Genomic Analyses Capture the Human-Induced Demographic Collapse and Recovery in a Wide-Ranging Cervid.

The glacial cycles of the Quaternary heavily impacted species through successions of population contractions and expansions. Similarly, populations have been intensely shaped by human pressures such as unregulated hunting and land use changes. White-tailed and mule deer survived in different refugia through the Last Glacial Maximum, and their populations were severely reduced after the European colonization. Here, we analyzed 73 resequenced deer genomes from across their North American range to understand the consequences of climatic and anthropogenic pressures on deer demographic and adaptive history. We found strong signals of climate-induced vicariance and demographic decline; notably, multiple sequentially Markovian coalescent recovers a severe decline in mainland white-tailed deer effective population size (Ne) at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. We found robust evidence for colonial overharvest in the form of a recent and dramatic drop in Ne in all analyzed populations. Historical census size and restocking data show a clear parallel to historical Ne estimates, and temporal Ne/Nc ratio shows patterns of conservation concern for mule deer. Signatures of selection highlight genes related to temperature, including a cold receptor previously highlighted in woolly mammoth. We also detected immune genes that we surmise reflect the changing land use patterns in North America. Our study provides a detailed picture of anthropogenic and climatic-induced decline in deer diversity and clues to understanding the conservation concerns of mule deer and the successful demographic recovery of white-tailed deer.

Global collision-risk hotspots of marine traffic and the world's largest fish, the whale shark.

Marine traffic is increasing globally yet collisions with endangered megafauna such as whales, sea turtles, and planktivorous sharks go largely undetected or unreported. Collisions leading to mortality can have population-level consequences for endangered species. Hence, identifying simultaneous space use of megafauna and shipping throughout ranges may reveal as-yet-unknown spatial targets requiring conservation. However, global studies tracking megafauna and shipping occurrences are lacking. Here we combine satellite-tracked movements of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, and vessel activity to show that 92% of sharks' horizontal space use and nearly 50% of vertical space use overlap with persistent large vessel (>300 gross tons) traffic. Collision-risk estimates correlated with reported whale shark mortality from ship strikes, indicating higher mortality in areas with greatest overlap. Hotspots of potential collision risk were evident in all major oceans, predominantly from overlap with cargo and tanker vessels, and were concentrated in gulf regions, where dense traffic co-occurred with seasonal shark movements. Nearly a third of whale shark hotspots overlapped with the highest collision-risk areas, with the last known locations of tracked sharks coinciding with busier shipping routes more often than expected. Depth-recording tags provided evidence for sinking, likely dead, whale sharks, suggesting substantial "cryptic" lethal ship strikes are possible, which could explain why whale shark population declines continue despite international protection and low fishing-induced mortality. Mitigation measures to reduce ship-strike risk should be considered to conserve this species and other ocean giants that are likely experiencing similar impacts from growing global vessel traffic.

Ancient mitochondrial genomes unveil the origins and evolutionary history of New Zealand's enigmatic takahe and moho.

Many avian species endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand were driven to extinction or reduced to relict populations following successive waves of human arrival, due to hunting, habitat destruction and the introduction of mammalian predators. Among the affected species were the large flightless South Island takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) and the moho (North Island takahe; P. mantelli), with the latter rendered extinct and the former reduced to a single relictual population. Little is known about the evolutionary history of these species prior to their decline and/or extinction. Here we sequenced mitochondrial genomes from takahe and moho subfossils (12 takahe and 4 moho) and retrieved comparable sequence data from takahe museum skins (n = 5) and contemporary individuals (n = 17) to examine the phylogeny and recent evolutionary history of these species. Our analyses suggest that prehistoric takahe populations lacked deep phylogeographic structure, in contrast to moho, which exhibited significant spatial genetic structure, albeit based on limited sample sizes (n = 4). Temporal genetic comparisons show that takahe have lost much of their mitochondrial genetic diversity, likely due to a sudden demographic decline soon after human arrival (~750 years ago). Time-calibrated phylogenetic analyses strongly support a sister species relationship between takahe and moho, suggesting these flightless taxa diverged around 1.5 million years ago, following a single colonisation of New Zealand by a flighted Porphyrio ancestor approximately 4 million years ago. This study highlights the utility of palaeogenetic approaches for informing the conservation and systematic understanding of endangered species whose ranges have been severely restricted by anthropogenic impacts.

