Ecological Challenges Research Articles

Research on the Application of Machine Learning Algorithms in Green Economy Indicator Modeling and Sustainable Development Evaluation

This study presents a comprehensive modeling and analysis framework for investigating the impact of green GDP on climate factors and its potential for promoting sustainable development. Our model utilizes the entropy weight method (EWM) and grey correlation analysis (GRA) to optimize and process data, while employing a BP neural network for model training. Results indicate that green GDP leads to smaller global climate damage compared to traditional GDP, indicating its potential to alleviate the global climate crisis and promote green development.Furthermore, we built a green GDP prediction model using LSTM to forecast future changes. From the perspective of economy and management, the results indicate that transitioning from GDP to green GDP initially leads to a decrease in the index, followed by an increase. This suggests that green GDP development has short-term drawbacks but long-term benefits, including reduced resource consumption, improved economic conditions, and contribution to sustainable development. Finally, we analyzed the learning rate, number of iterations, and thresholds of related parameters through Logistic binary classification. Results demonstrate that our model is relatively stable, highlighting how green GDP addresses ecological challenges while promoting economic prosperity. These findings underscore the urgency of adopting the concept of green GDP in the contemporary era for achieving sustainable development goals.Overall, this research provides critical insights on the potential benefits and feasibility of green GDP as a crucial tool for mitigating climate risks and enhancing global prosperity.

Utilization of straw ash as a partial substitute for ordinary Portland cement in concrete

The disposal of agricultural waste ash is a great ecological challenge. This study analyzed the basic properties of corn straw ash and soybean straw ash, encompassing the identification of key oxides, the assessment of particle size distribution, and the performance of thermogravimetric analysis. This study also evaluated the potential of corn straw ash and soybean straw ash to replace cement in mortar and concrete through laboratory tests. The findings indicated that the strength activity index of corn straw ash was higher than soybean straw ash. Furthermore, when these ashes were used as cement replacements, the compressive strength of concrete decreased. Notably, concrete containing corn straw ash exhibited greater strength than concrete with the same substitution amount of soybean straw ash. Specifically, at a 5% substitution level, the compressive strengths of corn straw ash concrete and soybean straw ash concrete were 31.5 and 30.5 MPa, respectively. Additionally, soybean straw ash concrete demonstrated superior resistance to water penetration compared to corn straw ash concrete. Both corn straw ash and soybean straw ash exhibited the potential to enhance the early crack resistance of concrete.

Stepwise Multidimensional Climate Envelop Modeling of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)

Understanding the intricate relationships between climate and vegetation remains a fundamental challenge in contemporary ecology. The ability to anticipate the specific climatic factors affecting different tree species and understand how they respond is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change on forested ecosystems. Additionally, quantitatively assessing habitat loss resulting from anthropogenic activities is essential for informed conservation efforts. Our objective is to evaluate the potential distribution of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) in North America and assess the associated habitat loss. To achieve this, we employ a stepwise multidimensional climate envelope modeling approach, comparing two data-intensive models—the Variable Interaction Model (VIM) and the Variable Non-Interaction Model (VNM). These models discern the influence of diverse combinations of climatic characteristics on the distribution of the species. Both VNM and VIM employ Shapley values for factor ranking during construction. VNM assumes independent effects, resulting in a hyperrectangle-shaped climate envelope, while VIM considers interactions, yielding a complex, data-driven multidimensional envelope. Data integration involves mining the US Forest Inventories and climatic data, encompassing 19 parameters. The results unequivocally highlight the superior predictive accuracy of VIM compared to the Variable Non-Interaction Model, VNM. The modeling approach developed in this study has the potential to enhance species distribution models for various tree species in the context of evolving climatic conditions.

A Comparative Study on How AI is Partnering with Nature for a Sustainable Future.

Mounting ecological and socio-economic challenges demand a paradigm shift to sustainability. Artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a powerful means to pursue this objective; it establishes a “Symbiotic Synergy” with nature’s complex networks. This study attempts to investigate the SDGs using AI as a transformative tool, the sustainability of AI and its socio-economic impact. The research applies a multimethod approach, using surveys, case studies and categorizations to determine how AI is helping achieve the SGDs in harmony with nature. Key applications of AI in important domains are covered including agriculture and sanitation, renewable energy sector, hydrogen energy sector and the impact that AI is having leading to the future sustainable cities. Case studies and real-world examples demonstrate the effectiveness of AI technologies in forecasting energy demand, improving power dispatchment, and boosting performance within renewable resources. This study is a guide to the harnessing of AI potential for meeting SDGs, which leads us into an era where humans will attain great heights with cooperation between technology and nature.

