Дисертації з теми "Bioindicator species"

The thesis aims to examine how well two standardised methods in nature conservation, namely natural value assessment and key biotope inventory, perform in terms of recognising an area with a high amount of red listed and bioindicator fungi. The two methods are compared to see if any method is superior to find areas with high presence of red listed and bioindicator fungi and if a larger area automatically means a larger number of species. A natural value assessment inventory is conducted on study sites with a performed key biotope inventory, with an addition of an inventory on fungi. Statistical tests are completed to give information about occurring correlations. The results display that the key biotope inventory and the natural value assessment do not differ in their evaluations of an area. Analysis also shows that there is no relationship between the forest sites area and the assessment performed by the natural value assessment. However, if the assessment is performed by the key biotope inventory there exist a relationship with the forest sites area. Further on, there is no correlation between the area and its number of species. The tests also indicate that neither of the methods predict presence or the number of red listed and bioindicator species in a forest. Based on the results, the presence of bioindicator and red listed species alone are not good indicators of forest nature value. In order to give more credible answers to these questions, more studies with increased number of replicates should be conducted.
Avhandlingen syftar till att undersöka hur bra två standardmetoder inom naturvården (Skogsbiologernas naturvärdesbedömning och Nyckelbiotopsinventering) är på att upptäcka ett områdes förekomst av rödlistade svampar och signalarter. Metoderna jämförs för att upptäcka om någon metod är överlägsen den andra angående att finna områden med stor förekomst av rödlistade svampar och signalarter samt om ett större område automatiskt innebär fler arter. Detta undersöks genom att Skogsbiologernas naturvärdesbedömning utförs på områden som redan inventerats utifrån en Nyckelbiotopsinventering med tillägg av en svampinventering. Statistiska analyser genomförs därefter för att ge svar om förekommande samband. Analyser visar att Nyckelbiotopsinventeringen och Skogsbiologernas naturvärdesbedömning inte skiljer sig angående bedömningen av skogsområden. Utförda statistiska testerna tyder även på att det inte förekommer något samband mellan bedömda områdens areal och dess bedömning enligt Skogsbiologernas bedömning, däremot finns det ett samband mellan områdenas areal och Nyckelbiotopsinventeringens bedömning. Det förekommer dock inget art-area samband. Utförda tester indikerar även att ingen av metoderna kan förutsäga mängden rödlistade svampar samt signalarter i ett skogsområde. Baserat på detta resultat ger förekomsten av signalarter samt rödlistade svamparter ingen bra indikation på en skogs naturvärde. För att ge mer trovärdiga svar på dessa frågor krävs mer studier med en ökad mängd replikat.

Anthropogenic disturbances are ubiquitous in coastal marine ecosystems. As such, more intensive monitoring efforts are necessary to conserve these valuable habitats. Bioindicators, organisms that predictably respond to changes in environmental variables, may be utilized in monitoring efforts to assess ecosystem functioning. To incorporate organisms into monitoring programs as bioindicators managers need to first understand the difference between the natural phenology of the focal organisms and their responses to different forms of anthropogenic disturbance. To determine if gammaridean amphipods could be used as indicators of changes in environmental quality in sub-tropical seagrass ecosystems, I conducted spatial and temporal surveys of amphipod communities in south Florida. Amphipod community structure varied significantly across sites and seasons. Variation in community structure was largely driven by macrophyte biomass, food availability, seasonally variable factors (epiphyte abundance, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature), water-column nitrogen concentration, and factors related to freshwater input, including low Thalassia testudinum and high Halodule wrightii densities, and salinity. Amphipods are also susceptible to mechanical damage in seagrass habitats and could be used as indicators of ecological functioning of a region. A major source of mechanical damage in seagrass ecosystems is caused by boat propellers. I simulated propeller scars in continuous seagrass beds to investigate the effects of scarring on seagrass ecosystem functioning. Seagrasses located adjacent to propeller scars experienced a shift in the limiting resource from light to phosphorus. Amphipod community structure, however, was not impacted by scarring, but amphipod density was reduced in fragmented patches. To determine if plant-herbivore interactions were impacted by propeller scarring, we removed amphipods from half of the experimental plots and measured epiphyte biomass and community composition. Top-down control on epiphyte biomass or community composition by amphipods was not affected by fragmentation, despite reduced amphipod densities. My dissertation research demonstrates that amphipods could be incorporated into existing management programs in sub-tropical seagrass ecosystems as environmental indicators. Reduced amphipod densities in fragmented seagrass beds suggests that amphipods could also be used as ecological indicators, but more research is needed to determine the extent of the impacts of fragmentation on higher trophic levels.

Human development continues to use up more physical space in the natural world, threatening the natural habitats of many organisms. To combat the loss of biodiversity science needs to explore what landscape features are important for different organisms so that we can incorporate these into the modern environment. As bats play an important role in many ecosystems and can reflect changes through trophic levels, analyzing their preferred habitats can help planners improve biological diversity of the urban habitat. Using acoustically identified bat sightings from Artportalen.se for the years 2017-2018, this paper studied the habitats of bats in Sweden. Through multiple regression analysis we examine the response in abundance and/or diversity of bats to physical and socio-cultural attributes of the urban habitat. We examined a total of 10160 bats from 18 species in 418 land cover locales and 306 demographical statistical areas with varying degrees of urbanization. Our results indicate that bat abundance and diversity decrease significantly with higher urbanization while deciduous forests are the most important land cover type for all bats. The results also indicate that wealthier areas have less abundance and diversity even when factoring in population density. Species specific analysis suggested that bat species who are better adapted at foraging in open vegetated landscapes and over water were less susceptible to the negative impacts of the urban habitat. We conclude that diverse habitats with a mixture of open vegetated areas, watercourses and broadleaf forests are the most important land features for a diverse bat fauna along with high connectivity via tree cover and linear landscape elements. If urban planning could incorporate these features into the urban habitat, some of the negative impacts of urbanization could be prevented.

