Anthropic Activities Research Articles

Modeling the current and future habitat suitability of Neltuma pallida in the dry forest of northern Peru under climate change scenarios to 2100.

The development of anthropic activities and climate change effects impact worldwide species' ecosystems and habitats. Habitats' adequate prediction can be an important tool to assess current and future trends. In addition, it allows strategies development for their conservation. The Neltuma pallida of the forest region in northern Peru, although very significant, has experienced a decline in recent years. The objective of this research is to evaluate the current and future distribution and conservation status of N. pallida in the Peruvian dry forest under climate change (Location: Republic of Peru). A total of 132 forest presence records and 10 variables (bioclimatic, topographic, and soil) were processed and selected to obtain the current and future distribution for 2100, using Google Earth Engine (GEE), RStudio, and MaxEnt. The area under the curve values fell within the range of 0.93-0.95, demonstrating a strong predictive capability for both present and future potential habitats. The findings indicated that the likely range of habitats for N. pallida was shaped by factors such as the average temperature of wettest quarter, maximum temperature of warmest month, elevation, rainfall, and precipitation of driest month. The main suitable areas were in the central regions of the geographical departments of Tumbes, Piura, and Lambayeque, as well as in the northern part of La Libertad. It is critical to determine the habitat suitability of plant species for conservation managers since this information stimulates the development of policies that favor sustainable use programs. In addition, these results can contribute significantly to identify new areas for designing strategies for populations conserving and recovering with an ecological restoration approach.

Factors driving tree community structure in traditional home gardens in the Mayan forest

Introduction'Peasant populations in tropical areas use Traditional Home Gardens (THG) as a key resource for their homes. THG supports significant plant biodiversity, most directly related to asset production, including locally rare species related to food, fuelwood, cultural, ornamental, shade, and wind barriers. Previous studies have considered factors driving tree diversity in THG; however, few have evaluated the biological, environmental, and management factors that shape tree diversity. Our objective in the present study was to identify the drivers of the tree community in THG across a precipitation gradient, evaluating biological, environmental and management factors. MethodsWe visited forty-eight THG distributed across the precipitation gradient spanning around 300 km The tropical Mayan Forest in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico., where tree inventory and identification were obtained from specimens with a diameter at breast height > 5 cm. Interviews were conducted with owners about the history of THG. Metadata were captured and analyzed for 19 putative determinants of tree population structure. Differences in tree diversity by individual THG and region were determined statistically. Modeled interaction networks were determined based on a co-occurrence matrix. ResultsTHG tree abundances are mainly explained by the relative abundance of not deliberately established individuals, the organic carbon content in the soil, and surrounding forest integrity. Management history of THG by peasants, including factors such as irrigation, TGH area, and fertilization, showed smaller but significant differences. Tree distribution is at a lower degree influenced by the precipitation gradient in the Yucatan Peninsula, which shows different abundances even for species established by THG owners. ConclusionsOur results suggest that biological and environmental factors may shape tree abundance and distribution over anthropic activities in THG. We identified rare, region-specific, and indicator species by region and modeled interaction networks that show coincidences with the empirical knowledge of THG owners.

Chemical evaluation and bioactivity of humic substances isolated from the mangrove ecosystem

Mangroves are an ecosystem that features dark colored sediment, rich in organic matter, with humic substances as its main component, which were the target of this work that aimed to characterize those humic substances chemically and spectroscopically and compare the biological activity of different humic materials isolated from mangrove areas with different levels of anthropic interference (Maria Ortiz high and Canal dos Escravos low). The chemical and spectroscopic characterization of the humic materials was performed through the analysis of elemental composition, E4/E6 ratio, fluorescence intensity and infrared and their biological activity was tested by evaluating changes in the root growth of corn seedlings in hydroponics. The humic materials, from the Maria Ortiz area, presented higher values in the C/N ratio, higher values in the fluorescence index and lower values in the E4/E6 ratio, when compared with the humic materials from the area of Canal dos Escravos. The absorption bands of the infrared spectrum indicated similarities with respect to the chemical functionality of the humic materials, however, it was possible to notice clear differences between the study areas. All humic materials promoted, in general, changes in the root architecture of corn seedlings when compared to the control treatment. This work shows that there are differences in the chemical and spectroscopic characteristics and in the biological activity of the studied humic materials, demonstrating that the anthropic activity alters the quality of the organic matter of the mangrove sediments, which may interfere in the survival and development of the mangrove forests.

