Restoration Strategies Research Articles

Climate change and the biodiversity of alpine ponds: Challenges and perspectives.

Inland waters are among the most threatened biodiversity hotspots. Ponds located in alpine areas are experiencing more rapid and dramatic water temperature increases than any other biome. Despite their prevalence, alpine ponds and their biodiversity responses to climate change have been poorly explored, reflecting their small size and difficult access. To understand the effects of climate change on alpine pond biodiversity, we performed a comprehensive literature review for papers published since 1955. Through analysis of their geographic distribution, environmental features, and biodiversity values, we identified which environmental factors related to climate change would have direct or indirect effects on alpine pond biodiversity. We then synthesized this information to produce a conceptual model of the effects of climate change on alpine pond biodiversity. Increased water temperature, reduced hydroperiod, and loss of connectivity between alpine ponds were the main drivers of biodiversity geographic distribution, leading to predictable changes in spatial patterns of biodiversity. We identified three major research gaps that, if addressed, can guide conservation and restoration strategies for alpine ponds biodiversity in an uncertain future.

Injectable Peptide Hydrogels Loaded with Murine Embryonic Stem Cells Relieve Ischemia In Vivo after Myocardial Infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in aging and metabolically unhealthy populations. A major target of regenerative tissue engineering is the restoration of viable cardiomyocytes to preserve cardiac function and circumvent the progression to heart failure post-MI. Amelioration of ischemia is a crucial component of such restorative strategies. Angiogenic β-sheet peptides can self-assemble into thixotropic nanofibrous hydrogels. These syringe aspiratable cytocompatible gels were loaded with stem cells and showed excellent cytocompatibility and minimal impact on the storage and loss moduli of hydrogels. Gels with and without cells were delivered into the myocardium of a mouse MI model (LAD ligation). Cardiac function and tissue remodeling were evaluated up to 4 weeks in vivo. Injectable peptide hydrogels synergized with loaded murine embryonic stem cells to demonstrate enhanced survival after intracardiac delivery during the acute phase post-MI, especially at 7 days. This approach shows promise for post-MI treatment and potentially functional cardiac tissue regeneration and warrants large-scale animal testing prior to clinical translation.

Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering Methodology to Restore Power System considering Reactive Power Balance and Stability Factor Analysis

Despite there are significant advancements in modern power systems, blackouts remain a potential risk, necessitating efficient restoration strategies. This paper introduces an innovative concept for power system restoration, focusing on balancing active and reactive power while ensuring voltage stability. For instance, this paper employs an agglomerative clustering technique, which partitions the power system into segments with balanced reactive power, facilitating swift restoration postblackout. Central to this methodology is the use of the line stability factor, which assesses the voltage stability of individual lines, identifying the system’s stronger and weaker sections based on voltage stability levels. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed methodology through case study analysis, comparing voltage stability levels across agglomerative clusters and their geographical locations. The power system is divided into two stable partitions, considering the number of black-start generators, available reactive power, and voltage stability levels. This partitioning reveals that the clusters formed by the agglomerative method are inherently stable, suggesting enhanced system stability, dependability, and availability during the restoration phase following a blackout. In addition, this paper discusses the potential causes of blackouts, offering insights into their prevention, and finishes with a novel clustering methodology for power systems, considering reactive power and voltage stability. This method facilitates the parallel restoration of the system’s independent partitions, significantly reducing restoration time; it addresses critical challenges and outcomes, underscoring the methodology’s potential to revolutionize blackout recovery processes in modern power systems.

Woody Plant Assemblages of Recently Declared Village Land Forest Reserve in The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot

Understanding of species composition of village land forest reserves and their driving factors informs adequate development of effective restoration strategies and sustainable forest management of miombo woodlands. This study assessed the effects of human disturbance as well as environmental variables on woody plant species composition using 24 square plots of 10 x 10 m in a recently declared village land forest reserve in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot of Tanzania. Ordination analysis technique canonical correspondence analysis was used to identify important vegetation gradients and significant factors that explain the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. Results showed that, 779 individual woody plants were recorded, of which 379 were seedlings (48.6%), 102 saplings (13.1%) and 298 adults (38.3%). The three most dominant plant species were Brachystegia spiciformis (42.2%), Diplorhynchus condylocarpon (9%) and B. boehmii (8.7%), while the least were Multidentia crassa and Diospyros squarrosa with each species having less than 1% overall abundance. Pterocarpus angolensis, a highly protected and near-threatened tree species, was also recorded but with only very few individuals. Canopy cover and soil pH were the two most important variables explaining the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. These results emphasise that village forests are important for preserving native and threatened tree species, and improved management should discourage all practices that change natural conditions of canopy cover and soil pH to safeguard the remaining village forests, biodiversity and rural livelihoods.

