Agromining of Nickel: Finally Becoming a Reality at Commercial Scale.

Invited article: The impacts of non‐native species: a review of the British Ornithologists’ Union's Autumn 2008 Scientific Meeting

The ecological and economic impact of non-native species introduction on local native biodiversity is often reported as undeniable scientific evidence on which to base management and sound policy. Here I used a combination of databases (Fishbase, FAO and IMPASSE) and an extensive review of existing literature to establish the proportion of non-native aquatic species introductions in Spain that are responsible for ecological and economic impacts. In Spain, aquaculture and angling are the two main ecosystem services responsible for introduction of non-native aquatic species. In total, forty two percent of all nonnative aquatic introductions are intentional. Very little ecological impact resulting from these non-native species introductions has been demonstrated with some representing a benefit to Spanish ecosystem services. In 2007, the economic benefits to Spanish aquaculture arising from non-native aquatic species (n=9) was close to €46.73 million (about U.S. $69 million) annually for an estimated average ecological risk for all introductions of 16.5% (SD= 26.85). These results must be seen in the context of other environmental factors such as habitat destruction, water abstraction and pollution from agricultural farming which represent major environmental pressures on Spanish aquatic fauna.

The Neotropical region has the greatest taxonomic and functional diversity of fish in the world. However, this biodiversity has been threatened by the introduction of non-native species. Therefore, we present a systematic review of the literature concerning the introduction of non-native fish species in Neotropical freshwaters. We examine the origins of non-native fish species, as well as the invaded ecoregions and introduction vectors. Oncorhynchus mykiss, Salmo trutta, Cichla kelberi, and Oreochromis niloticus were the most frequent introduced fish species and rivers and reservoirs were the most studied freshwater ecosystems. Impoundments, aquarium trade, sport fishing, and aquaculture were recorded as the main vectors for the introduction of non-native fish species. Most of the studies were conducted in Brazil. The Upper Parana ecoregion exhibited the largest number of non-native fish species, of which the majority originated from the Lower Parana ecoregion. We noticed that the origins of non-native fish species are linked to their introduction vectors, as several non-native fish species arrive from areas near to where they are introduced, mainly by impoundment and sport fishing. On the other hand, species from regions outside the Neotropics are especially introduced by aquarium trade and aquaculture.

Impacts of invasive plants on soil fungi and on above- and belowground plant diversity in temperate forests

Are horses responsible for introducing non-native plants along forest trails in the eastern United States?

Habitat loss refers to the disappearance of natural environments that house specific plant and animal species. Habitat loss encompass three main types: habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation. Habitat destruction involves extensive devastation of natural environments, habitat degradation results from the depletion of vital resources like water and food, and habitat fragmentation refers to the conversion of large wild areas into smaller ones. All forms of habitat loss are endangering species’ survival. Primarily driven by human activities, the loss of habitat adversely affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Land conversion for agriculture, mining, and urban development leads to the loss of forests and other habitats. Aquatic environments also suffer habitat loss caused by dredging, pollution, or waste. Moreover, climate change, a consequence of global warming, further intensifies habitat loss. Droughts, floods, wildfires, and changing water conditions impact both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Although the link between habitat destruction and criminology may not be immediately apparent, its harmful effects make it of interest to criminologists. Green criminology’s focus on harms, along with crimes and the impacts of these harms toward all species and environments, makes habitat loss of key interest for criminology. Habitat loss falls under the scope of green criminology because of its effects on ecosystems, humans, and nonhuman species. It is important to note that habitat and biodiversity loss are deeply intertwined. The case of the European eel illustrates the (slow) violence linked to habitat loss and its effects on biodiversity. European eels face multiple threats due to habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation. The construction of weirs and dams is one of the major factors that negatively impacts eels. It restricts their movement and blocks both upstream and downstream migration routes, destroying and fragmenting their habitat. As a migratory species, freedom of movement is crucial for their survival, making the presence of these barriers a significant concern. Additionally, global warming and ocean modifications further degrade eels’ habitats, affecting the survival of larvae during their drift and silver (adult) eels during their spawning migration. Furthermore, the introduction of nonnative species and the increasing contamination levels in eel habitats also contribute to their degradation, posing another danger to the species’ survival. Overall, European eels are a landmark opportunity to highlight the diverse range of causes of habitat loss and the (slow) violence ingrained in it.