Using dendrogeomorphic and lichenometric approaches for rockfall analysis in the high mountains of Central Mexico

Rockfall represents one of the most destructive geomorphic processes for infrastructure and settlements located at the foot of mountain slopes. Furthermore, it poses a hazard for visitors and hikers. Despite the high anthropic activity in these environments, research on the reconstruction of rockfall in the high mountains of Mexico is still scarce. We used dendrochronological, dendrogeomorphological and lichenometric approaches to study the age and rockfall dynamics in a talus slope in central Mexico. Tree- ring chronologies were constructed from 140 samples of 50 Pinus hartwegii trees, 10 Juniperus monticola shrubs and 16 Ribes ciliatum shrubs to determine the age, frequency and rockfall stability at the upper limit of the forest (~4000 m a.s.l.). 52% of the tree samples showed impact scars, 39% callus tissue, 7% growth suppression and 2% corresponded to trees killed by rockfall. The frequency of rockfalls has increased since the second half of the 20th century, with the 1990s being the period of greatest activity. The years with the greatest disturbance were 1991, 1994 and 1998, possibly due to the intense rainfall that accumulated during the summer, as well as the earthquakes recorded in central and southern Mexico with magnitudes ⩾6. For the lichenometric analysis, 231 thalli of Rhizocarpon geographicum were measured in an active rockfall area. The results suggested three areas of rockfall activity. In the first area the ages were from 61 (±5 year) to 322 years (±41 year). In the second area, the ages were from 12 (±3 year) to 50 years (±12 year). The third area corresponds to an active zone with lichen-free blocks, located near the escarpment. The combination of dendrochronological and lichenometric methods allows a better determination of the minimum ages of rockfall, frequency, spatial distribution, and their possible factor triggers.

Opportunities to integrate Ecosystem Services into Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): a case study of milk production in Brazil

World dairy production is growing rapidly having increased by 339 million tons over the last twenty years. However, it remains unclear how anthropic activities in the milk sector can impact the Ecosystem Services (ES) supply to society. The aim of this study was to propose and determine the Net Environmental Performance (NEP) of different milk production systems. For this purpose, a case study on a confined compost barn farm, located in southeastern Brazil was selected as reference scenario and compared with three other systems. The mapping of ES benefits was carried out using the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services, while environmental impacts were calculated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The LCA results and ecosystem benefits were combined and converted into monetary units to calculate the NEP per 1 kg of milk. The results indicated that semi-confined systems had the worst environmental performance (90 % more impacts) compared to the compost barn milk system. On the other hand, confined systems generate few ES benefits, but their environmental impacts were lower for most LCA impact categories (up to 87 % minimized impacts) compared to semi-confined systems. Finally, we concluded the confined systems in SP and PR showed the best NEP (1.07 and 1.48) aiming for both environmental impacts and ES benefits to fit the win–win situation.

Characterization and evaluation of environmental units as a management and conservation strategy of the Palmira Desert (Ecuador)

Globally, deserts are considered as fragile and unique biomes. They have the capacity to provide various ecosystem services, and possess great tourism potential and scientific value, but are also susceptible to modifications or alterations in their geomorphology. Despite the strategic importance of these ecosystems at a global level, there is limited specialized research directed towards the study of deserts in Ecuador. The purpose of this research is to determine the susceptibility to degradation and carrying capacity of environmental units to support tourist and recreational activities, thereby offering the community a sustainable resource over time. The delimitation of environmental units was carried out based on the identification of land use and land cover through the supervised classification method. Multicriteria analysis was used to obtain the areas susceptible to degradation, where the environmental units were evaluated through expert evaluation. Once the results of the previous methodologies were obtained, areas with environmental and tourist potential were identified using the hosting capacity matrix, which is based on anthropic activities developed in the area. Subsequently, a proposal for conservation strategies and activities at the national and local levels was formulated. Five categories of land use and land cover were identified, resulting in 11 environmental units represented in spatial data. It was determined that approximately 31% of the territory is more susceptible to degradation, while the remaining 69% is less susceptible. Based on the susceptibility of these areas, 7 activities and 2 tourist routes were designated to help reduce anthropogenic pressure. Additionally, the community was provided with 5 proposals for conservation strategies at the national level, 4 at the local level, and 4 activities to be developed based on the findings identified during the investigation. This highlights the significant potential that the Palmira Desert has to become a conservation area.

