Institutional Repository of Nature Research Centre
Not a member yet
1487 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring entomopathogenic nematodes for the management of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in vineyards: Fine-tuning of application, target area, and timing /
No full textLobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a crucial grapevine pest worldwide. Expanding the available biocontrol agents can provide new management strategies compatible with organic viticulture. Entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) potential as a biocontrol agent was demonstrated against various developmental stages of L. botrana. For its field application, we hypothesised that by selecting the best combination of EPN-adjuvant and identifying the best area/timing for their application, we will secure their effective implementation against L. botrana. The aim of this study was to determine the best ecological scenarios for their use against L. botrana. We investigate three EPN species naturally occurring in Riojan vineyards: Steinernema feltiae, S. carpocapsae, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. We evaluated (i) EPN viability, infectivity, and adherence on leaves combined with adjuvants (Multi-Us, Maximix, Dash HC, Nu-Film-17, and Adrex), (ii) EPN biocontrol against L. botrana larva on leaves and grapes and damage reduction, and (iii) EPN efficacy against L. botrana at 22°, 15°, and 10 °C. Overall, all the adjuvants were compatible with the EPN, except Adrex with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Compared with the no application, EPNs (steinernematids) alone or with Maximix increased L. botrana L3 mortality on grapes and leaves, thereby reducing the damage. Pupal mortality caused by steinernematids EPN (alone or with Maximix) decreased with temperature, from ∼60% at 22 °C to <30% at 10 °C. Overall, steinernematids EPN (alone or with Maximix) applied against L. botrana on leaves, grapes, or trunks reduced the damage and increased insect mortality. This study suggests the best-case scenario for the application of EPNs is at sunset during late spring/early autumn at mid-temperatures (22 °C-15 °C). Further field validation is necessary for their full implementation
Comparative mitogenomics of native European and alien Ponto-Caspian amphipods /
No full textEuropean inland surface waters are home to a rich diversity of native amphipod crustaceans, many of which face threats from invasive Ponto-Caspian counterparts. In this study, we analyse mitochondrial genomes to deduce phylogenetic relationships and compare gene order and nucleotide composition between representative native European and invasive Ponto-Caspian taxa across five families, ten genera and 20 species (with 13 newly sequenced herein). We observe various gene rearrangement patterns in the phylogenetically diverse native species pool. Pallaseopsis quadrispinosa and Synurella ambulans exhibit notable deviations from the typical organisation, featuring extensive translocations of tRNAs and the nad1 gene, as well as a tRNA-F polarity switch in the latter. The monophyletic invasive Ponto-Caspian gammarids display a conserved gene order, primarily differing from native species by a tRNA-E and tRNA-R translocation, which reinforces previous findings. However, Chaetogammarus warpachowskyi shows extensive rearrangement with translocations of six tRNAs. The invasive corophiid, Chelicorophium curvispinum, maintains a highly conserved gene order despite its distant phylogenetic position. We also discover that native species have a significantly higher GC and lower AT content compared to invasive species. The mitogenomic differences observed between native and invasive amphipods warrant further investigation and could provide insights into the mechanisms underlying invasion success
The extinct Sicilian wolf shows a complex history of isolation and admixture with ancient dogs /
No full textThe Sicilian wolf remained isolated in Sicily from the end of the Pleistocene until its extermination in the 1930s–1960s. Given its long-term isolation on the island and distinctive morphology, the genetic origin of the Sicilian wolf remains debated. We sequenced four nuclear genomes and five mitogenomes from the seven existing museum specimens to investigate the Sicilian wolf ancestry, relationships with extant and extinct wolves and dogs, and diversity. Our results show that the Sicilian wolf is most closely related to the Italian wolf but carries ancestry from a lineage related to European Eneolithic and Bronze Age dogs. The average nucleotide diversity of the Sicilian wolf was half of the Italian wolf, with 37–50% of its genome contained in runs of homozygosity. Overall, we show that, by the time it went extinct, the Sicilian wolf had high inbreeding and low-genetic diversity, consistent with a population in an insular environment
An overview of the distribution and ecology of the alien cyanobacteria species Raphidiopsis raciborskii, Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Chrysosporum bergii in Europe /
No full textCyanobacteria can form blooms and pose a threat to the functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Cyanobacterial invasions are expected to increase due to climate change. Alien species cause a decline in biodiversity by displacing native species, lead to extinctions, affect food webs, and produce cyanotoxins which potentially impact the environment and human health. Three species, Raphidiopsis raciborskii, Sphaerospermospis aphanizomenoides and Chrysosporum bergii, are considered non-native to European waters. Recently, they have expanded their native habitats and become established in temperate lakes. In this article, we provide a detailed overview of the countries where they are distributed and the occurrence of the blooms in Europe. We discuss the biotic and abiotic environmental factors that influence their establishment, as well as the characteristics of the species that make them so adaptable in non-native habitats. Understanding the interplay of these factors will allow us to better recognise patterns of invasiveness and predict their future threats to ecosystems
Essential oils of Mentha arvensis and Cinnamomum cassia exhibit distinct antibacterial activity at different temperatures in vitro and on chicken skin /
