Ecological Circumstances Research Articles

Prevalence of Bovine Fasciolosis and its Financial Loss at Gulliso Slaughter House, West Wallaga Zone Western Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study conducted in Guliso, from September 2021 to June 2022 sought to identify the kind and prevalence of common Fasciola species in cattle as well as the financial damage resulting from liver condemnation. The study's foundation was a post-mortem examination of the livers of animals that had been killed at the abattoir in the Guliso municipality and its environs. 384 study animals were chosen for post-mortem examination using random systematic sampling procedures in this investigation. In the study, 128 (33.3%) cows had bovine fasciolosis overall. 54 animals (14.1%) had Fasciola gigantica, 49 animals (12.3%) had Fasciola hepatica, and 25 animals (6.5%) had mixed infections. Within the various body condition ratings, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis. Animals with poor and medium body condition ratings had the highest prevalence (96%) and lowest prevalence (84.7%), respectively, whereas animals with good body condition scores had the lowest prevalence (9.73%). Regarding age, sex, and animal origin, there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis. The estimated yearly financial loss at the abattoir resulting from liver condemnation linked to liver flukes was 138,528 Ethiopian birr. Given the current findings, fasciolosis may be viewed as a serious issue in the area and its environs since the ecological parameters and management circumstances support the survival of both the parasite and its intermediate host, the snail. To prevent pasture contamination and lower the worm burden from affected animals, strategic treatments must be applied at the right time. To maximize the long-term returns from such endemic locations, integrated control techniques involving livestock owners must be developed to reduce the population and activity of snail intermediate hosts.

Medicinal Plants Survey in Pudurnadu of Jawadhu Hills Tamil Nadu and Analysis of Phytoconstituents and Antibacterial Activity of Bryophyllum pinnatum Leaves Extract

A plant survey is usually conducted for examining a certain geographic area, analysis of existence of specific species and assessing of habitat appropriateness of those species available in that specific study area. A survey of medicinal plants in a given location helps in the comprehension of overall ecological circumstances by classifying the recorded plants into distinct biological life forms. The current study focuses on survey of ethnomedicinal plants in Pudurnadu. Pudurnadu is a village in Tirupattur district, Tamil Nadu, India, about 54 miles south of Vellore city. One of the effective ways to plant drug discovery has been discovered through ethnomedicinal survey. In our study, we recorded 146 medicinal plant species belonging to 59 families for the treatment of various ailments. The objectives of this study were to identify a rare medicinal plant in our study area and evaluate the phytochemical and antibacterial properties with several extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum which was determined using the Agar well diffusion method against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis).

A sustainable way of increasing productivity of coconut cultivation using cover crops: A review

Coconut, as one of the main components of the daily Sri Lankan diet and one of the predominant crops grown in different agroecological zones except in higher elevations, has become a major export-earning crop at present. Its productivity is limited by adverse climatic changes in coconut growing areas, biotic and abiotic stresses, and poor agronomic practices. Cover cropping has been identified as a rewarding and time-tested farming solution that increases the productivity of most coconut lands while addressing the above issues. It is the practice of growing plants for modifying soil properties, controlling pests and diseases, facilitating crop growth and yield, reducing chemical dependency, enabling the coconut-animal farming system, and generating extra profit. Legumes, fodder and pasture grasses have been identified as the common and trending cover crops for Sri Lanka. Comprehensive knowledge of selecting suitable cover crops, planting materials and proper agronomic practices are important for a successful cover cropping system under coconut. Farmers avoid this practice due to their ignorance on cover cropping, and its benefits, and due to the aggressive characteristics of cover crops such as reappearing behaviour, being an alternative host for pathogens, and competitiveness for natural resources. In this review, the unique attributes of common cover crop species were explained. Furthermore, the variety of on-farm benefits and ecosystem services of cover cropping and some important agronomic considerations were reviewed. Finally, future research potential for recommending new species and their adaptability to a wide range of ecological and ecosystem circumstances under coconut cultivation were investigated.

