Hidden Costs in the Physiology of Argia anceps (Zigoptera: Coenagrionidae) due to Pollution.

Before a population becomes extinct, there are hidden costs in the physiology at the individual level that provide valuable insights into their condition. Here, we study two dams with one species in common (Argia anceps Garrison, 1996) to evaluate whether their physiological condition differed (total protein quantity, prophenoloxidase (proPO) and phenoloxidase (PO) activity, and protein carbonylation) during two consecutive years. The first dam, "El Gallinero" (contaminated, C), contains organic input from mines and agricultural activity, whereas the second, "Paso de Vaqueros" (non-contaminated, NC), is part of a biosphere reserve.

Effects of the urban heat island on the phenology of Odonata in London, UK.

Urbanisation is one of the major drivers of ecosystem change and includes increased temperatures in cities leading to an urban heat island (UHI). This study quantified the phenological response of odonates across London, UK, from 1990 to 2012, using a database of 1,031,277 historical sightings. The ordinal flight dates of each species were used to calculate the leading edge, middle and trailing edge of the flight period (P5, P50 and P95, respectively).

Water Quality Is a Poor Predictor of Recreational Hotspots in England.

Maintaining and improving water quality is key to the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, which provide important benefits to society. In Europe, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) defines water quality based on a set of biological, hydro-morphological and chemical targets, and aims to reach good quality conditions in all river bodies by the year 2027. While recently it has been argued that achieving these goals will deliver and enhance ecosystem services, in particular recreational services, there is little empirical evidence demonstrating so.