Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2026.108578
Hui-Fei Lyu, Fu-Xing Shen, Yue Li, Cai-Ping Wang, Jun Deng, Wei-Feng Wang
{"title":"Research on spontaneous combustion thermal generation and transfer effects of coal–based activated carbon and its precursors","authors":"Hui-Fei Lyu, Fu-Xing Shen, Yue Li, Cai-Ping Wang, Jun Deng, Wei-Feng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.psep.2026.108578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2026.108578","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20743,"journal":{"name":"Process Safety and Environmental Protection","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146153011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1007/s11356-026-37463-y
Eric Danso-Boateng, Ebenezer Adom, Prince Appiah Owusu, Roland Songotu Kabange
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is common in many developing countries; while it contributes to their socio-economic development, it also causes environmental pollution. This study examined the impact of ASGM activities on the quality of drinking water sources in the Asankrangwa District in Ghana, in terms of water quality index, heavy metal pollution index models, and human health risks. The results of physicochemical parameters indicate that 40.0% of all water sources are unsuitable for consumption. Heavy metal pollution indices indicated that 45.0% of the water sources were extremely polluted, and 25.0% were moderately polluted. For instance, cadmium (Cd) concentrations across all water sources reached levels up to 23 times the WHO limit (3.0 × 10-3 mg/L). Additionally, mercury (Hg) concentrations in 75.0% of the water sources (2.0 × 10-3-7.2 × 10-1 mg/L) exceed the maximum contaminant limit (2.0 × 10-3 mg/L) by approximately 361 times. Streams, in particular, exhibit higher Hg levels than groundwaters. Analysis revealed that 90% of the water sources pose a significant carcinogenic health risk upon consumption, with lifetime cancer risk values exceeding 1.0 × 10-4. The findings revealed that the pollution level is reduced and water quality improved 5 km from the ASGM sites; however, the water sources require treatment to render them suitable for consumption.
{"title":"Pollution and health risk assessment of drinking water sources within artisanal and small-scale gold mining areas: a case of Asankrangwa District in Ghana.","authors":"Eric Danso-Boateng, Ebenezer Adom, Prince Appiah Owusu, Roland Songotu Kabange","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-37463-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-026-37463-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is common in many developing countries; while it contributes to their socio-economic development, it also causes environmental pollution. This study examined the impact of ASGM activities on the quality of drinking water sources in the Asankrangwa District in Ghana, in terms of water quality index, heavy metal pollution index models, and human health risks. The results of physicochemical parameters indicate that 40.0% of all water sources are unsuitable for consumption. Heavy metal pollution indices indicated that 45.0% of the water sources were extremely polluted, and 25.0% were moderately polluted. For instance, cadmium (Cd) concentrations across all water sources reached levels up to 23 times the WHO limit (3.0 × 10<sup>-3</sup> mg/L). Additionally, mercury (Hg) concentrations in 75.0% of the water sources (2.0 × 10<sup>-3</sup>-7.2 × 10<sup>-1</sup> mg/L) exceed the maximum contaminant limit (2.0 × 10<sup>-3</sup> mg/L) by approximately 361 times. Streams, in particular, exhibit higher Hg levels than groundwaters. Analysis revealed that 90% of the water sources pose a significant carcinogenic health risk upon consumption, with lifetime cancer risk values exceeding 1.0 × 10<sup>-4</sup>. The findings revealed that the pollution level is reduced and water quality improved 5 km from the ASGM sites; however, the water sources require treatment to render them suitable for consumption.</p>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146148684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ivermectin (IVM) is used antiparasitic drug in veterinary medicine and it is also the only avermectin approved in humans in several parasitic infestations. We examined this substance because potential critical issues associated with the use were highlighted. Moreover, criticisms related to the ecological-environmental sphere, as well as food contamination arise. Nevertheless, current in vitro studies are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the direct impact of IVM on reproductive function using swine granulosa cells as reproductive cell model. The results show that progesterone, ATP and free radicals’ levels significantly increased (p<0.05). Non-enzymatic defense systems as well as autophagy did not show significant differences. On the contrary, cell proliferation, estradiol levels, and enzymatic defense systems significantly decreased (p<0.05) after IVM treatment. Since results show that the normal function of these cells is compromised by IVM the normal reproductive functions of the entire organism could be disrupted.
