Ecosystem Level Research Articles

Location-dependent effect of microplastic leachates on the respiration rate of two engineering mussel species.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the world's oceans and pose serious environmental concerns, including their ingestion and the release of potentially toxic mixtures of intrinsic and extrinsic chemical compounds (i.e. leachates; MPLs). Mussels, as key intertidal bioengineers and filter-feeders are particularly susceptible to both exposure pathways. While the effects of microplastic ingestion have been widely investigated, research on the impacts of MPLs has only recently begun. This study examined the influence of MPLs derived from beached pellets collected in two separate regions, namely France and Portugal, on the respiration rates of two key ecosystem engineers, Mytilus edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis. Possibly due to distinct mixtures of leached chemicals, unlike Portuguese-MPLs, exposure to French-MPLs significantly decreased the respiration rate of both mussel species. This research provides new insights into the physiological impacts of MPLs on bioengineer species, highlighting the importance of MP source and potential cascading effects at the ecosystem level. While we reported significant effects on mussel respiration after acute MPL exposure, future research should investigate long-term impacts and potential detoxification mechanisms to clarify the effects of MPs on mussel physiological performance and their potential consequences on specie fitness.

Potential barriers and windows of opportunity for transboundary marine management in the sulu-sulawesi seascape: A policy analysis

Transboundary conservation aims to facilitate environmental conservation and management at the ecosystem level through the cooperation of two or more countries operating across political boundaries. Though there is increased interest and advocation for transboundary conservation initiatives around the world, there remains limited understanding of how to best support their success through coordinated policies. This is especially true for marine resources and seascapes, where management efforts are often more difficult and complicated to implement. This study addresses these key gaps through a policy analysis focusing on the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape as a case study. Indonesian, Malaysian, and Philippine policies related to fisheries, coastal zones and marine protected areas, and environmental quality were examined to explore their similarities and differences across various policy elements important to facilitating more consistent and collaborative management across scales. Assessing policy alignment and disparateness may help highlight potentially prominent barriers to and opportunities for transboundary coordination that would be beneficial to acknowledge and address in future planning. The analyses focused on elements such as the policies’ authorities, restrictions, enforcement, and participation opportunities, among others. Analysis results emphasize that policies and management within Sulu-Sulawesi could benefit from greater adaptability to diverse community needs, participatory processes, and governance integration and standardization. These findings contribute to gaps in knowledge regarding how policy alignment may impact transboundary conservation and may help inform the best practices for increasing the social and environmental success of transboundary conservation initiatives in Sulu-Sulawesi and other transboundary marine systems.

Strengthening the pain care ecosystem to support equitable, person-centered, high-value musculoskeletal pain care

Abstract Improving health and wellbeing outcomes for people experiencing chronic musculoskeletal pain requires collective efforts across multiple levels of a healthcare ecosystem. System-wide barriers to care equity must however be addressed (eg, lack of co-designed services; overuse of low value care/underuse of high value care; inadequate health workforce; inappropriate funding models; inequitable access to medicines and technologies; inadequate research and innovation). In this narrative review, utilizing a systems’ thinking framework, we synthesize novel insights on chronic musculoskeletal pain research contextualized through the lens of this complex, interconnected system, the “pain care ecosystem.” We examine the application of systems strengthening research to build capacity across this ecosystem to support equitable person-centred care and healthy ageing across the lifespan. This dynamic ecosystem is characterized by three interconnected levels. At its centre is the person experiencing chronic musculoskeletal pain (micro-level). This level is connected with health services and health workforce operating to co-design and deliver person-centred care (meso-level), underpinned further upstream by contemporary health and social care systems (macro-level context). We provide emerging evidence for how we, and others, are working towards building ecosystem resilience to support quality musculoskeletal pain care: at the macro-level (eg, informing musculoskeletal policy and health strategy priorities); at the meso-level (eg, service co-design across care settings; health workforce capacity); and downstream, at the micro-level (eg, person-centred care). We outline the mechanisms and methodologies utilized and explain the outcomes, insights and impact of this research, supported by real world examples extending from Australian to global settings.

