Ecological Relationships Research Articles

Effect of common low-molecular-weight organic acid on the photodegradation of sertraline by ferrihydrite

Sertraline is one of the most commonly used antidepressant pharmaceuticals with ubiquitous distribution in the aqueous environment. However, the environmental behavior of sertraline in the co-presence of low-molecular-weight organic acid (LMWOA) and iron oxide mineral is still poorly understood. In this study, the photodegradation of sertraline was systematically investigated in a common photosensitizing system (ferrihydrite (Fh)-LMWOA). Six LMWOAs, including citrate acid (CA), tartrate acid (TA), malate acid (MA), lactate acid (LA), succinate acid (SA) and malonic acid (MOA) were chosen as the representatives. Our results implied that the different Fe3+ dissolution rates would lead to rather different sertraline degradation patterns following the order of Fh-CA > Fh-TA > Fh-MA > Fh-LA > Fh-SA > Fh-MOA. The reaction was initiated by the interaction between LMWOA and Fh via ligand-promoted-dissolution mechanism. Furthermore, the Fe3+ dissolution rates also showed a strong correlation with the metal-organic complexation constants, indicating that the photodegradation process is strongly related to the complexation ability of LMWOA with Fe3+. •OH, O2•- and CO2•- were detected, indicating that they contributed to the photodegradation of sertraline. •OH was demonstrated to be the dominant Reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the degradation of sertraline, and the detailed transformation pathways were proposed based on the product analysis and theoretical calculation. According to the ecological structure activity relationship estimation, the photodegradation products of sertraline possessed lower toxicity compared to the parent compound. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental fate of sertraline and evaluate its potential ecotoxicity in natural systems.

Insights into the gut microbiome of local steppe-vegetation inhabitant bees: microbial community analysis of Bombus niveatus niveatus, Bombus niveatus vorticosus, Bombus terrestris, and Apis mellifera

Bumble bees and honey bees are pollinivorous and nectarivorous insects. We classify them as “important pollinators” because of their feeding behaviors. The gut microbiota of these pollinators is essential in nutrition, detoxification, and resistance to diseases. Evaluating the diversity of microbiomes for pollinator taxa may give a chance to understand the ecological relationships among them and the related plants. We investigated the gut bacteria and fungi communities of four taxa distributed in a local steppe-vegetation habitat: wild populations of Bombus terrestris, Bombus niveatus niveatus, Bombus niveatus vorticosus and, as a manageable pollinator, Apis mellifera. The composition of fungi and bacteria within the gut was identified using Illumina MiSeq metabarcoding of the ITS1 and 16S rRNA genes. We found that the dominant bacteria detected in the phyla among the three bumble bee taxa were Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria while for A. mellifera, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota, respectively. For fungi, Candida was predominant among bumble bee taxa, whereas Penicillium, Fusarium, and Candida were detected predominantly in A. mellifera.

Predation of the fiddler crab, Minuca osa (Brachyura: Ocypodidae), by Eudocimus albus (Pelecaniformes: Threskiornithidae) from Ponuga, Veraguas, Panama

Numerous avian species prey on fiddler crabs, yet the ecological relationships involving Minuca osa crabs and their predators remain poorly understood. We report the first documented cases of M. osa predation by White Ibis, Eudocimus albus. Three distinct predation events were observed: June 3rd, 2021, November 10th, 2022, and November 25th, 2022, in the Gulf of Montijo, Veraguas, Panama. Examination of E. albus feces provided confirmation of such predator-prey interaction.

Identifying multilevel predictors of trajectories of psychopathology and resilience among juvenile offenders: A machine learning approach.

Mental ill health is more common among juvenile offenders relative to adolescents in general. Little is known about individual differences in their long-term psychological adaptation and its predictors from multiple aspects of their life. This study aims to identify heterogeneous trajectories of probable psychiatric conditions and their predictors. Participants included 574 juvenile offenders who were first convicted for serious crimes and without detention history. The participants were assessed at 11 timepoints over seven years (2000-2010). Growth mixture modeling revealed the same three trajectories for both probable anxiety and probable depression: stable low trajectory (75.96%; 75.78%), stable high trajectory (15.16%; 10.98%), and recovery (8.89%, 13.24%). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression identified three multilevel predictors for memberships of different trajectories. Risk factors against stable low trajectory lay within personal (e.g., neuroticism), relationship (e.g., parental hostility), and contextual levels (e.g., chaotic neighborhood). Resilience factors for stable low trajectory included strong work orientation and low education level of father. Recovery was predicted by Black race, self-identity, high education level of father, and nonincarcerated sentencing. Our findings suggest that both psychopathology and psychological resilience could be predicted by multiple personal, relationship, and contextual factors in the social ecology of juvenile offenders.

