Assessing habitat quality in the sundarbans mangrove ecosystem of Bangladesh using the invest model

Habitat quality in China’s national parks and their surroundings by modifying the InVEST model

Habitat and site age drive carcass persistence at wind energy facilities: Evidence from a large-scale analysis.

A detailed understanding of how protected species use their habitats can guide management interventions in areas of high human use. For marine turtles, different food availability and physical habitat characteristics can underpin turtle presence at anthropogenically modified compared to unmodified sites. We develop telemetry-based habitat models with boosted regression trees to identify the environmental characteristics underpinning foraging habitat suitability for green turtles in the Great Barrier Reef region. We fit models to green turtle Fastloc GPS tracks from both modified and unmodified inshore foraging sites and using pseudo-absences (simulated correlated random walks). We assess model performance by the ability to predict known foraging areas, true skill statistic, explanatory power (percent deviance explained) and predictive skill (AUC) of the models. We then predict potentially suitable foraging areas for green turtles in the Great Barrier Reef region using the model for unmodified habitats. Our model highlights shallow nearshore environments and midshelf reefs as important foraging areas for green turtles. These areas are likely affected by dynamic floods, development, and turbidity. In 2022, 46.6% of predicted suitable habitat fell within habitat protection zones, and 16.5% in Marine National Park Zones of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. A detailed foraging distribution of the species has not previously been compiled at this regional scale. Identifying biophysical drivers of habitat suitability can inform identification of possible foraging habitat in less data rich regions in Australia and overseas. Evaluating changes over time in habitat distribution provides insights into the degree to which broad-scale environmental changes and anthropogenic activities influence the condition and function of habitats, even within protected area boundaries.

CSR strategy composition of urban spontaneous plants:A case from Yangling, China.

Management and conservation efforts for shorebirds are generally conducted with a focus on habitat quality (e.g., forage availability) but often lack detail on the thermal conditions that can directly influence migratory success. Much of this discrepancy is due to a dearth of empirical data or modeled predictions of microclimate exposure along migration routes (i.e., stopover sites). Our objectives were to, 1) quantify thermal environments at interior mid-continental stopover mudflats during autumn migration and 2) compare the ability of modeled outputs (T model ) from mechanistic models and local weather station data (T weather ) to predict field measurements (T mudflat ). T mudflat was collected at shorebird height (10 cm) on three mudflats routinely used by shorebirds during late summer and autumn 2024 in Kentucky, United States. Temporal variation in mudflat microclimate was substantial across diel and seasonal periods (range; 1.71 – 48.13°C), yet notably, spatial variation was low for any given hour. Consequently, shorebirds experienced limited thermal options on mudflats that routinely exceeded thermal stress thresholds for shorebirds (i.e., 74.25% and 20.61% of temperatures ≥ 25°C and ≥ 35°C). Thermal extremes were most pronounced for diurnal periods (0700 – 1900 hour) in late summer when early long-distance migrants are using mudflat stopover sites. T weather (F 1, 7,687 = 40,820, R 2 = 0.84, p < 0.05; RMSE = 3.41) outperformed T model (F 1, 7,687 = 18,020, R 2 = 0.70, p < 0.05; RMSE = 6.15) at predicting T mudflat , suggesting that T weather may offer managers and researchers a relatively simple and often publicly accessible proxy for thermal exposure on shorebirds (albeit not necessarily a substitute for in situ microclimate measurements). Our findings 1) should encourage researchers and managers to add a thermal context to their current assessments of habitat quality for shorebirds, and 2) offer a framework for studying thermal patterns across different habitat types, latitudinal gradients, and sampling methods.

Ensuring reliable tools for evaluating river ecosystem health is increasingly important in tropical regions where anthropogenic pressures and agricultural intensification threaten aquatic biodiversity. However, the use of reliable multimeric indices to assess river ecosystem health remains poorly developed in the tropical regions. This study developed and validated a benthic macroinvertebrate-based Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) to evaluate river health in the Walawe River Basin, Sri Lanka. Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, together with physicochemical and habitat characteristics, were assessed across multiple stream sites representing reference and disturbed conditions during both dry and wet seasons. A total of 28 macroinvertebrate-based candidate metrics were selected for IBI development, and they were screened for their association with environmental variables using Pearson's correlation, redundancy, and box-and-whisker analyses for discriminating reference and degraded sites. After the screening process, three candidate matrices were selected for final B-IBI development: Percentage Ephemeroptera + Plecoptera + Tricoptera (%EPT), Shannon diversity (H'), and the percentage of Crustacea and Mollusca. The final B-IBI, composed of key taxonomic and diversity-based metrics, effectively distinguished reference sites from degraded locations, demonstrating strong discriminatory power and robustness across varying land-use and environmental conditions. The developed index provides a regionally adapted and ecologically meaningful tool for river health assessment and contributes to advancing bioassessment frameworks for tropical river ecosystems.

