Search Results (492)

Urbanization is a major and rapidly expanding form of land-use change worldwide and is one of the main drivers of the decline in arthropod diversity. Within urban matrices, remnants of natural or semi-natural habitats serve as important refuges for native organisms. However, these urban fragments are typically small, isolated, and strongly affected by various forms of disturbance. Therefore, connectivity among urban remnant patches may enhance population persistence and resilience. Increased tendencies to explore novel environments, tolerate human disturbance, and exploit unpredictable resources can be advantageous in urban environments. Accordingly, in this study of a flightless ground beetle species, we hypothesized that individuals from urban habitats—especially from isolated ones—would be bolder and more exploratory than their rural conspecifics, that sexes would differ in behavior, and that these behaviors would be temporally consistent, indicating animal personality. Activity-, exploration-, and boldness-related behavioral traits were significantly repeatable, providing evidence for animal personality, particularly in females and rural beetles. Contrary to our hypothesis, no behavioral differences were detected between rural and urban individuals. Furthermore, no significant sex-dependent differences in behavior were observed. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of species-specific traits and ecological context in shaping behavioral variation. Full article

Marine mesozooplankton (0.2–20 mm), as a critical trophic link between primary producers and higher trophic levels, are pivotal drivers of trophic cascades regulating pelagic ecosystem structure and function. This review synthesizes recent advances in understanding mesozooplankton-mediated trophic cascades (MMTC), with a focus on selective feeding mechanisms, and presents an original, integrated quantitative framework that fills gaps in quantification and prediction of MMTC. This framework includes the following: a dual-pathway conceptual model distinguishing density-mediated and trait-mediated cascades; a three-level grazing rate correction model addressing long-standing underestimations of mesozooplankton direct grazing rate on phytoplankton; a comprehensive Cascade Strength Index for quantifying cascade intensity; an extended numerical model—NPMZ model (Nutrient–Phytoplankton–Microzooplankton–Mesozooplankton) for simulating MMTC dynamics and their biogeochemical impacts. The review further elucidates the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of MMTC and its implications for plankton community size structure and biological carbon pump efficiency. It also systematically assess the combined impacts of global change drivers (ocean warming, acidification, eutrophication) on MMTC and their ecological consequences. This review advances the theoretical framework of marine trophic cascade research by establishing a unified quantitative paradigm for MMTC and provides mechanistic insights and predictive tools for understanding how climate change modulates pelagic food web dynamics and marine ecosystem services. Moreover, the proposed integrated research paradigm combining molecular tools, multi-factor experiments, and high-resolution numerical modeling offers a critical roadmap for future MMTC research in the Anthropocene. This provides a scientific basis for the conservation and adaptive management of marine ecosystems under global change. Full article

Heavy metal pollution is increasingly recognized, not merely as a source of static toxicity, but also as a driver of dynamic microbial regulation. At sublethal concentrations, these pollutants function as critical environmental cues that reshape microbial evolutionary trajectories. This review elucidates how low-dose heavy metals bypass acute cellular damage to instead engage bacterial chemical-sensing networks, systematically upregulating virulence factors, biofilm architecture, and the co-selection of antibiotic resistance. By leveraging the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) infection model (a platform defined by its evolutionarily conserved innate immune architecture), we dissect the tripartite interplay between environmental metal flux, bacterial pathogenic output, and host immunological defense. We synthesize empirical evidence from the C. elegans model to highlight how heavy metals modulate bacterial virulence and host defense mechanisms, thereby providing new insights into the indirect health risks of environmental pollutants and their implications for redefining public health exposure thresholds and infectious disease control in the Anthropocene. Full article

Summer abiotic stresses typical of Mediterranean agro-environments, now exacerbated by climate change, reduce floral resource availability and further compromise the survival of pollinators already threatened in the so-called Anthropocene. The aim of this study was to evaluate several summer-blooming wildflower species, collected from ecologically disturbed and diversified habitats, in order to assess their ecological role in attracting pollinators within agroecosystems. The primary dormancy typical of wild species seeds was partially overcome through appropriate pre-sowing seed treatments, while secondary dormancy was reduced by soil rolling after sowing. Soil rolling proved particularly beneficial for species with very small seeds, highlighting the importance of adequate seed–soil contact for successful establishment. All tested species exhibited summer flowering between May and July, with some flowering later in the season, and showed high attractiveness to pollinators both in terms of abundance and taxonomic diversity. However, this ecosystem service declined significantly in the second year, although certain species demonstrated a strong capacity to persist and to maintain satisfactory pollinator attractiveness over time. In conclusion, while the experiment revealed several critical aspects, it also provides encouraging prospects for further research aimed at enhancing pollinator survival in agroecosystems that are severely threatened by pollinator decline. Full article

