Evidence of predation pressure on sensitive species by raccoons based on parasitological studies.

To demonstrate predation and potential impacts of raccoons on various species, a total of 108 raccoons from aquatic-associated nature reserves and natural areas in three federal states of Germany, Hesse (n = 36), Saxony-Anhalt (n = 36) and Brandenburg (n = 36), were investigated from a dietary ecological perspective in the present study. Fecal analyses and stomach content examinations were conducted for this purpose. Additionally, as a supplementary method for analyzing the dietary spectrum of raccoons, the parasite fauna was considered, as metazoan parasites, in particular, can serve as indicators for the species and origin of food organisms. While stomach content analyses allow for a detailed recording of trophic relationships solely at the time of sampling, parasitological examinations enable inferences about more distant interaction processes. With their different developmental stages and heteroxenous life cycles involving specific, sometimes obligate, intermediate hosts, they utilize the food web to reach their definitive host. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that spawning areas of amphibians and reptiles were predominantly utilized as food resources by raccoons in the study areas. Thus, common toad (Bufo bufo), common newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), grass frog (Rana temporaria), and grass snake (Natrix natrix) were identified as food organisms for raccoons. The detection of the parasite species Euryhelmis squamula, Isthmiophora melis, and Physocephalus sexalatus with partially high infestation rates also suggests that both amphibians and reptiles belong to the established dietary components of raccoons from an ecological perspective, as amphibians and reptiles are obligate intermediate hosts in the respective parasitic life cycles of the detected parasites. The study clearly demonstrates that raccoons have a significant impact on occurrence-sensitive animal species in certain areas and, as an invasive species, can exert a negative influence on native species and ecosystems.

The recovery of crustacean zooplankton from acidification depends on lake type.

Acidification has harmed freshwater ecosystems in Northern Europe since the early 1900s. Stricter regulations aimed at decreasing acidic emissions have improved surface-water chemistry since the late 1980s but the recovery of biotic communities has not been consistent. Generally, the recovery of flora and fauna has been documented only for a few lakes or regions and large-scale assessments of long-term dynamics of biotic communities due to improved water quality are still lacking. This study investigates a large biomonitoring dataset of pelagic and littoral crustacean zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) from 142 acid-sensitive lakes in Norway spanning 24 years (1997-2020). The aims were to assess the changes in zooplankton communities through time, compare patterns of changes across lake types (defined based on calcium and humic content), and identify correlations between abiotic and biological variables. Our results indicate chemical and biological recovery after acidification, as shown by a general increase in pH, acid neutralizing capacity, changes in community composition and increases in the total number of species, number of acid-sensitive species and functional richness through time. However, the zooplankton responses differ across lake types. This indicates that the concentration of calcium (or alkalinity) and total organic carbon (or humic substances) are important factors for the recovery. Therefore, assessment methods and management tools should be adapted to the diverse lake types. Long-term monitoring of freshwater ecosystems is needed to fully comprehend the recovery dynamics of biotic communities from acidification.

Selection of sensitive seeds for evaluation of compost maturity with the seed germination index.

The seed germination index (GI) is a widely used indicator of compost maturity and is a required index in many national standards. However, seeds of different species vary markedly in sensitivity to the biological toxicity of compost. Therefore, suitable seed selection is essential for evaluation of compost maturity with the GI. This study systematically investigated the germination percentage and root length for seeds of 17 species incubated in deionized water for 48 h at 25 °C in the dark. Based on the germination percentage, seeds of eight species (white radish, cucumber, fruit radish, edible rape, round radish, hybrid cucumber, cress, and Chinese cabbage) were selected for determination of the GI of chicken manure composted with differing proportions of tobacco powder and mushroom substrate. The GI of hybrid cucumber seeds showed a significant positive correlation with temperature and pH, and a significant negative correlation with E4/E6 ratio and ammonium-nitrogen content. The change in GI of hybrid cucumber seeds during composting and the GI value at the completion of composting were consistent with other maturity indicators. Among the tested seeds, the biological toxicity of the compost was best characterized by hybrid cucumber seeds, which thus represented a sensitive and reliable seed suitable for evaluation of compost maturity with the GI.

Winner-Loser Species Replacements in Human-Modified Landscapes.

Community assembly arguably drives the provision of ecosystem services because they critically depend on which and how species coexist. We examine conspicuous cases of 'winner and loser' replacements (WLRs) in tropical forests to provide a framework integrating drivers, impacts on ecological organization, and reconfiguration of ecosystem service provisioning. Most WLRs involve native species and result from changes in resource availability rather than from altered competition among species. In this context, species dispersal is a powerful force controlling community (re)assembly. Furthermore, replacements imply a nearly complete functional reorganization of assemblages and new 'packages' of ecosystem services and disservices provided by winners. WLRs can thus elucidate the multiple transitions experienced by tropical forests, and have theoretical/applied implications, including the role that human-modified landscapes may play in global-scale sustainability.

