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Ecological communities can be stable over multiple generations, or rapidly shift into structurally and functionally different configurations. In kelp forest ecosystems, overgrazing by sea urchins can abruptly shift forests into alternative states that are void of macroalgae and primarily dominated by actively grazing sea urchins. Beginning in 2014, a sea urchin outbreak along the central coast of California resulted in a patchy mosaic of remnant forests interspersed with sea urchin barrens. In this study, we used a 14-year subtidal monitoring dataset of invertebrates, algae, and fishes to explore changes in community structure associated with the loss of forests. We found that the spatial mosaic of barrens and forests resulted in a region-wide shift in community structure. However, the magnitude of kelp forest loss and taxonomic-level consequences were spatially heterogeneous. Taxonomic diversity declined across the region, but there were no declines in richness for any group, suggesting compositional redistribution. Baseline ecological and environmental conditions, and sea urchin behaviour, explained the persistence of forests through multiple stressors. These results indicate that spatial heterogeneity in preexisting ecological and environmental conditions can explain patterns of community change.

Recent years have seen growing interest in characterizing the properties of regional brain dynamics and their relationship to other features of brain structure and function. In particular, multiple studies have observed regional differences in the timescale over which activity fluctuates during periods of quiet rest. In the cerebral cortex, these timescales have been associated with both local circuit properties as well as patterns of inter-regional connectivity, including the extent to which each region exhibits widespread connectivity to other brain areas. In the current study, we build on prior observations of an association between connectivity and dynamics in the cerebral cortex by investigating the relationship between BOLD fMRI timescales and the modular organization of structural and functional brain networks. We characterize network community structure across multiple scales and find that longer timescales are associated with greater within-community functional connectivity and diverse structural connectivity. We also replicate prior observations of a positive correlation between timescales and structural connectivity degree. Finally, we find evidence for preferential functional connectivity between cortical areas with similar timescales. We replicate these findings in an independent dataset. These results contribute to our understanding of functional brain organization and structure-function relationships in the human brain, and support the notion that regional differences in cortical dynamics may in part reflect the topological role of each region within macroscale brain networks.

Studies have demonstrated the potential of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to decrease smoking cravings in individuals with tobacco use disorder (TUD). However, the neural features underlying the effects of rTMS treatment, especially the dynamic attributes of brain networks associated with the treatment, remain unclear. Using dynamic functional connectivity analysis, this study first explored the differences in dynamic functional network features between 60 subjects with TUD and 64 nonsmoking healthy controls (HCs). Then, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was targeted for a five-day course of rTMS treatment in the 60 subjects with TUD (active rTMS in 42 subjects and sham treatment in 18 subjects). We explored the effect of rTMS on the dynamic network features associated with rTMS by comparing the actively treated group and the sham group. Compared to nonsmokers, TUD subjects exhibited an increased integration coefficient between the frontoparietal network (FPN) and the basal ganglia network (BGN) and a reduced integration coefficient between the medial frontal network (MFN) and the FPN. Analysis of variance revealed that rTMS treatment reduced the integration coefficient between the FPN and BGN and improved the recruitment coefficient of the FPN. This study involved a limited sample of young male smokers, and the findings may not generalize to older smokers or female smokers with an extensive history of smoking. rTMS treatment of the left DLPFC exhibited significant effectiveness in restructuring the neural circuits associated with TUD while significantly mitigating smoking cravings. • a five-day course of rTMS treatments over left DLPFC reduced cravings in smokers • The dynamic neural mechanism of rTMS in the treatment of smoking is revealed • rTMS treatment reconstructed the prefrontal-striatal circuit in smokers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni / Zhongshan Daxue Xuebao is the property of Sun-Yat-Sen University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

After shale gas well sites are exploited, remediation is essential to restore the ecological environment. Effective bioremediation often has long cycles, so reducing this period is a research focus. To elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms between microorganisms and oil removal and to support the acceleration of bioremediation, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-throughput sequencing technologies were utilized. The oil transformation and microbial response mechanisms during the natural remediation process from August to December at an abandoned shale gas well site in Weiyuan County, Neijiang City, Sichuan Province, were analyzed, revealing the directions of microbial succession. The Results showed that from August to September, the greatest degradation of oil components (C10-C20、C21-C30 alkanes) occurred, with Actinobacteriota, Gemmatimonadota, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Ascomycota playing major roles. Key contributors to oil degradation included Sphingomonas, Flavisolibacter, Ramlibacter, Mortierella, Fusarium, and Rectifusarium. These microorganisms, along with those such as Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonas, Ellin6067, Cercospora, Sarocladium, Preussia, Calyptrozyma, Staphylotrichum, and Exophiala, which facilitate the cycling of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, collectively promote the degradation of oil. Moisture content, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and pH affect the activity of oil-degrading microbes and thus oil degradation. Conversely, microbes alter soil chemistry during degradation, impacting those physicochemical properties. This feedback mechanism influences the activity of other oil-degrading microbes, creating a dynamic interaction network. Ultimately, the microbial community shifts towards populations that aid soil ecosystem restoration. This study reveals microbial succession and its role in oil degradation, offering insights for improving and accelerating bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As 5G networks become widespread and their application scenarios expand, massive amounts of traffic data are continuously generated. Properly analyzing this data is crucial for enhancing 5G services. Methods: This paper uses the visibility graph method to convert 5G traffic data into a visibility graph network, conducting a feature analysis of the 5G traffic data. Using the AfreecaTV dataset as the research object, this paper constructs visibility networks at different scales and observes the evolution of degree distribution with varying data volumes. The paper employs the Hurst index to evaluate the 5G traffic network and uses community detection to study the networks converted from 5G traffic data of different applications. Results: Experimental results reveal significant differences in node degree distribution and topological structures of 5G traffic data across different application scenarios, such as star structures and multiple subnetwork structures. It is found that the node degree distribution of 5G traffic networks exhibits heterogeneity, reflecting the uneven growth of node degrees during network expansion. The Hurst index analysis discovers that the 5G traffic network retains the long-term dependence and trends of the original data. Through community detection, it is observed that networks converted from 5G traffic data of different applications exhibit diverse community structures, such as high centrality nodes, star-like community structures, modularity, and multilayer characteristics. Discussion: These findings indicate that 5G traffic networks in different application scenarios exhibit complex and diverse characteristics. The heterogeneity of node degree distribution and differences in topological structures reflect the imbalance in node connection methods during network expansion. The results of the Hurst index show that the 5G traffic network inherits the long-term dependence of the original data, providing a basis for analyzing the dynamic characteristics of the network. The diverse community structures reveal the inherent modularity and hierarchy of the network, which helps to understand the performance and optimization directions of 5G networks in different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In addition to their role as endosymbionts for plant roots, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) engage in complex interactions with various soil microorganisms, the rhizosphere, and the root endosphere of host plants. They also host diverse prokaryotic groups within their mycelia, contributing to what is termed multipartite symbiosis. In this study, we examined the impact of three AMF species—Rhizophagus irregularis, R. clarus, and R. cerebriforme—combined