Homogeneous Landscape Research Articles

Landscape Analysis of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain): Cartography of Quality and Fragility

The landscape is a resource to be considered in the planning and sustainable management of the territory of natural spaces, such as the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. It is conditioned by environmental factors. They are highly influential on the quality of life of the people who live there. A historical analysis of the landscape was carried out with a qualitative and partially subjective character. In this work, we took advantage of current technologies, such as GIS techniques, to objectively and quantitatively calculate the variables. Firstly, it was necessary to draw up a map of landscape units, which is derived from the union of the abiotic (geomorphology and lithology) and biotic (vegetation) components in the background. Twelve homogeneous landscape units were identified by analyzing the quality and perceptual fragility of each one and considering intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The results obtained showed that the landscape quality presents areas with very high values in the fluvial canyon of the Duero river. The lowest values were found in very degraded and vegetated polygenic areas. On the other hand, the most fragile areas were those with some vulnerable character that prevents the development of human activities, such as areas with steep slopes. The procedure and results obtained constitute a useful tool for public administrations to carry out sustainable management of natural areas.

Přímý vliv struktury zemědělské krajiny na výměru domovských okrsků zajíce polního: předběžné výsledky z České republiky

The European hare (Lepus europaeus) is one of the farmland specialists inhabiting agroecosystems. It is particularly sensitive to negative changes in agricultural management and landscape homogenization. The quality of the environment affects not only the hare population dynamics but also the behaviour of individuals, which is reflected in the variation in home range sizes. Preliminary results of the GPS telemetry monitoring in the Czech Republic revealed significant differences in the home range size of hares in high-diversified farmland (18.62 ± 4.14 ha) and conventionally managed agroecosystems (129.96 ± 55.64 ha) during the spring. These results demonstrate that the hare can thrive in a relatively small area, provided there are sufficient food sources and suitable shelter opportunities. However, increasing the biodiversity of the landscape can benefit not only the European hare but also other wildlife including protected birds and animals, which can respond to positive changes in the agroecosystem.

How to design multifunctional landscapes?

Abstract The expansion of homogeneous landscapes has been a major driver of biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation. There is an urgent need for a transition to multifunctional landscapes that provide abundant and nutritious food while also delivering several other contributions essential for a good quality of life. However, implementing this process, especially in large‐scale agriculture without economic subsidies, remains unclear. We discuss guidelines for a transition to multifunctional landscapes based on science and our experience as practitioners. In this transition, practitioners manage crop fields, natural habitats and field edges. We propose an iterative process for designing multifunctional landscapes. Initially, at a fine‐scale resolution, we identify and classify areas with low opportunity costs (e.g. low crop productivity) or a high appreciation for nature (e.g. near housing areas). These areas are categorized into either ‘wide’ patches or ‘narrow’ corridors (i.e. edges <100 m wide). Subsequently, wide patches (including those with remnants of native species regardless of size) are allocated for natural habitat restoration (covering at least 20% of the farmland), while narrow zones are designated as biological corridors (making up at least 10% of the farmland and designed to be 50–100 m wide). Also, field size and configuration are redesigned to enhance the efficiency of agricultural practices and edge density. This entails creating smaller fields with strip cropping that follows environmental heterogeneity, instead of relying on large, squared monocultures. Ultimately, this design is continually refined through engagement with stakeholders, incorporating cost–benefit analyses, as well as a process of ongoing monitoring, evaluation and mutual learning. Synthesis and applications. We describe an iterative process by which large‐scale agriculture can support biodiversity and leverage nature's contributions to people while providing more nutritious food and stabilizing crop yields and profits. Multifunctional landscapes will be critical in achieving the targets of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030 and moving the world towards net‐zero emissions by 2050.

