Regional Ecosystem Research Articles

Determination of volatile aroma composition of some hazelnut varieties grown in Akçakoca conditions.

Türkiye is leading country for hazelnut production and hazelnut orchards are widely established in Black Sea belt. Akçakoca district belongs to Duzce province is accepted as one of the most important production areas. In this research, volatile aroma components in nuts (kernels) of Çakıldak, Kara, Sarı (Mincane), Tombul and Yomra hazelnut varieties grown in Akçakoca district were determined by SPME/GC-MS. The analysis revealed the presence a total of 55 different volatile aroma components. These analyzes identified the presence of 39 descriptive volatile aroma compounds with significant differences between varieties. Çakıldak variety differed from the other varieties in terms of Isopentyl alcohol and Ethyl acetate components. At the same time, some volatile aroma compounds are commonly detected among the all varieties. This study has shown that the climate and soil conditions of Akçakoca cause the emergence of unique taste profiles through the effect of hazelnut varieties on volatile aroma components. The findings emphasize that regional diversity and local ecosystem factors play a critical role in determining flavor in hazelnut kernels. This study also emphasizes that variety selection is a critical factor in ensuring sustainability in hazelnut cultivation and that determining volatile aroma components is an important indicator in this selection.

An Analytical Framework for Cross‐border Regional Innovation Ecosystems: The Case of Shenzhen–Hong Kong Cross‐border Region

AbstractIn cross‐border regions (CBRs), especially in Cross‐Border Regional Innovation Systems (CBRISs) research, proximity has traditionally served as the primary framework for measuring cross‐border integration and supports the view that the closer the proximity on both sides of the border in terms of physical, functional, cognitive, institutional and other dimensions, the more integration is fostered. Recently, however, this view has been questioned, with both theoretical studies of ‘related varieties’ and empirical results from specific cross‐border cases challenging the adequacy of the proximity framework as a singular dimension for analysing CBR integration. To bridge this knowledge gap, this paper expands the proximity framework to four dimensions of relational proximity, innovation ecological environment integration, complementary advantages and common goals from the perspective of innovation ecosystem, builds an analytical assessment framework of cross‐border regional innovation ecosystem (CBRIE), and conducts an empirical analysis of the Shenzhen–Hong Kong CBR. The results show that the framework accounts well for the development of CBRIEs. Furthermore, the exchange of innovation factors between Shenzhen and Hong Kong has made greater progress and accelerated, and is moving towards building an innovation ecosystem. However, they have not yet formed a complete CBRIE.

Detection of long-term land use and ecosystem services dynamics in the Loess Hilly-Gully region based on artificial intelligence and multiple models

Balancing intensive development with biodiversity conservation is critical for ecological sustainability. In the Loess Hilly-Gully region, which has experienced significant environmental changes from 1980 to 2020, land use changes are vital for ecosystem service maintenance. However, these processes are susceptible to environmental stressors such as climate change, land degradation, and inadequate land management. Despite recognizing these stressors, their combined impact on land use and ecosystem services is not well understood. This study addresses this gap by utilizing multi-model land use simulations combined with artificial intelligence to analyze changes over the four-decade period. We focused on identifying ecological nodes essential for landscape connectivity, finding that these nodes significantly enhance regional ecosystem services. We also examined the relationship between land use changes and ecosystem services under various environmental stressors within the specified timeframe. Our analysis indicates that land use changes are a strong indicator of ecosystem evolution in these areas. We observed that under natural conditions, land use and ecosystem services interactions are governed by both stochastic and deterministic factors. Interestingly, multiple stressors intensified the stochastic nature of land use changes and the deterministic aspects of ecosystem services. Specifically, climate change, coupled with suboptimal land management, significantly affects this relationship, with climate change being the most influential factor on land use patterns during the studied period. This research offers important insights for improved environmental management and reducing impacts on aquatic ecosystems amid escalating climate change threats.

