Microplastic has become a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Microplastic in the oceans has detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. The presence of microplastic in marine fish heightens the chance of finding microp...Microplastic has become a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Microplastic in the oceans has detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. The presence of microplastic in marine fish heightens the chance of finding microplastic in seafood targeted for human consumption. The Mediterranean Sea is known to suffer from significant plastic pollution. It is also one of the most thoroughly studied water bodies in regard to microplastic contamination. The manuscript reviews the available literature of 2015-2021 on the presence of microplastic in commercially important fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. The literature data on microplastic content on beaches, in subtidal sediment, in the sediment from the ocean floor and in surface water of different regions of the Mediterranean Sea is reviewed, also.展开更多
The reproductive biology of a natural population of Idotea balthica basteri (Pallas, 1772) collected from Menzel Jemil (Bizerte lagoon, Tunisia) was monthly studied from October 2009 to October 2010. Besides water tem...The reproductive biology of a natural population of Idotea balthica basteri (Pallas, 1772) collected from Menzel Jemil (Bizerte lagoon, Tunisia) was monthly studied from October 2009 to October 2010. Besides water temperature, salinity, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured. Based on the state of differentiation of individuals, the population was divided into 8 categories. Their numbers depend on the one hand to intrinsic factors imposed by the specimens and the structure of the population themselves, and to extrinsic factors due to the variability of environmental conditions on the other hand. Females were morphologically recognisable at smaller size than males. Reproductive activity, which was reflected through the presence of ovigerous females and juveniles, underwent fluctuations throughout the year, but it was continuous. Moreover, salinity, temperature, nitrates, and plant biomass have a noticeable effect on the fecundity and fertility. The Principal Component Analysis also confirmed that the richness of the water in nitrates would be favorable to fecundity and fertility of Idotea balthica basteri. However, higher phosphate concentrations, in April and May seem to have a positive effect on the sex ratio. Otherwise, the temperature would be responsible for increasing the percentage of ovigerous females.展开更多
Fires have historically played a natural role in shaping ecosystems,contributing to biodiversity and ecological renewal.However,in the Anthropocene,the interplay of climate change and human activities has exacerbated ...Fires have historically played a natural role in shaping ecosystems,contributing to biodiversity and ecological renewal.However,in the Anthropocene,the interplay of climate change and human activities has exacerbated fire frequency and intensity,with cascading impacts on soil health,biodiversity,and ecosystem resilience.This study highlights the complex effects of fire on soil ecosystems,particularly in Mediterranean environments,by analysing the aftermath of the 2021 wildfire in Aspromonte National Park.The results of this research reveal the multifaceted impact of fire on soil composition and biological activity.Burned areas exhibited altered microbial communities,characterized by a higher biomass of bacteria and actinomycetes but reduced fungal presence,aligning with findings that fungi are more sensitive to heat than other microorganisms,particularly under moist conditions.Changes in enzyme activity,such as decreased oxidoreductase and hydrolase activities but elevated catalase activity,suggest significant metabolic adjustments among surviving microbial strains.Additionally,increased potassium,magnesium,sulphates,and total phenols in burned areas point to shifts in nutrient dynamics driven by the combustion of organic matter.Fire also impacted microarthropod communities but the rapid recovery of microarthropod communities that has been recognized by numerous authors suggests that fire may not universally impair soil biodiversity in Mediterranean environments.The transition zone played a critical intermediate role,retaining a higher organic matter content than the unburned zone,suggesting its potential as a buffer or recovery zone in post-fire dynamics.Microarthropod communities,while initially affected,demonstrated resilience in line with previous research,indicating that Mediterranean soils might possess adaptive mechanisms to recover from low-to moderate-severity wildfires.Importantly,the incorporation of ashes and partially burned organic material in such fires may lead to enhanced soil fertility,fostering bacterial and actinomycetes proliferation and facilitating ecosystem recovery.展开更多
全球环境治理是国际关系中的一个新领域,全球环境问题对国际合作的实践和传统的国际关系理论都带来了挑战。而Peter M. Haas所发展的"认知共同体"理论,为理解国际环境合作提供了新的视角。"认知共同体"理论认为对...全球环境治理是国际关系中的一个新领域,全球环境问题对国际合作的实践和传统的国际关系理论都带来了挑战。而Peter M. Haas所发展的"认知共同体"理论,为理解国际环境合作提供了新的视角。"认知共同体"理论认为对特定环境议题持有共同理念的跨国科学家联盟有助于帮助决策者进行议题界定、厘清国家利益以及提供政策选择,从而有效地促进国际环境合作。展开更多
