Search Results (2,276)

Land-use change from natural vegetation to agricultural systems significantly affects watershed hydrology and water quality. This study assesses the long-term effects of historical land-use change on hydrologic processes and nitrogen transport in the Straight River watershed, Minnesota, USA, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+) model. Three land-use scenarios were created to assess changes in water balance and nitrate levels. These scenarios represent the reconstructed pre-settlement conditions from 1855, established agricultural development from 2006, and current conditions from 2022. Results show a significant increase in water percolation and groundwater recharge. Percolation more than doubled, increasing from about 118 mm under reconstructed pre-colonial conditions to over 256 mm in 2022. Streamflow increased to 2.1 m³s⁻¹ in 2022, indicating improved hydrologic connectivity and groundwater contributions. Nitrate leaching increased from about 1.14 kg N ha⁻¹ to more than 32 kg N ha⁻¹ (1850s–2022), and nitrate export increased by >2000%, indicating strong nitrate loading. The significant increase in nitrate compared to water fluxes points to agriculture as the primary source of groundwater pollution and downstream nutrient loading. These findings highlight the importance of land-use change in affecting water balance and nutrient behavior. They also point out the need to include a historical baseline in watershed assessments. The results show the importance of better land and nutrient management strategies to reduce nitrate losses and protect water resources in intensively managed agricultural areas. Full article

Transitional waters—such as estuaries, lagoons, deltas, and coastal wetlands—are dynamic environments where freshwater and seawater interact, forming highly productive and biologically diverse ecosystems. Shaped by temperature and salinity gradients, tidal influence, sediment transport, and nutrient-rich conditions, these habitats support diverse ecological functions. Their structural complexity—including seagrass beds, salt marshes, mudflats, and mangroves—provides essential habitats for many fish species. These areas are crucial for fish life cycles, serving as nurseries, spawning grounds, feeding zones, and refuges from predators. Many commercially important species depend on them during early life stages before moving offshore, making them vital for both commercial and recreational fisheries. Beyond food provision, they deliver key ecosystem services, including water purification, coastal protection, and carbon storage. Research on the fish community of the Ria Formosa lagoon in Portugal since the 1980s highlights long-term changes in the fish community and the dominant role of habitat structure and temporal dynamics. Subtidal seagrass beds support higher fish abundance and diversity than unvegetated areas, acting as key nursery habitats and provide important fish provisioning services. Seasonal variation is also central, driven by recruitment pulses of marine migrants in late winter–spring. Recent pressures on this system have been driven by human activity and environmental change. Seagrass loss reduces nursery and feeding areas, while pollution degrades water quality. Overfishing (including illegal fishing), recreational activities, and aquaculture expansion add stress. Climate warming and invasive species such as Caulerpa prolifera, further disrupt ecosystem balance and threaten biodiversity. Sustainable management—such as habitat restoration, protected areas, and integrated policies—is essential to preserve the ecological and economic value of this unique lagoon. Ongoing research, monitoring, habitat restoration, and stakeholder engagement remain critical for ensuring resilience. Full article

This scoping review examines how contaminants in drinking water influence children’s neurological development. Evidence across epidemiological, experimental, and mechanistic studies demonstrates that early-life exposure to lead, arsenic, fluoride, manganese, and PFAS is consistently associated with adverse cognitive, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. These effects occur even at low exposure levels and involve pathways such as oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and impaired neuronal signaling. In contrast, data on nitrates and microplastics remain limited, highlighting substantial research gaps. Overall, the findings underscore drinking water quality as a critical determinant of child neurodevelopment and emphasize the need for strengthened monitoring and public health protections. Full article