Accumulation of Technogenic and Natural Radionuclides in the Don Delta Sediments

The study of current sedimentation processes and radioactive contamination in the total area of the Don Delta is the research goal. The presented paper contains data analysis of radioecological and lithologic studies on bottom sediments, sampled in the northern part of the Don Delta in 2022. Based on the research results obtained, the authors provide the characteristics of the current conditions of sedimentation and specific activity of artificial and natural radionuclides in fluvial deposits, as well as indicate that similar in characteristics sandy-silty aleurites and sandy aleurite-clayish silts with inclusions of plant and shell detritus compose the bottom sediments of numerous braided channels. The authors determined the zonal accumulation character of both 137Cs technogenic and 226Ra, 40K, and 232Th natural radionuclides which conditions their accumulation and content increase from the lower delta to the upper delta areas. The velocity of currents in the braided channels (bayous) and related sedimentation conditions of suspended matter, as well as the lithotype of the bottom ground determine the indicated regularity. We assume that unlike 137Cs the distribution of natural radionuclides (40K, 226Ra, and 232Th) mainly depends on the mineral content of sediments entering the delta with the river runoff. Relatively low indices – on average ca. 9 Bq/kg of dry weight (d.w.) – characterise the current range of 137Cs radioisotope concentrations in the sediments of the Northern Don Delta. Such a level of specific activity is of no danger to the regional ecosystem.

Decoding the metabolomic responses of Caragana tibetica to livestock grazing in fragile ecosystems.

The population of Caragana tibetica, situated on the edge of the typical grassland-to-desert transition in the Mu Us Sandy Land, plays a vital ecological role in maintaining stability within the regional fragile ecosystem. Despite the consistent growth of C. tibetica following animal grazing, the biological mechanisms underlying its compensatory growth in response to livestock consumption remain unclear. Analyzing 48 metabolomic profiles from C. tibetica, our study reveals that the grazing process induces significant changes in the metabolic pathways of C. tibetica branches. Differential metabolites show correlations with soluble protein content, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and proline levels. Moreover, machine learning models built on these differential metabolites accurately predict the intensity of C. tibetica grazing (with an accuracy of 83.3%). The content of various metabolites, indicative of plant stress responses, including Enterolactone, Narceine, and Folcepri, exhibits significant variations in response to varying grazing intensities (P<0.05). Our investigation reveals that elevated grazing intensity intensifies the stress response in C. tibetica, triggering heightened antioxidative defenses and stress-induced biochemical activities. Distinctive metabolites play a pivotal role in responding to stress, facilitating the plant's adaptation to environmental challenges and fostering regeneration.

A temperature‐controlled, circular maintenance system for studying growth and development of pelagic tunicates (salps)

AbstractSalps have attracted attention as zooplankton organisms that may be able to expand their habitat range and increase their ecological importance in the face of ongoing global warming. Due to their gelatinous nature, unique feeding strategy, and reproductive ecology such changes could have profound impacts on regional marine ecosystems. While their role in the regional carbon cycle is receiving attention, our knowledge of their physiology and life cycle is still limited. This knowledge gap is mainly due to their fragile gelatinous nature, which makes it difficult to capture and maintain intact specimen in the laboratory. We present here a modified kreisel tank system that has been tested onboard a research vessel with the Southern Ocean salp Salpa thompsoni and at a research station with Salpa fusiformis and Thalia democratica from the Mediterranean Sea. Successful maintenance over days to weeks allowed us to obtain relative growth and developmental rates comparable to in situ field samples of S. thompsoni and S. fusiformis, and provided insights into previously unknown features of their life cycle (e.g., testes development). Our results show that traditional methods of estimating growth, such as cohort analysis, may lead to a general overestimation of growth rates and neglect individual strategies (e.g., shrinkage), which can affect the results and conclusions drawn from population dynamic models. By providing a starting point for the successful maintenance of different species, comparable experiments on the physiology of salps is made possible. This will contribute to refining model parameters and improving the reliability of the predictions.

Spatiotemporal patterns of net regional productivity and its causes throughout Ordos, China.