{"title":"Evaluation of the ivermectin effects on porcine granulosa cell function","authors":"Giuseppina Basini, Fausto Quintavalla, Simona Bussolati, Francesca Grasselli","doi":"10.1016/j.etap.2026.104960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2026.104960","url":null,"abstract":"Ivermectin (IVM) is used antiparasitic drug in veterinary medicine and it is also the only avermectin approved in humans in several parasitic infestations. We examined this substance because potential critical issues associated with the use were highlighted. Moreover, criticisms related to the ecological-environmental sphere, as well as food contamination arise. Nevertheless, current in vitro studies are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the direct impact of IVM on reproductive function using swine granulosa cells as reproductive cell model. The results show that progesterone, ATP and free radicals’ levels significantly increased (p<0.05). Non-enzymatic defense systems as well as autophagy did not show significant differences. On the contrary, cell proliferation, estradiol levels, and enzymatic defense systems significantly decreased (p<0.05) after IVM treatment. Since results show that the normal function of these cells is compromised by IVM the normal reproductive functions of the entire organism could be disrupted.","PeriodicalId":11775,"journal":{"name":"Environmental toxicology and pharmacology","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119374
Claudia Erhart, Jasmine Nahrgang, Derrick Kwame Odei, Marianne Frantzen, Lisbet Sørensen, Mari Egeness Creese, Velmurugu Puvanendran, Øyvind Johannes Hansen, Bjørn Henrik Hansen, James P. Meador, Fekadu Yadetie
Understanding the long-term biological consequences of crude oil exposure on marine fish is essential for the sustainability of ecologically and economically important species such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). While the direct effects of crude oil on early life stages are well documented, adult reproductive vulnerability and intergenerational consequences remain poorly understood, despite their pivotal role in spawning stock viability. Paternal contributions to next-generation outcomes are particularly underexplored. This study examined how parental exposure to a water-soluble fraction of crude oil affects transcriptomic profiles and survival outcomes in Atlantic cod offspring. Adult fish were exposed for 20 days prior to spawning, and offspring were produced by in vitro cross-fertilization to generate four groups: control (unexposed parents), maternally exposed, paternally exposed and biparentally exposed. Embryos were reared under control conditions, and transcriptome profiles were analyzed from fertilization to hatching, alongside assessments of cardiac function and morphology post-hatch. Offspring from exposed females failed to survive to hatching. Eggs were smaller, and transcriptomic data revealed severe downregulation of genes involved in early developmental processes. Chemical analyses confirmed maternal transfer of a diverse range of petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons to oocytes. Our findings point to disrupted oocyte provisioning, likely linked to endocrine and epigenetic disturbances during oocyte maturation. Paternal exposure had minimal effect on RNA expression, and morphology at hatching. However, reduced survival in early larval stages suggests sublethal effects emerging later, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms, a hypothesis requiring further investigation.
