Molecular diversity of dissolved organic matter reflects macroecological patterns in river networks.

Deciphering dissolved organic matter (DOM) molecular complexity is crucial for understanding ecosystem function. Using the continental-scale Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic Rivers Systems (WHONDRS) Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) dataset, we reveal fundamental scaling patterns of DOM chemodiversity with watershed characteristics. Analysis of 54 river sites shows local and regional watershed features significantly influence DOM chemodiversity (2500-8718 unique formulae), exhibiting consistent scaling patterns across compound classes and a novel latitudinal gradient (decreasing diversity with increasing latitude).

Spatiotemporal faunal connectivity across global sea floors.

Our knowledge of biogeographic patterns and processes in the deep sea has been limited by the lack of integrated datasets that cover its vast extent. Here we analyse a new global dataset of genomic DNA sequences, spanning an entire taxonomic class of benthic invertebrates (Ophiuroidea), to obtain a broad understanding of phylogenetic divergence and biotic movement across all oceans, from coastal margins down to the abyssal plains. We show that regional faunas on the continental shelf are phylogenetically divergent, particularly at temperate and tropical latitudes.

Swiss data quality: augmenting CAMELS-CH with isotopes, water quality, agricultural and atmospheric data.

Despite the growth of large-sample hydrology (LSH) datasets, water quality data remain scarce. Here, we introduce CAMELS-CH-Chem, an extension of CAMELS-CH (Catchment Attributes and Meteorology for Large-sample Studies in Switzerland), incorporating up to 40 water quality parameters for 115 Swiss catchments from 1981 to 2020. The dataset includes hourly and daily time series of measurements of water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and electrical conductivity; as well as (bi)monthly measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), alkalinity ( ), ammonium ( ), , , total nitrogen, dissolved reactive phosphorus, total filtered phosphorus, total phosphorus, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, , HSiO, , total hardness, and stream water isotopes.

Identifying fundamental goals of childbirth care for women with higher body weight in Swiss maternity care: an embedded mixed methods multi-stakeholder study.

Objectives: The first objective of the study was to identify fundamental goals of childbirth care for women with higher body weight to inform decision-making processes by drawing on multi-stakeholder insights. The second objective included evaluating the method used to support these stakeholders in generating a more diverse set of fundamental goals.

Design: Using an embedded mixed methods design, we engaged key stakeholders in two group workshops and 11 individual interviews to identify goals considered fundamentally important for achieving the best possible childbirth care.

Pre-Exposure to Chemicals Increases Springtail Vulnerability to High Temperatures.

Global climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, posing a significant threat to ectothermic organisms. Concurrently, chemical pollution, including heavy metals and pesticides, remains a pervasive environmental stressor. This study investigates the effects of sub-lethal copper and fluazinam exposure on the thermal tolerance of the soil-dwelling springtail, Folsomia candida.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Based Biological and Environmental 2D and 3D Imaging.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging is a highly sensitive, spatially resolved tool for biological and environmental analysis. SERS imaging combines molecular fingerprinting with real-time, in situ detection, with the capacity to address key questions around analyte identification, concentration, and distribution. In biological systems, SERS imaging has enabled sensitive detection of nucleic acids, proteins, and biomarkers.

Ecology of Gene Expression.

The fundamental importance of the expression of genes has long been recognised in biology, but understanding its role in ecology and evolution has only recently begun to gain traction. This Special Issue highlights recent developments in this field, with 43 papers focusing on transcriptional variation in ecological processes, responses to environmental gradients or stressors, and as an important phenotype affecting other measurable traits, including fitness. This issue also highlights the rapid advancements in methods that will continue to improve our understanding of this molecular phenotype.

Postglacial Echoes: Parasite Genomics Uncover Environmental Changes in Postglacial European Lakes.

Postglacial environmental changes have influenced biodiversity and species evolution, yet the genomic and demographic responses of parasites remain underexplored. This study investigates the population genetics and demographic history of the flatworm Phyllodistomum umblae, a generalist trematode at the definitive host level infecting Coregonus spp. across perialpine and subarctic postglacial lakes.

Modelling the adoption of combined sewer overflow surveillance in Switzerland.