Historical co-enrichment, source attribution, and risk assessment of critical nutrients and heavy metal/metalloids in lake sediments: insights from Chaohu Lake, China.

In Chinese freshwater lakes, eutrophication often coincides with heavy metal/metalloids (HM/Ms) pollution, yet the coevolution of critical nutrients (P, S, Se) and HM/Ms (Cd, Hg, etc.) remains understudied. To address this gap, we conducted a sedimentary chemistry analysis on a 30 cm-deep core, dating back approximately 200 years, retrieved from Chaohu Lake, China. The age-depth model revealed a gradual increase in deposition rates over time. Notably, the concentrations and enrichment factors (EFs) of most target elements surged in the uppermost ~ 15 cm layer, covering the period from 1953 to 2013, while both the concentrations and EFs in deeper layers remained relatively stable, except for Hg. This trend indicates a significant co-enrichment and near-synchronous increase in the levels and EFs of both nutrients and HM/Ms in the upper sediment layers since the mid-twentieth century. Anthropogenic factors were identified as the primary drivers of the enrichment of P, Se, Cd, Hg, Zn, and Te in the upper core, with their contributions also showing a coupled evolutionary trend over time. Conversely, geological activities governed the enrichment of elements in the lower half of the core. The gradual accumulation of anthropogenic Hg between the - 30 to - 15 cm layers might be attributed to global Hg deposition resulting from the industrial revolution. The ecological risk index (RI) associated with HM/Ms loading has escalated rapidly over the past 50 years, with Cd and Hg posing the greatest threats. Furthermore, the PMF model was applied to specifically quantify source contributions of these elements in the core, with anthropogenic and geogenic factors accounting for ~ 60 and ~ 40%, respectively. A good correlation (r2 = 0.87, p < 0.01) between the PMF and Ti-normalized method was observed, indicating their feasibility and cross-validation in source apportionment. Finally, we highlighted environment impact and health implications of the co-enrichment of nutrients and HM/Ms. This knowledge is crucial for developing strategies to protect freshwater ecosystems from the combined impacts of eutrophication and HM/Ms pollution, thereby promoting water environment and human health.

An analytical case study of the oil well blowout at Baghjan oil field, Assam: A human and environmental perspective.

The study analyses the oil well blowout that took place at the Baghjan oil field in Assam, India, on 27 May 2020. This incident escalated into a massive fire on 9th June that lasted more than 5 months. The tragedy degraded the environment and inflicted substantial problems on the area's inhabitants. The present study employs the analytical case study approach and various data sources to unfold the disaster and its causes, impact, and response. It also examines the local inhabitants and environmental impact and tries to analyze the event comprehensively. The incident resulted from technical malfunctions and human errors, leading to the relocation of the adjacent settlement to refugee camps amidst the global COVID-19 epidemic. However, it is essential to mention that many households received adequate compensation for their damages. The incident has resulted in the contamination of the air, noise, soil, and water, causing significant damage to the fragile ecosystem and its rare species. The research employs the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index to quantify changes in vegetation cover resulting from the blowout, thus showing the extensive damage to the affected region. The incident shed light on legal and regulatory deficiencies alongside a lack of accountability and transparency within the Oil India Limited sector. Despite the numerous proposals for environmental restoration, it appears challenging to revert to the previous state swiftly. The present study reflects the collective and collaborative action to protect and preserve the environment.

Major impacts of caving activities on cave microbial diversity: case study of Morca Cave, Turkey.

