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Sargassum is exploited as a biostimulant in agriculture for its rich bioactive compounds. Extracts from Sargassum promote plant growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance in agricultural and horticultural crops. Sargassum is a most abundant seaweed, and it occupies a huge proportion of coastal plants. This review unveils key active constituents present in Sargassum such as proximate and ultimate compounds, antioxidants, phytohormones, glucosinoids, bioactive compounds, and enzymes. As a biostimulant, Sargassum mitigates biotic and abiotic stresses. It has a positive impact on soil health, plant physiology, crop yield, animal antimicrobials, and animal feeding, as well as highlighting some sustainable agricultural practices discussed in the review. Integrating Sargassum-based biostimulants in agriculture holds promise for resilient and productive crops with minimal environmental impact. These characteristics are considered the future of ideal agrochemical properties in all dimensions of plant growth and development. These kinds of organic-based biostimulants will be ideal alternatives to toxic chemical agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is crucial to predicting the consequences of ongoing global biodiversity loss. However, what drives BEF relationships in natural ecosystems under globally changing conditions remains poorly understood.To address this knowledge gap, we applied a trait‐based approach to data from coastal dune plant communities distributed along a natural environmental stress gradient. Specifically, we compared the relative importance of below‐ground and above‐ground traits in predicting productivity, decomposition, water regulation, carbon stock and nutrient pools, and tested how these BEF relationships were modulated by environmental stress and the presence of rare species that are typically excluded from experimental systems.Below‐ground traits were just as important as above‐ground traits in driving ecosystem functioning. Moreover, despite having low abundances, rare species positively influenced ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). However, most biodiversity effects became weaker as environmental stress increased.Our study shows that to understand variation in ecosystem functioning we must consider below‐ground traits as much as above‐ground ones. Moreover, it highlights the importance of conserving rare species for maintaining EMF. However, our findings also suggest that rapid global change could dampen the positive effects of diversity on ecosystem functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal biological invasions pose a wide-reaching threat to various ecosystems, affecting both vegetation and herbivores in native communities. Although herbivores often exert strong top-down control on vegetation, the impact of invasive species on consumers that strongly regulate native species in invaded ecosystems remains unclear. Therefore, through field surveys and feeding preference experiments, this study examined the effects of the invasive Spartina alterniflora Loisel. (hereafter, Spartina) on the native moth Laelia coenosa Hübner (hereafter, Laelia), a notorious pest that has been documented to cause significant damage to native Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (hereafter, Phragmites) marshes in coastal wetlands of China. Field surveys showed that Laelia larvae were more abundant and had higher grazing rates in Phragmites than in Spartina marshes in summer, but these patterns reversed in autumn. Feeding experiments consistently showed that the dietary preference of Laelia larvae switched from Phragmites in summer to Spartina in autumn, likely because Spartina has a longer growing season and relatively higher nutritional quality than Phragmites in autumn. Thus, by providing shelters (i.e., dietary sources and habitats) during unfavorable seasons, Spartina invasions may facilitate this insect pest Laelia and potentially amplify its damage to native wetland vegetation. Our work reveals a novel, indirect mechanism of coastal invasion impacts and highlights the importance of incorporating seasonal variation in plant-herbivore interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study has been designed to develop an Antifouling agent to minimize the attachment of fouling organisms on the submerged substratum. In order to analyze the leaf extracts of reputable species, such as Ipomoea pescaprae, (sand dune plants) and Sesuvium portulacastrum, Batis maritima (salt marsh), an attempt was undertaken. Methanolic extracts of three plants were screened for antifouling activity against six marine fouling bacteria (Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas sp., Vibrio sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli) using disc diffusion method where the methanolic extract of Ipomea pes caprae exhibited a maximum zone of inhibition (26mm) against Pseudomonas sp. Further, the minimum inhibitory concentration assay was performed to determine the lowest effective concentration to inhibit microbial growth. Hence, the result has suggested Ipomea pes-caprae has a maximum inhibitory percentage (51%) in a lower concentration (100µL) against E. coli. To detect the functional groups in three extracts, FTIR was carried out, where Amine, Secondary Alcohol, Alkane and Amine salt all are commonly present in these three samples. A field study has been designed to evaluate the antifouling efficiency of three samples, where the commercial paint was formulated using methanolic extracts from three different plants. Thus, resulted in Sample-1 (Ipomea pes-caprae) has good bioactivity towards fouling organisms and resulted in less percentage of fouling formation (Wood-10%, Aluminium-22% and Fiber sheet-26%) in this field study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of carbohydrate accumulation in mangrove and halophytic plants on their response to abiotic stress. Using soil analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy, key species (Sueda nudiflora, Aeluropus lagopoides, Avicennia marina) were examined for seasonal changes in sugar content (reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, starch). The elevated carbohydrate levels may serve as an indication of the plant's ability to adapt to different environmental conditions throughout the year. This accumulation enables plants to adapt to variations in their environment, assuring their survival and functionality during periods of environmental fluctuation. Halophytic plants' sugar content peaked during the monsoon, suggesting biotic adaptations. The mangrove Avicennia marina had year-round sugar levels. PCA and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis revealed sugar accumulation trends across species and seasons. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis revealed correlations between soil characteristics and sugar content, suggesting plant-microbe interactions. K-means clustering and correlation analysis of FT-IR data revealed sugar composition and resource allocation trade-offs. These findings shed light on the role of carbohydrate metabolism in enabling coastal plants to endure stress. Gaining insight into these mechanisms can enhance sustainable agriculture in challenging environments and shed light on plant adaptations to evolving environmental conditions, especially biotic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation to new habitats might facilitate species' range shifts in response to climate change. In 2005, we transplanted experimental populations of coastal dune plant Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia into 4 sites within and 1 site beyond its poleward range limit. Beyond-range transplants had high fitness but often delayed reproduction. To test for adaptation associated with experimental range expansion, we transplanted descendants from beyond- and within-range populations after 10 generations in situ into 2 sites within the range, 1 at the range edge, and 2 sites beyond the range. We expected to detect adaptation to beyond-range conditions due to substantial genetic variation within experimental populations and environmental variation among sites. However, individuals from beyond-range experimental populations were not fitter than those from within the range when planted at either beyond-range site, indicating no adaptation to the beyond-range site or beyond-range environments in general. Beyond-range descendants also did not suffer lower fitness within the range. Although reproduction was again delayed beyond the range, late reproduction was not favored more strongly beyond than within the range, and beyond-range descendants did not delay reproduction more than within-range descendants. Persistence in beyond-range environments may not require adaptation, which could allow a rapid response to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Silene uniflora Roth (S. maritima With., S. vulgaris Garcke subsp. maritima (With.) Á. & D. Löve), Sea Campion, that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history and conservation.Silene uniflora is a mat‐like perennial herb that in Britain and Ireland is primarily distributed in coastal habitats, notably on sea cliffs and shingle banks but also at the drift line and rarely on sand; it also has populations on mountains and heavy metal mine waste tips. All of these substrates tend to be oligotrophic, loose‐textured and freely draining, and often with adverse ion concentrations. It is found in suitable habitats around much of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts of Europe.Its breeding system is gynodioecious and gynomonoecious (some individuals bearing female flowers only, some bearing hermaphrodite flowers only and others with both types of flower). The proportions of the three types of individual vary considerably between populations, but hermaphrodite flowers tend to predominate. The showy, white, nectar‐producing flowers are produced continuously over the entire summer and are pollinated mainly by long‐tongued Hymenoptera and night‐flying moths but autogamous selfing is also frequent.Silene uniflora and its close relative S. vulgaris were the subject of a classic, decadal study involving genetical and transplant experiments that was seminal in the development of 'experimental taxonomy'. More recently, attention has focused on the rapid evolution of Zn‐tolerant populations of S. uniflora growing on mine spoil and contaminated river gravels. It has also become a model organism for the study of sexually transmitted, castrating fungal diseases in plants (notably of the genus Microbotryum). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, due to a decrement in water quality and scarcity, desalination systems have gained popularity for desalination purposes. Synchronously, with the development of this system, particularly, in concern with the littoral regions, seawater concentrate disposal consisting of various pollutants was taken into consideration. In this research, two desalination plants near each other were selected and four scenarios have been foreseen, for the discharge of seawater concentrate and the desalination intake, which are taken under study in the Ramin-Chabahar region, based on dual-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation, comprising of diffusion and release, by utilizing the MIKE 21 Software. Due to the proximity of the two desalination plants, to reduce the costs of piping in the sea, the location of discharge and intake were considered common. On the grounds pertaining to the modeling results, the discharge of seawater concentrates, at a distance of 300 m (5 m of depth) from the coast and the intake point, at a distance of 800 m, in elongation, has had the minimum environmental impact; as well as having no undesirable effect on the water quality of the intake, in addition to being cost-effective, from the economic viewpoint. To dilute seawater concentrate to a standardized level, it is appropriate to discharge through a diffuser with 10 nozzles, which are spaced out at 3.25 m from each other, being positioned linearly on one side, at an angle of 60 degrees. With the optimal selection of intake and discharge points of seawater concentrate in marine desalination plants, in addition to increasing the quality of treated water and reducing adverse environmental effects, construction and operation costs are also reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thalassochory, the dispersal of propagules through marine currents, is a key long‐distance dispersal (LDD) mechanism with implications for global biogeography and particularly for island colonization. The propagules of coastal plant species are generally assumed to be better adapted for sea dispersal than those of inland plants, but this hypothesis remains largely untested.We conducted experiments on four genera (Juniperus, Daucus, Ferula, and Pancratium) and compared traits among nine species with different habitats and distributions.Our results showed that Juniperus spp. and P. maritimum have strong thalassochorous potential within the Mediterranean Basin. Interestingly, we did not find a clear association on the thalassochorous potential of coastal versus inland species within all the tested genera, apart from P. maritimum compared with the endemic inland P. illyricum.These findings suggest that thalassochory may be a more common dispersal mechanism than previously assumed. The apparently weak link of dispersal syndrome with species ecology broadens the possibility of dispersal by the sea also for inland plants, although considered to be poorly salt‐tolerant. Moreover, our results reveal significant differences in sea dispersal between endemic and widespread species, but do not rule out an important role of thalassochory in shaping the distribution patterns of archipelago endemic flora. The presented method is largely replicable and could be used for further studies with a larger set of species to better delineate trends of sea dispersal syndrome among species with different ecology or dispersal traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire-prone landscapes experience frequent fires, disrupting above-ground biomass and altering below-ground soil nutrient availability. Augmentation of leaf nutrients or leaf water balance can both reduce limitations to photosynthesis and facilitate post-fire recovery in plants. These modes of fire responses are often studied separately and hence are rarely compared. We hypothesized that under severe burning, woody plants of a coastal scrub ecosystem would have higher rates of photosynthesis (A net) than in unburned areas due to a transient release from leaf nutrient and water limitations, facilitating biomass recovery post-burn. To compare these fire recovery mechanisms in regrowing plants, we measured leaf gas exchange, leaf and soil N and P concentrations, and plant stomatal limitations in Australian native coastal scrub species across a burn sequence of sites at 1 year after severe fire, 7 years following a light controlled fire, and decades after any fire at North Head, Sydney, Australia. Recent burning stimulated increases in A net by 20% over unburned trees and across three tree species. These species showed increases in total leaf N and P as a result of burning of 28% and 50% for these macronutrients, respectively, across the three species. The boost in leaf nutrients and stimulated leaf biochemical capacity for photosynthesis, alongside species-specific stomatal conductance (g s) increases, together contributed to increased photosynthetic rates after burning compared with the long-unburned area. Photosynthetic stimulation after burning occurred due to increases in nutrient concentrations in leaves, particularly N, as well as stomatal opening for some species. The findings suggest that changes in species photosynthesis and growth with increased future fire intensity or frequency may be facilitated by changes in leaf physiology after burning. On this basis, species dominance during regrowth depends on nutrient and water availability during post-fire recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt marshes are highly dynamic and biologically diverse ecosystems that serve as natural habitats for numerous salt-tolerant plants (halophytes). We investigated the bacterial communities associated with the roots and leaves of plants growing in the coastal salt marshes of the Bayfront Beach, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. We compared external (epiphytic) and internal (endophytic) communities of both leaf and root plant organs. Using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing methods, we identified 10 bacterial phyla and 59 different amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) at the genus level. Bacterial strains belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were highly abundant in both leaf and root samples. At the genus level, sequences of the genus Pseudomonas were common across all four sample types, with the highest abundance found in the leaf endophytic community. Additionally, Pantoea was found to be dominant in leaf tissue compared to roots. Our study revealed that plant habitat (internal vs. external for leaves and roots) was a determinant of the bacterial community structure. Co-occurrence network analyses enabled us to discern the intricate characteristics of bacterial taxa. Our network analysis revealed varied levels of ASV complexity in the epiphytic networks of roots and leaves compared to the endophytic networks. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the intricate composition of the bacterial microbiota in habitats (epiphytic and endophytic) and organs (leaf and root) of coastal salt marsh plants and suggests that plants might recruit habitat- and organ-specific bacteria to enhance their tolerance to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial pattern of leaf stoichiometry is critical in predicting plant palatability and ecosystem productivity and nutrient cycling rates and thus is a major focus of community ecological research. Coastal wetlands as vital blue carbon ecosystems, with high possibility to be vulnerable to plant invasion, studies focused on stoichiometry and its pattern are important to unveil the elements cycling process. However, previous studies have mainly focused on stoichiometry in terrestrial ecosystems, there are few studies conducted on coastal wetland ecosystems, especially the studies that compare leaf stoichiometry between native and non-native plants in coastal wetlands. In this study, we compared the latitudinal patterns of leaf nutrient contents and their stoichiometric ratios between native and non-native plant species across coastal wetland ecosystems and investigated whether leaf stoichiometric patterns were driven by climatic factors. We used a compiled global data set of 954 records to conduct a systematic meta-analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences in latitudinal patterns of leaf carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents and C:N ratio between native and non-native species, as well as significant differences in leaf C, N, and phosphorus (P) contents. For native species, we found significant latitudinal patterns in leaf C, N, and P contents and C:N and C:P ratios, whereas for non-native species, we found significant latitudinal patterns in leaf N content and C:P and N:P ratios. Mean annual temperature of the data collection site was a significant predictor of leaf stoichiometry of native plants but only of leaf N content and C:P ratio of nonnative plants. Thus, we demonstrated spatial heterogeneity in leaf stoichiometries between native and non-native plants in coastal wetlands, indicating that such differences should be emphasized in future biogeochemical models and plant-herbivore