Search Results (9,546)

This study evaluates the ecological impact of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) invasion on native chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) groves on Mount Amiata (Central Italy), focusing on both plant and macrofungal community dynamics. Surveys were conducted over a three-year period (2022–2024) across 16 plots to assess shifts in taxonomic alpha diversity, species richness, and trophic guild structure. Our results demonstrate that while R. pseudoacacia stands exhibit a higher Shannon–Wiener index for plants, native chestnut groves host significantly greater species richness and higher taxonomic distinctiveness across both biological groups. A major shift in fungal functional structure was observed with chestnut-dominated plots characterized by a predominance of ectomycorrhizal species (58.3%), whereas invaded stands were heavily dominated by saprotrophic fungi (73.4%). Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) further confirmed a clear separation in community composition between the two forest types, indicating that R. pseudoacacia invasion leads to a homogenization of the forest biota and a potential decline in ecosystem health, as evidenced by the sharp reduction in mycorrhizal diversity. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring macrofungal communities as sensitive bioindicators of the ecological degradation caused by invasive woody species. Full article

Reproductive performance is a key determinant of overall livestock productivity. In both beef and dairy systems, reproductive failure represents a leading cause of cow culling. Reproductive traits are complex in nature and present a low heritability in general. Additionally, the collection of such phenotypes usually relies on indirect measures of fertility, such as conception success. Therefore, further investigation into genetic and non-genetic factors of reproductive traits in cattle is necessary. The hosts’ microbiome plays a crucial role in vertebrate biology, including reproduction. We, therefore, hypothesize that microbiome indicators may serve as a biomarker of fertility. This study explored the relationship between vaginal microbiome profiles and pregnancy among three beef cattle genetic groups using field data. Vaginal swabs were collected from 74 cows at Fort Keogh, MT, including 23 Angus, 23 Hereford Line 1, and 28 crossbreds, and DNA was extracted and analyzed via 16S rRNA gene amplification. Significant differences in alpha diversity (p < 0.05) were found among Line 1 cows compared to Angus and crossbreds in many indicators of alpha diversity. Pregnancy status did not influence alpha diversity of samples significantly, but trends toward significance were observed. PERMANOVA analysis indicated that genetic groups and pregnancy status affected microbial composition (p < 0.05), but their interaction was not significant. Each genetic group showed unique compositions of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with higher proportions of Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma families in Line 1. Additionally, variations in microbial communities were observed between pregnant and non-pregnant cows, with certain uncultured bacteria more prevalent in non-pregnant cows. While field data are useful for such studies and represent a real production system, better-designed experiments are necessary to validate findings and test hypotheses. These results suggest variation in vaginal microbiomes across breeds and pregnancy status, emphasizing the need for further research to identify factors affecting these changes. Full article

Understanding how ecological dominance aligns with culturally and economically valued plant use is critical for participatory forest management. This study integrated vegetation structure and ethnobotanical valuation to assess angiosperm importance across three forest strata (Mixed Deciduous Forest (MDF), Dry Dipterocarp Forest site 1 (DDF1), and Dry Dipterocarp Forest site 2 (DDF2)) within the Ngao Model Forest, Northern Thailand. Fifteen 10 × 10 m vegetation plots (five per forest stratum) were surveyed to calculate the Importance Value Index (IVI), and 198 semi-structured interviews were conducted to derive the Use Value Index (UVI) and a standardized Socio-Economic Value Index (SEVI). A total of 112 angiosperm species were recorded across forest types, with strong structural dominance by dipterocarps in DDF sites and greater compositional heterogeneity in MDF. Spearman rank correlation analysis supported the working hypothesis that ecological dominance is only weakly associated with cultural and socio-economic importance. IVI showed weak but significant positive correlations with UVI (ρ = 0.288, p < 0.05) and SEVI (ρ = 0.300, p < 0.05), indicating partial but limited alignment between structural abundance and livelihood value. Several species with moderate or low IVI exhibited disproportionately high UVI and SEVI scores, reflecting their importance in food, medicinal, and commercial use categories. Conversely, certain canopy dominants showed limited ethnobotanical significance. These findings demonstrate that ecological abundance alone is an insufficient proxy for community-defined species value. Integrating structural, cultural, and socio-economic indices provides a more comprehensive framework for identifying priority species in community-managed forest systems. The IVI–UVI–SEVI comparative approach offers practical insights for model forest governance by distinguishing ecological dominants, multipurpose livelihood species, and culturally significant taxa occurring outside forest interiors. This multidimensional valuation framework strengthens participatory forest management and biodiversity prioritization in heterogeneous tropical landscapes. Full article

