Disentangling the drivers of urban bird diversity in the non-breeding season: A general synthesis.

Current knowledge about the impacts of urbanisation on bird assemblages is based on evidence from studies partly or wholly undertaken in the breeding season. In comparison, the non-breeding season remains little studied, despite the fact that winter conditions at higher latitudes are changing more rapidly than other seasons. During the non-breeding season, cities may attract or retain bird species because they offer milder conditions or better feeding opportunities than surrounding habitats. However, the range of climatic, ecological and anthropogenic mechanisms shaping different facets of urban bird diversity in the non-breeding season are poorly understood. We explored these mechanisms using structural equation modelling to assess how urbanisation affects the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of avian assemblages sampled worldwide in the non-breeding season. We found that minimum temperature, elevation, urban area and city age played a critical role in determining taxonomic diversity while a range of factors-including productivity, precipitation, elevation, distance to coasts and rivers, socio-economic (as a proxy of human facilitation) and road density-each contributed to patterns of phylogenetic and functional diversity. The structure and function of urban bird assemblages appear to be predominantly shaped by temperature, productivity and city age, with effects of these factors differing across seasons. Our results underline the importance of considering multiple hypotheses, including seasonal effects, when evaluating the impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity.

Regional invasion history and land use shape the prevalence of non-native species in local assemblages.

The ecological impact of non-native species arises from their establishment in local assemblages. However, the rates of non-native spread in new regions and their determinants have not been comprehensively studied. Here, we combined global databases documenting the occurrence of non-native species and residence of non-native birds, mammals, and vascular plants at regional and local scales to describe how the likelihood of non-native occurrence and their proportion in local assemblages relate with their residence time and levels of human usage in different ecosystems. Our findings reveal that local non-native occurrence generally increases with residence time. Colonization is most rapid in croplands and urban areas, while it is slower and variable in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. Notably, non-native occurrence continues to rise even 200 years after introduction, especially for birds and vascular plants, and in other land-use types rather than croplands and urban areas. The impact of residence time on non-native proportions is significant only for mammals. We conclude that the continental exchange of biotas requires considerable time for effects to manifest at the local scale across taxa and land-use types. The unpredictability of future impacts, implied by the slow spread of non-native species, strengthens the call for stronger regulations on the exchange of non-native species to reduce the long-lasting invasion debt looming on ecosystems' future.

Climate-driven shifts in the diversity of plants in the Neotropical seasonally dry forest: Evaluating the effectiveness of protected areas.

Given the current environmental crisis, biodiversity protection is one of the most urgent socio-environmental priorities. However, the effectiveness of protected areas (PAs), the primary strategy for safeguarding ecosystems, is challenged by global climate change (GCC), with evidence showing that species are shifting their distributions into new areas, causing novel species assemblages. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate PAs' present and future effectiveness for biodiversity under the GCC. Here, we analyzed changes in the spatiotemporal patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity (PD) of plants associated with the Neotropical seasonally dry forest (NSDF) under GCC scenarios. We modeled the climatic niche of over 1000 plant species in five representative families (in terms of abundance, dominance, and endemism) of the NSDF. We predicted their potential distributions in the present and future years (2040, 2060, and 2080) based on an intermediate scenario of shared socio-economic pathways (SSP 3.70), allowing species to disperse to new sites or constrained to the current distribution. Then, we tested if the current PAs network represents the taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities. Our results suggest that GCC could promote novel species assemblages with local responses (communities' modifications) across the biome. In general, models predicted losses in the taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities of all the five plant families analyzed across the distribution of the NSDF. However, in the northern floristic groups (i.e., Antilles and Mesoamerica) of the NSDF, taxonomic and PD will be stable in GCC projections. In contrast, across the NSDF in South America, some cores will lose diversity while others will gain diversity under GCC scenarios. PAs in some NSDF regions appeared insufficient to protect the NSDF diversity. Thus, there is an urgent need to assess how the PA system could be better reconfigured to warrant the protection of the NSDF.

