The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is listed as a globally endangered species and is vulnerable to anthropogenic threats, including environmental pollution. This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from wild green turtles admitted to a sea turtle rehabilitation center in Taiwan. For this investigation, cloacal and nasal swab samples were collected from 28 green turtles between 2018 and 2020, from which a total of 47 Gram-negative bacterial isolates were identified. Among these, Vibrio spp. were the most dominant isolate (31.91%), and 89.36% of the 47 isolates showed resistance to at least one of 18 antimicrobial agents tested. Isolates resistant to one (6.38%), two (8.51%), and multiple (74.47%) antimicrobials were observed. The antimicrobial agents to which isolates showed the greatest resistance were penicillin (74.47%), followed by spiramycin, amoxicillin, and cephalexin. The antimicrobial-resistance profiles identified in this study provide useful information for the clinical treatment of sea turtles in rehabilitation facilities. The results of our study also imply that wild green turtles may be exposed to polluting effluents containing antimicrobials when the turtles traverse migratory corridors or forage in feeding habitats. To benefit sea turtle conservation, future research should focus on (1) how to prevent pollution from antimicrobials in major green turtle activity areas and (2) identifying sources of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial strains in coastal waters of Taiwan.

Nitrogen (N) deposition may alter physiological process of plants in grassland ecosystem. However, little is known about the response mechanism of individual plants in alpine regions to N deposition. We conducted a field experiment, and three treatments including 0 kg Nha⁻¹year⁻¹ (CK), 8 kgNha⁻¹year⁻¹ (Low N), and 72 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (High N) were established to simulate N deposition in alpine meadow of Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Our objectives were to determine the influence of N deposition on photosynthesis of different functional types of herbage species in alpine meadow, and finally characterize the links of plant productivity and photosynthesis with soil nutrients. The results showed that responses of alpine plants were species-specific under N deposition. Compared with grass species Agropyron cristatum and forb species Thalictrum aquilegifolium, the sedge species Carex melanantha was much more sensitive to N deposition; a lower N load (8 kgNha⁻¹year⁻¹) can cause a negative effect on its photosynthesis and productivity. Additionally, N deposition can promote plant N uptake and significantly decreased the C (carbon)/N (nitrogen) ratio. Compared with CK and low N deposition, high N deposition inhibited the photosynthesis and growth of the forb species Thalictrum aquilegifolium and sedge species Carex melanantha. In all three functional types of herbage species, the grass species A. cristatum tended to show a much higher photosynthetic capacity and better growth potential; thus, suggesting that grass species A. cristatum will be a more adaptative alpine plants under N deposition. Our findings suggested that plant photosynthetic responses to N deposition were species-specific, low N deposition was not beneficial for all the herbage species, and N deposition may change plant composition by the differential photosynthetic responses among species in alpine grassland. Plant composition shift to grass-dorminant in alpine regions might be attributed to a much higher photosynthetic potential and N use efficiency of grass species.

The distribution, feeding ecology and microplastic contamination were assessed in different ontogenetic phases of Haemulidae species inhabiting the Goiana Estuary, over a seasonal cycle. Pomadasys ramosus and Haemulopsis corvinaeformis are estuarine dependent species that use habitats with specific environmental conditions each season. Pomadasys ramosus was found in the upper and middle estuaries during the rainy season, when salinity showed the lowest values. Haemulopsis corvinaeformis was found in the lower estuary during the dry season, when salinity increased in the estuary. Juveniles of P. ramosus are zooplanktivores, feeding mainly on calanoid copepods. Sub-adults and adults are zoobenthivores, feeding on invertebrates associated to the bottom, mainly Polychaeta. Juveniles of H. corvinaeformis were not found in the main channel, but sub-adults and adults showed a zoobenthivore habit, feeding mainly on Anomalocardia flexuosa (Mollusca: Bivalvia). Dietary shifts along the life cycle and the spatio-temporal relationship between their distribution and the availability of microplastics along the estuary seem to have a strong influence in the ingestion of microfilaments. The highest average ingestion of microfilaments by P. ramosus coincided with the peak of ingestion of Polychaeta by sub-adults in the upper estuary during the late rainy season. For H. corvinaeformis the highest ingestion of microfilaments coincided with the peak of ingestion of A. flexuosa by adults in the lower estuary during the late dry season. Such contamination might be attributed to the time when these phases shifted to a more diverse diet and began to forage on benthic invertebrates. Research on microplastic contamination must consider species-specific behaviour, since the intake of microplastics is dependent on patterns of distribution and trophic guild within fish assemblages.