This study investigated the effects of different application rates of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) from Morchella sextelata on soil properties and microbial communities in a moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) plantation. Three SMS rates (2.4, 4.7, and 9.4 kg·m⁻²) were applied, and soil samples were collected at 6 and 12 months from two depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm). One year after application, topsoil total phosphorus (TP) increased 12–20 fold, while available phosphorus (AP) and potassium (AK) were significantly elevated. Soil pH initially decreased but partially recovered, whereas electrical conductivity (EC) continued to rise, indicating salt accumulation. Urease (UA) and sucrase (SA) activities increased 10–17 fold and 3–5 fold, respectively, while catalase (CAT) and acid phosphatase (ACP) were temporarily suppressed. SMS application significantly altered microbial community composition, with Acidobacteriota and Basidiomycota becoming more abundant. Correlation analysis identified pH, organic matter, AP, and UA as key factors linked to microbial changes. The medium application rate (4.7 kg·m⁻²) provided the best balance between soil improvement and environmental risk. These findings demonstrate that M. sextelata SMS can effectively enhance soil fertility while modulating microbial communities, but salt accumulation and short-term acidification warrant attention. Full article

Species composition is an important indicator for the condition, functioning, and ecosystem service provision of salt marshes, making the mapping of species composition valuable for their management. Previous studies have demonstrated that the combined use of unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted multispectral cameras and machine learning (ML) can provide effective mapping of vegetation communities in these habitats. However, to date, these studies have predominantly focused on relatively species-poor salt marshes in North America. There has been no published testing of these combined UAV-ML methods in the salt marshes of northwestern Europe, which contain different often more diverse assemblages. Consequently, this study investigated whether applying recent methodological advances can accurately map National Vegetation Classification communities in three locations in the United Kingdom, each comprising two salt marsh sites, one established and one restored. Sites consisted of a mix of established and restored salt marshes of different ages, enabling a complementary assessment of how these methods perform in communities at different stages of development. The applied random forest ML models were found to produce highly accurate maps of salt marsh vegetation communities, with a mean overall accuracy of 94.7%. No relationship was found between the age of restoration sites and the accuracy of the classifications, showing these methods may be applied at a range of stages of community development and offer wider applicability for saltmarsh management and monitoring. The findings of this study demonstrate that advances in the combined use of drones and machine learning provide a readily transferrable method for mapping standardised vegetation communities in both established and restored northwestern European salt marshes and therefore likely other salt marshes globally. Consequently, this study demonstrates that both researchers and practitioners may confidently use these methods to create improved assessments of both marsh condition and function. Full article

The transition toward more sustainable crop protection under the European Green Deal has accelerated the adoption of biopesticides, which are widely considered safer alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Botanical biopesticides derived from plant extracts, essential oils, and secondary metabolites are increasingly used in both conventional and organic agriculture. However, their growing use raises important questions regarding human health risks. Botanical biopesticides are complex mixtures of bioactive compounds whose composition and toxicological profiles can vary substantially depending on plant chemotype, extraction method, and manufacturing processes. This review critically examined the toxicological properties of botanical biopesticides and evaluated their regulatory assessment within the European Union (EU) framework. Particular attention is paid to scientific uncertainties, gaps in toxicological data, challenges in hazard characterization of complex mixtures, and limitations of current human exposure assessments. The review also considered how regulatory practices, user behavior, and risk perception may influence real-world exposure and potential health outcomes. By integrating experimental toxicology studies, EU risk assessment documents, and evidence on agricultural use patterns, this review assessed whether reduced intrinsic toxicity of botanical biopesticides translates into lower human health risk under current regulatory frameworks and agricultural practices. The findings underscore the need for strengthened toxicological evidence, harmonized regulatory approaches, and improved risk communication to ensure that the use of botanical biopesticides remains aligned with good agricultural practice and human health protection. Full article