This study evaluates the ecological impact of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) invasion on native chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) groves on Mount Amiata (Central Italy), focusing on both plant and macrofungal community dynamics. Surveys were conducted over a three-year period (2022–2024) across 16 plots to assess shifts in taxonomic alpha diversity, species richness, and trophic guild structure. Our results demonstrate that while R. pseudoacacia stands exhibit a higher Shannon–Wiener index for plants, native chestnut groves host significantly greater species richness and higher taxonomic distinctiveness across both biological groups. A major shift in fungal functional structure was observed with chestnut-dominated plots characterized by a predominance of ectomycorrhizal species (58.3%), whereas invaded stands were heavily dominated by saprotrophic fungi (73.4%). Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) further confirmed a clear separation in community composition between the two forest types, indicating that R. pseudoacacia invasion leads to a homogenization of the forest biota and a potential decline in ecosystem health, as evidenced by the sharp reduction in mycorrhizal diversity. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring macrofungal communities as sensitive bioindicators of the ecological degradation caused by invasive woody species. Full article

Global environmental governance has expanded significantly, yet it remains politically inadequate to address planetary crises in the Anthropocene. Despite the proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements, governance arrangements continue to suffer from fragmentation, weak authority, limited accountability, and a sovereignty-bound logic that constrains collective action. This article critically examines these limitations through an assessment of polycentric and Nested Systemic Governance approaches. While nested governance can reduce fragmentation and enhance participation, it remains dependent on voluntarism and lacks the political authority and democratic anchoring required for durable coordination. Drawing on debates in environmental politics and global governance, the article advances a longer-term institutional perspective that conceptualises a gradual evolution toward a federative framework combining multilevel participation with enforceable authority and democratic legitimacy. Full article

Human-driven soil erosion is a signal of the widely debated “Anthropocene”. There is widespread controversy regarding the time consistency and time transgression of human-driven soil erosion in the Late Holocene. In this study, three well-dated cores, B10, B14 and W20 from west to east, spanning the past 4–6 ka from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) shelf, southern China, were selected for elemental tests. Principal component analysis divides the elements into four components. The first principal component (PC1) includes TFe₂O₃, Al₂O₃, V, Cs, Rb, Ga, TiO₂, K₂O, Ta, Nb, MnO, Th, LOI, and Cl, being the proxy for fine-grained terrigenous input and watershed soil erosion. The PC1 variations in B10 and B14 reveal that erosion enhanced at ~2.2 ka BP, and less erosion occurred at ~1.5 ka BP but has intensified since ~1.2 ka BP, which is consistent with the simulated cropland area of the Pearl River Basin and lake records in the upper West River, southwestern China. However, the records from the W20 reveal a continuous increase in terrestrial input since 2.2 ka BP, which is consistent with the soil erosion changes recorded by the South China coast lakes at its provenance region. Hence, differences in the initial age of the signals of human activities were revealed in the PRE shelf system. Our study not only reveals the time transgression of the “Anthropocene” boundary but also updates the sediment source-to-sink model of the PRE shelf system. Full article

This study provides an updated overview of Anthophila (wild bees and honey bees) diversity and conservation status in Algeria, explicitly distinguishing between the managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) and native wild Anthophila species. Using a systematic PRISMA-based literature analysis, more than 179 bee species have been documented across Mediterranean and semi-arid ecosystems, confirming their irreplaceable contribution to ecosystem resilience and crop pollination and beekeeping systems. The majority of Algeria’s Anthophila diversity is represented by endemic and native wild bees that sustain natural ecosystems. However, they are under growing human-caused (anthropogenic) pressures in the Anthropocene, including pressure from habitat loss and fragmentation, agricultural intensification, widespread pesticide use, and climate change. In addition, pathogenic threats such as Varroa destructor, Nosema, and associated viruses are well documented in honey bees, while evidence for their presence and impact in wild bees in Algeria remains very limited. These stressors not only weaken specialist species but also accelerate biotic homogenization dominated by A. mellifera. Recent genomic research on native honey bee populations has revealed adaptive signatures linked to immunity and social behavior, offering new opportunities for innovative conservation strategies based on molecular and genetic tools. Such insights highlight the value of preserving local strains, which may hold key traits for resilience under changing environmental conditions. To safeguard Anthophila biodiversity, this study underscores the urgent need for Algeria to implement proven conservation strategies, including habitat restoration initiatives and Anthophila-friendly farming approaches, which are common internationally but remain largely unaddressed at the national scale. By integrating cutting-edge genetic research, ecological restoration, and sustainable innovation, Algeria, with its diverse habitats and largely unexplored Anthophila fauna, holds considerable potential for advancing biodiversity conservation strategies that also support food security. However, this potential can only be realized through further in-depth research and comprehensive species inventories. Full article

