European Distribution Research Articles

Identification of representative dairy cattle and fodder crop production typologies at regional scale in Europe

European dairy production faces significant economic, environmental, and social sustainability challenges. Given the great diversity of dairy cattle production systems in Europe, region-specific concepts to improve environmental and socioeconomic sustainability are needed. Regionally integrated dairy cattle-crop systems emerge as a more resilient and sustainable alternative to highly specialized farming systems. Identifying different dairy cattle production typologies and their potential interactions with fodder crop production is presented as a step in transitioning to optimized agricultural systems. Currently existing typologies of integrated systems are often insufficient when characterizing structural, socioeconomic, and environmental components of farms. We fill this gap in the literature by identifying, describing, and comparing representative dairy cattle production system typologies and their interrelation with regional fodder crop production at the European regional scale. This is a necessary step to assess the scope for adapted mitigation and sustainability measures in the future. For this purpose, a multivariate statistical approach is applied. We show how different land-use practices, farm structure characteristics, socio-economic attributes, and emission intensities condition dairy production. Furthermore, the diversity of regional fodder crop production systems is demonstrated by analyzing their distribution in Europe. Together with identified typologies, varying degrees of regional specialization in milk production allow for identifying future strategies associated with the application of integrated systems in key European dairy regions. This study contributes to a better understanding of the existing milk production diversity in Europe and their relationship with regional fodder crop production. In addition, we discuss the benefits of integrated systems as a clear, viable, and resilient alternative to ongoing livestock intensification in the European context. Identifying interactions between components of integrated systems will facilitate decision-making, the design and implementation of measures to mitigate climate change, and the promotion of positive socio-economic and environmental interactions.

Implementing Nestedness in Darwin Core: An epidemiology case study

Wildlife diseases have an impact on biodiversity, the economy, and public health. Better knowledge of disease patterns would be to the benefit of conservation measures, livestock production and, thus, ultimately human health. Nevertheless, disease surveillance systems operate mostly at a national scale, with incompatible data structures, inhibiting effective data sharing and thus rapid transnational responses to disease outbreak. As the risk of disease to biodiversity, the economy and to public health increases with climate change, land-use change and trade, the necessity for a common data standard to improve data sharing of surveillance efforts is greater than ever to enable transnational proactive and reactive measures to be taken. To address these large issues, a consortium for the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA; the Enetwild consortium) was formed to collect existing data on wildlife host abundance and distribution in Europe. Alongside data on their associated pathogens, the consortium is attempting to develop data models to aggregate the host data according to the Darwin Core*1 standard. However, the complexity of zoonotic disease and wildlife distribution data is not easily captured in the current version of the Darwin Core standard, often comprising complex data structures with species interactions and partial information. Firstly, zoonotic disease data consist of observations of both the host and the pathogen, whereby each positive case of a disease is associated with the observation of the host species. Secondly, wildlife host distribution data frequently contain detailed information for only some individuals of a group when multiple individuals of the host species are observed simultaneously, such as life stage and sex. In order to capture these types of interactions and subsetting, we need to be able to handle the hierarchical structuring of these data. In an attempt to resolve these issues, a data model in line with the Darwin Core standard was initially developed for wildlife host population data (Enetwild Consortium et al. 2020). Here, we propose a new data model for data on the hosts’ pathogens, and use both data models to demonstrate the model efficacy for complex hierarchical data structures. The epidemiology data model is structured around the existence of a primary occurrence of the host species observation, which may consist of one or many individuals. In order to associate the presence (or absence) of the pathogen to the host, or to provide details on the host group composition, the data model allows child occurrences to relate to the primary, or parent, occurrence at a particular event (Table 1). We propose the implementation of a hierarchical structure of the occurrence extension to allow these two phenomena to be effectively modelled. This hierarchical structuring relies on the adoption of a new term, the ‘parentOccurrenceID’, whereby each 'parent' observation of the host species can be associated with multiple 'child' observations. To this end, we propose the introduction of the parentOccurrenceID term (currently under discussion on GitHub). Using the Darwin Core standard, we propose a data model that would allow effective harmonisation of zoonotic disease data, demonstrating that harmonisation of disease surveillance data in Europe is possible. Finding solutions to capturing complex hierarchical biotic interactions in Darwin Core is currently underway at GBIF*2, 3, although relying on a separate relationship table. However, we advocate for the introduction of the new parentOccurrenceID thanks to its simplicity and very general applicability, being adaptable to any group occurrence where detailed or partial information is available, or to hierarchical interaction relationships such as between hosts and pathogens. We believe the employment of the new term would be complementary to the current GBIF developments, and of benefit to many Darwin Core users where details apply to differing levels of hierarchical occurrences.

