Semi-natural Environment Research Articles

Analysis of the Population Structure and Dynamic of Endemic Salvia ceratophylloides Ard. (Lamiaceae)

Understanding how changes of any origin interact with the structure and survival of entire populations is very important for the protection and conservation of threatened, rare and/or endemic species. In this study, structure and population dynamics of Salvia ceratophylloides Ard., a precious endemic species, belonging to the subgenus Sclarea (Moench) Benth., section Plethiosphace Benth. (Lamiaceae) exclusive to the suburban environments of Reggio Calabria (Southern Italy), was analysed. Interactions between this species and its different growth habitats were examined. Moreover, the disturbance factors which directly affect the demographic viability of the species, influencing its growth, reproduction and distribution in its distribution area were identified. From 2019 to 2021, a census by counting individuals of all the known stations, recorded according to a specific protocol, was carried out. The recorded data were statistically analysed and compared with those of the phytosociological surveys carried out using the Braun-Blanquet method and summarised in phytosociological classes, in accordance with the hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant communities, accepted at national and European levels. The structure of the different populations was also related to the different threat factors that afflict S. ceratophylloides. It was observed that the most structured populations of S. ceratophylloides were found in natural and semi-natural environments where the anthropogenic disturbance was minor, while populations with an irregular structure were found in sites exposed to disturbances of various origins. The different phytosociological classes do not interact directly on population structure. The most important factors affecting structure and distribution are disturbances of various origins, in particular anthropogenic and phytosanitary disturbances. In order to keep populations balanced and stable over time, it would be useful to adopt conservation measures for the species and the habitat in which they live, with practical solutions for the following: (a) to limit infestations by insects that parasitize stems and seeds; (b) to prevent mowing, fires, grazing and the introduction of invasive alien species.

Drosophila Populations Reared Under Tropical Semi-natural Conditions Evolve Season-dependent Differences in Timing of Eclosion.

Circadian clocks are considered an evolutionary adaptation to environmental cycles, helping organisms to adapt to daily and seasonal changes. However, most studies on the evolution of circadian rhythms have been carried out in controlled laboratory conditions; hence evolution of circadian clocks and rhythms in organisms reared under the influence of naturally varying time cues is not well understood. To address this, we reared large outbred fly populations in an outdoor enclosure on our institutional grounds in Bengaluru, southern India for about 150 generations, at the same time maintaining their ancestral control populations under standard laboratory conditions. Studying their rhythms in eclosion, a vital behavior for Drosophila, in the laboratory and semi-natural environments revealed that flies reared under semi-natural conditions differed in the timing of eclosion under semi-natural conditions in a season-dependent manner from their laboratory-reared counterparts. These differences were manifested under harsh semi-natural environments but not under mild ones or in standard laboratory conditions. Further analysis revealed that this phenotype might be responsive to seasonal changes in temperature cycles which was confirmed in the laboratory with simulated light and temperature cycles that approximated semi-natural conditions. Our results highlight key intricacies on the relative impact of intensity and timing of environmental cues for predicting the timing of Drosophila eclosion under tropical naturalistic conditions. Overall, our research uncovers previously unexplored aspects of adaptive circadian timekeeping in complex natural conditions, offering valuable insight into the evolution of clocks.

Study and comparison of population density indices of Ixodes ticks of different biotopes of Kyiv and Cherkasy regions

Ixodes ticks play an important role in the spread of various infectious diseases. Representatives of the Ixodes family carry a large number of pathogens. Zoonotic infections, such as tick-borne borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, etc., are especially dangerous. Areas of distribution of Ixodes ticks are quite diverse: forests, meadows, shrubs, city parks and various types of green spaces in cities. The study of the quantitative and species composition of ticks in natural foci of infectious diseases is an important component of assessing the epizootiological biopotential and forecasting the risks of infectious diseases in certain areas. In the studies, we studied and compared the distribution of Ixodes ticks based on the population density index of Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus in two different habitats: anthropogenically transformed semi-natural forest environment and meadow-type with pastures. The first – the forest area is located in the forest park tract "Golendernya" in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region. The second – a natural meadow area is located in the Cherkasy region, Lysyansk United Territorial Community (OTG), village Zhabianka. Collection of Ixodes was performed by the usual method on the flag. The population density index is expressed in relation to the number of ticks per 1 m2 of the surveyed area with a correction factor of 1.2. A total of 12,000 m2 of total habitat area was surveyed, 572 specimens of Ixodes ticks were collected, including 393 Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus 179, respectively. 356 Ixodes ticks were collected in the Golendernia tract, of which 339 were Ixodes ricinus and only 17 were Dermacentor reticulatus. Accordingly, in Golendernia tract the population density index of the surveyed area of 6 thousand m2 Ixodes ricinus is 0.07 specimens/m2 (95.9%) and Dermacentor reticulatus – 0.003 specimens/m2 (4.1%). 216 specimens of Ixodes ticks were collected in the natural meadow biotope, of which 162 – Dermacentor reticulatus and 54 – Ixodes ricinus. The population density index of the surveyed area of 6 thousand m2 in the meadow biotope with mites of the species Dermacentor reticulatus is 0.03 specimens/m2 (75.0%), and with mites of the species Ixodes ricinus – 0.01 specimens/m2. (25.0%). Population density indices between Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus have a statistically significant difference (p <0.01) which is due to the types of habitats. Key words: Ixodes tiks, Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus, population density index, habitats.