The experience of arrangement of the urban spaces with the fountains in the settlements of Ukrainian (Part I)

Among the countries of Europe, Ukraine is marked by a fairly large number of the fountains, which are the pieces of the monumental art, cultural and historical heritage objects. The purpose of this publication: to summarize the experience of organizing spaces with fountains, to explore the development of fountains as artistic and aesthetic objects of urban and landscape architecture. The fountains are considered as an integral part of the historical and architectural heritage of the country’s settlements, which is associated with outstanding historical events and the lives of famous people. Having traced the historical preconditions for the appearance of spaces with fountains, еxplored the circumstances that contributed to the development of sciences in Ukraine and the emergence of the first fountains as a synthesis of art and engineering, elements of a centralized water supply system of the settlement. Traced the influence of political, economic and ecological circumstances and the cultural needs of society for changes in the organization of spaces with fountains, where the buildings transformed their original functions from water distributors that meet drinking, household and religious needs into objects of improvement, artistic and aesthetic elements of urban architecture and pieces of garden art, artistic and aesthetic elements of landscape architecture, were studied.This publication presents the first part of the study, which covers the period of XVIII - XIX centuries.

Trade-Offs (and Constraints) in Organismal Biology

AbstractTrade-offs and constraints are inherent to life, and studies of these phenomena play a central role in both organismal and evolutionary biology. Trade-offs can be defined, categorized, and studied in at least six, not mutually exclusive, ways. (1) Allocation constraints are caused by a limited resource (e.g., energy, time, space, essential nutrients), such that increasing allocation to one component necessarily requires a decrease in another (if only two components are involved, this is referred to as the Y-model, e.g., energy devoted to size versus number of offspring). (2) Functional conflicts occur when features that enhance performance of one task decrease performance of another (e.g., relative lengths of in-levers and out-levers, force-velocity trade-offs related to muscle fiber type composition). (3) Shared biochemical pathways, often involving integrator molecules (e.g., hormones, neurotransmitters, transcription factors), can simultaneously affect multiple traits, with some effects being beneficial for one or more components of Darwinian fitness (e.g., survival, age at first reproduction, fecundity) and others detrimental. (4) Antagonistic pleiotropy describes genetic variants that increase one component of fitness (or a lower-level trait) while simultaneously decreasing another. (5) Ecological circumstances (or selective regime) may impose trade-offs, such as when foraging behavior increases energy availability yet also decreases survival. (6) Sexual selection may lead to the elaboration of (usually male) secondary sexual characters that improve mating success but handicap survival and/or impose energetic costs that reduce other fitness components. Empirical studies of trade-offs often search for negative correlations between two traits that are the expected outcomes of the trade-offs, but this will generally be inadequate if more than two traits are involved and especially for complex physiological networks of interacting traits. Moreover, trade-offs often occur only in populations that are experiencing harsh environmental conditions or energetic challenges at the extremes of phenotypic distributions, such as among individuals or species that have exceptional athletic abilities. Trade-offs may be (partially) circumvented through various compensatory mechanisms, depending on the timescale involved, ranging from acute to evolutionary. Going forward, a pluralistic view of trade-offs and constraints, combined with integrative analyses that cross levels of biological organization and traditional boundaries among disciplines, will enhance the study of evolutionary organismal biology.

Selfing rate variation within species is unrelated to life-history traits or geographic range position.

In plants, populations and species vary widely along the continuum from outcrossing to selfing. Life-history traits and ecological circumstances influence among-species variation in selfing rates, but their general role in explaining intraspecific variation is unknown. Using a database of plant species, we test whether life-history traits, geographic range position, or abundance predict selfing rate variation among populations. We identified species where selfing rates were estimated in at least three populations at known locations. Two key life-history traits (generation time and growth form) were used to predict within-species selfing rate variation. Populations sampled within a species' native range were assessed for proximity to the nearest edge and abundance. Finally, we conducted linear and segmented regressions to determine functional relationships between selfing rate and geographic range position within species. Selfing rates for woody species varied less than for herbs, which is explained by the lower average selfing rate of woody species. Relationships between selfing and peripherality or abundance significantly varied among species in their direction and magnitude. However, there was no general pattern of increased selfing toward range edges. A power analysis shows that tests of this hypothesis require studying many (i.e., 40+) populations. Intraspecific variation in plant mating systems is often substantial yet remains difficult to explain. Beyond sampling more populations, future tests of biogeographic hypotheses will benefit from phylogeographic information concerning specific range edges, the study of traits influencing mating system (e.g., herkogamy), and measures of abundance at local scales (e.g., population density).

