1. The ongoing range expansion of the invasive oak lace bug across Europe : current occurrence and potential distribution under climate changeAlbert Ciceu, Flavius Balacenoiu, Maarten De Groot, Debojyoti Chakraborty, Dimitrios N. Avtzis, Marek Barta, Simon Blaser, Matteo Bracalini, Bastien Castagneyrol, Ulyana A. Chernova, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: In recent years, the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata, has emerged as a significant threat to European oak forests. This species, native to North America, has in the last two decades rapidly extended its range in Europe, raising concerns about its potential impact on the continent's invaluable oak populations. To address this growing concern, we conducted an extensive study to assess the distribution, colonization patterns, and potential ecological niche of the oak lace bug in Europe. We gathered 1792 unique presence coordinates from 21 Eurasian countries, utilizing diverse sources such as research observations, citizen science initiatives, GBIF database, and social media reports. To delineate the realized niche and future distribution, we employed an ensemble species distribution modelling (SDM) framework. Two future greenhouse gas scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were considered across three-time intervals (2021–2040, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100) to project and evaluate the species' potential distribution in the future. Our analysis revealed that significant hotspots rich in host species occurrence for this invasive insect remain uninvaded so far, even within its suitable habitat. Furthermore, the native ranges of Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) and Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto L.) species offer entirely suitable environments for the oak lace bug. In contrast, the pedunculate oak and sessile oak distribution ranges currently show only 40 % and 50 % suitability for colonization, respectively. However, our predictive models indicate a significant transformation in the habitat suitability of the oak lace bug, with suitability for these two oak species increasing by up to 90 %. This shift underlines an evolving landscape where the oak lace bug may exploit more of its available habitats than initially expected. It emphasises the pressing need for proactive measures to manage and stop its expanding presence, which may lead to a harmful impact on the oak population across the European landscape. Keywords: biological invasion, invasive species, species distribution model, Oak pest, biodiversity impact, European oak forest, Europe, oak forest Published in DiRROS: 13.08.2024; Views: 38; Downloads: 850
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2. Range expansion of alien nudibranch Melibe viridis (Kelaart, 1858) in the northern Adriatic SeaLovrenc Lipej, Borut Mavrič, 2017, other scientific articles Abstract: The alien nudibranch Melibe viridis (Kelaart, 1858) was recorded in the waters of Slovenia (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea). A specimen was photographed and fi lmed on rocky hard bottom of the Natural Monument Cape Madona in October 2016. This is the fi rst record of this large sized nudibranch for Slovenia and for the Gulf of Trieste, as well, and a new one among otherwise rare records on this species in the Adriatic Sea. Keywords: Slovenia, non indigenous species, Adriatic Sea Published in DiRROS: 07.08.2024; Views: 94; Downloads: 121
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3. First record of the bryozoan Tricellaria inopinata (dʼHondt & Occhipinti Ambrogi, 1985) from the Slovenian seaAna Fortič, Borut Mavrič, 2018, other scientific articles Abstract: In this paper we present the first record of Tricellaria inopinata d’Hondt & Occhipinti Ambrogi, 1985 for the Slovenian coastal sea. The colonies of this bryozoan were found attached to the mussel shells in the sight of Sečovlje, Strunjan and Debeli rtič mussel cultures from April to October 2018 and in Valdoltra harbour in November 2018. After the introduction into the Lagoon of Venice in the 1980s and its rapid spread throughout the lagoon in the following years, the species was regarded as an invasive taxon for that area and it is highly expected to colonize the whole Northern Adriatic region. The status of T. inopinata and its ecological impact has yet to be determined for the Slovenian coastal sea. Keywords: alien species, Gulf of Trieste, Adriatic Sea, mussel aquaculture Published in DiRROS: 07.08.2024; Views: 76; Downloads: 66
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4. First record of the Canestrini’s goby Ninnigobius canestrinii (Ninni, 1883) : a rare and endangered fish species from Slovenian watersDomen Trkov, Ana Fortič, 2023, other scientific articles Abstract: The Canestrini’s goby is a small goby endemic to the Adriatic basin, inhabiting brackish and fresh waters. The species is threatened by habitat destruction and pollution. For this reason, the goby is protected in part of its range, while its conservation status in other areas is not yet established. The detailed biogeography of the species should be known so that appropriate conservation measures can be taken. Despite extensive sampling of fish fauna in coastal wetlands, this species has not yet been detected in Slovenia. In this study, the first record of Ninnigobius canestrinii (Ninni, 1883) in Slovenian waters is reported along with a comprehensive review of documented records of the species. Keywords: Gobiidae, endemic goby, endangered species, habitat endangerment, habitat destruction, biogeography, northern Adriatic basin, Slovenia Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 82; Downloads: 54