Background: The loss of traditional agropastoral systems, with the consequent reduction of foraging habitats and prey availability, is one of the main causes for the fast decline of Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni). To...Background: The loss of traditional agropastoral systems, with the consequent reduction of foraging habitats and prey availability, is one of the main causes for the fast decline of Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni). To promote the conservation of the Lesser Kestrel and their habitats, here we studied the foraging activities patterns of this species during the breeding season. Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, we captured and tagged 24 individuals with GPS dataloggers of two colonies in Villena (eastern Spain) with the goals of estimating the home range sizes of males and females, evaluating the differences in spatial ecology between two colonies located in different environments: natural and beside a thermosolar power plant, and investigating habitat selection. Results: Considering the distances before July 15, date until which it can be assured that the chicks remain in the nest in our colonies, there were significant differences with the distances to the nest in relation to the colony of the individuals: Lesser Kestrels from the thermosolar power plant colony had a greater average distance. The average size of home range areas was 13.37 km2 according to 95% kernel, and there were also significant differences in relation to colony: the individuals from the thermosolar power plant colony used a larger area (22.03 ± 4.07 km^2) than those from the other colony (9.66 ± 7.68 km^2). Birds showed preference for non-irrigated arable lands and pastures. Conclusions: Despite the differences between the two colonies, the home ranges of both are smaller or similar to those observed in other European colonies. This suggests that Lesser Kestrels continue to have adequate habitats and a good availability of prey. Therefore, the extension and proximity of the plant does not imply a great alteration, which highlights the importance of maintaining the rest of the territory in good conditions to minimize the impact.展开更多
Aims Studying plant ecological succession provides insights into the spatiotemporal processes underlying community assembly and is of primary importance for restoration ecology.We investigate here colonization events ...Aims Studying plant ecological succession provides insights into the spatiotemporal processes underlying community assembly and is of primary importance for restoration ecology.We investigate here colonization events and local community assembly over an original primary succession occurring on roadcuts after roadwork.For this,we addressed both the changes in species presence–absence(incidence data)to highlight pre-establishment filters and in species relative abundances to further assess the influence of local biotic processes.Methods We studied 43 limestone roadcuts in Mediterranean France,covering five age classes up to an age of 80 years,along with 13 natural cliffs as a reference,and we counted 14322 plant individuals on these sites.We applied a constrained nonsymmetric correspondence analysis of both the incidence(presence–absence)and abundance data to assess the variation of these data along the chronosequence.Important Findings Along the first 30 years,the initially abundant short-lived species declined both in terms of incidence and abundance and were replaced by longer lived herbaceous and woody species.This first phase was characterized by species that are widespread in the surrounding scrublands and was comparable to an early secondary succession there.After 30 years,there were continuing changes in incidence data with age,but no more significant change in species’abundances.This second phase was marked by the late colonization of specialists that did not become dominant.Although colonization and establishment limitation was thereby apparent for specialist species,a slow convergence of community composition toward the situation of natural cliffs could be detected in the older stages of the chronosequence.These findings convey insights into the natural dynamics of man-made outcrop plant communities and may be useful for the ecological management and restoration of such contexts.It also illustrates the interest of comparing incidence and abundance data to investigate the relative influence of ecological determinants on the assembly of plant communities.展开更多
Aims Dispersal through space or time via dormancy is one of the primary processes whereby organisms can influence the environment they experience.In plants,strong evolutionary correlations are expected between the two...Aims Dispersal through space or time via dormancy is one of the primary processes whereby organisms can influence the environment they experience.In plants,strong evolutionary correlations are expected between the two kinds of dispersal because both are performed by the seeds and play comparable adaptive roles.In this paper,we investigated these evolutionary correlations using amphicarpic plants,which simultaneously produce aerial seeds with high spatial dispersal propensity and subterranean seeds that do not disperse.Methods We investigated the variation in dormancy and germination in aerial and subterranean seeds of two amphicarpic legumes(Vicia amphicarpa L.and Lathyrus amphicarpos L.)and two closely related homocarpic taxa(Vicia sativa L.and Lathyrus cicera L.)by estimating germination percentages