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Evaluating the acclimation capacity of two keystone Antarctic echinoderms to coastal freshening
Get PDFCoastal freshening in the Southern Ocean is expected to increase under projected climate scenarios. As a major environmental stressor, prolonged reduced salinity could pose a significant challenge to Antarctica's endemic echinoderms. Acclimatising to low salinity may be crucial for their continued survival as climate change accelerates, yet little is currently known about their capacity to do so. The sea star Odontaster validus and sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri, two of the most ecologically important and abundant echinoderms of the shallow Antarctic seas, were exposed to reduced salinities (29 ‰ and 24 ‰) for at least 71 days after a stepwise dilution from 34.5 ‰. Feeding, faecal production (S. neumayeri only) and activity coefficient were significantly impacted at 24 ‰ and did not recover to control levels in either species. Oxygen consumption remained similar to control levels (34.5 ‰) across both treatments and species until day 85, when a significant increase was observed in S. neumayeri at 24 ‰. Coelomic fluid osmolality was near isosmotic with external salinities in both species, while coelomocyte composition and concentration were unaffected by reduced salinities (S. neumayeri only). Both species demonstrated the capacity to tolerate lower salinities that may be expected with climate change, with successful acclimation demonstrated at 29 ‰. Although survival rates were high at 24 ‰, significant reductions in mass and the failure of metrics to return to control levels suggest that long-term survival at 24 ‰ is unlikely, potentially impacting Antarctic food-web dynamics and ecological interactions
Zinc and copper have the greatest relative importance for river macroinvertebrate richness at a national scale
Get PDFIt is important to discover what change led to the improvement in European macroinvertebrate biodiversity in the period from 1990−2000s and what prevents further desirable gains from taking place today. A 30-year data set from 1,457 macroinvertebrate monitoring sites spread across England, with 65,032 discrete observations was combined with 41 chemical, physical, habitat, and geographic variables. This data set was analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effect models and generalized additive mixed models. To include all combinations of the variables required to address each question, required over 20,000 model runs. It was found that no variables were more consistently and strongly associated with the overall family richness than Zn and Cu. Zn and Cu led both for the era of large gains in richness up to 2005 and also in the later period of 2006–2018 when few further gains were made
The future of algal blooms in lakes globally is in our hands
Get PDFLakes are fundamental to society and nature, yet they are currently exposed to excessive nutrients and climate change, resulting in algal blooms. In the future, this may change, but how and where still needs more scientific attention. Here, we explore future trends in algal blooms in lakes globally for >3,500 ‘representative lakes’ for the year 2050, considering the attribution of both nutrient and climate factors. We soft-coupled a process-based lake ecosystem model (PCLake+) with a watershed nutrient model (MARINA-Multi) to assess trends in algal blooms in terms of the Trophic State Index for chlorophyll-a (TSI-Chla). Globally between 2010 and 2050, we show a rising trend in algal blooms under fossil-fuelled development (TSI-Chla increase in 91% of lakes) and a declining trend under sustainable development (TSI-Chla decrease in 63% of lakes). These changes are significantly attributed to nutrients. While not always significant, climate change attributions point to being unfavourable for lakes in 2050, exacerbating lake water quality. Our study stresses prioritising responsible nutrient and climate management on policy agendas. This implies that the future of algal blooms in lakes is in our hands
Surveying the deep: A review of computer vision in the benthos
Get PDFThe analysis of image data for benthic biodiversity monitoring is now commonplace within the domain of marine ecology. Whilst advances in imaging technologies have allowed for the collection of vast quantities of data, the curation of this has traditionally been performed manually, resulting in a bottleneck whereby data is collected faster than it can be processed. Recent years have seen marine ecologists turn to the domain of computer vision to help automate this curation process. However, as the knowledge required to build such systems spans both domains, there is a high barrier to entry. To help reduce this barrier, this paper aims to provide an introduction to computer vision-based benthic biodiversity monitoring via a comprehensive literature review. To aid ecologists, key computer vision concepts are described and example use-cases highlighted. The major challenges inherent to benthic imagery for computer vision systems are explored, alongside a discussion of how current systems attempt to mitigate against these. To aid computer scientists wishing to enter the domain, an exploration of currently available open-source benthic datasets is also provided. Recommendations for future research are explored, including a move towards human-centric techniques, committing to ablation studies, reaching community agreement on open-source benchmarking datasets, and an increased use of innovative methods to allow for improved answering of key benthic ecology questions
Colonizing the open sea: population dynamics of an abundant marine invader on a natural shoreline
No full textAscidians have successfully colonized numerous environments around the world. Despite the broad knowledge on distribution and population dynamics of introduced ascidians in man-made environments, little is known about these same traits in natural environments. Styela clava, an ascidian originally described from northeast Asia, was introduced in San Matías Gulf, Northern Patagonia Argentina, around 2013. The aim of the present study was to examine the spatio-temporal variability of population traits and growth rates over two years, through monthly field samplings at two contrasting intertidal sites (exposed vs. sheltered) in San Matías Gulf. We also considered two environment types: tidal pools and rocky ledges. Additionally, we extended the annual samplings for another 4 years, as part of a monitoring program for the species. Population density was higher on rocky ledges than in tidal pools in the two sites studied. Annual densities of S. clava increased on rocky ledges in both sites. The length frequency distribution was uni- or bimodal at the exposed site, whereas at the sheltered site it showed a bi- or trimodal pattern. In the exposed site, two-peak recruitment occurred, while at the sheltered site, up to three peaks were observed, suggesting that S. clava could reproduce at least twice a year. The growth rates did vary spatio-temporally in a year. These results highlight the plasticity of S. clava, which allows it to colonize diverse environments, and the importance of population studies to reflect the colonization processes of introduced species