Le recours à des épandages d'amendements calco-magnésiens dans les forêts acidifiées peut représenter une alternative intéressante pour corriger l'acidification des sols et la perte d'éléments nutritifs engendrés par des décennies de dépôts atmosphériques acides. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de cette thèse sont d'évaluer les effets d'amendements calco-magnésiens sur (i) la diversité taxonomique et la structure des communautés des macroinvertébrés de sol forestier et sur (ii) deux processus fonctionnels associés notamment à l'activité des vers de terre, tels que la structuration du sol et l'évolution des humus. Au cours de nos travaux, trois sites localisés dans les Vosges (nord-est, France) ont été étudiés : deux massifs forestiers (sur grès et granite) en moyenne montagne, ayant fait l'objet d'amendements aériens en 2003 et la forêt domaniale de Humont située dans les collines sous-vosgiennes, où des amendements en 1991 et 2008 ont été réalisés. Les résultats montrent que 4 ans après amendement sur les bassins versants en moyenne montagne, l'abondance totale de la communauté de macrofaune a diminué, alors que les richesses spécifiques sont similaires. Cependant, la composition des communautés diffère avec moins de 50 % d'espèces communes aux sites amendés et témoins. Une diminution de l'abondance des prédateurs a également été observée alors que la plupart des détritivores ont été favorisés par l'amendement. Les études in vitro montrent également son effet positif sur les activités de structuration du sol par les vers de terre (production de turricules et construction de galeries). En forêt de Humont, les amendements ont eu un effet majeur à moyen terme (4 ans) et à long terme (20 ans) sur la population d'Aporrectodea velox, espèce endémique des Vosges. De part sa biomasse importante, cette augmentation de densité favorise l'amélioration des caractéristiques physico-chimiques du sol forestier tels que la structuration des sols et la morphologie des humus
The use of liming (Ca-Mg) on acidified forest can be interesting to counteract soil acidification and loss of nutrients caused by decades of acid atmospheric deposition. In this context, the aims of this work were to assess liming effect on (i) taxonomical diversity and community structure of soil macro-invertebrates and on (ii) two associated functional processes related to earthworms: soil structuration and humus evolution. The PhD project was realised in three sites from the Vosges mountains (North-eastern, France): two forest mountain catchments (one lying on sandstone and the other on granite) limed in 2003 and the public hill forest of Humont at a lower altitude limed in 1991 and 2008. Results showed that 4 years after liming in mountain forest, the total abundance of macro-invertebrates decreased, while the species richness were similar. However, the community structure strongly differed, and less than 50% of the species were common to limed and control sites. Moreover, 43 species appeared to be indicators of liming. Predator taxa abundance decreased whereas the detritivorous were favoured by lime addition. The in vitro experiments showed a positive effect of liming on soil structuration by earthworm activities (cast production and burrowing activities). In the Humont forest, liming at medium-term (4 years) and long term (20 years) have an important effect on the Aporrectodea velox population, an endemic vosgian species. Related to its high biomass, this increase strongly improved soil physicochemical parameters such as soil structure and humus morphology

La plupart des déchets plastiques mal gérés pénètrent dans l'environnement marin. Une fois dans les océans, ces plastiques dérivent jusqu'à atteindre des zones de convergence subtropicales, où ils s'accumulent pour former des « Garbage Patch ». Cinq de ces zones ont été découvertes,dont l’une dans le sud de l'océan Indien. Cette dernière a fait l'objet de peu d'études d'observation en surface, et plusieurs modèles de dispersion indiquent une localisation différente, la plaçant soit à l’ouest ou à l’est du bassin. Supposée être la deuxième « Garbage Patch » la plus polluée après celle du Pacifique Nord, il est crucial de l'identifier correctement pour intervenir efficacement. C'est dans ce contexte que s'inscrit le projet doctoral, visant à déterminer la composition, la concentration et l'origine des débris plastiques accumulés dans le sud-ouest de l'océan Indien. Depuis le début du projet, 19 campagnes océanographiques ont été déployées pour effectuer des suivis visuels des macrodéchets (> 2,5 cm) et collecter des microplastiques (500 μm – 5 mm). Des collectes des déchets marins (macro et méso : 5 mm – 2,5 cm) échoués sur des plages inhabitées ont également été réalisées pour évaluer la proportion qui ne reste pas en surface. De plus, une étude à long terme de cette pollution plastique a été entreprise en recherchant des espèces bio-indicatrices de la pollution dans la région. Toutes les observations ont été comparées ou complétées par des modèles de dispersion de particules dans l'océan Indien. Sur l'ensemble des déchets marins collectés ou observés, 95 % étaient constitués de plastiques. Parmi les plastiques, la sous-catégorie prédominante était celle des plastiques durs déjà fragmentés, retrouvés en surface de l'océan, échoués sur des îles inhabitées et ingérés par les espèces bio-indicatrices. La composition principale de ces polymères était le polyéthylène et le polypropylène, et elle ne différait pas entre la surface de l'océan et les plages. Un gradient de concentration de microplastiques a également été identifié, allant de 10^3 items.km^-2 à 40°E à 10^5 items.km^-2 à 65°E sur les latitudes 30/33°S. Ce gradient a été confirmé par les modèles de dispersion, bien que sous-estimé par ces derniers. Certains macroplastiques échoués sur des îles venaient d'emballages alimentaires d'Asie du Sud-Est. Afin de poursuivre l'étude de la pollution plastique dans la région, trois espèces ont été identifiées répondant aux critères de sélection : les tortues caouannes (Caretta caretta), les pétrels de Barau (Pterodroma baraui) et les puffins tropicaux (Puffinus baillonni). Pour les futures études, il serait intéressant d'accroître les collectes dans la partie centrale et orientale du bassin de l'Océan Indien à différentes saisons, d'étudier également l'impact de ces déchets plastiques sur les écosystèmes associés et d’établir des solutions de gestions adaptées
The majority of mismanaged plastic waste enters the marine environment. Once in the oceans, these plastics drift until reaching subtropical convergence zones, where they accumulate to form “Garbage Patches”. Five zones have been discovered, including one in the southern Indian Ocean. This latter patch has undergone limited surface observation studies, and several predicted models indicate a different location, placing it either west or east of the basin. Supposedly the second most polluted “Garbage Patch” after the North Pacific, it is crucial to identify it for effective intervention accurately. Within this context, the doctoral project aimed to determine the composition, concentration, and origin of plastic debris accumulated in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Since the project's inception, 19 oceanographic campaigns have been conducted to visually monitor macro-debris (> 2.5 cm) and collect microplastics by manta trawl deployment (500 μm – 5 mm). Surveys of marine debris (macro-meso (5 mm – 2.5 cm) beached on uninhabited, remote islands have also been carried out to assess the concentration that does not remain on the surface. Furthermore, a long-term study of plastic pollution was initiated by identifying bio-indicator species in the region. All observations have been compared or complemented with plastic dispersion predictive models in the Indian Ocean. Of all the marine debris collected or observed, 95% consisted of plastics. Among plastics, the predominant subcategory was pre-existing fragmented hard plastics found on the ocean surface, beached on uninhabited islands, and ingested by bio-indicator species. The primary composition of these polymers was polyethylene and polypropylene, and it did not differ between the ocean surface and beaches. A concentration gradient of microplastics was also identified, ranging from 10^3 items.km^-2 at 40°E to 10^5 items.km^-2 at 65°E on latitudes 30/33°S. This gradient has been confirmed by plastic dispersion predicted models, although they tend to underestimate it. In addition, some of the macroplastics stranded on the islands originated mainly from Southeast Asian food packaging. Three species have been identified for long-term monitoring of plastic pollution in the region: loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), Barau's petrels (Pterodroma baraui), and tropical shearwaters (Puffinus baillonni). Future studies should include increasing sampling in the central and eastern parts of the Indian Ocean basin during different seasons, studying the impact of plastic debris on associated ecosystems, and developing tailored management solutions

