Finnish Environment Institute,Ministry of the Environment

Effective management of marine ecosystems requires understanding linkages between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. While key species have been identified in many marine systems, the functions provided by different habitats have not been comprehensively synthesised in the region, limiting the ability to identify key habitats. Here, we assess the current state of knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem functions associated with benthic and pelagic habitat types in the northern Baltic Sea. Drawing on literature, data and expert assessments, we evaluated 49 habitat types, identifying 750 habitat type-function linkages. Of these, 35

Agricultural mulching films represent a major source of microplastics (MPs; defined as particles 1 mu m-5 mm in size) in soils. With a projected exponential increase of the global use of agricultural mulching films, concentrations of MPs in soil are bound to increase. Short-term single species toxicity tests using mulching film-based MPs showed effects on soil invertebrates at high concentrations, up to 5 % (w/w dry soil), as well as on soil physicochemical properties. This study aimed to provide insight into the long-term effects of mulching film-based MPs by simulating an agricultural growing season in a highly controlled mesocosm system called CLIMECS. Eight replicate constructed cores of Lufa 2.2 soil spiked with 0 % (control), 0.025 %, 0.05 %, 0.2 % or 0.8 % starchpolybutadiene adipate terephthalate MPs received a constant springtail community (Heteromurus nitidus, Protaphorura fimata and Sinella curviseta), two species of earthworm (Aporrectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus rubellus), cress (Lepidium sativum) as vegetation cover, and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a crop. After 13 weeks incubation, soil pH and smaller soil aggregate fractions were significantly decreased already at the lowest exposure concentration of 0.025 % MPs compared to the control (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). Springtail community composition did not show differences between treatments. Earthworm survival was not affected by the MPs, but total earthworm reproduction was lower at 0.2 % and 0.8 % MPs compared to the 0.05 % treatment. This study showed that MPs derived from biodegradable mulching film plastics may affect soil physicochemical properties and earthworm reproduction at environmentally relevant concentrations.

The spread of aquatic non-indigenous species (NIS) is recognised as a major threat to the recipient regions ecosystems. The present study reviewed all NIS that have been introduced to the marine waters of the European Union (EU) until 2021, and their introduction pathways. Further, the study statistically analysed temporal trends in new NIS introductions and addressed uncertainties in relation to transporting pathways. Time-series analyses indicated that the observed trends in new NIS introductions have followed smoothly increasing trajectories for the entire study area, Mediterranean Sea, North-East Atlantic Ocean, and the Baltic Sea, whereas abrupt increase was detected for the Black Sea. It is noteworthy that the increasing trends started to slow down at the end of 2010s. Strongly increased research interest towards marine invasions since the early 2000s, and new environmental policies likely affected the observed trends. Future updates will be key to assessing whether this slowdown is truly a persisting trend or only an anomaly in the long term. The pathway assessment suffered from notable uncertainties, as the assigned confidence levels for pathways were low or unassigned for a large proportion of the introduced NIS in all study regions. Transport by shipping vectors was assigned as the most common pathway (51%) for new NIS introductions to EU seas, although there was very rarely direct evidence of this. The study highlights the need to overcome the pathway uncertainties, as robust information on introduction pathways is critical to manage new NIS introductions effectively.

Ecological restoration has emerged as a conservation approach for peatlands, which often experience increased leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soluble nitrogen (N-tot) and phosphorus (P-tot) following drainage. Restoration, however, introduces new disturbances that temporarily elevate leaching, while monitoring peatland runoff remains challenging, highlighting the need for new methods to assess restoration success. We studied changes and connections of porewater and runoff quality across three pristine and five drained and restored boreal peatland sites, quantified runoff loads, and developed regression models to estimate loads using porewater data. After restoration, median runoff DOC, N-tot, and porewater and runoff P-tot concentrations showed respective increases of 35, 34, 67, and 224% compared to the drained state, peaking within 1-4 years before declining. Porewater DOC and N-tot levels started decreasing immediately. Porewater concentrations approached near-pristine levels within roughly 4-10 years depending on the parameter and site, whereas runoff levels stayed elevated through tenth year with only site-specific exceptions. Porewater and runoff DOC and N-tot were strongly correlated, while P-tot correlations varied among drained, restored, and pristine states. DOC, N-tot, and P-tot loads initially rose after restoration but declined over the following >3 years post-restoration to 61.3, 1.52, and 0.038 kg/ha/yr, typically falling below drained state levels. Regression models overestimated produced annual runoff loads from porewater concentrations by an average of 50.9%. Models predicted DOC most accurately, while performance for N-tot and P-tot was weaker and varied across sites.

Residential energy consumption plays an essential role in mitigating climate change. An energy transition has the potential to alleviate socioeconomic disparities, although it can also lead to an unfair distribution of costs and benefits. The residential energy transition is already progressing in many countries, yet there remains a research gap regarding the participation of diverse population groups and the contribution of second homes to overall household energy consumption and emissions. We applied a novel approach, integrating multiple data sources, to calculate residential energy consumption and emissions for a sample of Finnish households, including those arising from second homes. Regression analysis was then employed to examine the influence of household and building-specific factors on energy consumption and emissions. Regression models initially indicated a positive association between income and per-capita energy use and emissions. However, after accounting for building characteristics, income was negatively associated with per-capita energy consumption. These findings suggest that middle- and high-income households tend to occupy more energy-efficient dwellings than low-income households. Furthermore, while rural households exhibited higher per-capita energy consumption than urban households, differences in emissions were less pronounced. Second homes significantly increased energy use and emissions. The results indicate that certain population groups and areas may be excluded from the benefits of the residential energy transition, warranting further research into the specific circumstances of diverse groups. Future policies aimed at promoting residential energy transition should prioritize support for low-income households and incorporate measures addressing energy consumption and emissions from second homes.