No full textThe bacterial contamination of meat is a global concern, especially for the risk of Salmonella infection that can lead to health issues. Artificial antibacterial compounds used to preserve fresh meat can have negative health effects. We investigated the potential of natural essential oils (EOs), namely Mentha arvensis (mint) and Cinnamomum cassia (cinnamon) EOs, to prevent contamination of the food pathogen, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium, in vitro and on chicken skin. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was used to determine the compositions of mint EO (MEO) and cinnamon EO (CEO); the most abundant compound in MEO was menthol (68.61%), and the most abundant compound was cinnamaldehyde (83.32%) in CEO. The antibacterial activity of MEO and CEO were examined in vapor and direct contact with S. typhimurium at temperatures of 4 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C. The minimal inhibitory concentration at 37 °C for MEO and CEO reached 20.83 µL/mL, and the minimal bactericidal concentration of CEO was the same, while for MEO, it was two-fold higher. We report that in most tested conditions in experiments performed in vitro and on chicken skin, CEO exhibits a stronger antibacterial effect than MEO. In the vapor phase, MEO was more effective against S. typhimurium than CEO at 4 °C. In direct contact, the growth of S. typhimurium was inhibited more efficiently by MEO than CEO at small concentrations and a longer exposure time at 37 °C. The exploration of CEO and MEO employment for the inhibition of Salmonella bacteria at different temperatures and conditions expands the possibilities of developing more environment- and consumer-friendly antibacterial protection for raw meat
Drivers and effects of cryptic invasion of Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis in Lithuania /
No full textMost alien plant species are usually discovered in new areas either immediately or within a relatively short period of time after their introduction. However, the introduction, spread, and invasion of some species go unnoticed for a long time. In Lithuania, such an alien plant is Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis, whose cryptic invasion has gone unnoticed due to its similarity to the native subsp. sanguinea. Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis is native to southeastern Europe and western Asia and is considered alien in other parts of Europe. This study, which was carried out between 2018 and 2022 in the territory of Lithuania, aimed to identify the distribution of the subsp. australis, as well as assess certain reproductive traits and its impact on the species diversity of the invaded communities. The results showed that the cryptic invasion of subsp. australis in Lithuania has been going on for several decades and is now well advanced. We found that the alien subspecies grows faster and that individuals in analogous habitats mature earlier than the native subsp. sanguinea. Furthermore, subsp. australis, compared to subsp. sanguinea, produces more flowers per inflorescence (84.0 +/- 25.0 and 49.7 +/- 20.9, respectively) and sets and ripens more fruits (25.6 +/- 9.7 and 18.2 +/- 7.6, respectively), which are among the most important factors for its further fast spread and invasion. The results of the vegetation analysis showed that the increase in abundance of both subspecies has a negative effect on species diversity in the community. However, the effect of the native subspecies on plant species diversity was negligible, while the effect of the alien subspecies was moderately negative and significant (r = -0.47; p < 0.05). Based on the results of the study, we can conclude that the alien subsp. australis performs better than the native subsp. sanguinea. Considering the current distribution and the drivers of dispersal, we suppose that subsp. australis will continue to spread rapidly in Lithuania and may pose a threat to the native subsp. sanguinea populations
The impact of roadkill on cervid populations in Lithuania /
No full textCervid roadkill, including moose, red deer and roe deer, can pose a risk to drivers and are frequently registered. However, the roadkill influence on overall cervid populations is not fully known, especially by roadkill that are not officially registered. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of cervid roadkill on population abundance, evaluating (i) the proportion of ungulate-vehicle collisions not registered by official bodies, (ii) the number of roadkill in relation to hunted animals and (iii) the proportion of roadkill that occurs in forest habitat. The number of unreported roadkill was calculated based on a roadkill index assessed during 3815 registration sessions on main and national roads in Lithuania from 2002-2022. During this period, 373 moose, 712 red deer and 9179 roe deer roadkill were unreported, correlating to 13.8%, 95.8% and 31.1% of those registered by the Traffic Supervision Service. In conclusion, 39.5%, 17.5% and 20.1% of roadkill were registered on roads through forests. Moose roadkill amounted to a figure corresponding to 10% of those hunted, with the same figure for red deer being 1.8%, neither adding much mortality. At 16.5%-16.6%, the figure for roe deer might be important
Devynių naujų Lietuvos faunai arba retų apoidinių vapsvų rūšių (Hymenoptera: Bembicidae, Crabronidae, Psenidae, Sphecidae) stebėjimai.
No full textClassification of European oak–hornbeam forests and related vegetation types /
No full textAims: Oak–hornbeam forests and related vegetation types (phytosociological order Carpinetalia betuli) are widespread in temperate western Eurasia. However, their national classification systems are poorly compatible, and a broad-scale classification based on numerical analyses is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to establish a unified formalized classification system based on a large data set of vegetation plots covering the entire range of these forests. Location: Europe, Anatolia, Caucasus and northern Iran. Methods: We compiled a data set of 15,817 vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive and the Hyrcanian Forest Vegetation Database, using the formal definition of the EUNIS habitat type T1E Carpinus and Quercus mesic deciduous forest. We classified the data set using TWINSPAN. Biogeographically and ecologically similar plot clusters were merged into oak–hornbeam forest types, which were interpreted as alliances. We also developed expert systems for automatically classifying vegetation at the alliance level for both the EuroVegChecklist (EVC) system and the revised classification. In addition, we calculated ordinations to show the major gradients in the species composition of the data set. Results: We present a revised classification system of the order Carpinetalia betuli with nine alliances, including basic descriptions of their species composition, distribution, ecology and syntaxonomy. The analyses largely supported the biogeographic concept of classification, analogous to EVC. Compared to EVC, we recognized an additional alliance Physospermo verticillati-Quercion cerridis (southern Italy) but found no support for the alliances Astrantio-Carpinion, Erythronio-Carpinion and Scillo-Quercion. The greatest difference in species composition was found between the southern and northern-northeastern Carpinetalia types. Expert systems for the revised classification system (~89% of plots classified) and the EVC system (~72%) are also included. Conclusions: We provide the first comprehensive overview of alliances of the order Carpinetalia betuli across its whole distribution range. The associated expert systems allow consistent application of the classification of these forests in nature conservation, habitat monitoring, and biodiversity and ecological research