Indicator Species Research Articles

Spatial analysis of demersal food webs through integration of eDNA metabarcoding with fishing activities

The evaluation of the status of marine communities, and especially the monitoring of those heavily exploited by fisheries, is a key, challenging task in marine sciences. Fishing activities are a major source of disruption to marine food webs, both directly, by selectively removing components at specific trophic levels (TL), and indirectly, by altering habitats and production cycles. Food web analysis can be very useful in the context of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries, but food web reconstructions demand large and expensive data sets, which are typically available only for a small fraction of marine ecosystems. Recently, new technologies have been developed to easily, quickly and cost-effectively collect environmental DNA (eDNA) during fishing activities. By generating large, multi-marker metabarcoding data from eDNA samples obtained from commercial trawlers, it is possible to produce exhaustive taxonomic inventories for the exploited ecosystems, which are suitable for food-web reconstructions. Here, we integrate and re-analyse the data of a recent study in which the α diversity was investigated using the eDNA opportunistically collected during fishing operations. Indeed, we collect highly resolved information on species feeding relationships to reconstruct the food webs at different sites in the Strait of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) from eDNA and catch data. After observing that the trophic networks obtained from eDNA metabarcoding data are more consistent with the available knowledge, a set of food web indicators (species richness, number of links, direct connectance and generality) is computed and analysed to unravel differences in food webs structure through different areas (spatial variations). Species richness, number of links and generality (positively) and direct connectance (negatively) are correlated with increasing distance from the coast and fishing effort intensity. The combined effects of environmental gradients and fishing effort on food web structure at different study sites are then examined and modelled. Taken together, these findings indicate the suitability of eDNA metabarcoding to assist and food web analysis, obtain several food web-related ecological indicators, and tease out the effect of fishing intensity from the environmental gradients of marine ecosystems.

A single coelomic cell type is involved in both immune and respiratory functions of the coastal bioindicator annelid: Capitella C-Channel1 from the English Channel

The polychaete Capitella is a typical member of the ‘thiobiome’, and is commonly used as an eutrophication indicator species in environmental assessment studies. To deal with a sulfide-rich and poisonous surrounding, cells in close contact with the environment, and thus able to play a major role in detoxication and survival, are circulating cells. This work aimed to morpho-functionally describe the circulating coelomic cells of Capitella from the English Channel inhabiting the sulfide-rich mud in Roscoff Harbor. In general, worms have three types of circulating cells, granulocytes involved in bacterial clearance and defense against microorganisms, eleocytes with an essentially trophic role and elimination of cellular waste, and erythrocytes which play a role in detoxification and respiration via their intracellular hemoglobin. By combining diverse microscopic and cellular approaches, we provide evidence that Capitella does not possess granulocytes and eleocytes, but rather a single abundant rounded cell type with the morphological characteristics of erythrocytes i.e. small size and production of intracellular hemoglobin. Surprisingly, our data show that in addition to their respiratory function, these red cells could exert phagocytic activities, and produce an antimicrobial peptide. This latter immune role is usually supported by granulocytes. Our data highlight that the erythrocytes of Capitella from the English Channel differ in morphology and bear more functions than the erythrocytes of other annelids. The simplicity of this multi-task (or polyvalent) single-cell type makes Capitella an interesting model for studies of the impact of the environment on the immunity of this bioindicator species.

Solar parks can enhance bird diversity in agricultural landscape

Solar photovoltaic power parks are a relatively new anthropogenic habitat that will become more widespread in the future. The greatest potential for solar photovoltaic power production is on arable land and grassland. Knowledge on the impacts of solar parks on biodiversity is scarce and spatially limited. We investigated the impact of ground-mounted solar parks on species richness, abundance, Shannon diversity and composition of bird communities in Slovakia (Central Europe), taking into account pre-construction land cover, elevation and landscape context. We recorded breeding, foraging or perching birds on 32 solar park plots and 32 adjacent control plots (two hectares each) during single breeding season. We found that solar parks supported higher total bird species richness and diversity, and richness and abundance of invertebrate-eaters, and that the abundance of ground-foragers was higher in solar parks developed on grassland than in grassland control plots. Ordination analysis showed that solar parks had a different composition of bird communities and thus increased overall species diversity and beta diversity in the agricultural landscapes studied. Plot type and landscape context accounted for most of the variation in bird community composition. Black redstart, European stonechat, white wagtail and Eurasian tree sparrow were identified as indicator species for solar parks. The observed pattern could be due to the higher structural diversity of solar parks. The solar parks studied were designed and managed exclusively for electricity production. It can therefore be assumed that solar parks designed and managed in synergy with a stronger focus on wildlife would have an even greater positive impact on bird diversity in an agricultural landscape.

