Discerning the Management-Relevant Ecology and Distribution of Sea Pens (Cnidaria: Pennatulacea) in Norway and Beyond

Sea pens are considered to be of conservation relevance according to multiple international legislations and agreements. Consequently, any information about their ecology and distribution should be of use to management decision makers. This study aims to provide such information about six taxa of sea pen in Norwegian waters [Funiculina quadrangularis (Pallas, 1766), Halipteris spp., Kophobelemnon stelliferum (Müller, 1776), Pennatulidae spp., Umbellula spp., and Virgulariidae spp.]. Data exploration techniques and ensembled species distribution modelling (SDM) are applied to video observations obtained by the MAREANO project between 2006 and 2020. Norway-based ecological profiles and predicted distributions are provided and discussed. External validations and uncertainty metrics highlight model weaknesses (overfitting, limited training/external observations) and consistencies relevant to marine management. Comparison to international literature further identifies globally relevant findings: (a) disparities in the environmental profile of F. quadrangularis suggest differing “realised niches” in different locations, potentially highlighting this taxon as particularly vulnerable to impact, (b) none of the six sea pen taxa were found to consistently co-occur, instead partially overlapping environmental profiles suggests that grouping taxa as “sea pens and burrowing megafauna” should be done with caution post-analyses only, (c) higher taxonomic level groupings, while sometimes necessary due to identification issues, result in poorer quality predictive models and may mask the occurrence of rarer species. Community-based groupings are therefore preferable due to confirmed shared ecological niches while greater value should be placed on accurate species ID to support management efforts.

SOCIO ECOLOGICAL PROFILES OF PARTICIPANTS IN SPORTS ACTIVITY IN POLAND RANDOM TREE BASED ANALYSIS

While the benefits of sports activity are well-documented, people remain reluctant to engage in it in selected developed countries (including Middle and Eastern Europe). A comparison of empirical results indicates that the reasons behind such behaviour are heterogenous and complex. As implied by the socio-ecological framework, different spheres of life and the interactions between them matter. By using the results of a study on Polish society conducted in 2015, Social Diagnosis, and a random forest model, we show the key demographic, socio-economic characteristics and interactions between them in explaining the difference between engaging in sports activity and not doing so. In particular, we identify three crucial variables: age, participation of other adults in the same household in sports activity, and proclivity for restaurants, bars, pubs.

Functional diversity of microbial ecologies estimated from ancient human coprolites and dental calculus

Human microbiome studies are increasingly incorporating macroecological approaches, such as community assembly, network analysis and functional redundancy to more fully characterize the microbiome. Such analyses have not been applied to ancient human microbiomes, preventing insights into human microbiome evolution. We address this issue by analysing published ancient microbiome datasets: coprolites from Rio Zape ( n = 7; 700 CE Mexico) and historic dental calculus ( n = 44; 1770–1855 CE, UK), as well as two novel dental calculus datasets: Maya ( n = 7; 170 BCE-885 CE, Belize) and Nuragic Sardinians ( n = 11; 1400–850 BCE, Italy). Periodontitis-associated bacteria ( Treponema denticola , Fusobacterium nucleatum and Eubacterium saphenum ) were identified as keystone taxa in the dental calculus datasets. Coprolite keystone taxa included known short-chain fatty acid producers ( Eubacterium biforme, Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens ) and potentially disease-associated bacteria ( Escherichia , Brachyspira) . Overlap in ecological profiles between ancient and modern microbiomes was indicated by similarity in functional response diversity profiles between contemporary hunter–gatherers and ancient coprolites, as well as parallels between ancient Maya, historic UK, and modern Spanish dental calculus; however, the ancient Nuragic dental calculus shows a distinct ecological structure. We detected key ecological signatures from ancient microbiome data, paving the way to expand understanding of human microbiome evolution. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Insights into health and disease from ancient biomolecules’.