Advancing stream classification and hydrologic modeling of ungaged basins for environmental flow management in coastal southern California

Abstract. Environmental streamflow management can improve the ecological health of streams by returning modified flows to more natural conditions. The Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) framework for developing regional environmental flow criteria has been implemented to reverse hydromodification across the heterogenous region of coastal southern California (So. CA) by focusing on two elements of the flow regime: streamflow permanence and flashiness. Within ELOHA, classification groups streams by hydrologic and geomorphic similarity to stratify flow–ecology relationships. Analogous grouping techniques are used by hydrologic modelers to facilitate streamflow prediction in ungaged basins (PUB) through regionalization. Most watersheds, including those needed for stream classification and environmental flow development, are ungaged. Furthermore, So. CA is a highly heterogeneous region spanning gradients of urbanization and flow permanence, which presents a challenge for regionalizing ungaged basins. In this study, we develop a novel classification technique for PUB modeling that uses an inductive approach to group perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral regional streams by modeled hydrologic similarity followed by deductively determining class membership with hydrologic model errors and watershed metrics. As a new type of classification, this hydrologic-model-based classification (HMC) prioritizes modeling accuracy, which in turn provides a means to improve model predictions in ungaged basins while complementing traditional classifications and improving environmental flow management. HMC is developed by calibrating a regional catalog of process-based rainfall–runoff models, quantifying the hydrologic reciprocity of calibrated parameters that would be unknown in ungaged basins and grouping sites according to hydrologic and physical similarity. HMC was applied to 25 USGS streamflow gages in the “South Coast” region of California and was compared to other hybrid PUB approaches combining inductive and deductive classification. Using an average cluster error metric, results show that HMC provided the most hydrologically similar groups according to calibrated parameter reciprocity. Hydrologic-model-based classification is relatively complex and time-consuming to implement, but it shows potential for simplifying ungaged basin management. This study demonstrates the benefits of thorough stream classification using multiple approaches and suggests that hydrologic-model-based classification has advantages for PUB and building the hydrologic foundation for environmental flow management.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the gut microbiome: An ecological perspective.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an increasingly prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. Symptoms emerge from underlying deficiencies in neurocircuitry, and recent research has suggested a role played by the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of interdependent taxa involved in an exponentially complex web of interactions, plus host gene and reaction pathways, some of which involve neurotransmitters with roles in ADHD neurocircuitry. Studies have analyzed the ADHD gut microbiome using macroscale metrics such as diversity and differential abundance, and have proposed several taxa as elevated or reduced in ADHD compared to Control. Few studies have delved into the complex underlying dynamics ultimately responsible for the emergence of such metrics, leaving a largely incomplete, sometimes contradictory, and ultimately inconclusive picture. We aim to help complete this picture by venturing beyond taxa abundances and into taxa relationships (i.e. cooperation and competition), using a publicly available gut microbiome dataset (targeted 16S, v3-4 region, qPCR) from an observational, case-control study of 30 Control (15 female, 15 male) and 28 ADHD (15 female, 13 male) undergraduate students. We first perform the same macroscale analyses prevalent in ADHD gut microbiome literature (diversity, differential abundance, and composition) to observe the degree of correspondence, or any new trends. We then estimate two-way ecological relationships by producing Control and ADHD Microbial Co-occurrence Networks (MCNs), using SparCC correlations (p ≤ 0.01). We perform community detection to find clusters of taxa estimated to mutually cooperate along with their centroids, and centrality calculations to estimate taxa most vital to overall gut ecology. We finally summarize our results, providing conjectures on how they can guide future experiments, some methods for improving our experiments, and general implications for the field.