Lay of the (wet)land: manager practices and challenges in wetland revegetation

Despite providing essential ecosystem services, wetlands are one of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. Revegetation of wetlands is a critical aspect of restoring ecosystem services, yet little is known about common practices, the challenges managers face, or what resources they require to improve revegetation outcomes. We assessed current revegetation practices, obstacles, and potential solutions by surveying wetland managers in the Intermountain West of the United States, a vast, ecologically diverse region containing hundreds of millions of hectares of public lands. Survey results indicate that managers revegetate wetlands for erosion control, invasion resistance, enhanced wildlife habitat, and improved water quality despite small budgets and limited personnel. Drought, invasive species, and the timing and availability of water are the biggest ecological challenges that managers face and point to the need to prioritize wetland revegetation research to improve revegetation practices in a changing climate with dwindling water resources. Additionally, access to genetically‐ and species‐diverse native plant materials is a concern for many managers. To address these challenges, managers need additional financial and human resources, accessible information relating to revegetation methods, and greater collaboration with research institutions and native plant vendors. Our findings underscore the need for funding entities to prioritize money for wetland revegetation efforts, a natural resource management area that has been neglected relative to many other ecosystems. The results of this study provide insight into challenges and potential solutions for wetland revegetation in regions of the world, such as the western United States, where increasing water scarcity threatens wetlands and their restoration.

Preparation and photocatalytic properties of Bi2WO6/Ag/ZnO composite nanomaterials

AbstractPhotocatalysis leverages light energy for chemical transformations, presenting an environmentally friendly approach to mitigating pollution. We have developed Bi2WO6/Ag/ZnO composite nanomaterials that demonstrate enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. These nanomaterials have been characterized through advanced techniques such as x‐ray diffraction and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A key challenge in photocatalysis is the effective separation of electron–hole pairs, and our Bi2WO6/Ag/ZnO composites achieve an impressive degradation rate of 96.93% for methyl orange. This result notably exceeds previous performance standards and highlights the crucial role of Ag in broadening the light response spectrum of zinc oxide (ZnO), and the addition of Bi2WO6 in amplifying the electron–hole pair separation efficiency within these composite nanomaterials. These findings underscore the significant potential of Bi2WO6/Ag/ZnO composites in environmental detoxification and establish a new benchmark in photocatalytic material performance. The advancement of such nanomaterials could be transformative for environmental remediation strategies, offering efficient, sustainable, and cost‐effective solutions to ecological challenges. This study underscores the pivotal role of materials science in advancing environmental sustainability.

A meta‐analysis of the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on tropical mammal functional diversity

Abstract Understanding the processes that shape biological communities under a variety of perturbations is a central challenge in ecology and conservation. Mammals contribute to critical functional processes of an ecosystem, such as seed dispersal to maintain forest carbon stocks. The analysis of functional diversity, which measures the range and value of the ecological traits of organisms, provides critical information to understanding the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. A growing number of studies have investigated the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on mammalian functional diversity; however, their results are very heterogeneous. Here, we conduct a comprehensive meta‐analysis of the effects of such anthropogenic disturbances on mammalian functional diversity in the tropics. We highlight major trends and analyse the influence of the type of anthropogenic disturbance, subgroups, and the functional diversity index used/applied. Our results indicate a negative effect of anthropogenic disturbances on mammalian functional diversity, particularly on functional richness (FRic) and functional dispersion (FDis). Habitat isolation was the stressor with the strongest effect, while agriculture and urbanisation showed a positive link with functional diversity. These results indicate that anthropogenic disturbances not only affect taxonomic diversity, but also reduce the functional diversity of mammals, which is likely to affect ecosystem functioning and possibly ecosystem service provision.

