Ecological Relationships Research Articles

Biological Connections

Biological interactions and associations underlie life’s processes at every level of organization. Here, we present a classroom activity that allows students to visualize and understand the connections within almost any biological system, from cell functions to ecological relationships. We recommend that instructors implement this activity to review course content and enhance students’ system-thinking abilities.

Influência do substrato na forma de ninfas de Perlidae (Plecoptera) no Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Abstract: Aim In this study, we determined whether Perlidae nymphs found in leaf litter were morphometrically distinct from those found in stony substrates. Methods Specimens were collected in Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Each insect was measured for femora length, body length, wingpad length, head width, compound eye distance and mesothorax thickness. Data was logarithmically transformed to avoid effects of allometric growth and subjected to a size-free discriminant analysis. Analysis of variance was made to assess the relationship between shape, genus and substrate choice. Results We collected 562 insects belonging to two genera of Perlidae, Kempnyia Klapálek, 1914 and Anacroneuria Klapálek, 1909. Most occurred primarily in leaf litter (71.9%). We found significant morphometric differences among genera and substrates. Insects occurring in leaf litter were shown to have wider heads and longer anterior femora than those found in stones, suggesting that these characteristics would be important for anchoring to the substrate and resisting stronger water currents. Conclusions This study shows the complex relationship between body shape and substrate choice in neotropical Perlidae. Considering that different substrate bear varying ecological pressures on aquatic insects, morphometrics is a capable tool for assessing ecological relationships between these insects and their environment.

The human touch: a meta-analysis of anthropogenic effects on plant-pollinator interaction networks.

Anthropogenic activities significantly impact natural ecosystems, leading to alterations in plant and pollinator diversity and abundance. These changes often result in shifts within interacting communities, potentially reshaping the structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks. Given the escalating human footprint on habitats, evaluating the response of these networks to anthropization is critical for devising effective conservation and management strategies. We conducted a comprehensive review of the plant-pollinator network literature to assess the impact of anthropization on network structure. We assessed network metrics such as nestedness measure based on overlap and decreasing fills (NODF), network specialization (H2'), connectance (C), and modularity (Q) to understand structural changes. Employing a meta-analytical approach, we examined how anthropization activities, such as deforestation, urbanization, habitat fragmentation, agriculture, intentional fires and livestock farming, affect both plant and pollinator richness. We generated a dataset for various metrics of network structure and 36 effect sizes for the meta-analysis, from 38 articles published between 2010 and 2023. Studies assessing the impact of agriculture and fragmentation were well-represented, comprising 68.4% of all studies, with networks involving interacting insects being the most studied taxa. Agriculture and fragmentation reduce nestedness and increase specialization in plant-pollinator networks, while modularity and connectance are mostly not affected. Although our meta-analysis suggests that anthropization decreases richness for both plants and pollinators, there was substantial heterogeneity in this regard among the evaluated studies. The meta-regression analyses helped us determine that the habitat fragment size where the studies were conducted was the primary variable contributing to such heterogeneity. The analysis of human impacts on plant-pollinator networks showed varied effects worldwide. Responses differed among network metrics, signaling nuanced impacts on structure. Activities like agriculture and fragmentation significantly changed ecosystems, reducing species richness in both pollinators and plants, highlighting network vulnerability. Regional differences stressed the need for tailored conservation. Despite insights, more research is crucial for a complete understanding of these ecological relationships.

Parasites of Astyanax lacustris (Pisces, Characiformes) from Brazilian streams.

Astyanax lacustris is a small characid fish widely distributed in Brazil, with fast-growing and omnivorous feeding habits. Although the species presents economic and ecological importance, little is known about its parasitological fauna in stream environments. This study aimed to characterize the parasitic fauna of A. lacustris in two streams in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Fifty-two specimens of A. lacustris were collected, 22 from the Carolina stream (Lower Iguaçu River) and 30 from the Carreira stream (Upper Paraná River), in July and September 2018. In both streams, there was a low richness of parasites, and the structure of the parasitic community was predominantly composed of monogeneans. These findings may be associated with the gregarious behavior of the host species. Moreover, the low occurrence of endohelminths, may be associated with the fact that in streams, the energy flow is low, and depends directly on the input of allochthonous matter, which favors the formation of shelters for the establishment of macroinvertebrates, which represent important sources of food for the ichthyofauna, and may act as intermediate and paratenic hosts of parasites. These environments require further studies to support conservation measures aimed at maintaining the balance of ecological relationships in these preserved ecosystems.

