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The use of functional information in the form of species traits plays an important role in explaining biodiversity patterns and responses to environmental changes. Although relationships between species composition, their traits, and the environment have been extensively studied on a case-by-case basis, results are variable, and it remains unclear how generalizable these relationships are across ecosystems, taxa and spatial scales. To address this gap, we collated 80 datasets from trait-based studies into a global database for metaCommunity Ecology: Species, Traits, Environment and Space; "CESTES". Each dataset includes four matrices: species community abundances or presences/absences across multiple sites, species trait information, environmental variables and spatial coordinates of the sampling sites. The CESTES database is a live database: it will be maintained and expanded in the future as new datasets become available. By its harmonized structure, and the diversity of ecosystem types, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales it covers, the CESTES database provides an important opportunity for synthetic trait-based research in community ecology.

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Simple Summary: We assessed the variation in morphological traits in the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) across Slovakia, Lithuania, and Estonia, aiming to understand how geographic gradients influence body size. The body mass, body length, tail length, hind foot length, and ear length were analyzed from nearly 12,000 specimens collected in several decades. Findings suggest that body size increases toward the north, following Bergmann's rule, which links larger size to better heat conservation in colder climates. Conversely, appendage sizes (e.g., tail, ear) decrease, aligning with Allen's rule to minimize heat loss. Longitudinal gradients revealed reductions in body length and appendages toward the east, potentially reflecting climatic and habitat variability. Temporal analysis revealed fluctuating body size trends, possibly due to changing environmental pressures. Therefore, our study underscores the importance of geographic and temporal factors in shaping morphological traits and provides valuable insights into the adaptability of A. agrarius to varying climatic conditions. We examined the morphological variation in the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) along south–north and west–east geographic gradients in Europe (Slovakia, Lithuania, and Estonia). Data collected over several decades (1980s–2020s) were analyzed, focusing on five traits: body mass, body length, tail length, hind foot length, and ear length, with GLM models assessing the influence of latitude, longitude, age, sex, and decade. Results revealed strong adherence to ecogeographic rules. Findings suggest that body size increased toward the north, following Bergmann's rule, which links larger size to better heat conservation in colder climates. Conversely, appendage sizes (e.g., tail, ear) decreased, aligning with Allen's rule to minimize heat loss. Longitudinal gradients revealed reductions in body length and appendages toward the east, potentially reflecting climatic and habitat variability. Temporal trends highlighted dynamic changes in body size, with increases in Slovakia and mixed trends in Lithuania and Estonia. Sex-based dimorphism varied by country and decade, with females often heavier and males displaying longer appendages. The findings underscore the influence of geographic and temporal factors on morphological variation, providing critical insights into the adaptability of A. agrarius. These results contribute to understanding species' ecological plasticity and evolutionary responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Europe , Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis is transmitted by the castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus. In the last decades, global changes affect the spread of ticks and also their bionomics. The aim of this study was summarization of a large dataset obtained during 20 years of research. Methods: The research was carried out in 1999-2019 at 16 localities in Slovakia that were continuously monitored. In total, 17,249 questing I. ricinus ticks were tested for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. Results: The total prevalence of infected ticks was 18.8% (3,248/17,249), with 15.1% (1,557/10,302) infected nymphs and 24.3% (1,691/6,947) infected adults. Nine species of B. burgdorferi s.l. were identified. Borrelia afzelii (37.1%), B. garinii / bavariensis (24.7%), and B. valaisiana (15.4%) were the most frequent and were present at all study sites, followed by B. lusitaniae (12.6%), B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (4.1%) and B. spielmanii (1.6%). Borrelia bavariensis was confirmed only in four samples (0.1%), however, detection of this species has been performed only since 2017. Borrelia bissettii and B. kurtenbachii were both recorded in one case. The total prevalence differed significantly among four habitat types (urban, suburban, natural, agricultural). The highest infection prevalence was confirmed in natural habitat (22.0%), the lowest in urban habitat (13.2%). In addition, molecular analysis was carried out on part of the collected ticks previously morphologically identified as I. ricinus. The analysis did not confirm the occurrence of Ixodes inopinatus in Slovakia. Conclusion: Long-term monitoring of the