Natural Conditions Research Articles

The effect of humanising nature.

Humans may have an innate need to affiliate with nature; this need has been termed biophilia. Humanising nature may connect to biophilia. An experimental design with 167 participants tested the hypothesis that a humanised description of the functioning of trees that focused on similarities between tree and human functioning would have a greater impact than a description of purely biological functions of trees. Participants randomly assigned to the humanising nature condition had higher mean scores for positive affect and empathy related to the target aspect of nature as well as greater pro-environmental intention. A MANOVA showed that the humanising nature condition had a significantly greater overall impact than the control condition. Positive affect and empathy were significantly different between groups. A serial mediation analysis found that positive affect and empathy connected the intervention with pro-environmental intention. Humanising nature holds promise as an approach to meeting biophilia needs. The findings may be globally relevant to the interaction of humans with nature.

THE LINGUISTIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD IN THE KAZAKH FAIRY TALE: THE CONCEPT OF GOOD AND EVIL

The article considers the concept of «good» in Kazakh fairy tales. Revealing the worldview, behavior, and general character of a people means identifying the most important socio-psychological characteristics that have historically developed from the socio-economic system, way of life, existence, living conditions, etc. The formation of people’s national way of life is influenced by natural conditions, the world of plants and animals, which, in turn, determines the type of work they do, the system of traditions and customs. The linguistic picture of the world is a holistic, systematic reflection of reality, carried out using various linguistic means. The article examines the reflection of the fable «Good follows good, evil follows evil» in fairy tales, which was formed in the Kazakh worldview. It is studied as the basis of knowledge accumulated from the life experience of the people, and is subjected to scientific analysis based on the data of the fairy tale. When we study good and evil together, no matter what folk tale we take, there is no hero who gets his way by doing bad things. There will never be such a hero. It is believed that the opposition of good and evil is present in every language, in the linguistic image of every world. In the texts of folk tales there are sometimes multiple variations. This is natural, since folk tales have many different versions. In this case, one of the most important factors is that the fairy tale is easy to read and easily perceived. The difference between good and evil, which is still considered relevant today in the linguistic picture of the world in Kazakh fairy tales, and its definition through simple reflections of everyday life is easily illustrated with visual and specific data. Keywords: literature, fairy tale, national peculiarity, culture, folklore, opposition, concept.

A New Licensed Quadrivalent Antileptospiral Canine Vaccine Prevents Mortality, Clinical Signs, Infection, Bacterial Excretion, Renal Carriage and Renal Lesions Caused by Leptospira Australis Experimental Challenge.

L. Australis is one of the most prevalent Leptospira strains infecting dogs, leading, in natural conditions, to severe life-threatening cases. The objective was to evaluate the onset and duration of immunity (OOI and DOI) induced by a new licensed quadrivalent antileptospiral vaccine (EURICAN® L4) including four Leptospira components (Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa and Australis) against L. Australis. To this end, a severe L. Australis challenge model was developed, using a canine strain recently isolated from the field. Seven- to ten-week-old puppies received two doses of the vaccine four weeks apart and were challenged with an L. Australis isolate two weeks (OOI) and 12 months (DOI) later. Mortality, clinical signs, leptospiremia, leptospiruria, renal carriage, and renal lesions were assessed after challenge. The challenge induced multiple severe clinical signs in controls, leading to the death or euthanasia of 83% of puppies and 57% of adults. In controls, leptospiremia was detected in all dogs, leptospiruria in 67% of puppies and 86% of adults, kidneys tested positive for Leptospira in 83% of puppies and 71% of adults, and kidney lesions were observed in 100% of puppies and 86% of adults. In addition, thrombocytopenia associated with increased concentrations of urea, creatinine, and aspartate aminotransferase was recorded in controls displaying severe clinical signs. In both OOI and DOI studies, none of the vaccinates had clinical signs, no Leptospira was detected in blood, urine, and kidney samples, and no kidney lesions were observed in vaccinates. No significant changes in hematological and biochemical parameters in vaccinates were recorded. EURICAN® L4 was shown to induce quick and long-lasting protection against a severe L. Australis infectious challenge, preventing mortality, clinical signs, infection, bacterial excretion, renal lesions, and renal carriage.

