Exploring perceptions of online calculators for identifying community-dwelling older people at risk of dying: A qualitative study

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the acceptability, value, and perceived barriers of using electronic risk calculators for predicting and communicating the risk of death in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

One focus group and eight interviews were conducted with 16 participants with experience caring for patients or family members at end of life. A prototype mortality risk tool was used to anchor discussions. Data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach.

Results

Five themes emerged: acceptability, communication, barriers to use, broadening the circle of care, and tool limitations. Participants found the tool helpful for preparation, planning, and providing care, but disagreed on its community availability. Personalized risk estimates were valued for facilitating early goals of care conversations and normalizing discussions about death. However, concerns were raised about the tool's interpretation for individuals with different language, cultural, or educational backgrounds.

Conclusions

While electronic risk calculators were found to be acceptable, balancing autonomy with varying preferences for receiving the information and potential need for support is crucial.

Innovation

Providing patient-oriented life-expectancy estimates can enhance decisional capacity and facilitate shared decision-making between patients, their families, and healthcare professionals. Further research is needed to explore effective communication of personalized risk tools and additional benefits, harms, and barriers to implementation.

Warm winters are associated to more intense West Nile virus circulation in southern Spain

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus in the world. This flavivirus can infect humans causing in some cases a fatal neurological disease and birds are the main reservoir hosts. WNV is endemic in Spain, and human cases have been reported since 2004. Although different studies analyse how climatic conditions can affect the dynamics of WNV infection, very few use long-term datasets. Between 2003 and 2020 a total of 2,724 serum samples from 1,707 common coots (Fulica atra) were analysed for the presence of WNV-specific antibodies. Mean (SD) annual seroprevalence was 24.67% (0.28) but showed high year-to-year variations ranging from 5.06% (0.17) to 68.89% (0.29). Significant positive correlations (p < 0.01) were observed between seroprevalence and maximum winter temperature and mean spring temperature. The unprecedented WNV outbreak in humans in the south of Spain in 2020 was preceded by a prolonged period of escalating WNV local circulation. Given current global and local climatic trends, WNV circulation is expected to increase in the next decades. This underscores the necessity of implementing One Health approaches to reduce the risk of future WNV outbreaks in humans. Our results suggest that higher winter and spring temperatures may be used as an early warning signal of more intense WNV circulation among wildlife in Spain, and consequently highlight the need of more intense vector control and surveillance in human inhabited areas.

Associations between PTSD and temporal discounting: The role of future thinking

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Despite documented alterations in future thinking in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), our understanding of how individuals with PTSD make future-oriented decisions is limited. We tested the hypothesis that increased discounting in association with PTSD reflects failure to spontaneously envision future rewarding situations.

METHODS

Thirty-seven trauma exposed war-zone veterans completed a standard temporal discounting task as well as a temporal discounting task accompanied by episodic future thinking cues.

RESULTS

Severity of PTSD symptoms was associated with preference for sooner, smaller rewards in the standard task. Consistent with our hypothesis, when participants engaged in future thinking, greater PTSD symptom severity was no longer associated with steeper discounting. Moreover, difficulty anticipating future events, as measured contemporaneously in a separate task (Verfaellie et al., 2024), mediated the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and degree of discounting in the standard task. Among PTSD symptom clusters, the severity of avoidance and negative alterations in cognition and mood was related to steeper discounting. Measures of depression and alcohol use were not associated with discounting.

LIMITATIONS

The sample included mostly male, predominantly White veterans who experienced primarily combat-related trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

PTSD-associated alterations in temporal discounting reflect failure to spontaneously imagine future positive events. Two common correlates of PTSD, depression and alcohol use, could not account for the observed associations between PTSD and future-oriented decisions.

Detection and phylogenetic analysis of contemporary H14N2 Avian influenza A virus in domestic ducks in Southeast Asia (Cambodia)

Avian influenza virus (AIV) in Asia is a complex system with numerous subtypes and a highly porous wild birds-poultry interface. Certain AIV subtypes, such as H14, are underrepresented in current surveillance efforts, leaving gaps in our understanding of their ecology and evolution. The detection of rare subtype H14 in domestic ducks in Southeast Asia comprises a geographic region and domestic bird population previously unassociated with this subtype. These H14 viruses have a complex evolutionary history involving gene reassortment events. They share sequence similarity to AIVs endemic in Cambodian ducks, and Eurasian low pathogenicity and high pathogenicity H5Nx AIVs. The detection of these H14 viruses in Southeast Asian domestic poultry further advances our knowledge of the ecology and evolution of this subtype and reinforces the need for continued, longitudinal, active surveillance in domestic and wild birds. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro risk assessment should encompass rare AIV subtypes, as they have the potential to establish in poultry systems.

Genome-wide analysis reveals the contributors to fast molecular evolution of the Chinese hook snout carp (Opsariichthys bidens)

Variations in molecular evolutionary rate have been widely investigated among lineages and genes. However, it remains an open question whether fast rate of molecular evolution is driven by natural selection or random drift, and how the fast rate is linked to metabolic rate. Additionally, previous studies on fast molecular evolution have been largely restricted to concatenated matrix of genes or a few specifically selected genes, but less is known for individual genes at the genome-wide level. Here we addressed these questions using more than 5000 single-copy orthologous (SCO) genes through comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses among fishes, with a special focus on a newly-sequenced clupeocephalan fish the Chinese hook snout carp Opsariichthys bidens. We showed O. bidens displays significantly higher mean substitution rate and more fast-evolving SCO genes (2172 genes) than most fishes studied here. The rapidly evolving genes are enriched in highly conserved and very basic functions such as translation and ribosome that are critical for biological fitness. We further revealed that ∼25 % of these fast-evolving genes exhibit a constant increase of substitution rate from the common ancestor down to the present, suggesting a neglected but important contribution from ancestral states. Model fitting showed that ∼85 % of fast-evolving genes exclusive to O. bidens and related species follow the adaptive evolutionary model rather than random-drift model, and 7.6 % of fast-evolving genes identified in O. bidens have experienced positive selection, both indicating the reflection of adaptive selection. Finally, metabolic rate was observed to be linked with substitution rate in a gene-specific manner. Overall, our findings reveal fast molecular evolution of SCO genes at genome-wide level in O. bidens, and uncover the evolutionary and ecological contributors to it.

Mulches assist degraded soil recovery via stimulating biogeochemical cycling: metagenomic analysis

Soil degradation of urban greening has caused soil fertility loss and soil organic carbon depletion. Organic mulches are made from natural origin materials, and represent a cost-effective and environment-friendly remediation method for urban greening. To reveal the effects of organic mulch on soil physicochemical characteristics and fertility, we selected a site that was covered with organic mulch for 6 years and a nearby lawn-covered site. The results showed that soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus levels were improved, especially at a depth of 0-20 cm. The activities of cellulase, invertase, and dehydrogenase in soil covered with organic mulch were 17.46%, 78.98%, and 283.19% higher than those under lawn, respectively. The marker genes of fermentation, aerobic respiration, methanogenesis, and methane oxidation were also enriched in the soil under organic mulch. Nitrogen cycling was generally repressed by the organic mulch, but the assimilatory nitrate and nitrite reduction processes were enhanced. The activity of alkaline phosphatase was 12.63% higher in the mulch-covered soil, and functional genes involved in phosphorus cycling were also enriched. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the influence of organic mulch on soil microbes and provides a deeper insight into the recovery strategy for soil degradation following urban greening. KEY POINTS: • Long-term cover with organic mulches assists soil recovery from degradation • Soil physical and chemical properties were changed by organic mulches • Organic mulches enhanced genes involved in microbially mediated C and P cycling • Soil organic matter was derived from decomposition of organic mulch and carbon fixation • N cycling was repressed by mulches, except for assimilatory NO2- and NO3- reductions.

Differential prolyl hydroxylation by six Physcomitrella prolyl-4 hydroxylases

Hydroxylation of prolines to 4-trans-hydroxyproline (Hyp) is mediated by prolyl-4 hydroxylases (P4Hs). In plants, Hyps occur in Hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs), and are frequently O-glycosylated. While both modifications are important, e.g. for cell wall stability, they are undesired in plant-made pharmaceuticals. Sequence motifs for prolyl-hydroxylation were proposed but did not include data from mosses, such as Physcomitrella. We identified six moss P4Hs by phylogenetic reconstruction. Our analysis of 73 Hyps in 24 secretory proteins from multiple mass spectrometry datasets revealed that prolines near other prolines, alanine, serine, threonine and valine were preferentially hydroxylated. About 95 % of Hyps were predictable with combined established methods. In our data, AOV was the most frequent pattern. A combination of 443 AlphaFold models and MS data with 3000 prolines found Hyps mainly on protein surfaces in disordered regions. Moss-produced human erythropoietin (EPO) exhibited O-glycosylation with arabinose chains on two Hyps. This modification was significantly reduced in a p4h1 knock-out (KO) Physcomitrella mutant. Quantitative proteomics with different p4h mutants revealed specific changes in protein amounts, and a modified prolyl-hydroxylation pattern, suggesting a differential function of the Physcomitrella P4Hs. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed a differential effect of single p4h KOs on the expression of the other five p4h genes, suggesting a partial compensation of the mutation. AlphaFold-Multimer models for Physcomitrella P4H1 and its target EPO peptide superposed with the crystal structure of Chlamydomonas P4H1 suggested significant amino acids in the active centre of the enzyme and revealed differences between P4H1 and the other Physcomitrella P4Hs.

