Understanding how cultivation conditions influence the recovery of microbial diversity is critical for interpreting cultivation-derived communities in relation to in situ microbial ecology, particularly in nutrient-limited environments such as desert soils. In this study, we investigated how an oligotrophic nutrient gradient shapes cultivation outcomes and enrichment-derived bacterial community structure in soils from the Taklimakan Desert. Three enrichment treatments representing decreasing nutrient availability-standard low-nutrient medium (R2A), diluted medium (DR2A), and sterile water-were used to compare enrichment-derived communities with the original soil microbiome. Amplicon sequencing revealed that cultivation substantially altered community composition and reduced both taxonomic richness and diversity relative to the original soil. Across enrichment treatments, bacterial communities were dominated by a limited number of taxa, whereas the original soil contained a broader range of low-abundance lineages. Within the enrichment system, variation in nutrient supply influenced the relative abundance of specific taxa, with differential responses observed at the genus level. In contrast, beta diversity analysis showed only limited separation among enrichment treatments, and co-occurrence network analysis indicated generally simple and weakly connected community structures across all conditions. Overall, our results demonstrate that cultivation represents the primary selective force shaping enrichment-derived bacterial communities, while nutrient supply intensity acts as a secondary modulator of taxon-specific enrichment. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating nutrient gradients into cultivation strategies to improve ecological interpretation and facilitate the recovery of oligotrophy-associated microorganisms from desert soils.

This article seeks to understand the development of a working-class Montreal neighbourhood by analyzing small, longstanding food establishments according to their economic characteristics, their ability to adapt, and their role in the food supply and in local social life. The research fits into historical contexts. The transformation of the city during the urban renewal of the 1950s and 1960s affected older, mainly working class neighbourhoods. Furthermore, changes after 1945 in terms of food distribution brought about new consumption practices. The study concentrates on a part of the Centre-Sud neighbourhood that was almost entirely demolished around 1963, the Faubourg à m’lasse. Seventy places, from groceries to restaurants, from taverns to tobacco candy shops, were studied and geolocated for the years 1949, 1953, and 1963. The layout of the establishments as well as certain characteristics of the owners were also examined. This inventory draws on many sources, including an exceptional corpus of photographs taken by the City of Montreal in 1963. The results reveal the presence of commercial arteries featuring a varied food supply and establishments that were rather modest. The owners of the businesses, for the most part French Canadian men, were indeed present in the neighbourhood, thereby contributing to maintaining a merchant class despite varied socio-economic statuses. Our analysis leads us to conclude that the almost total disappearance of the businesses in 1963 was the result of the destruction of the territory rather than a direct effect of competition from other types of businesses.

Abstract Planktivorous damselfish (family Pomacentridae) are among the most conspicuous and abundant fishes on coral reefs. Although planktivores often drive coral reef productivity by providing pelagic subsidies, the trophic ecology of many planktivorous damselfish remains poorly understood. Here we investigate the trophic ecology of Amblyglyphidodon curacao (Bloch, 1787), a planktivorous damselfish common throughout the Indo-Pacific. This study combined extensive stomach contents analysis and behavioural observations from sheltered and exposed sites at two locations along Australia's Great Barrier Reef. A. curacao were found to be highly omnivorous, feeding on a diverse range of zooplankton, pelagic cyanobacteria, and benthic algae. Pelagic taxa predominated the diet, especially Trichodesmium spp. (henceforth Trichodesmium ), which formed a significant portion of the diet and was consumed by almost all individuals. Trichodesmium has few known consumers, and its consumption, at some times of the year, by coral reef fish represents a novel trophic link. Furthermore, diets were varied over broad spatial scales, and differences were detected between sheltered and exposed sites; a greater diversity of prey were consumed in exposed sites at both locations. Behaviourally, A. curacao were found to be highly sedentary; movement was on a scale of metres and was unaffected by individual body size, time of day, or tidal phase. Conversely, foraging rates varied with fish size, current speed, and tidal phase. Smaller individuals (2.5—4.5 cm SL) had higher foraging rates than larger individuals (> 4.5 cm SL) and the foraging rates of all individuals increased with current speed. The foraging rates of large individuals were reduced during low tide but were unaffected by time of day. These results categorise A. curacao as a highly opportunistic, omnivorous, and sedentary damselfish that feeds on prey delivered by currents and establishes a novel trophic link between coral reefs and the pelagic realm. Further, the broad range of prey taxa from pelagic and benthic sources suggests that A. curacao is resilient to variation in food supply among multiple reef zones.