Genetic parameters and genotype by environment interaction for growth traits of razor clam Sinonovacula constricta, from outdoor pond and semi-natural environment

The razor clam, Sinonovacula constricta, is a commercially important bivalve. To date, there have been very limited quantitative genetic studies of this species, especially in different aquaculture environments. This study is the first report of genotype by environment (G × E) interactions for growth traits of razor clams from outdoor pond (OP) and semi-natural environments (SNE). Over a 2-month period, the data for shell length (SL), shell height (SH), shell width (SW), and body weight (BW) of razor clams were recorded for 1 month, and marked as Data 1 and Data 2. Phenotypic data of 1627 individual clams from 17 full-sib families were used for the analysis. The overall heritabilities (h2) for all growth traits were from low to moderate, ranging from 0.127 to 0.230. The h2 of SNE was higher than that of OP (0.243–0.423 vs. 0.101–0.285). Heritabilities for growth traits indicated that these traits could be effectively selected in both aquaculture environments. Overall, both phenotypic (rp) and genetic (rg) characteristics showed high positive correlations among the growth traits. However, the rg and rp were highly variable in OP, ranging from 0.435 to 0.973 and from 0.597 to 0.874, respectively. The rg of SL, SH, SW, and BW between the two aquaculture environments for Data 1 were 0.867, 0.682, 0.651, and 0.844, respectively. The rg ranged from 0.274 to 0.619 for Date 2. These results indicated significant G × E interactions among families at different sites. This study therefore provided optimal guidelines to select breeding programs for razor clams reared in different aquaculture environments.

Fitness consequences of hybridization between wild Newfoundland and farmed European and North American Atlantic salmon

Selection due to multi-generational domestication and genetically distinct origins raises concerns about potential fitness consequences of hybridization between farmed and wild Atlantic salmon. In Newfoundland (NF), Canada, the aquaculture industry uses the North American (NA) Saint John River strain, though site-specific permission has been granted to farm a European origin (EO) strain. We used complementary experiments to investigate differences in (1) dominance status and (2) growth and survival in allopatry (NF wild fish) versus sympatry (NF wild fish with NA/EO farmed individuals and related F1 hybrids) in contrasting tank and semi-natural stream environments. NA farmed salmon were more dominant than NF wild individuals, with hybrids being intermediate in expression and not differing from wild fish. EO farmed salmon also tended to dominate NF wild individuals, but not significantly. Competition with farmed fish and hybrids did not affect the growth of wild fish in sympatry versus allopatry in the tank environment. However, that was not the case in one instance in the stream environment where wild fish in sympatry with NA farmed fish and hybrids outgrew those in allopatry. Within sympatric treatments, both EO and NA farmed salmon outgrew wild individuals in the tank environment, but not always in the stream environment (exception: NA farmed). Hybrids tended to display intermediate growth performance relative to farmed and wild fish in both environments. Survival did not differ among cross types in either environment. These findings suggest that irrespective of distinct origins, both EO and NA farmed salmon displayed greater dominance and growth than NF wild salmon in the tank environment. However, in the stream environment, competition imposed by NA farmed fish and related hybrids on wild fish appeared less than that imposed by the EO strain and related hybrids, as evident in growth performance. Findings thus provide valuable insight into the effects of hybridization and, consequently, fitness-related trait differences among divergent EO and NA farmed, NF wild, and F1 hybrid populations of importance for the conservation and management of Atlantic salmon.

