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Since the invasion of round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) to Lake Michigan, they have become integrated into both nearshore and offshore food webs. Round gobies can be found in relatively shallow water ( Sampling showed that round gobies migrated away from the shallowest (10 m) site in early October, with larger gobies moving offshore first, and were almost exclusively found deeper than 20 m by November. Round gobies remained offshore (>30 m) until mid-May, when they began the return to nearshore habitat. The cues to start offshore and return migrations were not the focus of this project, but fall offshore migrations coincided with decreasing temperatures nearshore in fall, and in spring, the offshore movement of the thermal bar.

Identification of lake trout spawning sites has focused on cobble substrates associated with bathymetric relief (e.g., ‘contour’ or ‘slope’ along reefs), but this ‘model’ may be narrow in scope. Previous telemetry work conducted near Drummond Island, USA, Lake Huron, identified egg presence in substrates at the base of large boulders (>1 m diameter); however, the extent of this phenomenon was unknown. Telemetry data paired with multi-beam bathymetry identified a 0.63 km2 area used by lake trout characterized by low bathymetric relief and numerous (~269) large boulders (>1 m diameter) with small-diameter substrates at their bases. Diver surveys revealed egg presence at all 40 boulders surveyed, exclusively associated with clean gravel-cobble (0.6–42 cm) substrates in undercut areas beneath overhanging edges of boulders and in narrow spaces between adjacent boulders. Egg presence was not associated with boulder or substrate physical characteristics which highlighted the possible importance of interstitial currents. Successful incubation in these habitats was inferred by capture of free embryos and post-embryos the following spring using traps and an electrofishing ROV although at lower densities than at popular spawning habitats nearby (1–3 km away). Free embryos and post-embryos were also caught where eggs were not observed the previous fall including unexpectedly on top of boulders which suggested that post-hatch stages may move more than previously thought. Extensive use of boulder-associated habitats for spawning, egg incubation, and early growth suggested this undescribed habitat type may provide an unanticipated contribution to total available lake trout spawning habitat and recruitment in the Great Lakes.

The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced recent ecosystem changes that could lead to reductions in adaptive capacity and ultimately a loss of biodiversity and production throughout the food web....

Questions: The spread of alien plant species is one of the main threats to the biodiversity of different natural habitats, and coastal dune habitats are among the most affected. There is a considerable local and regional variation in the level of alien plant invasion on coastal dunes. We asked what are the patterns of invasion across European coastal dunes and how they depend on habitat types and coastal regions. Location: Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Methods: We used vegetation-plot records from shifting dunes and stable dune grasslands extracted from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA). We quantified richness, frequency and distribution of alien plant (neophyte) species across dune habitats and coastal regions. We also explored the donor habitats and invasion trajectories of these species. Results: In the flora of European coastal dunes, 7% of species were neophytes, for two-thirds originating from outside of Europe and mostly naturalised and ruderal. Shifting and stable dunes were similar in neophyte species composition, but there were more individual occurrences of neophytes in shifting dunes. The neophyte flora composition differed considerably between the Atlantic, Baltic, Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. The highest number of neophyte species was observed on the Atlantic dunes, while the highest number of neophyte occurrences was on the Black Sea dunes. Most of the neophytes originated from North America and the Mediterranean-Turanian region. Erigeron canadensis, Xanthium orientale, Oenothera biennis and Oenothera oakesiana were the most common neophytes. Conclusions: We provided a comprehensive assessment of alien plant invasions in the coastal dunes across Europe and highlighted that coastal dunes should be in the focus of European invasion management strategies.

Datos disponibles en https://github.com/fmsabatini/sPlotOpen_Code, EU H2020 project BACI, Grant No. 640176 (...), Sabatini, F.M., Lenoir, J., Hattab, T., Arnst, E.A., Chytrý, M., Dengler, J., De Ruffray, P., Hennekens, S.M., Jandt, U., Jansen, F., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Kattge, J., Levesley, A., Pillar, V.D., Purschke, O., Sandel, B., Sultana, F., Aavik, T., Aćić, S., Acosta, A.T.R., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M.A.S., Arroyo, L., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Banerjee, A., Bauters, M., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A.D., Bonari, G., Bondareva, V., Brunet, J., Čarni, A., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Ćušterevska, R., De Bie, E., de Gasper, A.L., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dolezal, J., Dziuba, T., El-Sheikh, M.A.E.-R.M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fazayeli, F., Field, R., Finckh, M., Gachet, S., Galán-de-Mera, A., Garbolino, E., Gholizadeh, H., Giorgis, M., Golub, V., Alsos, I.G., Grytnes, J.-A., Guerin, G.R., Gutiérrez, A.G., Haider, S., Hatim, M.Z., Hérault, B., Hinojos Mendoza, G., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Hubau, W., Indreica, A., Janssen, J.A.M., Jedrzejek, B., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kapfer, J., Karger, D.N., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Khanina, L., Killeen, T., Korolyuk, A., Kreft, H., Kühl, H.S., Kuzemko, A., Landucci, F., Lengyel, A., Lens, F., Lingner, D.V., Liu, H., Lysenko, T., Mahecha, M.D., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Moeslund, J.E., Monteagudo Mendoza, A., Mucina, L., Müller, J.V., Munzinger, J., Naqinezhad, A., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G.E., Pärtel, M., Pauchard, A., Peet, R.K., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Peyre, G., Phillips, O.L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rivas-Torres, G., Rodwell, J.S., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Shan, H., Shirokikh, P., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Sklenář, P., Škvorc, Ž., Sparrow, B., Sperandii, M.G., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J.-C., Tang, Z., Tang, C.Q., Tsiripidis, I., Vanselow, K.A., Vásquez Martínez, R., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A.C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D.A., Waller, D.M., Wang, H.-F., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T.J.S., Willner, W., Wiser, S.K., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zobel, M., Bruelheide, H.

