Strategies For Sustainable Use Research Articles

Ecogeography and Climate Change in Forage Grasses from Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of Mexico

Arid and semi-arid areas are highly productive ecosystems that have a great diversity of species, among which grasses stand out. These species have ecological, environmental, and economic importance. The objective was to identify the ecological descriptors of 15 native species of grasses and diversity patterns through multivariate analysis techniques (principal component analysis, PCA, and cluster analysis, CA), in addition to identifying potential distribution areas (current and future) and regions of high and low diversity from 3841 accessions and 21 climatic variables. Among the main results, the extreme values, coefficient of variation, and median for each species could be determined. PCA determined that, with 10 variables, it was possible to explain 54.36% of the variation between the analyzed species. CA resulted in the formation of four statistically significant groups, with specific climatic characteristics. Regarding potential distribution areas and climate change, a reduction in distribution is expected (2050) on most of the current surface, with a possible opportunity zone in the north of the country. Finally, two hotspots (high diversity areas) and four coldspots (low diversity areas) were identified among the analyzed species. These results can be used to create strategies for sustainable use and the conservation of these resources.

Strategies for Sustainable Use of Seagrass Ecosystem in Coastal Area around Borgo Village, Belang District, Southeast Minahasa Regency

The objective of this research is to formulate strategies for the sustainable use of the seagrass ecosystem in the coastal area around Borgo Village, Belang District, Southeast Minahasa Regency as a public policy recommendation that can be given to the local regional government. The research method is a survey method with an interview technique using a questionnaire addressed to the heads of relevant agencies as resource persons. The formulation of priority strategies is analyzed through the following stages: 1) Establishing the vision, mission, and values ​of the organization, 3) Analysis of the strategic environment, 4) Analysis of the final conclusions of internal and external factors, 5) SWOT analysis matrix, and (6) Determining critical success factors through strategic choice analysis. The research results obtained 6 priority strategies, namely: 1) Make academic papers as a data base on: a) coastal and marine resource profiles, b) social, economic and cultural data, and c) legal data and community institutions in the region the coast of Borgo Village and its surroundings; 2) Carry out technical guidance, counseling and outreach to the coastal communities of Borgo Village and its surroundings; 3) Provide guidance to fishermen and input to the government of Southeast Minahasa Regency so that the seagrass ecosystem area on the coast of Borgo Village and its surroundings is not used as a boat mooring location and a location for disposal of marine debris or household waste; 4) Make standard operational procedures on boat moorings, disposal of marine debris, household waste, and marine conservation techniques for the coastal communities of Borgo Village and its surroundings; 5) Empowerment of fishermen or coastal communities in Borgo Village and its surroundings in order to carry out the task of supervising and monitoring coastal and marine resources, as well as fostering the quality and processing of fishery products; and 6) Make a spatial plan for the Minapolitan area in the coastal area of Belang Regency based on Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2017 of North Sulawesi Province. Keywords: Borgo Village, seagrass ecosystem, sustainable use, priority strategy Abstrak Tujuan penelitian adalah merumuskan strategi pemanfaatan berkelanjutan ekosistem padang lamun di pesisir sekitar Desa Borgo, Kecamatan Belang, Kabupaten Minahasa Tenggara sebagai rekomendasi kebijakan publik untuk diberikan kepada Pemerintah Daerah setempat. Metode penelitian adalah metode survei dengan teknik wawancara menggunakan kuesioner ditujukan kepada pimpinan instansi terkait sebagai narasumber. Perumusan strategi prioritas dianalisis melalui tahapan: 1) Menetapkan visi, misi dan nilai organisasi, 3) Analisis lingkungan strategis, 4) Analisis kesimpulan akhir faktor internal dan eksternal, 5) Matriks analisis SWOT, dan (6) Menetapkan faktor-faktor kunci keberhasilan melalui analisis pilihan strategis. Hasil penelitian diperoleh 6 strategi prioritas, yaitu: 1) Membuat naskah akademik sebagai database tentang: a) profil sumber daya pesisir dan laut, b) data sosial, ekonomi dan budaya, dan c) data hukum dan kelembagaan masyarakat di pesisir Desa Borgo dan sekitarnya; 2) Melaksanakan bimbingan teknis, penyuluhan dan sosialisasi kepada masyarakat pesisir Desa Borgo dan sekitarnya; 3) Memberikan pembinaan kepada nelayan dan masukan kepada Pemerintah Kab. Minahasa Tenggara, agar di area ekosistim lamun pesisir Desa Borgo dan sekitarnya tidak dijadikan lokasi penambatan perahu dan tempat pembuangan sampah laut atau limbah rumah tangga; 4) Membuat SOP tentang tambatan perahu, tempat pembuangan sampah laut dan limbah rumah tangga, dan teknis konservasi laut kepada masyarakat pesisir Desa Borgo dan sekitarnya; 5) Memberdayakan nelayan atau masyarakat pesisir Desa Borgo dan sekitarnya dalam rangka melaksanakan tugas pengawasan dan pemantauan sumber daya pesisir dan laut, serta pembinaan mutu dan pengolahan hasil perikanan; dan 6) Membuat perencanaan penataan ruang di kawasan Minapolitan wilayah pesisir Belang berdasarkan Perda No. 1 Tahun 2017 Prov. SULUT. Kata kunci: Desa Borgo, ekosistim lamun, pemanfaatan berkelanjutan, strategi prioritas

