Diversity Index Research Articles

Income-based environmental effects of family food consumption and the affordability towards healthy diets

Environmentally sustainable diets are attracting increasing attention, but the environmental impact of diets with different income residents is still poorly understood. Based on the environmental footprint method, we explored the environmental impact of food consumption in China from 2000 to 2020, and used the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model to investigate its driving factors. Furthermore, we constructed a multi-objective optimization model, incorporating the affordability indicator, to optimize a healthy diet pattern. The results show that: (1) The food diversity index (FDI) was directly proportional to income, and geographically, the FDIs of economically developed provinces were higher than that of economically developing provinces. (2) The environmental footprint caused by food consumption was gradually increasing, with 60 % of the carbon footprint of low-income residents coming from grain and pork. (3) Dietary affordability was a major factor in increasing environmental footprint. High-income residents had greater access to milk, meat, etc., which had a greater negative environmental impact. We put forward suggestions on dietary optimization and affordability for different income residents, with a view to achieving nutritional and healthy diets of Chinese while generating minimum resource and environmental load, and promoting the transformation of the agro-food system.

Exploring the Gut Microbiota Landscape in Cow Milk Protein Allergy: Clinical Insights and Diagnostic Implications in Pediatric Patients

Cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) is a significant health concern characterized by adverse immune reactions to cow milk proteins. Biomarkers for the accurate diagnosis and prognosis of CMPA are lacking. This study analyzed the clinical features of CMPA, and 16S RNA sequencing was used to investigate potential biomarkers through fecal microbiota profiling. Children with CMPA exhibit a range of clinical symptoms, including gastrointestinal (83% of patients), skin (53% of patients), and respiratory manifestations (26% of patients), highlighting the complexity of this condition. Laboratory analysis revealed significant differences in red cell distribution width (RDW) and inflammatory markers between the CMPA and control groups, suggesting immune activation and inflammatory responses in CMPA. Microbial diversity analysis revealed higher specific diversity indices in the CMPA group compared with those in control group, with significant differences at the genus and species levels. Bacteroides were more abundant in the CMPA group, whereas Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus, Faecalibacterium, and Parabacteroides were less abundant. The control group exhibited a balanced microbial profile, with a predominant presence of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Akkermansia muciniphila. The significant abundance of Bifidobacterium in the control group (23.19% vs 9.89% in CMPA) was associated with improved growth metrics such as height and weight, suggesting its potential as a probiotic to prevent CMPA and enhance gut health. Correlation analysis linked specific microbial taxa such as Coprococcus and Bifidobacterium to clinical parameters such as family allergy history, weight and height, providing insights into CMPA pathogenesis. Significant differences in bacterial abundance suggested diagnostic potential, with a panel of 6 bacteria achieving high predictive accuracy (area under curve (AUC) = 0.8708). This study emphasizes the complex relationship between the gut microbiota and CMPA, offering valuable insights into disease mechanisms and diagnostic strategies.

Composition, divergence and variability: A comprehensive analysis of fish trait responses to connectivity

Connectivity, a fundamental concept in ecology, refers to the extent to which different habitats or ecosystems are interconnected through the movement of organisms, nutrients, and energy. Lateral hydrological connectivity (LHC) plays an especially critical role in shaping aquatic community organization in river-floodplain systems. However, a comprehensive understanding of various trait responses to LHC remains elusive. We characterized how attributes of fish community traits, specifically composition, divergence, and temporal variability respond to LHC in the Austrian-Hungarian floodplains of the Danube River using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding. Trait composition was quantified by community-level weighted means (CWM) as the degree of changes in trait responses along the LHC gradient from isolated oxbows to the main river. Divergence was measured using Rao’s quadratic functional diversity index and a null model approach to calculate standardized effect sizes (SES), with larger SES values indicating greater divergence and smaller values indicating convergence. Temporal variability, representing the degree of instability in community traits over time, was calculated using a functional beta diversity measure for multiple communities. Our findings revealed apparent compositional changes for many trait variables, highlighting the significance of LHC in shaping community functional diversity. Divergence patterns indicated that isolated habitats foster trait convergence presumably due to habitat filtering, whereas more connected areas promote trait divergence due to higher species richness and habitat availability. Temporal variability of traits associated with flow preference exhibited a hump-shaped relationship with LHC, suggesting intermediate connectivity zones are hotspots of ecological dynamism. The study suggests that examining composition, divergence, and temporal variability together provides a more complete understanding of trait responses to connectivity, stressing the importance of maintaining diverse connectivity levels in river-floodplain systems for effective conservation and ecosystem management.

