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A number of native Brazilian plant species are under exploited by the scientific community, despite the country's precious biodiversity. The vast majority of native Brazilian fruits (NBF) is source of compounds that provide many health benefits and can potentially be used to prevent diseases and formulate high-added value products. This review covers the scientific research over the last decade (2012-2022) on eight NBF, and focuses on information about the production and market panorama, physical description, physicochemical characterization, nutritional composition, their functional value of bioactive compounds and health benefits, as well as the potential for utilizations for each. The studies herein compiled reveal the outstanding nutritional value of these NBF. They are sources of vitamins, fibers, minerals and bioactive compounds that exhibit antioxidant activity, and they contain phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory action, anti-obesity and other functions that bring many health benefits to consumers. NBF can be also used as raw material for multiple products such as nectars, juices, jams, frozen pulps, liquor, among others. The dissemination of knowledge about NBF has fundamental implications worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Caatinga biome in Brazil is renowned for its rich aboveground biodiversity. However, approximately 19% of this biome has experienced desertification, severely affecting the soil microbiome. Monitoring these microbial communities is essential to understanding the impacts of desertification and the potential outcomes of restoration efforts. The Caatinga Microbiome Initiative aims to assess the soil microbiome in areas undergoing desertification and those under restoration in the Brazilian drylands. This initiative seeks to explore the core microbial communities and their functions, including overlooked groups such as protists, nematodes, and viruses across native, desertified, and restored areas. We believe that two approaches should be used simultaneously in the study of microbiomes in areas undergoing desertification. First, the use of the soil microbiome as a bioindicator of soil quality in both desertified and restored lands. Second, the manipulation of the microbiome to facilitate soil restoration. By understanding soil microbiome responses to desertification and restoration, we can develop targeted restoration strategies to enhance biodiversity and promote functional recovery in desertified areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree growth and longevity trade-offs fundamentally shape the terrestrial carbon balance. Yet, we lack a unified understanding of how such trade-offs vary across the world's forests. By mapping life history traits for a wide range of species across the Americas, we reveal considerable variation in life expectancies from 10 centimeters in diameter (ranging from 1.3 to 3195 years) and show that the pace of life for trees can be accurately classified into four demographic functional types. We found emergent patterns in the strength of trade-offs between growth and longevity across a temperature gradient. Furthermore, we show that the diversity of life history traits varies predictably across forest biomes, giving rise to a positive relationship between trait diversity and productivity. Our pan-latitudinal assessment provides new insights into the demographic mechanisms that govern the carbon turnover rate across forest biomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since morphological traits may overlap among species within a complex, the integration of morphological and mitochondrial data could provide crucial insights for distinguishing species, as observed in fruit-eating bats of the genus Artibeus. Therefore, the application of geometric morphometric (GM) techniques could yield more refined and robust analyses of inter- and intraspecific variations. In this study, we generated two datasets: one with molecular delimitation data based on the barcode region (COI) and the other with cranial size and shape data using GM methods. Our aims were to investigate variations between large and small species within the genus Artibeus , as well as to explore potential factors influencing such variations. The results from species delimitation revealed molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) supporting the morphological identification. Analyses using GM techniques demonstrated significant inter- and intraspecific variations in cranial size and shape among Artibeus species. The combined outcomes suggest the absence of a significant phylogenetic signal influencing skull variation. This scenario indicates that potential historical ecological factors may have directly influenced the cranial morphology of these species, acting as significant selection forces in geographical space and generating intraspecific variations in Artibeus planirostris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several remote sensing indices have been used to monitor droughts, mainly in semi-arid regions with limited coverage by meteorological stations. The objective of this study was to estimate and monitor agricultural drought conditions in the Jequitinhonha Valley region, located in the Brazilian biomes of the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, from 2001 to 2021, using vegetation indices and the meteorological drought index from remote sensing data. Linear regression was applied to analyze drought trends and Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied to evaluate the relationship between vegetation indices and climatic conditions in agricultural areas using the Standardized Precipitation Index. The results revealed divergences in the occurrences of regional droughts, predominantly covering mild to moderate drought conditions. Analysis spatial of drought trends revealed a decreasing pattern, indicating an increase in drought in the Middle and Low Jequitinhonha sub-regions. On the other hand, a reduction in drought was observed in the High Jequitinhonha region. Notably, the Vegetation Condition Index demonstrated the most robust correlation with the Standardized Precipitation Index, with R values ​​greater than 0.5 in all subregions of the study area. This index showed a strong association with precipitation, proving its suitability for monitoring agricultural drought in heterogeneous areas and with different climatic attributes. The use of remote sensing technology made it possible to detect regional variations in the spatio-temporal patterns of drought in the Jequitinhonha Valley. This vision helps in the implementation of personalized strategies and public policies, taking into account the particularities of each area, in order to mitigate the negative impacts of drought on agricultural activities in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, illegal sport hunting can threaten prey populations when unregulated. Due to its covert nature, illegal sport hunting poses challenges for data collection, hindering efforts to understand the full extent of its impacts. We gathered social media data to analyze patterns of illegal sport hunting and wildlife depletion across Brazil. We collected data for 2 years (2018–2020) across 5 Facebook groups containing posts depicting pictures of illegal sport hunting events of native fauna. We described and mapped these hunting events by detailing the number of hunters involved, the number of species, the mean body mass of individuals, and the number and biomass of individuals hunted per unit area, stratified by Brazilian biome. We also examined the effects of defaunation on hunting yield and composition via regression models, rank–abundance curves, and spatial interpolation. We detected 2046 illegal sport hunting posts portraying the hunting of 4658 animals (∼29 t of undressed meat) across all 27 states and 6 natural biomes of Brazil. Of 157 native species targeted by hunters, 19 are currently threatened with extinction. We estimated that 1414 hunters extracted 3251 kg/million km2. Some areas exhibited more pronounced wildlife depletion, in particular the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes. In these areas, there was a shift from large mammals and reptiles to small birds as the main targeted taxa, and biomass extracted per hunting event and mean body mass across all taxonomic groups were lower than in other areas. Our results highlight that illegal sport hunting adds to the pressures of subsistence hunting and the wild meat trade on Brazil's wildlife populations. Enhanced surveillance efforts are needed to reduce illegal sport hunting levels and to develop well‐managed sustainable sport hunting programs. These can support wildlife conservation and offer incentives for local communities to oversee designated sport hunting areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Forest and landscape restoration are increasingly popular nature‐based