Search Results (79)

The likely increase in the frequency and severity of droughts with climate warming will pose an enormous challenge for the conservation of forest biodiversity. Documenting the response of species to recent droughts can inform future conservation actions. Mammals that breed and mature slowly may be especially vulnerable to drought-induced disruption to breeding. The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis, Shaw) is a threatened low-density, arboreal marsupial of eastern Australia. Following a severe drought in 2019, one population had declined by 48% by 2021. The present study investigated whether this population had recovered 3–4 years (2022 and 2023) after that drought. Audio surveys of this highly vocal species were conducted at 42 sites, sampling > 1000 h per year, and producing recordings of 2038–2856 call sequences. The probability of occupancy varied little across the two survey years (0.92–0.97). Local abundance in 2023 had returned to pre-drought levels (45% of occupied sites had ≥3 individuals compared to 6% in 2021). These findings show a recovery from a drought-induced decline required at least 3 years, in keeping with the slow life history traits of this species. This study highlights the importance of considering a species’ life history strategy when evaluating its sensitivity to drought. Full article

Ants are key drivers of biodiversity in both tropical and temperate forests, though the underlying mechanisms of this remain debated. In tropical lowland rainforests, ants dominate the canopy as opportunistic predators, shaping arthropod abundance and community structure. By contrast, few arboreal ant species exist in temperate forests due to climatic constraints, and predation pressure is generally low. This changes when ground-nesting Formica species enter the canopy to forage. Using insecticidal knockdown, we collected arthropod communities from trees with high and low ant abundance in both tropical and temperate forests and in different seasons. We found consistently higher arthropod abundances on trees with strong ant dominance, including preferred prey taxa such as Diptera, Psocoptera, and Lepidoptera. In temperate forests, high arthropod densities may be driven by aphid-produced honeydew, whereas in tropical rainforests, the absence of large hemipteran aggregations suggests that other mechanisms are involved. Consequently, this mechanism fails to explain high arthropod abundance in tropical primary forests. In contrast, secondary tropical forests host structurally and compositionally altered ant communities, resulting in reduced predation pressure and a marked increase in the abundance of individual species, including potential pest species. These findings suggest that biodiversity maintenance in the canopy depends on intact, diverse ant communities. Recolonization from nearby primary forests is essential for recovery, yet even after five decades, secondary forests remain ecologically distinct, rendering full restoration to primary forest conditions unlikely within a management-relevant timeframe. Full article

Fire is important in boreal forest ecosystems, but comprehensive recovery analysis is lacking for soil nutrients and plant traits in China boreal forests, where the strict “extinguish at sight” fire prevention policy has been implemented. Based on over 50 years of forest fire recordings in the Daxing’anling Mts, 48 pairs of burnt and unburnt controls (1066 plots) were selected for 0–20 cm soil sampling and plant surveys. We recorded 18 plant parameters of the abundance of each tree, shrub, grass, and plant size (height, diameter, and coverage), 7 geo-topographic data parameters, and 2 fire traits (recovery year and burnt area). We measured eight soil properties (soil organic carbon, SOC; total nitrogen, TN; total phosphorus, TP; alkali-hydrolyzed P, AP; organic P, Po; inorganic P, Pi; total glomalin-related soil protein, T-GRSP; easily-extracted GRSP, EE-GRSP). Paired T-tests revealed that the most significant impact of the fire was a 25%–48% reduction in tree sizes, followed by decline in the plant diversity of arbors and shrubs but increasing plant diversity in herbs. GRSP showed an >18% increase and P_o decreased by 17% (p < 0.05). Redundancy ordination showed that the post-fire recovery years and burnt area were the most potent explainer for the variations (p < 0.05), strongly interacting with latitudes and longitudes. Plant richness and tree size were directly affected by fire traits, while the burnt area and recovery times indirectly increased the GRSP via plant richness. A fire/control ratio chronosequence found that forest community traits (tree size and diversity) and soil nutrients could be recovered to the control level after ca. 30 years. This was relatively shorter than in reports on other boreal forests. The possible reasons are the low forest quality from overharvesting in history and the low fire severity from China’s fire prevention policy. This policy reduced the human mistake-related fire incidence to <10% in the 2010s in the studied region. Chinese forest fire incidences were 3% that of the USA. The burnt area/fire averaged 5 hm² (while the USA averaged 46 hm², Russia averaged 380 hm², and Canada averaged 527 hm²). Overharvesting resulted in the forest height declining at a rate of >10 cm/year. Our finding supports forest management and the evaluation of forest succession after wildfires from a holistic view of plant–soil interactions. Full article