Increased bird sound diversity in vineyards enhances visitors' tour experience

Abstract Biodiversity is rapidly declining, reducing the quantity and quality of human interactions with nature and constraining its contribution to human health and well‐being. Natural sounds are a key component of our experience of nature, but biodiversity losses are reflected in soundscapes, which are becoming less diverse and quieter. We characterised the soundscapes across 21 English vineyards using acoustic indices and related them to bird species richness and abundance. We found that higher bird species richness, but not abundance, led to more diverse and louder soundscapes, as reflected in higher values of Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), Bioacoustic Index (BIO) and Normalised Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI), and lower values of Acoustic Entropy Index (H). Secondly, at three of the study vineyards that run vineyard tours, we measured visitors' experience of the tour in terms of sound enjoyment, soundscape connectedness and tour satisfaction and related these to ambient and experimentally enhanced soundscapes, where we used playback recordings of five additional birdsongs to increase the soundscapes' complexity and volume. Under ambient conditions, respondents' (n = 107) experience was significantly higher at sites with soundscapes that had higher ACI and BIO values, and lower H, Acoustic Diversity Index (ADI) and NDSI values, indicating a positive effect of more diverse and louder soundscapes. Natural sounds formed an important part of the tour experience at these sites, making visitors feel more present and connected to nature. Under experimental soundscape enhancement, respondents (n = 79) reported hearing significantly more bird species during the tour, and they reported significantly higher scores for sound enjoyment, soundscape connectedness and tour satisfaction than under ambient conditions. This effect was stronger in visitors who engaged more in pro‐environmental behaviours, such as purchasing organic foods. Our study demonstrates (i) the direct contribution of aural modes to our experience of nature and (ii) that the delivery of biodiversity conservation measures aimed at supporting bird diversity could simultaneously enhance the experience and well‐being benefits of spending time in nature. Natural soundscapes should therefore be recognised and valued as natural capital, and their protection should be incorporated into conservation planning and policy. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Impact of invasive alien plants on the resident floral diversity in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal.

Invasive alien plant species (IAPS) pose a serious threat to overall plant biodiversity across the globe. Nepal's national parks and protected areas are not devoid of the impact of IAPS. Unfortunately, there is a substantial gap in knowledge regarding the extent and impact of invasion in protected areas of Nepal. This study assessed the impact of invasive alien plant species on the resident plant species of the Koshi Tapu wildlife reserve. After a preliminary field observation, we selected five major IAPS in the area, Mesosphaerum suaveolens, Chromolaena odorata, Ipomoea carnea, Lantana camara, and Mikania micrantha for this study. Ten pairs of adjacent plots sized 4 m × 4 m were surveyed for each invasive species, comprising diverse vegetation types. Each pair consisted of one "invaded plot" where the invasive species was dominant with cover greater than 50%, and another "uninvaded plot" laid out in an adjacent area with similar site conditions but without the invasive species. We calculated the Sørensen Index of Similarity for each paired plot. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was employed to compare ecological parameters between invaded and uninvaded plots for various plant species. Similarly, the difference in impact between each of the five invasive species was assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Species richness varied significantly between invaded and uninvaded plots for C. odorata and I. carnea. The most significant impact on species composition of invaded communities (39.6%) was observed for C. odorata. The cover of the other dominant species varied significantly between invaded and uninvaded plots for all five species studied. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant difference in the impact caused by the five studied invasive species on Species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, species evenness, and height of dominant species. However, a significant difference was observed between the impacts of five studied invasive species and the cover of other dominant species. The crown cover of dominant species decreased much more in the invaded plots of L. camara and M. micrantha than in other species. Specialized management efforts are required to control highly invasive species, such as C. odorata and I. carnea, alongside proactive measures to prevent further spread in ecologically sensitive areas.