Vascular plants and mosses as bioindicators of variability of the coastal pine forest (Empetro nigri-Pinetum)

Empetro nigri-Pinetum is a unique sea coast plant community developing along the Baltic Sea from Germany to Lithuania. Our detailed field research of bryophytes and vascular plants has highlighted the regional diversity of the Empetro nigri-Pinetum typicum plant community throughout its range in Central Europe. Our study indicated that vascular plants and mosses effectively discriminate against the described phytocoenoses, thus it was possible to distinguish three variants of the coastal forest: Calluna–Deschampsia (from Germany), Vaccinium vitis–idaea (from Poland) and Melampyrum–Deschampsia (from Lithuania). Redundancy analysis indicated that the division is related to the habitat conditions of the analyzed areas, with humidity having the greatest impact on this differentiation. Kohonen’s artificial neural network (i.e. self-organising map, SOM) confirmed the heterogeneous nature of the studied phytocenoses, and combined with the IndVal index enabled identification of indicator species for respective studied patches: Deschampsia flexuosa for Calluna–Deschampsia group; Aulacomnium palustre, Calluna vulgaris, Carex nigra, Dicranum polysetum, Erica tetralix, Oxycoccus palustris, Sphagnum capillifolium, Vaccinium uliginosum and Vaccinium vitis–idaea for Vaccinium vitis–idaea group; and young specimens of Betula pendula, Lycopodium annotinum, Melampyrum pratense and Orthilia secunda for Melampyrum–Deschampsia group. Thereby, our study showed that individual groups of species can be very good bioindicators for each of the studied phytocoenoses.

An assessment of potential herbivory impacts of a reintroduced marsupial in a predator‐free woodland sanctuary

SummaryFenced sanctuaries that exclude feral predators are critical for threatened species conservation. However, adaptive management of these sanctuaries requires careful consideration of the potential impact herbivore populations free from predation can have on the condition of native vegetation. The Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary in the Australian Capital Territory comprises Critically Endangered box‐gum grassy woodland, threatened orchids, abundant macropods, and a reintroduced population of the Eastern Bettong (Bettongia gaimardi, hereafter “Ngaluda”). To understand how Ngaluda, along with other herbivores, may be potentially impacting vegetation across the sanctuary, we undertook an assessment of indicator plant species. We monitored 106 plots for 13 indicator species (10 species with tuberous roots that the burrowing Ngaluda would be preferentially targeting and three non‐tuberous species). We found that most floristic indicators we investigated – including richness of indicator species and the abundance of lilies – were higher in the Goorooyarroo area of the sanctuary (where Ngaluda are absent and wallabies are rare) compared to the Mulligans Flat area of the sanctuary (where Ngaluda are present and wallabies are abundant), suggesting a negative impact of the overall herbivore assemblage of Mulligans Flat. However, within just Mulligans Flat, some indicators, including the abundance of a common orchid, were significantly lower in areas associated with high Ngaluda activity irrespective of other herbivore densities. We found no instance of Ngaluda presence or higher activity being associated with higher values for any floristic indicator we investigated. These results are consistent with known impacts of abundant herbivores and reintroduced digging marsupials in other predator‐free sanctuaries in Australia. Our results highlight that Ngaluda herbivory may be outweighing any positive effect of their diggings on native vegetation and indicate the need for careful risk mitigation when deciding how critically endangered animals and vegetation communities are managed together in sanctuaries.

