Naiwei Li , Baocheng Wu , Xiangui Yi , Weibing Zhuang , Zhong Wang , Tao Wang
{"title":"Spatial distribution pattern and negative density dependence analysis of northern subtropical forest communities in Baohua Mountain","authors":"Naiwei Li , Baocheng Wu , Xiangui Yi , Weibing Zhuang , Zhong Wang , Tao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Negative density dependence (NDD) serves as a crucial regulatory mechanism for maintaining biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Testing intraspecific and interspecific competition is fundamental for understanding species coexistence. To gain insights into plant community assembly in Baohua Mountain (Mt. Baohua) of Jiangsu Province, and population dynamics of the critically endangered species <em>Yulania zenii</em>, a 1 ha forest dynamic plot was established in the Baohua Mountain National Park. Using the pair correlation function combined with random-labeling null models and case-control designs, the spatial distribution patterns and NDD effects of various tree species were examined. Moreover, an interspecific correlation network was employed to explore the interactions among dominant species. The spatial point pattern analysis revealed that the overall distribution pattern in Mt. Baohua was aggregated at short distances and became random beyond 20 m; while that of individuals differed across age stages. After accounting for habitat heterogeneity, the spatial distribution of juveniles became less aggregated, and approached randomness at certain distances. The random-labeling null model results indicated that only six and four species exhibited thinning and self-thinning effects at individual scales, respectively. This suggested that NDD is not widespread in Mt. Baohua and operates at irregular scales. Specifically, <em>Yulania zenii</em> exhibited a random distribution at all distances, with no significant NDD effects. Moreover, the correlation network revealed a slightly higher frequency of negative interspecific relationships compared to positive ones, implying stronger interspecific competition than cooccurrence. <em>Yulania zenii</em> showed negative associations in abundance with multiple species, indicating that interspecific competition may constrain its population expansion. This study enhances our understanding of species coexistence mechanisms in northern subtropical evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests in China and provides a scientific basis for the conservation of <em>Yulania zenii</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03802"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seed traits predict elevational range size in Impatiens species across a biodiversity hotspot in southwest China","authors":"Kai Chen , Zihong Chen , Wanyun Xu , Rendie Huang , Bengen Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seed traits play a critical role in shaping plant elevational range size through their influence on dispersal and establishment, yet their contribution remains poorly quantified. This study investigated the extent to which seed traits predict elevational range size in 27 <em>Impatiens</em> species (Balsaminaceae) from the Gaoligong Mountains in southwest China, including 10 endemic species. Nine seed traits were measured for each species, including seed mass (SM), seed number (SN), seed area (SA), seed circularity (SC), seed fat content (SFC), germination percentage (GP), duration of cold stratification required for dormancy break (DCSRD), mean germination time (MGT), and optimum germination temperature (OGT). Species elevational range sizes were modeled using 729 specimens. Linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to estimate the effects of seed traits on species elevational range size. Results showed that SM, SN, SA, SFC, and MGT were significantly associated with elevational range size. Constraints imposed by seed traits were stronger in endemic species than in non-endemic species. Among all traits, MGT, SM, SA, and SFC were most strongly linked to dispersal and establishment capacity, explaining substantial variation in elevational range size. These findings demonstrate that seed traits associated with dispersal and establishment ability are key predictors of elevational range size variation and provide a valuable framework for anticipating plant range shifts under climate change in montane ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03799"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bohan Zhou , Yaqiang Yuan , Lingli Jiang , Su Mei , Zhongze Zhou , Yutao Wang
{"title":"Assembly mechanism of zooplankton communities during the initial stage of the Yangtze-to-Huaihe water diversion project","authors":"Bohan Zhou , Yaqiang Yuan , Lingli Jiang , Su Mei , Zhongze Zhou , Yutao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While inter-basin water diversion is an important measure for optimizing water resource allocation and improving regional ecological health and can mitigate certain water quality issues, it can also trigger a series of complex ecological effects, particularly on zooplankton communities. This study focuses on Caizi Lake, the only storage lake along the Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project within the Yangtze River Basin, to systematically investigate the composition, diversity, and potential community assembly mechanisms of zooplankton during the early stage of engineering disturbances. The results indicate that disturbances induced by the water diversion project caused drastic changes in the aquatic environment, leading to a decline in zooplankton species diversity. Before hydrological connectivity, the community was primarily