such as Coleoptera (6 ind./m2), Diptera (5 ind./m2), Ephemeroptera (8 ind./m2), Hemiptera (4 ind./m2), and Odonata (4 ind./m2) were recorded. Macrobenthos represented an important relationship between the water current and water temperature. The lowest number was reported at zone-C due to the river's high water velocity (1.02 m/s). The changes like biota loss, presence of some pollution indicator species (Cloeon sp., Bateis sp., Emphemera sp.) at zone-C, in sediment structure of habitat were due to the anthropogenic activities on the riverbank of different zones. The study will help in the conservation of macrobenthos diversity of the river Alaknanda.

Ecological restoration is increasingly employed to restore degraded or destroyed ecosystems and evaluation of restoration success requires that natural community dynamics be understood. Wet prairies in the Southeast US have diverse plant communities subject to disturbances including fire, drought, flooding, tropical storms, and freezes. This habitat covers a fraction of its former range and reversing that trend requires ecological restoration; but, long-term data on the dynamics of this system are rare. We analyzed a 12-year plant community composition dataset from a fire-maintained Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain wet prairie to characterize plant community dynamics and identify indicator species. The site was compared to a nearby wetland mitigation project attempting to restore a wet prairie that had been converted into slash pine (Pinus elliottii) plantation. The reference site had higher species richness, was dominated by Aristida spp., and was stable despite extreme climatic conditions. The restoration site transitioned from dense pine and understory canopy to an open, grassy community, but did not follow a trajectory toward the reference state. Restoration efforts were impeded by woody debris, accumulated duff, soil disturbance from logging, and storm surge from hurricanes. Continued application of prescribed fire and decomposition activity should remove the organic matter and promote establishment of wet prairie species, but on a longer time scale than expected. Although the pine plantation did not return to a typical wet prairie during the study period, the record of community dynamics of the reference wet prairie provides information on the resilience of the habitat type under prescribed fire management, and serves as a reference for restoration efforts and management of this threatened habitat.

Shallow coastal habitats are ruled by fluctuating environmental conditions, which lead to shifts in fish communities. Functional groups of habitat use and trophic strategy were used to address the responses of fish composition and diversity, since comparisons of rich tropical systems are often complex through species-based approaches. We hypothesized that fish groups will have specific affinities in response to the prevailing environmental conditions, especially those reflecting the prevalence of oceanic or estuarine conditions, where guilds of habitat use would perform better as indicators. Despite the importance of other environmental factors (i.e. temperature and transparency), salinity was the key structuring factor irrespective of the coastal lagoon. Although harbouring the greatest biomass of piscivores, the harsh environmental conditions at Araruama lagoon were related to low diversity. A great number of indicator species, typically of marine affinity, was found at the Saquarema lagoon, probably due to the continuous and broad connection to the sea leading to the predominance of euhaline conditions. Despite the presence of non-native species (i.e. Oreochromis niloticus), the Marica lagoon function as an important refuge for freshwater groups. Our results stressed the key role played by coastal lagoons of varied water conditions in supporting fish diversity at regional levels.

Rapidly warming Arctic is facing significant shifts in the zooplankton size-spectra manifested as increasing numbers of the small-sized copepod Oithona similis. Here we present a unique continuous data set covering 22 months, on its copepodite structure along with environmental drivers in the Atlantic-influenced high Arctic fjord Isfjorden (Spitsbergen). Abundance maxima of O. similis were observed in September when the highest seawater temperature was recorded. A high concentration of the indicator species of Atlantification Oithona atlantica was also observed at that time. The clear dominance of O. similis in the zooplankton community during the dark, theoretically unproductive season emphasizes its substantial role in sustaining a continuous carbon flow, when most of the large herbivorous copepods fall into sleeping state. The high sex ratio observed twice in both years during periods of high primary production suggests two main reproductive events per year. O. similis reproduced even in very low temperatures (O. similis.

Freshwater ponds besides being a source of potable water, also serve as a habitat for a range of aquatic organisms. The quality of the pond water is dependent on several interrelated parameters like physical, chemical and biological factors which render the water source either fit or unfit for consumption. In this communication, we have discussed the utilization of the desmids flora in assessing the water quality by comparing diversity indices with physical and chemical parameters of the habitat. Further, based on the Shannon–Wiener diversity index, the sites were classified as oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic. About 46 species of desmids were studied from five study sites, out of which seven are new records to India. The genera with the largest number of species were Cosmarium, Micrasterias, Closterium and Staurastrum with 12, 6, 5, and 4 species, respectively. Further, statistical analysis reveals that Netrium digitus, Closterium acerosum, C. setaceum, Cosmarium circulare, and C. quadrum var minus could be utilized as indicator species of the eutrophic lentic ecosystems. The results justify that the analysis of the desmid species richness and dominance in the aquatic habitats could aid as a potential biomonitoring tool for the conservation of the freshwater habitats.

Livestock production extension in Amazon has caused deforestation and soil degradation, with negative consequences on diversity and environmental services. Recently, rubber crops have been established in deteriorated soils of the Colombian Amazon as an option to restore hectares of unproductive degraded pastures. Bioindicator insects, such as termites, have been used to assess soil quality and fertility restoration. This study evaluated differences in termite abundance, species richness, and community composition in three different rubber crop systems as an indirect way of evaluating soil diversity restoring. Three rubber crop systems were sampled: clonal fields (rubber monocultures with different rubber clones), traditional commercial rubber plantations (rubber monocultures with just one rubber clone), and mixed plantations (rubber fields intercropped with copoazu fruit trees). Additionally, pastures in use for livestock production and natural forest relicts were compared to rubber crop systems, to serve as reference habitats. Termites were sampled using a 105-m transect method. Alpha diversity and beta diversity were estimated and compared between rubber crops and reference habitats. A total of 80 termite species belonging to two families were collected. Mixed plantations and pastures presented the lowest diversity rates. Species richness in rubber crop systems was 39% higher than that in pastures and included 72% of the termite species found in natural forests. Indicator species analysis associated soil-feeding termites with less diverse habitats and wood-feeding termites with high diverse habitats. Our results demonstrate that termite recovery will depend on the farming system selected and the agricultural practices implemented in the field, with some rubber crop systems, like commercial rubber plantations and clonal fields, recovering termite diversity better than others, such as mixed plantations.