Single metabarcoding multiplex captures community‐level freshwater biodiversity and beyond

AbstractCost‐effective and accurate quantification of biodiversity is important for biodiversity conservation, resource management, and forecasting. Traditional monitoring approaches have relied on direct observations, remote sensing, and mark‐recapture techniques, providing insights into species ecology and the impact of pollution and climate change on indicator species. However, these techniques are typically low throughput, expensive, and can be invasive. In addition, they cannot detect cryptic diversity and are biased toward species that leave identifiable remains. DNA‐based methods, such as metabarcoding or single marker gene assays, have enabled high throughput screening of a wide range of taxonomic groups, including ones without well‐preserved remains. When compared with traditional techniques, these approaches have high throughput, can resolve cryptic diversity, do not require taxonomic specialist skills, and are non‐invasive. However, although they are comparatively cheaper than traditional approaches, they are expensive when applied at the community‐level as single marker assays are amplified and sequenced independently. Multilocus approaches in which multiple gene markers are amplified in a single reaction are desirable to deliver community‐level assessments in a cost‐effective manner. Yet, they are uncommon because of technical challenges that may lead to biases in downstream analyses, such as index hopping and unbalanced representation of taxonomic groups. Here, we developed a highly multiplexed protocol that combines the early pooling of marker genes that target broad taxonomic groups and taxon‐specific markers in a single tube reaction. This step is followed by the pooling of up to 384 samples per locus (N = 15,636 samples) with unique dual‐indexed sequencing adapters in a single sequencing run. This approach dramatically reduces the costs of community‐level biodiversity quantification and lowers the need for input DNA without compromising output quality. We optimized the multiplex assay on lake freshwater sediment samples and benchmarked the assay on samples from other environmental matrices, demonstrating its direct application to the river and marine communities.

Use of ecotoxicological bioindicators in effluent monitoring — legal implications in Brazil

ABSTRACT Environmental changes directly influence quality of life, and environmental protection laws arise to ensure the maintenance of ecological balance. Aquatic environments have been contaminated by substances of anthropic origin, which are called effluents. Improper disposal of effluents has adverse effects on the environment and human health. In Brazilian legislation, the resolutions of the National Council for the Environment (CONAMA) RE 357/2005 and RE 430/2011 address the use of indicator species to evaluate the effluents’ toxicity. Despite these, much still needs to be done to control and monitor the emission of effluents in Brazilian water resources. The objective of this work was to carry out a historical survey of the regulations on the disposal of effluents in Brazil and to show the differences in each state's regulations, highlighting the indicator species accepted in each regulation and their advantages and disadvantages. In this way, this review summarizes and organizes the information of the Brazilian legislation on the disposal of effluents and helps the researcher in the area to choose between the methodologies adopted for the analysis of their environmental samples. Despite the insertion of bioassays, it is evident that the current Brazilian legislation is permissive, requiring adaptations and definitions to increase adherence to the ecotoxicological monitoring of water resources by the States.

Efficiency of birds as bioindicators for other taxa in mountain farmlands

Biodiversity loss is a global issue, particularly in mountain regions, where land-use/land-cover and climate change dramatically impact on species and communities. Sound ecological research and up-to-date information on biodiversity are needed to support conservation efforts. However, this information is often difficult and costly to obtain. Therefore, bioindicators serve as surrogates to provide information on the entire biocenosis. Birds are considered excellent bioindicators as they occupy different ecological niches and trait spaces.We present a study about the efficiency of birds as bioindicators for the diversity of other taxa in a mountain region in the Central Alps. We surveyed bird communities at 115 sites across a gradient of different grasslands and crops and compared them with the diversity of other taxa (bats, butterflies, grasshoppers, arachnids, and vascular plants). We aimed to identify indicator bird species for grasslands and crops, to assess cross-community concordance between birds and other taxa, and to model the efficiency of bird indices and indicator species as bioindicators of the diversity across habitat types and taxa.We identified indicator bird species for different grassland and crop types and found that efficiency of bird indices and single species varied for habitat types and taxa. We highlight the importance of using carefully selected bioindicators in biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning, and the need for an integrated and interdisciplinary approach for biodiversity research. Moreover, by looking at a combination of different indices we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem functioning. We also provide a framework for the use of bird-based monitoring programs and bird-derived indices to guide biodiversity conservation, and emphasise the importance of incorporating different bioindicators into biodiversity research and monitoring to provide a more comprehensive understanding of ecological biodiversity patterns and trends.

