Anthropic Pressure Research Articles

Pesticides and PPCPs in aquatic ecosystems of the andean central region: Occurrence and ecological risk assessment in the Uco valley

Uco valley (Mendoza, Argentina) suffers the concomitant effect of climate change, anthropic pressure and water scarcity. Moreover chemical pollution to aquatic ecosystems could be another pressuring factor, but it was not studied enough to the present. In this sense, the aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic ecosystems of the Uco Valley and to perform an ecological risk assessment (ERA). The presence of several insecticides (mainly neonicotinoids), herbicides (atrazine, diuron, metolachlor, terbutryn) and fungicides (strobilurins, triazolic and benzimidazolic compounds) in water samples in two seasons, related to crops like vineyards, garlic or fruit trees was associated to medium and high-risk probabilities for aquatic biota. Moreover, PPCPs of the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, parabens and bisphenol A were detected in all the samples and their calculated risk quotients also indicated a high risk. This is the first record of pesticides and PPCPs with an ERA in this growing agricultural oasis. Despite the importance of these findings in Uco Valley for decision makers in the region, this multilevel approach could bring a wide variety of tools for similar regions in with similar productive and environmental conditions, in order to afford actions to reach Sustainable Development Goals. SynopsisAquatic ecosystems in arid mountain regions are threatened worldwide. This study reports relevant data about chemical pollution in Central Andes, which could be a useful tool to enhance SDGs’ accomplishment.

Influence of the Hydrological Variability on Water Quality and Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Chilean Estuary During a Megadrought

The climate crisis has accelerated the frequency and intensity of droughts in the Mediterranean areas, impacting the hydrology and the ecology of their basins. Maule River is the largest watershed in the Chilean Mediterranean Zone. The growing anthropic and environmental pressure has led to changes in the structure and function of its terrestrial ecosystem. However, little is known about its influence on aquatic ecosystems. The effect of the recent extreme drought on the streamflow and its influence on water quality and the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were evaluated in the Maule River’s lower section. Beyond temporal and spatial fluctuations, healthy and permanently well-oxygenated waters prevailed in the study area. However, during the megadrought period, evidenced by a significant decrease in both precipitation and river streamflow, a greater salt wedge influence was observed, at least, in the last 7 km of the river. Although with certain asynchrony, a change in the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community was observed in the upstream stations. This marinization reveals an increase in the domain of marine taxa associated with the Polychaeta group and a clear decrease in typical freshwater Oligochaeta individuals. This modification in the structure of the benthic community is expected to affect the function of this estuarine system. The results presented here highlight the importance of considering the variability associated with biological components for the management of water resources and related ecosystem services, considering that one of the main problems associated with changes in land use and the pressures caused by the climate crisis is the decrease in the quality and availability of water in this and other Mediterranean basins globally.

Does Restinga degradation impact the association between mites and dung beetles?

AbstractThe conservation state of an environment can be a key factor in maintaining the existence of some interactions between species. The relationship between the dung beetle Dichotomius schiffleri, a habitat‐specific species endemic to the Restinga ecosystem, and endangered, and its symbiont mites can serve as a model to improve knowledge about this issue. In this study, we investigated whether the conservation state of Brazilian Restingas, a native ecosystem of the coastal zone that has suffered from anthropic pressure and impacts due to irregular occupation by humans, affects the abundance of mites present on D. schiffleri. Beetles and their associated mites were collected using pitfall traps in Conserved and Degraded Restingas at nine locations in the Brazilian states of Espírito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe, and Pernambuco. The abundance of mites associated with beetles was significantly higher in conserved sites than in degraded sites. Our findings provide evidence that Restinga degradation can affect not only abundance of dung beetle species, as previously reported, but also the ecological relationships that can be established between dung beetles and mites. The habitat quality and hosts availability are some mechanisms that may explain the maintenance of the interactions between dung beetles and mites. Finally, imbalance in ecological relationships is one more factor capable of signalling as human modified habitats impact fauna.

The distribution of bushmeat mammals in unflooded forests of the Central Amazon is influenced by poaching proxies.

