Alternative fertilizations are essential to minimize the deteriorating effects of chemical fertilizers on soil and water quality/health. Accordingly, the present work investigated the effects of combined organic-inorganic fertilization (COIF) on wheat and rice yields, soil nutrients, and soil Cd accumulation. Hence, seven different treatments were set up: control (CK); conventional fertilization (CF); optimized fertilization (OF); organic fertilizer replacing 25% (T1) and 50% (T2) of OF; and organic nitrogen (N) replacing 25% (M1) and 50% (M2) of OF-N. Overall, significant increases occurred in the yields of COIF crops. Compared with the CF, the highest wheat and rice yields happened in M1 treatment (approximately by18.5%) (P < 0.05). COIF slightly alleviated soil acidification, and improved the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the study soils. Besides, COIF treatments significantly increased the contents of total phosphorus, total potassium, available phosphorus, and available potassium by 6.35 to 16.9 %, 3.17 to 10.9 %, 5.53 to 28.7 %, and 2.6 to 12 %, respectively (P <0.05). Nevertheless, negligible increases took place in Cd content of COIF soils compared with the CK. Altogether, our results concluded on 25% replacement of OF-N by organic N (M1) to effectively improve the fertility/ecological sustainability of the study soils.

We interviewed 48 people including local communities, ex hunters and protected area management professionals. The purpose of the interviews was to understand the motivations for, and the nature of, illegal hunting of prey species of iconic predators - tigers and leopards - in the northern section of Bardia National Park. Participants reported that hunting of prey species occurs mostly in spring and autumn and is less common during the summer. In the past, hunting was primarily for the purposes of obtaining meat for household consumption. Since the introduction of a road network in the region, opportunities to sell wild meat at ad-hoc ‘highway markets’ have developed. The purported medicinal properties of wild meat was also cited as a driver for illegal hunting. Mostly, locally hand-made guns are used for hunting and the use of dogs in hunting was often reported. Protected area managers informed that illegal hunting problems in the study area are associated with a lack of presence of park authorities, remoteness and underdevelopment and poverty of the community. Our study suggested that skills development training for local community members might reduce dependency on wild meat for household consumption and earning thereby reducing illegal hunting.

Revealing the spatial distribution mechanism of the coupling effect between soil water and salt is essential for managing saline-alkali farmland. This study utilized the multifractal method to analyze soil water and salt under varying water content levels in arid saline-alkali farmland. Soil samples were collected on the second (S1), fifth (S2), eighth (S3), eleventh (S4), and fourteenth (S5) days after a rainfall event. The findings showed that a significant decrease in soil water content, contrasting with an increase in soil salt content throughout the soil layers post-rainfall. As water content decreased, the spatial variability of soil water initially increased from S1-3 and then decreased, while the spatial variability of soil salt decreased. The spatial distribution between soil water and salt exhibited a high correlation at S3-4 (with relative water content of soil ranging from 0.52 to 0.75) due to their coupling effect. However, soil salt was unevenly leached by rainfall at high water content levels (S1-2) and precipitated at low water content levels (S5), resulting in low spatial variability correlations between soil water and salt. This study elucidated the coupling process of soil water and salt, identifying their spatiotemporal distribution mechanism in dryland agricultural areas.

Although the water absorption feature (WAF) at 970 nm is not very well-defined, it may be used alongside other indices to estimate the canopy water content. The individual performance of a number of existing vegetation water content (VWC) indices against the WAF is assessed using linear regression model. We developed a new Combined Vegetation Water Index (CVWI) by merging indices to boost the weak absorption feature. CVWI showed a promise in assessing the vegetation water status derived from the 970 nm absorption wavelength. CVWI was able to differentiate two groups of dataset when regressed against the absorption feature. CVWI could be seen as an easy and robust method for vegetation water content studies using hyperspectral field data.

The protection and regulation of international trade of Australia’s native species is legislated by its Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. In response to overwhelming evidence that the Act is ineffective at protecting biodiversity, the Australian Government is currently reforming its environmental laws. One problematic component of the Act is in cases where threatened species interact with multiple regulatory and management frameworks, such as commercially fished marine species that are traded as seafood. Here, we analyzed international seafood trade data and found that Australia exports four threatened fish species listed under the Act and additional species acknowledged as globally threatened. In light of our analysis, we have three recommendations for Australia’s new environmental legislation: 1) apply the same precautions to commercially harvested species as to other threatened species; 2) review the status of all threatened species annually; and 3) assess species listed on global conservation conventions. These recommendations will help ensure that Australia’s marine biodiversity is protected, despite its commercial value.

Despite of being an exceptionally biodiversity rich country, the forest coverage of Bangladesh is declining at an alarming rate. Declaration and management of protected areas in this regard is one of the efforts from government side to tackle the loss of biodiversity. The limited numbers of forest-protected areas (FPA), established to conserve the dwindling forest biodiversity of the country with high pressure on them for timber, non-timber forest products, and fuelwood - makes their management challenging. Moreover, most of the FPAs of the country declared only in the recent decades with very limited infrastructure, manpower and policy support for monitoring and governance. Some people-centred approaches for the management of FPAs and alternative livelihood and income generation subsidies although made available through a few project interventions, their number are still inadequate and performance remains less than satisfactory. This chapter provides a critical review of the FPAs of Bangladesh looking at their role in biodiversity conservation, management challenges, and key lessons from previous management interventions with recommendations for the future. It has been revealed that the FPA system of Bangladesh still poorly represents the diverse forest ecosystems with relatively small forest size and lack of corridors for the movement of wildlife. There are ample opportunities to render co-management of FPAs an effective strategy to minimize the conflicts in FPAs management in the country. It is, however, important to ensure the access of local forest-dependent people to different alternative income generating options that may adequately support their livelihoods.

Serotonin (5-HT) show important relations to stress, and this relationship is crucial to understanding the psychobiology of common mental disorders. Environmental stressors regulate phasic and tonic serotonin levels, which are related to valence and outcome probabilities. This regulation takes place at smaller timescales, but also at the level of gene expression regulation. Moreover, genes related to the synthesis, metabolism, and transport of 5-HT are also involved in this regulation. Genetic variations in these genes modulate how stressors can lead to mental distress, but stressors also modulate gene expression in a genotype-dependent manner. As a result, the relationship between psychosocial stress and the regulation of the expression of 5-HTergic genes is bidirectional. This suggests a “circular causality” in which gene variations control tonic and phasic 5-HT signals (“upward causality”), while configurations and functions of the entire organism determine which genes are up- or downregulated, or which gene products are actually relevant in each situation (“downward causality”). The highly important role of social factors in human psychopathology is highlighted, and factors such as attachment and socioeconomic status modulate how the circular vertical causality between genes, neurotransmitters, and behavior is organized, representing circular horizontal causality. These complex interrelationships also suggest that more refined epistemologies are needed to fully grasp the relationship between 5-HT and common mental disorders.

Mangrove plant seedling cultivation is crucial for the protection, management and restoration of mangrove ecosystem. In this study, we focused on Kandelia obovata, a typical mangrove, and evaluated nursery cultivation with different combinations of three salinity levels (S1: 0 ppt, S2: 10 ppt, and S3: 20 ppt), three genealogies (EZD, JX, and YZ), and five growth media (M1: 100% loess, M2: 100% sandy, M3: 50% loess + 50% sandy, M4: 40% loess + 40% sandy + 20% peat, and M5: 40% loess + 40% sandy + 20% coir), by measuring the growth parameters such as mortality rate, seedling height, diameter, and biomass partition. These growth indexes were significantly affected by salinity and medium, and genealogies also had significant effects on mortality rate and biomass accumulation. S2 or S3 both had lower mortality and higher growth indexes than S1. M1 was the medium that increased seedlings height, diameter and biomass the most and had the lowest death rate. EZD and JX were also higher levels than YZ in these indicators, but the difference between them was not obvious. S3, M1, and EZD consistently performed well in fuzzy evaluation and quality assessment. Furthermore, combinations involving these treatments also produced highly favorable results. These results furnish both a theoretical and practical foundation for advancing nursery cultivation techniques and germplasm breeding of K. obovata in mangroves.

The necessity for precise and current data concerning the dynamics of land cover change in Indonesia is crucial for efforts to reduce natural vegetation cover due to agricultural expansion. The functionality of monitoring systems that incorporate Terra-MODIS is currently compromised by the limited availability of data for the immediate future. This study seeks to assess the potential of VIIRS satellite imagery in developing an early warning system for monitoring vegetation cover change in Indonesia. The Normalized Differential Open Area Index (NDOAI) computed from the 8-day’ VIIRS data was employed to detect changes in vegetation cover based on pixel-by-pixel subtraction in the NDOAI data time series. Evaluating the pixel-level accuracy of change detection is complicated due to the fact that we evaluate a change map at a coarser resolution than the Landsat-based reference map. The results revealed that increasing the threshold percentage is associated with improved accuracy. In change detection, there is often a trade-off between accuracy and sensitivity. A threshold that is too low may result in false positives, while a threshold that is too high may lead to missed changes. This study demonstrates that when a threshold value of less than 20% is applied, Landsat can identify vegetation cover changes at an earlier stage. Conversely, when a threshold value greater than 20% is employed, VIIRS will detect the change 4.5 days earlier than Landsat. Additionally, VIIRS is capable of detecting changes 25.4 days and 54.8 days faster than Landsat, respectively, when using thresholds of 40% and 75%.

Soil extracellular enzyme activity (EEAs) and enzymatic stoichiometry (ES) can provide a crucial indication of changes in soil ecosystem's nutrient availability and the microbial resource limitations. However, the changing characteristics of soil EEAs and ES at different stages of the native succession process and their key drivers are unclear. In order to investigate the soil EEAs, ES and driving factors of soil under vegetation at different succession stages, we adopted the "spatio-temporal substitution" method to collect the surface soil of bryophyte community, herbaceous community, shrub community and tree community in the new volcanic lava platform of Wudalianchi Volcanic Nature Reserve. We measured seven soil EEA, including carbon(C)-acquiring enzyme (β-1,4-glucosidase (BG)), N-acquiring enzymes (β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP)) and phosphorus (P)-acquiring enzyme (acid phosphatase (AP)) activities. The length and angle of vectors defined by ratios of enzyme activities (BG/(NAG + LAP) vs. BG/AP) were used to indicate relative microbial investments in C- (length), and N- and P- (angle) acquiring enzymes. Our results showed that the contents of TC, TN, TP, MBC, DOC and NO3-N in shrub community soil were significantly higher than those in bryophyte, herb and tree communities, and increased by 441%, 246%, 137%, 5570%, 12% and 484%, respectively. The highest soil EEA of C-, N- and P-acquiring were found in shrub community, and the soil EEAs/MBC of C-, N- and P-acquiring were the highest in bryophyte community. Enzyme C:N, C:P and N:P ratios increased progressively in the order of bryophyte, herb and shrub community, but the enzyme C:N, C:P and N:P ratios of tree community were both far less than shrub community. Vector lengths increased progressively in the order of bryophyte (1.16), herb (1.27), tree (1.29) and shrub (1.40), and Vector angles decreased progressively in the order of bryophyte (49.15°), herb (45.65°), Tree (45.31°) and shurb (44.54°), suggested that as succession progresses, soil microbial nutrients transforms from P limitation (angle＞45°) to N limitation (angle＜45°). Redundancy analysis showed that TC, TN, EC and C:N were important drivers of variation in soil EEAs and ES in vegetation at different succession stages. Our findings highlight that the primary succession process cause nutrient limitation transformation. Soil ES might be a sensitive indicator mediated by soil microorganisms to the relative resource limitation at different stages of the primary succession process.

Biocultural heritage preservation relies on ethnobotanical knowledge and the paleoethnobotanical data used in (re)constructing histories of human-biota interactions. Biocultural heritage, defined as the knowledge and practices of Indigenous and Local peoples and their biological relatives, is often guarded information, meant for specific audiences and withheld from other social circles. As such, these forms of heritage and knowledge must also be included in the ongoing data sovereignty discussions and movement. In this paper we share the process and design decisions behind creating an online database for ethnobotanical knowledge and associated paleoethnobotanical data, using a content management system designed to foreground Indigenous and local perspectives. Our main purpose is to suggest the Mukurtu content management system, originally designed for physical items of cultural importance, be considered as a potential tool for digitizing and ethically circulating biocultural heritage, including paleoethnobotanical resources. With this database, we aim to create access to biocultural heritage and paleoethnobotanical considerations for a variety of audiences while also respecting the protected and sensitive natures of Indigenous and local knowledges.

We tested the use of mosquito traps as an alternative to insecticide spraying in Camargue (France) following the significant impacts observed on the non-target fauna through Bti persistence and trophic perturbations. In a village of 600 inhabitants, 16 Techno-Bam traps emitting CO₂ and using octenol lures were set from April to November 2016. Trap performance was estimated at 70% overall based on mosquito landing on human baits in areas with and without traps. Reduction of Ochlerotatus caspius and Oc. detritus, the two species targeted by Bti spraying, was respectively 74 and 98%. Traps were less efficient against Anopheles hyrcanus (46%), which was more attracted by lactic-acid than octenol lures based on previous tests. Nearly 300 000 mosquitoes from nine species were captured, with large variations among traps, emphasizing that trap performance is also influenced by surrounding factors. Environmental impact, based on the proportion of non-target insects captured, was mostly limited to small chironomids attracted by street lights. Breeding success of a house martin colony was not significantly affected by trap use, in contrast to Bti spraying. Our experiment confirms that deployment of mosquito traps can offer a cost-effective alternative to Bti spraying for protecting local populations from mosquito nuisance in sensitive natural areas.

