Liming-induced taxonomic homogenization of chironomid assemblages in Scandinavian lakes as unraveled by paleolimnological reconstructions.

In the 1980s, liming became a large-scale, governmentally supported restoration program implemented by many countries to mitigate the effects of acidification of freshwaters. Despite some 50 years of liming of thousands of lakes and streams, its efficacy remains largely debated. This study is the first of its kind to use paleolimnological reconstructions using both subfossil chironomid assemblages and their carbon stable isotopic composition to compare the ecological trajectories of limed and control (unlimed) lakes over the last 100 years in order to unravel the effects of liming on Scandinavian lakes.

Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics.

Humans impact terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, yet many broad-scale studies have found no systematic, negative biodiversity changes (for example, decreasing abundance or taxon richness). Here we show that mixed biodiversity responses may arise because community metrics show variable responses to anthropogenic impacts across broad spatial scales. We first quantified temporal trends in anthropogenic impacts for 1,365 riverine invertebrate communities from 23 European countries, based on similarity to least-impacted reference communities.

Top-down effects of filter-feeding fish and bivalves moderate bottom-up effects of nutrients on phytoplankton in subtropical shallow lakes: An outdoor mesocosm study.

Biomanipulation has been widely used in the ecological restoration of eutrophic lakes for decades. However, biomanipulation is prone to failure if external nutrient loads are not reduced. In order to explore the importance of filter-feeding fish and bivalves on algal control, an outdoor mesocosm experiment was conducted using different nutrient concentrations.

Simultaneous increases of filter-feeding fish and bivalves are key for controlling cyanobacterial blooms in a shallow eutrophic lake.

Eutrophication and cyanobacterial blooms have severely affected many freshwater ecosystems. We studied the effects of filter-feeding fish and bivalves on algal populations using a mesocosm experiment and long-term monitoring data from Lake Taihu (China). The mesocosm study, comprised of a two-way factorial design with the clam Corbicula fluminea and the fish Aristichthys nobilis at three biomass levels, resulted in lower chlorophyll a (Chl a) in high fish treatments, but no significant differences in the low and medium fish treatments.

The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt.

Owing to a long history of anthropogenic pressures, freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Mitigation measures, including wastewater treatment and hydromorphological restoration, have aimed to improve environmental quality and foster the recovery of freshwater biodiversity. Here, using 1,816 time series of freshwater invertebrate communities collected across 22 European countries between 1968 and 2020, we quantified temporal trends in taxonomic and functional diversity and their responses to environmental pressures and gradients.

Challenges in supplying empirical proof for predictions derived from Species Distribution Models (SDMs): the case of an invasive cyanobacterium.

Species distribution models (SDMs) calibrated with bioclimatic variables revealed a high probability for range expansion of the invasive toxin producing cyanobacterium, Raphidiopsis raciborskii to Sweden, where no reports of its presence have hitherto been recorded. While predictions focused on the importance of climate variables for possible invasion, other barriers to dispersal and successful colonization need to be overcome by the species for successful invasion. In this study, we combine field-based surveys of R.

Breast Reconstruction Outcomes with and without Strattice: Long-Term Outcomes of a Multicenter Study Comparing Strattice Immediate Implant Breast Reconstruction with Submuscular Implant Reconstruction.

Background: Over half of immediate implant-based breast reconstructions (IBBR) are performed with an acellular dermal matrix, despite limited long-term outcome data.

Methods: The Breast Reconstruction Outcomes with and without Strattice, or BROWSE, study was a retrospective multicenter cohort study comparing consecutive patients who had undergone immediate Strattice IBBR with those who had undergone immediate IBBR with a submuscular technique between January of 2009 and December of 2015.

Results: This study compared 553 Strattice reconstructions with 242 submuscular reconstructions, with a median follow-up of 4.

Long-term trends in crayfish invasions across European rivers.

Europe has experienced a substantial increase in non-indigenous crayfish species (NICS) since the mid-20th century due to their extensive use in fisheries, aquaculture and, more recently, pet trade. Despite relatively long invasion histories of some NICS and negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, large spatio-temporal analyses of their occurrences are lacking. Here, we used a large freshwater macroinvertebrate database to evaluate what information on NICS can be obtained from widely applied biomonitoring approaches and how usable such data is for descriptions of trends in identified NICS species.

Invasion impacts and dynamics of a European-wide introduced species.

Globalization has led to the introduction of thousands of alien species worldwide. With growing impacts by invasive species, understanding the invasion process remains critical for predicting adverse effects and informing efficient management. Theoretically, invasion dynamics have been assumed to follow an "invasion curve" (S-shaped curve of available area invaded over time), but this dynamic has lacked empirical testing using large-scale data and neglects to consider invader abundances.

Species distribution models as a tool for early detection of the invasive Raphidiopsis raciborskii in European lakes.

In freshwater habitats, invasive species and the increase of cyanobacterial blooms have been identified as a major cause of biodiversity loss. The invasive cyanobacteria Raphidiopsis raciborskii a toxin-producing and bloom-forming species affecting local biodiversity and ecosystem services is currently expanding its range across Europe. We used species distribution models (SDMs) and regional bioclimatic environmental variables, such as temperature and precipitation, to identify suitable areas for the colonization and survival of R.

A Bayesian Belief Network learning tool integrates multi-scale effects of riparian buffers on stream invertebrates.

