Foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations are of critical importance to plant productivity. Despite global declines in plant diversity, their effects on tree foliar N and P dynamics remain uncertain, especially under different mycorrhizal types and soil nutrient conditions. Based on a large biodiversity experiment in subtropical China, we assessed how neighborhood species richness and functional dissimilarity influence foliar N and P concentrations across 794 tree individuals, comprising three arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and five ectomycorrhizal (EcM) tree species, along natural soil total N gradients. At the neighborhood scale, foliar nutrients were jointly influenced by functional dissimilarity, mycorrhizal type, and soil N availability. Among dissimilarity metrics, wood density (WD) dissimilarity was the strongest predictor. Specifically, functional dissimilarity consistently increased foliar N and P concentrations in AM trees across the soil total N level, whereas its effects on EcM trees shifted from positive to negative with increasing soil total N content. These diversity-driven increases in foliar P concentration were further associated with enhanced tree growth. Our findings demonstrate that mycorrhizal type and soil N availability jointly mediate effects of neighborhood diversity on tree foliar nutrient status, with foliar P concentration playing a pivotal role in driving productivity responses to biodiversity in subtropical forests.

Cascade effects of plant diversity on soil multifunctionality in antimony‑arsenic contaminated sites: The pivotal role of microbial network complexity

Old grasslands as conservation priority: Habitat continuity increases plant diversity and spatial heterogeneity in temperate grasslands

Solar-tracking PV system shifts species composition and improves plant diversity by improving microhabitats in arid sandy land

Diversity of Dye Yielding Plants Traditionally Used by Different Ethnic Communities of Assam, India

Climate warming is one of the most pressing global changes, with profound consequences for biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and the provision of ecosystem services. Although warming is expected to alter soil nutrient cycling and plant community structure, the mechanisms through which it reshapes ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) remain insufficiently understood. Here, we conducted a 3-year field warming experiment in an alpine grassland to assess how warming influences plant diversity, soil nutrients, and their joint effects on EMF. We found that plant α-diversity declined in both control and warming groups in 2021 and partially recovered by 2023, though recovery was weaker under warming. In contrast, β-diversity (turnover) showed a continuous increasing trend under warming across years, although differences from the control were not statistically significant. EMF, evaluated with single- and multi-threshold approaches, exhibited a consistent decline, with warming accelerating this reduction and producing more complex bimodal fluctuations within intermediate threshold ranges (55–75% and 80–90%). Warming also restructured the functional drivers of EMF: soil organic carbon (SOC) and available nitrogen (AN) emerged as dominant regulators, whereas the contributions of total nitrogen and turnover weakened. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that warming not only alters biodiversity patterns and ecosystem functions but also reshapes the soil–plant–function feedbacks that sustain EMF. By identifying SOC and AN as critical mediators, this study highlights a mechanistic pathway through which climate warming may undermine ecosystem resilience and long-term sustainability, providing insights essential for predicting terrestrial ecosystem responses under future climate scenarios.

Betula alleghaniensis Britton, commonly known as yellow birch, occurs naturally in northeastern North America, particularly in the Appalachian and Great Lakes regions, where it is considered one of the most valuable hardwood species. In this study, conducted between 2007 and 2010, we assessed the diversity of vascular plants, mosses and liverworts, fungi, and invertebrates in two experimental stands of B. alleghaniensis established in the Rogów Arboretum (Poland), outside the species’ natural range. A total of 54 taxa of vascular plants, mosses, and liverworts, 39 taxa of fungi, and 108 taxa of invertebrates were recorded. The richest groups were insects (Collembola and Coleoptera), followed by nematodes and mites. Compared to reference oak-hornbeam forests (Tilio-Carpinetum), B. alleghaniensis stands hosted a slightly higher number of vascular plants and mosses (+4%), but substantially fewer fungi (−42%) and invertebrates (−33%). These results indicate that B. alleghaniensis supports distinct but less diverse soil and litter biota than native broadleaves tree species. The findings highlight the importance of tree species identity in shaping biodiversity patterns and provide a reference for future studies on non-native tree introductions in Central Europe.

