European Zoological Journal最新文献

{"title":"Impact of livestock grazing on the terrestrial arthropod diversity in the arid zone of Mongolia","authors":"L. Karpiński, I. Maák, B. Boldgiv, S. Salata, T. Gantulga, M. Mazur, W. Szczepański","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2223213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2223213","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Arthropods play an essential role in steppe ecosystems. However, studies testing the overall response of terrestrial arthropods to overgrazing are scarce. The problem is particularly worrisome in Central Asia, while, to date, only a very few broader studies have been conducted in this region. We investigated how epigeic terrestrial arthropod assemblages respond to different livestock grazing pressure in two ecozones in SE Mongolia by examining their structure using pitfall traps. We also assessed which groups can be utilised as the most efficient indicators of grazing intensity. Our analyses demonstrated that the habitat type, grazing intensity, and the interaction of these variables had a significant effect on the overall species composition and abundance. However, the grazing intensity caused different changes in the composition of arthropod communities in both studied ecozones. Contrary to the semi-desert, in the steppe habitat, the grazing had the strongest impact in the moderately grazed site. It is most likely because steppe-dwelling species are more sensitive to loss of plant biomass and changes in habitat structure. We also found that the most representative species within and from different groups can react differently to changing grazing intensities, indicating with their presence the characteristics of the respective habitat. Such differences should also be considered when elaborating the management plan of conserved species but also when applying grazing management in different habitat types. Our survey is one of the most comprehensive in Central Asia and should help implement further, more targeted studies in the corresponding habitats. Key policy highlights In meadow steppes and other arid habitats, livestock grazing is one of the most severe causes of desertification and leads to an overall decline in vegetation cover, plant species richness and aboveground biomass, and, consequently, most often negatively affects arthropod diversity. Although the impact of grazing on arthropod diversity has already been the subject of numerous studies, most of them were focused only on a single or small number of arthropods and were conducted outside Central Asia (e.g., there is only one paper dealing with analyses of several arthropod groups conducted in Mongolia, where over 40% of the human population depends on pastoral livestock production and up to 90% of its territory belongs to various arid areas). We hypothesise that the overall diversity of different arthropod groups will change according to the grazing intensities, and these changes will depend on the habitat type and will differ between arthropod groups. Our analyses demonstrated that the habitat type, grazing intensity, and the interaction of these two variables significantly impacted the overall species composition and abundance. Our results highlight that the different terrestrial arthropod groups and representative species of the most abundant groups can react differently t","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44016779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population structure, genetic diversity and demographic patterns unveil massive Mediterranean brown trout manipulations in a protected area of the northern Apennines (Italy)","authors":"L. Talarico, R. Caniglia, A. Carosi, M. Lorenzoni, C. Greco, A. Padula, S. D’Antoni, D. Alberti, A. De Paoli, L. Casali, M. Ruocco, G. Tedaldi, C. Pedrazzoli, N. Mucci","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2223222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2223222","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Salmo trutta species complex includes threatened or intensively managed taxa. Domestic-Atlantic strains are widely farmed and massively introduced into the wild to support fisheries, although such practices seriously threaten native populations of Mediterranean brown trout through anthropogenic hybridization. Characterizing the distribution and genetic composition of wild populations across river catchments is crucial to identify conservation priorities and define appropriate management strategies. Here, we genotyped 586 brown trout at the diagnostic nuclear LDH-C1 gene and the mitochondrial D-loop fragment, to assess the conservation status of 33 sites in a protected area spanning river catchments from both the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian slopes in the northern Apennines (Italy). The results indicated a critical situation of widespread domestic-Atlantic introgression. Further analyses at 15 microsatellite loci on 159 individuals from 12 natural sites (along with 113 references from hatcheries) revealed similarity to hatchery stocks, higher genetic diversity and bottleneck signals in introgressed/exotic populations, consistently with relatively recent introductions of domestic-Atlantic individuals into wild sites. Conversely, the only native sites from a single river catchment on the Adriatic slope showed genetic distinctiveness, reduced diversity and demographic stability. We also found genetic evidence of a human-mediated introduction of allochthonous Mediterranean trout in a single wild site, as well as of a putative between-slopes translocation. We provide further insight into the occurrence and consequences of human manipulations on wild Mediterranean brown trout populations, contextually offering a reliable baseline for an ongoing conservation project aiming at preserving native populations of this endangered taxon.