Article
Environmental Sciences
Tao Huang, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Stephen H. Jones
Summary: Fecal contamination is a major cause of global water quality impairment, and aquatic ecosystems play a crucial role in removing fecal contamination. Understanding the mechanisms of fecal contamination removal in river networks under different flow conditions is essential. A river network model, FrAMES-Ecoli, was used to study the removal of fecal indicator bacteria in New England watersheds during summers. The results showed that river networks can effectively remove fecal indicator bacteria, with removal rates influenced by hydrologic conditions, watershed size, and source distribution. These findings highlight the importance of considering river network removal in managing fecal contamination in downstream receiving waters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Martin A. Wilkes, Morwenna Mckenzie, Marc Naura, Laura Allen, Mike Morris, Marco Van de Wiel, Alex J. Dumbrell, Alessia Bani, Craig Lashford, Tom Lavers, Judy England
Summary: Scientists and practitioners have made progress in understanding river recovery potential from geomorphological and engineering perspectives, but more research is needed on biological processes. Environmental policies are focusing on nature recovery, sparking debates on the use of natural reference conditions as benchmarks. This study suggests an alternative approach to restoration planning based on quantifying recovery potential through biodiversity observations and predictions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yitong Ding, Baozhu Pan, Gengnan Zhao, Changshun Sun, Xu Han, Ming Li
Summary: The study found that phytoplankton diversity is not a suitable water quality indicator in large sediment-laden rivers with heterogeneous environmental conditions, although it can reflect habitat changes to some extent. Water quality deterioration was observed from the source to the estuary of the river based on water quality index (WQI), and the dominant drivers of phytoplankton diversity variation were water quality parameters such as sediment and nutrient load. Geo-climatic factors like water surface slope and annual mean precipitation also influenced phytoplankton diversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
H. William Fennie, Rachel Seary, Barbara A. Muhling, Steven J. Bograd, Stephanie Brodie, Megan A. Cimino, Elliott L. Hazen, Michael G. Jacox, Elizabeth A. McHuron, Sharon Melin, Jarrod A. Santora, Justin J. Suca, Julie A. Thayer, Andrew R. Thompson, Pete Warzybok, Desiree Tommasi
Summary: Forage fishes play a crucial role in transferring energy in the food web. Understanding how they control the dynamics of the ecosystem is essential, especially in the face of climate change. The study focused on northern anchovy, an important forage species in the northeast Pacific, and found that its habitat suitability correlated with the diet and distribution of marine predators. The findings highlight the relevance of species distribution models in ecosystem-based management.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Cecilia Alonso, Emiliano Pereira, Florencia Bertoglio, Miguel De Caceres, Rudolf Amann
Summary: Increasing awareness of environmental impacts caused by anthropogenic activities emphasizes the importance of determining environmental status indicators that can be assessed on a large scale. This study analyzed bacterioplankton communities in four estuaries worldwide and identified indicators based on physicochemical variables. These bacterial indicators showed high prediction capability and outperformed other biological assemblages commonly used for environmental monitoring. The study suggests that this approach could complement existing strategies for monitoring and conserving aquatic systems globally.