with microbial bioaugmentation on the diversity and composition of bacterial communities in the mycelia and hyphosphere. Using a microcosm design to separate the influence of host plant roots from AMF mycelia and Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing to analyze the bacterial communities. Results: Our results revealed that, while AMF identity and microbial bioaugmentation did not affect the structure of bacterial communities in the hyphosphere soil, they significantly altered the communities associated with their mycelia. Although all three AMF species belong to the same genus, with R. irregularis and R. clarus being closely related compared to R. cerebriforme, we observed variations in the bacterial communities associated with their mycelia. Interestingly, the mycelial bacterial community of R. cerebriforme contained 60 bacteriome core taxa exclusive to it, while R. clarus and R. irregularis had 25 and 9 exclusive taxa, respectively. Conclusion: This study suggests that organismal phylogeny influences the bacterial communities associated with AMF mycelia. These findings provide new insights into AMF and bacterial interactions, which are crucial for the successful deployment of AMF inoculants. The taxonomic diversity of AMF inoculants is important for engineering the plant microbiome and enhancing ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phyllosphere microorganisms are essential for plant growth and health. Although there are an increasing number of studies showing that the composition of phyllosphere communities varies among different plant species, it remains unclear whether and how their bacterial and fungal community composition predictably varies with plant traits and leaf age. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to explore the diversity and composition of phyllosphere communities in needles of different ages (originating from different cohorts) for three evergreen coniferous species (Pinus koraiensis, Picea koraiensis, and Abies nephrolepis). Our results indicated that Gammaproteobacteria (bacteria) and Dothideomycetes (fungi) were dominant in newly formed needles, whereas Actinobacteria (bacteria) and Eurotiomycetes (fungi) were dominant in perennial needles. Tree species identity and needle age were the main factors explaining the variations of the α diversity (species richness of phyllosphere communities) and β diversity (dissimilarity among phyllosphere communities). In particular, we found that leaf dry matter content, leaf mass per area, and total phosphorus content emerged as key predictors of composition and diversity of phyllosphere microbial communities, underscoring the major influence of tree species identity and needle age on phyllosphere communities through changes in plant functional traits. Finally, we found that the interaction between tree species identity and needle age also contributed significantly to explaining the diversity and composition of phyllosphere communities, probably because differences in plant functional traits or environmental conditions between new and perennial needles depend on tree growth rates and resource acquisition strategies. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of community assembly among different evergreen tree species and offer a better understanding of the interactions between plant traits and phyllosphere microorganisms during needle aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective]To study the microbial community structure in the root and rhizosphere soil of healthy and root rot infected plants of Panax notoginseng, and explore the correlation between microbial diversity with root rot of P. notoginseng. [Method]The microbial community composition and diversity of the roots and rhizosphere soil of healthy and root rot plants in Wenshan, Yunnan Province, which had been continuously cultivated for 3 years were analyzed by using Illumina high-throughput sequencing system. [Result]The richness of microbial communities in healthy plants roots and rhizosphere soil was significantly different from that in root rot plants roots and rhizosphere soil. The dominant microorganisms in the rhizosphere soil of yellow rot plants were Arthrobacter, Chaetomium and Volutella, and that of the rhizosphere soil of green rot plant were Arthrobacter and Trichocladium. The dominant microorganisms in roots of yellow rot plants were Mortierella and Trichoderma, while the dominant microorganisms in roots of green rot plants were Pseudomonas, Ilyoectria and Plectosphaerella. [Conclusion]The occurrence of root rot in Panax notoginseng is closely related to the diversity and community structure of microorganisms in the rhizosphere and roots of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcass scavenging by vertebrates is a critical ecosystem service that is influenced by environmental factors such as season and habitat. However, there is limited understanding of the role that these factors play in shaping scavenging patterns across different bioregions. We used camera traps to monitor vertebrate scavengers at 120 kangaroo (Family: Macropodidae) carcasses that were positioned across different seasons (warm/cool) and habitats (open/closed canopy) in three disparate desert, subalpine and temperate bioregions in Australia. Our survey identified 27 species that scavenged carcasses and revealed clear differences in scavenging patterns across the three bioregions. Carcass use was highest for feral cats, birds of prey, corvids and red foxes in the desert bioregion; for reptiles and dingoes in the temperate bioregion and for feral pigs, possums and dingoes in the subalpine bioregion. Bioregional differences in scavenger guild composition explained >4.6 times more variation in scavenger guild dissimilarity than season and >9.8 times more variation than habitat. Further, habitat had few effects on scavenger communities or carcass detection and use, whereas season was a strong predictor of these responses. Across bioregions, there were some general seasonal and habitat scavenging trends, with mammals and birds often using carcasses more frequently in cooler seasons and birds detecting carcasses faster in open habitat. However, there was also extensive within‐bioregion seasonal variation. For example, depending on bioregion, some animals scavenged more frequently or detected carcasses faster in warmer seasons (i.e. birds and reptiles). Our results show that vertebrate scavenging is mediated by a complex interplay of environmental variables, especially seasonality, which may operate differently across bioregions. These findings have implications for understanding variability in vertebrate scavenging patterns and, in turn, functionally redundant or complementary scavenging processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy beaches and their surf zones characterise many of the world's open coastlines. They are important breeding, nursery and feeding areas for many species of fish. Despite the commonness and importance of sandy beach surf zones, the dynamics, space occupancy and diversity patterns of residing fish is in many places poorly understood. The aim of this study was to (1) characterise the fish community structure in 11 simple structured sandy surf zones of the northern Baltic Sea and (2) relate variation in fish abundance and community structure to a set of chosen abiotic variables. Using beach seine, weekly or biweekly sampling was conducted at fixed sites at 10 occasions throughout a summer season. A total of 60,006 fish individuals belonging to 20 species were recorded. Changes in abundance and community structure were mainly driven by the variation of only five species reflecting species‐specific recruitment patterns and different spatial responses to abiotic variables. Dominating groups were Gasterosteidae, Ammodytidae and Gobiidae that together formed 86% of the total adult fish catches. Larval numbers were completely dominated by Gobiidae. Multivariate analyses indicated species‐specific responses to measured environmental variables, most important being a combination of wave exposure, beach slope, bottom roughness, and temperature. The present study shows that changes in fish abundance on simple structured sandy sublittoral beaches in the northern Baltic Sea are large over the course of a breeding season. It also reveals that variation in adult and juvenile fish are driven by a set of abiotic factors that influence on the fish assemblage structure through mainly species‐specific, rather than through generic responses. Unravelling the degree to which the sandy shore fish community vary in the northern Baltic Sea will help in managing coastal environments that are increasingly being threatened by many anthropogenic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands represent a major biome on Earth and play a vital role in ecosystem functioning and dynamics. However, owing to the variations among grassland types, the impact of grazing on plant community diversity and stability remains unclear. This study is based on the typical steppe of the Mongolian Plateau. Field sampling and data analysis were combined to qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the structural characteristics, species diversity, and stability of plant communities under varying grazing intensities, that is, four‐season nomadic, two‐season rotational, and sedentary grazing (FSNG, TSRG, and SG, respectively). The results indicated that FSNG pastures exhibited the largest number of plant species while FSNG and TSRG pastures exhibited relatively high importance values for the primary dominant species. Carex duriuscula, Chenopodium glaucum, and Cleistogenes squarrosa were prominent in SG pastures, with C. duriuscula having the largest importance value. The mean height, cover, and aboveground biomass