Human-induced Environmental Change Research Articles

Contaminated freshwater as a Harbinger of tropical disease spread in Europe

Human-induced environmental changes, including climate change and pollution, significantly affect host-parasite interactions, potentially altering the geographical spread and severity of various parasitic diseases. These changes may particularly influence the dynamics of diseases like schistosomiasis, posing significant public health concerns. This review explores how pollutants such as organophosphate pesticides, antibiotics, heavy metals, cities’ landfills, and microplastics can affect the development and transmission dynamics of parasites, especially Schistosoma spp. Our researches highlight that pesticides promote parasitic disease development, while pharmaceuticals have mixed effects on the life cycles of these parasites. Similarly, heavy metals found in water systems disrupt host-pathogen interactions, and microplastics are linked to significant changes in snail stressor genes, a critical intermediate host for several parasites. With the rising impacts of anthropogenic activity on the environment, there is an urgent need to reassess and adjust regulatory policies to minimize these threats. By studying the implications of pollution on host-parasite interactions, we can develop better strategies for disease control and improve the preservation of our ecosystem’s health.

Squamate scavenging services: Heath goannas (Varanus rosenbergi) support carcass removal and may suppress agriculturally damaging blowflies.

Human-induced environmental change has caused widespread loss of species that support important functions for ecosystems and society. For example, vertebrate scavengers contribute to the functional health of ecosystems and provide services to agricultural landscapes by removing carcasses and associated pests. Widespread extirpation of native Australian mammals since the arrival of Europeans in Australia has removed many scavenging species from landscapes, while scavenging mammals such as European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been introduced. In much of Australia, squamate reptiles are the largest native terrestrial scavengers remaining, where large native mammals are extinct and conservation management is being undertaken to remove invasive mammals. The contribution of reptiles to scavenging functions is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the ecosystem functions provided by large reptiles as scavengers to better understand how populations can be managed to support ecosystem services. We investigated the ecosystem services provided by vertebrate scavengers in Australian coastal mallee ecosystems, focusing on the heath goanna (Varanus rosenbergi), the only extant native terrestrial scavenger in the region. We carried out exclosure experiments, isolating the scavenging activity of different taxonomic groups to quantify the contribution of different taxa to scavenging services, specifically the removal of rat carcasses, and its impact on the occurrence of agriculturally damaging blowflies. We compared areas with different native and invasive scavenger communities to investigate the impact of invasive species removal and native species abundance on scavenging services. Our results indicated that vertebrate scavenging significantly contributes to carcass removal and limitation of necrophagous fly breeding in carcasses and that levels of removal are higher in areas associated with high densities of heath goannas and low densities of invasive mammals. Therefore, augmentation of heath goanna populations represents a promising management strategy to restore and maximize scavenging ecosystem services.

A sea of change: Tracing parasitic dynamics through the past millennia in the northern Adriatic, Italy

Our study uses data from Holocene core samples and modern death assemblages to understand how human-induced environmental change in the northern Adriatic Sea (Italy) may have affected parasite-host dynamics in the economically important bivalve Chamelea gallina. Thirty-one radiocarbon dates confirm temporal distinctness between the periods before and after the onset of significant human influence and confirm that trematode prevalence has decreased by an order of magnitude over the past ∼2 k.y. The median number of parasite-induced pits per bivalve host and parasite aggregation has also decreased significantly, signaling a substantial decrease in the effective population size of digenean trematodes. Gaussian finite mixture modeling of pit size does not support the hypothesis of parasite extinction. Combined, these results indicate the (potentially ongoing) collapse of parasite-host interactions in C. gallina in concert with human influence on the Adriatic and its transition to an urban sea.