ABSTRACT Understanding primate behavioral responses to food supply provides critical insights into their adaptive strategies in dynamic environments. The Critically Endangered Hainan gibbon ( Nomascus hainanus ), a China‐endemic species, has recently exhibited range expansion into low‐altitude forests. However, the foraging strategy of this species in lower‐elevation habitats remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined two Hainan gibbon groups within the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, representing old‐growth and secondary forest habitats, respectively. We assessed plant diversity in their home ranges through plot sampling at 100 m intervals and collected behavioral data via instantaneous scan sampling at 5‐min intervals. Our findings revealed low similarity in both overall forest composition and food plant availability between the two habitats. Although the two groups consumed a comparable number of food items, their dietary composition differed significantly. Notably, both groups exhibited a strong negative correlation between feeding preference and plant importance values, indicating that gibbons preferentially forage on non‐dominant tree species. These results demonstrate that Hainan gibbons exhibit dietary flexibility in response to spatial variation in food plant supply. Consequently, habitat restoration initiatives should prioritize key food plant availability to ensure sufficient foraging resources for this threatened species.

This dataset was generated to support research investigating the use of hyperspectral reflectance for the estimation of foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in apple (Malus domestica) trees. This article and the dataset it describes accompany an original research article submitted to Computers and Electronics in Agriculture entitled “Investigating the limits of spectroscopy for the estimation of foliar N and P in apple” [1]. Data were collected from a controlled potted experiment involving 150 ‘Golden Delicious’ apple trees grown under varying nutrient supply regimes, including full nutrient supply, nitrogen- and phosphorus-deficient treatments, and trees infected with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’. The experiment was conducted over the 2023 growing season at the Laimburg Research Centre in South Tyrol, Italy. All data and the accompanying code for its analysis is freely available in the associated GitHub repository [2].Spectral data were collected using the Spectral Evolution SR-3500 field spectroradiometer with an attached leaf clip, producing high-resolution hyperspectral reflectance profiles (350–2500 nm) from the adaxial surface of fully expanded leaves. A total of 1189 leaf spectra were recorded and were matched to chemically analysed leaf samples. Corresponding foliar N and P concentrations (and others) were determined through laboratory analysis using the Dumas combustion method for nitrogen and ICP-OES following acid digestion for phosphorus. The dataset includes metadata detailing tree treatments, sampling dates, infection status, and shoot growth metrics. Additionally, R scripts used for data processing, spectral pre-treatment (including multiplicative scatter correction and Savitzky-Golay derivatives), feature selection (VIP and mRMR), and model development are provided.The dataset is suitable for reuse in the development and benchmarking of spectral models for nutrient estimation, especially in the context of field-based or remote sensing applications in horticulture. Its wide range of foliar nutrient values, inclusion of multiple physiological stresses, and detailed documentation make it a valuable resource for researchers working in precision agriculture, plant phenotyping, chemometrics, and hyperspectral data analysis.

Data-driven empirical models, including those based on reaction kinetics, are well-regarded for their ability to make accurate predictions and uncover underlying relationships. While such models have been extensively employed for microbial communities, their use in agricultural populations remains comparatively limited. In this study, researchers analyzed data from hydroponic lettuce cultivation experiments observing nitrogen-, phosphorus-, and potassium-limited growth. Dynamic μ models, which incorporated nutrient-fueled growth and maturity-based rate decay, were adapted to accommodate a variable nutrient supply, as would be expected for nutrient recovery efforts using domestic wastewater. To test these models, researchers analyzed multiple approaches, differing variations in analyses, and other agricultural models against observed biomass measurements. The resulting Dynamic μ biomass models showed significantly less error than all other tested models, were validated against three variable nutrient treatments, and were evaluated against expected wastewater concentrations. Wastewater-cultivated lettuce was predicted to grow between 20 and 72% of fresh mass compared to lettuce grown under ideal nutrient concentrations, and models identified 41.7 days to maximize dry biomass, with a final harvest time of 44.0 days to maximize fresh biomass. Finally, this research demonstrates the application of agricultural modeling for profit estimation and informing decisions on supplemental nutrient use, providing guidance for nutrient recovery from wastewater.