Penerapan Restorative Justice Dalam Sistem Peradilan Pidana Anak

The application of restorative justice with certain requirements must be implemented and used to provide opportunities and possibilities for crime victims to obtain restitution, a sense of security, enable perpetrators to understand the causes and consequences of their behavior and take responsibility in a meaningful way and enable society to understand the main causes of crimes, to promote society's sense of justice and prevent crime. A special restorative justice process strategy for children/adolescents that is balanced should be based on the idea that the source of children's crimes and violations is the community, family, school, so that strategies that only focus on individual perpetrators are not appropriate. This restorative justice will feature flexible procedures and a series of actions that can be adapted to the applicable criminal justice system and are fair to the parties.

Population structure and carbon storage of critically endangered tree Karomia gigas (Faden) Verdic in the coastal forests of Lindi, Tanzania

Global biological loss is predominantly propelled by human activities resulting in the extinction of some important plant species while pushing others to the brink of critical danger. Better understanding of the ecology of these important species facilitates safeguarding their habitats and the development of sustainable restoration strategies. Data on vegetation, physiographic, edaphic and anthropogenic variables were collected from forty (40) concentric temporary circular plots in two forest reserves (i.e. Mitundumbea and Litipo Forest Reserves) to determine population structure and above-ground carbon storage of Karomia gigas (Faden) Verdic a critically endangered tree species in the coastal forests of Lindi, Tanzania. Within the Litipo Forest Reserve, we recorded a total of 30 K. gigas individual trees, comprising 13 seedlings, 10 saplings and 7 mature trees. The largest measured diameter at breast height (dbh) in this forest was 29.2 cm while the smallest was 0.9 cm. In contrast, the Mitundumbea Forest Reserve had 15 mature K. gigas individual trees but lacked seedlings and saplings. The largest dbh recorded in this forest stood at 59.7 cm, with the smallest dbh measurement being 5.1 cm. We overall observed significant negative correlations between the abundance of K. gigas adults and both soil organic carbon (P = 0.005) and burnt areas (P = 0.003). The total abundance of K. gigas showed a negative association with soil organic carbon (P = 0.011). Furthermore, the carbon storage of K. gigas exhibited a negative relationship with burnt areas (P = 0.005) and a positive relationship with elevation (P = 0.016). None of the assessed physiographic, edaphic, and anthropogenic variables could explain the overall abundance of K. gigas seedlings and saplings. The average above-ground carbon stored by K. gigas in Litipo forest was 3.19 ± 0.72 t ha−1, while in Mitundumbea it was 12.76 ± 1.75 t ha−1. To increase the population size and restore this once-extinct tree species, anthropogenic fires must be controlled for plant diversity conservation and environmental sustainability.