interaction studies owing to the important role of wetland plants in global C, N, and P cycles. Our findings increase understanding of plant-related nutrient and elements cycling in coastal wetlands, as well as improve predictions of plant growth rates and vegetation productivity across large scales under plant invasion scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cyperus stoloniferus is an important species in coastal ecosystems and possesses economic and ecological value. To elucidate the structural characteristics, variation, and evolution of the organelle genome of C. stoloniferus, we sequenced, assembled, and compared its mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes. Results: We assembled the mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of C. stoloniferus. The total length of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) was 927,413 bp, with a GC content of 40.59%. It consists of two circular DNAs, including 37 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, and five rRNAs. The length of the chloroplast genome (cpDNA) was 186,204 bp, containing 93 PCGs, 40 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The mtDNA and cpDNA contained 81 and 129 tandem repeats, respectively, and 346 and 1,170 dispersed repeats, respectively, both of which have 270 simple sequence repeats. The third high-frequency codon (RSCU > 1) in the organellar genome tended to end at A or U, whereas the low-frequency codon (RSCU < 1) tended to end at G or C. The RNA editing sites of the PCGs were relatively few, with only 9 and 23 sites in the mtDNA and cpDNA, respectively. A total of 28 mitochondrial plastid DNAs (MTPTs) in the mtDNA were derived from cpDNA, including three complete trnT-GGU, trnH-GUG, and trnS-GCU. Phylogeny and collinearity indicated that the relationship between C. stoloniferus and C. rotundus are closest. The mitochondrial rns gene exhibited the greatest nucleotide variability, whereas the chloroplast gene with the greatest nucleotide variability was infA. Most PCGs in the organellar genome are negatively selected and highly evolutionarily conserved. Only six mitochondrial genes and two chloroplast genes exhibited Ka/Ks > 1; in particular, atp9, atp6, and rps7 may have undergone potential positive selection. Conclusion: We assembled and validated the mtDNA of C. stoloniferus, which contains a 15,034 bp reverse complementary sequence. The organelle genome sequence of C. stoloniferus provides valuable genomic resources for species identification, evolution, and comparative genomic research in Cyperaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stalter, R. and Lonard, R.I., 2024. Biological flora of coastal salt marshes: Iva frutescens L. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(4), 809–815. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Iva frutescens L., also known as marsh elder, has a broad distributional range, from the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, to Florida in the United States and from Florida on the Gulf of Mexico to the central Texas coast. Iva frutescens typically occurs in the upper tidal ecotone of salt marshes with more terrestrial upland vegetation. Marsh elder is a hardy shrub that is relatively intolerant to flooding but has a relative tolerance to low soil salinity. Iva frutescens recovers quickly after cutting and fire and may be important in blocking the invasion of Phragmites australis into reconstructed salt marshes. Borrichia frutescens and I. frutescens are associated with the phenomenon of associational resistance. Gall-midge densities in marsh elder stems are reduced when I. frutescens occurs with a second gall-forming host, B. frutescens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Salt tolerance has rarely been investigated regionally in the neotropics and even more rarely in Orchidaceae, one of the largest families. Therefore, investigating local adaptation to salt spray and its physiological basis in Epidendrum fulgens, a neotropical orchid species, brings important new insights. Methods: We assessed the degree of salt tolerance in E. fulgens by testing whether coastal populations are more tolerant to salt, which could point to local adaptation. To understand the physiological basis of such salt tolerance, we exposed wild‐collected individuals to salt spray for 60 days, then measured leaf expansion, osmotic potential, sodium leaf concentration, chlorophyll leaf index, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative growth rate, and pressure–volume curves. Results: There is no local adaptation to salt spray since both inland and coastal plants have a high tolerance to salt stress. This tolerance is explained by the ability to tolerate high concentrations of salt in leaf tissues, which is related to the high succulence displayed by this species. Conclusions: We showed an unprecedented salt tolerance level for an orchid species, highlighting our limited knowledge of that trait beyond the traditional studied groups. Another interesting finding is that salt tolerance in E. fulgens is linked to succulence, is widespread, and is not the result of local adaptation. We suggest that E. fulgens and its allied species could be an interesting group to explore the evolution of important traits related to tolerance to salt stress, like succulence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus on maintenance actions in the early design phases has been a trend in recent years. The main sources of information during the design of the maintainability process include operator reports, maintainer experience, failure history, and manufacturer recommendations. During this process, an important aspect is related to the configuration of maintenance tasks and interventions, such as their main phases, activities, and durations. The allocation or estimation of maintainability involves identifying and/or estimating the mean time to repair (MTTR) for each component or system. The time of the maintenance tasks or the repair time are fundamental for companies, as the availability of equipment directly depends on this parameter. In this study, a new method for evaluating maintainability during the design phases is proposed. The method is based on the integration of the maintenance task analysis (MTA) principles and the UNE 151001 maintainability evaluation standard. A data structure is proposed that serves the application of the UNE151001 procedures, obtaining a data-based maintainability evaluation. As a validation procedure, an application of the proposed approach is presented using two overhead cranes. Comparisons and recommendations are made regarding the maintainability of both pieces of equipment. Finally, some managerial and engineering insights are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine nutrients underpin productivity and functioning of oceanic island ecosystems. On islands where they nest, seabirds represent a primary source of marine nutrients. In tropical regions, some of the largest seabird populations nest on atolls, yet there is limited information available on seabird contributions to atoll ecosystem nutrient dynamics. To investigate the spatial and seasonal dynamics of seabird contributions, we assessed seabird colonies of different taxa, including red‐footed boobies and terns, nesting on separate islands of Farquhar Atoll, Seychelles. We assessed nutrient concentrations of guano, soil, coastal plants, and nearby seagrass in seabird colonies and at a control island with no seabirds, during the wet and dry seasons. Sooty terns contributed the highest quantities of nutrients, estimated at 71.2 N tonne/year and 52.2 P tonne/year. Seabird‐derived nutrient transfer occurred year‐round from seabird colonies to soil, coastal plants and seagrass. Soil macro‐ and inorganic nutrients were higher in the high‐density tern colony and during the dry season, coinciding with the breeding period of sooty terns. Both red‐footed booby and tern colonies maintained high nitrogen levels in coastal plants year‐round, while phosphorus levels did not differ between islands or seasons. Seabird‐derived nitrogen reversed nitrogen limitation of seagrass during the dry season. We provide the first insights into seabird nutrient contributions to atoll ecosystems in Seychelles, with recommendations for seabird conservation to boost and support atoll and island ecosystem resilience. Our results from a relatively undisturbed atoll serve as a baseline with which more impacted atolls and future changes can be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the intricate coastal ecosystem of Maharashtra, focusing on the diverse array of mangrove species and their associated flora and fauna. Mangroves, vital plants in coastal regions, thrive due to their numerous adaptations, playing a crucial role in tropical and subtropical ecosystems worldwide. In Maharashtra, 20 true mangrove species flourish across five coastal districts, including Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and the Mumbai Suburbs. Through extensive fieldwork, the researchers documented the presence of 20 true mangrove species, 54 halophytes and mangrove associates, 29 bird species, 19 fish species, 13 insect species, and various lower cryptogams. Our study aimed to elucidate the interconnectedness within this complex coastal ecosystem, exploring the relationships among different species groups. Mangroves serve as the cornerstone of this ecosystem, supporting a myriad of plant and animal life. Understanding these relationships is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies, especially in the face of increasing threats posed by urbanization and industrialization along the coastlines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a thorough investigation into the concentration of heavy metals and mineral composition within four distinct coastal flora species: Cyperus conglomeratus, Halopyrum mucronatum, Sericostem pauciflorum, and Salvadora