Vegetable cultivation contributes significantly to food production, providing a varied and nutritious food supply for human use and Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practice is recommended in recent times for agricultural practice. Fluted pumpkin is an essential food crop farmed by small-scale farmers, and it helps fight against malnutrition in Nigeria. This study assessed the growth performance of Fluted Pumpkin cultivation in mbaise, Imo State, for the period of 3 months, using organic manure, which includes cow dung, pig dung, and poultry droppings, as sources of soil nutrients. Randomized Block Design was used for the experimental design and there were three treatments and a control (untreated pot), 1kg per pot of composted cow dung, pig dung, and poultry droppings, which were replicated three times, making it 12 pots. Parameters measured were on the number and length of leaves at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks and presented in tables. The results show that these parameters have a growth increase by applying different organic manure (cow dung, pig dung, poultry dropping) to the pumpkin pot, in contrast to the control (Untreated pot). However, the treatment with poultry droppings and cow dung had the highest leaf counts compared with the control pot, and pig dung had the lowest performance rate among the three organic manure types used. The result of the growth parameter revealed a significant (P<0.05) difference in all the treatments used. The study recommends the use of organic manure for fluted pumpkin cultivation, especially poultry droppings. It suggests using different organic manure for maximum growth and yield, which are essential for soil amendment and productivity. Therefore, farmers are advised to adopt climate-smart agricultural techniques to help boost their food crop production, ensure food security, promote policy formation, and improve sustainable farming methods.

The paper tries to examine the impact of climate change indicators (e.g., CO2 emissions, N2 O and CH4 emissions from land use, rice and cereals, temperature change and food inflation rate) on the variability of food supply in kilo calorie per capita per day in SAARC during 2000-2021 by applying panel regression and panel cointegration and vector error correction methods.

Ongoing global climate change is affecting all aspects of life on Earth, including human health. The gut microbiota is an important determinant of health in humans and other organisms, but how climate change affects gut microbiota remains largely unexplored. In this Review, I discuss how the changing climate might affect gut microbiota by altering the quantity and quality of food, as well as environmental microbiomes, such as enteric pathogen pressure and host physiology. Climate change-induced variability in food supply, shifts in elemental and macromolecular composition of plant and animal food, the proliferation of enteric pathogens, and the direct effects of high temperatures on gut physiology might alter gut microbiota in undesirable ways, increasing the health burden of climate change. The importance of different pathways might depend on many geographical, economic, and ecological factors. Microbiomes of populations in low-income countries might be disproportionally affected through greater climate change effects and poor mitigation on diet, pathogen burden, and host physiology.

Agricultural diversification is a key strategy for enhancing livelihood security and promoting sustainable development in India. The agricultural sector, which employs over 55% of the workforce and supports a majority of the rural population, is facing challenges such as environmental degradation, income instability, and fluctuating market conditions. Shifting from monoculture to a diversified farming approach, including horticulture, livestock, and allied sectors, can help mitigate risks associated with climate change and market volatility. Diversification improves income, creates employment opportunities, and strengthens food security by ensuring a more varied and nutritious food supply. Sustainable farming practices, modern technologies, and farmer cooperatives further empower farmers, boosting productivity and resilience. This comprehensive approach supports poverty reduction, rural economic stability, and environmental sustainability. Targeted interventions, effective policies, and awareness campaigns are essential for realizing the full potential of agricultural diversification in India.

Abstract Properly predicting the rapid transition from shallow to precipitating atmospheric convection within a diurnal cycle over land is of great importance for both weather prediction and climate projections. In this work, we consider that a cumulus cloud is formed due to the transport of water mass by multiple updrafts during its lifetime. Cumulus clouds then locally create favorable conditions for the subsequent convective updrafts to reach higher altitudes, leading to deeper precipitating convection. This mechanism is amplified by the cold pools formed by the evaporation of precipitation in the sub‐cloud layer. Based on this conceptual view of cloud–cloud interactions which goes beyond the one cloud equals one–plume picture, it is argued that precipitating clouds may act as predators that prey on the total cloud population, such that the rapid shallow–to–deep transition can be modeled as a simple predator–prey system. This conceptual model is validated by comparing solutions of the Lotka‐Volterra system of equations to results obtained using a high‐resolution large‐eddy simulation model. Moreover, we argue that the complete diurnal cycle of deep convection can be seen as a predator–prey system with varying food supply for the prey. Finally, we suggest that based on the present conceptual model, new unified cloud‐convection parameterizations can be designed which may lead to improved representations of the transition from shallow to precipitating continental convection.