Genetic analysis of the circumsporozoite gene in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Cameroon: Implications for efficacy and deployment of RTS,S/AS01 vaccine

Current understanding of genetic polymorphisms and natural selection in Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (PfCSP), the leading malaria vaccine, is crucial for the development of next-generation vaccines, and such data is lacking in Africa. Blood samples were collected among Plasmodium-infected individuals living in four Cameroonian areas (Douala, Maroua, Mayo-Oulo, Pette). DNA samples were amplified using nested PCR protocols, sequenced, and BLASTed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analysed in each PfCSP region, and their impact on PfCSP function/structure was predicted in silico. The N-terminal region showed a limited polymorphism with four haplotypes, and three novel SNPs (N68Y, R87W, K93E) were found. Thirty-five haplotypes were identified in the central region, with several variants (e.g., NVNP and KANP). The C-terminal region was also highly diverse, with 25 haplotypes and eight novel SNPs (N290D, N308I, S312G, K317A, V344I, D356E, E357L, D359Y). Most polymorphic codon sites were mainly observed in the Th2R subregion in isolates from Douala and Pette. The codon site 321 was under episodic positive selection. One novel (E357L) and three known (K322I, G349D, D359Y) SNPs show an impact on function/structure. This study showed extensive genetic diversity with geographical patterns and evidence of the selection of Cameroonian PfCSP central and C-terminal regions.

Landscape crop diversity contributes to higher pollination effectiveness and positively affects rapeseed quality in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes

Pollination is crucial for biodiversity and food security. Heterogeneous agricultural landscapes have a positive effect on pollinator abundance and enhance crop production and quality. In this study, we explored the effects of three landscape features (past crop diversity measured as the Equivalent Richness of crop functional Groups in the previous year [ERGp], semi-natural habitat percentage [SNH], and mean field size [MFS]) and pollinator densities (wild bees [WB] and honey bees [HB]) on pollination and seed quantity and quality in rapeseed crops. Surveying the pollinator density in 20 rapeseed fields revealed a positive relationship with ERGp in the landscape. A pollinator exclusion experiment compared bagged and open-pollinated self-compatible rapeseed plants and revealed insect pollination effectiveness (fruits per flower and number of seeds per pod) and seed quality (oil content). Seed parameters were evaluated in relation to pollinator density (WB-HB) and landscape characteristics. The ERGp emerged as a crucial landscape feature that positively impacted WB density. When insect pollinators were excluded, plants exhibited reduced pollination effectiveness and seed quality. Analysis of open-pollinated plants highlighted ERGp as the most influential variable, positively affecting both sets of parameters. The MFS and SNH showed different but important relationships. Total tocopherol and α-tocopherol were positively correlated with pollinator density in HB, whereas WB showed a positive correlation with γ-tocopherol levels. Increased ERGp positively affected pollinator density and pollination effectiveness, thereby improving oilseed rape production quantity and quality. This study provides new insights into agroecosystem management and pollinator-friendly practices.

Cascading sulfur cycling in simulated oil sands pit lake water cap mesocosms transitioning from oxic to euxinic conditions

Base Mine Lake (BML), the first full-scale demonstration of oil sands tailings pit lake reclamation technology, is experiencing expansive, episodic hypolimnetic euxinia resulting in greater sulfur biogeochemical cycling within the water cap. Here, Fluid Fine Tailings (FFT)-water mesocosm experiments simulating the in situ BML summer hypolimnetic oxic-euxinic transition determined sulfur biogeochemical processes and their controlling factors. While mesocosm water caps without FFT amendments experienced limited geochemical and microbial changes during the experimental period, FFT-amended mesocosm water caps evidenced three successive stages of S speciation in ∼30 days: (S1) rising expansion of water cap euxinia from FFT to water surface; enabling (S2) rapid sulfate (SO42-) reduction and sulfide production directly within the water column; fostering (S3) generation and subsequent consumption of sulfur oxidation intermediate compounds (SOI). Identified key SOI, elemental S and thiosulfate, support subsequent SOI oxidation, reduction, and/or disproportionation processes in the system. Dominant water cap microbes shifted from methanotrophs and denitrifying/iron-reducing bacteria to functionally versatile sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB) comprising sulfate-reducing bacteria (Desulfovibrionales) and SOI-reducing/disproportionating bacteria (Campylobacterales and Desulfobulbales). The observed microbial shift is driven by decreasing [SO42-] and organic aromaticity, with putative hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria providing electron donors for SRB. Comparison between unsterile and sterile water treatments further underscores the biogeochemical readiness of the in situ water cap to enhance oxidant depletion, euxinia expansion and establishment of water cap SRB communities aided by FFT migration of anaerobes. Results here identify the collective influence of FFT and water cap microbial communities on water cap euxinia expansion associated with sequential S reactions that are controlled by concentrations of oxidants, labile organic substrates and S species. This emphasizes the necessity of understanding this complex S cycling in assessing BML water cap O2 persistence.

Environmental factors drive latitudinal patterns of fine-root architectures of 96 xerophytic species in the dry valleys of Southwest China

Fine-root architecture is critical feature reflecting root explorative and exploitative strategies for soil resources and soil space occupancy. Yet, studies on the variation of fine-root architecture across different species are scare and little work has been done to integrate the potential drivers on these variations along a biogeographical gradient in arid ecosystems. We measured root branching intensity, topological index, and root branching ratios as well as morphological traits (root diameter and length) in dry valley along a 1000 km latitudinal gradient. Influence of phylogeny, environmental factors on fine-root architecture and trade-offs among root traits were evaluated. With increasing latitude, the topological index and second to third root order branching ratio decreased, whereas first-to-second branching ratio increased. Root branching intensity was associated with short and thin fine roots, but has no significant latitudinal pattern. As a whole, soil microbial biomass was the most important driver in the variation of root branching intensity, and soil texture was the strongest predictor of topological index. Additionally, mean annual temperature was an important factor influencing first-to-second branching ratio. Our results suggest variations in fine-root architectures were more dependent on environmental variables than phylogeny, signifying that fine-root architecture is sensitive to environmental variations.

Protists and fungi: Reinforcing urban soil ecological functions against flash droughts

Rising instances of flash droughts are contributing to notable variability in soil moisture across terrestrial ecosystems. These phenomena challenge urban ecosystem services, yet the reaction of soil ecological functions (SEFs) to such events is poorly understood. This study investigates the responses of SEFs (about nutrient metabolism capacity and potential) and the microbiome under two specific scenarios: a flooding-drought sequence and a direct drought condition. Using quantitative microbial element cycling analysis, high-throughput sequencing, and enzyme activity measurements, we found that unlike in forests, the microbial composition in urban soils remained unchanged during flash drought conditions. However, SEFs were affected in both settings. Correlation analysis and Mantel test showed that forest soils exhibited more complex interactions among soil moisture, properties, and microbial communities. Positive linear correlation revealed that bacteria were the sole drivers of SEFs. Interestingly, while multi-threshold results suggested bacterial α diversity impeded the maximization of SEFs in urban soils, fungi and protists had a beneficial impact. Cross-domain network of urban soils had higher number of nodes and edges, but lower average degree and robustness than forest soils. Mantel test revealed that fungi and protist had significant correlations with bacterial composition in forest soils, but not in urban soils. In the urban network, the degree and eigenvector centrality of bacterial, fungal and protistan ASVs were significantly lower compared to those in the forest. These results suggest that the lower robustness of the microbial network in urban soils is attributed to limited interactions among fungi, consumer protists, and bacteria, contributing to the failure of microbial-driven ecological functions. Overall, our findings emphasize the critical role of fungi and protists in shielding urban soils from drought-induced disturbances and in enhancing the resistance of urban ecological functions amidst environmental changes.

Longitudinal bacterial community dynamics and sodium hypochlorite intervention in a newly built university building

Urbanisation and building advancements have increased microbial growth in indoor environments, altering human interactions with these microorganisms. Restrooms and their sinks harbour diverse bacterial communities, that differ from those found in natural environments, that could have negative implications for human health. Over two and a half years, this study examined the diversity, temporal dynamics, and resilience of bacterial communities in restroom sink P-traps in a newly built university building. Structured into two phases, the first phase consisted of continuous monitoring of bacterial community dynamics for two years (n = 352), while the second phase involved an intervention with sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and subsequent sampling (n = 132). In the first phase, we show that sink communities converge, becoming more compositionally similar to other sinks within the building. Bacterial families such as Rhodocyclaceae and Flavobacteriaceae dominated across the sinks, and others such as Comamonadaceae, Moraxellaceae and Enterbacteriaceae were highly prevalent. When comparing bacterial structure and composition to other sinks located on the university campus, the mean bacterial dissimilarity decreased over time, indicating compositional similarity, particularly with the newer buildings on campus. The second phase demonstrated resilience by the bacterial sink communities. Following bleach treatments, a distinct increase in Acinetobacter was observed. However, by the fourth week after bleach invention, bacterial communities had re-established to levels observed prior to treatment. This study had the unique opportunity to sample a newly built building before occupancy and for the subsequent two and a half years. The findings provide crucial insights into the development and resilience of sink P-trap bacterial communities in restrooms, laying the groundwork for more targeted approaches to disinfection strategies.