solutions to mitigate climate change and safeguard biodiversity. Restoration planning and monitoring implies that a reference ecosystem has been defined to which the restored site can be compared, but how to best select such reference? We tested three different potential natural vegetation (PNV) maps of the same areas in Kenya and Uganda for their utility as ecological references with independent data that were not used when those maps were made. These independent datasets included presence observations of woody species from 76 sites in forest reserves in Kenya and Uganda, and classification of surveyed species into a system that included "forest‐only" and "nonforest‐only" ecological types. Our tests show that (1) the three vegetation maps largely agree on the environmental envelopes/ranges within which forests occur. (2) There are large differences in how well the maps predict the presence of forest‐only species. (3) Two maps, based on empirical observations (V4A and White), predict forest types well, whereas the third, based on climate envelopes only (NS), performs poorly. (4) A large area in Uganda is potentially in one of two alternative stable states. We conclude that it is possible to evaluate the utility of PNV maps at a more detailed scale than the level of biome and ecoregion. This indicates that it is possible to map PNV at scales required for reference for restoration and management of forest vegetation. We recommend that empirically based maps of potential natural vegetation are used in restoration planning (biome and PNV maps based on climate envelopes alone may be unreliable tools) as a baseline model for predicting the distribution of reference ecosystems under current and future conditions. It could conveniently be done by deconstructing the existing biome maps, supported by rapid botanical surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite remote sensing is a critical tool for continental and synoptic monitoring and mapping of savannah wildfires. Satellite active fire products, which report on the time and location of a fire and may further characterise fire by estimating fire radiative power (FRP), provide valuable utility for savannah fire management and carbon accounting. These applications require that satellite measurements are of high accuracy, which can only be determined through validation. However, acquiring reference data for validation that is a representative of the fire conditions at the time of satellite image capture is challenging, due to rapid changes in fire behaviour and the inherent safety considerations of collecting field data during fire events. This review explores traditional and contemporary methods used to assess the accuracy and consistency of fire detections and FRP derived from satellite data in savannah ecosystems, with a focus on the approaches and challenges in collecting suitable reference data for a phenomenon as dynamic, ephemeral, and hazardous as wildfire. From this synthesis, we present generalised frameworks for the validation and intercomparison of satellite active fire products within savannah ecosystems. This article reviews traditional and contemporary methods that have been used to assess the accuracy of satellite active fire products and the consistency between products. We provide through this review generalised frameworks that advise on good practice for validating satellite fire products within the savannah biome. This article belongs to the Collection Savanna Burning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies show that stoichiometric elemental ratios of marine ecosystems are not static at Redfield proportions but vary systematically between biomes. However, the wider Atlantic Ocean is undersampled for particulate organic matter (POM) elemental composition, especially when it comes to phosphorus (i.e., POP). Thus, it is uncertain how environmental variation in this region translates into shifts in the C:N:P ratio. To address this, we analyzed hydrography, genomics, and POM concentrations from 877 stations on the meridional transects AMT28 and C13.5, spanning the Atlantic Ocean. We observed nutrient-replete, high-latitude ecosystem C:N:P to be significantly lower than that in the oligotrophic gyres. Latitudinal and zonal differences in elemental stoichiometry were linked to overall nutrient supply as well as N vs. P stress. C:P and N:P were generally higher in the P-stressed northern region compared to Southern Hemisphere regions. We also detected a zonal difference linked to a westward deepening nutricline and a shift from N to P stress. We also evaluated possible seasonal changes in C:N:P across the basin and predicted these to be limited. Overall, this study confirms latitudinal shifts in surface ocean POM ratios but reveals previously unrecognized hemisphere and zonal gradients. This work demonstrates the importance of understanding how regional shifts in hydrography and type of nutrient stress shape the coupling between Atlantic Ocean nutrient and carbon cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1.  The replacement of native habitats by monocultures has led to the loss of insect biodiversity, including beetles.2.  In an attempt to minimize this loss, Brazilian legislation requires farmers to conserve a proportion of farmland as a Legal Reserve.3.  In this study, we investigated the decay of similarity in beetle communities of soybean monocultures compared to Legal Reserves.4.  To do this, we studied 77 sample points distributed across the transition zone between the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, with a maximum distance of 625 km between the farthest points.5.  Our results show that the transformation of forest areas into monocultures causes a drastic decrease in beta diversity for both herbivores and predators.6.  This pattern is not observed in Legal Reserves, where the communities are, for the most part, different in a short geographic space.7.  We noted an increase in beta diversity between sites at a shorter distance (200 km) compared with soybean monoculture areas (350 km).8.  In these environments, many species are generalist pests that benefit from the simplified landscape.9.  To verify the relationship between species dissimilarity and geographic distances, we used the Chord‐Normalized Expected Species Shared dissimilarity index, replacing Bray–Curtis due to its robustness in dealing with small samples or subsampling.10. We reinforce the importance of Legal Reserves in conserving beetle biodiversity, emphasizing the need for preserved areas distributed throughout the landscape as they play a crucial role in maintaining beta diversity and preserving ecosystem services in anthropized landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaf area index (LAI) is a key indicator of vegetation canopy structure and growth status, crucial for global ecological environment research. The Moderate Resolution Spectral Imager-II (MERSI-II) aboard Fengyun-3D (FY-3D) covers the globe twice daily, providing a reliable data source for large-scale and high-frequency LAI estimation. VI-based LAI estimation is effective, but species and growth status impacts on the sensitivity of the VI–LAI relationship are rarely considered, especially for MERSI-II. This study analyzed the VI–LAI relationship for eight biomes in China with contrasting leaf structures and canopy architectures. The LAI was estimated by adaptively combining multiple VIs and validated using MODIS, GLASS, and ground measurements. Results show that (1) species and growth stages significantly affect VI–LAI sensitivity. For example, the EVI is optimal for broadleaf crops in winter, while the RDVI is best for evergreen needleleaf forests in summer. (2) Combining vegetation indices can significantly optimize sensitivity. The accuracy of multi-VI-based LAI retrieval is notably higher than using a single VI for the entire year. (3) MERSI-II shows good spatial–temporal consistency with MODIS and GLASS and is more sensitive to vegetation growth fluctuation. Direct validation with ground-truth data also demonstrates that the uncertainty of retrievals is acceptable (R2 = 0.808, RMSE = 0.642). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest structural complexity is a key element of ecosystem functioning, impacting light environments, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and habitat quality. Addressing the need for a comprehensive global assessment of actual forest structural complexity, we derive a near-global map of 3D canopy complexity using data from the GEDI spaceborne lidar mission. These data show that tropical forests harbor most of the high complexity observations, while less than 20% of temperate forests reached median levels of tropical complexity. Structural complexity in tropical forests is more strongly related to canopy attributes from lower and middle waveform layers, whereas in temperate forests upper and middle layers are more influential. Globally, forests exhibit robust scaling relationships between complexity and canopy height, but these vary geographically and by biome. Our results offer insights into the spatial distribution of forest structural complexity and emphasize the importance of considering biome-specific and fine-scale variations for ecological research and management applications. The GEDI Waveform Structural Complexity Index data product, derived from our analyses, provides researchers and conservationists with a single, easily interpretable metric by combining various aspects of canopy structure. Forest structural complexity plays a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, influencing factors like light, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. Here, a global map of 3D canopy complexity modeled from spaceborne lidar reveals that highly complex forests are concentrated in the tropics, with significant variations observed across biomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities play a crucial role in the physiology of animal hosts; however, little is known about bacterial symbionts with the group cephalopods, specifically octopuses, and the function of these symbionts. The goal of this study was to determine if octopuses have a unique skin microbiome. The skin microbiome of two sympatric octopuses (Octopus vulgaris and Macrotritopus defilippi) was compared with the surrounding environment, sediment and seawater, to determine if octopus have a unique skin microbiome. High throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) amplicons was performed using an Illumina MiSeq. Sediment showed the greatest alpha diversity followed by octopus then seawater. Beta diversity revealed a difference in microbial composition between the octopus skin microbiome and sediment and seawater. While phylum Bacteroidetes appeared rare in environmental samples, it was most abundant for the octopus skin microbiome with the majority of the bacteria comprising the family Flavobacteriaceae. Proteobacteria, the largest group of bacteria, also constituted the octopus skin microbiome. Many of these groups occur on both octopus species; however, certain taxa differed in relative abundance between octopus species and may show species-specific host selection. Several bacteria that were identified for the octopus skin microbiome have been isolated from other marine animal hosts, identified as biodegraders and/ or produce pigments and squalene, or act as predators of other bacteria. These groups may play a role in defense against environmental stressors or pathogenic bacteria. This is the first study to characterize the skin microbiome in two wild sympatric octopuses. Due to the importance of bacterial symbionts, this can provide insight to the physiology, behavior, ecology, and ultimately the health of these important animals in marine environments as well as care in captive or laboratory settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mosquito microbiome significantly influences vector competence, including in Aedes albopictus, a globally invasive vector. Describing the microbiome and Wolbachia strains of Ae. albopictus from different regions can guide area-specific control strategies. Mosquito samples from Spain and São Tomé were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing. Wolbachia infection patterns were observed by sex and population. Female mosquitoes were blood-fed, a factor considered in analyzing their microbiota. Results revealed a dominance of dual Wolbachia infections, strains A and B, in the microbiome of both populations of Ae. albopictus, especially among females. Both populations shared a core microbiome, although 5 and 9 other genera were only present in Spain and São Tomé populations, respectively. Genera like Pelomonas and Nevskia were identified for the first time in Aedes mosquitoes. This study is the first to describe the Ae. albopictus bacteriome in Spain and São Tomé, offering insights for the development of targeted mosquito control strategies. Understanding the specific microbiome composition can help in designing more effective interventions, such as microbiome manipulation and Wolbachia-based approaches, to reduce vector competence and transmission potential of these mosquitoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato pomace, the main by-product of tomato processing, is also an underestimated source of many active substances. This study aimed to determine the possibility of using oil obtained from tomato pomace in a face cream formulation. The bacterial community structure, face skin biophysical parameters and protection against air pollution were examined after daily application of the cosmetic by volunteers. In the tomato pomace oil, the profile of fatty acids was determined by GC‒MS, and the profile of volatile compounds was determined using the HS-SPME technique. The dominant bioactive component in the oil was linoleic acid (63.6%), and among the volatile compounds, it was carvotanacetone (25.8%). The application of the cream with tomato pomace oil resulted in an increase in the dominant genera Staphylococcus, Anaerococcus and Cutibacterium in the epibiome, particularly beneficial Staphylococcus epidermidis, while limiting the growth of the potentially opportunistic pathogens Kocuria spp., Micrococcus spp., Veillonella spp., and Rothia spp. This study showed the usefulness of tomato pomace oil as a natural ingredient in skin care cosmetics, reducing skin inflammation, sensitivity and melanin level, with potential protective effects against air pollution and microbiome-balance properties. Tomato pomace, which is commonly considered waste after tomato processing, can be used in the development of new cosmetics and may additionally contribute to reducing environmental nuisance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests in Brazil play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and the environment, but this has been threatened by deforestation, forest fires, and the effects of climate change. Among these, forest fire has happened frequently in areas where there have been changes in land use for activities of agriculture and livestock farming, that motivate the destruction of forests particularly in biomes like the Amazon and Cerrado. In those biomes, the forest fires initiated to clear land for pasture are the most worrying because promote ecological and socioeconomic consequences, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and impacts the regional flora and biogeochemical cycles. As a strategy to understand and identify areas at risk of forest fires, this study aimed to develop a risk zoning framework for fire hotspots in the biomes of Brazilians. This framework combines multiple variables, incorporating factors like physical terrain, land use, and climatic data, to assess the potential fire risk. The areas with greater fire risk are located in the Caatinga, Cerrado, and Pantanal biomes, in which the physical and climate variables influence directly in incidence and propagation of fire. In the Amazon biome there is a fire risk, some possibly intentional, but can be regulated by elevated precipitation in the region. The identification of areas at high fire risk allows the implementation of proactive strategies for fire prevention for safeguarding Brazil's biomes and ecosystems, which are integral to the environment and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas are a key component of global conservation, and the world is aiming to increase protected areas to cover 30% of land and water through the 30 × 30 Initiative under the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. However, factors affecting their success or failure in regard to promoting mammal population recovery are not well studied, particularly using quantitative approaches comparing across diverse taxa, biomes, and countries. To better understand how protected areas contribute to mammalian recovery, we conducted an analysis of 2706 mammal populations both inside and outside of protected areas worldwide. We calculated the annual percent change of mammal populations within and outside of terrestrial protected areas and examined the relationship between the percent change and a suite of human and natural characteristics including biome, region, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) protected area category, IUCN Red List classification, and taxonomic order. Our results show that overall mammal populations inside and outside of protected areas are relatively stable. It appears that Threatened mammals are doing better inside of protected areas than outside, whereas the opposite is true for species of least concern and Near Threatened species. We also found significant population increases in protected areas classified as category III and significant population decreases in protected and unprotected areas throughout Oceania. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial protected areas can be an important approach for mammalian recovery and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To test the hypothesis that adaptive shifts leading to the assembly of tropical savannas involved coordination between bark and wood traits and to understand the underlying mechanisms. Location: Tropical South America. Taxon: Angiosperms (woody). Methods: We compiled data on three bark traits (total, inner and outer relative bark thickness), wood density, maximum height, five secondary xylem traits and on species' habitat information (light environment, climate, soil and fire history) for Neotropical savanna, forest and generalist species (biome groups). We tested for pairwise and multivariate associations among traits across species and if biome group and habitat conditions explained species positions along the resulting strategy axes. Results: Traits covaried along four different axes. The first axis was consistent with a trade‐off between fire (thick barks) and shade tolerance (low bark to diameter ratio, high vessel density) and contributed to differentiate the three biome groups according to the preference for shaded environments. Forest species also differed from savanna and generalist species in a separate axis by being more resource acquisitive. Maximum height and wood density did not strongly trade‐off with bark thickness, although maximum height was negatively covaried with relative outer bark thickness. Preference for shaded conditions was the main driver of variation in the two principal strategy axes, but temperature, fire and soil sand content also explained differences in plant stature between savanna and generalist species. Main Conclusions: Allocation to bark is constrained by trade‐offs with wood, opposing shade‐tolerant and acquisitive forest species to fire‐resistant and conservative savanna species. Rather than a single strategy axis, three axes are necessary to understand the functional differences among savanna, forest and generalist species. Because two of these axes are controlled by light availability, the associated traits tend to covary in space and time, but not across species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Northern and eastern grassland-savanna boundary defined by minimum temperature. • Dynamics of fire, frost and growing season temperatures combine to produce this limit. • Western limit is related to moisture availability. • Modern, high-resolution climate data enables refinement of bioclimatic limits. • Reparameterisation improves global model performance at regional scale. Understanding the controls of biome distributions is crucial for assessing terrestrial ecosystem functioning and its response to climate change. We analysed to what extent differences in climate factors (minimum temperatures, water availability, and growing season temperatures (degree days above 5 °C (GDD5)) might explain the poorly understood borders between grasslands, savannas and shrublands in eastern South Africa. The results were used to improve bioclimatic limits in the dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) LPJ-GUESS. The vegetation model was also used to explore the role of fire in the biome borders. Results show no clear differences between the adjacent biomes in water availability. Treeless grasslands primarily occur in areas with minimum temperatures and GDD5 values below that of savannas. The standard fire module in LPJ-GUESS is not able to reproduce observed burned area patterns in the study region, but simulations with prescribed fire return intervals show that a combination of low temperatures and fire can explain the treeless state of the grassland biome. These results confirm earlier hypotheses that a combination of low winter temperatures, causing frost damage to trees, and low growing season temperatures that impede tree sapling growth and recruitment, particularly under re-occurring fires, drive the grassland-savanna border. With these insights implemented, the LPJ-GUESS simulation results substantially improved grass distribution in the grassland biome, but challenges remain concerning the grassland-shrubland boundary, tree-grass competition and prognostic fire modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial vegetation is a crucial component of the Earth system, and its changes not only represent one of the most distinct aspects of climate change but also exert significant feedback within the climate system by exchanging energy, moisture, and carbon dioxide. To quantitatively and mechanistically study climate-vegetation feedback, numerical vegetation models have been developed on the theory of ecophysiological constraints on plant functional types. The models eventually can simulate vegetation distribution and succession across different spatial and temporal scales, and associated terrestrial carbon cycle processes by categorizing vegetation into biomes according different plant functional types and their associated environmental factors. Here we review the developing history of vegetation models and provide recent advances and future directions. Before 21st century, static vegetation models, as developed statistical models, can only simulate equilibrated characteristics of vegetation distribution. In last several decades, Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) have been developed to simulate instantaneous responses of vegetation to climate change and associated dynamics, and can be coupled with Earth system models to investigate interactions among atmosphere, ocean, and land. DGVMs are also widely applied to investigate the dynamics accounting for changes in the geographic distribution patterns of land surface vegetation at different spatial and temporal scales and to assess the impacts of terrestrial carbon and water fluxes and land use changes. We suggest that future vegetation modeling could integrate with machine learning, and explore vegetation transient response and feedback as well as impacts of process hierarchies and human activities on climate and ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen data represent one of the most widely available and spatially resolved sources of information about the past land cover and climate of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21 000 yr BP). Previous pollen data compilations for Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, however, have been limited by small numbers of sites and poor dating control. Here we present a new compilation of pollen data from the region that improves on both the number of sites (63) and the quality of the chronological control. Data were sourced from both public data archives and published (digitized) diagrams. The analysis is presented based on a standardized pollen taxonomy and sum, with maps shown for the major pollen taxa and biomes and the total arboreal pollen (AP), and on quantitative reconstructions of forest cover and of winter, summer, and annual temperatures and precipitation. The reconstructions are based on the modern analogue technique (MAT) adapted using plant functional type (PFT) scores and with a modern pollen dataset taken from the latest Eurasian Modern Pollen Database (EMPD) (∼8000 samples). A site-by-site comparison of the MAT and the inverse modelling method shows little or no significant difference between the methods for the LGM, indicating that the presence of low-CO 2 conditions and no modern analogue during the LGM does not appear to have had a major effect on MAT transfer function performance. Previous pollen-based climate reconstructions using modern pollen datasets show a much colder and drier climate for the LGM than both inverse modelling and climate model simulations do, but our new results suggest much greater agreement. Differences between our latest MAT reconstruction and those in earlier studies can largely be attributed to bias in the small modern dataset previously used and to differences in the method itself (Brewer et al., 2008; Salonen et al., 2019). We also find that quantitative forest cover reconstructions show more forest than previously suggested by biome reconstructions but less forest than suggested by simply the percentage of arboreal pollen, although uncertainties remain large. Overall, we find that LGM climatic cooling and drying were significantly greater in winter than in summer but with large site-to-site variance that emphasizes the importance of topography and other local factors in controlling the climate and vegetation of the LGM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: It is well‐known that the mycorrhizal type of plants correlates with different modes of nutrient cycling and availability. However, the differences in drought tolerance between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EcM) plants remains poorly characterized.We synthesized a global dataset of four hydraulic traits associated with drought tolerance of 1457 woody species (1139 AM and 318 EcM species) at 308 field sites. We compared these traits between AM and EcM species, with evolutionary history (i.e. angiosperms vs gymnosperms), water availability (i.e. aridity index) and biomes considered as additional factors.Overall, we found that evolutionary history and biogeography influenced differences in hydraulic traits between mycorrhizal types. Specifically, we found that (1) AM angiosperms are less drought‐tolerant than EcM angiosperms in wet regions or biomes, but AM gymnosperms are more drought‐tolerant than EcM gymnosperms in dry regions or biomes, and (2) in both angiosperms and gymnosperms, variation in hydraulic traits as well as their sensitivity to water availability were higher in AM species than in EcM species.Our results suggest that global shifts in water availability (especially drought) may alter the biogeographic distribution and abundance of AM and EcM plants, with consequences for ecosystem element cycling and ultimately, the land carbon sink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The discovery of mimivirus in 2003 prompted the search for novel giant viruses worldwide. Despite increasing interest, the diversity and distribution of giant viruses is barely known. Here, we present data from a 2012–2022 study aimed at prospecting for amoebal viruses in water, soil, mud, and sewage samples across Brazilian biomes, using Acanthamoeba castellanii for isolation. A total of 881 aliquots from 187 samples covering terrestrial and marine Brazilian biomes were processed. Electron microscopy and PCR were used to identify the obtained isolates. Sixty-seven amoebal viruses were isolated, including mimiviruses, marseilleviruses, pandoraviruses, cedratviruses, and yaraviruses. Viruses were isolated from all tested sample types and almost all biomes. In comparison to other similar studies, our work isolated a substantial number of Marseillevirus and cedratvirus representatives. Taken together, our results used a combination of isolation techniques with microscopy, PCR, and sequencing and put highlight on richness of giant virus present in different terrestrial and marine Brazilian biomes.

Furthering our knowledge of the skin microbiome is essential to understand health and disease in canines. To date, studies into the canine skin microbiome have focused on 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing however, these lack the granularity of species and strain level taxonomic characterisation and their associated functions. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the skin microbiome by analysing the skin microbiome of 72 healthy adult colony dogs, across four distinct skin sites and four breeds, using metagenomic sequencing. Our analysis revealed that breed and skin site are drivers of variation, and a core group of taxa and genes are present within the skin microbiome of healthy dogs, comprising 230 taxa and 1219 gene families. We identified 15 species within the core microbiome that are represented by more than one strain. The biosynthesis of secondary metabolites pathway was enriched in the core microbiome suggesting the skin microbiome may play a role in colonisation resistance and protection from invading pathogens. Additionally, we uncovered the novelty of the canine skin microbiome and show that further investigation is required to increase the suitability of current databases for metagenomic sequencing of canine skin samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire plays a pivotal role in driving ecological shifts between Mediterranean‐type vegetation and subtropical ecosystems in South Africa. This study investigates long‐term environmental dynamics and ecological regime changes at the Mediterranean‐type vegetation /subtropical boundary using a 6000‐year palaeoecological sequence from the Baviaanskloof – a region of South Africa characterized by high levels of biodiversity and climate dynamism. Combining fossil pollen and microcharcoal data from a rock hyrax Procavia capensis midden, we analyse vegetation responses to environmental changes. Our findings reveal that Mediterranean‐type vegetation resilience prevailed until ca 2800 cal year BP when a major fire event triggered a transition to a subtropical thicket‐dominated environment. This abrupt ecological turnover underscores the significance of fire as a major driver of vegetation change at the Mediterranean‐type vegetation /subtropical boundary. Our study emphasizes the vulnerability of Mediterranean‐type vegetation ecosystems to global environmental change, suggesting potential implications for similar biome boundaries worldwide. By integrating multi‐proxy palaeoecological evidence, we gain insights into the resilience and vulnerability of these ecosystems, aiding in understanding future responses to climate change scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of microbial communities arises from a multitude of factors, including the interactions of microorganisms with each other and with the environment. In this work, we sought to disentangle those drivers by performing a cross-study, cross-biome meta-analysis of microbial occurrence data in more than 5000 samples, applying a novel network clustering algorithm aimed to capture conditional taxa co-occurrences. We then examined the phylogenetic and functional composition of the resulting clusters, and searched for global patterns of assembly both at the community level and in the presence/absence of individual metabolic pathways. Our analysis highlighted the prevalence of functional redundancy in microbial communities, particularly between taxa that co-occur in more than one environment, pointing to a relationship between functional redundancy and environmental adaptation. In spite of this, certain pathways were observed in fewer taxa than expected by chance, suggesting the presence of auxotrophy, and presumably cooperation among community members. This hypothetical cooperation may play a role in genome reduction, since we observed a negative relationship between the size of bacterial genomes and the size of the community they belong to. Overall, our results suggest the microbial community assembly is driven by universal principles that operate consistently across different biomes and taxonomic groups. A cross-biome meta-analysis of microbial occurrence data in more than 5000 samples suggest that microbial community assembly is driven by universal principles that operate consistently across different biomes and taxonomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a seasonal classification system to improve the temporal framing of comparative scientific analysis. Research often uses yearly aggregates to understand inherently seasonal phenomena like harvests, monsoons, and droughts. This obscures important trends across time and differences through space by including redundant data. Our classification system allows for a more targeted approach. We split global land into four principal climate zones: desert, arctic and high montane, tropical, and temperate. A cluster analysis with zone-specific variables and weighting splits each month of the year into discrete seasons based on the monthly climate. We expect the data will be able to answer global comparative analysis questions like: are global winters less icy than before? Are wildfires more frequent now in the dry season? How severe are monsoon season flooding events? This is a natural extension of the historical concept of biomes, made possible by recent advances in climate data availability and artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maternal pregnancy microbiome (including genitourinary and gut) has been linked to important pregnancy/birth and later childhood health outcomes. However, such sampling as part of large population cohort studies is logistically and financially challenging. Many countries routinely collect vaginal or vaginal-rectal swabs in late pregnancy for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) screening, but their utility for population-based research is still unclear. As part of planning for the Generation Victoria population-based cohort study beginning in pregnancy, we assessed the utility and reliability of residual clinical GBS vaginal/vaginal-rectal swabs for generating late pregnancy microbiome data. We carried out a two-phased pilot study. Phase one assessed the level of microbial diversity apparent in 'residual' clinical vaginal/vaginal-rectal swabs post clinical testing and storage for 7–10 days at 4 °C (routine clinical practice). Phase two directly assessed the impact of storage time and temperature on the microbial composition of vaginal/vaginal-rectal swabs collected specifically for research purposes. The microbiota composition in the 'residual' clinical swabs aligned with published studies. The 'research' swabs, stored at 4 °C for up to ten days, showed minimal changes in microbiota profile, compared to swabs examined on the day of collection. In contrast, significant variation in diversity was seen in swabs stored at room temperature for up to 48 h. Residual clinical material from swabs collected primarily for GBS screening in late pregnancy represent a reliable