Measuring parameters of the cancer ecosystem for cancer ecological staging.

e14684 Background: Cancer progression through clonal evolution and emergent phenotypic heterogeneity is thought to reflect stochastic events such as genetic drift. This divergence over time in the character of a neoplasm might also reflect genetic selection, analogous to other populations in nature, to maximize niche resource utilization. We hypothesized that selection pressures operate in patients with cancer to drive cancer evolution, are clinically identifiable, their influence measurable. Methods: To develop a system for cancer ecology staging, a feasibility study recruited 15 patients with active cancer from any site, with expected survival of more than 6 months and providing informed consent. A set of clinical parameters obtained from a patient questionnaire, physical exam and laboratory testing was used to generate eight separate ecological profiles of tumor microenvironment, chronic inflammation, energy balance, psychosocial stress, GI microbiome, endocrine environment, skeletal remodeling and environmental mutagenesis. A scoring system, based on evidence of positive selection was designed to quantitate the individual profiles. Profile scores were then aggregated using a 2-D radar plot to generate a polygon, an ‘ecogram’, whose area, it is hypothesized, corresponds to the net level of selection pressure influencing tumor evolution. Results: Ecological profiles were obtained from each of 15 patients allowing determination of the ecogram area (EA) bounded by the polygon. EA determinations ranged widely among the 15 patient, from 0-12.7 arbitrary units (au, mean 5.01± 0.80). Ecograms from individual patients demonstrated unique shapes suggesting specificity for individual patient ecology. EA measurements were then used to inform an ecological staging system based on a simplified dichotomization, low/high, of ecosystem resources and threats. Of 15 patients, 6 were considered to have high resources (EA > 5au) available to support tumor evolution. High anti-tumor threat, measured by CD3 lymphocyte immunohistochemical scoring, was detected in 11 patients. Conclusions: An ecological assessment of patients with active cancer appears feasible. Inter-patient variation in ecogram area and morphology suggests there are potential important differences in genetic selection found between patients and should be correlated with survival outcomes in future studies, validation offering a target for ecosystem ‘restoration’.

Soil and vegetation cover evaluation in the forestry area «Mekhzavodskoy» of the suburban Samara forestry enterprise area

The paper presents data on the state of soil and vegetation cover of oak forests of suburban forests near the village Mekhzavod. Being in the ring of large highways as well as located relatively close to Samara, they experience a complex impact of many adverse conditions. In the course of the study in these forest communities using the method of laying ecological profiles, we assessed a degree of recreational load impact on the vegetation cover of the green zone. The author estimated the percentage of road and path network development, described stages of recreational digression (for R.A. Karpisonova) and identified the main indicators of anthropogenic load, a vital status of major forest tree species and the factors contributing to its deterioration. The author also revealed a classification of soils with the help of laying soil profiles in different quarters and the subsequent chemical analysis of the selected samples. It is determined that the gray forest soils indicated for this area on the soil map of the Volga Region are not found. Taking into account the unsatisfactory state of the vegetation cover of the studied area, a number of recommendations for its rational use are proposed, which can further contribute to the preservation and improvement of these forests stability.

Entomopathogenic fungi in Portuguese vineyards soils: suggesting a ‘Galleria-Tenebrio-bait method’ as bait-insects Galleria and Tenebrio significantly underestimate the respective recoveries of Metarhizium (robertsii) and Beauveria (bassiana)

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are the natural enemies of insect-pests. However, EPF recoveries can be influenced by the soil habitat-type(s) incorporated and/or the bait-insect(s) used. Galleriamellonella (GM) as bait-insect, i.e. ‘Galleria-bait’, is arguably the most common methodology, which is sometimes used solely, to isolate EPF from soils. Insect baiting using Tenebriomolitor (TM) has also been employed occasionally. Here 183 soils were used to estimate the functional diversity of EPF in Portuguese Douro vineyards (cultivated habitat) and adjacent hedgerows (semi-natural habitat), using the TM bait method. Moreover, to study the effect of insect baiting on EPF recovery, 81 of these 183 soil samples were also tested for EPF occurrences using the GM bait method. Twelve species were found in 44.26% ± 3.67% of the total of 183 soils. Clonostachysroseaf.rosea was found in maximum soils (30.05% ± 3.38%), followed by Beauveriabassiana (12.57% ± 2.37%), Purpureocilliumlilacinum (9.29% ± 2.14%) and Metarhiziumrobertsii (6.01% ± 1.75%). Beauveriapseudobassiana (P < 0.001), C.roseaf.rosea (P = 0.006) and Cordycepscicadae (P=0.023) were isolated significantly more from hedgerows, highlighting their sensitivities towards agricultural disturbances. Beauveriabassiana (P = 0.038) and M.robertsii (P = 0.003) were isolated significantly more using GM and TM, respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that M.robertsii was associated both with TM baiting and cultivated habitats, however, B.bassiana was slightly linked with GM baiting only. Ecological profiles of B.bassiana and P.lilacinum were quite similar while M.robertsii and C.roseaf.rosea were relatively distant and distinct. To us, this is the first report on (a) C.cicadae isolation from Mediterranean soils, (b) Purpureocilliumlavendulum as an EPF worldwide; and (c) significant recoveries of M.robertsii using TM over GM. Overall, a ‘Galleria-Tenebrio-bait method’ is advocated to study the functional diversity of EPF in agroecosystems.

