Background Dengue virus is a major cause of febrile illness and is often misdiagnosed as malaria in regions lacking appropriate diagnostics. This study assessed the prevalence and risk factors for dengue infection among febrile patients attending community health centers in the malaria hyperendemic Sikasso region of southern Mali. Methods From June (beginning of the rainy season) to December (post rainy season) 2023, patients presenting with fever at four community health centers (Bamba, Fakola, Filamana, and Guélélenkoro) were tested for dengue infection using rapid diagnostic tests. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify risk factors associated with symptomatic infection. Results Of 251 enrolled patients, 63.0% were male, and the median age was 15 years (± 13.7). The prevalence of dengue infection varied between 9.7% to 47.8% with the highest observed in December after the rainy season. Headache, muscle pain, and abdominal pain were the most common clinical symptoms associated with dengue fever. Children 5-15 years had significantly higher risk of infection compared to those under 5 years of age (OR = 7.4; 95% CI [1.44; 38.26]). The risk of infection was highest in November (OR = 4.29; 95% CI [1.12; 16.48]) and December (OR = 10.30; 95% CI [2.56; 41.36]). Conclusion Dengue infections contribute substantially to febrile illness in southern Mali, particularly among school-aged children, mainly during the late rainy season and early dry season. The finding highlights the need for integration of dengue testing into routine diagnostic protocols for febrile patients in malaria-endemic rural settings to reduce misdiagnosis and improve patient outcomes.

ABSTRACTThe ongoing decline of non‐human primates places renewed emphasis on monitoring health in wild populations. Non‐invasive monitoring of reliable biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation allows researchers to assess individual health status without capturing or interfering with wild animals, but studies are limited by the availability of such biomarkers that are measurable from fecal and urine samples. In the present study, we aimed to validate the measurement of fecal haptoglobin, a biomarker primarily studied in relation to gut‐associated inflammation, in wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator), and to evaluate the relationship between fecal haptoglobin concentrations and age, sex, dominance rank, circadian effects and environmental factors including temperature and rainfall. We analytically validated the measurement of fecal haptoglobin in white‐faced capuchins. Our subsequent results did not demonstrate a relationship between haptoglobin concentrations and age, sex, dominance rank or circadian effects. However, we found significant influences of environmental conditions on fecal haptoglobin concentrations, with an increase and more variation observed during drier conditions in the early dry season, when the animals are typically under greater environmental stress. We conclude that haptoglobin measurement is feasible in wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys, and its concentrations vary in our study population, reflecting seasonal patterns of inflammation that are consistent with changes to environmental stressors associated with lower access to food and water.

Background Frequent fire characterises Australia’s tropical savannas and strongly influences vegetation structure and carbon (C) stocks. Fire management is widely used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but long-term effects of fire timing and frequency on woody C accumulation remain uncertain. Aims To quantify stand-level woody C stocks and assess cumulative multi-decadal effects of fire timing and frequency in northern Australian savannas. Methods Field measurements and historical biomass and basal area data from three long-term (17–30-year) fire trials were analysed. Treatments included unburnt controls and burned plots with up to four fire frequencies within a 6-year range and two fire seasons (early and late dry season). Carbon stocks were quantified for standing biomass, coarse woody debris and litter. Key results Total woody C accumulation was greater under early dry season fire than late dry season fire regimes. Longer between-fire intervals (particularly late dry season) may increase woody C stocks, although effect sizes were uncertain. Conclusions Early dry season burning was associated with greater long-term woody C accumulation than late dry season burning. Implications are that early dry season fire management remains important for reducing savanna fire emissions, but optimal fire regimes should consider site-specific conditions and broader ecological objectives.

Molecular characteristics of organic aerosols and impacts of transboundary biomass burning in Southwest China.