This paper introduces an innovative energy circuit that challenges conventional understandings of energy conservation, marking a significant departure from traditional frameworks. Seeking to enhance energy generation within existing paradigms, this innovation holds promise for addressing pressing global issues such as the energy crisis and environmental sustainability, while also stimulating scientific inquiry. In contrast to prevalent misconceptions rooted in philosophical and scientific constraints, this study refutes the notion of generating energy from nothing and questions the viability of perpetual motion machines as conceptual models. Instead, it proposes a novel circuit design derived from an unconventional electrical short circuit, which is shown to disrupt the established principles of energy conservation. This circuit offers a transformative approach with diverse applications, including self-recharging capabilities for electric vehicles, bolstering microgrid infrastructure, and facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources. Transcending conventional scientific boundaries, this paper prompts philosophical reflections on the evolving nature of scientific exploration. Ultimately, the energy circuit represents a pivotal step towards mitigating the global energy crisis by reducing reliance on finite resources and fostering sustainability. The paper concludes by illustrating the circuit's potential to revolutionize energy systems and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future.

One of the most concerning global environmental issues is the pollution of agricultural soils by heavy metals (HMs), especially cadmium (Cd), which not only affects human health by taking Cd-containing foods but also impacts the quality of rice. The soil's nitrification and denitrification processes, coupled with the release of volatile organic compounds by plants, raise substantial concerns. The understanding of three aspects of paddy soil under conditions of heavy-metal pollution and water management is currently limited. In this review, we summarized recent literature related to the deleterious effects of Cd on both soil processes related to the N cycle and rice quality, particularly aroma, in different water management practices. Under both continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) conditions, cadmium (Cd) has been observed to reduce both nitrification and denitrification processes. The adverse effects are more pronounced in continuous flooding (CF) compared to alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Similarly, the alteration in rice aroma is more significant in AWD than in CF. The precise modulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by Cd, remains unclear based on the available literature. Nevertheless, HM accumulation is higher in AWD conditions compared to CF, leading to a detrimental impact on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The literature concluded that AWD practices should be avoided in Cd contaminated fields to decrease accumulation and maintain the quality of rice. In the future, rhizospheric engineering and plant biotechnology can be used to decrease the transport of HMs from the soil to the plant’s edible parts.

Abstract: Due to sever land degradation throughout Ethiopia, the government has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. However, most of the rivers in Ethiopia carry huge amount of sediment in rainy season and streams dried up in the dry period. Planned research was conducted on two paired micro-catchments Mt.Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were collected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on both micro-catchments at their outlets and center respectively. Base flow separation was done using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software was employed for data analysis. Flow duration curve (FDC) for both watersheds were developed. The FDC indicated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment ishigher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and un-sustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant difference in base flow enhancement between the treated and untreated micro-catchment (P<0.001). Hence, catchment treatment contributed to improve groundwater recharge and sustain base flow in the dry season by reduce surface runoff during rainy season.

Biocultural heritage-based products, including regional specialty foods, are increasingly part of sustainable rural development strategies. While export-oriented biocultural products are often the most visible, we examine the role of campesino gastronomic heritage in the Central Valley of Tarija, Bolivia, as a case study of a local market-centered biocultural resource-based development strategy reflected in an alternative agri-food network. We develop a biocultural sustainability framework to examine this network from ecological, economic and sociocultural perspectives. Data are drawn from interviews (n=77), surveys (n=89) and participant observation, with primary and secondary producers of traditional and new products, as well as restaurant owners, market vendors and local consumers. We find that campesino biocultural heritage and the alternative agri-food network surrounding it represent an influential territorial project that underpins many household economies, particularly for women. We conclude that the relatively small investments by local governments to promote campesino gastronomic heritage are having positive ripple effects on small-scale producer livelihoods and on biocultural sustainability. We suggest that further support to increase market access and reduce other barriers to participation in alternative food networks will likely increase the options and benefits available to small-scale producers mobilising campesino gastronomic heritage within the local economy.

Abstract: Severe land degradation is the principal environmental problem in Ethiopian highlands in the form of soil erosion, and soil fertility loss, which is caused by human intervention for food, shelter, and energy demands. Soil erosion contributes to the loss of precious soil and water resources which are the basis of agricultural production and provide numerous other eco-system services. The Ethiopian highlands are one of the most degraded regions in the world. To combat such problems, the government of Ethiopia has been implementing massive soil and water conservation works at the watershed scale since 2010 to conserve soil and water resources. Mount Yewel is one of the highlands in Northeastern Ethiopia where intensive soil and water conserva-tion has been implemented. Despite the massive investment in soil and water conservation measures, most of the rivers in the highlands of Ethiopia carry huge amounts of sediment with high flood risks in the wet season and streams are dried up in the dry period. Nonetheless, the impact of soil and water conservation measures on flood reduction and dry season flow en-hancement has not yet been quantified and evaluated. This research was then conducted on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel with the main objective of evaluating the impact of soil and water conservation measures on base flow modification. Stream flow and rainfall data were col-lected from 22/11/2020 to 8/11/2022 on paired micro-catchments of Mount Yewel at their outlets and centers respectively. Base flow separation was done from the stream hydrograph using Sp. Hydro base flow separation tool and SPSS Ver.21 statistical software were employed for data analysis. Flow duration curves (FDC) for both watersheds were developed to compare the stream flow patterns between treated and untreated micro-catchments of Mount Yewel. The FDC indi-cated that the base flow from treated micro-catchment is higher and sustained in the dry season while it is low and unsustained in untreated micro-catchment. From statistical analysis, there is a significant (P

Biodiversity plays an important role in maintaining the ecological balance of the earth. The study of traditional knowledge related to biological resources is a hot issue in the field of international biodiversity conservation. Xishuangbanna is a key area of biodiversity and a cultural hotspot of international significance. According to the Technical Regulation for Classification, Investigation, and Inventory of Traditional Knowledge Relating to Biological Diversity issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, we investigated and catalogued the traditional knowledge related to biodiversity of the Jino people who have lived in Xishuangbanna for generations, and collected 490 entries of traditional knowledge related to biodiversity of the Jino people. Drawing on the traditional knowledge diversity index calculation method proposed by Wang Guoping, the overall traditional knowledge α-diversity index of the Jino people is 0.63, indicating that the richness of the traditional knowledge of the Jinuo people is relatively high. The traditional culture related to biodiversity, the traditional knowledge related to agricultural genetic resources, and the traditional technology related to the sustainable utilization of biological resources are relatively rich and diverse. The diversity index is 0.86, 0.82 and 0.79 respectively. In addition, Xishuangbanna has invested a lot of energy in biodiversity protection, including the establishment of nature reserves, botanical gardens, zoos, ecological tea gardens and other species reserves, the promulgation of laws and policies related to biodiversity protection, and has achieved remarkable results in in-situ protection and ex-situ protection. On the basis of analyzing the progress and achievements of biodiversity conservation in Xishuangbanna, this study points out that Xishuangbanna faces challenges such as the loss of traditional knowledge, insufficient conservation efforts, and great changes in land use, and puts forward corresponding suggestions.

A burgeoning body of scholarship identifies and discusses botanic gardens as increasingly important centres of biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Notwithstanding the high quality and richness of this literature, it encompasses relatively autonomous fields of expertise that are neither designed nor expected to promote cross-disciplinary, integrative, accounts of botanic gardens as institutions of conservation and sustainability. Bridging key aspects of the botanic garden literature, this article brings into conversation historical accounts with contemporary scholarship on the matter. In so doing, it unveils dilemmas and challenges faced by botanic gardens as they grapple with their historic legacies, but also renew their relevance in nurturing sustainable socio-environmental futures. The article proceeds by covering three focal points. First, it summarizes the scholarly literature on the history of botanic gardens. Second, it presents accounts of current scientific and biodiversity conservation endeavours as reflexive engagements with their historical legacies. Third, it addresses the recent emergence of socio-cultural missions at botanic gardens as a significant step beyond their historical focus on plants and plant ecosystems.

The essence of cross-modal generation and retrieval modeling for image-text interactions lies in semantic consistency. Among these, cross-modal representation alignment serves as the foundational requirement for achieving cross-modal semantic consistency. The crux of our proposed method entails the collaborative training of an image captioning model(referred to as the ’captioner’) and a pair of contrastive encoders for image-text matching(referred to as the ’concoder’). This synergistic approach yields concurrent enhancements in concoder’s performance, captioner’s proficiency, and cross-modal semantic coherence. We coin the proposed method as ‘ReCap’. To begin, we initialize the concoder through knowledge distillation from a pre-trained model. During the training process, we use the output of the initialized concoder as input to a residual attention network, jointly training it with the captioner to achieve semantic consistency. Subsequently, we iteratively update the concoder during the image-text momentum encoding phase using the residual attention network, creating a closed-loop for semantic consistency resolution. Upon completion of training, the concoder and captioner modules can be used independently to perform tasks related to cross-modal retrieval and cross-modal generation of text and images. In order to substantiate the efficacy of our proposed method, we initially conducted empirical experiments encompassing image-text retrieval and image captioning tasks, employing a widely recognized benchmark dataset, MSCOCO. Subsequently, we assessed the fine-grained cross-modal alignment performance of the concoder through an image classification task on the iNaturalist 2018 dataset. The achieved performance metrics notably surpassed those achieved by several incumbent state-of-the-art models, thus validating the proficiency of our method. Finally, motivated by the practical requirements of handling the nature conservation image data, we performed caption annotation for the iNaturalist 2018 dataset. Subsequently, we trained the ReCap on this annotated data. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method can maintain semantic consistency between cross-modal retrieval and image caption generation for species with similar visual features but distinct semantics. This achievement signifies a meaningful exploration in the field of cross-modal semantic consistency representation, holding significant practical value in the domain of biological research.

This study aimed at testing the effectiveness of novel combinations of chemical and physical methods to control Prosopis juliflora, an invasive weed in the Moshi and Simanjiro districts of Nothern Tan-zania. Six different treatments including manual uprooting, glyphosate, bark chop with chemical application, two separate chemical mixtures and control were tested in a total of 32 plots, which represented two land use types (grazing land and farmland) found in the two districts. Each plot covered 20m×30m plot area. Two response variables (stem count and tree volume) were recorded to compare weed population density before and after treatment six months later. An analysis of the untreated control plots, showed that the inherent growth potential of P. juliflora was higher in Moshi than in Simanjiro district. The number of stems increased during the experiment for all six treatments showing that the P. juliflora population had not yet reached the local carrying capacity. For the manual control treatment, the increase was reduced compared to the untreated control. For all other treatments, the increase in stem count was on par with that in the untreated control or even higher. Thus, we conclude that only manual uprooting had a controlling effect but not to the extent that it eradicated P. juliflora. Thus, it is for P. juliflora as for weed control in general: weed control must be an ongoing effort.

The human landscape transforming activity contributes to the global change of vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We are investigating the vegetation dynamics over several years in in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). One important background factor is changes in precipitation and temperature. The novelty of our present study lies in the fact that the observation takes place with continuous disturbance, where the human influence is very large. Our results confirm that the weed infestation be detectable at bait sites over a long period, and the interannual changes were typical in every year, according to the fact that in August, more weed species are usually present with a greater cover at the bait sites. The main meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. There was a higher proportion of vegetation regeneration in wetter years, while dry periods do not favor successional processes. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. A more precise understanding of vulnerable systems and careful planning of treatment interventions is necessary.

Purpose of publication: - Preparation of bibliometric data exported from the Scilit platform on energy efficiency and conservation for further analysis to identify relevant research topics. - To identify potential issues in the processing of data exported from the Scilit platform. - Providing colleagues with the opportunity to use the prepared data and examples of their analysis for independent research on topical issues of energy efficiency and energy conservation using materials provided by the Scilit platform. Research Materials: Files in CSV and RIS formats exported from Scilit for the query "energy conservation OR efficiency" in Common Fields [Title, Abstract, Keyword], using filters: Content Type → Journal Article; Year→2021-2023; Subject → Industrial Engineering (29.8K), Energy and Fuel Technology (9.8K), Manufacturing Engineering (9.2K). A total of 30K records sorted by their relevance (10K for each year) were exported. Data are current as of 14-03-2024. Methods: Preprocessing of title, annotation, and keyword field texts using lemmatization dictionaries collected on GitHub, removal of keywords taken from GATE and spaCy, and "manual" editing. Using VOSviewer to analyze publication topics by clustering keywords based on their co-occurrence. Using Scimago Graphica to build bubble diagrams.Application of the GSDMM algorithm for clustering bibliometric records by title and annotation texts. Creation of a dictionary for this algorithm using the keyword field.Use of the Carrot2 demo version and the NMF algorithm for a more detailed analysis of the topics of the record clusters obtained from GSDMM. Results: are presented in the form of initial and interim tables and graphs obtained in the course of this study. The full tables are provided as references to the attached materials. Supplementary material for this preprint on figshare: Chigarev, Boris (2024). Supplementary material for preprint "Analyzing the Possibilities of Using the Scilit Platform to Identify Current Energy Efficiency and Conservation Issues". figshare. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.25574058.v1

Residual stress (RS) is the most challenging problem in metal additive manufacturing (AM) since the build-up of high tensile RS may influence the fatigue life, corrosion resistance, crack initiation, and failure of the additively manufactured components. While tensile RS is inherent in all the AM processes, fast and accurate prediction of stress state within the part is extremely valuable and would result in optimization of the process parameters in achieving a desired RS and control of the build process. This paper proposes a physics-based analytical model to rapidly and accurately predict the RS within the additively manufactured part. In this model, a transient moving point heat source (HS) is utilized to determine the temperature field. Due to the high temperature gradient within the proximity of the melt pool area, material experience high thermal stress. Thermal stress is calculated by combining three sources of stresses known as stresses due to the body forces, normal tension, and hydrostatic stress in a homogeneous semi-infinite medium. The thermal stress determines the RS state within the part. Consequently, by taking the thermal stress history as an input, both the in-plane and out of plane RS distributions are found from incremental plasticity and kinematic hardening behavior of the metal by considering volume conservation in plastic deformation in coupling with the equilibrium and compatibility conditions. In this modeling, material properties are temperature-sensitive since the steep temperature gradient varies the properties significantly. Moreover, the energy needed for the solid-state phase transition is reflected by modifying the specific heat employing the latent heat of fusion. Furthermore, the multi-layer and multi-scan aspects of metal AM are considered by including the temperature history from previous layers and scans. Results from the analytical RS model presented excellent agreement with XRD measurements employed to determine the RS in the Ti-6Al-4V specimens.