Water quality determines aquatic organisms’ community structure. As a result, selected planktons have been used as bioindicators of water quality. In the current study, we determined zooplankton community structure and diversity in Suneka wastewater treatment plant in addition to selected physical and chemical parameters of the wastewater. The zooplankton samples were collected in triplicate once every month from August to December, 2019 from seven sampling points at sub-surface level. Temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured in situ using calibrated portable professional series (YS1) multiparameter meter model 35C at each sampling point. Nutrient analysis, wastewater samples were collected in triplicate using acid-washed bottles from the different sampling points and analyzed ex-situ using the spectrophotometric method for the determination of water and wastewater according to APHA, 2014. The results revealed the presence of 13 zooplankton species belong to three taxa: Cladocera, Rotifera, and Copepoda. In terms of abundance, Cladocera was the most dominant group, while Copepoda and Rotifera maintained lower and more stable populations across the sampling stations. Moreover, the study revealed there was spatial and temporal variation in zooplankton in terms of diversity and distribution. The variations in zooplankton diversity can be attributed to changes in physical and chemical parameters in addition to primary productivity in the respective sampling stations. The study findings form baseline information on the zooplankton assemblage for the Suneka wastewater treatment plant for future studies.

Habitat degradation and fragmentation pose severe threats to biodiversity in protected areas, including the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP). Effective restoration strategies are urgently needed to enhance habitat connectivity and support the recovery of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, 1869) populations. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of targeted artificial restoration measures on plant diversity and community structure in four typical degraded habitats within the Niba Mountain Corridor of the GPNP. Over a three-year monitoring period, vegetation surveys and infrared camera trapping were conducted across pure plantations and secondary forests, with/without bamboo, using suitable habitats as controls. The results showed that: (1) Artificial restoration significantly increased shrub layer species richness and Shannon–Wiener index in most degraded habitats, approaching control levels after two years, while herb layer diversity initially increased then declined due to shrub competition. (2) Sorensen’s similarity between degraded and suitable habitats increased over time, rising from 0.08–0.42 to 0.46–0.67 for the shrub layer and from 0.09–0.22 to 0.30–0.40 for the herb layer. (3) Key species showing high variability during restoration included Litsea pungens Hemsl., Actinidia spp., Salix spp., Rubus spp., Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser, Carex spp., and Elatostema involucratum Franch. et Savat. (4) Bamboo regeneration was enhanced with peak live shoots in 2024. (5) Increased activity of medium-to-large mammals, notably the tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus Milne-Edwards, 1872), may indicate initial stages of functional recovery for resources in the restored habitats. The results confirmed that differentiated artificial restoration can effectively promote species diversity recovery and habitat convergence, providing a scientific basis for optimizing GPNP corridor management and improving population connectivity for giant pandas.

Fruit agroforestry systems are important not only for improving human living conditions but also for natural resource management. The objective of this study was to assess the woody plant diversity and carbon stocks of fruit agroforestry systems in the Adamawa region. The methodological approach was based on floristic inventories. For this, plots measuring 50 metres long by 20 metres wide were explored. A total of 250 plots were set up, at a rate of 50 plots per division. Dendrometric parameters such as diameter at breast height, crown diameter, and tree height were measured. Carbon stocks were estimated using allometric equations. The study found that a total of 2986 individuals, grouped into 17 species, 14 genera, and 11 families, were recorded. The density of fruit trees varies from 60.8 stems/ha in the Faro-et-Deo division to 227 stems/ha in the Vina division. Fruit agrosystems show low diversity overall, but with higher diversity in Mayo-Banyo (H’ = 0.81 bits). M. indica (IVIE=163.5%), T. cacao (IVIE=49.61%) and P. americana (IVIE=48.71%) are the most important species. The most important families are Anacardiaceae (FIVI=160.88%), Rutaceae (FIVI=68.43%) and Lauraceae (FIVI=48.43%). The vegetation stands are distributed in an L-shape and bell-shaped pattern. The carbon sequestration potential is 209.13±114.35 tCO2eq/ha and the economic value is 2075043.42 CFA francs. Thus, fruit agrosystems are not very diverse but contribute to carbon storage in the fight against climate change. It would be necessary to encourage the establishment of fruit agrosystems to resolve environmental problems in Cameroon.