Assessing ecosystem services of mountain lakes

From global to local scales, human-induced environmental changes can impact mountain lakes by, for example, altering species composition, trophic state, and thermal dynamics, thereby affecting ecosystem functions and processes. However, the consequences of these changes on ecosystem services (ES) of mountain lakes are unclear due to a lack of integrative assessments. Therefore, this dissertation adopts an interdisciplinary ES perspective to improve insight into human interactions with mountain lakes and the potential social and ecological impacts of anthropogenic pressures on them. Stakeholder consultations highlighted the importance of regulating, cultural, and provisioning ES of natural mountain lakes, emphasizing habitat, aesthetics, recreation, education and research, and surface water, with nature-based experiences as being a key aspect of human interaction with mountain lakes. Multiple indicators were proposed to quantify potential supply of these ES, revealing variations among case study lakes in the European Alps. These results informed an integrative valuation approach and exposure assessment to anthropogenic pressures, suggesting that ES by mountain lakes are sensitive to climate change-related and human use pressures. Overall, the findings advance a social-ecological understanding of mountain lakes and indicate towards the need for adaptive lake management to maintain ES under potential anthropogenic pressure.

Urbanization alters the geographic patterns of passerine plumage color in China

Urbanization has altered natural landscapes and serves as an environmental filter that selects species with specific traits. Coloration is an important trait associated with biotic interactions and thermoregulation, enabling species’ survival and reproductive success. However, few studies have focused on how species coloration changes in response to urbanization. Here, we used 547 passerine bird species from 42 cities and their corresponding non-urban communities in China to test whether urban species are darker and if they have duller plumage colors than their non-urban counterparts. Furthermore, we examined whether and how urbanization influences avian plumage color homogenization and the extent to which urbanization has altered the strength of the color–latitude geographic pattern in passerine birds across China. We found a 3.2% loss in the coloration space of birds after urbanization, although there were no significant differences in the individual dimensions of colorfulness and lightness between urban and non-urban birds. Avian communities in cities exhibited more plumage color homogenization than those in non-urban communities. There were significant latitudinal gradients in plumage colorfulness and lightness in non-urban communities, but these correlations were weaker in urban communities. Non-urban communities that were more colorful and lighter tended to be duller and darker in urban environments, and vice versa. Our results provide national-scale evidence that urbanization has led to reduced color diversity, increased color-based community similarity, and altered geographic patterns of avian plumage color gradients in China. These findings provide new insights into how rapid human-induced environmental changes have affected animal coloration during the Anthropocene.

Climate change and the Bay of Bengal region: vulnerabilities, risks and the absent cooperation

ABSTRACT There are three challenges specific to the Bay of Bengal region in the context of climate change. Firstly, this is a climate-sensitive region that sits on the brink of several climate and human-induced environmental changes and challenges. Secondly, it is still a relatively understudied geographic area from the perspective of climate risks. Third, the process of securitisation of climate change and long-term risks to resources in this region has not taken place fully as traditional security challenges, geopolitics, and great power competition have become primary concerns. This paper looks at the climate vulnerabilities and risks prevalent in this region. It also looks at human-induced challenges like marine pollution and IUU fishing. It then evaluates the reasons why several of the collective promises in the region remain unfulfilled. It is followed by a brief discussion on the security implications of climate change which is followed by a conclusion.

Caught in the crossfire: biodiversity conservation paradox of sociopolitical conflict

The current state of global biodiversity is confronted with escalating threats arising from human-induced environmental changes and a growing array of unpredictable challenges. However, effective conservation efforts are often hindered by limited knowledge, especially in developing economies such as the Philippines. The limitations imposed by these shortfalls in biodiversity knowledge hamper the capacity to protect biodiversity in light of the continuing extinction crisis. Our study revealed that areas with higher conflict levels exhibited lower species richness, fewer occurrence records, and reduced forest cover. This finding provides initial evidence for the relationship between sociopolitical conflict and biodiversity in the Philippines. We posit that the security risks caused by sociopolitical conflicts could have a negative impact on conservation efforts, particularly in terms of monitoring and implementing measures to protect natural resources. The links that bind armed conflict and biodiversity conservation are multifaceted and complex issues that warrant greater scientific and political attention. Finally, we identified 10 meaningful approaches to address shortfalls in biodiversity knowledge in conflicted areas, particularly incorporating conflict-sensitive approaches, considering the geopolitical context and conflict dynamics to adapt and align their strategies with local realities for more effective conservation efforts.

