Browsing by Author "Riccardi, Nicoletta"
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- Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean key biodiversity areasPublication . Nogueira, Joana Garrido; Sousa, Ronaldo; Benaissa, Hassan; De Knijf, Geert; Ferreira, Sónia; Ghamizi, Mohamed; Gonçalves, Duarte V.; Lansdown, Richard; Numa, Catherine; Prié, Vincent; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Seddon, Mary; UrbaÅ„ska, Maria; Valentini, Alice; Vikhrev, Ilya; Varandas, Simone; Teixeira, Amílcar; Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Nogueira J.G.Theidentification of key biodiversity areas (KBA) was initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004 to overcome taxonomic biases in the selection of important areas for conservation, including freshwater ecosystems. Since then, several KBAs have been identified mainly based on the presence of trigger species (i.e., species that trigger either the vulnerability and or the irreplaceability criterion and thus identify a site as a KBA). However, to our knowledge, many of these KBAs have not been validated. Therefore, classical surveys of the taxa used to identify freshwater KBAs (fishes, molluscs, odonates, and aquatic plants) were conducted in Douro (Iberian Peninsula) and Sebou (Morocco) River basins in the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. Environmental DNA analyses were undertaken in the Moroccan KBAs. There was a mismatch between the supposed and actual presence of trigger species. None of the trigger species were found in 43% and 50% of all KBAs surveyed in the Douro and Sebou basins, respectively. Shortcomings of freshwater KBA identification relate to flawed or lack of distribution data for trigger species. This situation results from a misleading initial identification of KBAs based on poor (or even inaccurate) ecological information or due to increased human disturbance between initial KBA identification and the present. To improve identification of future freshwater KBAs, we suggest selecting trigger species with a more conservative approach; use of local expert knowledge and digital data (to assess habitat quality, species distribution, and potential threats); consideration of the subcatchment when delineating KBAs boundaries; thoughtful consideration of terrestrial special areas for conservation limits; and periodic field validation.
- Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean key biodiversity areasPublication . Nogueira, Joana Garrido; Sousa, Ronaldo; Benaissa, Hassan; De Knijf, Geert; Ferreira, Sónia; Ghamizi, Mohamed; Gonçalves, Duarte V.; Lansdown, Richard; Numa, Catherine; Prié, Vincent; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Seddon, Mary; Urbańska, Maria; Valentini, Alice; Vikhrev, Ilya; Varandas, Simone; Teixeira, Amílcar; Lopes‐Lima, ManuelThe identification of key biodiversity areas (KBA) was initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004 to overcome taxonomic biases in the selection of important areas for conservation, including freshwater ecosystems. Since then, several KBAs have been identified mainly based on the presence of trigger species (i.e., species that trigger either the vulnerability and or the irreplaceability criterion and thus identify a site as a KBA). However, to our knowledge, many of these KBAs have not been validated. Therefore, classical surveys of the taxa used to identify freshwater KBAs (fishes, molluscs, odonates, and aquatic plants) were conducted in Douro (Iberian Peninsula) and Sebou (Morocco) River basins in the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. Environmental DNA analyses were undertaken in the Moroccan KBAs. There was a mismatch between the supposed and actual presence of trigger species. None of the trigger species were found in 43% and 50% of all KBAs surveyed in the Douro and Sebou basins, respectively. Shortcomings of freshwater KBA identification relate to flawed or lack of distribution data for trigger species. This situation results from a misleading initial identification of KBAs based on poor (or even inaccurate) ecological information or due to increased human disturbance between initial KBA identification and the present. To improve identification of future freshwater KBAs, we suggest selecting trigger species with a more conservative approach; use of local expert knowledge and digital data (to assess habitat quality, species distribution, and potential threats); consideration of the subcatchment when delineating KBAs boundaries; thoughtful consideration of terrestrial special areas for conservation limits; and periodic field validation.
- 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.