Algorithm for visualizing substation areas in electric power systems

Electric power distribution systems can be represented with mathematical graphs in which the hub nodes are substations receiving electric power from the transmission system and delivering it to the consumers via feeders consisting of transformers, junctions, cables and power lines. High-quality diagrams depicting these systems are key elements of efficient monitoring and control. Existing automatic diagram generation solutions are usually limited to drawing single feeders or contain significant simplifications of the underlying distribution system e.g., visualize multiple feeders with their interconnections removed. The goal of this research was to develop an algorithm capable of generating visually-pleasing diagrams of substation areas consisting of a single hub node and a complex network of thousands of interconnected elements. The resulting algorithm was defined as a sequence of transformations which takes a mathematical graph as input and generates a one-line diagram as output. Multiple novel approaches are incorporated to optimize the algorithm thereby allowing it to run efficiently on regular desktop computers. Also, a novel diagram quality evaluation procedure was developed to automatically measure and compare the usability of each generated diagram. The algorithm was tested on 2510 different substation areas of various complexity extracted from the network models of real-life, European distribution systems. The quality of the generated diagrams was measured with the novel evaluation procedure and verified with a human domain experts on a subset of the resulting diagrams. Based on these analyses, it was concluded that the generated diagrams are usable in newly built supervisory and control systems with minimum human intervention.

Optimization of a Calcium-Based Treatment Method for Jellyfish to Design Food for the Future.

Edible jellyfish are a traditional Southeast Asian food, usually prepared as a rehydrated product using a salt and alum mixture, whereas they are uncommon in Western Countries and considered as a novel food in Europe. Here, a recently developed, new approach for jellyfish processing and stabilization with calcium salt brining was upgraded by modifying the pre-treatment step of freshly caught jellyfish and successfully applied to several edible species. Treated jellyfish obtained by the application of the optimized version of this method respected both quality and safety parameters set by EU law, including no pathogenic microorganisms, absence or negligible levels of histamine and of total volatile basic nitrogen, no heavy metals; and the total bacterial, yeast, and mold counts were either negligible or undetectable. Jellyfish treated by the presented method exhibited unique protein content, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, antioxidant activity, and texture. The optimized method, initially set up on Rhiszostoma pulmo, was also successfully applied to other edible jellyfish species (such as Cotylorhiza tuberculata, Phyllorhiza punctata, and Rhopilema nomadica) present in the Mediterranean Sea. This study discloses an innovative process for the preparation of jellyfish-based food products for potential future distribution in Europe.

A humanitarian cold supply chain distribution model with equity consideration: The case of COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the European Union

This research develops a humanitarian cold supply chain model with equity consideration for COVID-19 vaccine distribution during a pandemic, considering deprivation cost and an important social concept named equity. The proposed comprehensive plan minimizes all incurred costs, including transportation costs, shortage costs, deprivation costs, and holding costs, while aiming at eliminating infection and mortality rates. The proposed three-echelon supply chain model includes suppliers, distributors, and affected regions (ARs), as destinations. We apply the proposed model to the actual vaccine distribution data during the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. A mixed integer programming (MIP) model is developed to minimize the costs and satisfy the demand goals in the vaccine distribution plan. A sensitivity analysis demonstrates how total and deprivation costs affect each other, helping the managers establish a trade-off between them. The results show that appropriate supply chain planning can minimize logistics and social costs. The proposed model can help policymakers, and decision-makers better understand the importance of equity and implement a fair distribution of vaccines, considering the deprivation cost as a social cost.

EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS APPLICATION IN RUSSIA

The article presents the European experience in the development of regional air transportation and the possibility of its application in the Russian Federation. The evolutionary development of European international air transportation is analyzed and the forecast of European air transportation distribution dynamics by range until 2034 is given. The best practices of the European air transportation market on the example of Switzerland before the pandemic and under COVID-19 conditions are considered, and an overview of the air transportation market in Russia at its current stage of development is given. The article proves that the presence of quality infrastructure and transparent rules of the market are necessary conditions for the European airlines in managing their business. It is concluded that the Russian market of regional air transportation still requires improvement and attention from the government. Consolidation of the efforts of all interested actors with the simultaneous involvement of state structures will make it possible to implement the strategic priorities in this direction. Achieving an effective and balanced restart of the industry in question is possible on the basis of a global approach, including analysis and assessment of risk reduction measures that accompany the process of air transportation recovery, taking into account the factors of economic unblocking and ensuring the possibility of passenger air travel.