Adsorption and uptake of functionalized nanoplastics (NPs) by wetland plant (Sphagnum): A unique pathway for polystyrene-NPs reduction in non-vascular plants

Wetlands are sources and sinks for nanoplastics (NPs), where adsorption and uptake by plants constitute a crucial pathway for NPs accumulation. This study found that Sphagnum exhibited a high potential (~89.75 %) to intercept NPs despite the lack of root systems and stomata. Two pathways for 100nm polystyrene NPs accumulation in Sphagnum were located: (i) Spiral interception and foliar adsorption. Efficient adsorption is credited to the micro/nano-interlocked leaf structure, which is porous, hydrophilic and rough. (ii) Intracellular enrichment through pores. Fluorescence tracking indicates pseudo-leaves (lateral > cephalic branches) as primary organs for internalization. Accumulation of differently functionalized NPs was characterized: PS-Naked-NPs (PS), PS-COOH-NPs (PC) and PS-NH2-NPs (PN) were all largely retained by pathway (i), while pathway (ii) mainly uptake PN and PC. Unlike PS aggregation in transparent cells, PC enrichment in chloroplast cells and PN in intercellular spaces reduced pigment content and fluorescence intensity. Further, the effects of the accumulated NPs on the ecological functions of Sphagnum were evaluated. NPs reduce carbon flux (assimilation rate by 57.78 %, and respiration rate by 33.50%), significantly decreasing biomass (PS = 13.12 %, PC = 26.48 %, PN = 35.23 %). However, toxicity threshold was around 10 μg/mL, environmental levels (≤1 μg/mL) barely affected Sphagnum. This study advances understanding of the behavior and fate of NPs in non-vascular plants, and provides new perspectives for developing Sphagnum substrates for NPs interception.

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in Chinese pregnant women: Concentrations, variability, predictors, and association with oxidative stress biomarkers

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of pervasive contaminants having adverse health effects. Urinary monohydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs) are commonly employed as biomarkers to estimate PAH exposure levels in humans. However, little is understood about the variability in OH-PAHs among pregnant women across trimesters and their relationship with oxidative stress biomarkers (OSBs). Based on a prospective birth cohort study conducted in Wuhan, China, we selected 644 women who donated (spot) urine samples across different trimesters and measured the urinary concentrations of eight OH-PAHs and three selected OSBs (8-OHG, 8-OHdG, and HNEMA) to explore the relationship between the OH-PAHs and OSBs. Pregnant women were found to be ubiquitously exposed to the PAHs, with detection rates of the OH-PAHs ranging from 86.3% to 100%. 2-Hydroxynaphthalene (2-OH-Nap) had the highest urinary concentrations among the OH-PAHs during the three trimesters (specific gravity-adjusted median values for the first, second, and third trimesters: 1.86, 2.39, and 2.20 ng/mL, respectively). However, low reproducibility of the OH-PAHs was observed across the three trimesters with intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.02 and 0.22. Most urinary OH-PAHs had the highest concentrations at the first trimester and the lowest at the third trimester. Some OH-PAH concentrations were higher in pregnant women with lower educational level [2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OH-Phen) and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene (3-OH-Phen)], those who were overweight [2-OH-Nap, 2/3-hydroxyfluorene (2/3-OH-Fluo), 2-OH-Phen, and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-Phen)], those who were unemployed during pregnancy [1-hydroxynaphthalene, 1/9-hydroxyphenanthrene, and 4-OH-Phen], and the samples donated in summer (most OH-PAHs, except for 2-OH-Nap). In multivariable linear mixed-effects model analyses, every OH-PAH was found to be significantly associated with increased levels of the three OSBs. For example, each interquartile range-fold increase in 2/3-OH-Fluo concentration was associated with the largest increase in 8-OHdG (65.4%) and 8-OHG (49.1%), while each interquartile range-fold increase in 3-OH-Phen concentration was associated with the largest increase in HNEMA (76.3%). Weighted quantile sum regression models, which were used to examine the joint effect of OH-PAH mixture on the OSBs, revealed positive associations between the OH-PAH mixture exposure and the OSBs. Specifically, 2/3-OH-Fluo and 2-OH-Nap were the major contributors in the association with oxidative damage of nucleic acids (8-OHdG and 8-OHG), while hydroxyphenanthrenes and 1-hydroxypyrene were the major contributors in the association with oxidative damage of lipid (HNEMA). Further work is required to examine the potential mediating role of oxidative stress in the relationship of adverse health outcomes with elevated PAH exposure among pregnant women.

Divergent responses of woody plant leaf and root non-structural carbohydrates to nitrogen addition in China: Seasonal variations and ecological implications

Plant non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), which largely comprise starch and soluble sugars, are essential energy reserves to support plant growth and physiological functions. While it is known that increasing global deposition of nitrogen (N) affects plant concentration of NSCs, quantification of seasonal responses and drivers of woody species leaf and root NSCs to N addition at larger spatial scales remains lacking. Here, we systematically analyzed data from 53 field experiments distributed across China, comprising 1202 observations, to test for effects of N addition on woody plant leaf and root NSCs across and within growing and non-growing seasons. We found (1) no overall effects of N addition on the concentrations of leaf and root NSCs, soluble sugars or starch during the growing season or the non-growing season for leaves. However, N addition decreased root NSC and starch concentrations by 13.8 % and 39.0 %, respectively, and increased soluble sugars concentration by 15.0 % during the non-growing season. (2) Shifts in leaf NSC concentration under N addition were driven by responses by soluble sugars in both seasons, while shifts in root NSC were driven by soluble sugars in the non-growing season and starch and soluble sugars in the growing season. (3) Relationships between N, carbon, and phosphorus stoichiometry with leaf and root NSCs indicated effects of N addition on woody plant NSCs allocation through impacts on plant photosynthesis, respiration, and growth. (4) Effects of N addition on leaf and root NSCs varied with plant functional types, where effects were more pronounced in roots than in leaves during the non-growing season. Overall, our results reveal divergent responses of woody plant leaf and root NSCs to N addition within non-growing season and highlight the role of ecological stoichiometry and plant functional types in woody plant allocation patterns of NSCs in response to ongoing N deposition under global change.

Windy events detection in big bioacoustics datasets using a pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network

Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM), which involves using autonomous record units for studying wildlife behaviour and distribution, often requires handling big acoustic datasets collected over extended periods. While these data offer invaluable insights about wildlife, their analysis can present challenges in dealing with geophonic sources. A major issue in the process of detection of target sounds is represented by wind-induced noise. This can lead to false positive detections, i.e., energy peaks due to wind gusts misclassified as biological sounds, or false negative, i.e., the wind noise masks the presence of biological sounds. Acoustic data dominated by wind noise makes the analysis of vocal activity unreliable, thus compromising the detection of target sounds and, subsequently, the interpretation of the results. Our work introduces a straightforward approach for detecting recordings affected by windy events using a pre-trained convolutional neural network. This process facilitates identifying wind-compromised data. We consider this dataset pre-processing crucial for ensuring the reliable use of PAM data. We implemented this preprocessing by leveraging YAMNet, a deep learning model for sound classification tasks. We evaluated YAMNet as-is ability to detect wind-induced noise and tested its performance in a Transfer Learning scenario by using our annotated data from the Stony Point Penguin Colony in South Africa. While the classification of YAMNet as-is achieved a precision of 0.71, and recall of 0.66, those metrics strongly improved after the training on our annotated dataset, reaching a precision of 0.91, and recall of 0.92, corresponding to a relative increment of >28 %. Our study demonstrates the promising application of YAMNet in the bioacoustics and ecoacoustics fields, addressing the need for wind-noise-free acoustic data. We released an open-access code that, combined with the efficiency and peak performance of YAMNet, can be used on standard laptops for a broad user base.

A behavioural exploration of language aptitude and experience, cognition and more using Graph Analysis

Language aptitude has recently regained interest in cognitive neuroscience. Traditional language aptitude testing included phonemic coding ability, associative memory, grammatical sensitivity and inductive language learning. Moreover, domain-general cognitive abilities are associated with individual differences in language aptitude, together with factors that have yet to be elucidated. Beyond domain-general cognition, it is also likely that aptitude and experience in domain-specific but non-linguistic fields (e.g. music or numerical processing) influence and are influenced by language aptitude. We investigated some of these relationships in a sample of 152 participants, using exploratory graph analysis, across different levels of regularisation, i.e. sensitivity. We carried out a meta cluster analysis in a second step to identify variables that are robustly grouped together. We discuss the data, as well as their meta-network groupings, at a baseline network sensitivity level, and in two analyses, one including and the other excluding dyslexic readers. Our results show a stable association between language and cognition, and the isolation of multilingual language experience, musicality and literacy. We highlight the necessity of a more comprehensive view of language and of cognition as multivariate systems.

Looking at the modern landscape of submediterranean Greece through a palaeoecological lens

The importance of understanding the long-lasting legacy of past land use on modern ecosystems has long been acknowledged. However, the magnitude and persistence of such legacies have been assessed only occasionally. Northern Greece has been a gateway of farming into mainland Europe during the Neolithic, thus providing a perfect setting to assess the potential impact of land-use history on present-day ecosystems. Additionally, the marked Holocene climatic variability of the southern Balkans makes it possible to investigate climate-vegetation-land use interactions over long timescales. Here, we have studied a sediment record from Limni Vegoritis (Northern Greece) spanning the past ∼9000 years using palaeoecological proxies (pollen, spores, stomata, microscopic charcoal). We aimed to reconstruct long-term vegetation dynamics in submediterranean Greece, to assess the environmental factors controlling them and to establish the legacies of the long history of land use in the modern landscape. We found that the Early Holocene afforestation, mainly oak woodlands, was delayed because of suboptimal moisture conditions. Later, colder and drier conditions during the rapid climate change centred around the '8.2 ka event' triggered woodland opening and the spread of wooded (Juniperus) steppe vegetation. First indicators of farming activities are recorded during this period, but their abundances are too low to explain the concurrent large deforestation episode. Later, pinewoods (probably dominated by Pinus nigra) with deciduous Quercus spread and dominated the landscape for several millennia. These forests experienced repeated multi-centennial setback-recovery episodes associated with land-use intensification, but pines eventually declined ∼2500-2000 years ago during Classical times under heavy land use comprising intense pastoralism. This was the starting point for the present-day landscape, where the main 'foundation' taxon of the ancient forests (Pinus cf. nigra) is missing, therefore attesting to the strong imprint that historical land use has left on the modern landscape.