Medium to large rainforest mammals are key conservation flagship groups that offer non-redundant ecosystem functions, but anthropic pressures, such as illegal hunting, may strongly affect their occupancy in Amazonia. We combined camera traps and occupancy models to assess the influence of distance from human settlements, the number of families per settlement and the synergetic effect of the average weight of 27 species on the occupancy probability of mammals. Specifically, we classified mammal species according to the game preferences of hunters (i.e. a group of species depleted for bushmeat, a group of species hunted for retaliation and a group of non-hunted species). We also accounted for the influence on the detection probability of each group of both the number of days each camera operated and the body weight of mammals. The occupancy probability of the bushmeat group (i.e. deer, peccaries, agoutis, pacas and armadillos) was lower at locations closer to human settlements. Still, the number of families correlated positively with occupancy, with the occupancy probability of the group being slightly higher at sites with more families. This difference was probably due to larger and more abundant crops and fruiting trees attracting wildlife at such sites. Conversely, the occupancy probability of the retaliation group (i.e. carnivores) and the non-hunted group (i.e. opossums, spiny rats, squirrels and anteaters) were indifferent to anthropogenic stressors. The detection probability of the non-hunted and particularly the most depleted species correlated negatively with body weight. This may suggest that larger species, especially those from the bushmeat group, are rarer or less abundant in the system, possibly because they are the preferable target of hunters. In the long term, locals will likely need to travel long distances to find harvest meat. Poaching also threatens food security since game bushmeat is an essential source of protein for isolated rural Amazonians.

Sanitary conditions of the third largest informal settlement in Brazil

Abstract Large Brazilian cities, such as Rio de Janeiro, suffer serious environmental problems caused by informal settlements (IS), such as advances in the degradation of surface waters involving anthropic pressures resulting from uncontrolled urban growth, lack of sanitation or disasters related to climate events, creating a gap in relevant information about environmental health in urban IS. Therefore, it is essential to assess the health conditions of IS and the local population's perception of their living conditions. This study aimed to evaluate, by online form and public data, the sanitary conditions of the third largest IS in Brazil, the Rio das Pedras community, which was located on the banks of the Jacarepaguá Lagoon complex. The analysis revealed that 35% of respondents reported releasing domestic sewage directly into the river near their homes. Furthermore, 83% of the participants reported that they disposed of urban solid waste inappropriately. About 21% of residents reported falling ill due to direct contact with unsafe water after flood events. Public managers, concerned with advancing sustainability agendas and mitigating the risks to environmental health related to the lack of adequate sanitation services, should invest in actions that reflect the perception of the local population, proposing more appropriate socio-environmental solutions.

A new Malaxis (Orchidaceae: Malaxidinae) from the Campos de Altitude of the Atlantic rainforest in southern Brazil

Malaxis ybytus is proposed as a new species from the wetlands of the Campos de Altitude of the Atlantic rainforest of south Brazil, Serra do Araçatuba\Papanduva mountain chain. It is described, illustrated, and compared with other similar species. The new species is similar to Malaxis cipoensis and Malaxis sertulifera, but it is recognised by its flat to slightly conduplicate leaves, densely congested inflorescence with small flowers bearing free lateral sepals and four foveas in the lip. Due to the high degree of endemism in this environment, the few collection records and the anthropic pressure in the region, we infer that the species is critically endangered (CR) based in criterium D of the IUCN.

A Scientometric Analysis of the Use Indices for Water Quality Biomonitoring

Water resources are supplied under strong anthropic pressures and result in several problems of water contamination in the world, which necessitates the use of methodologies for their evaluation. Thus, this research aimed to identify the biomonitoring indices based on macroinvertebrates in the evaluation of the quality of the water used and to identify its application trends. The study was developed through a scientometric review over a 20-year period (2000–2020). The search consisted of articles indexed in the Scielo, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases, based on the keywords “biotic index” * OR “aquatic macroinvertebrates” * OR “benthic macroinvertebrates” * OR “Biomonitoring” * AND “water quality.” Selection, such as inclusion and exclusion, was applied in the Start program (State of the Art through Systematic Review-Start). The results showed that the EPT index (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) was the most used among all researched databases (20%), and among the Ecological Indicators journals from which the largest number of publications were obtained (11%). Regarding the indices used in biomonitoring research, the ASPT index (average score per taxon) was the only one with a tendency to increase in use over the years (R² = 0.29; p < 0.05). Although the biomonitoring indices are commonly used worldwide denoting that it is still an alternative tool, this literature review showed that among the indices only one has a trend of use, which must be considered for further research.

