Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

Polycultures have long been practiced in traditional agriculture, yet their ecology-based benefits have remained underexplored. Here, under realistic conditions, we experimentally evaluated the productivity and ecological interactions in cultivated milpa, a traditional Mesoamerican polyculture of maize, squash and beans, using a substitutive design in which total plant density was held constant while varying species composition. Specifically, we asked whether productivity gains arose through complementary or selection effects, and whether these gains were associated with changes in arthropod communities and herbivory. We additionally evaluated whether prior cultivation influenced maize performance in the following season. Milpa plots produced significantly higher total yields, more than 2.6 times those of monocultures, despite poor bean performance. In particular, squash and maize equivalent yields increased approximately threefold. We found that these improvements were mainly explained by complementary effects rather than selection effects. Arthropod communities responded in species-specific ways to crop diversity, with predator abundance tracking herbivore presence. However, no consistent patterns emerged between herbivore load, predator abundance and plant damage, suggesting that belowground plant interactions may play a more important role than top-down herbivore control in explaining complementarity effects. In the following season, maize yield increased by [~]30% in plots previously planted with squash or beans, with milpa plots showing intermediate responses. These findings demonstrate that milpa can substantially enhance productivity while generating benefits that extend into the advantages and soil into the following growing season. Overall, our results suggest that complementarity among crops is the primary driver of productivity in milpa under low-input conditions.

Smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa are constrained by declining soil fertility, erosion, and rising fertilizer costs, creating an urgent need for scalable inputs that sustain yields while maintaining soil health. While there is some evidence that microbial inoculants may offer a promising complement to conventional fertility management, field-scale evidence in tropical cereal and tuber systems remains limited. Here, we evaluated a multi-species inoculant composed of 20-22 Bacillus and Streptomyces species on potato and maize across four sites in Rwanda over two growing seasons (2025A and 2025B). Treatments included the inoculant applied at two rates (150 and 250 g ha-1), both alone and in combination with standard fertilization (inorganic fertilizer plus manure), alongside untreated and fertilized controls. Co-application of the inoculant with standard fertilization increased yield and plant biomass beyond fertilization alone, with gains of 6-51% for maize and 3-58% for potato. However, while the inoculant applied alone outperformed untreated controls, it generally did not match standard fertilization. Responses were strongest and most consistent for large-grade potato tubers, and application rate interacted with crop type, whereby the lower dose maximized marketable tuber yield, while maize showed a positive dose-response for grain and biomass. Yield increases were not accompanied by reductions in crop nutrient density, which was instead governed by site-level differences. Altogether, these results indicate that multi-species microbial inoculants are an effective complement to existing fertility practices that may offer, pending further research, a potential pathway to partial fertilizer replacement while sustaining productivity and nutritional quality in smallholder tropical agriculture.

The reintroduction of extinct or endangered species to restore ecosystem function is an essential aspect of rewilding. The Wilder Blean Project at West Blean and Thornden Woods in Canterbury, UK, is committed to rewilding natural processes and enhancing biodiversity in one of England's oldest and largest areas of ancient woodland. The introduction of European bison (Bison bonasus) is an important part of the project. However, how the reintroduction of large herbivores influences local biodiversity and ecosystem functions during the early stages of rewilding remains poorly understood. Soil samples were collected from the same sampling sites before and two years after bison were reintroduced and profiled by metagenomic sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing platforms. The results showed that the alpha diversity of soil organisms did not change significantly before and after the introduction of European bison, while beta diversity showed modest shifts in community composition. The relative abundance of some nitrogen-fixing and photosynthetic microbial genera showed declines in the 2024 Bison Area, while the mycorrhizal fungus genus Rhizophagus was significantly less abundant than in the 2024 Control Area. Despite relatively stable taxonomic diversity, functional composition differed significantly between the 2022 and 2024 Bison areas and among the 2024 rewilding treatments, revealing a decoupling between taxonomic diversity and functional composition. Amino acid synthesis pathways and carbon metabolism pathways were significantly enriched. These findings highlight the potential of long-read Oxford Nanopore metagenomics to reveal functional shifts that may not be apparent from taxonomic diversity alone. Although these early-stage responses cannot yet predict long-term rewilding trajectories, continued longitudinal monitoring integrating microbial, soil physicochemical, and ecosystem-level measurements will be essential to determine the persistence and ecological significance of these functional shifts.

