Influence Of Environmental Variables Research Articles

Quantifying inter-annual variability on the space-use of parental Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) in pursuit of different prey types.

Spatial planning for marine areas of multi-species conservation concern requires in-depth assessment of the distribution of predators and their prey. Northern Gannets Morus bassanus are generalist predators that predate several different forage fishes depending on their availability. In the western North Atlantic, gannets employ different dive tactics while in pursuit of different prey types, performing deep, prolonged U-shaped dives when foraging on capelin (Mallotus villosus), and rapid, shallow, V-shaped dives when foraging on larger pelagic fishes. Therefore, much can be inferred about the distribution and abundance of key forage fishes by assessing the foraging behaviour and space-use of gannets. In this study, we aimed to quantify space-use and to determine areas of suitable foraging habitat for gannets in pursuit of different prey types using habitat suitability models and kernel density utilization distributions. We deployed 25 GPS/Time-depth recorder devices on parental Northern Gannets at Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland, Canada from 2019 to 2021. To assess the influence of environmental variables on gannets foraging for different prey types, we constructed three different habitat suitability models: a U-shaped dive model, and two V-shaped dive models (early and late chick-rearing). Suitable foraging habitat for capelin, deduced by the U-shaped dive model, was defined by coastal, shallow waters with flat relief and sea surface temperatures (SST) of 11-15° C. Suitable habitat for early V-shaped dives was defined by shallow and coastal waters with steep slope and SST of 12-15°C and ~18°C, likely reflecting the variability in environmental preferences of different prey species captured when performing V-shaped dives. Suitable habitat for late V-shaped dives was defined by shallow coastal waters (<100m depth), as well as waters deeper than 200 m, and by SST greater than 16°C. We show that space-use by gannets can vary both within and between years depending on environmental conditions and the prey they are searching for, with consequences for the extent of potential interaction with anthropogenic activities. Further, we suggest regions defined as suitable for U-shaped dives are likely to be critical habitat of multi-species conservation concern, as these regions are likely to represent consistent capelin spawning habitat.

Influence of environmental variables on the distribution of Piciformes in the Ivaí river basin

Birds occupy diverse habitats, and therefore the environmental gradient of the Atlantic Forest contributes to the distribution of species. In this sense, we sought to determine the structure of the Piciforme birds community in the Ivaí river basin, investigating spatial substitutions in the distribution of birds within the same genus and testing the influence of environmental characteristics on the distribution, in different vegetation types of the Atlantic Forest. Species occurrence data were obtained through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform (GBIF). The genera that presented substitution were Picumnus, Pteroglossus, Ramphastos and Veniliornis. The environmental characteristics tested were: climate, domain, designation, geomorphology, degradation and land use, obtained through data and Thematic Geospatial Information, from Instituto Água e Terra. The results obtained by the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that the vegetal typology is the main characteristic that determines the distribution of these species, as the variables that presented greater importance within the component.

MOTIVASI KERJA MENCERMIKAN KEBERHASILAN KINERJA PEGAWAI

The development of human resources in organizations involves individuals, employees making changes from traditional to modern thinking creatively and critically, so that employees improve their performance. Employee performance is closely related to the image of the institution so special attention is needed to improve employee performance. Of course, this is done by the Losari Health Center, Pemalang Regency, Central Java to improve the performance of its employees. The goal of the Losari Health Center is achieved. Technically, this research uses a quantitative method, namely a way of expressing phenomena through numerical data, then it is analyzed mathematically, the results are used as the basis for drawing conclusions. The research results are described as an approach to reveal research facts. The facts above are intended for a discussion of a problem at the Losari Health Center and identify the influence of work discipline, work motivation and work environment variables on employee performance. After doing the research, it can be seen that work discipline, work motivation and work environment simultaneously affect employee performance. Research results in the variable work discipline can have a significant positive effect on employee performance. In the work motivation variable, work motivation can have a significant positive effect on employee performance, which can be interpreted. Finally, the work environment variable shows that the work environment can have a significant and positive influence on employee performance.