The goal of many agri-environment schemes (AES) is to increase biodiversity in agroecosystems. AES effects are often measured on invertebrates and birds; mammals as indicator species are infrequently targets of such researches. Our goal was to evaluate the local-scale effects of the Hungarian Agri-Environmental Measures (AEM) on the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus), which shows decreasing population trends across Europe. We compared hare abundances and their dropping numbers in AEM and control agricultural arable and grassland fields of 17 game management units in two seasons. We also examined the quality of arable fields based on their margin width and vegetation cover. We found that margin quality was higher in AEM than in the control fields. Control grasslands had higher vegetation quality than the AEM grasslands. We found a significant difference in hare counts between AEM and control arable fields in spring but no difference in autumn. The dropping densities did not differ in any season, treatment category or agroecosystem type. We conclude that the AEM program (2009-2014) in Hungary was not effective for the hare, and this might have been caused by the inadequate or weak application of AEM practices. We provide recommendations for future AEM programs to enhance biodiversity.

The advent of NGS-based methods has been profoundly transforming entomological research. Through continual development and improvement of different methods and sequencing platforms, NGS has promoted mass elucidation of partial or whole genetic materials associated with beneficial insects, pests (of agriculture, forestry and animal, and human health), and species of conservation concern, helping to unravel ecological and evolutionary mechanisms and characterizing survival, trophic interactions, and dispersal. It is shifting the scale of biodiversity and environmental analyses from individuals and biodiversity indicator species to the large-scale study of communities and ecosystems using bulk samples of species or a mixed "soup" of environmental DNA. As the NGS-based methods have become more affordable, complexity demystified, and specificity and sensitivity proven, their use in entomological research has spread widely. This article presents several examples on how NGS-based methods have been used in entomology to provide incentives to apply them when appropriate and to open our minds to the expected advances in entomology that are yet to come.

Soil methanogenic microorganisms are one of the primary methane‐producing microbes in wetlands. However, we still poorly understand the community characteristic and metabolic patterns of these microorganisms according to vegetation type and seasonal changes. Therefore, to better elucidate the effects of the vegetation type and seasonal factors on the methanogenic community structure and metabolic patterns, we detected the characteristics of the soil methanogenic mcrA gene from three types of natural wetlands in different seasons in the Xiaoxing'an Mountain region, China. The results indicated that the distribution of Methanobacteriaceae (hydrogenotrophic methanogens) was higher in winter, while Methanosarcinaceae and Methanosaetaceae accounted for a higher proportion in summer. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was the dominant trophic pattern in each wetland. The results of principal coordinate analysis and cluster analysis showed that the vegetation type considerably influenced the methanogenic community composition. The methanogenic community structure in the Betula platyphylla–Larix gmelinii wetland was relatively different from the structure of the other two wetland types. Indicator species analysis further demonstrated that the corresponding species of indicator operational taxonomic units from the Alnus sibirica wetland and the Betula ovalifolia wetland were similar. Network analysis showed that cooperative and competitive relationships exist both within and between the same or different trophic methanogens. The core methanogens with higher abundance in each wetland were conducive to the adaptation to environmental disturbances. This information is crucial for the assessment of metabolic patterns of soil methanogenic archaea and future fluxes in the wetlands of the Xiaoxing'an Mountain region given their vulnerability., To better elucidate the effects of the vegetation type and seasonal factors on the methanogenic community structure and metabolic patterns, we detected the characteristics of the soil methanogenic mcrA gene from three types of natural wetlands in different seasons in the Xiaoxing'an Mountain region, China. The results indicated that the distribution of Methanobacteriaceae (hydrogenotrophic methanogens) was higher in winter, while Methanosarcinaceae and Methanosaetaceae accounted for a higher proportion in summer. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was the dominant trophic pattern in each wetland. Network analysis showed that cooperative and competitive relationships exist both within and between the same or different trophic methanogens. This information is crucial for the assessment of metabolic patterns of soil methanogenic archaea and future fluxes in the wetlands of the Xiaoxing'an Mountain region given their vulnerability.

Land-use change is well documented to cause species loss. However, our understanding of the effects of land-use change on other aspects of biodiversity is still limited. We evaluated if different land-use changes (Eucalyptus plantation and planted pasture) affect ant species and functional groups in similar ways across three Cerrado vegetation types (grassland, savanna and savanna-forest). We found that ant species and functional responses differed with land-use change in relation to frequency of occurrence and habitat specificity and fidelity. Land-use change affected species frequency of occurrence but not functional groups, indicating that species are more sensitive than functional groups to habitat transformation. Native habitats had different indicator species and functional groups compared with converted habitats. However, we did not find functional group indicators of converted habitats in any vegetation type; indicating that there is no specificity and fidelity of functional group to converted habitats and that such an approach is less sensitive to land-use changes. In savanna and savanna-forest, species and functional groups showed the same response in relation to composition with differences between native and converted habitats. Thus, functional groups will be lost when ant species are lost. In grasslands, functional group composition was similar between native and converted habitats indicating a turnover of species within functional groups. We demonstrate that both Eucalyptus plantation and planted pasture affect ant species and functional groups in different ways, with negative impacts both taxonomically and less so functionally. Therefore, we show that the two aspects of biodiversity can respond independently to land-use changes and, hence, the importance of using both taxonomic and functional group approaches to evaluate the effects of land-use change on biodiversity in savanna systems.

Resumen Este trabajo es el primer registro sobre la caracterización de la diversidad de lepidópteros (Papilionoidea) en el Parque Arqueológico de Tierradentro, vereda de San Andrés de Pisimbalá, Inzá, Cauca, Colombia, considerada como una región ecoturística y de importancia cultural para el país. Se establecieron recorridos a lo largo de tres coberturas vegetales identificadas como bosque secundario, cultivos de pancoger y potrero. Para la recolecta de mariposas se emplearon dos métodos de muestreo, el primero con red entomológica y el segundo mediante el uso de trampas tipo Van Someren Rydon. Se registró un total de 128 especies, distribuidas en 99 géneros y cinco familias (Nymphalidae, Hesperiidae, Pieridae, Riodinidae y Lycaenidae). Las coberturas de bosque y cultivos presentaron la mayor diversidad, probablemente por la heterogeneidad vegetal observada. Adicionalmente, se encontró que el bosque presentaba algunas especies indicadoras que se asocian con buenos estados de conservación. Abstract This work is the first report on the characterization of Lepidoptera diversity (Papilionoidea) in Tierradentro Archaeological Park, San Andrés de Pisimbalá, Inzá, Cauca, Colombia, considered an ecotourism region of cultural importance for the country. Routes were established along secondary forest, pancoger crops and pastures. To collect Lepidoptera, two sampling methods were used, the first using an entomological net and the second using van Someren Rydon traps. A total of 128 species distributed in 99 genera and five families (Nymphalidae, Hesperiidae, Pieridae, Riodinidae and Lycaenidae) were collected. Forest cover and pancoger crops were the most diverse, probably due to the plant heterogeneity observed. Additionally, it was found that the forest presented some indicator species that are associated with good conservation states.

