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In this review and synthesis, we argue that California is an important test case for the nation and world because terrestrial biodiversity is very high, present and anticipated threats to biodiversity from climate change and other interacting stressors are severe, and innovative approaches to protecting biodiversity in the context of climate change are being developed and tested. We first review salient dimensions of Californias terrestrial physical, biological, and human diversity. Next, we examine four facets of the threat to their sustainability of these dimensions posed by climate change: direct impacts, illustrated by a new analysis of shifting diversity hotspots for plants; interactive effects involving invasive species, land-use change, and other stressors; the impacts of changing fire regimes; and the impacts of land-based renewable energy development. We examine recent policy responses in each of these areas, representing attempts to better protect biodiversity while advancing climate adaptation and mitigation. We conclude that Californias ambitious 30 × 30 Initiative and its efforts to harmonize biodiversity conservation with renewable energy development are important areas of progress. Adapting traditional suppression-oriented fire policies to the reality of new fire regimes is an area in which much progress remains to be made.

We present a representation of nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator, a demographic vegetation model within the Energy Exascale Earth System land model. This representation is modular, and designed to allow testing of multiple hypothetical approaches for carbon-nutrient coupling in plants. Novel model hypotheses introduced in this work include, (a) the controls on plant acquisition of aqueous mineralized nutrients in the soil and (b) fairly straight forward methods of allocating nutrients to specific plant organs and their losses through live plant turnover as well as litter fluxes generated through plant mortality. This combines the new with pre-existing hypotheses (such as nitrogen fixation and soil decomposition) into a system that can accommodate plant-soil dynamics for a large number of size- and functional-type-resolved plant cohorts within a time-since-disturbance-resolved ecosystem. Root uptake of nutrients is governed by fine root biomass, and plants vary in their fine root biomass allocation in order to balance carbon and nutrient limitations to growth. We test the sensitivity of the model to a wide range of parameter variations and structural representations, and in the context of observations at Barro Colorado Island, Panama. A key model prediction is that plants in the high-light-availability canopy positions allocate more carbon to fine roots than plants in low-light understory environments, given the widely different carbon versus nutrient constraints of these two niches within a given ecosystem. This model provides a basis for exploring carbon-nutrient coupling with vegetation demography within Earth system models.

Aim: Myanmar, an Indo‐Burmese biodiversity hotspot, lacks baseline data on species occurrence and distribution. This hinders biodiversity monitoring and optimisation of conservation and development plans. We aim to document baseline mammal occupancy, interactions with environmental factors and scale‐dependent responses. Location: Hkakaborazi National Park, Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range, Say Taung and Myinmoletkhat Key Biodiversity Areas distributed across Myanmar. Methods: Camera trap data throughout Myanmar were used to analyse species occupancy. We conducted a multiscale hierarchical spatial modelling process, using local and pooled data across Myanmar. We also optimised spatial scale across five scales and six predictors, using univariate occupancy models. We then selected scale‐optimised variables for multivariate modelling, repeating this process for each species across local, regional and national datasets. Results: The study identified 47 terrestrial species and observed strong scale‐dependent nonstationarity in occupancy estimates. Relationships with environmental variables differed among species and were highly scale dependent. Importantly, occupancy estimates produced by pooling data across sites were greatly different from any of the estimates for the individual sites, suggesting that high heterogeneity in occurrence and abundance across sites among species requires local or nested occupancy estimates to account for spatial heterogeneity and variation. Main Conclusions: Future conservation efforts should focus on Northern Myanmar if range‐restricted and rare species are to be protected, while focus should still be given to common species which serve as potential indicators of overall community structure. The nonstationarity of occupancy results from different datasets underscores the potential for misleading interpretations from aggregated data in nonstationary ecological systems. Metareplicated analyses of local, geographically and ecologically proximal regional datasets provide an important view of spatial variation in occupancy patterns guiding conservation design and improving understanding of the drivers of biodiversity patterns and change across large regions, such as Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era when ecological and environmental needs and responsibilities apply pressure on the world's countries and sustainability takes centre stage, ecologic/environmental (E/E) laboratories stand as beacons of scientific inquiry, innovating, optimising, and applying various tests for a better knowledge of our natural resources and the quality status of ecosystems. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the use of flow cytometry (FC) as a tool for assessing environmental quality, mainly using living organisms and their biological changes as bioindicators. Cytometric approaches applied to both marine and terrestrial ecosystems ensure the detection of biochemical and functional status of the cells composing either an organ thereof or the organism itself. In addition to cytometric evaluations of the biotic matrix, a brief overview of the techniques for the environmental assessment of biotic and abiotic matrices using mass spectrometry is given. The technique involving the continuous monitoring of the chemical and physical parameters of water, sediment, and soil is basically incapable of detecting any additive and synergetic effects of toxicants on living organisms. Therefore, techniques employing bioindicators provide valuable information for environmental diagnosis, and several studies have demonstrated the strong relationship between specific environmental data and cell/organ behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite often being referred to as a ‘coolhouse climate’, the climate during the Miocene (23.03–5.33 Ma) was overall humid, warm and temperate. It was paced by orbitally driven cooler periods (the Oligocene–Miocene Transition and Mi-events) overprinted by a climatic optimum. Global cooling during the Late Miocene brought more arid conditions with climate seasonality, which varied across western Eurasia. Sedimentary archives from onshore Denmark comprise shallow marine siliciclastic deposits and discrete brown coal layers. Hence, they allow us to infer past climates and environments using both marine and terrestrial fossils. The backbone for Miocene stratigraphy and palaeoclimate reconstruction in the eastern North Sea Basin (present-day Denmark) is the Sønder (Sdr.) Vium sediment core, which penetrates a shallow marine succession and spans an interval from c. 22 to 8 Ma. Here, we present an improved age model for the core. During the Miocene, forested lowlands predominated in the eastern North Sea Basin. Coastal areas included rich riparian landscapes and delta areas of lignite-forming swamp forest. Compilations of existing proxy records (pollen, spores, leaves, plant fragments and the organic biomarkers alkenones and membrane lipids) collectively show that the climate here was warm and moist during the Early and Middle Miocene, while the Late Miocene was characterised by climate cooling and modernisation of the vegetation. The interval preceding the Miocene Climatic Optimum was already warm and moist, and the onset was not characterised by a significant increase in temperature and precipitation. Instead, the palynoflora indicates homogeneous vegetation and only a weak signal of warming shown by a minor increase of, for example, sabaloid palms and Mastixiaceae.

