Journal of Environmental Management

The effects of the selection of livestock type (e.g., sheep or cattle) and grazing intensity on the soil seed bank of sand grasslands of conservation interest were studied. 25 grazed grassland sites classified into four grazing intensity categories were studied. The soil seed bank was analysed by seedling emergence; germinated seedlings were classified into morpho-functional, social behaviour type (SBT) and CSR strategy groups. The following hypotheses were tested: i) Diversity and density of soil seed banks are lower in sheep-grazed sites than in cattle-grazed ones. ii) The species composition, diversity, and density of the soil seed banks are more strongly affected by grazing intensity than by the livestock type. iii) Leaf traits, SBT and CSR strategy composition are highly affected both by livestock type and grazing intensity. The main effect of livestock type only affected seed bank density, while that of grazing intensity had a significant effect on most of the variables. Most of the studied variables were affected by the interaction of grazing intensity and livestock type. Total seed bank density was lower at all grazing intensity levels in sheep-grazed sites than in cattle-grazed ones, especially close to frequently visited places. We found that sheep grazing sustained a much lower total seed bank density and lower density of species of natural and semi-natural habitats regardless to the grazing intensity. Thus, livestock type must be carefully selected and high-intensity sheep grazing should be avoided in the long-run when managing sand grasslands. HighlightsO_LIThe soil seed banks of sheep and cattle grazed sand grassland were studied C_LIO_LIEffect of grazing intensity found the most important driver of seed bank diversity and density C_LIO_LIThe total soil seed bank density was higher in cattle than sheep grazed sites C_LIO_LIBoth intensity and livestock type must be considered in the grassland management planning C_LIO_LIHigh intensity sheep grazing should be avoided in sand grassland management C_LI

Despite the relevance of spatial mapping in analyzing the health situation and understanding the risk factors and determinants of leptospirosis, peripheral urban communities often remain invisible on maps, which tend to use data and methods that do not express community contribution nor promote local participation. Furthermore, in the implementation of sanitation interventions, the same happens: there is limited user participation, and a lack of identification of intervention needs based on the perception of community residents, failing the interventions. We conducted a cross-sectional study through collaborative mapping from February to October 2022 with 213 residents and self-declared heads-of-household in two peripheral urban communities. We analyzed the perception of sanitation needs indicated by residents and their relationship with the risk of leptospirosis in these communities. Based on community perception, sewage (NS: 87.1%; JSI/ME: 84.9%) and urban cleaning and solid waste management (NS: 25.9%; JSI/ME: 32.6%) were the sanitation needs. In NS, most participants indicated that the necessary interventions for sewage improvement were actions of sewer cleaning and sealing (26.5%), sewer cleaning and piping (23.5%), and implementation/installation/construction of a sanitary sewage network (41.4%). In JSI/ME, interventions included sewage sealing (48.7%) and piping (25.6%), in addition to actions to maintain sewage cleaning (93.3%). The removal of solid waste (trash) in the square (NS: 22.2%) and on the streets (JSI/ME: 69.2%), as well as community awareness (JSI/ME: 15.4%), were indicated as interventions to meet the needs of urban cleaning and solid waste management. Respondents agreed on where interventions should occur, which congregated around the local river. We found a negative correlation between the predicted leptospirosis seropositivity and perceived intervention needs in both study areas. The prevention of diseases such as leptospirosis in peripheral urban communities requires integrated basic sanitation interventions, encompassing different components and aligned with the local needs perceived by residents.

Military activities can significantly influence soil ecosystems through physical disturbance and the introduction of contaminants such as explosive compounds, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. Soil microbial communities play key roles in ecosystem functioning and contaminant transformation, yet the extent to which these communities have been systematically studied in military-impacted soils remains unclear. This study presents a systematic review of research investigating soil biological communities in landscapes affected by military activity or warfare. A structured literature search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, Dimensions, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Following duplicate removal and multi-stage screening, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on study location, contamination types, soil physicochemical measurements, biological methods, and methodological characteristics. A Methodological Completeness Index (MCI) was calculated to evaluate the extent to which studies integrated environmental and biological measurements. Results reveal a strong reliance on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, used in 80% of studies, while fungal and soil fauna investigations were rare. Soil physicochemical characterization was inconsistent: soil pH was measured in 60% of studies, whereas microbial biomass and enzyme activity were reported in fewer than 20%. No studies reported soil bulk density despite the importance of soil compaction in military landscapes. Research focused mainly on explosive compounds and heavy metals, particularly TNT, RDX, and lead contamination.