Improved levan production by novel Calidifontibacillus erzurumensis LEV207 using one variable at a time approach.

Levan, an exopolysaccharide, has applications in the medical and food sectors. Under natural conditions, levan is produced at a low concentration by microorganisms. This current study focuses on optimizing levan production by a one-variable-at-a-time approach from a novel marine bacterium, Calidifontibacillus erzurumensis LEV207. The growth and levansucrase production by C. erzurumensis LEV207 were studied to optimize the media components and conditions. Sucrose and yeast extract proved to be a good levansucrase inducer. The pH of 6.0 and temperature of 30°C, along with MgSO4 as salt, increased the enzyme activity. Sucrose and yeast extract at the concentration of 50% and 1%, respectively, produced the maximum enzyme activity of 427.4µmol/mL/min after 48h of incubation. Sevag reagent was used for the purification of levan. The optimization process increased the levan (EPSLEV207) production sevenfold with a final yield of 65.58g/L. To confirm the structure and nature of EPSLEV207, NMR and XRD were performed, and the functional groups present in EPSLEV207 were determined using FTIR. Chemical hydrolysis of levan confirmed fructose as the monomer, making EPSLEV207 a homopolysaccharide. EPSLEV207 exhibited 49% and 22% radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively, and promoted the growth of probiotic strain. EPSLEV207 showed an 88% water solubility index and 78% water retention capacity. The optimization process has increased the yield of levan, highlighting the potential of C. erzurumensis LEV207 to be a viable option for industrial applications.

Is it me or is it you? Physiological effects of the honey bee microbiota may instead be due to host maturation.

Microbiota-mediated impacts on host physiology and behavior have been widely reported in honey bees (Apis mellifera). However, most of these studies are conducted in artificial lab settings and fail to take into account, or make incorrect assumptions about, the complex physical and social structures inherent to natural hive conditions. A new study by Liberti et al. (J. Liberti, E. T. Frank, T. Kay, L. Kesner, et al., mBio 15:e01034-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01034-24) identifies one such overlooked aspect-the behavioral maturation from nurses to foragers-that can be a serious confounding factor in bee microbiota experiments. Using cuticular hydrocarbon profiling to discern between the two maturation states, they find that multiple physiological and behavioral differences between age-matched lab bees could potentially be explained by their maturation state instead of the intended treatment conditions, such as microbial inoculation. This study serves as a stark wake-up call on the necessity of careful replication and cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer (e.g., between animal specialists and microbiologists) in order to truly understand complex host-microbe systems.

Keystone species in an urban environment: Do raptors control the Mexican gray squirrel in Mexico City?

Urbanization has forced animals to respond to novel environments. One of the basic questions in urban ecology is if ecological processes that occur in natural conditions also occur in urban environments. In natural ecosystems, key predators can limit prey abundance and have a widespread effect on trophic levels. Here, we examine a predator-prey interaction in Mexico City, an urban ecosystem where prey can be evaluated in the presence or absence of apex predators. Nearly all original ecosystems in Mexico City have been transformed for human purposes. Many of the green spaces in the city contain populations of the Mexican gray squirrel, a species native to this area. These green spaces are also inhabited by different species of raptors, the most frequent being Harris's hawk, Cooper's hawk, and sharp-shinned hawk. Little is known about the interactions between raptors and squirrels, particularly how different environmental factors influence this ecological relationship. We do know, however, that raptors prey on squirrels. We predicted that in parks where raptors were present, there would be fewer squirrels than in parks where there were no raptors. We studied the relationship between raptors and squirrels using occupancy models, which also allowed us to evaluate environmental factors that affect the presence of both squirrels and raptors. We also tested if the presence of raptors influenced the occupancy probability of squirrels, and vice versa. Lastly, we estimated the abundance of squirrels in parks, both where raptors were present and where they were absent. Contrary to our predictions, in our first two sampling periods we found a positive relationship between the presence of raptors and squirrel abundance, but this relationship was absent during our second two survey periods, which was due to a decline in squirrel abundance in parks where raptors were present. These results suggest that predator-prey interactions occur in urban settings much as they do under natural conditions, but that other factors unique to urbanization can also impact the abundance of raptors and squirrels. Our findings also suggest that raptors might be an effective means of controlling squirrel populations under some conditions.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ РАЦИОНАЛЬНОГО ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ЛУКА МЕДВЕЖЬЕГО, ДИКОРАСТУЩЕГО В РСО-АЛАНИЯ