English

Coastal marine sites were examined for the occurrences and diversity of indigenous bacterial populations using high resolution 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing approach to further understand the ecological importance of environmental variables. Samples containing slurries of seawater and sediments were collected from nine different sites along the north Atlantic Ocean in Monrovia, Liberia and were divided into three spatially distinct groups. The bacterial assemblages were found to be quite diverse in their occurrences among the examined sites. The majority of the sequences that dominated among the assemblages were associated with members of the Actinobacteria (1.3 to 4.8%), Bacteriodetes (2.9 to 5.8%), Acidobacteria (8.0 to 13.7%), Planctomycetes (15.3 to 28.8%), and Proteobacteria (40.7 to 48.8%).&nbsp;Gammaproteobacteria was the most abundant bacterial class, representing between 29 and 39% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in all the coastal sites, while members belonging to the Planctomycetia, ranged between 10 and 18.8%, were relatively more abundant in the southern region of Monrovia which is mostly influenced by a freshwater lagoon. Alpha- and beta diversity indices as well as rarefaction analysis were used to determine the species richness, evenness and coverage among the sites. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and clustering using UPGMA (Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) revealed the separation of the OTUs into groups probably based on the influence of various site-specific environmental variables at the coastal sites. &nbsp; Key words: Marine coast, bacterial assemblages, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, diversity.

중복분석의 점수조정에 따른 행렬도 비교

This paper examines redundancy analysis, a highly useful technique for analyzing species-abundance-environment data in ecology, often used in conjunction with canonical correspondence analysis. Redundancy analysis evaluates the influence of environmental variables on species by performing principal component analysis on the results of regression analysis for species-abundance data. However, the scaling of site scores and species scores can lead to different results. Therefore, in this study, we introduce various scaling methods for redundancy analysis and investigate how the bi-plot changes according to the scaling method. Specifically, we introduce several adjustment methods of Oksanen's scaling methods. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the adjustment results of Oksanen (2018) are mathematically equivalent to the projection of the data used in principal component analysis. In summary, site scaling minimizes row scores and maximizes column scores, species scaling increases row scores and decreases column scores, and symmetric scaling represents a compromise between these two approaches. In contrast, principal component scaling is a score adjustment method that maximizes row scores and minimizes column scores.

Environmental Conditions Affect Striped Red Mullet (Mullus surmuletus) Artisanal Fisheries

The influence of environmental variables (oceanographic and climatic) on the catch rates of striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) by artisanal fishery was investigated using different time series models (Dynamic Factorial Analyses; Min-Max Factorial Analyses and Generalized Least Square models). Climatic and oceanographic survey data were collected at different areas of the Portuguese coast (Northwestern, Southwestern and South-Algarve) with distinct oceanographic regimes. Time series analyses reveal an effect of fishing effort in catch rates in Southwestern areas. Variability in M. surmuletus catch rates was associated to regional environmental multi-controls. Upwelling and westerly winds were the main drivers of catch rates variability across the three areas but the type of relationship varied among them. A consistent relationship between catch rates and environment factors was identified during the peak period of seasonal recruitment (spring to summer) in Southwest and South-Algarve coast, with Upwelling-summer and Sea surface temperature-spring affecting short term (lag 2 years) catch rates. In South-Algarve the increase in SST in summer, during peak of spawning, was correlated with the catch rate increase with a lag of two years. Environmental effect on catch rates reveals that fisheries management needs to accommodate the regional effect of environment variables on species biology to better define future assessment plans (catch limits).

