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Paeonia peregrina Mill. is a protected, herbaceous species native to Southeastern Europe and Turkey. Due to its vulnerability, it has to be protected both in its natural habitats and through cultivation. Peonies are known to have a low potential for natural regeneration due to their seed dormancy, low germination rate, and long germination period. In this study, treatments with gibberellic acid (GA3 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 mg L−1 GA3) and warm (at 20/16 °C day/night regime) and cold stratification (at 4 °C) were used to accelerate dormancy release and increase the germination rate. The seeds of P. peregrina from four natural habitats in Serbia and the Institute’s collection were collected and analyzed. They showed an underdeveloped embryo that needs to grow inside the seed before it can germinate. The application of GA3 accelerated each stage of germination (seed coat rapturing, hypocotyl dormancy release, and epicotyl dormancy release) for approximately 10 days compared to the control. It was also found that two-day imbibition with 200 mg L−1 GA3 significantly accelerated and equalized germination. Higher GA3 concentrations had a more pronounced impact on each stage but also resulted in greater seed infection after the seed coat rupture, elongated and weak seedlings, while lower concentrations did not result in obtaining uniform seedlings. There were no significant differences observed between localities. Restoring P. peregrina through seeds and nursery-produced plants is crucial for conserving the genetic diversity of the tested species.

The reproduction of rare and endangered plant species is one of the most important factors determining the stability and survival of their populations, and knowledge of the barriers to successful reproduction is essential for species conservation. Habitat loss and slow reproduction due to low fruit set are usually considered the main threats to Cephalanthera longifolia and C. rubra (Orchidaceae). The aim of this study was to analyse the natural fruit set of these species during three consecutive years in Lithuania in the northern part of the temperate zone of Europe. Six populations of C. longifolia and three populations of C. rubra were studied each year from 2021 to 2023. During the study period, 49.3% to 54.4% of C. longifolia and 40.0% to 54.3% of C. rubra individuals produced no fruit. Over the three-year period, fruit set in individual populations of C. longifolia ranged from 5.2% to 19.5%, whereas fruit set in populations of C. rubra ranged from 4.1% to 18.8%. Significant weak or moderate correlations were found between plant height, inflorescence length and the number of flowers in the inflorescence and fruit set of both species. Flower position in the inflorescence had a significant effect on fruit set in both species, and the fruit set rate of lower flowers was higher than that of upper flowers. Significant but weak correlations were found between the fruit set and most of the environmental factors analysed. The results of this study suggest that the fruit set of C. longifolia and C. rubra is dependent on insect pollination of the flowers, which in turn is affected by habitat conditions.

The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding on short-distance basidiospore dispersal of the wood-decay fungus Fistulina hepatica, thereby providing valuable knowledge for the conservation management of this protected species. Specifically, the study was expected to reveal site-specific patterns of basidiospore release and spread in oak stands during one fruiting season under north European conditions. The trapping of fungal spores was carried out between August and October 2022 using passive spore traps placed in three oak stands (>200-year-old) in central Lithuania. The average daily temperature was recorded throughout the period of spore trapping. Collected samples were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of fungal ITS2 rDNA. The results showed that the relative abundance of F. hepatica reads was influenced by the time of fruitbody maturation, but not by the average daily temperature. Although there was a certain variation among different study sites, the results showed that a great majority of F. hepatica spores were deposited within 50 m from the fruitbody, showing that the fungus to a large extent is dependent on local habitats for colonization.

Rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) are a long-lived, understudied, multi-species fish assemblage in inland Washington (USA) waters. Driven by large-scale fishery removals in the 1970s, their numbers declined and have yet to recover, perhaps due to slow maturation and rare recruitment success. Since then, rockfish fishing restrictions have increased within Puget Sound, culminating in a 2010 total ban. Here, we analyze rockfish community trends (abundance and Shannon Diversity) within Puget Sound from 2009 to 2023. Our dataset includes 157 recorded dive transects from nine rocky or artificial reef habitats at depths 5–24 m throughout four Puget Sound basins: Admiralty Inlet (2 sites), Central Puget Sound (4 sites), Hood Canal (2 sites), and South Puget Sound (1 site). Significant differences in community species composition between basins were observed; we noted more Black (S. melanops), Yellowtail (S. flavidus), and Puget Sound (S. emphaeus) rockfish and fewer Brown rockfish (S. auriculatus) at sites in Admiralty Inlet vs. Central Puget Sound. Adult rockfish counts and Shannon Diversity varied seasonally, with higher rockfish counts and diversity indices in summer/autumn vs. winter/spring. Notably, we observed that total adult rockfish count per survey tended downward over time, driven partly by significant downward trends in Hood Canal Copper rockfish (S. caurinus) counts. We recommend continued monitoring and additional investigation into what factors besides fishing may be driving the trends reported here.

Describing the acoustic repertoire of cetaceans is necessary to understand the functionality of their sounds and the effect anthropogenic pressures have on animals living in a marine environment. This study provides a description of the acoustic repertoire of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago based on continuous 24-h recordings collected from two monitoring stations, both inside and outside the Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance, during an 8-day period in March/April 2020 and a 13-day period in July/August 2020. A total of 1008 h were visually and aurally analyzed to identify vocalizations and investigate diel and seasonal patterns in their parameters. Furthermore, sound pressure levels were calculated for the low (63 Hz–2 kHz) and high (2 kHz–20 kHz) frequency range. Bottlenose dolphins in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago were found to produce whistles, chirps, low frequency narrow-band sounds, burst pulse sounds, and echolocation clicks showing that dolphins are present at both monitoring stations, during both diel and seasonal periods, in a comparable manner. This paper also provides evidence that whistles, chirps, and low frequency narrow-band sounds change their parameters in relation to the background noise in the area, that varies according to diel and seasonal patterns. This suggests a vocal plasticity in the species and a coping strategy to avoid masking of relevant acoustic signals for the local population in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago.

Many desert fishes, which evolved in isolated aquatic “islands” with limited predation pressure, have been severely impacted by non-native predators. These impacts have been attributed to the evolutionary loss of antipredator competence, known as the predator naiveté hypothesis. Recent work provided support for this hypothesis for one desert fish species. We sought to examine the generality of the predator naiveté hypothesis by evaluating antipredator competence in five populations of Red River pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis), a species that occupies habitats that vary in the degree of isolation and levels of fish species richness. Fish were exposed to a conspecific chemical alarm cue released from damaged epidermal tissue as a general assay of antipredator response. We found that pupfish from all five populations exhibited antipredator behavior in response to the alarm cue, regardless of the exposure to predation risk. These data provide evidence that antipredator responses to alarm cues are conserved in Red River pupfish, even in populations isolated from piscivorous species.

The field survey made in the last 20 years revealed that large areas of Romania’s territory are still unexplored concerning moss distribution. The long-term research in natural and mature spruce forest habitats of this country shows that many sites are well protected, a status that is also confirmed by reports of Buxbaumia viridis. However, many other sites where this species was identified still lack legal protection. We also generated a potential distribution of the species based on an ensemble model, useful in guiding extensive field surveys and also management and conservation measures. In a country where the volume of wood cut by illegal logging is larger than the legal one, according to official data, it is very important that all habitats for B. viridis be included in protected areas. Our paper brings important data to aid in this goal.

Paeonia peregrina Mill. is a protected, herbaceous species native to Southeastern Europe and Turkey. Due to its vulnerability, it has to be protected both in its natural habitats and through cultivation. Peonies are known to have a low potential for natural regeneration due to their seed dormancy, low germination rate, and long germination period. In this study, treatments with gibberellic acid (GA 3 150, 200, 250, 300, and 350 mg L -1 GA 3 ) and warm (at 20/16 °C day/night regime) and cold stratification (at 4 °C) were used to accelerate dormancy release and increase the germination rate. The seeds of P. peregrina from four natural habitats in Serbia and the Institute's collection were collected and analyzed. They showed an underdeveloped embryo that needs to grow inside the seed before it can germinate. The application of GA 3 accelerated each stage of germination (seed coat rapturing, hypocotyl dormancy release, and epicotyl dormancy release) for approximately 10 days compared to the control. It was also found that two-day imbibition with 200 mg L -1 GA 3 significantly accelerated and equalized germination. Higher GA 3 concentrations had a more pronounced impact on each stage but also resulted in greater seed infection after the seed coat rupture, elongated and weak seedlings, while lower concentrations did not result in obtaining uniform seedlings. There were no significant differences observed between localities. Restoring P. peregrina through seeds and nursery-produced plants is crucial for conserving the genetic diversity of the tested species.