Monitoring biodiversity in protected areas is essential to mitigate biodiversity loss and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation policies. Integrating satellite remote sensing technologies, ecological niche models, and time-series analyses of biodiversity trends offers a fast and robust approach for assessing habitat suitability changes and species vulnerability over time. In this study, we implemented a framework combining these tools to monitor biodiversity in the Montesinho/Nogueira Special Conservation Area (Northeast Portugal). Using the MaxEnt algorithm, we generated ecological niche models for 342 species based on a time series (2001-2023) of remote sensing data from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. We analysed habitat suitability trends with the Mann-Kendall test to detect changes in habitat quality, as a metric of species vulnerability for individual species, five major taxonomic groups (vascular flora, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), functional groups (e.g. climate affinity, habitat type, diet, activity, reproduction), and conservation status (regional and European levels). Our study revealed a significant decline in habitat suitability over the past two decades, impacting all taxonomic groups and ecological functions. We observed a high variability in habitat suitability trends among species and taxonomic/functional groups, highlighting the complexity of biodiversity responses to environmental changes. Functional traits such as climatic affinity, trophic level or habitat specialisation were associated with variable rates of habitat decline, with species of Atlantic affinity, species associated with croplands and wetlands, and species specialised in insectivorous diets being at higher risk. Overall, these findings emphasise the need for comprehensive biodiversity monitoring programmes and demonstrate the utility of our approach to inform evidence-based conservation strategies in protected areas globally.

Abstract The present study focuses on the response of small mammals to human disturbance in the Kis-Balaton Landscape Protection Area (Hungary), an endangered marshland. Diverse small mammal community occurs in the study area, providing habitat for the endangered Pannonian root vole ( Alexandromys oeconomus mehelyi ). We investigated the short-term community response of small mammals to mowing, an anthropogenic disturbance, and the consequent habitat change of the root vole subspecies. Two habitat patches utilised by the species were examined. In the first habitat, the large-scale intervention resulted in the local disappearance of the root vole during the observation period, then we found the subspecies in an adjacent habitat. The dissimilarity analyses indicated moderate evidence of seasonal change in the community of the first habitat. In contrast, significant differences were observed between the small mammal assemblages of the two habitats, highlighting the critical role that habitat type plays in community composition. Difference of the community characteristics between seasons and between habitats was also confirmed by the analyses of rank- abundance curves. Our findings emphasise the significant effect of differences in habitat quality, as well as the influence of anthropogenic alterations on the endangered habitat specialist Pannonian root vole and the small mammal community.

Analysing changes in the distribution and available habitat of an endangered species is key for understanding population dynamics, assessing threats and prioritizing actions for conservation strategies and areas to apply them. This is especially relevant in rapidly changing ecosystems subject to agricultural pressures, such as the South American Pampas. Here, species are experiencing the effects of habitat modification and fragmentation, as is the case for the Pampas Meadowlark Leistes defilippii , a severely threatened and declining bird species. Here we quantify, characterize and describe the historical contraction of Pampas Meadowlark habitat, and analyse its current distribution patterns to assess habitat fragmentation and current habitat occupancy, using Maxent ecological niche models. The selected models for suitable habitat show a 91% reduction in total area, as well as an increased degree of fragmentation, and a 98% decrease in mean patch size. Comparing historical (1850–2009) and recent (2010–2024) models shows that a higher proportion of occurrences are now associated with non‐suitable habitat. When analysing the recent model for suitable habitat in relation to the species' occurrences, a single population core is detected in Uruguay populations, embedded in a matrix of mostly suitable habitat. In contrast, there are three different core areas in Argentina, one of them highly disconnected from the other two, separated by areas of low habitat suitability. These findings highlight the critical conservation status of the Pampas Meadowlark and its habitat and identify key areas for conservation. In particular, the results show the effects of declining habitat quality and connectivity as constraints that should be addressed through conservation and restoration efforts at the local and regional scales in these key areas. In addition, the scarcity of protected areas in the species' range is a major concern, especially considering the existence of nearby Key Biodiversity Areas that have been designated mainly for Pampas Meadowlark populations.

