bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Widespread agrochemicals differentially affect zooplankton biomass and community structure
Authors: Hébert Marie‐Pier , Fugère Vincent , Beisner Beatrix E. , Barbosa da Costa Naíla , Barrett Rowan D. H. , Bell Graham , Shapiro B. Jesse , Yargeau Viviane , Gonzalez Andrew , Fussmann Gregor F. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAnthropogenic environmental change is causing habitat deterioration at unprecedented rates in freshwater ecosystems. Despite increasing more rapidly than many other agents of global change, synthetic chemical pollution—including agrochemicals such as pesticides—has received relatively little attention in freshwater community and ecosystem ecology. Determining the combined effects of multiple agrochemicals on complex biological systems remains a major challenge, requiring a cross‐field integration of ecology and ecotoxicology. Using a large‐scale array of experimental ponds, we investigated the response of zooplankton community properties (biomass, composition, and diversity metrics) to the individual and joint presence of three globally widespread agrochemicals: the herbicide glyphosate, the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, and nutrient fertilizers. We tracked temporal variation in zooplankton biomass and community structure along single and combined pesticide gradients (each spanning eight levels), under low (mesotrophic) and high (eutrophic) nutrient‐enriched conditions, and quantified (1) response threshold concentrations, (2) agrochemical interactions, and (3) community resistance and recovery. We found that the biomass of major zooplankton groups differed in their sensitivity to pesticides: ≥0.3 mg/L glyphosate elicited long‐lasting declines in rotifer communities, both pesticides impaired copepods (≥3 µg/L imidacloprid and ≥5.5 mg/L glyphosate), whereas some cladocerans were highly tolerant to pesticide contamination. Strong interactive effects of pesticides were only recorded in ponds treated with the combination of the highest doses. Overall, glyphosate was the most influential driver of aggregate community properties of zooplankton, with biomass and community structure responding rapidly but recovering unequally over time. Total community biomass showed little resistance when first exposed to glyphosate, but rapidly recovered and even increased with glyphosate concentration over time; in contrast, taxon richness decreased in more contaminated ponds but failed to recover. Our results indicate that the biomass of tolerant taxa compensated for the loss of sensitive species after the first exposure, conferring greater community resistance upon a subsequent contamination event; a case of pollution‐induced community tolerance in freshwater animals. These findings suggest that zooplankton biomass may be more resilient to agrochemical pollution than community structure; yet all community properties measured in this study were affected at glyphosate concentrations below common water quality guidelines in North America.
Plasticity is a locally adapted trait with consequences for ecological dynamics in novel environments
Authors: Bond Matthew N. , Piertney Stuart B. , Benton Tim G. , Cameron Tom C. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity is predicted to evolve in more variable environments, conferring an advantage on individual lifetime fitness. It is less clear what the potential consequences of that plasticity will have on ecological population dynamics. Here, we use an invertebrate model system to examine the effects of environmental variation (resource availability) on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in two life history traits—age and size at maturation—in long‐running, experimental density‐dependent environments. Specifically, we then explore the feedback from evolution of life history plasticity to subsequent ecological dynamics in novel conditions. Plasticity in both traits initially declined in all microcosm environments, but then evolved increased plasticity for age‐at‐maturation, significantly so in more environmentally variable environments. We also demonstrate how plasticity affects ecological dynamics by creating founder populations of different plastic phenotypes into new microcosms that had either familiar or novel environments. Populations originating from periodically variable environmentsthat had evolved greatest plasticityhad lowest variability in population size when introduced to novel environments than those from constant or random environments. This suggests that while plasticity may be costly it can confer benefits by reducing the likelihood that offspring will experience low survival through competitive bottlenecks in variable environments. In this study, we demonstrate how plasticity evolves in response to environmental variation and can alter population dynamics—demonstrating an eco‐evolutionary feedback loop in a complex animal moderated by plasticity in growth.