Ecological Study of the Vegetation in the Loka Abaya National Park, Ethiopia

An ecological study of the vegetation in the Loka Abaya National Park, in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia, was conducted. Vegetation data and some environmental variables including physical and chemical properties of the soil, altitude, slope, and ecological disturbance were collected and subjected to the agglomerative hierarchical classification and ordination with the canonical correspondence analysis. For each of the community groups, the mean and standard errors were calculated from the environmental parameters to characterize the community types and quantitative relationships between environmental variables were analyzed by calculating Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient using the SAS computer software programme. A total of 198 plant species representing 79 families and 139 genera were collected and documented. Seven plant community types, namely, Vachellia brevispica Harms–Rhus natalensis Krauss, Ficus sur Forssk.–Vachellia albida (Del.) A. Chev., Panicum subalbidum Kunth–Cyperus latifolius Poir, Dodonaea angustifolia L. f.–Ximenia americana L., Combretum molle R.Br ex. G.Don–Combretum collinum Fresen., Ilex mitis (L.) Radlk–Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata, and Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn, were identified. Ilex mitis–Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata community had the highest species richness, whereas the least species richness was recorded for the Panicum subalbidum–Cyperus latifolius community. The results of vegetation-environment relationships indicated that the measured environmental variables explained 74.99% of the total variation in floristic data. The results of the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of community-environment relationships indicated that among measured environmental variables, altitude (r2 0.0548, P<0.01), slope (r2 = 0.0241, P<0.01), pH (r2 = 0.01855, P<0.01), sodium (r2 = 0.01316, P<0.04), CEC (r2 = 0.01424, P<0.03), magnesium (r2 = 0.01282, P<0.04), potassium (r2 = 0.0152, P<0.02), and soil moisture content (SMC) (r2 = 0.01537, P<0.05) significantly explained the variation in species composition of the communities and their distribution. Therefore, ecosystem-oriented biodiversity conservation and restoration strategies will be implemented by considering these significant environmental variables.

Expression of Atoh1, Gfi1, and Pou4f3 in the mature cochlea reprograms nonsensory cells into hair cells

Mechanosensory hair cells of the mature mammalian organ of Corti do not regenerate; consequently, loss of hair cells leads to permanent hearing loss. Although nonmammalian vertebrates can regenerate hair cells from neighboring supporting cells, many humans with severe hearing loss lack both hair cells and supporting cells, with the organ of Corti being replaced by a flat epithelium of nonsensory cells. To determine whether the mature cochlea can produce hair cells in vivo, we reprogrammed nonsensory cells adjacent to the organ of Corti with three hair cell transcription factors: Gfi1, Atoh1, and Pou4f3. We generated numerous hair cell-like cells in nonsensory regions of the cochlea and new hair cells continued to be added over a period of 9 wk. Significantly, cells adjacent to reprogrammed hair cells expressed markers of supporting cells, suggesting that transcription factor reprogramming of nonsensory cochlear cells in adult animals can generate mosaics of sensory cells like those seen in the organ of Corti. Generating such sensory mosaics by reprogramming may represent a potential strategy for hearing restoration in humans.

Clogging of Substrate in Constructed Wetlands: Causes, Effects and Control Measures

The purpose of this paper was to review the available literature on the factors that cause substrate clogging in constructed wetlands. This review examines the effect, potential solutions, and areas requiring more research. Substrate clogging is a major problem in constructed wetlands which results in slowing down the flow of water and, ?nally, a significant reduction in the system's treating wastewater effectiveness. This technical and operational challenge is the result of a combination of processes such as suspended matter deposition, sludge formation, chemical precipitation, and deposition inside pore spaces. It is difficult to assess the extent of substrate clogging in constructed wetlands because this phenomenon is impacted by a variety of factors. This problem can be addressed using a preventive or restorative strategy. Some of these strategies include wastewater pre-treatment, proper substrate and aquatic plant selection, earlier removal of leaves and dead roots, and backwashing.

Vulnerability assessment of forest ecosystem based on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, India: A geospatial analysis

Forests are becoming increasingly vulnerable to a range of climatic and non-climatic stressors. Thus, the forest vulnerability assessment is crucial for identifying potential risks and enhancing forest resilience. The present study attempts to explore the forest vulnerability in the protected area of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), India. A forest ecosystem vulnerability index (FEVI) was constructed using its three components (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) and site-specific indicators. Exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indices were integrated to prepare the forest vulnerability map. The map was validated through the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and confusion metrics and found reliable. The results revealed that of the total area of the Reserve, the largest area was found under moderate vulnerability (48.36%), followed by high vulnerability (32.28%) and low vulnerability (19.36%). Madanpur, Raghia, and the lower part of Harnatanr and Chiutaha were identified as the most vulnerable ranges in the VTR. High exposure, high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity were attributed to high forest vulnerability in the VTR. Thus, continuous monitoring and devising effective forest management strategies are essential for reducing vulnerability and enhancing the resilience of the VTR. Urgent policy interventions are also required for promoting ecotourism and minimizing the dependency of communities on forest. The systematic framework employed in the present study may be applied to diverse geographical regions for identifying vulnerable sites and suggesting effective conservation and restoration strategies.

