Vegetation Diversity Research Articles

Dynamics of Primary Succession in Airborne Microbial Communities on Urban Masonry

Microbial succession on urban masonry surfaces is a critical yet understudied aspect of environmental microbiology, with implications for public health within the One Health framework. This study investigated how building age, orientation, and vegetative cover influence microbial diversity on masonry, metal, and glass substrates at the University of La Verne, California. Biophysical characterizations were conducted, and microbial communities were analyzed using morphospecies richness and DNA sequencing. Significant variation in microbial species richness (χ2 = 20.3882, p = 0.0011) and diversity (Fisher’s LSD, p < 0.05) was observed. Masonry surfaces exhibited the highest microbial diversity, with a mean richness of 23 morphospecies compared to 14 on metal and 12 on glass. Penicillium fungi dominated masonry sites, comprising 45% of colonies, while Pseudomonas and Klebsiella were more prevalent on metal and glass surfaces (35% and 28%, respectively). Microbial succession did not follow a linear progression but showed non-sequential shifts influenced by local conditions. The abundance of Penicillium, known for antibiotic production, raises concerns about spreading antibiotic resistance genes. Opportunistic pathogens further highlight potential health risks. These findings underscore the importance of understanding primary successional processes in urban environments to manage microbial communities and mitigate public health risks.

The Influence of Litter Diversity on Leaf Breakdown and the Colonization of Decomposer Communities in Subtropical Highland Grassland Streams

ABSTRACTLitter diversity can enhance leaf breakdown through selective effects when driven by a particular species or specific leaf chemical characteristics. We analyzed the influence of leaf mixtures on leaf breakdown and associated decomposers in a highland grassland stream that receives low‐diversity leaf inputs. We incubated leaves of Ocotea diospyrifolia, Nectandra megapotamica, Myrcia eugenioides, and Miconia flammea in coarse mesh litter bags containing a leaf mixture of the four species, as well as leaves of each species in single treatments (6 streams × 3 replicates × 5 treatments = 90 sampling units). We found that leaves in single treatments had higher breakdown rates than the mixed treatment, suggesting that increased litter diversity did not positively influence leaf breakdown in highland grassland streams. Adaptations of decomposer assemblages to poorly structured riparian vegetation may have outweighed the potential effects of litter diversity. We found higher importance of leaf quality, measured by nutrient content, in driving leaf breakdown, with the effect of litter diversity on leaf breakdown rates depending on individual leaf chemical characteristics. Despite the lack of litter diversity positive effects on breakdown rates, the mixture treatment showed higher diversity of fungi and invertebrate decomposers. The leaf mixture may have increased habitat structure but reduced the number of individuals due to increased resource heterogeneity, favoring specialists. Functional feeding groups exhibited the expected patterns for their feeding strategies, with shredders benefiting from litter diversity and scrapers preferring single leaf treatments. Overall, riparian vegetation diversity was not crucial for organic matter processing but positively influenced decomposer diversity.

Introducing Vegetation Ecology and Diversity (VED)

The current issue is the first one of the journal Vegetation Ecology and Diversity, formerly Plant Sociology, the international peer-reviewed journal of the Italian Society of Vegetation Science (SISV). Vegetation Ecology and Diversity (VED) publishes original research articles covering all aspects of vegetation, ranging from plant communities to landscapes, including dynamic processes and community ecology. It prioritizes papers that emphasize plant community ecology and vegetation surveys to advance ecological models, interpret and classify vegetation, map ecosystems, assess environmental quality, manage and conserve plant biodiversity, and interpret and monitor European habitats. All the articles are freely available in Open Access (OA). In the present Editorial, we introduce the new journal name, the new Editorial Board and Social Media Team, several Topical Collections, and initiatives to support young researchers.

