Ecological Diversity Research Articles

Comparison of Algorithms and Optimal Feature Combinations for Identifying Forest Type in Subtropical Forests Using GF-2 and UAV Multispectral Images

The composition and spatial distribution of tree species are pivotal for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem productivity, and carbon sequestration. However, the accurate classification of tree species in subtropical forests remains a formidable challenge due to their complex canopy structures and dense vegetation. This study addresses these challenges within the Jiangxi Lushan National Nature Reserve by leveraging high-resolution GF-2 remote sensing imagery and UAV multispectral images collected in 2018 and 2022. We extracted spectral, texture, vegetation indices, geometric, and topographic features to devise 12 classification schemes. Utilizing an object-oriented approach, we employed three machine learning algorithms—Random Forest (RF), k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Classification and Regression Tree (CART)—to identify 12 forest types in these regions. Our findings indicate that all three algorithms were effective in identifying forest type in subtropical forests, and the optimal overall accuracy (OA) was more than 72%; RF outperformed KNN and CART; S12 based on feature selection was the optimal feature combination scheme; and the combination of RF and Scheme S12 (S12) yielded the highest classification accuracy, with OA and Kappa coefficients for 2018-RF-S12 of 90.33% and 0.82 and OA and Kappa coefficients for 2022-RF-S12 of 89.59% and 0.81. This study underscores the utility of combining multiple feature types and feature selection for enhanced forest type recognition, noting that topographic features significantly improved accuracy, whereas geometric features detracted from it. Altitude emerged as the most influential characteristic, alongside significant variables such as the Normalized Difference Greenness Index (NDVI) and the mean value of reflectance in the blue band of the GF-2 image (Mean_B). Species such as Masson pine, shrub, and moso bamboo were accurately classified, with the optimal F1-Scores surpassing 89.50%. Notably, a shift from single-species to mixed-species stands was observed over the study period, enhancing ecological diversity and stability. These results highlight the effectiveness of GF-2 imagery for refined, large-scale forest-type identification and dynamic diversity monitoring in complex subtropical forests.

Diversity and dominance in bird assemblages across habitats in the Ñeembucú wetlands complex

AbstractUnderstanding how diversity responds to habitat heterogeneity in a landscape is a central issue for implementing effective conservation plans. In this study, we analyzed how the composition and abundance of neotropical bird assemblages vary among habitats in the Ñeembucú Wetlands Complex, the largest wetland system in Paraguay. Bird surveys were conducted during 1 year within dominant habitats in the landscape: riparian forests, natural grasslands, savannas, and anthropized sites. The Ñeembucú Wetlands Complex showed a high bird richness (209 species) that contrasted with a pattern of dominance by a small set of 16 species that comprised half of the abundance. This set of oligarchic species consists of generalist species that exploited a wide variety of habitats and were well adapted to human disturbance, contributing to an important overlap in the composition of assemblages. However, despite this overall similarity, there is still significant differentiation in bird assemblages, especially between habitats with the most contrasting vegetation physiognomy. Riparian forests and savannas showed higher diversity values than the more structurally homogeneous grasslands. Also, all natural habitats showed, in general, higher diversity values than anthropized sites. Oligarchic species had higher importance in anthropized environments, which also had the most uneven distribution of abundance between species, indicating the dominance by a smaller number of species and the loss of ecological diversity as farmland and urban development increase.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

Navigating the Startup Innovation Ecosystem: Strategies for Effective External Resource Management

This research examines how innovation ecosystems facilitate startup innovation across the creation, development, and market phases. We analyze the roles of diverse ecosystem actors, emphasizing their contributions to resource dynamics using the case method approach. Semi-structured interview-based data was analyzed using content analysis. The study revealed the significance of the strategy of using external resources for the success of startups. During the creation phase, non-market-oriented entities like universities and incubators support startups with crucial early-stage R&D funding and business model formulation. In the development phase, startups refine their products with backing from accelerators, investors, and customers, utilizing innovation resources for prototyping and validation, and transitioning into the market phase, startups scale operations with market-oriented actors, focusing on organizational readiness and leveraging established business models for growth. Throughout these phases, startups balance exploration and exploitation strategies, enabling innovation ambidexterity. Our findings highlight how innovation ecosystem actors provide essential resources—physical, social, financial, and human—that foster startup resilience and maturity. Grounded in the Resource-Based View framework, this study offers empirical insights into strategic adaptations within innovation ecosystems, illustrating their transformative impact on startup success.<

Mechanisms of coexistence: Exploring species sorting and character displacement in woody plants to alleviate belowground competition.