Value-in-context: co-creation across different context levels in the service ecosystem

Purpose This study aims to provide in-depth insight into how value is co-created on different levels of context (i.e. dyads, triads and networks) within a service ecosystem, and thus examine the impact of indirect service-for-service exchanges on the value co-creation process, the interdependencies between different levels of context and the roles in the value co-creation process that the actors play depending on the context level. Design/methodology/approach Using the theoretical framework of service-dominant logic, the authors carry out a case study analysis of a service ecosystem built around a digital platform where independent confectioneries sell customised cakes to customers. Findings This paper provides evidence for the importance of a wider context extending beyond producer–customer dyad as well as indirect service-for-service exchanges in the process of value co-creation. This paper also conceptualises trans-contextual exchanges, that is, exchanges occurring between different context levels of the service ecosystem. The analysis also allowed us to establish that the same actors simultaneously play different roles in the service ecosystem, depending on the level of context. Research limitations/implications This study highlights the importance of indirect service-for-service exchanges and trans-contextual exchanges. Constituting discreet avenues of value co-creation, often obscured from a single actor of a service ecosystem, these two types of exchanges are nonetheless crucial to understanding the full scope of the ecosystem’s interconnectedness, the varying roles of its actors, as well as supporting the scaling up process of the service ecosystem. Originality/value Althogh there are studies examining value co-creation within wider contexts or ecosystems from the service-dominant logic perspective, usually little attention is paid to the indirect service-for-service exchanges and the interplay between different levels of context.

The Micropaleoecology Framework: Evaluating Biotic Responses to Global Change Through Paleoproxy, Microfossil, and Ecological Data Integration.

The microfossil record contains abundant, diverse, and well-preserved fossils spanning multiple trophic levels from primary producers to apex predators. In addition, microfossils often constitute and are preserved in high abundances alongside continuous high-resolution geochemical proxy records. These characteristics mean that microfossils can provide valuable context for understanding the modern climate and biodiversity crises by allowing for the interrogation of spatiotemporal scales well beyond what is available in neo-ecological research. Here, we formalize a research framework of "micropaleoecology," which builds on a holistic understanding of global change from the environment to ecosystem level. Location: Global. Time period: Neoproterozoic-Phanerozoic. Taxa studied: Fossilizing organisms/molecules. Our framework seeks to integrate geochemical proxy records with microfossil records and metrics, and draws on mechanistic models and systems-level statistical analyses to integrate disparate records. Using multiple proxies and mechanistic mathematical frameworks extends analysis beyond traditional correlation-based studies of paleoecological associations and builds a greater understanding of past ecosystem dynamics. The goal of micropaleoecology is to investigate how environmental changes impact the component and emergent properties of ecosystems through the integration of multi-trophic level body fossil records (primarily using microfossils, and incorporating additional macrofossil data where possible) with contemporaneous environmental (biogeochemical, geochemical, and sedimentological) records. Micropaleoecology, with its focus on integrating ecological metrics within the context of paleontological records, facilitates a deeper understanding of the response of ecosystems across time and space to better prepare for a future Earth under threat from anthropogenic climate change.

Universality of ecological memory for local and global net ecosystem exchange, atmospheric CO2, and sea surface temperature

Modeling global net ecosystem exchange is essential to understanding and quantifying the complex interactions between the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Emphasizing the inter-relatedness between the global net ecosystem exchange, global sea surface temperature, and atmospheric CO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext {CO}}_{2}$$\\end{document} levels, intuitively suggests that all three systems may exhibit collective environmental memory. Motivated by this, we explicitly identified a collective memory function and showed a similar non-Markovian stochastic behavior for these systems exhibiting superdiffusive behavior in short time intervals. We obtained the values of the memory parameter, μ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mu$$\\end{document}, and the characteristic frequencies, ν\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ u$$\\end{document}, for global net ecosystem exchange (GNEE) (μ=0.94±0.03,ν=0.67±0.08/mo.\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mu = 0.94\\pm 0.03, \ u = 0.67\\pm 0.08/mo.$$\\end{document}), global sea surface temperature (GSST) (μ=0.68±0.11,ν=0.30±0.18/mo.\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mu = 0.68\\pm 0.11, \ u = 0.30\\pm 0.18/mo.$$\\end{document}), and atmospheric CO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\ ext {CO}}_{2}$$\\end{document} (μ=0.78±0.08,ν=0.66±0.13/wk.\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\mu = 0.78\\pm 0.08, \ u =0.66\\pm 0.13/wk.$$\\end{document}). The values of the memory parameter are within the range, 0<μ<1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$0< \\mu < 1$$\\end{document}, and thus all three systems are in the superdiffusive regime. We emphasize, further, that these results were consistent with our previous analyses at the ecosystem level (i.e. Great Barrier Reef) suggesting scale invariance for these phenomena. Thus, the observed superdiffusive behavior operating at different scales suggests universality of the collective memory function for these systems.

