Establishment Of Reserves Research Articles

Species Diversity and Conservation of Typhlocybinae (Heteroptera: Cicadellidae) in China

Abstract Species diversity is undergoing rapid reductions globally. Identifying the causes underlying species diversity patterns and biodiversity hotspots is critical for developing conservation strategies. In this study, the 4,594 occurrence records of 854 Typhlocybinae (Heteroptera: Cicadellidae) species in China were used to investigate the factors affecting species richness and endemism patterns as well as identify species diversity hotspots to establish their conservation status. Generalized linear models and hierarchical partitioning were used to assess the effects of 6 environmental factors on species richness and endemism. Species diversity hotspots were obtained by integrating the 10 grids with highest levels of species richness and endemism; the conservation status of these hotspots was assessed via gap analysis. We found that species richness and endemism distribution of Typhlocybinae in China were heterogeneous, mainly concentrated in southern and central areas. The results also showed that plants were the most important environmental factors affecting species richness and endemism patterns, followed by niche conservatism. The 10 hotspots were identified; however, they were not fully protected by the existing nature reserves. This study highlights the importance of plants and niche conservatism in shaping species richness and endemism patterns of Typhlocybinae. Moreover, establishment of new nature reserves in hotspot areas with a conservation gap is required.

Productivity and Species Diversity of Plant Communities Are Higher inside than outside the West Ordos National Nature Reserve, Northern China.

Nature reserves play an important role in the protection of biological habitats and the maintenance of biodiversity, but the performance and mechanisms of desert steppe nature reserves in improving plant community productivity, biodiversity and soil nutrient content are still largely unknown. To investigate the conservation effects of desert steppe nature reserve management on plant productivity and biodiversity, we compared the plant biomass, diversity and soil nutrient content inside and outside the West Ordos National Nature Reserve through sample survey, biomass determination, diversity index calculation and soil nutrient content determination. We found the following: (1) The aboveground biomass and belowground biomass of plant communities in the nature reserve were significantly larger than those outside the reserve; and the aboveground biomass of plant communities in shrub-steppe was significantly larger than that of herb grassland in both the nature reserve and the outside of the reserve. (2) The Margalef richness index, Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index were significantly greater in the reserve than outside the nature reserve. In the desert steppe, the establishment of the nature reserve increased the α-diversity of the plant community. (3) The soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) were greater in the nature reserve than outside the reserve, and for the 10-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers, the SOC and STN were significantly greater in the core protected zone of the reserve than outside the reserve. The reserve significantly increased the nutrient content of the deeper soil layers. (4) The aboveground biomass of the plant community had a significant positive linear relationship with the species richness index, the Shannon index, and the Simpson index. There was a positive correlation between the diversity of the plant community and the soil nutrients. In summary, the nature reserve improved local plant productivity, biodiversity and the soil nutrient content, and the soil nutrient content in deeper soil layers may be the driving factor for the increase in productivity and biodiversity, which deepens our understanding of the conservation effectiveness of the nature reserve and its mechanisms.

The Impacts of Periconceptional Alcohol on Neonatal Ovaries and Subsequent Adult Fertility in the Rat.

Maternal exposures during pregnancy can impact the establishment of the ovarian reserve in offspring, the lifetime supply of germ cells that determine a woman's reproductive lifespan. However, despite alcohol consumption being common in women of reproductive age, the impact of prenatal alcohol on ovarian development is rarely investigated. This study used an established rat model of periconceptional ethanol exposure (PCEtOH; 12.5% v/v ethanol) for 4 days prior to 4 days post-conception. Ovaries were collected from neonates (day 3 and day 10), and genes with protein products involved in regulating the ovarian reserve analyzed by qPCR. Adult offspring had estrous cycles monitored and breeding performance assessed. PCEtOH resulted in subtle changes in expression of genes regulating apoptosis at postnatal day (PN) 3, whilst those involved in regulating growth and recruitment of primordial follicles were dysregulated at PN10 in neonatal ovaries. Despite these gene expression changes, there were no significant impacts on breeding performance in adulthood, nor on F2-generation growth or survival. This contributes additional evidence to suggest that a moderate level of alcohol consumption exclusively around conception, when a woman is often unaware of her pregnancy, does not substantially impact the fertility of her female offspring.