Soil gravel content and plant species configuration control vegetation restoration in Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

AbstractSoil gravel content strongly affects ecological restoration; however, the response and mechanism of plant traits to soil gravel content under the sensitive and fragile natural environment of Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau remains unclear. Herein, soils with three gravel content (10%, 30%, 50%) in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau were selected, and three plant species (one native plants of Elymus dahuricus (Ed), and two introduced ones of Festuca elata (Fe) and Medicago sativa (Ms)) were used in seven planting patterns with different proportions (Fe, Ed, Ms, Fe + Ed (1:1), Fe + Ms (2:1), Ed + Ms (2:1), Fe + Ed + Ms (2:2:1)). Plant traits, phytochemical properties and soil stoichiometric characteristics were measured to explore the interactive effects of soil gravels and plant species on vegetation restoration. Average plant height, coverage, shoot biomass, and total biomass were most affected by plant species (F = 277–611, p < 0.01), followed by gravel content (F = 90–195, p < 0.01) and their interaction (F = 5–51, p < 0.05); root biomass was most affected by gravel content (F = 130, p < 0.01). Among plant species, shoot and root biomass, total biomass overall decreased in the order of Fe + Ed + Ms>Fe>Fe + Ms>Fe + Ed>Ms>Ms + Ed>Ed. Plant total biomass, shoot biomass, root biomass and shoot/root ratio among different soils overall decreased in the order of low> high> medium gravel contents. All plant species were restricted by soil nitrogen except for Ed and Ed + Ms (N:P > 14). In addition, increasing the gravel content in the soil will increase the soil bulk density and reduce the total soil porosity. The total soil porosity is significantly positively correlated with the average plant height, coverage, aboveground biomass, and total biomass of plants (r = 0.78–0.91, p < 0.05). The total nitrogen content, total phosphorus (TP) content, and N: P in rhizosphere soil were significantly positively correlated with the average plant height, coverage, aboveground biomass, root biomass, and total biomass of plants (r = 0.70–0.97, p < 0.05), but soil N was significantly positively correlated with aboveground biomass and total biomass (r = 0.69, 0.71, p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in soil TP content between them. The gravel content directly affects plant growth by changing bulk density and total porosity, but the combined effect of soil nutrients and plants affects plant growth. Therefore, optimizing the configuration of soil properties (mainly nitrogen and compactness) and plant species (isecologic niche plants) is an effective strategy for ecological restoration in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau.

Model exploration of grid adjustment and restoration strategy based on intelligent decision system

In the present scenario, Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) are included into power grid distribution networks to withstand power outages. Restoration is a smart and efficient method for self-healing systems to maintain functionality and re-configure themselves in response to outside breakdowns or attacks. Intelligent decision making framework is required for ensuring that the system as a whole survives external breakdowns and attacks by autonomously reconfiguring itself. Further, the power grid faces serious security concerns, network congestion delay, and packet loss due to improper grid adjustments. As a result, in this research Edge computing assisted Intelligent Decision Model (EC-IDM) has been proposed to address the issue of breakdowns and attacks in real time. The emergence of edge computing has substantially improved the smart grid's ability to operate effectively and communicate effectively by reducing the effects of security concerns, packet loss, latency, and overloaded networks. The integration Smart Grid's peripheral index (SSGPI) optimizes the system's performance and operating efficiency. This research presents a real-time EC-IDM for fixing the electricity grid that can automatically develop the restoration plan and identify the blackout scenario. For restoration choices across several time-and-space axes in EC-IDM, an improved hierarchical coordination technique and a local object optimization method are integrated to optimize breakdowns and attacks in real time. EC-IDM utilizes Smart grid self-healing using distributed automation (DA) to address issues of dependability and reliability of power. The simulation results demonstrates that the suggested approach achieves best in security concerns, optimizes network congestion delay, and packet loss security, improves efficiency and performance compared to the other conventional methods.

