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Global warming is causing poleward expansion of species ranges. Temperate seas, in particular, are undergoing a process known as 'tropicalisation', i.e., the combination of sea-water warming and establishment of southern species. The Ligurian Sea is one of the coldest sectors of the Mediterranean and has thus been characterized by a dearth of warm-temperate species and a comparative abundance of cold-temperate species. This paper uses a time series of sea surface temperature (SST) and new records of thermophilic fish species to reconsider the biogeography of the Ligurian Sea. SST has risen by about 0.7 °C on average between 1948 and 2023, but two phases may be distinguished: a cool one (ended in the mid-1980s) and a warm one (still ongoing); the latter phase shows alternating periods of rapid warming and comparatively stationary temperature. The arrival of thermophilic species coincided with the periods of rapid warming; some of these species were established in the subsequent stationary periods. Heatwaves and climate-related diseases associated with the periods of rapid warming have caused mass mortalities of autochthonous species. Our knowledge on the biogeography of the Ligurian Sea was established during the cool phase; the present situation, however, calls for re-defining the chorological spectrum of the Ligurian Sea biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the climate crisis are affecting ecosystems at different scales and magnitudes. This paper focuses on a massive Mediterranean mussel die-off observed along the middle Italian Adriatic coast in the summer of 2022. We considered the possible environmental causes of this phenomenon and carried out a climatic analysis of the last decade. We performed field surveys in different locations along a 16 km coastal stretch from Martinsicuro (TE) in the south, to Grottammare (AP) in the north. The study area includes two marine Sites of Community Importance under the European Natura 2000 network. The die-off of the mussels was observed in practically all the natural mussel beds colonizing the study area. As sessile filter-feeding organisms inhabiting the intertidal zone, mussels are highly exposed to variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and nutrient load. We discuss the possible causes of this die-off, proposing that high temperature and the scarce availability of food acted simultaneously as stress factors, generating local unsustainable living conditions for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the survival needs of neglected or underutilized species (NUS) in agroforestry can offer valuable insights to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss. This paper analyses the habitat heterogeneity of Buxus balearica populations (palaeorelict of the Mediterranean Basin) using a methodology that integrates four approaches: ecological profiling, multivariate analysis, and the clustering of populations according to environmental variables and suitability. The habitat analysis was conducted on 240 occurrence points, integrating open-source databases and germplasm collection field work. Results reveal that the distribution of B. balearica in the south of the Iberian Peninsula is mainly conditioned by thermal variations, the humidity regime, and microtopography, which makes it very vulnerable to current and future climate change scenarios. The analysis of habitat heterogeneity demonstrates its capacity to estimate genetic diversity, which provides a solid basis for future research and conservation actions. The rapid extinction process of these boxwoods is evident by comparing the suitability model under different climate scenarios. There is an urgent need to improve the current status of the species and associated landscapes, considering B. balearica as an underutilized species, and establishing a sound management plan to reinforce its populations and protect its natural habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.) is the dominant shrub on three million hectares across the transition zone between the western North American warm and cold deserts. This paper presents a study of blackbrush population structure at the stand level at sixteen sites across the species range. New stand-level information is then integrated with what is already known about blackbrush population ecology to explore the stand-level consequences of several unusual features of blackbrush life history, including its masting reproductive strategy, its interactions with heteromyid rodents that are both seed predators and dispersers, and its ability to form 'seedling banks' of growth-suppressed individuals, often within the crowns of adult conspecifics. It complements earlier work showing that blackbrush stands are organized at both the inter-clump and intra-clump levels. Each clump represents an establishment nexus where younger individual genets replace older genets over an extended time period. Inter-clump structure is thus determined by the rate of establishment of new clumps rather than new individuals. This has resulted in contrasting stand structures in response to rodent community composition, disturbance regimes, and climatic variability at the leading and trailing edges of current blackbrush distribution in the eastern Mojave Desert and Colorado Plateau regions. Because blackbrush likely disperses too slowly to track anthropogenic climate change, assisted migration with wild-collected seeds may be necessary to promote its continued survival and dominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human influence on the steppe ecosystems of Ukraine caused irreversible loss of biodiversity in the natural zone. Currently, this problem is aggravated by military operations which cover almost half of the steppe zone and are unprecedented in the entire history of their existence. This actualizes the study of vegetation dynamic processes under the influence of the novel anthropogenic factors, and serves as the scientific basis for restoring and preserving steppe vegetation and maintaining its functional stability. The paper highlights anthropogenic changes in vegetation of the Kuyalnik Estuary valley based on long-term comparative phytocenotic surveys and uses of the method of succession series for reconstruction. These changes are representative