Biological Invasions

Invasive round goby Neogobius melanostomus have advanced eastward through the state of New York and provinces of Ontario and Quebec over the past two decades and are approaching Lake Champlain, one of the largest lakes in North America. This manuscript describes international efforts to monitor round goby populations during 2021-2025 on (a) the southern approach to Lake Champlain via the Hudson River and Champlain Canal, and (b) the northern approach to Lake Champlain via the Saint Lawrence River and Richelieu River. Monitoring utilized environmental DNA (eDNA), backpack electrofishing, beach seining, benthic trawling, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) testing. In the Champlain Canal, round goby were captured as far north as the downstream side of the C1 dam (97 kilometers [km] from Lake Champlain) while eDNA detections occurred as far north as the upstream side of the C2 dam (90 km from Lake Champlain). In the Richelieu River, round goby were captured as far south as Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu (82 km from Lake Champlain) while the southern-most eDNA detections occurred near the Canadian side of the international border (4 km from Lake Champlain). Water temperature influenced habitat usage of round goby in the Champlain Canal, with catch rates in near-shore areas declining at < 10 {degrees}C. All VHSV test results were non-detections at the mouth of the Richelieu River, while one positive and two inconclusive results occurred along the Champlain Canal. Together, these data have informed multiple mitigation measures and have implications for management of aquatic invasive species across North America.

Understanding behavioral differences between non-native and closely related endangered species could be important to aid conservation management. In volume 169 of Zoology, Bels et al. (2025) reported on their comparison of display-action-patterns (DAP) between native Iguana delicatissima and non-native iguanas present on islands of the Guadeloupe Archipelago in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. Here, we address conceptual and methodological concerns about their work and reanalyze their data given our proposed corrections, primarily a literature-informed adjustment of their "species" category. We additionally utilize online videos from South American mainland I. iguana populations, from where the non-native iguanas in the Guadeloupe Archipelago originate, to better understand the different DAPs between native and non-native iguanas in the Guadeloupe Archipelago. Significant differences in DAP characteristics among "species" categories (native I. delicatissima, non-native iguanas, and hybrids) show that Bels et al. (2025) oversimplified their data analyses by merging all non-native populations into one group. This result indicates the presence of behavioral variation among subpopulations within widely hybridizing iguanid populations, which has been poorly studied. Additionally, videos from mainland populations across two major mitochondrial clades of Iguana iguana show that non-native iguanas on Guadeloupe retained DAP characteristics of those populations from which they originate. We discuss these findings in light of the proposed hypotheses put forward by Bels et al. (2025), of which two can be excluded. Overall, our reanalysis shows that studies focusing on characteristics within settings of complex hybridization in diverse species should acknowledge this complexity.

Artificial pond construction is widely used in wetland restoration, yet biodiversity outcomes depend strongly on design and subsequent management. We tested how different regimes (grazing, mowing, and no management) influence habitat structure, water conditions, and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity in newly excavated experimental ponds within an eutrophic wetland in South Moravia (Czechia). Across four focal groups (Mollusca, Odonata, Coleoptera, Heteroptera), we observed rapid colonisation of the newly built ponds. Species richness and densities rose during early development, dropped after drying events, and then partially recovered, indicating repeated "resetting" of communities under fluctuating hydrology. Periodic drying also prevented fish stock establishment. Management significantly affected species composition and both grazed and mowed ponds displayed higher densities (abundances) than controls, but differed only slightly in terms of species richness. The grazed ponds were characterised by high sunlight exposure, reduced reed dominance, and trampling-generated high littoral heterogeneity. These ponds showed highest numbers of taxa adapted to shallow and warm waterbodies, muddy substrate, semiaquatic microhabitats, or newly emerged and disturbed habitats. The mowed ponds promoted dense submergent vegetation, supporting Odonata representation and other taxa requiring aquatic vegetation. The control ponds remained highly shaded by high-grown reed, organic-matter rich, hosting a set of taxa tolerant of low-light, low-oxygen conditions. At the wetland scale, multiple small ponds increased overall diversity through high between-pond heterogeneity. Our results highlight that pond construction alone is insufficient for wetland restoration: follow-up long-term management regimes, especially extensive grazing, can rapidly generate structural heterogeneity and sustain diverse aquatic invertebrate assemblages in eutrophic wetlands.