Landscape homogenisation and simplified butterfly community structure go on par across Northern Austria

ContextAgricultural intensification has led to strong homogenization of landscapes. Field copses have become larger, the boundaries between habitats became sharper, and land plots have been cultivated more intensively. In parallel, most field copses, ruderal areas and hedgerows were removed. As a result, ecotones and rarely used microhabitats largely disappeared. In consequence, many suitable habitats for species such as butterflies vanished and the permeability of the landscape decreased, with negative effects on biodiversity.ObjectiveIn this study we analyse land-use and habitat configuration, and butterfly diversity for the years 1953 and 2018 for northern Austria.MethodsWe assessed land cover and landscape configuration for the years 1953 and 2018 on a field-by-field basis across northern Austria, based on aerial and satellite images. We studied butterfly diversity for these two identical periods of time.ResultsOur data show a decrease of the number of field copses over the past decades and a reduction in landscape complexity. The expected number of butterflies per sample unit of an assumed species decreased significantly. Particularly sedentary specialists decreased, while the proportion of mobile generalists increased.ConclusionsOur study underlines the general trend of landscape and faunal homogenization, which specifically leads to the vanishing of extensively used micro-habitats and the loss of sedentary specialist species.

Simulating capture efficiency of pitfall traps based on sampling strategy and the movement of ground‐dwelling arthropods

Abstract Pitfall traps are frequently used to capture ground‐dwelling arthropods, particularly beetles, ants and spiders. The capture efficiency of a pitfall trapping system strongly depends on the number and opening size of traps, how traps are distributed over the sampling area (spatial arrangement) and the movement characteristics of arthropods. We use numerical simulations for a single species to analyse the trap count patterns that emerge from these variables. Arthropod movement of individuals is modelled as correlated random walks, with multiple traps placed over an area, and catches are simulated as individual interaction with traps. We consider four different types of spatial arrangements of traps across a homogeneous landscape: grid (i.e. rectangular array), transect, nested‐cross and randomised. We contextualise our results by considering the locomotion of Pterostichus melanarius, a highly active carabid beetle often serving as a biocontrol agent for the suppression of pest insects and weeds. By simulating the trapping of randomly moving ground‐dwelling arthropods, we show that there is an optimal inter‐trap separation distance (trap spacing) that maximises captures, that can be expressed using exact formulae in terms of trap opening sizes, sampling area and trap number. Moreover, for the grid and nested‐cross arrangements, larger trap spacing to maximise spatial coverage over the whole sampling area is suboptimal. Also, we find that over a large sampling area, there is a hierarchical order for spatial arrangements in relation to capture efficiency: grid, randomised, transect, followed by the nested‐cross. However, over smaller sampling areas, this order is changed as the rate at which trap counts accumulate with trap number varies across arrangements—eventually saturating at different levels. In terms of movement effects, capture efficiency is maximised over a narrow diffusive range and does not depend strongly on the type of spatial arrangement—indicating an approximate optimal mode of arthropod activity, i.e. rate of spread. Our approach simultaneously considers several important experimental design aspects of pitfall trapping providing a basis to optimise and adapt sampling protocols to other types of traps to better reflect their various purposes, such as monitoring, conservation or pest management.

Woodland loss differently affects seed dispersal by resident and migratory avian frugivores in olive grove-dominated landscapes

Seed dispersal by frugivores is a key ecological process underpinning the functionality of woodland patches and their capacity to maintain biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Resident and migratory avian frugivores differ in temporal span of their local occurrence, as well as in mobility and territoriality. However, whether landscape homogenization by agriculture affects seed dispersal by avian frugivores differing in migratory strategy remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized a positive role of woodland patches on avian frugivore abundance and seed-dispersal frequency, and a differential impact of woodland loss and landscape simplification on resident and migratory frugivorous birds. We tested these hypotheses in 20 farms distributed along a gradient of woodland loss and olive cropland expansion in south Spain, considering woodland patches and olive fields as two habitats to survey avian frugivore abundance and frequency of seed dispersal. We confirmed that both the abundance and seed-dispersal frequency of avian frugivores were higher in woodland patches than in olive fields, and also that both decayed with decreasing woodland cover. This was largely mediated by a few European (winter) migrants and secondarily by some resident species. However, the woodland patches were unable to intercept sub-Saharan (summer) migrants in sufficient numbers as to make their contribution to dispersal of summer fruits meaningful. Woodland patches with higher seed-dispersal function were located predominantly in landscapes with high woodland cover and/or fruit availability. Moreover, a relatively high woodland cover in the landscape enhanced the seed dispersal function in woodland patches through a balance between high overall frugivore abundance and dispersal frequency, and some increased activity of resident and summer migrants. Our results also inform that the presence of particularly fruit-rich woodland patches can compensate the woodland cover required to maintain the function by enhancing the frequency of seed dispersal of all migratory groups. In contrast, to maintain the function of fruit-poor woodlands their cover at landscape scale should increase. Preserving and restoring woodland patches at landscape scale and enhancing their abundance and diversity of fruits could boost the activity of different disperser groups and their functional complementarity across agricultural landscapes.