Digital supply chains for ecosystem resilience: a framework for the Italian case

AbstractContingency where exogenous and dramatic factors (i.e. Covid) impact not only on political and social life but also on economy is changing the way business is managed. Grounded on recent works studying the relationship between digitalisation and resilience, this work aims to systematize the links between the two dimensions at Supply Chains (SC) and at ecosystem level. A conceptual framework for manufacturing companies and policy makers is proposed to cope with disruptions thanks to digital technology implementation. The work is based on the results of an explorative analysis held with the support of practitioners from the manufacturing sector, IT providers and policy makers in Italy to systematise results and to demonstrate that public–private partnership can help to face disruptions. This paper contributes to the theory of ecosystems to establish a systemic framework to go beyond the border of each SC proposing a cross-collaboration model.

Seasonal and long-term variations of nutrients in Liaodong Bay, China: Influencing factors and ecological effects

Nutrients are essential for marine primary productivity and have a critical role in maintaining the structure and function of marginal. Variations in nutrient levels in sea ecosystems can influence ecological disturbances significantly. The Liaodong Bay (LDB) is a semi-enclosed marginal sea in northern China. It has experienced severe eutrophication since the 1990s, leading to considerable environmental challenges. Understanding of seasonal and long-term nutrient dynamics in the LDB is limited. We examined seasonal datasets collected in May (spring), August (summer), November (autumn), and March (winter) of 2019, and analyzed long-term trends through historical records spanning multiple decades. Nutrients accumulated during autumn/winter but were depleted during spring/summer. A low concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphate led to an increased nitrogen ratio exceeding the Redfield ratio (>16) during winter, spring, and summer, driven by phytoplankton growth. In late-autumn, nutrient concentrations increased, with ratios approaching the Redfield ratio. Phosphorus limitation prevailed in spring, summer, and winter, while silicon limitation dominated in autumn. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen and nitrogen ratios in the LDB increased sharply since the 1980s, peaking before declining after 2013. Dissolved silica and silicon ratios decreased steadily, stabilizing in recent years. These trends imply a shift from nitrogen-to-phosphorus limitation, influenced by riverine inputs and atmospheric deposition. These nutrient fluctuations may have significant ecological effects, including dinoflagellate abundance, algal blooms, and jellyfish blooms. Our analyses highlight the complexity of nutrient dynamics and positive impact of local nutrient-reduction policies implemented in recent years in improving the environmental quality of the LDB.

Addressing integration in the organization of palliative care in belgium: a multilevel ecosystems approach using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method