Identifying important habitat for northern bottlenose and Sowerby's beaked whales in the western North Atlantic

Abstract Understanding habitat requirements for species at risk is crucial for effective conservation management, even though the location and extent of vital habitats may be unknown for rare or elusive species. In the case of marine species, determining important habitat often relies on limited occurrence data or extrapolation from species distribution models (SDMs). SDMs predict habitat by associating species records with environmental variables, assuming a functional ecological relationship. This study focuses on northern bottlenose whales (NBW; Hyperoodon ampullatus) and Sowerby's beaked whales (SBW; Mesoplodon bidens) in the western North Atlantic. As both NBW and SBW are at risk in Canada, the objective was to identify the extent and function of important habitats to guide conservation efforts. The analysis mapped all available geographic occurrence data and used passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data to inform the development of ensemble SDMs to predict potential habitat and assess the persistence of realized habitat use. Important habitats for NBW and SBW were found primarily concentrated along the continental shelf edges, at an average depth of 1200 m ± 460 SD. All habitat areas support foraging and movement and critical life history functions for both species. The Gully and other submarine canyons off eastern Nova Scotia emerged as important areas for both species, validating the existing Critical Habitat for NBW. However, spatial–temporal patterns diverged on either side of this region. North‐eastern Newfoundland was identified as the next closest area of near‐year‐round presence for NBW, whereas the south‐western Scotian Shelf region, Georges Bank and the Fundian Channel supported persistent foraging by SBW. By integrating multiple data sources (sightings, acoustic detections and SDMs) and demonstrating the temporal persistence of habitat use by NBW and SBW, this study provides valuable insights for identifying, protecting and managing important habitat for beaked whales.

Potential of volatile organic compounds in the management of insect pests and diseases of food legumes: a comprehensive review.

Cool season legumes (Faba bean, chickpea, lentil, pea, and grass pea) are important protein harvests for food and nutrition security in many countries. They play key roles in sustainable cereal production through their ecological benefits. However, diseases and pests attack continue to have a substantial impact on crop yield and quality. Although growers used different control options to manage these biotic stresses such as pesticide application, cultural practices, and resistant varieties, there is a pressing need for the development of new, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to help farmers in facing the existing environmental issues. Recently, there is a growing interest among researchers in exploiting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for the elaboration of disease and pest control strategies in food legumes and other crops. These compounds have important functions in ecological relationships occurring between plants and their surrounding environment, as well as plants and others species, such as pests and pathogens. Due to their unique properties, VOCs can be employed in improving management alternatives for food legume diseases and pests. In this assessment, we investigated the role of VOCs in plant-pest and plant-pathogen interactions and their present applications in pest and diseases control strategies. We emphasized the ecological importance of employing plant VOCs in legume farming and crop breeding. Additionally, we highlighted the potential of microbial VOCs in facilitating microbe-microbe, microbe-plant and microbe-plant-pest interactions, along with their role in food legume protection.

Steady states and spatiotemporal dynamics of a diffusive predator-prey system with predator harvesting

<p>From the perspective of ecological control, harvesting behavior plays a crucial role in the ecosystem natural cycle. This paper proposes a diffusive predator-prey system with predator harvesting to explore the impact of harvesting on predatory ecological relationships. First, the existence and boundedness of system solutions were investigated and the non-existence and existence of non-constant steady states were obtained. Second, the conditions for Turing instability were given to further investigate the Turing patterns. Based on these conditions, the amplitude equations at the threshold of instability were established using weakly nonlinear analysis. Finally, the existence, direction, and stability of Hopf bifurcation were proven. Furthermore, numerical simulations were used to confirm the correctness of the theoretical analysis and show that harvesting has a strong influence on the dynamical behaviors of the predator-prey systems. In summary, the results of this study contribute to promoting the research and development of predatory ecosystems.</p>

An Ecolinguistic Study of Environmental Degradation and Human Survival in Atwood’s MaddAddam

The current study explores environmental degradation and human survival by analyzing a dystopian novel MaddAddam. This study employs the theoretical framework of Ecolinguistics given by Stibbe (2015). Ecolinguistics explores the relationship of language and ecology. Atwood’s MaddAddam depicts environmental negligence which causes challenges to human survival. This study explores the connection of ecological degradation and genetic engineering by analyzing its discourse. The current study aims to explore the discourse of MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood, which depicts environmental degradation and evokes a sense of urgency for human survival in an eroded environment due to genetic engineering. The findings of the study reveal that genetic engineering has caused environmental degradation, which has resulted in threat to human survival in a dystopian future. The discourse of the novel develops a narrative which requires an immediate action for environmental sustainability.