Anthropic cut marks in extinct megafauna bones from the Pampean region (Argentina) at the last glacial maximum.

The initial peopling of South America is a topic of intense archaeological debate. Among the most contentious issues remain the nature of the human-megafauna interaction and the possible role of humans, along with climatic change, in the extinction of several megamammal genera at the end of the Pleistocene. In this study, we present the analysis of fossil remains with cutmarks belonging to a specimen of Neosclerocalyptus (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae), found on the banks of the Reconquista River, northeast of the Pampean region (Argentina), whose AMS 14C dating corresponds to the Last Glacial Maximum (21,090-20,811 cal YBP). Paleoenvironmental reconstructions, stratigraphic descriptions, absolute chronological dating of bone materials, and deposits suggest a relatively rapid burial event of the bone assemblage in a semi-dry climate during a wet season. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the cut marks, reconstruction of butchering sequences, and assessments of the possible agents involved in the observed bone surface modifications indicate anthropic activities. Our results provide new elements for discussing the earliest peopling of southern South America and specifically for the interaction between humans and local megafauna in the Pampean region during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Assessing soil contamination by potentially toxic elements in artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites of the Adamawa Region, Cameroon

Gold mining is acknowledged as a principal source of environmental contamination, primarily due to the release of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) through tailings dispersion into adjacent soils. Such contamination leads to land degradation, pollution, biodiversity loss and soil contamination, and subsequently impacts the food chain, human health and soil ecosystems. This study evaluates the extent of PTE contamination in soils at artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sites within the Meiganga area of the Adamawa-Yade Domain, Cameroon. ASGM extraction processes from quartz veins in this area involve the removal of topsoil to access the ore. Comparative analysis of soil samples from three profiles within the mining zone were conducted to determine contamination levels using pollution indices: enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, contamination factor and pollution load index. Results indicate higher concentrations of PTEs in soils from the mining area compared to the control profile, with notable contamination in the bottom slope profiles and B horizons, reflecting considerable metal accumulation. The contamination levels of PTEs substantially exceed background levels in the upper continental crust. The study attributes the elevated concentrations of PTEs not only to local mineralization but also to anthropic activities, particularly ASGM, which contributes to their enrichment, distribution and mobility. This pronounced contamination necessitates immediate intervention, advocating for pollution-control measures to address potential ecosystem and human health risks. It highlights the environmental toll of ASGM and underscores the imperative for sustainable mining practices and effective soil remediation techniques, including phytoremediation and soil replacement, to alleviate the adverse effects.

Impacts of anthropic action on water quality from spring water

Due to the sensitivity of water to external effects such as precipitation, land use and management, water quality must be monitored. This information is essential for decisions on its multiple and integrated use, as well as helping to mitigate environmental impacts. The aim of this study was to assess the water quality of perennial springs in the Palmital stream watershed, in Urutaí - GO. Water samples were collected from these sites for physical, chemical and microbiological characterization, and the water quality index (WQI) was determined during the dry and rainy seasons of 2023. According to the results, it was found that point D (an area close to farming and extensive cattle breeding) showed the highest values for total and thermotolerant coliform counts in both periods. In addition, the WQI values ranged from 59.61 to 72.70 during the dry season and from 67.93 to 74.79 during the rainy season, being classified as "Good".