Because its oxidative power, tropospheric ozone is considered, at the large scale, the most harmful pollutant to vegetation. The exceedances of critical levels set to protect vegetation are quite high and widespread, so that large parts of crops and forests in Europe are exposed to potentially harmful levels of ozone. The impact of ozone on vegetation is the result of multiple factors such as the concentration in the atmosphere, the stomatal uptake - which depends on environmental and physiological factors -, and the detoxification potential of plants. The complexity of these factors and their interactions can make it difficult to establish a clear relationship between ozone and plant response under field conditions. The use of plants as bioindicators may be a solution because they reflect and summarize all processes that occur between ozone exposure and the response of the plant. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of the shrub species Viburnum lantana L. as a bioindicator in situ to assess the potential effects of ozone on native vegetation. This species is known to be sensitive to ozone, has a specific response (visible foliar injuries, consisting in red stipples on the upper leaf surface ), and a wide spatial distribution. However it is not fully known if V. lantana meets all the requirements to be used as a bioindicator. In particular, the actual responsiveness to ozone of native plants and the relationship between the intensity of responses and the levels of exposure to the pollutant under field conditions remain to be evaluated. For these purposes, two field studies were carried out in the Province of Trento (North Italy) at local (1) and large scale (2). Moreover, a study under controlled conditions (3) was carried out in order to deepen the knowledge about the effects of ozone on V. lantana at biochemical, physiological and genetic level. (1) The first study was carried out in 2009 and aimed at assessing the time course of plant responses to ozone during the growing season. To this, two 1x1 km quadrates were considered. The two quadrates, located 3 km apart, were characterized by different levels of ozone. The adoption of a completely randomized experimental design ensured replication in each area and the selection of plants. Plants were monitored for the development of ozone-specific foliar symptoms, the chlorophyll content (SPAD) and the fluorescence of chlorophyll a during the entire growing season. (2) The second study was carried out in 2010 and aimed at verifying the response of V. lantana to different levels of ozone exposure. To this end, a stratified random sampling design (elevation x ozone) was adopted to select 30 1x1 km quadrates. On all quadrates, the assessment of symptomatic plants was carried out. For this second field study, the spatial domain was the entire surface of the province of Trento (6.200 km2). (3) For the study in controlled environment, 9 potted plants of V. lantana were subjected to fumigation with known concentrations of ozone (60 ppb for 45 days, 5 hours per day) (treated), while other 9 plants were maintained under the same environmental conditions with the exception of ozone (control). Plants were analyzed for the presence and development of foliar symptoms, chlorophyll content (SPAD), fluorescence of chlorophyll a, leaf content of photosynthetic pigments and carbohydrate (HPLC) and gene expression. Overall, the results of the two field studies allowed to verify (1) a temporal development of the responses of V. lantana consistent with the trend of ozone exposure; and (2) an higher frequency of symptomatic plants where ozone levels were also higher. However, the frequency of symptoms was not always proportionate to the level of ozone exposure. At the same time of the onset and spread of foliar symptoms, a decrease in the foliar chlorophyll content and in photosynthetic performance occurred. The analysis of the fluorescence transient of chlorophyll a showed an early response to ozone for the parameter ΔVI-P, that indicates the ability of the final electron acceptor to be reduced. Interestingly, when comparing similar ranges of ozone exposures, symptomatic plants were always more frequent at higher altitudes (above 700 m a.s.l.): this may suggests that they are subjected to an additional oxidative stress (e.g. due to solar radiation), and/or that environmental conditions are more favourable to ozone uptake (high relative humidity and relative lower temperature). The physiological and metabolic analysis carried out on plants treated with ozone, confirmed their reduced photosynthetic capacity and their lower content of chlorophyll, as well as a not completely effective system to protect plants against photo-inhibition. This behavior is probably the cause of the sensitivity of this species in relation to the ozone. V. lantana - whose sensitivity and specificity of response to ozone were verified also in real field conditions - seems suitable as a bioindicator in situ to qualitatively assess the potential impact of ozone, for large-scale surveys and in remote areas. Foliar symptoms on this species are also confirmed as valid response indicators of ozone, although their interpretation in terms of potential damage to vegetation always requires great caution.

Mestrado em Biologia Marinha
The effect of climate change is an issue of major concern to the scientific community and politicians, with the register, at the past decades, of extreme climate events worldwide. A biomarker based biomonitoring program represents a promising approach, due to its usage to assess the health status of organisms with the biochemical response may be used as early-warning signal of chemical (e.g. pollutants) and environmental stress conditions. However, it is of high importance to develop further approaches, to identify standard key species and organs to diagnose and determine damages caused by severe weather events in studies in situ. This work aims to investigate biomarker responses, in situ, in the liver and at the brain of three marine fish species (Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus and Solea solea), from the Mondego estuary (Portugal), during two distinct extreme climatic events (drought (2012) and flood (2014)) in order to determine their baseline levels and to identify the organ to be used as endpoint in ecotoxicological studies. In addition, biochemical analyzes were supplemented with physiological indices of the sampled organisms, diagnosing their physiological state and implications for the antioxidant potential. Severe climatic events had distinct modes of action affecting the physiological condition of the studied species. Biochemical experimental approach shows that the brain has a low antioxidant defense system compared to the liver, increased ROS accumulation rates, making it particularly susceptible to oxidative damage during the dry event. In the flood event, the antioxidant potential of the brain compared to the liver revealed higher difficulty in detoxification of xenobiotic compounds. According to higher oxidative sensitivity of the brain, this organ shows to be a good indicator to assess the influence of climate change in aquatic ecosystems, using the liver as a reference organ, less sensitive to the factors above mentioned, although until now the organ often used in the analysis of oxidative metabolism.
