Search Results (510)

The Mediterranean region is highly vulnerable to environmental and anthropogenic pressures, including climate change, which significantly affect its aquatic ecosystems, especially shallow lakes. This study examines the fish community and ecological quality of Lake Paralimni, a shallow mesotrophic lake in Central Greece that experienced complete desiccation between 1991 and 1996. Using field surveys, fish species composition, abundance, and biomass were assessed, and the lake’s ecological quality was evaluated through the Greek Lake Fish Index (GLFI) alongside an integrated SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) analysis. Six fish species from three families were recorded, predominantly native and endemic, with introduced species representing a minor fraction. While GLFI rated the lake’s quality as “Good,” other multi-metric indicators downgraded it to “Moderate”, highlighting the importance of comprehensive assessments. SWOT analysis revealed strengths such as high native biodiversity and legal protection under Natura 2000, but also weaknesses like fluctuating water levels and limited monitoring. Opportunities include sustainable fisheries and conservation efforts, while threats involve climate change, eutrophication, and illegal species introductions. AHP emphasized threats and weaknesses as top priorities. The study recommends hydrological regulation, invasive species control, and long-term monitoring for sustainable lake management and biodiversity conservation. Full article

The Mediterranean trout (currently referred to as Salmo ghigii for Corsican and Italian-native populations) is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List, due to fragmented distribution and declining populations across its whole range, and is included in Annex II of the European Habitat Directive. The widespread genome introgression from the invasive Atlantic trout (Salmo trutta), overexploitation, and habitat alterations represent major threats to the persistence of native populations. The LIFE18NAT/IT/000931 STREAMS project aims to enhance conservation status of Mediterranean trout in 6 Italian pilot areas (Maiella, Sibillini Mountains, Casentino Forests and Pollino National Parks, Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Regional Park, and Sardinia with five sites of the Natura 2000 Network), and in 19 transferability areas covering almost the whole Italian species range. To achieve this, the following conservation strategies were implemented: (i) the identification of residual native populations; (ii) eradication of entirely Atlantic-exotic populations and removal of hybrids in admixed populations; (iii) restocking/reintroduction of native populations; (iv) monitoring/improving the Mediterranean trout habitats quality; (v) production of the “Guidelines for the conservation and management of native Mediterranean trout and its habitat”; and (vi) the prevention of illegal stocking. Here, we present the project rationale, major outcomes on demographic and genetic characterization of wild populations, and summary results from conservation actions. Full article

Soil contamination with heavy metals poses a significant risk to human health and ecological systems through multiple exposure pathways: direct ingestion of crops, dermal contact with polluted soil, and bioaccumulation within the food chain. This study analyses eleven composite soils, each collected in triplicate from different sites in Iași County, four of which are designated Natura 2000 protected areas (Mârzești Forest, Plopi Lake—Belcești, Moldova Delta, and Valea lui David). The assessment includes measurements of soil humidity by the gravimetric method, pH, and organic matter content, examined in relation to heavy metal concentrations due to their well-established interdependencies. For heavy metal determination, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) using an EDAX system (AMETEK Inc., Berwyn, PA, USA) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS) with a Vanta 4 analyser (Olympus, Waltham, MA, USA) were employed. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with a Quanta 450 microscope (FEI, Thermo Scientific, Hillsboro, OR, USA) was used primarily for informational purposes and to provide a broader perspective. In the case of chromium, 45.45% of the samples exceeded the permissible levels, with concentrations ranging from 106 mg/kg to 186 mg/kg, the highest value being nearly twice the alert threshold. Notably, not all protected areas maintain contaminant levels within safe limits. The sample from the Mârzești Forest protected site revealed considerably raised concentrations of mercury, arsenic, and lead, exceeding the alert thresholds (1 mg/kg—mercury, 15 mg/kg—arsenic, and 50 mg/kg—lead) established through Order no. 756/1997 issued by the Minister of Water, Forests, and Environmental Protection from Romania. On the other hand, the sample from Podu Iloaiei, an area with intensive agricultural activity, shows contamination with mercury and cadmium, highlighting significant anthropogenic pollution. The findings of this study are expected to raise public awareness regarding soil pollution levels, particularly in densely populated regions and protected ecological zones. Moreover, the results provide a scientific basis for policymakers and relevant authorities to implement targeted measures to manage soil contamination and ensure long-term environmental sustainability. Full article