Environmental drivers of flowering in the genus Zostera and spatio‐temporal variability of Zostera muelleri flowering in Australasia

Abstract Seed‐based seagrass restoration strategies demand precise understanding of the environmental drivers influencing flowering. Flowering varies across diverse spatial and temporal scales, yet environmental drivers' effects on these dynamics have received less attention. Lack of knowledge regarding this life‐history stage limits the advancement of seed‐based restoration efforts, especially the establishment of shore‐based seagrass nurseries to enhance seed production. A systematic literature review on the flowering of the genus Zostera was conducted to develop a conceptual model that links influential environmental drivers with flowering. Additionally, a case study using existing survey data supplemented by additional field surveys was designed to explore the spatio‐temporal variability of flowering along the latitudinal gradient in Australasia for the species Zostera muelleri. Predictive models for flowering times were developed using regional climatic variables, following hypotheses generated from long‐term mesocosm observations. The review identified the direct and/or indirect effects of temperature, light, tidal variation, nutrients, salinity and grazing pressure on flowering dynamics. Four categories of flowering variables were identified based on their implications on restoration, namely, timing, abundance, the ratio between reproductive and vegetative growth and morphological characteristics. The spathe densities varied significantly among sites along the latitudinal gradient. While first (r2 = 0.71) and peak (r2 = 0.68) flowering times showed significant correlation with latitude, first flowering was equally predicted by mean winter air temperature and mean winter solar radiation (r2 = 0.73), whereas peak flowering time was best predicted by mean winter air temperature (r2 = 0.60). Accurate predictions of flowering times can improve conservation outcomes by enabling restoration practitioners to forecast flowering times and subsequent wild seed harvesting. The strong correlation between flowering times and climatic variables suggests future shifts in flowering times under climate change are likely, which is crucial knowledge for maintaining the contribution of restoration projects to seagrass conservation.

Negative Effects of Butachlor on the Growth and Physiology of Four Aquatic Plants.

The increasing use of herbicides in intelligent agricultural production is driven by the time-consuming nature of manual weeding, as well as its ephemeral effectiveness. However, herbicides like butachlor degrade slowly and can be washed away by rainwater, ultimately flowing into the farm ponds and posing risks to aquatic plants. To identify and recommend superior restoration strategies that effectively address the challenges posed by butachlor, we investigated the impacts of butachlor on the growth and physiology of four common aquatic plants (i.e., Hydrilla verticillata, Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton maackianus, and Myriophyllum aquaticum) and their potential role in mitigating environmental damage by reducing residual herbicide levels. Our findings indicated that M. aquaticum was tolerant to butachlor, exhibiting higher growth rates than other species when exposed to various butachlor concentrations. However, the concentration of butachlor negatively impacted the growth of H. verticillata, C. demersum, and P. maackianus, with higher concentrations leading to more significant inhibitory effects. After a 15-day experimental period, aquatic plants reduced the butachlor residuals in culture mediums across concentrations of 0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L, and 2 mg/L compared to non-plant controls. Our findings classified P. maackianus as butachlor-sensitive and M. aquaticum as butachlor-tolerant species. This investigation represents novel research aimed at elucidating the contrasting effects of different concentrations of butachlor on four common aquatic species in the agricultural multi-pond system.

Fuse saving coordination scheme for active distribution systems: State‐of‐the‐art and a novel quasi‐voltage current based scheme

AbstractIncreasing the penetration level of distributed generation (DG) units requires overcoming the technical challenges associated with their integration into the distribution systems, especially protection problems. Change in the current profile of the distribution system due to the presence of DG units disrupts the operation of the conventional fuse saving coordination (FSC) scheme. The first objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the state‐of‐the‐art of FSC schemes in distribution systems with distributed generators that has not been systematically presented yet. In addition to comparing the features of reliability, cost, speed, implementation, calculation burden, and requirements, the impact of presence of distributed generations on the performance of the conventional FSC scheme is investigated in details. The second objective of this paper is to propose an FSC restoration scheme for minimizing the challenges of previous works. Using a quasi‐voltage current term, the proposed scheme modifies the adjustable time coefficient of the recloser in two ways of pro and plus. The former scheme provides an approximate FSC with a simple setting while the latter scheme provides complete coordination at the expense of a more complex setting. No need for voltage measurement makes its implementation practical in available distribution systems. The effective performance of the proposed FSC scheme is verified through extensive simulation studies in the ETAP environment.