Um assunto que tem requerido especial atenção por parte da comunidade científica e de políticos é o efeito das alterações climáticas, tendo-se registado nas últimas décadas eventos climáticos extremos cada vez mais frequentes mundialmente. A biomonitorização dos sistemas aquáticos baseada em análise de biomarcadores permite avaliar o estado fisiológico dos organismos e utilizar as respostas bioquímicas como sinais de alerta precoce de condições de stress ambientais ou químicos. Porém, é fundamental desenvolver e aprofundar estas metodologias de modo a identificar espécies aquáticas standard e órgãos chave que permitam diagnosticar os impactos provocados por fenómenos climáticos em estudos in situ. O presente trabalho tem como objectivo principal determinar as respostas in situ de biomarcadores analisados no fígado e no cérebro de três espécies de peixes marinhos (Dicentrarchus labrax, Platichthys flesus e Solea solea), recolhidos no estuário do Mondego (Portugal), em dois anos distintos, e sob a influência de eventos climáticos extemos (seca (2012), e inundação (2014)), de modo a determinar os níveis basais e identificar o órgão a ser usado como indicador em estudos ecotoxicológicos. As análises bioquímicas foram complementadas com índices fisiológicos dos organismos capturados, permitindo determinar o estado fisiológico dos organismos e implicações no sistema de defesa antioxidante. Os eventos climáticos extremos tiveram distintos modos de acção tendo-se registado no ano de seca a interrupção na dinâmica dos condutores ambientais, o que afectou a condição fisiológica das espécies estudadas. A análise bioquímica indica que o cérebro tem um sistema de defesa antioxidante baixo em comparação com o fígado, maiores taxas de acumulação de ROS, tornando-o particularmente susceptível ao dano oxidativo no ano de seca. O potencial antioxidante do cérebro comparado com o do fígado no ano onde se registaram inundações revelou maior dificuldade deste órgão na desintoxicação de compostos xenobióticos. De acordo com a maior sensibilidade oxidativa do cérebro, este órgão mostra ser um bom indicador na avaliação dos impactos das alterações climáticas nos ecossistemas aquáticos, utilizando o fígado como órgão de referência, menos sensível aos factores acima mencionados, no entanto, até ao momento, o órgão preferencial na análise do metabolismo oxidativo.

Diatoms have been proven to be reliable indicators of water quality in many countries of the world particularly Europe. The potential use of diatoms as indicators of water quality in South Africa was tested in the studies in this document. This study evaluates the potential use of diatom based indices by testing it against a macroinvertebrate index (SASS 5) and evaluating the variation in the index scores of the two indices due to changes in chemical water quality and habitat. It was concluded that the diatom monitoring system performs well as bioindicator of water quality. It was also concluded that it should be used as a complementary system to the much used SASS 5 invertebrate index. This conclusion was made due to the fact that diatoms react more directly to changes in water quality than macroinvertebrates (SASS 5), and macroinvertebrates react more readily to changes in habitat than diatoms. A further part of the study was to assess whether aut-ecological or diversity based diatom indices performed best in South African conditions. This study found that the ecological indices were more sensitive to changes in water quality than the diversity indices. The diatom based indices that performed best as water quality indicators were the specific pollution sensitivity index (SPI) and the biological diatom index (BDI). A standard method for the sampling, preparation and enumeration for diatoms to be used for index score generation is also suggested to ensure the comparability of diatom based index data to facilitate use of such bio monitoring data for management purposes. The main focus of the study was to eliminate some of the obstacles for the use of diatoms as bio indicators of water quality in South Africa. It is believe that this aim has been accomplished in the study.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Estudos sobre a poluição atmosférica têm se intensificado nos últimos anos, devido à grande diversificação de fontes poluidoras do ar e ao efeito ocasionado à saúde das populações. Conseqüentemente, diversas técnicas têm sido investigadas para avaliação da poluição aérea e dentre elas, uma que tem ganhado considerável atenção é a do biomonitoramento. Neste trabalho foram avaliados os níveis de elementos químicos na atmosfera da cidade de São Paulo, por meio de biomonitoramento passivo, usando a espécie epifítica Canoparmelia texana, para comparar os resultados obtidos das amostras coletadas em diferentes pontos da cidade de São Paulo bem como de um ponto de referência da cidade de Ubatuba, SP. Para análise, os liquens coletados foram previamente limpos, secos e moídos. O método de análise por ativação neutrônica (NAA) aplicado constituiu em irradiar alíquotas das amostras junto com os padrões sintéticos dos elementos, no reator IEA-R1 por 16 horas e sob um fluxo de nêutrons térmicos de cerca de 5,0 x 1012 n cm-2 s-1, seguida da espectrometria de raios gama, para determinação de As, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, La, Rb, Sc, Se e Zn. Os resultados das análises das amostras de liquens em replicatas apresentaram uma boa reprodutibilidade, indicando a homogeneidade das amostras preparadas. A precisão e a exatidão dos resultados foram avaliadas por meio das análises de materiais de referência certificados IAEA-336 Lichen e INCT-TL-1 Tea Leaves, cujos resultados apresentaram, em geral, uma boa precisão e exatidão, com os desvios padrão relativos entre 0,4 a 14,8% e erros relativos entre 0,2 a 8,7%. Na cidade de São Paulo, os liquens foram coletados nos locais a saber, Parque Dom Pedro II, Congonhas, Cidade Universitária, Lapa, Moóca, Morumbi, Nossa Senhora do Ó, Parque do Ibirapuera, Pinheiros, Santana, Santo Amaro e Taboão da Serra. As concentrações dos elementos nos liquens indicaram uma grande variabilidade entre amostras de diferentes pontos de amostragens. Estes resultados submetidos à análise de clusters indicaram três grandes grupos de pontos de amostragem, de acordo com a similaridade química obtida nos liquens. A amostra coletada em Ubatuba indicou, para a maioria dos elementos químicos, concentrações inferiores ou da mesma ordem de grandeza quando comparados com daqueles coletados na cidade de São Paulo. As mais altas concentrações na amostra de líquen de Ubatuba foram obtidas para Br, K e Zn. Os resultados das análises de liquens indicaram que as origens dos elementos presentes na atmosfera da cidade de São Paulo podem ser atribuídas principalmente às emissões veiculares, seguida de emissões industriais e do solo. Nos liquens, foram determinados os elementos chamados de marcadores de emissões veiculares (Br, Co, Sb e Zn), de emissões industriais (Cr, Co e Fe) e do solo (Sb, Se, Rb e La).