Contrasts in Ecohydrological Partitioning of Heterogeneous Urban Green Spaces in Energy‐Limited Versus Water‐Limited Hydroclimates

ABSTRACTUrban green spaces (UGS) provide essential ecosystem services (ES), for example, precipitation infiltration for flood mitigation, transpiration (Tr) for local atmosphere cooling and groundwater recharge (Gr) for drinking water provision. However, vegetation type impacts the ecohydrological partitioning of incoming precipitation and therefore ES provision, whilst flux rate potential is different in disparate hydroclimates. Consequently, paired studies in different hydroclimates are useful to understand similarities and differences in vegetation controlled ecohydrological partitioning to effectively guide UGS management. We simultaneously undertook sub‐daily soil moisture measurements beneath three contrasting urban vegetation types (grass, shrub, mature tree) between 01/01/2021 and 31/12/2023 for an inter‐comparison of an energy‐limited Scottish and a moisture‐limited region of Germany. These data were integrated with hydroclimatic and sapflux data in the EcoHydroPlot model to constrain estimates of ecohydrological fluxes. Soil moisture data showed clear effects of the contrasting hydroclimates, with high and low VWC values in Scotland and Germany, respectively, whilst evapotranspiration potential was ~50% greater in Germany. Consequently, ecohydrological functioning and flux rates were fundamentally different, with Tr dominant in Germany and Gr dominant in Scotland. However, vegetation cover was shown in both countries to be a key control on urban ecohydrological partitioning with grass encouraging Gr, contrasting to evergreen shrubs in Scotland and mature trees in Germany elevating Tr. In Germany, impacts to hydrological functioning due to low soil VWC were marked with the mature trees high Tr rate shutting down Gr for the majority of the study period. The German site also showed greater hydrological functioning susceptibility to inter‐annual hydroclimatic variability with all fluxes heavily suppressed during the 2022 drought. In contrast, the high VWC in Scotland provided some buffer against ongoing negative rainfall anomalies. Overall, the study indicated the importance of diverse UGS vegetation cover to encourage contrasting ecohydrological fluxes.

Tracking Particulate Matter Accumulation on Green Roofs: A Study at Warsaw University Library

Particulate matter (PM) is a critical component of urban air pollution, with severe implications for human health and environmental ecosystems. This study investigates the capacity of green roofs at the Warsaw University Library to mitigate air pollution by analyzing the retention of PM and associated trace elements (TEs) across eight perennial plant species during spring, summer, and autumn. The results highlight significant interspecies variability and seasonal trends in PM retention, with peak levels observed in summer due to increased foliage density and ambient pollution. Sedum spectabile and Spiraea japonica emerged as the most effective species for PM capture, owing to their wax-rich surfaces and dense foliage, while Betula pendula demonstrated a high retention of TEs like manganese and zinc. Seasonal shifts from surface-bound PM (SPM) to wax-bound PM (WPM) in autumn underline the importance of adaptive plant traits for sustained pollutant capture. These findings underscore the critical role of green roofs in urban air quality management, emphasizing the need for species-specific strategies to maximize year-round phytoremediation efficacy. Expanding the implementation of diverse vegetation on green roofs can significantly enhance their environmental and public health benefits.

Analisis Keanekaragaman Hayati: Peluang Agroforestri dalam Mengatasi Perubahan Iklim di Dulamayo, Gorontalo, Indonesia

The challenges posed by climate change and the decline of biodiversity to the sustainability of global agricultural systems are serious.Agroforestry has emerged as a strategy with the potential to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems while conserving biodiversity amidst the threats of climate change.This study aims to evaluate the potential of agroforestry to enhance biodiversity and the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change in Dulamayo, Gorontalo. The research methodology is based on vegetation analysis and the calculation of biodiversity indices, with data collection encompassing measurements of tree characteristics and species identification.The results indicate the presence of 17 tree species with a total of 154 individuals, where Candlenut (Aleurites molucana) and Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata) dominate with proportions of 22.73% and 20.13%, respectively. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index yielded a moderate value (H' = 2.311) with a high evenness level (E = 0.816), indicating a high ecosystem stability.The findings suggest that the agroforestry system in Dulamayo plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems to climate change through its complex and diverse vegetation structure.