Some of microorganisms identified in cave ecosystems have been reported to play a permanent and strategic role for maintaining life of these environments. Human entrance into caves can induce some changes of cave physicochemical parameters which ultimately impacts the living organisms. In these facts, for the first time, Morca Cave was explored in a purpose to evaluate the impacts that can be caused by the human activities on microbial diversity in a limited period of time. Morca is a karts cave located in the Taseli Plateau in the Middle Taurus mountains in Turkey. The first entrance into this cave was in 2018, and expeditors reached to - 500 m. During the second expedition in 2019, a camp was established at the - 1040-m depth during 4 days. In order to evaluate the human impacts in a new explored cave, this camping depth is chosen to be our studied area because it was its first entrance. Before the installation and at the end of the camp, sediments and surface samples were taken from different points of the camp area and around. Sequencing of 16 s rRNA of each sample to isolate DNA by using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method was performed. The profile of the microbial diversity before the camping revealed that the class Thermoplasmata was dominated the archaea group and Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the most dominant bacterial classes. After the camp, most studied sites were noted with a decrease of microbial diversity especially the previous cited classes strains. Bacteria belonging to Bacilli class have increased after the camp. Increase of bacteria that are belonging to Bacteroidia has also observed in the most active areas. This present study highlight how cave microbial diversity can respond to the human activities within a short period inside a closed cave. Furthermore, it may constitute a solid basis and support on the improvement of techniques for cave management and expedition planning for the conservation of cave nature.

Spatiotemporal Variations of Soil Reactive Nitrogen Oxide Fluxes across the Anthropogenic Landscape.

Volatile reactive nitrogen oxides (NOy) are significant atmospheric pollutants, including NOx (nitric oxide [NO] + nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) and NOz (nitrous acid [HONO] + nitric acid [HNO3] + nitrogen trioxide [NO3] + ...). NOy species are products of nitrogen (N) cycle processes, particularly nitrification and denitrification. Biogenic sources, including soil, account for over 50% of natural NOy emissions to the atmosphere, yet emissions from soils are generally not included in atmospheric models as a result of a lack of mechanistic data. This work is a unique investigation of NOy fluxes on a landscape scale, taking a comprehensive set of land-use types, human influence, and seasonality into account to determine large-scale heterogeneity to provide a basis for future modeling and hypothesis generation. By coupling 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we have linked significant differences in functional potential and activity of nitrifying and denitrifying soil microbes to NOy emissions from soils. Further, we have identified soils subject to increased N deposition that are less microbially active despite increased available N, potentially as a result of poor soil health from anthropogenic pollution. Structural equation modeling suggests human influence on soils to be a more significant effector of soil NOy emissions than land-use type.

Mercury Pollution History in Tropical and Subtropical American Lakes: Multiple Impacts and the Possible Relationship with Climate Change.

Sediment cores obtained from 11 tropical and subtropical American lakes revealed that local human activities significantly increased mercury (Hg) inputs and pollution levels. Remote lakes also have been contaminated by anthropogenic Hg through atmospheric depositions. Long-term sediment-core profiles revealed an approximately 3-fold increase in Hg fluxes to sediments from c. 1850 to 2000. Generalized additive models indicate that c. 3-fold increases in Hg fluxes also occurred since 2000 in the remote sites, while Hg emissions from anthropogenic sources have remained relatively stable. The tropical and subtropical Americas are vulnerable to extreme weather events. Air temperatures in this region have shown a marked increase since the 1990s, and extreme weather events arising from climate change have increased. When comparing Hg fluxes to recent (1950-2016) climatic changes, results show marked increases in Hg fluxes to sediments during dry periods. The Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) time series indicate a tendency toward more extreme drier conditions across the study region since the mid-1990s, suggesting that instabilities in catchment surfaces caused by climate change are responsible for the elevated Hg flux rates. Drier conditions since c. 2000 appear to be promoting Hg fluxes from catchments to lakes, a process that will likely be exacerbated under future climate-change scenarios.

Loss of research and operational equipment in Antarctica: Balancing scientific advances with environmental impact.

Antarctica has been subject to widespread, long-term and on-going human activity since the establishment of permanent research stations became common in the 1950s. Equipment may become intentionally or inadvertently lost in Antarctic marine and terrestrial environments as a result of scientific research and associated support activities, but this has been poorly quantified to date. Here we report the quantity and nature of equipment lost by the UK's national operator in Antarctica, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Over the 15-year study period (2005-2019), 125 incidents of loss were reported, with c. 23 tonnes of equipment lost of which 18% by mass was considered hazardous. The geographical distribution of lost equipment was widespread across the BAS operational footprint. However, impacts are considered low compared to those associated with research station infrastructure establishment and operation. To reduce environmental impact overall, we recommend that, where possible, better use is made of existing research station capacity to facilitate field research, thereby reducing the need for construction of new infrastructure and the generation of associated impacts. Furthermore, to facilitate reporting on the state of the Antarctic environment, we recommend that national Antarctic programmes reinvigorate efforts to comply with Antarctic Treaty System requirements to actively record the locations of past activities and make available details of lost equipment. In a wider context, analogous reporting is also encouraged in other pristine areas subject to new research activities, including in other remote Earth environments and on extra-terrestrial bodies.