Magnetic susceptibility and properties of Alisols under forest and crops in south Amazonas

Anthropic actions have motivated pieces of research on the impacted naturally poor soils of the Brazilian Amazon, requiring the use of diagnostic attributes that are increasingly specific to each environmental change. The use of magnetic proxies inherent in the soil may be the key to understanding the changes that occur in the soil and the environment. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of Alisols, in addition to determining the intensity and origin of the magnetic signal for future calibrations as an environmental proxy for monitoring soil fertility. One natural and three cultivated Alisols were sampled using systematic meshes in three layers: 0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm. The natural Alisol is a tropical forest and the agricultural ones refer to the cultivation of annatto, cupuaçu and guarana. A total of 192 samples/area were submitted to physical, chemical, mineralogical and magnetic susceptibility (MS) analysis. MS measured at low and high frequency and converted to specific mass (χlf and χhf), then descriptive, univariate and multivariate statistical analyzes were applied to the results. The conversion of the physically good and chemically poor and acidic natural Alisols to agricultural crops, caused an increase in the density and amplitude of the pH in water and Al3+ of the soil, plus a reduction in macroporosity, gravimetric humidity, available phosphorus and iron oxalate contents, and the incorporation of organic carbon in depth. All Alisols showed low χlf and χhf. However, χlf values decreased in depth for cultivated Alisols (0.53–0.26 x 10−6 m3 kg−1), whereas, for natural Alisol, these values tended to increase towards the subsurface (0.21–0.23 x 10−6 m3 kg−1). Nevertheless, the value of χlf and χhf were highly representative within the cultivation areas, which was characterized as a suitable proxy to monitor the fertility of the Alisols in the Amazon region.

Influence of Cumulative Geotechnical Deterioration on Mass Movement at a Medium-Scale Regional Analysis (Cortinas Sector, Toledo, Colombia)

Landslides in Colombia represent a serious threat to the safety of local communities and the surrounding infrastructure, especially in the mountain range zone. These events occur due to the variation and correlation of endogenous conditions existing in each area, such as geology, geomorphology and coverage, which are triggered by rainfall, seismic events or anthropic activities. This article aims to analyze the geoenvironmental conditions between 2016 and 2021 in the sector known as Cortinas (Toledo, Colombia), applying, for this purpose, the innovative concept of “accumulated geotechnical deterioration” in order to explain the evolution of susceptibility over time from the perspective of prediction, which under traditional methodologies is not properly considered, since unlike what has been thought, the conditioning factors do change in the short and medium term, especially in tropical areas. As a result of this part of the research, the hypothesis was validated that it is necessary for the terrain to be under certain specific conditions for an instability event to occur, which does not depend only on certain critical thresholds of rainfall and earthquakes.

Effects of ground transport on the presence of heavy metals in selected honeybee products.

Honeybees are insects very sensitive to environmental pollution and at the same time very good indicators of the pollution levels for certain types of pollutants. The morphology and ethology of these insects make them perfect vectors for dust and substances, including heavy metals produced by anthropic activities or naturally generated and deposited on foraged flora. When bees are raised to produce foods such as honey and pollen, they can easily transfer pollutants collected from contaminated flower affecting the quality of these products. However, depending on geographical location of the apiaries and their distance from pollution sources, the risk to contaminate bee products can be higher or lower requiring deep investigations. In this study, two apiaries were built near ground transport infrastructures and used as monitoring stations for investigating heavy metal presence in beehive products such as bee wax, pollen, and honey. Another apiary was placed between these two locations at a distance of 500 m from each one and used as central node to asses possible diffusion trends. Parallel, air quality was monitored in the proximity of each apiary to verify the air pollution of the environments close to these sites. The results of the study suggest that the presence of the highway and the train station affected the levels of heavy metal presence in the apiary products. Air quality near apiaries was also negatively affected by ground transport, especially in proximity of the highway. Wax resulted significantly more polluted in the apiary close to train station with elements such as Al, Zn, and Ni, while honey and pollen were significantly more polluted in the proximity of the highway with elements such as Al, Fe, Cu, and Zn. Honey was the product suffering less the contamination by heavy metals while pollen was the worse. In conclusion, the presence of transportation nodes determined a higher accumulation of heavy metals in beehive products respect the apiary placed in between, suggesting to pay particular attention in the site selection for the placement of apiaries to protect both bees and human health.