Studies on air pollution have intensified in recent years, due to the diversity of emissions and the effect caused to the health of populations. Consequently, several techniques have been investigated for air pollution evaluation and among them one that has gained considerable attention is that of biomonitoring. In this study chemical elemental levels in the atmosphere of São Paulo city were evaluated, by means of passive biomonitoring, using epiphytic Canoparmelia texana species, in order to compare between the results obtained in samples from different sites of São Paulo city and in a reference site of Ubatuba city, SP. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) procedure applied in the analyses consisted of irradiating aliquots of samples along with synthetic standards of elements in the nuclear reactor IEA-R1 for 16 hours under a thermal neutron flux of about 5.0 x 1012 n cm-2 s-1, followed by gamma ray spectrometry for the determination of As, Br, Ca, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, K, La, Rb, Sc, Se and Zn. Results obtained in the analyses of lichens samples in replicates presented good reproducibility indicating homogeneity of the prepared samples. The precision and accuracy of the results were evaluated by the analyses of certified reference materials IAEA-336 Lichen and INCT-TL-1 Tea Leaves. Results obtained in the reference materials presented, in general, good precision, with relative standard deviations between 0.4 and 14.8% and good accuracy with relative errors between 0.2 and 8.7%. In São Paulo city, the lichens were collected in the following sites: Parque Dom Pedro II, Congonhas, Cidade Universitária, Lapa, Moóca, Morumbi, Nossa Senhora do Ó, Parque Ibirapuera, Pinheiros, Santana, Santo Amaro and Taboão da Serra. Element concentrations found in lichens indicated a great variability depending on the sites where the samples were collected. The results obtained in the lichens submitted to the cluster analysis indicated three groups of sampling sites according to the chemical similarity obtained in lichens. Lichen collected in the reference site of Ubatuba indicated that most of element concentrations are lower or at the same order of magnitude when compared with those obtained in lichens collected in São Paulo city. The highest element concentrations in the sample from Ubatuba were obtained for Br, K and Zn. Results obtained in this study indicated that the origins of elements present in the atmosphere of São Paulo city are due to mainly vehicular emissions followed industrial emissions and from soil. Elements named vehicular emission markers (Br, Co, Sb and Zn), industrial markers (Cr, Co and Fe) and from soil (Sb, Se, Rb e La) were determined in the lichens.

Although protected areas have been used as principal conservation tools, most of them are suffering from human-induced threats. Consequently, a good understanding of such human-driven threats on biodiversity and identifying early warning systems for habitat change in protected areas is necessary for effective conservation of natural resources. To examine the impact of human disturbance on avifaunal assemblages and to assess the potential application of birds as bioindicators of forest health monitoring in the Afromontane forest of the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia, I recorded birds and habitat variables in three protected and three unprotected forests using a point transect method in 2009 and 2012. The two land use types differ in disturbance levels (higher in the unprotected areas), vegetation structure and bird assemblages. Species richness of entire bird guild, open woodland and open land habitat guilds, granivore and insectivore feeding guilds, and shrub layer and ground layer foraging substrate guilds of birds were significantly higher in the unprotected areas than the protected areas. Abundances of guilds of birds mostly followed a similar trend with species richness. However, densities of overall and forest-specialist bird guilds were higher in the protected area and vice versa for the other guilds. In general, the protected area assemblages were dominated by forest-specialist species, while those of the unprotected areas were dominated by openland and shrubland species. The implication is that disturbance had caused encroachment of non-native species (openland, open woodland and shrub land species) while negatively affecting native species (forest species, particularly tree canopy foragers). These assemblage differences are linked to changes in vegetation structure caused by disturbance. Thus, further forest degradation in the protected area should be avoided in order to maintain native/forest-specialist species. Given the differences in bird assemblages between the two land use types, there is a high likelihood that bioindicator species (i.e. indicator species - those 'characteristic' of a particular habitat - and detector species - those occurring in the different habitats considered but with moderate indication value) can be identified, therefore providing a useful tool to monitor ecosystem health of the forests. Four and nine species were identified as appropriate indicator species (i.e. species with indicator values > 60% and fulfilling biological and niche history criteria used in selection) in the protected and unprotected areas, respectively. In addition, nine species were identified as detectors of habitat change in the protected areas. These bioindicators provide a useful tool for managers of Afromontane forest in the Bale Mountains, as well as similar habitats elsewhere, for long term monitoring of ecosystem health of the forests.
Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
DST/NRF Centre of Excellence
Zoology and Entomology
MSc
Unrestricted

Le développement des activités industrielles et agricoles du siècle dernier a eu pour conséquence le rejet de substances chimiques dans l’environnement, qui contaminent les écosystèmes, et peuvent s’accumuler dans les plantes, les sédiments, et le long des chaînes alimentaires. Il apparait primordial d’effectuer une évaluation du risque écologique associé à la présence de ces composés dans les milieux naturels et les espèces sentinelles sont des outils judicieux pour déterminer l’exposition des individus et évaluer les conséquences sur les organismes. Les amphibiens et les reptiles possèdent des caractéristiques écologiques et biologiques qui les rendent potentiellement intéressants en tant qu’espèces sentinelles. L’objectif des études présentées dans cette thèse est de déterminer la disponibilité de certaines substances dans l’environnement, et d’évaluer les effets de la contamination environnementale sur les organismes en utilisant plusieurs espèces de reptiles et d’amphibiens, (i) en mesurant les niveaux de polluants accumulés dans les tissus d’espèces de reptiles ; (ii) en évaluant l’influence d’un habitat contaminé sur la morphologie d’adultes de crapaud commun (Bufo bufo) ; (iii) en mesurant de manière expérimentale l’impact d’une molécule fréquemment retrouvée dans l’environnement sur le développement de têtards de crapaud commun. Nos résultats montrent d’une part que les reptiles accumulent efficacement les polluants organiques et les éléments traces métalliques dans leurs tissus, et permettent d’évaluer efficacement la contamination globale d’une zone, mais aussi de mettre en évidence des pollutions ponctuelles localisées. D’autre part, nos travaux montrent une influence de l’habitat agricole sur la morphologie du crapaud commun, potentiellement causé par la présence de contaminants dans ces milieux. Enfin, nous avons pu mettre en évidence un effet de concentrations faibles d’AMPA, métabolite principal du glyphosate, sur le développement de têtards de crapaud commun. Les amphibiens constituent donc des organismes efficaces pour étudier l’impact de la contamination de l’environnement sur les caractéristiques individuelles. Nos travaux montrent ainsi l’utilité de certaines espèces de reptiles et d’amphibiens comme espèces sentinelles de la présence de contaminants dans l’environnement et de leur impact potentiel sur les organismes. Les travaux en écotoxicologie qui portent sur ces organismes restent trop rares, et il est impératif de développer la recherche dans ce domaine, pour participer de manière efficace à l’évaluation du risque environnemental
The development of industrial and agricultural activities over the last century has resulted in the release of chemicals into the environment, which contaminate ecosystems and can accumulate in plants, sediments and across food webs. As such, it is essential to conduct an assessment of the ecological risk associated with the presence of these compounds in natural environments. Achieving this can be aided through the study of sentinel species, which can be used to determine exposure rates of individuals and assess how these subsequently impact wildlife. Amphibians and reptiles display ecological and biological characteristics that may make them particularly attractive as sentinel species. The collection of studies presented in this thesis aims to determine the availability of contaminants in the environment and estimate the effects of this on individual traits of living organisms. Across several species of reptiles and amphibians we, (i) measured levels of pollutants accumulated in the tissues of several reptile species ; (ii) assessed how contaminated habitats impact the morphology of adult common toads (Bufo bufo) ; and (iii) experimentally measured the influence of a molecule frequently detected in the environment on common toad tadpoles’ growth. Results show that reptiles efficiently accumulate organic pollutants and metal trace elements in their tissues, and thereby allow efficient evaluation of the global contamination of an area, as well as the occurrence of localized pollution events. In addition, our work shows an influence of the agricultural habitat on the morphology of adult common toads, which is potentially a consequence of the presence of chemicals in these environments. Finally, we were able to demonstrate an effect of low concentrations of AMPA, the main metabolite of glyphosate, on the development of common toad tadpoles. Amphibians are therefore efficient organisms to study the impact of environmental contamination on individual characteristics. Our work shows the usefulness of certain species of reptiles and amphibians as sentinel species for the presence of contaminants in the environment, and their potential impact on organisms. Ecotoxicological studies on these organisms remain too scarce, and it is imperative to develop research in this field, to participate effectively in the assessment of environmental risk

碩士
國立臺灣大學
昆蟲學研究所
104
The main purpose of this research is to obtain an understanding of species diversity of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the different forest environment in Xitou Nature Education Area, and try to estimate the potential of using leaf beetles as bioindicators in forest ecosystems. Four 500 meters transects are set through the plantations (red cypress, Japanese cedar, Moso bamboo, and broad-leaved plantation) and one 500 meters transect are set through the natural broad-leaved forest, and insects are collected by sweeping alone each transect once a month from November 2014 to April 2016. Totally, 1,744 individuals of leaf beetles are collected which belong to 68 species and 45 genera. However, 3 species in natural broad-leaved forest, 4 species in red cypress plantation, 2 species in Moso bamboo plantation, and 5 species in broad-leaved plantation were considered potential bioindicators based on a modified Indicator species analysis. The Shannon‘s diversity index and Pielou’s evenness index are applied in comparing the amount of species and quantity of leaf beetles in the different transects. The result shows that species diversity of leaf beetles are lower in Japanese cadar plantation, but higher in broad-leaved plantation and natural forest. The environmental factors that are related to species diversity of leaf beetles in different forest systems are analyzed by the Redundancy Analysis (RDA). The result shows that the species quantity of understory plants, illumination (including Whole Light Sky Space and Diffuse Non-interceptance) and alttitude of transects have significantly influence on the chrysomelid species assemblages. We offer inventories and potential bioindicator species of leaf beetles of five transects in Xitou Nature Education Area, and discuss the environmental factors that affecting species diversity of leaf beetles in different forest systems.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ecologia apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
A ingestão de microplásticos (<5 mm) por espécies aquáticas é uma das actuais ameaças ambientais, especialmente para o consumo humano. Este estudo analisa a presença de microplásticos e as suas características em duas espécies de bentos com elevado interesse comercial, o caranguejo verde europeu (Carcinus maenas) e o berbigão comum (Cerastoderma edule), recolhidos no estuário do Mondego, utilizado como um estudo de caso. As guelras e o sistema digestivo de Carcinus maenas, foram também analisados para avaliar a principal forma de interação entre estes indivíduos e microplásticos, por respiração ou ingestão de presas.Foram extraídos um total de 142 microplásticos, variando de 0.052 mm a um máximo de 6.313 mm de comprimento. Foram observadas diferenças significativas no número de microplásticos entre Carcinus maenas e Cerastoderma edule (p<0,05) e foram mais elevados em Carcinus maenas (90%) do que em Cerastoderma edule (72%). Foram analisadas amostras do sistema digestivo e brânquias de caranguejos e foram observados 73 microplásticos e foram encontrados números mais elevados de microplásticos no sistema digestivo em comparação com as brânquias (M=58 e M=15, respetivamente). Em geral, a forma mais comum dos microplásticos observados foram as fibras (84,5%) e a cor mais comum foi o azul (61,19%). Além disso, foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os níveis de microplásticos de acordo com o órgão alvo analisado em Carcinus maenas (p<0,05), mostrando que a principal forma de interacção de microplásticos nesta espécie era através da ingestão. Outro resultado relevante foi uma correlação negativa, nos machos de Carcinus maenas, entre o peso e a ingestão de microplásticos.Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que Carcinus maenas poderia ser uma espécie bioindicadora apropriada para a avaliação da poluição de microplásticos em zonas de transição. Além disso, os resultados obtidos são importantes, uma vez que relatam a presença de microplásticos em espécies com elevado interesse comercial.Este estudo mostra pela primeira vez a presença de microplásticos em Carcinus maenas (brânquias e sistemas digestivos) em Portugal.
