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1.
J Environ Sci (China) ; 149: 564-573, 2025 Mar.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39181667

RESUMEN

Airborne microorganisms (AM) have significant environmental and health implications. Extensive studies have been conducted to investigate the factors influencing the composition and diversity of AM. However, the knowledge of AM with anthropogenic activities has not reach a consensus. In this study, we took advantage of the dramatic decline of outdoor anthropogenic activities resulting from COVID-19 lockdown to reveal their associations. We collected airborne particulate matter before and during the lockdown period in two cities. The results showed that it was fungal diversity and communities but not bacteria obviously different between pre-lockdown and lockdown samples, suggesting that airborne fungi were more susceptible to anthropogenic activities than bacteria. However, after the implementation of lockdown, the co-occurrence networks of both bacterial and fungal community became more complex, which might be due to the variation of microbial sources. Furthermore, Mantel test and correlation analysis showed that air pollutants also partly contributed to microbial alterations. Airborne fungal community was more affected by air pollutants than bacterial community. Notably, some human pathogens like Nigrospora and Arthrinium were negatively correlated with air pollutants. Overall, our study highlighted the more impacts of anthropogenic activities on airborne fungal community than bacterial community and advanced the understanding of associations between anthropogenic activities and AM.


Asunto(s)
Microbiología del Aire , Contaminantes Atmosféricos , Bacterias , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Hongos , Bacterias/clasificación , Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Material Particulado/análisis , COVID-19 , Humanos , China
2.
Med Vet Entomol ; 2024 Sep 16.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39282938

RESUMEN

Pyrethroid resistance and mechanisms for resistance for Anopheles gambiae sensus lato (s.l.) (Diptera: Culicidae) Giles, were assessed in three urban areas (vegetable farming, industrial and residential) of Abidjan. Susceptibility to pyrethroids (deltamethrin, permethrin and alphacypermethrin), with and without piperonyl butoxide (PBO) pre-exposure was evaluated. Anopheles gambiae complex members were identified using Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements PCR (SINE PCR), and resistance mechanisms (kdr-west, kdr-east and ace-1) and metabolic gene expression (CYP6P5, CYP6M2, CYP6P3, CYP6P4) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). High resistance to deltamethrin, permethrin and alphacypermethrin was observed in Port-Bouet (vegetable farming) and Treichville (industrial site), whereas moderate resistance to deltamethrin and high resistance to alphacypermethrin and permethrin were found in Abobo (residential site). Pre-exposure to PBO with pyrethroid increased mortalities in all sites. In Treichville, pre-exposure to PBO restored susceptibility to deltamethrin, but not in Port-Bouet or Abobo. In Treichville, An. gambiae Giles sensu stricto (s.s.) was predominant (92.9%), whereas in Abobo and Port-Bouet, An. coluzzii Giles was predominant (73.6% and 66.4%, respectively). The highest kdr-west mutation frequency was in An. gambiae s.s. (42.8%) from Abobo, followed by An. gambiae s.s. (40%) from Port-Bouet and An. gambiae s.s. (35.6%) from Treichville. In An. coluzzii, the highest kdr-west mutation frequency was in Port-Bouet (48.2%), followed by Abobo (28.00%) and Treichville (21.4%). Mutation frequencies of kdr-east were lower in An. gambiae s.s. from Treichville (4.1%) and Port-Bouet (2.1%) and absent in An. gambiae from Abobo. In industrial and vegetable farming areas, CYP6P3 and CYP6M2 were overexpressed compared with Kisumu. The study suggests An. gambiae s.l. distribution and pyrethroid resistance are influenced by human activities. Treichville's industrial area favoured An. gambiae s.s., whereas Abobo's residential and Port-Bouet's vegetable farming areas were dominated by An. coluzzii. Resistance in Treichville and Port-Bouet was associated with kdr (west and east) genes and metabolic genes, whereas in residential areas, only kdr-west genes were observed. These data suggest that PBO + deltamethrin impregnated nets could aid malaria control, benefiting industrial areas of Côte d'Ivoire and other African cities.