Saproxylic beetles respond to habitat variables at different spatial scales depending on variable type and species’ mobility: the need for multi-scale forest structure management

The response of species to the environment is scale-dependent and the spatial scale at which this relationships are measured may affect conservation recommendations. Saproxylic beetles depend on decaying- and deadwood which occur in lower quantities in managed compared to natural forests. Most studies have investigated the habitat selection of saproxylic beetles at the stand scale, however depending on the species mobility, the amounts and distribution of forest attributes across the landscape may be equally important, and thus crucial to frame quantitative conservation targets. To address this gap, we evaluated the influence of environmental variables, derived from remote sensing across multiple spatial scales (50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 m radius), on saproxylic beetles habitat selection. Focusing on four mobile and four flightless species, we hypothesized that mobile species respond to habitat variables at broader scales compared to flightless species, and that variables describing forest structure explain species presence better at smaller scales than variables describing other landscape features. Forest structure variables explained around 40% of the habitat selection, followed by variables describing forest type, topography and climate. Contrary to our expectations, mobile species responded to variables at smaller scales than flightless species. Saproxylic beetle species therefore respond to the availability of habitat features at spatial scales that are inversely related to their dispersal capacities, suggesting that less mobile species require larger areas with suitable habitat characteristics while mobile species can also make use of small, distributed patches with locally concentrated habitat features.

Ecological factors shaping the ectoparasite community assembly of the Azara's Grass Mouse, Akodon azarae (Rodentia: Cricetidae).

Parasites are integral members of the global biodiversity. They are useful indicators of environmental stress, food web structure and diversity. Ectoparasites have the potential to transmit vector-borne diseases of public health and veterinary importance and to play an important role in the regulation and evolution of host populations. The interlinkages between hosts, parasites and the environment are complex and challenging to study, leading to controversial results. Most previous studies have been focused on one or two parasite groups, while hosts are often co-infected by different taxa. The present study aims to assess the influence of environmental and host traits on the entire ectoparasite community composition of the rodent Akodon azarae. A total of 278 rodents were examined and mites (Mesostigmata), lice (Phthiraptera), ticks (Ixodida) and fleas (Siphonaptera) were determined. A multi-correspondence analysis was performed in order to analyze interactions within the ectoparasite community and the influence of environmental and host variables on this assembly. We found that environmental variables have a stronger influence on the composition of the ectoparasite community of A. azarae than the host variables analyzed. Minimum temperature was the most influential variable among the studied. In addition, we found evidence of agonistic and antagonistic interactions between ticks and mites, lice and fleas. The present study supports the hypothesis that minimum temperature plays a major role in the dynamics that shape the ectoparasite community of A. azarae, probably through both direct and indirect processes. This finding becomes particularly relevant in a climate change scenario.

Exploring key physiological attributes of grapevine cultivars under the influence of seasonal environmental variability

Seasonal climatic variability is a key challenge in many grape-growing regions across the globe, affecting phenology, growth, physiological responses, and yield at harvest. Unfavourable climatic conditions impair the plant's physiological processes, such as chlorophyll accumulation, gas exchange and photosynthesis in grapevine leaves. It is critical to unlock the complex physiological behaviour of grapevine cultivars at key phenological stages and under varying environmental conditions. The present study was designed to evaluate the key physiological processes, such as gas exchange, chlorophyll contents and water use efficiency (WUE), of four table grape cultivars at key growth stages under varying environmental conditions of the Pothwar region, in a factorial experimental set up (Location× Year × Cultivar × Phenological stage). The physiological responses of the table grape cultivars were recorded at the 5-leaf stage, full bloom, berry set, veraison and harvest during two consecutive vintages (2019 and 2020) in two locations (Islamabad and Chakwal). The results show that the mean photosynthetic activity in colder Islamabad was 30.7 % higher than in Chakwal, and the transpiration rate and WUE were 10.4 % and 28.6 % higher. Similarly, 12 % higher photosynthetic activity, with 13 % more WUE, was observed in the colder vintage of 2020 compared to that of 2019. The vine physiological activity also varied among cultivars; for example, cv. Sugraone was found to have 12 % more chlorophyll and 30 % higher photosynthetic activity than cv. Kings Ruby. Similarly, higher photosynthetic activity and transpiration rates were recorded at the berry set stage, while WUE peaked near blooming. The biplot analysis for the first two principal components also showed cv. Sugraone to be a highly responsive and physiologically efficient cultivar. The findings of the present research will help to better assess the effect of seasonal variability on vine physiological performance and to identify genotypes with higher photosynthetic potential and WUE. It could also assist in devising vineyard management strategies to better adapt to varying environmental conditions.

