Anthropocene最新文献

{"title":"Sediment magnetic records of human activities in Lake Chaohu Basin over the past 166 years","authors":"Wenshan Yang ,&nbsp;Huan Fu ,&nbsp;Yongdong Zhang ,&nbsp;Tingping Ouyang","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100468","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100468","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Variations of sediment magnetism characteristics in lake systems are generally attributed to human activities in the respective catchments; however, the relationships between sediment magnetism proxies and the types or intensities of human activities are generally poorly established, which restricts the use of magnetism proxies in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Here, magnetic parameters were measured in a dated sediment core from Lake Chaohu, Anhui Province, China, to explore whether and to what extent environmental magnetism proxies indicate the complex human activities in the lake basin over the past 166 years. Results demonstrate that detrital magnetite minerals were the major magnetite fraction in the sediments. The lowest values of magnetic concentration proxies (χ_lf, χ_ARM, and SIRM) in sediments prior to approximately 1950 indicate minimal input of detrital magnetic minerals, implying limited disturbance of the catchment, which coincided with weak human activities in the lake basin in this period—mainly primitive agriculture. In sediments deposited during ca. 1950–1985, increased χ_lf and reduced grain size-dependent proxies (χ_fd%, SIRM/χ_lf, and χ_ARM/χ_lf) indicate increased input of detrital magnetic minerals and coarsening of the magnetic grains. This shift might have resulted from the rapid development of agricultural and industrial activities in the lake catchment since the 1950s and decreased hydrodynamic force within the lake due to dam construction in the 1960s. After ca. 1985, χ_lf, χ_ARM, and SIRM gradually decrease to the pre-1950 levels, indicating further decrease of the magnetic mineral input. This is likely due to decreased agricultural activities as a consequence of urbanization expansion and a shift from high pollution factories to high-tech industry. Overall, the trajectories of magnetic proxies in the sediment core reflect historical variations of the types and intensities of human activities in the lake basin. This study constitutes an important basis for the use of environmental magnetic proxies in paleoenvironmental reconstructions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100468"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143487997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vulnerability assessment of rural households to climate change using livelihood vulnerability framework approach in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India","authors":"Padma Namgyal ,&nbsp;Shyamal Sarkar ,&nbsp;Ramesh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100467","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100467","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the vulnerability of rural households to climate change impacts in the Trans-Himalayan region of Leh district, India, using the IPCC livelihood vulnerability framework and a composite index approach. A total of 464 households across 12 villages were surveyed, with sampling based on village size and geographic location. The study aimed to assess how rural communities are coping with climate-related challenges such as flash floods, water shortages, and extreme weather events. The overall vulnerability index of rural households was 0.445, on a scale from 0 (least vulnerable) to 1 (most vulnerable). The exposure index was high at 0.784, indicating that households are highly exposed to climate change impacts. The adaptive capacity was lower at 0.360, and the sensitivity index was 0.220, suggesting that while exposure to climate risks is significant, the communities have limited ability to adapt. This study analyses the spatially distributed vulnerability to climate change within rural households located in the Ladakh region in India, over the Trans-Himalayan landscapes. The proposed research approach involving the integration of the IPCC framework on livelihood vulnerabilities with spatial mappings could lead toward actionable insights and geographic disparities for vulnerability. Adaptation strategies based on the observed findings can better inform policymaking as the needs for increasing resilience grow more demanding in these scarce resource regions in high altitudes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100467"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143487998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adapting to a shifting planet: The future of Drosera species amidst global challenges and conservation imperatives","authors":"Ulises Olivares-Pinto ,&nbsp;Julio Cesar Santiago Lopes ,&nbsp;Criseida Ruiz-Aguilar ,&nbsp;Yumi Oki ,&nbsp;Geraldo Wilson Fernandes","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100466","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100466","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study assesses the potential effects of climate change on the distribution of the <em>Drosera</em> genus, which is a carnivorous plant group widely distributed in South America. The <em>Drosera</em> species act as adequate biological indicators, with their fitness performance reflecting the health of ecosystems. Through the application of species distribution models and the analysis of bioclimatic variables, the adaptability of 39 <em>Drosera</em> species to evolving climatic conditions was assessed, revealing their capacity to thrive in diverse habitats, from nutrient-deficient soils to regions with high atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. While many species show adaptability, environmental forecasts using two General Circulation Models indicate a decrease in favorable habitats by 2050 and 2070. It is expected that about 71.79 % of species will encounter shrinking habitat suitability, while 28.21 % may see an increase in habitat suitability. This anticipated habitat loss underscores the critical need for proactive conservation measures, including habitat preservation, ecological restoration, assisted migration, and genetic conservation efforts, to counteract the adverse effects of climate change. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of refining species distribution models and deepening our understanding of the ecological dynamics of <em>Drosera</em> species in response to environmental changes. By offering insights into the challenges and opportunities for conserving <em>Drosera</em> species in a changing climate, this work lays a solid groundwork for future ecological research and conservation initiatives. It calls for an integrated approach that combines scientific inquiry with strategic conservation actions to ensure the survival of these unique plant group and ecological integrity during global environmental shifts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100466"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sedimentary indicators of anthropogenic impact in Fildes Peninsula lakes (King George Island, Maritime Antarctica)","authors":"Florencia Bertoglio ,&nbsp;Claudia Piccini ,&nbsp;Santiago Giralt ,&nbsp;Roberto Urrutia ,&nbsp;Dermot Antoniades","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100465","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100465","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fildes Peninsula, on King George Island, is among the Antarctic sites with the most intense human activity and is located in a region strongly influenced by global warming. While alterations to its once pristine environments have been noted, there is a lack of data concerning the region’s natural state before the increased human presence (∼1968). We studied seven lakes from Fildes Peninsula to assess anthropogenic effects on their ecological processes by studying pre- and post-anthropic sediments with a top-bottom approach. We examined differences in bacterial and phytoplankton communities using 16S rRNA metabarcoding, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) pigments and analysis of sediment metals. We observed lake-specific differences in bacterial communities between pre- and post-anthropic samples. Using indicator species analysis, we identified bacteria associated with polluted environments (e.g., KD4–96, <em>Bacteroidetes vadinHA17, Hungateiclostridiaceae</em> and <em>Leptolinea</em>) in post-anthropic sediments from two lakes that showed notable increases of metals. As both lakes are very close to roads and airport infrastructure, these associations may imply the greater recent presence of compounds including petroleum derivatives. Results indicated good preservation of bacterial DNA, but also that diagenetic processes may have affected pigment concentrations. Our data suggest that bacterial DNA may be used as a sedimentary proxy to reconstruct environmental changes including anthropogenic impacts in Antarctic lakes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100465"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143487999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lead legacy of pre-industrial activities in lake sediments: The case study of the Lake Accesa (Southern Tuscany, Italy)","authors":"Francesca Pasquetti ,&nbsp;Giovanni Zanchetta ,&nbsp;Benoit Caron ,&nbsp;Julie Noel ,&nbsp;Riccardo Avanzinelli ,&nbsp;Boris Vannière ,&nbsp;Marc Desmet ,&nbsp;Michel Magny ,&nbsp;Bernd Wagner ,&nbsp;Luisa Dallai ,&nbsp;Paolo Fulignati ,&nbsp;Monica Bini ,&nbsp;Ilaria Baneschi","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, interest has grown in understanding how pre-industrial activities have contributed to trace metals pollution into the environment at the local and regional scales. Southern Tuscany hosts some of the most important metallogenic provinces in Italy exploited for almost the last three millennia. Studying the history of trace metals pollution in this area offers insights into the temporal and spatial scope of human-environment interactions, evaluates the severity of pollution, and can trace the local natural background values. To explore these aspects, trace metals, major elements, and lead (Pb) isotope ratios were analyzed in an 8000-year sediment records from Lake Accesa, a karst lake located on the southern border of the Colline Metallifere mining district. The findings indicate that Pb in Lake Accesa is mainly related to sulfide polymetallic deposits that surround the lake catchment. The first signal of Pb pollution dates to about 3300 BCE (Before Common Era) during the Copper Age and it is consistent with the archaeological evidence of Southern Tuscany. Additional human-induced Pb pollution signals can be observed in the Bronze Age (∼1550 BCE), and a long phase beginning in the Middle Ages (from ∼700 CE[Common Era]). Between 1000 and 1700 CE, Pb reached the highest concentrations, corroborating the intensity of mining activity during and after the Medieval period. These findings reveal that pre-industrial activities left a significant legacy of potential toxic elements in the environment, resulting in pollution levels that exceed those related to recent activities associated with the Anthropocene. The Lake Accesa record further indicates that mining of sulfide deposits in the Etruscan period was minimal and even completely negligible during Roman times, probably due to the exploitation of other ore deposits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100464"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential for redistribution of DwH-impacted bottom sediments to down-slope depocenters: Eastern Gulf of Mexico","authors":"G.R. Brooks ,&nbsp;R.A. Larson ,&nbsp;P.T. Schwing ,&nbsp;I.C. Romero ,&nbsp;S.H. Bosman ,&nbsp;J.C. Chanton ,&nbsp;A.R. Diercks","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100459","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100459","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill was responsible for dispersing an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Much was transported rapidly to the seafloor during a sediment pulse, but the ultimate fate of the oiled sediments remains unknown. This study investigates the potential for bottom sediments within the initial DwH impact zone to be mobilized and redeposited in down-slope depocenters. Sediment cores were collected from 31 sites up to 250 km down-slope (SE) of the initial seafloor impact zone to search for evidence of sediment redistribution, and whether the sediment source area(s) included the initial impact zone. Twenty-seven of the 31sites contained sedimentary structures indicative of sediment redistribution, primarily by low density turbidity currents. Other evidence of sediment redistribution includes elevated benthic foraminiferal fracture percentage, rapid and pulsed accumulation rates and the paucity of extensive pelagic deposition. Sediments consist dominantly of siliciclastic muds, with subordinate carbonate sandy muds. The most likely source for siliciclastic muds is the Mississippi River Delta and adjacent continental margin as it is immediately up-slope from the study area. This area includes the DwH seafloor impact zone. DwH oil residues were detected in sediments deposited at different times (post 2010), at 13 core sites, up to 96 km SE of the impact zone, which is consistent with multiple redistribution episodes capable of transporting oiled sediments long distances. Results of this study are not only important for developing mitigation strategies for future contaminant spills, but as sediment redistribution processes can be quite destructive, information regarding process type and frequency can be vital for planning future activities on the sea floor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100459"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mining tailings severely impact plant communities in a rainforest watershed","authors":"G. Wilson Fernandes ,&nbsp;Letícia Ramos ,&nbsp;Wénita de Souza Justino ,&nbsp;Walisson Kenedy-Siqueira ,&nbsp;João Carlos Gomes Figueiredo ,&nbsp;Yumi Oki ,&nbsp;Fernando Figueiredo Goulart ,&nbsp;Rubens Manoel dos Santos ,&nbsp;João Herbert Moreira Viana ,&nbsp;Yule Roberta Ferreira Nunes ,&nbsp;Ramiro Aguilar ,&nbsp;Lourens Poorter ,&nbsp;Masha T. van der Sande ,&nbsp;Daniel Negreiros","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100462","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100462","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The collapse of a mining tailings dam in 2015 drastically affected a large area of an already threatened Atlantic Forest along the Rio Doce in Brazil. We evaluated the interactions between edaphic and floristic factors in impacted and reference sites to understand how the impact of the tailings affected the riparian plant communities along the river. The species richness of the adult and sapling strata was, respectively, 46.4 % and 61.5 % lower in the impacted sites relative to the reference sites. A similar pattern was observed for both species and phylogenetic diversity. We also recorded large changes in species composition in the adult and sapling strata in impacted sites relative to the reference sites along the river. These negative changes in the plant community were correlated with drastic increases in soil iron and phosphorus concentration, and fine sand proportion, and decreases in the proportion of carbon and coarse sand in the sites impacted by the mining tailings. We observed a close relationship between plant composition in both the adult and sapling strata with edaphic factors. The alterations in species composition triggered by the deposition of mining tailings may induce significant shifts in ecosystems, potentially prompting numerous tipping points throughout the river basin, as indicated by the different sapling species, some of which are invasive species of highly difficult eradication. These altered forests might suffer from impoverishment, dominated by a limited species set, some of which could expand its distribution upon neighboring, already threatened, regions. Such expansion could exacerbate the degradation of the Rio Doce watershed to a point of no return to the previous condition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100462"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of nutrient enrichment and climate change on historical changes of the cyanobacterial community in a shallow north temperate lake in China","authors":"Danmin Li ,&nbsp;Yujie Si ,&nbsp;Xiaomeng Yan ,&nbsp;Giri Kattel ,&nbsp;Xianjiang Kang ,&nbsp;Bo Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantitative ecological reconstructions in lakes can be potentially significant for providing long-term environmental records and the information generated would become invaluable source for comprehensive understanding of the effects of human disturbances and climate change on lake ecosystem. Our aim is to explore the drivers of historical changes of the cyanobacterial community in a shallow temperate freshwater system, Baiyangdian Lake Complex (BLC), in northern China. We used a multi-proxy approach (e.g., sedimentary DNA, subfossil diatom assemblages) to establish the historical changes of the cyanobacterial community in BLC over different stages as accurately as possible. At Stage 1 (∼1902–2012), the cyanobacterial co-occurrence