BackgroundPalliative care is becoming an essential component of healthcare, but there is insufficient research on how integration across different levels of care (micro, meso, and macro) is realized in practice. Without such integration, care may become fragmented, leading to suboptimal patient outcomes. While many studies have explored palliative care models, there is a gap in understanding how priorities for integrated care align across these levels within healthcare ecosystems. Specifically, it is unclear whether key actions at each level are shared, coordinated, and supported effectively, making it difficult to implement sustainable, cohesive care strategies. Our study aims to explore the extent to which important goals (i.e., priorities) are shared across the micro, meso, and macro levels of the palliative care ecosystem in Flanders, Belgium.MethodsWe applied a multimethod study using the analytic hierarchy process method (AHP). This consists of three sequential steps: a broad literature search and interviews with Belgian stakeholders (n = 12) to determine the criteria for the organization of integrated care; focus groups (n = 8) with patients, their relatives and caregivers to establish the completeness and relevance of the criteria; and prioritization of the criteria using a questionnaire among 305 Flemish participants (patients, relatives, caregivers and policy makers).ResultsOur findings revealed that integration is imbalanced, with priorities being most emphasized at the micro level (57%), followed by the meso (29%) and macro (14%) level. Functional enablers dominate at the macro (80%) and meso organizational level (67%), while normative enablers are emphasized at the meso professional (67%) and micro level (75%). Effective palliative care requires vertical coordination of these enablers: for instance, transparent communication with patients at the micro level depends on cross-organizational information exchange at the meso level, supported by a unified data system at the macro level.ConclusionAchieving integrated palliative care requires deliberate alignment of priorities across all levels of the ecosystem. While each level plays a unique role, palliative care is comprehensive and effective only by sharing both functional and normative enablers across micro, meso, and macro level.

Spatiotemporal changes in the community and demography of mesozooplankton in the eastern Indian sector of the Southern Ocean during austral summer 2018/2019

The Southern Ocean is facing rapid environmental changes. However, few studies have been conducted on the spatiotemporal variability of mesozooplankton communities under recent climatic conditions, particularly in the eastern Indian sector. This study describes the spatiotemporal variability of the mesozooplankton community and the demographics of large copepods and krill in this sector, sampled through a Rectangular Mid-Water Trawl with 1 m2 mouth area (RMT1) during the austral summer of 2018/2019 as part of the KY1804 survey. Cluster analysis indicated that the mesozooplankton community was divided into five groups that showed only small longitudinal differences, as they were affected by oceanic fronts. Part of the variability was explained by physical (local upwelling) and biological features (e.g., the occurrence of species showing a specific spatial distribution, such as Euphausia crystallorophias). Horizontal changes in the zooplankton community structure were not attributed to temporal changes during the 2-month sampling period. The demographics of the dominant species, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlacheri, and Thysanoessa macrura, exhibited significant temporal differences in abundance or mean stage index (MSI) between the early and late seasons. These differences matched the growth rates estimated in previous studies, suggesting that their growth during the study period was constant without regional differences. There were no evident changes in the abundance or demographics of Rhinalanus gigas, suggesting that they were in their reproductive season. These species-specific demographics could be explained by the species life cycles: growth in C. acutus and C. propinquus and reproduction in R. gigas during the austral summer. Abundances and MSIs confirmed the growth of dominant copepods and krill during the sampling period; however, no evident seasonal changes were observed in the zooplankton community structure. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of lower trophic levels in marine ecosystems and the present carbon cycle in the eastern Indian sector of the Southern Ocean.

Warming reduces trophic diversity in high-latitude food webs.

The physical effects of climate warming have been well documented, but the biological responses are far less well known, especially at the ecosystem level and at large (intercontinental) scales. Global warming over the next century is generally predicted to reduce food web complexity, but this is rarely tested empirically due to the dearth of studies isolating the effects of temperature on complex natural food webs. To overcome this obstacle, we used 'natural experiments' across 14 streams in Iceland and Russia, with natural warming of up to 20°C above the coldest stream in each high-latitude region, where anthropogenic warming is predicted to be especially rapid. Using biomass-weighted stable isotope data, we found that community isotopic divergence (a universal, taxon-free measure of trophic diversity) was consistently lower in warmer streams. We also found a clear shift towards greater assimilation of autochthonous carbon, which was driven by increasing dominance of herbivores but without a concomitant increase in algal stocks. Overall, our results support the prediction that higher temperatures will simplify high-latitude freshwater ecosystems and provide the first mechanistic glimpses of how warming alters energy transfer through food webs at intercontinental scales.

Enhancing the energy level of regional digital innovation ecosystems: A configuration perspective.

