Search Results (126)

Afrotropical inland waters remain poorly studied for rotifer diversity. Here, we provide new distribution data from Botswana and connect these local patterns to continental-scale biogeography using an Africa–Europe occurrence dataset. In Botswana, we analyzed rotifer species richness, functional traits, and environmental drivers using 37 samples from 15 water bodies spanning natural and anthropogenic habitats. We recorded 107 rotifer taxa: 92 identified to species or subspecies level, 14 to genus, and one group of unidentified bdelloids. Seventy taxa (~65%) are new records for Botswana, and one species, Donneria sudzukii, is reported for the first time in Africa. Physicochemical gradients explained community structure, with the first two constrained RDA axes accounting for 40.7% and 23.7% of variation. Axis 1 captured a mineralization gradient linked to total dissolved solids and temperature, whereas Axis 2 reflected oxygen concentration and pH. Traits tracked these gradients: warmer, more mineralized waters were associated with specific trophi types, compact body shapes, and intermediate body sizes, whereas less mineralized, better oxygenated sites were related to smaller taxa and alternative feeding morphologies. To place these trait–environment relationships in a broader geographic context, we then analyzed an Africa–Europe dataset (67,170 records) to quantify latitudinal patterns in thermal classes and morphological traits (geometric body shape and trophi type). Diversity showed clear latitudinal structuring: warm-water genera clustered at low latitudes, only Kellicottia and Didymodactylos had mean distributions above 50° N, and bdelloid families were associated with higher latitudes. Morphological traits also varied with latitude, with trilateral truncated pyramid body shapes and malleoramate trophi occurring closest to the equator. Overall, by combining new species-level data from Botswana with continent-scale occurrence patterns, we link local community assembly to macroecological structure in rotifer functional and biogeographical organization. Full article

Fungal communities exhibit strong spatial and environmental structuring across forest ecosystems, yet the drivers shaping their diversity patterns remain incompletely understood. In this study, we combined multivariate ordination, clustering analyses, and Zeta diversity (ζ-diversity) metrics to characterize fungal assemblages across environmental gradients. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that fungal community composition was significantly associated with climatic variables, particularly seasonal precipitation, thermal variation, and elevation. Hierarchical and K-means clustering identified coherent community clusters that differed in species richness and alpha diversity. Bray–Curtis distances and a Ward-based dendrogram further supported this separation, revealing a clear hierarchical structure in community similarity. Zeta diversity analysis indicated a slower species turnover, suggesting niche assimilation and habitat homogenization. Furthermore, the grouping of fungal assemblages followed a power-law model, emphasizing the role of deterministic environmental filtering. Critically, our findings reveal that only 1208 (33.5%) of the 3606 recorded species are present within existing Protected Natural Areas (PNAs), indicating a significant conservation gap. Together, these results provide an integrated ecological understanding of fungal diversity patterns, highlighting how climate–topography interactions structure communities and emphasizing the urgent need to align conservation strategies with these environmental drivers. Full article

This study assesses the diversity, distribution, and ecological interactions of freshwater gastropod communities across eight sites in southern Iraq, spanning marshes, rivers, and canal systems within the Tigris-Euphrates basin. Diversity indices (Shannon–Wiener H′ and Pielou’s evenness J) were calculated to evaluate community structure, and a revised stacked bar chart of relative abundances revealed widespread dominance by species such as Melanoides tuberculata and Physella acuta, which frequently exceeded 50% of local assemblages. While P. acuta is an established invasive species, M. tuberculata is now considered native or long-established in the region. Species interactions were examined using Pianka’s niche overlap index, and null model testing (999 permutations) revealed only a few statistically significant overlaps (p < 0.05), suggesting that species co-occurrence is shaped more by environmental filtering than direct competition. To directly examine the influence of environmental drivers on species composition, Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) was performed. MFA revealed patterns of association between dissolved oxygen, salinity, and species assemblages, suggesting these abiotic factors may influence community structure. To our knowledge, this study is the first in Iraq to use null models, constrained ordination, and MFA to investigate community assembly of freshwater gastropods, ultimately producing novel insights regarding the interactions between environmental stressors and aquatic biodiversity patterns. The results of this study highlight the need for long-term ecological monitoring and conservation in marshland habitats important for the resiliency of native species. Full article