and abundant source of material for assessing the late pregnancy maternal microbiome for research purposes. This represents a low-burden opportunity for population-representative pregnancy studies to assess the potential of late pregnancy microbiome for prediction and understanding maternal and child health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcophagid experts have made several efforts to associate biodiversity data and comprehend where each species occurs, but comprehensive faunal inventories remain scarce. Our aim was to provide a list of distributional patterns and endemic species and allow assessment of the sampling effort conducted within Brazilian biomes. We produced a dataset of Brazilian sarcophagids and overlaid with a biome map, to investigate distributional patterns, endemism and to build species accumulation curves. Additionally, we calculated nonparametric asymptotic species richness estimators and extrapolation of species diversity (Hill numbers). Our dataset comprised 288 sarcophagid species, which 21 were identified as endemic. The biomes with the highest species richness were the Atlantic Rainforest and the Amazon Forest, and no biome exhibited a stabilized asymptotic curve. This is the first proposal of listing Sarcophagidae species by biomes and essential to understand the spatial distribution of this family in Brazil. We present maps and richness estimators that allow identifying gaps and guiding survey planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding which species will be extirpated in the aftermath of large‐scale human disturbance is critical to mitigating biodiversity loss, particularly in hyperdiverse tropical biomes. Deforestation is the strongest driver of contemporary local extinctions in tropical forests but may occur at different tempos. The 2 most extensive tropical forest biomes in South America—the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon—have experienced historically divergent pathways of habitat loss and biodiversity decay, providing a unique case study to investigate rates of local species persistence on a single continent. We quantified medium‐ to large‐bodied mammal species persistence across these biomes to elucidate how landscape configuration affects their persistence and associated ecological functions. We collected occurrence data for 617 assemblages of medium‐ to large‐bodied mammal species (>1 kg) in the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon. Analyzing natural habitat cover based on satellite data (1985–2022), we employed descriptive statistics and generalized linear models (GLMs) to investigate ecospecies occurrence patterns in relation to habitat cover across the landscapes. The subregional erosion of Amazonian mammal assemblage diversity since the 1970s mirrors that observed since the colonial conquest of the Atlantic Forest, given that 52.8% of all Amazonian mammals are now on a similar trajectory. Four out of 5 large mammals in the Atlantic Forest were prone to extirpation, whereas 53% of Amazonian mammals were vulnerable to extirpation. Greater natural habitat cover increased the persistence likelihood of ecospecies in both biomes. These trends reflected a median local species loss 63.9% higher in the Atlantic Forest than in the Amazon, which appears to be moving toward a turning point of forest habitat loss and degradation. The contrasting trajectories of species persistence in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest domains underscore the importance of considering historical habitat loss pathways and regional biodiversity erosion in conservation strategies. By focusing on landscape configuration and identifying essential ecological functions associated with large vertebrate species, conservation planning and management practices can be better informed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiome research is changing how ecosystems, including animal bodies, are understood. In the case of humans, microbiome knowledge is transforming medical approaches and applications. However, the field is still young, and many conceptual and explanatory issues need resolving. These include how microbiome causality is understood, and how to conceptualize the role microbiomes have in the health status of their hosts and other ecosystems. A key concept that crops up in the medical microbiome literature is "balance." A balanced microbiome is thought to produce health and an imbalanced one disease. Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of how balance is used in the microbiome literature, this "think again" essay critically analyses each of the several subconceptions of balance. As well as identifying problems with these uses, the essay suggests some starting points for filling this conceptual gap in microbiome research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: How the ability of plants to move towards newly favourable habitats (dispersal limitation) impacts the change of biome distribution and transition under fast climate warming is still debated. Analysing vegetation change in the past may help to clarify the relative importance of underlying ecological processes such as climate, biotic interactions, and dispersal. In this study, we investigated how dispersal limitation affected the distribution of European forests in the last 18,000 years. Location: Southern and Central Europe. Taxon: Spermatophyta. Methods: Using the LPJ‐GM 2.0 model (an extension of LPJ‐GUESS), we simulated European vegetation from the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (18.5 ka) to the current time (0 ka). Using biome reconstructions from pollen data as reference, we compared the performance of two dispersal modes: with no migration constraints or seed limitation (free dispersal mode), and with plant establishment depending on seed dynamics and dispersal (dispersal limitation mode). Results: The model run, including migration processes, was better at capturing the post‐glacial expansion of European temperate forests (and the longer persistence of boreal forests) than the setting assuming free dispersal, especially during periods of rapid warming. This suggests that a number of (temperate) tree taxa experienced delayed occupancy of climatically suitable habitats due to a limited dispersal capacity, i.e., post‐glacial migration lags. Main Conclusions: Our results show that including migration processes in model simulations allows for more realistic reconstructions of forest patterns under rapid climate change, with consequences for future projections of carbon sequestration and climate reconstructions with vegetation feedback, assisted migration and forest conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Drylands cover about 41% of Earth's land surface and are home to fragile biota with high levels of endemism. Two hypothetical models, i.e., cradle and museum, have been proposed to account for present‐day species diversity in an ecoregion or biome. We investigated macroevolutionary patterns to test these two different models in Nitrariaceae, a characteristic component of the Eurasian dryland ecosystem. We also used this family to explore the intercontinental disjunct distribution pattern between the deserts of Eurasia and western North America, known as the Madrean–Tethyan disjunction. Location: Drylands in the Northern Hemisphere. Taxon: Nitrariaceae (Sapindales, Angiosperms). Method: We sampled all 16 of the currently recognized extant species of Nitrariaceae and 59 species from the eight other families of Sapindales. A fossil‐calibrated phylogeny was generated using 12 fossil constraints. The ancestral range and climate niche of Nitrariaceae were reconstructed, and diversification rates were estimated. Results: The most recent common ancestor of Nitrariaceae likely inhabited arid habitats with low rainfall in the temperate zone in the Late Cretaceous, which geographically corresponds to present‐day Central Asia. The western North American Peganum mexicanum split from its Central Asian sister group at approximately 39 Ma. Net diversification rates of Nitrariaceae experienced a significant increase around 11 Ma. Within Sapindales, at least seven arid species originated markedly prior to the Miocene. Main Conclusions: The North Atlantic land bridge and global cooling climate in the Late Eocene might have driven the formation of the present‐day disjunct distribution of Nitrariaceae between arid Central Asia and western North America. Nitrariaceae originated in the Late Cretaceous and exhibited long‐term climate niche conservatism, but experienced a rapid diversification in the late Miocene of Eurasia in response to orogenetic and climatic changes. These findings suggest that Eurasian drylands serve as both evolutionary cradles and museums for the diversity of Nitrariaceae and likely for other arid‐adapted lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The host microbiome can be considered an ecological community of microbes present inside a complex and