The article focuses on changing individual attitudes and behaviors as key factors for resilient environmental policy. Through representative field studies using a specially designed questionnaire, the subjectively declared levels of ecological perceptions and pro-environmental behaviors of citizens at the national level in Bulgaria and residents of one of the country’s municipalities, which self-identifies as a “green municipality”, were compared. The main research question is whether citizens in a local community, where there is a sustainable agreement on broadly formulated environmental goals and corresponding active pro-environmental policies, demonstrate a greater personal commitment to the environment, materializing in increased levels of knowledge and individual pro-environmental behavior. The main conclusion is that active environmental policy does not necessarily change public attitudes and individual behavior following their goals.

Maintaining and enhancing habitat connectivity in semi-natural and cultural landscapes is essential for preserving biodiversity, ecosystem health, and the well-being of both wildlife and human communities. In this regard, this study aims to assess landscape connectivity across different landscape types in Bregalnica watershed, with a specific focus on evaluating the role of rural landscapes as corridors for the European wildcat (Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777). Connectivity analysis was conducted in Graphab 2.8, using 50x50m rasterised habitat map as a baseline. A minimum patch size of 300 ha was applied to define habitat nodes, and a 1,500 m dispersal threshold was used for species movement through unsuitable habitats. Forest landscapes within the Bregalnica watershed were found to have the highest cumulative core patch value. Rural landscapes—while secondary to forests—also provide habitat for the wildcat and play a significant role in supporting habitat connectivity for the species. Three rural landscape types support European wildcat populations by providing suitable habitat and enabling connectivity between populations: Hilly rural landscape, Mountain rural landscape and Osogovo mountain rural landscape. Among these, the latter is the most critical for core area presence and connectivity. The Hilly rural landscape is the most valuable in terms of corridor presence. The outputs of this study contribute towards wildlife conservation efforts and the integrated management of ecological networks in the Bregalnica watershed region.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has categorized the Southeast Asian native species Aquilaria malaccensis as severely endangered due to the great demand for its agarwood. The purpose of the study was to assess the growth performance of Lapnisan (Aquilaria malaccensis) seedlings in varying sand concentrations. The study employed a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) method with four treatments, this include Treatment 1 (T1)-pure top soil, Treatment 2 (T2)- topsoil and sand soil (1:1 ratio), Treatment 3 (T3)- topsoil and sand soil (3:1 ratio), and Treatment 4 (T4)- topsoil and sand soil (1:3 ratio) with three replications per treatment. The effects of these treatments were evaluated based on percent survival, number of leaves, branches and stem diameter. Based on the study, there were significant differences among the treatments. Lapnisan seedlings in T2 produced more branches (3.78) and a greater number of leaves (39.56) compared to the other treatments. In contrast, Lapnisan in T3 developed a thicker stem diameter (6.89). Notably, Lapnisan seedlings in Treatment 4 achieved a 100% survival rate out of the four treatments. These results suggested that a high sand concentration is the most suitable for cultivating Lapnisan seedlings, as it significantly increased their chance of survival.

Down dead wood (DDW) is a crucial component of forest ecosystems contributing to decomposition, nutrient cycling, soil formation and biodiversity. Despite its ecological significance, historical and ongoing forest exploitation has led to a decline in DDW, particularly in coppice forests. This study was conducted in montane beech forests on the eastern slopes of Deshat Mountain, in the Mavrovo National Park in North Macedonia. Its aim was to assesse the impact of traditional forestry practices on the amount of down dead wood and other forest parameters. Five forest stands were selected based on differences in forest management and stand structure. In each stand, three sampling plots (15 in total) were established to assess tree density, diameter at breast height (DBH) and shrub presence. Down dead wood (DDW) biomass was estimated by recording all fallen tree logs and categorizing their decay into five classes. Tree density in the investigated beech forests on Deshat Mountain varied significantly, with the highest recorded in coppice forest (7817 trees/ha) and the lowest in old-growth forest (1356 trees/ha). DBH ranged from 3 to 85 cm, with smaller trees (DBH 3–17 cm) dominating across all stands. A significant negative correlation was observed between stand density and dead branch biomass, indicating that intensive forest use near villages has reduced DDW availability. The spatial gradient of DDW accumulation suggests that human impact, particularly firewood collection by the local community has shaped forest structure. Historical and ongoing anthropogenic influences, coupled with rural depopulation, have altered DDW dynamics, with remote stands retaining more deadwood due to limited accessibility. These findings highlight the need for forest management strategies that balance conservation with sustainable resource use.