Trophic ecology and diet of the deep-sea penaeid shrimp Metapenaeopsis andamanensis (Wood-Mason in Wood-Mason and Alcock, 1891) by fatty acid signatures and stomach content analysis.

Metapenaeopsis andamanensis, a deep-water penaeid shrimp, plays a significant ecological role in the deep-sea food web. However, studies on its feeding ecology and trophic relationships in the tropical region remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the diet composition of M. andamanensis from the southwest coast of India, focusing on intrinsic factors (size, sex, maturity) and extrinsic factors (seasons), as well as the fatty acid profile. Our findings revealed that M. andamanensis is an active feeder, with females exhibiting higher feeding intensity than males, while immature individuals of both sexes showed minimal feeding activity. Additionally, females displayed a more pronounced carnivorous feeding behavior compared to males. Gut somatic index ranged between 1.1 and 1.42. Feeding conditions varied significantly with seasons, maturity stages, and ontogenetic classes. The primary diet components comprised detritus, foraminifera, and crustaceans, followed by gastropods and fish. Statistical analysis using PERMANOVA indicated significant differences in diet components between sexes and seasons (p < 0.05), sexes and size (p < 0.1), and sexes and maturity stages (p < 0.05). Notably, the percentage composition of diet components exhibited substantial variation with seasons, sex, ontogenetic classes, and maturity stages. Fatty acid analysis revealed an omnivorous-carnivorous feeding strategy of M. andamanensis, characterized by high proportions of essential fatty acids such as 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and 18:1n-9, indicating bentho-pelagic feeding activity. The shrimp exhibited notable levels of palmitic acid, oleic acid, EPA, and DHA, which are nutritionally valuable. Seasonal variations in fatty acid profiles were associated with the availability of different food sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the fatty acid profiles explained 72.4% of the total cumulative variance using the first two dimensions, highlighting the distinct dietary patterns of M. andamanensis based on its stomach contents.

Rapid PFOS mineralization with peroxydisulfate activation process mediated by N modified Fe-based catalyst

As the cheap and efficient catalysts, the iron-based catalysts have been considered as one of the most promising catalysts for peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation and the development of high-performance iron-based catalysts are attracting growing attentions. In this work, a magnetic Fe-based catalysts (Fe/NC-1000) was obtained by using Fe modified ZIF-8 as the precursor and used to activate the PDS for the degradation of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS). Morphology and structure analysis showed that the resulted Fe/NC-1000 catalyst was displayed porous spheres (40–60 nm) and mainly composed of Fe0, FeNx and carbon. When Fe/NC-1000 was employed to activate the PDS (0.1 g/L of catalyst dosage, 0.5 g/L of PDS dosage and at initial pH of 4.6), the Fe/NC-1000/PDS system exhibited excellent efficiency (97.9 ± 0.1) % for PFOS (10 mg/L) degradation within 30 min. The quenching tests and EPR results revealed that the Fe/NC-1000/PDS system degraded PFOS primarily through singlet oxygen (1O2) evolution and electron-transfer process. Besides, based on the degradation byproducts determined by LC-MS-MS, the PFOS first occurred de-sulfonation to form PFOA, and then the resulted PFOA underwent stepwise defluorination in the Fe/NC-1000/PDS system. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and electrochemistry tests strongly confirmed that Fe/NC-1000 exhibited high electron transfer efficiency, resulting in promoted performance on activating PDS. Importantly, the results of Ecological Structure-Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) analysis showed that the intermediates were lowly toxic during the PFOS degradation, manifesting a green process for PFOS removal. This study would provide more understandings for the persulfate activation process mediated by Fe-based catalysts for Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) elimination.

Flow–recruitment relationships for Shoal Chub and implications for managing environmental flows

