Our research in Slovakia identified key plant species that support nesting by the Eurasian harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) in field-edge and marginal habitats. Nests were most often found in couch grass (Elymus repens), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and bramble (Rubus plicatus). They were typically circle and oval and located in the middle part of the plant, with nest height depending on the height of the vegetation. Nest density varied greatly between sites and years, ranging from 1 to 3 nests/ha to over 270 nests/ha. The highest values were recorded in the Košická kotlina basin, such as 279.4 nests/ha in Košice part Šebastovce (Line 1) in 2021. These findings suggest that well-structured edge habitats can support high harvest mouse densities and play a key role in species conservation.
Coastal wetlands host a large part of the world’s biodiversity and provide various ecosystem services with a known economic value. However, they experience many pressures due to anthropogenic and natural drivers, causing periodic changes in their structure and functioning. Earth Observation provides opportunities for monitoring water surface dynamics and understanding the impacts of different drivers on wetland degradation. This study had two objectives: to assess the spatiotemporal dynamic of the Sidi Boughaba Lake surface area (Mediterranean and North African coastal Ramsar site, Morocco) over 38 years (1984–2021) and to identify natural and anthropogenic drivers of this dynamic, mainly land-use and land-cover changes and policies. This work focused on the use of multiple datasets based on remote sensing images within a cloud-based computing platform. Time series of satellite images were classified and used after a series of processing procedures to assess the land use and land cover and water extent dynamics. Results reveal that over 38 years, the lake shows intra- and inter-annual variations, including significant losses of permanent water impacting its dynamic and extent. Those trends call into question the urban and agricultural policies adopted. Pressure on resources and the regressive trend recorded in the dynamic of the lake are likely to increase further in future years if effective protection measures are not implemented. The results of this study help authorities, civil society, and decision makers to make decisions and call for action to protect these areas and maintain their capacity to provide ecosystem services and address global concerns such as biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
Wetlands are ecologically and economically important habitats. In the Mediterranean region, they account for 18.5 (±3.5) million ha or 1.5% of the world’s wetlands. Algeria has 1,500 wetlands, 50 of which are Ramsar sites. One of them is the Macta wetland, a specific ecosystem on the northwestern coast of Algeria. The study aims to provide data on the spatiotemporal evolution and interaction of the Macta wetland with human activities and climate. A diachronic diagnosis for the period 1958–2023 (65 years) was carried out using maps from 1958 and data collected by remote sensing for the period 1972–2023 in a Geographical Information System (GIS). The geomatics approach is based on the use of ArcGIS 10.8 and satellite imagery from Landsat and Sentinel-2. A precise cartography, close to the reality of the terrain, shows that between 1958 and 2023, the agricultural development, the urbanisation and flooding affected 26,515 ha or about half of the total area of the wetland. In 65 years, the anthropogenic pressure is five times greater than that caused by flooding. Therefore, the adaptation of the Macta wetland is an issue that should be considered and solved by the local environmental authorities.
The pollution status of Qua Iboe River, Niger Delta, Nigeria, was studied between January 2020 and June 2021 at five sampling locations based on human activities. The indices used were PPI and HFBI for organic pollution. The identified phytoplankton comprised 44 taxa belonging to 5 taxonomic groups, 14 genera of pollution indicators out of 33 genera of the total population, among which Bacillariophyceae accounted for 48.25%, followed by Chlorophyceae (28.87%), and the least was Euglenophyceae with 3.16%. The macroinvertebrates identified comprised 25 taxa, 3 phyla, and 22 families of pollution indicators. Among them, phyla arthropoda accounted for 83.9%, while Mollusca was the lowest accounted for 6.6 %. The HFBI values ranged from 3.94 to 5.98, while PPI score ranged between 17 and 25.The values of HFBI obtained in locations 2, 3, and 5 reflected significant level of organic pollution, while the values of PPI obtained between locations 2 and 5 revealed higher level of organic pollution, which was unsafe for the sustenance of aquatic life; mostly intolerant species. The occurrence of pollution indicator species further proved that the river water was polluted owing to anthropogenic activities. The activities of humans within the watershed should be of concern to the relevant authorities; regulation of these activities should be enforced to minimize the situation of water deterioration and for regaining the natural water quality to support aquatic life and health and make it fit for domestic usage.
The ecological breeding conditions of the Tizi-Ouzou white stork (Ciconia ciconia, Linnaeus, 1758) are examined in this study. The population was estimated, as well as its evolution, and the impact of altitude on breeding pairs was examined throughout two breeding seasons (2019 and 2021). The first census showed 650 breeding pairs in 2019. By 2021, there are 830 pairs. In 2019, piedmont areas had 601 stork pairs (92%) by altitude. In the mid-mountains, 49 pairs (8%) were seen. There are no pairs above 1200 m in the high mountains. Similar percentages were seen in 2021. The breeding pair density rose from 65.76 in 2019 to 83.97 in 2021. At altitudes below 400 m, the density exceeded 230 pairs per 100 m2 for both study years. The mid-mountain zone has fewer pairs/100 km2 than the foothills over the same period. The following proportions indicate that this Ciconiidae prefers heights between 10and 14m: 67.69% (2019) and 69.04 (2021). Over the two-year study, 94.62% of nests were installed on artificial supports and 5.38% on natural supports. Urban pairs make up 63% of the spatial distribution. Both years saw 36% fewer pairs outside built-up areas. The altitude distribution of stork nests shows that this bird prefers to live from 15 to 550 m. The average nesting pair is 329.5 between 0 and 100 m. This distribution is mainly determined by habitat quality and food availability. Other agronomic parameters, such as the presence of irrigated agricultural areas and landfills, which may feed the studied species, also affect it.