Ecological Design Strategies and Theory for Urban Parks in Seoul, 1990s–Present

This study explores the characteristics of and changes in Korean landscape architects’ attitudes toward ecological design strategies and theories over the last three decades. Methodologically, this study includes a literature review and incorporates data from case studies and site visits. It discusses Seoul-specific contexts regarding environmental conditions, urban morphology, administrative agency, and design theory and practice. It redefines ecological parks, expanding their scope using physical and non-physical ecological processes. Considering this redefinition, this study categorizes the five main attitudes of contemporary Korean landscape architects towards ecological design: providing wildlife habitat, constructing aesthetic experiences, the phasing strategy, developing environmental learning programs, and designers’ metaphoric expression. Through these attitudes, this study chronologically explores gradual and constant changes in design strategies and the discourse on ecological design. Specifically, in the 1990s, landscape architects emphasized the representation of ecosystems by constructing wildlife habitats. In the early 2000s, ecological parks were artistically designed as urban parks by reusing post-industrial landscapes. Around the 2010s, landscape architects developed resilient and adaptive design strategies to flexibly respond to uncertain changes in natural and urban ecological circumstances. Since the 2010s, landscape architects have continually expanded the scope of ecology to cover physical, non-physical, urban, and social infrastructures, including public transportation, as well as political, social, and cultural structures and virtual and augmented landscapes. This study can contribute to the field literature while adding a valuable overview of the understudied Korean context.

The complex trophic community of Disholcaspis eldoradensis, a sucrose‐secreting cynipid gall wasp of Quercus lobata

1. Galls of some species of cynipid wasps produce a sugary secretion that attracts ants, which are thought to defend gall‐inducers against natural enemies, although evidence in support of this hypothesis is mixed. Some discrepancies may be explained by the complexity of the multitrophic interactions, which involve multiple ant and parasitoid species, and which are influenced by gall size and aggregation. The gall exudate also affects these relationships, although secretion patterns and possible host plant impacts appear to be unstudied.2. We studied Disholcaspis eldoradensis Beutenmuller (Hymenoptera:Cynipidae) galls on Quercus lobata Née (Fagaceae) and its interactions with ants and parasitoids. We used exclusion experiments to test the defensive benefits of ants and timing of parasitoid oviposition, and we measured how gall size, aggregation, and ant visitation influence these interactions. In addition, we measured variation in sucrose secreted by galls during larval development.3. Ants benefited gall inducers in 2018, but not 2019. Over 80% of visits observed were from invasive ants. Gall aggregation was not associated with parasitism, gall inducer success, or visitation by ants. During 2018, gall size was inversely correlated with the chance of parasitism and positively correlated with gall inducer biomass, whereas in 2019, parasitoid community composition varied with gall size. Sucrose secretion varied widely among galls and through time.4. Facultative mutualisms between ants and sugar‐secreting galls are complex and likely vary through time depending on local ecological circumstances. Gall secretions warrant increased attention and may impose a substantial burden on some host plant photosynthetic budgets.

Molecular consequences of cadmium toxicity and its regulatory networks in plants

As sessile organisms, plants cannot move to find the best conditions for their growth and development and are therefore uninterruptedly exposed to adverse ecological circumstances viz., drought, salinity, temperature, heavy metal and flooding stress. Water and soil polluted with heavy metals cause an ecological threat to plant growth and productivity as well as to human vigour. Because of the problem in governing ecological metal uptake, plants confront undesirable chemical facets which are usually recognized noxious and non-essential even at smaller amounts. Cadmium (Cd) is among these dispensable and noxious moieties, which is quickly captivated via roots and passaged to distinct plant parts and ultimately, inhibit the various plant developmental processes and yield globally. Plant resistance to Cd stress is controlled at molecular level during the progression of maintaining metal balance, which involves control of the signaling pathway of metal-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). Generation of oxidative symptom is the fore most action of Cd phytotoxicity and in others via the destruction of glutathione. Cd is a potent enzyme inhibitor and accumulation of Cd in plants cause mitochondrial degeneration, mitotic abnormalities, alters cell cycle activity that led to chromosomal abnormalities at the cellular level, impact many catalytic and metabolic progressions by obstructing some essential enzymes and also alters gene and protein expression. The production of stress associated proteins, signaling moieties, relocation by specific transporters, vacuole localization, phytochelatins and metallothioneins induced chelation etc. are the primary molecular responses of plants to prevent adverse effects of Cd in plants. Hence, it is prerequisite to understand comprehensive Cd toxicity and molecular mechanisms of the plants to regulate Cd stress.

