Trophic Resource Use by Sympatric vs. Allopatric Pelomedusid Turtles in West African Forest Waterbodies.

Organisms that are similar in size, morphological characteristics, and adaptations, including vertebrates, often coexist by partitioning the available resources (food, space, and time). So, studies of the dynamics of these cases of coexistence are scientifically interesting. Here, we study a coexistence case of two species of freshwater turtles inhabiting the forest waterbodies of West Africa, focusing on the dietary habits of the two species.

High concentrations of dissolved biogenic methane associated with cyanobacterial blooms in East African lake surface water.

The contribution of oxic methane production to greenhouse gas emissions from lakes is globally relevant, yet uncertainties remain about the levels up to which methanogenesis can counterbalance methanotrophy by leading to CH oversaturation in productive surface waters. Here, we explored the biogeochemical and microbial community variation patterns in a meromictic soda lake, in the East African Rift Valley (Kenya), showing an extraordinarily high concentration of methane in oxic waters (up to 156 µmol L). Vertical profiles of dissolved gases and their isotopic signature indicated a biogenic origin of CH.

Smallholder Farmers' Practices and African Indigenous Vegetables Affect Soil Microbial Biodiversity and Enzyme Activities in Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya.

Loss of soil biodiversity and fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) may put the food security of smallholder farmers in peril. Food systems in SSA are seeing the rise of African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) that are underexploited but locally consumed without being considered a primary source of food and income. Here we present a field study, a first of its kind, in which we investigated the effects of different cropping systems and inclusion of AIVs in the farming approach on bacterial and fungal biodiversity and community structures, enzymatic activity, and the alteration status of soils of the smallholder farmers in Kenya.

Environmental background assessment: basic principles and practice.

Background assessment is crucial in setting remediation and management goals, in identifying contamination trends and in providing screening tools for the selection of contaminants of concern. Legal requirements and guideline documents place great emphasis onto the establishment of background levels. This contribution discusses background estimates for metals and organics in relation to bioavailability and to its potential impact onto living systems.

[Wetland management according to the Water Framework Directive 2000/60].

The Water Framework Directive sets the basis for a new water management regulatory perspective, which is of immediate relevance to wetlands. Up to recently, these were perceived solely as marginal habitats, fulfilling a specific role in the conservation of rare and protected species. The principles established by the Directive for the evaluation of the ecological status of significant water bodies relate directly to the relevance of the hydromorphological elements which are part of them, including ecotonal and riparian habitats, as well as other humid habitats connected to the main network.