Amphibian and Reptile Mapping is one of Hungary's pioneer citizen science initiatives contributing to nature conservation and scientific research. Through the available interfaces, herpetofauna observations are shared by volunteer observers. However, there is still a shortage of knowledge regarding these participants. To achieve the dual benefits of the project for participants and scientists, in this study, we aim to establish a better understanding of volunteers' experiences when participating in Amphibian and Reptile Mapping. In 2023, an online questionnaire was conducted to explore volunteers' experiences, including demographics, data uploading, technology use, knowledge gain, and changing attitudes and behavior. From the 182 valid responses, descriptive statistics, the chi-square test (p < 0.05), Cramer's V, and the Fisher--Freeman--Halton Exact Test were used to determine variable associations. Our findings show more than two-thirds of participants have higher education experience (69%). The majority prefers the website for uploading observations (65%) and making records occasionally (68%). The most frequently observed amphibian species was Rana dalmatina (14%), followed by Bufotes viridis (12%), and the reptile species were Lacerta viridis (13%), Zamenis longissimus (11%), and Emys orbicularis (10%). Less than half of the respondents (44%) stated that they acquired knowledge through participation in the project. No association was found between the participation period and knowledge gained. Motivations for participation, such as environmental responsibility, personal interest in herpetofauna, and learning desire, were associated with knowledge gain. A significant association was observed between the upload frequency and work or educational environments related to nature conservation. More than half of the respondents (54%) showed an attitude change due to the project. The participant's motivations for recreation, environmental responsibility, and learning desire were associated with attitude--behavioral change. We recommend developing strategies that enhance participation experience by increasing the knowledge gain and attitude changes in participants.

The gene pool of endemic honey bees ensures the conservation of the number of bee colonies. In Russia in the last century, A.m. mellifera L. (60%), A.m. caucasica Gorb. (12%), A.m. rempies (5%), A.m. carpatica Avet. (18%), and Far-East bee (5%) were mainly bred—the number of bee colonies was 10 million. In modern beekeeping, as a result of mass introduction, there as been a change in the gene pool of honey bees and an increase in the death of bee colonies, which entails a reduction in pollinators. This research was conducted between 2000 and 2024, in which a survey of 1.5 thousand beekeepers was conducted, and 560 apiaries from 56 regions were surveyed. The assessment of honey bees by morpho-phenotypic and biological characteristics was carried out according to Alpatov (1948) and Ruttner (2006). Currently, there are three million bee colonies in Russia: A.m. mellifera L. (4%), A.m. caucasica Gorb. (2%), A.m. carpatica Avet. (12%), Far-East bee (5%), new breeds of Carnica 66%, Bacfast 4%, and 11% bees of unknown origin. With the advent of new breeds, in the last 20 years there have often been collapses in apiaries. Reasons: 1. the use of pesticides; 2. up to 30% of death is as a result of a cold long winters; 3. the appearance of new diseases, for example, Tropilelapsosis; 4. the import of bee bags with broods, and the import of new populations of Varroa mite with varying degrees of drug resistance. The diversity of honey bee populations based on their genetic nature is a unique and irreplaceable resource for the creation and reproduction of new subspecies of bees resistant to pests, diseases, and changing environmental conditions.

Lake Velencei is the third biggest lake in Hungary, and it is divided into three parts: protected, transitional, and recreational areas. We collected sediment, surface sediment, and water samples from these areas and then we examined the subfossil Cladocera remains. Our objective was to assess the ecological fragmentation of Lake Velencei by examining the occurrence and distribution of the cladoceran taxa in relation to various environmental conditions, including sediment and water chemistry. For sediment sampling, 10 cm long cores were collected from the three different utilisations, with two cores from each area using gravity corer. For subfossil Cladocera analysis, we used 2 cm slices from each core, and 1 cm³ sediment was explored. In this study, we identified subfossil Cladocera remains at the species level, providing a detailed understanding of the biodiversity and community structure within each area. Our research showed that the Cladoceran species composition and the number of individuals reflect the utilization of the separated areas. Also, the study demonstrated that the transitional area is separated between the nature reserved area and the recreation area based on sediment chemistry. The distribution of cladocerans in the surface sediment, and their relation to these important environmental variables, suggests that there is considerable potential for the use of sedimentary cladoceran remains as environmental indicators similar to the water and sediment chemistry parameters.