Multifunctional landscapes are complex systems that integrate biophysical, cultural-historical and socio-economic components into unique territorial structures and regional ensembles. Facing increasing pressures generated by urbanization, climate change and overexploitation of natural resources, assessing the sustainability of these landscapes has become an urgent priority. The present research is based on the development and parametrization of a new tool for evaluating the sustainability of multifunctional landscapes that aims to measure the level of biocultural resilience of a landscape, integrating biological, cultural and socio-economic indicators in a single analytical framework. This index, called the biocultural resilience index (BRI), provides a holistic perspective on the dynamics of landscapes, allowing the identification of vulnerability areas and the development of conservation and sustainable management strategies. The evaluation of the of multifunctional landscapes sustainability requires a comprehensive approach that has to integrate both biological aspects, such as biodiversity and ecosystem health, as well as identity and cultural aspects, such as cultural value and the relationship of the local communities with the environment. In this context, this study highlights the fact that the development of appropriate tools and methods for assessing and monitoring the sustainability of multifunctional landscapes becomes essential for their sustainable management and for protecting the benefits they offer to society. Our findings show that the biocultural resilience index (BRI) can be used in a variety of contexts and fields, including spatial planning, biodiversity conservation, sustainable rural development and ecotourism. In the meanwhile, this index offers a robust and flexible analytical framework, adaptable to the needs and particularities of different regions and communities.

The market for shark fin soup, a fashionable, high-end Chinese dish, has resulted in intensive shark fishing across all oceans. At the same time, 90% of teleost fish stocks are over-exploited, making sharks the most lucrative target: fisheries that have not previously hunted them are now. As top and middle predators, sharks have high ecological value and poor capacity to withstand fishing mortality, but though their numbers are plummeting, the secretive nature of the fin trade, along with the difficulties of obtaining relevant data, obscure their true status. In consumer countries, shark fin is a luxury item and rich consumers are willing to pay high prices. There is little interest in sustainability or legal trade. Thus market demand will continue to fuel the search for sharks and those accessible to fishing fleets are increasingly endangered. Current legal protections are not working, as is clearly seen in the case of the shortfin mako. Claims that sharks can withstand such targeted, industrial hunting and be sustainably fished under these circumstances are shown to be misguided. In the interests of averting a catastrophic collapse across the planet’s aquatic ecosystems, sharks must be given effective protection. We recommend that all sharks, chimaeras, manta rays, devil rays, and rhino rays be protected from international trade through an immediate CITES Appendix I listing. However, a binding international agreement for protection, not only of sharks, but of the loss of biodiversity in general, is what is most needed to allow marine and fresh water ecosystems to recover.

Pseudolysimachion nakaianum (Ohwi) T.Yamaz. is an endemic species that is an important species in the forest ecosystems of South Korea. This study aimed to develop an in vitro propagation system for P. nakaianum, to enhance the availability of this rare and endemic plant for commercial horticulture and restoration efforts. We utilized cotyledon explants from in vitro germinated seeds and two types of explants (petiole and leaf) from in vitro seedlings to assess the impact of five different cytokinins on adventitious shoot organogenesis in P. nakaianum. The half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with 10 µM thidiazuron (TDZ) for both cotyledon and petiole explants, yielded the highest shoot induction rates (61.1 ± 9.6% and 26.7 ± 8.8%, respectively) and the greatest number of shoots (3 ± 0.6 and 4.4 ± 0.5, respectively). Responses from leaf explants were variable, with none showing in vitro regeneration. Successfully acclimatized P. nakaianum plantlets in a greenhouse demonstrated normal growth. This protocol outlines an effective method for the direct in vitro regeneration from cotyledon and petiole explants of P. nakaianum, providing valuable information for the conservation of this species.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is an important deciduous species in western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands (&lt;0.09 ha or 30 m²), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. We assessed the annual phenology of aspen in the Southern Rockies and leveraged the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2 to create ecologically relevant seasonal composites. Additionally, we derived spectral indices and radar textural features targeting the canopy structure, moisture, and chlorophyll content. Using spatial block cross-validation and Random Forests, we assessed the accuracy of different scenarios and selected the best performing set of features for classification. Comparisons were then made with existing landcover products across the study region. The resulting map improves on existing landcover products in both accuracy (average F1-score = 93.1%) and detection of smaller forest patches. These methods enable accurate mapping at spatial and temporal scales relevant to forest management for one of the most widely distributed tree species in North America.

Precise individual tree or sample-based inventories derived from 3D point cloud data of mobile laser scanning can improve our comprehensive understanding of the structure, function, resilience, biodiversity, and ecosystem services of urban forests. This study assessed the performance of a hand-held laser scanning system for the extraction of tree position, diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height (H) in an urban area. A total of 2083 trees of 13 species from 34 plots were analyzed. The results showed that the registration of tree positions using ground control points (GCPs) demonstrated high accuracy, with errors consistently below 0.4 m, except for a few instances. The extraction accuracy of DBH for all trees and individual species remained consistently high, with a total root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.06 cm (6.89%) and a bias of 0.62 cm (2.07%). Notably, broad-leaved trees outperformed coniferous trees, with RMSE and bias values of 1.86 cm (6%) and 0.76 cm (2.46%) compared to 2.54 cm (9.46%) and 0.23 cm (0.84%). Tree height extraction accuracy varied significantly among different species, with R2 values ranging from 0.65 to 0.92. Generally, both DBH and height were underestimated. Linear mixed effects models (LME) were applied to evaluate factors affecting the performance of HLS with the plot as a random factor. LME analysis revealed that plant type and terrain significantly influenced the accuracy of DBH and H derived from HLS data. Other fixed factors of plot area, tree density and trajectory length didn’t have significance. With a large sample size, we concluded that the HLS demonstrated sufficient accuracy in extracting individual tree parameters in urban forests.

The expanding global population has increased the demand for sustainable protein sources, and microbial protein (MP) has emerged as a promising alternative. However, conventional carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (ammonia, urea) sources needed for MP production pose environmental and economic issues. This study aims to produce protein using lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) as a carbon source and the nitrogen fixation ability of Klebsiella oxytoca M5A1 as a nitrogen source. The study investigates the pretreatment of LCB (switchgrass), enzymatic hydrolysis, protein quantification, and high-performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC) analysis to track glucose utilization and organic acid production. K. oxytoca M5A1 harnessed free nitrogen from the atmosphere through nitrogen fixation and used abundant, cheap glucose from LCB to produce MP and organic acids as by-products. Protein production occurred in two phases: first within the initial 8 hours and secondly, within the last 16 hours. The highest protein concentration was at 40 hours, with approximately 68.3% protein content. HPLC analysis revealed a dynamic profile of glucose utilization and organic acids (Lactic acid, Propionic acid, Acetic acid, and Succinic acid). K. oxytoca M5A1 exhibited an early high rate of glucose consumption, and conversion to organic acids that were later used for second-phase protein production. The acids profile revealed intra-conversion from one acid to another via metabolic pathways (glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle). Overall, leveraging LCB and the nitrogen-fixing ability of K. oxytoca M5A1 for MP production offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional protein sources, contributing to a sustainable circular economy.

The Puuc Biocultural State Reserve (PBSR is an unique model for tropical dry forest conservation in Mexico. Preserving forest biodiversity and carbon within the PBSR depends on the mainte-nance of low impact productive activities coordinated by multiple communal and private land-owners. In this study, we used state-of-the-art remote sensing data to investigate past spatial patterns in forest clearing dynamics and its relation to forest carbon density and forest plant species richness and diversity in the context of the forest conservation goals of the PBSR. We used a Landsat-based continuous change detection product for the 2000-2021 period and compared it to carbon density and tree species richness models generated from ALOS-2 PALSAR 2 imagery and national scale forest inventory data. The estimated error-adjusted area of detected annual forest clearings from the year 2000 until the year 2021 was 230,511 ha in total (+19,979 ha). The analysis of annual forest clearing frequency and area suggests that although forest clearing was significantly more intensive outside of the PBSR than within the PBSR during the entire 2000-2021 period, there is no evidence suggesting that the frequency and magnitude of forest clearing has changed over the years after the creation of the PBSR in 2011. An emergent hotspot analysis shows, however, that high spatiotemporal clustering of forest clearing events (hotspots) during the 2012-2021 pe-riod was less common than prior to 2011 and these more recent hotspots have been confined to areas outside the PBSR. After comparing forest clearing events to carbon density and tree species richness models, results show that land owners outside the PBSR often clear forests with lower carbon density and species diversity than land owners inside the PBSR. This suggests that, compared to land owners outside the PBSR, land owners within the PBSR might be practicing longer fallow periods allowing forests to attain higher carbon density and tree species richness and hence better soil nutrient recovery after land abandonment. In conclusion, our results show that the PBSR effectively acted as a stabilizing forest management scheme during the 2012-2021 period minimizing the impact of productive activities by lowering the frequency of forest clearing events and preserving late secondary forests within the PBSR. We recommend the continuation of efforts for providing alternative optimal field data collection strategies and modeling techniques to spatially predict key tropical forest attributes. The combination of these models with contin-uous change detection datasets will allow to reveal underlying ecological processes and generate information better adapted to forest governance scales.

Channel bends are one of the most important characteristic features of natural streams. These bends often create the conditions for a hyporheic zone, which has been recognized as a critical component of stream ecosystems. The streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v), vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) and Darcian flux (DF) in the hyporheic zone were estimated at 61 locations along a channel bend of the Beiluo River during July 2015 and January 2016. All the streambed attributes showed great spatial variability along the channel bend. Both upward fluxes and downward fluxes occurred during the two test periods, most of studied stream sections were controlled by downwelling, indicating stream water discharge into the subsurface. The average downward flux was higher at the downstream side than at the upstream side of the channel bend, especially in July 2015. The distribution of streambed sediment grain size has a significant influence on the variability of K_v; high percentages of silt and clay sediments generally lead to low K_v values. Higher K_v at the depositional left bank at the upstream site shifted toward the erosional right bank at the downstream site, with K_v values positively correlated with the water depth. This study suggested that the variabilities of K_v and VHG were influenced by the stream geomorphology and that the distribution of K_v was inversely related, to a certain extent, to the distribution of VHG across the channel bend. K_v and VHG were found to have opposite effects on the DF, and the close relationship between K_v and DF indicated that the water fluxes were mainly controlled by K_v.

Wildlife conservation is an important component of environmental sustainability and can be improved by reviewing the performance of its three major models – common pool, top-down regulatory, and private resource -- under varying environmental and socioeconomic conditions. Generally, the private resource model is the most sustainable because it provides the best incentives to balance the needs of humans and wildlife, to maintain general wildlife habitat, and to adapt quickly to changing environmental and/or socioeconomic conditions. Top-down or “command and control” regulation, however, can be employed as a model of last resort if the private resource model shows signs of failing to protect specific species from local extirpation or extinction, which it is most likely to do for migratory species, species with close commercial substitutes, and species with no direct commercial value. Top-down regulators may also be needed to enforce property rights arrangements like catch shares and to monitor resources that remain in the common pool in the event that socioeconomic or environmental conditions change sufficiently to trigger the tragedy of the commons.

The rodents of Saudi Arabia consist of 20 species and 12 genera within four families (Gliridae, Dipodidae, Muridae, and Hystricidae). Details on the past and present distribution of the rodents were included along with available data on their habitat preference and biology. The eastern central part of Saudi Arabia covering Tuwiq mountains plateau, including the vicinity of Riyadh, hosts the highest number of rodent species. Analysis of the rodent fauna of Saudi Arabia revealed that they have four major zoogeographical affinities; Palaearctic-Oriental (one species), Afrotropical- Palaearctic (six species), Palaearctic (four species), endemic to Saudi Arabia and Yemen (three species), Afrotropical-Palaearctic-Oriental (three species) and three cosmopolitan species. According to the National Red List, the Euphrates Jerboa, S. euphratica, is listed as Endangered, Near Threatened for the Indian Crested Porcupine, H. indica, three species as Data Deficient, while the rest are considered as Least Concern.

We changed the symmetry of the Weak Force from SU(2) to the quaternion group $Q_8$, and found that spin spacetime separates into two complementary spaces: a spin polarization spacetime of even parity states, and a spin coherence space, in the $S^3$ hypersphere, of odd parity coherent states. Under the quaternion group, spin is a boson of spin 1 in free flight and a fermion of spin $\frac{1}{2}$ when measured. It immediately follows that neutrinos are not needed to balance spin and conserve energy in beta decay. Additionally, we find the boson electrons emitted in beta decay are odd to parity, leading to parity conservation even though the observed beta distribution is asymmetrical.