Polar oceans and sea-ice regions are global hot spots for the production of biogenic volatile methylated sulfur (VMS) compounds: dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and methanethiol (MeSH). VMS compounds make important contributions to atmospheric particle formation and cloud property modulation, especially when polar atmospheres are pristine. As a result, the polar biogenic sulfur cycle may induce significant climate feedback in response to ongoing sea ice decline. However, polar VMS production, emission, and atmospheric oxidation processes remain poorly represented in current numerical models, hampering assessments of their radiative impacts and, in turn, implementation of targeted observations necessary for providing predictive understanding of changes in the ocean–sea ice–atmosphere (OIA) system. We synthesize current knowledge of the polar biogenic sulfur cycle and its representation in models. To untangle the existing gaps and provide a roadmap toward predictive understanding, we identify key features of sea ice habitats for biological VMS production, sea ice physical features that enhance or suppress VMS emissions, and atmospheric VMS oxidation at low temperatures that controls the contribution of oxidation products to particle formation or growth. These features are tightly coupled, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts across disciplines that span the OIA interface, and among observational, experimental, and modeling communities. We recommend 4 priority research areas: (1) model representation of biological VMS production at the sea ice bottom and surface; (2) improved quantification of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) sensitivity to VMS emissions with updated gas phase and multiphase oxidation chemistry at low temperatures; (3) better spatial and seasonal quantification of MeSH abundance and its biological and chemical controls in sea-ice environments; and (4) assessment of the contribution of episodic extreme VMS emissions during sea ice breakup for the polar CCN budget.

Enhancing carbon sink capacity and optimizing urban blue-green infrastructure (UBGI) are crucial for urban planning and sustainable development. Based on the ArcGIS 10.8 platform and the InVEST model, this study comprehensively evaluates the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of three ecosystem services (carbon storage, habitat quality, and water retention) in Guilin. By applying the coupling coordination degree model, bivariate spatial autocorrelation, and K-means clustering methods, it systematically reveals the synergistic and trade-off relationships among multiple ecosystem services in karst cities, identifies the spatial differentiation pattern of ecological spaces, and proposes UBGI optimization strategies. The results show that the three types of ecosystem services in Guilin exhibited a spatiotemporal differentiation pattern of stable high values in mountainous areas and continuous expansion of low values around urban areas from 1993 to 2023, with their changes mainly driven by the significant negative impact of human activity intensity (nighttime light, population density). Guilin’s ecological space can be divided into four functional zones: Ecological Core Cluster (77.50%), Degraded Carbon-Poor Cluster (1.47%), Habitat Protection Cluster (0.46%), and Buffer Balance Cluster (20.58%). Carbon storage, habitat quality, and water retention showed significant spatial gradient differences (Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric test, p < 0.001) and local decoupling characteristics. Furthermore, the study proposed key ecological management thresholds, such as impervious surface ratio < 15% and forestland ratio > 30%, and constructed a differentiated “zoning-classification-grading” UBGI optimization strategy system based on the four functional zones, including ecological corridor construction, promotion of vertical greening and sponge facilities, supplementary planting of native vegetation, and integration of ecological agriculture. These strategies aim to enhance the synergistic efficiency of ecosystem services, improve regional carbon sink capacity, and provide a scientific basis for Guilin’s ecological planning, the implementation of “dual carbon” goals, and the construction of the National Innovation Demonstration Zone for Sustainable Development Agenda.

Current preoperative assessment faces limitations, including PI-RADS scoring subjectivity and diagnostic uncertainty in distinguishing high-risk prostate cancer from benign and low-risk lesions. To develop an interpretable ensemble learning framework integrating habitat-based radiomics and peritumoral analysis from multiparametric MRI for preoperative high-risk prostate cancer prediction. This retrospective, multi-institutional study included 896 patients with suspected prostate lesions and histopathologically confirmed diagnoses across three centers (January 2018-December 2024). Intratumoral habitat analysis used K-means clustering; peritumoral analysis evaluated 1mm, 3mm, and 5mm expansion rings. Feature selection used minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) and LASSO regression. Models were validated externally with SHAP analysis for interpretability. The cohort comprised 398 training, 171 internal validation, and 327 external validation patients. The habitat signature achieved superior performance with AUCs of 0.827 (95% CI: 0.768-0.886) and 0.855 (95% CI: 0.795-0.915) in external validation cohorts, significantly outperforming intratumoral signatures (AUCs: 0.774 and 0.629, p < 0.001) and clinical signatures (AUCs: 0.791 and 0.712, p < 0.001). The 3mm peritumoral signature performed best (AUC: 0.782-0.793). The combined model achieved the highest performance (AUC: 0.860-0.876). SHAP analysis showed ADC-derived features dominated importance, with habitat region H3 contributing > 70% of selected features. Integrated habitat and peritumoral radiomics provide robust preoperative risk stratification for prostate cancer, with superior performance from ADC-derived habitat features. Not applicable. This was a retrospective observational study without prospective trial registration.