Wind plays a crucial role in shaping climatic and environmental conditions; however, its spatial and temporal variabilities over land remain poorly understood. This study utilizes combined datasets from multiple satellite platforms to examine the spatial patterns and temporal trends of wind speed over land during the past 30 years (1988-2017). The results demonstrate a significantly increasing trend in global wind speed, with variations on both annual and monthly scales. Spatially, wind speeds are lower in low-latitude regions, particularly in the tropics. High wind speeds primarily occur in mid- to high-latitude regions, with the highest speeds observed in the Arctic. Temporally, wind speed trends are characterized by an increase in low-speed winds and decrease in high-speed winds. Overall, wind speed shows a significant correlation with temperature in the Amazon, northern Europe, and central Asia. Negative wind-temperature correlation is confined to small regions in central North America and northern Africa. The findings of this study help clarify wind trends, providing valuable insights for future research on global climate and environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main objectives of modern-day surveying is to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of mapping a landscape for natural features and elevations prior to the start of a construction project. This paper focuses on a comparison between terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry and real-time kinematic global positioning systems (RTK-GPSs) in terms of elevation accuracy, data expenditure, and time for each survey to be completed. Two sites in San Diego County were chosen to be studied with a combined area of about 1.14 acres, and a total station system was used to establish 572 control points between both areas. Two of the three methods investigated produced similar results in elevation and were well within the established standard, as the terrestrial photogrammetry averaged 0.0583 feet of error, the aerial photogrammetry averaged 0.345 feet of error, and the RTK-GPS averaged 0.0432 feet of error when compared to the total station ground truth. If data consumption is not a concern, the terrestrial photogrammetric method should be preferred to the aerial photogrammetric and RTK-GPS methods in topographic mapping and land monitoring due to the increase in time efficiency and in surface model detail while keeping within the Caltrans specified tolerance of error of 0.2 feet. For general order land surveys, the photogrammetric approach utilized with a Looq scanner would provide the most efficient and cost-effective survey while staying within the 0.2 foot tolerance of error. This method also allows for the utmost clarity of the resulting point cloud when analyzing terrain, break lines, or other features in the survey area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

True abundance of lesser snow (Anser caerulescens caerulescens, Linnaeus 1758) and Ross's geese (Anser rossii, Cassin 1861, collectively referred to as “light geese”, in North America had been unknown in the 1980s. However, different indices of abundance suggested steady increases at the time. The Karrak Lake Research Station (KLRS) was established partly because it was not known if the breeding biology from more southern latitudes (the only information available at the time) was representative of more northern colonies where 90% of the midcontinent population of lesser snow geese nested. Visits in 1990 confirmed the continued importance of Karrak Lake and surrounding areas in Canada’s central Arctic to a large nesting concentration of both snow and Ross's geese documented previously. Key activities at KLRS were (1) colony-wide annual monitoring of nesting goose abundance and nesting performance and (2) large-scale marking efforts to monitor survival, range-wide abundance, distribution, and exploitation rate from hunter harvest and natural mortality rate. The scope of research expanded to include their interaction with local vegetation and other sympatric wildlife, including Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus, Linnaeus 1758), king eiders (Somateria spectabilis, Linnaeus 1758), long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis, Linnaeus 1758), and cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii). Following exponential growth in the 1990s and 2000s, nesting populations of light geese at Karrak lake collapsed since 2012, presenting a unique opportunity to examine how local ecosystems recover and revert from heavy grazing by hyperabundant geese.

Landsat and Sentinel-2 acquisitions are among the most widely used medium-resolution optical data adopted for terrestrial vegetation applications, such as land cover and land use mapping, vegetation condition and phenology monitoring, and disturbance and change mapping. When combined, both data archives provide over 40 years, and counting, of continuous and consistent observations. Although the spatio-temporal availability of both data archives is well-known at the scene level, information on the actual availability of cloud-, snow-, and shade-free observations at the pixel level is lacking and should be explored individually for each study to correctly parametrize subsequent analyses. However, data exploration is time- and resource-consuming, thus is rarely performed a-priori. Consequently, the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of usable data is often inadequately accounted for in the analysis design, risking ill-advised selection of algorithms and hypotheses, and thus inferior quality of final results. Here we present precomputed data on the daily 1982-2023 availability of usable Landsat and Sentinel-2 acquisitions across the globe. We assembled the dataset by sampling individual pixels at regular intervals with 0.18° spacing in the latitudinal and longitudinal directions and reporting the data availability across the complete time depth of Landsat and Sentinel-2 data archives. The dataset comprises separate Landsat- and Sentinel-2-specific data records. To facilitate data exploration the data availability records are accompanied by a growing season information, also sampled at the pixel-level in regular intervals with 0.18° spacing. The dataset was derived based on freely available 1982–2023 Landsat surface reflectance (Collection 2) and Sentinel-2 top-of-the-atmosphere reflectance (pre-Collection-1 and Collection-1) scenes from 2015 through 2023, following the methodology developed in the recent study on data availability over Europe [1]. Growing season information was derived based on 2001-2019 time series of the yearly 500 m MODIS land cover dynamics product (MCD12Q2; Collection 6) [1]. As such, the dataset presents a unique overview of the spatio-temporal availability of usable daily Landsat and Sentinel-2 data at the global scale, hence offering much-needed a-priori information aiding identification of appropriate methods and challenges for terrestrial vegetation analyses at the local to global scale.

AbstractAlthough Zimbabwe opened its airwaves to private players in 2002, broadcasting spectrum frequency licensing has remained contentious with some stakeholders arguing the process lacks transparency and is deceptive to media reform. We therefore seek to answer two key questions in this article: What are the impediments encountered in liberating the broadcasting industry in Zimbabwe since independence? To what extent is Zimbabwe’s broadcasting frequency spectrum licensing regime transparent, open and participatory? The article analyses if the licensing regimen meets International Telecommunications Union (ITU), continental and regional benchmarks of transparency, openness, fairness and inclusivity in allocation and assignment of frequencies. It investigates and unpacks policies and principles concerning frequency spectrum allocation for broadcasting in Zimbabwe. Documentary analysis is employed in examining policy documents which outline terms of reference and requirements for frequency spectrum allocation. We also conducted in-depth interviews with broadcasting policy makers and industrial voices such as applicants who were denied licenses. Four stations (two awarded and two denied) licenses and were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews. Findings in this study reveal that the adjudication and scoring of the licensees is not transparent, neither is it open and bidders do not have a say in the licensing process. Whilst the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe and the Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe admit that final adjudication is done by the authorities, they still claim that the Zimbabwean licensing model is open, transparent and participatory.

We connect evidence that 20 oC is the most stable temperature for cellular processes with macroecological observations. Examples show that temperatures warmer than ~20 oC result in decreases in: aquatic species’ tolerance to low oxygen; marine pelagic and benthic algal productivity; pelagic and benthic predation rates; global species richness in pelagic fishes, plankton and benthic invertebrates; and genetic diversity; but increased extinctions in the fossil record. The realised thermal niche of reef fishes and invertebrates globally is narrowest among species with distributions centred on 20 oC, as also seen in microbes. While many species have evolved to live at warmer and colder temperatures, most species live at, and extinctions in the fossil record across seven phyla were lower at, 20 oC. The mathematical “Corkrey” model, which predicts that thermal breadth should be minimized and species richness maximised at 20 oC across all Domains of life, provides an explanation for this “20 oC effect”. A literature search found highest species richness at ~20 oC across life in air and water, including animals, plants and microbes. That life seems centred around ~20 oC implies fundamental constraints that compromise the ability of extant tropical species to adapt to higher temperatures.