Dolichandrone spathacea is a rare and endangered semi-mangrove plant species with an extremely small population, naturally distributed only in Zhanjiang City and the east coast of Hainan Island, China. Regrettably, the present situation of the D. spathacea population in China has not yet been carefully investigated. In this study, we aim to evaluate the current resource status and population dynamic characteristics of D. spathacea on Hainan Island, China, in order to propose sustainable conservation and management strategies for future ecological restoration of its natural population. Our results show that D. spathacea on Hainan Island can be divided into four populations. All the D. spathacea populations present a state of overall dispersion, local concentration, and occasionally sporadic existence, and they exist in geographical isolation. The young, middle, and old D. spathacea plants account for 20.42%, 66.20%, and 13.38%, respectively, indicating that the overall age class of the D. spathacea population on Hainan Island belongs to a declining type. Furthermore, instead of temporal structure, we chose diameter at breast height (DBH) to establish a static life table, draw a population survival curve, and quantify the future development trend through population dynamic analysis and time-series prediction. These results directly point out that the D. spathacea population on Hainan Island is sensitive to external disturbances and possesses two main increases in mortality rate—namely, in its juvenile and mature stages—due to weak vitality, competition, and anthropogenic interferences, which are the most important reasons for its endangered status. Depending on the current conditions of the D. spathacea population, we should conserve and expand mature trees in situ, preserve their germplasm resources, rehabilitate their habitats to promote provenance restoration, and conduct artificial cultivation and spreading planting in order to realize the sustainable conservation and management of D. spathacea.

Orchids totalling close to 4000 species in Malaysia are one of the most diverse and most widespread family here had gained momentum in recognition among policy makers and guardians of the forest as one of the profiles that fit and can benefit plant conservation on a broad scale in recent years. Listed not only as conservation indicator but also as priority germplasm for sustainable floriculture industry in the country, a milestone that could safeguard wild orchids from verge of extinction in the natural habitat. Through our 30 years of studying orchids in the wild, we understand more about the distribution, rarity, threats and extinction of orchids than ever before, and we have the scientific tools to address many of the problems, yet many species face daily threats including habitat loss and unsustainable exploitation mainly via Internet trade. Prior to executing workable conservation plan, various research institutions working closely with Forestry Departments in Malaysia to first inventory and document the orchid species richness in the country. Selangor, Sarawak and Perlis Forestry Departments in collaboration with UPM have published seven orchid books that cover various habitat types. Selangor Forestry Department is leading on publishing biodiversity data in form of books for its various ecotourism’s sites and State Parks, and had published two books on orchids. Sarawak state has published one on the limestone orchids, and Perlis is the first to embark on the feat published one in 2010 and currently preparing a new book that includes other flagship wild flowers. Realizing the importance of documenting its biodiversity wealth, Malaysia has developed an information system that would be a one-stop retrieval point or repository for biodiversity facts and as a part of the commitments to CBD to facilitate reporting and the transfer of biological diversity and conservation-related information both nationally and internationally.

During the last 150 years, the trout-culture industry focused on enhancing trout populations by stocking, in response to the growing anglers’ demand and the habitat degradation associated to the rapid urbanization and hydropower development. The industrialized north of Italy, home to the Italian Alpine and subalpine trout populations, is the source of most of the revenues of the national trout-culture industry. Its rapid growth and the massive introduction of non-native interfertile trouts eroded the genetic diversity of native lineages, leading to harsh confrontations between scientists, institutions, and sportfishing associations. We review here the state of art of the taxonomy and distribution of the northern Italian native trouts, presenting both scientific results and historical documentation. We think the only native trouts in this region are Salmo marmoratus, widespread in this region, plus small and fragmented populations of S. ghigii, present only in the Southwestern Alps. We strongly recommend the interruption of stocking of domesticated interfertile non-native trouts in this area, and recommend the adoption of Evolutionary Significant Units for salmonid fishery management. We further propose future research directions for a sustainable approach to the conservation and ecosystem management of the fishery resources and inland waters of northern Italy.

A careful examination of the fundamentals of electromagnetic theory shows that due to the underlying mathematical assumptions required for Stokes' Theorem, global charge conservation cannot be guaranteed in topologically non-trivial spacetimes. However, in order to break the charge conservation mechanism we must also allow the electromagnetic excitation fields D, H to possess a gauge freedom, just as the electromagnetic scalar and vector potentials $\varphi$ and A do. This has implications for the treatment of electromagnetism in spacetimes where black holes both form and then evaporate, as well as extending the possibilities for treating vacuum polarisation. Using this gauge freedom of D, H we also propose an alternative to the accepted notion that a charge passing through a wormhole necessarily leads to an additional (effective) charge on the wormhole's mouth.

Using arguments originally introduced by Einstein we show that the reductionist philosophy of quantum mechanics reverses the natural order. In quantum mechanics emission is followed by observation and interpreted classically with the collapse of the wave function, whereas in nature classical absorptions of energy precede emission. Also momentum transfers leading to emissions are asymmetric with respect to spatial orientation and time, but are disregarded in quantum mechanics because molecular impulses cannot be observed. Thus despite irrefutable physical evidence that microscopic processes evolve asymmetrically the wave function is assumed to apply symmetrically in time. The deficiencies are corrected by introducing Hamilton’s principle and deriving relativistic equations of motion. The calculus of variations is then applied to the wave function to show that it is an incomplete equation of motion because it yields twice the allowable action minimum thereby allowing the concept of reality to be redefined.

It is often claimed that Einstein is wrong about quantum mechanics. However, when comparisons are made with respect to theoretical foundations rather than experimental results Einstein’s theories are found to be superior. Although quantum mechanics correctly predicts what it is possible to observe (the emissions) it ignores the other half of natural phenomena, what cannot be observed (the absorptions), thereby violating the conservation laws. By describing only one-half of radiation processes conceptual difficulties such as wave function collapse, infinite paths, and inscrutable mathematics seem to be insoluble mysteries. The deficiencies are corrected by introducing Hamilton’s principle S = ∫ Ldt and applying the methods of quantum field theory to derive relativistic equations of motion. The calculus of variations is used to show that the wave function represents an incomplete equation of motion because it equals twice the allowable action minimum.

Nanocelluloses have gained significant attention in recent years due to singular properties (good biocompatibility, high optical transparency and mechanical strength, large specific surface area and good film-forming ability) and wide-ranging applications (paper, food packaging, textiles, electronics and biomedical). This article is a comprehensive review of nanocelluloses from the preparation methods to their applications in conservation and restoration of historical paper documents. The novelty lies in the information collected about nanocelluloses as renewable, environmentally friendly and sustainable materials in the field of preservation of cultural heritage as an alternative to conventional methods. Several studies have demonstrated that nanocelluloses, with or without other particles, impart to the paper documents excellent optical and mechanical properties, very good stability against temperature and humidity aging, stronger antibacterial and antifungal activity, high protection to UV light and do not require additional adhesive.

The Arabian Peninsula with its rugged mountains, wadis, alluvial plains, sand dune deserts, and diverse coastlines span over 3 million square kilometres. The Peninsula is situated at the crossroads of Africa and Asia and is a meeting point for diverse biogeographic realms, including the Palearctic, Afrotropical, and In-domalayan regions. This convergence of biogeographic zones has resulted in a remarkably diverse flora and fauna, which is adapted to the harsh and varied climates found throughout the Peninsula. Each of the coun-tries of the Arabian Peninsula are biologically diverse and unique in their own rite, but Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman are the most diverse in terms of their landforms and biological diversity. The mountainous regions support a cooler and more moderate climate compared to the surrounding lowlands, thus forming unique ecosystems that function as refugia for plant and animal species and have a high endemism of plant species. The desert ecosystems support a variety of life that are specially adapted to an extreme arid climate. Due to its long history of human habitation and subsistence agriculture, particularly in the mountainous areas, the Arabian Peninsula possesses unique crop varieties adapted to extreme arid climates, making them important genetic resources for the future in the face of climate change. The Arabian Peninsula, though rich and diverse in its biological diversity, has been greatly affected by human activities especially in the last 50 years, including urbanization, habitat destruction, overgrazing, and climate change; these pose significant threats to the biodiversity of the region.

The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for biodiversity monitoring and conservation, shortened to Conservation GIS, is an influential tool that has revolutionized conservation efforts by providing spatially explicit data to inform conservation decision-making. However, Conservation GIS also faces challenges related to data quality and availability, technical limitations, as well as policy and governance issues. The diverse and rising uses of GIS for conservation has resulted in a need for continued research and development of Conservation GIS, including advancements in technology and data collection, integration with other fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, and collaborative approaches to Conservation GIS. Conservation GIS has the potential to make a significant impact on conservation efforts, and this article emphasizes the importance of its implementation to achieve the broader goal of biodiversity conservation for planetary health. In this review, we discuss the various applications of Conservation GIS, including biodiversity conservation and monitoring, habitat mapping and restoration, climate change mitigation and adaptation, wildlife tracking and management, and protected area management. We highlight some of the key knowledge gaps or research questions that need to be addressed in the future to further advance the field of Conservation GIS. By addressing these challenges and knowledge gaps, Conservation GIS can become a powerful tool for addressing the challenges facing biodiversity and ecosystems worldwide, and for promoting sustainable land-use practices.

Preserving and restoring biodiversity is becoming a great challenge as we face a world where planetary boundaries will likely be crossed over the following decades. Such challenge needs to consider multiple scales of complexity, both in space and time. A common thread in most cases is the presence of nonlinear phenomena generating shifts among alternative states. These breaking points imply a new perception of risk and different management strategies. A broad range of phenomena affect the preservation of healthy communities and constrain the ways to deal with conservation, from local features associated with habitat loss or facilitation to mesoscale or global network-level ecological complexity and the role played by extreme events. How are these scales connected? How can the emergent properties associated with ecosystem dynamics be exploited? Here a synthesis of ideas is presented, with a complex systems view of the different scales involved, the emergent phenomena separating them, and the universal properties that allow defining simple models on each scale.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) are both agroecologically-oriented production systems that support more productive, sustainable, and resource-conserving farming, with synergies arising from their respective assemblages of reinforcing agronomic methods. Application of CA principles enhances the growth, yield, and performance of the crops grown under the cropping system as well as the health and resilience of the whole ecosystem. SRI practices create more favorable conditions for the development of crop plants below- and above-ground, conditions that can be enhanced by CA management. SRI practices such as reduced plant density m-2 can elicit better phenotypic expression of the genetic potentials of crops grown with CA.. For these two agronomic systems to converge at field level, some of their respective practices for plant, soil, water, and nutrient management need to be modified or aligned. One such adaptation is to practice SRI in CA systems on permanent, no-till, mulch covered raised beds, with rainfall or irrigation water in the furrows between the beds furnishing and controlling water; and providing weed suppression and improved nutrient recycling. SRI rice cropping can benefit from the CA practices of no-tillage, soil mulch cover, and diversified cropping, both in paddies and on raised beds. Several examples have shown that this convergence of cropping systems is feasible for smallholding farmers as well as for larger-scale producers, and also that SRI practices within a CA system are amenable to considerable mechanization. This review article examines the compatibility between CA and SRI, considering examples of their being utilized in complementary ways. Further research and experimentation are needed to identify and assess appropriate practices for capitalizing upon their synergies.

The possibility of abrupt transitions threatens to poise ecosystems into irreversibly degraded states. Recently, it has been proposed the use of engineered microbiomes in endangered ecosystems to prevent them to cross tipping points and avoid collapse. Potential targets for such interventions include some of the most prominent life-support systems in the biosphere: drylands and coral reefs. Since engineering can require the introduction of microorganisms not present in resident communities, how can we weight the potential outcomes? One way is to use general models of species interactions where the "synthetic" strain is incorporated into a standard multispecies model. Here we follow this approach by modelling a resource-consumer community where one of the species is a modified one that acts by preserving some key resource. We show how the indirect effect of damping the decay of shared resources results in biodiversity increase, and last but not less, the successful incorporation of the synthetic within the ecological network. Further extensions and implications for future restoration and terraformation strategies are discussed.

Conservation agriculture (CA) could be very effective for agricultural sustainability under Mediterranean environments, where farmers rely on short rotation based on durum wheat. In this work we investigated the effect of different combination of tillage treatments and crop sequence (conventional tillage and wheat monocropping, CT-WW; conventional tillage, and wheat following faba-bean, CT-WF; zero tillage and wheat monocropping, ZT-WW; zero tillage and wheat following faba-bean, ZT-WF) on yield, grain quality traits as well as on diseases incidence and severity in durum wheat (var. Saragolla). The results of a two-years of data of a long-term experiment (7-year experiment; split-plot design) are discussed. The CA approach (ZT+WF), which induced always the highest grain yields (6.1 t ha-1 and 3.3 t ha-1 in 2016 and 2017) thanks to an increased number of spikes m-2 (296 vs 269 and 303 vs 287 spikes m-2 in 2016 and 2017, respectively) as well as to a more pronounced ear length, demonstrated significant positive influences in terms of grain quality. It promoted grain protein accumulation (12.1% for ZT+WF versus 11.4% for ZT+WW and 12.4% for ZT+WF versus 10.6% for ZT+WW in 2016 and 2017), improved gluten quality (in terms of SDS sedimentation test) and colour of the grain. The abundance of crop residues determined a higher incidence and severity of Zymoseptoria tritici leaf symptoms under CA system; nevertheless the late appearance of infection was the main reason of not affecting yield and quality traits. The presence of faba-bean (WF) in the rotation significantly reduced leaf symptoms of Z. tritici.