of the river valleys of the estuaries in the Northern Black Sea region. This work examines vegetation changes induced by runoff overregulation of estuary rivers within the basin, quarrying of sand and limestone, ploughing, grazing, burning, terracing of slopes and their afforestation, excessive mowing of grass stands, and uncontrolled recreation. Subject to the existing anthropogenic impact combined with global climate changes, further vegetation degradation was predicted to occur in the direction of xerophitization and halophitization, reduction in shrubby vegetation areas, degradation of steppe vegetation, and intensification of desertification processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a literature review of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and the knowledge accumulated by Romanian foresters and researchers, covering species propagation, stand management, and vulnerability issues. As highlighted by numerous authors, black locust manifests dual features, both as an exogenous species and one that is already naturalized. The main drivers for this species' expansion in Romania is its ecological adaptability on degraded lands, fast growth, and high biomass yields, in addition to other economic benefits. Black locust plantations and coppices also offer an important range of ecosystem services such as CO2 sequestration, landscape reclamation, fuel wood, or maintaining traditional crafts in regions with little to no forest cover. Highlighted disadvantages include short lifespan, invasiveness when introduced on fertile sites, and dieback in drought/frost prone areas. The results of extensive research and studies are captured in technical norms, although aspects such as species genetics, invasive potential, and adaptation to climate change dynamics call for more research and optimizing in species management. As Romania rallies its efforts with those of the international community in order to address climate change and desertification, black locust stands out as a proven solution for reclaiming degraded lands when native species are not an alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity in general, and agrobiodiversity in particular are crucial for adaptation to climate change, for resilience and for human health as related to dietary diversity. Participatory plant breeding (PPB) has been promoted for its advantages to increase selection efficiency, variety adoption and farmers' empowerment, and for being more socially equitable and gender responsive than conventional plant breeding. In this review paper we concentrate on one specific benefit of PPB, namely, increasing agrobiodiversity by describing how the combination of decentralized selection with the collaboration of farmers is able to address the diversity of agronomic environments, which is likely to increase because of the location specificity of climate change. Therefore, while PPB has been particularly suited to organic agriculture, in light of the increasing importance of climate change, it should also be considered as a breeding opportunity for conventional agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lakes El Sol and La Luna, inside the crater of the Nevado de Toluca volcano, Central Mexico, are the only two perennial high mountain lakes [HML] in the country. HML are considered among the most comparable ecosystems worldwide. These lakes are "extreme" environments with diluted, oligotrophic, and cold waters exposed to high UV radiation doses. In this paper, we document the phytoplankton species inhabiting these two extreme tropical ecosystems. The phytoplankton diversity of Lakes El Sol and La Luna is low compared to the global phytoplankton diversity from other Mexican inland waters. Nonetheless, the phytoplankton diversity turned out to be high compared to other HML worldwide, both temperate and tropical. The phytoplankton community in Lake El Sol was formed by 92 morphospecies and in Lake La Luna by 63; in both, the most diverse groups were Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae. All species found in Lake La Luna were present in Lake El Sol, but 29 species present in Lake El Sol were absent in Lake La Luna. Nevertheless, 57% of the most frequent and abundant taxa in Lake El Sol were rare in La Luna, and 47% of the most frequent and abundant taxa in Lake La Luna were rare in Lake El Sol. Associated with their shallowness and polymictic thermal pattern, 87.5% of the Bacillariophyceae morphospecies are tychoplantonic, while the remaining 12.5% are truly planktonic. Dominant taxa were Chlorophyceae in Lake El Sol and Cyanobacteria in Lake La Luna. The most extreme conditions of Lake La Luna (ultraoligotrophy, very low pH, high ultraviolet radiation) most likely explained the differences in the dominant species composition and lower species richness compared to Lake El Sol. Herein, we provide for the first time a taxonomic list of the phytoplankton community of Lakes El Sol and La Luna. This information constitutes a baseline needed to use these HML as sentinels of global and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Special Issue entitled "Biodiversity of Marine Microbes" aimed at highlighting the significance of marine microbes as primary producers, their participation in complex processes and interactions with both the biotic and the abiotic environment, and their important roles in biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning. The issue includes five research papers, covering the diversity and composition of marine microbial communities representing all three domains of life in various marine environments, including coastal eutrophic areas, ice waters, and lagoons. One paper examined the diversity and succession of bacterial and archaeal communities from coastal waters in mesocosm experiments. The combination of classical tools with novel technological advances offers the opportunity to answer fundamental questions and shed light on the complex and diverse life of marine microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth's climate is warming, and there is evidence that increased temperature alters soil C cycling, which may result in a self-reinforcing (positive), microbial mediated feedback to the climate system. Though soil microbes are major drivers of soil C cycling, we lack an understanding of how temperature