This study introduces the concept of "energy level" into the analysis of innovation ecosystems. Drawing on the theory of "architects", we have identified the key architects of regional digital innovation ecosystems. By integrating Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), we examined the configuration effects of internal architects, external architects, and digital innovation habitats on the energy level of these ecosystems, utilizing data from 30 provinces in China as case studies. The results indicate that the contribution of a single architect to achieving a high energy level in a regional digital innovation ecosystem is limited and cannot be regarded as a necessary condition for driving a high energy level. However, core innovation actors and digital infrastructures emerge as more significant core conditions. The architects of regional digital innovation ecosystems exhibit multiple concurrent causal relationships. The configuration paths of high and non-high energy levels of ecosystems display a causally asymmetric "multiple paths to the same outcome" relationship. The three identified paths for driving high energy levels are categorized as "core actor-infrastructure"-driven paths. The findings of this paper hold substantial theoretical and practical significance for fostering the healthy development of regional digital innovation ecosystems.

The rhizosphere contributes disproportionately to free-living nitrogen fixation in subalpine forest soils

Root activity creates a unique microbial hotspot in the rhizosphere, profoundly regulating free-living nitrogen fixation (FLNF). However, empirical assessments of rhizosphere FLNF and its ecological consequences for nitrogen (N) budgets remain lacking, particularly for different root functional modules. Here, we separately collected rhizosphere soils attached to two root functional modules, absorptive roots and transport roots, and investigated the rates (15N2 incorporation) and regulators of rhizosphere FLNF in a N-limited subalpine coniferous forest. The measured rates were further extrapolated to annual fluxes based on the volume of the rhizosphere and the relationship between FLNF rate and temperature. We found that absorptive roots drove significantly higher rhizosphere FLNF rates than did transport roots (12.2 vs. 7.5 ng N g-1 d-1), with both rhizosphere compartments exhibiting rates well exceeding those in the bulk soil (0.9 ng N g-1 d-1). The FLNF rates were positively correlated with soil organic carbon content but showed no significant relationship with the abundance or composition of the diazotrophic community. Moreover, when extrapolated to the ecosystem level the FLNF fluxes were 2-fold greater in the rhizosphere of absorptive roots than in that of transport roots (0.13 vs. 0.04 kg N ha-1 yr-1). Taken together, despite representing only 6.0% of the soil volume, the two rhizosphere compartments contributed as much as 47.2% to the total soil FLNF fluxes. Overall, we provide empirical evidence that despite its limited volume, the rhizosphere contributes disproportionately to the FLNF in subalpine forest soils. Our findings also underscore the critical role of root functional differentiation in regulating rhizosphere FLNF, which is essential for integrating this process into the ecosystem-level N cycle.

Biodiversity Conservation Strategies From No Net Loss to Net Gain. A Multidimensional Accounting Method

AbstractBiodiversity credits are increasingly recognized as a potential instrument to incentivize and bolster efforts in biodiversity conservation. Nevertheless, their efficacy is impeded by a dearth of research. To mitigate these constraints, this study introduces a comprehensive and integrated framework for appraising biodiversity credits. Drawing upon the Emergy Accounting methodology, the framework encompasses four key perspectives: Emergy‐based Ecosystem Potential (EEP), Emergy‐based Ecosystem Network (EEN), Emergy‐based “Species' to Human” contributions (ESH), and Emergy‐based Species' Significance. Furthermore, this study scrutinizes the trajectory of biodiversity credits across 31 provinces spanning from 2000 to 2050, considering 220 distinct scenarios. The findings reveal that China has attained the no net loss (NNL) objective concerning conventional area‐based conservation targets, with forest cover encompassing 27% of the total land area. However, biodiversity credits at the ecosystem level exhibit an escalating trend, with growth rates ranging from 0.73% to 1.0%, while credits at the species level depict a decremental trend, with an approximate growth rate of −0.21%. Under a scenario of moderate growth, projections for the year 2030 indicate that the EEP credit is poised to accrue approximately 4.76E + 20 solar emjoules (sej), the EEN credit is forecasted to accumulate around 1.03E + 21 sej, and the ESH credit is anticipated to decline by 1.46E + 23 sej within the context of the NNL paradigm. These outcomes underscore the necessity of delineating differentiated biodiversity goals, and furnish insights into the dynamics of supply and demand pertaining to biodiversity credits within the ambit of offsetting schemes across the nation.