Nowadays research aimed at finding new natural sources of biologically active substances is becoming increasingly relevant, which is consistent with government policy in the field of healthy nutrition, preserving and strengthening public health. Plants containing valuable nutritional and biologically active substances that have antimicrobial activity and have a fungicidal effect (antifungal) are widely used in many industries and medicine. In this regard, determining the age characteristics of bear’s onion, the biochemical composition of the above-ground and underground parts and antimicrobial activity is a relevant area. The location of the research was the botanical garden and the research laboratory of the Research Institute of Biotechnology of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Mountain State Agrarian University». It has been established that under cultural conditions, samples of bear’s onion go through all stages or periods of development 8-10 days earlier than in natural conditions. A. ursinum L. is an ephemeroid, early-flowering species and belongs to the group of short-vegetating plants. Young shoots contain carbohydrates, proteins, organic acids, beneficial fiber, as well as biologically active substances: carotenoids - 0.31 ± 0.01 mg/g, total flavonoids - 1.79 ± 0.26 mg/g, ascorbic acid - 150 ± 5.11 mg%. Biologically active substances included in the composition of the above-ground and underground parts of bear onions can have an inhibitory effect on the growth of test microbes. Moreover, the bulbs have a large zone of inhibition of the growth of test microbes: Pr. vulgaris and Staph. aureus relative to the aerial part and is 26-30 mm, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the aerial part of Allium ursinum relative to the test microbes is: E. coli - 22 mm, Pr. vulgaris - 25 mm; Staph. aureus - 20 mm. The results obtained provide a scientific basis for the possibility of introducing and cultivating Allium ursinum , as well as using it as a food product with a rich chemical composition and antimicrobial activity.

Chemical and mineralogical constitution of redoximorphic features and mechanism of formation of Plinthosols from the Araguaia River plain, Brazil

ABSTRACT Currently in Brazil, large grain cultivation projects on Plinthosols are a reality, however, there is little or no knowledge of the real mechanism of formation of the plinthite feature, in addition to what is reported in the literature as being a product of oxidation-reduction processes of iron element. This study evaluates iron redoximorphic features and investigates their chemical and mineralogical composition in two profiles of Plinthosols from the Araguaia River plain (P1 and P2). The study strengthens the understanding of the pedogenetic processes involved in the formation of mottles and plinthite. In this sense, it assesses whether the formation mechanisms corroborate the literature. Soil features were sampled in the upper right and left position at the initial plinthic horizon, upper right and left position at the main plinthic horizon, and lower right position at the base horizon of the plinthite zone in the profile. Separated samples comprising the soil matrix, mottles, and plinthite under natural moisture conditions were ground into powder form for chemical determinations by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), sulfuric acid attack (H 2 SO 4 ), sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB), and ammonium acid oxalate; and mineralogical determinations by X-ray diffraction. Iron contents in all determined forms were always higher in the plinthite feature, intermediate in the mottle feature, and lower in the soil matrix feature. Most of the Fe in all redoximorphic features is included in the structure of primary minerals and their derivatives (vermiculite, illite, and VHEs). Only part of the iron present (about 35.40 % in P1 and 41.98 % in P2) is detected in the form of oxides such as goethite and hematite, which could be formed in redox processes. The mottle and plinthite features under study are not the product of the classic process of segregation, mobilization, and accumulation of iron as a consequence of redox processes. These features were formed or emerged as a result of a relatively slow and constant weathering process of their source material, which is gradually decomposed in an aqueous medium, releasing most of its components. These components include iron and more mobile elements such as bases and silicon, which leave the system through drainage water, and of which a small part may eventually recombine to form new less complex minerals such as kaolinite and oxides.