Stream biodiversity and monitoring in North Central, Nigeria: the use of macroinvertebrate indicator species as surrogates.

Indicator species (IS) have been employed in modern aquatic research for monitoring of environmental changes and evaluating the efficiency of environmental management procedures. In this study, we evaluated the possibility of developing surrogate indicator groups as tools for the conservation and management of the biodiversity of Northern Nigeria streams by surveying 15 streams in Niger state for benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental variables as data sets, over a period of 24 months (2016 and 2017). Samples were collected in two locations of reference and impacted sites for each of the streams surveyed. The statistically significant (P < 0.05; based on 1000 permutations) indicator species for each of the status classes (reference versus impacted) was identified using the indicator species analysis/indicator value (Indval) method. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to evaluate the IS-environment relationships. Indicator value found fifteen species for the reference streams including Ephemeropteran (Bugilliesia sp., Tricorythus sp., Thraulus sp., Crassabwa sp.) and the Tricopteran (Leptonema sp.). Opposite, the Indval found seven (7) indicator species for the impacted streams, which included the Dipteran (Pentaneura sp., Tabanus sp.). Multivariate analysis revealed that species assemblage had wide dispersal patterns in relation to the sites for both status classes. CCA revealed that the reference and impacted indicator species responded to entirely different environmental factors, indicating their preference to particular environmental variables along the ecological gradients. While the indicator species of reference sites were associated with environmental predictors of good water quality such as high DO, increased flow, low conductivity, and low BOD, the indicator species of impacted sites were strongly related to environmental predictors of anthropogenic pollution, including low DO, high BOD, and increased nutrients concentrations. This study has provided a reference point and effective tool to monitor environmental changes, community, and ecosystem dynamics across the Northern Nigeria streams.

Comprehensive genome analyses of Sellimonas intestinalis, a potential biomarker of homeostasis gut recovery.

Sellimonas intestinalis is a Gram-positive and anaerobic bacterial species previously considered as uncultivable. Although little is known about this Lachnospiraceae family member, its increased abundance has been reported in patients who have recovered from intestinal homeostasis after dysbiosis events. In this context, the aim of the present study was to take advantage of a massive in vitro culture protocol that allowed the recovery of extremely oxygen-sensitive species from faecal samples, which led to isolation of S. intestinalis. Whole genome analyses of 11 S. intestinalis genomes revealed that this species has a highly conserved genome with 99.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, average nucleotide polymorphism results >95, and 50.1 % of its coding potential being part of the core genome. Despite this, the variable portion of its genome was informative enough to reveal the existence of three lineages (lineage-I including isolates from Chile and France, lineage-II from South Korea and Finland, and lineage-III from China and one isolate from the USA) and evidence of some recombination signals. The identification of a cluster of orthologous groups revealed a high number of genes involved in metabolism, including amino acid and carbohydrate transport as well as energy production and conversion, which matches with the metabolic profile previously reported for microbiota from healthy individuals. Additionally, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes were found (mainly in lineage-III), which could favour their survival during antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. These findings provide the basis of knowledge about the potential of S. intestinalis as a bioindicator of intestinal homeostasis recovery and contribute to advancing the characterization of gut microbiota members with beneficial potential.

Proteomic analyses unraveling water stress response in two Eucalyptus species originating from contrasting environments for aridity.

Eucalyptus are widely cultivated in several regions of the world due to their adaptability to different climatic conditions and amenable to tree breeding programs. With changes in environmental conditions pointing to an increase in aridity in many areas of the globe, the demand for genetic materials that adapt to this situation is required. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify contrasting differences between two Eucalyptus species under water stress through the identification of differentially abundant proteins. For this, total protein extraction was proceeded from leaves of both species maintained at 40 and 80% of field capacity (FC). The 80% FC water regime was considered as the control and the 40% FC, severe water stress. The proteins were separated by 2-DE with subsequent identification of those differentially abundant by liquid nanocromatography coupled to high resolution MS (Q-Exactive). Comparative proteomics allowed to identify four proteins (ATP synthase gamma and alpha, glutamine synthetase and a vacuolar protein) that were more abundant in drought-tolerant species and simultaneously less abundant or unchanged in the drought- sensitive species, an uncharacterized protein found exclusively in plants under drought stress and also 10 proteins (plastid-lipid, ruBisCO activase, ruBisCO, protease ClpA, transketolase, isoflavone reductase, ferredoxin-NADP reductase, malate dehydrogenase, aminobutyrate transaminase and sedoheptulose-1-bisphosphatase) induced exclusively in the drought-tolerant species in response to water stress. These results suggest that such proteins may play a crucial role as potential markers of water stress tolerance through the identification of species-specific proteins, and future targets for genetic engineering.

