Browsing by Author "Lajtner, Jasna"
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- Conservation status of freshwater mussels in Europe: state of the art and future challengesPublication . Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Sousa, Ronaldo; Geist, Juergen; Aldridge, David C.; Araujo, Rafael; Bergengren, Jakob; Bespalaya, Yulia V.; Bódis, Erika; Burlakova, Lyubov E.; Van Damme, Dirk; Douda, Karel; Froufe, Elsa; Georgiev, Dilian; Gumpinger, Clemens; Karatayev, Alexander Y.; Kebapçi, Ümit; Killeen, Ian; Lajtner, Jasna; Larsen, Bjørn M.; Lauceri, Rosaria; Legakis, Anastasios; Lois, Sabela; Lundberg, Stefan; Moorkens, Evelyn A.; Motte, Gregory; Nagel, Karl Otto; Ondina, Paz; Outeiro, Adolfo; Paunovic, Momir; Prié, Vincent; Proschwitz, Ted von; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Rudzīte, Mudīte; Rudzītis, Māris; Scheder, Christian; Seddon, Mary; Şereflişan, Hülya; Simić, Vladica; Sokolova, Svetlana; Stoeckl, Katharina; Taskinen, Jouni; Teixeira, Amílcar; Thielen, Frankie; Trichkova, Teodora; Varandas, Simone; Vicentini, Heinrich; Zajac, Katarzyna; Zając, Tadeusz; Zogaris, StamatisFreshwater mussels of the Order Unionida provide important ecosystem functions and services, yet many of their populations are in decline. We comprehensively review the status of the 16 currently recognized species in Europe, collating for the first time their life-history traits, distribution, conservation status, habitat preferences, and main threats in order to suggest future management actions. In northern, central, and eastern Europe, a relatively homogeneous species composition is found in most basins. In southern Europe, despite the lower species richness, spatially restricted species make these basins a high conservation priority. Information on freshwater mussels in Europe is unevenly distributed with considerable differences in data quality and quantity among countries and species. To make conservation more effective in the future, we suggest greater international cooperation using standardized protocols and methods to monitor and manage European freshwater mussel diversity. Such an approach will not only help conserve this vulnerable group but also, through the protection of these important organisms, will offer wider benefits to freshwater ecosystems.
- Integrative phylogenetic, phylogeographic and morphological characterisation of the Unio crassus species complex reveals cryptic diversity with important conservation implicationsPublication . Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Geist, Juergen P.; Egg, S.; Beran, Luboš; Bikashvili, Ani; Van Bocxlaer, Bert; Bogan, Arthur E.; Bolotov, Ivan N.; Chelpanovskaya, O.A.; Douda, Karel; Fernandes, Verónica; Gomes-dos-Santos, André; Gonçalves, Duarte Vasconcelos; Gürlek, Mustafa Emre; Johnson, Nathan A.; Karaouzas, Ioannis D.; Kebapçı, Ümit; Kondakov, Duarte Vasconcelos; Kuehn, Ralf; Lajtner, Jasna; Mumladze, Levan; Nagel, Karl Otto; Neubert, Eike; Österling, Martin E.; Pfeiffer, John M.; Prié, Vincent; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Sell, Jerzy; Schneider, Lea D.; Shumka, Spase; Sîrbu, Ioan; Skujienė, Grita; Smith, Chase H.; Sousa, Ronaldo Gomes; Stöckl, K.; Taskinen, Jouni K.; Teixeira, Amílcar; Todorov, Milcho T.; Trichkova, Teodora A.; Urbańska, Maria; Välilä, Santtu; Varandas, Simone Da Graça Pinto; Veríssimo, Joana; Vikhrev, Ilya V.; Woschitz, G.; Zając, Katarzyna; Zając, Tadeusz A.; Zanatta, David Thomas; Zieritz, Alexandra; Zogaris, Stamatis; Froufe, ElsaThe global decline of freshwater mussels and their crucial ecological services highlight the need to understand their phylogeny, phylogeography and patterns of genetic diversity to guide conservation efforts. Such knowledge is urgently needed for Unio crassus, a highly imperilled species originally widespread throughout Europe and southwest Asia. Recent studies have resurrected several species from synonymy based on mitochondrial data, revealing U. crassus to be a complex of cryptic species. To address long-standing taxonomic uncertainties hindering effective conservation, we integrate morphometric, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic analyses to examine species diversity within the U. crassus complex across its entire range. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (815 specimens from 182 populations) and, for selected specimens, whole mitogenome sequences and Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) data on ∼ 600 nuclear loci. Mito-nuclear discordance was detected, consistent with mitochondrial DNA gene flow between some species during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Fossil-calibrated phylogenies based on AHE data support a Mediterranean origin for the U. crassus complex in the Early Miocene. The results of our integrative approach support 12 species in the group: the previously recognised Unio bruguierianus, Unio carneus, Unio crassus, Unio damascensis, Unio ionicus, Unio sesirmensis, and Unio tumidiformis, and the reinstatement of five nominal taxa: Unio desectus stat. rev., Unio gontierii stat. rev., Unio mardinensis stat. rev., Unio nanus stat. rev., and Unio vicarius stat. rev. Morphometric analyses of shell contours reveal important morphospace overlaps among these species, highlighting cryptic, but geographically structured, diversity. The distribution, taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation of each species are succinctly described.