Estimation of Fire Counts and Fire Radiative Power Using Satellite Optical and Microwave Vegetation Indices With Random Forest Method

AbstractThe satellite microwave emissivity difference vegetation index (EDVI) has been used in previous studies to estimate FCs and FRP using traditional multivariate linear regression models. However, the nonlinear effects and contributions of numerous factors that affect forest fires cannot be disentangled by this model. Using the random forest (RF) model, this study utilized multiple EDVIs and the optical normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as key fuel properties to resolve the physical driving mechanisms of forest fires and to estimate the daily FCs and FRP over East Asia. The results showed that the estimated FCs and FRP were in good agreement with satellite observations, with a spatial R of 0.59 for FCs and 0.63 for FRP and a temporal R of 0.80 for FCs and 0.81 for FRP. The integration of EDVIs and NDVI into the RF model was found to improve model performance and generate overall lower systematic errors than the model without vegetation variables. Model performance was better than that in previous studies using multivariate linear regression models. In addition, EDVIs showed greater importance than NDVI. This was largely due to their daily temporal resolution that allowed EDVIs to capture forest fire dynamics in time. The combination of the RF model with satellite microwave and optical observations shows good performance and has great potential for FC and FRP estimations in global fire danger assessment.

Unraveling the Impact of Diverse Vegetative Covers on Soil Carbon Fractions

Evaluating SOC lability is crucial for sustainable agriculture policies and environmental quality. This study assessed the impact of well-stocked forest cover on SOC pools and lability compared to shrubby soil. Geo-referenced soils under Red pine (Pinus brutia), Black pine (Pinus nigra), Cedar (Cedrus libani), Fir (Abies cilicia), Juniper (Juniperus excelsa), Oak (Quercus L.), Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), and degraded shrubs were collected from a depth of 0 to 30 cm in the Seyhan River Basin, Mediterranean Turkey. The analysis of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil AC (active carbon), and PC (passive carbon) were analyzed to understand soil carbon management across diverse vegetation types. Juniper forests have the highest SOC (27.98 g/kg) and PC (27.35 g/kg), followed by Cedar (SOC: 27.64 g/kg, PC: 27.05 g/kg) and Fir (SOC: 26.44 g/kg, PC: 25.85 g/kg). Shrubby areas have the lowest SOC (4.06 g/kg) and PC (3.61 g/kg). The Oak soil had the highest CLI (1.16), suggesting a relatively higher proportion of labile carbon than other forests. CPI indicates forests have a greater carbon storage capacity (1.09) compared to shrublands (0.18), with forests also having a higher CMI (0.83). The findings emphasize the critical role of forests, especially Juniper forests, in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation within the Seyhan River Basin in Turkey.

An in situ hyperspectral dataset for typical aquatic vegetation

ABSTRACT The heterogeneity of wetland habitats promotes aquatic vegetation diversity. The large number of plant species creates challenges in classifying wetland habitats. In-situ hyperspectral data directly relate vegetation species to the spectral response of the canopy, which serves as a foundation for interpreting and validating remote sensing data, estimating nutrient estimates, and biomass inversions. An in-situ hyperspectral reflectance dataset (spectral range: 350–2500 nm with 300 bands) of typical aquatic vegetation is described in this paper. The dataset includes 134 effective original spectral curves of 124 aquatic vegetation species, including 122 healthy canopy spectra, 7 spectra of withered leaves of aquatic plants, and 5 spectra of flowers. The first-order differential and continuum removal curves are obtained by calculating the original data. To provide a reliable reference for extracting plant spectral features, we describe the spectral curve differences of different plant families, genera, and species. Kruskal–Wallis tests and paired comparison validation were also used to determine the optimal wavelengths for distinguishing different plant types, families, and genera. We expect that this hyperspectral dataset can facilitate ecological remote sensing applications and thus can support remote sensing assessment of the carbon sink capacity of wetland vegetation from multiple perspectives.