Microbial and biochemical properties of soil respond quickly with management practices, than chemical and physical properties. Moreover, impact of conservation agriculture (CA) on soil microbial properties is limited to microbial enumeration, but its effect on soil enzyme and microbial activity is little documented. To address these problems soil enzyme activities [dehydrogenase (DHA), {beta}-glucosidase (BGA), acid phosphatase (AcP) and alkaline phosphatase (AlP) and fluoresceine diacetate (FDA)], microbial activites ((Nitrogen fixation (NFBAct), Phosphate solubilization (PSBAct) & Cellulolytic activities (CDBAct)), microbial biomass ((Soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) & soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN)) and available nutrient were studied to evaluate biological soil health in alluvial soil of lower Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) under CA. Field experiment was conducted in split plot design (SPD), under 3 cropping systems (RMCp: rice-maize-cowpea; RWGg: rice-wheat- green gram; RCfBr; rice-cauliflower- bororice/summer rice). Tillage operations (CT: conventional; MT: minimum and ZT: zero tillage) was main plot and residue application as sub plot treatments [(R0 (no residue), R50 (50% residue) and R100 (100% residue)], treatments were replicated thrice. Biological soil health index (BSHI) indicated that among different degree of CA, ZT (0.464) and (MT=0.441) and R100 (0.464) treatment showed better response. Among different cropping system RMCp (0.359) & RWGg (0.343) outperformed RCfBr (0.609) cropping system with respect to (wrt) microbial and biochemical properties of the soil. Results indicated that for restoring microbial and biochemical properties of soil CA can be used as sustainable practice to restore agro-ecosystem. Keywords: Conservation agriculture, Cropping systems, Soil enzyme, Soil microbial properties, Residue application, Tillage operations.

Background and aimsExcess nitrate (NO3-), from fertilizer overuse and intensive agriculture, can pollute water and contribute to greenhouse gas production (nitrous oxide - N2O). Plant metabolites from pastural herbs such as Plantago lanceolata (plantain) can inhibit microbial nitrification of ammonium to NO3- (biological nitrification inhibition - BNI) and change soil nitrogen cycle dynamics (lower potential nitrification rate - PNR). The main aim was to investigate differential plant metabolite expression associated with BNI and lowered PNR in different soil types. MethodsSix plantain cultivars were tested for BNI potential and screened for metabolites that correlated with inhibition of the ammonia oxidising bacterium (AOB) Nitrosospira multiformis. PNR and microbiome change was then investigated in four different New Zealand soils under the plantain cultivar Agritonic and ryegrass cultivar One50. ResultsPNR under plantain was 11 to 41% lower than fallow soil while PNR under ryegrass was 0 to 39% lower. In addition to verbascoside and aucubin, plantain metabolites associated with lower PNR included plantamajoside, riboflavin 3- and 5-sulfate, plantagoguanidinic acid. Chlorogenic acid was associated with lowered PNR under ryegrass. PNR reductions, microbiome structure and the ratio of ammonia oxidising archaea (AOA) relative to AOB was modulated by soil type. ConclusionPlantain and ryegrass lowered the PNR in four different soils and was correlated with metabolites beyond just aucubin and verbascoside. Based on candidate BNI-associated metabolites identified, it was hypothesised that lowered PNR is likely indirect through mechanisms such as chelation and appears to be dependent on both plant physiology and soil physicochemistry.