Background: Access to safe drinking water remains a critical public health concern in rural Ghana, particularly in climatically vulnerable and underserved settings. This study assessed the microbiological and chemical quality of drinking water and evaluated nitrate-related health risks in the North Gonja and North-East Gonja Districts of the Savannah Region. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2025. A total of 460 water samples were collected from groundwater sources and household storage containers. Microbial analyses targeted total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Physicochemical and chemical parameters included nitrate-nitrogen, pH, residual chlorine, major ions, and trace metals. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, spatial interpolation, and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment based on the hazard quotient (HQ) approach. Results: Widespread microbial contamination was observed, with 91.5% of household water samples positive for total coliforms and 46.6% for E. coli. Contamination of source water was significantly higher in North Gonja than in North-East Gonja. Overall, 49.1% (n = 55) of groundwater sources exceeded the World Health Organization guideline value for nitrate-nitrogen, with exceedances predominantly occurring in North Gonja. Additionally, 67.0% (n = 75) of samples were outside the acceptable pH range (6.5–8.5), including 74 samples below 6.5 and one above 8.5. Residual chlorine was not detected in any of the samples. Health risk assessment indicated potential non-carcinogenic risks associated with nitrate exposure, particularly among infants and children. Conclusions: The study demonstrates significant microbial contamination and nitrate-related health risks in the study area, particularly in North Gonja. Interventions such as improved source protection, routine water quality monitoring, chlorination, household water treatment, and implementation of Water Safety Plans are recommended to enhance drinking water safety and reduce associated public health risks. Full article

Protected areas increasingly require functional zoning approaches that integrate biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service provision, and human use. This study developed a data-driven functional zoning framework for Jirisan National Park, South Korea, by combining ecosystem service assessment with Self-Organizing Map (SOM)-based spatial typology. Five ecosystem services—water yield, sediment retention, carbon storage, net ecosystem productivity, and habitat quality—were assessed using InVEST, RUSLE, and locally derived carbon-related coefficients. These indicators were integrated with topographic and anthropogenic disturbance variables, including distances to roads and trails. The SOM analysis classified the park into seven functional spatial types with distinct environmental and ecosystem service characteristics. High-altitude areas near major trails were characterized by strong visitor pressure and mismatches among regulating services, whereas interior forest areas showed high multifunctionality and evenness, indicating stable ecosystem service provision. Low-altitude facility-dense and disturbance-adjacent zones showed relatively low habitat quality or service imbalance, highlighting the need for restoration-oriented management. These results suggest that ecosystem service bundles, multifunctionality, and evenness can provide a useful basis for functional zoning and evidence-based management of mountainous national parks. Full article

This study evaluates the ecological impacts of seawater desalination discharge on coastal marine ecosystems through a sequential analytical framework linking systematic literature synthesis, field-monitoring evidence, spatial analysis, and predictive ecological modeling. The novelty of the study lies in combining multi-regional evidence from Mediterranean coastal zones, Persian Gulf waters, and Pacific coastal environments with threshold-based ecological risk assessment, thereby linking discharge-related environmental stressors with biological responses and ecosystem-function alterations. The systematic review first retained 750 studies published between 2004 and 2024 for qualitative synthesis. On this basis, 59 high-quality references with sufficient numerical information were selected for the main quantitative meta-analysis, while field-monitoring data were used to support the interpretation of distance-based discharge gradients. Spatial interpolation and hierarchical modeling were then applied to evaluate exposure–response patterns and ecological threshold behavior. The results showed that desalination facilities generated measurable ecological impacts mainly within 50–200 m of discharge points, with a critical transition distance of approximately 127 m where hypersaline conditions, typically 1.5–2.0 times ambient seawater levels, were associated with marked changes in marine community structure. Benthic assemblages showed taxon-specific responses, with mollusks and echinoderms exhibiting greater sensitivity than polychaetes and small crustaceans. Marine vegetation declined strongly under combined salinity, thermal, and chemical stress, while phosphonate-based antiscalants accumulated in filter-feeding organisms and produced bioaccumulation factors up to 42.1 times ambient levels. Ecosystem-function indicators, including microbial community composition and sediment organic matter processing, remained altered up to 300 m from discharge points, indicating that functional impacts may extend beyond the primary hypersaline plume. The predictive modeling framework further demonstrated that ecological risk decreased nonlinearly with distance and varied according to discharge intensity, local hydrodynamics, and biological sensitivity. These findings indicate that conventional uniform buffer-based assessment may underestimate the ecological footprint of desalination discharge. Sustainable desalination management should therefore adopt site-specific monitoring, species-sensitive protection thresholds, improved brine-management technologies, and adaptive mitigation strategies based on real-time environmental feedback. Full article