affects SOM decomposition. Numerous studies have explored, to differing degrees, the extent to which climate change may affect biodiversity. While there is ample evidence that community diversity begets ecosystem stability and resilience, we know of keystone species that perform functions whose effects far outweigh their relative abundance. In this paper, we first review the meaning of microbial diversity and how it relates to ecosystem function, then conduct a literature review of field-based climate warming studies that have made some measure of microbial diversity. Finally, we explore how measures of diversity may yield a larger, more complete picture of climate warming effects on microbial communities, and how this may translate to altered carbon cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. While warming effects seem to be ecosystem-specific, the lack of observable consistency between measures is due in some part to the diversity in measures of microbial diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While multifaceted, a chief aim when designating parks and protected areas is to support the preservation of biological diversity, in part, through representing and conserving the full range of landscape conditions observed throughout a representative area. Parks and protected areas are, however, typically developed using a static interpretation of current biodiversity and landscape conditions. The observed and potential climate change impacts to biodiversity have created a need to also contemplate how parks and protected areas will respond to climate change and how these areas will represent the future range of landscape conditions. To assess change in biodiversity, broad-scale ecosystem information can be sourced from indirect remotely sensed indicators. Quantifying biodiversity through indirect indicators allows characterization of inter-relationships between climate and biodiversity. Such characterizations support the assessment of possible implications of climatic change, as the indicators can be generated using modeled forecasts of future climatic conditions. In this paper we model and map impacts of climate change on British Columbia's parks and protected areas by quantifying change in a number of remotely sensed indicators of biodiversity. These indicators are based on the measured amount of incoming solar energy used by vegetation and map the overall annual energy utilization, variability (seasonality), and latent or baseline energy. We compare current conditions represented by parks and protected areas, to those forecasted in the year 2065. Our results indicate that parks and protected areas are forecasted to become more productive and less seasonal, due to increased vegetation productivity in higher elevation environments. While increased vegetation productivity may be beneficial for biodiversity overall, these changes will be particularly problematic for sensitive and specialist species. Future gaps in vegetation conditions protected by parks and protected areas are observed in the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains and the central interior region of British Columbia. Protected areas along the Coast Mountains, Vancouver Island highlands, and the Rocky Mountains show the greatest levels of change in the biodiversity indicators, including decreasing seasonality, with the Mountain Hemlock ecozone most at risk. Examples of large parks that are predicted to experience rapid change in vegetation characteristics include Strathcona, Garabaldi, and Kitlope. Our maps of future spatial distributions of indirect biodiversity indicators fill a gap in information products available for adaptive parks management and provide an opportunity for dialogue and further research on the use of future scenarios of landscape conditions in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has created potential major threats to global biodiversity. The multiple components of climate change are projected to affect all pillars of biodiversity, from genes over species to biome level. Of particular concerns are ―tipping points‖ where the exceedance of ecosystem thresholds will possibly lead to irreversible shifts of ecosystems and their functioning. As biodiversity underlies all goods and services provided by ecosystems that are crucial for human survival and wellbeing, this paper presents potential effects of climate change on biodiversity, its plausible impacts on human society as well as the setting in addressing a global crisis. Species affected by climate change may respond in three ways: change, move or die. Local species extinctions or a rapidly affected ecosystem as a whole respectively might move toward its particular ―tipping point‖, thereby probably depriving its services to human society and ending up in a global crisis. Urgent and appropriate actions within various scenarios of climate change impacts on biodiversity, especially in tropical regions, are needed to be considered. Foremost a multisectoral approach on biodiversity issues with broader policies, stringent strategies and programs at international, national and local levels is essential to meet the challenges of climate change impacts on biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticipating the effects of climate change on biodiversity is now critical for managing wild species and ecosystems. Climate change is a global driver and thus affects biodiversity globally. However, land-use planners and natural resource managers need regional or even local predictions. This provides scientists with formidable challenges given the poor documentation of biodiversity and its complex relationships with climate. We are approaching this problem in Quebec, Canada, through the CC-Bio Project (http://cc-bio.uqar.ca/), using a boundary organization as a catalyst for team work involving climate modelers, biologists, naturalists, and biodiversity managers. In this paper we present the CC-Bio Project and its general approach, some preliminary results, the emerging hypothesis of the northern biodiversity paradox (a potential increase of biodiversity in northern ecosystems due to climate change), and an early assessment of the conservation implications generated by our team work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular-assisted alpha taxonomy has recently become an effective practice