Groundwater potential zonation in the Siwalik of the Kankai River Basin, Eastern Nepal

Abstract For the globally degrading groundwater resources in terms of quantity and quality, proper assessment and management become crucial for their sustainable use. This study aims to delineate the groundwater potential zones using an integrated approach of geographic information system (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in the Siwalik of the Kankai River Basin, Eastern Nepal. Different thematic layers like hydrogeomorphology, land use/land cover, lithology, slope, topographic wetness index, drainage density, normalized difference vegetation index, lineament density, and aspect were prepared and processed with suitable weights on Saaty's scale. The delineated groundwater potential zones in the study area were categorized as low, moderate, and high. The results showed that approximately 49.38% (130.85 km2) of the total study area has a low potential for groundwater. The moderate zone includes approximately 35.5% (94.07 km2) and the high potential zone includes only 15.05% (39.88 km2) of the area. The potential map was validated with a 70.6% prediction rate using the spatial distribution of the springs in the area. The analysis shows that hydrogeomorphology, LULC, and lithology have a significant control on the occurrences of groundwater. The study signifies the scarcity of groundwater resources, which needs a better management plan and strategies for sustainable use.

Socio-cultural practices on the use of beetle grubs as food and feed in western Kenya

We examined the socio-cultural practices on the use of beetle grubs as food and feed in western Kenya by interviewing 211 randomly selected households and conducting seven focus group discussions in Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, and Trans Nzoia counties. The grubs were used as food and feed in ~ 39% and 78% of the households, respectively. The perceived benefits of the grubs for human consumption were nutritiousness and no linkage to allergies. The grubs were perceived to enhance animal weight gain and increase poultry egg laying. They were also perceived to recycle nutrients from organic waste, and clean the environment. Toasting and roasting were the dominant methods of preparing the grubs. Lack of knowledge on the grub nutritional benefits and stigma were key deterrents to their consumption. About 66% of the respondents expressed willingness to farm the grubs if the market and rearing protocols are available. Almost 98% of the respondents lacked knowledge of the beetle biology, indicating limited capacity to conserve them. The practices on the use of beetle grubs as food and feed differed across counties and by gender, age, marital status and education level. Strategies for sustainable use of the grubs as food and feed have been proposed and new research directions highlighted.

Sociocultural and economic significance in the harvest of the pitaya sahuira (Stenocereus montanus) in Sinaloa, Mexico

