Coastal lagoons deliver a wide range of valuable ecosystem goods and services. These ecosystems, that are often maintained by direct or indirect groundwater supplies, are collectively known as groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs). The importance of groundwater supplies is greatly exacerbated in coastal Mediterranean regions where the lack of surface water and the over-development of anthropogenic activities critically threaten the sustainability of coastal GDEs and associated ecosystem services. Yet, coastal GDEs do not benefit from a legal or managerial recognition to take into account their specificity. Particular attention should be paid to the characterization of environmental and ecological water requirements. The hydrogeological knowledge about the management and behavior of coastal aquifers and GDEs must be strengthened. These investigations must be supplemented by a stronger assessment of potential contaminations to develop local land-uses and human activities according to the groundwater vulnerability. The quantitative management of water resources must also be better supervised and/or more constrained in order to ensure the water needs necessary to maintain coastal GDEs. The transdisciplinary approach between hydrogeology, hydrology, social sciences and law is essential to fully understand the socio-economic and environmental complexity of coastal GDEs. Priority must now be given to the development of an appropriate definition of coastal GDEs, based on a consensus between scientists and lawyers. It is a necessary first step to develop and implement specific protective legislation and to define an appropriate management scale. The investment and collaboration of local water users, stakeholders and decision-makers need to be strengthened through actions to favor exchanges and discussions. All water resources in the coastal areas should be managed collectively and strategically, in order to maximize use efficiency, reduce water use conflicts and avoid over-exploitation. It is important to continue to raise public awareness of coastal aquifers at the regional level and to integrate their specificities into coastal zone management strategies and plans. In the global context of unprecedented anthropogenic pressures, hydro-food crises and climate change, environmental protection and preservation of coastal GDEs represents a major challenge for the sustainable socio-economic and environmental development of Mediterranean coastal zones.

• Klíčová slova
• Anthropogenic impact, Coastal aquifer, Coastal hydrosystems, Groundwater management, Mediterranean climate,
• MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• hydrologie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• podzemní voda * MeSH
• vodní zdroje MeSH
• zachování přírodních zdrojů MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Coastal dunes are ecosystems of high conservation value that are strongly impacted by human disturbances and biological invasions in many parts of the world. Here, we assessed how urbanization and Carpobrotus edulis invasion affect soil bacterial communities on the north-western coast of Spain, by comparing the diversity, structure and composition of soil bacterial communities in invaded and uninvaded soils from urban and natural coastal dune areas. Our results suggest that coastal dune bacterial communities contain large numbers of rare taxa, mainly belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. We found that the presence of the invasive C. edulis increased the diversity of soil bacteria and changed community composition, while urbanization only influenced bacterial community composition. Furthermore, the effects of invasion on community composition were conditional on urbanization. These results were contrary to predictions, as both C. edulis invasion and urbanization have been shown to affect soil abiotic conditions of the studied coastal dunes in a similar manner, and therefore were expected to have similar effects on soil bacterial communities. Our results suggest that other factors (e.g. pollution) might be influencing the impact of urbanization on soil bacterial communities, preventing an increase in the diversity of soil bacteria in urban areas.

• Klíčová slova
• biological invasions, coastal dune ecosystems, ecological impacts, enzymatic activities, invasive species, next-generation sequencing, urban areas,
• MeSH
• Bacteria genetika   MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• půda * MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie MeSH
• urbanizace * MeSH
• zavlečené druhy MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Španělsko MeSH
• Názvy látek
• půda * MeSH

Ecosystem services (ESs) have received widespread attention worldwide for their potential to solve sustainability issues. However, extensive land use and land cover change (LUCC) driven by human activities has raised concerns regarding its impacts on ESs, especially in coastal zones. More importantly, spatial-temporal changes, their coupling relationships with LUCC, and their underlying drivers have not been thoroughly analyzed. This study focuses on China's coastal zones to investigate the spatial-temporal changes of ecosystem service multifunctionality (ESM) from 2000 to 2018. Coupling coordination degree (CCD) analysis of the relationship between ESM and comprehensive intensity of land use was applied to identify coastal cities with low-level coordination and their main drivers in 2018. The results show that: (1) the proportion with high levels of ESM decreased by 1.01% from 2000 to 2010 and then increased by 3.29% from 2010 to 2018; (2) the ESM of China's coastal zones present significant spatial heterogeneity, and the low levels of ESM are mainly distributed in the north and urban areas, while most areas in the southern coastal zones have high levels of ESM; (3) forest land is the leading land cover type for ESM, and China's forest conservation policies significantly contribute to the increase in ESM; (4) the CCD of most cities in the southern coastal zones, apart from Shanghai and the Pearl River Delta, is at a relatively high level and experiences no significant changes, while most cities in the northern coastal zones display an improving trend; (5) the land use type, landform type, and leaf area index are the determinants of ESM, and the annual average temperature, population density, and surface elevation are the greatest influences on the CCD. The findings of this study can inform ecological conservation and landscape planning and are beneficial to the sustainable development of coastal zones in China.