A dominant theme explaining intraspecific latitudinal size gradients is the temperature–size rule which states that growth rates decline but maximum sizes increase with declining temperatures over a species’ range. Herein, the demographics of the Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima are evaluated relative to the temperature–size rule, followed by contemplations on the impact of climate change on its management. Analysis of latitudinal trends in size–frequency identifies the anticipated trend of increasing maximum size with decreasing temperature. A metabolic energetics model shows that variations in size accrue from the physiological impact of geographic variations in temperature modulated by variations in food supply. Lifetime fecundity declines with increasing temperature. Implications include the decline in maximum size towards the south limiting the southern stock as a larval source. As temperature increases, the more rapid early growth rate does not counterweigh the cap on size imposed by temperature. Thus, higher temperatures rob the species of reproductive potential. Management measures based on the size frequency are discussed, and specifically regulatory size limits on landings are identified as incompatible with the temperature–size rule. The contribution directly addresses the influence of climate change on the fisheries management of the Atlantic surfclam, with specific reference to size-limit regulations. This paper, more broadly, examines the influence of rising temperatures on the growth of Atlantic surfclams and, by extension, most of the Bivalvia.

An audit of the marine and freshwater ichthyofauna of the Arctic has been carried out. According to new data, the ichthyofauna of the Arctic is represented by 4 classes, 33 orders, 103 families, 251 genera and 479 species of cyclostomes and fish (or about 1% of the world fauna), of which 214 species or 45% of the number of species in the Arctic are true Arctic species. Arctic fish are characterized by polymorphism and euryphagy, which are associated with the variable and low food supply of northern water bodies. The ichthyofauna of the Arctic is well represented by taxa with a wide adaptive radiation (genera Coregonus, Salvelinus, Lycodes, etc.) and species with a complex intraspecific structure such as superspecies or species-complex. Another characteristic feature of the Arctic is low endemism of ichthyofauna at the level of families (5%), genera (2%) and species (10%). Possible routes of distribution of whitefish and pike in the water bodies of the North have been discussed.

Changing source waters on the Northeast US Continental Shelf: Variation in nutrient supply and phytoplankton biomass

The shallow-water Capo Mortola succession (Liguria, NW Italy) yields diverse assemblages of smaller benthic and planktic foraminifera, larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), and calcareous nannofossils. With the aim of improving the understanding of the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) impact on the shallow-water marine biotic communities due to global warming, we provide biostratigraphic and stable isotope data to achieve a reliable stratigraphic constraint of the MECO. The correlation of the stable isotope oxygen data with datasets of similar age from other regions suggests that only the onset of the MECO interval is recorded in the Capo Mortola section. Quantitative analyses of smaller benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that the shallow-water setting of Capo Mortola was not particularly affected by the onset of the MECO perturbance because no variation in nutrient supply or oxygen level were detected. A different scenario is recorded by the LBF genera Operculina and Discocyclina, which increased in abundance across the MECO onset, probably due to a rise in temperature and adapting to the increase in nutrient supply. In the upper water column, the variations in calcareous plankton communities appear to be controlled by both the MECO warming and a moderate increase in eutrophic conditions related to the enhanced hydrological cycle. Nutrients, mostly consumed in the upper water column, reached the seafloor in a limited amount, as benthic foraminifera record a meso-oligotrophic environment across the studied MECO interval.

Abstract Greater embryo mass confers an advantage in the face of sub-lethal starvation for larvae of the American lobster, Homarus americanusH. Milne Edwards, 1837. We reared larvae in the laboratory and recorded body size, molt increment, stage duration, and mortality during the three larval instars and postlarval stages. Larvae were either fed continuously or subjected to starvation periods immediately after hatching. Larval mass increased with embryo mass suggesting that energetic advantages of heavier embryos are conferred to the larvae. Stage I larvae hatched from clutches with heavier embryos and had lower mortality after five days without food. Stage I duration decreased with increasing embryo mass in treatments with initial periods without food of three, four, and five days. We also observed greater size increase at first molt and larger postlarval size in some treatments. Our results suggest that larger embryos produce larvae that are more resistant to starvation, which may provide a survival advantage when experiencing variable food supply due to the patchy distribution of their planktonic prey.