AbstractObjectiveRegulation of river flow regimes by dams and diversions impacts aquatic biota and ecosystems globally. However, our understanding of the ecological consequences of flow alteration and ecological benefits of flow restoration lags behind our ability to manipulate flows, and there is a need for broader development of flow–ecology relationships. Approaches for establishing flow–ecology relationships have recently shifted away from state‐based methods that analyze snapshots of ecological conditions and towards rate‐based methods focused on mechanisms that link hydrology with dynamics of important ecological components and processes.MethodsWe used a rate‐based approach to validate environmental flow standards developed for the lower Brazos River, Texas, by analyzing the relationship between flow regime components and recruitment strength of imperiled Shoal Chub Macrhybopsis hyostoma, a fluvial specialist and pelagic‐broadcast‐spawning fish. We collected 254 age‐0 Shoal Chub (9–40 mm total length), extracted their otoliths to estimate age in days, and used a generalized additive model to regress the number of captured recruits that hatched on a calendar date against flow regime metrics, such as pulse magnitude, flow rate of change, and pulse timing in relation to environmental flow standards proposed by a science advisory committee (Brazos Basin and Bay Area Expert Science Team).ResultThe model revealed that flow magnitude, rate of change, and timing were all significant predictors that collectively explained 60% of variation in the recruitment strength index. Hindcasting for 1919–2020 showed a general reduction in recruitment strength following commencement of flow regulation in the lower Brazos River and revealed that high recruitment correlated with years in which most or all proposed flow tiers were attained, whereas low recruitment correlated with years when less than half of the targeted tiers were attained.ConclusionOur work represents an effective validation method for environmental flow recommendations and reveals specific flow regimes that benefit an imperiled fish species.

Ru and MWCNTs-OH co-modified copper foam as high-performance electrode materials for electrocatalytic degradation of doxycycline

In this study, an efficient composite electrode for the degradation of doxycycline (DC), i.e., the ruthenium/hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube/copper foam composite electrode (Ru/MWCNTs-OH/CF), was prepared by the constant current deposition method. The composite electrode was characterized by SEM, XRD and XPS. Impedance testing, polarization curve analysis, and linear voltammetry analysis were conducted on the composite electrode, confirming that the combination of MWCNTs-OH and Ru can reduce the charge transfer resistance of the electrode and significantly improve catalytic activity. Under optimal conditions, the degradation efficiency of the Ru/MWCNTs-OH/CF composite electrode for 10 mg/L DC reached 77.20 % at 60 min. The degradation reaction followed the proposed primary reaction kinetics. The degradation efficiency only decreased by 2.23 % after ten cycles of the experiment, indicating the excellent stability of the electrode. The reaction mechanism was investigated by LSV and quenching experiments. The results showed that DC was degraded under the synergistic action of ·OH, H* and active chlorine species. The degradation path of DC was deduced by LC-MS. The E. coli inhibition experiment and toxicological assessment based on ecological conformational relationships confirmed that the toxicity of the product organisms generated by DC degradation at the Ru/MWCNTs-OH/CF electrode was significantly reduced. The results indicate that the Ru/MWCNTs-OH/CF electrode has high activity and stability and is a promising material for practical applications in the removal of antibiotics from water.

Oxalate enhanced aniline degradation by goethite: Structural dependent activity, hydroxyl radicals generation and toxicity evaluation

A photochemical system combining iron (hydr)oxides and oxalate (Ox) shows application prospects in wastewater treatment due to the abundance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Nevertheless, it is a challenge to the investigate photochemical activity of iron (hydr)oxides/Ox systems with varying structural properties. Herein, the photochemical behaviors of Ox on goethite (Gt) surface from the view of structural dependent activity, containment degradation, and ROS generation were explored in detail. Results confirmed that bidentate mononuclear was formed on Gt surface after complexing Ox. Combined with density functional theory calculation and pH time evolution during aniline degradation, the photochemical activity of the Gt/Ox system fell in between that of ferrihydrite/Ox and hematite/Ox systems. After irradiating 120 min visible light, 96.5% aniline was degraded by 1.0 mM Ox and 0.2 g/L Gt. The amount of •OH in vis/Gt/Ox system could be up to 309.3 μM and its generation was closely associated with Fe(II) while slightly affected by the generated H2O2. Moreover, as revealed by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric and Ecological Structure Activity Relationships software, the toxicity of the intermediates of aniline degradation in the vis/Gt/Ox system towards fish and green algae increased first but then declined accompanied by the generation of non-toxic ring-opening products at the end of reaction. According to the findings in the presented study, it could be concluded that vis/Gt/Ox is a promising approach to wiping out aniline wastewater.