Coastal forests are increasingly threatened by saturated soil and elevated salinity levels resulting from sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and storm surges. In response to rising salinization and flooding, healthy coastal forests that rely on freshwater (both wetland forests and low-elevation upland forests) are transitioning into landscapes dominated by dead or dying trees, known as ghost forests. Situated among salt-tolerant shrubs and grasses, ghost forests eventually become marshes or open water. Here, our main objective was to quantify the dynamics and pathways of these forest landscape conversions, as well as the factors contributing to the changes, which is vital for understanding the progression of coastal ecosystem degradation and forecasting future changes. We focused first on identifying the best method to track forest landscape change by exploring the role of multiple remote sensing indices (i.e., multispectral, bi-seasonal, topographical, and phenological metrics) in enhancing the performance of deep learning models (convolutional neural networks, CNNs) for land cover classification in the coastal plain of North Carolina using surface reflectance of Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 images. Then, we used the best available data (Landsat 8) to understand long-term change and identify patterns of land cover change from 1985 to 2021. Our study reveals that incorporating phenology and topographical indices enhances the separability of the ghost forests class from all other vegetation classes. In our assessment, the higher-resolution Sentinel-2 data (F1 Score = 96.3) outperformed Landsat images (F1 score = 93.4) for the 2021 co-available year. However, Landsat remains an important tool used due to its long-term data record. Therefore, we used Landsat to determine that 21% of forests were lost between 1985 and 2021, and that the rate of loss is increasing. Between 2010 and 2021, 23,876 ha of forest were converted to marsh, ghost forest, and shrub, which is 1.5 times higher than the 16,968 ha lost between 1985 and 2010. These conversions from forest to ghost forest and marshes were driven primarily by proximity to the channel, salinity, and the increasing rate of relative sea level rise (RSLR), which are the key environmental drivers of observed changes. By quantifying these changes, we highlight regions most vulnerable to environmental stressors, providing a basis for targeted conservation strategies.

Plant root cellular architecture and cell wall composition influence plant productivity, stress resilience, biotic interactions, and potentially soil carbon accumulation. This study establishes comprehensive compositional parameters for roots of a lowland switchgrass genotype, DVR3. Root traits were analyzed in 12.5 cm depth segments, from Zone 1 near the surface to Zone 4 down to 50 cm. Mean abundance ({micro}g/mg) for major cell wall components included cellulose 470 {+/-} 20, xylose 250 {+/-} 20, lignin 170 {+/-} 15, and total suberin 35 {+/-} 5. Composition and cellular anatomy varied with depth, in a partially coordinated manner. Cross sections showed extensive aerenchyma in mature root regions despite greater root mass density, corresponding to abundant lignin and cellulose. Deep roots were enriched for pectin-associated traits, including arabinogalactan II, homogalacturonan, and arabinose-associated linkages. Suberin content did not vary significantly, though Casparian strip formation, endoderm and exoderm thickening, and suberin surface staining progressed with development. Similar trends in root lignin and specific root length were observed for another lowland switchgrass genotype, AP13. These results suggest that it may be possible to genetically enhance native switchgrass root chemistry to promote soil penetration and below-ground carbon accumulation by reducing variability with development, potentially via cell-type specific adjustments. HighlightOlder, shallower switchgrass crown roots are enriched in lignin and cellulose, and deeper, younger roots are pectin-rich with juvenile cellular anatomy. A more uniform compositional distribution might enhance below-ground traits. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=120 SRC="FIGDIR/small/744798v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (47K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@159de98org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@124d714org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1a49c14org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2fa67_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Schematic summary of switchgrass root anatomy and composition across four 12.5-cm depth zones of a 50-cm root system. Zone 1 represents older, shallow roots and Zone 4 includes younger roots and root tips. Representative cross-sections show greater aerenchyma development in older roots than in young root tips. The compositional heatmap shows higher cellulose, lignin, and xylose in Zone 1, higher pectin and nitrogen in Zone 4, and relatively little variation in suberin across zones.