Tree species composition and diversity were assessed in Agoro-Agu Central Forest Reserve located in Lamwo district-Northern Uganda. Fifteen transects, each 2 km long, were established in the reserve. A procedure of nested quadrats was employed for a systematic sampling of mature trees, saplings and seedlings at 100 m interval(s). Vegetation analysis was conducted in Species Diversity and Richness (SDRiv) software. A total of 100 species of trees belonging to 36 families were recorded. The dominant tree species, also with high Importance Value Indices were Combretum molle G. Don, Albizia grandibracteata Taub. and Vachellia hockii De Wild. Tree species diversity was higher in the intact part (H’=3.46) than in the degraded part (H’=2.86). Lower diversity in the degraded part of the reserve could be due to human disturbance and resulting conducive condition for the early establishment of pioneer species during succession. The occurrence of mixed species with indicator species for both savannah woodlands and Afromontane tree species indicates that Agoro-Agu is an enriched forest for enhanced conservation. Management options that limit continuous degradations such as the enforcement of environmental laws, tree enrichment planting, and ex-situ conservation should be undertaken to restore the status of trees in the degraded part of the reserve. Key words: Afromontane, biodiversity, East Africa, forest conservation, national forestry authority and species richness.

Objectives: A study on seasonal variation in zooplankton community was undertaken to evaluate the present status of water quality at Kadasgatti minor irrigation tank (MIT) located in the northern transitional zone of Belagavi district. Methods and Statistical Analysis: Water samples were collected from January 2017 to December 2017. Physico-chemical parameters and qualitative and quantitative analysis of zooplankton were carried out. Pearson correlation was calculated using SPSS, IBM Version 21 software to find out interrelationships between water quality and zooplankton groups. Findings: A total of 52 species of zooplanktons were recorded during the study period with a total zooplankton abundance of 14327 individuals with a relative abundance of 35.42%. Rotifera was the dominant group with 27 species, followed by Cladocera, Copepoda and Ostracoda. The highest zooplankton abundance was observed in summer while minimum in post-monsoon season. Copepoda was highest abundant group during the entire study period with its maximum abundance during winter and gradually declined and reached to its minimum in post-monsoon. The presence of eutrophic indicator species like Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus angularis, Filina longiseta suggests eutrophication of the tank. Novelty: The study provides baseline data on the present status of the water body indicating that, anthropogenic activities, agricultural runoff are the main cause of eutrophication. Sustainable and holistic conservational strategies have to be adopted to protect the water body. Keywords: Cladocera; Copepoda; Eutrophication; Rotifera; Seasonal variation; Zooplankton abundance

Mangroves are one of the most threatened ecosystems globally. Likewise, they benefit many restoration efforts. However, these efforts have often disregarded potential effects of climate change on selected species and foreseen changes in physico-chemical conditions of mangrove ecosystems. This study aimed to model current and future climatic and physico-chemical conditions in occupied mangroves’ niche, in order to derive implications for successful long-term restorations. Presence records of mangroves’ indicator species and corresponding physico-chemical variables were collected. Bioclimatic data were obtained from Africlim. Kruskal–Wallis and Nemenyi pairwise tests for multiple comparisons were used to test the among sites (spatial) variations of climatic and physico-chemical variables within mangroves’ niche. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) were used to build predictive models of salinity, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity; using most meaningful climatic variables to tropical mangroves—potential evapotranspiration, temperature seasonality, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, moister index of the moist quarter, and moister index of the driest quarter as predictors. Results showed that there are strong spatial variations of climatic and physico-chemical variables within mangroves’ niche. ANN outperformed MLR and was then used to predict trends in salinity, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity by year 2055. Based on foreseen trend in bioclimatic variables, conductivity, salinity, and dissolved oxygen will experiment significant changes under Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5, with most severe changes in case the later scenario occurs. Foreseen salinization of sites may be at the advantage of Avicennia germinans but to the prejudice of Rhizophora spp.

This article presents the results of studies of the cyanobacteria from foulings of natural and anthropogenic substrates of the intertidal zone of the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea for the period from 2010 to 2019. Ninety-five cyanobacterial species from 46 genera, 20 families, and 6 orders were found; 22 species are given for the first time for the Barents Sea. A majority of cyanobacterial taxa belong to benthic species (70%), which live mainly on natural substrates. The species abundance decreases from the lower intertidal zone to the supralittoral. The proportion of planktonic and bento-planktonic species was 12% and 18%, respectively. Freshwater (44%), marine (37%), brackish-water (3%), and euryhaline (16%) species have been found in the intertidal zone of the bay. The study has revealed 27 indicator species; most of them were oligo- and oligo-betamezosaprobionts. The cyanobacteria of the Kola Bay were predominantly boreal-tropical-notal (26%), cosmopolitan (23%), and boreal (18%) species. Peaks of the number of species were recorded in the early spring (March) and autumn (October). Areas with increased anthropogenic pressure from seaport cities showed the lowest index of species similarity.

The present study compared patterns of diversity of the families Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) among areas of primary and secondary forest, and clearings in the Amazon biome. We evaluated the relationship between habitat specialist and generalist species, verifying their potential for use as bioindicator species. The study was conducted in 27 areas that comprise primary and secondary forests and clearings in the municipality of Juruti, Para, Brazil. We collected 4286 necrophagous flies in the three study environments. The hypothesis of dissimilarity in the diversity among environments was corroborated for the Sarcophagidae and partly upheld for the Calliphoridae. The sarcophagid species Oxysarcodexia carvalhoi (Lopes 1946), Oxysarcodexia fringidea (Curran and Walley 1934), Oxysarcodexia thornax (Walker 1849), and the calliphorids Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius 1794) and Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius 1775) were all associated with clearing environments. No sarcophagid species were identified as indicators of primary forest. The calliphorids, Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau-Desvoidy 1830) and Paralucilia adespota (Dear 1985) were identified as indicators of primary + secondary forest. The occurrence of indicator species and their levels of tolerance varied considerably between the two families. The calliphorids and sarcophagids both included species capable of representing differences in necrophagous fly’s diversity among clearing, primary and secondary forest environments, which increases the understanding of the ecology of the taxa and their potential use for biomonitoring, management, and habitat conservation. In general, sarcophagids had a strong relationship with clearings and secondary forest. Some species show intense scavenger behavior and preference for altered environments. This reinforces the importance of the relationship between species and landscapes. In calliphorids, only Chloroprocta idioidea was associated with primary and secondary forest. We also recorded calliphorid species that prefer clearings and secondary forest and are highly tolerant to variation from abiotic factors, with wide niche breadth due to preference for these landscape types. The niche breadth and the tolerance shown by the species are an indication of the potential success of these organisms in response to anthropic processes and changes in landscapes.