Freshwater ecosystems in arid and semi-arid zones of the East European Plain are characterized by severe habitat degradation, which negatively impacts their biodiversity. This study attempts to comprehensively examine the species richness of molluscs and determine the influence of abiotic factors on their spatial distribution using the example of one of the river basins in southern Eastern Europe—the Yeruslan River basin (a tributary of the Volga River). Fifteen watercourses in the Yeruslan basin were surveyed, with 72 samples collected from the littoral and deepwater zones. A total of 28 mollusc species were identified in the samples, predominantly those with broad ranges (Holarctic, Palearctic, and Euro-Siberian). Estimating true species richness using nonparametric methods revealed that the collected samples contained at least 90% of the expected number of species. In the small tributaries of the Yeruslan River, the dominant species were the lymnaeids Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758). The Yeruslan River is dominated by the non-native species Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771). The low values of the Shannon diversity index recorded in the rivers of the Yeruslan basin are typical of desert and semi-desert riverine ecosystems with low stability and productivity, caused by the constant reduction in habitats due to periodic and/or permanent drying. It was established that the most significant abiotic factors determining the distribution of molluscs are the bottom substrate and the concentrations of nitrites and phosphates. Moreover, non-critical concentrations of the latter in the water likely had a beneficial effect on the productivity of streams in an arid climate. Full article

The scientific establishment of ecological security pattern and identification of ecological restoration priority areas are key for territorial space ecological restoration and people’s well-being enhancement. Although numerous studies have addressed this topic, most focused on regional and urban scales. As the most basic administrative units in China, townships serve as a crucial link between macro-ecological protection strategies and micro-ecological restoration practices and are essential for effectively implementing ecological restoration and supporting rural revitalization practices, but research at this scale is currently lacking. Therefore, taking a typical township in Shanghai as an example, this study incorporated the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model, Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), landscape connectivity analysis, and circuit theory to construct an ecological security pattern and identify ecological restoration priority areas at the township scale, as well as to discuss corresponding ecological restoration strategies. The results showed that: (1) The study area contained 19 significant ecological sources (area of approximately 4.85 km²), exhibiting a spatial pattern characterized by “north–south concentration, central dispersion”. High-resistance areas were mainly distributed in areas with dense human activity and high development intensity, reflecting the significant impact of human activities on ecological processes. There were 32 main ecological corridors with a total length of 58.06 km, showing significant spatial imbalance, with some northern ecological sources at the risk of forming ecological isolated islands. (2) The ecological restoration priority areas mainly consisted of 41 ecological pinch points (area of approximately 27.24 ha) and 30 ecological barrier points (area of approximately 25.67 ha), which were crucial for enhancing ecological network connectivity and maintaining ecological security. (3) Based on the current land use status and spatial distribution characteristics of key ecological restoration areas, a hierarchical and categorized ecological restoration strategy was formulated. This study can strengthen research on identifying ecological restoration priority areas at the township scale. The methodological system established can provide a theoretical framework for ecological restoration research in similar areas. Moreover, this study pinpointed key areas and the spatial layout for ecological restoration, which helped to enhance the level of refined ecological governance at the township level and can also provide precise spatial decision-making basis for ecological restoration of the township territorial space. Full article