Priority areas for the establishment of genetic reserves to actively protect key crop wild relative species in Italy

Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) are wild plant taxa genetically close to a crop. Being a precious source of genetic variability and of traits for crop improvement, CWR have a high socio-economic value and are identified among the main plant genetic resources. Alarming enough, the inter- and intraspecific diversity, as well as their habitat diversity, is under threat of irremediable loss. Italy is the second richest country in Europe in terms of plant species number; applying the taxon group concept 5712 have been recently identified as CWR. The aims of the present research are to identify the best sites for: i) the institution of genetic reserves to actively protect CWR species of the key crop genera as Allium, Brassica and Triticum and ii) performing new collection missions to reach adequate ex situ conservation of target species. Georeferenced data were retrieved from different online databases. CAPFITOGEN tools were initially used to develop an ecogeographic land characterisation map (ELC) of Italy. Geographical distribution data were assembled for 379 populations of 18 CWR taxa. Results of the complementarity analysis showed that 10 protected areas provide coverage of the 46.4% of the target conservation units and include 66.7% of the priority CWR taxa investigated. Alarming enough, only 7.4% of the 379 populations are currently conserved ex situ; among the 18 ecogeographic land characterisation categories only 3 are covered by ex situ conservation. This is the first study where most suitable protected areas for the institution of genetic reserves are proposed for Italy for the protection of multiple CWR taxa of key genera; this is relevant also considering the global value of many of the related crop such as different wheat species, cabbages, rape, garlic and onion. Being already dedicated to habitat and species conservation, the identified sites are optimal candidates for the institution of genetic reserves. Results will hopefully also guide new collecting missions that are urgently needed to strength ex situ conservation of such precious genetic resources.

Regional differences in fishing behavior determine whether a marine reserve network enhances fishery yield

A network of marine reserves can enhance yield in depleted fisheries by protecting populations, particularly large, old spawners that supply larvae for interspersed fishing grounds. The ability of marine reserves to enhance sustainable fisheries is much less evident. We report empirical evidence of a marine reserve network improving yield regionally for a sustainable spiny lobster fishery, apparently through the spillover of adult lobsters and behavioral adaptation by the fishing fleet. Results of a Before-After, Control-Impact analysis found catch, effort, and Catch-Per-Unit Effort increased after the establishment of marine reserves in the northern region of the fishery where fishers responded by fishing intensively at reserve borders, but declined in the southern region where they vacated once productive fishing grounds. The adaptation of the northern region of the fishery may have been aided by a history of collaboration between fishers, scientists, and managers, highlighting the value of collaborative research and education programs for preparing fisheries to operate productively within a seascape that includes a large marine reserve network.

Protection Gains and Potential Risks: Insights from a Decade of Change of Chiru in the Arjinshan

As a migratory ungulate species, the chiru ( Pantholops hodgsonii ) primarily inhabits the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau. The population of the chiru has experienced a steady increase in recent years due to the implementation of rigorous conservation measures, including the establishment of nature reserves and legislation prohibiting hunting and killing. However, the study of chiru population ecology remains poorly understood duo to the unique and harsh natural conditions, as well as the seasonal migration and breeding patterns. In our study, we observed a higher overall population of the chiru (with average daily observations of 352 in 2012–2013 and 453 in 2023) and a demographic shift toward younger age groups (with juvenile percentage at 17.23% in 2023 and 15.85% in 2012–2013), implying the effectiveness of conservation efforts. But the marked increase in mortality rates among chiru warrants serious attention, particularly with regard to juvenile fatalities (from 1 death in 2012–2013 to 51 deaths in 2023). During past conservation efforts, the chiru population has gradually recovered; however, it is imperative to acknowledge the potential future risks due to accelerated climate change and intensification of human activity.