network analysis revealed more complex interactions among different genera than at Stage 2 (∼2012–2021) in all three sampling sites. The reconstructed cyanobacterial community correlated well with changes of the sedimentary diatom species composition, geochemical indices and historically documented events in the watershed. The cyanobacterial abundance in two advanced hydrologically-connected sampling sites (Shaochedian, Caiputai) was mainly regulated by the dynamics of TP and TN, while the other relatively weak hydrologically-connected site (Zaozhadian) was regulated by precipitation. Therefore, a reduction in nutrient inputs is still the most prudent option to avoid risk of the outbreak of cyanobacterial blooms in BLC. Meanwhile, intact hydrological connectivity within the wetland complex is also essential to reduce pollution and cyanobacterial blooms through mixing and flushing. Although the fate of cyanobacterial blooms in BLC has been greatly reduced over the recent time, resource managers should not only adopt conventional approaches (e.g., nutrient control) but also incorporate a landscape scale limnological-based monitoring approaches to resolve the long-lasting cyanobacterial bloom problem induced by coupled human and climate change disturbances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100460"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human versus climate interactions on riverine flood characteristics in the largest Indian Peninsular basin","authors":"Shreejit Pandey ,&nbsp;Somil Swarnkar ,&nbsp;Vikas Poonia ,&nbsp;Soumya Kundu ,&nbsp;Meghomala Ghosal","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Globally, over one in five people face 100-year flood risk, particularly in low-income regions. Flood risk is rising, especially in densely populated developing economies and areas with extreme meteorological conditions. Floods cause significant economic and health impacts, highlighting the urgent need for flood-resistant communities and preparedness. Policymakers must understand the regional and temporal distributions of flood risk to develop effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Human activities, such as dams and reservoir operations, have been shown to reduce flood intensity in many areas, though their impact varies by geography and purpose. This study investigates flood dynamics in the Godavari basin, the largest river basin in the Indian peninsula, significantly affected by large-scale dams and reservoirs. Using the Peaks Over Threshold (POT) method, generalized Pareto distribution (GPD), and CUSUM time series analysis, we analyzed flood characteristics such as peak, volume, and duration. Our results reveal that the east-central (Wainganga sub-basin) and eastern (Indravati and Sabari sub-basins) regions are major contributors to increased flood volume, peak, and duration in downstream areas. In contrast, the western and west-central Godavari regions, characterized by numerous dams, experience smaller flood volumes, peaks, and durations due to dam operations and moderate climatic conditions. However, undammed regions in the east-central and eastern Godavari, lacking flood control infrastructure and experiencing severe climatic conditions, face large-scale floods with high risk. These findings offer critical insights into regional flood characteristics and factors, supporting the development of effective flood management strategies for the Godavari basin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100463"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143176873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Macroplastic colonization by macroinvertebrates in a Mediterranean wetland: A biodiversity enrichment opportunity","authors":"Davide Taurozzi ,&nbsp;Giulia Cesarini ,&nbsp;Massimiliano Scalici","doi":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal wetlands are sensitive ecological systems that provide crucial ecosystem services, but often affected by anthropogenic pollutants. Plastics, in particular, represent a threat to the survival and fitness of many aquatic species. In fact, once plastics are released into freshwater environments, they can result in critical threats for fitness and survival of many aquatic organisms. Among these, macroinvertebrates represent a sensitive bioindicator for evaluating the environmental impacts of plastics. In this context, we investigated the colonization of virgin macroplastic substrates composed of two different polymers and located at two different depths in a protected wetland in Central Italy over a period of 10 months. The results show the tendency of macroinvertebrates to colonize plastic substrates artificially placed in water. Our findings highlight that macroinvertebrates mainly colonize polystyrene substrates over than polyethylene terephthalate ones. Moreover, floating substrates show a greater number of taxa found than dipped ones, highlighting that depth is also an important factor to discriminate the colonization of macroinvertebrates on plastic substrates. Furthermore, an ecologically diversified community emerged, in which there are mostly univoltine organisms, with dimensions between 5 and 20 mm, predators, choppers and scrapers that feed on plant organisms and animals. Consequently, plastic substrates might increase biodiversity in polluted waters by offering new surfaces for colonization. Overall, further studies are needed to determine whether the presence of plastic litter could also support the establishment of a macroinvertebrate community comprising taxa that exploit different ecological niches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56021,"journal":{"name":"Anthropocene","volume":"49 ","pages":"Article 100461"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143177116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}