Seedling performance, allocation patterns and phenotypic plasticity of two sympatric hawthorn species and their natural hybrid

Hybridization followed by introgression is common between European Crataegus species, while hybrids of numerous sympatric taxa are abundant and widespread in several natural and seminatural environments. No study to the present day has compared the development of Crataegus species and their hybrids in their seedling stage. Our aim was to compare seedling performance, biomass allocation and phenotypic plasticity of two sympatric Crataegus species (C. monogya and C. rhipidophylla) with contrasting shade tolerance and their natural hybrid along light and water availability gradients in a controlled pot experiment. By this means we tested which of the existing models can successfully explain the field distribution and habitat preference of the hybrid. The performance of both species and their hybrid decreased in deep shade as well as under high water availability. Variation in light availability had a more pronounced effect on seedling development than that in water availability. These results evidence that habitat differentiation between the two species under natural conditions is probably mainly driven by competitive interactions. The shade tolerant forest species C. rhipidophylla had shorter, more dense stems compared to the shade intolerant C. monogyna, with the hybrid being intermediate in these characters. This suggests a steadier growth and higher resource allocation into stems in the case of the shade tolerant species. Furthermore, the hybrid was phenotypically more plastic in biomass allocation relative to at least one of its parental species under various water availabilities, suggesting an advantage on behalf of the hybrid in establishment under a wider range of environmental conditions. Our results support the “mosaic-model” that describes most accurately the hybrid zone.

Roaming in a Land of Milk and Honey: Life Trajectories and Metabolic Rate of Female Inbred Mice Living in a Semi Naturalistic Environment.

Simple SummaryDifferent forms of environmental enrichment are used to increase the wellbeing of laboratory animals. These forms include extending the available cage space, housing a large group of animals within the same unit and adding stimulating physical objects. The semi naturalistic environment (SNE) used in this study implements all of these enhancements. However, there is debate as to whether such variation in housing standards increases the variability of experimental data. Indeed, it has been shown that mice living in the SNE developed individual differences in activity and behavioral parameters. Here, we investigated whether housing in the SNE enhances individual differences in aged animals and whether these differences are reflected in certain physiological parameters. These aspects were considered to assess the suitability of the SNE as a reference system in future studies. We found that the individual-level activity patterns of the animals stabilized during the housing period in the SNE. These behavioral characteristics did not correlate with the measured physiological parameters. Considering the variance of the measured data, which is comparable to the literature, the SNE seems to be a suitable system for studies comparing different housing systems in terms of animal welfare.Despite tremendous efforts at standardization, the results of scientific studies can vary greatly, especially when considering animal research. It is important to emphasize that consistent different personality-like traits emerge and accumulate over time in laboratory mice despite genetic and environmental standardization. To understand to what extent variability can unfold over time, we conducted a long-term study using inbred mice living in an exceptionally complex environment comprising an area of 4.6 m2 spread over five levels. In this semi-naturalistic environment (SNE) the activity and spatial distribution of 20 female C57Bl/6J was recorded by radio-frequency identification (RFID). All individuals were monitored from an age of 11 months to 22 months and their individual pattern of spatial movement in time is described as roaming entropy. Overall, we detected an increase of diversification in roaming behavior over time with stabilizing activity patterns at the individual level. However, spontaneous behavior of the animals as well as physiological parameters did not correlate with cumulative roaming entropy. Moreover, the amount of variability did not exceed the literature data derived from mice living in restricted conventional laboratory conditions. We conclude that even taking quantum leaps towards improving animal welfare does not inevitably mean a setback in terms of data quality.

Relationship of insect biomass and richness with land use along a climate gradient

Recently reported insect declines have raised both political and social concern. Although the declines have been attributed to land use and climate change, supporting evidence suffers from low taxonomic resolution, short time series, a focus on local scales, and the collinearity of the identified drivers. In this study, we conducted a systematic assessment of insect populations in southern Germany, which showed that differences in insect biomass and richness are highly context dependent. We found the largest difference in biomass between semi-natural and urban environments (−42%), whereas differences in total richness (−29%) and the richness of threatened species (−56%) were largest from semi-natural to agricultural environments. These results point to urbanization and agriculture as major drivers of decline. We also found that richness and biomass increase monotonously with increasing temperature, independent of habitat. The contrasting patterns of insect biomass and richness question the use of these indicators as mutual surrogates. Our study provides support for the implementation of more comprehensive measures aimed at habitat restoration in order to halt insect declines.