Nutrient cycling through leaf litter consumption is an essential ecological function performed by macrodetritivorous invertebrates such as isopods and millipedes. Leaf litter consumption rates can vary greatly depending on the environment, consumer identity and litter traits, but generalizations about the effects of plant traits on macrodetritivore leaf litter consumption, assimilation and growth are not well established and are mostly indirectly inferred.We conducted a systematic search of the global literature and obtained 456 standardized measures from laboratory experiments of relative consumption (RCR), assimilation (RAR) and growth (RGR) rates of terrestrial isopods and millipedes, extracted from 56 different articles. We investigated if commonly measured leaf traits, plant functional groups, prior microbial conditioning of leaves and climatic conditions affected these rates. We obtained data on commonly measured leaf traits from the TRY global plant trait database, inferred plant functional groups from taxonomic groupings and obtained climatic data from information reported within articles.RCR, RAR and RGR varied greatly among macrodetritivore and plant species, but overall, there were no differences between isopods and millipedes. Microbial conditioning of litter greatly increased RCR. Plant functional group was an important predictor of RCR, with eudicot trees and forbs being consumed in greater quantities than magnoliid trees and grasses. Fresh leaf N:P ratio had a positive effect on RAR, and leaf N and C:N ratio had positive and negative effects on RGR, respectively, while climatic variables had weak effects on the three rates.Our work shows that plant traits (both those associated with plant functional groups and commonly measured leaf traits) exert strong effects on resource processing rates by terrestrial macrodetritivores. Further, prior microbial conditioning of leaf litter has a large and globally consistent positive effect on macrodetritivore litter consumption, suggesting that they may consume little, if any, freshly senesced leaf material when microbially conditioned litter is available. Our results suggest that, where extremes of temperature or precipitation do not occur, variables reflective of food quality (leaf traits and microbe conditioning) are more important drivers of macrodetritivore leaf litter consumption than are extrinsic climatic variables. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution records from past interglacial climates help constrain future responses to global warming, yet are rare. Here, we produce seasonally resolved climate records from subarctic‐Canada using micron‐scale measurements of oxygen isotopes (δ18O) in speleothems with apparent annual growth bands from three interglacial periods—Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 11, 9, and 5e. We find 3‰ lower δ18O values during MIS 11 than MIS 5e, despite MIS 11 likely being warmer. We explore controls on high‐latitude speleothem δ18O and suggest low MIS 11 δ18O values reflect greater contribution of cold‐season precipitation to dripwater from longer annual ground thaw durations. Other potential influences include changes in precipitation source and/or increased fraction of cold‐season precipitation from diminished sea ice in MIS 11. Our study highlights the potential for high‐latitude speleothems to yield detailed isotopic records of Northern Hemisphere interglacial climates beyond the reach of Greenland ice cores and offers a framework for interpreting them. Plain Language Summary: Few climate records pre‐dating the last ice age exist from high‐latitude North America, which inhibits our understanding of how regions with permafrost responded to past warming and how they might change in the future. Here, we help fill this data gap by using six speleothems (cave mineral deposits) from a cave in the Northwest Territories, Canada to produce climate records that span thousands of years during former warm periods of Earth's history. We find that speleothems that grew during an exceptionally warm super‐interglacial period 400,000 years ago have 3‰ lower oxygen isotope (δ18O) values compared to those that grew during a likely cooler interglacial 125,000 years ago. We explore potential explanations for the difference in δ18O across interglacials, and suggest that lower δ18O values during warmer periods reflect greater infiltration of cool‐season precipitation with longer annual ground thaw durations. This study highlights the importance of high‐latitude speleothems to provide detailed climate records beyond the range available from Greenland ice cores. Key Points: Long high‐latitude terrestrial climate records are rare in the Northern HemisphereHigh‐latitude speleothems can provide ultra‐high‐resolution climate records beyond the reach of Greenland ice coresMean oxygen isotopes of Arctic and subarctic speleothems likely are controlled by annual ground thaw durations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of plastic particles in the environment gives rise to a unique ecological niche called the plastisphere, which is characterized by a dynamic assemblage of microorganisms comprising autotrophs, heterotrophs, predators, and pathogens. This paper reviews the formation, characteristics, and factors influencing the terrestrial and aquatic plastisphere. The terrestrial and aquatic plastisphere forms when hitchhiking microorganisms, often bacteria, in the environment adhere to the surfaces of plastic particles and alter the surface properties of the particles for subsequent colonization of increasingly tightly clinging microorganisms. The terrestrial plastisphere is not as mobile as the aquatic plastisphere and is defined by the characteristics of the soil anchoring it. The microorganisms on the plastisphere are often defined by the dominant microorganisms in the surroundings, particularly those of the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Ciliophora, Ochrophyta, and Chlorophyta. However, the compositions and dominant microbial species on different plastic surfaces vary widely as they change with time, plastic properties, and biotic and abiotic environmental factors. Temporal changes in the plastisphere are due to succession. Plastic properties, particularly the type, surface properties, size, color, degree of aging, and chemical leaching, also affect the composition of the plastisphere. Biotic environmental factors comprising the dominant ambient microorganisms and interspecies interactions, together with the abiotic ones, including pH, temperature, nutrient availability, soil properties, salinity, and light, significantly shape the plastisphere. This review provides insight into the biodiversity of the plastisphere, and its roles in spreading pathogens and degrading plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) degradation influences the effectiveness of eDNA‐based biodiversity monitoring, but the factors that determine the rate of decay of eDNA in terrestrial environments are poorly understood. We assessed the persistence of vertebrate eDNA from a mock vertebrate community created with soil from zoo enclosures holding 10 target species from different taxonomic classes (reptiles, birds, and mammals) and of different biomass (little penguin and giraffe). We examined species detection rates resulting from eDNA metabarcoding, as well as relative eDNA concentrations via qPCR, from soil samples over eight time points (0–12 weeks), during exposure to three ambient temperatures (10, 25, and 40°C) and three levels of ultraviolet B (UV‐B) radiation (0%, 50%, and 100% intensity). We recorded considerable variation in detectability between species, independent of temperature, and UV‐B effects. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated degradation of eDNA over time for all temperature and UV treatments, although it was still possible to detect eDNA from some species after 12 weeks. Degradation rates were lowest for high UV‐B treatments, presumably due to UV‐B reducing bacterial metabolism. The temperatures investigated did not influence eDNA decay. Our results indicate that eDNA in soil can persist under a range of temperatures and high UV radiation for longer than expected. Sheltered sites with minimal UV‐B radiation, which have previously been considered ideal sites for terrestrial eDNA collection, may not be optimal for eDNA persistence in some cases due to microbial decay. A better understanding of eDNA degradation in terrestrial environments is needed to enhance the accuracy of eDNA metabarcoding for surveying terrestrial vertebrate communities.

Garbage may cause substantial environmental perturbations, in part because of its consumption by wildlife. Such consumption may have direct health implications for animals and may also influence trophic relationships. Even in pristine Arctic ecosystems, wildlife feeding in marine environments consume garbage in the form of plastic debris transported by ocean currents. We show that Arctic wildlife in pristine terrestrial environments may also ingest garbage or food items derived from abandoned camp sites. We found the remains of a chocolate wrapper and a milk powder bag in two Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) scats and a piece of cloth in an Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) scat collected near Nares Strait, northern Greenland, one of the most pristine terrestrial wilderness regions on Earth. Found on Washington Land and associated with long-abandoned camp sites, these three scats were among 657 Arctic fox scats and 92 wolf scats collected as part of a larger study. Our study demonstrates that these two highly opportunistic predators managed to consume garbage despite the almost complete lack of human activity in this High-Arctic region. Our results highlight that abandoned anthropogenic material in the High Arctic may function as a source of garbage for local terrestrial wildlife over extended time periods, and that garbage consumption may become a potential issue if human activity in remote Arctic regions increases.