Geochemical evolution of dissolved trace elements in space and time in the Ramganga River, India.

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of river water chemistry from its source to sinks is critical for constraining the origin, transformation, and "hotspots" of contaminants in a river basin. To provide new spatiotemporal constraints on river chemistry, dissolved trace element concentrations were measured at 17 targeted locations across the Ramganga River catchment. River water samples were collected across three seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon between 2019 and 2021. To remove the dependency of trace element concentrations on discharge, we used molar ratios, as discharge data on Indian transboundary rivers are not publicly available. The dataset reveals significant spatiotemporal variability in dissolved trace element concentrations of the Ramganga River. Samples collected upstream of Moradabad, a major industrial city in western Uttar Pradesh, are characterized by ~ 1.2-2.5 times higher average concentrations of most of the trace elements except Sc, V, Cr, Rb, and Pb, likely due to intense water-rock interactions in the headwaters. Such kind of enrichment in trace metal concentrations was also observed at sites downstream of large cities and industrial centers. However, such enrichment was not enough to bring a major change in the River Ganga chemistry, as the signals got diluted downstream of the Ramganga-Ganga confluence. The average river water composition of the Ramganga River was comparable to worldwide river water composition, albeit a few sites were characterized by very high concentrations of dissolved trace elements. Finally, we provide an outlook that calls for an assessment of stable non-traditional isotopes that are ideally suited to track the origin and transformation of elements such as Li, Mg, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ag, Cd, Sn, Pt, and Hg in Indian rivers.

Global rarity of intact coastal regions.

Management of the land-sea interface is essential for global conservation and sustainability objectives because coastal regions maintain natural processes that support biodiversity and the livelihood of billions of people. However, assessments of coastal regions have focused strictly on either the terrestrial or marine realm. Consequently, understanding of the overall state of Earth's coastal regions is poor. We integrated the terrestrial human footprint and marine cumulative human impact maps in a global assessment of the anthropogenic pressures affecting coastal regions. Of coastal regions globally, 15.5% had low anthropogenic pressure, mostly in Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Conversely, 47.9% of coastal regions were heavily affected by humanity, and in most countries (84.1%) >50% of their coastal regions were degraded. Nearly half (43.3%) of protected areas across coastal regions were exposed to high human pressures. To meet global sustainability objectives, all nations must undertake greater actions to preserve and restore the coastal regions within their borders.

costa, huella humana, impacto humano cumulativo, litoral, presión humana, restauración, tierras vírgenes Resumen El manejo de la interfaz entre la tierra y el mar es esencial para los objetivos mundiales de conservación y sustentabilidad ya que las regiones costeras mantienen los procesos naturales que sostienen a la biodiversidad y al sustento de miles de millones de personas. Sin embargo, los análisis de las regiones costeras se han enfocado estrictamente en el ámbito marino o en el terrestre, pero no en ambos. Por consiguiente, el conocimiento del estado general de las regiones costeras del planeta es muy pobre. Integramos la huella terrestre humana y mapas marinos del impacto humano cumulativo en un análisis global de las presiones antropogénicas que afectan las áreas costeras. De las áreas costeras de todo el mundo, el 15.5% tuvieron una presión antropogénica reducida, principalmente en Canadá, Rusia y Groenlandia. En cambio, el 47.9% de las regiones costeras estuvieron fuertemente afectas por la humanidad, y en la mayoría de los países (84.1%) >50% de sus regiones litorales se encuentran degradadas. Casi la mitad (43.3%) de las áreas protegidas en las regiones costeras tienen un grado de exposición a fuertes presiones humanas. Para cumplir los objetivos mundiales de sustentabilidad, todos los países deben emprender mejores acciones para preservar y restaurar las regiones litorales dentro de sus fronteras.