persica. Employing rigorous statistical methodologies such as Pearson coefficient correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and interclass correlation (ICC), we aimed to elucidate the bioavailability of heavy metals, minerals, and relevant physical characteristics. The analysis focused on essential elements including copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and chloride (Cl–), all of which are known to play pivotal roles in the ecological dynamics of coastal ecosystems. Through PCA, we discerned distinctive patterns within PC1 to PC4, collectively explaining an impressive 99.65% of the variance observed in heavy metal composition across the studied flora species. These results underscore the profound influence of environmental factors on the mineral composition of coastal flora, offering critical insights into the ecological processes shaping these vital ecosystems. Furthermore, significant correlations among mineral contents in H. mucronatum; K+ with content of Na+ (r = 0.989) and Mg2+ (r = 0.984); as revealed by ICC analyses, contributed to a nuanced understanding of variations in electrical conductivity (EC), pH levels, and ash content among the diverse coastal flora species. By shedding light on heavy metal and mineral dynamics in coastal flora, this study not only advances our scientific understanding but also provides a foundation for the development of targeted environmental monitoring and management strategies aimed at promoting the ecological sustainability and resilience of coastal ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Plants distributed between southern Taiwan and the north of the Philippines are spread among numerous small islands in an area crossed by the powerful Kuroshio current. Oceanic currents can be effective seed-dispersal agents for coastal plant species. Moreover, the Luzon Strait is an area prone to tropical cyclones. The aim of this study is to look at the dispersal capability of an endangered coastal plant species, the Mearns fig (Ficus pedunculosa var. mearnsii), using both experimental and population genetics methods. Location: Southern Taiwan, the Philippines, and the islands between Luzon and Taiwan Island. Methods: This study combined two types of analysis, i.e., buoyancy experiments on syconia and double digest restriction-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD), to analyze the population genetics of the Mearns fig. Results: We first discovered that mature Mearns fig syconia could float in seawater. They have a mean float duration of 10 days to a maximum of 21 days. Germination rates varied significantly between Mearns fig seeds that had undergone different durations of flotation treatment. Population genetic analysis shows a high degree of inbreeding among various Mearns fig populations. Moreover, no isolation by distance was found between the populations and individuals. Main conclusions: From our analysis of the genetic structure of the Mearns fig populations, we can clearly highlight the effect of the Kuroshio oceanic current on the seed dispersal of this fig tree. Comprehensive analysis has shown that Mearns fig seeds are still viable before the mature syconium sinks into the seawater, and so they could use the Kuroshio Current to float to the current population locations in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Quaternary climatic fluctuations and long‐distance seed dispersal across the sea are critical factors affecting the distribution of coastal plants, but the spatiotemporal nature of population expansion and distribution change of East Asian coastal plants during this period are rarely examined. To explore this process, we investigated the genome‐wide phylogenetic patterns of Euphorbia jolkinii Boiss. (Euphorbiaceae), which grows widely on littoral areas of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Methods: We used plastome sequences and genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms in samples across the species range to reveal phylogeographic patterns and spatiotemporal distributional changes. We conducted ecological niche modeling for the present and the last glacial maximum (LGM). Results: Genetic differentiation was observed between the northern and southern populations of E. jolkinii, separated by the major biogeographic boundary, the Tokara Gap. These two groups of populations differentiated during the glacial period and subsequently intermingled in the intermorainic areas of the central Ryukyu Islands after the LGM. Ecological niche models suggested that the potential range of E. jolkinii was restricted to southern Kyushu; however, it was widespread in the southern Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan during the LGM. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of genetic differentiation among coastal plant populations separated by the prominent biogeographical boundary. Although coastal plants are typically expected to maintain population connectivity through sea‐drifted seed dispersal, our findings suggest that genetic differences may arise because of a combination of limited gene flow and changes in climate during the glacial period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are frequently used as flame retardants and plasticizers in various commercial products. While initially considered as substitutes for brominated flame retardants, they have faced restrictions in some countries due to their toxic effects on organisms. We collected 37 soil and crop samples in 20 cities along the coast of South China, and OPEs were detected in all of them. Meanwhile, we studied the contamination and potential human health risks of OPEs. In soil samples, the combined concentrations of eight OPEs varied between 74.7 and 410 ng/g, averaging at 255 ng/g. Meanwhile, in plant samples, the collective concentrations of eight OPEs ranged from 202 to 751 ng/g, with an average concentration of 381 ng/g. TDCIPP, TCPP, TCEP, and ToCP were the main OPE compounds in both plant and soil samples. Within the study area, the contaminants showed different spatial distributions. Notably, higher OPEs were found in coastal agricultural soils in Guangdong Province and crops in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The results of an ecological risk assessment show that the farmland soil along the southern coast of China is at high or medium ecological risk. The average non-carcinogenic risk and the carcinogenic risk of OPEs in soil through ingestion and dermal exposure routes are within acceptable levels. Meanwhile, this study found that the dietary intake of OPEs through food is relatively low, but twice as high as other studies, requiring serious attention. The research findings suggest that the human risk assessment indicates potential adverse effects on human health due to OPEs in the soil–plant system along the coast of South China. This study provides a crucial foundation for managing safety risks in agricultural operations involving OPEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding where consumers control plant reproduction in a time of changing plant–consumer interactions with environmental change can inform conservation. A seminal hypothesis—the environmental stress model (the ESM)—posits that consumer control of plants varies predictably with environmental stress. The ESM has been tested often along gradients of an abiotic stressor, yielding highly mixed support, although plants and consumers are often differently affected by a stressor.Here, to provide a conciliation, we introduced and tested a new ESM—the ESM in plants' versus consumers' perspectives. In field exclusion experiments conducted at three marsh sites that varied broadly in plant productivity, crab abundance and salinity within a coastal landscape, we tested the new ESM in predicting the impact of crab herbivores on the sexual reproduction of Phragmites australis. We analysed how their impact varied with plant productivity and crab abundance—proxies for environmental stresses in plants' and consumers' perspectives, respectively.We found that environmental stresses in plants' and consumers' perspectives were uncoupled across this coastal landscape. Neither crab abundance nor crab grazing intensity was correlated with plant productivity. Plant productivity and crab abundance were inconsistently related to key abiotic stressors including soil salinity.Depending on site, crab herbivores substantially suppressed Phragmites sexual reproductive effort (by >90%, by regulating a series of population‐ and individual‐level reproductive processes) or had little effect. Where crab herbivores had stronger impacts was not predicted by plant productivity, but largely by crab abundance via a threshold model. Above an abundance threshold, crabs increasingly suppressed Phragmites sexual reproductive effort.Synthesis. Our study revealed that consumer control of plant reproduction may be highly variable, even within a coastal landscape and for the same species, and that consumer abundance, rather than plant productivity, was a key predictor of this variation. As plants and consumers become increasingly uncoupled in many ecosystems under environmental change, the newly introduced ESM in plants' versus consumers' perspectives may be more versatile than previously recognized to inform conservation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phyla nodiflora is a valuable medicinal plant growing in coastal areas, hypothesizing its adaptability to salinity; however, it has not been investigated. This study, for the first time, elucidated responses in the growth of the shoots and its physiology to different soil salinity of 50–400 mM NaCl. The data showed that the shoot's dry biomass was not affected by the salinity levels up to 100 mM, and it only decreased 33.50–56.33% compared to the control under 200–400 mM NaCl, indicating that P. nodiflora is a salt-tolerant plant that could survive under high salinity. In