Elevational gradients are widely studied to understand environmental variability and species distribution. Ants play vital roles in ecosystems and are frequently included in elevational biogeography studies. Despite their ecological importance and well-documented elevational patterns, little is known about their temporal variability across elevations. We surveyed ground and arboreal ants in austral summer, autumn, spring, and winter in a subtropical rainforest of Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Given their physiological and microhabitat differences, ground and arboreal ants may exhibit distinct spatiotemporal patterns. Using litter extraction for ground ants and bark spraying for arboreal ants, we collected 14,916 individuals from 124 species. Species richness and abundance were lowest in austral winter, particularly for arboreal ants. Both richness and abundance declined with elevation, and this pattern remained consistent across seasons. While seasonal and elevational differences significantly influenced species composition, seasonal variation did not cause major shifts in the elevational distribution of ground or arboreal ants. A total of 43 species were identified as indicators of specific elevations, with species such as Notoncus capitatus and Colobostruma biconvexa being specialists of low elevations, and undescribed Monomorium and Discothyrea species being specialists of high elevations. In contrast, only two species were identified as seasonal indicators, which were undescribed Tapinoma and Anonychomyrma species, specialists of the warm season. Our findings suggest that ants reduce activity in winter but maintain stable elevational distributions regardless of season or microhabitat use, making their distributions a reliable indicator of their climatic niches. Full article

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent, rarely curable B-cell malignancy with a heterogeneous clinical course. While generally treatable, FL is characterized by remissions and relapses, and its clinical presentation varies widely. Rituximab has revolutionized FL treatment, significantly improving overall survival over the past two decades. Risk assessment typically relies on histological grade, tumor burden, and the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index, which incorporates factors like age, hemoglobin level, and Ann Arbor stage. However, these indices have limitations in fully capturing the clinical variability of FL. Some patients experience indolent disease for extended periods without requiring treatment, while others present with aggressive forms resistant to standard therapies. This review examines various prognostic factors in FL, including the FLIPI, FLIPI2, PRIMA-PI, and m7-FLIPI. The FLIPI, based on five risk factors, stratifies patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. The FLIPI2 incorporates beta2-microglobulin and the longest diameter of the largest involved node, offering improved prognostication. The PRIMA-PI, designed for patients receiving rituximab-containing regimens, uses beta2-microglobulin, bone marrow involvement, and the longest diameter of the largest involved node. The m7-FLIPI integrates mutational status with FLIPI2 parameters, further refining risk stratification. The review also discusses clinical parameters like maximum standardized uptake value on PET/CT and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio as prognostic factors. A high SUVmax and low lymphocyte/monocyte ratio identify high-risk patients. While FL remains incurable, advances in immunochemotherapy and targeted therapies have improved outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of prognostic tools in FL, emphasizing the importance of risk stratification for personalized treatment strategies. Full article

Airborne pollen monitoring in the city of Vukovar (Northeastern Croatia) was carried out using a Hirst-type spore trap, which was placed on the roof of a building at a height of 15 m above ground level. Over 5 consecutive years of airborne pollen monitoring, 76 pollen types from 45 plant families were identified. Of these, 29 pollen types belonged to arboreal species and 47 to non-arboreal species. Sixty-two percent of the total pollen was non-arboreal pollen. The main pollen types present in the airborne spectrum were Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Betula, Urtica, and Poaceae. Among the arboreal types, the genus Betula is the only taxon producing a high percentage in the pollen spectrum. Regarding allergenicity, A. artemisifolia, Betula, and Poaceae pose the highest allergy risk, while Urtica has a low risk of pollen allergy. Large differences in annual pollen sum and the seasonal dynamics of these dominant taxa during the study period were verified. The presence of the pollen in the air was influenced by weather conditions, showing in particular a positive correlation with the minimum air temperature for Betula and mean air temperature for Urtica, Poaceae, and A. artemisiifolia. However, the pollen concentration in the air was negatively correlated with precipitation for Betula, Urtica, and Poaceae and with humidity for A. artemisiifolia. Full article