A comprehensive understanding of the terrestrial carbon sink is essential for proficient regional carbon management. However, previous studies predominantly relied on net ecosystem productivity (NEP) as an indicator of regional carbon sink, overlooking the impacts of carbon emissions from physical processes and carbon leakage associated with anthropogenic activities. In this study, net region productivity (NRP), a vital metric representing carbon sink dynamics in regional multi-landscape ecosystems, was employed to systematically analyze the patterns, trends, and causes of carbon sink in Ordos. The results revealed that spatially averaged NRP in Ordos was 70.334 g·m-2·a-1, indicating a carbon sink effect. The coefficient of variation of NRP was 68.035%, with a higher NRP in the southern region. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) predominantly controlled the spatial heterogeneity of NRP in Ordos, while precipitation emerged as the primary climatic factor influencing spatial differences in NRP. Regional variations in the impact of environmental factors on NRP were evident. In most areas, NRP showed a notable increasing trend influenced by various factors. Specifically, the simultaneous rise in NDVI and improvements in hydrothermal conditions contributed to the gradual elevation of NRP, each with varying degrees of influence across Ordos and its sub-regions.

Photovoltaic systems promote grassland restoration by coordinating water and nutrient uptake, transport and utilization

The extensive use of fossil fuels puts ecological and economic coordinated development at risk. Photovoltaic systems relieve the pressure of resource extraction and energy generation on climate change, and their installation and module operation affect vegetation productivity and grassland restoration by changing the microenvironment and ecosystem processes. However, it is still unclear whether plants adapt to these changes in photovoltaic systems to sustain their growth. Here, combined stable isotope techniques with plant traits, plant adaptations to photovoltaic systems at different scales were analyzed from the perspectives of water and nutrient sources, uptake, transport, and utilization. The results showed that photovoltaic systems increased water uptake by the dominant species Leymus chinensis from the top 10 cm of the soil and the aboveground biomass. This was associated with strong plasticity of roots and conduction tissues, which improved resource uptake from the fertile surface soil and transport within the plant, and promoted photosynthesis and leaf water loss by inducing stomatal opening. Different from fixed photovoltaic systems, tracking photovoltaic systems improved ecosystem water use efficiency and surface soil nutrient availability by reducing soil temperature. Tilting tracking photovoltaic systems especially promoted biomass accumulation and grassland restoration. The study suggested that photovoltaic systems promoted vegetation restoration of grassland ecosystem in semi-arid region through the water and nutrient coordination and the carbon-water coupling, and provides a solution for reasonable planning of photovoltaic industry and sustainable socio-economic development.

Patterns and Dominant Driving Factors of Carbon Storage Changes in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau under Multiple Land Use Change Scenarios

Revealing the spatial–temporal evolution of carbon storage and its driving mechanisms in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau could provide support for decision making in the protection of regional ecosystems and the achievement of regional dual-carbon goals. In this study, the spatial–temporal evolution of carbon storage in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau was analyzed under various scenarios using PLUS-InVEST and a gravity center model, and the driving mechanisms of carbon storage were clarified with Geodetector. The results are as follows: (1) During 2000–2020, the areas of coniferous forest, evergreen broad-leaved forest, closed shrub, temperate shrub desert, multi-tree grassland, and grassland showed an increasing trend, while the areas of deciduous broad-leaved forest and mixed forest showed a decreasing trend. (2) During 2030–2060, there was a decreasing trend in the total carbon storage of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau under three different scenarios. (3) During 2030–2060, the area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau was mostly represented by carbon balance (56%), while the areas of carbon sources and carbon sinks showed a scattered distribution. (4) The precipitation and topographic factors with a q value of 0.888 played a dominant role in affecting the spatio-temporal variations in carbon storage in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. (5) In future ecological protection and restoration efforts, more high-quality farmlands should be protected and constructed, which could contribute to the achievement of dual-carbon goals. In addition, the hydrothermal conditions should be improved to aid the carbon cycle process in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

Ecosystem Service Value Assessment of the Yellow River Delta Based on Satellite Remote Sensing Data

The Yellow River Delta (YRD) stands as a globally significant wetland, playing a pivotal role in sustaining regional ecosystem stability and offering crucial ecosystem services to humanity. However, anthropogenic activities, particularly resource development, unavoidably disrupt the ecosystem, leading to the degradation of these vital services. Utilizing satellite remote sensing data, the InVEST model, and energy analysis, this study introduces the concept of ‘emergy’ as an ‘intermediate variable’ to investigate the spatiotemporal changes in the ecosystem service value of the YRD. Five distinct types of ecosystem services are selected for quantitative assessment and analysis of the YRD’s spatiotemporal evolution from 1990 to 2020. Results indicate a 63.7% decline in the total value of ecosystem services from 1990 to 2010, followed by a 16.5% increase from 2010 to 2020. The study also unveils spatial shifts in high- and low-value areas of ecosystem services and attributes these changes to rapid urbanization and alterations in land use and cover. The assessment of ecosystem service values concretizes the intangible ecosystem service functions of natural resources. This lays the foundation for establishing a mechanism that combines positive incentives and reverse pressure to achieve the economic valuation of ecosystem service.