Riparian forest buffers have multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services in both freshwater and terrestrial habitats but are rarely implemented in water ecosystem management, partly reflecting the lack of information on the effectiveness of this measure. In this context, social learning is valuable to inform stakeholders of the efficacy of riparian vegetation in mitigating stream degradation. We aim to develop a Bayesian belief network (BBN) model for application as a learning tool to simulate and assess the reach- and segment-scale effects of riparian vegetation properties and land use on instream invertebrates.

BROWSE: A multicentre comparison of nine year outcomes in acellular dermal matrix based and complete submuscular implant-based immediate breast reconstruction-aesthetics, capsular contracture and patient reported outcomes.

Unlabelled: Approximately 60% of implant-based breast reconstructions (IBBR) are performed with an acellular dermal matrix (ADM), for which, reliable, good quality long-term outcome data is limited. In a retrospective multicentre cohort study, we aimed to determine long-term aesthetic and quality of life outcomes of IBBR with ADM (Strattice™) compared to a submuscular technique.

Methods: Capsular contracture (Baker III/IV capsule) was determined by clinical examination by an independent researcher.

Panarchy and management of lake ecosystems.

A key challenge of the Anthropocene is to confront the dynamic complexity of systems of people and nature to guide robust interventions and adaptations across spatiotemporal scales. Panarchy, a concept rooted in resilience theory, accounts for this complexity, having at its core multiscale organization, interconnectedness of scales, and dynamic system structure at each scale. Despite the increasing use of panarchy in sustainability research, quantitative tests of its premises are scarce, particularly as they pertain to management consequences in ecosystems.

Stochastic processes and ecological connectivity drive stream invertebrate community responses to short-term drought.

Community responses to and recovery from disturbances depend on local (e.g. presence of refuges) and regional (connectivity to recolonization sources) factors.

Phytoplankton size- and abundance-based resilience assessments reveal nutrient rather than water level effects.

The use of discontinuity analysis to assess resilience and alternative regimes of ecosystems has mostly been based on animal size. We so far lack systematic comparisons of size-based and abundance-based approaches necessary for assessing the performance and suitability of the discontinuity analysis across a broader range of organism groups. We used an outdoor mesocosm setup to mimic shallow lake ecosystems with different depths (1.

Habitat patchiness, ecological connectivity and the uneven recovery of boreal stream ecosystems from an experimental drought.

Ongoing climate change is increasing the occurrence and intensity of drought episodes worldwide, including in boreal regions not previously regarded as drought prone, and where the impacts of drought remain poorly understood. Ecological connectivity is one factor that might influence community structure and ecosystem functioning post-drought, by facilitating the recovery of sensitive species via dispersal at both local (e.g.

Data summarizing monitoring and evaluation for three European environmental policies in 9 cases across Europe.

The data presented in this DiB article provide an overview of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) carried out for 3 European environmental policies (the Water Framework Directive, the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, and Agri-Environment Schemes implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy), as implemented in 9 cases (Catalonia (Spain), Estonia, Finland, Flanders (Belgium), Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Scotland (UK), Sweden). These data are derived from reports and documents about monitoring programs that were publicly-available online in 2017. The literature on M&E to support adaptive management structured the issues that have been extracted and summarized.

Policy-driven monitoring and evaluation: Does it support adaptive management of socio-ecological systems?

Inadequate Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is often thought to hinder adaptive management of socio-ecological systems. A key influence on environmental management practices are environmental policies: however, their consequences for M&E practices have not been well-examined. We examine three policy areas - the Water Framework Directive, the Natura 2000 Directives, and the Agri-Environment Schemes of the Common Agricultural Policy - whose statutory requirements influence how the environment is managed and monitored across Europe.

Approaches for integrated assessment of ecological and eutrophication status of surface waters in Nordic Countries.

We review approaches and tools currently used in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) for integrated assessment of 'ecological status' sensu the EU Water Framework Directive as well as assessment of 'eutrophication status' in coastal and marine waters. Integration principles for combining indicators within biological quality elements (BQEs) and combining BQEs into a final-integrated assessment are discussed. Specific focus has been put on combining different types of information into indices, since several methods are currently employed.

Benthic macroinvertebrates in lake ecological assessment: A review of methods, intercalibration and practical recommendations.

Legislation in Europe has been adopted to determine and improve the ecological integrity of inland and coastal waters. Assessment is based on four biotic groups, including benthic macroinvertebrate communities. For lakes, benthic invertebrates have been recognized as one of the most difficult organism groups to use in ecological assessment, and hitherto their use in ecological assessment has been limited.

Linking degradation status with ecosystem vulnerability to environmental change.

Environmental change can cause regime shifts in ecosystems, potentially threatening ecosystem services. It is unclear if the degradation status of ecosystems correlates with their vulnerability to environmental change, and thus the risk of future regime shifts. We assessed resilience in acidified (degraded) and circumneutral (undegraded) lakes with long-term data (1988-2012), using time series modeling.

Assessing and managing freshwater ecosystems vulnerable to environmental change.

Freshwater ecosystems are important for global biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services. There is consensus in the scientific literature that freshwater ecosystems are vulnerable to the impacts of environmental change, which may trigger irreversible regime shifts upon which biodiversity and ecosystem services may be lost. There are profound uncertainties regarding the management and assessment of the vulnerability of freshwater ecosystems to environmental change.

The Swedish monitoring of surface waters: 50 years of adaptive monitoring.

For more than 50 years, scientific insights from surface water monitoring have supported Swedish evidence-based environmental management. Efforts to understand and control eutrophication in the 1960s led to construction of wastewater treatment plants with phosphorus retention, while acid rain research in the 1970s contributed to international legislation curbing emissions. By the 1990s, long-time series were being used to infer climate effects on surface water chemistry and biology.