A Tapestry of Human-Induced and Climate-Driven Environmental Change in Western Uganda: The Ndali Crater Lakes Region

Abstract Recent archaeological and paleoenvironmental research in the Ndali Crater Lakes Region (NCLR) of western Uganda provide important new insights into anthropogenic impacts on moist forests to the East of the Rwenzori Mountains. This research significantly changes previous interpretations of paleoenvironmental records in western Uganda and helps to distinguish climate change from human impacts. By drawing on multiple sources such as historical linguistics, archaeological evidence, and environmental proxies for change, a new picture emerges for a region that was a cultural crossroads for early Bantu-speakers and Central Sudanic-speakers between 400 BCE and 1000 CE. Detailed archaeological data and well-dated sites provide fine-grained evidence that closely fits episodes of significant environmental change, including a later and separate phase of forest clearance, soil degradation, and lake pollution caused by the saturation of the landscape by Bigo-related populations between 1300 and 1650 CE. Fresque de changements environnementaux induits par l’homme et le climat dans l’ouest de l’Ouganda : la région des lacs du cratère de Ndali

Microbial Biotechnology: A Key Tool for Addressing Climate Change and Food Insecurity

Amidst escalating climate change and food insecurity concerns, exploring the potential of microbes offers a promising and sustainable solution. This review delves into the complex interplay between microbial communities and the dual challenge of environmental crisis and food security.
 Ubiquitous microorganisms – from bacteria to fungi and archaea – shape our planet's ecosystems, playing a crucial role in soil health, nutrient cycling, and plant-microbe interactions. This review dissects diverse microbial habitats, highlighting their remarkable adaptability to varied environments.
 It then underscores the reciprocal impacts of human-induced environmental changes on microbes and their habitats. Addressing these challenges, the review presents microbes as powerful allies in mitigating climate change. Their ability to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance soil fertility is explored. Innovations like biofertilizers and biopesticides demonstrate the potential of microbial technologies to revolutionize agriculture and ensure global food security.
 Concluding, the review emphasizes the symbiotic link between microbes and sustainable food production. Microbial technologies can adapt agriculture to changing climate conditions, addressing water scarcity and enhancing soil moisture retention. Their potential to boost productivity in both traditional and precision agriculture under diverse climatic conditions is highlighted.
 This review calls for the urgent recognition and harnessing of microbial power for a sustainable future. Embracing microbial technologies not only fosters environmental stewardship but also paves the way for a resilient and resource-efficient agricultural future.

Potential Fungal Zoonotic Pathogens in Cetaceans: An Emerging Concern.

Over 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, often originating from wild animals. This long-standing ecological phenomenon has accelerated due to human-induced environmental changes. Recent data show a significant increase in fungal infections, with 6.5 million cases annually leading to 3.7 million deaths, indicating their growing impact on global health. Despite the vast diversity of fungal species, only a few are known to infect humans and marine mammals. Fungal zoonoses, especially those involving marine mammals like cetaceans, are of global public health concern. Increased human-cetacean interactions, in both professional and recreational settings, pose risks for zoonotic disease transmission. This review focuses on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and zoonotic potential of major fungal pathogens shared in humans and cetaceans, highlighting their interspecies transmission capability and the challenges posed by antifungal resistance and environmental changes. It underscores the need for enhanced awareness and preventative measures in high-risk settings to protect public health and marine ecosystems.

Eco-evolutionary experience and behavioral innovation in interactions with non-native species

Behavioral changes play an important role for animals to cope with human-induced rapid environmental change such as biological invasions. The concept of eco-evolutionary experience (EEE) postulates that native species are more strongly impacted by non-native species the more these differ from species they have coevolved with. Also, EEE could influence the degree of innovation in new behaviors shown by native species. We conceived categorization schemes to assess both EEE and innovation and applied them to 86 records of behavioral change in native birds (n= 50), mammals (n= 19), and amphibians (n= 17). The results of this proof-of-concept study suggest an interconnectedness of EEE, innovation, and resulting population dynamics of native species. However, quantitative analyses were limited by the small size of our dataset. We encourage the use of the categorization schemes proposed here to close important knowledge gaps, so that our findings can be revisited with larger datasets in the future.

