The use of specific names in Sphagnum subgenus Subsecunda has changed through time and with different authors, especially the names Sphagnum denticulatum Brid. and S. auriculatum Schimp. refer to the same taxon. To stabilize the nomenclature, we suggest using the of the oldest name S. denticulatum, but with an epitypification as the original type is from an atypical habitat with deviating morphology. The species name Sphagnum inundatum Russow is lectotypified. We propose to treat Sphagnum gravetii Russow originally described at species level as a variety of S. inundatum. At last, we clarify the morphological differences between the European allodiploid species S. inundatum towards the North American allodiploid S. missouricum Warnst. and Cardot.
The confluence of rivers with the ocean creates biological hotspots where temperature, salinity, and nutrients mix to provide excellent conditions for rearing, growth, and refuge to a multitude of organisms. Worldwide, estuaries are highly productive and biodiverse. However, estuaries are also highly degraded by development and pollution due to human settlement and exploitation of waterways. As global energy systems transition to renewable energy sources, rivers are increasingly stressed by regulation to produce power. Effluent water flowing from rivers is channeled through the river and eventually reaches the ocean, meaning that power production can dramatically alter the dynamics of freshwater input at estuaries, including marked changes in the annual cycle of discharge. Despite much research focusing on understanding and mitigating the impacts of hydropower production on river ecosystems, less research has been conducted to understand how alterations to the flow regime affect marine ecosystems where the water is discharged. We address the status of knowledge at the interface of freshwater and marine ecosystems and highlight research priorities to better understand how sensitive estuarine and coastal habitats are affected by thermal, osmotic, and physical changes caused by hydropower production in rivers.
During the course of masonry restoration work at Stavanger Cathedral in southwestern Norway, numerous holes were discovered in rubble stone walls in the Gothic sections of the building. These holes were identified as putlog holes linked to the construction of the cathedral in the medieval period. The holes resulted from the use of scaffolding; remnants of wooden logs were found in all the holes, although in varying states of preservation. Detailed examination of the characteristics of these putlogs and holes provides new insight into the structural features of the medieval scaffolding used in constructing the cathedral’s Gothic elements, shedding light on the use of timber in medieval stone construction in Norway. A total of 38 putlog holes were recorded in the rubble stone walls. Of these, 12 samples were selected for radiocarbon dating of the remaining timber remnants. Apart from two outliers, likely due to reused putlogs, the calibrated ages of the conifer logs indicate two distinct building phases within the 13th and 14th centuries. The radiocarbon results provide new evidence for the different construction phases. The results have enabled a revision of Stavanger Cathedral’s building history, producing a revised timeline for its Gothic construction period. Evidence suggests that the choir and towers predate the city fire of 1272 AD , while the cathedral’s vestibule can now be securely dated to the 14th century, the youngest structural element of the building. The study demonstrates the potential of radiocarbon dating for reassessing the chronology of medieval stone structures.
In Scandinavian archaeology, the era between the 5th and the early 16th century is divided into two main periods: the Iron Age (CE 400–1050) and the Middle Ages (CE 1050–1537). The social and political development during these centuries was closely linked to contemporary European overall trajectories, while at the same time reflecting the particular geography of the region. Identities and mentalities, as well as political and economic ideas and practices were generated and transformed through interaction within an extended European area. Although an integrated part of Europe, Scandinavia evinced certain distinctive traits that became decisive for the historical processes of the region.
The present report is a synthesis of all studies conducted around the long-term ecological research (LTER) monitoring of introduced salmonid species in the sub Antarctic Kerguelen islands over the 20152020 period, within the SALMEVOL-2 project. The monitoring encompasses the history of eight species, five of which are still present in Kerguelen, the data and collections spanning five decades and tenths of rivers. Based on this monitoring, but also thanks to various field experiments, we have undertaken to study the evolutionary ecology of these species, using the invasive Brown trout as flagship model, under the premise that the Kerguelen situation, where rivers were previously void of any fish species, could be an anticipation lab of the situation developing at the poles due to climate change. Our findings pertain to life history traits such as individual growth, migration between freshwater and marine ecosystems, microbiomes, but also proximal and ultimate mechanisms of adaptation in relation to the local environment. We also begin to investigate how the expanding metapopulation structure, resulting from multiple invasion events, may affect life history traits evolution.