FURTHER RANGE EXPANSION OF THE SCULPTURED RESIN BEE (MEGACHILE SCULPTURALIS) IN SERBIA AND BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Megachile sculpturalis is the first non-native bee species established in Europe, originating from E-Asia. Since early detections in SW-Europe (2008–2010) its spreading resulted in a range currently spanning nearly 2,800 km x 1,100 km across the southern and central Europe. In SE-Europe establishment was confirmed since 2015 in NE-Hungary, followed by detection in N-Serbia (2017), and wider spreading across the eastern Pannonian Plain (2018–2019); eventually it was detected in NW-Bosnia & Herzegovina (2020). Accordingly, the repeated calls for monitoring of M. sculpturalis spread were voiced, aiming to address its potential invasiveness, but mostly lacking a more specific assessment protocol. A 'working concept' for a comprehensive monitoring of M. sculpturalis was proposed within the survey conducted in Belgrade (Serbia) during 2017–2019, based on quantitative assessment of bee population trends in relation to focal plant resources. There was a need to improve and broaden this initial framework, e.g., to allow for different spatio-temporal scales and various potential usage requirements. Therefore, in 2020 we considerably extended the research scope, defined at two spatial scales: LOCAL, for the Belgrade area – the continuation of protocol development, through a high-intensity assessment of M. sculpturalis abundance, bionomics, and distribution, in parallel with assessment of extended set of relevant plants (and potential bee-plant interactions); REGIONAL, a survey covering the bee spreading across Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, aiming to provide a reference time-section in expanding SE-European front, while also extending the knowledge of its environmental affinities. The study included the launching of a pioneering citizen science project, which enabled a remarkable geographic coverage despite modest return of positive reports. The Belgrade-scale survey yielded a modest increase in recorded locations, relative to 2019, but the recording efficiency was decreased, despite a much intensified surveying efforts and extended coverage. This corroborated the importance of inter-seasonal variation of key food resources, which affects both the population dynamics and detectability of this bee, through alternating concentration and dilution effects. We confirmed the strong association of detection success with availability and variability of blooming Styphnolobium, at both scales, indicating the highest relevance of inclusion of this plant into monitoring assessment protocols. The established phenological extent of M. sculpturalis activity (>70 days) also closely corresponded with the phenology of Styphnolobium blooming; yet it does not represent the entire phenological span for the region. Almost no record came from surveying other plants. The regional expansion of M. sculpturalis during 2017–2020 is documented from 19 wider locations (16 added in 2020). It is particularly well established in the Pannonian, and to a lesser extent in peri-Pannonian area of Serbia and B&H, while the approximated range extent was likely doubled during 2019–2020. Further south records were scarce, indicating the slower expansion across the hilly-mountainous part of the Balkans. Records largely came from urban or other settlements, only about a third from semi-natural or agricultural environments.

Seasonal variation in defence compounds: A case study on pyrrolizidine alkaloids of clones of Jacobaea vulgaris, Jacobaea aquatica and their hybrids

Concentration of plant secondary metabolites (SMs) show seasonal variations. However, it is still not well understood how these abiotic and biotic factors influence the seasonal variations of SMs. In addition, it is of interest to know if and how SMs are reallocated to the different plant organs, in particular whether SMs are reallocated to the remaining tissues when biomass is lost, e.g., during winter. Here we used Jacobaea vulgaris, Jacobaea aquatica, two F1 and four F2 hybrids that differed in their pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) bouquet as a study system. A series of clones of these genotypes were investigated during their vegetative stage spanning 14 months in a semi-natural environment. We found that the total PA concentration in roots and shoots showed a gradual increase until the spring of the second year, whereafter it dropped substantially in shoots. The variation in PA composition due to seasonal changes was significant but relatively small. Senecionine-like PAs were the dominant PAs in roots, while jacobine-/erucifoline-like PAs were dominant in shoots. The variation of PA concentration was significantly correlated with temperature, day length, and plant age. A correlation analysis showed that PAs were not reallocated when biomass was lost in winter. Overall, our study showed that PA composition of each genotype changed over seasons in a different manner but seasonal variation did not overrule the differences in PA composition among genotypes.