Cumulative stressors impact macrofauna differentially according to sandy beach type: A meta-analysis.

Many studies have demonstrated human impacts on sandy beach macroinvertebrates. However, little is known about causative drivers among multiple co-occurring stressors and how these interact with natural habitat conditions to yield specific faunal responses. We performed a global meta-analysis to shed light on how interactions between human disturbances and beach morphodynamics shape macroinvertebrate populations. We found that supralittoral forms (Talitridae and Ocypodidae) responded more negatively to the Human Modification Metric (a proxy for urbanization) on dissipative beaches, whereas intertidal organisms (Hippidae and Cirolanidae) showed more negative responses on non-dissipative beaches. Based on these findings we propose the Cumulative Harshness Hypothesis (CHH), which predicts higher sensitivity of beach macroinvertebrates to human disturbances when inhabiting a harsher physical environment according to their life histories. Secondly, we compared the response of macroinvertebrates to urbanization levels from local to larger scales (from 500 to 50000 m). Supralittoral families responded more negatively to local urbanization, which leads to habitat loss due to removal or reduction of upper beach zones. Conversely, intertidal organisms with planktonic larval stages were more affected by urbanization at the largest spatial scales, which we hypothesize disrupts metapopulation dynamics by impacting the supply of larvae that could colonize human-disturbed beaches. The differential effects of human disturbances on macroinvertebrates according to beach morphodynamics suggest that the efficiency of these ecological indicators for beach monitoring is context-dependent. Focusing on multiple stressors rather than on a single one is also critical to mitigate human impacts on these threatened ecosystems.

Bird electrocution on power lines: Spatial gaps and identification of driving factors at global scales.

Universal energy access is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and thus the deployment of electricity grids is expected to expand globally in the coming decades. However, the installation of power lines is not biodiversity-friendly. In particular, electrocution on power pylons is a major cause of bird mortality worldwide, including for some severely endangered species. Over the last decades, different studies have improved our understanding of the factors influencing the risk of electrocution in birds, but until now spatial gaps in our knowledge of these impacts and the factors driving global patterns of bird electrocution have not been assessed. In this study, we evaluated data from a total of 114 studies that provided information on bird mortality rates on power lines, and we analyzed the factors driving electrocution rates for all bird species, and then for all raptors and large eagles separately. Our results showed a high spatial distribution bias, as more than 80% of the studies were carried out in developed countries, mostly in Europe and North America. By contrast, no systematic studies have been found for Oceania and very few for South America and Africa. Europe showed the highest electrocution rates for birds, South America for raptor species and Africa for eagles. Socio-economic factors best-explained bird and raptor electrocution rates, while climate-related factors were the most influential for eagles. Contrary to our expectations, factors related to pylon design were the least influential on overall electrocution rates. Variables related to study design showed highly variable levels of influence. This could be due to the lack of standardized protocols. Although bird electrocution has been extensively studied, there are large areas where no studies have been carried out or for which data are inaccessible. This could be because in these areas the power distribution network is still sparse, or that most studies are not public or accessible to the international community. Researchers and managers should promote the publication of studies, as awareness is the first step to solving these problems. The factors identified could be applied globally to the design and planning of power grids and the identification of mortality hotspots. This would help mitigate the creation of new mortality hotspots, especially in developing countries where the installation of new power lines has been growing exponentially in recent years.

Exposure to global change pressures and potential impacts on ecosystem services of mountain lakes in the European Alps.

