The common mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected as unique biomonitor species to implement a regional monitoring programme, the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch (MMW), in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As of today, and upon standardization of the methodological approach, the MMW Network has been able to quantify 137Cs levels in mussels from 60 coastal stations and to produce the first distribution map of this artificial radionuclide at the scale of the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas. While measured 137Cs levels were found to be very low (usually <1 Bq kg-1 wet wt) 137Cs activity concentrations in the Black Sea and North Aegean Sea were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in the western Mediterranean Basin. Such effects, far from representing a threat to human populations or the environment, reflect a persistent signature of the Chernobyl fallout in this area. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience | The common mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected as unique biomonitor species to implement a regional monitoring programme, the CIESM Mediterranean Mussel Watch (MMW), in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As of today, and upon standardization of the methodological approach, the MMW Network has been able to quantify 137Cs levels in mussels from 60 coastal stations and to produce the first distribution map of this artificial radionuclide at the scale of the entire Mediterranean and Black Seas. While measured 137Cs levels were found to be very low (usually &lt;1 Bq kg-1 wet wt) 137Cs activity concentrations in the Black Sea and North Aegean Sea were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those in the western Mediterranean Basin. Such effects, far from representing a threat to human populations or the environment, reflect a persistent signature of the Chernobyl fallout in this area. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience | Increasing nitrogen depositions adversely affect European landscapes, including habitats within the Natura2000 network. Critical loads for nitrogen deposition have been established to quantify the loss of habitat quality. When the nitrogen deposition rises above a habitat-specific critical load, the quality of the focal habitat is expected to be negatively influenced. Here, we investigate how the quality of habitat types is affected beyond the critical load. We calculated response curves for 60 terrestrial habitat types in the Netherlands to the estimated nitrogen deposition (EMEP-data). The curves for habitat types are based on the occurrence of their characteristic plant species in North-Western Europe (plot data from the European Vegetation Archive). The estimated response curves were corrected for soil type, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Evaluation was carried out by expert judgement, and by comparison with gradient deposition field studies. For 39 habitats the response to nitrogen deposition was judged to be reliable by five experts, while out of the 41 habitat types for which field studies were available, 25 showed a good agreement. Some of the curves showed a steep decline in quality and some a more gradual decline with increasing nitrogen deposition. We compared the response curves with both the empirical and modelled critical loads. For 41 curves, we found a decline already starting below the critical load.

International audience | Glass manufacturing operations lead to an increasing number of abandoned slag heaps contaminated with metallic trace elements (MTE). However, the relative influence of edaphic factors on the biodiversity of glasswork wastelands is still poorly understood although closely related to sustainable land management practices. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to provide new insights into glasswork wastelands through the investigation of (i) Orthoptera, diurnal Lepidoptera, plant communities, and (ii) abiotic parameters in the topsoils. To that end, biodiversity indices were computed from ecological inventories performed on the herbaceous layer. In addition, soil samples were taken from the topsoil layer (0-10 cm) to assess agronomic properties, actually (CEC-exchangeable) and potentially bioavailable MTE fractions (DTPA-extractable) and pseudo-total MTE contents. On the one hand, the studied site was able to support a substantially higher than excepted biodiversity with orthopteran assemblages similar to grasslands and a diurnal Lepidoptera diversity comparable to urban parks. We also noted a positive influence of plant richness on the diurnal Lepidoptera community structure. On the other hand, topsoil analysis revealed a severe Pb contamination (1800-3100 mg kg − 1) and a high potentially bioavailable Pb fraction (800-1300 mg kg − 1). However, CEC-exchangeable MTE concentrations were all below the analytical quantification limits. Moreover, the site was characterized by a medium soil fertility. From these results, Pb contamination does not appear to be a primary limiting factor for the establishment of these communities. We assume that glasswork wasteland ecosytems are more affected by soil fertility or land management practices. To conclude, these sites are able to provide biodiversity ecosystem services, acting as wildlife sanctuaries for Orthoptera and diurnal Lepidoptera, and strategic metals by phytoextraction in a circular economy model. Thus, wasteland management practices should consider the local-scale drivers of biodiversity in order to reach at least the zero net loss of biodiversity. ☆ This paper has been recommended for acceptance by Amit Bhatnagar.