The ingestion of microplastics (<5 mm) by aquatic species is one of the current important environmental threats, specially to human consumption. This study analyzes the presence of microplastics and their characteristics in two benthic species with high commercial interest, the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) and the common cockle (Cerastoderma edule), collected from Mondego estuary, used as a case study. The gills and digestive system of Carcinus maenas, were also analyzed to assess the main gateway of interaction between individuals and microplastics, by respiration or prey ingestion.A total of 142 microplastics from both species were recovered, ranged from 0.052 mm to a maximum of 6.313 mm in length. Significant differences were observed in the number of microplastics between Carcinus maenas and Cerastoderma edule (p<0.05) and were higher in Carcinus maenas (90%) than in Cerastoderma edule (72%). Samples of digestive system and gills of crabs were analyzed and 73 microplastics were reported and higher quantities of microplastics were found in the digestive system compared to gills (M=58 and M=15, respectively). In general, the most common shape of microplastics observed was fibers (84.5%) and the most common color was blue (61.19%). In addition, significant differences were observed between the levels of microplastics according to the target organ analyzed in Carcinus maenas (p<0.05), showing that the principal way of microplastic interaction in this species was via ingestion. Another relevant result was a negative correlation, in males of Carcinus maenas, between weight and microplastics ingestion.The results of this study that suggests Carcinus maenas could be an appropriate bioindicator species for the assessment of microplastic pollution in transitional zones. In addition, the results obtained are important as they report the presence of microplastics in species with high interest commercial.This study shows for the first time the presence of microplastics in Carcinus maenas (gills and digestive systems) from Portugal.
Outro - Este trabalho é financiado por fundos nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., no âmbito do projeto UIDB/04292/2020 – MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ecologia apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
A ingestão de microplásticos (<5 mm) por espécies aquáticas é uma das actuais ameaças ambientais, especialmente para o consumo humano. Este estudo analisa a presença de microplásticos e as suas características em duas espécies de bentos com elevado interesse comercial, o caranguejo verde europeu (Carcinus maenas) e o berbigão comum (Cerastoderma edule), recolhidos no estuário do Mondego, utilizado como um estudo de caso. As guelras e o sistema digestivo de Carcinus maenas, foram também analisados para avaliar a principal forma de interação entre estes indivíduos e microplásticos, por respiração ou ingestão de presas.Foram extraídos um total de 142 microplásticos, variando de 0.052 mm a um máximo de 6.313 mm de comprimento. Foram observadas diferenças significativas no número de microplásticos entre Carcinus maenas e Cerastoderma edule (p<0,05) e foram mais elevados em Carcinus maenas (90%) do que em Cerastoderma edule (72%). Foram analisadas amostras do sistema digestivo e brânquias de caranguejos e foram observados 73 microplásticos e foram encontrados números mais elevados de microplásticos no sistema digestivo em comparação com as brânquias (M=58 e M=15, respetivamente). Em geral, a forma mais comum dos microplásticos observados foram as fibras (84,5%) e a cor mais comum foi o azul (61,19%). Além disso, foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os níveis de microplásticos de acordo com o órgão alvo analisado em Carcinus maenas (p<0,05), mostrando que a principal forma de interacção de microplásticos nesta espécie era através da ingestão. Outro resultado relevante foi uma correlação negativa, nos machos de Carcinus maenas, entre o peso e a ingestão de microplásticos.Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que Carcinus maenas poderia ser uma espécie bioindicadora apropriada para a avaliação da poluição de microplásticos em zonas de transição. Além disso, os resultados obtidos são importantes, uma vez que relatam a presença de microplásticos em espécies com elevado interesse comercial.Este estudo mostra pela primeira vez a presença de microplásticos em Carcinus maenas (brânquias e sistemas digestivos) em Portugal.
The ingestion of microplastics (<5 mm) by aquatic species is one of the current important environmental threats, specially to human consumption. This study analyzes the presence of microplastics and their characteristics in two benthic species with high commercial interest, the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) and the common cockle (Cerastoderma edule), collected from Mondego estuary, used as a case study. The gills and digestive system of Carcinus maenas, were also analyzed to assess the main gateway of interaction between individuals and microplastics, by respiration or prey ingestion.A total of 142 microplastics from both species were recovered, ranged from 0.052 mm to a maximum of 6.313 mm in length. Significant differences were observed in the number of microplastics between Carcinus maenas and Cerastoderma edule (p<0.05) and were higher in Carcinus maenas (90%) than in Cerastoderma edule (72%). Samples of digestive system and gills of crabs were analyzed and 73 microplastics were reported and higher quantities of microplastics were found in the digestive system compared to gills (M=58 and M=15, respectively). In general, the most common shape of microplastics observed was fibers (84.5%) and the most common color was blue (61.19%). In addition, significant differences were observed between the levels of microplastics according to the target organ analyzed in Carcinus maenas (p<0.05), showing that the principal way of microplastic interaction in this species was via ingestion. Another relevant result was a negative correlation, in males of Carcinus maenas, between weight and microplastics ingestion.The results of this study that suggests Carcinus maenas could be an appropriate bioindicator species for the assessment of microplastic pollution in transitional zones. In addition, the results obtained are important as they report the presence of microplastics in species with high interest commercial.This study shows for the first time the presence of microplastics in Carcinus maenas (gills and digestive systems) from Portugal.