Mountain lakes are increasingly affected by global change pressures. While there is growing evidence of impacts on ecosystem functioning, few studies considered changes in ecosystem services (ES). This study aimed (1) to examine the exposure of small and natural mountain lakes in the European Alps to global change pressures and (2) to estimate potential impacts on six relevant ES considering future climate projections and potential changes in water use. For 2455 lakes, we mapped the level of exposure to global change pressures, including climate change, atmospheric nutrient deposition, and anthropogenic activities (e.g., water use). Our results indicate that more than half of the Alpine mountain lakes feature a considerable level of exposure to global change. Hotspot analysis revealed spatial clusters of lakes with above-average exposure (23.7% of all lakes), mostly located in the central part of the Alps, while lakes with below-average exposure level prevailed in the south-western (19.3%) and eastern parts (10.6%). For 15 case study lakes, we quantified potential impacts on six key ES. The results revealed, in particular, potential negative effects on maintaining habitat and populations as well as aesthetic value, but contrastingly, also some positive effects for outdoor recreation, research and education. Our findings suggest the need for a comprehensive integration of mountain lakes into current management and policy frameworks to ensure the ecological integrity and ES provision of mountain lakes. Interdisciplinary mountain lake research will be important to overcome uncertainties related to the coupling of limnological parameters and ES indicators.

Quotas regulation is necessary but not sufficient to mitigate the impact of SCUBA diving in a highly visited marine protected area.

When effectively managed, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can produce wide ecosystem benefits that can foster, directly and indirectly, local economies. Tourism is one of the sectors mainly benefited by the effect of conservation. SCUBA diving represents an important tourism activity, especially in the context of MPAs, where it is one of the few activities often fostered rather than limited, for its capacity to integrate environmental and socio-economic sustainability. However, SCUBA diving can also produce negative impacts on the environment when tourism frequentation exceeds a sustainable threshold, these potentially generating negative effects on the sector itself. In this study, we (1) investigated the impact of SCUBA diving in one of the most frequented diving areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Cabo de Palos - Islas Hormigas marine reserve), and (2) assessed the potential benefits over time related to the adoption of a regulation change for the diving activity (i.e., formally adoption of diving quotas). Specifically, we compared demographic (density of alive and dead colonies) and morphometric (height, width and complexity) characteristics of the false coral (Myriapora truncata) between dived and fully protected (non-dived) locations over four diving seasons (one before and three after the change in diving quotas). The density of alive colonies of the false coral was, on average, six times lower in dived locations compared to controls, highlighting a clear impact of SCUBA diving (consistent over time). Colonies were also significantly smaller in dived locations. The diving quotas produced a significant reduction of the ratio dead/total colonies in the dived locations soon after their adoption, but these benefits disappeared over the following years, possibly due to a gradual decline in operators' and divers' observance and concern, rather than an increasing number of dives. This suggests that the adoption of effective regulations is crucial for the environmental sustainability of diving tourism in protected areas and can provide positive effects, but an effort is needed to ensure that compliance is consistent over time, and that low-impact diving practices are adopted by this important recreational sector.

Teaching What Is "Real" About Science: Critical Realism as a Framework for Science Education.

Discourse about public perception of science is often positioned as a dichotomy between trust in scientific evidence and scientists as experts, versus critiques of the limitations of scientific knowledge and a mistrust in scientists as biased professionals and political agents. However, this dichotomy becomes something of a false argument, as our tendency to look for the "right" answer in these arguments often gets in the way of finding a balancing point in which both of these positions could be held in productive tension. The purpose of the present article is to lay out the argument that society can both trust in scientific evidence and question scientific bias in the same space, holding these two seemingly opposite positions in productive tension, and that we should teach students to do the same. Critical realism is presented as an ontology and epistemology to frame science education, and focus on the development of critical scientific literacy by teaching students what is real and what is arbitrary about science. Recommendations for science education are outlined, grounded in critical realism and connected to current education research and principles of the nature of science.

Evolutionary Genomics at the Human-Environment Interface in Africa.

We report on the first meeting of SMBE in Africa. SMBE Malawi was initiated to bring together African and international researchers who use genetics or genomics to study natural systems impacted by human activities. The goals of this conference were 1) to reach a world-class standard of science with a large number of contributions from Africa, 2) to initiate exchange between African and international researchers, and 3) to identify challenges and opportunities for evolutionary genomics research in Africa. As repored, we think that we have achieved these goals and make suggestions on the way forward for African evolutionary genomics research.

20 years of landscape dynamics within the world's largest multinational network of protected areas.