Territorialising Local Food Systems for an Agroecological Transition in Latin America

An agroecological transition can enhance resilience by several means, e.g., managing ecological relationships through agroecosystems, enhancing farmers’ knowledge of natural resources, recycling those resources, maintaining biodiversity, and thus, flexibly adapting to environmental stresses. However, the hegemonic agri-food system has been continuing its capitalist transition, thereby undermining agroecological methods and deterritorialising social bonds. Facing this pervasive threat, an agroecological transition needs a greater convergence between agroecological production and a solidarity economy (economia solidaria or EcoSol in Latin America). Their convergence can be called EcoSol-agroecology, based on short food supply chains (called circuitos cortos there). These efforts develop territorial markets, generate more stable livelihoods, and thus keep producers on the land. In our study, each research team collaborated with an EcoSol-agroecology network to develop Participatory Action Research methods. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their circuitos cortos, stimulating creative adaptations or alternatives, alongside demands for policy support measures. These networks have regionally territorialised local initiatives, while also confronting obstacles from the hegemonic system. Although socioecological resilience often means a system’s capacity to bounce back, here it has meant bouncing forwards through new opportunities for solidaristic livelihoods and bonds. EcoSol-agroecology networks, agri-extensionists, and researchers have jointly developed such counter-hegemonic strategies, as illustrated by the case studies here.

Metagenomics and proteomics profiling of extracellular polymeric substances from municipal waste sludge and their application for soil and water bioremediation

This study assessed the components of anaerobically digested sludge, activated sludge, and microbial and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) enzymes to identify the mechanisms underlying nitrogen removal and soil regeneration. 16S rRNA gene amplicon-based sequencing was used to determine the microbial community composition and the related National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) protein database was used to construct a conventional library from the observed community. EPS components were identified using gel-free proteomic (Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry-LC/MS/MS) methods. Alginate-like EPS from aerobically activated sludge have strong potential for soil aggregation and water-holding capacity, whereas total EPS from anaerobic sludge have significant potential for ammonia removal under salt stress. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that both EPS may contain proteins, carbohydrates, humic compounds, uronic acid, and DNA and determined the presence of O–H, N–H, C–N, CO, and C–H functional groups. These results demonstrate that the overall enzyme activity may be inactivated at 30 g L-1 of salinity. An annotation found in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)- KEGG Automatic Annotation Server (KAAS) revealed that the top two metabolic activities in the EPS generated from the anaerobic sludge were methane and nitrogen metabolism. Therefore, we focused on the nitrogen metabolism reference map 00910. EPS from the anaerobically digested sludge exhibited nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, and dehydrogenase activities. Assimilatory nitrate reduction, denitrification, nitrification, and anammox removed ammonia biochemically. The influence of microbial extracellular metabolites on water-holding capacity and soil aggregation was also investigated. The KAAS-KEGG annotation server was used to identify the main enzymes in the activated sludge-derived alginate-like extracellular EPS (ALE-EPS) samples. These include hydrolases, oxidoreductases, lyases, ligases, and transporters, which contribute to soil fertility and stability. This study improves our understanding of the overall microbial community structure and the associated biochemical processes, which are related to distinct functional genes or enzymes involved in nitrogen removal and soil aggregation. In contrast to conventional methods, microbial association with proteomics can be used to investigate ecological relationships, establishments, key player species, and microbial responses to environmental changes. Linking the metagenome to off-gel proteomics and bioinformatics solves the problem of analyzing metabolic pathways in complex environmental samples in a cost-effective manner.

Trophic ecology of epibenthic communities exposed to different sea-ice concentrations across the Canadian Arctic Ocean

Sea ice is one of the most critical environmental drivers shaping primary production and fluxes of organic inputs to benthic communities in the Arctic Ocean. Fluctuations in organic inputs influence ecological relationships, trophic cascades, and energy fluxes. However, changes in sea-ice concentration (SIC) induced by global warming could lead to significant shifts in trophic interactions, ultimately affecting the functioning of Arctic food webs. Despite the increasing concern over the need to understand benthic species and food web responses to rapid sea-ice loss, few studies have addressed this topic so far. Using multiple niche metrics based on stable isotopes, this research examined the trophic ecology of epibenthic communities in areas with different SIC across the Canadian Arctic Ocean. We found that trophic niches varied according to complex interactions between environmental conditions, resource supply, and biotic pressures such as predation and competition. Our results highlighted a lower isotopic richness (i.e., shorter food chain length and niche width) in low and high SIC areas, suggesting homogeneity of resources and a low diversity of food items ingested by individuals. In contrast, a higher isotopic richness (i.e., broad niche) was observed in the moderate SIC area, implying higher heterogeneity in basal food sources and consumers using individual trophic niches. Finally, our findings suggested a lower isotopic redundancy in areas with high SIC compared to low and moderate SIC. Overall, our results support the idea that sea ice is an important driver of benthic food web dynamics and reinforce the urgent need for further investigations of declining sea ice cover impacts on Arctic food web functioning.