Evaluation of the Essential Oils Used in the Production of Biopesticides: Assessing Their Toxicity toward Both Arthropod Target Species and Beneficial Pollinators

Biopesticides, alongside the expansive growth of conventional agriculture, emerged as a hopeful avenue for mitigating the environmental impact of synthetic chemicals. Essential oils derived from various plant species are regarded as environmentally friendly and have been suggested by numerous researchers for combating the pest species. However, in addition to their detrimental effects on harmful species, these essential oils exert varying degrees of impact on non-target species with which they share ecological relationships. This review serves the dual purpose of updating data on the use of the essential oils as biopesticides, considering the substantial increase in research output in the recent years. Simultaneously, it aims to provide a focused synthesis on the essential oils currently approved for commercial use as biopesticides, and shedding light on their impact on beneficial pollinator species, which may inadvertently suffer from the application of substances deemed safe by most users.

Unraveling the genetic diversity and evolution of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF)

The analysis of genetic differences among arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species has shed light on the genetic diversity and evolution of these fascinating organisms. AMF are essential constituents of land ecosystems because of their mutualistic symbiotic associations with plant roots. Their capability to amplify nutrient absorption, enhance water assimilation, and stimulate overall plant development plays a pivotal function in sustaining thriving ecosystems. By extensively examining the genomes of various AMF classifications, researchers have uncovered their evolutionary connections and gained understanding of the impact of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) on their genetic makeup. This knowledge has not only upgraded our comprehension of the evolutionary past of AMF but has also furnished valuable insights into the mechanisms that govern the symbiotic interactions between fungi and plants. In future studies on AMF genome variance, it is crucial to prioritize functional characterization, understand co-evolutionary dynamics with host plants, uncover mechanisms and implications of HGT, and integrate metagenomic approaches. By identifying the specific genes and genetic variations that contribute to AMF's ability to form mutualistic associations with plants, scientists can gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of this important ecological relationship. Furthermore, through the analysis of genetic divergence in both AMF and their host plants, researchers can elucidate the co-evolutionary dynamics that have shaped their mutualistic symbiosis. Equally, understanding the contribution of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to AMF genetic diversity can provide insights into the evolutionary history and adaptive abilities of these fungi. Ultimately, the incorporation of metagenomic techniques into future studies on AMF genetic diversity will facilitate a broader understanding of the microorganism populations associated with these fungi. By focusing on these domains, it is possible to advance our understanding of AMF biology and unlock novel opportunities for innovative applications in agriculture and ecosystem management.

Home range overlap between small Indian mongooses and free roaming domestic dogs in Puerto Rico: implications for rabies management

The small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) is the primary terrestrial wildlife rabies reservoir on at least four Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, mongooses represent a risk to public health, based on direct human exposure and indirectly through the transmission of rabies virus to domestic animals. To date, the fundamental ecological relationships of space use among mongooses and between mongooses and domestic animals remain poorly understood. This study is the first to report mongoose home range estimates based on GPS telemetry, as well as concurrent space use among mongooses and free roaming domestic dogs (FRDD; Canis lupus familiaris). Mean (± SE) home range estimates from 19 mongooses in this study (145 ± 21 ha and 60 ± 14 ha for males and females, respectively) were greater than those reported in prior radiotelemetry studies in Puerto Rico. At the scale of their home range, mongooses preferentially used dry forest and shrubland areas, but tended to avoid brackish water vegetation, salt marshes, barren lands and developed areas. Home ranges from five FRDDs were highly variable in size (range 13–285 ha) and may be influenced by availability of reliable anthropogenic resources. Mongooses displayed high home range overlap (general overlap index, GOI = 82%). Home range overlap among mongooses and FRDDs was intermediate (GOI = 50%) and greater than home range overlap by FRDDs (GOI = 10%). Our results provide evidence that space use by both species presents opportunities for interspecific interaction and contact and suggests that human provisioning of dogs may play a role in limiting interactions between stray dogs and mongooses.