Anthropogenic climate and land use change pose major threats to island floras worldwide, yet few studies have integrated these drivers in a single vulnerability assessment. Here, we examine the endemic flora of Evvia, the second-largest Aegean island in Greece and an important biodiversity hotspot, as a model system to address how these disturbances may reshape species distributions, community composition, and phylogenetic diversity patterns. We used species distribution models under the Ensemble of Small Models and the ENphylo framework, specifically designed to overcome parameter uncertainty in rare species with inherently limited occurrence records. By integrating climate projections and dynamic land use data, we forecasted potential range shifts, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity patterns for 114 endemic taxa through the year 2100. We addressed transferability uncertainty, a key challenge in projecting distributions under novel conditions, using the Shape framework extrapolation analysis, thus ensuring robust model projections. Our findings reveal pronounced projected range contractions and increased habitat fragmentation for all studied taxa, with more severe impacts on single-island endemics. Our models demonstrated high concordance with established IUCN Red List assessments, validating their ecological relevance despite the sample size limitations of single-island endemics. Current biodiversity hotspots, primarily located in mountainous regions, are expected to shift towards lowland areas, probably becoming extinction hotspots due to projected species losses, especially for Evvia’s single-island endemics. Emerging hotspot analysis identified new biodiversity centres in lowland zones, while high-altitude areas showed sporadic hotspot patterns. Temporal beta diversity analysis indicated higher species turnover of distantly related taxa at higher elevations, with closely related species clustering at lower altitudes. This pattern suggests a homogenisation of plant communities in lowland areas. The assessment of protected area effectiveness revealed that while 94.6% of current biodiversity hotspots are within protected zones, this coverage is projected to decline by 2100. Our analysis identified conservation gaps, highlighting areas requiring urgent protection to preserve future biodiversity. Our study reveals valuable information regarding the vulnerability of island endemic floras to global change, offering a framework applicable to other insular systems. Our findings demonstrate that adaptive conservation strategies should account for projected biodiversity shifts and serve as a warning for other insular biodiversity hotspots, urging immediate actions to maintain the unique evolutionary heritage of islands. Full article

This study investigates the institutional innovation pathways for integrating comprehensive transportation networks into China’s territorial spatial planning system, with a focus on resolving the conflicts between ecological conservation and infrastructure development. By proposing a ‘constraint-coupling-innovation’ framework, this research addresses the gaps in existing spatial governance mechanisms, particularly the insufficient alignment between transportation planning and the ‘three zones and three lines’ (ecological conservation, agricultural production, and urban development zones with binding redline) system. The study employs mixed-method approaches, including geospatial conflict analysis (GIS), AI-driven policy coordination tools, and case studies from the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It demonstrates that rigid ecological constraints (e.g., ecological sensitivity veto power) can reduce planning conflicts effectively, while adaptive governance models enhance land use efficiency and stakeholder collaboration. Key findings reveal a significant negative correlation (R² = 0.75) between ecological protection redline (EPR) coverage and transportation network density, underscoring the necessity for differentiated governance strategies in high-conflict regions. A comparative analysis with the EU’s Natura 2000 sites and TEN-T networks further highlights China’s unique hierarchical governance model, which integrates top-down ecological mandates with localized technological innovations, such as digital twins and polycentric decision making. This study contributes to global debates on sustainable spatial planning by offering actionable pathways for balancing infrastructure expansion with ecological resilience, while also proposing institutional reforms, such as a National Transportation Spatial Governance Index (NTSGI), to standardize ecological compliance. These insights provide both theoretical advancements in spatial institutionalism and practical tools for policymakers navigating the dual challenges of urbanization and climate resilience. Full article