Rarely do we observe competitive exclusion within plant communities, even though plants compete for a limited pool of resources. Thus, our understanding of the mechanisms sustaining plant biodiversity might be limited. In this study, we explore two common ecological strategies, species sorting and character displacement, that promote coexistence by reducing competition. We assess the degree to which woody plants may implement these two strategies to lower belowground competition for nutrients which occurs via nutritional (mostly mycorrhizal) mutualisms. First, we compile data on plant traits and the mycorrhizal association state of woody angiosperms using a global inventory of indigenous flora. Our analysis reveals that species in locations with high mycorrhizal diversity exhibit distinct mean values in leaf area and wood density based on their mycorrhizal type, indicating species sorting. Second, we reanalyse a large dataset on leaf area to demonstrate that in areas with high mycorrhizal diversity, trees maintain divergent leaf area values, showcasing character displacement. Character displacement among plants is considered rare, making our observation significant. In summary, our study uncovers a rare occurrence of character displacement and identifies a common mechanism employed by plants to alleviate competition, shedding light on the complexities of plant coexistence in diverse ecosystems.

Long-term continuous changes of vegetation cover in desert oasis of a hyper-arid endorheic basin with LandTrendr algorithm

Ecological water diversion projects (EWDP) is one of the most important initiatives for oases restoration in arid endorheic basins. Fine monitoring of the long-term and continuous changes in vegetation cover before and after the EWDP is important to evaluate the effects of EWDP on ecosystem restoration. In this study, a trajectory-based change detection approach was applied with the Landsat-based detection of trends in disturbance and recovery (LandTrendr) algorithm on Google Earth Engine to map vegetation cover change trajectories in Ejina Oasis in the lower Heihe River Basin of China during 1990–2020. In addition to monotonic changes (i.e., continuous greening and continuous browning), LandTrendr also can flexibly capture the breaks of greening or browning events, including the greening with negative break, browning with positive break, browning to greening, and greening to browning. These changes mainly happened in shrub land and the area with land use transition. Approximately 82 % of the oasis ecosystem has been restored by the implementation of EWDP since 2000. However, in the past decade, the EWDP also caused some negative effects on vegetation cover in some areas. Both the categories of browning with positive break and greening to browning became widespread after 2010, with the cumulative proportions accounting for 79.4 % and 70.1 % of each category. The mean magnitude and slope of change in NDVI in these two categories after 2010 were −0.03 and −0.008 yr−1, −0.12 and −0.035 yr−1, respectively. This research demonstrated that the proposed approach was effective and useful for continuously monitoring the timing and extent of vegetation recovery processes in the hyper-arid endorheic basin. The EWDP plays an important role in vegetation restoration, but we also need to continuously monitor negative impacts which are crucial for environmental assessment and policy making in the arid endorheic basin.

Tick-borne diseases at the crossroads of the Middle East and central Europe

ObjectivesThe Balkan Peninsula, acting as a crossroad between central Europe and the Middle East, presents diverse ecosystems supporting various tick species capable of transmitting TBDs. This study focuses on Serbia and North Macedonia, both endemic for TBDs, aiming to investigate human-biting ticks’ prevalence, TBD prevalence, and major TBPs in blood samples. Patients and MethodsThis prospective observational study was conducted in 2022 at two medical centers, involving 45 patients from Novi Sad, Serbia, and 17 patients from Skopje, North Macedonia. All participants had either a tick still attached or had had one removed within the preceding 48 h. The study consisted in clinical evaluations of patients and testing of patient samples and ticks for tick-borne pathogens using a High-Throughput pathogen detection system based on microfluidic real-time PCR. In addition, the study assessed the genetic diversity of the identified pathogens. ResultsIxodes ricinus was the most prevalent tick species, with varying infestation rates across various body parts. Tick species and feeding times differed between Novi Sad and Skopje. TBPs were prevalent, with Rickettsia spp. dominant in Skopje and a mix including Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia monacensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia afzelii in Novi Sad. Subclinical bacteremia occurred in 8.06% of cases, mostly involving Anaplasma spp. Clinical manifestations, primarily local hypersensitivity reactions, were observed in six patients. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed R. aeschlimannii and R. monacensis identity, highlighting genetic differences in gltA gene sequences. ConclusionsThis study sheds light on the prevalence and diversity of TBPs in tick-infested individuals from Serbia and North Macedonia, contributing valuable insights into the epidemiology of TBDs in the Balkan region.