Species' with more limited dispersal and consequently less gene flow are more likely to form new spatially segregated species and thus contribute disproportionally to endemic biota and global species richness. Aotearoa New Zealand has exceptional endemicity, with 52% of its 54,000 named species endemic, including 32%, 39% and 68% for freshwater, marine and terrestrial environments respectively. The lower endemicity of freshwater biota (excluding insects) is attributed to their need to disperse between habitats that are temporary on evolutionary timescales. The percent endemicity of higher taxa (Order to Kingdom), a measure of phylogenetic relationships, was not correlated with regional and global species richness. However, there was a positive correlation between endemicity and species richness across dispersal trait groups based on their environment, typical body size, mobility (including flight), and if marine, whether pelagic or benthic. Typically flighted taxa had high endemicity contrary to the dispersal-endemicity hypothesis, but reflecting exceptional isolation by distance and time, and reduced flight ability as occurs on islands. It is proposed that the high richness and endemicity of mobile macrofauna is caused by a combination of niche specialisation opportunities and predation limiting dispersal respectively. Thus, dispersal traits better predicted endemicity and global species richness than phylogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We assess climate similarity among global freshwater and terrestrial ecoregions under historical and future climate scenarios to determine where climate change will impact the climate filter of invasion process. Location: Global. Methods: We used the Climatch algorithm to conduct a climate‐match analysis to quantify the climate similarity between freshwater and terrestrial ecoregions of the world. Climate match was modelled between all freshwater and terrestrial ecoregions. The analysis was conducted under historical climates and projected climates of 2081–2100 (2090) under three shared socioeconomic pathways SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0, SSP5‐8.5. Climate matches of each ecoregion were presented as mean climate match to all other ecoregions of the same set. Friedman's non‐parametric rank sum two‐way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to examine differences in mean climate match between climate scenarios. Results: Mean climate match of ecoregions was projected to increase significantly with small effect sizes for freshwater ecoregions (recipients: 0.132; sources: 0.105), and moderate and small effect sizes for terrestrial ecoregions (recipients: 0.330; sources: 0.259). Climate change was predicted to increase mean climate match in North America and Eurasia, particularly in the Arctic by 2090 under each SSP. Ecoregions in central Africa and South America were predicted to have reduced mean climate match. Ecoregions within larger countries (e.g. Australia, Canada, USA) showed variation in mean climate match. Main Conclusion: Climate change projections of bioclimatic predictors of species invasions were shown to increase in homogeneity under higher emissions scenarios. Furthermore, we demonstrate how climate change will provide opportunities for invasive species transported among ecoregions to survive under new conditions and identify where the climate filter of the invasion process will be most affected. Findings can be used to inform conservation actions for mitigating the impacts of introduced species by identifying potential risky source regions of future freshwater and terrestrial invasions under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, invasive species are a major driver of global change that is increasing in scope and impact due to the increase in global trade, habitat modification and climate change. Among invasive species, those that are known as 'ecosystem engineers' are considered a specific, highly influential, type of invaders, where an invader significantly alters the new environment, either physically or chemically. In this context, this perspective review discusses the different types of possible impacts of invasive ecosystems engineers (IEE) in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.Scanning the relevant literature on the topic, we find a 12‐year lag in the use of terms relevant to the concept of ecosystem engineers in invasion‐related publications since the first publication of the concept in 1994, with a steep increase in use between 2006 and 2014. A bibliometric mapping showed a high level of connectedness between related terms and clusters, suggesting an ample flow of concepts, ideas and knowledge between realms, ecosystems and regions, and researchers that study them.Throughout this essay, we illustrate with recent examples the context‐dependency of their (positive and negative) impacts in the three realms. We review the distinction between autogenic (altering the environment for other species with their body) and allogenic (altering the environment for other species with their actions) ecosystem engineering in the context of alien species. We also put a spotlight on the well‐studied engineering effects of IEE plants and macroalgae, terrestrial and aquatic bioturbators and burrowers as well as highly effective consumers.We finalize with discussing how IEE can strongly affect ecosystem services for human wellbeing and explore the possible contribution of IEE in restoring functions and services in the face of climate change in highly invaded and fast‐warming systems like the southeastern Mediterranean Sea or areas that face frequent fires for example. We claim that the last topic has received little attention from the scientific community and should be given priority in future studies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial diatoms are widespread in a large variety of habitats and are regularly recorded in biocrusts. Although diatoms have long been known to live in terrestrial habitats, only a few studies have focused on their diversity of ecophysiology. Here we present a study on the ecophysiological performance of five terrestrial diatom cultures from biocrusts, which were collected in sand dunes of the German coast of the Baltic Sea. The sampling sites were selected along a gradient of human impacts on the dunes. The richness of diatom species, roughly estimated from permanent slides, was around 30 species per sampling site. The species abundance was calculated in the same way revealing a high proportion of broken diatom frustules. All diatom cultures established in the laboratory showed no photoinhibition and high oxygen production along a light gradient. The desiccation tolerance differed among the strains, with high recovery observed for Hantzschia abundans and Achnanthes coarctata and low to no recovery for Pinnularia borealis and Pinnularia intermedia. The maximum growth rate for most strains was between 25 and 30°C. These temperatures can be easily reached in their natural environments. Nevertheless, during short-term exposure to elevated temperatures, oxygen production was recorded up to 35°C. Interestingly, two of five diatom cultures (Hantzschia abundans and Pinnularia borealis) produced mycosporine-like amino acids. These UV-protective substances are known from marine diatoms but not previously reported in terrestrial diatoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract High‐resolution records from past interglacial climates help constrain future responses to global warming, yet are rare. Here, we produce seasonally resolved climate records from subarctic‐Canada using micron‐scale measurements of oxygen isotopes (δ18O) in speleothems with apparent annual growth bands from three interglacial periods—Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 11, 9, and 5e. We find 3‰ lower δ18O values during MIS 11 than MIS 5e, despite MIS 11 likely being warmer. We explore controls on high‐latitude speleothem δ18O and suggest low MIS 11 δ18O values reflect greater contribution of cold‐season precipitation to dripwater from longer annual ground thaw durations. Other potential influences include changes in precipitation source and/or increased fraction of cold‐season precipitation from diminished sea ice in MIS 11. Our study highlights the potential for high‐latitude speleothems to yield detailed isotopic records of Northern Hemisphere interglacial climates beyond the reach of Greenland ice cores and offers a framework for interpreting them.

Abstract We present a representation of nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator, a demographic vegetation model within the Energy Exascale Earth System land model. This representation is modular, and designed to allow testing of multiple hypothetical approaches for carbon‐nutrient coupling in plants. Novel model hypotheses introduced in this work include, (a) the controls on plant acquisition of aqueous mineralized nutrients in the soil and (b) fairly straight forward methods of allocating nutrients to specific plant organs and their losses through live plant turnover as well as litter fluxes generated through plant mortality. This combines the new with pre‐existing hypotheses (such as nitrogen fixation and soil decomposition) into a system that can accommodate plant‐soil dynamics for a large number of size‐ and functional‐type‐resolved plant cohorts within a time‐since‐disturbance‐resolved ecosystem. Root uptake of nutrients is governed by fine root biomass, and plants vary in their fine root biomass allocation in order to balance carbon and nutrient limitations to growth. We test the sensitivity of the model to a wide range of parameter variations and structural representations, and in the context of observations at Barro Colorado Island, Panama. A key model prediction is that plants in the high‐light‐availability canopy positions allocate more carbon to fine roots than plants in low‐light understory environments, given the widely different carbon versus nutrient constraints of these two niches within a given ecosystem. This model provides a basis for exploring carbon‐nutrient coupling with vegetation demography within Earth system models.