Outro - Este trabalho é financiado por fundos nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., no âmbito do projeto UIDB/04292/2020 – MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente

During my PhD course, the residue levels of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the edible tissues of two bivalve species (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ensis siliqua) from Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean Sea) were measured. Factors explaining differences in bioaccumulation levels were also considered and an evaluation of the health risk for human consumer was provided. A gas chromatography–electron capture detection (GC-ECD) was used for the analysis; the concentration levels of five OCPs—among which the 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane (p,p’-DDT)—and twenty PCBs, including the seven indicator-PCBs, were determined. Differences in residue levels were revealed between the two examined species; in some cases they were statistically significant. PCBs were the most abundant pollutants (mean values of 422.19 ng g-1 and 399.33 ng g-1, respectively, for mussels and clams on fat weight), followed by DDTs, Dieldrin and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). In particular, the PCBs nos. 101, 118, 138 and 153 were the dominant congeners, accounting for 66% and 56% of the total residue levels of PCBs in mussels and clams, respectively. From the human health point of view, OCPs residue levels were below the national limits established for fish and aquatic products. Conversely, the mean concentrations of PCBs exceeded the limits set by the EU for terrestrial foods in both species. Non-dioxin-like (NDL)-PCBs are stable and lipophilic chemicals that persist in the environment and tend to bioaccumulate in the food chain. Epidemiological studies show that PCB exposure is associated with modifications of innate and adaptive immunity, including effects on immune cells and signalling molecules involved in the response against foreign antigens. It is noteworthy that no in vitro studies are available regarding the impairment of immune innate response due to NDL-PCB exposure. Therefore, here we investigated the effects of NDL-PCBs 101, 153, and 180, alone or differently associated, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated J774A.1 murine macrophages. Interestingly, concentrations of the aforesaid NDL-PCBs inactive by themselves induced immunesoppression when NDL-PCBs were differently combined. In particular, the exposure to NDL-PCB mixture caused a significative suppression of LPS-induced cytokine synthesis, as well as nitrite (NO-2) production and proinflammatory enzyme expression. The involvement and role of nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) in the effects of these pollutants was also demonstrated. Western blot analysis of NF-kB showed that LPS-induced NF-kB activation was significantly decreased by the exposure of macrophages to NDL-PCB associations. These results demonstrated the impaired capability of macrophages to respond properly to noxious stimuli, such as LPS, mimicking the environmental co-exposure to these compounds. In conclusion, our findings suggest that, although less toxic than dioxin like (DL) congeners, the NDL-PCBs tested are equally dangerous as well as immunotoxic pollutants, also considering their presence as mixtures and at higher levels than DL-PCBs in biotic and abiotic matrices. Interestingly, NDL PCBs tend to accumulate in adipose tissue. Therefore, we evaluated the alteration of the mature 3T3-L1 adipocyte metabolism induced by PCB 101, 153 and 180 alone or associated two by two or all together. We observed an increase in lipid content and leptin gene expression and a concomitant reduction of hormone receptor expression and activity. These modifications support the induction of leptin-resistance, a typical metabolic complication of obesity. Consequently, we investigated how these PCBs affect the expression of important proteins involved in the signalling of leptin receptor. In particular, the phosphatase PTP1B and the suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) 3, two negative regulators of leptin signalling, were induced by the association of the PCB 153 with the 180 or of all PCBs. Conversely, the same associations caused a significant decrease in the phosphorylation of STAT3, a downstream activator of the transcription of leptin gene targets. This effect has been also associated to the inactivation of AMPK/ACC pathway through the reduction of the phosphorylation of these enzymes, and hence the increase in lipid content. Furthermore, it was highlighted the ability of these pollutants to increase the transcription of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and TNF alpha. Interestingly, it is important to highlight that PCB concentrations used in this study are comparable to levels detectable in human adipose tissue. Our data strongly support the hypothesis that these substances may interfere with the lipid metabolism contributing to the development of obesity and related diseases. Obesity is a clear risk factor for Osteoarthitis (OA). Adipokines are factors, dysregulated in obesity and that play an increasing pathogenic role in OA. Apoptosis is involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, thus the identification of inductors of this process is important for the understanding pathogenesis/progression of OA. We also evaluated the adverse effect of PCBs 101, 153 and 180 on human and murine chondrocytes by assessing apoptosis pathways. Murine chondrogenic ATDC5 cell line and human T/C-28a2 immortalized chondrocytes were exposed to NDL-PCBs 101, 153 and 180. Cell viability was examined using MTT assay. Necrosis was evaluated by LDH assay and Annexin V flow cytometric assay. Expression of apoptotic related proteins, such as caspase 3, Bcl-2 and Bax, was assessed by Western blot analysis. Oxidative stress was evaluated by malondialdehyde (MDA) assay and the Oxidative Stress Index (OSI). Exposure to examined PCBs caused the loss of cell viability and accelerated apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner both in murine and human chondrocytes. Data from Annexin V and LDH assays showed necrosis induction. Caspase 3 activation, as well as, altered Bcl-2/Bax ratio and p38 phosphorylation suggested apoptosis induction. Finally, MDA levels and OSI revealed that PCBs drive chondrocytes towards oxidative stress. Our results indicate that the activity of PCBs on cell viability is likely to be mediated by alterations in the mechanisms of regulation of apoptosis and necrosis. Overall, these data highlight a novel role of environmental pollutants in the pathophysiology of chondrocytes.

Communities of epigeic beetles were studied on two water catchments with the different management in the submontaneous area of Bohemian Forest (South Bohemia, Czechia). The Mlýnský stream catchment was characteristic by high representation of unforested habitats (pastures and mowed meadows), Horský stream by higher proportion of forested habitats and non equal management (plots without management). The biomass characteristics (above ground and dry) were measured on studied plots. The method of pitfall trapping was used for beetle sampling. Beetle species were divided into two groups after its preferences to shaded: species occurring in unshaded habitats and species occurring in shaded habitats. The degree of human impact was studied by finding of frequency of species of different ecological groups. The above ground biomass was about 2 time higher in Mlýnský stream than in the Horský stream. The dry biomass was practically the same. 57 species was found in the Mlýnský stream and 33 in the Horský stream. The activity of beetles was about five times higher in Mlýnský stream than in the Horský stream. Ubiquitous species prevail in Mlýnský stream and adaptive species in the Horský stream. Stenotopic species were found in the Mlýnský stream only. These results indicate less human impact in Horský stream than in the Mlýnský stream. Beetles prefering unsheded habitats slightly prevail in Mlýnský stream in comparison with Horský stream. Beetle species characteristical for shaded habitats occur in Horský stream in comparison with Mlýnský stream. The geographical exposition affected the beetle structure mainly in the less forested plot of Mlýnský stream. The structure of communites situated to the south differs from communities situated to the north in Mlýnský stream. The effect of exposition is not documented in Horský stream with the greater proportion of forested size.