Nearshore water clarity, as measured by remotely sensed Kd(490), and stable C and N isotopes of several nearshore fishes differed across the Lake Michigan basin. Values of δ13C of round goby (Neogobius melanstomus), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonis) were depleted in the southeast where water clarity was low relative to the southwest where water clarity was greater. Bayesian analyses were used to evaluate spatial variation in diet composition and quantify the relationship between water clarity and the proportional importance of pelagic energy in fish diets. Water clarity in nearshore areas is likely related to variable riverine inputs, resuspension, and upwelling processes. While these processes may not directly impact δ13C or δ15N of nearshore fishes, we hypothesize that water clarity differentially affects benthic and pelagic algal production. Lower water clarity in the benthos and subsequently lower benthic productivity may be related to regional diet differences and increased reliance on pelagic energy sources. Mobile fishes such as alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) may not be in isotopic equilibrium with regional prey sources and depart from spatial patterns observed in other nearshore fishes.

Ecological complexity may improve ecosystem function, stability and adaptability to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Intraspecific trophic variation can represent a significant component of total community variation and can influence food web structure and function. Thus, understanding how trophic niches are partitioned between intraspecific and interspecific processes could improve our understanding of food web dynamics. We examined gut contents, fatty acids and stable isotope ratios in round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) across six sites in Lake Michigan, USA, to determine patterns in intra‐ and interspecific trophic composition (i.e., mean gut or fatty acid composition) and diversity (i.e., the diversity of gut items or fatty acids). We also examined relationships between fatty acid diversity and gut content characteristics to understand potential mechanisms shaping individual trophic phenotypes. There was significant variation in both trophic composition and diversity among sites, and individual and spatial variation was as important to total trophic variation as species identity. Round goby that consumed dreissenid mussels had more diverse fatty acid profiles than those that consumed other benthic invertebrates, whereas yellow perch fatty acid diversity was not related to gut content composition. Our results confirm that intraspecific variation in resource use can be as important to trophic dynamics as interspecific variation, and that spatial variation in lower level food web processes or habitat may strongly structure local food web dynamics. Individual‐level examination of trophic diversity, in concert with trophic composition, could provide additional information about the resilience, function and adaptability of local food webs.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains breakwaters in Milwaukee Harbor. USACE’s Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) breakwater demonstration project created rocky aquatic habitat with cobbles (10–20 cm) covering boulders (6–8 metric tons) along a 152 m section. A prolific population of Hemimysis anomala, an introduced Pontocaspian mysid and important food source for local pelagic fishes, was significantly (p < .05) more abundant on cobbles versus boulders. Food-habits data of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) provided evidence that H. anomala were a common prey item. Night surveys and gill netting confirmed O. mordax preferred foraging on the cobbles (p < .05) and consumed more H. anomala than at the reference site (p < .05). H. anomala comprised a significant portion of the diets of young-of-the-year (YOY) yellow perch (Perca flavescens), YOY largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and juvenile rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) caught on the breakwater. The natural features’ construction on the breakwater increased the available habitat for this benthopelagic macroinvertebrate and created a novel ecosystem benefiting forage fish and a nursery habitat benefiting nearshore game fish juveniles. These data will encourage the application of EWN concepts during structural repairs at other built navigation infrastructure.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) repairs aging breakwater structures as part of routine maintenance to maintain safe navigation in Great Lakes commercial ports. A USACE repair to an existing breakwater structure in Milwaukee Harbor (WI) implementing Engineering With Nature (EWN) principles created complex rocky habitat by strategically placing cobble-sized stone over conventional 5.4 to 9.1 metric ton boulders, thus creating "control" (boulder) and "treatment" (cobble) habitats. We evaluated the resultant nature-based breakwater (NBBW) developing food web versus an adjacent reference site on the same breakwater and determined that, unexpectedly, locally abundant Hemimysis anomala were impacting the food-web dynamics and feeding ecology of fishes occupying the structure. Fish and forage communities were sampled using gillnets, night scuba diving surveys, rock collections, and a novel trap to capture invertebrates. The resultant NBBW became home to a prolific population of nonindigenous Hemimysis, with indications that they were more abundant on cobble versus boulders, based on rainbow smelt feeding. This lithophilic/cave swelling mysid provided an important new food resource in Milwaukee Harbor for two introduced pelagic prey fishes: alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). Gillnetting and night scuba diving surveys confirmed that rainbow smelt preferred to forage on the cobble section (p 0.05). Hemimysis were also the primary food item consumed by nearshore game fishes such as young-of-the-year (YOY) yellow perch (Perca flavescens), YOY largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and juvenile rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris). We propose that those breakwaters that harbor abundant Hemimysis constitute novel ecosystems (ecosystems that include both native and non-native biota) that might benefit harbor fisheries if well-managed. This project demonstrated how a low-cost design modification could be applied during the repair of rubble-mound, breakwater structures to achieve benefits beyond safe navigation. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:49-62. Published 2021. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Aims: i) To disentangle the global patterns of native and alien plant diversity on coastal sand dune ecosystems across habitats and floristic kingdoms, ii) to determine the main drivers of variation in species richness in native and alien species in these endangered ecosystems, and iii) to test for an interaction between spatial scale and native‐alien richness patterns, as predicted by the invasion paradox. Location: Global. Methods: We collated a dataset of 14,841 vegetation plots in coastal sand dune ecosystems from around the world. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) were used to assess the patterns and main ecological determinants underlying native and alien species richness. Variation partitioning revealed the relative importance of environmental and anthropogenic variables. Results: GLMs revealed strong differences among both habitats and floristic kingdoms in the number of native and alien species. Specifically, native species richness increased along the sea‐inland gradient and was higher in the Cape and Paleotropical kingdoms. In contrast, alien species richness was relatively similar across habitats and kingdoms, though some differences were detected. There were strong differences between the drivers of native and alien richness; anthropogenic factors such as Gross Domestic Product were positively associated with alien richness whereas native richness was more strongly related to environmental factors. Furthermore, we found a weak support for an invasion paradox effect. Conclusions: Our results revealed the complexity of causal processes underpinning coastal sand dune plant biodiversity and highlight the importance of considering native and alien species separately. Recognition of these differences while researching variation in biodiversity patterns and processes at multiple spatial scales will lead to a better mechanistic understanding of the causes of invasion worldwide, and in coastal ecosystems in particular, allowing the development of more focused control and management measures.