Pitayas (Stenocereus spp.) are one of the most important wild plants in Mexico; however, there are few studies that evaluate the harvest value and commercialization of local species. This research records the sociocultural and economic importance of the harvest of pitaya sahuira (Stenocereus montanus) in two localities of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico: 1) San José del Llano, Badiraguato, and 2) several small communities in the municipality of Choix. Semi-structured surveys and participatory evaluation were carried out with different people who harvest and market the pitaya fruits during the production season to document the harvest method, productivity, commercial value, fruit destination, cultural perceptions, and the differences between both regions. In both localities, daily harvests are made, and it constitutes the main economic activity during the production season, about 40 to 50 days between May and July. In San José, the harvest is carried out by men and women, while in Choix, it is practically exclusive by men. Higher productivity was recorded in San José, reflected by a greater amount of daily fruit harvested in a workday; however, in Choix, the fruit has a higher sales value, which balances the estimated annual earnings of around 1,940 dollars per harvester (~40,000.00 Mexican pesos). Given its great commercial value, it is necessary to implement cultivation and domestication strategies at the local level, as a regional economic alternative and to reduce the pressure on native populations. This work incorporates additional evidence on the great cultural and economic importance of the genus Stenocereus in Mexico and motivates the design of better strategies for sustainable use and the revaluation of this biocultural heritage.

Climate change challenges efficiency of inter-basin water transfers in alleviating water stress

Inter-basin water transfer (IBT) is widely used to mitigate water shortage at the cost of compromising water availability in water-exporting regions. Yet, we do not know how efficient are the IBTs in alleviating inter-regional water stress in a changing climate and water supply-demand context. From a socio-hydrological perspective, we here quantify the efficiency of more than 200 IBTs across the United States by a Stress Relief Index that measures the impact of water redistribution on the overall water stress level. Based on the assumption that an IBT-induced increase and reduction in water availability would respectively constitute a positive and negative impact on regional water security, we show that 29% of the IBTs could be considered socially inefficient by 2010 as they shift water stress from water-receiving to water-exporting and downstream regions. Future stress escalations induced by growing population, declining runoff, and increasing demands for energy production and irrigation will alter IBT efficiency disproportionately. The inefficient IBTs would amount to 32% and 35% by the end of the 21st century under the scenarios of representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5, with 7 ∼ 16 IBTs reaching a tipping point that their role in the water system could switch from alleviating to aggravating the overall water stress. Our results indicate that the evolving climatic and socioeconomic status can largely affect transfer efficiency, highlighting the need of basin-level adaptation strategies for sustainable use of the IBTs.

Modelling the impact of environmental responsibility on the development of enterprises

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The requirements of stakeholders for the qualitative transformation of the approaches of industrial enterprises – environmental users to introduction of economic activities cause an increase in the role of environmental responsibility as their strategic priority for development. The purpose of the study is to improve the practical tools for calculating and developing strategies for the development of environmental responsibility of industrial enterprises.METHODS: In the study, tools for assessing the level of environmental initiative of an industrial enterprise as an integrated indicator of environmental initiative are suggested. It is expressed as the arithmetic mean of ten factors of environmentally proactive behavior of industrial enterprises. To achieve the objectives of the study, methods of criterion-qualitative assessment are suggested, such as expert assessment and survey. The assessment system includes ten factors rated on a 10-point scale and weighted by significance. The integrated indicator of the environmental initiative acquires values within, is a stimulant of environmental responsibility.FINDING: One justified a scientific and methodological approach to assessing the level of environmental responsibility or the industrial enterprise, including calculation of the corresponding taxonomic indicator with consideration of the quantitative factors of its environmental responsibility and the qualitative and quantitative factors of environmental initiative. This enables the possibility to assess the relevant state of environmental responsibility and determine the volumes for further correction of the ecological strategy for the development of the industrial enterprise.CONCLUSION: As a conclusion, practical recommendations are made for the implementation of organizational and economic support of environmental responsibility in the development strategy of an industrial enterprise taking into account the impact of its environmental initiative and environmental duty. The level of environmental responsibility of industrial enterprises taken into account when developing recommendations on adjustment of their environmental strategy of development is determined, which as a whole allowed to form organizational and economic support for environmental responsibility of the enterprises under study. Thus, an enterprise, which only ensures compliance with environmental emission standards (compensation strategy or sufficiency strategy) cannot be characterized by a high level of environmental responsibility. To ensure a high level of environmental responsibility, an industrial enterprise must rely on a proactive strategy or a strategy for sustainable use of nature.