Influence of Environmental Variables on Catch of Walleye Broodfish for Propagation Efforts

AbstractWalleye Stizostedion vitreum support recreational fisheries throughout their range but increasingly require annual stockings to maintain populations. In many areas of their distribution, Walleye broodfish are collected annually and manually spawned onsite before fertilized eggs are transported to fish culture facilities for rearing. As such, efficiency of these programs is reliant on effective capture of broodfish. Generalized additive models were used to explain the influence of eight environmental factors on catch per effort (CPE) of ripe female Walleye and male Walleye during brood collection events from Hillsdale Reservoir, Kansas, using data from 2009 to 2021 (excluding 2020). The ripe female model explained 63% of the deviance in CPE and identified the day of year, water temperature, moon illumination, previous autumn CPE of preferred‐length fish (CPEp), and previous autumn proportional size distribution of preferred‐length fish (PSDp) as influential variables. The male model explained 64% of the deviance in CPE and identified the day of year, change in barometric pressure from the previous day, water temperature, and previous autumn proportional size distribution of quality‐length fish PSDq as influential variables. These findings provide useful information regarding collection of Walleye broodfish and can be leveraged to increase efficiency of future operations range‐wide.

Spatial distribution patterns of striped venus clam (Chamelea gallina, L. 1758) natural beds in the Gulf of Cádiz (SW Spain): Influence of environmental variables and management considerations

Spatial distribution of characteristic population parameters (density, biomass and mean size) of Chamelea gallina were analyzed from systematic survey data applying a geostatistical approach in the Gulf of Cádiz (SW Spain). The influence of static (depth and distance to inland outflows), dynamic (sediment and water column features) environmental variables on density, biomass and mean size was also investigated. The global estimations of kriged density mean was 8.30 ind m−2, biomass mean was 23.78 g m−2, and mean size was 18.71 mm, with the species heterogeneously distributed along the whole sandy subtidal strip of the coast of Huelva. The resulting kriged map shows the location and extension of the patches (5 NM range) in the study area; where the highest density and biomass hot-spots were observed near the river mouths, except for the Guadiana River. This species was present from 3 to 16 m, but preferred the depth window between 6-8 m, having a density and biomass peak at approximately 7 m depth. A negative and significant correlation was found between density/biomass and the coefficient of variation of mean size suggesting a density-dependent process. The most influential factors on density and biomass were depth, sediment characteristics (grain size and percentage of organic content), distance from river mouths and waste water treatment plants, and sea bottom temperature. This study, in addition to reporting on the current status of these natural beds and the influence of dynamic and static environmental variables on their distribution, proposes an additional approach to estimating several biological parameters in C. gallina that could be valuable for the spatial management of this commercial resource and highlight the role of marine protected areas.

Shrimp community structure and influence of environmental variables in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in spring.

