Search Results (6,678)

Although significant progress has been made in the conservation of Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) populations, rapid population growth in coastal wetlands has caused severe habitat degradation. This highlights the urgent challenge of balancing ungulate population dynamics with wetland restoration efforts, particularly considering the limited data available on post-disturbance ecosystem recovery in these environments. In this study, we evaluated soil quality and bacterial community dynamics at an abandoned feeding site and a nearby control site within the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve during 2020–2021. The goal was to provide a theoretical basis for the ecological restoration of Père David’s deer habitat in coastal wetlands. The main findings are as follows: among the measured indicators, bulk density (BD), soil water content (SWC), sodium (Na⁺), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available potassium (AK), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and the Chao index were selected to form the minimum data set (MDS) for calculating the soil quality index (SQI), effectively reflecting the actual condition of soil quality. Overall, the SQI at the feeding site was lower than that of the control site. Based on the composition of bacterial communities and the functional prediction analysis of bacterial communities in the FAPROTAX database, it is shown that feeding sites are experiencing sustained soil carbon loss, which is clearly caused by the gathering of Père David’s deer. Co-occurring network analyses demonstrated the structure of the bacterial community at the feeding site was decomplexed, and with a lower intensity than the control. In RDA, Na⁺ is the main soil property that affects bacterial communities. These findings suggest that the control of soil salinity is a primary consideration in the development of Père David’s deer habitat restoration programmes, followed by addressing nitrogen supplementation and carbon sequestration. Full article

Marine and freshwater environments are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic stressors. The resulting impacts on exposed ecosystems are complex and challenging to characterise. The effects may be subtle and exhibited over long time periods. Effective and robust approaches are required to characterise the physiological and genetic processes that are impacted by pollutants to assess how populations and ecosystems may be adversely affected and at risk. The objective of the review is to provide an overview of “omics” methodologies used to assess the risk of stressors on exposed biota. This review covers the development of key omics approaches and how they have been used to contribute towards improved knowledge about the effects of environmental stressors, from molecular to whole-organism and community levels of biological organisation. We provide insights into how ecotoxicogenomics approaches can be used for various aspects of environmental risk assessment by characterising toxicological mechanisms of action. This information can be used to confirm cause-and-effect relationships required to better manage risks and protect the integrity and functionality of ecosystems. Full article

Afforestation substantially promotes vegetation restoration and modifies soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. The integrated effects of soil properties on soil quality, expressed via a composite soil quality index (SQI), remain unclear despite variations among individual properties. Here, five vegetation restoration treatments were selected as follows: (1) barren land (BL, control), (2) disturbed short-rotation Eucalyptus plantation (REP); (3) undisturbed long-term Eucalyptus plantation (UEP); (4) mixed native-species plantation (MF); and (5) natural forest (NF) following >50 years of restoration. Soil physicochemical properties and microbial community compositions were investigated, and soil quality was evaluated by an integrated SQI. Our results showed that vegetation restoration had strong effects on soil physicochemical properties, soil quality, and microbial communities. Most of the soil physicochemical properties exhibited significant differences among treatments. Soil dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen were the three key soil quality indicators. The SQI increased significantly with vegetation recovery intensity. In both UEP and MF, it reached levels comparable to NF, and was higher in UEP than in REP, implying that short-rotation practices impede soil restoration. In addition, microbial biomass (bacteria, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, actinomycetes, and total microbe PLFAs) increased from BL to NF. All plantations exhibited lower microbial biomass than NF, revealing incomplete recovery and a greater sensitivity to soil physicochemical properties. Conversely, the fungi-to-bacteria biomass ratio decreased sequentially (REP > BL > UEP > MF > NF). Strong positive correlations between microbial biomass and the SQI were observed. These results collectively indicate that afforestation with mixed tree species is optimal for rapid soil restoration, and undisturbed long-term monocultures can achieve similar outcomes. These findings highlight that tree species mixtures and reducing disturbance should be taken into consideration when restoring degraded ecosystems in the tropics. Full article

