The presence and persistence of microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment pose increasing threats to marine organisms and ecosystem health. Environmental monitoring of MPs facilitates assessment of their potential impacts on ecosystems and biota. Although numerous studies have confirmed the widespread presence of MPs pollution in the marine environment, there are still significant differences in the sampling methods and sample quantities used for MPs monitoring. To address these issues, this study investigated the influence of different sampling methods and quantities on the survey results of MPs in the marine environment. The impact of different sample mass on the detection of MPs abundance in sandy and muddy beach sediments of the supratidal, intertidal, and subtidal zones was examined. And the effects of different seawater MPs collection methods (trawl sampling, water collector sampling, and pump sampling) and quantities on MPs abundance detection in seawater were also explored. Results show that the most suitable sample mass for detecting MPs in beach sediments is at least 30 g. Additionally, comprehensive sampling and monitoring of the supratidal, intertidal, and subtidal zones should be conducted to ensure accurate assessment of MPs abundance. Seawater samples were collected via trawl, water collector sampling, and pump sampling to evaluate effects of methods, sample quantities, filter aperture, and sampling depth on the monitoring abundance of MPs. Results show that the optimal sampling parameters are trawl durations at least 10 min and water collector sampling volumes at least 10 L. In the water collector sampling method, the total abundances of MPs after filtration through 48 and 330 μm filters are at the same order of magnitude, indicating that the filtration pore size has no significant effect on the total abundance of MPs. However, the size ranges of retained MPs differ significantly between the two pore sizes. Furthermore, while no significant difference is observed in MPs abundance among different water layers in Leizhou Bay, variations are found in polymer composition and MPs size distribution. This research is helpful in improving the accurate monitoring of MPs in the marine environment.

This study evaluates the ecological impact of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) invasion on native chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) groves on Mount Amiata (Central Italy), focusing on both plant and macrofungal community dynamics. Surveys were conducted over a three-year period (2022–2024) across 16 plots to assess shifts in taxonomic alpha diversity, species richness, and trophic guild structure. Our results demonstrate that while R. pseudoacacia stands exhibit a higher Shannon–Wiener index for plants, native chestnut groves host significantly greater species richness and higher taxonomic distinctiveness across both biological groups. A major shift in fungal functional structure was observed with chestnut-dominated plots characterized by a predominance of ectomycorrhizal species (58.3%), whereas invaded stands were heavily dominated by saprotrophic fungi (73.4%). Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) further confirmed a clear separation in community composition between the two forest types, indicating that R. pseudoacacia invasion leads to a homogenization of the forest biota and a potential decline in ecosystem health, as evidenced by the sharp reduction in mycorrhizal diversity. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring macrofungal communities as sensitive bioindicators of the ecological degradation caused by invasive woody species.

Evaluating phytoplankton diversity in response to environmental stress is important in the context of climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities. Here, we investigated the response of the phytoplankton diversity indices to temperature and nutrient gradients. Combining microcosm experiments and field investigations, we found that the minimum percentage threshold required for a taxon to survive (a) first increased and then decreased with increasing temperature, but decreased with increasing nutrient levels. In contrast, the evenness of the taxon distribution (k) showed an opposite trend to a. We identified that the index a showed a significant negative correlation with positive cohesion, the absolute value of negative cohesion (|negative cohesion|), and total cohesion under non-stress conditions for algal growth, whereas k showed the opposite pattern. However, the relationships between a, k, and the cohesion values were not significant under stress conditions. In addition, closeness centrality was positively correlated with inhibition rate, whereas weighted degree, eigenvector centrality, positive connectivity, and |negative connectivity| were negatively correlated with it under eutrophication at moderate temperatures. Moreover, a change in biomass was the dominant initial response of phytoplankton to short-term environmental stress. Our results also indicated that the proliferation ability of the algal community was inversely related to its evenness (k and Pielou index), and vice versa. These findings clarify how phytoplankton diversity indices respond to environmental stress and how this response is associated with community structure under climate change and anthropogenic activities. This understanding is critical for assessing the health of global aquatic ecosystems.

