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Measure of environmental stress on Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804 sampled near active Tunisian industrial areas

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Abstract

This study aimed to observe the type of asymmetry exhibited by Porcellio laevis sampled from 15 sites belonging to Tunisian industrialized areas. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, organic matter and CaCO3 contents were measured in soils. Moreover, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations were determined in both soils and woodlice. Additionally, 10 metrical traits were measured to evaluate the type of asymmetry on individuals: the basis, the second and the third articles of the antenna, the first article of the flagellum of the antenna and the merus, the carpus, and the propodus of the sixth and the seventh pereopods. Among the 531 measured individuals, 432 exhibited fluctuating asymmetry (FA) while the remaining individuals exhibited antisymmetry or directional asymmetry. The data obtained were analyzed using a multivariate statistical analysis. Contrary to our hypothesis, the results showed that individuals from contaminated sites have a low FA level, whereas those from uncontaminated sites have a high FA level, particularly females but with some exceptions. Variations in FA level in the traits and populations studied and its usefulness as a stress indicator were discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the Research Unit of Bio-ecology and Evolutionary Systematic (RU11SE11), University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Science of Tunis. The authors are grateful to Mr. Ahmed Ouni for his statistical help and Mrs. Sonia Hamaïed for her contribution by drawing the different articles of the antenna and the pereopods. We gratefully acknowledge the support of all members of the LGCgE regarding their considerable assistance in the analysis. The authors thank Mrs. Linda Northup, PhD, ELS, English solutions (Voiron, France), and Dr. Ivanklin Soares Campos Filho for providing English correction to the manuscript. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for providing constructive criticism on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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  1. University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Science of Tunis, RU11SE11 Research Unit of Bio-ecology and Evolutionary Systematic, 2092 Manar II, Tunis, Tunisia

    Chedliya Ghemari, Anas Ayari, Nabil Hamdi & Karima Nasri-Ammar

  2. Yncréa Hauts-de-France, Laboratoire Génie Civil et géo-Environnement (LGCgE), 48 boulevard Vauban 59046, Lille Cedex, France

    Christophe Waterlot & Francis Douay

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  1. Chedliya Ghemari
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Correspondence to Chedliya Ghemari.

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The present study did not involve human participants. All the applicable institutional guidelines for welfare, care and use of animals were followed.

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Ghemari, C., Ayari, A., Hamdi, N. et al. Measure of environmental stress on Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804 sampled near active Tunisian industrial areas. Ecotoxicology 27, 729–741 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-018-1955-z

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