Dada la actual crisis ambiental, la protección de la biodiversidad se presenta como una de las prioridades socio ambientales más urgentes. Sin embargo, la efectividad de las áreas protegidas (AP), la estrategia principal para salvaguardar los ecosistemas, se ve desafiada por el cambio climático global (CCG), con evidencia que muestra que las especies están desplazando sus distribuciones hacia nuevas áreas, provocando conjuntos de especies novedosos. Por lo tanto, es necesario evaluar la efectividad actual y futura de las AP para la biodiversidad bajo el CCG. En este contexto, analizamos cambios en los patrones espacio­temporales de diversidad taxonómica y filogenética de plantas asociadas al bosque estacionalmente seco neotropical (BES) bajo escenarios de CCG. Modelamos el nicho climático de más de 1,000 especies de plantas en cinco familias representativas (en términos de abundancia, dominancia y endemismo) del BES. Pronosticamos sus distribuciones potenciales en los años actuales y futuros (2040, 2060 y 2080) basándonos en un escenario intermedio de trayectorias socioeconómicas compartidas (SSP 3.70), permitiendo que las especies se dispersen a nuevos sitios o estén limitadas a la distribución actual. Luego, evaluamos si la red actual de AP representa las diversidades taxonómicas y filogenéticas. Nuestros resultados sugieren que el CCG podría promover conjuntos de especies novedosos con respuestas locales (modificaciones en las comunidades) en todo el bioma. En general, los modelos pronosticaron pérdidas en las diversidades taxonómicas y filogenéticas de las cinco familias de plantas analizadas en la distribución del BES. Sin embargo, en los grupos florísticos del norte (es decir, Antillas y Mesoamérica) del BSDN, la diversidad taxonómica y filogenética se mantendrá estable en las proyecciones de CCG. En cambio, en toda la región del BES en América del Sur, algunos núcleos perderán diversidad mientras que otros ganarán diversidad bajo escenarios de CCG. Algunas AP en regiones del BES parecen ser insuficientes para proteger la diversidad del bioma. Por lo tanto, es urgente evaluar cómo se podría reconfigurar mejor el sistema de AP para garantizar la protección del BES.

Fishers' ecological knowledge points to fishing-induced changes in the Peruvian Amazon.

Scientists increasingly draw on fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) to gain a better understanding of fish biology and ecology, and inform options for fisheries management. We report on a study of FEK among fishers along the Lower Ucayali River in Peru, a region of exceptional productivity and diversity, which is also a major supplier of fish to the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon. Given a lack of available scientific information on stock status, we sought to identify temporal changes in the composition and size of exploited species by interviewing fishers from 18 communities who vary in years of fishing experience since the mid-1950s. We develop four FEK-based indicators to assess changes in the fish assemblage and compare findings with landings data. We find an intensification of fishing gear deployed over time and spatiotemporal shifts in the fish assemblage and reported declines in species weight, which point to a fishing-down process with declines across multiple species. This finding is reflected in a shifting baseline among our participants, whereby younger generations of fishers have different expectations regarding the distribution and size of species. Our study points to the importance of spillover effects from the nearby Pacaya-Samira National Reserve and community initiatives to support the regional fishery. Reference to fishers' knowledge also suggests that species decline is likely underreported in aggregated landings data. Despite the dynamism and diversity of Amazonian floodplain fisheries, simple FEK-based indicators can provide useful information for understanding fishing-induced changes in the fish assemblage. Fishers hold valuable knowledge for fishery management and conservation initiatives in the region.

Drivers of flower visit and resource sharing between the honeybee and native bees in Neotropical coastal sand dunes.