addition, the plant also had physiological responses which indicated its salt-induced injuries and adaptation to the salt stress. The chlorophyll a content was increased while the chlorophyll b remained unchanged under the salt stress. The proline and salt accumulation increased under the salinity, but the K+ and NO3− accumulation decreased. Moreover, increases in malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage were observed, indicating salt-induced membrane damages. These responses suggested that the plant might evolve adaptive mechanisms to salinity. Our findings are useful information for further research in order to elucidate the salt-tolerant mechanisms and develop this plant for saline agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plumes include thermal plumes and cold plumes, of which thermal plumes receive more attention. Thermal plumes refer to the formation of high-temperature fluid structures near a heat source, which diffuse and propagate within the surrounding environment. In this study, we simulate the formation and evolution of thermal plumes using numerical modeling. Taking Wushashan Power Plant in Xiangshan Bay as an example, the diffusion characteristics of the thermal plume near the power plant were simulated by the optimized FVCOM. Combined with statistical methods and advanced mathematical models, the plume diffusion range under different working conditions was quantified, and the diffusion mechanism was studied. For example, we found that when the flow velocity is halved, the diffusion area of the surface thermal plume decreases by more than half. When the flow rate in Xiangshan Bay is reduced to 5 m3/s, the area of surface temperature rise plumes is small. Using the Richardson number, the characteristics and mechanisms of stratification/mixing near the power plant were explored. It was found that the flow field near the power plant was mainly affected by the momentum of the outlet. During a typhoon, the wind strength and path impact thermal plume diffusion via wind-driven flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the cooling water discharge (CWD) from thermoelectric power plants into coastal waters has increased. The higher temperatures at the discharge outlets can elevate the seawater partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), potentially resulting in increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions or reduced CO2 absorption. Using a comprehensive global power plant database, we evaluated the impact of CWD on surface water CO2. Our assessment suggests that CWD from coastal power plants has the potential to contribute to a decline in oceanic CO2 uptake by 0.09-0.69 Tg C yr-1 (equivalent to 0.3-2.5 Tg CO2 yr-1). This estimation considered solely the influence of air-sea CO2 exchange, excluding the impact of air-sea heat exchange following cooling water discharge. Therefore, our estimate of 0.09-0.69 Tg C yr-1 is likely an upper theoretical limit. While our estimate appears minor in relation to global estimates of the oceanic CO2 flux, this impact of CWD should be addressed on a national scale. For precise quantification of the impact of CWD on local air-sea CO2 flux, accurate information on environmental factors such as wind speeds, mixed layer depth, and background carbonate chemistry is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of predicting wind speeds to facilitate site selection and the consistent operation of wind power plants in coastal regions is a global concern. The output of wind turbines is subject to fluctuations corresponding to changes in wind speed. The unpredictable characteristics of wind patterns introduce vulnerabilities to wind power facilities in wind power plants. To address this unpredictability, an effective strategy involves forecasting wind speeds at specific locations during wind power plant operations. While previous research has explored various machine learning algorithms to tackle these issues, satisfactory results have not been achieved, and Bangladesh faces challenges in this regard, especially in low-wind speed areas. This study aims to identify the most accurate machine learning-based algorithm to forecast the short-term wind speed of two areas (Kutubdia and Cox's Bazar) located on the eastern coast of Bangladesh. Wind speed data for a span of 21.5 years, ranging from January 2001 to June 2022, were sourced from two outlets: the Bangladesh Meteorological Department and the website of NASA. Wind speed has been forecasted using 14 different regression-based machine learning models with a comprehensive overview. The results of the experiment highlight the exceptional predictive performance of a boosting-based ensemble method known as categorical boosting, especially in the context of forecasting wind speed data obtained from NASA. Based on the testing data, the evaluation yields remarkable results, with coefficients of determination measuring 0.8621 and 0.8758 for wind speed in Kutubdia and Cox's Bazar, respectively. The study underscores the critical importance of prioritizing optimal turbine site selection in the context of wind power facilities in Bangladesh. This approach can yield benefits for stakeholders, including engineers and project owners associated with wind projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Coastal forests, such as mangroves, protect much of the tropical and subtropical coasts. Long‐distance dispersal via sea‐surfing propagules is essential for coastal plants, but the genomic and molecular basis of sea‐surfing plant propagule evolution remains unclear. Heritiera fomes and Heritiera littoralis are two coastal plants with typical buoyant fruits. We de novo sequenced and assembled their high‐quality genomes. Our phylogenomic analysis indicates H. littoralis and H. fomes originated (at ~6.08 Mya) just before the start of Quaternary sea‐level fluctuations. Whole‐genome duplication occurred earlier, permitting gene copy gains in the two species. Many of the expanded gene families are involved in lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis, likely contributing to buoyant fruit emergence. It is repeatedly revealed that one duplicated copy to be under positive selection while the other is not. By examining H. littoralis fruits at three different developmental stages, we found that gene expression levels remain stable from young to intermediate. However, ~1000 genes are up‐regulated and ~ 3000 genes are down‐regulated as moving to mature. Particularly in fruit epicarps, the upregulation of WRKY12 and E2Fc likely constrains the production of p‐Coumaroyl‐CoA, the key internal substrate for lignin biosynthesis. Hence, to increase fruit impermeability, methylated lignin biosynthesis is shut down by down‐regulating the genes CCoAOMT, F5H, COMT, and CSE, while unmethylated lignins are preferentially produced by upregulating CAD and CCR. Similarly, cutin polymers and cuticular waxes accumulate with high levels before maturation in epicarps. Overall, our genome assemblies and analyses uncovered the genomic evolution and temporal transcriptional regulation of sea‐surfing propagule. Significance Statement: Our de novo sequenced and assembled high‐quality H. fomes and H. littoralis genomes recovered that WGD has contributed to sea‐surfing propagule origin and evolution by facilitating gene copy expansion and producing duplicated paralogs under differential natural selection. We found the temporal transcriptional regulation of genes involved in unmethylated lignins, cutin polymers, and cuticular waxes biosynthesis is essential for sea‐surfing fruit formation, providing insights for coastal forest conservation and molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the analysis of plant macroremains (except wood), primarily seeds and fruits, from Cabo San Pablo 2017 (CSP2017), an archaeological site close to the Atlantic coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. CSP2017 has a great diversity of archaeological materials, including faunal, lithic, carpological, and anthracological remains. The data are especially relevant due to the scarcity of information regarding plant use at coastal sites in the region. At CSP2017 eleven taxa were identified. The results obtained provide data on plant use at the site and, at the same time, enable discussion of the management and use of these types of resources on Isla Grande. By placing these results in context with previously studied coastal and hinterland sites, research at CSP2017 contributes to a better understanding of plant use by hunter-gatherers of the southernmost part of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One challenge of habitat restoration is establishing healthy native plants that survive, grow, and reproduce. The addition of mulch after initial planting is thought to enhance native plant establishment. In our efforts to restore degraded sites at Crystal Cove State Park in Southern California, we compared two experimental mulch treatments made from native and non‐native plant material to unmulched plots. We planted four different native shrub species: Eriogonum fasciculatum, Malosma laurina, Isocoma menziesii, and Diplacus aurantiacus, and measured plant size, soil moisture, and plant density in the first year. In the second year, the same measurements were taken for I. menziesii and D. aurantiacus, which had greater survivorship in the first year. Our results showed significant differences in plant height, length, and width among the species but not between mulch treatments. However, soil moisture significantly varied between treatments, with native mulch plots having the greatest volumetric water content. In addition, mulch treatments had a significant effect on naturally recruiting plant density, with both mulch treatments having fewer native and non‐native seedling densities compared to control plots. Regarding survivorship, significant differences between species and treatment were observed only in the first year. Our results confirmed that mulch effectively helped retain higher soil moisture. Both locally sourced native and non‐native mulch had this benefit, although native mulch resulted in greater increases in soil moisture. While mulch reduced non‐native plant establishment, it also limited native recruitment, leading us to recommend that mulch be used only during the initial establishment of container plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of our research were an ecological assessment of the quality of the Luga River water in the town of Volodymyr (Volyn region, Ukraine) by physico-chemical and phytoindicative parameters, analysis of the species composition of the flora of aquatic and coastal aquatic plants by ecotypes, identification of protected species and indicator species. The studies were made during the 2022-2023 growing season at four test sites within the town of Volodymyr. According to the results of field floristic studies of selected test sections of the Luga River in Volodymyr, 25 species of aquatic and coastal-aquatic plants were found, belonging to the division of Magnoliophyta, two classes (Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida), and include sixteen families and twenty-two genera. The most represented class Liliopsida includes 16 species (64%) belonging to 13 genera and 8 families. The class Magnoliopsida consists of 9 species belonging to 9 genera and 8 families. During the research, 13 types of macrophyte indicators were found at test site no. 1 (Old Cathedral), 19 indicator species at test site no. 2 (Hydrological station), eight species at test site no. 3 (Lyceum boarding school), and eight species on site no. 4 (Shistivsky Bridge). The Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR) of the Luga River in the town of Volodymyr varies generally from 30.75 to 36.71, which corresponds to water quality Class III, satisfactory ecological condition; except at test site no. 2 where water quality is class II, good ecological condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blending of temporal high-frequency-low-spatial resolution MODIS with temporal low-frequency-highspatial resolution Landsat satellite imagery enhances the frequency and resolution of spatial data, thus enabling continuous monitoring of dynamic and rapidly changing environmental conditions. Blending can be particularly useful in areas with high cloud cover, such as during the monsoon season in the coastal zone of the Ganges Brahmaputra Delta (CZGBD). In this study, MODIS - Landsat blending of reflectance-derived remote sensing indices is trialled and evaluated in the CZGBD. The Sub-pixel class fraction change information Flexible Spatiotemporal DAta Fusion (SFSDAF) algorithm is used to obtain gap free 30 m and 16 - day frequency vegetation, salinity and water indices for the entire CZGBD. Pixels obtained through blending were compared to the observed pixels (i.e., not contaminated by clouds to evaluate the accuracy of SFSDAF). Results during the 'dry' months (October to March) had a combined mean coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.65 and mean root squared error, RMSE = 0.09 for vegetation indices, whereas the results during the 'wet' months (April to September) had a combined mean R² = 0.33 and mean RMSE = 0.12. The reduced accuracy of the blending during the monsoon months showcases the effects of cloudy conditions. Results for salinity and water indices showed similar behaviour as the vegetation indices, influenced by the cloudy monsoon season. The main cause of low accuracy during the 'wet' months is the paucity of data to perform the blending, even at the daily MODIS frequency. In addition, remote sensing indices with equations that normalised the range (generally between - 1 and 1) had better results when compared to remote sensing indices that had less constrained ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Predicting the fate of coastal marshes requires understanding how plants respond to rapid environmental change. Environmental change can elicit shifts in trait variation attributable to phenotypic plasticity and act as selective agents to shift trait means, resulting in rapid evolution. Comparably, less is known about the potential for responses to reflect the evolution of trait plasticity.Here, we assessed the relative magnitude of eco‐evolutionary responses to interacting global change factors using a multifactorial experiment. We exposed replicates of 32 Schoenoplectus americanus genotypes 'resurrected' from century‐long, soil‐stored seed banks to ambient or elevated CO2, varying levels of inundation, and the presence of a competing marsh grass, across two sites with different salinities.Comparisons of responses to global change factors among age cohorts and across provenances indicated that plasticity has evolved in five of the seven traits measured. Accounting for evolutionary factors (i.e. evolution and sources of heritable variation) in statistical models explained an additional 9–31% of trait variation.Our findings indicate that evolutionary factors mediate ecological responses to environmental change. The magnitude of evolutionary change in plant traits over the last century suggests that evolution could play a role in pacing future ecosystem response to environmental change. See also the Commentary on this article by Kottler, 240: 1714–1716. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumonia is a respiratory infection caused by microorganisms including bacteria. Current treatment with antibiotics leads to bacterial resistance. An alternative treatment involves utilizing coastal plants. In this study, five parts of eleven coastal plants underwent phytochemicals screening and investigated for their antibacterial activity against five pneumonia bacteria. Cold extraction was performed using hexane and methanol, successively. Qualitative phytochemicals screening and antibacterial testing were done using several reagents and agar well diffusion method, respectively. The results revealed that almost all hexane and methanolic fractions from coastal plants showed antibacterial activity, except Vitex rotundifolia leaves. The highest activity was shown by hexane fraction of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa leaves. Among the methanolic fractions, Syzigium grande twigs exhibited the highest antibacterial property. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids in all active fractions, potentially correlating with their antibacterial activity. In summary, some selected coastal plants have the potential to act as anti-pneumonia bacteria agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf and root are the most sensitive organs to environment, exploring the relationship between root and leaf functional traits and their responses to environmental factors is helpful to reveal the utilization of resources by plants and their adaption trategies to environment. In order to explore the adaptive strategies of coastal plants, the sandy coastal herbaceous plants in Pingtan Island were taken as the research objects. Three distance gradients were set up from sea and land. Six leaf function traits, leaf thickness, individual leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, leaf tissue density, leaf phosphorus content, and five fine root function traits, root average diameter, root tissue density, specific root length, specific root area, root phosphorus content, were measured to analyze the function traits of leaf and root of coastal plants and their responses to soil factors. The results were as follows: (1) The variation coefficient amplitude of root and leaf function traits in intertidal zone was the smallest, and it was the largest on the gradient 30-60 m away from the high tide line. The individual leaf area, leaf phosphorus content, root average diameter, root tissue density, and root phosphorus content increased with the distance from sea to land; the leaf dry matter content, leaf tissue density, specific root length and specific root area decreased. (2) Plants balanced resource allocation between growth and defense through trait combinations, which showed that there were different degrees of correlation among leaf traits, root traits and root-leaf traits. Among the aboveground and underground corresponding traits, leaf thickness-root average diameter, leaf-root phosphorus content were significantly positively correlated. Specific leaf area with specific root length, specific root area, leaf tissue density-root tissue density had no significant correlation. (3) The interpretation degree of soil factors to the changes of coastal plant functional properties was 52.05%, of which the soil salt content had the greatest impact, followed by soil water content, soil electrical conductivity and soil pH value. In conclusion, in the harsh coastal environment, the soil salt content, soil electrical conductivity, soil water content and soil pH value decrease gradually from sea to land, and the overall environment is low in phosphorus and high in salinity. The plants have shown different survival strategies: the plants closer to the sea adopted the strategy of leaf resource conservation type and root resource acquisition type; the plants farther away from the sea, the strategy of leaf resource acquisition type and root resource conservation type is adopted. The results of this study provide a certain reference value for understanding the response mechanism and adaptability of coastal herbs to environmental gradient changes, which is conducive to the analysis of soil and other environmental characteristics to screen and plant suitable species according to gradient, and promote the restoration and protection of coastal plants.