Gatekeepers of transformation: private landowners evaluate invasives based on impacts to ecosystem services
Authors: Rajala Kiandra , Sorice Michael G. , Toledo David 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBiological invasions are not new, yet the anthropogenic drivers of global change have produced unprecedented ecological novelty through the expansion of invasive species. Private landowners play an important role in determining the trajectory of ecological transformations driven by invasives. Using the northern Great Plains of the USA as a case study, we examined private landowners' role as gatekeepers for an invasive species. We employed a factorial vignette survey experiment to understand how the impacts of an unnamed invasive grass modeled on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensisL.) were related to landowners' acceptance of the species. We also explored the relationship between landowners' acceptance of the invasive grass and their management intention to reduce/control the species. Each landowner evaluated multiple vignettes that randomly varied based on how a novel grass species expanding in rangelands would affect provisioning services (season of forage availability, forage quality, forage quantity), regulating services (floral resources for pollinators, water infiltration and availability), and supporting services (grassland bird diversity, grass diversity). Acceptability was strongly associated with landowners' management intentions, and the status of all seven services was related to acceptability. Reductions to any ecosystem service reduced the acceptability of the invasive grass species; however, only increases in forage quality, forage quantity, and water regulation were related to increased acceptability of the invasive. Scenario modeling shows that landowners displayed greater sensitivity to losses in a suite of ecosystem services than to equivalent gains. Scenarios specific to ecosystem service trade‐offs and Kentucky bluegrass invasion indicate that ecological losses may need to be severe before individual landowners change their management practices to reduce/control the species. Given the high thresholds for individual behavioral change, engaging private landowners in collaborative management efforts, whether to control an invasive grass or guide management toward co‐existence, may be helpful to conserve desired biodiversity and the flow of ecosystem services from northern Great Plains grasslands.
Translocation, survival, and recovery of Kansas‐banded Canada geese
Authors: Malanchuk J. Boomer , Ross Beth E. , Haukos David A. , Bidrowski Thomas F. , Schultheis Richard 
Published: July 2021

AbstractTemperate‐breeding, or resident, Canada geese were once extirpated in Kansas, USA, but currently provide abundant viewing and hunting opportunities. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) began reintroducing geese in 1980 with a goal of re‐establishing a breeding population. Successful reintroductions led to translocating flocks to regions with no previous records of nesting geese; however, KDWPT continues to translocate individuals from nuisance flocks in urban areas to rural reservoirs to reduce human conflicts with urban geese. Our goal was to determine the effects of such translocations on survival and recovery of adult, sub‐adult, and juvenile temperate‐breeding Canada geese. We used Brownie dead‐recovery models in Program MARK to compare survival and recovery probabilities between translocated and nontranslocated (normal wild) Kansas‐banded Canada geese for 2012–2017. Model‐estimated annual survival differed between status (normal wild = 0.761, 95% CI 0.734–0.785; translocated = 0.598, 95% CI 0.528–0.665). Recovery probability differed between normal and translocated adults (normal wild = 0.074, 95% CI = 0.069–0.078; translocated = 0.138, 95% CI = 0.120–0.158) and juveniles (normal wild = 0.067, 95% CI = 0.059–0.075; translocated = 0.250, 95% CI = 0.199–0.310). Recovery probability did not differ between status in the sub‐adult age class (normal wild = 0.126, 95% CI = 0.115–0.137; translocated = 0.090, 95% CI = 0.055–0.144). Translocation is a viable management option to successfully reduce survival and increase recovery probability of urban nuisance geese in Kansas.
