Tag: ecology

Research stations across Europe presented in a photo exhibition in Sofia

The exhibition was organised by Pensoft as part of the communication and dissemination activities for the EC Horizon project eLTER (European Long-Term Ecosystem Research)

In the past months, a unique photo exhibition showcasing European long-term ecosystem research sites was presented in the Bulgarian capital: Sofia.

This visually striking exhibition was not only a celebration of science and nature, but also an illustrative example of Pensoft’s integrated approach to communication, dissemination, and community engagement under the EU-funded eLTER project.

Coordinated by Pensoft’s Communications team, the initiative demonstrates how a carefully curated campaign can be transformed into a multi-layered outreach success. From conceptualization to realization, the team worked closely with the eLTER Coordination and Head Office to create what is now known as the eLTER Grand Campaign—a journey across Europe to visually document the human and ecological stories behind the research stations.

The eLTER photo exhibition was displayed at the ‘Lover’s bridge’ in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Over the course of three months, photographer Evgeni Dimitrov and his team traveled across 23 European countries, visiting some of the continent’s most advanced long-term ecosystem research sites. Using both drone and handheld cameras, the team captured nearly 3,000 photographs and 50 videos, bringing an artistic lens to the world of environmental science. The visual materials created during the Grand Campaign will be integrated into the eLTER database, becoming a valuable resource for researchers and stakeholders across Europe. These assets will support ongoing efforts in data visualisation, educational outreach, and long-term documentation of ecosystem changes.

“During the trip, it was fascinating to observe the work of scientists—each team reflecting the specific national context, yet united by a shared goal: to collect increasingly detailed data that can help us create a better environment.

I aimed to portray the research stations not only from a technical perspective—showing the equipment and how it’s used—but also within the broader environment: the nature around them, the living beings they interact with, and the people behind the machines who bring meaning to otherwise dry data.

explained photographer Evgeni Dimitrov.
Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Penev (Pensoft’s CEO and founder) and photographer Evgeni Dimitrov at the photo exhibition.

Seizing the momentum of the exhibition’s launch in Sofia, the Pensoft team also engaged with local media to broaden public awareness of the eLTER project. For example, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency published a feature story, titled “Photo Exhibition Presents Research Stations across Europe in Sofia” in both Bulgarian and English, which highlights the exhibition, as well as the mission and goals of eLTER, with a special focus on the work of LTER-Bulgaria. Other local media also covered the news and promoting eLTER.

This strategic blend of visual storytelling, media engagement, and public outreach exemplifies Pensoft’s holistic approach to science communication.

From centrally managing a campaign, coordinating international logistics, and delivering high-quality media assets, to generating public interest and securing media coverage, this initiative shows how communication can become a vital extension of research impact.

To stay up to date with the activities and overall progress of the eLTER project, subscribe to the eLTER Newsletter, and follow eLTER on BlueSky, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Find updates and more details on the conference website.

This June, the eLTER project will be holding its very first science conference with the aim to bring together scientists across disciplines who are striving to adopt a holistic approach to the understanding of the complex interactions between living organisms, humans, and their physical environment in the critical zone.

The event will take place on 23-27 June 2025 in Tampere, Finland. Abstracts submitted to the conference will be made permanently available in the eLTER Science Conference abstracts collection in the journal-like ARPHA Conference Abstract platform.

Pensoft is a project partner and a work package leader in the eLTER projects. eLTER receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under GA No 871126 (eLTER PPP) and GA No 871128 (eLTER PLUS), and the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under GA No 101131751 (eLTER EnRich).

Guest blog post: Global change, individual behaviour, and trout population persistence

New experiments reinforce that behavioural plasticity can be key for coping with environmental changes

Guest blog post by Daniel Ayllón and Steve Railsback

Early in the morning, Daniel Ayllón and his research mates at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid drive towards the mountains near Madrid. They’re out to survey streams where the endangered Southern Iberian spined-loach and Northern Iberian spined-loach used to coexist. We say “used to,” because once again they fail to find the Northern Iberian spined-loach, probably locally extinct. Such extinctions are not unusual, as freshwater fishes are one of the most threatened groups of animals in the world. There are still many brown trout there, though; the water is still cold enough for them.

Salmonids (trout, salmon and char) are especially challenged by climate change because they need cold, oxygenated and clean water. Trout populations at low altitudes or low latitudes are thus particularly at risk; many in the Iberian Peninsula have been declining for decades as rivers warm and dry. Climate models project a bleak future: such Mediterranean populations will face hotter and drier streams, with more frequent and longer droughts and heat waves, and increasing competition from warm-water fish.

A photo of a brown trout swimming over a bed of smooth pebbles in clear water.
Brown trout (Salmo trutta). Photo by J. R. Pérez (AEMS-Ríos con Vida archive)

Despite these changes, local extinctions of trout are still rare, because salmonids are among the most adaptable and resilient of freshwater fishes. They are changing their physiology and phenology, growth and reproduction patterns, and life-history strategies to adjust to the new environmental conditions, via evolutionary, plastic and behavioural mechanisms. While evolutionary ecologists typically focus on genetic adaptation to forces such as climate change, behavioural plasticity could be even more important, because it is fast, reversible and often predictable.

