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Morphological and molecular description of Sarcocystis meriones n. sp. from the Libyan jird (Meriones libycus) in Kuwait /
No full textSarcocystis is a genus of heteroxenous, globally distributed coccidian parasites. Limited research has been conducted on the natural infection of Sarcocystis in rodents in the Middle East. In this study, the Libyan jird (Meriones libycus) was identified as the natural intermediate host of the new species Sarcocystis meriones, based on morphological and molecular data. Microscopic sarcocysts were detected in the thigh muscles of 8.5% (4/47) of Libyan jirds captured from a semi-desert area in Amghara, Eastern Kuwait. Under the light microscope, sarcocysts were filamentous with blunt ends and thin walls, measuring 1550 × 89 µm. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the densely packed protrusions measure 1.2 × 0.5 µm and resemble thuja or a cylinder and having lateral microvilli, while the ground substance layer was 0.5–0.6 µm thick and type 22-like. Based on four genetic loci (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS1, and cox1), S. meriones was genetically most similar to S. myodes and S. ratti, infecting voles and mice of the genus Apodemus and black rats (Rattus rattus), respectively. Phylogenetic results suggest predatory mammals as potential definitive hosts of S. meriones. Further studies are needed to reveal host specificity, geographical distribution, and the impact of the parasite on the host’s health of the newly described Sarcocystis species
High heat producing Mesoproterozoic granitoids and their impact on the geothermal field in Lithuania, Baltic Basin /
No full textThe Palaeoproterozoic crystalline basement is overlain by the Baltic Basin. Lithuania is situated in the shallow eastern periphery and grades into the deep part of the basin, which comprises a number oil fields; the thickness of the sedimentary cover varies from 0.2 to 2.3 km. The Mesoproterozoic granitoid intrusions of different scales were discovered in the crystalline basement. In total, thirteen intrusions were defined on the gravity and magnetic maps and studied by abundant deep boreholes drilled in Lithuania. The recent dating revealed several phases of magmatic activity ranging from 1625 to 1445 Ma. No systematic lateral and temporal distribution of intrusions was noticed. The intrusions comprise sub-alkaline I-type diorites and quartz monzodiorites, granodiorites, and granites. The radiogenic granitoids are characterized by anomalous heat production ranging from 2.8 to 18.2 μW/m3 (average 7.26 μW/m3). The shoshonitic series correlates with high heat production. Furthermore, the Th series is documented in west Lithuanian (WLD) intrusions, while Th-U-enriched granitoids show high heat production in east Lithuania (LBB) domains. The high iron (magnetite) content of the Mesoproterozoic magmatic rocks accounts for specific high magnetic field anomalies. The most voluminous intrusions are mapped in the West Lithuanian Geothermal Anomaly, which is the most spectacular geothermal feature recognized in the East European Platform
The difficulties of ex situ conservation: A nationwide investigation of avian haemosporidia among captive penguins in Japan /
No full textAvian malaria has been a continuous problem in both wild and captive populations of penguins throughout the world. In Japan, where there are over 3000 captive penguins, avian malaria (by Plasmodium spp.) and haemoproteosis (by Haemoproteus spp.) have been sporadically detected throughout the country. However, no comprehensive studies have been carried out, and the national status of infection has been unknown until now. In this study, the prevalence and lineage composition of haemosporidian parasites was investigated in captive penguins throughout Japan for the first time. A total of 1203 penguins from 55 facilities were sampled from January 2010 to December 2019. Parasites were detected by nested PCR and microscopy of blood and tissue samples. The total prevalence was 7.48% for Plasmodium and 1.75% for Haemoproteus, of which some are suggested to have been acquired during the study period. The odds of infection were higher in individuals kept outdoors compared to indoors, re-confirming that exposure to vectors is one of the major factors. Additionally, the odds of death were higher in infected individuals, although differences between parasite lineages were also observed. This study provides an overview of avian malaria in penguins of Japan in the hope of guiding future studies and conservation actions in captivity
The seaward migration of European eel at a continental scale: A Europe-wide biotelemetry meta-analysis /