Exposure of Early Postnatal Oocytes to Chemotherapy Alters the Potential Ovarian Reserve, According to an Ex Vivo Mouse Model

Current safety data on chemotherapy during pregnancy are based on studies which focus on the mother and do not explore reproductive health and fecundity potential within the exposed offspring. We designed this randomized ex vivo animal study to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy on the developing ovarian reserve in the exposed offspring. Specimens (100 postnatal day zero C57BL/6 mouse ovaries) were randomized to control or chemotherapy drug exposure and maintained in a hanging well organ culture. Murine ovarian reserve establishment mirrors activity seen in the human fetus but with a significant time shift of the transition to meiotic arrest to the postnatal period. Exposures included: doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, docetaxel, and cisplatin. Doxorubicin resulted in a significant loss of 95.2% (p < 0.0001) of oocyte density compared to controls. Cyclophosphamide also caused depletion of 50.5% (p < 0.0001) of oocyte density. Cisplatin, docetaxel, and paclitaxel all demonstrated unique phenotypical changes on the ovaries and their oocytes, without a significant decrease in oocyte density over a five-day exposure. Exposure to chemotherapy may result in profound loss of oogonia during the transition to mature oocytes.

Nature reserves and reforestation expend the potential habitats for endangered plants: A model study in Cangshan, China

The loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges in the world. Nature Reserves are widely recognized as an effective strategy to protect against biodiversity crises. Over the past 40 years, the vegetation coverage of the Cangshan Reserve and its surrounding areas has increased significantly largely due to the reforestation project. In this study, we specifically evaluated the capacity of nature reserves and reforestation efforts to increase the area of potential habitats for endangered plants, using historical and current species distribution models (SDM). Our findings revealed that the highly suitable area for endangered species constituted 31.5 % of Cangshan Reserve and 3.3 % of the total study area in 1980 model. However, in the 2020 model, the highly suitable area increased to 37.9 % of Cangshan Reserve and 3.9 % of the total area. In total, the highly suitable area in 2020 exceeded that of 1980 by 37.12 km2. The significant increase of the highly suitable area can be attributed to the plantations within the Cangshan Reserve. Despite a noted increase in vegetation cover outside the reserve, the present study did not find a significant expansion in suitable habitats outside Cangshan Reserve. In conclusion, our study suggests that reforestation policy alone may not suffice to expand the potential habitats for endangered plants, a combined approach involving the establishment of nature reserves and the implementation of reforestation programs may prove to be a more effective strategy in the increase of potential habitats for these rare and endangered plants.

Homozygous missense variant in MEIOSIN causes premature ovarian insufficiency.

Are variants of genes involved in meiosis initiation responsible for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)? A MEIOSIN variant participates in the pathogenesis of human POI by impairing meiosis due to insufficient transcriptional activation of essential meiotic genes. Meiosis is the key event for the establishment of the ovarian reserve, and several gene defects impairing meiotic homologous recombination have been found to contribute to the pathogenesis of POI. Although STRA8 and MEIOISN variants have been found to associate with POI in a recent study, the condition of other meiosis initiation genes is unknown and direct evidence of variants participating in the pathogenesis of POI is still lacking. This was a retrospective genetic study. An in-house whole exome sequencing (WES) database of 1030 idiopathic POI patients was screened for variations of meiosis initiation genes. Homozygous or compound heterozygous variations of genes involved in meiosis initiation were screened in the in-house WES database. The pathogenicity of the variation was verified by in vitro experiments, including protein structure prediction and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effect of the variant on ovarian function and meiosis was demonstrated through histological analyses in a point mutation mouse model. One homozygous variant in MEIOSIN (c.1735C>T, p.R579W) and one in STRA8 (c.258 + 1G>A), which initiates meiosis via the retinoic acid-dependent pathway, were identified in a patient with idiopathic POI respectively. The STRA8 variation has been reported in the recently published work. For the MEIOSIN variation, the dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that the variant adversely affected the transcriptional function of MEIOSIN in upregulating meiotic genes. Furthermore, knock-in mice with the homologous mutation confirmed that the variation impacted the meiotic prophase I program and accelerated oocyte depletion. Moreover, the variant p.R579W localizing in the high-mobility group (HMG) box domain disrupted the nuclear localization of the MEIOSIN protein but was dispensable for the cell-cycle switch of oocytes, suggesting a unique role of the MEIOSIN HMG box domain in meiosis initiation. Further studies are needed to explore the role of other meiosis initiation genes in the pathogenesis of POI. The MEIOSIN variant was verified to cause POI by impaired transcriptional regulation of meiotic genes and was inherited by a recessive mode. The function of HMG box domain in MEIOSIN protein was also expanded by this study. Although causative variations in meiotic initiation genes are rare in POI, our study confirmed the pathogenicity of a MEIOSIN variant and elucidated another mechanism of human infertility. This work was supported by the National Key Research & Developmental Program of China (2022YFC2703800, 2022YFC2703000), National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (82125014), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32070847, 32170867, 82071609), Basic Science Center Program of NSFC (31988101), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province for Grand Basic Projects (ZR2021ZD33), Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province for Excellent Young Scholars (ZR2022YQ69), Taishan Scholars Program for Young Experts of Shandong Province (tsqn202211371), and Qilu Young Scholars Program of Shandong University. The authors declare no conflict of interest. N/A.

