Search Results (4,337)

Due to the ever-increasing use of plastic products, microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have become ubiquitous environmental pollutants, with their highest concentrations found in the soil. These xenobiotics can affect soil properties: pH, water holding capacity, porosity, bulk density, infiltration, cation exchange capacity, electrolytic conductivity, nutrient retention capacity, biodiversity of soil microorganisms, and the fate of other agrochemicals present in the soil. Pesticides may, in turn, influence plastic particles aging, biological colonization, and environmental interactions. The aim of this review was to analyze the impact of MNPs on the fate of pesticides and to assess whether such co-contaminants may pose a threat to the food safety of agricultural crops intended for human consumption. Experimental studies indicate that MNPs can alter pesticide fate and toxicity, although the direction and magnitude of these effects vary substantially with polymer type, particle properties and age, pesticide characteristics, and environmental conditions. Additionally, degradation and fragmentation of biodegradable polymers may increase particle abundance and modify surface properties over time, potentially altering their interactions with pesticides and soil microorganisms. The most important research gap is the lack of studies that simultaneously assess the MNPs influence on pesticide fate in the soil and measure the concentrations of both contaminants in plant tissues. Full article

Forest ecological connectedness is defined as the spatial continuity of forested patches and landscapes that facilitate the exchange of materials, biodiversity, and ecosystem services; it has become an important criterion for environmental quality and economic productivity in China. Although forest cover in China has been rapidly increasing since the 1990s, forest ecosystems remain fragmented across administrative regions, resulting in complex environmental effects. This study develops a robust provincial-level Forest Ecological Connectivity Index (FECI) by merging forest cover, fragmentation, functional corridor density, and carbon stock data for 30 Chinese provinces (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) between 2013 and 2023, using data from national forest inventory records, satellite-based forest-cover products, and published databases. We use panel data econometrics (fixed-effects models, spatial Durbin models (SDMs), mediation analysis) to analyze the effects of within-province FECI improvements and ecological spillovers across provinces on (i) air quality (PM_2.5 concentrations), (ii) hydrological regulation (annual surface runoff variability), (iii) regional GDP growth and green total factor productivity (GTFP), and (iv) carbon sequestration in neighboring provinces. Results indicate that a one-standard-deviation increase in FECI is associated with a 4.7 μg/m³ reduction in PM_2.5 in the same province (p < 0.01) and an 23.4% reduction in annual runoff variability (relative to sample mean) in the same province (p < 0.05), with a statistically significant positive impact within a spatial bandwidth of 300–500 km. Provinces with higher forest connectivity have lower per-unit-GDP carbon emissions and higher GTFP growth (β = 0.18, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis shows that forest connectivity’s overall economic impacts are driven by ecosystem services, with carbon sequestration and water-yield regulation as the main ones, accounting for about 42%. These empirical, data-driven insights are expected to strengthen spatial governance and carbon-neutrality policy frameworks in China by incorporating ecological connectivity planning. Full article

Corticioid fungi play important ecological roles in forest ecosystems by contributing to wood decomposition, nutrient cycling, and habitat formation. Their simplified morphology has long-complicated taxonomic classification, while molecular phylogenetics has revealed this group to be highly polyphyletic. This bibliometric review assessed global publication trends, research dynamics, and geographical patterns in corticioid fungi research between 2016 and 2025. After duplicate removal and manual screening, 231 publications were retained for analysis. The results showed that original research articles strongly dominate the literature, whereas review papers remain scarce. Publication output peaked in 2021, when integrative taxonomic studies combining traditional morphology and molecular phylogenetic approaches predominated. Geographically, European research centers laid the historical foundations of corticioid fungi research. In recent years, however, Chinese research groups have contributed substantially to the increase in species discoveries and taxonomic revisions, whereas megadiverse regions of Africa and Central and South America remain underexplored due to limited research infrastructure. These findings underscore the importance of international collaboration for advancing research in underexplored regions and enhancing global assessments of fungal biodiversity. Full article