Procuring Plant Services for Ecological and Human Well Being

Ecosystem services offered by two native tree species viz. Azadirachta indica, Morinda tinctoria, and four exotic species viz. Tamarindus indica, Prosopis juliflora, Leucaena leucocephala, and Ipomoea carnea in the Mathippanur village of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India were assessed to augment their valuable ecosystem services and to get the management strategy for sustainable use. The selected plant species provide economic benefit through their products, regulating soil health, sequestering carbon, and supporting nests of animals. However, they cause discomfort to the associated vegetation and human beings. Both native and exotic species play a crucial role in the ecosystem and the removal of exotic species will lead to disturbance in the ecosystem resilience. For sustainable management, mixed plantations of tree species can be raised in barren and fallow lands. The plantations will aid in monetary support to the local inhabitants, people’s participation in resource management and conservation, and effective use of land and tree services.

On farm diversity conservation assessment and characterization of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L)) Moench) landraces in Eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia

This study was aimed at providing an assessment on farm diversity conservation status and the characterization of sorghum landraces to document diversity of sorghum landrace, characterize variety and assess how farmers in the study area practices seed management system of indigenous sorghum landrace at farming community. Eighty House hold from eight kebeles in four woredas of eastern Hararghe zone were chosen and reviewed. Structured questionnaire survey of households, focused group discussions, key informant interviews and field observations were used to collect data. The main traits farmers use to prefer a given variety over the other were maturity, yield potential, animal feed, grain size, grain color, tillering capacity, market demand. With look upon distribution category, most of the recorded landraces of sorghum were endangered and rare. Farmers from different study locations have reported several landraces to be endangered. Most of the recorded landraces of sorghum were endangered and rare which is near to threatened indicating the need for conservation of the landraces. On-farm conservation can remain workable, depending on the sensitivity of landraces to different factors causes farmers varieties become extinct and their capacity to develop and adapt to these factors. It can provide options to farmers and community to adapt to factors that causes farmers varieties lost. Therefore, attention should be given to conservation of farmers’ varieties in which involving farmers’ participation is very important in order to use their indigenous knowledge for conservation of farmers’ variety and on-farm conservation strategies for sustainable use. More agricultural research should be conducted on the characters and requirement of the crops for various regions and environments to conserve landrace variety.

Türkiye'de tıbbi bitkilerin korunmasına genel bakış

Medicinal plants are a special area that needs to be evaluated with different parameters than the general biodiversity threatening due to intense collection pressure. In the study, Turkey's plant diversity, requirements and strategies for sustainable use of Turkish medicinal plants, criticizing and planning of data for the protection of medicinal plants have been evaluated using standards of the Guidelines on the Conservation of Medicinal Plants by WHO, IUCN, WWF and Traffic. In addition, the richness of traditional medicinal plant uses in Turkey, the concept, and usage potentials, administrative requirements for the protection, creation of the in situ and ex situ conservation areas and recommendations for the future have been presented.

Variability of water quality and metal pollution index in the Ganges River, Bangladesh.

The Ganges River is one of the biggest transboundary streams in the Indian sub-continent. The significant part of this waterway channel drains one of the most densely populated areas on the planet so it is unequivocally influenced by human activities. Unprecedented high-temporal-resolution samples were collected for investigating the seasonal variability of water quality. Water quality index (WQI) reveals large seasonal variation among three major seasons and also indicates that the river water is not suitable for drinking and other household uses. The dominant water facies is bicarbonate (HCO3-). The water quality indices, %Na, Kelley's ratio (KR), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR), reveal that the water is appropriate for irrigation. The permeability index (PI) indicated that the water is moderate to poorly useable for agricultural purposes. Heavy metals concentrations demonstrated significant seasonal variations with high concentrations during the monsoon due to flushing of pollutants from catchment areas by intense monsoonal precipitations. In addition, local activities such as oil spills from the boat, vehicle washing water, and agricultural runoff may also added pollutants. The single-factor pollution index (Ii) and Nemerow pollution index (Ni) exhibits minor pollution. The values of heavy metal pollution index (HPI) are far below than the critical limit (100) for the studied month, although relatively higher HPI values found for April, August, and November than other months might come from domestic wastes and agricultural activities. The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) values of all the months indicated a low degree of pollution. Even though the river water pollution level is low, the authority should take proper management and monitoring strategy for sustainable use.