The temporal dynamics of the gut mycobiome and its association with cardiometabolic health in a nationwide cohort of 12,641 Chinese adults

The dynamics of the gut mycobiome and its association with cardiometabolic health remain largely unexplored. Here, we employ internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing to capture the gut mycobiome composition and dynamics within a nationwide human cohort of 12,641 Chinese participants, including 1,946 participants with repeated measurements across three years. We find that the gut mycobiome is associated with cardiometabolic diseases and related biomarkers in both cross-sectional and dynamic analyses. Fungal alpha diversity indices and 19 mycobiome genera are the major contributors to the mycobiome-cardiometabolic disease link. Particularly, Saccharomyces emerges as an effect modifier of traditional risk factors in promoting type 2 diabetes risk. Further integration of multi-omics data reveals key metabolites such as γ-linolenic acid and L-valine linking the gut mycobiome to type 2 diabetes. This study advances our understanding of the potential roles of the gut mycobiome in cardiometabolic health.

Developmental noise, entropy, and biological system condition.

Developmental noise is considered as a permissible level of entropy, as a compromise between the cost and needed precision of the realization of genetic information. In terms of entropy, noise is a measure of acceptable level of disorder to ensure a reliable system operation. Developmental noise plays a role in the observed phenotypic diversity and is associated with other indicators of the biological system condition. The thermodynamic characteristic of entropy by the energy metabolism also turns out to be related to the developmental noise. Phenotypic variability is largely determined by developmental homeostasis, including both canalization (an ability to form a similar phenotype under different conditions) and developmental stability (a capability for perfect development measured by noise level). It is shown that the change in the noise level, as an expression of the certain entropy level, unlike other forms of phenotypic variability, is a reflection of a change in the system condition. Although the entropy indices of ontogeny and community under certain conditions can change simultaneously, the entropy index at the level of developmental noise proves to be a more unambiguous and universal measure of the disorder of a biological system, compared to biodiversity indices at the community level.

Indian marine products exports: Growth, instability and geographical diversification

The export of marine products is a significant source of foreign exchange and plays a crucial role in the Indian economy by generating income and employment opportunities. The marine sector contributed 25% (4.13 million t) to the overall fish production in India during the fiscal year 2022-23. The primary objective of this study is to analyse the growth rate, instability, and geographical diversification of marine product exports in terms of both quantity and value. Secondary data related to the major export destinations (Japan, USA, European Union, China, South-East Asia, Middle East and others) and item-wise export (shrimp, finfish, cuttlefish, squid, dried, live, chilled and others) of marine products from India during the period 2000-01 to 2019-20 were collected from the Marine Product Export Development Authority (MPEDA). The growth rate, instability and geographical diversification of exports were estimated using the semi-log regression model, instability index (Ray’s method) and Simpson’s diversity index, respectively. The findings reveal that the overall growth rate of marine product exports over the last two decades was 7.13%. Dry fish exhibited the highest growth rate (15.34%) among all products, and South-East Asia showed the highest growth rate (16.05%) among destinations. However, a significant decline in growth rates of export quantity and value was observed between the two decades for all items, except for frozen shrimp, accompanied by an increase in export instability. The Simpson’s diversity index indicated a significant diversification of 70%, reflecting wide variety of marine products exported as well as the broad range of destination countries. Keywords: Ray’s instability index, Seafood exports, Simpson diversity index, Growth rate

IoT Sensor Based Cross-Basin Natural Ecological Environment QualityMonitoring and Modeling Simulation with Artificial Intelligence RemoteSensing and GIS