During wet weather, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) spill untreated wastewater to hydraulically protect wastewater treatment plants. Interestingly, in Switzerland, the impact of these discharges on surface water quality remains unclear due to limited monitoring of CSO spills. Although affordable sensors and regular data review could address this, it is unclear why most wastewater associations seldom assess this data, highlighting political and organisational challenges within wastewater associations and their stakeholder networks rather than technical ones.

Escaping Historical Lock-in─Redesigning Wastewater Treatment Plants and Their Microbiomes for the 21st Century.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have gradually, over the last hundred years, been designed and extended to deal with a sequence of problems, including a) odor, b) suspended solids, c) organics, d) ammonia, e) nitrate and phosphate, and f) recalcitrant pollutants. The line of historical developments was piecemeal rather than holistic and did not focus on sustainability, resource recovery, and water reuse. On the contrary, microbial processes that accelerated the removal of nitrogen were incorporated and heralded as a positive part of the "cleanup" agenda, despite their relatively large energy consumption and substantial production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas.

Evaluating the Performance of Gravity-Driven Membrane Filtration for Waterborne Pathogen Removal and Public Health Protection.

Waterborne pathogens pose a serious threat to public health, emphasizing the need for reliable and efficient water treatment technologies. Wastewater treatment plants employ a range of processes to reduce microbial contamination, with membrane filtration emerging as a promising solution due to its ability to physically remove pathogens without the production of harmful chemical by-products. This study investigates the effectiveness of a gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration system for pathogen removal from wastewater and evaluates the associated public health risks with and without treatment.

Holocene environmental change in Rotsee and its impact on sedimentary carbon storage.

To assess the long-term impact of climate change and human influence on lakes and their sedimentary carbon storage, paleo-environmental approaches using well-dated lake sediment cores can be employed. Here, we reconstruct carbon mass accumulation rates for organic and inorganic carbon since 13 ka BP in Rotsee, a perialpine lake near the Swiss Alps, using a 12-m sediment core. A multiproxy approach (XRF, carbon and nitrogen isotopes, organic macromolecule chemical compositions, aDNA) was used to explore changes in the lake system that affect sedimentary carbon storage.

Inferring coexistence likelihood in changing environments from ecological time series.

Inferring coexistence metrics, such as niche and fitness differences, in changing environments is key for understanding the mechanism behind species coexistence and predicting its likelihood. However, it first requires estimating the per capita interactions between organisms and their intrinsic growth rates-parameters that are typically measured by isolating organisms from their natural context. Here, we first use weighted multivariate regression on the per capita growth rates of populations to estimate these key ecological parameters directly from time-series data of species-rich communities.

Mapping the chemical complexity of plastics.

Plastic pollution is a pervasive and growing global problem. Chemicals in plastics are often not sufficiently considered in the overall strategy to prevent and mitigate the impacts of plastics on human health, the environment and circular economy. Here we present an inventory of 16,325 known plastic chemicals with a focus on their properties, presence in plastic and hazards.

A species-level multi-trophic metaweb for Switzerland.

Understanding how species interact within ecological networks is essential for predicting the consequences of environmental change, from trophic cascades to broader changes in species distributions and ecosystem functioning across large spatial scales. To facilitate such explorations, we constructed trophiCH: a country-level trophic meta-food web (henceforth "metaweb") that includes vertebrates, invertebrates, and vascular plants within Switzerland, based on literature published between 1862 and 2023. Our comprehensive dataset catalogues 1,112,073 trophic interactions involving 23,151 species and 125 feeding guilds (e.

Effects of organic ligands, phosphate and Ca on the structure and composition of Fe(III)-precipitates formed by Fe(II) oxidation at near-neutral pH.

The oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) in near-neutral natural waters leads to the formation of Fe(III)-precipitates. Organic ligands, PO, calcium (Ca) and other solutes affect the composition, bulk and nanoscale structure and colloidal properties of Fe(III)-precipitates and their impacts on co-precipitated compounds in interdependent ways. In this study, we quantified the effects of four low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) with different Fe(III) complexation strengths (2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4-DHB) ∼ galacturonic acid (Galact) ≪ 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHB) < citric acid (Citr)) and of leonardite humic acid (LH) in combination with PO and Ca on Fe(III)-precipitate structure and composition in a multifactorial experiment.

Performance analysis and impact of operating conditions on the treatment capacity of two full-scale vermifilters.