A comprehensive monitoring approach for a naturally anoxic aquifer beneath a controlled landfill

The processes leading to high levels of arsenic (As), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in groundwater, in a naturally reducing aquifer at a controlled municipal landfill site, are investigated. The challenge is to distinguish the natural water-rock interaction processes, that allow these substances to dissolve in groundwater, from direct pollution or enhanced dissolution of hydroxides as undesired consequences of the anthropic activities above. Ordinary groundwater monitoring of physical-chemical parameters and inorganic compounds (major and trace elements) was complemented by environmental isotopes of groundwater (tritium, deuterium, oxygen-18 and carbon-13) and dissolved gases (carbon-13 of methane and carbon dioxide and carbon-14 of methane). Pearson/Spearman correlation indices, as well as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), were used to determine the main correlations among variables. The concurrent presence of As, Fe and CH4, as reported in similar anoxic environments, suggests that anaerobic oxidation of methane could drive the reductive dissolution of As-rich Fe(III)(hydro)oxides. Manganese is more sensitive to carbon dioxide, possibly due to a decrease in pH which accelerates the dissolution of Mn-oxides. Finally, we found that tritium and deuterium, which have been used for decades as leachate tracer in groundwater, may be subject to false positives due to the reuse of water recovered from leachate treatment (which has the same isotopic signature of leachate) within the plants, to comply with the requirements of the circular economy. The integration of the environmental isotope analysis into the traditional monitoring approach can effectively support the comprehension of processes. However, this strategy needs to be complemented by a good conceptual hydrogeological model and expert evaluation to avoid misinterpretations.

Possible enrichment process of Cd in the Se-rich soil area of Lanshan District, Shandong Province, China.

High cadmium (Cd) concentrations widely occured in selenium (Se)-rich soils, which has been an important obstacle in the usage of Se-rich soils. There is still no special information detailing the enrichment process and mechanism of Cd in Se-rich soils. 4474 soils and 21 rocks in Lanshan District were sampled to detect its enrichment process. The surface soils have Cd concentrations of 0.01-9.41mg·kg-1 (an average of 0.16mg·kg-1). The soil Cd concentrations were significantly correlated with soil Se concentrations. The relatively higher-Cd surface soils are distributed in Lower-middle Ordovician carbonate areas with Se-rich soils and Quaternary areas with typical anthropic activities. Surface soils in Ordovician carbonate area have the highest Cd concentrations. Soil Cd concentrations are significantly correlated with sulfophil elements (Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mo), Lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) etc.), Ca (Calcium) concentrations and soil organic carbon (SOC). The soil and rock samples from different geological units also confirmed soil Cd concentrations developing from Ordovician carbonates were higher than those from other rocks. The results indicate the soil Cd concentrations were the complex consequences of bedrock, soil-forming processes and anthropogenic activities. Higher Ca concentrations and more reduction environments result in high-Cd bedrock. CaCO3 leaching and alkaline pH, which are the special soil-forming process of carbonates, enrich Cd in soils. Agricultural and industrial activities also affect soil Cd concentrations. An enrichment model of Cd in Se-rich soils is forwarded.

Temporal evolution of deforestation in the Xingu River Watershed between 2008 to 2020

Anthropic activities that alter land cover patterns in Watersheds, such as deforestation, affect the food and sanitary security of the population. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a quantitative analysis of the temporal evolution of deforestation in the Xingu River Watershed between the years 2008 and 2020. To achieve this, the methodology was organized into the following steps: Database construction (Xingu River Watershed boundaries, deforested areas, and Land Use and Land Cover); Data preprocessing; Analysis of the temporal evolution of deforestation; and Quantitative analysis of land cover change in the deforested areas. It became evident that deforestation did not exhibit a standardized behavior, due to the large proportion of deforested areas in 2008 and the abrupt reduction in 2012. Furthermore, the deforestation in 2012, 2016, and 2020 resulted in greater conversion of native forests into pasture than the regeneration of these areas. Therefore, it can be concluded that 2008 had the highest deforestation rate, due to the increase in soybean prices, and that 2012 had the lowest rates due to the implementation of environmental policies, highlighting the relationship between environmental policies and the seasonality of commodity prices with deforestation rates. It was also concluded that the main destination for the deforested areas has been pastureland for livestock, and a viable solution to identify and punish offenders, as well as support small-scale producers and recover areas devastated by deforestation, is land regularization.

