ABSTRACT
Biological trait analysis (BTA) is a valuable tool for evaluating changes in community diversity and its link to ecosystem processes as well as environmental and anthropogenic perturbations. Trait-based analytical techniques like BTA rely on standardised datasets of species traits. However, there are currently only a limited number of datasets available for marine macrobenthos that contain trait data across multiple taxonomic groups. Here, we present an open-access dataset of 16 traits for 235 macrozoobenthic species recorded throughout multiple sampling campaigns of the Dutch Wadden Sea; a dynamic soft bottom system where humans have long played a substantial role in shaping the coastal environment. The trait categories included in this dataset cover a variety of life history strategies that are tightly linked to ecosystem functioning and the resilience of communities to (anthropogenic) perturbations and can advance our understanding of environmental changes and human impacts on the functioning of soft bottom systems.
Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Environment , Humans , Biodiversity , Phenotype , AnimalsABSTRACT
With the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in March 2020, a long and strict lockdown was implemented in Argentina, as a means of avoiding health services collapse. Measures were taken early in order to strengthen the health system before the potential spread of the virus. Mandatory isolation measures impacted on the energy system: they modified energy demand and production patterns, and caused reasons for uncertainty among investors and project stakeholders. Nevertheless, profound changes caused by the pandemic, pave the way for the adoption of sustainable solutions with the potential to improve people's quality of life. This paper aims to explore the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the Argentinian energy sector and on the course of the transition. By means of secondary sources, such as public reports and national statistics, and semi-structured interviews, changes in the energy sector are analysed as well as local-scale alternatives for the post-pandemic. Community-led energy initiatives and the possibility of implementing sustainable practices, could contribute to reducing uncertainty and valorizing local resources and capabilities.
