1. CO₂ and temperature variations during peak tourist season in Lepe jame (Postojna Cave, Slovenia)Matija Perne, Marija Zlata Božnar, Primož Mlakar, Boštjan Grašič, Dragana Kokal, Franci Gabrovšek, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: We present and analyze measurements of CO₂ concentration and air temperature taken during the peak tourist season of 2017 in Lepe Jame, a poorly ventilated passage within Postojnska Jama, Slovenia. During the study, the passage was visited by between 5500 and 6500 visitors per day. Both parameters show pronounced diurnal fluctuations, primarily driven by visitor activity. As part of our campaign, we tested and confirmed the effectiveness of enhanced ventilation—achieved by opening the artificial tunnel connecting Postojnska Jama to Črna Jama—in preventing excessively high CO₂ concentrations. The measure is, however, questionable, as it affects the microclimate in Črna Jama. Although CO₂ concentration and temperature are correlated, notable differences emerge in the shapes of their respective rise and recession curves. Temperature increases more rapidly with the arrival of visitors, while it decreases more slowly after visiting hours compared to CO₂. This lag is attributed to thermal storage: heat from visitors is absorbed by the cave walls during the day and gradually released into the cave during the night.
Keywords: karst, cave climate, show cave, carbon dioxide, cave monitoring
Published in DiRROS: 10.01.2026; Views: 113; Downloads: 58
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2. Global health at crossroads : uniting together to overcome challenges, restore trust and advance priorities for a sustainable futureMassimo Sartelli, Elias Mossialos, Federico Coccolini, Ib Jammer, Francesco M. Labricciosa, Philip S. Barie, Walter L. Biffl, Ziad A. Memish, Markus Maeurer, 2025, other scientific articles Abstract: The world is currently facing an unprecedented convergence of crises that threaten the core pillars of public health, scientific integrity, and social stability. These challenges are profoundly interconnected and have the potential to exacerbate global inequalities, jeopardize health security, and undermine the progress achieved through decades of international collaboration. Our viewpoint declaration, developed by 366 healthcare workers and scientists from 119 countries across six continents, highlights the urgent need for global solidarity and collective action to address these interconnected global health challenges. As healthcare workers and scientists, we must prioritize the protection of scientific integrity, combat political interference, and restore public trust in the scientific process. This will require a commitment to transparency, ethical responsibility, and evidence-based decision-making that can stand strong in the face of political and social adversity. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of resilient healthcare systems, emphasizing that preparedness, capacity building and coherent leadership and coordination are essential for future global health crises. In addition, our call for a One Health approach, acknowledging the intricate relationship between human, animal, and environmental health, has never been more pressing, especially as zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance spread across borders. As we confront ongoing wars, environmental destruction, and global persistent health inequalities, it is only through unity, solidarity, collaboration, and innovation that we hope to build a healthier, more equitable world. Together, we must ensure that science and medicine remain a force for good, capable of addressing both the immediate and long-term needs and challenges facing our shared future.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, artificial intelligence, climate change, global health, healthcare systems, infectious diseases, misinformation, one health, public health, scientific research
Published in DiRROS: 08.01.2026; Views: 84; Downloads: 38
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3. European beech decline in Slovenia is caused by a complex diseaseNikica Ogris, Ana Brglez, Andreja Kavčič, Janja Zajc Žunič, Maarten De Groot, Barbara Piškur, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: In recent decades, the average crown defoliation of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in Central Europe has been steadily increasing, resulting in a decline in tree vitality. This study aimed to identify the key factors contributing to this deterioration. Forty healthy and 40 damaged European beech trees were felled on a systematic 16 × 16 km grid, and all tree parts were sampled for fungi and insects. Additionally, soil samples were collected for Phytophthora testing. Of 6400 cultured samples, 5828 fungal cultures were classified into 251 morphotypes. The twenty most frequent morphotypes from each tree part were selected for further molecular identification, revealing 44 different fungal taxa. The most frequently isolated fungal species were Neonectria coccinea, Neohendersonia kickxii, Apiognomonia errabunda and Aureobasidium pullulans—all well-known and common endophytes. Surprisingly, Phytophthora species were detected in only three of the 80 soil samples. The most frequent insect species were Orchestes fagi, Phyllaphis fagi, Psilocorsis reflexella and Phyllonorycter maestingella. The results indicate that the decline of European beech in Central Europe is driven by a multifaceted interplay of biotic and abiotic factors, with fungi playing the most significant role. Analysis revealed distinct differences in fungal and insect communities across sampled tree parts, but not between healthy and damaged trees. This finding is crucial, as it shows that healthy trees host endophytes that can exhibit pathogenic traits under external stress factors. Therefore, resilience and sustainability of beech will depend on mitigation of stressors and implementation of adaptive management strategies that address the evolving environmental challenges.