AQUATIC MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Neha Badola, Faisal Sobhan, Jaspal Singh Chauhan
Summary: This study investigates the occurrence and distribution of microplastics (MPs) in the upper stretch of River Ganga in India. The study found that MPs were present in both water and sediment samples, with an average of 118.5 particles per 1000 L in water and 131.5 particles/kg dry weight in sediment. Fish samples also contained MPs, with different species having varying amounts, ranging from 12.63 to 53.13 particles per individual. The most common type of MP detected was fibers, and the polymer types varied among water, sediment, and fish samples, with polyethylene being predominant in water, polypropylene dominant in sediment, and polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene most abundant in fish samples.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xianjing Liu, Ying Wang, Chuanyi Zhang, Zehao Chen, Xiangyu Meng
Summary: A comprehensive and scientific assessment of benthic ecosystem health is crucial for selecting pollution reduction technologies for lakes. Current assessments mainly focus on biological indicators and neglect the actual situation of benthic ecosystems, limiting the evaluation results. This study combined chemical and biological assessments to estimate the biological conditions, nutritional status, and heavy metal pollution of Baiyangdian Lake.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Qian Xu, Ren Yang, Dachang Zhuang, Zongliang Lu
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of urban and rural spatial gradients, landscape gradients, and urban development planning on ecosystem services supply and demand in the Pearl River Delta region. It found significant differences in the ES supply function among different cities, with regulating services being the most important function type. The study also observed a gradual increase in ES value within cities and complex variations in ES values between cities.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zulkifli Nursyamin, Muhammad Syafiq Yahya, Sharifah Nur Atikah, Kamil Azmi Tohiran, Ahmad R. Norhisham, Nurul Wahida Othman, Alex M. Lechner, Badrul Azhar
Summary: Oil palm certification schemes like RSPO fail to consider the full range of biodiversity indicators, including common farmland birds found in plantations. This study identifies potential indicator bird species for assessing the environmental sustainability of oil palm cultivation, regardless of farming systems or practices. The study developed candidate lists of indicator bird species for four sub-regions in Southeast Asia based on previous studies and validated them through surveys in Peninsular Malaysia. Results showed that oil palm agro-ecosystems predominantly supported common farmland birds and rarely had conservation priority species. These bird species provide ecosystem services and are sensitive to habitat disturbances, making them suitable indicators for oil palm certification criteria.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yingman Guo, Bin Fu, Yukuan Wang, Pei Xu, Qin Liu
Summary: Urban river recreation services (URRS) are important for enhancing the quality of urban life. This study examined the supply and demand of URRS in Jinjiang River and identified spatial mismatches using the 2SFCA method. The results showed severe supply-demand mismatches in the region, with factors such as distance to the city center, supply of river recreation spaces, and riverfront distance influencing the patterns. The research findings can contribute to improving the quantity and distribution of urban riverfront green spaces and inform urban residential layout and planning.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Wei Jiang, Rainer Marggraf
Summary: Assessing the monetary value of cultural ecosystem services is challenging due to their non-material and non-market characteristics. A novel approach is developed in this paper to evaluate the inspirational service provided by the Weser River in Germany through an analysis of published books. The total value and unit value of the inspirational service are calculated, and the advantages and shortcomings of this approach are discussed, along with suggestions for further research.
Review
Plant Sciences
Li Wang, Chantal Hamel, Peina Lu, Junying Wang, Dandi Sun, Yijia Wang, Soon-Jae Lee, Gary Y. Gan
Summary: Grasslands are important for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Monitoring soil fertility in grasslands is crucial for optimizing ecosystem productivity and sustainability. Traditional measures for testing soil fertility are often difficult to perform, but soil enzyme activity can serve as a reliable indicator and an efficient alternative.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Thomas M. Newsome, Brandon Barton, Julia C. Buck, Jennifer DeBruyn, Emma Spencer, William J. Ripple, Philip S. Barton
Summary: Dead animal biomass plays a significant role in terrestrial ecosystems and can be used as an indicator of food web dynamics. Monitoring carrion could aid in comparisons of ecosystem processes among different landscapes.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xavier Rotllan-Puig, Eva Ivits, Michael Cherlet
Summary: The article introduces the UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 indicator 15.3.1, which is based on three sub-indicators: Trends in Land Cover, Land Productivity, and Carbon Stocks. Using the R-based tool LPDynR to implement the Land Productivity Dynamics approach can provide a 5-class map showing declining to increasing land productivity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
El Ellsworth, Yihan Li, Lenin D. Chari, Aidan Kron, Sydney Moyo
Summary: Spiders, as common terrestrial predators, play an important role in ecosystems. However, they are facing pressure from pollution and habitat destruction. This study explores the impact of human oversight and invasive plant management on spider occurrence. The results indicate that invasive plants can provide a valuable habitat for certain spider communities. Knowing more about spider populations and their associated plants can provide insights into how they adapt to ecosystem changes. More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of invasive plants on spider ecology.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amar Paul Singh, Kritish De, Virendra Prasad Uniyal, Sambandam Sathyakumar
Summary: This study investigated the bioturbation and dung removal activity of the dung beetle Catharsius molossus in different elevations in the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, revealing significant differences and a linear relationship between these activities and elevations. Such differences along the elevation gradient could result in a reduced nutrient transfer from dung to soil, negatively impacting surrounding habitats.
JOURNAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC BIODIVERSITY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Amar Paul Singh, Agni Chandra, Kritish De, Virendra Prasad Uniyal, Sambandam Sathyakumar
Summary: This study provides the first assessment of the habitat suitability distribution of bumble bees in the Himalayan region, and predicts that certain species of bumble bees will be in danger by 2050, potentially leading to the extinction of vital wildflower pollinators.
Article
Ecology
Kritish De, Amar Paul Singh, Arkojyoti Sarkar, Kritika Singh, Manju Siliwal, Virendra Prasad Uniyal, Syed Ainul Hussain
Summary: This study examined the relationship between LCBD, SCBD, and rarity of spider community in the riparian habitat of the Ganga River. The LCBD of the spider community was significantly correlated with total species richness but not with rare species richness. Spider species with intermediate occurrence contributed more to SCBD values than species with high and low occurrence. The rarity index of spider species had a significant relationship with SCBD values.
Article
Ecology
Amar Paul Singh, Kritish De, Virendra Prasad Uniyal, Sambandam Sathyakumar
Summary: Human-wildlife conflict is a serious issue in India, especially in the Himalayan Mountain region. This study analyzed the pattern of this conflict in a specific area and identified the Asiatic black bear, Himalayan brown bear, and Common leopard as the main carnivores responsible for livestock depredation. It was found that leopards killed livestock year-round at lower altitudes, while bears attacked during monsoon months at higher altitudes. The study recommends implementing compensation systems, improving livestock shelters, and regulating livestock grazing practices to mitigate these losses.
Article
Ecology
Kritish De, Amar Paul Singh, Arkojyoti Sarkar, Kritika Singh, Manju Siliwal, Virendra Prasad Uniyal, Syed Ainul Hussain
Summary: This study examined the effects of habitat disturbance on taxonomic distinctness, functional diversity, and local contribution to beta diversity of spider community in the Ganga River. The results showed significant relationships between habitat disturbance and the indices of taxonomic distinctness, functional diversity, and local contribution. Anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, garbage dump, human settlement, and created embankment influenced the spider community's taxonomic distinctness, functional diversity, and local contribution.
ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Tushar Parab, Kritish De, Amar Paul Singh, Virendra Prasad Uniyal
Summary: This study examines the behavioral responses of grey-hooded warbler and Blyth's leaf warbler to weather conditions in the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, filling important gaps in the understanding of Himalayan songbirds.
ORNITHOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Arvind Kumar Dwivedi, Kritish De
Summary: This article briefly presents the applications and limitations of various morphometric methods and their prospects in quantifying fish diversity.
NATIONAL ACADEMY SCIENCE LETTERS-INDIA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kritish De, Dipti Dey, Megha Shruti, Virendra Prasad Uniyal, Bhupendra Singh Adhikari, Jeyaraj Antony Johnson, Syed Ainul Hussain
Summary: This study examines the contribution of Odontates species to beta-diversity in the Ganga River and analyzes the impact of species richness and habitat variables on local contribution to beta-diversity. The results show that local contribution is negatively correlated with species richness and is influenced by habitat variables. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of species contribution in identifying those species that make the greatest contribution to beta-diversity.
WETLANDS ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