A Novel Approaches to Crop Variety Development for Sustainable Agriculture using Hybrid Machine Learning Model

The growing global population and changing climate need sustainable agriculture practices and new crop varieties. This study proposes a hybrid machine learning technique that combines linear regression and logistic regression to identify and extract unique traits from a broad range of crop species. The system integrates these qualities to create new crop types with a variety of benefits. The system begins by collecting detailed data on multiple crop species, including production potential, drought resilience, disease tolerance, nutritional content, and adaptation to different climates. Preprocessing ensures data quality. The hybrid machine learning algorithm uses the revised dataset. Linear regression identifies variables with strong connections with the required attributes, making it easier to find good candidates for the new crop variety. Logistic regression analyzes categorical data, including disease resistance genes and nutritional variables that affect crop quality. The method efficiently identifies and ranks the best characteristics across varied crop species by combining regression model findings. The traits have been strategically combined to create a pioneering cultivar that optimizes crop productivity, robustness, nutritional composition, and versatility while reducing vulnerability to pathogenic diseases and ecological challenges. The innovative crop variety is tested in various agricultural situations to determine the system's effectiveness. The topic under inquiry is compared to current kinds in terms of yield, quality, and sustainability. This unique hybrid machine learning technology may combine the best qualities from multiple sources to develop cutting-edge agricultural cultivars. The system's speed and accuracy in identifying beneficial traits promotes sustainable agriculture by reducing monospecific breeding and increasing crop resilience to environmental challenges. This work advances global food security and resource-efficient crop varieties.

Medical and Ecological Challenges of Global Warming and characteristics of the distribution of bronchial asthma in Georgia

Medical and Ecological Challenges of Global Warming and characteristics of the distribution of bronchial asthma in Georgia

Replanting Eucalyptus as a sustainable solution for pulp industry: A review

Eucalyptus has emerged as a prominent raw material in the paper industry, with Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus grandis being the most commonly used varieties. Its versatility has led to its widespread use in various paper products, including cigarette paper, napkins, white paperboard, and more. However, different eucalyptus species grown under varied conditions can influence morphology, chemical composition, pulping conditions, and paper quality. Hence, selecting the right species is crucial based on various indices, such as fibre diameter, holocellulose, lignin, and ash content. Replanting has been recognized as a natural approach to enhance freshwater availability and mitigate climate change, making it an essential strategy for sustainable eucalyptus production. This review examines 21 recent publications from diverse geographic locations, exploring the impact of replanting eucalyptus on pulp industries. The study highlights the significance of replanting eucalyptus as a sustainable solution for the pulp industry and discusses the ecological benefits, environmental considerations, and challenges associated with eucalyptus plantations. Through a comprehensive evaluation of previous research, this study aims to shed light on the optimal practices for replanting eucalyptus and its potential contributions to the thriving pulp industry.

Removal of Humic Acid by UiO-66(Zr) and MIL-100(Fe) Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Adsorption

The escalating presence of humic acid (HA) in aquatic systems poses significant ecological and potable water treatment challenges, altering the color, taste, and odor of water and fueling algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels to the detriment of aquatic life. Traditional techniques like coagulation-flocculation, membrane filtration, oxidation fall short in efficiency due to its small fraction of HA. This study confronts the pervasive issue of HA contamination by leveraging the advanced properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this work, two representative MOFs are synthesized and well characterized. Then, their capability for removal HA by adsorption process in water for HA treatment are detailed evaluated. The findings from this research extend beyond academic curiosity, offering actionable insights for water treatment facilities and environmental management agencies. The synthesis of MOFs which are UiO-66(Zr), MIL-100(Fe). Each MOFs have been applied to remove HA by adsorption under different condition. The effect of contacting time, initial pH, adsorbent dosage has been evaluated. After adsorption experiment, MOF samples prepared to dry and went through characterization. Removal of HA by MOF adsorption showed UiO-66(Zr) and MIL-100(Fe) examined rapid reaching equilibrium state with 10-15 min. Among various pH conditions, UiO-66(Zr) and MIL-100(Fe) showed the highest adsorption capacity under acidic conditions. MIL-100(Fe) achieves a higher maximum adsorption capacity than MIL-100(Fe). MOF after adsorption samples went through characterizations and their remained characteristics indicating the adsorption not affected the structure of the MOFs.