Effects of Mint Oils on the Human Oral Microbiome: A Pilot Study.

The oral microbiome is a diverse and complex ecosystem essential for maintaining oral and systemic health. Our study is the first to define the oral microbial community in Egyptian young adults and investigate the effects of natural antimicrobials on the oral microbiome. SuperMint (SM) is a proprietary blend of peppermint, Japanese mint, bergamot mint, and spearmint essential oils encapsulated in a tiny soft beadlet. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of SM beadlets on the oral microbiome. This study recruited twenty healthy participants. A baseline investigation of the oral microbiome of the selected participants was performed by collecting saliva and swab samples before treatment. Treatment included chewing four SM beadlets twice a day for 7 days, and then, post-administration saliva and swab samples were collected at the end of treatment. The oral microbiome samples were analyzed by the high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments, and the community composition was determined. The results showed that the abundance of some microbial genera and families decreased after using SM, including Prevotella, Streptococcus, Neisseria, and Haemophilus. However, some genera showed inconsistent patterns. We also found that the subject's gender and SM usage were significantly associated with diverse microbial composition. The results suggest that SM treatment decreased the abundance of several bacteria associated with halitosis and periodontal diseases, such as Actinomyces and Streptococcus. Furthermore, Corynebacterium species increased and Streptococcus decreased after SM usage. More research is needed to fully understand the antimicrobial effects of mint oils and their potential applications in maintaining good oral health.

Fe(III)-mediated changes in microalgae-associated bacterial communities and dissolved organic matter characteristics: A case study for Chlorococcum sp. GD

Trivalent iron ions (Fe(III)) have important effects on aquatic ecosystems, especially on the functional diversity and stability of microorganisms and ecosystems. Here, a cultivable microalgae (Chlorococcum sp. GD) from the natural environment (Shanxi, China) were isolated and identified. A combined high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing/excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor (EEM-PARAFAC) analysis was used to integrated the results of Fe(III) influence on Chlorococcum sp. GD bacterial community and dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics through laboratory experiments. Due to the addition of Fe(III) in the form of ferric nitrate (Fe(NO3)3·9H2O), complexed with EDTA to maintain solubility and bioavailability, the bacterial community was altered. This led to a decrease in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria and an increase in the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria, especially under excessive Fe(III) treatment. In addition, the relative contribution of bacterial community dispersal limitation and homogenizing dispersal was 100 %, which may lead to differences in their local adaptation and ecological processes with homogenization of bacterial diversity and loss of function. Excessive Fe(III) caused a significant increase in the abundance of genes involved in the carbon cycle (p < 0.01) and a significant decrease in genes involved in the nitrogen cycle (p < 0.01), further affecting the overall regulatory network of gene expression. This led to an increase in the abundance of genes involved in metabolism, cellular processes, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, and human diseases. The moderate amount of Fe(III) promoted the production of microbial components and accelerated the degree of DOM humification. It is also worth mentioning that excessive Fe(III) inhibited DOM degradation. Overall, this work explored the characteristics of bacterial community and DOM changes in Fe(III)-stressed Chlorococcum sp. GD as an example, which contributes to an in-depth understanding of microbial community diversity and element cycling in aquatic ecosystems.