Effects of perinatal fluoxetine exposure on novelty-induced social and non-social investigation behaviors in a seminatural environment

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are increasingly prescribed as medication for various affective disorders during pregnancy. SSRIs cross the placenta and affect serotonergic neurotransmission in the fetus, but the neurobehavioral consequences for the offspring remain largely unclear. Recent rodent research has linked perinatal SSRI exposure to alterations in both social and non-social aspects of behavior. However, this research has mainly focused on behavior within simplified environments. The current study investigates the effects of perinatal SSRI exposure on social and non-social investigation behaviors of adult rat offspring upon introduction to a novel seminatural environment with unknown conspecifics. During the perinatal period (gestational day 1 until postnatal day 21), rat dams received daily treatment with either an SSRI (fluoxetine, 10 mg/kg) or vehicle. Adult male and female offspring were observed within the first hour after introduction to a seminatural environment. The results showed that perinatal fluoxetine exposure altered aspects of non-social investigation behaviors, while not altering social investigation behaviors. More specifically, both fluoxetine-exposed males and females spent more total time on locomotor activity than controls. Furthermore, fluoxetine-exposed females spent less time exploring objects and specific elements in the environment. The data suggest that perinatal exposure to SSRIs leads to a quicker, less detailed investigation strategy in novel environments and that the alteration is mostly pronounced in females.

Can rural tourism stimulate biodiversity conservation and influence farmer's management decisions?

The Pampean agroecosystems are oriented to providing a few Ecosystem Services (ES) with undesired consequences on the environment, particularly the loss of biodiversity and cultural ES. In this context, it is necessary to find ways to make agricultural production compatible with biodiversity conservation through sustainable practices. Rural tourism is a form of productive diversification that generates additional economic income for farmers and may encourage the conservation of uncultivated semi-natural environments. Thus, agroecosystems could provide a greater variety of ES, achieving their multifunctionality. For this, it is necessary to understand the link between land use and biodiversity and the psycho-social factors that stimulate or limit farmers to conserve their field’s semi-natural environments. To this end, we conducted a study with three approaches: 1) we evaluated the intentions of rural Pampa’s farmers of conserving uncultivated environments through surveys analyzed under the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior, 2) we explored the preferred environments for recreation through a self-administered survey to rural tourists, and 3) we conducted bird surveys to associate land use with biodiversity. The results showed a trend of greater intention to conserve uncultivated environments in farmers with rural tourism than without rural tourism. These intentions were related to more positive attitudes due to the intrinsic and utilitarian values of conserving uncultivated environments and less identification with agriculture only as a source of economic income. Tourists preferred semi-natural environments for recreation, which also sustain higher bird diversity. Results allowed to detect key aspects to influence farmers to achieve a greater intention to conserve uncultivated environments and manage them to supply multiple ES.

Antipredator responses toward cat fur in wild brown rats tested in a semi-natural environment

Abstract Sensitivity to predator-related cues and performance of antipredator behaviors are universal among prey species. Rodents exhibit a diverse suite of antipredator behaviors that have been examined in both field and laboratory studies. However, the results from the laboratory have not always translated to the field. While laboratory studies consistently indicate strong fear-inducing effects of cat fur/skin odors, it is unclear whether this occurs in the field with wild rats. To address this issue, we tested the antipredator responses of wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) to predatory (domestic cat fur) and nonpredatory (common brushtail possum fur) odor cues in a semi-natural experimental paradigm. Rats were housed in open air enclosures containing two feeding stations. Following several nights of acclimatization, the feeding stations were paired with cat fur, possum fur, or no fur. Rats spent less time at a feeding station that was paired with cat fur. Duration of time spent at feeding stations increased across consecutive test days and across hours within individual test nights, although the rate of increase within nights was lower for cat fur paired stations. This overall increase might reflect habituation of antipredator behaviors, increasing hunger, or loss of cue potency over time. We suggest that wild brown rats recognize and respond to cat fur odor cues, but their behavioral response is highly adaptable and finely tuned to the trade-off between predation risk and starvation that occurs across short temporal scales.

