Environmental drivers of macrophyte species richness in artificial and natural aquatic water bodies – comparative approach from two central European regions

Individual types of waterbodies are characterised by their specific environmental conditions controlling growth of aquatic macrophytes. We focused on effects of environmental factors on macrophyte species richness in canals, ponds, rivers and streams within Central European region. We employed generalised linear models (GLM) to assess separately overall macrophyte species data and data on wetland species (true aquatic plants and helophytes). No significant difference was revealed by comparing species richness among water body types, though canals were the richest water bodies and streams supported the lowest diversity of macrophytes. The models for all the waterbodies, except streams, contained at least two variables and the explained variability ranged from 37% to 77%. The most recurring variables were the coverage of fine substrate, turbidity, shading by bank and shore trees and shrubs, and altitude. Nevertheless, no obvious pattern of factors was observed for particular water body types. Our study confirmed that aquatic macrophyte species richness is shaped by a complexity of factors and necessity of targeting survey and further generalisation of results not only on one specific water body.

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Policy making in adult education: A comparative approach across 21 European regions

International Review of Education ◽

10.1007/s11159-018-9750-x ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 187-190

Author(s):

Fred Gennings Wanyavinkhumbo Msiska

Keyword(s):

Adult Education ◽

Policy Making ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

European Regions

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Multi-model seascape genomics identifies distinct environmental drivers of selection among sympatric marine species

10.21203/rs.3.rs-35039/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erica Nielsen ◽

Romina Henriques ◽

Maria Beger ◽

Robert Toonen ◽

Sophie von der Heyden

Keyword(s):

Global Change ◽

Outlier Detection ◽

Genomic Variation ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Evolutionary Potential ◽

Environmental Selection ◽

Outlier Loci ◽

Isolation By Environment

Abstract Background: As global change and anthropogenic pressures continue to increase, conservation and management increasingly needs to consider species’ potential to adapt to novel environmental conditions. Therefore, it is imperative to characterise the main selective forces acting on ecosystems, and how these may influence the evolutionary potential of populations and species. Using a multi-model seascape genomics approach, we compare putative environmental drivers of selection in three sympatric southern African marine invertebrates with contrasting ecology and life histories: Cape urchin (Parechinus angulosus), Common shore crab (Cyclograpsus punctatus), and Granular limpet (Scutellastra granularis). Results: Using pooled (Pool-seq), restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), and seven outlier detection methods, we characterise genomic variation between populations along a strong biogeographical gradient. Of the three species, only S. granularis showed significant isolation-by-distance, and isolation-by-environment driven by sea surface temperatures (SST). In contrast, sea surface salinity (SSS) and range in air temperature correlated more strongly with genomic variation in C. punctatus and P. angulosus. Differences were also found in genomic structuring between the three species, with outlier loci contributing to two clusters in the East and West Coasts for S. granularis and P. angulosus, but not for C. punctatus. Conclusion: The findings illustrate distinct evolutionary potential across species, suggesting that species-specific habitat requirements and responses to environmental stresses may be better predictors of evolutionary patterns than the strong environmental gradients within the region. We also found large discrepancies between outlier detection methodologies, and thus offer a novel multi-model approach to identifying the principal environmental selection forces acting on species. Overall, this work highlights how adding a comparative approach to seascape genomics (both with multiple models and species) can elucidate the intricate evolutionary responses of ecosystems to global change.

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Multi-model seascape genomics identifies distinct environmental drivers of selection among sympatric marine species

10.21203/rs.3.rs-35039/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erica Nielsen ◽

Romina Henriques ◽

Maria Beger ◽

Robert Toonen ◽

Sophie von der Heyden

Keyword(s):

Global Change ◽

Outlier Detection ◽

Genomic Variation ◽

Sea Surface ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Evolutionary Potential ◽