Based on data collected from research vessel cruises performed in May 2020 off the East China Sea (ECS) and the southern Yellow Sea (YS) (26°30'-35°00' N, 120°30'-127°00' E), we analyzed the shrimp community and its relationships with environmental variables by using index of relative importance, biodiversity indices, and multivariate techniques. A total of 29 species were recorded, belonging to 11 families and 19 genera. The dominant species were Metapenaeopsis longirostris, Leptochela gracilis, Solenocera melantho, Crangon hakodatei, Parapenaeus fissuroides, Plesionika izumiae, and Trachypenaeus curvirostris, which together accounted for 82.9% of the total biomass and 90.8% of the total abundance of shrimps. Results of Cluster and NMDS analyses showed that three groups were identified for the shrimp community in the ECS and YS in spring, including group A (inshore of northern ECS and YS group), group B (offshore of northern ECS group) and group C (southern ECS group). ANOSIM and SIMPER analysis showed significant differences between group A and B, gourp A and C, and group B and C, with the dissimilarity of 92.2%, 95.8% and 91.6%, respectively. The typical species were T. curvirostris, C. hakodatei, L. gracilis and Palaemon gravieri in group A, and S. melantho in group B, and M. longirostris, P. fissuroides, P. izumiae and Solenocera alticarinata in group C. Significant differences were also detected in biomass, diversity index, species richness index and evenness index among groups, with significantly greater values in group C than those in A and B. Environmental variables and the substrate also displayed significant differences among groups. Results of canonical correspondence analysis showed that bottom temperature, bottom salinity, depth, and the substrate were the main environmental variables affecting spatial structure of shrimp community. Water mass characteristics and substrate type had important influences on the distribution of shrimp community in the ECS and YS in spring.

Analysis of Competence, Discipline, Organizational Culture, and Environment's Impacts on Work Productivity

Good performance support from each employee through work attitudes and behavior will be able to produce productivity high, so that the goals of the company will be more easily achieved and well realized. This study aims to examine the effect of competence, discipline, organizational culture and work environment on the work productivity of PT. Armaz Insan Mandiri. This type of research uses quantitative descriptive statistical methods by distributing questionnaires, analyzing and processing them with statistical methods using SPSS version 26. The population in this study are all employees at PT. Armaz Insan Mandiri, totaling 140 people and taking research samples by means of simple random sampling to employees aged between 21-40 years as many as 104 respondents. The results of the study simultaneously related to the influence of competency, discipline, organizational culture and work environment variables on the work productivity of employees of PT. Armaz Insan Mandiri concluded that there is a positive and significant effect of competency, work discipline and organizational culture simultaneously on work productivity

Environmental drivers of ground-floor bryophytes diversity in temperate forests.

Bryophytes play important role in forest ecosystem functioning and their distribution and diversity are driven by numerous environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to bring new insights in deeper understanding of terrestrial bryophytes diversity in temperate forests, as well as to determine the environmental factors which have predominant influence on ground-floor bryophytes. The survey was conducted in Fruška Gora Mountain (Serbia) across seven forest sites where ground-bryophytes were sampled. Soil moisture, temperature, and pH were measured as soil characteristics, while herbaceous cover, litter cover, stream distance, number of trees and shrubs were used as characteristics of stand structure. Species richness, Shannon diversity index, and evenness index were used as diversity measures. Generalised linear model and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to test the influence of environmental variables on bryophyte diversity. Litter cover was the most important explanatory variable, followed by soil moisture, stream distance and tree number, respectively. Overall, the stand structure was found to have a greater impact on ground-floor bryophyte diversity compared to soil characteristics. Identification of the most significant ecological factors affecting the diversity and distribution of bryophytes in forest ecosystems is of great importance in forest ecology with the aim of defining adequate management methods to preserve the biodiversity of forests, with particular emphasis on endangered and rare bryophyte species.

Legacy and current-use pesticides in Western Canadian mountain air: Influence of pesticide sales, source proximity, and altitude

