The population of Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782) and its parasites in Madatapa Lake (South Georgia)

Gibel carp is a very successful invasive fish species in the waters of Georgian inland and the only fish species in Lake Madatapa. However, almost nothing is known about its biology and morpho-ecological peculiarities at the national level and even the distribution data is not documented. For the first time, we studied the population characteristics of gibel carp in Lake Madatapa (South Georgia) with the aim to reveal the extent of its morphological variability, sex ratio, length-weight relationship and its parasitic community. We showed that the gibel carp population in Madatapa Lake has typical morphological characteristics. The sex ratio is significantly female biased (1/1.8) and the length-weight relationship is within the published margins. The gibel carp population is under the heavy parasitic load, but only two parasitic species (one cestoda and the other digenean species) affect the fishes. Within the framework of the obtained results, we discussed future research needs concerning the gibel carp in the lake

Land use and soil characteristics affect soil organisms differently from above-ground assemblages

Background: Land-use is a major driver of changes in biodiversity worldwide, but studies have overwhelmingly focused on above-ground taxa: the effects on soil biodiversity are less well known, despite the importance of soil organisms in ecosystem functioning. We modelled data from a global biodiversity database to compare how the abundance of soil-dwelling and above-ground organisms responded to land use and soil properties. Results: We found that land use affects overall abundance differently in soil and above-ground assemblages. The abundance of soil organisms was markedly lower in cropland and plantation habitats than in primary vegetation and pasture. Soil properties influenced the abundance of soil biota in ways that differed among land uses, suggesting they shape both abundance and its response to land use. Conclusions: Our results caution against assuming models or indicators derived from above-ground data can apply to soil assemblages and highlight the potential value of incorporating soil properties into biodiversity models

The place of millet in food globalization during Late Prehistory as evidenced by new bioarchaeological data from the Caucasus

Two millets, Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica, were domesticated in northern China, around 6000 BC. Although its oldest evidence is in Asia, possible independent domestication of these species in the Caucasus has often been proposed. To verify this hypothesis, a multiproxy research program (Orimil) was designed to detect the first evidence of millet in this region. It included a critical review of the occurrence of archaeological millet in the Caucasus, up to Antiquity; isotopic analyses of human and animal bones and charred grains; and radiocarbon dating of millet grains from archaeological contexts dated from the Early Bronze Age (3500–2500 BC) to the 1st Century BC. The results show that these two cereals were cultivated during the Middle Bronze Age (MBA), around 2000–1800 BC, especially Setaria italica which is the most ancient millet found in Georgia. Isotopic analyses also show a significant enrichment in 13C in human and animal tissues, indicating an increasing C4 plants consumption at the same period. More broadly, our results assert that millet was not present in the Caucasus in the Neolithic period. Its arrival in the region, based on existing data in Eurasia, was from the south, without excluding a possible local domestication of Setaria italica

Global monitoring of soil animal communities using a common methodology.

Here we introduce the Soil BON Foodweb Team, a cross-continental collaborative network that aims to monitor soil animal communities and food webs using consistent methodology at a global scale. Soil animals support vital soil processes via soil structure modification, consumption of dead organic matter, and interactions with microbial and plant communities. Soil animal effects on ecosystem functions have been demonstrated by correlative analyses as well as in laboratory and field experiments, but these studies typically focus on selected animal groups or species at one or few sites with limited variation in environmental conditions. The lack of comprehensive harmonised large-scale soil animal community data including microfauna, mesofauna, and macrofauna, in conjunction with related soil functions, microbial communities, and vegetation, limits our understanding of biological interactions in soil systems and how these interactions affect ecosystem functioning. To provide such data, the Soil BON Foodweb Team invites researchers worldwide to use a common methodology to address six long-term goals: (1) to collect globally representative harmonised data on soil micro-, meso-, and macrofauna communities, (2) to describe key environmental drivers of soil animal communities and food webs, (3) to assess the efficiency of conservation approaches for the protection of soil animal communities, (4) to describe soil food webs and their association with soil functioning globally, (5) to establish a global research network for soil biodiversity monitoring and collaborative projects in related topics, (6) to reinforce local collaboration networks and expertise and support capacity building for soil animal research around the world. In this paper, we describe the vision of the global research network and the common sampling protocol to assess soil animal communities and advocate for the use of standard methodologies across observational and experimental soil animal studies. We will use this protocol to conduct soil animal assessments and reconstruct soil food webs at sites associated with the global soil biodiversity monitoring network, Soil BON, allowing us to assess linkages among soil biodiversity, vegetation, soil physico-chemical properties, climate, and ecosystem functions. In the present paper, we call for researchers especially from countries and ecoregions that remain underrepresented in the majority of soil biodiversity assessments to join us. Together we will be able to provide science-based evidence to support soil biodiversity conservation and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems

Dietary practices changes during the Bronze Age in the Southern Caucasus: Evidence of millet consumption using a multi-isotopic approach.

International audienc

Dietary practices changes during the Bronze Age in the Southern Caucasus: Evidence of millet consumption using a multi-isotopic approach.

International audienc

Dietary practices changes during the Bronze Age in the Southern Caucasus: Evidence of millet consumption using a multi-isotopic approach.

International audienc

. Modification des pratiques alimentaires au cours de l'âge du Bronze dans le Sud Caucase : Mise en évidence de la consommation de millet par une approche multi-isotopique.

International audienc