Background Recurrent large wildfires have become a global problem threatening human lives and assets. Extreme fire weather conditions and cured biomass increase the chances of severe and high-intensity fires that can be hard to control. The Cerrado is a tropical humid savanna with frequent, late dry season (LDS) large wildfires prevailing in protected areas. Since 2014, prescribed early dry season (EDS) fires have been applied within the integrated fire management approach. Aims To assess effects of relative humidity and fuel load on fire intensity and fuel consumption. Methods We undertook experimental fires during early and late dry seasons, during day and evening and in areas with different fuel loads. Key results We found that: (1) EDS fires under lower air relative humidity daytime conditions yielded similar fire intensities to LDS fires; (2) under higher relative humidity evening conditions, EDS fires exhibited lower intensities, which also varied with available fuels in different years. Conclusions Fire management in Cerrado landscapes should consider taking advantage of different diurnal, seasonal and fuel load conditions to address specific management objectives. Implications Acknowledging different local conditions can enhance management cost benefits.

Burned area trends in Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique, are mostly driven by late dry season fires and weakly dependent on climate

ABSTRACT Testing animal performance under grazing is fundamental to determine the potential of recently released, high‐yielding Urochloa decumbens hybrids. The objective was to evaluate the weight gain of young bulls grazing on pastures of U. decumbens cultivars Basilisk, BRS Carinás, and BRS Poraitê, as well as to assess the nutritive value and plant‐part composition of the forage. The experiment was conducted over 2 years in a clay soil, using a randomized block design with three replicates. Pastures were managed under continuous stocking with a variable stocking rate (SR), aiming to maintain a canopy height of 25 cm. In contrast to the leaf blade and stem, the amount of dead material increased from the rainy to the early dry season, with Basilisk showing a greater mean value (1314 kg DM/ha), followed by Poraitê (1150 kg DM/ha) and Carinás (1127 kg DM/ha) ( p < 0.10). Carinás and Poraitê had slightly greater crude protein (CP) (114 g/kg) compared to Basilisk (105 g/kg), particularly during the first year. Animals grazing Carinás had greater average daily gain (ADG) (0.62 kg LW) compared to Poraitê (0.54 kg LW), and similar performance to Basilisk (0.59 kg LW). In terms of live weight gain per area (GA), Carinás outperformed the other cultivars, reaching 406 kg LW/ha/year, compared to 359 and 358 kg LW/ha/year for Basilisk and Poraitê, respectively, due to the greater ADG and the increased SR observed during the rainy season. Carinás and Poraitê have potential for promoting cattle growth, owing to their comparable forage quality and plant‐part composition to Basilisk. However, the superior live weight gain per area observed for Carinás demonstrates its greater carrying capacity, without compromising individual animal performance.

ABSTRACTSeasonal acclimatisation is a mechanism enabling individuals to advantageously adjust one or more physiological parameters in response to changing environmental conditions. The ability to adjust metabolic rates and thermal physiology in response to seasonal changes is known to be central to the physiological ecology of some reptiles, but few studies have examined the ability of reptiles to exhibit seasonal flexibility in rates of evaporative water loss (EWL). We measured acclimatisation to seasonal changes for both temperature and water-related traits in six species of geckos in the genus Gehyra from the highly seasonal tropics of northern Australia. Four species from a mesic, more thermally stable site did not have seasonal differences in thermal preference (Tpref), but Tpref was significantly lower during the cooler dry season in three species from a semi-arid, more thermally variable site. EWL was lower (34–76% reduction) during the dry season compared with the wet season, representing a significant reduction for all gecko species. EWL decreased rapidly from wet to early dry season, then either remained low or continued to decrease to a minimum in the late dry season. These results indicate acclimatisation in EWL, resulting in the conservation of water during the dry season. A growing body of evidence suggests that seasonal acclimatisation of EWL broadly occurs in lizards in the wet–dry tropics of Australia, but less is known about seasonal acclimatisation of EWL in other geographic regions.