3.
Sci Total Environ ; 953: 176143, 2024 Sep 10.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39260495

RESUMEN

Global Net Anthropogenic Nitrogen Input (NANI) at high resolution is crucial for assessing the impact of human activities on aquatic environments. Insufficient global high-resolution data sources and methods have hindered the effective examination of the global characteristics and driving forces of NANI. This study presents a general framework for calculating global NANI, providing estimates at a 5-arc-minute resolution and over 1.42 million lake basins in 2015. The results highlight the region near the Tropic of Cancer as a concentration area for high NANI and an inflection point for latitude-based accumulation variation. It also emphasizes the uneven distribution of NANI among continents, with Asia and Africa having the highest proportions, yet their high and low values are notably lower than those of Europe and South America. A similar pattern is observed in global lakes, where Asia has the smallest quantity and volume, but the highest NANI intensity. In contrast, North America and Europe have larger quantities and volumes but the lowest NANI intensity. The global distribution characteristics reveal a clustering pattern in high and low values, with 1.25 % of the area having a sum of NANI exceeding 20 %. The uncertainty analysis regarding model parameters indicates that continents with the highest NANI do not always exhibit the highest uncertainty. These results bridge the gap between global nitrogen sustainable management and anthropogenic nitrogen input. They support research on spatiotemporal changes and controlling factors of global river nutrient loads, as well as the impact of climatic factors on basin nitrogen loss and its variability.

4.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 21317, 2024 09 12.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39266640

RESUMEN

Palm swamp forests are wetland ecosystems typical of the Brazilian Cerrado, which in recent decades have undergone intense changes due to land use alterations and climate change. As a result of these disturbances, many palm swamps have been experiencing significant drying, which can also affect adjacent vegetation. In the present study, we evaluated whether the drying of palm swamps affects the structure of plant-herbivore networks located in adjacent savanna areas in Brazil. Our results show that savanna areas adjacent to dry zones of palm swamps have fewer interactions, fewer interacting species, and a less specialized topology, which corroborates our expectations. Our findings indicate that the drying of palm swamps also has propagated impacts on adjacent savanna vegetation, impairing more specialized interactions in these environments. On the other hand, contrary to expectations, plant-herbivore networks in dry zones displayed higher modularity, lower nestedness and lower robustness than those in wet zones, suggesting that in dry environments, species tend to compartmentalize their interactions, even with lower interaction specialization. This is the first study to investigate the impacts of environmental drying on the structure of plant-herbivore networks in tropical ecosystems, highlighting the complexity of these effects and their differential impact on specialized and generalized interactions. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective conservation and management strategies in the face of ongoing environmental changes.


Asunto(s)
Bosques , Pradera , Humedales , Brasil , Cambio Climático , Ecosistema , Arecaceae/fisiología , Herbivoria/fisiología , Estrés Fisiológico
5.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep ; 18: e130, 2024 Sep 18.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39291348

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Research connects health outcomes to hazard exposures but often neglects the nature of the exposure or repeated events. METHODS: We undertook a cross-sectional study (N = 1,094) from a representative sample in the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area (HMSA). Respondents were recruited using Qualtrics panels, targeting individuals reflecting the population of the HMSA. Physical composite scores (PCS) were calculated using the SF-12v2. RESULTS: Among the hazards (hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, chemical spills, industrial fires), only chemical spills showed a dose-response: physical health scores declined significantly with repeated exposures. This decline persisted after multiple linear regression. Covariates including sex, race, age, education, and chemical exposure affected PCS, but chemical spill exposure remained the most significant, negatively affecting PCS even after adjusting for other factors (coef =-2.24, 95% CI, -3.33 to -1.15). CONCLUSION: Grasping the effects of hazards, especially repeated ones, can guide emergency management in mitigation, recovery, and preparedness efforts.