The wetlands of the New Jersey Pine Barrens (USA) have historically been utilized for large-scale cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) farming. In 2003, 3800 hectares of retired cranberry farm became the focus of restoration efforts by the New Jersey Conservation Foundation with the goal of returning much of its 2000 hectares of wetlands to the previous condition as Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thoides) swamp. Two different agricultural strategies had previously been employed throughout the farm: traditional- minimal soil and hydrological modification, and modernized- intensive management with soil replacement and major hydrological modification. During restoration, three different strategies were employed: hydrological restoration only, hydrological restoration with microtopographic modification, and hydrological restoration with microtopographic modification and planting of C. thyoides. The purpose of our study was to examine the effects of these strategies on vegetation establishment a decade after restoration was initiated. Replicate nested quadrats were established at each study site, and vegetation was surveyed in both June and August of 2017. All restoration strategies produced robust plant assemblages with similar diversity and quality to each other and to the reference sites. However, the assemblages were set apart by their unique indicator species. Our results also suggest that planting C. thyoides seedlings may give the species selective advantage in a competitive successional setting. According to NMDS ordination, plant assemblages at restored sites were significantly different from reference sites; only continued monitoring will allow us to determine where their successional paths will lead. This study has important implications for future restoration projects in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and similar ecosystems, especially because the results suggest that as long as hydrological restoration occurs, this can promote the establishment of robust, diverse, and relatively high-quality plant assemblages.

Phytoplankton communities can response immediately and directly to environmental changes, and thus have been applied as reliable biotic indicators in aquatic systems. This study provided insights into the relationships concerning ecological thresholds of phytoplankton communities and individual taxon in response to environmental changes in coastal waters of northern Zhejiang Province, East China Sea. Results demonstrated that there existed seasonal variations of phytoplankton community ecological thresholds of which spring being higher than those in summer. As for individual species, Prorocentrum donghaiense and Noctiluca scintillans were identified as the most tolerant and sensitive indicator species in spring and summer, respectively. They exhibited strong indications in response to environmental changes. These findings highlighted that phytoplankton community structure in this region was stable when environmental gradients were below the thresholds of sensitive species, whereas potential harmful algal blooms may occur when environmental gradients exceeded the thresholds of tolerant species.

The fish fauna from the Lower Iguaçu River and tributaries upstream of the Iguaçu Falls, the last free-flowing river stretch, were investigated. Twenty five sites in tributaries and the main channel were sampled between 2010 and 2016 using several kinds of fishing gear. The species were categorized according to their size, origin, and conservation status. Species richness and abundance in the main channel and tributaries were compared. In total, 87,702 specimens were recorded, comprising 76 species, 25 families, 53 genera, and eight orders. Characiformes and Siluriformes were the richest orders, representing 92% of the total specimens; Characidae, Cichlidae, Pimelodidae, and Loricariidae were the richest families. The fish fauna was composed of small and medium-sized species and included endemic (42%), autochthonous (24%), allochthonous (21%), and exotic (9%) species, as well as hybrids (4%). Significant differences in the relative numerical abundance of species were found among sites. Ancistrus mullerae and Rhamdia branneri (endemic) were indicator species for tributaries inside of Iguaçu National Park (INP), while Phalloceros harpagos (autochthonous) and Ictalurus punctatus (exotic) for tributaries outside of INP and Odontesthes bonariensis (allochthonous) for the main channel. The last dam-free stretch of the Lower Iguaçu River and tributaries upstream the Iguaçu Falls exhibits a rich endemic fish fauna, including some rare, endangered species (Steindachneridion melanodermatum, Gymnogeophagus taroba, and Psalidodon gymnogenys). These findings are essential to predict and understand the effects caused by the new Baixo Iguaçu Hydroelectric Power Plant and highlight the importance of tributaries and Iguaçu National Park for conservation of endemic species.

Identifying the character and importance of invertebrates in thawing wetlands is useful, since they are the main food resource for migratory waterfowl during spring. We investigated aquatic invertebrate composition in the spring-thaw and compared it with the summer in wetlands of the Sanjiang Plain, China. NMDS analysis showed that the composition of aquatic invertebrates in the spring-thaw is significantly different from in summer. Aquatic invertebrate diversity (including Shannon–Wiener index; Margalef’s species richness; Pielou’s evenness) was lower in the spring-thaw, and Network analyses indicated that it was a simpler community. Indicator species were different between spring-thaw and summer. The scraper functional feeding group (i.e., snails) dominated both seasons, but especially in the spring-thaw. Snails and other invertebrates such as asellid crustaceans abounded in spring, are rich in both calcium and protein, making them to be an especially important food source for migratory waterfowl. Therefore, the spring-thaw should be a focus when assessing aquatic invertebrate function for waterfowl production.

The maintenance of protected lichen species and their biodiversity in general depends on good management practices based on their distribution and habitat preferences. To date, 10 of the 17 protected lichen species of Hungary have been recorded in the Bakony Mts including the Balaton Uplands region. Habitat preferences of three protected Cladonia species (C. arbuscula, C. mitis and C. rangiferina) growing on underlying rocks of red sandstone, basalt, Pannonian sandstone and gravel were investigated by detailed sampling. We recorded aspect, underlying rock type, soil depth, pH and CaCO3 content, habitat type (as defined by the General National Habitat Classification System Á-NÉR), all species of lichen, bryophyte and vascular plants as well as percentage cover of exposed rock, total bryophytes, lichens, vascular plants and canopy, degree of disturbance and animal impacts. Sporadic populations of these species mostly exist at the top of hills and mountains in open acidofrequent oak forests, but they may occur in other habitats, such as closed acidofrequent oak forests, slope steppes on stony soils, siliceous open rocky grasslands, open sand steppes, wet and mesic pioneer scrub and dry Calluna heaths. Cladonia rangiferina was found to grow beneath higher canopy cover than either C. arbuscula or C. mitis in the Balaton Uplands. Furthermore, there were significant differences in canopy cover between occupied and unoccupied quadrats in the case of all three species. Cladonia rangiferina is a good indicator species of natural habitats in Hungary due to its restricted distribution and low ecological tolerance. These results may lead to the adoption of effective conservation methods (e.g. game exclusion, artificial dispersal) in the future.