Restoration of degraded areas and post-disturbance rehabilitation after wildfire encompass critical approaches for reducing and reversing impacts of wind erosion and sand and dust storms (SDS). However, the broad outcomes of dryland restoration and rehabilitation for wind erosion and SDS remain underexplored. Wind erosion is an emerging issue in the Great Basin of the western United States, exacerbated by invasive annual grasses and associated wildfire. Here, we assess potential wind erosion and SDS responses to wildfire, restoration, and post-wildfire rehabilitation treatments at the regional scale in the Great Basin. We used 13 years of rangeland monitoring data, the Aeolian EROsion model, and the Land Treatment Digital Library to produce counterfactual model-predictions to estimate treatment effects. Our results revealed reductions in aeolian sediment fluxes (Ln Q < 0 g m-1 d-1) across wildfire-affected regions (mean {+/-} SE: -0.070 {+/-} 0.077 Ln Q), restoration treatments in unburned areas (range: -0.867 {+/-} 0.398 to 0.480 {+/-} 0.253 Ln Q), and post-wildfire rehabilitation (range: -0.821 {+/-} 0.183 to 1.278 {+/-} 0.909 Ln Q). In particular, aerial seeding and soil disturbance restoration treatments, and post-wildfire closure-treatments had higher perennial grass cover and the most decreased Ln Q compared to untreated controls. These results represent an important regional scale assessment of wind erosion responses to restoration and post-wildfire rehabilitation. Our findings underscore the application of integrating wind erosion and SDS mitigation into restoration and post-disturbance rehabilitation programs to provide land managers with strategies to reduce land degradation while fostering ecosystem resilience.

Organic farming supports environmental sustainability by saving water, safeguarding ecosystems, and providing economic opportunities through organic crops. It promotes food security and long-term development in the arid regions. However, its adoption in Jordan remains limited, primarily due to insufficient governmental support policies and measures. This study aims to identify the fundamental barriers to the adoption of organic agriculture in Jordans arid regions, evaluate farmers preparedness for organic practices, explore opportunities for organic farming, and propose recommendations to enhance its adoption. The study utilized a longitudinal approach, conducted in two phases over two decades. The first phase (April-September 2004) involved semi-structured interviews with 46 farmers and five focus groups. The second phase (July-September 2024) revisited seven experienced farmers from the initial cohort, using a phenomenological research approach a widely used approach. The results of phase 1 findings showed that the main barriers were technical, economic, marketing, legislation, institutional and extension and services while socio-cultural was not. The results of phase 2 highlighted persistence of the barriers identified in phase 1, alongside unresolved institutional difficulties, including certification processes, regulatory gaps, and limited market access. The study concluded that implementing streamlined certification procedures, government-supported subsidies, education programs, and policy modifications to promote sustainable adoption of organic farming and farmer engagement in Jorden. The limitation includes a small sample size, the two-decade gap between phases, and a focus on arid regions only. Further, it excludes other stakeholders perspectives, underexplores socio-cultural factors and provides limited analysis of certification, market access, and comparable contexts.

The widespread adoption of energy-saving bulbs like light-emitting diodes and compact fluorescent lamps in Zambia has raised significant environmental and public health issues because some of these bulbs contain dangerous materials like mercury. This study sought to evaluate households' understanding and disposal practices of used and damaged energy-saving bulbs in Lusaka, Zambia's Mtendere Compound. A cross-sectional design was used, with structured questionnaires distributed to a randomly chosen sample of households. The research showed that, although most participants were aware of the energy efficiency advantages of these bulbs, they had little understanding of their possible health risks and safe disposal procedures. The majority of households reported throwing away broken and used bulbs with their regular household trash, while only a small percentage followed the suggested disposal procedures. Environmental contamination and heightened health risks are exacerbated by a lack of awareness and inadequate municipal waste management systems for hazardous household waste. The research advocates for improved public education initiatives, the creation of specific collection sites for dangerous waste, and the formulation of explicit national regulations and policies for the handling of discarded and damaged energy-saving bulbs. In rapidly urbanizing areas like Mtendere, tackling these issues is essential for protecting public health and advancing environmental sustainability. Key Words: Knowledge, Practices, Waste Disposal, and Mercury coated bulbs