Spatio-temporal variability of marine soundscapes reflects environmental dynamics and local habitat health. This study characterizes the coastal soundscape of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance, encompassing the non-tourist (11–15 March 2020) and the tourist (26–30 July 2020) season. A total of 240 h of continuous recordings was manually analyzed and the abundance of animal vocalizations and boat noise was obtained; sound pressure levels were calculated for the low (63–2000 Hz) and high (2000–20,000 Hz) frequency range. Two fish sound types were drivers of both seasonal and diel variability of the low-frequency soundscape. The first is emitted by the cryptic Roche’s snake blenny (Ophidion rochei), while the second, whose emitter remains unknown, was previously only described in canyons and coralligenous habitats of the Western Mediterranean Sea. The high-frequency bands were characterized by bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) vocalizations, indicating dolphins’ use of area for various purposes. Boat noise, however, dominated the local soundscape along the whole considered periods and higher sound pressure levels were found during the Tourist season. Human-generated noise pollution, which has been previously found 10 years ago, is still present in the area and this urges management actions.

Boat noise is known to have a detrimental effect on a vulnerable Mediterranean sciaenid, the brown meagre Sciaena umbra. During summer 2019, two acoustic surveys were conducted at 40 listening points distributed within the inlet areas of Venice (northern Adriatic Sea). Two five-minute recordings were collected per each point during both the boat traffic hours and the peak of the species’ vocal activity with the aims of (1) characterizing the local noise levels and (2) evaluating the fish spatial distribution by means of its sounds. High underwater broadband noise levels were found (sound pressure levels (SPLs)50–20kHz 107–137 dB re 1 μPa). Interestingly, a significantly higher background noise within the species’ hearing sensibility (100–3150 Hz) was highlighted in the afternoon (113 ± 5 dB re 1 μPa) compared to the night (103 ± 7 dB re 1 μPa) recordings due to a high vessel traffic. A cluster analysis based on Sciaena umbra vocalizations separated the listening points in three groups: highly vocal groups experienced higher vessel presence and higher afternoon noise levels compared to the lower ones. Since the species’ sounds are a proxy of spawning events, this suggests that the reproductive activity was placed in the noisier part of the inlets.

Translocation is increasingly being used to supplement existing occurrences and establish new occurrences of rare plant species, but translocation success is dependent on understanding responses to habitat conditions and management. Platanthera integrilabia (white fringeless orchid) is a rare terrestrial orchid species presently found in mostly small occurrences that comprise a fraction of its historical distribution and abundance in the southeastern United States. We investigated the influence of shade and white-tailed deer herbivory, as cited concerns for this species, on the early success of its translocation from tubers as determined through measures of emergence, survival, growth, and reproduction of two cohorts. Our findings suggest that translocation from tubers could be a viable option to assist the conservation of P. integrilabia relative to its propagation from seed, but that low early emergence, survival, and flowering rates should be considered in translocation plans. Our results also indicate that translocation and ongoing habitat management should consider the potential for light availability to differentially impact distinct plant life stages and influence deer herbivory. We recommend that additional translocation studies designed to investigate the influence of site conditions on outcomes could improve the success of such efforts as well as inform the management of extant occurrences.