Proactive conservation and restoration of botanical diversity in the Anthropocene's “rambunctious garden”

Networks of protected areas are fundamental for biodiversity conservation, but many factors determine their conservation efficiency. In particular, on top of other human-driven disturbances, invasions by non-native species can cause habitat and biodiversity loss. Jointly understanding what drives patterns of plant diversity and of non-native species in protected areas is therefore a priority. We tested whether the richness and composition of native and non-native plant species within a network of protected areas follow similar patterns across spatial scales. Specifically, we addressed three questions: (a) what is the degree of congruence in species richness between native and non-native species? (b) do changes in the composition of non-native species across ecological gradients reflect a similar turnover of native species along the same gradients ? (c) what are the main environmental and human disturbance drivers controlling species richness in these two groups of species? Species richness and composition of native and non-native plant species were compared at two spatial scales: the plot scale (10 m × 10 m) and the Protected Area scale (PA). In addition, we fit Generalized Linear Models to identify the most important drivers of native and non-native species richness at each scale, focusing on environmental conditions (climate, topography) and on the main sources of human disturbance in the area (land use and roads). We found a significant positive correlation between the turnover of native and non-native species composition at both plot and PA scales, whereas their species richness was only correlated at the larger PA scale. The lack of congruence between the richness of native and non-native species at the plot scale was likely driven by differential responses to fine scale environmental factors, with non-natives favoring drier climates and milder slopes (climate and slope). In addition, more non-native species were found closer to road-ways in the reserve network. In contrast, the congruence in the richness of native and non-native species at the broader PA scale was mainly driven by the common influence of PA area, but also by similar responses of the two groups of species to climatic heterogeneity. Thus, our study highlights the strong spatial dependence of the relationship between native and non-native species richness and of their responses to environmental variation. Taken together, our results suggest that within the study region the introduction and establishment of non-native species would be more likely in warmer and dryer areas, with high native species richness at large spatial scale but intermediate levels of anthropogenic disturbances and mild slope inclinations and elevation at fine scale. Such an exhaustive understanding of the factors that influence the spread of non-native species, especially in networks of protected areas is crucial to inform conservation managers on how to control or curb non-native species.

Biochemical alterations in native and exotic oyster species in Brazil in response to increasing temperature

Globally, riverine fishes are affected by degradation of habitat, stream alterations, lost stream connectivity and introduction of non-native species. The plains topminnow Fundulus sciadicus, a small stream-dwelling fish, currently does not have a federal conservation status in the USA; however, anecdotal reports have suggested its decline for the last 20 yr. Our goals were to evaluate the validity of its reported decline and to determine the current range-wide status of this species. We identified 927 historical sites (1889�1999) of occurrence and compiled recent records or re-visited 667 sites (2000�2010). We found plains topminnow at 189 (28.0%) of these sites. Although Nebraska represented the center of distribution and included 66.7% of all histori- cal sites, plains topminnow were only found at 34.4% of historical sites, with the largest declines observed in the Platte and Republican River drainages. Current sampling efforts in Colorado, Mis- souri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming found similar declines. In Iowa and Kansas, plains topminnow was not found, whereas potential increases in distribution were observed in a single drainage in Minnesota and Wyoming. In addition to our sampling efforts, we repeatedly sampled 40 sites within Nebraska to determine detection probability. Detection probabilities for plains top- minnow were consistent at 0.76 ± 0.05 (mean ± SE) among sites that were sampled with a single visit. Further research is needed on the species and the potential threats to its occupation of sites, as no singular cause for decline seems plausible. Observed threats include degradation and loss of habitat and shifts in species assemblages towards generalist non-native species.

Fish communities in Italian sub-alpine lakes: Non-native species and anthropogenic pressures increase community dissimilarities

Abstract.—The number of nonnative freshwater fish species introduced into, and within, Canada has increased over time. Twenty-one exotic species, not native to Canada, are now established in Canada and were historically introduced through legal stocking. More recently, several species were introduced through ballast water, a vector that now appears to be effectively regulated, and species illegally released into the wild from the live food trade appear to be the emerging primary vector of introduction of exotic species. The primary impacts of exotic species are competition with and, to a lesser degree, predation on or hybridization with, native species. At least 26 species native to Canada have become introduced and established beyond their native range. These human-mediated range expansions of domestic nonnative species were the result of legal stocking, which no longer legally occurs. However, illegal stocking continues to be an ongoing problem. Most domestic nonnative species compete with native species but, unlike exotic species, many also predate on native species. Under Canada’s national aquatic invasive species (AIS) regulations, only four species are prohibited from importation nationally and the introduction of 26 domestic species is prohibited beyond their native range. Five provinces have AIS regulations that include prohibition of some exotic and domestic nonnative freshwater fish species. The ongoing introduction, establishment, and spread of both exotic and domestic nonnative freshwater fish species across the country is an indication that existing AIS regulations are not working. Unless AIS regulations are more effectively implemented, the introduction of exotic and domestic nonnative species will continue and likely be exacerbated by climate change.