Small-scale vegetable farms are increasingly important to local food systems, but the soils on these farms are not well understood, particularly in high tunnel production environments. Therefore, this study aimed to 1. Compare soil nutrients and soil health metrics in high tunnels and nearby open fields. 2. Document soil nutrient accumulation on diversified vegetable farms and assess loss potential. 3. Explore the impacts of specific management practices (input use, cover crops, tillage, and soil testing) and farm demographics on a variety of soil health and soil nutrient metrics. Just under half of the high tunnels in this study had soluble salt accumulation, which was associated with higher soil nitrate concentrations. The pH of many high tunnel soils was above the optimal range for crop production, which was correlated with irrigation water alkalinity. Some high tunnel soils had rapid water infiltration rates, with implications for irrigation water management. Both high tunnel and open field soil were rich in nutrients compared with other Minnesota farms. Preliminary assessments suggested risks to surface and groundwater from nutrient runoff and leaching. While farmer experience and more years in vegetable production were negatively associated with soil health metrics, management practices including reduced tillage, organic management, and application of plant-based compost were positively associated with soil health. Cation exchange capacity and permanganate oxidizable carbon did not provide significantly more insight than simply measuring organic matter. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore counts were inconclusive, but aggregate stability and bulk density were responsive to farmer reported soil management activities. Core ideasO_LIHigh tunnel soil tends to be rich in nutrients and organic matter. They also accumulate soluble salts, likely from excess inputs C_LIO_LIIrrigation water routinely tested high in pH and alkalinity. These factors may explain high soil pH in high tunnels. C_LIO_LISmall-scale vegetable farms often have high concentrations of soil nutrients in both high tunnels and open fields, with potential to cause environmental contamination through leaching and runoff C_LIO_LIVegetable production may be inherently hard on soil health, but conservation practices including reduced tillage, organic management, and use of plant-based composts can improve soil health in these production systems C_LI

AimAs cities densify and expand, the careful planning and design of green spaces are essential for supporting urban biodiversity. Here, we evaluate the relative contribution of habitat patches of varying size, quality, and connectivity to urban biodiversity and assess environmental factors driving differences in species richness and community composition. LocationZurich, Switzerland. Time period: 2008-2018.Major taxa studied: Invertebrates, vertebrates, and trees. MethodsWe analyzed species occupancy data from 452 habitat patches. We quantified alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, assessed species-area relationships, and applied generalized dissimilarity modelling to test the role of patch area, connectivity, and habitat quality--proxied through environmental variables, including vegetation complexity, water presence, and forest isolation--in shaping community composition. ResultsAlpha diversity increased significantly with area, although small patches (usually < 5 ha) disproportionately contributed to beta diversity. Per unit area, groups of small patches yielded higher gamma diversity than equivalent areas of large patches, particularly for trees and invertebrates. Community composition was strongly influenced by patch area, with effects mediated by vegetation complexity, water, and isolation, with responses differing among taxa. Main conclusionsSmall habitat patches play a critical role in enhancing overall urban biodiversity. They increase species richness through cumulative area effects and promote community turnover (mediated by environmental heterogeneity). Maintaining networks of small patches alongside large green spaces is therefore key to conserving biodiversity in urban landscapes.

As urban populations grow, cities are increasingly seen not only as drivers of climate change but also as critical arenas for implementing mitigation and adaptation strategies. Urban forests and green infrastructure play a vital role in shaping environmental quality and human health, yet access to these benefits remains inequitable. The Montreal Urban Observatory was designed to investigate the complex relationships among biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human health. Twenty-five permanent plots were established across the Island of Montreal, strategically located along gradients in vegetation cover, population density, and mean household income. Interdisciplinary research within the Observatory focuses on themes including urban forest structure and function, abiotic conditions, biodiversity, ecological interactions, natures contributions to people, related human health outcomes, and developing novel methodological approaches. The Observatory supports long-term, cross-scale monitoring and fosters collaborative research on urban social-ecological systems, thus contributing to global initiatives to enhance urban sustainability and equity through nature-based solutions. Early results confirm the relevance of the main gradients for several organisms and response variables, from microbes to trees and abiotic factors. For example, sampling all trees, public and private, within a radius of 200m centered on each plot revealed significant differences in the diversity and structure of private and public trees, including an overwhelming dominance of Thuya occidentalis not captured in commonly used public tree inventories.