The impact of the military actions on the soil ecosystem of Mykolaiv region

A study has been conducted on the changes occurring in the soil cover of the Mykolaiv region due to military activities, aiming to develop strategies for protecting ecosystems and their revitalization. Military actions lead to significant soil pollution with inorganic chemicals and petroleum products and have a toxic impact on biota. Explosions and bombardments result in soil cover degradation and erosion. Additionally, the destruction of vegetation and disruption of the biological cycle threaten soil fertility. Ignoring such processes could have devastating consequences. In certain areas affected by military influence, doubts or concerns arise regarding land resource eco-safety and its appropriate consumer use. Radioecological monitoring, due to military actions, is particularly relevant. Environmental security issues are becoming increasingly significant, and preserving the ecological integrity of soil is becoming a crucial priority. One of the critical areas of interaction between humans and the environment is agriculture, which plays a vital role in forming the food base and utilizing natural resources. Developing agroecological systems is becoming increasingly important as they influence the biosphere and require systemic analysis to ensure ecological sustainability. Agroecosystems reflect all aspects of human-environment interaction, assessing its ecological consequences as a crucial element of sustainable development. The research aimed to identify signs of soil phytotoxicity in the context of ecocide caused by military actions. Preserving soils is a prerequisite for the region's sustainable development and food security. Thus, a study aimed at identifying various impacts on the soils of the Mykolaiv region is of great importance for developing strategies for conserving and restoring soils that meet modern needs.

In-Depth Analysis of Spotted Lanternfly Intrusion Patterns

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, is an invasive pest that originates from Asia and poses a significant threat to agricultural and forest ecosystems in regions where it has been introduced. Its ability to feed on a wide range of host plants allows for rapid population growth and spread, making it a growing concern for ecologists and agriculturalists. Current research efforts are focused on understanding the invasion dynamics of SLF, utilizing spatial analysis and population modeling to predict its spread. Extensive field surveys and citizen science data are being leveraged to map the current distribution and identify factors contributing to its expansion. Analytical models are being refined to include climatic, geographical, and human-mediated factors to enhance the accuracy of predictions. The impact of human trade and travel as vectors for SLF dissemination is assessed, highlighting critical control points for intervention. A cost-benefit analysis of various management strategies offers a pragmatic perspective on resource allocation for containment and eradication. Moreover, the paper explores the ecological repercussions of SLF establishment, including the disruption of native species interactions and the cascading effects on biodiversity. This research aims to provide a robust framework for predicting and managing the spread of SLF, informing policy decisions and resource management. Looking forward, this research paves the way for adaptive management approaches tailored to the changing dynamics of invasive species threats in the context of global environmental change.

The Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity in the African Savanna

For a long time, the African savannah has been famous for its extremely rich biodiversity. However, the changed global climate is threatening this special and precious ecosystem and is predicted to cause a huge blow to plants and animals in this region. Recent research shows that the rising temperature, the changing pattern of extreme rainfall events, and woody encroachment have impacted the completeness and continuity of the food web in the African savannah--the decreasing of some plants causes the food shortage of some herbivores. Decreasing herbivores would further lead to the difficulty of hunting many carnivores. Thus, the change in global warming would impact the biodiversity of species in the African savannah by affecting the food web in this region. Although existing research has achieved certain results in the field of the impacts of climate change on the African savannah, there are still huge gaps worthy of continued research. This paper discusses the impacts of climate change on the biodiversity and functions of the ecosystem in the African savannah region by analyzing the impacts of climate change on specific animals (Elephants, Small mammals, and Ants). This discussion emphasizes the importance of making strategies to reduce climate change’s impacts and protect the African savannah’s biodiversity. It provides the generality of current impacts of climate change in the African savannah for further research in this field.