{"title":"Maternal and paternal crude oil exposure differentially shapes early developmental transcriptomes and survival outcomes in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)","authors":"Claudia Erhart, Jasmine Nahrgang, Derrick Kwame Odei, Marianne Frantzen, Lisbet Sørensen, Mari Egeness Creese, Velmurugu Puvanendran, Øyvind Johannes Hansen, Bjørn Henrik Hansen, James P. Meador, Fekadu Yadetie","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119374","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the long-term biological consequences of crude oil exposure on marine fish is essential for the sustainability of ecologically and economically important species such as Atlantic cod (<ce:italic>Gadus morhua</ce:italic>). While the direct effects of crude oil on early life stages are well documented, adult reproductive vulnerability and intergenerational consequences remain poorly understood, despite their pivotal role in spawning stock viability. Paternal contributions to next-generation outcomes are particularly underexplored. This study examined how parental exposure to a water-soluble fraction of crude oil affects transcriptomic profiles and survival outcomes in Atlantic cod offspring. Adult fish were exposed for 20 days prior to spawning, and offspring were produced by <ce:italic>in vitro</ce:italic> cross-fertilization to generate four groups: control (unexposed parents), maternally exposed, paternally exposed and biparentally exposed. Embryos were reared under control conditions, and transcriptome profiles were analyzed from fertilization to hatching, alongside assessments of cardiac function and morphology post-hatch. Offspring from exposed females failed to survive to hatching. Eggs were smaller, and transcriptomic data revealed severe downregulation of genes involved in early developmental processes. Chemical analyses confirmed maternal transfer of a diverse range of petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons to oocytes. Our findings point to disrupted oocyte provisioning, likely linked to endocrine and epigenetic disturbances during oocyte maturation. Paternal exposure had minimal effect on RNA expression, and morphology at hatching. However, reduced survival in early larval stages suggests sublethal effects emerging later, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms, a hypothesis requiring further investigation.","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10Epub Date: 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181474
Ana Santurtún, Pablo Medín, José Antonio Riancho, Marina Santiago-Setién, Fernando Ortiz, Adolfo López de Munain, Ricardo Almendra, Javier Riancho
{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Temporo-spatial analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Spain: Altitude and land use as new determinants of the disease\" [Sci. Total Environ., 957 (2024), 177796].","authors":"Ana Santurtún, Pablo Medín, José Antonio Riancho, Marina Santiago-Setién, Fernando Ortiz, Adolfo López de Munain, Ricardo Almendra, Javier Riancho","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181474","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181474","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":" ","pages":"181474"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146083831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2026.125539
Charlotte Lafont, Stéphane Vaxelaire, Alexandre Gelabert, Catherine Joulian, Hugues Thouin, Frédéric Duré, Mickael Charron, Josselin Gorny, Delphine Vantelon, Fabienne Battaglia-Brunet, Éric D. van Hullebusch
Manganese (Mn) removal in passive mine water treatment remains a challenge due to its slow oxidation kinetics, requiring specific biogeochemical conditions. Constructed wetlands are often the key functional units enabling Mn removal in full-scale passive treatment plants. This study examines the key biogeochemical factors influencing Mn removal in a full-scale passive mine water treatment plant located in Alès (South-East France). Over one year, monitoring of physicochemical parameters, microbial communities, and Mn speciation in solid phases was conducted every two months. Results highlight temporal variations in Mn removal efficiency, with two main mechanisms identified: (1) Mn carbonate (MnCO₃) precipitation, likely influenced by high carbonate concentrations in mine water, and (2) Mn oxide (δ-MnO₂) formation, mainly associated with reed rhizosphere, where it accumulates as mineral plaque. In mine water, Mn removal correlates with Fe particle concentrations, suggesting a catalytic effect, as well as with alkalinity and the abundance of microorganisms affiliated to Alteromonadaceae, suggesting a microbial influence. Mn removal appears to be primarily abiotic, driven by favourable pH and alkaline conditions that promote Mn carbonate precipitation, by autocatalytic oxidation reactions occurring on rhizosphere surfaces and by plant’s design including surface area and hydrological conditions. Microbial communities may facilitate certain Mn removal processes depending on environmental conditions.