HLA molecular study of patients in a public kidney transplant program in Guatemala

Guatemala is a country located in Central America, and while it is one of the most populated countries in the region, the genetic diversity of the population has been poorly analyzed. Currently, there are no analyses of the distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system alleles in mixed ancestry (i.e., ladino) populations in Guatemala. The HLA system exhibits the most extensive polymorphism in the human genome and has been extensively analyzed in a large number of studies related to disease association, transplantation, and population genetics (with particular importance in the understanding of diversity in the human population). Here, we present HLA typing data from 127 samples of unrelated individuals from the kidney transplant program of the San Juan de Dios General Hospital (Guatemala City) using a PCR-SSOP-based (PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide probes) typing method. We found 16 haplotypes that accounted for 39.76 % of the total haplotype diversity, of which thirteen have been reported previously in Native American populations and three have been reported in European populations. The analyses showed no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and admixture estimates calculated with k = 3 ancestral components showed that Native American was the most represented component, followed by the European component. The African component was less prominent in the Guatemala mixed ancestry sample in comparison to samples from other countries in Central America. The HLA-based admixture results for Central America showed a continuum in the distribution of Native American, European and African ancestries throughout the region, which is consistent with the complex demographic history of the region.

Evidence of a Climate-Change-Induced Shift in European Beech Distribution: An Unequal Response in the Elevation, Temperature and Precipitation Gradients

Climate is a strong predictor of the geographic distribution of tree species, and thus climate change may trigger shifts in the distribution of a tree species and/or its demographic structure. In the study, we aim to comprehensively compare the distributions of four life stages of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) (i.e., regeneration, recruitment, young trees and mature trees) in forests in Slovenia, Central Europe, which are characterized by strong gradients of elevation (ELV), temperature (TEMP) and precipitation (PREC) to detect possible shifts in distribution and demography. Beech life stages were surveyed on 3366 plots. To depict disparities between ELV, TEMP and PREC distributions of beech life stages, we applied several non-parametric methods: basic statistical tests to study differences in medians, means, and 1st and 9th deciles; generalized additive models to study shifts in the optimum; and extreme value analysis to study shifts at the trailing and leading edges. A substantial shift in juvenile beech stages upward and toward colder sites was detected. However, the shift was not uniform along the distributions; the most significant shift was detected at the leading edge of ELV (+73 m) and TEMP (−2.6 °C), but surprisingly there was no beech movement identified at the trailing edge. The observed shift may be a result of the interplay between climate change, high spatial variability in microclimate, unexceptional droughts in the recent past, changes in forest use and possible limitations in the migration ability of beech and its adaptation capacity.

Pathways for the development of future intelligent distribution grids

The next decade will bring several technical and organisational challenges to the electrical distribution grids, which are becoming an important pillar of the energy transition. Distribution system operators will play a crucial role and thus need to find innovative solutions that will prepare them for these changes. Acknowledging large differences between European distribution grids, this paper presents pathways for distribution system operators developed within the scope of the UNITED-GRID project, in close cooperation with distribution grids in the Netherlands, France and Sweden. Investment decision tools based on future scenarios and future-readiness assessment form the first step to steer the distribution system operators towards the necessary technical and digital innovations that increase the observability and controllability of the grid. Secondly, new types of business models are introduced that can be integrated into the operators’ portfolios. Thirdly, a workshop methodology is proposed to define the new internal requirements that make distribution system operators more agile to face the fast impacts of the energy transition. Case studies from the demonstration sites in the three countries are used as examples in the paper.

Golden jackal as a new kleptoparasite for Eurasian lynx in Europe

The arrival of a new carnivore can have important effects on local communities. While several effects of introduced alien species have been well documented, few studies have reported the ecological consequences of an expanding native species. Golden jackals ( Canis aureus ) are rapidly expanding their distribution in Europe, far beyond their historic range. While this raises many concerns about their potential impact on native wildlife, actual consequences are rarely recorded. Besides being a predator, the jackal is also an efficient scavenger and could function as a kleptoparasite for other predators living in areas colonized by jackals. Large felids are among the predators most vulnerable to kleptoparasitism and Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ) are already known to be negatively affected by several scavengers. Here we report on the first confirmed cases of jackals scavenging on lynx kills in the Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia. We used camera traps to monitor scavengers at 65 lynx kills and recorded two cases of groups of jackals feeding on roe deer killed by lynx. To determine the potential for jackal kleptoparasitism on lynx at the continental level, we also calculated trends in the overlap in distribution ranges of both species in Europe. To date, jackals have colonized 13% of lynx range, including parts of two highly threatened populations. Finally, we highlight the potential impact of sympatric grey wolves ( Canis lupus ) to modulate this newly described jackal-lynx kleptoparasitic interaction. • First cases of golden jackals scavenging on Eurasian lynx kills are presented. • Overlap between lynx and jackal distribution is rapidly increasing. • Jackals have already colonized 13% of lynx range. • Grey wolves have capacity to importantly modulate jackal-lynx interactions.