Keywords: Fagus sylvatica, decline, complex disease, drought, climate change, sustainability
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 192; Downloads: 78
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4. Slippery slopes : montane isolation and elevational shifts shape the evolution and diversity of Iberolacerta lizardsChristophe Dufresnes, Sven Gippner, Sylvia Hofmann, Spartak Litvinchuk, Anamarija Žagar, Daniel Jablonski, Gilles Pottier, Rodrigo Megía-Palma, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Octavio Jiménez Robles, Enrique Ayllón, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: Understanding the processes driving the diversity of mountain herpetofauna requires a comprehensive examination of species diversification across evolutionary scales. Here, we investigate the phylogeography of Iberolacerta, a genus of eight lizard species mainly restricted to high elevations in southwestern Europe. Using genomic data, we reconstructed a nuclear phylogeny that aligns with mitochondrial evidence in supporting the divergence of all currently recognized species. Notably, we detect historical nuclear gene flow between I. cyreni and I. martinezricai in Central Spain, suggesting past range overlap, reminiscent of previously observed mitochondrial introgression between I. galani and I. monticola, and the lack of divergence between disjoint populations of I. monticola. Bioclimatic projections accordingly depict broader historical ranges during the last glacial maximum compared to interglacial and current conditions. At the intraspecific level, genomic analyses of four high-elevation species reveal that genetic structure is mainly shaped by isolation-by-distance and, in I. cyreni, by separation among mountain ranges, while heterozygosity generally decreases with elevation. These findings are consistent with the impact of glacial-interglacial cycles on the genetic diversity of montane taxa: populations experience genetic isolation and altitudinal bottlenecks during interglacial periods, but are reconnected and admix in lowland areas during glacial periods. These processes are expected to leave contrasting signatures between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, as well as between slow- and fast-evolving molecular markers. From a conservation perspective, our results highlight that the genetically richest – and potentially most adaptive – populations occur at the lowland edges of the species’ ranges, where they are also most vulnerable to climate change.
Keywords: biogeography, climate change, Lacertidae, RAD-seq, Europe
Published in DiRROS: 19.12.2025; Views: 184; Downloads: 114
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5. Divergent trends in insect disturbance across Europe's temperate and boreal forestsTomáš Hlásny, Roman Modlinger, Jostein Gohli, Rupert Seidl, Paal Krokene, Iris Bernardinelli, Simon Blaser, Gediminas Brazaitis, Gailenė Brazaitytė, Eckehard Brockerhoff, Maarten De Groot, Marija Kolšek, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Ongoing shifts in climate and land use have altered interactions between trees and insect herbivores, changing biotic disturbance regimes. However, as these changes are complex and vary across host species, insect taxa, and feeding guilds, they remain poorly understood. We compiled annual records of forest insect disturbance from 15 countries in temperate and boreal Europe, spanning the period from 2000 to 2022. The dataset comprises 1361 time series characterizing the dynamics of 50 herbivorous insects. We used this dataset to test whether insect disturbance has systematically changed during the 23-year period across host trees and feeding guilds, whether it varies along latitudinal and climatic gradients, and whether synchrony exists among species in the same guild or among species sharing the same host. Since 2000, borer disturbance was predominantly concentrated on gymnosperms, while defoliators impacted gymnosperms and angiosperms more evenly. While 85.8% of gymnosperm disturbance was inflicted by a single species, Ips typographus, the majority of disturbances to angiosperms were caused by six different species. Borer impact on gymnosperms has increased in the 21st century, while defoliator impact has decreased across both clades. In contrast to diverging temporal trends, disturbance was consistently greater in warmer and drier conditions across feeding guilds and host types. We identified significant synchrony in insect disturbance within host types and feeding guilds but not between these groups, suggesting shared drivers within guilds and host types. Increasing insect disturbance to gymnosperms may catalyze adaptive transformations in Europe's forests, promoting a shift from historical conifer-dominated management to broadleaved trees, which are less affected by insect herbivores. Our findings reveal a diversity of trends in insect herbivory, underscoring the need to strengthen monitoring and research in order to better understand underlying mechanisms and identify emerging threats that may not be apparent in currently available data.
Keywords: climate change, ecosystem adaptation, forest disturbance, forest insect herbivores, host tree types, insect feeding guilds
Published in DiRROS: 26.11.2025; Views: 365; Downloads: 107
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6. Spatiotemporal variability of dendroecological indicators in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) tree-rings across Europe in relation to species distribution modelsAndrei Popa, Jernej Jevšenak, Marcin K. Dyderski, Radosław Puchałka, Allan Buras, Ionel Popa, Martin Wilmking, Aleksandra Kalisty, Catalin Constantin Roibu, Marcin Jakubowski, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Climate is a primary, but non-stationary, driver of tree growth. Climate change is altering the sensitivity of forest growth to water availability and temperature over time. It is considered that pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) will cope with the changing climatic conditions in Europe in the near future. However, while species distribution models project expansion zones, they also identify reductions in occurrence at the dry and warm distribution margins. Whereas species distribution models primarily rely on occurrence data, tree rings—given their long-term perspective and their use in empirical models—can provide a mechanistic view of forest growth dynamics, including temporally changing climate responses. Increased climate sensitivity and growth synchrony are key dendroecological indicators of tree stress. Here, we used an unprecedented network of 150 Q. robur sites (over 3300 trees), covering the full projected range of contracting to persistent areas across Europe, to assess the dendroecological indicators over recent decades in relation to species distribution model predictions. We reveal that oaks in areas projected to experience range contraction exhibited greater sensitivity to current growing season climatic conditions, whereas those in persistence areas responded more strongly to previous season conditions. Growth synchrony among trees was higher in the contraction areas, but showed no significant increasing trend over the last 70 years, as expected from ecotone theory. Temporal shifts in climate sensitivity were stronger for temperature and vapor pressure deficit in the persistence areas, whereas the climatic water balance gained importance in the contraction zones. These findings suggest that Q. robur growth is not yet being severely affected by climate change, and that the species is currently coping well with the climate changes, even in regions with projected range contractions, thereby challenging statistically derived scenarios of range shift based on species distribution models.