In fact, thermoregulatory movements seem a ubiquitous behavioural mechanism in salmonids: individuals move up and down river networks to find less-stressful temperatures and better growth potential. Behavioural plasticity in circadian activity and habitat selection (deciding when and where to feed) also help trout resist short-term environmental changes. However, we don’t know how important changes in circadian activity─or behaviours in general─are to long-term population persistence in the face of climate change. So to shed light on this question, in a recent work published in Individual-based Ecology, we ran two virtual experiments using the inSTREAM individual-based model to represent a trout population in northern Spain.

A photo of a river flowing between rocky banks, surrounded by greenery and towering mountains under a clear sky.
The Roncal study site on the River Eska (northern Spain). Photo by Benigno Elvira

Steve Railsback and his colleagues at Cal Poly Humboldt University and the US Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station in Arcata, California, have been developing, testing, and applying inSTREAM for 25 years. The central idea of individual-based models (IBMs) and of individual-based ecology in general is that a biological system can be described through its individual agents, their environment, and the interactions among agents and between agents and environment. The agents of a system (for example, all fish in a population) are modelled as unique and autonomous individuals with their own properties.

The controlled experiment of Harvey and White to quantify how trout trade off feeding vs. predation risk. The experimenters trained wild trout to feed at this dispenser, and then moved it to increasingly risky habitat. The feeding rate needed to keep the trout from leaving increases with the risk it perceives. IBMs like inSTREAM use knowledge about individual behaviour from experiments like this to predict complex population responses. Video by Jason L. White.

Agents also have behaviours: they make decisions, following simple rules or algorithms, independently of other individuals, and seek objectives such as surviving to reproduce in the future. These behaviours are adaptive: agents’ decisions depend on their state and the state of their environment. In this way, population-level results actually emerge from the behaviour of the individuals. In inSTREAM, model trout decide whether to feed vs. hide from predators at different times of day, assumed a trade-off between the need to feed and the predation risk it poses. Temperature has a strong effect on this trade-off because a fish’s metabolic rates, and thus the amount of food it needs, increase sharply with temperature.

A photo of three people wearing waders engaged in field research in a river.
Three members of the research team at the UCM conducting habitat surveys at the Roncal study site. In IBMs like inSTREAM, modelled populations and their environment are characterised by field data collected in surveys like this. Photo by Benigno Elvira.

What did we learn with our IBM? First, our simulations show what behavioural ecologists know from experiments: that during warm summers trout can meet their metabolic requirements only by feeding at multiple times of day and segregating temporally, so that fish of different size can feed at the same spot but at different times of day. Feeding during daytime is more profitable but riskier, while doing it at night is safer but less efficient, and feeding during twilight provides near-daytime growth and somewhat-reduced risk.

We then analysed how model trout change their circadian foraging behaviour under increasing climate change. As we expected, trout showed great behavioural plasticity: trout of all ages responded to warmer and drier conditions by increasing daytime feeding and overall foraging activity, although there were differences across age classes in the distribution of daily activity. Our second experiment used a great advantage of IBMs as a virtual laboratory: we can run experiments that are impossible in reality. We tested the importance of behavioural plasticity by simply turning the behaviour off. In our simulations, virtual populations of trout capable of flexible circadian feeding were more resistant to climate change─had higher biomass and a more balanced age structure─than were populations of trout that feed only during daytime.

These experiments reinforce that behavioural plasticity can be key for coping with environmental changes, so we shouldn’t minimise its relevance when predicting the persistence of salmonid populations in warming and drying rivers. This conclusion no doubt also applies to other taxa that have powerful adaptive behaviours.

This study epitomises individual-based ecology, the subject of Pensoft’s new journal: we use what we know from empirical research on individual physiology and behaviour, in an individual-based model, to study complex population responses of direct relevance to our changing world.

Research article:

Ayllón D, Railsback SF, Harvey BC, Nicola GG, Elvira B, Almodóvar A (2025) Behavioural plasticity in circadian foraging patterns increases resistance of brown trout populations to environmental change. Individual-based Ecology 1: e139560. https://doi.org/10.3897/ibe.1.e139560

Recently launched Individual-based Ecology journal publishes its first articles

IBE offers a transformative framework for addressing global challenges such as the loss of biodiversity and potential loss of ecosystem services.

Individual-based Ecology (IBE), a new open-access peer-reviewed journal by scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft, has now published its first articles, offering a fresh perspective on how the behaviour of individual organisms and ecological systems dynamics are linked.

The journal was launched in September 2024 with an official announcement made during the German Ecological Society’s 53rd annual conference (Freising, Germany).

Pensoft launches new journal: Individual-based Ecology

To fill a known gap in knowledge, the journal focuses on individual-based perspectives in ecology, complementing other ecological disciplines. Current approaches cannot fully capture the mechanisms underlying ecological responses to change in drivers, the journal’s editors believe, as they rarely focus on the individual organisms who directly respond to change.