Oat (Avena sativa L.) silage fermentation often fails due to insufficient lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and low water-soluble carbohydrate content. We investigated the effects of Compound Radix Pulsatillae (CRP; 40 g/kg FM) alone or combined with a commercial LAB inoculant (containing L. plantarum, L. buchneri, and Enterococcus faecium, CRP_LA) on oat silage after 60 days. Compared to control (CK), both CRP and CRP_LA increased dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrate retention while reducing fiber components and ammonia nitrogen (p < 0.05). CRP_LA exhibited superior fermentation quality (lowest pH 4.82, highest lactic acid 47.83 g/kg DM). Using 16S rRNA sequencing and UPLC-MS/MS metabolomics integrated with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified a brown module strongly associated with CRP_LA treatment. Six hub metabolites, belonging to flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and nucleotide derivatives, were significantly elevated in CRP_LA silage and showed strong correlations with Lactobacillus abundance and fermentation quality parameters. Correlation-based network analysis revealed that these hub metabolites positively correlated with Lactobacillus abundance, lactic acid, and water-soluble carbohydrate retention, while negatively correlating with spoilage microorganisms (Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, Leuconostoc) and ammonia nitrogen. This multi-omics study provides a metabolite-centric molecular map of the silage microecosystem reshaped by CRP and LAB co-fermentation. The identified hub metabolites—with predicted antimicrobial, antioxidant, and plant-protective functions—represent potential quality markers for functional silage additive development. Mechanistic validation via targeted metabolite supplementation or pathway-specific gene expression analysis is warranted in future studies. Full article

Recreational fisheries are one of the most widespread forms of inland water use in developed countries, and they are increasingly being interpreted as a social–ecological system that integrates ecosystems, users, and governance structures. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived status of fish resources, the effectiveness of the management system, and the obstacles to developing recreational fisheries in Poland. The evaluation was based on a nationwide survey (CAWI, N = 1574). The results indicate a critical perception of both resource conditions and management performance. Institutional barriers were identified as the most significant. While environmental factors remain significant, their role should be interpreted within the broader context of governance effectiveness. The structure of motivations confirms the dominance of recreational and environmental functions over utilitarian and economic ones, highlighting the growing importance of cultural ecosystem services. The findings reveal a discrepancy between the evolving recreational aspects of angling and the existing management system, indicating an institutional mismatch that poses a significant challenge to sustainable water resource management. These findings align with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to water quality and ecosystem protection. While the study focuses on Poland, the identified challenges are not unique and are relevant to many countries undergoing similar transformations. The results emphasize the need for more integrated, adaptive, and participatory governance models. Full article