Efficient nutrient and water management is crucial for enhancing crop productivity, soil health, and mitigating environmental losses in cereal cropping systems of semi-arid regions. A two-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dairy manure annual application of 50 Mg ha-1 to maintain recommended fertilizer N, compared to sole urea application with two different irrigation regimes (100% and 75% ETc) on crop yield, water use efficiency, deep percolation, nitrate leaching, and soil quality within a wheat-fallow-maize rotation in Pakistan. Suction lysimeters installed at a depth of 1.2 m were used to collect nitrate-N leachates, while HYDRUS-1D was used to assess daily deep percolation losses. Results indicate that the interaction between manure and irrigation was significant for yield, nitrate-N leaching, and soil health. Manure with deficit irrigation showed wheat and maize yield of 4.36 and 7.80 Mg/ha, irrigation water use efficiency (WUEi) of 1.09 and 1.59 kg/ha/mm, respectively, with no significant increase observed with full irrigation; while a significant decrease was observed in the absence of manure, either with full irrigation or deficit irrigation. Manure with deficit irrigation averaged annual nitrate-N leaching of 17.45 kg/ha, while urea and manure with full irrigation averaged 11.46 and 55.59% increases in nitrate-N leaching losses, respectively, without any yield benefits. Our results indicate that deficit irrigation with manure produces optimum yield with reduced nitrate-N leaching risk and improved soil physical properties.

Deadwood is a fundamental component of forest ecosystem, supporting biodiversity and driving multiple ecological processes. However, structures that may develop on downed coarse woody debris (CWD) create additional microhabitats that are used by numerous organisms and contribute to small-scale habitat heterogeneity. To date, quality of CWD is commonly characterized by its volume, diameter, tree species or stage of decomposition, while fine-scale structures occurring there remain not surveyed and their role in ecosystem is rarely quantified. Here, we introduce the novel concept of microhabitats on CWD. i.e. Deadwood-related Microhabitats (DreMs), defined as distinct features occurring on CWD that may provide shelter, breeding or foraging sites for forest-dwelling organisms. Using an original catalogue comprising 14 groups and 30 types, we inventoried DreMs on 6,003 CWD across 423 study plots located in best-preserved old-growth forests in Poland. We quantified the frequency and richness of DreMs and assessed the link between CWD characteristics and DreM richness in spruce, beech, willow-poplar, fir-beech and oak-lime- hornbeam forests. All inventoried DreMs occurred on both deciduous and coniferous taxa. The most frequent DreM included bryophyte mats, loose bark patches, insect galleries, fungal fruiting bodies and polypores. DreM richness increased with CWD diameter, more complex architecture and the presence of multiple decay classes within single debris. DreM richness peaked at intermediate decay classes and was higher on deciduous than on coniferous taxa. Our study is the first large-scale qualitative and quantitative assessment of DreMs in temperate forests. By focusing on forests characterized by ecological continuity and minimal human-related disturbance, the results provide a reference for downed deadwood-associated structures. By complementing inventory of tree-related microhabitats, DreMs extend potential monitoring schemes of habitat quality and contribute to biodiversity-oriented forest management. Highlights* Downed coarse woody debris (CWD) hosts Deadwood-related microhabitats (DreMs) * Higher DreM richness is associated with CWD diameter * DreM richness peak at intermediate stages of wood decay * CWD of deciduous taxa support more DreMs than coniferous * Diversified CWD and DreMs increase habitat heterogeneity for forest-dwelling taxa

Drought and low temperatures are major abiotic factors affecting key physiological and biochemical processes and limiting the yields of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). To in-crease soybean production in Europe, different agricultural strategies are applied to re-duce abiotic stress, including biostimulants. Therefore, studies on the effectiveness of local strains isolated in Europe are becoming increasingly relevant. In this study two bacterial strains Arthrobacter pascens (AP) and Bradyrhizobium japonicum (BJ) along with plant-derived protein hydrolysate (PH) were analysed with soybean plans under abiotic stress conditions in plant growth chambers. Six treatments (control; AP; BJ; PH; BJ+AP; BJ+AP+PH) were tested to evaluate biostimulation effect before stress induction (VC stage) and to determine stress reduction effect on soybeans after plants recovery period (V3 stage). Biostimulants application has positive effect on soyabean biometric parameters in early plant development stage and post stress periods. More stable long-term effect was found on structural plant development parameters, than on pigment accumulation. The best results on plant biometric parameters were found where (AP) and (BJ+AP+PH) com-bination was inoculated. (BJ+AP+PH) combination was the only effective treatment, which showed significantly different results in pigments indices, compared to the control, after stress period. Author summaryYasha Jamil: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing- original draft, Giuseppe Colla: Formal analysis, Writing- original draft, Writing- review & editing, Justina Kaziuniene: Data curation, Formal analysis, Sarune Ramoskaite :Writing- review & editing. Monika Toleikien[e]: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing- original draft, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing- review & editing.