Four editors-in-chief lead IBE: Prof. Dr. Volker Grimm and Prof. Dr. Karin Frank of Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Prof. Dr. Mark E. Hauber of The City University /(CUNY) of New York, and Prof. Dr. Florian Jeltsch of the University of Potsdam. “This team represents an international and collaborative group who agree on the conceptual and empirical need for this new journal”- says Dr Mark E. Hauber, from the Graduate Center of CUNY, and a former guest professor in ecology at the University of Potsdam.

The journal is published under a diamond open-access model, which makes it free of charge for both readers and authors. It publishes a wide range of articles, including empirical, experimental, and modeling studies, as well as reviews, perspectives, and methodological papers.

By blending basic and applied research, IBE offers a transformative framework for addressing global challenges such as the loss of biodiversity and potential loss of ecosystem services.

“We propose a paradigm shift in ecological science, moving from simplifying frameworks that use species, population or community averages to an integrative approach that recognizes individual organisms as fundamental agents of ecological change,” advocates write in a forum paper just published in IBE’s first issue. 

Illustration showing mouse behavior variation, predation effects, and colonization success based on boldness and size in new habitats.
Examples of individual variation and its consequences: a individual variation describes the variation in traits, including behaviour, between or within individuals resulting from various processes such as microevolution and biotic filtering. It also explicitly includes variation induced by experience, health status or microbes and microbial communities associated with the host; b simplified example showing how successful colonisation or invasion depends on inter-individual variation in morphological or behavioural traits (González-Suárez et al. 2015; Dammhahn et al. 2020; Premier et al. 2020).

“By unravelling and predicting the dynamics of biodiversity in the Anthropocene through a comprehensive study of individual organisms, their variability and their interactions, individual-based global change ecology will provide a critical foundation for a better understanding if and how we can manage individual variation and behaviour for conservation and sustainability, taking into account individual-to-ecosystem pathways and feedbacks.” 

Illustration showing the impact of individual variation on biodiversity across genes, populations, communities, and ecosystems under global change.
Hierarchical organisation from genes to ecosystems. Individuals are the elementary particles of ecological systems, meaning that variation and interactions between individuals can scale up to emergent properties at the population, community and ecosystem levels. The different ecological levels are highly interconnected through both bottom-up and top-down processes. Elucidating these feedback loops through an individual-based lens is a prerequisite for understanding ecosystem resilience and response to global change.

“By taking into account the variation, behaviours, and interactions of individual organisms, individual-based ecology links the responses of organisms to the responses of ecosystems: if we understand enough about individuals, we can predict complex system dynamics, even under novel conditions,” the editors and colleagues write in a “manifesto” for individual-based ecology that they published in the new journal. “We intend the journal to show how the individual-based perspective, in empirical, theoretical, and computational studies, benefits all branches of ecology.”

IBE’s first published research articles provide excellent examples of the individual-based perspective of the journal. Church et al. explore, using an established model of brown trout, how the uptake of microplastics by fish with different personalities affects population size. Ayllón et al. use the same model to explore to what extent behavioural plasticity allows this species to cope with environmental change, in particular increasing temperatures. Railsback and Harvey argue that in many models the representation of mortality risk is too simple. They present a new method, “survival increase functions”, which is more realistic but still straightforward to calibrate. 

Guest blog post: Global change, individual behaviour, and trout population persistence

The journal is supported by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ, Germany) and the City University of New York (CUNY, USA).

The journal utilises Pensoft’s innovative ARPHA platform, which offers a seamless end-to-end publishing experience, encompassing all stages between manuscript submission and article publication, indexation, dissemination and permanent archiving. As a journal of Pensoft, IBE joins a number of open-access scholarly outlets in ecology  by the publisher.

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You can keep up with updates from the journal on Bluesky, X and Facebook.

A toxic pufferfish (that could bite off your fingers) has been found in Croatian waters

The silver-cheeked toadfish has spread aggressively in the Mediterranean since entering through the Suez Canal.

On May 13, 2024 researchers discovered a highly invasive silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) in the Bay of Medulin, just off the coast of Croatia. The 52 cm, 1.3 kg male represents the northernmost record of the species in the Mediterranean, raising serious concerns about potential impacts on marine biodiversity, fisheries, and coastal tourism. 

Pufferfish specimen on a metal plate.

Specimen of Lagocephalus sceleratus (♂) from Medulin Bay, Croatia.

Originating from the Indo-Pacific, Lagocephalus sceleratus is a ‘Lessepsian migrant’ (meaning it migrated through the artificially created Suez Canal) and has spread aggressively through the Mediterranean since its first sighting in 2003. This latest discovery is the fourth confirmed record of the species in the Adriatic and the first from its northernmost waters.  

Map of Medulin Bay, Croatia.
The area in the northern Adriatic Sea where Lagocephalus sceleratus was caught, Medulin Bay, southern Istria, Croatia. 

Recent evidence from the southern and eastern Mediterranean shows that bites from the powerful beak-like jaws of the species can result in severe injuries such as partial amputations of fingers. Its flesh and organs also contain a potent neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin, which can be lethal  if consumed.  

