Anthropogenic disturbance and plant drivers shape multitrophic arthropod dynamics in urban ecotones: Evidence from urban edge

Understanding the spatial variability and environmental drivers of soil organic carbon (SOC) is critical for improving carbon management in fragile karst landscapes. This study collected 110 topsoil samples across county Yangshan, southern China, and applied an interpretable machine learning framework combining Random Forest (RF) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to explore the spatial heterogeneity and key environmental controls of SOC. The measured contents ranged from 3.33 to 44.20 g/kg, with a coefficient of variation of 43.5%, indicating moderate variability. RF-based spatial predictions revealed that higher SOC levels were mainly concentrated in the northern and southern subregions associated with clastic rocks, while lower SOC values clustered in central areas dominated by carbonate bedrocks. SHAP analysis indicated that soil physicochemical properties contributed over 53% to SOC, with total nitrogen and cation exchange capacity exerting the strongest influences, particularly in karst zones. Hydrological, vegetation, and terrain-related factors showed moderate importance, especially in high-elevation areas with natural vegetation and complex topography that promoted SOC accumulation. In contrast, climatic variables had relatively weak impacts, with their influences clustered in lowlands dominated by anthropogenic land uses. These findings revealed spatially heterogenous controls on SOC between karst and non-karst landscapes, emphasizing the dominant role of soil properties under shallow, erosion-prone conditions and highlighting the role of topography and vegetation in enhancing SOC stocks in mountainous areas. The integrated use of interpretable machine learning approaches improves the understanding of localized SOC dynamics and provides a valuable reference for precision carbon management and ecological restoration in other environmentally sensitive regions. • RF-SHAP framework effectively identified key environmental drivers on SOC. • Local SHAP values visualized spatial heterogeneity in karst and non-karst areas. • TN and CEC dominated contributions of SOC, especially under karst landscapes. • Hydrology, vegetation, and terrain influenced SOC in high-elevation clastic zones. • Climatic impacts clustered in lowlands associated with anthropogenic disturbance.

Quantitative assessment of sediment sources in the Shanxi Fenhe River reservoir section: A comparative study using end-member mixing analysis and sediment fingerprinting

Bryophytes are essential components of urban biodiversity but remain understudied in subtropical cities. This study investigates bryophyte diversity across three urban green space types: parks, affiliated green spaces, and street plantings along urban-rural gradients in Guangzhou, southern China. We surveyed 36 sample sites and employed a boosted regression tree model to analyze the relationships between bryophyte diversity and environmental variables, including soil physicochemical properties, canopy density, precipitation, and anthropogenic disturbance. Twenty-two bryophyte species were recorded, with Sematophyllaceae and Hypnaceae as the dominant families. Key environmental drivers of bryophyte diversity were ranked as follows: human disturbance > canopy density > vascular plant diversity > site elevation > soil properties. Conservation strategies should focus on minimizing anthropogenic impacts, enhancing vascular plant diversity, and maintaining moderate canopy cover.

Cascading response mechanisms of multi-aquifer groundwater levels and land deformation driven by precipitation and anthropogenic disturbances: Insights from the Beijing Plain, China

Hypersaline environments harbor extremely dense bacterial and viral populations unique from other aquatic ecosystems. Changes to the hydrologic cycle and anthropogenic disturbances have the potential to alter these poorly described communities. Here, we aimed to assess the variation within the viral and bacterial communities of one of the world's largest hypersaline estuaries over 13 months. Using metagenomics, we identified viruses associated with two different salinity regimes, and we showed how viruses responded to pulse disturbances including freshwater inundation and freeze events. We identified 17, 324 viral species, of which 12,132 were found in only one of the salinity regimes. Our results demonstrate a potential association between freshwater pulses throughout June 2021 and shifts in viral community composition. Freeze events showed a greater propensity to alter the auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), or genes carried by viruses to alter host metabolism during infection. Viruses associated with low temperatures led to higher incidences of AMGs associated with sulfur cycling and oxidative phosphorylation as opposed to photosynthesis with freshwater inundation and no extreme weather. The contrasting responses to different pulse disturbances make evident the need to better understand how different types of disturbances alter viral communities and their potential to modulate important biogeochemical cycles.