Rich biodiversity is one of the Philippines’ greatest assets. Unfortunately, there is a continuous decline in the diversity of flora and fauna across the world. This calls for the need to educate people, especially younger generations, to value and protect biodiversity and natural resources. The study aimed to assess the students’ extent of knowledge and identify their perspectives towards biodiversity and its protection and conservation. A total of 268 randomly selected students at Aurora State College of Technology Zabali Campus were involved in the study. Survey questionnaires were used to obtain data and information which were subjected to statistical tests. The students had a moderate knowledge level on biodiversity with a mean score of 6.65 out of 10 items (SD = 1.50). Their perspective on biodiversity was leaning toward its protection and conservation, with a mean score of 7.2 out of 10 items (SD = 1.29). Factors affecting the students’ knowledge were gender (p = .003) and academic department (p = 0.003). Females and those associated with the Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences and Department of Industrial technology were found to have more knowledge than the others. Males, on the other hand, were found to have a more positive perspective towards biodiversity. Knowledge and perspective had a weak correlation with r = 0.39. Students were not well-aware, but were in support of the Philippines’ biodiversity-related laws, which could help shape their mindset and actions towards biodiversity conservation and protection. As an implication, the college administration must revisit the curricula of all degree programs and ensure that students from each degree program are environmentally educated, emphasizing biodiversity conservation.

The European Union of Aquarium Curators (EUAC) includes 150 members and is an important association for the European public aquarium community. Since 2004, over one quarter of a million euros were awarded by the EUAC Conservation Fund to approximately 50 projects, which spanned across the globe. While projects varied greatly in content and scope, several achieved a significant impact in local populations and/or their focus species. This paper reports on results achieved by these conservation efforts and what improvements can be made, to ensure that the funding is indeed invested in conservation efforts per se. Perhaps the most valid conclusion to be drawn from the list of projects covered in this work is the fact that, regardless of the outcome, as far as preservation of the species are concerned, local communities were actively engaged in a subject that would, otherwise, remain unknown to them. Additionally, these EUAC funded projects highlight how public aquarium activities reach far beyond the acrylic panels surrounding the tanks and indeed the walls of the institution, as they spread around the world and raise awareness within local communities to preserve biodiversity. These results further suggest that a future direction for EUAC, as well as the public aquaria it consists of, could – indeed should - include more strenuous lobbying with legislating bodies, to ensure more adequate – and stronger – in situ conservation measures. In conclusion, with so many doubts being raised by different movements about the existence of aquaria and zoos, it is important that the public is aware that it is their visit to see the ambassadors of different species of animals that supports the funding of many of these pilot projects that aim to preserve species in their natural environment.

Humanity will soon define a new era for nature – one that seeks to correct decades of underwhelming responses to the global biodiversity crisis. Area-based conservation efforts, which include both protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, are likely to extend and diversify. But persistent shortfalls in ecological representation, management effectiveness and measurable biodiversity outcomes diminish the potential role of area-based conservation in stemming biodiversity loss. Here we show how protected area expansion by governments since 2010 has had limited success in increasing biodiversity coverage, and identify four emergent issues that –if addressed – will enhance the performance of area-based conservation post-2020. We close with recommendations for a broad biodiversity agenda that maximises the potential of area-based conservation. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity must recognise that area-based conservation primarily focuses on local threats to species and ecosystems, and needs enhanced emphasis on biodiversity outcomes to better track and fund its contribution to global conservation efforts.

This paper delves into the intricate interactions of photons in the realms of gravity and antigravity. Photons, being fundamental particles of light, exhibit remarkable behaviors as they traverse through the cosmos. They journey through the vast expanses of the universe until they venture into the enigmatic invisible realm. The photon's encounters with gravity and antigravity are explored in detail. When confronting the gravitational influence of massive objects, such as celestial bodies, photons neither gain nor lose energy, but they exchange momentum with the external gravitational field while steadfastly preserving their intrinsic momentum. Intriguingly, the photon's interaction with the mysterious force of antigravity, propelled by dark energy, presents an irreversible transformation. The consequences of this interaction are profound, as photons undergo a cosmic redshift of a magnitude greater than that induced by gravity or other redshift mechanisms. This distinctive effect manifests as the photon departs from the gravitational embrace of galaxies and embarks on a journey beyond their boundaries, where the domain of zero gravity commences. Furthermore, the paper elucidates the dynamics of external forces exerted by massive objects on photons during their interactions. These forces momentarily carry the photons while they engage with the massive objects. Yet, despite this external assistance, the photons maintain their original momentum. Notably, within a gravitational field, the effective deviation from this transportation remains zero, reaffirming the photon's commitment to its initial trajectory.

Others have proposed that living systems are characterized by the possession of a kind of information unique to them. This information, variously called semantic, symbolic, or coding information conveys meaning from senders to recipients, most commonly among genome and other cellular components, different cells, organisms, etc., enabling all biological functions. Unlike other kinds of information, it is only indirectly quantifiable and does not increase by copying. Here, the term system information is used to encompass the entire package of coding information enabling all organisms of a species to complete their life cycles through possession of its copy (Crkvenjakov and Heng 2021). System information grows in a nonreductive evolution only during speciation proper by the acquisition of novel functions by daughter species. Contemporary science agrees that species are units of evolution but has failed to recognize and parse the importance of phases of speciation and stasis for evolution. Confinement of system information change to speciation only explains for the first time why there are species and why their number increases nearly exponentially throughout evolution. More importantly, here we define that evolution as a process operating on a planetary scale, while chance based, is non-random mathematically since it obeys the Laws of Information which dictate the behavior of System information in organisms. Growth and persistence of system information on the non-degenerative portion of Tree of Life follow the law of conservation, which states that its growth is as parsimonious (minimal) as possible and the persistence of parental system information the maximal possible in each unit speciation step. This formulation is a restatement of Loewnstain's (1999) principle of information economy and our lock-in law (Crkvenjakov and Drmanac 2007). The principle holds that since, on chance assumption, the system information change cost is directly proportional to time, more costly pathways of achieving the same new functional goal will be, almost without exception, competed out by the less costly ones. As a corollary of the conservation law, the speciation law states that speciation follows the most economical way of growth of system information while conserving the existing one, which is horizontal information transfer by molecular sex (uptake of exogenous nucleic acid into the progeny genome) by exchange among two parents from maximally possible divergent lineages. The speciation law dictates that molecular sex mode be used since it is the most parsimonious one. The molecular sex cost in information bits is zero to the recipient, which is not the case with the generally accepted mode of vertical accumulation of information bits in a population gene pool within a lineage.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenges include understanding what triggered SARS-CoV-2 emergence, how this RNA virus is evolving or how the genomic variability may impact the primary structure of proteins that are targets for vaccine. We analyzed 19471 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and 199,984 spike glycoprotein sequences available at the GISAID database from all over the world and 3335 genomes of other Coronoviridae family members available at Genbank, collecting SARS-CoV-2 high-quality genomes and distinct Coronoviridae family genomes. Here, we identify a SARS-CoV-2 emerging cluster containing 13 closely related genomes isolated from bat and pangolin that showed evidence of recombination, which may have contributed to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. The analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes presented 9632 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to a variant density of 0.3 over the genome, and a clear geographic distribution. SNPs are unevenly distributed throughout the genome and hotspots for mutations were found for the spike gene and ORF 1ab. We describe a set of predicted spike protein epitopes whose variability is negligible. All predicted epitopes for the structural E, M and N proteins are highly conserved. This result favors the continuous efficacy of the available vaccines.

The drought is one of all phenomena at local to a global scale that caused climate change impacts, alongside it also the human activities related, which were deforested and land use changed that caused to ecological disturbance, which one is hydrological changes. Hence, it’s a lot of lost productivity, chiefly to farming land aspects and the other, so the land restoration by reforestation is needed in framework to water cycle (hydrology) process kindly. The aim of this research has identified and analyzed ecological restoration to ecosystem services, chiefly in wastewater management (treatment) to conservation, especially in Al Zaytun areas (Pesantren), so observing and in-depth individual interview (with some of personage and pesantren of boards) is one method that used to data collected, alongside land survey management to classified type development in Al Zaytun areas. The result of this research revealed that Al Zaytun successfully in water management to conservation by wastewater treated management by Eichhornia crassipes (Enceng gondok), afterward to the reservoir as water saved development. Those conservation types considered capability in reviving to ecological systems to ecosystem services increased kindly, alongside to land restoration by some of the plant species or trees to grow and developed in which Tectona grandis L. f is more dominantly and it's favorite because of investment economic that advantage based on ecological perspective. These were type management that did by Al Zaytun, alongside its able in coping to both drought and climate change impacts kindly and adaptively, and of course, it’s part of an obligation as the follower’s Islam religion in preserving and maintaining natural resources, chiefly to water resources.

This paper presents a comprehensive and adaptive framework for orchid conservation programs illustrated with data from published and unpublished case studies. There is a specific focus on West Australian terrestrial orchids, but many of the approaches have universal relevance. Aspects of the framework include (1) setting appropriate objectives, (2) establishing effective collaborations between scientists, volunteers and regulators to fill knowledge and funding gaps, (3) use of survey and demographics data to determine extinction risks and management requirements for species, (4) effective habitat management to overcome threats such as grazing, (5) finding potential new habitats by modelling climate and site data, (6) investigating the effectiveness of pollinators and (7) using seed baiting to detect mycorrhizal fungi. The relative cost and effectiveness of different methods used to propagate orchids for translocation are compared. Methods known to be successful, in order of complexity, include placement of seed in situ, vegetative propagation, symbiotic germination in non-sterile organic matter, symbiotic germination in sterile culture, asymbiotic sterile germination and clonal division in tissue culture. These form a continuum of complexity, cost, time required, faculties needed, as well as the capacity to maintain genetic diversity and produce seedlings preadapted to survive in situ. They all start with seed collection and lead to seed storage, living collections used as tuber banks and seed orchards, as well as translocation for conservation. They could also lead to commercial availability and sustainable ecotourism, both of which are needed to reduce pressure on wild plants. Overall, there has been a strong preference to use relatively complex, expensive and time-consuming methods for orchid conservation, despite evidence that simpler approaches have also been successful. These simpler methods, which include in situ seed placement and non-sterile germination on inorganic substrates, should be trialled in combination with more complex orchid propagation methods as part of an adaptive management framework. It is essential that orchid conservation projects harness the unique biological features of orchids, such as abundant seed production and mycorrhizal fungi which are far more widespread than their hosts. This is necessary to increase the efficiency and coverage of recovery actions for the largest and most threatened plant family.

Accurate detection of forest restoration sites using deep learning is crucial for effective ecosystem management, optimizing reforestation efforts, and ensuring environmental sustainability. While various deep learning-based systems have been developed for this purpose, the influence of different neural network architectures on model performance during the identification of forest restoration sites remains underexplored. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the optimal methodology for extracting and classifying candidate sites for forest restoration based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), specialized for image recognition. Four categories—arable land, road and barren, quarry, and forest—were defined as candidate sites for forest restoration. A dataset comprising 17,043 samples was divided into training (11,929) and validation (5,114) sets at a ratio of 7:3 for model learning. Model accuracy was evaluated using pixel accuracy (PA) and mean intersection over union (mean IoU). The Resnet152-U-Net model demonstrated a pixel accuracy of 95.2% and a mean IoU of 61.3%, indicating excellent performance in extracting candidate sites for forest restoration. This approach offers spatial and temporal advantages over conventional field surveys or aerial image-based assessments, potentially serving as valuable data for selecting future forest restoration sites.

The term “conservation,” as it relates to biodiversity in a Western context, has a storied past and as conservation science and societal values have evolved, consensus over its precise meaning has remained elusive. The broad scope of contemporary definitions hampers effective communication during a period of environmental crisis and is troublesome for any derivative concept which aims to empirically quantify the efforts of the conservation sector. This presents an avoidable hindrance to the systematic planning of the conservation field. To help remedy this situation, we provide an outcome separation framework that is based on the expected degree of separation between an action’s proximate outcome, from its intended, ultimate outcome for a habitat and/or species. Framing a definition of conservation through this lens of outcome separation allows for conservation-related actions to be clearly categorized into one of three discrete tiers: primary, secondary, and tertiary. A distillation of this tiered framework also provides a new definition of biodiversity conservation that is more rigorous and adaptable to future conceptual evolutions of the field.

Mutual survival among different species of living organisms is quite common in our living world. That mutual survival can produce symbiotic or parasitic relationship among different living organisms. But at the same time, some relationships are harmful to the living organisms creating pathogenic relationships. Why some mutual survivals are beneficial, whereas some relationships are harmful creating different diseases in the living world? That harmful or pathological relationship producing different diseases in both the animal and plant kingdom has been extensively studied by the scientific community several times under the heading of ‘Host-pathogen interaction’ and ‘Disease pathogenesis’. But it is still not clear why some mutual survivals are beneficial or non-harmful, whereas some co-survivals are harmful producing different disease conditions in the living world mainly due to different immune mediated reactions or direct toxic effect of substances produced by an organism. To find the answer to this question, we have to search retrospectively to the evolutionary pattern of our diverse living world. If it is assumed that we have originated from Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) by different cumulative mutations, horizontal gene transfer, mobile genetic elements (MGE), transposition and natural selection, then it would be quite pragmatic to consider that two things were moving side by side in our ancient living world. On one hand it’s purpose was to create the diversification of both unicellular and multi-cellular living world and on the other hand it’s another purpose was to maintain the specific identity of the living organisms. It is the second purpose or the maintenance of specific identity that ultimately led to the development of Immune system.