The Jabal Ali Marine Sanctuary, Dubai, is one of the most important marine protected areas (MPAs) in the UAE. The Arabian Gulf is characterised by extreme environmental conditions, including high temperatures and hypersaline waters. These conditions, combined with increasing anthropogenic pressures from coastal development projects such as desalination plants, energy plants and the Palm Jebel Ali development, may influence the pelagic ecosystems of MPAs. This study examined seasonal variability in phytoplankton communities and environmental conditions between summer (June 2017) and winter (December 2017), with particular emphasis on the interactions between temperature-driven stratification, hypersaline conditions, and phytoplankton community structure, abundance, and diversity. The AZTI (AZTI Tecnalia Marine Research Centre) Marine Biotic Index indicated predominantly “Good” to “High” ecological status of the pelagic ecosystem, indicating favourable environmental conditions. Potentially harmful algal bloom taxa, including Pseudo-nitzschia and Dinophysis, were detected at low abundances. Summer surveys recorded higher total species richness (44 vs. 34 species) and greater phytoplankton abundance (mean 68.6 vs. 49.8 cells/L) compared to those in winter. Diatoms dominated the assemblages in both seasons, accounting for 62–69% of the recorded species, while distinct spatial zonation patterns reflected habitat heterogeneity. The observed seasonal and spatial variability highlight the importance of incorporating temporal and spatial dimensions into management strategies. As the first pelagic phytoplankton assessment conducted in an MPA, this study provides important baseline data for understanding phytoplankton ecology in one of the world’s most environmentally extreme marine ecosystems. The findings contribute to evidence-based management under increasing climate change and anthropogenic pressures. However, because sampling was limited to the two principal climatic seasons, the study characterises inter-seasonal variability rather than a complete annual succession cycle. Additional surveys during spring and autumn are recommended to fully resolve seasonal succession dynamics. Overall, the findings support the continued protection of the sanctuary as an important biodiversity reservoir and a potential reference site for assessing marine ecosystem responses to environmental conditions. These findings are directly relevant to the environmental sustainability agenda of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which prioritises the protection and expansion of the emirate’s nature reserves and the safeguarding of marine and coastal biodiversity. By establishing the first pelagic phytoplankton baseline for the sanctuary, this study provides an evidence base for monitoring and managing marine protected areas in line with this long-term framework. Full article

Coral reefs support marine biodiversity, fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection, but they are increasingly threatened by environmental stress and bleaching. Satellite-based reef monitoring has mainly relied on thermal metrics, especially Degree Heating Weeks (DHW), to represent bleaching risk. However, thermal exposure alone may not fully describe reef stress in optically complex coastal waters, where light availability, water clarity, and water-quality conditions can modify coral response. This limitation is important in Indonesia, where reefs span diverse coastal environments and many bleaching observations occur under relatively low DHW. In this study, we develop the Coral Reef Environmental Stress Index (CRESI), implemented as CRESI-Mamba, to estimate coral reef stress in Indonesia as a continuous and interpretable satellite-based stress index. CRESI-Mamba uses 26-week sequences of thermal variables from NOAA Coral Reef Watch and ocean-color variables from NASA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The model decomposes the inferred stress into thermal, optical, and water-quality pathways, and maps the resulting stress index to bleaching probability for event-based evaluation. CRESI-Mamba was trained and evaluated using 8424 reef observations from eight Indonesian regions. In Leave-One-Region-Out cross-validation (LORO-CV), the model achieved a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of $0.795\pm 0.087$. In grouped 5-fold cross-validation, it achieved an AUC of $0.802\pm 0.024$, exceeding the DHW-only baseline ($0.627\pm 0.021$) and performing comparably to stronger thermal-only models, while providing a pathway-decomposed stress index. The estimated stress index separated bleached and not-bleached observations, with paired stress differences of $0.299\pm 0.098$ in LORO-CV and $0.281\pm 0.032$ in grouped 5-fold CV. Pathway analysis showed that the dominant stress pathway differed among regions, with optical stress dominant in several low-DHW bleaching cases. These results show that reef stress in Indonesia is better represented as a multi-pathway environmental condition than as thermal exposure alone. CRESI-Mamba provides a framework for interpreting satellite environmental histories as reef stress, while retaining bleaching probability as an evaluation output. Full article