In Mediterranean coastal regions, Lagocephalus sceleratus has become an increasingly significant portion of small-scale fishing catches, often causing damage to fishing gear with its bite. Stomach analysis of the captured individual revealed a diet consisting of bivalves, gastropods, and sea urchins, suggesting potential disruptions to the Adriatic’s ecological balance. 

Map showing the Adriatic Sea with five circles marking sightings of the species since 2012.
Adriatic records of Lagocephalus sceleratus.

“The presence of Lagocephalus sceleratus in the northern Adriatic is a clear warning sign of the species’ expanding range and potential ecological and economic consequences. Proactive monitoring and management strategies are important to mitigating its impact on local marine biodiversity, fisheries, and public safety.”

Dr Neven Iveša, co-author of the study. 

Experts recommend increased monitoring, regulatory measures, and public awareness campaigns to address threats posed by the species. Targeted removal efforts, public education on handling and reporting sightings, and further research can also play a part in mitigating threats.

Researchers from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split published the discovery in the open-access journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria.

Original source

Iveša N, Buršić M, Dulčić J (2025) Northernmost Mediterranean record of the silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Actinopterygii, Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodontidae). Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 55: 77-81. https://doi.org/10.3897/aiep.55.146945

Follow Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria on Facebook and X.

Fungal Fairy Rings: the science behind the magic

Researchers explore the history, ecology, and impacts of these intriguing fungal formations.

A new review article published in the OA journal IMA Fungus sheds light on the phenomenon of fungal fairy rings, mysterious circular patterns of altered vegetation found in grasslands and forests. 

In the review, researchers Maurizio Zotti, Giuliano Bonanomi, and Stefano Mazzoleni from the University of Naples Federico II explore the history, ecology, and impacts of these intriguing fungal formations.

Fungal fairy rings (FFRs), they explain, occur when certain fungi grow radially outward through the soil from a central point, breaking down organic matter and affecting plant growth in distinctive circular patterns. While folklore once attributed these rings to magic, scientists now understand them as a natural process driven by underground fungal activity.

Cross-section of a fungal fairy ring (FFR) transect providing a visual representation of the mycelial mat distribution in the soil, with arrows representing growth direction.

In their paper, the researchers synthesise centuries of research on FFRs, from early observations in the 1800s to modern studies using cutting-edge genomic techniques. “The study of FFRs provides a valuable opportunity to delve deeper into the complex field of soil and fungal ecology, bridging multiple scientific disciplines such as mycology, microbiology, chemistry and botany,” they write.

Describing how different types of FFRs form and expand over time, the authors note that some persist for hundreds of years, reaching massive sizes: “In French grasslands, large FFRs of I. geotropa, with a diameter of 800 m, were estimated to be around 700 years old.”

Fungal fairy rings on grasslands.
FFRs of Agaricus crocodilinus in Monte Pratello subalpine grassland, Rivisondoli, Abruzzo, Italian Apennines. (Photo by Franco Carnevale).

The effects of FFRs vary substantially. Indeed, the study explores the various ways FFRs impact soil properties and plant communities as they spread. In some cases, the fungal activity leads to lush green rings of stimulated plant growth. In others, it causes bands of dead or stunted vegetation. 

FFRs don’t just affect plants; they also influence soil microbes. The review describes how “the development of FFR mycelial mats is associated with a general simplification of the bacterial community” in some cases, while other studies have found increased microbial diversity within fairy rings.

Fungal fairy ring examples.
FFR examples (left) and a comparison of soil densely occupied by mycelial mat vs. unaffected soil (right).

The researcher team emphasises that there is still much to learn about the ecological roles and formation mechanisms of FFRs. Several promising areas should be explored in future research, including investigating the volatile compounds produced by fairy ring fungi and using advanced sequencing methods to unravel how FFRs regulate species coexistence in soil and plant communities.

Concluding the study the authors assert that, while improved knowledge of FFRs may have removed some of their mystical aura, “such removal of thin magic halo has certainly not reduced the wonder for the beauty of nature in its ever surprisingly dynamic pattern and intertwined complex systems.”

Read the full research paper here.  

Original source

Zotti M, Bonanomi G, Mazzoleni S (2025) Fungal fairy rings: history, ecology, dynamics and engineering functions. IMA Fungus 16: e138320. https://doi.org/10.3897/imafungus.16.138320

Follow IMA Fungus on Bluesky and Facebook.

Values and dependence of society on pollinators: Pensoft joins the EU project VALOR

VALOR is to prompt better understanding of our relationship with pollinators. Pensoft will lead activities related to co-developing tools for expanding engagement and interaction, and support communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities.

Animal pollinators have become a flagship for biodiversity conservation, largely due to their globally recognised role in supporting broader biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being.

Despite this recognition and the widely acknowledged benefits of pollination, many of the pressures on pollinators persist. As a result, there is growing evidence of localised yet significant deficits in pollination services, affecting both crop pollination and other communities.

Coordinated by Dr Tom Breeze (University of Reading) and funded by Horizon Europe, VALOR is a multi-actor project that will develop a comprehensive, systems-based approach to gaining a deeper understanding of the cascading impacts of pollinator shifts from flower to fork and beyond.

The project will examine the effects of pollinator shifts on ecosystems, farm businesses, and local communities through primary research and modelling.