Impact of Methanol and Glycine Betaine on Yield and Quality of Fodder Beet Genotypes (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

Two field experiments were carried out during 2018–2019 at the Hamedan and Qom sites, which are different ecological locations of Iran. Hamedan was selected as a temperate climate and Qom as semi-arid to study some of the morphological and physiological traits of fodder beet in various climatic conditions. The experimental map was designed as a split–split-plot in the form of a randomized complete block with three replications. The main plots were assigned three levels of methanol (i.e., control, 15, and 30% by volume). The sub-plots were restricted to two glycine betaine (GB) concentrations (i.e., control and four grams per liter of methanol consumed, and the sub-sub-plots consisted of six different genotypes of fodder beet). The results showed that root length, root and foliage yield/ha, as well as sugar content increased with the incremental level of methanol and/or GB concentration. Foliar application of methanol and GB also significantly changed the qualitative parameters including sodium content, catalase value, crude protein percentage, and dry matter digestibility. It should be noted that two sites differed in most of the investigated traits, so that Hamedan treatment had a more active role on fodder beet growth, yield, and quality compared with Qom. Meanwhile, there was a significant difference between fodder beet genotypes. Generally, spraying fodder beet with 15%by volume methanol or GB with concentration of four grams per liter of methanol is the recommended treatment for raising forage yield under the ecological circumstances of this research.

Quantitative analysis of the berry size in grapevine cultivar ‘Italia’ •

AbstractQuantitative evaluation of the horticultural crops has high importance to identify cultivars, describe the effect of the growing location and cultivation technology or define consumer's preference regarding the size and shape. Fruit traits of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) are mainly described by the bunch and berry morphology notably bunch and berry size, weight and shape. Ampelographers particularly evaluate the berry based on the seed number as it influences size and consumers' decision. In this study, berry morphological traits of the grapevine cultivar ‘Italia’ was investigated based on digital image analysis. Samples were collected from two vineyards in Hungary with different ecological and cultivation circumstances. Altogether 12 traits were investigated: weight, seed number, size and shape attributes. Results showed that berry morphological traits – except from the shape attributes – are not differing between the two sampling locations. In accordance with previous studies, seed number – ranging from 0 to 4 – had noticeable effect on the size attributes.

Assessing the Application-Specific Substitutability of Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Chemistries Based on Material Criticality, Performance, and Price

The material use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is widely discussed in public and scientific discourse. Cathodes of state-of-the-art LIBs are partially comprised of high-priced raw materials mined under alarming ecological and social circumstances. Moreover, battery manufacturers are searching for cathode chemistries that represent a trade-off between low costs and an acceptable material criticality of the comprised elements while fulfilling the performance requirements for the respective application of the LIB. This article provides an assessment of the substitutability of common LIB cathode chemistries (NMC 111, −532, −622, −811, NCA 3%, −9%, LMO, LFP, and LCO) for five major fields of application (traction batteries, stationary energy storage systems, consumer electronics, power-/garden tools, and domestic appliances). Therefore, we provide a tailored methodology for evaluating the substitutability of products or components and critically reflect on the results. Outcomes show that LFP is the preferable cathode chemistry while LCO obtains the worst rating for all fields of application under the assumptions made (as well as the weighting of the considered categories derived from an expert survey). The ranking based on the substitutability score of the other cathode chemistries varies per field of application. NMC 532, −811, −111, and LMO are named recommendable types of cathodes.

From micro to macroevolution: drivers of shape variation in an island radiation of Podarcis lizards.

Phenotypictraits have been shown to evolve in response to variation in the environment. However, the evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of phenotypic diversity can typically only be understood at the population level. Consequently, how subtle phenotypic differences at the intraspecific level can give rise to larger-scale changes in performance and ecology remains poorly understood. We here tested for the covariation between ecology, bite force, jaw muscle architecture, and the three-dimensional shape of the cranium and mandible in 16 insular populations of the lizards Podarcis melisellensis and P. sicula. We then compared the patterns observed at the among-population level with those observed at the interspecific level. We found that three-dimensional head shape as well as jaw musculature evolve similarly under similar ecological circumstances. Depending on the type of food consumed or on the level of sexual competition, different muscle groups were more developed and appeared to underlie changes in cranium and mandible shape. Our findings show that the local selective regimes are primary drivers of phenotypic variation resulting in predictable patterns of form and function. Moreover, intraspecific patterns of variation were generally consistent with those at the interspecific level, suggesting that microevolutionary variation may translate into macroevolutionary patterns of ecomorphological diversity.

Fungal Pathogens in Grasslands.

