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Habitat Fragmentation Caused by Contaminants: Assessment of Direct and Indirect Ecological Impacts across Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems

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A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 10572

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Matilde Moreira-Santos

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Guest Editor

Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People and the Planet, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: ecological risk assessment; aquatic ecotoxicology; ecologically relevant tools (across climatic zones)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Cristiano V.M. Araújo

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Guest Editor

Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (CSIC), 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
Interests: avoidance; behavioral responses; ecotoxicology; environmental risk assessment; contamination; stress ecology; landscape ecotoxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Habitat fragmentation, commonly defined as the discontinuity of a habitat into smaller and more isolated habitats, can be due to natural causes (e.g., fires) but is mostly due to ecosystem conversion and degradation caused by human interference (e.g., agriculture, urbanization, water diversion, contaminants). Immediate and long-lasting consequences of habitat fragmentation are the loss of biodiversity (including genetic variation) and changes in ecological interactions.

Although contamination is known as a major driver of habitat fragmentation, new chemicals are marketed every year, and cumulative impacts are expected under the current scenario of climate change; few studies have, however, focused on the effects of contamination from a landscape perspective (habitat continuity), particularly important for conservation and management actions. When habitats are fragmented by contaminants, direct effects may occur at the individual and population levels due to physiological damage on exposed organisms, whereas indirect effects may occur on organisms not directly exposed, due to the loss of resources through toxic effects or emigration to more favorable environments. Ecologically, the emigration of an organism is equivalent to its death, and such ecological death can affect the functioning (e.g., predation) and structure of the downsized or receiving communities (e.g., biodiversity). Therefore, when assessing contaminant-driven habitat degradation, both direct toxic effects and effects on the spatial distribution of the organisms should be considered. This ecological balance will be influenced by the level of contamination, the dispersal ability of the organisms, and the existence of a source population edge-of-field (external recovery) or in-field patches (internal recovery).

This Special Issue aims to deepen the discussions on contaminant-driven habitat fragmentation with a focus on existing and new fundamental knowledge and tools to assess direct and indirect ecological impacts across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, both at the laboratory and field scale. Authors are invited to submit original research articles, short communications, and reviews focusing on various aspects of contamination as a driver of habitat fragmentation, including (but not limited to) direct and indirect effects of chemicals, mixtures, environmental samples, and multiple stressors (particularly in the context of climate change), as well as the integration of such knowledge in population models to predict spatial and temporal field dynamics under contaminated and (re)colonization scenarios at the landscape level, contributing to improve current ecological risk assessment frameworks and conservation options.

Dr. Matilde Moreira-Santos
Dr. Cristiano V.M. Araújo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

stress ecology
landscape ecotoxicology
habitat connectivity
toxicity
biodiversity loss
emigration
recolonization
immigration
population models
conservation actions

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomonitoring of Alterations in Fish That Inhabit Anthropic Aquatic Environments in a Basin from Semi-Arid Regions

by Juan Manuel Pérez-Iglesias, Nadia Carla Bach, Patricia Laura Colombetti, Pablo Acuña, Jorge Esteban Colman-Lerner, Silvia Patricia González, Julie Celine Brodeur and Cesar Américo Almeida

Toxics 2023, 11(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11010073 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1665