Assessing the impact of revegetation and weed control on urban sensitive bird species.

Nature in cities is concentrated in urban green spaces, which are key areas for urban biodiversity and also important areas to connect people with nature. To conserve urban biodiversity within these natural refugia, habitat restoration such as weed control and revegetation is often implemented. These actions are expected to benefit biodiversity, although species known to be affected by urbanization may not be interacting with restoration in the ways we anticipate. In this study, we use a case study to explore how urban restoration activities impact different bird species. Birds were grouped into urban sensitivity categories and species abundance, and richness was then calculated using a hierarchical species community model for individual species responses, with "urban class" used as the hierarchical parameter. We highlight variable responses of birds to revegetation and weed control based on their level of urban sensitivity. Revegetation of open grassy areas delivers significant bird conservation outcomes, but the effects of weed control are neutral or in some cases negative. Specifically, the species most reliant on remnant vegetation in cities seem to remain stable or decline in abundance in areas with weed control, which we suspect is the result of a simplification of the understorey. The literature reports mixed benefits of weed control between taxa and between locations. We recommend, in our case study site, that weed control be implemented in concert with replanting of native vegetation to provide the understory structure preferred by urban sensitive birds. Understanding the impacts of revegetation and weed control on different bird species is important information for practitioners to make restoration decisions about the allocation of funds for conservation action. This new knowledge can be used both for threatened species and invasive species management.

Reference scenarios for exposure to plant protection products and invertebrate communities in stream mesocosms.

Higher tier aquatic risk assessment for plant protection products (PPPs) is often based on pond-like mesocosm studies in which transient and dynamic PPP exposure scenarios as observed in lotic systems are hardly achievable. Thus, the present study presents dynamic PPP exposure scenarios at different time scales under flow-through conditions as typical for streams in agricultural landscapes. The stream mesocosm setup allows testing the influence of spatial gradients of exposure over the length of themesocosms. The use of the fluorescent tracer uranine revealed the hydraulic processes generally underlying peak- and hour-scale exposure scenarios and demonstrated an optimized application technique to achieve stable day-scale exposures. Furthermore, to account for potential reactions of invertebrates to PPP exposures in streams (e.g. avoidance behavior and drift), the present study thus aimed at a comprehensive evaluation on how PPP exposure and the establishment of invertebrates can be advanced within streammesocosm testing. For both, peak- and hour-scale exposure as well as the experiments considering the establishment of invertebrates, the presented compilation of experiments was able to highlight the influence of aquatic macrophyteswithin streammesocosms. Since the field relevance of the higher tier aquatic risk assessment for PPPs relies qualitatively on the presence of potentially sensitive or vulnerable species, those species were especially considered. Thus, the establishment of aquatic invertebrates in nondosed streams was evaluated with respect to (i) the presence of different aquatic macrophytes and (ii) the duration of the pre-experimental period. The present study highlights the beneficial influence of complex-structured macrophytes and prolonged pre-experimental periods on the abundance of invertebrate taxa. Furthermore, population dynamics were evaluated statistically by simulating PPP-related declines of 30, 50 and 70%. Thereby,

Homeostasis of the temperature sensitivity of respiration over a range of growth temperatures indicated by a modified Arrhenius model.

The temperature dependence of plant respiratory rate (R) changes in response to growth temperature. Here, we used a modified Arrhenius model incorporating the temperature dependence of activation energy (Eo ), and compared the temperature dependence of R between cold-sensitive and cold-tolerant species. We analyzed the temperature dependences of leaf CO2 efflux rate of plants cultivated at low (LT) or high temperature (HT). In plants grown at HT (HT plants), Eo at low measurement temperature varied among species, but Eo at growth temperature in HT plants did not vary and was comparable to that in plants grown at LT (LT plants), suggesting that the limiting process was similar at the respective growth temperatures. In LT plants, the integrated value of loge R, a measure of respiratory capacity, in cold-sensitive species was lower than that in cold-tolerant species. When plants were transferred from HT to LT, the respiratory capacity changed promptly after the transfer compared with the other parameters. These results suggest that a similar process limits R at different growth temperatures, and that the lower capacity of the respiratory system in cold-sensitive species may explain their low growth rate at LT.