Habitat isolation occurs when habitat preferences lower the probability of mating between individuals associated with differing habitats. While a potential barrier to gene flow during ecological speciation, the effect of habitat isolation on reproductive isolation has rarely been directly tested. Herein, we first estimated habitat preference for each of six populations of the gall wasp Belonocn...

In response to the increasing loss of native vegetation and biodiversity, a growing number of countries have adopted “offsetting” policies that seek to balance local habitat destruction by restoring, enhancing and/or protecting similar but separate habitat. Although these policies often have a stated aim of producing a “net gain” or “no net loss” in environmental benefits, it is challenging to ...

Water fungi and fungus-like organisms as a biological factor of ecological water systems have significant influence on the environment and its modification. They decompose necrosis substrates found in water bodies. Fungi also can act as facultative parasites and then frequently occur on their hosts. The main aim of the present study is to investigate which of the fungi and straminipiles can gro...

Domestication of algae by lichen-forming fungi describes the symbiotic relationship between the photosynthetic (green alga or cyanobacterium; photobiont) and fungal (mycobiont) partnership in lichen associations (Goward 1992). The algal domestication implies that the mycobiont cultivates the alga as a monoculture within its thallus, analogous to a farmer cultivating a food crop. However, the in...

Epi-macrobenthic species richness, abundance and composition are linked with type, assemblage and structural complexity of seabed habitat within coastal ecosystems. However, the evaluation of these habitats is highly hindered by limitations related to both waterborne surveys (slow acquisition, shallow water and low reactivity) and water clarity (turbid for most coastal areas). Substratum type/d...

The use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in ecological studies is increasingly common, but evaluations of their performance and range of application in the field are still emerging. Here, we compare habitat unit–scale abundance estimates of PITtagged juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch and steelhead O. mykiss derived from multiple-pass surveys with a submersible pole-mounted P...

The split between conservation science and real-world application is an ongoing issue despite several calls for unification. Researchers are empowered to partially bridge the research-implementation gap by making their findings more accessible. Cypripedium calceolus most recognizable orchid of European flora, currently facing habitat change fragmentation, in addition threats from collectors ill...

Transmission of pathogens among animals is influenced by demographic, social, and environmental factors. Anthropogenic alteration of landscapes can impact patterns of disease dynamics in wildlife populations, increasing the potential for spillover and spread of emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, human, and domestic animal populations. We evaluated the effects of multiple ecological mecha...

In our study, we decided to compare S100 protein expression in the material obtained from the epididymes of 5- and 12-month-old calves, and adult European bison, and to detect any differences in S100 expression according to the animal age and size of the organ examined. We used the epididymes obtained from 6 adult European bison aged 6-12 years, from 6 at the age of 12 months and 6 calves aged ...

The continuing global decline of large carnivores has catalyzed great interest in reintroduction to restore populations and to reestablish ecologically functional relationships. I used variation in the distribution of four Holarctic prey species and their behavior as proxies to investigate the pace and intensity by which responses are lost or reinvigorated by carnivore repatriation. By simulati...