Abstract. The interactions between wildfire, human and climate variability are not well understood. To have better predictions, past studies are useful for observing their behaviours on a long-time scale. To infer past fire activity, studies used charcoal and molecular biomarkers derived from biomass burning, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the north of Madagascar, charcoals are of local origin and have shown increased abundance since 1000 cal a BP. In contrast, PAH are present throughout the Holocene. Therefore, PAHs likely provide a more regional information. Due to the seasonal wind regime, they are thought to originate from East Africa. However, the PAH signal pattern differs from the fire activity record of East Africa. Instead, it shows a similar pattern to precipitation variability in northern Madagascar. Higher PAH concentrations are observed during wetter period, whereas lower concentrations occur during drier periods. This suggest that PAH preservation is enhanced, which may facilitate leaching processes prior to their deposition in sediments. These results challenge the direct interpretation of PAH as straightforward indicators of fire events and dry periods.

Understanding the dietary ecology of migratory raptors is critical in trophic ecology, especially under accelerating environmental change that alters prey availability. This study investigates the feeding ecology of Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) using stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulfur (δ34S) in feathers collected from 19 individuals and associated prey remains in nests. The isotopic data revealed significant variation in adults, particularly elevated δ15N values in basal feather segments, indicating a dietary shift toward higher trophic-level prey, mainly migratory passerines, during post-breeding migration. Quantitative analysis showed that passerines constituted 83.8

The "ecology of fear" posits that predation risk shapes the behaviour of large herbivores, their foraging patterns, their habitat selection and their consequent effect on forest ecology. To test some of these predictions we used the extensive empirical and experimental data on vegetation cover and composition, and on deer anti-predator behaviour, collected at study sites with different histories of hunting and natural predation in the Haida Gwaii archipelago and in nearby areas of coastal British Columbia (Canada). Because these deer also forage in the intertidal, a habitat hypothetically more exposed to risk, we also analysed how risk affected intertidal foraging by measuring the proportion of marine versus terrestrial stable isotopes in deer bone collagen. In the absence of risk, deer had a strong negative effect on understory vegetation cover and plant composition. In these populations deer had a remarkable tolerance to human presence (short flight initiation and travel distances when disturbed), a willingness to consume foreign bait or to investigate baited traps, and a propensity to be active at daytime. Where deer faced long-term hunting and natural predators, understories were denser and more diverse and resembled those of forests never exposed to deer. Severe deer culling in sites initially without risk dramatically increased the cover of understory vegetation, although different in composition from the one in forests with long-term presence of predators and hunting, or that never had deer. Deer born after culling exhibited longer flight initiation distances and travel distances when fleeing, a reluctance to consume foreign bait or to investigate baited traps, and increased night-time foraging. The translocation of unwary deer from a population without risk to the island where culls had partially restored the vegetation, showed that their unwary behaviour was not significantly modified in the presence of abundant and higher-quality forage. This contrasted with the wary behaviour observed in the local deer born after the culls. Finally, deer in populations exposed to risk from hunters and/or predators were less likely to forage in the intertidal, although this trend might be, to some extent, affected by resources in the understory. We interpreted our results as evidence that risk is key in shaping, and potentially selecting for, lasting behavioural contrasts between deer populations, contrasts intimately connected to deer effects on plant cover and diversity, ecological networks, and ecosystem complexity.

This research examines the dietary preferences of prey species targeted by Falco eleonorae, with a focus on analyzing isotopic signatures including δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and δ³⁴S values. Our study uncovers significant variations in isotopic signatures among prey species, reflecting their distinct trophic levels and geographical origins. The δ¹³C values of European storm petrel notably is associated with marine sources. Conversely, the spotted flycatcher exhibits unexpectidely high δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values, warranting further investigation into its dietary habits. Interestingly, the European greenfinch demonstrates fluctuations in intrafeather amplitude during molting season suggesting dietary shift despite its primarily granivorous nature. While some prey species align with existing literature, caution is advised in generalizing these findings due to sample size limitations. The acquisition of a substantial sample size is imperative for discerning subtle variations and thoroughly examining stable isotope signatures, thereby enhancing our understanding of prey dietary patterns. Consequently, this study underscores the necessity of further robust analysis to attain a nuanced comprehension of ecological dynamics within avian community.