Abstract Mangroves host many marine species and support fisheries in developing (sub)tropical countries. The suitability of mangrove habitats depends strongly thier the water chemistry. Here, we show how global warming and rising atmospheric CO 2 will reduce dissolved oxygen and increase CO 2 in mangrove waters. Observations from 23 mangrove‐lined estuaries worldwide revealed that most sites already experience mild (34%–43% of the time) or severe (6%–32%) hypercapnic hypoxia, that is, high CO 2 and low oxygen conditions. Hypercapnic hypoxia mostly occurs during low tide, at low‐salinity sites, and in warm tropical regions. Climate change will decrease oxygen concentrations by 5%–35% and increase CO 2 concentrations by 8%–60% in mangrove waters by 2100. Overall, hypercapnic hypoxia events will occur more frequently, last longer, and become more severe. These shifts will reduce mangrove biodiversity and deteriorate habitat quality for commercially valuable fish. The strongest impact is expected in tropical developing countries.

Anthropogenic changes alter host–parasite dynamics, but the way urbanization influences these relationships remains understudied, despite the diversity in species and transmission modes. We investigated infection of the solitary wasp Isodontia mexicana Saussure, 1867 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) by the twisted-wing insect Eupathocera auripedis Pierce, 1911 (Strepsiptera: Xenidae), a rarely documented obligate endoparasite, over a three-year period. We recorded 40 stylopized I. mexicana individuals out of 321 wasps examined, totaling 69 individual E. auripedis, including six found embedded in a single host. Female wasps were larger than males and showed no change in body size with stylopization, whereas stylopized males were significantly smaller than their non-stylopized counterparts. We observed density dependence between host and parasite: wasp abundance, stylopization rates, and the number of strepsipterans per host were all positively correlated. All variables declined significantly along a gradient from low to high urbanization, with tree cover the most important determinant for nesting habitat quality. Although open green space was not directly associated with host or parasite variables, it remains important for I. mexicana, which depends on these areas for tree crickets (Oecanthus spp.) to provision offspring and nectar from asters and mints. Thus, while nesting may be more dependent on forested areas, these highly mobile wasps likely rely on open green spaces for foraging which may serve as interception points for parasites. Further research is needed to better understand the influence of land cover on host–parasite interactions. Our findings highlight the utility of trap nests for improving the study of cryptic interactions, the use of stylopization as a bioindicator, and new insights into urban strepsipteran ecology.

The spatio-temporal dynamics of ecosystem services (ESs) are essential for ecological restoration and sustainable management in arid regions. Although ESs have been extensively studied in sandy landscapes, research on the multi-model evaluation of various ESs remains limited. This study assessed the spatio-temporal quantification and driving factors of, and interrelationships among, Net Primary Productivity (NPP), Habitat Quality (HQ), Carbon Stock (C), Water Yield (WY), and Soil Retention (SR) in the Horqin Sandy Land. This assessment utilized the InVEST model, the CASA model, geographic detectors, and Spearman correlation analysis. The results indicate the following: (1) From 2000 to 2024, land use transformation in the Horqin Sandy Land was characterized by a substantial reduction in fixed sand dunes (−1047 km2) and a shift toward dryland and semi-fluid sand dunes, while semi-fixed sand dunes and forested areas expanded significantly. (2) NPP, HQ, and SR exhibited an overall increase with notable spatial improvement, whereas WY experienced a general decline. The changes in each service displayed marked differentiation in both time and space. (3) NDVI, land use and precipitation are the dominant factors of different services, and the explanatory power of the interaction among these factors is generally stronger, jointly driving the spatial pattern of ecosystem services. (4) The collaboration and trade-off relationships among services evolve dynamically over time. Among them, the transformation from trade-off to collaboration between C and WY is the most prominent, and the spatial distribution of various relationships shows significant regional heterogeneity. The research results provide a scientific basis for revealing the ecological restoration in arid areas.