Simuliid flies (blackflies) of the family Simuliidae are ecologically and epidemiologically significant in as obligate vectors of Onchocerca volvulus, responsible for onchocerciasis. Their breeding habitats, seasonal abundance, biting activity, and developmental characteristics is essential for assessing transmission risk and improving vector surveillance. Despite onchocerciasis endemicity in Ondo State, ecological documentation of simuliid populations in specific river systems within Ondo City remains limited. This study investigated the ecological characteristics of simuliid flies along a river on Laje Road, Ondo City. Field sampling was conducted at three sites along a fast-flowing river section during the late rainy season (June–August 2024) and early dry season (October–November 2024). Water depth ranged from 16.5–59.0 cm and velocity averaged 0.8 m/s at the fastest site. Overall seasonal mean air temperatures were 27.1°C (rainy season) and 29.9°C (dry season onset) while water temperature exhibited considerably narrower variation, ranging only from 25.2°C to 27.2°C. The narrow thermal range falls within the optimal developmental range (20-28°C) for Simulium damnosum. A total of 55 adult flies were captured, with peak abundance in June and July, and peak biting activity between 1400 and 1700 hours. Adult morphometric measurements showed wing length (mean 8.41 ± 0.47 mm). Thorax length (mean 5.62 ± 0.48 mm); thorax depth (mean 5.28 ± 0.56 mm). Head length (mean 4.04 ± 0.51 mm) and leg length (mean 8.50 ± 0.59 mm). Dimensions are consistent with reference measurements for female S. damnosum. These findings confirm the river as an active simuliid breeding and biting habitat.

ABSTRACT This article examines how borders in the context of Fulani transhumance in West Africa are not fixed lines of demarcation, but dynamic spatiotemporal processes shaped by the shifting ecological rhythms of the dry and rainy seasons. Drawing on trajectory ethnography , we trace how Fulani pastoralists encounter, negotiate, and navigate border controls during seasonal movements – patterns which are becoming increasingly variable under climate change. Combining the concepts of borderscapes and riskscapes, the study shows how everyday practices – such as issuing vaccination papers, regulating bush-path access, and managing encampments – shift in response to erratic rainfall, fluctuating pasture availability, and land-use conflict. Our findings reveal that mobility is most restricted during the early dry and wet seasons, when Fulani movement is framed as a threat to crops or security, but becomes more normalised in the late dry season, when it is reinterpreted as beneficial for local livelihoods. However, pastoralists with greater access to documents, technologies, and social networks are more able to adapt to ecological cycles and navigate controls, leading to differentiated experiences of mobility. We conclude that bordering is deeply embedded in these shifting ecological dynamics that determine how, when, and where mobility is enforced or contested.

Background Subtropical savannas account for about 70% of the world’s annual burned area (BA). A key fire management strategy in these areas involves controlled, low-intensity fires earlier in the dry season to prevent high-intensity fires later in the season. This method leads to smaller, patchier fires with lower fuel consumption (FC) than late-season fires, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Aims and methods We aim to quantify emissions and potential emission abatement from prescribed burning for global savannas by extrapolating fire seasonality shifts reported for existing projects. This is based on Global Fire Emissions Database version 5 (GFED5) which offers improved modeling of small fire extent, emission factors (EFs) and FC dynamics. Key results and conclusions The highest potential abatement was located in high-rainfall savannas in Southern Africa, South America and Central America. GFED5 emissions from savannas were 749 Tg carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2-eq) per year. Results indicate that 66–363 Tg CO2-equivalent emissions, or 9–48% of the annual emissions could be abated through early dry season (EDS)-prescribed burning, mostly through the reduction of annual BA. Our analysis indicates that the indirect warming from carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from savanna fires may be larger than the combined impact of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).

The impacts of three types of hydrological changes on the human health risks of soil antibiotic resistance genes in Dongting Lake wetlands, China.