Abstract The effects of resource subsidies on a recipient ecosystem depends on a variety of factors. Firstly, increasing the supply of limiting nutrients tends to increase the accumulation of biomass across different compartments of the recipient food web. Secondly, in the case of aquatic microorganisms, this accumulation may also be contingent on inputs of energy through light, mediating interactions between heterotrophic bacteria and autotrophic algae. Thirdly, macroscopic consumers feed upon microorganisms and recycle nutrients through excretion and egestion, profoundly affecting nutrient cycling. In order to examine the context‐dependency of nutrient cycling in aquatic systems, we performed an experiment in mesocosms where we followed the responses of dissolved nutrients, microorganisms, and larvae of the cosmopolitan mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) to two terrestrial subsidies differing in carbon (C):nutrient, in combination with two light intensities. We found that the interactions amongst bacteria and algae themselves remained generally unimportant after accounting for treatment effects, and that light did mediate some of the effects of nutrient subsidies on microorganisms. We also found that the presence of mosquito larvae was associated with altered concentrations of nitrogen (N) in some treatments, ultimately benefitting algae. Finally, we found that low C:nutrient subsidies generally increased the development rate of mosquito larvae, and that increased light exposure led to higher mosquito survival. Overall, these patterns may be explained by strong nitrogen limitation in our system, causing both group of microorganisms to respond similarly to variations in nutrient supply without direct covariation, and to the key role of N recycling by mosquito larvae in sustaining algal densities in exposed treatments. The context‐dependency in our study may reflect elemental or molecular constraints other than phosphorus. Our experiment thus calls for greater synthesis amongst ecological theories.

Abstract Ecotourism management can draw on theory and data related to non‐consumptive effects of risk on wildlife. The asset protection principle (APP) predicts that variable food supply and its associated risks will affect antipredator behavior; responses to predation risk should dominate when food reserves are high, while nutritional risk becomes more important when food reserves are limited. Additionally, the human shield hypothesis (HSH) describes how some individuals might seek human presence if it repels potential sources of risk. Using camera traps, we used generalized linear mixed effects and multinomial regression models to test components of the APP and HSH where ecotourism co‐occurs with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) foraging during hyperphagia. When salmon abundance was high (+1 SD), bear activity (weekly detections) decreased by 13% with every 100 visitors/week. Under low salmon conditions, bear activity increased with visitor numbers, creating ‘high bear‐high visitor’ conditions. Consistent with HSH, detection data revealed an increased likelihood of detecting subordinate age‐sex classes compared with adult males when visitor numbers were high. Our findings suggest that when salmon are low, managers might consider limiting visitors to mitigate disturbance. More broadly, understanding how wildlife allocate anti‐predator behavior as a function of risk and food can inform conservation science and practice.

A hydroponics experiment growing microgreens was piloted by seniors where trials were conducted over 9-day growth periods and designed to test 12 different growth conditions in triplicate, including varying nutrient supply, nutrient flow rate, and seed density. Plant growth was assessed through changes in daily mass, height, and final dry weight. This experiment exposes students to plant biology, horticulture, and sustainable environmental systems and demonstrated viability as an experiment for a senior unit operations course.

This study was the first to investigate the key reproductive traits of the electric lantern fish Electrona risso (Myctophidae, n = 918) and the bigscale fishes (Melamphaidae) Melamphaes polylepis (n = 260) and Scopelogadus mizolepis (n = 649). Specimens of these mesopelagic species were collected in March and April 2015 in the eastern Central Atlantic (0-24° N, 20-26° W). Sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1 in E. risso and M. polylepis but significantly skewed toward female dominance in S. mizolepis. Reproductive phases were determined macroscopically and by histological analyses on selected individuals. Female length at 50% maturity (L50 ) was 55.1 mm standard length (LS ) in E. risso, with an observed female maximum length (Lmax ) of 81.2 mm LS . M. polylepis females had an L50 of 40.2 mm LS and an Lmax of 86.7 mm LS . S. mizolepis had an L50 of 46 mm LS and an Lmax of 97.9 mm LS . The three species show histological features of iteroparity, but the E. risso population appears to occur in two year-classes and experience only one spawning season per lifetime in the study region. All three species are batch-spawners. A batch fecundity of 2668 eggs was estimated from one E. risso individual, with a relative batch fecundity of 369 eggs g-1 gonad-free body mass. M. polylepis had a batch fecundity of 1027 eggs and a relative batch fecundity of 149 eggs g-1 (n = 3). S. polylepis had a batch fecundity of 1545 eggs and a relative batch fecundity of 215 eggs g-1 (n = 21). The median gonado-somatic index during the actively spawning phase of E. risso was 4.5, significantly lower than that of M. polylepis (7.5) and S. mizolepis (7.1). No regressing or regenerating phases were observed in this study. Batch-spawning in all three species is suggested to be advantageous to cope with intra-annual variability in food supply and other risks for offspring survival. With what appears to be in effect a (facultative) semelparous strategy in combination with a short life span in E. risso, interannual differences would have a great effect on population dynamics of this species. Knowledge is still lacking on temporal aspects of reproduction such as the duration of the spawning season and the frequency of spawning, as well as age and growth.