Aims: Although Sinai is a global hotspot for desert vegetation, there is no well-documented overview of the Sinai vegetation. We aim to provide a phytosociological overview of Sinai desert vegetation based on an extensive database and formal classification. We further aim to describe the vegetation communities and provide information on their distribution. Location: Sinai, Egypt. Methods: We built a comprehensive database utilizing all available vegetation plot data of the study area from published literature and our field surveys. We determined the database clustering tendency (Hopkins’ test analysis) and estimated its optimal number of clusters (Elbow method). We performed a cluster analysis (modified TWINSPAN) and improved the validity of the resulting groups by approximating natural clustering using the Silhouette algorithm. We visualized the results by calculating Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling and drawing distribution maps for the observed vegetation communities. Results: We distinguished nine classes representing Sinai desert vegetation: Salicornietea fruticosae, Retametea raetam, Haloxylonetea salicornici, Retamo-Tamaricetea fluviatilis, Acacietea tortilis, Artemisietea herbae-albae, Anabasietea articulatae, Chiliadenetea iphionoidis, and Stellarietea mediae. We distinguished 25 vegetation groups, of which seven are new findings, representing four main vegetation groups: salt desert, lowland desert, mountain desert, and ruderal desert. We observed a high diversity in life forms, chorotypes, and alpha-diversity of the vegetation among the main groups. Therophytes, chamaephytes, hemicryptophytes, and phanerophytes are the dominant life forms. Prevailing chorotypes are Saharo-Arabian, Mediterranean, Mediterranean-Irano-Turanian and Irano-Turanian-Saharo-Arabian. The salt desert and lowland desert vegetation are species-poor, whereas the mountain desert vegetation is relatively species-rich. The ruderal desert vegetation is the most species-rich. Conclusion: We present a common classification of Sinai desert vegetation based on cutting-edge methods and provide an updated description of the desert vegetation groups of Sinai. Our study forms an important basis for decision-making in nature conservation, global change issues, and further in-depth studies on Sinai vegetation.

Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop a tool for assigning vegetation-plot records to the habitats of the EUNIS system, use it to classify a European vegetation-plot database, and compile statistically-derived characteristic species combinations and distribution maps for these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed the classification expert system EUNIS-ESy, which contains definitions of individual EUNIS habitats based on their species composition and geographic location. Each habitat was formally defined as a formula in a computer language combining algebraic and set-theoretic concepts with formal logical operators. We applied this expert system to classify 1,261,373 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and other databases. Then we determined diagnostic, constant and dominant species for each habitat by calculating species-to-habitat fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) in the classified data set. Finally, we mapped the plot locations for each habitat. Results Formal definitions were developed for 199 habitats at Level 3 of the EUNIS hierarchy, including 25 coastal, 18 wetland, 55 grassland, 43 shrubland, 46 forest and 12 man-made habitats. The expert system classified 1,125,121 vegetation plots to these habitat groups and 73,188 to other habitats, while 63,064 plots remained unclassified or were classified to more than one habitat. Data on each habitat were summarized in factsheets containing habitat description, distribution map, corresponding syntaxa and characteristic species combination. Conclusions EUNIS habitats were characterized for the first time in terms of their species composition and distribution, based on a classification of a European database of vegetation plots using the newly developed electronic expert system EUNIS-ESy. The data provided and the expert system have considerable potential for future use in European nature conservation planning, monitoring and assessment. The previous versions of the expert system and related reports were produced within a contract from the European Environment Agency to Wageningen Environmental Research and Masaryk University. The opinions expressed are those of the contractor and do not represent the Agency's official position. EVA data management and preparation of this paper were supported by the Czech Science Foundation (project no. 19-28491X to MC, LT, IK, TP, CM, JDa, MH, PN, DZ, GB, AJ, AKu, ZL and DV). IB and JAC were supported by the Basque Government (project no. T936-16). TB, ET, and LK were supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (TB and ET project no. AAAA-A18-118052590019-7; LK project no. AAAA-A19-119012490096-2).

This document describes the concepts, data and methods used in the 2019 report (under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive) on the conservation status of habitat types for the parameters range, area, structure and functions, and future prospects. The ranges of nearly all habitat types have not changed. No reliable, updated data on area were available for most habitat types. The methodology for assessing structure and functions has been thoroughly revised to accommodate long-term monitoring data and meet the new reporting formats. The European Commission has also introduced a new method for assessing future prospects. The report presents the results and indicates where the methods and data can be improved. Dit document beschrijft de rapportage van Nederland in 2019 over de habitattypen van Natura 2000 voor de periode 2013-2018. Deze rapportage wordt zes-jaarlijks uitgevoerd als verplichting onder de Europese Habitatrichtlijn (Artikel 17). Voor alle 52 habitattypen is de staat van instandhouding (SvI) vastgesteld volgens een door de Europese Commissie voorgeschreven methode. Het rapport beschrijft uitgangspunten, data en methoden van de beoordeling van de parameters van de SvI: verspreidingsgebied, oppervlakte, structuur & functie (S&F) en toekomstperspectief. Het verspreidingsgebied blijkt weinig veranderd ten opzichte van de rapportage in 2013. De oppervlaktes zijn voor de meeste habitattypen gerapporteerd zoals in 2013 omdat er geen betrouwbare, nieuwe gegevens voorhanden waren. De methodiek van beoordeling van S&F is sterk aangepast vanwege het gewijzigde rapportageformat en om beter aan te sluiten op data uit langlopende monitoring. Voor het toekomstperspectief heeft de Europese Commissie een nieuwe methodiek voorgeschreven. Het rapport signaleert tevens een aantal verbeterpunten voor de rapportage.

Dit rapport geeft beoordelingsformulieren (‘formats’) voor Natura 2000-habitattypen en leefgebieden van soorten van de herstelprogramma’s voor bos en heide & stuifzand op de Veluwe. De criteria sluiten aan op de systematiek van Standaardgegevensformulieren. Streefbeelden voor de omvang en het goed functioneren van habitattypen en populaties van soorten worden onderbouwd. De beoordeling van landschappelijke positie en abiotische randvoorwaarden van habitattypen en leefgebieden is gekoppeld aan een nieuw vervaardigde Landschappelijke Bodemkaart van het Natura 2000-gebied Veluwe. Kenmerken van de beoordelingsklasse Goed voor habitattypen vormen een referentie voor ‘natuurlijke’ processen en relaties met bijbehorende structuur. Deze kenmerken zijn nodig voor duurzame instandhouding van habitattypen en populaties. De beoordelingsklasse Optimaal voor geschiktheid van leefgebied en duurzaamheid van populaties correspondeert met toplocaties. Er is een leidraad uitgewerkt voor het in kaart brengen van knelpunten, kansen en maatregelen voor herstel. Deze leidraad kan samen met de beoordelingsformats worden gebruikt tijdens deelgebiedssessies met terreinbeheerders.