This study examines the relationship between the 1141 most consumed foods in Brazil and their individual and combined health and environmental impacts. Foods are analyzed across different food system clusters, based on the health burden (DALYs) in minutes of healthy life using the Health Nutritional Index (HENI), greenhouse gas emissions, and water use. The most consumed foods were in natura products, such as rice, beans and meat, and a few ultra-processed products such as biscuits and soft drinks. Our results revealed an average HENI of −5.89 min, with values varying from −39.69 min of healthy life (stuffed cookies) to 17.22 min (freshwater fish). Animal-derived products, particularly red meat, had the highest environmental costs, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and water use. In contrast, plant-based foods like beans and fruits had better HENI scores and lower environmental impacts. We also found that greenhouse gas emissions reached up to 21.3 kg CO_2eq (beef dish), and water use peaked at 306.1 L (mozzarella pizza). Our findings provide valuable insights into the real-world consequences of individual and institutional food choices, demonstrating their measurable impacts on health and the environment. By moving beyond theoretical assumptions, this evidence strengthens the case for integrating sustainability into public food policies, including dietary guidelines that consider regional specificities and environmental concerns alongside nutritional recommendations. Full article

The Linnaean names have undergone significant changes over time, mainly in taxonomically complex aggregates where hybridisation or genetic introgression are frequent. A notable example is the name Centaurea phrygia, which Linnaeus applied in 1753 in a broad sense, including several taxa that are now recognised as distinct at the specific or subspecific rank. In this context, the typification of the Linnaean name C. phrygia is discussed. The original elements in the protologue, comprising five specimens and one illustration, are critically analysed. The five specimens are excluded for selection as lectotype because they do not correspond to the current concept, use and circumscription of the name C. phrygia subsp. phrygia. The name is lectotypified using an illustration published by Clusius in his “Rariorum plantarum historia”. However, the selected lectotype is demonstrably ambiguous, and the name may not be applied to a single currently recognised taxon with certainty. For that reason, C. phrygia may be a clear example for a proposal to conserve the name with a conserved type. However, because the illustration cited by Linnaeus in 1753, and here selected as lectotype, is part of the protologue and therefore cannot be in serious conflict with it or be superseded, we propose a solution to conclusively fix the case of that Linnaean name. Accordingly, we propose an epitype from an element that unambigously represents the current concept and use of the name C. phrygia subsp. phrygia. The epitype selected is a modern and well-preserved specimen kept at PRC (with barcode PRC452350) and with several duplicates. Full article

This paper focuses on the challenges for the co-implementation of two European Union Directives, i.e., the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive, for the management of Mediterranean coastal lagoons as protected areas. Many of these ecosystems are included in the Natura 2000 network, the largest network of protected areas in the world. Based on semi-structured interviews with 45 stakeholders from 41 institutions, the study identified five main types of perceived barriers: economic, political and socio-cultural, historical, administrative, and ecological. The study confirmed that the co-implementation of the Habitats Directive (HD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Mediterranean coastal lagoons generated multiple and interrelated barriers. Beyond their regulatory complexity, these EU directives confronted managers with deep operational challenges. First, mismatches between administrative and ecological boundaries weakened their ability to control key ecological processes such as nutrient flows. Second, the proliferation of indicators, often perceived as disconnected from local realities, reinforced the critique of a management by numbers approach. Finally, the widespread use of regulatory exemptions, while intended to adapt EU rules to local contexts, frequently fueled persistent mistrust among stakeholders, especially in historically degraded environments. These challenges were further exacerbated by a siloed organization of administrations, limiting coordination and adaptive management. Overall, these findings call for more integrated governance frameworks, a more critical and context-sensitive use of indicators, and greater transparency in derogation procedures. Full article