Shoreline restoration including armor removal and log placement affect ecosystem recovery through time

The impacts of individual restoration activities, such as the total area covered and specific actions taken, can be difficult to measure because they are typically not performed randomly or independently. In Puget Sound, Washington, United States, removal of hard armor is a primary shoreline restoration measure. The length of armor removed from a beach and additional restoration actions implemented can vary considerably. As such, it is challenging to attribute specific ecological responses to particular actions. We use an extensive collection of sites regularly monitored pre‐ and post‐restoration to explore the success of different extents of armor removal and three supplemental “living shoreline” restoration actions: native vegetation planting, log placement, and sediment supplementation (“nourishment”). We measured five ecological response variables: sediments (percent surface, subsurface gravel), beach logs (count, line width), beach wrack (percent cover, depth), riparian vegetation (percent cover of supratidal, backshore), and supratidal invertebrates (density, richness). Only beach logs were affected by the length of armor removed, whereas wrack increased regardless of length. Invertebrate abundance increased through time only when supplemental vegetation planting did not occur. Placement of logs post armor removal was an impactful supplemental restoration strategy, positively affecting not only the further accumulation of logs, but also the amount of wrack and gravel sediments. Sediment nourishment only affected the proportion of subsurface gravel, which decreased through time in nourished sites. We stress the importance of the thorough monitoring of the ecological effects of living shoreline restoration actions to better understand their role in ecosystem recovery through time.

Wearable wrist to finger photoplethysmogram translation through restoration using super operational neural networks based 1D-CycleGAN for enhancing cardiovascular monitoring

Background and MotivationsPhysiological signals, such as the Photoplethysmogram (PPG) collected through wearable devices, consistently encounter significant motion artifacts. Current signal processing techniques, and even state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms, frequently struggle to effectively restore the inherent bodily signals amidst the array of randomly generated distortions. This often leads to the modification or even the degradation of the underlying physiological information. MethodsTo enhance heart rate estimation from wrist PPG (wPPG) signals, this study introduces the Translation Through Restoration GAN (TTR-GAN). TTR-GAN comprises cascaded dual-stage 1D Cycle Generative Adversarial Networks (1D-CycleGANs) constructed using Super-ONNs. In the first phase, corrupted wPPG waveforms are blindly restored using a 1D-CycleGAN-based restoration framework. Subsequently, in the second phase, the restored wPPG waveforms are translated into clean finger PPG (fPPG) signals through a 1D-CycleGAN-based signal-to-signal translation or synthesis framework. Both the restorer and translator GANs undergo independent evaluation using robust temporal, spectral, and clinical metrics. ResultsThe application of the multipass restoration scheme to the wPPG signals resulted in significantly lower entropy compared to the raw wPPGs, indicating reduced irregularity. Using the proposed PRTX metric to evaluate the translational ability of the multichannel translator CycleGAN, we achieved a substantial improvement of 35.88% in wrist-to-finger PPG translation. The correlation between the pulse rate and pulse rate variations estimated from the generated fPPG signals and the heart rate and heart rate variability readings from the ground truth ECG improved by approximately 10.4% and 14.7%, respectively, when compared to the raw wPPG signals. ConclusionThe proposed TTR-GAN can be implemented in wearable devices to obtain reliable real-time cardiovascular data during daily activities.

Quantifying the Spatiotemporal Changes in Evapotranspiration and Its Components Driven by Vegetation Greening and Climate Change in the Northern Foot of Yinshan Mountain