Climate change and biodiversity loss threaten terrestrial productivity. Mitigating productivity loss from interactions between these global change drivers requires a mechanistic understanding of the forces generating productivity benefits from species richness (i.e., overyielding). Progress has been limited by two challenges: i) individual mechanisms can be highly context-dependent, yet multiple mechanisms can produce similar responses to functional diversity loss or altered climate, and ii) most experiments test short-term weather events rather than sustained changes in precipitation. We address these limitations using direct tests of multiple mechanisms within a sustained, full factorial manipulation of plant richness, composition, and precipitation within experimental grasslands. Precipitation consistently increased overyielding, as yield declined in monocultures and increased in polycultures, consistent with greater specialist pathogen accumulation in mesic conditions. Resource partitioning and specialist pathogen dilution-estimated from physiochemical trait dissimilarity and soil pathogen dissimilarity-were positive predictors of overyielding, relationships that strengthened over time. Moreover, overyielding was best explained by the joint influence of resource acquisition traits and pathogen dissimilarities, indicating that multiple mechanisms generated productivity responses to richness. These two mechanisms can explain the robust findings across systems that productivity increases with plant biodiversity. Our findings predict that biodiversity loss will be most damaging in wetter climates, where pathogen dilution amplifies the benefits of diversity.

BackgroundWild edible plants (WEPs) are among the most important non-timber forest products harvested because of their contribution for food security of local populations and generation of income for families. To evaluate the importance of WEPs in Guinea-Bissau (West Africa), this study characterized the diversity of their uses in the country and discusses their current socioeconomic relevance and potential for sustainable use, and conservation.MethodsData on WEPs were collected during fieldwork and market surveys carried out across the country, as well as from bibliographic and herbarium sources. A total of 62 interviews (49 women and 13 men, aged 15–60 years) were conducted between November 2021 and August 2024. A set of variables concerning the collection, trade, and consumption of WEPs was drawn up to classify the socioeconomic importance of the species traded.ResultsWe documented 115 WEPs from 45 families and 89 genera; 111 of them are native species and four are introduced and naturalized in Guinea-Bissau. Most of the WEP are woody plants found in woodlands and savannah woodlands. Fruits, followed by leaves and underground organs are the most usually consumed parts, mainly eaten raw. Thirty-nine WEPs are traded in the markets, eight of which can be considered as having high socioeconomic importance both as food and income source. Some patterns of use can be highlighted: children consume a larger number of wild fruits than adults, certain plants are only eaten in periods of food shortage, and several species are highly valued in the markets.ConclusionsIn Guinea-Bissau, WEPs play a key role in the traditional diet of local communities, especially when crops are scarce, thus ensuring food security, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. The sustainable use of WEPs can contribute to the well-being of local populations and to the conservation of the natural resources and ecosystems in this West African country.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13002-025-00825-w.

Natural forests in Ethiopia are significant biodiversity repositories and climate change regulators, but they are under growing pressure from anthropogenic activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the composition, structure, and regeneration status of the Mugere Zala natural forest in Asagrit District, Central Ethiopia. A systematic sampling strategy was utilised to collect samples from 20m × 20m sample plots for trees, 10m × 10m for shrubs, and 5m × 5m subplots for saplings and seedlings. The sample plots were placed 400m apart along transects laid at 200m intervals. The composition and population structure data for woody species (diameter at breast height (DBH) > 2.5cm and height > 2m) were documented. To assess plant diversity, quantitative species diversity, richness, and evenness were calculated. A total of 62 species were identified in 47 genera and 43 families. With 5 (11.6%) species, the Rosaceae family had the highest species richness. In total, 557 mature trees, 747 saplings, and 1036 seedlings ha-1 were observed in the sampled plots. Clutia abyssinica, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Maesa lanceolata, Allophylus abyssinicus, Carissa spinarum, Phytolacca dodecandra, and Jasminum abyssinicum were associated with about 49.98% of the importance values. Compared to other similar forests in Ethiopia, the vegetation structure is similar and distinct. The forest is dominated by small plant species and largest native tree species despite its poor regeneration status. This is because highland forests are particularly difficult to manage due to population pressure, which is associated with grazing effects.