- A curated dataset on the distribution of West Palaearctic freshwater bivalvesPublication . Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Aldridge, David C.; Álvarez, María G.; Araujo, Rafael; Barea-Azcón, José Miguel; Bikashvili, Ani; Bragado, Dolores; Bylyna, Lilia; Carlevaro, Anna; Černecký, Ján; Cherot, Frédéric; Cichy, Anna; Collas, Frank; Csányi, Béla; Douda, Karel; Ercoli, Fabio; Fehér, Zoltán; Ferreira-Rodríguez, Noé; Froufe, Elsa; Geist, Juergen; Gil, Maria G.; Gołdyn, Bartłomiej; Golski, Janusz; Gomes-dos-Santos, André; Gumpinger, Clemens; Halabowski, Dariusz; Harbar, Olexander; Kamocki, Andrzej; Karaouzas, Ioannis; Labecka, Anna Maria; Lajtner, Jasna; Larsen, Bjørn Mejdell; Lavictoire, Louise; Lewin, Iga; Lipinskaya, Tatsiana; Madeira, M. José; Magerøy, Jon H.; Moorkens, Evelyn; Morales, Javier; Motte, Grégory; Mumladze, Levan; Nakamura, Keiko; Ondina, Paz; Österling, Martin; Outeiro, Adolfo; Ożgo, Małgorzata; Patzner, Robert A.; Paunovic, Momir; Pereira, Joana; Petkevičiūtė, Romualda; Prié, Vincent; Reis, Joaquim; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Richling, Ira; Romero, Rafael; Sablon, Rose; Sandaas, Kjell; Severijns, Nathal; Shevchuk, Larysa; Sîrbu, Ioan; Skawina, Aleksandra; Son, Mikhail O.; Sousa, Ronaldo; Spikkeland, Ingvar; Stanevičiūtė, Gražina; Stanicka, Anna; Stöckl, Katharina; Stunżėnas, Virmantas; Taskinen, Jouni; Teixeira, Amilcar; Thielen, Frankie; Timm, Henn; Todorov, Milcho; Tomović, Jelena; Tończyk, Grzegorz; Trichkova, Teodora; Urbanič, Gorazd; Urbańska, Maria; Väinölä, Risto; Varandas, Simone; Vercauteren, Thierry; Vicentini, Heinrich; Zając, Katarzyna; Zając, TadeuszFreshwater bivalves (FWB) are attracting scientific and societal attention given their essential ecosystem services, ecological functions, and poor conservation status. Current knowledge of the spatial distribution of West Palearctic FWB is poor preventing the understanding of biogeography and conservation planning. One of the priorities of the pan-European networking project "CONFREMU - Conservation of freshwater mussels: a pan-European approach" funded by the European Union, was to fill the knowledge gap on the distribution of FWB in Europe and adjacent regions. Based on the efforts of this network of scientists, we provide the most complete, taxonomically, and geographically accurate distribution of FWB species for the entire West Palearctic. The dataset contains 270,287 geo-referenced records of 93 native and 8 non-native FWB from 1674 to 2023. The dataset compiles information from private records from 82 specialists and multiple sources (e.g., published articles, grey literature, biodiversity databases, and scientific collections). This dataset, available online, represents an important data source for future studies on the biodiversity, biogeography, and conservation of these important organisms.