of plant communities in FSNG were significantly higher than those in SG (p < 0.05), with no significant difference observed between FSNG and TSRG. FSNG also demonstrated the highest Shannon–Wiener, Simpson, and Pielou indexes. The Shannon–Wiener and Simpson indexes between the FSNG, TSRG, and SG pastures showed significant differences (p < 0.05). Nomadic plant communities displayed positive loosely interspecific traits, suggesting independence and positive succession. Conversely, communities in TSRG and SG exhibited negative correlations and higher instability. The stability analysis ranked community stability as FSNG > TSRG > SG, suggesting that judicious grazing practices could enhance grassland stability. The findings reveal that grazing patterns influence plant community composition and function and that FSNG pastures promote higher species diversity, perennial dominance, and overall stability compared with TSRG and SG pastures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian megafires of 2019–2020 were considered catastrophic for flora and fauna, yet little is known about their impacts on reptiles. We investigated the impacts of the 2019–2020 megafires on reptiles in Morton National Park, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. To understand how fire severity affects reptile species richness and occupancy, we surveyed 28 replicate plots across unburnt areas and areas affected by high and low fire severity. We estimated reptile species richness and occupancy by performing systematic searches for reptiles during five sampling occasions in 2023, three years after the megafires. We measured vegetation structure and quantified the thermal environment in shelter sites used by reptiles. Vegetation structure varied significantly between burn severity groups. High-severity plots had the least canopy cover and the thinnest leaf litter depth but had a taller understorey with more stems. The thermal quality within reptile retreat sites did not differ between fire severity classes. Despite strong differences in post-fire vegetation structure, there was no evidence that fire severity affected reptile species richness or occupancy of the delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata. These results highlight the complexity of reptile responses to fires and contribute to increasing our understanding of the impacts of megafires on reptile communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survival of relict Taxus wallichiana var. wallichiana (Yunnan yew) is threatened by overexploitation for its quality wood and medicinal properties, particularly for taxol extraction. Understanding the current status of its communities and populations is crucial for protecting existing natural forest resources. We established 53 vegetation plots in Yunnan, southwestern China, where T. wallichiana var. wallichiana is the primary dominant species. These plots were classified into four forest types. The forests were multi-stratified, with T. wallichiana var. wallichiana frequently dominating the subcanopy and shrub layer. Species diversity indices did not significantly differ among the four forest types. The age structure of T. wallichiana var. wallichiana exhibited a multi-modal pattern, with a maximum age of 1165 years. Growth was slow, with an average radial growth rate of 0.78 mm/year. Despite its strong sprouting ability, the species had a poor seedling/sapling bank and suffered from inadequate regeneration. Its seedlings/saplings are shade-intolerant. This study provides a scientific basis for effective conservation strategies, emphasizing the need for in situ regeneration to ensure the survival of T. wallichiana var. wallichiana and its contributions to biodiversity and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bujangseta is a technology used throughout the year to produce citrus fruits. This technology has economically succeeded in increasing the income of citrus farmers by 23.5%. Sustainable management of bujangseta technology is neede, one of which is maintaining the sustainability of the agroecosystem. A stable agroecosystem ensures the availability of ecosystem services through nutrient cycling and the natural control of pest and disease populations. The stability of agroecosystems is coherent with the high biodiversity of arthropods. This study aims to evaluate the effect of applying the citrus plant bujangseta in Karangwidoro village and Krajan village, Dau District, Malang Regency, East Java, from June to December 2022. The two application methods were light trapping (lighttrap) and pit trap (pitfall glass), and the results were analyzed using a t-test. The diversity index, species richness index, species evenness index, and dominance index were calculated. The results showed that the detrivores of the Collembola group dominated the diversity of arthropods, the primary pest of the Diaphorina citri, and the predatory arthropods of Paederus sp. and Braconidae. Diversity and community structure of arthopods indicated there at significant differences in diversity, dominance, evenness, and species richness in those two locations. Bujangseta in the Krajan has a higher community structure compared to the Karangwidoro, showing that the ecosystem at the Krajan location is better preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are extreme weather events that have major impacts on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems worldwide. Due to anthropogenic climate change, the occurrence of MHWs is predicted to increase in future. There is already evidence linking MHWs with reductions in biodiversity and incidence of mass mortality events in coastal ecosystems. However, because MHWs are unpredictable, the quantification of their effects on communities is challenging.Here, we use the Helgoland Roads long‐term time series (German Bight, North Sea), one of the richest marine time series in the world, and implement a modified before‐after control‐impact (BACI) design to evaluate MHW effect on mesozooplankton communities. Mesozooplankton play an essential role in connecting primary producers to higher trophic levels, and any changes in their community structure could have far‐reaching impacts on the entire ecosystem.The responses of mesozooplankton community to MHWs in terms of community structure and densities occurred mainly in spring and autumn. Abundances of seven taxa, including some of the most abundant groups (e.g. copepods), were affected either positively or negatively in response to MHWs. In contrast, we observed no clear evidence of an impact of summer and winter MHWs; instead, the density of the most common taxa remained unchanged.Our results highlight the seasonally dependent impacts of MHWs on mesozooplankton communities and the challenges in evaluating those impacts. Long‐term monitoring is an important contributor to the quantification of effects of MHWs on natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global loss of plant diversity is expected to have reverberating effects on other trophic levels, affecting the structure and functioning of ecosystems. To understand such effects, biodiversity–ecosystem function (BEF) experiments that manipulate tree diversity have been established around the world. In a BEF experiment carried out since 2016 in a seasonally dry tropical forest, we examined the effects of tree diversity, facilitation and density of trees with extrafloral nectaries on the abundance, richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity of ground ants. Also, we used artificial seeds to test seed dispersal efficiency of ants within the experiment. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) showed that tree richness positively affects ant abundance, richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity. Also, tree richness had a strong positive effect on the proportion of dispersed seeds, as well as their dispersal distance. Contrary to our expectations, facilitation and the number of trees with extrafloral nectaries did not affect ground ants and their functions. Our results indicate that the global impoverishment of tree communities can affect several dimensions of ant diversity and their ecosystem functions, including forest regeneration processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the complex relationships between benthic algal communities and environmental factors is crucial for ecosystem management and conservation. In this study, we investigated benthic algal communities in the upper Red River Basin in China. We collected data on land use, topography and other factors at the watershed scales to gain a comprehensive understanding in the upper Red River Basin in China. Partial canonical correspondence analysis, partial redundancy analysis and variance partitioning analysis methods were used to assess the effects of watershed and local environmental factors on benthic algal communities and their variation. The percentage of landscape that was forest (F-PL), the percentage of landscape that was cropland (C-PL), the percentage of landscape that was water (W-PL), elevation, slope, pH and water level fluctuation (WF) were identified as significant factors affecting the distribution of benthic algal communities. The diversity of benthic algal communities were greatly affected by environmental factors as F-PL, W-PL, precipitation (Prcp), slope, permanganate index (CODMn) and index of substrate (IOS). Slope, F-PL and Prcp showed a positive correlation with species evenness and a negative correlation with community density. The characteristics of functional groups of benthic algae were also shown to be strongly influenced by C-PL and IOS. According to the variance decomposition (VPA) results, it can be seen that, although the explanatory power of individual local and watershed environmental factors was roughly similar, their joint explanatory power was relatively low. Therefore, the influence of watershed environmental factors on benthic algal communities should not be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling multivariate integer-valued time series with appropriate methods is currently a popular research topic. In this paper, we propose a multivariate integer-valued autoregressive time series model based on a fixed network community structure. We use the negative binomial distribution as the conditional marginal distribution and a copula to construct the conditional joint distribution. The newly proposed model introduces the heterogeneity of nodes. Stability conditions are provided for both fixed and increasing dimensions. We estimate the parameters of the proposed model by maximizing the quasi-likelihood function with known and unknown community membership matrices, respectively. Corresponding asymptotic properties of parameter estimates are also provided. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate the asymptotic behavior of the proposed model, and two real datasets are employed to compare the proposed model with other competitive models. • Model multivariate integer-valued time series with suitable methods is hot. • A model with network community structure is proposed, which has node heterogeneity. • Stability conditions for both fixed and increasing dimensions are provided. • Parameters are estimated with known and unknown community membership matrices. • Two real datasets are used for illustrating flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The community ecology and microhabitat association of tanaidaceans in three rocky intertidal areas of central-eastern Taiwan were investigated in April and August 2012. Typhoon Saola impacted the study areas 2 weeks before the August survey, providing an opportunity to examine community responses to extreme wave exposures. Among the 3,622 individuals and 12 species collected, Chondrochelia taitungensis, Paraleptochelia setosa, Synapseudes hansmuelleri, Zeuxo shitipingensis, and Zeuxo zorro comprised approximately 95% of the total abundance. Surprisingly, the tanaidacean abundance, diversity, composition, and microhabitat specialization exhibited little impact from the typhoons, indicating that these tube dwellers can resist such extreme wave impacts. Spatial variation in the abundance of dominant species, species diversity, and composition among tanaidacean communities was attributed to differences in rock formations, microhabitat availability, and species' limited dispersive ability and potential interspecific competitive interactions. While the dominant species exhibited a more generalized microhabitat association, the relatively rare species displayed some specialization. This study pioneers investigation into microhabitat associations among rocky intertidal tanaidaceans. Future studies should incorporate sustained monitoring of community dynamics and microhabitat associations, integrating essential climatic variables into the analysis to predict community responses to natural or anthropogenic disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agro-Environment Science is the property of Journal of Agro-Environment Science Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Frontiers of Computer Science & Technology is the property of Beijing Journal of Computer Engineering & Applications Journal Co Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impact of pollution on the Ologe Lagoon was assessed by comparing physicochemical properties, hydrocarbon concentrations and microbial community structures of the sediments obtained from distinct sites of the lagoon. The locations were the human activity site (OLHAS), industrial-contaminated sites (OLICS) and relatively undisturbed site (OLPS). The physicochemical properties, heavy metal concentrations and hydrocarbon profiles were determined using standard methods. The microbial community structures of the sediments were determined using shotgun next-generation sequencing (NGS), taxonomic profiling was performed using centrifuge and statistical analysis was done using statistical analysis for metagenomics profile (STAMP) and Microsoft Excel. The result showed acidic pH across all sampling points, while the nitrogen content at OLPS was low (7.44 ± 0.085 mg/L) as compared with OLHAS (44.380 ± 0.962 mg/L) and OLICS (59.485 ± 0.827 mg/L). The levels of the cadmium, lead and nickel in the three sites were above the regulatory limits. The gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) profile revealed hydrocarbon contaminations with nC14 tetradecane > alpha xylene > nC9 nonane > acenaphthylene more enriched at OLPS. Structurally, the sediments metagenomes consisted of 43 phyla,75 classes each, 165, 161, 166 orders, 986, 927 and 866 bacterial genera and 1476, 1129, 1327 species from OLHAS, OLICS and OLPS, respectively. The dominant phyla in the sediments were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi. The principal component ordination (PCO) showed that OLPS microbial community had a total variance of 87.7% PCO1, setting it apart from OLHAS and OLICS. OLICS and OLHAS were separated by PCO2 accounting for 12.3% variation, and the most polluted site is the OLPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecosystems within agro-pastoral transition zones exhibit inherent fragility and heightened susceptibility to climate variability, exacerbated by profound degradation resulting from anthropogenic activities. Subsequent vegetation degradation in these areas precipitates severe soil erosion, presenting formidable challenges for ecological restoration efforts. The utilization of microtopographic structures to mitigate soil erosion and facilitate vegetation recovery stands as a prominent strategy for vegetation restoration within agro-pastoral transition zones. Despite the acknowledgment in current restoration practices that the efficacy of microtopography-based restoration is contingent upon slope, aspect and elevation, there remains a notable absence of precise observed information on this correlation. This study, conducted in the Bashang Grassland, a typical agro-pastoral transition zone in northern China, aims to fill the information gap concerning the correspondence between microtopographic structures and restoration outcomes. Our findings revealed that microtopography has a significant impact on vegetation characteristics, with outcomes varying by location. Shaded slopes displayed higher biomass and density compared with sunny slopes and valleys. While microtopography affected community structure, it did not substantially alter species richness, highlighting the critical role of location and pit construction in successful restoration endeavors. This study provides insights for the selection, design and assessment of microtopography-based restoration in vulnerable ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining physical function with aging is associated with structural and functional brain network organization. Gaining a greater understanding of network associations may be useful for targeting interventions that are designed to slow or prevent such decline. Our previous work demonstrated that the Short Physical Performance Battery (eSPPB) score and body mass index (BMI) exhibited a statistical interaction in their associations with connectivity in the sensorimotor cortex (SMN) and the dorsal attention network (DAN). The current study examined if components of the eSPPB have unique associations with these brain networks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 192 participants in the BNET study, a longitudinal and observational trial of community-dwelling adults aged 70 or older. Functional brain networks were generated for resting state and during a motor imagery task. Regression analyses were performed between eSPPB component scores (gait speed, complex gait speed, static balance, and lower extremity strength) and BMI with SMN and DAN connectivity. Gait speed, complex gait speed, and lower extremity strength significantly interacted with BMI in their association with SMN at rest. Gait speed and complex gait speed were interacted with BMI in the DAN at rest while complex gait speed, static balance, and lower extremity strength interacted with BMI in the DAN during motor imagery. Results demonstrate that different components of physical function, such as balance or gait speed and BMI, are associated with unique aspects of brain network organization. Gaining a greater mechanistic understanding of the associations between low physical function, body mass, and brain physiology may lead to the development of treatments that not only target specific physical function limitations but also specific brain networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abundance of an invasive species within an ecosystem after introduction can depend on multiple factors. Although large-scale abiotic data are typically used to model the distribution of invasive species, there may be other fine-scale environmental or biotic factors within the invaded range influencing changes in the species' distribution and abundance. Here, we examined the abundance of the invasive tropical/subtropical green porcelain crab, Petrolisthes armatus (Gibbes, 1850), at 33 oyster reef sites along 150 km of coastline within the northerly portion of its invaded range. We measured a suite of biological, physical, and landscape level metrics to examine which factors (other than temperature) were most associated with the abundance of this invasive species. P. armatus were present at 32 reefs across our spatial range and densities were highest at the northern sites in our domain. Our results revealed native mud crab density is positively correlated with