Evapotranspiration (E), a pivotal phenomenon inherent to hydrological and thermal dynamics, assumes a position of utmost importance within the intricate framework of the water–energy nexus. However, the quantitative study of E on a large scale for the “Grain for Green” projects under the backdrop of climate change is still lacking. Consequently, this study examined the interannual variations and spatial distribution patterns of E, transpiration (Et), and soil evaporation (Eb) in the Northern Foot of Yinshan Mountain (NFYM) between 2000 and 2020 and quantified the contributions of climate change and vegetation greening to the changes in E, Et, and Eb. Results showed that E (2.47 mm/a, p < 0.01), Et (1.30 mm/a, p < 0.01), and Eb (1.06 mm/a, p < 0.01) all exhibited a significant increasing trend during 2000–2020. Notably, vegetation greening emerged as the predominant impetus underpinning the augmentation of both E and Eb, augmenting their rates by 0.49 mm/a and 0.57 mm/a, respectively. In terms of Et, meteorological factors emerged as the primary catalysts, with temperature (Temp) assuming a predominant role by augmenting Et at a rate of 0.35 mm/a. Temp, Precipitation (Pre), and leaf area index (LAI) collectively dominated the proportional distribution of E, accounting for shares of 32.75%, 28.43%, and 25.01%, respectively. Within the spectrum of predominant drivers influencing Et, Temp exerted the most substantial influence, commanding the largest proportion at 33.83%. For Eb, the preeminent determinants were recognized as LAI and Temp, collectively constituting a substantial portion of the study area, accounting for 32.10% and 29.50%, respectively. The LAI exerted a pronounced direct influence on the Et, with no significant effects on E and bare Eb. Wind speed (WS) had a substantial direct impact on both E and Et. Pre exhibited a strong direct influence on E, Et, and Eb. Relative humidity (RH) significantly affected E directly. Temp primarily influenced Eb indirectly through radiation (Rad). Rad exerted a significant direct inhibitory effect on Eb. These findings significantly advanced our mechanistic understanding of how E and its components in the NFYM respond to climate change and vegetation greening, thus providing a robust basis for formulating strategies related to regional ecological conservation and water resources management, as well as supplying theoretical underpinnings for constructing sustainable vegetation restoration strategies involving water resources in the region.

Propagating the stony coral Echinopora horrida: evaluating the effects of rearing environment and transplant orientation

The “coral gardening” approach has been effective in facilitating the recovery of degraded reefs but methodological variations can influence survivorship and growth of the coral material. In addition, the disproportionate use of certain corals, such as acroporids and pocilloporids, has contributed to a general lack of information on growth patterns and restoration strategies for species that are less common. To investigate how the yield of other species may be increased to support reef restoration efforts in Singapore, we assessed the effects of (1) environment (nursery, reef, and seawall) and (2) transplant orientation (horizontal and vertical) on the performance of Echinopora horrida (Dana, 1846) fragments. Fragments secured in the coral nursery grew significantly faster and survived better than those transplanted on the reef and seawall, highlighting the importance of a nursery‐rearing phase in optimizing the yield of this species. Additionally, survivorship and growth rates were not significantly different between vertically and horizontally transplanted corals, suggesting that modifying transplant orientation was less crucial toward enhancing coral yield. Our findings highlighted the need to optimize the propagation techniques of a wider range of understudied coral species in order to preserve their genetic diversity in the face of anthropogenic and climatic impacts.

Satellite remote sensing can provide semi-automated monitoring to aid coastal decision-making

Coastlines are projected to face unprecedented pressures over the next century due to climate change-induced changes in sea level, storm, wave, and tidal regimes. This projection of increasing pressure is driving a reappraisal of existing shoreline management practices, with both science and policy calling for future strategies to work with the natural protection provided by coastal habitats such as salt marshes. However, we currently lack the understanding of long-term ecosystem dynamics required to incorporate these habitats into the definitive predictions of risk relied on in coastal protection planning. Satellite remote sensing has the potential to provide data that could address this knowledge gap with its frequent repeat times and global coverage facilitating the production of high temporal frequency time-series over large areas. This study sought to explore this potential in one of the largest coastal plain estuaries the in the UK, the Severn Estuary. The Random Forest machine learning algorithm was used to develop a time-series of marsh extents across the estuary from 1985 to 2020 in Google Earth Engine, with widths also extracted as a proxy for the marshes’ protective capacity. These changes were monitored in six areas that contained the most significant areas of salt marsh across the estuary. This analysis revealed a significant increasing trend in extent and widths (p < 0.05), and therefore natural coastal protection, in three of the six areas over the study period, with validation testing finding an overall accuracy for the classification of >90% and a strong agreement found between the detected widths and those found in previous surveys. These findings demonstrate that satellite remote sensing combined with machine learning has the potential to provide valuable insights into changes in the extents of marshes and therefore their protective capacity. This information can be useful in the coastal planning process, allowing decision-makers to assess the sustainability of existing defences fronted by marshes, as well as allowing them to make informed decisions about the location of restoration schemes.