Water soil erosion modeling with RUSLE, GIS & remote sensing: A case study of the AL-Sanaoubar River basin (Syria)

Soil erosion forms a serious ecological challenge to future production and sustainability, with implications of the environmental crisis and the food supply. It is one of the more critical geomorphological problems that threaten environmental sustainability and cause soil degradation along the Syrian coast. The object of this research is to evaluate the rate of probable annual water-induced soil erosion in the AL-Sanaoubar River Basin. By Integrating geographic information system (GIS), and remote sensing techniques with the Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The results showed that the soil loss values in the AL-Sanaoubar River Basin ranged between 0–138.15 tons/ha/year, an average of 52.4 tons/ha/year. The total soil loss reached 12,606.11 tons/year for the entire studied area.The classification of possible spatial risk included five grades: very low (91.91%), low (7.62%), medium (0.35%), high (0.10%), and very high (0.01%).It has been noticed high soil erosion values in few portions of the study area, indicating that they had reached a risk stage; these sites were concentrated in the center and east of the studied basin, especially in the plateau and mountainous parts, Slope was a major factor that caused a direct impact on soil erosion. Soil erosion gradually increased with increasing slope in all types of land uses.To test the effectiveness of some soil conservation practices against water erosion, an experiment was conducted at the Mazar Qatrya site in Lattakia governorate during two consecutive seasons. Contour cultivation of the pea crop was applied at different distances, the agricultural method showed a high efficiency in reducing water erosion. Land use managers and Planners can benefit from this research to make suitable provisions and activities to conserve the soil.

THE IMPACT SHORELINE MODIFICATIONS ON LEKANG TURTLE (Lepidochelys olivacea) CONSERVATION ALONG COASTAL OF KULONPROGRO, INDONESIA

Changes in oceanographic circumstances that continue to occur will generate challenges for coastal ecology, one of which is a change in the sea-land boundary. It is possible to have an impact on the olive ridley turtles that rise to lay their eggs by changing the region of this coastal area, particularly at Trisik Beach, Kulonprogo, and Yogyakarta Special Region. The goal of this study was to use a Geographic Information System to estimate the effect of changes in the coastline on the distribution of olive ridley turtles on Trisik Beach, Kulon Progo, and Yogyakarta Special Region in 2020-2022. Digitizing the shoreline reveals changes in the coastline, which is then analyzed using Landsat 8 satellite data retrieved with ArcGIS software. The Landsat 8 photos span the years 2020-2022. Using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) toolbox, each image will go through area cropping or image cutting, geometric and radiometric correction, demarcation or development of a land-sea boundary line, on-screen digitalization, and automatic calculation of coastal changes. Trisik Beach's coastline alterations from 2020 to 2022 tended to create abrasion due to the shrinking beach area. The greatest average distance to a coastline alteration was -29.61 m, the smallest was -15.03 m, and the average speed of the greatest abrasion is -8.26 m/year, the smallest is -4.19 m/year, resulting in a 111,967.03 m2 reduction in coastal area. The association between shoreline alterations and the distribution of olive ridley turtle nesting on Trisik Beach is quite significant, with the beach area affecting 91.3% of turtle nests and 88.5% of turtle eggs.

Development of Measures to Reduce Air Pollutants As Much As Possible

The papers include contemporary ecological challenges, steps taken to reduce artificial pollution, and environmental issues relating to the atmosphere's circulation through natural and artificial processes. A major threat to world health, air pollution can have a range of negative consequences on the environment, such as haze, eutrophication, acid rain, and harm to animals. The combustion of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation is the main cause of air pollution. The effects of air pollution on human health are significant, with millions of people affected by respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, reproductive and central nervous system dysfunctions, and cancer. The articles emphasize the importance of reducing air pollution through various measures, such as improving energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy sources, reducing emissions from transportation, and implementing policies and regulations to control air pollution. The articles also highlight the need for public awareness and a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the problem of air pollution and its impact on climate change and public health.

Towards sustainable development of sugar beet cultivation – underlying basics and possible aims