No full textThe European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) has a catadromous life cycle, with a single panmictic population that colonises continental Europe and northern Africa yet migrates 5000 to 9000 km to spawn in the Atlantic Ocean. It is unknown how this continental migration is organised so individual eels arrive in time for spawning with conspecifics. This meta-analysis combined tracking data from 18 water bodies in freshwater and transitional systems distributed along the southwest-northeast axis of Europe, resulting in a dataset of 2306 eels, making it the most comprehensive in terms of geographical coverage and number of eels tagged. The eels were tracked using acoustic telemetry and the Nedap Trail System and allowed us to study the eel's migration phenology at a continental scale. The findings reveal that the day when eels arrive at sea varies significantly with latitude, with northern eels arriving earlier. Migration speed differs between tidal and non-tidal habitats, suggesting that tidal currents facilitate faster movement. However, despite these patterns, we observed substantial variability in arrival at sea time and migration speed within water bodies, suggesting that the eel's migration phenology is considerably plastic. The presence of water regulating structures such as weirs, pumping stations and hydropower plants can impact migration timing and speed, potentially delaying eels, but is likely dependent on local hydrological conditions which can be water body specific
Nature conservation and sustainable tourism in a former Baltic Sea coastal military area /
No full textThe coastal zone consists of diverse littoral habitats, which we categorize into two primary types: linear and areal. Investigating linear littoral habitats is crucial for resolving the ‘coastal squeeze’ phenomenon in coastal and marine protected areas and in seaside resorts. Our research aims to identify the critical conditions for the conversion of defunct seaside military training areas as brownfields into coastal protected areas and small-scale seaside resorts and their sustainable planning and management. The development of seaside tourism facilities is taking place both on the coast and in the hinterland, but the coast is used for tourism much more intensively than the hinterland. It is challenging to ‘pull’ tourists away from the linear beach to the areal hinterland. We argue that the distinctiveness of the resource use conflicts in coastal and hinterland tourism lies in an essential difference between the system’s linear and areal littoral habitats, as 78% of summer visitors in Pajūris Regional Park in Lithuania come for active leisure in nature. The results of our study show that combining the GIS interpretation algorithms, supported by the innovative conjoining of DPSIR and Delphi analytical tools, ensures site-tailored integrated management of the linear waterfront and the areal hinterland
Is Groenlandia densa (Potamogeonaceae) a native species to Lithuania? /
No full textThe lack of well-documented records on rare and endangered species often poses the problem of determining whether a species is native to the area. The aim of this study was to review and evaluate all existing data on the occurrence of Groenlandia densa (L.) Fourr. (Potamogeonaceae), a species thought to be extinct in Lithuania. Literature sources from the 18th century onwards and herbarium specimens kept in Lithuanian herbaria (WI, BILAS), were studied and critically evaluated. The analysis of the literature data showed that the site in the Nemunas River is not related to the recent territory of Lithuania. The only herbarium specimen of this species, considered a collection of plants growing naturally in “a stream near the village of Melnyčėlė”, was misidenti-fied. The herbarium specimens collected from the fishponds represented introduced plants. Therefore, Groen-landia densa should be treated as a casual alien species in Lithuania, and there is no confirmed information on the former natural populations of the species
Assessing the ecological impact of non-native species: single-species manipulation fails to reveal impact of invading shrimp /
No full textTo experimentally assess the ecological impact of non-native species, their presence or abundance is usually manipulated under simplified conditions. Yet, their impact may depend on interactions with native species, whose presence and abundance then also need to be considered. We examined whether the ecological impact of a recent invader in the Baltic Sea, the shrimp Palaemon elegans , is shaped by interactions with two native mesopredators: the shrimp P. adspersus and the threespine stickleback. Using mesocosm experiments, we show that single-species manipulations fail to capture the full ecological impact of the non-native shrimp and that multi-species manipulations are required. In single-species treatments, the effect of the non-native shrimp on lower trophic levels—grazers and primary producers—was similar to those of the native species; all fed on animal prey, which increased algae biomass. However, in multi-species treatments, where shrimps competed with the stickleback for prey, the consumption of algae increased. Notably, the non-native shrimp increased its consumption of algae less than the native shrimp, indicating stronger competitive ability. Thus, the replacement of the native shrimp by the non-native could relax the control of algae biomass. This suggests that the future state of the ecosystem may depend on the absolute and relative abundances of the three species and whether the non-native shrimp will displace or coexist with the native one. These results emphasize the importance of accounting for species interactions when investigating the impact of non-native species on ecosystems. Single-species manipulations may fail to capture full ecological consequences