following different combinations of dormancy breaking treatments(i.e.dry after-ripening,cold stratification and physical scarification).Important Findings Our results showed complex interactions between spatial and temporal dispersal.Right after dispersal,aerial seeds were more dormant than their subterranean counterparts,but this trend reversed with after-ripening,as seeds developed physical dormancy.Seeds of homocarpic plants germinated at higher percentages than those of their amphicarpic congeners and lost dormancy homogeneously with after-ripening.Conversely,amphicarpic seeds exhibited varied dormancy strategies modulated by both physiological and physical dormancy.These are expected to increase variation in emergence timing,providing multiple levels of diversifying bet-hedging.This strategy might be adaptive under highly unpredictable conditions by enabling plants to rely on historically favorable sites in good seasons without preventing spatial and temporal migration.展开更多
The red palm weevil（RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus） is spreading worldwide and severely harming many palm species. However, most studies on RPW focused on insect biology, and little information is available about th...The red palm weevil（RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus） is spreading worldwide and severely harming many palm species. However, most studies on RPW focused on insect biology, and little information is available about the plant response to the attack. In the present experiment, we used metabolomics to study the alteration of the leaf metabolome of Phoenix canariensis at initial（1^（st） stage） or advanced（2^（nd） stage）attack by RPW compared with healthy（unattacked） plants.The leaf metabolome significantly varied among treatments. At the 1^（st） stage of attack, plants showed a reprogramming of carbohydrate and organic acid metabolism; in contrast, peptides and lipid metabolic pathways underwent more changes during the 2^（nd） than 1^（st） stage of attack. Enrichment metabolomics analysis indicated that RPW attack mostly affected a particular group of compounds rather than rearranging plant metabolic pathways. Some compounds selectively affected during the 1^（st） rather than 2^（nd） stage（e.g. phenylalanine; tryptophan; cellobiose;xylose; quinate; xylonite; idonate; and iso-threonate; cellobiotol and arbutine） are upstream events in the phenylpropanoid,terpenoid and alkaloid biosynthesis. These compounds could be designated as potential markers of initial RPW attack. However,further investigation is needed to determine efficient early screening methods of RPW attack based on the concentrations of these molecules.展开更多
Recent research has challenged the idea that cervid antlers are such costly traits,supporting the assertion early-life antler investment is an honest signal of adult phenotypic quality.However,inferences were made bas...Recent research has challenged the idea that cervid antlers are such costly traits,supporting the assertion early-life antler investment is an honest signal of adult phenotypic quality.However,inferences were made based on antler measurements while growing(velvet)and thus,studies on fully-formed clean antlers are needed to avoid possible bias caused by the inter-individual variation in antler growth phenology.We studied a semi-captive population of European roe deer inhabiting a sub-Mediterranean area(Valsemana research station)and living under optimal conditions(ad libitum food supply and veterinary care).Based on repeated measurements taken from 146 individuals,we assessed whether allocation to secondary sexual traits during early life affected body mass or antler development during adulthood.Furthermore,we evaluated which body measurements better predicted future male quality.Additionally,using 488 individuals,we described age-class-specific variation in male body measurements and assessed the decline in antler size between adult and senescent stages(i.e.magnitude of senescence).Results agree with the assertion that there is no negative effect of a high investment in antler during early life on adult antler size or body mass,but we suggest the use of clean antlers as a more robust and reliable measure.The variables that better predicted body mass during adulthood were yearling body mass and body size at 6 months.Antler score between 10 and 18 months resulted in the best indicator of adult antler size.Finally,we support the idea that the magnitude of senescence in antler size is smaller in environments with higher resource availability during winter.展开更多
文摘Microplastic has become a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Microplastic in the oceans has detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. The presence of microplastic in marine fish heightens the chance of finding microplastic in seafood targeted for human consumption. The Mediterranean Sea is known to suffer from significant plastic pollution. It is also one of the most thoroughly studied water bodies in regard to microplastic contamination. The manuscript reviews the available literature of 2015-2021 on the presence of microplastic in commercially important fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. The literature data on microplastic content on beaches, in subtidal sediment, in the sediment from the ocean floor and in surface water of different regions of the Mediterranean Sea is reviewed, also.