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45472135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chromosomal mapping of ribosomal clusters and telomeric sequences (TTAGG) n in nine species of lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda)","authors":"S. Salvadori, F. Deidda, L. Carugati, R. Melis, E. Costa, M. Sibiriu, E. Coluccia","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2217188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2217188","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Lobsters are ubiquitous, economically important decapod crustaceans with apparently conflicting evolutionary relationships. Here, we describe the chromosomal location of the major (45S rDNA) and minor (5S rDNA) ribosomal gene families in four species of Astacidea and five of Achelata, using two-color FISH. The major ribosomal family is located in 4–16 sites per diploid chromosome set, with Nephrops norvegicus (Nephropidae) showing the highest number described so far in Decapoda. The 5S rDNA is located in two sites in eight species; only in the crayfish Procambarus clarkii the 5S FISH signals were detected in four sites together with additional weaker signals. Furthermore, in N. norvegicus the minor ribosomal genes are syntenic with one major ribosomal cluster. Moreover, we located by two-color FISH the pentanucleotide (TTAGG) n telomeric repeat in the Nephropidae studied, showing the occurrence of a colocalization with 45S ribosomal sequences in Homarus gammarus. The comparison of chromosomal locations of repetitive sequences in Mediterranean, Atlantic, and South African lobster species as well as in marine and freshwater ones provides information on chromosomal evolution and cytotaxonomy of Decapoda.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49517967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors affecting bat occupancy of boxes in managed coniferous forests","authors":"M. Jankowska-Jarek, M. Ciechanowski, K. Bidziński, T. Postawa","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2220354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2220354","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The gradual conversion of forest stands to single-aged and single-species stands is resulting in the loss of natural roosts for many animal groups. The installation of bat boxes is one solution to compensate for the lack of natural roosting opportunities. The box models differ in their design and material, which to some extent can determine their suitability for bats. We investigated the occupancy of 187 boxes made of wood, ceramic and two sizes concrete with styrofoam; and the intra-seasonal (spring migration, breeding, mating/migration) thermal profile for each type of box. The environment of the boxes was defined by parameters that could directly affect the box’s thermal conditions (solar energy availability), or be related to sociality (distances, obstacles) or food availability (edge of forest, water). The box occupancy depended on the box type and the season: styrofoam-concrete boxes were preferred, with a higher occupancy during the mating and migration period (>75%), whereas the highest species richness occurred in ceramic boxes. Box types also differed significantly in their diurnal thermal profiles: the wooden boxes had inside temperatures similar to outside the box, whereas the styrofoam-concrete and with expanded clay aggregate (ceramic type) averaged 2°C higher. Overall, we found 6 bat species, although we concentrated our analysis on the most common species: Pipistrellus nathusii (88%). For this species, none of the parameters that could affect the box thermal condition had an impact on the occupancy, whereas the presence of obstacles and the distance to a water body, proved to be important. To ascertain that our results may be valid and be the result of differences in the box thermal properties, we tested the relationship of the box occupancy to the latitude, using data available in the literature. The occupancy of wooden boxes from the latter dataset significantly decreases with latitude, whereas for the concrete (with addition of sawdust or styrofoam) it increases, although this relationship is not significant and requires a larger sample.