Carabus hungaricus Fabricius, 1792, is a protected Natura 2000 species included in Berne Convention and CORINE. In Bulgaria, it is listed in the Biological Diversity Act and Bulgarian Red Data Book. It is included in the standard form of only one protected area (BG0000322 “Dragoman”) with an ‘unfavourable’ status. This study shows a part of the results from the development of an Action Plan for the protection of Carabus hungaricus in Bulgaria. Data were obtained between 24 May 2021 and 10 December 2023 with the help of 252 pitfall traps from 42 plots. Carabus hungaricus was established in only seven of the sampling sites, with a total of 198 specimens. In those sites, we found 56 other carabid species belonging to 18 zoogeographical categories. The European–Asiatic steppe complex prevailed (30%). The European–Neareastern (17.5%), Palaearctic and European–Central Asian (10.5% each) zoogeographical elements were the most represented. The known range of the species in Bulgaria is limited to the karst steppes of the small mountains around the Sofia Basin. We add four new localities to the distributional map of C. hungaricus and update its altitudinal limit, elevating it to 1200 m. The species is highly vulnerable, strongly attached to the steppe biome and is stenotopic in relation to environmental conditions, thus requiring full conservation of its habitats. Full article

The taxonomic positions of species in the genus Setina are poorly known and not well established, with ongoing uncertainties in their classification. In this work, the distribution of Setina irrorella pseudoirrorella Freina and Witt, 1985, and Setina cantabrica Freina and Witt, 1985, in Spain and Portugal is updated, expanding their distribution area based on revised bibliographic data and information provided by researchers and public or private collections. The taxonomic status of the binomial flavicans–irrorella and cantabrica–roscida are discussed, and their specific validity is analysed, comparing the differences observed between these taxa, which are studied on the basis of external morphological characteristics, genitalia, and molecular genetics. An updated distribution map is presented. The authors conclude that S. cantabrica and S. i. pseudoirrorella are the only two species of the genus Setina present in the Iberian Peninsula. Full article

This paper delineates the theology of creation in Brazilian theologian Cláudio Carvalhaes’ eco-liturgical theology of liberation. Reorienting lex orandi-lex credendi-lex vivendi by his liturgical methodological innovation lex naturae, he envisions every dimension of worship as deeply connected to a planet in crisis. Lex naturae transforms liturgical spaces into creational–political spaces which invoke and evoke people to deeply attend to, to cry with, to wonder with, and to pray and sing with the forests, animals, soil, water, and all earthly beings. Celebrating a creational solidarity and wisdom, lex naturae ritualizes that people are the earth, the earth is in people, and human and more-than-human beings belong to each other. Using the seven petitions of his “The Ecological Lord’s Prayer”, Carvalhaes’ theology of creation, which reimagines the Divine, the earth, and the human in a multispecies context via the (re)orienting ground of lex naturae, is “unearthed.” His theology of creation centers the creaturely commonality with more-than-human neighbors and challenges human beings to live, love, and flourish within all the entanglements of created life. Lex naturae is also a form of asceticism which aims to recalibrate the human focus towards environmental justice for the planet. It aims at changing human desire to turn away from the brutalism of colonialism’s ecocide and toward wholesome relations with animals, plants, soil, land, and water. In the end, this paper claims that Carvalhaes’ theology of creation affirms a “godly animism”. Full article

Coralligenous bioconstructions are priority habitats crucial for the protection of Mediterranean marine biodiversity. Among these bioconstructions, the mesophotic biogenic reefs of the northern Adriatic are of particular concern due to their ecological relevance and the high levels of human pressure in the region. Thus, effective monitoring strategies are vital for the conservation and management of these fragile environments. In this study, we investigated the multivariate spatial and temporal patterns of sessile macrobenthos on biogenic reefs within two areas of a Natura 2000 site in the northern Adriatic over a four-year period. We also classified the ecological status of reefs based on the NAMBER index, specifically tailored for these peculiar bioconstructions. Our findings revealed that temporal trajectories of assemblages significantly differed between the two investigated areas, mostly due to larger fluctuations in algal turf abundance in the area closest to the coast, which is putatively more exposed to human impacts. In this area, the index identified a “Moderate” status during the period of peaking turf abundance, while the reef status consistently remained “Good” in other periods and in the area located further from the coast. This highlights the index sensitivity in reflecting actual changes in assemblages potentially associated with reef degradation. Full article