Harmonising and standardising military airworthiness in Europe: a review of key aspects and achievements

AbstractThe distinct operational characteristics of military aircraft, relative to civil aircraft, have impeded the standardisation of airworthiness management practice across Europe. Standardisation has been further deterred by the intertwined certification and qualification activities specific to military aircraft. The management of airworthiness in European military aviation has undergone significant changes over the past 15 years, with the progress made attributed to the harmonisation efforts driven by the European Defence Agency (EDA). The creation of a Military Airworthiness Authorities Forum and the development of the European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMAR) have been instrumental in creating a more homogenous regulatory landscape. The examples of five main players of the European aerospace sector, namely France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, are examined from the point of view of adoption and implementation of an EMARs-based system. Their regulatory structures have revealed similarities and primary differences. The EMAR’s framework has enabled a gradual build-up of technical knowhow within the European countries who embraced this, civil-based, framework. All five countries have adopted EMARs, though through a variety of regulatory constructs. Their regulatory structures exhibit diverse practices, especially in how initial and continuing airworthiness is managed. Some countries have also elected to have more than one authority overseeing/been responsible for airworthiness. Closer collaboration between national Military Aviation Authorities (MAAs) can be achieved through standardisation at regulatory structure level. The establishment of a joint MAAs may be the next logical step in the harmonisation process, in line with EDA objective’ for a EU-wide authority with greater powers.

Long-term variability of the thermal state in the upper horizons of the cryolithozone in Central Yakutia

The results of the 42-year monitoring of the thermal state of permafrost landscapes in modern climate warming conditions at the “Chabyda” observation station (Central Yakutia) are presented. We studied the evolution of the variability of soil thermal state parameters: the temperature of soils on the sole of the seasonally shallow layer and in the layer of annual heat rotations, and the depth of seasonal thawing. The long-term variability of the average annual soil temperature, experiencing significant interannual and short-term fluctuations, has a multidirectional trend, with warming dominating. The main factors regulating the thermal state of permafrost landscapes are the short-period fluctuations in the snow accumulation regime. Despite significant interannual fluctuations, the depth of seasonal thawing responded to climate warming with multidirectional trends, and its increase or decrease was statistically insignificant. We performed a statistical analysis of the observation time series revealing correlations between climate elements (air temperature, total precipitation, average winter snow depth, duration of winter and summer seasons) and relationships between soil temperature regime parameters (Тξ, Т0, ξ) with climate elements. The results of these studies on the thermal state of soils can be applied to homogeneous landscapes in this region. They can also be used to model heat transfer processes in natural landscapes and develop hybrid intelligence methods for diagnosing the state of infrastructure facilities in the Far North based on high-performance computing systems.

Steady-state dynamics in a two-patch population model with and without Allee effect

Most biological populations reside in landscapes that consist of many different patches of different quality. Different species differ in their movement behavior, habitat preference and growth rates. Historically, mathematical models for population dynamics have made many simplifying assumptions, such as a single patch or homogeneous landscapes. Recent models have begun to implement landscape heterogeneity and individual movement characteristics, but many of those are based on logistic growth and linear analysis of the zero state. We consider a two-patch model with more general growth functions that can include Allee effects. We prove the existence of steady states and classify their qualitative behavior. In some special cases, we explicitly calculate their stability and use these results to give conditions for when the system exhibits bistability, i.e., the coexistence of locally stable states. We also study bifurcations with respect to the size of habitat patches and give conditions for forward and backward bifurcations.

Gene drives for invasive wasp control: Extinction is unlikely, with suppression dependent on dispersal and growth rates.