Analysis of cobalt flows in mainland China: Exploring the potential opportunities for improving resource efficiency and supply security

Cobalt is an increasingly important strategic metal with the emerging of clean energy technologies. China is a resource scarcity country but the world’s largest cobalt consumer. It is of great strategic significance to study the application and current status of cobalt resources for the sustainable development of China’s economy. The objective of this study is to quantitatively investigate the status of cobalt flows from raw materials to waste management in mainland China in 2015 by using material flows analysis (MFA), and to identify the material efficiency and supply security strategy for sustainable use of cobalt. The results show that China’s overall supply of raw materials, chemical production and product manufacture of cobalt in 2015 were 66.5 kt, 62.9 kt and 45.4 kt, respectively. China’s cobalt is highly reliant on imports with a dependency of over 80%. Cobalt outflows were mainly from exports of cobalt chemicals and end-use products. At the end-use product stage, batteries consume the most cobalt, followed by superalloys, cemented carbides and magnets. The emerging of the electric vehicle industry seems to increase the burden of cobalt supply, but also represents huge opportunities for cobalt recycling as a secondary resource. Future efforts on improving material efficiency and ensuring supply security should focus on reducing losses at the beneficiation process by technology upgrades, improving the cobalt recycling rate by integrating cobalt resources into China’s circular economy and environment policy, and establishing national cobalt collection system. This study can provide guidance for future decision-making around the clean production and rational utilization of cobalt resources.

Phytochemicals, Antioxidant Activity and Ethnobotanical Uses of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del. Fruits from the Arid Zone of Mauritania, Northwest Africa.

Phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of fruits of 30 B. aegyptiaca trees naturally growing in the hyper-arid and arid zones in Mauritania were evaluated by following standard procedures. Ethnobotanical uses of fruit pulps and kernel were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Balanites aegyptiaca fruit pulp is a good source of sugars (33 g/100 g dry matter (DM)), polyphenols (264 mg GAE/100 g DM) and flavonoids (34.2 mg/100 g DM) with an average antioxidant activity of 519 µmol TEAC/100 g DM. The fruit kernel is rich in lipids (46.2 g/100 g DM) and proteins (29.5 g/100 g DM). Fruits from the hyper-arid zone exhibited high level of polyphenols, antioxidant activity and soluble tannins. Almost all of the informants (97.14%) reported the use of fruit pulp in folk medicine to treat diabetes, while 72.86% reported using the fruit pulp to treat hypertension. Kernel oil is mainly employed as ointments in the treatment of paronychia (57.14%) and dermal infections (35.71%). The predominant methods for preparing/administering fruit pulp/Kernel were maceration (58.8%), sucking fruit pulp (25.7%) and decoction (24.2%). Balanites aegyptiaca fruit contain both nutritional and health-promoting phytochemicals that could be of interest in the development of strategies for sustainable use of this neglected indigenous fruit tree.

Strategies for Sustainable Use of Indigenous Cattle Genetic Resources in Southern Africa

Indigenous cattle breeds are the most important livestock species in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region owing to their role in human food, nutrition, income, and social security. Despite the role of these breeds in the household and national economies, they are currently underutilised, their productivity remains low, and populations are faced with extinction. In addition, there are insufficient measures taken to secure their present and future value. The current review highlights strategies for sustainable use of indigenous cattle genetic resources in the region, including the use of novel production and marketing practices, women and youth empowerment, and development of the appropriate capacity building, legislative, and policy structures. At present, the lack of coordination among the different stakeholders still poses a challenge to the implementation of these strategies. To this end, partnerships, collaboration, and stakeholders’ participation are recommended to effectively implement strategies for sustainable use of indigenous cattle breeds.