The transition toward sustainable and circular agricultural systems is increasingly important, yet evidence linking circularity and farm profitability in transition economies remains limited. This study examines the determinants of farm profitability in Serbia by combining micro-level structural and productivity indicators with a macro-level agro-eco efficiency measure, used here as a sector-wide ecological pressure indicator rather than a direct proxy for circular practices. Using a balanced Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) panel of 443 farms (2015–2022) across dairy, mixed, field crop, and fruit & wine sectors, dynamic panel estimators (difference and system Generalized Method of Moments-GMM) reveal strong sectoral heterogeneity. Asset turnover is the primary driver of profitability in field crops and perennial systems, while dairy farms benefit from scale and land productivity. Energy intensity consistently reduces profitability across all sectors. Agro-eco efficiency shows a negative effect in livestock-based systems, indicating higher sensitivity to macro-ecological pressures. These findings suggest that environmental and economic vulnerabilities differ across production systems, highlighting the need for sector-specific strategies aimed at improving resilience rather than inferring the profitability of circular technologies. Full article

The coexistence of functionally similar predators offers a framework for understanding the mechanisms shaping ecological communities. Jaguars and pumas are broadly sympatric in the Neotropics, yet the processes sustaining their persistence remain unclear. Classical niche theory predicts that coexistence requires ecological differentiation, whereas modern models emphasize balancing stabilizing (reducing interspecific competition) and equalizing mechanisms (minimizing fitness differences). Although demographic components were not directly estimated, we integrated secondary dietary data compiled from 21 sympatric populations through a systematic literature review. This integration allowed us to identify trophic patterns consistent with coexistence mechanisms across taxonomic and functional prey axes. Analyses revealed strong taxonomic segregation at finer scales, with jaguars primarily consuming Artiodactyla, while pumas exploited a broader spectrum including Rodentia, Cingulata, and Pilosa. This divergence reduces direct competition, consistent with stabilizing resource partitioning. In contrast, high overlap in functional traits (e.g., body mass and locomotor habit) indicated functional convergence potentially increasing fitness equivalence, consistent with equalizing mechanisms. These dynamics suggested that jaguar–puma macroecological coexistence may be maintained by a dynamic balance between patterns consistent with stabilizing and equalizing mechanisms expressed within trophic niche axes. From a conservation perspective, strategies should move beyond species-specific approaches; preserving both taxonomic and functional prey diversity is essential to sustain the trophic requirements of predators and the ecosystems they regulate. Full article

Leaf area index (LAI) is a pivotal biophysical parameter linking vegetation physiological processes and macro-ecological functions. Accurate large-scale LAI estimation is indispensable for agricultural management, climate change research, and ecosystem modeling. However, existing methods fail to efficiently extract integrated spatial-spectral-temporal features and lack targeted modeling of spatio-temporal dependencies, compromising the accuracy of LAI products. To address this gap, we propose STC-DeepLAINet, a Transformer-GCN hybrid deep learning architecture integrating spatio-temporal correlations via the following three synergistic modules: (1) a 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs)-based spectral-spatial embedding module capturing intrinsic correlations between multi-spectral bands and local spatial features; (2) a spatio-temporal correlation-aware module that models temporal dynamics (by “time periods”) and spatial heterogeneity (by “spatial slices”) simultaneously; (3) a spatio-temporal pattern memory attention module that retrieves historically similar spatio-temporal patterns via an attention-based mechanism to improve inversion accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that STC-DeepLAINet outperforms eight state-of-the-art methods (including traditional machine learning and deep learning networks) in a 500 m resolution LAI inversion task over China. Validated against ground-based measurements, it achieves a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.827 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.718, outperforming the GLASS LAI product. Furthermore, STC-DeepLAINet effectively captures LAI variability across typical vegetation types (e.g., forests and croplands). This work establishes an operational solution for generating large-scale high-precision LAI products, which can provide reliable data support for agricultural yield estimation and ecosystem carbon cycle simulation, while offering a new methodological reference for spatio-temporal correlation modeling in remote sensing inversion. Full article