Perilous choices: landscapes of fear for adult birds reduces nestling condition across an urban gradient
Authors: Grade Aaron M. , Lerman Susannah B. , Warren Paige S. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPredator fear effects influence reproductive outcomes in many species. In non‐urban systems, passerines often respond to predator cues by reducing parental investment, resulting in smaller and lighter nestlings. Since trophic interactions in urban areas are highly altered, it is unclear how passerines respond to fear effects in human‐altered landscapes. Nestlings of passerines in urban areas also tend to be smaller and lighter than their rural counterparts and are often exposed to high densities of potential predators yet experience lower per capita predation—the predation paradox. We suggest fear effects in urban habitats could be a significant mechanism influencing nestling condition in birds, despite lowered predation rates. We manipulated exposure of nesting birds to adult‐consuming predator risk in residential yards across a gradient of urbanization to determine the relative influence of urbanization and fear on nestling condition. We found nestlings had reduced mass in nests exposed to predator playbacks as well as in more urban areas. Despite lower per capita predation rates in urban areas, fear effects from increased predator densities may influence passerine fitness through reduced nestling condition. As urban development expands, biodiversity conservation hinges on a deeper mechanistic understanding of how urbanization affects reproductive outcomes.
Belowground community turnover accelerates the decomposition of standing dead wood
Authors: Bradford Mark A. , Maynard Daniel S. , Crowther Thomas W. , Frankson Paul T. , Mohan Jacqueline E. , Steinrueck Corinna , Veen G. F. (Ciska) , King Joshua R. , Warren Robert J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractStanding dead trees (snags) decompose more slowly than downed dead wood and provide critical habitat for many species. The rate at which snags fall therefore influences forest carbon dynamics and biodiversity. Fall rates correlate strongly with mean annual temperature, presumably because warmer climates facilitate faster wood decomposition and hence degradation of the structural stability of standing wood. These faster decomposition rates coincide with turnover from fungal‐dominated wood decomposer communities in cooler forests to codomination by fungi and termites in warmer regions. A key question for projecting forest dynamics is therefore whether temperature effects on wood decomposition arise primarily because warmer conditions facilitate faster decomposer metabolism, or are also influenced indirectly by belowground community turnover (e.g., termites exert additional influence beyond fungal‐plus‐bacterial mediated decomposition). To test between these possibilities, we simulate standing dead trees with untreated wooden posts and follow them in the field across 5 yr at 12 sites, before measuring buried, soil–air interface and aerial post sections to quantify wood decomposition and organism activities. High termite activities at the warmer sites are associated with rates of postfall that are three times higher than at the cooler sites. Termites primarily consume buried wood, with decomposition rates greatest where termite activities are highest. However, where higher microbial and termite activities co‐occur, they appear to compensate for one another first, and then to slow decomposition rates at their highest activities, suggestive of interference competition. If the range of microbial and termite codomination of wood decomposer communities expands under climate warming, our data suggest that expansion will accelerate snag fall with consequent effects on forest carbon cycling and biodiversity in forests previously dominated by microbial decomposers.
Biodiversity assessment across a dynamic riverine system: A comparison of eDNA metabarcoding versus traditional fish surveying methods
Authors: Hallam Jane , Clare Elizabeth L. , Jones John Iwan , Day Julia J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWhile many studies have considered the ability of eDNA to assess animal communities in lacustrine settings, fewer have considered riverine systems, particularly those spanning the environmental gradients present in large river basins. Such dynamic systems are challenging for eDNA biomonitoring due to differing eDNA transport distances in rivers and the effects of river chemistry. To address this challenge, we focused on the Thames River system, UK, which has exceptional historical fish records providing a baseline to test the accuracy of eDNA metabarcoding in recovering fish community structure across both fresh and tidal zones. Two primer sets targeting 12S and CO1 regions were used to capture fish communities across the Thames catchment, from the upper freshwaters to the mid estuary. eDNA was collected at 35 sites, 14 of which were simultaneously paired with traditional fish surveys for direct comparison. We demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding consistently detected more freshwater species than traditional methods, despite extensive sampling effort using the latter. In contrast, metabarcoding did not perform as well as traditional approaches in estuarine waters, although results included the novel detection of the protected sea lamprey. We further demonstrated that minor variations in the recovery of all approaches would not impact on the assessment of simple ecological models of community structure and, thus, some variability between approaches should not be viewed as a serious hindrance to uptake. Rather, our findings support a growing consensus that eDNA can reliably detect fish communities across dynamic freshwater habitats.