Due to low investment and operational costs, chemical and energy independence, and a high potential to contribute to circular wastewater management practices, vermifiltration is a globally relevant wastewater treatment solution. Despite its potential, insufficient knowledge of the full-scale performance and the absence of guidelines for optimal design and operation impede vermifiltration from being widely implemented. This study analyzed the performance of two full-scale vermifilters treating domestic blackwater and greywater sediments in winter and summer in Switzerland.

Prevalent Hybridisation Between Highly Divergent Iberian Chub Species Produces Contrasting Outcomes Across Different Geographic and Time Scales.

Genomic data has revealed hybridisation is common in nature. Highly divergent allopatric species are often overlooked in our efforts to characterise the prevalence and consequences of hybridisation in natural systems, presumably because they are viewed as less likely to hybridise. Yet, such species are models to investigate later stages of the speciation continuum.

Species loss in key habitats accelerates regional food web disruption.

Understanding the robustness of ecological networks against sustained species losses is paramount to devising effective biodiversity conservation strategies. To explore the impacts of species losses on network robustness (the capacity of food webs to withstand primary extinctions), we used a trophic metaweb of 7808 vertebrates, invertebrates and plants and 281,023 interactions across Switzerland. We inferred twelve regional multi-habitat food webs and simulated non-random species extinction scenarios on these webs, focusing on broad habitat types and regional species abundances.

Terrestrial ecosystems enhanced root zone water storage capacity in response to climate change over the past four decades.

Adaptation of ecosystems' root zones to climate change critically affects drought resilience and vegetation productivity. However, a global quantitative assessment of this mechanism is missing. In this study, we analyzed high-quality observation-based data to find that the global average root zone water storage capacity (S) increased by 11%, from 182 to 202 mm in 1982-2020.

Comparing the abatement of pharmaceuticals and their human metabolites in wastewater treatment plants - Insights from biological and advanced treatment stages.

Pharmaceuticals and their human metabolites are significant sources of micropollutants in the aquatic environments due to incomplete removal during wastewater treatment. While parent compounds have been widely studied, the fate of their metabolites across treatment stages remains poorly understood, despite the fact that most pharmaceuticals are excreted in metabolized forms. Using a combination of full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) observations, laboratory experiments, and modeling, this study aimed to assess and compare the removal of 290 parent pharmaceuticals and 154 human metabolites across biological and advanced wastewater treatment stages, to evaluate the influence of human metabolic modifications on removal rates.

Fungal hyphae promote bacterial contact-dependent killing during surface-associated growth.

Bacterial contact-dependent killing in spatially structured systems is shaped by physical constraints and biological interactions. In this study, we demonstrate the importance of fungal hyphae in facilitating bacterial dispersal and promoting contact-dependent killing during surface-associated growth. Using Vibrio cholerae as a killing bacterium and Pseudomonas stutzeri as a target bacterium, we show that fungal hyphae act as dispersal agents that facilitate bacterial spatial intermixing and promote contact-dependent killing.

From wind to seismic signature captured by seismometers in lake Lucerne.

Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) are primarily designed to record seismic signals in marine environments. However, the fundamental principles of their operation as broadband instruments enable a wider range of applications. Here, we demonstrate that OBS systems can also effectively monitor the impact of sudden strong wind events on lakes.

Phage-mediated peripheral kill-the-winner facilitates the maintenance of costly antibiotic resistance.

The persistence of antibiotic resistant (AR) bacteria in the absence of antibiotic pressure raises a paradox regarding the fitness costs associated with antibiotic resistance. These fitness costs should slow the growth of AR bacteria and cause them to be displaced by faster-growing antibiotic sensitive (AS) counterparts. Yet, even in the absence of antibiotic pressure, slower-growing AR bacteria can persist for prolonged periods of time.

A perspective on fish-derived extracellular proteins and their potential applications in aquatic toxicity testing and environmental monitoring.

Synthetic chemicals contaminating aquatic environment can harm aquatic life and contribute to biodiversity loss. Aquatic toxicity testing and environmental biomonitoring approaches often incorporate molecular studies. Since toxic effects begin at the molecular level and propagate to higher levels, molecular biomarkers can serve as valuable indicators of potential organismal and even population-level effects.