Loss-of-heat-sink transient simulation with RELAP5/Mod3.3 code for the ATHENA facility

ATHENA (Advanced Thermal-Hydraulic Experiment for Nuclear Applications) is a large multipurpose pool-type lead-cooled facility under construction at the Mioveni site in Romania. It has been identified by the FALCON (Fostering ALfred CONstruction) Consortium to characterize large to full-scale ALFRED components, to conduct integral tests, and to investigate the main thermal–hydraulic phenomena inherent in pool-type systems. ATHENA is representative of ALFRED in terms of the difference in height of the thermal barycenters of the heat source and heat sink, i.e., 3.3 m, in order to reproduce the buoyancy forces in the system. Similar to ALFRED’s design, ATHENA minimizes thermal stratification within the main vessel even under natural circulation conditions, through an internal structure referred to as “barrel”. This structure directs the fluid flow towards the main vessel, preventing fluid stagnation near the vessel itself. The paper initially provides a steady-state thermal–hydraulic characterization of the facility, including details of the numerical model developed using the RELAP5/Mod3.3 thermal–hydraulic code. Then, focus is given to the transient analysis considering as a reference scenario a Loss-of-Heat-Sink (LOHS) accidental transient. In this scenario, the Main Circulation Pump (MCP) is assumed to remain operational while the Core Simulator (CS) is deactivated once the lead temperature at the Main Heat Exchanger (MHX) outlet reaches a predefined threshold. A sensitivity analysis is conducted with set points of 430 °C, 450 °C, 470 °C, and 490 °C, assessing the system’s response following MHX isolation from the secondary loop. The study evaluates the impact of different CS deactivation set points on reactor SCRAM delay (reducing CS power to a level representative of decay heat) as well as on system maximum and minimum temperatures.

Features of cellular selection of tomato plants, resistance against salining

Aim. For selection at the cellular level, nutrient media are offered, which, although not completely, would partially correspond to natural stress conditions. Methods. As explants, immature embryos, cotyledon nodes with meristematic activity, and hypocotyls of tomato plants of the Lagidnyi, Khoryv, Borivskyi. Results. An agar medium of general mineral composition with different concentrations of growth regulators was used for the cultivation of isolated tissues the generally accepted method. Conclusions. When creating in vitro new forms of tomato plants with increased resistance to chloride salinization of the soil, it is necessary to select resistant cell lines using the stepwise selection method according to the scheme, which includes several consecutive actions of a selective agent in different concentrations at the stages of induction – proliferation, morphogenesis of callus cultures. An increase in the content of hydrogen peroxide in callus structures and stimulation of the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were also found.

Spontaneous Efficient Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (hPSC) Upon Co-culture of hPSCs with Human Neonatal Foreskin Fibroblasts in 3D.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) form well-formed embryoid bodies (EBs) in 3D culture. These EBs are formed in culture media lacking leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in mouse and human PSCs, respectively. EBs are excellent technical tools for understanding developmental biology and inducing controlled differentiation in succeeding experimental steps. Technically speaking, EBs are spontaneously differentiated PSCs in 3D and exhibit all three lineages in a time-point/sequential manner. For example, ectoderm will form first, followed by mesoderm and endoderm. We have attempted to co-culture human neonatal foreskin-derived fibroblast cells in our laboratory with the PSCs first in 2D conditions followed by the induction of EBs (PSC+fibroblasts co-cultured) in low attachment dishes. We also performed spontaneous differentiation of such EBs (co-cultured with fibroblasts). We checked the presence of markers of various lineages, namely, ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm in days 6, 10, and 12day EBs. We have also compared the fibroblast co-cultured EBs, along with control EBs (derived from only PSCs). This co-culture system mimics the natural conditions of uterine implantation and the role of the endometrial fibroblasts in the induction of further embryonic development. The fibroblast co-cultured iPSC EBs had better roundness scores than the normal iPSC EBs and had a higher expression of lineage-specific markers.