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46640847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pallas’ spadefoot Pelobates vespertinus (Pelobatidae, Amphibia) tolerates extreme hypoxia","authors":"N. Bulakhova, E. N. Meshcheryakova, D. Berman","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2217201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2217201","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Amphibians are believed to be sensitive to hypoxia, and in terms of this ability, they are between mammals with poor toleranсе to hypoxia and some turtles and fish with good tolerance to variable oxygen availability. However, we found that the Pallas’ spadefoot, Pelobates vespertinus (Pallas, 1771), a Eurasian anuran burrowing amphibian species, is capable of surviving in harsh hypoxia during wintering. This species can tolerate over long-term vital oxygen concentration of almost 10 times lower than the normal atmospheric air concentration (about 2%). The lethal oxygen concentration was about 1% (from 0.6 to 1.8% for different individuals), i.e. 20 times lower than the atmospheric concentration. The Pallas’ spadefoots overwinters in soils for more than half a year, having small sizes of storage organs (fat bodies and liver) and low content of lipids and glycogen in them, which are consumed at a low rate in normoxia at 3°С. Under hypoxic conditions, lipid consumption stops, and glycogen consumption increases, indicating a shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. The cumulative effect of the reduced metabolic rate due to low wintering temperatures and the activation of glycolysis allows the Pallas’s spadefoot to be considered as one of the most hypoxia-resistant burrowing amphibian species studied.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42507173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of planktivorous fish (juvenile Perca fluviatilis) on the taxonomic diversity of microplastic particles-colonized bacterial community","authors":"M. Pyznar, P. Maszczyk, B. Kiersztyn, K. Dąbrowski, M. Zebrowski, J.-S. Lee, E. Babkiewicz","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2217200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2217200","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Very few studies have investigated the influence of fish on the degradation rate of microplastic particles (MPs). It could be expected that their effect might be not only direct, through digestion and passage through the gut, but also indirect, through the alteration of the density and composition of the bacterial community on the surface of MPs. This study aims to test the short-term effects of fish presence altering the water chemical parameters and the abundance and genetic diversity of the aquatic bacteria colonising MPs, which may contribute to their faster degradation. This was tested in a triplicate experiment, with each replicate lasting 10 days in the presence or absence of spherical MPs, polystyrene (Ps) or polyethylene (Pe) and the presence or absence of a perch. The animal was separated from the MPs with a plankton net. We determined the chemical parameters of the water, the number of bacteria in the water and on the MPs’ surface, the taxonomic diversity of bacteria in the water and those present on the MPs using 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) sequencing, and the alterations of the MPs’ surface using a scanning electron microscope. The exposure to fish increased the concentration of ammonium, nitrates, and orthophosphates and the number of bacteria in the water, which in turn resulted in an increase in the abundance of bacteria and the number of taxa at the family level on the MPs’ surface. The positive effect of fish exudates on the abundance of bacteria on MPs’ surface was greater in the case of Pe than in Ps. The observed effects did not affect the MPs’ surface in any of the types of plastic during the experiment, but they may play a significant role in MPs decomposition over a longer than applied time period.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45572387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of planktivorous fish on the vertical flux of polystyrene microplastics","authors":"S. Pukos, P. Maszczyk, K. Dąbrowski, M. Zebrowski, E. Babkiewicz","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2217199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2217199","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Numerous studies have analyzed the distribution and concentration of microplastic particles (MPs) in various aquatic habitats, and estimated how they affect residual biota. Decidedly less research concerns how organisms (e.g. ichthyofauna) affect the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of MPs in the water. Therefore, the aim of our study was to test, if fish can increase the vertical flux of MPs to sediments. This would be the result of the combined effect of increased sedimentation rate and the active transport resulting from vertical migration of the fish in the simultaneous presence of a thermal gradient (and in turn water density gradient). We conducted eight 5-day-long experiments in thermally stratified twin vertical columns filled with a suspension of polystyrene beads of 25 and 250 µm in size, with initial density of 1000 and 200 × L−1, respectively. In each of the experiments, we placed sediment traps at three different depths in each of the columns, and four planktivorous fish in one of them. During the experiments, we monitored the distribution of fish. At the end of the experiment, we determined the number of MPs and the amount of detritus in both sediment traps and water. We found that the presence of planktivorous fish significantly increased the vertical flux of MPs to sediments and decreased the density of MPs in the water column. These effects seem to be more likely due to the increased sedimentation rate of MPs due to the fish activity, rather than to their active transport, as MPs in the experimental variant were covered with detritus to a greater extent, than in the control, and the fish remained in the subsurface layer in the water column. Our study seems to be the first one showcasing the effect of fish on the concentration and distribution of MPs in aquatic ecosystems. Highlights Fish foraging activity increased the sedimentation of PS MPs. Fish foraging activity decreased the PS MP concentration in the water column. The study seems to provide the first experimental evidence on the effect of fish on the distribution of MPs in aquatic environments.