The terrestrial and marine biotypes of Madagascar are critical priorities for conservation, with almost unparalleled levels of endemism, species diversity and human threat for a land area of its size. Field inventories and molecular-based research conducted from the mid 1980s to present have greatly expanded knowledge of the country's biota, for some groups with nearly exponential growth in measures of species diversity. I provide updated measures of estimated species diversity between a book with 289 contributors, published in 2003 (The Natural History of Madagascar), and a full-scale update with 539 contributors, published in 2022 (The New Natural History of Madagascar). I compare biodiversity information presented in the new book with data from the earlier book, providing insight into scientific advancements, and revised estimates of species richness and endemism of a range of taxonomic groups.

One of the main objectives of modern-day surveying is to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of mapping a landscape for natural features and elevations prior to the start of a construction project. This paper focuses on a comparison between terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry and real-time kinematic global positioning systems (RTK-GPSs) in terms of elevation accuracy, data expenditure, and time for each survey to be completed. Two sites in San Diego County were chosen to be studied with a combined area of about 1.14 acres, and a total station system was used to establish 572 control points between both areas. Two of the three methods investigated produced similar results in elevation and were well within the established standard, as the terrestrial photogrammetry averaged 0.0583 feet of error, the aerial photogrammetry averaged 0.345 feet of error, and the RTK-GPS averaged 0.0432 feet of error when compared to the total station ground truth. If data consumption is not a concern, the terrestrial photogrammetric method should be preferred to the aerial photogrammetric and RTK-GPS methods in topographic mapping and land monitoring due to the increase in time efficiency and in surface model detail while keeping within the Caltrans specified tolerance of error of 0.2 feet. For general order land surveys, the photogrammetric approach utilized with a Looq scanner would provide the most efficient and cost-effective survey while staying within the 0.2 foot tolerance of error. This method also allows for the utmost clarity of the resulting point cloud when analyzing terrain, break lines, or other features in the survey area.

Cancer is the most common cause of human death worldwide, posing a serious threat to human health and having a negative impact on the economy. In the past few decades, significant progress has been made in anticancer therapies, but traditional anticancer therapies, including radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), have serious side effects, low specificity, and the emergence of drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new treatment methods to improve efficacy and reduce side effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exist in the innate immune system of various organisms. As the most promising alternatives to traditional drugs for treating cancers, some AMPs also have been proven to possess anticancer activities, which are defined as anticancer peptides (ACPs). These peptides have the advantages of being able to specifically target cancer cells and have less toxicity to normal tissues. More and more studies have found that marine and terrestrial animals contain a large amount of ACPs. In this article, we introduced the animal derived AMPs with anti-cancer activity, and summarized the types of tumor cells inhibited by ACPs, the mechanisms by which they exert anti-tumor effects and clinical applications of ACPs.

Conservation biology relies on understanding how animals are affected by human-induced changes in their environment. We explored the influence of habitat types, seasons, and sexes on the body size and condition of Praomys tullbergi, a small mammal species. Using the Scaled Mass Index (SMI), we compared individuals from the Atewa Range Forest Reserves and Bimpong Forest Reserve. We hypothesis that body condition would be superior in closed forests, during the wet season, and among males. We found no sexual dimorphism in body size, although females in Atewa Range Forest Reserves exhibited greater weight than males. Body condition did not significantly differ among P. tullbergi individuals, except for a slight variance between closed and open forests in Atewa Range Forest Reserves. In Bimpong Forest Reserve, P. tullbergi displayed better body condition during the wet season than the dry season. Notably, females generally exhibited better body condition than males in both study areas, indicating sexual variation. We propose that P. tullbergi's ability to adjust body condition in response to resource availability poses a competitive advantage over other small mammal species, potentially impacting their populations. Further research should explore P. tullbergi's adaptation strategies in different habitats, providing insights into successful adaptation and informing conservation efforts. Understanding these mechanisms is vital for effective wildlife conservation and management. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on how human-induced environmental changes influence animals, highlighting the importance of considering habitat types, seasons, and sexes in conservation biology. The findings underscore the need for proactive measures to protect vulnerable species and promote overall ecosystem health in the face of ongoing environmental challenges caused by human activities.