Abstract: The introduction of non-native species into freshwater ecosystems has significantly disrupted the ecological balance, often leading to biodiversity loss and altered ecosystem dynamics. Morshi Taluka, situated in the Amravati district of Maharashtra, is home to diverse freshwater habitats that support various indigenous fish species. However, the increasing presence of non-native species has raised concerns among ecologists, conservationists, and local fisheries. This research paper explores the effects of non-native fish species on the native fish populations in Morshi Taluka, analyzing their impact on biodiversity, competition, habitat alteration, and ecosystem stability. The study also highlights the socio-economic consequences for local fisheries and proposes conservation strategies for mitigating the negative effects of invasive species. Keywords: Non-native species, invasive fish, biodiversity, ecosystem disruption, fisheries management, Morshi Taluka.

Introduction. Botanical gardens are the special research institutions fostering the conservation and introduction of various plant species. They have gone a long way in their development and play an important role in organisation of people’s recreation within the urban nature-based framework. The research revealed, that in the botanical gardens the research activities are combined with the considerable work on the architectural planning and landscape-spatial arrangement of territories, all contributing to the rational layout and functioning of the botanical gardens. The aim of the present research is to analyse and identify the main principles of forming the territories of botanical gardens in the south of Russia, find out their functional set-up and modern trends of development, which have not been studied before.Materials and Methods. The comparative analysis of the state of territories of botanical gardens per time and space, the integrated system analysis of the architectural planning and landscape evolution features of the territories of botanical gardens of the south of Russia and the principles of their design from perspective of the landscape architecture, were carried out. When conducting the evaluative research of the territory of the Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don, the graph analytics methods were used, as well as the authors’ graphic materials on reconstruction of the SFU Botanical Garden structure.Results. The main historical stages in the timeline of botanical gardens’ formation in Russia were determined. The evolution of the architectural planning and landscape arrangement of the botanical and dendrological gardens in the southern region of Russia was analysed for the first time. The results of the study allowed making a conclusion about the insufficient consideration of the recreational role of the territories of botanical gardens and principles of their arrangement as the landscape objects during their design and creation. The main principles of forming the territories of botanical gardens in the southern region of Russia were formulated. By the example of the Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University of Rostov-on-Don, the features of its territory formation, creation of the collection stock, arboretum, etc., were revealed. The disadvantages and advantages of zoning its territory, from perspective of forming it as a landscape object, were determined. Conceptual proposals for the transformation of its territories were given.Discussion and Conclusion. The authors have systemised the data per historical periods of the botanical gardens’ formation and evolution in Russia, which enables considering the revealed features during the reconstruction of such territories. For the first time the specifics of the southern region botanical and dendrological gardens’ formation, as the landscape objects intended for recreational purposes, have been studied. The formulated principles of functional zoning of the botanical gardens of the south of Russia will enhance their architectural-artistic and landscape image. Based on the materials of this study, the conceptual design solutions for the territory of the Southern Federal University Botanical Garden of Rostov-on-Don have been provided.

With globalization, agriculture and aquaculture activities are increasingly affected by diseases that are spread through movement of crops and stock. Such movements are also associated with the introduction of non-native species via hitchhiking individual organisms. The oyster industry, one of the most important forms of marine aquaculture, embodies these issues. In Europe disease outbreaks affecting cultivated populations of the naturalized oyster Crassostrea gigas caused a major disruption of production in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Mitigation procedures involved massive imports of stock from the species' native range in the northwestern Pacific from 1971 to 1977. We assessed the role stock imports played in the introduction of non-native marine species (including pathogens) from the northwestern Pacific to Europe through a methodological and critical appraisal of record data. The discovery rate of non-native species (a proxy for the introduction rate) from 1966 to 2012 suggests a continuous vector activity over the entire period. Disease outbreaks that have been affecting oyster production since 2008 may be a result of imports from the northwestern Pacific, and such imports are again being considered as an answer to the crisis. Although successful as a remedy in the short and medium terms, such translocations may bring new diseases that may trigger yet more imports (self-reinforcing or positive feedback loop) and lead to the introduction of more hitchhikers. Although there is a legal framework to prevent or reduce these introductions, existing procedures should be improved.