In recent years, increasing evidence has highlighted the potential of remote management in cardiovascular diseases, with growing recognition of its feasibility and clinical value supporting its broad future application. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of remote management for patients with heart failure (HF) in eastern China. A single-center, prospective, nonrandomized controlled trial enrolled 433 patients with HF, comprising 52 opting for remote management and 381 receiving usual care. Propensity score matching (1:2) yielded 95 patients (37 intervention and 58 control) for analysis. The intervention comprised a multi-level digital health ecosystem (WeChat mini-program and centralized digital health management platform), structured health monitoring (weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation), and education. The primary outcome includes a composite of cardiovascular mortality and HF-related rehospitalization. The composite primary outcome occurred in 11 (30%) patients receiving intervention and 24 (41%) controls over a maximum 24-month follow-up period. The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the percentage of days lost due to unplanned HF rehospitalization or all-cause death (p = 0.049). Numerically lower rates were observed for HF-related rehospitalization, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality, along with higher quality of life scores, although with no statistical significance. Remote management demonstrated feasibility and potential clinical benefits, particularly in reducing the cumulative burden of illness. Further, it provides a foundation for integration into primary healthcare systems to optimize resource allocation and improve long-term patient outcomes.

Urban expansion has exacerbated the urban heat island (UHI) effect, endangering public health and urban ecosystems. While urban spatial morphology (USM) has a substantial influence on land surface temperature (LST), the varying effects across Global South cities remain poorly understood. This study investigates 2D/3D USM–LST relationships in the urban core areas of four South Asian cities using SDGSAT-1 high-resolution LST data and eleven USM metrics. Stepwise multiple linear regression is applied alongside XGBoost-SHAP interpretation to provide linear baseline comparisons and enhance interpretability. The building density (BD; Pearson's r = 0.60–0.71) and building volume (BV; r = 0.22–0.68) are significantly related to elevated LST, while vegetation volume (VV; r = −0.38 to −0.15) provides substantial cooling in all urban cores. Building volume has emerged as the dominant driver of increased LST in Karachi, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala, whereas building height is the primary factor in Lahore. For cooling effects, the pervious surface fraction is the key factor in all cities except Gujranwala, where the vegetation structure (volume and height) prevails. Furthermore, the relationship between the average building height and LST showed an inflection-like pattern in Karachi. These findings provide actionable insights for promoting heat-resilient urban planning through targeted morphological interventions.

Bioretention systems are increasingly implemented as green infrastructure for urban stormwater management. However, their long-term performance is jeopardized by the continuous accumulation of potentially toxic metals in substrates and vegetation, posing significant risks to ecosystem health and human safety. Despite their growing application, the mechanisms driving metal dynamics and plant responses within these systems remain poorly understood. This study conducts a comprehensive multi-factor investigation into the accumulation, mobility, and biological impacts of four representative potentially toxic metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb) in bioretention soils and vegetation. Through controlled mesocosm experiments, we quantified metal concentrations in soils and three plant species, analyzed alterations in the physical and chemical properties of soil, and assessed plant physiological stress responses. Metal concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Cadmium exhibited the highest enrichment, with plant uptake increasing by 330.0% to 563.2%, especially in Iris tectorum Maxim., which demonstrated superior phytoaccumulation potential. Conversely, Ophiopogon japonicus Ker Gawl. showed remarkable tolerance to metal-induced stress, maintaining stable levels of chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, peroxidase activity, and soluble sugar concentration. Notably, the incorporation of humic substances significantly enhanced metal immobilization in soil, while simultaneously reducing plant uptake and physiological stress, revealing a promising strategy for toxicity mitigation. By integrating the effects of plant species, substrate composition, and influent concentration, this study provides novel insights into the complex interactions governing pollutant fate in bioretention systems. The findings offer critical guidance for optimizing bioretention design and management to ensure sustained pollutant removal efficiency and ecological resilience in urban stormwater treatment.