ABSTRACT Herbarium collections are invaluable for understanding spatial distribution patterns and informing conservation management of biodiversity. However, herbarium collections of plant species in subtropical mountains have received limited attention. This study focuses on herbarium collections from plant species in nine subtropical mountains in China, aiming to identify patterns and drivers of collection bias, including geographic distribution, temporal trends, taxonomic focus, and collector contributions. Our results revealed that mountains in the northwest, for example, Mt. Lushan (LS) and Mt. Wugong (WG) exhibited higher herbarium collection density. However, mountains in the south, including Mt. Jiulian (JL) and Mt. Qiyun (QY), showed lower sampling efforts. Temporal distribution analysis elucidated historical consistencies and biases in herbarium collections, with collection peaks occurring during 1958–1959 and 1963–1965. Additionally, we found that the top 10% of collectors contributed more than half of the specimens. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of collection biases in subtropical mountains and proposes effective strategies for biodiversity conservation, such as strengthening collections in regions with high plant diversity, conducting targeted surveys in under‐sampled areas, and promoting collaboration among diverse collectors.

Bangladesh's rich plant diversity offers an underexplored source of plant-based antibacterials with the potential to strengthen sustainable aquaculture. This study evaluated the in vitro antibacterial efficacy of 55 Bangladeshi plants against five key fish pathogens, including Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Flavobacterium columnare, and Streptococcus iniae. The findings revealed numerous plant extracts with potential antibacterial activity against test pathogens. Among pathogens, S. iniae and F. columnare were found to be the most susceptible to the majority of plants. Several plants exhibited promising broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, including Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia bellirica, Mikania micrantha, Peperomia pellucida, Lawsonia inermis, Phyllanthus emblica, Eryngium foetidum, Amaranthus spinosus, and Alstonia scholaris. Novel antibacterial activity was reported for Ipomoea quamoclit, Erythrina serrata, Cressa europaea, and Dillenia indica against all tested pathogens, along with first-time screenings of the majority of plants against F. columnare and S. iniae. Phytochemical analysis revealed diverse bioactive groups in potent active extracts, including flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, alkaloids, and steroids. While a few potent extracts showed moderate cytotoxicity on the human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line, the majority were found to be safe. These findings highlight the significant potential of Bangladeshi flora as a source of novel, eco-friendly therapeutics for sustainable aquaculture disease management. This work provides a critical foundation forthe future exploration of these plants, includingthe isolation of active compounds and subsequentin vivostudies,which could ultimately contribute to reducing reliance on conventional antibiotics.

Abstract Biodiversity, particularly insects, faces considerable threats in intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Agroforestry systems (AFS), which integrate woody elements into agricultural land, can enhance biodiversity. This study aims to identify management factors influencing orthopteran richness and abundance in AFS. Additionally, it evaluates the utility of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) for orthopteran detection by comparing it to field monitoring. Orthopteran monitoring was conducted at 20 silvoarable AFS in western Switzerland. Orthopteran richness was recorded using transects and PAM, while abundance was obtained only from transects. Both methods yielded similar species numbers. Daytime PAM detected cryptic or low-abundance species missed by daytime transects but failed to record one non-stridulating and some nocturnal species. Consequently, data from both methods were combined to provide a more comprehensive analysis of factors influencing orthopteran richness. The analysis revealed that increasing plant species diversity within the understory vegetation strips (UVS) had a positive, though not statistically significant, effect on orthopteran species richness. Furthermore, a non-significant reduction trend in orthopteran abundance was observed in conventionally managed agroforestry systems compared to organically managed ones. Implications for insect conservation Our study shows that PAM can effectively monitor orthopteran richness in AFS. By increasing plant diversity in UVS and through organic management, farmers can enhance orthopteran richness and abundance in AFS and support biodiversity conservation.