Ants are among the most abundant insects in natural and agricultural ecosystems. In this study, for the first time, we investigated the ant fauna of olive orchards in Crete (Greece). Ants were surveyed with pitfall traps, placed in six paired conventional and organic olive orchards. Specimens were collected from October 2021 to July 2022. Orchards were located in two agroecological zones (hilly and plain), three in hills and three in the plains. In each orchard, five traps were placed containing propylene glycol. Specimens were identified to the genus and species level using taxonomic keys. In total, 21 species and 14 genera were identified, out of a total of 28 recorded in Crete. The ants of Aphaenogaster were common and abundant in all the olive ochards, making this the most common genus. The species of the genus Monomorium also showed hign numbers and distribution in all orchards. The small number of specimens belonging to the genera Crematogaster, Lasius, Temnothorax and Solenopsis is due either to their rarity in the olive orchards or to the fact that they are mainly arboreal species. The hilly olive orchards had a higher abundance of ants than the plain ones. Ants in olive orchards show high diversity and are important for pest regulation, soil fertility and nutrient recycling. Further analysis on the species found and of the effect of each farming practice on the ant diversity is required to determine which practices are the most suitable for maintaining an olive orchard’s functional ant diversity and ecosystem services.

Aquatic ecosystems are undergoing various changes due to natural and anthropogenic stressors. Paleolimnological approaches can be used to trace the environmental changes that have occurred in a water body and its catchment by examining the physical, chemical, and biological information, or proxies, preserved in sediment cores, and to determine the timing and extent of these changes. Our research aimed to study past environmental changes, reconstruct different aspects of the past ecosystem, and investigate the different utilization of Lake Vekeri by examining Cladocera remains preserved in the sediment. Our sampling site was Lake Vekeri, which is located in the Eastern Hungarian region. We collected a 10 cm long short sediment core with a gravity corer. The core was sliced every centimeter, and we examined the subfossil cladoceran remains from each sediment sample (slices). We identified the remains at the species level and we also estimated the content of the organic matter and CaCO₃ of the sediment samples. According to our results for the analysis of the subfossil Cladocera community, we are able the reconstruct past environmental changes and the effects of the different utilization methods on the ecosystem. The results offer crucial insights for comprehending the lake's ecosystem and to prove that the examination of the subfossil Cladocera community is an important tool for paleolimnological reconstruction.

In order to achieve adequate conservation of biodiversity in human-modified landscapes, there is a need to introduce proper measures that balance ecological requirements with socio-economic realities. This abstract emphasizes three distinct perspectives in the conservation of biodiversity: landscape management, integrated conservation strategies (including in-situ and ex-situ conservation), and reforestation. The first strategy promotes designing suitable landscapes to have a significant amount of forest cover (>40%), which should be structured into large-scale and dispersed small-scale patches enclosed within a high-quality matrix. Designing such landscapes offers a balance between development and conservation objectives, protecting species that live in forests while fulfilling human requirements. The second approach, “One Conservation,” deals with a comprehensive framework to integrate in-situ and ex-situ conservation as a driving factor in restoring ecosystems. This can be achieved by facilitating the exchange of genetic material among in-situ and ex-situ populations and developing new reproductive biotechniques that serve as great tools for restoring species to their natural surroundings. Another approach evaluates reforestation as a critical tool for the conservation of biodiversity. Reforestation should be implemented in tropical regions like Brazil and Indonesia, where reforestation-able areas overlap with habitats of endangered species, to attain conservation on a global scale. On the other hand, this strategy delves into understanding the reduced impact of reforestation on climate change while making the cost and efforts of reforestation reliable to promote economic incentives. Integrating these measures with one another contributes greatly, not just in biodiversity conservation but also in achieving sustainability, paving the way for resilient ecosystems in this constantly changing world.