In the context of intensifying global climate change, high-altitude mountain ecosystems play a critical role in climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and the advancement of sustainable human development. Plateau regions, such as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, are particularly sensitive and responsive to global climatic fluctuations and function as essential ecological barriers supporting development across Asia. These areas occupy a strategic position within Asia’s ecological security framework and the broader international community, influencing not only regional ecological stability and social cohesion but also sustainable development pathways. However, owing to their fragile ecosystem structures, limited regenerative capacity, and the ongoing expansion of urbanisation and human activities, these regions frequently suffer from habitat fragmentation and degradation of ecological functions. This issue is especially acute in natural protected areas adjacent to plateau cities. Consequently, there is an urgent need for quantitative assessments of ecological restoration effectiveness within natural protected areas, alongside investigations into development approaches that underpin long-term regional stability and sustainability. Focusing on Chokpori Mountain—the “urban green heart” of Lhasa, a principal city on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau—this study develops a three-dimensional assessment framework encompassing ecological, economic, and social dimensions. By integrating the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model, remote sensing inversion techniques, field monitoring, and questionnaire surveys, the research systematically evaluates the effectiveness of ecological restoration and proposes insights for sustainable governance. The findings indicate that ecological restoration elicited positive ecological responses, evidenced by a 69.2% increase in soil retention post-renovation, an increase in vegetation coverage, and modeled total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) export loads demonstrating enhanced nutrient retention potential and improved water purification potential; (2) economic stimulation was evident, as demonstrated by an increase in average weekend daily visitor numbers from 876 to 1567 and a 24.2% rise in average monthly revenue of shops within a 1 km radius; and (3) social well-being improved, with ecological satisfaction reaching 89.2% and recognition of cultural communication attaining 67.3%. An integrated analysis indicates a synergistic enhancement of ecological environmental quality, regional vitality, and public perception. Accordingly, the outcomes of this study provide both theoretical insights and practical guidance for the ecological restoration and sustainable management of urban protected areas in high-altitude plateau regions worldwide. Full article

Introduction: The upper Arlanza River (Duero Basin, Burgos, Spain) hosts a genetically distinct local lineage of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), the “Arlanza strain”, largely free from hatchery-derived introgression, alongside other native cyprinids of conservation concern, including the Iberian chub (Achondrostoma arcasii, Vulnerable—IUCN). The river also supports the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus, Endangered—IUCN) and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Despite these values, the study reach presents multiple transverse obstacles limiting longitudinal connectivity and degraded riparian cover in critical sections due to livestock erosion, compromising habitat quality for all species. Objective: This study aimed to design engineering interventions to improve fluvial and riparian habitat in a 4 km reach of the upper Arlanza River, restoring longitudinal connectivity and thermal refuge availability while strictly preserving the genetic integrity of the native Arlanza trout strain. Methodology: The reach was characterised through electrofishing surveys, riparian quality assessment (modified RQI index), hydraulic refuge evaluation (IR index), and hydrological analysis based on a 30-year flow record. Brown trout population dynamics were modelled using dimP 1.0 software, with a comparative analysis between upstream (Quintanar de la Sierra village) and downstream (Vilviestre del Pinar village) sampling points to identify connectivity bottlenecks. Engineering works were scheduled to avoid reproductive periods of all target species. Results: The upstream population showed a rejuvenated age structure (density: ~1.40 ind/m; mean length: 12.0 cm), consistent with good spawning conditions but limited growth capacity due to cold temperatures and low summer flows. The downstream point exhibited a severely reduced population (~0.10 ind/m), indicating marked loss of connectivity and habitat degradation. Priority intervention zones were identified in the Camping and lower Prado Mayor sub-reaches. Proposed measures included weir notching to restore fish passage, livestock watering points to reduce bank erosion, and riparian restoration by planting native species (Populus tremula, Betula alba, Salix spp.) protected with fences. Conclusions: Restoring longitudinal connectivity and riparian cover in the upper Arlanza River are essential to protect the genetically valuable Arlanza trout strain, the endangered G. pyrenaicus, and other native fish species, providing a transferable framework for headwater fluvial restoration that jointly addresses biodiversity conservation and genetic resource protection. Full article