Gary Snyder’s vision of the ‘great earth sangha’ articulates a philosophy of ecological awakening in which spiritual, ethical, and affective relationships connect all forms of life into a cohesive and sacred web of interbeing. The concept of the ‘great earth sangha’ embodies a profound sense of ‘oneness,’ in which the dichotomy between the self and the other dissolves, leading to a realisation of the Earth as a sentient, experiential, and pulsating entity. Inspired by the holistic perspectives of Buddhism and the resonances of Indigenous cosmologies, Snyder’s idea of the ‘great earth sangha’ represents a heightened consciousness and an “emotional intelligence” that fosters compassion, love, care and empathy for all beings in the world. For Snyder, the great earth sangha is a practice—a way of living in mindful ecological engagement. It is embedded with the principles of sila (morality), which foregrounds visions of harmonious coexistence and ecological kinship. This article argues that Snyder’s idea of the ‘great earth sangha’ offers a counter-anthropocentric perspective that subverts entrenched human-centred hierarchies by situating human identity within a communal web of existence. The article discusses how Snyder redefines the notion of ‘community’ as an inclusive, interdependent network that transcends human boundaries and embraces all planetary beings. Finally, the article explores how Snyder’s holistic vision propounds a restorative path that centres on ideas of ethics, affect, justice, responsibility and stewardship. Full article

The Lower North River (LNR) exhibits a distinctive anabranching pattern in the Pearl River Basin, China. However, research has predominantly focused on vertical channel adjustments relying on in situ measurements, while the large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of the anabranching planform have received limited attention. To address this gap, this study quantified the evolution of the anabranching planform from 1990 to 2022 using remote sensing images, focusing on anabranching intensity and island morphology, and analyzed driving factors using hydrological observations. Results revealed three evolutionary phases driven by shifting dominance of human interventions. During the first phase (1990–2004), the LNR experienced a moderate decline in anabranching intensity and widespread shrinkage of river islands, primarily attributed to sediment starvation induced by upstream dams. In the second phase (2004–2013), the decline in anabranching intensity accelerated and the proportion of expanding islands increased, driven by unregulated sand mining and channel regulation. In the third phase (2013–2022), the rapid decline in anabranching intensity decelerated and the islands shifted from a shrinkage-dominated to a stable-dominated state following the implementation of strict mining management and the physical confinement imposed by engineering structures. These findings reveal distinct morphological responses of the LNR to flow–sediment regimes and anthropogenic physical interventions, offering insights into the sustainable management of large anabranching rivers worldwide in the Anthropocene. Full article

Birds of the Anthropocene have to adapt to changing and often very unfavourable conditions, among them habitat fragmentation or outright habitat loss. Many organisations worldwide are deeply committed to stemming the tide of extinctions of native species and maintaining biodiversity. The question is how far scientists and practitioners are willing to go to achieve conservation goals in situations that are not entirely resolved, are contradictory, or involve dubious claims about alleged causative agents. The noisy miner, Manorina melanocephala, has been painted as such a causative agent in the decline of small woodland birds. The noisy miner is a highly successful, flexible, and socially complex small native Australian honeyeater (woodland bird). As will be shown in a new data analysis, the noisy miner also ranks highly in cognitive abilities. Despite its status as a native species, a protracted campaign against the species has led to government policies permitting its culling in New South Wales due to its alleged ‘overabundance’ and ‘harmful’ impact on small woodland birds. As a consequence, noisy miners can now be shot legally and have been culled in their thousands in the last decade. Allegedly, these actions have been taken for conservation purposes. This paper raises significant doubts about the claims against this species, and the methods and ethics of how a native species can become the sole bearer of the ills of the Anthropocene. This paper exposes bias or misinterpreted evidence and shows how myth-making is possible in modern science and how language can purposefully mislead the public via characterisations of avian behaviour. In essence, this paper is a case study of ethical issues in science: about the degree and type of intervention, and how far we are willing to go in the name of conservation, particularly when based on spurious or contradictory evidence and at the cost of native animals. Full article