Germplasm is a valuable natural resource in plant diversity that is crucial for its potential use. It provides knowledge about a species genetic composition. Germplasm protection strategies are not just planting hope threatened with extinction, they preserve medicinal and other essential plants on which survival rests. The successful use of genetic plant resources necessitates diligent collection, storage, analysis, documentation, and germplasm exchange. Slow growth cultures, cryopreservation, pollen and DNA banks, botanic gardens, genetic reserves and farmer’s fields are few conservation techniques. However, usage of an in vitro procedure with any chance of genetic instability leads to the destruction of the entire substance. Improved understanding of basic regeneration biology would, in turn, undoubtedly increase the capacity to regenerate plants from in vitro harvested explants, thus expanding selection possibilities. Germplasm conservation seeks to conserve endangered and vulnerable plant species worldwide for future proliferation and development; it is also the bedrock of agricultural production.

The Double U-pipe ground heat exchanger, recognized for its straightforward process, cost-effectiveness, high heat exchange efficiency, and low thermal resistance, stands as the predominant ground heat exchanger type in today's shallow geothermal energy development and utilization. Recent years have seen significant research into the heat transfer influencing factors and heat exchange performance of Double U-pipe ground heat ex-changers via experimental testing methods. Yet, studies integrating numerical simulation with in-situ testing have been less frequent. Drawing on the cylindrical heat source model theory and the outcomes of regional in-situ thermal response tests, this paper develops a Double U-pipe ground heat transfer model by establishing physical, mathematical, and heat transfer geometric models. It assesses the impact of varying inlet temperatures, flow rates, and initial ground temperatures on heat exchange efficiency under heating conditions. The results validate the precision of the double U-pipe ground heat exchanger model based on in-situ testing. They show that enhancing the temperature differential between the inlet and initial temperatures, elevating the initial ground temperature, and moderately increasing the flow rate can boost the system's heat exchange efficiency.

Measuring the status and trends of biodiversity is critical for making informed decisions about the conservation, management or restoration of species, habitats and ecosystems. Defining the reference state against which status and change are measured is essential. Typically, reference states describe historical conditions, yet historical conditions are challenging to quantify, may be difficult to falsify, and may no longer be an attainable target in a contemporary ecosystem. We have constructed a conceptual framework to help inform thinking and discussion around the philosophical underpinnings of reference states and guide their application. We characterise currently recognised historical reference states and describe them as Pre-Human, Indigenous Cultural, Pre-Intensification and Hybrid-Historical. We extend the conceptual framework to include contemporary reference states as an alternative theoretical perspective. The contemporary reference state framework is a major conceptual shift that focuses on current ecological patterns and identifies areas with higher biodiversity values, regardless of the disturbance history. The specific context for which we design the contemporary conceptual frame is underpinned by an overarching goal—to maximise biodiversity conservation and restoration outcomes in existing ecosystems. The contemporary reference state framework can account for the inherent differences in the diversity of biodiversity values (e.g., species richness, habitat complexity) across spatial scales, communities and ecosystems. In contrast to historical reference states, contemporary references states are measurable and falsifiable. This ‘road map of reference states’ offers perspective needed to define and assess the status and trends in biodiversity and habitats. Our framework for contemporary reference states provides a tractable way for policy-makers and practitioners to navigate biodiversity assessments to maximise conservation and restoration outcomes in contemporary ecosystems. We illustrate how to define a contemporary reference state using an example from south-eastern Australia.

A scenario-based approach to the impacts of land use and climate change can help in identifying future policy directions. This study models the impacts of different land use and climate change scenarios on the forest ecosystems of South Korea to identify national-scale forest policy options. Climatically suitable forest areas for 1,031 climate vulnerable plant species were identified for current time and for 2050. We calculated change in species richness under four climate projections. We built forest conversion models and created four 2050 forest scenarios: (1) forest loss continues at current rates; (2) similar loss, but with conservation in areas with suitable future climates; (3) a reduction of loss by 50%; and (4) a combination of preservation and overall reduction of loss by 50%. We then crossed the forest conversion models with the climate-driven change in species richness, and categorized current forest areas into four classes to offer forest policy alternatives. By deploying the scenarios which preserve climatically suitable forests, the average species richness where forests converting to other land uses reduced significantly. We suggest conserving forests with suitable climates for biodiversity conservation and the establishment of forest plantations targeted to areas where species richness will decline based on our results.

Cultural heritage is a fundamental part of the society’s identity, and its conservation is of great relevance as it transcends time and memory. To minimize its deterioration, cultural heritage has traditionally undergone diverse preservation and maintenance treatments and the attention of researchers to develop new and innovative methods for state diagnosis and protection treatments has been increasing in the recent decades. Therefore, in this study, a literature review using a bibliometric analysis and LDA methodology was conducted to systematically map scientific research outputs on cultural heritage conservation and protection. Data was retrieved from the Scopus database and the annual publications, countries, most-cited publications, authors, institutions, and keywords have been comprehensively analyzed, leading to the detection of research trends. Findings show an increasing number of studies in this field in the last decades, particularly since 2010. Italy, home to the largest number of UNESCO heritage sites, is the most prolific country. Most of the studies are related to metal, paper and stone as substrate to be protected. Significant progress has been made in understanding the deterioration processes through precise diagnosis and the development of innovative treatments for protection. In this sense, latest trends have been detected such as the use of non-invasive techniques for diagnosis and the use of nanotechnology and nature-based treatments for the conservation treatments.

Biodiversity conservation questions human practices towards biodiversity and, therefore, largely conflicts with ordinary societal aspirations. Decisions on the location of protected areas, one of the most convincing conservation tools, reflect such a competitive endeavor. Operations Research (OR) brings a set of analytical models and tools capable of resolving the conflicting interests between ecology and economy. Recent technological advances have boosted the size and variety of data available to planners, thus challenging conventional approaches bounded on optimized solutions. New models and methods are requested to use such a massive amount of data in integrative schemes addressing a large variety of concerns. Here, we provide an overview on the past, present and future challenges that characterize spatial conservation models supported by OR. By enlarging the spatial, temporal, taxonomic and societal horizons of biodiversity conservation planners navigate around multiple bio-socioeconomic equilibria and are able to decide on cost-effective strategies to improve biodiversity persistence.

Earth is a complex material with a mechanical and physical behavior that differs from modern building materials. The conservation of rammed earth (RE) constructions presents specific difficulties that are challenging to overcome. The lack of knowledge about RE due to its abandonment for decades and attempts to adopt materials and repair methodologies designed for new building products has led to inadequate interventions. In the case of historic defensive constructions, the doubts and technical difficulties are even greater due to the nature of the so called military RE (with physical and mechanical characteristics significantly different from those of civil, more common, RE) and, not least, due to the historical and cultural heritage value of these constructions. Some important interventions have been carried out recently and others are underway or in the planning stage, and there is a constant lack of information and technical data on the best ways to intervene. To fill this gap, the state of conservation of the RE defensive structures and the results of interventions carried out throughout history in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula are being assessed. This article sets out the framework of the subject, identifies the material and construction techniques, and recognizes the main causes of its deterioration and decay. With special focus on the most frequent damages detected in historic military defensive structures built with RE, it analyses and discuss the most common techniques that have been used for the repair and conservation of these particular structures.

In physics, thought experiments are impressive heuristic tools. They are valuable instruments to help scientists find new results and to teach students the known ones. However, as we shall show, they should always be received with prudence, even when they are a shortcut to 'prove' well-established results. Here, we show that the most widely known thought experiments devised to derive the gravitational frequency shift from energy conservation are, in fact, problematic. When properly set and correctly read, those thought experiments reveal that the existence of the gravitational frequency shift is, in fact, at odds with energy conservation. We also propose two new simple thought experiments, one using the conservation of energy and the other the conservation of linear momentum, that corroborate that conclusion, showing that those conservation principles do not imply the gravitational frequency shift. We think that our results may be of some epistemological interest and could serve as a warning sign on how thought experiments should be received and trusted.

Conservation of natural habitats in human-dominated landscapes is critical for halting biodiversity loss. Maintaining habitat quantity and connectivity requires landscape-level collective action, which results from environmental decisions made by individual land owners. We investigate how individual decision making in a rural collective translates into quantitative differences in landscape-level environmental outcomes. Behavioral science has become a critical domain of knowledge in conservation, but little attention has been paid to how multiple behavioral drivers determine the success of collective environmental action. We developed a social-ecological model for landscape-level conservation using a detailed data set of 600 land owners in New Zealand. With the model, we tested whether the effect of social influence networks on collective conservation action was altered by their interplay with land owners’ personal characteristics, connections to cross-scale actors and local environmental contexts. Interactions between multiple behavioral drivers determined the environmental outcomes of collective action in unexpected ways by modifying, muting or amplifying the effects of single drivers. Importantly, we detected a social-ecological mechanism for rapid change in the extent of protected habitats, which can explain highly successful or failed environmental outcomes of collective conservation. Further, when environmentally desirable and undesirable behaviors spread simultaneously through the social network, homophily and network cohesion hinder desirable environmental outcomes. This effect can be modified by other drivers such as social responses to local environmental change. Thus, understanding how the antagonistic and synergistic effects of behavioral drivers can be best utilized in conservation will benefit biodiversity and ensure benefits that humans obtain from biodiversity.

In the present article we describe a few simple and efficient finite volume type schemes on moving grids in one spatial dimension for the sake of simplicity. The underlying finite volume scheme is conservative and it is accurate up to the second order in space. The main novelty consists in the motion of the grid. This new dynamic aspect can be used to resolve better the areas with high solution gradients or any other special features. No interpolation procedure is employed, thus an unnecessary solution smearing is avoided. Thus, our method enjoys excellent conservation properties. The resulting grid is completely redistributed according the choice of the so-called monitor function. Several more or less universal choices of the monitor function are provided. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithm is illustrated on several examples stemming from the simple linear advection to the simulation of complex shallow water waves. We believe that the techniques described in our paper can be beneficially used to model tsunami wave propagation and run-up.

ABSTRACT: Charismatic species, like the panda, play an important role in conservation, and velvet worms arguably are charismatic worms. Thanks to their extraordinary hunting mechanism, they have inspired from a female metal band in Japan, to origami worms in Russia and video game monsters in the USA. Objective: To assess their conservation status in Costa Rica. Methods: we located all collection records of the 29 known species from the Onychophora Database in the map of the Costa Rican Conservation Network. Results: We found that seven species are protected inside forest reserves, five in Protected Zones, four in Wildlife Refuges, two in National Parks and one, Principapillatus hitoyensis, in a strictly pristine Biological Reserve. The largest species in the world, Peripatus solorzanoi, occurs both inside a Forest Reserve and in protected private land. Protection inside Costa Rican nature areas is enforced year round by personnel that includes armed guards, and is supported by educational programs in surrounding communities. Twelve species have not been found in protected areas, but in Costa Rica, all biological species, named and unnamed, are protected by law and cannot be legally collected, or exported, without technically issued permits. Conclusion: Like in the only other country with similar information (New Zealand), the conservation of onychophorans seems to be of least concern for at least two thirds of the known species. Epiperipatus isthmicola, recently rediscovered after a century of absence in collections, can be considered Threatened because nearly all of its natural habitat has now been covered by a city.

Wildlife tourism and wildlife trade may appear juxtaposed, but are two, potentially aligning, in-come generators that could benefit conservation in developing countries. Utilising data sets collated from Madagascar’s Ministère du Tourisme and CITES respectively for the period 2007 to 2018, this study estimated levels of income from wildlife tourism and wildlife trade for Madagascar. Between 2007-2018, tourism reported yearly incomes ranging from a low of US \$1.4 million up to a high of US \$15.7 million. However, it was unclear what percentage of this figure flowed to benefit local communities. Alternatively, using reported networks for the live wildlife trade, the estimated eco-nomic value reaching collectors and/or intermediaries on Madagascar was US $72,299.80 for the period 2007 to 2018. Both revenue generators operated within different geographical areas, with tourism opportunities presenting themselves to communities adjacent NPs, while wildlife trade networks were not restricted to National Parks and operated sporadically across Madagascar. Hence, the economic benefits reached different Malagasy participants across the country. The management of both activities needs great care to ensure that environmental impacts and sus-tainability are core measures on any such activities. Whilst this study shines light on economic values and novel perspectives regarding these two trade types, it also highlighted knowledge gaps. Thus, indicating where much greater research attentions was required to allow better understanding of the specific benefits and risks from engaging with both trade types for local Malagasy people and their environments.

Wildlife tourism and wildlife trade may appear juxtaposed, but are two, potentially aligning, income generators that could benefit conservation in developing countries. Utilising data sets collated from Madagascar’s Ministère du Tourisme and CITES respectively for the period 2007 to 2018, this study estimated levels of income from wildlife tourism and wildlife trade for Madagascar. Between 2007-2018, tourism reported yearly incomes ranging from a low of US $1.4 million up to a high of US $15.7 million. However, it was unclear what percentage of this figure flowed to benefit local communities. Alternatively, using reported networks for the live wildlife trade, the estimated economic value reaching collectors and/or intermediaries on Madagascar was US $72,299.80 for the period 2007 to 2018. Both revenue generators operated within different geographical areas, with tourism opportunities presenting themselves to communities adjacent NPs, while wildlife trade networks were not restricted to NPs and operated sporadically across Madagascar. Hence, the economic benefits reached different Malagasy participants across the country. The management of both activities needs great care to ensure that environmental impacts and sustainability are core measures on any such activities. Whilst this study shines light on economic values and novel perspectives regarding these two trade types, it also highlighted knowledge gaps. Thus, indicating where much greater research attentions was required to allow better understanding of the specific benefits and risks from engaging with both trade types for local Malagasy people and their environments.