Scrub communities dominated by heathers are called heathlands and are frequent in western and central Europe and in the subalpine belts of the mountains. They are diversified into seven subtypes along a wide geographic span along the entire Atlantic countries of Europe, from the Cape North to the Strait of Gibraltar as well as the Azorean islands, and penetrate in some areas of central Europe. They always grow on siliceous soils poor in bases and require high moisture during the growing season. The organic matter produced by heathlands is acidic and favors the podsolization of the soils. Most of them are linked to the human activity based on traditional land use: extensive grazing, harvesting and fire, which supported an agrarian economy based in livestock: sheep, goats, cattle. They started expanding from the Neolithic on at the expense of the forests that existed before. With the current rural abandonment, heathlands are severely diminishing and being replaced by newly growing forests or other human induced vegetation types such as grasslands, tree plantations or fields.

Shrublands are largely represented in Europe being diversified into several types. They are found in primary stations, usually on shallow soil sites of rocky places and steep slopes, in which they were differentiated along history and evolution. However, the overwhelming majority of the currently existing shrublands are in secondary stations, as seral stages of forests, being favored by humans by means of the traditional land use systems, particularly extensive husbandry and farming. They often form hedgerows for fencing rural properties, most of them by spiny shrubs such as brambles, roses and blackthorns. This vegetation produces abundant organic matter and keeps the soil in good conditions of fertility. Shrublands also host a large number of small animals, particularly butterflies, and provide abundant fleshy fruits for seed dispersal which fodder many birds. The conservation of the reticulated hedgerows landscape, known as bocage, is a relevant issue for the preservation of the structural complexity and biodiversity of the terrestrial ecosystems in temperate Europe. The modern tendency towards more technological exploitation systems in some regions, parallel to the rural abandonment in others, is leading to the reduction of this habitat type all over Europe.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a group of neurodegenerative conditions affecting the frontal and temporal lobes (1). FTD is the fourth overall most prevalent dementia subtype accounting for

Larval and early juvenile stages have been shown to strongly influence recruitment variability for fishes, with successful foraging during these stages improving growth and survival. This study provides the first targeted study of the early juvenile (“fry”) diet of the round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ), a prominent Great Lakes invasive fish. We sampled diurnally in diverse benthic environments of nearshore western Lake Michigan and two coastal tributaries. Three major prey types numerically dominated the diurnal benthic diet: harpacticoid copepods, chydorid cladocerans and chironomid larvae. Pelagic prey, of the types observed in nocturnal, pelagic studies, were rare. It was typical for the local diet of round goby fry to feature a primary prey type which contributed > 50% numerically to the total diet, which may be associated with patchy distributions of benthic prey. An ontogenetic diet shift from harpacticoids to chydorids was suggested between 6–26 mm SL. The dominance of benthic meiofauna in the diet of round goby fry expands upon the prior narrative of nocturnal, pelagic foraging, and demonstrates the flexibility of this species to thrive in diverse nursery habitats.

Understanding trophic interactions of non-native species is a key step in elucidating their ecological role in recently invaded systems. The benthic fish species round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) has successfully established in aquatic systems across the world, with abundances increasing dramatically over relatively short time periods. Though this (at times) voracious benthivore can become an increasingly important forage fish for piscivores, relatively little is known about how prey and production pathways that support round gobies vary in space and time. In 2010, we collected round gobies from ten nearshore sites, over three seasons, in Lake Michigan, U.S.A. Due to recent changes in Lake Michigan, the dynamic nearshore region may be crucial for stability of the whole-lake food web. We assessed the role of round gobies in the nearshore Lake Michigan food web using stomach contents, fatty acid profiles, and δ 13 C and δ 15 N stable isotopes. Patterns in all of these measures were highly influenced by site, suggesting that local conditions, such as substrate composition or proximity to riverine inputs, were important in structuring round goby trophic interactions. By contrast, season of sampling and depth of collection had relatively weak associations with observed patterns. Few broad, regional patterns were evident, including a relatively high reliance on benthic production pathways on the western side of Lake Michigan. The observed variety in feeding patterns of round gobies, including potential for exploitation of different production pathways, may contribute to long-term persistence of this aquatic invader in new habitats.

Aims: Baltic Sea coastal grasslands are influenced by saline or brackish sea water, a narrow tidal range and non-intensive land use. Since their designation as Natura 2000 habitat types under the EU Habitats Directive, they have become an important conservation issue in Europe. Little supra-regional research has been conducted to date on their floristic and ecological diversity, syntaxonomy and geographic variation. We surveyed the geographical distribution and syntaxonomical variation of saline and brackish grasslands to highlight large-scale gradients in species composition, as well as underlying climatic and other abiotic factors. We discuss the resulting vegetation types in the context of northern Europe and review implications for conservation. Study area: Baltic Sea coast. Methods: We compiled a comprehensive plot-based vegetation dataset for the Baltic Sea coast and subsequently selected releves by species composition and plot size. We classified 3,732 releves, using modified TWINSPAN, identified differential species and syntaxa, and performed a DCA with post-hoc fitted intrinsic and climatic variables. We tested main differences in relevant factors for significance. Results: The classification resulted in 33 vegetation types of differing distribution range and area. Most common were the classes Juncetea maritimi and Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, with the classes Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Cakiletea maritimae, Saginetea maritimae, Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae and Koelerio-Corynephoretea canescentis also present. Baltic Sea coastal grasslands vary in soil salinity and moisture and, to a lesser extent, in nutrient availability and base content. Conclusions: Variation in the plant communities reflects regional phytogeographical patterns. Communities most similar to north-west European coastal grassland types are characterized by euhaline to α-mesohaline site conditions. Designations of the Natura 2000 habitat types H1330 and H1630 require revision. Many Baltic Sea coastal grassland plant communities include species threatened at the national level.