The tidal wetlands of Louisiana comprise about 25% of those found throughout the conterminous United States yet estimates of wetland loss rates in the region between 1932 and 2016 have exceeded 60 km2 yr-1. To mitigate further degradation and wetland loss in the region, a globally unprecedented $50B, 50-year plan for coastal Louisiana is driving restoration efforts, and demand exists from multiple stakeholders for regularly updated, regional-scale, accurate land cover information. We used machine learning (random forests; RF) and cloud computing to develop a new Landsat-based, marsh vegetation community geospatial dataset. The dataset depicts wetland vegetation community types defined in a previous study at annual (1985-2025) time steps at 30-m resolution. An RF algorithm was used to integrate training samples with feature variables derived from Landsat imagery, and the resulting geospatial data product achieved an overall correct classification rate of 78%. The approach for development of the land cover dataset presented here has potential for application in other coastal wetland habitats throughout the world.

Optimum irrigation and fertilizer nitrogen (N) rates are important to improve crop yield at reduced environmental risks in the form of NO3-N leaching losses, without any financial loss. The study aimed to investigate the impact of rational irrigation and nitrogen management on wheat and maize crop yield vs. NO3-N leaching losses, with field experiments conducted at the experimental station, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan, for two years, with wheat-fallow-corn seasons each year. Suction lysimeter were installed for collection of leachates while soil water balance was computed using the HYDRUS-1D model. We explored the various management strategies, including three irrigation and N levels (sub-optimal, optimal, and supra-optimal, referred to as I1, I2, and I3 for irrigation, and N1, N2, and N3 for nitrogen, respectively) for wheat and maize crops. The three irrigation levels were 325, 400, and 475 mm for wheat, and 375, 525, and 675 mm for maize crops. The three N-levels were 100, 130, and 160 kg ha-1 for wheat, and 220, 270, and 320 kg ha-1 for maize. The results indicated that increasing the irrigation and nitrogen levels significantly improved the growth and yield of both crops during both seasons. The highest grain yield of wheat (4.0 t ha-1) and maize (7.8 t ha-1) was observed with I3N3; however, I2N3 showed statistically no difference in yield, while showing significantly reduced (28.6%) annual NO3-N leaching losses of 23.8 kg ha-1, and the highest financial benefits of 780$. Sub-optimal levels of irrigation and N, though reduced the NO3-N leaching losses, caused significant yield losses, generally unacceptable to the farmers. Irrigation water use efficiency (WUEi) also improved by 12% in wheat and 20% in maize under I2 than that of the I3 level. Besides, considering economic profit, the highest value cost ratio (1.64 and 2.04 in wheat and maize, respectively) was achieved under the I2N3 treatment, as opposed to the other treatments. Based on comprehensive analysis, the I2N3 treatment is recommended for sustainable yield and minimal environmental risk in the wheat-maize cropping system. Moreover, it was observed that the rainy fallow period contributes 14.0-31.5% of the total NO3-N leaching losses. Further investigation is needed to minimize NO3-N leaching losses, especially during the rainy fallow period, by early maize sowing and increasing the efficiency of N fertilizer (such as fertilizer coating) under the flood irrigation system, to achieve the potential goals of sustainable productivity and environmental security.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is grown in Cote d'Ivoire (the world's leading producer), almost always in association with trees, yet these cocoa-based agroforestry systems (cocoa AFS) remain characterized largely descriptively, without a robust inferential framework or modern diversity indices. We analyse a survey database covering 474 farms and 103 localities across the three main cocoa-producing zones of Cote d'Ivoire, locally known as " loops " (East/South-East, Centre/Centre-West, South/South-West; surveys 2013-2016), applying a renewed ecological and statistical framework: Hill numbers (q = 0, 1, 2), individual-based Hurlbert rarefaction, multiplicative alpha/beta/gamma diversity partitioning, ordination (PCoA) and PERMANOVA on Bray-Curtis matrices, Ward's hierarchical clustering for a data-driven floristic typology, multivariate MANOVA, and linear mixed models. Across 99 adequately sampled localities (>10 stems), mean taxonomic richness and the Shannon index differed significantly among zones (MANOVA: Wilks' = 0.350; F8,180 = 15.5; p < 0.001), including after standardizing sampling effort by rarefaction (F = 8.72; p < 0.001). Floristic composition differed significantly by zone (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 2.85; p = 0.001), though with uneven within-group dispersion (PERMDISP, p = 0.024) that calls for caution in interpretation. The Centre/Centre-West zone showed the highest beta diversity (inter-farm floristic turnover = 16.4, versus 7.2 and 2.2 in the other two zones), revealing a highly heterogeneous mosaic of individual agroforestry choices rather than a homogeneous regional system. A typological classification based on floristic composition distinguishes four cocoa-AFS profiles, ranging from dense, diverse stands to impoverished systems with low densities of associated trees, partially but not fully overlapping with the zonal boundaries. At the scale of the three loops (n = 409 farms with both age and yield recorded), cocoa yield varied significantly by orchard age class (Kruskal-Wallis, H = 18.2; p < 0.001), following a bell-shaped profile peaking around 20-35 years, consistent with the intermediate-age yield optimum suggested qualitatively by the source study; this relationship, robust to log-transformation of yield and to the exclusion of extreme values, nonetheless remains of small magnitude (R2=1.5%) and confers no out-of-sample predictive power under cross-validation, illustrating the need to distinguish statistical significance from predictive utility. This reanalysis provides a reproducible and transferable statistical framework for characterizing West African cocoa AFS, and highlights the potential value of high beta diversity as a possible indicator of landscape resilience.