The ecological and evolutionary processes determining species range limits remain poorly understood. Ultimately, range limits depend on the species abilities to persist under heterogeneous conditions, by adaptive differentiation and phenotypic plasticity, including transgenerational effects. To investigate ecological differentiation and transgenerational effects in the clonal invasive knotweed, Reynoutria japonica, in Europe, we conducted a two-phase transplant experiment: plants sampled along the entire latitudinal gradient were planted in three sites located at the northern range margin, mid-range and near the southern range margin, and then re-transplanted among all three sites after two years. Biomass production and allocation were generally not associated with latitude of origin and previous growth at the same site did not promote performance. We therefore find no evidence that adaptive differentiation or transgenerational effects contribute to the wide distribution of R. japonica in Europe. However, at the northern site, with a 25% shorter season, knotweed plants invested much less biomass below-ground, and the pattern was further strengthened in plants that had grown in the northern site in the previous generation. Overwintering below-ground rhizomes are essential for survival and spread. We further explored limiting climate conditions in a species distribution model for the European range and found that mean annual temperature and temperature annual range are the main predictors of the European distribution of R. japonica. Taken together, our study suggests that low temperatures and associated short seasons may pose a limit to the broad environmental tolerance of R. japonica and restrict its northward spread by reducing below-ground biomass accumulation.

Effective monitoring of the critically endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is essential for conservation planning and regulatory decision-making, particularly in heavily fragmented rivers. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods offer sensitive alternatives to traditional surveys, but there is uncertainty around whether targeted assays or community-wide approaches are better suited to achieve monitoring objectives. We compared eDNA metabarcoding and species-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) for detecting A. anguilla across 145 pumped catchments in the Fens, East Anglia, England. All sites were sampled once initially, and sites negative for A. anguilla were re-sampled based on metabarcoding results. This allowed comparison of detection rates from a single water sample and site-level retrospective identification of sites where qPCR could have identified A. anguilla in earlier samples. The findings were also set in the context of the wider biodiversity information generated by metabarcoding. From the initial (single) water sample, qPCR detected A. anguilla at seven more sites than metabarcoding (17 versus 10). With repeated sampling, metabarcoding detected A. anguilla at 43 sites, including all but one of the sites where qPCR detected A. anguilla, and ten sites where qPCR did not detect A. anguilla within the same number of samples. Indeed, the additional sampling effort required to detect A. anguilla with metabarcoding at sites also positive with qPCR was small relative to the overall sampling effort. Furthermore, metabarcoding additionally detected 28 non-target fish species alongside fish, amphibian and mammal species of conservation concern. Our results highlight trade-offs between target-species sensitivity and the broader ecological information provided by each method, and support metabarcoding as an effective tool for a holistic conservation approach, with the additional community data outweighing the marginally increased sensitivity of qPCR.

O_LISubmerged macrophytes are central to freshwater ecosystems functioning but are declining globally under multiple anthropogenic stressors. We aimed to identify general patterns in physiological responses and interaction types, and to assess whether a mechanistic understanding of stressor interactions can be developed from published evidence. C_LIO_LIWe systematically reviewed 12,858 records, identified 172 relevant papers, and extracted effect sizes from 124 experiments included in the meta-analysis. C_LIO_LIMost studies examined combinations of nutrient enrichment, shading, toxic trace metals, warming, and emerging contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics, typically under simplified 2 x 2 factorial laboratory designs. Additive effects dominated (50%), while synergistic interactions were relatively infrequent (14%). Antagonistic interactions often reflected dominance of a single stressor or compensatory responses, whereas synergisms were most frequent with metals combined with co-stressors enhancing bioavailability. C_LIO_LIOur synthesis suggests that accumulated stressors cause negative, but not necessarily amplified, responses, although the limited number of experiments testing more than two stressors means synergistic effects may be underestimated. We propose Stuckenia pectinata as a model organism because of its cosmopolitan distribution, experimental tractability, and available genomic resources, and argue that expanding stressor complexity, duration, and taxonomic breadth will strengthen predictions of macrophyte responses and inform freshwater conservation under global change. C_LI