We examine here characteristics of electromagnetic waves that propagate through an unbounded space filled with a homogeneous isotropic chiral medium. Resulting characters are compared to those of the electromagnetic waves propagating through an achiral free space. To this goal, we form energy conservation laws for key bilinear parameters in a chiral case. Due to a nonzero medium chirality, conservation laws turn out to contain extra terms that are linked to the spin-orbit coupling, which is absent for an achiral case. As an example, we take a plane wave for achiral case to evaluate those bilinear parameters. Resultantly, the conservation laws for a chiral case are found to reveal inconsistencies among several bilinear parameters that constitute the con-servation laws , thereby prompting us to establish partial remedies for formulating proper wave-propagation problems.

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of the sacred groves and natural sites for tourism in local communities in Nigeria. Three communities in Inyi town were chosen as case studies: Umuome, Enugwu-Inyi, and Alum, using a purposive sampling technique. An ethnographic data collection method was adopted, using in-depth interviews and direct observation. Grove locations were located and mapped using a geographic information system (GIS) throughout the research area. The secondary data was obtained from scholarly journals. The findings showed that the sacred groves and natural sites had exceptional value for cultural and eco-tourism. There are not many works that have studied the tourism dimension of the sacred groves in the study domain. The implication of the study is that tourism aids in the preservation of the sites' integrity. The research helps the government and policymakers to adopt a policy that promotes tourism in the sacred groves. This research is important to researchers at the universities and research institutions that are seeking to carry out a related research. Conclusively, utilizing the area for tourism is a superior conservation alternative.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of protected areas is critical for forest conservation policies and priorities. To evaluate their effectiveness, we used 30-m resolution forest cover change data between 1990 and 2010 for ~4,000 protected areas and analyzed the relationships of the effectiveness of protected areas with socio-economic variables. Our results show that protected areas in the Tropics avoided 83,500 ± 21,200 km2 of deforestation during the 2000s. Brazil’s protected areas have the largest amount of avoided deforestation of 50,000 km2. We also show the amount of international aid received by tropical countries compared to the effectiveness of protected areas. International aid had major benefits in Latin America led by Brazil while tropical Asian countries used the resource ineffectively. Our results demonstrate that protected areas have been relatively more efficient in countries where deforestation pressures were increasing, and governance and forest change monitoring capacity are important factors for enhancing the efficacy of international aid.

In 2014, the International Union for Conservation of Nature adopted the Red List of Ecosystems (IUCN RLE) criteria as the global standard for assessing risks to terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. Identifying and quantifying the impacts of biodiversity assessments on the status of nature is key to justifying continued investment in assessments and enabling strategic planning to maximize future impact. In this policy perspective, we use an established impact evaluation framework to identify the impacts of the IUCN RLE since its inception. To date, 1,397 ecosystem units in 100 countries have been assessed following the IUCN RLE protocol. Systematic assessments are complete or underway in more than 25 countries and two continental regions (the Americas and Europe). Countries with established ecosystem red lists have already used them to inform legislation, land-use planning, protected area expansion, monitoring and reporting, and ecosystem management. IUCN RLE indices based on systematic assessments have high potential to inform global biodiversity reporting for the Aichi Targets and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Expanding the coverage of IUCN RLE assessments, building capacity to undertake them, and establishing stronger policy instruments to manage red-listed ecosystems will be key to maximizing conservation impacts over the coming decades.

This article analyzes local level normative regulations aimed at directly or indirectly conserving the urban landscape in rural areas. Using a discursive analysis methodology on regulatory documents being enforced in a series of localities assigned to a tourism promotion program, evidence suggests that promotional activity retroactively influences the phraseology of these municipal regulations. The results obtained point to the existence of perpetuating historicist approaches within the current regulations, which appear to largely derive from the search for success in the tourism market and the resulting benefits to the local economy.

Knowledge about ecological conditions and processes in centers of endemism (CoEs) is still limited with respect to various systematic groups of organisms, ecosystem types, ecological conditions and ecosystem functions. Endemics and CoEs play a prominent role in nature conservation monitoring and management, and in the organization of zoos, aquaria and botanical gardens. We review the meaning of different groups of organisms and indicators for the characterization of endemic-rich regions, the importance of heterogeneity in space, continuity in time, isolation and ex-situ management for the survival of endemic and threatened species. Currently, conversion of land cover and land use change are the most important causes of biodiversity decline and extinction risk of endemic and endangered species concentrated in CoEs. These are followed by climate change, including severe weather, and then natural processes such as volcanism, landslides or tsunamis. For conservation purposes the management of zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, of regional land use, and social aspects of the diversity of endemics and CoEs have to be taken into account as well. We need better answers to questions about the relationship between ecoregions, CoEs and regional awareness of biodiversity, which is linked with human culture including the management of zoos, aquaria and botanical gardens, aesthetics, wellbeing, health and trade.

Conservation agriculture (CONS A) is a sustainable agriculture system which is based on rota-tion crops with no tillage. It has various environmental advantages compared to conventional agriculture (CONV A), namely decrease water evaporation, erosion and CO2 emission. We report herein the first study aiming evaluation of the impact of this type of sustainable agri-culture on sheep gastrointestinal parasites. Two lamb groups aged between 6 and ten months were randomly included to graze separately on CONS A and CONV A pastures. Each group was constituted of two batches of three lambs which were followed up for two rearing months during which liveweight, haematological parameters variation and digestive parasites were studied. At the end of the study period, lambs were slaughtered and the carcass yield was determined and a helminthological autopsy was performed on digestive tracts to estimate different parasitological indicators. There was no difference between lambs rearing on CONS A and those rearing on CONV A for all parasite indicators (infestation intensity, abundance and prevalence), the same trend was also obtained for haematological parameters, liveweight evolution and carcass yield. These results prove that there is no impact of the CONS A on the sheep digestive parasitism. Further studies are needed to support these findings on a bigger animal samples and to investigate the impact of this agriculture on other parasites and for other animal species.

The present study contributes to bridging the gap on research related to the presence and distribution patterns of carnivore mammals in the western state of Michoacán, highlighting the importance and need to increase efforts aimed at the study and monitoring of wildlife present in this region. The distribution of carnivore in western Mexico was modeled through the application a two-scale approach: a large, modeled region, corresponding to the western part of the country, for which models were obtained that represent the distribution potential of the species, and, the second modeled study area that includes only the western portion of the state of Michoacán, in which models of the current distribution of the species for this region were proposed. A series of predictive models were generated on the current distribution of 11 species of carnivore species (Canis latrans, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, Leopardus pardalis, Leopardus wiedii, Puma concolor, Panthera onca, Conepatus leuconotus, Bassariscus astutus, Nasua narica, Procyon lotor), from which, prioritization exercises were carried out on important areas for the conservation of these species, as well as the comparison and analysis of the existing natural protected areas (NPA) in the study area. The different exercises for prioritizing areas for conservation yielded similar results and show the potential percentages of the landscape that can be subjected to protection and conservation programs.

As Arab countries are beginning to recover from the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, conservation programs are restarting. Noticeably, traditional conservation efforts have not helped improve the poor living conditions in most historic urban centers of Arab cities due to many reasons such as a lack of funds, urban management policies, and the narrow scope of conservation projects. In 2016, the UN urban agenda recognized tangible and intangible heritage as the basis for sustainable, vibrant, urban economies. These efforts reflect the new shift in conservation activities to tangible and intangible heritage and consider urban heritage a tourist product rather than antiquity. This approach grants urban vitality and sustainability for heritage areas. Thus, this study investigates the existing trends and forthcoming changes in conservation and their implication for the deteriorated historic urban city centers of the Arab world. International urban heritage conservation trends were highlighted, objectives and bases of successful urban conservation trends were reviewed, and an assessment framework was developed. Two case studies of historic centers in two Arab cities, Jeddah, and Aman, were empirically assessed using the developed framework. The findings highlight the most common urban problems of the historic centers in terms of urban management policies and trends. In addition, the impact of urban management policies on historic urban areas' sustainability, vitality, and quality was revealed. The paper ends with recommendations for conservation authorities to define a proposed framework to embed the conservation within the urban development plans for deteriorated historic urban centers. The paper's findings and recommendations can contribute to the required knowledge related to urban heritage conservation for practitioners and decision-makers.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) alters soil properties and microbial processes compared to conventional agriculture. These changes can affect soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. In this overview, we summarized the results of global literature and the gaps in measuring and understanding of GHG fluxes in CA systems and conventional agriculture. Some studies compared soil carbon sequestration and soil respiration in conservation agriculture and no-tillage system with conventional agriculture and the results were not consistent in all experiments. Interactions between CA pillars and soil factors such as soil moisture, temperature, texture can determine the rate of respiration rate and soil-atmosphere CO₂ fluxes. The majority of studies reported larger N₂O emissions in no-tillage treatment compared with conventional tillage while some other studies reported no difference between no-tillage and conventional tillage systems. In the majority of CA studies, there is lack of required information which is necessary to understand the mechanisms and processes that affect soil GHG fluxes. Determining factors like climate, amount of plant residues, soil type, crop types included in crop rotation and cover crops and duration of the study are not considered. Static chamber method was used for measuring soil-atmosphere GHG fluxes in the majority of studies. Spatial and temporal changes in GHG flux rates are high and missing part of highly episodic events by using static chamber method may result over- or under-estimation in flux balance calculation. Applying standard techniques for measuring continuous fluxes can help to calculating accurate GHG balance.

The fish found in the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas are referred to as schizothoracids, and they have evolved unique biological adaptations to high elevations. These adaptations include changes in the shape of the mouth, size, and length of gill rakers according to the prey size, sucking attachment organs to cope with fast currents, and genetic differences due to hypoxia and UV light. Nevertheless, there are recent threats like destruction of natural habitats, pollution, overfishing, and global warming that have posed serious conservation issues for numerous species. Conservation measures have been initiated even though well-articulated management techniques or other protective measures are absent from several protected areas for freshwater fisheries located in India. To resolve these issues, Schizothoracid population rescue, rehabilitation and restocking in safe water bodies should be implemented. For achieving their sustainability, scientists, conservationists, and legislators need to coordinate with each other.

The sympathetic restoration and conservation of built cultural heritage play a significant role in the management and preparedness for future climate scenarios by facilitating adaptive reuse, enhancing cultural resilience, preserving traditional knowledge, and boosting tourism. The importance of restoring damaged heritage sites after an earthquake drew international attention to Nepal after the 2015 Gorka Earthquake. UNESCO established an office in Kathmandu to promote the restoration of tangible and intangible heritage in the area. This included developing structural analyses of buildings with historical and cultural value that due to their nature cannot be intervened with the same methodology as modern buildings. In this paper, the case study of the earthquake-damaged Gopinath temple, is discussed. First, an initial visual inspection phase and the following diagnosis of the structure are discussed. Then, the results from a series of static and dynamic structural analyses performed to determine the safety level of the structure, together with a sensitivity analysis, are presented. A sympathetic intervention proposal capable of increasing the temple safety level and based on the addition of timber plates, has resulted in substantial improvements of the lateral behavior of the structure. The proposed intervention is deemed sustainable and able to increase the resilience of the temple in the face of future hazards.

Mangrove forests provide a wide range of goods and services that sustain communities around the world. This paper explores utilization patterns of extractable mangrove resources by communities within the proposed Kenya – Tanzania Transboundary Conservation Area (TBCA). Some 152 household surveys and 12 Nominal Group Technique discussions were carried out. At least 16 direct use products were reported to be extracted from the mangroves, with 90% of households found to use mangrove products. Changing patterns of mangrove use in the areas and accessibility point towards unsustainable utilization and promote illegal activities. Overharvesting of mangrove wood products was reported to be the major threat facing the forests. Patterns of mangrove use in the study site reveal a high level of mangrove-dependence by communities for their livelihood. There is a need to address the problems of open access through capacity building and awareness creation, development and implementation of harvest plans as well as introduction of alternative livelihood options to the communities in the area.

A system of wavelet collocation upwind schemes is constructed for solving hyperbolic conserva-tion laws based on a class of interpolation wavelets. The bias magnitude and symmetry factor are defined to depict the asymmetry of the adopted scaling basis function in wavelet theory. Effects of characteristics of the scaling functions on the schemes are explored based on numerical tests and Fourier analysis. The numerical results reveal that the stability of the constructed scheme is af-fected by the smoothness order, N, and the asymmetry of the scaling function. The dissipation analysis suggests that schemes with Neven have negative dissipation coefficients, leading to unstable behaviors. Only scaling functions with Nodd and bias magnitude of 1 can be used to construct stable upwind schemes due to the non-negative dissipation coefficients. Resolution of the wavelet scheme tends to the spectral resolution as the order of accuracy of the scheme in-creases.

Glycine is an important neurotransmitter in vertebrates, performing both excitatory and inhibitory actions. Synaptic levels of glycine are tightly controlled by the action of two glycine transporters, GlyT1 and GlyT2, located on the surface of glial cells and glycinergic or glutamatergic neurons, respectively. Glycinergic neurotransmission in invertebrates has so far only been investigated in a very limited number of species, and, although it was suggested that its functions are to some extent conserved with vertebrates, the evolution of glycinergic neurotransmission remains very poorly understood. Here, by combining phylogenetic and gene expression analyses, we characterized the glycine transporter complement of amphioxus, an important invertebrate model for studying the evolution of chordates. We show that amphioxus possesses three glycine transporter genes, two of which (GlyT2.1 and GlyT2.2) are closely related to GlyT2 of vertebrates, while the other (GlyT) is a member of an ancestral clade of deuterostome glycine transporters. While expression of GlyT2.2 is predominantly non-neural, GlyT and GlyT2.1 are widely expressed in the amphioxus nervous system and are characterized by differential expression in neurons and glia, respectively. However, in vertebrates, glycinergic neurons express GlyT2 and glia GlyT1, suggesting that the evolution of the chordate glycinergic system was accompanied by complex genetic remodeling leading to the paralog-specific inversion of gene expression. Albeit this genetic divergence between amphioxus and vertebrates, we found strong evidence for a general conservation of the role of glycinergic neurotransmission during larval swimming, allowing us to hypothesize that the neural networks controlling the rhythmic movement of chordate bodies are homologous.