Resilience of forest composition, configuration, and structure following wildfire and harvest

Traditional indicator species approaches are widely used in freshwater bioassessment due to their simplicity, low cost, and operational efficiency. This study develops a Functional Trait-Based Indicator Value Index (FIVI) by integrating functional traits with the indicator species framework for benthic macroinvertebrates in the Yangtze River Basin. FIVI links functional trait-based indicator values of families to biological integrity gradients derived from the integration of total family richness and functional richness across diverse waterbody types (mainstem, primary and secondary tributaries, streams, river-isolated lakes, and river-connected lakes), thereby enhancing ecological interpretability and operational applicability. We classified 182 families into ten functional groups and quantified their indicator values across five biological integrity grades using specificity and fidelity metrics. These values were further translated into indicator grades and combined with dominance information to construct FIVI. Comparative validation of five configurations identified the top three dominant families as the optimal formulation. Across six waterbody types, FIVI showed more even grade distributions and stronger responses to anthropogenic disturbance gradients than the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) and the Family Biotic Index (FBI). Multi-dimensional evaluations demonstrated that FIVI achieved superior discriminatory power, higher precision, stronger responsiveness, lower misclassification rates, and greater relevancy to anthropogenic disturbance gradients. By linking functional traits with biological integrity gradients, FIVI provides an ecologically interpretable and operationally simple tool for rapid bioassessment across diverse freshwater ecosystems. The functional group classification and corresponding indicator value lookup tables enable efficient field application, supporting large-scale freshwater ecosystem monitoring and management decisions. • Developed FIVI, a functional trait-based index integrating the indicator species framework for rapid freshwater bioassessment. • Linked functional indicator values to biological integrity gradients derived from total family richness and functional richness. • Quantified functional indicator values (FIVs) using specificity and fidelity across diverse waterbody types. • Demonstrated superior performance over traditional indices (BMWP and FBI) in discriminatory ability, precision, responsiveness, and sensitivity. • Provided ready-to-use lookup tables for ecosystem monitoring and management with minimal taxonomic expertise.

Wetlands have suffered severe losses due to land-use and climate change, strongly contributing to the recent biodiversity crisis. This is especially true for urban areas. However, urban stormwater ponds, which have recently been constructed with increasing frequency, can represent valuable habitats for both flora and fauna. While previous studies have highlighted the importance of stormwater ponds as habitats for various plant and animal taxa, their role as resting and wintering habitats for birds has received little attention so far. In this study, we aimed to identify the importance of such stormwater ponds as resting and wintering habitats for the declining jack snipe ( Lymnocryptes minimus ) and common snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ). Our study in the oceanic north-west of Germany revealed that relatively small urban stormwater ponds with large semi-aquatic zones were important habitats for both species. In the study year, spring migration ended earlier and autumn migration started later than usual in both species. Climatic conditions during the migration/wintering period had a clear impact on the phenology of the snipes. In the climate models, higher amounts of precipitation prior to the survey fostered their densities. In the habitat models, the key drivers of snipe density were (i) the distance to woodland and (ii) the cover of sparse low-growing vegetation in the semi-aquatic zone. Both had a positive effect. Overall, a high habitat quality was the key for high snipe densities in the stormwater ponds. More precisely, food availability, shelter against predators and absence of anthropogenic disturbance (only jack snipe) drove snipe densities in the stormwater ponds. Based on our findings, newly created stormwater ponds should exhibit low slope angles (1: 15–20), large semi-aquatic zones and regularly be managed. • Small urban stormwater ponds with large semi-aquatic zones were important habitats. • Spring migration ended earlier and autumn migration started later than usual. • Higher amounts of precipitation prior to the survey fostered snipe densities. • High habitat quality was identified as the key driver of snipe densities. • Low slope angles, large semi-aquatic zones and regular management are required.

Shifting flow regimes and water quality regulate CH4 dynamics in anthropogenically perturbed tropical rivers and canals.

Climate change is causing temperatures to rise across much of the earth, and this warming is amplified in urban areas due to the urban heat island effect. One of the most effective methods of reducing urban heat is expanding the urban forest. However, rising temperatures coupled with increasing drought intensity create challenges for the establishment of newly planted trees in cities. Obstacles to urban tree establishment are exacerbated in legacy cities, which have limited financial resources to plant and manage trees. In summer 2024, we conducted a large-scale field study in Dayton, Ohio, USA to address the challenges of expanding the urban forest in a legacy city. To determine low-cost solutions for urban forest expansion, we supplied 640 newly-planted native saplings with varying levels of irrigation investments across 20 parks in Dayton. We then monitored sapling survival, growth, and health in response to our irrigation investments and surrounding impervious surfaces within a 500-m radius of each planting site as a proxy for heat. We found that the effects of both irrigation treatment and surrounding heat varied among tree species. Overall, approximately 50% of planted saplings survived to the end of the growing season, and many saplings went missing due to anthropogenic disturbance. Therefore, we recommend a tailored approach to urban forest expansion which takes species, resources available for irrigation, and surrounding imperviousness into consideration to inform sustainable urban reforestation plans.