in reassessing biodiversity and floristics for a variety of different organisms. This paper presents a series of examples that have been drawn from biodiversity work being carried out on the marine red algae of Bermuda. Molecular sequencing of DNA from Bermuda samples has already begun to greatly alter the makeup of the flora as it was known just decades ago, and will help set a new database for future comparison as climate change affects species composition in the islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of bioclimatic models applied to lichen species, supporting their potential use in this context as indicators of climate change risk. First, it provides a brief summary of climate change risk, pointing to the relevance of lichens as a topic area. Second, it reviews the past use of lichen bioclimatic models, applied for a range of purposes with respect to baseline climate, and the application of data sources, statistical methods, model extents and resolution and choice of predictor variables. Third, it explores additional challenges to the use of lichen bioclimatic models, including: 1. The assumption of climatically controlled lichen distributions, 2. The projection to climate change scenarios, and 3. The issue of nonanalogue climates and model transferability. Fourth, the paper provides a reminder that bioclimatic models estimate change in the extent or range of a species suitable climate space, and that an outcome will be determined by vulnerability responses, including potential for migration, adaptation, and acclimation, within the context of landscape habitat quality. The degree of exposure to climate change, estimated using bioclimatic models, can help to inform an understanding of whether vulnerability responses are sufficient for species resilience. Fifth, the paper draws conclusions based on its overview, highlighting the relevance of bioclimatic models to conservation, support received from observational data, and pointing the way towards mechanistic approaches that align with field-scale climate change experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High mountain zones in the Mediterranean area are considered more vulnerable in comparison to lower altitudes zones. Lefka Ori massif, a global biodiversity hotspot on the island of Crete is part of the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) monitoring network. The paper examines species and vegetation changes with respect to climate and altitude over a seven-year period (2001–2008) at a range of spatial scales (10 m Summit Area Section-SAS, 5 m SAS, 1 m2) using the GLORIA protocol in a re-survey of four mountain summits (1664 m–2339 m). The absolute species loss between 2001–2008 was 4, among which were 2 endemics. At the scale of individual summits, the highest changes were recorded at the lower summits with absolute species loss 4 in both cases. Paired t-tests for the total species richness at 1 m2 between 2001–2008, showed no significant differences. No significant differences were found at the individual summit level neither at the 5 m SAS or the 10 m SAS. Time series analysis reveals that soil mean annual temperature is increasing at all summits. Linear regressions with the climatic variables show a positive effect on species richness at the 5 m and 10 m SAS as well as species changes at the 5 m SAS. In particular, June mean temperature has the highest predictive power for species changes at the 5 m SAS. Recorded changes in species richness point more towards fluctuations within a plant community's normal range, although there seem to be more significant diversity changes in higher summits related to aspects. Our work provides additional evidence to assess the effects of climate change on plant diversity in Mediterranean mountains and particularly those of islands which remain understudied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodolith seabeds function as 'ecosystems engineers', which globally provide a range of 'ecosystem services'. However, knowledge on the structure, composition and distribution of rhodolith seabeds is still lacking. This Special Issue comprises six articles, addressing specific questions of rhodolith seabeds, and covering a wide range of topics. Two papers provide new large-scale information on the presence, structure and distribution of rhodolith beds at two southern hemisphere areas, in particular continental shelfs off South Africa and Brazil. Another two studies contributed to the discovery on new algal species from rhodolith beds, including Sporolithon franciscanum, a new rhodolith-forming species from Brazil, and the small benthic alga Schizocladia ischiensis. In terms of associated fauna, the taxonomic composition and patterns of abundance of decapod crustaceans are described in another article, including the description of a depth-partitioning in the abundance of juveniles and adults of the crab Nanocassiope melanodactylus. Rhodoliths are often present in fossilized deposits, so we can track changes in their presence with climate fluctuations. High temperatures during the Eocene and widespread oligotrophic conditions are finally connected with low abundances of rhodolith beds at mid and high latitudes, despite a larger presence at equatorial regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though mountain lakes are generally much less influenced by human activities than other habitats, global and local anthropogenic threats can alter their natural condition. The most alarming threats are climate change, water exploitation and abstraction, alien species introduction, and the medium-long range atmospheric transport of contaminates. Moreover, tourism and mountain farming are two other major sources of organic pollutants that can pose a threat to local aquatic biodiversity. Papers submitted to this Special Issue should be original contributions, with a focus on ecological and morphological characterization, environmental pressures (i.e., alien species introduction, environmental contaminates), and the use of bioindicators/tracers to inform adequate management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decapod crustaceans are ecologically and commercially important members of marine communities. Faunal surveys constitute essential tools for the understanding of local diversity, especially in areas subjected to significant