Adventive cicadas species (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) in the Republic of Moldova

This paper includes results of study of the four adventive species of cicada (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) in the Republic of Moldova, of which two species from family Cicadellidae, one species from family Membracidae and one species - from family Flatidae. Data on their biology, ecology, origins and general distribution in Europe, feeding preferences and economic impact are presented. Сicada Japananus hyalinus Osborn, 1900 is a new species for the fauna of the Republic of Moldova.

Estimation of Harmonics in Partly Monitored Residential Distribution Networks With Unknown Parameters and Topology

The generalized adoption of power-electronic-based loads in residential networks is leading to increasing concern about harmonic distortion levels. At the same time, residential distribution systems are insufficiently monitored to provide a reliable analysis of harmonic limits compliance at the point of common coupling of customers. To address this problem, this paper proposes a practical method to estimate voltage harmonic levels in real time at all connection points of residential consumers. The proposed methodology assumes unknown network parameters and topology according to the limited data availability which is usual in low voltage residential networks. The proposed harmonic estimation method uses information gathered from conventional smart meters typically installed in the network (which register fundamental voltage and power) and from a reduced number of installed power quality monitors. A penetration of power quality meters below 10% has proved to provide accurate estimations of voltage harmonic levels at the whole network. The paper also proposes a methodology to optimally locate these power quality meters in the network. Validation of the methodology is performed in two different European distribution test networks with 55 buses and 471 obtaining satisfactory results. The method’s robustness and the parameters affecting accuracy are also analyzed in the article.

Trigonalyoidea (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) – a new superfamily of wasps recorded in Romania

The superfamily Trigonalyoidea, along with the species Pseudogonalos hahnii (Spinola, 1840), is recorded for the first time in Romania. An up-to-date distribution in Europe and a brief description of its biology is presented, together with a picture of the specimen collected in Romania.

First records of three Pergamasinae species (Acari, Mesostigmata, Parasitidae) from Slovakia

We recorded three mite species, Pergamasus (Thenargamasus) instatutus Athias-Henriot, 1967, Pergamasus (Pergamasus) laminarius Witaliński, 1971 and Holoparasitus ampullaris Witaliński, 1994, from Slovakia for the first time. Mites of the genera Pergamasus Berlese, 1903 and Holoparasitus Oudemans, 1936 are predatory mites living mainly in a soil and a rotting organic matter of the Holarctic region with a centre of distribution in Europe. Till now, P. instatutus was recorded in Austria and Hungary, while P. laminarius and H. ampullaris were known only from Poland.

Review of Evaluation and Valuation Methods for Cetacean Regulation and Maintenance Ecosystem Services With the Joint Cetacean Protocol Data

Cetaceans provide a range of ecosystem services of value to anthropogenic interests. Following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) these are categorised as regulation and maintenance, provisioning, and cultural values. This study focuses on those of importance to climate change mitigation through regulation and maintenance. Under regulation and maintenance, cetaceans can store, transport, and influence stocks of carbon through: climate regulation through carbon sequestration, enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem potential, and enhanced primary productivity. ‘Climate regulation through carbon sequestration’ can be quantified as carbon fixation through living biomass and ‘whale-falls’. Cetacean populations store significant stocks of carbon in living biomass. After death, sinking whale carcasses, ‘whale-falls’, provide a significant transfer of biomass and nutrients to benthic sediments and support deep sea ecosystems. During their lifespan, cetaceans also disperse nutrients through feeding and excretion both horizontally through the ‘whale-conveyor’ and vertically through the ‘whale pump’. As nutrient limitations hinder phytoplankton growth, these processes can be quantified as the increased potential of phytoplankton carbon fixation from cetacean driven nutrient cycling. Enhanced biodiversity, ecosystem potential, and primary productivity can be quantified as carbon fixation through nutrient cycling. This study reviews the evaluative and valuative techniques used in cetacean ecosystem service research and adapts and applies them to the Joint Cetacean Protocol (JCP) data which details cetacean abundance and distribution in Europe. They are then reviewed with regards to their robustness, application in markets, and in decision making processes. Cetacean populations are estimated to contain 2 Mt C, cycle 60,000 t N yr-1, and impact carbon fluxes by as much as 22 Mt C yr-1 in the survey area. The values highlight key areas for cetacean conservation: the Outer Hebrides, west of south Wales, around the Isle of Man, to the east of England, and to the north-east of the Shetland Islands. There is, however, large uncertainty in the evaluative processes used; nutrient cycling models presented in this study don’t capture removal of excess nutrients, or the values of enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem potential. As such, they are not sufficiently robust to quantify market values but highlight key areas for future research on climate change mitigation through conservation. Key areas of future research include phytoplankton uptake rates of nitrogen and phosphorus in nutrient limited waters, quantification of ‘enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem potential’, and nutrient removal from coastal waters.

