Background The effects of war on biodiversity,habitats,ecosystem services,and water,seafood,and fishing resources are complex and long-lasting,yet their ongoing environmental analyses are limited.The Russia–Ukraine W...Background The effects of war on biodiversity,habitats,ecosystem services,and water,seafood,and fishing resources are complex and long-lasting,yet their ongoing environmental analyses are limited.The Russia–Ukraine War(2022–present)comprises a unique ecological situation to examine biodiversity effects on the distinctive cold-temperate northern Black Sea ecosystem,which has an intriguing biogeographic history and high endemism resulting from geographic isolation and differentiation.Results We summarize negative and positive effects from the War on the aquatic(marine,estuarine,and freshwater)biota and their habitats,focusing on investigations by the Institute of Marine Biology,National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.Negative effects include toxins and habitat damage from oil spills,shelling,mining,explosions,flooding,and fires;along with disregard of Protected Areas.Positive effects are reduced anthropogenic loads from less shipping,fishing,trawling,recreation,hydraulic engineering,construction,and tourism.The Kakhovka Dam's destruction on June 6,2023 was the greatest ecological catastrophe to date,causing extensive downstream flooding with freshwaters and pollutants that destroyed many populations and habitats.We discern that many effects have been temporary,with habitats and species replenishing,and some reverting to their historical biota characteristic of lower salinity regimes.However,significant habitat destruction,disturbances,and pollutant damages remain.Since many of the native species evolved in conditions favoring broad salinity,temperature,and oxygen tolerances,the northern Black Sea ecosystem appears pre-adapted for ecological recovery and persistence,which may equate to ecological resilience during and after the War.Conclusions The native biota exhibits long-term adaptiveness to marked salinity and temperature fluctuations,alongside a background of invasive species.An evolutionary and recent history of broad environmental tolerances by a large proportion of Black Sea species may enhance their ability to withstand marked environmental changes,including habitat destruction,as during the Kakhovka Dam's breakage and other stressors that continue during the Russia–Ukraine War.The Black Sea community's overall ecological resilience is likely to facilitate persistence and adaptation to the War's effects and the accelerating impacts of climate change,increased global transportation,and invasive species—meriting worldwide conservation agency focus and cooperation.展开更多
The phylogeny of European crayfish fauna,especially with respect to Eastern European species,is still far from being completely resolved.To fill this gap,we analyzed most of the European crayfish species focusing on t...The phylogeny of European crayfish fauna,especially with respect to Eastern European species,is still far from being completely resolved.To fill this gap,we analyzed most of the European crayfish species focusing on the phylogenetic position of the endemic crayfish Astacus colchicus,inhabiting Georgia.Three mitochondrial and one nuclear marker were used to study evolutionary relationships among European crayfish species,resulting in the unique phylogenetic position of A.colchicus indicating independent species status to A.astacus.Phylogenetic analyses revealed a deep molecular divergence of A.colchicus in comparison to A.astacus(6.5–10.9%in mtDNA and 1.1%in nDNA)as well as to Pontastacus leptodactylus and P.pachypus(5.5–10.0%in mtDNA and 1.4–2.4%in nDNA).Absent ventral process on second male pleopod and abdominal somites II and III with pleura rounded lacking prominent spines clearly indicate taxonomic assignment to the genus Astacus;however,the species is distributed almost in the middle of Ponto-Caspian area typical by occurrence of the genus Pontastacus.Several morphological indices linked to head length,carapace,and total body length and width were found to demonstrate apparent differences between A.colchicus and A.astacus.Although this study provides a novel insight into European crayfish phylogeography,we also point out the gaps in comprehensive study of the P.leptodactylus species complex,which could reveal details about the potential species status of particular species and subspecies within this genus.展开更多
文摘Background The effects of war on biodiversity,habitats,ecosystem services,and water,seafood,and fishing resources are complex and long-lasting,yet their ongoing environmental analyses are limited.The Russia–Ukraine War(2022–present)comprises a unique ecological situation to examine biodiversity effects on the distinctive cold-temperate northern Black Sea ecosystem,which has an intriguing biogeographic history and high endemism resulting from geographic isolation and differentiation.Results We summarize negative and positive effects from the War on the aquatic(marine,estuarine,and freshwater)biota and their habitats,focusing on investigations by the Institute of Marine Biology,National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.Negative effects include toxins and habitat damage from oil spills,shelling,mining,explosions,flooding,and fires;along with disregard of Protected Areas.Positive effects are reduced anthropogenic loads from less shipping,fishing,trawling,recreation,hydraulic engineering,construction,and tourism.The Kakhovka Dam's destruction on June 6,2023 was the greatest ecological catastrophe to date,causing extensive downstream flooding with freshwaters and pollutants that destroyed many populations and habitats.We discern that many effects have been temporary,with habitats and species replenishing,and some reverting to their historical biota characteristic of lower salinity regimes.However,significant habitat destruction,disturbances,and pollutant damages remain.Since many of the native species evolved in conditions favoring broad salinity,temperature,and oxygen tolerances,the northern Black Sea ecosystem appears pre-adapted for ecological recovery and persistence,which may equate to ecological resilience during and after the War.Conclusions The native biota exhibits long-term adaptiveness to marked salinity and temperature fluctuations,alongside a background of invasive species.An evolutionary and recent history of broad environmental tolerances by a large proportion of Black Sea species may enhance their ability to withstand marked environmental changes,including habitat destruction,as during the Kakhovka Dam's breakage and other stressors that continue during the Russia–Ukraine War.The Black Sea community's overall ecological resilience is likely to facilitate persistence and adaptation to the War's effects and the accelerating impacts of climate change,increased global transportation,and invasive species—meriting worldwide conservation agency focus and cooperation.
基金The study was financially supported by the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic(projects CENAKVA II–LO1205 under the NPU I program)。
文摘The phylogeny of European crayfish fauna,especially with respect to Eastern European species,is still far from being completely resolved.To fill this gap,we analyzed most of the European crayfish species focusing on the phylogenetic position of the endemic crayfish Astacus colchicus,inhabiting Georgia.Three mitochondrial and one nuclear marker were used to study evolutionary relationships among European crayfish species,resulting in the unique phylogenetic position of A.colchicus indicating independent species status to A.astacus.Phylogenetic analyses revealed a deep molecular divergence of A.colchicus in comparison to A.astacus(6.5–10.9%in mtDNA and 1.1%in nDNA)as well as to Pontastacus leptodactylus and P.pachypus(5.5–10.0%in mtDNA and 1.4–2.4%in nDNA).Absent ventral process on second male pleopod and abdominal somites II and III with pleura rounded lacking prominent spines clearly indicate taxonomic assignment to the genus Astacus;however,the species is distributed almost in the middle of Ponto-Caspian area typical by occurrence of the genus Pontastacus.Several morphological indices linked to head length,carapace,and total body length and width were found to demonstrate apparent differences between A.colchicus and A.astacus.Although this study provides a novel insight into European crayfish phylogeography,we also point out the gaps in comprehensive study of the P.leptodactylus species complex,which could reveal details about the potential species status of particular species and subspecies within this genus.