Purification and characterization of protease inhibitors from rice bean (Vigna umbellata) and their efficacy against Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) gut proteinases

A protease inhibitor from rice bean was isolated and purified to assess its potential against gut proteases of Spodoptera litura, a devastating pest of several economically important crops globally. The purified inhibitor showed a single band protein on SDS-PAGE corresponding to molecular weight of 24.0 kDa. The inhibitor was purified to near homogeneity with 181.55 fold purification and final yield of 29.18 per cent. The inhibitory potential of purified rice bean trypsin protease inhibitor on larvae of Spodoptera gut proteases was studied which showed maximum azocaseinolytic (1.93U), trypsin (0.66U) and chymotrypsin activity (0.37 U) in second larval instar which gradually decreased upto late fifth larval instar stage. Inhibitory assay revealed that rice bean trypsin inhibitors were strong inhibitor of Spodoptera litura and inhibited more than 80 per cent for trypsin and around 69 per cent for chymotrypsin activity. To further determine the efficacy of rice bean protease inhibitors, feeding assays were conducted by adding rice bean flour in larval artificial diet. High mortality rate was observed in Spodoptera litura larvae after 72 hrs when rice bean was given as sole diet (100% rice bean composition). The results obtained from present study provide important clues in designing strategies for sustainable use of rice bean protease inhibitors in developing insect-tolerant transgenic plants.

Specialization of fishers leads to greater impact of external disturbance: Evidence from a social-ecological network modelling exercise for Sechura Bay, northern Peru

Coastal marine resources provide livelihoods to human communities around the world. The interactions in respective social-ecological systems are usually of complex nature, due to a wide range of different fisheries interacting with the ecosystem. Understanding connectivity within these systems (i.e. among social and ecological actors) helps in establishing meaningful management strategies for sustainable use of marine resources. This work uses the value chain analysis of different fisheries sectors to construct a qualitative social-ecological network (SEN) model of the Sechura Bay in North Peru. Here, a diverse ensemble of small-scale fisheries co-exists with a flourishing mariculture sector, though the respective production chains partially overlap. Directed and unweighted links between actors were defined based on the transfer of biomass (trophic interactions) and money (economic interactions). Several analytical network tools were applied (e.g. degree centrality, dominator tree) to identify the most important nodes of the social-ecological network and to understand interdependencies. Results of the network analysis suggest position of system's components being related to their vulnerability in the face of external disturbances. Fisher groups with a high specialization with respect to fisheries target species were stronger impacted by the last strong El Niño event (the Coastal El Niño 2017), with drastic consequences for actors of the respective production chains. The present approach is envisioned to be applicable beyond this particular case study and to nourish on-going scientific discussions on the use of social-ecological network analysis to describe human-nature interactions. This study allows (i) estimating node (actor) susceptibilities to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and (ii) reconciling sustainable resource use and nature conservation by enhancing the understanding of the functionality of the respective social-ecological system.

Modelling the effects of climate change on shellfish production in marine artisanal fisheries of Ghana

Background: Ghana’s marine artisanal fisheries, particularly the small pelagic fisheries, are in a state of crisis. The decline in the number of small pelagic fish are attributable to overfishing, climate variability and unsustainable fishing methods. Similarly, in the wake of climate change, shellfishes (particularly oysters, scallops and mussels) are highly vulnerable. Methods: A total of 55 years’ worth of data from Ghana’s marine artisanal fisheries were studied in relation to climate indices. The primary objective was to develop a simple linear regression model for predicting shellfish catch in Ghana. Key informant interviews were employed in soliciting data on changes in climate along the coastline and trends in marine artisanal shell fish catch. Results: The predictor variable that significantly explained shellfish production was temperature. Hence, the model is a valuable tool to predict future trends in the shellfish catch in marine artisanal fisheries. Conclusions: Increases in sea surface temperature will adversely affect shellfish production. It is therefore important that the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and other stakeholders should, in their decision-making processes, ensure the formulation of climate smart policies and management strategies for sustainable use of the resource.

Physiological Response of Several Alfalfa Genotypes to Drought Stress

Alfalfa is generally considered resistant to drought, but its yield may fluctuate appreciably under drought conditions. The strategies for sustainable use of water and drought resistance improvement based on the physiological traits are important and physiological approaches should be integrated in conventional breeding. Research was performed on 74 alfalfa genotypes under vegetation house conditions at two watering levels. The objective was to identify the available genetic variation and to establish efficient testing methods for characters which might positively influence alfalfa performance under drought conditions. Our research focused on plant height, number of shoots, stomatal resistance and biomass yield. The results showed that for drought tolerant genotypes the plant height and number of shoots were reduced less than in sensitive ones. The stomatal resistance was higher for sensitive genotypes than for resistant ones, but there were some sensitive genotypes with low stomatal resistance and vice versa, which opens new opportunities to improve drought resistance. The results showed that the stomatal resistance of young plants was correlated with yield both under optimal conditions and stress conditions, indicating that stomatal resistance has a very significant impact on production both under stress and optimum conditions.