Proline and Betaine enriched nano Zinc fertilizer for growth and seed quality enhancement in drought exposed coriander /
No full textWater scarcity severely affects crop productivity, necessitating innovative solutions, such as using nanoparticles as stress regulators. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) enriched with proline (ZnOP) and betaine (ZnOBt) in mitigating drought stress in coriander growth. Coriander plants were grown in pots supplemented with ZnO NPs and its derivatives. The leaves and seeds extracts were subjected to antioxidant and phenolics, flavonoid profiling. The seed oil was also characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to figure out the chemical composition. Plants exposed to drought stress showed poor vegetative growth parameters. However, application of ZnO nanocomposites reducing effects of stress thus improving growth and productivity of coriander plants. Coriander plants height increased up to 84 % and 82 % under ZnOP and ZnOBt treatment compared to drought stressed plants (61.87 cm). Number of umbels increased up to 8 while yield increased by 142 % and 129 % under nanocomposites treatments. At 50 mg/kg ZnOP and ZnOBt, total phenolics contents in leaves decreased up to 22 % and 32 %, respectively while total flavonoids contents up to 11 % and 13 %, respectively. Free radical scavenging was 55 % under ZnO, 50 % under ZnOP and 57 % under ZnOBt NPs while in drought stress it was 64 %. Total antioxidant activity and total reducing power potential in plant leaves also significantly decreased upon NPs treatment. Seed yield and nutritional quality was also improved by the application of zinc nanocomposites. Oil content in seeds improved by 59 % and 37 % in presence of ZnOP50 and ZnOBt50, respectively. GC-MS analysis also showed increases in some important essential oil content of seeds like 3-hexanol, limonene, linalool, tetradecanoic acid etc. Total phenolics and flavonoids; free radical scavenging, and antioxidant potential of seeds extract decreased by nano treatment as compared to drought stress while increased as compared to control plants seeds. Proline and betaine accumulation in seeds on nanocomposite treatments also improved the seeds nutritional quality. These findings confirm that zinc nanocomposites treatment results in accumulation of various phytochemicals and quenching of oxidative stress in plants and also have positive effect on coriander seeds production and nutritional quality. These nanocomposite materials can be used to obtained better coriander crop yield even under drought conditions and this system have potential to be further applied to other crops under different stresses offering promising prospects for enhancing crop resilience and productivity
Streamlining global germplasm exchange: Integrating scientific rigor and common sense to exclude phantom agents from regulation /
No full textThis collaborative work by over 180 researchers from 40+ countries addresses the challenges posed by “phantom agents”—putative pathogenic agents named in literature without supporting data on their existence. Those agents remain on regulatory lists, creating barriers in trade and plant certification. Historically identified based solely on symptoms, these agents lack isolates or sequence data, making reliable detection or risk assessment impossible. After reviewing over 120 such agents across 10 key plant genera, we recommend their removal from regulatory lists and call for revised standards aligned with modern diagnostics. This effort seeks to streamline germplasm exchange, benefiting global agriculture by removing the constraints imposed by phantoms
Exploring potential distribution and environmental preferences of three species of Dicranomyia (Diptera: Limoniidae: Limoniinae) across the Western Palaearctic realm using Maxent /
No full textSpecies distribution models were built for three short-palped crane fly species of the genus Dicranomyia: Dicranomyia affinis, Dicranomyia chorea, and Dicranomyia mitis. The main objective of this study was to assess potential habitat suitability in undersampled regions and explore differences in environmental space. Dicranomyia affinis was historically considered a variety of Dicranomyia mitis due to their morphological similarity. In contrast, Dicranomyia chorea is a widespread species. The biology and ecology of these species remain poorly understood. Models were developed using Maxent, a widely used tool. Our results indicate that Dicranomyia affinis and Dicranomyia chorea share highly similar predicted habitat suitability, with high suitability across the Mediterranean, Central, and Northern Europe, moderate suitability in Eastern Europe, and low suitability in Central Asia. In contrast, Dicranomyia mitis is predicted to have greater habitat suitability in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, with lower suitability in Mediterranean regions. Analysis of variable importance revealed possible ecological differences between the species. While climatic factors primarily influenced the models for Dicranomyia affinis and Dicranomyia chorea, Dicranomyia mitis was more strongly influenced by the variable pH. These findings may provide insights into potential distributions in undersampled areas and improve our understanding of the species’ ecology