How multiple anthropic pressures may lead to unplanned channel patterns: Insights from the evolutionary trajectory of the Po River (Italy)

The aim of this work is to investigate how a sequence of anthropic pressures that occurred on a river sector can generate mutual feedback that determines unplanned channel configurations. We reconstructed the evolutionary trajectory and historical human impacts on a sector of the Po River (Italy). A training scheme was implemented from the 1930 s to the 1950 s along a multi-thread sector of the river to ensure its navigability by bent navigation structures. Other human activities were carried out from the 1960 s to the 1970 s for the exploitation of sediment and water resources, inducing a dramatic reduction in sediment availability along the Po River. Our results show an evolution from multi-thread configurations in the 1950 s to single-thread configurations at the beginning of the 21th century, accompanied by remarkable channel narrowing (-50 %). This evolution has been interpreted as follows: Riverbed lowering occurred exclusively in the main channel during the 1970 s, and the training works enhanced the disconnection and deactivation of the secondary channels that were located behind navigation structures. This localised incision of the active channel (-4 m) was determined by the sediment starvation. In the absence of navigation structures, it is likely that the channel adjustments would have been less profound. The current single thread sinuous pattern is the result of these two anthropic pressures, with the training works defined as an anthropic predisposing condition and the sediment starvation recognised as the triggering factor generating morphological modifications. The channel rearrangement that resulted from these processes can accordingly be defined as unplanned, that is, not designed but caused by diachronous impacts acting on the same river sector for different purposes. The lesson learned from the Po River suggests that anthropogenic, unplanned channel configurations can represent a common type of riverscape in densely inhabited areas significantly affecting recovery potential and future geomorphological trajectories.

Caracterización de poblaciones de especies endémicas en bosque tropical seco semideciduo. Parque Nacional Machalilla, Manabí, Ecuador

ABSTRACT Seasonally dry tropical forests are ecosystems of high endemism and floristic diversity, but they have been relatively not well-studied ecosystems and are very much threatened by anthropic pressures. This study aimed to evaluate the dendrometric and horizontal structure characteristics of the population of 12 endemic plant species in the semideciduous forest of the Equatorial Pacific Coastal Cordillera of the Machalilla National Park, Manabí, Ecuador. This is one of the most extensive protected areas on the Ecuadorian coast, located in the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biogeographic region. It is considered one of the 25 hotspots worldwide. We selected 12 species that hypothetically co-exist in this semideciduous forest (Bursera graveolens, Eriotheca ruizii, Handroanthus chrysanthus, Ziziphus thyrsiflora, Geoffroea spinosa, Myroxylon balsamum, Priogymnanthus apertus, Melicoccus bijugatus, Nectandra reticulata, Simira ecuadorensis, Coccoloba ruiziana, Klarobelia lucida). We studied five 2500 m2 transects, where dendrometric variables (tree height, diameter at breast height-DBH, basal area, altimetric and diameter classes) were evaluated. We evaluated the horizontal structure variables of populations like absolute/relative abundance, dominance and frequency, and the importance value index (IVI and IVN). In 12,500 m2, the results identified 331 individuals. M. balsamum was the highest species (9.41 m), while E. ruizii had the highest DBH (21.03 cm) and the biggest basal area (0.05 m2). The species with the highest absolute/relative abundance and frequency were S. ecuadorensis and H. chrysanthus, and the latter had the highest absolute dominance (1.23 m2•ha−1). S. ecuadorensis presented the highest importance value index based on 100 and 300, followed by H. chrysanthus and Z. thyrsiflora. P. apertus, M. balsamum, E. ruizii and C. ruiziana obtained intermediate values. The least ecological weight was for N. reticulata, K. lucida, M. bijugatus and G. spinosa. No B. graveolens individuals were observed in the studied transects in this forest because this species was found at altitudes < 240 m a.s.l. The results of the altimetric and diameter classes indicated that the studied sector corresponds to a relatively young secondary forest affected by natural and anthropic factors.