文摘The reproductive biology of a natural population of Idotea balthica basteri (Pallas, 1772) collected from Menzel Jemil (Bizerte lagoon, Tunisia) was monthly studied from October 2009 to October 2010. Besides water temperature, salinity, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured. Based on the state of differentiation of individuals, the population was divided into 8 categories. Their numbers depend on the one hand to intrinsic factors imposed by the specimens and the structure of the population themselves, and to extrinsic factors due to the variability of environmental conditions on the other hand. Females were morphologically recognisable at smaller size than males. Reproductive activity, which was reflected through the presence of ovigerous females and juveniles, underwent fluctuations throughout the year, but it was continuous. Moreover, salinity, temperature, nitrates, and plant biomass have a noticeable effect on the fecundity and fertility. The Principal Component Analysis also confirmed that the richness of the water in nitrates would be favorable to fecundity and fertility of Idotea balthica basteri. However, higher phosphate concentrations, in April and May seem to have a positive effect on the sex ratio. Otherwise, the temperature would be responsible for increasing the percentage of ovigerous females.
基金funding provided by Universitàdegli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria within the CRUI-CARE Agreementfunded by Calabrian Region,grant number DDL n°16315657 del 13-12-2022,POR CALABRIA FESR-FSE 2014-2020 ASSE I-PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA 658 E DELL’INNOVAZIONE.
文摘Fires have historically played a natural role in shaping ecosystems,contributing to biodiversity and ecological renewal.However,in the Anthropocene,the interplay of climate change and human activities has exacerbated fire frequency and intensity,with cascading impacts on soil health,biodiversity,and ecosystem resilience.This study highlights the complex effects of fire on soil ecosystems,particularly in Mediterranean environments,by analysing the aftermath of the 2021 wildfire in Aspromonte National Park.The results of this research reveal the multifaceted impact of fire on soil composition and biological activity.Burned areas exhibited altered microbial communities,characterized by a higher biomass of bacteria and actinomycetes but reduced fungal presence,aligning with findings that fungi are more sensitive to heat than other microorganisms,particularly under moist conditions.Changes in enzyme activity,such as decreased oxidoreductase and hydrolase activities but elevated catalase activity,suggest significant metabolic adjustments among surviving microbial strains.Additionally,increased potassium,magnesium,sulphates,and total phenols in burned areas point to shifts in nutrient dynamics driven by the combustion of organic matter.Fire also impacted microarthropod communities but the rapid recovery of microarthropod communities that has been recognized by numerous authors suggests that fire may not universally impair soil biodiversity in Mediterranean environments.The transition zone played a critical intermediate role,retaining a higher organic matter content than the unburned zone,suggesting its potential as a buffer or recovery zone in post-fire dynamics.Microarthropod communities,while initially affected,demonstrated resilience in line with previous research,indicating that Mediterranean soils might possess adaptive mechanisms to recover from low-to moderate-severity wildfires.Importantly,the incorporation of ashes and partially burned organic material in such fires may lead to enhanced soil fertility,fostering bacterial and actinomycetes proliferation and facilitating ecosystem recovery.