Wildfires play a key ecological role in Mediterranean ecosystems but increasing fire frequency and severity, exacerbated by climate change, threaten vegetation integrity, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Understanding early post-fire recovery trajectories is therefore essential for informing adaptation and restoration strategies. This study examined vegetation recovery in a Mediterranean area three years after a large wildfire, comparing natural holm oak stands and two human-mediated reforestation types: broadleaf and non-native coniferous reforestations. Field surveys were conducted in 117 plots 10 × 10 m across burned and unburned stands to assess total vegetation cover and mean height, and cover and mean height of structural species, complemented by an analysis of the differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR). Among burned plots, no significant differences were detected among natural holm oak stands, broadleaf reforestations, and conifer reforestations in total vegetation cover, vegetation height, or spectral recovery. In contrast, structural species exhibited distinct recovery patterns: broadleaf reforestations closely resembled natural holm oak stands in terms of the structural species involved, whereas conifer reforestations significantly differed. Whereas recovery in natural stands and broadleaf reforestations was driven by species typical of the potential natural vegetation, regeneration in conifer reforestations was dominated by early successional and fire-resistant species such as Cytisus villosus Pourr. and Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, and conifer seedlings. Overall, these results highlight that broadleaf reforestations may better support trajectories aligned with natural vegetation dynamics, while conifer reforestations may require targeted management to support post-fire vegetation recovery consistent with natural forest recovery trajectories. Full article

Urban small wetlands face eutrophication. Using 15 small wetlands in Jinan, China, we analyzed phytoplankton community and trait responses to eutrophication. Based on autumn TLI (2020–2022), wetlands were classified into oligotrophic (3), mesotrophic (6), and lightly eutrophic (6). We evaluated functional α/β-diversity, phytoplankton standing biomass (a proxy for productivity), and resource use efficiency (RUE, biomass/TP). Total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and Chl-a increased with eutrophication, reaching 6.83, 0.14, and 0.03 mg/L in lightly eutrophic sites. Species richness, Shannon, and Simpson indices were highest in lightly eutrophic sites (25, 2.75, and 0.71, respectively), whereas functional richness was highest in oligotrophic sites (0.14). Taxonomic β-diversity was dominated by turnover components (63.7–73.7%), while functional β-diversity was dominated by nestedness components (79.7–97.1%). Mean phytoplankton standing biomass and RUE increased with eutrophication, reaching 44.79 mg/Land 350.64 in lightly eutrophic conditions. Biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships were gradient-dependent. Species richness positively correlated with standing biomass in mesotrophic and lightly eutrophic sites (p < 0.05), while evenness negatively correlated with standing biomass and RUE across all trophic grades (p < 0.05). Overall, these results reveal complex responses of phytoplankton community structure and function to eutrophication in small urban wetlands. The nestedness-dominated functional β-diversity reflects differences that arise mainly through nestedness rather than species turnover. We recommend incorporating these small wetlands into routine monitoring frameworks and prioritizing functional diversity in ecological health assessments. Full article

Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forest (ICLF) systems have emerged as a key strategy for sustainable agricultural intensification by simultaneously enhancing productivity, ecosystem services, and climate resilience in tropical environments. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of the tree component in ICLF systems, with emphasis on wood production, timber quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, and ecosystem functioning. We discuss the conceptual basis and typologies of ICLF systems, the influence of spatial and temporal arrangements, and the biotic and abiotic factors regulating tree growth and productivity. The review further examines management practices—including species selection, tree density, thinning, and pruning—and their implications for wood yield, timber quality, and overall system performance. Evidence demonstrates that appropriately managed tree components enhance nutrient cycling, soil quality, biodiversity, animal welfare, and farm profitability while increasing carbon sequestration in aboveground biomass and soils. Trees also contribute to offsetting methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, reinforcing the climate mitigation potential of ICLF systems. Despite these benefits, adoption remains constrained by technical, economic, and regional challenges, highlighting the need for site-specific recommendations and improved silvicultural management. Overall, optimizing the tree component can maximize the multifunctionality of ICLF systems, supporting sustainable wood production, ecosystem restoration, the implementation of Brazil’s ABC+ Plan, and the achievement of the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Full article