alterations of community composition due to climate changes, anthropogenic impacts, and biological invasions. Following a literature review and the study of new samples, we hereby update on the Crustacea Decapoda from the Rhodes Island area (Greece), situated in a key position in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Published data yielded records of 120 species, whereas 28 taxa are recorded here for the first time from the study area. Among them, the collection of Liocarcinus bolivari widens its distribution to the eastern Mediterranean. Details on material examined and distributional/faunal remarks are provided for the species newly recorded and for some other native and alien species rarely reported from Rhodes. The present paper raises the local decapod biodiversity to 148 species, accounting for ~50% of the Hellenic Aegean decapod fauna and provides a useful baseline for analysing the long-term changes in the local fauna and the westward spreading of Lessepsian species. Despite present advances, the lack of records of many common Mediterranean species may be still due to limited fieldwork in some habitats rather than a true absence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flora and vegetation of the archipelago of Cabo Verde is dominated by Macaronesian, Mediterranean, and particularly by African tropical elements, resulting from its southernmost location, when compared to the other islands of the Macaronesia (i.e., Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, and Canary Islands). Very likely, such a geographical position entailed higher susceptibility to extreme climatic fluctuations, namely those associated with the West African Monsoon oscillations. These fluctuations led to a continuous aridification, which is a clear trend shown by most recent studies based on continental shelf cores. Promoting important environmental shifts, such climatic fluctuations are accepted as determinant to explain the current spatial distribution patterns of taxa, as well as the composition of the plant communities. In this paper, we present a comprehensive characterization of the main plant communities in Cabo Verde, and we discuss the role of the climatic and topoclimatic diversity in shaping the vegetation composition and distribution of this archipelago. Our study reveals a strong variation in the diversity of plant communities across elevation gradients and distinct patterns of richness among plant communities. Moreover, we present an overview of the biogeographical relationships of the Cabo Verde flora and vegetation with the other Macaronesian Islands and northwestern Africa. We discuss how the distribution of plant communities and genetic patterns found among most of the endemic lineages can be related to Africa's ongoing aridification, exploring the impacts of a process that marks northern Africa from the Late Miocene until the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lichens are symbiotic organisms susceptible to environmental alteration due to their morphological and physiological features. For this reason, researchers and decision-makers are extensively using lichen biomonitoring for assessing the effects of various anthropogenic disturbances. The Special Issue was launched to fulfil some knowledge gaps in this field, such as the development of procedures to interpret and compare results. The SI includes three reviews that explore the application of lichen biomonitoring for detecting the effects of climate change. Three articles and one review paper examined the use at a decision level of biomonitoring of air pollution employing lichens, including the application in environmental forensic. Finally, six research articles are illustrative examples of lichen biomonitoring in poorly known habitats, providing data from the physiological to the community level of observation, and pose the basis for extending comparable approaches on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate and has begun to modify the distribution and phenology of organisms worldwide. Chelonians are expected to be particularly vulnerable due to limited dispersal capabilities as well as widespread temperature-dependent sex determination. The number of papers published about the effects of climate change on turtles has increased exponentially over the last decade; here, I review the data from peer-reviewed publications to assess the likely impacts of climate change on individuals, populations, and communities. Based upon these studies future research should focus on: (1) Individual responses to climate change, particularly with respect to thermal biology, phenology, and microhabitat selection; (2) improving species distribution models by incorporating fine-scale environmental variables as well as physiological processes; (3) identifying the consequences of skewed sex ratios; and (4) assessments of community resilience and the development of methods to mitigate climate change impacts. Although detailed management recommendations are not possible at this point, careful consideration should be given regarding how to manage low vagility species as habitats shift poleward. In the worst-case scenario, proactive management may be required in order to ensure that widespread losses do not occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lichens have been used as biomonitors for multiple purposes. They are well-known as air pollution indicators around urban and industrial centers. More recently, several attempts have been made to use lichens as monitors of climate change especially in alpine and polar regions. In this paper, we review the value of saxicolous lichens for monitoring environmental changes in Antarctic regions. The pristine Antarctica offers a unique opportunity to study the effects of climate change along a latitudinal gradient that extends between 62° and 87° S. Both lichen species diversity and thallus growth rate seem to show significant correlations to mean annual temperature for gradients across the continent as well as to short time climate oscillation in the Antarctic Peninsula. Competition interactions appear to be small so that individual thalli develop in balance with environmental conditions and, as a result, can indicate the trends in productivity for discrete time intervals over long periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]