Paleosol charcoal: 12,700 years of high-altitude mediterranean vegetation history in relation to forest fires in the southwestern baetic cordillera (Spain)

Mountain forests are sensitive ecosystems. This is why in recent years the dynamics of these forest ecotones have been researched from several different approaches. One of these has been the paleoecological perspective, which is particularly interesting in the mountainous areas of the Mediterranean region, where interactions between climate, vegetation and anthropic activities have been documented for millennia. This is the case of the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park (southwestern Baetic Cordillera), a mountainous area that constitutes an important refuge for flora in southern Iberian Peninsula. At present, endemic trees such as Abies pinsapo and Quercus faginea subs. alpestris are found. However, its strategic geographical location may also have served in the past as a refuge for other tree taxa. In order to reconstruct the vegetation history in this protected natural area, this research aims to use pedoanthracological analysis in an unexplored area of this mountainous system. The results obtained have allowed to identify a new paleopopulation of Abies, a finding that provides new keys on the paleobiogeography of this species. This is the oldest evidence of this genus and at the highest altitude of those found to date in the southwestern Baetic Cordillera, which would confirm that this fir tree was present in high elevations of the Sierra de las Nieves during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Likewise, the first anthracological evidence of Pinus nigra/sylvestris type in the southwestern end of the Baetic Cordillera has been obtained. Forest fires could have been one of the main factors which would be determined the shaping and evolution of the vegetation landscape, as suggested by the fire events identified from the soil analysis. This information can be useful for the conservation and adaptive management of the most threatened forests and their habitats in the face of global change.

The Study of Groundwater in the Zhambyl Region, Southern Kazakhstan, to Improve Sustainability

Water resources are scarce and difficult to manage in Kazakhstan, Central Asia (CA). Anthropic activities largely eliminated the Aral Sea. Afghanistan’s large-scale canal construction may eliminate life in the main stream of the Amu Darya River, CA. Kazakhstan’s HYRASIA ONE project, with a EUR 50 billion investment to produce green hydrogen, is targeted to withdraw water from the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan, CA, requires sustainable programs that integrate both decision-makers’ and people’s behavior. For this paper, the authors investigated groundwater resources for sustainable use, including for consumption, and the potential for natural “white” hydrogen production from underground geological “factories”. Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources, such as iron-rich rocks, minerals, and uranium, which are necessary for serpentinization reactions and radiolysis decay in natural hydrogen production from underground water. Investigations of underground geological “factories” require substantial efforts in field data collection. A chemical analysis of 40 groundwater samples from the 97 wells surveyed and investigated in the T. Ryskulov, Zhambyl, Baizak and Zhualy districts of the Zhambyl region in South Kazakhstan in 2021–2022 was carried out. These samples were compared with previously collected water samples from the years 2020–2021. The compositions of groundwater samples were analyzed, revealing various concentrations of different minerals, natural geological rocks, and anthropogenic materials. South Kazakhstan is rich in natural mineral resources. As a result, mining companies extract resources in the Taraz–Zhanatas–Karatau and the Shu–Novotroitsk industrial areas. The most significant levels of minerals found in water samples were found in the territory of the Talas–Assinsky interfluve, where the main industrial mining enterprises are concentrated and the largest groundwater deposits have been explored. Groundwater compositions have direct connections to geological rocks. The geological rocks are confined to sandstones, siltstones, porphyrites, conglomerates, limestones, and metamorphic rocks. In observation wells, a number of components can be found in high concentrations (mg/L): sulfates—602.0 (MPC 500 mg/L); sodium—436.5 (MPC 200 mg/L); chlorine—465.4 (MPC 350 mg/L); lithium—0.18 (MPC 0.03 mg/L); boron—0.74 (MPC 0.5 mg/L); cadmium—0.002 (MPC 0.001 mg/L); strontium—15, 0 (MPC 7.0 mg/L); and TDS—1970 (MPC 1000). The high mineral contents in the water are natural and comprise minerals from geological sources, including iron-rich rocks, to uranium. Proper groundwater classifications for research investigations are required to separate potable groundwater resources, wells, and areas where underground geological “factories” producing natural “white” hydrogen could potentially be located. Our preliminary investigation results are presented with the aim of creating a large-scale targeted program to improve water sustainability in Kazakhstan, CA.