Soil properties modulate actual evapotranspiration and precipitation impacts on crop yields in the USA

Crop yields are affected by hydroclimatic and edaphic conditions, but their interacting roles are often neglected when assessing crop yields at the regional scale. Moreover, often used hydroclimatic conditions such as precipitation and temperature are not as physiologically linked to primary production and yields as actual evapotranspiration. Using statistical models, we quantified the combined effects of edaphic and hydroclimatic conditions on county yields of irrigated rice and rainfed corn, soybean, and spring and winter wheat in the USA (2000-2019). Precipitation and temperature, or actual evapotranspiration, aggregated during the growing season or before and after flowering/silk emergence, in interaction with soil sand content or bulk density, explained up to 87 % of the yield variability. However, actual evapotranspiration explained yields better than precipitation and temperature and their interactions for most combinations of crops and growth periods. At high actual evapotranspiration, yield plateaued or, for spring wheat, decreased. Yields were generally most sensitive to changes in hydroclimatic conditions during part of rather than the entire growing season, and most often after flowering. Soil texture and bulk density modulated the impacts of hydroclimatic conditions: corn and soybean yields were higher in finer soils compared with sandy soils under high evapotranspiration, but lower at low evapotranspiration. Additionally, the yield-maximizing precipitation decreased with sand content and increased with bulk density for most crops. Increasingly available actual evapotranspiration estimates, combined with soil properties, offer an alternative, and more physiologically-based, yield predictor over large climatic gradients to the more widely used precipitation and temperature.

Climate factors determine large-scale spatial patterns of stomatal index in Chinese herbaceous and woody dicotyledonous plants

The stomatal index (SI, %) and its response to climate factors (temperature and precipitation) can help our understanding of terrestrial carbon and water cycling and plant adaptation in the ecosystem, however, consensus has not yet been reached in this regard. In this study, we compiled an extensive dataset from the Chinese flora to investigate the response of SI to environmental change, including 891 herbaceous and woody species from 188 published papers. The results showed that mean values of the adaxial SI and abaxial SI for all species were 14.06 and 19.22, respectively, and the ratio of adaxial to abaxial SI was 0.84. For the adaxial SI, abaxial SI, and the ratio of adaxial to abaxial SI, the range of these values varied between 0.05-43.67, 0.01-48.17, and 0.03-4.31, respectively. Compared with woody plants, herbaceous plants showed higher values in both adaxial and abaxial SI. In terms of the impact of climate factors, the abaxial SI of herbaceous plants changed slower than the adaxial SI, while woody plants showed the opposite trend. Threshold effects of increased temperature and precipitation on SI were observed, indicating that SI responded differently to changes in climate factors at different levels. Climate factors play a crucial role in driving the adaxial SI than abaxial SI. Our findings highlight the significant challenges posed by divergent responses of SI in forecasting future water and carbon cycles associated with climatic and environmental change.

Depth-dependent responses of soil bacterial communities to salinity in an arid region

Soil salinization adversely affects soil fertility and plant growth in arid region worldwide. However, as the drivers of nutrient cycling, the response of microbial communities to soil salinization is poorly understood. This study characterized bacterial communities in different soil layers along a natural salinity gradient in the Karayulgun River Basin, located northwest of the Taklimakan desert in China, using the 16S rRNA Miseq-sequencing technique. The results revealed a significant filtering effect of salinity on the bacterial community in the topsoil. Only the α-diversity (Shannon index) in the topsoil (0-10 cm) significantly decreased with increasing salinity levels, and community dissimilarity in the topsoil was enhanced with increasing salinity, while there was no significant relationship in the subsoil. BugBase predictions revealed that aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, gram-positive, and stress-tolerant bacterial phenotypes in the topsoil was negatively related to salinity. The average degree and number of modules of the bacterial co-occurrence network in the topsoil were lower under higher salinity levels, which contrasted with the trends in the subsoil, suggesting an unstable bacterial network in the topsoil caused by higher salinity. The average path length among bacterial species increased in both soil layers under high salinity conditions. Plant diversity and available nitrogen were the main drivers affecting community composition in the topsoil, while available potassium largely shaped community composition in the subsoil. This study provides solid evidence that bacterial communities adapt to salinity through the adjustment of microbial composition based on soil depth. This information will contribute to the sustainable management of drylands and improved predictions and responses to changes in ecosystems caused by climate change.

Water level regime variation is a crucial driver for taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in seasonally flooded tropical forests

Floodplains contribute significantly to terrestrial ecosystem service provision but are also among the most vulnerable and degraded ecosystems worldwide. Heterogeneity in floodplain properties arises from variations in river-specific flood regimes, watershed characteristics, and valley morphology, influencing seasonally flooded forests' taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. This study addresses persisting knowledge gaps in floodplain ecology, focusing on the seasonally dry tropics. We explore the relationships between flood regime, environmental conditions, vegetation composition, functional and phylogenetic diversity, and the impact of environmental variables on above-ground biomass (AGB) and ecological strategies. The study spans six rivers in southeastern Brazil's main river basins: Rio Grande and São Francisco. We identified five eco-units in each floodplain based on flooding regimes and surveyed six plots per eco-unit. We measured trees with DBH > 5 cm and collected functional traits, along with detailed soil, climate, and water level data. We calculated plot-level floristic composition, taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, wood density, and AGB. Functional and phylogenetic dissimilarity were analyzed, and the effects of climate, soil, and hydrological variables were quantified using generalized linear mixed models. We show how flood frequency and duration affect floristic composition across the floodplains. Taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity responded to climate, soil, and hydrological variables, while functional diversity responded primarily to hydrological variables, emphasizing the role of environmental filtering. Hydrological seasonality, soil fertility, and flood regime emerged as key factors shaping community structure and ecological strategies in the studied seasonally flooded tropical forests. Plot-level AGB responded to phosphorus but not to climate or hydrological variables. The study also highlights functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities among eco-units and basins, indicating potential climate change impacts.

The ongoing range expansion of the invasive oak lace bug across Europe: current occurrence and potential distribution under climate change

In recent years, the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata, has emerged as a significant threat to European oak forests. This species, native to North America, has in the last two decades rapidly extended its range in Europe, raising concerns about its potential impact on the continent's invaluable oak populations. To address this growing concern, we conducted an extensive study to assess the distribution, colonization patterns, and potential ecological niche of the oak lace bug in Europe. We gathered 1792 unique presence coordinates from 21 Eurasian countries, utilizing diverse sources such as research observations, citizen science initiatives, GBIF database, and social media reports. To delineate the realized niche and future distribution, we employed an ensemble species distribution modelling (SDM) framework. Two future greenhouse gas scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were considered across three-time intervals (2021-2040, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100) to project and evaluate the species' potential distribution in the future. Our analysis revealed that significant hotspots rich in host species occurrence for this invasive insect remain uninvaded so far, even within its suitable habitat. Furthermore, the native ranges of Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) and Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto L.) species offer entirely suitable environments for the oak lace bug. In contrast, the pedunculate oak and sessile oak distribution ranges currently show only 40 % and 50 % suitability for colonization, respectively. However, our predictive models indicate a significant transformation in the habitat suitability of the oak lace bug, with suitability for these two oak species increasing by up to 90 %. This shift underlines an evolving landscape where the oak lace bug may exploit more of its available habitats than initially expected. It emphasises the pressing need for proactive measures to manage and stop its expanding presence, which may lead to a harmful impact on the oak population across the European landscape.

Topography- and depth-dependent rhizosphere microbial community characteristics drive ecosystem multifunctionality in Juglans mandshurica forest

Rhizosphere microbial community characteristics and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF), both affected by topographic factors, are closely correlated. However, more targeted exploration is yet required to fully understand the variations of rhizosphere microbial communities along topographic gradients in different soil layers, as well as whether and how they regulate EMF under specific site conditions. Here, we conducted relevant research on Juglans mandshurica forests at six elevation gradients and two slope positions ranging from 310 to 750 m in Tianjin Baxian Mountain. Results demonstrated that rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities of both layers (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) varied significantly with elevation, while only at top layer did slope position have significant impacts on most indicators. Bacterial richness and diversity were higher in the top layer at slope bottom and middle-high elevation, the difference in fungi was not as noticeable. Both topographic factors and soil depth significantly impacted microbial community structure, with Candidatus_Udaeobacter of bacteria, Mortierella, Sebacina, and Hygrocybe of fungi mainly contributing to the dissimilarity between communities. EMF rose with increasing elevation, bacteria were more critical drivers of this process than fungi, and topographic factors could affect EMF by altering bacterial diversity and dominant taxa abundance. For evaluating EMF, the aggregate structure of sub layer and the carbon cycle-related indicators of top layer were of higher importance. Our results revealed the depth-dependent characteristics of the rhizosphere microbial community along topographic gradients in studied stands, as well as the pivotal regulatory role of bacteria on EMF, while also highlighting depth as an important variable for analyzing soil properties and EMF. This work helps us better understand the response of individuals and communities of J. mandshurica to changing environmental conditions, further providing a scientific reference for the management and protection of secondary forests locally and in North China.