Understanding the composition and dynamics of insect pest communities is crucial for developing effective and sustainable management strategies in oil palm (<i>Elaeis guineensis</i> Jacq.) production systems. This study provides an updated inventory and ecological analysis of insect pests associated with industrial oil palm plantations in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. The objective was to characterize pest diversity, abundance, and damage intensity across plantations of different phenological stages. Sampling was conducted during the late rainy to early dry season (March to July 2024) across three strata: Young Non-Productive Crops (YNPC), Young Productive Crops (YPC), and Mature Crops (MC). A total of 30,380, 717, and 882 palms were respectively examined in these strata. Insects were collected from a single frond per tree and identified using both morphological keys and image-recognition tools, with confirmation at the Entomology and Agricultural Zoology Laboratory of INP-HB (Yamoussoukro). Ecological indices, including species richness (S), Shannon diversity (H′), evenness (E), and similarity (Jaccard and Sørensen), were calculated to compare community structures. Ten pest species belonging to nine families and three orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera) were recorded. Species composition varied markedly with plantation age. <i>Oryctes monoceros</i> dominated in YNPC (Ar = 100%), <i>Zonocerus variegatus</i> in YPC (Ar = 72.14%), and <i>Coelaenomenodera lameensis</i> in MC (Ar = 91.70%). Species richness and diversity increased with age (S = 1 to 8; H′ = 0 to 0.72), whereas evenness remained low (E ≤ 0.24), indicating strong dominance by a few species. Similarity indices revealed complete faunal turnover between young and mature strata, confirming a clear ecological succession. Multivariate analyses revealed near-complete faunal turnover between strata (ANOSIM R = 1.0, p = 0.001), with hierarchical clustering perfectly grouping plots according to plantation age. Damage intensity followed the same trend: minimal in YNPC (mainly due to O. monoceros), moderate in YPC, and severe in MC, where <i>C. lameensis</i> caused up to 78.68% moderate and 2.49% severe damage. These results demonstrate that pest pressure and community complexity increase with the maturity of oil palm. Effective pest management, therefore, requires a phenology-based integrated approach, combining preventive measures in young plantations with regular entomological monitoring and biological or selective chemical control in mature ones. Continuous surveillance and the conservation of natural enemies are crucial for enhancing the ecological resilience and sustainability of Ivorian oil palm agroecosystems.

ABSTRACT Fire and large mammal herbivores play major roles in shaping plant communities in savannas. However, the interactive effects of these drivers on other components of savanna biodiversity are less well understood. This study, conducted in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, tested the effects of fire and large mammals on the abundance and richness of foraging granivorous and insectivorous birds. We manipulated the presence of large mammals and early and late dry season burns and measured multiple aspects of grasses and woody plants as well as bird foraging. We modeled the abundance and richness of foraging birds in response to tree basal area, shrub abundance, grass biomass, grass cover, and grass richness in plots with and without large mammals and fire in the wet season prior to experimental burns, in the dry season following the burns, and in the subsequent wet season. Early and late dry season burns increased granivorous bird foraging in the wet season following the fires. Foraging insectivores increased in plots with cold burns 4 months after fire. The exclusion of large mammals generally reduced bird foraging, although positive effects of large mammal exclosures were detected when resources were limited, and fire and large mammals indirectly affected foraging by changing vegetation and therefore seed and arthropod food resources. Foraging was higher for both guilds where tree cover was greater, and foraging of insectivores increased with shrub cover and grass biomass and richness. These results emphasize the importance of considering fire‐herbivore interactions for the conservation of savanna biodiversity.

Abstract. Landscape fires emit climate-influencing greenhouse gases and aerosols. The vast majority of landscape fire emissions originate from tropical savannas, especially in Africa. During the fire season climatic conditions change, and fires burning later consume drier vegetation and occur in drier weather conditions than earlier fires. Previous studies have shown that it is possible to reduce emissions of some greenhouse gases (CH4 and N2O) by using “prescribed” fires, i.e. deliberate burning in the early dry season. In this study we examine the climate effect of (deliberately) changing fire regimes beyond CH4 and N2O, including aerosols and other short-lived species, CO2, and changes to surface albedo. We find that in general shifting burning earlier in a single fire season results in global negative climate forcing (cooling) of around −0.001 to −0.002 W m−2 (long-term) or −0.006 (short-term) W m−2, compared to less than −0.0005 W m−2 if only considering CH4 and N2O. Forcing from shifting burning later in contrast is negligible in the long term. CO2 emissions reduction through emission factor changes and burned area reduction is the largest contributing factor, though especially in the short term albedo effects are also substantial. Shifting fire activity towards the late fire season generally produces a positive climate forcing (warming) of a smaller magnitude. We find too that some localities within our study area have a potentially disproportionately large impact on our results, such that the efficacy of any fire regime change with respect to climate forcing must be carefully considered on a local scale.