Large amounts of pesticides are applied in agriculture in Canada and around the world. A considerable fraction can be dispersed in the atmosphere and deposited in non-target ecosystems. Our knowledge of the factors controlling the movement of pesticides in the atmosphere is still limited. In order to investigate the atmospheric distribution of pesticides under the influence of diverse environmental variables, we deployed XAD-2 resin-based passive air samplers (PAS) at multiple elevations of four mountains across Southern British Columbia and derived annually averaged concentrations of twelve current-use pesticides (CUPs) and five legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in air. The four mountains have similar altitude and latitude but vary in their proximity to source regions. Hexachlorobenzene, endosulfan I, and simazine were most abundant with median concentrations exceeding 50 pg/m3. While concentrations were generally lower than elsewhere in Canada, especially in agricultural regions, they varied greatly across the four mountains. Remote Mount Anderson had lower CUP levels than the other three mountains. CUP concentrations correlated well with regional pesticide sales, with two distinct spatial patterns becoming apparent. The OCP concentrations in the air of the four mountains were relatively uniform. CUP concentrations in air usually decreased with increasing altitude, when under the strong influence of ground-level sources. Source proximity and altitude appear to play a much more important role than precipitation and vegetation cover in the distribution of pesticides in the atmosphere. This study also highlights the value of a good registration system for pesticide sales for explaining environmental concentration variability.

Nontarget Chemical Composition of Surface Waters May Reflect Ecosystem Processes More than Discrete Source Contributions.

We investigated environmental, landscape, and microbial factors that could structure the spatiotemporal variability in the nontarget chemical composition of four riverine systems in the Oregon Coast Range, USA. We hypothesized that the nontarget chemical composition in river water would be structured by broad-scale landscape gradients in each watershed. Instead, only a weak relationship existed between the nontarget chemical composition and land cover gradients. Overall, the effects of microbial communities and environmental variables on chemical composition were nearly twice as large as those of the landscape, and much of the influence of environmental variables on the chemical composition was mediated through the microbial community (i.e., environment affects microbes, which affect chemicals). Therefore, we found little evidence to support our hypothesis that chemical spatiotemporal variability was related to broad-scale landscape gradients. Instead, we found qualitative and quantitative evidence to suggest that chemical spatiotemporal variability of these rivers is controlled by changes in microbial and seasonal hydrologic processes. While the contributions of discrete chemical sources are undeniable, water chemistry is undoubtedly impacted by broad-scale continuous sources. Our results suggest that diagnostic chemical signatures can be developed to monitor ecosystem processes, which are otherwise challenging or impossible to study with existing off-the-shelf sensors.

Evaluating the influence of environmental variables on fish abundance and distribution in the Singhiya River of Morang District, eastern Nepal

Monitoring the impact of fishing pressure on the Singhiya River is critical for resource development and sustainability, and the present situation is alarming and causing critical concern among the public. This study aimed to identify fish community trends over time and space in the river, and to investigate the impact of environmental variables on fish abundance and dispersion. Monthly fish sampling was performed from October 2020 to September 2021 from the 5th to 10th of each month. We used three cast nets of various mesh sizes (0.5, 2, &amp; 4 cm) and monofilament gill nets with mesh sizes of 6, 8, &amp; 10 cm. A total of 7,593 fish were collected, representing 61 species from seven orders, 20 families, and 37 genera. Similarity percentage (SIMPER) analysis revealed 78.8% similarity among six stations, with the primary contributing species: Puntius chola (28.2%), Puntius sophore (13.5%), Pethia ticto (5.33%), Chagunius chagunio (3.76%), Barbonymus gonionotus (3.69%), Puntius terio (3.46%), Opsarius shacra (2.2%), and Opsarius bendelisis (2.1%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) on canonical correspondence analysis revealed that four of the seven selected environmental variables had significant relationship with the fish assemblage such as water parameters velocity, temperature, pH, and hardness. Overfishing and direct discharge of industrial waste into water resources may be the primary causes for the decline in fish diversity in Singhiya River.