A holistic framework for evaluating and planning sustainable rural drinking water projects in sub-Saharan Africa

Clean water facilities and services are failing the population of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), hindering the goal of “Water for All” owing to unsustainable drinking water projects and infrastructure. A vast body of literature has examined the lack of sustainability in drinking water projects, identifying: economic, technological, planning, social and political factors. However, much of the existing literature reflects fragmented and siloed thinking, often focusing on specific issues without a holistic view, masking root causes, and overlooking multi-level stakeholder involvement, necessitating deeper analysis. In addition, most studies view individual projects as pertaining to a single spatial level—such as the village level—detached from its regional or global ecosystem. This paper introduces the “Holistic Integrated Framework” developed through a study in Siaya County, Kenya, on the sustainability of water projects aimed at bridging these gaps. This tool can enhance our understanding of sustainability, allowing for a comprehensive examination and understanding of the problems. It enables the identification of multiple spatial and governance levels and their cross referencing with sustainability categories. It uncovers essential underlying factors driving project sustainability and assesses stakeholders' interconnectedness as well as the direct impact of their actions, thus assisting in addressing the myriad obstacles to sustainability. Furthermore, it identifies the regional feedback loops that perpetuate these problems. The tool is exemplified through a case study illustrating the complexity and fragility of sustainability's, emphasizing the need for a detailed, comprehensive analysis to mitigate risks.

A new framework for assessing ecosystem health with consideration of the sustainable supply of ecosystem services

ContextThe establishment of an ecosystem health assessment framework from a human–environment view is vital to landscape sustainability. Although several studies have improved the assessment framework by integrating ecosystem services (ESs) supply or demand, consideration of the sustainable supply of ESs is lacking.ObjectivesThe objective of this paper is to improve the current methodological framework by integrating ecological integrity and the sustainable supply of ESs to establish an ecosystem health assessment framework.MethodsAn improved assessment framework, including four indicators, vigor, organization, resilience, and ecosystem services supply rate, was established from the perspective of human–environment systems. Then, the performance of the improved assessment framework was demonstrated in a case study in China from 2000 to 2020.ResultsFrom 2000 to 2020, the overall spatial pattern of ecosystem health values in China was high in the southern and southeastern coastal regions, and low health values were mostly located in the western region, parts of Inner Mongolia, and metropolitan areas, with a descending trend from southeast to northwest. The imbalance between the potential and actual supply of ESs greatly contributed to the deterioration of regional ecosystem health. During the study period, the regional ecosystem in China was found to be in a more unhealthy state than in traditional Vigor-Organization-Resilience-Ecosystem services (VORES) evaluation.ConclusionsThe improved assessment framework that incorporates the ecological integrity and sustainable supply of ESs provides a new perspective for understanding the complex inherent characteristics of ecosystems and the regional human-nature connectedness in coupled human–environment systems. Our results could serve as a scientific reference for practical landscape governance in a changing world to achieve landscape sustainability.

Use of trait concepts and terminology in freshwater ecology: Historic, current, and future perspectives