The factors driving plant species diversity in different forest types and layers are still insufficiently understood. Therefore, we investigated the limiting factors of nutrient and water use efficiency in three forest layers (arbor, shrub and herb layers) and two forest types (plantation forest and natural forest), as well as their potential relationship with plant species diversity. The study area is located in mid-latitude evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystems in southern Anhui province. The nitrogen content in the soil (2.90 g kg⁻¹) exceeded the national average for forest ecosystems (1.06 g kg⁻¹), whereas the phosphorus content (0.43 g kg⁻¹) was below the national average for such ecosystems (0.65 g kg⁻¹). The plant species diversity in the arbor layer was comparatively low, and nitrogen exerted a more substantial influence on it. In contrast, phosphorus had the most significant impact on the shrub and herb layers. In conclusion, nitrogen has little effect on plant growth patterns in this area, while there is a potential role for phosphorus in regulating plant succession rates. There are phenomenon of excessive nitrogen deposition and phosphorus loss in this forest ecosystem. Despite the fact that the plant species diversity indices (the Pielou Evenness Index, Gleason Richness Index, Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index and Simpson Dominance Index) in natural forests were higher than that in plantation forests, the disparity between them was not significant (p > 0.05). This may be due to similar water use efficiency and climate. The findings of this research hold substantial significance for forecasting the alterations in plant species diversity, functionality, and their influencing factors within mid-latitude evergreen broad-leaved forests. Full article

South American wood and wood-based products play major roles in the global forest sector. Most research related to Paraguayan wood is focused on forest restoration, urban arborization, silviculture, and botanical taxonomy. Often overlooked but of major importance is the cellular structure of the trees that comprise remaining forests in Paraguay. Wood greatly contributes to forest value, yet wood anatomy studies remain novel in the country. To further document Paraguayan wood anatomy, two downed species of multipurpose Myrtaceae trees were sampled from a subtropical semi-deciduous forest in Areguá, Central Paraguay. In this article, heartwood xylem anatomy was observed and documented using low-cost methodology to support the regional realities of the emerging field in rural communities, especially local Paraguayan peoples. This included specific gravity, density, and basic light microscopic features. Sample material was processed near the pith at breast height to display cellular features in the transverse, radial, and tangential planes. Four features were measured with light microscopy and ImageJ: tangential vessel element diameter, vessel element length, ray seriation, and ray height. Results showed structural similarity between species, with diffuse porosity, solitary pores, simple perforation plates, alternate intervessel pits, and apotracheal diffuse parenchyma in aggregates. These results represent the first sampling of Myrtaceae from Paraguay in a methodology that can be easily replicated by the native population, thereby enabling further wood anatomy studies in the region. Full article

Introduction: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most prevalent type of skin cancer worldwide. Despite its low metastatic potential, certain subtypes present an aggressive clinical course. Part II focuses on the different dermoscopic patterns observed in BCC, depending on the lesion subtype, its location on the body, the patient’s age, the size of the tumor, and skin phototype. Methods: A search of the PubMed database was conducted for studies reporting dermoscopic findings in BCC across all body locations, histopathologic subtypes, tumor sizes, ages of onset and skin phototypes. Results: There are no dermoscopic features indicative of a particular BCC subtype. However, arborizing, truncated or glomerular vessels, shiny white lines, ulceration, white areas, absence of pink zones and large blue-gray ovoid nests suggest high-risk BCCs (morpheaform, micronodular, infiltrative, basosquamous). Pigmented features can occur in all BCC types, though increased pigmentation indicates less aggressive subtypes (nodular, superficial, fibroepithelioma of Pinkus, adenoid). BCCs most commonly develop on the head, typically presenting as nodular and non-pigmented tumors. Those on the nose, eyes and ears may be more aggressive and prone to recurrence. On the trunk, BCCs are usually superficial and pigmented. Lower limb lesions often show polymorphous vessels rather than arborizing ones, which makes the dermoscopic diagnosis challenging. Dermoscopy aids early detection, with larger tumors exhibiting more established features but no size-specific patterns. Aggressive subtypes display similar dermoscopic findings regardless of size. Conclusions: Dermoscopy is a valuable tool for the early detection of BCC, though no specific dermoscopic features can definitively identify subtypes. High-risk BCCs can be suspected when distinct vascular and structural patterns are present, particularly in lesions located on the face, especially around the nose, eyes and ears, while pigmented features may indicate less aggressive subtypes. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Mosla chinensis extract (MCE) on broiler intestinal health. A total of 240 1-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) broilers (balanced for sex) were randomly allocated into four treatment groups, each with six replicates of 10 chickens. The study comprised a starter phase (days 1–21) and a grower phase (days 22–42). The control group (C) received a basal diet, while the experimental groups were supplemented with low (S1, 500 mg/kg), medium (S2, 1000 mg/kg), and high doses (S3, 2000 mg/kg) of MCE. The results showed that MCE supplementation significantly improved average daily gain in broilers (p < 0.05) and reduced the feed-to-gain ratio in broilers. Additionally, MCE enhanced the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity of broilers. In the duodenum and cecum, MCE significantly upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins Claudin-1, and Occludin, with the high-dose group showing the strongest effect on intestinal barrier protection (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in ZO-1 in dudenum (p > 0.05). Microbial analysis indicated that MCE supplementation significantly reduced the Chao and Sobs indices in both the small and large intestines (p < 0.05). At the same time, the Coverage index of the small intestine increased, with the high-dose group demonstrating the most pronounced effect. Beta diversity analysis revealed that MCE had a significant modulatory effect on the microbial composition in the large intestine (p < 0.05), with a comparatively smaller impact on the small intestine. Furthermore, MCE supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae and Alistipes in the large intestine, along with beneficial genera that promote short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, thus optimizing the gut microecological environment. Correlation analysis of SCFAs further confirmed a significant association between the enriched microbiota and the production of acetate, propionate, and butyrate (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with MCE promotes healthy growth and feed intake in broilers and exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. By optimizing gut microbiota composition, enhancing intestinal barrier function, and promoting SCFA production, MCE effectively maintains gut microecological balance, supporting broiler intestinal health. Full article