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5. Unpublished Mediterranean and Black Sea records of marine alien, cryptogenic, and neonative speciesMichail Ragkousis, Argyro Zenetos, Jamila Ben Souissi, Razy Hoffman, Raouia Ghanem, Ana Fortič, Domen Trkov, Lovrenc Lipej, Borut Mavrič, Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Leon Lojze Zamuda, 2023, other scientific articles Abstract: To enrich spatio-temporal information on the distribution of alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, a collective effort by 173 marine scientists was made to provide unpublished records and make them open access to the scientific community. Through this effort, we collected and harmonized a dataset of 12,649 records. It includes 247 taxa, of which 217 are Animalia, 25 Plantae and 5 Chromista, from 23 countries surrounding the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Chordata was the most abundant taxonomic group, followed by Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Annelida. In terms of species records, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Saurida lessepsianus, Pterois miles, Upeneus moluccensis, Charybdis (Archias) longicollis, and Caulerpa cylindracea were the most numerous. The temporal distribution of the records ranges from 1973 to 2022, with 44% of the records in 2020–2021. Lethrinus borbonicus is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, while Pomatoschistus quagga, Caulerpa cylindracea, Grateloupia turuturu, and Misophria pallida are first records for the Black Sea; Kapraunia schneideri is recorded for the second time in the Mediterranean and for the first time in Israel; Prionospio depauperata and Pseudonereis anomala are reported for the first time from the Sea of Marmara. Many first country records are also included, namely: Amathia verticillata (Montenegro), Ampithoe valida (Italy), Antithamnion amphigeneum (Greece), Clavelina oblonga (Tunisia and Slovenia), Dendostrea cf. folium (Syria), Epinephelus fasciatus (Tunisia), Ganonema farinosum (Montenegro), Macrorhynchia philippina (Tunisia), Marenzelleria neglecta (Romania), Paratapes textilis (Tunisia), and Botrylloides diegensis (Tunisia). Keywords: non-native species, non-indigenous, distribution, invasive alien species, geo-referenced records, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 100; Downloads: 384
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6. Building and applying quantitative adverse outcome pathway models for chemical hazard and risk assessmentEdward J. Perkins, Roman Ashauer, Lyle Burgoon, Rory Conolly, Brigitte Landesmann, Cameron Mackay, Cheryl A. Murphy, Nathan Pollesch, James R. Wheeler, Anže Županič, Stefan Scholz, 2019, review article Abstract: An important goal in toxicology is the development of new ways to increase the speed, accuracy, and applicability of chemical hazard and risk assessment approaches. A promising route is the integration of in vitro assays with biological pathway information. We examined how the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework can be used to develop pathway-based quantitative models useful for regulatory chemical safety assessment. By using AOPs as initial conceptual models and the AOP knowledge base as a source of data on key event relationships, different methods can be applied to develop computational quantitative AOP models (qAOPs) relevant for decision making. A qAOP model may not necessarily have the same structure as the AOP it is based on. Useful AOP modeling methods range from statistical, Bayesian networks, regression, and ordinary differential equations to individual-based models and should be chosen according to the questions being asked and the data available. We discuss the need for toxicokinetic models to provide linkages between exposure and qAOPs, to extrapolate from in vitro to in vivo, and to extrapolate across species. Finally, we identify best practices for modeling and model building and the necessity for transparent and comprehensive documentation to gain confidence in the use of qAOP models and ultimately their use in regulatory applications. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1850–1865. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. Keywords: Quantitative Adverse Outcome pathways, TKTD modelling, alternatives to animal testing, predictive toxicology, species extrapolation, prioritization of chemicals Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 69; Downloads: 65
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7. Intertwined roles of reactive oxygen species and salicylic acid signaling are crucial for the plant response to biotic stressTjaša Lukan, Anna Coll Rius, 2022, review article Abstract: One of the earliest hallmarks of plant immune response is production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in different subcellular compartments, which regulate plant immunity. A suitable equilibrium, which is crucial to prevent ROS overaccumulation leading to oxidative stress, is maintained by salicylic acid (SA), a chief regulator of ROS. However, ROS not only act downstream of SA signaling, but are also proposed to be a central component of a self-amplifying loop that regulates SA signaling as well as the interaction balance between different phytohormones. The exact role of this crosstalk, the position where SA interferes with ROS signaling and ROS interferes with SA signaling and the outcome of this regulation, depend on the origin of ROS but also on the pathosystem. The precise spatiotemporal regulation of organelle-specific ROS and SA levels determine the effectiveness of pathogen arrest and is therefore crucial for a successful immune response. However, the regulatory interplay behind still remains poorly understood, as up until now, the role of organelle-specific ROS and SA in hypersensitive response (HR)-conferred resistance has mostly been studied by altering the level of a single component. In order to address these aspects, a sophisticated combination of research methods for monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of key players and transcriptional activity in plants is needed and will most probably consist of biosensors and precision transcriptomics. Keywords: plant immune response, reactive oxygen species, ROS, salicylic acid, programmed cell death, biotic stress, biotechnology Published in DiRROS: 05.08.2024; Views: 112; Downloads: 58