The causes of internal habit formation among Chinese urban residents: a multi-layer model perspective

Economic growth faces serious challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To promote swift economic recovery, the focus has turned to consumption’s role as a driver of economic growth. To explore the influence of external social environment variables on internal habits, this study improves Naik and Moore’s consumption model and constructs a multi-layer statistical model with habit-forming effects. The study shows, first, that internal habit effects are significantly present in all types of the population’s consumption expenditures, and there are significant cross-regional differences. Second, we find significant moderating effects of inclusive digital finance, education levels, income disparities, and regional economic differences on internal habit formation. Furthermore, the internal habit effect is more influenced by inclusive digital finance and income disparity and less by education and regional economic disparity. Finally, the study proposes policy recommendations for building an inclusive digital financial services infrastructure, improving access to education, reducing income disparities, and balancing regional development. To a certain extent, this study reveals the intrinsic link between the external consumption environment and internal habit effects, providing a new perspective for the government’s use in formulating consumption policies that promote economic growth.

Environmental variables drive medicinal plant composition and distribution in various forest types of subtropical region in Pakistan

Analyzing the ecological distribution patterns of medicinal plants under the influence of environmental variables can provide important information about how these plants are affected by environmental factors. This analysis can also serve as a conceptual foundation for medicinal plant management strategies. We examined the composition and distribution of medicinal plants as well as how and which environmental factors influence the plant communities in subtropical forest types from Pakistan. 11 forest sites over the course of two years (2020−2021) were sampled, measuring 10 environmental variables and documenting medicinal plants that were present in the study area. Plants data viz.; cover, density, and frequency were recorded from randomly selected sites through quadrat method. Soil parameters i.e., pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, electrical conductance, potassium and soil organic matter were recorded from each site. After calculating importance value index for each species, the data was analyzed utilizing a multivariate ordination approach. The most prevalent family observed during present investigations were Asteraceae followed by Fabaceae and Solanaceae. The life form spectra outcomes exhibited the predominance of the therophyte species, followed by chamaephyte species. The results of the regression analysis exhibit that soil organic matter, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus have a positive influence on medicinal plant richness, while electrical conductance (EC) and soil pH have a negative influence. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the soil parameters and anthropogenic factors (grazing pressure, land degradation, over-collection) had a significant (p ≤ 0.002) effect on the distribution of medicinal plants. The seasonal pattern of the life cycle revealed its peak during the spring season (41%), followed by monsoon (32%). The leaf size spectra results showed dominance of microphylls, over nanophylls and leptophylls. The results would be significant in establishing plant conservation strategies in Pakistan, especially due to over-exploitation of medicinal plants and the negative effects of climate change make it imperative to protect them on prior basis.

Macroalgae for biomonitoring of trace elements in relation to environmental parameters and seasonality in a sub-tropical mangrove estuary

Being a resourceful ecosystem, mangrove estuaries have always been subjected to trace elements (TEs) contamination, and therefore, the biomonitoring approach holds immense potential for surveilling the aquatic environment. To investigate the potentiality of mangrove macroalgae as biomonitors, estuarine water, intertidal-sediment, and macroalgal samples were collected from the Pasur River estuary of Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, Bangladesh, and afterward studied through Atomic Absorption Spectrometer to quantify the levels of six concerned TEs (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd). This study utilized the geo-environmental and ecological indices and sediment characterization approaches (sediment quality guidelines-SQGs) for assessing the contamination scenario of the adjacent environment to macroalgae whereas the performance of studied algal groups was evaluated using Bio-contamination factor, Comprehensive bio-concentration index, and Metal accumulation index. Metal occurrence scheme in the water followed the order of Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cd while Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd for both sediment and macroalgae. Both Pb and Cd exceeded the guideline limit in estuarine water and the indices approach manifested low to moderate contamination with enrichment from anthropogenic origin of Mn, Zn, and Cu in sediment. Moreover, the SQGs revealed rare biological effects of Cu on an aquatic community. Within algal samples, Chlorophyta contributed the highest biomass production, followed by Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta. Statistical relationship disclosed the influence of environmental variables on TE's accumulation in Chlorophyta. By contrast, hydrochemical's association showed prevalence over the TEs accumulation process for Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta. Bioaccumulation performance analysis revealed that the ability to accumulate TEs in macroalgal groups varied with seasons. Therefore, biomonitoring with macroalgae for the region of interest might require further temporal considerations.