Simple Summary: Recurrent successful breeding of the critically endangered Vanishing Rainfrog (Craugastor evanesco) in captivity has been challenging. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of hormonal stimulation on the production and quality of C. evanesco spermatozoa, aiming to develop an efficient and safe sperm collection protocol as a tool to help reproduce this species in the near future. The Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonist, at a concentration of 4 micrograms per gram of body weight, stimulated the production of high-quantity and quality spermatozoa. This study also described the morphology of C. evanesco spermatozoa for the first time. These results contributed new and valuable knowledge on the reproductive biology of C. evanesco and for the development of other assisted reproductive technologies that might be applied to this and other species' conservation programs. The Vanishing Rainfrog (Craugastor evanesco) is an endemic and critically endangered frog species of Panama. It is suspected that 90% of the population has disappeared from the wild. Frogs were collected from the wild and brought to a Captive Breeding Program; however, accomplishing regular reproductive events for this species has been difficult. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of hormonal stimulation on the production and quality of C. evanesco spermatozoa, aiming to develop an efficient and safe sperm collection protocol as a tool to help reproduce this endangered species. Mature males received intra-peritoneal injections with one of six hormone treatments, including des-Gly10, D-Ala6, Pro-NHEt9—GnRH-A, Amphiplex or hCG. Urine samples were collected at 10 different time points post-injection. Quality assessments included sperm concentration, percentage motility, percentage forward progressive motility (FPM), osmolality, pH and morphology analysis. Our results indicate that the optimal treatment for the collection of highly concentrated sperm samples of C. evanesco is 4 µg/gbw GnRH, followed by Amphiplex and 2 µg/gbw GnRH as sub-optimal treatments and finally, 6 µg/gbw GnRH and 5 and 10 IU/gbw hCG as non-optimal treatments. GnRH-A at 4 μg/gbw and Amphiplex stimulated the production of samples with the highest sperm concentrations and quality, despite Amphiplex producing lower percentages of intact acrosome and tail. In contrast, hCG concentrations were not reliable inducers of sperm production, consistently showing lower concentrations, higher percentages of sperm abnormalities and more acidic spermic urine than that induced by Amphiplex and GnRH-A. Morphological assessments revealed that C. evanesco spermatozoa have a filiform shape with a large acrosome on the anterior part of an elongated head, a small midpiece and a long tail with two filaments joined together by an undulating membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signatories to the Antarctic Treaty System’s Environmental Protocol are committed to preventing incursions of non-native species into Antarctica, but systematic surveillance is rare. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods provide new opportunities for enhancing detection of non-native species and biosecurity monitoring. To be effective for Antarctic biosecurity, eDNA tests must have appropriate sensitivity and specificity to distinguish non-native from native Antarctic species, and be fit-for-purpose. This requires knowledge of the priority risk species or taxonomic groups for which eDNA surveillance will be informative, validated eDNA assays for those species or groups, and reference DNA sequences for both target non-native and related native Antarctic species. Here, we used an expert elicitation process and decision-by-consensus approach to identify and assess priority biosecurity risks for the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) in East Antarctica, including identifying high priority non-native species and their potential transport pathways. We determined that the priority targets for biosecurity monitoring were not individual species, but rather broader taxonomic groups such as mussels (Mytilus species), tunicates (Ascidiacea), springtails (Collembola), and grasses (Poaceae). These groups each include multiple species with high risks of introduction to and/or establishment in Antarctica. The most appropriate eDNA methods for the AAP must be capable of detecting a range of species within these high-risk groups (e.g., eDNA metabarcoding). We conclude that the most beneficial Antarctic eDNA biosecurity applications include surveillance of marine species in nearshore environments, terrestrial invertebrates, and biofouling species on vessels visiting Antarctica. An urgent need exists to identify suitable genetic markers for detecting priority species groups, establish baseline terrestrial and marine biodiversity for Antarctic stations, and develop eDNA sampling methods for detecting biofouling organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terrestrial and marine biotypes of Madagascar are critical priorities for conservation, with almost unparalleled levels of endemism, species diversity and human threat for a land area of its size. Field inventories and molecular-based research conducted from the mid 1980s to present have greatly expanded knowledge of the country's biota, for some groups with nearly exponential growth in measures of species diversity. I provide updated measures of estimated species diversity between a book with 289 contributors, published in 2003 (The Natural History of Madagascar), and a full-scale update with 539 contributors, published in 2022 (The New Natural History of Madagascar). I compare biodiversity information presented in the new book with data from the earlier book, providing insight into scientific advancements, and revised estimates of species richness and endemism of a range of taxonomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Claws are a commonly observed biological adaptation across a wide range of animal groups. They serve different functions and their link to evolution is challenging to analyze. While there are many studies on the comparative anatomy and morphology of claws in reptiles, birds and several arthropods, knowledge about claws of soil-living oribatid mites, is still limited. Recent research on intertidal oribatid mites has shown that claw shape is strongly correlated with microhabitat and is subject to ecological selective pressures. However, the selective constraints shaping claws in terrestrial oribatid mites are still unknown. Methods. In this study, 300 specimens from 12 different species and two genera were examined. Geometric morphometrics were used to quantify claw length and curvature, and to analyze two-dimensional claw shape. In combination with molecular phylogenetic analyses of investigated populations phylogenetic signal was quantified within genera using Blomberg's K and random replicates. Additionally, ecological information on the investigated species was gathered from previous studies and compiled into tables. Results. The claw shapes of Carabodes species vary moderately, with the three species C. reticulatus, C. rugosior and C. tenuis deviating the most from the others. These three species are only found in a small number of habitats, which may require a more specialized claw shape. Our results show that there is a phylogenetic influence on claw shape in Carabodes but not in Caleremaeus. Additionally, habitat specificity and lifestyle were found to have ecological impact on claw shape in both genera. The present results demonstrate that characteristics of the claws of terrestrial oribatid mites are correlated with ecology, but this correlation is apparently weaker than in intertidal oribatid mites that are prone to strong external forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress has brought about a variety of harmful impacts on different animals, leading to difficulties in the management of animal husbandry and aquaculture. Curcumin has been recognized as a potential component to ameliorate the adverse influence of animal stress induced by toxicity, inflammation, diseases, thermal effect, and so on. In detail, this compound is known to offer various outstanding functions, including antibacterial properties, antioxidant effects, immune response recovery, and behavioral restoration of animals under stress conditions. However, curcumin still has some limitations, owing to its low bioavailability. This review summarizes the latest updates on the regulatory effects of curcumin in terms of stress management in terrestrial, avian, and aquatic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chytridiomycota (zoosporic true fungi) have a consistent presence in soils and have been frequently identified within many diverse terrestrial environments. However, Chytridiomycota and other early-diverging fungi have low representation in whole-genome sequencing databases compared to Dikarya. New molecular techniques have provided insights into the diversity and abundance of chytrids in soils and the changes in their populations both spatially and temporally. Chytrids complete their life cycle within rapidly changing soil environments where they may be more common within micropores due to protection from predation, desiccation, and extreme temperatures. Reproductive and morphological changes occur in response to environmental changes including pH, fluctuating nutrient concentrations, and metals at levels above toxic thresholds. Rhizoids share some features of hyphae, including the spatial regulation of branching and the ability to attach, adapt to, and proliferate in different substrates, albeit on a microscale. Soil chytrids provide a pool of novel enzymes and proteins which enable a range of lifestyles as saprotrophs or parasites, but also can be utilised as alternative tools with some biotechnological applications. Thus, 3D live-cell imaging and micromodels such as MicroCT may provide insight into zoospore functions and rhizoid plasticity, respectively, in response to various conditions. A combination of classical techniques of soil chytrid baiting with simultaneous molecular and ecological data will provide insights into temporal population changes in response to environmental change. The authors emphasise the need to review and improve DNA-based methodologies for identifying and quantifying chytrids within the soil microbiome to expand our knowledge of their taxonomy, abundance, diversity, and functionality within soil environments.

Abstract Plastic pollution is now so widespread that microplastics are regularly detected in biological samples surveyed for their presence. Despite their pervasiveness, very little is known about the effects of microplastics on the health of terrestrial vertebrates. While emerging studies are showing that microplastics represent a potentially serious threat to animal health, data have been limited to in vivo studies on laboratory rodents that were force fed plastics. The extent to which these studies are representative of the conditions that animals and humans might actually experience in the real world is largely unknown. Here, we review 114 papers from the peer-reviewed literature in order to understand how the concentrations and types of microplastics being administered to rodents in lab studies compare to those found in terrestrial soils. From 73 in vivo lab studies, and 41 soil studies, we found that lab studies have heretofore fed rodents microplastics at concentrations that were hundreds of thousands of times greater than they would be exposed to in nature. Furthermore, health effects have been studied for only 20% of the microplastic polymers that are known to occur in soils. Plastic pollution is arguably one of the most pressing ecological and public health issues of our time, yet existing lab-based research on the health effects of terrestrial microplastics does not reflect the conditions that free-ranging vertebrates are actually experiencing. Going forward, performing more true-to-life research will be of the utmost importance to fully understand the impacts of microplastics and maintain the public’s faith in the scientific process. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Environmental (e)DNA has rapidly become a powerful biomonitoring tool, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. This approach has not been as widely adopted in terrestrial communities where the methods of vertebrate eDNA collection have varied from the use of secondary collectors such as blood feeding parasites and spider webs, to washing surfaces of leaves and soil sampling. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of direct collection of eDNA from air sampling, but none have tested how effective airborne eDNA sampling might be in a biodiverse environment. We used three prototype samplers to actively sample a mixed neotropical bat community in a partially controlled environment. We assess whether airborne eDNA can accurately characterize a high diversity community with skewed abundances and to determine if filter design impacts DNA collection and taxonomic recovery. Our study provides evidence for the accuracy of airborne eDNA as a detection tool and highlights its potential for monitoring high density, diverse assemblages such as bat roosts. Analysis of air samples recovered >91% of the species present and some limited relationship between species abundance and read count. Our data suggests this method can accurately depict a diverse mixed‐mammal community, particularly when the location is contained (e.g., a roost, den or burrow) but also highlights the potential for secondary transfer of eDNA material on clothing and equipment. Our results also demonstrate that simple, inexpensive, battery‐operated homemade air samplers can collect an abundance of eDNA from the air, opening the opportunity for sampling in remote environments.