The mid-domain effect (MDE) has been used to explain spatial diversity patterns and flowering phenology, but its role in fruiting phenology has received limited attention to date. This study investigates whether the MDE shapes fruiting phenology and whether its influence varies with latitude. We integrated fruiting phenology data for 12,179 plant species across 28 Chinese provinces and used a null model to simulate expected fruiting richness patterns. Our results suggest that the MDE plays a significant role in explaining fruiting phenology patterns in most provinces. Crucially, the variance explained by the MDE exhibited a significant unimodal relationship with latitude across all groups, peaking at mid-latitudes (39.6° N for all species, 37.1° N for herbaceous plants, and 36.8° N for woody plants). Unlike flowering phenology—which tends to show a simple linear increase in MDE strength with latitude—fruiting exhibited a distinct peak, highlighting different ecological pressures acting on these two reproductive stages. The MDE was the primary contributor explaining fruiting richness, providing a markedly stronger fit to the data than key climate variables like temperature and precipitation, although woody plants showed a stronger secondary response to precipitation. These findings demonstrate that geometric constraints are a key driver of fruiting phenology, deepening our understanding of temporal niches and the ecological processes shaping plant reproductive phenology. Full article

Local leaf size diversity (LLSD) is an essential functional indicator of plant biodiversity; however, massive challenges are encountered when quantifying it and decoding its global ecological patterns. To address this limitation, the present study defined a quantitative indicator of LLSD, termed coefficient of variation index (CVI), for the leaf sizes, regardless of plant species, collected in each sampling site. Then, we innovatively derived a set of global CVI values from a published dataset, which was obtained through a meta-analysis of global leaf area samples and their related climate factors. Our macroecological analyses indicate that the CVI values vary across continents and fluctuate with latitude. The global CVI values are predominantly influenced by the mean temperature of the coldest month during the growing season in the negative correlation mode. When two leading climate drivers are considered, the global CVI values are primarily influenced by the mean temperature during growing season and the mean annual sum precipitation. Overall, all of these contributions are pioneering in their implications for characterizing the global distribution and ecological patterns of LLSD and advancing the cutting-edge research domain of leaf functional biodiversity to a new quantitative stage. Full article

Bird migration routes across North America, which are often speculated upon at the microscale, are now subject to scrutiny using the ‘eBird’ database, the world’s largest data repository for the North American continent. This database has steadily accumulated data on resident and migratory birds, with annual data on both potentially revealing regional trends. Through analysis of eBird data accumulated since 1980, we identified regional trends indicating bird migration patterns across North America, delineating three primary regions within the North American flyway: the western, central and eastern flyways, with the latter further subdivided into three regions. These findings refine previous categorisations of the four major flyways, deepening our understanding of bird migration dynamics in North America. Full article

The Tigris-Euphrates basin hosts a diverse assemblage of native aquatic plants vital to the region’s ecological and cultural heritage. However, decades of hydrological alterations, pollution, salinity intrusion, habitat destruction, and climate change have caused significant declines in aquatic plant species diversity. This review compiles historical and contemporary information on key native aquatic plant species, assesses their current conservation status, identifies major threats, and provides recommendations for their protection. Sensitive submerged and floating species, including Vallisneria spiralis, Najas marina, and Potamogeton spp., have been particularly affected, with many now being rare or locally extinct. Although restoration efforts in the Mesopotamian Marshes have partially restored some wetlands, aquatic plant conservation remains largely overlooked. We propose targeted recovery plans, integration of aquatic plants into wetland management, enhancement of water quality measures, and increased cross-border hydrological cooperation. Protecting native aquatic flora is essential for maintaining the ecological integrity and resilience of the Tigris-Euphrates basin. Full article