VALOR’s coordinator Dr Tom Breeze (UREAD) gave an introductory presentation during the project’s kick-off meeting in February (Reading, United Kingdom). 

The project aims to empower actors to develop a deeper comprehension of relationships with pollinators and will produce a range of co-developed tools for landowners, businesses, and policymakers.

These tools will facilitate a better understanding of pollination-related risks and enable users to conduct their own studies by replicating the project’s methods and applying its models. To ensure comprehensive data collection without compromising scale, VALOR will adopt a systems-based approach, employing a series of in-depth case studies in focal regions to assess the importance of pollinators.

VALOR launched in January 2025 and will be running until the end of 2028.

To achieve its goals the VALOR project has six objectives: 

  1. Co-develop a better understanding of stakeholder knowledge needs around pollinators.
  2. Better understand the dependence of society and the economy on pollinators.
  3. Measure and model the cascading impacts of plant-pollinator networks on ecosystems and human well-being.
  4. Explore the consequences of pollinator loss through value chains.
  5. Forecast the resilience of pollinator networks and human benefits under future conditions.
  6. Co-develop tools to engage and empower actors about pollinator conservation.

Pensoft’s role

Building on its experience in communication, dissemination, and exploitation of results, Pensoft will focus on maximising the project’s impact and long-term legacy. This involves a broad scope of activities, including the development of the project’s visual identity and online presence, as well as the translation of research findings into policy recommendations.

As a leader of the work on co-developed tools for expanded engagement and interaction, Pensoft will support the development of a spatially explicit tool to allow users to explore the fine-scale changes in pollinator abundance and diversity, as well as pollination services resulting from a change in landscape management.

Moreover, Pensoft will assist the VALOR project in contributing to the Safeguard Knowledge Exchange Hub (Safe-Hub).

Pensoft will also facilitate collaboration opportunities with other projects, leveraging its expertise in numerous EU-funded projects. These efforts will be directed towards VALOR’s sister project: BUTTERFLY (101181930).

International consortium

The VALOR consortium comprises partners from thirteen European institutions, along with three associated partners, including China and Australia.

The consortium spans a wide and diverse range of scientific disciplines, from pollinator ecology, sociology, and economics to stakeholder engagement and communications. 

  1. University Of Reading (UREAD)
  2. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
  3. Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (ALU-FR) 
  4. Jagiellonian University (UJ) 
  5. The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
  6. Wageningen University (WU)
  7. Lund University (ULUND)
  8. University of La Laguna (ULL)
  9. University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
  10. The University of Helsinki (UH)
  11. Pensoft Publishers (PENSOFT) 
  12. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)
  13. European Landowners’ Organization (ELO)
  14. University of New England (UNE)
  15. China West Normal University (CWNU)
  16. Beijing Forestry University (BJFU)

The VALOR project website is coming soon!

In the meantime, follow the project’s progress via its social media channels on BlueSky and LinkedIn.

Unseen ecosystems, unheard stories: How art can amplify subterranean science

Bridging art and science can have profound, lasting impacts on scientific communication and conservation efforts.

Guest blog post by Veronica Nanni, Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte, and Stefano Mammola

In an era where information is more accessible than ever, one might assume that communicating science has never been easier. However, science communicators often find themselves in a constant battle against public skepticism and media sensationalism. Scientific research is, by nature, intricate and nuanced, making it inherently challenging to communicate effectively. Academic papers are often laden with equations, technical jargon, and acronyms that, while ensuring precision and accuracy, may alienate even the most intrepid readers. The challenge, then, lies in translating complex findings into digestible and engaging narratives without oversimplifying or distorting the truth. Striking this balance is crucial, as misrepresentation can lead to misunderstanding, erode public trust, or even fuel misinformation.

As scientists working with subterranean biodiversity, we face an additional layer of challenges in science communication. Unlike more familiar ecosystems, such as forests or oceans, caves and other subterranean environments are foreign and unseen to most audiences. These hidden worlds are often perceived as mysterious, inhospitable, or even irrelevant to everyday life. This lack of direct experience or knowledge creates a significant barrier to interest and engagement. For instance, the delicate balance of subterranean ecosystems and their hidden interconnection with surface ecosystems is not only difficult to visualize but also challenging to relate to broader environmental issues that resonate with the public, such as climate change or biodiversity loss.

A speckled gecko with a light brown body climbs on a rocky surface.
Werner’s leaf-toed gecko (Asaccus elisae), picture from https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.18.8185

Furthermore, subterranean organisms, such as blind fish, pale invertebrates, and microbial communities, often lack the visual appeal of iconic surface species (e.g., lions, dolphins, polar bears), making it difficult to generate interest or concern. Such scarce interest often means that subterranean ecosystems are scarcely represented in global biodiversity agendas, leaving most of them unprotected or poorly regulated.