Comparing fear responses of two lizard species across habitats varying in human impact

Abstract Animals that are successful in urban habitats often have reduced antipredator responses toward people (sometimes called “fear” responses). However, few studies test whether sympatric species differ in their responses to humans, which may explain differing sensitivities to urbanization. Here, we quantified the behavioral and physiological responses to humans in two lizard species, side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) and western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis), across three different habitat types that vary in human impact: natural habitats with low levels of human activity, natural habitats with high levels of human activity, and urban habitats. We found that side-blotched lizards had longer flight initiation distances, were found closer to a refuge, and were more likely to hide than fence lizards, behaviors that could indicate greater fearfulness. Both lizard species were found closer to a refuge and were also more likely to hide in the urban habitat than in the natural habitat with low human impact, which could represent adaptive behaviors for increased risks in urban areas (e.g. cats). Western fence lizards exhibited lower body sizes and conditions in the habitats with moderate and high levels of human activity, whereas these traits did not differ among habitats in side-blotched lizards. Baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations did not differ across habitats for both species, suggesting that human-impacted habitats were not stressful or that lizards had undergone habituation-like processes in these habitats. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of standardized measurements across multiple species in the same habitats to understand differential responses to human-induced environmental change.

HPA flexibility and FKBP5: promising physiological targets for conservation.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) flexibility is an emerging concept recognizing that individuals that will cope best with stressors will probably be those using their hormones in the most adaptive way. The HPA flexibility concept considers glucocorticoids as molecules that convey information about the environment from the brain to the body so that the organismal phenotype comes to complement prevailing conditions. In this context, FKBP5 protein appears to set the extent to which circulating glucocorticoid concentrations can vary within and across stressors. Thus, FKBP5 expression, and the HPA flexibility it causes, seem to represent an individual's ability to regulate its hormones to orchestrate organismal responses to stressors. As FKBP5 expression can also be easily measured in blood, it could be a worthy target of conservation-oriented research attention. We first review the known and likely roles of HPA flexibility and FKBP5 in wildlife. We then describe putative genetic, environmental and epigenetic causes of variation in HPA flexibility and FKBP5 expression among and within individuals. Finally, we hypothesize how HPA flexibility and FKBP5 expression should affect organismal fitness and hence population viability in response to human-induced rapid environmental changes, particularly urbanization. This article is part of the theme issue 'Endocrine responses to environmental variation: conceptual approaches and recent developments'.

Grand challenges at the frontiers of fish science

We provide a review of what we consider to be grand research challenges for fish science in an era of human-induced rapid environmental change.

Broad-scale impacts of coastal mega-infrastructure project on obligatory inshore delphinids: A cautionary tale from Hong Kong

Inshore marine habitats experience considerable anthropogenic pressure, as this is where many adverse effects of human activities concentrate. In the rapidly-changing seascape of the Anthropocene, Hong Kong waters at the heart of world's fastest developing coastal region can serve as a preview-window into coastal seas of the future, with ever-growing anthropogenic footprint. Here, we quantify how large-scale coastal infrastructure projects can affect obligatory inshore cetaceans, bringing about population-level consequences that may compromise their long-term demographic viability. As a case in point, we look at the construction of world's longest sea crossing system and broad-scale demographic, social and spatial responses it has caused in a shallow-water delphinid, the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Soon after the infrastructure project began, dolphins markedly altered their home range near construction sites such that these waters no longer functioned as dolphin core areas despite the apparent presence of prey, indicating that anthropogenic impacts outweighed foraging benefits. The contraction of key habitats has in turn led individuals to interact over spatially more constricted area, reshaping their group dynamics and social network. Although there was no apparent decline in dolphin numbers that could be detected with mark-recapture estimates, adult survival rates decreased drastically from 0.960 to 0.904, the lowest estimate for these animals anywhere across the region to date, notably below the previously estimated demographic threshold of their long-term persistence (0.955). It is apparent that during an advanced stage of this coastal infrastructure project, dolphins were under a major anthropogenic pressure that, if sustained, could be detrimental to their long-term persistence as a viable demographic unit. As effective conservation of species and habitats depends on informed management decisions, this study offers a valuable lesson in environmental risk assessment, underscoring the implications of human-induced rapid environmental change on obligatory inshore delphinids—sentinels of coastal habitats that are increasingly degraded in fast-changing coastal seas.