P. armatus density, accounting for 23% of the spatial variation in abundance of P. armatus within its invaded range, more than 30 years after initial invasion. We hypothesize that the positive associations between native predatory mud crabs and this invasive crab may be a result of hydrodynamics aggregating both species within the same areas, or attraction by both crabs for the same fine-scale habitat structural attributes (i.e., interstitial space). These data emphasize the importance of collecting high-resolution survey data to understand the variables that are correlated with the abundance and distribution of invasive species at regional scales within its invaded range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Most artificial reefs (ARs) in the Gulf of Mexico are considered intermediate to high vertical relief structures which have recruited large predatory species indicating a lack of juvenile habitat. Small, inexpensive ARs, standard monitoring units for the recruitment of reef fishes (SMURFs), were deployed at eight treatment stations at −20 m as habitat for juvenile fishes to understand and determine the effects of substrate type on the recruitment of juvenile fishes. Each treatment station contained four SMURFs with four treatments: small and large concrete rubble (~10 and ~20 cm), oyster shells, and bare. Surveys conducted from July 2017 to July 2019 yielded 39 different juvenile species, including one of the most economically important species, Lutjanus campechanus, present across all replicates. There were 5238 individual fishes collected, and the family Lutjanidae accounted for ~49% of these. The highest species richness and diversity occurred in SMURFs containing oysters or small concrete rubble while bare treatment had the lowest. Both concrete rubble and oyster shells might offer shelter to numerous body shapes and sizes of juvenile fishes as a result from a variety of crevice sizes. This study suggests that the deployment of low‐relief structures with different substrate materials might affect recruitment of select species and provide further information useful to designing ARs, aiding fisheries production. Because enhancing fisheries is one of the goals of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program it is here recommended to continue developing other designs of low‐relief to be allocated in between existing high‐relief ARs that should serve as stepping stones for the survival of species of fisheries interest (e.g., L. campechanus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust deposition can supply nutrients to the upper ocean, and subsequently affect primary production and biodiversity in planktonic ecosystem, but the differential response among taxa and their interactions are not fully understood. Here, we performed 7-day onboard incubation experiment amended with different dust loadings (0, 0.2 and 2 mg L-1) in the Kuroshio-Oyashio transition region of the Northwest Pacific Ocean and characterized the community structure and microbial network of a planktonic microbiome in response to dust addition. Chlorophyll a and nutrient analysis indicated that dust-derived nitrogen promoted the growth of phytoplankton (165.8-293.6%) and phytoplankton size structure shifted towards larger cells (>3 µm).Metabarcoding sequencing, targeting prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes, revealed the changes in community structure and co-occurrence network in response to dust addition. Dust induced a shift from dinoflagellate dominance toward diatom dominance in phytoplankton, and favored members of Cercozoa, Labyrinthulomycetes and Saprospirae, which showed positive correlation with diatom. Temporal response patterns among taxa were categorized into five clusters, and collectively pointed to a more sensitive microeukaryotic community than prokaryotic one in response to dust. The community turnover during the incubation was dominated by moderate taxa with 55.71-62.26% moderate OTUs transitioning to abundant or rare taxa, and dust addition stimulated the transitions of rare taxa. Moreover, biotic factors shaped planktonic microbiome more than abiotic factors, particularly the cross-domain interaction significantly affected microeukaryotic community. Notably, dust addition enhanced the co-occurrence network complexity, with the number of keystone taxa increased, suggesting more interspecies interactions were induced by dust. With integrated analysis, our findings highlight the differential sensitivity of planktonic microbiome to dust deposition and the effects could pass on other organisms through interspecies interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open ecosystem (e.g. grasslands, prairies, shrublands) tends to be ecologically less stable than closed one (i.e. forests) and encompassess higher spatial heterogeneity in terms of environmental diversity. Such differences are expected to differentially constrain the diversity and structure of the communities that inhabit each of them, but identifying the specific processes driving contrasting biodiversity patterns between open and closed systems is challenging. In order to understand how environmental variability might structure spider assemblages, both between and within open and closed ecosystems, we implement a high throughput multiplex barcode sequencing approach to generate a dataset for 8585 specimens representing 168 species, across the open ecosystem within the Canary Islands. Combining these with spider sequences from the closed ecosystem within the same islands, we show that spider communities in the open ecosystem show higher species richness, higher beta diversity, and higher proportions of rare species but proportionately lower numbers of endemic species than communities in the closed ecosystem. We furthermore assess if environmental heterogeneity and habitat stability are the major drivers of such differences by assessing spatial genetic structuring and the influence of bioclimatic variables. Our results point to environmental heterogeneity rather than stability as a major driver of spatial patterns between open and closed ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dahongpao mother tree (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze) is a representative of Wuyi rock tea. Whether there is a difference in rhizosphere soil microbial diversity and function between asexually propagated cuttings of Dahongpao (PD) and the parent Dahongpao mother tree (MD) has not been reported. In this study, high throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze rhizosphere soil microbial diversity, functions and their relationship with soil available nutrients and enzyme activities in MD and PD. The results showed that available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents and urease, protease, acid phosphatase and sucrase activities of rhizosphere soils in MD were significantly higher than those in PD. Both bacterial and fungal diversity were higher in rhizosphere soils in MD than in PD, and secondly, the bacterial community structure was less stable while the fungal community structure was more stable in PD compared to MD. There were significant differences between MD and PD tea tree rhizosphere soils in 6 genera of characteristic bacteria and 4 genera of characteristic fungi. The results of function and interaction effect analysis showed that the rhizosphere soil available nutrient content and enzyme activities in MD were significantly higher than those in PD, and their contributions mainly originated from Pirellula and Acidisphaera of characteristic bacteria and Alatospora of characteristic fungi. Secondly, MD maybe had a stronger ability to inhibit soil pathogens than PD, with the main contribution coming from Scopulariopsis and Tolypocladium of characteristic fungi. Overall, compared with PD, soil texture in MD was relatively better, and its soil nutrient cycling-related enzyme activities were stronger, which was more favorable to soil nutrient cycling and increased the available nutrient content of the soil, which in turn promoted the growth of tea trees. This study provides an important reference for the planting and management of tea tree cuttings and microbial regulation of tea tree growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the longstanding aims of network neuroscience is to link a connectome's topological properties--i.e., features defined from connectivity alone-with an organism's neurobiology. One approach for doing so is to compare connectome properties with annotational maps. This type of analysis is popular at the meso-/macroscale, but is less common at the nano-scale, owing to a paucity of neuron-level connectome data. However, recent methodological advances have made possible the reconstruction of whole-brain connectomes at single-neuron resolution for a select set of organisms. These include the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and its developing larvae. In addition to fine-scale descriptions of connectivity, these datasets are accompanied by rich annotations. Here, we use a variant of the stochastic blockmodel to detect multilevel communities in the larval Drosophila connectome. We find that communities partition neurons based on function and cell type and that most interact assortatively, reflecting the principle of functional segregation. However, a small number of communities interact nonassortatively, forming form a "rich-club" of interneurons that receive sensory/ascending inputs and deliver outputs along descending pathways. Next, we investigate the role of community structure in shaping communication patterns. We find that polysynaptic signaling follows specific trajectories across modular hierarchies, with interneurons playing a key role in mediating communication routes between modules and