Global research contributions on orchids: A scientometric review of 20 years

Orchids, renowned for their attractive beauty, play vital roles in ecosystems worldwide. Many researches highlight the role of orchids as indicator species, reflecting ecosystem health and vulnerability to environmental changes. Across the globe, numerous articles have been published on these topics, facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas their pros and cons. However, no study was conducted to evaluate the trends of research in this field. It is also very essential to understand the prolific authors, sources, journals, institutions, recent trends, and other relevant factors associated with orchids. As a result, this paper is undertaken to comprehensively map the existing articles published on the orchids and its relevant research with a scientometric method. The dataset was downloaded from the Scopus database from 2003 to 2022 and for analysis; Bibliosiny (version 6.1.R2) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.18) were used. A total 18600 numbers of records were globally published under the topic during the entire period from 2003 to 2022. Publications were also contributed from different sources such as journals and books. Total 543660 numbers of references are used in the different documents, and 43216 authors contributed their work in this field. Moreover, this paper also highlights the urgent need for concerted efforts to protect and preserve these valuable plants for ecosystems, ensuring the understanding of the lacking of research on orchids.

Pine needles and soil as bioindicators of forest ecosystems in the anthropogenically disturbed areas of the Baikal region

Forest ecosystems of Baikal region were chosen a subject of comprehensive research conducted on the basis of the monitoring network created. Recommendations of the international manual ICP Forests, as well as the authors’ developments were used for the research. The study was focused on toxicological, physiological-biochemical, and biogeochemical indicators that adequately reflect the state and manifestation of the protective properties of the forest ecosystem main components (tree-stand and soil) under the influence of anthropogenic factors – air pollution, urbanization, and irrational forest management. The assessment of the vital state of tree-stands of Scots pine (indicator species) was carried out on the basis of representative indicators: pigments, the level of enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of antioxidant protection, the content and ratio of biogenic elements, changes in morphometric parameters. When studying soil in anthropogenically disturbed territories, an increase in soil density, a decrease in natural moisture, aeration, and humus content were found, alkalization of the upper horizons and accumulation of pollutants with a low migration rate in the upper horizons of the soil profile. Air pollution and high recreational load were shown to produce the greatest stressful impact on the forest ecosystems.

Laetoli, Tanzania: Extant terrestrial mollusc faunas shed new light on climate and palaeoecology at a Pliocene hominin site.

Laetoli, Tanzania is one of the most important palaeontological and palaeoanthropological localities in Africa. We report on a survey of the extant terrestrial gastropod faunas of the Laetoli-Endulen area, examine their ecological associations and re-examine the utility of Pliocene fossil molluscs in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Standardised collecting at 15 sites yielded 7302 individuals representing 58 mollusc species. Significant dissimilarities were found among the faunas of three broad habitat types: forest, woodland/bushland and open (grassland and scattered, xeric shrubland). Overall, more species were recorded in the woodland/bushland sites than in the forest sites. Open sites were less diverse. Environmental factors contributing most strongly to the separation of habitat types were aridity index and elevation. The results are supplemented with new mollusc data from the Mbulu Plateau south of Lake Eyasi, and compared to the list of species cumulatively recorded from the Ngorongoro area. Some regional variation is apparent and historical factors may explain the absence of some fossil taxa from Laetoli today. Differences in seasonality separated upland forest sites on the Mbulu plateau from those at Lemagurut at Laetoli. Indicator species were identified for each habitat. These included several large-bodied species analogous to the Laetoli Pliocene fossil species that were then used for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Based on the estimated aridity index, and adopting the widely used United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global climate classification, the four stratigraphic subunits of the Upper Laetolil Beds (3.6-3.85 Ma) would be placed in either the UNEP's Dry Sub-humid or Semi-arid climate classes, whereas the Upper Ndolanya Beds (2.66 Ma) and Lower Laetolil Beds (3.85-<4.36 Ma) would be assigned to the Humid and Semi-arid climate classes respectively. Pliocene precipitation at Laetoli is estimated as 847-965 mm per year, refining previous estimates. This is close or slightly higher than the present mean annual precipitation, and is likely to have corresponded to a mosaic of forest, woodland and bushland within a grassland matrix consistent with other reconstructions.