Challenges of ecocentric sustainable development in agriculture with special regard to the internet of things (IoT), an ICT perspective

Abstract“Feed the global population and regenerate the planet.”The conditions necessary for the implementation of the above commonly used slogan did not exist 10–15 years ago. We did not have access to the information and databases that would have allowed us to increase yields for the purpose of feeding the growing population. While increasingly meeting sustainability requirements and regenerating the Earth. Anthropocentrism, the belief that humans are superior to everything else, benefits humans by exploiting human greed and ignorance, which is a dead end for both individuals and societies. Only humans can ignore the dynamic equilibrium processes of nature and disregard the consequences that adversely affect future generations. Ecocentric agricultural practices have several prerequisites. It is important for the academic sphere to recognize its significance. Another fundamental challenge is the continuous monitoring of the production unit and its close and distant environment for the purpose of decision preparation using Big Data. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a global infrastructure that represents the network of physical (sensors) and virtual (reality) “things” through interoperable communication protocols. This allows devices to connect and communicate using cloud computing and artificial intelligence, contributing to the integrated optimization of the production system and its environment, considering ecocentric perspectives. This brings us closer to the self-decision-making capability of artificial intelligence, the practice of machine-to-machine (M2M) interaction, where human involvement in decision-making is increasingly marginalized. The IoT enables the fusion of information provided by deployed wireless sensors, data-gathering mobile robots, drones, and satellites to explore complex ecological relationships in local and global dimensions. Its significance lies, for example, in the prediction of plant protection. The paper introduces small smart data logger robots, including the Unmanned Ground Vehicles (robots) developed by the research team. These can replace sensors deployed in the Wireless Sensor Net (WSN).

Degradation of pharmaceuticals in UV/H2O2 process: EEM-based kinetic model, transformation products and corresponding toxicity evaluation

Advanced oxidation process (AOP) by UV/H2O2 presented excellent performance on removing trace pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Monitoring the removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals rapidly can evaluate the effectiveness of UV/H2O2 process. And evaluating the potential risks of this technology is essential to facilitate its engineering application. In this study, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, carbamazepine and citalopram, which have potential biological effect to ecological environment, were degraded by UV/H2O2 in wastewater. Results suggested that UV/H2O2 could degrade 5 pharmaceuticals effectively. An EEM-based degradation kinetic model was constructed by combining pseudo first-order kinetic patterns of pharmaceuticals degradation and multiple exponential decay pattern of fluorescence degradation. This model could estimate the removal of pharmaceuticals rapidly and exhibited excellent predictive capability (R2 values > 0.90). Based on suspect and untargeted screening, 40 transformation products (TPs) were identified, with hydroxylation, (de)methylation and decarboxylation being the dominant pathways. Among them, 20 TPs were newly discovered. Furthermore, the predicted toxicity results from Ecological Structure-Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) model suggested that 37.5%− 42.5% of TPs exhibited higher toxicity than parent compounds. The increased toxicity of TPs of DCF and IBP could be attributed to decarboxylation. This study provides a promising and rapid method for monitoring the degradation of pharmaceuticals and estimating the toxicity of TPs. These findings facilitate further evaluation of the practicality and risks associated with the UV/H2O2 process for pharmaceutical removal in wastewater.

Ecological risk and resilient regulation shifting from city to urban agglomeration: A review

The study of urban resilience from a risk perspective is crucial for reducing urban ecological risks and achieving sustainable development in cities. However, the large scale of urban areas (urban agglomeration) poses challenges to maintaining resilience. Under the influence of the inter-city relationship, urban ecological risk transmission process and the relationship with resilience have the characteristics of nonlinear network transmission. Current relative researches ignored the transmission effect on the ecological risk complexity and relationship between ecological risk and resilience. To fill this gap, it is necessary to explore innovative methods and develop a theoretical framework for studying ecological risk and resilience regulation in urban agglomerations. This study proposes a new ecological risk and resilient regulation framework for urban agglomeration. This framework should encompass ecological risk transmission, resilience regulation and optimization, and collaborative management. The results indicate several important trends: 1) Future research should integrate urban interconnectivity into ecological risk assessment and urban network structure resilience assessment. 2) Ecological risks in urban agglomerations exhibit cumulative and infectious characteristics. 3) Factors such as water resource sharing, air pollution diffusion, ecological protection and restoration, and geographic information sharing contribute to the complexity of ecological risk and resilience research in urban agglomerations compared to individual cities. 4) The proposed new framework enables comprehensive representation of multi-source risk superposition and multi-risk levels, aiming to enhance the resilience of urban agglomerations.