The world's largest network of protected areas (PAs), Natura 2000, is facing different types of disturbances and pressures, however, it still remains unclear the impact they have on the conservation status of sites. Remote sensing big data analysis and satellite data were used to quantify dynamics of the dominant land cover category, landscape structure, and vegetation greenness, as indicators of conservation status, as well as drivers of change, between 2000 and 2018, within each Natura 2000 protected area, across the entire European Union. Our results show that the majority of sites are 'favourable' on natural land cover range and areas, but heading to 'unfavourable' status regarding the landscape structure, while an alarmingly high number of sites experience both net loss of the dominant land cover type and degradation of landscape structure, labeled consequently as having an 'unfavourable' conservation status. The results also showed high differences between biogeographic regions and countries, with an extremely low number of sites suffering dramatic changes to other dominant land cover types, mainly among grasslands. Mediterranean region showed a high net forest increase (mainly extension of existing forests) as well as insignificant changes of landscape fragmentation and diversity (predominantly in Greece, Spain and, Italy), related to the intensification of forest planting, and to a high loss of grassland area and cropland (land abandonment). High net forest gain, but increasing landscape fragmentation, was observed in the Continental region (mainly in Bulgaria, Poland, Germany and, Italy), suggesting that forest developed in numerous new smaller patches, due to the development of invasive species through natural processes (agricultural land abandonment) and natural system modifications. The Alpine region also showed a low positive net forest change, but with significant dynamics of gains due to reducing of agricultural activities and human disturbances, and losses due to natural catastrophes such as natural fires, storms, avalanches or landslides. Contrarily, the Boreal and Atlantic regions recorded considerable net forest loss during the analyzed period, caused mainly by the occurrence of natural catastrophes, natural biotic and abiotic processes (erosion, parasitism, diseases), and the increase of forestry clearance. These results show the high potential of moderate resolution remote sensing big data in assessing PAs, even more as higher spatial and temporal resolution satellite data are continuously emerging.

Assessing the conservation values and tourism threats in Barrientos Island, Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctica has been witnessing continued growth of tourism, both in the overall visitation and in the diversity of itineraries and visitor activities. Expanding tourism presents unique business and educational opportunities, but it is also putting immense pressure on Antarctica's natural, and for the most parts, pristine environment. Understanding the effectiveness of different tourism management strategies and instruments, like the Visitor Site Guidelines adopted by the Antarctic Treaty, is fundamental to the sustainable management of Antarctic tourism. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Visitor Site Guidelines and other tourism management actions in reducing impacts to the natural environment and for this, we used Barrientos Island as our case study as this is one of the most popular sites for tourism activities in the Antarctic Peninsula Region. First, we conducted a literature review and biological inventories to enable a thorough description of Barrientos Island's ecological values. The results show that Barrientos Island occupies the third highest biological richness among the top 15 most visited sites in the Antarctic Peninsula Region. We then assessed how tourism use on Barrientos Island affected biodiversity and the environment, and how Visitor Site Guidelines and other management measures helped alleviate these impacts. As intended, these instruments has been positive and valuable by providing operational guidance. However, they may lack significant information for tourism decision-making processes. To this end, we propose an alternative adaptive management approach that can more efficiently conserve biodiversity and environmental values while allowing the development of sustainable tourism activities in Antarctica.

A moving human body causes fatal blunt trauma: an unusual traffic accident.

In urban traffic accidents, mainly pedestrians and cyclists are at risk of being injured and killed. Lethal injuries are usually caused by the immediate impact of a car or a tram. This paper presents a fatal accident without any direct contact with a motor vehicle. A 63-year-old woman sitting on a chair in a pavement cafe was killed by the impact of a 60-year-old male cyclist, who was flung in her direction after colliding with a car. Autopsy yielded intracutaneous haemorrhages on the impact sites of the female victim (left cheek, left shoulder and left upper arm). The woman sustained a ring fracture of the skull base encircling the foramen magnum with subtotal severance of the brain stem and massive chest trauma. All the injuries were caused by the blunt impact of the moving human body. The head was forcibly bent towards the contralateral shoulder resulting in a depression fracture of the skull. Reconstruction of the accident at the scene was challenging, as the fatally injured victim remained sitting on the chair and did not show any striking external signs of traumatisation. According to the assessment of the technical expert, the collision velocity of the moving body amounted to 6-8 m/s.