Fumarate reductase drives methane emissions in the genus Oryza through differential regulation of the rhizospheric ecosystem

The emergence of waterlogged Oryza species ∼15Mya (million years ago) supplied an anoxic warm bed for methane-producing microorganisms, and methane emissions have hence accompanied the entire evolutionary history of the genus Oryza. However, to date no study has addressed how methane emission has been altered during Oryza evolution. In this paper we used a diverse collection of wild and cultivated Oryza species to study the relation between Oryza evolution and methane emissions. Phylogenetic analyses and methane detection identified a co-evolutionary pattern between Oryza and methane emissions, mediated by the diversity of the rhizospheric ecosystems arising from different oxygen levels. Fumarate was identified as an oxygen substitute used to retain the electron transport/energy production in the anoxic rice root, and the contribution of fumarate reductase to Oryza evolution and methane emissions has also been assessed. We confirmed the between-species patterns using genetic dissection of the traits in a cross between a low and high methane-emitting species. Our findings provide novel insights on the evolutionary processes of rice paddy methane emissions: the evolution of wild rice produces different Oryza species with divergent rhizospheric ecosystem attributing to the different oxygen levels and fumarate reductase activities, methane emissions are comprehensively assessed by the rhizospheric environment of diversity Oryza species and result in a co-evolution pattern.

Use of environmental indicators to assess the state of forest ecosystems

The purpose of the study was to comprehensively analyse the effectiveness of environmental indicators in determining the state of forest ecosystems and their ability to reflect changes in the ecological balance. During the study, the influence of anthropogenic factors on biomass, soil acidity, and species diversity of forest ecosystems in the Sumy Oblast of Ukraine was evaluated. Field studies were conducted to determine the soil acidity, the biomass of plants and animals in anthropogenic and natural forest areas, followed by statistical analysis of the data. The degree of degradation of forest areas as a result of human activity was determined and the environmental consequences of these changes for natural systems were evaluated. The results showed that anthropogenically modified areas have reduced biomass (100 t/ha) and species diversity (20 plant species), increased soil acidity (pH 6.5-7) and high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates, compared to mixed forests, where biomass reaches 200 t/ha, species diversity – 50 species of flora, and soil acidity varies from moderately acidic to neutral (pH 5.5-6). These data confirmed the negative impact of human activity on ecosystems, in particular on biomass and soil acidity. It was established that environmental indicators allow forming a comprehensive picture of the state of ecosystems, which is necessary for making informed management decisions aimed at preserving and restoring ecosystems, and at effective management of natural resources. The results obtained demonstrated serious environmental problems as a result of anthropogenic impact on forest ecosystems. A decrease in biomass and species diversity, and an increase in soil acidity in anthropogenic zones indicate the need for urgent implementation of measures for the conservation and restoration of natural forests. The study will be useful in the context of long-term monitoring of ecosystems, which would allow a more detailed investigation of the dynamics of their changes

A randomized controlled trial of postbiotic administration during antibiotic treatment increases microbiome diversity and enriches health associated taxa.

Antibiotic-induced microbiome injury, defined as a reduction of ecological diversity and obligate anaerobe taxa, is associated with negative health outcomes in hospitalized patients, and healthy individuals who received antibiotics in the past are at higher risk for autoimmune diseases. No interventions are currently available that effectively target the microbial ecosystem in the gut to prevent this negative collateral damage of antibiotics. Here, we present the results from a single-center, randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 32 patients who received an oral, fermentation-derived postbiotic alongside oral antibiotic therapy for gastrointestinal (GI)-unrelated infections. Postbiotics comprise complex mixtures of metabolites produced by bacteria during fermentation and other processes, which can mediate microbial ecology. Bacterial ecosystem alpha diversity, quantified by the inverse Simpson index, during the end of the antibiotic course was significantly higher (+40%) across the 16 postbiotic-treated patients compared with the 16 patients who received a placebo, and the postbiotic was well-tolerated. Secondary analyses of 157 stool samples collected longitudinally revealed that the increased diversity was driven by enrichment in health-associated microbial genera: obligate anaerobe Firmicutes, in particular taxa belonging to the Lachnospiraceae family, were higher in treated patients; conversely, Escherichia/Shigella abundances, which comprise pathobionts and antimicrobial-resistant strains, were reduced in postbiotic-treated patients at the end of their antibiotic course and up to 10 days later. Taken together, these results indicate that postbiotic co-administration during antibiotic therapy could support a health-associated gut microbiome community and may reduce antibiotic-induced microbiome injury.