Capacities for resilience: persisting, adapting and transforming through bricolage

ABSTRACT Resilience has become increasingly popular in sustainability research and practice as a way to describe change. Within this discourse, the notion of resilience as the capacity of people, practices and processes, to persist, adapt or transform is particularly salient. The ability to bounce back from shock (persistence) or to take adaptive measures to cope with change are most commonly attributed to resilience, but at the same time, there is a strong push for a transformation agenda from various social and environmental movements. How capacities for resilience are enacted and performed through social practices remains relatively underexplored and there is potential for more dialogue and learning across disciplinary traditions. In this article, we outline the ‘Resilience Capacities Framework’ as a way to a) explicitly address questions of agency in how resilience capacities are enacted and b) account for the dynamic interactions between pathways of persistence, adaptation and transformation. Our starting point is to conceptualise future pathways as co-evolved, whereby social and ecological relationships are shaped through processes of selection, variation and retention, enacted in everyday practices. Drawing on theories of bricolage and structuration, we elaborate on the role of actors as bricoleurs, consciously and non-consciously shaping socio-ecological relationships and pathways of change. Informed by cases of rural change from mountain areas, we explore the extent to which an approach focusing on agency and bricolage can illuminate how the enactment of resilience capacities shapes intersecting pathways of change.

Efficient photodegradation of micropollutants by tubular carbon nitride: The role of nitrogen defects

Defect chemistry possessed the significant effect for the performance of heterogeneous photocatalysts, so the construction of defect structures in photocatalysts has attracted attention. In this paper, tubular g-C3N4 (TCN) with an excellent specific surface area was obtained by morphological regulation, and the defect chemistry in TCN and its photocatalytic mechanism were explored. The elemental composition and chemical states verified the formation of nitrogen defects during preparation process, and the nitrogen defects would adjust the electronic and band structures of TCN according to the results of density functional theory calculation, resulted in its excellent optical properties. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained TCN was evaluated through the elimination of some typical micropollutants. The results indicated that more than 90% of micropollutants could be degraded after 30 min visible light exposure, and TCN still maintained superior photocatalytic performance after reuse. Meanwhile, the oxygen adsorption model also indicated that the nitrogen defect would promote the adsorption of dissolved oxygen on TCN to produce ·O2-, which acted as the main reactive oxygen species during atrazine degradation process. Finally, the toxicity of treated solution and intermediates were proved to be reduced by the bioluminescence inhibition tests and Ecological Structure Activity Relationships (ECOSAR) software.

Empirical evidence of widespread exaggeration bias and selective reporting in ecology.

In many scientific disciplines, common research practices have led to unreliable and exaggerated evidence about scientific phenomena. Here we describe some of these practices and quantify their pervasiveness in recent ecology publications in five popular journals. In an analysis of over 350 studies published between 2018 and 2020, we detect empirical evidence of exaggeration bias and selective reporting of statistically significant results. This evidence implies that the published effect sizes in ecology journals exaggerate the importance of the ecological relationships that they aim to quantify. An exaggerated evidence base hinders the ability of empirical ecology to reliably contribute to science, policy, and management. To increase the credibility of ecology research, we describe a set of actions that ecologists should take, including changes to scientific norms about what high-quality ecology looks like and expectations about what high-quality studies can deliver.

Phyto-microbiome to mitigate abiotic stress in crop plants.

