Article
Entomology
Daniel A. Potter, Bernadette M. Mach
Summary: Bees and other pollinators are crucial for food production and ecosystems, but their populations are declining due to habitat loss. Individuals can help bees by planting plants that provide pollen and nectar. While most information focuses on herbaceous plants, this study suggests that flowering trees and shrubs can also support urban bees. It is recommended to mainly use native plants for landscaping, but including some non-invasive non-native plants that bloom earlier or later than native plants may help during times of limited resources. However, caution is needed to prevent non-native plants from disproportionately hosting invasive bee species.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jo Gillespie, Rebecca Hamilton, Dan Penny
Summary: The Botany Wetlands in Sydney, Australia, were once extensive coastal freshwater wetlands but have been significantly changed by regulatory structures. These wetlands provide various ecosystem services and habitat for migratory water birds, but maintaining ecosystem services in this complex socio-legal-biophysical system requires a critical view of power relations and physical processes.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anna Wienhues, Linnea Luuppala, Anna Deplazes-Zemp
Summary: Biological conservation practices and approaches vary in their aims, methods, and underlying assumptions. This study uses philosophical distinctions to explore the differences in conservation projects along six dimensions, including conservation ideals, intervention intuitions, the moral considerability of nonhuman beings, environmental values, views on nature, and human roles in nature. By mapping the moral landscape of conservation, this study aims to shed light on disagreements and clarify misunderstandings between different environmental protection strategies.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Tania Zaviezo, Alejandra E. Munoz
Summary: Habitat or vegetation manipulation is a strategy in conservation biological control that has been studied relatively recently and is lacking in many parts of the world, especially when using native plants. A review of 56 studies from 2002 to 2022 on native plants and conservation biological control revealed that most studies were conducted in developed countries and focused on providing flower resources to natural enemies in various crops. The main knowledge gaps included the lack of understanding mechanisms, unknown effects on pest populations, and absence of cost-benefit analyses, similar to studies with non-native plants. Filling these knowledge gaps will enhance the transferability of this strategy in different cropping systems and locations and promote its adoption by farmers.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Achyut Kumar Banerjee, Tien Ming Lee, Hui Feng, Xinru Liang, Yuting Lin, Jiakai Wang, Minghui Yin, Hao Peng, Yelin Huang
Summary: Internet trade in China's online market is identified as a major dispersal pathway for non-native plant species. Invasive species dominate the online marketplace, and there is a lack of effective regulations to manage this trade. The study suggests the integration of a standardized risk assessment framework and continuous surveillance to strengthen trading regulations and take proactive management measures.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Souad Mehalaine, Taha Menasria, Haroun Chenchouni
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the seed germination conditions of three Lamiaceae species in Algeria. Two experiments were carried out: ex vitro and in vitro germination tests. In the ex vitro experiment, the combination of different conditions did not have a significant effect on germination success rate (GSR) in all three species. In the in vitro experiment, Thymus algeriensis showed high GSR, while Marrubium vulgare had significantly high GSR with the application of gibberellic acid (GA3) at certain doses and continuous darkness. Rosmarinus officinalis had a very low GSR regardless of the treatments used.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Bahare Salehi, Javad Sharifi-Rad, Jesus Herrera-Bravo, Luis A. Salazar, Carla Delporte, Gabriela Valenzuela Barra, Maria-Elena Cazar Ramirez, Maria Dolores Lopez, Karina Ramirez-Alarcon, Natalia Cruz-Martins, Miquel Martorell
Summary: Chile's native plants exhibit unique characteristics with high concentrations of phytochemicals, including antioxidants, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Some of these plants have been used in traditional medicine and recent studies have shown their biological activity, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, chemopreventive, and cytotoxic effects, as well as potential against diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and gastrointestinal disorders.
CURRENT PHARMACEUTICAL DESIGN
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nicole Guerrero-Leiva, Claudia Cerda, Inigo Bidegain
Summary: Plant diversity in urban areas has attracted intense biological research, given the widely acknowledged benefits of urban green spaces on improving quality of life. A study in Santiago de Chile revealed that while residents have limited knowledge of native flora, they recognize the intrinsic value of these species and are willing to conserve them, potentially promoting the conservation of local plant diversity in residential sidewalk gardens.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Craig Fergus, Iara L. Lacher, Valentine Herrmann, William J. McShea, Thomas S. Akre
Summary: This paper presents an approach to guide the prioritization of locations for invasion management using species distribution models and land use data. The approach takes advantage of the high spatial resolution and broad geographic coverage of land use data to provide landscape-scale results for invasive species management. In a case study in northern Virginia, the proportions of surrounding non-forested land use types were identified as common and strong indicators of invasion risk. The outcomes can inform management actions and help organizations in considering property acquisition or administration.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Erin E. Grabarczyk, Ted E. Cottrell, Glynn Tillman
Summary: Stink bugs are highly mobile pests that forage on crops and can be found in both crop fields and surrounding habitats. Different species of stink bugs exhibit varying distribution and aggregation patterns in agricultural fields and non-crop habitats, with aggregation timing possibly linked to food availability and crop phenology. Pest management strategies for stink bugs may need to consider movement within and between agricultural fields and surrounding habitats.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shuang Li, Hui Liu, Zhe Ruan, Rongjing Guo, Chao Sun, Yonglan Tang, Xiaoxi Huang, Ting Gao, Sijia Hao, Huanhuan Li, Na Song, Yue Su, Fan Ning, Zhuyi Li, Ting Chang
Summary: This study aims to explore the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in myasthenia gravis (MG). The study found that CBLL1, RBM15, and YTHDF1 were upregulated in MG samples and closely associated with immune characteristics. Further analysis identified two distinct m6A modification patterns mediated by these dysregulated m6A regulators.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Syuuto Toyoda, Morihiro Oota, Hayato Ishikawa, Shinichiro Sawa
Summary: The research discovered that some commercial silica gels containing calcium sulfate can attract nematodes, which may be used in agriculture to reduce the prevalence of root-knot nematodes.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Miguel F. Jimenez, Liba Pejchar, Sarah E. Reed, Melissa R. McHale
Summary: Urban development can lead to habitat loss and species extirpation. Urban habitat enhancement programs aim to improve the quality of habitat for native species in urban areas. Evaluating such programs is important, and a study in Fort Collins, Colorado found that certified residential open spaces had less mowed vegetation cover and more human-sensitive bird species compared to uncertified residential open spaces.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Silvina Fenoglio, Ezequiel Gonzalez, Julia Tavella, Hernan Beccacecea, Maria Laura Moreno, Diego Fabian, Adriana Salvo, Elizabet Lilia Estallo, Ana Calvino
Summary: Urbanization is causing a decline in global insect populations. Green roofs, which provide habitat for plants and animals in cities, could help mitigate this decline. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of plant origin, local resources, and urbanization level on insect abundance, diversity, and community composition on green roofs.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Laura Gigliotti, Chris Sutherland, Daniela Rato, Margarida Santos-Reis, Lourens H. Swanepoel
Summary: Carnivore intraguild dynamics are influenced by the complex interplay between environmental affinities and interspecific interactions. The management and conservation paradigms in South Africa have significantly altered the structure of local carnivore assemblages. Our study reveals that carnivores are generally distributed independently across space but existing spatial dependencies are context-specific. Furthermore, temporal overlap patterns mostly depend on species' endogenous clock rather than the local context.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)