Genetic diversity and antifungal susceptibilities of environmental Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes

Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic systemic mycosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii species complexes and is of increasing global importance. Maintaining continued surveillance of the antifungal susceptibility of environmental C. neoformans and C. gattii isolates is desirable for better managing cryptococcosis by identifying resistant isolates and revealing the emergence of intrinsically resistant species. Relevant research data from Egypt are scarce. Thus, this study aimed to report the genetic diversity of C. neoformans and C. gattii species complexes originating from different environmental sources in Egypt, antifungal susceptibility profiles, antifungal combinations, and correlations of susceptibility with genotypes. A total of 400 environmental samples were collected, 220 from birds and 180 from trees. Cryptococcus spp. were found in 58 (14.5%) of the samples, 44 (75.9%) of the isolates were recovered from birds and 14 (24.1%) from trees. These isolates were genotyped using M13 polymerase chain reaction-fingerprinting and URA5 gene restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Of the 31 C. neoformans isolates, 24 (77.4%), 6 (19.4%) and one (4.4%) belonged to VNI, VNII, and VNIII genotypes, respectively. The 27 C. gattii isolates belonged to VGI (70.4%), VGII (18.5%), and VGIII (11.1%) genotypes. Non-wild type C. neoformans and C. gattii isolates that may have acquired resistance to azoles, amphotericin B (AMB), and terbinafine (TRB) were observed. C. gattii VGIII was less susceptible to fluconazole (FCZ) and itraconazole (ITZ) than VGI and VGII. C. neoformans isolates showed higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to FCZ, ITZ, and voriconazole (VRZ) than those of C. gattii VGI and VGII. Significant (P < 0.001) correlations were found between the MICs of VRZ and ITZ (r = 0.64) in both C. neoformans and C. gattii isolates, FCZ and TRB in C. neoformans isolates, and FCZ and TRB (r = 0.52) in C. gattii isolates.There is no significant differences in the MICs of TRB in combination with FCZ (P = 0.064) or in combination with AMB (P = 0.543) and that of TRB alone against C. gattii genotypes. By calculating the fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index, the combination of FCZ + AMB was synergistic against all tested genotypes. These findings expand our knowledge of ecological niches, genetic diversity, and resistance traits of C. neoformans and C. gattii genotypes in Egypt. Further investigations into how they are related to clinical isolates in the region are warranted.

Mapping tree species of wetlands using multispectral images of UAVs and machine learning: A case study of the Dong Rui Commune

Wetlands provide resources, regulate the environment, and stabilize shorelines; however, they are among the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world. The classification of mangrove species allows the determination of the habitat of each species, thereby serving as a basis for determining protection solutions and planning plans for mangrove conservation and restoration according to each environmental condition. We used Phantom 4 multispectral unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect data from wetland areas in the Dong Rui Commune, which is one of the most diverse and valuable wetland ecosystems in northern Vietnam. A tree-species classification map was constructed through a combination of the object-based image analysis method and spectral reflectance values of each plant species, and the characteristic distributions of mangrove plants, including Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Rhizophora stylosa, and Kandelia obovata, were determined with an overall accuracy of 91.11 % and a kappa coefficient (K) of 0.87. The overall accuracy for Rhizophora stylosa was the highest (94.23 %), followed by Kandelia obovata (93.61 %) and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (85.50 %). An experiment was conducted to map plant taxonomy in the same area based only on a graph of spectral reflectance values at five single-spectral bands, and normalized difference vegetation index values were constructed, resulting in an overall accuracy of 78.22 % and a K of 0.67. The constructed map is useful for classifying, monitoring, and evaluating the structure of each group of mangroves, thereby serving as a basis for determining the distribution of each mangrove species according to natural conditions and contributing to the formulation of policies for afforestation and mangrove conservation in Dong Rui commune.

The Young and the Resilient: Investigating Coral Thermal Resilience in Early Life Stages.