Assessing the Impact of Anthropic Pressures on Aquatic Macroinvertebrates: A Functional Trait Approach in the Irtysh River Watershed.

Little is known about how changes in the biodiversity and functional traits of macroinvertebrates in rivers respond to the responses of anthropic pressures and their driving factors. Macroinvertebrates were sampled at 17 sites in the Irtysh River Basin and classified macroinvertebrates into 10 traits and 38 categories between May and August 2022. Then, we performed R-mode linked to Q-mode (RLQ) analysis and calculated functional richness, evenness, divergence, and Rao's quadratic entropy (RaoQ) for each site and community-weighted means for each trait category. Our results indicated that there were pronounced alterations in species variability in the urban region. Functional divergence indicated fierce competition among species and considerable niche overlap in the urban region. Functional evenness indicated that species abundance distribution and interspecific functional distance were not uniform in the urban region. Functional richness indicated that the urban region was the strongest region in terms of niche occupation, resource utilization, and buffering capacity for environmental fluctuations. Rao's quadratic entropy showed that the trait difference of macroinvertebrates was the largest in all regions, which was caused by the gradient environmental difference. Research has revealed that urbanization significantly influences the evolutionary trajectory of macroinvertebrate fauna, culminating in an upsurge in pollution-tolerant species and a convergence of functional traits. We recommend strengthening the control of urban and industrial pollution and wise planning and management of land and water resources to mitigate the impact of anthropogenic destruction on habitat fragmentation in the Irtysh River Basin.

Distribution, drivers and restoration priorities of plant invasions in India

Abstract Biological invasions threaten biodiversity and human wellbeing, with developing tropical countries being more vulnerable. Despite the urgency to reduce impacts of invasions, management interventions are constrained by unavailability of timely information on invasive species occurrence, potential drivers and restoration priorities. Generating this information at biogeographic scales can be costly, unless integrated with multi‐objective biodiversity monitoring. Invasive plant monitoring is integrated with India's national‐scale tiger population assessment, wherein natural areas are sampled at 25 km2 scale to inventory plants. In 2018, a total of 158,979 plots were sampled covering ~358,550 km2. We used 206,393 locations of high concern invasive plants to model their distribution using socio‐ecological covariates and identify potential drivers of invasions. Considering the invasion magnitude and financial constraints in management, we further identified priority restorations sites at national‐scale to maximise biodiversity outcomes. High‐concern invasive plants were recorded from ~254,880 km2 (72% sampled area) and modelled to invade in total ~750,905 km2 (66%) Indian natural systems. While open and deciduous ecosystems were the highest invaded by woody plants, areas with extreme climate and less anthropic pressure were least invaded. Since managing invasions across their range seemed futile due to costly (~13.5 billion USD for one‐time management) and ineffective strategies, restoration priority was assigned to least invaded areas (11% protected areas, 23% multi‐use) to maximise biodiversity returns. Synthesis and applications: India implemented national‐scale invasive plant monitoring by integrating it with the umbrella project on tiger assessment. Embarking on this big data, we show that two‐thirds of India's natural areas are under multiple plant invasions, owing to the legacy of anthropogenic modifications. Our study offers a restoration priority model, empowering policymakers to devise adaptive strategies for restoring invaded biomes and maximizing biodiversity returns.

Toxicity assessment of microplastics within the Loire River in the clam Corbicula fluminea exposed to environmentally relevant exposure conditions.