Afforestation is a high-potential and cost-effective climate change mitigation strategy, but its large-scale implementation raises sustainability concerns. It requires extensive areas of land, potentially conflicting with agriculture and impacting food security. Moreover, inappropriate forest expansion, such as the afforestation of naturally open habitats, could reduce habitats for non-forest organisms and may cause biodiversity loss. Here, we assess the global mitigation potential of afforestation by integrating environmental constraints and sustainable food system transformations within an integrated assessment model framework. Using the Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM), including the AIM-Hub general equilibrium model and AIM-PLUM spatial land use allocation model, we evaluated seven scenarios incorporating biodiversity protection, soil quality enhancement, dietary shifts, food waste reduction, trade, and irrigation intensification. We found that environmental considerations reduce the maximum afforestation potential to 2.13 GtCO₂ yr⁻¹, highlighting the importance of accounting for land use trade-offs. However, sustainable food system transformations substantially recover this mitigation potential, increasing afforestation-based carbon sequestration to 5.01 GtCO₂ yr⁻¹ by 2100. Approximately 90% of this potential can be achieved at a cost below 50 USD tCO₂⁻¹. Our study emphasizes the need for integrated policies to balance climate mitigation with environmental conservation. Full article

Accurately identifying dominant forest tree species from remote sensing supports biodiversity assessment, carbon stock estimation, and sustainable forest management. Sentinel-2 satellite time series capture phenological dynamics and canopy spectral variation, providing valuable information for regional tree species classification. However, interannual shifts in phenological timing can reduce the temporal correspondence among repeated annual cycles. This temporal misalignment complicates the consistent representation of multiyear observations. To address this problem, this study proposes the Hierarchical Season-Year Representation Alignment Network (HSRA-Net). Using multiyear Sentinel-2 NDVI time series, HSRA-Net builds robust temporal representations, aligns comparable seasonal phases across years, and adaptively integrates informative temporal features. The model was evaluated on dominant tree species in representative temperate and subtropical forests in China using ground reference observations and four temporal scales: intra-growing, annual, biennial, and triennial. It was compared with standard models and representative recent spatiotemporal methods. Among the four temporal scales, HSRA-Net achieved its highest classification accuracy in the triennial scale in both study areas. HSRA-Net achieved OA of 88.90% and 83.17% in the temperate and subtropical regions, respectively. Compared with the intra-growing season, the triennial scale increased OA by 3.72% and 14.31%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that organizing comparable phenological information across repeated annual cycles can improve dominant tree species classification and highlight the effectiveness of HSRA-Net for multiyear temporal representation. Full article

Marine ranching is a crucial component of the “blue granary” strategy. Evaluating the long-term conservation effectiveness of artificial reef areas in marine ranches helps to assess the current conservation status, identify issues during the conservation process, and develop targeted solutions. Based on survey data from the national marine ranching in the western waters of Furong Island in 2019 and 2022, we used Ecopath with Ecosim version 6.7 to construct Ecopath models for the two periods. By comparing factors such as trophic structure, system attributes, and energy flows, we evaluated the potential ecological effects associated with sustained conservation and management activities. The results indicated that the trophic level structures of the ecosystem food web between 2019 and 2022 were similar. The trophic levels of most functional groups in 2022 were slightly higher than those in 2019, and the biomass increased significantly. The biodiversity slightly increased, with the Shannon index rising from 1.544 to 1.570, and the trophic levels of most functional groups increased. The overall ecosystem scale expanded by 29.37%, while total primary production/total respiration (TPP/TR), total primary production/total biomass (TPP/TB), and the ascendancy (A) value decreased, and Finn’s cycling index (FCI), mean path length (MPL), and transfer efficiency (TE) increased. Collectively, these changes suggest a tendency toward greater ecosystem maturity, although not all ecosystem indicators exhibited consistent responses. In the energy transfer process, the proportion of energy flowing into each trophic level improved. The detrital food chain dominated the system’s energy supply, though its proportion of total flow decreased from 61% to 57% over the years, while the energy contribution from primary producers increased, and the total transfer efficiency of both pathways improved. Analysis of mixed trophic impacts and keystone species revealed changes in keystone species. Overall, the observed changes from 2019 to 2022 were consistent with potential ecological improvements under sustained conservation and management. These findings will contribute to the further refinement of fisheries resource conservation methods and support decision-making for marine ecosystem restoration. Full article