Arid salt marsh ecosystems endure chronic water scarcity and high salinity stress, with the stability of their functions inextricably linked to the pivotal role of the rhizosphere microenvironment of halophytes. This study focused on three typical halophytes (Kalidium cuspidatum, Nitraria tangutorum, Reaumuria soongarica) in the Jiantan wetland, and deeply explore how these halophytes differently regulate the soil microenvironment through the rhizosphere effect. The results showed that the rhizosphere soil of Kalidium cuspidatum had higher pH, Na⁺, and K⁺ contents, while the rhizosphere soil of R. soongarica had higher total carbon, soil organic carbon, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, and microbial biomass. Microbial community analysis revealed that rhizosphere soil of fungal diversity was significantly higher in K. cuspidatum than in R. soongarica, with distinct differences in bacterial and fungal community structures. These differences were closely associated with factors such as Na⁺, Olsen phosphorus, microbial biomass carbon and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen. Among the dominant phyla, Proteobacteria and Ascomycota predominate, with Desulfobacterota and Mortierellomycota exhibiting the highest explanatory power (>48%) for physicochemical property variations. The microbial network of rhizosphere soil of R. soongarica has the highest complexity (with 633 nodes and 3300 edges), but the proportion of positive correlation edges was the lowest (21.58%). Structural equation modeling indicates that soil physical properties indirectly influence network complexity by negatively regulating chemical properties and microbial biomass, while microbial diversity had a direct positive effect on dominant phylum composition and network complexity. This study elucidated the differentiated adaptive strategies of rhizosphere microenvironment-microbe interactions in halophytes, providing a theoretical basis for wetland ecological restoration. Full article

The Chocó Andino Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador faces growing challenges associated with food consumption and waste management in rural contexts. However, the role of educational institutions in promoting sustainable practices in these territories has been scarcely studied. This paper analyzes how rural schools contribute to circularity processes in food and waste management, shaping what we conceptualize as school trajectories toward circularity. A mixed methodology was applied in four public institutions in the Reserve. The quantitative component consisted of characterizing and measuring the weight, composition, and generation of waste, while the qualitative component was based on observations and semi-structured interviews with administrators and teachers. The results indicate that recyclable dry fraction constitutes the predominant fraction across schools, revealing an overlooked but significant potential for reuse and recycling in rural educational settings. They also reveal that sustainable practices within the schools are primarily supported by pedagogical leadership and active community participation. These practices shape environmental learning trajectories in which care and co-responsibility become integrated into everyday school life. The findings contribute empirical insights on the sociocultural determinants of circular food behavior in contexts of the Global South. Full article

Although microbial communities in rice agroecosystems regulate nitrogen transformations, methane dynamics, crop residue decomposition, and pathogen suppression, their integration into agronomic decision-making remains limited. Existing rice microbiome reviews largely describe taxonomic diversity without critically linking microbial processes to management trade-offs, greenhouse gas mitigation, and productivity outcomes. This review synthesizes current knowledge through a process-based and management-oriented framework, emphasizing how water and crop residue management, fertilization, tillage, and genotype selection shape microbial functionality rather than merely community composition. Advances in stable isotope probing (SIP), metatranscriptomics, and multi-omics have improved functional inference, yet a persistent gap remains between genetic potential and in situ process rates. By integrating microbiome science within a One Health perspective, we propose a conceptual framework linking microbial network structure to interconnected dimensions of ecosystem, plant, and human health. This framework addresses not only agronomic outcomes but also food safety concerns, including mycotoxin contamination by fungal pathogens, microbial contributions to nutritional quality, and pathways through which soil and plant microbiomes influence human health via the food chain. We critically examine how microbiome management can simultaneously target productivity, environmental sustainability, and health risk mitigation. We identify priority research needs in predictive microbial ecology, activity-based validation, and microbiome-informed management strategies. Rather than framing microbiomes as a universal solution to global food security, this review critically examines their realistic and context-dependent contribution to improving sustainability, resilience, and resource-use efficiency in rice production under climatic and environmental constraints, while safeguarding food safety and public health. Full article