Previous research has demonstrated that the multiple environmental benefits of green roofs are primarily associated with their evaporative cooling effect. However, current studies on green roof evapotranspiration (ET) mainly focus on extensive green roofs, and the evaporative cooling effect of intensive green roofs is still unclear. Using the intensive green roof of AQUA City in Nanjing as a case study, this research employs the three-temperature (3T) model combined with high-resolution thermal infrared imagery obtained via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to estimate the ET of different vegetation types. The study aims to explore the spatiotemporal variations in surface temperature, evapotranspiration (ET) rate, and evaporative cooling rate for various vegetation types under typical seasonal (summer and winter) and weather conditions (sunny, cloudy, and rainy before and after rainy days). The results showed that: (1) the ET rates and evaporative cooling effects of different types of vegetation differed significantly, with shrubs having the fastest ET rates, followed by arbors, and grasslands having relatively low ET rates. (2) Solar radiation and air temperature are the most crucial meteorological parameters for inducing ET on green roofs. In this study, the evaporative cooling performance showed the patterns of summer > winter and sunny > cloudy > rainy days. (3) In the spatial distribution of tree and irrigation plant groups, some low-temperature diffusion phenomena to the adjacent small microenvironments were evident, while the diffusion effect in winter is smaller and mainly shows the opposite warming characteristics. This study offers a valuable reference for quantifying the ET and evaporative cooling effects of various vegetation types on intensive green roofs, facilitating the optimization of vegetation configuration and supporting sustainable urban development. Full article

This study investigated whether variations in growth response to low nutrient density across breeds are linked to microbiota regulation. Arbor Acres (AA) and Beijing-You (BY) were fed high- (HN) and low-nutrient (LN) diets from day (d) 0 to d42. Body weight, feed intake, and intestinal measurements were recorded, and microbiota from the ileum and cecum were analyzed on d7, d21, and d42. Results showed that AA broilers had greater growth performance with a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) and greater average daily gain (ADG) than BY chickens. The LN diet negatively affected AA broiler growth due to impaired intestinal development, while BY chickens compensated by increasing feed intake. Microbiota composition was primarily affected by breed than by nutrient density, with AA broilers having more beneficial bacteria and BY chickens having more short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. The LN diets reduced anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Shuttleworthia and Eisenbergiella in the cecum on d7. By d21, LN diets decreased Lactobacillus and increased proinflammatory Marvinbryantia, potentially impairing growth. However, LN diets enriched SCFA-producing bacteria like Ruminococcaceae_UCG.013, Eisenbergiella, and Tyzzerella in BY chickens and Faecalitalea in AA broilers by d21, which may benefit gut health. By d42, LN diets reduced genera linked to intestinal permeability and fat deposition, including Ruminococcus_torques_group, Romboutsia, Erysipelatoclostridium, and Oscillibacter. Additionally, LN diets enriched Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in AA broilers, associated with intestinal barrier integrity, and increased anti-inflammatory bacteria Alistipes and Barnesiella in AA broilers and BY chickens, respectively, by d42. Overall, AA broilers were more susceptible to reduced nutrient density due to impaired intestinal development, while BY chickens adapted better by increasing feed intake. The microbiota responses to low nutrient density varied over time, potentially negatively affecting gut health in the early stage and growth in the middle stage but possibly improving lipid deposition and gut health in the middle and late stages. Full article