In vitro photoautotrophic cultivation of Melocactus zehntneri: insights from allometric characteristics from germination to acclimatization

Melocactus zehntneri is a species of ornamental relevance suffering anthropogenic pressures, putting its preservation at risk. Thus, alternatives for propagating and conserving this species are needed. This study evaluated the effect of photoautotrophic cultivation of M. zehntneri to produce plants well acclimated to natural conditions. The seeds underwent different imbibition times before in vitro germination. Besides the growth room, a greenhouse hosted the photoautotrophic cultivation of seedlings. Vermiculite replaced agar in the culture medium. The imbibition pre-treatment in distilled water and the growth environments affected some parameters linked to germination. The greenhouse provided better characteristics for plants grown in vitro and for acclimatization than those kept in the growth room. Plants cultivated and acclimated ex vitro in a greenhouse photoautotrophic environment showed improved characteristics regarding ornamental significance.

Push-Pull Intercropping Increases the Antiherbivore Benzoxazinoid Glycoside Content in Maize Leaf Tissue.

Push-pull technology refers to a promising mixed cropping practice for sustainable agricultural intensification, which uses properties of intercrop and border crop species to defend a focal crop against pests. Currently, the most widely practiced system uses Desmodium spp. as intercrop and Brachiaria or Napier grass as border crops to protect maize (Zea mays) against both insect pests and parasitic weeds. Several previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the push-pull system, but research on the underlying chemical mechanisms has mostly been limited to laboratory and glasshouse experiments that may not fully reproduce the complexity of the system under natural conditions. To address this limitation, we performed a large-scale study in farmer-operated push-pull maize fields in three east African countries. We compared maize leaf extracts from plants grown on push-pull fields with maize from fields employing conventional agricultural practices to assess the influence of push-pull cultivation on the maize metabolome. We identified two benzoxazinoid glycosides, which are known to have antiherbivore properties and were present in greater relative abundance in push-pull-cultivated maize leaves across three countries. Our data thus suggest that maize cultivated under push-pull has an increased resistance to herbivore attack compared to maize grown under conventional local agricultural practices.

Sulfur isotopic fractionation during hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide

Carbonyl Sulfide (OCS) is the most abundant sulfur-containing gas in the atmosphere, and it is used as a proxy for terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP). Oceans are the major source of OCS to the atmosphere, produced by photochemical and “dark” reactions. Hydrolysis to H2S and CO2 is the major removal process of OCS from the ocean's surface. Measuring the sulfur isotope values (δ34S) and the isotopic fractionation (ε) associated with these major OCS sources and sinks could decrease the uncertainties in its fluxes. In the current study, we aim to determine the ε during the hydrolysis process of OCS (εh). We used a purge and trap system coupled to a GC/MC-ICPMS to measure δ34S values during hydrolysis under different temperatures (4–40 °C), salinities (0.2–40 g/L), and pH (4–9), representing various natural environmental conditions. In addition, we use the quantum chemical method to calculate the equilibrium εh and compare it to the empirical results. Our results for the low salinity (S =0.2 g/L; pH 8.0) water show a temperature dependency of the εh from −3.9 ‰ ± 0.2 ‰ (4 °C,) to −2.2 ± 0.6 ‰ (40 °C). The higher fractionation at low temperatures has implication for ice-core data interpretation. However, in natural seawater at 4°C and 22 °C (S = 40 g/L, pH 8.2) there was no such temperature dependency and the εh averaged −2.6 ± 0.3 ‰. Thus, it seems that salinity cancels the temperature effect close to the freezing temperature of water. Varying the pH between 4 and 9 (at 22 °C) did not result in any εh trend. Ab-initio calculations suggest that OCS hydrolysis is not controlled by equilibrium. The εh values we report will aid in quantifying the impact of OCS's hydrolysis on the observable sulfur isotopic signature of OCS in oceanic and in freshwater environments. This in turn will facilitate more accurate mass-balance calculations for the OCS budget from the ocean to the atmosphere.