State of forest genetic resources in the world and in Ukraine

The aim of the article is to generalize the information presented in the FAO report ‘The State of World Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) and in the reports on the state of forest genetic resources in Ukraine and other countries. Results and Discussion. To draw up the World Report, the information was provided by 86 countries which occupy 76% of the earth's surface and involve 85% of the total forest area. The countries’ reports cover 8,000 species of trees, palm trees and bamboo, among which about 2,400 are economically important; at that, information at the genetic level is only available for 500 to 600 species. The vast majority of important for environmental protection species (84%) are indigenous, in contrast to those economically important, 85% of which are introduced species. About 50 indigenous and non-native species of forest trees are used in the forestry of Ukraine. 26 of them are given as high-priority ones. They are used to produce wood, pulp, fuel, non-timber products, as well as to create protective plantations. The total number of species and subspecies in the world that are preserved in situ is almost 1,000, with about 500 of them – in Asia and almost 200 in both Europe and Africa. In Ukraine, there are about 30 of such species. In cases where in situ conservation is problematic, alternative methods are used, namely ex situ. The total number of species that are conserved ex situ is 1,800; at that, 1,025 of them grow in Africa, 401 – in Europe, 389 – in Asia, 372 – in Latin America and the Caribbean, 265 – in North America, 102 – in the Middle East and 57 species – in Oceania. In Ukraine, they make a stock of the seeds of more than 130 tree and shrub species, including decorative ones. Man-made forests are created with more than 20 species of trees annually. Non-native species of woody plants in the forestry of Ukraine make 39%. Methodological approaches to the study of genetic variability involve analysis of biometric, morphological and biochemical characteristics, as well as DNA markers. They analyze genetic variation as in field studies in provenance trail and progeny tests, so in laboratory studies. Conclusions. The basic tasks for the forest genetic resources conservation is to develop and implement national in situ and ex situ conservation strategies for sustainable use of FGR, to strengthen the role which forests and protective stands play in the in situ FGR conservation, and to identify first-priority measures at the species level. FGR conservation strategies should contribute to both ecosystem restoration using appropriate genetic material and adaptation to climate change along with mitigating its impacts.

Importance of seagrass-mangrove continuum as feeding grounds for juvenile pink ear emperor Lethrinus lentjan in Setiu Lagoon, Malaysia: Stable isotope approach

The commercially important pink ear emperor fish, Lethrinus lentjan, often occurs as a juvenile in subtropical and tropical interlinked mangrove and seagrass ecosystems, but little is known about its feeding habits and habitat use. Here, we used gut contents and stable isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) ratios to determine temporal changes in food sources and foraging habits of juvenile and sub-adult fish collected in mangrove forests and seagrass beds in the Setiu Lagoon. Gut content examination identified the main food sources as crustaceans, gastropods, bivalves, and annelids. Stable isotope analysis of food sources showed marked differences between the mangroves (δ13C = −26.8 ± 2.0‰; δ15N = 4.3 ± 1.7‰) and the seagrasses (mean ± S.D. δ13C = −20.5 ± 5.5‰; δ15N = 5.8 ± 1.2‰). The isotopic composition of L. lentjan revealed that it mainly utilized seagrass-based food sources. Rainfall and the semi-diurnal tidal regimes may affect the foraging habitats of fish in the lagoon. A significant depletion of 13C related to body size was observed, suggesting that mangroves provided some benefits to sub-adult fish. In contrast, trophic position increased with fish growth, although this increase was negligible. A stable isotope mixing model confirmed that the seagrass bed constituted the main carbon source for the fish, but with an increasing contribution of mangrove prey, such as sesarmid crabs, related to fish growth. This study provided novel information on seasonal variations in feeding areas and flexible habitat use in L. lentjan in the Setiu Lagoon, which will help optimize management strategies for sustainable use and wildlife conservation.