Exploring the hidden treasures of Aziza Cave: A biodiversity hotspot in North Africa

This communication challenge and policy gap became even more apparent at the start of the Biodiversa+ project DarCo, a transnational project involving 13 research institutes across Europe. The project aims to advance knowledge about subterranean biodiversity in Europe and advance its conservation. DarCo’s overarching goal is to develop a concrete plan to incorporate subterranean ecosystems into the European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

For the successful implementation of the project, there is a need to engage with diverse audiences, from the general public to stakeholders who rely on subterranean resources in various ways—e.g., speleological groups, water managers, national park authorities, and even politicians involved in EU-level legislation on nature conservation. This is where the challenge of communicating the importance of subterranean biodiversity to the health of ecological systems and the well-being of society became quite apparent. We realized that tapping into non-scientific forms of communication might offer a promising way forward.

Illustration of a cave ecosystem featuring spiders, a centipede, bats, and a guano pile, highlighting food sources and detritus flow.
Figure 1. Life in the darkness of caves through an illustration targeting kids. Modified from https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2022.657265 (original illustration by Irene Frigo).

We began collaborating with various artists and scientific illustrators to aid in our communication efforts. Whether illustrating cave life and its conservation for children (Figure 1) or involving illustrators to create compelling visuals for our scientific publications (Figure 2), the science-art collaboration proved particularly effective. We even invited a scientific illustrator, Dr. Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte, to the 26th International Conference on Subterranean Biology (Cagliari, Italy, 9–14 September 2024), where the DarCo team organized a workshop on subterranean conservation open to both scientists and stakeholders. Jagoba’s role was to create an artistic representation of the workshop flow (Figure 3) and illustrate key aspects of selected scientific talks.

An illustrated scene of a sunset over mountains, as seen from the inside of a cave, showcasing diverse life forms such as insects, worms, and bats.
Figure 2. Scientific illustration for a scientific publication on climate change’s impact on subterranean ecosystems. Modified from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.09.001 (original illustration by Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte).

Stemming from these fruitful collaborations, we decided to write a scientific paper on the role art can play in the conservation of subterranean ecosystems, highlighting the benefits for subterranean scientists engaging with artists and vice versa. Although there is no quantitative proof yet that art directly promotes subterranean conservation, our experience as scientists who frequently collaborate with artists—and artists who often collaborate with scientists—suggests that bridging these worlds can have profound, lasting impacts on scientific communication and conservation efforts. By engaging with artists, subterranean scientists can create more impactful visuals for research papers and presentations, enhance public engagement through powerful storytelling, and spark fresh insights that may drive new research directions.

To maximize these benefits, scientists should foster collaborations by inviting artists to conferences and workshops, involving them in cave expeditions, and even dedicating small portions of research budgets to artistic initiatives. On the other hand, artists can undertake projects focused on conservation and related scientific fields, using their own platforms and tapping into funding sources beyond traditional scientific grants.

Illustration summarizing the DarCo Project Workshop themes: data, questions, impact, and dissemination for subterranean ecosystem conservation.
Figure 3. Infographic created through the graphic facilitation of DarCo’s workshop held during the 26th International Conference on Subterranean Biology (Cagliari, Italy, 9–14 September 2024). Original illustration by Jagoba Malumbres-Olarte.

Art has long been a bridge between knowledge and emotion, making complex ideas accessible through storytelling, visuals, and performance. Scientific illustrations, data visualizations, and interactive exhibits can transform abstract information into tangible experiences. Moreover, films, theater, and literature can create emotional connections with audiences, helping them grasp the real-world implications of scientific discoveries.

By integrating art with science communication, we can reach people who might otherwise feel disconnected from scientific discourse. Art and science are not opposing forces but complementary ones, enriching each other in profound ways. As we face global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and public health crises, integrating artistic expression with scientific inquiry can foster deeper understanding, empathy, and action, spreading knowledge and awareness of these threats in society.

Research article:

Mammola S, Malumbres-Olarte J, Vaccarelli I, Nanni V, Bellvert A, Jarić I (2025) On art, science, and the conservation of subterranean ecosystems. Subterranean Biology 51: 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.51.139954

Promoting sustainable agriculture for pollinators: Pensoft joins the EU project AGRI4POL

The new Horizon project is to assist the transition of agriculture to a positive force for biodiversity, crop pollination services, ecosystems and people. Pensoft will lead the communication, dissemination, exploitation and synergies with other projects.

Threats to pollinators and pollination services that support agriculture and provide benefits to people are a worldwide problem, recognized by intergovernmental scientific assessments, national or transnational initiatives as well as policies.

Intensive agriculture is among the principal threats to pollinator biodiversity and the crop pollination services that pollinators provide. Moreover, typically crop breeding has tended to overlook the benefits of pollination for sustained crop yields in favour of other crop traits.

Coordinated by Dr. Adam Vanbergen (INRAE) and funded by Horizon Europe, the AGRI4POL project takes an ambitious and achievable interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to achieve a transition towards sustainable pollinator-friendly farming.

AGRI4POL kick-off meeting (February 2025, Brussels, Belgium).

The project aims to deliver an integrated state-of-the-art analysis of the crop – farming system – pollinator interplay across levels of biological organisation from the crop gene to the agroecosystem. 

AGRI4POL launched in January 2025 and will be running until the end of 2028.