abundance and spread of ticks as well as the prevalence and genetic variability of tick-borne pathogens can reveal the impact of global climatic and socio-economic changes on different habitats, including natural foci of tick-borne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are ectoparasites of a wide range of animals and are important vectors of numerous pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and pets. This study investigates possible correlations between selected factors, altitude, soil pH, and a factor called 'amount' (number of ticks examined in pooled samples) on the occurrence of I. ricinus ticks positive for selected tick-borne microorganisms. Questing I. ricinus ticks were collected in 2016 and 2017 across various altitudes, at two mountain ranges in central Slovakia. Tick pools were screened for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), Babesia/Theileria spp., Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) using molecular methods. Regression analysis was employed to evaluate relationships between selected factors and the occurrence of vector-borne microorganisms. This study revealed a statistically significant influence of altitude on the occurrence of A. phagocytophilum; increasing altitude of the sampling site was associated with increased probability of pathogen occurrence. For Babesia/Theileria spp., neither altitude nor soil pH significantly affected pathogen occurrence. The occurrence of Bbsl was notably impacted by both altitude and soil pH; higher altitudes were associated with a decreased probability of pathogen presence, whereas higher soil pH increased the likelihood of pathogen occurrence. The presence of Rickettsia in a pooled sample was not affected by altitude and soil pH, but the 'amount' factor was a significant predictor, increasing the probability of pathogen detection. Neither altitude nor soil pH had a significant impact on TBEV occurrence. The regression models showed moderate goodness-of-fit levels to the data, underscoring their utility in examining the role of altitude and soil pH on pathogen occurrence. However, they explained only a small portion of the overall variance in pathogen occurrence, indicating the presence of other significant factors not covered in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We applied a novel framework based on network theory and a concept of modularity that estimates congruence between trait-based (= functional) co-occurrence networks, thus allowing the inference of co-occurrence patterns and the determination of the predominant mechanism of community assembly. The aim was to investigate the relationships between species co-occurrence and trait similarity in flea communities at various scales (compound communities: across regions within a biogeographic realm or across sampling sites within a geographic region; component communities: across sampling sites within a geographic region; and infracommunities: within a sampling site). We found that compound communities within biogeographic realms were assembled via environmental or host-associated filtering. In contrast, functional and spatial/host-associated co-occurrence networks, at the scale of regional compound communities, mostly indicated either stochastic processes or the lack of dominance of any deterministic process. Analyses of congruence between functional and either spatial (for component communities) or host-associated (for infracommunities) co-occurrence networks demonstrated that assembly rules in these communities varied among host species. In component communities, stochastic processes prevailed, whereas environmental filtering was indicated in 4 and limiting similarity/competition in 9 of 31 communities. Limiting similarity/competition processes dominated in infracommunities, followed by stochastic mechanisms. We conclude that assembly processes in parasite communities are scale-dependent, with different mechanisms acting at different scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study summarizes 17-year results of teriological research of small mammal fauna in Košice Zoo (near the village of Kavečany, 48°47'10.04"N, 21°12'3.26"E, 380 – 420 m a.s.l.). The small mammals evaluated in this study were obtained by trapping in three periods (1992 – 1994, 2000 – 2001, 2003 – 2004) and were the results of three diploma theses. In total, 688 small mammals belonging to 13 species of four families Soricidae, Gliridae, Cricetidae and Muridae were recorded by trapping during the study period. Rodents significantly dominated with 8 species, 583 ex. (84.7%) compared to insectivores represented by 5 species, 105 ex. (15.3%). A gradual diversity decline of small mammal fauna was recorded, with only four mammal species confirmed in 2003 – 2004. This marked difference over the last 17 years was probably the result of anthropic modifications of the Zoo area, mainly the cutting of trees and shrubs of the alluvium, technical modifications of the streambeds as well as the deratization of the building areas and animal enclosures. The assemblage's structure of captured small mammals could also be influenced by other factors, such as the predominant type of traps used, or the number of exposed traps in the vegetation and non-vegetation periods of the year. The obtained results are also a suitable basis and source of information for comprehensive and long-term monitoring in this area, given the epidemiological importance of this group of animals and the possibility of contact with exotic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]