hierarchical scales. Our work suggests a relationship between systemlevel architecture and the biological function and classification of individual neurons. We envision our study as an important step toward bridging the gap between complex systems and neurobiological lines of investigation in brain sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted using monthly data collected between July 2015 and June 2016 in the marine area of Hamsilos Nature Park, located in Sinop, Southern Black Sea. The primary objectives were to determine the diversity of ichthyoplankton assemblages, examine seasonal variations, assess spatial differences between the inner and outer parts of Hamsilos Bay, and highlight the ecological relationships of the predominant species with environmental factors. The comprehensive collection during the study resulted in a mean abundance of 2217 eggs.10 m2 and 2743 larvae.10 m2, with 28 species belonging to 21 families identified. Specifically, Engraulis encrasicolus is the most abundant in spring and summer, Gaidropsarus mediterraneus is the most abundant in autumn, and Sprattus sprattus is the most abundant in winter. A temporal analysis revealed the highest abundances in August, September, and July, with the lowest in April, May, and February. Significant seasonal differences in abundance and diversity were detected. No spatial differences were found between the inner and outer areas of Hamsilos Bay. Small pelagic species dominated the ichthyoplankton community, while demersal species, though diverse, were less abundant. According to the results of the DistLM analysis, the structure of the ichthyoplankton community is influenced by temperature and salinity. During the study, the water temperature ranged from 8.35 °C in February to 25.50 °C in August, and the salinity varied from 17.67 psu in September to 19.04 psu in May. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Computer Engineering & Applications is the property of Beijing Journal of Computer Engineering & Applications Journal Co Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biofilms are considered a basal resource with high nutritional quality in stream food webs, as periphytic algae are abundant of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). PUFAs are essential for growth and reproduction of consumers who cannot or have very limited capacity to biosynthesize. Yet, how the nutritional quality based on PUFA of basal food sources changes with light intensity remains unclear. We conducted a manipulative experiment in mesocosms to explore the response and mechanisms of nutritional quality to shading, simulating riparian restoration. We found a significant increase in PUFA% (including arachidonic acid, ARA) under shading conditions. The increased PUFA is caused by the algal community succession from Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta to Bacillariophyta which is abundant of PUFA (especially eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA). On the other hand, shading increased PUFA via upregulating enzymes such as Δ12 desaturase (FAD2, EC:1.14.19.6) and 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS, EC:2.3.1.199) in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid elongation pathways. Our findings imply that riparian reforestation by decreasing light intensity increases the nutritional quality of basal resources in streams, which may enhance transfer of good quality carbon to consumers in higher trophic levels through bottom-up effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the survey data of nine primitive broad-leaved Korean pine forest plots ranging from 1 to 10.4 ha in Heilongjiang Province, this study used the moving window method and GIS technology to analyze the variation characteristics of the spatial distribution pattern of forest biomass in each plot. We explored the minimum area that can reflect the structural and functional characteristics of the primitive broad-leaved Korean pine forest, and used computer simulation random sampling method to verify the accuracy of the minimum area. The results showed that: (1) Through the analysis of the spatial distribution raster map of biomass deviation in the plots at various scales of 10 − 100 m, there is a minimum area (0.64 ha) for the critical range of biomass density variation in the primitive broad-leaved Korean pine forest. This minimum area based on biomass density can indirectly reflect the comprehensive characteristics of productivity level per unit area, structure, function, and environmental quality of the primitive broad-leaved Korean pine forest community. (2) Using computer simulation random sampling, it was found that only by sampling in a specific plot larger than or equal to the minimum area can equivalent or similar results be achieved as random sampling within the plot, indicating that the minimum area determined by the moving window method is accurate. (3) The minimum area determined in this paper is an excellent indicator reflecting the complexity of community structure, which can be used for comparing changes in community structure and function before and after external disturbances, and has a good evaluation effect. This minimum area can also be used as a basis for scientific and reasonable setting of plot size in the investigation and monitoring work of broad-leaved Korean pine forests in this region, thereby achieving the goals of improving work efficiency and saving work costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective]To understand the structural characteristics of the plankton community and its key environmental impact factors in the rivers of Muli mining area, and to provide data support and reference basis for the management and protection of water resources in the mining area. [Method]Collection and analysis of water and plankton in the rivers (Duosuo and Mori) that surround the opencast mine in the town of Muli. [Result]6 Phylum (21 species) of phytoplankton and 2 Phylum (15 species) of zooplankton were collected in the Dosuo River and 6 Phylum (19 species) of phytoplankton and 2 Phylum (9 species) of zooplankton were collected in the Mori River. In both rivers diatoms, green algae and protozoa were the dominant species, and the density and biomass of plankton were quantitatively higher upstream and lower downstream. The Shannon-Wiener, Margalef and Pielou indices for phytoplankton and zooplankton in Duosuo River are 1. 64 and 0. 58, 0. 86 and 0. 33, 0. 69 and 0. 42, respectively;the Shannon-Wiener, Margalef and Pielou indices for phytoplankton and zooplankton in Mori River are 1. 86 and 0. 21, 0. 87 and 0. 24, 0. 79 and 0. 36. Water temperature, pH, and nitrogen nutrients were identified as the main environmental factors affecting the structure of the planktonic communities in the Dosso and Mojito Rivers by redundancy analysis (RDA) and correlation analysis. [Conclusion]The ecological protection of water in the Muli mining area should focus on nutrient pollution and strengthen the control of non-point source pollution caused by overgrazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, network science has received significant attention and application. As an important mesoscale structure of networks, community structure reveals the inherent modular structure and potential functionality of networks. Therefore, maintaining the community structure during attacks is crucial. Existing studies on community robustness primarily focus on two attack behaviors: malicious attacks and random failures. However, little is known on the community robustness in the more practical situations where the attackers have limited ability to access precise network information, leading to gray information attack behaviors. Hence, in this paper, we investigate the robustness of network communities under gray information attacks and the enhancing algorithms. Following the community robustness measure for the sequential attacks, we establish a unified evaluation framework for attacks with gray information by introducing a gray attack coefficient, which treats the usual random failures and malicious attacks as the two special situations in the proposed framework. Several enhancing algorithms with local search strategy are exquisitely devised. The efficacy of our framework and algorithms which significantly improve the community robustness against gray attacks is demonstrated by the experimental results on a variety of real-world networks. Our findings have important implications not only in enhancing the community robustness of existing networks but also in designing robust ones from the scratch, which paves the way to further understand and seek strategies and solutions for network community robustness with gray information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microeukaryotes play a vital role in shaping marine ecosystems, especially in marine productivity, the microbial food web, and carbon cycle. The Indian Ocean is one of the largest oligotrophic areas in the world, but little is known about the biodiversity of microeukaryotes in the area. The community composition and geographical distribution of microeukaryotes collected from the surface (SUR) and deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layers in the southwestern Indian Ocean were studied using high-throughput sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene. The metagenomic data helped quantify the impact of environmental factors on microeukaryotic communities. The relative abundance of different taxa groups exhibited distinct patterns between SUR and DCM layers, except for the most dominant Dinoflagellata that accounted for more than 40.6% abundance in each sample. Radiolaria was much more abundant in the nutrient-rich DCM layer than the SUR layer. The community similarity of microeukaryotes