Plant-associated microbes include taxonomically diverse communities of bacteria, archaebacteria, fungi, and viruses, which establish integral ecological relationships with the host plant and constitute the phyto-microbiome. The phyto-microbiome not only contributes in normal growth and development of plants but also plays a vital role in the maintenance of plant homeostasis during abiotic stress conditions. Owing to its immense metabolic potential, the phyto-microbiome provides the host plant with the capability to mitigate the abiotic stress through various mechanisms like production of antioxidants, plant growth hormones, bioactive compounds, detoxification of harmful chemicals and toxins, sequestration of reactive oxygen species and other free radicals. A deeper understanding of the structure and functions of the phyto-microbiome and the complex mechanisms of phyto-microbiome mediated abiotic stress mitigation would enable its utilization for abiotic stress alleviation of crop plants and development of stress-resistant crops. This review aims at exploring the potential of phyto-microbiome to alleviate drought, heat, salinity and heavy metal stress in crop plants and finding sustainable solutions to enhance the agricultural productivity. The mechanistic insights into the role of phytomicrobiome in imparting abiotic stress tolerance to plants have been summarized, that would be helpful in the development of novel bioinoculants. The high-throughput modern approaches involving candidate gene identification and target gene modification such as genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and phyto-microbiome based genetic engineering have been discussed in wake of the ever-increasing demand of climate resilient crop plants.

Palaeoecological deductions from osteohistology.

Palaeoecological deductions are vital for understanding the evolution and diversification of species within prehistoric environments. This review highlights the multitude of ways in which the microanatomy and microscopic structure of bones enables palaeoecological deductions. The occurrence of growth marks in bones is discussed, and their usefulness in deducing the ontogenetic status and age of individuals is considered, as well as how such marks in bones permit the assessment of the growth dynamics of individuals and species. Here osteohistology is shown to provide insight into the structure of past populations, as well as ecological relationships between individuals. In addition, the response of bones to trauma, disease and moulting is considered. Finally, I explore how osteohistology can give insight into ecomorphological adaptations, such as filter feeding, probe feeding and saltatorial locomotion. Methodological advances in three-dimensional microtomography and synchrotron scanning bodes well for future studies in osteohistology and despite some compromises in terms of tissue identity, circumvents the crucial issue of destructive analyses.

The Niche Mechanism of Weeds in Cotton Field Under Drip-Irrigated in North Xinjiang, China

The aim of this study was to investigate the niche mechanism and diversity of weeds in drip-irrigated and machine-harvested cotton fields in north Xinjiang, China. The dominant classes of weeds in 25 cotton fields under drip-irrigated and machine-harvested in 5 regions of north Xinjiang were investigated by seven-grade visual method, and converted to important value data, the 20 main weeds niche breadth and niche overlap were caculated on the basis of the data above. The ecological similiarity revealed by DCA sorting and minimum spanning tree of graph theory cluster analysis is drawed on the basis of the niche overlap value. The results show that Convolvulus arvensis L., Chenopodium album L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Solanum nigrum L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Setria viridis (L.) Beauv., Abutilon theophrasti Medicus., Hibiscus trionum L., Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv., nine species of weeds, which are the dominant species (malignant weeds) in drip-irrigated and machine-harvested cotton fields in North Xinjiang, have wide niche. The niche overlap values of S. nigrum L. and C. album L., A. theophrasti Medicus. and A. retroflexus L., H. trionum L. and E. crusgall (L.) Beauv., A. retroflexus L. and E. crusgalli (L.) Beauv. are higher. The minimal spanning tree method based on niche overlap value to reflect similar degree of the ecological needs of the weeds, 20 main weeds will be divided into 4 groups. DCA ordination of 20 main weeds comprehensive ecological needs of 25 sampling sites: the vicious weeds all gathered at the central sorting chart, the distinction is obvious with the general weed and the corresponding of DCA ordination chart with minimal spanning tree is better. The minimal spanning tree by its focus on the results of which show that weeds are the most similar to the ecological requirements, but not be used for the no adjacent species, and no clear that the ecological relationship between them, the DCA sorting can reflect the ecology similar relations between all weeds wholely, though this method will lose a small amount of ecological information through the data conversion. Therefore, the two methods will be combined, complementary advantages, the superiority is obvious. Along with drip irrigation age years increase, S. nigrum L., C. arvensis L., C. album L. and so on, between dominant value of nine species of malignant weeds and the drip irrigation age years has the remarkable regression relations.