This study presents an integrated approach for monitoring and modelling the quality of crossbasin natural ecological environments using advanced techniques such as Markov Random Field Clustering Classification (MRF-CC), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Hidden Markov Models (HMM), and remote sensing. With key ecological parameters including water quality, biodiversity, habitat suitability, and land cover types across various scenarios and locations within a study area. The simulation results from MRF-CC revealed the significant impacts of different environmental scenarios and management actions, with restoration efforts showing improvements in ecological quality, while pollution mitigation and urbanization pressures led to declines. The simulation results from MRF-CC revealed the significant impacts of different environmental scenarios and management actions. For example, restoration efforts (Scenario 1) improved water quality (pH 7.5), biodiversity index (0.88), and habitat suitability (0.78) compared to the baseline values (pH 7.2, biodiversity index 0.85, habitat suitability 0.75). Conversely, pollution mitigation (Scenario 2) and urbanization pressure (Scenario 8) resulted in declines, with water quality dropping to pH 7.0 and 6.9, biodiversity indices to 0.82 and 0.81, and habitat suitability to 0.72 and 0.71, respectively. GIS estimation provided spatial insights into ecological parameters, revealing variability across different locations. For instance, Point A (forest) exhibited a water quality index of 0.78, while Point D (urban) showed a lower index of 0.54. The integration of HMM offered probabilistic predictions of land cover dynamics, with probabilities ranging from 0.85 for forest at Point A to 0.45 for urban land cover at Point D.

MACROZOOBENTHOS ABUNDANCE IN THE MANGROVE AREA OF TANAH MERAH SAMBOJA KUTAI KARTANEGARA EAST KALIMANTAN

Tanah Merah Beach is a coastal area of Samboja in East Kalimantan, which is a local tourist destination. The association of coastal ecosystems can be shown by macrozoobenthos, as one of the biota components in coastal areas to mangroves. This study identifies the species, calculates the abundance, and analyses the ecological index of macrozoobenthos, as well as looking at the relationship between nutrients and sediment texture with the number of macrozoobenthos found. The purpose of this research is to determine the condition of nutrients in the sediment substrate to its abundance in the mangrove ecosystem area. Sampling was conducted at three points based on the percentage of mangrove canopy cover in the Monmang version 2.0 application, with each point represented by 3 quadrant points measuring 0.25 m2. The results showed that the percentage of mangrove canopy cover was categorised as slight-moderate, the abundance of individuals was dominated by the Gastropoda class with 9 species and a small proportion of the Bivalve class. The ecological indices in order are the Diversity Index (H') in the low category, Diversity (E) in the low category, and dominance (C) found Cerithidae sp species dominating each point. The highest abundance was found at radius 2 canopy cover 77.24 - 83.13%. Nutrient content in sediment, nitrate (1.00-16.25 mg/L), phosphate (29.01-83.94 mg/L), organic carbon (2.23-3.24%) with confirmed sediment texture of sandy loam. Nitrate content ranged from 1.00-16.25 mg/L, Phosphate 34.65 - 44.51 mg/L and Organic carbon 2.23-3.24% (per mg) in the sediment and a significant effect of phosphate content on Macrozoobenthos abundance was found in the correlation test results.

Fish community structure in relation to habitat variables in a seasonally open floodplain wetland of the Yamuna River basin of India

The study was carried out in Alwara wetland, a seasonally open floodplain wetland connected to the Yamuna River in the Kaushambi District of Uttar Pradesh, - to estimate the fish community structure in relation to habitat variables across three seasons. Altogether, 62 fish species comprising 9 orders, 23 families and 50 genera were recorded, including 5 exotic species. As per IUCN categorisation, 5 species viz., Wallago attu, Ompok bimaculatus, O. pabda, Chitala chitala and Ailia coila are near threatened and Clarias magur is endangered. Cypriniformes (40.32%) were the most dominant order, followed by Siluriformes (22.58%), Perciformes (19.35%), Synbranchiformes (4.84%), Clupeiformes and Mugiliformes (3.23%), Tetraodontiformes and Beloniformes (1.61%). The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) ranged from 3.421 (post-monsoon) to 3.877 (monsoon) with an uneven abundance of fishes as indicated by the evenness index (post-monsoon = 0.6951 to monsoon = 0.8186). Water quality parameters were significantly (p<0.05) different across the seasons except specific conductivity, silicate-Si, phosphate-P, and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Certain sediment quality parameters differed significantly (p<0.05) across the seasons. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to study the association of 27 commercially important fish species with 6 important water quality parameters and provided the baseline information on fish community structure. We observed growth and recruitment overfishing, which may affect fish diversity and its sustainable utilisation to support fishers’ livelihoods. Keywords: Alwara wetland, Diversity indices, Fish community, Endangered, Overfishing