About 10% of the Earth’s butterfly species inhabit the highly diverse ecosystems of China. Important for the ecological, economic, and cultural services they provide, many butterfly species experience threats from land use shifts and climate change. China has recently adopted policies to protect the nation’s biodiversity resources. This essay examines the current management of butterflies in China and suggests various easily implementable actions that could improve these conservation efforts. Our recommendations are based on the observations of a transdisciplinary group of entomologists and environmental policy specialists. Our analysis draws on other successful examples around the world that China may wish to consider. China needs to modify its scientific methodologies behind butterfly conservation management: revising the criteria for listing protected species, focusing on umbrella species for broader protection, identifying high priority areas and refugia for conservation, among others. Rural and urban land uses that provide heterogeneous habitats, as well as butterfly host and nectar plants, must be promoted. Butterfly ranching and farming may also provide opportunities for sustainable community development. Many possibilities exist for incorporating observations of citizen scientists into butterfly data collection at broad spatial and temporal scales. Our recommendations further the ten Priority Areas of China’s National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011–2030).

Eryngium alpinum L. is a high-value herb and a source of important compounds that include phenolics, triterpenoid saponins, and essential oils. The present report indicates successful micropropagation of this species. In our study, medium supplemented with BAP 2.0 mg/L, IAA 1.0 mg/L, and GA3 1.0 mg/L was found to be the most suitable for long-term culture and for effective proliferation, irrespective of the passage number. Roots induction, without basal callus formation, was observed when individual microshoots were placed on Murashige & Skoog medium augmented with auxin, and formation was the most advantageous in the presence of NAA alone or when combined with IAA or IBA. The encapsulated propagules were tested for their capability to endure different storage periods under low temperature. Therefore, we developed an efficient method for synseeds production by encapsulation of axillary buds in the sodium alginate matrix, storage for 2, 4, and 6 months, as well as the regeneration process. The maximum regeneration rate of 74% ± 2.72% was observed for axillary buds encapsulated in 4% sodium–alginate complexed with 300 mM calcium chloride after 2 months of storage at low temperature. This is the first report on E. alpinum micropropagation and somatic seeds production.

Despite the global implementation of rock-rubble groyne structures, there is limited research investigating their ecology, much less than for other artificial coastal structures. Here we compare the intertidal ecology of urban (or semi-urban) rock-rubble groynes and more rural natural rocky shores for three areas of the UK coastline. We collected richness and abundance data for 771 quadrats across three counties, finding a total of 81 species, with 48 species on the groynes and 71 species on the natural rocky shores. We performed three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) on both richness and abundance data, running parallel analysis for rock and rock-pool habitats. We also performed detrended correspondence analysis on all species to identify patterns in community structure. On rock surfaces, we found similar richness and abundance across structures for algae, higher diversity and abundance for lichen and mobile animals on natural shores, and higher numbers of sessile animals on groynes. Rock-pool habitats were depauperate on groynes for all species groups except for sessile animals, relative to natural shores. Only a slight differentiation between groyne and natural shore communities was observed, while groynes supported higher abundances of some ‘at risk’ species than natural shores. Furthermore, groynes did not differ substantially from natural shores in terms of their presence and abundance of species not native to the area. We conclude that groynes host similar ecological communities to those found on natural shores, but differences do exist, particularly with respect to rock-pool habitats.

Desert springs, which harbor diverse and endemic invertebrate assemblages, are often used as refuge habitats for protected fish species. Additionally, many of these springs have been colonized by invasive fish species. However, the potential impacts of recently established fish populations on invertebrate communities in desert springs have been relatively unexplored. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to assess the impact of both protected and invasive fish on community structure of spring-dwelling invertebrates focusing on zooplankton. Experimental populations of spring zooplankton communities were established and randomly assigned to one of three treatments, (1) invasive western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis); (2) endangered Mohave tui chub (Siphateles bicolor mohavensis); and (3) fishless control. Final populations of zooplankton and fish were sampled, sorted, identified and counted. The treatment differences of zooplankton communities were analyzed by comparing the densities of six major zooplankton taxa. Further, we performed nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to visualize the patterns of zooplankton community assemblages. Four zooplankton taxa, crustacean nauplii, cladocera, calanoid and cyclopoid copepods had significantly lower densities in fish treatments compared to fishless control. Overall, invasive mosquitofish caused a 78.8% reduction in zooplankton density, while Mohave tui chub caused a 65.1% reduction. Both protected and invasive fish had similar effects on zooplankton except for cladocerans where tui chub caused a 60% reduction in density, whereas mosquitofish virtually eliminated cladocerans. The presence of fish also had a significant effect on zooplankton community structure due to population declines and local extirpations presumably due to fish predation. This work shows that conservation-translocations undertaken to conserve protected fish species may impact spring-dwelling invertebrate communities, and such impacts are similar to impacts due to colonization by invasive fish species.