- Freshwater mussels in Italy: from no-name species and no-right species to useless regulationPublication . Riccardi, Nicoletta; Froufe, Elsa; Teixeira, Amílcar; Varandas, Simone; Moro, Giuseppe; Lopes-Lima, ManuelAny conservation management plan requires at the veiy least the following information: (l) clearly defined target species, and data on the species' (2) distribution and (3) population size. For European freshwater mussels this information is missing, deficient or outdated, and unevenly distributed among the different European countries. Paradoxically, the Southem European countries, more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and water shortage, are those more poorly studied. Despite being recognized as a center of endemism and one of the major refugia of the glacial ages for several taxa, Italy is no exception. Information deficiencies result, at least in part, from objective difficulties, ex. taxonomic uncertainties and misidentifications. Thcsc latter affect both the legislation and the aUocation offunds, which are stricüy interdependent. Two Italian examples will be used to illustrate a paradox that practically hinders both the acquisition of information and, a fortiori, possible conservation actions: l) a "new" species that will not be included in the inventory or protected until the legislative bureaucratic procedure hás taken its course; 2) an "old" species that will become exünct without any conservation plan, because it appears only in the Annex V of the European Directive. Unfortunately, these two examples represent only the tip of the iceberg; underneath there are many legislative inconsistencies that contribute to forming a "cultural threat". A scaling up from the Italian to the European levei shows a further "threat": triggered by funding limitations, the growing spread of data-sharing infrastructures amplifies "errors" (e. g. mis-identifications). Like in avicious circle, species are going lost whüe the few resources still avaüable are absorbed to "capitalize" on already existing, mostly inadequate, knowledge.
- 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.
- Mesozoic mitogenome rearrangements and freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionoidea) macroevolutionPublication . Froufe, Elsa; Bolotov, Ivan N.; Aldridge, David C.; Bogan, Arthur E.; Breton, Sophie; Gan, Han Ming; Kovitvadhi, Uthaiwan; Kovitvadhi, Satit; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Secci-Petretto, Giulia; Sousa, Ronaldo; Teixeira, Amílcar; Varandas, Simone; Zanatta, David; Zieritz, Alexandra; Fonseca, Miguel M.; Lopes-Lima, ManuelUsing a new fossil-calibrated mitogenome-based approach, we identified macroevolutionary shifts in mitochondrial gene order among the freshwater mussels (Unionoidea). We show that the early Mesozoic divergence of the two Unionoidea clades, Margaritiferidae and Unionidae, was accompanied by a synchronous split in the gene arrangement in the female mitogenome (i.e., gene orders MF1 and UF1). Our results suggest that this macroevolutionary jump was completed within a relatively short time interval (95% HPD 201–226 Ma) that coincided with the Triassic–Jurassic mass extinction. Both gene orders have persisted within these clades for ~200 Ma. The monophyly of the so-called “problematic” Gonideinae taxa was supported by all the inferred phylogenies in this study using, for the first time, the M- and F-type mitogenomes either singly or combined. Within Gonideinae, two additional splits in the gene order (UF1 to UF2, UF2 to UF3) occurred in the Mesozoic and have persisted for ~150 and ~100 Ma, respectively. Finally, the mitogenomic results suggest ancient connections between freshwater basins of East Asia and Europe near the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, probably via a continuous paleo-river system or along the Tethys coastal line, which are well supported by at least three independent but almost synchronous divergence events.
- 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.
- Newly developed microsatellite markers for the pan-European duck mussel, Anodonta anatina: Revisiting the main mitochondrial lineagesPublication . Lopes-Lima, Manuel; Sousa, Ronaldo; Teixeira, Amílcar; Varandas, Simone; Riccardi, Nicoletta; Aldridge, David C.; Froufe, ElsaFreshwater mussels of the family Unionidae are one of the most threatened groups worldwide and have suffered severe decline over recent decades. Although the freshwater duck mussel, Anodonta anatina (Linnaeus, 1758), is still widespread, this species has shown evidence of recent declines and is already protected in some European countries. Informed conservation efforts must take into account patterns in genetic diversity and phylogeography. In the present study, 20 newly developed polymorphic loci were described and tested in seven populations of A. anatina, belonging to three previously detected divergent mtDNA lineages. The genetic diversity patterns, within and among A. anatina populations, were evaluated to test their congruence with those lineages. A high genetic differentiation (F ST ) was found among all populations, with the exception of those in Central Europe (Germany) and the UK, which were not strongly structured. The present study confirms the division of the species into three evolutionarily significant units corresponding to the three previously detected mtDNA lineages, which should be managed independently. Furthermore, owing to the high differentiation among southern European populations, the establishment of distinct management units for the Guadalquivir, Guadiana and Douro populations in the Iberian Peninsula is also proposed.