Abstract: Animals, the silent sentinels, stand watch over the world's environmental health. Everyday, animals demonstrate intricate connections between them, us and our surroundings. Amphibians are vertebrates and include approximately 4400 existing species. Amphibians are in most cases, small, diverse and sensitive to environmental variability. They can be good indicators of habitat diversity, biological variety and local stressors on the environment. They are bathed in both water and air. They live outdoors on land and water and their skin, larvae and unshelled eggs are constantly exposed and in contact with the substances in their surroundings. We searched Web of Science and references of relevant publications to evidence the application of amphibians, especially Xenopus laevis as model animal in ecotoxicology.

Keywords: amphibians, genotoxicity, ecotoxicology

Abstract: Tests based on the growth inhibition of Lemna minor are widely used in ecotoxicology. The assessment endpoint is the development of new fronds, which is not only a rapid response but is also of ecological significance. At present this is the only standard ecotoxicological test in Europe which uses a higher aquatic plant species, so toxic effect of different contaminants should be extrapolated to other macrophytes. As it might be suspected that cyanobacteria and macrophytes are in a competitive interaction, more and more studies are targeted to reveal the mechanisms via cyanobacterial toxins explicate inhibitory effect. In order to find out what actual risk cyanobacterial toxicity might pose on coexisting Lemna populations, Lemna growth inhibition tests were carried out using duckweed clones collected from different natural habitats. Striking differences were found, identifying clones showing normal reproduction in the presence of Microcystis aeruginosa but on the contrary, other clones showed not only reproduction inhibition but visual symptoms such as chlorosis and necrosis.

Keywords: Lemna minor, ecological risk assessment, ToxAlert, microcystin

Abstract: Counts of animal corpses resulting from road traffic collisions can give useful information on changes in animal abundance if there is a correlation between the population density of the species in neighbouring habitats and the number of road kills observed. Collection of data on mammal road casualties can be carried out by untrained volunteers; it can be collected across large areas; and it is cost effective in terms of time and expense. We carried out a study to determine if road casualty data can be used to monitor mammal abundance and distribution using one of the most commonly recorded road casualty species in the UK, the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), as an example. We found a direct relationship between the numbers of rabbit road casualties and the numbers living in the wider landscape. Nearly 60% of the deviance in the live rabbit density index could be explained using only rabbit road casualty, landclass group and traffic flow data. Therefore the use of road casualty data is a cost effective method of monitoring rabbits and, by implication, other species over a large area in the UK, and is a highly effective means of monitoring terrestrial mammals.

Keywords: road-kill, abundance, monitoring, rabbit, oryctolagus cuniculus

Abstract: In this review, the impacts of climate change on Lepidoptera species and communities are summarized, regarding already registered changes in case of individual species and assemblies, and possible future effects. These include changes in abundance, distribution ranges (altitude above sea level, geographical distribution), phenology (earlier or later flying, number of generations per year). The paper also contains a short description of the observed impacts of single factors and conditions (temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration, drought, predators and parasitoids, UV-B radiation) affecting the life of moths and butterflies, and recorded monitoring results of changes in the Lepidoptera communities of some observed areas. The review is closed with some theoretical considerations concerning the characteristics of “winner” species and also the features and conditions needed for a successful invasion, conquest of new territories.

Keywords: butterflies, moths, abundance, distribution, phenology

Abstract: The world’s biodiversity and ecosystems are threatened by the invasion of alien plant species. They have been found to impact the structure in function of ecosystems in temperate, tropical and subtropical areas (Holm et al., 1977; Pysek, 1997; Byers et al., 2002; Ehrenfeld, 2003). We reviewed studies to summarize the impact of four plant species invasions on European ecosystems: Solidago gigantea, Prunus serotina, Heracleum mantegazzianum and Fallopia japonica, because they are amongst a number of invasive species which have spread over the last centuries, and are still increasing their range in Europe. They cause negative impacts on both native biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (including productivity, nutrient cycling and soil organic matter dynamics).

Keywords: invasive plant species, natural and managed ecosystem, species effect, soil nutrients

Abstract: This study investigated how the exploitation of wetlands, locally known as dambos, changes their vegetation composition, soil properties and how that in-turn affects the water quality. We therefore compared diversity and soil conditions between a protected (Madikane) and exploited (Dufuya) dambo impacted by communal agriculture and grazing in Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe. Species diversity was higher in Madikane (H’ = 2.52) than Dufuya (H’ = 2.14). Species that were present in Madikane indicated a permanent or semi-permanent wetness compared to species tolerant to arid conditions, reflecting disturbance in Dufuya. Dambo utilization also indicated a change in dominance from perennials to annuals and an increase in exotic species. There was no significant difference in the physical structure of the soil between the rather pristine and exploited sites (% clay and % silt, p > 0.05). A significant difference was recorded in the chemical properties of the soil (pH, phosphorus, nitrate-N, ammonium-N and organic carbon content). Water quality was good in the protected dambo than the exploited dambo as indicated by the differences in calcium ions and conductivity. The protection of wetlands is shown to be important in conserving biological diversity.

Keywords: dambo, species diversity, agriculture, soil condition