Grasslands are major primary producers and function as major components of important watersheds. Although a concise definition of grasslands cannot be given using a physiognomic or structural approach, grasslands can be described as vegetation communities experiencing periodical droughts and with canopies dominated by grasses and grass-like plants. Grasslands have a cosmopolitan distribution except for the Antarctic region. Fungal interactions with grasses can be pathogenic or symbiotic. Herbivorous mammals, insects, other grassland animals, and fungal pathogens are known to play important roles in maintaining the biomass and biodiversity of grasslands. Although most pathogenicity studies on the members of Poaceae have been focused on economically important crops, the plant-fungal pathogenic interactions involved can extend to the full range of ecological circumstances that exist in nature. Hence, it is important to delineate the fungal pathogen communities and their interactions in man-made monoculture systems and highly diverse natural ecosystems. A better understanding of the key fungal players can be achieved by combining modern techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) together with studies involving classic phytopathology, taxonomy, and phylogeny. It is of utmost importance to develop experimental designs that account for the ecological complexity of the relationships between grasses and fungi, both above and below ground. In grasslands, loss in species diversity increases interactions such as herbivory, mutualism, predation or infectious disease transmission. Host species density and the presence of heterospecific host species, also affect the disease dynamics in grasslands. Many studies have shown that lower species diversity increases the severity as well as the transmission rate of fungal diseases. Moreover, communities that were once highly diverse but have experienced decreased species richness and dominancy have also shown higher pathogenicity load due to the relaxed competition, although this effect is lower in natural communities. This review addresses the taxonomy, phylogeny, and ecology of grassland fungal pathogens and their interactions in grassland ecosystems.

Why aren't warning signals everywhere? On the prevalence of aposematism and mimicry in communities.

Warning signals are a striking example of natural selection present in almost every ecological community - from Nordic meadows to tropical rainforests, defended prey species and their mimics ward off potential predators before they attack. Yet despite the wide distribution of warning signals, they are relatively scarce as a proportion of the total prey available, and more so in some biomes than others. Classically, warning signals are thought to be governed by positive density-dependent selection, i.e. they succeed better when they are more common. Therefore, after surmounting this initial barrier to their evolution, it is puzzling that they remain uncommon on the scale of the community. Here, we explore factors likely to determine the prevalence of warning signals in prey assemblages. These factors include the nature of prey defences and any constraints upon them, the behavioural interactions of predators with different prey defences, the numerical responses of predators governed by movement and reproduction, the diversity and abundance of undefended alternative prey and Batesian mimics in the community, and variability in other ecological circumstances. We also discuss the macroevolution of warning signals. Our review finds that we have a basic understanding of how many species in some taxonomic groups have warning signals, but very little information on the interrelationships among population abundances across prey communities, the diversity of signal phenotypes, and prey defences. We also have detailed knowledge of how a few generalist predator species forage in artificial laboratory environments, but we know much less about how predators forage in complex natural communities with variable prey defences. We describe how empirical work to address each of these knowledge gaps can test specific hypotheses for why warning signals exhibit their particular patterns of distribution. This will help us to understand how behavioural interactions shape ecological communities.

Palaeoecology and conservation of endangered hidden species; example of the liverwort Riella (Riellaceae)

Palaeoecology is increasingly contributing to conservation biology and restoration ecology by extending the recent annual to decennial records of ecological observations to centennial and millennial time scales. One of the almost neglected potential applications of palaeoecological investigations in conservation biology is the discovering of hidden species in subrecent fossil records. Such discoveries can be common in biodiversity hotspots in which the fauna and flora are not still fully known. In this study, we present the case of the liverwort Riella in continental southwest Asia (Iranian plateau), a very vulnerable taxon growing and reproducing under very special ecological circumstances. Our study adds two new species of Riella (R. echinata and R. helicophylla) in addition to the formerly reported R. cossoniana, to the subfossil bryophyte flora of Iran. We demonstrate the important contribution that the genus has played in the history of wetland flora of the semi-arid to arid areas of Iran during the late Quaternary. We further demonstrate the possibility that it is still thriving in many wetland systems and may need to be discovered and then protected in its potential habitats. We suggest that in the biodiversity hotspots of lower latitudes, more attention has to be paid to taxonomic identification of species to reveal the hidden part of the biodiversity for defining better conservation strategies for vulnerable aquatic ecosystems such as the seasonal wetland systems.