Nutrient‐demanding and thermophilous plants dominate urban forest‐edge vegetation across temperate Europe

AbstractQuestionsForests are highly fragmented across the globe. For urban forests in particular, fragmentation increases the exposure to local warming caused by the urban heat island (UHI) effect. We here aim to quantify edge effects on herbaceous understorey vegetation in urban forests, and test whether these effects interact with forest structural complexity.LocationWe set up a pan‐European study at the continental scale including six urban forests in Zurich, Paris, Katowice, Brussels, Bremen, and Stockholm.MethodsWe recorded understorey plant communities from the edge towards the interior of urban forests. Within each urban forest, we studied edge‐to‐interior gradients in paired stands with differing forest structural complexity. Community composition was analysed based on species specialism, life form, light, nutrient, acidity and disturbance indicator values and species' thermal niches.ResultsWe found that herbaceous communities at urban forest edges supported more generalists and forbs but fewer ferns than in forests' interiors. A buffered summer microclimate proved crucial for the presence of fern species. The edge communities contained more thermophilous, disturbance‐tolerant, nutrient‐demanding and basiphilous plant species, a pattern strongly confirmed by corresponding edge‐to‐interior gradients in microclimate, soil and light conditions in the understorey. Additionally, plots with a lower canopy cover and higher light availability supported higher numbers of both generalists and forest specialists. Even though no significant interactions were found between the edge distance and forest structural complexity, opposing additive effects indicated that a dense canopy can be used to buffer negative edge effects.ConclusionThe urban environment poses a multifaceted filter on understorey plant communities which contributes to significant differences in community composition between urban forest edges and interiors. For urban biodiversity conservation and the buffering of edge effects, it will be key to maintain dense canopies near urban forest edges.

Evaluation of an autonomous acoustic surveying technique for grassland bird communities in Nebraska.

Monitoring trends in wildlife communities is integral to making informed land management decisions and applying conservation strategies. Birds inhabit most niches in every environment and because of this they are widely accepted as an indicator species for environmental health. Traditionally, point counts are the common method to survey bird populations, however, passive acoustic monitoring approaches using autonomous recording units have been shown to be cost-effective alternatives to point count surveys. Advancements in automatic acoustic classification technologies, such as BirdNET, can aid in these efforts by quickly processing large volumes of acoustic recordings to identify bird species. While the utility of BirdNET has been demonstrated in several applications, there is little understanding of its effectiveness in surveying declining grassland birds. We conducted a study to evaluate the performance of BirdNET to survey grassland bird communities in Nebraska by comparing this automated approach to point count surveys. We deployed ten autonomous recording units from March through September 2022: five recorders in row-crop fields and five recorders in perennial grassland fields. During this study period, we visited each site three times to conduct point count surveys. We compared focal grassland bird species richness between point count surveys and the autonomous recording units at two different temporal scales and at six different confidence thresholds. Total species richness (focal and non-focal) for both methods was also compared at five different confidence thresholds using species accumulation curves. The results from this study demonstrate the usefulness of BirdNET at estimating long-term grassland bird species richness at default confidence scores, however, obtaining accurate abundance estimates for uncommon bird species may require validation with traditional methods.

Assessing landscape disturbance in Donbass using phytomonitoring data

The article presents the results of a long-term experimental monitoring (1996-2023) of the condition of indicator plants has been implemented in the territory of Central Donbass. Due to the experiment, it was proved that flowering plants have both indices of non-plasticity in the structure of vegetative and generative parts. Indicator species analyzed: Centaurea diffusa Lam., Cichorium intybus L., Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC., Echium vulgare L., Reseda lutea L., Senecio vulgaris L. and others. Registration sites with priority pollutants and complex pollution have been established. It was found that the geostrategic pattern obtained by mapping for traits on embryotic teratogenesis and morphological heterogeneity of indicator plants coincide on 93% of the projective coverage area. It was found out that for the period 1996-2013, 32% of the total investigated area of the Central Donbass was technogenically transformed, for the period 2014-2021, this indicator was 36%, and for 2022-2023, 41%.