O_LIChanges in habitat structure across species distributions may contribute to the generation and maintenance of range limits, but few studies have evaluated this by directly measuring habitat availability across relevant spatial scales. C_LIO_LIHere, we test the predictions that coarse-scale and patch-level habitat availability decline towards and beyond the northern range limit of Pacific coastal dune endemic Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia. We used aerial imagery and geographic information system (GIS) tools to measure the coarse-scale availability of coastal dune habitat in California and Oregon. The availability of finer-scale habitat patches specifically suitable for C. cheiranthifolia was measured in a 2-generation field survey of > 4,200 5m x 5m plots randomly distributed across 1100 km of coastal dune habitat transcending the species northern range limit. At each plot, we estimated the proportion of area that contained suitable habitat as well as recorded occupancy by C. cheiranthifolia. As an alternative approach to visually estimating habitat suitability, we recorded plant community composition at each plot to predict beyond-range habitat suitability using a random forest model. C_LIO_LIContrary to our predictions, we found that coastal dune habitat, measured coarsely from aerial imagery, was more abundant and continuous towards and beyond the northern range limit. At the fine scale, however, the proportion of plots with suitable habitat (patch suitability) and the proportion of habitat within plots that was suitable (patch size) declined across the range limit. Moreover, patches were more isolated from one another and, in one survey year, less temporally stable towards and beyond the range limit. Finally, occupancy by C. cheiranthifolia was less likely in smaller, more isolated, and temporally unstable patches, providing mechanistic insight to the previously observed decline in occupancy towards the range limit. C_LIO_LISynthesis: Taken together, our results suggest that fine-scale habitat patch configuration changes in ways that likely impede patch colonization, thereby reducing occupancy and limiting the species northern distribution. Thus, consideration of geographic variation in patch and landscape structure, rather than only coarse-scale habitat availability, may be essential for understanding the processes that limit species ranges. C_LI

The effects of the selection of livestock type (e.g., sheep or cattle) and grazing intensity on the soil seed bank of sand grasslands of conservation interest were studied. 25 grazed grassland sites classified into four grazing intensity categories were studied. The soil seed bank was analysed by seedling emergence; germinated seedlings were classified into morpho-functional, social behaviour type (SBT) and CSR strategy groups. The following hypotheses were tested: i) Diversity and density of soil seed banks are lower in sheep-grazed sites than in cattle-grazed ones. ii) The species composition, diversity, and density of the soil seed banks are more strongly affected by grazing intensity than by the livestock type. iii) Leaf traits, SBT and CSR strategy composition are highly affected both by livestock type and grazing intensity. The main effect of livestock type only affected seed bank density, while that of grazing intensity had a significant effect on most of the variables. Most of the studied variables were affected by the interaction of grazing intensity and livestock type. Total seed bank density was lower at all grazing intensity levels in sheep-grazed sites than in cattle-grazed ones, especially close to frequently visited places. We found that sheep grazing sustained a much lower total seed bank density and lower density of species of natural and semi-natural habitats regardless to the grazing intensity. Thus, livestock type must be carefully selected and high-intensity sheep grazing should be avoided in the long-run when managing sand grasslands. HighlightsO_LIThe soil seed banks of sheep and cattle grazed sand grassland were studied C_LIO_LIEffect of grazing intensity found the most important driver of seed bank diversity and density C_LIO_LIThe total soil seed bank density was higher in cattle than sheep grazed sites C_LIO_LIBoth intensity and livestock type must be considered in the grassland management planning C_LIO_LIHigh intensity sheep grazing should be avoided in sand grassland management C_LI

Understanding habitat association of animals and how they change through ontogeny is critical to predict the likely effects of habitat change on populations. We investigated how fine scale habitat associations of three common coral reef damselfish species changed among life-stages on reefs surrounding Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef. All three species showed distinct habitat selection at settlement, however the degree to which these initial associations changed through ontogeny were species specific. Pomacentrus amboinensis associated with sandy areas throughout all life-stages; Pomacentrus chrysurus settled to areas with high cover of sand and rubble, but displayed no clear habitat preferences as juveniles or adults. Pomacentrus moluccensis settled to areas with high cover of fine branching corals before shifting to areas with relatively high cover of soft corals as adults. We also compared two different approaches to estimate habitat selection; one that quantified the benthic composition within the approximate home range of individuals versus a more widely used approach of recording a single point underneath the focal individual when they were first observed. Although results were broadly similar, the benthic composition approach revealed details that was overlooked using the single point method. Decreases in the availability of any of these preferred benthic habitats may adversely affect future populations, therefore understanding habitat associations and their transitions among life stages will be crucial in predicting future reef fish communities under ongoing coral loss and habitat change. This will require to systematically study a broader range of species, integrating relevant spatial and temporal scales.

The Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) is a threatened seabird endemic to the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, two regions separated by the Strait of Hormuz. Conserving threatened species requires clear delineation of population boundaries and the evaluation of genetic diversity. However, information on population structure and genetic variation, necessary for such an assessment, is lacking for the Socotra Cormorants. In this study, we assessed population structure and genetic diversity of Socotra Cormorants using two contrasting genetic markers: (1) maternally inherited mtDNA cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) and (2) a nuclear non-coding region, {beta}-fibrinogen intron 7 (FIB7). A total of 279 individuals were sampled from four colonies in the Arabian Gulf and one colony on Hasikiyah Island in the Arabian Sea. Findings based on COI-variation suggest that the Arabian Gulf colonies represent one large population with extensive gene flow between Gulf colonies--except for the most distant pair of colonies--but isolated from Hasikiyah in the Arabian Sea. COI-variation indicated significant differentiation between the colonies inside the Gulf and the Hasikiyah colony. This is consistent with the reported distribution patterns, and may reflect phylogeographic processes of the region. The Gulf population showed substantially lower COI-diversity, with significantly lower nucleotide and haplotype diversity compared to Hasikiyah. In contrast, FIB7 results indicated extensive connectivity among colonies, with no detectable population structure or significant differences between the Gulf population and Hasikiyah. This study presents the first characterization of population structure and genetic diversity of Socotra Cormorants. The low genetic diversity coupled with relative isolation of the Gulf Socotra Cormorants raises conservation concerns regarding their long-term viability by potentially reducing fitness and eroding their evolutionary capacity to adapt to environmental change. LAY SUMMARYO_LIThe Socotra Cormorant is a threatened seabird found in the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea, but little was previously known about its population structure and genetic diversity. C_LIO_LIWe analyzed 279 birds from five nesting colonies (4 in the Gulf and 1 in the Arabian Sea), using two genetic markers to assess population connectivity and variation. C_LIO_LIWe found that the Socotra cormorants inside the Gulf appear to form a large, genetically isolated population with relatively low genetic diversity. C_LIO_LIThis is the first study that evaluates population structure and genetic diversity of this endangered seabird. C_LIO_LIThis is important information for the conservation of the Gulf Socotra cormorants because low genetic diversity, coupled with relative isolation, is associated with reduced fitness, and suggests that they may have a lower chance to adapt to environmental changes. C_LI

The north coast of mainland Portugal supports a strong dolphin presence and extensive fishing activity, increasing the likelihood of interactions, such as bycatch. This study provides an initial assessment of potential conflict areas, using automatic identification system (AIS) data from Global Fishing Watch. To this end, sighting data from the ATLANTIDA project (2021-2024) on the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) were used to describe spatiotemporal patterns of occurrence and encounter rates, and to predict their association with fishing effort to identify and map areas of potential overlap. A generalised additive model (GAM) was then applied, integrating environmental, spatial, temporal, and fisheries-related variables to identify the main predictors of species occurrence. Common dolphins were frequently observed during the summer, with an average encounter rate of 3.662 sightings/km. This high encounter rate may be associated with factors such as sea surface temperature, diet, and purse seine fishing activity. The maps showed a spatial overlap between fishing grounds and areas of common dolphin occurrence. Fishing effort was nearly identical between locations with sightings (2.00 h/km{superscript 2}) and those without (1.62 h/km{superscript 2}), suggesting that dolphins are not actively avoiding fishing areas but may instead frequent them due to shared habitat preferences. The best-fitted GAM indicated that encounters were related to year, latitude, fishing effort, depth, sea surface temperature, and season. There was an increase in occurrence over the years and a decrease with increasing fishing effort and sea surface temperature, possibly linked to changes in prey availability, although broad confidence intervals warrant cautious interpretation. Despite some limitations encountered in this study, we believe our findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between dolphin occurrence, environmental conditions, and fishing activities in the area, establishing an important baseline for future conservation and fisheries management efforts.