The corresponding author (N. Latipov) on 20.09.2025 has requested retraction of the article “Econometric modeling and forecasting of environmental conditions of cities and population health problems: Case study of Navoi and Zarafshan cities”, published in the Macedonian Journal of Ecology and Environment, Volume 26, Number 2 (2024), stating that “…the aforementioned article was unfortunately published in two separate journals concurrently. This constitutes a breach of ethical publishing standards, which we deeply regret. We understand and acknowledge the importance of maintaining the integrity of the scientific record, and we recognize that simultaneous publication undermines this integrity”. Following our examination, we confirmed the double publication of the article (Latipov et al. 2024). Given the stated sequence of submission and acceptance in the “Visnyk of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Geology. Geography. Ecology” (Received: 13.09.2024; Accepted: 21.10.2024) and in the MJEE (Submitted: 19.09.2024; Accepted: 29.10.2024), and in accordance with the Ethical Statement of the MJEE, we retract the article. The article was marked as retracted on the online version on 15.10.2025.

Groundwater in arid regions such as Northwestern Rajasthan of India is under increasing pressure due to climatic extremes, excessive extraction, and contamination from both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. This study assesses the seasonal dynamics of groundwater quality in Bikaner, focusing on fluoride and nitrate contamination and their implications for drinking suitability and public health. Twenty samples were collected from tube wells during the monsoon (2019) and pre-monsoon (2020) periods and analysed for a suite of physicochemical parameters following standard protocols. Water usability was gauged using several parameters including pH, electrical conductivity, total hardness, total dissolved solids, and ions such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonate, carbonate, chloride, fluoride, nitrate and sulphate, while overall quality was synthesized using the Water Quality Index (WQI). Spatial patterns of contamination were visualized through geostatistical mapping, and hydrochemical facies were interpreted via Piper diagrams. Results revealed that over 65% of pre-monsoon samples surpassed WQI thresholds for safe use, signalling deteriorating groundwater quality. Elevated concentrations of fluoride (up to 5 mg/L) and nitrate (up to 320 mg/L) were commonly detected, with several areas falling into unsuitable categories for drinking. A health risk assessment using the Hazard Index framework found that all demographic groups especially infants were exposed to non-carcinogenic risk, with HI values reaching beyond 12 in critical zones. These findings underscore the urgent need for localized groundwater management strategies in the arid regions where seasonal fluctuations and geogenic factors are intensifying fluoride and nitrate contamination. The spatial clustering of high-risk zones especially in central and southeastern areas suggests persistent vulnerability requiring targeted mitigation. Prioritizing seasonal monitoring, fluoride and nitrate treatment technologies, and community-level interventions to mitigate health hazards and secure water resilience in ecologically fragile region of northwestern Rajasthan.