Scale dependency of taxonomic and functional diversity in pristine and recovered loess steppic grasslands

Widespread campaigns on forest restoration and various tree planting actions lower the awareness of the importance of grasslands for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Even lower attention is given to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in remnants of ancient, so-called pristine grasslands. Pristine grasslands generally harbour high biodiversity, and even small patches can act as important refuges for many plant and animal species in urbanised or agricultural landscapes. Spontaneous succession of grassland is frequently viewed as a cost-effective tool for grassland restoration, but its applicability is strongly dependent on many local to landscape-scale factors, and the recovery is often slow. It is therefore essential to monitor the success of grassland restoration projects that rely on spontaneous succession. We compared the species diversity and functional attributes of pristine and recovered grasslands by studying the taxonomic and functional diversity in thirteen (8 pristine and 5 recovered) loess steppic grasslands using differently sized sampling plots from 0.01 to 100 m2. Our results indicate that there are remarkable differences in taxonomic and functional diversity between pristine and recovered grasslands. We also found that during secondary succession there is a likely functional saturation of the species assembly in the first few decades of recovery, and while patterns and structure of recovered grasslands became quite similar to those of pristine grasslands, species richness and diversity still remained much lower. Pristine grasslands support considerable plant diversity, and species composition is slow to recover if destroyed by agricultural land use. This underlines the importance of preserving existing pristine grassland remnants, which might serve as sources of species for future restoration measures.

Warming and rainfall reduction alter soil microbial diversity and co-occurrence networks and enhance pathogenic fungi in dryland soils

In this 9-year manipulative field experiment, we examined the impacts of experimental warming (2 °C, W), rainfall reduction (30 % decrease in annual rainfall, RR), and their combination (W + RR) on soil microbial communities and native vegetation in a semi-arid shrubland in south-eastern Spain. Warming had strong negative effects on plant performance across five coexisting native shrub species, consistently reducing their aboveground biomass growth and long-term survival. The impacts of rainfall reduction on plant growth and survival were species-specific and more variable. Warming strongly altered the soil microbial community alpha-diversity and changed the co-occurrence network structure. The relative abundance of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increased under W and W + RR, which could help buffer the direct negative impacts of climate change on their host plants nutrition and enhance their resistance to heat and drought stress. Indicator microbial taxa analyses evidenced that the marked sequence abundance of many plant pathogenic fungi, such as Phaeoacremonium, Cyberlindnera, Acremonium, Occultifur, Neodevriesia and Stagonosporopsis, increased significantly in the W and W + RR treatments. Moreover, the relative abundance of fungal animal pathogens and mycoparasites in soil also increased significantly under climate warming. Our findings indicate that warmer and drier conditions sustained over several years can alter the soil microbial community structure, composition, and network topology. The projected warmer and drier climate favours pathogenic fungi, which could offset the benefits of increased AMF abundance under warming and further aggravate the severe detrimental impacts of increased abiotic stress on native vegetation performance and ecosystem services in drylands.

Physiology and fertility of two gull species in relation to plastic additives' exposure

Understanding the impact of plastic and its additives on wild species is crucial as their presence in the environment increases. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), once used as flame retardants, were restricted due to known toxic effects, but are still detected in the environment. Naturally occurring methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-BDEs) can result from PBDE transformation and may cause similar hazardous effects. Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis, YLG) and Audouin's gulls (Ichthyaetus audouinii, AG) are highly susceptible to plastic additives, due to their distribution, trophic position, and behaviour. In this study, we assessed PBDEs and MeO-BDEs uptake in different tissues and their effects on physiological and reproductive parameters. Findings indicate that, apart from annual differences, adult AG accumulated more MeO-BDEs than YLG in a natural breeding habitat (Deserta), while the latter had lower PBDE levels than YLG breeding in the city of Porto. In relation to chicks, only YLG from Deserta showed higher PBDE concentrations than AG chicks. Individual analysis of each physiological parameter revealed impacts only for adult YLG from Deserta, with neurofunction and immune system inhibition at higher MeO-BDE concentrations. For chicks, AG showed impaired neurofunction, while YLG chicks from Porto exhibited potential genotoxicity effects triggered by higher MeO-BDE levels. Overall health analysis showed activation of antioxidant defences and compromised immune system in YLG adults from Porto due to high values of PBDEs, while chicks from Deserta exhibited inflammation and oxidative stress with high concentrations of MeO-BDEs in the same species. Fertility parameters showed significant differences for sperm counts though suggesting individuals may be able to compensate any exposure effects. This study confirms the widespread presence of plastic-associated compounds and their harmful effects on gulls, particularly on neurofunction, immune system, oxidative balance and fertility, especially due to the presence of MeO-BDEs.

Growth patterns of caudal fin rays are informed by both external signals from the regenerating organ and remembered identity autonomous to the local tissue

Regenerating tissues must remember or interpret their spatial position, using this information to restore original size and patterning. The external skeleton of the zebrafish caudal fin is composed of 18 rays; after any portion of the fin is amputated, position-dependent regenerative growth restores each ray to its original length. We tested for transcriptional differences during regeneration of proximal versus distal tissues and identified 489 genes that differed in proximodistal expression. Thyroid hormone directs multiple aspects of ray patterning along the proximodistal axis, and we identified 364 transcripts showing a proximodistal expression pattern that was dependent on thyroid hormone context. To test what aspects of ray positional identity are directed by extrinsic environental cues versus remembered identity autonomous to the tissue, we transplanted distal portions of rays to proximal environments and evaluated regeneration within the new location. Native regenerating proximal tissue showed robust expression of scpp7, a transcript with thyroid-regulated proximal enrichment; in contrast, regenerating rays originating from transplanted distal tissue showed reduced (distal-like) expression during outgrowth. These distal-to-proximal transplants regenerated far beyond the length of the graft itself, indicating that cues from the proximal environment promoted additional growth. Nonetheless, these transplants initiated regeneration at a much slower rate compared to controls, suggesting memory of distal identity was retained by the transplanted tissue. This early growth retardation caused rays that originated from transplants to grow noticeably shorter than neighboring native rays. While several aspects of fin ray morphology (bifurcation, segment length) were found to be determined by the environment, we found that both regeneration speed and ray length are remembered autonomously by tissues, and that persist through multiple rounds of amputation and regeneration.

Diversity assessment of a lesser known buffalo population from Central India and its comparative evaluation reveals presence of sufficient genetic variation and absence of selection

Planned breeding and conservation strategies for a lesser-known population require an assessment of complete genetic diversity and population structure analysis in addition to its morphometric characteristics. In the present study, a comparative analysis of the genetic structure of a rare buffalo population, namely Chhattisgarhi, was extensively studied using a panel of FAO-recommended microsatellite markers along with well-established breeds namely Murrah, Nili-Ravi, Gojri, Kalahandi, and Nagpuri. Mode shift analysis indicated the absence of genetic bottleneck in the recent past. Assessment of genetic diversity indices across all loci indicated the presence of sufficient genetic variation within and between populations. Analysis of molecular variance between the six different buffalo populations attributed 19.05% of the variations to between-population differentiation. Cluster analyses using DAPC and Bayesian approach along with the phylogenetic tree based on UPGMA grouped six populations into three groups. The Chhattisgarhi population was revealed to be genetically closer to Nagpuri and Kalahandi populations. The study reveals the presence of sufficient genetic diversity within the Chhattisgarhi population and indicates the absence of a systematic selection program. We suggest improvement and conservation programs should be planned for this breed in the near future through short-term selection.

Non-native species in marine protected areas: Global distribution patterns

Marine protected areas (MPAs) across various countries have contributed to safeguarding coastal and marine environments. Despite these efforts, marine non-native species (NNS) continue to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems, even within MPAs. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on the inventories, distribution patterns, and effect factors of NNS within MPAs. Here we show a database containing over 15,000 occurrence records of 2714 marine NNS across 16,401 national or regional MPAs worldwide. To identify the primary mechanisms driving the occurrence of NNS, we utilize model selection with proxies representing colonization pressure, environmental variables, and MPA characteristics. Among the environmental predictors analyzed, sea surface temperature emerged as the sole factor strongly associated with NNS richness. Higher sea surface temperatures are linked to increased NNS richness, aligning with global marine biodiversity trends. Furthermore, human activities help species overcome geographical barriers and migration constraints. Consequently, this influences the distribution patterns of marine introduced species and associated environmental factors. As global climate change continues to alter sea temperatures, it is crucial to protect marine regions that are increasingly vulnerable to intense human activities and biological invasions.