Gene drives offer a potentially revolutionary method for pest control over large spatial extents. These genetic modifications spread deleterious variants through a population and have been proposed as methods for pest suppression or even eradication. We examined the influence of local dispersal, long-distance and/or human-mediated dispersal, and variation in population growth on the success of a gene drive for the control of invasive social wasps (Vespula vulgaris). Our simulations incorporated a spatially realistic environment containing variable habitat quality in New Zealand. Pest eradication was not observed, except in extreme and unrealistic scenarios of constant, widespread, and spatially intense releases of genetically modified individuals every year for decades. Instead, the regional persistence of genetically modified and wild-type wasps was predicted. Simulations using spatially homogeneous versus realistic landscapes (incorporating uninhabitable areas and dispersal barriers) showed little difference in overall population dynamics. Overall, little impact on wasp abundance was observed in the first 15 years after introduction. After 25 years, populations were suppressed to levels <95% of starting populations. Populations exhibited "chase dynamics" with population cycles in space, with local extinction occurring in some areas while wasps became abundant in others. Increasing the wasps' local dispersal distance increased the spatial and temporal variability of the occupied area and population suppression. Varying levels of human-associated long-distance dispersal had little effect on population dynamics. Increasing intrinsic population growth rates interacted with local dispersal to cause higher mean populations and substantially higher levels of variation in population suppression and the total amount of landscape occupied. Gene drives appear unlikely to cause a rapid and widespread extinction of this and probably other pests but could offer long-term and cost-effective methods of pest suppression. The predicted level of <95% pest suppression would substantially reduce the predation pressure and competitive interactions of this invasive wasp on native species. However, the predicted long-term persistence of genetically modified pests will influence the ethics and likelihood of using gene drives for pest control, especially given concerns that modified wasps would eventually be transported back to their home range.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn survival and the influence of landscape characteristics on fawn predation risk in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA.

In the Southern Appalachian region of the United States, harvest data has indicated the occurrence of low deer densities while exposing a trend of declining white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations over the past several decades in northern Georgia. A triumvirate of increasing fawn predator populations reside in the Southern Appalachian Mountains including coyotes (Canis latrans), black bears (Ursus americanus) and bobcats (Lynx rufus). This region is also characterized by a homogenous landscape composed of mature forests and sparse understory vegetation, likely lacking adequate cover to offer fawns refugia from predators. Our objectives were to estimate survival and cause-specific mortality rates of fawns while assessing a possible link between mortality risk, intrinsic fawn characteristics (i.e., birth mass, Julian birth date, sibling status), and landscape features within fawn usage areas. During 2018-2020, we radio-collared 71 fawns within the Chattahoochee National Forest of northern Georgia, USA and monitored survival to 12 weeks of age. We observed low fawn survival (cumulative = 0.157, 95% CI = 0.091-0.273; vaginal implant transmitter = 0.196, 95% CI = 0.096-0.403) with predation as the leading cause of all known mortalities (45 of 55 mortalities; 82%) due primarily to coyotes (n = 22), black bears (n = 12), and bobcats (n = 7). Relationships between landscape features and fawn predation risk were minimal with only one informative covariate. Increasing amounts of early successional land cover within fawn usage areas decreased fawn mortality risk within the first 20 days of life, but elevated mortality risk thereafter. All fawns with any amount of early successional land cover in their usage areas died of predation (n = 13) at various time intervals, suggesting limited areas of potential fawning cover may be targeted by predators. However, fawn predation risk seemed to be high regardless of landscape covariates due to the limited number of surviving fawns. Coyote-caused mortality occurred over a longer period at a consistently higher magnitude than all other forms of mortality, indicating possible delayed prey-switching behavior and coyote predation as an important factor of fawn survival. The low recruitment of fawns influenced by high predation rates and homogenous habitat conditions is likely the cause of deer population declines in the region.