A landsat-based burned area atlas (2000–2023) for the Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique using U-Net deep learning

Livestock is vital to Angola's economy, with cattle farming being especially important in Bié Province. Productivity is hampered by tick (Ixodida: Ixodidae) infestation, causing damage and potential transmission of pathogens. Despite known tick diversity in Angola, recent data for Bié Province are lacking. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to August 2024 in Bié Province across 11 localities, covering commercial and family-based cattle systems. Systematic random sampling was used to examine 686 cattle for ticks during early dry and rainy seasons. Ticks were collected from 7 anatomical regions and morphologically identified; the data were analyzed for seasonal variation, spatial distribution, and gender ratio. A total of 3,136 adult ticks were collected from 686 cattle (30.3% infestation rate). Ten species across 3 genera were identified, namely Rhipicephalus, Amblyomma, and Hyalomma. Rhipicephalus evertsi mimeticus was the most prevalent (27.9%), followed by R. evertsi evertsi (13.2%), R. (Boophilus) decoloratus (13.1%), and Amblyomma variegatum (12.3%). Tick abundance was quite similar between seasons, and females predominated (51.1%). Infestation varies by commune. The findings reveal substantial tick diversity in Bié Province and confirm ongoing exposure of cattle to multiple species.

ABSTRACT Although bees have been extensively studied, other less charismatic insect groups, such as Diptera and Coleoptera, are often overlooked. However, these are widespread and integrate pollination networks, being dominant in specific habitats such as high‐altitude regions. However, important knowledge gaps consist of: (1) most network studies are conducted in temperate mountains with limited data for tropical ones, (2) neglected pollinators are not the focus of investigations, and (3) most studies have a short temporal scale, without investigating seasonality effects throughout the year. To fill these gaps, we studied several sites in the Espinhaço Mountain Range (EMR), a local area with exceptional biodiversity and endemism. We compared the networks between the southern and northern areas across four seasons: early and late dry, and early and late wet seasons. We found two times more interactions between plants and pollinators in the southern than in the northern EMR. Plants engaged in Coleoptera and Diptera‐mediated pollination are, in general, white, mass‐flowering, and belong to Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, and Eriocaulaceae families. The number of interactions decreased from early wet to end dry, both in southern and northern EMR. Specialisation slightly increases over the seasons in the southern EMR but decreases in the northern. In general, nestedness was higher in the dry season. Networks are, in general, modular. Modularity was higher in the early wet season, progressively decreasing over the seasons in both areas. In conclusion, given the ecological dominance of Eriocaulaceae, Asteraceae, and other plant families in the EMR, the decline of Diptera and Coleoptera could imply cascading effects across the ecosystem. Also, as the networks change over the climatic seasons in this tropical mountain, this highlights the importance of understanding the complex effect of climate change on the EMR plant‐pollinator interactions.

Early dry season changed the abundance and composition of soil antibiotic resistance genes in Dongting Lake wetland, China

Monitoring and understanding vegetation responses to fire in Amazonian savanna ecosystems remains a very important scientific challenge to improve the landscape management practices of these areas. In this sense, the present study analyzes the dynamics of spectral separability as well as the postfire vegetation recovery process related to fire experiments carried out in open savanna ecosystems of the Campos Amazônicos National Park (Brazil). For this purpose, a harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 dataset was processed and analyzed. The time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Burned Ratio 2 (NBR2) spectral indices were also generated from this same dataset for the period from 2019 to 2023 and evaluated in combination with fine fuel load in-situ measurements. M-Statistics and mean absolute difference were calculated comparing data from burned and unburned plots, considering different treatments of fire seasonality (Early-Dry Season – EDS; Middle-Dry Season – MDS fires) and time since last fire (2-year-old fuel age; 3-year-old fuel age; and 10-year-old or older fuel age fires). The combined use of Sentinel-2 and Landsat resulted in an availability of cloud-free or partially cloud-free images ≈0.6 times greater than that obtained when using Landsat images exclusively. The potential of the NBR2 stood out, generating statistically significant mean absolute difference values when comparing EDS and MDS fires, and also when comparing 2-year-old fuel age areas with 3-year-old or 10-year-old or older fuel age areas. Satellite and field information converged in the detection of a rapid response of vegetation to fire in these ecosystems, demonstrating that conditions similar to those observed before the fire were reached after three rainy seasons. The results reinforce the potential of Landsat and Sentinel-2 harmonized remote sensing datasets to assess and monitor fire-affected areas over Amazonian savanna ecosystems, providing ecological meaning and establishing connections between remote sensing and field datasets.