Wetlands regulate hydrological processes, maintain biodiversity, and moderate local climate. However, long-term evidence on hydroclimatic variability and anthropogenic pressure in West African coastal wetlands remains limited. This study assesses rainfall, land surface temperature (LST), and land use/land cover (LULC) change in the Keta Lagoon Complex (KLC) and Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site (MPRS) from 2000 to 2024. Mann–Kendall tests and Sen’s slope estimators were applied to annual and seasonal rainfall, while Landsat observations were used to evaluate seasonal LST and classify LULC. The indicators were compared across sites and through time to assess their correspondence without attributing causality. Annual rainfall trends were weak and not statistically significant, although minor rainy-season rainfall increased significantly at KLC (p = 0.018). MPRS showed greater thermal variability, with some major rainy season LST values exceeding 44 °C. Built-up cover increased by 9.89 percentage points at KLC and 8.34 percentage points at MPRS, while natural vegetation at MPRS declined from 27.56% to 7.25%. These concurrent patterns indicate stronger landscape modification and lower apparent buffering capacity at MPRS. The findings support site-specific controls on land conversion, restoration of vegetation buffers, improved waste management, and protection of hydrological connectivity. Because the study is comparative rather than causal, the results identify co-variation among indicators but do not quantify the relative contributions of climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Full article

Understanding how biodiversity loss alters flowering patterns in plant communities is crucial for predicting species coexistence, community dynamics, and ecosystem functioning under global change. Using phenological records from 2017 to 2023 within a 12-year species removal experiment in a Tibetan alpine meadow, we examined responses of early-, mid-, and late-flowering functional groups and changes in community flowering-date synchrony and temporal stability. Species removal tended to advance first flowering but more consistently delayed last flowering and extended flowering duration, with differential responses among flowering functional groups leading to contrasting changes in community flowering-date synchrony: forb removal decreased synchrony, whereas grass and dominant-sedge removal increased synchrony. Forb removal, grass removal, and proportional thinning also reduced the temporal stability of community first and last flowering dates. Declining species richness and lower richness stability were associated with increased phenological divergence among flowering functional groups, which predicted 88% and 85% of the variation in community-wide dispersion of first and last flowering dates, respectively. Greater dispersion was associated with lower temporal stability only for first flowering. These findings suggest a temporal-niche pathway through which species loss may reorganize community flowering phenology and help predict long-term changes in floral resource availability and ecosystem functioning in alpine meadows. Full article

Land-use change is the primary direct driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss. Around Cerro Castillo National Park (PNCC) in Chilean Patagonia, rural land subdivision increased by 400% between 2011 and 2023, generating ecological, economic, and social pressures on the park and surrounding communities. Protected-area conservation requires integrating social and cultural dimensions that shape how territories are inhabited and transformed. This exploratory study analyzes how relational valuation contributes to understanding people–nature relationships by comparing two socio-environmental profiling models of landowners adjacent to PNCC. Based on 129 surveys, relational values and disvalues were coded from an open-ended question. Models were compared using Multiple Correspondence Analysis, Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components, and a Chi-square test. Although exploratory and non-generalizable, both models identified three profiles, with Model B offering a complementary characterization that emphasized relational orientations and pro-environmental preferences. These findings suggest that relational valuation can complement sociodemographic and territorial characterization by revealing differentiated ways in which landowners in this sample relate to nature and territory, including identity- and stewardship-oriented relationships, as well as relationships shaped by socio-environmental tensions. These exploratory insights provide a basis for further research and participatory validation in protected-area contexts and may inform differentiated conservation and land-use management strategies under rural subdivision pressures. Full article