The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is one of the most important pollinator species because it can gather resources from a vast variety of plant species, including both natives and introduced, across its geographical distribution. Although A. mellifera interacts with a large diversity of plants and shares resources with other pollinators, there are some plant species with which it interacts more frequently than others. Here, we evaluated the plant traits (i.e., plant length, abundance of bloomed individuals, number of open flowers, and stamen length) that would affect the honeybee visit frequencies to the flowers in a coastal environment in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, we evaluated which native bee species (and their body size) overlap floral resource with A. mellifera. We registered 998 plant-bee interactions between 35 plant species and 47 bee species. We observed that plant species with low height and with high abundances of bloomed individuals are positively related to a high frequency of visits by A. mellifera. Moreover, we found that A. mellifera tends to share a higher number of plant species with other bee species with a similar or smaller body size than with bigger species, which makes them a competitor for the resource with honeybees. Our results highlight that the impacts of A. mellifera on plants and native bees could be anticipated based on its individual's characteristics (i.e., plant height and abundance of bloomed individuals) and body size, respectively.

Colony-Based Electrochemistry Reveals Electron Conduction Mechanisms Mediated by Cytochromes and Flavins in Shewanella oneidensis.

Bacteria utilize electron conduction in their communities to drive their metabolism, which has led to the development of various environmental technologies, such as electrochemical microbial systems and anaerobic digestion. It is challenging to measure the conductivity among bacterial cells when they hardly form stable biofilms on electrodes. This makes it difficult to identify the biomolecules involved in electron conduction. In the present study, we aimed to identify c-type cytochromes involved in electron conduction in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and examine the molecular mechanisms. We established a colony-based bioelectronic system that quantifies bacterial electrical conductivity, without the need for biofilm formation on electrodes. This system enabled the quantification of the conductivity of gene deletion mutants that scarcely form biofilms on electrodes, demonstrating that c-type cytochromes, MtrC and OmcA, are involved in electron conduction. Furthermore, the use of colonies of gene deletion mutants demonstrated that flavins participate in electron conduction by binding to OmcA, providing insight into the electron conduction pathways at the molecular level. Furthermore, phenazine-based electron transfer in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and flavin-based electron transfer in Bacillus subtilis 3610 were confirmed, indicating that this colony-based system can be used for various bacteria, including weak electricigens.

Assemblage characterization of Giardia duodenalis in South Khorasan province, eastern Iran, using HRM real-time PCR method.

BACKGROUND: Giardia duodenalis is a common parasitic protozoan causing gastrointestinal illness in humans worldwide. The genetic diversity of G. duodenalis is reflected through the identification of different assemblages. In this study, we aimed to determine the assemblages of G. duodenalis in eastern Iran using nested-PCR and high-resolution melting (HRM) real-time PCR methods. METHODS: A total of 58 positive G. duodenalis, which were isolated from 1800 subjects, referred to medical center laboratories in South Khorasan province, eastern Iran, from April 2020 to March 2022, were included in this study. DNA was extracted and HRM real-time PCR was performed for assemblage characterization. RESULTS: HRM real-time PCR successfully characterized all samples. Accordingly, out of 58 positive samples, 53 (91.36%) and 5 (8.62%) were identified as assemblage A and B, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that HRM real-time PCR was able to characterize the assemblages of G. duodenalis. In addition, our results suggest high prevalence of assemblage A in eastern region of Iran.

Host ecology and biogeography drive parasite community composition in Atlantic killifishes.

Understanding the mechanisms of parasite community assembly can be confounded by phylogenetic distance among host species. Addressing this requires focusing on parasite communities within closely related taxa. Thus, we took a macroecological approach to examining parasite community structure within Killifish species in the genus Fundulus to disentangle the effects of host phylogeny and ecological variables. We constructed a database of parasite communities within Fundulus species from 15 published and unpublished surveys covering the Atlantic coast of the US and Canada. The database was expanded by sampling sites in underrepresented provinces and states, totaling 10 Fundulus species from 57 unique geographic sites. Univariate analysis of observed parasite species richness among Fundulus populations in the dataset found that latitude, climate type, and salinity were the dominant factors determining parasite species richness. Multivariate analysis found that host species and landscape type were the most important factors in determining the similarity of parasite assemblages. Unexpectedly, parasite species richness decreased in low latitudes, and host phylogenetic distance was not found to be a significant factor in the similarity of parasite communities. These results indicate that commonly reported large-scale drivers of parasite community structure, such as latitude and phylogeny, could have diminished significance at the host genus level relative to host ecology, biogeography, and local landscape factors.