This research employed stable isotope analysis to investigate the migratory patterns and geographic origins of Eleonora's falcon ( Falco eleonorae) ) and its associated prey species within the Galite Archipelago of Tunisia. Feathers collected from both juvenile and adult falcons along with their prey were analyzed for deuterium isotopic composition using the IsoriX package in R, which facilitated geographic assignment based on stable isotope ratios. The results demonstrated no significant difference in deuterium values (delta 2H) 2 H) between adult and juvenile individuals of Eleonora's falcon, indicating a lack of geographic variation in molting locations among different age groups. However, the isotopic data for adult falcons yielded unexpected results, suggesting origins close to the sampling site, which contradicted the anticipated patterns of migration to distant wintering grounds. Furthermore, this study successfully mapped the origins of various prey species, indicating a broad geographic intake ranging from the Mediterranean to southern Scandinavia. These findings highlight the complexity of migratory behaviors in predatory birds and underscore the efficacy of stable isotope analysis as a tool for ecological research in avian migration studies.

Over the last millennium, the town of Aghmat (Morocco) has undergone major socio-economic changes, raising the question of how these transformations have affected the development of agricultural systems and exploited landscapes over time. This preliminary pilot study brings together for the first time carpological, anthracological, and isotopic results from the Aghmat archaeological program that show a certain stability for staple productions (cereals, fruit) over the last millennium, and the exploitation of various landscapes. A shift appears to occur during the late Middle Ages, potentially due to more favorable conditions, with a specialization in olive cultivation as early as the fourteenth century, and significant deforestation following this olive growing boom. During the modern period, the importance of olive cultivation is confirmed, whether or not in conjunction with a decline in water availability and what appears to be irreversible deforestation.

This study investigates the seasonality of the mercury (Hg) concentration of olive tree foliage, an iconic tree of the Mediterranean basin. Hg concentrations of foliage, stems, soil surface, and litter were analyzed on a monthly basis in ancient olive trees growing in two groves in Lebanon, Bchaaleh and Kawkaba (1300 and 672 m a.s.l. respectively). A significantly lower concentration was registered in stems (∼7–9 ng g−1) in comparison to foliage (∼35–48 ng g−1) in both sites, with the highest foliage Hg concentration in late winter–early spring and the lowest in summer. It is noteworthy that olive fruits also have low Hg concentrations (∼7–11 ng g−1). The soil has the highest Hg content (∼62–129 ng g−1) likely inherited through the cumulated litter biomass (∼63–76 ng g−1). A good covariation observed between our foliage Hg time series analysis and those of atmospheric Hg concentrations available for southern Italy in the western Mediterranean basin confirms that mercury pollution can be studied through olive trees. Spring sampling is recommended if the objective is to assess the trees' susceptibility to Hg uptake. Our study draws an adequate baseline for the eastern Mediterranean and the region with similar climatic inventories on Hg vegetation uptake, in addition to being a baseline to new studies on olive trees in the Mediterranean to reconstruct regional Hg pollution concentrations in the past and present.

Large mammalian herbivores (LMH) shape vertebrate communities and structure food webs in many terrestrial ecosystems. However, the mechanisms that underlie the effects of LMH on other vertebrates are poorly understood. In France, domestic LMH have grazed alpine and mountain grasslands for thousands of years, profoundly influencing landscapes and wildlife. As LMH modify habitat structure, favour coprophagous insects and compete with herbivorous insects, the diet of insectivorous alpine birds may be deeply influenced by LMH grazing intensity. To investigate this, we sampled common insectivorous birds faeces (water pipit Anthus spinoletta and wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe) in sites characterized by different levels of grazing intensity by domestic and wild herbivores, in the open landscapes of the southern French Alps and the western Pyrenees. We used isotopic discrimination based on nitrogen stable isotope ratios as an indicator of the trophic level of the arthropods found in bird faeces. From isotopic ratios, we found that bird diets shift from mainly herbivorous arthropods at sites of low grazing intensity, to one mainly composed of other groups, such as predatory, detritivorous or coprophagous arthropods, at sites of higher grazing intensity. This result highlights the strong trophic link between LMH and insectivorous birds in open landscapes, contributing to a better understanding of interactions between domestic grazing, an activity that has historically modelled European landscapes, and biodiversity, with particular relevance for landscape management and bird conservation.