Evidence of heating-dominated urban NOx emissions
Get PDFRoad transport NOx emissions in many high-income countries have steadily reduced due to improved exhaust after-treatment technology. However, ambient concentrations of NO2, O3 and PM2.5 continue to exceed World Health Organization guidelines in many cities globally. The megacity of London has taken an international lead in mobility interventions through the use of low-emission zones. Using long-term air pollution flux measurements made from a communications tower, we show that the largest source of NOx emissions in central London has transitioned from road transport to space heating. Observations and supporting consumption/mobility data indicated that natural gas combustion in boilers was responsible for 72 ± 17% of NOx emissions in the measurement footprint (average years 2021–2023). Road transport has dominated air quality thinking on NO2 for many decades. However, in urban environments that are reliant on natural gas, building heating may now be an effective sector to prioritize for further NOx emissions intervention. With system-wide changes in the heat and power sector expected in the coming decades to achieve decarbonisation pledges, we project that very low urban emissions of NOx are achievable. The trajectory will, however, depend on choices made around urban buildings and their associated infrastructure and whether low-carbon fuel combustion or electrification pathways are chosen. We estimate a damage cost penalty of up to £600 M in the U.K. should hydrogen combustion replace natural gas for heating rather than technologies such as heat pumps
Bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus) and hover flies (Syrphidae) from the summits of the Gaspésie National Park, Québec
Get PDFHost ecology and phylogeny shape the temporal dynamics of social bee viromes
Get PDFThe composition of viral communities (i.e. viromes) can be dynamic and complex. Co-evolution may lead to virome host-specificity. However, eco-evolutionary factors may influence virome dynamics in wild host communities, potentially leading to disease emergence. Social bees are relevant models to address the drivers of virome composition: these important pollinators form multi-species assemblages, with high niche overlap and strong seasonality in their biotic interactions. We applied a microbial community approach to disentangle the role of host phylogeny and host ecology in shaping bee viromes, combining plant-pollinator networks with meta-transcriptomics, and small interfering RNAs as proxies for viral replication in pollinators and pollen. We identified over a hundred insect and plant viral sequences from ca. 4500 insect pollinator samples across three time points in one year. While host genetic distance drives the distribution of bee viruses, we find that plant-pollinator interactions and phenology drive plant virus communities collected by bees. This reveals the opportunities for virus spread in the bee assemblage. However, we show that transmission to multiple hosts is only realized for a fraction of insect viruses, with even fewer found to be actively replicating in multiple species, including the particularly virulent multi-host acute bee paralysis virus
Stakeholder perceptions of drought resilience using government drought compensation in Thailand
Get PDFIn the context of escalating climate challenges in Southeast Asia, this study investigates the dynamics of disaster budget allocation in Thailand and examines farmers’ perceptions of drought compensation, focusing on the Ping catchment situated in the Northwest of the country. The main objective of the study was to gauge stakeholders’ awareness and views on government drought compensation and evaluate its effectiveness. Using government budget data, drought indicators, and a comprehensive survey in Chiang Mai and Tak provinces, the study explores correlations between budget allocation, drought indicators, and farmers’ experiences. A correlation analysis unveils stronger links between compensation and Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) as compared to Drought Severity Index (DSI), with regional variations and the impact of irrigation practices. Compensation shows positive correlations with drought severity, suggesting support to farmers occurs when they suffer severe crop damage. We investigate drought occurrences and their impacts along with farmer’s awareness and experiences of drought compensation schemes to uncover disparities in awareness, application rates, and satisfaction levels, providing insights into farmers’ views on compensation effectiveness. The study concludes by proposing policy adjustments, tailored regional approaches, and feedback mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of drought compensation strategies. Despite limitations in sample size and potential biases, this study contributes valuable insights into the complex dynamics of disaster budget allocation, drought compensation, and farmers’ perspectives in Thailand, laying a foundation for refining policies and fostering sustainable agricultural practices amidst increasing climate challenges
Drivers of interspecific spatial segregation in two closely-related seabird species at a Pan-Atlantic scale
Get PDFAim: Ecologically similar species living in sympatry are expected to segregate to reduce the effects of competition where re-sources are limiting. Segregation from heterospecifics commonly occurs in space, but it is often unknown whether such segregation has underlying environmental causes. Indeed, species could segregate because of different fundamental environmental requirements (i.e., ‘niche divergence’), because competitive exclusion at sympatric sites can force species to either change the habitat use they would have at allopatric sites (i.e., ‘niche displacement’) or to avoid certain areas, independently of habitat (i.e.,‘spatial avoidance’). Testing these hypotheses requires the comparison between sympatric and allopatric sites. Understanding the competitive mechanisms that underlie patterns of spatial segregation could improve predictions of species responses to environmental change, as competition might exacerbate the effects of environmental change.
Location: North Atlantic and Arctic.
Taxa: Common guillemots Uria aalge and Brünnich's guillemots Uria lomvia
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