Landslides, bedrock incision and human-induced environmental changes in an extremely rapidly formed tropical river gorge

Landslides are hillslope processes controlled by natural changing topographic conditions. Landslides are also influenced by human activities. Yet, understanding the space-time occurrence of landslides and their interactions with these typically long-term natural and short-term human-induced controls remains a key challenge in many regions, especially in tropical environments where data scarcity is commonplace. Here we decipher these dynamic processes in the Ruzizi Gorge located in the Kivu Rift (Central Africa), that is an exceptional geomorphological landmark whose origin is associated with the rerouting of >7000 km2 of drainage area from Lake Kivu during the Holocene. This bedrock river has also seen its landscape disturbed over the past decades by the development of the city of Bukavu (DR Congo). In this study, we combine detailed field observations, historical aerial photographs, archive analysis and satellite imagery to compile a multi-temporal inventory of 385 landslides and constrain their dynamics. We show that extremely high incision rates during the early stage of the formation of the gorge explain the space-time clustering of thousand-year-old large (up to ∼2 km2) landslides, independently from the lithological context. These landslides are currently non-active and poorly eroded. Their deposit areas partly cover the riverbed with boulders, armouring the channel and inhibiting further incision. The landslides that occurred over the last 60 years are shallower slope failures of smaller size and higher mobility. They tend to disappear rather quickly from the landscape, sometimes within a few years. Their distribution is primarily controlled by threshold slopes, lithology, and the past large landslides, the influence of the land use being less pronounced. Overall, the sediment mobilization rates associated with these high frequency landslides significantly outpace the extreme landslide erosion pulse associated with the gorge formation. Our results provide insight on interactions between channel-hillslope coupling and feedbacks among landslide processes and river gorge formation in a unique environment.

The discourse of the Anthropocene and posthumanism: Mining-induced loss of traditional land and the Mongolian nomadic herders

For over five millennia, Mongolia has been home to a remarkably resilient, land-connected, pastoral nomadic way of life and cultural heritage. Traditional local communities of Mongolian nomadic herders are custodians of the land. Since Mongolia’s transition to a democracy and neoliberal capitalist economy in the 1990s, an unprecedented mining boom has set in as large deposits of mineral resources were discovered. The mining boom and climate change impacts have put mounting pressure on herders’ ability to access their traditional land. Drawing on ethnographic research through storywork with Mongolian nomadic herders ( malchid) in their traditional land ( nutag) in the Gobi Desert region in Mongolia, this study aims to expand the discourse of the Anthropocene by engaging with the concept of posthumanism. We unpack the predominant discourse among Mongolian nomadic herders – loss of traditional land – induced by mining. In the Anthropocene – the epoch of human-induced planetary change – herders have become victims of both human-induced global environmental and climate change and the neoliberal capitalist extractive economy. Driven by mining-induced forced displacement from their traditional land and the natural resources on which they depend, herders are marginalised, resulting in the loss of their livelihood and severing of their special relationship and spiritual connection with their traditional land. We conclude that Mongolian nomadic herders’ voices urge us that it is crucial to expand and pluralise the discourse of the Anthropocene by relearning our ancestral ways of knowing, being and doing, and reconnecting to our holistic, spiritually and physically entwined, reciprocal and symbiotic relationship with land, non-human beings and the natural world that are all regarded as living and sentient entities with identity, agency and intentionality. Mongolian nomadic herders’ ancestral cosmology and onto-epistemology turn us to posthuman or more-than-human ways of understanding and interacting with the world, which decentre human exceptionalism and dominant position in the Anthropocene.

Primates and disability: Behavioral flexibility and implications for resilience to environmental change.