Separation of short and medium‐chain fatty acids using capillary electrophoresis with indirect photometric detection: Part I: Identification of fatty acids in rat feces
Authors: Pham Uyen , Alvarado Luis , Suess Gregory J. , Shamsi Shahab A. , Frantz Kyle 
Published: July 2021

AbstractShort and medium‐chain fatty acids (SMCFAs) are known as essential metabolites found in gut microbiota that function as modulators in the development and progression of many inflammatory conditions as well as in the regulation of cell metabolism. Currently, there are few simple and low‐cost analytical methods available for the determination of SMCFA. This report focuses on SMCFA analysis utilizing CE with indirect photometric detection (CE‐IPD). A ribonucleotide electrolyte, 5’‐adenosine mono‐phosphate (5’‐AMP), is investigated as an IPD reagent due to its high molar absorptivity and dynamic reserve compatible with separation and detection of SMCFA. The operating parameters like the composition of organic solvent, millimolar concentrations of the complexing agent (alpha‐cyclodextrin), 5’‐AMP and non‐absorbing electrolyte (boric acid), as well as the applied voltage, are optimized for resolution, efficiency, and signal‐to‐noise ratio. A baseline resolution of all nine SMCFAs is achieved in less than 15 min. Additionally, the developed CE‐IPD method shows promising potential to identifying SMCFA in rat fecal supernatant. The presented analytical assay is simple, economical, and has considerably good repeatability. The intraday and interday RSD of less than 1 and 2% for relative migration time, as well as less than 14 and 15% for peak area, respectively, were obtained for SMCFA in fecal solution.
Modeling and optimization of operating parameters on fast pyrolysis of palm oil biomass wastes based on different kinetics schemes
Authors: Thu Kyaw , Reungpeerakul Taweesak , Yamsaengsung Ram , Sangwichien Chayanoot 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe main purpose of this work is to optimize the effects of operating parameters on the yield of products from fast pyrolysis of four palm oil biomasses (empty fruit bunch [EFB], palm shell [PS], palm mesocarp fiber [PMF], and oil palm fronds [OPF]) in a fluidized bed reactor. Three kinetics schemes (simple, global, and advanced) were applied to predict the yield of pyrolytic products (liquid [bio‐oil], gas, and char). The results from the simulation of three kinetics schemes compared with the reported experimental data. The results from global and advanced kinetics schemes showed better prediction than simple kinetics scheme. The influence of the operating parameters such as biomass constituents, vapor residence time, reaction temperature and particle size on the fast pyrolysis of palm oil biomasses was investigated using the global kinetics scheme. Moreover, the yield of pyrolysis products was also classified using the advanced kinetics scheme. The results indicated that EFB biomass with particle size of 0.3 mm gave the maximum yield of liquid product due to its higher cellulose content compared to other palm oil biomasses (OPF, PMF, and PS) at reaction temperature of 773 K and vapor residence time of 1 s.
Optimization of catalytic performance of Pt@HZSM‐5/HMS micro/mesopores promoted by Sn and Re for toluene total oxidation using RSM
Authors: Parsafard Nastaran 
Published: July 2021

AbstractCatalytic oxidation of toluene over a series of Pt‐(Sn/Re)‐HZSM‐5/HMS catalysts has been studied at atmospheric pressure and 200–500°C temperature. The results show when the Sn and Re were incorporated into the catalysts, a clear improvement in catalytic activity could be observed in toluene oxidation. The key process parameters including temperature, time on stream, and Sn/Re weight ratio were optimized by response surface methodology integrated central composite design. The suggested optimization model showed satisfactory correlation between the predicted and actual results. The temperature was the most significant parameter affecting on the toluene conversion and CO2 selectivity, whereas Sn/Re ratio is another effective parameter.