The dispersed pollution caused by microplastics (MPs) represents a current and global concern. While the fragmentation of plastic debris into smaller particles occurs in rivers, little MP research is done on freshwater species and is published compared to the marine environment. The Loire River is the longest river in France and is subject to moderate to high anthropic pressure while it represents major societal and economic issues. However, there are not many studies that have been put forward with regards to the effect of environmental MPs (EMPs) on aquatic organisms and no policies have been enacted to monitor the plastic pollution. In this study, freshwater bivalves, Corbicula fluminea, were exposed for 21 days to environmentally relevant concentrations of a mixture of <200 µm MPs generated from plastic litter collected directly along the banks of the Loire River. This mixture was composed of 40% polyethylene (PE), 40% polypropylene (PP), 10% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and 10% polyvinylchloride (PVC) (mass percentage). Ecotoxicological effects were assessed from the individual to the molecular levels on several endpoints: condition index, filtration efficiency, enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, energy reserves and gene expression. The ingestion of EMPs caused damages at the biochemical level. Indeed, we reported an increase in catalase activity in gills and digestive mass, a decrease in TBARs in gills, a decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity in the digestive mass, a decrease of glycogen and lipid contents in the whole organisms and a significant induction of the expression of gst, cat, mp, acp genes. The current results suggest therefore that long-term exposure to realistic doses of EMPs causes toxicity towards freshwater benthic biota. The analysis of biomarker activities and the analysis of gene expression are complementary to prevent the effects of a plastic contamination at higher biological levels in aquatic organisms.

Identifying the Determinants of the Increase in Native Forests in Southern Chile

In Chile, the native forest has suffered anthropic pressure that has resulted in the reduction in its surface and increased degradation, which has led to the development of public policies to reverse this scenario and encourage its sustainable management and conservation. This study examines the socioeconomic variables that influence the area increase in native forests in southern Chile, based on the analysis of 154 properties in the regions of Los Ríos, La Araucanía and Los Lagos. Georeferenced information from the 2015 SIMEF program survey and the Cadastre and Evaluation of Native Vegetation Resources of Chile were used. A Probit regression model was implemented, which associates a traceable increase in the native forest area with the variables regarding the owner: location, gender, age, schooling, management plan and technical advisory; and regarding the exploitation: farm size, percentage of native forest, scrub and forest plantations of the property and number of animal units. The econometric results show that smaller farms and those located in Los Lagos presented less probability of increasing their native forests. In the same way, an increase in the share of forest plantations area decreases the probability. Conversely, the scrub area share is related to the recovery of native forests in the sample. No significant effects of the variables associated with the implementation of management plans and technical assistance were found.

Genetic structure and gene flow in Myocastor coypus (Rodentia: Echimyidae) populations inhabiting a highly modified agroecosystem of the Pampas region

Abstract Assessing the genetic diversity and gene flow among populations in combination with ecological data provides valuable insight into the spatial use and genetic structure of wildlife. Anthropic impact generates landscape changes that threaten species by favouring their isolation in small patches and limiting their connectivity. However, in some cases, it can increase genetic exchange among wild populations. Here, we used a set of 16 microsatellites to study the genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and historical and current gene flow of coypu (Myocastor coypus) populations, a semi-aquatic rodent that inhabits watercourses of the highly anthropized agroecosystems of the Pampas region. Our results showed moderate to high levels of genetic diversity and revealed the existence of genetic structure among populations. Bayesian analysis showed different patterns of genetic structure among and within sampling sites. Also, the patterns of historical gene flow differed from that seen today. These results, together with previous studies, suggest that anthropic pressure, habitat fragmentation and ephemeral landscapes in a highly modified ecosystem could alter the dispersal patterns of coypus in their native range, which would otherwise be different in an environment with low anthropic impact. The results provide new information that could be used in effective conservation programmes.

Quantifying the landscape changes within and outside the Dachigam National Park, Kashmir Himalaya, India using observations and models.