Biodiversiteit in de Zuidwestelijke Delta offers an evidence-based, historic reference for nature in the South-western Delta of the Netherlands, in the period before the Delta Works. It describes the trends over the last century in bird populations, sea mammals, anadrome fishes, marine benthos, vascular plants and plant communities, as well as the major underlying processes. It is concluded that hardly any species has disappeared, whereas quite a number of new species have arrived. However, the new-comers are generalists, while indicators of the estuarine environment are under stress. Important changes are: a decline in estuarine habitat for plants and animals, a large decrease of tidal dynamics, a disappearance of gradients between saline and freshwater environment, and a severe loss of connectivity between the different water bodies. The construction polders over time has caused a direct loss of intertidal habitat. For a sustainable future the availability of sediment and estuarine dynamics are prerequisites. Biodiversiteit in de Zuidwestelijke Delta geeft een met feiten onderbouwd referentiebeeld van de natuur in de Zuidwestelijke Delta in de periode voorafgaande aan de Deltawerken, en de trends die zijn opgetreden na de afsluitingen. Dit beeld wordt geschetst aan de hand van vogels, zeezoogdieren, trekvissen, mariene bodemfauna, vaatplanten en vegetatie, alsmede voor de belangrijkste processen die zich hier in historische en meer recente tijden hebben voltrokken. We concluderen dat slechts een enkele soort in de loop van de voorbije eeuw geheel is verdwenen; grosso modo geldt zelfs dat er soorten zijn bijgekomen. Wat erbij komt, is evenwel meer van hetzelfde. Ten aanzien van het leefgebied van estuariene flora en fauna zien we een sterke of totale afname van de getijdendynamiek, een teloorgang van veel zoet-zout overgangen en een wegvallen van onderlinge verbindingen tussen de waterbekkens. Bedijkingen en inpolderingen zijn al eeuwen verantwoordelijk voor het verdwijnen van intergetijden -gebied. Voor de toekomst van de Zuidwestelijke Delta zijn dynamiek en beschikbaarheid van sediment allesbepalende factoren. Alleen door suppletie kan een structureel zandtekort teniet worden gedaan.

Contains fulltext : 215972.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) 224 p.

Lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis and cisco Coregonus artedi are salmonid fishes native to the Laurentian Great Lakes that spawn on rocky substrates in the fall and early winter. After comparing the locations of spawning habitat for these species in the main basin of Lake Huron with surficial substrates and the hypothesized locations of fast-flowing Late Wisconsinan paleo-ice streams, we hypothesize that much of the spawning habitat for these species in Lake Huron is the result of deposition and erosion by paleo-ice streams. This hypothesis may represent a new framework for the identification and protection of spawning habitat for these native species, some of which are currently rare or extirpated in some of the Great Lakes. We further suggest that paleo-ice streams may have been responsible for the creation of native salmonid spawning habitat elsewhere in the Great Lakes and in other glaciated landscapes.

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic is having major implications for stroke care with a documented significant fall in hospital acute stroke admissions. We investigated whether COVID-19 has resulted in a decreased number of referrals to the transient ischaemic attack (TIA) clinics across the North West London region.Setting and designAll the TIA clinical leads of the North West London region received an invitation by email to participate in an online survey in May 2020. The survey questionnaire aimed to assess the number of patients with suspected TIA consecutively referred to each of the TIA clinics of the North West London region between 1 March and 30 April 2020, the COVID-19 period, and between 1 March and 30 April 2019.ResultsWe had a response rate of 100%. During the COVID-19 period, the TIA clinics of the North West London region received 440 referrals compared with 616 referrals received between 1 March and 30 April 2019 with a fall in the number of the referrals by 28.6%. In April 2020 compared with April 2019, the number of the referrals declined by 40.1%.ConclusionsThis multicentre analysis documented a significant reduction in the number of patients referred with suspected TIA to the specialised rapid access outpatient clinics in the North West London region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and to better characterise the incidence of cerebrovascular disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims: Although many phytosociological studies have provided detailed local and regional descriptions of coastal dune vegetation, a unified classification of this vegetation in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin has been missing. Our aim is to produce a formalized classification of this vegetation and to identify the main factors driving its plant species composition at a continental scale. LocationAtlantic and Baltic coasts of Europe, Mediterranean Basin and the Black Sea region. - Methods: We compiled a database of 30,759 plots of coastal vegetation, which were resampled to reduce unbalanced sampling effort, obtaining a data set of 11,769 plots. We classified these plots with TWINSPAN, interpreted the resulting clusters and used them for developing formal definitions of phytosociological alliances of coastal dune vegetation, which were included in an expert system for automatic vegetation classification. We related the alliances to climatic factors and described their biogeographic features and their position in the coastal vegetation zonation. We examined and visualized the floristic relationships among these alliances by means of DCA ordination. - Results: We defined 18 alliances of coastal dune vegetation, including the newly described Centaureo cuneifoliae-Verbascion pinnatifidi from the Aegean region. The main factors underlying the differentiation of these alliances were biogeographic and macroclimatic contrasts between the Atlantic-Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, along with ecological differences between shifting and stable dunes. The main difference in species composition was between the Atlantic-Baltic and Mediterranean-Black Sea regions. Within the former region, the main difference was driven by the different ecological conditions between shifting and stable dunes, whereas within the latter, the main difference was biogeographic between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. - Conclusions: The first formal classification of the European coastal dune vegetation was established, accompanied by an expert system containing the formal definitions of alliances, which can be applied to new data sets. The new classification system critically revised the previous concepts and integrated them into a consistent framework, which reflects the main gradients in species composition driven by biogeographic influences, macroclimate and the position of the sites in the coast-inland zonation of the dune systems. A revision of the class concept used in EuroVegChecklist is also proposed.

In aquatic systems, food web linkages are often assessed using diet contents, stable isotope ratios, and, increasingly, fatty acid composition of organisms. Some correlations between different trophic metrics are assumed to be well-supported; for example, particular stable isotope ratios and fatty acids seem to reflect reliance on benthic or pelagic energy pathways. However, understanding whether the assumed correlations between different trophic metrics are coherent and consistent across species represents a key step toward their effective use in food web studies. To assess links among trophic markers, we compared relationships between major diet components, fatty acids, and stable isotope ratios in three fishes: yellow perch (Perca flavescens), round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), and spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) collected from nearshore Lake Michigan. Yellow perch and spottail shiner are native in this system, while round goby are a relatively recent invader. We found some evidence for agreement between different trophic metrics, especially between diet components, n-3:n-6 fatty acid ratios, and stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N). However, we also observed significant variation in observed relationships among markers and species, potentially due to taxonomic variation in the specific diet items consumed (e.g., chydorid microcrustaceans and Dreissena mussels) and species-specific biochemical processes. In many of these latter cases, the invasive species differed from the native species. Understanding the effects of taxonomic variation on prey and predator signatures could significantly improve the usefulness of fatty acids in food web studies, whereas diet contents and stable isotopes appear to be reliable indicators of trophic niche in aquatic food webs.