The long-standing misconception that the Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) and the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) were conspecific masked the severe vulnerability of the Galapagos population. By the time its distinct status was recognized, the Galapagos petrel was already in marked decline, primarily due to invasive predators. Consequently, sustained rodent control programs have been implemented on Santa Cruz Island. An unintentional one-year failure in rodent control provided a rare quasi-experimental opportunity to quantify the demographic consequences of the invasive black rat predator. During this year, hatching success declined by [~]35% and breeding success by [~]40% relative to long-term means (66% and 62%, respectively), representing a substantial reproductive collapse. Fledging success exhibited a comparatively modest decline (from a long-term mean of 94% to 86% in 2017), suggesting stage-specific vulnerability. These results support the hypothesis that invasive black rats primarily affect early reproductive stages through egg predation and predation on small chicks, while older chicks surpass a critical size threshold that reduces susceptibility. Across the remaining managed years, reproductive metrics exhibited great stability, demonstrating the petrels resilience against other environmental or climatic stressors. Our findings provide robust empirical evidence that invasive rodent control is the dominant driver of reproductive success in this endangered seabird. The quasi-experimental failure underscored both the effectiveness and the necessity of continuous predator management, highlighting the severe and immediate consequences of even short-term lapses.

Climate change and anthropogenic pressures are reshaping marine food webs, altering prey availability and affecting top predators. The European Shag (Gulosus aristotelis), a coastal demersal seabird, provides a valuable model for examining environmentally mediated dietary variation, given its trophic plasticity and capacity to adjust prey use according to local availability, while also allowing assessment of potential demographic consequences. This study investigated spatial and temporal variation in diet at two Portuguese colonies (Berlengas and Arrabida) between 2016 and 2024 and assessed long-term reproductive productivity at Berlengas. A total of 468 regurgitated pellets were analysed, and diet composition was quantified using the Index of Relative Importance (IRI). Generalised additive models were applied to assess environmental, spatial, and period-specific effects on diet composition, while reproductive productivity was modelled in relation to prey biomass. Diet variation was primarily explained by environmental predictors, including sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration, and zooplankton, whereas year per se had no significant effect, indicating environmentally mediated bottom-up effects. Spatial differences between colonies reflected contrasting prey field structures, and period-specific patterns suggested increased specialisation during breeding. Higher biomass of sandeels (Ammodytidae) was positively associated with reproductive output, whereas shifts toward lower-energy prey were associated with reduced productivity. These findings demonstrate that environmentally driven dietary change has measurable demographic consequences, underscoring the importance of bottom-up processes in shaping seabird population dynamics and informing conservation strategies under ongoing climate change.

Understanding the dietary patterns of introduced predators is essential for assessing their impacts on freshwater ecosystems. Here, we investigated the feeding ecology of the invasive Korean perch (Coreoperca herzi) introduced to the Oyodo River system, Japan, by integrating gut content DNA metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Fifty specimens were collected, and prey taxa were identified using metabarcoding targeting fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans. In parallel, eDNA metabarcoding of habitat water samples was used to assess prey availability and selectivity. The results revealed that the Korean perch prey extensively on aquatic insects and fish. Aquatic insect prey were dominated by epilithic clinger taxa inhabiting stone surfaces, particularly mayflies, suggesting visual-mediated prey selection. Fish predation was frequently detected even in small individuals (<100 mm SL), in contrast to previous studies based on conventional methods, indicating that piscivory begins early and ontogenetic dietary shifts are not pronounced. Furthermore, quantitative fish eDNA analysis showed a positive relationship between eDNA concentrations of prey species and predation frequency, indicating opportunistic feeding on abundant, size-accessible prey. By applying two metabarcoding approaches, this study provides an integrated assessment of prey utilisation and environmental context, highlighting ecological risks posed by the Korean perch to freshwater communities in Japan.