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8. The importance of population contextual data for large-scale biomonitoring using an apex predator : the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)Urška Ratajc, Rui Lourenço, Silvia Espín, Pablo Sánchez Virosta, Simon Birrer, Dani Studler, Chris Wernham, Al Vrezec, 2023, review article Abstract: Top predators are often used as sentinel species in contaminant monitoring due to their exposure and vulnerability to persistent, bioaccumulative and, in some cases, biomagnificable contaminants. Some of their ecological traits can vary in space and time, and are known to influence the contamination levels and therefore information on ecological traits should be used as contextual data for correct interpretation of large-scale contaminant spatial patterns. These traits can explain spatiotemporal variation in contaminant exposure (traits such as diet and dispersal distances) or contaminant impacts (traits such as population trend and clutch size). The aim of our research was to review the spatial variation in selected contextual parameters in the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), a species identified by the COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility as one of the most suitable candidates for pan-European biomonitoring. A considerable variation in availability of published and unpublished contextual data across Europe was found, with diet being the most extensively studied trait. We demonstrate that the Tawny Owl is a suitable biomonitor at local scale but also that taking spatial variation of other contextual data (e.g. diet) into account is necessary. We found spatial gaps in knowledge about the species ecology and biology in Southern Europe, along with gaps in certain population parameters (e.g. population trends) in several countries. Based on our findings, we proposed a minimal recommended scheme for monitoring of population contextual data as one of the first steps towards a pan-European monitoring scheme using the Tawny Owl. Keywords: raptors, sentinel species, contamination exposure, contamination impact, diet, minimal recommended monitoring scheme Published in DiRROS: 05.08.2024; Views: 73; Downloads: 92
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9. Unusual bloom of tetrasporophytes of the non-indigenous red alga Asparagopsis armata in the northern Adriatic SeaMartina Orlando-Bonaca, Borut Mavrič, Domen Trkov, Lovrenc Lipej, 2017, original scientific article Abstract: The tetrasporophyte of the non-indigenous red alga Asparagopsis armata (the Falkenbergia stage) is considered to be established in Slovenian coastal waters. However, until 2016, it was found only in low coverage and in few localities with hard substrata. The paper reports a recent bloom of these tetrasporophytes in the mediolittoral belt of the Bay of Piran, where thalli of this red alga overgrew the articularted coralline alga Corallina officinalis. The sites affected by this large expansion of tetrasporophytes of A. armata should be regularly monitored in the future, in order to point out which environmental factors are responsible for such phenomenon, and to formulate proper conclusions on the status of this non-indigenous alga in the coastal area concerned. Keywords: non-indigenous species, coastal waters, autburst, northern Adriatic Sea Published in DiRROS: 01.08.2024; Views: 122; Downloads: 79
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10. "Only introduced" or "invasive" : spread of the alga Aulacoseira ambigua f. japonica from Asia to Africa and EuropeTina Eleršek, 2018, original scientific article Abstract: Many non-native algal species are found in waters all over the world. Many terms are used to describe such organisms that have expanded their distribution. However, a unified model or concept remains to be defined, as how biological ‘invasions’ are seen depends on the perspective. Understanding invasive organisms is important for biodiversity, science policy and water management. During monitoring sampling at Slivniško Lake (Slovenia) in 2016, the curved diatom Aulacoseira ambigua f. japonica Tuji & D.M. Williams was identified. This species originates from Japan, from where it was described more than 100 years ago. The chronology of the published distributions of A. ambigua f. japonica defines its spread from Japan to Asia, then to western Russia and South Africa, and now to central Europe. This study provides further evidence that A. ambigua f. japonica has become established in Europe (Slovenia), as supported by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first qualitative and quantitative description of A. ambigua f. japonica in Europe. It has been suggested that the shape of these algal colonies is significant for the interpretation of ecological information, and indeed, also in the present case, spiral colonies were found in this eutrophic water body. Although curved cells and colonies can also be interpreted as (sub)populations or morphological variants, only detailed molecular studies can reveal if these also have taxonomic significance. Keywords: algae, introduced species, invasive species, scanning electron microscopy Published in DiRROS: 01.08.2024; Views: 118; Downloads: 131
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