Exposure of an endangered seabird species to persistent organic pollutants: Assessing levels in blood and link with reproductive parameters.

Ocean contamination, particularly from persistent organic pollutants (POPs), remains a significant threat to marine predators that occupy high trophic positions. Long-lived procellariform seabirds are apex predators in marine ecosystems and tend to accumulate contaminants. Prolonged exposure to pollutants negatively affects their fitness including reproductive success.

When the solution becomes the problem: a review on antimicrobial resistance in dairy cattle.

Antibiotics' action, once a 'magic bullet', is now hindered by widespread microbial resistance, creating a global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. A primary driver of AMR is the selective pressure from antimicrobial use. Between 2000 and 2015, antibiotic consumption increased by 65%, reaching 34.

Local environment and fragmentation by drought and damming shape different components of native and non-native fish beta diversity across pool refuges.

Pool refuges are critical for maintaining stream fish diversity in increasingly intermittent streams. Yet, the patterns and drivers of beta diversity of native and non-native fish in pool refuges remain poorly known. Focusing on Mediterranean streams, we decomposed beta diversity of native and non-native fish into richness difference (RichDiff) and species replacement (Repl), and local (LCBD, LCBD and LCBD) and species (SCBD) contributions.

A multitaxa approach to biodiversity inventory in Matela protected area (Terceira, Azores, Portugal).

Background: This manuscript is the first contribution of the project, "Matela - uma ilha de biodiversidade" ("Matela - an island of biodiversity"), that aims to restore the native vegetation within the Azorean Protected Area of the Terceira Island Nature Park known as the "Protected Area for the Management of Habitats or Species of Matela" (TER08), situated on Terceira Island, the Azores Archipelago, Portugal. This small fragment of native forest, positioned at a low-medium altitude (300-400 m a.s.

Molecular identification of the invasive subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) outside its known distribution: introduction routes and implications for pest management strategies.

Despite providing important ecosystem services, termites are also serious pests of wooden structures. Termites are highly adaptive organisms that cause concern as an invasive species. Predictions of the future spread of their distribution range due to factors such as climate change, urban growth, and global trade present new challenges to our capacity to protect our wood and wood-based materials and structures effectively.

Hotspots of biogeochemical activity linked to aridity and plant traits across global drylands.

Perennial plants create productive and biodiverse hotspots, known as fertile islands, beneath their canopies. These hotspots largely determine the structure and functioning of drylands worldwide. Despite their ubiquity, the factors controlling fertile islands under conditions of contrasting grazing by livestock, the most prevalent land use in drylands, remain virtually unknown.

The BALA project: A pioneering monitoring of Azorean forest invertebrates over two decades (1999-2022).

Globally, there is a concerning decline in many insect populations, and this trend likely extends to all arthropods, potentially impacting unique island biota. Native non-endemic and endemic species on islands are under threat due to habitat destruction, with the introduction of exotic, and potentially invasive, species, further contributing to this decline. While long-term studies of plants and vertebrate fauna are available, long-term arthropod datasets are limited, hindering comparisons with better-studied taxa.

Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Macaronesia III: dry habitats of Cabo Verde Archipelago (São Vicente and Santo Antão).

Background: With this publication, we contribute to the knowledge of the arachnofauna of Cabo Verde, focusing specifically on the Islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente. Data were obtained from samples collected as part of the project "Macaronesian Islands as a testing ground to assess biodiversity drivers at multiple scales" (FCT - MACDIV, 2015-2018). This project aimed to identify the factors influencing community assembly in Macaronesian islands.

Resistant Escherichia coli isolated from wild mammals from two rescue and rehabilitation centers in Costa Rica: characterization and public health relevance.

This study aimed to characterize the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence profiles of 67 Escherichia coli isolates obtained from faecal samples of 77 wild mammals from 19 different species, admitted in two rescue and rehabilitation centers in Costa Rica. It was possible to classify 48% (n = 32) of the isolates as multidrug-resistant, and while the highest resistance levels were found towards commonly prescribed antimicrobials, resistance to fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins were also observed. Isolates obtained from samples of rehabilitated animals or animals treated with antibiotics were found to have significantly higher AMR levels, with the former also having a significant association with a multidrug-resistance profile.

The dynamics of casual groups can keep free-riders at bay.

Understanding the conditions for maintaining cooperation in groups of unrelated individuals despite the presence of non-cooperative members is a major research topic in contemporary biological, sociological, and economic theory. The N-person snowdrift game models the type of social dilemma where cooperative actions are costly, but there is a reward for performing them. We study this game in a scenario where players move between play groups following the casual group dynamics, where groups grow by recruiting isolates and shrink by losing individuals who then become isolates.

Presence of in Tree- and Crevice-Dwelling Bats from Portugal.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are RNA viruses capable of infecting a wide range of hosts, including mammals and birds, and have caused significant epidemics such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Bats, the second most diverse mammalian order, are hosts for various CoVs due to their unique immune responses and ecological traits. This study investigates CoV prevalence in crevice- and tree-dwelling bats in Portugal, a country with limited prior research on bat CoVs.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Potential of Bacterial Species from Captive Birds of Prey-Consequences of Falconry for Public Health.