The field survey made in the last 20 years revealed that large areas of Romania's territory are still unexplored concerning moss distribution. The long-term research in natural and mature spruce forest habitats of this country shows that many sites are well protected, a status that is also confirmed by reports of Buxbaumia viridis . However, many other sites where this species was identified still lack legal protection. We also generated a potential distribution of the species based on an ensemble model, useful in guiding extensive field surveys and also management and conservation measures. In a country where the volume of wood cut by illegal logging is larger than the legal one, according to official data, it is very important that all habitats for B. viridis be included in protected areas. Our paper brings important data to aid in this goal.

This study compared the essential oils (EO) composition of Helichrysum arenarium (Bulgarian populations) with that of the cultivated species H. italicum . The EO composition of H. arenarium and H. italicum were analyzed via gas chromatography. In general, 75 components were identified in H. arenarium EO and 79 in H. italicum EO. The predominant constituents in H. arenarium EO were α -pinene (34.64-44.35%) and sabinene (10.63-11.1%), which affirmed the examined population as a new chemical type. Overall, the main EO constituents of H. italicum originating in France, Bosnia and Corsica were neryl acetate (4.04-14.87%) and β -himachalene (9.9-10.99%). However, the EOs profile of H. italicum introduced from the above three countries differed to some extent. D-limonene (5.23%), italicene, α -guaiene and neryl acetate (14.87%) predominated in the H. italicum introduced from France, while α -pinene (13.74%), δ-cadinene (5.51%), α -cadinene (3.3%), β -caryophyllene (3.65%) and α -calacorene (1.63%) predominated in plants introduced from Bosnia. The EOs of the plants introduced from France and Corsica had similar chemical composition and antimicrobiological activity.

About 10% of the Earth's butterfly species inhabit the highly diverse ecosystems of China. Important for the ecological, economic, and cultural services they provide, many butterfly species experience threats from land use shifts and climate change. China has recently adopted policies to protect the nation's biodiversity resources. This essay examines the current management of butterflies in China and suggests various easily implementable actions that could improve these conservation efforts. Our recommendations are based on the observations of a transdisciplinary group of entomologists and environmental policy specialists. Our analysis draws on other successful examples around the world that China may wish to consider. China needs to modify its scientific methodologies behind butterfly conservation management: revising the criteria for listing protected species, focusing on umbrella species for broader protection, identifying high priority areas and refugia for conservation, among others. Rural and urban land uses that provide heterogeneous habitats, as well as butterfly host and nectar plants, must be promoted. Butterfly ranching and farming may also provide opportunities for sustainable community development. Many possibilities exist for incorporating observations of citizen scientists into butterfly data collection at broad spatial and temporal scales. Our recommendations further the ten Priority Areas of China's National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030).

Eryngium alpinum L. is a high-value herb and a source of important compounds that include phenolics, triterpenoid saponins, and essential oils. The present report indicates successful micropropagation of this species. In our study, medium supplemented with BAP 2.0 mg/L, IAA 1.0 mg/L, and GA 3 1.0 mg/L was found to be the most suitable for long-term culture and for effective proliferation, irrespective of the passage number. Roots induction, without basal callus formation, was observed when individual microshoots were placed on Murashige & Skoog medium augmented with auxin, and formation was the most advantageous in the presence of NAA alone or when combined with IAA or IBA. The encapsulated propagules were tested for their capability to endure different storage periods under low temperature. Therefore, we developed an efficient method for synseeds production by encapsulation of axillary buds in the sodium alginate matrix, storage for 2, 4, and 6 months, as well as the regeneration process. The maximum regeneration rate of 74% ± 2.72% was observed for axillary buds encapsulated in 4% sodium-alginate complexed with 300 mM calcium chloride after 2 months of storage at low temperature. This is the first report on E. alpinum micropropagation and somatic seeds production., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.