This study involved analysing the carbon-13 isotope ratio (delta C-13) of cellulose, lignin, and whole wood powder of Balanites aegyptiaca to determine the optimal substrate for future ecophysiological studies. From seven different trees (i.e., three from the Sudanian zone and four from the Chadian Sahelian zone), 21 samples were taken for this study. Identical variation trends were observed with cellulose, lignin, and whole wood powder, with delta C-13 values for cellulose always higher than for the other substrates, although the trees were located under different climatic conditions. The means obtained were -26.0 parts per thousand, -28.7 parts per thousand, and -27.1 parts per thousand, for cellulose, lignin, and whole wood powder, respectively. Spearman's correlation test, which was used to analyse relationships between the results, revealed a strong correlation (r(2) = 0.93) between the delta C-13 cellulose values and those of whole wood powder from B. aegyptiaca, as well as between the delta C-13 cellulose values and those of lignin (r(2) = 0.73). This strong correlation between cellulose and wood powder results, and between cellulose and lignin, suggests that the isolation of cellulose is not necessary for delta C-13 analysis of B. aegyptiaca wood.

Insular bat communities are a preeminent conservation taxon due to their ecological role and intriguing and unique species composition. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. However, research on Sicilian bats is still scattered, with substantial information being overlooked. Here we present a systematic review of all available bibliographic information from 1810 to 2022, including grey literature, archives, and peer-reviewed publications. The analyses of bibliographic sources permitted us to evaluate the status of research on bats using the Bat Research Efficiency (BRE) and Species-Research Effort Allocation (SREA) metrics. A total of 81 documents were obtained. Since 1955, an average of 1.2 contributions have been issued per year. Over half of the documents are in Italian. The studies are primarily conducted in north-western (40%) and south-eastern (28%) Sicily, mainly in the provinces of Palermo and Siracusa. Most of the contributions concern “Species records” (61%) and “Ecology” (21%). There were 28 species reported, but a significant bias exists towards Myotis myotis, Miniopterus schreibersii, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Myotis capaccinii, and Rhinolophus euryale. Around 31.5% of the studies focused on threatened species, while 68.5% concentrated on non-threatened species, with an overall preference for cave-dwelling species. Yet, SREA analysis demonstrates a lack of research efforts for all species. We encourage the use of a multidisciplinary approach towards under-studied species while covering geographical gaps and increasing public awareness of the functional role of bats in natural ecosystems.