{"title":"Manganese removal in a full-scale constructed wetland for passive mine water treatment: environmental factors and microbial communities","authors":"Charlotte Lafont, Stéphane Vaxelaire, Alexandre Gelabert, Catherine Joulian, Hugues Thouin, Frédéric Duré, Mickael Charron, Josselin Gorny, Delphine Vantelon, Fabienne Battaglia-Brunet, Éric D. van Hullebusch","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2026.125539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2026.125539","url":null,"abstract":"Manganese (Mn) removal in passive mine water treatment remains a challenge due to its slow oxidation kinetics, requiring specific biogeochemical conditions. Constructed wetlands are often the key functional units enabling Mn removal in full-scale passive treatment plants. This study examines the key biogeochemical factors influencing Mn removal in a full-scale passive mine water treatment plant located in Alès (South-East France). Over one year, monitoring of physicochemical parameters, microbial communities, and Mn speciation in solid phases was conducted every two months. Results highlight temporal variations in Mn removal efficiency, with two main mechanisms identified: (1) Mn carbonate (MnCO₃) precipitation, likely influenced by high carbonate concentrations in mine water, and (2) Mn oxide (δ-MnO₂) formation, mainly associated with reed rhizosphere, where it accumulates as mineral plaque. In mine water, Mn removal correlates with Fe particle concentrations, suggesting a catalytic effect, as well as with alkalinity and the abundance of microorganisms affiliated to <em>Alteromonadaceae</em>, suggesting a microbial influence. Mn removal appears to be primarily abiotic, driven by favourable pH and alkaline conditions that promote Mn carbonate precipitation, by autocatalytic oxidation reactions occurring on rhizosphere surfaces and by plant’s design including surface area and hydrological conditions. Microbial communities may facilitate certain Mn removal processes depending on environmental conditions.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"211 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The phytoremediation of pharmaceuticals by aquatic plants is influenced by both plant physiology and microbial interactions. This study investigated how microbial symbiosis modulates the uptake, transformation, and physiological responses of Lemna minor to metformin. Plants were cultivated under axenic and non-axenic conditions and exposed to 10, 50, and 100 µg/L metformin for 7 days. Both systems removed >99% of metformin from water, but exhibited distinct accumulation patterns, stress biomarkers, and metabolic profiles. Axenic plants accumulated 2.1-fold more metformin and 1.7-fold more guanylerea at 100 µg/L, along with increased oxidative stress (↑MDA) and elevated cytochrome P450 activity. Non-axenic systems exhibited extracellular guanylurea concentrations up to 0.9 µg/L, indicating a reliance on intrinsic detoxification pathways. Guanylurea, a key metformin metabolite, was detected in both plant types, but appeared in water only under non-axenic conditions, suggesting microbial-mediated excretion. Principal component analysis revealed that guanylurea accumulation was correlated with elevated P450 activity, lipid peroxidation, and hormonal shifts, especially in axenic plants. These results confirmed that L. minor can biotransform metformin independently of microbes, albeit with a greater physiological burden. Microbial presence mitigates stress and enhances extracellular degradation. Overall, the data demonstrate complementary roles of plants and microbiota, with microbiota reducing internal contaminant load and protecting plant homeostasis.
{"title":"Microbiota Modulate Metformin Phytoremediation and Stress Responses in Lemna minor","authors":"Marcelo Pedrosa Gomes, Leticia Malinoski, Leila Teresinha Maranho, Daniella Moreira Moraes Carneiro, Vinicius Sobrinho Richardi, Marcela Galar Martinez","doi":"10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141427","url":null,"abstract":"The phytoremediation of pharmaceuticals by aquatic plants is influenced by both plant physiology and microbial interactions. This study investigated how microbial symbiosis modulates the uptake, transformation, and physiological responses of <em>Lemna minor</em> to metformin. Plants were cultivated under axenic and non-axenic conditions and exposed to 10, 50, and 100<!-- --> <!-- -->µg/L metformin for 7 days. Both systems removed >99% of metformin from water, but exhibited distinct accumulation patterns, stress biomarkers, and metabolic profiles. Axenic plants accumulated 2.1-fold more metformin and 1.7-fold more guanylerea at 100<!-- --> <!-- -->µg/L, along with increased oxidative stress (↑MDA) and elevated cytochrome P450 activity. Non-axenic systems exhibited extracellular guanylurea concentrations up to 0.9<!-- --> <!-- -->µg/L, indicating a reliance on intrinsic detoxification pathways. Guanylurea, a key metformin metabolite, was detected in both plant types, but appeared in water only under non-axenic conditions, suggesting microbial-mediated excretion. Principal component analysis revealed that guanylurea accumulation was correlated with elevated P450 activity, lipid peroxidation, and hormonal shifts, especially in axenic plants. These results confirmed that <em>L. minor</em> can biotransform metformin independently of microbes, albeit with a greater physiological burden. Microbial presence mitigates stress and enhances extracellular degradation. Overall, the data demonstrate complementary roles of plants and microbiota, with microbiota reducing internal contaminant load and protecting plant homeostasis.","PeriodicalId":361,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Hazardous Materials","volume":"236 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stephanie R Valdez, Carter S Smith, Catherine L Brenner, Avery B Paxton, Brian R Silliman