For quite a while, there was no scientific discussion on the sustainable development of sugar beet production. The multiplicity of definitions and strategies appear as a misleading ball-of-wool. This paper summarizes theoretical aspects, such as wordings, principles, aims, and challenges of assessment schemes, on sustainable development of crop production in general. The aim is to enable a common understanding for harmonized and strategic decision making and certification. Further, we show the potential for the sustainable development of crop cultivation systems and point out specific options for the sustainable development of sugar beet cultivation. Nine of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (2015) provide a guideline for the sustainable development of crop cultivation. We identified four general fields of action: (i) enhancement of yield stability, (ii) tackling of ecological challenges, (iii) enablement of risk assessment and forecast, (iv) development of certification schemes. We further identified eight major ecological challenges which can be addressed by nine crop cultivation activities. These were compared to Germany-wide information on current sugar beet cultivation. Therein, we identified the following activities that need to be in place: (i) establishment of forecast and risk assessment systems for decision support and for precision farming in irrigation, pest and disease management, fertilizer application, harvest timing; (ii) protection and increase of soil organic matter and soil structure by permanent soil cover, strip tillage and direct sowing, and reduction of heavy loads during harvest; (iii) increase of aboveground biodiversity, especially by integration of (semi-)permanent elements such as grassland, flower strips, hedges, and by crop rotation diversification especially using legumes and plants for permanent soil cover; (iv) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by removing the leaves after harvest and by reducing diesel usage wherever possible.

Dynamic environmental quality effect of nuclear energy intensity, structural changes, and natural resources in Pakistan: testing load capacity factor hypothesis evidence

AbstractWith both electricity and clean energy cooking accessible to 40 million and over 100 million people respectively, Pakistan’s ecological challenges could persist as long as the energy-related issues remained unsolved. This is the motivation for examining the drivers of the country’s biocapacity and ecological footprint vis-a-vis load capacity factor (LCF) from the perspective of nuclear energy intensity, natural resources, structural change, and economic growth. By using the recently developed simulation of autoregressive distributed lag for dataset that covers 1971 to 2021, this investigation found that nuclear energy intensification and structural change both improves environmental quality by increasing the country’s ratio of biocapacity against its ecological footprint in the long run. Specifically, nuclear energy intensity and structural change have respective elasticities of 0.02 and 0.34 with LCF. With the country’s nuclear energy supply far below the natural gas, oil, and biofuels and waste sources, the country might as well be encouraged to increase the development of nuclear energy in tackling the persistent environmental woes. Contrarily, the investigation established that natural resources in the country is detrimental to environmental quality but only in the short run because a percent increase in natural resources is responsible for ~ 0.035 percent decline in LCF. Importantly, an inverted U-shaped relationship ensued between economic growth and LCF but only statistically significant in the long-run i.e. invalidating LCF hypothesis, thus suggesting an undesirable environmental consequence of economic prosperity. As a policy, and given the novel perspectives of nuclear energy intensity and structural change dynamics, these results incentivize Pakistan’s nuclear energy development drive and among among other environmental and economic policy initiatives. Graphical abstract

How do governments respond to the social-ecological traps in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture? A case study in the Tam Giang lagoon, Viet Nam.

Governments play crucial roles in addressing social-ecological traps - situations where feedbacks between social and ecological systems lead to reinforcement between resource degradation and livelihood impoverishment. While it is widely recognized that resolving these traps necesitates integrated measures, empirical studies often focus on the impact of individual measures. This paper investigates all measures employed by the local government to address traps in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture and examines how these measures contribute to solving the traps. Based on empirical data from the Tam Giang lagoon, Central Viet Nam, it finds that the goverment develops measures that align with "good practices" which focus on both ecological and social challenges. Yet, in practice, it prioritizes addressing ecological challenges over the social ones. The government primarily directs resources and efforts toward combating resource degradation. Measures that tackle the high dependency on fisheries resources and lack of alternative livelihoods are often sidelined. These practices fail to address the key drivers and reinforceing feedbacks that create the social-ecological trap. The paper highlights gaps between science, policy and practice in addressing social-ecological traps. Bridging these gaps and transforming government responses to the traps require effective communication of scientific knowledge to the government; facilitation of collaborations among researchers, policymakers, managers and practictioners; provision of financial support to the goverment and addressing the lack of political will of the government.

