Biology subjects

Fajgenblat, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Fajgenblat, M..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Cladoceran diversity build-up in newly created pondscapes

This study aimed to identify the most important drivers of cladoceran species richness build-up and species accumulation patterns in newly created ponds that collectively form entirely new pondscapes (networks of closely situated ponds in a landscape). A total of 26 newly created ponds across two newly established pondscapes were surveyed repeatedly (n=11) for key environmental pond variables and cladoceran community characteristics during the first three years after the pondscapes creation. The study ponds vary in surface area and maximum depth and cover a wide range of hydroperiods, from permanent to temporary systems with only a short hydroperiod. In total, 16 cladoceran species colonized the newly created ponds within the first three years of the pondscapes existence. Consistent with previous research, Daphnia obtusa was the first species to colonize ponds in both pondscapes. Macrophyte establishment was the most important local factor influencing the accumulation of cladoceran species over time, with vegetated ponds leading to faster species accumulation, likely because of the close association of chydorid species, Simocephalus vetulus and Ceriodaphnia spp with macrophytes. Our observations highlight the role of the establishment of macrophytes for cladoceran species richness build-up during early pond succession and offer valuable insights for designing resilient pondscapes that support rapid cladoceran species accumulation. Statements and DeclarationsThe authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Eco-evolutionary feedback of adaptive evolution to a pesticide worsens the impact of a pesticide switch in a pivotal freshwater non-target species

Pest management often requires the switches of insecticides, sequentially exposing non-target populations to different compounds. In a two-phased experiment, we assessed whether exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos induces rapid evolution in the non-target species Daphnia magna, and quantified the response of control and pre-exposed populations to a second exposure to the same pesticide, another pesticide with the same mode of action (malathion), or a pesticide with another mode of action (deltamethrin). Chlorpyrifos selection induced rapid shifts in genotype composition and reduced genotype richness, and strongly influenced population development following the second exposure. Chlorpyrifos-selected populations outperformed control populations when subsequently exposed to chlorpyrifos and malathion, but underperformed when exposed to deltamethrin. Our results highlight an eco-evolutionary feedback in which rapid adaptive responses to a pesticide worsens the response when exposed to a different type of pesticide in non-target species, increasing vulnerability to common agricultural practices.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Temporal disaggregation through interval-integrated B-splines for the integrated analysis of trapping counts in ecology

O_LIPassive trapping techniques such as pitfall and malaise traps probably constitute the most widely used methods for standardised surveys of invertebrate populations worldwide. These methods typically yield aggregated count data over multi-day trapping periods, often spanning several weeks, during which species activity (i.e. phenology) can vary. The analysis of trapping data collected over temporally misaligned sampling intervals is challenging, hampering the integrated analysis of historically available trapping datasets. C_LIO_LIWe introduce a temporal disaggregation approach using interval-integrated B-splines to analyse data collected over misaligned sampling intervals while accounting for phenological influences. We present computationally efficient Taylor series approximations for integrating exponentiated B-splines over sampling intervals. We further tailor our approach to typical trapping datasets by providing several extensions, including joint species distribution modelling. C_LIO_LIThrough simulations and cross-validation, we demonstrate that our approach of temporal disaggregation outperforms naive approaches and provides improved inference on phenology and other parameters of interest, such as inter-annual trends. The first-order Taylor approximation, which can be fit using regular software routines, properly accounts for heterogeneity in sampling duration and timing, while the second-order Taylor approximation and the exact model additionally allow for improved estimation of phenological patterns. C_LIO_LIBy applying this model to a large pitfall trapping dataset, spanning almost 50 years and over 10,000 trapping events in the Belgian province of Limburg, we illustrate how this approach can be used to reveal phenological, spatiotemporal and co-distributional patterns for 331 spider species. C_LIO_LIThe interval-integrated B-splines approach we present provides a convenient way to infer phenology and other ecological parameters from temporally aggregated count data obtained over misaligned sampling intervals, facilitating the integrated analysis of heterogeneously collected datasets to infer biodiversity trends. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Rapid temporal adaptation structures tolerance to toxic cyanobacteria in a natural population of the water flea Daphnia.

Cyanobacteria blooms pose a substantial threat to freshwater systems globally. While zooplankton grazers such as Daphnia can have an important role in suppressing cyanobacteria blooms, cyanobacteria can adversely impact Daphnia fitness and even kill them. Earlier work has shown an evolutionary increase in tolerance to cyanobacteria across years and strong genotype x genotype interactions determining the interaction between Daphnia and the cyanobacterium Microcystis. Here, we test the hypothesis that D. magna can adapt during one growing season to changes in dominant strains of Microcystis. Over two consecutive years, we collected D. magna clonal lineages and Microcystis strains from a single pond early and late in the growing season and we assessed whether Daphnia survival differed when exposed to Microcystis strains from either the same or a different time point within the growth season. Our findings reveal important Daphnia genotype x Microcystis genotype interactions, with Daphnia survival being higher when exposed to Microcystis from the same time point than when exposed to Microcystis of a different time point. Our results extend earlier findings to variation within one single natural system and growth season, and suggest an important impact of rapid (co)evolutionary dynamics shaping the tolerance of zooplankton grazers to cyanobacteria.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Managing African Swine Fever: Assessing the Potential of Camera Traps in Monitoring Wild Boar Occupancy Trends in Infected and Noninfected Zones, Using Spatio-temporal Statistical Models

The recent spreading of African swine fever (ASF) over the Eurasian continent has been acknowledged as a serious economic threat for the pork industry. Consequently, an extensive body of research focuses on the epidemiology and control of ASF. Nevertheless, little information is available on the combined effect of ASF and ASF-related control measures on wild boar (Sus scrofa) population abundances. This is crucial information given the role of the remaining wild boar that act as an important reservoir of the disease. Given the high potential of camera traps as a non-invasive method for ungulate trend estimation, we assess the effectiveness of ASF control measures using a camera trap network. In this study, we focus on a major ASF outbreak in 2018-2020 in the South of Belgium. This outbreak elicited a strong management response, both in terms of fencing off a large infected zone as well as an intensive culling regime. We apply a Bayesian multi-season site-occupancy model to wild boar detection-nondetection data. Our results show that (1) occupancy rates at the onset of our monitoring period reflect the ASF infection status; (2) ASF-induced mortality and culling efforts jointly lead to decreased occupancy over time; and (3) the estimated mean total extinction rate ranges between 22.44% and 91.35%, depending on the ASF infection status. Together, these results confirm the effectiveness of ASF-control measures implemented in Wallonia (Belgium), which has regained its disease-free status in December 2020, as well as the usefulness of a camera trap network to monitor these effects.

ecology↗