Global ocean warming is affecting keystone species distributions and fitness, resulting in the degradation of marine ecosystems. Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and productive marine ecosystems. However, reef-building corals, the foundational taxa of coral reef ecosystems, are severely threatened by thermal stress. Models predict 40-80% of global coral cover will be lost by 2100, which highlights the urgent need for widespread interventions to preserve coral reef functionality. There has been extensive research on coral thermal stress and resilience, but 95% of studies have focused on adult corals. It is necessary to understand stress during early life stages (larvae, recruits, and juveniles), which will better inform selective breeding programs that aim to replenish reefs with resilient stock. In this review, we surveyed the literature on coral thermal resilience in early life stages, and we highlight that studies have been conducted on relatively few species (commonly Acropora spp.) and in limited regions (mainly Australia). Reef-building coral management will be improved by comprehensively understanding coral thermal resilience and fitness across life stages, as well as in diverse species and regions.

Plant diversity conservation issues and challenges: A review

Significant conceptual changes have occurred over the past years in plant conservation, with major methodological advances incorporating modern techniques, technology, and disciplines. The global, national, and regional loss of biodiversity is a multifaceted issue affecting social, economic, organizational, political, scientific, and communicational scenarios. The identification of root causes is key to preventing biodiversity loss. India's diverse ecosystem supports various needs, including food, medicine, clothing, and shelter. Spatial biodiversity assessment is important for prioritizing and monitoring mechanisms and efforts in the context of land use, land cover change, unprecedented overexploitation, uncontrolled pollution, and alien species invasion. Odisha, an eastern Indian state, is rich in natural resources, with tropical moist, and dry deciduous forests covering remote areas of many districts, north-south-western hills, plateaus, and isolated pockets. Conservation efforts have expanded with protected areas, Red Lists, ex-situ facilities, wild plant accessions, and some developed species recovery programs. The conservation community is concerned about how to respond to the continuously depleting bioresources. Conservation prioritization focuses on protecting socioeconomically, medicinally, and environmentally significant species and living communities, regions of high species richness and endemism, and active functional ecosystems. The present review explores how to address sustainable biodiversity conservation practices and natural ecosystems aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals No. 13 and 15.

Aggravation Of the Climate Change Crisis in The Gulf Coast of The United States: A Review of Anthropogenic Factors

The Gulf Coast of the United States is increasingly at risk from the impacts of climate change, exacerbated by various human-induced factors. This review paper examined how human activities have worsened the effects of climate change in this region from 2005 to 2024, which is already vulnerable to hurricanes, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion. Influential factors include intensive industrial operations, such as oil and gas production, which release significant amounts of greenhouse gases and disrupt the natural landscape, leading to land subsidence and weakening coastal defenses. Urbanization and population growth have resulted in the loss of valuable wetlands and other natural buffers that mitigate flooding and storm surges. Alterations to river systems for flood control and navigation have reduced sediment deposition, affecting the preservation of coastal landforms. Agricultural practices in the region also play a role; fertilizer and pesticide runoff contaminate waterways and create hypoxic zones, impacting fisheries and marine habitats. The paper then emphasizes the need for impactful policy interventions and sustainable behaviors to address these human-induced pressures. In addition, the paper advocates for a comprehensive mitigation strategy that includes stricter emission controls, financial support for renewable energy sources, habitat restoration, and improved urban planning to enhance climate change resilience. After conducting a thorough review, we have discovered that the Gulf Coast region has experienced over fifteen deadly hurricanes over the past twenty years, poised to confront increasingly complex environmental and socioeconomic challenges if viable solutions are not implemented. These issues can potentially jeopardize the livelihoods of the region's inhabitants and the health of its diverse ecosystems.

Comparative Analysis of Vegetative Development and Leaf Morpho-Anatomy in Three Taxa of Ornamental Alocasia (Araceae)

This study examines the growth patterns, leaf morpho-anatomical traits and physiological characteristics of three ornamental taxa of Alocasia: A. melo, A reginae and Alocasia × morfontanensis ‘Bambino’. Using optical and scanning electron microscopy, the research obtained anatomical details of the leaves. Alocasia × morfontanensis ‘Bambino’ exhibited the highest leaf growth rate among the taxa studied, showing significant leaf number increases from the 8th to the 12th week after planting. Alocasia melo produced 2–3 new basal shoots after 20 weeks, whereas the other two taxa did not produce any. Alocasia melo displayed the greatest relative water content and leaf thickness, while A. reginae showed the highest chlorophyll stability. This study also revealed variations in the adaxial and abaxial leaf color, stomatal width, epidermal thickness, and elemental composition among the taxa involved, with A. melo containing rhodium and high levels of calcium on their leaf surface. These findings contribute to the understanding of the Alocasia leaf morpho-anatomy and growth, which is useful for optimizing Alocasia cultivation and production across diverse ecosystems.