A core from a peat bog in the "Niayes" region, northwest of Senegal, provides a valuable insight into the evolution of the landscape and fire regime related to the West African Monsoon rainfall and to human impact over the Holocene. The high-resolution multiproxy approach based on stable carbon isotopic composition (delta C-13), Rock-Eval (R) thermal analysis, and charcoal analysis, provides an understanding of vegetation composition (C-3/C-4) and fire regime in the continental watershed. The analysis of our data indicates a more woody landscape and a higher water table level, related to increased monsoonal rainfall during the African Humid period (AHP) between 9.5 and 5.5 cal kyr BP. High insolation and orbital changes account for a northward migration of the African Rain Belt and a reinforced West Africa monsoon. The amount of forest fires was low and most likely of natural occurrence, as human density was very low. A short dry event interrupts the AHP and gives rise to a weakly grassy landscape at around 8.2 cal kyr BP. This drought of centennial scale (400 years) occurring between 8.4 and 8 cal kyr BP is concomitant with the general cooling observed in the Northern Hemisphere. After a period of transition, the millennial-scale Late Holocene dry period begins at 4.8 cal kyr BP. The low water table level, resulting from a decrease in precipitation, coincides with the appearance of a grassy savanna landscape. Insolation decrease and reduced vegetation were likely driven by a southward migration of the African Rain Belt and a weakening of the monsoon. During the late Holocene the "Niayes" zone evolved into a phase of environmental stress often interrupted by Little Humid Periods (LHP) of centennial scale (500 and 600 years) respectively between 4.4 and 3.9 and between 1.1 and 0.5 cal kyr BP. After 0.5 cal kyr BP the decrease in precipitation and the increase in savanna fires, probaly of anthropogenic origin, favor the landscape opening. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bat guano deposits are increasingly used as records of past environmental changes, an approach that requires a precise chronology of the guano layers. This paper presents a comparison between the well-established C-14 dating method and methods based on natural Pb-210 excesses, (Pb-210)(ex), and artificial radionuclides Cs-137 and Am-241. The studied example is a bat guano deposit from a cave in SW France (the Brantites III cave), which is currently investigated for paleo-environmental reconstructions using stable isotopes. C-14 data show that the upper part of the guano deposit accumulated during the last 150 years with a marked increase in accumulation rates after around 1960 AD. While the incorporation of atmospheric C-14 in guano is a well-understood process, the origin of Pb-210 excesses is more complex. Based on consideration of Cs-137 and (Pb-210)(ex) inventories recorded in undisturbed soils in France, and the measured inventories in the guano deposit, we suggest that most of the Pb-210 excess is produced by Rn-222 decay in the cave air and then adsorbed onto the guano. As Radon concentrations in caves can vary significantly on both short and long-term timescales, one needs to be cautious before applying the often-used CRS (constant rate of supply of Pb-210 excess) model to guano dating. Our (Pb-210)(ex) data are best interpreted by two successive periods of roughly constant, but widely different accumulation rates (0.3 cm/y and 2.6 cm/y before and after 1960, respectively) and (Pb-210)(ex) fluxes. We suggest that these relatively abrupt variations result from a change in cave ventilation leading to a more favourable shelter for bats after 1960. The upper 40 cm of the deposit shows evidence of Pb-210 mobility, adding a further complexity to the interpretation of (Pb-210)(ex) profiles in guano deposits. However, the existence of well-defined Cs-137 and Am-241 peaks allows a precise identification of the year of maximum atmospheric fallouts (similar to 1963-1964). When the ages provided by artificial radionuclides are combined with the Pb-210-derived accumulation rates, an age model can be built, which is in good agreement with the C-14 age model. This example shows that the (Pb-210)(ex) method, when associated with Cs-137 (Am-241) data, can be used to date recent guano deposit, although its application is not as straightforward as the C-14 method.

Bat conservation is one of the top global concerns for research today; however, conservation ef-forts may still be limited and impotent due to inadequacy and scarcity of data. Hence, identifying research trends, threatening factors, species status, and geographical priorities is an essential tool for future conservation, protection and prioritization. Here we conduct a comprehensive systematic review to identify current research priorities, trends, general patterns and gaps regarding Mediter-ranean bat researches. A total of 97 studies were found in the years spanning between 2000 and 2021. There were 18 studies with sufficient data for qualitative statistical analysis to investigate the impact of different habitat and land managements on bat activity and species richness. A yearly average of 4.6 articles were published, with a slight increase post-2010. Out of 61 identified species, 21% of species are threatened. Approximately, 65% of studies were conducted in the Mediterranean European region, primarily in Spain (29%), Italy (15.5%), and Portugal (10.3%), largely focusing on forest habitats (38%). We found that Mediterranean bat species received uneven research atten-tion, with only 15% of research allocated to threatened bats. Around half of the studies focused on the following bat species; Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Miniopterus schreibersii, Rhinolophus hipposideros, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Myotis myotis, and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum. Our statistical analysis showed that riparian areas had higher bat activity than forest and agriculture areas. Bat population responded positively to forest management and organic agriculture practices. To reduce future research misalignment between current local research status and future global conservation priorities, we strongly advocate for urgent and additional collaborative efforts to target under-researched species and areas. Finally, our review will provide a general overview and an objective synthesis on the current status of bats in the Mediterranean and serve as a baseline for further effective research.