regulated by total nitrogen and water temperature, After connectivity, the dominant drivers shifted to dissolved oxygen, Secchi depth, and pH. Community assembly analysis revealed that during peak disturbance assembly signals were elusive, largely classified as undominated processes and accompanied by a rise in homogenizing dispersal, whereas in the recovery phase heterogeneous selection steadily increased. Overall, zooplankton communities exhibited significant responses to the hydrological connectivity of the water diversion project. This study enhances our understanding of the adaptive characteristics and assembly mechanisms of zooplankton communities under water diversion disturbances, while also suggesting some adaptive management strategies to support ecosystem resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03795"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatio-temporal monitoring and modeling approach for the sustainable management of Paracentrotus lividus populations in the Mediterranean Sea","authors":"Léa Piacentini , Ouafa El Idrissi , Briac Monnier , Alexandre Vela , Romain Bastien , Antoine Aiello , Vanina Pasqualini , Sonia Ternengo","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Paracentrotus lividus</em> has a key ecological role in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, yet its populations are declining in several regions. Understanding the environmental drivers of its distribution is essential for effective conservation. This study combines a decade-long population assessment (2013–2022) in Corsica Island (France) with species distribution modeling using Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). Field surveys at eight sites analyzed population densities by size class and environmental variables over the studied period. Nine additional sites were monitored since 2021 to complete the database for BRT modeling. Key predictors were used to understand and predict habitat suitability for <em>P. lividus</em>, such as infralittoral rocky substrates, depth, salinity, sea surface temperature and temperature anomalies. This study highlights that sea urchin densities declined significantly at most sites, with Southern locations maintaining higher abundances. One northern site exhibited persistently low densities, likely due to past overexploitation and habitat degradation. Over the monitoring period, 'large' sea urchins declined by 54–79 % and 'medium' ones by 72–100 %, with sharp decreases after 2016. These trends correlate with increasing marine heatwaves, suggesting thermal stress as a contributing factor. This hypothesis is supported by the BRT model results. The main influencing predictors were the presence of rocky substrates, followed by depth and the frequency of temperature anomalies. This study highlights severe population declines and underscores the need for localized conservation strategies. Reinforcing no-take zones and co-management efforts, integrating ecological data with adaptive policies, is critical to ensuring <em>P. lividus</em> resilience in the Mediterranean.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03796"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Feifei Zhao , Minhui Hao , Chunyu Fan , Juan Wang , Senxuan Lin , Xiuhai Zhao , Yanxia Cheng , Klaus von Gadow , Chunyu Zhang
{"title":"Reduced soil moisture caused by human disturbance mediates the biodiversity effects on ecosystem multifunctionality across stand ages in the temperate forests of North-Eastern China","authors":"Feifei Zhao , Minhui Hao , Chunyu Fan , Juan Wang , Senxuan Lin , Xiuhai Zhao , Yanxia Cheng , Klaus von Gadow , Chunyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human-influenced soil moisture significantly shapes the biodiversity effects on ecosystem functions in temperate forests. However, its role in regulating the biodiversity effects on ecosystem multifunctionality at different stages of stand development remains unclear. Accordingly, this study aims to explore how the soil moisture mediates the biodiversity effects on ecosystem multifunctionality across stand ages in a temperate forest region. Based on a set of forest survey data in northeastern China, we used structural equation models to quantify the direct and indirect effects of predictors on ecosystem multifunctionality. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to assess the effects of soil moisture and other factors on the biodiversity-ecosystem multifunctionality relationships. The results show that human disturbance indirectly decreases biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality by affecting the soil moisture. Soil moisture, stand age and their interactions are significantly correlated with the biodiversity effects on ecosystem multifunctionality. It is concluded that reduced soil moisture caused by human disturbance decreases the biodiversity effects on ecosystem multifunctionality in middle-aged and old-growth stands, but increases the biodiversity effect in young-growth stands. The findings suggest that the contribution of biodiversity to ecosystem multifunctionality can be enhanced by regulating the human activities in temperate forests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leena Riekkola , Kate R. Sprogis , Alice Della Penna , Virginia Andrews-Goff , Robert Harcourt , Rosalind Cole , Rochelle Constantine , Kimberly T. Goetz , David Lundquist , Esther Stuck , Alexandre N. Zerbini , Emma L. Carroll