This paper is aimed at landscape managers and designers. It looks at 123 real-world coastal landscape projects and organizes them into clear design categories, i.e., wetland restoration, hybrid infrastructure, or urban green spaces. We looked at how these projects were framed (whether they focused on climate adaptation, flood protection, or other goals) and how they tracked performance. We are hoping to bring some clarity to a very scattered field, helping us to see patterns in what is actually being carried out in terms of landscape interventions and increasing sea levels. We are hoping to provide a practical reference for making better, more climate-responsive design decisions. Coastal cities face escalating climate-driven threats from increasing sea levels and storm surges to urban heat islands. These threats are driving increased interest in nature-based solutions (NbSs) as green adaptive alternatives to traditional gray infrastructure. Despite an abundance of individual case studies, there have been few systematic syntheses aimed at landscape designers and managers linking design typologies, project framing, and performance outcomes. This study addresses this gap through a meta-synthesis of 123 implemented coastal landscape interventions aimed directly at landscape-oriented research and professions. Flood risk reduction was the dominant framing strategy (30.9%), followed by climate resilience (24.4%). Critical evidence gaps emerged—only 1.6% employed integrated monitoring approaches, 30.1% provided ambiguous performance documentation, and mean monitoring quality scored 0.89 out of 5.0. While 95.9% of the projects acknowledged SLR as a driver, only 4.1% explicitly integrated climate projections into design parameters. Community monitoring approaches demonstrated significantly higher ecosystem service integration, particularly cultural services (36.4% vs. 6.9%, $p<0.001$), and enhanced monitoring quality (mean score 1.64 vs. 0.76, $p<0.001$). Implementation barriers spanned technical constraints, institutional fragmentation, and data limitations, each affecting 20.3% of projects. Geographic analysis revealed evidence generation inequities, with systematic underrepresentation of high-risk regions (Africa: 4.1%; Latin America: 2.4%) versus concentration in well-resourced areas (North America: 27.6%; Europe: 17.1%). Full article

Natural resource assets inherently integrate tripartite synthesis of legal, economic, and ecological attributes. They serve dual critical functions as foundational elements supporting the evolution of new-quality productive forces and pivotal mechanisms safeguarding ecosystemic integrity. It has become a global consensus and direction of action to advance comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets and practice the concept of “Community of Life for Human and Nature”. Under the background of the super-ministry system restructuring in China, comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets remains challenged by system fragmentation in supervision objectives and multifaceted interest conflicts among stakeholders. In light of this, this research focuses on the theoretical justification and system optimization of the comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets in China. Using comparative analysis and normative analysis methods, we validate the system’s function on the comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets, summarize foreign experiences, and ultimately aim to explore the optimization pathway of the legal system for the comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets. The results show the following: (1) The choice of the legal system for the comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets emerges as the functional product aligning societal objectives, the rational paradigm for achieving efficient resource allocation, and the adaptive response to the external effects of common property. (2) The system supply of comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets in foreign countries is characterized by normative convergence in conceptual elements and typological categorization in objectives and objects. Therefore, this research recommends that, in order to optimize the system of the comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets in China, (1) in terms of protection of source, natural resource assets should be categorized, with operational natural resource assets focusing on management and public welfare natural resource assets focusing on conservation. (2) In terms of valuation, the economic valuation of natural resource assets should be integrated with ecosystem service assessments to enhance fair market equity. (3) In terms of method, the big data center should be established to enable the synergistic integration of technological innovation and system reforms. (4) In terms of subject, requiring the participation of various government departments, non-governmental organizations, the general public, and other parties could realize the connection of different legal bases for the comprehensive supervision of natural resource assets and the balance of multiple rights and interests, which should help to achieve balanced resource efficiency and biodiversity conservation and safeguard national ecological security. Full article

Coastal erosion and shoreline change represent major challenges for the sustainable management of coastal environments, with implications for infrastructure, ecosystems, biodiversity, and the socio-economic well-being of coastal communities. This study investigates the shoreline evolution of 79 Mediterranean microtidal beaches located along the southern coast of Sardinia Island (Italy), using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Shorelines were manually digitised from high-resolution aerial orthophotos made available through the WMS service of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, covering the period 1954–2022. Shoreline changes were assessed through five statistical indicators: Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), End Point Rate (EPR), Weighted Linear Regression (WLR), and Linear Regression Rate (LRR). The results highlight marked spatial and temporal variability in shoreline retreat and accretion, revealing patterns that link shoreline dynamics to the degree of anthropisation or naturalness of each beach. In fact, coastal areas characterised by local anthropogenic factors showed higher rates of shoreline retreat and/or accretion, while natural beaches showed greater stability and resilience in the long term. The outcomes of this analysis provide valuable insights into local coastal dynamics and represent a critical knowledge base for developing targeted adaptation strategies, supporting spatial planning, and reducing coastal risks under future climate change scenarios. Full article