Artificial pond construction is widely used in wetland restoration, yet biodiversity outcomes depend strongly on design and subsequent management. We tested how different regimes (grazing, mowing, and no management) influence habitat structure, water conditions, and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity in newly excavated experimental ponds within an eutrophic wetland in South Moravia (Czechia). Across four focal groups (Mollusca, Odonata, Coleoptera, Heteroptera), we observed rapid colonisation of the newly built ponds. Species richness and densities rose during early development, dropped after drying events, and then partially recovered, indicating repeated "resetting" of communities under fluctuating hydrology. Periodic drying also prevented fish stock establishment. Management significantly affected species composition and both grazed and mowed ponds displayed higher densities (abundances) than controls, but differed only slightly in terms of species richness. The grazed ponds were characterised by high sunlight exposure, reduced reed dominance, and trampling-generated high littoral heterogeneity. These ponds showed highest numbers of taxa adapted to shallow and warm waterbodies, muddy substrate, semiaquatic microhabitats, or newly emerged and disturbed habitats. The mowed ponds promoted dense submergent vegetation, supporting Odonata representation and other taxa requiring aquatic vegetation. The control ponds remained highly shaded by high-grown reed, organic-matter rich, hosting a set of taxa tolerant of low-light, low-oxygen conditions. At the wetland scale, multiple small ponds increased overall diversity through high between-pond heterogeneity. Our results highlight that pond construction alone is insufficient for wetland restoration: follow-up long-term management regimes, especially extensive grazing, can rapidly generate structural heterogeneity and sustain diverse aquatic invertebrate assemblages in eutrophic wetlands.

Removing river barriers - such as dams or weirs - is an increasingly used strategy for restoring freshwater ecosystems. In Europe, these actions are key for achieving the goal of 25,000 kilometers of free-flowing rivers that the recent regulation on nature restoration establishes for 2030. However, social acceptance remains uneven, and local opposition--often related to cultural attachments, poor ecological awareness, and misinformation--may influence or even impede restoration efforts. Among stakeholders, anglers play a particularly influential role, yet their perceptions and knowledge remain poorly documented. This study addresses how anglers from three river basins in Northern Spain perceive river barriers, their removal, and their ecological impacts, and contrasts their attitudes to those of other residents. We carried out a telephone survey of 1,200 adult residents in the target basins. We assessed perceptions, misconceptions, and self-reported knowledge of river barriers, and collected various sociodemographic parameters. We selected 180 self-identified anglers and compared their answers to those from a subsample of 180 non-anglers with similar demographic characteristics. Despite reporting significantly higher self-perceived knowledge and more polarised responses, anglers showed lower awareness of the ecological impacts of fluvial barriers. They were more likely to underestimate their negative effects compared to the control group. In addition to falling for the main misconceptions surrounding the issue, their responses displayed a degree of bimodality, suggesting that the type of fishing practised may influence their attitudes. Our findings reaffirm the importance of strengthening awareness-raising efforts among relevant stakeholders about the impacts of river barriers and the benefits of their removal when planning specific interventions. It is essential to engage local communities--particularly key groups such as anglers--to strengthen the social acceptance of such actions and improve environmental governance.

Wastewater surveillance has been widely adopted since the COVID-19 pandemic, but non-sewered or onsite sanitation is a common form of sanitation in cities of low- and middle-income countries. Environmental surveillance in these settings requires expanding analyses beyond wastewater. We collected 81 soil samples adjacent to public waste bins inside the sewered and non-sewered areas of Maputo and a 150-meter-wide buffer zone between the two areas, as well as from subsistence farms near the wastewater treatment plant for comparison. We cultured Escherichia coli (E. coli) using the IDEXX Quanti-Tray/2000 system and determined the prevalence of 29 unique enteric pathogens via RT-qPCR on TaqMan array cards. E. coli concentrations were significantly higher (p<.001) in soils adjacent to public waste bins (mean = 5.05x105 per gram) compared to soils from farms (mean = 8.70x101 per gram). The mean number of unique pathogens was higher in soils from the non-sewered area (mean = 7.9, n=32) and the 150-meter buffer area (mean = 10.5, n=10) compared to the sewered area (mean = 4.6, n=20) and soils from farms (mean=3.8, n=19). Findings demonstrate that the presence of enteric pathogens in soils adjacent to public waste bins were associated with neighborhood sanitation infrastructure and may be a useful matrix for surveillance. In high-burden settings with poor sanitation, direct examination of soils and other environmental matrices are potentially scalable means of environmental pathogen surveillance to consider beyond conventional sampling matrices.