Towards Sustainable Enhanced Rice Production for Meeting Food Grain Self-sufficiency: A Strategic Food Outlooks of Bangladesh By 2030 And 2050

The present study forecasted the demand and supply of food grains in Bangladesh by 2030 and 2050, by using Box and Jenkin’s ARIMA model. It is the 8th most populous country in the world. Cereals provide a major part of the calorie intake in Bangladesh, but their share in the total calorie supply is predicted to decrease over the years, while it is from non-cereal items will have an increasing trend from 2030 to 2050. The total crop demand for rice is projected to be 39.1 MMTs in 2030 and 42.6 MMTs in 2050. The Business as Usual Scenario predicted that there will be a marginal surplus of rice in 2030 and 2050 but the pessimistic scenario projected that there could be a deficit of 3.62 MMTs in 2030 and 1.93 MMTs in 2050 due to climatic shocks. Although the country has achieved self-sufficiency in rice, the projections reflected that its food security could be threatened due to natural calamities. Supportive government policy with increased investment in research and extension is needed for generating climate-resilient high-yielding rice varieties with production technology and requiring the establishment of a strategic rice grain reserve for the country to meet emergency food crises during natural calamities.

Sustainable resource management policy of national economic development

The article considers the mechanism of possible full supply of strategic resources for the purpose of implementing the concept of sustainable development. Two main approaches to the accumulation of resources are indicated: i) the first approach, aimed at maintaining a strategic stock of energy resources, which involves the concentration of resources to ensure the stability and security of energy supplies; ii) the second approach consists in the accumulation of financial assets through the receipt of income and allows the formation of a financial reserve. In the case of the first approach, the country like the United States strategically accumulated crude oil reserves, exemplified by the establishment of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in the 1970s. The percentage ratio of US crude oil exports relative to their daily oil consumption in the United States from 1980 to 2023 was calculated and detailed in the research, with trends such as a decline of 1% in 2005 and a subsequent increase of 156% in 2023 being revealed, and the impact of technological and geopolitical factors on these changes was determined.

Analysis of a 131-year longitudinal dataset of the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra in Hong Kong: implications for conservation

