Oribatid communities and heavy metal bioaccumulation in selected species associated with lichens in a heavily contaminated habitat

The study examines oribatid communities and heavy metal bioaccumulation in selected species associated with different microhabitats of a post-smelting dump, i.e. three lichen species of Cladonia with various growth forms and the slag substrate. The abundance of oribatids collected from the substrate was significantly lower than observed in lichen thalli. The morphology and chemical properties of lichens, and to some extent varying concentrations of heavy metals in thalli, are probably responsible for significant differences in oribatid communities inhabiting different Cladonia species. Some oribatids demonstrate the ability to accumulate zinc and cadmium with unusual efficiency, whereas lead is the most effectively regulated element by all species. A positive correlation was found between Zn content in all studied oribatids and their microhabitats. Oribatids exploring different food resources, i.e. fungivorous and non-fungivorous grazers, show considerable differences in bioconcentrations of certain elements

Towards a Unified Theory of Health-Disease: I. Health as a complex model-object

Este trabalho apresenta uma abordagem sistemática para a modelagem de várias classes de enfermidade-moléstia-doença, designada como Holopatogênese. Holopatogênese é definido como um processo de sobre determinação de doenças e condições relacionadas, tomadas como um integral, compreendendo facetas selecionadas da saúde enquanto objeto complexo. Em primeiro lugar, o marco conceitual da Holopatogênese é apresentado como uma série de três interfaces significativas: biomolecular- imunológica, fisiopatológico-clínica e epidemiológico-ecossocial. Em segundo lugar, proposições derivadas da Holopatogênese são introduzidas a fim de permitir o desenho do complexo doença-enfermidade como uma rede hierárquica de redes. Em terceiro lugar, propõe-se uma formalização de correspondências intra e inter nível, processos de sobredeterminação, efeitos e laços componentes da Holopatogênese. Finalmente, o modelo Holopatogênese é avaliado como uma patologia teórica compreensiva tomada como passo preliminar para uma teoria unificada de saúde-doença

Dismantling the treasured flagship lichen Sticta fuliginosa (Peltigerales) into four species in Western Europe

In the framework of a worldwide project on the phylogeny of the lichen genus Sticta, dedicated sampling was performed in four regions of Western Europe, roughly along an East-West line between N 48°02’ E 07°01’ and N 52°01’ W 09°30’, ranging from France/Vosges to Ireland/Kerry. Five clearly distinct ITS haplotypes were detected for isidia-producing species where only two were expected. Subtle anatomical and morphological characters, together with a strongly supported 4-loci molecular phylogeny, permit to distinguish, besides the easily recognized S. canariensis and S. limbata: • the two « well-known » S. fuliginosa and S. sylvatica whose type collections have been carefully reassessed; the former is widespread in both hemispheres, while the latter is correctly identified only from continental Europe and the Andes in Colombia; the barcode ITS of S. fuliginosa differs by a single substitution from S. limbata (with a single exception), and the 4-loci phylogenetic tree does not resolve them as distinct lineages, most probably highlighting a very recent divergence and incomplete lineage sorting; • three species that were formely included in S. fuliginosa: the resurrected S. ciliata Taylor, belonging to a complex group yet to be disentangled and occurring in the Neotropics, Africa, Macaronesia and Western Europe, and two species described as new for science, S. fuliginoides, found in continental Europe, the Canary Islands, eastern North America and Colombia, and S. atlantica only known from Ireland and the Azores archipelago. Molecular inferences demonstrate active divergence and dispersion within S. ciliata that may require recognition of further species. Fresh material can be identified with a morphological and anatomical preliminary key provided here. We propose that the taxonomy of all lichen species be urgently reviewed in the light of molecular data in an evolutionary context, particularly those used as bioindicators of environmental change and woodland management

Focus on poleward shifts in species' distribution underestimates the fingerprint of climate change

Species are largely predicted to shift poleward as global temperatures increase, with this fingerprint of climate change being already observed across a range of taxonomic groups and, mostly temperate, geographic locations¹⁻⁵. However, the assumption of uni-directional distribution shifts does not account for complex interactions among temperature, precipitation and species-specific tolerances⁶, all of which shape the direction and magnitude of changes in a species' climatic niche. We analysed 60 years of past climate change on the Australian continent, assessing the velocity of changes in temperature and precipitation, as well as changes in climatic niche space for 464 Australian birds. We show large magnitude and rapid rates of change in Australian climate over the past 60 years resulting in high-velocity and multi-directional, including equatorial, shifts in suitable climatic space for birds (ranging from 0.1 to 7.6 km yr⁻¹, mean 1.27 km yr⁻¹). Overall, if measured only in terms of poleward distribution shifts, the fingerprint of climate change is underestimated by an average of 26% in temperate regions of the continent and by an average of 95% in tropical regions. We suggest that the velocity of movement required by Australian species to track their climatic niche may be much faster than previously thought and that the interaction between temperature and precipitation changes will result in multi-directional distribution shifts globally