Mammal diversity responses to anthropic, environmental, and seasonal changes within Caatinga seasonal dry forest landscapes

AbstractCaatinga's conservation and biodiversity are threatened due to the intensification of anthropic activities and climate change. The mammals have different responses to seasonal and anthropic changes, however particularly in Caatinga, these effects are still poorly understood. We assessed the influence of anthropic (distance from urban areas and wind farms), environmental (distance from water), and seasonal (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST)) variables on the number of records and richness of medium and large‐sized mammals in Brazilian Caatinga. We used camera traps in 2016–2017 and 2018–2019, estimated the variation (cv) of NDVI and LST, and generated Euclidean distance maps to anthropic and environmental variables at 250, 500, and 1000 m spatial scales. We performed Generalized Linear Models, used the Akaike information criterion, and calculated model averaging to assess the strength and direction of effect and the uncertainties of the winner models, respectively. The distance from wind farms and maximum LST had a noticeable effect on the number of records and total richness. The distance from wind farms had a negative effect on the records of Dicotyles tajacu and a positive effect on the records of Leopardus pardalis and richness. The maximum LST had a negative effect on the records of L. pardalis and a positive effect on the records of Puma concolor and Cerdocyon thous. Our results emphasize that an unsustainable expansion of wind farms is likely to compromise mammal diversity. We found an opposite pattern for some species regarding LST. However, it is important to highlight that the conservation of vegetation areas on the top of mountains and springs, and the installation of artificial water sources are important strategies to mitigate the impacts of high temperatures on mammals' biodiversity in Caatinga.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

Ecosystem Approach in Agrivoltaic Parks Design

The approach to strategic landscape design faces today two challenges: a) the reduction of biodiversity loss b) the mitigation of the negative impact that anthropic activities have on ecosystems. As these are subject to a continuous transformation process, it is essential that the design methodology considers its underlying properties. Hence, arises the need of a profound paradigm shift: integrate better the human landscape into the natural one. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to understand first landscape dynamics as well as the mechanisms that facilitate its resilience and functionality in ecological terms. This is possible thanks to the strategic framework of the Ecological Infrastructure. The landscape proposal must evaluate then the sequence of actions to be carried out, the measures necessary for the improvement of the recognised systems, and its possible evolution over time. Then, according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by the EU 2030 biodiversity strategies, the proposal must demonstrate: How biodiversity will improve and how it will be preserved - How ecological processes linked to biodiversity will be upgraded - How cultural and social processes linked to the site will be enhanced - How agricultural and energy production will increase land efficiency - How disturbances will be modulated and controlled. This methodology carried out in Spain aims to demonstrate that the implementation of agrivoltaic fields create an optimal synergy to ensure food security and mitigate the effects of climate change, but also provide the chance to make the landscape more sustainable, efficient, and beautiful.

Polyphasic Approach and Potential Cyanotoxin Production by Planktothrix from the Río Grande de Comitán and Montebello Lakes National Park, Southern Mexico.

The development of anthropic activities during recent years has led to an increase in nutrient fluxes in the Río Grande de Comitán and Montebello Lakes National Park, Mexico. In turn, this has modified the dynamics of the biotic community, specifically favoring the presence of cyanobacteria tolerant to contamination. The continual and massive presence of Planktothrix species (spp.) in the system suggests a potential detrimental impact for economic issues and human health. In this study, we identify the morphological and molecular characteristics of Planktothrix populations from seven tropical (1,380-1,740 masl, 23.0-25.5°C) and calcareous lakes and two ponds from a water treatment plant. We also assess the ecological drivers that could be related to the presence of cyanotoxins in the system. The ecological preferences, morphology, 16S rRNA structure, and 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer found evidence for three species: P. agardhii distributed in neutral to slightly basic water (pH = 7.7-8.7), and P. spiroides and Planktothrix sp. in alkaline waters (pH = 9.1). The presence of the mcyE gene and its validation by liquid chromatography confirmed the presence of two microcystin variants (MC-RR and MC-LR) in at least three populations of P. agardhii. These microcystins put the health of the ecosystem and its inhabitants at risk, a condition that should be addressed and resolved with a water management and detoxification strategy in the basin.