Asunto(s)
Autoinforme , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Estudios Transversales , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto , Texas , Autoinforme/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , Estado de Salud , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/efectos adversos , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente
6.
Sci Total Environ ; 954: 175734, 2024 Sep 06.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39244048

RESUMEN

Wetlands are highly diverse and productive and are among the three most important natural ecosystems worldwide, among which coastal wetlands are particularly valuable because they have been shown to provide important functions for human populations. They provide a wide variety of ecological services and values that are critical to humans. Their value may increase with increased use or scarcity owing to human progress, such as agriculture and urbanization. The potential assessment for one coastal wetland habitat to be substituted by another landscape depends on analyzing complex microbial communities including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protozoa common in different wetlands. Moreover, the number and quality of resources in coastal wetlands, including nutrients and energy sources, are also closely related to the size and variety of the microbial communities. In this review, we discussed types of wetlands, how human activities had altered the carbon cycle, how climate change affected wetland services and functions, and identified some ways to promote their conservation and restoration that provide a range of benefits, including carbon sequestration. Current data also indicated that the coastal ocean acted as a net sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in a post-industrial age and continuous human pressure would make a major impact on the evolution the coastal ocean carbon budget in the future. Coastal wetland ecosystems contain diverse microbial communities, and their composition of microbial communities will tend to change rapidly in response to environmental changes, as can serve as significant markers for identifying these changes in the future.

7.
Plants (Basel) ; 13(17)2024 Aug 27.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39273877

RESUMEN

Riverine floodplains are recognized as centers of biodiversity, but due to intense anthropogenic pressures, many active floodplains have disappeared during the last century. This research focuses on the long-term changes in phytoplankton diversity in the floodplain lake situated in the Kopacki Rit (Croatia), one of the largest conserved floodplains in the Middle Danube. The recent dataset from 2003 to 2016 and historical data from the 1970s and 1980s indicate high phytoplankton diversity, summarising 680 taxa for nearly half a century. The variability of species richness is driven by specific in-lake variables, particularly water temperature, water depth, total nitrogen, pH, and transparency, determined by a redundancy analysis of the current data. The high phytoplankton diversity levels are sustained regardless of intense pressures on the lake environment, including exposure to strong anthropogenic pollution in the past and extreme hydrological events, both droughts and floods, which have increasingly affected this part of the Danube in the last decades. The conserved hydrological connection between various biotopes along the river-floodplain gradient seems crucial in maintaining high phytoplankton diversity. Accordingly, conserving natural flooding is mandatory to maintain high biodiversity in complex and dynamic river-floodplain systems.

8.
BMC Zool ; 9(1): 24, 2024 Sep 14.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39277772

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Artificial reservoirs are alternative habitats for bird diversity, and knowledge of the diversity and abundance of bird species contribute to the management of the ecosystem. This study was conducted to investigate the species diversity and abundance of birds in Mai-Nigus reservoir and its surrounding semi-forest from July 2022 to March 2023. Point count method with a total of fifteen count stations at an interval of 50 m radius was used to study the diversity and abundance of bird species in the semi-forest habitat while total count employed on the reservoir. RESULTS: A total of 123 bird species comprising endemic and globally threatened species were identified. Order Passeriformes had the highest number of species followed by Charadriiformes and Pelecaniformes. Family Scolopacidae was the most abundant followed by Ardeidae, Ploceidae and Anatidae. Bird species richness and abundance were not significantly varied across seasons and habitats (P > 0.05). The highest species diversity (H´=3.96) were recorded in the Semi-forest during the wet season, whereas the least was recorded from reservoir during the dry season (H´=2.66). The highest and lowest species evenness of birds was recorded in Semi-forest (E = 0.725) and reservoir (E = 0.448) during the dry season, respectively. Most birds that inhabited the area had frequent relative abundance followed by uncommon and common species. CONCLUSION: Mai-Nigus reservoir and surrounding habitat host high bird diversity and this requires critical conservation concerns for the long-term survival of birds.