The voice of the little giants: Arcellinida testate amoebae in environmental DNA-based bioindication, from taxonomy free to haplotypic level.

Bioindication, evaluating biological responses to environmental disturbances, is crucial for assessing the ecological status of an ecosystem. While historical bioindication relied on macroscopic organisms, the introduction of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques allows the application of protists without the necessity of morphological identification. In this study, we propose a novel bioindication methodology utilizing Arcellinida, a group of top predators among protists, as bioindicators of freshwater ecosystems. For that purpose, we first characterized the Arcellinida diversity over 1 year at three different points of Lake Sanabria, an ancient glacier lake known to be subjected to anthropogenic disturbances. We compared this diversity with an undisturbed control site. Second, we characterized the Arcellinida diversity in other ecosystems to generate the ecological background to test the connectivity between them. Results indicate limited connectivity between the different ecosystems and an edge effect between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Disturbed freshwater ecosystems exhibited reduced Arcellinida diversity at both specific and infraspecific levels, providing valuable insight into recent disturbances. Arcellinida-based bioindication provides a sensitive, accurate and easy-to-interpret protocol for monitoring disturbances in freshwater ecosystems. It represents a valuable tool for environmental assessments and conservation strategies.

Value of direct seeding mulch-based cropping system to field crop farmers in Quebec

Direct seeding mulch-based cropping system (DMC) is often touted for providing diverse ecosystem services, but its implementation may impose private costs that often limit its adoption by farmers. This study uses a contingent valuation method and a double hurdle model to estimate Quebec farmers' willingness to accept (WTA) compensation for adopting DMC and to analyze the underlying factors associated with WTA. Results show that farmers would demand, on average, 161 Canadian dollars per hectare as compensation for adopting DMC. Our results also indicate that farmers are willing to convert only 25.5 % of their farm size to DMC. While the adoption of DMC is positively influenced by the ease of implementation and farmers’ perception of DMC yield, the WTA for adopting DMC increases with the perceived risk and yield, as well as farm size. Conversely, it decreases with the age of farmers and if the farmers know a DMC producer. The findings of the study suggest that compensating farmers for adopting DMC is encouraging, but compensation alone may not be sufficient to induce the conversion of entire farms to DMC. The study, therefore, calls for further research to investigate why farmers are willing to convert only a quarter of their farms to DMC.

Integrative Approaches in Sericulture from Traditional Practices to Modern Technologies Sericulture and Its Contribution to Biodiversity Conservation

This paper delves into the evolution of sericulture, tracing its transformation from traditional practices deeply rooted in cultural heritage to the adoption of modern technologies. Sericulture, the rearing of silkworms for silk production, has been a cornerstone of human civilization for millennia, contributing economically, culturally, and ecologically. The transition from traditional methods to advanced techniques has reshaped silk production, enhanced efficiency and quality while raising concerns about ecological sustainability. Traditional sericulture, characterized by organic farming and agroforestry, has played a crucial role in biodiversity conservation by promoting diverse ecosystems. Modern advancements, such as automated rearing systems and genetic engineering, have revolutionized the industry but also pose potential threats to ecological balance. This paper underscores the necessity of integrative approaches that combine traditional wisdom with modern innovations to ensure the future viability of sericulture. Such approaches foster interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, farmers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, aiming to develop sustainable strategies that prioritize environmental conservation, socio-economic development, and cultural heritage preservation. The paper calls for concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and consumers, to support sustainable practices in sericulture. By adopting holistic management practices and embracing diversity in perspectives, sericulture can emerge as a resilient agroecosystem capable of thriving amid the challenges of a rapidly changing world. This study ultimately highlights sericulture's potential as a model for sustainable development and environmental stewardship, advocating for practices that harmonize human ingenuity with nature's integrity.