Abstract Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) from passively collected airborne dust has demonstrated broad success for sensitive and robust detection of plants. Recent experiments at small spatial scales have suggested that animals can also be detected using airborne eDNA. However, airborne eDNA analysis has never been used for a long‐term whole‐community assessment of a natural terrestrial community or with passive dust collectors. We conducted a metabarcoding survey targeting vertebrate eDNA from dust carried in the air on an approximately 130‐acre shortgrass prairie passively collected over the course of a year. Our survey detected a wide variety of animal forms including an amphibian species, several bird species, and both small and large mammals. We found that airborne eDNA signals changed with known patterns of animal activity, wind speed, and rainfall. Overall, we demonstrate that passively collected airborne dust carries eDNA from terrestrial animals and could be used to detect a wide variety of terrestrial vertebrate species in a natural environment with minimal effort. To develop this as a valuable monitoring tool, research needs to focus on the ecology of eDNA carried in the air, which includes the origin, state, transport, dispersal, and fate of eDNA in the environment.

Background Claws are a commonly observed biological adaptation across a wide range of animal groups. They serve different functions and their link to evolution is challenging to analyze. While there are many studies on the comparative anatomy and morphology of claws in reptiles, birds and several arthropods, knowledge about claws of soil-living oribatid mites, is still limited. Recent research on intertidal oribatid mites has shown that claw shape is strongly correlated with microhabitat and is subject to ecological selective pressures. However, the selective constraints shaping claws in terrestrial oribatid mites are still unknown. Methods In this study, 300 specimens from 12 different species and two genera were examined. Geometric morphometrics were used to quantify claw length and curvature, and to analyze two-dimensional claw shape. In combination with molecular phylogenetic analyses of investigated populations phylogenetic signal was quantified within genera using Blomberg’s K and random replicates. Additionally, ecological information on the investigated species was gathered from previous studies and compiled into tables. Results The claw shapes of Carabodes species vary moderately, with the three species C. reticulatus, C. rugosior and C. tenuis deviating the most from the others. These three species are only found in a small number of habitats, which may require a more specialized claw shape. Our results show that there is a phylogenetic influence on claw shape in Carabodes but not in Caleremaeus. Additionally, habitat specificity and lifestyle were found to have ecological impact on claw shape in both genera. The present results demonstrate that characteristics of the claws of terrestrial oribatid mites are correlated with ecology, but this correlation is apparently weaker than in intertidal oribatid mites that are prone to strong external forces.

Water availability in Cimahi City is increasingly threatened, so efforts are needed to increase the number of water sources to meet the increasing needs of the population. One of the efforts is to find a reservoir that can be used as a water source. Setiamanah Reservoir is one of the reservoirs that will be utilized. This research aims to evaluate the reservoir ecosystem according to the assessment guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia. The assessment uses parameters grouped into aquatic, border, and terrestrial ecosystems. Based on the research results, Setiamanah Reservoir Ecosystem has been damaged. Aquatic ecosystems categorized as damaged are trophic status, biodiversity, and food web. The bordering ecosystem is categorized as damaged, especially for land use conditions at the border and waste disposal. Terrestrial ecosystems are categorized as threatened for vegetation cover on catchment area land and are included in the damaged category for the impact of the siltation of reservoirs and dumps. The cause of the damage is mainly the settlements in the riparian areas and water catchment areas, which continue to experience an increase. In 2022, 68.19% of the reservoir boundaries will be residential. The settlement is not equipped with a domestic wastewater management system, so the accumulated wastewater enters the reservoir. This causes the aquatic ecosystem to be disrupted. Improvements are made in managing domestic wastewater, especially in the riparian and water catchment areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the challenges related to technological and environmental development are becoming increasingly complex. Among the environmentally significant issues, wildfires pose a serious threat to the global ecosystem. The damages inflicted upon forests are manifold, leading not only to the destruction of terrestrial ecosystems but also to climate changes. Consequently, reducing their impact on both people and nature requires the adoption of effective approaches for prevention, early warning, and well-coordinated interventions. This document presents an analysis of the evolution of various technologies used in the detection, monitoring, and prevention of forest fires from past years to the present. It highlights the strengths, limitations, and future developments in this field. Forest fires have emerged as a critical environmental concern due to their devastating effects on ecosystems and the potential repercussions on the climate. Understanding the evolution of technology in addressing this issue is essential to formulate more effective strategies for mitigating and preventing wildfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an attempt to establish a protocol for the conservation of Cypripedium cordigerum D. Don a vulnerable species of orchid using in vitro symbiotic seed germination. The suitability of four orchids seed germination media [Terrestrial orchid medium (BM), modified terrestrial orchid seed germination medium (BM-1), Malmgren modified terrestrial orchid medium (MM), Knudson C medium (KC)] was tested using different photoperiods i.e. 24-h dark or 12-h light per day. The seed capsules were harvested at two different stages of development in order to determine the effect of capsule maturity on seed germination. The maximum percentage germination of seed from intact capsules in the dark was 65.00 ± 0.12% on the BM-1 medium. Release of brownish exudates was stopped by the addition of activated charcoal to the cultures. Seedlings developed in 26.17 ± 0.17 weeks. The current study is the first to report the ex-situ conservation of C. cordigerum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chytridiomycota (zoosporic true fungi) have a consistent presence in soils and have been frequently identified within many diverse terrestrial environments. However, Chytridiomycota and other early-diverging fungi have low representation in whole-genome sequencing databases compared to Dikarya. New molecular techniques have provided insights into the diversity and abundance of chytrids in soils and the changes in their populations both spatially and temporally. Chytrids complete their life cycle within rapidly changing soil environments where they may be more common within micropores due to protection from predation, desiccation, and extreme temperatures. Reproductive and morphological changes occur in response to environmental changes including pH, fluctuating nutrient concentrations, and metals at levels above toxic thresholds. Rhizoids share some features of hyphae, including the spatial regulation of branching and the ability to attach, adapt to, and proliferate in different substrates, albeit on a microscale. Soil chytrids provide a pool of novel enzymes and proteins which enable a range of lifestyles as saprotrophs or parasites, but also can be utilised as alternative tools with some biotechnological applications. Thus, 3D live-cell imaging and micromodels such as MicroCT may provide insight into zoospore functions and rhizoid plasticity, respectively, in response to various conditions. A combination of classical techniques of soil chytrid baiting with simultaneous molecular and ecological data will provide insights into temporal population changes in response to environmental change. The authors emphasise the need to review and improve DNA-based methodologies for identifying and quantifying chytrids within the soil microbiome to expand our knowledge of their taxonomy, abundance, diversity, and functionality within soil environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effects of habitat types (farmlands, open forests and closed forests) and seasons on the population demography and reproduction of small terrestrial mammals in two tropical evergreen forests [Atewa Range Forest Reserve (ARFR) and Bimpong Forest Reserve (BFR)] environments in 2018 and 2019. Small mammals were trapped with Sherman's collapsible traps on transects across land use types and seasons to measure change in the relative density, sex ratio, age structure, juvenile recruitment and breeding probability. Twenty‐two (22) species of 506 small mammals (16 rodents and six shrews) were recorded in this study. Relative density of small mammals (captures/100 trap nights) was highest (p < 0.05) in the farmland [ARFR (3.48); BFR (2.36)] than the open forest [ARFR (1.96); BFR (0.65)] and closed forest [ARFR (1.13); BFR (0.98)] habitats in both forest ecosystems. Overall sex ratio was male‐skewed (1.03:1) in the study. ARFR recorded higher female ratios in all habitat types [farmland (1:1.2); open forest (1:1.04); closed forest (1:1.3)] and seasons than males. Male sex ratio was high in all habitat types and seasons in the BFR. Majority of individuals captured in the habitat types [farmland (1.5:1); open forest (1.1:1); closed forest (1.5:1)] and seasons were adults. Over 90% of all captured adults in the study areas were actively breeding. The closed forest habitat type had the highest proportion (0.93) of actively breeding small mammals in the study forests. Seasonally, there were more species actively breeding in the wet season in ARFR and dry season in BFR. Majority of the small mammal captured (n = 268 recorded for ARFR and n = 168 for BFR) were adults. Juvenile recruitment (proportion of juveniles/total capture) was low for all the study forests (with mean proportions of 0.11, 0.04 and 0.03 for closed forest, farmland and open forest, respectively, in ARFR and 0.05, 0.03 and 0.07 for closed forest, farmland and open forest, respectively, in BFR) and seasons. Anthropogenic activities degrade ecosystems, change population demography and favour habitat generalists and pest species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding and creating protected area networks has become a central pillar of global conservation planning. In the management and design of protected area networks, we must consider not only the positive aspects of landscape connectivity but also how that connectivity may facilitate the spread of invasive species, a challenge that has become known as the connectivity conundrum. Here, we review key considerations for landscape connectivity planning for protected area networks, focusing on interactions between network connectivity and the management of invasive species. We propose an integrative adaptive management framework for protected area network planning with five main elements, including monitoring, budgeting considerations, risk assessment, inter-organizational coordination, and local engagement. Protected area planners can address the dynamic aspects of the connectivity conundrum through collaborative and integrative adaptive management planning.