High-altitude mine wastelands in Southwest China present formidable challenges for ecological rehabilitation due to extreme climatic stressors and multi-element contamination. Ecological restoration is closely related to soil environment. However, the mechanism by which parent material-induced heterogeneity governs spontaneous vegetation succession is still poorly understood. We established 36 plots (216 quadrats) to investigate the soil physical and chemical properties and vegetation restoration of propylite, porphyry and siltstone in the Xifanping Copper Mine, Sichuan Province. Furthermore, fifteen metal/metalloid elements (Au, Ag, Mo, W, Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg, As, U, Se, Cr, Sn, Ti, Total Fe₂O₃), soil pollution and vegetation structure were evaluated. The study area exhibited severe composite pollution (mean Nemerow integrated pollution index = 8.09), primarily driven by Au, Ag, Mo, W, and Cu. Vegetation surveys identified 34 vascular plant species from 12 families. Propylite-derived substrates supported significantly higher species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity, and soil organic matter than porphyry and siltstone. Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified soil organic matter (SOM) and bulk density (BD) as dominant environmental filters, with SOM explaining 14.03% of community variance (p < 0.01). Two native pioneers, Potentilla supina and Cynoglossum wallichii, were identified as specialized uranium (U) accumulators with bioconcentration factors of 13.39 and 4.49, respectively. Lithological inheritance dictates early successional trajectories by influencing edaphic structure and nutrient bioavailability. The identified U-accumulating species provide a valuable genetic resource for implementing Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and developing sustainable phytoremediation strategies in contaminated alpine ecosystems. Full article

Chrysomya megacephala is a synanthropic fly with a high potential to act as a mechanical vector of pathogenic bacteria, surpassing Musca domestica in both bacterial load and diversity. Native to Asia and Africa, it has become a cosmopolitan species, successfully adapting to a wide range of environments, including natural ecosystems. In Colombia, studies on its role as a vector are limited and have largely relied on traditional culturing methods. This study aimed to characterize the pathogenic bacterial microbiota associated with C. megacephala using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in urban, rural, and forest settings of a coastal tourist city. Flies were collected using Van Someren Rydon traps with attractants and sterile materials. Bacterial identification was performed through Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing (Manufactured by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK). A total of 49 bacterial species were identified, with urban environments showing the highest taxonomic richness. The forest environment was characterized by a highly dominant community structure, led by Vagococcus carniphilus. Notably, 20 bacterial species of public health relevance were detected, including Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Ignatzschineria ureiclastica, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae. These findings indicate that bacterial community composition varies by environment and underscore the potential role of C. megacephala as a mechanical vector, highlighting the importance of surveillance for its public health implications. Full article

Mass selection is increasingly promoted in viticulture to enhance resilience by restoring intra-varietal diversity, yet its effects on the structure and inheritance of plant-associated microbiomes remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated bacterial and fungal communities associated with old grapevine mother plants and their progeny across four Bordeaux estates practicing mass selection, using a fully in situ experimental design. Root and leaf microbiomes were characterized by metabarcoding and analyzed using multivariate ordination, hierarchical clustering, and assembly-process metrics (βNTI and NST). Microbial community composition and structure were primarily shaped by plant compartment and vineyard origin, whereas generation effects were significant but weak. Microbial resemblance between mother vines and their offspring was limited and highly context-dependent, occurring mainly under comparable environmental conditions. Assembly-process analyses revealed heterogeneous deterministic signals, particularly in root-associated bacterial communities, but did not consistently result in phylogenetic similarity between generations. Although inheritance signals were generally weak, their recurrence across multiple vineyards and contrasted field conditions highlights their ecological relevance. By integrating environmental variability, this in situ approach mitigates the adaptive bias in plant–microbiome interactions and shows that mass selection does not rely on systematic microbial transmission but rather operates within a nuanced framework of environmentally mediated interactions. Full article