Shooting ranges polluted by antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are used for animal grazing, thus pose a risk of contaminants entering the food chain. Many of these sites are subject to waterlogging of poorly drained soils. Using field lysimeter experiments, we compared Sb, Pb, Cu and Zn uptake by four common pasture plant species (Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens, Plantago lanceolata and Rumex obtusifolius) growing on a calcareous shooting range soil under waterlogged and drained conditions. To monitor seasonal trends, the same plants were collected at three times over the growing season. Additionally, variations in soil solution concentrations were monitored at three depths over the experiment. Under reducing conditions, soluble Sb concentrations dropped from ∼50 μg L−1 to ∼10 μg L−1, which was attributed to the reduction of Sb(V) to Sb(III) and the higher retention of the trivalent species by the soil matrix. Shoot Sb concentrations differed by a factor of 60 between plant species, but remained at levels <0.3 μg g−1. Despite the difference in soil solution concentrations between treatments, total Sb accumulation in shoots for plants collected on the waterlogged soil did not change, suggesting that Sb(III) was much more available for plant uptake than Sb(V), as only 10% of the total Sb was present as Sb(III). In contrast to Sb, Pb, Cu and Zn soil solution concentrations remained unaffected by waterlogging, and shoot concentrations were significantly higher in the drained treatment for many plant species. Although showing an increasing trend over the season, shoot metal concentrations generally remained below regulatory values for fodder plants (40 μg g−1 Pb, 150 μg g−1 Zn, 15–35 μg g−1 Cu), indicating a low risk of contaminant transfer into the food chain under both oxic and anoxic conditions for the type of shooting range soil investigated in this study.

The long-term effects of UVB exclusion and temperature on the methanol extractable (ME) phenolics (flavonoids, phenolic acids) and iridoids of Menyanthes trifoliata L. (Mt) leaves were studied in northern Finland (68°N) using wooden frames covered with filters for UVB exclusion (polyester filter), control (cellulose acetate filter) and ambient (no filter) conditions. Analysis of ambient plots showed no effect of the daily mean temperature (2σ = 1.58 °C) on the leaf ME compound content and composition, but minimum temperatures decreased the flavonol content. UVB exclusion did not affect the total ME compound content but significantly decreased the proportion of flavonols concomitantly with an increase in iridoids. Due to its high iridoid content, Mt appears as an interesting model plant for studying the iridoid biosynthesis and its regulation under stress conditions. This study shows that exclusion of UVB radiation modified the content of flavonols and iridoids but not chlorogenic acids in leaves of Menyanthes trifoliata in the subarctic.

Global change, including urbanisation, threatens many of the >1400 bat species. Nevertheless, certain areas within highly urbanised cities may be suitable to harbour bat populations. Thus, managing urban habitats could contribute to bat conservation. Here, we wanted to establish evidence-based recommendations on how to improve urban spaces for the protection of bats. In a team effort with >200 citizen scientists, we recorded bat vocalisations up to six times over the course of 2 years at each of 600 predefined sites in the Berlin metropolitan area. For each species we identified the preferred and non-preferred landscape features. Our results show that artificial light at night (ALAN) had a negative impact on all species. For soprano pipistrelles and mouse-eared bats ALAN had the largest effect sizes among all environmental predictors. Canopy cover and open water were especially important for bat species that forage along vegetation edges and for trawling bats, respectively. Occurrence probability of species foraging in open space decreased with increasing distance to water bodies. On a larger scale, impervious surfaces tended to have positive effects on some species that are specialised on foraging along edge structures. Our study constitutes an important contribution to the growing body of literature showing that despite the many negative impacts of urbanisation on wildlife, urban environments can harbour bat populations if certain conditions are met, such as access to vegetation and water bodies and low levels of ALAN. Our findings are of high relevance for urban planners and conservationists, as they allow inferences on how to manage urban spaces in a bat-friendly way. We recommend limiting ALAN to the minimum necessary and maintaining and creating uninterrupted vegetated corridors between areas with high levels of canopy cover and water bodies, in which ALAN should be entirely avoided.