Abstract

Industrial, agricultural, and urban areas can be sources of pollution and a cause of habitat fragmentation. The Conlara River located in the northeast of San Luis Province suffers different environmental pressures along its course from urban to agro-industrial areas. The present study aims to assess the water quality of the Conlara basin by evaluating how metals and pesticide contamination as well as physicochemical parameters relate to physiological stress in Jenynsia multidentata. Samplings were carried out in four sites characterized by a growing gradient of anthropic impact from the springs to the final sections of the river, starting with tourism passing through urban areas and ending with large agricultural areas (from S1 to S4) during both the dry and wet seasons. A total of 27 parameters were determined (11 physicochemical, 9 heavy metals, and 7 pesticides) in surface waters. Biomarkers (CAT, TBARS, ChE, and MN) showed significant physiological and cytological alterations in J. multidentata depending on the hydrology season. The combination of physicochemical parameters, metals, and pesticide levels allowed typification and differentiation of the sites. Some metal (Cr, Mn, Pb, and Zn) and pesticide (α-BHC, chlorpyrifos, permethrin and cypermethrin, and endosulfan α) levels recorded exceeded the recommended Argentinian legislation values. A principal component analysis (PCA) allowed detection of differences between both seasons and across sites. Furthermore, the differences in distances showed by PCA between the sites were due to differences in the presence of physicochemical parameters, metals, and pesticides correlated with several biomarkers’ responses depending on type of environmental stressor. Water quality evaluation along the Conlara River shows deterioration and different types of environmental stressors, identifying zones, and specific sources of pollution. Furthermore, the biomarkers suggest that the native species could be sensitive to anthropogenic environmental pressures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Habitat Fragmentation Caused by Contaminants: Assessment of Direct and Indirect Ecological Impacts across Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems)

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16 pages, 3652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Integrity Impairment and Habitat Fragmentation for Neotropical Macroinvertebrate Communities in an Agricultural Stream

by Silvia Echeverría-Sáenz, Rocío Ugalde-Salazar, Meyer Guevara-Mora, Francisco Quesada-Alvarado and Clemens Ruepert

Toxics 2022, 10(7), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10070346 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1882

Abstract

The Volcán River watershed in the south Pacific of Costa Rica comprises forests, small urban settlements, cattle fields, and intensive agriculture (mostly pineapple and sugarcane). The ecological integrity and quality of its waters was assessed from 2011–2013 and 2018–2019 by means of physical–chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, temperature, DO, DBO, nitrate, total phosphorus, and pesticide residues) and benthic macroinvertebrate (MI) sampling in eight sites (Volcán, Cañas, and Ángel Rivers, and Peje and Maura streams), resulting in high ecological integrity in all sites except the Peje stream, which is polluted with nitrates and pesticides. Only in this stream was there a marked seasonal variation in the abundance of 16 MI families including Leptohyphidae, Leptophlebiidae, Philopotamidae, Glossossomatidae, and Corydalidae, among others, whose presence was limited exclusively to the dry season (December to April), disappearing from the stream in the rainy season, with corresponding peaks in nitrate (max 20.3 mg/L) and pesticides (mainly herbicides and organophosphate insecticides). The characteristics of the watershed, with large areas of forest and excellent water quality, allow for the re-colonization of organisms into the Peje stream; however, those organisms are incapable of development and growth, providing evidence of a contaminant-driven habitat fragmentation in this stream during the rainy season. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Habitat Fragmentation Caused by Contaminants: Assessment of Direct and Indirect Ecological Impacts across Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems)

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12 pages, 3253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Connections among Land Use, Water Quality, Biodiversity of Aquatic Invertebrates, and Fish Behavior in Amazon Rivers

by Rodrigo Silva de Sousa, Gilmar Clemente Silva, Thiago Bazzan, Fernando de la Torre, Caroline Nebo, Diógenes Henrique Siqueira-Silva, Sheila Cardoso-Silva, Marcelo Luiz Martins Pompêo, Teresa Cristina Brazil de Paiva, Flávio Teixeira da Silva and Daniel Clemente Vieira Rêgo da Silva

Toxics 2022, 10(4), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10040182 - 07 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2156