BACKGROUNDThe two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a major agricultural pest with a rapid propensity for developing acaricide resistance. Bifenazate targets mitochondrial cytochrome b (CYTB). While the G126S mutation is frequently associated with resistance, its independent role remains unclear as it often occurs with other substitutions. This study explores the molecular basis of bifenazate resistance in a Russian laboratory strain derived from a St. Petersburg greenhouse population. RESULTSDisruptive selection with increasing bifenazate concentrations generated resistant and susceptible isofemale lines. AlphaFold2 structural modeling of CYTB indicated that G126S causes a steric clash, leading to conformational destabilization, whereas other reported mutations primarily affect the ligand-binding pocket. Oxford Nanopore sequencing revealed a very low initial frequency of the G126S allele (<1%; 226/35,895 reads) in the unselected population. After one year of stepwise selection (0.00005-0.031% a.i.), the mutant allele frequency surged to 90% (7,272/8,056 reads). No other known resistance-associated mutations were found in the analyzed cytb fragment. CONCLUSIONWe report the first identification of the G126S mutation in a Russian T. urticae population and demonstrate its rapid fixation under bifenazate selection. Within this genetic background, G126S alone appears sufficient to confer high-level resistance, emphasizing the population-specific nature of resistance evolution and the critical need for local monitoring.

IntroductionHuman land-use intensification and the resulting habitat loss are primary drivers of insect pollinator declines. Habitat restoration offers a promising approach to counteract these declines, yet landscape-level evaluations of bee responses to restoration and management remain limited. We conducted a two-year, landscape-scale study in Wisconsin, USA, to assess how different intensities of tallgrass prairie restoration and management affect bumble bees (Bombus spp.). ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine whether (1) bumble bee abundance and diversity increase with assisted restoration, and (2) outcomes differ between low-(seeded only) and moderate-intensity (seeded and managed with prescribed fire) interventions. MethodsUsing catch-and-release surveys, we measured bumble bee abundance and diversity at 32 sites representing a gradient in restoration intervention: no intervention (unassisted recovery), low intervention, and moderate intervention. ResultsBumble bee abundance and diversity were higher at assisted restoration sites (low and moderate intervention) than at unassisted sites. Although both tended to be greater at moderate than low intervention intensities, these differences were not statistically significant. Bumble bee community composition also differed across intervention intensity, driven by shifts in dominant species (e.g., B. impatiens and B. griseocollis). Rarer taxa, including endangered and vulnerable species, occurred only at assisted restoration sites, with the largest populations at moderate intervention sites. Across all sites, bumble bee responses were strongly and positively associated with floral abundance, but not with semi-natural habitat in the surrounding landscape. ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that assisted grassland restoration can effectively increase bumble bee abundance and diversity, supporting its value as a conservation practice for pollinators. Implications for Practice: (1) Grassland restorations targeting plant communities can successfully support nontarget pollinators across a range of management intensities and landscape contexts. Adding seeds of pollinator-preferred plants could improve restorations with low floral abundance and diversity. (2) Management of existing restorations is important to maintain abundant floral resources and diverse pollinator communities. Because sites varied widely in prescribed fire use, our findings likely represent a conservative estimate of its benefits, and higher intervention intensity (e.g., repeated seeding, regular fire, mechanical or chemical shrub and invasive plants control) may further enhance outcomes for bumble bees.