Understanding fine-scale spatial ecology is essential for defining effective conservation priorities, particularly at the range margins of vulnerable species. Here, we investigate the spatial ecology and habitat associations of the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) on Lesvos Island, Greece, representing the species’ westernmost distribution. Using a randomized grid-based survey, we recorded 424 presence records across the island and applied a suite of spatial analyses, including Kernel Density Estimation, Getis-Ord Gi*, and Anselin Local Moran’s I, to detect hotspots, coldspots, and spatial outliers. Binomial Logistic Regression, supported by Principal Component Analysis, identified key ecological drivers of habitat use, while spatial regression models (Spatial Lag and Spatial Error Models) quantified the influence of land-use characteristics and spatial dependencies on hotspot intensity and clustering dynamics. Our results showed that hotspots were primarily associated with olive-dominated and broadleaved landscapes, while coldspots and Low–Low clusters were concentrated in fragmented or degraded habitats, often outside protected areas. Spatial outliers revealed fine-scale deviations from broader patterns, indicating local habitat disruptions and emerging conservation risks not captured by existing Natura 2000 boundaries. Spatial regression confirmed that both hotspot intensity and clustering patterns were shaped by specific land-use features and spatially structured processes. Collectively, our findings underscore the fragmented nature of suitable habitats and the absence of cohesive population cores, reinforcing the need for connectivity-focused, landscape-scale conservation. Full article

The “Gutâi-Maramureș” UNESCO Global Geopark project is to be realized in the Gutâi Volcanic Zone in the northwestern part of the East Carpathians (Romania), an area with long-lasting and complex Miocene volcanic activity and a centuries-long mining history. In order to identify the volcanism and mining-related patrimonial values, in combination with other natural and cultural assets able to support the establishment of a UNESCO geopark, and to develop a sustainable tourism in the area, this paper presents the main objectives of the adopted research methodology, namely to realize (1) a geological synthesis of the area, (2) an inventory and assessment of geological and mining heritage sites, (3) a synthesis of local biodiversity, and (4) documentation of the cultural, historical and archaeological values. Furthermore, we conducted a SWOT analysis to help define the optimal territory for the geopark, to establish the core values for a strong brand identity, and to develop educational and sustainable tourism activities. This paper presents all the significant heritage values located within the future geopark area: geosites of international scientific significance, sites related to centuries-long mining of precious metals, natural protected areas, including European Natura 2000 sites, important cultural heritage sites such as old wooden churches (five of them included in the UNESCO World Heritage List) and museums. The promotion of sustainable tourism in the area by harnessing all these patrimonial values could be realized by the implementation of the geoeducation and geotourism concepts during the project development based on previous experiences/activities in the area involving local people, NGOs and institutions. Full article

The European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) has experienced significant population declines across its European breeding range, primarily due to habitat loss. Our study aimed to provide a new reference for the conservation of Turtle Doves in Evros province, a biodiversity hotspot. We used Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling to assess Turtle Dove breeding habitat suitability and account for the area of suitable habitats that is not protected or have been affected by a recent mega-fire. The best performing model identified tree cover density, the percent cover of permanently irrigated land and heterogenous agricultural areas, proximity to non-irrigated agricultural land, and forest edge length as the most important predictors of habitat suitability, signifying the importance of an interplay between open and forested land. Our results indicate that 39% of the study area provides a suitable breeding habitat, with the majority located in central and southeastern regions. Conversely, irrigated agricultural areas in the northeast are unsuitable. We found that more than 60% of suitable habitats fall within the Natura 2000 network, underscoring the importance of protected areas for conservation. However, wildfires pose a major threat, with almost 25% of suitable habitats being affected by a recent mega-fire, highlighting the need for recovery in these areas. Our study provides a foundation for targeted habitat management and restoration efforts in NE Greece and contributes to the broader understanding of the species’ habitat requirements across its breeding range. Full article