The presence of submerged plant communities and the restoration of their diversity have critical impacts on aquatic ecosystem function, especially in eutrophic lakes. However, we lack a holistic understanding of how specific species and functional groups and their richness of submerged macrophytes affect the community productivity and water quality in aquatic ecosystems, and how these effects varied across water nutrient gradients. Here, we performed a mesocosm experiment by manipulating species richness and functional richness from a species pool of 22 submerged macrophytes to test what are the ecological implications of shifts in macrophytes diversity under two nutrients levels. The results showed that species richness significantly enhanced community productivity only at low nutrient level, while functional richness had no marked effects on community productivity across nutrient levels. The improvement of water quality by increasing submerged plant diversity (species and functional group richness) is often efficient, despite their context‐dependent effect (e.g. nutrient level, specific parameters). Specifically, our results demonstrated a remarkable role in distinct functional groups (FG). That is, the presence of particular functional group characterized by high leaf dry mass content (LDMC) and small specific leaf area (SLA) significantly enlarged the reduction of total nitrogen (TN) across nutrient levels, as well as the reduction of total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD Mn ) at low nutrient level. Additionally, the presence of FG characterized by long florescence and great SLA significantly affected nitrate reduction at high nutrient level and the reduction of TN, COD Mn and conductivity at low nutrient level. The presence of FG characterized by low LDMC and short shoot height significantly enhanced the reduction of dissolved oxygen and pH. Our findings highlighted the unique contributions of functional groups of macrophyte communities to water quality improvement should be taken into account when designing restoration strategies.

Active restoration structures such as microtopographic water-harvesting designs are widely implemented in dryland ecosystems to improve soil moisture, reduce erosion, and promote vegetation recovery. We assessed the combined effects of planted species identity, planting diversity (mono-, bi- and multi-species mixtures), and micro-catchment (half-moon) structures on seedling performance and spontaneous natural regeneration in a hyper-arid restoration pilot site in Sharaan National Park, northwest Saudi Arabia. Thirteen native plant species, of which four—Ochradenus baccatus, Haloxylon persicum, Haloxylon salicornicum, and Acacia gerrardii—formed the dominant planted treatments, were established in 18 half-moons and monitored for survival, growth, and natural recruitment. Seedling survival after 20 months differed significantly among planting treatments, increasing from 58% in mono-plantings to 69% in bi-plantings and 82% in multi-plantings (binomial GLMM, p < 0.001), indicating a positive effect of planting diversity on establishment. Growth traits (height, collar diameter, and crown dimensions) were synthesized into an Overall Growth Index (OGI) and an entropy-weighted OGI (EW-OGI). Mixed-effects models revealed strong species effects on both indices (F12,369 ≈ 7.2, p < 0.001), with O. baccatus and H. persicum outperforming other taxa and cluster analysis separating “fast expanders”, “moderate growers”, and “decliners”. Trait-based modeling showed that lateral crown expansion was the main driver of overall performance, whereas stem thickening and fruit production contributed little. Between 2022 and 2024, half-moon soils exhibited reduced electrical conductivity and exchangeable Na, higher organic carbon, and doubled available P, consistent with emerging positive soil–plant feedbacks. Spontaneous recruits were dominated by perennials (≈67% of richness), with perennial dominance increasing from mono- to multi-plantings, although Shannon diversity differences among treatments were small and non-significant. The correlation between OGI and spontaneous richness was positive but weak (r = 0.29, p = 0.25), yet plots dominated by O. baccatus hosted nearly two additional spontaneous species relative to other plantings, highlighting its strong facilitative role. Overall, our results show that half-moon micro-catchments, especially when combined with functionally diverse native plantings, can simultaneously improve soil properties and promote biotic facilitation, fostering a transition from active intervention to passive, self-sustaining restoration in hyper-arid environments.