Resource partitioning influences levels of toxic trace elements in sympatric tropical seabirds

Morphologically similar species that occupy resource-limited environments tend to differ in their ecological traits in order to coexist, which may result in differential exposure to environmental threats. For instance, partitioning of feeding resources may influence contaminant exposure and bioaccumulation in marine predators through different diets or foraging habitats. Here, we sampled three tropical seabird species breeding in sympatry in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean for blood and feather trace element concentrations (As, Hg, Cd, Pb), and assessed their foraging ecology with bio-logging (GPS tracks and time-depth recorders), analysis of regurgitated prey, and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope mixing models. Red-billed tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus), brown (Sula leucogaster) and masked (S. dactylatra) boobies differed in their preferred foraging locations, the range of foraging trips, diving parameters and diets. In addition, interspecific differences were detected in blood or feathers for all trace elements analyzed, suggesting influence of the differences observed in diet and space use. Red-billed tropicbirds had the largest foraging range over the continental shelf and over the slope, suggesting lower exposure to continental sources of metals. Brown and masked boobies had higher Hg concentrations than tropicbirds, higher δ15N values (a proxy for trophic level), and δ15N correlated with Hg levels, suggesting biomagnification of Hg along the food chain. Nonetheless, red-billed tropicbirds showed comparable levels of As and Cd in blood or feathers, and higher levels of Pb in both tissues in comparison to boobies, which may suggest overall exposure of seabirds in the region, through their diets and foraging areas. Resource partitioning is critical for allowing coexistence of different seabird species in shared breeding sites where they act as central-place foragers. Nonetheless, in scenarios of environmental pollution, these species-specific strategies lead to differential bioaccumulation, and thus distinct effects of pollution on populations are expected.

High resolution mapping of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in Great Britain (2003-2021) with multi-stage data reconstruction and ensemble machine learning methods

In this contribution, we applied a multi-stage machine learning (ML) framework to map daily values of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) at a 1 km2 resolution over Great Britain for the period 2003-2021. The process combined ground monitoring observations, satellite-derived products, climate reanalyses and chemical transport model datasets, and traffic and land-use data. Each feature was harmonized to 1 km resolution and extracted at monitoring sites. Models used single and ensemble-based algorithms featuring random forests (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), as well as lasso and ridge regression. The various stages focused on augmenting PM2.5 using co-occurring PM10 values, gap-filling aerosol optical depth and columnar NO2 data obtained from satellite instruments, and finally the training of an ensemble model and the prediction of daily values across the whole geographical domain (2003-2021). Results show a good ensemble model performance, calculated through a ten-fold monitor-based cross-validation procedure, with an average R2 of 0.690 (range 0.611-0.792) for NO2, 0.704 (0.609-0.786) for PM10, and 0.802 (0.746-0.888) for PM2.5. Reconstructed pollution levels decreased markedly within the study period, with a stronger reduction in the latter eight years. The pollutants exhibited different spatial patterns, while NO2 rose in close proximity to high-traffic areas, PM demonstrated variation at a larger scale. The resulting 1 km2 spatially resolved daily datasets allow for linkage with health data across Great Britain over nearly two decades, thus contributing to extensive, extended, and detailed research on the long-and short-term health effects of air pollution.

Distinct species turnover patterns shaped the richness of antibiotic resistance genes on eight different microplastic polymers

Elucidating the formation mechanism of plastisphere antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) on different polymers is necessary to understand the ecological risks of plastisphere ARGs. Here, we explored the turnover and assembly mechanism of plastisphere ARGs on 8 different microplastic polymers (4 biodegradable (bMPs) and 4 non-biodegradable microplastics (nMPs)) by metagenomic sequencing. Our study revealed the presence of 479 ARGs with abundance ranging from 41.37 to 58.17 copies/16S rRNA gene in all plastispheres. These ARGs were predominantly multidrug resistance genes. The richness of plastisphere ARGs on different polymers had a significant correlation with the contribution of species turnover to plastisphere ARGs β diversity. Furthermore, polymer type was the most critical factor affecting the composition of plastisphere ARGs. More opportunistic pathogens carrying diverse ARGs on BMPs (PBAT, PBS, and PHA) with higher horizontal gene transfer potential may further magnify the ecological risks and human health threats. For example, the opportunistic pathogens Riemerella anatipestifer, Vibrio campbellii, and Vibrio cholerae are closely related to human production and life, which were the important potential hosts of many plastisphere ARGs and mobile genetic elements on BMPs. Thus, we emphasize the urgency of developing the formation mechanism of plastisphere ARGs and the necessity of controlling BMPs and ARG pollution, especially BMPs, with ever-increasing usage in daily life.

Landscape structure affects temporal dynamics in the bumble bee virome: Landscape heterogeneity supports colony resilience

Virus spillovers from managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, are thought to contribute to the decline of wild pollinators, including bumble bees. However, data on the impact of such viruses on wild pollinators remain scarce, and the influence of landscape structure on virus dynamics is poorly understood. In this study, we deployed bumble bee colonies in an agricultural landscape and studied changes in the bumble bee virome during field placement under varying habitat composition and configuration using a multiscale analytical framework. We estimated prevalence of viruses and viral loads (i.e. number of viral genomic equivalent copies) in bumble bees before and after placing them in the field using next generation sequencing and quantitative PCR. The results show that viral loads and number of different viruses present increased during placement in the field and that the virus composition of the colonies shifted from an initial dominance of honey bee associated viruses to a higher number (in both viral loads and number of viruses present) of bumble bee associated viruses. Especially DWV-B, typical for honey bees, drastically decreased after the time in the field. Viral loads prior to placing colonies in the field showed no effect on colony development, suggesting low impacts of these viruses in field settings. Notably, we further demonstrate that increased habitat diversity results in a lower number of different viruses present in Bombus colonies, while colonies in areas with well-connected farmland patches decreased in their total viral load after field placement. Our results emphasize the importance of landscape heterogeneity and connectivity for wild pollinator health and that these influences predominate at fine spatial scales.

Biogeography and community assembly of soil fungi from alpine meadows in southwestern China show the importance of climatic selection

Soil fungi are pivotal in alpine and arctic ecosystems that are vulnerable to climate changes. Previous studies have shown broad connections between soil fungi in the arctic and alpine regions, but most of these studies are mainly from Europe and North America, with more sporadic studies from East Asia. Currently, little is known about the biogeographic relationships between soil fungi in alpine meadows of southwestern China (AMSC) and other regions of the world. In addition, the regional-scale spatial patterns of fungal communities in the AMSC, as well as their driving factors and ecological processes, are also poorly understood. In this study, we collected roots and surrounding soils of two dominant ectomycorrhizal plants, Bistorta vivipara and B. macrophylla from the AMSC, and performed bioinformatic and statistical analyses based on high-throughput sequencing of ITS2 amplicons. We found that: (1) fungi from the AMSC were closely related with those from boreal forests and tundra, and saprotrophic fungi had higher dispersal potential than ectomycorrhizal fungi; (2) community compositions exhibited clear divergences among geographic regions and between root and soil samples; (3) climate was the predominant factor driving regional-scale spatial patterns but had less explanatory power for saprotrophic and total fungi from roots than those from soils; (4) homogeneous selection and drift were the key ecological processes governing community assembly, but in communities of saprotrophic and total fungi from soil samples, drift contributed less and its role was partially replaced by dispersal limitation. This study highlights the importance of climatic selection and stochastic processes on fungal community assembly in alpine regions, and emphasizes the significance of simultaneously investigating fungi with different trophic modes and from both roots and soils.

Biofouling sponges as natural eDNA samplers for marine vertebrate biodiversity monitoring

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has now become a core approach in marine biodiversity research, which typically involves the collection of water or sediment samples. Yet, recently, filter-feeding organisms have received much attention for their potential role as natural eDNA samplers. While the indiscriminate use of living organisms as 'sampling tools' might in some cases raise conservation concerns, there are instances in which highly abundant sessile organisms may become a nuisance as biofouling on artificial marine structures. Here we demonstrate how a sea sponge species that colonizes the moorings of the world's largest curtain of hydroacoustic receivers can become a powerful natural collector of fish biodiversity information. By sequencing eDNA extracted from Vazella pourtalesii retrieved from moorings during routine biofouling maintenance, we detected 23 species of marine fish and mammals, compared to 19 and 15 species revealed by surface and bottom water eDNA respectively, and 28 species captured by groundfish survey in the surrounding area, which are more ecologically impactful and involve higher additional costs. Sponge-based species inventories proved at least as informative as those obtained by traditional survey methods, and are also able to detect seasonal differences in fish assemblages. We conclude that opportunistic sampling of marine sponge biofouling may become an efficient way to document and monitor biodiversity in our rapidly changing oceans.

Streamlining large-scale oceanic biomonitoring using passive eDNA samplers integrated into vessel's continuous pump underway seawater systems

Passive samplers are enabling the scaling of environmental DNA (eDNA) biomonitoring in our oceans, by circumventing the time-consuming process of water filtration. Designing a novel passive sampler that does not require extensive sample handling time and can be connected to ocean-going vessels without impeding normal underway activities has potential to rapidly upscale global biomonitoring efforts onboard the world's oceanic fleet. Here, we demonstrate the utility of an artificial sponge sampler connected to the continuous pump underway seawater system as a means to enable oceanic biomonitoring. We compared the performance of this passive sampling protocol with standard water filtration at six locations during a research voyage from New Zealand to Antarctica in early 2023. Eukaryote metabarcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene revealed no significant difference in phylogenetic α-diversity between sampling methods and both methods delineated a progressive reduction in number of Zero-Radius Operational Taxonomic Units (ZOTUs) with increased latitudes. While both sampling methods revealed comparable trends in geographical community compositions, distinct clusters were identified for passive samplers and water filtration at each location. Additionally, greater variability between replicates was observed for passive samplers, resulting in an increased estimated level of replication needed to recover 90 % of the biodiversity. Furthermore, traditional water filtration failed to detect three phyla observed by passive samplers and extrapolation analysis estimated passive samplers recover a larger number of ZOTUs compared to water filtration for all six locations. Our results demonstrate the potential of this passive eDNA sampler protocol and highlight areas where this emerging technology could be improved, thereby enabling large-scale offshore marine eDNA biomonitoring by leveraging the world's oceanic fleet without interfering with onboard activities.