ABSTRACTConversion of forests to agricultural land leads to a decline in soil biodiversity and it affects the ecosystem services that they provide. The rising population around Mt. Kenya forest and an increase in demand for land and forest resources has led to deforestation. However, the impact on fungal communities remains unknown. High‐throughput sequencing was used to assess fungal diversity in the protected part of the Mt. Kenya forest, which is predominantly woodland, and in unprotected areas dominated by shrubland. The most significantly (p < 0.05) abundant fungal genera in the woodland were Mortierella (23.3%) and Metarhizium (5.4%). Fusarium (8.5%) and Aspergillus (3.5%) were significantly higher in the shrubland. An evaluation of the primary lifestyle showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher number of animal parasites (16.3%) and soil saprotrophs (46.2%) in the woodland. Conversely, shrubland had a higher abundance of plant pathogens (20%). Beta diversity analysis showed a clear separation of fungal communities in the woodland and shrubland. Redundancy analysis showed a positive correlation of Mortierella with Mn and C. Metarhizium and Aspergillus were negatively correlated with clay and C, respectively. These results provide important information for the conservation of fungal communities in the Mt. Kenya forest and it will also inform management decisions aimed at improving soil health.

No simple links: Absence of correlation between condition factor and immune status under contrasting environmental conditions in three wild marine fish species.

Anthropogenic water and sediment regulation drives a refractory terrestrial carbon pulse to the Yellow River estuary.

Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) constitutes half of the terrestrial carbon pool and exerts a profound influence on global carbon cycling and ecosystem multifunctionality. Contrary to the view of millennial-scale stability, SIC in cropland are undergoing rapid changes due to intense anthropogenic disturbances. However, the direction, magnitude, and drivers of SIC changes over recent decades remain poorly quantified, especially in entire soil profile. Here, we quantified changes in SIC across a 1-m soil profile across China's upland croplands at 204 matched sites (4,305 soil profiles) in 1980s and 2023, relocated using legacy site descriptions and field verification. Over the past four decades, the mean of surface SIC density (0 to 40 cm) depleted by 0.68 kg m-2, primarily associated with increased precipitation and soil acidification, whereas subsurface SIC density (40 to 100 cm) increased by 0.49 kg m-2, attributed to carbon inputs and an increase in soil pH. Subsurface SIC accumulation amounted to [Formula: see text] Pg, offsetting 44% surface losses within the upper 1 m soil profile. Importantly, this offset reflects vertical redistribution of SIC rather than net carbon sequestration at the ecosystem scale. These findings highlight the need to incorporate depth-resolved SIC dynamics into terrestrial carbon accounting and climate projections.

The Hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape, is highly dependent on continuous, mature forest canopies for survival, but faces rapid decline due to habitat fragmentation and human disturbance. This study focuses on understanding how habitat structure and spatial heterogeneity in Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary influence gibbon distribution, providing insights for effective conservation. The present study investigated the key habitat characteristics and spatial heterogeneity governing the distribution of western hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) across Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary and Bison National Park, Tripura, northeastern India, Between February and July 2024. Systematic field surveys were conducted along five belt transects (each 2 km × 10 m), quantifying canopy cover, vertical stratification, gap dynamics, woody plant species composition, and anthropogenic disturbance severity. Visual and spherical densiometer-derived canopy cover exceeded 85% across all study sites, and dense vertical foliage stratification with emergent vegetation reaching 13–19 m above ground typified gibbon-preferred areas. Small canopy gaps (&lt;25 cm) constituted 56.8% of all recorded gaps, supporting understorey regeneration, while large gaps (&gt;200 cm) were rare and locally attributable to Cyclone Remal (2024). Species richness and Simpson diversity index were highest in structurally complex stands. Canopy connectivity showed a strong positive correlation with gibbon detection frequency (Pearson r = 0.78, P &lt; 0.001). Sentinel-2 multitemporal land cover analysis confirmed relative forest stability (&gt;77% forest cover, 2018–2023) with only marginal agricultural encroachment at sanctuary margins. These findings underscore the conservation imperative of maintaining mature, structurally heterogeneous, and well-connected forests for the long-term persistence of this endangered ape.