Seasonal study on the Aquatic and Terrestrial Habitat of Edayar region, Ernakulam, Kerala, India

This study examines the plant diversity and physicochemical characteristics of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the industrialized region of Edayar, Kadungalloor, Ernakulam, Kerala, India. The research is conducted seasonally, encompassing the four seasons of Kerala: southwest monsoon, northeast monsoon, winter season and summer season. Edayar is home to approximately 400 industries. The main objective of this study is to assess the plant diversity with a specific focus on herb and macrophyte diversity, in the Edayar region, along with analyzing the physicochemical properties of soil and water. Random sampling using quadrat techniques is employed to collect data on species diversity. Diversity indices, such as the Simpson Index and Shannon-Wiener index are utilized to analyze the recorded species diversity. Scoparia dulcis L. among herb species and Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms among macrophytes were found dominating in all the seasons. The results for the physico-chemical analysis of water and soil were found approaching the threshold of standard limits.The findings provide valuable insights into plant diversity and ecological dynamics of the Edayar region, which have been significantly impacted by industrial activities. The outcomes serve as a basis for the development and implementation of effective conservation and management strategies to mitigate potential ecological risks associated with industrial activities in the region.

Assessment of plankton diversity and physico-chemical characteristics for sustainable fish production in a tropical reservoir in South India

Plankton forms an important component of the aquatic ecosystem and act as indicators of fish diversity, pollution levels and environmental disturbances. They form an important natural fish food resource and play a vital role in the trophic structure of the ecosystem. In the present study a systematic assessment of the community distribution and diversity of plankton was conducted in the Karapuzha Reservoir in South India. Thirty six genera of phytoplankton belonging to 4 classes viz, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae and Myxophyceae were identified. Eleven genera of zooplankton belonging to four classes; Protozoa, Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda were also recorded. The Jaccard index of similarity showed that pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons shared a similar plankton composition. Diversity indices revealed the highest values during monsoon, while the Dominance index indicated the highest species dominance during post-monsoon (0.199) followed by pre-monsoon (0.1445) and monsoon (0.1417). Water quality parameters were found to have a significant correlation with plankton abundance in the reservoir. ShannonWeiner index indicated that the Karapuzha Reservoir ecosystem is moderately polluted. Seasonal variations in plankton composition showed the highest species abundance during the pre-monsoon followed by post-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Keywords: Diversity index, Plankton abundance, Planktivorous fish, Reservoir ecosystem, Seasonal variation

Prediction Of Freshwater Fish Pond Water Quality Levels Using The Backpropagation Method Based On The Internet Of Things (IoT)

The present study reports the first comprehensive study on the freshwater macroinvertebrates and its habitat preferences in Bilah River, the largest riverin the Northern Sumatra. The riverside is characterized by the presence of anthropogenic and industrial activities which may alter the macroinvertebrate assemblage and biodiversity. Five months of investigation on 10 sampling stations from December 2016 to October 2017 was conducted based on the river flow in Bilah River. Principal component analysis indicated a decrease in trophic status from upstream to downstream of the river. A total of 27 taxa were recorded, with the most abundant group were members of Odonata, Gastropoda, and Decapoda. The highest density of macroinvertebrate was observed from station 1 (160 ind m-2), while the lowest density was observed from station 9 (38.64 ind m-2). Based on species distribution and similarity, two groups of habitats may be distinctively recognized based on the Bray-curtis similarity coefficient. Group 1 consisted of station 1, 2, 3 and 4 while group 2 consisted of station 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Based on the diversity indices as ecological parameters, the habitat condition in Bilah River is categorized from low to moderately polluted. Spatial patterns in both environmental conditions affecting the macroinvertebrate assemblage was observed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed the preferences from each macroinvertebrate species towards environmental conditions.