ABSTRACT Raptors, including birds of prey and owls, are apex or mesopredators that serve as vital indicators of ecosystem health. Despite their ecological importance, studies on raptor communities in tropical South Asia are scarce. This study investigates how habitat characteristics, functional traits, and dietary interactions affect raptor community structure across diverse landscapes within India. Field surveys were conducted at 445 points across seven localities, using standardized point counts within buffers of species‐specific home‐range sizes. Results showed that areas with increased forest height and proportion of water bodies were preferred by Brahminy kite, Lesser fish eagle, and Black‐shouldered kite. Areas with increased NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) were preferred by Spotted owlet. Deciduous broadleaf forests were often preferred by several species (e.g., Common buzzard, Eurasian kestrel and Short‐toed snake eagle). Areas with increased proportion of croplands were preferred by Montagu's harrier and Black kite. The last group was clearly associated with human population (e.g., Changeable hawk eagle and Black eagle). Functional traits such as wing length, beak depth, and tarsus length were strongly linked to habitat use and foraging strategies. Community‐weighted trait patterns revealed clear ecological separation among raptors across forested, wetland, and urban habitats. High dietary overlap was observed among generalist species, but spatial segregation reduced potential competition due to niche partitioning. Species with specialized diets showed minimal diet overlap, occupying distinct ecological niches. Strong correlations between dietary overlap and spatial separation were found in species‐rich sites. Our findings underscore the importance of habitat heterogeneity, morphological adaptation, and spatial mechanisms in sustaining raptor diversity.

Freshwater eels of the Anguilla genus are experiencing global decline, largely driven by human activity. In Aotearoa‐New Zealand, tuna (both shortfin and longfin eels) are similarly affected, with habitat fragmentation and modification key drivers of their decline. We investigated the distribution and abundance of tuna across regional, catchment and reach‐level scales in an urban environment. We developed species distribution models (SDMs) across the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) region to explore patterns in tuna distribution across an urbanisation gradient. Additionally, we conducted a field survey across an urban catchment in Tāmaki Makaurau to assess the local habitat features associated with tuna presence and abundance. The predictive power of our SDMs was limited, and the field survey revealed that tuna were broadly distributed throughout the urban catchment, displaying only weak associations with specific habitat features. These findings suggest that in the absence of movement barriers, tuna can occupy a wide range of habitats throughout urban streams. However, the presence of tuna may not indicate suitable habitat for survival and growth, as their robust and opportunistic nature allows them to persist even in suboptimal environments.

This paper explores the relationships between indicators designed to assess the quality of natural habitats, the quality of governance, and self-reported well-being (often equated with ‘happiness’) at the country scale. A habitat/species ‘protection’ group of indicators was identified comprising the Terrestrial Biome Protection based on national weights (TBN), the Species Protection Index (SPI), and the Protected Area Representativeness Index (PAR), all of which require identification, demarcation, management, and protection of habitats and species, typically backed up with legislation, by government. This group of ‘protection’ indicators had a statistically significant and positive relationship with both the quality of governance and happiness (p &lt; 0.05). However, it is suggested that the positive impact of this group of indicators on happiness is indirect; a better quality of governance has a positive influence on both this group of ‘protection’ indicators and happiness. A fourth indicator, the Species Habitat Index (SHI), differs from the other three in that it assesses the proportion of suitable habitats for a country’s species that remain intact relative to a baseline year, and this is not necessarily tied solely to protected areas and thus to government intervention. The SHI had no statistically significant association with the quality of governance and had a negative association with happiness (p &lt; 0.001). It is suggested that the SHI may be conceptualized as an inverse indicator of perceived ‘development’; lower SHI values equate to greater pressures on land use for housing, farming, and industry, among others, and all of these can be seen by at least some people as positive and thus improve their sense of happiness. This paper makes suggestions for future research in this important nexus for sustainability of environment, governance, and happiness.

Abstract Introduction Fire‐tolerant invaders of ecosystems that have undergone fire exclusion create a dilemma for land managers. One example is the invasion of rare oak ( Quercus L.) woodlands in the eastern United States by the invasive grass, Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus, which increases in response to woodland restoration and can reduce native species diversity and wildlife habitat quality. Objectives Because M. vimineum is an annual that produces a persistent seed bank, whereas most oak woodland native plant species are perennials that do not require annual recruitment from seed, preemergent herbicides could control the invader and minimize collateral damage to native vegetation, but long‐term effects are unknown. Methods In 2018, I applied a preemergent herbicide (Barricade 4FL, Prodiamine 40.7%) one time to borders of patches of M. vimineum containing resident groundcover vegetation at two sites that differed in productivity and the stage of restoration. I measured responses of both M. vimineum and the residents in 2019, 2024, and 2025. Results The herbicide significantly reduced M. vimineum density in 2019. Despite a modest increase in 2025 at the more productive site, following a marked decline, M. vimineum had not fully recovered from the preemergent treatment at either site by 2025. The herbicide had immediate but short‐lived negative effects on some native species recruiting from seed at the less productive site. Conclusions A preemergent herbicide reduced the fire‐responsive invasive, M. vimineum , but also had a negative but short‐lived effect on seedling recruitment of some native species at one of the sites.