文摘全球环境治理是国际关系中的一个新领域,全球环境问题对国际合作的实践和传统的国际关系理论都带来了挑战。而Peter M. Haas所发展的"认知共同体"理论,为理解国际环境合作提供了新的视角。"认知共同体"理论认为对特定环境议题持有共同理念的跨国科学家联盟有助于帮助决策者进行议题界定、厘清国家利益以及提供政策选择,从而有效地促进国际环境合作。
基金Funding for the project on studying the spatial ecology of Lesser Kestrel was provided by Enerstar S.A.(http://www.eners tar.es)JV is supported by a FPU grant of Spanish Ministry of Education(reference FPU014/04671)
文摘Background: The loss of traditional agropastoral systems, with the consequent reduction of foraging habitats and prey availability, is one of the main causes for the fast decline of Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni). To promote the conservation of the Lesser Kestrel and their habitats, here we studied the foraging activities patterns of this species during the breeding season. Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, we captured and tagged 24 individuals with GPS dataloggers of two colonies in Villena (eastern Spain) with the goals of estimating the home range sizes of males and females, evaluating the differences in spatial ecology between two colonies located in different environments: natural and beside a thermosolar power plant, and investigating habitat selection. Results: Considering the distances before July 15, date until which it can be assured that the chicks remain in the nest in our colonies, there were significant differences with the distances to the nest in relation to the colony of the individuals: Lesser Kestrels from the thermosolar power plant colony had a greater average distance. The average size of home range areas was 13.37 km2 according to 95% kernel, and there were also significant differences in relation to colony: the individuals from the thermosolar power plant colony used a larger area (22.03 ± 4.07 km^2) than those from the other colony (9.66 ± 7.68 km^2). Birds showed preference for non-irrigated arable lands and pastures. Conclusions: Despite the differences between the two colonies, the home ranges of both are smaller or similar to those observed in other European colonies. This suggests that Lesser Kestrels continue to have adequate habitats and a good availability of prey. Therefore, the extension and proximity of the plant does not imply a great alteration, which highlights the importance of maintaining the rest of the territory in good conditions to minimize the impact.
文摘Aims Studying plant ecological succession provides insights into the spatiotemporal processes underlying community assembly and is of primary importance for restoration ecology.We investigate here colonization events and local community assembly over an original primary succession occurring on roadcuts after roadwork.For this,we addressed both the changes in species presence–absence(incidence data)to highlight pre-establishment filters and in species relative abundances to further assess the influence of local biotic processes.Methods We studied 43 limestone roadcuts in Mediterranean France,covering five age classes up to an age of 80 years,along with 13 natural cliffs as a reference,and we counted 14322 plant individuals on these sites.We applied a constrained nonsymmetric correspondence analysis of both the incidence(presence–absence)and abundance data to assess the variation of these data along the chronosequence.Important Findings Along the first 30 years,the initially abundant short-lived species declined both in terms of incidence and abundance and were replaced by longer lived herbaceous and woody species.This first phase was characterized by species that are widespread in the surrounding scrublands and was comparable to an early secondary succession there.After 30 years,there were continuing changes in incidence data with age,but no more significant change in species’abundances.This second phase was marked by the late colonization of specialists that did not become dominant.Although colonization and establishment limitation was thereby apparent for specialist species,a slow convergence of community composition toward the situation of natural cliffs could be detected in the older stages of the chronosequence.These findings convey insights into the natural dynamics of man-made outcrop plant communities and may be useful for the ecological management and restoration of such contexts.It also illustrates the interest of comparing incidence and abundance data to investigate the relative influence of ecological determinants on the assembly of plant communities.
基金This research was supported by the Spanish Ministries of Science,Innovation and Universities(FPU grant FPU17/00629 awarded to R.S.M.)and of Economy and Competitiveness(grant CGL2016-79950-R)including FEDER fundsby the Junta de Andalucfa/FP7 Talentia program.