• Klíčová slova
• Coastal zones, Comprehensive intensity of land use, Coupling coordination analysis, Ecosystem service multifunctionality, Explanatory power,
• MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• lesy MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• velkoměsta MeSH
• zachování přírodních zdrojů * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Čína MeSH
• velkoměsta MeSH

The genus Carpobrotus N.E.Br. comprises several aggressive invasive species that threaten biodiversity in coastal areas worldwide. We studied the phenotypic plasticity of Carpobrotus sp. pl. invading four coastal habitats in the north-western Iberian Peninsula (coastal cliffs, disturbed areas, dunes and coastal forests). We measured morphological traits and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope compositions of Carpobrotus sp. pl. individuals collected in each habitat. Our results indicated that leaf carbon content (% C) and dry shoot weight were higher on cliffs and lower in mixed forests. In contrast, leaf hydration was higher in mixed forests and lower on cliffs. Leaf nitrogen content (% N) was higher in forests, which might be due to the presence of Acacia longifolia, an alien tree that accumulates N in the soil through symbiotic associations with N fixing bacteria. Differences in δ15N showed the use of different N sources in each habitat. Values were higher in disturbed areas with greater human activity and lower on cliffs and forests. δ13C was higher in cliffs and dunes, suggesting CAM activity where drought and salinity are more intense. Water use efficiency (iWUE) and δ13C were higher on cliffs and dunes, suggesting an adaptation and high tolerance of Carpobrotus sp. pl. to unfavourable conditions such as drought or salinity in the invaded areas.

• Klíčová slova
• Abiotic stress, Coastal ecosystems, Ecophysiological plasticity, Invasive alien plants, Stable isotopes, Tolerance,
• MeSH
• Aizoaceae * fyziologie   MeSH
• dusík MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• fyziologická adaptace MeSH
• izotopy dusíku MeSH
• izotopy uhlíku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• uhlík MeSH
• zavlečené druhy * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dusík MeSH
• izotopy dusíku MeSH
• izotopy uhlíku MeSH
• uhlík MeSH

In light of the global biodiversity loss, syntheses of the available knowledge about drivers of biodiversity are becoming increasingly important. However, despite the high number of studies analyzing patterns of plant species diversity, few attempts have been made to synthesize findings within different ecosystems. In this work, the relative role of a wide set of predictors imputable to three conceptual-methodological domains (abiotic, human-mediated disturbance and landscape domain, hereafter AD, DD and LD) was simultaneously analyzed in 644 random plots distributed along the coastal dunes of Central Italy. Native species richness and focal species cover, both field-recorded, were used as response variables. Predictors pertaining to the three domains were derived from both field surveys and high-resolution remotely sensed imagery (LiDAR and orthophotos). To test how AD, DD and LD affect native species richness and focal species cover, a GLM and a linear model were fitted respectively. The three domains were then ranked according to their relative importance. Although the role of the three domains was always significant, they turned out to unequally contribute to the explanation of native species richness and focal species cover patterns. For Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystems, AD appears to be the key biodiversity driver, followed by DD and LD. Our results suggest that as long as human disturbance is limited, plant diversity will distribute according to species abiotic tolerances, regardless of habitat loss and fragmentation per se. Representing a first effort towards a synthesis of plant diversity drivers in coastal dunes, this work points to the importance, in Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystems, of zonation dynamics, whose occurrence should be addressed as a priority issue by efficient conservations strategies.