Saline mine water influences eukaryote life in shallow groundwater of a tropical sandy stream

Eukaryotic communities in groundwater may be particularly sensitive to disturbance because they are adapted to stable environmental conditions and often have narrow spatial distributions. Traditional methods for characterising these communities, focussing on groundwater-inhabiting macro- and meiofauna (stygofauna), are challenging because of limited taxonomic knowledge and expertise (particularly in less-explored regions), and the time and expense of morphological identification. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the vulnerability of eukaryote communities in shallow groundwater to mine water discharge containing elevated concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and sulfate (SO4). The study was undertaken in a shallow sand bed aquifer within a wet-dry tropical setting. The aquifer, featuring a saline mine water gradient primarily composed of elevated Mg and SO4, was sampled from piezometers in the creek channel upstream and downstream of the mine water influence during the dry season when only subsurface water flow was present. Groundwater communities were characterised using both morphological assessments of stygofauna from net samples and environmental DNA (eDNA) targeting the 18S rDNA and COI mtDNA genes. eDNA data revealed significant shifts in community composition in response to mine waters, contrasting with findings from traditional morphological composition data. Changes in communities determined using eDNA data were notably associated with concentrations of SO42-, Mg2+ and Na+, and water levels in the piezometers. This underscores the importance of incorporating molecular approaches in impact assessments, as relying solely on traditional stygofauna sampling methods in similar environments may lead to inaccurate conclusions about the responses of the assemblage to studied impacts.

Disentangling the effect of space, time, and environmental and anthropogenic drivers on coastal macrobenthic β diversity in contrasting habitats over 15 years

Coastal zones are biodiversity hotspots and deliver essential ecosystem functions and services, yet they are exposed to multiple and interacting anthropogenic and environmental constraints. The individual and cumulative effects of these constraints on benthic communities, a key component of coastal ecosystems, and their variability across space and time, remains to be thoroughly quantified to guide conservation actions. Here, we explored how the presence of biogenic habitats influences the response of benthic communities to natural and anthropogenic constraints. We investigated this effect in both intertidal and subtidal habitats exposed to different pressures. We used data collected in the North-East Atlantic over 15 years (2005-2019) as part of the REBENT monitoring program, covering 38 sites of bare sediments, intertidal seagrass beds and maerl beds. We collected a range of environmental variables and proxies of anthropogenic pressures and used variation and hierarchical partitioning with redundancy analyses to estimate their relative effect on macrobenthic communities. We used descriptors modeling spatial and temporal structures (dbMEMs) to explore the scale of their effects and potential missing predictors. The selected variables explained between 53 % and 64 % of macrobenthic β diversity depending on habitat and depth. Fishing pressures, sedimentary and hydrodynamics variables stood out as the most important predictors across all habitats while proxies of anthropogenic pressures were overall more important in intertidal habitats. In the intertidal, presence of biogenic habitat strongly modulated the amount of explained variance and the identity of the selected variable. Across both tidal levels, analysis of models' residuals further indicated that biogenic habitats might mitigate the effect of extreme environmental events. Our study provides a hierarchy of the most important drivers of benthic communities across different habitats and tidal levels, emphasizing the prominence of anthropogenic pressures on intertidal communities and the role of biogenic habitats in mitigating environmental changes.

Enzyme stoichiometry reveals microbial nitrogen limitation in stony soils

Resource limitation for soil microorganisms is the crucial factor in nutrient cycling and vegetation development, which are especially important in arid climate. Given that rock fragments strongly impact hydrologic and geochemical processes in arid areas, we hypothesized that microbial resource (C and N) limitation will increase along the rock fragment content (RFC) gradient. We conducted a field experiment in Minjiang river arid valleys with four RFC content (0 %, 25 %, 50 %, and 75 %, V V-1) and four vegetation types (Artemisia vestita, Bauhinia brachycarpa, Sophora davidii, and the soil without plants). Activities of C (β-1,4-glucosidase, BG), N (β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, NAG; L-leucine aminopeptidase, LAP), and P (acid phosphatase, ACP) acquiring enzymes were investigated to assess the limitations by C, N or P. In unplanted soil, the C acquiring enzyme activity decreased by 43 %, but N acquiring enzyme activity increased by 72 % in 75 % RFC than those in rock-free soils (0 % RFC). Increasing RFC reduced C:N and C:P enzymatic ratios, as well as vector length and vector angle (< 45°). Plants increased the activities of C and N acquiring enzymes in soils, as well as C:P and N:P enzyme activities, as well as vector length (by 5.6 %-25 %), but decreased vector angle (by 13 %-21 %). Enzyme stoichiometry was dependent on biotic and abiotic factors, such as soil water content, soil C:N, and total content of phospholipid fatty acids, reflecting microbial biomass content. Increased RFC shifted enzymatic stoichiometry toward lower C but stronger N limitation for microorganisms. Vegetation increased microbial C and N limitation, and impacted the enzymatic activities and stoichiometry depending on shrub functional groups. Consequently, the direct effects of vegetation, nutrient availability and microbial biomass content, as well as indirect effects of soil properties collectively increased microbial resource limitations along the RFC gradient.

Disentangling the assembly patterns and drivers of microbial communities during thermal stratification and mixed periods in a deep-water reservoir

Effect of periodic thermal stratification in deep-water reservoirs on aquatic ecosystems has been a research hotspot. Nevertheless, there is limited information on the response patterns of microbial communities to environmental changes under such specialized conditions. To fill this gap, samples were collected from a typical deep-water reservoir during the thermal stratification period (SP) and mixed period (MP). Three crucial questions were answered: 1) How microbial communities develop with stratified to mixed succession, 2) how the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes to microbial community assembly, shifted in two periods, and 3) how environmental variables drive microbial co-occurrence networks and functional group alteration. We used Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing to investigate the dynamics of the microbial community over two periods, constructed molecular ecological networks (MENs), and unraveled assembly processes based on null and neutral models. The results indicated that a total of 33.9 % and 27.7 % of bacterial taxa, and 23.1 % and 19.4 % of fungal taxa were enriched in the stratified and mixed periods, respectively. Nitrate, water temperature, and total phosphorus drove the variation of microbial community structure. During the thermal stratification period, stochastic processes (dispersal limitation) and deterministic processes (variable selection) dominated the assembly of bacterial and fungal communities, followed by a shift to stochastic processes dominated by dispersal limitation in two communities. The MENs results revealed that thermal stratification-induced environmental stresses increased the complexity of microbial networks but decreased its robustness, resulting in more vulnerable ecological networks. Therefore, this work provides critical ecological insights for the longevity and sustainability of water quality management in an artificially regulated engineered system.

Initial soil condition, stand age, and aridity alter the pathways for modifying the soil carbon under afforestation

Afforestation is a crucial pathway for ecological restoration and has the potential to modify soil microbial community, thereby impacting the cycling and accumulation of carbon in soil across diverse patterns. However, the overall patterns of how afforestation impacts below-ground carbon cycling processes remain uncertain. In this comprehensive meta-analysis, we systematically evaluated 7045 observations from 210 studies worldwide to evaluate the influence of afforestation on microbial communities, enzyme activities, microbial functions, and associated physicochemical properties of soils. Afforestation increases microbial biomass, carbon and nitrogen hydrolase activities, and microbial respiration, but not carbon oxidase activity and nitrogen decomposition rate. Conversely, afforestation leads to a reduction in the metabolic quotient, with significant alteration of bacterial and fungal community structures and positive effects on the fungi: bacteria ratio rather than alpha and beta diversity metrics. We found a total 77 % increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content after afforestation, which varied depending on initial SOC content before afforestation, afforestation stand age, and aridity index of afforestation sites. The modified SOC is associated with bacterial community composition along with intracellular metabolic quotient and extracellular carbon degrading enzyme activity playing a role. These findings provide insights into the pathways through which afforestation affects carbon cycling via microorganisms, thus improving our knowledge of soil carbon reservoir's responses to afforestation under global climate change.

High sensitivity of dissolved organic carbon transport during hydrological events in a small subtropical karst catchment

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and discharge are often tightly coupled, though these relationships in karst environments remain poorly constrained. In this study, DOC dynamics over 13 hydrological events, alongside monthly monitoring over an entire hydrological year were monitored in a small karst catchment, SW China. The concurrent analyses of power-law model and hysteresis patterns reveal that DOC behavior is generally transport-limited due to flushing effects of increased discharge but highly variable at both intra- and inter-event scales. The initial discharge at event onset and discharge-weighted mean concentration of DOC ([DOC]DW) of individual events can explain 37.7 % and 19.9 % of the variance of DOC behavior among events, respectively. The sustained dry-cold antecedent conditions make DOC hysteresis behavior during the earliest event complex and different from subsequent events. At event scale, the variability in DOC export is primarily controlled by [DOC]DW (explaining 64.3 %) and the yield of total dissolved solutes (YTDS, explaining 30.4 %), reflecting the impacts of variable hydrological connectivity and intense soil-water-rock interactions in this karst catchment. On an annual scale, DOC yield (YDOC, 222.86 kg C km-2) was mostly derived during the wet season (98.19 %) under the hydrological driving force. The difference in annual YDOC between this karst catchment and other regions can be well explained by annual water yield (Ywater, explaining 24.2 %) and [DOC] (explaining 35.4 %), whereas the variance in DOC export efficiency among catchments is almost exclusively controlled by [DOC] alone, independent of drainage area and annual Ywater. This study highlights the necessity of high-frequency sampling for modeling carbon biogeochemical processes and the particularity of the earliest hydrological events occurred after a long cold-dry period in karst catchments. Under the changing climate, whether DOC dynamics in karst catchments will present source-limited patterns during more extreme hydrological events merits further study.