Effects of conventional vs. organic farming practices on raptor nestling health: Neither black nor white

Agricultural intensification is one of the main threats to biodiversity. Farmland bird specialists such as Montagu’s harrier, Circus pygargus, are particularly at risk and declining. Conventional farming (CF) production systems usually involve landscape homogenisation, mechanisation, and the use of synthetic pesticides that may have direct and indirect effects on individuals. By contrast, organic farming (OF) systems typically promote agro-ecosystem health, which benefits biodiversity and the reproductive success of birds. However, the potential effects of agricultural systems on life history traits of Montagu’s harrier chicks have not been investigated. Still, altered life history traits could impair chick survival and future reproductive success, which may in turn impact population dynamics. Here, we investigated the effects of OF (measured as a percentage around nests at different buffer sizes from 100 m to 2000 m) on a set of life history traits covering the behaviour, physiology (haematological, immune and nervous systems) and body condition of 380 chicks from 137 nests monitored between 2016 and 2021. At a local scale (<2000 m), only the H/L ratio (indicative of physiological stress) and carotenoid-based ornaments were clearly related to OF percentage. At 600 m around the nest, a higher OF percentage increased the H/L ratio, suggesting that chicks experienced greater stress due to either increased human disturbance or higher intra-/interspecific negative interactions around OF crop plots. Carotenoid-based ornaments were more strongly coloured with increasing OF around the nest at 1500 m. Considering the role of carotenoids in both detoxification processes and expression of secondary sexual traits, this result may indicate that CF would lead either to a difference in nestlings’ diet and/or to a trade-off between organism’s maintenance and sexual characters. These findings suggest that farming practices at a local scale surrounding nest locations may have subtle effects on chick development, but also on trade-offs between important physiological functions. This study highlights the importance of a multi-trait approach when assessing adverse and beneficial effects of both OF and CF on individuals.

Increasing homogeneity of Mediterranean landscapes limits the co-occurrence of mesocarnivores in space and time

ContextThe Mediterranean basin is characterized by a heterogeneous landscape historically shaped by human activities. Land abandonment and extensive monocultures, however, have led to increasing homogeneity of Mediterranean habitats. Albeit the effects of habitat heterogeneity on wildlife have been widely studied, the available information on how habitat homogenization impacts the organization of mesocarnivore communities is still scant.ObjectivesWe investigated the relationship of environmental characteristics with occupancy, activity, community organization, and co-occurrence of mesocarnivore species in space and time. We focused on five key species (Vulpes vulpes, Genetta genetta, Meles meles, Herpestes ichneumon, and Martes foina) widely distributed throughout Mediterranean ecosystems.MethodsThe study was conducted in north-central Portugal between June 2019 and June 2020. We used 300 camera trap sampling points coupled with occupancy, activity, and co-occurrence analysis to assess how different environmental characteristics influence mesocarnivores community.ResultsWe found that the occupancy of mesocarnivores is influenced by topography, landscape composition and structure, and human activity. We observed that landscape homogeneity limits the co-occurrence of mesocarnivores. In heterogeneous landscapes we recorded a greater overlap in activity (seven of ten species pairs) and spatial co-occurrence (six of the seven species pairs analyzed) of mesocarnivores species.ConclusionsWe demonstrated the importance of landscape characteristics in the composition of the mesocarnivores community. Our findings support the adoption of management measures able to mitigate the impacts of landscape homogenization. Maximizing the heterogeneity is an important step to benefit the mesocarnivore community in altered Iberian landscapes.

Hedgerows interact with forests to shape the abundance of mesopredators and their predation rate on eggs in farmland landscapes

Nest predation is the main cause of reproductive failure, particularly in ground-nesting birds on farmlands. Understanding the links between nest predation and habitat change can help design effective management schemes to constrain the negative impact of predation pressure on birds. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationships between landscape attributes, predator distribution, and nest predation are still unclear. Here, we use an experimental approach to examine the effects of distance to the hedgerow as well as hedgerow and forest densities on the abundance of major mesopredators of ground nests of our study area (i.e., corvids) and on the predation rate of artificial ground nests (n = 2576). We found evidence that landscape configuration influenced predation patterns differently depending on the predator species. Nest predation by corvids was more likely in homogeneous and open agricultural landscapes with a low density of forest and hedgerows, whereas predation by other predators was more likely close to hedgerows. Nest predation by corvids and the abundance of corvids also tended to be lower in landscapes dominated by grasslands. Other variables such as road density and distance to human settlements had contrasted effects on the likelihood of a nest being depredated by corvids, i.e., no effect with proximity to human settlements and decreasing trend with road density. Altogether, our results suggest that landscape features interact with mesopredator distribution and their predation rates of ground nests. Therefore, from a conservation and management perspective, a heterogeneous agricultural landscape that includes a mixture of crops associated with patches of forests, hedgerows, and grasslands offering alternative food to generalist predators should contribute to reducing ground-nesting bird predation.