Environmental Selection ◽

Outlier Loci ◽

Isolation By Environment

Abstract Background: As global change and anthropogenic pressures continue to increase, conservation and management increasingly needs to consider species’ potential to adapt to novel environmental conditions. Therefore, it is imperative to characterise the main selective forces acting on ecosystems, and how these may influence the evolutionary potential of populations and species. Using a multi-model seascape genomics approach, we compare the dominant environmental drivers of selection in three sympatric southern African marine invertebrates with contrasting ecology and life histories: Cape urchin ( Parechinus angulosus ), Common shore crab ( Cyclograpsus punctatu s), and Granular limpet ( Scutellastra granularis ). Results: Using pooled (Pool-seq), restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), and seven outlier detection methods, we characterise genomic variation between populations along a strong biogeographical gradient. Of the three species, only S. granularis showed significant isolation-by-distance, and isolation-by-environment driven by sea surface temperatures (SST). In contrast, sea surface salinity (SSS) and range in air temperature correlated more strongly with genomic variation in C. punctatus and P. angulosus . Differences were also found in genomic structuring between the three species, with outlier loci contributing to two clusters in the East and West Coasts for S. granularis and P. angulosus , but not for C. punctatus . Conclusion: The findings illustrate distinct evolutionary potential across species, suggesting that species-specific habitat requirements and responses to environmental stresses better predict evolutionary patterns than the strong environmental gradients within the region. We also found large discrepancies between outlier detection methodologies, and thus offer a novel multi-model approach to identifying the principal environmental selection forces acting on species. Overall, this work highlights how adding a comparative approach to seascape genomics (both with multiple models and species) can elucidate the intricate evolutionary responses of ecosystems to global change.

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Biodiversity and conservation of terricolous lichens and bryophytes in continental lowlands of northern Italy: the role of different dry habitat types

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-020-02034-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (13) ◽

pp. 3533-3550

Author(s):

Gabriele Gheza ◽

Silvia Assini ◽

Chiara Lelli ◽

Lorenzo Marini ◽

Helmut Mayrhofer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Vegetation Dynamics ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Dry Grasslands ◽

Species Of Conservation Concern ◽

Terricolous Lichens ◽

Landscape Scales

Abstract In dry habitats of European lowlands terricolous lichens and bryophytes are almost neglected in conservation practises, even if they may strongly contribute to biodiversity. This study aims at (a) testing the role of heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands for lichen and bryophyte diversity and conservation in lowland areas of northern Italy characterized by high human impact and habitat fragmentation; (b) detecting the effect of environmental drivers and vegetation dynamics on species richness and composition. Lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants, and environmental variables were recorded in 287 circular plots for 75 sites. Our results indicate that heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands host peculiar terricolous lichen and bryophyte communities that include several species of conservation concern. Thus, each habitat provides a complementary contribution to lichen and bryophyte diversity in continental lowland landscapes. Furthermore, in each habitat different factors drive species richness and composition with contrasting patterns between lichens and bryophytes. In terms of conservation, our results indicate that management of lowland dry habitats should act at both local and landscape scales. At local scale, vegetation dynamics should be controlled in order to avoid biodiversity loss due to vegetation dynamics and wood encroachment. At the landscape scale, patches of all the three habitats should be maintained to maximize regional diversity.

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Bat Species Richness and Community Composition along a Mega-transect in the Okavango River Basin

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12050188 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 188 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sina M. Weier ◽

Mark Keith ◽

Götz G. Neef ◽

Daniel M. Parker ◽

Peter J. Taylor

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Community Composition ◽

River Basin ◽

Total Activity ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Miombo Woodlands ◽

Human Land Use ◽

Functional Community ◽

Okavango River

The Okavango River Basin is a hotspot of bat diversity that requires urgent and adequate protection. To advise future conservation strategies, we investigated the relative importance of a range of potential environmental drivers of bat species richness and functional community composition in the Okavango River Basin. During annual canoe transects along the major rivers, originating in the central Angolan highlands, we recorded more than 25,000 bat echolocation calls from 2015 to 2018. We corrected for possible biases in sampling design and effort. Firstly, we conducted rarefaction analyses of each survey year and sampling appeared to be complete, apart from 2016. Secondly, we used total activity as a measure of sample effort in mixed models of species richness. Species richness was highest in the Angola Miombo Woodlands and at lower elevations, with higher minimum temperatures. In total, we identified 31 individual bat species. We show that even when acoustic surveys are conducted in remote areas and over multiple years, it is possible to correct for biases and obtain representative richness estimates. Changes in habitat heterogeneity will have detrimental effects on the high richness reported here and human land-use change, specifically agriculture, must be mediated in a system such as the Angolan Miombo Woodland.