Protected areas are the cornerstone of biodiversity and serve as a haven for biodiversity conservation. However, due to immense anthropic pressures and ongoing changes in climate, the protected reserves are under immense threat. Human interference through land system changes is a major precusor of fragmentation of landscapes resulting in the decline of Himalayan biodiversity. In this context, this research assessed land use land cover changes (LULCCs) and fragmentation within and outside the Dachigam National Park (DNP) using remote sensing data, GIS-based models and ground truth over the past 55 years (1965-2020). Landscape Fragmentation Tool (LFT) helped to compute edge effect, patchiness, perforation and core areas. The Land Change Modeller (LCM) of IDRISI TerrSet was used for simulating the future LULC for the years 2030, 2050, 2700 and 2100. The analysis of LULCCs showed that built-up and aquatic vegetation expanded by 326% and 174%, respectively in the vicinity of the DNP. The area under agriculture, scrub and pasture decreased primarily due to intensified land use activities. Within the DNP, the area under forest cover declined by 7%. A substantial decrease was observed in the core zone both within (39%) and outside (30%) the DNP indicative of fragmentation of natural habitats. LCM analysis projected 10% increase in the built-up extents besides forests, shrublands and pastures. This knowledge generated in this study shall form an important baseline for understanding and characterising the human-wildlife relationship, initiating long-term ecological research (LTER) on naturally vegetated and aquatic ecosystems (primarily Dal Lake) of the region.

LABORATORY STUDY OF WAVE HYDRODYNAMICS IN THE SURF ZONE IN PRESENCE OF ROUGHNESS

In the global context of increasing anthropic pressure on coastal environments, understanding and modelling the physical processes leading to submersion or erosion of the coastline are key factors in anticipating these risks. Many studies of nearshore wave transformation have been conducted mainly on sandy beaches or gentle slopes. On this type of beach, wave transformation models give generally satisfactory results (Thornton and Guza, 1983). Yet, the hydrodynamics of other types of bottoms, specifically rough and/or steep bottoms, are not fully understood and modelled, especially the effect of roughness on frictional dissipation (Péquignet et al, 2011; Monismith et al, 2015; Poate et al, 2018). Thus, a laboratory experiment, in the wave flume (6m long) of Seatech Engineering School, in Toulon, France was conducted both to improve the understanding of physical processes in controlled environment, and to connect the hydrodynamics to the seabed structure.

Different behavioral strategies of two sympatric seahorses: habitat availability and increased density of Hippocampus guttulatus alter the behavior of Hippocampus hippocampus

In the light of future ocean warming scenarios and habitat fragmentation, coastal fishes must adjust their physiological and behavioral traits to face the combined effect of global warming and ecological interactions. Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are charismatic fishes with peculiar life cycle traits, which make them vulnerable to several anthropic pressures and natural disturbances. In this study, we investigated the behavior of two sympatric seahorse species, the long-snouted Hippocampus guttulatus (Cuvier, 1829) and the short-snouted Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758). Specifically, we carried out two manipulative experiments to assess (i) the effect of temperature and habitat availability on both H. hippocampus and H. guttulatus behavior and (ii) the effect of temperature and an increased density of H. guttulatus (by 3×) on the activity level of congeneric species H. hippocampus. Our results showed that +3°C warming did not affect seahorse behavior in both experiments, suggesting greater behavioral tolerance to thermal variation. However, a significant reduction of the active behavior of H. hippocampus was observed when the artificial habitat was introduced in the tank, while H. guttulatus maintained its activity. Furthermore, a significant decrease of the H. hippocampus activity was observed with an increased relative dominance of H. guttulatus. Our results suggest that both increased density of H. guttulatus and habitat availability, but not ocean warming, will affect the behavior of H. hippocampus. Therefore, different interspecific behavioral strategies may occur, thus affecting the distribution of the two species among shallow habitats when they occur in sympatry.