Addressing national goals for ecological conservation in the Yellow River Basin, this study focuses on its Henan segment (HYRB). We developed a VOR-SQ assessment framework by augmenting the classic Vitality–Organization–Resilience model with ecosystem services and an enhanced ecological quality indicator. Using multi-source remote sensing and statistical data, we examine the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystem health in the HYRB from 2000 to 2020. The XGBoost-SHAP algorithm was applied to identify nonlinear drivers and threshold effects. Key findings indicate (1) a persistent “high west, low east” health gradient with an overall declining trend; western mountains remain healthy, while eastern plains, urban, and intensive agricultural areas show degradation. (2) Natural factors—evapotranspiration (ET), elevation, NDVI, and slope—dominate health dynamics, with critical thresholds (~1153 mm, ~457 m, ~0.76, ~10.5°, respectively) beyond which their impacts shift markedly. (3) Anthropogenic factors (GDP, population/road density) contribute less globally but cause strong local negative disturbances in plains. For instance, road density > 434 km/km2 or population density > 159 persons/km2 reverses their effects from positive to negative. Accordingly, we propose tailored strategies: western conservation, central farmland optimization, and eastern development control. By coupling the VOR-SQ framework with XGBoost-SHAP, this study offers a robust diagnostic tool for ecosystem health and adaptive governance in fragile socio-ecological systems.

ABSTRACT Mangrove ecosystems along Pakistan’s coastline provide critical ecological services, including coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support, but face increasing threats from sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, and reduced freshwater flows. This study integrates multi-index remote sensing (RS), machine learning (ML), and climate projection modeling to assess mangrove health, spatial dynamics, and future vulnerability from 2015 to 2024. Sentinel-2 imagery was analyzed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), Moisture Vegetation Index (MVI), Salinity Index (SI), and Bare Soil Index (BSI). A Random Forest (RF) classifier implemented in Google Earth Engine (GEE) mapped mangrove extent and quantified temporal change. Results show a net loss of ~10 km² over the decade, despite 104 km² of gains and 114 km² of losses. Approximately 458 km² remained stable, while 166 km² exhibited transitional dynamics, indicating localized resilience. Climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) suggest relative stability under moderate emissions but heightened vulnerability under high-emission scenarios. This integrated framework supports climate-adaptive mangrove conservation and long-term coastal resilience planning.

Biopesticides constitute a category of natural products and organisms effective against pests. Given their advantages, such as easier clearance and degradation compared to chemical pesticides, along with their lack of detrimental effects on ecosystem health, they represent a promising alternative for sustainable pest management and crop protection. The development of natural biopesticides to substitute synthetic pesticides is therefore of paramount importance for securing food safety and advancing agricultural production. Monoterpenes, primarily present in plant volatile oils, are characterized by a strong aroma and a range of biological activities-including insecticidal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and anticancer effects. This profile renders them a promising platform for the research and development of new, more effective pesticides. This article reviews the biosynthetic pathways of monoterpenes and contemporary engineering strategies for their microbial synthesis. Additionally, an evolutionary analysis database for monoterpene synthases (MTPS) has been established. Finally, the biological activities of monoterpenes are summarized and analyzed, with particular emphasis on their potential and advantages as biopesticides, thereby providing direction for the future development of monoterpene-based biopesticides.

The accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in agricultural soils poses significant risks to food safety and ecosystem health, necessitating rapid and cost-effective monitoring approaches. While inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) provides accurate PTE quantification, its high cost, time requirements, and chemical reagent necessitate the search for green, fast, robust, and cost-effective alternatives. This study aims to evaluate the suitability of mid-infrared Fourier transform infrared (MIR-FTIR) spectroscopy combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) as an alternative rapid method for predicting PTE concentrations and calculating pollution indices in semi-arid agricultural soils of central Morocco. A total of 67 surface soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected from three distinct soil types: Lithic Calciustolls (n=23), Typic Haplusterts (n=23), and Typic Calciustolls (n=21). Ten PTEs (As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, Sr, Ti, and Zn) were measured by ICP-OES and predicted using MIR-FTIR (4000–400 cm −1 ) coupled with PLSR. Mean PTE concentrations varied substantially across soil types, with Cd ranging from 0.95 to 3.91 mg·kg −1 , Sr from 56.25 to 535.14 mg·kg −1 , and Zn from 38.23 to 59.63 mg·kg −1 . PTE Pollution Index (PI) was calculated using both datasets for comparative pollution assessment. Results demonstrated strong to excellent predictive performance (R² = 0.82-0.95) with the highest correlations for Ba, Zn, and Sr. PI calculations showed exceptional concordance between methods (mean PI: 1.54 for both), with all samples classified as low pollution. FTIR spectroscopy maintains the same geochemical relationships as ICP-OES (correlation differences <0.083), confirming method equivalence for soil pollution indexation. This approach offers significant advantages for large-scale monitoring programs while maintaining classification accuracy for environmental risk assessment.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a significant class of environmental hazards in the atmosphere, posing substantial risks to human health and to various components of forest ecosystems. This research focused on assessing contamination levels and sources of 14 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and on potential toxicity associated with seven low-molecular-weight (Σ7 LMW) and eight high-molecular-weight (Σ8 HMW) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Here, leaves of several tree species (the native Quercus robur L., Fagus sylvatica L., Pinus sylvestris L., and Taxus baccata L.; the introduced Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray bis) Parl.), litter and soil samples (10‒15 and 30‒40-cm depths) were analyzed in the formerly mining center of Baia Sprie, NW Romania. The content of Ʃ7 LMW PAHs decreased from litter to deeper soils (287, 9.07ng g-1), also for Ʃ8 HMW PAHs (447.53, 13.11ng g-1), and had an opposite pattern for Ʃ14 PCBs (61.76, 92.67ng g-1). In C. lawsoniana and Q. robur, the Ʃ15 PAHs and Ʃ14 PCBs contents were the highest, demonstrating their ability to accumulate organic pollutants. Based on the source diagnostic ratio analysis and statistical analyses, the origins of PAHs are attributed to a combination of petrogenic and pyrogenic combustion in mining and residential activities. The toxic equivalency factor shows that Ʃ8 HMW induces a moderate to high risk (10.45ng g-1) in Q. robur leaves, primarily due to the significant contribution of carcinogenic BaA, BbF, and BaP, whereas the risk is even higher in litter with levels of 71.55ng g-1. Q. robur leaves are recommended as suitable bioindicators in the assessment of ecosystem health. We underscore the necessity for future monitoring and engagement to implement more stringent regulatory measures of POPs, strategies for air pollution reduction, and sustainable practices aimed at risk mitigation.

Atmospheric pollution is associated with microbial community stability and functional diversity in river ecosystems.

A literature review on heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments: Assessment methods, ecotoxicological impacts, and health risk implications.

Biogeographic biases in microplastic ingestion research mask biodiversity and consumption risks across benthic invertebrates.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes through the one health Lens: Unmasking a global threat to humans, wildlife, and ecosystems.

We record two new predation events and one new kleptoparasitic Andean Gull (Chroicocephalus serranus) behavior, interactions that directly link to the Titicaca Grebe (Rollandia microptera) and Titicaca Water Frog (Telmatobius culeus). Our reports expand the understanding of the gull's ecological niche and reveal previously overlooked interactions between it and two endemic and endangered Lake Titicaca species which act as indicators of Lake Titicaca's ecosystem health.

ABSTRACT Sipunculans are unsegmented marine annelids distributed from intertidal to deep sediments, playing important roles in nutrient cycling and ecosystem health. The Sipunculus nudus species complex is exploited as food and bait in several regions, yet reproductive data at the population level remain scarce, especially for Atlantic populations. Understanding morphological correlates of body size and reproduction is essential for sustainable management. Over 17 months, 434 individuals of S. cf. nudus were collected monthly from intertidal sediments in Salvador, Brazil. External (total length, posterior length, width) and internal (number of longitudinal muscle bands, nephridia length, intestinal coils) measurements were taken. Coelomic fluid was examined to determine sex and gamete maturity, and oocytes and spermatocyte clusters were staged and measured. Population structure was analyzed using correlation analyses, DistLM, and dbRDA; reproductive investment via generalized linear models; and sex ratios by chi‐square tests. Environmental data (temperature, salinity, tide, rainfall) were included in redundancy analyses. Posterior length strongly correlated with total length and was identified as a reliable size proxy, while nephridial length distinguished mature from immature individuals. The population showed a near 1:1 sex ratio, with males producing larger spermatocyte clusters relative to size, while female oocyte diameter was size‐independent. Gametes at multiple maturation stages occurred year‐round, indicating continuous reproduction unaffected by environmental variation. These findings reveal morphological indicators of reproductive status and suggest stable, size‐dependent reproductive strategies that may enhance population resilience under harvesting pressure. The study provides key baseline data for managing exploited Sipunculus populations.

Impact of climate change on freshwater macronutrients and agricultural yields across Britain.

Microbial taxonomic and functional responses to heavy metal gradients in mining-impacted stream sediments.

Effects of microsized and nanosized polystyrene on detrital processing and nutrient dynamics in streams.