9.
Mar Pollut Bull ; 208: 116947, 2024 Sep 14.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39278178

RESUMEN

Vessel traffic is the greatest contributor to marine anthropogenic noise pollution, and particularly affects species utilising coastal areas. Seal Rocks (Victoria), the largest Australian fur seal breeding colony, has a relatively small vessel exclusion zone during the pupping and breeding season, when vessel traffic is at its peak. It is necessary to understand the impacts of visitation at sensitive marine sites to ensure they are adequately protected from human disturbance. This study assessed the behavioural response of hauled-out Australian fur seals at Seal Rocks to controlled vessel noise exposure during peak and off-peak vessel visitation periods. High level noise exposure (76-80 dB) resulted in increased vigilance and interruption to vital behaviours in both peak and off-peak periods. These behavioural responses were limited to the period of noise exposure but are nevertheless indicative of disturbance. It is important to ensure regulations intended to protect sensitive sites are up-to-date and evidence based.

10.
Mar Pollut Bull ; 207: 116887, 2024 Oct.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39217873

RESUMEN

Estuaries provide critical ecosystem services, and yet are increasingly under threat from urbanization. Non-invasive approaches to monitor biodiversity resident to or migrating through estuaries is critical to evaluate the holistic health of these ecosystems, often based entirely on water quality. In this study we compared tree of life metabarcoding (ToL-metabarcoding) biodiversity detections with measurements of physico-chemical variables (chlorophyll a, turbidity, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, dissolved oxygen) at eight sites of varying degrees of water quality in the Gold Coast Broadwater Estuary (Queensland, Australia). These sites were ranked according to an adapted Water Quality Index (WQI) score. Here, we detected 787 unique taxa, adding 137 new biodiversity records to the region, mostly micro-organisms such as bacteria, ciliates, diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cryptomonads. Sites with the lowest WQI were characterised by higher turbidity, lower dissolved oxygen, as well as higher total nitrogen and phosphorous, which correlated with an increased diversity of bacteria, ciliates, and green algae. Similarly, the composition of taxa was significantly different between sites with variable WQI values for most taxa but was less apparent for larger vertebrate groups. These findings suggest that rapid ToL-metabarcoding biodiversity detections, particularly for lower order taxonomic groups, can serve as valuable indicators of flora and fauna across the tree of life associated with dynamically shifting estuarine health along urbanized coastlines.


Asunto(s)
Biodiversidad , ADN Ambiental , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Estuarios , Urbanización , Calidad del Agua , ADN Ambiental/análisis , Queensland , Código de Barras del ADN Taxonómico , Fósforo/análisis , Ecosistema , Nitrógeno/análisis
11.
Environ Monit Assess ; 196(10): 903, 2024 Sep 06.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39240383

RESUMEN

The histological changes in the liver, kidney, spleen, and gills of Syacium papillosum from the continental shelf of the Yucatan Peninsula, Gulf of Mexico, and their statistical associations with environmental conditions and pollutants were assessed in 2010, 2011, and 2012. We evaluated the extension and severity of the lesions through a degree of tissue change (DTC), and, with the sum of the number of lesion types within each of their DTC stages, we determined the histological alteration index (HAI). The liver and kidney were the most affected organs, with HAI values > 100. Fish with the most severe damage were observed on the Campeche Bank and the Caribbean Sea, contrasting with those collected from the northern Yucatan continental shelf. The presence of foci cellular alteration and abundant melanomacrophage centers indicated that these flatfishes were chronically exposed to environmental stress factors. Redundancy analyses showed strong associations between HAI values and hydrocarbon and heavy metal concentrations in muscle. Our results provide evidence for the first time of a differential health condition of the Yucatan shelf through the histopathology shown in S. papillosum, establishing the baseline for future monitoring programs in the region.


Asunto(s)
Monitoreo del Ambiente , Lenguado , Branquias , Riñón , Hígado , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua , Animales , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Riñón/patología , Branquias/patología , Hígado/patología , Estrés Fisiológico , Golfo de México , Bazo/patología , Metales Pesados/análisis
12.
Heliyon ; 10(17): e36571, 2024 Sep 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39263057