Habitat edges are often considered environmentally stressful areas, and as such, research has largely focused on the impacts of physical factors in shaping these edges. However, less is known about the relative importance of biotic disturbance agents and bottom-up drivers in shaping habitat edges. Here, we used intertidal seagrass beds as a model system to test how the independent and combined effects of stingrays-a disturbance-generating forager in seagrass beds-and nutrient addition affect the upper elevation edge of seagrasses. A two-season long manipulative experiment with stingray exclusion × nutrient addition revealed that shoreward seagrass edges experienced heightened loss in percent cover when exposed to stingrays (p = 0.037) but were not impacted by nutrient additions to marine sediments (p = 0.13). Additionally, transplant experiments designed to test whether stingrays could limit intertidal seagrass establishment in higher elevation found that transplanted seagrass had a higher chance of survival when stingrays were excluded (p < 0.01), suggesting that seagrass could live higher in the intertidal and that stingrays may limit shoreward expansion. Finally, a multi-site observational survey demonstrated that stingray pit abundance was a strong predictor of the distance between seagrass edge and shoreward habitats. Combined, these results challenge current understanding in plant ecology that seagrass edges are controlled mainly by physical factors and instead suggest that the structure of the seagrass shoreward edge is controlled by both physical and biotic drivers. Our results also indicate that the relative effects of consumer disturbance and physical factors in controlling edge limits are likely predicated on consumer density: in areas with higher densities of large consumers, biotic forcing is likely to be more important. Furthermore, these results could have implications for restoration in areas with high densities of disturbance-generating foragers and align with calls for greater inclusion of animal impacts into restoration schemes. Biotic drivers along environmentally stressful edges are likely not limited to seagrasses and the generality of biotic control of habitat edges deserves further exploration across diverse ecosystems.
{"title":"Mobile consumers influence the shoreward edge of intertidal seagrass ecosystems.","authors":"Stephanie R Valdez, Carter S Smith, Catherine L Brenner, Avery B Paxton, Brian R Silliman","doi":"10.1111/1365-2656.70218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Habitat edges are often considered environmentally stressful areas, and as such, research has largely focused on the impacts of physical factors in shaping these edges. However, less is known about the relative importance of biotic disturbance agents and bottom-up drivers in shaping habitat edges. Here, we used intertidal seagrass beds as a model system to test how the independent and combined effects of stingrays-a disturbance-generating forager in seagrass beds-and nutrient addition affect the upper elevation edge of seagrasses. A two-season long manipulative experiment with stingray exclusion × nutrient addition revealed that shoreward seagrass edges experienced heightened loss in percent cover when exposed to stingrays (p = 0.037) but were not impacted by nutrient additions to marine sediments (p = 0.13). Additionally, transplant experiments designed to test whether stingrays could limit intertidal seagrass establishment in higher elevation found that transplanted seagrass had a higher chance of survival when stingrays were excluded (p < 0.01), suggesting that seagrass could live higher in the intertidal and that stingrays may limit shoreward expansion. Finally, a multi-site observational survey demonstrated that stingray pit abundance was a strong predictor of the distance between seagrass edge and shoreward habitats. Combined, these results challenge current understanding in plant ecology that seagrass edges are controlled mainly by physical factors and instead suggest that the structure of the seagrass shoreward edge is controlled by both physical and biotic drivers. Our results also indicate that the relative effects of consumer disturbance and physical factors in controlling edge limits are likely predicated on consumer density: in areas with higher densities of large consumers, biotic forcing is likely to be more important. Furthermore, these results could have implications for restoration in areas with high densities of disturbance-generating foragers and align with calls for greater inclusion of animal impacts into restoration schemes. Biotic drivers along environmentally stressful edges are likely not limited to seagrasses and the generality of biotic control of habitat edges deserves further exploration across diverse ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":14934,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Ecology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146149888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号