Influência de plantações de eucalipto na comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos em nascentes neotropicais

Abstract Aim The high sensitivity of springs to anthropic impacts is largely due to the high existing aquatic-terrestrial connectivity. The degradation of these ecosystems can be caused by land use, such as eucalyptus monoculture. The aim of this study was to test the influence of Eucalyptus urograndis plantations on the richness and diversity of the benthic macroinvertebrate community and on the environmental variables measured in springs in the Atlantic Forest domains. Methods Ten springs (5 in native forest areas and 5 in eucalyptus area) were sampled in the dry period of 2017. The organisms were screened and identified at the family level. For each spring, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, total phosphorus, vegetation cover, granulometric characterization and organic matter were also measured. Results: The t-test showed that some environmental variables differed, with the eucalyptus areas having higher values of total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity, and lower values of coarse sand. In the present study, the richness and diversity of the benthic fauna of springs were significantly lower in eucalyptus sites than in native sites. Nonetheless, the composition of the communities did not differ. The Indicator Species Analysis (IndVal) associated Acari, Hydropsychidae, Leptoceridae, Nematoda, Psychodidae, and Tipulidae with areas of native forest. Conclusions Our results show that Brazilian springs are affected by eucalyptus monocultures reducing the richness and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates and also changing water environmental properties. Thus, we verified that previous studies elsewhere in the world also apply to neotropical areas where eucalyptus is not native.

Cut stumps vs broken stumps: Does it make any difference in the maintenance of plant and lichen biodiversity in Central European mountain forests?

Excessive forest exploitation significantly contributes to land degradation and the creation of human-made deadwood. Stumps are sometimes ignored in studies on the biodiversity of coarse woody debris. We investigated whether the type of stump, i.e. broken stumps (naturally created) and cut stumps (formed during forestry operations) had an impact on the species composition and species diversity as well as due to this fact they can be characterized by plant indicators. The research covered 728 spruce stumps (287 broken and 441 cut stumps) that were inhabited by lichens, liverworts, mosses and vascular plants in mountain forest belt (Karkonosze Mts., Poland). The following types of microhabitats were included in the research: the upper surface and the lateral surface of a stump with both bark and wood. There are statistically significant compositional differences between the two types of stumps, which was demonstrated by ordination analyses and indicator species analysis. According to the generalized linear models, the probability of occurrence increases in cut stumps in case of liverworts and vascular plants and also along the decomposition stages. The generalized linear mixed-effects model showed that there was a higher species richness of liverworts, mosses and vascular plants on the cut stumps and less drier but the reverse situation was in lichens. The generalized additive models for their cover showed similar trends. Almost all of the taxonomic groups were affected by altitude both in terms of species composition and total cover on the stumps. We concluded that cut stumps are an important type of deadwood for biodiversity and provide a convenient habitat, especially for many lichens and bryophytes.

Nitrogen deposition suppresses ephemeral post-fire plant diversity.

Fire is a dominant force shaping patterns of plant diversity in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. In these biodiversity hotspots, including California's endangered coastal scrub, many species remain hidden belowground as seeds and bulbs, only to emerge and flower when sufficient rainfall occurs after wildfire. The unique adaptations possessed by these species enable survival during prolonged periods of unfavorable conditions, but their continued persistence could be threatened by nonnative plant invasion and environmental change. Furthermore, their fleeting presence aboveground makes evaluating these threats insitu a challenge. For example, nitrogen (N) deposition resulting from air pollution is a well-recognized threat to plant diversity worldwide but impacts on fire-following species are not well understood. We experimentally evaluated the impact of N deposition on post-fire vegetation cover and richness for three years in stands of coastal sage scrub that had recently burned in a large wildfire in southern California. We installed plots receiving four levels of N addition that corresponded to the range of N deposition rates in the region. We assessed the impact of pre-fire invasion status on vegetation dynamics by including plots in areas that had previously been invaded by nonnative grasses, as well as adjacent uninvaded areas. We found that N addition reduced native forb cover in the second year post-fire while increasing the abundance of nonnative forbs. As is typical in fire-prone ecosystems, species richness declined over the three years of the study. However, N addition hastened this process, and native forb richness was severely reduced under high N availability, especially in previously invaded shrublands. An indicator species analysis also revealed that six functionally and taxonomically diverse forb species were especially sensitive to N addition. Our results highlight a new potential mechanism for the depletion of native species through the suppression of ephemeral post-fire bloom events.