The two forage species used in New Zealand pastoral agricultural systems, chicory (Cichorium intybus) and plantain (Plantago lanceolata) show differential ability to absorb and translocate cadmium (Cd) from roots to shoots. Chicory can accumulate Cd from even low Cd soils to levels that might exceed regulatory guidelines for Cd in fodder crops and food. Chicory and plantain were grown in soil-filled rhizocolumns under increasing Cd levels (0 (Control), 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 mg Cd/kg soil) for 60 days and showed variable secretion of oxalic, fumaric, malic and acetic acids as a function of Cd treatment. Plant roots secrete such Low Molecular Weight Organic Acids into the rhizosphere soil, which can influence Cd uptake. Chicory showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower secretion of fumaric acid, and higher secretion of acetic acid than plantain at all Cd treatments. We propose that the significant secretion differences between the two species can explain the significantly (P < 0.05) higher shoot Cd concentration in chicory for all Cd treatments. Understanding the mechanism for increased uptake in chicory may lead to breeding or genetic modification which yield low Cd uptake cultivars needed to mitigate the risk of Cd accumulation in pastoral agricultural food chains from this increasingly important fodder crop.

Exposure to essential and non-essential elements may be elevated for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) that forage close to shore. Biomonitoring of trace elements in turtle blood can identify temporal trends over repeated sampling events, but any interpretation of potential health risks due to an elevated exposure first requires a comparison against a baseline. This study aims to use clinical reference interval (RI) methods to produce exposure baseline limits for essential and non-essential elements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, and Pb) using blood from healthy subadult turtles foraging in a remote and offshore part of the Great Barrier Reef. Subsequent blood biomonitoring of three additional coastal populations, which forage in areas dominated by agricultural, urban and military activities, showed clear habitat-specific differences in blood metal profiles relative to the those observed in the offshore population. Coastal turtles were most often found to have elevated concentrations of Co, Mo, Mn, Mg, Na, As, Sb, and Pb relative to the corresponding RIs. In particular, blood from turtles from the agricultural site had Co concentrations ranging from 160 to 840 μg/L (4–25 times above RI), which are within the order expected to elicit acute effects in many vertebrates. Additional clinical blood biochemistry and haematology results indicate signs of a systemic disease and the prevalence of an active inflammatory response in a high proportion (44%) of turtles from the agricultural site. Elevated Co, Sb, and Mn in the blood of these turtles significantly correlated with elevated markers of acute inflammation (total white cell counts) and liver dysfunction (alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin). The results of this study support the notion that elevated trace element exposures may be adversely affecting the health of nearshore green sea turtles.

Although a great deal is known about the deposition of fluoride on vegetation, and the hazards associated with uptake by grazing herbivores, little is known about what happens to the concentration of fluoride in vegetation and soil at polluted sites once deposition ceases. The closure of Anglesey Aluminium Metals Ltd smelter, in September 2009, provided a unique opportunity to study fluoride loading once deposition stopped. Fluoride was monitored in plants and soil within 1 km of the former emission source. Fluoride concentrations in a range of plant material had decreased to background levels of 10 mg F kg−1 after 36 weeks. Concentrations of fluoride in mineral-rich soils decreased steadily demonstrating their limited potential to act as contaminating sources of fluoride for forage uptake. There were significant differences in the rate of decline of fluoride concentrations between plant species.

Archived samples from the Park Grass Experiment, established in 1856, were analysed to determine the impacts of long-term phosphate fertiliser applications on arsenic concentrations in soil and herbage. In plots receiving 35 kg P ha−1 annually (+P), topsoil As concentrations almost doubled from an initial value of ∼10 mg kg−1 during 1888–1947 and remained stable thereafter. The phosphate fertilisers used before 1948 contained 401–1575 mg As kg−1, compared to 1.6–20.3 mg As kg−1 in the later samples. Herbage samples from the +P plots collected during 1888–1947 contained significantly more As than those from the −P plots, but later samples did not differ significantly. Mass-balance calculations show that the increase in soil As can be explained by the As input from P fertiliser applications before 1948. The results demonstrate that the P fertilisers used on the Park Grass Experiment before 1948 caused substantial As contamination of the soil.