Plant diversity and its utilisation by local communities are increasingly threatened by demographic pressures, climate variability, and land-use change. Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. (African elemi), a multipurpose tropical tree of the family Burseraceae, is culturally and economically significant in West Africa, yet remains under-documented in terms of human use across ecological gradients. This study investigated the influence of altitude on the utilisation of C. schweinfurthii in Plateau State, Nigeria. Three Local Government Areas representing distinct altitudinal zones, namely Jos East (high), Kanke (mid) and Shendam (low) were surveyed using 150 structured questionnaires administered, to purposively selected households engaged in farming, trade and medicinal plant practices. Data collected covered plant parts used, purposes, frequency of use and perceived availability. Findings revealed marked spatial differences: mid-altitude communities exhibited the highest and most diversified utilisation, including food, fuelwood, timber and medicinal applications. High-altitude respondents emphasised medicinal and oil uses, while low-altitude communities demonstrated limited engagement,reflecting both ecological scarcity and reduced cultural familiarity. Statistical modelling (GLM) confirmed altitude as a significant predictorof utilisation (χ² = 75.43, df = 2, p < 0.001). The study underscores the interplay of ecological availability and traditional knowledge in shaping resource use. These results provide a baseline for conservation planning, sustainable harvesting and integrating C. schweinfurthii into agroforestry and biodiversity restoration initiatives.

Background/Objectives: Colombia harbors exceptional plant diversity, comprising over 31,000 formally identified species, of which approximately 6000 are classified as useful plants. Among these, 2567 species possess documented food and medicinal applications, with several traditionally utilized for managing febrile illnesses. Despite the global burden of dengue virus infection affecting millions annually, no specific antiviral therapy has been established. This study aimed to identify potential anti-dengue compounds from Colombian medicinal flora through machine learning-based quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling. Methods: An optimized XGBoost algorithm was developed through Bayesian hyperparameter optimization (Optuna, 50 trials) and trained on 2034 ChEMBL-derived activity records with experimentally validated anti-dengue activity (IC50/EC50). The model incorporated 887 molecular features comprising 43 physicochemical descriptors and 844 ECFP4 fingerprint bits selected via variance-based filtering. IC50 and EC50 endpoints were modeled independently based on their pharmacological distinction and negligible correlation (r = −0.04, p = 0.77). Through a systematic literature review, 2567 Colombian plant species from the Humboldt Institute’s official checklist were evaluated (2501 after removing duplicates and infraspecific taxa), identifying 358 with documented antiviral properties. Phytochemical analysis of 184 characterized species yielded 3267 unique compounds for virtual screening. A dual-endpoint classification strategy categorized compounds into nine activity classes based on combined potency thresholds (Low: pActivity ≤ 5.0, Medium: 5.0 < pActivity ≤ 6.0, High: pActivity > 6.0). Results: The optimized model achieved robust performance (Matthews correlation coefficient: 0.583; ROC-AUC: 0.896), validated through hold-out testing (MCC: 0.576) and Y-randomization (p < 0.01). Virtual screening identified 276 compounds (8.4%) with high predicted potency for both endpoints (“High-High”). Structural novelty analysis revealed that all 276 compounds exhibited Tanimoto similarity < 0.5 to the training set (median: 0.214), representing 145 unique Murcko scaffolds of which 144 (99.3%) were absent from the training data. Application of drug-likeness filtering (QED ≥ 0.5) and applicability domain assessment identified 15 priority candidates. In silico ADMET profiling revealed favorable pharmaceutical properties, with Incartine (pIC50: 6.84, pEC50: 6.13, QED: 0.83), Bilobalide (pIC50: 6.78, pEC50: 6.07, QED: 0.56), and Indican (pIC50: 6.73, pEC50: 6.11, QED: 0.51) exhibiting the highest predicted potencies. Conclusions: This systematic computational screening of Colombian medicinal flora demonstrates the untapped potential of regional biodiversity for anti-dengue drug discovery. The identified candidates, representing structurally novel chemotypes, are prioritized for experimental validation.