Diversity and composition of vegetation and soil seed banks after sand dune restoration by oil mulching and plantations

Soil seed bank (SSB) is valuable reserves of seeds hidden in the soil and are especially important for the preservation and establishment of vegetation under adverse environmental conditions. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effects of restoration measures on SSB, especially in arid ecosystems. Here, we assess the impacts of oil mulching (1 and 3 years after mulching) and plantations (15-year-old) on the diversity and composition of SSB and aboveground vegetation (AGV) in comparison with those in non-restored areas (i.e., control). Based on the results, species richness was poor in the studied area (36 species belonging to 16 families), with a lower contribution of SSB than of AGV (11 and 34 species, respectively). The largest number of exclusive species was observed in the planted treatment for both SSB and AGV (4 and 5 species, respectively), while the lowest was found in the 1-yr mulching treatment. The mean comparison of the diversity indices revealed that the highest values occurred in the plantation and 3-yr-mulching plots. The seed density in the plantation area was significantly greater (4145 ± 694 seeds/m2) than that in the other areas (3-yr-mulching > 1-yr-mulching > control treatments (145 ± 53, 65 ± 28, and 43 ± 22, respectively). The results of the DCA showed that the plantation treatment was completely separated from the other treatments in terms of the plant composition of the AGV, and the treatment closest to that area was 3-yr mulching, which indicates the positive effect of time since mulching on plant composition. The results of this study suggest that there is a trade-off between the short-term and medium-term effects of oil mulching, such that in the early years, oil mulching has a negative effect on the AGV and SSB, but its positive effects increase with time since mulching. It can be concluded that mulching, along with afforestation, creates a favorable microclimate and improves the diversity and composition of AGV and SSB.

Assessing riparian functioning condition for improved ecosystem services: A case study of the Back Creek watershed (Virginia, USA).

Riparian functioning condition refers to a rating and description of the current ecological status of a reach of a riparian ecosystem in consideration of its potential hydrology, vegetation, and geomorphology. Reach rating options are Proper Functioning Condition (PFC), Functional-At-Risk (FAR), Non-Functional, and apparent or monitored trends. We assessed the functioning condition of flowing riverbank areas of Back Creek located in Virginia (USA) following a PFC protocol developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The PFC protocol involves 17 qualitative assessment items that address three categories of attributes (hydrology, vegetation, and geomorphology); each is answered as "yes", "no," or "not applicable" with an explanation. We discussed key PFC items driving stream water quality contextualizing the previously modeled riparian buffer zones and ecosystem services tradeoffs in the Back Creek watershed published by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Using the remote sensing data in the Geographic Information System, we delineated and characterized 26 Back Creek reaches of 41.1km length. We also analyzed the 38-year (1981-2018) daily datasets of the precipitation, surface runoff, temperature, soil moisture pattern, and vegetation types for the watershed. Then, we conducted the PFC assessments using field reconnaissance of 10 reaches, 19.3km of the Back Creek. The field assessments concluded that 52% of the assessed length of Back Creek was in PFC, attributed to diverse vegetation, maintained channel characteristics, floodplain accessibility (where appropriate), and balanced water and sediment loading supplied by individual headwater streams to the Back Creek. 48% of the assessed length was in FAR condition due to land use changes and urban road network. This study provides an exemplar of nonpoint source (diffused pollution generated by land runoff) methodology for identifying key riparian functioning issues and assessing effectiveness of the non-point source best management practice programs.

Study on the synergistic mechanisms of fungal biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality across vegetation diversity gradients.