Peanut smut, caused by Thecaphora frezzii, is an important constraint to peanut production in Argentina, but quantitative estimates of yield losses across environments remain limited. We quantified the relationship between disease incidence and kernel yield using 922 observations from 26 field studies conducted in Cordoba, Argentina, between 2021 and 2025. Study-specific incidence-yield relationships were analyzed using linear regression, random-effects meta-analysis, and linear mixed-effects models. Peanut smut incidence was consistently associated with yield reduction across studies. The estimated damage coefficient ranged from 24.2 to 28.7 kg ha-{superscript 1} per 1% increase in disease incidence, corresponding to a relative yield reduction of 0.74-0.87% of attainable yield. In contrast, attainable yield varied markedly among studies, ranging from 1,370 to 5,409 kg ha-{superscript 1}. Although an exploratory segmented analysis suggested a breakpoint near 12% incidence, subsequent moderator analyses, study- specific regressions, and normalized response curves provided no evidence of a biologically meaningful change in the damage coefficient across incidence or yield classes. These results indicate that differences among environments were primarily associated with attainable yield rather than with changes in the magnitude of disease-associated yield loss. The resulting damage function provides a quantitative basis for yield-loss assessment and disease management in peanut.

AimHere we aim to disentangle species-specific bioclimatic drivers of forest site productivity and project their future dynamics, providing a spatially explicit basis for anticipating climate-driven shifts in productivity and their implications for forest carbon sequestration. LocationIberian Peninsula. Time period1985-2014 (calibration); 2071-2100 (projected under CMIP6 scenarios). Major taxa studied21 Iberian tree species. MethodsWe used Site Form (SF) maps derived from the Third Spanish National Forest Inventory, spatially interpolating plot-level SF estimates as a continuous productivity index and relating them to 25 bioclimatic variables. Multiple linear regression models were selected via complementary stepwise and subset regression and validated on independent hold-out data (80%/20% split). ResultsValidated [Formula] ranged from 0.46 (Quercus faginea) to 0.97 (Pinus pinaster); 17 of 21 species reached [Formula]. BI013 precipitation of the wettest month), not BI014, was the most frequently retained predictor (15/17); BI014 was retained in only (11/17 models with a near-even sign split. Combining projected changes in mean productivity and habitat extent under SSP5-8.5, fifteen of sixteen applicable species lose total productivity by 2071-2100, six -- including Fagus sylvatica and Betula alba -- collapsing to below 1% of their reference-period value; only Pinus pinaster gains, and only under the lowest-emission pathway (up to 175%) -- under SSP5-8.5 it too loses productivity, albeit less than any other species (35% of its reference-period value retained). Limiting warming to SSP1-2.6 spares Mediterranean pine and oak species but not Euro-Siberian and montane ones. Main conclusionsThese validated, extrapolation-aware models reveal a near-universal, climate-driven collapse in Iberian forest site productivity, with direct implications for the carbon-sink potential currently attributed to these forest types, and provide a route to dynamic, climate-aware carbon-uptake estimates for the region.

