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Tracking data highlight the importance of human-induced mortality for large migratory birds at a flyway scale /
No full textHuman-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation
Roe deer, Lithuania’s smallest and most abundant cervid /
No full textA review of 113 scientific and other publications on the smallest and most abundant deer in Lithuania, the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), is presented, along with an analysis based on compound annual population growth rates of population numbers, hunting bags, and roadkill. This review covers the species’ history in the country from the last glaciation onwards, the changes in numbers from 1934 to 2023, hunting bag changes from 1965 to 2022, roadkill numbers from 2002 to 2022, data on roe deer reproduction, habitat selection, genetic diversity, pathogens, and damage to forest stands. It also provides an overview of species management and selection for trophies. Despite the exponential increase in roe deer numbers since 1990 and the dominance of this species in roadkill, even on urban roads, the number and density of animals and the damage they cause to forest stands are relatively low compared to other European countries. Within the observed period, drops in numbers were related to harsh winters in 1969/1970 and 1995/1996. Poaching, especially coinciding with weakened enforcement during the period of political–economic transition in the early 1990s, has also had a negative impact on population numbers, as have recent increases in the number of large predators. Population growth over the recent period does not correlate with hunting mortality, which has remained stable at an average of 16.9% since 2002
Insight into body condition variability in small mammals /
No full textThe body condition index (BCI) is an indicator of both reproductive success and health in small mammals and might help to understand ecological roles of species. We analyzed BCI data from 28,567 individuals trapped in Lithuania between 1980 and 2023. We compared BCIs between species and examined differences in age groups, gender, and reproductive statuses within each species. Seven out of eighteen species had sample sizes with N 5.0. This is the first multi-species approach of body condition at middle latitudes. The results increase our understanding of how changing environmental conditions are affecting small mammals
Exploring the efficacy of using Geotrichum fermentans, Rhodotorula rubra, Kluyveromyce marxiamus, clay minerals, and walnut nutshells for mycotoxin remediation /
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nine different biological compounds to reduce mycotoxins concentrations. The hypothesis of this study was that a static in vitro gastrointestinal tract model, as an initial screening tool, can be used to simulate the efficacy of Geotrichum fermentans, Rhodotorula rubra, Kluyveromyce marxiamus yeast cell walls and their polysaccharides, red and white clay minerals, and walnuts nutshells claiming to detoxify AFB1, ZEA, DON, and T-2 toxin mycotoxins. Mycotoxin concentrations were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescent (FLD) and ultraviolet detectors (UV). The greatest effects on reducing mycotoxin concentrations were determined as follows: for AFB1, inserted G. fermentans cell wall polysaccharides and walnut nutshells; for ZEA, inserted R. rubra and G. fermentans cell walls and red clay minerals; for DON, R. rubra cell wall polysaccharides and red clay minerals; and for T-2 toxin, R. rubra cell walls, K. marxianus, and G. fermentans cell wall polysaccharides and walnut nutshells. The present study indicated that selected mycotoxin-detoxifying biological compounds can be used to decrease mycotoxin concentrations
Porosity characterisation of the Silurian succession in Middle Lithuania: A comparative analysis /
No full textExploring the Late Glacial environment of Northern Lithuania: Insights from palaeolake sediments /
No full textFucoidan as a carrier of antimicrobial peptide: Preparation and characterization of nisin-loaded particles /
No full textFucoidan is an anionic sulphated polysaccharide found in brown seaweed. Due to its various biological activities, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, the application of fucoidan is increasing in various fields. The research was aimed to use fucoidan for nisin encapsulation. Nisin-loaded fucoidan particles were prepared by the complexation method in the pH range of 4.0–7.0. The interaction of nisin and fucoidan was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering method, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The stability of the particles was analysed under storage at 4 °C. After one month of storage, the hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of particles changed insignificantly. Encapsulated nisin preserved its biological activity. The antimicrobial activity was tested against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Listeria innocua, and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Nisin-loaded-fucoidan particles exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria B. subtilis and L. innocua comparable to free nisin. The application of fucoidan for the encapsulation of nisin is promising. A new nisin formulation could be used in the food industry for biopreservation
Vascular plants and mosses as bioindicators of variability of the coastal pine forest (Empetro nigri-Pinetum) /
No full textEmpetro nigri-Pinetum is a unique sea coast plant community developing along the Baltic Sea from Germany to Lithuania. Our detailed field research of bryophytes and vascular plants has highlighted the regional diversity of the Empetro nigri-Pinetum typicum plant community throughout its range in Central Europe. Our study indicated that vascular plants and mosses effectively discriminate against the described phytocoenoses, thus it was possible to distinguish three variants of the coastal forest: Calluna–Deschampsia (from Germany), Vaccinium vitis–idaea (from Poland) and Melampyrum–Deschampsia (from Lithuania). Redundancy analysis indicated that the division is related to the habitat conditions of the analyzed areas, with humidity having the greatest impact on this differentiation. Kohonen’s artificial neural network (i.e. self-organising map, SOM) confirmed the heterogeneous nature of the studied phytocenoses, and combined with the IndVal index enabled identification of indicator species for respective studied patches: Deschampsia flexuosa for Calluna–Deschampsia group; Aulacomnium palustre, Calluna vulgaris, Carex nigra, Dicranum polysetum, Erica tetralix, Oxycoccus palustris, Sphagnum capillifolium, Vaccinium uliginosum and Vaccinium vitis–idaea for Vaccinium vitis–idaea group; and young specimens of Betula pendula, Lycopodium annotinum, Melampyrum pratense and Orthilia secunda for Melampyrum–Deschampsia group. Thereby, our study showed that individual groups of species can be very good bioindicators for each of the studied phytocoenoses
Consequences of long term exposure to microplastics and effects on cytogenetic and antioxidant biomarkers in fish /
No full textMiddle Devonian actinopterygians from Lithuania and Belarus /
No full textIn the Baltic States and Belarus, the Middle Devonian period is characterised by an abundant fossil record of invertebrates such as scolecodonts, brachiopods, ostracods, trilobites, bivalves, crinoids, gastropods, and tentaculites. On the other hand, there was limited diversity in the conodont and other vertebrate fauna. In this study, we introduce a newly refined ichthyofaunal assemblage from the Eifelian and Givetian epochs from the present-day regions of Belarus and Lithuania. The isolated scales of Cheirolepis are identified as C. gaugeri, C. cf. gaugeri, C. aleshkai, C. cf. aleshkai, and Cheirolepis sp., while Orvikuina is represented by the isolated scales of O. vardiaensis and Orvikuina sp. The histological analyses for the scales of Orvikuina are provided here. Moreover, Orvikuina and Cheirolepis taxa are now recognised to be widely distributed throughout the Baltic States, especially Lithuania and Belarus, as a result of these findings. Thus, this ichthyofaunal data markedly improved the biostratigraphic correlation within the study region and expanded the paleogeographic distribution of these taxa during the Eifelian and Givetian time in Laurasia