Ecosystem multifunctionality denotes the capacity of an ecosystem to deliver various functions and services concurrently, emphasizing the overall effectiveness of these functions. Although biodiversity is intrinsically linked to ecosystem multifunctionality, research on the determinants of changes in this relationship remains limited. This study focused on 147 research plots across various ecosystems in the Lüliang region. Through high-throughput sequencing and data modeling, it was revealed that there exists a significant positive correlation between soil fungal biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (P<0.05). Notably, this correlation was found to be influenced by specialists and vegetation diversity. The specific results supporting this finding are presented as follows: 1) By means of linear regression and the establishment of various models, it was indicated that specialists exert a more substantial influence on the fungal biodiversity-ecosystem multifunctionality (BEF) relationship compared to generalists. 2) Moving window analysis demonstrated that changes in vegetation diversity affected BEF relationships within fungal communities, leading to synergistic shifts. As vegetation diversity increased, co-occurrence networks generally simplified, and the positive fungal BEF correlation was somewhat decreased. This study enhances the comprehension of fungal BEF relationships in natural ecosystems and provides a foundation for the development of effective management and conservation strategies in response to global changes.

Spatiotemporal analysis of agricultural drought variability in the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal

Exploring drought dynamics has become urgent due to unprecedented climate change. Projections indicate that drought events will become increasingly widespread globally, posing a significant threat to the sustainability of the agricultural sector. This growing challenge has resulted in heightened interest in understanding drought dynamics and their impacts on agriculture. uMkhanyakude District Municipality (UKDM) has experienced substantial drought occurrences, and 95% of rural dwellers within the district depend on small-scale agriculture, social security grants, and remittances for their livelihoods. Hence, there is a critical need for spatiotemporal assessments of drought within the district to fully comprehend the severity and spatial distribution of these events. This study addressed this need by assessing vegetation variability and agricultural drought occurrences across the UKDM from 2002 to 2023, by leveraging key vegetation health indices—namely, the Vegetation Condition Index, Temperature Condition Index, and Vegetation Health Index (VHI). The results identified major historical droughts, including episodes in 2002–2004 and 2015–2016 linked to El Niño events. Moreover, the findings revealed localised vulnerability to drought, although severe drought was limited at the district level. Moderate drought conditions characterised most months across Mtubatuba, Umhlabuyalingana, Jozini, and Big 5 Hlabisa local municipalities, ranging from 40.34% in Jozini to 59.75% in Umhlabuyalingana. No drought conditions occur less frequently across the district, ranging from 0.89% in Jozini to 7.33% in Mtubatuba, indicating limited periods of optimal vegetation health. This pattern suggests that certain areas within the district are particularly susceptible to drought, potentially threatening agricultural productivity and food security. The study highlights the efficacy of vegetation indices in capturing known drought events, underscoring their utility, especially in regions where ground-based data may be scarce. This spatiotemporal assessment provides an enhanced understanding of agricultural drought patterns to inform drought-related decision-making and adaptation in the agricultural sector. Given the consistent vulnerability identified, government support should be directed toward drought-prone areas, particularly through enhanced water resource management and infrastructure investment. Targeted measures are particularly recommended for areas with persistently low VHI values, such as the inland western regions of Jozini. Such efforts will strengthen resilience and sustainability in agricultural practices, safeguarding livelihoods and food security.

A complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors shapes plant diversity patterns in Mediterranean coastal dunes

ContextA long history of human colonisation has profoundly altered Mediterranean coastal dunes, as well as their capacity of providing ecosystem services important for human well-being. The provisioning of these services depends on the integrity of the dune system, which is formed and maintained by coastal plant communities. Analysing the drivers of plant diversity is thus crucial for preserving Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.ObjectivesWe investigated the influence of natural factors, anthropogenic activities and shoreline dynamism on different facets of plant diversity, i.e. species richness and the proportion of typical and ruderal species. Moreover, we examined whether natural and anthropogenic factors act as direct or rather indirect drivers of the loss of dune plant diversity.MethodsUsing 20 cm resolution orthophotos, we mapped a wide Mediterranean coastal landscape and obtained a set of variables describing the distribution, abundance and size of natural (coastal dune habitats) and anthropogenic (urban areas and tourism facilities) patches. From the orthophotos, we also quantified the shoreline dynamism (coastal erosion and accretion) occurred in the area over a 10-year period. We then analysed how dune plant species richness, as well as the proportion of typical and ruderal species, related to the landscape variables and shoreline dynamism. Also, using piecewise structural equation modelling, we investigated the complex interplay between landscape variables and shoreline dynamism in shaping coastal plant diversity patterns.ResultsWhen focusing on plant species richness, we found no evidence of a negative effect of anthropogenic activities (urbanisation and tourism) on the diversity of coastal vegetation. However, analysing typical and ruderal plant species revealed that the latter were favoured under human-related disturbance, while typical species of the foredune decreased in areas subject to high anthropogenic pressure. Results of the structural equation models highlighted that shoreline dynamism indirectly affected dune plant diversity through its influence on the landscape configuration.ConclusionsOur results indicate that (i) looking only at plant species richness can lead to underestimating the impact of anthropogenic activities on coastal dune vegetation; and (ii) that human-related activities change the composition of dune vegetation, eventually promoting the establishment of ruderal species. Finally, results show that coastal erosion acts as an indirect driver of plant diversity loss.