Functional rarity and evenness are key facets of biodiversity to boost multifunctionality.

The functional traits of organisms within multispecies assemblages regulate biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning. Yet how traits should assemble to boost multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously (multifunctionality) remains poorly explored. In a multibiome litter experiment covering most of the global variation in leaf trait spectra, we showed that three dimensions of functional diversity (dispersion, rarity, and evenness) explained up to 66% of variations in multifunctionality, although the dominant species and their traits remained an important predictor. While high dispersion impeded multifunctionality, increasing the evenness among functionally dissimilar species was a key dimension to promote higher multifunctionality and to reduce the abundance of plant pathogens. Because too-dissimilar species could have negative effects on ecosystems, our results highlight the need for not only diverse but also functionally even assemblages to promote multifunctionality. The effect of functionally rare species strongly shifted from positive to negative depending on their trait differences with the dominant species. Simultaneously managing the dispersion, evenness, and rarity in multispecies assemblages could be used to design assemblages aimed at maximizing multifunctionality independently of the biome, the identity of dominant species, or the range of trait values considered. Functional evenness and rarity offer promise to improve the management of terrestrial ecosystems and to limit plant disease risks.

Caring through things at a distance: Intimacy and presence in teletherapy assemblages.

The COVID-19 crisis in the UK precipitated a sharp rise in the use of remote technologies to provide therapy during the lockdown. With mental health care services migrating to devices and video-conferencing platforms, nearly all forms of therapy had become 'teletherapy'. Drawing on interviews with UK-based practitioners, this paper explores how existing ideas of intimacy and presence are challenged when care is practiced at a distance. Against the background of concerns that remote technologies erode intimacy and degrade physical presence, the argument is made that presence, distance, intimacy and control are reconfigured within mediated therapy. Analysis of practitioners' experiences of teletherapy examines the material and expressive components of 'assemblages' characterised by their stable and fluid properties. Two assemblages are identified and discussed: emergency care assemblages and assemblages of intimacy, both of which are aligned with specific sectors of mental health care. Evidence that therapeutic encounters are constrained by technologies are considered alongside the material conditions and inequalities of vulnerable groups, while assemblages with relatively stable properties are generative of new ways of relating to clients online. These findings highlight the material and expressive components of human and nonhuman assemblages that create new kinds of affective relations in distanced care.

'Becoming restrained': Conceptualising restrictive practices in the care of people living with dementia in acute hospital settings.

The use of restrictive practices within health and social care has attracted policy and practice attention, predominantly focusing on children and young people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and autism. However, despite growing appreciation of the need to improve care quality for people living with dementia (PLWD), the potentially routine use of restrictive practices in their care has received little attention. PLWD are at significant risk of experiencing restrictive practices during unscheduled acute hospital admissions. In everyday routine hospital care of PLWD, concerns about subtle and less visible forms of restrictive practices and their impacts remain. This article draws on Deleuze's concepts of 'assemblage' and 'event' to conceptualise restrictive practices as institutional, interconnection social and political attitudes and organisational cultural practices. We argue that this approach illuminates the diverse ways restrictive practices are used, legitimatised and perpetuated in the care of PLWD. We examine restrictive practices in acute care contexts, understanding their use requires examining the wider socio-political, organisational cultures and professional practice contexts in which clinical practices occurs. Whereas 'events' and 'assemblages' have predominantly been used to examine embodied entanglements in diverse health contexts, examining restrictive practices as a structural assemblage extends the application of this theoretical framework.