Salinity is extremely hazardous to agriculture worldwide and its expanding constantly. Soil of almost 100 countries facing salinity problem including Pakistan. Cyperus laevigatus also act as salinity indicator species is a naturally adapted halophyte dispersed in subtropical regions of world. Six populations of C. laevigatus were collected from different saline habitats to evaluate adaptations regarding anatomical and physiological characteristics. C. laevigatus is perfectly adapted to harsh environmental conditions like dry barren soils, saline lakes, hyper-saline wetlands and salt marshes. Ecological success of this species is due to plasticity in physiological and anatomical characteristics to adapt variable environmental conditions. C. laevigatus is a halophyte, exhibited increased biomass production in moderately saline habitat. Higher uptake of K+ occurs to compensate the uptake of Na+ ion contents, a striking feature of salt-tolerant and halophytic species. Accumulation of osmoprotectants like proline, free amino acids, soluble sugar and protein contribute significantly to osmotic adjustment. Stem thickness enhanced as salinity level of habitat increased to store water in parenchymatous tissues under physiological drought. Intensive sclerification in root cortex provide mechanical strength to plant as well as prevent the radial leakage of water. Well-developed aerenchyma, increased vascular bundle area, broader vessels, small and dense stomata are critical to cope with environmental hazards. Population of Jahlar lake showing maximum biomass production indicate that this species grows better in moderate salinities. Therefore, this species will prove very useful for revegetation of salt affected rangeland and prairies by direct growth of such halophytic ecotypes.

To understand the possible effects of changes in ambient temperature on spatial distribution and ecology of ostracods, samples were randomly collected from 70 aquatic sites with 12 different habitat types from Hatay (Turkey) province during the summer season of 2012. 14 of 19 ostracod species were newly reported for the province. The first two axes of CCA explained 79.7% of the cumulative variance of the relationship between the 12 most common species and five environmental variables. Accordingly, water temperature and electrical conductivity were the most effective factors on species occurrences (p, Ortam sıcaklığındaki değişimlerin ostrakodların mekansal dağılımı ve ekolojisi üzerindeki olası etkilerini anlamak için, 2012 yazında Hatay (Türkiye) ilinden 12 farklı habitat türüne sahip 70 su sahasından rastgele örnekler toplanmıştır. Elde edilen 19 türden 14 tanesi Hatay için yeni kayıttır. CCA’nın ilk iki ekseni en yaygın 12 tür ile beş çevresel değişken arasındaki ilişkinin toplam varyansının %79,7'sini açıklamıştır. Buna göre, su sıcaklığı ve elektriksel iletkenlik türlerin oluşu üzerinde en etkili faktörlerdir (p

Many rivers across the globe are regulated by dams, resulting in a strong alteration of the plant community composition of the drawdown zone. But, how these changes happen along the drawdown zone is less understood. In this study, a multivariate analysis was used to explore plant composition and similarity along the drawdown zone of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir (TGDR), China. The dominant plant species, species richness, indicator species, and growth form were compared among the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the TGDR. Moreover, variation partitioning was used to determine the relative importance of environmental factors and spatial factors. Results showed that only a few species contributed the most to the community composition of the study area, and there was an extreme similarity in the plant community composition across the three different river segments. Furthermore, the results of the linear regression model demonstrated a steady declining trend in species richness along the drawdown zone, with the lowest species richness in the downstream segment. In addition, variation partitioning revealed 11% and 8% of the species composition change under environmental and spatial factors, respectively. Our results suggested that the dam impoundment led to the convergence of species composition along the drawdown zone of the TGDR, and environmental filtering and dispersal limitation played an imperative role in shaping species composition. The study highlighted the importance of restoration activities in overcoming the barriers of seed dispersal and seedling establishment in the degraded drawdown zone ecosystem of the TGDR.

Riparian ecosystems play an important role in modulating a range of ecosystem processes that affect aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Butterflies are a major herbivore in terrestrial ecosystems and are also common in riparian ecosystems. Since butterflies use plants for larval food and adult nectar sources in riparian ecosystems, butterfly diversity can be utilized to evaluate riparian ecosystems. We compiled butterfly data from 33 sites in three riparian ecosystem types across the country and compared butterfly diversity in terms of number of species and quality index in relation to riparian environmental variables. Number of butterfly and plant species was not different among three riparian habitat types. Additionally, there was no significant ecological variable to distinguish the butterfly communities on three riparian habitats. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling ordination showed that butterfly communities in three riparian ecosystem types differed from each other, and butterfly riparian quality index was the main variable for butterfly assemblages. Five indicator species for moor and another five species for riverine riparian ecosystems were identified. Three and one indicator species for moor and riparian ecosystems, respectively, were plant specialists, while 44 butterflies were general feeders, feeding on a wide range of hostplants in several habitats. These results suggest that butterfly species use actively riparian habitats for nectar and larval food, and the butterfly riparian quality index can be employed to track faunal change in riparian habitats, which are frequently threatened by disturbances such as water level and climate changes, and invasive species.

The heavy metal pollution in seawater and sediment can damage mangrove ecosystems and accumulate in mudskipper that lives in mangrove forests. The accumulation of heavy metal in mudskipper can affect the structure of its gill tissue, liver, and muscles. This research aims at (1) analyzing the levels of Pb, Cd, and Cu heavy metals in mudskipper, sediment, and seawater and (2) analyzing the damage to the gill, liver, and muscle tissue of mudskipper due to the exposure to heavy metals. The mudskipper samples were collected from the mangrove forests of Poka, Waai, and Rutong from May to June in 2019. The heavy metal analysis was conducted using the AAS method, while the gill, liver and muscle tissue staining was carried out with the HE (Hematoxylin Eosin) staining method with 40x magnification. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and correlational analysis. The results of the analysis showed that based on the mangrove locations, the order of Pb and Cu accumulation in mudskipper was Rutong> Poka> Waai; while the order of the Cd accumulation was Rutong> Waai> Poka. The changes in the gill tissue structure due to the exposure to heavy metals were in the form of teleangiectasia, secondary lamellar edema, hyperplasia, epithelial desquamation, clubbing, and primary lamellar edema. The changes in the liver tissue structure due to the exposure to heavy metals involved hemorrhage and fat degeneration. The changes in the muscle tissue structure due to the exposure to heavy metals include changes in muscle fibers, edema, and necrosis. The highest accumulation of Pb and Cd was found in gills and muscles from seawater, while low level of heavy metal Cu was found in the liver.