RESUMEN

The species of the subfamily Polygonoideae is an essential component of temperate forests as well as the flora of the western Himalayan region. The aim of this research was to explore the taxonomic diversity, distribution patterns, and associated flora of Polygonoideae in relation to edaphic factors in various ecological zones in the Muzaffarabad division of the Kashmir Western Himalayan Region. We applied a random sampling approach for data collection from 10 different sites with a cumulative 780 quadrats to record the diversity of wild Polygonoideae species across the Muzaffarabad division between 2021 and 2022. This study revealed 279 plant species from 192 genera and 75 families associated with Polygonoideae, with the dominant families being Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae. Herbs were predominant in the investigated area, with a proportion of 72.40 %, followed by shrubs (9.68 %) and pteridophytes (8.24 %). The flora was dominated by therophytes (37.35 %), whereas nanophylls (37.28 %) were the most dominant leaf form. Persicaria, Rumex, and Polygonum genera were observed and collected from various ecological zones, while Bistorta, Fagopyrum, Oxyria, and Rheum were only collected from a single zone, representing a restricted niche. A total of 28 taxa from 8 genera were studied in the investigative subfamily Polygonoideae, with the majority being therophytes (57.14 %), followed by hemicryptophytes (28.57 %), and leaf form dominated by microphylls (50 %) and nanophylls (17.85 %). The average values for Shannon and Simpson's diversity for the reported plant communities were 0.96 and 3.53, respectively, whereas species richness averaged 2.43 and species evenness 0.92. The vegetation exhibited a relatively lower (<50) maturity, averaging 32.08. Deforestation, overexploitation for medicinal purposes, soil erosion, overgrazing, forest fires, and the expansion of agricultural fields were identified as major threats to floral diversity. A significant correlation was observed between elevation and soil nutrient parameters, where moisture content, SOC, SOM, TK, and TN ratios showed a positive correlation, while pH and TP showed a negative correlation. Polygonum paronychioides and Rumex alpinus were the least observed of Polygonoideae taxa, whereas 39 species were found to be threatened, having low (<0.2) IVI values and seeking immediate conservation efforts. Climate change and anthropogenic pressure may lead to a change in the composition patterns and threaten the Polygonoidae species. We suggest community-based initiatives and sustainable conservation measures to safeguard the floral wealth of the Western Himalaya.

13.
Mar Pollut Bull ; 208: 116933, 2024 Sep 10.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39260142

RESUMEN

Coastal areas are regions of active interaction between the sea and land and are highly sensitive to changes in heavy metal contamination caused by natural and anthropogenic activities. The contents of heavy metals in 80 surface sediments in the Qizhou Island sea area in the northeast of Hainan Island were determined to assess the contamination status, spatial distribution, sources, and ecological risks. The results indicate that the main factors influencing the distribution patterns and contents of heavy metals are hydrodynamic conditions and sources of materials. The accumulation of Cd and Pb in the sediments is attributed to the combined effects of natural sources and anthropogenic input. In addition to widespread anthropogenic influence, the enrichment of Cd in the southeastern outer shelf area of the study region may be controlled by biogenic carbonate rocks or enhanced input of near-source materials during the late Pleistocene low sea level period.

14.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 20695, 2024 Sep 05.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39237653