Carolinian old-growth forests in southwestern Ontario are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in Canada, yet regeneration of several canopy tree species is increasingly constrained by intense white-tailed deer browsing and changing disturbance regimes. Windstorms frequently uproot trees in this region, creating tip-up mounds that alter soil structure, drainage, and microtopography. These microsites may provide important opportunities for seedling establishment, but their role in forest regeneration remains poorly understood. This study examined how tip-up mound microsites differ from adjacent ground microsites in soil properties and how these differences influence seedling survival. A total of 84 tip-up mounds were sampled across several conservation areas in Hamilton, Ontario. For each mound, soil samples were collected from the mound top and adjacent forest floor and analyzed for soil moisture, pH, organic matter, and texture. Seedlings of two deer-preferred native species, red oak (Quercus rubra) and black cherry (Prunus serotina), were planted on mound tops and adjacent ground microsites, and their survival was monitored over the growing season. Ground microsites had significantly higher soil moisture and organic matter than mound tops, whereas mound tops were consistently drier. Seedling responses differed between species: red oak survival was higher on ground microsites, while black cherry survival was higher on mound tops. Logistic regression analyses indicated that soil moisture was the strongest predictor of seedling survival, with contrasting responses between the two species. These results suggest that tip-up mounds create distinct environmental conditions that selectively favor different regeneration strategies. As white-tailed deer browsing continues to suppress regeneration on the forest floor - particularly in areas of high deer activity and low wildlife species richness - while windthrow frequency rises under climate change, tip-up mounds are poised to become increasingly critical regeneration niches for species capable of establishing under drier, well-aerated microsite conditions.

O_LIBiodiverse vegetation that supports high rates of ecosystem functions can inherently express a messy appearance due to high numbers of local native plant species and their spatial distribution connected to niche complementarity. This messiness is assumed to lower peoples appreciation for vegetation in urban contexts. Since such vegetation and a positive relationship between people and biodiversity could contribute to mitigating biodiversity loss, this assumed low public appreciation warrants investigation. C_LIO_LIWe designed and constructed biodiverse flowerbeds using only local native plants, and with the intention to enhance planting productivity, resistance and resilience. To investigate the influence of messiness, we created flowerbeds in four high levels of species richness (8,12,16,20) shown to be relevant for ecosystem functioning, and three levels of order (no, semi, full). We tested public appreciation for the flowerbeds using a self-guided, on-site survey. C_LIO_LIWe found a positive mean rating for all flowerbeds, but no effect of species richness on the ratings. Increased order, however, had a strong negative effect: The odds of a fully ordered flowerbed receiving a negative rating were 88% higher than of a flowerbed with no order. Increasing designed order was correlated with decreasing plant biomass in the flowerbeds. C_LIO_LIThese findings challenge the assumption that the appearance of biodiverse plantings is too messy for public appreciation in urban contexts. Specifically, we demonstrate that introducing order and reducing messiness can compromise aesthetic appreciation for biodiverse vegetation, potentially by compromising productivity as indicated by lower biomass production in ordered plantings. C_LI Synthesis and applicationOur study shows that biodiverse vegetation can be appreciated in urban contexts. Flowerbeds can effectively serve both people as ornamentation and biodiversity as habitat when they are designed based on ecological principles Research highlightsO_LIWe designed and realized flowerbeds based on ecological principles. C_LIO_LIAll plantings received positive average ratings. C_LIO_LIIncreasing species richness in the flowerbeds did not affect participants aesthetic appreciation. C_LIO_LIIncreasing order in the design of the flowerbeds strongly lowered participants aesthetic appreciation. C_LIO_LIIncreasing order in the design was correlated to lower biomass productivity and more bare soil in the flowerbeds. C_LI