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Dynamics of Cyanobacteria and Related Environmental Drivers in Freshwater Bodies Affected by Mitten Crab Culturing: A Study of Lake Guchenghu, China

Water ◽

10.3390/w11122468 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2468

Author(s):

Hongmin Li ◽

Huihui Chen ◽

Xiaohong Gu ◽

Zhigang Mao ◽

Qingfei Zeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Variables ◽

Phytoplankton Biomass ◽

Dominant Species ◽

N:P Ratio ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Mitten Crab ◽

Total Phytoplankton ◽

Freshwater Bodies ◽

Harmful Species

Mitten crab aquaculture is prevalent in China, however, knowledge about the threat of cyanobacteria in mitten crab aquaculture-impacted water bodies is limited. Here, seasonal variations of cyanobacteria and their relationships with environmental factors were investigated for Lake Guchenghu area. Results suggested the changes of cyanobacteria community in crab ponds distinguished from the adjacent lake. In the lake, cyanobacterial biomass (3.86 mg/L, 34.6% of the total phytoplankton) was the highest in autumn with the dominance of Oscillatoria, Aphanocapsa and Pesudanabaena. By contrast, in crab ponds, cyanobacteria (46.80 mg/L, 97.2% of the total phytoplankton biomass) were the most abundant in summer when Pesudanabaena and Raphidiopsis were the dominant species. Of particular note was that obviously higher abundance of filamentous and potentially harmful species (e.g., Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Dolichospermum circinale) were observed in ponds compared to the lake. Specifically, water depth (WD), permanganate index (CODMn), total phosphorus (TP), N:P ratio, and NO 2 −-N were the key environmental variables affected cyanobacteria composition. For crab ponds, N:P ratio, water temperature (WT) and TP were the potential environmental drivers of cyanobacteria development. This study highlighted the fact that mitten crab culture had non-negligible influences on the cyanobacteria community and additional attention should be paid to the cyanobacteria dynamics in mitten crab culture-impacted water bodies, especially for those potentially harmful species.

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Taxonomic structure of local floras in Sidinskiy and Pribaitakskiy steppes (Krasnoyarsk region)

BIO Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/bioconf/20191600002 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 00002

Author(s):

Ekaterina Antipova ◽

Olga Enulenko

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Taxonomic Structure ◽

Central European ◽

Krasnoyarsk Region ◽

Full Species ◽

Central Asian ◽

Different Types ◽

Sayan Mountain ◽

Mountain Country

Sidinskiy and Pribaitakskiy steppes are the part of the Minusinsk province of the Altai-Sayan mountain country. On the territory of steppes 12 local floras (LF) were marked and examined using the same method. Studies were carried out according to the recommendations of A.I. Tolmachev (1931): identification of different types of ecotypes of LF, the full species composition of ecotypes (flora inventory), tracking the completeness of detection in LF. In the Sidinskiy steppe the number of families in the LF varies from 25 (Syida) to 43 (v. Alha), in the Pribaitakskiy steppe there is a big difference in the number of families in the LF from 31 (Krasnoyarsk reservoir, Tuba) to 65 (Mayak, Idra). The leading families in the local steppe flora are Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae. The Fabaceae family ranks third in the top of ten families in 50 % of LF, determining the type of flora as the Mediterranean-Central Asian (Fabaceae-type). Different types of LF allow to determine the type of all steppe flora as mixed, combining features of boreal (Asteraceae-Poaceae- type) and steppes flora (Fabaceae-type) with close ties with Central European floras (Rosaceae-type). 4 distinct levels of species richness are determined: 1 − 496-544; 2 − 408-413; 3 − 319-374; 4 − 279-298 species.

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Indicators of species richness at the local scale in an alpine region: a comparative approach between plant and invertebrate taxa

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-009-9765-5 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 1341-1352 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Oliver-D. Finch ◽

Jörg Löffler

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Local Scale ◽

Alpine Region ◽

Comparative Approach

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Science and “Race” In Solomon Yudovin’s Photographic Documentation of Russian Jewry, 1912–1914

Images ◽

10.1163/18718000-12340004 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 52-78

Author(s):

Amos Morris-Reich

Keyword(s):

Comparative Approach ◽

Central European ◽

The Third ◽

Photographic Documentation ◽

The Holocaust

Abstract From the perspective of Central European developments in scientific photography, this article studies the photographs taken by Solomon Yudovin as part of S. An-sky’s ethnographic expedition to the Pale of Settlement between 1912 and 1914. The first part of the article argues that the scientific goals of the expedition demanded the introduction of photography less out of an inherent interest in the medium than out of the desire to employ advanced scientific techniques. The second part identifies various strains of scientific photography in Yudovin’s photographic practice. It shows that his photographs encompass both of what later came to be contrasted as racial photography and social documentation. Employing a comparative approach, and touching particularly on questions of Jewish visibility at the time and after the Holocaust, the third part of the article points to the specificity of photography as an indexical medium in this history.

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