Biodeteriogens at a southern Italian heritage site: Analysis and management of vascular flora on the walls of Villa Rufolo

Colonisation of vascular plants on ancient historical buildings is known to cause severe damage. The aim of the present work was to analyse the deteriogenic vascular flora of Villa Rufolo in Ravello, one of the most famous heritage sites in southern Italy. The deteriogenic flora were analysed in terms of diversity, structure, chorology, origin and potential damage to the building. The hazard index (HI) was applied to evaluate the impact of the biodeteriogens in question. The total flora included 61 taxa with the prevalence of therophytes (42.6%) and widely distributed species (42.6%), mostly derived from natural or semi-natural environments in the surrounding area (95.1%). The plant colonisation pattern showed the presence of some very harmful but not very abundant vascular plants (6.6%), including Ficus carica, Hedera helix subsp. helix, Capparis orientalis and Parthenocissus tricuspidata. Analysing the potential deteriogenic impact of each species (DI), a new index proposed by the authors, it emerged that the most dangerous were Centranthus ruber subsp. ruber and Parietaria judaica. Methods for the eradication of the most damaging species are discussed and proposed.

Rat ultrasonic vocalizations and novelty-induced social and non-social investigation behavior in a seminatural environment

Although rats are known to emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), it remains unclear whether these calls serve an auditory communication purpose. For USVs to be part of communication, the vocal signals will need to be a transfer of information between two or more conspecifics, and with the possibility to induce changes in the behavior of the recipient. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the role of USVs in adult rats’ social and non-social investigation strategies when introduced into a large novel environment with unfamiliar conspecifics. We quantified a wide range of social and non-social behaviors in the seminatural environment, which could be affected by subtle signals, including USVs. We found that during the first hour in the seminatural environment the ability to vocalize did not affect how quickly adult rats met each other, their overall social investigation behavior, their passive social behavior nor their aggressive behavior. Furthermore, the non-social exploratory behaviors and behaviors reflecting anxiety/stress-like states were also unaffected. These results demonstrated that a disability to vocalize did not result in significant disadvantages (or changes) compared to intact conspecifics regarding social and non-social behaviors. This suggests that other (multi)sensory cues are more relevant in social interactions than USVs.

Animal welfare during a period of intensification: The views of confinement and alternative pig producers

AbstractIn Hungary, where intensive and non-intensive pig production co-exist, in-depth interviews were used to explore the views and priorities of pig producers regarding animal welfare and ethical animal production. Farmers using confinement systems and those with alternative, non-confinement systems shared certain core values such as attachment to animals and to traditional community values. Both groups agreed on most key elements of animal welfare (health, nutrition, etc) but had different priorities for how to achieve these within their production systems. Alternative producers considered unconfined, semi-natural environments important for animal welfare, and confinement producers with medium-sized operations (400-600 sows) generally agreed. Only the three largest producers (> 1,000 sows) expressed strong confidence in confinement methods. Different producers emphasised different features for ensuring animal welfare. Producers with large-scale confinement systems depend strongly on staff and automation and require the means to find and retain good staff. Those with medium-scale confinement systems see automation and personal involvement with animals as crucial, and they need economic conditions that allow herd size to remain within their personal capacity. Those operating alternative systems see small herds and non-confinement systems as crucial for animal welfare and need markets that encourage such systems. Subsidies, regulatory systems and technological developments would need to be tailored to meet the different needs in order for producers to improve animal welfare in the different systems and according to their own values and priorities. Medium-scale confinement producers could better act on their values if economic conditions allowed them to use more natural systems.

Cross-taxon relationships in Mediterranean urban ecosystem: A case study from the city of Trieste

Urbanization directly and indirectly impacts biodiversity to the extent that it is considered one of the main causes of biotic homogenization and extinction. However, urban green areas can act as reservoir of biodiversity, and knowledge regarding species distribution in such contexts is crucial to define appropriate conservation and management strategies. Since inventories of species are generally time-consuming and costly, a commonly used approach consists in the use of surrogate species. However, studies investigating the effectiveness of surrogate species in urban environments still seem to be under-represented. In this research, we investigated the biodiversity of ants, plants, and carabid beetles in six different green areas within the urban area of the city of Trieste. The role of vascular plants as a potential surrogate for the diversity of ants and carabid beetles has been tested, investigating the influence of the environmental variables (dead wood, litter, anthropic disturbance, bare soil, bedrocks and rocks) on these relationships. Patterns of species richness and complementarity were compared among the sampled sites and their correlations were tested with Mantel tests and Co-Correspondence Analysis (Co-CA). Results pointed out that even disturbed and isolated sites within the urbanised matrix can sustain a high diversity of species of ants, carabids and plants, while in the semi-natural sites intermediate diversity levels were found. Plants were found to correlate directly with the diversity of ants; on the contrary, carabid species composition resulted only indirectly influenced by vascular plants, confirming the key role of abiotic variables in determining carabid diversity. Co-CA showed a clear distinction between forested and semi-natural environments and more open and disturbed environments. Furthermore, the Co-CA highlighted that the considered environmental variables (particularly dead wood, anthropic disturbance, rocks and litter) can significantly influence the distribution of analyzed taxa. Our results highlight the important role of urban green areas within the urban matrix as source of biodiversity and, furthermore, once more, support the role of vascular plants as meaningful surrogate for the diversity of ants and carabids.