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that remains an important public and veterinary health concern across Europe. Periodic outbreaks affecting humans, horses, and wildlife highlight the complex ecological interactions underlying viral circulation. This narrative review aims to synthesize current knowledge regarding WNV epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and surveillance strategies in Europe, with particular attention to the Romanian context. Available surveillance data indicate recurrent seasonal transmission in several European regions; however, reported case numbers may be influenced by differences in diagnostic capacity, reporting practices, and surveillance intensity among countries. Recent studies suggest that environmental variability, vector adaptation, and host community composition play important roles in shaping regional transmission risk, although the relative contribution of these factors remains incompletely quantified. Despite expanding surveillance networks and One Health initiatives, important knowledge gaps persist regarding the integration of environmental risk indicators, vector ecology, and operational preparedness into coherent risk-assessment frameworks. This review therefore examines current epidemiological patterns, evaluates surveillance approaches, and discusses emerging drivers of WNV transmission in Europe. As a narrative synthesis based on published literature and surveillance reports, this review is subject to limitations related to heterogeneity in available data and differences in national reporting systems. Nevertheless, a clearer understanding of these interacting factors may support improved surveillance strategies and more adaptive public health responses to future WNV transmission events. Reported surveillance data should be interpreted cautiously, as differences in national surveillance intensity, diagnostic capacity, and reporting frameworks across Europe may influence notified case numbers. Consequently, reported outbreaks do not necessarily reflect proportional differences in transmission intensity. Full article

The composition, ecological network characteristics, and community assembly mechanisms of eukaryotic communities in the sediments of typical water diversion rivers (WDRs) of the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project were analyzed using 18S rRNA gene sequencing during the flood and non-flood seasons. Against the backdrop of global climate change and intensified anthropogenic disturbances, shifts in hydrological regimes induced by inter-basin water transfer projects have become key factors altering the structure and function of aquatic microbial ecosystems. Clarifying the spatiotemporal dynamics and assembly mechanisms of sedimentary eukaryotic communities in water diversion rivers under different hydrological conditions is crucial for understanding the ecological response of river ecosystems to water diversion and safeguarding the ecological security of diverted water resources. The eukaryotic communities were primarily composed of Bacillariophyta, Ciliophora, Arthropoda, and Chlorophyta. The composition and distribution patterns of eukaryotic communities exhibited distinct temporal and spatial shifts under varying hydrological regimes. Stochastic dispersal was identified as the primary driver of community assembly. During the flood season, eukaryotic communities showed increased complexity, more competitive interactions, and enhanced modularity, with species turnover being the dominant structuring process. During the non-flood season, eukaryotic communities exhibited higher spatial heterogeneity. Full article

Urban water bodies serve as biodiversity hot spots in a human-influenced landscape. We studied the backwater “Alte Donau” (Vienna, Austria), which has been the subject of ongoing management and restoration efforts. We aimed to capture short-term variations in the planktonic and benthic algal community during a vegetation period with a specific focus on Gloeotaenium loitlesbergerianum with its primary distribution in tropical regions. In total, 196 algal taxa were identified, indicating a high and balanced species diversity. Although the waterbody is shallow and densely colonized by macrophytes, phytoplankton and microphytobenthos exhibited significant differences in composition, particularly in spring. Less pronounced differences during summer were probably caused by macrophyte harvesting combined with recreational activities. We found a clear seasonal pattern with spring characterized by blooms of Ochrophyta, followed by a shift towards green algae, Dinophyta, and Cyanobacteria during summer and autumn. We found high variability in spring samples, whereas summer and autumn samples showed increasing similarity. Temperature, silicate, and alkalinity were the primary environmental factors structuring algal community composition. G. loitlesbergerianum was detected during warmer months from May through October across a temperature range of 14 to 28 °C, with highest abundances >20 °C. Warmer water and altered nutrient regimes not only stress native populations but also promote the establishment of new species such as G. loitlesbergerianum, accelerating community shifts. Therefore, sustained monitoring, targeted macrophyte restoration, and effective nutrient management are crucial for preserving both water quality and biodiversity in such systems. Full article