This study aims to investigate changes in protein secondary structures (-helix, -sheet, random coils, and -turn) and macronutrient distribution in different cool-season oat varieties and steam-pressure toasting durations using synchrotron-based mid-infrared (Mid-IR) spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) imaging. All oat samples, provided by the Crop Development Center at the University of Saskatchewan, were harvested over three consecutive years (2018, 2019, and 2020). The first experiment compared four oat varieties (CDC Arborg, CDC Nasser, CDC Haymaker, and Summit), while the second examined CDC Nasser oats subjected to steam-pressure toasting (SPT) at 121 for 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. FTIR chemical imaging revealed that carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in the four oat varieties were mainly concentrated in the endosperm, aleurone layer and embryo, crease region, and remained unchanged after SPT. Peak-fitting deconvolution of the Amide I band (1700-1600 cm-1) and subsequent quantitative analysis revealed that the four oat varieties exhibited broadly similar protein secondary structure profiles, with statistically significant but subtle variety effects detected for -helix (P = 0.026), -turn (P = 0.047), and the -helix to -sheet ratio (P = 0.048), however, -sheet and random coil proportions did not differ significantly among varieties. In contrast, SPT induced pronounced structural rearrangements, with significant increase in -sheet proportion (P = 0.003) and significant decreases in random coil content (P = 0.026). Notably, 30 minutes of toasting was sufficient to significantly increase -sheet and decrease the random coil contents. These changes are consistent with heat-induced protein denaturation and intermolecular -sheet aggregation, where thermal energy breaks the hydrogen bonds that stabilize the disordered random coil conformation, causing the unfolded polypeptide chains to reassemble into highly ordered -sheet aggregates. After SPT, the peak centers of Amide I and II bands shifted to lower wavenumbers and both bands broadened while their intensities were maintained, reflecting the reorganization of the remaining protein into -sheet aggregates rather than any loss of amide-active protein. These findings suggest that, although genotype has a relatively minor effect on the protein secondary structure of oats, hydrothermal treatments fundamentally reorganize the protein matrix from a disordered to an ordered conformation, which may have implications for protein digestibility, solubility, and nutritional function.

1. Forest canopies harbour strong microclimatic gradients that shape plant performance, species interactions and ecosystem processes. Yet, despite renewed interest sparked by global change, forest canopies remain difficult-to-access experimental spaces. 2. With the goal to expand access to tree canopies as experimental arenas, we designed, built, and tested TreeTOP, a standardized experimental platform that opens canopy space for manipulative ecological experiments, specifically with potted plants. TreeTOP features lightweight aluminum frames placed in mature tree canopies non-invasively, allowing potted plants to be placed in three different heights, ground level, shade canopy, and sun canopy. 3. We implemented TreeTOP using two contrasting infrastructure concepts to demonstrate its applicability in both highly equipped canopy research facilities and forests without permanent canopy infrastructure. One installation relied on a canopy crane, grid power and fully automated irrigation, whereas the second was built by certified tree climbers and was equipped with an autonomous solar-powered, battery-operated irrigation system. At both sites, environmental sensor networks monitor the experiment. 4. TreeTOP successfully reproduced characteristic canopy microclimatic gradients, including increasing light availability, daytime air temperatures and thermal extremes with canopy height. Despite differing infrastructures, both implementations generated comparable microclimatic patterns, demonstrating that standardized canopy experiments are feasible in forests with or without permanent canopy access. By opening canopy space for manipulative experiments, TreeTOP provides a transferable framework for investigating plant performance, phenology, species interactions and microbiome assembly under realistic forest conditions.