The river Gvozdac (Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a small hill water current. It is situated on the mountain Goc and it belongs to the river basin of the river Ibar. During 1965, water micro-reservoir "Gvozdac" on the river Gvozdac was built for the hydroenergetic purposes, with the capacity of about 30,000 cubic meter and the maximum depth, in the present situation of about 2.5 m. Algological and saprobiological enquires have been performed on the water micro-reservoir, on the very river Gvozdac, on the river Ribnica and on some smaller stagnant waters on the given area, in the period between 1988-1994. The analysis have been shown that under the influence of antropogenic factors changes became apparent in the confluence and structure of algae flora as well as a degradation of water quality. The example of water micro-reservoir on the river Gvozdac indicates the destructive processes which are being developed in water micro-reservoirs and which should be stopped, as the significance of the small stagnant waters are not only in keeping and improvement of qualities of greater aquatorials and water tributaries of the river basins but also in the storing of biodiversity of aquatic assotiations in river basins (as well as in algae flora as one of the components).

Poster session | International audience

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux [TR1_IRSTEA]ARCEAU [ADD1_IRSTEA]Hydrosystèmes et risques naturels | International audience | RECOTOX is a cross-cutting initiative promoting an integrated research to respond to the challenges of monitoring, understanding, and mitigating environmental and health impacts of pesticides in agroecosystems. The added value of RECOTOX is to develop a common culture around spatial ecotoxicology including the whole chain of pressure-exposure-impact, while strengthening an integrated network of in natura specifically equipped sites. In particular, it promotes transversal approaches at relevant socioecological system scales, to capitalize knowledge, expertise, and ongoing research in ecotoxicology and, to a lesser extent, environmental toxicology. Thus, it will open existing research infrastructures in environmental sciences to research programs in ecotoxicology of pesticides.

In the scope of the Program of surface water quality examinations in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), hydrometric measurements and water quality examinations had been realized, where zooplankton and microzooperiphyton researches have been performed. Sampling were performed in the period from 6th to 20th May 2000, at 13 water courses with taken in total 21 samples. In qualitative structure of examined fauna, Rotatoria, Cladocera and Copepoda groups were treated, with ascertained in total 109 taxa from 41 genus. In qualitative structure periphyton taxa are predominant. On the basis of bioindicatory species structure it is noticed that dominant species are oligasaprobic and oligobetamesosaprobic character.

The investigations of the macrozoobenthos of the Crvena Reka river (Serbia, Yugoslavia), left tributary to the Nisava river, were performed during July in 1999. Samples were collected from 15 localities, from the spring of the Crvena Reka river (originating from Toponicka and Vetska rivers) to the lower course, the aim being to investigate the diversity of macrozoobenthos of these running waters which had not been investigated. The community of macroinvertebrates of the Crvena Reka river and the streams, which make it, consists of 54 determined taxa (at species and genus level) from 16 animal groups. Larvae of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera have the greatest diversity, each having ten determined taxa. The middle course of the Topnicka river (locality T4) is characterized by the greatest diversity (25 taxa), while the springs (due to constant ecological parameters) have poor diversity with two and one determined taxa in locality V1 and V2, respectively. The water quality of the investigated river and streams, which make it, on the basis of the results of saprobiological analysis, is of beta-mezosaprobic quality, i.e. second class of quality in most localities.

The general conclusions of Warsaw ILTER meeting was that following ILTER philosophy, ecological processes integrity can be maintained on the basis of profound knowledge on the rate of changes, hierarchy of driving forces and resistance and resilience of ecosystems. To achieve such complex understanding of these processes there is a need , first to collect and analyze broad spectrum of data possibly standardized by methodology and next permanently exchange information with coordinators from other countries and regions. As a consequence the participants suggested to extend the initial number of 6 sites situated mostly at National Parks and MAB Biosphere Reserve by the new sites representing broader scope of ecosystems and wider range of its anthropogenic modifications. This should allow to define the regional hierarchy of factors deteriorating the ecological systems and create better scope for comparative studies for global environment