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In this first article in a series based on various analyses of data from the survey of the vascular flora of the province of Skåne, southern-most Sweden, completed 1987–2007, the geographic distribution of total species richness (excluding taxa with only casual occurrences), red-listed species, rapidly declining species, recent immigrants and the Nature Conservation Value of species is mapped and
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are known to alter the fitness of individual organisms via changes in growth, behavior, and reproduction. It is largely unknown, however, whether these effects cascade through the food web and indirectly affect other, less sensitive organisms. The authors present results from a mesocosm experiment whereby the effects of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE
Calcicole plant species are vulnerable to acidification and fertilization, caused by deposition and changes in land use, since they are adapted to nutrient-poor calcareous conditions. In this study we used vegetation data (vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens) from 1964 and 1985 and stored soil samples from 1966 to investigate long-term soil chemistry and vegetation changes in a semi-natural, s
Popular Abstract in Swedish Framtida klimatförändringar påverkas till stor del på människans utsläpp av CO2, samt av klimat- och CO2-relaterade återkopplingar genom kolcykeln i både landbaserade ekosystem och hav. Landbaserade ekosystem tar för tillfället upp omkring 25% av de antropogena utsläppen av CO2 från förbränning av fossila bränslen och markanvändning, men att tillskriva vilka mekanismer The nature of future climate change will depend on anthropogenic emissions of CO2, as well as climate- and CO2-mediated feedbacks through carbon (C) cycling in both terrestrial ecosystems and oceans. Terrestrial ecosystems remove presently about 25% of the anthropogenic CO2 fossil-fuel and land-use change emissions, but to attribute which mechanisms cause this uptake, and the key regions where it
The São Tomé Grosbeak Neospiza concolor, endemic to the island of São Tomé (Gulf of Guinea), is one of the least known birds in the world. Formerly considered to be an aberrant weaver (Ploceidae), it is currently placed in a monotypic genus within the true finches (Fringillidae). Phylogenetic inference based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences confidently identifies N. concolor as an Old World
BACKGROUND: Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI, EC 5.3.1.9) is an essential metabolic enzyme in all eukaryotes. An earlier study of the PgiC1 gene, which encodes cytosolic PGI in the grass Festuca ovina L., revealed a marked difference in the levels of nucleotide polymorphism between the 5' and 3' portions of the gene.METHODS: In the present study, we characterized the sequence polymorphism in F. ovina
A major goal in evolutionary biology is to understand the genetic basis of adaptive traits. In migratory birds, wing morphology is such a trait. Our previous work on the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) shows that wing length is highly heritable and under sexually antagonistic selection. Moreover, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping analysis detected a pronounced QTL for wing le
Accelerometer technology was used to evaluate behaviours in the teleost ambush predator pike Esox lucius foraging on crucian carp Carassius carassius. Automated rule-based estimates of prey-size determined handling time were obtained and are compared with video-recorded behaviours. Solutions to tag attachment and the limitations imposed by battery-time and data-logging capacities are evaluated.
Many species are currently changing their distributions and subsequently form sympatric zones with hybridization between formerly allopatric species as one possible consequence. The damselfly Ischnura elegans has recently expanded south into the range of its ecologically and morphologically similar sister species Ischnura graellsii. Molecular work shows ongoing introgression between these species,
Microorganisms dominate the decomposition of organic matter and their activities are strongly influenced by temperature. As the carbon (C) flux from soil to the atmosphere due to microbial activity is substantial, understanding temperature relationships of microbial processes is critical. It has been shown that microbial temperature relationships in soil correlate with the climate, and microorgani
The biogeographic histories of parasites and pathogens are infrequently compared with those of free-living species, including their hosts. Documenting the frequency with which parasites and pathogens disperse across geographic regions contributes to understanding not only their evolution, but also the likelihood that they may become emerging infectious diseases. Haemosporidian parasites of birds (
The large share of carbon emitted by energy-intensive industries in the extraction and processing of basic materials must be limited to decarbonise society and the economy. Ways in which the state can govern industrial decarbonisation and contributes to green state theory are explored by addressing a largely ignored issue: the green state’s industrial relations and its role in industrial governanc
Most microalgal species are geographically widespread, but little is known about how they are dispersed. One potential mechanism for long-distance dispersal is through birds, which may transport cells internally (endozoochory) and deposit them during, or in-between, their migratory stopovers. We hypothesize that dinoflagellates, in particular resting stages, can tolerate bird digestion; that bird
Plastics are efficient materials for many purposes, e.g. packaging and construction, but are also associated with significant problems. These span from littering in forests and oceans, toxicity of additives, to the fundamental dependence on fossil resource for the production of the plastic material. This report aims to give an overview of the challenges for decarbonisation of plastics, i.e. moving
Organic farming (OF) enhances top soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in croplands compared with conventional farming (CF), which can contribute to sequester C. As farming system differences in the amount of C inputs to soil (e.g. fertilization and crop residues) are not enough to explain such increase, shifts in crop residue traits important for soil C losses such as litter decomposition may also pl
A decisive set of steps in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle is the fixation of atmospheric C by plants and the subsequent C-transfer to rhizosphere microorganisms. With climate change winters are expected to become milder in temperate ecosystems. Although the rate and pathways of rhizosphere C input to soil could be impacted by milder winters, the responses remain unknown. To address this knowledg
The combination of coagulation/flocculation and discfiltration with ozonation to reduce nutrients and organic micro-pollutants in secondary effluent was studied in pilot scale at Lundåkraverket wastewater treatment plant in Landskrona, Sweden. With a chemical dose of 4 gAl3þ/m3 and 1.5 g/m3 cationic polymer as active material effluent water quality with regards to total phosphorous (Tot-P), suspenThe combination of coagulation/flocculation and discfiltration with ozonation to reduce nutrients and organic micro-pollutants in secondary effluent was studied in pilot scale at Lundåkraverket wastewater treatment plant in Landskrona, Sweden. With a chemical dose of 4 gAl3+/m3 and 1.5 g/m3 cationic polymer as active material effluent water quality with regards to total phosphorous (Tot-P), suspen
Eukaryotic phytoplankton form the basis of aquatic food webs and play a key role in the global carbon cycle. Many of these evolutionarily diverse microalgae are also capable of feeding on other microbes, and hence simultaneously act both as primary producers and consumers. The net ecosystem impact of such mixotrophs depends on their nutritional strategy which is likely to alter with environmental
Background: Symptoms have been identified as a core outcome domain for atopic eczema (AE) trials. Various instruments exist to measure symptoms in AE, but they vary in quality and there is a lack of standardization between clinical trials. Our objective was to systematically evaluate the quality of the evidence on the measurement properties of AE symptom instruments, thereby informing consensus di