The Dinaric Mountains are a region considered as a hotspot for late-successional montane mixed Abies alba-Fagus sylvatica-Picea abies old-growth forests. This is likely due to historical deforestation levels being presumably lower than in other European regions. This paper provides new insights into the long-term vegetation dynamics and possible legacies of past human activities in old-growth forests in the montane zone of the Dinaric Mountains. Our extensive ground survey and the detailed land-cover types map show that the mixed A. alba-F. sylvatica old-growth forest with sparse P. abies is surrounded by almost pure F. sylvatica stands at Biogradska Gora. The well-dated stand-scale palaeoecological records (pollen, spores, stomata, macrofossils, macroscopic charcoal, and magnetic susceptibility) show that land use (cereal crop cultivation, cattle herding, and fire) during the Middle Ages caused a reduction of the A. alba and P. abies-dominated forest. After a major land abandonment around the Black Death pandemic (mid-14th century) and weaker land-use phases, F. sylvatica-dominated stands developed in the more accessible areas surrounding the old-growth forest. The legacy of past land uses is still visible as the almost pure F. sylvatica stands show less old-growth characteristics than other European beech-dominated old-growth forests. Markedly in contrast to decreasing tree cover elsewhere in the region, tree cover increased several centuries before the formal protection of the forest (1878 ce). These results support the view that historical land-use pressures played an important role for the small extent and the continuity of disturbance-sensitive A. alba and P. abies-dominated old-growth forest stands.

Holocene paleoecological studies in tropical Africa are rare because most lakes either dried out at the termination of the African Humid Period or have since filled up. However, tropical sedge marshes can be an alternative to perform long-term ecological studies. The Lopé National Park (LNP) in Gabon is a mosaic of forest and savanna enclosed in the equatorial forest, where open areas facilitated the development of peat marshes accumulating several-meter-thick sediment. In order to reconstruct the historical dynamic in these marshes through a local and regional point of view, we compared sedimentological, continuous X-ray fluorescence, and stable isotopic analyses on sediment cores from six herbaceous marshes in the LNP. A reliable chronological frame was based on 50 14 C dates, over the last 2500 years in most sites, and reaching 9000 years in one marsh. We show that the origin of these marshes is a major hydrological change, 3450 and 2300 years ago, that affected the entire region, almost concomitantly with the diffusion of Iron Age population. The sedimentation within marshes is homogenous with low intra-site variability. In contrast, high inter-sites variability evidences that the functioning of the marsh itself exerts a much more significant influence than in lakes. However, a regional event is recorded between 1400 and 800 years ago, concurrently with an archeological trace hiatus throughout the forest hinterland of West Central Africa.

We used both satellite tracking and carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotopic analysis (SIA) to infer wintering ecology and habitat use of the Corsican osprey Pandion haliaetus population. A control sample of feathers from 75 individuals was collected within the osprey's northern hemisphere breeding range, to assess the SIA variability across habitat types. An experimental set of SIA on feathers of 18 Corsican adults was examined to infer wintering ground locations and habitat types used during the non-breeding period. We calibrated the SIA using GPS/GSM tracks of 12 Mediterranean adults' movements as wintering site references. We found 50% of individuals were resident and the other half migrated. Ospreys spent the winter at temperate latitudes and showed a high plasticity in habitat selection spread over the Mediterranean basin (marine bays, coastal lagoons/marshland, inland freshwater sites). Complementary to GPS tracking, SIA is, at a broad geographical scale, a reliable method to determine whether ospreys overwinter in a habitat different from that of their breeding area. This study proved that the integration of SIA and GPS/GSM tracking techniques was effective at overcoming the intrinsic limits of each method and achieving greater information for basic ecological studies of migratory birds in aquatic environments.

Archaeological investigations carried out at Case Bastione (Enna, central Sicily) provide a key insight into the cultural and environmental changes that occurred during the transition from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Preliminary data of an ongoing paleoenvironmental reconstruction through archaeobotanical analyses are here presented. The selective exploitation of vegetation, the adaptation of lifestyle to local resources, and changing climatic conditions are analysed using different on-site and off-site environmental and archaeological proxies. The environment around the site was constituted by mixed oak woodland. Dietary preferences were reconstructed through the analysis of carpo-remains. Isotopic values provide new data on the 4.2 ka BP event and its effects on vegetation in central Sicily. In a whole, first results from Case Bastione give new light to human choices of vegetal resources exploitation. Comparison of the local results with the regional pollen data support the hypothesis that the growth in population and settlement in the inland part of the island since the Late Copper Age may reflect changing climatic conditions in coastal areas.