Montane forests are among the most critical terrestrial biodiversity reservoirs, acting as climate-regulating systems and water towers, and are vital for human well-being across the world. However, they are facing diverse, repeated, and contradictory challenges due to climate variability and change that may undermine their resilience. This study analyzed spatiotemporal trends in temperature and rainfall in the Aberdare Forest ecosystem, Kenya, over the past three decades (1994–2024). ERA5-Land (temperature, 9 km resolution) and CHIRPS-v3 (precipitation, 5 km resolution) provided the gridded climate datasets and were validated against observed station data from the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). Trend detection utilized the non-parametric Mann–Kendall (MK) test, while Sen’s slope estimator quantified the magnitude and direction of change. Results show a statistically significant positive trend in temperature, while rainfall demonstrated a statistically non-significant positive trend over the study period. Spatial analysis revealed statistically significant warming across the forest, bamboo, and moorland ecological zones, while rainfall showed positive but non-significant trends, with the magnitude of both temperature and rainfall trends varying across zones. These findings provide robust empirical evidence of significant temporal and spatial warming with no clear corresponding directional change in rainfall, underscoring increasing climate pressures on the Aberdare Forest ecosystem. The results establish one of the first empirically validated long-term climate trend baselines for the Aberdare Forest ecosystem. This benchmark provides critical evidence to inform adaptive governance and responsive management for enhanced resilience of East Africa’s montane forests. Full article

Understanding how dams restructure fish diversity is critical for biodiversity conservation and reservoir management. Here, we integrated species, taxonomic, and functional diversity within a unified framework to assess fish community responses to the Datengxia Water Conservancy Project impoundment on the Hongshui River (Pearl River basin). Based on surveys before (2013) and after (2020–2022) impoundment across upstream, downstream, and tributary reaches, we recorded 162 species, including four nationally protected, four endangered, two critically endangered, and 19 exotic taxa. Our three-dimensional assessment uncovered three key patterns: (1) a marked community shift toward limnophilic and slow-flowing species, with three new dominants (Ptychidio jordani, Culter alburnus, and Oreochromis mossambicus) emerging, while rheophilic and migratory forms contracted; (2) trait-selective diversity losses—locomotion-related functional richness (FRic) declined substantially (up to 42.1% at Wuxuan), whereas feeding-related FRic increased markedly (up to 55.1% at Laibin), and reproduction-related traits exhibited stable compositional profiles (spring-dominated spawning, demersal-adhesive eggs) with heterogeneous index responses across sections; taxonomic diversity revealed closer taxonomic relatedness and structural imbalance; (3) a consistent spatial gradient (tributary > downstream > upstream), with downstream assemblages exhibited lower spatial variation in diversity indices. These community shifts were observed alongside habitat modification (lotic habitat shrinkage and fragmentation) and coincided with exotic invasions and over-dominance of resident species. These patterns should be interpreted as descriptive findings given the observational design. This three-dimensional assessment framework provides complementary insights for evaluating dam-related ecological impacts, generating testable hypotheses for future research and conservation planning. Full article

Increased human-induced environmental degradation in the Ganga River poses significant threats to freshwater biodiversity and the livelihoods of river-dependent communities. Community-based livelihood initiatives are grounded in the ecological sustainability and interdependency of human well-being. By drawing on socio-ecological interventions, this study conceptualizes Jalaj, a freshwater conservation-based sustainable livelihood that emphasizes the integration of freshwater conservation and community participation, recognizing that resilient communities are essential for resilient ecosystems. This study investigates how the Jalaj initiative has contributed to the economic well-being and livelihood diversification of participating SHGs and explores how these changes are associated with community engagement and ecological conservation outcomes across the Ganga River basin. Four distinctive datasets, opportunities, and challenges were analyzed: (1) income levels of self-help groups pre- and post-Jalaj intervention across three consecutive years (2023–2024; 2024–2025; 2025–2026); (2) revenue generated through Jalaj models across all Jalaj centers in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal; (3) data on sensitization activities represented through maps; and their impact over the community analyzed through (4) records of aquatic species rescued by local communities. Together, these findings indicate that integrated interventions are effective in linking ecological protection with socio-economic parameters, highlighting the potential of community-based conservation frameworks to strengthen resilience, support sustainable livelihoods, and conserve aquatic systems. The findings also offer insights for replication, particularly in policy and practice across similar socio-ecological contexts. Full article