Does Restinga degradation impact the association between mites and dung beetles?

AbstractThe conservation state of an environment can be a key factor in maintaining the existence of some interactions between species. The relationship between the dung beetle Dichotomius schiffleri, a habitat‐specific species endemic to the Restinga ecosystem, and endangered, and its symbiont mites can serve as a model to improve knowledge about this issue. In this study, we investigated whether the conservation state of Brazilian Restingas, a native ecosystem of the coastal zone that has suffered from anthropic pressure and impacts due to irregular occupation by humans, affects the abundance of mites present on D. schiffleri. Beetles and their associated mites were collected using pitfall traps in Conserved and Degraded Restingas at nine locations in the Brazilian states of Espírito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe, and Pernambuco. The abundance of mites associated with beetles was significantly higher in conserved sites than in degraded sites. Our findings provide evidence that Restinga degradation can affect not only abundance of dung beetle species, as previously reported, but also the ecological relationships that can be established between dung beetles and mites. The habitat quality and hosts availability are some mechanisms that may explain the maintenance of the interactions between dung beetles and mites. Finally, imbalance in ecological relationships is one more factor capable of signalling as human modified habitats impact fauna.

A new species of Keteleeria (Pinaceae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, Northeast China, and its palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic implications

Keteleeria Carrière (Pinaceae) is a small genus of evergreen conifer trees, with three to five extant species and six variants distributed across China, Laos, and Vietnam. A new species of conifer fossil wood, Keteleeria huolinhensis sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation in Inner Mongolia, China. This species is characterized by a heterogeneous pith, endarch primary xylem, the presence of axial resin canals, abietinean radial tracheid pitting, mostly taxodioid and occasionally cupressoid cross-field pitting, nodular horizontal and end walls of ray parenchyma cells, and uniseriate rays of 1–15 (mainly 1–8) cell height. This newly discovered fossil wood represents the earliest record of Keteleeria wood, and sheds light on its evolutionary history and palaeogeographical distribution ranges in the geological past. Cladistic analysis based on 12 morphological characteristics supports the assignment of Protopiceoxylon as the ancestral group of Keteleerioxylon and Keteleeria, reflecting the evolution of radial tracheid pitting from the mixed to abietinean type. Quantitative analysis of the growth rings indicated that K. huolinhensis sp. nov. is an evergreen tree with a Leaf Retention Time (LRT) of 1–3 years. The growth ring patterns in the present fossil wood specimen suggest that the Huolinhe Basin experienced a temperate climate with regular seasonal fluctuations, and relatively sufficient water supply during the Early Cretaceous. Traumatic resin canals, wound scars, presumed fungal remains, and insect tracks in the stem contribute to a further understanding of the complex ecological relationships in the Early Cretaceous Huolinhe flora.

Exploration and Retrieval of Virus-Related Molecular Data Using ExTaxsI: The Monkeypox Use Case.

Retrieval and visualization of biological data are essential for understanding complex systems. With the increasing volume of data generated from high-throughput sequencing technologies, effective and optimized data visualization tools have become indispensable. This is particularly relevant in the COVID-19 postpandemic period, where understanding the diversity and interactions of microbial communities (i.e., viral and bacterial) constitutes an important asset to develop and plan suitable interventions.In this chapter, we show the usage and the potentials of ExTaxsI (Exploring Taxonomy Information) tool to retrieve viral biodiversity data stored in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases and create the related visualization. In addition, by integrating different functions and modules, the tool generates relevant types of visualization plots to facilitate the exploration of microbial biodiversity communities useful to deep dive into ecological and taxonomic relationships among different species and identify potential significant targets.Using the Monkeypox virus as a case study, this work points out significant perspectives on biological data visualization, which can be used to gain insights into the ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis of viruses. Accordingly, we show the potentiality of ExTaxsI to organize and describe the available/downloaded data in an easy, simple, and interpretable way allowing the user to interact dynamically with the visualization plots through specific filters, zoom, and explore functions.