Entomopathogenic fungi in Portuguese vineyards soils: suggesting a ‘Galleria-Tenebrio-bait method’ as bait-insects Galleria and Tenebrio significantly underestimate the respective recoveries of Metarhizium (robertsii) and Beauveria (bassiana)

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are the natural enemies of insect-pests. However, EPF recoveries can be influenced by the soil habitat-type(s) incorporated and/or the bait-insect(s) used. Galleriamellonella (GM) as bait-insect, i.e. ‘Galleria-bait’, is arguably the most common methodology, which is sometimes used solely, to isolate EPF from soils. Insect baiting using Tenebriomolitor (TM) has also been employed occasionally. Here 183 soils were used to estimate the functional diversity of EPF in Portuguese Douro vineyards (cultivated habitat) and adjacent hedgerows (semi-natural habitat), using the TM bait method. Moreover, to study the effect of insect baiting on EPF recovery, 81 of these 183 soil samples were also tested for EPF occurrences using the GM bait method. Twelve species were found in 44.26% ± 3.67% of the total of 183 soils. Clonostachysroseaf.rosea was found in maximum soils (30.05% ± 3.38%), followed by Beauveriabassiana (12.57% ± 2.37%), Purpureocilliumlilacinum (9.29% ± 2.14%) and Metarhiziumrobertsii (6.01% ± 1.75%). Beauveriapseudobassiana (P < 0.001), C.roseaf.rosea (P = 0.006) and Cordycepscicadae (P=0.023) were isolated significantly more from hedgerows, highlighting their sensitivities towards agricultural disturbances. Beauveriabassiana (P = 0.038) and M.robertsii (P = 0.003) were isolated significantly more using GM and TM, respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that M.robertsii was associated both with TM baiting and cultivated habitats, however, B.bassiana was slightly linked with GM baiting only. Ecological profiles of B.bassiana and P.lilacinum were quite similar while M.robertsii and C.roseaf.rosea were relatively distant and distinct. To us, this is the first report on (a) C.cicadae isolation from Mediterranean soils, (b) Purpureocilliumlavendulum as an EPF worldwide; and (c) significant recoveries of M.robertsii using TM over GM. Overall, a ‘Galleria-Tenebrio-bait method’ is advocated to study the functional diversity of EPF in agroecosystems.

Contribution to the knowledge of the ecological profile of some Melastomataceae of the Lesser Antilles: the case of Martinique

Melastomataceae are particularly diverse in the Neotropical realm. The study of the sylvatic formations of the Lesser Antilles made it possible to identify the dominant floristic corteges associated with the different bioclimates. Although there are many indications that Melastomataceae are not among the species structuring the climax formations of the forests of Martinique, their ecological chorology and profile within these formations can be specified. The analysis of the biodemographic data of eco-units of different bioclimates, obtained during floristic inventories, confirms the indications of the floras of the region. It also makes it possible to provide some specifications concerning the ecological profiles of certain Melastomataceae. Conostegia calyptrata and Conostegia icosandra display a temperament of a heliophilous species of the sylvatic gaps. Clidemia umbrosa is a species affinis of smaller gaps or of trails. Miconia trichotoma is a more forestal species.

Adaptation on an Agricultural Frontier: Socio-Ecological Profiles of Great Plains Settlement, 1870–1940

Systematic evaluation of agricultural settlements on the Great Plains, employing census data and socio-ecological metabolism methods drawn from sustainability science and agro-ecology, reveals that farmers, driven by personal ambition and national incentives, not only changed their environment; they also adjusted to it in more ways than previously supposed. The “socio-ecological profiles” used in this analysis of the Great Plains are applicable to any agricultural region where governments collected the requisite census data.