Uniformly dispersed FeOOH nanoparticles supported on alumina-carbon nanosheets for Cr(VI) removal

The mesoporous alumina-carbon nanosheets supported FeOOH nanoparticles were prepared by a facile and cost-effective hydrothermal synthesis for Cr(VI) removal in the wastewater, based on the affinity and selectivity of FeOOH and the accelerated mass transfer of nanosheet structure. The prepared nanoparticles with a small size of 2–5 nm were uniformly dispersed over the alumina-carbon nanosheets, attributed to the metal interaction and mesoporous confinement. The acid property after the introduction of alumina induced a positive charge on the surface of the adsorbent, which could enhance the adsorption of negatively charged metal ions. The Cr(VI) removal efficiency with the Al/Fe ratios showed a similar volcano curve. When Al/Fe ratio was around 3.3 and pHpzc was about 7.1, the adsorbent exhibited the best Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 99.4 %, owing to a large specific surface area, and small nanoparticle size, combined with abundant moderate-strong acid content of 294.5 μmol NH3 g−1.The Langmuir model could describe the adsorption process well, and the kinetic data was consistent with Pseudo-second-order. The thermodynamics revealed that the reaction process was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorbent maintained a high removal efficiency of more than 80 % after running for five cycles and kept over 95 % under ionic co-existence and natural water conditions. Therefore, this study provides a new insight into the rational construction of efficient adsorbents with low-cost Cr(VI) removal.

The Thermal Performance of The Plate-fin Heat Sink under Natural Convection at Different Power Levels and Ambient Temperatures

The thermal performance of a flat heat sink and a plate-fin heat sink was experimentally compared under natural convection conditions at thermal powers of 16.5 W and 33 W and ambient temperatures of 30°C and 40°C. For the same heating powers, surface and junction temperatures increased as the ambient temperature rose from 30°C to 40°C, but the increase was not as much as the ambient temperature change. For the flat heat sink, the increase in junction temperature was 5°C at 16.5 W and 6.68°C at 33 W. For the plate-fin heat sink, the increase in junction temperature was 3.55°C at 16.5 W and 4.47°C at 33 W. The increase in surface temperature for the flat heat sink was 5.35°C at 16.5 W and 5.91°C at 33 W, while for the plate-fin heat sink, the surface temperature increase was 4.76°C at 16.5 W and 2.22°C at 33 W. The thermal resistance of the flat heat sink was around 4 K/W, while for the plate-fin heat sink, it ranged between 2-2.5 K/W, providing approximately twice the advantage in thermal resistance for the plate-fin model compared to the flat model. Under all conditions, the Rayleigh number (Ra) significantly decreased with the increase in ambient temperature but increased with the applied thermal power. Thus, the increase in Rayleigh number with power was more pronounced in the plate-fin model, indicating a more significant effect. In the plate-fin model, the fin efficiency slightly decreased with the increase in ambient temperature, from 0.63 to 0.62 at 16.5 W and from 0.65 to 0.64 at 33 W.

QUASI-HEREDITARY SKEW GROUP ALGEBRAS

Abstract Given an algebra and a finite group acting on it via automorphisms, a natural object of study is the associated skew group algebra. In this article, we study the relationship between quasi-hereditary structures on the original algebra and on the corresponding skew group algebra. Assuming a natural compatibility condition on the partial order, we show that the skew group algebra is quasi-hereditary if and only if the original algebra is. Moreover, we show that in this setting an exact Borel subalgebra of the original algebra which is invariant as a set under the group action gives rise to an exact Borel subalgebra of the skew group algebra and that under this construction, properties such as normality and regularity of the exact Borel subalgebra are preserved.

China's provincial optimum population sizes under SSP‐RCP scenarios

AbstractClimate change poses new challenges to achieving a balanced population distribution. Predicting the impact of development patterns using climate change scenarios can offer more precise insights into environmental and social risks. By adopting the possibility–satisfiability (P–S) model, this study investigates the optimum population sizes for the 31 provincial districts of China by 2035 and 2050 under seven shared socioeconomic pathway‐representative concentration pathway (SSP‐RCP) scenarios. Results indicate that under SSP2‐4.5 scenario, which maintains current development patterns, the optimum human population (OHP) ranges from 985 million to 717 million in 2035 and from 902 million to 623 million by 2050 at different P–S values, respectively. The SSP1‐1.9 and SSP1‐2.6 scenarios offer promising prospects by carrying the largest optimum population size. Therefore, China's future development depends on choosing a sustainable path that prioritizes the growth of the OHP. The optimum population sizes of provinces under unbalanced development routes SSP4‐3.4 and SSP4‐6.0 scenarios are mainly limited by economic development, while those of the regional competition route SSP3‐7.0 scenario are limited by both economic and climatic pressures. Under the fossil fuel route SSP5‐8.5 scenario, climate deterioration imposes severe constraints on optimum population size. The optimum population scales of the eastern coastal area with high urbanization levels and the northwest area with harsh environments are subject to natural conditions. In addition, the central and western regions encounter population size limitations due to insufficient economic development. Notably, China's population distribution remains concentrated in the east and sparse in the west, flanking the Hu Huanyong Line (Hu Line), with minimal expected changes in the future. By studying the spatial distribution of the optimum population under different SSP‐RCP scenarios, this study provides theoretical support for government decision‐making in the context of future climate change.