Carbon metabolism in "production-living-ecological" space in urban agglomeration based on land use change.

To grasp the impact of carbon metabolism on the evolution of "production-living-ecological" (PLE) space due to land usechange in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan (CZT) urban agglomeration, this study delves into the temporal and spatial distribution of PLE space carbon metabolism by constructing a carbon flow model. We evaluate the influence of positive and negative carbon flows on carbon metabolism using ecological network analysis and utility assessment. Furthermore, we delve into the driving factors behind carbon metabolism through redundancy analysis (RDA). The findings of this study included mainly the following aspects. (1) From 2000 to 2020, the net carbon flow in the CZT urban agglomeration consistently remained negative, with the primary source of negative carbon flow being the transition from ecological space to production space. (2) Within the ecological utility network, the dominant ecological relationship shifted from a period of control and exploitation relationship (counted for 61.91%) between 2000 and 2005 to one of competition relationship that counted for 83.33% in 2005-2010, 47.62% in 2010-2015, and 66.67% in 2015-2020. Mutualism relationship, present in the 2000-2005 period, completely disappeared in subsequent years. (3) The value of the utility function M was 0.88, 0.36, 0.48, and 0.40 in four stages (all less than 1), which meant that PLE space evolution on regional carbon metabolism was negative. (4) The key drivers influencing carbon metabolism in PLE space were mainly Change in the Comprehensive Land Use Index (CL), Change in the Proportion of Manufacturing Land (CM), Change in the Proportion of Forestland (CF), and Change in the Proportion of Cultivated Land (CC). Carbon metabolism holds a critical role in the urban material and energy cycle. Studying carbon metabolism within PLE space carries great importance for regional carbon cycling, carbon emission and sequestration, efforts to mitigate climate change, and the maintenance of regional sustainable development.

Bryophilous Agaricales in Southern Brazil

Bryophytes colonize different substrates, while fungi, such as basidiomycetes, can occur on the same substrate as these plants and sometimes associate with them. In Brazil, there are few studies with bryofilated Agarycomycetes and they rarely identify the mosses or the liverworts involved in this association. Taxonomic studies involving bryophyte fungi and the bryophytes involved could demonstrate the ecological relationship and help in the conservation efforts of these groups. This study aimed to investigate the biodiversity and associations of Agaricales (Fungi, Agaricomycetes) and bryophytes in a portion of the Atlantic Forest biome in the state of Rio Grande Sul, southern Brazil. The São Francisco de Paula National Forest (FLONA - SFP) is a preserved high and humid environment and was selected to carry out the collections. Our study described for the first time the true association with microscopic evidence between Gerronema stuckertii and Campylopus pilifer, Galerina stylifera, Campylopus julicaulis and Chlorella sp., Oudemansiella platensis and Metzgeria consanguinea, Psathyrella murrilli and Brachythecium sp. With regard to biological diversity in Brazil, this study improves the understanding of associations between mosses and fungi.

The Role of a Landscape Rehabilitation Student Project in Current Landscape Education - Healing Urbanization’s Footprint

Abstract The Giurgeului Depression has been significantly impacted by human intervention, resulting in numerous scars on the landscape. A comprehensive rehabilitation plan is imperative for the Suseni quarry area to restore its natural features. This initiative, spearheaded by the local council and municipality, collaborates with the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania’s Department of Horticulture and the Babeș-Bolyai University’s Faculty of Biology and Geology. They’ve launched a research scholarship program for students focused on a research and landscape rehabilitation plan tender within Suseni’s administrative region. Large scars created by human activities, adjacent to a valuable natural environment, significantly alter the natural landscape features and are detrimental to the visual and ecological relationship systems. Those need urgent rehabilitation. Student projects serves as a potential model for transforming natural landscapes affected by human actions. It aims to teach landscape design through experimental approaches, aligning with modern research-driven design methods for strategic planning. Moreover, it seeks to enhance student projects for practical implementation by local authorities, contributing positively to the area’s ecosystem and landscape. Much has already been taken from this landscape, and it is now time to give something back to the area, the local ecosystem, and the landscape.