Global climate change has intensified the frequency, intensity, and spatial heterogeneity of drought events, posing severe threats to the stability of terrestrial ecosystems. Plant drought resilience, which encompasses a plant’s capacity for drought resistance, post-stress recovery, and long-term adaptation and transformation to sustain ecosystem functionality, has emerged as a central focus in botanical and ecological research. This review synthesizes the conceptual evolution of plant drought resilience, from early emphasis on resistance and recovery to the current multi-dimensional framework integrating adaptation and transformation, and synthesizes advances in understanding multi-scale drought resilience in terrestrial plants—spanning molecular, physiological, individual, community, and ecosystem levels. Key mechanisms include molecular/physiological adaptations (osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense, hydraulic regulation, carbon–water reallocation via gene networks and aquaporins), morpho-anatomical traits (root architectural plasticity, leaf structural modifications, and hydraulic vulnerability segmentation), community/ecosystem drivers (biodiversity effects, microbial symbioses, and soil–plant–feedback dynamics). We critically evaluate quantitative metrics and expose critical gaps, including neglect of stress legacy effects, oversimplified spatiotemporal heterogeneity, and limited integration of concurrent stressors. Future research should prioritize multi-scale and multi-dimensional integrated analysis, long-term multi-scenario simulations with field validation, and harnessing plant–microbe interactions to enhance drought resilience, providing a theoretical basis for ecosystem sustainability and agricultural production under climate change. Full article

Verticillium wilt, a prevalent soil-borne disease, poses a significant challenge to cotton production in Xinjiang, China. Continuous cotton monoculture has increased disease incidence and affected soil microbial diversity in Xinjiang, while crop rotation is recognized as an effective strategy for soil pathogen control. This study investigates how a one-year maize rotation affects Verticillium wilt incidence and soil microbiome composition in cotton fields across northern and southern Xinjiang. The results demonstrated that short-term rotation significantly reduced Verticillium wilt occurrence in both northern and southern Xinjiang. Using high-throughput sequencing of fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rRNA regions, microbial community analysis revealed minimal changes in alpha-diversity but significant structural reorganization between continuous cropping (CC) and rotation (CR) systems, particularly in fungal and bacterial genera composition, with distinct spatial patterns between northern and southern fields. Crop rotation promoted beneficial taxa such as Sphingomonas and Pseudogymnoascus, while reducing the abundance of pathogens such as Verticillium dahliae. LEfSe study suggested Tepidisphaerales and Lasiosphaeriaceae as biomarkers for CR systems, whereas Hypocreales and Blastocatellia dominated in CC soils. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed more bacterial connectivity and modularity under CR, suggesting better microbial interactions and ecological resilience. The increased structural complexity of bacterial networks under CR indicates their greater contribution to soil health maintenance and ecosystem resilience. Our findings demonstrate that short-term crop rotation not only effectively reduces Verticillium wilt incidence but also restructures soil microbial communities, providing an actionable strategy for sustainable cotton cultivation in Xinjiang. Full article

Increased Atlantic water transport and river discharge are more pronounced effects of global warming at high latitudes. Both phenomena may lead to changes in the species composition of small-celled algae populations in marine ecosystems, as well as to the emergence of new species. This study investigated the spatial distribution of picocyanobacterial (PC) abundance and the phylogenetic diversity of PC Synechococcus in the Kara Sea. PC abundance varied from 2 to 88 cells mL⁻¹ and increased with warming temperatures and decreasing salinity caused by river water influence. The contribution of Synechococcus to the total picophytoplankton biomass was low (<16%). The Synechococcus community was characterized at deep taxonomic level using amplicon sequencing targeting the petB gene. Diversity was low, revealing only Synechococcus subcluster 5.1 polar lineages I and IV, and euryhaline subcluster 5.2. Synechococcus subcluster 5.1.I represented on average 97% of the total reads assigned to cyanobacteria. For the first time, the presence of estuarine Synechococcus subcluster 5.2 was documented as far north as 82° N. Modified Atlantic water was the main source of cyanobacteria in the Kara Sea, followed by river discharge. Our study contributes to the understanding of PC sources in the Kara Sea and allows for the further monitoring of PC distribution and evolution. Full article