AbstractHong Kong is one of the busiest metropolises, and the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra is one of its most threatened species. We collected published data for 1890–2020 to document changes in local otter abundance and distribution over time. The 108 records revealed new distribution data and showed that decline began as early as the 1930s. The local Eurasian otter is strongly associated with coastal and alluvial wetlands, and its last refugium, the Yuen Long floodplain draining the Mai Po Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site, has always been a critical habitat. Our analysis suggests that hunting is unlikely to be a major cause of the otter's decline. Rather, dependence on lowland wetlands makes it particularly susceptible to habitat loss caused by increasing urbanization. Auxiliary infrastructures and water pollution have also exacerbated wetland degradation to the detriment of otters and their prey. There is a need for greater cooperation amongst government agencies and landowners to guarantee otter survival: priority steps include the establishment of additional and interconnected wetland reserves, better stakeholder engagement and enforcement efficiency to tackle entrenched pollution problems, and flood prevention schemes that preserve or restore functional riverine ecosystems within critical otter habitats. The current otter distribution range has been earmarked for development in a government-led mega urbanization plan; the plight of the local Eurasian otter needs to be widely publicized to garner stakeholders' support and galvanize immediate conservation actions across society.

Analysis of mangrove dynamics and its protection effect in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Coastal Area based on the Google Earth Engine platform

Mangroves are rapidly disappearing in several places of the world, and mangrove dynamics are becoming important evidence of ecological restoration and protection along the coast. Mangrove populations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Coastal Area (GCA) have experienced a substantial impact of anthropogenic pressure in the 20th century. Monitoring its spatio-temporal variation and protection effect has been regarded as an important task in coastal management. In this study, we provided the comprehensive assessment of mangrove dynamics in the GCA and typical sites from 1988 to 2020 at eight-year intervals. At this time interval, mangrove ecosystems changed significantly as a result of global warming and human impacts. The geographical distribution of mangroves was obtained by applying the Random Forest (RF) classifier on Landsat images with a 30 m spatial resolution on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, based on relevant indices such as Normalized Difference Mangrove Index (NDMI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Suspended Sediment Index (NDSSI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). Quantitative evaluation indicated that overall accuracy of over 88% was achieved with RF classifier for mangrove extraction. In the GCA, mangrove area was 95.4 km2 in 1988, dropped to 71.4 km2 in 1996, then expanded to 127.5 km2 in 2020, with an overall dynamic rate of 1.02%. In typical sites, mangroves show a similar trend to the overall area. The subsequent mangrove growth is attributed to reserve establishment, accompanied by the expansion of replanted mangrove areas. In the GCA, provincial-level and county-level reserves show a high rate of mangrove dynamic, while national-level reserves display a low rate of mangrove dynamic. The dynamic rate in reserves of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is higher than other parts of the GCA, indicating that the effect of mangrove protection is better in the GBA. The results of this study will provide scientific foundations for the sustainable management and conservation of mangrove ecosystem, the quantification of ecosystem services (such as coastal protection and carbon storage), as well as the formulation of strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The Spatiotemporal Change in Land Cover and Discrepancies within Different Countries on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau over a Recent 30-Year Period

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is a unique global natural geographical unit with a high altitude and fragile ecology, where land cover change has been affecting its regional ecological security and sustainable development. The plateau covers nine countries with different variations in climate change and human activities, which cause significant spatial variations in its land cover change. This paper uses land cover data to reveal the spatiotemporal characteristics and multi-country differences in land cover change on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau from 1992 to 2020 by applying spatiotemporal characteristic analysis and mapping methods. The results show that grassland (65.70%), bare land (15.56%), and woodland (10.25%) are the main types of land cover on the plateau, accounting for 91.51% of the total area. The interconversion of bare land and grassland was dominant in 1992–2020, with an area share of 67.83%. The turning point year of grassland change occurred in 2015. The grassland area increased by 6312 km2 in 1992–2015, while it decreased by 14,646 km2 in the plateau in 2015–2020. The areas of woodland, cropland, and water increased by 2.77%, 5.85%, and 7.57%, respectively, and the area of built-up land increased from 299.17 km2 to 1206.29 km2. Overall, a warming and wetting trend of the climate in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has driven the expansion of natural vegetation and water in the central plateau within China, with its natural vegetation area increasing by 0.11%. However, the development of regional warming and drying caused local grassland degradation, where Kyrgyzstan and India within the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau experienced the most prominent vegetation degradation. Human activities are relatively frequent in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau within China and India, causing higher growth rates of built-up land and cropland than in other countries. The establishment of reserves and effective forest management policies have led to significant increases in woodland areas in China and Nepal within the plateau, while weak forest management and limited investment in forest conservation have led to high rates of deforestation in India and Myanmar. Accelerated temperature rises and regional differences in precipitation are the main drivers of large-scale land cover change on the plateau and differences in human activities and land use policies are responsible for the dramatic and diverse localized land cover change.