The biodiversity of natural or semi-natural native, old oak woodlands have high conservation importance, especially in landscapes of monocultural forest plantations and arable fields. With a wider variety of microhabitats and foraging sources, such old oak forests can provide essential habitat for native forest bird communities. We conducted a study using bird point counts to compare the forest bird communities of old pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) remnants with native and non-native plantations in central Hungary in a landscape of mostly arable fields, settlements, and monocultural plantations. Avian surveys were carried out in old oak forest remnants, middle-aged oak, white poplar (Populus alba), hybrid poplar (Populus × euramericana), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and pine (Pinus spp.) plantations. Fieldwork has been carried out in nine study sites, where all six habitat types were represented (with a few exceptions), to determine total abundance, species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity, species evenness, dominant and indicator species, and guild abundances. We found that old oak forest remnants were the most diverse habitats among the studied forest types, while hybrid poplar and pine plantations exhibited the lowest avian biodiversity. The avian guilds most sensitive to the loss of old oak forest remnants were ground foragers, bark foragers, cavity-nesters, residents, and Mediterranean migratory birds. Native habitats were more diverse than non-native plantations. Our results suggest that it is important to conserve all remaining high biodiversity old oak stands and to avoid clear-cutting of monocultural plantations in favour of practices such as mixed-species plantations, longer rotation lengths, or retention forestry.

When environmental conditions change, species usually face three options: adaptation, range shifts, or extinction. In the wake of climate change, it is generally believed that range shifts are the norm in mobile species such as birds, resulting in poleward range shifts. The European Bee-eater is a predominantly Mediterranean species which has expanded its range to higher latitudes over the last decades. Germany in particular has seen a surge in breeding pairs and foundation of new colonies. However, while many experts suggest climate warming as the main driver behind this range expansion, an explicit quantification remains open. Here, we use an ensemble modelling approach to study the recent climatic niche suitability of the European Bee-eater across Europe with a special focus on Germany and project its predicted Palaearctic breeding distribution onto the year 2050 using two global circulation models and two representative concentration pathways. Models were able to predict the current European range of the species with some underestimated areas in Central and Eastern Europe, depending on the selected model. We found a strong relationship between climatic suitable areas and estimated population sizes across European countries that is reflected in most algorithms. In particular, the German population size is in line with climate suitability in the country suggesting a strong climate–population relationship and a high degree of niche filling. Most future predictions point to an ongoing northward expansion of the species while areas in Southern Europe and the Maghreb area remain largely suitable. The strong climate–population relationship makes the European Bee-eater an appropriate indicator species for climate change. Yet the high variability of modelling algorithms also call for caution of using these techniques without careful inspection.

—During 79th cruise of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh twelve trawl hauls were collected in Powell Basin and adjacent area at depths 370–3771 m. The structure of the benthic assemblages was highly variable when considered at the macrotaxon level. The main factors shaping the taxonomical structure of the sampled assemblages were depth, near-bottom current velocities and proportion of the hard fraction of the sediment. Hard substrate assemblages of the Antarctic peninsula slope and Philip Ridge with high percentage of filter-feeders (mainly sponges) were associated with the highest values of the near-bottom tide currents (up to 55.6 cm/s). In several trawl hauls indicator species of vulnerable marine ecosystems—mainly Demospongiae sponges, deep-sea corals Stylasteridae (Hydrozoa) and Primnoidae (Octocorallia)—were collected.

Evaluating the degree of disturbance of any region to determine its relative importance for conservation purposes requires procedures that are relatively inexpensive and that yield accurate results fast. Because bats are abundant, diverse, and easy to sample, especially in the Neotropical rainforest, they fulfill several of the requirements of indicator species as identified in the literature. For 10 months we sampled bat communities in the Selva Lacandona in Chiapas, Mexico, at 15 sites representing five habitats. We also measured 10 variables representing vegetation structure and diversity at each site. With fuzzy-set techniques we produced a gradient classification of disturbance for the 15 sites based on the vegetation data. We explored the relationship between vegetation conditions, described as the membership degrees in the construct "fuzzy forest set" (the complementary fuzzy set of "disturbance"), and four bat community variables. Bat species richness, number of rare bat species, and the bat diversity index were positively correlated with the vegetation scores, and relative abundance of the most abundant bat species was negatively correlated with vegetation scores. A high number of phyllostomine species in a community is a good indicator of low levels of disturbance. Although a single indicator group will probably not be sufficient for decision-making processes in conservation, evaluating bat populations may be a good first step in assessing an area's conservation value, especially in rainforest regions.La evaluación del grado de perturbación de una región particular para determinar su importancia relativa para propósitos de conservación requiere que los procesos de toma de decisiones utilicen tecnologías relativamente baratas y que proporcionen resultados precisos pronto. Puesto que los murciélagos son abundantes, diversos y fáciles de muestrear, particularmente en las selvas húmedas del Neotrópico, llenan varios de los requerimientos de las especies indicadoras. Muestreamos por 10 meses comunidades de murciélagos en la Selva Lacandona de Chiapas, México, en 15 sitios representantes de cinco hábitats. También medimos 10 variables representantes de la estructura y diversidad de la vegetación en cada sitio. Mediante el uso de técnicas de conjuntos difusos produjimos una clasificación gradual de la perturbación de la vegetación para los 15 sitios. Exploramos las relaciones entre las condiciones de la vegetación, descritos como los grados de membresía en la construcción de los conjuntos difusos del bosque (el conjunto difuso complementario de la perturbación) y cuatro variables de la comunidad de murciélagos. La riqueza de especies de murciélagos, el número de especies de murciélagos raros, y el índice de diversidad de murciélagos estuvieron positivamente correlacionados con los valores de la vegetación y la abundancia relativa de la especie más abundante estuvo negativamente correlacionado con estos valores. Un alto número de especies de Phyllostominae en la comunidad es un buen indicador de bajos niveles de perturbación. Sin embrago, un solo grupo indicador probablemente no es suficiente en el proceso de toma de decisiones en conservación. La evaluación de poblaciones de murciélagos puede ser un buen primer paso en la evaluación del valor de un área para la conservación, especialmente en regiones de selva húmeda.