Wet-dry or freeze-thaw alternation can regulate the impacts of farmland plastic pollution on soil bacterial communities and functions

The persistence of farmland plastic pollution has raised significant concerns regarding its potential long-term impacts on soil health in the context of global climate change. However, there are still gaps in the understanding of the impacts of plastic residues on soil microbial communities and functions in agricultural environments under unstable and extreme climatic conditions. In this study, the effects of plastic residues (two types and three shapes) on farmland soil bacterial communities and functions across varying environmental conditions were investigated through microscopic experiments. The results revealed that plastic residues subjected to wet-dry or freeze-thaw alternations exhibited greater degradation compared to those under natural conditions. The effects of plastic residue types and shapes on soil bacterial diversity and function were regulated by environmental factors. The plastic residues significantly reduced the stability of the bacterial network under natural condition (P < 0.05), whereas the opposite phenomenon was observed under wet-dry or freeze-thaw alternating conditions. Compared to under natural condition, lower numbers of bacterial functional pathways exhibiting significant differences due to plastic residues were observed under wet-dry or freeze-thaw alternating conditions. Significant associations were observed between soil bacterial communities and functions and various soil physicochemical properties under natural conditions (P < 0.05), and most of these associations were attenuated in the wet-dry or freeze-thaw alternations. This study demonstrated the potential impacts of plastic pollution on farmland soil microbiomes, which could be modulated by both residue characteristics and climatic conditions. Specifically, extreme environments could mitigate plastic-pollution-driven influences on soil microbiomes.

Insecticide and low food quality treatments reduce health and pollination services of two key pollinator taxa

Abstract Pesticides and the lack of floral resources are key drivers of insect decline in agricultural areas. Both land‐use stressors can have a variety of synergistic and sublethal effects on pollinators, affecting their health and foraging behaviour. Pollinating insects include species with vastly different life histories, giving them potentially different vulnerability and resilience to stressors. However, most research has generally focused on bees. Here, we contrast synergistic effects of nutritional stress and pesticide use on social bumblebees and solitary hoverflies. We experimentally tested the effects of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid and low‐quality food on health traits of Bombus terrestris workers and Episyrphus balteatus adults (ovarian development, body size and colony development or survival). The foraging behaviour of treated pollinators was recorded in a semi‐field setup and, for B. terrestris, we measured the pollen amount on the body surface and the pollen deposited on stigmata after a single floral visit. Both stressors affected bumblebee health. Additionally, insecticide‐treated workers showed increased flower handling times and flight durations, while low‐quality food reduced the amount of pollen on the surface of bumblebees and the pollen deposited on stigmata. Syrphids were mostly affected by low‐quality food, which decreased their survival probability and changed their foraging behaviour. Furthermore, we found an interactive effect between the two stressors, reducing E. balteatus ovary development. Synthesis and applications. Insecticide and food stress affected fitness traits of both bumblebees and syrphid flies, possibly reducing pollinator populations under natural conditions. Especially for bumblebees, long‐term exposure led to a reduction in the provision of pollination services, both by changing their behaviour and reducing pollen transfer. We found differences between the two pollinator groups, showing that results gained from single groups like bees should not be extrapolated to all pollinators. Interactive effects indicate potential buffering effects of high‐quality food against other stressors and highlight the importance of considering synergies between multiple stressors in risk assessments. This further emphasizes the relevance of floral resources such as wild flower strips in agricultural areas to conserve pollinators and pollination services.