In the first part of the ‘Highlights of 2024’, we give our readers a recap of the scientific publications we covered this year.
The year is coming to an end and we want to share with you some of the highlights of this year. It has been a busy year and we, the blog team, hope you find some time to relax over the holiday season and take time to catch up on reading, a good starting point is the highlights of 2024.
The influence of season, hunting mode, and habitat specialization on riparian spiders as key predators in the aquatic-terrestrial linkage
Eric Bollinger and his research group explored the key role of spiders in riparian ecosystems: “Our study delves into the dietary habits of spiders within riparian zones, shedding light on their consumption of aquatic insects and the factors influencing these patterns.
With a comprehensive stable isotope dataset, we explore the dynamics across six spider species, representing different hunting modes and habitat specializations. The study reveals that specialists do not consistently feed more on aquatic prey than their generalist counterparts.” You can read the whole article here:
The above picture shows one of the studied species: Tetragnathamontana (picture taken by Jørgen Lissner and posted on https://araneae.nmbe.ch/gallery/photos/846)
Ecological Impacts of Bti on Chironomid Communities
Investigating the ecological consequences of Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis), Nina Röder and her team’s study, that sampled over 30.000 chironomid individuals in the span of 16-weeks. Using DNA metabarcoding and Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC), they explored how the effect of Bti on chironomid communities. Key findings included a positive correlation between both taxonomic and genetic diversity with the number of emerged individuals. You can read the full results:
The impact of ageing of nanoparticles on the ecotoxicity of metals
Rajdeep Roy and his colleagues examined the impacts of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) ageing on the ecotoxicity of metals and natural organic matter (NOM) in surface waters. Which was done by employing acute waterborne and multigenerational dietary exposures, and showed that nTiO2 increased the toxicity of cationic metals like copper, silver, and cadmium, while NOM reduced toxicity for some metals, such as copper and silver. Multigenerational dietary exposure studies revealed that nTiO2-aged mixtures with copper impaired reproduction in Daphnia, with effects varying by aging duration and generation. These findings highlight the significance of nTiO2-aging in assessing aquatic ecological risks, particularly for metal exposure pathways. You can read the whole article here:
Assessing the ecotoxicological consequences for the aquatic environment of sugarcane monocultures in Brazil
Dr. Laís Silva doctorate research on the environmental impacts of Brazil’s large-scale sugarcane agriculture, which involves extensive herbicide and insecticide use, including the banned pesticide fipronil.
Ecosystem model experiments revealed variations in the half-life and behaviour of pesticides like 2,4-D, depending on their combination with fipronil and vinasse, influencing their bioavailability and toxicity. Risk assessments showed significant potential risks to aquatic ecosystems, aligning with prior studies documenting effects across different trophic levels. These findings emphasise the need for strategies that balance agricultural productivity with environmental conservation. To read more about her work go to the full article: