Search results for " Nature Conservation"
showing 10 items of 80 documents
Terrestrial Inputs Drive Seasonality in Organic Matter and Nutrient Biogeochemistry in a High Arctic Fjord System (Isfjorden, Svalbard)
2020
Climate-change driven increases in temperature and precipitation are leading to increased discharge of freshwater and terrestrial material to Arctic coastal ecosystems. These inputs bring sediments, nutrients and organic matter (OM) across the land-ocean interface with a range of implications for coastal ecosystems and biogeochemical cycling. To investigate responses to terrestrial inputs, physicochemical conditions were characterized in a river- and glacier-influenced Arctic fjord system (Isfjorden, Svalbard) from May to August in 2018 and 2019. Our observations revealed a pervasive freshwater footprint in the inner fjord arms, the geochemical properties of which varied spatially and seaso…
Macroalgal responses to ocean acidification depend on nutrient and light levels
2015
Ocean acidification may benefit algae that are able to capitalize on increased carbon availability for photosynthesis, but it is expected to have adverse effects on calcified algae through dissolution. Shifts in dominance between primary producers will have knock-on effects on marine ecosystems and will likely vary regionally, depending on factors such as irradiance (light vs. shade) and nutrient levels (oligotrophic vs. eutrophic). Thus experiments are needed to evaluate interactive effects of combined stressors in the field. In this study, we investigated the physiological responses of macroalgae near a CO2 seep in oligotrophic waters off Vulcano (Italy). The algae were incubated in situ …
Greater mitochondrial energy production provides resistance to ocean acidification in "winning" hermatypic corals
2021
Coral communities around the world are projected to be negatively affected by ocean acidification. Not all coral species will respond in the same manner to rising CO2 levels. Evidence from naturally acidified areas such as CO2 seeps have shown that although a few species are resistant to elevated CO2, most lack sufficient resistance resulting in their decline. This has led to the simple grouping of coral species into “winners” and “losers,” but the physiological traits supporting this ecological assessment are yet to be fully understood. Here using CO2 seeps, in two biogeographically distinct regions, we investigated whether physiological traits related to energy production [mitochondrial e…
Description and phylogenetic relationships of a new species of treefrog of theOsteocephalus buckleyispecies group (Anura: Hylidae)
2020
The Osteocephalus buckleyi species group is widely distributed in primary and secondary forests of the Amazon Basin and Guiana Region. Based on integrative analysis, including morphological and genetic data, we estimate the phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries among populations of the Osteocephalus buckleyi group from the Ecuadorian Amazon, focusing on the O. verruciger-O. cannatellai species complex. Our results uncovered the existence of one confirmed candidate species from Sangay National Park and one unconfirmed candidate species. Here, we describe the new species which is morphologically and ecologically distinct from other Osteocephalus species. The new species is unusual…
Ontogenetic δ15N Trends and Multidecadal Variability in Shells of the Bivalve Mollusk, Arctica islandica
2021
Bulk stable nitrogen isotope values of the carbonate-bound organic matrix in bivalve shells (δ15NCBOM) are increasingly used to assess past food web dynamics, track anthropogenic nitrogen pollution and reconstruct hydrographic changes. However, it remains unresolved if the δ15NCBOM values are also affected by directed ontogenetic trends which can bias ecological and environmental interpretations. This very aspect is tested here with modern and fossil specimens of the long-lived ocean quahog, Arctica islandica, collected from different sites and water depths in the NE Atlantic Ocean. As demonstrated, δ15NCBOM values from the long chronologies show a general decrease through lifetime by −0.00…
La vegetazione del litorale di Manfria, presso Gela (Sicilia), area soggetta a vincolo archeologico.
2000
The results of a phytosociological investigation about a coastal area of S. Sicily, close to Gela, are presented. The coexistence of several lithological substrata, as well as the particular climatic conditions of this area, gives rise to a noteworthy floristic and vegetational biodiversity. As matter of fact, a set of N. African species are here localized, taking part to peculiar vegetation types, sometimes exclusive of this sicilian coast-stretch. The observed plant communities are represented by psammophilous associations of Cakiletea maritimae, Ammophiletea and Malcolmietalia, salt-marsh vegetation of Sarcocornietea and Phragmito-Magnocericetea, halophilous rupicolous shrublands of Crit…
Data from: The interplay of landscape composition and configuration: new pathways to manage functional biodiversity and agro-ecosystem services acros…
2019
[Usage Notes] Martin et al_2019_datatables Data used in Martin et al. (2019) compiled from 49 studies and 1,515 landscapes across Europe. Includes data on the abundance of arthropod species per site and data on pollination, natural pest control and yields in crops across Europe. Martin et al_2019_data tables_300319.xlsx Martin et al_2019_traits database Functional traits data for 2088 species (morphospecies, individuals) from 144 arthropod families sampled in agricultural landscapes across Europe. All traits are categorical and based on published literature or expert knowledge. They are described in Table 1 and Appendix S1 of Martin et al. (2019). The traits included are: feeding habit ('Fu…
Chimpanzees surviving in a fragmented high‐altitude forest landscape of the Congolese Albertine Rift
2021
This paper documents a community of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii Giglioli, 1872) inhabiting three relict forest fragments situated on the Lake Albert escarpment, down the Ituri highlands, of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The area explored had a combined forested surface of ±18.15 km2 in 2017, shrinking by 1.2% per year between 2010 and 2015. Between 2015 and 2017, we found 160 chimpanzee nests along 37.6 km of pilot walks, some up to 2,000 m altitude. Another 123 nests logged along 6.7 km transects led to an estimate of chimpanzee density of 4.62 weaned individuals per square kilometer of forest habitat. Camera‐trap images and direct observations rev…
Verifying the predicted risk of extinction based on ecological characteristics
2021
Red List status of species should reflect species extinction risk. Because data are limited and species response has a time lag, species may be threatened by extinction even if they are not Red‐Listed. The ability to predict species risk of extinction from ecological characteristics holds promises for proactively targeting conservation measures to species at high risk. In 2005, the risk of extinction from ecological characteristics was predicted for 81 species of Finnish butterflies. Now, after 15 years and two additional national Red List assessments, these predictions are verified. Species with a higher risk of extinction according to the original ecological extinction risk rank (EERR) ha…
Long-Term Data Reveal the Associations of the Egg Quality With Abiotic Factors and Female Traits in the Baltic Herring Under Variable Environmental C…
2021
In fish, the lipid resources of the female form a link between the environment and progeny, contributing to the contents of the egg yolk. Variation of the environmental conditions is therefore expected to affect the egg quality via maternal pathways, reflecting the female’s response to the environmental factors before spawning. We investigated the content of lipids and thyroid hormones in the ovary and eggs of the Baltic herring during 1988–2019, when salinity of the Baltic Sea first declined and then stabilized to a lower level, and winters varied between severe and mild. The total lipid resources of spawning females decreased by 40–50% during the study, and the ovarian lipid concentration…