{"title":"Large-scale differences, mesoscale similarities: Neighbouring marine predator populations provide insights into Southern Ocean productivity","authors":"Leena Riekkola , Kate R. Sprogis , Alice Della Penna , Virginia Andrews-Goff , Robert Harcourt , Rosalind Cole , Rochelle Constantine , Kimberly T. Goetz , David Lundquist , Esther Stuck , Alexandre N. Zerbini , Emma L. Carroll","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03788","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how marine predators explore dynamic ocean environments is key for assessing the ecological significance of different habitats and for informing conservation efforts. This is particularly critical in remote and poorly surveyed regions, where marine predators can serve as ecosystem sentinels and provide valuable biological and oceanographic data. Here, we examined the foraging strategies of southern right whales (<em>Eubalaena australis</em>, SRW) using a large-scale satellite tagging dataset from two neighbouring populations: Aotearoa New Zealand and Western Australia. We linked foraging behaviour, inferred from bio-logging data, with remotely sensed environmental data to assess habitat use in relation to Southern Ocean oceanographic features. At broad spatial scales, foraging areas were identified near major frontal systems, but while the New Zealand population primarily targeted the Subtropical Front, the Australian population visited a wider range of oceanic features, including the Antarctic ice edge. At finer scales, both populations co-located with mesoscale eddies, preferentially foraging in cyclonic (cold-core) eddies. Satellite tracking data also suggested that foraging SRWs may exhibit quasi-planktonic behaviour by drifting around eddies. Differences in foraging strategies between the New Zealand and Western Australian populations may have important implications for their continued recovery under climate change. Furthermore, this work showcases SRWs as a sentinel species that highlights key foraging habitats that remain overlooked by high seas conservation efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03788"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Urszula Eichert , Magdalena Hędrzak , Anna Smugała , Joanna Ziomek , Elżbieta Badach
{"title":"From the breeding facility to the natural environment. How do European hamsters behave after being released?","authors":"Urszula Eichert , Magdalena Hędrzak , Anna Smugała , Joanna Ziomek , Elżbieta Badach","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the European range of the critically endangered European hamster <em>Cricetus cricetus</em>, both <em>in situ</em> and <em>ex situ</em> conservation programmes are in place to breed these animals and to release captive-bred individuals into natural populations to enhance for their demographic and genetic diversity. The study analysed the behaviour of individuals following their release into the wild, as well as the importance of sex, age and origin for the frequency of behaviours crucial for survival in the wild. The hypothesis was also formulated that the timing of leaving the aviary was independent of an individual’s age, sex and origin. In 2020–2021, 115 hamsters were released into acclimatization aviaries and their behaviour was observed. Thirty-four behavioural categories were distinguished with the most frequent being vigilance (42 %) and exploration (30 %). Hamsters also exhibited behaviours characteristic of captive-raised animals (14 %). Differences in vigilance were found between individuals of different origins. More of these behaviours were exhibited by hamsters with at least one wild parent compared to those whose both parents from a captive background. The time taken to leave the aviary was not dependent on either the age or the sex. However, a highly significant relationship was found between the hamsters' origin and the time when they left the aviary. Juvenile females and males born of captive-born parents were the fastest to leave the aviary. Juvenile females of mixed parentage, adult males born of captive-born parents and adult males caught in the wild took the longest time to leave the reintroduction site. The data obtained are crucial for the conservation of this endangered species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03784"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michiel Lathouwers , Natalie Beenaerts , Ruben Evens , Tom Artois , Greg Conway , Ian Henderson , Mike Shewring , Tony Cross , Eddy Ulenaers , Nicolas Dendoncker
{"title":"Impact of future climate change and land-use change on habitat suitability for a long-distance avian migrant under diverse socioeconomic-emission scenarios","authors":"Michiel Lathouwers , Natalie Beenaerts , Ruben Evens , Tom Artois , Greg Conway , Ian Henderson , Mike Shewring , Tony Cross , Eddy Ulenaers , Nicolas Dendoncker","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03777","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03777","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change and the alteration of land-use and land-cover (LULC) on a global scale presents a notable threat to biodiversity, with a particular impact on long-distance migratory birds. Nonetheless, our comprehension of how these changes specifically affect these avian migrants remains limited. To address this knowledge gap, species distribution models offer a valuable tool as they allow for projecting habitat suitability and provide insights into a species’ ecological responses to changing environmental conditions. In this study, we utilize modelled climate and LULC data spanning from 2015 to 2100, coupled with GPS tracking data and open-source occurrence data of European Nightjars (<em>Caprimulgus europaeus</em>), to assess how suitable habitat might be affected by changes in climate and LULC under different emission and socio-economic scenarios. Our models show that