Coral reef degradation has spurred the development of artificial structures to mitigate losses in coral cover. These structures serve as substrates for coral transplantation, with the expectation that growing corals will attract reef-associated taxa—while the substrate’s ability to directly support biodiversity is often neglected. We evaluated a novel 3D-printed modular tile made of porous terra cotta, designed with complex surface structures to enhance micro- and cryptic biodiversity, through a restoration project in Hong Kong. Over four years, we monitored 378 outplanted coral fragments using diver assessments and photography, while biodiversity changes were assessed through visual surveys and eDNA metabarcoding. Coral survivorship was high, with 88% survival after four years. Visual surveys recorded seven times more fish and almost 60% more invertebrates at the restoration site compared to a nearby unrestored area. eDNA analyses revealed a 23.5% higher eukaryote ASV richness at the restoration site than the unrestored site and 13.3% greater richness relative to a natural reference coral community. This study highlights the tiles’ dual functionality: (1) supporting coral growth and (2) enhancing cryptic biodiversity, an aspect often neglected in traditional reef restoration efforts. Our findings underscore the potential of 3D-printed ceramic structures to improve both coral restoration outcomes and broader reef ecosystem recovery. Full article

Lichens, complex symbiotic associations between fungi and photosynthetic partners, are widespread in terrestrial ecosystems but remain poorly studied in tropical dry forests (TDFs). This review synthesizes current knowledge on the diversity, ecological roles, adaptive traits, and ethnobotanical uses of lichens in TDFs, with a focus on the Neotropics. As most lichens discussed here are crustose species that inhabit tree bark, this paper also provides a thoughtful review of the origin, distribution, and highly heterogeneous floristic composition of TDFs, which directly shape lichen habitats. It discusses how lichens have evolved to cope with seasonal water stress, emphasizing desiccation tolerance as a key feature of the symbiosis. This review also explores lichen community composition, interactions with host trees, microclimatic conditions, herbivory, and soil crust formation. Despite evidence of high species richness, functional diversity, and ecological importance, lichens in TDFs are largely overlooked in conservation strategies. Moreover, several regions remain vastly understudied, and many species likely remain undescribed. Ethnolichenological practices, though scarce, underscore the cultural and medicinal value of these organisms. Given the high rates of habitat loss and endemism in TDFs, there is a pressing need to expand research on lichen diversity and to investigate the evolutionary origins of their survival strategies. The conservation of these lichens is inseparable from the conservation of TDFs themselves. Understanding how lichens adapt to the harsh and variable conditions of TDFs is essential for integrating them into biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration frameworks. Full article

Invasive weeds pose a growing threat to global biodiversity, ecosystem stability, and agricultural productivity with significant ecological and economic consequences. In Iran, the rapid spread of invasive species such as Boreava orientalis, Azolla spp., Ibicella lutea, Physalis divaricata, Picnomon acarna, Cynanchum acutum, Vicia hyrcanica, Eichhornia crassipes, and Ambrosia psilostachya has severely affected native ecosystems, disrupted ecological processes, and threatened food security. These species exhibit aggressive traits such as rapid maturity, high reproductive rates, seed dormancy, and allelopathy that enable them to outcompete native species and successfully invade and dominate delicate habitats. Despite their documented impacts, a critical gap remains in understanding their biology, ecology, and management, particularly in understudied regions like Iran. This review synthesizes current knowledge on major invasive weeds affecting Iranian agroecosystems, with a focus on their ecological impacts and the urgent need for sustainable management strategies. It presents an integrated framework that combines ecological, biological, and management perspectives to address invasiveness, particularly in highly adaptable species like B. orientalis and A. psilostachya. This review highlights the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration, advanced technology, and community involvement in developing effective strategies. It offers practical guidance for researchers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders, serving as a model for managing invasive species in other vulnerable regions. Ultimately, it supports global efforts to safeguard biodiversity, improve crop productivity, and strengthen ecological resilience against the growing threat of invasive species. Full article