Histopathological examination is a widely acknowledged technique to assess the reproductive health of aquatic organisms, but it has never been applied to the tunicate Styela plicata, a potential indicator species of water quality. In this study, we examined the oocyte differentiation of S. plicata obtained from the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand in order to provide basic information for future assessment of its reproductive health. The mature gonad of S. plicata comprised several ovo-testicular convoluted tubes, in which each tube was divided into apical and terminal portions. The ovarian tissue is located in the apical part of the tunicate body and contained oocytes of various differentiation stages (asynchronous development type) consisting of the four phases namely oogonial proliferation phase, primary growth phase, secondary growth phase (secondary growth and full-growth stages), and post-ovulatory phase. Changes in the morphology of oocytes and follicular cells were described for each differentiation stage. In addition, we unexpectedly observed a high prevalence of atretic follicles (24.5%), which might indicate the oocyte damage by environmental stresses. These findings would be useful for future assessment of reproductive histology of S. plicata and other tunicate species from environmental perspectives.

Aims Competition among plants in a community usually depends on their nitrogen (N)-use efficiency (NUE) and water-use efficiency (WUE) in arid and semi-arid regions. Artemisia frigida is an indicator species in heavily degraded grassland, however, how its NUE and WUE respond to N addition in different successional stages is still unclear, especially with mowing, a common management practice in semi-arid grasslands. Methods Based on a long-term controlled experiment with N addition and mowing in an abandoned cropland from 2006 to 2013, we investigated the NUE and WUE of A. frigida in two patches (i.e. grass and herb patches) in 2013 which represented two potential successional stages from herb to grass communities. The coverage of A. frigida was higher (about 50%) in the herb patch than in the grass patch (about 10%). Stable isotopic C (δ 13C) and N (δ 15N) as well as C and N pools were measured in plants and soils. NUE was calculated as leaf C/N, and leaf δ 13C values were used as a proxy for WUE. Important Findings N addition did not affect WUE of A. frigida, but significantly decreased NUE by 42.9% and 26.6% in grass and herb patches, respectively. The response of NUE to N addition was related to altering utilization of different N sources (NH4+vs. NO3−) by A. frigida according to the changed relationship between leaf δ 15N/soil δ 15N and NUE. Mowing had no effect on NUE regardless of N addition, but significantly increased WUE by 2.3% for A. frigida without N addition in the grass patch. The addition of N reduced the positive effect of mowing on its WUE in grass patch. Our results suggested that decreased NUE and/or WUE of A. frigida under mowing and N addition could reduce its competition, and further accelerate restoration succession from the abandoned cropland to natural grassland in the semi-arid region.

Dung beetles are a species group highly recognized for their sensitivity to anthropogenically induced change. There are few studies of the dung beetle communities found in Afromontane forests despite these forests forming part of a global hotspot of biodiversity. We used comparisons of diversity to investigate the effect of habitat and altitude on the species composition of Scarabaeidae dung beetles in six Afromontane habitat types and identified indicator species associated with each forest type. A total of 8020 individuals from 34 species belonging to 16 genera were captured at twelve transect locations across a 1.5 km altitudinal gradient. All indices measuring diversity and dominance showed significant differences between forest types with little overlap in the species composition detected in each. Altitude was negatively correlated with dung beetle abundance, species richness, and diversity, and there were also significant differences in abundance, species richness and diversity between altitude zones. Eight indicator species were identified for potential use in future conservation management or monitoring programs. This study found no significant relationship between species richness and forest type but an interaction between the two factors. Altitude in conjunction with forest type are the main factors in shaping dung beetle species composition in this Afromontane forest. Our results suggest the most important characteristic for determining community structure was mean canopy cover per forest type. Results from a previous short study conducted in 1974 indicate while there was significant overlap between dung beetle species caught 40 years ago and the present day there were also seven species which were absent. All seven of these species have climatic distributions centered around the wet highlands of East Africa and further work is urgently required to understand why these species are no longer detectable in the ANP. Our results have important conservation implications as they underscore the importance of preserving forest heterogeneity to maintain maximum dung beetle diversity within mountain ecosystems. The identified differences in dung beetle diversity between forest types and the high turnover of dung beetle species between altitude zones should heighten the importance for instigating future Scarabaeidae conservation initiatives in Afromontane regions.

Tufted Ghost Crabs (Ocypode cursor) experience local population declines and also range contractions at larger spatial scales due to increasing anthropogenic pressures on coastal ecosystems. Theref...

This study presents how human-altered hydrographical settings (flow restrictions) impacts the natural distribution and community structure of copepods in the Kochi Backwaters (KBW), the largest monsoonal estuary along the southwest coast of India. This study is primarily based on an extensive seasonal sampling in the KBW and their comparison with a historical data set. Thannermukkom Barrage (TB) was built in the southern section of the KBW in the 1970s to prevent saline water intrusion to the upstream during the non-monsoon periods. Thirteen locations (1–4 in the downstream, 5–9 in the midstream, and 10–13 in the upstream) were sampled in this study over the entire stretch of the KBW during the Pre-Southwest Monsoon (PRM), Southwest Monsoon (SWM), and Post-Southwest Monsoon (PSWM). The overall effect of TB in the KBW is a seaward push of mesohaline conditions during all seasons with varying intensities. In response to the seaward push of mesohaline conditions, copepods Acartiella keralensis, Acartia plumosa, Acartia sp., Pseudodiaptomus annandalei, Pseudodiaptomus serricaudatus, Euterpina acutifrons and Oithona brevicornis showed a corresponding spatial shift for their highest abundance and diversity from midstream during PRM to the downstream during the SWM/PSWM. Multivariate and IndVal analysis demarcated many indicator species of copepods of different hydrographical settings in the KBW. A comparison with the historical data set showed that there is an apparent long-term change in hydrography, copepod composition and community structure in the upstream of the KBW due to TB.