dynamic host environment. The host is under selective pressure to ensure that its microbiome remains beneficial. The host can impose a range of ecological filters including the immune response that can influence the assembly and composition of the microbial community. How the host immune response interacts with the within-microbiome community dynamics to affect the assembly of the microbiome has been largely unexplored. We present here a mathematical framework to elucidate the role of host immune response and its interaction with the balance of ecological interactions types within the microbiome community. We find that highly mutualistic microbial communities characteristic of high community density are most susceptible to changes in immune control and become invasion prone as host immune control strength is increased. Whereas highly competitive communities remain relatively stable in resisting invasion to changing host immune control. Our model reveals that the host immune control can interact in unexpected ways with a microbial community depending on the prevalent ecological interactions types for that community. We stress the need to incorporate the role of host-control mechanisms to better understand microbiome community assembly and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Genetic material from rumen microorganisms can be found within the oral cavity, and hence there is potential in using the oral microbiome as a proxy of the ruminal microbiome. Feed intake (FI) influences the composition of rumen microbiota and might directly influence the oral microbiome in dairy cattle. Ruminal content samples (RS) from 29 cows were collected at the beginning of the study and also 42 d later (RS0 and RS42, respectively). Additionally, 18 oral samples were collected through buccal swabbing at d 42 (OS42) from randomly selected cows. Samples were used to characterize and compare the taxonomy and functionality of the oral microbiome using nanopore sequencing and to evaluate the feasibility of using the oral microbiome to estimate FI. Up to 186 taxonomical features were found differentially abundant (DA) between RS and OS42. Similar results were observed when comparing OS42 to RS collected on different days. Microorganisms associated with the liquid fraction of the rumen were less abundant in OS42 because these were probably swallowed after regurgitation. Up to 1,102 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were found to be DA between RS and OS42, and these results differed when comparing time of collection, but DA KEGG pathways were mainly associated with metabolism in both situations. Models based on the oral microbiome and rumen microbiome differed in their selection of microbial groups and biological pathways to predict FI. In the rumen, fiber-associated microorganisms are considered suitable indicators of FI. In contrast, biofilm formers like Gammaproteobacteria or Bacteroidia classes are deemed appropriate proxies for predicting FI from oral samples. Models from RS exhibited some predictive ability to estimate FI, but oral samples substantially outperformed them. The best lineal model to estimate FI was obtained with the relative abundance of taxonomical feature at genera level, achieving an average R2 = 0.88 within the training data, and a root mean square error of 3.46 ± 0.83 (±SD) kg of DM, as well as a Pearson correlation coefficient between observed and estimated FI of 0.48 ± 0.30 in the test data. The results from this study suggest that oral microbiome has potential to predict FI in dairy cattle, and it encourages validating this potential in other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess and verify the effect of the gut microbiome on the susceptibility and complications of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Materials and Methods: To achieve this aim, a two‐sample and reverse Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. In addition, an external validation study was performed using individual microbiome data of patients with T1D from the gutMEGA datasets and the National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases. The circulating metabolites facilitated two‐sample MR analysis, mediation and multivariable MR analysis to evaluate the direct relationship between the gut microbiome and T1D complications. Results: The MR analysis results from the discovery and validation phases confirmed that Veillonellaceae can potentially reduce the susceptibility of T1D. In the gutMEGA dataset, the average relative abundance of Veillonellaceae in patients with T1D was 0.66%, compared with 1.09% in the controls. Furthermore, the external validation, which included 60 patients with T1D and 30 matched healthy controls, found that the median relative abundance of Veillonellaceae was also lower than controls at 1.10% (95% CI 0.50%‐1.80%). Specifically, the Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, known for its ability to regulate cholesterol, was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing renal, neurological and ophthalmic complications in T1D. Moreover, high cholesterol in small high‐density lipoprotein and cholesteryl esters in high‐density lipoprotein were associated with a reduced risk of T1D renal and ophthalmic complications. The mediation and multivariable MR analysis combining cholesterol indicated that the E. coprostanoligenes group is the most dominant factor influencing T1D complications. Conclusions: Our findings supported the potential causal effect of gut microbiota on the susceptibility and complications of T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomes are large‐scale ecosystems occupying large spaces. The biome concept should theoretically facilitate scientific synthesis of global‐scale studies of the past, present, and future biosphere. However, there is neither a consensus biome map nor universally accepted definition of terrestrial biomes, making joint interpretation and comparison of biome‐related studies difficult. "Desert," "rainforest," "tundra," "grassland," or "savanna," while widely used terms in common language, have multiple definitions and no universally accepted spatial distribution. Fit‐for‐purpose classification schemes are necessary, so multiple biome‐mapping methods should for now co‐exist. In this review, we compare biome‐mapping methods, first conceptually, then quantitatively. To facilitate the description of the diversity of approaches, we group the extant diversity of past, present, and future global‐scale biome‐mapping methods into three main families that differ by the feature captured, the mapping technique, and the nature of observation used: (1) compilation biome maps from expert elicitation, (2) functional biome maps from vegetation physiognomy, and (3) simulated biome maps from vegetation modeling. We design a protocol to measure and quantify spatially the pairwise agreement between biome maps. We then illustrate the use of such a protocol with a real‐world application by investigating the potential ecological drivers of disagreement between four broadly used, modern global biome maps. In this example, we quantify that the strongest disagreement among biome maps generally occurs in landscapes altered by human activities and moderately covered by vegetation. Such disagreements are sources of bias when combining several biome classifications. When aiming to produce realistic biome maps, biases could be minimized by promoting schemes using observations rather than predictions, while simultaneously considering the effect of humans and other ecosystem engineers in the definition. Throughout this review, we provide comparison and decision tools to navigate the diversity of approaches to encourage a more effective use of the biome concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Quaternary climatic shifts can explain the current distribution of ancient ecosystems as well as the current distributions of gradients that hold species richness and diversity of several lineages in old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (OCBILs) as inselbergs. Thus, the combination of phylogenetic approaches and temporal landscape connectivity allows disentangling the mechanisms involved in the origin of the disjunct distribution of plant species and the evolutionary heritage of Neotropical inselbergs. Location: Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Caatinga. Time Period: Pliocene until the current period. Major Taxa: Angiosperms. Methods: We used a compiled data set of 42 inselbergs across the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes in eastern Brazil to describe their structure and phylogenetic diversity and map the landscape resistance distances and the effects of resistance on their phylogenetic beta diversity. We also aimed to identify the effectiveness of protected areas and gaps in the conservation of plant species in Brazilian inselbergs. Results: We found evidence of dispersal limitation in the inselberg species pool and a latitudinal