The development of innovative materials is one of the most important focuses of research in heritage conservation. Eligible materials can not only protect the physical and chemical integrity of artworks, but also preserve their artistic and aesthetic features. Recently, as one of the hot research topics in materials science, biomimetic superhydrophobic materials have gradually attracted the attention of conservation scientists due to their unique properties. In fact, ultra-repellent materials are particularly suitable for hydrophobization treatments on outdoor artworks. Owing to their excellent hydrophobicity, superhydrophobic materials can effectively prevent the absorption, penetration of liquid water as well as the condensation of water vapor, thus greatly relieving water-induced decay phenomena. Moreover, in presence of liquid water, the superhydrophobic surfaces equipped with self-cleaning property can clean the dirt, dust deposited spontaneously, thereby restoring the artistic features simultaneously. In the present paper, besides the basic principles of wetting on solid surfaces, materials and methods reported for preparing bioinspired ultra-repellent materials, the recently proposed materials for art conservation are also introduced and critically reviewed. Lastly, the current status and the problems encountered in practical application are also pointed out, and the focus of future research is prospected as well.

This study addresses the latent construct of attitudes towards environmental conservation based on study participant’s responses. We measured and evaluated the latent scale based on an 18-item scale instrument, over four experimental strata (N=945) in the US Virgin Islands and the Caribbean. We estimated the latent scale reliability and validity. We further fitted multiple alternative two-parameter logistic (2PL) and graded response models (GRM) from Item-Response Theory. We finally constructed and fitted equivalent structural and generalized structural equation models (SEM/GSEM) for the attitudinal latent scale. All scale measures (composite, alpha-based, IRT-based and SEM-based) were consistently and reliably valid measures of the study participants’ latent attitudes toward conservation. We found statistically significant differences among participant’s attributes relating to socio-demographic, physical and core environmental characteristics of participants. We assert that the nature of relationship between cognitive attitudes and individual as well as social behavior related to environmental conservation.

Intergenerational Justice entitles the maximum retention of Earth’s Biodiversity. The United Nations COP 15 committed to the protection of 30% of Earth’s terrestrial environments to provide Biospheric Sustainability. However, proactive amphibian sustainability needs support from amphibian Reproduction Technologies, Biobanking, and Conservation Breeding Programs [RBCs]. These technologies include the reliable practice of stimulation of reproduction and the collection of sperm and oocytes, refrigerated and cryopreserved sperm storage, in vitro fertilization. Emerging technologies promise the perpetuation of species solely from biobanked biomaterials. However, although exemplary national programs for amphibian RBCs are now established in the USA and Australia, these potentials are not fully realised resulting in unacceptable biodiversity loss. To fully realise these potentials an independent and democratic global organisation is proposed to, 1) focus on the bioregions with the highest amphibian biodiversity, 2) maximise regional inclusion in international initiatives, and 3) provide for maximum community engagement and financial resources. We present the first overall multidisciplinary review of amphibian RBCs, including their geopolitical, cultural, and scientific background, along with their development and application to economically, efficiently, and reliably, perpetuate amphibian biodiversity. We provide genetic models, the potential for diploid cell cryopreservation to perpetuate species, along with significant new information on methodologies and techniques, and standardise nomenclature for specificity in publications and media consistency.

Keywords: standing water bodies, glacial lakes, freshwater biodiversity, eutrophication; nature conservation network

Cultural routes are a composite set of heritage, referring to any ancient routes of human communication. As one of the key products of cultural tourism, they providing visitors with a rich cultural experience across regions. We systematically review reports and studies related to the tourism development of 38 cultural routes cases around the world, with a special focus on their distribution, typology, planning patterns and tools for cultural tourism. We summarized eight tools, there are some differences in how often these eight tools are used by the different types of routes and different planning patterns for routes tourism. The study also made an evaluation system based on the conservation principles of cultural routes to find out how different tools of tourism affect the conservation and development of the historical region. It was found that although many efforts have been made by tourism decision-makers to protect and develop cultural routes there are still many problems and challenges in the process of tourism development along cultural routes. We close the paper by making a few recommendations for decision makers and researchers concerning future routes’ tourism planning and study.

Abstract: This study estimates consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainability turfgrass attributes such as low-input and stress-tolerance attributes, while considering potential trade-off relationships between aesthetic attributes and sustainability attributes. To address our objectives, our study conducts a choice experiment and estimates two mixed logit models. The first model includes low-input, winter kill, and shade-tolerance attributes as predictor variables, and the second model extends the first model by adding interaction terms between aesthetic and sustainability attributes. Another choice experiment is conducted under water policies with various water rate increase and watering restriction scenarios. Results from the mixed logit models show that overall, higher low-input cost reduction, less winter-damaged, and more shade-tolerance grasses are preferred, the direct effect of aesthetic attributes on consumers’ preference is strong, but the indirect effect represented by the interaction terms are generally statistically insignificant. Our results indicate that consumers like to have a pretty lawn, but no strong consideration is given to the aesthetics of their lawn when selecting low-input and stress-tolerance turfgrasses. Our choice experiment under water policy scenarios suggests that water pricing is more effective than watering restriction in increasing consumer demand for water-conserving turfgrasses.

This study investigates via Lie symmetry analysis the Hunter-Saxton equation, an equation relevant to the theoretical analysis of nematic liquid crystals. We employ the multiplier method to obtain conservation laws of the equation derived from first-order multipliers. Conservation laws of the Hunter-Saxton equation, in combination with the Lie point symmetries of the equation, enable us to perform symmetry reductions through employment of the double reduction method. The method exploits the relationship between Lie point symmetries and conservation laws to effectively reduce both the number of variables and the order of the equation. Five nontrivial conservation laws of the Hunter-Saxton equation are derived, four of which are found to have associated Lie point symmetries. Applying the double reduction method to the Hunter-Saxton equation results in a set of first-order ordinary differential equations, the solutions of which represent invariant solutions for the equation.

Amidst nature's enchanting embrace, forests stand as revered guardians, safeguarding biodiversity and nurturing rural livelihoods. In this journey, a qualitative study takes flight, exploring the cherished perspectives of the community within Iligan City's rustic expanse in Iligan City, Philippines. Its purpose? To unveil the intricate dance between forest conservation efforts and local livelihood strategies, weaving a tapestry of understanding. Through heartfelt conversations and keen observations, a diverse ensemble of 30 participants shares their wisdom, as thematic analysis reveals its breathtaking hues. In this symphony of voices, the community's resounding admiration for forest conservation emerges, painting a vivid portrait of its ecological significance and cultural splendor. As the canvas unfolds, the participants unfurl the whispered secrets of forest benefits—the gentle preservation of water resources and the enchanting pathways to ecotourism. Yet, amidst this beauty, they tenderly acknowledge the delicate trade-offs, where access to resources finds limitations. And so, the forest emerges as a steadfast companion in their livelihood odyssey, bestowing subsistence resources, opportunities for fruitful endeavors, and a profound sense of cultural heritage. These heartfelt discoveries beckon us to embrace the wisdom of the community, intertwining local perspectives into the fabric of forest conservation strategies, and championing participatory approaches that resonate with shared hopes and dreams. This study bestows upon us precious insights, illuminating the path towards sustainable forest management—a harmonious union where conservation goals and the vibrant tapestry of local livelihood needs dance hand in hand. Overall, locals must heed the profound symphony woven by forests and livelihood, as policymakers and practitioners craft a future where nature's melodies echo in the hearts of all who call the forest their home.

An efficient design of conservation tillage trencher (CTT) saves time, natural resources, and conserves soil health by avoiding vigorous soil disturbance of tillage operations. A two-wheel tractor operated CTT has constructed with modified rotary shafts, toolbar frames, depth control bars, bed shapers and chisel ploughs for conservation tillage operation of sugarcane plantation. The performance evaluation of developed CTT was tested for comparing the suitability with small-scale farmer’s practice (SFP) and large farm practice (LFP). Finally, the CTT is applied for preparing sugarcane farmland in different conservation tillage methods of i) bed cum trenching (BT), ii) zero-tillage trenching (ZT) and iii) strip-tillage (ST). The performance of effective field capacities of CTT were 0.14 ha h-1, 0.12 ha h-1 and 0.14 ha h-1 for BT, ZT and ST, respectively. Developed CTT saved time 80% and 26-37% over SFP and LFP, and required 96% and 26-36% less labour than SFP and LFP, respectively. Conservation tillage required 7-10 l ha-1diesel whereas SFP and LFP required 25 l ha-1and 65 l ha-1, which reduced CO2 emission by 60-72% and 85-89% compared to SFP and LFP, respectively. Ultimately, newly developed CTT saved sugarcane land preparation costs by 86% to 90% compared to conventional tillage systems.

Ambitious biodiversity goals to protect 30% or more of the Earth’s surface by 2030 (30x30) require strategic near-term targets. To define areas that must be protected to prevent the most likely and imminent extinctions, we propose Conservation Imperatives—16,825 unprotected sites harboring rare and threatened species and spanning ~164 Mha of the terrestrial realm. We estimate that protecting the Conservation Imperatives would cost approximately US$169 billion [90% probability: $146 — $228 billion]. Globally, 38% of the 16,825 sites are either adjacent to or within 2.5 km of an existing protected area, potentially reducing land acquisition and management costs. These sites should be prioritized for conservation action over the next five years as part of a broader strategy to expand the global protected area network. The expansion of global protected areas between 2018–2023 incorporated only 7% of sites harboring range-limited and threatened species, highlighting a renewed urgency to conserve these habitats. Permanently protecting only 0.74% of land found in the tropics, where Conservation Imperatives are concentrated, could prevent the majority of predicted near-term extinctions once adequately resourced. We estimate this cost to be US$29 billion to US$46 billion per year over the next five years. Multiple approaches will be required to meet long-term protection goals: providing rights and title to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) conserving traditional lands, government designation of new protected areas on federal and state lands, and land purchase or long-term leasing of privately held lands.

The rapid growth of equipment tasks in 5G large-scale machine-type communication scenarios presents challenges due to user equipment’s (UE) limited computing power and power constraints. To address these limitations, task offloading to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has gained attention. However, traditional cloud computing centres far from the UE fail to meet latency requirements. Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) emerges as a solution by deploying computing servers at the edge of the cellular network to enhance service responsiveness. However, traditional MEC solutions need more flexibility. This paper explores the advantages of UAVs, including flexibility and rapid deployment, and considers UAV power constraints. It proposes a joint optimization approach for user offloading strategies and UAV trajectories to minimize the overall energy consumption of UE. By leveraging the benefits of UAVs and MEC, the proposed method aims to improve task execution efficiency in energy-constrained 5G machine-type communication scenarios.

Marine species are declining at an unprecedented rate, catalyzing many nations to adopt conservation and management targets within their jurisdictions. However, marine species and the biophysical processes that sustain them are naive to international borders. An understanding of the prevalence of cross-border species distributions is important for informing high-level conservation strategies, such as bilateral or regional agreements. Here, we examined 28,252 distribution maps to determine the number and locations of transboundary marine plants and animals. Over 90% of species have ranges spanning at least two jurisdictions, with 58% covering more than ten jurisdictions. All jurisdictions have at least one transboundary species, with the highest concentrations of transboundary species in the USA, Australia, Indonesia, and the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Distributions of mapped biodiversity indicate that overcoming the challenges of multinational governance is critical for a much wider suite of species than migratory megavertebrates and commercially exploited fish stocks—the groups that have received the vast majority of multinational management attention. To effectively protect marine biodiversity, international governance mechanisms (particularly those related to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, and Regional Seas Organizations) must be expanded to promote multinational conservation planning, and complimented by a holistic governance framework for biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.

Soil erosion due to soil erosion is an important ecological impact factor. In order to further explore the impact and contribution of soil and water conservation measures on sand production and transport in the watershed, and also to provide a reference for soil erosion control, soil and water conservation and ecological environmental protection in the Yellow River Basin. In this paper, based on the measured data from the Henan Soil and Water Conservation Observatory in the Yellow River Basin, we select appropriate equations for quantifying soil erosion factor to calculate the rainfall erosion, topography, soil, vegetation and soil conservation measures in the basin, and then analyse the changes in soil erosion factor and the actual benefits of soil conservation measures in the basin. The results show that there is an increasing trend in the rainfall erosion force factor R in the Yellow River Basin; Soil erosion can be K value made the vertical loess > yellow clunamon soil, the overall change shows a decreasing trend, indicating that erosion control has produced results and that attention should be paid to erosion control in the lithosol region in the future; Since the slope lengths of the runoff plots are laid out consistently with the same LS values for both topographic factors, soil erosion is severely increased when the slope exceeds 20°. The C value of natural vegetation is small, while the C value of bare land is large. The authorities should continue to promote the return of farmland to forests and grasses and pay attention to the self-regulation and restoration of ecosystems; There is an overall decreasing trend in the P value of the soil and water conservation measures factor, the soil and water conservation measures have been effective in providing good protection.