The paper provides the first information about the mycobiota of 1-8 quarters of Nadvirna forestry, located on the slopes of Horodyshche (598 m above sea level) and Potoky (584 m above sea level) mountains. As a result of the conducted researches on the territory of the forestry there were revealed 107 species of fungi and fungi-like organisms belonging to 92 genera, 49 families, 21 orders, 7 classes and 3 divisions. All the species are listed for the study area for the first time. Particular attention was paid to wood-inhabiting fungi, of which most of the species (68) were recorded on wood of European beech. Seven species (Butyriboletus appendiculatus (Schaeff.) D.Arora & J.L.Frank, Clathrus archeri (Berk.) Dring, Hericium cirrhatum (Pers.) Nikol., Hericium coralloides (Scop.) Pers., Ischnoderma resinosum (Schrad.) P. Karst., Mutinus caninus (Huds.) Fr., Strobilomyces strobilaceus (Scop.) Berk.) appeared to be rare for the study area and the territory of Ukraine as a whole. Four of them (Clathrus archeri, Hericium coralloides, Mutinus caninus, Strobilomyces strobilaceus) are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and three species (Butyriboletus appendiculatus, Hericium cirrhatum and Ischnoderma resinosum) being recorded with the European Red List and red lists of other countries. Hericium cirrhatum and Ischnoderma resinosum are indicator species of phytocenoses that are of conservation value. Upon finding the rare and sozologically valuable species of fungi, indicating the significant conservation value of the surveyed phytocenoses, and the increase of anthropogenic pressure on the studied forest, the expediency of expanding the existing network of protected areas, strengthening the conservation regime and control over its observance is substantiated. As the surveyed area is characterized by a significant variety of not only mycological but also botanical, zoological and geological objects in need of protection, it is proposed to create a regional landscape park “Nadvirnianskyi lis” throughout the massif, which will protect a large part of the Hvizd structural-erosive low mountain massif, which combines the features of both Pre-Carpathian and Mountain Carpathian landscape complexes.

In the current context of climate change, benthic cnidarians of the genus Palythoa have been suggested to be resistant owing to their intrinsic biological characteristics. In tropical regions, some species are currently proliferating in areas where environmental conditions are less suitable for other organisms, even replacing hard coral ecosystems. Considering their tropical affinities, phase-shifts towards Palythoa-dominated areas could become more frequent in future climate change scenarios, leading to changes in ecosystem organization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of climate change stressors in two common Palythoa spp. with different habitat affinities within a subtropical region, and the effect upon their predator–prey interactions. The results of this experimental study demonstrated that colonies of P. aff. clavata and P. caribaeorum were significantly affected by exposure to temperature and pH conditions predicted for 2100 in the Canary Islands, during 62 days. Despite zoantharians’ lack of carbonate in their body wall, Palythoa spp. were most affected in their growth rates by lowered pH, and colonies significantly decreased in weight and size. Although all colonies exhibited symptoms of bleaching at high temperature, a reduction in chlorophyll content was also observed at low pH. Predation by Platypodiella picta crabs decreased on P. aff. clavata exposed to acidic conditions, which may compensate for the lowered ecological performance of the species in these climate change conditions. In contrast, P. picta was able to actively feed on P. caribaeorum colonies regardless of the experimental conditions. Despite being suggested as winner species in a climate change scenario, our study demonstrated that low pH negatively impacted Palythoa spp. survival. If the species are not able to acclimatize to the new conditions, changes in their populations may be expected, although their magnitude could be ameliorated by means of a decrease in predation rates.

The montane forests of Garhwal Himalaya were investigated for tree species composition and diversity in relation to environmental and edaphic variables. A stratified random sampling approach was adopted to collect the field data from each forest. A total of 39 tree species belonging to 31 genera and 23 families were recorded from the sampling area (6 forest stands × 10 plots in each). Lauraceae with 5 species was the largest family while Quercus (4 species) emerged as the largest genus. Species-area curve (asymptote) predicted more species than the observed number of species. Cluster analysis has shown that the two Abies pindrow dominant forest stands had the highest similarity in tree species composition. The tree stem density ranged from 540–1170 ha−1, basal area 23.01–55.94 m2 ha−1, Shannon-Wiener diversity index 1.69–2.49, evenness index 0.42–0.74, beta diversity 0.40–0.82 and similarity index 0.17–0.54 in the six studied forests. Two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) identified four distinct tree communities in the study area with Daphniphyllum himalayense, Abies pindrow, Quercus oblongata, and Pinus roxburghii as indicator species of corresponding communities. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ascertained the TWINSPAN results and revealed the relation of tree species with environmental and edaphic variables. The phytosociological attributes of tree species varied from one forest stand to another; however, the tree species richness, density, and diversity peaked at intermediate elevation on the north aspect. Findings reveal that tree composition and diversity in the montane forests of Garhwal Himalaya are influenced by both environmental (elevation and slope aspect) and soil variables (texture, water holding capacity, moisture content, available N, exchangeable P, and pH). This study will help in understanding the forest distribution across the western Himalaya, guiding the conservationists and policymakers in carrying out conservation-related management activities, designing the long-term monitoring studies and assessing the effects of ongoing and future climate change and disturbances.

Prior research suggested using double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) as an indicator species to track anthropogenic debris in inland aquatic environments such as the Great Lakes. In this study, we sampled cormorant nests on the ground (n = 50) for the presence and type of debris at the Leslie Street Spit, a human built peninsula in Toronto, Ontario. We also compared the proportion of debris type to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup data (2011–2018) for this site. All of the nests sampled had anthropogenic debris present, including plastic items, metal bars and clothing (average ± SD: 28.7 ± 22.0 g debris per nest). Out of four broad categories of debris type (plastic, building materials, miscellaneous and mixed materials), plastic had the highest proportion for nests (53.6%) and shoreline cleanup (63.9%), though plastic type differed. Nests (32.4%) had proportionally more building materials specific to the site, such as electrical wires compared to the shoreline cleanup data (4.7%). Because the Leslie Street Spit is a human-constructed site and cormorants accessed local construction material for their nests, the site should not be used to track changes in debris over time. We recommend that other ground-nesting colonies be used to: monitor changes in debris type and quantity; determine the proportion of nest material from terrestrial and aquatic environments; and estimate the distance cormorants will travel to gather nest material.

Flounders have been widely used as indicator species for monitoring the benthic environment of marine coastal regions owing to their habitat and feeding preferences in or on sandy sediments. Here, a single-step, sensitive, specific, and simple luciferase assay was developed, using the olive flounder cyp1a1 gene, for effective detection of CYP1A-inducing contaminants in coastal sediments. The developed cyp1a1-luciferase assay was highly sensitive to the widely used CYP1A inducers 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126). In the case of TCDD, significant dose-dependent increases in luciferase activity (0.3-300 ng/L) were detected. The assay was more sensitive to PCB 126 than to B[a]P. The assay also involved the highly sensitive expression of luciferase to extracted mixtures of PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) collected from coastal sediments. PCBs were more capable of cyp1a1 induction in the assay system at small doses than PAHs in environmental samples. Using the cyp1a1-luciferase assay along with water or sediment chemistry will certainly aid in diagnosing CYP1A-inducing contaminants in coastal environments.