Clinical Manifestations and Molecular Identification of Giardia duodenalis in Pediatric and Adolescent Cancer Patients in Southwestern Iran.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical and molecular characteristics of Giardia duodenalis (G. duodenalis) infection and identify potential risk factors in children and teenagers with malignancies in Shiraz, southwestern Iran. A total of 200 fresh fecal samples were collected from children and adolescents suffering from 32 different cancer types at Amir, Nemazee, and Saadi hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences between October 2021 and May 2022. Direct microscopy using saline and iodine wet mount was conducted, and all fecal samples were rechecked by SSU-PCR. Subsequently, a specific fragment of the tpi gene was amplified on all samples for prevalence, sequencing, and assemblage identification. Our study found a 4% (8/200) prevalence of G. duodenalis using microscopy and PCR. The molecular findings were consistent with the microscopic results. All eight positive samples with SSU-rRNA gene were also detected as positive with tpi gene and were correctly sequenced. Among the examined cancer patients, two assemblages were identified: A [sub-assemblage AI (2/8, 25%) and sub-assemblage AII (3/8, 37.5%)] and B [sub-assemblage BIV (3/8, 37.5%)]. Notably, patients were more vulnerable to G. duodenalis infection after receiving at least 8 treatment episodes (p < 0.05) and displaying gastrointestinal symptoms (p > 0.05). The demographic characteristics of cancer patients with G. duodenalis infection and the statistical conclusions were separately detailed. The small sample size and low prevalence rate in this study hindered precise epidemiological conclusions. Nonetheless, the results suggest that G. duodenalis infection among cancer patients in Shiraz city originates from humans, without any specific animal groups (C-H) involved.

The Impact of Cesarean Section Delivery on Intestinal Microbiota: Mechanisms, Consequences, and Perspectives-A Systematic Review.

The relationship between cesarean section (CS) delivery and intestinal microbiota is increasingly studied. CS-born infants display distinct gut microbial compositions due to the absence of maternal birth canal microorganisms. These alterations potentially link to long-term health implications like immune-related disorders and allergies. This correlation underscores the intricate connection between birth mode and the establishment of diverse intestinal microbiota. A systematic literature review was conducted on the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases by analyzing the articles and examining the intricate interactions between CS delivery and the infant's intestinal microbiota. The analysis, based on a wide-ranging selection of studies, elucidates the multifaceted dynamics involved in CS-associated shifts in the establishment of fetal microbiota. We also explore the potential ramifications of these microbial changes on neonatal health and development, providing a comprehensive overview for clinicians and researchers. By synthesizing current findings, this review contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between delivery mode and early microbial colonization, paving the way for informed clinical decisions and future investigations in the field of perinatal medicine.

Development of a macroinvertebrate-based biotic index to assess water quality of rivers in Niger State, North Central Ecoregion of Nigeria.

The increasing pollution of lotic ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria, poses a threat to water quality, public health and biodiversity. It is therefore essential to develop appropriate tools and methods for monitoring these rivers, particularly in heavily affected areas, where these water resources are vital to the surrounding communities that are heavily dependent on them. To fill this gap, we propose to develop a multimetric index based on macroinvertebrates for the assessment of ecological quality of rivers in Niger State (NSRBI). Eighty-eight metrics were evaluated through a step-by-step statistical process (namely, range test and stability, redundancy test and relationship with abiotic variables), in which metrics that did not meet the conditions were excluded. At the end of this process, only four metrics (%Hemiptera, Diptera richness, Pielou equitability and % of very large individuals (size > 40 mm)) fulfilling all criteria were included in the index. These metrics were then scored on a continuous scale and divided into four water quality classes: "very poor", "poor", "fair" and "good". Evaluation of the performance of the index on test sites showed a correspondence of 90% between index result and environmental-based classification. Therefore, the NSRBI could be a valuable tool for monitoring and assessing the ecological conditions of rivers in Niger State and the North Central Nigeria ecoregion predominantly in urban and agricultural landscapes.