O_LITropical dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, yet the consequences of livestock overgrazing for ant communities remain poorly documented, particularly in the Tumbesian biodiversity hotspot of southwestern Ecuador, where uncontrolled goat grazing constitutes the dominant disturbance agent. C_LIO_LIWe sampled ant communities (Formicidae) across a goat-grazing disturbance gradient in Zapotillo (Loja Province, Ecuador), establishing three disturbance levels (Dense, Semi-dense, and Open Forest) with nine 60 x 60 m plots per level (n = 27) and 486 pitfall traps. Community responses were assessed using abundance-based and presence-absence analyses of morphospecies richness, Hill-number diversity, community composition, beta diversity decomposition, and functional guild structure; vegetation structure was characterized using satellite-derived NDVI. C_LIO_LIWe recorded 47,459 individuals belonging to 22 morphospecies in six subfamilies. Morphospecies richness declined with disturbance (Dense: 19, Semi-dense: 15, Open: 12), with four specialist genera exclusive to Dense Forest. Beta diversity decomposition revealed a shift from turnover-dominated dissimilarity at moderate disturbance to nestedness-dominated dissimilarity at high disturbance, indicating progressive habitat filtering as the dominant community-restructuring process. C_LIO_LICommunity composition differed among disturbance levels (PERMANOVA: F = 4.49, R{superscript 2} = 0.272, p = 0.001) and was correlated with NDVI (r{superscript 2} = 0.341, p = 0.013). Cryptic/soil and Leaf-cutter guilds were nearly eliminated from Open forest while the Opportunist guild expanded markedly, indicating that functional homogenization precedes detectable taxonomic impoverishment. C_LIO_LIOvergrazing drives directional ant diversity loss and biotic homogenization at both taxonomic and functional levels in the Tumbesian dry forest, underscoring the conservation value of intact Dense forest. C_LI

Sleeping and feeding are crucial for survival of any animal. In case of large predators, knowing where these activities occur can help us understand their behavioural adaptations for coexisting with people and could help mitigating human-carnivore conflicts. Leopard (Panthera pardus) is an elusive and highly adaptable large felid that mostly lives outside protected areas and can survive also in close proximity to humans. However, most leopard research in Africa has been conducted in protected areas and we poorly understand leopards habitat selection while resting and hunting. To shed light on their coexistence with humans, we investigated habitat features influencing leopard selection of resting and kill sites on farmlands in central Namibia, using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) under a use-availability study design and blinded field-sampling. Leopards primarily selected resting sites that were located in mountainous, steep, rugged terrain and sites with good concealment while kill sites were selected in mountainous habitats. Human infrastructure did not affect leopard resting and kill site selection. Thus, the capacity of leopards to perform essential life-supporting behaviours while coexisting with people appears to be primarily driven by their ability to remain concealed, rather than spatially avoiding humans.

The yellownose skate (Dipturus chilensis) is an endangered skate with a narrow distribution in the southeastern Pacific, facing intense fishing pressure and potential climate threats. Using a species distribution model, we projected the current and future distribution of D. chilensis under contrasting climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5) for mid-century (2050) and end-of-century (2100). Our models, which demonstrated robust predictive performance significantly better than random expectations, identified maximum temperature and minimum oxygen as the primary environmental drivers of habitat suitability. Projections revealed a consistent poleward range shift towards the Channels and Fjords of Southern Chile ecoregion across all scenarios. While localized habitat loss was projected in Central Chile and Araucanian ecoregions, particularly under high emissions (SSP5-8.5), these losses were outweighed by southern expansions, leading to a net increase in total suitable habitat by 2100. These findings underscore the critical need for climate-adaptive management strategies, including the protection of emerging southern refugia and dynamic fisheries regulations, to ensure the long-term persistence of D. chilensis.

The pathways of non-target exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are poorly understood, and have yet to be examined in Ontario, Canada. The spillover of ARs into non-target rodents and high-risk landscapes has been investigated numerous times, but usually in agricultural regions as opposed to urban ones. We used snap traps to capture white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in urban wildland areas of Toronto and Vaughan, Ontario near ongoing rodenticide baiting programs. Our goal was to determine if second-generation anticoagulant (SGAR) baiting practices used by pest management professionals targeting commensal rodents may be causing rodenticide spillover into non-target rodents in urban wildland areas, which could act as a vector of ARs to predators. Only 11 out of 111 mature white-footed mice trapped near ongoing urban rodenticide operations tested positive for an anticoagulant, at five out of seven study sites. Concentrations were between 0.008-0.03 ppm, which may be sublethal for raptors. We did not detect brodifacoum, despite its detection in a recent study on Ontario raptors. Exposed individuals were caught at 0m, 5m, 20m, 40m, 70m and 100m from active rodenticide stations. They did not differ from unexposed individuals in terms of sex, age, body condition, distance to the AR source, capture date or capture site. This indicates that the pest management industrys use of rodenticides in urban and suburban settings is causing some degree of non-target spillover in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, and that SGAR usage should be avoided near naturalized landscapes.