Migratory waterbirds disperse a broad range of angiosperms by endozoochory (seed dispersal via gut passage), especially plants in coastal wetlands. However, there is no previous information about the capacity of seeds to remain in the seed bank after waterbird endozoochory, and very little about how wetland salinity can influence the effect of gut passage on germination. We collected seeds of Juncus subulatus (Juncaceae), Bolboschoenus maritimus, and Schoenoplectus litoralis (Cyperaceae) from Doñana marshes in Spain. All three species are considered to have physiological dormancy. After gut passage following ingestion by ducks, seeds were stored in darkness in solutions with six different conductivities (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 dSm-1), for periods of 1, 6, or 12 months to simulate presence in a seed bank. After storage, 1800 seeds of each plant species assigned to these treatments were subjected to germination tests in demineralized water, together with 1800 control seeds that had not been ingested before storage. All species germinated readily after storage, with or without gut passage beforehand. Storage time and salinity both had important effects on germinability and time to germination, which differed between control and ingested seeds, and between plant species. After ≥6 months, germinability of Cyperaceae was enhanced by gut passage (≤25% higher than control seeds) at some salinities. Only J. subulatus showed consistently lower germinability after passage (≤30%). Only B. maritimus showed consistently slower germination after passage (≤33%). Salinity effects were more complex after passage, but increasing salinity did not generally have a negative impact on germination of ingested seeds. When compared to additional seeds that had not been stored before germination tests, storage reduced germinability in J. subulatus (≤39% reduction), but increased it in B. maritimus (≤17%) and S. litoralis (≤46%). Seeds dispersed by waterbird endozoochory may be easily incorporated into wetland seed banks, where they can remain halotolerant and delay germination until conditions become suitable. This can benefit wetland plants by increasing rates of long-distance dispersal, gene flow, and establishment of new populations. Avian gut passage can have positive and species-specific effects on germination in plants with persistent seed banks and/or physiological dormancy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetragonia tetragonoides (Pall.) Kuntze (Aizoaceae, 2n = 2x = 32), a vegetable used for both food and medicine, is a halophyte that is widely distributed in the coastal areas of the tropics and subtropics. Saline–alkaline soils and drought stress are two major abiotic stressors that significantly affect the distribution of tropical coastal plants. Abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins belong to a family of plant-specific, small, and hydrophilic proteins with important roles in plant development, growth, and abiotic stress responses. Here, we characterized the ASR gene family from T. tetragonoides, which contained 13 paralogous genes, and divided TtASRs into two subfamilies based on the phylogenetic tree. The TtASR genes were located on two chromosomes, and segmental duplication events were illustrated as the main duplication method. Additionally, the expression levels of TtASRs were induced by multiple abiotic stressors, indicating that this gene family could participate widely in the response to stress. Furthermore, several TtASR genes were cloned and functionally identified using a yeast expression system. Our results indicate that TtASRs play important roles in T. tetragonoides' responses to saline–alkaline soils and drought stress. These findings not only increase our understanding of the role ASRs play in mediating halophyte adaptation to extreme environments but also improve our knowledge of plant ASR protein evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf and root are the most sensitive organs to environment, exploring the relationship between root and leaf functional traits and their responses to environmental factors is helpful to reveal the utilization of resources by plants and their adaption trategies to environment. In order to explore the adaptive strategies of coastal plants, the sandy coastal herbaceous plants in Pingtan Island were taken as the research object. Three distance gradients were set up from sea and land. Six leaf function traits, leaf thickness, individual leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, leaf tissue density, leaf phosphorus content, and five fine root function traits, root average diameter, root tissue density, specific root length, specific root area, root phosphorus content, were measured to analyze the function traits of leaf and root of coastal plants and their responses to soil factors. The results were as follows:(1)The variation coefficient amplitude of root and leaf function traits in intertidal zone was the smallest, and it was the largest on the gradient 30-60 m away from the high tide line. The individual leaf area, leaf phosphorus content, root average diameter, root tissue density, and root phosphorus content increased with the distance from sea to land; the leaf dry matter content, leaf tissue density, specific root length and specific root area decreased.(2)Plants balanced resource allocation between growth and defense through traits combination, which showed that there were different degrees of correlation among leaf traits, root traits and root-leaf traits. Among the aboveground and underground corresponding traits, leaf thickness-root average diameter, leaf-root phosphorus content were significantly positively correlated. Specific leaf area with specific root length, specific root area, leaf tissue density-root tissue density had no significant correlation.(3)The interpretation degree of soil factors to the changes of coastal plant functional properties was 52.05%, of which the soil salt content had the greatest impact, followed by soil water content, soil electrical conductivity and soil pH value. In conclusion, in the harsh coastal environment, the soil salt content, soil electrical conductivity, soil water content and soil pH value decreased gradually from sea to land, and the overall environment is low in phosphorus and high in salinity. The plants have shown different survival strategies: plants closer to the sea adopted the strategy of leaf resource conservation type and root resource acquisition type; the farther away from the sea, the strategy of leaf resource acquisition type and root resource conservation type is adopted. The results of this study can provide a certain reference value for understanding the response mechanism and adaptability of coastal herbs to environmental gradient changes, which is conducive to the analysis of soil and other environmental characteristics to screen and plant suitable species according to gradient, and promote the restoration and protection of coastal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates rely on desalination to produce water for domestic use. Desalination produces brine that may intrude into the aquifers to pollute the fresh groundwater because of the concentration gradient and groundwater pumping. Modeling the trends of saltwater intrusion needs theoretical understanding and thorough logical experimentation. The objective of this exercise was to understand the phenomenon of saltwater intrusion using an existing set of data analyzed with the convective–diffusion equation and the two-region mobile–immobile solution model. The objective was achieved by optimizing non-measurable solute transport parameters from an existing set of data generated from a series of logical miscible displacements of potassium bromide through sepiolite minerals and curve-fitting simulations. Assumptions included that solute displacements through sepiolite porous media and the related simulations represented the phenomenon of saltwater intrusion under non-equilibrium conditions of porous media mimicking the aquifers. Miscible displacements of potassium bromide were observed from a column of 2.0–2.8 mm aggregates of sepiolite over 4 ranges of concentration and at 11 displacement speeds under saturated vertical flow deionized water and vice versa. Breakthrough curves of both bromide and potassium ions were analyzed by a curve-fitting technique to optimize transport parameters assuming solute movement was governed (i) by the convective–diffusion equation and (ii) the two-region mobile–immobile solution model. Column Peclet numbers from the two analyses were identical for potassium ions but those for bromide ions were c. 60% greater from the two-region model than from the convective–diffusion equation. For the two-region model, dispersion coefficients were well defined and remained unchanged from the convective–diffusion equation for potassium ions but decreased for bromide ions. Retardation factors for bromide ions were approximately the same, but those for potassium ions, though > 1, were poorly defined. In order to design mitigation strategies for avoiding groundwater contamination, this study's findings may help model groundwater pollution caused by the activities of desalination of seawater, which produces concentrated liquid that intrudes into the coastal aquifer through miscible displacement. However, robust saltwater intrusion models may be considered in future studies to confirm the results of the approach presented in this exercise. Field data on the groundwater contamination levels may be collected to compare with simulated trends drawn from the saltwater intrusion models and the curve-fitting technique used in this work. A comparison of the output from the two types of models may help determine the right option to understand the phenomena of saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers of various characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant trait‐based functional spectra are crucial to assess ecosystem functions and services. Whilst most research has focused on aboveground vegetative traits (leaf economic spectrum, LES), contrasting evidence on