Shifts in the ecological drivers influence the response of tree and soil carbon dynamics in central Himalayan forests.

Understanding and regulating global carbon relies crucially on comprehending the components and services of forest ecosystems. In particular, interactions that govern carbon storage in trees, soil, and microbes, driven by factors like vegetation structure, function, and soil characteristics, remain poorly understood, especially in the central Himalayas. To address this gap, we investigated carbon storage in tree aboveground biomass, root biomass, and soil across different vegetation types. We also examined how vegetation parameters {vegetation diversity (H'), diameter at breast height (DBH), basal area (BA), and biomass}, and soil characteristics {bulk density (BD), moisture (Mo), pH, and total nitrogen (N)} might influence forest carbon storage. Our study, based on 14 plots (0.1ha each) spanning four distinct vegetation types {Sal forest (SF, 3), Chir-pine forest (PF, 4), Nepalese-alder forest (AF, 3), and Banj-oak forest (OF, 4)} in the central Himalaya, revealed several key insights. Tree carbon storage ranged from ∼79 to 261MgC ha-1, accounting for 41-65% of forest carbon storage, while soil carbon storage ranged from ∼28 to 69MgC ha-1, contributing 35-58%. These values varied with vegetation types and were influenced by the vegetation and soil characteristics associated with each forest type. Important contributors to tree and soil carbon storage included soil Mo, N, and vegetation structural diversity (H', BA), explaining 8-64 % of the variation. Path analysis indicated that increased vegetation diversity, soil properties, and conservative traits (fine roots and leaves) strongly influence tree and soil carbon storage. The study highlights the potential complex system to optimizing carbon storage in natural forest ecosystems, offering valuable insight for managing carbon sinks. Further research is needed to fully understand ecosystem responses to carbon storage across different forest habitats and different spatial-temporal scales.

Radio-tracking urban breeding birds: The importance of native vegetation.

As urban areas continue to expand globally, a deeper understanding of the functioning of urban green spaces is crucial for maintaining habitats that effectively support wildlife within our cities. Cities typically harbor a wide variety of nonnative vegetation, providing limited support for insect populations. The resulting scarcity of arthropods has been increasingly linked to adverse effects at higher trophic levels, such as the reduced reproductive success of insectivorous birds in urban environments. However, the responses by which urban breeding birds cope with the challenges of food limitation remain largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, in a Central European city, we employed radiotelemetry tracking and real-time observations on urban-breeding female great tits' habitat use, combined with detailed plant surveys and video recordings of nestlings' diet. This integrated approach enabled us to establish direct links between great tits' foraging behavior, vegetation preferences, and nestling diet. We found that besides tree canopies, great tits also frequently foraged on the ground and that the availability of bird feeders notably affected birds' habitat use. Foraging great tits generally avoided nonnative plants, particularly broadleaved species. When searching for nestling food, great tits were most time-efficient on conifers, albeit these trees provided low amounts of caterpillars (a preferred prey type). Great tits were more likely to forage on and deliver nestling food from large native trees and foraged less on and collected fewer prey items from the most abundant tree species. Our results underscore the importance of several factors that may help improve habitat quality for urban insectivorous birds, with preserving large trees and increasing diverse native vegetation being key elements in this endeavor.