This paper reconfigures the theme of divine encounters in the literature by examining the intersection of pantheism, vitalism, and ecological imagination, with a particular focus on Percy Bysshe Shelley. Far from depicting the divine as transcendent, Shelley envisions it as an immanent force permeating nature, matter, and life itself. In poems such as “Queen Mab”, “Mont Blanc”, “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty”, “Ode to the West Wind”, or “The Cloud” Shelley translates vitalist science into poetic vision, challenging orthodox religious beliefs and contemplating the divine as inherent in natural processes. The study also situates Shelley’s thought within a broader genealogy that extends through John Ruskin’s vitalist aesthetics, Henri Bergson’s élan vital, and into contemporary posthumanist philosophy, neomaterialism and ecocriticism, along with scholars who have contributed to reviving and transforming vitalist traditions, reframing human-nonhuman relations in the Anthropocene. The paper shows the importance of the Romantic period in the development of vitalist approaches in various fields of knowledge, anticipating ecological concerns. The study is framed as a genealogical and epistemological problem attempting to articulate connections while situating poetic practice as a privileged site where vitalism is negotiated. Full article

Trait-based approaches, particularly those focusing on behavioral traits, have become increasingly important in ecology. However, empirical studies addressing behavioral trait variation in insects remain comparatively scarce. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the behavior of six wild-living ground beetle species for which no behavioral data have previously been reported. Using standardized behavioral measures, we found that in species occurring in their preferred forest habitats, behavioral traits related to activity, exploration, boldness, and risk-taking showed weak or limited temporal consistency. In contrast, in species inhabiting modified forest habitats, behavioral traits exhibited pronounced and repeatable individual differences, were intercorrelated, and formed behavioral syndromes. Moreover, half of the studied species showed sex-specific differences in personality, reflecting drivers related to reproductive roles and investment. Overall, our findings emphasize that animal personality and behavioral syndromes in ground beetles are not universal species-level properties but emerge from the interaction between intrinsic traits, and sex-specific strategies, underscoring the importance of considering ecological context when interpreting individual-level behavioral variation. Full article

This paper assesses the use of ‘plastic age’ and ‘glass age’ terms, using a bibliometric approach to identify their proponents, purposes, and connections to debates in Anthropocene and heritage studies. This study explores how glass and plastic have been portrayed as age-defining materials and how this concept relates with what is expected to be preserved for future generations. Are these materials so ubiquitous that they become invisible? If visible, are they considered waste or heritage? Both materials appear in the Anthropocene discussion as stratigraphic indicators. The term ‘glass age’ is related with the marketing of glass (not only new glass formulations and new products, but also as an alternative to other more polluting materials), and the term ‘plastic age’ appears to be related to the multitude of plastics in our everyday lives and all the problems associated with their disposal. Although there are few examples of bibliometric research on glass and plastic as heritage, there is currently great investment in the study of glass and plastic from the perspective of conservation viability; this perspective needs to be promoted so that these materials can be included in heritage policies and museum collections as a reflection of today’s society. Full article

Insect pollination, a critical ecological process, pre-dates the emergence of angiosperms by nearly 200 million years, with fossil evidence indicating pollination interactions between insects and non-angiosperm seed plants during the Late Paleozoic. This review examines the symbiotic relationships between insects and gymnosperms in pre-angiosperm ecosystems, highlighting the complexity of these interactions. Fossil records suggest that the mutualistic relationships between insects and gymnosperms, which facilitated plant reproduction, were as intricate and diverse as the modern interactions between angiosperms and their pollinators, particularly bees. These early pollination systems likely involved specialized behaviors and plant adaptations, reflecting a sophisticated evolutionary dynamic long before the advent of flowering plants. The Anthropocene presents a dichotomy: while climate change and anthropogenic pressures threaten insect biodiversity and risk disrupting angiosperm reproduction, such upheaval may simultaneously generate opportunities for novel plant–insect interactions as ecological niches are vacated. Understanding the deep evolutionary history of pollination offers critical insight into the mechanisms underlying the resilience and adaptability of these mutualisms. The evolutionary trajectory of bees—originating from predatory wasps, diversifying alongside angiosperms, and reorganizing after mass extinctions—exemplifies this dynamic, demonstrating how pollination networks persist and reorganize under environmental stress and underscoring the enduring health, resilience, and adaptability of these essential ecological systems. Full article