Sustainable Resilience in Healthcare Delivery: A Comparative Study on Safety Awareness in Hospital-Based and Pre-Hospital EMS in Times of Crisis

This research initiates a comprehensive evaluation of safety awareness among emergency medical service (EMS) practitioners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an area experiencing substantial academic and regulatory transformation. By employing the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, the study explores safety awareness across various EMS domains, unveiling a significant consistency that is unaffected by the work environment, professional tenure, or gender. Importantly, there are no significant disparities in safety awareness between hospital-based EMS practitioners and their pre-hospital counterparts, regardless of their tenure or gender. The findings highlight a homogenous safety awareness landscape among Riyadh’s EMS practitioners, suggesting strategies to sustain and strengthen patient safety culture irrespective of workspace, experience, or gender. This research not only presents these key findings but also advocates for sustainable resilience in healthcare delivery. It emphasizes the need for continued efforts to instill a culture of safety, underpinned by regular training and the adoption of swift response strategies, ensuring a sustainable approach to patient safety in times of crisis.

Mapping irrigated agriculture in fragmented landscapes of sub-Saharan Africa: An examination of algorithm and composite length effectiveness

Accurately identifying irrigated areas is crucial for sustainable development, food security, and effective land and water resource management. However, incomplete or outdated national estimates of irrigated areas underestimate the extent of it, particularly among smallholders. This study aimed to address this issue by investigating the impact of different algorithms and composite lengths on predicting irrigated agriculture in four study areas in Mozambique. The study found that the choice of algorithm and composite length notably impacted the accuracy of identifying irrigation. Shorter composite lengths, such as 2-monthly or 3-monthly composites, were more effective in identifying irrigation in fragmented and dynamic landscapes, while longer composite lengths were better suited to stable classes and homogeneous landscapes. Artificial neural networks, support vector machines, and random forests were all effective algorithms for classifying irrigation. However, the study emphasised the importance of considering hotspots and agreement maps when identifying irrigation. Agreement maps combine the classification results of multiple models, providing better insights into the core areas of irrigated agriculture and allowing for a better understanding of irrigation dynamics and policy decision-making, particularly among smallholder systems. This research provides valuable insights for those working on remote sensing-based irrigation mapping and monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on identifying smallholder irrigation with greater certainty.

Consequences of migratory distance, habitat distribution and season on the migratory process in a short distance migratory shorebird population

BackgroundThe migratory process in birds consists of alternating periods of flight and fueling. Individuals of some populations make few flights and long stopovers, while others make multiple flights between short stopovers. Shorebirds are known for executing marathon flights (jumps), but most populations studied are long distance migrants, often crossing major barriers and thus forced to make long-haul flights. The sub-division of migration in short/medium distance migratory populations, where the total migration distance is shorter than documented non-stop flight capacity and where routes offer more homogenous stopover landscape, is little explored.MethodsHere we combine data based on conventional light level geolocators and miniaturized multi sensor loggers, comprising acceleration and light sensors, to characterize the migratory routes and migration process for a short/medium distance (~ 1300 to 3000 km) migratory population of common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) breeding in southern Sweden. We were specifically interested in the variation in number and duration (total and individual) of flights/stopovers between seasons and in relation to migration distance.ResultsMost stopovers were located along the European Atlantic coast. On average 4.5 flights were made during autumn migration irrespective of migration distance, but in spring the number of flights increased with distance. The equal number of flights in autumn was explained by that most individuals migrating farther performed one longer flight (all but one lasting > 20 h), likely including crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Median duration of single flights was 8.7 h in autumn and 5.5 h in spring, and median stopover duration was ~ 1 day in both seasons. There was a positive relationship between total flight duration and migration distance, but total flight duration was 36% lower in spring compared to autumn.ConclusionsOur results suggest that when suitable stopovers are abundant common ringed plovers prefer making shorter flights even if longer flights are within the capacity of the species. This behaviour is predicted under both time and energy minimizing strategies, although the variable flight distances suggest a policy of time selected migration. Even if populations using several stopovers seem to be more resilient for environmental change along the route, these results are informative for conservation efforts and for predicting responses to future environmental change.

