Explore the vast range of titles available.

Non-native marine crustaceans can exert detrimental impacts on native marine communities by altering habitat and ecosystem function. The Mediterranean Sea is particularly vulnerable to introductions of non-native crustaceans, as evidenced by their remarkably high establishment success. In this study, 20 species of non-native marine crustacean decapods and barnacles of which eleven extant and nine ‘horizon’ were screened for their potential invasiveness in the Mediterranean Sea. Using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit and including an additional nine native species to increase accuracy, calibrated risk thresholds of 3.5 for the BRA (Basic Risk Assessment) and 8.5 for the BRA + CCA (BRA + Climate Change Assessment) were obtained that distinguished reliably between invasive and non-invasive species. All 20 non-native species were classified as carrying a high risk of invasiveness for the Mediterranean Sea, both for the BRA and the BRA + CCA. Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis was by far the highest risk species, followed by Harris mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii, Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, bay barnacle, Amphibalanus improvisus, and lesser swimming crab Charybdis (Goniohellenus) longicollis. The findings of this study will provide management and control directions for non-native marine crustaceans in the Mediterranean Sea, with special emphasis on regulations regarding ballast waters, which represent one of the main introduction pathways for these aquatic organisms.

To date, the 'marbled crayfish', Procambarus fallax (Hagen, 1870) f. virginalis, in Italy has been reported only from Tuscany (central Italy). Recently, specimens of this alien American crayfish were found in the Po di Maistra Channel, Porto Tolle, south of Venice (northern Italy). The identification of this species was confirmed by its external morphology and colour pattern, as well as by molecular analysis. The present report provides the second record for the marbled crayfish in Italy.

The white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes complex is native to Europe, being present in 18 European countries, Italy included. However, the number and abundance of its populations are today restricted and it has been recently classified as “endangered” by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Here, we report the first record of this freshwater crayfish in Sardinia Island (Italy). Using a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA 16S rRNA gene, we identified three haplotypes that correspond to the A. italicus meridionalis subclade. We provide information about the sampling area, population density and finally discuss hypotheses about the occurrence of this population in Sardinia, comparing it with other Mediterranean populations. Our results improve the existing knowledge about the phylogeography of the taxon across Italy, confirming its complex pattern of distribution. In addition to the non-native status of the Sardinian A. i. meridionalis crayfish, we showed that the most proximal Mediterranean population of white-clawed crayfish existing in Corsica belongs to A. pallipes from Southern France.

Individual recognition is a key element in the social life of many invertebrates. However, most studies conducted so far document that several species are capable of a \"binary\" discrimination among conspecifics, but not of a \"true individual recognition.\" Our objective was to learn more about the mechanisms that underlie individual recognition by odor in hermit crabs by individuating some of its properties. Using Pagurus longicarpus Say 1817 as a model species, we conducted four series of experiments in which the response of every test crab (the \"receiver\") to the different odor treatments (emitted by a \"sender\") was evaluated from its investigative behavior toward an empty, high-quality shell. After having excluded the possibility that crabs chemically recognize familiar/unfamiliar shells and/or shells of high/low quality, we explored whether the receivers discriminate odors from two familiar senders and whether this discrimination also occurs with unfamiliar crabs. We also asked whether crabs form an association between the odor of a familiar sender and some of its relevant attributes, i.e., rank, size, and shell quality. Finally, the shells inhabited by familiar individuals were manipulated to modify the association between odor and shell quality. Results showed that: (1) there is no odor specific of a rank; (2) individual crabs discriminate their own odor from the odor of other individuals; (3) they can chemically discriminate between larger crabs inhabiting higher-quality shells and smaller crabs inhabiting lower-quality shells, provided that these crabs are familiar to them; (4) they associate the odor of an individual crab with the quality of the shell it inhabits; and (5) this association quickly changes when social partners switch to shells of different quality. These results indicate that the nature of chemical recognition in P. longicarpus is more refined than a simple binary system. The receiver appears able to associate a type of information from the sender with memories of past experiences, therefore suggesting the hermit crab's potential for relatively high-order knowledge about conspecifics.