any coordination between the LES and root economic spectrum (RES) has been reported. Studying spectra variation along environmental gradients and accounting for species' phylogenetic relatedness may help to elucidate the strength of coordination between above‐ and belowground trait variation.We focused on leaf and root traits of 39 species sampled in three distinct habitats (front, back and slack) along a shoreline–inland gradient on coastal dunes. We tested, within a phylogenetic comparative framework, for the presence of the LES and RES, for any coordination between these spectra, and explored their relation to variation in ecological strategies along this gradient.In each habitat, three‐quarters of trait variation is captured in two‐dimensional spectra, with species' phylogenetic relatedness moderately influencing coordination and trade‐off between traits. Along the shoreline–inland gradient, aboveground traits support the LES in all habitats. Belowground traits are consistent with the RES in the back‐habitat only, where the environmental constraints are weaker, and a coordination between leaf and root traits was also found, supporting the whole‐plant spectrum (PES).This study confirms the complexity when seeking any correlation between the LES and RES in ecosystems characterized by multiple environmental pressures, such as those investigated here. Changes in traits adopted to resist environmental constraints are similar among species, independent of their evolutionary relatedness, thus explaining the low phylogenetic contribution in support of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 165 taxa belonging to the protected threatened flora of coastal habitats of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, were studied, covering a total coastline length of about 6,350 km. The regulations found in regional and national catalogues have been used, which consider the endangered (EN) and vulnerable (VU) threatened species distributed in three environments: (1) beaches and dunes; (2) cliffs and rocks; (3) marshes and estuaries, also including seagrass meadows. The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the protected and endemic coastal flora in different coastal areas of Peninsular Spain and the Balearic Islands. Various aspects are examined, including habitats preferences, coastal surface area in each region, the number and types of endemic species, and their presence in different catalogs documented in regional legislation, both current and repealed. The objective is to determine whether the distribution of these species is influenced by territorial factors or if it is an administrative matter. The results reveal a high number of region-specific endemisms (32.7% of the total coastal flora) and significant differences in the number of protected taxa among autonomous communities. Additionally, it was found that there is no significant correlation between the distribution of these taxa and the considered territorial variables, suggesting that the distribution of these species is more closely related to administrative factors, such as the continuous updating of catalogs. We also suggest the protection of taxa that occupy a small area and have been described in recent years or are included in regional or national red lists and are not included in the regional catalogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global change pressures are highlighting the need to better understand the mechanisms driving the temporal stability of natural communities under different environmental conditions. There is ample evidence that species richness helps communities to withstand environmental fluctuations and stabilise over time. However, it is still debated whether richness promotes stability through the diversity of species functional traits, phylogenetic lineages and ecological strategies in the community or because of the likelihood of including stable species. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the positive effect of diversity on stability is maintained in conditions of strong environmental fluctuations (e.g. frequent disturbances and stress).To address these questions, we analysed long‐term monitoring data of 84 permanent plots in coastal dune plant communities distributed along a gradient of natural stress and disturbance, with communities closer to the sea subject to greater stress and more frequent disturbances. Specifically, we used structural equation models to disentangle the relative influence of the environmental gradient and the different diversity components (species richness, functional and phylogenetic diversity; SR, FD and PD), as well as of the dominant ecological strategy (captured by species lifespan) on community stability, through their effect on two key stability mechanisms (population stability and species asynchrony).We found that the sea–inland environmental gradient was the main driver of stability mechanisms. Stress and disturbance decreased both population stability and species asynchrony, but also reduced species richness, which thus exerted a stabilising effect only on the communities in more favourable environmental conditions.Surprisingly, we did not find an effect of FD and PD on community stability, neither directly nor via asynchrony. However, the dominance of perennial species mitigated the instability generated by stress and disturbance. Perennial species were on average more stable than annuals and displayed a wider range of species fluctuations, including compensatory dynamics among species (i.e. asynchrony).Synthesis: Overall, our results highlight the importance of accounting for the environmental context when examining mechanisms of community stability. Species richness remains a useful direct predictor of community stability. Species ecological strategies, like the acquisitive–conservative trade‐off connected to lifespan, however, should also be routinely considered as drivers of both population stability and compensatory dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laguncularia racemosa is widely planted in coastal mudflats as a pioneer species of mangrove afforestation in China; however, whether it exhibits invasiveness as an exotic species has been a topic of debate. In this study, we investigated the distribution, community structure, and population characteristics of L. racemosa on Hainan Island, China, to discuss its potential invasiveness. The results showed that Hainan Island has become an important distribution area for L. racemosa in China, covering a total area of 64.90 ha. In this investigation, a total of 11 true mangrove species, belonging to six families and 11 genera, were discovered in the L. racemosa community throughout Hainan Island. Furthermore, L. racemosa exhibited a strong adaptive range to seawater salinity and demonstrated a high capacity for natural dispersion. L. racemosa exhibited high importance values in the tree, shrub, and seedling layers of this artificial community, indicating its dominance and potential exclusion of other mangrove species. Over time, the importance values of L. racemosa in the tree and shrub layers initially decreased and then increased, while the opposite trend was observed in the seedling layer. Overall, the diversity indexes, including the Simpson index, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou community evenness index, were low in the planted L. racemosa forest on Hainan Island, suggesting a relatively simple species composition within the L. racemosa community. Additionally, based on the height levels of the L. racemosa population, we found that it mainly belonged to the first level, characterized by a large number of seedlings on Hainan Island. The number of L. racemosa seedlings gradually decreased in subsequent levels, and higher height levels of L. racemosa appeared with longer planting times, indicating a growing trend of potential invasiveness of L. racemosa on Hainan Island over an extended period. We suggest that the government should be able to list L. racemosa as an invasive species that can be harvested in the future. Based on this, this study provides fundamental data and theoretical references for the sustainable prevention, control, and management of the exotic species L. racemosa on Hainan Island, and also in other mangrove wetlands in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change can exert a considerable influence on the geographic distribution of many taxa, including coastal plants and populations of some plant species closely related to those used as agricultural crops. East Asian wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus, is an annual coastal plant that is a wild relative of the cultivated radish (R. sativus). It has served as source of genetic material that has been helpful to develop and improve the quality and yield of radish crops. To assess the impact of climate change on wild radish in East Asia, we analyzed its distribution at different periods using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt). The results indicated that the precipitation of the driest month (bio14) and precipitation seasonality (bio15) were the two most dominant environmental factors that affected the geographical distribution of wild radish in East Asia. The total potential area suitable for wild radish is 102.5574 × 104 km2, mainly located along the seacoasts of southern China, Korea, and the Japanese archipelago. Compared with its current distribution regions, the potentially suitable areas for wild radish in the 2070s will further increase and expand northwards in Japan, especially on the sand beach habitats of Hokkaido. This research reveals the spatiotemporal changes for the coastal plant wild radish under global warming and simultaneously provides a vital scientific basis for effective utilization and germplasm innovation for radish cultivars to achieve sustainable agriculture development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]