A methodology to assess the maturity level of the digital ecosystem and its testing on the IT parks case

Subject. The article addresses a technopark as a form of a digital ecosystem that has a certain structure and is characterized by the features of structural components and their interrelationships. Objectives. The study aims to develop a methodology for assessing the maturity level of digital ecosystem, which enables to determine the stage of ecosystem's life cycle and the level of its development. Methods. The assessment rests on the developed multifactorial methodology. It includes three interrelated complex parameters (resource and infrastructure security, the level of development of central relational mechanisms, and ecosystem productivity). The methodology is based on methods of scoring and identifying correlation between indicators characterizing the maturity level of each component of the ecosystem. Results. From a theoretical perspective, we developed an assessment methodology. It is unique in its multifactorial and structural approach to assessing the maturity of ecosystems. From a practical point of view, we built ratings of IT parks, which clearly reflect the stage of ecosystem development, factors ensuring the growth of productivity, and socio-economic effect from ecosystem mechanisms of the IT park. The study identifies the best ecosystems of IT parks and ecosystems that need to be developed and supported financially and institutionally. Conclusions. The assessment methodology is applicable for monitoring and evaluating the stage of development of IT parks as digital regional ecosystems.

Australian medical regulations and strengthened continuing professional development (CPD): A policy implementation gap analysis with the specialist medical colleges

Introduction: Starting from 2023, Australian medical practitioners must meet new mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) requirements for registration renewal. In particular, each year they must complete 12.5 hours of educational activities and 25 hours of CPD activities related to reviewing performance and measuring outcomes, with a minimum of 5 hours each for reviewing performance and measuring outcomes activities, and they are encouraged to use patient health data and large eHealth datasets for better insights. Despite concerns regarding data accessibility and outcome measurement, specialist medical colleges are implementing these requirements. This study aims to explore factors influencing colleges’ efforts and provide recommendations for future research and action to enable data-driven CPD practices. Methods: A policy implementation gap analysis employing semi-structured interviews as a standalone method was conducted with participating colleges. Four colleges agreed to participate, with a total of 18 participants recruited from either the colleges’ staff who are responsible for interpreting and implementing CPD regulatory policies or the colleges’ CPD committees. Interviews were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Data collection, data analysis and final results were reported using the COREQ checklist. Results: Three themes were identified from the interview analysis: (1) colleges' organisational structure and their roles and responsibilities within the Australasian CPD ecosystem, (2) challenges and enablers for policy implementation and (3) organisational needs and future actions at college level and necessary pre-conditions at ecosystemic level for strengthened CPD. Conclusions: Internal and external organisational factors are hindering colleges’ efforts to implement policy. More research, a reassessment of colleges’ roles, responsibilities and structure, and collaboration among colleges and data holders are necessary to enable full policy implementation and strengthened CPD practices.

Genomic and Epigenomic Influences on Resilience across Scales: Lessons from the Responses of Fish to Environmental Stressors.

Understanding the factors that influence the resilience of biological systems to environmental change is a pressing concern in the face of increasing human impacts on ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them. However, most considerations of biological resilience have focused at the community and ecosystem levels, whereas here we discuss how including consideration of processes occurring at lower levels of biological organization may provide insights into factors that influence resilience at higher levels. Specifically, we explore how processes at the genomic and epigenomic levels may cascade up to influence resilience at higher levels. We ask how the concepts of "resistance," or the capacity of a system to minimize change in response to a disturbance, and "recovery," or the ability of a system to return to its original state following a disturbance and avoid tipping points and resulting regime shifts, map to these lower levels of biological organization. Overall, we suggest that substantial changes at these lower levels may be required to support resilience at higher levels, using selected examples of genomic and epigenomic responses of fish to climate-change-related stressors such as high temperature and hypoxia at the levels of the genome, epigenome, and organism.