Tropical forests, particularly the Amazon, play a critical role in global ecosystems by providing essential services such as climate regulation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation. However, these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by deforestation and land-use changes driven by agriculture, livestock farming, and other anthropogenic activities. This study investigates habitat composition and temporal changes in Tailandia (Para-Brazil), using high-resolution satellite imagery. Data from 2013 to 2023 were analyzed across 18 research plots and a broader expanded zone to identify patterns of land-use transformation. Results reveal the dominance of Forest Formation habitats, alongside significant increases in Pastures and Oil Palm Crops. Clustering analysis highlighted ecological heterogeneity, with intact forests and heavily altered plots demonstrating varied conservation needs. Results also forecast a 13% decline in forest cover and a 32% rise in pasture areas over the next five years. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies, robust environmental policies, and sustainable land-use practices. This research demonstrates the utility of remote sensing for large-scale ecological monitoring and its potential to inform effective conservation efforts.

Soil microflora is fundamental to ecosystem functioning, yet their contribution in Miyawaki afforestation, a globally implemented ecological engineering approach, remains poorly characterized. In the present study, we examined the bacterial taxonomic diversity and their functional potential in a peri-urban Miyawaki mini-forest and compared with a nearby grassland the pre-existing ecosystem across dry and wet seasons. The Miyawaki plantation comprised of highly diverse native trees, sub-trees and shrubs spanning evergreen and deciduous varieties, potentiating nitrogen-fixation, diverse litter generation and rooting strategies resulting in pronounced functional heterogeneity. Notably relative to grassland, the Miyawaki forest was intensively managed and supplemented with organic amendments, and supportive irrigation, buffering the seasonal moisture stress. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of soil eDNA, we characterized seasonal variation in soil bacterial communities in both the systems. The observed soil bacterial community organization in forest as compared to the unmanaged grassland indicates combined influence of vegetation structure, dense canopy cover, continuous litter generation and root exudates. Microbial assemblages in the forest specialised in heterotrophic complex carbon degradation, biofilm formation, exopolysaccharide production and sporulation pathways which suggests adaptive abilities to anoxic microsites and other stressful conditions. In contrast, grassland soils harboured less diversified bacterial communities dominated by phototrophic and oxidative stress adaptation pathways consistent with sun lit, non-irrigated and moisture-variable conditions. Nonetheless, functional divergence in dry season reflects temporal reorganization of microbial communities marking a gradual trend towards soil ecosystem development. Together, these findings establish microbial baseline for Miyawaki forests revealing how tree-dense mini-forests restructure soil bacterial communities relative to grasslands highlighting the value of identifying soil microbial indicators for critically evaluating urban afforestation outcomes over extended time scales to inform sustainable design and policy. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=113 SRC="FIGDIR/small/704982v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (56K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15e1bb1org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16c1dddorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11c99ecorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@bd6d1d_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Schematic representation of the study depicting the Miyawaki forest and nearby grassland.

ContextAs global urbanization intensifies, Urban Green Spaces (UGS) are pivotal for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. However, comparative assessments of UGS spatial configuration and connectivity across diverse urban landscapes remain limited. ObjectivesThis study aims to assess the spatial arrangement and connectivity of UGS across 28 European capital cities. Additionally, we evaluate how Network Science metrics derived from Graph Theory can complement traditional landscape ecology metrics to provide a more comprehensive understanding of UGS at a large scale. MethodsWe developed a European Urban Vegetation Map using Earth observation data to classify UGS at 10m resolution across the selected capitals. We then analyzed UGS connectivity for each city utilizing 40 traditional landscape metrics and a Graph-Theory-based approach. ResultsWhile traditional landscape metrics effectively quantified fragmentation, they often remain strongly correlated with total vegetation abundance. In contrast, Network Science metrics provided specific insights into UGS functional connectivity, distinguishing the quality of ecological links beyond spatial proximity. This integration allowed us to cluster European capitals into three distinct typologies: unconnected compact cities, large metropolises with complex peri-urban dynamics, and high-connectivity cities with robust networks. These findings demonstrate that graph-based indices effectively complement traditional metrics, highlighting that relying solely on green space percentage is insufficient for assessing the ecological resilience of urban environments. ConclusionsThese results underscore the relevance of Earth observation-based UGS assessment and demonstrate that graph-based landscape connectivity analysis outperforms simple abundance metrics. Therefore, effective assessment requires integrating structural metrics with graph-based connectivity to support resilient urban biodiversity.