Het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV) vindt het van belang dat het perspectief en de kansen voor natuur in het Grevelingenmeer grondiger worden uitgediept met betrokkenheid van verschillende experts en dat natuurpartijen (lokaal en landelijk), beheerders (Staatsbosbeheer en RWS) en provincies hierbij worden betrokken. Daarom heeft zij Wageningen Marine Research gevraagd om dit nader te onderzoeken. Er is aangesloten op het voorkeursalternatief van de RSV (50 cm getij), maar daarnaast zijn ook breder de gevolgen voor de natuur van (1) een kleinere getijslag en (2) een aangepast peilbeheer onderzocht en er is een doorkijk gegeven naar de lange termijn gevolgen waarbij tevens het effect van zeespiegelstijging is meegenomen.

Question: Coastal environments have often been described as azonal. While this characteristic is clear for the foredune system, it seems less evident for more inland fixed dunes, which host habitats of major conservation concern, whose features seem to be more related to local climatic conditions. We hypothesized that, unlike other coastal habitats, dune perennial grasslands differ floristically and structurally across their European range and that patterns of variation are linked to the corresponding climate. Location: European coasts (Atlantic Ocean, Baltic, Mediterranean, Black Sea). Methods: We used a large data set of phytosociological relevés, representative of coastal grasslands throughout their European range. The role of climatic variables (temperature, precipitation and continentality) in determining the variability in species composition and vegetation structure (by means of life forms) was investigated through CCA, DCA and GLM. The degree of concentration of species occurrences within groups was calculated through the Phi coefficient. Results: Through multivariate analyses we identified seven major types of coastal grassland, corresponding to different geographic areas. The groups significantly differed in their climatic envelope, as well as in their species composition and community structure. Conclusion: Our results confirm the hypothesis that coastal dune perennial grasslands are subjected to local climate, which exerts significant effects on both floristic composition and community structure. As a consequence, coastal grasslands are particularly prone to the effect of possible climate change, which may alter species composition and distribution, and lead to shifts in the distribution of native plant communities.

Green Bay sediments exhibit a gradient of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations from the mouth of the Fox River to the northern end of the bay. This study explored whether the sediment concentration gradient was reflected along Green Bay's rocky (non-depositional) eastern coast in a suspension feeder, the invasive quagga mussel ( Dreissena bugensis ), as well as in the main predator on quagga mussels, the invasive round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ). We performed congener-specific PCB analyses on quagga mussels and round gobies collected from ten sites along the east shore of Green Bay. PCB results were compared with sediment data. Regression analyses showed that mussel tissue PCB concentrations followed sediment PCB concentrations (F 1,6 = 16.4, P = 0.007) except at two sites near Sturgeon Bay where cleaner Lake Michigan water enters in tidal pulses. Round goby PCB concentrations also followed the sediment trends (F 1,7 = 8.17, P = 0.024). However, only a weak relationship between PCB concentrations in quagga mussel and round goby was found (P = 0.085), even though the species are trophically linked. Here, ontogenetic and seasonal details of round goby diet strongly influenced PCB concentrations such that in areas adjacent to high sediment PCB concentrations, fish length dictated round goby's PCB concentration (F 1,14 = 7.46, P = 0.016). Overall, our findings indicate that these exotic benthos refocus PCBs in near-shore regions in a pattern similar to that observed in sediments. Our results also highlight the need to understand trophic details in order to track contaminant bioaccumulation accurately.

Round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) are reported to have negative impacts on benthic invertebrate prey and are now highly abundant throughout most of the Laurentian Great Lakes. This study used the initial spread of round gobies north and south from the Milwaukee Harbor as a natural experiment to assess the competitive interactions between age-0 yellow perch and round gobies in western Lake Michigan. Habitat selection and diet of age-0 yellow perch in relation to round goby abundance were analyzed using fish captured in micro-mesh gillnets in 2006 and 2007 at six study locations from Sheboygan to Wind Point, Wisconsin. An age-0 yellow perch shift in habitat preference from rock to sand was associated with relatively high round goby abundance at rock sites. An increase in round goby catch per unit effort was also correlated with a decrease in benthic prey (chironomid larvae + amphipods) abundance at rock sites and occurrence of these prey items in age-0 yellow perch stomach contents. Our results suggest that age-0 yellow perch may have undergone local niche shifts as a consequence of competition with round gobies. Further study may help elucidate the causal mechanism behind our observations and determine what effect round gobies are having on the yellow perch population of western Lake Michigan, as a whole.

On-going ecosystem alterations within Lake Michigan have drastically transformed species interactions and food-web assembly. Description of trophic interactions across broad spatial regions is likely necessary to fully appreciate the structure of this emerging food web. Spottail shiners, Notropis hudsonius, are numerically abundant in the nearshore zone of Lake Michigan, but their trophic interactions are under-described. To that end, we described fatty acid profiles of spottail shiner through spring, summer, and fall across western and eastern shorelines of Lake Michigan's southern basin. Fatty acids, used as dietary tracers, suggested a shift from benthic-based diets in spring to more pelagic-associated diets in summer and a reversal in fall. When time lag of fatty acid accumulation is accounted for in interpretations, diets likely follow spring plankton and summer/fall benthic invertebrate maxima. Fatty acid profiles also indicated differences in diet composition based on geographic location, with benthic tracers more prevalent among spottail shiner inhabiting the western shoreline. These interpretations were generally supported by stomach content data, with high Chironomidae consumption in spottail shiners from western waters. The presence of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Odonata in spottail shiner stomach contents throughout the lake highlights its reliance on nearshore and potentially inshore areas. This study offers one of the most spatially broad depiction of spottail shiner foraging habits in Lake Michigan.

