Using spatially explicit individual-based models to prioritize conservation strategies: A case study on the little bustard.

Steppe birds are among the most threatened terrestrial birds worldwide, requiring urgent, well-planned, and cost-effective conservation strategies to halt population declines. The little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) is one of those species that has experienced sharp population declines across its western range, yet the effectiveness of different management interventions remains poorly understood. Predictive models, such as Individual-Based Models (IBM), provide powerful tools to anticipate and assess the effectiveness of conservation scenarios for endangered species, supporting evidence-based management decisions.

Habitat-Dependent DNA viral communities in atmospheric aerosols: Insights from terrestrial and marine ecosystems in East Asia.

The transmission of viruses through aerosols is of growing public health concern, yet research on aerosol-associated viral communities lags behind that of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Here, DNA viral diversity in natural aerosols from both over land and ocean in the East Asia region was examined. The results showed that atmospheric environments harbor a distinct viral community that differs from those present in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Microplastic occurrence in the digestive system and health status assessment in a commercially important cephalopod species, Sepia officinalis from the Gulf of Patti (southern Tyrrhenian Sea).

Cephalopods are ecologically and economically important species and play a key role in marine ecosystems. However, knowledge about the presence and effects of microplastic (MP) ingestion in this taxonomic group is still limited. The present research aimed to explore plastic ingestion and health status in the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, from the Gulf of Patti in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, for the first time.

Ecological impacts, efficacy and economic feasibility of algal mat removal from temperate intertidal mudflats under blue nitrogen trading schemes.

Driven by eutrophic conditions, AM (algal mat) proliferation is now ubiquitous in coastal areas generating significant ecological and economic impacts. The need to mitigate negative effects has prompted the exploration of removal methods, but neither the success nor the impacts on intertidal mudflats have been assessed. Limited success using a specially-adapted vessel, prompted a shift to manual removal by hand-rake at two UK (Portsmouth and Poole) and two French study sites (Brittany and Normandy).

Microplastic aging and adsorption in the atmosphere, and their associated impacts on various spheres of the earth: A review.

Microplastic (MPs, size <5 mm) is an emerging category of contaminants with detrimental effects on human health, climate, and ecology. The atmospheric pathway is a crucial transport route for the migration of MPs from source to receptor locations. This long-range transport leads to the ubiquitous presence of MPs across all environmental matrices and constrains the source-transport pathway-sink interaction.

Groundwater pollution management with source remediation and composite geomembrane cut-off wall: An analytical model and field investigation.

This study proposes a two-dimensional analytical model for contaminant migration through the composite GMB cut-off wall (CGCW) and aquifer system considering the effects of the leakage and source remediation. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis based on the Sobol's method is conducted to investigate the key impacts of contaminant distribution and degradation rate in the source, cut-off wall retardation factor and Darcy velocity in CGCW. The results show that the performance of the CGCW significantly is controlled by the leakage.

Incorporating microbiome analyses can enhance conservation of threatened species and ecosystem functions.

Conservation genomics is a rapidly growing subdiscipline of conservation biology that uses genome-wide information to inform management of biodiversity at all levels. Such efforts typically focus on species or systems of conservation interest, but rarely consider associated microbes. At least three major approaches have been used to study how microorganisms broadly contribute to conservation areas: (1) diversity surveys map out microbial species distribution patterns in a variety of hosts, natural environments or regions; (2) functional surveys associate microbial communities with factors of interest, such as host health, symbiotic interactions, environmental characteristics, ecosystem processes, and biological invasions; and (3) manipulative experiments examine the response of changes to microbial communities or determine the functional roles of specific microbes within hosts or communities by adding, removing, or genetically modifying microbes.

Sublethal pesticide exposure decreases mating and disrupts chemical signaling in a beneficial pollinator.

Pesticides provide vital protection against insect pests and the diseases they vector but are simultaneously implicated in the drastic worldwide decline of beneficial insect populations. Convincing evidence suggests that even sublethal pesticide exposure has detrimental effects on both individual- and colony-level traits, but the mechanisms mediating these effects remained poorly understood. Here, we use bumble bees to examine how sublethal exposure to pesticides affects mating, a key life history event shared by nearly all insects, and whether these impacts are mediated via impaired sexual communication.

Biotic and abiotic drivers of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus and metal dynamic changes during spontaneous restoration of Pb-Zn mining wastelands.

The biotic and abiotic mechanisms that drive important biogeochemical processes (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and metals dynamics) in metal mine revegetation remains elusive. Metagenomic sequencing was used to explored vegetation, soil properties, microbial communities, functional genes and their impacts on soil processes during vegetation restoration in a typical Pb-Zn mine. The results showed a clear niche differentiation between bacteria, fungi and archaea.

Unveiling marine plastic degraders through DNA-stable isotope probing.

Plastic biodegradation in natural environments is performed by the microbial biofilm living on its surface. This study identifies for the first time plastic degraders in marine environment, by using stable isotope tracers. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biodegradation was proved by monitoring microbial cell growth (via scanning electron microscopy and flow cytometry) and activities (via continuous oxygen consumption measurements and H-leucine incorporation for protein synthesis) during 90 days.

Genetic, Socioecological, and Health Determinants of Extreme Longevity in Semi-Supercentenarians and Supercentenarians: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Background: The study of supercentenarians (individuals aged 110 years or older) offers valuable insights into aging, longevity, and the factors contributing to exceptional lifespans. These individuals often exhibit extraordinary cognitive and physical performance, which can inform strategies to improve the health of the general population. Research on centenarians (individuals aged 100 years or older), semi-supercentenarians (individuals aged 105-109 years), and supercentenarians covers themes like genetic factors, microbiome, inflammation, diet, lifestyle, and psychological aspects.