Gum karaya polymer-based biodegradable silver nanocomposite hydrogel through green approach for photocatalytic dye degradation and antimicrobial activity

The rise in industrialization and population growth has elevated water pollution to a critical environmental concern. This study introduces a novel polymer-mediated silver nanocomposite hydrogel for antibacterial activity and photocatalytic dye degradation for environmental remediation. In this study, silver nanocomposite hydrogels were developed using Karaya gum (KG), acrylamide, N-isopropyl acrylamide (NI), and 2-Bismethacryloyloxy ethyl phosphate (BMEP) as a crosslinker through a radical polymerization process. These hydrogels were utilized as templates for the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles by employing an aqueous Canthium leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Various analytical methods, including FTIR, UV–Vis, XPS, FESEM, EDX, XRD, AFM, and HRTEM, are characterized by the green synthesized KG-NIB-Ag nanocomposite hydrogel. Evaluation of the KG-NIB-Ag hydrogel involved examining its chemical composition, morphology, size, crystallinity, surface properties, bandgap, and chemical purity. TEM analysis validated an average crystallite size 33.2 nm. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of the green-synthesized KG-NIB-Ag nanocomposite hydrogel was utilized to examine the degradation of Congo red dye under visible light irradiation. The findings of this study demonstrate that the degradation efficiency of CR reached approximately 73.25 % within 90 min, with a corresponding kinetic rate constant of 0.032 min−1. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficacy of the Ag nanocomposite hydrogel was evaluated against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The disc diffusion method was employed to assess its antibacterial activity, and the diameter of the inhibition zones was measured. This study introduces an innovative and influential strategy for environmental remediation, emphasizing the potential of KG-NIB-Ag nanocomposite hydrogel in tackling ecological challenges associated with wastewater treatment across various industries.

Scouts vs. usurpers: alternative foraging strategies facilitate coexistence between neotropical Cathartid vultures

Understanding how diverse assemblages of scavengers can coexist on shared ecological resources is a fundamental challenge in community ecology. However, current approaches typically focus on behaviour at carcass provisioning sites, missing how important differences in movement behaviour and foraging strategies can facilitate sympatric species coexistence. Such information is particularly important for vultures – obligate scavengers representing the most endangered avian foraging guild. Their loss from ecosystems can trigger trophic cascades, mesopredator release and disease outbreaks. We provide the first‐ever analyses of GPS location data from wild King Vultures Sarcoramphus papa and Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures Cathartes melambrotus, coupled with trait data (from both wild‐living and museum specimens) and visitation data from camera traps deployed at provisioned carcasses, to characterize vulture flight behaviour and strategies in the Peruvian Amazon. We found marked species differences in several key movement characteristics, including: King Vultures having home‐ranges five times larger, average flight heights four times greater and ground speeds 40% faster than those of Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures. Despite these differences, both species flew similar distances each day (on average), probably due to King Vultures taking 50% fewer flights and spending 40% less time in the air per day. Consistent with these patterns, King Vulture body mass was more than double that of the Greater Yellow‐headed Vulture, with a substantially larger hang wing index (a measure of long‐distance flight efficiency). At carcasses, Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures typically arrived first but were rapidly outnumbered by both King and Black Vultures Coragyps atratus. We find that the movement behaviour of obligate apex scavengers in the western Amazon is linked to their ability to coexist – Greater Yellow‐headed Vultures, a smaller stature ‘scouting’ species adapted to fly low, forage early and arrive first at carcasses, are ultimately displaced by larger‐bodied, wider ranging King Vultures at large ephemeral carrion resources. Expansion of future GPS tracking initiatives could facilitate the exploration of direct facultative interactions from animal movement data and give further insight into how diverse communities assemble and interact.

Impact of prescribed fire on soil microbial communities in a Southern Appalachian Forest clear-cut.

Escalating wildfire frequency and severity, exacerbated by shifting climate patterns, pose significant ecological and economic challenges. Prescribed burns, a common forest management tool, aim to mitigate wildfire risks and protect biodiversity. Nevertheless, understanding the impact of prescribed burns on soil and microbial communities in temperate mixed forests, considering temporal dynamics and slash fuel types, remains crucial. Our study, conducted at the University of Tennessee Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center in Oak Ridge, TN, employed controlled burns across various treatments, and the findings indicate that low-intensity prescribed burns have none or minimal short-term effects on soil parameters but may alter soil nutrient concentrations, as evidenced by significant changes in porewater acetate, formate, and nitrate concentrations. These burns also induce shifts in microbial community structure and diversity, with Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria increasing significantly post-fire, possibly aiding soil recovery. In contrast, Verrucomicrobia showed a notable decrease over time, and other specific microbial taxa correlated with soil pH, porewater nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate concentrations. Our research contributes to understanding the intricate relationships between prescribed fire, soil dynamics, and microbial responses in temperate mixed forests in the Southern Appalachian Region, which is valuable for informed land management practices in the face of evolving environmental challenges.