A methodological study on the identification of ecological security change processes and zoning control strategies -- Based on the perspective of sustainable development

Ecological security (ES) is a crucial indicator for assessing the sustainable development of a region. Currently, most studies on ES primarily focus on process analysis, and the integration of environmental variability into the development of tailored control strategies for regions with varying ecological quality is overlooked. Therefore, in this study, we identified regional ES change processes, employed an optimized system to calculate the ecological security index (ESI), and identified ecological corridors (ECs) through the Minimum Constrained Resource (MCR) model to determine zoning strategies for typical arid regions, using the Ningxia region in the Yellow River Basin of China as an example. The findings showed that (1) from 2006 to 2020, the ESI values of most regions were between 0.2 and 0.4, with small but consistent increases in the ESI values over the years. (2) The proportion of regions with high ES ratings increased by 9.08 % across all districts and counties, and the center of gravity of ES shifted in a north-south and east-west direction. (3) The ESI exhibited a strong positive spatial correlation, characterized by spatial diffusion and spillover effects in most regions. (4) The ECs were predominantly distributed in a north-south direction, involving a total of 20 districts and counties. Based on the principles of sustainable development, we developed a model for the dynamic identification and zoning control of regional ES, aiming to provide a practical framework for effective ecological restoration and protection measures. Additionally, the strategies and methodologies presented in this study serve as important references for similar regions worldwide to facilitate the zoning control of ES, highlighting the broader significance and applicability of the study.

Microscale is key to model current and future Maritime Antarctic vegetation

Despite being one of the most pristine regions in the world, Antarctica is currently also one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Antarctic vegetation comprises mostly lichens and bryophytes, complemented in some milder regions of Maritime Antarctica by two vascular plant species. Shifts in the spatial patterns of these three main vegetation groups have already been observed in response to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for the development of comprehensive large-scale ecological models of the effects of climate change. Besides climate, Antarctic terrestrial vegetation is also strongly influenced by non-climatic microscale conditions related to abiotic and biotic factors. Nevertheless, the quantification of their importance in determining vegetation patterns remains unclear. The objective of this work was to quantify the importance of abiotic and biotic microscale conditions in determining the spatial cover patterns of the major functional types, lichens, vascular plants and bryophytes, explicitly determining the likely confinement of each functional type to the microscale conditions, i.e., their ecological niche. Microscale explained >60 % of the spatial variation of lichens and bryophytes and 30 % of vascular plants, with the niche analysis suggesting that each of the three functional types may be likely confined to specific microscale conditions in the studied gradient. Models indicate that the main microscale ecological filters are abiotic but show the potential benefits of including biotic variables and point to the need for further clarification of vegetation biotic interactions' role in these ecosystems. Altogether, these results point to the need for the inclusion of microscale drivers in ecological models to track and forecast climate change effects, as they are crucial to explain present vegetation patterns in response to climate, and for the interpretation of ecological model results under a climate change perspective.

A transition from arbuscular to ectomycorrhizal forests halts soil carbon sequestration during subtropical forest rewilding

Ecological succession and restoration rapidly promote multiple dimensions of ecosystem functions and mitigate global climate change. However, the factors governing the limited capacity to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC) in old forests are poorly understood. Ecological theory predicts that plants and microorganisms jointly evolve into a more mutualistic relationship to accelerate detritus decomposition and nutrient regeneration in old than young forests, likely explaining the changes in C sinks across forest succession or rewilding. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a field experiment of root-mycorrhizal exclusion in successional subtropical forests to investigate plant-decomposer interactions and their effects on SOC sequestration. Our results showed that SOC accrual rate at the 0-10 cm soil layer was 1.26 mg g-1 yr-1 in early-successional arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) forests, which was higher than that in the late-successional ectomycorrhizal (EcM) forests with non-significant change. A transition from early-successional AM to late-successional EcM forests increase fungal diversity, especially EcM fungi. In the late-successional forests, the presence of ectomycorrhizal hyphae promotes SOC decomposition and nutrient cycle by increasing soil nitrogen and phosphorus degrading enzyme activity as well as saprotrophic microbial richness. Across early- to late-successional forests, mycorrhizal priming effects on SOC decomposition explain a slow-down in the capacity of older forests to sequester soil C. Our findings suggest that a transition from AM to EcM forests supporting greater C decomposition can halt the capacity of forests to provide nature-based global climate change solutions.

Ensemble learning algorithms to elucidate the core microbiome's impact on carbon content and degradation properties at the soil aggregate level

Soil aggregates are crucial for soil organic carbon (OC) accumulation. This study, utilizing a 32-year fertilization experiment, investigates whether the core microbiome can elucidate variations in carbon content and decomposition across different aggregate sizes more effectively than broader bacterial and fungal community analyses. Employing ensemble learning algorithms that integrate machine learning with network inference, we found that the core microbiome accounts for an average increase of 26 % and 20 % in the explained variance of PCoA and Adonis analyses, respectively, in response to fertilization. Compared to the control, inorganic and organic fertilizers decreased the decomposition index (DDI) by 31 % and 38 %, respectively. The fungal core microbiome predominantly influenced OC content and DDI in larger macroaggregates (>2000 μm), explaining over 35 % of the variance, while the bacterial core microbiome had a lesser impact, explaining <30 %. Conversely, in smaller aggregates (<2000 μm), the bacterial core microbiome significantly influenced DDI (R2 > 0.2), and the fungal core microbiome more strongly affected OC content (R2 > 0.3). Mantel tests showed that pH is the most significant environmental factor affecting core microbiome composition across all aggregate sizes (Mantel's r > 0.8, P < 0.01). Linear correlation analysis further confirmed that the core microbiome's community structure could accurately predict OC content and DDI in aggregates (R2 > 0.8, P < 0.05). Overall, our findings suggested that the core microbiome provides deeper insights into the variability of aggregate organic carbon content and decomposition, with the bacterial core microbiome playing a particularly pivotal role within the soil aggregates.

Potential drivers of changing ecological conditions in English and Welsh rivers since 1990

River invertebrate communities across Europe have been changing in response to variations in water quality over recent decades, but the underlying drivers are difficult to identify because of the complex stressors and environmental heterogeneity involved. Here, using data from ∼4000 locations across England and Wales, collected over 29 years, we use three approaches to help resolve the drivers of spatiotemporal variation in the face of this complexity: i) mapping changes in invertebrate richness and community composition; ii) structural equation modelling (SEM) to distinguish land cover, water quality and climatic influences; and iii) geographically weighted regression (GWR) to identify how the apparent relationships between invertebrate communities and abiotic variables change across the area. Mapping confirmed widespread increases in richness and the proportion of pollution-sensitive taxa across much of England and Wales. It also revealed regions where pollution-sensitive taxa or overall richness declined, the former primarily in the uplands. SEMs confirmed strong increases in average biochemical oxygen demand and nutrient concentrations related to urban and agricultural land cover, but only a minority of land cover's effect upon invertebrate communities was explained by average water chemistry, highlighting potential factors such as episodic extremes or emerging contaminants. GWR identified strong geographical variation in estimated relationships between macroinvertebrate communities and environmental variables, with evidence that the estimated negative impacts of nutrients and water temperature were increasing through time. Overall the results are consistent with widespread biological recovery of Britain's rivers from past gross organic pollution, whilst highlighting declines in some of the most diverse and least impacted streams. Modelling points to a complex and changing set of drivers, highlighting the multifaceted impacts of catchment land cover and the evolving role of different stressors, with the relationship to gross organic pollution weakening, whilst estimated nutrient and warming effects strengthened.

Distribution patterns of reef-building corals in the Northwest Pacific and their environmental drivers

Understanding species distribution and the related driving processes is a fundamental issue in ecology. However, incomplete data on reef-building corals in the ecoregions of the South China Sea have hindered a comprehensive understanding of coral distribution patterns and their ecological drivers in the Northwest Pacific (NWP). This study investigated the coral species diversity and distribution patterns in the NWP by collecting species presence/absence data from the South China Sea and compiling an extensive species distribution database for the region, and explored their major environmental drivers. Our NWP coral database included 612 recorded coral species across 15 ecoregions. Of these, 536 coral species were recorded in the South China Sea Oceanic Islands after compilation, confirming the extraordinary coral species diversity in this ecoregion. Coral alpha diversity was found to decrease with increasing latitude in the whole NWP, while the influence of the Kuroshio Current on environmental conditions in its path results in a slower decline in species richness with latitude compared to regions within the South China Sea. Beta-diversity decomposition revealed that nestedness patterns mainly occurred between low and high latitude ecoregions, while communities within similar latitudes exhibited a turnover component, particularly pronounced at high latitudes. The impact of environmental factors on coral assemblage structure outweighed the effects of spatial distance. Temperature, especially winter temperature, and light intensity strongly influenced alpha diversity and beta diversity's nestedness component. Additionally, turbidity and winter temperature variations at high latitudes contributed to the turnover pattern observed among communities in the NWP. These findings elucidate the assembly processes and major environmental drivers shaping different coral communities in the NWP, highlighting the significant role of specific environmental filtering in coral distribution patterns and providing valuable insights for coral species conservation efforts.