The Suitability of Digital Video Surveillance and Multi-beam Sonar to Monitor Saltwater Crocodiles

Despite intensive management, the increasing conflict between humans and saltwater crocodiles in places such as Queensland, Australia, has led to the investigation of alternative techniques to improve public safety. The reliability of digital video surveillance systems (DV) placed above water and multi-beam sonar (sonar) placed under water to detect and monitor saltwater crocodiles was tested in a seminatural freshwater environment over a 2 h period (16:00–18:00 h). A total of 29 crocodiles were detected within the study area using DV, and 28 with sonar. One was obscured by a section of bank, and thus not visible on sonar. Of the 28 crocodiles detected by both methods, sonar recorded both entry and exit for all, while DV recorded both entry and exit for 15 crocodiles. The length of time that crocodiles were detected was longer on average for sonar (4 min 27 s) compared with DV (2 min 50 s). This reflected the time spent above (detected by sonar and DV) or below water (not detected by DV), as only sonar was able to detect crocodiles underwater. The use of sonar may provide a valuable management tool for detecting and monitoring saltwater crocodiles in areas frequented by people (e.g. beaches, boat ramps, upper freshwater areas) where there is a high chance of a negative interaction.

Assessing landscape services as foundation for Green Infrastructure functionality: the case of the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve.

Biosphere Reserves are considered as means for the people who live and work within them to attain a balanced relationship with the natural and semi-natural environment. Moreover, they contribute to the needs of society by showing a way to a more sustainable future. The Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve partly surrounds the city of Vienna and other minor settlements, representing a well-developed example of Green Infrastructure (GI) of great cultural and natural value. Its heterogeneous landscape offers a variety of landscape services (LS). In this work we quantified and mapped the capacity of LS offered by the open land elements of Wienerwald. Starting from a high-resolution dataset, we selected suitable indicator classes, and scored each ecological and socio-cultural service through an expert-based capacity matrix. The subsequent GIS analyses focused on the intensity and density of LS capacities by developing an index useful for mapping GI functionality. The work provides an effective monitoring tool for the Reserve’s both ecological and socio-cultural sustainability performance. It also allows detecting resilient areas, by considering both the spatial distribution and the abundance of landscape elements.

Male and female immediate fear reaction to white noise in a semi-natural environment: A detailed behavioural analysis of the role of sex and oestrogen receptors.

In classical rodent anxiety models, females usually display lower anxiety than males, whereas anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women. Perhaps this contradiction is caused by the use of behavioural models with low external validity. Therefore, we analysed immediate reactions to a sudden 90-dB white noise in a semi-natural environment. We observed mixed-sex groups of rats for the 60seconds preceding noise onset and the first 60seconds of exposure. White noise elicited fear-specific behaviours hiding alone and huddling. It also increased exploratory and ambulatory behaviours, although only in the burrow zone farthest from the open area. Thus, in a semi-natural environment, white noise enhanced motor activity as a product of fear-induced general arousal. Then, we compared male and female sexual, social, exploratory and anxiety-related behaviour, and found little sex difference. This absence of behavioural effect, also observed in other studies, might be a result of our study design, a familiar environment with an ecologically relevant social context. Fear and anxiety responses are modulated by oestrogens through the activation of oestrogen receptors α and β. Thus, in a third part of out study, we analysed how treatment with either oil, oestradiol benzoate (EB), an agonist to the oestrogen receptor α (propylpyrazoletriol [PPT]) or β (diarylpropionitrile [DPN]) influenced female behaviour. The effect of treatment was limited, both EB and PPT stimulated motor activity in the open area before white noise, probably because of sexual activity. PPT increased the probability of fleeing from the noise, and decreased the latency to do so, which is consistent with a pattern of anxiogenic properties found in previous studies. Contrary to reports in classical procedures, we failed to detect any effect of DPN on immediate fear reactions in a semi-natural environment.