Mutualistic interactions shape global spatial congruence and climatic niche evolution in Neotropical mimetic butterflies.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying species distributions and coexistence is both a priority and a challenge for biodiversity hotspots such as the Neotropics. Here, we highlight that Müllerian mimicry, where defended prey species display similar warning signals, is key to the maintenance of biodiversity in the c. 400 species of the Neotropical butterfly tribe Ithomiini (Nymphalidae: Danainae). We show that mimicry drives large-scale spatial association among phenotypically similar species, providing new empirical evidence for the validity of Müller's model at a macroecological scale. Additionally, we show that mimetic interactions drive the evolutionary convergence of species climatic niche, thereby strengthening the co-occurrence of co-mimetic species. This study provides new insights into the importance of mutualistic interactions in shaping both niche evolution and species assemblages at large spatial scales. Critically, in the context of climate change, our results highlight the vulnerability to extinction cascades of such adaptively assembled communities tied by positive interactions.

Collections of small urban parks consistently support higher species richness but not higher phylogenetic or functional diversity.

When prioritizing regions for conservation protection, decisions are often based on the principle that a single large reserve should support more species than several small reserves of the same total area (SLOSS). This principle remains a central paradigm in conservation planning despite conflicting empirical evidence and methodological concerns. In urban areas where small parks tend to dominate and policies to promote biodiversity are becoming increasingly popular, determining the most appropriate prioritization method is critical. Here, we document the role of SLOSS in defining the seasonal diversity of birds in 475 parks in 21 US cities. Collections of small parks were consistently associated with higher species richness, spatial turnover and rarity. Collections of both small and large parks were associated with higher phylogenetic and functional diversity whose patterns varied across seasons and cities. Thus, collections of small parks are a reliable source of species richness driven by higher spatial turnover and rarity, whereas collections of both small and large parks contain the potential to support higher phylogenetic and functional diversity. The presence of strong intra-annual and geographical variation emphasizes the need for regional prioritization strategies, where multiple diversity metrics are examined across parks and seasons.

Does experimental seaweed cultivation affect benthic communities and shorebirds? Applications for extensive aquaculture.

Extensive seaweed aquaculture is a growing industry expected to expand globally due to its relatively low impact and benefits in the form of ecosystem services. However, seaweeds are ecosystem engineers that may alter coastal environments by creating complex habitats on previously bare mudflats. These changes may scale up to top-consumers, particularly migratory shorebirds, species of conservation concern that regulate trophic webs at these habitats. Understanding how habitats are transformed and how this affects different species is critical to direct ecological applications for commercial seaweed management. We experimentally assessed through a Before-After Control-Impact design the potential changes exerted by Gracilaria chilensis farming on bare mudflats on the abundance, biomass, and assemblage structure of benthic macroinvertebrates, and their scaled-up effects on shorebirds' habitat use and prey consumption. As predicted, experimental cultivation of G. chilensis significantly affects different components of biodiversity that scale-up from lower to upper trophic levels. The total biomass of benthic macroinvertebrates increased with seaweed cultivation and remained high for at least 2 months after harvest, boosted by an increase in the median size of polychaetes, particularly Nereids. Tactile-foraging shorebirds tracked these changes at the patch level increasing their abundance and spending more time foraging at seaweed cultivated plots. These results suggest that seaweed farming has the potential to impact shorebird populations by favoring tactile-foraging species which could lead to a competitive disadvantage to species that rely on visual cues. Therefore, the establishment of new seaweed farms in bare mudflats at key sites for shorebirds must be planned warranting habitat heterogeneity (i.e., cultivated and non-cultivated areas) at the landscape level and based on a previous experimental approach to account for local characteristics. Fostering properly designed extensive seaweed farming over other aquaculture industries with greater negative environmental impacts would provide benefits for human well-being and for ecosystem functions.