As an important means of near-natural management in secondary forests, thinning effectively enhances the growth status of forest trees, and increases the overall forest yield and carbon sequestration capacity of the forest floor through rational stand regulation. This study focused on subtropical secondary broadleaf forests in the mountainous regions of western Zhejiang, China, and involved three treatment groups: a high-intensity thinning group (HT) (retaining trees with a diameter greater than 8 cm and removing shrub-layer vegetation), a low-intensity thinning group (LT) (retaining trees with a diameter greater than 5 cm and removing shrub-layer vegetation), and a control plot (no thinning treatment) (CK). The study aimed to investigate the effects of different thinning intensities on forest carbon stocks, soil respiration, and soil environmental factors, as well as to assess how thinning modifications impact the carbon sequestration capacity of the forest floor. The results illustrate the following: (1) The biomass growth and carbon sequestration capacity of individual trees under HT were significantly greater compared to other treatment groups. Conversely, carbon stock growth in the arboreal layer was higher under LT than under other treatments. (2) Thinning operations increased soil carbon stocks and improved soil fertility. (3) High-intensity (HT) and low-intensity thinning (LT) increased the soil moisture in both the surface and subsurface layers, with HT showing the highest levels. (4) One year after thinning, the soil organic matter (SOM) increased significantly, rising by 30.86% in HT and 21.84% in LT compared to CK. (5) In comparison to LT and CK, HT showed a significant increase in soil respiration rates, which led to higher CO₂ and N₂O emissions from the soil while also suppressing CH₄ uptake. The study concludes that LT can enhance carbon sequestration in both the tree and soil layers, improve soil fertility, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This supports the sustainable development of forest ecosystems and effective carbon management. Full article

We studied the microbial diversity colonizing limestone rock pools at a Neolithic Monument (Arbor Low, Derbyshire, England). Five pools were analyzed: four located at the megaliths of the stone circle and one pool placed at the megalith at the Gib Hill burial mound 300 m distant. Samples were taken from rock pool walls and sediments, and investigated through molecular metabarcoding. The microbiome consisted of 23 phyla of bacteria (831 OTUs), 4 phyla of archaea (19 OTUs), and 27 phyla of microbial eukarya (596 OTUs). For bacteria, there were statistically significant differences in wall versus sediment populations, but not between pools. For archaea and eukarya, significant differences were found only between pools. The most abundant bacterial phylum in walls was Cyanobacteriota, and Pseudomonadota in sediments. For archaea and microbial eukarya, the dominant phyla were Euryarcheota and Chlorophyta, respectively, in both wall and sediments. The distant pool (P5) showed a markedly different community structure in phyla and species, habitat discrimination, and CHN content. Species sorting and dispersal limitation are discussed as mechanisms structuring the microbiome assemblages and their spatial connectivity. The Arbor Low microbiome is composed of terrestrial representatives common in extreme environments. The high presence of Cyanobacteriota and Chlorophyta in the Arbor Low stones is troubling, as these microorganisms can induce mechanical disruption by penetrating the limestone matrix through endolithic/chasmoendolithic growth. Future research should focus on the metabolic traits of strains to ascertain their implication in bioweathering and/or biomineralization. Full article

In the context of global climate change, promoting the low-carbon transformation of cities has become an important strategy to cope with environmental challenges. This paper takes Wenzhou Garden Expo Park area as the research object, combines its practical experience as a pilot of a national low-carbon city, and discusses how to effectively control carbon emission in the spatial planning of national territory. The study systematically evaluated the impact of different land use types and development intensities on carbon emissions, as well as the relationship between daytime temperature and carbon emissions, by constructing a carbon emission measurement model and a random forest regression model. This evaluation was based on an analysis of remote sensing data and land use changes from 2000 to 2023. The results show that between 2000 and 2023, the carbon emission from building land in the Garden Expo Park area will increase by about 70%, while the carbon emission can be reduced by more than 25% through rational land use layout and development intensity control. At the same time, the expansion of green space and forest land increases the carbon sink capacity by about 16.7%. With rising temperatures, carbon emissions exhibit a significant upward trend. This study suggests that specific optimization strategies for low-carbon planning, along with an indicator system—particularly through increasing the allocation of green spaces such as arboreal forests and parks—can significantly improve regional carbon balance. This study may provide a reference for other rapidly urbanizing regions to balance economic development and carbon emissions. Full article