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46920980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylogeographic structure of two sympatric species of Mediimorda Méquignon, 1946 (Mordellidae, Coleoptera)","authors":"A. M. Sanz-laParra, M. García‐París, E. K. López-Estrada","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2216714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2216714","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Sympatric distribution and syntopy are not common in closely related species since sporadic crosses may lead to the formation of hybrid zones disrupting the differentiation of sympatric incipient species. In Central Spain two morphologically similar species of Mediimorda Méquignon, 1946, M. batteni Plaza-Infante, 1985 and M. bipunctata (Germar, 1827) are strictly sympatric. Mediimorda batteni is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula while M. bipunctata is widely distributed in the Western Palaearctic Region. Intriguingly, sympatric distribution among closely related taxa that exhibits little morphological variation is not common. This makes us wonder if we are really facing two independent evolutionary units of Mediimorda as previously proposed or just two phenotypic morphs of a single taxon. To test for this hypothesis, we performed Bayesian and phylogeographic analyses based on mitochondrial (cox1) and nuclear (ITS2) data and estimated divergence time of clades. Additionally, a morphological revision and construction of potential distribution models were included to determine possible niche differences. Our results corroborate the existence of two lineages well differentiated, that probably diverged during the Pliocene. According to the morphology, each clade corresponds to the previously recognized M. batteni and M. bipunctata. The absence of hybridization and ecological segregation suggests that sympatric and syntopic distribution was accomplished long time after the speciation event that separated the two taxa took place. We propose that the divergence between clades was originated by allopatric speciation during the Late Pliocene subsequently followed by range shifts during the Pleistocene climatic oscillations, which resulted in the current syntopy of the two taxa.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48625108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the leech genus Dina R. Blanchard, 1892 (Annelida, Hirudinida: Erpobdellidae) from the ancient Skadar Lake basin in Montenegro","authors":"C. Grosser, T. Rewicz, M. Jovanović, A. Zawal, V. Pešić","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2216710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2216710","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Leeches of the genus Dina are one of the most abundant leech species in running waters in Montenegro. This paper described a new yellowish-spotted and medium-sized leech from the Skadar Lake basin in Montenegro. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI data reveals that Dina nesemanni sp. nov. is more closely related to D. latestriata from Prespa Lake than to other yellow-spotted leeches known from montane and alpine areas of Montenegro. Morphologically, the new species can be separated from all other yellow-spotted leeches by the peculiar shape of the ovisacs. The new species is a characteristic and possibly an endangered representative of the fauna of highly threatened Mediterranean ponds and swamps in the central and southern part of Montenegro. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:973D45A4-D488-4848-89E2-7659D936F06C","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44646217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of climbing ability for two closely related mouse species","authors":"B. Bárdos, V. Altbacker, A. Szabó, H. K. Török, I. Nagy","doi":"10.1080/24750263.2023.2217207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2023.2217207","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We tested the climbing ability of two native Hungarian rodent species under laboratory conditions. One mouse species is the mound-building mouse (Mus spicilegus), which is associated with flat, arable environments; the other is the house mouse (Mus musculus), which occurs in many natural and artificial environments following human settlements. We sought answers to the following questions, whether each of these species can use the vertical dimension and whether there is a difference in climbing ability between individuals of different ages of the two species. From our results, we concluded that the climbing ability of mound-building mice is much lower than that of house mice, but young mound-building mice show a much greater inclination towards climbing than adult mound-building mice.","PeriodicalId":56040,"journal":{"name":"European Zoological Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48489911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}