There are approximately 30,000 species in the family Orchidaceae, with some species growing terrestrially and others growing as epiphytes. Though the pollination biology of many of these species is not well known, there has been a diversity of taxa recorded as orchid pollinators. Insects, birds, and even a record of a mammal species have been documented as successful pollinators, while some orchids are able to reproduce without the use of a pollen vector. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of orchid pollination tactics, with references to more specific studies of each, and to analyze a large subset of publications to determine differences in pollinator taxa and specificity between epiphytic and terrestrial orchid genera. This review examines pollination data from over 400 orchid species, including 74 epiphytic and 83 terrestrial orchid genera. Two pollinator taxa, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera (Class: Insecta), were found to pollinate significantly more terrestrial than epiphytic orchid genera, while other taxa showed no significant differences. Hymenoptera were the dominant taxa of pollinator in regards to the overall number of species recorded; however, based on species interaction webs that were built, the Lepidoptera (Class: Insecta) have stronger interactions with the orchid species they pollinate, suggesting a more specific relationship between the two.

The paper aims to shed some light on the morphology of terrestrial and aerial life in Romanian folktales, by offering a list of creatures populating one realm or another, their description in accordance with a specific type of imaginary, the relationships established with humans. It will offer a comprehensive picture of the anthropomorphic elements that constitute the Romanian mythical fauna and express the fact that human mind has developed in relation with nature and magic. Therefore, I propose an insight into the folktale representation of the bulls (better known in Romanian folklore as aurochs), the horses and the birds which are found and depicted not only as mere animals or birds in the rich tradition of folktale, but as characters endowed with human speech, cognitive functions, their primary role in the folktale narrative being to aid the hero in his initiatory journey. Visual and symbolic features of the animals mentioned, as part of the Romanian mythical fauna, will be presented, with some aspects of their naming. Folktale names and the naming itself serve as a creative act helping us to understand the symbolic value imprinted by the community on these animal representations. Even though they have a zoomorphic appearance, they are not ruled only by the primary instincts of their species, they also have the ability to think and speak articulately. Moreover, all these types of animals belonging to the mythical fauna are relicts of the solar cult that developed in the area from which the folktales were collected. Thus, reference will be made to them as ‟fantastic animals”, in order to differentiate them from other types of characters, which only have the appearance of animals or can shape shift in animal bodies.

Abstract Tree hollows are essential for many vertebrate species, providing both nesting sites and shelter. Globally, old hollow‐bearing trees are in decline resulting in many dependent species being under threat. It is, therefore, imperative that vital hollow‐bearing trees are preserved, but it is logistically difficult to rapidly determine which hollows are being used and by which taxa. Here, we investigate the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding as a survey tool for vertebrate hollow users. We compared the identity and richness of hollow‐inhabiting vertebrate taxa using eDNA metabarcoding of both sediment from the tree hollows, and material collected using roller swabs. Samples (n = 138) were collected from hollow‐bearing tuart trees (Eucalyptus gomphocephala; N = 28), within both an urban remnant and a relatively undisturbed forested area of South‐West Western Australia. We detected a wide range of vertebrate taxa, including cryptic species such as the brush‐tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa), while also providing ecologically informative data, such as hollow use by invasive Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) within the study areas. Our results showed variation in the species detected between methods, with the roller swab method detecting a greater number of species and a higher mean species richness per sample than hollow sediment did. The species detected from both methods did not perfectly overlap, highlighting the value of using multiple methods or substrates to detect a greater number of taxa. Our results suggest eDNA metabarcoding from tree hollow samples offers a sensitive and resource‐efficient method of monitoring vertebrate hollow users, if enough hollows are sampled. This provides not only a broad biodiversity assessment tool, but also an effective method for detecting taxa that may be elusive using other methods.

Summary: The terrestrial biota is a crucial part of the long‐term carbon cycle via the deposition of biomass as coal and other sedimentary organic matter and the impact of plants, fungi, and microbial life on the weathering of silicate minerals. Understanding these processes and their changes through time requires both geochemical modeling of the system as well as expertise in the living and fossil biotas and their ecological interactions, but details of these components are often lost in translation between disciplines. Here, we highlight misconceptions of the long‐term carbon cycle that most frequently infiltrate the literature and hamper progress: mass balance requirements, the nature and duration of perturbations, opposing timescale constraints on biological and geological processes, and the role of models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is declining on a global scale. Especially tropical ecosystems, containing most of the planetary biodiversity, are at risk. Agricultural monocrop systems contribute to this decline as they replace original habitats and depend on extensive use of synthetic pesticides that impact ecosystems. In this review we use large-scale banana production for export purposes in Costa Rica as an example for pesticide impacts, as it is in production for over a century and uses pesticides extensively for more than fifty years. We summarise the research on pesticide exposure, effects and risks for aquatic and terrestrial environment, as well as for human health. We show that exposure to pesticides is high and relatively well-studied for aquatic systems and humans, but hardly any data are available for the terrestrial compartment including adjacent non target ecosystems such as rainforest fragments. Ecological effects are demonstrated on an organismic level for various aquatic species and processes but are not available at the population and community level. For human health studies exposure evaluation is crucial and recognised effects include various types of cancer and neurobiological dysfunctions particularly in children. With the many synthetic pesticides involved in banana production, the focus on insecticides, revealing highest aquatic risks, and partly herbicides should be extended to fungicides, which are applied aerially over larger areas. The risk assessment and regulation of pesticides so far relies on temperate models and test species and is therefore likely underestimating the risk of pesticide use in tropical ecosystems, with crops such as banana. We highlight further research approaches to improve risk assessment and, in parallel, urge to follow other strategies to reduce pesticides use and especially hazardous substances.