THE SYSTEM OF AQUATIC HABITATS FROM TEPLIȚA, A VITAL ELEMENT FOR CONSERVATION OF THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE UPPER CORRIDOR OF TISA RIVER

Protected areas are a critical aspect towards safeguarding biodiversity with impacts on climate change and carbon sequestration. This study presents the results of the analysis on the living conditions offered to aquatic birds by the aquatic habitats of ROSPA0143 Upper Tisa protected area and highlights the importance of the aquatic habitats from Teplița for the conservation of biodiversity. Teplița aquatic system registers the largest number of aquatic species (66 out of a total of 68 for the entire protected area), of species that occur only here (22), of those nesting exclusively at Teplița (36.84% of the total nesting aquatic species) as well as the largest populations of aquatic species that are important for conservation. The vegetal carpet that supports the fauna has a simplified structure due to anthropic pressures, being comprised of three types of hygrophilous habitats, but with a high degree of ruderalization. Water quality analysis reveals a slightly more basic pH value for Tisa than for the 3 lakes in the area. Also, high values of dissolved oxygen and oxygen saturation determined for Tisa and the three lakes reflect a good level of oxygenation, above the minimum of 6.5-8 mg·L-1 required for healthy water. In accordance to water legislation, all measured parameters (i.e., alkalinity, Na, NH4+, NO2-, NO3-, Cl, iron) fall within the very good, good, and moderate quality classes. Dissolved copper, however, reveals a degraded water quality for lake 3 with a concentration slightly higher than the legal limit (0.123 mg·L-1).

Criteria for Assessing the Environmental Quality of Soils in a Mediterranean Region for Different Land Use

Since the 1980s, there has been a notable increase in environmental sensitivity, which has decisively contributed to an improved perception of the role of soil in ecosystems. European (and especially Mediterranean) soils have a long tradition of use, which places them among the three Earth soils that have been affected the most by anthropic pressure. The definition of soil quality identifies and recognizes the soil’s main functions regarding productivity, environmental quality, and human health. Interpreting the criteria for assessing soil quality requires continuous information on its state. Therefore, certain measurable characteristics and properties of the soil are useful, as they can be affected by processes that impact its quality, and analyzing its variation can reflect or show that impact. The parameters used to measure a soil’s state are called indicators. Indicators are useful because they provide summarized and simplified information on the state of a process, but with a meaning that goes beyond an association with an individual parameter. There is an urgent need for consensus among soil scientists and institutions on the concept of soil quality and the applicable environmental quality indicators, as well as establishing interpretative guides for the selected indicators. Soil quality can be analyzed and assessed using several scales with different analysis objectives, information requirements, soil data, implications, and consequences for appropriate soil management. Spanish soil scientists developed a methodological proposal to assess the environmental quality of soil, its environmental impact, and plan and organize land use in the scope of a Mediterranean region. This manuscript is a contribution to the knowledge of the state-of-the-art research in the field of assessing the environmental quality of soils, providing the vision of numerous authors and a methodological proposal for an assessment on a regional scale that may be of interest in other regions or fields of study.

“Till death do us apart”: The common destiny of brown hare and its parasite community

Although parasites may threaten individual hosts' survival and reproduction, their role as an essential part of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity has been recognized. In Northern Italy, the hare population has evidently declined since 2008.This paper aims to assess the relationship between host demographic trends and helminth parasite community diversity in a two-year survey in Northern Italy to evaluate the impact of parasites on hosts and confirm the hypothesis that endangered host populations are poor in parasites.In 2013 and 2015 the viscera of 54 and 61 hares legally hunted in agro-ecosystems of the Po Plain were collected. This area is characterized by heavy anthropic pressure: more than 60% of the landscape is represented by agricultural or urbanized territories.No intestinal cestodes were detected. Trichuris sp. and Micipsella numidica were collected in 2015 only; Trichostrongylus retortaeformis, Taenia pisiformis cysticercosis and bronchopulmonary lesions caused by small strongyles were observed in both years. The richness and evenness appeared increased in the second year of the survey, although lower than those obtained by literature data from similar populations examined in the last two decades of 1900.The dominant helminth, T. retortaeformis, was more abundant in individuals with higher weight, while pathological findings were mostly unrelated to this nematode infection; this is consistent with a reduced action, even no harm, of the parasites on the individual host or population level.Our results suggest that the conservation of hosts, environment, and parasites cannot be achieved separately and that parasites and wildlife hosts' destinies are intimately linked, confirming the complexity of ecosystems and the need to contemplate parasite biodiversity in conservation strategies.