Many methods of controlling invasive crayfishes have limited success because they fail to target all life stages of the population, notably by capturing only large adults that can result in increased juvenile recruitment by removing intraspecific predation. An alternative approach uses the sterile male release technique that involves the mass release of sterile males into the environment, which then

We tested whether changes in water transparency caused either by precipitation-mediated sedimentation (inorganic turbidity) or eutrophication (organic turbidity) differently interact with top predator presence to determine predation rates, and individual decisions of mesopredators between foraging and avoiding predators. We tested the hypothesis that fear-induced cascade effects are more pronounced

Successful coexistence with predators depends on the ability of prey to strike a balance between the costs of predator avoidance and the benefits of foraging and reproducing as there is a trade-off between these activities. Prey animals can balance this trade-off by responding to predation risk in a manner that matches the intensity of risk posed by the predator, which is known as the threat-sensitive

The East Asian common octopus Octopus sinensis is a bottom-dwelling species, but goes through a planktonic phase as ‘paralarvae’ during the first several weeks of life. As the swimming performance of the paralarvae is relatively poor, their dispersion relies primarily on ocean currents; however, vertical swimming may play an important role in their horizontal dispersion by controlling their buoyancy

Climate change can result in multiple indirect alterations of the environment in riverine ecosystems, due to changes in precipitation and runoff. Flow velocity, concentrations of CO2 and nutrients are thereby expected to change, and consequences of the combination of those effects for macrophytes, a key organism group, are still poorly understood. This was tested in a racetrack flume experiment on

Strategies of resource acquisition are subject to change due to introduced pressures placed upon individual animals. The pressures of food deprivation and competition can lead to a drastic change in previously established strategies of resource acquisition. We conducted a series of trials in which red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) were either deprived of food or satiated and competition was

Stormwater retention ponds receive a variety of urban and highway pollutants that may have adverse effects on water-dwelling organisms. In this exploratory study, the benthic diatom community composition at genus level of nine such ponds servicing highway, residential, industrial, and mixed industrial/residential catchments was examined. Thirteen biocides were measured in the pond water as one of the

Large wood (LW) is an indispensable element in riverine ecosystems, especially in lower river parts. The presence of LW significantly shapes local hydraulics, morphology, the nutrient budget; promotes overall river dynamics; and additionally presents a unique habitat for numerous benthic invertebrate species. Therefore, LW is recognized as valuable asset for river restoration measures. Experiences

Predicting fish community structure in streams is a challenge considering the strong dynamics of these environments. In this study, we tested whether using a fish dataset obtained in a previous time was relevant to predict fish community structure in a subsequent time. We also tested whether temporal beta diversity of fish communities was correlated with environmental variability, stream size and order

Egeria densa and Elodea canadensis are two common invasive submerged macrophytes in streams and rivers worldwide. We conducted a six-week growth experiment with monocultures of E. densa and E. canadensis and mixed communities of the two species under five different shade levels (35%, 63%, 79%, 90% and 95%). Our aim was to test the effect of shade and competition on colonization of vegetative propagules

Marine planktonic copepods frequently exhibit diel feeding cycles coupled with vertical migrations. However, copepod feeding rhythms can be influenced by factors others than different food availability between layers. In this study, we determined the changes in the diel feeding behaviour of two marine copepod species (Centropages typicus and Paracartia grani) through multigenerational laboratory rearing

Summer and perennial planktonic rotifers from temperate regions can vary greatly in their ability to reproduce at low temperatures. The population growth rate (r day−1) of a Patagonian Keratella tropica was 0.025 at 3.9 °C and gradually increased to 0.083 at 9.3 °C. The ability of this rotifer to survive and reproduce at low winter temperatures suggests that populations in permanent waters with cold

Although freshwater systems comprise a small portion of land surface, they play a pivotal role in landscape carbon (C) cycling. Carbon processing by heterotrophic bacteria is critical, contributing to ecosystem production and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) processing. Riverine bacterial C metabolism is related to a diversity of factors, including (1) physiochemical conditions and inorganic nutrient

Patterns of abundance and shell morphology of intertidal gastropods are typically thought to depend on environmental conditions, but ecosystem engineers such as canopy-forming seaweeds can also influence these traits. The intertidal seaweed Hormosira banksii (H. banksii) is an abundant species and important ecosystem engineer on rocky shores and estuaries in south-east Australia, where it creates thick

The storied Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri; YCT) population of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, has shown a profound and mostly continuous decline since the 1970s despite pristine habitat and vanishing angler harvests. An age-structured Leslie model that had a broad climate index as its only driver (regulating age-0 YCT survival) was Bayesian-fitted