Red crown rot of soybean (RCR), caused by Calonectria ilicicola, is an emerging soilborne disease whose quantification is challenging due to its complex symptom development across root and foliage levels. This study developed and evaluated a multi-scale framework to improve the assessment of RCR severity from controlled environments to field conditions using root imaging and standardized visual scales. Under controlled conditions, a standard area diagram (SAD) for root necrosis was developed and validated, and SAD-assisted evaluations significantly improved accuracy, precision, and inter-rater agreement compared with unaided assessments. In field conditions, a diagrammatic symptom scale (DSS) was developed using consensus-rated images from experts and showed high reliability, repeatability, and reproducibility across 18 raters, with strong intra- and inter-rater agreement. This study developed and evaluated complementary methods to improve the assessment of RCR severity from controlled environments to field conditions using root imaging and standardized visual scales.

Elevational gradients provide a framework for understanding how environmental filtering reorganises communities and interactions, but plant-pollinator interactions along temperate forest elevational gradients remain overlooked. We studied early-spring understorey communities at four forest sites spanning the foothills towards the timberline (450-1,000 m a.s.l.) in the Krkono[s]e Mountains, Czechia. Across six transects per elevation, we quantified flowering plant species richness, floral resources and traits, and video-recorded flowers, yielding 4,003 pollinator visits. We analysed elevational patterns in species richness, community composition, floral traits, and quantitative network characteristics. Visitation frequency and flowering plant and pollinator species richness peaked at intermediate elevations. The contribution of dipteran relative to hymenopteran pollinators increased towards higher elevations, principally because of non-hoverfly flies, whereas individual bee groups showed no uniform response. Floral resources and traits showed no uniform elevational responses, although total nectar sugar availability peaked at the highest site because of the dominant Vaccinium myrtillus. Most notably, both network-level specialisation and mean species-level specialisation were generally greater at the two higher elevations, whereas nestedness was lower and other network characteristics showed no consistent patterns. These findings suggest that shifts in pollinator composition and dominant floral resources potentially shaped interactions along the gradient. The increasing specialisation with elevation contrasts with the generalisation often expected under reduced partner availability and indicates that forest networks may follow elevational patterns not predicted from open habitats. Despite limited site-level replication, this study provides, to our knowledge, the first community-wide characterisation of plant-pollinator interactions along a temperate forest elevational gradient and identifies patterns requiring evaluation across replicated gradients.

Nutrient availability in many temperate ecosystems is shaped by soil properties and historical land use. Especially in otherwise nutrient-poor landscapes human-induced, local fertilisation can generate fine-scale mosaics of nutrient hotspots. Whether and how large herbivores respond to such heterogeneity remains poorly understood. We tested whether spatial variation in soil-derived nutrient availability structures habitat selection by large herbivores, using full-year GPS tracking data from 7 red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Veluwe, the Netherlands. We used soil types as a proxy for nutrient availability and assigned nutrient scores based on soil pH, cation exchange capacity and soil structure. We then evaluated habitat selection across multiple components of space use: (i) home range size; (ii) use of relatively nutrient-rich parts within home ranges; (iii) selection among soil types; and (iv) selection of locally enriched former agricultural patches. Red deer used relatively nutrient-rich within their home range more than expected based on availability, including local patches enriched by former agricultural use. However, site selection did not consistently follow nutrient scores among soil types. These results show that nutrient availability does shape habitat selection, but primarily through fine-scale, localised nutrient enrichment rather than broad-scale variation in soil properties. Our findings demonstrate that nutrient-related foraging contributes to habitat selection in a large wild herbivore, while also revealing that this process is scale- and context-dependent. By repeatedly concentrating their foraging in nutrient-rich patches, large herbivores may contribute to nutrient redistribution across the landscape, with the potential to reinforce or modify existing spatial heterogeneity in resource availability and ecosystem functioning.