gradient in plant species richness and phylogenetic diversity across the Neotropical inselberg landscape, with greater isolation between the northeastern and southeastern core areas. Our findings indicate that inselbergs can lead to a high turnover of phylogenetic diversity, thus imposing distinctiveness on the evolutionary lineages of the inselberg flora. Main Conclusions: Our results suggest that the current distribution of inselberg's flora in isolated ecosystems may result from a more connected distribution of this flora in the past, as postulated by the Pleistocene habitat fluctuations. However, the patterns of diversity have probably been influenced by events much older than Quaternary climate shifts, due to inselbergs climate stability areas (refugia) since ancient periods. Conservation of mountain vegetation is a crucial strategy for maintaining biodiversity and distinct phylogenetic lineages in the current rapid global climate and land use change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study assessed the association of eucalyptus-tree spacing with forest growth and yield, as well as with the floristic composition, diversity and yield of natural grassland grown in silvopastoral systems in Pampa biome. Data were collected in six family cattle-ranching area in Bagé County (RS). The effect of two different genetic materials (seminal-origin Eucalyptus dunnii plant and one Eucalyptus grandis clone) on shading features of plants grown in 3 planting-spacing dimensions (625, 312 and 208 trees ha-1) was assessed, as well as their association with herbaceous extract (bare soil; green cover; forage dry matter; floristic composition; species richness; and grass, legumes and winter - and summer-growth species rates) and forestry (litter accumulation, diameter at breast height, total height and volume per hectare) variables. Planting carried out at the highest tree density (625 trees ha-1) has increased forest yield. However, it reduced green cover, herbaceous extract dry-matter yield and species richness, mainly in grasses and legumes with greater forage potential. Conversely, it is possible combining forestry and animal yield to the preservation of native forage species at low tree densities (204 to 312 trees ha-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activities of microbiomes in river sediments play an important role in sustaining ecosystem functions by driving many biogeochemical cycles. However, river ecosystems are frequently affected by anthropogenic activities, which may lead to microbial biodiversity loss and/or changes in ecosystem functions and related services. While parts of the Atlantic Forest biome stretching along much of the eastern coast of South America are protected by governmental conservation efforts, an estimated 89% of these areas in Brazil are under threat. This adds urgency to the characterization of prokaryotic communities in this vast and highly diverse biome. Here, we present prokaryotic sediment communities in the tropical Juliana River system at three sites, an upstream site near the river source in the mountains (Source) to a site in the middle reaches (Valley) and an estuarine site near the urban center of Ituberá (Mangrove). The diversity and composition of the communities were compared at these sites, along with environmental conditions, the former by using qualitative and quantitative analyses of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. While the communities included distinct populations at each site, a suite of core taxa accounted for the majority of the populations at all sites. Prokaryote diversity was highest in the sediments of the Mangrove site and lowest at the Valley site. The highest number of genera exclusive to a given site was found at the Source site, followed by the Mangrove site, which contained some archaeal genera not present at the freshwater sites. Copper (Cu) concentrations were related to differences in communities among sites, but none of the other environmental factors we determined was found to have a significant influence. This may be partly due to an urban imprint on the Mangrove site by providing organic carbon and nutrients via domestic effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and land claim trends for agriculture have led to land use/land cover (LULC) changes, acting as driving forces for several natural environment alterations. The ecosystem services (ES) concept links ecosystem degradation with direct adverse effects on human welfare, emphasizing the importance of balancing human activities and ecosystem health. LULC changes and their impacts on ES are crucial for nature conservation and decision-making. To support sustainable management, a historical (75-year) assessment of Nestos Delta lagoons was conducted, using aerial photos and satellite images, providing valuable insights into the drivers and trends of these changes. Until 1960, water-related Biomes were affected the most, in favor of agricultural (Nestos River incubation) and urban ones, but anthropogenic activities development rate reduced after land reclamation. Since their inclusion in the Natura 2000 network and designation as a National Park, they have been protected from rapid development. Over the past two decades, they have increased the economic value of their cultural ES, while deteriorating regulating and having a minimal impact on provisioning services, resulting in a cumulative loss exceeding USD 30 million during the study period. This study strongly indicates the vital importance of legislative protection and the integration of the ES approach in priority habitat management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes are inevitable outcomes of socioeconomic changes and greatly affect ecosystem services. Our study addresses the critical gap in the existing literature by providing the first comprehensive national analysis of LULC changes and their impacts on ecosystem service values (ESVs) in Malawi. We assessed changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) in response to LULC changes using the benefit transfer method in ArcGIS 10.6 software. Our findings revealed a significant increase in grasslands, croplands, and urban areas and a notable decline in forests, shrubs, wetlands, and water bodies. Grassland, cropland, and built-up areas expanded by 52%, 1%, and 23.2%, respectively. In contrast, permanent wetlands, barren land, and water bodies declined by 27.6%, 34.3%, and 1%, respectively. The ESV declined from US$90.87 billion in 2001 to US$85.60 billion in 2022, marking a 5.8% reduction. Provisioning services increased by 0.5% while regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem service functions declined by 12.2%, 3.16%, and 3.22%, respectively. The increase in provisioning services was due to the expansion of cropland. However, the loss of regulating, supporting, and cultural services was mainly due to the loss of natural ecosystems. Thus, environmental policy should prioritise the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems to enhance the ESV of Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture, a rapidly expanding sector, meets the global surging demand for aquatic food. Pangasius, a highly valued freshwater species, has seen a significant increase in demand due to its adaptability and potential for high yields, making it a promising candidate for aquaculture in India. This study investigates the gut microbiome composition of Pangasius pangasius fish cultured in three different systems (biofloc, cage, and pond). Metagenomic DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene-targeted sequencing were performed. Outcomes revealed distinct microbial compositions across culture types, with significant differences in species richness and diversity, specifically in the biofloc system, compared to cages and ponds. Taxonomic analysis identified prevalent phyla such as Firmicutes and Fusobacteriota, with varying abundances among culture systems. The genus-level analysis highlighted dominant genera such as Cetobacterium and WWE3. Functional profiling indicated differences in enzymatic activity and metabolic pathways, emphasizing each culture sample type's unique microbial community structures. Notably, the microbiota from BF samples exhibited significant differences and unique metabolic pathways compared to the microbiota from C and P samples, which showed greater similarity and shared several common metabolic pathways. These findings highlight substantial differences in microbial diversity across the culturing systems, reflecting the microbiota's ability to adapt to specific environments and their potential role in promoting fish growth within those environments. Overall, this study provides insights into the gut microbiome diversity and functionality in Pangasius pangasius across different aquaculture environments, contributing to a better understanding of host-microbe interactions and aquaculture management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]