Invasive alien plants and animals are known for their disruption of ecosystems and threat to biodiversity. This book highlights their major impact on human health. This includes not only direct effects through contact with the species via bites, wounds and disease, but also indirect effects caused by changes induced in ecosystems by invasive species, such as more water hyacinth increasing mosquito levels and thereby the potential for malaria. Covering a wide range of case studies from different taxa (animals and plants), and giving an overview of the diverse impacts of invasive species on health in developed and developing countries, the book is a significant contribution that will help in prioritizing approaches to controlling invasive species and mitigating their health effects. It covers invasive plants, marine species, spiders and other arachnids, ticks and dust mites, insects, mosquitos and other diptera, freshwater species (invertebrates and fishes), amphibians and reptiles, birds and mammals. Key Features Collects together the major health impacts for the first timeCovers animal and plant invasive speciesExamines issues in developed and developing countries The broad spectrum of the analyzed case studies will ensure the appeal of the book to a wide public, including researchers of biological invasions, doctors, policy-makers and managers, and students of invasive species in ecology, animal and plant biology and public health medicine.

The burrowing activity of the invasive red-swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was studied along a 25-m-long transect in an irrigation ditch system in Italy. Our objective was to understand the factors inducing this species' intense digging, which can result in bank collapse and consequently in severe damage to both agricultural fields and natural ecosystems. Burrow morphology and position, together with their occupancy by crayfish and digging, were recorded once every 6 h for 10 consecutive days. The majority of burrows were simple, although a few had a chimney and were constructed at a farther distance from the water surface than simple burrows. Burrow occupancy and digging, together with their plugged/unplugged status, were constant throughout a 24-h cycle and were not related to any abiotic parameter of the habitat. Crayfish occupied and dug a burrow for a relatively short time (6 h on average). Once abandoned, old burrows were rarely reoccupied and often collapsed, while crayfish excavated new ones. As a result, the overall number of burrows increased. This massive use of banks by P. clarkii seems to be related to soil composition and humidity, which favour crayfish digging but also cause the easy collapse of burrows.

Inland waters are subject to more widespread biotic invasions than terrestrial ecosystems. During the last century, 756 aquatic species were introduced in Europe, frequently carrying new parasites for native fauna and humans. The consequences of such invasions are the loss of the invaders' original parasites, the introduction of new parasites, or new intermediate hosts or vectors for existing parasites. Many parasites are water-borne and need aquatic species to complete their transmission cycles. The list of (Lowe , 2000) does not take into account human health problems, so a risk assessment of the consequences of invasive freshwater alien species requires more attention. Here we review the direct and indirect impacts of invasive freshwater alien species on human health. Direct impacts include the injuries or allergies and new contaminants (bacteria, toxins), and their role as intermediate hosts to human parasites. Indirect impacts include the effects of the chemicals needed to control these aliens, changes to ecosystem services making the invaded area less suitable for recreational human use and damage to cultivation/aquaculture affecting human well-being in developing countries. A clear management response is urgently needed to halt their spread and reduce or minimize the risk of human and wildlife disease.

A cutoff regularization for a pure Yang-Mills theory is implemented within the background field method keeping explicit the gauge invariance of the effective action. The method has been applied to compute the beta function at one loop order.

We use the Wilson renormalization group (RG) formulation to solve the fine-tuning procedure needed in renormalization schemes breaking the gauge symmetry. To illustrate this method we systematically compute the non-invariant couplings of the ultraviolet action of the SU(2) pure Yang-Mills theory at one-loop order.

Although livestock production accounts for a sizeable share of global greenhouse gas emissions, numerous technical options have been identified to mitigate these emissions. In this review, a subset of these options, which have proven to be effective, are discussed. These include measures to reduce CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation by ruminants, the largest single emission source from the global livestock sector, and for reducing CH4 and N2O emissions from manure. A unique feature of this review is the high level of attention given to interactions between mitigation options and productivity. Among the feed supplement options for lowering enteric emissions, dietary lipids, nitrates and ionophores are identified as the most effective. Forage quality, feed processing and precision feeding have the best prospects among the various available feed and feed management measures. With regard to manure, dietary measures that reduce the amount of N excreted (e.g. better matching of dietary protein to animal needs), shift N excretion from urine to faeces (e.g. tannin inclusion at low levels) and reduce the amount of fermentable organic matter excreted are recommended. Among the many ‘end-of-pipe’ measures available for manure management, approaches that capture and/or process CH4 emissions during storage (e.g. anaerobic digestion, biofiltration, composting), as well as subsurface injection of manure, are among the most encouraging options flagged in this section of the review. The importance of a multiple gas perspective is critical when assessing mitigation potentials, because most of the options reviewed show strong interactions among sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The paper reviews current knowledge on potential pollution swapping, whereby the reduction of one GHG or emission source leads to unintended increases in another.