AUGUST 2016
The field season has continued with the following activities:
- eradication and monitoring activities at all the lakes
- the second session of the zoobenthos monitoring has started
- collecting samples to test the efficacy of DNA in environmental
- monitoring (presence / absence) of invasive species (Salvelinus fontinalis), native (Rana temporaria), low density (Daphnia fleabane) and high density (Daphnia longispina) in lakes subjected to high UV radiation portion
Laboratory work and data processing:
- Analysis of samples of Lake Dres and streams of the same for measuring the size of macroinvertebrates, for the purpose of drafting a new article on the ecological resilience of alpine aquatic ecosystems following eradication
JULY 2016
The field season continued with the following activities:
• removing the fishnets from Lago Nero
• carrying on monitoring and eradication activities in all the lakes
• collecting samples of Rana temporaria for genetic analyses
• the first zoobenthos monitoring session was completed
Laboratory and data processing activities:
• The article “Involvement of recreational anglers in the eradication of alien brook trout from alpine lakes” was resubmitted to the Journal of Applied Ichthyology
• The samples taken from the Dres Lake and its torrents were opened again to measure the dimensions of the macroinvertebrates in preparation for the writing of a new article on the ecological resilience of alpine aquatic ecosystems after the eradication activities.
JUNE 2016
Field season activities got underway according to schedule. The nets in the Dres Lake were restored to their summer configuration (no fish were found), and nets were removed from the Djouan Lake on a permanent basis. Elecrofishing activities in the Dres Lake did non reveal the presence of fish. The equipment removed from the Djouan Lake was moved by helicopter to Degioz, a village on the valley floor.
Data processing and analysis activities:
• Aquatic Ecology rejected the article “The distribution of introduced brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in alpine lakes: evidences from whole-lake manipulation experiments” by Rocco Tiberti, Luca Nelli, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio, Matteo Rolla. The article was resubmitted to Fundamental and Applied Limnology.
Coordination activities:
• A meeting was held with Dr. Cristiana Callieri to define the details of the excursion for the congress of the International Society Of Limnology (SIL).
MAY 2016
In accordance with our schedule, data processing and analysis activities were performed and laboratory activities were completed.
The article on the ecological connection between aquatic and terrestrial habitats by Rocco Tiberti, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio and Matteo Rolla was published online by international ISI journal Hydrobiologia.
An article on the diet of Rana temporaria titled “The diet of Rana temporaria (Linnaeus 1758) in relation to prey availability near its altitudinal limit” by Tiberti Rocco, Claudia Canedoli and Matteo Rolla was published on journal HYLA: Herpetological Bulletin.
An article on the diet of the brook trout titled “The diet of introduced brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis; Mitchill, 1814) in an alpine area and a literature review on its feeding ecology” by Tiberti Rocco, Stefano Brighenti, Claudia Canedoli, Rocco Iacobuzio, Giulia Pasquini, Matteo Rolla was published online by the Journal of Limnology.
Environmental Biology of Fishes rejected the article on the distribution of the brook trout in the lakes subjected to eradication activities titled: “The distribution of introduced brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in alpine lakes: evidences from whole-lake manipulation experiments” by Rocco Tiberti, Luca Nelli, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio, Matteo Rolla. The article was resubmitted to Aquatic Ecology.
Fisheries Management and Ecology rejected the article on the days of fishing by Rocco Tiberti, Michele Ottino, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio, Matteo Rolla, Achaz von Hardenberg, Bruno Bassano. The article was resubmitted to Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems.
Assistance was provided with the interpretation of the database and the development of lake ecological resilience indices for use in action D3. A new version of the database including data from control lakes was provided for the development of ecological resilience indices for comparisons between impacted and non-impacted situations.
We had a meeting via skype with Dr. Ventura (CEAB-CSIC Blanes) for updates on the progress of the genetic analyses on Cyclops gr. abyssorum and to explore the possibility of collaborating to the drafting of the technical manual to be produced within the framework of the LIFE Bioaquae project.
APRIL 2016
Data processing and analysis activities were performed according to plan, and laboratory activities were completed.
The article on the ecological connection between aquatic and terrestrial habitats by Rocco Tiberti, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio and Matteo Rolla received a major revision from international journal Hydrobiologia and was resubmitted.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish rejected the article on the distribution of the brook trout in the lakes subjected to eradication activities, entitled : “The distribution of introduced brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in alpine lakes: evidences from whole-lake manipulation experiments” by Rocco Tiberti, Luca Nelli, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio, Matteo Rolla. The article was resubmitted to Environmental Biology of Fishes.
Aquatic Conservation rejected the article on the days of fishing by Rocco Tiberti, Michele Ottino, Stefano Brighenti, Rocco Iacobuzio, Matteo Rolla, Achaz von Hardenberg, Bruno Bassano. The article was resubmitted to Fishery Management and Ecology.
Contacts were established with Geordie Boffini, a student at the University of Genoa who will write a thesis on a three-year study of the Bioaquae project