To achieve its goals, AGRI4POL project has outlined six objectives:

  1. Establish and work with a multi-actor community to drive the transition towards more pollinator friendly farming systems and value chains.
  2. Evaluate genetic diversity of crop floral traits governing pollinator interactions to stimulate breeding of pollinator-smart varieties.
  3. Find out how pollinator-crop relationships are modified by intra- and interspecific crop diversification in space and time.
  4. Optimise ecological infrastructures (EI = landscape features, non-crop habitats) for crop pollination, pollinator biodiversity and multiple ecosystem benefits.
  5. Assess the social, economic and environmental opportunities and obstacles presented by pollinator friendly farming options to understand their feasibility and acceptability. 
  6. Evaluate the influence of the policy landscape and the practitioner awareness of the benefits and challenges of pollinator-friendly farming at [sub]national, European and international scales.
AGRI4POL’s coordinator Dr. Adam Vanbergen (INRAE) gave an introductory presentation during the project kick-off meeting in Brussels (February 2025, Belgium).

Pensoft’s role

Building on its experience in communication, dissemination, and exploitation of results, Pensoft will focus on maximizing the project’s impact and long-term legacy. This encompasses a wide array of activities, ranging all the way from building a project’s visual identity and online presence and creating a podcast to translating results into policy recommendations. Moreover, Pensoft will be facilitating collaboration opportunities with other projects, leveraging on its involvement in numerous EU-funded projects. As of now, Pensoft takes part in six EU Pollinator projects, which serves well to facilitate synergies.

International consortium

The AGRI4POL consortium comprises partners from fourteen European institutions along with five associated partners, including China. Consortium covers a wide diverse range of scientific disciplines spanning from pollinator ecology and agriculture to stakeholder engagement and communications. 

  1. INREA (France)
  2. INRAE Transfert (France) 
  3. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ (Germany)
  4. The University of Reading (United Kingdom)
  5. Wageningen University and Research (Netherlands)
  6. Lund University (Sweden)
  7. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) (Spain)
  8. Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Germany)
  9. Pensoft Publishers (Bulgaria)
  10. Global Change Research Institute – Ustav Vyzkumu Globalni Zmeny Av Cr Vvi (CzechGlobe) (Czech Republic)
  11. Université de Mons (Belgium)
  12. University of Ljubljana – Univerza v Ljubljani (Slovenia)
  13. Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy)
  14. WCMC LBG – UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (global)
  15. Associació Paisatages Vius – Living Landscapes (global)
  16. Maisadour Semences Romania SRL – MAS Seeds (Romania)
  17. Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori (Italy)
  18. Eidgenoessisches Departement fuer Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung (WBF-Agroscope) (Italy)
  19. Swiss Association for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas (Switzerland)
  20. Institute of Apicultural Research – Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 
  21. China West Normal University 
  22. Gansu Agriculture University

The AGRI4POL project website is coming soon!

In the meantime, follow the project’s progress via its social media channels on BlueSky and LinkedIn.

Pensoft joins new Horizon Europe project to help tackle terrestrial invasive alien species

Pensoft will play a vital role in public awareness, engagement and promoting effective strategies for monitoring and managing IAS.

The Chinese muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) is an invasive alien species for Europe with established populations across the western part of the continent. Photo by Mario Shimbov (Pensoft).

As one of the partners in charge of maximising the project’s impact, Pensoft will work on OneSTOP’s visual branding, communication, dissemination and exploitation, and the development of a data management plan for the project. 

Invasive alien species (IAS) pose one of the most significant threats to global biodiversity, contributing to species extinctions, ecosystem degradation, and economic losses exceeding $400 billion annually. 

To tackle this, the EU enforces Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, aiming to prevent IAS introduction, enhance early detection, and manage their spread. Member States coordinate efforts with scientific support and citizen engagement to minimise their impact and protect Europe’s biodiversity. Addressing this urgent challenge, the EU Horizon project OneSTOP has officially launched as part of a coordinated European effort to combat biological invasions in terrestrial environments.

Comprehensive Approach to Tackling Invasive Alien Species

OneSTOP is one of two ambitious projects funded under the Horizon Europe programme, the other being GuardIAS, which focuses on marine and freshwater habitats. The two collaborative initiatives held their joint official kick-off meeting in January at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. Together, these projects aim to develop innovative solutions for detecting, preventing, and managing invasive alien species across all ecosystem realms.

Coordinated by Dr Quentin Groom from Meise Botanic Garden, Belgium, and Prof Helen Roy from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, OneSTOP will integrate advanced scientific research, cutting-edge detection technologies, and policy-driven strategies to enhance biosecurity across Europe. 

The ОneSTOP project consortium at the project’s kick-off meeting held on 20-24 January 2025 in Ispra, Italy.
The project is structured around four key objectives:
  1. Improve species detection and response time by incorporating computer vision, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis and citizen science initiatives.
  2. Facilitate swift action against invasive species threats by openly sharing data in international standards for biodiversity data with stakeholders who need it.
  3. Support policy-makers in making informed decisions about where and how to allocate resources for invasive species management by developing data-driven systems.
  4. Ensure stakeholder collaboration and knowledge exchange by implementing Living Labs at the regional level and an international policy forum, thereby encouraging socio-political action.