climate change alone may expand suitable habitat, particularly under high-emission scenarios, while LULC change generally exerts a constraining effect across annual cycle stages. While some scenarios indicate overall stability in the amount of suitable habitat, our spatially explicit results reveal that these entail substantial redistribution of suitable habitat which may disrupt migration patterns and increase energetic costs. Our findings underscore the importance of explicitly considering spatial and temporal aspects in assessments of global change impacts on migratory species and highlight the need for targeted conservation interventions in critical stopover zones to safeguard the species' future amidst global environmental change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03777"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marko Đokić , Vida Jojić , Pavle Lukić , Lucija Markulin , Vanja Bugarski-Stanojević
{"title":"Soil eDNA-based droplet digital PCR assay as a new monitoring tool for terrestrial mammals","authors":"Marko Đokić , Vida Jojić , Pavle Lukić , Lucija Markulin , Vanja Bugarski-Stanojević","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03780","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03780","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study demonstrates the effectiveness of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) for identifying vertebrate taxa from soil-derived environmental DNA (eDNA) a methodological combination not previously documented in literature. The protocol is optimized for detecting cryptic species of the lesser blind mole rat (BMR). A total of 38 soil samples were collected from five cryptic BMR species across 12 localities in Serbia. Species-specific primer/probe sets were designed based on the cytochrome <em>b</em> (cyt<em>b</em>) gene. After optimization of ddPCR assays and verification of primer/probe specificity, all samples were amplified in triplicates and the results’ significance was tested using the RStudioV4.3.3 Environment. The total number of positive findings was detected in 33 out of 38 samples (86.84 %), highlighting the strength of ddPCR in detecting and quantifying rare and degraded target DNA from soil samples. Concentration values varied from 0.073 to 236 copies/µL. The primer/probe sets were highly specific and the only difficulty emerged in distinguishing between two phylogenetically closest cryptic species, but with a discrepancy in fluorescence amplitudes in specific (target) and non-specific (non-target) cryptic species. We have confirmed that soil eDNA-based ddPCR species identification is a fast and highly sensitive non-invasive monitoring method. It allows quick and easy sampling of many locations across wide areas, providing essential data for conservation management. This protocol offers a valuable framework for conservation strategies targeting cryptic species, while also serving as a foundation for adaptation and broader implementation across other terrestrial vertebrates of concern <strong>–</strong> particularly those that are strictly protected or classified as endangered.<strong>––</strong></div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03780"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144779383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparative analysis of heavy metals, gut microbial community and metabolome between bean geese (Anser fabalis) wintering at Caizi and Shengjin lakes, China","authors":"Gang Liu, Chongyang Yu, Huayun Hou, Huiwu Geng","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03781","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03781","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heavy metals are major environmental challenges with significant health implications for migratory waterbirds. Shengjin and Caizi Lakes, located along the Yangtze River, are important stopover and wintering wetlands for migratory waterbirds in the East Asia-Australasian Flyway. The heavy metal, microbial communities, and metabolites in wintering bean geese (<em>Anser fabalis</em>) were analysed in Shengjin (n = 15) and Caizi Lakes (n = 15). In the faecal samples, As, Cr, and Hg concentrations differed significantly between the two sites, whereas the levels of Cd and Pb were not significantly different. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota were the dominant gut microbial phyla in geese. The Shannon<img>Wiener’s index and PLS-DA analysis results showed significant differences between geese at the two sites. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) tests showed that Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Janthinobacterium were significantly enriched in the Shengjin Lake geese, whereas Arthrobacter and Sporosarcina were significantly enriched in the Caizi Lake geese. The LC-MS results indicated that lipids, lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, and organoheterocyclic compounds were the dominant in faecal metabolic profiles. PLS-DA revealed that all Shengjin Lake and Caizi Lake geese produced distinct clusters. A total of 135 pathways were found to be different between the Shengjin and Caizi lake samples, according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway. Correlation analysis revealed that heavy metals affected the gut microbial community and metabolite composition. A significant correlation was also observed between the gut metabolites and microorganisms. Therefore, our study provides early warnings of environmental pollution of wetland ecosystems for migratory waterbirds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03781"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}