Exposure to grassland fire ash alters the life-history traits and causes morphological deformities in the aquatic insect Chironomus xanthus.

Wildfires generate large amounts of ash that can contaminate watercourses, with potentially harmful effects on aquatic biodiversity that are not fully understood. This study experimentally evaluated the influence of environmentally relevant concentrations of grassland ash on aquatic biota, using the freshwater non-biting midge Chironomus xanthus as a model organism. Specifically, we assessed the toxicity of ash on oviposition and emergence patterns, changes in body and head capsule sizes, and deformities in the mentum and mandible of 4th-instar larvae and the wings of adult C.

Water pollution caused by ash from grassland fires alters the molecular, biochemical, and morphological biomarkers of non-biting midge larvae.

The frequency and intensity of wildfires have been increasing in many parts of the world, which may result in biodiversity loss. Wildfires can devastate plant communities, generating toxic ash that pollutes watercourses through runoff. However, our understanding of the effects of ash exposure on aquatic biodiversity is still limited.

The role of bioturbation triggered by benthic macroinvertebrates in the effectiveness of the Floc & Lock technique in mitigating eutrophication.

Anthropogenic activities have led to excessive loading of phosphorus and nitrogen into water bodies, leading to eutrophication and promoting the growth of cyanobacteria, posing a threat to the health of humans and aquatic animals. Techniques such as Floc & Lock have been developed to mitigate eutrophication by reducing phosphorus concentrations in water and preventing algal blooms. However, little attention has been given to the impact of phosphorus resuspension by sediment-associated organisms such as benthic macroinvertebrates, on the effectiveness of this technique.

Non-native fishes homogenize native fish communities and reduce ecosystem multifunctionality in tropical lakes over 16 years.

Non-native species are considered a major global threat to biodiversity, and their expansion to new ecosystems has recently increased. However, the effect of non-native species on ecosystem functioning is poorly understood, especially in hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems of which long-term studies are scarce. We analyzed the relationship between richness, biomass, and β-diversity of non-native and native fishes during 16 years in five hyperdiverse tropical shallow lakes.