Molecular Characterisation of Faecal Bacterial Assemblages Among Four Species of Syntopic Odonates.

Factors such as host species, phylogeny, diet, and both timing and location of sampling are thought to influence the composition of gut-associated bacteria in insects. In this study, we compared the faecal-associated bacterial taxa for three Coenagrion and one Enallagma damselfly species. We expected high overlap in representation of bacterial taxa due to the shared ecology and diet of these species. Using metabarcoding based on the 16S rRNA gene, we identified 1513 sequence variants, representing distinct bacterial 'taxa'. Intriguingly, the damselfly species showed somewhat different magnitudes of richness of ZOTUs, ranging from 480 to 914 ZOTUs. In total, 921 (or 60.8% of the 1513) distinct ZOTUs were non-shared, each found only in one species, and then most often in only a single individual. There was a surfeit of these non-shared incidental ZOTUs in the Enallagma species accounting for it showing the highest bacterial richness and accounting for a sample-wide pattern of more single-species ZOTUs than expected, based on comparisons to the null model. Future studies should address the extent to which faecal bacteria represent non-incidental gut bacteria and whether abundant and shared taxa are true gut symbionts. Pictures of odonates adopted from Norske Art databank under Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0).

Parasite assemblages in volatile host stocks: inter- and intra-cohort variability restrict their value as biological tags for squid stock assessment.

The Argentine shortfin squid, Illex argentinus, inhabits in the southwest Atlantic; it is a semelparous species which grows rapidly along its 1 year lifespan. The identification of its stocks is critical for sustainable fishery exploitation. Parasites have been used as biological indicators in a lower number of studies dealing with squids, therefore a validation of this methodology is necessary. The intra- and inter-cohort variability of parasite assemblages in the summer-spawning stock of I. argentinus was analysed to assess their value as indicators of stock structure. Four squid samples from the continental shelf of central Patagonia, corresponding to 3 consecutive cohorts, were examined for metazoan parasites. Results evidenced heterogeneity in terms of parasite assemblage composition and structure, dominated by short-lived gastrointestinal parasites, with a strong influence of host size, but no effect of squid sex. These changes are related to their recent habitats and diets, which change with ontogeny and migrations, clouding any interpretation of patterns when samples spatially or temporally separated are compared. Many squid species share these characteristics; therefore, it is recommended that the use of parasites as biological tags should be restricted to simultaneous sampling, while size or age must be considered for deriving proper conclusions.

The species composition of local flea assemblages at a small scale in two South American regions is predominantly driven by niche-based mechanisms.

We applied a step-down factor analysis (SDFA) and multi-site generalised dissimilarity modelling (MS-GDM) to local flea communities harboured by small mammals (i.e., collected at small sampling sites over a short time period) in two South American regions (Patagonia and the Northwestern Argentina) with the aim of understanding whether these communities were assembled via niche-based or dispersal-based processes. The SDFA allows us to determine whether clusters of flea assemblages across different types of climates, vegetation and soils can be distinguished (suggesting niche-based assembly). MS-GDM allows us to determine whether a substantial proportion of the variation in flea species turnover is explained by specific climate-associated, vegetation-associated and soil-associated variables (indicating niche-based assembly) or host turnover (indicating dispersal-based assembly). Mapping of assemblages on climate, vegetation and soil maps, according to their loadings on axis 1 or axis 2 of the SDFA, did not provide clear-cut results. Clusters of similar loadings could be recognized within some, but not other, climate, vegetation and soil types. However, MS-GDM demonstrated that the effect of environmental variables (especially air temperature) on flea compositional turnover was much stronger than that of host turnover, indicating the predominance of niche-based processes in local community assembly. A comparison of our results with those on the mechanisms that drive species assembly in regional communities allows us to conclude that local and regional communities result from the joint action of niche-based and dispersal-based processes, with the former more important at a smaller spatial scale and the latter at a larger spatial scale.