Geoglomeris subterranea (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae), the first morphologically non‐specialized semiaquatic glomerid millipede?

<i>Geoglomeris subterranea</i> (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae), the first morphologically non‐specialized semiaquatic glomerid millipede?

First record of Neoscona byzanthina (Araneae: Araneidae) in Romania

This work reports the presence of Neoscona byzanthina (Pavesi, 1876) in Romania, partly based on records provided by citizen scientists. The species was found at five different locations. Further, morphological differences to the other species of the genus are summarized and some data on the ecology of this species together with an up-to-date distribution in Europe are presented. This is the third Neoscona species recorded in Romania and comparative pictures of the epigyne of all these species are provided.

Parietaria mottle virus. [Distribution map

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Parietaria mottle virus. Martellivirales: Bromoviridae: Ilarvirus. Hosts: tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), pepper ( Capsicum spp.). Information is given on the geographical distribution in Europe (France, Greece, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Balearic Islands).

Catmint (Nepeta nuda L.) Phylogenetics and Metabolic Responses in Variable Growth Conditions.

Nepeta nuda (catmint; Lamiaceae) is a perennial medicinal plant with a wide geographic distribution in Europe and Asia. This study first characterized the taxonomic position of N. nuda using DNA barcoding technology. Since medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites contributing to their adaptive immune response, we explored the N. nuda metabolic adjustment operating under variable environments. Through comparative analysis of wild-grown and in vitro cultivated plants, we assessed the change in phenolic and iridoid compounds, and the associated immune activities. The wild-grown plants from different Bulgarian locations contained variable amounts of phenolic compounds manifested by a general increase in flowers, as compared to leaves, while a strong reduction was observed in the in vitro plants. A similar trend was noted for the antioxidant and anti-herpesvirus activity of the extracts. The antimicrobial potential, however, was very similar, regardless the growth conditions. Analysis of the N. nuda extracts led to identification of 63 compounds including phenolic acids and derivatives, flavonoids, and iridoids. Quantification of the content of 21 target compounds indicated their general reduction in the extracts from in vitro plants, and only the ferulic acid (FA) was specifically increased. Cultivation of in vitro plants under different light quality and intensity indicated that these variable light conditions altered the content of bioactive compounds, such as aesculin, FA, rosmarinic acid, cirsimaritin, naringenin, rutin, isoquercetin, epideoxyloganic acid, chlorogenic acid. Thus, this study generated novel information on the regulation of N. nuda productivity using light and other cultivation conditions, which could be exploited for biotechnological purposes.

Late Quaternary land snail faunas of the Desertas Islands (Madeira): high diversity and endemism followed by recent impoverishment and extinction

ABSTRACT Late Quaternary deposits containing fossil snail shells were sampled from nine sites on Deserta Grande and three on Bugio, two of the three Desertas Islands in the oceanic Madeiran archipelago. In total, 3,432 shells representing 45 species or subspecies were retrieved. Calibrated amino acid racemization yielded ages ranging from &amp;gt;45 to 6 ka, with variation by site often confounded by reworking of mostly colluvial deposits. The assemblages found are compared with the extant fauna, itself a subject of intensive recent study. Of the 45 taxa, 18 are apparently extinct, and a further 5 no longer survive on the Desertas. A similar pattern emerges when each island is considered separately. The level of local extinction (c. 50%) is greater than seen on the larger, nearby islands of Madeira and Porto Santo. There are few endemic species in the extant fauna not represented in the fossil assemblages, but there are a number of possibly adventitious species, some with wide distributions in Europe. There is little evidence of faunal change within the limits of the age range available, and extinction seems to be concentrated in the later Holocene. It is attributed to the massive habitat destruction that occurred subsequent to human occupation from the 15th century CE onwards. The study emphasizes the depauperate nature of many extant island faunas subject to human disturbance.