Grapevine and cover crop spectral response to evaluate vineyard spatio-temporal variability

The use of cover crops in vineyards is considered a management strategy that contributes to improving soil structure. Remote sensing techniques of cover crops provide information on spatial variability that can be useful in precision viticulture. This study aims to investigate soil-plant interactions using biometric data, spectral response and soil physico-chemical parameters measured across 2021-2022, with the scope of assessing spatio-temporal variations of cover crop and vineyard. These evaluations were conducted on an on-farm vineyard in a semi-arid Mediterranean environment. During the winter season (T1), the cover crop (Vicia Faba) growth was evaluated. Equally, during the summer season (T2), vineyard monitoring was carried out during the phenological stages of flowering (T2A) and grape ripening (T2B). Multispectral images acquired through unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were employed, and subsequently, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated to obtain crops vigor maps. Through bivariate LISA cluster maps, cover crop vigor maps were compared with those of the vineyard, revealing the presence of significant positive spatial autocorrelation between the two crops. Indeed, in areas where the cover crop exhibited higher dry matter accumulation, grapevine high vigor growth was observed. The spatial association identified in surveys conducted in T1 and T2 was examined considering soil parameters. It emerged that in areas where both the cover crop and the vines exhibited high NDVI values, soil factors such as soil organic carbon (SOC) content and total nitrogen (TN) were higher. Conversely, in areas where both crops showed low NDVI values, they were associated with higher soil bulk density (BD). Moreover, in low vigor zones, higher soil penetration resistance (SPR) values were observed in both T1 and T2, contributing to limiting root elongation and thus reducing overall crop growth. Vegetative growth variability observed through vigor maps and soil physicochemical properties was evaluated through principal component analysis (PCA). Soil parameters considered within these components highlighted their influence on crop growth. This study emphasizes how soil factors directly influence the spatiotemporal variability of crops. Monitoring cover crops allows for early detection of spatial variability, supporting vine growers in choosing sustainable vineyard management techniques.

Plastic hotspot areas in riverine habitats: riparian vegetation diversity and structure entrap riverine plastics

Plastic hotspot areas in riverine habitats: riparian vegetation diversity and structure entrap riverine plastics

Diverse vegetation response to meteorological drought from propagation perspective using event matching method

Diverse vegetation response to meteorological drought from propagation perspective using event matching method

Disentangling Effects of Vegetation Structure and Physiology on Land-Atmosphere Coupling.

Terrestrial vegetation is a key component of the Earth system, regulating the exchange of carbon, water, and energy between land and atmosphere. Vegetation affects soil moisture dynamics by absorbing and transpiring soil water, thus modulating land-atmosphere interactions. Moreover, changes in vegetation structure (e.g., leaf area index) and physiology (e.g., stomatal regulation), due to climate change and forest management, also influence land-atmosphere interactions. However, the relative roles of vegetation structure and physiology in modulating land-atmosphere interactions are not well understood globally. Here, we investigate the contributions of vegetation structure and physiology to the coupling between soil moisture (SM) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) while also considering the contributions of influential hydro-meteorological variables. We focus on periods when SM is below normal in the growing season to explicitly study the regulation of vegetation on SM-VPD coupling during soil dryness. We use an explainable machine learning approach to quantify and study the sensitivity of SM-VPD coupling to vegetation variables. We find that vegetation structure and physiology exert strong control on SM-VPD coupling in cold and temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Vegetation structure and physiology show similar and predominant negative sensitivity on SM-VPD coupling, with increases of vegetation dynamics leading to stronger negative SM-VPD coupling. Our analysis based on Earth system model simulations reveals that models largely reproduce the effect of vegetation physiology on SM-VPD coupling, but they misrepresent the role of vegetation structure. This way, our results guide model development and highlight that the deeper understanding of the roles of vegetation structure and physiology serves as a prerequisite to more accurate projections of future climate and ecosystems.