Impact of ecological reserves on the local residents’ health: Evidence from a natural experiment in China

The potential influence of natural ecosystems on human health has been widely acknowledged globally. Nevertheless, the causality of such a correlation among the middle-aged and older populations in developing countries awaits further investigations. This study aims to understand how a specific natural ecosystem change, namely the establishment of ecological reserves, improves the physical and mental health of middle-aged and older residents in China. Two batches of national key eco-function zones (NKEFZs) in 2011 and 2016 are selected as a quasi-experiment; and a total of 128,755 middle-aged and older residents from a combined data set from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Studies (CHARLS) from 2010 to 2020. A difference-in-differences method was used to identify the causal effects of the natural ecosystem improvement on human health outcomes. The results indicate significant and sustained improvements in the physical health of local middle-aged and elderly residents following the implementation of the NKEFZs policy. Notably, ecological reserves with a water conservation function and those in Karst area have the most salient effects on physical health. Furthermore, this study shows that the creation of ecological reserves improves the mental health of middle-aged and older residents, with the effect varying based on changes in physical health. This study provides new insights into the positive impact of natural ecosystem improvement on human health outcomes, in particular physical and mental health.

FAAP100 is required for the resolution of transcription-replication conflicts in primordial germ cells

BackgroundThe maintenance of genome stability in primordial germ cells (PGCs) is crucial for the faithful transmission of genetic information and the establishment of reproductive reserve. Numerous studies in recent decades have linked the Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway with fertility, particularly PGC development. However, the role of FAAP100, an essential component of the FA core complex, in germ cell development is unexplored.ResultsWe find that FAAP100 plays an essential role in R-loop resolution and replication fork protection to counteract transcription-replication conflicts (TRCs) during mouse PGC proliferation. FAAP100 deletion leads to FA pathway inactivation, increases TRCs as well as cotranscriptional R-loops, and contributes to the collapse of replication forks and the generation of DNA damage. Then, the activated p53 signaling pathway triggers PGC proliferation defects, ultimately resulting in insufficient establishment of reproductive reserve in both sexes of mice.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that FAAP100 is required for the resolution of TRCs in PGCs to safeguard their genome stability.

Ақсу-Жабағылы қорығындағы қасқырдың (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) өсуі мен таралуы

The article is devoted to the reproduction and distribution of the wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) on the territory of the reserve since the establishment of the Aksu-Zhabagly State Nature Reserve until 2022. The article analyzes the data of the works and reports of scientists stored in the archive of the reserve, diaries of periodic observation of inspectors, and data from the book "Chronicles of Nature", for the last 2019-2022, control work was carried out on the number of wolves in the reserve and adjacent territories, as well as seasonal accounting and analysis of the dynamics of the number of wolves. Basically, this predator is found in the gorges of Large and Small Kayynda, with mountain valleys on the northern slope of Mount Zhabagly, in the valleys of the rivers Iirsu, Aksu, Balabaldyberek and Baldyberek. The wolf in most cases lives in groups, that is, in herds. Previously, wolves were found in 3-4 individuals, but in modern conditions they are found in about 10 individuals.

Analysis of Growing Season Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Variation and Its Influencing Factors on the Mongolian Plateau Based on Google Earth Engine.