Keywords: climate change scenarios, climate–growth relationships, climatic water balance, growth synchrony, range contraction, vapor pressure deficit
Published in DiRROS: 04.11.2025; Views: 270; Downloads: 126
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7. Genomic signatures of climate-driven (mal)adaptation in an iconic conifer, the English Yew (Taxus baccata L.)Thomas Francisco, Santiago C. González-Martínez, Maria Mayol, Elia Vajana, Miquel Riba, Marjana Westergren, Stephen Cavers, Sara Pinosio, Francesca Bagnoli, Maurizio Marchi, Filipos Aravanopoulos, 2025, complete scientific database of research data Abstract: This dataset consists of a Variant Call Format (VCF) file containing genomic data from Taxus baccata (European yew). The dataset includes 11,374 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified across 490 individual trees sampled from across the European range of the species. This dataset was used to carry out a study investigating patterns of local adaptation and to assessing the risk of climate maladaptation using genomic offset approaches. English (2025-05-28)
Keywords: climate change , genomic offset , genotype- environment association , local adaptation , Taxus baccata
Published in DiRROS: 03.11.2025; Views: 266; Downloads: 74
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9. Potential metabolic activity, catalase activity, performance traits and morphological variables of 94 individuals belonging to Podarcis muralis species used in the analysis : version v1Anamarija Žagar, Veronica Gomes, Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza, Tatjana Simčič, Miguel A. Carretero, 2022, complete scientific database of research data Abstract: Potential Metabolic Activity (ETS26_P, ETS31_P, ETS36_P), Catalase Activity (CAT_P), Performance traits (BITE, SPRINT,CLIMB, MANO) and Morphological variables (snout-vent length (SVL), trunk length (TRL), pileus length (PL), head length (HL), head width (HW), head height (HH), fore limb length (FLL) and hind limb length (HLL) of 94 individuals belonging to Podarcis muralis species. The data was used in the analysis of the paper entitled: Is It Function or Fashion? An Integrative Analysis of Morphology, Performance, and Metabolism in a Colour Polymorphic Lizard, by authors Verónica Gomes, Anamarija Žagar, Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza, Tatjana Simčič and Miguel A. Carretero, published in the journal Diversity 2022, 14, 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14020116
Keywords: lizards, morphology, viviparity, sexual dimorphism, climate change, data
Published in DiRROS: 27.10.2025; Views: 265; Downloads: 175
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10. Size, age, telomere and ecophysiology data of Gallotia galloti lizard species sampled in Tenerife : version v1Nina Guerra Serén, Rodrigo Megía-Palma, Tatjana Simčič, Miha Krofel, Fabio Maria Guarino, Catarina Pinho, Anamarija Žagar, Miguel A. Carretero, 2023, complete scientific database of research data Abstract: The dataset is used in the manuscript "Nina Serén, Rodrigo Megía-Palma, Tatjana Simčič, Miha Krofel, Fabio Maria Guarino, Catarina Pinho, Anamarija Žagar, Miguel A. Carretero. Functional responses in a lizard along a 3.5 km altitudinal gradient. Journal of Biogeography (under review)." The dataset consists of measurements of individual lizards of the species Gallotia galloti, each tagged with a unique CODE. Data include year of sampling, population name, exact elevation (in meters above sea level) and approximate elevation (rounded to the nearest hundred, in meters), and sex. Measurements were as follows: Snout Vent Length (in millimeters), Mass (in grams), AGE_Consensus (in years), Relative Telomere Length, PMA(29ºC, 33 ºC and 37ºC) (Potential metabolic activity measured at experimental conditions of 29˚C, 33ºC and 37ºC, respectively,in µLO2/mg prot/h), Catalase (in relative units U/mg protein), EWLa (accumulated evaporative water loss (in grams) and Temperature_8AM-5PM (measurements of cloacal temperature at hourly intervals starting at 8AM and ending at 5PM).
Keywords: lizards, ecophysiology, oxydative stress, telomeres, climate change, data
Published in DiRROS: 27.10.2025; Views: 314; Downloads: 169
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