Abstract Trait‐based approaches have received increasing interest among freshwater scientists given their capacity to predict community structure and biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning. However, the inconsistent development and use of trait concepts and terms across freshwater scientific disciplines may have limited realisation of the potential of traits. Here, we reviewed trait definitions and terms use to provide recommendations for their consistent application in freshwater science. To do so, we first reviewed literature to identify established trait definitions, historical and current use of trait terms and challenges restricting the application of trait‐based approaches in freshwater science. Next, we surveyed 414 freshwater researchers from 54 countries to assess variability in the current use of trait terminology in relation to respondent characteristics (i.e., professional experience, geographical region, research discipline, and focal freshwater ecosystem, biotic group, and ecosystem function). Our literature review identified two well‐established trait definitions, which emphasise individual phenotypic characteristics that influence either eco‐evolutionary aspects (i.e., organism performance and fitness) or ecosystem dynamics and processes (i.e., responses to the environment and/or effects on ecosystem functioning). Publications used a range of trait‐related terms and their frequency of use varied among scientific fields. The term functional trait dominated fields such as biodiversity conservation, environmental sciences and ecology, plant sciences and microbiology. In contrast, the terms biological trait, functional trait, and species trait were used with similar frequencies in fields such as entomology, fisheries, marine and freshwater biology, and zoology. We also found that well‐established trait definitions are difficult to apply to freshwater unicellular organisms, colonial multicellular organisms, genomic information, and cultural traits. Our survey revealed highly inconsistent use of trait terms among freshwater researchers. Terms including biological trait, functional trait, structural measure, and ecosystem function were commonly used to describe the same traits or functions. Variability in the use of terms was generally explained by research discipline, geographical region, and focal biotic group and ecosystem functions. We propose making the trait concept flexible enough to be applicable to all freshwater biota and their characteristics, while keeping and integrating links to eco‐evolutionary and ecosystem aspects. Specifically, our new definition expands the established functional trait definition by considering also supra‐individual scales of trait measurement (colonial‐ or community‐mean traits), genotypic traits (e.g., functional gene markers of enzymes) and cultural traits (e.g., feeding behaviours, communication skills). To reduce terminological ambiguity, we also recommend that researchers define trait terms, prioritising the use of functional trait as an overarching term over alternative terms (e.g., biological trait), and restricting specific terms (e.g., morphological trait) to situations in which such precision is desirable. The findings of our integrative study could help to improve terminological consistency across freshwater disciplines and to better recognise the potential of traits to elucidate the mechanisms behind ecological patterns.

Identifying ecological security patterns to prioritize conservation and restoration：A case study in Xishuangbanna tropical region, China

Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Kunming-Montreal GBF), which puts forward higher ecological conservation requirements for countries to carry out sound spatial planning to realize the ultimate vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It is urgent to adopt a comprehensive and refined spatial planning method to provide spatial guidance for efficient actions. Ecological security patterns (ESP) are an integrated approach that effectively reduces the impact of production and daily life on nature, promoting regional ecological sustainability, which can provide efficient spatial planning support for Kunming-Montreal GBF implementation. Taking the Xishuangbanna tropical region as a research case, a biodiversity hotspot in China and the world, this study attempts to improve and optimize the ecological network construction process of the ESP research paradigm “ecological sources identification-ecological resistance surfaces construction-ecological corridors extraction" around higher ecological objectives, and further identifies the priority areas for ecological conservation and restoration. Overall, it has been determined the ecological network spaces of five species groups in the Xishuangbanna tropical region. Key biodiversity areas of 2768.19 km2 play an important maintenance role in the overall biodiversity and ecosystem services of the region, and 213 high importance and connectivity corridors that have significant contributions to the migration of species are determined. The priority areas for ecological conservation (2467.71 km2) and ecological restoration (514.67 km2) are further determined. This study provides a demonstration case for constructing an integrated ESP to maintain regional species and ecosystem stability, enhance integrity and connectivity, and further identify priority areas. For the Xishuangbanna tropical region and other global biodiversity hotspots, a systematic, comprehensive, and sustainable ecological management model should be established, where limited funding and resources for ecological actions should be directed to priority areas of the most valuable outcomes.

Resilience of an Urban Coastal Ecosystem in the Caribbean: A Remote Sensing Approach in Western Puerto Rico