Frequent dust storms on the Mongolian Plateau have adversely affected the ecological environmental quality of East Asia. Studying the dynamic changes in vegetation coverage is one of the important means of evaluating ecological environmental quality in the region. In this study, we used Landsat remote sensing images from 2000 to 2019 on the Mongolian Plateau to extract yearly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data during the growing season. We used partial correlation analysis and the Hurst index to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of the NDVI before and after the establishment of nature reserves and their influencing factors on the GEE cloud platform. The results showed that (1) the proportion of the region with an upwards trend of NDVI increased from 52.21% during 2000-2009 to 67.93% during 2010-2019, indicating a clear improvement in vegetation due to increased precipitation; (2) the increase in precipitation and positive human activities drove the increase in the NDVI in the study region from 2000 to 2019; and (3) the overall trend of the NDVI in the future is expected to be stable with a slight decrease, and restoration potential is greater for water bodies and grasslands. Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen positive human activities to safeguard vegetation. These findings furnish scientific evidence for environmental management and the development of ecological engineering initiatives on the Mongolian Plateau.

Widespread long-term declines of littoral areas in protected and unprotected Czech fishponds

Fishponds play a key role in current pondscapes in many developed countries. They provide multiple ecosystem services affected by trade-offs mediated by different types of fishpond management. Many fishponds were impacted by the shift towards more intensive aquaculture and widespread eutrophication in the 20th century. These changes can undermine various ecosystem functions including the maintenance of aquatic and riparian biodiversity in the littoral areas, but their extent is not well documented. Here we use aerial photographs to investigate the changes of littoral areas of 46 protected and 20 unprotected fishponds in the Czech Republic between the years 1950 and 2019. Protected fishponds had initially larger littoral areas than the unprotected ones, and the difference persisted over time. However, littoral areas decreased markedly in 38 protected (mean area decrease by 22.5%) and all unprotected (mean area decrease by 16%) fishpond categories, especially during the second half of the 20th century. Within protected fishponds, the trend was unaffected by the reserve establishment year, fishpond area and conservation target. Our results suggests that legal protection did not prevent the initial catastrophic loss of littoral areas and facilitated at most minor recovery in the last two decades, with negative implications for long-term maintenance of aquatic diversity. We attribute the losses of fishpond littoral areas to high fish stocks and eutrophication resulting from additional feeding, pond manuring, and ongoing nutrient inputs from the pond catchments. We conclude that littoral areas of fishponds urgently need effective protection. This would require a paradigm shift towards less intensive fish stock management, more frequent summer drainage, and effective reduction of all nutrient inputs to increase the water quality. Such measures could help recover the littoral areas and the associated biota.

P-705 Homozygous missense variant in MEIOSIN causes premature ovarian insufficiency

Abstract Study question Are the gene variants involved in meiosis initiation responsible for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)? Summary answer MEIOSIN variant participates in the pathogenesis of human POI by impairing meiosis due to insufficient transcriptional activation of essential meiotic genes. What is known already Meiosis is the key event for the establishment of the ovarian reserve, and several gene defects impairing meiotic homologous recombination have been found to contribute to the pathogenesis of POI. However, the genes involved in meiosis initiation have not been associated with POI. Study design, size, duration Retrospective genetic study. An in-house whole exome sequencing (WES) database of 1,030 idiopathic POI patients was screened for variations of meiosis initiation genes. Participants/materials, setting, methods Gene variations involved in meiosis initiation were screened in the in-house WES database of 1,030 POI cases. The pathogenicity of the variation was verified by in vitro experiments, including protein structure prediction and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effect of the variant on ovarian function and meiosis was demonstrated through histological analyses in a point mutation mouse model. Main results and the role of chance A homozygous variant of MEIOSIN that initiates meiosis via the retinoic acid dependent pathway was identified in a patient with idiopathic POI. The dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that the variant adversely affected the transcriptional function of MEIOSIN in upregulating meiotic genes. Further knock-in mice with the homologous mutation confirmed that the variation impacted the meiotic prophase I program and accelerated oocyte depletion. Limitations, reasons for caution Further studies are needed to explore the role of other meiosis initiation genes in the pathogenesis of POI. Wider implications of the findings The present study firstly identified pathogenic MEIOSIN variants in patients with POI. Although the causative variation in meiotic initiation genes is rare in POI, our study expanded the spectrum of causative genes and elucidated the different mechanisms in human infertility. Trial registration number Not available