文摘Aims Dispersal through space or time via dormancy is one of the primary processes whereby organisms can influence the environment they experience.In plants,strong evolutionary correlations are expected between the two kinds of dispersal because both are performed by the seeds and play comparable adaptive roles.In this paper,we investigated these evolutionary correlations using amphicarpic plants,which simultaneously produce aerial seeds with high spatial dispersal propensity and subterranean seeds that do not disperse.Methods We investigated the variation in dormancy and germination in aerial and subterranean seeds of two amphicarpic legumes(Vicia amphicarpa L.and Lathyrus amphicarpos L.)and two closely related homocarpic taxa(Vicia sativa L.and Lathyrus cicera L.)by estimating germination percentages following different combinations of dormancy breaking treatments(i.e.dry after-ripening,cold stratification and physical scarification).Important Findings Our results showed complex interactions between spatial and temporal dispersal.Right after dispersal,aerial seeds were more dormant than their subterranean counterparts,but this trend reversed with after-ripening,as seeds developed physical dormancy.Seeds of homocarpic plants germinated at higher percentages than those of their amphicarpic congeners and lost dormancy homogeneously with after-ripening.Conversely,amphicarpic seeds exhibited varied dormancy strategies modulated by both physiological and physical dormancy.These are expected to increase variation in emergence timing,providing multiple levels of diversifying bet-hedging.This strategy might be adaptive under highly unpredictable conditions by enabling plants to rely on historically favorable sites in good seasons without preventing spatial and temporal migration.
基金funded by the Project PROPALMA(D.M.25618/7301/11)by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural,Food and Forestry Policies(Mi PAAF)
文摘The red palm weevil（RPW; Rhynchophorus ferrugineus） is spreading worldwide and severely harming many palm species. However, most studies on RPW focused on insect biology, and little information is available about the plant response to the attack. In the present experiment, we used metabolomics to study the alteration of the leaf metabolome of Phoenix canariensis at initial（1^（st） stage） or advanced（2^（nd） stage）attack by RPW compared with healthy（unattacked） plants.The leaf metabolome significantly varied among treatments. At the 1^（st） stage of attack, plants showed a reprogramming of carbohydrate and organic acid metabolism; in contrast, peptides and lipid metabolic pathways underwent more changes during the 2^（nd） than 1^（st） stage of attack. Enrichment metabolomics analysis indicated that RPW attack mostly affected a particular group of compounds rather than rearranging plant metabolic pathways. Some compounds selectively affected during the 1^（st） rather than 2^（nd） stage（e.g. phenylalanine; tryptophan; cellobiose;xylose; quinate; xylonite; idonate; and iso-threonate; cellobiotol and arbutine） are upstream events in the phenylpropanoid,terpenoid and alkaloid biosynthesis. These compounds could be designated as potential markers of initial RPW attack. However,further investigation is needed to determine efficient early screening methods of RPW attack based on the concentrations of these molecules.
基金M.P.acknowledges the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Education(FPU fellowship FPU13/00567)This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science through the INCREMENTO coordinated project(RTI2018-094202-BC21 and RTI2018-094202-A-C22).
文摘Recent research has challenged the idea that cervid antlers are such costly traits,supporting the assertion early-life antler investment is an honest signal of adult phenotypic quality.However,inferences were made based on antler measurements while growing(velvet)and thus,studies on fully-formed clean antlers are needed to avoid possible bias caused by the inter-individual variation in antler growth phenology.We studied a semi-captive population of European roe deer inhabiting a sub-Mediterranean area(Valsemana research station)and living under optimal conditions(ad libitum food supply and veterinary care).Based on repeated measurements taken from 146 individuals,we assessed whether allocation to secondary sexual traits during early life affected body mass or antler development during adulthood.Furthermore,we evaluated which body measurements better predicted future male quality.Additionally,using 488 individuals,we described age-class-specific variation in male body measurements and assessed the decline in antler size between adult and senescent stages(i.e.magnitude of senescence).Results agree with the assertion that there is no negative effect of a high investment in antler during early life on adult antler size or body mass,but we suggest the use of clean antlers as a more robust and reliable measure.The variables that better predicted body mass during adulthood were yearling body mass and body size at 6 months.Antler score between 10 and 18 months resulted in the best indicator of adult antler size.Finally,we support the idea that the magnitude of senescence in antler size is smaller in environments with higher resource availability during winter.