Congenital malformations, conditions, injuries, and illness can lead to long-term physical impairment and disability in nonhuman primates. How individual primates change their behaviors flexibly to compensate for their disabilities can inform our understanding of their resilience and ability to adjust to environmental change. Here, we synthesize the literature on nonhuman primates and disability, addressing the questions: how does disability influence behavior in primates? What insights can we take from the literature to better understand and predict the capacity of primates to modify their behaviors in the face of human-induced environmental change? We conducted a systematic review of the literature on spontaneous physical impairment and disability in captive, free-ranging, and wild primates. We surveyed 2807 articles on Web of Science and Scopus and identified 114 studies that fit our predetermined inclusion criteria. Behavioral plasticity, maternal and conspecific care, and the potential for innovation of novel behaviors allow many primates with disabilities to compensate when faced with challenges that are outside the scope of usual circumstances. We also found that 60% of the publications connected primate physical impairment and disability to human activities, suggesting an entangled relationship among humans, the environment, and primate disability. Disability and physical impairments provide an opportunity to examine how primates modify their behavior when presented with challenging conditions, and their potential resilience to a changing environment.

Wetland soil microbial responses to upland agricultural intensification and snail invasion

Wetland soils harbor diverse microorganisms including bacteria, archaea, and fungi, all of which play significant roles in maintaining soil health and ecosystem functions but are susceptible to influences from multiple environmental changes. Agricultural intensification and biological invasion are two fundamental drivers of environmental change for wetlands, but their interactive effects on soil microbial communities remain less well understood, particularly for seasonal subtropical wetlands. Yet such understanding is vital for wetland conservation and management. In this study, we conducted a 14-week field mesocosm experiment to investigate how agricultural intensification and invasive apple snail (Pomacea maculata) – an emerging and increasingly concerning threat to natural and agricultural systems in southeastern U.S. – altered wetland soil microbial communities and structures. We found that invasive P. maculata showed selective effects on relative abundance of specific microbial taxa (e.g., Proteobacteria, Nitrospirota), and interactive effects with upland intensification on Spirochaetota and Mortierellomycota. Upland agricultural intensification also exerted significant and consistent effects on microbial composition and diversity across microbial domains. Changes in microbial composition were partly manifested through modifications in water chemistry, such as dissolved oxygen, which acted as environmental regulators. In addition, upland intensification led to more complex but sparsely connected microbial networks, while invasive snail presence decreased network complexity and resulted in greater modularity, less edge density, and longer path length, indicative of lower molecular information exchange efficiency. Our research emphasizes the need for a comprehensive evaluation of microbial responses (i.e., composition, diversity, and co-occurrence patterns) to better understand multi-stressor impacts from human activities on wetland belowground microbial communities. By holistically characterizing microbial responses, our findings show how global change drivers may impact wetland microorganisms in subtropical biomes and infer their functional consequences. Our results have important implications for sustainable landscape management and conservation of wetlands that are experiencing escalating human-induced environmental changes.

Reforestation regulated soil bacterial community structure along vertical profiles in the Loess Plateau

IntroductionReforestation is a widely used strategy for ecological restoration in areas facing ecological degradation. Soil bacteria regulate many functional processes in terrestrial ecosystems; however, how they respond to reforestation processes in surface and deep soils remains unclear.MethodsArtificial Robinia pseudoacacia plantation with different stand ages (8, 22, and 32 years) in a typical fallow forest on the Loess Plateau was selected to explore the differential response of soil bacterial community to reforestation in different soil depths (surface 0–200 cm, middle 200–500 cm, and deep 500-100 cm). Soil bacterial diversity, community composition and the co-occurrence patterns, as well as the functions were analyzed.Results and discussionThe results showed that alpha diversity and the presence of biomarkers (keynote species) decreased with the increasing soil depth, with a sharp reduction in family-level biomarker numbers in 500–1,000 cm depth, while reforestation had a positive impact on bacterial alpha diversity and biomarkers. Reforestation induced a more loosely connected bacterial community, as evidenced by an increase of 9.38, 22.87, and 37.26% in the average path length of the co-occurrence network in all three soil layers, compared to farmland. In addition, reforestation reduced the hierarchy and complexity but increased the modularity of the co-occurrence network in top and deep soil layers. Reforestation also led to enrichment in the relative abundance of functional pathways in all soil layers. This study sheds light on the strategies employed by deep soil bacteria in response to reforestation and underscores the significant potential of deep soil bacteria in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in the context of human-induced environmental changes.