Frequent grassland fires have severely affected regional ecosystems as well as the production and living conditions of local residents. Grassland fire prevention capabilities constitute an integral part of the disaster prevention and mitigation system and play an important role in improving grassroots governance. To gain a deeper understanding of the practical foundation and influencing mechanisms of grassland fire prevention capabilities, establish an evaluation index system for prevention capabilities covering the four dimensions of disaster prevention, disaster resistance, disaster relief, and recovery. Combining micro-level survey data, a quantile regression model is used to analyze the influencing factors. The research findings indicate that (1) disaster resistance (0.49) plays a prominent role in grassland fire prevention capabilities, with economic foundations and individual disaster relief capabilities being particularly critical for overall improvement. Although residents have strong fire prevention awareness, their organizational collaboration capabilities are relatively weak, and there are significant differences in prevention capabilities across regions, necessitating tailored, precise enhancements. (2) There are significant differences in prevention capabilities among residents of different agricultural and pastoral production types, with semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral areas having the strongest comprehensive capabilities and pastoral areas relatively weaker. (3) A significant analysis of factors influencing grassland fire prevention capabilities: effective and diverse risk communication is a prerequisite for enhancing residents’ prevention capabilities; the level of panic regarding grassland fires and road infrastructure are important influencing factors, but residents’ understanding of climate change and grassroots organizations’ capacity for mechanism construction have insignificant impacts. Therefore, in future grassland fire disaster prevention and mitigation efforts, it is essential to strengthen risk communication, improve infrastructure, monitor environmental changes and the spatiotemporal patterns of grassland fires, enhance residents’ understanding of climate change, reinforce the emergency response capabilities of grassroots organizations, and stimulate public participation awareness to collectively build a multi-tiered grassland fire prevention system. Full article

Urban green spaces are important nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change. While the distribution of green spaces within cities is well documented, few studies assess whether inequities in green space quantity (i.e., percent cover) are mirrored by inequities in green space quality (i.e., vegetation health or sensitivity to stressors). Green space quality is important to measure alongside green space quantity because vegetation that is healthier and less sensitive to stressors such as climatic fluctuations sustain critical ecosystem services through stressful environmental conditions, especially as the climate changes. We use a 40-year remote sensing dataset to examine the spatial patterns and underlying drivers of vegetation sensitivity to short-term (monthly) climate fluctuations in Chicago. Our results show that although vegetation cover was not equitably distributed between racially and ethnically segregated census tracts, socio-demographic composition was not a key driver of spatial variation in short-term vegetation sensitivity to climate. Instead, we found that vegetation growth form was a strong predictor of differences in vegetation sensitivity among communities. At the census tract level, higher herbaceous/shrub cover was associated with increased sensitivity to climate, while higher tree cover was associated with decreased sensitivity. These results suggest that urban green spaces comprising trees will be less sensitive (i.e., more resistant) to short-term climate fluctuations than those comprising predominately herbaceous or shrub cover. Our findings highlight that urban green space quality can vary spatially within cities; however, more work is needed to understand how the drivers of vegetation sensitivity vary among cities, especially those experiencing different climatic regimes. This work is key to planning and planting high-quality, climate change-resilient and equitable urban green spaces. Full article

The rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled the implementation of interconnected intelligent systems in extremely dynamic contexts with limited resources. However, traditional paradigms, such as those using ECC-based heuristics and centralised decision-making frameworks, cannot be modernised to ensure resilience, scalability and security while taking quantum threats into account. In this case, we propose a modular architecture that integrates quantum-inspired cryptography (QI), epistemic uncertainty reasoning, the multiscale blockchain MuReQua, and the quantum-inspired decentralised storage engine (DeSSE) with fragmented entropy storage. Each component addresses specific cybersecurity weaknesses of IoT devices: quantum-resistant communication on epistemic agents that facilitate cognitive decision-making under uncertainty, lightweight adaptive consensus provided by MuReQua, and fragmented entropy storage provided by DeSSE. Tested through simulations and use case analyses in industrial, healthcare and automotive networks, the architecture shows exceptional latency, decision accuracy and fault tolerance compared to conventional solutions. Furthermore, its modular nature allows for incremental integration and domain-specific customisation. By adding reasoning, trust and quantum security, it is possible to design intelligent decentralised architectures for resilient IoT ecosystems, thereby strengthening system defences alongside architectures. In turn, this work offers a specific architectural response and a broader perspective on secure decentralised computing, even for the imminent advent of quantum computers. Full article