This study investigates the morphological changes in cyanobacterial and microbial distribution characteristics of surface sediments, throughout different cyanobacterial blooms periods in Zhushan Bay, Taihu Lake. Comparative microscopic analysis of cyanobacterial morphology (n = 36) was performed during the formation period (W1), stationary period (W2), decline period (W3) and decomposition period (W4)

Phytoplankton growth and degradation are associated with bacterial communities in phycosphere. We compared the bacterial communities in two algal blooms (Microcystis aeruginosa and Euglena sanguinea). In particular, large particle-associated, small particle-associated, and free-living bacteria were collected in succession using membranes with three different pore sizes (10 µm, 1 µm, and 0.22 µm) in

While transfer of freshwater cyanobacteria to estuaries has been observed worldwide, the associated transfer of cyanotoxins is less often reported, in particular the sediment contribution. During fall 2018, we monitored the co-occurrence of cyanobacteria and microcystin (MC) in both the water column and in surface sediments at five stations along a river continuum, from a freshwater reservoir to the

The study and monitoring of communities within microbiomes is important as some organisms can synthesize toxic substances, such as cyanotoxins synthesized by cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria is a large portion of the periphyton biomass and is responsible for toxic blooms in aquatic environments. This makes urban environments an interesting environment for observing cyanobacteria diversity, due to the disturbances

Macroinvertebrate signature traits’ and ecological preferences’ distribution patterns and their responses to urban and agricultural pollution were explored in rivers-draining urban–agricultural catchments within the Niger Delta ecoregion of Nigeria. Physico-chemical variables (water temperature, electrical conductivity, depth, flow velocity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrates and

Many biological sources of sound in tropical coastal shallow-water marine environments remain unidentified. Characterizing the soundscape of such environments requires that all sources of biological sound be examined for their distinct patterns and specific frequency ranges. The present study identified soniferous fish in the ecosystem and measured underwater ambient sound in terms of its sound pressure

Population structure studies play an increasingly integral role in conservation and management of marine mammal species. Genetic markers are commonly used; however, ecological markers (i.e. chemical compounds) are a fairly recent and useful tool to investigate ecological management units. The objective of this study is to investigate the population structure of the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella

Foraging is key for most animals, because their energy and matter income depend on food ingestion. However, animals may respond adaptively to perceived competitor and/or predator proximity by modifying their foraging rates. Increased foraging activity is expected to improve the chances of succeeding in competition. However, the benefits of increased foraging activity could be offset by the risks of

Amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic is ongoing and continuing to have extensive worldwide impact on amphibians. Severity of chytridiomycosis-associated amphibians declines is partly associated with species’ altitudinal ranges. Michoacán state in México harbors 54 amphibian species on a wide range of climates, including high-altitude areas (above 3000 masl), suitable for Bd growth, such as the Monarch

During their ontogenetic development, many species of fishes undergo drastic changes which may be defined as true metamorphosis when they are induced by thyroid hormones. Sicyopterus lagocephalus is an amphidromous goby that has to change biome twice during its life cycle. The first biome shift occurs few hours after hatching in the river. The aim of the present study is to determine what external/environmental

Biological invasions are a growing threat to global biodiversity due to negative impacts on native biota and ecosystem functioning. Research has expanded from investigating native and alien species interactions to examining relationships among alien species. Invasive crayfish may have similar life histories, niche preferences, and adaptation strategies, but their mutual interactions are little understood

Serious cyanobacterial blooms lead to the release of harmful microcystin-LR and ammonia to eutrophic waters, thereby posing serious challenges to zooplankton. The physiological and ecological responses of Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas to microcystin-LR and ammonia stresses were evaluated. Neonates (< 2 h old) were exposed to microcystin-LR (0, 10, 50, 100, and 200 µg L−1) and ammonia (0, 740, and

Fish diversity is generally high in drainage networks in perennial systems. On the other hand, little is known about the importance of drainage networks in semiarid regions. The scant attention given to rivers in semiarid regions so far may in part be explained by the high intermittency and low ramification of these drainage networks and their incorrect classification as systems of low diversity and

Spatial and temporal complexities of reproductive behaviour and sex ratios of two harpacticoid species Canuella perplexa Scott T. & Scott A., 1893 and Bryocamptus sp. were evaluated monthly from September 2007 to August 2008. Collections were made from four ponds at different salinities in the solar saltern of Sfax, Tunisia, considering other environmental features as well. The salinities ranged from