Upstream water management and its role in estuary health, evaluation of freshwater management and subtropical estuary function

In highly modified and managed systems the balance of freshwater inputs discharged to estuarine systems are important to maintain salinity balances and thus estuarine function. However, the availability of freshwater is highly dependent on upstream water management to provide flood protection whilst meeting freshwater demand for people and the environment. In South Florida, water is managed by a water control plan with Lake Okeechobee at the center. Currently, water levels within the lake are managed based on the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule of 2008. The new regulation schedule, Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), updates water management rules while attempting to balance the needs of downstream systems; salinity and water quality in the Caloosahatchee and Saint Lucie (northern) estuaries; and more water for the southern Everglades. This study evaluates LOSOM relative to ecologically significant performance measures for the northern estuaries. Overall, the proposed regulation schedule is expected to provide a more sustainable flow regime to the estuaries by reducing stressful and damaging discharge events. Moreover, new management rules combined with new infrastructure are expected to reduce low discharge events to the Caloosahatchee estuary and reduce stress on key indicator species such as Vallisneria americana during the wet season. This regulation schedule provides improved conditions for the estuaries at the expense of higher Lake Okeechobee stages. Future restoration and water management will maintain the benefits afforded to the estuaries while at the same time reducing the impacts to Lake Okeechobee resulting in a more sustainable and resilient system.

Floristic diversity and edaphic filters in an urban forest under Cerrado domain, in Cuiabá, Central Western Brazil.

We aimed to characterize the adult and regenerating tree components and their relationships with soil characteristics of a native vegetation remnant in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The area of the fragment is stratified into "dry area" (lithic neosoil) and "damp area" (gleisoil). We conducted a forest inventory with a random distribution of 25 parcels. We analyzed the physical and chemical components of the soil. We evaluated the vegetation's horizontal structure, diversity, and sample sufficiency using the Bootstrap richness estimator. We classified the species according to dispersal syndrome and ecological group. Overall, we found 93 species in the adult layer and 70 species in the regenerating layer. The similarity dendrograms based on the two evaluated indices demonstrated the existence of the two initially stratified environments in both strata. The IndVal (%) indicated that the set of indicator species differed between the strata. Thereby, the fragment is in an intermediate stage of successional progression. PCA showed that plots in the wet area had higher pH values and Ca, Zn, and Fe levels, while plots in the dry area did not clearly distinguish, varying in terms of K, B, and organic matter content. In CCA, a set of species that occurred exclusively in the damp area showed a strong relationship with the analyzed variables. The area is a diverse ecosystem that efficiently provides ecosystem services to society and should be the subject of long-term conservation and research.

Лишайники и лихенофильные грибы северо-западной части Краснознаменского округа Калининградской области

This article is dedicated to the study of lichen biota as part of the research and conservation of biodiversity in the Kaliningrad region. Biological studies of little-known territories are a crucial component of the ecologically oriented development of the Kaliningrad region, especially for areas with heavily transformed landscapes. Expanding the understanding of the diversity and distribution of lichens plays an important role in nature conservation and supporting the biodiversity of the Kaliningrad region. The aim of the study was to examine the lichen biota of the northwestern part of the Krasnoznamensk municipal district (part of the Sheshupe ancient alluvial plain). This is the first such study for the Krasnoznamensk district. Field research was conducted in the vicinity of the western part of the Neman forest and the Velikoe bog in 2022 and 2023. Laboratory processing of the collected materials with species identification was carried out using standard methods. The collected field materials significantly enriched the lichen collection of the KLGU herbarium with new specimens. As a result of the study, one hundred and five species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi were identified for the northwestern part of the Krasnoznamensk district, eighty-two of which are reported for the first time for the district. Among the discovered species are rare lichens of the Kaliningrad region, as well as indicator species of minimally disturbed and old-growth forest communities. These data make a significant contribution to the understanding of lichens in the Kaliningrad region, filling long-standing gaps in lichen biota research in the area. Consequently, the number of known taxa in the lichen biota of the Krasnoznamensk district increased to one hundred and thirty-one species. Based on our results, further study of the lichen biota of the Krasnoznamensk district appears promising.