Conservation of ecologically important freshwater mussels is high on the international agenda, but there is only limited knowledge about the status of rare unionid species in arid and semi-arid areas which are particularly vulnerable. One such example concerns Anodonta vescoiana which was recognized as one of the few endemic species of unionid mussels from Iraq and was restricted to the marshes of southern Mesopotamia and its connected river systems. The last confirmed report of A. vescoiana was in 2009 from the Al-Ezz River. We conducted extensive field surveys during the years 2021 and 2022 at approximately 20 freshwater sites, but we failed to observe any live or dead specimens, suggesting a probable extirpation or severe decline. In contrast, we documented the invasive Sinanodonta woodiana at numerous sites across the Tigris–Euphrates basin including the Al-Ezz River. This documentation of S. woodiana indicates successful establishment of the species and colonization of freshwater systems modified by anthropogenic practices, which include alterations of hydrological dynamics and ecological conditions. Here, we compile existing evidence of the global ecological impacts and development of S. woodiana invasion, while also highlighting Iraq as an important example of the displacement of native unionid mussel species by invasive alien unionids. We assessed the factors that contributed to the disappearance of A. vescoiana in Iraq including biological competition (with S. woodiana), salinity stress, habitat fragmentation, and pollution. The time window to act and prevent the further decline of rare unionid species in Iraq, as well as other arid and semi-arid areas which face similar threats, is short. Urgent actions include systematic monitoring to identify remnant populations, implementing biosecurity policies (for fisheries or habitats), and restoration (of habitats) to secure the long-term persistence of remaining unionid diversity. Full article

The frequency of infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics is rising, demanding an understanding of their drivers. Common wisdom suggests that increases in outbreak frequency are driven by socioeconomic factors such as globalization and urbanization, yet, the majority of disease outbreaks are caused by zoonotic pathogens that can be transmitted from animals to humans, suggesting the important role of ecological and environmental drivers. Previous studies of outbreak drivers have also failed to quantify the differences between major classes of pathogens, such as bacterial and viral pathogens. Here, we reconsider the observed drivers of a global sample of 300 zoonotic outbreaks, including the 100 largest outbreaks that occurred between 1977 and 2017. We show that socioeconomic factors more often trigger outbreaks of bacterial pathogens, whereas ecological and environmental factors trigger viral outbreaks. However, socioeconomic factors also act as amplifiers of viral outbreaks, with higher case numbers in viral outbreaks driven by a larger proportion of socioeconomic factors. Our results demonstrate that it is useful to consider the drivers of global disease patterns in aggregate due to commonalities that cross disease systems. However, our work also identifies important differences between the driver profiles of bacterial and viral diseases in aggregate. Full article

Lake Issyk-Kul, situated in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, is one of the largest lakes in Central Asia. Though this brackish-water basin holds only a species-poor fauna of molluscs, the number of species inhabiting Issyk-Kul and their true taxonomic position remain unsatisfactorily studied. Most nominal species of Mollusca reported from Issyk-Kul are known from empty shells only and have never been studied molecularly. This study reports the results of a revision of the genus Radix (Gastropoda:Hygrophila:Lymnaeidae) based on the integrated approach. We revealed that only two species of this genus inhabit Issyk-Kul Lake: Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758) and R. obliquata (von Martens, 1864). The former species is widespread in the Palearctic and has an enormous range, whereas the latter is considered here to be endemic to Issyk-Kul Lake. All records of R. obliquata from waterbodies other than Issyk-Kul Lake are, most probably, based on misidentification. To date, no molecular evidence of the presence of R. obliquata outside Issyk-Kyl is available. The third species of Radix discussed in this paper, R. subdisjuncta (Nevill, 1878) sensu Kruglov and Starobogatov, 1993, is identical to R. obliquata and represents, most probably, an ecological morph (“race”) of the latter. The paper provides a review of Radix species recorded in other ancient tectonic lakes of the world (Baikal, Victoria, Ohrid, etc.). Though the lymnaeid snails are generally scarce in such lakes, the genus Radix represents an exception, with several species being endemics of various tectonic lakes (Issyk-Kul, Lugu, Skadar, Trichonis, and Biwa). Full article