Abstract In studies on coral–algal interactions, particular attention has been devoted to corals. Focusing on the macroalgal genus Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae), common on coral reefs and extensively studied in coral–algal interactions, this review aims to summarize what is known and highlight the conditions necessary for Lobophora blooms, the contrasting effects on corals, and the taxonomic

Abstract Most temporary pond zooplankton species produce drought-resistant eggs that accumulate in the sediment and form an egg bank. When a pond dries and the egg bank is exposed, wind erodes eggs and wind action has been suggested as an important determinant of population demographics. While field observations suggest that egg bank erosion may be highest shortly after pond drying and physical disturbance

Abstract The Classical Karst (sensu stricto) represents a complex hydro-geomorphological unit as well as one of the best-known karstic systems in the world. For this reason, it was selected as a model area both for applied research and for the conservation of its highly diverse subterranean fauna. With this paper, we aim to provide an overview of groundwater fauna in the phreatic zone of the Classical

Abstract Variation in biomass allocation patterns has been considered a strategy in clonal plants to adapt to various environments. It has been predicted that clonal plants allocate more biomass to spacers (i.e., stolon and rhizomes) at moderate resource levels. We tested the prediction in an aquatic clonal plant Salvinia natans by subjecting it to nine nutrient levels under either a low or a high

Abstract Predators shape the phenotype of prey by means of local adaptation, within-generation plasticity, and transgenerational plasticity. Theory predicts that the influence of these three mechanisms on phenotype is determined by the number of generations exposed to the predator and the autocorrelation between parent and offspring predator environments. To test theoretical predictions about the relative

In freshwater environments, the relative contributions of top-down and bottom-up effects on invertebrate communities in relation to productivity are largely ecosystem dependent. Artificial wetlands are increasingly developed to compensate for the loss of natural wetlands; however, their trophic processes remain poorly studied. The present study aimed to evaluate the respective contributions of bottom-up

Within the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti is an important site where whale sharks (Rhincodon typus Smith 1828) aggregate seasonally; however, up to now, only few studies have been carried out in the area (Rowat et al. in Environ Biol Fishes, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9148-7; Mar Freshw Res, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF10135; Rezzolla and Storai in Cybium 34:195–206, 2010). From 2015 to 2018

Despite the fact that native species of amphipods have been recognized as active predators similarly to invasive species, little is known about their predatory impact on aquatic communities. In this study, we used a laboratory experiment, a field enclosure experiment, and an analysis of natural community data to demonstrate how Gammarus fossarum affects the species composition of benthic communities

To understand interactions between ecological properties of ostracod species and the habitat types, 89 different aquatic bodies with nine different habitat types were randomly visited in Artvin province, Turkey. A total of 24 taxa, all new for the province, were found from 62 sites. Shannon–Weaver alpha diversity of the numbers of species value was higher (3.972) than the mean index value of all samples

Understanding the drivers of species distribution is an important topic in conservation biology and ecology, pertaining to species traits like dispersal strategies and species–environment interactions. Here we examined the drivers of benthic species distribution at 20 sections of a second-order stream network. Environmental and spatial factors and the dispersal modes of the organisms were considered

The decomposition of dead organic matter is a key process for the metabolism and functioning of lotic ecosystems. Particulate organic matter from fallen leaves is the main source of energy input also in forested springs. However, detritus processing in spring habitats has been rarely investigated. The present paper is aimed to assess, for the first time, the influence of detritus origin on leaf litter

Invasive aquatic plants constitute a great problem in many freshwater systems. Although many studies have addressed the potential threats of invasion by exotic species in aquatic ecosystems, few studies have considered the interactions (competition, facilitation, coexistence) between exotic aquatic plants of similar growth form in invaded communities. Our aim was to investigate experimentally the effect

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose substantial health risks to seafood consumers, drinking water supplies, and recreationalists with apparent increases associated with anthropogenic eutrophication of freshwaters and coastal areas. Attempts to intervene in these blooms can be met with reticence by citizens, non-governmental organizations, and officials, often due to local perceptions and beliefs. Hence

Acute exposure to iron can be lethal to fish, but long-term sublethal impacts of iron require further study. Here we investigated whether the spatial and temporal distribution (1967-2004) of two closely related species of stickleback matched the spatial distribution of iron concentrations in the groundwater. We used the 'Northern Peel region', a historically iron-rich peat landscape in The Netherlands

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the growth efficiency of freshwater bacteria is differentially affected by ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280-400 nm) as mediated through changes in their production and respiration rates. Five bacterial strains affiliated to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were isolated from different freshwater habitats and