Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are rapidly changing seawater temperature, pH and carbonate chemistry. This study compares the embryonic development under high pCO2conditions across the south-north distribution range of the marine clam Limecola balthicain NW Europe. The combined effects of elevated temperature and reduced pH on hatching success and size varied strongly between the three studied populations, with the Gulf of Finland population appearing most endangered under the conditions predicted to occur by 2100. These results demonstrate that the assessment of marine faunal population persistence to future climatic conditions needs to consider the interactive effects of co-occurring physico-chemical alterations in seawater within the local context that determines population fitness, adaptation potential and the system resilience to environmental change.
<p>Biological invasions are a major challenge for natural systems in the Anthropocene, yet their underlying dynamics often remain insufficiently understood. This project establishes Johnstone’s Whistling Frog (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei) as a new alien amphibian model and reevaluates long-held assumptions about invasion processes and patterns. Native to a small Lesser Antillean island, E. johnstonei has achieved an unexpectedly broad exotic distribution. By integrating ecological, genetic, and microbiome perspectives, this work reveals that the species’ invasion success is driven less by intrinsic biological superiority and more by its compatibility with human-dominated environments.Field surveys conducted 25 years after the frog’s introduction to Colombia demonstrate that its distribution remains tightly associated with urban habitats and their characteristic environmental conditions. Comparative genetic analyses across E. johnstonei, its successful alien congener E. antillensis, and the island endemic E. portoricensis show consistently low genetic diversity in both native and exotic populations, indicating that genetic impoverishment does not preclude invasion success. Instead, species distribution models highlight human footprint as a key predictor of the frog’s wide exotic range. Furthermore, microbiome analyses reveal distinct microbial communities between native and introduced populations, suggesting that microbial restructuring accompanies range expansion and may reflect underlying adaptive or transfer processes.Together, these findings challenge conventional invasion theory by illustrating that islands can act as sources instead of sinks and that species with low genetic diversity can thrive across continents when human-mediated disturbances create favorable conditions. The study argues that conservation strategies should prioritize protecting native habitats over targeting adaptable alien species that succeed largely because of anthropogenic change. More broadly, it calls for a rethinking of "nativeness" in an era of rapid environmental transformation and underscores that the resilience of both macro- and micro-communities - rather than species origin - will shape biodiversity outcomes in the Anthropocene.</p>
Ermittlung der Voraussetzungen fuer die stoerungsfreie Erholungsnutzung (Belastbarkeit). Feststellung der Inanspruchnahme der Landschaft durch Freizeit und Erholung und der dadurch bedingten Konflikte. Ableitung von Belastbarkeitsgrenzen fuer 1) die durch Freizeit und Erholung verursachten Belastungen, 2) fuer die Belastungen anderer Raumansprueche, die auf das Erholungspotential einwirken. Aufbereitung der Ergebnisse fuer Programme zur Sicherung des Erholungspotentials.
Messung von Umwandlungsgeschwindigkeit, Verteilung in Organen und Geweben von ausgewaehlten Umweltchemikalien in Labortieren sowie Insekten und Mikroorganismen; Strukturausklaerung der Umwandlungsprodukte; Gesamtbilanzmessung bis zu den Endprodukten des Abbaus, um die Abbaukapazitaet dieser Organismen bzw. die Belastung der Umwelt durch Umwandlungsprodukte zu erkennen.
Sandy soils of the arid/semiarid dune fields of the Palestinian Gaza Strip and the Israeli western Negev are extensively covered by biological soil crusts (BSC), which stabilize the surface and prevent desertification. Political discussions in Israel suggest transferring a large part of this sand belt to the Gaza Strip within a final peace accord. Inappropriate land uses may lead to destruction of the BSC and initiate desertification, as already occurring in parts of the Gaza Strip. In this interdisciplinary project the influence of environmental factors on the vitality, stability and the recovery potential of the BSC will be investigated in order to evaluate the carrying capacity of this fragile landscape, in relation to rainfall, soil and relief conditions. A transect stretching from the Mediterranean coast in the Palestinian Gaza Strip (370 mm rainfall) to 65 km southwards in Israel ( Nizzana , less than 100 mm rainfall) has been selected. The interactions of molecular biological, physiological, physical and soil chemical processes, expressed in specific characteristics of the BSC and the underlying soil, will be assessed from the molecular to the landscape scale.
Recent discussions on the path eco-hydromorphic research has followed in the past decades highlight the need for greater ecological input into this field. Traditional approaches have been criticized for being largely correlation-based (Vaughan et al., 2009) ecological black boxes (Leclerc, 2005) and strongly relying on weak, disproven and/or outdated assumptions about the dynamics of stream biota (Lancaster & Downes, 2010). In recognition of this, process-oriented research aiming at elucidating and quantifying causal mechanisms has been proposed as a promising approach, though challenging, to study the relations between flow, morphodynamics and biological populations in running waters. In terms of levels of biological organization, it has been recognized that processes determining the response of aquatic biota to hydromorphological alteration occur mainly at the population level. In this sense, relating demographic rates to flow and morphology seems to offer great potential for progress (Lancaster & Downes, 2010). Thus, tapping into existing ecological knowledge (e.g., key patch approach for habitat networks, Verboom et al. 2001; metapopulation theory, Levins 1970; Hanski & Gaggiotti 2004, landscape-scale estimations of habitat suitability and carrying capacity, Reijnen et al. 1995; Duel et al. 1995 2003; population-level viability estimations; Akçakaya 2001; resource utilization scales, ONeill et al. 1988; habitat-use patterns, Milne et al. 1989) in order to link ecology to hydromorphology at a more fundamental level constitutes an important path towards better science and management.
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