IntroductionPatterns of soil respiration (Rs) are heterogeneous on temporal and spatial scale. The most important controlling factors of soil respiration are microclimatic conditions such as soil temperature and moisture. However, a strong pronounced seasonality shifts Rs patterns from temperature to moisture-controlled regimes. Rarely investigated patterns are time-lagged effects prior to Rs measurements and influences of trees in mixed forests on large spatio-temporal scales. Material and MethodsWe investigated Rs over two years on a weekly to fortnightly measurement rhythm at an approximately 1 ha area in a mixed forest on 35 predefined locations using the common chamber technique. Analysis was derived using meteorological data and a tree species map. ResultsBy tendency, Rs decreased with increasing distance to the tree and we observed significantly higher Rs in broadleaf patches compared to coniferous and mixed patches during the summer season (+27 %, +18 %, respective). Our data confirmed soil temperature and moisture as important controlling variables. Yet, our results highlight an additional predictor explaining a higher proportion in variability: the vapour pressure in the atmosphere. In contrast to soil temperature and moisture this predictor was able to track a collapse in Rs due to drought and increases following rewetting. ConclusionWe conclude that meteorological conditions might be valuable indicators for CO2 emissions from forest soils. Tree species distribution explained partly the spatial patterns and hot spots of Rs yet additional analysis of local soil properties will enhance our understanding of the soil plant interactions and the resulting Rs.

Soil salinity and sodicity are among the major challenges threatening agricultural productivity in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. A column experiment was conducted in laboratory on saline-sodic soils of Metehara Sugar Estate to evaluate the effectiveness of phosphogypsum and leaching in reclaiming these soils. The treatments comprised of five rates of phosphogypsum equivalent to 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200% gypsum requirement, 100% gypsum requirement of natural gypsum, and an absolute control with no amendments applied, and five volumes of leaching water. The treatments were arranged in Complete Randomized Design with three replications. The leaching water was applied to the columns in an intermittent ponding mode. Leachates and soil samples collected from the columns after termination of the leaching process were analyzed for selected soil properties. Results showed that applying phosphogypsum at a rate of 100% gypsum requirement or higher (which is equivalent to [&ge;] 13 tons/ha) along with 3-4 pore volume of leaching water was found to be the most effective combination to reduce salinity and sodicity to levels that are suitable for most crops (ECe <4 dS/m and ESP < 10%,). The efficiency of phosphogypsum equivalent to 200% gypsum requirement was 81% and 75% in soluble salt removal and Na reduction, respectively. Results of the study suggest that phosphogypsum is a promising reclamation material for saline-sodic soils. However, a field experiment has to be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these amendments under natural conditions and come-up with implementable rate recommendations.

Invasion-fire interactions can negatively impact ecosystems by driving biodiversity loss, altering ecological processes, modifying habitat structure, and compromising ecosystem functioning. Understanding how this interaction operates is essential to design effective management strategies that are successful in controlling both invasive alien species (IAS) and fire. Therefore, the present literature review aims to synthesize the current knowledge on invasion-fire interaction and its impacts on ecosystems, as well as identify knowledge gaps in the field. The review included 464 studies, from which information on context, species and fire characteristics, interaction outcomes, and research approaches was extracted. Fire generally promotes IAS, although studies on invasive animals are limited and no research has examined the effects of fire on fungi. Management through prescribed fire showed significantly better outcomes than wildfires in suppressing IAS, yet positive impacts still outnumbered the negative ones. In turn, IAS can change fire regimes causing regime shifts, but this direction of interaction is much less studied. Combined impacts of fire and IAS on ecosystems are predominantly negative, although interactions are complex and not always synergistic. Key knowledge gaps include geographic regions with known Invasion-fire interactions that remain underreported, a lack of broad-scale studies, limited management interventions, understudied taxa, and limited understanding of the combined effects on ecosystems. Remote sensing and laboratory experiments, which have been rarely used, could address some of these gaps.