OneSTOP aligns with the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) mission to protect EU biodiversity by improving IAS management through advanced biosecurity technologies and enhanced data integration. By fostering collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and supporting Member States with innovative tools, the project strengthens the EU’s capacity to detect, respond to, and mitigate IAS threats in line with existing regulations.

Pensoft’s role in OneSTOP

As the leader of Work Package 1, Pensoft is responsible for shaping OneSTOP’s visual identity and developing a comprehensive strategy for communication, dissemination, and impact. This includes crafting a data and knowledge management plan to ensure the project’s findings are effectively shared and utilised. By fostering collaboration with key biosecurity networks, these efforts will strengthen OneSTOP’s long-term influence.

A key part of this work is to raise awareness about invasive alien species (IAS) and their pathways, ensuring that policymakers, researchers, and the public understand their impact and the importance of prevention. Pensoft will contribute to translating complex scientific findings into accessible content—including infographics, policy briefs, and interactive visualisations—to engage policymakers, researchers, and the public. These efforts will ensure that IAS knowledge is effectively shared, fostering collaboration and informed decision-making across sectors. Knowledge transfer materials will be shared through various channels, including OneSTOP’s five Living Labs across Europe, where stakeholders will be actively engaged in outreach and citizen science initiatives.

Pensoft will play a vital role in strengthening public awareness, fostering engagement, and promoting effective strategies for monitoring and managing IAS.

International Consortium

The project brings together twenty international partners from fifteen countries operating in various sectors, ultimately contributing with diverse expertise:

  1. Meise Botanic Garden – Belgium
  2. Aarhus University – Denmark
  3. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology – United Kingdom
  4. Biopolis – Portugal
  5. Coventry University – United Kingdom
  6. The Cyprus Institute – Cyprus
  7. Research Institute for Nature and Forest – Belgium
  8. Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences – Czech Republic
  9. Lincoln University – New Zealand
  10. Platform Kinetics – United Kingdom
  11. Pensoft Publishers – Bulgaria
  12. Stellenbosch University – South Africa
  13. University of Exeter – United Kingdom
  14. University of Vienna – Austria
  15. Greenformation – Hungary
  16. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – Germany
  17. Ovidius University of Constanta – Romania
  18. Natural Resources Institute Finland – Finland
  19. The Binary Forest – Belgium
  20. Experimental Station of Arid Areas of the Spanish National Research Council – Spain

The OneSTOP project website is coming soon!

For more information visit the OneSTOP project website, and make sure to follow the project’s progress via our social media channels on BlueSky and LinkedIn.

Take vegetation succession into account when planning solar parks, otherwise problems can grow up

The planning and sustainable management of ground-mounted solar parks can be enhanced by the consideration of vegetation succession.

Large-scale ground-mounted solar parks are relatively new phenomena. Over time, ideas have been put forward about how they can accommodate biodiversity, and some parks are indeed becoming more multifunctional, for example by providing habitats for plants, invertebrates and birds. From a background of studying idyllic ecosystems in dynamic change, Dr. Markus Zaplata, research technician at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Germany, has come to appreciate the biology of solar parks, and has found evidence that they can support a wide range of biodiversity.

A photo of plants growing near a solar park.
Biodiversity in solar parks is a given (here two Mantis religiosa nymphs) and, with the possible exception of self-seeded woody plants, is desirable. Photo by Dr Markus Zaplata

His research, published in the open-access journal One Ecosystem, proves the previously overlooked fact that vegetation succession also takes place in solar parks, and that certain intrinsic technical structures can even help self-seeded woody plants live there. Vegetation succession refers to the directional development from easily spreading but low-competitive species such as herbs and grasses towards highly competitive species such as woody plants. Mowing alone is not enough to deal with woody plants, he argues. “The fact is that subsurface woody structures continue to grow after mowing, and may at some point massively interfere with the solar installations”, he says.

With 18 years of experience in studying vegetation succession, Dr. Zaplata has supported a research project on biodiversity in solar parks since 2021.

“I do the mowing myself, so I experience the very things I write about in this paper”, he says.

Mowing can also be expensive and labour-intensive, he adds, suggesting that other construction methods and grazing could provide a more sustainable alternative.

Including insights from succession research can make global solar energy landscapes more sustainable, he argues. “The universal and unstoppable ecological process of succession is here linked to a management recommendation that can bring society closer again, on the new or neutral territory of new energy landscapes. In fact, new and old professions are connected, for example solar park manager and livestock farmer.”

A photo of willow tree stalks in a solar park.
Above-ground parts of a willow tree (Salix sp.) that have resisted a recent mowing campaign. Photo by Dr Markus Zaplata

“Finally, and very importantly, my article points out that experts with in-depth predictive knowledge of dynamic vegetation processes must be consulted in the future on everything that has to do with the technical transformation of landscape units, including solar parks,” he says in conclusion.

Original source

Zaplata M (2025) Management and sustainability of ground-mounted solar parks requires consideration of vegetation succession as an omnipresent process. One Ecosystem 10: e141583. https://doi.org/10.3897/oneeco.10.e141583