Ecotoxicity of bromate and human health risks resulting from wastewater treatment units' effluents associated with some key physicochemical parameters in two hotspots connected to the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea

This study is the first of its kind in terms of focusing on the seasonal monitoring of bromine species (bromide− and bromate) and some of the main physicochemical parameters in the surface water of stations inside and in front of the El Noubareya and El-Umum drains that flow directly or indirectly to the Egyptian Mediterranean coast at A (El Noubareya Drain) and B (El-Mex Bay) sites. Among the bromine species, bromate (BrO3−) is a disinfection byproduct considered by many international agencies to have a potential carcinogenic effect in humans and is also known to be ecologically toxic to aquatic organisms. Drain water samples collected from the studied sites A and B had a bromide/chlorinity ratio (3.85E-03 - 6.25E-03 and 3.27E-03 - 6.97E-03, respectively) significantly higher than the typical value for open seawater (3.50E-03), showing significant dilution with wastewater at drain stations in the investigated sites. The source and origin of bromine species and the major ions studied associated with the wastewater units were identified and tracked by calculating the ion/chlorinity ratio and multivariate analysis. The total hazard quotient (THQ) for bromate intake and dermal exposure in children, females, and males demonstrates negligible harm to human health. The toxic unit (TU) and the sum of toxic units (STU) values of the three trophic levels in the surface water for the two sites under investigation yielded approximately comparable values for risk quotient (RQ) and mixture risk characterization ratios (RCRmix(MEC/PNEC)), indicating that invertebrates are more sensitive to bromate dangers than fish and algae. The study highlights the importance of conducting large-scale laboratory tests on the effluents resulting from wastewater treatment units, including bromide levels, to prevent the formation of dangerous side compounds such as bromate, which may have negative effects on populations and may lead to the toxicity of trophic levels in ecosystems.

The Impact of Catastrophic Floods on Macroinvertebrate Communities in Low-Order Streams: A Study from the Apennines (Northwest Italy)

Floods are normal components of many river regimes and, as such, they exert a significant influence at the ecosystem level. In recent decades, however, climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of floods, with serious consequences for lotic biota, particularly benthic macroinvertebrates, due to their limited mobility and sensitivity to disturbance. The impact of floods varies according to different biological parameters including the characteristics of the macrobenthic communities (taxonomic composition, morphology, behaviour, and life history traits) on one hand and various nonbiological parameters such as flood intensity, artificialisation of the river bed, the presence of dams, and many other factors on the other. Understanding these dynamics is pivotal to improve the effective management and conservation of aquatic ecosystems in the context of current climate change. The aim of this short communication is to evaluate the impact of a catastrophic flood on the macroinvertebrate community of a low-order Appennine stream (NW Italy). This will provide data regarding the varying impacts on different taxa and the recovery pattern of this significant component of the ecosystem.

Tree stem-atmosphere greenhouse gas fluxes in a boreal riparian forest

Tree stems exchange greenhouse gases with the atmosphere but the magnitude, variability and drivers of these fluxes remain poorly understood. Here, we report stem fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in a boreal riparian forest, and investigate their spatiotemporal variability and ecosystem level importance. For two years, we measured CO2 and CH4 fluxes on a monthly basis in 14 spruces (Picea abies) and 14 birches (Betula pendula) growing near a headwater stream affected by historic ditching. We also measured N2O fluxes on three occasions. All tree stems were net emitters of CO2 and CH4, while N2O fluxes were around zero. CO2 fluxes correlated strongly with air temperature and peaked in summer. CH4 fluxes correlated modestly with air temperature and solar radiation and peaked in late winter and summer. Trees with larger stem diameter emitted more CO2 and less CH4 and trees closer to the stream emitted more CO2 and CH4. The CO2 and CH4 fluxes did not differ between spruce and birch, but correlations of CO2 fluxes with stem diameter and distance to stream differed between the tree species. The absence of vertical trends in CO2 and CH4 fluxes along the stems and their low correlation with groundwater levels and soil CO2 and CH4 partial pressures suggest tree internal production as the primary source of stem emissions. At the ecosystem level, the stem CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions represented 52 ± 16 % of the forest floor CO2 emissions and 3 ± 1 % and 11 ± 40 % of the forest floor CH4 and N2O uptake, respectively, during the snow-free period (median ± SE). The six month snow-cover period contributed 11 ± 45 % and 40 ± 29 % to annual stem CO2 and CH4 emissions, respectively. Overall, the stem gas fluxes were more typical for upland rather than wetland ecosystems likely due to historic ditching and subsequent groundwater level decrease.