Reduced Energetic Disorders in Dion–Jacobson Perovskites for Efficient and Spectral Stable Blue LEDs

AbstractMetal halide perovskites have witnessed great success in green, red, and near‐infrared light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), yet blue LEDs still lag behind. Reducing undesired energetic disorders – broad n‐phases and halide segregation – is considered as the most critical strategy to further improve the performances. Here, the study reports a newly designed and synthesized di‐ammonium ligand with rigid π‐conjugated rings and additional methyl groups to construct Dion–Jacobson (DJ) structure. Augmented coordination from the extra ammonium site and increased effective bulkiness from methyl groups lead to better distribution control over conventional mono‐ammonium ligands. This enhances the radiative recombination of blue emissions in the film with homogeneous energy landscape and improved surface morphology, as evidenced by a series of imaging and mapping techniques. As a result, it demonstrates DJ perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs) with peak external quantum efficiencies of ≈4% at 484 nm and ≈11% at 494 nm, which are among the top reported for pure DJ phase‐based PeLEDs in the corresponding wavelength regions. The results deepen the understanding of regulating energetic disorders in perovskite materials via molecular engineering.

To disperse or compete? Coevolution of traits leads to a limited number of reproductive strategies

Reproductive strategies are defined by a combination of behavioural, morphological, and life‐history traits. Reproductive investment and offspring propagule size are two key traits defining reproductive strategies. While a substantial amount of work has been devoted to understanding the independent fitness effects of each of these traits, it remains unclear how coevolution between them ultimately affects the evolution of reproductive strategies, and how this might influence the relationship between dispersal and environmental factors. In this study we explore how the evolution of reproductive strategies defined by these two coevolving traits is influenced by resource availability and spatial structuring of the environment using a simulation model. We find three possible equilibrium strategies across all scenarios: a competitor strategy with high reproductive investment (producing large propagules which disperse short distances), and two coloniser strategies differing in reproductive investment (both producing small propagules which disperse long distances). The possible equilibrium strategies for each scenario depended on starting conditions, spatial structure and resource availability. Evolutionary transitions between these equilibrium strategies were more likely in heterogeneous than homogeneous landscapes and at higher resource levels. Transition from coloniser strategy to competitor strategy was usually a two‐step process, with changes in propagule size following initial evolution in investment. This highlights how the interaction between the two trait axes affects the evolution of reproductive strategies, particularly where fitness valleys preclude the simultaneous evolution of traits. Our results highlight the need to incorporate trait coevolution into evolutionary models to help develop a more integrative understanding of the structure of natural populations and how the interaction between traits constrains or hinders evolutionary processes.

Multifunctionality can be promoted by increasing agriculture-dominated heterogeneous landscapes in an agro-forestry interlacing zone in northeast China

The assessment of landscape multifunctionality is critical for making informed decisions about landscape resource allocation, optimization, and planning. However, accurately estimating multifunctionality has been a challenging issue, and whether heterogeneous landscapes can promote multifunctionality is still unclear. In our study, we developed a comprehensive computational framework for assessing landscape multifunctionality in agro-forestry interlacing zones. Our study considered both the quality and quantity of multifunctionality by using an improved incremental thresholds method. Compared to homogeneous landscapes, heterogeneous landscapes have greater potential to maintain high levels of multifunctionality in terms of both quality and quantity. Moreover, we have conducted an analysis of the peak multifunctionality performance to establish the optimal threshold, with the aim of striking a balance between the quality and quantity of multifunctionality. Specifically, the optimal thresholds for agro-forest landscapes were 60% and 55%, respectively. Our study showed the distinct combinatorial arrangements of functions observed across various thresholds, thereby discerning the potentially dominant function in the landscape. The potential dominant function of agro-forestry landscapes was carbon sequestration, which could significantly contribute to achieving carbon neutrality goals. These findings are instructive for land managers and policy formulators working to achieve “win–win” sustainable development.