Understanding trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services (ESs) along environmental gradients is crucial for sustainable oasis management. This study investigated four key ESs—carbon storage (CS), habitat quality (HQ), water yield (WY), and soil conservation (SC)—in three typical oases along water–heat gradients in arid northwestern China. The InVEST model was used to quantify ESs in 1990, 2005, and 2022, and Pearson correlation, geographically weighted regression, K-means clustering, and random forest models were applied to analyze service relationships, ecosystem service bundles (ESBs), and driving factors. The results showed that CS and HQ maintained strong synergies, while the WY–SC relationship shifted from weak trade-offs under drier conditions to stronger synergies under more favorable water–heat conditions. Geographically weighted regression revealed spatial heterogeneity and directional asymmetry in ES relationships. Four ESB types were identified: ecologically fragile zones, ecological transition or buffer zones, agricultural production zones, and core ecological source zones. Driving-factor analysis indicated that vegetation-related services were mainly associated with land-cover structure and vegetation growth, whereas hydrological and erosion-related services were more closely linked to precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, temperature, and topography. These findings support differentiated oasis management through ecological restoration, development regulation, water-saving agriculture, and strict ecological protection. Full article

With the rapid urbanization of China, environmental risks posed by informal landfills, particularly those dominated by agricultural waste, are an urgent yet understudied concern. This study systematically monitored groundwater quality surrounding five typical informal agricultural waste landfills in a coastal Chinese city. Eight major pollutants were analyzed using pollution index evaluation, the health risk model and multivariate statistical methods. The results indicate one landfill as a high-priority concern, exhibiting a combined multi-index pollution pattern with an exceedance rate of 87.5%, where NO₃⁻-N, F⁻, COD_Mn, and total hardness are the dominant indicators. Another landfill showed high background levels and anthropogenic impacts. Total non-carcinogenic risk of all landfills is below 1 (negligible). Children face approximately twice the health risk of adults. The exposure risk through drinking water ingestion is three orders of magnitude higher than that from dermal contact, with NO₃⁻-N contributing >90% of the total risk. Groundwater deterioration is primarily affected by geological conditions and seawater intrusion (52.31%), followed by agricultural activities and soil characteristics. Given these findings, priority attention should be directed to nitrogen-driven landfill and multi-index composite pollution landfill, with reinforced source tracing and control of NO₃⁻-N, alongside long-term monitoring for regional groundwater protection. Full article

Essential oils (EOs) are widely studied as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in food systems. However, their high volatility, low water solubility, instability, phytotoxicity, and strong aroma often limit their consistent applicability for food preservation. This review critically examines the literature and synthesizes current essential oil stabilization and delivery strategies in food systems, integrated with a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed literature published before June 2025. The bibliometric findings showed an expanding research field, supported by 543 authors and 54 journals, revealing the disciplinary diversity of research on essential oil-based preservation systems. In addition, the review highlights a significant focus of studies on nanoemulsions, encapsulation, and active packaging in essential oil applications. Interestingly, the study also reveals the emergence of non-contact, or vapor-phase, technologies with improved release management. Furthermore, the review shows that essential oils’ functionality depends not only on major bioactive compounds but also on chemical class, oxidative sensitivity, release behavior, interactions with the food matrix, and the delivery platform. Mechanistically, stabilization technologies such as emulsions, encapsulation, and coatings/films can improve the protection, dispersion, and release of essential oils; however, their effectiveness strongly relies on formulation variables, matrix composition, and the regulatory framework. Emerging platforms such as nanofibers, zeolites, and metal–organic frameworks offer promising routes for vapor-phase or non-contact delivery systems, ensuring improved release control, functionality, and sensory quality, but may be limited by their scalability and production cost. However, a major research gap identified by this review is the imbalance between extensive “in vitro” studies and limited studies on real food matrices, which impedes understanding of the impacts of food matrices and packaging materials on essential oil release kinetics, antimicrobial efficacy, and sensory quality. Therefore, future research should integrate real-food applications, consumer acceptability, shelf-life performance, release-kinetic modeling, and techno-economic analysis to advance essential-oil-based technologies in food systems. Full article