Describing food web structure through either direct or indirect diet analysis is often a fundamental step in elucidating ecosystem dynamics and developing resource management goals. The present study examines spatial trophic connections in an opportunistic forager, juvenile yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ), through the concomitant use of stomach content, fatty acid profiles, and stable isotope ratio methods. During September 2010, yellow perch were collected at nine coastal locations representative of Lake Michigan's habitat heterogeneity. The three diet assessment methods revealed differential levels of spatial diet heterogeneity. In general, yellow perch relied on pelagic prey more along the eastern shoreline, and over rocky substrates within each shoreline grouping. Conversely, high benthivory was noted in yellow perch from sandy substrates and western locations. Intra-population spatial diet dissimilarity may be common yet over looked among other species within large systems. We further advocate the concurrent examination of chemical ecological tracers (e.g., stable isotopes and fatty acid profiles) and stomach contents to investigate diet patterns of predators.

In dit rapport is onderzocht of de Natura 2000-doelen op landelijk en gebiedsniveau gecorrigeerd en/of bijgesteld moeten worden. Enerzijds betreffen het bijstellingen op basis van de veranderingen die hebben plaatsgevonden tussen 2006 en 2015 onder invloed van nieuwe vestiging van soorten of herintroducties, anderzijds betreffen het correcties op basis van voortschrijdend inzicht, nieuwe kennis en verbeterde informatie. Op basis van de actueelste informatie en kennis zijn de Natura 2000-doelen voor de vogelsoorten van de Vogelrichtlijn en habitattypen (Annex I) en soorten (Annex II) van de Habitatrichtlijn geëvalueerd. Advies wordt gegeven over het bijstellen en corrigeren van de Natura 2000-doelen landelijk en op gebiedsniveau.

In dit rapport wordt verslag gedaan van een verkennend onderzoek ten behoeve van de evaluatie van de Natura 2000-doelensystematiek en Natura 2000-doelen. Advies wordt gegeven over verbeteringen in wijze van formulering van de Natura-doelen en over het bijstellen van de Natura-doelen vanwege de ontwikkelingen die tussentijds (vanaf 2006 tot 2015) hebben plaatsgevonden en op basis van de huidige kennis en informatie.

article i nfo Recentobservationsof spawning laketroutSalvelinusnamaycushnearDrummond IslandinnorthernLakeHuron indicate that lake trout use drumlins, landforms created in subglacial environments by the action of ice sheets, as a primary spawning habitat. From these observations, we generated a hypothesis that may in part explain loca- tions chosen by lake trout for spawning. Most salmonines spawn in streams where they rely on streamflows to sort and clean sediments to create good spawning habitat. Flows sufficient to sort larger sediment sizes are generally lacking in lakes, but some glacial bedforms contain large pockets of sorted sediments that can provide the interstitial spacesnecessary for laketroutegg incubation,particularlyifthesebedforms are situatedsuch that lake currents can penetrate these sediments. We hypothesize that sediment inclusions from glacial scavenging and sediment sorting that occurred during the creation of bedforms such as drumlins, end moraines, and eskers create suitableconditionsfor laketroutegg incubation, particularlywherethesebedforms interactwith lakecur- rents toremove finesediments. Further,these bedforms may provide high-quality laketrout spawninghabitatat many locations in the Great Lakes and may be especially important along the southern edge of the range of the species. A better understanding of the role of glacially-derived bedforms in the creation of lake trout spawning habitatmay helpdeveloppowerful predictorsoflaketroutspawninglocations,provide insightintothe evolution of unique spawning behaviors by lake trout, and aid in lake trout restoration in the Great Lakes. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Great Lakes Research.

Hjort's insights on marine fish recruitment and larval fish advection are presumed not applicable to freshwater lakes because most freshwater lakes are small. The Laurentian Great Lakes (LGL), however, are large enough for certain oceanic-type hydrodynamics, such as strong currents and upwelling, to affect the distribution and survival of larval fish and thus fall under Hjort's purview. However, there are evolutionary constraints because LGL species underwent an evolutionary bottleneck during glaciation, ∼10 000 years BP. We consider three narratives pertinent to both the spatial scale and the evolutionary time-scale of the LGL. The first reviews recent evidence of offshore advection and subsequent cross-lake dispersal of larval and juvenile yellow perch, a coastal demersal species in Lake Michigan. The second narrative suggests that biotic interactions, rather than spatial scale itself, could account for the transition in the critical period of Lake Michigan yellow perch period from a juvenile to a larval critical period. In the third narrative, we consider whether the deep LGL lack a significant native pelagic larval fish predator. We propose that the LGL, in combination with the older World's Great Lakes, present an opportunity to explore evolution and adaptation of fish to oceanic type physical conditions.

Burbot Lota lota exhibit four previously known reproductive strategies in the Great Lakes region. In this paper we review those strategies and provide evidence for a fifth one—delayed deepwater spawning. The four known, shallow-water strategies are as follows: (1) spawning by self-sustaining, landlocked populations, (2) spawning in tributaries in winter and the exit of larvae to a Great Lake, (3) spawning by residents in a spawning stream with access to a Great Lake, and (4) spawning on unconsolidated and rocky areas in shallow water in winter in the lake proper. Resident, landlocked populations exist in some Michigan and Wisconsin rivers (e.g., the Muskegon River in Michigan). The evidence for winter tributary spawning is the appearance of newly hatched Burbot in the St. Marys and Bark rivers during April–June. Evidence for Burbot juveniles leaving spawning streams is U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tributory mouth trap data. The evidence for winter nearshore spawning comes from power plant month...

This study is aimed at collection of all available phytosociological data on vegetation of Sinai Peninsula, a region that is still poorly explored. An overview of the plant communities of Sinai is compiled based on additional field work and inventories. The database for Sinai vegetation will serve as a nucleus for the National Vegetation Databank of Egypt—‘VegEgypt’. Aspects like species richness, species turnover, conservation categories, and endemism were given special attention. The database was set up and analysed using the Turboveg and Juice programs. A matrix of 816 relevés and 496 species belonging to 69 families and 281 genera formed the basis for further analysis. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae were the most represented families. The lists contain 52 threatened, 16 endemic and 20 sub-endemic species. The percentage of endemic species is highest in insular floras, peninsulas and mountain chains. The vegetation analysis resulted in 21 associations. The plant associations on sand habitats have the lowest species richness and species turnover because of water scarcity. On the other hand, plant communities or associations inhabiting rocky habitats have the highest species richness and species turnover.