Site-specific ontogenetic drivers of mercury concentrations in American alligators.

Contaminant body burdens are determined by complex interactions between contaminant inputs into the environment, local ecological dynamics, and organismal ontogeny. Although a naturally occurring element, mercury (Hg) is a potent neurotoxin, commonly assessed in contaminant body burdens. Anthropogenic activity has impacted its spatial distribution, resulting in regional 'hotspots' with elevated Hg concentrations.

Rewilding catalyzes maturation of the humoral immune system.

Inbred mice used for biomedical research display an underdeveloped immune system compared with adult humans, which is attributed in part to the artificial laboratory environment. Despite representing a central component of adaptive immunity, the impact of the laboratory environment on the B cell compartment has not been investigated in detail. Here, we performed an in-depth examination of B cells following rewilding, the controlled release of inbred laboratory mice into an outdoor enclosure.

Coffee consumption may suppress development of metabolic syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis -TOMORROW study.

Objectives This study aimed to clarify the associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and between MetS and dietary factors in RA patients. Methods Data were analyzed from a prospective cohort study that began in 2010, comprising 208 RA patients and 205 gender- and age-matched controls. The MetS components (blood pressure, lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and waist circumference) were evaluated up to 2017.

Biochemical and Structural Insights of the -Methyltransferase CyaF in Cyanogramide Biosynthesis.

-Methyltransferases involved in indole methylation have seldom been discovered in natural product biosynthesis. This study focuses on the enzyme CyaF, which catalyzes a critical -methylation step of indole in the β-carboline skeleton during cyanogramide biosynthesis. Seven β-carboline analogues (-) were isolated from the recombinant strain YF11/, including three new compounds (-).

Interplay Between Pollution and Avian Influenza Virus in Shorebirds and Waterfowl.

Anthropogenic pollution may disrupt wildlife immune function and increase susceptibility to, and ability to withstand, infection. Of particular concern is avian influenza virus (AIV), which in its low-pathogenic form is endemic in many wild bird populations, notably waterfowl and shorebirds, and in its high-pathogenic form poses a threat to wildlife, livestock and people. Many pollutants have immunomodulative properties, yet little is known about how these pollutants affect AIV infection risk specifically.

Linking environmental drivers including illegal gold mining to fish assemblage structure and health in a north-central Nigeria River: conservation and management implications of fish biodiversity.

Anthropogenic activities exert significant pressures on the dynamics and health of dominant fish species in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated how human activities impact the community structure, length-weight relationships, and condition factors of key fish species in a north-central Nigeria river. Sampling was conducted over 14 months across four sites with varying levels of disturbance: Zhabyala (minimal), Tunga Waya, Chanchaga, and Korokpan (severe).

Patterns of crossover distribution in Drosophila mauritiana necessitate a re-thinking of the centromere effect on crossing over.

We present a SNP-based crossover map for Drosophila mauritiana. Using females derived by crossing two different strains of D. mauritiana, we analyzed crossing over on all five major chromosome arms.

Precise tiller angle control by manipulating TAC1 expression in rice.

Tiller angle shapes plant architecture, and is one of the top traits in plant breeding. A compact plant type reduces shading between plants, especially at high planting density, but also creates a humid microenvironment often associated with a higher incidence of pathogen and pest attacks, especially under highly humid climates. However, how to precisely manipulate the tiller angle to achieve a desirable plant type has been under-approached.

Betaproteobacterial clade II nosZ activated under high N2O concentrations in paddy soil microcosms.

Aims: Microbial communities in paddy soils act as potential sinks of nitrous oxide (N2O), a notorious greenhouse gas, but their potential to reduce external N2O is unclear. The direct observation of N2O reduction in submerged field soils is technically difficult. Here, we aimed to identify soil microbial clades that underpin the strong N2O mitigation capacity.

Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Plant-Soil Feedbacks Explain the Spread Potential of a Plant Invader Under Climate Warming and Biocontrol Herbivory.

Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) can contribute to the success of invasive plants. Despite strong evidence that plant genetic traits influence soil microbial communities and vice versa, empirical evidence exploring these feedbacks over evolutionary timescales, especially under climate change, remains limited. We conducted a 5-year field study of the annual invasive plant, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.

The Importance of Ditches and Canals in Global Inland Water CO and NO Budgets.

Ditches and canals are omitted from global budgets of inland water emissions, despite research showing them to be emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Here, we synthesize data across climate zones and land use types to show, for the first time, that global ditches emit notable amounts of carbon dioxide (CO) and nitrous oxide (NO). Ditches had higher per-area emissions of CO and NO than ponds, lakes, and reservoirs, likely due to high nutrient inputs.

Convergent Strategies for Leaf Traits in Tree Species From Divergent Habitats.

Plant trait expressions and their trade-offs reflect the responses and long-term ecological adaptation to environmental gradients. However, how such expressions and trade-offs help plants to acclimate to a new environment remains poorly understood, which is a fundamental preset for plants' survival under a global change scenario. By comparing the trait-trait relationships of 4403 tree species from different climatic regions and the variation in trait trade-offs of 746 tree species that have been transplanted to a tropical botanical garden for several decades, our results reveal convergent but consistent alteration in trait-trait relationships of trees transplanted from different climatic regions to a common environment.

Timescale Matters: Finer Temporal Resolution Influences Driver Contributions to Global Soil Respiration.

Understanding the dynamics of soil respiration (R) and its environmental drivers is crucial for accurately modeling terrestrial carbon fluxes. However, current methodologies often lead to divergent estimates and rely on annual predictions that may overlook critical interactions occurring at seasonal scales. A critical knowledge gap lies in understanding how temporal resolution affects both R predictions and their environmental drivers.