In the island of Crete (Greece), olive orchards are the most common tree crop. The microclimate, but also the landscape, has an overall effect in the functioning of the olive agroecosystem. Factors related to olive orchard management, climate and landscape contribute substantially to the diversity of indicator organisms such as coleoptera. Carabidae are one of the best bioindicators for the protection of ecosystems. Carabidae beetles are important, because they are sensitive to anthropogenic interventions, such as the use of insecticides and heavy metal accumulation in agroecosystems. Carabidae fauna of olive orchards was for the first time investigated in Crete. During the period of October 2021–October 2022, we surveyed carabidae beetles on a monthly basis, using pitfall traps, in 18 olive orchards under different management systems (organic, conventional, abandoned) located across two agroecological zones, i.e., hilly and plain. In each orchard, five traps were placed containing propylene glycol. We found 14 different genera and identified 12 species. The most common species were Carabus banoni and Tapinopterus creticus. Olive orchards in the hilly zone presented higher populations than the plain ones, while higher populations were found in the organic orchards. The differences in richness between agroecological zones appear to be a result of altitudinal differences in relation to air temperature and humidity, although this requires further investigation. The geographic proximity of the studied fields hampers strong differences in species composition. This is a first attempt to understand the impact of human (agricultural) activities on carabidae beetles in the Mediterranean region. We highlight the importance of organic olive orchards as sites of increased carabidae diversity. Further research is required to evaluate carabidae as potential indicators for assessing the impact of agriculture on biodiversity.

Abstract

Climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on our water bodies cause rapid changes in aquatic ecosystems. The study of subfossil aquatic organisms can be used to track the history of various environmental changes, hydrological events, climate and human impacts. The aim of this study is to reconstruct historical water levels, water quality and predation changes in Lake Balaton, Hungary using subfossil cladoceran remains.

A 65-cm long sediment core was taken and analysed for cladocerans at 2 cm resolution using 1 cm³ subsamples. Cladocera remains preserved well in the sediment and can be identified at the species level. Relative frequency distribution and concentration of the cladocera assemblages were recorded for each depth and plotted along age and depth using the 210Pb and 137Cs based age-depth model for the last 200 years (0-30 cm) and linear extrapolation for the deeper layers (30-65 cm). So far, we found minor variation in species number, but major variation in total cladocera concentrations. Changes in subfossil Cladocera communities did not always show changes in water levels. Our results suggest that water level fluctuations in the Szemesi-basin of Lake Balaton cannot be determined with high confidence from changes in Cladocera communities alone, so we need to include other proxies in this type of studies.

Wetlands are essential parts of the ecosystems that sustain plant and animal life on Earth. Water fleas, also known as cladocera, are microcrustaceans, or microspecies, with bodies that are translucent, plate-like appendages with a length of less than one millimetre. They are filter feeders. These microscopic crustaceans feed on phytoplankton and serve as a source of food for aquatic zooplankton. Cladocera species found in various lake zonations may vary based on elements such as the water quality and macrophytic organisms present in the ecosystem. Through wetland modification and degradation, recent anthropogenic activities are having a significant negative impact on the quality of the wetland and habitat. Wetlands need to be closely observed and evaluated to yield data that will be useful for restoration efforts. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the filtrate samples obtained from the water samples will reveal any cladoceran remnants in the sediments. This will also be achieved through examining the characteristics, both chemical and physical, of the sediment samples from Cladocera. A comparison between the sediment Cladocera fossils and the filtrate samples will provide helpful information about whether the sediment and filtrate samples show the same occurrence or quite different. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the patterns of biological community, distribution, and sediment analysis as a functional tool for bio-identification of the status of wetland quality. A comparison between the sediment and filtrate samples may be useful as a biological indicator tool to track how species are responding to changes in their natural or altered habitat. Multivariate statistical approaches will be used in this study for multiple variables.

Introduction: Ongoing climate change affects the phenology and physiology of organisms, species distribution, community interactions, and ecosystem structure. Mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change, as global warming can lead to ecological imbalances that affect specific plant species, especially rare or endemic ones. We still lack a complete understanding of the distribution of many of these plants and the environmental factors that affect their distribution. This makes it challenging to develop effective conservation strategies. Therefore, it is essential to conduct species distribution modeling studies to safeguard these valuable plant species and offer management solutions.

Methods: In this study, we developed a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to predict the present and future ranges of Fritillaria zagrica (F. zagrica) under two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for the 2050s and 2070s.

Results: This plant is a unique dwarf species found in the Zagros Mountains of Iran, and it typically thrives at high altitudes as a snow-melt species. According to the findings of this research, the performance of the prediction model was excellent, with an AUC of at least 0.9. The results indicated that the mean temperature of the coldest quarter (Bio11), the precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), and the annual temperature range (BIO5-BIO6) were the most significant factors influencing the distribution of F. zagrica (Bio7).

Conclusions: Based on the projections, it is expected that F. zagrica will undergo negative changes in its range in all the aforementioned climatic scenarios, except for RCP 4.5 in the 2050s. The findings can be a valuable resource for developing adaptive management strategies to enhance the protection of F. zagrica in response to global climate change.