RESUMEN

Mountain landscapes can be fragmented due to various human activities such as tourism, road construction, urbanization, and agriculture. It can also be due to natural factors such as flash floods, glacial lake outbursts, land sliding, and climate change such as rising temperatures, heavy rains, or drought.The study's objective was to analyze the mountain landscape ecology of Pir Chinasi National Park under anthropogenic influence and investigate the impact of anthropogenic activities on the vegetation. This study observed spatiotemporal changes in vegetation due to human activities and associated climate change for the past 25 years (1995-2020) around Pir Chinasi National Park, Muzaffrabad, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 200 residents to evaluate their perceptions of land use and its effects on local vegetation. The findings reveal that 60% of respondents perceived spatiotemporal pressure on the park. On the other hand, the Landsat-oriented Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was utilized for the less than 10% cloud-covered images of Landsat 5, 7, and 8 to investigate the vegetation degradation trends of the study area. During the entire study period, the mean maximum NDVI was approximately 0.28 in 1995, whereas the mean minimum NDVI was - 2.8 in 2010. QGIS 3.8.2 was used for the data presentation. The impact of temperature on vegetation was also investigated for the study period and increasing temperature trends were observed. The study found that 10.81% (1469.08 km2) of the area experienced substantial deterioration, while 23.57% (3202.39 km2) experienced minor degradation. The total area of degraded lands was 34.38% (or 4671.47 km2). A marginal improvement in plant cover was observed in 24.88% of the regions, while 9.69% of the regions experienced a major improvement. According to the NDVI-Rainfall relationships, the area was found to be significantly impacted by human pressures and activities (r ≤ 0.50) driving vegetation changes covering 24.67% of the total area (3352.03 km2). The area under the influence of climatic variability and change (r ≥ 0.50 ≥ 0.90) accounted for 55.84% (7587.26 km2), and the area under both climatic and human stressors (r ≥ 0.50 < 0.70) was 64%. Sustainable land management practices of conservation tillage, integrated pest management, and agroforestry help preserve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity while reducing erosion, pollution, and the degradation of natural resources. landscape restoration projects of reforestation, wetland restoration, soil erosion control, and the removal of invasive species are essential to achieve land degradation neutrality at the watershed scale.

15.
Natl Sci Rev ; 11(9): nwae264, 2024 Sep.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39220549

RESUMEN

In the past decade, China has motivated proactive emission control measures that have successfully reduced emissions of many air pollutants. For atmospheric mercury, which is a globally transported neurotoxin, much less is known about the long-term changes in its concentrations and anthropogenic emissions in China. In this study, over a decade of continuous observations at four Chinese sites show that gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations continuously increased until the early 2010s, followed by significant declines at rates of 1.8%-6.1% yr-1 until 2022. The GEM decline from 2013 to 2022 (by 38.6% ± 12.7%) coincided with the decreasing concentrations of criteria air pollutants in China and were larger than those observed elsewhere in the northern hemisphere (5.7%-14.2%). The co-benefits of emission control measures contributed to the reduced anthropogenic Hg emissions and led to the GEM decline in China. We estimated that anthropogenic GEM emissions in China were reduced by 38%-50% (116-151 tons) from 2013 to 2022 using the machine-learning and relationship models.

16.
Ecol Evol ; 14(9): e70153, 2024 Sep.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39224163

RESUMEN

The Afrotropics are experiencing some of the fastest urbanisation rates on the planet but the impact of city growth on their rich and unique biodiversity remains understudied, especially compared to natural baselines. Little is also known about how introduced species influence ß-diversity in these contexts, and how patterns coincide with native ranges of species. Here we investigated how tree assemblages of the endemic-rich Afrotropical island of São Tomé differed between urban, rural and natural zones. These were primarily characterised by urban greenspaces, shade plantations, and old-growth forests, respectively. Based on 81 transects, we assessed biodiversity metrics of endemic, native and introduced species. Tree abundance and species richness were highest in the natural zone, where the composition was most different from the urban zone. The tree community of the rural zone was the most uneven and had the least variation among transects, representing the lowest ß-diversity. The urban zone was dominated by introduced species (57.7%), while the natural zone hosted almost exclusively native species (93.3%), including many endemics (26.1%). The biogeographic realms that species originated from were particularly diverse in the urban zone, with few species from the Afrotropics. In contrast to native and endemic trees, introduced trees were clearly associated with urban and rural expansion, as they were much more abundant and species-rich in these zones than in the natural zone, facilitating biotic homogenisation. These findings highlight how urban and rural environments are affecting the native tree flora of São Tomé, and the need for conservation measures geared towards globally threatened and endemic tree species. Importantly, these require the protection of natural forests, despite the rising land demands for settlements and agriculture. Ultimately, such action to conserve endemic trees will contribute to global efforts to prevent further biodiversity declines.