Floral biology of Salvia stachydifolia, a species visited by bees and birds: connecting sexual phases, nectar dynamics and breeding system to visitors’ behaviour

Abstract Aims Adaptive convergence in floral phenotype among plants sharing a pollinator guild has been acknowledged in the concept of pollination syndrome. However, many plants display traits associated with a given syndrome, but are visited by multiple pollinators. This situation may indicate the beginning of a pollinator shift or may result in a stable situation with adaptations to different pollinators. In Salvia stachydifolia, a previous study suggested that flower shape is optimized to maximize the contribution to pollination of bees and hummingbirds. Here, we studied three additional aspects of its floral biology: sexual phases, nectar dynamics and breeding system, and examined their connection with pollinators’ behaviour to explore the presence of adaptations to bee and/or hummingbird pollination. Methods Using a greenhouse population, we applied five pollination treatments to characterize breeding system. To determine sexual phases, we recorded flower opening, anther dehiscence, corolla fall and stigma receptivity. Additionally, we characterized nectar volume and concentration dynamics along the day. Finally, to determine pollinator assemblage and visitation patterns, we performed field observations and recorded pollinators’ behaviour. Important Findings Salvia stachydifolia was partially protandrous and self-compatible, but open-pollinated plants attained the highest reproductive success, suggesting that reproduction is mainly dependent on pollinator activity. Bombus opifex bumblebees were the most frequent visitors, but Sappho sparganura hummingbirds dominated visits early in the morning and at dusk. Nectar was typical of bumblebee pollination. We suggest that the bee–hummingbird mixed visitation constitutes an unstable evolutionary situation, making S. stachydifolia an ideal system to understand the ecological circumstances in which pollination shifts occur.

Antifungals, arthropods and antifungal resistance prevention: lessons from ecological interactions.

Arthropods can produce a wide range of antifungal compounds, including specialist proteins, cuticular products, venoms and haemolymphs. In spite of this, many arthropod taxa, particularly eusocial insects, make use of additional antifungal compounds derived from their mutualistic association with microbes. Because multiple taxa have evolved such mutualisms, it must be assumed that, under certain ecological circumstances, natural selection has favoured them over those relying upon endogenous antifungal compound production. Further, such associations have been shown to persist versus specific pathogenic fungal antagonists for more than 50 million years, suggesting that compounds employed have retained efficacy in spite of the pathogens' capacity to develop resistance. We provide a brief overview of antifungal compounds in the arthropods' armoury, proposing a conceptual model to suggest why their use remains so successful. Fundamental concepts embedded within such a model may suggest strategies by which to reduce the rise of antifungal resistance within the clinical milieu.

Interactive Effects of Gibberellic Acid and Nitrogen Fertilization on the Growth, Yield, and Quality of Sugar Beet

Two field trials were conducted during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons at Aweesh Al-Hagar Village, center of Mansoura, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. A split-split-plot design with four replicates was used. The main plots were assigned three nitrogen fertilizer levels, i.e., 165, 220, and 275 kg/ha. The sub-plots were restricted to four gibberellic acid (GA3) concentrations, i.e., 0, 80, 160, and 240 mg/L, and the sub-sub plots received GA3 application twice, i.e., 60 and 120 days after planting (DAP). The results showed that both root length and diameter, root and foliage fresh weights/plant, and root and foliage yields/ha increased with the incremental level of nitrogen and/or GA3 concentration. Foliar application of GA3 and N-fertilizers also significantly decreased quality parameters including sucrose and total soluble solid (TSS) percentages. Early application of GA3 (60 DAP) had an active role on sugar beet growth, yield, and quality compared with spraying at 120 DAP. Generally, fertilizing sugar beet with 275 kg N/ha or spraying GA3 with a concentration of 160 mg/L at 60 DAP is the recommended treatment for raising sugar yield under the ecological circumstances of this research.

Domestication via the commensal pathway in a fish-invertebrate mutualism

Domesticator-domesticate relationships are specialized mutualisms where one species provides multigenerational support to another in exchange for a resource or service, and through which both partners gain an advantage over individuals outside the relationship. While this ecological innovation has profoundly reshaped the world’s landscapes and biodiversity, the ecological circumstances that facilitate domestication remain uncertain. Here, we show that longfin damselfish (Stegastes diencaeus) aggressively defend algae farms on which they feed, and this protective refuge selects a domesticator-domesticate relationship with planktonic mysid shrimps (Mysidium integrum). Mysids passively excrete nutrients onto farms, which is associated with enriched algal composition, and damselfish that host mysids exhibit better body condition compared to those without. Our results suggest that the refuge damselfish create as a byproduct of algal tending and the mutual habituation that damselfish and mysids exhibit towards one another were instrumental in subsequent mysid domestication. These results are consistent with domestication via the commensal pathway, by which many common examples of animal domestication are hypothesized to have evolved.