Abstract

Rivers in the Amazon have among the greatest biodiversity in the world. The Xingu River, one of the tributaries of the Amazon River, has a length of 1640 km, draining 510,000 km² in one of the most protected regions on the planet. The Middle Xingu region in Brazil has been highly impacted by mining and livestock farming, leading to habitat fragmentation due to altered water quality. Therefore, comparing two rivers (the preserved Xingu River and the impacted Fresco River) and their confluence, the aims of the present study were to (1) assess the land uses in the hydrographic basin; (2) determine the water quality by measurements of turbidity, total solids, and metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, and Hg); (3) compare the zooplankton biodiversity; and (4) to evaluate the avoidance behavior of fish (Astyanax bimaculatus) when exposed to waters from the Xingu and Fresco Rivers. Zooplankton were grouped and counted down to the family level. For the analysis of fish avoidance, a multi-compartment system was used. The forest class predominated at the study locations, accounting for 57.6%, 60.8%, and 63.9% of the total area at P1XR, P2FR, and P3XFR, respectively, although since 1985, at the same points, the forest had been reduced by 31.3%, 25.7%, and 27.9%. The Xingu River presented almost 300% more invertebrate families than the Fresco River, and the fish population preferred its waters (>50%). The inputs from the Fresco River impacted the water quality of the Xingu River, leading to reductions in local invertebrate biodiversity and potential habitats for fish in a typical case of habitat fragmentation due to anthropic factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Habitat Fragmentation Caused by Contaminants: Assessment of Direct and Indirect Ecological Impacts across Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems)

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14 pages, 1605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Recolonization Concentration Concept: Using Avoidance Assays with Soil Organisms to Predict the Recolonization Potential of Contaminated Sites

by Mathieu Renaud, Tiago Natal-da-Luz, Rui Ribeiro and José Paulo Sousa

Toxics 2022, 10(3), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10030127 - 05 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1759

Abstract

In this study the recolonization concentration concept for soil organisms is presented and validated. This concept is based on the empirically deduced avoidance–recolonization hypothesis, which shows a negative correlation between avoidance (AC_x) and recolonization (RC_x) (AC_x = RC_100−x) responses. The concept was validated in a two-step approach composed by (i) individual placement tests, to demonstrate the non-influence of individual placement in a dual chamber avoidance test and (ii) small scale gradient tests to demonstrate that the number of colonizers reaching a soil patch with a certain concentration is independent on their previous exposure to lower concentrations. Overall, data show that avoidance data can be used, when framed under the recolonization concentration concept, to evaluate the recolonization potential of contaminated sites. The recolonization concept is an important theoretical concept that when coupled with spatial modelling tools could be used to tackle the spatial and temporal recovery dynamics of contaminated soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Habitat Fragmentation Caused by Contaminants: Assessment of Direct and Indirect Ecological Impacts across Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems)

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Review

Jump to: Research

12 pages, 1258 KiB

Open AccessReview

Could Contamination Avoidance Be an Endpoint That Protects the Environment? An Overview on How Species Respond to Copper, Glyphosate, and Silver Nanoparticles

by M. Antonella Alcívar, Marta Sendra, Daniel C. V. R. Silva, Enrique González-Ortegón, Julián Blasco, Ignacio Moreno-Garrido and Cristiano V. M. Araújo

Toxics 2021, 9(11), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics9110301 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2058

Abstract

The use of non-forced multi-compartmented exposure systems has gained importance in the assessment of the contamination-driven spatial avoidance response. This new paradigm of exposure makes it possible to assess how contaminants fragment habitats, interfering in the spatial distribution and species’ habitat selection processes. In this approach, organisms are exposed to a chemically heterogeneous scenario (a gradient or patches of contamination) and the response is focused on identifying the contamination levels considered aversive for organisms. Despite the interesting results that have been recently published, the use of this approach in ecotoxicological risk studies is still incipient. The current review aims to show the sensitivity of spatial avoidance in non-forced exposure systems in comparison with the traditional endpoints used in ecotoxicology under forced exposure. To do this, we have used the sensitivity profile by biological groups (SPBG) to offer an overview of the highly sensitive biological groups and the species sensitive distribution (SSD) to estimate the hazard concentration for 5% of the species (HC₅). Three chemically different compounds were selected for this review: copper, glyphosate, and Ag-NPs. The results show that contamination-driven spatial avoidance is a very sensitive endpoint that could be integrated as a complementary tool to ecotoxicological studies in order to provide an overview of the level of repellence of contaminants. This repellence is a clear example of how contamination might fragment ecosystems, prevent connectivity among populations and condition the distribution of biodiversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Habitat Fragmentation Caused by Contaminants: Assessment of Direct and Indirect Ecological Impacts across Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems)

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