Abstract The present study aimed to assess the early functional responses of plant communities to extreme anthropogenic disturbances caused by war. To this end, the case of the Kakhovka Dam destruction in June 2023 was examined. The functional structure of plant communities in the first year following the event on Khortytsia Island in the lower Dnipro floodplain (southern Ukraine) was analysed. The research identified 146 species of vascular plants and employed multivariate analysis, utilising functional diversity indices and principal component analysis. Hemeroby and naturalness indices were incorporated to distinguish between anthropogenic and natural influences. The study’s results revealed the presence of five distinct axes of variation in functional community structure. Disturbed areas exhibited increased functional redundancy and evenness, driven by ruderal species dominance and loss of ecological dominants. The phenomenon of functional richness and specialisation exhibited a response to variations in moisture levels, while alterations in functional identity reflected shifts in pollination strategies. The findings indicated a close association between hemeroby and functional redundancy and evenness alterations. The spatial patterns observed across the island reflect a complex interaction between human impacts and natural moisture gradients. This study is among the first to document rapid, trait-based vegetation responses to wartime ecosystem disruption. The study emphasises the efficacy of functional diversity and hemeroby as mechanisms for assessing ecological stability in conflict-affected regions.

Habitat selection is a critical ecological process influencing survival and recruitment during early life stages of freshwater species, yet it remains unclear whether observed habitat use reflects active preference or simple accessibility. We experimentally quantified habitat selection in the freshwater crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus across two early life stages (craylings and juveniles), testing whether individuals actively select structurally complex habitats and whether this selection is size-dependent. Using laboratory choice and no-choice arenas, we found that both life stages exhibited clear, measurable preferences for vegetated habitats. Craylings selected vegetation 10.7% ± 3.44% more often when choice was available compared with no-choice conditions, while juveniles showed a markedly stronger response, selecting vegetation 60.0% ± 9.03% more often. In contrast, use of sand declined under choice conditions (craylings: -12.0% ± 4.59%; juveniles: -6.67% ± 15.87%), and gravel showed little or no positive selection (craylings: 2.7% ± 6.64%; juveniles: 0% ± 9.03%). Habitat use in no-choice arenas was comparatively even, indicating that accessibility alone could not explain observed patterns. Together, these results demonstrate that vegetated habitats provide disproportionately important refuge for early life stages of freshwater crayfish, with juveniles exhibiting five‑ to sixfold stronger selection for vegetation than craylings. Our findings highlight how the loss of habitat complexity through environmental change or anthropogenic disturbance may reduce recruitment success and population viability in tropical freshwater ecosystems.

Freshwater lakes play a critical role in the global carbon cycle by storing and transforming organic matter (OM) from both terrestrial and aquatic sources. Small lakes in northern temperate regions, despite their limited surface area, disproportionately influence regional carbon budgets. Buried sediments integrate OM inputs over time and archive ecosystem responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. However, the direction and magnitude of recent environmental changes on sediment carbon (C) dynamics remain poorly understood. A 23-centimeter core was collected from a small temperate lake in northeastern USA to evaluate sediment OM content and composition over timescales relevant to historical land-use change, damming, and recovery from acid deposition. Patterns in OM burial and source contributions were revealed via elemental and isotopic analyses of bulk OM and UV–Vis spectrophotometry of water-extractable organic matter (WEOM). The optical metrics expanded observations of likely OM sources beyond the information gained from bulk carbon metrics (total carbon, δ 13 C). The aromaticity of WEOM increased downcore, which is consistent with a shift from increased terrestrial inputs during early logging and damming activity (pre ∼1920) to more microbial-derived OM in recent surficial sediments. Future applications of WEOM optical properties as complements to traditional geochemical metrics can enhance interpretations of lake ecosystem responses recorded in lake sediments to environmental perturbations in temperate lakes. • Highlights (85 character max per point including spaces) • Water-extractable organic matter from lake sediments reveals environmental history • WEOM optical metrics vary more across sediment depth than bulk geochemical metrics • WEOM metrics show promise for broader geochemical applications in lake sediments

Unveiling the co-occurrence of fluoride-arsenic and nitrate retention in Wujiang cascade reservoirs by a hybrid hydrochemical, PMF model and multi-isotopic method.