The Morphological Identification and Biodiversity of Earthworms in Babylon Province-Iraq

The present study is passing through the city of Babylon–Iraq during the period from Autumn 2023 to Spring 2024. Three stations representing various habitats were chosen for sampling. Our study involve the morphological identification of Earthworms and confirm the identification of nine species (Aporrectodea tuberculata, Aporrectodea rosea, Aporrectodea caliginosa, Amynthas grasilis, Dendrobaena platyura, Hormogaster redii, Lumbricus terrestris, Lumbricus rubellus and Polytoreutus finni). As well as measured some physiochemical parameters such as soil temperature ranged between (17.3-25.83C°), pH (5.66-7.06), Electrical conductivity (420-787.67µs/cm), Total Dissolved Solids (333.66-683.66 mg/L), Moisture content (5.22-9.24 %) and soil texture were Sandy clay in all stations. In order to get insight into the overall ecosystem health, various biodiversity indices were utilized such as Shannon-Wainer Index ranged between (1.26-2.75) and Simpson Index (0.15-0.59) to evaluate the basic Earthworms community structure, species distribution, and interactions. The study also demonstrates a significant relationship between species distribution and the environmental factors.

A Study on the Role of Engineering Materials Innovation in Urban Infrastructure Development in Promoting Economic Growth

Accompanied by the high speed of infrastructure construction in China’s major cities, China’s construction industry has been growing rapidly, and the engineering materials industry in construction has begun to transform from weak to strong. The study constructs a systematic theoretical model of engineering materials innovation in the construction industry to realize a systematic understanding of the engineering materials innovation mechanism. Combined with the economic growth theory, the impact of engineering materials innovation on regional economic growth in major Chinese cities is explored by using the threshold regression model. Through the study, it is found that the current innovation of China’s engineering materials industry is mainly facing two major problems, namely the slowdown of industrial growth rate, and the reduction of fixed asset investment, while the diversification path of engineering materials technological innovation outputs is beginning to diverge, and the diversity and ubiquity indices are gradually increasing, but the growth rate is slowing down. Threshold regression shows that when engineering materials innovation every 1% growth, for regional economic growth (GDP) to promote the role of between 0.099%~0.112%. The research in this paper provides a new perspective and comprehensive explanation for the study of engineering materials innovation-driven economic development, enriches the theoretical study of regional economic growth, and also provides theoretical insights and practical guidance for the government’s policy making and enterprises’ innovation practice.

Fish Diversity of East Sea Streams in Nakdong River Region

Fish surveys were conducted near artificial structures installed in eight streams flowing from the Nakdong River region to the east coast of Korea. As a result of the survey, a total of 20,000 individuals belonging to nine orders, 17 families, and 47 species were found. The dominant species was Zacco koreanus, and the subdominant species was Pungtungia herzi. Among the surveyed fish species, endangered species were Pseudobagrus brevicorpus (rank I) and Cottus hangiongensis (rank II). In addition, migratory fish species were Oncorhynchus keta, Plecoglossus altivelis, and Tribolodon hakonensis. As a result of community analysis, the highest diversity, dominance, richness, and evenness indices were Wangpi, Chuksan, Gokgang, and Janggi Stream respectively. The highest number of species was surveyed in Gokgang Stream (25 species). Alpha diversity, the number of species at each survey point in each stream, was the highest at a survey point in Wangpi Stream (20 species), and beta diversity, species at each stream survey point that does not overlap with nearby survey point, was the highest at survey points in Gokgang Stream (12 species). As a result of the similarity analysis, surveyed streams were divided into four groups: group 1 (Chuksan, Baeknok Stream), group 2 (Uljinnamdae, Wangpi, Yungdeokosip Steam), group 3 (Gokgang Stream), and group 4 (Janggi, Hoeya Stream). This study is expected to serve as basic data for managing the aquatic ecosystem of streams flowing from the Nakdong River region to the east coast.