Biurrun, Idoia/0000-0002-1454-0433; Rojo, Maria Pilar Rodriguez/0000-0001-5449-9386; Ermakov, Nikolai/0000-0001-7550-990X; De Sanctis, Michele/0000-0002-7280-6199; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Virtanen, Risto/0000-0002-8295-8217; Agrillo, Emiliano/0000-0003-2346-8346; Onyshchenko, Viktor/0000-0001-9079-7241; Marceno, Corrado/0000-0003-4361-5200; Willner, Wolfgang/0000-0003-1591-8386; Fernandez-Gonzalez, Federico/0000-0003-1234-4065; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Swacha, Grzegorz/0000-0002-6380-2954; Dengler, Jurgen/0000-0003-3221-660X; Guarino, Riccardo/0000-0003-0106-9416; Sopotlieva, Desislava/0000-0002-9281-7039; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Chytry, Milan/0000-0002-8122-3075; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Danihelka, Jiri/0000-0002-2640-7867; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Gavilan, Rosario G./0000-0002-1022-445X; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Wohlgemuth, Thomas/0000-0002-4623-0894; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Sibik, Jozef/0000-0002-5949-862X; Casella, Laura/0000-0003-2550-3010; Lenoir, Jonathan/0000-0003-0638-9582; Attorre, Fabio/0000-0002-7744-2195; Kacki, Zygmunt/0000-0002-2241-1631; Jandt, Ute/0000-0002-3177-3669; Carni, Andraz/0000-0002-8909-4298; Jirousek, Martin/0000-0002-4293-478X; GARCIA-MIJANGOS, ITZIAR/0000-0002-6642-7782; Campos, Juan Antonio/0000-0001-5992-2753; Fanelli, Giuliano/0000-0002-3143-1212; Haveman, Rense/0000-0001-9127-4549; Acic, Svetlana/0000-0001-6553-3797; De Bie, Els/0000-0001-7679-743X; Font, Xavier/0000-0002-7253-8905; Moeslund, Jesper Erenskjold/0000-0001-8591-7149; Martynenko, Vasiliy/0000-0002-9071-3789; Jimenez-Alfaro, Borja/0000-0001-6601-9597; Ejrnaes, Rasmus/0000-0003-2538-8606; Carlon Ruiz, Luis/0000-0003-3442-8710; Angelini, Pierangela/0000-0002-5321-9757; Silc, Urban/0000-0002-3052-699X; Landucci, Flavia/0000-0002-6848-0384; Ewald, Jorg/0000-0002-2758-9324; Dziuba, Tetiana/0000-0001-8621-0890 WOS: 000368074600018 The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation-plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large-scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database. Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence PLADIAS) [14-36079G] Our major thanks go to thousands of European vegetation scientists of several generations who collected the original vegetation-plot data in the field, published them or made their unpublished data available to others, and to those who spent myriad hours digitizing data and managing the contributing databases. EVA data management has been partly funded by the Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence PLADIAS, 14-36079G).

Maintaining aquatic biodiversity in urban or suburban areas can be problematic because urban landscapes can be nearly devoid of aquatic habitats other than engineered basins for storm water management. These areas are usually of questionable value for fish, but we examined a case study in which five regionally imperiled fish species were reintroduced into an artificial storm water detention pond and subsequently thrived. Although not a formal experiment, postintroduction survey data suggested that three of the five species maintained high population densities for 10 years after initial stocking, and two persisted in lower numbers. Success was likely due to a combination of unique design features and prior habitat preparation that resulted in clear water conditions that supported dense vegetation. Stocked fish persisted despite occasional bouts of low dissolved oxygen and increased chloride levels resulting from road salt application within the watershed. Transplanted fish served as a source popul...

Alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ) abundance and condition are in decline in Lake Michigan, where they not only exert negative effects on several native fish species but also support an economically valuable salmon sport fishery. We investigated feeding-related habitat selection for adult alewives occurring in Lake Michigan's littoral zone by comparing the relative abundance of alewives and non-biting midges (Chironomidae) on littoral rocky and sandy habitats. Both alewives and midges strongly favored hard over soft substrate, with approximately 22 and 23 times greater catch rates on rock than sand, respectively, from June through August 2005. Relative to sand, 92.2% of alewives and 94.8% of emergent midges were captured over rocky habitat. Gut content analysis suggested that the supplement of midge pupae created a benefit for alewives on rocky habitat and that midge emergence may be the basis for rocky habitat selection. Alewife consumption of midge pupae correlated with midge emergence events, frequency occurrence of midges in ale wife diets was significantly greater on rocky habitat, and alewives collected over sand were 1.5 times more likely to have empty stomachs than those collected over rocks. Our results indicate that alewives, the dominant pelagic forage fish in Lake Michigan, are seasonally encountered in littoral rocky communities, where midges are an important seasonal component of alewife diet.

We compared the Atlantic and Mediterranean beach and foredune habitats of European interest, focusing on floristic, structural and ecological features. We selected two representative sites of Atlantic (The Netherlands) and Mediterranean (Italy) coastal dunes. From a georeferenced vegetation database, samples of: (a) annual vegetation on drift lines (European Union habitat type 1210), (b) embryonic shifting dunes (2110), and (c) shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria (2120), were selected. Floristic representativity and comparability of plot sizes were considered. For each habitat, the frequency and the fidelity of the species, the life form frequency spectra and Ellenberg ecological indicator values were assessed. We found a consistent floristic differentiation between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coastal dune habitats and only a small set of shared species. The Italian and the Dutch annual vegetation of drift lines (1210) register a high structural similarity that strongly declines landwards. Floristic composition, life forms and Ellenberg indicator values show higher similarities among different foredune habitats of the same site than between homologous habitats of the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. The results confirm the current description and distribution of the habitat of European interest annual vegetation of drift lines (1210). On the other hand, the floristic, structural and ecological differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean embryonic shifting dunes (2110) and shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria (2120) point at an inconsistency of the existing description of those habitats of European interest and highlight the need of adding in the Directive specific types that describe them in the Mediterranean basin. We suggest the introduction of two new habitat types named “Dunes along the Mediterranean shoreline with Ammophila arenaria” (new code 2280) and “Mediterranean embryonic dunes” (new code 2290) within the existing class “Sea dunes of the Mediterranean coast” (class 22 of the Annex I Habitats Directive 92/43/CEE).