decreased with increasing of geographic distance, whereas the temperature and inorganic nitrogen were the most important environmental parameters to community structure. Abundant communities were more influenced by dispersal limitations and rare communities were more responsive to environmental factors. Correlation network analyses revealed strong biotic interactions indicative of parasitism, predation and competition, and their contribution to microeukaryotic population in diverse environments. Overall, this study provided insights into the biodiversity of microeukaryotes by characterizing the differences between water layers and identifying the driving factors in the ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of intercropping faba beans on soil fertility and microbial communities in pear orchards, soil samples were collected from no intercropping (CK), intercropped Sucan 3 Hao (CT1), intercropped Sucan 4 Hao (CT2), and intercropped Cican 1 Hao (CT3, local variety) treatments during the seedling stage, flowering stage, and maturity stage. The samples were analyzed for soil physicochemical properties, microbial activity, and community structures. The results showed that after intercropping with faba beans, the nitrate nitrogen (NO-3-N), and available phosphorus (Olsen P) increased during the seedling stage. During the flowering stage, soil electrical conductivity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and NO-3-N contents significantly increased, while pH and Olsen P contents significantly decreased. Intercropping with faba beans increased soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), especially CT1 and CT2 increased by 36% and 51%, respectively at the maturity stage compared with CK (P<0.05), and decreased the activity of hydrolytic enzymes related to the degradation of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Additionally, intercropping with faba beans increased the bacterial richness index and the Shannon index. It also increased the relative abundances of bacteria from the Planctomycetota, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia phyla, while decreasing the relative abundances of bacteria from the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria phyla. Mantel and CCA analyses indicated that pH and NO-3-N were important driving factors for microbial activity, and MBC significantly affected the bacterial community structures. Our results indicates that longterm intercropping of faba beans helps to increase soil microbial biomass and diversity, playing a crucial role in maintaining soil microecological diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze River is one of the largest riverine ecosystems in the world and is a biodiversity hotspot. In recent years, this river ecosystem has undergone rapid habitat deterioration due to anthropogenic disturbances, leading to a decrease in freshwater biodiversity. Owing to these anthropogenic impacts, the Chinese government imposed a "Ten‐year fishing ban" (TYFB) in the Yangtze River and its tributaries. Ecological changes associated with this decision have not been documented to evaluate the level of success. This study evaluates the success of the TYFB by analyzing the changes in phytoplankton communities and comparing them to periods before the TYFB was imposed. A total of 325 phytoplankton species belonging to 7 phyla and 103 genera dominated by Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae were identified. Species diversity according to the Shannon–Wiener ranged between 1.19 and 3.00. The results indicated that phytoplankton diversity increased, while both density and biomass decreased after the TYFB. The health of the aquatic ecosystem appeared to have improved after the TYFB, as indicated by the phytoplankton‐based index of biotic integrity. Significant seasonal and spatial differences were found among the number of species, density, and biomass of phytoplankton, where these differences were correlated with pH, water depth, chlorophyll‐a, permanganate index, transparency, copper, ammonia nitrogen, and total phosphorus based on redundancy analysis. Results from this study indicate that the TYFB played an important role in the restoration of freshwater ecosystem in the Yangtze River and its tributaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great majority of studies on foundation species focused on a single dominant plant in a community, while more than one such species can often coexist and compete for space and limited resources. Morphologically different coexisting foundation species can create diverse niches occupied by different subsets of beneficiary species. To test this hypothesis, we sampled alpine plant communities at exposed fellfields in alpine zone, in the Taisetsu Mountains (Hokkaido, northern Japan), with coexisting putative foundation species Pinus pumila (evergreen shrub) and Diapensia lapponica (evergreen cushion‐forming shrub), and analyzed their spatial relationships with other plants. Preliminary vegetation survey indicated that fruticose lichens and Loiseleuria procumbens (evergreen mat‐forming shrub) might also act as a foundation species; thus, we included them in our analyses. The coexisting foundation species had both general as well as specific effects on plant community structure. Namely, almost all the members of the community aggregated spatially with lichens, while the other foundation species were spatially segregated from each other. These foundation plants associated with different members of the community, thus showing species‐specific effects on the community structure. Blooming species showed even stronger patterns of species‐specific spatial associations, suggesting that foundation species had beneficial effects on their associated species. We conclude that the focus on coexisting foundation species can reveal important details of community structure which would be hidden if we treated all species as equal members of the community. Studying the effects of coexisting foundation species could greatly advance our understanding of how species diversity functions in plant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic changes of phytoplankton community and its relationship with major environmental factors are important for understanding the changes of lake and reservoir water environment and carrying out water environmental quality assessment. In this study, a monthly survey of phytoplankton and water environmental factors in Qiandao Lake was conducted from 2021 to 2022, and the characteristics of phytoplankton community structure, spatial and temporal distribution pattern and main environmental driving factors were analyzed, in order to provide important basic data for understanding the latest water environment changes and ecosystem evolution in Qiandao Lake. The results showed that a total of 240 species belonging to 8 phyla were identified, with Chlorophyta (51.67%), Bacillariophyta (21.67%) and Cyanophyta (17.84%) as the main species, and Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta as the main dominant species. The average annual biological density from 2021 to 2022 was (404.21±116.59)×104 cells/L, and the average annual biomass was (0.84±0.22) mg/L, showing significant spatio-temporal differences in both biological density and biomass. Cyanophyta had the highest biological density and biomass of phytoplankton. Shannon diversity index showed significant seasonal differences, but no significant spatial differences, and there was no spatio-temporal difference in other indices. Spearman correlation analysis showed that phytoplankton density and biomass were significantly positively correlated with water temperature, ammonia nitrogen and permanganate index, and negatively correlated with transparency. RDA analysis showed that water temperature, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite were the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of phytoplankton dominant species in Qiandao Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the community structure and distribution characteristics of macrobenthic shellfish in the coastal waters of Zhejiang, the fixed-point bottom trawl fishery resources survey was conducted from August 2020 to April 2021. The surveyed sea was divided into two areas, the northern and the southern part in Zhejiang, with 29°N as the boundary. A total of 41 species of shellfish belonging to 25 genera, 25 families and 6 orders were collected and identified. The absolute dominant species in all seasons were Bursa rana and Turritella terebra bacillum. There were obvious regional differences in number of species and shellfish biomass distribution in the north and the south areas during different seasons. The shellfish biomass for spring and autumn was higher than that for summer and winter, and it decreased from the north to south area in other seasons except summer. In summer, differences in the average biomass of shellfish were not found in the north region and the south areas. In terms of diversity analysis, The richness index (D) and the diversity index (H') were the highest in spring and the lowest in summer, and the evenness index (J') was the highest in winter and the lowest in spring. Hierarchical Cluster analysis (Cluster) results showed that the shellfish communities were divided into 3 groups at 60% similarity level in Zhejiang coastal waters. Group Ⅰ was in the southern area in spring, summer and autumn, Group Ⅱ was in the northern area in spring, summer and autumn, and Group Ⅲ was the whole area in the winter, and there were differences in the north and the south areas in spring, summer and autumn. The stress value of non-metric multidimensional analysis was 0.08, which had explanatory significance. CCA analysis showed that depth and bottom sea temperature had