The Landscape Ecological Quality of Two Different Farm Management Models: Polyculture Agroforestry vs. Conventional

Low-intensity, diversified agricultural land use is needed to counteract the current decline in agrobiodiversity. Landscape ecology tools can support agrobiodiversity assessment efforts by investigating biodiversity-related ecological functions (pattern–process paradigm). In this study, we test a toolkit of landscape ecology analyses to compare different farm management models: polyculture agroforestry (POLY) vs. conventional monoculture crop management (CV). Farm-scale analyses are applied on temperate alluvial sites (Po Plain, Northern Italy), as part of a broader multi-scale analytical approach. We analyze the landscape ecological quality through landscape matrix composition, patch shape complexity, diversity, metastability, and connectivity indices. We assess farm differences through multivariate analyses and t-tests and test a farm classification tool, namely, a scoring system based on the relative contributions of POLY farms, considering their deviation from a local CV baseline. The results showed a separate ecological behavior of the two models. The POLY model showed better performance, with significant positive contributions to the forest and semi-natural component equipment and diversity; agricultural component diversity, metastability; total farm diversity, metastability, connectivity, and circuitry. A reference matrix for the ecological interpretation of the results is provided. Farm classification provides a quick synthesis of such contributions, facilitating farm comparisons. The methodology has a low cost and quickly provides information on ongoing ecological processes resulting from specific farm management practices; it is intended to complement field-scale assessments and could help to meet the need for a partially outcome-based assessment of good farm practice.

Ecological health assessment using zooplankton index of biotic integrity (Z-IBI) in urban rivers in Hainan Island, China.

The Changwang, Meishe, and Wuyuan are urban rivers in Haikou City, Hainan Island. They are vital water sources, serving various purposes, from farmland irrigation to domestic and industrial use. Unfortunately, anthropogenic activities have influenced these "rivers," negatively impacting water quality and ecological functions; however, there is limited research on their ecological status. Thus, this study assessed the zooplankton community structure and developed the zooplankton index of biotic integrity (Z-IBI) to evaluate the ecological status. Samples were collected and analyzed seasonally in 2019. Generally, 159 zooplankton species belonging to 85 genera, 55 families, and 3 phyla were identified, dominated by Rotifer and Protozoa, followed by Arthropoda (groups of Copepod and Cladocera). The zooplankton density varied from 0.00 to 126.04 ind L-1, with averages of 19.49 ind L-1, 31.40 ind L-1, and 20.38 ind L-1 in Changwang, Meishe, and Wuyuan, respectively. The zooplankton density varied seasonally as summer > spring > winter > autumn. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) indicated a significant seasonal difference (R = 0.070, p < 0.001) in zooplankton community but not spatially (R = 0.004, p = 0.413). Thus, SIMPER revealed that Brachionus forficula, Didinium nasutum, Keratella valga, Nauplius, and Polyarthra vulgaris contributed to the seasonal differences. The redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed environmental factors, including total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, Chl-a, and electrical conductivity (EC) influenced zooplankton species. The Z-IBI was established using Zooplankton abundance, Protozoa abundance, Copepod abundance, Cladoceran biomass %, and Shannon-Wiener diversity index. Based on Z-IBI evaluation, ecological status was "moderate" in Changwang and Wuyuan, while it was "low" in Meishe. Seasonally, the ecological status in autumn was better than in summer and spring. The Z-IBI showed that parameters, including pH, EC, CODMn, TN, TP, and Chl-a, decreased with improving water quality, while water transparency increased with improved water quality. Thus, the "rivers" ecological status could be adequately assessed using the Z-IBI to guide their water quality monitoring and management.

Inverse design of high-strength medium-Mn steel using a machine learning-aided genetic algorithm approach

To develop medium-Mn steels with an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) exceeding 2 GPa and excellent ductility, we created a highly accurate UTS prediction machine learning (ML) model using a boosted decision tree model and 1520 dataset of tensile properties of medium-Mn steels with micro-alloying elements. We also optimized the hyper-parameters of a genetic algorithm (GA) using the Shannon diversity index to enhance search efficiency while retaining diversity. In a high-dimensional search space with millions of potential combinations, the ML-GA approach efficiently identified diverse chemical compositions and austenitizing conditions to achieve UTSs above 2 GPa. The k-means clustering method then grouped them into five distinct specimens based on similarities. These five specimens, fabricated using inversly designed chemical compositions and austenitizing temperatures, successfully exhibited UTSs exceeding 2 GPa and greater ductility compared to hot-stamped C steels. These excellent tensile properties were attributed to grain refinement resulting from the low austenitizing temperature and the pinning effect of micro-alloying element carbides, such as TiC and VC.