Falconry has been practiced for thousands of years and is nowadays frequently employed in activities such as pest control, hunting, falcon racing, and environmental education. Antimicrobial resistance levels have risen in the past years, constituting an emerging global problem with a direct impact on public health. Besides both topics being studied on their own, information on the role of captive birds of prey in the potential dissemination of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance determinants of bacterial origin is scarce.

Analyzing the safety of the parasiticide fungus : first insights on its virulence profile and interactions with the avian gut microbial community.

Parasiticide fungi are considered an accurate, sustainable, and safe solution for the biocontrol of animal gastrointestinal (GI) parasites. This research provides an initial characterization of the virulence of the native parasiticide fungus (FMV-FR1) and an assessment of its impact on birds' gut microbes. The genome of this fungus was sequenced to identify the genes coding for virulence factors.

Land-use change interacts with island biogeography to alter bird community assembly.

Anthropogenic activities have reshaped biodiversity on islands worldwide. However, it remains unclear how island attributes and land-use change interactively shape multiple facets of island biodiversity through community assembly processes. To answer this, we conducted bird surveys in various land-use types (mainly forest and farmland) using transects on 34 oceanic land-bridge islands in the largest archipelago of China.

Monitoring arthropods under the scope of LIFE-SNAILS project: I - Santa Maria Island baseline data with implementation of the Index of Biotic Integrity.

Background: The database we introduce is a pivotal component of the LIFE SNAILS project (Support and Naturalisation in Areas of Importance for Land Snails). This initiative is dedicated to safeguarding three endangered species of terrestrial molluscs, specifically, two snails ( Martins 1981 and Backhuys, 1975) and a semi-slug ( (Morelet, 1860)), all of which are single island endemics from Santa Maria Island and face significant threats towards their populations.In this study, we established a comprehensive database derived from a long-term arthropod monitoring campaign utilising SLAM (Sea, Land, Air, Malaise) traps.

Molecular detection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in bats from Portugal.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a microsporidia commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and a wide range of other animals, constituting a major cause of microsporidiosis in humans. Although E. bieneusi has been detected in humans, domestic, and wild animals in Portugal, and its presence in bats has been linked to zoonotic characteristics, its occurrence in bats within the country has not been reported.

Finding unveiled: Culex thalassius (Diptera: Culicidae), a new mosquito species emerges in the Cabo Verde archipelago.

Mosquito-borne diseases can pose significant burdens. In many countries, they pose a risk to national economies and the well-being of humans and animals. To mitigate this, mosquito surveillance is crucial to assess the real and potential transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.

First insights on the susceptibility of native coccidicidal fungi Mucor circinelloides and Mucor lusitanicus to different avian antiparasitic drugs.

Background: The combined application of predatory fungi and antiparasitic drugs is a sustainable approach for the integrated control of animal gastrointestinal (GI) parasites. However, literature addressing the possible interference of antiparasitic drugs on the performance of these fungi is still scarce. This research aimed to assess the in vitro susceptibility of six native coccidicidal fungi isolates of the species Mucor circinelloides and one Mucor lusitanicus isolate to several antiparasitic drugs commonly used to treat GI parasites' infections in birds, namely anthelminthics such as Albendazole, Fenbendazole, Levamisole and Ivermectin, and anticoccidials such as Lasalocid, Amprolium and Toltrazuril (drug concentrations of 0.

The MOVECLIM - AZORES project: Bryophytes from Pico Island along an elevation gradient.

Background: In September 2012, a comprehensive survey of Pico Island was conducted along an elevational transect, starting at Manhenha (10 m a.s.l.

Length-mass allometries of the larvae of aquatic dipterans: differences between taxa, morphological traits, and methods.

Body mass underpins many ecological processes at the level of individuals, populations, and communities. Often estimated in arthropods from linear morphological traits such as body length or head width, these relationships can vary even between closely related taxa. Length-mass relationships of mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae are poorly known despite the importance of this family to disease and aquatic ecology.

Histological evidence of hypothyroidism in mice chronically exposed to conventional farming.

Worldwide, disorders of the thyroid gland are a growing concern; such can be caused by exposure to contaminants, including agrochemicals used in conventional agriculture, which act as endocrine disruptors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether or not exposure to an environment with conventional agriculture leads to thyroid disruption. Mus musculus were used as bioindicator species, captured in two sites: a farm where conventional agriculture is practiced, and a place without agriculture.

Systematic approaches to assessing high-temperature limits to fertility in animals.

Critical thermal limits (CTLs) gauge the physiological impact of temperature on survival or critical biological function, aiding predictions of species range shifts and climatic resilience. Two recent Drosophila species studies, using similar approaches to determine temperatures that induce sterility (thermal fertility limits [TFLs]), reveal that TFLs are often lower than CTLs and that TFLs better predict both current species distributions and extinction probability. Moreover, many studies show fertility is more sensitive at less extreme temperatures than survival (thermal sensitivity of fertility [TSF]).