significant effects on benthic shellfish distribution. This study can provide some reference for shellfish biodiversity conservation and sustainable use for shellfish resources in the coastal waters of Zhejiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pine wilt disease, as a world quarantine disease, seriously endangers pine plants and threatens forest ecological security. However, there are currently no effective measures to control and eliminate it. To suit people's needs for supplying diverse eco⁃ logical services to the forest, high-intensity (60% logging intensity) and low-intensity (15% logging intensity) thinning measures were used in Pinus massoniana forests to harvest wood infected with pine wilt disease. The alterations in bacterial and fungal composition in the soil of P. massoniana forests impacted by the disease were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. The objective was to investigate the alterations in the organization of the soil microbial community in P. massoniana forests impacted by thinning-induced pine wilt disease and assess the effects on the soil microenvironment. The soil bacterial and fungal populations of P. massoniana woods were investigated using the high-throughput sequencing technique. The findings demonstrated that the bacterial and fungal populations in the soil varied significantly among the three stands. The high thinning measure forest group (H-CK) had the greatest Shannon diversity index and Chao1 index, and the diversity and richness of the soil microbial community in the H-CK group were considerably higher than those in the low thinning measure forest group (L-CK) and control group (CK) . Actinobacteriota was the marker bacterial community and Leotiomycetes was the marker fungus community in the L-CK group. In the H-CK group，Chloroflexi was the marker bacterial community and Dothideomycotes was the marker fungal community. The high-intensity thinning H-CK group's soil organic matter content rose by 13% as compared to the control group, according to an analysis of soil physical and chemical properties. The HK group's total nitrogen content increased to 1. 12 g/kg and its alkaline nitrogen content was 64. 15 mg/kg as soil organic matter buildup increased. The forest's soil fertility was enhanced as a result, with a significant increase in both the total and accessible nitro⁃ gen content of the soil (P<0. 05) . Steadily impoving forest quality, strengthening the disease resistance and boosting the ecological function of the current, pure Pinus massoniana forest that has been harmed by pine wilt disease by progressively transforming it into a multilayer, unevenly aged needle broad-leaved mixed forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote sustainable cultivation and soil health in agriculture, urgent strategies are needed to address the challenges posed by continuous cropping for high-quality pepper production. This study investigated the impact of oats incorporation and biochar amendment in a 12-year continuous pepper cropping system. Compared with the pepper monoculture system (CK), the combination treatment of intercropping with oats and biochar amendment (T1) significantly increased the soluble solids content by 3.13% and the β-carotene content by 8.83-fold in pepper fruits (P < 0.05). The soil pH under intercropping with oats or biochar modification was comparable to that of the CK. Notably, lower soil bacterial operational taxonomic units were observed under this treatment, and soil bacterial diversity decreased consistently with pepper development, regardless of the cultivation system. In contrast, fungal diversity exhibited fluctuations under the companion oat/biochar condition, with fungal community patterns modulated throughout the pepper development process (P < 0.05). Dominant microbes such as Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Chrysosporium, Mortierella, and Cladosporium were identified in continuous cropping pepper soils. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolic profiling revealed significant effects of the cultivation type on the metabolic pathways of functional genes in soil microbial communities. Overall, the practice of planting oats and using biochar in the soils of continuously cropped pepper fields is feasible and sustains the pepper industry as an agroecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This year-long study—from June 2021 to May 2022—in the Eastern Harbor (EH) and Qaitbay (QB) Bay regions, Alexandria, Egypt, revealed a diverse phytoplankton community. Sampling from both locations recorded 54 genera and 6 phyla, with Bacillariophyceae being the dominant phylum (31 genera, 71 taxa). Throughout all seasons and stations, Bacillariophyceae prevailed, reaching its highest abundance of 2.62 × 104 ind./L in summer. Key species included Skeletonema costatum, Asterionella japonica, Pseudo-nitzschia seriata, and Gyrosigma macrum. The annual average phytoplankton abundance in EH and QB was 2.22 × 106 ind./L. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) highlighted pH, nitrate, and dissolved oxygen as influential factors, with nitrate having the strongest impact. Diversity peaked in summer at S3 (2.12) and decreased in winter at S6 (0.91), indicating uneven phytoplankton distribution. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights into phytoplankton dynamics and distribution in the EH and QB regions across different seasons and locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiao Jiang River, as a crucial element of ecological restoration in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, plays an indispensable role in agricultural water utilization and water ecology within its watersheds. The water quality status of the Xiao Jiang River not only impacts local water-ecological equilibrium and economic benefits but also holds paramount importance for sustaining ecosystem health in the Yangtze River basin. Plankton surveys and environmental physicochemical detection were conducted in the major channel region of the Xiao Jiang River in dry and wet periods in 2022 to better understand the diversity of eukaryotic plankton and its community structure characteristics. Environmental DNA is an emerging method that combines traditional ecology with second-generation sequencing technology. It can detect species from a single sample that are difficult to find by traditional microscopy, making the results of plankton diversity studies more comprehensive. For the first time, environmental DNA was used to investigate eukaryotic plankton in the Xiao Jiang River. The results showed that a total of 881 species of plankton from 592 genera in 17 phyla were observed. During the dry period, 480 species belonging to 384 genera within17 phyla were detected, while, during the wet period, a total of 805 species belonging to 463 genera within 17 phyla were recorded. The phylum Ciliophora dominated the zooplankton, while the phylum Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta dominated the phytoplankton. The presence of these dominant species indicate that the water quality conditions in the study area are oligotrophic and mesotrophic. Principal coordinate analysis and difference test showed that the number of plankton ASVs, abundance, species richness, dominating species, and diversity indices differed between the dry and wet periods. Spearman correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) of relative abundance data with environmental physicochemical factors revealed that water temperature (WT), dissolved oxygen (DO), potential of hydrogenacidity (pH), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC) and the determination of redox potential (ORP) were the main environmental physicochemical factors impacting the plankton community structure. The results of this study can serve as a provide data reference at the plankton level for water pollution management in the Xiao Jiang River, and they are extremely important for river ecological restoration and biodiversity recovery in the Yangtze River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Biological nitrogen removal is the main method of nitrogen pollution removal in sewage treatment plants. It has the advantages of low carbon and low cost. For the low carbon nitrogen ratio wastewater represented by municipal sewage, how to strengthen the denitrification functional flora and stabilize the biological nitrogen removal efficiency remains to be studied. In this study, two kinds of biochar carriers with enhanced nitrogen removal function were prepared by acid and alkali modification. And the enhanced denitrification nitrogen removal process was established. The research results showed that the total nitrogen removal rate of the system after adding biochar was increased by 7.29%~29.51% compared with the system with? out adding biochar. The nitrogen removal efficiency of acid and alkali modified biochar was improved by 19.37% and 29.55%, respectively, compared with that of the unmodified biochar system. The maximum nitrogen removal rate of alkali modified biochar system was 59.76%. In terms of electron transfer activity and nitrite reductase activity, the alkali-modified biochar enhanced system increased by 91.8% and 47.1%, respectively, compared with the non-added biochar system. At the same time, the high-throughput sequencing results showed that 67.3% of the bacteria involved in denitrification in the alkali-modi? fied biochar system. Bacillus and Thauera with denitrification were the dominant strains in the alkali-modified biochar system. The alkali-modified biochar promoted the growth of denitrifying bacteria more than the acid-modified biochar. Therefore, the target regulation of denitrification and nitrogen removal ability was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]