- Lifting the curtain on the freshwater mussel diversity of the Italian Peninsula and Croatian Adriatic coastPublication . Froufe, Elsa; Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Zaccara, Serena; Vanetti, Isabella; Lajtner, Jasna; Teixeira, Amílcar; Varandas, Simone; Prié, Vincent; Zieritz, Alexandra; Sousa, Ronaldo; Bogan, Arthur E.Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida have been dramatically declining globally. Despite their ecological importance, conservation of these animals has been hindered by unresolved taxonomy and a lack of data on the distribution and status of populations, especially in southern Europe. Although the Italian Peninsula has been noted as a centre of endemism and one of the major refugia of the glacial ages for several taxa, few studies have been performed on the genetic diversity of Unionida. Most importantly, the taxonomic status of several freshwater mussel populations of the Italian Peninsula is still unresolved. Here we present the first comprehensive dataset for the Unionida of the region spanning Italy and the coastal Croatian region (west of the Dinaric Alps). In total, 191 specimens were collected (85 Anodonta, 64 Unio, 17 Microcondylaea bonellii and 25 Sinanodonta woodiana) from 34 sites across the Italian Peninsula and coastal Croatian river basins for molecular identification (COI, 16S and 28S). Genetic analyses were performed to understand major phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns. Seven species were detected: three Anodonta species (A. anatina, A. cygnea and A. exulcerata), two Unio species (U. mancus and U. elongatulus), Microcondylaea bonellii, and the invasive Sinanodonta woodiana. The presence of three endemic species (A. exulcerata, U. elongatulus and M. bonellii) confirms the importance of the region as a centre of endemism for freshwater mussels. The Apennine Mountains act as an important biogeographic barrier.
- Microcondylaea bonellii as a new host for the European bitterling Rhodeus amarusPublication . Sousa, Ronaldo; Bogan, Arthur E.; Gonçalves, Duarte V.; Lajtner, Jasna; Prié, Vincent; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Shumka, Spase; Teixeira, Amílcar; Urbańska, Maria; Varandas, Simone; Lopes-Lima, ManuelWe report for the first time that the freshwater mussel Microcondylaea bonellii (Férussac, 1827) functions as a suitable host for the European bitterling Rhodeus amarus (Bloch, 1782). Given the recent expansion of R. amarus in Europe, the possible physiological cost (e.g. competition for oxygen, reduction in water circulation, and consequent impairment of filter-feeding) of this interaction may further affect the already poor conservation status of M. bonellii populations.
- Research priorities for freshwater mussel conservation assessmentPublication . Ferreira-Rodríguez, Noé; Akiyama, Yoshihiro B.; Aksenova, Olga V.; Araujo, Rafael; Barnhart, M. Christopher; Bespalaya, Yulia V.; Bogan, Arthur E.; Bolotov, Ivan N.; Budha, Prem B.; Clavijo, Cristhian; Clearwater, Susan J.; Darrigran, Gustavo; Do, Van Tu; Douda, Karel; Froufe, Elsa; Gumpinger, Clemens; Henrikson, Lennart; Humphrey, Chris L.; Johnson, Nathan A.; Klishko, Olga; Klunzinger, Michael W.; Kovitvadhi, Satit; Kovitvadhi, Uthaiwan; Lajtner, Jasna; Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Moorkens, Evelyn A.; Nagayama, Shigeya; Nagel, Karl Otto; Nakano, Mitsunori; Negishi, Junjiro N.; Ondina, Paz; Oulasvirta, Panu; Prié, Vincent; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Rudzīte, Mudīte; Sheldon, Fran; Sousa, Ronaldo; Strayer, David L.; Takeuchi, Motoi; Taskinen, Jouni; Teixeira, Amílcar; Tiemann, Jeremy S.; Urbańska, Maria; Varandas, Simone; Vinarski, Maxim V.; Wicklow, Barry J.; Zając, Tadeusz; Vaughn, Caryn C.Freshwater mussels are declining globally, and effective conservation requires prioritizing research and actions to identify and mitigate threats impacting mussel species. Conservation priorities vary widely, ranging from preventing imminent extinction to maintaining abundant populations. Here, we develop a portfolio of priority research topics for freshwater mussel conservation assessment. To address these topics, we group research priorities into two categories: intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are indicators of organismal or population status, while extrinsic factors encompass environmental variables and threats. An understanding of intrinsic factors is useful in monitoring, and of extrinsic factors are important to understand ongoing and potential impacts on conservation status. This dual approach can guide conservation status assessments prior to the establishment of priority species and implementation of conservation management actions.
- A roadmap for the conservation of freshwater mussels in EuropePublication . Sousa, Ronaldo; Zając, Tadeusz; Halabowski, Dariusz; Aksenova, Olga V.; Bespalaya, Yulia V.; Carvalho, Francisco; Castro, Paulo S.; Douda, Karel; Silva, Janine P.; Ferreira-Rodríguez, Noé; Geist, Juergen; Gumpinger, Clemens; Labecka, Anna M.; Lajtner, Jasna; Lewin, Iga; Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Meira, Alexandra; Nakamura, Keiko; Nogueira, Joana Garrido; Ondina, Paz; Ożgo, Małgorzata; Reis, Joaquim; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Shumka, Spase; Son, Mikhail O.; Teixeira, Amílcar; Thielen, Frankie; Urbańska, Maria; Varandas, Simone; Wengström, Niklas; Zajac, Katarzyna; Zieritz, Alexandra; Aldridge, David C.Europe has a long history of human pressure on freshwater ecosystems. As pressure continues to grow and new threats emerge, there is an urgent need for conservation of freshwater biodiversity and its ecosystem services. However, whilst some taxonomic groups, mainly vertebrates, have received a disproportionate amount of attention and funds, other groups remain largely off the public and scientific radar. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionida) are an alarming example of this conservation bias and here we point out six conceptual areas that need immediate and long-term attention: knowledge, threats, socioeconomics, conservation, governance and education. The proposed roadmap aims to advance research, policy and education by identifying the most pressing priorities for the short- and long-term conservation of freshwater mussels across Europe.