Effective conservation of predators requires a comprehensive understanding of their prey populations. Being a specialised hunter, the survival of the critically endangered Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus) depends on ample amount of the two main prey species, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus). We used the REST model to calculate the density of brown hare in Mavrovo National Park (MNP), North Macedonia. To that aim, we selected four sites near villages within MNP, as the park harbours the majority of the Balkan lynx population. We randomly placed 10 camera-traps with at least 200 m distance in between, aiming at a survey period of 28 days. We focused on agroecosystems with a mix of active and inactive pastures and small agricultural fields. During the entire trapping period we collected 230 videos with hare observations, obtained over a total trapping effort of 867 active trapping nights. The site-specific diel activity pattern of the brown hare reveals distinct periods of inactivity from early morning to late afternoon, with activity levels peaking shortly after this interval. Results show that the density ranged from 3.38–16.45 (SE = 2.08–5.37) brown hares per one km2. This study offers the first-ever density estimation of brown hare in the Balkan lynx range. If repeated and updated, this could potentially inform better management measures for the conservation of the Balkan’s rare cat.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the most suitable pre-treatment method that will increase germination of Albizia acle seeds. The experiment was carried out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and four hundred Akle seeds were used as an experimental material subjected to different pre-sowing treatments on germination such as Treatment 0 (T0) - control, Treatment 1 (T1) - hot soaking, Treatment 2 (T2) - cold soaking, Treatment 3 (T3) - sulfuric acid, and Treatment 4 (T4) - mechanical scarification, with four replications with twenty assessment units per replication. The effect of these treatments was evaluated through percentage germination, percentage germinative energy, and percentage germinative capacity after 30 days of observation. The seeds treated by sulfur acid (T-4) showed the highest percentage in terms of percentage germination and percentage germinative capacity (95% and 97.5%, respectively). Meanwhile, the seeds from Treatment 1 (hot soaking) had the highest percentage germinative energy with 58.75%. The overall results confirm that the most significant impact on germination and quality seedlings on Akle seeds had sulfur acid (T4 treatment).

The current study assesses the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purpose in an urban area of Northwestern Rajasthan which lies in Thar desert of India. Groundwater samples from tube wells were collected. The irrigation suitability of samples was analyzed by using parameters such as electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, nitrate, salinity hazard, percentage sodium (% Na), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium absorption ratio (MAR), Kelly’s ratio (KR), permeability index (PI), potential salinity (PS), corrosivity ratio (CR), chloro-alkaline indices (CAI-I and CAI-II), Gibb’s ratios (GR-I and GR-II), chloride : bicarbonate ratio (Cl : HCO3), magnesium : calcium ratio (Mg : Ca) and sodium : calcium ratio (Na : Ca). Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method was used to assess geospatial distribution of irrigation parameters in QGIS software. The results of EC and TDS reveal unsuitability of groundwater for irrigation use as samples fall under C3 and C4 categories. All the samples had less than 60% sodium percentage which is permissible for irrigation purposes. Very high SAR value of more than 26 was not detected. Residual sodium content falls under good category in most samples. However, several samples exhibited magnesium absorption ratio of more than 50 which is unsuitable for irrigation. Kelly’s ratios (more than 2) were also found under unsuitable category in 68.75% samples. Potential salinity falls under class III (less than 10) which is injurious and unsatisfactory for irrigation in 70% samples. Corrosivity ratio of less than 1 was observed in 62.5% samples, indicating water is safe for transportation through any type of pipes. Most of the samples had positive chloro-alkali indices CAI-I and CAI-II. Overall, 66.25% samples were detected unsuitable for irrigation chiefly because of highly saline groundwater. The study recommends effective management of groundwater resources particularly for irrigation to ensure sustainable agricultural productivity.

Shar Planina mountain, spanning through North Macedonia and Kosovo, are a significant biodiversity hotspot in the Western Balkans. Despite their ecological importance, data on the region’s caddisfly (Trichoptera) diversity remain scarce and fragmented. This study compiles a comprehensive review of all published records alongside findings from a seven-year field investigation across various habitats in North Macedonia’s part of Shar Planina mountain. As a result, the first checklist of Trichoptera species for the region is presented. According to literature and our new faunistic data, a total of 63 species are currently known from Shar Planina mountain. Notably, ten species are newly reported for the mountain and one is newly recorded for North Macedonia. The study highlights the conservation significance of these species and identifies ecologically sensitive areas based on caddisfly distribution. These findings enhance our understanding of freshwater biodiversity in a region recognized for its rich natural heritage.