18.
J Environ Manage ; 370: 122431, 2024 Sep 06.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39243635

RESUMEN

In the current anthropogenic era characterised by human-induced environmental changes, long-term biomonitoring has become a crucial component for understanding ecological patterns and detecting shifts in biodiversity. However, spatiotemporal inconsistencies in biomonitoring efforts hinder transboundary progress in understanding and mitigating global environmental change effectively. The International Long-Term Ecosystem Research (ILTER) network is one of the largest standardised biomonitoring initiatives worldwide, encompassing 44 countries globally, including 26 European countries that are part of the European Long-Term Ecosystem Research network (eLTER). To better understand the establishment and development of such long-term biomonitoring efforts, we analysed spatial and temporal trends within the eLTER network. Additionally, we evaluated the environmental, social, and economic factors influencing engagement in biomonitoring activities within this European network. Our findings reveal a spatial imbalance, with biomonitoring efforts concentrated in Central and Western European countries, where monitoring initiatives have typically been established for a longer duration. Furthermore, our analyses underscore the complex interplay of economic, geographic, and cultural factors in the development of long-term ecological research infrastructures. Countries with greater geographic connectivity, slower economic growth, and higher research activity are more likely to be involved in the eLTER network. The intensity of biomonitoring significantly increased with greater research investments, economic growth, and elevated levels of tourism. In contrast, it decreased in countries that are more inward-facing and exhibit a belief in their ability to control environmental outcomes independently. Addressing spatial gaps in monitoring necessitates enhanced support and funding to ensure comprehensive ecological monitoring over extended time periods. This is essential for achieving transboundary sustainability and effective biodiversity conservation in the face of global change drivers.

19.
Biol Lett ; 20(9): 20240202, 2024 Sep.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39226923

RESUMEN

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasingly pervasive pollutant that alters animal behaviour and physiology, with cascading impacts on development and survival. Recent evidence links exposure to ALAN with neural damage, potentially due to its action on melatonin synthesis, a powerful antioxidant. However, these data are scarce and taxonomically limited. Here, we used micro-CT to test the effects of short-term ALAN exposure on brain volumes in the Australian garden orb-weaving spider (Hortophora biapicata), a species commonly found in urban areas and, specifically, around street lights. We found that short-term ALAN exposure was linked to reductions in the volumes of brain structures in the primary eye visual pathway, potentially as a consequence of oxidative stress or plastic shifts in neural investment. Although the effects of ALAN were subtle, they provided new insights into potential mechanisms underpinning the behavioural and physiological impacts of ALAN in this important urban predator.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo , Luz , Arañas , Animales , Arañas/fisiología , Arañas/efectos de la radiación , Encéfalo/efectos de la radiación , Encéfalo/fisiología , Iluminación/efectos adversos , Femenino , Microtomografía por Rayos X
20.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 20483, 2024 Sep 03.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39227684

RESUMEN

In the lower atmosphere, CO2 emissions impact human health and ecosystems, making data at this level essential for addressing carbon-cycle and public-health questions. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 is crucial in urban areas due to its connection with air quality, pollution, and climate change, becoming a pivotal parameter for environmental management and public safety. In volcanic zones, geogenic CO2 profoundly affects the environment, although hydrocarbon combustion is the primary driver of increased atmospheric CO2 and global warming. Distinguishing geogenic from anthropogenic emissions is challenging, especially through air CO2 concentration measurements alone. This study presents survey results on the stable isotope composition of carbon and oxygen in CO2 and airborne CO2 concentration in Naples' urban area, including the Campi Flegrei caldera, a widespread hydrothermal/volcanic zone in the metropolitan area. Over the past 50 years, two major volcanic unrests (1969-72 and 1982-84) were monitored using seismic, deformation, and geochemical data. Since 2005, this area has experienced ongoing unrest, involving the pressurization of the underlying hydrothermal system as a causal factor of the current uplift in the Pozzuoli area and the increased CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. To better understand CO2 emission dynamics and to quantify its volcanic origin a mobile laboratory was used. Results show that CO2 levels in Naples' urban area exceed background atmospheric levels, indicating an anthropogenic origin from fossil fuel combustion. Conversely, in Pozzuoli's urban area, the stable isotope composition reveals a volcanic origin of the airborne CO2. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring stable isotopes of atmospheric CO2, especially in volcanic areas, contributing valuable insights for environmental and public health management.

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