Utilization of remote sensing-derived meteorological data is a valuable alternative for tropical insular territories such as Puerto Rico (PR). The study of ecosystem resilience in insular territories is an underdeveloped area of investigation. Little research has focused on studying how an ecosystem in PR responds to and recovers from unique meteorological events (e.g., hurricanes). This work aims to investigate how an ecosystem in Western Puerto Rico responds to extreme climate events and fluctuations, with a specific focus on evaluating its innate resilience. The Antillean islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic are vulnerable to intense weather phenomena, such as hurricanes. Due to the distinct tropical conditions inherent to this region, and the ongoing urban development of coastal areas, their ecosystems are constantly affected. Key indicators, including gross primary production (GPP), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), actual evapotranspiration (ET), and land surface temperature (LST), are examined to comprehend the interplay between these factors within the context of the Culebrinas River Watershed (CRW) ecosystem over the past decade during the peak of hurricane season. Data processing and analyses were performed on datasets provided by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat 8–9 OLI TRIS, supplemented by information sourced from Puerto Rico Water and Energy Balance (PRWEB)—a dataset derived from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data. The findings revealed a complex interrelationship among atmospheric events and anthropogenic activities within the CRW, a region prone to recurrent atmospheric disruptions. NDVI and ET values from 2015 to 2019 showed the ecosystem’s capacity to recover after a prolonged drought period (2015) and Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017). In 2015, the NDVI average was 0.79; after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the NDVI dropped to 0.6, while in 2019, it had already increased to 0.8. Similarly, average ET values went from 3.2339 kg/m2/day in 2017 to 2.6513 kg/m2/day in 2018. Meanwhile, by 2019, the average ET was estimated to be 3.8105 kg/m2/day. Data geoprocessing of LST, NDVI, GPP, and ET, coupled with correlation analyses, revealed positive correlations among ET, NDVI, and GPP. Our results showed that areas with little anthropogenic impact displayed a more rapid and resilient restoration of the ecosystem. The spatial distribution of vegetation and impervious surfaces further highlights that areas closer to mountains have shown higher resilience while urban coastal areas have faced greater challenges in recovering from atmospheric events, thus showing the importance of preserving native vegetation, particularly mangroves, for long-term ecosystem stability. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamic interactions within urban coastal ecosystems in insular territories, emphasizing their resilience in the context of both natural atmospheric events and human activity. The insights gained from this research offer valuable guidance for managing and safeguarding ecosystems in similar regions characterized by their susceptibility to extreme weather phenomena.

Response of Vegetation to Drought in the Source Region of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers Based on Causal Analysis

The vegetation and ecosystem in the source region of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River (SRYY) are fragile. Affected by climate change, extreme droughts are frequent and permafrost degradation is serious in this area. It is very important to quantify the drought–vegetation interaction in this area under the influence of climate–permafrost coupling. In this study, based on the saturated vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil moisture (SM) that characterize atmospheric and soil drought, as well as the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) and solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) that characterize vegetation greenness and function, the evolution of regional vegetation productivity and drought were systematically identified. On this basis, the technical advantages of the causal discovery algorithm Peter–Clark Momentary Conditional Independence (PCMCI) were applied to distinguish the response of vegetation to VPD and SM. Furthermore, this study delves into the response mechanisms of NDVI and SIF to atmospheric and soil drought, considering different vegetation types and permafrost degradation areas. The findings indicated that low SM and high VPD were the limiting factors for vegetation growth. The positive and negative causal effects of VPD on NDVI accounted for 47.88% and 52.12% of the total area, respectively. Shrubs were the most sensitive to SM, and the response speed of grassland to SM was faster than that of forest land. The impact of SM on vegetation in the SRYY was stronger than that of VPD, and the effect in the frozen soil degradation area was more obvious. The average causal effects of NDVI and SIF on SM in the frozen soil degradation area were 0.21 and 0.41, respectively, which were twice as high as those in the whole area, and SM dominated NDVI (SIF) changes in 62.87% (76.60%) of the frozen soil degradation area. The research results can provide important scientific basis and theoretical support for the scientific assessment and adaptation of permafrost, vegetation, and climate change in the source area and provide reference for ecological protection in permafrost regions.

Fauna of aquatic invertebrates of the spring ecosystems in the Minsk region

New data on aquatic invertebrates of the spring ecosystems of the Minsk region are presented. 104 lowest defined taxa (LDT) species and forms of representatives of macrozoobenthos and pleistone complexes belonging to 4 phyla of aquatic invertebrates were found: Platyhelminthes – 2, Mollusca – 20, Annelida – 7, Arthropoda – 75 species and forms. 75 taxonomic elements have been identified before the species. The average number of identified aquatic invertebrate species in the studied springs of the Minsk region was 12‒13 species, and the number of 205 specimens. The sources are inhabited by protected species of animals listed in the Red Book of Belarus and the Red Lists of a number of Western European countries. It was concluded that the fauna of aquatic invertebrate animals is rich and represented by a number of species rare in Belarus and Europe.