• Klíčová slova
• Coastal dunes, Focal species cover, Multi-domain approach, Native species richness, Remotely sensed data, Synthesis,
• MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí metody   MeSH
• rostliny klasifikace   MeSH
• technologie dálkového snímání MeSH
• zachování přírodních zdrojů metody   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Itálie MeSH
• Středomoří MeSH
• Středozemní moře MeSH

Pharmaceuticals have been acknowledged as an important contaminant of emerging concern with the potential to cause adverse effects in exposed fauna. Most research has focused on temperate freshwater systems; therefore, there is a pressing need to quantify pharmaceutical exposure in subtropical coastal marine systems. This study investigated the prevalence of pharmaceutical exposure to bonefish (Albula vulpes) in subtropical South Florida, USA, and evaluated the relative risk of detected concentrations to elicit pharmacological effects. The influence of sampling region, season (within or outside spawning season), and bonefish length on pharmaceutical assemblage, detection frequency, and risk was assessed. Both spatial (multiple regions) and temporal (spawning season) components were considered in order to incorporate bonefish biology biological in our exploration of pharmaceutical exposure and potential risk of effect. To quantify risk of pharmacological effects, concentrations were compared to a 1/3 threshold of the human therapeutic plasma concentration (HTPC). In total, 53 different pharmaceuticals were detected with an average of 7.1 pharmaceuticals per bonefish and 52.3 % had at least one pharmaceutical exceeding the 1/3 HTPC threshold. The presence of pharmaceutical cocktails at concentrations capable of eliciting pharmacological effects is of particular concern considering the potential for unknown interactions. For exposure and risk of pharmacological effect, region and season were significant, while bonefish length was not. Pharmaceutical exposure and risk were highest in the most remote sampling region. Results establish pharmaceuticals' widespread prevalence in subtropical coastal marine ecosystems, exposure and risk to biota, and the necessity to examine marine systems.

• Klíčová slova
• Bonefish (Albula vulpes), Coastal systems, Exposure, Pharmaceutical contaminants, Pharmacological effect, Subtropics,
• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * MeSH
• léčivé přípravky analýza   MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• rybářství * MeSH
• ryby * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Florida MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * MeSH
• léčivé přípravky MeSH

Chemicals added in personal care products are of emerging concern because their fate and their effect on the environment is not completely known. Benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) are compounds used in different cosmetic products, which may reach the marine environment through marine discharge from treated waters or directly from bathing areas. Once released into the aquatic ecosystem, BUVSs can be bioaccumulated by aquatic organisms. To identify the human exposure risk, it is important to have suitable analytical methods to determine the presence of BUVSs in these organisms. Because of the complexity of such a biological matrix, selective extraction and detection techniques are required to isolate and quantify these kinds of pollutants at trace levels. In the present work, we optimized a method based on microwave-assisted extraction combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry detection to determine six benzotriazole compounds in fish samples. The absolute extraction yields provided by the proposed method were higher than 40% for most compounds, with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations ranging from 0.27 to 6.06 and 1.12-21.3%, respectively. The limits of quantification were in the range of 1.13-9.66 ng g-1 (dry weight). The method was applied to the study of three species of fish (Boops boops, Sphyraena viridensis, Sphoeroides marmoratus) that were collected close to three marine outfalls of treated waters on the Gran Canaria Island (Spain) for two years. Four of the six studied compounds, UV-326, UV-328, UV-329 and UV-360, were found with concentrations ranging from 1.34 ng g-1 to 45.6 ng g-1 (dry weight).

• Klíčová slova
• Benzotriazole, Fish, Marine outfalls, Personal care products, Sewage, UV stabilizers,
• MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• ryby MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie * MeSH
• triazoly MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Španělsko MeSH
• Názvy látek
• benzotriazole MeSH Prohlížeč
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu * MeSH
• triazoly MeSH

Deserts are stressful environments where the living beings must acquire different strategies to survive due to the water stress conditions. From the late Albian to the early Cenomanian, the northern and eastern parts of Iberia were the location of the desert system represented by deposits assigned to the Utrillas Group, which bear abundant amber with numerous bioinclusions, including diverse arthropods and vertebrate remains. In the Maestrazgo Basin (E Spain), the late Albian to early Cenomanian sedimentary succession represents the most distal part of the desert system (fore-erg) that was characterised by an alternation of aeolian and shallow marine sedimentary environments in the proximity of the Western Tethys palaeo-coast, with rare to frequent dinoflagellate cysts. The terrestrial ecosystems from this area were biodiverse, and comprised plant communities whose fossils are associated with sedimentological indicators of aridity. The palynoflora dominated by wind-transported conifer pollen is interpreted to reflect various types of xerophytic woodlands from the hinterlands and the coastal settings. Therefore, fern and angiosperm communities abundantly grew in wet interdunes and coastal wetlands (temporary to semi-permanent freshwater/salt marshes and water bodies). In addition, the occurrence of low-diversity megafloral assemblages reflects the existence of coastal salt-influenced settings. The palaeobotanical study carried out in this paper which is an integrative work on palynology and palaeobotany, does not only allow the reconstruction of the vegetation that developed in the mid-Cretaceous fore-erg from the eastern Iberia, in addition, provides new biostratigraphic and palaeogeographic data considering the context of angiosperm radiation as well as the biota inferred in the amber-bearing outcrops of San Just, Arroyo de la Pascueta and La Hoya (within Cortes de Arenoso succesion). Importantly, the studied assemblages include Afropollis, Dichastopollenites, Cretacaeiporites together with pollen produced by Ephedraceae (known for its tolerance to arid conditions). The presence of these pollen grains, typical for northern Gondwana, associates the Iberian ecosystems with those characterising the mentioned region.

• MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• jantar * MeSH
• pyl MeSH
• společenstvo MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• jantar * MeSH

BACKGROUND: African annual killifishes (Nothobranchius spp.) are adapted to seasonally desiccating habitats (ephemeral pools), surviving dry periods as dormant eggs. Given their peculiar life history, geographic aspects of their diversity uniquely combine patterns typical for freshwater taxa (river basin structure and elevation gradient) and terrestrial animals (rivers acting as major dispersal barriers). However, our current knowledge on fine-scale inter-specific and intra-specific genetic diversity of African annual fish is limited to a single, particularly dry region of their distribution (subtropical Mozambique). Using a widespread annual killifish from coastal Tanzania and Kenya, we tested whether the same pattern of genetic divergence pertains to a wet equatorial region in the centre of Nothobranchius distribution. RESULTS: In populations of Nothobranchius melanospilus species group across its range, we genotyped a part of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene (83 individuals from 22 populations) and 10 nuclear microsatellite markers (251 individuals from 16 populations). We found five lineages with a clear phylogeographic structure but frequent secondary contact. Mitochondrial lineages were largely congruent with main population genetic clusters identified on microsatellite markers. In the upper Wami basin, populations are isolated as a putative Nothobranchius prognathus, but include also a population from a periphery of the middle Ruvu basin. Other four lineages (including putative Nothobranchius kwalensis) coexisted in secondary contact zones, but possessed clear spatial pattern. Main river channels did not form apparent barriers to dispersal. The most widespread lineage had strong signal of recent population expansion. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that dispersal of a Nothobranchius species from a wet part of the genus distribution (tropical lowland) is not constrained by main river channels and closely related lineages frequently coexist in secondary contact zones. We also demonstrate contemporary connection between the Ruvu and Rufiji river basins. Our data do not provide genetic support for existence of recently described cryptic species from N. melanospilus complex, but cannot resolve this issue.

• Klíčová slova
• Dispersal, Eastern Africa, Historical demography, River morphology, Temporary pool, mtDNA,
• MeSH
• Cyprinodontidae genetika   MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• fylogeografie MeSH
• genetická variace * MeSH
• genetický drift MeSH
• mikrosatelitní repetice MeSH
• mitochondriální DNA genetika   MeSH
• populační genetika MeSH
• řeky MeSH
• respirační komplex IV genetika   MeSH
• sladká voda MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Tanzanie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mitochondriální DNA MeSH
• respirační komplex IV MeSH

In Thailand, Anopheles (Cellia) epiroticus Linton et Harbach (Diptera: Culicidae) is the secondary vector of human malaria along coastal regions. While there are some studies of phenotypic variability and population structure of A. epiroticus, more information on morphological variation would enhance epidemiological understanding of medically important mosquito vectors. This research examined morphological variation at three different distances from coastlines of Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand, using landmark-based geometric morphometrics. Wing shape of A. epiroticus was significantly different in the area 0.2 km away from the sea compared to areas 2 and 4 km away from the sea (p < 0.05). Phenotypic variability in wing shape is associated with distance from the sea. Morphological variations in the area closest to the sea were most pronounced, showing a relationship between A. epiroticus and the ecosystem that affects wing geometry. These results provide important information to understand morphological variation of A. epiroticus in coastal areas.

• Klíčová slova
• Mosquito, coastal environment, geometric morphometrics., microevolution, morphological variability,
• MeSH
• Anopheles anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• déšť MeSH
• komáří přenašeči anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• křídla zvířecí anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• malárie MeSH
• Plasmodium MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Thajsko MeSH