Evaluation of Cadmium Transfer from Soil to the Human Body Through Maize Consumption in a Cadmium Anomaly Area of Southwestern China
Authors: Duan Zhibin , Zheng Yu , Luo Yang , Wu Yonggui , Wen Jichang , Wu Jianye 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Evaluating the bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and transferability of cadmium (Cd) in soil–grain–human systems is essential in areas with a Cd anomaly in the karst region of southwestern China. In the present study, the main controlling factors and prediction models for Cd transfer in a soil–grain–human system were investigated in a typical area where natural processes and anthropogenic activities interact in the karst region of southwestern China. The environmental availability of Cd (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid- and CaCl2-extractable Cd [CdCaCl2]) in the soil varies significantly because of the diversity of soil properties. However, Cd concentrations in the maize grain were significantly related only to the CdCaCl2 concentrations in the soil (r = 0.595, p &lt; 0.01), indicating that soil CdCaCl2 is a good indicator for evaluating Cd uptake by maize grain. Of all the measured soil properties, the soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and the soil calcium (Casoil) were the most important factors influencing Cd accumulation in the soil–maize grain system. A transfer model combining CdCaCl2, soil CEC, and Casoil was sufficiently reliable for predicting Cd accumulation in the maize grain (R2 = 0.505). Although there is room for improvement regarding the prediction performance of the chain model combining soil CdCaCl2 with Casoil to predict the bioaccessible Cd concentration in maize grain (R2 = 0.344 for the gastric phase and R2 = 0.356 for the gastrointestinal phase), our findings provide a useful reference to further explore a model that can be used for a relatively rapid and reliable estimation of dietary Cd exposure for specific regions prior to crop harvest. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2923–2934. © 2021 SETAC.
Abstract
Cdgrain = total Cd in maize grain; CEC = cation exchange capacity; SE = standard error. Evaluation of cadmium bioavailability, bioaccessibility and transferability in a soil-grain-human system from an area with a cadmium anomaly in the karst region of southwestern China: Influential factors and prediction models.
Depositional environment of Middle Triassic organic‐rich shales in the Ordos Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Zhao Xiangdong , Wang Wei , Xie Guwei , Pan Songqi , Jarzembowski Edmund A. , Zheng Daran 
Published: July 2021

The Middle Triassic Tongchuan Formation in the Ordos Basin of northwestern China is a typical lacustrine deposit. A major component of this formation is thick layers of organic‐rich shales that are probably a potential hydrocarbon source and preserve the earliest known Mesozoic‐type lacustrine ecosystem. The exact depositional environment of the shales in the Tongchuan Formation, however, remains unknown. To address this question, we carried out high‐resolution carbon (δ13Corg) and sulphur (δ34Spy) isotope analysis as well as undertook total organic carbon (TOC)/pyrite contents and pyrite morphology investigation, and framboidal pyrite size measurements in shales of the Bawangzhuang section of the southern Ordos Basin. Remarkably high TOC (23 ± 9%) and pyrite (7 ± 3%) contents were obtained from the shales, which indicate a large amount of organic carbon and pyrite burial during shale deposition. Framboids are the dominant pyrite morphology in the pyrite crystals and show large and variable mean diameters (7.0 ± 1.7 μm to 14.3 ± 6.8 μm) across the section, indicating oxic–dysoxic bottom water during shale deposition. δ13Corg and δ34Spy revealed narrow and less variable values, ranging from −31.8‰ to −28.1‰, and −4.1‰ to 4.9‰, respectively. The δ13Corg values suggest balanced and consistent carbon cycles. Integrated with pyrite content and morphological patterns, consistent δ34Spy values probably demonstrate a relatively open environment for the formation of sedimentary pyrite, and thus a shallow chemocline that was quite close to the water‐to‐sediment interface during shale deposition. Overall, the organic‐rich shales of the Tongchuan Formation were probably deposited under oxic–dysoxic bottom‐water conditions. Shallow chemocline depth combined with moderately high sedimentation rate and high primary productivity may have played crucial roles in the deposition and formation of the organic‐rich shales in the Tongchuan Formation. The shallow chemocline also facilitates the fossil preservation in a lacustrine environment.